Post Oral Food Challenge or Struggles with Soy

Disclaimer: This content is not intended as medical advice. .As always, contact your allergist or medical professional with any medical questions you may have and follow the medical advice they give. This is simply our experience.

It's been two months since James passed his soy challenge. The directions we were given were to make sure he consumed soy 2-4 times a month. According to this article, about one third of patients do not regularly consume their former allergens after passing an oral food challenge. This matters because to avoid a recurrent allergy, the research says one needs to regularly consume the former allergen.

The nurse asked why we even challenged soy, since it is an issue to keep it in the diet for most (soy lecithin, soy bean oil, soy sauce all do not count because they are low in protein. Many who are allergic can eat soybean oil and lecithin.). For James to know that he will not react if he has soy (and he has had an accidental soy ingestion before), it was worth it. My husband would say it was worth it to have regular soy sauce (and hopefully, eventually, eat in real Chinese restaurants). It is something I think one should keep in mind before challenging a food. Is it worth it?

This is not a question the allergist discussed with us. He knew we were motivated. But, the reintroduction has not gone smoothly. During the challenge, James complained of stomach upset, but everyone thought it was from the amount of liquids he was drinking to wash away the taste of the soy milk. However, he has continued to have stomach upset and/or pain on consuming soy. He did not want to give up, so we have kept trying.

Forms we tried:

Tofu: James liked it the first time until he asked me what it was. When he heard it was fermented soybean, he said he felt sick. The next time, he adamantly stated he didn't like it at all. Orange Glazed Tofu and Hawaiian Tofu BBQ Bowls

Edamame: I personally love edamame with a little bit of sea salt. James said if he had to, he could swallow them like pills. Taking all those pills per day is coming in handy.

Roasted edamame: I thought they tasted like dirt. James said he could eat them if he was really hungry.

Soy Milk: Tried at the food challenge, never again.

Edamame Guacamole: This was a maybe. I need to play with the recipe a little more. I really jsut made guacamole and added in edamame.

Chocolate and Roasted Edamame Toffee: Darren and I liked it. James did not.

Soy Protein Cookies: made with sunbutter, very dry, used soy protein powder

Hot Cocoa with a teaspoon of soy protein powder in it: James said this taste foul and I believe him. It smelled foul.

And, finally success with;

Nestle's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I read here that you can replace 1/3 of the flour in a recipe with protein powder. So, I did. Now, it's been a long time since I have made wheat chocolate chip cookies, but none of us could taste any soy. They were delicious. And, he didn't get any stomach upset.

The biggest problem is that he has to eat 6 1/2 cookies to get a similar amount to what he had at the challenge. Well, this isn't a problem for him! I am going to try recipes that are slightly more healthy - muffins, pancakes, etc - and hope that this is the solution we are looking for.

My thoughts:

Allergists are always eager to broaden the diet and for good reason. Although James is considered tolerant now, he is not as tolerant as I expected. It is not the same as one who is simply not allergic. If he doesn't consume his allergen, he has a higher risk or reacquiring it. While this is not OIT - no measured doses, no rest breaks, and he can eat as much as he wants - it is not complete freedom either. He is somewhere in between. For all is other allergens, it will be easy to include them in his diet once he passes the psychological hurdle of eating them; he loved nuts prior to his allergies.

It is a factor that should be considered prior to challenging: how will you keep the food in the diet and how hard are you willing to work for it?

King Arthur Bakealong Challenge

It turns out, learning to bake with wheat has a learning curve.

This was my first attempt at pizza dough. It got away from me somewhat.

Learning to bake without wheat was enormously frustrating. I'm now a bit intimidated about going back.

Serendipitously, I got an email from King Arthur about their monthly bakealong. I may have been getting these for ages (I have no idea how long they have been running this) but I used to ignore the King Arthur emails because of wheat. This caught my eye.

I would love to have friends join me in my quest to be a better baker. I will admit I love this is a monthly challenge. I barely successfully shower every day; I am bound to fail any daily challenge.

For June, King Arthur is making baguettes. Because I have complete understanding of those with food restrictions, if you are wheat free, here is an amazing  gluten free version from Gluten Free Jules. She even has directions at the bottom for a yeast free version. All of her recipes come with adaptions to be free of the top 8 allergens.

Let me know if you decide to bakealong!

