A great article

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/314369

A fantastic article detailing how challenging being an allergy mom is- but knowing that it's a way of life for our kids and thus far less challenging for them.

I can especially relate to the comment about being an allergy mom.  Cross contamination is a big deal and I would always rather be safe rather than sorry.  Not everyone understands that, but as a parent I am those who should make the call.

Great article- and yes- I constantly worry about him when he moves out.  I'll probably be calling him daily asking if he has his epi!

Crazy cook

Ok, I'll admit it.  I'm not a great cook.  I enjoy cooking and Kelly will have to admit, I have tried hard!

When we got married, I tried to fit my wifely roll and do a lot of cooking.  Lots of burning!

When we had kason I tried again- with the help of Pinterest and a crock pot.  But now that I am an allergy mom, there is no choice.  I am officially a cook, 7 days a week, so I have no choice but to try to be good at it.  I still rely on Pinterest and a crock pot!

I put together my 5 freezer meals for the week- it took 2 hours and a HUGE mess!

 I took this picture because I was really proud that I hunkered down and got this done- dinner is somewhat prepared for the rest of the week.  No stress, no trouble.  

I also made a delicious brownie recipe for kason as part of his 'cooked milk' daily snack!

So yummy and yes!  Kason loved it!

I used a new egg substitute- home made edition.

1 tsp baking powder + 1.5 tbsp water + 1.5 tbsp oil = 1 egg

At first I was nervous- it was like that volcano science experiment!  Once I added the water it fizzed up!  But once added to the batter, it settled and created some delicious brownies with a purpose!

So, I'm not going to be so bold to say that I have become a good cook, but when the situation creates itself- you have to jump at the opportunity to try.   And hopefully this situation of having to always to cook from scratch can create more than just an(almost) good cook- family dinners, conversation, learning how to use utensils, smiles and laughter. 

Ya- I can deal with that :)

Menu planning

This is the way to do it as a working mom to a kid with allergies.  essentially every meal we have is made from scratch, it's just the way it has to be.  Having a delicious allergy free meal cooked from scratch is certainly tasty and healthy.... I'm not complaining!  But it is time consuming, and as all my fellow full time working moms know, that is just something we don't have.  

I rely on my best friend.... My slow cooker.  I use it 4-5 times a week.  

Pre kason, I used to prep these meals in the morning.  Back to my point on time- this is not an option. My options are preparing every meal the night before after kason goes to bed or doing the 'freezer meal' thing.  Freezer meals mean that I prepare everything that will go into the slow cooker in advance, put it in a freezer bag and freeze it. I thaw it over night and simply dump it in the slow cooker in the morning.  I even thaw all the spices, water etc that will go into each recipe, to save time.  

I usually do this on the weekends- sure it's time consuming but if I do it during Kason's naps or when he is playing with Kelly- I don't feel like I am missing much, and I walk away from the weekend feeling very productive.  

Menu planning is key with this.  You have to know what you want to eat for the week on the weekend as you are planning.  You also have to have a small idea when you do your grocery shopping prior.  It takes organization.... Something I frequently lack.  It also takes improvisation- something I am pretty good at!  

Menu plan- November 2013

Monday- pot roast - onions, celery and sweet potatoes cut (and frozen if necessary) in advance.  Slow cooker on low the next day with pot roast seasoning pack

Tuesday- Hawaiian BBQ chicken 

I don't use minute rice but Uncle Bens Perfection or quinoia- so it's only about 20 mins max.  Or sometimes I make rice in advance and freeze it- it's just as good in my books!

Wednesday- chili- you know what's in chili!  It's all prepped in my freezer (seasonings and all).  

Thursday-  onion soup pork chops.  This is so easy I feel like I'm cheating.  I throw pork chops and any veggie I want into the slow cooker.  Mix package of onion soup mix with 2 c of water and pour overtop.  Moist, flavourful and so easy!  

