Straight Off the Shelf: Rotisserie Chicken

This week we are getting ready for a family vacation.  Ocean Breezes and Sunsets await us after a 6 hour drive.  We are beyond excited!  With all the organizing, cleaning, arranging of meals, and packing before the trip, regular dinner planning is sometimes overlooked.  When that happens, Costco is my friend.  Their chicken is safe for my most sensitive munchkin.  I added some leftover broccoli and pasta to the plate and viola! - dinner was served.  Tonight, I am boiling the leftover chicken/bones for a quick soup using up small amounts of vegetables still in the fridge (cabbage, carrots, squash, onion).  It makes a quick dinner and ensures that there are no science experiments growing in the fridge by the time I come home.  Happy Eating:)

Straight Off the Shelf - Pickles

Okay, well I haven't posted for a few weeks.  Life has happened around here:)  It is amazing how fast time moves before you realize "Ugh!  Three weeks since the last post?!?!"  So instead of getting all upset, I am just jumping back on the wagon and starting over.   You might even get two posts today!  

I thought it would be helpful if once or twice a month I take a quick photo of an item I am able to buy at any major market straight off the shelf for my kids.  Yes, I use the old fashioned word "market" for grocery store.  Chalk it up to living a year in Boston.  I still use the word "carriage" for cart too.   I never did say I was normal!

Pickles.  That is this weeks Straight Off the Shelf item.  These will often go on BOGO at my local Publix.  The cashier(s) will laugh when they see me come through with 12 jars of pickles.  Bread and Butter and Dills are our favorites.  Be Careful.  Some of the Mt. Olive brands contain Splenda.  We personally don't use any item containing Splenda.   (Please remember that we do use products with Corn Syrup as it does not seem to affect our son.)  

Cuban Styled Black Beans and Rice

Have you ever had one of those days where comfort food is just a must?

 It has been extremely busy around here for the last month:  from the fun chaos of having our first exchange student, to having 7 extra people in the house for a week, to heading 9 hours away for a family reunion!  Needless to say, when we arrived home on Saturday we were pleasantly exhausted and looking forward to our own beds.  Instead, we were greeted by a broken AC unit....in Southern Florida that is called an emergency situation!  After much debate, we decided that calling the AC company was the only way to go.  No one could come out until the next morning.   We could survive sleeping in the heat, right?  After a night in a humid 90 degree house, we woke exhausted and bedraggled.  We eventually had to abandon house and stay at a friend's house for two nights.  After over a week from home, comfort was definitely on the menu!!!  This is one of my son's favorite comfort foods and I win multiple "Mom, you are the BEST MOM EVER!" comments when I pull this out of the oven.  

No pics this week. Upon taking the large cast iron dutch oven out of the oven, pictures were the farthest thing from my mind:)  

Cuban Styled Black Beans

 Serves 6 to 8 as a main dish

1 cup dried black beans, rinsed and picked over.  (I really enjoy the Goya brand of beans.  They cook up tender and do not turn mushy.  They even hold up to rewarming well.)

2 cups of Kitchen Basics Beef Broth.  (Kitchen Basics is a great brand of broth.  Allergy free broth is hard to find!)

2 cups water

2 large green bell peppers, halved and seeded.  (I actually use red bell peppers.  It adds a little extra color to the dish.)

1 large onion, halved with the root end still intact.  (Carefully peel the onion and keep the root end.  I usually rinse it to make sure no dirt is stuck in those little roots!)

1 head of garlic.  Remove 5 cloves of garlic and then cut the remaining garlic head in half.  

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 cups of long grain white rice  (Be careful when buying rice, most brands of rice carried at normal supermarkets contain gluten.  Asian Markets are your best bet.  Granted, I have found gluten free rice at Walmart.)

2 T. oil

6 ounces of lean salt pork, cut into small (1/4") pieces.  (This is sold in 12 oz. packages.  Thus, I double the recipe and use the whole package.)

1/2 tsp. dried oregano flakes

4 tsp. ground cumin

2 T.  unflavored rice vinegar

Green Onions and Limes for topping.

1.  Place beans in a pot and cover with cold water.  Soak for a minimum of 8 hours and up to 24 hours.  If like me, you forget to start them the night before:)  You can bring the beans to a boil.  Let them boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat and allow them to soak for 2 hours.   After soaking, rinse well and drain.