Thanksgiving, Allergy Style

The food restrictions we will accommodate on Thanksgiving include: vegan, peanut, tree nut, soy, and wheat allergies, OAS to melon and tomato, avoids most legumes (not peas anymore! This means vegan butter is in. Hoping to re-introduce at least one more legume before Thanksgiving). My goal is not to make every dish meet every need, but for everyone to be able to eat a complete meal within their restrictions.

These are not my recipes, but the collection of what I will use and how I will adapt them.

Pre-Thanksgiving (with guests):

Avocado Pasta (with cheese on the side)

Taco Soup: No recipe, vegetable stock (4 c), salsa (1 small container), whatever add ins everyone can have and lots on the side. Suggestions for add-ins/toppings: black beans, cheese, tortilla chips, meat, avocado, corn, kidney beans, sour cream (yuck, not here).

Thanksgiving Day:

Turkey
Mashed Potatoes (will not make vegan)
Sweet Potato Casserole (will be vegan)
Green Bean Casserole (Will not be wheat and maybe soy? safe. James doesn't eat it so I honestly don't really know the allergens present. Also not vegan - my sister also doesn't eat it)
Stuffing stuffed pumpkin
        Vegan Version: Wild Rice and Brussels Sprouts  (but I replaced the nuts with sunflower seeds)
         Non-Vegan version: Sourdough Artichoke (I will use GF Jules recipe to make baguettes)
Pumpkin Ravioli with a Sage Pesto
     Pasta Recipe
     Pumpkin Filling (no cheese)
     Pesto recipe (pumpkin seeds to replace the walnuts)
Caesar Salad and Autumn Salad (to be vegan)
Gravy (not vegan)
Cranberry Sauce

Seriously, I already feel sick looking at that collection. But, we still have ...

Dessert:

Apple Pie (vegan)
Whoopie Pies:
     Pumpkin and Chocolate but both using the pumpkin version's filling

My Action Plan:

Making Now:

The pumpkin ravioli and the wild rice stuffing are already in the freezer. I am going to pre-bake and freeze some baguettes. And, I will pre-make and freeze the cranberry sauce. I'm hoping to test out and maybe freeze the whoopie pies before Thanksgiving. Maybe some "Whoopie! The election is over" pies.

A Day or Two before Thanksgiving:

Bake the sweet potatoes and prep the casserole. Make the green bean casserole. Bake the mini pumpkins, make the artichoke stuffing and stuff the pumpkins. Make the apple pie.

Thanksgiving Morning:

Make the whoopie pies (if they aren't done). Prep the salads. Make the pesto.

Right before eating:

Bake all that needs to be baked, make the mashed potatoes and gravy. Boil the ravioli.

My husband dos the turkey (and the gravy and Caesar salad for that matter) so that doesn't make my plan. He usually cooks it outside (either smoked or fried) so it also doesn't interfere with oven space.

Have you started your Thanksgiving plans?

Allergy Friendly Chinese New Year Collection

Twelve years ago, for the last Year of the Monkey, we were in China, adopting James. Technically, we were there just after the New Year; it's a lunar holiday so the dates move. But this year, the first day of the New Year and the day we adopted James fall on the same day, Feb. 8th.

For years, we had a Chinese New Year's party, with friends, food, and red envelopes. After James's diagnosis with food allergies, we stopped. Pretty much everything we made, had at least one ingredient he couldn't have.

Over the years, I have slowly started cooking Chinese food again. I am not one who creates recipes. However, I've gotten pretty good at adapting. And a hat tip here to Sharon at Nut Free Wok, who has given me the confidence and recipes to begin branching out. So this year, we will again be celebrating Chinese New Year - nut free, peanut free, soy free, and wheat free.

 I have collected here for future years (and others) the recipes we are using and adapting.I hope you enjoy them.

Appetizers and Soups:

Hot and Sour Soup (from Closet Cooking) Adaptations: I will leave out the tofu and double up on mushrooms. I will use coconut aminos for soy sauce. I used to make one low/no heat and one spicy when James was younger, but I think we can skip that step now.

Chicken Potstickers (from Nut Free Wok) with the GF wrapper recipe from Food & Wine Adaptations: Replace soy sauce with coconut aminos.

