Living Free!

Peanut Monsters on Halloween

2011-01-13T16:23:00.001-06:00

Halloween this year turned out to be much more eventful than we planned. With the boys allergies, we always cash-out their candy at our dentist’s office and then they use the money at the dollar store or for something they’ve been saving for. I also give them some safe allergen-free candy which I have here. However, they still like to dump out their stash and look at the pieces and count them. My husband has a few favorites from their candy which he keeps and takes to work, so we use this time to sort out the candy for him as well.
My youngest son and I were alone in the living room and we had my husband’s candy sorted out. I walked into the kitchen to get a ziplock bag. When I came back into the living room I noticed my son was missing, and thought it was strange. Just then he rounded the corner with a bit of a mischievous look on his face. I asked him to open his mouth and was dismayed to find a piece of candy in his mouth. I fished it out and became alarmed to discover that it was a SNICKERS bar!! Not a good thing for a boy with a severe peanut allergy!

I immediately washed his mouth out in the bathroom. He was complaining that his tongue was itchy, so I gave him a dose of Benadryl. Then I watched him, not much was happening, so I thought we had it under control. Over the course of about five minutes his back was itching a little. I took his shirt off, he developed a few hives, but nothing serious. A couple of minutes later his voice started getting a little hoarse. I started to wonder if the Benadryl was going to be enough. I began some tapping on acupressure points to help slow the reaction in his body. A couple of minutes later he started coughing. This was alarming, although he had been coughing for a few weeks (from a cold), so still not as alarming as it should have been.

I decided that the epi-pen might be in order so I went to get it. I got back to him and all of a sudden he threw up, twice! Now I’m starting to panic, it’s been about 10-12 minutes since we gave Benadryl, and about 15 minutes since he ingested part of the snickers bar. I knew I need to give the epi-pen, but am a bit nervous about this as well. What if I inject it in the wrong spot? What if I don’t hold it in his leg long enough and the medicine doesn’t get in his system? What if he has a reaction to the epinephrine? What if it doesn’t work and my baby dies?? A million thoughts are running through my mind.

I take off his pants, position him on my lap and inject the epi-pen in his thigh. He cries while I pray. Within a couple of minutes all of his symptoms start to reverse and he relaxes completely in my arms.

I clean him up (from the throwing-up), place him in his Daddy’s arms as he is now falling asleep from the Benadryl and probably the epinephrine as well. Now my next task is what to do next…this is after all the first time having to use the epi-pen. I knew that I needed to seek medical care, but wasn’t sure if I should call 9-1-1 or just take him to the ER. A quick search on the internet informs me that the epi-pen can wear off within 20 minutes. I place a quick call to the after-hours care at his pediatrician’s office, leaving my cell phone # as a call back and head to the ER with my son. Thankfully my pediatrician calls me back right as I pull into the parking lot. She felt that since I had given him both benadryl and the epi-pen that it would be okay if we forego the ER trip and just monitor him carefully at home. She suggested he sleep in my bed and if ANY symptoms reappear to immediately call 9-1-1 or go straight to the ER.

I brought him home and put him in bed. I then did some additional research on anaphylactic reactions. I learned that up to 20% of people have a biphasic reaction (or a second reaction) that can be mild, equal, or more severe than the first reaction. It often occurs within 4-6 hours after the first reaction, but can occur up to 24 hours after the first reaction.

I stayed up until 4 hours after the incident, then crawled into bed with him by my side. About 45 minutes after I went to bed, he woke up coughing & threw up. I thought, “Oh no, he’s having a second reaction.” I flew out of bed to prepare to take him to the ER. He immediately fell right back to sleep. I cleaned him up again (from the throwing-up) and then woke him up to assess him. He was not coughing, his voice was not hoarse, he had no hives and was breathing fine. I decided not to rush him to the hospital, but closely monitor him for awhile. He had no further problems.

Monday, after school, we rushed to the dentists office as soon as possible to sell back our remaining Halloween candy. We have a peanut-free home, and I felt so much better to restore it back to its peanut- free status. While this was a frightening experience, I learned much. I will now no longer fear giving the epi-pen. I have a much better idea of how to train those who have my son in their care for symptom identification and treatment. I hope my son has learned from this experience. Needless to say….I’m already fearing next Halloween….not for the ghosts & goblins, but for the horrible “peanut monsters” that lurk behind every doorbell.

Cranberry Fruit Salad

2010-11-23T20:19:00.008-06:00

1 ½ c. water

1 ½ c. granulated sugar
12 oz. fresh cranberries
1 ½ c. navel oranges
½ c. red apples
½ c. bananas
2 Tbsp. pecans, chopped

1 pkg. unflavored gelatin
¼ c. boiling water
2 Tbsp. granulated tapioca

1 pkg. dairy-free vanilla pudding

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar & cranberries. Cover over medium heat until the cranberries just begin to open, stirring occasionally. Transfer the cranberries to a large bowl. In a medium saucepan, dissolve 1 pkg. unflavored gelatin in 1/4 c. of boiling water. Add granulated tapioca. Let stand one minute. Add to bowl with sweetened cranberries. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Prepare vanilla pudding as per label and allow to chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Stir in cooled vanilla pudding into salad mixture. Peel and cube oranges, core and cube apples, peel and slice bananas. Fold fruit and chopped pecans into the cranberry salad. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Product Review: Coconut Milk Ice Cream

2010-08-20T10:41:00.003-05:00

I thought I had found my all time favorite dairy/gluten-free back when I posted about the Coconut Almond bars, but it has now been replaced by a new favorite....So Delicious German Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream. It is truly a delight....rich creamy chocolate flavor with a perfect amount of caramel & coconut. My mouth is watering just writing about it...good thing I have some in my freezer right now...what's in your freezer?

Natural Cleaning Solutions

2010-05-27T10:48:00.006-05:00

Okay ~ so you're eating a pure, healthy allergen-free diet. But what are you cleaning your house with? Chemical cleaners leave toxic fumes in your home and can contribute to poor health. Try these tried & true cleaning solutions, not only do they work great but they smell great too!

All Purpose Cleaner (Mix in a spray bottle)
1 cup vinegar

1/8 cup dish soap (1 oz.)

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup water

Glass Cleaner (Mix in a spray bottle)

1/2 tsp. dish soap

3 Tbsp. vinegar

2 cups water

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Sprinkle baking soda in the toilet bowl, pour a generous amount of vinegar in toilet bowl
Scour with a brush & flush

Laundry
Replace fabric softener with ½ cup vinegar added to each load’s rinse cycle.
Adding ½ cup of baking soda to laundry helps naturally whiten them and deodorize them.

Furniture Polish
Mix well 1 ½ cups olive oil, with ½ cup of vinegar. Apply to furniture with a soft cloth.

Oven Cleaner
· Dampen the oven surface by sprinkling with water.
· Rub with a very fine steel wool pad using baking soda as an abrasive paste
· Wipe away residue with a sponge, rinse with a damp cloth and let dry before using oven.

Drain Cleaner
· First use a plunger or plumber’s snake
· Slow drains can be improved by pouring one cup of baking soda down the drain followed by one cup of vinegar. Cover if you can and let stand for five minutes to let this mixture foam-up. This mixture works by breaking down fat & allowing the clog to be washed down the drain. After five minutes was away remaining clog with very hot water.

Mineral & Lime Remover
Soak a cloth in vinegar and wrap around a faucet for an hour to remove buildup.

Mold Killer (Mix in spray bottle, use on moldy places)
2 tsp. tea tree oil
2 cups water

Product Review: Udi's Whole Grain Bread

2010-05-15T17:07:00.005-05:00

Our family is in love with the new bread by Udi's. We prefer the Whole Grain version, although a "white" sandwhich bread version is also available. The thing we love about it is it's soft texture and fabulous flavor. Up until this point, all gluten-free breads were very lacking in the flavor department and terrible in the texture department. That is why I spent the last year baking my own gluten-free bread from this recipe "Gluten Free Harvest Loaf".

My only complaint about the bread is it's small loaf size, which translates into small slices of bread. I will say, however, that the size of the loaf seems to have gotten bigger since we first tried it about 6 months ago. The upside is that the bread is dairy free, gluten free & soy free.

Try a loaf (or two) today. You won't be disappointed!

Lemon Almond Frittata

2010-04-26T21:41:00.002-05:00

Here is a light and delightful recipe that is great for a Sunday morning brunch. We drizzled ours with pure maple syrup.

Lemon Almond Frittata

4 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 c. ground almonds
1/2 c. coconut milk
1/2 c. sliced almonds (more for garnish)
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
Powdered sugar (for garnish)

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine eggs, sugar, salt, ground almonds, coconut milk, sliced almonds, lemon zest and juice.
2. Melt coconut oil in an 8-inch ovenproof skillet over low heat; add almond mixture to pan, tilting pan to distribute batter evenly. Continue to cook tart on stovetop until edges just begin to set, then put pan in oven and finish cooking, about 10 to 15 minutes more.
3. When tart is done, put it in broiler for about a minute or until just golden on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and sliced almonds. Serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

GFCF Buttermilk Biscuits

2010-03-27T15:12:00.004-05:00

We recently found a biscuit recipe that we absolutely love. It's hard to believe they are gluten & dairy free and my husband even loves them. This recipe has been adapted from the Gluten Free Every Day cookbook by Rob Landolphi.

