Farm Life Prescriptions...

I realize how blessed our family is to enjoy our home the way we do. Our area enjoyed a bit of warmer weather this weekend; muddy as it was. The kids go up, did their chores, and commenced to getting as muddy as they possibly could. Their 4-wheeler is disgusting and thankfully they kept most of their riding to the back fields. No watching tv and playing video games all day here. They love to be outside and in the woods as much as possible. Of course they don't realize the health benefits of such a lifestyle. However, we do!  Thankfully, we don't deal with much in the way of illnesses on the Hill Farm. Don't get me wrong, they could both come home sick as can be today. If they do, they do. Our family thoroughly believes in the health benefits of sunshine, dirt, running, climbing, homemade food, and thanking our God for every bit of it!  I encourage everyone to partake in that prescription. 

Keeping a busy household on course is preparing as much as you can ahead of time. When I'm making our sausage or ground venison; I go ahead and portion everything out to make it easier to store in the freezer. Buying a bulk of aluminum pans with their lids makes it easier to prepare a couple of casseroles to store for "fast food" nights. One of our favorites would be Breakfast Burritos. 

Breakfast Burritos

2 lbs of cooked sausage 

1 dozen eggs scrambeled

16 tortillas 

I like to use the fiesta Rudi's tortillas, but paleo tortillas and even crepes work well. I build the tortillas and add fresh spinach to some, cheese, or salsa. Wrap them up in freezer paper and label your burritos for easy access. I store them in an open aluminum storage pan on a shelf in my freezer. These are great because they are easy, healthy, and allow you to be as creative as you'd like. Enjoy and Eat Well!

Food Allergies Equals Food Snobs...

Our family has discovered over the years that we have turned into "food snobs". We don't eat out at restaurants a whole lot due to food safety and tend to eat at the same restaurants when we do go out. However, the Restaurants we do tend to frequent are of higher quality. As everyone can attest; it is more expensive to eat healthy. We are extremely lucky to be able to lead the lifestyle that we do. Our sustainability allows us to enjoy healthier meats such as the pork and chicken that we have raised ourselves, the fresh eggs that we gather. A lot of our fruits and vegetables were grown by us on our farm. When you eat as natural and healthy as we do, it can be difficult to enjoy the new burger place everyone is bragging about. It's not as enjoyable to eat the movie theatre popcorn when my husband makes ours on the stove top and cover it with ghee. In a way this is great because we really don't eat out much at all. It also makes the visits to bigger cities such as St. Louis and Nashville much more enjoyable. We research and look forward to trying those locally owned, organic restaurants that can safely serve us. Yes, they are much more expensive than the fast food restaurants. However, you truly do get what you pay for... In all things in my experience.  I've had quite a few requests for ghee. It's really easy to make and has a long shelf life. Start with a good amount of grass fed butter. 

Place in your stove top in a pot to melt down. 

You are essentially cooking off the milk fat and water. 

The dairy will float to the top as it separates. You are going to cook until the butter takes in a golden look. You can use a spoon to move fats off the top to get a good look at the bottom of your pot. 

Use a coffee filter and a funnel to strain ghee. This part takes the longest. 

But you are left with a flavorful fat to use as you wish. Melt to pour into popcorn. Use to cook your meat or veggies. Scrambled eggs with ghee is unbelievable. Have fun and enjoy!! 

Bringing God Back Into The Kitchen

My daughter asked me if God gave her food allergies.  The answer...Yes, he did.  I then reminded her that God has a plan for everyone and everything.  She asked if I knew what God's plan was for her food allergies and if she would ever grow out of them.  I told her that she was very lucky.  I told her that because of her Hypersensitivity Spectrum Autism that her body only knew what "real" food was.  I shared with her that most people in the world had food allergies and/or intolerances but have never realized it.  Her body doesn't allow itsself to be tricked by "fake" food.  I then told my kids a story.  I told them how a long time ago there were lots of farmers who grew food for their families.  They also had chickens, ducks, pigs, cows, and other farm animals that provided their eggs, milk, and meat for families.  I told them how people lived this way for thousands and thousands of years, but it was not to last forever.  As time went on people changed more and more.  Soon there were not a lot of farmers left in the world because people were moving into cities.  Little did they know that soon the government would have to "help" the people with their food sources.  Without enough farmers; scientists figured out how to make a little food go a lot further.  They started processing the food to break it down and add a bunch of "stuff" to it, and then they build it back up so that it will feed a lot more people.  They also used their science to change even the seeds used to grow food so that one seed would produce a lot more plants.  Little did the world realize that God was soon being taken out of everyone's kitchen.  People were eating foods that were developed in labs and soon people started getting sick.  People were suffering with awful diseases and illnesses with many losing their lives.  People started praying to God for a cure and to help with their families.  A wonderful thing started happening.  A "Real Food" movement started to take place in the world.  People were getting back to nature and all that He provides.  People even started homesteading and farming more; some even in the cities.  There still aren't as many farmers in the world as their used to be, but God has shined his blessings down on us and people are more aware of what they put into and onto their bodies.  It's a beautiful thing to see that my children get to be such a big part of watching the world bring God back into their kitchens.  The End

Farm to Lunch Table... Lunch Options

I'm always getting asked about what our daughter takes to school for lunch, so I thought I would share some of our favorites..