Friday-free for all!  Sometimes Kelly and I give ourselves a break and pick up dinner, sometimes taco del rio, sometimes Calabria, sometimes a frozen pizza.  

For these days (and for lunches at daycare) I always freeze ahead little meals for kason.  If I am making spaghetti squash and meat sauce, I am making a lot extra so I can freeze in little portions and just pull out the individual meals.  This also works great if we are going out for dinner or to a friends place- either planned or spur of the moment.  This way kason doesn't have to have a crappy sandwich or something, since we really can not confidently get kason food at a restaurant safely, and most people might cook without peanuts, but not often without dairy and egg.  

All this planning plus lunches, making Kason's 'milk muffins' and allergen free cookies from scratch is a big job!  Worth every minute!  Happy meal planning!

Superhero mom

Sometimes I feel like a superhero and sometimes I feel like I can't do anything....

Label readers extraordinaire...

That is what Kelly & I thought we were... Get ready for us to jack it up to another level.

Who would have thought - bad things can happen when products that may contain peanuts, eggs and definitely dairy when you are transferring from 1 container to another.  We were putting some protein powder into another container in the kitchen while kason was eating lunch.  Some spilled and was in the air & after cleaning up and washing hands you would think we would be good.  Not 2 seconds later- kason was covered in hives.  I mean covered.  We gave him his Claritin- no change and not 15 minutes after the initial reaction- we were headed to the hospital.  

Here is the deal:

A) when in doubt- go to the hospital

B) don't hesitate- but drive safely

C) don't worry about over reacting with a kid with an allergy- there is no such thing

D) when in doubt give that epi pen- it buys you time to get to the hospital (we hesitated- luckily we live close to the hospital)

I've never skipped the line in the emergency room or seen a doctor within 15 mins- but we did.   By now Kason's eyes were red and with a runny nose- his neck was covered in huge hives, his face was so red it was frightening.  He was coughing but talking and alert.  At no point did he appear to have anaphylaxis- but the Claritin was not working.  

The doctor gave him epinephrine, prednisone and Benadryl.  Being overly cautious and we were glad.  Our very itchy boy went from red to kind of clear within 10 minutes.  We had to stay at the hospital for 2.5 more hours to make sure he cleared up and didn't have a residual reaction which can happen.  

He napped- finally

We watched him sleep for a full hour

I mean- we did not take our eyes off him

So where do you go from here?  How do you deal with this?  How do you take this incredibly scary and adrenaline filled moment, and make it a positive.  

First- you use this to educate.  A good friend of mine said "knowledge is power" when I told her about this and she is right.  The more people that understand what can happen from this very freaky incident, the less of a chance that this will happen again - to kason or anyone with food allergies.  

Learning to take out of this:

A) Label read/label read/label read - a 'may contain' warning is just as good as it containing it 

B) cross contamination is very serious-  you don't even have to ingest the product that was made in a facility that uses peanuts to get sick

C) take it very seriously people- that Reece's peanut butter cup is not worth someone's life

Our family have already said that this is an eye opening experience for them.  That's the best thing we can ask for - to make sure that ours and everyone else's eyes are open.

A great way to understand food allergies is by watching this documentary- it's difficult to watch (especially as a parent) but tells you how serious food allergies are and how reactions can be prevented by avoidance, diligence and awareness.  Please watch of you know someone with a life threatening food allergy.  

http://www.discoverychannelcme.com/patient-education/food-allergies

It's also narrated by Steve carrell.

Secondly - making your home peanut free means reading very label, throwing away anything even close or peanut related and excepting that it is just no longer a part of your diet.  I won't even touch peanuts while I am at work!!!  It's not worth it- not for one second. 

Today- kason is fine- completely back to normal and relatively rash free (considering he hasn't been rash free a day in his life) and loving his megablocks.  We even took him shopping and EVEN bought him some new cookies to try.... 

Big shout out to the staff in the emergency dept at Victoria Hospital- they were amazing and very considerate to us.  We hope we don't have to see them again.

