Category Archives: Food

Finding and creating recipes has gotten a little trickier since we discovered that my son has multiple food allergies.

Fair Food

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A list of the delicious and completely unhealthy foods I enjoyed at the Walworth County Fair this weekend:

  • 1/2 Corn Dog (shared it with Eric)
  • 75% of a Cream Puff (was going to share it with Eric, then he decided it was too messy)
  • A loaded Baked Potato
  • 1/2 Chicken Taco Dinner (shared it with my mom)
  • 1/4 of a Quesadilla (shared it with my mom, as well)
  • A Caramel Apple, no nuts
  • A medium iced “Milky Way” coffee beverage
  • A medium strawberry freeze (mmm….)
  • A handful of French Fries, unsalted (I had ordered them for Micah and swiped a few)
  • 2 mini Crab Cakes (my dad shared with me)
  • 1 piece of Coconut Shrimp (my  dad shared this with me, too)
  • 90% of a bag of Caramel Corn (guilty pleasure?)

Mmmm…. is this blog making you hungry now?

Life Since the Allergy Diagnosis

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The way I prepare, cook and eat food has changed a lot since we found out Micah has multiple food allergies. You would not believe how crazy meal planning becomes when dairy is out of the mix. Most of the recipes you find on sites like Campbell’s or Taste of Home contain some form of cheese, cream, milk, butter or other dairy product. Certain ingredients are easy to replace with olive oil, apple sauce, palm oil shortening, or even water. There is no replacement for cheese. (Well there is but we can’t eat that either. Plus it looks really gross.)

Micah is allergic to soy, dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, and a few other things that we don’t need to worry about too much (like green peas, very small allergy, nearly non-existent). What’s left? We eat a lot of homemade crackers, homemade bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as proteins like turkey, chicken and tuna. One of our favorite vegetables is steamed asparagus with lemon and tarragon. For breakfast, Micah loves homemade (egg-free, dairy-free) pancakes and bananas. Dessert can be tricky, but today I discovered a way to make ice cream out of frozen bananas, so that will be a nice cheap alternative to traditional ice cream.

In general, we eat a lot healthier now. We can’t have most pre-packaged foods, so that eliminates a lot of excess fat, sugar and sodium in our diet. We can’t eat cheese (holy moly, it has a lot of calories anyway, don’t you know?). We are eating a lot of fruits and tons of vegetables. We only eat poultry and fish. We don’t use butter anymore – that’s huge!

Micah’s eczema cleared up and his frequent diarrhea disappeared since we eliminated the problem foods. I have noticed a huge change in the way I feel as well, which makes me wonder if I really am the culprit for Micah’s allergies. We learned that many food allergies are passed down in families. Eric’s stomach is pretty much a steel tank. The only thing that upsets his stomach is soy. I can eat soy without issues, so I’m guessing Micah’s soy allergy is from Eric. The rest of the allergies however, I’m inclined to think are from me. The confirmation came last night after eating two slices of pizza. I haven’t eaten cheese in quite a while, but after eating this pizza, my stomach was really cramping up. Later on that night I started developing a lot of… well… AIR! Yeah, gross, I know. But I’m starting to think I might be allergic to the same foods as Micah and I have just become accustomed to always have digestive issues. I’m finally going to be getting health insurance (that’s another post) and I think I’ll be getting tested for food allergies. I would rather know and eliminate those foods so I can feel good!

Micah’s Apple Cinnamon Bran Pancakes

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When I first found out about Micah’s food allergies, I thought I had to buy special mixes for baked goods and other foods like pancakes. We tried a pancake mix from Cherrybrook Kitchen, and to be honest, it was really gross. The problem for us is that Micah is allergic to three common allergens (eggs, milk & soy), but not the fourth typically associated with these allergies: gluten. As a result, any mixes that are egg-free, dairy-free and soy-free are also gluten-free. I feel bad for those who are allergic to gluten – the alternatives are not that great. The combination of flours used to imitate the properties and consistency of all-purpose flour result in a strange flavor I am not accustomed to. I tried drowning the mix in apple and cinnamon, but it was still sticky and chewy. I couldn’t stomach it.

Then I discovered three products that allow me to bake pretty much anything and still use my beloved flour. Coconut milk, EnerG Egg Replacer and Spectrum All Vegetable Shortening (Made from Palm Oil). I developed this recipe for Apple Cinnamon Pancakes and Micah can’t get enough. I love them better than my old pancake mix (in a box). So, if you are allergic to eggs and dairy, but not gluten, these are the pancakes for you!