2.  In a large Dutch oven with a tight fighting lid, stir together the beans, broth, 1/2 a pepper, the split garlic head, the half onion, and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil and then cover.  Simmer for 30-45 minutes.  How soft you cook your beans is a personal preference.  We prefer ours softer, so I cook to the 45 minute point.  

3.  After the beans are cooked, remove all the vegetables from the cooking liquid.  When you drain the beans, you will need to reserve a total of 2 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.  Please be careful!  If you don't have enough liquid, add water to the cooking liquid so it equals 2 1/2 cups.  Do NOT wash out the Dutch oven!

4.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Rinse the rice in a very fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear.  (Not rinsing the rice will cause the rice to be sticky and not fluffy.)  Cut the remaining pepper and onion into small pieces.  If you have a food processor, run it until the pieces are about 1/4 inches.  If you are cutting by hand, enjoy the process:)  Mince the remaining 5 cloves of garlic and keep separate from the onion and pepper.

5..  Place 1 T. of oil in the Dutch oven along with the diced salt pork.  On medium-low heat, render the salt pork.  Rendering means you need cook the salt pork at a low temperature until the fat is melted and the remaining pieces have started to brown.  This takes approx. 15-20 minutes.  Remember to stir frequently!!!

6.  Once the salt pork is rendered, add the remaining 1 T. oil and the diced pepper, onion, cumin, and oregano.  Turn the heat up to medium.  Cook the vegetables until they are soft and starting to lightly brown.   Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.

7.  Add the rice to the mixture and coat with all the yummy goodness!  Finally add the beans and cooking liquid and stir well.  Bring to a boil on the stove top and then cover with the tight fitting lid and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

8.  After removing from the oven, remove lid and fluff the rice with fork.  Allow to rest for 5 minutes.  Serve from Dutch oven or move to your favorite serving dish.  Allow each person to top their portion with green onions and lime juice.  

Enjoy!

(This recipe was adapted from a recipe originally published by Cook's Illustrated.)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Brownie Thing!

Last night my husband, kids, and exchange student all decided to go fishing.  Um, fishing is not one of my top 10 fun activities to do.   So while they went fishing, I figured I could relax and watch a movie.  Um, well that didn't exactly happen.  BUT!  While I was at home, I could hear a commercial from the 80's running through my mind.  Does anyone remember this?

Nothing says I love you like......cookies.  Who knows why this was running through my mind, but it made me want to bake cookies for my kids.   I have tried on multiple occasions to bake cookies like the old fashioned gluten days.  I have learned that eggs are essential.  Without eggs, you end up with puddles that look like caramelized sugar blobs worthy of the local trash dump.

I found this recipe at one of my favorite blogs.  True, I can't claim credit for this recipe:)  But it is really amazing and the closest thing I have found to Nestle Toll House Cookies.  It resembles a yummy bar cookie with a slightly brownie like texture.  I have noted my changes below. 

So, when the kids returned last night after being feasted on by no see-ums, they were delighted with the "Nothing Says I Love You" allergy friendly substitute.  

Interesting side note:  Our Chinese exchange student says they don't eat soft and gooey cookies......he was appalled when I said we even eat the dough raw:)  ::Cough::  I would "never" lick the bowl at my age!!! 

Coconut and Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies

Chill before eating for best texture. or go the other route and zap in the microwave briefly to melt the chocolate chips. Life is short.

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking pan with vegan shortening. Dust with a bit of gluten-free flour.  (I skip this and line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper and double the recipe.)

Whisk together dry ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut flour
2/3 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup tapioca or potato starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

In a separate bowl, beat to combine:

2/3 cup organic brown sugar
1/4 cup organic unsweetened applesauce (If you double the recipe, this equals one small container of applesauce ...the kind for a lunchbox.)
2 1/2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla
1 tablespoon agave  (you could sub honey)
1/4 cup light olive oil  (I use Coconut Oil) 
1/4 cup warm vanilla hemp, coconut milk or rice milk, more as needed  (I used Blue Diamond Almond Milk)

When the wet mixture is smooth, slowly add in the dry ingredient mix and beat just until combined.

Add in by hand:

2/3 cup shredded coconut  (I use unsweetened dessicated coconut.)

1/2 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips.

Instructions:

Dump the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly. Sprinkle on extra chocolate chips if you like (and press them gently into the top).  (I never do this part...)


Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven until the batter is set and slightly golden brown - anywhere from 22 to 30 minutes, depending upon altitude (at high altitude these took almost 35 minutes to bake). The surface should be slightly firm, like a blond brownie (if a finger touch leaves a dent, bake a tad longer).


Cool completely on a wire rack; chill before cutting and wrapping for storage.

These bars are moist and chewy, and are best eaten chilled. Hot from the oven they fall apart.

Makes 15 cookie bars.

Alexander enjoying the bounty! 

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/07/vegan-coconut-bars.html#ixzz23XBv3eYQ

Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork

 

If you are like me, your days are beyond full!  A typical day for me could include a full day of homeschooling, laundry, a Dr. visit, various emails and phone calls, and to top it all off music lessons for both kids.  On days like this I can't be cooking a three course meal! LOL:)  With multiple food allergies, I just can't run to McD's for dinner either.  Prepacked food?  Nope....nothing there either.  For days like this, I love to use the crock pot.  Easy, nutritious, and satisfying, crockpots save the day!  This is one our families favorites.  I usually keep a pork roast in the freezer as a backup.  This recipe is excellent for the freezer in case you do once a month cooking. 

Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork

1 Pork Roast

 (I normally use a pork shoulder roast.  I have been known to use a Boston Butt Roast.  If you are looking for a leaner pulled pork, you could use a Sirloin Roast.)

1 bottle of GF Beer ( or substitute 12 oz of Beef/Chicken Broth)

Salt to Taste

The extremely "complicated" instructions:)

Place the roast in the crockpot.

Pour beer/broth over the roast. 

 For this batch I used Hard Apple Cider.  I thought the flavor of the apple would taste wonderful with the pork. 

As you can see, the beer/broth does not cover the roast.  The beer is only about 1 inch deep.  This roast is approximately 4lbs.  If I was using a larger roast (i.e. 8 lbs), I would use 2 bottles of beer.  

Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.

After 10 hours, your roast should know look like this:

 

Remove from the crockpot and shred with two forks.  (Take the forks and pull them in opposite directions to "pull" the pork.)

Final Results:

Place the pulled pork back into the crockpot to soak in all of the juicy goodness of the beer.  Salt to taste.  I also add garlic powder too.  Because we drench with BBQ Sauce, I use a light hand with the seasoning.  

Our BBQ Sauce (I only find this at Wal-Mart). 

This sauce does contain High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).  My children are fine with corn syrup - not corn proteins.  I will post a recipe for homemade HFCS-free  BBQ Sauce soon.  

Enjoy!

 

Yummy Real Life Doughnuts!

When was the last time you had a doughnut?   I mean a "real" warm out of the oven doughnut.   I remember eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts before I turned gluten free 12 years ago.  ::Whisper:: Wanna know a secret?  I could eat an entire dozen by myself!!!  (Especially when they were hot!)  I thought the days of eating doughnuts were a distant memory.  My kids longed to know what a doughnut tasted like as they drooled over their friends treats.  Enter Babycakes NYC!    

I know you are thinking great - NYC!  I know what that means....New York City.  Never in my life will I eat them then.   True and not true:)  There are three Babycake Bakeries in the United States.  One is in NYC, one in LA, and one in Orlando.    Last year when we were in Orlando for a conference, going to Babycakes was at the top of my agenda!  No way was I leaving without a doughnut!  

It was gluten free allergy free heaven!!!

Did you know all of their baked goods are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, nut free, and most are corn free too?  (The only corn is in their baking powder and confectioners sugar as corn starch.  I have been told they occasionally have cornbread also.) 

These yummy gems come at a price though.  Six doughnuts or cupcakes for $18.00.  Yes, you read that correctly:)  Take a moment to breathe and then continue reading.....

Better?  Good.  The good news is that Erin the owner wrote a cookbook with the recipe in it.  So not only can you have the yummy doughnuts, you won't have to take out a second mortgage to afford them.  

Not only that!  She did an interview with Bon Appetit and they were allowed to post the recipe on-line.  Since, it is legally on-line I will not reproduce it here.  

You can find the full recipe here:

http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2011/04/babycakes-covers-the-classics.html

Couple of Hints for you though:

1.  I have found using spray oil (Crisco) rather than swiping the pans with straight oil works the best.  I found the nifty doughnut trays online at Amazon. 

2.  I use a tablespoon to measure the dough into the pans.  I place 2 tablespoons in first and then divide the remaining dough evenly.

