And the results are....

We went to the pediatric food allergist today who was very helpful.  She confirmed that Major's reaction is definitely FPIES with procotocolitis (basically fancy word for bloody stools).  She said that this type of reaction is NOT life threatening.  That if he directly ingests dairy or soy (soy is new) that he would most likely vomit until he becomes listless and dehydrated, so we would need to get him to a hospital to get fluids.  The hives are still a bit of a mystery because she scratch tested him for dairy, soy, tree nuts, shellfish, celery, and beef and everything came up negative.  She still thinks that the hives are coming from contact to milk.  She said to basically keep wiping everything down that he touches and be vigilant about not allowing him to ingest any milk or milk products but that we didn't have to worry very much about anaphylaxis!  She also said that I could send him to Mother's day out/ nursery school as long as we had a plan and they were very careful!! 
What does this mean for our future?  That is the GREAT part!  She said there is a very high probability that he will outgrow this by the age of 3!  She wants to do a food challenge when he is 2, where they admit him to the hospital and feed him small amounts of dairy and/or soy while he is hooked up to an IV in case he throws up so much that he becomes dehydrated.  She also said that I should plan on breastfeeding until Major is 2 if he will do it that long. 
The nutritionist said that we were doing great, to limit his dairy substitute to 16 oz. a day to try to promote solid eating and breastfeeding and to switch him to oat milk because it has some protein in it.  Otherwise she said to keep doing what we are doing! 
Thank you all so much for your love, support, and prayers.  We could not have made it this far without everyone's understanding and support!  We love you all!

Traveling as an Allergic Person

With a big trip for us coming up involving planes, trains, and automobiles with Major, I have been very anxious about how to manage his allergy in an uncontrolled environment.  I was googling (as I do best) travel tips and found this article.

It primarily refers to nut allergies, but I think that anybody with an allergy can use these tips to keep themselves or their children safe while in the air.

Source: http://allergicliving.com/index.php/2013/04/10/air-travel-allergies-8-risk-reducing-factors-identified/?page=1

Banana Fauxyo

Today I was craving something sweet, so I tried to make frozen banana puree in my new fancy Vitamix blender (a nondairy mom's dream by the way, but more about that later!)  And I have to tell you, it was DELICIOUS!  It really does taste/feel like soft serve!  Here's the recipe:

Banana FauxYo

2 Bananas, sliced and frozen

1/4-cup peanut butter (I used peanut butter but if you have a nut allergy, sun butter would be delicious in this, or you could omit the nut butter and just up the milk alternative.)

1/2-cup coconut milk (or other nondairy milk)

Put everything in your blender, and pulse until well mixed. Next, put the blender on its highest speed and push the mixture down with a spatula or plunger of some sort.  Blend until smooth!  Enjoy immediately or freeze in a plastic zip top baggie for later!  To serve previously frozen fauxyo, squeeze the baggie until pliable and pipe it into a cone or bowl and enjoy!  

Understanding Kosher Certifications as an allergic person

Below is an entry that my friend Baruch wrote for me about kosher certifications.  As an observant Jew, he is the expert on this subject matter in my life.  A lot of people with dairy allergies find that understanding kosher certifications can be very useful, so I asked him to write a guest entry since I have A LOT to learn on the subject and don’t feel as though I can speak on this subject and get it right! I hope you learn as much from this entry as I have!  Thanks Baruch!!

While the kosher market was initially formed to meet the needs of observant Jewish consumers needing to guarantee that food prepared and processed outside of their immediate supervision adhered to Biblical and rabbinic guidelines, the majority of those who buy kosher products in America today do so because of non-religious reasons. Those with food allergies, vegetarians, vegans, and other health conscious shoppers seek out packages with kosher labeling in hope of avoiding foods containing fish, dairy, or meat. While kosher labels can certainly guide people in the right direction for their particular need, the variety of symbols available and the additional notes along with the symbols could make the uninformed shopper confused, and leave them still unaware of just exactly what is in the product. As an observant Jew whose eating habits depend entirely upon kosher certification, I can understand the need to be sure of exactly what’s in my food.