GFCF Buttermilk Biscuits

1 1/4 c. tapioca flour

1/2 c. sorghum flour

1/2 c. brown rice flour

3/4 c. potato starch

1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. sea salt

1/3 c. palm oil shortening

1/4 c. dairy free margarine

3/4 c. unsweetened rice milk

3/4 c. unsweetened coconut milk

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet with palm oil shortening.
In a medium bowl, combine the tapioca flour, sorghum flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and sea salt. Stir with a whisk to blend.
Using two dinner knives, cut the shortening and dairy free margarine into the dry ingredients. Cut the through the mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.
Mix together the rice milk, coconut & apple cider vinegar to create "buttermilk". Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
Drop by 1/4 cup mounds on baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly. Serve warm.
Makes 16 biscuits

These are wonderful with coconut oil, honey or fresh preserves. It was even suggested that they would be perfect fore gluten-free strawberry shortcake. Happy baking!

Product Review: Multi-Seed Crackers

2010-03-11T09:35:00.003-06:00

We found a new gluten-free cracker at the store that we *love*. They have a fabulous flavor, and could easily be served to a crowd of non gluten-free people and they would never know the difference. There were 4 flavors available, but unfortunately only the "Original" work for us as they are dairy free as well.

If you go to the company website http://www.crunchmaster.com/ you can print a coupon for the crackers. Also, I just saw on their website that the crackers are available at Costco...I'll definitely be checking that out.

Decadent Dairy-Free Chocolate Mousse

2010-02-21T23:14:00.015-06:00

My brother-in-law is married to a wonderful girl from Switzerland who shared her Grandmother's chocolate mousse recipe with me years ago. It was a family favorite for many years, but hadn't been made for nearly 5 years since we went dairy free. I decided it was time to tackle this recipe and somehow find a way to convert it. It was the most challenging conversion of a recipe I have done....but the results were incredible! It was the most decadent of desserts, and I could hardly believe it was dairy free. Try it, you won't be dissapointed!

Special Notes:

I'm dividing the ingredients up into three sub-groups as they are mixed into three separate bowls and then combined at the end.
Place two cans of coconut milk in the fridge for 4 hours before making recipe. Be careful not to shake them before or after putting them in the fridge, as you will want to be able to scrape the coconut cream off of the top.

Decadent Chocolate Mousse
5 egg whites

1 egg yolk
200 grams sweetened dark chocolate
50 grams milk chocolate (dairy free, we use Enjoy Life brand which uses rice milk)
1 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp. tapioca starch

2 cans coconut milk
6 oz. plain coconut milk yogurt

Beat egg whites separately until stiff.
Combine one cup coconut milk with 1 Tbsp. tapioca starch, mix well. Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler with coconut milk/tapioca starch combination. As chocolate melts, add egg yolk.
Using the two cans of coconut milk, which have been refrigerated for 4 hours, carefully scrape off the thick cream from the top (use approximately the top half of each can). Discard the remaining bottom half of both cans of coconut milk, as this will just be the watery portion that remains. Beat coconut cream until stiff. Keep the plain coconut milk yogurt separate.
Fold together chocolate mixture, egg whites, whipped coconut cream and plain coconut milk yogurt in a large bowl. Stir just until mixed, being careful not to stir too much.
Pour into dessert bowls, chill for 8 hours. Serve & enjoy!

Corn & Bean Salsa

2010-01-28T22:08:00.006-06:00

This is a fabulous dip recipe. It would go great at a sporting event or a book club, or a movie night at home. My 9 year old son loved it and couldn't keep his chips out of it!

Corn & Bean Salsa

1 can (1.5 cups) garbanzo beans

1 can (1.5 cups) red kidney beans

1 can (1.5 cups) black beans

1 cup frozen sweet corn

2 tomatoes, seeded & chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 avocado, diced

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 Tbsp. Bragg's Liquid Aminos

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

Drain & rinse all beans, add to a large bowl. Add frozen corn, tomatoes, cilantro, onion, garlic & avocado. Mix dressing in a small bowl. Drizzle over bean mixture & toss. Serve with tortilla chips.

Product Review: Coconut Almond Non-Dairy Dessert

2010-01-06T23:05:00.004-06:00

I have recently discovered the most *amazing* diary free treat I've had since embarking on this journey 4+ years ago. The SO DELICIOUS Coconut Almond non-dairy frozen dessert bar is a delectable delight! Eating one is very satisfying and makes me feel like I am somehow cheating on my diet.....but the beauty of it is that I'm not! Try one today, you won't be dissapointed (and if you are I would be happy to finish off the other 3 bars in your box ;)

Rudolph The Red Nosed Cupcake

2009-12-23T23:34:00.003-06:00

Here's a fun way to decorate cupcakes or cookies for the holidays. We used gluten-free pretzels for the antlers, a dried cranberry for the nose and dairy-free chocolate chips for the eyes. This also works great with cookies by shaping he cookies into a triangle and baking the pretzel antlers right into the cookies, add the chocolate chip & nose embellishments right as they come out of the oven. Happy baking & Merry Christmas!

GFCF Sugar Cookies

2009-12-18T22:56:00.004-06:00

This recipe was converted from my mother's sugar cookie recipe which I ate all through my growing up years. It has a slight lemon flavor which I think adds a nice touch in a sugar cookie. Enjoy these during the holidays.

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

1 c. sugar
¾ c. shortening
2 eggs
¼ c. rice milk
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
3 c. gluten-free flour blend
1 ½ tsp. xanthan gum
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. lemon flavor
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Mix in rice milk, vanilla and lemon flavoring. Add salt, baking powder, xanthan gum and flour.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes and then rollout about ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut with cookie cutters.

Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes.

Watermelon Tomato Delights

2009-12-18T22:37:00.006-06:00

We were served these at a wedding last summer, it was the only thing being served that was dairy & gluten free and they were absolutely divine. I have since made them a couple of times and had rave reviews each time. It is a strange combination of ingredients, but is very fresh and won't dissapoint.

Watermelon Tomato Delights

Watermelon, diced

Spinach leaves, washed

Grape Tomato, halved

Bacon, cooked

Balsamic Vinegar

Cut bacon into small square pieces. Layer one watermelon piece with folded spinach leaf, one square of bacon and a tomato half. Drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar.

Spiced Pumpkin (Dairy-Free) Milkshake

2009-11-21T23:12:00.009-06:00

I got the original recipe for this off of this blog. It sounded so good, so I converted it to dairy free and served it to my children. It was amazing!! It's been 4 years since I had a milkshake, and this one was a treat indeed. Serve one up today, you won't be disappointed.

Spiced Pumpkin Shake
Yield: 2 servings

1/3 c. pureed pumpkin
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. coconut milk
2 c. vanilla coconut milk ice cream or rice-based ice cream
½ c. gluten-free graham crackers or gluten-free ginger cookies, crushed

Place 2 glasses in freezer to chill.

Combine all ingredients excluding ¼ cup of the graham crackers or ginger cookies in blender and blend thoroughly. When completely blended, top each serving with remaining graham crackers or ginger cookies.

GFCF Pumpkin Pie

2009-11-13T23:37:00.008-06:00

I can't imagine having Thanksgiving dinner without pumpkin pie. We were excited about this great recipe made with coconut milk. I love to use coconut milk as it has a nice thick rich texture. Happy pie baking!

Gluten-Free Pie Shell
2/3 c. sorghum flour
1/4 c. tapioca flour
1/4 c. potato starch
1 ½ tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. baking powder
5 Tbsp. GFCF margarine
3 Tbsp. cold shortening
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. cold water
1 tsp. cider vinegar

Mix together sorghum flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, xanthan gum, sea salt & baking powder. Add margarine and shortening with a pastry blender, or pulse in a food processor until mixture is coarse. Add egg and one tablespoon of water and cider vinegar. Add remaining tablespoon of water slowly, a little at a time until the dough forms a ball.

Place the dough on some floured wax paper. Sprinkle a thin layer of flour over the top of the dough, and flour your rolling pin too. Roll the dough gently and thinly, sprinkling with flour as needed to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin, until the dough is just bigger than your pie plate.

Gently turn the crust over onto a 9-inch pie pan. Gently pat any broken or cracked places back into shape. Crimp edges. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 375°. It is now ready to add pie filling.

Pumpkin Pie Filling
2 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. tapioca starch
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
3 large eggs, beaten
1 ¾ c. coconut milk

Combine all ingredients, mix well. Pour into gluten-free pie crust. Bake the pie in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 425°, continue baking for 40-50 minutes at 350°, or longer if necessary (until a knife inserted into center comes out clean). A llow to cool on a wire rack, and then refrigerate.

Turkey & Sweet Potato Enchiladas

2009-11-11T17:23:00.012-06:00

This is a family favorite of ours, particularly after Thanksgiving when you are wondering what to make with leftover baked turkey. I got the original recipe from Karina's Kitchen blog, however her recipe called for cheese on top, so this is a modified dairy-free version.

