tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40154897784723611252024-03-12T16:46:48.306-07:00Hubs & Wifey and their incompatible allergiesA journey through our food allergies.
Hubs: Corn allergy, Peanut allergy, Soy allergy - Diagnosed 06.2009
Wifey: Wheat allergy, Beef allergy, other misc. - Diagnosed 02.2011David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-25481442778993562932013-05-12T12:52:00.001-07:002013-05-12T12:52:51.731-07:00We have been without internet at home since late December and continue to be just fine with out. I (Wifey) do miss the online community of bloggers but we find that without the distraction of internet or TV in the home we have more time for each other, cooking, gardening and out newest adventure: BEE KEEPING! <br />
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Watch out for cheap store honey - it's often made with corn. :(<br />
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Stay happy and healthy,<br />
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Hubs & WifeyDavid and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-91599451257834560652012-10-17T09:45:00.003-07:002012-10-17T09:45:52.960-07:00We moved NorthThis blog has been quiet of late. We had the opportunity to move to the Portland, OR area, and jumped all over it. Living near Houston, TX was difficult with our food, and my seasonal allergies. Houston has fantastic food, but it's all gluten, corn, and soy based. Houston has beautiful people, but they are known for big hair, and lots of make up. Which requires corn, and gluten based products. Hubs wasn't able to grocery shop because of the allergens in the stores. Being outside was difficult most of the year because of my seasonal allergies. While we found one restaurant we could both eat in without getting sick it was 30+ miles from our home.<br />
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Portland, OR is known for their preference for local-seasonal eating. It is one of the top food allergy friendly places in the US. The people are down to earth and less frequently drenched in perfumes, hairsprays, body powders and make-up - triggers for those of us with gluten or corn in-tolerances.<br />
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We are delighted to be here. Currently we are in an apartment, where I wasted no time setting up a porch garden to continue to grow seasonal produce. Our search for a few acres has begun and we hope to purchase a place that will allow us to keep chickens and bees in addition to a large garden. Eventually we'd like to add a cow or 2 goats for dairy.<br />
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Hub's new company is much more educated on food allergies. His immediate supervisor has Celiac Disease and understands the need for safe foods, and preventing cross contamination. <br />
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There are dozens of allergy friendly bakeries, restaurants and grocery stores within 15 miles of our apartment. It has been wonderful. Even though I still make the bulk of our food from scratch, it sure is nice to go for fish and chips at <span class="st"><a href="http://www.corbettfishhouse.com/" target="_blank"><em>Hawthorne Fish House</em></a><em> </em>occasionally. We can have breakfast at </span><br /><span class="st"><a href="http://www.oldwivestalesrestaurant.com/" target="_blank"><em>Old Wives</em>' </a><em><a href="http://www.oldwivestalesrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Tales</a> </em>where they are happy to accommodate all of our allergies. We have tried two other places so far as well. Both fantastic.</span>David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-56737551148098532232012-10-16T21:09:00.003-07:002012-10-16T21:28:19.012-07:00Waste Not Want Not WednesdayOh my goodness I'm so excited about this. I read a blog (poorandglutenfree.blogspot.com) and the author is hosting a "Waste Not Want Not Wednesday" blog share. I often <a href="http://cornpeanutsandsoy.blogspot.com/2011/02/wheat-corn-and-misc-other-allergens.html" target="_blank">rant</a> about despising the idea of throwing out food. I'm excited to read other bloggers methods of avoiding of the trash can.<br />
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Some of my favorite ways to prevent throwing away food:<br />
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<a href="http://cornpeanutsandsoy.blogspot.com/2012/02/february-menu.html" target="_blank">Meal planning</a>: We plan meals for at least one week in advance. When life is really busy, I usually plan a month or more in advance. I try to plan just enough food for those present at the meal. As a back up plan I typically schedule a "leftovers" dinner a couple of times a month.<br />
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Glass container storage: I can see the leftovers in the fridge when I open the door. No mystery packages of food in foil or dark storage containers. <br />
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Leftover "remake" meals: Hubs really does not prefer most leftovers, so I always keep baking potatoes on hand. Just about any kind of left-over can go on spuds and it "feels" like a new meal. Whole chicken carcasses are made into <a href="http://cornpeanutsandsoy.blogspot.com/2012/02/chicken-stock.html" target="_blank">chicken stock</a>. Left-over chicken is chicken fried rice, <a href="http://cornpeanutsandsoy.blogspot.com/2011/02/wheat-corn-and-misc-other-allergens.html" target="_blank">white chicken chili</a> (rather than cooking chicken breasts or thighs I just throw in the already cooked, chopped chicken with the beans and other cooked items), BBQ chicken on top of a potato, and so on. Rice and Quinoa also make a great base for leftovers to "top" and make a new meal out of yesterday's dinner.<br />
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Freezing leftover meals: I love to have a "freezer meal" on hand. Since we have multiple allergies we don't have many fast food or pre-made options. When there is enough leftover for a second meal, I freeze it in an oven safe dish. On a day when I know cooking will be a hassle, I put the frozen meal in the fridge to thaw then right into the oven to re-heat.<br />
<br />David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-76926574859012947142012-04-28T17:12:00.001-07:002012-04-28T17:12:54.432-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sLSQw9TcdWebSkrAtZtdt5pFwWCMQUcxCOnVC4oKesxxkyPs0VHGgeIvcATGAnbNcbyohDLp-Jk5Lvz5UkX1PFtrMzNBlqSjlKNVTygjyvXXjMif4ckxp_dLpYriMPoA7lTYMj3szpCc/s1600/dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sLSQw9TcdWebSkrAtZtdt5pFwWCMQUcxCOnVC4oKesxxkyPs0VHGgeIvcATGAnbNcbyohDLp-Jk5Lvz5UkX1PFtrMzNBlqSjlKNVTygjyvXXjMif4ckxp_dLpYriMPoA7lTYMj3szpCc/s320/dinner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We have a garden. It's all vegetables and herbs. We have a persimmon tree and an orange tree but both are too young to produce. Maybe in a year or two. I love knowing where my vegetables come from. My back yard. We use our own compost and neem oil (derived from a plant) in our garden. None of our allergens are in our garden. <br />
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This was dinner a few weeks ago. I usually make a huge pan of lasagna with rice noodles that are safe for both of us and fresh ground pork or lamb and safe cheeses. Then I freeze over half of it so we have "frozen meals". I usually freeze two or three containers that hold enough for Hubs and I to both have dinner and then the rest as single serve meals, most in portion sizes for Hubs (which is close to twice what I need). On nights when cooking seems like way too much effort we pull veggies to steam and throw a frozen pan of lasagna in the oven. And on nights like that we sometimes even eat dinner in front of the computer to watch something on Netflix...<br />
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I hope to one day have our own bees for honey, our own chickens for eggs and meat and our own goats for milk and cheese. And it'd be nice to also have a pond with fish.... For now I maintain a huge garden that enables us to forgo the purchase of supermarket vegetables. It's a nice start.<br />
<br />David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-52356039055635346712012-02-28T11:08:00.003-08:002012-02-28T11:25:08.595-08:00Chicken Stock<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDhS29ReWieT3bCHmi9XdsImFmI55WUA1Bd-4pMMMn9CIiN0ehxmjqFNmO3J0oiogFHQlJxE9g7OyL8Rj77GwmZ25MEpAk-s3csGLN04rRRzeVWnzXsmgWdQM8in1-LvhMeuStGH_HQ5I/s1600/CIMG4553.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDhS29ReWieT3bCHmi9XdsImFmI55WUA1Bd-4pMMMn9CIiN0ehxmjqFNmO3J0oiogFHQlJxE9g7OyL8Rj77GwmZ25MEpAk-s3csGLN04rRRzeVWnzXsmgWdQM8in1-LvhMeuStGH_HQ5I/s320/CIMG4553.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714266574029246050" border="0" /></a>Every week or ten days I throw a whole chicken in the crock pot. It's the easiest way to cook a chicken. The chicken can be thrown in frozen and it'll still cook <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbU70w431jSpOq24T3NWjXXYXFeAyUV_pAqxECllbgC5Rb1kL2pf3cwFKV4Z-otWRx3ghIVFQRBJ5IOevuoeNnIgNwo39JzYrf84uUdVeARkFO0tA6XiZ6uz3YXECXu2iPqrkDxiNK2-6m/s1600/chicken+broth++%25282%2529.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbU70w431jSpOq24T3NWjXXYXFeAyUV_pAqxECllbgC5Rb1kL2pf3cwFKV4Z-otWRx3ghIVFQRBJ5IOevuoeNnIgNwo39JzYrf84uUdVeARkFO0tA6XiZ6uz3YXECXu2iPqrkDxiNK2-6m/s320/chicken+broth++%25282%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714266561009862882" border="0" /></a>beautifully. I usually just throw it in and crack pepper and salt over the top then leave it on low until 5p or some where in there.<br /><br />After we eat it for dinner with (usually) potatoes and steamed veggies I dump the veggie cooking water (minus what I pour on our pups dinner) into the pot with the carcass, skin, fat and other bits left over from the chicken. I usually need to add water as there is typically only 3-4 cups of veggie cooking water on hand. When I know I'm making broth I try to save the veggie cooking/steaming water for a couple of days before I make broth. Celtic Sea Salt, cracked pepper and whatever herbs are handy go in. Usually some garlic. If there are older onions in the fridge they go in also.<br /><br />This sits on low in the same crock pot on my count<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBMl1H5aQ5lswopwZxH_Z1xdRebbkb7OyGjsbJPV-uTMY0HoGonsA31TGxDtaqvWYNHwxOMrmTmnEpBterTjfu-zdGS7uoKjj8evuRPWQuBZZIjTgw3KdAYFzOF6eqPHx_N1AwVHPMpQd/s1600/chicken+broth+.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBMl1H5aQ5lswopwZxH_Z1xdRebbkb7OyGjsbJPV-uTMY0HoGonsA31TGxDtaqvWYNHwxOMrmTmnEpBterTjfu-zdGS7uoKjj8evuRPWQuBZZIjTgw3KdAYFzOF6eqPHx_N1AwVHPMpQd/s320/chicken+broth+.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714266556206462018" border="0" /></a>er for two days. Usually dinner on the second day (the house smell so fantastic) I'm ready to use that broth. I like making thick hearty meatless dishes like split pea soup or potato soup or I'll make a chicken based soup such as good old fashioned chicken soup (with rice or noodles) and we always love White Chicken Chili. When using the broth the same night I just send the broth through a colander right into the soup pot on the stove. If I'm not using it immediately (pictured) I skim it into my four cup glass measure cup and pour it into jars. Once it has cooled I stick the jars in the fridge if I am going to use it within a day or two or the freezer if longer. I usually get 10-12 cups of stock but it varies on how much water I put in. If the carcass is very small I tend to add less liquid so that the stock has strong flavor. I <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTOCsOfQOF-b6FVu6-pPm5kcn-v81uQCIRF80du-bCAAZdNIZ9vwvI_Zxn0HZrvPMYgBkU7XWeZrKTrKvJZG6KAc1IMAWtC2uOw7oFFdcJhu1sNhA0s19K-iBGEZAULNG9NRQ_Ev7rgcq/s1600/chicken+broth++%25283%2529.