What a hit - Ian's frozen fish sticks - Lucy loves them!
http://www.foodservicedirect.com/product.cfm/p/167383/Ians-Natural-Foods-Fish-Stick.htm
We got them at Kroger in the organic & natural foods section for about $5.99.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Amazon deals
Cooking for the entire family GF on a budget can be tough! Thank goodness for Amazon and their Subscribe & Save. I buy pasta in bulk and then get it shipped to me! Love it! And of course their prices beat the grocery stores!!
A lot of their products are on sale 30% off right now so be sure to check them out!
Gluten Free Store
A lot of their products are on sale 30% off right now so be sure to check them out!
Gluten Free Store
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Chicken Soup Recipe
When I see vegetables on sale/clearanced out as they are ripe and ready to eat, I grab them. I grated up about 5 or 6 zucchini and 6 or 7 summer squash, sliced up orange bell peppers and organic carrots. Then I froze each little sandwich baggie (each containing a pepper, a squash or a cup or two of carrots) and put them in a larger freezer baggie.
It saves time since they're chopped and ready to go. It saves money because I got all of it for practically nothing! I think the zucchini and squash were less than $1 total.
Anyways, so I wanted to make a chicken soup this week for the cooler weather and so I pulled out my frozen veggies and some chicken breasts and made it! It was delicious. Here is my recipe.
Boil raw chicken breasts in a saucepan with a few cups of water. After it reaches a boil you can turn down the water and cover the chicken to let it simmer until it is cooked through. When the chicken is done, cut up the chicken into bite sized chunks and put them, along with the "broth" into a big soup pot. Then I added more broth from a carton. I ended up using about 1/2 the container but you can add more or less depending on how thick you like your soup. Imagine Free Range Chicken Broth
is my favorite chicken broth and it's safe for Lucy. Add 1 cup chopped carrots (mine weren't even peeled!), 2 C grated summer squash, 2 small onions, 1 bell pepper and spices. Let it simmer for several hours.
I started the chicken around noon, started the soup around 1pm and served it at 6pm. It was so good.
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Chicken Soup
2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 small onions (or 1 large) diced
1 C sliced carrots
1 bell pepper, diced
2 C summer squash, grated
1/2 carton of chicken broth (GF/DF) I like Imagine Free Range Chicken Broth
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dill
salt & pepper to taste
Bring chicken to boil in a pot with 3-4 cups of water in it. Turn down the heat and cover.
When chicken is cooked through, chop it into bite-sized pieces. Add vegetables, water that chicken was cooked in, along with chicken broth and spices to a soup pot. Simmer for several hours.
Serve with brown rice in the soup or on the side, or GF/DF bread.
It saves time since they're chopped and ready to go. It saves money because I got all of it for practically nothing! I think the zucchini and squash were less than $1 total.
Anyways, so I wanted to make a chicken soup this week for the cooler weather and so I pulled out my frozen veggies and some chicken breasts and made it! It was delicious. Here is my recipe.
Boil raw chicken breasts in a saucepan with a few cups of water. After it reaches a boil you can turn down the water and cover the chicken to let it simmer until it is cooked through. When the chicken is done, cut up the chicken into bite sized chunks and put them, along with the "broth" into a big soup pot. Then I added more broth from a carton. I ended up using about 1/2 the container but you can add more or less depending on how thick you like your soup. Imagine Free Range Chicken Broth
is my favorite chicken broth and it's safe for Lucy. Add 1 cup chopped carrots (mine weren't even peeled!), 2 C grated summer squash, 2 small onions, 1 bell pepper and spices. Let it simmer for several hours.
I started the chicken around noon, started the soup around 1pm and served it at 6pm. It was so good.
----------
Chicken Soup
2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 small onions (or 1 large) diced
1 C sliced carrots
1 bell pepper, diced
2 C summer squash, grated
1/2 carton of chicken broth (GF/DF) I like Imagine Free Range Chicken Broth
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dill
salt & pepper to taste
Bring chicken to boil in a pot with 3-4 cups of water in it. Turn down the heat and cover.
When chicken is cooked through, chop it into bite-sized pieces. Add vegetables, water that chicken was cooked in, along with chicken broth and spices to a soup pot. Simmer for several hours.
Serve with brown rice in the soup or on the side, or GF/DF bread.
Dairy free/Gluten free warning
So I like quick & easy during the week for lunchtime. I just don't want to spend all day cooking between breakfast, lunch & dinner. Not to mention the cleanup. Fortunately #1 likes peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter crackers so she's easy!! Obviously that won't work for a GF/DF peanut allergy with #2.