What she ALWAYS has in her Lunchbox...
yogurt (always a healthy option, especially for sensitive tummies)
fruit (bananas, cuties, blueberries, apples...she always has 1 or 2 of these..)
fresh veggies (cherry/grape tomatoes, celery, bell pepper slices..these are great with a dip or hummus.)

What she SOMETIMES has in her Lunchbox...
hummus (there are a lot of premade allergy-friendly varieties or it's just as simple to make your own..)
suntella (my recipe to come....  a homemade version using sunflower seed butter)
chicken ( I change it up by making a batch of nuggets and also grill chicken legs, this way she's getting options.)
pizza (either udi's crust or homemade... I'll make a buffalo chix or veggie pizza every couple of weeks or so..)
baba ganoush (it's a roasted eggplant dip... I buy premade at Whole Foods and also make. Lots of FLAVOR
go picnic (an allergy-friendly lunchable..LOVE these, just wish there were more to choose from...)
LEFTOVERS...(if we have taco night, I automatically set aside 2 shells for her to make for school.  Leftover fried rice is a winner as well!)


Our elementary school is WONDERFUL about allowing us to have a microwave for her use only.  They understand that she can't just bring a ham sandwich and a bag of chips to school (as if I'd let her...)!  My son is 2 years older and in Middle School, I love his responses when I ask him what he had for lunch.  He often says he didn't eat any vegetables because they looked as if they came out of a can.  He cracks me up!  It's amazing at what kids get used to....   I am so lucky to have kiddos that look forward to what we're bringing to the table, literally.  They have grown up working in gardens, milking our goats (yes, really), and gathering eggs in the evening.  I am blessed to be able to provide them with a true farm to table lifestyle....

Feeling Lucky....

It's almost St. Patrick's Day!  This day was always celebrated on my Father's side of the family as our name is O'Donnell.  My grandfather was a "Southie" growing up in Boston where his parents immigrated from Ireland to.  He joined the Air Force out of school and ended up meeting my Grandmother when he was transferred to a base in her hometown.  He brought all of his traditions into the family as well.  My Grandmother always prepares her infamous corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and carrots, so yummy!  I am carrying on a bit of that tradition in my own household, but with my spin on it in the form of cabbage rolls...

St. Patty's Day Cabbage Rolls with Beer Cheese Sauce

1 Head of Cabbage

Corned Beef from the Deli cut thick (1 lb)

Shredded Red Potatoes (4-5)

Shredded Carrots (2 medium)

1 small onion

1 small green pepper

1 good size stalk of celery

salt and pepper to taste

Gluten Free Beer (1 bottle)

Favorite Irish Cheddar

Corn Starch (4-5 tbs)

Butter (4 tbs)

To a food processor combine onion, green pepper, and celery.  Place in skillet on medium and saute until transparent.  When mixture is cooled; add shredded potatoes, carrots, and chop corned beef to desired size. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Clean head of cabbage and carefully remove leaves to allow for maximum usage.  When leaves are seperated, add desired amount of filling and wrap.  You can wrap burrito style easiest; folding long side first, closing ends next, and continue until wrapped tight.  Place seam-side down in large casserole dish.  In saucepan-melt butter and corn starch one tablespoon at a time and whisking until a roux is made.  Pour in 1/2 bottle of your favorite gluten free ale continuing to stir.  Shred your favorite Irish Cheddar into sauce (about 2 cups) continuing to mix until cheese is melted.  You may have to use the rest of the gluten free ale to thin out sauce as needed.  Don't forget the salt and pepper to taste!  Pour Sauce over cabbage rolls in casserole dish, place in pre-heated oven at 325-350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Enjoy!

It's Been Awhile....

Hello friends!  It has truly been awhile since you have heard from me.  I have been under the weather for quite some time and am currently recovering from a super strong sinus infection that went to my teeth.  yes, really.  Unfortunately, Kentucky decided to skip winter altogether and move ahead through a quick spring and starting into summer.  Ahhh, Kentucky weather! Note the sarcasm.  Anyway, I have been working on my book and quite a few new recipes.  If you don't already, I encourage you to like my Facebook page "Kentucky Mom Cooking Allergy Free".  It has a lot of great info on it!  I am leaving you now with an excerpt from my upcoming book...  Feedback appreciated!  Thanks so much!