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTOCsOfQOF-b6FVu6-pPm5kcn-v81uQCIRF80du-bCAAZdNIZ9vwvI_Zxn0HZrvPMYgBkU7XWeZrKTrKvJZG6KAc1IMAWtC2uOw7oFFdcJhu1sNhA0s19K-iBGEZAULNG9NRQ_Ev7rgcq/s320/chicken+broth++%25283%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714266567444923602" border="0" />t</a>ry and keep a few jars in the freezer all the time so I always have a quick meal. The jars of broth thaw quickly in a pan of warm water.<br /><br />Whatever lands in the colander is trash. Usually everything cooks down into a very mushy three cups or less mess.David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-69656225784874191352012-02-15T09:41:00.000-08:002012-02-15T09:53:41.723-08:00(our) Allergen Free Beer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgdF12S_iEmXWdz1DMJfKHgAJ0XHM9H9pngUW5UVAClHZ4MB2Hg1TPlSZ5Np1KDhf0BOFR6CYnZbJW-lLSSg9nAhLnGLgBtbbuguF-vbdDu84Q3nPFbTmGmyIUnp8ZhVeA6QDx0ddtvPj/s1600/GF+beer.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgdF12S_iEmXWdz1DMJfKHgAJ0XHM9H9pngUW5UVAClHZ4MB2Hg1TPlSZ5Np1KDhf0BOFR6CYnZbJW-lLSSg9nAhLnGLgBtbbuguF-vbdDu84Q3nPFbTmGmyIUnp8ZhVeA6QDx0ddtvPj/s400/GF+beer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709419217474722098" border="0" /></a>Over the last year I haven't had beer. Hubs brews his own and controls the ingredients to exclude his allergens (primarily corn and soy) but hasn't attempted a gluten free beer. Mostly because the GF beers I have tasted were horrible. Prior to my gluten intolerance discovery I enjoyed beers such as <a href="http://www.saintarnold.com/beers/index.html">St Arnolds Brown and Amber ales</a>. I never tolerated the Bud or Coors beers. I liked, in small quantities, a good <a href="http://www.guinness.com/">Guinness</a> but having been through England and Ireland the beer imported to the US just wasn't the same and I never did drink much of it. <a href="https://www.glutenfreebeers.co.uk/">Greens Dubbel Dark Ale </a>was the first beer I had tasted in about six months. I'd given up on beer, which was okay I prefer wine and had found some labels that were vegetarian (to avoid beef which I'm allergic to) and were really good. The Dubbel Dark was delicious. I had two when usually I'd limit myself to one. I had it with fish and chips that had been coated with brown rice flour and fried in rice oil. The combination was amazing and I can't stop thinking about it. The beer was sweeter than Guinness but richer than St Arnolds Brown. Hopefully I can get Hubs to make a few comments about this beer because all I can really say is it was delicious and before you write off GF beers - try this one. (It's made without corn also. Which I have never seen before.)David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-65678944125493490202012-02-06T15:13:00.000-08:002012-02-06T15:28:32.099-08:00Menu Planning Saved The Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSLL00YDuuydiBEmrAqqCK8AZc2A9fuj6PajVZtWKYaPGG8xf3IOrnrO207-W9j1vj94hM-bGUewuxg1636mTCuWeTJ6m2oHIbrhdQqtCFHOZYukfL_x0UTZpMkT-TK5kNL_n15AjpKAC/s1600/CIMG4506.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSLL00YDuuydiBEmrAqqCK8AZc2A9fuj6PajVZtWKYaPGG8xf3IOrnrO207-W9j1vj94hM-bGUewuxg1636mTCuWeTJ6m2oHIbrhdQqtCFHOZYukfL_x0UTZpMkT-TK5kNL_n15AjpKAC/s320/CIMG4506.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706165865568850594" border="0" /></a>We <a href="http://davidandbeccaw2.blogspot.com/2012/02/farewell-sunny-girl-we-experienced.html">lost one of our dogs quite unexpectedly</a> over the weekend. I have no appetite and no interest in food but life must go on despite grief and today has been an utter waste except for dinner. One look at my menu and I knew to drop a frozen chicken in the crock pot. So now I can smell chicken and I'm thinking about mashed potatoes and carrots. Comfort food. Nearly 12 hours have passed since I got up and I have no idea where it went... But we have dinner! :) Sunshine would be happy about that. My sweet girl didn't miss a meal for anything. So even if I didn't mop my floors or fold my laundry. I walked our dog Scratch and made dinner. That has to<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYW3lbbwYCEIl0gNswqA3iyR7Y__uh8qjEeK8StqNHryetJ4Q0o1nii4NDkozbtEZpzjJaN4THY5csGWwD-rlSafaQV42qOb65x5MbqIYkfr87zPoP2KUZoH-dzYEn5gzlevp9bnyCZghh/s1600/CIMG4553.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYW3lbbwYCEIl0gNswqA3iyR7Y__uh8qjEeK8StqNHryetJ4Q0o1nii4NDkozbtEZpzjJaN4THY5csGWwD-rlSafaQV42qOb65x5MbqIYkfr87zPoP2KUZoH-dzYEn5gzlevp9bnyCZghh/s320/CIMG4553.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706167190890298178" border="0" /></a> count for something considering how hard we have to work to have a meal around here. =) The weekend wasn't just a sad affair. Only a few hours prior to the death of my precocious <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">doggie</span> I discovered a beer. It is all of our combined allergens free. So NO corn, soy, wheat, beef..... Give me a few days to wallow in my misery and then I will give my review of this beer. I haven't had a Gluten Free beer I have liked. And I'll see if I can get Hubs to chime in - he makes his own corn free brew and actually knows his beers. Me - I can only speak to whether or not it tastes good.David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-19845109307071844532012-02-01T12:22:00.000-08:002012-02-01T12:49:19.536-08:00February Menu<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrT90NxruFHh4hRDxDszLmuEyt2sCn0V9FUXnPibo-70CEVsmuvzPPOrKiwskEvd9Of9s_w1J0bMWm8mfkMmQ26HN2-QyZHzSqixuTa7tIs7vyss_e3Rq4ZfTnQfbaTI7FzOn7l6Qt10N/s1600/02.2012.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrT90NxruFHh4hRDxDszLmuEyt2sCn0V9FUXnPibo-70CEVsmuvzPPOrKiwskEvd9Of9s_w1J0bMWm8mfkMmQ26HN2-QyZHzSqixuTa7tIs7vyss_e3Rq4ZfTnQfbaTI7FzOn7l6Qt10N/s400/02.2012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704272119458255314" border="0" /></a>By meal planning a few months at a time I can make purchases on meat and other items that are costly but can be frozen for later use. It also helps me utilize all leftovers. For instance, I purchase whole chickens (the healthy ones with room to roam and adequate time to grow with out hormones and antibiotic use) and cook them in the crock pot. Then I make broth by adding water, spices and herbs to the pot with the bones, skin and other bits of leftovers from the chicken once it has been cleaned of meat. It usually sits on my counter for two days on low. Then I use the broth to make a soup, lentils, gravies and so on. Left over chicken means fried rice or another dish that calls for cooked chicken. Meal planning also cuts down on trips to the grocery store. I go each Friday to get fresh fish and keep a little list of other items I'll need like fruit or veggies. This is a very quick trip to the store and usually not very expensive. I do a really big shopping every month but I'm working to make it every 6-8 weeks (I think I was successful in January) that blows the bulk of our grocery budget minus dairy which we purchase from <a href="http://www.gramenfarm.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Gramen</span> Farms</a>.David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-3045057177567262662012-01-28T17:19:00.001-08:002012-01-28T17:38:03.912-08:00Fast Food Night: Bison Burgers & Sweet Tater Fries<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnO213pVXzB07NCfnyfvV-7xvW4bz9Z6gzVeiY1rMtY9shQCYm-EUv4YiCcazk5p1HC4bS5GNE45oihmw5JpbrqnyiGkYppPorJfBCOSV9GxXREgH8bB-whehMjL5HJinwx5hISn0ttuQ/s1600/CIMG4519.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnO213pVXzB07NCfnyfvV-7xvW4bz9Z6gzVeiY1rMtY9shQCYm-EUv4YiCcazk5p1HC4bS5GNE45oihmw5JpbrqnyiGkYppPorJfBCOSV9GxXREgH8bB-whehMjL5HJinwx5hISn0ttuQ/s200/CIMG4519.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702860395331098242" border="0" /></a>So we miss fast food. We don't miss the gross after eating it feeling but I really miss a huge burger and fries. When Hubs was diagnosed, we got really good at making burgers at home. A friend introduced us to home made sweet potato fries and it was a perfect addition to burger night. Now with no gluten it's impossible to find a good burger bun and I'm still trying recipes. Mostly the best thing to do is make a top 1/2 and bottom 1/2 of a bun rather than try and bake something to be cut in half. Since I'm allergic to beef we use bison.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCMGGjaIK7Jhoe-yck-8DEb63hYMq9rrmqLHtJfYZkNB_2SJQNIZof4OZdr2bdcdXsw2ML90R0Ae18WRZo8coRMZTkIzzzyd2BwMjuviF5xlwDV-PPSxXfgdboSt7vHpsRKoAACf2yaZg/s1600/CIMG4518.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCMGGjaIK7Jhoe-yck-8DEb63hYMq9rrmqLHtJfYZkNB_2SJQNIZof4OZdr2bdcdXsw2ML90R0Ae18WRZo8coRMZTkIzzzyd2BwMjuviF5xlwDV-PPSxXfgdboSt7vHpsRKoAACf2yaZg/s200/CIMG4518.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702860401355148290" border="0" /></a><br />First I chopped up several raw sweet potatoes. I like the skin on so I don't peel them, I just wash them off and chop them. The sit and dry while the oil heats (they are also good in the oven, baked rather than fried but for fast food night frying is a must).<br /><br />While the oil gets hot I mix buns. I used a grain free recipe this time that was butter, almond flour, an egg and a little salt. They mix up quickly and go into the oven right before I put in the first batch of sweet taters, and mix the bison. I use 2 pounds because when you're <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJVHtHQRhux92WpF1eVOkHVAzc13pWIqaqFl3FNwPPxZwQ0icA3SxdhnCrlALR88kb4fxihMbD4PhjufYIGUTVSDWafK-fk_UjlwNX06bkCyhER6ufLidL_2OFSTX_icCgfhdwQH8ZNnS/s1600/CIMG4517.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJVHtHQRhux92WpF1eVOkHVAzc13pWIqaqFl3FNwPPxZwQ0icA3SxdhnCrlALR88kb4fxihMbD4PhjufYIGUTVSDWafK-fk_UjlwNX06bkCyhER6ufLidL_2OFSTX_icCgfhdwQH8ZNnS/s200/CIMG4517.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702860403273726738" border="0" /></a>going to <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxbnX9uBlExGSxFN9Q3XHWL2CUS3VURNrOZxcxbqf9YAjR4dxoYmCDLI3D4niWY6JL-mKZwI2ceD5CGgHe-zUlKI7KSK3rTJO2zZIm4L9CLaNDgpZEWT2YcJ3slUULZ91rinhM_ItSnkr/s1600/CIMG4516.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxbnX9uBlExGSxFN9Q3XHWL2CUS3VURNrOZxcxbqf9YAjR4dxoYmCDLI3D4niWY6JL-mKZwI2ceD5CGgHe-zUlKI7KSK3rTJO2zZIm4L9CLaNDgpZEWT2YcJ3slUULZ91rinhM_ItSnkr/s200/CIMG4516.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702860411845870274" border="0" /></a>make burgers you may as well have leftovers. They freeze well if they make it that long.<br /><br />Hubs came in and dug out some bacon and beans too. In the bison I mix finely chopped onion, garlic powder and home made chili powder mix. Also an egg to help it stay together. I mix it all well and make four large burgers and two smaller ones - sometimes David will eat two burgers but even he can't do a pound of meat in addition to sides...<br /><br />The first batch of fries is done before everything else and usually gets eaten before the rest of the food is d<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVwpzpgM6hdkUKeZLjpCahIr6GDRBKr7APvVhhFlpriBv_0gwzDlkYEHQ3fLbkYkgW6LqDuipn6sCB2w6xpB82eDnm_gyXqUEw4CCziCiRK42K2TGNOLh0WPXdn9Y0_PEuSZ8uCmSRxvs/s1600/CIMG4513.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVwpzpgM6hdkUKeZLjpCahIr6GDRBKr7APvVhhFlpriBv_0gwzDlkYEHQ3fLbkYkgW6LqDuipn6sCB2w6xpB82eDnm_gyXqUEw4CCziCiRK42K2TGNOLh0WPXdn9Y0_PEuSZ8uCmSRxvs/s200/CIMG4513.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702860418567139826" border="0" /></a>one. Kind of like an appetizer. Just as we are done with the rest of the food and load up our plates the second batch of fries is complete. The third batch cooks as we eat.... and usually we eat some off the pan like dessert.... They reheat well in the toaster oven so we try not to eat them all.