So I bought Hormel Natural lunchmeat - it was some flavor of turkey breast (oven roasted or the like) and it had some lactate ingredient but it said "not from milk". Lucy STILL broke out from it with hives all over her face. I just wanted to warn others about it, since it was a huge shock to us!
I did find some "carving board" chicken that is rotisserie style today and she ate it, loved it and didn't break out. Hopefully that would be safe for those with allergies. Just a little FYI!! We learned the hard way and fortunately it's not a life or death situation for her.
So I bought Hormel Natural lunchmeat - it was some flavor of turkey breast (oven roasted or the like) and it had some lactate ingredient but it said "not from milk". Lucy STILL broke out from it with hives all over her face. I just wanted to warn others about it, since it was a huge shock to us!
I did find some "carving board" chicken that is rotisserie style today and she ate it, loved it and didn't break out. Hopefully that would be safe for those with allergies. Just a little FYI!! We learned the hard way and fortunately it's not a life or death situation for her.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Wonderful pasta
Spaghetti is a staple in our house. Prego Heart Smart Traditional seems to be GF/DF at least as far as we can tell.
This is the cutest pasta I came across from Amazon. I love shopping through their subscribe & save. This brings each 1 lb bag to under $3, which is definitely a steal!
Mrs. Leeper's Pasta Organic, Rice Shapes For Kids, 12 Ounce Bags (Pack of 12)
Spaghetti)
This is the cutest pasta I came across from Amazon. I love shopping through their subscribe & save. This brings each 1 lb bag to under $3, which is definitely a steal!
Mrs. Leeper's Pasta Organic, Rice Shapes For Kids, 12 Ounce Bags (Pack of 12)
Spaghetti)
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Chunky chicken chili
I was going to make this in the slow cooker, which I'm sure you could do if you wanted to. But the day got away from me and I did it the "quicker" way. Which is why this will probably taste even better as leftovers for lunch today!!
My recipe for chunky chicken chili was a huge success. Miss Lucy LOVED it. She had seconds. This is her having seconds in the picture. It was great because there wasn't a ton of liquid, which is how I like soup, but if you want more you can definitely add chicken broth, tomato juice or V8.
I love Mama's chili!
Here is what I did. First I got a huge pot hot with some olive oil. I threw in bite sized chunks of chicken and chopped up a sweet onion. When that was cooked through, I threw in two 28 oz cans of petite diced tomatoes (juice & all!), 1 can of black beans (rinsed) and 1 can of sweet corn (drained). To season it, I put in 1 Tbsp of chili powder, 1/2 tsp celery salt, 1/2 tsp garlic salt. Yum!
------------
Chunky Chicken Chili
1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes and juice
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp celery salt
Brown chicken and onion in a big soup pot with some olive oil on medium high, stirring often. When chicken is cooked and onions are clear, turn down the heat to medium low. Add cans of tomatoes, rinsed beans and drained corn. Stir. Add spices. Cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours.
Serve with cheese on top (for those who can have it), crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips, etc.
Enjoy!
My recipe for chunky chicken chili was a huge success. Miss Lucy LOVED it. She had seconds. This is her having seconds in the picture. It was great because there wasn't a ton of liquid, which is how I like soup, but if you want more you can definitely add chicken broth, tomato juice or V8.
I love Mama's chili!Here is what I did. First I got a huge pot hot with some olive oil. I threw in bite sized chunks of chicken and chopped up a sweet onion. When that was cooked through, I threw in two 28 oz cans of petite diced tomatoes (juice & all!), 1 can of black beans (rinsed) and 1 can of sweet corn (drained). To season it, I put in 1 Tbsp of chili powder, 1/2 tsp celery salt, 1/2 tsp garlic salt. Yum!
------------
Chunky Chicken Chili
1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes and juice
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp celery salt
Brown chicken and onion in a big soup pot with some olive oil on medium high, stirring often. When chicken is cooked and onions are clear, turn down the heat to medium low. Add cans of tomatoes, rinsed beans and drained corn. Stir. Add spices. Cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours.
Serve with cheese on top (for those who can have it), crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips, etc.
