So y'all responded very well to the last post, so I wanted to continue on the successful theme. Plus I haven't tried any new recipes recently so I have nothing new to report on that front (but I did spent two hours yesterday flipping through my aunt's old cooking magazines and ripping out new recipes!).
Something to ponder and consider: how often do you offer people food around you? Something extra you have in your lunch, why not share it... Or also, you're snacking, a coworker comes by, you offer them some of your nuts, strawberries...?
This happens to me ALL THE TIME. The more I thought about it, the more I could remember it happening. Also, being raised in the gracious South, I feel rude when I continue to refuse the generously offered foods.
It was just rather funny in a terrible way on my last rotation--different people have different attitudes towards food. I was working with a female physician with her own children, and I've noticed that these women usually 'adopt' me and just can't help taking care of young people. She also ate a very healthy diet, which meant that the daily offerings were nuts, apples, oranges, strawberries...hmmmm. Luckily, the nuts were mixed nuts, so I casually picked out the peanuts and avoids the walnuts and almonds (I'm not allergic to walnuts, but my mom is so I never ate them and thus don't like them). I did end up eating about half an apple one day and just went about with the cramping abdominal pain all afternoon. Somehow I got out of the orange. It's easy enough when she would get distracted by other things. The commonality of strawberry allergies got me out of that one. I can claim certain allergies without getting the weird look--strawberries and eggs usually. As her offerings of food were on a near daily basis, I couldn't keep refusing, so I pushed through. The educational opportunities were worth it, for the most part.
As a side note, it was with her that I recently ate pizza without my prophylactic medicines. I will flat out say that delivery pizza is one of the hardest things for me to resist and it's difficult to explain why I can't eat it--what twentysomething doesn't like pizza (and beer)? I ate it, dashed home and took a full dose of H2 blockers (antacids) and one Benadryl (so 25mg, a half dose from the full allergic reaction dose of 50mg) and went off to take a test. It was a difficult situation but I did find that I didn't acutely react to the yeast! It was a rough few days afterwards of just not feeling right, but it was pretty good for me. Plus the dessert pizza was TOTALLY worth it--I'm searching out a good yeast-free recipe. :)
The other side of the food offerings spectrum is the men--they're more likely to allow me to chose my own food and then not let me pay for it. Some of them get snarky about the constant salad choices, and I have one physician who thinks that I don't eat anything of substance (which can be totally true depending on the day!). In fact, he's writing me a letter of recommendation and I'm mildly concerned that the food allergies are going to sneak into that...can you imagine?! I went to a dinner lecture he gave the other night and one of the first things he said to me was to inquire if there was food I could eat. (There was--and I had very cooperative friends to assess if the spring rolls were actually vegetarian or not...you have to have good friends to get through meals!)
It wasn't something I had really thought about until recently, but in certain circles, we nurture those around us in a very primitive way--by feeding them. Someone comes to your house, you offer them hospitality and in older days, it would have been very rude to reject such hospitality. There were also rules that went along with hospitality and the guest/host relationship. Things have obviously changed in the twenty first century, but it is a very interesting conundrum for those of us with special needs--and this isn't just a food thing, but anyone who needs accommodation. I think about it in terms of food, but I know that's not the only consideration--it's just my consideration.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
hospitality
here's an interesting question to ponder: if you have a food sensitivity and you're hosting an event, do you serve that food to your guests?
It's something to truly think about. Even if you're just a vegetarian by choice, what do you serve at your wedding reception? That's the question that's been raised and discussed recently. I saw something awhile back when Chelsea Clinton got married--she's a vegetarian--that she chose to serve grass fed organic beef to her guests rather than serving a meatless meal. It was considerate to the guests; not a majority of the people in the world are vegetarians, so it's catering to them.
It's wedding receptions where this is really an issue to be debated. It's an interesting statement more than anything else. I was at a wedding reception last year where the bride was a vegetarian (so likely the groom, but I don't know for certain so I won't comment) and the meal they served was vegetarian. They also had a cupcakes and then the one layer cake for them to cut and eat themselves, but they had a gluten-free brownie discreetly sitting there for any guests who wishes to partake and had gluten sensitivities. It was very well done of them.