Turkey & Sweet Potato Enchiladas
2 c. salsa
4 c. turkey, diced
1-2 limes, juiced
sea salt & pepper
cumin, pinch
2 c. sweet potato, cooked & diced
8 oz. can roasted green chilis
olive oil, as needed
12 gluten-free corn tortillas
1 c. pineapple, diced
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
1/2 c. zuchinni, peeled & grated
1/2 c. apple, peeled & grated

Preheat oven to 350°. Pour about a half cup of salsa into the bottom a large lightly oiled 9x13" baking dish- or use two smaller pans for six enchiladas each.
Place the diced turkey pieces into a bowl and squeeze lime juice all over the cooked turkey; stir; season with sea salt and pepper and toss well.
Season the sweet potato with cumin, to taste. Add in half of the roasted green chilies & mix.
Heat a dash of olive oil in a skillet, and heat one corn tortilla until softened, turning it over once to coat with oil. Place the tortilla into the sauced baking dish. Add a spoonful of sweet potato down the center. Sprinkle with 1/12 of the turkey.
Roll up the enchilada- seam side down, and place it at the far end of the dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas, adding more oil, if needed to soften them.
Pour the remaining salsa over the rolled tortillas. Add diced pineapple and remaining roasted green chilies and chopped cilantro.
Top with grated zucchini & apples.
Bake until the enchiladas are heated through, about 30 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

Gluten-Free Turkey Stuffing

2009-11-11T16:45:00.008-06:00

Here is a recipe for gluten-free stuffing that I got out of a magazine a few years back. We have had it many times and it is amazing! We like to make it with Kinnickinnick Italian White Rice Tapioca bread for the bread crumbs as they have a nice texture to use in the stuffing. My husband, who is not gluten-free, absolutely loves this stuffing. Stove-Top Stuffing...move over!

Gluten-Free Turkey Stuffing
5 c. gluten-free bread crumbs
1.5 Tbsp. olive oil
1 c. onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 apples, peeled & chopped
3-4 chicken-apple or turkey sausage, chopped
1/2 c. dried cranberries or blueberries
3/4 c. gluten-free chicken stock
4 eggs or egg substitute

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

Preheat oven to 350°. Spread bread cubes on cookie sheets in a single layer and bake in an oven until cubes are dry, about 15 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat oil and sauté garlic, onion and celery until soft. Add apples and sausage and sauté until apples are soft (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat

In a large mixing bowl, combine bread cubes, onion mixture and remaining ingredients. Mix until bread is thoroughly moistened.

Use as much stuffing as needed to lightly pack turkey cavity and cook according to weight of the bird. Press remaining stuffing into lightly oiled baking dish. Bake covered in a 350° oven for 45 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking to let stuffing brown, about 10 minutes.

Sausage Zucchini Skillet

2009-11-11T15:58:00.012-06:00

This recipe has been a family favorite of ours for a long time. The original recipe called for sprinkled cheese on top, we of course, make it without, but my husband does add grated cheese to his after he dips it up.

Sausage Zucchini Skillet
½ c. brown rice or quinoa
1 lb. pork or chicken sausage
¼ c. onion, chopped
½ c. bell pepper, chopped
4 c. zucchini, chopped
1 c. tomato, diced
½ tsp. basil
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. lime juicesalt & pepper to taste

Cook rice or quinoa according to directions. Cook sausage with onion & peppers, drain excess grease. Stir in zucchini and tomatoes, cook until tender. Stir in rice or quinoa. Add seasonings, cilantro & lime juice.

(Dairy Free) Fruit Sorbet

2009-11-11T15:50:00.007-06:00

This recipe has a fabulous flavor, and goes great in the Gluten-Free Graham Cracker crust, or can be frozen into popsicles, or just in a freezer-safe dish. If you like chunky sorbet make as instructed below, or the mixture can be blended before freezing for a smooth texture. Enjoy!

Fruit Sorbet
3/4 c. orange juice
1/3 c. honey
1 ripe banana, diced
1 c. fruit, diced (peaches, strawberries, raspberries)
1/2 c. crushed pineapple, drained
1 c. coconut milk yogurt

In a large bowl, whisk honey into orange juice. Add banana, diced fruit, pineapple and coconut milk yogurt. Starting out slow, beat until creamy. Pour into gluten-free graham cracker crust, or freezer safe pan and freeze.

GFCF Graham Cracker Crust

2009-06-20T11:18:00.012-05:00

This is a very good graham cracker crust recipe, you'll never believe that it is free of gluten & dairy. For our gluten-free graham cracks, we prefer Kinnikinnick "S'moreables". However, I know there are other options out there as well. It's a great start to a yummy dessert. Enjoy!

GFCF Graham Cracker Crust
2 c. gluten-free graham cracker crumbs
1/2 c. agave nectar
1/3 c. canola oil
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch sea salt

Mix together and press into pie plate.

Cucumber Lemon Chicken

2009-04-28T11:22:00.007-05:00

This recipe is a family favorite and I love to make it whenever I get cucumbers from our organic co-op. The original recipe called for cream and lots of butter, but I've successfully converted it over and my family still loves it. We served ours with a wild rice blend and lightly steamed carrots. Enjoy!

Cucumber Lemon Chicken

2 lb. chicken (breasts or tenders
2 large cucumbers
1/4 c. brown rice flour
6 Tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
1 c. chicken stock
1 c. rice milk
1 Tbsp. tapioca flour
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. dill
lemon peel

Peel, halve and slice cucumbers (approx. 4 cups). Place them in a colander, sprinkle with sea salt, toss and let drain for one hour. Pat cucumbers dry. Saute cucumbers in 3 Tbsp. olive oil until light brown (approx. 7 minutes). Set aside.

Mix brown rice flour with salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Coat chicken. Saute chicken in 3 Tbsp. olive oil until browned. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until cooked through (approx. 5 minutes). Set chicken aside.

Add remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock. Increase heat and boil until reduced to 1/4 cup (approx. 4-5 minutes). Mix rice milk and tapioc flour together. Add to skillet. Simmer until thickened, stirring frequently (approx. 2 minutes). Stir in lemon juice and dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add chicken and cucumbers to sauce and heat through. Garnish with lemon peel.

Chicken Bone-Broth Soup

2009-04-07T21:26:00.018-05:00

One of our favorite meals, which we have about 3 times per month, is homemade chicken bone-broth soup. There is a lot of research which indicates multiple health benefits of bone-broth such as:

Broth is rich in calcium, magnesium, phosporus & other trace minerals
Minerals in broth are easily absorbed
Contains glucosamine & chondroitin, reduce effects of arthritis & joint pain
Rich in gelatin, which supports connective tissue of body
Gelatin (broth) can also help with gastrointestinal symptoms, reflux and inflammatory bowel diseases

So we can see that broth has properties of being both a food & a medicine. Not to mention it is inexpensive to make & tastes great!!

Chicken Bone-Broth Soup
Chicken Bones
4 large carrots, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
2 medium zuchinni, sliced
2 medium yellow squash, sliced
1 cup spinach, chopped
4 oz. gluten-free spiral noodles

We love to buy the rotisserie chickens from Costco, which incidentally are gluten & diary free (and quite tasty too). After using the chicken for 1-2 meals, I place the bones & remaining chicken in a pot, cover it with water and add a little bit of white wine vinegar. I then let it boil for 3+ hours. After which I fish out all the bones, and start adding the following: carrots, celery, onion and sweet potato. I let this simmer for about 30 minutes and then add the zuchinni, yellow squash and gluten-free noodles. I let this simmer for an additional 15 minutes and then remove from the heat. Add chopped spinach just before serving.

I typically don't add a lot of seasoning and we season it to our liking (typically just a little sea salt). My young boys have gotten to where they love this soup too and cheer each time I make it. Enjoy a bowl of homemade bone broth soup tonight!

Why we love our food allergies!

2009-03-29T14:18:00.006-05:00

If you or any members of your family have food allergies/sensitivities then you may think this is a crazy title for a blog post. However, I am a firm believer that when you receive blessings you should acknowledge them. Our journey which started 3 1/2 years ago has been a challenge, but has ultimately been a major blessing and growing experience for us.

I feel that we have been extremely blessed in at least the three following ways:

I have learned an incredible amount of information about food allergies and good nutrition, as well as just a lot about the human body. It has been such a thrill to learn these things, and I have found it very easy to retain the information.
My children eat so healthy now. They love healthy food. Sometimes I'm secretely glad that I can hide behind the food allergy label when my children are offered things that are full of junk, because rather than offending people I can politely say "no thank you, my children have food allergies."
I have been inspired to take this experience and the knowledge I have gained to get formal education & training. I recently opened a new business here in Texas dedicated to helping people with nutrition, food allergies and other health issues. It is such a blessing to be able to help other people in their journey of life as well.

So as you can see, while this is a challenge on one hand, it is a huge blessing on the other.

