anniversary

I had a realization yesterday: it had been a year since my diagnosis! a YEAR. i told my mom this and she said that it had been two years. This made us both laugh because it both feels like forever and just yesterday.

Mostly what I remember is that the allergy testing took a total of about five hours, after the hour spend deciding that allergy testing was the way to go. Basically, right side of my back=15 minutes. Left side=next 15 minutes. then right arm, then left, etc. Plus prep time. Then we left for lunch and had to come back because they had to read the "late" reactions in my arm after two hours had passed. What I'm getting at is that there is a distinctively memory from that day. Besides how miserable all the needle pricks were (and I don't even mind needles that much, but when you have anywhere approximately 100 in one day? Whole different ballgame!), there is a memory from lunch. I felt miserable, realizing that all these allergens were definitely the source of feeling miserable: nauseated, exhausted, and couldn't even garner up enough energy to pick a place for lunch. Finally we went to Chik-fil-a because I wanted a milkshake. Maybe they had their mint ones because it was still the holidays? Unknown, but I'm sure we're all aware of how much awesomeness a Chik-fil-a milkshake is. My mom got a real meal and I remember staring at the chicken and the bread just wondering. That feeling in the pit of my stomach as realization dawned...what CAN I eat? Can I eat in public, order safely in a restaurant? The repercussions of a diagnosis I hadn't been prepared for were hitting home and hitting home hard.

We also ventured out to the grocery store after returning home around 2pm after all the testing...lots of favorite foods were quickly dismissed. My mom had a bag of groceries waiting for me to take back to school, 90% of which was left behind. It led to the eventual discovery when I got back to my apartment at school that there were a grand total of 14 things in my entire pantry that I could eat.

Oh how my life has changed in the last year. It's truly amazing.

I went to dinner on Friday night (and then to see Les Miserables; everyone should see it, it's awesome!) and  my friend who had suggested that evening's event texted me back when I asked what restaurant she wanted to go to: anywhere you can eat. I really did LOL to that and was in an indulgent mood when later I explained that I picked Panera because I like it, but basically we can go anywhere I can get a salad. Because if nothing else, I can at least eat lettuce.

I know I can. It was checked on the allergy testing. :)

bullying over food allergies...

apparently happens. and it's so, so sad to consider. I don't get anaphylaxis like a lot of people do, but I can imagine how terrifying that kind of a threat can be.

http://healthland.time.com/2012/12/25/bullying-over-food-allergies/?iid=hl-main-lead

three berry tart

so....it's the holiday season! I've been at home and Mom had to go to a Christmas breakfast today and take a dish. As such, she decided to take a three berry tart from a new recipe book she got. Interestingly, I ended up making it. We made it twice--once for family dinner and once for the party today--in order to practice before having to take it out into public. Also interestingly, it contained at least three allergens in it plus a few that are maybe-allergens. The whole point? I resisted the first tart endeavor...but she came back after the party today. And I'd exercised and i've been on vacation...so i binged on the tart that was left. Full well knowing the consequences. I have an irresistible sweet tooth.

And you know what? It hasn't been that long since I indulged, but it's worth it. I may not say that later, but for now, I'm enjoying it.

Fabulous Three Berry Tart

Crust

1 bag/8oz animal crackers

1/3 c butter or margarine, melted

1 t ground cinnamon

2 T sugar

Filling

1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened

½ c sugar

2 T lemon juice

1 c whipping cream

½ pint/1 c fresh blackberries

½ pint/1 c fresh blueberries

½ pint/1 c fresh raspberries

¼ c strawberry jam

1 T orange juice

1. Heat oven to 350. Place animal cracker in food processors; cover and process about 1 minute or until crumbs are finely ground. In a medium bowl, mix cracker crumbs, butter, cinnamon, and 2T sugar. Press mixture in bottom and up side of ungreased 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Bake 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, ½ c sugar and the lemon juice with an electric mixer on low speed until blended. Add whipping cream; beat on high speed 3-5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Spread mixture in tart shell. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

3. Arrange berries on chilled filling. In small microwavable bowl, microwave jam uncovered on High about 20 seconds or until warm. Stir in orange juice; mix well with fork. Brush strawberry glaze over berries.

Tips and tricks: I used graham crackers purchased from the store already ground. Easier. Less messy too, I would presume. Also, springform pan. And also, GREASED springform pan. Easier to dish out. While cooling, start on the filling. Do this leisurely because it does take the 20 minutes to cool. 

I don't know what "light and fluffy" really looks like in regards to whipping cream/cream cheese, but I leaned towards the 5 minutes end of the specrum. COOL OVERNIGHT. No joke. The first one cooled for like three hours and didn't really set. Overnight set just fine.

The best way to mix the jam and the juice is to mash the jam like you're mashing potatoes. Worked just fine. Also, you can spread the berries out or just pile them in the center.

Deliciousness. No regrets. :)

deficiencies

I just typed in the "title" to this post and it made me giggle a little. In the way of I mean nutritional deficiencies, but that word can be completely misconstrued!

So vitamin deficiencies are usually not a problem in America. At all. there are a few common ones--B12 in vegetarians because B12 sources are usually animal based, and also vitamin D because people don't go outside. I am not being facetious with that at all, btw. Especially in northern climates, you can see pretty bad vitamin D deficiencies. I've seen some incredibly low levels in my few months of actually looking at lab values. Interestingly, people who are also (ridiculously) assiduous with sunscreen usage are ALSO vitamin D deficient. so some sunshine is good for you!

speaking of which, i finally made it outside for a bit (i'm on vacation right now!) and look so much healthier for about an hour spent walking outside in the sunshine. so it doesn't take much, really.

but so vitamin deficiencies. Our grains are reinforced with riboflavin, niacin, etc which are B vitamins. Our milk is reinforced with A&D. Plus most americans take vitamins even if they don't need them. People in other countries would love the opportunities that we have. So actually a big plus to international medicine is that you see vitamin deficiencies and things you would never see in America. One of the mission trips that our school did--you know what they took with them? Bottles and bottles of vitamins. the same bottle of 100 vitamin pills you can pick up at walmart for $3 can make huge  differences in some people's lives.

Including mine. I've had some person issues to deal with recently and haven't had time to cook and make sure my diet was as balanced as it can get. So I was eating a lot of potatoes and corn, the staples of my diet. Healthy enough, but not a balanced and nutritious diet. Don't get me wrong, potatoes and corn both have great benefits--but look at both the Irish and the Mexicans, who have a diet based in each vegetable respectively. There are striking deficiencies in each diet. Which gradually popped up in mine. I was getting this weird rash all over and then I got it on my face--ew. A facial rash is NOT FUN. Especially because nothing was helping it. And then I started getting these weird bumps on my tongue...and it came to me. This had the potential of being a vitamin B6 deficiency!

Now of course this is self-diagnosed, but still entirely possible. furthered by looking up sources of B6:
http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-high-in-vitamin-B6.php

that site is a great resource to look up ALL vitamins but what was most striking to me was that i ate nothing on that list. oops.

The interesting thing is also that I broke my foot a few weeks (2 months now) back and so that got me thinking on vitamin D and calcium. and i also noticed that my hair has changed in consistency and thickness, so there's another thing to ponder.

Either way, my point really is that most Americans don't need to take vitamins unless you have a weird diet...like me. :)

quick link

this: http://captainawkward.com/2012/11/25/398-im-tired-of-explaining-my-medical-condition-to-helpful-folks/

exactly it.

also, mom and i got by at thanksgiving with a "this is delicious, however did you make it?" to discover hidden allergens. and amusing tidbit--i was frying mashed potatoes leftover for breakfast the day after, and the cat beside me got leftover turkey. the upside to being a vegetarian...:)

Thanksgiving

As we, in America, approach this holiday where we appreciate all that we are blessed to have and join together with family and friends to give thanks...I find myself growing bitter. I am indeed so very grateful for my family and friends and the life that I am so blessed to lead, but there are other aspects to this holiday that are grating.

