Frustrated….

Pizza box, Germany (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I can’t help but to be frustrated right now.  I have several friends that have children that are similar in age to my kids.  And of course, my kids love getting together and being able to play.  Recently, we had some time to spend with a friend who I have not seen in a very long time and her three little ones.  We had a great time.  But…..

 

She knows that my kids are eating gluten free.  She knows that it is because of an issue they both medically have.  She knows how much I struggle trying to make my kids feel like they fit in.

When she invited us over, she mentioned that we should come for lunch.  I began to explain to her my hesitation…and went down the whole list.  The foods contents, the cross contamination issues, etc.  She still insisted.  I offered to bring our own food, that I knew would be okay.  I even offered to bring enough for everyone to share.  She still insisted everything would be fine.  But, if this lifestyle has taught me anything its to be prepared, so I brought food anyway.

And its really a good thing that I did!  We got there, and the kids played for awhile, which was awesome.  But then I noticed that she had thrown in a pizza.  I knew immediately that it was not going to be anything safe for my kids.  So, I asked her.  I wanted to know why she was making a pizza when she had offered to provide a safe lunch.  She then said, well it is a favorite of the kids, so I was going to give them that, and I have salad and fruits and veggies for your kids.  I was appalled.

I, luckily, brought a nice hearty lunch for the kids.  But, still not the point.  She knows that I do everything I can to NOT alienate my kids.  Sorry, but eating something that they can not have right in front of them is awful.  To top it all off, she even offered me the pizza.  I remained calm during the whole thing, but shortly after lunch my kids were getting tired and had asked to leave.  I was more than happy to oblige.

While I did take the time to explain my frustrations to her, I still can not help but to be upset to this day.  Please do not take medical issues, especially those revolving around kids, lightly.  It is hard enough for the kids to feel like they fit in, try not to make it any harder.

 

Udi’s Easy Breakfast Bagels & Muffins

We had brunch today and it was super easy and delicious!  We had Udi’s Lemon Streusel Muffins & breakfast bagels made with Udi’s Everything Inside Bagels.  For the muffins, open the container, and breakfast is served!

  

However, my girls requested breakfast bagels, so we made those too.  Here is a simple and easy breakfast bagel recipe… slice & lightly toast a bagel. My husband dislocated his shoulder, so it is immobilized.  Note… do not let the one-armed guy try to cut the bagels or they will come out horribly uneven.  LOL  Crack an egg in a microwave safe coffee cup (we use a custard cup), add a tsp of milk, scramble it up and microwave it for one minute (one minute per egg). The egg will come out fluffy, but hot. Scoop it out of the cup and it will be the perfect size for the bagel. Put the egg on the bagel,  then top with cheese right away. The heat from the egg will melt the cheese nicely. Microwave a couple of peices of turkey bacon (about 2 minutes for 3 slices of bacon). Top egg and cheese with bacon, cover with top of bagel and serve. My husband likes honey Dijon mustard on his. The kids like a little butter. I like it plain. The whole thing takes less than 10 minutes.  We served with some peeled oranges slices, for a delicious easy breakfast.

  

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I was provided with the Udi’s products shown above.  I was not financially compensated for this post.

I-Phone Allergy Friendly Recipe App

How cool is I-Phone?  They have an app for Allergy Friendly Recipes.  You can view info about it here

No PEANUTS Granola Bars

We made the recipe for granola bars.  We used to purchase  Trader Joe’s granola bars, that Bean could have, but when we checked the box the next time we were going to purchase them, they are now have a warning they may contain peanuts.  You can see the recipe here.  These are so yummy, and we all LOVE them!  They are so yummy!  Enjoy!  Just a note, we use extra thick rolled oats by Bob’s Red Mill.  Not sure if this will make a difference or not.

Eggless Meatloaf Recipe

Eggless Meatloaf

Ingredients:

Servings:
4-8
2 lbs ground turkey
1/2 cup potato flakes
1/4-1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350°F.
2 In a large bowl, put ground turkey, potato flakes ( other spices if desired) and starting with 1/4 cup salad dressing, mix together until it holds its shape and all the potato flakes are well mixed.Add the additional 1/4 cup salad dressing if needed.
3 Put the mixture in a pan; I use an 8×8-inch square pan.
4 Bake uncovered at 350°F until done, about 35 minutes.
5 (I sprinkle some paprika on the top before baking to add some color).

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/fast-easy-eggless-meatloaf-206521?oc=linkback

Peanut Free Granola Bar Recipe!

My daughter can never have granola bars, but these are safe! She will be thrilled!

Being Happy...

As most of you know from life or from my previous posts, our 7 year old, J, has a peanut allergy that is classified as “moderate-to-severe.”

For the Cap-Rast blood test.

< .035 Class 0 – Below detection
0.35 – 0.69 Class 1 – Low
0.70 – 3.49 Class 2 – Moderate
3.50 – 17.49 Class 3 – High
17.50 – 49 Class 4 – Very High
50 – 99 Class 5 – Very High
> – 100 Class 6 – Very High

Basically, if he eats peanut products his lips and mouth swell, and if his skin comes in direct contact with peanuts he develops hives, but it has always been manageable with Benadryl.

It doesn’t make that big of a difference in our lives now that he’s homeschooled, but it did mean a huge shift for us in our eating habits to make sure he’s safe.

Unfortunately, since a lot…

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Best eggless peanut free pumpkin pie recipe ever!

I have shared this with friends who also have children with egg allergies.  This worked out well, because my daughter had an egg and peanut allergy.

It is really yummy!  Enjoy

Eggless Pumpkin Pie

2 c. pumpkin (16oz can)

2 c. milk

3/4 c brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp. cornstarch

Add salt, cinnamon, and cornstarch to pumpkin.  Stir, add sugar, than milk.  Bake in an unbaked pie shell 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower temp to 350 degrees for 1 hour

Optional: Omit 1 cup of milk and the brown sugar and replace with 1 can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk