A Book Written Just For Us

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Meg | 3 Comments

"Yes I Can!" Awesome book on food allergies for kids!

One of the fun things I get to do in my spare time, is be part of the medical advisory board for KidsWithFoodAllergies.Org.  Even better, is that I get the best job ever: reviewing cookbooks and children’s books.  Finding good children’s books on food allergy is surprisingly hard. Often, the medical facts are wrong or the tone of the story makes the allergic kid out to be sad & crying in their bedroom after school or lamenting their allergies & being excluded.  There are some that are good stories, but the characters are all animals and kinda hard to relate to in real life (“Mom, do they make extra big Epi-Pens for elephants? How big is the needle for an elephant?”)

Recently, I was sent a copy of “Yes I Can! Have My Cake and Food Allergies Too” by Julie Wethington, illustrated by Lang Wethington. My daughter read the book first, and said…”Mom, that’s totally Jack’s book!”.  I was busy & didn’t get around to reading it. Pretty soon, Jack was talking about “Jack’s book”, but I still never sat down to read it. Then one night, he pulled it off the shelf all dog-eared & requested it for bedtime reading.  Sure enough, it is Jack’s book.

The Jack in the book, has allergies to dairy, egg and nut and happens to look just like our Jack. The book family does normal stuff like we do: read labels in the grocery aisle while Jack tries to escape the grocery cart, pack lunches for the museum, eat picnics on our travels, buy safe rocket pops from the ice cream truck and have friends over for burgers and chocolate cake.  Most importantly, the theme is positive! It’s about “Yes I can” and focuses on all the things allergic kids can do & eat. And funniest of all, the parents in the book look just like us: mom sports a brown pony tale and dad…uh, saves a lot of money at the barbershop.

So Julie Wethington, if you’re out there…you rocked this fantastic story. And Lang Wethington, I have no idea how to managed to draw our family…but thank you! The book can be found at Amazon, and is a great addition to your bookshelf.  Our copy has found its way into the standard bedtime reading pile.

Crazy Resemblance!

So crazy, this looks just like us. We even have trucks on our doorstep!

Filed Under: Book Review

Rhubarb Shortbread

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Meg | 1 Comment

It’s spring, finally! I went out in the garden and found two big surprises. The first was the utter audacity of suburban rabbits, so lulled into security, they actually built their nest to raise all five newborn bunnies INSIDE my fenced-in garden. I don’t think my garden can withstand another year of laissez-faire wildlife management, so I think this will be the year of the Havahart trap.  Cue weeping and wailing from my soft-hearted city kids.

But on a brighter note, after five years of failure…my rhubarb plant survived the winter! Yes, I know, rhubarb is a weed and not difficult to grow. So I’ve heard. The piles of excess rhubarb stacked in the office break room table for the taking are just salt in my wound. For four springs in a row, I’ve walked sheepishly into the garden store with the dead rhubarb crown and my receipt. Every year, they’ve looked at me with pity, given me another fresh plant and a pep talk.

In addition to strawberry rhubarb pie, rhubarb shortbread is another favorite. This recipe will work with any jam, so feel free to be creative. The best thing about this recipe is that you can make the shortbread balls and freeze them, nearly forever. Then when you feel like making a little treat for Saturday breakfast or afternoon tea…just get the dough balls from the freezer, grate them into the pan with the layer of jam, and you’ve got an awesome pastry ready to go, even before the oven preheats!

Print
Rhubarb Shortbread
    Rhubarb Jam
  • 1 pound rhubarb
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
    • Shortbread
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups dairy-free margarine or shortening (I used butter flavored Crisco on this)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 T dairy-free milk (like soymilk or Silk PureCoconut)
    For the Jam
  1. Place the rhubarb, sugar & water in a medium saucepan.
  2. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook, stirring often, until the rhubarb almost melts into a silky jam.
  3. Add the vanilla and set the jam aside.
  4. Jam can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
    5. For the Shortbread Dough
  5. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together.
  6. In a large mixing bowl fitted with the paddle blade, cream the shortening with the sugar until creamy and fluffy.
  7. Add the dairy-free milk and mix again until fluffy.
  8. Add the flour mixture and mix until blended.
  9. Gather the dough up, divide into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap and put in the freezer.
    10. Putting it all together & baking
  10. Preheat oven to 350.
  11. Using a box grater, grate one dough ball into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.
  12. Spread the jam over top.
  13. Grate the remaining dough ball overtop of the jam.
  14. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
  15. Cool on a rack before cutting and serving, dust heavily with powdered sugar while still warm.
http://speedbumpkitchen.com/2013/05/rhubarb-shortbread.html

Filed Under: Cakes & Muffins, Cookies & Bars, Corn-Free, Pie & Pastry, Rhubarb, Vegan

Chubby Hubby for my Skinny Minnies

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Meg | 4 Comments

It’s March in Michigan, a time when gray skies & vitamin D deficiency induce a mild psychosis, the moral compass fails and you struggle with basic questions like: Should I go running or take a nap? Should I make dinner or create a new Pinterest board? P90X or finish off that pint of Chubby Hubby?

