Van's Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free French Toast Sticks

A reader recently mentioned Van's French Toast Sticks and I just had to give them a try.  Huge success with our almost 3-year-old.  They are a little pricey, but for an extra meal idea for the week I think it's worth it.

Don't feel sorry

If you have been reading this blog for some time you have read about my food allergies.  I have had food allergies since I was 4 years old to raw fruits and vegetables.  Just recently I found out I have a peanut allergy.  It's a mild reaction but I think it was contributing to other issues as well.

Since I found out about the peanut allergy I have avoided "commercial" chocolate. I have tried M&Ms and Milky Way candy since finding out about my peanut allergy just to see what might happen.  Sometimes nothing, sometimes a sneeze, sometimes a coughing fit.  Interesting.  So instead of the gamble I eliminated it all together.  Now I am a huge chocolate lover and this was very challenging to give up.  Not to stop eating it because when something you eat hurts you, you don't like it (even if you really do love the flavor). That part of it was easy.  Just accepting a good alternative was a challenge (mostly because of cost).  I found Enjoy Life chocoolate chips and Boom Choco Boom bars to be a very acceptable replacement.  It so odd to me to eat a piece of chocolate and to feel such a "clean" taste.  I never noticed it before until I took the peanut out of my body.

Yesterday I was watching a commercial for Dairy Queen Blizzards.  A part of me got a little sad.  I may never eat one of those again.  They showed a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup.  Again I thought about how I used to enjoy eating those and probably won't again.  But the other part of me said "thank goodness you figured out what may be causing the problems and it's really no big deal."  That made me think about comments I hear about children with food allergies.

I often hear people say they feel sorry that their children can't have a certain food because of an allergy or that adults shouldn't eat foods in front of allergic kids who can't eat them.  But I'm telling you it's no big deal.  We don't want to eat what you have.  What you have makes us itch, sneeze, hurt, rash or worse.  We don't want that, ever.  Our daughter recently tested out some milk-based chocolate pudding (she loves chocolate, too).  After she had a mild reaction, I asked her if she liked the pudding and she very clearly shook her head and said "NO."  Even though I know she loves the flavor of chocolate, she did not like the reaction it gave her.  And again she's not even 3 years old.

To sum up, those of us with food allergies are used to it.  We know what we can have and what we can't.  Having alternatives available is fine.  But I'll just skip over the food I can't eat if at a party or gathering.  It's really no big deal.  Children are the same.  I think the only time they might feel some jealousy is if they don't have something to eat when everyone else does and there is no safe alternative, such as at a birthday party where cake and ice cream is served.  But as parents we make sure those situations don't happen too often or at all.  In that case I just bring along a chocolate snack bar or make a plate of brownies to share and all is well.

New Silk Soy MIlk coupon

There is a new  $.55/1 Silk Soymilk coupon available.  Be sure to print it twice!

Lesson learned -- Sugar in Soymilk

When our daughter started drinking soy milk (instead of formula), I really didn't do that much research on what to give her.  I did know about the concerns with soybeans and causing possible medical problems.  I concluded that everything has something that is bad for you, so that didn't sway my decision.  What I was most concerned about for my then 13-month-old was getting the right nutrients in her. The doctors we had at the time weren't really much help.  I bought Silk's Very Vanilla for her because it says "Fortified for Kids" right on the front.  I also concluded that it had the most nutrients in it.

It wasn't until a month ago did I look at the sugar content in Silk's Very Vanilla Soy Milk. There are 16g of sugar in 1 cup.  In a day our daughter drinks about 3 cups -- sometimes even a little more.  That is 48g of sugar in a day.  Just to compare to other drink, a can of soda has 41g of sugar.  Yes, there is a difference in what sweetens the drinks.  Soda -- high fructose corn syrup; Very Vanilla Soymilk -  Cane Juice and Vanilla flavor.   And just like anyone can justify why something is bad for you, they will do the same why something (cane juice) is good for you.  The fact is that this soy milk had way more sugar than I think our daughter should have, especially if you take into account how much sugar is everything else.  I believe now that she's almost 3-year-old, she's getting those other nutrients in the Very Vanilla Soy Milk in the other foods she eats.  And after a recent nutritionist appointment (more on that in a future post), the most important nutrients to get are Calcium and Vitamin D, which is the same amount in the Very Vanilla and Vanilla soymilks.  I concluded to change her milk to Vanilla Soymilk, which as has 7g of sugar per 1 cup.