“Mrs. Hill?  This is the pediatrician’s office.  Your daughters’ blood work came back with results of multiple food allergies.  We need you to come in right away for us to test her for Celiac’s Disease, and we need to make an appointment with an allergist.  Mrs. Hill, are you still there?”

That telephone call changed our lives.  I remember hanging up and calling my husband to tell him the news.  We sat together on the phone and cried; in part because we finally had an answer and also because of the answer.  It was mid-July 2010 and we knew our lives would never be the same.  The lab results for the Celiac’s Disease were negative, and she tested positive for allergies to wheat, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts.  We had no idea what to feed her.  For days and days we went to the store each day to provide food in small quantities.  We ate grilled chicken and steak with rice and fresh vegetables.  The dinners were healthy and good, but they were also becoming boring.  After three days of being away from her food allergies, we saw a dramatic change in our daughter.  That change motivated us to realize the positive outcomes of the restricted diet.  Two weeks after that initial phone call; I purged our kitchen.  I gave away what I could and threw away the rest.  We had decided, as a family, to make this change together.  There would not be any segregated meals in our home.  The chance for contamination was too great.  We had agreed the only food that would be staying was the pizza rolls our son and his friends enjoyed.  Our first trip grocery shopping was daunting yet liberating.  Our journey to reach this place in our lives had been long and frustrating.  Finally having an answer was a blessing, but to the unprepared also felt like a curse.  That first trip lasted hours and I remember becoming teary only once.  We kept those first trips pretty simple with lots of rice, rice pastas, and beans.  Anything we could find ready-made was great; especially for lunch.  We were able to provide her classroom with a microwave for her use only.  She took lots of allergy-friendly frozen dinners in the beginning as I was not confident in my cooking skills.  I explained to people that it felt as if I had had a stroke and was having to learn how to re-do everything.  I had prided myself on being able to prepare organic, home-cooked meals with fresh pastas and desserts.  All of a sudden everything I had learned was obsolete.

Healthy and Comforting Meals...

When I think of comfort food I think of Macaroni and Cheese, Meatloaf, or Giant Stuffed Green Peppers.  I'm also reminded of the calorie and fat content, and how it's not exactly of any health benefit to my family; or is it?  Has anyone else noticed all of the recipes and/or pictures of food shown on people's Facebook updates?  It's always..this is what I'm cooking, this is what our dinner looks like, and wouldn't this be a treat?  I've been guilty of it myself in the past.  What really made them stick out to me was when they are also listing how they're going to go exercise or how they need to start.  Seriously?  Props to you for getting off your booties and doing some exercise; just realize that going home and eating homemade fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac 'n cheese, and cheesecake isn't going to benefit your exercise regimen.  I have started the new year with a commitment to yoga three times a week and I love it.  I haven't really seen a "change" in my body, but I have certainly noticed how much stronger I feel.  I sleep better and just generally feel better minus the sinus infection I am currently fighting.  There are some great yoga instructors who have made me feel super comfortable and are ready to assist with the "correct" way of the poses.  Hey, I'm trying.  I realized that there was no way I could be all about exercising and feeling great with my family and go home and cook a humongous calorie-loaded meal.  Yes, I'm a proud southern woman who loves her homestyle meals; but I have three other people looking to me to also set an example for a healthy lifestyle.  I decided that I could still make those down-home meals, but I could also make them healthier.  Here's the first recipe with more to come....

Crock-Pot Stuffed Green Peppers

4 large bell peppers with top and insides removed.
2 1/2 lbs of ground turkey
1 medium carrot or parsnip
1 small onion
2 small pieces of bread slightly stale (I used 2 slices of Udi's)
1 tbs salt
1 tbs pepper
1 tbs tarragon
1 can crushed tomatoes

The night before...  to food processor I combined the parsnip or carrot, onion, and bread; processed together to form binding ingredients.  Combined with ground turkey, salt, pepper, and tarragon.  Load inside the green peppers and place in fridge till morning.  The next morning; place peppers inside crock pot and pour can of crushed tomatoes over top.  Turn crock pot on warm or low setting and you'll come home to that great homemade comforting meal without all the work and fat.
Unless it's a holiday or I'm entertaining I don't make super large dinners and I've discovered that if the only sweets/desserts that we have are the ones I make... no one is consistently eating sweets.  There's nothing better than coming home to a comforting homemade meal without a ton of fuss; just fix a great side salad!