Shepherd's Pie

2009-03-01T15:50:00.008-06:00

I originally got this recipe from "The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook" by Cybelle Pascal (a favorite cookbook of mine). It has become a family favorite and is very versatile. We typically change it up a little each time we make it. You can vary the meat and use chicken, pork, turkey, ground beef. You can certainly vary the vegetables included. You can vary the sauce, it calls for ketchup, but we have used barbeque sauce and even a honey mustard once. You can vary what goes on top, it calls for mashed potatoes, we often make mashed potatoes using sweet potatoes mixed in and I even topped it once with butternut squash. Enjoy and have fun with this one.

Shepherd's Pie

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 carrots, diced
4 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup hot water
3 Tbsp. ketchup (or other sauce
1 lb. ground beef, turkey, chicken, or pork sausage

Topping:
3 large potatoes, cubed (white or sweet potato combination)
3/4 cup rice milk
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Cook potatoes, when soft drain and mix with rice milk, olive oil & salt. Beat until smooth and fluffy.

Brown meat. Saute onion in olive oil. Add celery and carrots, saute for a few minutes. Mix together ketchup with the hot water. Combine all ingredients in a 9x13 baking dish. Top with thick layer of mashed potatoes. Bake 30-45 minutes at 375 degrees until potatoes are lightly browned on top.

Pork Roast

2009-02-15T21:16:00.020-06:00

We have two different gluten-free pork roasts which the boys and I love (although my husband, for some reason, doesn't like either of them ;) These are great to make on a Sunday afternoon and serve on a bed of rice with steamed vegetables. Enjoy.

Teriyaki Pork
1 c. pineapple juice
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. gluten-free soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. ginger (fresh or powder)
1/2 tsp. garlic (2 cloves fresh or powder)
1/4 tsp. pepper

Orange Spice Pork
2 c. orange juice
1/2 c. apple juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3 lb. pork roast
2 Tbsp. tapioca starch

Place pork roast in a slow cooker. Using either the teriyaki pork recipe or the orange spice pork recipe -- in a bowl combine top ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour over pork roast. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove roast, add tapioca strach and thicken gravy. Shred pork roast with two forks. Return to slow cooker and top with gravy.

Meatball Heaven!

2009-01-31T11:21:00.006-06:00

I'm not sure who to give credit to for this yummy meatball recipe. I printed it several months ago and finally got around to making it and my family loves it! It is truly a tasty treat. It's been so many years since we had meatballs too, which I'm sure contributed to the enthusiastic response. Enjoy!

Meatballs (Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free)

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup rice milk

2/3 cup gluten-free crumbs (cracker or bread)

2 tsp. balsamic vinaigrette

1/4 cup onion, diced

1/4 cup sweet peppers, diced

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 lbs. ground beef, turkey, chicken or a combination

Combine first six ingredients and crumble in the meat. Mix it all together and shape into 1-inch (or larger) balls. Place on cooking spray-coated baking sheet and bake at 375 until browned. Drain and cool.
Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your meatball, but 1-inch balls take about 25-30 minutes. If you're unsure whether they are cooked through, cut one open to test it out!
These freeze really well. Once baked and cooled, place them in a single layer on a clean cookie sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen, place the meatballs in a storage bag and put back in the freezer. They can be added to your favorite spaghetti sauce directly from the freezer.

Happy Day!

2009-01-04T15:06:00.007-06:00

We had a happy day in the home of children who are sensitive to both dairy & gluten. Here's my three boys enjoying ice cream cones (with a gluten-free Cerrone Cone, and rice divine "rice" cream). This was a first for my three year old and he enjoyed every bite.

$7.10 for (8) cerrone cones

$3.99 for 1 pint vanilla rice divine

3 giant smiles ~~ PRICELESS!

Gluten Free Snack Bars

2008-12-28T22:52:00.008-06:00

I have been searching high & low for a snack bar recipe. We have tried several and haven't liked the taste, texture, etc. My kids love the Enjoy Life caramel apple snack bars, but paying $3.79 for 5 small bars seemed ridiculous! Well.....the search is over. A big shout out to Gluten Free Kathy for posting this great Banana-Nut Energy Bar recipe.

Today when I made it, I had some pureed pumpkin which I wanted to use. So I substituted the mashed banana for pumpkin and added some cinnamon & nutmeg. I also replaced part of the vanilla (1/4 tsp.) with orange oil. They were fabulous. They were the perfect texture and I'm so thrilled to have found a snack bar recipe! I can't wait to make them with mashed bananas :)

Gluten Free Harvest Loaf

2008-12-14T18:17:00.011-06:00

I have been wanting to learn to make homemade gluten-free bread for awhile. My first few attempts failed horribly. My mother-in-law visited at Thanksgiving and she offered to help me master a gluten-free loaf. I started by printing at least a dozen different gluten-free bread recipes. Then I compared them all and compiled them into a loaf that I'm very very pleased with. My boys *LOVE* the new bread! It's nice and soft and it's whole grain too which makes me happy. We've recently discovered teff flour which gives it almost a whole wheat taste.

I learned a lot during the trial and error process, here's a few highlights:

You don't knead gluten-free bread, it will be the consistency of a thick cake batter.
It works best to have a heavy duty stand mixer. After mixing the bread dough, beat it on high for five minutes. This changes the protein structure of the eggs giving it a better texture.
Do not over-proof the bread. Allowing it to rise for too long will allow to much air into the bread dough and will increase it's chances of falling. We have only been letting our bread rise for 20 minutes (it won't really look likes it's risen much at all, but during baking it rises well above the top of the loaf pan).
We were advised to let the loaf sit for 5 minutes after coming out of the oven, and then turn it upside down for five minutes before letting cool on a wire rack. However, we found that our loaf was falling and compacting down within the first five minutes. So, now we turn it upside down (suspended over a large soup pan so it won't get smashed) immediately as it comes out of the oven.
This bread is soft and moist, but very delicate. I found that adding 2 tsp. unflavored gelatin to the dry ingredients helped immensely. I would still like to improve on this a bit, so your suggestions are welcome :)

Let me know if you try it and any improvements you might have! Happy baking.

Gluten-Free Harvest Loaf
1 1/2 c. very warm water
2 1/2 t. active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar

3 large eggs
3 Tbsp. canola oil
3 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

3/4 c. teff flour
1 1/4 c. brown rice flour
1/2 c. tapioca flour
1/4 c. quinoa flakes
1 Tbsp. xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. unflavored gelatin

Dissolve sugar in warm water, add yeast. Let sit until bubbly and frothy (approx. 10 minutes)
Mix together eggs, canola oil, honey and apple cider vinegar. Beat on low until well mixed.
Add yeast to liquid ingredients, mix on low speed.
Slowly add dry ingredients, mix well together. Set electric mixer to high and beat for five minutes.
Pour into greased 9x5 loaf pan. Sprinke with quinoa flakes if desired (this will give it an oat-bread appearance). Brush waxed paper with oil and cover loaf pan. Place in a warm non-drafty place for 20 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
Turn upside down (suspended) immediately upon removal from oven. After five minutes, gently remove from loaf pan and let cool thouroughly on a wire rack. It slices better when cool or even after being chilled in the refrigerator.
Since there are no preservatives, we find it keeps best in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

Cranberry Orange Spice Cookies

2008-12-14T17:34:00.010-06:00

These cookies are our new family favorite. They are soft and moist and have a nice rich flavor. For those who are not gluten-free, it could easily be converted back to normal by replacing the four types of flour and xanthan gum with 1 1/3 cups wheat flour. Happy snacking!

Cranberry Orange Spice Cookies

1/2 c. palm oil shortening

1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. orange zest
1/3 c. brown rice flour
1/3 c. sorghum flour
1/3 c. teff flour
1/3. c. tapioca flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
3 Tbsp. orange juice
1/3 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease two cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Using a mixer on medium speed, cream together shortening, sugar and brown sugar. Add egg and orange zest.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt and spices.
Add to mixing bowl in three batches, alternating flour mixture with orange juice. Fold in cranberries.
Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheets. Bake 10-11 minutes in center of oven. Let cool 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack. Yields: 2 dozen cookies.

Gluten Free Dinner Rolls

2008-12-14T14:53:00.005-06:00

Our family has really missed dinner rolls since going gluten-free. We like to make Chebe (yellow pkg.) rolls with 1 tsp. added xanthan gum. We make the mix as directed, roll them out into a large rectangle, then slice them into triangles and roll them up like crescent rolls. They're really yummy with a light brushing of coconut oil right as they come out of the oven.

I have also been searching for a recipe that I could make from scratch. I found one on a website (I'm sorry I can't remember where). I modified it slightly and we really enjoy it! It's pretty versatile too, it calls for applesauce, but at Thanksgiving I made it with pureed pumpkin and a dash of cinnamon. The recipe calls for sorghum flour, when we first made it we didn't have sorghum so I used 3/4 cup of brown rice flour. They turned out okay, but I bought sorghum flour and used that the second time we made them, and WOW then they were great! Enjoy!

Gluten Free Dinner Rolls
1/2 c. sorghum flour
1/4 c. brown rice flour
1/2 c. tapioca flour
1/4 c. potato flour
2 T. sugar
1 T. honey or agave nectar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 egg
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 c. apple sauce
1/3 c. canola oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients. Mix separately the honey (or agave), egg, apple sauce and canola oil. Blend together. Scoop into small rolls (tablespoon sized) on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a light golden brown.