One of the first reactions to my list of food allergies last New Year's was from my sister, saying she didn't want to eat Thanksgiving with me. This was even before we realized how expansive my food allergies are. Here's a consideration: string bean casserole. In our family, a can of cream of mushroom soup, French style green beans, and some fried onions. Except y'all know I've already ranted about cream of mushroom soup. So at first glance, no problem, I can eat all of that...but I can't. So that's already the reaction garnered months ago.

No worries, Mom'll have me covered and we can do this. Well, turns out my mom isn't doing Thanksgiving this year. Usually she does and it's just me and my siblings/significant others. All of whom I trust and who know about my allergies. This year my sister-in-law is doing Thanksgiving so her family will be present. I don't like to discuss my food allergies in mixed company (thus the blanket statement of "I'm a vegetarian" with the addendum of "I'm allergic to eggs" with which I try to get by) and even if I eat dinner with people that know the list, I still don't bring it up. I'll occasionally make some comment about eliminating entire sections of the menu (Steak, sandwiches, etc) but that's eat. I frequently say, "No thank you, I'm good" when someone offers me food.

So Mom's not cooking and there will be other people present who are not familiar with my diet...I'm on shaky ground to begin.

The constant commentary on my diet is also exhausting. Oh, I'm a vegetarian, so am I a vegan? I get chided when there are bacon bits on my food, even though they are more frequently the soy bacon bits and infrequently the real bacon bits. Why am I eating poptarts as my "main" food at lunch? And as always, why am I constantly turning down baked goods and other offerings? I cannot really remember the last day I went through a meal with another person and did not have someone comment something about my food. I can stand the inquiring questions that are meant by someone generally trying to be sympathetic in realizing how very little I can eat when we go out, but that's about it.

The teasing is also not funny. "Stop being allergic to everything!" (like i can help it?) or "We can't take you anywhere" (at least I have manners!) get old. The only one I find amusing is that some people refer to the list as things-that-will-kill-Pam. They won't, but these friends are being considerate of my list and trying to accommodate it/them.

I have frequently gotten backed into a corner too. This morning, my boss brought me fried apples in cinnamon. Double allergens there. I had declined over the phone but he decided to bring them in anyway. Somebody's buying dinner for the medicine team, what should we get? Pizza? Why not? What am I really supposed to do? I've been raised to be polite and courteous...

I've also been incredibly busy recently and am so worn down by all the cooking for myself. I was chatting with a college student yesterday who was saying about how he had been so busy before leaving for the holiday break that he'd found himself eating Hardee's three times last week! Sympathetic smile from me while insides I'm crying out I wish I could get fast food.

So yes, Thanksgiving represents many things but it comes down to a meal shared between family and friends. And it's a meal in which  can't truly partake. Thanksgiving is making me bitter and it's also had the privilege of being the first time in the last 11 months that my allergies brought me to tears. I have been frustrated to no end by them, but never cried. Until this week.

You can't understand, but you can empathize. Run your eyes over the table and consider what I can eat. I'll tell you--the mashed potatoes and the cranberry sauce (depending on the recipe though). Unless accommodations have been made (egg-free cheesecake, yeast-free biscuits), that's my Thanksgiving.

french onion soup

so i haven't tried this one yet and it's up to debate whether or not i can (sherry--wines, fermented...decisions to be made. what will probably happen is i have my mom make it and i try it and see, and then she can have the rest if i doesn't go well!) but a friend sent it to me as a must-have so i shall share it!

Crock Pot French Onion Soup
Ingredients
FOR CARAMELIZED ONIONS:
6 large yellow onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
FOR SOUP:
1/2 cup dry sherry
6 cups broth
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied in bundle with twine
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste

Directions
Step 1, Caramelize the Onions:
Cut the peeled onions in halves and then quarters from pole to pole. Cut each quarter, pole to pole, in 1/4 inch slices. Coat inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Add sliced onions and olive oil to slow cooker; toss with tongs or 2 forks to separate slices and distribute olive oil. Cover and cook on high for approx. 12-14 hours, until browned to caramel color. Keep an eye on them during the last few hours of cooking time; if they begin to burn around the edges, stir, re-cover, and continue cooking until caramelized throughout.

Step 2, Make the Soup:
Add the sherry to the caramelized onions in the slow cooker, and cook on high with the lid off for 1/2 hour to evaporate the alcohol. Add chicken and beef broths & soy sauce. Tie thyme sprigs into a bundle with cooking twine. Add thyme, bay leaves, and black pepper to the soup. Stir, cover and cook on high for 1-1/2 hours. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Taste and add salt, if needed. (For speedier finishing on the stove-top, transfer caramelized onions to a large stove-top pan. Add the sherry and cook on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Add the broths, soy sauce, and seasonings; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.)

also, crock pot recipes rock.

i am preparing a thoughtful post on thanksgiving, but i have to get my thoughts in order for it. but keep tuned!

grocery store fail

So I usually go grocery shopping fairly early in the day to avoid everyone else as i need to read ingredient labels. Particularly on days when I know I want to try something different, instead of always buying things that I know I can eat--it gets old! There are usually some great new discoveries (I just cracked open a bag of kettle cooked potato chips that are sun-dried tomato and parmesan flavored--delicious!) but a lot of disappointments. Today, I was going to try out a new recipe. It's getting cooler and thus it's crock pot season! So I had this great looking black bean and hominy recipe which would basically make a taco salad. Not too different from my recipe where I dump black beans, mexicorn, and sometimes salsa if I have it into a pot on the stovetop, but I was willing to see what it would be like. Plus this one had condensed cream of mushroom soup in it, so it had the potential to be a different flavor.

Soup can be the bane of my existence. I'm pretty sure Campbell's has either yeast or autolyzed yeast extract in every single soup. I know some of their sip'n'go cups don't, but the actual cans do. The same goes for the off-brand soups too...I know I personally shop at Kroger and Walmart and have checked those, but I'd be willing to say most of the others have yeast in their brand too. I went so far last week as to buy organic cream of celery for my potato enchiladas only to be brought down by rice flour and rice starch! There's an organic brand called Amy's that makes soups, and I know a) their cream of mushroom doesn't have anything in it I can't eat and b) Walmart carried that brand. Success! I headed out to Walmart and found Amy's soups...AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE CREAM OF MUSHROOM. Foiled.

This is actually the story of my life (and my mom's too). We know exactly what brands are carried at what stores and what may/may not work. I know Wishbone salad dressings don't have eggs in them (at least the ones I've looked at), but almost all the other brands have either egg or yeast in them. Luckily, almost every store carries Wishbone. There are other things, like the Rainbow Cookie Poptarts (which appear to be discontinued!) that my mom buys/bought at Food Lion. They've not been seen elsewhere. Sometimes I get food from my mom and across the front in permanent marker--"Kroger" or "Walmart" or wherever she found that. Sometimes I have to call her and say that none of my food stores carry x, y, or z so she needs to go get it.

So the next time I go to the grocery store? It'll be Kroger, to stock up on the particular brands they carry.

In other news, the sugar cookie poptarts have been spotted! It almost makes up for the lack of cream of mushroom soup...:)

a few tidbits...

so i've been really busy recently and haven't had time to be inventive in the kitchen, so just a few snacks for y'all.

--the pumpkin bread from two posts back? that i said tastes like cake? i had some left over cream cheese icing from making cupcakes (the new shake'n'pour by betty crocker...delicious!) and that really sealed the deal for me. I love the way icing is both fresh but then more so when it hardens a little? yeah, that was gone from my kitchen remarkably quickly.

--1 can black beans + 1 can mexicorn + cheese + soft taco shells=excellent, filling dinner when you just need something quick. also great on a cold rainy/snowy night!

--the corn soup from the previous post is also good cold. I don't like eating soups in the summer because i want something chilling in the hot weather and that might be a good one to try out as the weather warms up (plus it does call for fresh corn...though i used canned and it was fine).

--also for a quick and delicious dinner--the premade biscuits? bake them, then taken them fresh from the oven and split them, put pizza sauce and mozarella on them and pop them back in the oven long enough to melt the cheese. the biscuits don't get over done that way and i know i used some leftover tomato sauce i had and i ended up eating a bunch of these suckers one night.

Mom and I are busy coming up with appropriate Thanksgiving recipes that I can eat and won't disgust my brother/sister and also won't be too far from the family's traditions (we don't have many but there are some standbys!)

