Soft Molasses Cookies

What a treat!  These turned out so wonderful! 
Be sure to make a lot of them, they will go fast.  This, I can assure you!

3/4 cup shortening (be sure to check ingredients if allergies are involved)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses (I used cooking molasses)

2 & 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt (I may decrease to 1/4 tsp, I found them a tad on the salty side, but either way will work)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg


Cream together shortening and sugar.  Add egg (or egg replacer) and molasses, stir until creamy.
In separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients.  Fold into molasses mixture and stir until combined.  Cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours until well chilled. 
Once chilled, roll into smallish balls, roll in white sugar, and place on a greased (I use parchment paper) cookie sheet. 
Bake at 350F for 9-10 minutes.

**IMPORTANT STEP, DO NOT SKIP**
Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for 1 minute.  After that minute, remove onto rack to cool. 


Now, I will admit that I forgot to add one key ingredient.  The egg (or in our case, the egg replacer) and they still turned out wonderful!  I was a little concerned, but lets just say I'm having a hard time keeping the cookies from being devoured! 

The BEST Lemon Loaf!

I decided to tweak and try this recipe and I must say, the entire loaf almost disappeared in an hour!  This was fantastic! 
Please do not make the mistake I made by using a stone loaf pan, when you try to remove very hot items from stone, they tend to break.  Next time I make this, I will use a lightly greased glass loaf pan.



1/2 butter, 1/2 cup margarine or 1/2 cup shortening (I used shortening, I was almost out of our *safe* margarine)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs or replacements (I used 1/2 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp water for each egg called for)
1/2 cup milk (I used original rice milk)
1 & 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
rind from one lemon




GLAZE
juice from one lemon
1/4 cup sugar
*while bread is baking, I make my glaze, but not too early as it needs to be liquidy to put onto bread.  Over medium heat, dissolve sugar and lemon juice, in a saucepan*

Cream butter and sugar in large bowl.
Add eggs or replacement, mixing until creamy.  NOTE: if using shortening, texture will not seem smooth, this is okay.
Blend in milk.

In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and lemon rind.
Pour into the batter, stirring until moist.
Pour into greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes
Remove to rack while loaf is still hot, and use a toothpick to poke holes all over the top of the bread.  Spoon glaze over the top (be sure to have a plate underneath, this can and will get messy)
Allow to cool before slicing into it.

ENJOY!

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Egg, dairy, nut and soy free

2-2/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

3 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon, divided

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

2 Cups Packed Dark Brown Sugar

1 Cup Dairy-Free Margarine, at room temperature (I use Earth Balance Soy-Free)

2 Large Eggs, at room temperature (I use ½ tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp for each called for)

1 Tablespoon Real Vanilla Extract

2 Tablespoons Sugar

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350ºF and lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside.

In large bowl, beat together margarine and brown sugar until well combined.

Add the eggs (or replacement) and vanilla, and beat until smooth.

Stir in the flour mixture until well blended.

Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pan (I lightly greased a spatula for easy spreading).

Combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar and the remaining 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a small dish. Evenly sprinkle the mixture atop the batter 

Bake  for 25 to 30 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. They will be firm and raised around the edges, sinking slightly in the middle.

This is okay!  Let cool completely before cutting into slices

A very strong message without any words

I think this poster says it all.  Something so simple, something that others see as just a normal thing to eat........well, the results can be deadly. 

Comfort food!

A little bit ago, I had written about how thrilled I was to find Amy's brand Mac and Cheese, which is free of gluten, dairy and soy!  Our 5 year old LOVES Mac and Cheese and it's one of the few foods I have yet to make a decent tasting dish of.  I paired it up with a home made dinner roll (see recipe here) only I added Daiya  cheddar style shreds into the machine while the dough was mixing, and sprinkled more Daiya on top before baking them.  My boy LOVED his dinner!  Add some veggies and voila!  A healthy and tasty meal!

Dinner Rolls (bread machine)

These turned out great!  They contain no dairy, no egg, no soy, no nuts

1 Cup Water
2 Tablespoons margarine (I used Olive Oil instead)
3 Cups flour
1 Tsp salt
1/4 Cup sugar
2 & 1/2 tsp yeast

Put in bread machine in order listed, select DOUGH setting.

Once dough is finished, roll out on floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces.  Roll into balls, place on greased pan, cover and let rise for 45-60 minutes in warm area.

Bake at 375F for 10-15 minutes, until golden on top. 

OPTIONAL: brush melted margarine on top

Coconut Milk "ice cream" (Dairy and Soy free!)