Bring On 2012!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and I wish each and every one of you a Happy New Year!  Have you started your New Year's Resolutions yet?  I have already started on mine!  My New Year's Resolutions are to make more time for myself; no really.  I've already started that in the way of Yoga.....and I am thoroughly enjoying it and look forward to every class.  I'm also making a commitment to my writing.  I've been doing a lot of interviews lately and getting a lot of encouragement for the book; it's great to here and I am really going to try to commit to it.  Even if I have to wait and do my writing after the kids are in bed or change my schedule to allow more "me" time in the morning.  Probably not going to be the latter, but you never know.  Make sure you all check out the upcoming issue of Kiwi Magazine..growing families the natural way.  The next issue has an article featuring food allergies, and even includes a little about our family.  I even have a New Year's Resolution regarding food allergies; to make more time for baking.  I love to bake and have felt disconnected from it for long enough!  Our family has been food allergy friendly for over a year now and there really is not an excuse to be had.  When people ask me how I do it; How do I not?  You just make the time, and it's time I make the time for all that bread making!  This is where I plan to start.....

Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 2 Tb. butter
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 2/3 c. milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 Tb. instant yeast
• 1/4 c. sorghum flour
• 1/2 c. millet flour
• 3/4 c. corn starch
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Filling

• 2/3 – 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 pieces bacon cooked & crumbled (optional)

Glaze

• 3/4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• about 2 Tb. maple syrup

Warm milk and add yeast; leave to activate.  Combine dry ingredients; make sure to sift well.  Stir in wet ingredients and yeast mixture; do not over mix.   Place dough mixture between two pieces of buttered wax paper and roll into rectangle, remove top piece of wax paper and sprinkle filling evenly throughout.  Using bottom piece of wax paper to assist; begin initiating "the roll".  It should roll pretty easily.  Cut into slices and place in baking dish at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Pour glaze over top when cinnamon rolls are done.  

You should end up with at least 8 cinnamon rolls.  Try to go ahead and make the time to make multiple batches, It's worth it.

It's Not Easy Being Super Mom....

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season and all that comes with it.  I was excited for this holiday season as this would be our second since starting the food allergy diagnosis "newbie no longer".  And everything was going great for the beginning, and then she got a hold of the baked beans, that story was told in my last post.  Since the baked bean incident- we have dealt with two more food allergy reactions and numerous invites to parties (hers not ours).  With invitations come the B.Y.O. concept for her (food that is).  No worries, none at all.  Our local Wal-Mart and Kroger have come a long way in stocking food allergy options.  So, it was no big deal when I go to Wal-Mart the day before her party to pick up a few supplies for food options.  No big deal at all as I'm standing in the small section of her allergy-friendly options.  No big deal at all as I'm continuously staring at zero availability for her food allergy options.  Yep, that was me in the middle of the aisle with my hands on hips staring at the fact of zero cookies and zero baking supplies.  As fellow customers passed by and stared at my continuing pissed off stance, one woman took one look at me and asked what my kiddo was allergic to.  Yes, it was that obvious.  I mean, how dare they?  How dare they not have the ingredients I needed to make my last minute cookies.  Who do they think they are by not allowing me to procrastinate like everyone else?  Finally, I come to the conclusion that I would not be baking cookies for her party that afternoon.  Instead, I would go to the cereal aisle and luckily grab the last box (yes, last box) of gluten free rice chex and put a new plan in action.  Across the street is Kroger and they would surely have what I needed.  Yeah, right.  I left town and headed out to our farm in tears the entire drive.  I called my husband on speaker phone and told him of the betrayal of the grocery stores.  His suggestion?  Just bake something else.  Just bake something else?  Did he forget that we had a date night scheduled?  I want my date night, I want to not cook or worry about not cooking.  I wanted a Margarita, darn it!!  Well, forget him.  I instead call a dear friend whose daughter is gluten intolerant and gets how exhausting and frustrating it can be.  We laughed and made fun of our predicament.  We talked about how tired of cooking we were, telling our beloved children to just get an orange or whatever was leftover in the fridge.  There was not a mom of the week award awaiting me, for sure.  I can't help it.  I admit that there are days that I do not don my apron; cooking from scratch sun-up til sun-down.  In fact, there are some days that I want to say "Screw It", I wanna order a pizza.  Do I do it?  Nope.  Instead, this Holiday season I have made friends with Captain Morgan (maybe you've heard of him?)  He likes my apple cider.  I get over it, I move on and make another plan.  I laugh about it, because do you know what the funny part is?  Usually, the food I end up "throwing together" is better than what I was planning originally.  Instead of my cookies, I used my Gluten Free Rice Chex and followed their ingredients for Muddy Buddies.  I substituted Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (I have an emergency bag) and Trader Joe's Sunflower Seed Butter.  My daughter took a huge container to her party/sleepover and the kiddos loved it!  You know what that means?  Total Mom Award Recovery!!!  So you see, sometimes it just sucks wearing that cape; but I would never, ever change a thing!  Merry Christmas!