Another reason I've been busy? I have a stress fracture in my foot, in one of my toes, and I've been trying to rest/ice/elevate/painkiller it as well as consider my vitamin D and calcium intake...lots to consider here! Eat a balanced diet.

corn soup

so i hadn't anticipated posting again so soon because i hadn't anticipated cooking any new recipes but i finally gave in and tried this one recipe my mom sent me this summer and it's so delicious i'm rushing over to post it while i have a minute this weekend!

it's a corn soup from BH&G magazine this summer, July 2012 issue from the stamp at the bottom of the page. i will admit first off I DID NOT USE FRESH CORN. this soup is a ton of work (relatively speaking) so i went cheap and bought canned corn (no salt added...i figured that's like using unsalted butter, one less ingredient to mess with). Granted, it was supposed to be made this summer when fresh corn was more readily available. i'm in a pumpkin kind of mood now, but this sounds up my alley this week.

so without further ado...

Fresh Corn Soup

4 T unsalted butter
1/2 c coarsely chopped Vidalia/sweet onion
4 c corn, freshly cut from the cob
1-2 T sugar
2-3 c milk
1 c half-and-half
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg, plus additional for grating over servings

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook gently for 3-5 minutes until tender; do not let onion brown. Add 3 1/2 c of the corn and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Stir well and cook 5-7 minutes; again, do not let onions or corn brown. Stir in 1 T sugar.
2. (Meanwhile...) in a medium saucepan combine 2 c of the milk and the half-and-half, and warm over medium-low heat until heated through. Pour the corn mixture over the heated milk and over medium heat, stirring often, bring just to a simmer. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.
3. Puree soup in batches, 1/3 at a time, until very smooth. Pour into a fine wire strainer set over a bowl. Allow soup to drain through. Transfer soup back to pan. Reheat over medium heat; whisk in grated nutmeg. If thinner soup is desired, heat the remaining milk over medium heat and gradually stir into soup to desired consistency. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and some of remaining 1 T sugar. To serve, divide among bowls; top each with some of the remaining corn and dusting of additional nutmeg. Makes 4-6 servings.

And hey, i'm not sharing the caloric count. but it does have 3g fiber! 11g protein!

I also totally left out the onion. Oops. I forget to get one at the store this morning, since the recipe specified a Vidalia or sweet onion. I'm not a particular fan of onion in my soups (I can't ever cut it fine enough) and considering that this is basically a liquid, chunks of onion would be annoying. I haven't added any corn with serving; it's just me so I didn't feel the need. On reheating, I probably will. I also didn't end up adding any more salt or sugar in the last step, and I felt the nutmeg was enough. It's a sweet soup, but delicious. Seriously.

I was really hoping this soup was worth it cause i made a disaster of my kitchen. Put the milk in the bigger saucepan, btw. It helps. I have a colander that's wire mesh and that was helpful towards the end. I also definitely used my soup to 'help' with the straining. I only have a baby blender that "pulses" so you might get better corn results with a real blender/food processor, but I did okay with my pulsing.

This might be a good one to keep warm for the winter...

pumpkin bread

so 'tis the season for pumpkin! and cinnamon! and apples! While I can only bask in one of those three, I will relish it while I can. I made pumpkin donuts out of the previously posted doughnut (I find it interesting that I can type "donuts" plural but "donut" apparently is incorrectly spelled and I actually was typing out "doughnut" when I discovered this...so much for trying to be consistent with my spelling!) recipe and they were quite fabulous. probably better than the plain recipe because the pumpkin worked as a better binder than the egg substitute i use. so you can try that. and if you use a can of pumpkin, whatever is left after the pumpkin bread makes for an excellent amount to use in the doughnuts.

as always, my love for bisquick shines through...and my handy bisquick recipes. And hey, it was on sale at Kroger this week! (and also of note, you can buy a prepackaged garlic cheese bisquick biscuit mix...just add water!)

One-Pan Pumpkin Bread

1/3 c vegetable oil
1 c canned pumpkin
3 eggs
2 1/3 c Bisquick original baking mix
1 1/4 c sugar
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 c raisins

1. Heat oven to 350. Generously grease bottom only of a loaf pan, 9x5x3inches.
2. Stir all ingredients except raisins in pan with fork until moistened; beat vigorously for 1 minute. Stir in raisins.
3. Bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife/metal spatula around sides of loaf to loosen; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.

One really should only imagine the liberties I took with this recipe...to start with, I left the eggs out completely. And the raisins. And the cinnamon. I only had the Heart Smart Bisquick in the house (thus how I know about the sale on Bisquick this week..). I used nutmeg instead of the cinnamon. And you know what? I basically got pumpkin cake and I'm not complaining. It makes for a delicious breakfast for someone with a sweet tooth like me. It's rather sweet though, and I think 1 1/4 c of sugar is a LOT but just be prepared for it. I can't remember if I've ever had pumpkin bread before though so I'm not sure what I had expected.

Anyway, I'm out for a bit...I've overexerted myself cooking this week in anticipation of my flu shot and feeling miserable for the next few days, so catch up with all the old recipes (many of which I've made this week...doughnuts, pasta salad, raspberry crumb bars...I made lentil soup but i don't think i've posted that recipe) and i'll see you sometime soon. :)

jumping in on the vaccine debate...

So I should start of by saying this is a little different than my usual, but also applicable to my life re: food allergies. As the title should suggest to you, I'm diving into talking about vaccines.

They're a hot topic right now. THEY DO NOT CAUSE AUTISM. I just want to get that out there. Apparently not everyone was informed that the man who made that statement falsified his data and admitted it in the last few years. Jenny McCarthy can say what she wants about the light going out of her child's eyes the day he received a vaccine, but it's not true. We don't know what causes autism and I fully support efforts to figure it out and prevent this massive epidemic, but it's not vaccines.

People should be vaccinating their kids, no question in my mind. I personally have received almost every vaccination one can think of (which I know because I'm looking into getting the vaccines to travel to Africa, and those are about the only ones I haven't gotten; I haven't been vaccinated against smallpox either but I think I'm okay on that front) and have thus taken my chances. I got the Gardasil vaccine before it was even known if my insurance company would cover it (they did).

I was looking into vaccines this week for the doctor with whom I am currently working. He's the public health official for this county and to get an exemption for vaccines, you have to apply to him. He and I are on the same boat with this: vaccinations save people. The resurgence of pertussis/whooping cough is evidence that people need to vaccinate their kids. The issue at stake here, which I'm not sure how many people are aware of this side of the coin, is a hypogammaglobulinemic kid who is petitioning for vaccine exemptions. Now, I don't think he's going to get one, but it raises an interesting perspective. An extreme case of hypogammaglobulinemia is the idea of the "bubble boy," the kids who don't have an immune system and are at risk for any virus or bacterium coming their way. He can actually receive vaccines, but it's unknown of how well he will respond to some of them (whether or not his immune system is strong enough to respond and thus make him immune to whatever disease). There are some interesting topics involved in this but it's the  other side of the coin, like I said: if you don't immunize your "normal" kid and send them to elementary school, are you putting the leukemic/immunocompromised kid in the same room at risk for more infections?

So the reason this is all coming up for me is that the flu vaccine is raised in chicken eggs. I am most definitely allergic to egg proteins. This year, however, the CDC has announced that unless you have had an anaphylactic reaction to the flu vaccine itself (which does happen), you can get the vaccine. I have always gotten the flu vaccine because of being in health care/living in dorms/etc, and I've always felt terrible for a few days after getting it. It now makes complete sense. I always thought I was reacting strongly to the flu virus in it, but it's really the egg to which I react.

If you are even anaphylactic to eggs, you can get the vaccine, but you should get it in a safe environment where you can be watched appropriately for reactions.

Interestingly, some vaccine preparations also contain latex. So some people have to watch out for that. (ahem...I also happen to allergic to latex. It's a lovely world, isn't it?) Usually people just have to watch for the latex in the rubber stoppers, and I haven't looked into which lab/prep it might be that has the latex in it, but my mom was telling me last year at work that was the new question they were asking people.

Either way, getting the flu vaccine is better than getting the flu. So go get your vaccines!