I finally found this!!!  Let me tell you, coming from someone who has absolutely no clue as to how to make home made "ice cream", (and one day I will learn), I was very happy when I saw this! 
To put it simply, it's delicious!  Creamy and satisfying!  I do believe there are quite a few flavors of this available in Canada however, this is the only one I was able to find. 

Check out the Turtle Mountain website to see all of their amazing products!

Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks

I had made these some time ago and they were a hit with my family, thought I'd post the recipe for anyone else looking for an easy to make meal!

BBQ drumsticks.  Basically, I took a package of chicken drumsticks (I think there were 16 in it), put them in the crockpot.  Sliced up an onion, chopped some garlic, tossed those in.  Poured (yes, I took the easy way today) half a bottle of Bulls Eye original and a whole bottle of Bulls Eye Honey Garlic sauce on top.  Stirred so the chicken was coated, put it on low for the next 8 hours.  We'll have noodles or rice with it, and some veggies.  Simple, the house will smell great from it cooking all day, and no one will complain about how hot it got when I was cooking!

Bulls Eye BBQ sauce is safe for my family, please always check the ingredients to see if it's safe for yours if dealing with food allergies.

Amy's Mac and Cheese.....The review

Mac and cheese is the one thing I have yet to master when it comes to making it safe for one of my kids.  Sure, I could just throw on some of the cheese that I have for him, we always use Daiya cheese however, I never can get it creamy enough to have it taste like the traditional stuff.  So, when I was out getting groceries the other night, you can only imagine how excited I was to find Amy's Gluten free, Dairy free, Soy free-Rice Macaroni in the freezer section at the store!  Not ONLY did I find that, but I also realized they are now carrying Daiya cheese as well! 
I bought two boxes of the Rice Macaroni, came home, put them in the freezer and decided if my child loved it, I'd go back and stock up.

I made this for dinner (along with some salad, and lets just say that he MUCH preferred the mac and cheese to the salad, but I guess that's what kids will do!) and was surprised that there were actually a few cooking options to choose from.  Oven, microwave or toaster oven.  Seeing as I was cooking something else for the rest of the family, we chose to use the oven.  It took a total of 30 minutes from freezer to the table, and I was shocked at how creamy it was!  My boy ate it right out of the little container it was in, and to tell you how much he enjoyed it, he didn't even ask for ketchup on it! 

Thank you Amy's and Daiya for making yet, another quick meal that meets the dietary needs of my family! 

We will definitely be buying this again!

Banana & Coconut muffins (using coconut yogurt)

I had some So Delicious Coconut Milk yogurt in the fridge to use up, so thought I'd whip up a batch of muffins with it.  They are delicious! 

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup shredded coconut (all I had was sweetened, but I'm sure unsweetened would be great too)
2 mashed bananas
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup melted butter (we use Earth Balance Vegan Soy Free)
1 large egg (we use 1/2 tsp baking powder plus 2 tbsp water for each egg called for)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup So delicious coconut milk yogurt (all I had was strawberry and it worked well!)

In a large bowl, mix together the first 5 ingredients. 
In a separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients. 

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing just until moist.  Do not overmix the batter. 
Line muffin tins with paper liners or grease well.

Bake at 375F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
Makes 10 large, or 12 medium size muffins.

These are definitely delicious and would work with any type of fruit flavored yogurt!  Milk or coconut based!

Cranberry Oatmeal Squares

1&1/2 cups rolled oats
1&1/2 cups flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup margarine (we use Earth Balance Vegan Soy free)
1/4 tsp baking soda
341 ml (14 oz) can of whole cranberry, cranberry sauce

Mix together flour, sugar, oats, margarine and baking soda until crumbly.  Spread a bit more than 1/2 of the mixture into a greased, 8X8 inch baking pan.  Pat it down firmly. 

Mix cranberry sauce in a bowl, so it's nice and smooth.  Spread it on top of the crumble that is in the pan.  Sprinkle the remaining crumble on top, pressing down slightly with a spatula or your hand. 

Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes.

Bread from scratch (taken from my allergen free cookbook)

(NOT FOR BREAD MACHINE)

2 tbsp yeast
2 Cups water
1 tbsp sugar
8 cups flour
3 Tbsp sugar
2 rounded Tbsp shortening (I know that tenderflake brand is dairy and soy free)
3 cups water
2&1/2 tsp salt

mix first amount of water with sugar.  Sprinkle yeast on top and let stand for 10 minutes.  In the meantime, mix flour, sugar, shortening and salt together.  Add yeast mixture and water.  Knead until smooth and elastic.  Let dough rise for ½ to ¾ hour.  Punch dough down.  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Shape dough into 4 loaves.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Bake at 375F for ½ hour or until golden brown.