Slow Cooker Enchiladas

2008-11-12T16:39:00.005-06:00

These are so good, the flavors really melt together since they are cooked slowly in the crock pot. The original recipe called for a layer of cheese between each level. We replaced that with a layer of grated zuchinni/yellow squash. My husband, the only dairy eater of the family, sprinkles cheese on top after dipping up a hot plate of enchiladas. Happy eating!

Note: This picture was taken after the first two layers were added to the crock-pot. When fully assembled it typically fills the crock-pot.

Slow Cooker Enchiladas
1 lb. ground beef
1 chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1/3 c. water
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
15 oz. can kidney beans
15 oz. can black beans
10 oz. can rotel
1 1/2 c. grated zuchinni
1 1/2 c. grated yellow squash
12 gluten-free corn tortillas
8 oz. can tomato sauce

In skillet, cook ground beef, onion and green pepper. Drain. Add water, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Drain and rinse kidney and black beans. Add rinsed beans and rotel (undrained). Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Combine grated zuchinni and grated squash. Add tomato sauce to bottom of a crock-pot. Add two corn tortillas to cover bottom of crock-pot. Layer about 3/4 cup beef mixture. Layer 1/3 cup squash mixture. Repeate layers five more times. Cover and cook on medium heat for 1-2 hours or low heat for 3-4 hours, or until heated through.

Apple Crisp

2008-11-10T10:01:00.008-06:00

I got a fabulous recipe recently from Living Without magazine. I've made it three times already, twice with apples, and once with pears (it's good both ways)! I don't know what the laws/rules are regarding posting a recipe from a magazine, but I did modify three of the ingredients and I'm posting my modified version.

Apple Crisp
2 c. quinoa flakes (or GF oatmeal)
1/4 c. brown rice flour
1/3 c. agave nectar
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
4-6 apples
2 Tbsp. tapioca flour
1 1/2 c. apple juice
1 tsp. cinnamon

In a medium bowl, mix together quinoa flakes, rice flour, agave nectar, coconut oil, cinnamon, salt and coconut flakes. Set aside.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8x11 baking dish.
Peel, core and chop apples. Place fruit in prepared baking dish.
Dissolve tapioca flour in apple juice. Add 1 tsp. cinnamon. Pour mixture over fruit. Sprinkle fruit with quinoa flake mixture.
Bake for 35-60 minutes, until fruit is soft. Cover pan with parchment paper after baking for 10 minutes to prevent over-browning.

We like to serve it warm with a couple of scoops of vanilla "rice" cream over the top. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Waffles

2008-11-04T16:04:00.011-06:00

I found a yummy pumpkin waffle recipe on a friend's blog today. It sounded so good I decided to convert it to gluten & dairy free. The conversion was a success and they were fantastic! Just wanted to share.

Spiced Pumpkin Waffles
1 1/2 c. brown rice flour
1/2 c. buckwheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 Tbsp. gluten-free baking powder
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. sea salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. rice milk
1 c. pumpkin
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
1/2 c. canola oil
1/4 c. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients (flour, xanthan gum, baking powder & spices) in a separate bowl. Separate egg whites and beat with mixer to stiff peaks. Add egg yolks together with rice milk, pumpkin, agave nectar, oils and vanilla. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients, mix well. Fold in beaten egg whites, mix well. Bake on a preheated waffle iron.

The original recipe included a caramel syrup which was butter-laden and couldn't be converted. We drizzled ours with pure maple syrup or agave nectar and they were wonderful. Enjoy!

Bacon Avocado Artichoke Dip

2008-10-12T23:07:00.014-05:00

Football season has arrived. Even though I personally am not a football fan, my husband is and we are often invited to watch football games with others. These are the times where I need to be able to make something snacky and fast. Before going dairy-free I was a huge fan of my cheesy artichoke dip. I searched high and low for a yummy dairy-free artichoke dip recipe, I found one that I liked and after adding avocado discovered a masterpiece.

Bacon Avocado Artichoke Dip

1 can artichoke hearts, drained
2 Tbsp. onion, finely chopped
1/3 c. mayonaise
1/2 lemon, juiced (1-1.5 Tbsp.)
4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled
1 avocado, finely diced
paprika
salt & pepper

Drain & mash artichoke hearts. Combine with onion, mayonaise, lemon juice and a dash of paprika. Add the crumbled bacon, and diced avocado. Add salt & pepper to taste. Top with paprika. Chill before serving. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

"Me Allergic To Allergies"

2008-09-10T18:08:00.005-05:00

A proud day in the life of a mother of children with food allergies occured about a month ago. My two year old looked at a can of tomatoes and said "me allergic to tomatoes." I was, of course, thrilled as it is my hope that he can learn what he is allergic to so that he can say "NO" when offered. Attempting to build on this great teaching opportunity I prompted him to say what else he is allergic to, he replied with "cow's milk". I excitedly praised him and prompted him for further insights. To which he replied, in a very matter-of-fact way, "me allergic to allergies." Frankly, I couldn't agree with him more ;)

On My Bookshelf

2008-09-07T22:26:00.021-05:00

What books/publications have helped us most during our journey? Here are some of my favorites.

The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook by Cybelle Pascal

All recipes are free of wheat, milk, eggs, soy, peanuts, treenuts, fish, & shellfish. Unfortunately, the recipes are NOT gluten-free. But I've managed to convert them fairly easily to gluten free. She also has a lot of great tips for reducing sugars.

Living Without: bi-montly publication

I always look forward to the release of this magazine! The recipes are predominantly dairy/gluten free. They also have great articles relation to food allergies & sensitivities. Check it out at http://www.livingwithout.com/.

The Food Allergy Cure by Dr. Ellen Cutler

Written by the founder of BioSET. A fascinating book identifying some of the alternative approaches to coping with food allergies. It also identifies common ailments and complex disorders and their origins in food.

Micromiracles by Dr. Ellen Cutler

A fabulous book identifying the powerful effects of enzymes. It details how enzymes can benefit us by fighting inflammation, slowing aging, accelerating weight loss, renewing our energy, combating depression, dealing with digestive problems, and other ailments plaguing us today.

Enzymes for Autism and other Neurological Conditions by Karen DeFelice.

Digestive enzymes have been a very key part of the management of our food allergies. I love this book because it is an excellent no-nonsense book written by a mother of two sons who suffered from gastrointestinal problems and neurological challenges. She gives excellent descriptions of the elements at play with digestive disorders and enzymes and how they can help. She gives a fantastic analogy of six blind men and an elephant, which for me was a clear description of how doctors tend to view these conditions. We as our children's advocate are responsible for piecing together the six blind men (doctors) interpretations and declaring our "elephant".

Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies by Dr. Kenneth Bock

I can't say enough good about this book. It is fantastic. Look at this data identified by Dr. Bock. Do you realize that Allergies have increased 400% in the past 20 years? Autism now affects every 1 in 150-166 births, an increase of 1500% - 6000%. ADHD has increased 400%. Asthma has increased 300%, and ashtma deaths have increased 56%. This book explores some of the root underlying causes of these increases and identifies a "healing program" to help undo some of the damage which so many kids have sustained.

Flying Saucers

2008-08-31T21:24:00.003-05:00

I wanted to share a new recipe we tried this week which is stuffed sunburst squash. I received the sunburst squash from my co-op and was at a loss of what to do with it. So I looked up several new recipes and combined bits and pieces of them to create this allergen-free version. Also, when I pulled them out of the oven I told my sons that we were having "Flying Saucers" for dinner. This generated a lot of excitement!

They turned out to be much better than even I had imagined. The squash was nice and tender, and it was fun to create something new. The recipe is quite flexible, for our version we used cooked red & white quinoa and italian pork sausage. Enjoy!

Stuffed Sunburst Squash
8 sunburst squash
1/2 c. cooked quinoa or brown rice
1 lb. ground beef, turkey or sausage
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. zucchini, chopped
1/2 c. tomato, diced
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1/2 fresh lime

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook quinoa or rice according to directions. Cook meat of your choice with diced onion. Drain off excess grease. Bring one-inch of water in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add sunburst squash (stem & blossom removed). Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until a fork can pierce the skin with little resistance. Drain and slice off the top 1/3 of the squash. Use a melon scoop to scoop out the center seeded section, while being careful not to dig through the bottom. Lightly salt the inside of each sunburst squash.

Mix together the cooked quinoa or rice with the meat, zucchini, tomato and cilantro. Top with fresh lime juice. Stuff the sunburst squash with the meat mixture. Drizzle the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil. Add stuffed sunburst squash. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes or until squash are heated through.

Birthday Parties?

2008-08-24T21:31:00.003-05:00

When your child has food allergies it can be awkward being invited to birthday parties. Most of our friends are already aware of our allergies, however I always call to find out what they plan to serve and I bring our safe alternatives with us.

To make life easier, I always bake a full cake mix into cupcakes (we like Namaste vanilla or spice cake). I then freeze the cupcakes, unfrosted, in groups of three. The day before the party I defrost the cupcakes and freshly ice them. Here's our favorite icing recipe:

1/2 cup palm oil shortening (we like Spectrum)
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. rice milk

Mix with a beater until well blended and creamy. We keep ours in the fridge and it will store well for several weeks. Because we avoid artificial colors, we leave our frosting white. However, we do use India Tree naturally colored sugar sprinkles.