I will also say--i could eat the green beans, and that was it.
Which raises the question for those of us who have more than just the no-meat thing going on: do I accommodate you or do you accommodate me?
Meatless Monday is a legitimate event and I don't think that many people consider an occasional meal without meat to be a big thing. I don't think that anyone was too surprised at this wedding reception that there was no meat--a comment here and there, but it didn't hurt anyone to eat fettucine alfredo and green beans and then a rice/bean dish (side note: what does it say about me that I can remember what was served at a wedding I went to almost a year ago? this is how much attention I pay to the food when I go out!). Plenty of people eat salads and call it a day; or cheese quesadillas; or some pasta dish without meat. No big deal. So that's not a big surprise if you were to do that at your wedding. Moving on...
I've not done the gluten-free thing, but I don't consider that to be a big change in most people's meals at a wedding reception...so no bread basket, nothing breaded, and then the accommodation with the cake. I know I'm simplifying, but once again, a few comments and then we've all moved on.
What about the milk allergic people? That knocks out anything with cheese...most baked dishes...onwards. Shellfish, peanuts, soy...accommodate-able.
But then there's people like me. I could probably come up with a wedding reception menu that wouldn't raise too many questions, but the caterer would probably think i'm nutso. But then it would be MY wedding reception. Should I accommodate everyone else and serve normal food? Or should I give everyone a taste of what it's like to be me, and eat like me--while celebrating one of the most joyous occasions in my life?
I go back and forth on it. I'm trying to come up with a good place to go for graduation dinner where I'd be able to eat and so would my family. Someplace nice, so not the Mexican place down the road where I can get a cheese quesadilla. Or wherever. I don't graduate for another year and I'm already thinking about it. (I'm currently stuck on The Melting Pot...maybe. may be possible)
I'm thinking about this more now because I had friends over for Memorial Day--and what's tradition summertime food to kick off this holiday? Burgers. I bought meat and we grilled some burgers...and I ate pasta salad. We had to wrap my cutting board in saran wrap so that the meat juices didn't contaminate it while we were shaping the burgers. In fact, I didn't even touch the meat until it was cooked and then only with a spatula. Everything the meat touched went straight into the dishwasher so it would be thoroughly cleaned. And the leftover hamburger buns went home with my friends.
I also almost left the grocery store without any meat I am so used to bypassing the meat counter completely. I also stood there for about ten minutes, trying to figure out the right thing to by.
It didn't bother me to accommodate them; they're my friends and my shield when I go out--they make sure to take me aside at their parties and point out the foods that I can eat and they will sometimes email me to recheck the list and consider a Pam-safe food to serve.
Shades of grey here, hmmmmm? Who accommodates whom?
It's something to truly think about. Even if you're just a vegetarian by choice, what do you serve at your wedding reception? That's the question that's been raised and discussed recently. I saw something awhile back when Chelsea Clinton got married--she's a vegetarian--that she chose to serve grass fed organic beef to her guests rather than serving a meatless meal. It was considerate to the guests; not a majority of the people in the world are vegetarians, so it's catering to them.
It's wedding receptions where this is really an issue to be debated. It's an interesting statement more than anything else. I was at a wedding reception last year where the bride was a vegetarian (so likely the groom, but I don't know for certain so I won't comment) and the meal they served was vegetarian. They also had a cupcakes and then the one layer cake for them to cut and eat themselves, but they had a gluten-free brownie discreetly sitting there for any guests who wishes to partake and had gluten sensitivities. It was very well done of them.
I will also say--i could eat the green beans, and that was it.
Which raises the question for those of us who have more than just the no-meat thing going on: do I accommodate you or do you accommodate me?
Meatless Monday is a legitimate event and I don't think that many people consider an occasional meal without meat to be a big thing. I don't think that anyone was too surprised at this wedding reception that there was no meat--a comment here and there, but it didn't hurt anyone to eat fettucine alfredo and green beans and then a rice/bean dish (side note: what does it say about me that I can remember what was served at a wedding I went to almost a year ago? this is how much attention I pay to the food when I go out!). Plenty of people eat salads and call it a day; or cheese quesadillas; or some pasta dish without meat. No big deal. So that's not a big surprise if you were to do that at your wedding. Moving on...
