tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648993570883731752024-03-13T01:11:41.544-07:00Little Bitty BitesA chronicle of my search for allergen-free food that my toddler son enjoys.
// Main allergens avoided: soy, dairy, nuts - plus other random nefarious things like strawberries.Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-65500799458185954862014-06-06T14:52:00.002-07:002014-06-06T14:52:44.053-07:00Mini Egg Frittatas!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLyD8nmXeIm3dHyHAxtC3Otbv714mSQ7CrgoKAtERFsrtdD-oQ0QN7J8ROIxVsYJhtk-lH60XOOFS-A1FJgEzWrKf_1smS8meiTeVDTqDm7JRpWAyqw1d8FdxDsV4NDHjQ75l6vwb2mQS/s1600/20140606_125556%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLyD8nmXeIm3dHyHAxtC3Otbv714mSQ7CrgoKAtERFsrtdD-oQ0QN7J8ROIxVsYJhtk-lH60XOOFS-A1FJgEzWrKf_1smS8meiTeVDTqDm7JRpWAyqw1d8FdxDsV4NDHjQ75l6vwb2mQS/s320/20140606_125556%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a>I'm having a party on Sunday, and during my Pinterest search for easy things to make, I came across the idea for mini-quiches and mini-frittatas. <br />
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Way cuter than a full quiche, and perfectly sized for little hands (there will be a lot of kids at this party!) I tried making them and... awesome! My four year old scarfed them up.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdEJ8YAYxhaLbkcnBl9Wgw1rej99mBxsj12pynio5eu813Xf758YKdRojWYmDCZh4tN_fb43wbRK_QjFdgkHPxAHkVhnTeKmQgE64p3nn_lh59dQmYIt8uQqAddJlRa3BoSoEUCW1z5s-/s1600/20140606_125750_000%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdEJ8YAYxhaLbkcnBl9Wgw1rej99mBxsj12pynio5eu813Xf758YKdRojWYmDCZh4tN_fb43wbRK_QjFdgkHPxAHkVhnTeKmQgE64p3nn_lh59dQmYIt8uQqAddJlRa3BoSoEUCW1z5s-/s320/20140606_125750_000%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a>I based the recipe on the one <a href="http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2010/12/recipe-for-baked-mini-frittatas-with.html" target="_blank">here</a>, but omitted the cottage cheese and used Daiya cheddar cheese. I also added dairy milk (though soy or rice milk would certainly work as well)<br />
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Basically: put in your fillings, scramble the eggs with milk and what spices you like, and pour the mixture into the muffin cups. (spray them with cooking spray first, though!) Cook at 375 F for 30 minutes. Yum!!Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-15995316935762307392014-01-30T10:04:00.000-08:002015-08-06T19:19:48.994-07:00Soy Yogurt at Home<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCWEaeCXpZcU4Lw4ZlqLqRYWbqoDMKsyEN8psHt4DOuLR2-6NXzReFxhzNHeuu7wNsGEKu0NP-_vuU8NSzxLsNYNEaSWLmwffx1DTbJkR7WDClmZJRwi8atg0Iw0gOI7b5_6IxhNfrKi3/s1600/IMG_4888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCWEaeCXpZcU4Lw4ZlqLqRYWbqoDMKsyEN8psHt4DOuLR2-6NXzReFxhzNHeuu7wNsGEKu0NP-_vuU8NSzxLsNYNEaSWLmwffx1DTbJkR7WDClmZJRwi8atg0Iw0gOI7b5_6IxhNfrKi3/s1600/IMG_4888.JPG" width="149" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, it's been forever since I added to this little page of mine. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Life has been percolating along nicely. I will say that since our little one has been free to eat soy and gluten, I've not felt the intense need to search out allergen-free options for him, so I've been absent from here for a little while. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course, it's not true that he's allergen free. He still can't have uncooked dairy, nor can he have any tree nuts. But since we've long been comfortable with the lifestyle of rice or soymilk vs. milk and sunflower seed butter vs. tree nuts and peanuts, life feels essentially... normal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then again, I now have a 4-year old vegetarian on my hands! He's an "animal protector," in his words. The only exception ~ and we saw him struggle with this decision for about a week ~ is that he still eats bacon. "It's the only animal I still eat." You GO little man! He has embraced tofu, miso soup, and nearly the entire frozen vegetarian section of Trader Joe's. After his early years of homemade-only eating, he's an adventurous eater and this cornucopia of packaged options is a little overwhelming for all of us... but a home cooked meal is still thankfully the norm. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But with the humdrum of many days, we have been starting breakfast with a very expensive item that I wondered ~ would it be possible to make it at home? The item: Soy Yogurt. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Delicious, creamy, sweet, full of protein. What's not to love? The price tag. Each 6 oz container ranges from $ .99 to $1.09. If given the opportunity, this child will eat several yogurts in one sitting ~ and that becomes mighty pricey. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So I set out to try something new, and I'm back to tell you about it! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Homemade soy yogurt is easy. Heat up the milk, let it cool to the right temperature, add the yogurt starter, and keep it at a stable temperature for a while for the bacteria to culture. Refrigerate, then eat. Really, its that simple. When I made the batch you see here, I didn't mind so much that our little guy at 3 cups of it in a row. In fact, I was sitting next to him, grinning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Homemade Soy Yogurt</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4ltYhFf58I36Vj78N3nUbqGgTfTJjt6WAXvXCZ62gKB5W56lexH6O7mmjEw7ezEfErFgH_w_38OqH6XXvgifIV2_iWhSCTFpIcqBHdxWEjrHk02CaoHIIuhjnhvpClnUUPXYljLcKP3Q/s1600/IMG_4882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4ltYhFf58I36Vj78N3nUbqGgTfTJjt6WAXvXCZ62gKB5W56lexH6O7mmjEw7ezEfErFgH_w_38OqH6XXvgifIV2_iWhSCTFpIcqBHdxWEjrHk02CaoHIIuhjnhvpClnUUPXYljLcKP3Q/s1600/IMG_4882.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The basic recipe:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">4 cups non-dairy milk. <br />In this case I used soy, but you could use rice or coconut or almond...</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt as starter<br />Ideally plain and unsweetened / no fruit</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Optional: 1 packet of gelatin -or-<br />agar-agar powder (to make vegan)</span></li>
</ul>
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<ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI08Mug8K2Uac5kXHZ7RZBPAespfm7zifyfdO9C7iuCjJgxy6Gl2P0mwZG_3kkdCz0OMyQV06xPvkS3wvBFZw4UkG248_myjQ18o8i51VB6So5zqQyk04i_GqEe1MXH2SJa91Okuu8h_Ri/s1600/IMG_4886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI08Mug8K2Uac5kXHZ7RZBPAespfm7zifyfdO9C7iuCjJgxy6Gl2P0mwZG_3kkdCz0OMyQV06xPvkS3wvBFZw4UkG248_myjQ18o8i51VB6So5zqQyk04i_GqEe1MXH2SJa91Okuu8h_Ri/s1600/IMG_4886.JPG" width="238" /></span></a>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Heat milk on medium heat stove to just under boiling, stirring occasionally. I used a digital thermometer to track this. If you decide to as well, make sure you're keeping the thermometer away from touching the pan. Perching it on a wooden spoon did the trick for me. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">While the milk is heating, wash the containers well. These came with the yogurt machine, but you could also use mason jars. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">When the heat reaches nearly boiling (<b>at <i>least</i> 180 </b>but better around 190-200 F), turn off the stove. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Optional:</b> Add 1 package of gelatin or agar agar powder to make a firmer yogurt. If you don't this will be pretty runny - but it will still be just as delicious</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let the temp slowly <b>cool to between 100-110 F. (~ 42 C) </b>Any hotter, and the good bacteria you're trying to cultivate will not grow! Alternatively, you could cool the milk in the fridge a little more quickly. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">At 110 F, add the half cup of starter yogurt to the mixture and stir well. Don't stir so much that there are resulting bubbles... just make sure it's evenly distributed</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">From here, you have a couple options: <br /><br />Option 1: If you have a yogurt maker: </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pour the mixture into sterilized yogurt cups that came with the machine. I use a mason jar filling funnel to make the process a little less messy. </span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: center;">Turn on the machine and set the timer for around 8-10 hours. You could also just let it sit overnight.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">When your time is up, turn off the machine and open one of the containers. It should smell and look like yogurt! Put the containers in the fridge for at least 3 hours, where the yogurt will firm up a little more. </span></li>
<ol></ol>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcjNbrYFX3qv2kR6Qhx7GWJqNN35szuLPkLmmNQmjxc1-UzNI-AKs9Su0_oiq9h4Xf66pM_rFpKQOFEdME9MTGznDSniEFEWdtV9r7xqF2WBEjio3vLHO7K8jAgUFacdWGGOog2Y7eYWT/s1600/IMG_4892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcjNbrYFX3qv2kR6Qhx7GWJqNN35szuLPkLmmNQmjxc1-UzNI-AKs9Su0_oiq9h4Xf66pM_rFpKQOFEdME9MTGznDSniEFEWdtV9r7xqF2WBEjio3vLHO7K8jAgUFacdWGGOog2Y7eYWT/s1600/IMG_4892.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Option 2: The Oven Method</span><br style="font-family: inherit;" /><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Heat your oven to the lowest temp you can (My oven is 140) and then turn it off. Turn on the light inside the oven - it'll keep the interior warm all night. </span></li>
<ol></ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pour into sterilized mason jars and cover. (Hey, we're not canning here... just cover with screw-on lids and or rings/tops, but no need to process in a hot water bath!) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Line a large earthenware crock or dutch oven with a tea towel. Place your mason jars inside. Cover with another tea towel, and then cover the crock with its own cover. </span></li>
<li>Put the crock inside the turned-off oven and close the door. </li>
<li>Leave overnight. </li>
<li>In the morning, <span style="font-family: inherit;">open one of the containers. It should smell and look like yogurt! Put the mason jars in the fridge for at least 3 hours, where the yogurt will firm up a little more. </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPfaxlOcsV0RiFQvUj5K6LvfmZoXtW2LyTa3tEHhv704tpIB5xGPCLJVUGHauCmFNF_YSDoWqZbCYxbabLE8Q0m5JpsWQLIHVoHBDNqE3SzdZ5gS2hT8gOvANriKY5XU7fe7eUsJqQ90-/s1600/IMG_4898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPfaxlOcsV0RiFQvUj5K6LvfmZoXtW2LyTa3tEHhv704tpIB5xGPCLJVUGHauCmFNF_YSDoWqZbCYxbabLE8Q0m5JpsWQLIHVoHBDNqE3SzdZ5gS2hT8gOvANriKY5XU7fe7eUsJqQ90-/s1600/IMG_4898.JPG" width="298" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yum!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Enjoy! Add whatever flavors you enjoy: honey, jam, fruit are all great options. </span>Not only is the yogurt delicious and allergen-friendly, but the cost difference is astounding!</li>
</ul>
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Here's a comparison:<br />
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<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 428px;">
<colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 3584; mso-width-source: userset; width: 74pt;" width="98"></col>
<col span="3" style="mso-width-alt: 2816; mso-width-source: userset; width: 58pt;" width="77"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 3620; mso-width-source: userset; width: 74pt;" width="99"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: #4f81bd; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; height: 15pt; text-underline-style: none; width: 74pt;" width="98">Comparison</td>
<td class="xl66" style="background-color: #4f81bd; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; text-underline-style: none; width: 58pt;" width="77"> O'Soy</td>
<td class="xl66" style="background-color: #4f81bd; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; text-underline-style: none; width: 58pt;" width="77"> Soy Milk </td>
<td class="xl66" style="background-color: #4f81bd; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; text-underline-style: none; width: 58pt;" width="77"> Milk </td>
<td class="xl67" style="background-color: #4f81bd; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; text-underline-style: none; width: 74pt;" width="99"> Organic Milk</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl68" height="20" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; height: 15pt; text-underline-style: none;">oz</td>
<td class="xl70" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-underline-style: none;"> 6</td>
<td class="xl70" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-underline-style: none;"> 32</td>
<td class="xl70" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-underline-style: none;"> 64</td>
<td class="xl71" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-underline-style: none;"> 64</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl68" height="20" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; height: 15pt; text-underline-style: none;">cost</td>
<td class="xl72" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-underline-style: none;"> $
1.09 </td>
<td class="xl72" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-underline-style: none;"> $
2.99 </td>
<td class="xl72" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-underline-style: none;"> $
3.89 </td>
<td class="xl73" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-underline-style: none;"> $ 5.99 </td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl69" height="20" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; height: 15pt; text-underline-style: none;">cost
per ounce</td>
<td class="xl74" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-underline-style: none;"> $
0.18 </td>
<td class="xl74" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-underline-style: none;"> $
0.09 </td>
<td class="xl74" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-underline-style: none;"> $
0.06 </td>
<td class="xl75" style="border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-underline-style: none;"> $ 0.09 </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
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Some <b>useful references</b> I've found about general yogurt making, dairy and non-dairy:<br />
- <a href="http://www.granny-miller.com/how-to-make-foolproof-crock-pot-yogurt/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Granny Miller - Crock Pot Yogurt (dairy)</a> <br />
- <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stephanie O'Dea's Crock Pot Yogurt (dairy)</a><br />
- There are <a href="http://wakingupvegan.com/2012/09/23/homemade-vegan-yogurt-no-equipment-required/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">some GREAT ideas at Waking Up Vegan</a> about alternate milks, thickeners and flavorings! (non-dairy)<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-56817986980943334672012-10-15T13:42:00.000-07:002012-10-15T13:42:54.292-07:00Soup's On!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Friday night, we got the warning: Freeze! </div>
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With the frost announcement, we jumped into action, bringing in the plants we planned to over-winter in the house and turning on the heat. The first time this Fall, it became clear that Winter was indeed going to come. Gone will be the warm days and slightly cool evenings. Soon, there will be snow and ice and all those things. </div>
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But between now and then, we do have a space of time with bright orange and red leaves falling from the sky, landing on the sidewalks, ready to crunch under our feet. Baking seems feasible, even delightful. Soup seems just right. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bFxpQUMGnsoTgJdLHhpXqHHQxDyX2BRLhDzFRh8MF3QKUFd4Y5TZ6EH-68f0qxDNDXmSDoADhVy5ziU5nKsI3hQvnSC_53dp6TyOEejREP4Ljd5UaxL4LpO44ArcWnbpLoLAsMDui51G/s1600/IMG_9514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bFxpQUMGnsoTgJdLHhpXqHHQxDyX2BRLhDzFRh8MF3QKUFd4Y5TZ6EH-68f0qxDNDXmSDoADhVy5ziU5nKsI3hQvnSC_53dp6TyOEejREP4Ljd5UaxL4LpO44ArcWnbpLoLAsMDui51G/s320/IMG_9514.JPG" width="239" /></a>I don't get a lot of time during lunch to cook, so I was thinking about making some quick pasta and sauce. On went the pot of water, in went a box of ditalini, which are easy for our son to grab with a kid spoon (or more frequently his hands). But as the pasta boiled, I realized I'd misjudged the amount of water. The pasta was almost at the top as it boiled, and I realized it looked like there was a lovely noodle soup in the pot. I changed gears, added several teaspoons of no-sodium chicken broth powder, some smoked paprika and basil, and a can of red kidney beans including its water. I let it come back to a boil, added some chopped up greens for the last few minutes, and.... hey presto: Pasta e Fagioli! If you want to (and can), this is great with a little parmesean shredded overtop. </div>