So, how do you change the tastes of a toddler?  Well, I did what I've done in the past.  Slowly introduce.   In this case, I mixed Very Vanilla Soymilk with Vanilla Soymilk -- Target brand (only because we live a minute from Target and it's a few cents cheaper).    I started slow.  I put 3/4 cup Very Vanilla Soymilk in her cup and added 2 Tbsp of Vanilla Soymilk.  I did that for a couple days and then slowly added more Vanilla than Very Vanilla.  About a week later we were add half and half of each.  Two weeks later we are adding more than 3/4 cup Vanilla and just a little Very Vanilla.  Her tastes gradually changed.  She was fine with the Vanilla Soy Milk in her cereal from the beginning.  I also made sure that she saw us mixing the milk -- no need to "trick" her.  That doesn't work.  I had tried before.

Do I believe you should change if you use Very Vanilla Soymilk?  No.  Do what you think is best.  I just felt that we were ready to change things a little.  I also based this decision on all the fruit and vegetables she's been eating lately.  Seems like all of a sudden she's a lot less picky.  Will we every drink Very Vanilla again?  Maybe.

Not Quite Dairy-free Cream Cheese Frosting recipe

My daughter is lucky.  For whatever reason, regular Cool Whip does not cause any allergic reaction for her.  Yay!  Right?  So, when I was reading this blog entry on Cooking During Stolen Moments last week (scroll to the bottom, but read them all) I was anxious to try the frosting/topping.  I substituted Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese and it tastes excellent.  Even to those of us who are dairy eaters.  If you are not lucky enough to use regular Cool Whip, I found this excellent resource on Go Dairy Free that gives a few products to try and some at home recipes (be sure to scroll to the bottom to see whipped topping suggestions).


Not Quite Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
3 oz Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup Cool Whip (or use on of these dairy-free options -- scroll to bottom)

1. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.
2. Fold in Cool Whip.

**This is an excellent topping for berries.  I'm going to use it on top of brownies and add strawberries on top.**

Enjoy Life Coupons -- Reset

It's been a while since I've been able to print coupons from Enjoy Life's website. 

It appears that the coupon on the home page for 55 cents/1 Enjoy Life product has been reset.  

I also got this coupon for 75 cents/2 Boom Choco Boom Bars in my Enjoy Life newsletter. 

Enjoy Life products are free of the top allergens -- Gluten, dairy, peanut, tree-nut, soy, egg and casein.  We love the snack bars, the chocolate chips and chocolate bars at our house.  

If you haven't printed Enjoy Life coupons for a while, you might want to give it a try!

Allergy-Free Snack -- Fruit Crisps

I stumbled across Brothers All Natural Fruit Crisps on a Wal-Mart trip.  I was so excited to see that they had a little fiber in them and that it specifically states: Peanut/Tree Nut Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Dairy Free, non GMO, Vegan, Kosher.  These are great for an on-the-go snack.

These fruit crisps are all natural with no added sugar or preservatives. There are several flavors.

• Strawberry Banana
• Fuji Apple
• Asian Pear
• White and Yellow Peach
• Pinneapple
• Banana
• Oraganic Strawberry

Oooh So Good

Tonight I had a craving for chocolate.  Ever since I realized that I have an allergy to peanut, I have cut most chocolate out (with the exception of a small Boom Choco Boom square here and there).  I used to eat chocolate every day.  Although my peanut allergic reaction is pretty small, I decided it best to keep it out of my diet because I believe it made my other food allergies worse.  I have yet to find a doctor who agrees with.  I digress.

I searched one of my favorite recipe sites for food allergies Food Allergy Mama and found this absolutely delightful (yes chocolate is delight for me) Dairy, Eagg and Nut-Free Chocolate Pudding Cake.  It's ooey good and we ate it with ice cream.  Our daughter had Purely Decadent Coconut Milk ice cream.

