Food, Glorious Food!

It's been a little bit since I posted a recipe, so I thought why not share a little somethin', somethin'!  If you have any requests for recipes or items to be adapted, please let me know.  I am always looking for a new challenge!

It's no secret that I love desserts!  So, when I found this recipe, I thought why not give it a shot.  Let me tell ya, these delightful little nuggets are delish!!  Some  of you may recognize them from the Mother's Only Luncheon.  I cannot have almonds any longer, but if you can, by all means, enjoy!!

Coconut-Almond Macaroons

1/3 Cup Sugar (I would use raw sugar, normally I prefer honey, but it might mess up the texture here)
1 Large Egg White
1 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1/4 Cup Slivered Almonds, broken into small pieces
1/2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Sea Salt
1/4 Cup Bittersweet Chocolate Chips, melted (could totally leave off and still be delicious)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Whisk together sugar and egg white in a large bowl.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Spoon or use a small cookie scoop to make 12 small mounds, and drop each onto sheet, 2 inches apart.  Bake macaroons until golden-brown on bottoms and edges, about 15 minutes.  Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes.  Transfer to wire racks, and let cool.  using a spoon, drizzle melted chocolate over cooled macaroons.

Macaroons will keep, covered, for up to 1 week.

Each cookie is only 108 calories (with chocolate)!

Sorry, I don't have any pictures this time.

Sometimes you gotta live a little

I am writing this 40,000 feet in the air on my way home from a trip to New York City. I love the city & looked forward to the trip with eager excitement and a little apprehension, mostly because of food. New York is such a foodie city & I didn't want to miss out & I didn't want to spend the week sick-or worse! I had no desire to add a hospital to the list of places to see!

Since my husband & I love to travel & are usually adventurous, especially when it comes to food I really didn't know how this was going to all work out. It was hard to reconcile eating safe & enjoying what the city has to offer. I felt like I had to choose one or the other.

I started to week my usual cautious self, asking lots of questions & making sure my food was free of my worst allergens. I was happy that I was able to eat some delicious, safe, healthy foods & have fun doing it. Then, I started asking fewer questions (especially when I knew the food I was ordering) & just tried to make good choices. Food stands & super crowded tiny restaurants where barely a word of English is spoken can't really do substitutions & I really wanted to experience the food of this awesome city to the fullest extent!

I feel like it helped me to trust God without testing God. I continued to make good choices most of the time without being neurotic & to carefully choose when to splurge. I didn't eat any of the foods that are anaphylactic for me. The good part of all this is that I realized that my dairy allergy is not an anaphylactic one, so I can safely have it occasionally! I realized I never gave dairy a chance, I just freaked out & stopped eating it.

Eating a Canoli

As I continued to mostly make good choices, I just chose to "live a little" on occasion and to make sure I was wise about it and able & willing to suffer the consequences. I was also able to at least try bites of most "New York" foods! I didn't eat any pizza, hot dogs or cheesecake, that just didn't seem worth it to me. But I did have a bite of bangers & mash at an Irish pub, a bite of a black & white cookie, and I ate a Canoli (see the pic)! Another benefit of a large city is access to the "hippie foods" I love and know are safe! I found a little organic place & got a delicious "pastry" that had good ingredients, was raw & tasted so good! I ate that at my "Breakfast at Tiffany's"(see the other pic).

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Overall, this trip was a great success! I was able to curb my neurotic tendencies & let go on occasion! I was still wise & cautious when it called for it, and made good food choices 90% of the time. I feel like this trip was very good for my heart. I think I have learned the balance between trusting and testing God. This is something that is typically a challenge for me as I tend to lean one way then the other. These scriptures are very helpful in this matter. Deuteronomy 6:16 says "Do not test the Lord your God..." and Romans 15:13 says "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

With that, I wish you joy & peace on your food journey!

-Melissa

Dehydrator Diva

Thanks to some very generous friends I have acquired a new dehydrator!  I originally borrowed it because I was going to be a counselor at a summer camp and realized if I wanted to safely eat anything all week, I had better bring my own food.  I didn't know if I would have access to a kitchen at all so the most logical option was dehydrated fruits, vegetables and jerky.  And, in order to not have processed crap and to avoid my allergens, it seemed the only option was to make it myself.

So, I went on a crazy, dehydrating rampage the week before I left.  I dehydrated two different kinds of apples, two different kinds of fruit leathers, oranges, zucchini, summer squash, peaches, kiwi, blueberries, cucumbers, bananas, pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew and three different types of jerky (see picture).