A Great Halloween and Looking Forward to November..

I hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween; I know we did.  We did things a little differently this year and ended up with a great result.  We opted to participate in our Church's Trunk or Treat this year.  My husband and son decorated our "trunk" while I visited every other "trunk" with a food allergy goodie bag for my daughter in a very Kristina from Parenthood kind of way.  Though I did run the risk of appearing as the "crazy lady", it went pretty well.  I took her and our neighbor's trunk or treating while the Husband and son passed out food-allergy friendly candy.  No, she didn't just get her goodie bags; but that was okay.  She did get mostly her goodie bags and passed the other candy onto her friends.  We also participated in the chili supper with my chili staying in the truck as to not risk contamination or none left when we got there.  We had a blast "tailgating it", there were no tears and lots of smiles; therefore I would say it was a huge success.  We did also participate in the traditional trick or treating, it was a request from my son.  We discussed it as a family (yes, we discussed trick or treating; we discuss everything) and decided it would be fun in the traditional sense of dressing up and running through the streets (not literally).  We went with neighbors and drove into town and had a great time and divvied up all the candy to friends.  It wasn't nearly as scary as she was thinking it would be and that was the point.  She needed the confidence to know that it really wasn't a big deal; that she could still participate and have fun with just choosing to not eat the candy.  That simple.  I guess that's the point of discussing everything as a family; we never want our kids to feel overwhelmed with decisions we make for them.  Don't get me wrong, it's still a dictatorship over a democracy; only we choose to lay everything out ahead of time for questions/discussion.  While Halloween was very successful, it was only two days later that we headed to the Allergist for our tree nut challenge.  Yep, it had been over a year since her initial diagnosis and her bloodwork showed levels appropriate for a challenge.  She was so excited, my husband was super excited, my son was happy for his sister, and I was an absolute nervous wreck.  What would happen?  So many questions and scenarios were in my mind.  We were told to bring 30-40 grams of each tree nut to challenge along with enough for her to do for the many hours we would be there.  She couldn't eat breakfast that morning because her stomach was supposed to be empty and her appointment was at 8:30 in the morning.  We gathered school work, her dvd player, and some toys and headed off.  We chose pistachios, walnuts, and almonds for her challenge.  The only reasoning for my choice was her initial diagnosis lab work showed specific allergy to walnuts and the pistachios and almonds because I couldn't find anything else.  No really, we only have a Wal-Mart and Kroger here and all of the other nuts were flavored and included wheat and soy.  Kinda sucks.  The MD office crushed all of the nuts together and gave them to her in 3 different doses starting small and ending with a larger dose.  I brought vanilla yogurt for her to mix nuts with to make it easier to eat texture-wise.  By the end of the third dose it was going on 11 o'clock and she started with the itching.  By 11:40am her back was breaking out and she was getting pretty uncomfortable, antihistamines were given along with a small dose of steroids.  The good thing?  It was not an anaphylactic reaction, but we are going to continue to stay away from tree nuts and opted to not do a peanut challenge for now.  Besides, this is going to be a fabulous, busy time of year.  I love, love, love Thanksgiving.  It's my favorite holiday.  It starts the most wonderful time of the year.  It's the first time everyone comes together and shares a wonderful allergy-friendly meal.  When I say everyone, I mean everyone on my Husband's side of the family as my family isn't with the whole food allergy thing.  Sad for them as they are missing out on a yummy meal and two fantastic kids' lives.  Is this your first food allergy Thanksgiving?  If so, it's not as hard as it seems.  Yes, it's a bit overwhelming when you thing of the grand scheme of things, but it's really not hard.  This is my second, and I am ready for it.  Next week's post will be a bit more inclusive on the easiness of it.  For now, I'll just include a fabulous fall recipe to help get you in the mood....

Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Chutney

Preheated oven to 350 degrees

Cranberry Chutney

1 can whole cranberry sauce

¼ cup maple syrup

Dash of cinnamon

Over low heat to reduce and thicken.

Pork Tenderloin

Baking dish

Place pork tenderloin in baking dish.  Cover top with ½ cranberry chutney.  Pour 1-1/2 cups apple cider around tenderloin.  Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.  Take out and leave alone for at least 10 minutes to allow meat to rest.  Serve other ½ of cranberry chutney

alongside pork tenderloin.