3.  The recipe says to use a toothpick to evenly distribute the dough in the mold.  Um, well, I haven't found that too effective.  I just wash my hands well and use my finger.  A lot less time consuming!

4.  This recipe uses A LOT of vanilla.  One recipe uses one 2 oz bottle from a normal market.  May I suggest, a large bottle from Costco/Sam's.  I have used both the Kirkland brand and the Tones brand of PURE (NOT imitation) Vanilla successfully.

5.  One note on the cookbook.  Not all the recipes are gluten free.  Just didn't want you to be disappointed  when you cracked open the book and found a glutenous recipe.  

6. Enjoy:)

Here is a final picture.  These are the true gems from Babycakes. Mine look almost as good.  Better yet, they don't break the bank!

When you fall off a horse.....

You get back on, right?  That is what I was taught growing up on a small hobby farm.  Um, hmm...nowadays it would be called homesteading.  Oh wait that was a rabbit trail. Realty is I haven't posted for a long time!  Two years - even I was shocked!   After several friends and my sister mentioned doing a blog again, I figured there is something to this.  So without further ado, I *will* be posting once a week for the near foreseeable future.  

T:) - off to bake bread for the kids!

Thanksgiving Yummies......

Yummy Pork Goodness!

The following recipe is an amazing way to eat pork. I found this recipe about 4 years ago trying to find something else (which I can't even remember what that search was for!) This recipe is naturally safe for my kids which is great. We receive rave reviews anytime I make it. In fact, this last Thanksgiving meal was followed by two requests for the recipe.

Pig on Coke

6 liters of cola (not diet cola) - - you can use water if you are not able to use corn syrup

3 c. of kosher salt

2 heads of garlic, pealed and slightly smashed

6 bay leaves

1/2 c. cracked pepercorns

10 lb. bone in pork shoulder roast

Before we go any further.....what is a pork shoulder

roast? You will normally find it in a vacuum sealed bag in the pork section of your market. It needs to have the skin on it. This is important for keeping the meat moist and tender.

The roast will look similar to this. Before you submerge it in the brine, you will want to take a sharp knife (is there any other kind?) and score the skin. Try not to cut through the fat layer to the meat. You can see the scoring on the picture at the top of the post.

Brining: You can brine for as little as few hours or as long as 24. I usually brine for 24 hours.....two reasons: 1, better taste and 2, I can do it way ahead and check it off my list:) You do need to keep it refrigerated while it is brining. I use a large (18 quart) stockpot, but you could use ice packs in a bottom of a cooler and store somewhere cool.

After brining the roast, you will need to rinse it and pat it dry. It will need to sit out for about one hour. After an hour, create a rub (oil, salt, garlic, rosemary, basil, etc. - - whatever sounds good!) and smear it all over the pork.

Place in a 500 oven for 20 mins and then lower the temperature to 350. Glaze every 45 minutes. (Glaze recipe to follow below.) Cook until internal temperature of the ham is around 160-170 degrees. Rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Pineapple Ginger Glaze

1. c pineapple juice

2 c. packed brown sugar

1 inch grated fresh ginger

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a small sauce pan over high heat; reduce heat and simmer until syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/3 cups (about 5-7 minutes).

Faux Soy Sauce

We eat a ton of rice. I know! Hyperbole:) In all honesty, we consume approximately 25lbs of rice a month. A hot pot of rice is a blissful thing......meat, vegies, rice. What could be better? My son thinks soy sauce is necessary component of the above "blissful" combination. My son can actually eat soy; however, the San-J gluten free soy sauce sold in stores is not guaranteed to be 100% wheat/gluten free. Do to the severity of his wheat allergy, we are not comfortable taking the slightest risk. This recipe is the alternative.

Faux Soy Sauce

1 cup organic unsulphured blackstrap molasses

1/3 cup organic apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons pure sea salt

1 teaspoon pure cane sugar or 100% pure honey

Put all in small saucepan and heat, stirring well until mixed and very hot, but not boiling. Cool and pour into bottle and refrigerate. Original instructions say it will keep for a month on the shelf.