It worked out really well and most of it was delicious.  The only thing I didn't like at all were the peaches (might have been better if they were peeled) and I didn't care for the blueberries or kiwi.  I did oranges two different ways and the peeled ones left on until dry but still flexible were very good.  My favorites were the bananas and apples which didn't come as a surprise to me.  The melons & pineapple were like candy & all of the jerky was very tasty!

Now, I'm about to start making some snacks to have around the house and thought I would share some dehydrating tips and recipes.  

For Bananas, I peel & slice them about 3/8 inch thick.  Most importantly, slice them as evenly as possible.  Just place the slices on the dehydrator trays and make sure they are not crowded.  I leave them on the dehydrator for about 10-12 hours until flexible but mostly dry.  Once you take them off the trays, put them in a baggie or other air-tight container.  They will become slightly crispy once completely cooled.  For more crisp, leave them on for 12 hours or more.  I like mine to still be a little chewy.  Be sure to keep them in an air-tight container as dehydrated foods will pull any moisture from the air and rot.  Bananas will turn a little brown but that is totally normal.  They will keep for about a week at room temperature, but won't likely last that long since they are so yummy!!

For Apples, I wash and core them then slice them into 3/8 inch rings.  As with the bananas, you will want to keep them as even thickness as possible.  Place them on the trays and don't overlap.  I leave them on 4-6 hours until pretty dry, but still flexible.  I like mine on the soft side, if you want them crispy, leave them on longer.  Once you take them off the trays, put them in a baggie or other air-tight container and be sure to keep them in an air-tight container as dehydrated foods will pull any moisture from the air and rot.  They will keep for about a week at room temperature.

Dehydrated foods are a great way to have healthy snacks on the go & know that there will be more on this to come!
-Melissa

The Pros and Cons of Food Allergies

To give you a little background, I am supposed to stick to eating mostly meats, fruits and vegetables.  Although I am allergic to beef, pork and eggs, I can rotate them and have been encouraged to eat meat instead of carbohydrates (to help with fatigue).  Wheat (or anything with gluten) is bad! As well as a few foods I never really struggle with like walnuts and codfish. I am saddened by the loss of cantaloupe, and have to watch onions, garlic and several other seasonings.  Dairy was bad but I can get away with a little dairy at times now so haven’t cut it out completely, but most of the time I avoid it. The list continues to grow, can’t have almonds now, and to make me a little stranger, I can’t have anything with red dye (goodbye twizzlers, cherry lime-aids, skittles, and numerous other junk food I love!). Some of you may not have as many foods that you have to avoid, and some of you may have more, but hopefully you can relate to my list of pros and cons.

First the cons (I always like getting the bad news first)… Of course, having food allergies is not easy, period. Those of us with food allergies have to plan ahead for each meal or snack, and especially for eating out or social gatherings with food.  Preparing healthy foods tends to be more time-consuming too! I feel a little excluded on the fun at social gatherings because I want to eat the “fun” food too, like cake or cookies, brownies or even for me, certain fruits on fruit trays, or casseroles (I love casseroles!), etc.  The other negative social side of allergies is having to be different (and sometimes difficult) when ordering out or dining with others, and it’s hard to say goodbye to some of my favorite entrees at my favorite restaurants. And as much as I like my share of conversational attention, it does get old having to explain what you can and cannot have, and not always being able to blend in (like when someone brings donuts for everyone at work).  I have learned to simply say “no thank you,” but sometimes feel the need to explain if someone’s feelings are at stake.  I hate the cravings for things I should not eat!  It is difficult to say “no” when I really want to say “yes!!”  I don’t like being at work and not being able to find anything to snack on (when I didn’t manage to plan ahead) and have had several times I have had to just be hungry for a while.  It stinks that gluten is in barbeque sauce (as well as numerous other foods it has no business being in)!  And I don’t like eating things I think are fine and having a reaction to it (I can’t eat kiwi now! Not fair since that is a fruit!) Everyone who has ever been on a diet knows how hard it is to say no to food you love, but I hate when I cannot eat some of the healthy foods that I love!  Okay, enough complaining!  It gets old whining about the negatives… Let’s move on to the positives, shall we? 