OPTIONAL
Bread bowls may be made using this dough.  Instead of making loaves, form dough into large buns.  Let rise until double.  Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.  Cool.  Cut ¼ inch off top of each “bowl” and carefully hollow out leaving about ½ inch shell.  Fill these bowls with a thick soup. 

NOTE
The bread that is hollowed out can be saved to make bread crumbs.

Strawberry & Banana Muffins

I know it's a bit out of season, but we made a batch of these and they were fantastic! 

1/2 cup of margarine, melted (we use Earth Balance vegan soy free)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs (we use 1/2 tsp and 2 tbsp water for each egg called for)
1 tsp vanilla
2 mashed bananas
2 1/4 cups white flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup strawberries (I diced mine up nice and small)

Mix all ingredients together, carefully folding the strawberries in last.  Pour into greased (or use muffin papers) muffin tins and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Let cool on cutting board, and enjoy!

Brownies.....Delicious!

I had to try a few different recipes, which included some tweaking, to finally come across one that worked out perfectly!  They didn't last long in our house, try them......you'll see!


1/2 cup milk free margerine (I used canola oil and it worked fine)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg replacements (I use half a teaspoon baking powder and 2 tablespoons water for each egg called for)
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Mix together the first three ingredients, and add in egg replacements.  Mix together the dry ingredients and mix together.  Stir, and pour into a greased 8 or 9 inch square pan.  Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until done.  Allow brownies to cool.  Cut into squares and enjoy!

One ingredient ice cream!

Yes!!!  It's possible!

I had some almost too ripe banana's that I had frozen awhile back.  I often throw bananas in the freezer as they're getting past the eating point, to use in baking etc, so I always have a bit of a stash ready for me.

This is so easy, and so tasty, and according to both my 3 and 5 year old, tasted pretty close to the real thing! 

Peel your frozen banana (I will admit, my hands hurt terribly after holding a frozen banana for the amount of time it took to peel it)-I used a butter knife to sort of slice the peel off.

Cut your frozen banana into pieces

Throw your banana pieces into a food processer (magic bullet, chopper etc)

And blend until smooth and creamy.

Yep, that's it! 

Serve and enjoy!

Lemon Potatoes.....YUM!

Feel free to play around with the garlic and lemon in this recipe......we love both lemon and garlic!  This potato dish takes a bit of time but it is delicious!

Ingredients:

8 potatoes, scrubbed.  I used red potatoes.
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp pepper

In large pot of boiling salted water, cover and cook potatoes until slightly tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool. With paring knife, peel off skins if desired; cut into wedges.
In large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, oregano and pepper; add potatoes and toss gently to coat.

(Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.)

Arrange potatoes on parchment paper-lined or greased rimmed baking sheet. Roast in 400°F (200°C) oven, turning once, until tender-crisp and most liquid is evaporated, about 40 minutes

I used parchment paper and cleanup was quick and easy

Cream of Cauliflower Soup.....very exciting!

Is it possible?  Dairy free Cream soup?  Absolutely it is!

I came across this recipe and thought it might be a good start.  I tweaked it slightly to make it accomodate our needs and.....it was a hit!  I doubled the recipe and there is one small dessert bowl's worth left. 

Very easy, and delicious!

1 Tbsp margerine (we use Earth Balance, Vegan & Soy free)
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Onion, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, diced
1 head of Cauliflower, chopped
3 cups Chicken Broth (or for a vegan soup, use vegetable broth)
2 Bay Leaves
Salt & Pepper to taste
Dash of Nutmeg (optional)
Grated cheese (we use Daiya cheddar), or soy cheese if you can have soy
Green onions (optional)

In large pot or stockpot, sautee onion and garlic in margerine until onions are soft, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the potato and cauliflower and cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently.
Add broth and bay leaves and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
Remove bay leaves and put soup into a blender (we have a Magic Bullet and LOVE it!).  Puree the soup, add salt and pepper to taste.  Add nutmeg (I didn't, but it's because I didn't have any in the house) and reheat if necessary.
Top with cheese and onions if you so choose.

Enjoy!  Trust me, this soup will be a huge hit!