Enjoy!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Chicken Tacos
Another great meal option is chicken tacos. We had them because Maddy has dance from 3:30-4:30 and it becomes difficult to cook a nice meal. We had such an insane day on Thursday that I didn't even think about dinner until 2:00 and pulled three chicken breasts out of the deep freeze, threw them in the crock pot with a 16 oz jar of salsa, another jar-full of water, a fresh bell pepper chopped from the garden (red) and a jalapeno pepper from the garden as well. My slow cooker is super hot so it was done in 4 hours on high and I just shredded the meat and left the lid off for the last 30 minutes or so to thicken it up a bit. Then I used a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat onto corn tortillas, topped with cheese (for those who can have it), shredded lettuce, tomatoes, etc. Lucy actually enjoyed them, for being "spicy" with peppers.
Here's what you need:
corn tortillas
3 chicken breasts frozen (about 2 pounds)
16 oz jar salsa (whatever heat level you like)
water (to cover chicken halfway)
jalapeno pepper
bell pepper (I used red)
shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions
shredded cheese (optional, or you could use the dairy free cheese)
sour cream or plain yogurt (dairy free options as well)
Place frozen chicken breasts in slow cooker, cover with peppers (jalapeno & bell). Add salsa. Add enough water to cover chicken half way. Place on high for 5 hours. Shred chicken meat. Remove lid and leave on for another 30 minutes. Serve chicken/veggies on corn tortillas and top with additional veggies, more salsa, sour cream, cheese, etc. Enjoy!
Here's what you need:
corn tortillas
3 chicken breasts frozen (about 2 pounds)
16 oz jar salsa (whatever heat level you like)
water (to cover chicken halfway)
jalapeno pepper
bell pepper (I used red)
shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions
shredded cheese (optional, or you could use the dairy free cheese)
sour cream or plain yogurt (dairy free options as well)
Place frozen chicken breasts in slow cooker, cover with peppers (jalapeno & bell). Add salsa. Add enough water to cover chicken half way. Place on high for 5 hours. Shred chicken meat. Remove lid and leave on for another 30 minutes. Serve chicken/veggies on corn tortillas and top with additional veggies, more salsa, sour cream, cheese, etc. Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
A full family meal
My baby ate pot roast tonight. Not just any pot roast, but Pioneer Woman's pot roast. I have her cookbook The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl and I have to say it's awesome!
Here is the post online with the step by step instructions. I did make some changes, but only because I didn't have all of the ingredients.
I'm sure there is GF/DF/allergen-free beef stock, and because all special foods are expensive - it would cost a pretty penny, but I just used water, and you know what? It was awesome!
As well as the fresh herbs, which you could use I"m sure, but I used a few sprinkles of dry herbs and it was excellent. Wayyyy better than my usual dry onion soup mix and veggies in the crock pot. I served it with boiled potatoes. Lucy LOVED it. She was eating as much meat as me! Now my almost-3-year-old was another story, but ehhh she was tired after a long day at school...
Can't wait for the leftovers tomorrow night!! Mmmm....here's a picture of what I put away just to make you salivate!!
Whole Foods Living Social Deal
You can get $20 worth of groceries for only $10 today at Living Social with this deal. I got mine, be sure to grab yours!!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
GF/DF Apple crisp
After picking 14 pounds of apples this weekend, I'm looking for things to do with all these apples (besides eating them of course!) This gluten free and dairy free dessert will be one you should enjoy at some point this fall!
First I peeled and quartered apples (I only used 4 but they were super huge!!) Then I took each quarter, cut it in half, and thinly sliced each half. I did enough apples to get 8 cups. While chopping I made sure to put a little lemon juice on the apples to keep them from getting brown while I was working.
Then I added 1/4 C white sugar and 2 Tbsp cinnamon. Stirred it up until the apples were evenly coated. Spray a 9x13 glass dish with safe cooking spray and fill it with the apple mixture.
In a different bowl (or I rinsed out the apple one after transferring it) mix together 2 C old fashioned oats (I don't use specifically GF ones since Lucy isn't severely allergic to wheat like she is with peanuts & milk but use what is best for your situation) with 1/3 C margarine (we use this), 1/2 C brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp vanilla. I like to mix it with my hands to get the margarine all crumbly!
Spread the oat mixture evenly over the apples. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.
Enjoy!!
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Apple Crisp:
8 C apples
lemon juice
1/4 C white sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
2 C old fashioned oats
1/3 C margarine
1/2 C brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel and chop apples into bite sized slices. Squeeze some lemon juice over apples to coat them. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Place apple mixture in a greased 9x13 pan.
Mix cinnamon, oats, margarine, brown sugar, vanilla & salt in a separate bowl. Crumble over the apple mixture.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!