PS--you may ask, are their other vaccines which contain things to which I am allergic? Why, yes, indeed there are. The hepatitis B vaccine contains yeast. Good thing I got that over ten years ago and have titers proving my immunity. I am good to go for the future.

triscuits!

So just a quick little note for y'all because it's been on my mind.

I can't eat saltines. How ridiculous is that? They're flat crackers and have like nothing in them, but they do have yeast in them! (I do eat matzo though) Actually, a lot of crackers have yeast in them and in fact, one of the flatbread crackers that has come out in the last few years has THREE types of yeast in them.

You know what i use in soups instead? Triscuits. I eat a lot of soup and sometimes I miss the crunching on food sensation that you get in most meals. When I'm eating a lot of mashed potatoes, soups, and smoothies, there's not a lot of chewing and crunching. When I add triscuits, I get a nice crunch and also a little salt to sometimes liven up whatever soup I'm eating with a new flavor.

As a bonus, triscuits make some soups totally scoopable (I was eating the baked potato soup I posted a bit back today and scooping with triscuits).

In a pinch, wheat thins work too. Not quite as good. but just a sidenote, if that's what you have, use it. try it.

ps--totally craving meat. don't know why. probably vitamin deficient in something and that's my body's way of telling me to do a better job getting the nutrients i got from meat, but no go. we'll see.

also, I haven't been to the grocery store in about three weeks. i did pick up a gallon of milk while i was at target recently, but i thought that was pretty significant...i've stocked up on non-perishables, and eaten some good vegetables and fruits while i've been at work apparently. no wonder my body's telling me i haven't gotten enough nutrients recently!

danishes

I've been superbusy recently and have been eating only potatoes. seriously. I was so proud the other day because i picked up pineapple on the breakfast bar at work, but i also got hashbrowns. didn't even think about what i'd been eating for dinner all week.

but so it's finally saturday and i have time to cook! also, my landlord just came and fixed my non-draining kitchen sink so I can cook again. also, i need to get rid of the mold smell that has permeated my apartment over the last few days. besides having the windows open, running the dishwasher after cooking, the cooking itself should hopefully waft my apartment with delicious peach smells. why is that, you say? peach danishes!

the recipe calls for apricot, but i have peach preserves in my fridge. i was looking through a recently acquired bisquick magazine cookbook and found a few delicious breakfast recipes. I love breakfast. and i love danishes too, but i had always reserved them for continental breakfast type affairs. never made them before. but i really need to do something with those peach preserve and hey, i have all the ingredients here so no trip to the grocery store required!

Easy Drop Danish

2c Bisquick original baking mix
1/4 c margarine or butter, softened
2 T sugar
2/3 c milk
1/4 c apricot preserves
Glaze (see below)

1. Heat oven to 450. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Stir baking mix, margarine, and sugar in medium bowl until crumbly. Stir in milk until dough forms; beat 15 strokes.
2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet. Make a shallow well in center of each with back of spoon; fill with 1 teaspoon of the preserves.
3. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. While warm, drizzle with glaze.

Glaze
2/3 c powdered sugar
1 T warm water
1/4 t vanilla

Beat all ingredients with spoon until smooth.

The best part? The recipe comments say easily halved, which is what I did. I don't need a dozen danishes for a first-round recipe that I don't know if i'm going to want to share. I ended up having to add a little more bisquick to get an actual dough to form. Also, it comments that you can feel free to use your favorite flavor of preserves, which i clearly did. Didn't even need prompting.

My hints right now is that shallow wells are key, I had some preserves coming onto my spatula while i was taking the danishes off the cookie tray. others (maybe the more shallow ones, in an ironic twist?) overflowed over the danish onto the cookie tray. so if you're one of the people who try to avoid sugar burning on your nice cookie trays, don't use that nice tray with this recipe.

(as a side note, do other people do that? my mama taught me all about sugar burning onto cookie trays, so i have a few--one i use to do some serious potato roasted, so it's always slightly glazed with oil. another that i use if i know sugar is going to burn onto it; it's a cheap one i picked up at walmart. and then i have nice cookie trays that i use for nice things that aren't going to burn onto it. and NONE of these go in the dishwasher. i have a lot of pans.)

not a significantly strong smell emanating through my apartment, but some nice treats to reward myself on a beautiful saturday afternoon!

as another side note, they're not fabulous danishes. but in my spectrum of being-able-to-eat-things and knowing that danishes i buy in the store most likely have rice flour, eggs, and/or yeast in them, i'll take them. they're still pretty nice.

rediscovering

So I don't know how other people grocery shop, but I can tell you I used to be a no-list-keep-it-all-in-my-head kind of shopper. Go in, grab the essential bread, milk, and ground beef/chicken for that week's one cooked meal that would last me out the whole week (right, my fine cooking-for-one friends? make a family sized meal and eat it at least three days in a row...). Now I'm more of a list shopper because I'm usually trying new recipes or I realized that I'm out of [fill in the blank].

The one thing that is cool about the food allergies? Even with the list, I usually end up going up and down every aisle seeking that elusive allergen-free whatever. A few weeks ago, I found myself going down the cracker/cookie aisle and I saw Nilla Wafers right at eye level. Considering I haven't read their food label recently, I did. And voila! Something I can eat! Immediately into the cart. My next trip I found Nutter Butters...and rather joyously, in a resealable snack pack! and on clearance!

I guess what I'm saying is that in recent months, as I've gotten more comfortable with my food allergies, I've branched out. I still eat a lot of potatoes and corn, but there's a little more variety. I'm less discouraged by thinking that oh, this'll definitely have something in it i'm allergic to. I'm thrilled that many Pillsbury products use baking soda as leavening instead of yeast. I'm not gluten-sensitive/celiac disease, but I'm charmed by the increasing incidence of gluten-free products on the shelves. It gives me hope. And in the meantime, I've rediscovered some of the joys of foods I've forgotten even really existed.

Maybe we should all try it...give up your list and just leisurely go down every aisle of your grocery and rediscover something.

In other news.....we are entering the fall season, also known as the season of spice. Pumpkin spice latte, anyone? We'll see how I do without cinnamon as the months progress...

just imagine...

I went to the grocery store today. One of my least favorite tasks these days; I have to go with a very specific lists for these new recipes and I will inevitably forget something so I even write down "butter" and "milk" so I don't leave without these essentials. Here's the scoop: I spend about $15 more now on groceries (for just me) than I did pre-food allergies. Granted, food prices are going up, but a lot of people ask me about that and I realized that today. I used to always think meat was one of the most expensive things I bought before too, and I don't buy that anymore.

Anyway, here's the point of what I wanted to get at today: put yourself in my shoes. I know many people my age cook on the weekends and then have food to eat during the weekdays. I do this too. But so imagine...it's Wednesday, you just got home after a long day at work, and you open the refrigerator. No leftovers. You open the freezer and the cabinets: nothing to eat. Nothing quick. Everything takes at least twenty minutes if not more. Can you put something in to cook while showering? An option, but that'll just yield you some biscuits or something. How quickly can you shower if you want to set water on to boil for pasta...etc etc.

There are a few demons I fight daily with these allergies: I can't eat anything out of a box and a daily battle with nutrition. A bit back I wrote about poptarts and threw in a few references to FiberOne browies; they're one of the few pre-prepared foods I can eat (AND both have egg whites in them). I have cans of fruits and vegetables I can eat, but that's not a filling meal (nor is a package of poptarts). I love the baked potato soup recipe I just posted because I eat it and I feel full, a foreign feeling for me in the last few months.

Food occupies so much of my time. I will be finishing up dinner and seriously consider if I even ate ANY protein yet that day. Did I get some milk with my cereal? What about fats? Most people would never consider that they haven't eaten enough fat in their diet; the American diet has lots of fat and cholesterol in eat. Some cholesterol is essential, as are some fats. I often don't get them in my diet. I already add Ensure powder to smoothies to balance out other micronutrient deficiencies, but sometimes there are other gaping holes.

I've switched to eating Greek yogurt because it has more protein in it, though I don't particularly like it. I've stopped buying reduced fat items because I need that fat in my diet. I don't even concern myself with sodium like I used to; I don't eat anything that's from a box, just add water and thus has mega-grams of sodium in it.