I know the title says cream of, which indicates milk, but this soup is full of creamy deliciousness!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

There is a blog that I frequently visit, The Baking Bookworm, as I am continuously on the lookout for new recipes that are safe for my family to eat.
I came across a recipe for double chocolate zucchini muffins the other day, and seeing as a coworker gifted me a huge zucchini, I thought it was the perfect time to try to make these delicious sounding treats. 

Now let me tell you, they went fast.  Like, really fast.  I doubled the recipe but in a family of 6, it doesn't take much when what's on the plate is chocolate....let alone double the amount! 
The recipe will be copied as identical from The Baking Bookworm's blog however, I will let you all know how I tweaked the recipe to make it nut, dairy, egg and soy free.


Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (one of those individual applesauce containers will do)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup shredded zucchini
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease muffin tin or use paper liners. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Sift cocoa into flour mixture. Add cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture. Mix until just combined. Overmixing will produce tougher textured muffins (I cannot state this enough). Gently fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips.

Using a large melon baller (or two spoons) fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

**I did find that I had to increase the baking time to closer to 35 minutes however, I did both mini muffins and regular sized muffins**

And now for the replacements!

For each egg called for, I used 1/2 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp water.

To replace the milk called for, I used rice milk.  However, you could use almond milk (if nuts are not a concern in your family), soy milk (again, if not a concern) or coconut milk.

In place of vegetable oil (which may contain soy, so please be 100% certain yours does not if soy is a concern), I used Olive Oil.

And finally, in place of regular chocolate chips, we use Enjoy Life Foods chips.  You'd never know the difference by the great taste they have!


I had permission from The Baking Bookworm to repost her recipe, thanks very much!  I'd also urge anyone and everyone to check out her blog (address in link at top of page), always lots of interesting and exciting stuff going on there!

Frito Lay-what a great website!

I decided to pick up a bag of chips today.  Chips.  Seems simple enough, right?  Well, nothing is simple anymore.  When you have an allergy, or multiple food allergies, you have to check, check and re check ingredients, every single time you shop for them.  Ingredients change, policies for labelling change, which means that a food that was safe a month ago, may no longer be safe.

I decided to check out the Frito Lay website to see what sort of allergy information they provided.  And as I was looking for infomation, came across this great link that had all of the allergen information right there.  There is both the USA and the Canadian information, for all of their products.  This site was bookmarked on my computer immediately!

Always remember, if you're unsure or (like me) just want to be 100% sure, you can always call the company.  I have had only positive experiences doing this, and the customer service people are always happy to help out!

A link for anyone curious about Eosinophils

Eosinophil.  This word has become part of our lives.  It is the whole reason that one of our family members is dairy and soy free.  Without going into great detail, I urge you to please watch the following video, explaining EGIDs (Esophilic Gastro Intenstinal Disorders).  People are always asking me what eosinophils are, and I have a hard time explaining them.  Hopefully this video presentation will!

How do you manage?

I seem to be asked this question alot.  And my answer?  You just do.  When foods are no longer safe to eat, you have no choice but to figure out how to live without them in your daily routine. 

Food is seen as a necessity, a comfort thing, a social thing........food is everywhere, all the time.  So we have to make it work for our own situations. 

There is always going to be a way to replace the offending foods when it comes to baking and cooking, you just have to figure it out.  The internet is a fantastic resource, the library also has a wealth of information within it's walls.  Ask questions.  Experiment using different ingredients.  Yes, the recipe might be a flop, trust me, this has happened on more than a few occasions in my house.  But, through trial and error, and persistance, it will get sorted out. 

This is why I chose to start this blog.  This is why I take pictures and post up recipes as I try them out and have success with them.  I use it as a resource when I make that recipe again, and hope that others will find it somehow useful in their cooking and baking.

At the end of the day, as long as my family is happy and full, I know I've done what I can!

Homemade Stuffing

or just as a side dish to enjoy!

Finding a packaged stuffing mix when dealing with MFA (multiple food allergies) is a task in itself, so I decided to attempt to make stuffing from scratch on my own.  And here is what I came up with!  Now, I will admit, it was a little bland, but feel free to add whatever spices you wish to play with the flavors.  If you do, be sure to post it up so I can try it next time!  It wasn't bad, just bland.  But, my family still gobbled it up!

Ingredients:

4-5 slices bread, can be fresh or stale, whichever you have on hand.  I used my homemade bread, for allergy reasons, fresh, and just tore it into small chunks.

*1/4 cup water

1 medium sized onion, chopped.

1 celery stalk, chopped.

1 apple, peeled and chopped.

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (be sure to check ingredients).

A pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper.  I really like pepper, so added about half a teaspoon.


*I chose to sautee the onion and celery in 1/4 of butter (we use Earth Balance Vegan Soy free) and added that to the bread mixture, and omitted the water except for about 1 tablespoon. 

Add all ingredients together, put into casserole dish, cover and bake in a 350F oven for approx 1 hour.  If you like it a bit crispy, take the lid off for the last 15 minutes. 
Enjoy!

A little bit of heaven

That is the only way I can describe Poppy Topps Kettle Corn.  And that is no exaggeration.  We discovered this popcorn at the St Norbert Farmers Market, which is in St Norbert, Manitoba, last summer and have been faithful customers since. 

I don't know why this popcorn is so much tastier than other Kettle Corns, but it is.  All it contains is popcorn, corn oil, sugar and salt.  Watching them make it is an experience, and our kids know that stopping for popcorn has become sort of a tradition for us.  I recently learned that you can actually freeze it, which could be dangerous to my wallet come October when the market closes for the season. 

If you ever are around the market or have the opportunity to try out Poppy Topps, I'd highly recommend doing so.  And if you don't love their popcorn, we'll finish the bag off for you!

*I should mention that this popcorn is safe for our food allergies, which are dairy, soy, egg and tree nut.  Always check to make sure it's safe for yours!*

Beet Chips anyone?

I've never heard of Beet chips before (yes, I guess I live somewhat of a sheltered life) but someone had mentioned them and my ever curious when it comes to foods mind, wanted to find out more about these!  Now, we are very lucky that during the summer, there is a fantastic Farmer's Market within walking distance from our home.  Tons and tons of fresh, ready to prepare and eat fruits, vegetables, and meats.  I quickly ran over to the market to buy some Beets to attempt to make these interesting sounding treats.

I looked on the internet to find a simple recipe for the chips, but as I was looking, I started to realize that you don't really need a recipe to follow. 
So this is the recipe that I'm using.

A couple of Beets (I used 2 medium size ones and got two cookie sheets worth of slices)
Salt
Olive oil in an oil sprayer

Cut off stem of beets and peel the outer layer off with a peeler.
With a very sharp knife, and very carefully, slice the beets very thinly, like a potato chip.  I've read some people use a Mandoline, but I don't own one.
Place on an oiled (use your sprayer) cookie sheet.  Try not to overlap beet slices.
Spray beets with a bit of E.V.O.O and add a bit of salt.

Bake in a 350 F oven for 40 minutes, flipping slices and respray some more oil on them after 20 minutes.  Keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

They should crisp up as they cool.

I forgot to take a picture of them after they came out of the oven, and as much as the rest of my family enjoyed them, I didn't find them wonderful.  But, they liked them and they are a healthier alternative to the traditional potato chip, so they will be made again!   Perhaps I can tweak the recipe a bit here and there and find a way to make them so I like them too!

Ian's Natural Foods....the taste test and review

We recently discovered Ian's Chicken Nuggets at one of the grocery stores we shop at.  This is great news!  One can only imagine how difficult it is to find a simple Chicken nugget that is allergy friendly, and for a 5 year old child, Chicken nuggets are a much desired food!
As I picked up the small box of nuggets, I was pleasantly surprised that they are free of pretty much everything.  Free of wheat, gluten, casein, milk, eggs, nuts and soy.  Our 5 year old was very very excited that finally he could have Chicken nuggets and fries for dinner!  On the drive home I thought to myself, I wonder how these taste?  I mean, they can't taste like "normal" chicken nuggets, missing so many things that are commonly used when making tasty breaded little treats. 
We baked them in the oven, and then the moment of truth.......he devoured them!  He loved them!  And it certainly made one meal much easier than cooking and baking for my family has been for the past while. 
If you go to the Ian's Website, all of their foods and allergen information is there.  I love the fact that the information is so easily accessible, I find it very frustrating when it takes me tons of time to find what I am looking for when it comes to certain companies.  This isn't one of them!  I love that you can check off the allergen's you're looking for, and it will search for the "safe" products for you.  Such a great feature! 

We will definitely be picking up Ian's products to throw in the freezer, for quick, easy and safe meal ideas. 

Here is an allergen chart that was provided for me to put up on the blog, please use it and the website to find what foods are safe for your family!

Thank you Ian's for making safe foods that my children can enjoy!!!!!