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Quick Pasta e Fagioli</h4>
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2 Quarts water, boiling</div>
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1/2 a 1 lb box (8 oz) Ditalini (if you're using rice pasta, try Tinkyayada elbows or mini shells)</div>
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1 12-oz can of red or pink kidney beans, or cannelini beans, with water</div>
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2 T no-sodium chicken broth powder, or enough dissolved boullion cubes to make 2 Q of broth.</div>
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1 t dried basil</div>
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1 t smoked paprika </div>
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Large handful of chopped greens: spinach, kale, chard, etc. </div>
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salt and pepper to taste </div>
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drizzle olive oil, optional</div>
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Boil the water</div>
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Add the noodles and cook until nearly tender. </div>
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Add the broth powder, basil and paprika and stir until dissolved. </div>
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Add the can of beans and simmer until warm, just a couple minutes.</div>
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Add the handful of greens and stir until they are cooked to a bright green, again only a couple minutes.</div>
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Serve in warm bowls with salt and pepper to taste, a optionally a drizzle of olive oil and/or a few shreds of parmesean</div>
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Note: If you're using rice noodles, this is just as easy to do, but I recommend straining the pasta first. Add to 2 Q of warm chicken broth (from bullion cubes, powder, home- or pre-made) </div>
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Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-14604109108434221412012-10-11T14:45:00.000-07:002012-10-12T07:05:45.088-07:00Baked Dairy GoodnessIf you've been here before, you may remember that we were encouraged by some promising allergy-related blood work a couple months ago that indicated some of our son's food allergies might not be as bad as they once were. I could say: phew! But I'm more inclined to say: whoa, really?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fLMomFAYhnzITKKM4ik_TJuRHbN6-ejHu5LCNRj-JW1xTOUqq9MOvqUHkc2P-ypK3h87Lmn62ShyphenhyphenbEH5fgzab7x1VVoed6HASQbC8xtVAVd_rLoo9k2SP1d5Khaw7yp0tx5qiuv7EumN/s1600/IMG_6722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fLMomFAYhnzITKKM4ik_TJuRHbN6-ejHu5LCNRj-JW1xTOUqq9MOvqUHkc2P-ypK3h87Lmn62ShyphenhyphenbEH5fgzab7x1VVoed6HASQbC8xtVAVd_rLoo9k2SP1d5Khaw7yp0tx5qiuv7EumN/s320/IMG_6722.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When we discovered the allergies, we had no idea the levels because he was too young to test. Not only is it insanely cruel to stick a 3 month old full of needles carrying allergens, it's not effective. Not until he's over two is his immune system sophisticated enough to produce accurate results... and even then it's still darned mean. </div>
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Even blood work done on a child under two is often inconclusive, as his system may not have created an allergic response to many foods or environmental factors. We did get blood work done when he was about a year old, and clearly reacting to foods and other things... but the report didn't show a single result. Not even to dog saliva, and that's saying something: around that time, a dog licked his face and we ended up speeding crazily to the ER while his eyes began to swell shut and he was clawing at his face, having difficulty breathing. We've carried an EpiPen ever since. </div>
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Yet, after a very unpleasant set of visits to one allergist when he was very young, during which we were advised to go ahead and skin test (to which I said: hell, no!), we avoided allergists for a long time. We were doing fine with our avoidance diet, thank-you-very-much, and wanted to wait until our son was old enough to properly test. At his two-year checkup, the pediatrician suggested getting updated blood work. </div>
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So when some results came back saying he didn't even <em>have</em> allergies to soy and wheat, I was incredulous. What the... well, you know. So we slowly, slowly started giving him wheat <a href="http://littlebittybites.blogspot.com/2012/03/week-of-wheat.html" target="_blank">and he was fine</a>. Then soy, and he was fine. Had we been incorrect about his allergies in the first place? Not likely. Our pediatrician advised that these allergies are often outgrown. We weren't crazy - he just no longer needed to avoid these foods. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsL7-0se_76g_nFj2fqyCDWZBLN19aTFeyCykn1xpXqLBQ0q9ENYcc7012kMPm-OV3_ODLgXhyphenhyphen1_DOPFfmdfgj-7mmJi8a2juI-Rtm4tUq7VcdRp5JBPf5iHLXkPadjBnLyqtZ9Q0httmj/s1600/IMG_8323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsL7-0se_76g_nFj2fqyCDWZBLN19aTFeyCykn1xpXqLBQ0q9ENYcc7012kMPm-OV3_ODLgXhyphenhyphen1_DOPFfmdfgj-7mmJi8a2juI-Rtm4tUq7VcdRp5JBPf5iHLXkPadjBnLyqtZ9Q0httmj/s320/IMG_8323.JPG" width="320" /></a>And what a kaleidescope of foods were now available to him! Packaged breads and cookies! "Normal" pasta! Soy sauce! Pizza! (with tapioca or rice cheese) More wide ranging: eating OUT! The biggest single concern we used to have with restaurants was soy. Any vegetable oil was rife with it, and most restaurants use a veg oil blend. Even our favorite place that usually accommodated us on everything else had at one point moved from corn oil to a vegetable blend so we couldn't go there any more. But now, all bets were off! The only things we needed to avoid were cow milk and nuts. Far, far more possible. Korean? Thai? Chinese? no problem! Cuban? Mexican? No problem if we make sure they don't put cheese on his plate. It was revelatory. </div>
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Hence, I was absent from this page for a while... it felt like talking about allergens was in the past. <a href="http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/her-art.html" target="_blank">Like an artist who had only used black and white for years</a>, having a couple colors to work with in my palette was overwhelming! <br />
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So I got cocky. Yeah, the bloodwork said we <em>did</em> have a little issue with milk protein. A 3 out of 5. Not a big deal, I thought... heck, he's a 2 out of 5 on eggs and he's never had a single reaction! So we gave him a spoonful of yogurt every day for a week, thinking in our heady thrill that all allergens were conquerable and everything would go back to normal. Every day, a spoonful of DAIRY from a COW! <br />
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And he seemed fine, until we gave him a nice bowl of yummy yogurt. He ate it "all up" as he likes to say. And in 5 minutes he was sneezing so intensely, so often, he could barely breathe. His neck was covered in little welts and his eyes were red and watering as if he'd been crying for hours. He was clawing at his neck and whining and sneezing. It was horrible. Out came the cetirizine and thankfully the reaction calmed down after about a half hour, but he slept with great intensely that night as he always does after receiving meds for a breakout... a sure sign his little body is still fighting the invasion. <br />
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I figured, well, at least we got rid of soy and wheat. And that ain't bad. It's liveable. Lots of people are vegan, so there are lots of dairy alternatives out there now. We'll be fine living with just dairy and nut allergies. <br />
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But then, I came across <a href="http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/health/allergies/food-allergies-children/" target="_blank">this Parents Magazine article</a>. And we went to an allergist again, now that he was over 2 years old. The combination was amazing. <br />
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The article talks about some recent studies showing that if dairy is <em>baked </em>over 350 degrees for over 30 minutes, many kids with milk allergies can tolerate the milk proteins they're normally allergic to. And that's boon enough -- baked cakes? yes! -- but the studies also go on to say that once the child is exposed to the allergen in this way, they <em>slowly begin tolerating dairy cooked for shorter times, until their body begins to tolerate the proteins in all forms, even uncooked!</em><br />
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So after discussing this with our allergist, we began a baking "therapy." <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6xXA_10yrI9vBc-f3yLkNL8xGtUx_Ed9vi-e_b0Dw3R6I7dhqhy9vINdaGbQUg6gi_DeVUawC428nvyfnhVPW7pg3YR9PqSf19uZpC8G24RjDMUVBZZvYqObj3RhXV6-3vfbqRl9yWZB/s1600/IMG_8760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6xXA_10yrI9vBc-f3yLkNL8xGtUx_Ed9vi-e_b0Dw3R6I7dhqhy9vINdaGbQUg6gi_DeVUawC428nvyfnhVPW7pg3YR9PqSf19uZpC8G24RjDMUVBZZvYqObj3RhXV6-3vfbqRl9yWZB/s320/IMG_8760.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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- First I made a cake, with butter and sour cream. <br />
350 degrees at 45 minutes. No reaction!<br />
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- Then I made a quick bread. <br />
350 degrees for 30 minutes. No reaction!</div>
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- Then I made muffins, 350 for 20 minutes. No reaction!</div>
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- Then I made cookies, 350 for 12 minutes. No reaction!</div>
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- Then we bought frozen waffles, likely just a few minutes plus toasting at our house for a couple min. Fine!</div>
- Then I made pancakes, only a couple minutes on the griddle. Great!<br />
- Then I made pie crust with pure butter. No problem. <br />
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- Then I scrambled eggs with milk inside. 2-3 minutes in a skillet. NO REACTION!</div>
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This process of slowly exposing him to less and less-cooked milk, we're told by the allergist, may lead him to drinking a <em>glass of milk! </em>in about 6 months. It's been slow and steady for the last couple months. (We started this process around August '12 and I'm writing in October.) The allergist advised the more we continue to expose him, gradually, the better. Never retreat, he said. Just keep going. <br />
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So we're ever so close to adding a little hard cheese to some pasta some day soon. Then maybe a grilled cheese. Then maybe a little more regular yogurt. Some day soon, God willing, a glass of milk. <br />
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So in celebration, <a href="http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,194,145160-232203,00.html" target="_blank">here's the recipe for the Blueberry Muffins</a>. They're filled with stuff I never ever thought I'd use while baking for our son, and just that is a celebration. <br />
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Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins <br />
(These remind me of New York so much; I remember smelling these in Jordan Marsh... heavenly!) <br />
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<span class="ingredient"><div style="color: black; padding-left: 20px;">
<span class="ingredient">1/2 cup butter</span><br /><span class="ingredient">2 cups unsifted flour</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1 cup sugar</span><br /><span class="ingredient">2 large eggs</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1/2 cup milk</span><br /><span class="ingredient">2 teaspoons baking powder</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br /><span class="ingredient">2 1/2 cups large fresh blueberries</span><br /><span class="ingredient">1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract</span><br /><span class="ingredient">2 tablespoons sugar (for top of muffins)</span></div>
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Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. In a second bowl, combine all dry ingredients. (You can use an electric mixer to combine the dry ingredients thoroughly at this point so that you won't need to overmix once the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar mixture along with the milk and vanilla. Optionally, mash 1/2 cup of the blueberries, and stir in by hand (this will turn batter a light shade of blue and add a touch of blueberry flavor, but this step may be skipped, if you wish). Add the remaining whole berries and stir in gently by hand. <img alt="" class="photo" src="http://img.cooks.com/i/rec/IMG_0630-200.jpg" style="border-bottom: #ccc 1px solid; border-left: #ccc 1px solid; border-right: #ccc 1px solid; border-top: #ccc 1px solid; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em;" />Grease muffin cups with non-stick spray or oil. <br />
Fill greased muffin cups. <br />
Sprinkle sugar on top of unbaked muffins (we like to use Turbinado sugar for sprinkling the tops). Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin after several minutes to free it from the pan and cool on wire racks. Muffins may be brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with sugar, if desired. At our test kitchen, we sometimes sprinkle blueberry muffin tops with cinnamon sugar or ground hazelnuts or spread with lemon or vanilla icing and top with thinly sliced almonds. Tip: If you have trouble with blueberries settling to the bottom try tossing them in flour before adding to the batter. It may just be that your batter is too thin. Another trick is to fill muffin cups 1/4 full with batter which hasn't had blueberries added to it yet; then stir the blueberries in and continue to fill the muffin cups. This way you won't start out with blueberries at the bottom! </div>
Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-31346660968391072162012-05-30T13:31:00.005-07:002012-10-12T07:06:15.963-07:00Pre. School.We’re going through the preschool selection process right now. It's a complex, daunting task filled with equal levels of opportunity for joy and challenge. <br />
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Of course, it can't be just any old preschool ~ we want to find the right sense of home away from home. We want it to be an amazing experience for him, opening up the world in ways that we can't do just by ourselves as parents: playing with other children, touching soft and prickly things, hearing sounds that we don't make at home, looking at books and shapes and toys we would never think to offer him. Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl recently posted <a href="http://glutenfreegirl.com/play-and-play-and-play/" target="_blank">a beautiful entry about children's play</a> at preschool. It really resonated with me. Play, compassion, joy ~ all so important. vital. <br />
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What an adventure it will be! I bristle with excitement for him. <br />
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But at the same time, I shudder with concern over his food allergies. What if he's nowhere near us and suddenly has a major reaction to something left out, or given to him accidentally? What if the staff are not as diligent as we are? What if a well-meaning kid doesn't understand he can't share his cheese stick with our son? What if he needs an epi-pen administered to him ~ do we trust the school to know what to do, and trust their judgement in doing so? <br />
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So often it seems to come down to the see-saw of safety vs. playfulness. I ache to imagine that we have to permanently shield him from the world. But then again, we don’t let him play in traffic. We teach him to look both ways and prepare him for the time when we can't cross the street with him. It's called parenting. Yet, he's still so little. <br />