First I peeled and quartered apples (I only used 4 but they were super huge!!) Then I took each quarter, cut it in half, and thinly sliced each half. I did enough apples to get 8 cups. While chopping I made sure to put a little lemon juice on the apples to keep them from getting brown while I was working.
Then I added 1/4 C white sugar and 2 Tbsp cinnamon. Stirred it up until the apples were evenly coated. Spray a 9x13 glass dish with safe cooking spray and fill it with the apple mixture.
In a different bowl (or I rinsed out the apple one after transferring it) mix together 2 C old fashioned oats (I don't use specifically GF ones since Lucy isn't severely allergic to wheat like she is with peanuts & milk but use what is best for your situation) with 1/3 C margarine (we use this), 1/2 C brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp vanilla. I like to mix it with my hands to get the margarine all crumbly!
Spread the oat mixture evenly over the apples. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.
Enjoy!!
-----
Apple Crisp:
8 C apples
lemon juice
1/4 C white sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
2 C old fashioned oats
1/3 C margarine
1/2 C brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel and chop apples into bite sized slices. Squeeze some lemon juice over apples to coat them. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Place apple mixture in a greased 9x13 pan.
Mix cinnamon, oats, margarine, brown sugar, vanilla & salt in a separate bowl. Crumble over the apple mixture.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!
Whole Foods Gluten Free Tour (Update)
Our local Whole Foods Market is doing a Gluten Free tour of the store with giveaways and samples. Here is the link to sign up if you're local to Lexington. Check out your local store's website to see if they are offering something similar in your area.
Our city has a gluten free organization. Check out the site if you're local or not, because it has many wonderful tips!!
---
After emailing to reserve a spot with the tour and explaining our situation, I have now set up a FREE personal one-on-one tour with a Healthy Eating Specialist! She thought I would benefit better from that. Call your store and see if you can set up something similar! What a great idea. I will be updating after we have our meeting!
Our city has a gluten free organization. Check out the site if you're local or not, because it has many wonderful tips!!
---
After emailing to reserve a spot with the tour and explaining our situation, I have now set up a FREE personal one-on-one tour with a Healthy Eating Specialist! She thought I would benefit better from that. Call your store and see if you can set up something similar! What a great idea. I will be updating after we have our meeting!
Great restaurants for those with food allergies
My family doesn't eat out very much. We prefer to cook at home to save money and eat healthier.
We did go out to T.G.I Friday's the other night and noticed they had an allergen menu with a key for which foods contained which ingredients. Most had gluten and dairy, but if you aren't extremely sensitive (because all the food surfaces are shared) you might be able to get a plain hamburger or something. A few cuts of steak were okay, but you can't exactly feed a baby with four teeth a steak...lol.
I've heard wonderful things about Chipotle and their menu. They are on the pricey side, but isn't everything these days? I found information about their top allergens on their website here.
While doing some research I found this site, which is designed specifically for people with problems with milk, yet they have a lot of information for most top allergens. Be sure to check them out!
When we're on the road to see family, we usually would frequent Wendy's or McDonald's. It seems like their allergy menus are limited. The one thing I did find at McD's that Lucy could eat would be the new grilled chicken breast - no bun. Their fries contain milk and wheat. Wendy's has an ultimate chicken grill fillet that appears to be free of wheat & milk. At least they have the option of a plain baked potato, although I'm not sure Lucy would be such a big fan of that. The oil is shared with the other menu items, so it is not "safe" but I'm not sure if she would react to that or not. Guess that's why it's good to have Benadryl and the epi pen handy!!
We did go out to T.G.I Friday's the other night and noticed they had an allergen menu with a key for which foods contained which ingredients. Most had gluten and dairy, but if you aren't extremely sensitive (because all the food surfaces are shared) you might be able to get a plain hamburger or something. A few cuts of steak were okay, but you can't exactly feed a baby with four teeth a steak...lol.
I've heard wonderful things about Chipotle and their menu. They are on the pricey side, but isn't everything these days? I found information about their top allergens on their website here.
While doing some research I found this site, which is designed specifically for people with problems with milk, yet they have a lot of information for most top allergens. Be sure to check them out!