In July, when the days are long and the sun is shining…it all seems so black and white. Right now, it’s just gray… “I’ll regret both Chubby Hubby and P90X tomorrow morning, so why pick the one I’ll regret NOW?!” Well, clearly the Ben & Jerry’s pint has been winning lately, so it’s no surprise the kids asked for a safe version of my all-time favorite flavor.

For you poor souls who haven’t fallen off the bandwagon, Chubby Hubby is a heavenly blend of vanilla ice cream chock full of chocolate-covered peanut butter-filled pretzels. I swear they space the pretzel chunks out just enough so you find one…just as you’re promising to stop eating…and then of course, you have to dig it out.  Sweet, salty, crunchy, chocolate. Sigh.

Amazingly, the kids’ version is pretty doggone close in flavor. Shocking, actually. I let the kids build the “faux-filled” pretzels. Basically, you cover a row of prezels with soy butter (or sunflower), freeze them and then pour melted chocolate overtop.

Print
Chubby Hubby
    Chocolate-Covered Soybutter-"Filled" Pretzels
  • 5 pretzel rods
  • 1/2 cup soybutter (or sunflower butter)
  • 1 cup safe chocolate chips, melted (Divvies or Enjoy Life)
    • Ice Cream
  • 3 cups Silk soy creamer (about 1 1/2 pints)
  • 20 regular marshmallows (about 1/2 bag)
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 T. oil ( I used avocado, canola or soy would be fine)
    Prezels
  1. Line the pretzel rods up on a small parchment-lined baking sheet.
  2. Spread the soy butter overtop, and squish inbetween the pretzels.
  3. Freeze until firm.
  4. Pour 1/2 the melted chocolate overtop of the whole frozen pretzel block.
  5. Return to freezer until chocolate hardens, then flip the block over and pour the rest of the chocolate over the other side of the pretzel block.
  6. Freeze again and then chop into pieces for the ice cream.
    7. Ice Cream
  7. Put the marshmallows in a big microwave safe bowl (I have an 8 cup Pyrex that is perfect for this)
  8. Heat for 1-2 minutes, until soft and puffy.
  9. Whisk the soft marshmallows with 1/2 cup soy creamer until smooth. You may have to return the mixture to the microwave for another minute or so to get the marshmallows to fully melt into the creamer.
  10. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of creamer, sugar and oil. Whisk until smooth and the marshmallows are all melted.
  11. Cool the mixture down in the freezer or refrigerator before pouring into an ice cream maker to freeze. I have a Cuisinart that is wonderful.
  12. Scoop the frozen ice cream out of the ice cream maker into the container you plan to freeze it in. Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chopped pretzel mixture into the ice cream.
  13. Freeze and serve!
http://speedbumpkitchen.com/2013/03/chubby-hubby-for-my-skinny-minnies.html

I always make extra pretzels with the intention of freezing and using for another batch of ice cream…but the kids find that ziplock in the freezer and devour the extras!

Filed Under: Chocolate, Divvies, Ice Cream

Classic Chex Mix

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Meg | 1 Comment

Chex Mix- Dairy, egg, nut-free

Between the various holiday and sports-watching parties recently, I’ve been a snack-mix making machine. Back in the olden days when I was a kid (stop laughing, mom) …there really was only one type of snack mix…just your basic Chex Mix.  It didn’t come in pre-made in bags in the chip aisle, and you couldn’t buy packets of “Chex Mix” seasoning.  As a kid, I loved finding cashews hidden at the bottom and carefully avoided those nasty rye chips.

Now, snack mixes have created their own micro-economy. In addition to copious varieties of packaged snack mixes, the available recipes are mind-boggling. I’m still partial to the flavors of the classic version. This recipe is nut free. I’ve also swapped bagel chips in place of the rye chips.  That’s what is so great about this recipe, you can change ingredients in as you prefer (gluten-free would be easy) or based on what cereals are in your pantry (Cheerios or Crispix!).