Milk Challenge Day

I was nervous, but we did it!  Sat in the allergist office for almost 3 hours and guess what...

Kason passed!!

Not much of a win- but it was determined that kason can safely ingest food baked with milk.  

Here's how it went- we started out in the office- thankfully filled with fun toys....

I made a variety of regular sized and mini muffins- from an organic mix that I usually use for him but instead of rice milk, I used skim milk.  First we gave him 1/4 of a mini muffin.  I had to feed it to him because they didn't want him touching it- we needed to know if he got a reaction, how he got it.

25 mins later we gave him 1/2 a mini muffin

25 mins later we gave him a whole mini muffin

30 mins later we gave him 1/2 a full muffin

He ate it dutifully- and played with the iPad, my phone and the toys in between.  

The nurse determined that a kid his size didn't need 3 muffins- so since there was no reaction they felt that it was a success and the test was done.  We had to wait around another 20 mins until we saw the doctor.  She determined that I need to feed Kason a baked good with homo milk daily.  Starting with baking, maybe trying casseroles etc.  ( more Pinterest research for me)

I will take this mini victory.  It doesn't mean I can feed him ice cream tomorrow or anything but it is the first of many long steps towards growing out of this allergy.  

And that is what kept us so happy during the test!

Maybe it was the three muffins he ate too....

I don't doubt it!!!

Well said

Allergy free weekend!

Tomorrow starts an allergy free long weekend for our family!  We can reflect on our week and enjoy kisses & cuddles all weekend.

Kason's allergy appointment left me with a feeling of hope!  Usually discussions about Kason's allergies leave me frustrated and lost.  This time- Dr. Roberts gave us a feeling of hope.  Based on the evidence of Kason's skin reactions to milk and the fact he didn't experience any anaphylaxis when he accidentally took a sip of milk- she believes that the allergy may be contact only.  If that is the case, then there is a chance he can safely ingest it.  If he can safely ingest it- then he can eat it in small doses and that is the only way to grow out of an allergy.

So now we do the FOOD CHALLENGE!

This means that we serve Kason a baked good with milk in it at the doctors office.  A doctor will only do a food challenge after the doctor reviews the child's history, skin tests and blood tests.  The challenge involves feeding Kason doses of the food every 15-30 minutes.  The amount starts small and gets larger every time.  The challenge takes 3-4 hours.  

I'm sure this will be the worst 4 hours of my life but we are hopeful.  Hopeful that maybe kason can grow out of the milk allergy, and if so maybe all his allergies!!!  I know- that's pretty hopeful, and I also know that it's unlikely.  The average persons IgE is 0-15, while Kason's is 2500!!!!!   IgE is the body's way of fighting off things- because Kason's IgE is so high- his body sees these allergens as something foreign, and he rejects it with his allergic reactions.  So- we know that things won't change- poof- just like that- but I will hold on to that little bit of hope, because we have to.

So- this is how we started off our allergy free weekend!

Marta- I was thinking of you when I made this one. 

 Kason and Kelly loved it!  First pizza for Kason, and I'm grateful for it. 

Another great way to top off a fun pizza party??  Ice Cream!!

The trick!  Yonanas!

This is just a smart choice!  It's frozen fruit only!!!  Made into ice cream.  So tasty and so healthy.   Great for allergy families!  And yes- Kason does have an intolerance to raw strawberries, apparently very common in those with high IgE.  So- no strawberry yonanas- but banana/pineapple/mango will do just fine!

So- enjoy your weekend folks!  Ours will be dairy/egg/nut free and super tasty!!!