Here we go with the pros… Number one, I feel better!  I know what causes most of my fatigue and sickness!  I have lost weight and don’t have to respond to Weight Watchers ads or choose a new diet for a New Year’s resolution!  I’m watching so many ingredients already, I don’t really have to count calories or fat!  That’s pretty freeing!  I think just cutting out wheat and all gluten alone cuts down on 90% of the food I’m surrounded by!  I’ve also discovered through this journey that gluten is bad for everyone, so even if the allergy drops eventually help me to be able to eat wheat again, I don’t plan to because of the other ways it damages our bodies.  As a side-note, gluten caused me to have “leaky gut syndrome” which has led to numerous food allergies (you can look it up for more information,) and has also had played a part in my thyroid not working properly (which creates other “fun” symptoms I won’t go in to).  Ultimately, the allergy is keeping me away from gluten, which is a big favor to my health!  I think if I did not have the symptoms when I eat something with gluten, will-power alone would not keep me away from gluten-filled foods like donuts or pasta, and McDonalds is completely off the options list now!  My symptoms remind me of a child trying to touch the stove and getting their hand spanked… It doesn’t take that happening very many times to lose interest in touching the stove! I have also become more aware of the dangers of processed food, which I used to think was someone’s paranoia and now have to resist shouting “the sky is falling” (or “watch out for gluten and processed food! It’s all around and is killing us all!!”).  There is a purpose in buying organic foods!  Imagine that!! Pesticides and chemicals aren’t really very good for us! Who would have thunk it?  And of all the times to have to go gluten-free or have allergies, now is a great time because there are so many alternatives available to allow those with allergies to still be able to have some of their favorite foods.  I found a great gluten-free brownie mix that I’m very grateful for! Despite the substitutes I’ve found, I have been forced to change many of my bad habits, and overall to eat healthier foods.  Although the healthier foods tend to cost more, we’ve actually done better with our budget because of not being able to eat out so freely.  And my whole family now eats healthier foods because of my restrictions, which is another plus!  Ultimately, I am grateful for my allergies!  It’s not easy at times, but it does feel good to feel better! And based on the size of my paragraphs (and especially how I feel), it looks like the pros outweigh the cons! 

If you have recently been diagnosed with food allergies, hang in there!  I know the changes it causes are difficult!  Wait a few months and then I’m sure you’ll be able to write your own list of pros and cons, and will see for yourself that it’s not the curse it first may appear to be!

-Rachel

Cheats and Challenges

I love a good challenge!  I love the feeling of facing a seemingly insurmountable task head on!  I also love the process of figuring out how I can beat it.  I've been this way for as long as I can remember and I thank God that my parents didn't stifle that-even when my ideas were crazy.  As a little girl I dreaming of being the first female umpire in major league baseball while my friends were dreaming of being teachers, doctors and princesses!  The instant I was told I couldn't do something (especially if it was followed by "because you're a girl") I began my quest to figure out a way to do it!  Now, I never did become an umpire (or play in the NFL or discover the cure for Tourette's Syndrome or any of the other wild dreams I had) but it did teach me to dream big and to not shy away from challenges.  I get knocked down, but I get back up again.  If that crazy song is in your head, click the link for the video!

How does this relate to food allergies you may ask?  Well, being handed a list of almost everything under the sun and being told you are allergic to all of these things is quite the smack in the face!  But, I do love a challenge!  So, I set about finding things that could replace the things I loved and along the way finding new things to love!  In other words, finding "cheats" as I like to call them.  Sometimes, I end up being allergic to those things (avocado), and sometimes they taste gross (chia seed pudding), but it's trial and error.  I will eat delicious food!!

Coconut milk is liquid gold for me and coconut milk ice cream-nectar of the gods!  Some new foods I have discovered or re-discovered are Quinoa, LÄRABARs, Honey, Chia Seeds, Agave, Dried Apples, Bananas & Pineapples, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, Parsnips, Peaches, Rutabaga, Kohlrabi, Smoothies, and a whole lot more and even more to come!

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is having food allergies or sensitivities, issues or other restrictions really can be a blessing in disguise!  I'm eating healthier then ever, my skin looks better, I'm losing weight and I am beginning to feel better and am hopeful that I will continue to feel better!  On that note, here is a recipe that I hope will inspire you to eat delicious food and it's very easy to make!

Southwestern Quinoa Salad
Salad Ingredients:
1 Cup Quinoa (I used Ancient Harvest brand-doesn't need rinsed)
2 Cups Water
1 large Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 Cup sliced Green Onion (green & white parts)
1/2 Cup chopped, fresh Cilantro (could use Parsley if you don't like Cilantro)
1/4 teaspoon (or so) lime zest

Dressing Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
1 teaspoon Spike Seasoning (optional, but I liked it)
1 teaspoon ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions:

Check the quinoa package to see if it needs to be rinsed and rinse in a fine-mesh strainer if needed.  Combine quinoa & water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.  Fluff quinoa with a fork and let it cool while you prep other ingredients.  I made the Quinoa the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator.

