Uh oh... It's Halloween Time

Seriously, I never thought I would dread Halloween, but on some level I now do. I have been looking at candy labels and discovered a whole bunch of treats my daughter can't have. I already know about anything with chocolate, duh, but who would have thought that Pop Rocks have milk? It's crazy.

Here is a list of things I have discovered have ingredients my baby can't have:

Candy Corn - Egg Whites
Taffy - Egg Whites
Pop Rocks - Milk
Dove Dark Chocolate - Milk
Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate - Milk

So keep an eye out this Halloween and if there isn't a list of ingredients on the package, do what I do and just throw it out!

Banana Bread

I have been looking for a good egg free banana bread and finally noticed that the Ener-G brand egg replacer has a recipe on the back of it. So I decided to try it and it was perfect. My sister will be pleased to know it is also dairy free.

BANANA BREAD
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer (this may also work with other brands)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp canola oil
4 to 6 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp orange juice concentrate
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 bananas)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift all dry ingredients together. Add remaining oil, 4 Tbsp water, orange juice concentrate, vanilla and banana. Mix well, add up to 2 Tbsp more water if needed. Pour into large greased bread pan. Dip rubber spatula into oil and then dip into top of batter and remove quickly (this removes cracking on sides during baking.) Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and bread passes toothpick test.

Eating in and Eating out

Everyone with a food allergy or the parent of someone with a food allergy knows how completely insane it is to try to eat out. How about eating in? When you are in a hurry, those premade meals and easy things like chicken nuggets can be impossible. My sister and I have a whole list of foods on the quick, eating in or eating out, that we substitute for the good old standbys. Here is a list off the top of my head, I'll update it regularly with the more I think of.

EATING IN:

MAIN DISHES
Corn Dogs - Kroger Brand is egg/milk free!

SIDE DISHES
Quick Rice Sides - Rice-a-Roni Chicken Flavored Rice is Dairy Free

DESSERTS
Apple Pie - Marie Callendars is egg/dairy free
Chocolate Chips - Kroger Brand is milk free

EATING OUT
Click the Restaurant Name to View Allergy Info

FAST FOOD
McDonald's - Hamburger buns are egg/milk free, apple dip contains milk so beware

KFC - Extra Crispy, Grilled and Hot & Spicy don't have milk or egg.

Wendy's - Hamburger buns are milk free, there is no milk/egg wash on the chicken but beware of the breaded chicken (milk) and the sauces (egg/milk).
Wendy's Gluten free menu

Chick-Fil-A - It's so sad, they use a milk wash on all their chicken, even the grilled and non-breaded.

Burger King - Chicken fries are milk free, as well as Tendergrill Chicken Fillet, Spicy Chick'n Crisp and the hamburger buns.

Panda Express - Chow Mien and Steamed rice is a must here, egg/milk free, I also get mandarin chicken for the kids. Beware, the steamed veggies have a sauce with milk in it.

Red Robin -
Red Robin Gluten Free Menu

STILL TO COME...
Noodles and Company
Taco Bell
Many, many, more...

If you have any recommendations or anything to add, let us know by posting a comment below!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies/Bread

I just made some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with only three ingredients and they turned out really yummy (kid tested and approved!). The trick is to use a spice cake mix without milk ingredients. Here in this region we have a generic brand called Western Family. I have found that the generics are the ones that are most likely to be milk free. Here is the recipe:

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 Spice Cake Mix (I used Western Family Brand)
1 Small Can Pumpkin
1 Bag of Chocolate Chips (dairy free)

Preheat to 375, spray or grease a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Let cool for 2-3 minutes on cookie sheet and then cool completely. Store in airtight container.

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP BREAD

* Same as above but bake for 45-55 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.

Allergy Testing, YUCK!

We went to the Allergy Specialist, Dr. Jan Broadbent (really like her!), and had Amaya tested again. We did skin tests for pollen, cats and dogs, and did blood tests for the egg and milk allergy. The phlebotomist was horrible and had to stick my 18 month old TWICE! I was not happy. All this has got me thinking about the whole process of allergy testing and treating. My sister has a good friend who did Allergy Elimination and swears it works. He said he was allergic to milk, soy, and a whole bunch of other things (I can't remember all of them) but doing an allergy elimination technique through a holistic healer he was able to dramatically reduce if not completely eliminate his allergies.

I can't say I'm not weary or skeptical about the whole process. He says there are no needles involved and it is very inexpensive, something like $45 for the consultation and less for each treatment and that some take only one treatment to be effective. My greatest apprehension is that I am making decisions about a whole other being rather than myself. I'd be more than happy to try anything on myself to relieve an allergy like my daughters, but she is my baby. I just can't jump into something that I don't have every last bit of information about and have completely dispelled my fears. Hopefully, it works but for right now I'll be doing a LOT of research before I take that step.

For now, I'm fine waiting for the blood tests and seeing what the next step will be. But I do hope for a miracle to come back in the results. Being able to let my baby have all the things that she hasn't even had a chance to taste and not having to worry about a reaction would be nice. Not having to fear a trace amount of milk protein making her go into anaphalactic shock would be a wonderful freedom. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Orange Julius, the Soy way

I love Orange Julius at the mall, but with my little one we can't get those anymore. Here is a recipe for a Soy Orange Julius:


ORANGE SOY-JULIUS

1/2 12 oz can frozen orange juice
1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk (vanilla is better than regular in this recipe, skip the vanilla listed below if you'd like)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
ice cubes (totally up to you how many, I use 7-8)

Blend until smooth!

Chocolate Frosting YUMMY

Here is a good milk free frosting recipe (not sure where I got it so I can't give anyone credit, sorry!). I frosted Jemma's Brownies last night and they were awesome!


CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 cup (one stick) dairy free margarine like Nucoa - softened
2 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp vanilla

Use a large bowl, beat the margarine with a mixer until smooth and then add all the other ingredients. Mix until smooth, about 2 minutes, and spread.

Zucchini... What to do with too much zucchini

I have a zucchini plant this year and can't figure what else to use it for. I have chopped it up for spaghetti but my family is completely sick of it. Not many recipies turn out well with the egg replacer but my wonderful sister gave me this recipe for her "Sneaky Zucchini Brownies". They are sneaky because not only do you add zucchini, but carrots give an added vegetable serving and you can't even taste them (try spinach as well, it also turns out good).

JEMMA'S SNEAKY ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
2 egg equilevant of any egg replacer (I use EnerG Egg Replacer)
2 cups grated zucchini
1/3 cup steamed and mashed carrots (I use the little individual packs of diced carrots that you buy in a 4 pack and just mash them with a fork)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, soda, cocoa, and sugar. Combine zucchini, oil, and vanilla; blend into dry ingredients; add the prepared egg replacer last and mix well. Stir in walnuts.

Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven. Cool in the pan, and then cut into bars.

Banana Pancakes

I LOVE Bisquick pancakes and miss them dearly. I have tried a few recipies for egg/dairy free pancakes and none really turned out good except this one my sister gave me:

BANANA PANCAKES

1 cup flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup soy milk (vanilla tastes the best but regular will work as well)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 mashed ripe banana

Additional optional add-ins: strawberries, blueberries, walnuts

Combine or sift all dry ingredients together; mix in the soy milk and oil until smooth.

Drop 1/4 cup of batter at a time onto a hot oiled griddle or well greased frying pan over medium-high heat. When bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake, about 3 minutes, turn and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Because there are no eggs in this recipe it takes longer than usual so be patient!

Cookies, cookies, cookies...

I used to be a total cheater and buy cookies at the bakery or make the mixes that you only add oil, water and eggs to. Now, not so much! The mixes all have milk and egg replacers don't work out very well (unless you want wafer think crispy cookies!). This is the best recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies that I have found. My sister gave it to me, her sons are egg allergic, and I think she said she found it on the back of a bag of chocolate chips:


CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks dairy free margarine - soft (NUCOA is a good one)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all the above together well (will be very thick and kind of hard to mix well but do the best you can).

Add 2 eggs: Mix egg replacer per the instructions for 2 eggs and add this to the bowl last!

Add 2 cups (I usually use a whole bag!) of Dairy Free Chocolate Chips (usually semi-sweet store brands or generics are dairy free)

Bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes and let cool for 1-2 minutes before you remove from the pan.

Birthday Cake Nightmare

For Amaya's First Birthday I really wanted her to have cake she could eat, and that all the guests would actually enjoy. I went through 7 recipies/mixes. I tell you now, don't waste your money on the boxed mixes that are allergen free, they taste like crap. Some cake mixes are dairy free but when you use the egg replacer they fall apart. Instead, I have two really good recipies for you:


WACKY CHOCOLATE CAKE
This cake was popular during the depression because it actually tasted good without the eggs and milk!

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup oil
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 cups cold water
1 Tbsp vanilla

Sift the dry ingredients together then blend in the liquid ingredents. Bake in a greased 9 x 13" cake pan at 350 for 35-38 minutes. You'll know it's done when a toothpick comes out clean and it feels bouncy when patted in the middle.


VEGAN GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

My sister's vegan friend contributed this recipie and it really does taste great!

1 1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 cup granulated sweetner (sugar or substitute)
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp lemon juice
5 Tbsp oil
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup chocolate chips (dairy free) - optional

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, and baking soda. Stir in vanilla, lemon juice, oil, water, and chocolate chips. Spoon into a greased and floured 9 inch cake pan and bake for 25-35 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool.

FROSTING
1/2 cup margarine (like Nucoa or other dairy free)
3/4 cup granulated sweetner (sugar or sweetner)
1 1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup soy milk
1 tsp vanilla

While cake is baking, boil together the frosting ingredients over medium-high heat for 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour and spread on cake while frosting is still warm and let it set before serving.

My Child's Food Allergy NIGHTMARE!

At 6 weeks old I started to introduce formula to Amaya. I had a horrible time nursing and had mastitis for the fourth time at this point and at the advise of my doctor, I decided to stop nursing. I started by mixing a little formula in with pumped breast milk. She didn't seem to like it but I just told myself that she would get used to it. Then at 7 weeks old, at 2:00 in the morning she took a 4 oz. bottle and went back to bed. About 10 minutes later she started making some weird noises like coughing, gargling, wheezing, and spit up big time. I picked her up to burp her again, hoping for a gas bubble and got a look at her HUGE ears, nose, lips, eyelids and freaked out. I woke up Chris and we quickly grabbed her then 18 month old big brother and ran to Primary Children's Hospital.

We spent 6 hours at the hospital under observation only to hear that It's probably "just" a food allergy to milk in the formula and to follow-up with our pediatrician. We went to a pediatric allergist and found out that she is not only severly allergic to cow's milk protein, but to eggs also! That's how it started. We had to switch to a amino acid based formula, which costs an arm and a leg, and I ended up pumping breast milk until she was almost 12 months.

Amaya just turned 18 months and I have decided to share my journey through this insane food allergy world. There are a lot of completely useless websites out there and I hope to actually give you all things that matter and make a difference. I am going to share my journey through the restaurant and recipe world for everyone. Please let me know if you have any questions or extra insight and things to add!