Allergy Free on a Budget

Everyone knows that Gluten Free and Allergy Free Food can be very expensive. A frozen loaf of GF bread can cost $5-6 depending on the store. The kicker! It isn't even as big as a "normal" loaf of bread! A box of 12 quarter sized cookies - $3.85. How can a family survive eating gluten free or allergy free with a limited grocery budget? We have become fans of salvage grocery stores. Never heard of them? Let me introduce you:)

This is a picture of things I have recently bought at our local salvage grocery store. The total shelf value at a typical grocery store would be......$91.10

The items on the table include: 4 boxes of Enjoy Life Cookies, 4 boxes of Betty Crocker GF cake mixes, 10 cream of tartars (for making safe baking powder), 1 bag gluten free oats, 1 bag sorghum flour, 1 jar of Sunbutter, 6 boxes of jello, 1 box of Rice Chex Cereal, 2 GF/Allergy Free Sprinkles, and 2 boxes of Chai Tea.

I paid: $11.65 a 87% savings!!!

Salvage grocery stores specialize in closeouts, scratch and dents, and "outdated" items. Not all items are outdated. As you can see in the next two pictures, the jello and the cream of tartar are not out of date. In fact, they have 2- 3 years BEFORE they "expire".

Many people squirm at the thought of shopping at one of these stores. Really? Out of date food? In reality, many of the dates are just "best by". Not a date that tells you food is no longer edible. The following link explains, that these dates are not mandated by the government. They are determined by the manufacturer. Of course, a "use by" date or a true "expiration" date is different than a "best by" date. You can see in the picture above that the cream of tartar has a "best by" date.

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/01/15/cheapest-food-this-side-of-the-dumpster-salvage-grocery-stores/

To be honest, numerous boxes of cereal I purchase have the box tops ripped off. Amazing, right? People actually walk through a grocery store ripping off .10 box tops? To us though it is a blessing as Rice Chex is one of the only cereals my kiddos can eat.

My favorite finds? Bob Red Mill bargains! These two items were a huge blessing! $11.75 of goods for .75!

Where can you find salvage grocery stores? Here are a couple of links that will help you locate one near you.

http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/discount-stores/97055-salvage-grocery-list-state.html

http://www.andersonscountrymarket.net/directory

Happy Shopping!

Warm Lentil Stew.....

Our family loves soup. When I say love, I should use a thesaurus to find plenty of adjectives to prove the point. This recipe started as a school project. The munchkins have been learning about ancients and making lentil stew was a fine art project. I am not an artsy person so this activity was right up my alley - - eating. Perfect! I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com so I can not claim full rights on it. Although, I have made adjustments which I will note as I enter the recipe. I am sorry I do not have any photos, I keep forgetting to take out the camera.

Lentil Stew

1 onion, chopped

1/4c. olive oil

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano (I used Italian Seasoning instead)

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried basil (I totally skipped this)

1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 lb. bulk Italian Sausage (The recipe didn't call for this.)

2 c. dried lentils

8 cups water

1/2 c. spinach (I used WAY more than 1/2 c.!)

2 T. Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste.

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery - cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil - cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in lentils and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. I added small sausage meatballs here. Simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, stir in spinach and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.

I did notice that I did need to add more water towards the end of the hour of simmering.

Happy Eating:)

Yummy treats in Dallas.....

We have just returned from a week vacation with friends and family. It was a blast!!! My sister treated us to amazingly yummy treats that the whole family could eat.

She had these amazing coconut macaroons topped with a chocolate glaze! Everything was safe for the kiddo's. She found the recipes in a cookbook titled: Flying Aprons Gluten Free and Vegan Baking.

I did a quick flip through the cookbook and it looked amazing! No Eggs, No Dairy, Perfect!! The kids had sandwiches for lunch and dinner. What a treat for them! Cupcakes topped with strawberries......they were perfectly spoiled by my sister!

Here are a couple pics of them enjoying the goodies! This cookbook will be put on my wish list!

Thanks Claire for all the baking and cooking you did!

Pancakes......

I have been on the hunt for really good gluten free pancakes. I can find them easily for myself - - Maple Grove Farms has the best mix I can find. But I have been trying to find the best pancakes I can give to my munchkins. On many occasions, I have poured concoctions down the drain due to being SO! bad.

This recipe though is pretty yummy. DD's friend said that were as yummy as normal pancakes.

I did find though that these are best if you let them cool a little bit otherwise they will not hold up to butter and syrup.

1 c. sorghum flour

1/2 c. potato starch

1/4 c. tapioca starch

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1/2 t. xantham gum

2T. sugar

2 T. oil

1 T Vinegar + enough milk (dairy, soy, rice, etc) to make 1 1/4 c.

1 t. vanilla (optional)

In small bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. Mix oil, milk, and vanilla together. Add to dry mix.