Drain the beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse well with cold water, until no more foam appears.  Let beans drain until they are quite dry (or pat dry with paper towels if you want to speed it up.)

Cut out the stem and remove seeds from the red bell pepper and cut into a small dice (about the size of the black beans.)  Slice the green onions into thin slices and wash, dry, and chop the cilantro.

When the quinoa is cool, combine quinoa, black beans, diced red bell pepper, and sliced green onion in a bowl.  Zest some lime into the bowl.  Add enough dressing to moisten all the ingredients (I used all of it).  Gently stir in the chopped cilantro and serve.

This keeps very well in the fridge for several days and makes great leftovers. 

Adapted from here

-Melissa

Oh! The "joys" of eating out with food allergies

www.allergyeats.com

Since being diagnosed with food allergies my perspective on eating out has changed drastically.  Where I used to get excited about trying new places and would read reviews on  Urban Spoon and write reviews based on ambiance, service, food quality and taste, I now check Allergy Eats to see the kind of experience other food allergy sufferers have had and check the restaurant website (if they have one) to find allergy information (if it's listed) so I know ahead of time what I can and cannot eat.  All of  my reviews are now based on how they were able to accommodate my food allergies.


When I do go out to eat, I feel like a detective.  Asking so many questions and trying to find something I can eat or what modifications can be made so that it not only doesn't have my most severe allergy foods, but that is actually nutritious.  Tasting good would be a bonus!  There are many fast food and fast casual restaurants that have absolutely nothing on the menu I can eat except maybe a plain chicken breast (and that's iffy) and in some cases, french fries!  I can't tell you the last pizza I actually enjoyed.  Gluten Free crust with no cheese often equals tasteless pizza with toppings that continually fall off.  To tell you the truth, I don't really miss it, though.

I have had servers that were very helpful and went above and beyond to make sure I had great food I could eat without even a hint of attitude or disbelief (my best experiences so far were with Buffalo Wild Wings and Osaka).  I have also had the opposite.  Servers who look at me like I'm probably just on some fad diet or basically ignore everything I have said.  It really sucks the joy out of eating out!  If you work in a restaurant, I implore you to do a little research on food allergies and sensitivities and at the very least listen and have compassion!!  Now, I do take ownership of my allergies and feel it is my responsibility to effectively communicate to servers what my food allergies are.  But, I can't follow them into the kitchen and read all the labels and watch everything being prepared.

My husband and I are doing a lot of traveling this summer and I am very nervous about what I am going to eat.  I have already started doing some research, but it seems exhausting!  At least two of the trips are to large cities, so there is apt to be more places I can eat.  I also imagine there will be a Natural Grocers, Trader Joes or Whole Foods or the like that I could go and at least get some snacks that I know I can eat!

I imagine that as time goes on, the joy of eating out will slowly return as I get more used to communicating my food allergies and as the population becomes more informed about food allergies and sensitives.  What are your experiences eating out with food allergies?

-Melissa

Food Documentaries

I have been fascinated by the science of nutrition for quite a long time, in fact, for the past few years I have said if someone else would pay the bill I would go back to school and become a Registered Dietitian (any takers?).  It combines two of my favorite things, nerdy science stuff and telling people what to do. :)  Now that I have been diagnosed with so many food allergies and suspected of having a gluten intolerance along with a variety of other health issues-It's Personal!

My husband and I have Netflix, which can be dangerous.  I have watched several Food Documentaries and it just keeps suggesting more, so I watch them too!  The latest ones I watched were "Forks Over Knives" and the accompanying "Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue".  The description for "Forks over Knives" from IMDB (www.imdb.com) is:
"Forks over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods."

For more information, visit their website www.forksoverknives.com

One of the claims the movie makes is "food is medicine" and uses the quote from Hippocrates, "Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food."  I agree wholeheartedly!!   I am a firm believer that many diseases can be treated, prevented and even reversed simply by changing your diet (not that I am anti doctor or medicine as a whole).  I also agree that we should cut out processed foods and add much more plant-based whole foods to our diet, but I disagree with the notion that the only way is through having absolutely no animal-based foods.   I believe that we get necessary fat, protein and amino acids from consuming meat, though I think it's possible to be healthy on a vegetarian diet.  I do agree with eliminating dairy, as we can get even more calcium from green veggies, but I don't even think that's necessary for all people.  I also strongly disagree with eating "whole grains" and eating virtually no fat (see the article in the articles section about that).  We do need fat and don't need gluten based grains.  Overall, "Forks over Knives" was fascinating and I believe that they did see great results from their research and did see people with heart disease, diabetes and other degenerative diseases improve, but I think those same results can be achieved simply by adding more plant-based whole foods to our diets and eliminating processed foods, and in my opinion, gluten.