A side word on ingredients. For seasoned salt, I use Lawry’s, but you can make your own.  Worcestershire sauce has fish, which may not be ok for some folks. I make my own, but there are fish-free versions if you look around,  Wizards or Henderson’s Relish are options.  I didn’t have much luck finding bagel chips around here that were safe, so I made my own (thinly sliced plain Lenders bagels, sprayed with some oil and sprinkled with garlic salt, toasted in a 400 oven). Party on!

Print
Classic Chex Mix
  • 3 cups Corn Chex
  • 3 cups Rice Chex
  • 3 cups Wheat Chex
  • 2 cups bite-sized pretzels
  • 2 cups garlic bagel chips (I made my own by thinly slicing Lender's bagels, spraying with oil, sprinkling with garlic salt and toasting in the oven)
  • 6 Tablespoons safe margarine, melted (I use Fleischman's Unsalted Margarine)
  • 2 Tablespoons homemade Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  1. Heat oven to 250.
  2. In a large roasting pan mix all the cereals, pretzels and chips.
  3. Whisk the margarine, Worcestershire & spices together in small bowl.
  4. Pour liquid over the cereal mix, and stir around.
  5. Bake at 250 for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
  6. Alternatively, you can make this in microwave by heating the whole thing in a large microwavable bowl on high for 5-6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. My friend Camille, has a slow cooker recipe too.
http://speedbumpkitchen.com/2013/01/classic-chex-mix.html

Filed Under: Holiday, Party Foods, Sauces and Dressings, Snack Mixes, Vegan

Homemade Worcestershire Sauce

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Meg | 6 Comments

Worcestershire (1)

I’ve been doing this allergy thing for over a decade now, but every once a while, I’m surprised by how difficult the simple things can be.  I wanted to make Chex Mix for the kids, and figured I’d just remove the nuts and call it good: until I ran into the Worcerstershire Sauce roadblock. Apparently, the stuff has fish in it…anchovies to be exact.  I looked at a half dozen varieties and they all have fish. Chex Mix just doesn’t taste the same without it…I tried.

Thankfully, there are a lot of crazy people in the world these days who choose to cook intensely, and homemade Worcestershire Sauce recipes are pretty easy to come by. This one is a safe adaptation of the  America’s Test Kitchen’s version. The only really odd ingredient is the tamarind paste. I made mine a while back out of a block of “wet tamarind”, which was the only thing I could find around here.  I suppose you could skip it, but it’s what gives it the tart flavor, and fun stuff to keep on hand for homemade Pad Thai.

Print
Homemade Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1/2 t. pepper
  • 1/2 t. ginger
  • 1/4 t. cinnamon
  • 1/4 t. cloves
  • 1/4 t. onion powder
  • 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1 shallot or 1/2 small onion, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup malt vinegar (use white or cider vinegar to be gluten-free)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 T. soy sauce (San-J makes gluten-free)
  • 1 1/2 t. tamarind paste
  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the spices and stir until they smell toasty, about 1 minute.
  2. Add the 1 T. olive oil and the shallots, and saute for a few minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and saute another minute.
  4. Add all the other stuff, and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
  5. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to steep and cool.
  6. Strain sauce through a fine meshed strainer and store in the refrigerator. I'm not certain, but I suspect...like the bottled stuff, it will last nearly forever.
  7. Makes 3/4 cup
http://speedbumpkitchen.com/2013/01/homemade-worcestershire-sauce.html

Filed Under: Corn-Free, Gluten Free, Sauces and Dressings, Vegan, Wheat-free

Liberty

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Meg | 28 Comments

LadyLiberty

Something very disheartening has happened in the blog world in the 5 years since I started, and it has escalated over the past 2 years: intolerant trolls. I suppose some of the attention has to do with my blog links being spread to a wider audience due to Pinterest, Food Gawker and Tastespotting.  Folks visiting here may not understand what this blog is about, and are disappointed when I don’t live up to their expectations based on the type of site, Pinterest board or Google search that brings them my way.

This part is easy to fix:  this blog is about safe food for children with life-threatening dairy, egg and nut allergies.  This is not a natural food blog, it’s not an organic blog, it’s not a paleo blog. It’s not intended for vegetarians, vegans, paleos, frutarians, locavores, raw foodists or other people electing to eat a limited diet. For those choosing these restricted diet lifestyles, awesome.  Some of my recipes may accidentally fit these food choices, but is not the heart and soul of why this blog exists.  I’m very happy to share creative recipes that meet our common goals despite our diverse motivators.

