Chocolate chip pancakes...yum!

Okay, we all know that our kiddos love a hot breakfast in the mornings but sometimes we're short on time... so what do you do???  Cherrybrook Kitchen has a great boxed pancake mix that's also gluten free, it's super convenient when your rushing in the morning.  I usually mix rice milk right in there and it tastes great! Oh and if you're feeling adventurous, throw in some enjoy life chocolate chips, it's delicious!!!  I made these pancakes with chocolate chips, topped them with banana slices and drizzled some Log Cabin Syrup... Heavenly! So if you happen to have some left over, freeze them for the next day.  Here's the tip that I wish I had years ago...drum roll please....separate them with parchment paper so that they won't stick!!  Simply pull out how many pancakes you would like and warm them up by toaster oven or on the stove for a quick minute!



Happy Eats!

In N Out burgers with FOOD ALLERGIES

 

So after learning that my daughter Julia's overnight school trip included a quick stop at IN-N-OUT Burger, I panicked!  She's never been there and I wasn't sure if they would accommodate someone with Food Allergies.  After much whining and complaining to my husband about why life isn't fair and why do these things always happen to us.... I did some homework!  I called the IN-N-OUT headquarters and asked about their policies.  I made sure that it was a peanut free facility and IT WAS!  So that was a big deal, being that Julia's most severe allergy is to peanuts.  Whew.... one down, two to go.  So it looked like it was down to the burger because I was told that they just cook their fries in Cottonseed Oil and nothing else.  Fries were safe!  So back to the burger...

The bun=free of milk, egg and peanut

The hamburger meat=free of milk, egg and peanut

The sauce=contains egg but also free of milk and peanut

So we do,:

hamburger with bun, lettuce, ketchup.. no sauce

fries with ketchup 

and a sprite!

If you're going gluten free, you can order your burger "protein style". It's the burger meat wrapped in lettuce. 

So far they have been so good about keeping our girl safe! 

Please be sure to take all the precautions needed to ensure your childs safety while eating out.  Make sure you specify your childs allergies, and  have  them clean the grill and use a new spatula every time!  Good luck and safe eating!

 

Here we go on our wheat free journey!

Since our last allergy test, it was confirmed that Julia is also allergic to wheat.  I was amazed at the results because she has been eating wheat since she was a toddler.  The Dr. said that if she eats it now and it's not bothering her at all, there's no need to exclude wheat from her diet.  I was relieved yet kind of concerned.  Seeing that her test results showed that she was just not slightly allergic, but enough to cause discomfort, really puzzled me.  As I was leaving the Dr's office, I began to think, "was wheat really affecting Julia"?  I started to think about all the random headaches she gets, the unusual stomach aches that sometimes lead to vomiting, the constant mood swings.  Was this all because of wheat?  

Well, I did a my wheat free challenge to see if her symptoms subsided and sure enough, no headaches, no stomach aches and no nasty attitudes!  She seemed to be more happy and even seemed to have more energy!  So, naturally I had to give her wheat to see if in fact she would react differently.  She seemed to be fine until the evening.  Her nose began to feel congested, she felt very tired,  and grumpy again.  Next day, even worse.  She woke up with a headache and just didn't feel well all day.  So there you have it, my assumption of, "is it really wheat" was confirmed.  I knew it, something in my gut told me that my little girl was not happy and healthy for a reason.  

What I found to be crucial in dealing with children who have food allergies, is keeping a food diary.  Always writing down the food and reaction to the food is the best way to see how food is affecting your child.  It's also very important to keep up your allergy testing, so that you (unlike me) don't miss something important that might have changed in your child.  So here we go Milk, Egg, Peanut and now...Wheat free!  Wish me luck!

Radical New Treatment for Food Allergies

If you haven't already heard, Dr. Kari Nadeau is conducting a trial to desensitize children with multiple food allergies. As scary as it sounds, feeding your child the one thing you've been trying to avoid,  just might be the answer to solving this food allergy crisis!


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/magazine/can-a-radical-new-treatment-save-children-with-severe-allergies.html?smid=pl-share

Vitamix on QVC

With a milk allergy, you can't go to the ice cream shop for ice cream or  Jamba Juice for a smoothie.  BUT... with a Vitamix, you can make your own! 

Everyone knows how expensive they can be, trust me I know, I've done the research.  I've checked all the local department stores, online and at Costco.  QVC seems to be the least expensive and they also include the dry mix to make your own flours!  This is great for gluten free folks!  They are going to be selling the Vitamix again during their on-air special on March 22 from 6:00-7:00, check your local listings for time.   

The Vitamix is a great way to offer your children veggies and fruits that they normally wouldn't want to eat.  It is extremely nutritious to start your day with a fresh juice!  Not to mention all of the other things the Vitamix offers, homemade soups, dairy free ice cream, the possibilities are endless! 

With food allergies, you have limitations on what you can eat and so you might be missing some very important nutrients.  Juicing would would be an excellent way to offer your children all the vitamins that they need!

Well I know what I'm doing on March 22! Boy with all the plugging I've done for Vitamix, you'd think they would send me one for free!! 

All Natural Home Scent

I understand that this is not food allergy related... but I had to share.

This smell is better known as the "Williams and Sonoma" smell.  It's an all natural way to fill your house with a fresh and clean smell.  It's amazing!
 

All you need is:

• A small stock pot filled 2/3 of the way with water
• A few sprigs of rosemary
• One lemon sliced
• A tsp of vanilla

Simmer, add water if it drys out.
If you want to make it simple, put mix in crock pot and let simmer.

Adding the vanilla gives it a sweet smell, but if you want just fresh, you can omit the vanilla.  I enjoy it with the vanilla.  

This is a great alternative for people who can't tolerate room sprays and plug-ins.

Ice Cream Magic

We just bought this Ice Cream Maker and tried using it with rice milk, unfortunately it didn't work out.  We're kind of bummed but I suppose we'll stick to Philly Swirl Italian Ice for now.  So if you're looking to buy this product to make dairy free ice cream, save your money.  I'm afraid this will only produce ice cream with heavy cream like recommended.