Quick Apple Bake with Almond Milk | SCD + Paleo

I am happy to say we survived our first experience with an away camp and the SCD diet! Last week my son attended his sixth grade retreat that was two nights and three days long. This was a great intro into the camp lifestyle and the time frame was perfect, the short amount of days were manageable and this was the perfect practice run in the event he goes away to a longer camp this summer. I'm not going to get into the details of packing for an away camp while on a restrictive diet, but below are a couple key points that helped!

Create a Menu.
The teachers gave me the menu two weeks in advance and I was able to create our own menu based off their meals. Rather than trying to mimic their meals I kept it very simple with bake ahead casseroles. The week before camp I baked three different casseroles and we ate them for dinner, I froze some and I used the leftovers for camp lunches and dinners. I made sure to make a vegetable for each day. For the first breakfast we brought a pack of Liberated Specialty Foods waffles and our homemade apple syrup. For the second breakfast I made this apple bake and brought along almond milk. For snacks we brought homemade yogurt, berries, Freedom Bars, fruit strips and meat sticks. My only regrets are not bringing more fresh fruit. I naively assumed they would have fresh fruit at the camp but the only fruit they served was from a can. Next time, I will also pack dessert options that travel easily; bliss balls, cookies and bars. Since they did have a salad bar, I made sure to pack our own dressings.

Organize Your Meals.
While I try my best to avoid plastic, I went out and purchased plastic containers that I then labeled with my son's name, the meal and the date of consumption. I did this for all meals and snacks so there was no question about what he was eating. Consider adding a few extra snacks and even an extra meal. It's always best to be prepared with more than enough food versus not enough food!

Since I know that cereal and oatmeal are often considered a "camp" food, I wanted to send my son with his own version of a healthy, clean cereal and I came up with this simple apple bake that I served with almond milk. I also wanted to make something that we could actually enjoy for a couple days. It seems every time I bake it serves our family of five with no leftovers yet a lot of time was put into making the dish. For this apple bake I decided to make enough for a couple meals. It tastes great reheated and you can easily swap out the milk for yogurt. I don't know about your family, but apples are a staple in our household. It's a good thing they are rich in important antioxidants, flavanoids, and dietary fiber. The phytonutrients and antioxidants in apples may even help reduce the risk of developing cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Quick Apple Bake
SCD, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, Vegetarian
yield: 8-10 servings

INGREDIENTS:
10-12 apples, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbs honey
1 Tbs cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the apples together with the lemon juice, vanilla and cinnamon and place in a 9 x 12 baking dish greased with coconut oil.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, slivered almonds and spices. Stir in the melted coconut oil and honey. The mixture should be crumbly.
4. Sprinkle over the apples and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
5. Allow to cool. Plate into individual dishes and top with almond milk.