Cook like normal pancakes. Note: These pancakes will not bubble like wheat pancakes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn:)

Let me know what you think!

A History of Sorts....

Frequently people will ask how we found out our children had severe food allergies. Knowing that you have no insight into our family, I decided a short history of our family and our children's allergies might prove helpful.

11 1/2 years ago our precious little girl was born. I studied. I read. Finally, I decided to breastfeed my new little blessing. But within days, my little girl started to develop little rashes on her face. Soon her entire body was covered. I would question the Dr. about the rashes. Eczema I was told. Questions came pouring out.......Is it food related? Is it detergent related? What causes this itchy red rash that my little girl scratches raw? Everyone said the best I could do was heavy lotions. Soon her little faced had a huge abscess. Antibiotic cream was applied religiously. People would question why I couldn't keep her from scratching. Make her wear gloves. Clip her nails better. I often felt as though I was doing something wrong.

When Hannah was six months old, we took a trip to my mom's house. My mom (who loves to make things from scratch) made homemade ice cream for the occasion. It was yummy. Even Hannah tasted it. Shortly after tasting it though, Hannah began to fuss and break out in a weird rash. We asked my Mom for some insight. Calmly, she told us to go to the hospital. Hannah was having an allergic reaction.

Hospital - right! Baby into the car seat. Ugh! Car seat taken apart due to blow out......is she breathing okay? My mom noticing that things may not be right called 911. How kind of God to have a fire station literally 1 mile from her house. We were soon on the way to the hospital. Welcome to the world of allergies........

Testing showed that my girl was severely allergic to eggs. The nurses and Dr. had to wipe the serum off of her back due to her reacting so severely to the scratch test. We were handed an Epi-Pen and told to carry it with us at all times.

Two months later I developed acute mastitis. I tried to nurse through it, but I was so sick. Finally to the Dr. I went. A fever of 103 was the breaking point:) He declared nursing to be over. Handed me a can of formula and put a shot in my behind. Within two days, Hannah's face was 100% better. Her skin was healing! No more eczema.....but the sleep deprived mama didn't make the connection.

Fifteen months later another little blessing popped into our lives. Like his sister, his skin beautful skin was short lived. Soon the same sores covered his body. His bottom bleed from the oozing sores. Diaper changes were horrible. I cried watching how miserable my little blessing was.

Remember the Epi-pen I was told to carry at all times? I asked the Dr. if I could use it on baby boy if needed. I didn't know that a week later I would use it.

Sitting at a McDonald's, I fed 8 month old baby boy a small (very small!) amount of bun. He started to fuss. Why wouldn't he drink his bottle? I realized he was covered in hives and struggling to breath. Instantly, I pulled out the Epi and used it! A family member and I had planned an outing to the zoo that day. We had stopped at McD's for lunch. I didn't realize I needed to go to the hospital. Naively, we continued on to the zoo. En route, I knew we had to go to the hospital. We changed course. He was in trouble!

"911.....What is your emergency?"

"My son can't breathe!"

"Where are you?"

"We are on 35W North"

"Maam....you need to stop. What is the mile marker number?"

" It is XXX. We are stopping. Please hurry!"

The Dr. in the ER told me straight to my face "Your son would have died if you hadn't used the Epi. Most parents don't even carry it."

That wasn't the last time we would call 911.

Blueberries, Fish food, undeclared egg in muffins, a cracker from a well meaning church worker, corn contaminated rice pasta........I could list more.

For awhile, my children wouldn't even go near an ambulance at a Fire Station Open House. They understood far to well what an ambulance meant.

Literally born with allergies, my children know nothing of the carefree eating most children enjoy. But they are a true testament to God's gracious care. He is the one who has protected them when I have made mistakes. He has provided medical technology that has saved their lives. How grateful I am for the skill He has given to Dr's to care for my children.

Parents with allergic kids live with a whole different dynamic. Our children can literally die from these allergies. It could be today. I am grateful that God holds my children's lives is His hands. Psalm 139:13 says that God has numbered our days. How I hold that verse tightly. My children's days are numbered. I must remain faithful to care for my children in a way that does not endanger their lives. Yet, I know their lives are utlimately held in the hands of a God who has chosen this road for us.