The Food Allergy Family

I was pleasantly surprised the other day when grocery shopping at the amount of allergy-friendly salad dressings I saw.  They even had pretty green "gluten free" tags as aisle markers, making it easier to recognize.  Of course, not all were soy-free, but plenty were.  As soccer season is in full-swing, I am relying plenty on my crock-pot for those go-to meals.  I found some Maple Grove Farm Aged Asiago and peppercorn salad dressing the other day and thought they would go fantastically poured over some country-style ribs in my crock-pot.  Boy was I right and happy to say so.  Us food allergy families can sometimes find a hard time coming up with ideas for a crock-pot meal that doesn't involve chili, soup, or barbecue.  I love the idea of trying something a little outside the box, this dressing allowed the ribs to be super-tender but not stringy with a tangy kick to them, partly due to the dressing and partly due to the 5 cloves of garlic I chopped and added.  You can't go wrong with garlic, that's for sure.  It's like cheese, bacon, or butter- adding it just makes your food better (or at least it does in the south). I do enjoy the idea of using salad dressings as marinades and/or sauces.  After it's prepared you have a meal for the night or you can be like me and freeze it for later.  I'm extremely blessed to be able to be home for my family as my full-time job, therefore I'm always cooking.  I used to work as a nurse part-time until my daughter was diagnosed with food allergies.  I remember being so depressed and not even getting out of bed except to cook meals or go to work, and that was it.  I would go to work crying and come home from work crying.  People started realizing something was definitely going on and I was not one for publicizing anything in my life; that's when I knew something had to change.  I'm a pretty strong chica and when I sat down with my husband to discuss everything we knew what had to be done.  I couldn't nor wouldn't change my family, but I could most definitely change our circumstances; I quit my job to stay home until normalcy could be obtained.  I made my mind up and so began mine and my family's journey of re-invention.  It's nice to change it up a bit sometimes.  Whether you paint a room, try an ethnic food, or decide to change your lifestyle to accomodate your present circumstances.  We chose to change as a family as we choose to do everything.  I didn't have the luxury to grow up in a stable family and continue to bear those scars, but I am truly blessed to have married a man who truly is my strength when I am weak.  "The Evolution of a Food Allergy Family" is the title of a book I'm currently working on for food allergy families.  It's getting closer and closer to being done.  I can't wait to share it with all of you...    

No Recipes.... But Plenty To Say!

I am without any new recipes this post as we continue to thrive on salads, sandwiches, and baked pasta freezer meals in this continuing HEAT!  With the new school year going full speed ahead we have the added thrill of sports, class parties, birthday parties, and family reunions.  I have to say that I am truly blessed with a phenomenal teacher for our food allergy child, she is fully aware and on-top of it!  We had the common issue of a "friend" being very hands-on my daughter at the lunch table, and of course left her mark in the form of a rash from her wheat-y hands.  I called the teacher to explain the situation and it was handled quickly.  She is ready in her classroom with the Enjoy Life cookies we provided as well as some "reward" candy that is allergy-friendly that she happily provided.  Our daughter continues to have her own microwave in the classroom to heat her lunch she brings daily.  I am currently in correspondence with the nutritional director of our public school system as to the possibility of providing an allergy-friendly meal option once a week, fingers crossed!  I feel confident that we are going to have a great school year, I truly feel that our school is much more open and tolerant of food allergies.  Don't get me wrong, no one's perfect.  I continually stay optimistic.  My super-competitive daughter also tried out and made the competitive soccer team to represent our area.  How excited are we?!  We will begin a bit of traveling to play some different games/tournaments.  I hosted a "class" for her coaches with directions of epi-pen use.  They were ready to learn, which makes for a happy mommy.  The other parents have been great about asking questions regarding snack options.  I did tell them not to worry about bringing her anything, but they still want to do for the team as a whole.  I cried on the way home from that practice.  How great is it that more and more people are empathizing with the food allergy community.  Maybe I'm just in my own little world and it's just me and our area that is becoming a little more open every day, but I doubt it.  I read great articles and posts from so many in our food allergy community full of great information some happy/some sad.  It's unfortunate and completely terrifying of the amount of food allergy deaths and the number is steadily rising.  I encourage all of you to step out of your comfort zone and get involved in some way to promote food allergy advocacy in your area.  A year ago this month I hosted my first food allergy support group with 3 people.  Our group isn't Huge, but it is hosted by myself on a monthly basis with anywhere from 4 to 9 people that are constantly changing.  One member stated that if everyone came to the same meeting, there wouldn't be enough chairs.  I also turned that support group into a Facebook group called "Gluten & Allergy Free KY", we are currently 61 members strong and hoping to continue to grow.  Talk to your friends and their friends....word of mouth is the best advertising and I have been introduced to so many people in the food allergy community through friends of friends.  I also decided to start my own facebook page based on my blog with the option of having some of my homemade goodies shipped to your home, 1 and 2 day shipping available.  Getting involved in these small ways of introducing food allergies make a huge difference.  My family and I are members of a large church in our area and I can't express to you the gratitude towards them for being open to considering the small changes to the youth organization.  I have met so many people who face the same challenges that I face.  Some are more willing than others to talk about it and that's okay.  I look forward to doing even more in the future.  I am currently building a cookbook with a great story-line and yummy recipes (67 so far).  I hope to share it with you soon!