What does that mean?

When shopping for products with kosher labeling, there are a few things to keep in mind. Jewish law restricts kosher eaters from mixing foods with meat and dairy products together in the same meal (and even requires waiting six hours after eating meat before a dairy product can be consumed). This means that while FDA regulation may not require dairy or dairy extracts and lactose to be listed on ingredient labels, kosher symbols will note that the product has dairy or a dairy byproduct in it. The same goes for products with fish, as they cannot be eaten together with meat. If something is “dairy”, then the kosher symbol with have a “D” next to it. The same thing goes for meat, which will have an “M” (if it isn’t something that is clearly meat, like actual steaks or deli meat), and fish, which will have an “F” (this is uncommon, and normally only applies to certain salad dressing and steak sauces).

Secondly, while there are many reliable kosher certification agencies out there with unique symbols, a plain “K” is not able to be copyrighted or trademarked, so it cannot be relied upon for certification. While observant Jews will sometimes eat products with this certification, it is often due to the fact that this particular cereal or drink is known to simply be made from unprocessed grain and sugar, in factories without concern of cross-contamination, therefore not really needing any certification at all.

A third thing that might cause confusion is the notion of “pareve” and how it is labeled. Something that is “pareve” (or parve, or parev, depending upon the certification agency) is something that has absolutely no meat and absolutely no dairy (nor byproducts from either one). Most kosher agencies will not make any special notification that something is pareve. A plain kosher symbol, without any qualifying letters or words next to it, shows that an item is pareve. Sometimes, when a product commonly has dairy in it but was made on special runs without it, the word “pareve” will be added to the kosher symbol.

Whenever something is kosher for Passover, it will have an additional notification next to, on top of, or below the symbol. This means that, in addition to meeting the other kosher requirements, the item also does not contain wheat products. This is what the plain “P” usually notes. The “P” doesn’t mean pareve, but kosher for Passover.

Labeling surprises

      Once you start watching for kosher symbols on products, you may start noticing some surprising things. One is the frequency of products having dairy involved in the making of the item. Dairy and its byproducts are used in all sorts of flavoring for chips and pretzels, crackers, candies, popsicles, popcorn, and a whole host of other commonly eaten items. These are often items that don’t even include “milk” or “cheese” as part of the flavor. As a local Louisiana example, quite a few flavors of Zapp’s potato chips include dairy byproducts in the flavoring, and reflect that in the kosher label.

         Something else that might jump out at you is that things that claim to be dairy free still have a “D” included in their kosher label. This could occur for several reasons. One is that the food might contain such a low percentage of milk product in it that it can legally make the claim “dairy free”. Another is that while it doesn’t include dairy in the item, the factory in which it is produced also makes dairy products, and sometimes uses the same trays or belts or machines to process both the milk product and the dairy free version. Because of cross-contamination concerns, or because of the heat and lingering particles of the production, the label will be oversensitive, treating the item as if it is a dairy product. Sometimes this will be noted with the additional words “processed on dairy equipment”.

         Another thing that might be surprising is that while an item has a low number of ingredients, or seems to be fairly basic, it does not have kosher certification. This is often either due to the product containing a meat byproduct or extract (in order for it to be kosher, it would need to come from an animal slaughtered in a kosher way), or because it is made with vegetables or grains that are not checked for bugs and infestation in accordance with Jewish requirement.

         One more thing to keep in mind is that while an item might be certified today, it doesn’t mean that it will be tomorrow. Products sometimes change the ingredients, or start importing glycerin (often made from meat byproducts) or other ingredients from small factories overseas, meaning that kosher certification agencies cannot vouch for the origin of the items. Also, while an item might be kosher in America, or kosher in England or other European locations, it isn’t made kosher in every factory. For instance, while Pringles are kosher in America, they aren’t certified in Europe.