"Trustworthy" companies when dealing with allergies

I just got off the phone with someone from Maple Leaf Canada.  I had called to speak to someone in regards to a couple of products I had in the fridge.  We had picked up a few packages of Country Morning lunch meats (which are made by maple leaf), at our local Co-Op foodstore.  I was very pleased to learn about their labelling policy when it comes to allergens.  Any of the top 9 allergens will be and are indicated on their ingredient lists, including "may contain" and "may contain trace of" statements. 
He also told me that Maple Leaf, Schneiders, and Canada Bread are all owned by the same company, and that the ingredient/allergen info is the same for any products that fall under their names. 

We try to not buy processeed things, but realistically at times, we need to. 
My 5 year old is quite excited that he can have a bologna and cheese (galaxy brand rice vegan cheese) sandwhich for lunch today!

I know it seems a simple thing, but only someone living with allergies, can appreciate when a new, safe food is discovered! 

Off to make some lunch now!

Galaxy Nutritional Foods Rice Vegan Cheese and our personal review

Click here to be taken to the Galaxy Foods website

Let me first start by saying how excited I was to find this product at our Superstore where I tend to do most of my shopping.  As soon as I saw it, I grabbed it off of the cooler shelf, flipped it over to read the ingredients expecting to see what I see in most dairy free products, that there is soy in it.  Guess what!  No soy!  Also, no dairy, no casein, no egg........so into my basket it went.

I can't tell you the joy on my 5 year old's face when I made him the first grilled cheese sandwhich that he's eaten in awhile!  He loved it! 

I loved that the block of cheese was easy enough to slice, I was a bit worried that it would fall apart when I was cutting it, but it was not a problem at all.  It melted nicely which was a bit of a concern as well.  I didn't want to serve a sandwhich that was all nicely browned on the outside but still cold in the inside.  It turned out perfectly!

I will definitly be buying this product again and again, the store didn't have the "cheddar" flavor or the slices, but I will be asking the store manager if they were just out of the product, or if they don't carry it.  If they don't carry it, I will certainly ask for them to start!

Thank you Galaxy Foods for making a safe, great tasting, enjoyable product for those who either choose to, or are unable to eat "traditional" dairy based cheese!
And now I'm off to the Galaxy Foods website to see if, and what other vegan soy free products they have for us to try next!

Healing Hazel & my personal review

Click Here for the Healing Hazel Website


I have psoriasis. I've suffered from it for almost 9 years.  I have it on my scalp (worst place on me), my back, my stomach, under my breasts, behind my ears and in the creases in my ears. I also have odd patches just here and there.  It can get extremely itchy and causes me both great pain and stress.  I hate the way it looks, and limits the things I do outside the house.  It is limiting, because it looks terrible.  Thankfully, mine is mostly in places that I can cover up, but if I wear anything dark, I am constantly brushing my shirt off and looking in mirrors, because the flakes that end up on my shirt make me look like I have terrible dandruff.  At times, my scalp will bleed from the scratching I've done.  This happens mostly in my sleep. 
I have tried medicated lotions and ointments, special shampoos etc and if anything, they only bring me a bit of relief.  None though, have ever started to heal the psoriais "leisons" or scales and none have taken away the itch.  Most things will go through what I like to call the "honeymoon phase" as it seems it only lasts a short while, then the problems start creeping up again.

I recently started doing my own research on Hazelwood and the healing properties it holds.  I was very skeptical that something like a necklace, bracelet etc would work better than anything I've tried.  Well, let me tell you.......I was wrong.  I purchased my necklace(s) from Healing Hazel and have now been wearing one for only a few days and I am shocked.  Shocked and very very pleasantly surprised.  Within 24 hours of wearing the necklace, I noticed I wasn't itchy on my scalp as I had been.  I had learned to live with the painful itch, and now it wasn't there.  This is a HUGE positive for me!  After 48 hours, I noticed that some of the leisons under and on my breasts are not as mean and red looking.  The skin is getting softer on the spots that were so dry and scaly (gross, I know, but thus is life for anyone who has psoriasis, unfortunately).  I know these seem like little progressions, but for someone who has had these skin issues for so long, once that just sort of become a daily part of life, this is an amazing step in the right direction.  I should also mention, that I have anaphylaxis to quite a few foods, including Tree Nuts.  I did my research prior to buying the necklace, and it is completely fine and safe for people with nut/tree nut allergies. No part of the nut is in contact with the branches, and every single site I've looked at states that they are particularly careful about this when harvesting the wood. 
If you google "benefits of hazelwood" or "healing properties of hazelwood" you'll read for yourself all of the ailments that it can help.  There are too many for me to write about at the moment, but as I continue wearing my necklace, I'll be sure to blog even more on it!