 But it still doesn’t explain the second part…the rude comments and attempts to bully me into making “politically correct” foods for my family. That behavior is part of something larger, and less easy to fix. There certainly is an uncomfortable movement afoot to dictate the minutiae of our lives from the types of lightbulbs we may buy to the proper packed lunch for our children. Alongside this effort to dictate, comes the movement to silence and shame those who don’t toe the line. Well, I happen to be a girl who loves liberty, is nearly impossible to shame and certainly won’t back down from feeding my kids as I see fit.

Somehow, we’ve lost the basic American idea of doing your own thing and letting others do the same. What happened to Thomas Jefferson? If it “neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg”…what does it matter to me? Live and let live, folks. Ease up on the nanny state.  Just as I would never dream of going to vegan blog, insulting the writer & demanding a steak recipe… please don’t come to my blog and get worked up about marshmallows or honey in my homemade ice cream recipes. To paraphrase a pro-choice bumper sticker, “Against processed foods? Don’t eat them”.  But I won’t apologize for using Bisquick, Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, Rich’s Whip, or Jello. Life is about balance, and I’m very comfortable in the balance I’ve found between homemade bread and the occasional Pillsbury Crescent Roll. Food is meant to be enjoyed and fun.

That being said, I still don’t know how to deal with those leaving rude comments. Some, I’ve deleted. They’re just too horrible to let stand. Some commenters, like “Save the Children Sheila“…I’ve taken to the mat and they eventually back down. The most recent comment by “Jess B” is quite amazing in her ability to insult my recipe, my choice in how to feed my children, the competence of our diagnosing allergist and my chosen career…all in one comment prefaced by “God Bless!”.  For now, I’ll leave the more ridiculous ones (like Jess B) for my friends and family to toy with. The really bad ones, I’ll just delete. In the meantime, hopefully Americans will pull themselves out of this phase, and remember how to be decent and tolerant of individual liberty once again.

Filed Under: That's Life
Egg Nog Cake–Easy Bake Oven Style

Egg Nog Cake–Easy Bake Oven Style

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Meg • 0 Comments

This little recipe comes from my girls,  a creation they invented this weekend in their Easy Bake Oven. Cakes are their specialty, and they’ve created more flavors than you can imagine.  Egg nog seems right for the season, and the recipe is a template for anyone considering an Easy Bake Oven for a Christmas gift.… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Cakes & Muffins, Easy Bake Oven, Vegan
Pumpkin Ice Cream & Spiced Waffle Bowls

Pumpkin Ice Cream & Spiced Waffle Bowls

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Meg • 3 Comments

Yes, I got a new gadget at the end of summer. Actually, I got two…but I won’t talk about the awesome cotton candy maker right now. I’ll stay on task and report my new love: the waffle cone maker. Totally unnecessary, I know. Keebler makes perfectly good & safe waffle bowls.  Problem is, I’m an… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Holiday, Ice Cream, Pumpkin, Thanksgiving
Zucchini Sandwich Cookies

Zucchini Sandwich Cookies

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Meg • 8 Comments

Just when it looks like the vine has given up its last fruit, another zucchini sneaks in under the radar.  I thought I’d cleaned the garden out and was getting ready to till everything under when the kids ran joyfully into the house with yet another zucchini…looking up at me expectantly.  ”Oh you little stinker”,… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Cakes & Muffins, Cookies & Bars, Vegan, Vegetable Surprises, Zucchini
Funnel Cakes

Funnel Cakes

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Meg • 10 Comments

It’s County Fair time here in Michigan! Fair food is something I’ve always wanted to share with my kids: neon red candy apples, giant caramel apples resting in a bed of nuts, bright yellow popcorn, hot roasted cinnamon almonds, elephant ears, corn dogs and funnel cakes.  It turns out, dairy and egg-free funnel cakes are a… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Cakes & Muffins, Corn-Free, Doughnuts, Vegan
Nana’s Fresh Blueberry Pie

Nana’s Fresh Blueberry Pie

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Meg • 2 Comments

This summer’s drought and heat, combined with the insane March heat wave, have pretty much decimated the Michigan fruit scene this year: plums, pears, apples, peaches, cherries…all gone.  The only spared fruits are the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. While I’ll miss making cheap vats of applesauce, I’m really not mourning a season’s reprieve from peach… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Pie & Pastry, Vegan
S’more Prep

S’more Prep

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Meg • 8 Comments

 We’re packed up for some tent camping at Lake Michigan this weekend. Well, actually I’ll be staying at my folk’s house with our youngest while my husband roughs it with the girls down at the state park campground.  It’s not that I’m averse to tenting, hubby and I spent our first 10 weeks of marriage… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Chocolate, Divvies