Good days and bad days

After a rough weekend with our very upset and fussy baby- I think we are back on track again.  Between fevers and teething- compounded with a kid who had continuous skin problems- it's always hard to tell what is up with this little dude.    I spent a lot of the weekend thinking about my little man and all the little moments in my life that have made me happy (many with friends, on the track, professionally). There are many- but none compare to these 5:

1) the moment I saw the '+' on that little white stick- we were in Hawaii on vacation with friends, and I took the test on a whim- not really expecting anything to come of it.  For anyone who has taken a pregnancy test before- you don't really have to wait 2 minutes like they soon the movies- you kind of get the gist of it immediately.  Cut to me jumping up & down in the bathroom silently screaming and smiling until my face hurts.  That second where I felt like my dreams were coming true with my true love.  There is no purer feeling.

2) napping with my little man on the couch when he was 1 week old- I know this seems like a really insignificant moment but it was the moment for me that the blind panic of becoming a parent wore off and I realized how incredibly lucky we were and HOW FAST it was going by!  I wish I could say this moment happened the second Kason was born, but I was a new mom who needed some time to adjust to the scariness, exhaustion and weepiness of parenting a newborn. 

3) when kason started smiling at me whenever he saw me.  I mean, I don't want to toot my own horn- I know I can be pretty awesome sometimes but there is no better ego booster than your little munchkin making you feel like a million bucks with just a little grin.  

4) 3 nights ago when Kason starting understanding that the cuddle before bed means lots of kisses!  Sure- his kisses are really just a slobbery open mouthed mess- but I love it!  Even more reason to keep it dairy free in the evening so I can enjoy the kisses!  A good friend of mine Marta has a beautiful blog www.petiteraisin.ca and she posted some amazing pictures of her kissing her son.  My immediate thought was about how I would have to be careful about what I ate!!  The incentives of going dairy free keep increasing!  Yay to slobbery kisses!

5) every second that Kason and I are together!  Yes- this is very generic but it tells you how awesome Kason is and how much he has impacted my life in so many positive ways!  He has also increased the number of wrinkles I will have because if smiling, making faces etc!  

Tomorrow I take Kason for another round of allergy testing.  I know it will break my heart watching him get poked & prodded- but he is so brave I feel like I learn about how to be from him.  I'm feeling very reflective on how lucky I am to have this family and 2 very strong boys in my life who are do similar- they tackle the bad and conquer it.

 Couldn't love him & Kelly more than I do right now.

Best part about that- is that I know I will get to say that every day from now on.  

We've been busy...

I have been working on lots of different recipes for kason!  First up- standard choc chip cookies!

Used my classic cookbook...

Used vegan margarine and dairy free choc chips-

Delicious!  A great option for families like ours to keep in the house!  Either for when guests come or for a snack.  I want to be completely dairy free at home when kason is awake.  I need to make sure there are lots of options- or else I will cave... It's reality!

Next up- vegan pumpkin muffins!

This was my first experience using a flax egg as an egg substitute.  It's amazing!  1 tbsp ground flax & 4 tbsp water.  When you let it sit, it becomes like a gel.

( like my socks?  Lol)

These muffins are delicious!  I like to make mini muffins ( a perfect snack for Kase) and freeze them.  

Pumpkin

Quickly becoming a fun new ingredient for me.  I can of pure pumpkin was used for pumpkin pancakes, muffins and butternut squash and pumpkin soup in the slow cooker (another incredibly easy & delicious recipe)

I think it needs to be a staple in my pantry!

Dairy free apple pancakes

Kelly & I want to make weekend mornings into dairy free mornings!  First we start with this...

And now- for the first time we are all going to have the same breakfast together!  I wanted to try this recipe (sans walnuts of course).  

Since many allergy free recipes are gluten free- I just simply used whole wheat flour instead of coconut flour.  I also added another 1/4 C. Flour to make up for the lack off walnut dust.

I used coconut oil and also egg substitute.

I think next time I would use apple sauce or a flax egg as an egg substitute to ensure the texture for the pancakes.  

So we got started- 

Not bad!  

We all enjoyed delicious dairy-egg free apple pancakes!

So- this is a blog about successes and failures- so I can't say that this is a complete success.  