We also trade our kids for the candy they receive in the goody bags from the party (also for Halloween and Valentine's Day). We either trade for naturally colored/flavored Yummy Earth candy, or money to visit the dollar store or football/baseball cards. Now get out there and have fun at all those birthday parties!

Wheat, Milk & Egg Substitutes

2008-08-24T21:07:00.001-05:00

I've compiled a list of useful substitutes from various sources over the years. Hopefully you'll benefit from it as much as we have.

1c. white/wheat flour =

7/8c. brown or white rice flour mixed with 1/2-1 tsp. xanthan gum

1c. milk =

1 c. rice, soy, almond milk
7/8 c. Vance's Darifree
1c. fruit juice
2/3 c. water, 1/3 c. canned coconut milk

1c. butter =

4 T. applesauce, 2/3c oil
1 c. + 2 T. shortening, 1/2 t. salt (for salted butter)
7/8 c. oil, 1/2 t. salt
1 c. coconut oil

Regarding eggs, sometimes you have to determine what role the egg is serving in the recipe & then make the substitute accordingly.
1 Egg (As a Binder) =

1 T. ground flaxseed mixed with 3 T. water
1/2 large mashed banana
1/4 cup apple sauce or pureed prunes
1 1/2 T. water, 1 1/2 T. oil, and 1 t. baking powder
1 pkt unflavored gelatin, 1 c. boiling water (3 T. of this mixture equal one egg)
1 T. apricot puree

1 Egg (As Leavening) =

2 T. carbonated water, 2 t. baking flour
1 t. baking powder, 1 T. water, 1 T. vinegar (add vinegar separately at the end for rising)
Dissolve 1 t. yeast in 1/4 cup warm water
1 T. bean flour and 1 T oil
1 T arrowroot powder mixed with 3 T. water
1 T. cornstarch mixed with 3 T. water
2 T. flour, 1 1/2 t. corn oil, 1/2 t. baking powder, and 2 T. water

1 Egg (For Whipping) =

1/4 t. xanthan gum with about 1/4 c. of water. (let stand, it thickens, and can be whipped like an egg white.)

Ham & Potato Skillet

2008-08-18T14:36:00.002-05:00

I received this recipe from my Grandma and it has been a family favorite. It took us awhile to successfully modify it from its' original dairy-laden ingredient list, but we have perfected it, and my husband (who has no allergies) loves it too! Enjoy.

Ham & Potato Skillet
1 lb. sliced ham (we use Hormel natural choice, gluten & nitrate free)
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/4 c. rice milk
2 T. tapioca starch
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Dash seasonings (we use celery powder, garlic powder, basil)
3 c. potatoes, peeled & sliced
1 c. carrots, peeled & sliced

In a 10-inch skillet, brown ham with coconut oil & brown sugar. Pour ham & drippings in bowl. In same skillet, mix rice milk, tapioca starch, onion, salt, pepper & seasonings. Stir in potatoes & carrots. Cover, cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender. Pour ham & drippings over vegetables. Cover & cook about 10 minutes more.

(Allergen-Free) German Pancakes

2008-08-18T13:18:00.010-05:00

This is one of our family favorites which we enjoy every Saturday morning. We went without these for quite awhile until we figured out how to adapt them to meet our diets. Now I would say our allergen-free version is just as good as the original! We like to top it with fresh berries and drizzle with agave nectar or pure maple syrup. Enjoy.

German Pancakes
6 eggs
1 cup rice milk
1 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. sea salt (optional)
6 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil

Add eggs to mixing bowl. Beat until fluffy. Add rice milk, flour, xanthan gum & sea salt. Mix on low, just until flour is mixed in. Melt coconut oil in 9x13 baking dish. Pour batter in, stir gently with melted coconut oil. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes until light golden brown. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.

Coconut Oil

2008-08-18T13:01:00.009-05:00

We are head-over-heals in love with coconut oil. When we first went dairy free we switched to dairy free margarine. However, I knew that margarine wasn't exactly healthy, so I began searching for a better alternative. We discovered coconut oil and have never looked back.

It is fantastic drizzled over lightly steamed vegetables of any variety. My husband uses it on Sunday morning for his scrambled eggs and homemade potatoes. We love it in cookies. It really works well as a butter substitute. In fact, given the choice (setting allergies aside) I would pick coconut oil.

In addition to being great tasting, it also has numerous health benefits. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which is known for being anti-viral, antibacterial and anti-fungal. The fatty acids in coconut oil, the medium chain triglycerides, do not raise serum cholesterol or contribute to heart disease, but are in fact very healthy. So get a bottle of virgin coconut oil and try it today, you won't regret it.

Gluten Free / Dairy Free Pizza

2008-08-17T23:06:00.003-05:00

Is it possible to actually make a pizza that is free of dairy & gluten. Isn't that what pizza is all about, the crust and that nice cheesy topping? Well, we've mastered it, and frankly we enjoy it (maybe it's from being without for so long). Anyway, here's how we do it. We like to use Kinnickinnick gluten-free pizza crust or Nature's Highlights gluten-free pizza crust (made with only whole grain brown rice & potato). Both are frozen.

We then brush them with olive oil, add tomato sauce to part of them (only olive oil for my 2 year old) and add chopped fresh spinach, gluten-free (Hormel Natural Choice) ham, and chopped brocolli.

Now, drum roll please. Here's the moment you've all been waiting for. What in the world do we use in place of cheese? We tried a couple of cheese substitutes including rice cheese (yuck!) only to finally abandon cheese altogether and just go for a look alike. We use peeled & grated zuchinni & apples and sprinkle them on top. They don't melt like cheese, but it at least looks like there is grated cheese on the top. Try it, you just might like it!

Keep Food Fun

2008-08-17T22:53:00.001-05:00

One of the things I've definitely learned in this journey is that just because our food is allergen-free, that doesn't mean it can't still be fun. We try and make shapes using cooke cutters, or funny faces. Here are some examples of nutrient dense foods that we feed the kids.

Carrots/Celery with sunbutter or cashew butter
Mrs. May's cashew crunch
Lundberg rice cakes (brown rice plain, apple/cinnamon)
Larabar (all are dairy, soy & gluten free, my boys like lemon, cashew cookie, key lime, cherry pie, pecan pie)
Sunbutter/Jelly sandwiches or crackers
Diced Avocado
Diced Sweet Potatoes
Applesauce with ground flax seeds in it
Natural fruit leather
Dried fruit (sulfite free)
Lettuce Wraps - ham or turkey lunchmeat wrapped around green leaf lettuce
"Blueberry monsters" - safe cracker topped with sunbutter & then blueberries for 'eyes'

Green Smoothies

2008-08-17T22:23:00.003-05:00

We have recently discovered green smoothies and love them! We have been having smoothies regularly since last fall, and I had been adding liquid chlorophyll to the boys smoothies, but had never considered actually just adding a bunch of fresh greens.

We recently joined an organic fruit/vegetable co-op and are using the abundance of fresh greens at our fingertips to add a lot of healthy things to the boys diets. We typically start with a blender full of spinach and 1/2 cup of water. After blending this we add our fruits, it varies each time but we like to add bananas, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, hemp milk and frozen acai. The past two weeks we have also been adding kale, which from what I've learned can absorb toxins from the body. We have also been adding one-quarter of a raw beet to the smoothie, and the boys have said "yum" each time.

I say we're making green smoothies, but a lot of times after I'm done adding our berries, beets and acai they are more like reddish-brown smoothies. But hey, I'm not in it for the color. It's all about pure nutrition! You can see how much my boys enjoy the smoothies by checking out their smoothie mustaches ;-}

Here is some information I received when joining the co-op about green smoothies and some good combinations. Happy blending!

1. Green smoothies are very nutritious. I believe that the ratio in them is optimal for human consumption: about 60% - ripe organic fruit mixed with about 40% - organic green vegetables.
2. Green smoothies are easy to digest. When blended well, all the valuable nutrients in these fruits and veggies become homogenized, or divided into such small particles that it becomes easy for the body to assimilate these nutrients, the green smoothies literally start to get absorbed in your mouth.
3. Green smoothies, as opposed to juices, are a complete food because they still have fiber.
4. Green smoothies belong to the most palatable dishes for all humans of all ages. With a ratio of fruits to veggies as 60:40 the fruit taste dominates the flavor, yet at the same time the green vegetables balance out the sweetness of the fruit, adding nice zest to it. Green smoothies are simply the best tasting dishes for the majority of adults and children.
5. By consuming two or three cups of green smoothies daily you will consume enough of greens for the day to nourish your body, and they will be well assimilated. The molecule of chlorophyll has only one atom that makes it different from a molecule of human blood. According to teachings of Dr. Ann Wigmore, to consume chlorophyll is like receiving a healthy blood transfusion.
6. Green smoothies are easy to make, and quick to clean up after. Many people told me that they do not consume green juices on a regular basis because it is time consuming to prepare green juices and clean the equipment after juicing, or to drive to the juice bar.
7. Green smoothies are perfect food for children of all ages, including babies of six or more months old when introducing new food to them after mother’s milk. Of course you have to be careful and slowly increase the amount of smoothies to avoid food allergies.
8. When you consume your greens in the form of green smoothies, you can greatly reduce the consumption of oils and salt in your diet.
9. Regular consumption of Green smoothies forms a good habit of eating greens. Several people told me that after a couple of weeks of drinking green smoothies, they started to crave and enjoy eating more greens. Eating enough of green vegetable is often a problem with many people,
especially in children.