Symbols

      Here is a list of commonly occurring kosher symbols in North America. Depending on your location, certain symbols might be more common than others. Some of them are regional, and might only apply to a restaurant or locally made item. Others are worldwide organizations that certify products across North America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. Also, some symbols might only include Hebrew writing. These are often items that are imported from Israel or are almost completely limited to places with very large Orthodox Jewish populations. Normally these items are made by Jewish-owned companies, and they tend to not make commonly eaten foods (like crackers or chips or pretzels) dairy, unlike larger national brands.

         The image below shows you a typical item certified by the OU (the Orthodox Union), and is a dairy item. Notice that it is a box of commonly eaten plain saltine crackers.

         Here we have an item that, while kosher all year, contains corn starch (which is not kosher for Passover), and therefore makes a special run in many factories to produce a kosher for Passover product. The top has the kosher symbol with a “P” next to it, and also the Hebrew words “kosher l’Pesach” (kosher for Passover) above it.

         This is an item that states that it is pareve.

         Because gelatin is normally made from animal parts, most gelatin, marshmallows, and other items aren’t kosher. However, national brands might do special runs using synthetic or fish gelatin.

         I hope that with the information here, you will feel more confident the next time you head to the grocery store looking out for items to avoid.

Asian Meatballs

Asian Meatballs

1-pound ground chicken thighs

2 garlic cloves, grated

1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped

¼ onion, grated

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1-teaspoon kosher salt

Olive oil to grease the pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl except for the oil.  Take about a Tablespoon of oil and rub it on a nonstick cookie sheet (for extra insurance so these babies don’t stick!)  Once all of the ingredients are mixed thoroughly, use a small ice cream scoop (I use a 2 Tablespoon scoop, but you could also use a spoon) and scoop the meat onto the cookie sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes or until all of the meatballs measure 165 degrees in the center!  Enjoy alone or with soy sauce!

A recipe in Gwyneth Paltrow’s new Cookbook It’s All Good inspired this recipe

Fettuccine Alfredo Fake Out

This is the most delicious “fake out” recipe I have EVER tried.  We are pretty tough critics of fake dairy things in our house, and this was the first one that we have ever thought tasted almost exactly like the real thing!  I would recommend it to anybody, not just somebody cooking dairy/allergen free.  It could be made with g free noodles to make it allergen free as well.  The added bonus is that it has hidden veggies in it and you can’t tell.  I used a light green cauliflower, so that’s why my sauce kind of looks yellowy in the pictures, but if you use a white cauliflower it will look just like Alfredo sauce!

Pasta Fauxfredo

1 lb. uncooked fettuccine noodles

1 head cauliflower (I used the light green kind)

1 large carton chicken broth

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons butter alternative (I use Earth’s balance soy free)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 pinch of black pepper

3 Tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup So Delicious coconut creamer

Chop the cauliflower. Bring the broth to a boil over high heat and add cauliflower. Cook until the cauliflower is very soft, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter alternative and 1 T. olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until fragrant and the edges start to brown a little bit.

As the garlic and cauliflower are cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.

Transfer cauliflower to a blender with all of the broth. Add the sautéed garlic and oil and butter it was sautéed in, salt, black pepper and puree until smooth and has a creamy appearance.  While blending stream the olive oil into the blender.   Next, add the creamer.  Toss with the cooked pasta and serve immediately.

Garlic Knots

Garlic Knots

Whole Wheat Flour, for rolling

1 ½ lbs. whole-wheat pizza dough (I used the kind from whole foods)

4 cloves of garlic

½ cup olive oil, plus more for brushing

¼ cup parsley

1 pinch kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Brush a large baking sheet with olive oil.

Roll out the pizza dough into a large rectangle (about the size of a standard plastic cutting board).  Cut the pizza dough in half horizontally, then cut it into about 1-inch pieces vertically to make bread stick like slices.  Next tie them into knot shaped (or you can leave them just in the strips and make bread sticks) and place them in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. 