Egg Rolls (from Steamy Kitchen) Adaptations: Replace soy sauce with coconut aminos. Leave out the meat for a vegetarian dish. Replace the egg roll wrappers with rice paper wrappers.

Char Siu Bao Adaptations: Use the Char Siu recipe below, with coconut aminos, cornstarch, some cha siu marinade, sugar, and green onions for the filling. I have made gluten free bao before but have not perfected my recipe. It's close enough to work but still in progress. If I get it perfected, I will share.

Main Dishes:

Roasted Braised Duck (from The Woks of Life) Adaptations: Replace soy sauce with coconut animos. Wish me luck as I have never cooked a duck before!

Char Siu (from Nut Free Wok) Adaptations: Replace soy sauce with coconut aminos. Replace black bean paste with ketchup.

Desserts (100% non-traditional):

Chocolate cupcakes: The recipe is from The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten Free (affiliate link). I plan to decorate them with red frosting with yellow piped characters.

Fortune Cookies (from Honest Cooking) Adaptations: I plan to dip them in white chocolate and add red sugar sprinkles.

A New Epi-pen Case for Christmas

I know many people are looking for new epi-pen cases, particularly for teens, after the Auvi-Q recall. I bought James this one .

(That's the Super Smash Bros symbol for non-Nintendo fans out there. The shop has a lot of different images). 

I have no relationship (other than being a customer) with this shop. I like this case because it seems like it will be large enough to hold the epi-pens when they are in the Veta Case.

Allergy Friendly Copycat Candy Bars

Or, how I came to make two of my least favorite candies

When I was a child, I loved Butterfingers, one of my absolute favorites. I must have overindulged (a King sized bar was to blame I believe) and I had a nightmare. I ate a Butterfinger and ended up blowing an oil bubble as a result. It's pretty tame as nightmares go, but I was done with butterfingers. 

As an adult, I would have an occasional snack-sized bar, but I never regained my love. However, for the past couple years, I have been seeing easy homemade Butterfinger recipes and finally decided to give it a try.

Peanut Free Butterfingers

Free of: peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, fish, shellfish, milk       

Contains: Soy and Egg

*The soy means that James will not be able to eat them. It is in the form of soy protein in the candy corn. Luckily, I caught this before offering a taste.

Ingredients:

2 cups candy corn

2 cups Sunbutter

Chocolate coating (I used Vermont Nut Free dark chocolate melts)

Sprinkles (I used Target Dollar Spot sprinkles)

Directions

1. Melt the candy corn in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth.

2. Add the sunbutter and stir. This will not be easy and I recommend a mixer.

3. Press into an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan which has parchment paper in it.

4. Put in the freezer for at least 30 min.

5. Cut the Butterfingers into pieces.

6. Using the directions here, melt your chocolate for dipping.

7. Cover with chocolate and quickly add the sprinkles on top.

Note:  Keep in mind that the smaller you cut the butterfingers, the more dipping you will have to do. This step may have gotten old for me.

And Mounds

I have never liked Mounds, not even as a child. They were only good for trading candy as far as I was concerned. However, I was not paying attention to our Amazon Subscribe and Save subscriptions and currently am buried in coconut. This was an attempt to use it up.

Free of: peanuts, tree nuts (except coconut), wheat fish, shellfish, and soy (yay!)

Contains: Egg and dairy (can be adapted to be dairy free)

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup coconut flakes

2/3 c sugar

1/4 c cornstarch

1/2 c heavy cream

1/2 c coconut milk (in the carton not can)

2 egg yolks

2 T butter

Dipping chocolate and sprinkles

Note: To make dairy free, replace the 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 c coconut milk with 1 cup full fat coconut milk from the can. Also replace the 2 T butter with coconut oil.

Directions:

1. Put the coconut milk and sugar in a saucepan.

2. heat over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Add the heavy cream, cornstarch, and butter and stir until combined.

4. Add about 1/3 c of the hot liquid to the egg yolks, stirring continuously. This will help to keep the egg yolks from scrambling.

4. While stirring continuously, add the egg yolk mixture to the pan.

5. Add the coconut flakes to the pan and stir until the mixture thickens.

6. Allow to cool in the refrigerator. Then place in the food processor and pulse until you have a smooth mixture. This step might not be necessary depending on the thickness of your coconut flakes.

7. Roll into balls (or flat ovals to copy Mounds more exactly).

8. Again, melt the dipping chocolate and use to cover each one. Add the sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet.

 

Kindness of Strangers

We have been the recipients of many kind deeds from strangers this year - someone bought our lunch at In and Out, an online friend bought James an art class, people have willingly put away their peanut butter sandwiches when standing in line - and then, another person from a Facebook group gave us tickets to Disneyland's Halloween Party. I will admit to being completely overwhelmed by this generosity.

Our Night, Allergy Wise

Trick or Treating

As per an email from Disneyland Special Diets, I went to Town Hall to ask about trick or treating for those with allergies. James was not interested in trick or treating much - there was so much to do non-food related - but I still wanted to get the information so I could relay it. I was told that in previous years, information on the candy was kept at Town Hall, but now you should ask at each Trick or treat station. The cast members there should get you something from below their stand. 

We only went to one area with no line for trick or treating. The cast members there really knew nothing about allergies and dug through the candy to get what we told them was safe. There were four stops in this area and by the third, James was asking for carrot sticks and potato chips (the alternative snack) to avoid the hassle. It was not at all a big deal for him, but I can see that a younger kid might be more disappointed. It would be nice if they trained the people handing out candy as well as the chefs or had allergy friendly stations (maybe with non-food treats).

There were teal pumpkins at some of the stations, but these were only for decoration and had nothing to do with the Teal Pumpkin Project.

Dinner

James wanted pizza, so we headed to Pizza Port. The chef there informed us that they could not guarantee "that nut particles wouldn't end up in his pizza." She directed us to Tomorrowland Terrace, where they had no tree nuts or peanuts in the kitchen. The chef there was thorough, going over each ingredient several times. For instance, there was soy in the regular hamburger bun, but not the gluten-free one. The fries were cooked in soybean oil, but in their own fryer. We felt very comfortable with the care given to his order.

Non-Food Celebration

If there is a place where the food really doesn't matter, then this was it. We didn't stop except to eat dinner, and then we watched the Monsters U Dance Party. From the time we arrived until leaving, we rode every ride on our wishlist. The lines were virtually non-existent during the party. We watched the parade and fireworks.

Taking the focus off of food and onto fun is a good idea for everyone, not only those that are food allergic.

What plans do you have for Halloween that are not focused on food?

 

Teal Pumpkin Project

James's first reaction was the day before Halloween, three years ago. On Halloween night, with no diagnosis (although we were pretty sure it was the nuts he had been eating), I sent him trick or treating with his friends, no adults, his new epi-pens in his candy bag, with strict instructions, "Do not eat anything."

That rule holds today. We buy him our own candy and switch out when he gets home.

Even at 13, he still loves everything about Halloween: dressing up, being out on the streets at night with his friends, looking at the decorations.

The Teal Pumpkin Project

The Teal Pumpkin Project was started last year in an effort to raise awareness for food allergies. I don't do this for James, because he, honestly, is perfectly happy with Halloween. I do this for awareness and for other kids with food allergies or other medical conditions. At a minimum, if you print the sign and make non-food (not allergy safe, because the requirements for that vary widely) treats available, you will have participated. 

We are terrible candidates to participate. We live in an area where no one trick or treats (too rural). But, I still participate in the easiest possible way. I bring my teal pumpkin, my sign, and my non-food treats to our friend's house, where James will be trick or treating. 

For treats, I've gotten glow in the dark bracelets and I will get mini-comic books from the comic book store in October, when they are available.

I hope you will consider participating. It's not about not offering candy (my friend will take care of that on her end) but about offering options.

The TEAL PUMPKIN PROJECT and the Teal Pumpkin Image are trademarks of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).

(Not) Practically Perfect in Every Way

Any label making mistake could result in a life threatening reaction and I made not one, but two, last month alone. James is fine. My high rate of failure is unusual for me, but speaks to the heart of difficult for a lot of food allergic people.

I'm a human

Humans make mistakes. In a situation where a mistake can be life threatening, being imperfect leads to guilt. But, I'm still human.

Labeling sucks

1. According to FALCPA (Food Allergy Labeling and Consumer Protection Act), any food that contains the top eight allergens (tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, milk, and eggs) must be clearly labeled as such, even in flavors, colors, spices. 