<br /><br />Hubs made navy beans with a little of this and that. He's getting more creative in the kitchen and likes to throw everything in. It's usually how I cook, but for him it's very new - he's a recipe guy. The beans had kick which he likes.<br /><br />Oh and don't forget some delicious cheese.... a chunk of grilled onion, some tomato, lettuce and some homemade BBQ sauce for the top....<br /><br />We didn't get any plated pictures because we ate so fast. And it was amazing. I love good food. I should be a huge person but thankfully I'm not (thank you 24 hour fitness).<br /><br /><br />Home Made BBQ Sauce<br />1 cup tomato sauce (I use an organic olive oil, basil & garlic)<br />1/4 cup water<br />1/4 cup + 2TBSP vinegar (I use Bragg's Apple Cider)<br />3/4 cup brown sugar (I use an organic brown sugar)<br />3 TBSP olive oil (I use about 1.5 TBSP b/c my sauce I use has olive oil in it)<br />2 TBSP Paprika<br />1 TBSP Home made Chili powder<br />2 cloves garlic minced<br />1 tsp cayenne<br /><br />So the original directions say to heat the oil and saute the garlic first then add everything and simmer 15 mins but I just dump all of the above into a sauce pan and simmer it, stirring occasionally until it thickens. Which is usually more like an hour of simmering but only because I like a thicker sauce. The apple cider vinegar is a natural preservative so it keeps in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge for a month or more. Usually we eat it in less than 6 weeks so I'm not sure how long it'd actually last.David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-54364550648130535722012-01-28T09:15:00.001-08:002012-01-28T10:05:34.135-08:00Ethiopian Food<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2i4zc-OgZdfm_8T9S0jsMSDC1QawCiz33R_qkmqPbV3sVy744ev_DdtEOY-KZOCl5Ck8ZPgyVRUMPcOQTnlGNSnSCXbfg337N5_PgjBlnqxMwNpEAALmp-niHgJtfi7OrZpZvyLxJ_Hu/s1600/01.2012.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2i4zc-OgZdfm_8T9S0jsMSDC1QawCiz33R_qkmqPbV3sVy744ev_DdtEOY-KZOCl5Ck8ZPgyVRUMPcOQTnlGNSnSCXbfg337N5_PgjBlnqxMwNpEAALmp-niHgJtfi7OrZpZvyLxJ_Hu/s200/01.2012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702736968962605698" border="0" /></a>We love food from all over the world. Prior to discovery of all our allergies we would go out for Indian food, Ethiopian food, French food and more. With our myriad of allergies we are very limited in our dining out. At home we primarily eat organic foods, so even if we can find a restaurant we can both eat in, the food is sometimes difficult to digest when it's conventional. <br /><br />I meal plan a few months in advance and do one big monthly grocery shopping trip then pick up fresh fish, fruits and veggies as needed on Fridays. This helps us stay within our food budget and keeps me from getting bored with cooking. I incorporated several labor intensive dishes for weekends when I have more time to cook.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo26pU_tMiZOAchF7_mrXp4Ti0bXM0hBC2KJSPJnuNeDEmSfmb69DkYHD3mOfePU6YhZUdQzr1nk7FYKgFPxABsgiWI3JpAz_YvKw6gcXnSNWS3AuW_uE08AKxthmKqnL0OXam5ZDHrXC2/s1600/CIMG4494.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo26pU_tMiZOAchF7_mrXp4Ti0bXM0hBC2KJSPJnuNeDEmSfmb69DkYHD3mOfePU6YhZUdQzr1nk7FYKgFPxABsgiWI3JpAz_YvKw6gcXnSNWS3AuW_uE08AKxthmKqnL0OXam5ZDHrXC2/s200/CIMG4494.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702734229167433138" border="0" /></a><br />One night last weekend was Ethiopian night. I started the <a href="http://chefinyou.com/2010/02/ethiopian-injera-recipe/">Injera</a> a few days early so it would have time to sour. The link is to the recipe I'm going to use next time. The recipe I used last weekend didn't have me feed it and then keep some for later like a sour dough bread. It was more like using just a starter - which made for a very flavorful bread. <br /><br />I also mixed <a href="http://www.ethiopianrestaurant.com/recipes.html">Berbere</a>, their traditional spice mix. I omitted the spices we are unable to use (ginger for instance) and I made my own <a href="http://southernfood.about.com/od/seasoningrecipes/r/bl30420j.htm">Chili Powder</a> for adding to some of the dishes while cooking. (Chili powder is a mix of spices/herbs that nearly always has an additive to prevent clumping or caking. It's usually corn based.) <br /><br />The morning of our Ethiopian dinner I made <a href="http://www.ethiopianrestaurant.com/recipes.html">Niter Kebbeh</a> (scroll down about 1/2 way), the traditional Ethiopian butter. It's clarified and flavored with herbs and spices.<br /><br />A few of the steps in this T'ibs recipe is making a mock Niter Kebbeh of sorts. Rather than follow that portion I used a Tablespoon of the N<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxPttwch4hoLOmaUq6enNyCzUNBnemQLEjInmz3FvBZm_qQaTtLn7mLHoH5yUhkdjPE8TMag6yE50HHCHLleFe67B0XKZVaQFub4AgvZyPjSHJ1Yd_na4fMmmlzvhX5HlCxketnHYIK5x/s1600/CIMG4489.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxPttwch4hoLOmaUq6enNyCzUNBnemQLEjInmz3FvBZm_qQaTtLn7mLHoH5yUhkdjPE8TMag6yE50HHCHLleFe67B0XKZVaQFub4AgvZyPjSHJ1Yd_na4fMmmlzvhX5HlCxketnHYIK5x/s200/CIMG4489.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702734242093160434" border="0" /></a>iter Kebbeh I'd made that morning.<br /><br />The afternoon before I cooked, I set the lamb for <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/tibs-ethiopian-lamb-stew-118132">T'ibs</a> (lamb stew) to marinate and I chopped all the vegetables I would need for all of my recipes.<br /><br />I organized the recipes by the length of time it would take them to cook. I made <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/yemiser-wet-spicy-lentil-stew-13931">Yemiser W'et</a> (spicy lentil stew) which required lentils to be cooked prior to seasoning. I put a pot of lentils on to boil while I had Hubs sear the lamb.<br /><br />I also made <a href="http://ethiopianrecipes.net/yetakelt-wet-spicy-mixed-vegetable-stew/">Yetakelt </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40KSztsNdLN7-kjYe7riOmWdAosCDLgU0aFeAmZdiibo9609xi_IXlzUcYlsA5MeIk7vw4DlEeMbewKUCLKBrbh94EJxNLouXKmhPHmDfbQRNyoLHRaiqggZZn03IACAe8IixHJFESY5p/s1600/CIMG4493.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40KSztsNdLN7-kjYe7riOmWdAosCDLgU0aFeAmZdiibo9609xi_IXlzUcYlsA5MeIk7vw4DlEeMbewKUCLKBrbh94EJxNLouXKmhPHmDfbQRNyoLHRaiqggZZn03IACAe8IixHJFESY5p/s200/CIMG4493.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702734227292723042" border="0" /></a><a href="http://ethiopianrecipes.net/yetakelt-wet-spicy-mixed-vegetable-stew/">W'et</a> (spicy mixed vegetable stew). But since all the veggies were chopped this took minimal work.<br /><br />Once everything was to the simmering for flavor point I got out my huge pan and started cooking Injera. I made about 6 pieces. We didn't have a platter large enough to serve it traditionally with one communal plate so I served it on two plates. Basically when everything is cooked you put down Injera then servings of each dish on top. It's served with extra Injera and everything is eaten with one hand scooping up servings in pieces of Injera torn into chunks. I made three dishes because traditionally there would be a selection of dishes. Injera doesn't store well. It requires that one eats it at the meal for wh<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwLxKRh5OZT_OPxbbV3TucDXTaAKapWa24QD6rX7Wefsba5e4pWw0FnJOPobyxP-NxQ4iH7Uy8VBGy5EMqPBt6_0owN_LisGHht0vPJkXAw9We3CL7XesOpQ3svEsQ2ZkkE8TN7_MtlXV/s1600/CIMG4492.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwLxKRh5OZT_OPxbbV3TucDXTaAKapWa24QD6rX7Wefsba5e4pWw0FnJOPobyxP-NxQ4iH7Uy8VBGy5EMqPBt6_0owN_LisGHht0vPJkXAw9We3CL7XesOpQ3svEsQ2ZkkE8TN7_MtlXV/s200/CIMG4492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702734239002661842" border="0" /></a>ich it is cooked. For the left overs I made a large pot of rice and we ate the dishes with rice in lieu of Injera.<br /><br />The dishes were delicious. The Injera will be better when I make it over the course of a few days and use it as intended, like a starter. Also I was completely grossed out because there was a bit of mold on it one day. Upon research, I discovered this is (mostly) normal and the mold should be scooped out of the starter and the starter should be fed and stirred well. I scooped it out but since I wasn't doing the starter method it wasn't fed and what not. This effected my enjoyment of the Injera though and next time I'll keep a closer eye on it and do the starter method.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbaRtBpdqvJ3DjEoCRwrvu9PyhcpmjVw0G5NIBbVEK7PK44jPyogWp0HkYh91ltkFjeO43LEHZ-1zhYY1o57fKoa8R10RDXBxqCJqx70unpzDEfKn94z_FNj87pEoYlORRDSzy4oEq4vOE/s1600/CIMG4496.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbaRtBpdqvJ3DjEoCRwrvu9PyhcpmjVw0G5NIBbVEK7PK44jPyogWp0HkYh91ltkFjeO43LEHZ-1zhYY1o57fKoa8R10RDXBxqCJqx70unpzDEfKn94z_FNj87pEoYlORRDSzy4oEq4vOE/s200/CIMG4496.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702734223657525538" border="0" /></a><br />The recipes were very easy to modify for our allergies. Teff flour is naturally gluten free and I simply omitted the spices we were allergic to and made our own mixes. Next month I'm doing Ethi night again but I'm going to try Doro Wat (Ethiopian chicken stewed in red pepper paste) rather than the lamb. The lamb was delicious but I can't see making two meat based dishes for two people.David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-58800329584830959262011-04-16T16:13:00.000-07:002011-04-16T16:36:39.488-07:00Banana Bread (beef, corn, gluten, peanut & soy free)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XiH3zYPjj4SHlsaCEdz0H2QDMthb8vO6MFpnFRbGMsC6xZU1wKFVOMVo3asiwVXVRy_fhLDjI1woyBf1eM_1kn0RunN06oD3cZdFmT8VcVfodsI6BzDTO0HkDDkxjynJAr3MhjBUoCcG/s1600/CIMG4441.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XiH3zYPjj4SHlsaCEdz0H2QDMthb8vO6MFpnFRbGMsC6xZU1wKFVOMVo3asiwVXVRy_fhLDjI1woyBf1eM_1kn0RunN06oD3cZdFmT8VcVfodsI6BzDTO0HkDDkxjynJAr3MhjBUoCcG/s200/CIMG4441.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596327091958224610" border="0" /></a>After attempting a yeast bread and being so disappointed in the result (much more like a quick bread) I decided to bake a quick bread this weekend. I went for banana because I had two bananas that were just over-ripe waiting to be consumed. Almond flour is extremely expensive so I've been purchasing whole almonds by the pound and grinding them myself in my magic bullet knock off. I didn't have walnuts, my preference in banana bread, but I did have an abundance of the almonds.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span><br />1/4 cup sweet sorghum flour<br />1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour<br />1/4 cup potato starch<br />1/4 cup<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>ground flax seeds (you can purchase flax meal but the seeds are cheaper per pound)<br />1/3 cup almond flour<br />1 teaspoon baking powder (Hains)<br />1 teaspoon guar gum<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda (extra full - not a full teaspoon, maybe closer to 3/4 teaspoon)<br />1/3 cup butter<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />2 medium ripe bananas<br />1 egg<br />1/4 cup sour cream<br />1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Method</span><br />My butter was cold from the fridge so I cut it into chunks and threw it in my stand mixer with the paddle attachment and the sugar. I whipped it for a few minutes until the butter was well incorporated with the sugar. Then I added the egg, mixed well. Add the bananas (I just broke off chunks and dropped it in while the paddle was turning). Put the baking powder, guar gum<br />and baking soda in and mix well. Then I dumped the first two flours in. Mixed well. Put about a third of the sour cream in and mixed well. Then the potato starch and flax seeds, mixing well. Another third of the sour cream. Mix. Then the almond flour and remaining sour cream. I mixed it for just a moment the dropped in the nuts.