I reassure myself that my diet is super-healthy, and it is if I do it right and take my vitamins. But the amount of time I spend thinking about food is really ridiculous.

And here's one last thought to occupy you, a question I frequently ask: have you read your food labels? It's not the apples and strawberries that I find myself avidly avoiding--it's the yeast, malt, rice flour. Even sesame oil pops up in weird places. Consider what is in your food and whether or not you really want to be consuming it.

But next time you come home from a long day at work and pop that lean cuisine in the microwave, remember your blessings. :)

baked potato soup

so recently went on vacation. enjoyable. i had a lovely time. my aunt was there for a bit and she was cooking. one of the first things discussed once I had established that I had a safe trip, driving through philly wasn't bad, how many times I'd stopped (a topic of discussion much belabored by family...I can drive for hours only stopping for gas and they all worry that I'm going to get a DVT. somehow, I think i'll be okay.), the conversation turned towards food. my mom and aunt are great cooks and in the last few months have spent many conversations discussing my cooking alternatives.

either way, my aunt was ready to cook this baked potato soup for my cousin and wanted to see if i could eat it. and i can. the vegetarian says no bacon, but i can indeed eat pork. i would say substititue with soy bacon or bacon crumbles or whatever if you can't do the bacon, but i used some microwavable bacon my mom had bought me in another attempt to get me to eat meat. i have to wonder if actually frying up some bacon would impart the soup with more flavor, but i'm not going to go buy some bacon to try it out so somebody can let me know.

whether or not you put bacon in this soup or not, it's lovely. don't stint and buy margarine instead of butter, or skim milk instead of whole milk. go all out. with the weather starting to turn around here, it'll be a nice recipe to have for the winter.

I will say that on my recipe it says prep is 15 minutes which is totally wrong. first off, you have to "bake, cool, peel, and cube" the potatoes. WHICH TAKES MORE THAN 15 MINUTES. i did an hour at 450 and they came out nicely. and then they cooled. and i didn't spend a lot of time peeling and cubing, i just basically sliced them in quarters and squeezed the potatoes out of the jackets and voila. 

I was also taught early in life about making a white sauce, which is essentially what the early steps of the soup are, so I took it slow and thus is definitely took me longer than 15 minutes. also, i really did add the milk in slow steps. but i enjoyed it. i listen to audiobooks while i cook, so it didn't seem to take very long though i know it did.

·         2/3 cup butter

·         2/3 cup flour

·         7 cups milk

·         4 large baking potatoes, baked, cooled, peeled and cubed, about 4 cups

·         4 green onions, thinly sliced

·         10 to 12 strips bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled

·         1 1/4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese

·         1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

·         3/4 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

In a large Dutch oven or stockpot over low heat, melt butter. Stir in flour; stir until smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened. Add potatoes and onions. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until soup begins to bubble. Reduce heat; simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; stir until cheese is melted. Serve baked potato soup immediately. 
This baked potato soup recipe serves 6 to 8.

(I would say more than 6-8, but it's very filling so I probably eat it sparingly...either way, delicious!)

back to bread

i have a very large number of bread recipes. despite my exuberance over finding biscuits and, more recently, pizza crust that i can eat, I still make most of my bread myself (that is a terrible sentence and i apologize but i'm not changing it). it's easy to do on the weekend usually one loaf will last me through the week. it even makes things more palatable...

i made a cheddar and broccoli soup a few weeks back from what was supposed to be the TGIFriday's recipe. i've never had the restaurant's version, but this version definitely fell flat. i'm not sure what happened, but i couldn't palate it and i froze about half of it and managed to eat the other half. but so i was confronted with these tupperware containers of soup i needed to get rid of. and brilliance struck. i made this delicious honey wheat bread that was an excellent compatriot to this soup. i defrosted it and drained the excess water off occasionally and voila, a decent way to eat the soup and not become completely disgusted by it.

it's from an egg free cookbook my mom found. there are variations at the end of the recipe.

Quick Whole Wheat and Molasses Bread

"this basic, quintessential, not-too-sweet quick bread--quick, simple, hearty, and rich despite the fact that it contains no eggs or butter. Although you can use it for sandwiches, this is best served warm, as part of a meal."

Oil/butter for greasing the pan
1 2/3 c buttermilk or yogurt (or 1 1/2 c milk plus 2 T white vinegar)
2 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c cornmeal
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/2 c molasses

1. Preheat the oven to 325. Grease an 8x4 or 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. If you're using buttermilk or yogurt, ignore this step. If not make the soured milk: Warm the milk gently--1 minute in the microwave is sufficient, just enough to take the chill off--and add the vinegar. Let it rest while you prepare the other ingredients.
3. Mix together the dry ingredients. Stir the molasses into the buttermilk. Stir the liquid into the dry (just enough to combine), then pour into the loaf pan. Bake until firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about an hour. cool on a rack for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

Lighter whole wheat quick bread: a little cakier: use 1 1/2 c whole wheat and 1 1/2 c all purpose flour; omit the cornmeal. Substitute honey for the molasses for lighter flavor and color. Beat 1 egg into the wet ingredient in step 3.

So that's that. My mom has made it with the molasses and we've decided that honey is the better way to go. I don't remember eating the molasses version, but she says that it's bitter. I have made it both with the cornmeal and alternately with the all purpose flour. It stays a little denser and damper (it's weird but if you do it you'll understand) with the cornmeal, but both recipes work. The cornmeal version reminds me of what i read about Boston brown bread, though I've never tried that or done anything but read about it.

Either way, it's delicious. and whole wheat! good for the heart. :)

ps do check it with a toothpick or the cake sticker thingy...i undercooked this majorly the first time thinking it was done and it wasn't. it looked a little burned on the outside this time when i finished with it, but it was perfectly done inside and was definitely not burned!

guilty pleasures

So basically I can't eat processed foods. Almost everything has something in it....usually yeast. I think it must be a preservative of sorts to be used in it. My mom jokes that I can't eat anything that comes in a box and it's pretty true. Somebody commented at lunch that my lunch (salad, pineapple, fiber brownie--they have a new flavor! I was so excited the other day when i found them!) would not be enough for her and I replied that it wasn't enough for me, but that was all i could bring with me today. I wasn't prepared and didn't think about it last night that I didn't have anything for lunch and thus, salad and canned pineapple and pre-wrapped FiberOne brownie.

So no processed foods. like I said, it makes lunch hard. but you know what I can eat? Pop-tarts. And not the fruit kinds because I'm usually allergic to the fruit--even the cherry ones have dried apples in them! No. I eat the dessert ones--ice cream sundae, sugar cookie, chocolate chip cookie dough, rainbow cookie sandwich...see a theme?

I even buy them in the double pack box!

My friends don't believe that these things exist but as I live and breathe, they do! I even discovered chocolate fudge ones this weekend. There is also a new flavor of confetti cake, but that has rice flour in it.

The rainbow cookie sandwich one has the icing as the middle part of the 'tart.' I haven't tried my chocolate chip cookie dough ones yet, but I'm looking forward to breaking into that box.

My favorite so far are the sugar cookie ones--they also had fun snowy printed characters on them. They were a mom-discovery.

So that's my guilty pleasure...some people accuse me of the whole "my body is a temple" attitude because they don't know and so they always see me eating salads and fruit, but this would definitely prove them wrong!