**Side note:  I was asking our daughter tonight if the coconut milk ice cream hurt her anywhere.  A question I am starting to ask her when she eats foods I'm allergic to or worry should could be allergic to.  With my allergies you can't see them, but I can feel them tighten my throat.  She told me yes.  I thought that was actually odd since this is the second container of Purely Decadent she's devouring.  I asked her where she hurt.  She pointed to the top of her head.  I asked some questions about other foods if they hurt her and she said no to all.  I asked if Mommy's milk hurt her and she said yes.  I asked where and she told me her cheeks, which is where she gets hives.  I asked again about the coconut milk ice cream and she said it hurt the top of her head.  I realized she must have eaten it too fast and it gives her an "ice cream headache."  Don't you just wish you could get in that little brain sometimes?**

Recipe- Strawberry Refrigerator Jam

Yesterday, my almost 3-year-old and I went strawberry picking at an organic farm.  She wasn't really too interested.  There was a lot of waiting.  Waiting to be given a row to pick, waiting for me to pick them, waiting to pay and waiting to eat them.   She sure does love strawberries.  She was much happier once we got home and tasted the juicy fresh strawberries.

In an over-ambitious attempt at 9:30 last night, I decided to make some refrigerator jam.  I am completely impressed with how easy this was to make.  Our daughter ate it today on her Sunbutter and Jelly Sandwich.  The results:  She ate it up!

Strawberry Refrigerator Jam (makes about 3/4 cup)
(this recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook -- my favorite go-to cookbook!)


3/4 cup sliced strawberries (use an egg slicer if you have one)
1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice (great to have in the freezer for a late night recipe)

1. Place a glass bowl in the freezer or in ice water.

2. Add all ingredients in non-stick saucepan.  Cook on medium low for about 10 minutes.  Sauce will thicken to jam consistency.
3. To test the consistency of the jam, place 1/2 tsp on hot jam in cold bowl.  Let it set for 30 seconds.  If it runs slowly (or slightly from side to side) then it's done.  If it's too fluid give it a couple more minutes in the saucepan until it thickens.
4.  Allow one hour to cool and store in refrigerator.

This will refrigerate for up to two weeks in an airtight container. 

Check out more great recipes at The Grocery Cart Challenge and Life as Mom!

Positive test -- chocolate pudding

Last week I was optimistic about our daughter slowly outgrowing her milk allergy.  She's been tolerating more and more cooked meals with milk.  So, I decided to make milk-based Jell-O pudding.  I was hopeful that the milk was boiled long enough and it would changed the milk protein enough for her to enjoy it without a reaction.  I was wrong.  I gave her less than 1/4 cup of pudding.  She started coughing, but that's kinda normal when she eats.  Drives me crazy because I never know if it's a food allergy or just her swallowing wrong or just plain coughing.  Anyway, it got really bad.  She was gasping along with breaking out in hives.  I quickly grabbed the Benadryl (not the kind that was recalled), and she sucked it down.  She was fine within a few minutes.  It was too bad that she couldn't tolerate it.  I think that was the worst reaction I've seen.  Normally, it's just hives.  But she did consume more than in a normal test.

Reminder:  Do not do food challenges at home unless advised by a doctor.

Friday - Dinner

**This is a week-long series that will detail the food that I feed my almost 3-year-old who has multiple food allergies, including dairy, egg, tree nuts, and peanuts.  Each day I will detail the food she eats for her meal.  I will update snacks with the dinner menu.  Included you will see how I menu plan and prepare meals for the allergic child. I will be starting Sunday (although I will be skipping Monday).**

Friday - Dinner

Spaghetti (from freezer)

Cooked carrots (cut carrots in strips, boil with brown sugar and water for 15 minutes or until tender)

Strawberries, not pictured.