<br /><br />I buttered a loaf pan and dusted some of the almond flour on the bottom and a little up the sides of the pan.<br /><br />350 degrees. 45-50 mins until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it sit in the pan about an hour if you can wait. It should turn right out of the pan.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Serve</span><br />We like butter<br /><br />We couldn't tell that this was made with alternative flours. YEA! =)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHHvKn44B0jWOGTxOsfNIGh2lbMTEvvVod3IL8bdp4CU4KSbee7v133aiXY34wNOTqmkiI_mjW3CZZfHqMJtPbdOcaBJK9JKtqTVqTAqdnPO3jgve4hcVZoNHms0_DYNOC_-82hUs-JwT/s1600/CIMG4440.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHHvKn44B0jWOGTxOsfNIGh2lbMTEvvVod3IL8bdp4CU4KSbee7v133aiXY34wNOTqmkiI_mjW3CZZfHqMJtPbdOcaBJK9JKtqTVqTAqdnPO3jgve4hcVZoNHms0_DYNOC_-82hUs-JwT/s200/CIMG4440.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596327084074282578" border="0" /></a><br />*Sorry for the blurry pics, I was too busy eating to re-take!David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-37923957481243525462011-04-10T12:31:00.000-07:002011-04-16T16:37:26.570-07:00Breakfast Food (beef, corn, gluten, peanut & soy free)Something David and I have enjoyed from the beginning of our marriage (6 years ago!) is having leisurely breakfasts together on the weekends. I would usually cook something and he'd make coffee or help with prep work and we'd linger over a great meal. When David was diagnosed with his allergies we had a hiccup in that routine but nothing major as it's easy to purchase corn free flours, if one is willing to pay the price. It's been almost 2 months since my diagnoses of a wheat and beef allergy and I have to say I've been tired of bacon and eggs for a while now...<br /><br />At some point I made <a href="http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes_detail.php?rid=77">Walrus Bread</a> from the back of a Bob's Red Mill garbanzo bean flour. I followed the recipe exactly with 3 substitutions. I used <a href="http://www.bobsredmill.com/guar-gum.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">GUAR</span> GUM</a> rather than <a href="http://www.bobsredmill.com/product.php?productid=3683"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Xanthan</span> Gum</a> which can be (and usually is) derived from corn. For the Vinegar I used RICE VINEGAR and for the vegetable oil I used Canola. I wanted this to be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">alllll</span> of our allergens free. I made the recipe to get a better feel for the flours. Unfortunately this bread is very much like a quick bread. Kind of crumbly and moist. It was okay. The <a href="http://www.bobsredmill.com/product.php?productid=3571">Garbanzo Bean Flour</a> made the bread taste "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">beany</span>". It wasn't strong but it was NOT wheat bread. Also it didn't rise much as the flours are so different and (obviously) don't contain gluten. Since the bread wasn't flexible enough to make a traditional french toast I did it in the oven. I even threw the crumbs and bits in because they "bake" together.<br /><br /><br />Here are some recipes I've done in the last few weeks to break the monotony *and fat* of bacon & eggs.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BAKED FRENCH TOAST</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">for 2</span><br />Ingredients<br />6 slices of Walrus Bread<br />2 TBSP butter, melted<br />2 eggs<br />1 cup milk<br />1-4 TBSP brown sugar (this bread is NOT sweet by itself)<br />1 tsp <a href="http://cornpeanutsandsoy.blogspot.com/2009/09/home-made-vanilla-extract.html">vanilla</a><br />1-3 tsp cinnamon<br /><br />Method<br />-Preheat oven to 350<br />-Grease 9*11 pan well<br />-Mix all ingredients well (except for the bread)<br />-Pour a few TBSP of the mixture on the bottom of the pan, enough to cover the bottom with a little extra<br />-Place the bread into the pan on the liquid<br />-Pour the rest of the liquid mix over the bread, slowly so it's absorbed<br />-Bake about 40 to 50 minutes or until a little brown and "dry" to the touch<br /><br />To Serve<br />Cut into squares and place on plate. Top with powdered sugar and maple syrup. Yummy.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PANCAKES for 2</span><br />Ingredients<br />(dry)<br />1/4 cup gluten free oats, ground fine<br />1/4 cup brown rice flour<br />1/4 cup buckwheat flour<br />1/4 cup sweet sorghum flour<br />2 TBSP flax seeds, ground fine<br />1 TBSP white sugar<br />3 tsp baking powder (<a href="http://www.glutenfreechoices.com/products/category.html/hain-pure-foods"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Hain</span> </a>is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">GF</span> & corn free)<br />1/4 tsp sea salt ground fine<br />(wet)<br />1 egg<br />1.25 cups milk (reserve .25 cup)<br />3 TBSP canola oil<br /><br />Method<br />-Mix dry ingredients well<br />-In a separate container mix wet ingredients well, using just 1 cup of the milk reserving a .25 cup of the milk<br />-Combine the wet and dry ingredients<br />-This pancake mix will be thicker than one made with wheat flour but if it's too thick to pour slowly add the .25 cup of reserved milk until the batter is "pourable"<br />-Heat a skillet or griddle on medium heat until very warm, water should sizzle on it<br />-Pour the batter onto the dry pan<br />-NOTE: Extra oil or butter should NOT be needed and the pancakes won't cook as well if one uses butter in the skillet (I use all stainless steel traditional pans that do NOT have non-stick surfaces and my pancakes browned more evenly and looked/textured more like wheat when I used a dry skillet)<br /><br />Serve<br />Serve pancakes with whatever you like! These pancakes are a little less sweet than traditional as buck wheat is slightly bitter.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">WAFFLES for 2</span><br />Ingredients<br />(dry)<br />1/4 cup gluten free oats, ground fine<br />1/4 cup brown rice flour<br />1/4 cup buckwheat flour<br />1/4 cup sweet sorghum flour<br />2 TBSP flax seeds, ground fine<br />2 tsp baking powder (<a href="http://www.glutenfreechoices.com/products/category.html/hain-pure-foods"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Hain</span></a> is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">GF</span> & corn free)<br />1/8 tsp sea salt ground fine<br />(wet)<br />1 egg<br />1 cup milk<br />1/3 cup canola oil, plus extra for the waffle iron<br /><br />Method<br />-Mix dry ingredients well<br />-In a separate container mix wet ingredients well, using just 1 cup of the milk reserving a .25 cup of the milk<br />-Combine the wet and dry ingredients<br />-Heat the waffle iron until it's very warm<br />-"Paint" the extra oil onto the waffle iron with a basting brush or spray non sick spray on the iron (if you can find a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">GF</span>, corn free one)<br />-Pour the batter onto the hot, greased iron and spread it out a little with a spoon<br />-NOTE: This batter won't "spread" out onto the iron like traditional gluten waffles. Also for some reason they love to cling to the iron. I found that oiling the iron and then letting the waffles cook until crispy brown makes them easier to remove.<br /><br /><br />Happy eating!David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-35236931088140471232011-03-20T16:45:00.000-07:002011-03-22T17:21:06.997-07:00What we miss...I think that prior to the discovery of my own food allergies it was easy for me to tell someone not to worry about making something special for Hubs, he didn't need it.... And this is still true, for both of us now. However, there are things we miss -<br /><br />Sunday<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Going to church</span>, the routine of Sunday: getting up having breakfast attending church with our friends and being in a class. We have chosen to attend on Saturday nights because here in the South, ladies and gentleman put on their Sunday best prior to arriving at church. This includes loads of perfumes, colognes, body powders, body sprays, deodorants, hair sprays, hair gels, nail polish and so on...... all of which contain corn. And sitting in, even our larger auditorium, amongst all that corn makes my husband sick. Enough to effect his ability to participate in worship and reap knowledge from the sermon.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Communion</span>, while we can still participate in the Spiritual aspect of remembrance and self examination we are unable to partake of the elements. I've yet to see corn free, gluten free, soy free communion elements and probably won't in this life time.<br /><br />Monday - Friday<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fast Food</span>, while we have never been a family that lives on fast food it is nice to have that option! Mondays always seem busiest and it would be nice to simply pick something up on the way home.<br /><br />Saturday<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MOVIES</span> in the theater at night! As a couple we have never gone much (David used to see one every weekend or so before we were married) but it was fun to do dinner and a movie from time to time. Now we have to sneak in at an early showing and avoid the popcorn maker. In the evenings there's too much popcorn floating around and wiped on handles and such.<br /><br />Life in General<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quick Grocery Shopping Trips</span>, I used to be able to shop for a week in less than 30 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">mins</span></span>. Now it's an hour minimum if I should up super early and only scan my regular items labels. Buying something new adds at least 5 minutes - there's no spur of the moment let's try this for this family!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eating meals at friends homes without crazy advance planning and worrying,</span> we entertain more in our home to avoid accidental contamination. We have wonder friends and family that work hard to accommodate us but it's hard to host us.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Whole What Flour</span>, I'm not going to lie. I feel better for avoiding whole wheat (gluten really I'm not eating gluten because every thing I have tried that was supposed to be wheat free has made me feel sick) but I miss knowing how to bake with out corn while still having wheat. I'm getting there. I've done gluten free, corn free pancakes with success. And brownies.<br /><br /><br /><br />So while we do work to keep a good attitude and not worry or complain, there are things we miss. They aren't huge but come up from time to time. Over all we are both healthier and happier for living with out and so we smile and say "no thanks" to the free breakfasts or lunches at work and agree with our coworkers that we eat super healthy. Some people will never understand that food allergies are medical conditions and if one continues to eat the foods that make them ill the worse their medical issues will be.