I've not done the gluten-free thing, but I don't consider that to be a big change in most people's meals at a wedding reception...so no bread basket, nothing breaded, and then the accommodation with the cake. I know I'm simplifying, but once again, a few comments and then we've all moved on.
What about the milk allergic people? That knocks out anything with cheese...most baked dishes...onwards. Shellfish, peanuts, soy...accommodate-able.
But then there's people like me. I could probably come up with a wedding reception menu that wouldn't raise too many questions, but the caterer would probably think i'm nutso. But then it would be MY wedding reception. Should I accommodate everyone else and serve normal food? Or should I give everyone a taste of what it's like to be me, and eat like me--while celebrating one of the most joyous occasions in my life?
I go back and forth on it. I'm trying to come up with a good place to go for graduation dinner where I'd be able to eat and so would my family. Someplace nice, so not the Mexican place down the road where I can get a cheese quesadilla. Or wherever. I don't graduate for another year and I'm already thinking about it. (I'm currently stuck on The Melting Pot...maybe. may be possible)
I'm thinking about this more now because I had friends over for Memorial Day--and what's tradition summertime food to kick off this holiday? Burgers. I bought meat and we grilled some burgers...and I ate pasta salad. We had to wrap my cutting board in saran wrap so that the meat juices didn't contaminate it while we were shaping the burgers. In fact, I didn't even touch the meat until it was cooked and then only with a spatula. Everything the meat touched went straight into the dishwasher so it would be thoroughly cleaned. And the leftover hamburger buns went home with my friends.
I also almost left the grocery store without any meat I am so used to bypassing the meat counter completely. I also stood there for about ten minutes, trying to figure out the right thing to by.
It didn't bother me to accommodate them; they're my friends and my shield when I go out--they make sure to take me aside at their parties and point out the foods that I can eat and they will sometimes email me to recheck the list and consider a Pam-safe food to serve.
Shades of grey here, hmmmmm? Who accommodates whom?
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Raisin Brown Bread
Or as I call it, Boston Brown Bread. Except you all know me and it did not leap off the page as written into my baking pan because of the way that I am. Interestingly, it was a fairly straightforward recipe for me that became more challenging through the realization that I needed to go to the grocery store!
From a site called "Eat Better America" and the citation has faded because it's been in my cooking binder forever and also it's a recipe my mom found in the first flush of no yeast bread searching. I'm been pretty consistent with Bisquick based breads and recently, due to laziness/lack of time, the Pillsbury Grands pop-open tubes are yeast free. I buy them regularly because of the convenience. It's not a loaf of bread and doesn't make sandwiches the same, but it'll do. (orrrr it'll do, donkey, it'll do, muttered in a Scottish accent--thanks, bro, for that one!)
Anyway, this raisin brown bread is "created in Colonial times and also called Boston Brown Bread, this authentic dark bread is made with cornmeal and molasses. Originally, it called for rye meal, which was available at that time. If you really like rye, use 1/2 cup rye flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour in addition to the all-purpose flour. Whole Grain serving: 1/2."
As fits it being yeast free, it's a very dense bread. The molasses gives it flavor, as do the raisins--or in my case, cranberries. But without further ado...
1 c all purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c whole-grain cornmeal
1 c raisins
2 c buttermilk
3/4 c molasses
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
Let's pause here and recap what happened in my kitchen yesterday...i glanced over this and was like, yeah, I can do this. Plus it'll use up the semi-expensive molasses I have barely touched except in poaching bagels. But wait...I used up all my cornmeal (i tried polenta...that did not work). Eh, just substitute another half cup of the other flours, the thing on the recipes says you could try rye flour so obviously there's room for change. Raisins to cranberries, check. Buttermilk...hm, but I have two cups of skim milk...add some vinegar, got it. (Safe for me vinegar, too. Have i mentioned that before--it can't be apple based? Or rice?) Great. And then at the very end, I have my general failure of I have lots of baking powder but not soda. GRRR!
