BugaBees Book Giveaway

The BugaBees: Friends with Food Allergies by Amy Recob is one of our favorite books to read.  It discusses the common food allergies in a fun and easy-to-understand way.  Amy is sponsoring a giveaway of the book on her blog  The BugaBees: Friends with Food Allergies.  If you have commented on her website, be sure to do so by May 15!

Leftover bread or crust -- do this

Recently we made these cinnamon sugar bread crusts from leftover bread.  So good.  I used Earth's Balance spread instead of butter.  Yummy!

Another Porcupine Meatball recipe

I found this recipe in a dairy-free cookbook, but I can't remember which one.  Recently I made my mother-in-law's porcupine meatball recipe about a month ago, but wanted to compare this one with my family.

Porcupine Meatballs II
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
1/4 cup uncooked rice (I used Minute Rice)
1 tsp minced dried onion (my favorite)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 lb ground beef (uncooked)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt (recipe calls for 1 tsp -- too much for me)
1/2 cup water

1. Mix 1/3 cup of tomato sauce, 1/4 cup uncooked rice, onion, garlic, pepper, mustad, vinegar and ground beef. Shape into 20 small meatballs or 10 large meatballs.
2. Place in skillet.
3. Mix remaining sauce, oregano, salt and 1/2 cup water. Pour sauce over meatballs.
4. Bring to boil, reduce heat and cover.
5. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is done.

Check out more great recipes at Life as Mom!

Milk test -- positive

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

We tested our daughter with milk-based ice cream this weekend.  The results -- hives on her face.  So we concluded she can eat just about any meal with milk "cooked" or "baked" inside it, but no cold or uncooked milk is safe.

Cute trailer

What... She ate cheese enchiladas

I made beef and bean enchiladas earlier this week loaded with milk-based cheese.  We feed them to our daughter.  She really enjoyed eating them -- I know because she makes happy sounds as she eats.  The good news -- no allergic reaction.  None at all!!

We are hopeful that this allergy is disappearing.  Next on our testing list is milk-based ice cream.

**Reminder do not do any allergy testing at home unless advised by a doctor.**

Dairy-Free Cheese Sauce freezes well

Recently I posted a couple recipes that use a dairy-free cheese sauce.  I tried freezing it last week and unthawed for dairy-free macaroni and cheese.  The results:  Wonderful.  I simply unthawed the sauce and then heated it up on the stove on low.  


Tip:  Use baby food jars to freeze this sauce or extra tomato sauce for toddler size portions.  Plus it doesn't take up too much space in the freezer.


Dairy-Free Cheese Sauce
1 cup water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes (I found them at a health food store -- a little pricey but so worth it)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp powdered mustard
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp dairy-free butter (I used Earth's Best)
1/4 cup rice milk (you can substitute soy if you like)

1. Mix water, nutritional yeast flakes, cornstarch, mustard and salt in blender for 30 seconds.
2. Melt dairy-free butter in sauce pan.
3. Add blended mixture to melted butter.  Keep on low to medium-low and whisk for 3 to 5 minutes.  It will thicken some.
4. Slowly stir in rice milk.  Stir until it thickens to consistency you want.

Just in time for Berry Season

I probably haven't mentioned that our daughter was allergic to blueberries when she was just a year old.  Oh, I was so excited that she liked them -- another fruit to add to the list.   Her face was a little red after eating them, but she was always a little red in those days.  I gave her blueberry pancakes soon after and she broke out in hives.  Noooooo, I thought, but she liked them.

I held off testing her for blueberries until the other day.  She devoured them.  I told her we had to watch for food allergies (she understands what that means, now).  We waited and waited and no hives or even redness.  "Hooray," we shouted!  So happy to have another fruit to add to her diet.  We recently discovered that she likes blackberries, too.  Good timing, too.

Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec, Benadryl Recall

There is a big recall on children's Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec, and Benadryl.  See press release here.

Recipe - Dairy-Free "Cheesy" Chicken Spaghetti

Last week I posted this recipe for dairy-free cheese sauce.  I made a dairy version of chicken tetrazzini and adapted this recipe for my dairy-free toddler.  I just took some of the ingredients from our main dish to make hers.  This recipe serves about four servings, but can easily be scaled down.

Dairy-Free "Cheesy" Chicken Spaghetti

1 to 2 cups spaghetti
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small zucchini, sliced thinly or grated
1 carrot, sliced thinly or grated
1 small onion, sliced thinly or chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup cooked chicken

Dairy-free "cheesy" sauce
(this can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a couple days)


1 cup water
1/4 cup nutrtional yeast flakes
14 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 to 1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp dairy-free margarine
1/4 cup rice milk (or soy milk)

1. I used a vegetable peeler to thinly slice zucchini and carrot.
2. Heat oil.  Add vegetables and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Boil pasta for 8 minutes. Drain.
4. Add pasta  and cooked chicken to vegetables.

To make cheese sauce: 
1. Blend water, nutritional yeast flakes, cornstarch, mustard powder and salt in blender for 30 seconds.
2.  Melt dairy-free margarine in sauce pan
3. Add blended mixture to margarine.  Stir for 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Slowly add rice milk to sauce pan.  Stir until thickens.
5. Add sauce to pasta and vegetables.  You may not have to use all the sauce -- use your discretion. Save extra sauce for a mac and cheese meal later in the week.