We served the pancakes with strawberry slices.  Shortly after breakfast kason started to get some redness under his eye & red dots around his mouth.  Even though he loved the pancakes, it doesn't mean they love him.

We've narrowed it down to the honey, vanilla or strawberries.  Oddly, we had noticed before that kason sometimes reacts to strawberries- but not always and not to jam.  Maybe we need to clean the fruit better?

So- now begins the trial of narrowing down what gave this minor reaction to kason.  The story of every meal for us.

A little frustrating that little successes come with failures, so you have to be a glass half full kind of allergy parent or else you will always feel defeated by the allergies.  Kelly & I are naturally very competitive, so we will not be defeated!  

Chicken Pot Pie

So- what's more traditional than chicken pot pie?  I'm basing this on the fact that this was the staple we used to get from the sales at the Hutterite colony's.  

Inspired by meeting more friends dealing with the allergy mom syndrome (love it!) I wanted to transform a recipe.  I searched through a new cookbook I acquired from the library 

And found a recipe that I decided to tackle.  I also decided to double it since I am trying to freeze a lot of meals for fall & winter when we can't rely on throwing something on the BBQ.  

I made a few adjustments of course...

Unsalted butter = vegan becel

Chicken thighs = chicken breasts (because they were on sale)

Shallots = onion (still not 100% sure what a shallot is)

White wine = just added more broth

Half-and-half= rice milk   - I knew this would create an issue because rice milk is much closer to water than milk, so I also added a tbsp on corn starch with some water and a bit more flour

Consistency turned out great!!

My intention was to make the pie for a dinner party we are attending and serve the mixture like a stew to Kason, assuming the pie crust had egg.  Then I read the ingredients:

Looks like the 'ol egg replacer is cheaper than eggs for this manufacturer!  Ps- wondering why I didn't make my crust from scratch?  Cut me some slack- I'm working on this whole "cooking from scratch" idea on my own pace!  That's a future project.  

That being said- I don't think Kason will miss pie crust & since we try to give him things prepared by us to avoid any risk, he will be eating chicken pot pie stew while we eat pie.

I almost don't want to post the pick of my pre- cooked finished product because it looks so amateur but I know tastes delicious but that is what committing to writing a blog about food trials is all about 

Looking forward to eating this goodie & trying to convert more recipes to Kason Friendly recipes!

Yummy treat

Went to vita health today and found some blueberry flavoured cultured coconut milk! Another delicious treat that kason loves!

Is it strange that I feel happy that kason gets to eat 'yogurt' just like the other kids get to? I mean, snacking on steamed carrots is cool, but this is way better!

Realities of an allergy mom

http://allergenmenumom.com/2013/08/29/how-to-crush-a-food-allergy-mom-a-satirical-tutorial/

This is great!  While all my friends and family have been incredibly supportive and amazing with this whole thing, it doesn't change the fact that I constantly feel that I am being super anal and obsessive.

Today we fed Kason a peach.  Just an ordinary day- eating a peach.  He broke out in hives all over his back (how many times can I say 'thank god for Benadryl')

Kason breaking out in hives is turning all to ordinary in our lives.

Back to the peaches- kason has been eating peaches since he was 7 months old.  Frozen, canned, fresh.  So we know he isn't allergic to peaches.  

This particular peach was cleaned and in my lunch bag the day before.  Also in my lunch bag were some granola bites in a ziplock bag.  These particular granola bites have a warning on the bag that it may contain tree nuts.  I bought them, promising to keep them separate and only eat them after work. That was bad mom move #1- gotta maintain that peanut free household!!

The granola bites are my prime suspect in this allergy crime!!

While I feel guilty about this experience (but am happy kason was hive and itch free minutes later) this has been, yet another, eye opening experience.  If something like this can happen to an allergy mom (or dad) who are aware, how many times can this happen when someone is not aware!