One of the labels I misread contained soy, completely my fault, and here's how: James can eat soy lecithin and soybean oil. You will find this in nearly every packaged food you buy. Because we were traveling, we bought him cookies we would not normally buy. I saw "contains soy" at the bottom, I scanned the label and saw the lecithin, and completely missed "soy flour" in the list. This was my fault completely for being complacent.

2. However, did you know that labels are not required to list if they item may have come into contact (ie "may contain") a top eight allergen? I became aware of this only a year after James had been diagnosed when he started having reactions to foods that were not labeled with cross contact warnings. At that point, I started contacting manufacturers to find out their labeling and cross contact policies.

3. Meat, poultry and eggs are covered by the USDA not FALCPA (not something I've had an issue with). There are no requirements covering alcohol (again, not something I've had a problem with). We have known a couple of people who had to avoid wheat in alcohol and it can be trickier than you might first think.

4. If you have an allergy outside of the top eight, you are on your own. This is a pdf of the labeling laws. If an ingredient is considered a spice or a flavor, it does not have to be listed. If it is present in incidental amount, it does not have to be listed. However, the FDA does not define what incidental amounts means.

You can follow (and support) efforts to get sesame listed on labels as another allergen here on Oh Ma Deehness! 

Complacency

Here we come to the final mistake I made. James has not had a major reaction for just over a year. He has barely had any minor reactions. And so, I have apparently relaxed my guard. Someone posted on Facebook that a vanilla ice cream was made separate from his allergens and, without doing my own research, I bought it. James complained he felt stuffy after eating it and he always felt stuffy after eating it. All I had to do was turn over the container to see that it had a may contain warning with all his allergens.

Teens and young adults are at the highest risk of fatal food induced anaphylaxis. I think part of this come from complacency. Teens and young adults are often diagnosed after a reaction in early childhood. Without a recent reaction, they may be less vigilant than someone recovering from a more recent reaction. I am grateful that I have been reminded about not being complacent with only a minor reaction.

   

How I Almost Never Go Grocery Shopping

Buy Local, Get Them to Deliver

We have always tried to eat local foods, belonging to various CSAs over the years, going to the Farmer's Market, joining with a friend to buy meat. But, James's diagnosis turned our efforts from a "try to" to more of a mission. The problem for us has always been the hassle. We live less than centrally located, CSA pick-ups were usually at least half an hour away and on weekends. Ditto the Farmer Markets. They were something that we started off doing with enthusiasm, then dragged ourselves to, and then stopped altogether.

I should be clear, there's a whole continuum of healthy eating. I would say we fall somewhere in the middle. Our meals are pretty much local, organic and meet my standard of healthy (our cheese is not organic or local. There are some other ingredients if you went through our pantry for sure). James picks his snacks (within reason) and eats like a normal 12 year old (junk). Like most kids, if he over does it, he suffers the consequences. He also loves fruit (and sometimes eats too much and suffers the consequences) so not all his snacks are junk, but I don't want to paint an inaccurate picture.

Primal Pastures

This is a local (to me) farm that raises free-range, pastured raised, grass-fed and finished animals (their stock varies chickens, lambs, pork, and beef). They often have various events at their farm ranging from kid's camps to chicken processing. I will be honest that I have never attended one because except for the chicken processing (little known fact about me: at five, I was in charge of pulling feathers out of dead turkeys with my sister. I will never be processing chickens) involve food. They offer FedEx shipping throughout Southern California and farm pickup in Temecula.

I will be honest, I find their prices shockingly high, especially if you are accustomed to shopping for conventional meat. So, we buy whole (or half) animals from them. Be warned - they give you every part of the animal if you do this. I have become a much more adventurous cook since doing this. Just this last week, I used half a pig's head and one pig's foot to make soup stock. It was actually really good stock and the dogs were happy.

Farm Fresh To You

(If you decide to try Farm Fresh to You, we will both get a credit if you use the above link. Thank you)

USE CODE: HZLL5689

It's somewhat debatable how "local" this is. I'm not getting any carbon footprint bonus points. This is an organic farms in the Central and Imperial Valley of California. It's hard to tell their entire delivery area as they have you enter your zip code to tell if they deliver. However, my guess would be a large portion of California. When I searched, I saw Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Ventura, and Orange counties. Since I am none of those, I would guess many areas in between.