Savior: http://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/ingredient-substitutions-00420000003012/?subsid=e Ingredient substitutions! And here's where it gets tricky--for baking soda, 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/4 cornstarch + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar. Well, I don't have cornstarch, but you can use flour. Nor do I have cream of tartar...but you can apparently use vinegar or lemon juice to add acidity. Great. So I used all my substitutions for my 2 t baking soda--baking powder, vinegar, and flour. It was like I was in science class, btw, particularly when I added the vinegar and it all started bubbling. Should I have started cackling like a mad scientist?
Onwards.
Heat oven to 325F. Greast 2qt casserole dish with shortening or cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat all ingredients with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Pour batter into dish.
Bake uncovered about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Immediately loosen sides of bread with metal spatula and unmold bread; cool on wire rack.
And I just discovered that 1 serving is only 90 calories! Makes me feel better when I'm chowing down...good thing I don't know what 1 serving is! Plus with the changes I made, it could be different.
It's one of those recipes that I bit into and I immediately understood how people used to eat just bread and butter for meals. In fact, that is what I ate for lunch yesterday. All those historical novels where bread and butter is a meal...it feel into place.
And now I'm probably off to breakfast on bread and butter now.
From a site called "Eat Better America" and the citation has faded because it's been in my cooking binder forever and also it's a recipe my mom found in the first flush of no yeast bread searching. I'm been pretty consistent with Bisquick based breads and recently, due to laziness/lack of time, the Pillsbury Grands pop-open tubes are yeast free. I buy them regularly because of the convenience. It's not a loaf of bread and doesn't make sandwiches the same, but it'll do. (orrrr it'll do, donkey, it'll do, muttered in a Scottish accent--thanks, bro, for that one!)
Anyway, this raisin brown bread is "created in Colonial times and also called Boston Brown Bread, this authentic dark bread is made with cornmeal and molasses. Originally, it called for rye meal, which was available at that time. If you really like rye, use 1/2 cup rye flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour in addition to the all-purpose flour. Whole Grain serving: 1/2."
As fits it being yeast free, it's a very dense bread. The molasses gives it flavor, as do the raisins--or in my case, cranberries. But without further ado...
1 c all purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c whole-grain cornmeal
1 c raisins
2 c buttermilk
3/4 c molasses
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
Let's pause here and recap what happened in my kitchen yesterday...i glanced over this and was like, yeah, I can do this. Plus it'll use up the semi-expensive molasses I have barely touched except in poaching bagels. But wait...I used up all my cornmeal (i tried polenta...that did not work). Eh, just substitute another half cup of the other flours, the thing on the recipes says you could try rye flour so obviously there's room for change. Raisins to cranberries, check. Buttermilk...hm, but I have two cups of skim milk...add some vinegar, got it. (Safe for me vinegar, too. Have i mentioned that before--it can't be apple based? Or rice?) Great. And then at the very end, I have my general failure of I have lots of baking powder but not soda. GRRR!
Savior: http://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/ingredient-substitutions-00420000003012/?subsid=e Ingredient substitutions! And here's where it gets tricky--for baking soda, 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/4 cornstarch + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar. Well, I don't have cornstarch, but you can use flour. Nor do I have cream of tartar...but you can apparently use vinegar or lemon juice to add acidity. Great. So I used all my substitutions for my 2 t baking soda--baking powder, vinegar, and flour. It was like I was in science class, btw, particularly when I added the vinegar and it all started bubbling. Should I have started cackling like a mad scientist?
Onwards.
Heat oven to 325F. Greast 2qt casserole dish with shortening or cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat all ingredients with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Pour batter into dish.
Bake uncovered about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Immediately loosen sides of bread with metal spatula and unmold bread; cool on wire rack.
And I just discovered that 1 serving is only 90 calories! Makes me feel better when I'm chowing down...good thing I don't know what 1 serving is! Plus with the changes I made, it could be different.
It's one of those recipes that I bit into and I immediately understood how people used to eat just bread and butter for meals. In fact, that is what I ate for lunch yesterday. All those historical novels where bread and butter is a meal...it feel into place.