I pray that whoever reads this blog (it may not be many!), but whoever it is will be blessed by the road that God has enabled us to travel in serving our kids. This blog is a result of that road started so long ago with a scoop of ice cream.........

Along time in the waiting.......

Wow! It has been so long since I posted to this blog. With many of life's little happenings this project was put on the back burner. I was amazed to see that people were still looking at this blog. I am humbled and feel the need to start the project back up again. I have found in my search for allergy free treats......that my children tastes don't like Indian foods! That discouraged me greatly. But once again I see the need to find more foods to broaden their horizons.

Thanks for sticking with me!

Arrowhead Mill Flours:

When I go to the health food store, there are only a couple brands of flour for me to choose from: Arrowhead Mills or Bob's Red Mill. Arrowhead Mills Flours are always arranged in a beautiful display of Rice Flours, Millet, to Wheat Flour. So are they safe for my kids? That was the question.

Arrowhead Mills manufactures their gluten free products in a shared facility (facility that also manufactures products that contain gluten - aka wheat, rye, barley, etc.) on shared equipment. Arrowhead Mills products are manufactured by The Hain-Celestial Group, here is a written statement that I found on the Internet: "The items which bear the label "gluten free" or "made with gluten free ingredients" are formulated and tested to be gluten free (below the detectable limit of 10ppm). The Hain Celestial Group's labeling declares major allergens (peanuts, soybeans, milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, and wheat) and we follow the U.S. FDA's regulations. In addition, our labeling always declares gluten containing ingredients. Both major and minor ingredients of all products, as well as all processing procedures and equipment, are closely scrutinized and all potential allergen issues as determined by the Hain Celestial Group are declared on our labeling. We assure you that strict manufacturing processes and procedures are in place and that all of our manufacturing facilities follow rigid allergen control programs that include staff training, segregation of allergen ingredients, production scheduling, and thorough cleaning and sanitation."

With that being said, I made a personal call to Arrowhead mills to confirm the statement and to ask a few follow up questions.

"Do you package multiple gluten free products at one time - Like corn and rice products?" The answer was yes there was the direct possibility that different items would be run at the same time. The lady I spoke with literally said - - It most likely would be best if you do not use our products as there is the possibility for cross-contamination.

So, I walked from the call with two key piece of information for our family:
1. All of their gluten free products may contain up to 10 ppm of a gluten containing item. (That is what the statement out rightly said......the ELISA tests can not detect to zero only as low as 10 ppm as I understand it.)

2. Their gluten free flours may be run at the same time. That would mean that corn dust or soybean dust may contaminate the flours my kids could have. My son is so sensitive to corn that in the past corn dust has caused a severe reaction.

Decision for our family: We are not comfortable at this time with using Arrowhead Mills with the severity of our kids allergies.

Mung Bean Pudding

I am married to a Vietamese guy. He loves his sweets. But they aren't like American sweets. They are very different but good. One of them is a whole collection of "puddings". This is a Thai recipe but very similiar to the deserts I have seen at Vietnamese restuarants.

The pictures included were taken by my kids and "Aunt" Kim one night.

Mung Bean Pudding

Taken from http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/recipes/Mung_Bean_Pudding.htm

2 Servings

2 cups water
1/4 cup tapioca flour (this is sometimes called tapioca starch.)
1/4 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup Mung beans (see note)
1/3 cup coconut milk

Boil mung beans in 2 cups of water until tender. It should take about 20 minutes.

The beans should be very soft. Cook them until they aren't stiff in the middle anymore. We realized too late that we hadn't cooked ours enough. It was still good but the beans had a little chew to them still.

Dissolve tapioca flour in a cup of water and add to the boiling mung beans.

Stir quickly and constantly to prevent the bottom from burning. It should thicken.

Add more water if it gets too thick. Add more flour if too watery. A consistency of gravy is ideal.

Add sugar, bring it back up to a boil and turn off the heat

In a separate bowl, mix 1/3 cup of coconut milk with salt. Heat it up in the microwave for a few second just to warm it up. Don't let the coconut milk boil, otherwise it will separate.

DD is stirring coconut milk getting it ready for eating. My two oldest kiddos gobbled this stuff down quickly! By the time we got to the pot there was only one small bowl left!

Serve hot with coconut milk on top.

NOTE: There are two ways mung bean are sold. Whole and Split. The split mung beans are yellow and look like split peas - except yellow. These are the ones you want to buy for this pudding. They usually run about .79 a bag.