Soy Milk

Friday - Lunch

**This is a week-long series that will detail the food that I feed my almost 3-year-old who has multiple food allergies, including dairy, egg, tree nuts, and peanuts.  Each day I will detail the food she eats for her meal.  I will update snacks with the dinner menu.  Included you will see how I menu plan and prepare meals for the allergic child. I will be starting Sunday (although I will be skipping Monday).**

Friday - Lunch

Chicken soup  (another meal from the freezer.  I will either freeze a little after making a big batch or make batch just for freezing. I will omit the noodles for freezing and add when re-heating or omit all together.  Today I used alphabet pasta.   I freeze the soup in a baby food jars -- the one pictured is 6 oz.  I love using these frozen soups when traveling.  First they are frozen to start so they can slowly unthaw in the cooler.  Second they are easy to prepare.  Heat in microwave for a minutes. Third it's packed full of meat and vegetables.  Another variation of this is vegetable soup.  Also see my recipes on how to make your own chicken stock or vegetable stock)

Applesauce

Soy Milk


Banana Bread, not pictured (also not dairy-free, but she tolerated baked goods with milk and egg) 

Friday - Breakfast

**This is a week-long series that will detail the food that I feed my almost 3-year-old who has multiple food allergies, including dairy, egg, tree nuts, and peanuts.  Each day I will detail the food she eats for her meal.  I will update snacks with the dinner menu.  Included you will see how I menu plan and prepare meals for the allergic child. I will be starting Sunday (although I will be skipping Monday).**

Friday - Breakfast

Eggo waffles with maple syrup.   These waffles do have milk and egg in them, but our daughter is able to tolerate milk and egg in baked goods.  And I think it's good to get whatever she can tolerate in her system.   We haven't had these in months, but I scored a box for 75 cents at Target this week using a coupon matched with a sale.  

Banana


Soy Milk

Second Breakfast: Cheerios

Thursday - Dinner

**This is a week-long series that will detail the food that I feed my almost 3-year-old who has multiple food allergies, including dairy, egg, tree nuts, and peanuts.  Each day I will detail the food she eats for her meal.  I will update snacks with the dinner menu.  Included you will see how I menu plan and prepare meals for the allergic child. I will be starting Sunday (although I will be skipping Monday).**

Thursday - Dinner

Pork chops (from freezer, we grilled them a couple weeks ago and froze a couple extra for a quick dinner), BBQ sauce

Corn on the Cob

Wild Rice

Grapefruit 


Strawberries, not pictured.  Silly toddler didn't eat them at lunch, but when she saw them on the table tonight wanted to eat them.  She ate four the size of her hand.

Soy Milk

Thursday - Lunch

**This is a week-long series that will detail the food that I feed my almost 3-year-old who has multiple food allergies, including dairy, egg, tree nuts, and peanuts.  Each day I will detail the food she eats for her meal.  I will update snacks with the dinner menu.  Included you will see how I menu plan and prepare meals for the allergic child. I will be starting Sunday (although I will be skipping Monday).**

Thursday -Lunch

Sunbutter and Jelly Sandwich, sweet potatoes (follow these directions), fresh strawberries

Thursday - Breakfast

**This is a week-long series that will detail the food that I feed my almost 3-year-old who has multiple food allergies, including dairy, egg, tree nuts, and peanuts.  Each day I will detail the food she eats for her meal.  I will update snacks with the dinner menu.  Included you will see how I menu plan and prepare meals for the allergic child. I will be starting Sunday (although I will be skipping Monday).**

Thursday - Breakfast

Rice Krispies, Raisins, Soy Milk

Pretty simple breakfast today.  

Wednesday - Dinner

**This is a week-long series that will detail the food that I feed my almost 3-year-old who has multiple food allergies, including dairy, egg, tree nuts, and peanuts.  Each day I will detail the food she eats for her meal.  I will update snacks with the dinner menu.  Included you will see how I menu plan and prepare meals for the allergic child. I will be starting Sunday (although I will be skipping Monday).**

Wednesday - Dinner

Nachos (just use vegan cheese instead of dairy).  Note:  I make our daughter's nachos in a separate dish and bake next to ours in the oven.  Hardly any extra time to do, but took me a long time to realize that I could do it.  Why are the simplest ideas the hardest to come up with?

Leftover applesauce from lunch

Soymilk

I use the taco shells from the kit.  I heat them in oil for a couple minutes, then break into bite size pieces.  I also use the sauce packet with the beans to mash them into refried beans.  I save the taco seasoning packet for future taco meal.  PS.  I go this extra cheap at Target -- I used a $1/2 coupon when they were priced $1.79 each.  Making this only $1.29 for 12 tacos, 3 oz taco sauce and taco seasoning.

I bought these black beans for only 99 cents.  After cooking them, I usually freeze them in 1 cup portions for meals such as this.  Quick and easy and good for you too.