[Disclaimer...there are egg whites in all of them. Same with the FiberOne brownie bites. I can tolerate egg whites though so bring on the poptarts!]

vegetarian lifestyle through the ages

although with all honesty, i have decided to eat fish when the opportunity presents. mostly when i can't avoid it without being rude...as in somebody ordered a shrimp appetizer the other day at lunch and it would have been worse to refuse to eat it than to push the vegetarian issue. plus i like shrimp. GOOD shrimp. frozen shrimp is disgusting.

but so here's the thing: at the shrimp-appetizer lunch, we were celebrating. i was in the office now for four weeks and we had something worth celebrating, so we all went out to lunch to celebrate (was that vague enough for you?). but before we left, my preceptor took me aside and asked if i had eaten at that restaurant and could i eat salads? I reassured her yes (while thinking to myself that most salad dressing have eggs in them). so off we went. and thus the shrimp appetizer...she asked me at the restaurant if i ate fish, so i gave in. it was delicious shrimp. so i'm contemplating just saying i'm a pescatarian (which does not come up in the spell checker with a better spelling!) but that's an interesting proposition.

i know my generation knows the differences in vegetarians and vegans and i could probably even get away with some of the jokier sounding ones--fruitatarian etc. there's whole lists of them, including the specific ovo-lacto vegetarians and onwards. there's even something called a flexitarian--someone who is flexible about eating meat. I am not kidding, i borrow the better homes and garden's 365 Vegetarian Meals from a friend and there is a whole page describing these differences.

but i digress. to most people i can say "I'm a vegetarian" and nobody pushes the issue. especially in younger people. to my mother's generation, which is also my preceptor's generation, it's more of a thing. it's hard to quantify but i really have the feeling that neither one of these women really think i eat anything of great nutritional value. no one is denying the health benefits of not eating meat and eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, but that they feel that that isn't enough. My grandfather also would fit into this category. It's an interesting little point i've noticed. i wonder if it is truly generational, coming from people who are used to cooking and planning meals for their families. the vegetables are the side dish. not the center of the dish because there's no substance.

either way, i eat plenty. i'm not always full, but that's when i snack. it's easier to count calories when you consider a salad for lunch versus a sandwich. so i can snack. :)

in other news, I'm off on vacation at the end of the week...to the shore (beach for those of you who don't know any better)! thus the likelihood of being pescatarian...there's nothing like fresh seafood. It prompted me thinking this because i was having a conversation with my mother about whether or not I had to go off the island to buy groceries or if i would be okay on the island's small grocery store. we will see.

and for breakfast, i finally perfected the perfect banana milkshake. break up a banana, add to the blender. add a proportionate amount of ice. at this point I add ensure/instant breakfast powder so i get my nutrients, but you can skip that. add some heavy cream/half-and-half to give it a little richness--i almost cover the bananas, and then I add milk to the top of the ice. blend until smooth. delicious. i have a mini-blender which is the perfect size to make this in and then drink it straight from the blender cup (my blender top has a slot so I really can drink straight from the cup!).

to be eaten with blueberry scones. and in another bit of news, i may have to add blueberries to the list of allergens. i haven't really been a big blueberry eater ever, but when you cut out other fruits that i do it, i try some things. and that's a whole 'nother ball game, not wanting to try foods because i might be allergic. but we'll see, there's many more scones to be eaten to try out this theory.

don't ask a woman how much she weighs

I’ve been toying with the idea of this post for a long while and I hope that I express it well. The question that I’ve gotten most frequently in the past few months is whether or not I’ve lost weight on my completely new diet. It’s a complex topic which is why I’m hoping I get it right.

The short answer is no. Or really, not a significant amount—what people might be thinking. I think I can safely say about 7-10 pounds, yes. This all started around the holidays, so I had been maybe 2-3 pounds more than usual, which is why it’s a not really, not significant amount.

There’s also the fact that I was on steroids for awhile to try to control my mold environmental allergy. I (and my sister also) am strongly affected by steroids with fluid retention. I had pitting edema in my legs, not something you should see in a twentysomething (pitting edema is where you can put your finger up against your shin and when you pull it away, there’s a ‘pit’ in the swelling—it’s common in older adults with heart failure). My weight fluctuated by a few pounds here and there throughout the spring when I would go off the steroids in February but have to go back on in March when my seasonal allergies got bad.

Where this gets complex is the fact that my clothes fit a lot better. I usually have two sizes of jeans to wear on a regular basis, and I’ve already ditched the bigger size and have recently started buying jeans/pants in a size smaller than what I’ve been buying forever. I’ve always had trouble with buying pants because I have a curvaceous body and my waist size doesn’t fit with my hip size. I said I’m buying a smaller jean size anyway—and it’ll be the smallest size I could buy anyway. When I button them, they pull tight across my hipbones, but are loose about the waist.

I can clearly say I’ve lost a dress size. But…the number on the scale has hardly changed.

I’ve had a number of people say to me that I ‘look’ different. It’s not quantifiable, but that I look slimmer. I’ve even been called skinny, which made me smile and nod at the person but my mind was boggled.

The fact of the matter is that while it’s nice to buy new clothes in a smaller size and that fits well with my feminine vanity, I feel better. I like the way I look most days, and that has absolutely nothing to do with the number on the scale OR the number on a tag on my clothes. I feel good, I have energy to do the things I love, and I haven’t had to give up eating sweets completely. I wear clothes that flatter the figure that I do have and I have come to grips with the fact that I have hips and thighs (it only took about twenty years to get to this point!).

So yes, I have lost weight. But it’s also a no, not really. I can say that I have no worries about my cholesterol or my blood pressure because I can’t eat processed foods. I have cut back my risk factors for a number of bad diseases by eliminating meat from my diet and adding in much more fiber. This is what matters more to me than any quick weight loss…isn’t it always harder to keep it off anyway? I’m making better choices that will serve me better in the long run.

It’s been about six (closer to seven, holy moly time flies!) months since this all started…so maybe we’ll see at Christmas. Or next summer. Or just keep on with the feeling good, looking good attitude. 

donuts!

There's nothing quite like a donut, right? :) I don't know why I even attempted to read a Krispy Kreme box however because there's like five things in them that I'm allergic to, unforunately. It's like Entemann's...I love Entemann's cheese filled coffee cake but that's the same story. However, I have found a replacement for Krispy Kreme! Make them myself!

My love affair with donuts has had a twisty (no pun intended!) history the last few months. In the beginning, I was just trying to cope with no meat in my diet which is a big enough to change. Then I started missing some of the more luxury items in my diet. Namely desserts. I have a major sweet tooth and almost everything in the dessert section has eggs in it, or rice flour (most pastries), or the lovely yeast mold.

My birthday came around in March and Maggie sent me this fabulous Babycakes Covers the Classics cookbook. It's from the Babycakes bakery based in New York City and it's a gluten-free vegan cookbook. Which is fabulous because that eliminates a lot of the things that I'm allergic to but at the same time, she replaces regular flour with rice flour, oil with applesauce, etc so while I'm loving the idea and concepts, it's been an interesting balancing act (can I just replace the applesauce with oil, or is there a legitimate reason to have applesauce in this recipe? She does have a section in the front of the cookbook regarding gluten vs gluten-free cooking so I can replace the rice flour with regular flour if you were wondering). How does this connect to donuts, you might ask? Well...see for yourself.

It really got me going! Just salivating looking at the cover of this cookbook! It has some really fabulous recipes in here (thin mints, Chips Ahoy gluten free, cinnamon buns, all kinds of pancakes). There were a few impediments to trying this recipes however.

First, no donut pan. In case you weren't aware, donuts are healthier now because we can bake them instead of frying them but you have to have the appropriately donut shaped pan to do so. I bought one after I moved as a treat for myself.

Second, this recipe is damn hard to convert to non-gluten free. I have yet to attempt it. It's the applesauce conundrum, as well as the rice flour AND other ingredients. In my eagerness to try my donut pan, I found other recipes (I will eventually try the Babycakes recipe, but in the meantime...).

(taken off the Internet and appropriately modified for my needs...has anyone else done that? taken two or three recipes off the Internet, melded them, baked them, and had their fingers crossed while it was baking?)

4 T butter, softened

½ c milk

½ t vinegar (rice vinegar or white)

½ t vanilla extract

1 egg

1c all purpose flour

½ c sugar

1 ½ t baking powder

¼ t salt

¼ t cinnamon

¼ t nutmeg

Melt the butter in a large bowl. Add the vinegar, milk, and vanilla and stir. Whisk in egg. Add dry ingredients until well blended.

Lightly spray donut pans.

Taking a sturdy Ziploc bag, fill it with the batter and snip an edge to pipe the batter into the pans (~2/3 full). Bake for 8 at 425 minutes or until tops spring back lightly. Cool on parchment paper.