There are many companies offering Hazelwood jewellery however, my experience with this one particular company has been great so far and I'd recommend them! 

Thanks for the awesome product, Healing Hazel!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These cookies turned out pretty good!  I was a little concerned when scooping them and putting them on the cookie sheets because they seemed really wet and crumbly.  But, they are tasty!  Egg, milk and dairy free, of course!


1 cup canola oil

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs (I use 1/2 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp water for each egg called for)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup raisins

 

Mix in a large bowl, canola oil, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until well blended.  Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Stir into the bowl.  Mix in the oats and the raisins last.  Drop by rounded spoon onto cookie sheets. 

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the 350 F oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

*I use parchment paper on my cookie sheets, makes for super easy cookie removal and cleanup!*  I also left my cookies in for approximately 15 minutes, I wanted them a bit crispier and they turned out wonderfully!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies were my first attempt ever at making an egg, milk and soy free cookie.  They're not bad.  Not great, but not bad. 

1 cup applesauce

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs (I use 1/2 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp water for each egg called for)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life Foods chocolate chips)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, white sugar and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour and oats, then fold in the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bottoms are golden

*I use parchment paper on my cookie sheets.  It makes it so much easier*

Popcorn Cauliflower (baked cauliflower)

My family goes nuts for this dish! 

1 head of cauliflower, cut up and washed, or one bag of frozen cauliflower, thawed.

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt, or to taste.

Toss cauliflower in the olive oil and add salt, makes sure all pieces are coated.  Put cauliflower onto a baking sheet.

Place in a 425F oven for one hour, making sure to flip the cauliflower pieces every 15 minutes, so they nicely brown all over.

Serve and enjoy!  Trust me, this veggie will go fast!



Banana Muffins

3 banana's mashed
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar (you can add a bit less if you choose)

combine and mix well then add

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c flour

Mix to moisten
Put into 12 muffin tins

Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes
*These turned out perfect!  They were very moist and didn't last long in our house at all*

Freezer meals

As I am preparing foods, I always set aside what I can to throw in the freezer for those times when the foods we eat can't be eaten by our allergic kids, or if we have to eat away from home.  I bought some Ziplock containers that can be used in both the freezer and the microwave to put portions in.  I also bought some freezer bags. 
Since this past Wednesday, I've put away two single serve size containers of home made beef stew, four single serve containers of spaghetti and meat sauce, five bags of pancakes (made with the coconut milk that was not a hit, yet they loved the pancakes!) containing four pancakes each, six bags of home made pizza containing two decent sized portions in each, and in the bread machine right now, is the dough that I'll make breadsticks from to put away and freeze.  I think we're set for a bit now!

It's just one day

This is comment that came out of my husbands mouth tonight.  We were invited out to dinner at a restaurant tomorrow night, with the kids.  We pretty much never go out to eat, at least not with the kids, for obvious reasons.  It's just not safe, or the easiest thing to do.  But, there is alot of out of province family here right now and they all want to get together. 

I had expressed my fears, my frustrations and my worries to my husband about taking not one, but two allergic kids to a restaurant that we've never been to before.  Now, his comment had nothing to do with our egg allergic son, he has anaphylaxis to egg and all egg product, so there is never any messing around with that allergy.  His comment was in regards to our MSPI child, who's reactions are IgG mediated, which basically means that they are not immediate reactions, nor can you see them (unlike hives).  His reactions are inside and ingesting the offending foods, in his case, milk and soy protein......can actually do damage to his body.  He sort of brushed off my concerns and told me, our son would be fine eating there, it's just one day.  I'll admit, I was a bit ticked at that comment.  Ticked and surprised.  But it also made me realize that alot of people think, if you can't see something, it must not really be there.  Like an invisible disease, or disability.  Something to think about anyway.

I've been freezing meals for situations such as this one, so if we do go, it will all be fine.  And my husband has quickly learned that in this house, and in my family, allergies and intolerance will not have needless risks attached to them. 

Now, off to grab a meal from the freezer to thaw!

Home made pizza night!

The crust turned out great! 

*2 teaspoons dried granulated yeast

*3 cups flour

*1 teaspoon salt

*2 tablespoons sugar

*2 tablespoons olive oil

*1 cup water, plus

*2 tablespoons water

Add ingredients to your bread machine in the order listed.  Select the dough setting.  Once it's done, remove the dough and place in an oiled bowl.  Cover and let rise in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.  Once dough is risen, roll it out into one thick crust, or two thin crust pizzas.  Add your toppings, bake in a 425F oven for 25 minutes or until done. 