This is the small baking dish I use when I am making a meal separate and dairy-free for our daughter.  It also came with a lid for those meals when she doesn't eat it all and I can just pop it in the fridge for a backup meal later in the week.

Our "real" cheesy nachos on the left.  Our dairy-free toddler's nachos on the right.

Snacks:  No AM snack (slept in again), No PM snack either (she's took a long nap that just about ran into dinner).  She must be growing, again!


Note:  She has a water cup available to her all day long.

If you have missed any other meals from this week, be sure to go here!

Wednesday - Lunch

**This is a week-long series that will detail the food that I feed my almost 3-year-old who has multiple food allergies, including dairy, egg, tree nuts, and peanuts.  Each day I will detail the food she eats for her meal.  I will update snacks with the dinner menu.  Included you will see how I menu plan and prepare meals for the allergic child. I will be starting Sunday (although I will be skipping Monday).**

Wednesday - Lunch

Tofurky, Smiles, Applesauce, Soy Milk with ketchup and mustard

Wednesday - Breakfast

**This is a week-long series that will detail the food that I feed my almost 3-year-old who has multiple food allergies, including dairy, egg, tree nuts, and peanuts.  Each day I will detail the food she eats for her meal.  I will update snacks with the dinner menu.  Included you will see how I menu plan and prepare meals for the allergic child. I will be starting Sunday (although I will be skipping Monday).**

Wednesday- Breakfast

Banana -- our daughter for one reason or another won't eat a banana with other food.  By that I mean if the banana is on her plate with other food, she won't eat it.  But if I give it to her by itself before the meal, she'll eat it gone.  So that 's what we do.  I also let her peel it to keep her involved.

Blueberry Pancakes with Maple Syrup -- I make in bulk and freeze.  Simply put in toaster or microwave when ready to eat.  Use a pizza cutter to cut.

Soy Milk

Second breakfast:  Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal -- guess that's the favorite of the week.

Tuesday - Dinner

**This is a week-long series that will detail the food that I feed my almost 3-year-old who has multiple food allergies, including dairy, egg, tree nuts, and peanuts.  Each day I will detail the food she eats for her meal.  I will update snacks with the dinner menu.  Included you will see how I menu plan and prepare meals for the allergic child. I will be starting Sunday (although I will be skipping Monday).**

Tuesday Dinner

Crockpot Chicken
I took the original idea for this recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking.  I just love her blog!


Family Pack of Leg Quarters
2 tsp kosher salt (if you'd like it as salty as the ones in the store, add another 1 tsp.)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch of chili powder
**Do not add any liquid.  I also add four garlic cloves to the crockpot.**


Simply mix spices together and rub on chicken. Put in crockpot for 6 hours on low.   

Potatoes:  I used leftover potatoes from Sunday.  I made some feta potatoes for us.

Canned Green Beans


Grapefruit 


Snacks: No am snack-- she woke up late and we ate an early lunch before going to the pool.
PM Snack: Enjoy Life Snack Bar, water

Tuesday - Lunch

**This is a week-long series that will detail the food that I feed my almost 3-year-old who has multiple food allergies, including dairy, egg, tree nuts, and peanuts.  Each day I will detail the food she eats for her meal.  I will update snacks with the dinner menu.  Included you will see how I menu plan and prepare meals for the allergic child. I will be starting Sunday (although I will be skipping Monday).**

Tuesday Lunch

Mic and Cheese (we call it that because it's Mickey shaped pasta), Fresh Raspberries, Peas (used from Sunday), Soy Milk

Tuesday-Breakfast

**This is a week-long series that will detail the food that I feed my almost 3-year-old who has multiple food allergies, including dairy, egg, tree nuts, and peanuts.  Each day I will detail the food she eats for her meal.  I will update snacks with the dinner menu.  Included you will see how I menu plan and prepare meals for the allergic child. I will be starting Sunday (although I will be skipping Monday).**

Tuesday Breakfast

Cinnamon Spice Oatmeal with Raisins and Soy Milk to drink.  When the soy milk is gone she drinks water.

Second breakfast:  Our daughter is often still hungry after eating oatmeal, so I give her a second breakfast that usually is cereal and more dried fruit.