Getting Ready for Back-to-School in the Kitchen

What a summer it has been!  I fell into a routine with my daughters' food allergies and started a catering business on the side.  I, unfortunately, have to now begin the routine of back to school within the next week.  But I am doing so with a well-prepared freezer.  I have been making a number of make-ahead meals, snacks, and goodies to help make our days easier.  We, like so many, have school, work, sports, homework, and family time on a daily basis.  To assist our days I prepared a few freezer meals in the form of baked pastas.  I prepare my pasta according to package instructions and set aside.  I then can open an allergy-friendly bottle of marinara bought or homemade, add sliced pepperoni, and toss with pasta. Place in aluminum pan, top with cheese, and place in freezer for a quick dinner.  Another version is that I combine leftover Sloppy Joe mixture from a different dinner and toss with pasta.  Place in another aluminum pan and top with monterey jack cheese and freeze for the future.  The sloppy joe pasta bake is my son's fave.  For those fast-upon us breakfasts; make a ton of waffles and freeze, toss in toaster and you're set.  I also buy and prepare a huge box of sausage links and place in freezer bag, microwave for 15 seconds and you've got a great, healthy side for your waffles.  Something new for me are my mini-omelets.  They are so cute and were super easy to make.  I save my egg whites from all the ice cream I've been making.  To my mini muffin tin; I butter the bottom of my tin and add whatever fillings I want such as cheese, veggies, ham, etc.  I whip the egg whites with a little bit of milk and seasoning, fill my muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees until done (usually 20-25 minutes).  I throw these into freezer bags as well; they go great as a side, on a sandwich, or as a snack. I never look forward to my kiddos starting back to school because I miss them so much, but I am blessed that they love school as much as they do.  It makes it a little easier knowing that they look forward to their new routine, and I know I'm doing myself a favor getting all their goodies ready ahead of time.  This way, I have more time to hang out with them.  If you're new to all of these ideas, don't get overwhelmed.  Pick something and just spend a morning preparing it for your freezer.  As you get more acclimated you will be able to handle more meals, desserts, whatever.  Good luck to you all!

Beautiful Weather and Tasty Sandwiches...

'Tis the season for sandwiches.  Everyone looks forward to the end of the school year; warm weather and lazy days.  With those lazy days come lazy lunches and dinners.  Who wants to go inside and cook a large dinner when you would rather be outside playing?  For the food allergy families out there it is easier said than done.  The food allergy families try to set aside a day or two to prepare as much as they can so that they may also be able to enjoy those lazy days.  My family loves sandwiches on a hot summery day.  We have an outdoor kitchen and we use it often; stocking it with sandwiches, chips, and drinks.  With that thought in mind, I decided to include my recipe for pimiento cheese; tastes great on sandwiches or on celery.  In the picture below we enjoyed grilled pimiento cheese and sausage sandwiches recently on a Sunday afternoon after church.

Pimiento Cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup mayo

1 cup plain greek yogurt

2 tbs pimientos

3 tbs chopped roasted red peppers

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp ground mustard

1 chopped green onion (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients into large bowl.  Set into refrigerator for at least an hour, will taste even better when left overnight.

A Little Food Allergy Consideration, PLEASE!

We went to the Allergist last week to get our lab results.  Fun finds included a YES, we are still allergic to peanuts and tree nuts.  And a NO, we are not allergic via lab results to wheat and soy.  But, YES, her body is still rejecting the wheat and soy.  We did a one time attempt to reintroduce; she was sick to her stomach with the half hour and she had urticaria within 24 hours.  Needless to say, we are still a household that is free of wheat, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts.  All the better for me, because our family has never been healthier.  The little one was visually upset due to her need to feel included by her peers- which is another story in itself.

Our family started off the week with a bang!  Last week, our daughter came home with the news of a class party to be held this past Friday.  An ice cream party via Dairy Queen for good behavior.  No note sent home, mind you.  But I did my job and looked online and found that she could have the fudge bar without an issue.  It is prepackaged and I wouldn’t have to worry about contamination.  So, Friday morning my husband walks her to class and mentions the upcoming ice cream party after lunch.  The teacher explained that the party would not be taking place until Monday and they would not be having ice cream any longer.  The teacher mentioned nothing else; no other ideas, did not mention any food or her allergies.  Monday afternoon, something told me to stop by the school and check on things.  Thank goodness I did.  Her entire classroom was eating their lunches in the room, having a party, and eating ice cream.  Yes, ice cream.  I immediately left the school and bought her a treat to take back.  She was so excited.  She said, “Mom, you know EVERYTHING”.  Her teacher didn’t even bother apologizing.  No email sent, no warning, nothing.  By the time I left the school, I was in tears.  I was so mad!  I was upset that no one even cared enough to acknowledge her.  Her teacher had given every child in that classroom ice cream except for my daughter.  Why?  I would jump through fire for my children, so I sure as hell would buy a popsicle.  Just shoot me an email, call me, text me, I promise I won’t bite.  I can’t fix it if I don’t know about it.  Why can’t a little bit of commonsense come into play?