I also watched the documentary "Food Matters" and the description from IMDB is:
"Food Matters examines how the food we eat can help or hurt our health. Nutritionists, naturopaths, doctors, and journalists weigh in on topics of  organic food, food safety, raw foodism, and nutritional therapy."
For more information, visit their website http://www.foodmatters.tv/

The movie uses the same Hippocrates quote  and discusses similar ideas of using nutrition as well as vitamin therapies to treat, prevent and even reverse many diseases.  It does speak much more about the politics and profit of treating diseases with drugs and surgeries instead of nutrition and vitamin therapies.  I agree that most doctors are taught to target and treat the exact complaint, and not to treat the whole person and most doctors get very little training in nutrition, so quickly reach for what they "know works"-drug therapies or surgery.  The film also discusses the fact that the pharmaceutical business is highly profitable and that there is always money to be made when people are sick, but no money to be made when people are well.  From my time as a Pharmacy Technician I am even more convinced that many medications are simply a "quick fix" and often just mask the real issue or are a way to keep people well enough to keep taking the medication rather than an actual long term solution which will make the drug companies no money.  Sick sells, not healthy!

The film also talks a lot about the high risks and side effects of many medications and surgeries and the lack of risks with most vitamin therapies.  The number of deaths from drugs and surgeries is astonishing, even when there was no doctor or patient error!  While quite the opposite is true of vitamin therapy's.  Now, I am not saying just go to the store and buy up all the vitamins and take them, I still believe we need a doctor to guide us and give us the proper dosage, etc.  I do not promote self diagnosis and treatment.

I like that the film also discusses food safety and how we need to research and find out where our food comes from and if it contains Genetically Modified ingredients.  It also discusses knowing how the meat we eat was raised and choosing wisely as well as the importance of eating organic, which I agree with, especially since I can only eat organic lettuce.  There is obviously something in the non-organic lettuce that makes me sick and that makes me think.

There is no new information in "Food Matters", it's just information we have ignored or even chosen not the believe.  I am a huge proponent of using nutrition and vitamin therapies first, then look into drugs or surgeries to treat many diseases.  I want to state again that I am not anti doctor or anti medication or surgery.  I also like that the film features a wide variety or people and doesn't seem to promote only one specific lifestyle rather than just looking at how much food does matter.   They do discuss cleansing, of which I am not a big fan.  I believe that if we take care of our body and feed it right, it is essentially a "self-cleaning oven" and there is no need for cleansing or detoxing.

-Melissa

Why Blog?

We started our little group because we found that we gravitated toward talking to each other about the various challenges of food allergies or restrictions and found that it was extremely challenging for others to understand the struggle.  The more we talked about it, the more people we discovered with similar challenges and thus, the group was formed.

It is personally my hope that this Blog with be a great supplement to the group and even help us to reach people we could never have reached with our group alone. It is also my hope that each member will share their knowledge and experience. My hope is that this is a form of giving and receiving knowledge.

I am married to a very healthy husband and have no children.  I have fairly recently been diagnosed with an extensive list of allergies, including a great deal of food allergies, though I have dealt with allergies since childhood.  I have other health complications that I believe can be helped by radically changing the way I eat.  I am also in the process of losing weight.  I am passionate about  learning about nutrition, health and food.  I love to cook and try new things, so I will likely share a lot of recipes.  In fact, I'll share my very simple recipe for Kale Chips that I made last week and were a big hit!

-Melissa

Kale!

1 Bunch of Kale (I used the green curly kind)
About 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
About 1 teaspoon Salt
About 1/2 teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
About 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash and dry the Kale, if you have a salad spinner, I heard they work great but I don't, so I put it in the colander and shook it and then dried it off with paper towels.

Cut the Kale into bite size pieces with kitchen shears, be sure to remove the hard center stem.

Put the oil and seasonings into a large mixing bowl.  Add the Kale to the bowl and toss to coat.  Be sure to shake the extra oil off so they don't get soggy and oily, then place each piece onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 9-10 minutes until crisp and the edges are lightly browned, but not burned.  You will want to watch them closely so they don't burn.  Cool on a cooling rack, then enjoy!