There's many things I like about this service over other CSA's I've tried, top of the list of course is the delivery. Beyond that is the ability to customize, since James has OAS, I can eliminate the things he is allergic to and keep them on my "not to deliver" list. That way I know, even if I forget to customize, those items won't be delivered. But, each week I can, and usually do, customize what I get each week. So, we get a small mixed fruit and veggie box delivered each week ($25) with pastured raised eggs ($8) added on. I can then add and subtract, getting rid of what we won't eat and adding what we will. Finally, they offer things a traditional CSA would not (although you can get their traditional CSA box and not add these items if you wish) like fair trade bananas. One thing we really missed in a traditional CSA was a variety of fruit.

Amazon

We buy a ton of food from Amazon: Sunbutter in 5 lb tubs, Let's Do ... Organic Tapioca Starch, GF Harvest Organic Oats, Glutino GF Toaster Pastries, Betty Crocker GF Cake Mix, Edward and Sons Trading Company Coconut, Annie's Microwaveable GF Mac and Cheese and more, all on subscribe and save.

We have Prime, so we get "free," shipping, even on Sundays, which never fails to confuse me. I think this is a carbon footprint draw. I would have to drive to multiple stores to get all these different items. This way, they are all delivery once a month to my door, stress free.


What It Leaves

Mostly, this leaves us to buy dairy, some snacks, some dry goods, and cleaning supplies. And this is where Costco and Sam's come in. Coscto was recently named the largest organic grocer and they do have some things we simply can't get elsewhere, perhaps the most important is reasonably priced gluten, tree nut, peanut free bread. We got a Sam's membership during on of their Groupon deals and kept it after realizing that they had large bags of Namaste Flour at a decent price.

Mostly, Darren does the shopping for me at both of these stores. I have to be honest that I find them soul sucking.

Fear and Hope, James's Perspective

James is participating in a Read-A-Thon on Tuesday, started by a remarkable young woman who is in a peanut clinical trial. Technically, the Read-a-Thon is Monday, but we will be enjoying the company of our family. On Tuesday, we will be enjoying the quiet of our car on the way home, perfect for long stretches of reading.

I asked him to write the description on his page, answering the question as to why raising money for food allergy research is important.

Having anaphylaxis used to truly scare me, every day, all the time. I wondered why people couldn’t just create nutritional pills to give you your food. That would have already made me feel ten times safer than the alternative of eating regular food. But now I’m getting allergy treatment with Dr Li and I’m very thankful for it because worrying isn’t as much a big part of my life as it used to be. I can feel safe about about eating things I’m familiar with because I know the treatment will at least keep me from getting any serious reactions.

I didn't edit anything he wrote, so I want to be clear, the number of food allergies hasn't decreased. He is eating a wider diet because he isn't scared.

To be scared of food. To have a child scared of food. It's a heavy burden.

Obviously, James is in treatment with the goal of more than freedom from fear. But, when we started treatment, we told him, "This may not be a cure. At the end, you may not be be able to eat your allergens. If we do this, what is the least that you will be satisfied with?"

"I don't want to be afraid anymore."

This is why more research is needed. People should not be afraid to eat.

Chocolate Dipped, Wheat Free (Gluten Free) Graham Crackers

Why Not out of a Box?

James is avoiding legumes, and so far, I have yet to find a wheat free graham cracker that does not have pea protein as an ingredient. I am open to suggestions! However, these are not that difficult and tasty to boot.

Free of: Peanuts, wheat/gluten, eggs, fish, shellfish, legumes (soy-see below)

Depending on comfort level/variation: tree nuts (contains coconut), milk (type of chocolate/shortening you use), soy (lecithin depending on type of chocolate)

Ingredients

1 c GF all purpose mix

1/4 c. seed meal*

1/4 c coconut flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c butter*, cold, cut into chunks

3 T water

2 T molasses*

1 T honey*

1 t vanilla

*Ingredient notes:  I get seed meal from Gerbs Seeds but it can also be made by chopping your seeds to a powder in your food processor. If leave the processor on too long, you will end up with butter, so pulse the processor until the texture is a coarse powder.

To make this dairy free, use whatever safe solid shortening replacement you prefer.

To vary the taste of the end product, change the amount of the honey and molasses. The way it is written here, they will taste similar to a spice cookie. With all honey and no molasses, they will taste quite sweet, more like a traditional honey graham cracker. Use your preference are your guide.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°.