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We’ve been deciding between a wonderful warm school that is play-based and child-centered vs. a school that is nice, but mainly considered good preparation for kindergarten. A no-brainer it seems… until we consider his food allergies: soy, gluten, dairy and nuts. <br />
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The warm, inviting place has a wide open snack area with pretzels, milk, muffins, fruit, cheese and crackers ~ all great, but not for him. And when we asked the director about accommodating allergies, we were met with a vague “well, when we have those, we just ask the parents not to bring peanuts into the school.” A subsequent conversation with them resulted in the same level of vague willingness to help out. <br />
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The other school has a fantastic attitude toward re-framing allergies in non-disparaging ways… calling one child’s rice milk “Sophies special milk” for example and ensuring safe eating practices. But it's a competitive school to get into (I heard tell that one child was accepted after their parents providing <em>nine</em> letters of recommendation!) We are currently on the waiting list for next Fall. <br />
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So what to do?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliwEGvgQ9jwPnicTnR6VjLfhvXchevirV3Jo0cVaHeBQovYCRoQHrt3pAmsdFh-R7uGNbWwz0gV8X5njfoN6Zt2Uf5W0XbiPOGYalS2LNMDP_4xHYsqrF-Ta9jehWowuScPOgw_O0ybNf/s1600/IMG_7107-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliwEGvgQ9jwPnicTnR6VjLfhvXchevirV3Jo0cVaHeBQovYCRoQHrt3pAmsdFh-R7uGNbWwz0gV8X5njfoN6Zt2Uf5W0XbiPOGYalS2LNMDP_4xHYsqrF-Ta9jehWowuScPOgw_O0ybNf/s320/IMG_7107-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Stepping out into the world</em></td></tr>
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Well, I should be honest that this blog post sat in the hopper for a while. I was so conflicted about the balance between the safety issues vs. the learning experience that I couldn't finish this post for a couple months. However, after additional conversations about dietary restrictions with the director of the "warm, inviting place" ... and the thrilling developments that our son is now able to eat wheat ... <em>and</em> dairy if it's <em>baked </em>(!!!), we decided to go with our gut on the best educational experience we could help him have. Heavy sigh of relief. </div>
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The happy epilogue to this process came when we got a chance to take him to the school for an hour while it was in session. He was more than excited, choosing several play areas in succession. One in particular that he loved was the music table. He not only jumped right in, but the other children welcomed him by sharing their instruments ... and letting him get in on a parade they were having all through the classroom! Watching his little legs fly to catch up - and the sheer joy on his face - was the best confirmation for me that we'd done the right thing!</div>
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This could have gone so differently. If anyone out there would like to share their experience, I'd love to hear it! How did you choose your child's school, and how much did their food allergies play into the decision making process? </div>
<br />Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-38438177972731833842012-03-22T08:21:00.004-07:002012-03-22T08:38:38.923-07:00A week of wheat.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9deSDYaoCT7lUgb8zaiCni-PAaegUmsz7Bt7hk6w4WU8K_iU9tN3_9Ic9luu50oUMWmIhGxOffbgGoQYZa8QxXJ9ivG1UI5TrLKWsT05rhw2OaKKQR_zqUo79Bv0kNG91gzPuwQwvVzp0/s1600/IMG_6271.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9deSDYaoCT7lUgb8zaiCni-PAaegUmsz7Bt7hk6w4WU8K_iU9tN3_9Ic9luu50oUMWmIhGxOffbgGoQYZa8QxXJ9ivG1UI5TrLKWsT05rhw2OaKKQR_zqUo79Bv0kNG91gzPuwQwvVzp0/s320/IMG_6271.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center">
<em>Lack of focus due to misted up mommy eyes</em></div>
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<em>"Could it be?"</em></div>
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I've been saying this all week. Is it possible? Is he OK? <br />
Yes, he is. </div>
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Several months ago, we went through a painstaking process trying to introduce milk to our son, which seemed so p<span class="text_exposed_show">romising at first: one spoonful of yogurt a day for a week with no reaction, but when we gave him a little bowl of it, he erupted into a red-eyed sneezing fit that went on for a half hour until the ceterizine kicked in. So now, we're a little gun shy. <br /><br />But based on some promising blood work, the allergist is encouraging us to try wheat, then soy, re-try milk in baked goods after that, and then do skin testing for nuts later. </span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show">So... this whole week I've been giving him little tiny bits of wheat. And <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(deep breath)</span></em> he's ... uh, fine. <span class="text_exposed_show">I can hardly believe it.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Friday, I made some wheat-based zucchini muffins of which he ate a few bites and moved along in his day as if nothing catasprophic was going on. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TAwsd4EOgE0/T2tAMCh7NXI/AAAAAAAAHfU/MNCkdCPm-Y8/s1600/IMG_6237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TAwsd4EOgE0/T2tAMCh7NXI/AAAAAAAAHfU/MNCkdCPm-Y8/s200/IMG_6237.JPG" width="149" /></a><span class="text_exposed_show">There were blueberry pancakes on the weekend that he gobbled up ~ and the sky did not fall. Whole wheat elbow noodles with tomato sauce and ground turkey: the world didn't come to an end. </span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show">We went over to a friend's house for dinner this weekend, and he could actually eat what everyone else was eating, including pasta! (the host was amazing about letting me see the ingredients of everything) </span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">And this morning, I gave him not one, but <em>two</em> little slices of baguette bought from <em>a BAKERY </em><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(mind racing, worrying about nut and sesame and dairy and soy cross contamination, I mean who can tell with these things ... etc ad nauseum)</span> </em></span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show">and he's: <strong>fine</strong>. </span></div>
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After so much worry, planning, paranoia, fear, it's ingrained in my gut to avoid certain foods. Changing that feels so dangerously strange. I'm checking for spots on his torso, sores on his legs, welts on his face, watching for sneezing and red eyes and, and, and... nothing. </div>
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When you've been protecting your child for so long from something, it's hard to let that fear go. </div>
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I suppose that's what we all have to do as parents, for everything. Just like letting them go down the corkscrew slide at the playground for the first time all by themselves, it's something of a leap of faith that we've prepared them well enough to tackle the world. </div>
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It's a mystery to me why an allergy would disappear, though I'm sure there's medical literature that might help explain it to me one day. And there's no guarantee any or all of his other ones will. But for right now, wheat (simple, wheat) is a bit of a miracle to me. </div>
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</div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-31565787736796746262012-03-08T13:01:00.000-08:002012-06-13T13:03:55.450-07:00Mac and Cheese. Please!So my husband and I were standing in the pasta aisle, actually buying regular old noodles for <em>ourselves </em>... Not the rice kind, just cheap semolina wheat stuff. We don't do it very often, but there you go. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMX-WYnPqLHbHsJ15QKwb3FtIMC77kVZv_dAmK2AVDlG2ELRI9nGdYs6u2XU8gTtMyPKhhULmptpcBTV5mIfzm6KLd7tqoyGinilDEFCMokv4y3nlsUoEz7RyNylLuo423k4mlMYXDUazQ/s1600/IMG_6080.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMX-WYnPqLHbHsJ15QKwb3FtIMC77kVZv_dAmK2AVDlG2ELRI9nGdYs6u2XU8gTtMyPKhhULmptpcBTV5mIfzm6KLd7tqoyGinilDEFCMokv4y3nlsUoEz7RyNylLuo423k4mlMYXDUazQ/s320/IMG_6080.JPG" width="240" /></a>Now, our son hasn't really been down this aisle before, for obvious reasons... but he does eat <em>rice </em>noodles a lot and loves them: with pasta sauce, with olive oil and basil, or chopped up hot dogs, what have you. And if you've ever read this blog before, you know he loves cheese too. Not the dairy kind, but rather its simulacrum, Daiya (which is primarily tapioca starch... darned yummy tapioca starch!). </div>
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So back to the pasta aisle. We are deciding on farfalle vs. campanelle... and suddenly our son walks up to us with a box of good old mac and cheese. Somehow he knows what this is. I don't know how, or maybe he's psychic, but he says PASTA and CHEESE! and continues to grab several boxes, taking them back to the cool car-shaped toy the supermarket has kindly strapped to the front of our shopping cart. He loads them on the seat, then hops in. He's ready to go. </div>
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This completely slays me. On so many levels. </div>
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First, it's pretty funny to see a two-year-old with such determination and whimsy grabbing boxes of macaroni and cheese with the intent to abscond with them in a shopping cart "car". </div>
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Second, it's heartbreaking because I want so badly to share with him the simple pleasure of boxed macaroni and cheese -- the stuff childhood is made of. </div>
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Why can't it be this easy? Why can't I just say OK, looks like you want to try this new thing - let's get it! </div>
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Why can't I just buy him a damn box of macaroni and cheese? </div>
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Well, I can't. But I <em>can </em>try to get a little bit of of that joy on his plate. I need to respond to his requests for new foods by getting creative. And maybe this is a good thing -- <em>he </em>is telling <em>me </em>what he wants and I don't have to make it up out of thin air any more! <a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>
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So what follows is my attempt at M<strong>acaroni and Cheese</strong>:</div>
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1/2 cup rice milk (trust me, don't use the vanilla kind)</div>
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1 cup cheddar-style Daiya cheese</div>
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1 cup cooked rice noodles, macaroni style of your choice. <br />
(we had curly elbows already made)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add shredded cheese and start stirring. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not <em>quite</em> ready. Keep stirring!</td></tr>
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I can't say they're perfect. But it's pretty close... you might adjust the amount of cheese, add some spices (there was already basil on our leftover pasta, for example) salt or pepper to your taste. </div>
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Was it worth trying? Heck yeah. The last thing I want to do is squelch my son's desire to explore ~ climbing, running, new foods, life. Maybe it was just me trying to make myself feel like it's possible (just maybe) for him to be as spontaneous with food as he is everything else. </div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-16336466634270754592012-02-27T14:40:00.001-08:002012-02-27T14:40:13.359-08:00Polenta! Simple, not easy. OK maybe easy.<em> "Thee the soft nations round the warm Levant</em><br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polenta" title="Polenta"><em>Palanta</em></a><em> call, the French of course Polante;</em></div>
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<em>E'en in thy native regions how I blush</em></div>
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<em>To hear the Pennsylvanians call thee Mush!</em></div>
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<em>On Hudson's banks, while men of Belgic spawn</em></div>
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<em>Insult and eat thee by the name </em><a class="new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Suppawn&action=edit&redlink=1" title="Suppawn(尚未撰写)"><span style="color: #ba0000;"><em>suppawn</em></span></a><em>.</em></div>
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<em>All spurious appellations; void of truth:</em></div>
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<em>I've better known thee from my earliest youth,</em></div>
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<em>Thy name is </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasty_pudding" title="Hasty pudding"><em>Hasty-Pudding</em></a><em>!</em></div>
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<i>The Hasty-Pudding</i>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Barlow" title="Joel Barlow">Joel Barlow</a>, 1793</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8Yvl_U5EWHL1EgYI4ZEKda9MzkQ5lWMJg7KytSh8nLGIOpVsUoUVX9tkwZYhgN8iozy_F1iVejXpx_EK4dvfCv31PmTcgVJ7KWkQeUj_xO64E8TGWcQVkDEOxVu-1rBX0Tn95XprRRAy/s1600/IMG_6014.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8Yvl_U5EWHL1EgYI4ZEKda9MzkQ5lWMJg7KytSh8nLGIOpVsUoUVX9tkwZYhgN8iozy_F1iVejXpx_EK4dvfCv31PmTcgVJ7KWkQeUj_xO64E8TGWcQVkDEOxVu-1rBX0Tn95XprRRAy/s400/IMG_6014.JPG" width="300" /></a>You know that game, Othello? No, not the Shakespeare play... the game. It's tagline is "A minute to learn, a lifetime to master"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHD_UJycZEELuzFlTlXKLfDeDaI4CHAqDX3WPh0F3iMDk95ybAvtyWSDThK6eTHikvZSPov9d2-YVa2r4AhkVqmSZnibbmwCQX5ew2BMdEN8SP7NoGgxB_UlqgrPptXGZB5Vwz5Qej-Hz/s1600/IMG_6021.JPG" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHD_UJycZEELuzFlTlXKLfDeDaI4CHAqDX3WPh0F3iMDk95ybAvtyWSDThK6eTHikvZSPov9d2-YVa2r4AhkVqmSZnibbmwCQX5ew2BMdEN8SP7NoGgxB_UlqgrPptXGZB5Vwz5Qej-Hz/s160/IMG_6021.JPG" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" /></a>A lot of things fall into this category. Watercolors, planting things, doing cartwheels. And, making polenta. I mean, how hard can something with about 3 ingredients be? And at its simplest, you could make this with only 2: water and corn meal. Of course, generations of polenta makers would shake their heads at me for saying so. They learned over the course of centuries that this simple concept - boiled corn meal - can take so many forms. Soft, rich mush can be served with savory dishes like sausages. Mix it with sugar, milk, vanilla and cinnamon and you've got a Latin breakfast porridge. Spread it out in a flat pan, let it solidify and either pour maple syrup on it like they do in the midwest, or serve with pasta sauce, cheese and herbs like they do in Italy. It's like a food <em>canvas! </em></div>
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I've been a bit nervous about using polenta even so, because I'm never sure about whether the grain is cross-contaminated with others. It's the old shared-equipment quandry. Was it ground on equipment as wheat? nuts? other scary things? One never knows for sure. But if you can find a good brand*, or know that the brand only does corn ... well, then this is the food for you. Easy, fast, and a little goes a long way. It's a simple to enjoy starchy part of a wider meal. It can be used as part of the main dish, or sliced in little bars for a quick carry-around finger food snack. And, well, it's yummy. </div>
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For kids, these are so versatile. Cut in squares or little bars and they're easy finger food for on the go. Cut with cookie cutters for fun shaped plates at home. Make them sweet or savory, dip in sweet sauces or ketchup. (yes, my friends, ketchup). </div>
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One of my favorite versions of this is the Italian style polenta squares. Cornmeal, cheese, oil, and herbs spread out into a pan, then cut into squares and served with pasta sauce. I also like the squares fried in butter, but I try not to think about that too much. </div>