I have read many blogs of moms who have quit their jobs or hired nannies because this is a problem that they can not control.  Luckily we have a great daycare who is adjusting a lot of things in her daycare just to make sure it is safe for kason.  And I will be bringing lunches for kason to ease both our minds.  But I can't control everything, which is a sickening feeling.  It's also called parenting.... Watching him fall down and learn to get himself back up is what we need to do as parents, but I didn't think parenting was about carrying an epi pen every second, watching everything people put into their mouths when they are around kason and begging them in my brain to please wash their hands, worrying that I am going to have to use that epi pen...

But being a parent to kason is truly some,thing special.  Yes- it does include all those things, but that's what makes kason so perfect in his own little way.  I feel like I love him more and more after he has an allergy outbreak because we get to watch him be brave and endure.  How I wish I could take it for him.

Is there something we could have done?

The more research I do I am realizing two things:
a) with substitutes you can make almost anything (and never worry about having to throw away expired eggs anymore because of baking)
b)is there something we should have done while we were pregnant

I was looking at the archives of a favourite Canadian magazine of mine - Today's Parent - and found this little article:
http://www.todaysparent.com/family/family-health/can-parents-prevent-peanut-allergies/

I remember hearing about Princess Kate cutting out peanuts and thinking, that's crazy!  When I was pregnant, all I craved was peanut butter!  That was when Kason was 3 months old and just suffering from what we thought was Excema.

Cut to a year later, and I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should have cut out peanuts while I was pregnant and breastfeeding.  While I cut out dairy while breastfeeding, Kason's skin never quite cleared up the way we had hoped until we weaned him to Nutramigen, a Hypoallergenic formula for those babies with a Cow's Milk Protein allergy.
Note: he is still on this formula because I have received conflicting advice on Soy Milk vs. Nutramigen.  Doctor says formula until 2, allergist said Soy Milk.  I'm still waiting for my referral to the infant dietitian.

So then I read this from another article on Allergies (although written in 2004) from Today's Parent:
Tendency Inherited
While severe, life-threatening food allergies affect only one or two people in 100, approximately eight percent of children, age two to three years are allergic to one or more foods, and the odds of developing such sensitivities increase if a child has a family history of what doctors dub atopic disease — food allergies, hay fever, eczema or asthma.
If you have one of these conditions, “your kid’s more likely to be allergic in general, but what he’s allergic to, whether food or pollen, isn’t predictable,” explains D. William Moote, an allergist at London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ont. Children with one allergic parent run about a 30 percent chance of developing some sort of allergy, including food allergies. Two allergic parents doubles those numbers.
But why does a family tree featuring non-food allergies up the odds a child will react adversely to something she eats? And how does delaying the introduction of certain foods help?
Immune Error
Allergic reactions are triggered by infection-fighting cells that mistake an otherwise harmless substance for an invader, and experts believe this hyperalert immune system is passed from one generation to the next. Allergic people produce greater-than-normal amounts of IgE, the body’s burglar alarm, which detects intruders and instructs special blood cells to fire the chemical barrage that triggers allergy symptoms. In a child with hay fever, ragweed pollen may trip the switch, while peanut protein pushes the button in children with an allergy to that food.
What prompts a child’s body to decide peanuts, milk or egg is the enemy? Think of the intestinal lining as a net, with tiny holes, that allows food molecules to slip through only after they’ve been broken into very small pieces. Before six months of age, a baby’s digestive system is less developed and unable to break down food as easily as adults. That means if foods are introduced early, bigger, more recognizable chunks can float into the bloodstream. The immune system may then inadvertently label a food protein as an offender, prompting it to attack when it next encounters that substance.

So - Kason tested very high for IgE (I love how they call it the body's burglar alarm!)  And Kelly has a food allergy.  So the odds were already stacked against Kason. 

So now we have a peanut free house, and we don't cook with dairy or eggs.  This experience has opened my eyes to the possibility that maybe we should have made this change while I was pregnant.  Note - is it safe to cut out dairy when you are pregnant?  No - your body needs the calcium.  But, I will cut out peanuts next time (which isn't hard, considering I avoid them at all costs now).  And I likely will cut out dairy as I breastfeed next time too (a worthwhile sacrifice).