<br /><br />PS - there are more but this is an insight to those that might not have considered the things that we avoid or do with out as a result of our allergies.David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-87183651527903262272011-03-13T15:58:00.000-07:002011-03-22T17:18:36.212-07:00BEEEEEEEF<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.newswise.com/images/uploads/2009/04/23/fullsize/cow_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 637px; height: 424px;" src="http://www.newswise.com/images/uploads/2009/04/23/fullsize/cow_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Learning about beef by products. Wow, it's quite prevalent in everyday foods. It can be found in many every day items such as:<br /><br />sausage<br />marshmallows<br />candies<br />mayonnaise<br />chewing gum<br />oleo<br />shortening<br />pate<br />clarification agents for juice, wine and beer<br />sausage casings<br />yogurt<br />cookies<br />gelatin in salads/desserts<br />head cheese<br />ice cream<br /><br />YIKES! It's pretty easy to eat gluten free but it's been challenging to do gluten and beef free. Example. Yogurt. I eat some nearly every day and had researched to make sure that one was gluten free. It was. But it had gelatin. Which was from beef. I usually feel pretty horrible for two days when I get contaminated by beef. It's not fun. And it's stinky. It oozes out of my pores gives me rotten egg gas and S.TA.N.K.Y. bm's. Yup. And those are just the things that you would notice. The pain and discomfort is what really bothers me. So now I'm constantly checking for gluten free first then doubling back to make sure it's also beef free. And thankfully I've found a yogurt that's both. Stonyfield plain organic. It would be Stonyfield, it's the most expensive in our market. =) Thankfully it's also very tasty and has simple ingredients, no additives or other misc. things.<br /><br /><br />PICTURE FROM: <a href="http://www.newswise.com/images/uploads/2009/04/23/fullsize/cow_b.jpg">http://www.newswise.com/images/uploads/2009/04/23/fullsize/cow_b.jpg</a>David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-87401379680666552642011-03-13T11:16:00.000-07:002012-10-17T15:06:16.640-07:00Road tripping with (multiple) food allergies....David and I loaded up the pups and made a long loop out to the Grand Canyon and back in a 13 day trip. The details of the road trip can be found <a href="http://davidandbeccaw2.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html" target="_blank">here</a> over the next few days or weeks. This post is going to be about eating on the road (literally) for nearly 2 weeks while avoiding BEEF, CORN, MUSTARD, PEANUTS, SOY, WHEAT and a handful of other misc. food allergies.<br />
<br />
What I packed:<br />
*One mid sized cooler<br />
*Wide mouth jars full of ice, wrapped in brown paper bag to prevent "sweating"<br />
*Rice<br />
*Canned beans<br />
^Kidney<br />
^Black<br />
^Pinto<br />
*Irish oats<br />
*Safe maple syrup<br />
*Brown sugar<br />
*Raisins<br />
*Home made trail mix<br />
*LARA Bars<br />
*Safe potato chips<br />
*Potato<br />
*Sweet Potato<br />
*Onion<br />
*Sea Salt & Pepper<br />
*Granola<br />
*Rice <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Chex</span><br />
*Canola oil<br />
*Apples (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">pre</span>-washed wrapped in safe paper towels and in zip top bags)<br />
*Oranges<br />
<br />
<br />
What we did while we were going from one stop to another:<br />
While we were on the road moving from home to stop one from stop one to stop two and so on was:<br />
1. Eat at Whole Foods where we could go in and each purchase something we could eat<br />
2. Cook roadside at rest stops. We did this more frequently because there aren't Whole Foods in the middle of West Texas and we limited our Whole Foods spending to gift cards David had received as Christmas presents (thanks!!) It's amazing how quickly one can set up a single propane burner & cook a pot of rice and heat some beans. That's what we did. A long long time ago <a href="http://davidandbeccaw2.blogspot.com/2008/11/death-of-rice-cooker-i-loaded-up-my.html">my little faithful rice cooker bit the dust</a>. I kept the pot and lid, for which I endured much teasing from Hubs. However, happily, it is brilliant for propane burner rice cooking! I didn't take any pictures but it's amazing. I guest-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">imate</span> the rice and water and ignore it. The rice has been perfect every time. Then we heat up a can of beans and wallah a gluten free, corn free dinner on the road. Literally on the road. Then we'd take a little walk and get back to the driving.<br />
<br />
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Wh</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCawSA3CDzV9fds1u2YInwYC_H7ETGZqpBAXevFi0R0hpjsUD9NO9shktU7PGEA_FT0x3s3p7oY0pyC3j2onhI5apQ4gU2f1_dvWpa8x3IW4FLzFLUyUrg5_IcrAKDhD_wPiEITe9H00h/s1600/CIMG4151.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586328154758701554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCawSA3CDzV9fds1u2YInwYC_H7ETGZqpBAXevFi0R0hpjsUD9NO9shktU7PGEA_FT0x3s3p7oY0pyC3j2onhI5apQ4gU2f1_dvWpa8x3IW4FLzFLUyUrg5_IcrAKDhD_wPiEITe9H00h/s200/CIMG4151.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ile</span> camping and in hotels we:<br />
1. Cooked. Of course. =) We mostly camped but even while we were in hotels for a night we'd cook out front. One evening David made dinner in the Grand Canyon outside the laundromat while I ran a load of laundry.<br />
Breakfasts: Eggs, bacon, potatoes, rice, steel cut oats. Steel cut oats are fantastic. More filling than regular oats and here is a little trick. If in the evening you bring your oats and water to a rapid boil for five minutes then remove the pot from the heat and allow it to sit out, in the morning you need only cook the oats for about 5-10 minutes. We did this several times and even when the pot sat out in AZ when it was less than 30 degrees the oats cooked up perfectly. (Typically steel cut oats simmer 45 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">mins</span>)<br />
<br />
Lunches: One of the days we did purchase fries and a milkshake (the two items we thought would be safe) from IN & OUT Burgers. Because w<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OrZ9D-oio0nm6gfsVVDz1ZP0WqnY58nSPY-RsPH5YI_Y2cRXQgc3oaOwwMuBC4u-NB3FCWrQsptD0wY9e19KK12NGEb9NuQZZh1uIK99DogoDX8iNJClC2NZuWxvnehSN4JRddHpVwTo/s1600/CIMG4141.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586328147077614482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OrZ9D-oio0nm6gfsVVDz1ZP0WqnY58nSPY-RsPH5YI_Y2cRXQgc3oaOwwMuBC4u-NB3FCWrQsptD0wY9e19KK12NGEb9NuQZZh1uIK99DogoDX8iNJClC2NZuWxvnehSN4JRddHpVwTo/s200/CIMG4141.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>e had to eat something from there. In & Out is the stuff of legends. Happily, David consumed both the chocolate shake and the fries with salt and had no reaction for corn or soy. It was fantastic. I believe I had a reaction to beef. Probably a cross contamination as they are a burger joint, or as a gelatin in the shake. Except for that day we camp fire or propane cooked food. Also, we ate cereal. David Wheat <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Chex</span> and me Rice <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Chex</span>. Sometimes we had granola with yogurt if we had found a grocery store between camping stops.<br />
<br />
Dinners: Our anniversary was 03.05.2011 so we ate out at a pretty nice place in NM - Albuquerque I think. We were both able to order something to eat with out a problem. With that single exception we cooked. Typically we found a grocery store where we could purchase meat and we would grill that with potatoes or rice. We could find eggs almost anywhere, even gas stations, so if we really wanted protein and couldn't find meat we'd fry eggs for dinner and eat them with rice and beans or potatoes.<br />
<br />
We ate well. That's what I really want to re-assure other allergy suffers. And for no more than <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTN9kCl5zY32WAeLdBn5eTmXsZcMJfQXA0lgRMz1CfRglUjQX6G3JCEyXH_koqJiuPNHOeeyQHTBbVUjRFXv3p1YCXt2fWwdtWhyphenhyphenSHtQsnSi7nab32yAlz0QHL1N54rznflK1Bxvhn1qga/s1600/CIMG4086.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586328155955697890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTN9kCl5zY32WAeLdBn5eTmXsZcMJfQXA0lgRMz1CfRglUjQX6G3JCEyXH_koqJiuPNHOeeyQHTBbVUjRFXv3p1YCXt2fWwdtWhyphenhyphenSHtQsnSi7nab32yAlz0QHL1N54rznflK1Bxvhn1qga/s200/CIMG4086.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>we would have spent had we been home.<br />
<br />
TIPS<br />
*Pack lots of filling, safe, foods!! You don't know when you'll find a market you can purchase safe foods in so pack nuts, hearty fruits & veggies that won't spoil like oranges, apples and root veggies<br />
*Plan at least a little. Know where you'll be able to eat out grocery shop at least to some extent.<br />
*Be flexible. Cereal for lunch is an option!David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-10707660336530825962011-02-25T12:26:00.000-08:002011-04-16T16:37:59.186-07:00Homemade Chicken Broth (beef, corn, gluten, peanut & soy free)First - it's easier than one might think! I typically clean out the last of my root veggies that are in the "eat me or toss me" stage of life. Whatever is in the veggie drawer goes in the pot. I prefer stove top simmering but this can be done just as easily in a slow cooker.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uE2vLLI1a0c19t0bQ4FwSWguDyM0yaX4FQAsaH1qd5bR3DY70syb7HRY2TMBwWEZ9RuPIH3TojDz-QkTYdz7F5xYsSZ2YvmdqCkGpKW5ixJFgjxdb6DzeKnSvSw2o1SlORj2G2I6jPhM/s1600/chicken+stock.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 346px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uE2vLLI1a0c19t0bQ4FwSWguDyM0yaX4FQAsaH1qd5bR3DY70syb7HRY2TMBwWEZ9RuPIH3TojDz-QkTYdz7F5xYsSZ2YvmdqCkGpKW5ixJFgjxdb6DzeKnSvSw2o1SlORj2G2I6jPhM/s400/chicken+stock.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577728603426070082" border="0" /></a>INGREDIENTS<br />chicken or turkey carcass, skin, fat (I like to keep a glass container for "discard" and one for "eat". Into the discard goes all the skin*, fat*, bones and whatever else I find that I don't want on my plate. Of course the chicken meat goes into the eat one.)<br />water<br />veggies such as:<br /><ul><li>onion</li><li>celery</li><li>carrot</li><li>shallots</li><li>scallions</li><li>parsnip</li><li>garlic<br /></li></ul>seasonings such as:<br /><ul><li>salt</li><li>pepper</li><li>bay leaf</li><li>sage</li><li>rosemary</li><li>thyme<br /></li><li>nutmeg (only a pinch)</li><li>paprika</li></ul>METHOD<br />I load my largest pan with all of the above with the items that don't fit whole (such as carrots) roughly chopped. *I buy organic veggies and while I do wash them well, I DON'T peel or skin them b/c most of what goes in the pot will be trash at the end*<br />Bring it to a rapid boil then reduce to a simmer and allow it to simmer for as long as you can. 24 hours is good. I sometimes turn mine off and leave it on the stove for overnight (8 hours or less) than bring it back to a rapid boil for a few minutes and back to a simmer for a second day.<br />I get about 8 cups of good broth from my 5qt stock pot. You can thin it out if you'd like but I like it rich so I fill the pot with water only once and let it go until 1/2 of the water simmers out. I taste it every few hours and adjust spices as needed.<br /><br />When the broth has reached desired taste I send it through a large colander into a measure cup and/or bowls. This pulls all the veggies, fat, skin and bones. Most of what went into the pot will be pretty much disintegrated and mushy. This time around my carrots were still in good shape and had good flavor so I pulled them from the mush to stick in my soup. They'll disintegrate completely in it which is fine because it's split pea. Most of what goes into that is cooked into nothing. The second time I use a much finer colander to catch the sludge of spices and disintegrated "stuff". If the broth seems very fatty you can let it sit out. The fat will separate and thicken on the top and is easily skimmed off with a slotted spoon or small scoop.