When we're on the road to see family, we usually would frequent Wendy's or McDonald's. It seems like their allergy menus are limited. The one thing I did find at McD's that Lucy could eat would be the new grilled chicken breast - no bun. Their fries contain milk and wheat. Wendy's has an ultimate chicken grill fillet that appears to be free of wheat & milk. At least they have the option of a plain baked potato, although I'm not sure Lucy would be such a big fan of that. The oil is shared with the other menu items, so it is not "safe" but I'm not sure if she would react to that or not. Guess that's why it's good to have Benadryl and the epi pen handy!!
Some snack foods
These are not recipes, rather foods that Lucy will eat. She has pretty much refused baby food from day #1 and prefers chunks of foods that she can pick up herself - Miss Independent!
Here are some foods that she can and will eat!
-Puffed rice cereal (no salt added)
-Chunks of fruit (watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, raspberries, grapes) Bananas are good too, however, she hates them!
-Vegetables (peas, carrots in chunks & cooked of course, sweet potatoes, cut green beans, broccoli, peeled boiled potatoes)
- Soy yogurt
- Waffles & pancakes made with Bisquick Pancake and Baking Mix, Gluten-Free,
- Cereal bars like Enjoy Life Caramel Apple Chewy On The Go Bars, Gluten, Dairy & Nut Free,
- Chex (rice and corn are GF!)
Here are some foods that she can and will eat!
-Puffed rice cereal (no salt added)
-Chunks of fruit (watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, raspberries, grapes) Bananas are good too, however, she hates them!
-Vegetables (peas, carrots in chunks & cooked of course, sweet potatoes, cut green beans, broccoli, peeled boiled potatoes)
- Soy yogurt
- Waffles & pancakes made with Bisquick Pancake and Baking Mix, Gluten-Free,
- Cereal bars like Enjoy Life Caramel Apple Chewy On The Go Bars, Gluten, Dairy & Nut Free,
- Chex (rice and corn are GF!)
Welcome! And a little background info
Welcome to my site!
My baby, Lucy, was just diagnosed with several food allergies - peanuts, milk & wheat. While she is not severe (yet) and the doctor thinks there is a chance she may outgrow the milk & wheat allergies, we are trying our best to adapt our lives to accommodate our sweet little girl's new allergies.
I am the twenty-something mother of two girls, ages 3 and almost 1. I have some "food intolerances" myself which are not backed by an allergist, but were discovered through the ELISA/ACT blood test. The foods I cannot eat are: baking powder (leavening), red grapes, xanthan gum (which makes Lucy's wheat allergy interesting since that's in all gluten-free stuff!), yellow #5, avacado and black eyed peas. My husband & I have been married for over 5 years.
I've been frustrated with information I've found on the net and have been trying to find answers to my many questions around food allergies and reading labels. It has been difficult to find the exact combination of foods we avoid, as well as find recipes that are allergy friendly and something a child would or could eat!
So this blog is the manifestation of all my hard work - testing recipes, reading labels and figuring out what my child will and can eat!
Full disclaimer: I'm still figuring some of this out myself, so if you're trying out a recipe be sure to have an epi pen or Benadryl handy if your child has severe allergies. If I have found something to be gluten free (GF) or dairy free (DF) I will try to post that exact brand name that I bought.
Feel free to email me any thoughts, suggestions or ideas you may have. Thanks for reading!!
Erin
My baby, Lucy, was just diagnosed with several food allergies - peanuts, milk & wheat. While she is not severe (yet) and the doctor thinks there is a chance she may outgrow the milk & wheat allergies, we are trying our best to adapt our lives to accommodate our sweet little girl's new allergies.
I am the twenty-something mother of two girls, ages 3 and almost 1. I have some "food intolerances" myself which are not backed by an allergist, but were discovered through the ELISA/ACT blood test. The foods I cannot eat are: baking powder (leavening), red grapes, xanthan gum (which makes Lucy's wheat allergy interesting since that's in all gluten-free stuff!), yellow #5, avacado and black eyed peas. My husband & I have been married for over 5 years.
I've been frustrated with information I've found on the net and have been trying to find answers to my many questions around food allergies and reading labels. It has been difficult to find the exact combination of foods we avoid, as well as find recipes that are allergy friendly and something a child would or could eat!
So this blog is the manifestation of all my hard work - testing recipes, reading labels and figuring out what my child will and can eat!
Full disclaimer: I'm still figuring some of this out myself, so if you're trying out a recipe be sure to have an epi pen or Benadryl handy if your child has severe allergies. If I have found something to be gluten free (GF) or dairy free (DF) I will try to post that exact brand name that I bought.
Feel free to email me any thoughts, suggestions or ideas you may have. Thanks for reading!!
Erin
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