2. Line 1 or 2 cookie sheets with silicone baking sheets or parchment paper, depending on how thick your final crackers will be rolled out. If you want the crackers to be crisp (good for s'mores), you will need 2 cookie sheets. If you want a softer cracker (more cookie like and also, I think, good for ice cream sandwiches), you will only need 1. 

3.  In a food processor, add from flour mix through salt. Pulse once or twice to combine.

4. Add the butter (or shortening) and pulse until blended and resembles cornmeal.

5. Add the water, molasses, honey, and vanilla. Pulse until combine and a soft dough forms. 

6. Sprinkle powdered sugar on the silicone baking sheets (or parchment).

7. If you are using 1 cookie sheet, roll out the dough to about 1/4", using powdered sugar as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. If you are using 2 cookie sheets, divide the dough and roll each out to about 1/8" thick.

8. Use a pizza cutter to score the crackers into whatever shape you want. Then, poke with a fork in a regular pattern.

9. Bake for 15-20 min, depending on thickness, until edges begin to brown.

10. Remove from oven.

11. While still warm and on pan, use a sharp knife to cut along the scored lines. Allow to cool for 10 min. Then cool completely on a cooling rack.

12. Using the directions from this post, melt the chocolate of your choice.

13. Use a pastry brush to apply the chocolate and place in the refrigerator for approximately 4 min or until set.

Bean Less Chili

We avoid legumes, because they seem to cause GI problems for James. So, here is our Bean-Less Chili with, like all good chilis, a secret ingredient.

Free of: tree nut, peanut, wheat, fish, egg, milk, shellfish, soy, and legumes

Bean Less Chili

Ingredients

6 slices bacon*

1 1/2 onions, chopped*

2 T minced garlic

1 lb ground beef*

4 T chili powder

1 T cumin

1 1/2 t paprika

1 t Sichuan pepper*

1 bay leaf

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1 c stock

Salt and Pepper to taste

* Ingredient Notes: Chili is an easily adaptable recipes and I rarely make this the same way twice. For instance, I prefer slab bacon (I use between 4-6 oz diced when I have it), but didn't have it this time. I often add whatever vegetable I have on hand along with the onions. If I have made a beef roast recently, I use leftover roast beef, as opposed to ground beef. 

Sichuan pepper looks like red peppercorns, slightly, but are not related botanically to peppercorns, What they are known for is causing a numbness when eaten, but they will not cause that effect in this dish, having been cooked too long. You can buy this at Penzey's if you can't find it locally (they spell it Szechuan). The information I have from Penzey's as of 4/2015 is that they have no peanuts at their facility. They do make almond flavoring but the almonds are kept in a separate part of their facility.You should contact them regardless, but I do not know specifically the information on their other allergens.

If you don't want to use it, substitute what you like: extra black pepper, jalapenos or other chiles, hot sauce, or leave it out.

Whole Sichuan Peppercorns

Ground with Cumin

 Directions

1. Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry them in a stock pot.
2. While they are frying, chop the onions and garlic and set aside.
3. Grind any spices you need to and combine all the spices except the bay leaf and the salt and black pepper. Set aside.
4. Remove the bacon pieces and set on a plate with a towel. Drain most of the fat.
5. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring often, until soft and translucent.
6. When the onion and garlic are ready, add your ground beef and break it up. Add the spices, including the bay leaf, on top.

7. Cook until the beef is cooked and the spices are fragrant, stirring frequently.
8. Add the diced tomatoes, the tomato sauce, and the stock.

9. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, covered, stirring occasionally.

10. Remove the bay leaf and serve with whatever garnished you desire.

It's Done

I hope you enjoy!

Camping: Food and Medicine

When Going to the Grocery Store isn't that Helpful

Fortunately, we have an RV, so I don't have to figure out how to camp for a week with only non-perishables. That said, there is a little more prep for food when we camp. And since I spend so much time cooking regularly, I like to have as much done in advance as possible, so my vacation is actually a vacation and not time spent cooking.