<br /><br />Today I'm using the broth I made yesterday for split pea soup. But it can be frozen in ice cube trays or muffin tins then transferred to a zip top back for later use. If it's pre-frozen in a tray it's easier to thaw out the amount needed rather than have to use the entire batch.<br /><br />*We buy range free organic chickens. They have very little fat on them. Conventional chickens might be fatty in which case I would NOT include the fat/skin unless you have the time to allow the broth to cool completely so you can skim the excess fat off the top.David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-85316622125185267852011-02-24T07:49:00.000-08:002011-04-16T16:38:47.496-07:00(our) Allergen Free Meatballs (beef, corn, gluten, peanut & soy free)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQisVu1qSz0pGGJsTpeqZn-OTRU71XuFY77FUfd8eAF58iDI0hfGw4LPs0JB09USEbLznjWSjp33xm4vD5iedKKEv8bBbQjCeNdi5xiEXy68GpMuLOaFfFjDYhb3XHbQcn_BJ9YjJCtXSj/s1600/1+grind.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQisVu1qSz0pGGJsTpeqZn-OTRU71XuFY77FUfd8eAF58iDI0hfGw4LPs0JB09USEbLznjWSjp33xm4vD5iedKKEv8bBbQjCeNdi5xiEXy68GpMuLOaFfFjDYhb3XHbQcn_BJ9YjJCtXSj/s320/1+grind.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577291676991763890" border="0" /></a>A staple in our home is meatballs. I always have (home made) meatballs in the freezer. I usually do about 1/2 clean ground pork and 1/2 grass fed ground beef. Now that I'm allergic to beef I've been investigating meat alternatives and figuring out how to stock up on this heavily relied upon freezer staple.<br /><br /><br /><br />I chose:<br />Pork because I was familiar with it as an ingredient.<br />Lamb for a little flavor and fat.<br />Ground chicken for extra meat but relatively neutral flavor.<br /><br /><br /><br />I purchased clean (no antibiotics, no hormones, pastured piggies) ground pork and clean ground lamb at the market. I purchased whole organic chicken (boneless skinless) breasts an<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7pK0XwUp0_2TviyPACLh3M80rGhJkUaan10wBS7nz3RSgMW1kq_6zaS9RcPqORUyFiMd6OAZRe4f8oHMgtR6CaWg3oK61WXUhwCEqE1A2pUtk3eDT3ASboT_BrtjJ8DhxWK6g8IUWYb9/s1600/1.4+ground.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7pK0XwUp0_2TviyPACLh3M80rGhJkUaan10wBS7nz3RSgMW1kq_6zaS9RcPqORUyFiMd6OAZRe4f8oHMgtR6CaWg3oK61WXUhwCEqE1A2pUtk3eDT3ASboT_BrtjJ8DhxWK6g8IUWYb9/s320/1.4+ground.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577291689541239570" border="0" /></a>d stuck them in the freezer. This morning I sent them through the "shred" attachment on my food processor. I don't have a meat grinder but because they were mostly frozen they went through cleanly and shredded quite nicely. I think that boneless skinless thighs would be fine as well but more difficult to shred because of the smaller size.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAtkPnE-nS6-0BPF7vzUbuAKxoe7QFsyZBXrpmpYmxxxVX93JeJJrJVSHEeWLYvDo49OSHb6hI5WfaQWYwiPpamUhsyMXgyKT4aaeUvBsmcspFBfBWZ1NUAJYi4a0uKfD55FxoGYrMSaQ/s1600/2.1+meat+edited.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAtkPnE-nS6-0BPF7vzUbuAKxoe7QFsyZBXrpmpYmxxxVX93JeJJrJVSHEeWLYvDo49OSHb6hI5WfaQWYwiPpamUhsyMXgyKT4aaeUvBsmcspFBfBWZ1NUAJYi4a0uKfD55FxoGYrMSaQ/s320/2.1+meat+edited.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577291687444279474" border="0" /></a>MEAT<br />1 lb ground pork<br />1 lb ground lamb<br />1 lb "shredded" chicken breast<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />B<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MaysQGocxWJvzKsmRy1OWzOJ6nLmqWp7uqaeNO1hFssm1fgeb8cl72t33r_LKjF2LLjwL0SICFU8dy8kHRplueGSTSB3I4mZHvqW9fyc6QF8qZsOaZLEfRwoesCJagTFHBBvN-RD3wg4/s1600/3+mix+meat.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MaysQGocxWJvzKsmRy1OWzOJ6nLmqWp7uqaeNO1hFssm1fgeb8cl72t33r_LKjF2LLjwL0SICFU8dy8kHRplueGSTSB3I4mZHvqW9fyc6QF8qZsOaZLEfRwoesCJagTFHBBvN-RD3wg4/s320/3+mix+meat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577291690737905026" border="0" /></a>INDING<br />2 eggs (I have heard that you can supplement ground flax seed & water for egg)<br />1/2 cup or so quick cooking oats {one can use traditional (NOT Irish!) oats but they should be ground or chopped prior to adding them to the meat.}<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />S<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCYyByav5w5uZZuVjf1Dulr_xXww5v1XKqTgpxwz-aeiwrNBiBOqXJrU6i74IZiW1qhXwI7okn9WAFkk2d-sAIhVrGdI-f0MsUyodNnKSUMLrNSWtZSm7BtErxUcN0on-lfCCBRqKWxzm/s1600/4.1+season.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCYyByav5w5uZZuVjf1Dulr_xXww5v1XKqTgpxwz-aeiwrNBiBOqXJrU6i74IZiW1qhXwI7okn9WAFkk2d-sAIhVrGdI-f0MsUyodNnKSUMLrNSWtZSm7BtErxUcN0on-lfCCBRqKWxzm/s320/4.1+season.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577293732242113666" border="0" /></a>EASON<br />Onion Granules<br />Garlic Powder<br />Italian Season Mix from Cost Plus World Market<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />CHEESE<br />2-3 oz Plain Feta, crumbled<br />2-4 oz Parmesan, shredded<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumE-zjOGfEWen__GWqOU-BKZ5KMbbTD2efQ43QKeaJY8nLNQcgjMosqOZvvHOSOchaGYYqIrD-2dGZDX8mV4Nx-5mHoQ6Go5G3cLqjl2f2_RjA5tbQ6QHJrMBh9iX1wKOhRR9El9y-leH/s1600/5+oat.+egg.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumE-zjOGfEWen__GWqOU-BKZ5KMbbTD2efQ43QKeaJY8nLNQcgjMosqOZvvHOSOchaGYYqIrD-2dGZDX8mV4Nx-5mHoQ6Go5G3cLqjl2f2_RjA5tbQ6QHJrMBh9iX1wKOhRR9El9y-leH/s320/5+oat.+egg.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577293735007162322" border="0" /></a>METHOD<br />Drop all meat into large bowl (in my case I used a stand mixer with flat attachment but a large bowl and clean hands would work too). Mix until the meats are thoroughly combined. Dump in season & cheeses. Mix again until all is thoroughly combined. I then added one egg and mixed thoroughly to see how it would feel. I decided that for my preference I wanted a 2nd egg and some oats. Mix until everything is combined well and the meat clings to the mixer paddle.<br /><br />Scoop onto cookie sheets. I use a hand held medium scoop and fill up the sheets. Then I use my hands to form them into a better ball shape.<br /><br />Bake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEK1MlycNgADgH2ct7Z9qW_ReWTIMtIm7U7532wAcvv4I7lta37oG2BD6UmH02Z0z2vnfgWML2V5tbGnJqgU56LBufTVXrjMrWy4gdpf93vMJOxAHiQDoNpHTySe0XSALIVgSk-0DIrzb/s1600/6.1+scoop.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEK1MlycNgADgH2ct7Z9qW_ReWTIMtIm7U7532wAcvv4I7lta37oG2BD6UmH02Z0z2vnfgWML2V5tbGnJqgU56LBufTVXrjMrWy4gdpf93vMJOxAHiQDoNpHTySe0XSALIVgSk-0DIrzb/s320/6.1+scoop.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577293740866290146" border="0" /></a> at 400 degrees Fahrenheit about 18-20 mins. (Baking them this long is baking them all the way through. If you want to finish baking them in a sauce prior to serving cut baking time in 1/2.) When you peek at them they should be paler than when they went in but browning and you should be able to hear a sizzle. Don't over bake. They are very low fat and will be tough, chewy and unpleasant. (Well I think they would be, thankfully I didn't have to experience this.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />EAT<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCGqaeDWuz8dd13vZjxtdOR1p205QNxsH4_K9ugetFtVDmj-TW9s9z1oC7W9fXjb3gNhbOIx6qxdd58xnfqiuURG_qq4zz01y0wpi-34o0E8LupVnt_6ETgBs7Fkb2ZnW49W8vV-4zY9m/s1600/6.3+all+scooped.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 50px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCGqaeDWuz8dd13vZjxtdOR1p205QNxsH4_K9ugetFtVDmj-TW9s9z1oC7W9fXjb3gNhbOIx6qxdd58xnfqiuURG_qq4zz01y0wpi-34o0E8LupVnt_6ETgBs7Fkb2ZnW49W8vV-4zY9m/s320/6.3+all+scooped.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577293742256909890" border="0" /></a><br />I ate them hot off the pan to make sure they were delicious before baking my second batch. Ordinarily we eat them with pasta and tomato sauce but they<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9wEkEND9lAVJxbClBnR_ki42qJ_-GEP8NfNsMiK9dzmTLN5DuqD9L9gUUYnJZqMqxllxgRQvrarXQhyphenhyphenJzfmBrO9nb2hyphenhyphen12LG-jPlXcGz-2AMA9OWR4XU6-8-MtmZiZekM9iOe6yM1Mlw/s1600/7+shaped+by+hand.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 49px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9wEkEND9lAVJxbClBnR_ki42qJ_-GEP8NfNsMiK9dzmTLN5DuqD9L9gUUYnJZqMqxllxgRQvrarXQhyphenhyphenJzfmBrO9nb2hyphenhyphen12LG-jPlXcGz-2AMA9OWR4XU6-8-MtmZiZekM9iOe6yM1Mlw/s320/7+shaped+by+hand.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577293747060594274" border="0" /></a> are good for sandwiches and pizza topping also.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNzeUE4x1aSjhegSpLbnS_dIhfwrRsB5WC8Hp6EHl7as9Dvk0WzJROzVIxBew7GvPQy4k8HCs8En3uDxsyP9YneK-lfa_B4Irow1MU8-pVglJPKvg8rvmGuU4JJb9mfIKMzfIj1Qcsz5J8/s1600/8+baking.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNzeUE4x1aSjhegSpLbnS_dIhfwrRsB5WC8Hp6EHl7as9Dvk0WzJROzVIxBew7GvPQy4k8HCs8En3uDxsyP9YneK-lfa_B4Irow1MU8-pVglJPKvg8rvmGuU4JJb9mfIKMzfIj1Qcsz5J8/s320/8+baking.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577295365638754242" border="0" /></a>STORE<br />After the meatballs have been cooled completely, I always set aside several for the evening meal. Then I put the rest of them into a zip top freezer bag and drop them in our deep freezer. Typically I make meatballs about once every 6 weeks or so. When we use the last few I wait a few days or a week and start the process over again. This recipe yields approximately 48-50 medium (2 inch diameter) meatballs. It's very easy to double<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeDl4ne2tNYm0h5QJ5fKi5yf7Zn0zjFNmaLo7EQFpgVaSNAm6dH5bz47a4m1CiEXKj5j6DDmJgOKmuo7A0pYs8MAyg-DmqOYFRSzgCYXdXOw914v8DROzJ_g0VXv0-upq_jMnxoNfwS40/s1600/9+baked.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeDl4ne2tNYm0h5QJ5fKi5yf7Zn0zjFNmaLo7EQFpgVaSNAm6dH5bz47a4m1CiEXKj5j6DDmJgOKmuo7A0pYs8MAyg-DmqOYFRSzgCYXdXOw914v8DROzJ_g0VXv0-upq_jMnxoNfwS40/s320/9+baked.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577295364586768546" border="0" /></a> this recipe if one feeds more than 2 people at a time. I find that this is a good number to have on hand for the two of us for quick meals.<br /><br />TASTE<br />I think it's evident there is no beef. That being said they are delicious. I can't wait to get them soaking in marinara and onto my (rice) pasta tonight. I've eaten 3 fresh off the pan and I can taste a little lamb but it's very subtle. Neither pork or chicken stand out and I think once the balls are in a sauce or dish the lamb flavor will be concealed except that I know it's there.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4qaxz_w8ctzT2kt6vul1FvMNBY_nGWOTwtEy0fVBqkIB53QyJ2NOj_7JDe5a-5I0p0pbwKg415oyV3HY90QbAWaMmdT_HvrGYYvA7um98vicIsneN1oZ0xitTTSdeumHUhPojSRdr9S7/s1600/10+cooling.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 102px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4qaxz_w8ctzT2kt6vul1FvMNBY_nGWOTwtEy0fVBqkIB53QyJ2NOj_7JDe5a-5I0p0pbwKg415oyV3HY90QbAWaMmdT_HvrGYYvA7um98vicIsneN1oZ0xitTTSdeumHUhPojSRdr9S7/s320/10+cooling.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577295368869422018" border="0" /></a>PHOTOS<br />Pictures are in order of preparation starting with the method I used to shred my chicken and working the way through the recipe to show the difference between "scooped" meat balls and "shaped" meat balls (there really isn't much difference but I'm particular). The in the oven shot is about 1/2 way through baking. The cookie sheet shot is just out of the oven and the final picture is of my first batch of meat balls cooling and waiting on the final 30 to arrive from the oven.David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-25974437393048372522011-02-24T05:15:00.001-08:002011-02-24T05:51:28.666-08:00Buckwheat noodlesI've done very little cooking of late. There's a certain amount of shock that arrives with a food allergy diagnoses that is about as opposite as the one we already deal with. I've cleaned out my fridge & pantry twice and still find items I can't really eat (ginger keeps sneaking up on me in crazy places). On Tuesday night I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">tackled</span> buckwheat noodles. While the name seems scary they are actually a gluten free product *while gluten free = wheat free, wheat free does NOT = gluten free*. I have attempted them before because I was hoping to find something wheat free to incorporate into our diet but was never happy with them and thus, discontinued using them. Being told I'm allergic to wheat was enough to get me to try buckwheat noodles again.