While you are baking the knots, grate the garlic finely into a sautée pan with the half-cup of olive oil and parsley.  Heat on low heat for about 5 minutes or until fragrant.  After the knots come out of the oven, while they are still hot, pour the garlic oil into a large bowl and toss all of the knots in the warm oil until completely coated.  Eat immediately!  Can be kept for a few days (if they last that long!)

vegan mac and cheese

Vegan Mac & Cheese

1 lb. shell type noodles (or any other type of pasta will work in this recipe)

¼ cup butter substitute

1/3 cup white whole wheat flour

3 cups coconut milk (or other nondairy milk)

½ cup nutritional yeast flakes (can be found on the bulk aisle at whole foods or here.)

1 T. plus 1 tsp. marinara sauce or tomato puree

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp garlic powder

2 T. lemon juice

1 T. agave nectar

panko bread crumbs (I used about ¼ cup but use as many or as few as you like!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta.  Add the pasta and cook for about 2 minutes less than the box tells you to!  Drain and then put the noodles back into the pot.  While the noodles cook, melt the butter substitute then add in the flour.  Allow to cook on medium heat for 1-2 minutes just to cook out the raw flour flavor.  Add the milk, yeast, marinara/puree, salt, garlic powder, and agave nectar to the pot and whisk until thickened (about 10 minutes).  Season to taste and add the lemon juice after it is thickened.  Combine the pasta and the sauce in the large pot of noodles, then pour into the 9x13 greased pan.  Sprinkle as many or as few nondairy panko bread crumbs on top and bake for around 30 minutes.  Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

Source: http://chefchloe.com/chloes-kitchen.html

I have tried A LOT of recipes for vegan mac and cheese, and this is by far the best one I have found.  It doesn’t taste exactly like the original but it doesn’t taste as weird as the rest!  I hope you like it as much as I do!

Cinnamon Graham Crackers

Honey Maid (A subsidiary of Nabisco) Cinnamon Grahams are dairy free!  You can find a detailed list of the ingredients here.  

Allergic Living Magazine

Tonight I stumbled upon the web site for the magazine Allergic Living.  If you haven’t checked it out yet, they have amazing articles by leading experts in the field and also tips and tricks for how to navigate life with an allergy. I am definitely subscribing!  Also, they had A LOT of questions answered by the Dr. we will see at John’s Hopkins in June!  YAHOO!

breakfast for dinner!

Blueberry Coffee Cake

½ cup butter substitute or coconut oil (I used earth balance sticks)


2 tsp. lemon zest


¾ cup sugar

1 egg, room temperature


1 Tablespoon vanilla (Yes, Tablespoon!  Love the vanilla flavor!)


2 cups flour (set aside 1/4 cup of this to toss with the blueberries)


2 tsp. baking powder


1 tsp. kosher salt


2 cups fresh blueberries


½ cup coconut milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter substitute or coconut oil with lemon zest and 3/4 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the coconut milk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Bake for about 45 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Adapted from: http://www.alexandracooks.com/2011/06/29/buttermilk-blueberry-breakfast-cake/

Buns and Breads

As I was surfing Oroweat’s web site today trying to find hamburger buns that were d free, I came across some sliced breads that are d free as well!

Extra Fiber Sliced Bread: http://www.oroweat.com/products/sliced-breads/dutch-countryreg/extra-fiber-0

Whole Wheat Sliced Bread: http://www.oroweat.com/products/sliced-breads/dutch-countryreg/100-whole-wheat

Country Potato Sliced Bread: http://www.oroweat.com/products/sliced-breads/country/country-potato

Golden Seeded Hamburger Buns: http://www.oroweat.com/products/buns-rolls-specialties/hamburger-buns/premium-golden-seeded

100% Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns: http://www.oroweat.com/products/buns-rolls-specialties/hamburger-buns/100-whole-wheat-0

Premium Onion Hamburger Buns: http://www.oroweat.com/products/buns-rolls-specialties/hamburger-buns/premium-onion

Country Potato Hamburger Buns: http://www.oroweat.com/products/buns-rolls-specialties/hamburger-buns/country-potato

As always, please read the ingredients list for yourself before eating because I am human and I might be wrong at times!  I will not be liable for any mistakes in ingredients…