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Simple, yes, but not as easy as it seems at first. Deceptively simple. Add cornmeal to boiling water, stir, and it's done. Right? </div>
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But if you add the cornmeal directly into the hot water without stirring, you get lumps of half-dry goo. If you don't stir like crazy, you get lumps. It burns and spatters. It dries out on the pan to the consistency of cement. Oy. </div>
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There are a couple tricks. The best one that I've ever read was on Cooks.com's recipe. Put the cornmeal in some cold water first and stir it up <em>before</em> you add it to the boiling water. It's the same principle as adding flour to cold water before adding it to gravy to avoid lumps. </div>
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So, my basic recipe: </div>
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For this example: <br />2/3 cup corn meal, </div>
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2 1/4 water</div>
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2/3 cup of cheddar-style Daiya cheese</div>
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Put 2/3 of the water into a pan and begin to boil</div>
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Meanwhile, pour the cornmeal into the rest of the water, and stir it up until smooth. </div>
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Once the water's boiling, add the cornmeal & water mix in while stirring, stirring, stirring. Keep stirring until the mixture become more and more solid, a couple minutes.</div>
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Add anything else you want to add (cheese and herbs, or sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and milk) </div>
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Here, I'm using non-dairy Daiya cheddar style cheese. Turn off the heat and keep stirring. </div>
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Pour onto an oiled or non-stick bar pan and spread out evenly -- a casserole dish, brownie pan, whatever you have that's flat with edges.</div>
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Cover the pan with something, be it plastic or a lid of some sort and refrigerate until firm. Cut into whatever shapes you like! </div>
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If you would like an even cheesier version, cover with another 2/3 cup of cheese and put in the broiler for a few minutes. </div>
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* Bob's Red Mill has a gluten-free cornmeal. Here, though, I used fine cornmeal from our local latin store and it appears to be fine - no reactions, no nothing! </div>
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<a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>
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<img height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHD_UJycZEELuzFlTlXKLfDeDaI4CHAqDX3WPh0F3iMDk95ybAvtyWSDThK6eTHikvZSPov9d2-YVa2r4AhkVqmSZnibbmwCQX5ew2BMdEN8SP7NoGgxB_UlqgrPptXGZB5Vwz5Qej-Hz/s160/IMG_6021.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 78px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 505px; visibility: hidden;" width="72" />Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-49766334555584304962012-02-23T09:35:00.000-08:002012-02-23T09:36:20.606-08:00Eggs & Cheese! Dairy-Free<br />
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Eggs! So versatile, so simple.</div>
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I know that a lot of kids are allergic to eggs. But thankfully, mine is not... otherwise, I'd barely know what to make him for breakfast. <br />
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He is, however, allergic to cheese ~ yet he loves it. Since we discovered a truly non-dairy cheese, one that tastes great and melts for real, we are super thankful. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My little helper</td></tr>
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So I give you my shortest recipe ever:</div>
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Eggs with Cheese and Basil</div>
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2 eggs, scrambled up in a bowl</div>
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1 large pinch (around a 1/4 cup) Cheddar style Daiya dairy free cheese</div>
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1 tsp basil</div>
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olive oil</div>
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Heat about 1 T oil in a pretty hot pan</div>
Stir the cheese and basil into the eggs<br />
pour into the pan and let the eggs cook most of the way through - about 2 - 3 min<br />
once nearly done, flip it as if it were a pancake and cook for a minute more or so (turn off the heat)<br />
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Put on plate, cut into finger food sized pieces, et voila! serve with ketchup!<br />
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<a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-29905660834624785222012-01-30T07:52:00.000-08:002012-01-30T07:52:38.201-08:00The Warm Yummies: Sausages with Apple Cabbage<em>"The time has come," the Walrus said,<br />"To talk of many things:<br />Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--<br />Of cabbages--and kings--<br />And why the sea is boiling hot--<br />And whether pigs have wings."</em><br />
(<a href="http://www.jabberwocky.com/carroll/walrus.html">The Walrus and the Carpenter </a>from Carroll's <u>Through the Looking Glass</u>)<br />
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I love cabbage. <br />
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It always reminds me of my mom making holupkes (no idea how to spell it). They're cabbage rolls stuffed with a beef-rice filling and simmered in tomato sauce -- it was one of my dad's favorite childhood dishes, brought over by my great grandmother from Hungary or Czechoslovakia, or the Czech Republic ~ or wherever her ancestral home ended up in the fray of the twentieth century. Essentially, it's Eastern European comfort food. I keep intending to make it... and will, since it's certainly allergy friendly! <br />
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But one day, craving warmth, I only had access to a head of cabbage, a few apples, and a package of frozen chicken sausage. Hence... this! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Sausages with Apple Cabbage</td></tr>
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With the mixture of apples, onions and cabbage sauteed with apple cider and just a hint of savory mustard this was a hearty, warm dish just right for a cold night. Perfect for Fall or Winter! We just chopped the sausage pieces a little smaller for our son to eat as finger food, and it was a hit. And not bad for Mom and Dad, either... <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Chopping! </td></tr>
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So... simple recipe: </div>
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Chicken Sausages with Apple Cabbage</div>
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Oil for frying (I used olive) </div>
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1 large apple (I used macoun), diced</div>
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1 medium onion, diced</div>
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1/2 head cabbage, chopped into ~ 1" pieces</div>
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1/2 cup apple cider or juice</div>
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1 tsp stone ground mustard (optional) <br />1 package chicken sausages *</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sauteing the apples, onions, and cabbage!</td></tr>
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<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Sautee the sausage in a little oil, turning over every few minutes to ensure they're evenly cooked, usually around 8 - 10 minutes. Set aside. </li>
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In the same pan, sautee the onions with a little bit more oil until translucent, around 2 - 3 minutes. </div>
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Add the apples and sautee until slightly soft</div>
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Add the cabbage and sautee for about 5 minutes, until slightly soft. </div>
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While cabbage and applies are cooking, slice the sausages into 1" pieces. </div>
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If you're using the mustard, mix it into the apple cider or juice. </div>
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Either way, to deglaze the pan once the cabbage starts to brown slightly, add the cider or juice, then the sausage pieces. </div>
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Cover and simmer for around 5 minutes to fuse the flavors and ensure the sausage is fully cooked. </div>
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* Check the sausage ingredients carefully to ensure no allergens are present! Sometimes they hide in commercially prepared foods, especially those mass-produced. We found some that were a local producer but in our regular supermarket, and no more expensive than the name brands. Delicious and locally made! </div>
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</div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-404538991404729192012-01-11T11:04:00.000-08:002012-01-12T06:12:20.301-08:00Cooking. Slow. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Turkey Coconut Rice with Chickpeas and Raisins</em></td></tr>
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There's something so comforting about a rice dish. It's warm and filling, just right for a nippy day. You feel like putting it into a bowl, not on a plate. Use a spoon instead of a fork. Everything round and delicious and... like home. <br />
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Problem is: it can take a while to make the rice. I mean, not forever... but there needs to be a little forethought and planning involved than usually takes place in this busy house. Small hungry child running around the kitchen? Let's chop something up <em>right now!</em> Hence not as much rice around here as I'd like. Or slow cooked stew. Or baked things. </div>
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But maybe the New Year is a good time to remember that slowing down is a good thing. That making food in a panicked state means making panicked food. And while I do intend to translate this into using my slow cooker, I may need to work my way up to that kind of planning. (i.e. thinking about dinner during breakfast) </div>
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Last night, instead, I made rice.</div>
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What's great about most starches like rice or pasta or potatoes or quinoa or polenta or ... well, I could go on here ... is that while they have their own inherent qualities, they're usually used as a canvas for other flavors. And what a canvas rice is! It's all about texture and flavor with rice. Is it fluffy and light? Dense and glutinous? slightly cracked, crispy and sweet? hefty rich brown? Each of these has complete categories of cuisine dedicated to them: from pilafs and biryanis to sticky rice desserts, to stir fried vegetables over cracked white rice, to jambalayas and even stuffing. The possibilities are endless. </div>
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But last night, I wasn't thinking about that cornucopia of flavor; there was no time. I was in dinner panic mode. I had only a few things around the kitchen... a pound of ground turkey and... well, that was the furthest I'd thought. Q was running around the house being his adorable self, and I was torn between being with him or making food for us. </div>
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He hadn't been eating well all day and <em>had</em> to be hungry but he wasn't falling for any of my cheap tricks: Chex "crackers" in a bowl, craisins, even <em>blueberries</em> weren't enticing him. And he has suddenly decided to give up his previously favorite thing in the world, hot dogs. (His new favorite thing in the world is bacon. So much so that he has decided there is a "bacon tube" in his bedroom that he pretends dispenses bacon at his whim. He is a gracious sharer of this imaginary bacon, I am proud to say ~ but hey, it's <em>pretend</em> bacon!) </div>
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So in the service of nutrition, I quickly sauteed up some onions and ground turkey. I wanted to try something a little different... so I threw in some cumin, cloves, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and chicken broth powder. Then for some "finger food" additions, I put in a can of chickpeas and a handful of raisins. By then I felt like I was channeling the Near East ~ but it needed something a little richer in there, so I threw in a whole can of coconut milk. ... and, gasp! wayyyyyy to much liquid! what to do? </div>
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There was easily an extra cup of liquid that needed to be disposed of, but I wasn't going to throw away those lovely spices just to get rid of it. What could soak it all up and still make the dish better? Noodles? Nah. Potatoes? don't have any. </div>
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Then it hit me. Rice. </div>
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I threw in about a cup and a half of jasmine rice and stirred it down. Clearly it needed a bit more liquid to get the 2:1 ratio right so I added about 2/3 cup more water. I let it boil, then stirred, covered and turned it down to a simmer... and walked away to play with my son. Ahh. <br />
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It ended up rich without tasting at all like coconut, dense and warm with just the right mix of meat, chickpeas and raisins, and overall... delicious! </div>
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So here's the actual recipe which makes it look like I planned all this. But this was a happy accident. </div>
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<em>Turkey Coconut Rice with Chickpeas and Raisins</em></div>
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2 T oil for frying (non allergenic ... I use olive or canola) </div>
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1 cup chopped onions (I use the equivalent frozen because it's faster and they're pre-chopped!) </div>
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1 T sodium-free chicken broth powder (I use <a href="http://www.hormelfoods.com/brands/herb-Ox/default.aspx" target="_blank">Herb-ox</a>) </div>
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1 tsp ground cumin</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpx3NKI1x6UsrlZxAhiRnXrhA4efpFf9chn2zpbsgSn3sXGXroYfN0_W0I4mOCvH0ousnjKFlq60RMPpJyB9ouhzLAWqPFDzUj3vtjfYEqcMF1PCAYfwEpMywX4se0ubpAlzTDsqjvLHke/s1600/IMG_5301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpx3NKI1x6UsrlZxAhiRnXrhA4efpFf9chn2zpbsgSn3sXGXroYfN0_W0I4mOCvH0ousnjKFlq60RMPpJyB9ouhzLAWqPFDzUj3vtjfYEqcMF1PCAYfwEpMywX4se0ubpAlzTDsqjvLHke/s320/IMG_5301.JPG" width="320" /></a>1 tsp smoked paprika</div>
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1/2 tsp ground cloves<br />
1/2 tsp cinnamon</div>
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dash cardamom (optional)</div>
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1 lb ground turkey</div>
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1 15 oz can of chick peas, drained</div>
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1 cup raisins</div>
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1 15 oz can of coconut milk (not the stuff you drink by the way... just good old coconut milk) </div>
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1 1/3 cups jasmine or other white rice</div>
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2/3 cup water</div>
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1. In a deep frying pan or wide stock pan, sautee onions in a couple T of oil until transparent, stirring occasionally. </div>
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2. Add the spices to the onions and continue to sautee for a couple minutes, until onions are no longer releasing liquid </div>
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3. Add ground turkey, break apart and brown. </div>
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4. Add can of chickpeas and the raisins, stirring all together for about 2 - 3 minutes</div>
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5. Add can of coconut milk and stir. Heat the liquid until boiling slightly</div>