<br /><br />I cooked them by instinct this time rather than just package instructions. Since I was planning a loose white sauce I added olive oil & salt to the water as I would if I were using wheat noodles. I cooked them right at 5 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">mins</span> then did a quick cold water rinse. <br /><br />While the noodles boiled I used a little 1/2 and 1/2, cottage cheese & <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Parmesan</span> cheese to make a loose or watery white sauce. Buckwheat seems to absorb a lot of liquid so when we loaded our bowls with fresh spinach, then the noodles then the sauce, the sauce thickened in the bowl and left us with cheesy deliciousness.<br /><br />Today the plan is to make meatballs. I purchased ground pork, ground lamb & chicken breasts. I'm going to send the chicken through my food processor to get them about the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">consistency</span> of ground chicken (we can't buy ground turkey or chicken it's all corny corny corny).David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-28853425526378120002011-02-19T09:25:00.000-08:002011-02-19T16:13:05.686-08:00Have you always been allergic?The most common question that is asked usually right behind "What are your symptoms?" or the alternate "What made you want to get tested?" which is basically the same question.<br /><br />And so, I don't really recall having any problems digesting any of my allergens (wheat, beef, caraway, ginger, mustard, scallop) before I was 18 or so. When I was very young I had eczema, a classic sign of food allergy but I think that it's only been associated with food allergies in the last 10-15 years. My eczema cleared up, I think on it's own as I aged. It usually appeared behind my ears.<br /><br />When I was 18 I went to college where I lived on cafeteria food and things I occasionally cooked in a shared kitchen. I don't really remember what all I ate but I do remember they had build your own pizza options and lots of cereal all the time. Since that's what I remember the most clearly, that's probably what I mostly ate.<br /><br />At 19 I moved to TX and into my own apartment. My budget was very tight and since it was just me, I typically ate a lot of salads, very little meat and sometimes cereal. On the weekends I'd often cook up one big dish of something and eat it during the week but my diet consisted of very little bread or baked goods. I'd occasionally buy a cheap loaf of white bread b/c I find this to be the BEST for grilled cheese sandwiches.<br /><br />I can distinctly remember going with a friend to his family home where his mother ground her own wheat and baked a lot. I can also remember having terrible stomach cramps, bloating and gas while there. I associated it to the (fresh ground) whole wheat which I rarely ate b/c as stated before I bought very little bread and only the cheap white stuff rarely.<br /><br />One time I went with co-workers to the Olive Garden where I ate the endless soup, salad & bread sticks and gorged myself senseless (back then it was $4 at lunch). I was in such pain and agony that I had to go home early from work, something I never did because, at the time I didn't have paid time off. It was horrible the pain was unbearable. I attributed it to the ice burg lettuce that was exclusively used at that time.<br /><br />I got married at a few weeks shy of 24. David's income was far greater than mine and his appetite and food consumption much more varied and much larger quantities than mine. I'd gotten in the habit of grocery shopping less than every 2 weeks. With David I was finding that I needed to buy 3-4 times what I was used to purchasing. He loved that I could cook and bake. He loved that he could say "I feel like fresh bread" and he'd come home and it'd be there warm waiting with a home cooked meal. He delighted in the fact that out of all the women he had known he'd married the one that could cook anything and bake everything. And so I did. I cooked and baked <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">a lot</span>. And started gaining weight. Which I attributed to:<br />A) being happy<br />B) meals being intimate and social rather than quick and necessary<br />C) the wider variety and bigger consumption.<br />All of the above was probably true but I think, now, there was more going on.<br /><br />About 18 months ago David was diagnosed as allergic to corn & soy so we eliminated everything from our house with either of those ingredients. We switched to 100% organic whole wheat pastas, cereals, flours, crackers, pretzels and so on. I packed on the weight. Which I attributed to stress and anxiety. I struggled with depression and exhaustion. Again I dismissed these indications as stress or how hot it is here in Houston all the time. My gut became unpredictable. I'd have about 5 seconds between "I have to go" and getting to the bathroom. The pain and bloating was uncomfortable and the gas was embarrassing. As the <a href="http://cornpeanutsandsoy.blogspot.com/search/label/Becca%27s%20allergy%20symptoms">indications </a>stacked up I ignored what I have suspected for some time - I was allergic to wheat. I didn't want the inconvenience or complications. If one is just allergic to wheat there are many, many gluten free options that are fantastic. Baking mixes, snacks, cereals and so on but for us they aren't an option because all of it contains corn or soy. David is so sensitive to corn that I don't bring anything in the house that has any amount of corn in it. Cross contamination is a big concern when there are trace amounts of corn so I rarely bring anything that even contains ingredients derived from corn into our home. Eliminating wheat just seemed overwhelming.<br /><br />Here's the deal though. Looking at things I loved like yeast donuts makes my cheeks flush and my gut twinge now. I remember the pain and discomfort I was experiencing and I don't even want it. It took David over a year to get to this point and I'm so thankful I am already here. It makes it so much easier to simply stick to wheat free, beef free, mustard free and so on eating.<br /><br />So go get tested. It's not that complicated. It's worth the hassle and after four days my energy is returning and my belly is settling. I'm not nearly at the energy level when I was in my 20's and working full time w/extra hours and taking classes at night and swimming every morning but I had the energy (and desire) to clean out my truck and sweep the garage. Lately it's been all I can do to keep up w/the house and laundry. Weekends were for sitting on my tush re-cooping from the house cleaning and the long weeks of cooking and laundry and my part time care giving job.David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-77390809591450277412011-02-18T13:42:00.000-08:002011-02-18T14:00:27.691-08:003 days allergen freeI had made an appointment with a General Practitioner to have a physical done including blood work and a UA to see if anything turned up to help explain any of my symptoms. After diagnosed as allergic to wheat I assumed the bulk of my problems were driven by my diet being laden with wheat but decided to keep the appointment as it'd been about 5 years since I'd had a physical. As I was reading about wheat allergy, naturally I stumbled into all things gluten and then Celiac disease. Several medical conditions such as : Diabetes, Non Hodgkins Lymphoma and a host of other things are linked to Celiac Disease. Both run in my family so I started to wonder if I should under go further testing. Some indications of Celiac are similar to a wheat allergy (Celiac Disease is an <span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">autoimmune disorder, NOT an allergy and it is genetically linked - you have to carry the gene to have the disease.) but can show up in vitamin deficiency, hypo/hyper blood sugar, and </span><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">hypo/hyper thyroid. All of my blood work came back with in range, with exception of things that indicated I was having an allergic reaction, and so I've put the idea of Celiac Disease (for me anyway) on the back burner. Another indication: I forgot my allergy pill last night which I take for seasonal allergies. Today, despite fasting, I've felt nauseated off and on. An allergy pill would not combat symptoms of Celiac Disease but I think I'm having some relief from my food allergies when I take my seasonal allergy pill.<br /><br />Another reason to prefer a wheat allergy to a corn allergy: I can take many OTC and prescription drugs with little concern of wheat.... David on the other hand can not take any OTC meds and thus far we have had to had the few drugs he's needed specifically compounded with out corn... looks like standard prescription meds are basically out of the question as well. Boo for Government subsidized corn making it super cheap and thus grossly over used.<br /></span>David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-50318751060029702032011-02-17T17:55:00.000-08:002011-04-16T16:39:33.365-07:00White Chicken Chili (beef, corn, gluten, peanut & soy free)I cooked tonight. I took last night and the night before off because we had a mountain of foods I can no longer eat and David needed to work his way through them because, quite frankly, our food is expensive. Even before it was pricey I H.A.T.E.D. to throw away food. Such a waste. If one plans accordingly it's not necessary to throw away food. That being said I made an allergen free White Chicken Chili tonight. It was delicious. I can do this - totally and I feel even better. I've been told to look forward to weeks 3 and 4 of being allergen free. That I'll feel fantastic and have crazy amounts of energy. Yes!<br /><br />White Chicken Chili (or soup if you add lots of broth) (free of corn, wheat, soy, peanuts, beef.............)<br />2 Cans of white beans (I used Kroger brand organic pinto and organic <a href="http://www.edenfoods.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=21_32&products_id=103109">Eden's Cannellini</a> beans)<br />16-32 oz or so of chicken broth (<a href="http://www.kitchenbasics.net/display.cfm?p=69&pp=16&ppp=3">Kitchen Basics</a> for me)<br />Salsa to taste (I had home made that I needed to use before too long)<br />Garlic, 2 cloves - chopped<br />Olive oil (Bertolli) & butter (organic HEB label)<br />CHEESE (organic HEB label)<br />2-4 chicken breasts (I had organic)<br />1/2 bell pepper<br />salt & pepper to taste<br /><br /><br />Chop the chicken and brown it in the oil/butter. Add the bell pepper and garlic once the chicken starts to brown up. Let it all cook a few minutes. Dump in the salsa - up to 8oz would work if you like that much spice - and beans. Simmer for a few minutes. Add chicken broth to desired thickness. Grate cheese. I put about a 1/2 cup in the soup and reserve some for the top. Let it all simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Add additional seasonings if desired. I typically add cumin, cayenne pepper, adobe chili and onion & garlic powders because we like a little punch.<br /><br />To serve:<br />For us we either use potato chips or wheat crackers. I can't have wheat crackers any more.