For the next week when we go camping we have planned:

Breakfast:

English Muffins with Sunbutter (made the English Muffins ahead and froze)

Pancakes (made a couple batches of batter and froze)

Breakfast Burritos (made the wrappers and burritos ahead, frozen)

Eggs and Sausage

Lunches:

Lunch meat,cheese, fruit, crackers

Dinner:

Mushroom, Beef, and Potato Kebabs (made ahead)

Pasta Salad (made ahead)

Hot Dogs and Salad (cut up the salad ahead)

Fried Rice (made ahead and froze)

Bean Free Chili (made ahead and froze, recipe to follow)

Blue Cheese and Bacon Hamburgers (made ahead and froze)

Dessert/Snacks

S'Mores with homemade chocolate dipped graham crackers (recipe to follow)
No-Nut Homemade Kind™ Bars
Homemade Cocoa Mix

And in case of emergencies

Things we always consider:

• How much medicine do we need to take?
• How does it need to be stored?
• How far are we from emergency services?
• Will we ever be out of cell phone range?
• Any special precautions needed?

In this case, we know we will be taking a hike in water, so we ordered a waterproof pouch for James's epi-pens and my inhaler.

Be Prepared

 So you can then relax and enjoy your time away.

Safe for Us Homemade Easter Treats

What is Safe for Us?

James is allergic to tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy. He can eat soy lecithin and soybean oil. He has oral allergy syndrome (OAS) to tomatoes and melon. He avoids legumes.

I avoid dairy, as I've recently discovered it affects my sinuses.

Disclaimer:

When I mention a brand, it is because I am comfortable with the allergen policy and with using that brand for my family. It is not an endorsement or a suggestion that you use the same brand without doing your own research. Everyone's allergies and comfort levels vary. That said, I have no sponsors and all my opinions are flatly my own. 

Molded Chocolate Eggs

Made from Chocoley Bada Bing Bada Boom Modeling Chocolate

Free of: peanuts, tree nuts, wheat/gluten, eggs, sesame, fish, crustaceans

Contains: Soy lecithin and dairy

You can find the allergen statement here.

I have one failed attempt at making a chocolate bunny when James was a toddler (it bloomed). Darren was interested in trying to make chocolates again and, while I was a competent aide, he was definitely the chocolatier.

Since I had a bad experience, we chose the chocolate which required no tempering. We did order samples of the gourmet couverture chocolate (free with order) to sample. Darren followed the directions on their website and, easily enough, we had chocolate eggs.

Sunbutter Eggs

Chocoley Version: Same allergy information as above

Enjoy Life Version: Free from wheat, dairy, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, fish, and shellfish. 

Cross Contamination: Sunbutter is made on the same equipment as soy.

I love(d) peanut butter cups. And since I avoid dairy, we decided to temper Enjoy Life chocolate chips so I could have my own version. We also made a chocoley version for the dairy eaters.

We used the following method to temper the chips:

1. Heat the chips in a double boiler to 108°, stirring constantly.
2. Remove from heat and add a small handful of chips as seed crystals.
3. Continue to stir until the temperature reaches 88°.

We used the following recipe for the filling:

1/2 c Sunbutter

2 T softened Butter (Spectrum Palm Shortening for dairy free)

1/4 c + 2 T confectionery sugar

1/4 tsp salt

We were actually out of confectionery sugar and ground our own using regular sugar and cornstarch. You may need to adjust the ratios a little to get the right consistency because our sugar was coarser than usual.

We made 20 cups and used 10 ounces of chocolate for the bottom and 15 ounces for the tops. There was leftovers of the Sunbutter filling and I'm already thinking about thinning it out and using it for a chocolate Sunbutter Ice Cream (Yum).

 The Enjoy Life were definitely a darker chocolate (not that I mind at all). Both batches set up really well.

A No Fuss, Easy Treat

Free of: Peanuts, tree nuts, wheat/gluten, fish, shellfish

Cross Contamination: Soy

If you are a baker, than these are for you. I made them for James to take to a party. More confessions, it's Betty Crocker Gluten Free cake mix. The frosting (and reason why we had no confectionery sugar) is a simple buttercream:

1/3 c butter, softened

1 lb confectionery sugar

1 tsp vanilla

You may notice the yellow looks more crisp than the green . They are made with different tips but, I added milk to the green frosting, but it was hot here and so, the frosting was slightly too soft. Since I live in a warm area, I've found it works better to leave the milk out altogether and add it if needed later.

And Peeps are large decorations that cover a variety of frosting woes.