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6. Add the rice and water. Stir until all grains are covered by the liquid. </div>
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7. Let the mixture reach another boil. Cover, turn down the heat to simmer / low for around 20 minutes. Check around 15 minutes in to ensure the rice has enough water and if it's necessary, add 1/4 cup more water. </div>
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8. Turn off heat and keep covered for a few extra minutes to ensure rice is fully cooked. Fluff and serve!</div>
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<a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-18819309743555519462011-12-08T07:38:00.000-08:002011-12-13T14:15:34.077-08:00Whole lotta LATKES!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>I have a little dreidel </em></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>I made it out of clay </em></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>And when it's dry and ready </em></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Then dreidel I shall play!</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">OK, we're gearing up for the holidays! Both Christmas and Hanukkah are right around the corner. What could be better than to try out our favorite yummy stuff? <br /><br />Well, to tell you the truth, I have to admit that trying this recipe, although I have been thinking about it for a while, was a born out of necessity. As you may already have read in other portions of this blog, I have a great love of frozen fruit and vegetables. Why? Well, because they are the next best thing to fresh, they're right there when you need them, they're usually pre-chopped, and you can portion them out as your heart tells you. Little one wants peaches in the middle of winter? Grab the resealable bag from the freezer, defrost a handful, and instant happy (and fed) child. No need to whip out the can opener or open one of the travel containers of fruit you should be saving for the road. Same with a handful of peas or green beans to add color and vitamins to the overall meal.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHAN0ftJMRLGvzrpAEkTt6TLlJKCh6u-qEah5rKgORhiwk9QYQmHr52zg9JtyfiDUquAHTC7NzfBi-OXLZpElF8lVcDFMVi4AVizTiwTHJz4QTNleUJ2CI8XqrNRq7DABFAAzMTt1-t4o/s1600/005.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHAN0ftJMRLGvzrpAEkTt6TLlJKCh6u-qEah5rKgORhiwk9QYQmHr52zg9JtyfiDUquAHTC7NzfBi-OXLZpElF8lVcDFMVi4AVizTiwTHJz4QTNleUJ2CI8XqrNRq7DABFAAzMTt1-t4o/s320/005.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">But, silly me, I forgot to put away the bag of frozen chopped onions last night. Not only did they melt and make a sticky mess on the counter, but I feared they'd been rendered useless. Luckily, they were still usable... but needed to be, stat! </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Mind clicking into gear: onions. breakfast. ... must involve potatoes. what about hash browns? nah... what about ~ potato pancakes? e voila: LATKES!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I've had so many lovely, light as air, non-soggy latkes in my day, but I've always had horrible luck. Mine turn out soggy: potato juice everywhere while cooking, and thick as mud while eating. Luckily, I've been reading up on them in prep for the holiday season. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95C5ew6gO1zMj8SSuZ_YaMWl0KaqiBnEDovxwrKzzmNEUfSVrDZr1FJh8yIi7uVQ_-xslzVdT5H0NDZd3-B9VGjdAyLn4FpIFE2tFXL0yGDRMha2R_CWpib8wcGnY-5fH8Op99PQG076O/s1600/011.JPG" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95C5ew6gO1zMj8SSuZ_YaMWl0KaqiBnEDovxwrKzzmNEUfSVrDZr1FJh8yIi7uVQ_-xslzVdT5H0NDZd3-B9VGjdAyLn4FpIFE2tFXL0yGDRMha2R_CWpib8wcGnY-5fH8Op99PQG076O/s320/011.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">What's the key? The secret? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Squeeze all the extra juice out of the potatoes and onions after you shred them. </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Seriously, it's that simple! It makes for some mighty crispy, tasty latkes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Potato Latkes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">2 medium sized potatoes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">1 medium onion</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">1 egg</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">2 T gluten free flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">1 t baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Oil for frying</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">1. Shred the potatoes and onions, then lay them flat on either a clean tea towel or a paper towel. Roll them up jelly-roll style, and over a bowl, squeeze them to your heart's content.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">2. Scramble the egg, add the flour and baking powder, and stir. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">3. Add the potatoes and onions into the egg/flour mixture and stir. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">4. Fry them up! Drain on paper towels </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Rousing choruses of Dreidel dreidel are recommended but not necessary. </span></div>
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<br /></div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-14890391960956817172011-12-06T13:50:00.000-08:002011-12-06T14:14:58.943-08:00POP: Plain old Popcorn! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>From left: popped popcorn, unpopped popcorn,</em><br />
<em> nesting doll measuring cups.</em> </td></tr>
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Got a brown lunch bag? </div>
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Got a microwave?</div>
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Got some popcorn?</div>
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Yes? Then you're all set!</div>
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My son loves popcorn. When we went to the local farm market's Fall Pumpkin Extravaganza, they had maple kettle corn that was made with corn oil, maple syrup, and a touch of salt. It was one of only prepared things I have EVER bought for him, because I could see the guy making it. It was a massive vat of popcorn into which he poired the syrup, and then stirred up with a paddle the size of an oar. There was little opportunity for him to sneak in something nefarious. So... I gritted my teeth, bought it, and thank goodness! It was not only delicious, but there was no reaction. Most of all, I scored MASSIVE "yay Mommy" points.</div>
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Yeah, I had to do a little quality control (i.e. ongoing tasting and testing... and oh that was rough) to bite off the occasional seed or husk from the popcorn, but that was me just being mommy crazy. But since then, he has asked for popcorn often enough for me to wonder how I could make my own. <br />
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While I haven't gotten to the Maple Syrup Kettle Corn phase yet, I am aware that there is no way in heck we could use regular Microwave Popcorn. No question there's Soy in them, plus likely butter or casein, or some bizarre chemicals. Plus... you can't recycle the bags and it's a big nasty mess if you over-nuke them. <br />
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So, when I saw <a href="http://www.squawkfox.com/2010/07/27/popcorn-recipe-gourmet-popcorn/">the post from Squawkfox on how to make our own microwave popcorn from only a bag and some corn</a>, I was intrigued. It seemed too easy. But having tried it, it's not only easy but delicious!<br />
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Lil One ate a bowl of it all by himself and asked for more. I was amazed at how he could manage 3-4 pieces at a time in his little mouth. But I loved it anyway, and kept the sippy handy. Just in case. :)<br />
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Here's the recipe: (clipped from post linked to from above)<br />
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<strong>Step One:</strong> Get a brown paper bag<br />
This is ridiculously easy, internet people. Just head on over to your local grocery store and pickup a package of no name flat-bottomed brown paper lunch bags.<br />
<strong>Step Two:</strong> Bag your popcorn<br />
Add a 1/2 cup scoop of bulk popcorn kernels to your brown paper bag.<br />
Fold the bag over twice. Don’t use staples to secure the bag — this might spark in your microwave.<br />
<strong>Step Three:</strong> Pop in microwave<br />
Stick the popcorn bag into your microwave. I set mine for 3 minutes on high. <br />
(Sue's note: I had a smaller bag and only used a 1/4 cup of popcorn, so I did it with 2 minutes...<br />
and was juuuuust starting to get some burned kernels which were easy to dispose of)<br />
<strong>Step Four: </strong>Toppings. Salt, Sugar, Pepper, Garlic Powder, etc. Whatever you like and you can have!<br />
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Seriously, that's all there is to it. <br />
<strong>Plain ol' popcorn</strong>... saves money, calories, and no allergens except corn ~ (but then you knew that!)<br />
What's not to love?Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-84307633149982595402011-12-01T21:43:00.000-08:002011-12-02T11:49:13.218-08:00Pumpkin and Spice (r)Ice Cream! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Pumpkin Ice Cream with Gingersnaps</strong></em></td></tr>
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OK rice milk is in it too, but in fact the star of this pumpkin "ice cream" is really coconut milk. Rich, delicious coconut milk. </div>
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And this is SO simple to make!</div>
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All it takes is coconut milk, pumpkin you probably have left over from Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie spices, sweetener, rice milk. Stir it up, pour into the ice cream maker, and in a half hour you have some sweeeeet eats!</div>
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I'm finding that vegan cooking sites are a treasure trove of ideas. Take this one from the lovely blog <a href="http://sogoodandtasty.blogspot.com/2010/10/vegan-pumpkin-spice-ice-cream.html" target="_blank">So Good and Tasty</a>, written by Jaqui (who also has <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/slidesideways?ref=em" target="_blank">a great Etsy shop</a>, check it out!) </div>
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It's a deviously simple pumpkin pie flavored ice cream made with just a few ingredients that you can whip up in five minutes and freeze up in thirty. Once you're done, you will have not only the admiration of your children but also anyone else who has the good fortune to be eating with you that day!</div>
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Now, don't get nervous about it tasting coconut-y. It doesn't. The coconut adds just the right amount of richness to the ice cream ~ and unless someone told you that it had coconut in it, you'd never know it was there. It's smooth, creamy, sweet, spicy. Delicious!</div>
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So below, I am quoting Jacqui's recipe directly, but when I made it, there were a few changes. Instead of almond, I used rice milk in the same amount, and since I didn't have any cloves on hand I used some ginger and allspice in overall the same measures. </div>
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The first time I made it, I used Lyle's Golden Syrup instead of the cane sugar. I did this mainly because I didn't want to wait an hour for the mix to cool in the fridge. (I guessed that was to allow the granulated sugar to dissolve.) So, I used the only pre-dissoved sugar I had on hand, and Lyle's was it! It ended up not sweet enough. The second time, I used Karo (corn) syrup and it still wasn't sweet enough ~ until I added a 1/4 c more of maple syrup! Perfect. So if you go that route, it's 3/4 c Karo or Lyle's, plus 1/4 cup maple syrup. </div>
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<b>Vegan Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream</b></div>
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1 14 ounce can coconut milk</div>
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3/4 cup almond milk, or other dairy free milk</div>
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1 teaspoon cinnamon</div>
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1/2 teaspoon nutmeg</div>
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1/4 teaspoon cloves</div>
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3/4 cup cane sugar</div>
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1 cup pumpkin puree </div>
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In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and whisk together well. Let chill for about an hour in your fridge. Once really cold, follow instructions for your ice cream maker. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to come out!</td></tr>
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My ice cream maker suggests around 30 minutes of stirring in the machine. It goes in looking like thin pudding, and comes out like... well, Ice Cream! You can eat it then, but it'll be pretty soft. Most ice cream makers will suggest you "cure" the result in the freezer for at least a half hour afterward. But seriously, who has time for <em>that</em>?! </div>
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We finished about half of the container that night. It was perfect with (allergen free Pamela's) ginger snaps. Can you imagine this over apple pie? All I can say is, <em>WOW!</em></div>
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<a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-13581689976390171182011-11-29T20:14:00.001-08:002011-11-29T20:46:33.706-08:00Dare we Dairy?It's been a long time coming, but it's possible we're coming close to knocking an allergen off the list. Knock wood, pardon the pun. <br />
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We did a new RAST test recently... the first one since the flurry of testing we did upon realizing little one was having issues. He's just about to hit the 2 year mark, and testing is getting closer to being more valid, more accurate. <br />
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This one came back with some interesting results that I barely dare to believe. One in particular shocked me: he's a scale of 1 out of 5 for dairy! That's the same value he received for eggs... and G*d bless him, he eats eggs nearly every day with no issue. <br />
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So. <br />
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We are starting to give him some easy to digest dairy in the form of yogurt. Sunday. Just a little baby spoon each day. Non-flavored, high fat Greek style yogurt. And he (drum roll...)<br />
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- Has not broken out<br />
- Has not exhibited any itching<br />
- Has not had diarrhea or constipation<br />
- Has no bubbles, spots, or hives on his face, backside, or elsewhere. <br />
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... this is day 3! <br />
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It's incredible to think that we might be able to add other dairy like milk or cheese to the mix. I mean, I've gotten used to keeping our son in a silo of known foods, a list so clearly defined by painstaking label reading and research. I'm almost agoraphobic about it. Almost. The rest of me is beside myself bated breath thrilled about this prospects. But it is scary. It has come to be that I sometimes measure my worth as a mother through ensuring he is well fed and free of allergens. <br />
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If it's true, it takes one level of complexity away from our lives. But then again, add another... We have to memorize the package contents again, but maybe a REAL grilled cheese might be worth all that. Maybe butter in mashed potatoes. Maybe a tall glass of chocolate milk. <br />
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Fingers crossed. Anyone out there have some tips? Anyone out there transitioning to a wider diet based on RAST testing a child?Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-86428057895638814352011-11-21T14:31:00.000-08:002011-11-22T14:12:02.187-08:00Simple as Blueberry PieOne of the simplest pleasures in life is pie. <br />