<br /><br />David (corn allergy) : ate his with cheese on top and his pretzel rods as a dipping bread stick<br />Becca (wheat allergy) : ate hers with Rice Chex and cheese. I put the chex on bottom and ladled the soup on top. Then topped with cheese.<br /><br />NOTE: David can't have rice chexDavid and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-43492797047067136872011-02-16T14:49:00.000-08:002011-02-16T15:14:56.465-08:0024 hrs Wheat FreeSo I've been wheat free for 24 hrs and I'm already feeling better. I ate a banana this morning on my Rice Chex for second breakfast (first breakfast was at 5am, steel cut oats with brown sugar & raisins so I needed a 2nd at about 9:30). The banana was a mistake. It wasn't on my test panel so I wasn't tested for an allergy to banana but it tore me up. No more bananas for me. I've also decided to avoid eggs as I was tested only for egg whites (negative), not yolks and I believe I have had a reaction to eggs. It could be that I typically eat eggs with toast but to be safe I'm avoiding them and after a month or so I'll see if it was the eggs or just the toast.<br /><br />I already feel better. For those on the fence get tested. It took me less than an hour of my time and $35 out of pocket.<br /><br />24 hours wheat free and while not 100% right, my gut is far less painful. My bottom is not itchy. I'm tired but not nearly as fatigued. I read today that many of my seasonal allergy symptoms (confirmed for me with skin prick in 2002) could also be wheat allergy symptoms so I'm hoping to see a decrease in those things as well.<br /><br />I wish I could remember some of the websites I visited but here are the wheat allergy symptoms I remember:<br /><ul><li>Swelling, itching or irritation of the mouth or throat</li><li>Hives, itchy rash or swelling of the skin</li><li>Nasal congestion</li><li> Itchy, watery eyes</li><li>Difficulty breathing</li><li>Cramps, nausea or vomiting</li><li>Diarrhea</li><li>Anaphylaxis</li></ul>I have all of the above minus the anaphylaxis but attributed the first five to seasonal allergies. Which may be correct but might not be. Or maybe those symptoms won't be as ridiculous.<br /><br />I'm relieved that I know what's bothering me. I had suspicions about certain foods but now that it's "official" I feel confidant in eliminating them and calling them for what they are: allergies. Rather than just feeling sick every time I ate today I was fine (minus the banana but I knew what it was right away b/c I tested negative for rice and milk, the only two things I ate with the banana). Yesterday I experience nausea all day. Same with all the days prior.<br /><br />Not everyone has the same symptoms to the same allergies. Get tested. I should have done it 18 months ago when I had my original suspicions. All of my reasons for waiting seem like silly excuses now.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PS</span> Don't expect your regular physician to recommend food allergy testing. It's an under-diagnosed problem that even allergy clinics are hesitant to recommend. I see an asthma/allergy specialist every 6 months for my asthma & seasonal allergies and when I requested a food allergy test she grilled me on what would make me think I would need one. I didn't mention wheat (ever hopeful) but talked about how I sometimes felt after eating eggs, avocados & iceberg lettuce (tested negative for egg whites, avocados & lettuce go figure). Even if I didn't have anything specific to talk about I would have pushed for a test due to <a href="http://cornpeanutsandsoy.blogspot.com/search/label/Becca%27s%20allergy%20symptoms">general malaise</a>. When <a href="http://cornpeanutsandsoy.blogspot.com/2009/06/in-beginning.html">David requested his allergy test the Doctor all but laughed at him. Especially when he got to the symptom of heartburn</a>. Yet, he ran the basic panel (10 foods I think) and said "Wow, that's interesting" when he saw the huge reaction to corn. You have to be your own advocate and take control of your own health care.David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-89791412898989828182011-02-16T04:14:00.000-08:002011-02-16T04:47:43.543-08:00Wifey's allergiesIn June of 2009 we discovered David had a severe allergy to corn and allergies to peanut and soy as well. I've been contemplating getting myself tested since then thinking I might have an allergy to wheat but hoping it was only in my head. After a year and a half or so of food managing we have David's allergies in control but I've been feeling crummier and crummier.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Symptoms </span>(because let's be honest this is the stuff everyone wants to know):<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nausea</span> - a lot of it: after eating, before/after eliminating waste (BM's, Poop - whatever you call it)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Abdominal cramping</span> - usually after eating<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gas </span>- sometimes it just sits in my gut, sometimes it passes and sometimes it has no smell and sometimes it's clear the room something died horrible<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Inability to loose/difficulty maintaining weight</span> - My weight has fluctuated a lot in the last 18 months and I've struggled especially in the last 6-9 months to reach my goal weight. Prior to marriage (6 years) I've had very little difficulty maintaining weight and if it started to creep up I'd count calories for a week or two to readjust my concept of healthy portions. Despite counting calories (weighing & measuring everything I eat/drink) my weight has not changed - I'm at the high end of healthy for my height - I'm hoping once I eliminate the wheat I'll get back down to lower-mid healthy weight<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Itchy bottom</span> - a sure sign of food allergies if unrelated to hemorrhoids or yeast infection but I dismissed it as having to use cheap, scratchy toilet paper b/c it was the only corn free stuff. Hey, I was in denial loosing wheat is going to be tough on my love of baking.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fatigue </span>- my lack of energy has been obnoxious<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Foggy brain </span>- Not sure how else to describe this but my mind feels a little sluggish and bogged down. I attributed this to being out of school since May and not really challenging myself mentally but now I believe it's related to the wheat allergy in particular.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bloating </span>- I have been carrying water weight that makes me uncomfortable all the time<br /><br /><br />Since the discovery of David's allergy to corn & soy we have gone to 100% wheat for a lot of things such as pastas, cereals, flours, breads and so on. This is probably why over the last 18 months and especially the last 6 or 9 I've been miserable. I asked David if he thought something was wrong with me. He said "Yeah, but I'm not as observant or in tune as you are." I was hoping he'd be able to pin point symptoms for me as I'd done for him. I think over the next few months as I start to feel better I'll be able to pin point additional symptoms or indications that I handily dismissed.<br /><br />I'm not really even upset about the beef. I'll miss steaks but I can do with out, we don't eat them that often anyway. It's the wheat that's going to be a pain.<br /><br />I'm REALLY looking forward to feeling well again. I can't wait to experience a day or two without gut pain or nausea. And to stop retaining water and all of the other indications to fade away.<br /><br />I'm thankful that I'm uniquely equipped to handle this food allergy because I've learned over the last 18 months while helping David manage his allergies.David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-68419469553978264222010-12-22T12:41:00.001-08:002010-12-22T13:21:13.767-08:00Christmas Baking Corn FreeAvoiding corn during the holidays is even more difficult with the exchange of cookies and treats and shared meals.<br /><br />Baking is something I thoroughly enjoy and now tackle the task with a more observant eye and wary outlook. I assume that if an ingredient is not self explanatory that it is corn. This is the safest thing to do at this point. Thus, coloring frosting for sugar cookies has been the object to tackle of late. The sugar cookies were a <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/the-best-rolled-sugar-cookies/Detail.aspx">basic recip</a><a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/the-best-rolled-sugar-cookies/Detail.aspx">e</a>:<br /><br /><div class="ingredients" style="margin-top: 10px;"> <ul><li class="plaincharacterwrap"> 3/4 cup organic unsalted butter, softened</li><li class="plaincharacterwrap"> 1 cup organic white sugar</li><li class="plaincharacterwrap"> 2 organic free range eggs</li><li class="plaincharacterwrap"> 1/2 teaspoon home made vanilla extract</li><li class="plaincharacterwrap"> 2-1/2 cups naturally white Hodgson Mill flour</li><li class="plaincharacterwrap"> 1 teaspoon Hain baking powder</li><li class="plaincharacterwrap"> 1/2 teaspoon sea salt salt</li></ul>which I baked yesterday. Using cookie cutters is so fun - creating tasty shapes and making a mess. I ran out of time to make icing though. This morning I made a basic frosting but wanted a colorful frosting in addition to white. I am not certain that food coloring is corn free so it wasn't an option. After making a batch of frosting I took just a little more than 1/2 and set it aside. To the remaining I added a tablespoon or so of organic strawberry jelly and a handful of pureed fresh cranberries. This thinned the frosting out a bit so I added additional organic powdered sugar to add a bit of stiffness to it. Not only is the frosting delicious it looks close to a red color. It's a bit faint but I didn't want to end up with gobs of frosting and thus didn't add more cranberry which would mean more sugar.....<br /> </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3T77ENwE6wYII1no-AKVNiyLP_1w8hXLg-iu_Ueq2Xy7XGnN5KFyMskQmzHRdsUtLrGj4iWsNRt_MnEj7mYWHjKGJhMR5mSbtEssFky8X6W1nMGWJzg6Yv3YeVHK93A2metYhsuAFnM8-/s1600/CIMG3965.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3T77ENwE6wYII1no-AKVNiyLP_1w8hXLg-iu_Ueq2Xy7XGnN5KFyMskQmzHRdsUtLrGj4iWsNRt_MnEj7mYWHjKGJhMR5mSbtEssFky8X6W1nMGWJzg6Yv3YeVHK93A2metYhsuAFnM8-/s400/CIMG3965.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553618693834993442" border="0" /></a>I'm pretty happy with the outcome. My favorite are the little Santa hats... I couldn't figure out what they were pre-frosting. I had some snow flakes which had broken and so I had to eat. ;) There's a pile of cookies left to be frosted. Now I'm inspired. The white frosting and cookies are bland enough to support a variety of additional flavors in the frosting. I have some bells that could really use yellow and Christmas trees that sure would look nice with green. I wonder if I can get the same result with lemon juice & zest for yellow and perhaps some fresh mint leaves for green. I guess I'm off to the market.David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015489778472361125.post-43954738167206548942010-11-22T09:03:00.000-08:002010-11-22T09:05:19.876-08:00Pacific Natural FoodsSo excited about <a href="http://www.pacificfoods.com/files/file/Product_Guide_06_2009.pdf">this link</a> I found. I hate that it hasn't been updated since 06.2009 but I called to ask about their condensed soups - CORN FREE - all of them and requested they update the information. It's a great chart - even if most of their products contain corn or soy.David and Becca Whttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641917658164651007noreply@blogger.com0