Enjoy!

*We use Daiya Vegan Cheese (which is also soy free too) on our dishes that call for cheese. 

**Update**
     I wanted to make bread sticks, and they turned out great! I made the same recipe pizza dough but added 1 tsp of italian seasoning to it (a blend of spices), and once it was finished, I rolled it out into a large rectangle and sliced it in half, then into 6 (so I had 12 parts).  I rolled each part into long sticks, put them on a baking sheet (remember to grease your pan, I forgot-oops), cover and let rise for 30 minutes.  Bake in a 425F oven for approx 20 minutes.  Remove and let cool. 

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Ingredients:
*package of stewing beef, or as I did, leftover roast beef chopped into bite sized pieces
*Whatever raw veggies you want to add, I used onions, red pepper, celery, carrots & potatoes.  Just chop them up and throw them in.
*We are a garlic loving family, so I chopped up some fresh garlic and put it in as well.
*One tetra pack of Campbells Beef Broth (it's dairy, soy and egg free).
*Add enough water to almost cover the meat and veggies.

*Set crock pot on low for 8 hours.  Closer to the end of the cooking time, make a past using either flour and water, or corn startch and water and add it to thicken the stew up.

Add salt and pepper as needed and enjoy!

Did you know that Trident Gum contains milk?

No?  Neither did I! 

It contains Recaldent, and here is the information from the Trident website about the ingredient.

*Recaldent* is an ingredient derived from casein (pronounced kay-seen), part of the protein found in cow's milk.*

Guess I'll be adding this to the unsafe foods list I am getting together!

"Free of" basic white bread, bread machine recipe

No dairy, No Soy, No Egg

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F or 45 degrees C)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1  package bread machine yeast or equivilent of from a jar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola, it's all I had at the time)
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
Place the water, sugar and yeast in the pan of the bread machine. Let the yeast dissolve and foam for 10 minutes. Add the oil, flour and salt to the yeast. Setting should be either Basic or White Bread setting.  Press start.

My first attempt at baking a loaf of

Dairy free, soy free and egg free sandwhich bread!  Although it did sink a little on top, it tastes pretty good!
The texture is that of any basic white bread made in a bread machine.  So  many store bought breads either contain at least one of our allergens, or have the "may contain/may contain trace of" clause on the package. 

What do you think?
(and yes, that is a paddle in the loaf that I haven't cut around yet to pull out)

"Eat from as close to the ground as you can"

Honestly, how can you go wrong?  No additives, preservatives, or processed junk.  All natural.  I think, with the growing number of allergic people, and with it getting more and more difficult for some families to safely accomodate allergy free meals, eating from as close to the ground as you can, is a great motto. 

We walked over to the Farmer's Market yesterday morning, and picked up some beautiful red and green leaf lettuce, carrots, parsley, and swiss chard.  I've never made swiss chard, but with my mother in laws advice, it seems pretty easy.  And nutritious.  So I'll make it tonight, then make some more to freeze for another day, another easy side dish.  I also bought 5 links of smoked sausage from a local farmer.  I find that the farmers put very little into their meats, which is awesome for everyone, but even better for people with MFA (multiple food allergies).  It certainly makes serving a safe meal, an easy task! 

I wish we had year round farmers markets, but where we live, it just isn't possible.  You pay a bit more for the food but I'd far rather pay more for fresh, quality foods that you know comes from local sources.  And supporting local can never be a bad thing!

Welcome to our blog!

My family has had to live with multiple food allergies for going on 10 years now.  Our 11 year old was diagnosed with a severe egg allergy at 10 months of age.  Around the same time, I was diagnosed with a severe form of OAS-Oral Allergy Syndrome-and am allergic to many fresh, raw fruits and tree nuts, except for almonds.  I can eat most of my offending fruits in other forms, being cooked, baked, steamed, canned etc. 
Our 5 year old has just recently been diagnosed with an MPSI-Milk Soy Protein Intolerance- so we have to take on yet, another challenge in our lives.

But, I will learn.  We will learn.  We will make mistakes and we will come out on top because of them. 
This blog is dedicated to the learning, the cooking and baking, the preparing.  Finding safe products and documenting about them for not only our sake, but for those that are faced with similar dietary challenges. 

So, bear with us as we learn and try to fill these blog pages with all the stuff we need to live healthy, normal and full (in the food sense) lives!

Welcome!