Some good greens to add to green smoothies: parsley, spinach, celery, kale and romaine. Good fruits for green smoothies are: pears, peaches, nectarines, bananas, mangoes and apples. Strawberries and raspberries taste superb in green smoothies, when combined with ripe bananas.

Delicious combinations.
Mango-parsley
2 large mangos
1 bunch parsley
Water

Peach-spinach
6 peaches
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
Water

Mango-weeds
2 mangos
1 handful of lambs quarters, stinging nettles, purslane, etc
Water

Strawberry-banana-romaine
1-cup strawberries
2 bananas
½ bunch romaine
Water

Apple-kale-lemon
4 apples
½ lemon juice
4-5 leaves of kale
Water

Kiwi-banana-celery
4 very ripe kiwis
1 ripe banana
3 stalks of celery
Water

Pear-kale-mint4 ripe pears
4-5 leaves of kale
½ bunch of mint
Water

Finger banana-spinach
10 finger-bananas
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
Water

Bosc pear-raspberry-kale
3 bosc pears
1 handful of raspberries
4-5 leaves of kale
Water

We've come so far!

2008-06-15T22:59:00.002-05:00

Our lives have changed drastically. I have had both of his older brothers tested for food allergies. They both have IgG food allergies (delayed type). They are both on a dairy and wheat/gluten free diet. They are both extremely limited on soy & corn as well. They have both improved on these modified diets. My oldest sons' immune system is so much stronger (he missed 18 days of school in the 2006-2007 school year, he only missed 4 days of school in the 2007-2008 school year). My middle sons' mood swings have lessened dramatically and his digestive tract is in much better shape. We're still a work-in-progress :)

As I reflect on the last 2+ years I am shocked at all we’ve been through and how much we’ve changed. Some of the biggest challenges I’ve faced has been with some family & friends not fully understanding or supporting what I’m doing. It’s so frustrating to be making physical sacrifices for my children’s well-being and being criticized for it. Also, the TOTAL LACK of knowledge & support in the medical community. Our third son was seen by his pediatrician as well as a pediatric gastroenterologist and a pediatric allergist. None of these doctors offered the answers or support we so desperately needed. We found some online support groups and learned tons from other mother’s dealing with the same problems.

We had the most success with:

elimination diets & food diaries
probiotics
digestive enzymes
NAET treatments
BioSET treatments

The positive side is that I’ve learned & grown so much that I would never trade this experience for anything. Our third son is such a wonderful addition to our family, he has taught us and made us grown in ways we couldn't have imagined. We consider him a special gift from God. The other huge positive is that my children eat EXTREMELY healthy diets now, and they enjoy it too! You know you’re doing something right when your eight year old begs you to have "one more piece of lettuce".

Alternative Milk Success!

2008-06-15T22:49:00.002-05:00

At 18 months we started experimenting with an alternative milk to begin to transfer him to, at this time he was still breastfeeding 5-6 times per day in addition to his solid foods. Interestingly, his weight gain was still extremely slow, he weighed 17 ½ pounds at his one year check-up and finally crossed the 20 pound mark at his 18-month check-up. As far as the alternative milk is concerned, we knew we would be adding nutrients to help make them suitable for a young child. He was still reacting to rice milk at this point, so we decided to use Vance’s Dari-free potato based milk. I planned to add a small amount of aloe vera juice & flax seed oil (for fat) to the milk. So I started by pumping breastmilk and adding aloe vera & flax seed oil to the breastmilk. After a couple of weeks of him tolerating this well, then I started adding 1 oz. of Vance’s milk to each bottle and slowly increased that. He seemed to tolerate this well, so I started feeding him 1-2 bottles per day of this, while continuing to breastfeed for the other feedings.

Our youngest turned two in October of 2007. He was still doing fairly well, with continued BioSET treatments and the digestive enzymes. His weight gain was still slow, he was 22 ½ pounds at his 2 year check-up (5 pounds gained between ages 1 & 2). He was very active and was meeting all developmental milestones on time. He still has trouble with his immunity and seems to catch every little thing that goes around, this often then travels to his ears. We continue to treat this naturally to help avoid antibiotics (which wreak havoc on the digestive tract).

At age 2 1/2 we found an alternative milk substitute that we were the "most" comfortable with. He tolerates hemp milk which is derived from hemp seeds, it is a natural source of Omega-3 fatty acids and has a decent amount of protein & fat (similar to cow's milk) and is much lower in sugar than rice milk. We decided to fully transition him off his small portion of breastmilk and move him to rice milk for cooking and hemp milk for drinking. His diet has expanded so much. He eats a fantastic variety of foods, but we still strictly avoid milk, gluten, peanuts, artificials/preservatives, tomato, chocolate. He tolerates corn & soy in VERY small amounts.

17 Months Old: Rotavirus Nightmare

2008-06-15T22:45:00.002-05:00

At 17 months our youngest son got rotavirus. Rotavirus is bad at anytime with any child, however it becomes a "nightmare" when you have a child who already suffers from gastrointestinal problems and struggles to gain weight. He was sick with vomiting, diarrhea, and very lethargic for about 4 days before I took him to the doctor. She suggested I take him to the ER for a few hours of IV fluids. This turned into 2 days of admitting to the hospital where rotavirus in his stool was confirmed. This was such a challenge as he was still breastfeeding, so the hospital had to feed me with my limited breastfeeding diet (free of peanuts/walnuts, shellfish, milk, wheat/gluten, soy, corn, tomato). Needless to say they struggled to feed me and basically just brought me salads and fresh fruits. I was starving & exhausted by the time we left. Sadly, our son lost two pounds through this experience. Two pounds that he didn’t have to lose. This was a devastating blow to have a child who had already suffered so much to go through the rotavirus experience.

BioSET Treatments. Now we're getting somewhere!

2008-06-15T22:41:00.002-05:00

After our youngest turned one, he again reached a point where he seemed to just stall out. The food trials weren’t progressing, he was only tolerating pears & squash in baby-food form. When I tried to give him diced foods (as opposed to pureed foods), he would react with increased fusiness and mucous in the stool. He started to get sick often, and he started to get ear infections too. Since I knew that antibiotics were extremely hard on the digestive tract he was only treated for one ear infection with antibiotics. After that we learned to treat them naturally with garlic/mullein ear drops, massage to help drain the ears and monitoring with an Ear Check device.

At 16 months I had reached another point of extreme frustration. His diet wasn’t expanding, and he wasn’t gaining weight well. I decided to try BioSET, which is very similar to NAET, but is much more in depth and utilizes detoxification & digestive enzymes. This proved to be extremely beneficial. My son tolerated the enzymes well and they helped us greatly expand his diet. With the enzymes he was finally able to tolerate diced forms of foods (as opposed to just pureed baby foods). We also expanded his diet a lot, we added avocados, carrots, brocolli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, peaches, bananas, apples, grapes, blueberries, turkey, chicken, beef.

Alternative Treatments, A Step In The Right Direction :)

2008-06-10T14:02:00.002-05:00

After returning from our trip things were still tough for our little one. His stools were generally bad and very mucousy. He didn’t seem to be tolerating solids well. He was waking up almost nightly and much more fussy in general. I was feeling extremely discouraged and wasn’t sure which way to turn. I heard from a friend about NAET (Nambudiprad’s Allergy Elimination Technique). It was an alternative treatment form that was supposed to be able to detect allergies using muscle response testing (MRT) and treat or clear allergies using an accupressure technique. It was non-invasive and non-drug based. I figured I had nothing to lose and decided to give it a try.

The practitioner we used was a Chinese medical doctor with a degree in Nutrition, a licensed Acupuncturist and trained in NAET. At 9 months old we started NAET treatments. Through MRT she found our youngest son was allergic (sensitive) to eggs, calcium, sugar, corn, chocolate, peanuts, walnuts, shellfish, whey, milk, lactose, cheese, wheat, gluten, tomato, onion, vegetable mix, avocado, melon, citrus, fruit mix, modified starch, dried beans, fluoride, avocado, stomach base, food additives, pollen, fire ants. He received allergy clearing treatments for brain/body function, egg, calcium, sugar, corn, peanuts/walnuts, whey, stomach base, food additives, milk, lactose, cheese, wheat, gluten & fruit mix.

During this time his sleeping habits improved, his mood improved, he started to play some independently (rather than just clinging to me), his stools improved, his teeth started coming in (NAET practitioner said this is common after the calcium treatment). While the NAET treatments were not a cure-all, things definitely improved, and the insight into what specifically he was intolerant of was priceless.

