Wordless Wednesday – Matthew offered to help me fold laundry, and then he did! This is a big step and makes us think the new protocol is working!!
Boar’s Head Feingold foods!
June 19, 2012 By
I don’t know if you knew this or not, I certainly didn’t, but Boar’s Head Deli meats have some products that meet the Feingold diet restrictions! That means there are some deli meats that qualify for inclusion on the Feingold food list. I can’t believe it. And all of their meats, cheeses and condiments are gluten free. This is wonderful for people like me. My kids love deli meat and I hate not being able to give it to them. Not because I think deli meat is great food, but because it is a known source of protein and they will eat it. With Matthew’s very strict diet of GFCFSFSF he has gotten extremely picky about his protein source. He NEVER liked eggs and has gotten to the point where he doesn’t want homemade beef, pork or chicken. All he seems to want is beans or peanut butter! At least the peanut butter is natural.
When Larry came home from the deli with a pamphlet from Boar’s Head I didn’t pay too much attention to it, but he started reading it. Immediately he noticed the Feingold inclusion and brought it to my attention. Feingold is a diet plan used to help kids with ADHD but it is very strict about no artificial colors, preservatives, sweeteners or flavors. All the things we need to avoid too. Lately Matthew has been willing to eat Boar’s Head EverRoast Oven Roasted Chicken Breast, and it has the little diamond symbol next to it that designates it meets the Feingold restrictions!!! Yay. They have at least 55 foods that are on the Feingold list – at least at my last count. That is pretty good.
I don’t know if your family uses deli meat, but we do like to have it with breakfast when I can’t figure out how to get any protein in my kids. Matthew will often have some of the EverRoast chicken with a green smoothie, and the other two will often eat some of the ham with cereal. I have to get them some protein to help sustain them until lunch, especially during the school year. With Matthew’s diet restrictions and his own preferences it really has become difficult, so having this option is wonderful. Anyway, if you didn’t already know, now you do – Boar’s Head Meats have some Feingold safe foods!
Happy Father’s Day
June 17, 2012 By
It is Father’s Day, as I’m sure you noticed, and of course I have been thinking about both my father and my husband. Both are wonderful dads. My father taught me how to love unconditionally. He taught me the power of a good story and how to talk to almost anyone. He had a real sense of adventure; he ran away and lived with a carnival for 3 years at the age of 16. He showed me what it means to truly be brave; he was a foot soldier in the Korean War (The Forgotten War). He is very loyal and would do anything in this world to help us recover Matthew. He is a great role model and one of my favorite people alive. I’m so fortunate to be his daughter, and to have such a great relationship with him. Not everyone gets a dad like him.
Then I think about my husband. Maybe a bit of a reluctant dad, he has really stepped up and has been with me every step of the way while we battle autism. He loves his children and takes great care of his family. He too, has an adventurous spirit; if only I could publish some of the stories about his journeys! He is super smart and has a wry sense of humor. He has helped me to realize I’m “worth it” and I have a voice that should be heard. He likes crazy movies especially foreign and indie films. He very handy around the house and can figure almost anything out.
I hope you have a wonderful dad to celebrate today! These men deserve to know they are truly special and are immensely loved. Stay Well
Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats!
June 15, 2012 By
Wendi's Zesty Black-Eyed Peas Salad from Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats
Being Gluten Free is always a challenge. Recently, we decided to try a new protocol with Matthew which required that we move to a GFCFSFSF diet! Yikes. You read that correctly, gluten free, casein free, soy free and sugar free. How the heck do I do that? Not prettily, I must say. Not prettily at all.
I started by verifying that his bread is OK, and that natural peanut butter is fine. Thank goodness, since that is all the kid wants for lunch, although I did have to remove his jelly. Too much sugar. But the bad part was that many of my old standby recipes were being rejected. He has gotten really picky lately and says he doesn’t like beef anymore. He also says he doesn’t like ham or many of the chicken dishes we eat. What the heck am I gonna do? These were what I always fell back on, and now he was refusing them.
So there I was again, looking for some new recipes. That is when I got the book Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats to check out. Even though we aren’t vegan in our home, this was a great find. Since it was gluten free it was a great jumping off point. And because it was Vegan I knew I didn’t have to worry about casein or dairy. That made it easy. The only thing that wasn’t covered is that the book is not soy or sugar free, but many of the recipes naturally are both.
I was immediately drawn to the Wendi’s Zesty Black-Eyed Pea Salad, with it’s brown rice and peas, cilantro and apple cider vinegar. These are all flavors I love, but best of all, so does Matthew. Luckily he really enjoyed this dish and actually ate leftover for breakfast one morning. Next I tried the Mediterranean Croquettes. I have to admit these were not a big hit, but in all fairness I had to make a few changes to the recipe and I think that impacted the final product. Matthew does not like olives so I left the kalamata olives out of the recipe, and I think that was a BIG mistake. The croquettes really needed the brininess of the olives to balance the other flavors. One of the most interesting dishes in the book is the Cinnamon Roasted Cauliflower. This sounded so strange I had to try it. Author Allyson Kramer writes:
This dish is my husband’s absolute favorite. Its light cinnamon flavor and crunchy cornmeal exterior make for an elegant, easy, and unexpected side.
I couldn’t agree more. I loved these. The recipe says to serve immediately and I do think that is true. I ate a few right out of the oven and they were wonderful, as they cooled the texture softened a bit, and I found I preferred them on the crispy side.
Cinnamon Roasted Cauliflower from Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats
Lastly I used this book for some last minute breakfast inspiration. My guys love pancakes for breakfast but our GF pancake mix is full of sugar and we just can’t have it any more. So I opened Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats to the Apple Cinnamon Blintzes and noticed it only contained 3 tablespoons of sugar. I quickly glanced over the ingredients and realized I just didn’t have everything I needed but I could improvise and substitute. I ended up making banana and cinnamon filled crepes using the basic method outlined in the book.
I’m so glad I had a chance to enjoy this book and I’m pretty sure I’ll be using many of the other recipes it contains such as Simple Homemade Pasta, Bizquix (an all-purpose baking mix recipe!), Blueberry Avocado Salsa, Pizza Crackers, and Baked Corn Pudding (which might be like spoon bread, thank the good Lord).
I received a copy of Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats free of charge to review. All opinions are my own.