3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Bob’s Red Mill Oat Bran Hot Cereal
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon (or to taste)
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt

1 1/2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer + 2 Tbsp water, beaten
1 Cup Coconut Milk (I use the original flavor, not vanilla)
2 Tbsp All Natural Applesauce

1. Combine the dry ingredients and set aside. Beat your Egg Replacer and water first, then add the coconut milk and applesauce. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir just until moistened. The batter should be lumpy. Don’t worry if it’s a little runnier than you are used to.

2. Lightly grease your griddle with the Spectrum All Vegetable Shortening. Spoon about 1/4 Cup batter onto the hot griddle, scraping your spoon along the bottom of the bowl each time you scoop (the oat bran tends to settle a little bit). You should get about 8 pancakes depending on how big you make them. Cook until they are bubbly and the edges look dry, then flip and cook a few minutes more. Only flip once and avoid over-stirring the batter for fluffy pancakes.

Carrot Soup Explosion

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I think sometimes bloggers, including myself, have a tendency to show only their shining moments. I don’t think that’s always a bad thing, because the blogs highlighting the best ideas and cutest photos do capture my interest. Sometimes I like to see the human side of an author, though. A while back I declared that I would share some of my more humbling moments in an effort to embrace the ordinary.  Because behind every bright and shiny blog, is a  person who spills ketchup on their new jeans and forgets people’s birthdays, just like the rest of us. Behind this blog, is a woman who did not hold the cover on the blender tightly enough while making  curried carrot soup this afternoon.

Micah was watching and said “uh-oh” when it happened. And this is just another example of why I need to put up a backsplash behind my counter. Scrubbing pureed carrot off the textured plaster walls was a little challenging, to say the least. It kind of smeared and got into all the grooves. It took several rounds with a soaking rag to get it all off, and if I could get my nose that close to the wall, I wouldn’t be surprised if it still smelled of curry and carrot. Yummy.

On a completely unrelated note, I made a paper airplane for the little guy this afternoon. I didn’t expect him to get as much enjoyment out of it as he did! He would point and say “go go” when he wanted me to throw it. Then he would chase the plane down, pick it up, wave it around proudly in the air, then bring it back to me to throw again. The fun lasted until the plane was torn and wrinkled beyond repair. Talk about a cheap toy!

Cheap Dinner: Burrito Night

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Burrito night is super cheap when the ingredients come from Aldi, and it’s pretty tasty too.

  • 1 lb. Ground Beef – $2.29
  • Refried Beans – $0.69
  • Mexican Style Corn – $0.69
  • Mexican Fiesta Style Diced Tomatoes – $0.55
  • Flour Tortillas – $0.99
  • Taco Seasoning Mix – $0.35
  • New Orleans Style Red Beans & Rice – $0.99
  • Lettuce (already had) – “FREE”
  • Mexican Style Shredded Cheese – $2.29

Total Cost = $8.84

We only ate half of it, so it will make two meals, making it just $4.42 per meal, or $2.21 per serving (big servings, too). That’s a great deal, especially for “loaded” burritos, which are our favorite. Sometimes we make them with black beans, shredded chicken and fajita seasoning for “Chipotle” style burritos. Those are awesome, too.

I’m linking this post to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, hosted by Blessed With Grace. Head over there for more great recipes!

Blessed with Grace

Beyond the Cereal Box

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Lately I’ve been ditching my normal routine when it comes to meal planning and grocery shopping. I was stuck in a rut, particularly when it came to breakfast options. I decided to think about what I would order for breakfast if I were to swing into McDonalds (one of my favorite breakfast spots, don’t judge me). Yogurt parfaits and croissant breakfast sandwiches. Yummy…

I’ll get to the croissants later this week – I’m going to try my hand at making croissants by hand. That should be nothing short of interesting.

ANYWAY, I got all the ingredients for the yogurt parfait during my shopping trip yesterday afternoon and I put them together last night.

I layered frozen fruit and vanilla yogurt twice in four dessert glasses, covered them in saran wrap and let them sit in the fridge overnight. Then this morning I took one out and topped it with a generous helping of granola.

I think the granola was my favorite part. This particular kind of granola was the only one I could find at Walmart that didn’t have any type of nuts in it. (No nuts in this house!) It was really tasty! And it’s organic, no less.

It was amazing. And much better than my usual bowl of cereal. (And yes, I often feed Micah breakfast in just his diaper. Why not?)