I also started NAET treatments where I learned that I had food allergies (probably where the children got theirs from) which had been contributing to a decade of Fibromyalgia suffering. My middle son also started NAET and was also found to have food allergies, most notable milk, wheat/gluten and food coloring. So here the change began to spread through the family. My middle son at the time was 3 ½ and had severe jekkyl/hyde mood swings and generally had loose stools.

Are We There Yet?? No, Not Yet

2008-06-10T08:25:00.003-05:00

During this time I maintained a food diary to help determine what foods were bothering my third son. I also tracked his spitups, poops (with description), naps, nighttime sleep, crying and any medications/supplements that myself or my son was taking. At 4 months old he started taking a multivitamin with Iron to help combat any blood-loss in the stool. Also, I started him on 1/8 tsp. probiotics twice a day to help heal his digestive tract.

At 5 months old I stopped the zantac for the reflux, he was still having some reflux but I had done some research that indicated acid blocking medicines can worsen food intolerances, because they block stomach acid production which is the first tool in digesting food. Ironically after stopping the zantac his reflux cleared up completely!

There were several times in the process that I reached the point that I just couldn’t do it anymore. I was struggling to maintain my home (dirty dishes, dirty floors, piles & piles of laundry). We tried him on several formula tests, all of which he failed. We tried Neocate (6 wks. old), soy formula (4 months old), Alimentum ready-to-feed (5 months old), Elecare (6 months old). After failing all of these formulas I knew that breastfeeding was my only choice. This helped to boost me up and even though it was difficult I had the inner strength to maintain it.

When he turned six months old, I tried him on rice cereal. He did not tolerate this well, he became very fussy and his stools increased and turned runny & stinky. From there we moved on to several new foods. He seemed to tolerate squash, pears, bananas & apples. He didn’t tolerate carrots, sweet potatoes, millet or peaches (fussy, stools very acidic & full of mucous).

I had heard some studies of digestive enzyme use for the breastfeeding mother to be beneficial. I was afraid to try anything too "strong" since my baby was apparently extremely sensitive, so I tried papaya enzymes for about a month without noticing any benefits.

When he was eight months old, he seemed to have a relapse of reflux. He started fussing a lot and became quite inconsolable. We weren’t sure if he was teething, or reacting to the new foods he was eating. We started giving him 1/8 – 1/4 tsp. Mylanta in the evenings for a few weeks to help.

During this time, we travelled to a family wedding for 3 weeks. This was a rough trip for our third son, he failed many new food trials and seemed to scream & not sleep well for much of the trip. Plus he had blood in his stool numerous times (something we hadn’t seen for a few months). Obviously this was also a rough trip for me, very little rest & relaxation. The only side benefit is that my family was able to see first-hand what I was actually experiencing. There’s something about looking at a bloody diaper that tends to help people understand the seriousness of the situation. Plus others were able to see just how difficult it was to shop & prepare my food for my restricted diet while trying to still care for 3 children.

Total Elimination Diet

2008-06-10T08:18:00.003-05:00

Things continued for about a month during which time our third son was still quite irritable, his stools still looked bad and periodically had visible blood in his stool. While I concluded that things were improved on the dairy/soy/tomato/chocolate free diet, there was still something in my diet that was bothering him, but what? I decided to go on what is called the Total Elimination Diet (TED). This diet allows a breastfeeding mother the chance to allow her child’s gut to heal and to determine what specific foods are bothering her little one. The diet consists of eating only rice, millet, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, zuchinni, pears, lamb, turkey.

I was very intimidated by this diet, but from my online support group I knew of many other mothers who were on the TED. They gave me courage, and I knew that I could do it too. I started this diet and found it to be quite difficult, I was eating constantly and never felt full. When I wasn’t eating I was either shopping for food or preparing food. Not to mention I still had three sons to care for & a house to maintain. These were some dark days. I maintained it for about a week and then started to add things in one at a time for 4 days each to "test" specific items. I used this diet to test specific foods, my goal was to determine if my baby could tolerate soybean oil, wheat, eggs, chicken, beef, oats, corn & soy formula (to confirm that soy was truly a problem). He seemed to fail on wheat, eggs, oats & corn. He failed horribly on the soy formula (which also is a huge percentage corn syrup solids - yuck!).

Overall I was on the TED for 2 months, then switched to a more "modified TED". Before the TED I was already 7 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight (just 10 weeks postpartum). After the TED I was 13 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight. I resumed a diet with the TED foods as my core foods but added in other foods in moderation including oats, wheat & corn.

The Immunization Factor

2008-06-10T08:11:00.003-05:00

At 8 weeks old, he received his 2 month immunizations. These were very hard on him. He spent the week being very fussy, about 4 days after his shots his stools had so much mucous it was gelatin-like. The 7th day after his shots he had visible red blood in his stools. The pediatric Gastroenterologist had stated that a lot of protein intolerant babies also have what is called Lympho-nodular hyperplasia, which is essentially swollen lymph nodes in the colon. Anytime their immune system is challenged (such as when they are sick or when they are immunized) the lymph nodes tend to swell and the tips can slough off and cause blood in the stool. So he seemed very unconcerned with his response to the immunizations and acted like it was expected. However, I wasn’t comfortable with his reaction.

He continued to react each time he was immunized. I think the burden on his immune system was just too much as food allergies already place a HUGE burden on the immune system (since 70% of the immune system lies within the digestive tract). Here again, in hindsight, I wish I had postponed immunizations until he was a bit older and his system was better prepared to tolerate them, or even gone on a modified immunization schedule where the immunizations would have been spread out.

Our Third Son Joins Us.....The Journey Begins

2008-06-09T23:21:00.006-05:00

On October 27, 2005 our family was blessed by the birth of our third son. His birth was a bit complicated as he was delivered frank breach. The doctor didn’t realize he was breach until after my water had broken and I was dilated to 9 ½ cm. However, despite the complicated birth, he was a beautiful healthy baby boy, checking into the world at 6 pounds 14 ounces.

The first 3 weeks after he was born, things were wonderful. He was such a sweet baby who loved to be held. He was peaceful and slept well. He was exclusively breastfed and was gaining weight well. About 3 weeks in some symptoms started to develop.

He started to spitup profusely with each feeding.
He developed a diaper rash that wouldn’t clear up, no matter what remedy was tried on it.
His stools became very loose and full of mucous, he would have 5-6 stools per day.
He would wheeze after nursing.
He had an eczema rash on his skin (particularly behind his ears and on his scalp).

He had red eyes and a plugged nose.
He would only nap for 15 minutes at a time, and then would awake screaming.
He had to be held constantly and would scream most of the time he was being held.

We saw the pediatrician several times between weeks 3-6. At first they started him on Zantac to help control the reflux. At 4 weeks old, I removed tomatoes from my diet, things improved slightly. At 5 weeks old he had an incident with projectile vomiting (after I ate ice cream the night before). Finally at about 6 weeks old the pediatrician tested for blood in the stool, microscopic amounts of blood were found. The pediatrician suggested that it might be a milk allergy. She suggested that all obvious forms of dairy be removed from my diet. This really overwhelmed me as I couldn’t imagine my diet without dairy as it was so embedded in. However, I did it and found that it wasn’t too bad, at this point I definitely wanted to help my son (I was seriously considering dairy-free formula at this point).

I replaced cow’s milk with soy milk, symptoms worsened. At this point the pediatrician contacted a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. He suggested that our third son be placed on an amino acid based formula called Neocate. He said that we would have a "new" baby after 5 days. So we started on Neocate while I maintained my milk supply by pumping. This was very exhausting to be pumping 6-8 times a day & bottle feeding 6-8 times a day. Things did not improve, the screaming worsened. During this time I decided to remove ALL dairy, soy, chocolate & tomatoes from my diet. At the end of 5 days it was obvious that Neocate was not the answer and we went back to breastfeeding with me on a strict diet. Things were much improved. He started napping better, the diaper rash pretty much cleared up. The stools improved a little, and some of the screaming stopped. We were finding a few answers....but it was just the beginning.

How It All Started...

2008-06-09T22:45:00.003-05:00

If you knew us before the birth of our third son (Oct 2005) you would have classified us as a family eating a "typical American diet". We enjoyed pizza, lasagna, hot dogs, milk, ice cream, yogurt, whole wheat bread. Not that everything we ate was junk, we did try to eat from all four food groups: the milk & cheese group, the grain group, the meat/fish/bean group, and of course, the butterfinger group (ha ha). The closest thing to great nutrition that we had was we were a part of a Fruit/Vegetable Co-Op where we had a large box of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables delivered to the house every two weeks.

Now, with hindsight being 20/20 I can clearly see that although all seemed well on the "typical American diet" there were actually many RED FLAGS being thrown, I just wasn't tuned in to the right referee.

The main red flags were:

Myself - Fibromyalgia (fatigue, joint pain, brain fog), weak immune system, seasonal allergies
Oldest Son - weak immune system (missed 18 days of school in 1st grade :( ), seasonal allergies, intermittent asthma (particularly after being sick), occasional loose stools
Middle Son - Jekyll/Hyde mood swings, speech delay, predominantly loose stools

So there we were, blissfully going through life. We recognized we had a few troubling symptoms, but they had all been addressed by doctors and the doctors advised us that all was well.

And then.......on October 27, 2005.......everything changed!