Last Note of the day - are you asking if I am pregnant?  No, Kelly and I are happily enjoying the single child life.  Will there be a 'next time' for pregnancy?  maybe - we haven't quite decided and frankly, I'm not going to dwell on it.  I love Kason, and I want to provide for him the best I can.  With a supportive daycare and working hard to afford the substitutes for Kason I feel like I am being the best mom I can be to him.  That is taking my entire focus right now

... Ok that and Kelly.... and also my fave show Million Dollar Listing NY.
:)

Did I mention he likes the lasagna?

He likes it! But the goal is obviously to be able to make things that we can all eat as a family. The Daiya cheese is kind of not my thing. But I will work towards creating meals for all of us!

Breaking bread

Success! I couldn't wait to use my breadmaker so I rushed to Pinterest to find a vegan recipe!  This is from gazingin.com 

I substituted rice milk for the almond milk.  Worked great!  I had no idea how easy it is to use the breadmaker!  And the bread is delicious and kason loves it.

I enjoyed the first piece with my favourite- Stella's Jam!  

It's so great to be able to make something for all three of us to enjoy.  That was the fear that I was starting to have.  I want to be able to get home from work and make a meal that my whole family can enjoy.  Through research and a little work I am learning how to do this!

So far- a favourite meal of ours: BBQ pork chops, quinoia, and steamed yellow beans!  Yay!

Best hubby!

Kelly and I celebrated 4 years of marriage this week!  Instead of jewellery he treated me to something that he knew I would love!

Yay!!  He knew exactly what I wanted.  

We were at The Forks last weekend and I was ecstatic to hear that Tall Grass Bakery makes most of their bread Vegan!!!!  Kelly said he couldn't believe the joy that brought me and he knew that this was the gift that would make me happiest.  That's what being in a marriage is about!  Getting things for your partner that you know makes them happiest, not just what you think you should get them.

Later on our anniversary Kelly just said "I only want what's best for you and Kason" to me.  

I love my husband and what a fantastic father he is to kason.  

So I'm looking forward to baking my first loaf of bread tomorrow!  Stay tuned.  

Lasagne!

Yay!  Time to make something normal that we can all eat!

Anyone used this before?

It's pretty gross, I'm not going to lie.  Tastes like cheese whiz- only you don't really know what you are eating- because it's not dairy or soy.  Sort of looked like a block of tofu in the package but it did the trick.  We used brown rice lasagne noodles we found at Vita Health and extra lean ground beef.  

Before

 After

A little charred but tasty!  Good thing I didn't burn it because this lasagne is pricy with all the alternates in it.

We dug in and Kason liked it best!  Success!  I missed cottage cheese in my lasagne but we will have to live without.  We made sure to freeze a bit for kason on one of those days where Kelly and I decide to order pizza!

Hey! Should I try pizza next?  Someone told me to try goats milk- so if that's a go we can use goats cheese (my fave).  

Dairy side note!  Kason is slowly getting into this little gem!

Sweet Impressions

I can see that this no egg/ dairy thing could suck as kason gets older with birthday parties!

For Kason's birthday party I went to a wonderful bakery on Harrow called Sweet Impressions.  They are a completely nut free bakery but also have this wonderful 'Vegan Angels' line.

For Kason's birthday I got him a Vegan Angel cake just for him.  It's made with vegan becel and egg replacer.  I thought it was darn delicious!  Kason did too I think...

So when we want a treat for kason Sweet Impressions is where you want to go!!  Thanks to my good friend Missy for telling me about the place!!!

Ps- the bakery is amazing for regular items too!  Cupcakes and Imperial cookies are at the top of my list!

Farmers Market

We decided to tackle the Farmers Market this weekend in search of some organic and all natural - allergen free items!

First up!  Bread!