I use white vinegar instead of rice vinegar (derived from rice...can't use it--also, you can use buttermilk instead of doing the milk/vinegar bit but I don't have buttermilk), and I have egg replacer that I used for the egg. I left out the cinnamon and trust me, the nutmeg gives these suckers a delicious flavor and it made my apartment smell fabulous. I did not cool on parchment paper. It's also a learning experience to fill in just the donut shaped bit on the pan and not fill in the center hole because I also did not use a ziploc bag but instead used my 1/4 c measuring cup to go around the mold.

They are fabulous. Amazing. I've been talking about my donuts for weeks to people and I think that they think I'm going crazy. These things are so great though. They're light and delicious and even taste mildly healthy, but that's probably just because I've extolled the virtues of them being baked and not fried. Also, in my first recipe excitement I didn't glaze them or anything, but that's next. And I do know some of the calorie counts and they're not anything like the Krispy Kreme variety, so here's to making your own donuts!

Bonus points (from the health.com version of the recipe):

Lemon Glazed: 

Combine 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, stirring well with a whisk. Dip 1 side of the cooled doughnuts into glaze; let cool on a rack, glazed side up.

Chocolate-Hazelnut: 

Melt 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate in a bowl in microwave until smooth. Dip tops of doughnuts into chocolate and place chocolate side up on a rack to cool. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts; let sit about 10 minutes.

Chocolate Swirl: 

Melt 4 ounces (1 cup) bittersweet chocolate in microwave until smooth. Fill a small squeeze bottle or zip-top plastic bag (snip a tiny hole in 1 corner of bag) with melted chocolate; pipe chocolate onto tops of doughnuts. Chill doughnuts until chocolate sets (about 10 minutes).

Or you can make a general glaze with confectioner's sugar and water and use that to attach to your donut cinnamon and sugar, or coconut, or sprinkles, or anything else you can think of.

Anyone rushing out to buy a donut pan? :)

Update on allergens

As I sit here, I just finished the latest in a series of unappetizing meals and I really need to work on that. But while picking at my breakfast, I was reading Julie and Julia and she was holding forth on blogging and secret thrill it is (it's pages 83-85 in the digital edition for anyone who cares) and I have to say I don't really think it's a secret thrill when you post things out on the Internet. Either way, I at least hope that I am more entertaining than Julie Powell because this book is a serious struggle to get through.

This is a little more of a personal update on the allergy front than any fun new recipes that I've found. I had my appointment with the allergist a few weeks ago from which has stemmed a few changes in my life. It was finally explained to me that the key to almost all of my allergies in linked to mold. It was like that one puzzle piece that finally fell into place and you see the whole picture. I have always discarded my environmental allergies as quite secondary to my food allergies. Sneezing and watery eyes are annoying, but a lot less important than the crippling abdominal pain and unbearable fatigue. I take my Allegra and carry on, carefully eating only certain things. But it centers on the mold! I had very strong reactions to the mold in my environmental scratch testing, and the foods that I am most allergic to are molds.

I am posting (and potentially reposting) this picture as a reminder. The foods are on the left and the environmentals on the right. You can't really see my left shoulder where beef, chicken, and egg are and the bottom left is the positive control to make sure I have a normal immune system. Along the right, in rows 3, 4, and some of 5, are the molds. Those aren't as positive as the shots I had in my arm after that, but some of them are. I don't have pictures of my arm after the molds though. By that point, I was out of it.

So the theory goes: really strong reaction to mold ergo I'm allergic to foods that can be contaminated by mold. Point in fact, yeast IS a mold. Yeast is one of my worst food allergies. Grains are a close second (rice is particularly bad, but this also includes malt and oats, and I would classify navy beans in here too) because they are easily contaminated by mold. Some of the fruits I'm allergic to grow mold on their skins (grapes, strawberries, apples, and oranges). The meats are because the animals are fattened on grains contaminated by mold. Voila!

Of course, some of them don't fit in. Cinnamon? Maybe there's something to do with the tree... and what about sesame? Eggs--though I can tolerate egg whites well, what about the yolk? I'll of course look up and see what I can find about it, but I found all this very interesting. Like I said, the missing puzzle piece.

In other news, with that in mind and with another thought from my allergist's PA, I am testing out what reactions I have to some of the foods. There is a way to avoid the abdominal side effects potentially (H2 blocker...prevent acid's full digestion of the food, thus exposure of the proteins and thus no IgE binding; I figured this mechanism on my own so it might not be true but it sounds good) if I can't avoid eating them. The interesting thing is that I didn't have any reaction to a fresh apple and orange. So we'll see. I ate some rice last week and that was bad enough to have me back off for a bit on the whole inducing pain on myself thing. :)

do you read your food labels?

So here's what I've been wondering...I've been discussing my allergies with Amy and Adam, and they started reading their food labels. I can predict what's in certain foods by this point because I've read so many labels and it makes me wonder if what I'm going through has made any of you start reading food labels...

Has anyone seen how many products have yeast in it? or 'autolyzed yeast extract'--which I had to google at some point early in the process. It's a partially broken down yeast product, as far as I can tell. either way, no good for me. but have y'all noticed that almost every frozen food item has yeast in it? Even frozen vegetables (that's the one that drives me nuts)! I can't really think of any processed food that I can eat, which is good for my health but plays havoc with my purse, time, and ingenuity.

Have any of you noticed that pastries almost always have rice flour in them? I have yet to figure this one out, but it must have something to do with texture. Some pastry doughs don't, but I think I've only been able to find one brand.

MSG isn't something I'm allergic to and I'd say I'm too young to really understand the furor over MSG from when I was a kid, but I've always had the vague idea that it's not in food anymore. Maybe in Chinese food, but that's an ethnic thing and it's not in food made in America. That's definitely a wrong though, wherever I picked it up! MSG is in about half the food labels I read. I talked to my grandfather, who was a chemist, and he remembers when they were coming up with new recipes and adding MSG was sure to have that je ne sais quoi which made the recipes better.

In other news, this worked out okay for me when I was without power for about 24 hours here...I didn't think the storm was that bad, but that could also be because of where I'm living. Either way, I didn't have to worry about the food in my refrigerator. My freezer had some stuff in it that I had to eat yesterday because it defrosted, but the rest of it was salvageable. Same for my refrigerator, my milk went bad but that was it and it wasn't a big loss since it ended up only being a few ounces (though i have been cooking up a storm today so that some of the cheeses won't turn). The good thing about being a vegetarian is most fruits and vegetables can go unrefrigeratored and it's okay!

Although on the vegetarian front, I've been reading cookbooks and who knew there were so many different names for the different variations on vegetarians!

As a complete sidenote, I would like to comment that I know I'm terribly erratic about capitalization of first letters in sentences, but it stems from the fact that I type so fast that I often get the second letter so that's why I don't do it. It's more erratic here because I often go back or restart sentences, allowing for proper capitalization but sometimes not. It's my quirk, and that's why (and i'm sticking with it!).

pasta salad

Pasta salad, my new standby. Makes great lunches and dinners, as well as an excellent side dish. I can eat it straight while it's still warm from cooking the pasta, or really relish it when it's cold. While I don't stick to a recipe anymore, I'll share with y'all the one that gave me the idea/outline, from Mollie Katzen's Get Cooking.

best pasta salad
salt for the pasta water
3/4 pound fusilli, small penne, or orecchiette pasta
5 T olive oil
3/4 t minced garlic, about 1 medium clove
3/4 c very finely minced red onion
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
3 T red wine vinegar
3/4 t salt
1/8 t freshly ground black pepper
1 medium bell pepper, any color, diced
half a medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

1. Put a large pot of cold water to boil over high heat, and add a tablespoon of salt. Have your colander ready. Once the water boils, add the pasta and keep the heat high. Cook for the time recommended on the package, tasting to make sure it's not overcooked. When it is just tender enough to bite into comfortable but not ye mushy, dump the water plus pasta into the colander and shake to drain.
2. While the pasta is cooking, combine the olive oil, garlic, onion, Parmesan, vinegar, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Add the pasta to this bowl after it's drained, stirring to coat all the pasta. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Add the bell pepper and cucumber, and mix gently but thoroughly. Serve at room temperature, or chill and serve cold.

Okay, so I tried it this way. and it works. but that leaves me room to manipulate.