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Not 3.14... though it's fun to imagine the connections between a pie's round shape and that famous infinite number. If we had, in fact, infinite amounts of pie, I think I'd be pretty happy. Dividing it in eighths is fun, but then again there are those people who are just tasters, who insist in "half a slice" (which creates challenges when you have a soupy fruit center), and those midnight pie eaters who attempt to evade detection with their tiny sliver slices. Oh yeah, you know who you are. And we're watching you. <br />
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So inevitably as the cold weather comes upon me, I want to bake. Thanksgiving's coming, too... but I feel the need to have something bright and surprising after a lot of Halloween pumpkin related food. I mean, we're going to have a lot of cold weather related food coming up soon, so why not have a quick taste of summer just before we go full boar into the Holidays? </div>
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OK, that and I accidentally left out some frozen blueberries and they needed to be used asap. </div>
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So, while I'll be making pumpkin pie later this week, I give you... Blueberry Pie!</div>
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I have a ridiculously simple "regular" gluten-filled pastry dough recipe that I've adapted for this recipe. I literally keep it in my recipe box on a <em>Post it</em>. Here it is in its original form: </div>
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All you have to do to update this is use Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (I use Bob's Red Mill), and palm shortening (I use Spectrum Organics). Seriously that's all there is to it ~ just put it in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few minutes, then roll it out. This makes enough for one crust. If you intend to put on a top crust, just double it. </div>
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For those of you who cannot read my chicken scrawl, here you go: </div>
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Food Processor Pastry</div>
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1c. Flour<br />1/4 t. salt</div>
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1/4 cup shortening </div>
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1/4 cup cold water</div>
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Put flour and salt into the food processor. Pulse 3 - 4 times. </div>
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Add shortening. Pulse 5 - 6 times. Dough should look like coarse meal. </div>
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Then with machine running, add water 1 Tablespoon at a time until it suddenly WHOOSHes into a ball of dough. Put in a plastic baggie (or something that will avoid its outsides from starting to dry out) in the fridge to cool for a few minutes. </div>
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For a pre-baked crust: Roll it out, prick sides and bottom with a fork here and there, and bake at 425 for 10 - 12 minutes. Cool then add things like chocolate pudding etc. </div>
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For a non-pre-baked crust: Roll it out, prick sides and bottom with a fork here and there, and then add your fruit mixture, pumpkin pie filling, etc. </div>
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Blueberry Pie</div>
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Jessica and I made a blueberry pie last week. She was very excited about making a pie for little one, and we had these frozen blueberries hanging around doing nothing... why not? When I came down for lunch there was pastry rolled up into balls and waiting to be made into crusts, and a big bowl of defrosted blueberries. How do we make that into pie? </div>
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Well, my mom always just told me to cover fruit with a few tablespoons granulated sugar, a couple tablespoons of flour, and let it sit awhile. Vague but serviceable. The New York Times Cookbook told us a little more. They suggested that for 3 cups blueberries, we add 9 tsp of corn starch and 1/2 cup sugar! Plus a little lemon juice. Stir it up and you're all set. More gluten free... yay. If you have a corn allergy you can also use tapioca starch instead of corn starch.</div>
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Once the filling is ready, pour into your pie shell , cover with a top crust if you like. I didn't have quite enough pastry for a 2 sided crust so I rolled it out and sliced it into strips to make a lattice work. Looks pretty <em>and</em> covers up a multitude of sins like... well, not having enough pastry! </div>
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Bake at 400 degrees for around 40 minutes or until the pastry becomes golden. And there you have yourself a pie! </div>
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<a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-60150006037424353592011-11-11T06:15:00.000-08:002011-11-22T13:39:22.040-08:00Smoooooooooth-iesYour challenge should you choose to accept it. <br />
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- Get more fruit into your child<br />
- Encourage child to drink more liquids<br />
- Make child super happy<br />
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.... and I give you: Smoothies!<br />
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Frozen fruit is so useful. If kept in its frosty home, it generally doesn't go bad any time soon. You can just take out what you need for any specific situation, say, add a few blueberries to pancakes or defrost some peaches for finger food. It's available all year, is pre-cut into generally bite sized, peaches, and if you're really stuck for a quick brunch potluck idea, just throw a few types into a bowl before you walk out the door and it's usually pretty close to defrosted by the time you reach our destination. <br />
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- Allergen free milk </div>
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(I use Vanilla Rice Milk) </div>
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- Coconut-Milk based ice cream </div>
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- Frozen fruit of your choice</div>
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For a few sippys full, I throw in about 1.5 cups of frozen fruit, 1 cup rice milk, and about 1/2 cup of coconut milk ice cream. </div>
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</div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-55636150629615072922011-11-08T13:05:00.000-08:002011-11-08T13:06:55.730-08:00Musings on a Pumpkin Bread epic fail<span class="messageBody translationEligibleUserMessage" data-ft="{"type":3}" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Things I learned this morning:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who knew bread could fall like a souffle?</td></tr>
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<span class="messageBody translationEligibleUserMessage" data-ft="{"type":3}" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1. Even if you have an extra hour to kill, do not assume a quick bread recipe will be quick. <br />2. Tack on an extra half hour (at least) when baking in the presence of a toddler. <br />3. Never, ever, make any creative guesses about liquid qty when baking. <br />4. This is doubly so when gluten free baking. <br />5. Even if it's a glutinous mass instead of bread, anything made with pumpkin is still yummy. </span></div>
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<br /></div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-40612549519608163222011-11-07T08:07:00.000-08:002011-12-05T08:35:39.600-08:00Potential food allergens in preschool and school activitiesSo we're looking into pre-schools. I can't believe this is happening already! <br />
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Our son's on the cusp between school year ages... he's a December baby, so if he goes into school next September, he'll still be a two year old, going on three. Should we wait a year? Not? Will he be the littlest one, or the older kid in class? Considering the difference we've seen in the past year, and the fact it's accelerating, how can we estimate where he'll be in a year? So many decisions. <br />
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Not least of all, though, is how we will address his allergies. One of the pre-schools we visited, while wonderful in so many ways, had a snack zone wide open for the children. What a great thought normally... let children self-select snacks and the times when they're hungry. But when I looked at that area, they included crackers and other foods I know to be harmful for our son. And when I asked the director about their allergy policy, it was met with a thoughtful "well, when we've had peanut allergic children, we just make sure the kids didn't bring them to share." <br />
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I asked whether the staff had any experience with other allergies, they admitted they didn't but were willing to work with us. While we appreciated that, it made me worry... if they haven't addressed this issue in the past, they don't know the breadth of what they're dealing with here. <br />
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So many nuances to consider... and would all the other children understand why they can't have cheese sticks? crackers? pretzels? tuna? chocolate chip cookies? We can keep him healthy at home, but what will we do when kids start sharing things with him? And what if he has free access to food that he is too young to understand he can't have? <br />
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Around the time we were having these conversations, I came across this interesting article on the<a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Food-Allergy-Education-Network/198196310262256" target="_blank"> Food Allergy Education Network's facebook feed</a>. And it became clear to me there's a lot more we have to consider beyond just food when it comes to his pre-school. This is a list I will be sure to share with any place our son goes! <br />
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Sigh - maybe we need an additional year's preparation just to get ready for pre-school!<br />But forewarned is forearmed, and I'm so glad to have this information.<br />
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<em>Note! This is a <u>cut-and-paste</u> from <strong>Kids with Food Allergies</strong> <strong>(</strong></em><a href="http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/"><em><strong>http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/</strong></em></a><em><strong>)</strong> ... a wonderful site with great information for all families, educators, or child care providers who need information about living with food allergies. I've attributed below as their site does as well. My hope is that others can benefit from their efforts as I have. </em><br />
<em>Read on..... </em><br />
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<a href="http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/resourcespre.php?id=83&title=potential_food_allergens_in_preschool_and_school_activities">Potential food allergens in preschool and school activities</a></div>
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<strong>Unexpected sources of allergens in school<br /><em>Food used in lesson plans may need to be substituted depending on student food allergies</em></strong><br />
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According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, "food used in lesson plans for math or science, crafts, and cooking classes may need to be substituted depending on the allergies of the students". <sup><span style="font-size: 78%;">1</span></sup><br />
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Below is a list of some unexpected places you can encounter common food allergens, along with alternatives and precautions that can be used. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list; it is a general guide only and is not inclusive of every potential food allergen. Please verify all ingredients yourself by contacting the manufacturers as ingredients may change.<br />
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<tr><td valign="top" width="123"><strong>Activity/Materials </strong></td><td valign="top" width="119"><strong>Allergen(s) </strong></td><td valign="top"><strong>Potentially Safe Alternatives and </strong><br /><br /><strong>Appropriate Precautions </strong></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Play-Doh® (commercial or wheat-based homemade)</td><td valign="top">Wheat </td><td valign="top">Crayola® Model Magic® <br /><br />Modeling clay (NOT modeling dough)<br /><br /><br />Moon Sand <br /><br />Wheat-free, gluten-free dough from <a href="http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/" target="_blank">http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/</a><br /><br />Homemade rice- or buckwheat-based play dough <br /><br />Other sensory materials such as goop, slime, and ooblick <br /><br />Use a safe homemade playdough or ooblick: <br /><br />- <a href="http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/rice_playdough.php">Rice playdough </a><span class="redstyle">(free recipe)</span><br /><br />- <a href="http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/recipes/showrecipe.php?id=666">Cornstarch playdough</a> <span class="redstyle">(requires membership)</span><br /><br />- <a href="http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/recipes/showrecipe.php?id=1252">Edible playdough</a> <span class="redstyle">(requires membership)</span><br /><br />- Ooblick recipe: 1 1/2 cups corn starch, 1 cup water, food color (optional). Mix the ingredients together; as children play with the mixture it will be solid when they squeeze it and liquid when they release it.</td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Macaroni art (wheat) </td><td valign="top">Wheat, egg </td><td valign="top" width="225">Rice macaroni <br /><br />Quinoa macaroni </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Counting/sorting beans, grains, pasta, M&Ms® or other small foods </td><td valign="top">Potentially all </td><td valign="top" width="225">Counting/sorting foam, wood or plastic beads, or other small non-food items. Read ingredient labels to choose food items with safe ingredients. </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Sensory tables that use grains, pasta, candies or other small foods </td><td valign="top">Potentially all </td><td valign="top" width="225">Use non-food items or read ingredients to choose food items with safe ingredients </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Tempera paint (homemade and some very high-end commercial) </td><td valign="top">Egg </td><td valign="top">Commercial finger paint Crayola® Kids Paint <br /><br />Most commercial paints suitable for children </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Finger paint </td><td valign="top">Pudding finger paint may contain milk. Laundry soap or laundry starch mixed in with finger paints to make them thicker. Laundry starch may contain corn, laundry soap may contain allergens. </td><td valign="top">Read ingredients to find milk-free finger paints. Laundry starch or soap can be omitted if avoiding corn. Read ingredients to find a safe laundry soap. </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Crayons </td><td valign="top">May contain soy </td><td valign="top">Read ingredients to find soy-free crayons </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Crayola® Wonder </td><td valign="top">Soy </td><td valign="top">Use a non-soy based ink </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Craft paste </td><td valign="top">May contain wheat starch </td><td valign="top">Elmer's® Glue sticks <br /><br />Read labels to determine if wheat starch is present. </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Shaving cream </td><td valign="top">May contain milk </td><td valign="top">Read ingredients to find a milk free shaving cream </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Ooblick, oobleck, goop, slime </td><td valign="top">May contain corn </td><td valign="top">Create mixture using tapioca starch instead of corn starch, or read ingredients to find a safe version </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Bird feeders </td><td valign="top">Peanut butter <br /><br />Wheat in birdseed mix <br /><br />Nut oils in seed mix </td><td valign="top">Consider making a hummingbird or butterfly feeder instead, using sugar, water and food coloring. <br /><br /><br />Use soy nut butter or sunflower butter <br /><br />Regular Crisco ® (contains soy oil) or other safe hard shortening <br /><br />Honey <br /><br />Seeds or seed mix without wheat seeds or nut oils </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Planting seeds </td><td valign="top">Legume seeds (such as beans, peas or peanut) <br /><br />Corn kernels <br /><br />Egg shells or egg containers that are sometimes used as "pots" to germinate seeds </td><td valign="top">Any other seeds <br /><br />Use other safe pots to grow seeds </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Baking projects </td><td valign="top">Potentially all </td><td valign="top">You can share lots of safe recipes and request to participate in any baking activities. </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Paper mache (<em>Papier</em>-<em>mâché</em>) </td><td valign="top">Wheat </td><td valign="top">Elmer's ® glue solution <br /><br />Buckwheat flour solution </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Birthday and holiday celebrations </td><td valign="top">Potentially all </td><td valign="top">Non-food celebration (songs, goodie bags, stickers) <br /><br />You can provide safe cake or cupcakes for the class. </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Making butter </td><td valign="top">Dairy </td><td valign="top">None </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Making maracas or shakers </td><td valign="top">Some legumes </td><td valign="top">Fill maracas or shakers with rice, popcorn, or sand. </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Projects using empty egg cartons, milk cartons, yogurt containers, etc. </td><td valign="top">Egg <br /><br />Dairy </td><td valign="top">You can provide safe empty containers for the class. <br /><br />One place to purchase new egg cartons is <a href="http://www.eggcartons.com/" target="_blank">http://www.eggcartons.com/</a></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Hand-washing (teachers and children) </td><td valign="top">Soaps, liquid soaps, hand wipes, diaper wipes and hand lotion may contain many allergens including wheat, dairy, soy and/or nut extracts including shea nut. <br /><br />Cloth towels may contain food residue. </td><td valign="top">Read soap, liquid soap, wipe and lotion labels to determine if allergens are present and choose a safe brand. <br /><br />Use paper towels to dry hands. <br /><br />Use safe wipes to clean hands. </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Musical instruments </td><td valign="top">Allergens will be present on mouth-blown musical instruments. </td><td valign="top">Remove mouth-blown musical instruments from classroom. <br /><br />Provide a designated set of mouth-blown instruments for your child's use only. </td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Play kitchen </td><td valign="top">Empty "real" egg cartons, cereal boxes, etc. will contain allergens. </td><td valign="top">If used, you can provide safe "real" containers to replace allergenic ones. </td></tr>
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<strong>References:</strong> <br /><br />1. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (1998). Anaphylaxis in schools and other child-care settings . Accessed August 2007, <a href="http://www.aaaai.org/media/resources/academy_statements/position_statements/ps34.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.aaaai.org/media/resources/academy_statements/position_statements/ps34.asp</a> <br /></div>
<br />Download a copy of this article here:<br /><a href="http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/docs/PreschoolDaycareActivities.pdf"><strong>Potential food allergens in preschool and school activities</strong></a><br /><br /><em>Thanks to KFA member Lara A. for providing her assistance in developing this document.</em> <br /><br />
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Originally published August 2007. Updated August 2008.</div>
<br /><br />Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-40986665765416376892011-11-04T14:41:00.000-07:002011-11-22T13:42:36.430-08:00Cheese, glorious (rice) cheese!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4R7jb3thLDp-_GRmrLZNOJUK_RRkN9buRFotxUcH_oqdtnSKUqvHkZe-R14rljM825WnHgPn42PzmKf4UsWv_o4KMj6Bzyy8KMtw0URnUs2UBMs_OwkEMQpKBkgSStRUDCrpSDKZRxxj/s1600/030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4R7jb3thLDp-_GRmrLZNOJUK_RRkN9buRFotxUcH_oqdtnSKUqvHkZe-R14rljM825WnHgPn42PzmKf4UsWv_o4KMj6Bzyy8KMtw0URnUs2UBMs_OwkEMQpKBkgSStRUDCrpSDKZRxxj/s320/030.JPG" width="320" /></a>You might say... "Seriously, just plain old grilled cheese?"</div>
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And I would say... "is there such a thing?"</div>
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Because grilled cheese is one of those things that makes childhood complete. Like splashing in puddles, or throwing balls in the house, or learning to ride a tricycle. It's just plain, well, <em>grilled cheese</em>!</div>
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It's easy, it's comfort food, and it's a celebration of warmth and happiness ~ all in one simple bite. </div>
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Looking for ways to include classic kids' edibles that are normally verboten due to food allergies is a hobby for me. If I'm able to find a soy and nut free peanut butter alternative (I'm thinking sunflower seed butter is a likely option), I <em>will</em> be making SB&J soon. In the meantime, I'm making grilled cheese sandwiches in all their glory. </div>
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Since I've found rice based cheese shreds (from Daiya dairy free), Q has been on a mommy-enabled cheese binge. Omlettes. Nachos. Now sandwiches. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_IFUbWO5zM1VZEVVGxMS-Z6oYzl0ol64lbtWFwbdknND1Pau1ll3yhps96cZNg01EEWu0umhl_Y75sUXQJ6wotMvkQBRkN9eGqcR_3zB9b-L2hPUWvHXuCo-i6toLFP11DO-sUap-QoR/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_IFUbWO5zM1VZEVVGxMS-Z6oYzl0ol64lbtWFwbdknND1Pau1ll3yhps96cZNg01EEWu0umhl_Y75sUXQJ6wotMvkQBRkN9eGqcR_3zB9b-L2hPUWvHXuCo-i6toLFP11DO-sUap-QoR/s320/027.JPG" width="320" /></a>The rice cheeses are OK uncooked, but a little salty and chalky, so I wouldn't use them in salads of anything. But when melted, they're fantastic! I've used their mozzarella style and cheddar style cheeses, but they also carry a pepper jack variety which looks promising for tacos. (aha! my next project has been decided...)</div>
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So, does one really need a recipe for grilled cheese? Oil the pan (olive oil here), lay down the allergen-free bread (Udi's white sandwich here), put the cheese on, close the sandwich, and <em>press down </em>with a spatula to ensure the cheese melts into the bread. Get it nice and grill-y brown, and ensure there's melty-ness going on in there. Serve by slicing it in half. (your choice as to straight or diagonal... I don't want to affect your camp on this, you hear me?)</div>
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Additions are all upside: I like to add a slice of deli turkey to this, but you could add any veggies you'd like to hide inside: thin-sliced tomato (potential allergen there of course), avocado, and pickles are all delicious!</div>
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And best of all, stuff for dipping: ketchup (if you have a corn allergy to work with, I hear Hunt's does not use HFCS), even allergen-free mayonnaise (most commercial mayo is soybean oil based, so I stock up during Passover for canola-oil based varieties or buy Spectrum Organics canola-based mayo) </div>
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Oh, the possibilities! </div>
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Grilled cheese is kind of like the game of Othello: a moment to learn, a lifetime to master. </div>
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It's the simple pleasures. Really.</div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-68358854273817887202011-11-01T20:53:00.000-07:002011-11-01T20:54:09.564-07:00Fall to Winter...<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XPP4WQRpKCg3phJl66Os3UH1KwOtUrnRfAHbVQw__hJHxhwGPakTdU77VbZfBoN7z5n6Df1oWDoJm-LIW2QJRkyXBMwzAMQTmQ50z8aKKgYrfmm7Q28Tba9n6glEd6Xu4MZhg4TIfEir/s1600/022-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XPP4WQRpKCg3phJl66Os3UH1KwOtUrnRfAHbVQw__hJHxhwGPakTdU77VbZfBoN7z5n6Df1oWDoJm-LIW2QJRkyXBMwzAMQTmQ50z8aKKgYrfmm7Q28Tba9n6glEd6Xu4MZhg4TIfEir/s320/022-2.JPG" width="320" /></a>In honor of the big Connecticut Snowstorm, I've updated my background from a Fall to a Winter theme. </div>
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If we get Fall back, I'll go back!<br />
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Luckily we never lost power as a lot of our friends and neighbors did. <br />
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Let's leave the light on for them...Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-19232655684436986752011-11-01T10:49:00.000-07:002011-11-01T20:54:35.535-07:00Halloween, Scary.It finally happened. I knew this day would come, and I've been worrying about it. <br />
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Now that he's a toddler, and is more than a couple feet tall, and can reach onto tables, and see all the other kids grabbing cookies, it happened. He grabbed a big ol' chocolate chip cookie and took a bite. <br />
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It was at a Halloween party, he was dressed up in his fireman's outfit, and just like all the other children he was having a great time. Mingling parents above, playing kids below, and lots of fun. Of <em>course</em> he's going to grab a cookie!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFR88vre_PTOUVAlk4rpthcy40eJSXjYB1k5RQi6RNboahLR4ZAHsHretzQZRmf1g-YUk2jBuOJVdRwPvz_Oua12FE2oavKpxzIy2V_Muk3jhGqGDYdPJKGVS4ARKSpCv-3KwESqy8b66-/s1600/122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFR88vre_PTOUVAlk4rpthcy40eJSXjYB1k5RQi6RNboahLR4ZAHsHretzQZRmf1g-YUk2jBuOJVdRwPvz_Oua12FE2oavKpxzIy2V_Muk3jhGqGDYdPJKGVS4ARKSpCv-3KwESqy8b66-/s320/122.JPG" width="240" /></a>Luckily, my husband saw him take the bite and was able to get it from him, deftly swapping it for one of the allergen-free ones we'd brought. But the deed was done. </div>
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Thank goodness, his food allergies have not (to date) been anaphalaxis-inducing. That reaction, apparently, is reserved for dog saliva. But when he has been exposed to food allergens in the past, we see eczema, rash, and spots on his face in around an hour or less, plus lots and lots of scratching. Later we'll see spots on his lower back and legs, depending on the allergen. We started to see several of these by the time we got home. </div>
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Unfortunately, this appeared to be a store-bought cookie ~ which means it's likely to have included most of his list: wheat flour, butter, milk, soybean oil, shortening, and soy lecithin. Probably not nuts. It would have been a great test case if it had only been a <em>single</em> known allergen... but, nope. It was a list. </div>
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On the flip side, it was only one bite. And his reaction, while clear to me, wasn't horrific. He didn't seem itchy later, just a few little spots on his face and lower back. Quite a relief to a mom who was having a quiet meltdown! In fact, the mild reaction gave me hope ~ is it possible he's outgrowing some of his allergies? </div>
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We just had some bloodwork done that was by its very nature vague. Yet it did come back absolutely clear on dogs and cats: allergic in a big way. Not that this surprised me, as the one ER visit we've made was after a cute puppy licked his face while we were out on a hike. (booooo!... no kitten or puppy some day? That stinks!) But under 2 years old, there is very little clarity in any blood test result ~ and skin testing is just not effective at this age either. </div>
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So we wait. Yes, crisis averted ~ but it made me really pause. I can control every aspect of what happens ~ at home. We can make food that's yummy, tastes and looks like the "real thing", is healthy and nutritious and allergen free. Again, at home. We can send snacks with him. We can bring our own contributions to potlucks. But, there's a whole wide world out there. </div>
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How are we going to stop a rambunctious, fun loving two-year old from grabbing a cookie without squelching the joy out of every event by keeping him away from any dangers? And when he gets to pre-school and later kindergarden, how will we be able to trust others to ensure he's being protected? </div>
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Please, if anyone's out there who has faced this, can you give me some good ideas? </div>
<br />Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-49939484784327408512011-10-28T22:10:00.000-07:002012-10-17T07:07:46.241-07:00Not-so-Scary Halloween Ghost cookies - allergen free :)<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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So we're gearing up for cookie making season, and finally, what better opportunity to test out recipes than Halloween? </div>
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Jessica found a great recipe for <a href="http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes_detail.php?rid=122">Sugar Cookies on the Bob's Red Mill site</a>. We had to adapt a little for some allergens in the recipe (butter became palm shortening, for example... a perfect example of how it's easy to subsitute once you have some viable alternative ingredients!), plus we didn't have honey or lemon peel handy, but overall we used this recipe as it stood. </div>
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But this is a great point... substitution when working around allergens can free you up to explore so many options, where once you found limitations. </div>
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For example, palm shortening has been a baking godsend. It swaps out equally for butter or Crisco in recipes. Once I discovered its existence last year before Christmas, I was thrilled we could make holiday cookies like crazy. </div>
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Vegans are great at substituting non-animal-based alternatives for ingredients ~ check out a single vegan bakery in the East Village, and you'll be hooked for life! ~ so I've been taking cues from them on many recipes. One great option for those with egg allergies is flaxseed flour - just 1 T ground flaxseeds to 2 - 3 teaspoons of water = 1 egg equivalent for baking. <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=flaxseed%20as%20egg%20replacer&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDgQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.food.com%2Frecipe%2Fflax-vegan-egg-substitute-104832&ei=yLCtTuL0EILi0QG4r-yNDw&usg=AFQjCNGplI01ariQSLgB-OfKkKMd0URn9A&sig2=aPEm8EDb0vvWh581fiBuSw">Some recipes say boil it for a minute then cool</a>, others just say use warm water and let it sit for a few minutes. So, if you have an egg allergy you can still make these cookies!</div>
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We baked these cookies for around 8 minutes </div>
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Sugar Cookie Recipe</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6293-WKDTjCP9wE6swzq4x0G-X9LoW7phr3vojVtnAAOl9X5B3e6TqVgvGRm4-gi7reXXX3UThysgcNf0k1NGxXZ4YdIrvZCQu2p3LmnIL5kN_dc4gF3R5fSxCzAVT7UVvmBOE3nqLydr/s1600/038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6293-WKDTjCP9wE6swzq4x0G-X9LoW7phr3vojVtnAAOl9X5B3e6TqVgvGRm4-gi7reXXX3UThysgcNf0k1NGxXZ4YdIrvZCQu2p3LmnIL5kN_dc4gF3R5fSxCzAVT7UVvmBOE3nqLydr/s320/038.JPG" width="239" /></a>Ingredients:<br />
•1/4 cup palm shortening (spectrum organics makes a nice one!)<br />
•2 Tb Maple Syrup<br />
•1/2 cup Sugar <br />
•1-1/2 tsp GF Vanilla <br />
•1-3/4 cups Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour <br />
•3/4 tsp Xanthan Gum <br />
•1/2 tsp Sea Salt <br />
•1 tsp Baking Powder <br />
•1/2 tsp Baking Soda <br />
•1 Tb Water, if using electric mixer <br />
•1 large egg white (or use egg substitution, above)</div>
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In stand mixer or with a hand mixer, blend palm shortening (room temperature, not melted), maple syrup, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, baking soda, egg white and lemon peel, blending until mixture forms large ball. If using electric mixer, blend ingredients, then add water if needed, 1 tablespoon at a time. Shape into a ball, cover and refrigerate for about a half hour.<br />
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Preheat oven to 325°F. Oil a large cookie sheet with allergen-free oil. Roll out dough and cut into scary shapes! <br />