My Little Helper

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Today when I got home from Walmart, I realized I needed to do a little cleaning before I could put the groceries away. I’m a little bit a food hoarder. I’m always saying, “I’ll eat this leftover _____”  eventually and then I never do. Eventually, my fridge is overflowing with nasty, smelly, stinky leftovers that no one wants, and cleaning them out is a chore I put off for another couple weeks. My kitchen reeked when I finally emptied out the creepy crawly food containers this afternoon and flushed the contents down the garbage disposal. I had to open a window and spray some room refresher around the kitchen. And you thought I was so clean after my clean kitchen post earlier. Don’t be fooled!

While I was pulling expired condiments, rotton produce and icky leftovers from the fridge this afternoon, my little helper, Mr. Micah himself, was pulling stuff out as well. He had to climb up into the fridge to reach the good stuff.

He loves the refrigerator. He loves it so much, that if you open the door while he is in the living room, he will hear you and come running. He will literally RUN to the fridge and try to climb in. He pulls open the produce drawers. He grabs condiments out of the door and carries the Tabasco sauce around like it’s his new favorite toy. He shakes the apple cider vinegar and holds the apple butter jar like a treasure, before dropping it on the floor, that is. I know that in fifteen years or so, I will be having a serious case of dejavu when I see my teenage son digging through the fridge and eating everything in sight. It will look just like this photo, except he will no longer need to climb in to reach.

Review: Cheribundi Juice

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Recently I was contacted by the good folks at CherryPharm who have re-branded their tart cherry juice, now known as Cheribundi. Cheribundi is a tart cherry juice that comes in three varieties: Tru Cherry, Whey Cherry & Skinny Cherry. CherryPharm was kind enough to send me a free sample of each flavor to try and review here on this blog.

I'm so glad they gave me two bottles of "Tru Cherry." Definitely my favorite!

When I first read the e-mail asking if I would try Cheribundi, I thought, “what could be so special about cherry juice?” After all, I drink cherry juice all the time. I also drink apple juice and cranberry juice. It’s just juice, right? I was really surprised once I tasted it. It tasted nothing like the cherry juice I usually drink. It really packs a punch! There is a lot of flavor going on with this juice, which could actually deter some folks (such as my husband), but not me. It literally tastes like biting into a cherry pie. There is no other way to describe it.

I pulled Eric into the research lab – er, Kitchen – to taste all three varieties of Cheribundi. Here is what we each had to say:

Tru Cherry

Kim’s thoughts: “The original is my favorite. I am a cherry fan – and this tastes like drinking bottled cherries.”

Eric’s thoughts: “Too tart for me, then again, I wouldn’t eat plain tart cherries either.”

Micah’s thoughts: (We gave the little guy about 3 ounces diluted with 3 ounces of water. He sucked it down pretty quickly and then proceeded to show me his cup over and over, which of course means he liked it.)

Skinny Cherry

Kim’s thoughts: “I like the taste. I might dilute it with water, but then again, I usually dilute juice with water.”

Eric’s thoughts: “It’s not too tart, not too overwhelming. It’s good – tastes like cherry pie. I might drink it again. It would take me a whole day to drink this. It does stay true to the cherry flavor, but not everyone likes the tart taste of cherries.”

Whey Cherry

Kim’s thoughts: “This one is thicker than the other two. My first impression is that it tasted like thinned out pie filling. Is that a good thing? For sipping, yes. Thirst quenching? Not so much.”

Eric’s thoughts:*shakes head* “I don’t know if I like this.”

Overall Review: Skinny tastes very much like Tru. It’s slightly sweeter, but not by much. I’m not a fan of artificial sweeteners, even if they are “natural.” (If I am going to sweeten something, I prefer straight-up sugar.) Eric seemed to like Skinny Cherry the best, and it’s probably because it was a little less tart. In general, however, he is not really a fan of tart flavors.  (He once said “grapefruit tastes the way a skunk smells.” Harsh!) The Whey was a little too thick tasting for us. I liked the flavor of Tru the best, but we both agreed that because it’s so strong, it’s not the kind of beverage you slam back when you’re thirsty. I would sip this while reading a book or browsing the internet. It would taste really good with breakfast, too. Overall, I really like the flavor of the Tru Cherry Cheribundi and I’d probably get it again. The only downside: it runs about $2.50 per 8oz bottle, which means it would have to be a special treat in my household, not a daily thing.

For more information about Cheribundi, head over to their website here.

Cheerios

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I find them stuck to the bottom of my socks. I find them in his neck. They fall out of his diaper when I’m changing him. They magically appear in his crib in the morning. I take a step and I hear one breaking. I find them in the seats of the car. I find bits of them stuck in his hair.  He loves Cheerios with every meal. For every snack. If he finds one on the floor… anywhere… he eats it. He’s a Cheerio monster. If I could pick one thing to symbolize this stage in my life… it would be a Cheerio.