I take whatever pasta I have, but usually corkscrew or bowtie, and cook it. I then drain it, coat it with enough cheese so it looks like every piece has got some stuck to it (which is why you do it while everything is still hot, the cheese sticks to the pasta), and then dress it with some Italian dressing or marinade. I used ranch one time even, and it worked just fine (though I did wait until it was cool to add the ranch dressing just before eating). And add whatever vegetables you want--I usually use carrots and broccoli because those are standards in my refrigerator, but bell peppers and cucumbers would be delightful. I've added corn to add a little more substance, which turned out just fine. I've thought about chickpeas, but haven't. I've also used the grated Parmesan my mom has for spaghetti because it was the only cheese she had in the refrigerator, which meant I used a heck of a lot more cheese, but it still worked fine.

So tinker with it and make it yours, but you'll have to share it with me. This is going to be a lunchtime staple for me now that I'm starting to take my lunch to work regularly.

interesting article!

i was checking out the news today on CNN and I saw this article about meat allergies! it's not the meat allergy that I have (i'm really allergic to the mold that the animals eat which apparently persist into their meat), but it's kinda interesting! watch out for tick bites!

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/20/health/meat-tick-bite-allergy/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

embarrassment and thus comfort food

so you know how much students love free food? and if you say "lunch provided" it's guaranteed an audience? do you know how much I dread seeing "lunch provided"?? I just got an email for something next week where lunch is provided, so I have to proceed to send an email saying just exactly what kind of lunch are you providing, i have food allergies... And I inevitably get one back that says something along the lines of we haven't ordered anything yet so let us know what you're allergic to. Thus my dread...it's terrible to list out everything, mostly because it's usually sandwiches and pizza, both of which I can't eat for the dreaded yeast. It works out okay with pasta salad and usually regular salads, but it's so frustrating/embarrassing/annoying to have to email these people I don't usually know well and weight them down with something they don't need to deal with.

sigh.

i'm baking today. happily, a favorite dessert recipe with no eggs. and a crowd favorite. comfort food + gift for a friend combined in the absolute best way. (also, these freeze really well so make a pan and freeze them in ziplocs to take out later!)

Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups all purpose flour

½ cup packed light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cups (12 oz package) Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips, divided

1 ¼ (14 oz can) Sweetened condensed milk

½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350° F. Beat butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in flour, sugar, and salt until well mixed. With floured fingers, press 1 ¾ cups crumb mixture onto bottom of greased 13x9 inch baking pan; reserve remaining mixture. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are golden brown.

Combine 1 cup morsels and sweetened condensed milk in small, heavy duty saucepan. Melt over low heat, stirring until mooth. Spread over hot crust.

Stir nuts into reserved crumb mixture, sprinkle over chocolate filling. Drop teaspoonfuls of raspberry jam over crumb mixture. Sprinkle with remaining morsels. Continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack.

traveling

i'm baaaaaaaaaack! really, i am. I'm sorry to the faithful who might have expected recipes and my philosophical ponderings over the last few weeks, but i had a lot going on with school and then i decided to travel across the country and then move. a lot going on, which precluded blogging about the wonderful world of food allergies. but i did give me plenty of fodder for topics, so maybe i'll make it all up to you.

first off, i love traveling! i haven't done a lot of it in awhile, but this time i did the whole cross-country flight, hotel room, touristy things included. I knew from the get-go that the food would be a challenging issue for me. Let's consider it, what do most people do when confront with these kinds of things? Run into a fast food restaurant and pick something up. I can only survive so long on McDonald's fries (coated with beef flavoring, which is probably why they taste so nice, but apparently wasn't enough to bother me) and milkshakes.

It actually got me thinking about how hard it is to even travel and health fairly healthfully. Yes, there's a McDonald's on every corner that can cover you in an emergency, but their salads aren't particularly healthy. We went in a Panera one morning, but while I had ruled out their lunch menu, I had hoped for a pastry or muffin that I could eat (everything has eggs in it, but I managed okay). If you look at Panera's nutritional information, their Caesar salad packs about 500 calories, which is fine for a meal, but a salad that's 500 calories?!

Luckily, the wedding I went to had a delightful, vegetarian buffet dinner. While the only thing I technically could have eaten was the green beans, I was able to enjoy salad, pasta, and the green beans with no ill effects. That raises another interesting question--one I've seen in the news recently--both the bride and the groom are vegetarians, so it was not unexpected to have a vegetarian dinner, and as a fellow vegetarian, I was pleased. But what if they'd been vegan? Should we all eat vegan?

Back to the traveling though. I changed terminals in the Chicago airport and I had a really long layover, so I was anticipating being able to find some good food to stand me over until I could get home and my mom could feed me something guaranteed to have no allergens in it. Nada. Deep dish pizza may be a Chicago standard and it is indeed delicious, but I knew I wouldn't be able to eat it and not suffer the consequences, not something I'd want to have to deal with on an airplane/while flying through turbulence anyway. Same goes with the fast food restaurants and some of the more diner-like restaurants scattered through the airport (though I did enjoy seeing the wine bar complete with player piano!). I ended up in a Hudson's paying exorbitant (though expected) prices for a bag of frito's and reese's peanut butter cups. Sounds delightfully healthy, right?

So imagine a week spent chowing down on that and playing the tourist. I can't imagine how I really made it through some days...stocking up on chocolate frosted banana cupcakes that apparently didn't have eggs in them must have gotten me through. Plus lots and lots of Sprite for the sugar.

Anyone else travel with a special diet and have stories? Or just tried to eat healthy and managed it? I knew when I had gone on vacation in the past, my usual careful consideration of what I'm eating goes out the window but it was interesting this year when I really really couldn't.

A quick tale of success

Hey all--I know I promised this awhile back but I've been busy! (And getting busier, this'll be the last one again until about mid-June but there's been plenty of recipes to try out!)

Okay, so success. Major success:

Tortilla Lasagna

·         6 8-inch fat-free flour tortillas

·         1 Tbs. olive oil

·         1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)

·         2 Tbs. chili powder

·         2 tsp. ancho chile powder

·         2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

·         2 cups strained tomatoes, such as Pomì, divided

·         1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, or 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

·         1 medium chayote, peeled and diced, or 2 medium zucchini, diced (1 1/2 cups)

·         1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

·         1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack or pepper Jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast tortillas on 2 baking sheets in oven 5 minutes, or until light brown, turning once.

2. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes, or until soft. Stir in chili powder, ancho chile powder, and garlic, and cook 30 seconds. Add 11/2 cups strained tomatoes, beans, chayote, corn, and 1/2 cup water, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, and cook 10 minutes, or until chayote is tender.

3. Coat 2-inch-deep x 8-inch round baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup strained tomatoes in bottom of pan. Set 1 toasted tortilla in pan; top with 3/4 cup bean mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layering 4 more times. Top with last tortilla, and spread remaining 1/4 cup strained tomatoes over top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake 30 to 45 minutes, or until casserole is bubbly and cheese has melted. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into 8 wedges.

Okay, so I don't have much to say on that because Amanda actually made it for a Monday Night Dinner (an event worth capitalizing!) but it was delicious. I wanted to make it myself, but I didn't have all the spices. Being the creative genius (ha!) that I am, I looked in the cabinet and totally improvised. 

I toasted the tortillas I had, took some diced petite tomatoes, refried black beans, and salsa and made the different layers. I probably should have added some corn or something else because the tomatoes totally overwhelmed it--too many between the petite diced and the salsa. Plus I'm not the biggest fan of tomatoes so I really felt overwhelmed. I layered plenty of cheese with the bean/tomato mixture and then just repeated for the number of tortillas I had--I think three, maybe four. Lots of cheese on top. 

Voila! (I grabbed my iPhone and took a picture because i knew it was going to be delicious. obviously, I was in a great mood this day...)

So it isn't all a disaster in the kitchen, though sometimes they do turn out that way. It's been kinda fun to find new recipes and try them out and work with them, but I will fully admit to complete frustration some days. Like this got a little too tomato-y for me, but next time, I'll try something else.

While I'm "gone," feel free to send me any recipes you've tried out or let me know if you've tried these. I'm sure I'll have lots of stories to tell y'all when I get back. :)