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Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until edges are set. Remove from oven; cool two minutes before transferring to rack to cool. <br />
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Icing</h4>
1/4 c confection sugar mixed with <br />
1 Tsp of water <br />
1 T corn syrup<br />
1 Tvanilla rice milk, <br />
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...and used Enjoy Life soy / dairy / nut / gluten free chocolate chips to make <em>scarrrry </em>faces! :)<br />
Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-73988774544694546262011-10-28T14:11:00.000-07:002011-10-28T14:13:26.273-07:00Of cooking, cheese and good morning omlettesAm I obsessed with breakfast food? Maybe. <br />
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But... there might be a good reason. Morning is the one part of the day I tend to have wide open stretches of time with my son. Cooking together has become a time for us to just <em>be</em> with each other ~ laughing, making something, and exploring new ways to communicate. It's our special time. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9nOy_QySkuG1HuyW1UekjN5ymKumD0YbkmDViUcfpM5Utnm95_hWlikIClYkBzXULOq4sOzR6v8hjnMyBISg25_HkMPcVgCAHNH7jqbbkEFBZArLZBagcnnGk_MNAhREeL1JSwuZr_z8/s1600/023.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9nOy_QySkuG1HuyW1UekjN5ymKumD0YbkmDViUcfpM5Utnm95_hWlikIClYkBzXULOq4sOzR6v8hjnMyBISg25_HkMPcVgCAHNH7jqbbkEFBZArLZBagcnnGk_MNAhREeL1JSwuZr_z8/s320/023.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My little sous chef, with his own pots and pans. <br />
Canape "baby knife", spice cabinet, and favorite spices.</td></tr>
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He's starting to talk a lot more, and it's so exciting. And even though I know it's happening, I am always surprised when ~ out of nowhere ~ he says words and phrases I didn't realize he had even <em>heard</em> before. Watching his mind and imagination blossom has been one of the single most amazing things I've ever experienced. I'm sure, if you're a parent, you've had this experience... you hear the words "apple cider" pop out of the mouth that used to solely utter "ba ba ba ba" ~ and you just want to jump for joy. Or cry. Or hug him. Or all of these things. But instead, so the kid doesn't think you're a complete loon, you say "oh, yes! I see the apple cider too! Would you like some?" and nod sagely. </div>
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While cooking with Q, I'm having more and more of these moments. He is showing so much personality, and I'm getting to know more of what he likes and doesn't ~ for example, he loves basil in his eggs and cardamom in his oatmeal. I see how much of what he <em>gets </em>~ like, he knows mommy loves smoked paprika, so he hands it to me whenever he finds it in the spice drawer. (we have a spice drawer that rolls out of the bottom cabinets, only 4 inches wide but cabinet depth... it's the perfect height for a toddler to pull out and, well, re-organize!) And I get to hear his new language skills as he describes what he is doing. "I stirring, cover, bubble bubble!" he says to me as he does all those things. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvllJianU_BPBfsJll_ekukXmaCshCfo89YLt09fiu7wnxsrLXdSYwca4V8bQ07mgRZrFXPHC3LMwy0-QXhp5suFqPr_lGqrDTIseLWWasIsjtLQlcobAycDop-0b9tSiT67ZuHiEBgwU/s1600/139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 295px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 239px;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvllJianU_BPBfsJll_ekukXmaCshCfo89YLt09fiu7wnxsrLXdSYwca4V8bQ07mgRZrFXPHC3LMwy0-QXhp5suFqPr_lGqrDTIseLWWasIsjtLQlcobAycDop-0b9tSiT67ZuHiEBgwU/s320/139.JPG" width="238" /></a>We got him his own little pot and pan set (thank you Ikea kid's section!) and he's in love. You see him using it in the picture above: I pull up a kitchen chair with its back toward the stove, remove the stove dials he can reach, keep him faaaar enough away from the hot spots, and let him pretend to cook alongside me. He has to have a spatula all his own, a mini "cutting" board, and a few play veggies (or real ones) so he can make his own thing. We let him "try" ingredients to see if he wants to include them in his masterpiece ~ if he likes them, they go in the pot! Just the other day we ended up with a piece of broccoli, a tiny bit of mushroom, a couple peas, black pepper and some tarragon. A lovely dish!</div>
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So... back to breakfast. </div>
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We've been making eggs for Q for a long time. Sometimes we mix it up a bit and fry a couple chopped hot dogs in there, or bacon. (We have found both in nitrate-free, uncured versions ~ <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/Products/ProductInfoDisplay.aspx?SiteId=1&Product=4470000665">Oscar Mayer all-beef Angus Selects</a> for the hot dogs, and Nature's Promise uncured bacon (from Stop & Shop)... plus other deli meats that are uncured and gluten free, like <a href="http://www.hormel.com/products/refrigerated/HormelNaturalChoiceMeats.aspx#">Hormel Natural Choice oven roasted turkey</a>, shown below) We can add variety by frying up a little of one of those first, then adding eggs and scrambling them. Delicious!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Yd-URGsKq_PQvlgN_5Vo4BfR4NaVFg5ZulYN0cnuJg-hX_e_iqB9xApG8RNBxeCFpXQzs7wAyZlXuhKVxfqR8g3hYWjAlNr1BshUlKWqzFCFKDrSDPO95lh150xf4IjeiOlLIH7X_ji7/s1600/142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Yd-URGsKq_PQvlgN_5Vo4BfR4NaVFg5ZulYN0cnuJg-hX_e_iqB9xApG8RNBxeCFpXQzs7wAyZlXuhKVxfqR8g3hYWjAlNr1BshUlKWqzFCFKDrSDPO95lh150xf4IjeiOlLIH7X_ji7/s320/142.JPG" width="239" /></a>Working on communication, I asked Q the other day what we needed to make "eggies" as he calls them. During the conversation, we drew the items either he or I came up with, and it became kind of a visual recipe. </div>
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We needed: a pan, eggs, a spatula, oil, and of course basil. </div>
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And while that's been fun for a while, I began to wonder how to mix it up. At the same time, I heard about rice-milk based cheese! Oh <em>cheese</em>, the holy grail of missing foods for me when I was nursing! I missed it, craved it ~ but non-dairy versions I found either were soy-based or even had casein in them. It was so frustrating! </div>
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Just recently, however, I heard about rice-milk based cheese ~ it was hard to hunt down, but I found one at our local natural foods market that was soy, dairy, gluten and nut free ~ <a href="http://www.daiyafoods.com/">Daiya Dairy Free</a>. (For those in the New Haven area: <a href="http://www.eotwm.com/pages/home.html">Edge of the Woods</a>) There were other dizzying options for those who don't have the same limitations: almond milk cheese looked interesting, lots of soy, but... well, if you're reading this blog you're likely already a label-reading person. There's a lot of hidden casein and soy in many. </div>
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Even so, it was so exciting to stand at the cheese section and imagine the possibilities for my little guy... grilled cheese sandwiches, nachos, pizza! Many of the foods that the grand poobah in the sky created specifically to delight children. </div>
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I picked up two varieties: cheddar and mozzarella styles. As soon as I was home, I had to try them! Right out of the package, they seemed a little ... eh. A bit salty, not so much creamy. But, apply heat e voila! Melty, gooey, and pretty darned good for something that isn't the real thing. Yay! </div>
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So again, back to breakfast: </div>
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Combining my recent discovery of the rice-milk based cheese and my desire to branch out in the eggs department, it was a natural progression to omlettes. Simple, easy, fast, and way better than just scrambled. Here's what we used: </div>
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Turkey-Broccoli-Cheese Omlettes</div>
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Olive oil </div>
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1/4 medium onion, diced fine</div>
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1 broccoli "tree" chopped fine </div>
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1 slice deli turkey, diced small ~ or hot dogs, leftover chicken, etc.</div>
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2 Eggs</div>
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1/4 cup cheddar-style rice milk cheese</div>
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ground black pepper, just a shake </div>
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basil or Italian spices, to taste</div>
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In a little oil, saute onion and broccoli together until the onion is translucent and the broccoli is bright green, just a minute or two. Add the broccoli and saute a couple minutes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhkCA9iIxDlRRl0X3O7L78QiS6E36KE8as671p7oe5zO5deoxyFelra19j4JyesVa-izSKbKXbdr48yn7FigljkYcbIQ88fUdgryDd5nJJWQ9YNB0F3WNmkpi_vF4l4Gv6y6fHWUyaR2P/s1600/017.JPG" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhkCA9iIxDlRRl0X3O7L78QiS6E36KE8as671p7oe5zO5deoxyFelra19j4JyesVa-izSKbKXbdr48yn7FigljkYcbIQ88fUdgryDd5nJJWQ9YNB0F3WNmkpi_vF4l4Gv6y6fHWUyaR2P/s400/017.JPG" width="298" /></a>Meanwhile crack the eggs into a little bowl and scramble them. Add to the pan in as close to a circle as you can manage. Lower the heat to medium low, and cover for a couple minutes until the egg is starting to set. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6u0w-tj_qEizzI2QsqqO578_GYJQk1EnyIBpkb5SkljSqABuFODvnvult0G6QpEL8-rQikXFW5hiheWEfc_lb8fBaGULu5IzYAopoW4bz3zKrfEVwgU_thL1mKZCq0W7jDvabis1OBFz/s1600/027.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6u0w-tj_qEizzI2QsqqO578_GYJQk1EnyIBpkb5SkljSqABuFODvnvult0G6QpEL8-rQikXFW5hiheWEfc_lb8fBaGULu5IzYAopoW4bz3zKrfEVwgU_thL1mKZCq0W7jDvabis1OBFz/s200/027.JPG" width="149" /></a>Add the cheese and spices and cover again until the egg is set and the cheese looks melty. </div>
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Fold over the omlette, but if that doesn't work, just serve this as scrambled eggs and no one will know the difference! </div>
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Get the plate on the table to cool off while you wrangle your small child into the high chair, booster seat or if necessary, your lap. This should be the precise time needed to cool off the omlette to the perfect temperature! </div>
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This was such a win with Q! ... he gobbled it up, practicing "cutting" skills with his little plastic fork, but eventually just started grabbing chunks of egg and turkey omlette. Dipping daintily into ketchup first, then unceremoniously shoving the food into his mouth, he loved it. And I felt so close to him, as I did just about the same. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SVq9p78juPkjDhamPZItttZBDFfEOwGZ9a20bIZdSx3Q_vGASJaAd-bIoo2U-YYgHBsjTRgYZgJMww1Eu0w0gLTpWh83v6k-IUF86PMcXSMltDuTYAzBSa3ugP1wCSlvHNoxrgT5XzP9/s1600/030.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SVq9p78juPkjDhamPZItttZBDFfEOwGZ9a20bIZdSx3Q_vGASJaAd-bIoo2U-YYgHBsjTRgYZgJMww1Eu0w0gLTpWh83v6k-IUF86PMcXSMltDuTYAzBSa3ugP1wCSlvHNoxrgT5XzP9/s320/030.JPG" /></a></div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2964899357088373175.post-65852823239136439332011-10-19T13:54:00.000-07:002011-10-19T19:30:03.660-07:00Pa-Pa-Pa-Pakoras!Pakoras! So exotic, so delicious, so easy. <br />
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<div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5X6l0K3Bw4m2OhyphenhyphenitkYlluiRJNiRLqhGcOLlWxDaMw2mbnqaqciITbbjEWMWNiHQrdRXQPI26cqJ7d9madsxSRNgA39_NyG_GlkYoS3pf15jfMO-xubNQGvm-aaVAC0vJWUeeADQvFP48/s1600/002.JPG" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5X6l0K3Bw4m2OhyphenhyphenitkYlluiRJNiRLqhGcOLlWxDaMw2mbnqaqciITbbjEWMWNiHQrdRXQPI26cqJ7d9madsxSRNgA39_NyG_GlkYoS3pf15jfMO-xubNQGvm-aaVAC0vJWUeeADQvFP48/s320/002.JPG" /></a>If you haven't had them before, pakoras are crispy little fritters from India filled with joyful, crispy vegetables ranging from onions to green beans to cauliflower to spicy peppers. Normally they arrive on a silver plate at the Indian restaurant and a chorus of "ahhh" rises from the table. In Mumbai, they're street food - hot, tasty, and a wonderful snack along the way. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But at home, I'll let you in on a couple secrets: They are a perfect vehicle to use up extra vegetables, super fast to make ~ and best of all, they're a way to have fun doing something a touch crazy! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Pakoras are made from garbanzo bean flour. It's not hard to find it, and if you're gluten free you probably already have it handy. If not, you can get it at an Asian grocery or your health food store. But make sure the source is allergen free. As I learned when <a href="http://littlebittybites.blogspot.com/2011/10/socca.html">making Socca</a>, not all garbanzo bean flour is safe. Yummy? yes... but not necessarily safe. <br />
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<div></div>A couple things to note about garbanzo flour: <br />
<ul><li>First - until it's cooked, it tastes a little, well, weird. Tinny or slightly sour perhaps? Completely normal. (When you make cookies, for example, it's not <em>quite </em>as fun eating the dough... but it still doesn't stop me.) </li><li>Second - If you are using it in a batter, let it soak in the liquid for maybe a half hour before you cook it. Otherwise it'll stay lumpy. Time is your friend here. So measure your flour, add the water, stir it up. Then, go chop veggies or play with your kids for a few minutes. Again, time being friendly!</li></ul><br />
<div>The recipe is easy: mix flour, spices and water, chop veggies, stir in veggies, fry. yup, that's it. </div><div></div><div>A more accurate recipe, though: </div><div></div><div><u>Pakoras</u></div> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfH_cX3RhVxgHoVas_oM_MYoWj-aVdmc89NNoUs-bBlDQmqj4aL3RcTUcY3rZaR8AmnpMApOOq5xZ7lstJQk0x9hXL4ZetNUw_Po_OneCaNcRo9StQscNv3g9DPrpuolq028E0XuNWkvTz/s1600/005.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfH_cX3RhVxgHoVas_oM_MYoWj-aVdmc89NNoUs-bBlDQmqj4aL3RcTUcY3rZaR8AmnpMApOOq5xZ7lstJQk0x9hXL4ZetNUw_Po_OneCaNcRo9StQscNv3g9DPrpuolq028E0XuNWkvTz/s320/005.JPG" width="244" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oversized monster pakora frying. <br />
Hence suggestion for a smaller <br />
2 - 3 " size -- but still yummy!</td></tr></tbody></table> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 cup Garbanzo Bean flour <br />
(I used Bob's Red Mill gluten free)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 cup water (or enough to make a batter slightly thinner than pancake batter) </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 tsp (or to taste) curry powder</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional) </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Oil for frying </div><div>about 2 cups of diced vegetables (around 1/4 to 1/2" chunks) -- some suggestions: </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> - onion (really a must) - green or red peppers</div><div> - green beans - cauliflower </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> - peas - corn kernels</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Mix the flour with the water, whisk, and set aside for around a half hour. Using a frying pan (or to save oil, a saucepan), heat around 1/2 inch of oil until a drop of batter into the oil starts to bubble right away. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">When ready to get frying, stir in the spices and vegetables. Dollop the batter carefully into the hot oil, making fritters 2 or 3 inches in diameter. Once you have a batch in, it helps to carefully tip the pan and allow the oil to roll over the top. Fry for a couple minutes on each side, and let rest on paper towels to drain the excess oil. Sprinkle with a little salt if you like!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">While I was making these today, I began to wonder about alternate takes to this simple dish. Since it's apple season, why not try cinnamon in place of curry, and apples instead of veggies? Hmmm... you might see that up here very soon!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="clear: both;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003841565068436454noreply@blogger.com0