Found a great little Hutterite stand that has one kind of bread that is dairy/egg/nut free.  Sure- it was $5 a loaf- but maybe the next best thing to making my own bread.  Still working on finding a bread maker!  Hopefully it will work out to less than $5 a loaf!

Next- veggies!

Found the biggest cucumber I could find for kason!  This is his favourite veggie at the moment!  Gotta love fruit and veggies!  A sure thing for kason with his allergies!  Luckily I don't have a picky veggie eater yet!  It will happen- from what all my mommy friends tell me!  Maybe he won't be fussy since he has tried so little compared to other toddlers his age.

Last- we found a little secret gem-

Although I find it strange that they are marketing allergy free cupcakes that are made In a facility that processes allergens, I'm still grateful for another option for treats!  I purchased a $3 cupcake for kason and froze it for a special occasion!  Maybe for our 4th anniversary this year!  Kason and I got to have a delicious sample of a chocolate cupcake at the stand which was very special!

So now to tackle another day-another week with my allergy kid!  More fruit and veggies!!

Food allergies in the news

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/topstories/article/319790/483/Family-struggles-with-food-allergy-at-soccer-camp

It's stories like these that keep me on my toes.  It's too bad that there are people out there who feel so inconvenienced by kids with allergies.

Now I know what to ask when we start sending kason to camp!

Ps- allergy to beef?  That would suck!!

Over the top mom?

The thing I am learning about being a mom of an allergic kid is that I have to be incredibly obsessive about everything that goes into Kason's mouth.  

Remember when you had a newborn and you made everyone wash their hands before they held your babe and you could barely hold a conversation while you were with them?  As they grow older, moms become more comfortable and it's easier to zone out and assume your kid is ok or getting into harmless trouble.  I must say- I have always been jealous of those moms who could let their kid walk out of the room and not need to follow them!  

With an allergic kid- it's tough to do that.  In your own house it's a safe assumption that the allergens are not present (of course our house is peanut free) but most people's are not and I would never expect them to be (how I miss ice cream with pb and jam in it!)

So instead of letting my toddler play carefree at a friends house-  I have to make sure that very little speck of food he finds and picks up is not nuts or dairy!  And I have to be anal and annoying when asking friends if their kids had pb today if they are playing with the same toys. 

Of course- if any of my friends asked this of me I would not only understand but go out of my way to ensure that these items are not present- which most of my amazing friends do!  But it still makes me wish I could have those carefree moments when visiting a friend.

Then I had an epiphany- would I be that carefree if Kason was allergy free?  This little dude who I have been with since his creation- who I nurtured, fed, helped sleep- would I really just let him go and see if he finds a tub filled with water or the toolbox?  Probably not.

These are the unique characteristics that make you parents- caring for your child!  Sure- having an allergic kid comes with challenges and some requirements when visiting friends- but I wouldn't change it for the world!

Foodie

Ya right!  I'll never think of myself as a chef or a baker- but I'm going to give myself credit for trying!  

For some reason I am obsessed with baking for kason.  And I have only baked twice for him!

I think it's because I think that all little kids deserve a treat- delicious home made chocolate chip cookies just out of the oven!  Delicious.  

I was so sad at the idea that kason and I could never have this experience- that was before I did a bit of research! 

There are so many alternatives out there!  I started easy and made muffins from am organic mix- don't judge!  My intent is to switch to making everything from scratch but I need to work my way up to that!

I used my trusty egg replacer which is amazing!  Great for making meatballs and burgers as well as baking!!  Works great as a binding agent.

Then- to top it off I added dairy/nut free semi sweet chocolate chips.  Purchased for a steal of a deal of $12.95  from my favourite little shop 'Sweet Impressions' (more on them later and how much money doesn't matter when you are in there!)

The finished product....

Ok- so it's really nothing special.  A very average tasting oatmeal chocolate chip muffin!  But the amazing part!  We can give it to Kason AND he loves it!  It's a great way to get him to drink his 'milk' too!