A New Food Allergy Outlook

I have reached the point in this food allergy awareness lifestyle that no one else really cares.  And that’s okay.  I’m not going to worry about everyone else and making them aware of what is around them.  I was always the coach/mom who asked if any of the kiddos had food allergies before my own child actually had them.  Looking back, I realize the only reason I asked then was because of my own trials growing up.  I grew up in a town even more rural than where I currently live and I had a ton of food allergies.  I remember having the allergy shots everyday after school; I was always allergy aware.  Now that I have a child of my own with food allergies I am even more aware and a lot more educated and up-to-date on our options.  I am still currently looking to advocate within our school system for at least one allergy-friendly meal per week; perhaps vegetarian.  But I am not going to be the person to rise upon my soap box preaching to the mere, unrelenting, uneducated mortals.  Okay, maybe I won’t go quite that far.  There are a ton of options out there for our family.  We made the transition as a family, you see.  I only cook for the whole family, no separate meals here.  My son still has pizza rolls in the freezer and regular whole wheat bread, but my daughter has her Rudi’s sandwich bread in the freezer along with her Udi’s frozen pizza crust.  I naturally pack her lunch daily for school along with her snacks for after-school activities.  Her teacher notifies me of any parties or upcoming events in the classroom so that I bring her food comparable to her classmates.  This way, no one feels left out.  I don’t worry about how other people feel about it anymore.  My daughter is now comfortable enough with her allergies that she doesn’t eat anything I did not bring her and no longer feels as if she misses out on anything.  Unfortunately, she has not been invited to a birthday party all year because of the other parents’ fear.  How ridiculous for them.  I don’t think my daughter notices because she is luckily very busy with year-round soccer and her horses.  There is actually only one parent within the class who bothers to even recognize her dietary restrictions and we are thankful to her for it.  Luckily, we went to high school together and our girls are within a month apart.  For the Halloween and Christmas parties this year; she brought goodie bags for the class and had stickers, necklaces, toys, etc. in my daughters’.  She felt special for having a bag a little different.  Thank goodness for those parents.  Thank goodness for the ones who make a point to recognize their child’s friends and lifestyles.  I have also tried to always be that parent who remembers “Tommy” doesn’t eat meat or “Abby” doesn’t like cake, etc.  The problem at our school is that it is always the same group of us parents who do everything at the school from the book fair to field day.  One parent once made the comment that a lot of parents don’t get involved because they are too busy being a kid themselves; I’ve found it sadly true.

Knowing When to Choose Your Battle

I am having a hard time knowing when to choose my battles, I think.  Yes, I have become more vocal regarding local restaurants.  No, I have not said hardly anything to my daughter’s school.  I’ll admit it, I’m too scared.  I’m a big ‘ol chicken.  I’m not sure of when or if there is any point to “rocking the boat”.  At the beginning of the school year I spoke with the new principal and the board office.  I filled out the proper paperwork for the school and the nurse, and I spoke to her teachers and the cafeteria workers.  My husband delivered a microwave to her classroom because the cafeteria could not guarantee proper food and no contamination.  We figured we would just send the microwave and I would send her lunch daily.  There have been two times this school year that the school said they could feed her that day; my daughter came home disappointed and hungry due to the small portion and that it was served cold instead of warm.  “That’s okay”, I tell her.  “We know what we take to school is yummy and your teacher does a great job of heating it up.”  I figure that we are lucky in the regard that the public school system even allows us a microwave.  But is this the truth?  Am I not requesting enough to be done?  One of the mother’s in my support group attends a different public school and was able to single-handedly dissolve peanut butter from being served.  Wow, that’s impressive.  The kids can bring PB & J in their own lunch box, but it will no longer be served due to all of the peanut allergies.  My daughter is allergic to peanuts, but they still serve peanut butter as an option EVERYDAY!  I need Jamie Oliver to come to my school system with his food revolution.  That would make everything better, yeah right.  If I stand up for what I think they should be serving in the cafeteria will they take it out on my children?  I’ve seen it before.  So when do you stand up for what you believe?  How do you know what battle to choose?