And now I'm probably off to breakfast on bread and butter now.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
drum roll please...
as some of you might be aware, i'm setting up some travel for next year. And a long awaiting dream is coming true...
I'm going to Africa! South Africa, actually. As in the country, not the region. Cape Town to be specific. For a month!
I am beyond excited because this has been something I have wanted to do for ages, but I had to grow up and be an adult and the opportunity never came around--until now. I'm not even going until early 2014, but I'm planning the trip myself and traveling on my own (for the most part) so there's a lot of work ahead of me.
This is relevant to you, my lovely audience, because it would probably amuse all of you that in a discussion of all of the necessities that come along with foreign travel, the topic of food of course came up. You might imagine how difficult this has the potential to be. I have been toying with eating the milder allergens recently because of knowing that different options would be opened to me while traveling. I found that I should be able to get by on the cheese and fruit breakfast and then the vegetarian dominated diet found there (hooray for the Asian influence--not that it'll help on the rice front, but where there's a will there's a way!).
As such, when I get closer to going, this will be transitioned into more a travel blog than a food blog. It'll go back after I come back, and I'm sure I'll mention the food while traveling, but I wanted to mention that at least.
Before I go on "holiday."
I have strep throat and laryngitis right now and I'm lying around contemplating all the loveliness that is in the future with this...think of the possibilities! And listen to Straight No Chaser rock out to "Africa"!
Off to scout for travel books...
Sunday, April 28, 2013
potatoes!
So first off, food allergies got a shout out at the White House Correspondent's dinner last night:
An extended news-media-as-high-school metaphor: “Fox is the jocks. MSNBC is the nerds. Bloggers are the Goths. NPR is the table for kids with peanut allergies. Al Jazeera is the weird foreign exchange student nobody talks to. Print Media, you’re the poor kid who died sophomore year in a car crash. Cheer up, we dedicate the yearbook to you!”
As a fact, I do listen to NPR when I'm driving sometimes. :)
Anyway, sorry it's been awhile! I've been busy and all I can say is that that trend will continue. The next few weeks are busy with some major events for school, so I'll be hoofing it with food allergies the best I can. Also, my seasonal allergies are flaring right now which has, rather annoyingly, made my food allergies way worse. I've had to be particularly careful recently and it hasn't always worked in my favor. In fact, fritos honey BBQ chips have very nearly the same packaging as the spicy BBQ chips and that meant that I accidentally bought the ones with yeast in them (honey BBQ). Be wary, food shoppers. It's been an opportunity to experiment with what "autolyzed yeast extract" means for me in terms of allergenicity...and it's working out okay.
I wanted to post a simple and very easy to manipulate for your own flavor choices recipe that I made recently. My microwave broke and I had to resort to only having an oven to cook in and a toaster oven to rewarm/reheat. That meant turning to the potato staple. I eat lots of potatoes (and corn, since everyone always asks this--potatoes and corn are what i rely on) and this was a handy recipe to make and eat until my landlord replaced my microwave.
Bake for an additional 15 minutes, then sprinkle on a little more cheese, if desired. Bake a few more minutes or until everything is gooey, browned and bubbly on top.
Serve with scallions sprinkled on top for garnish.
Great with a dollop of sour cream.
An extended news-media-as-high-school metaphor: “Fox is the jocks. MSNBC is the nerds. Bloggers are the Goths. NPR is the table for kids with peanut allergies. Al Jazeera is the weird foreign exchange student nobody talks to. Print Media, you’re the poor kid who died sophomore year in a car crash. Cheer up, we dedicate the yearbook to you!”
As a fact, I do listen to NPR when I'm driving sometimes. :)
Anyway, sorry it's been awhile! I've been busy and all I can say is that that trend will continue. The next few weeks are busy with some major events for school, so I'll be hoofing it with food allergies the best I can. Also, my seasonal allergies are flaring right now which has, rather annoyingly, made my food allergies way worse. I've had to be particularly careful recently and it hasn't always worked in my favor. In fact, fritos honey BBQ chips have very nearly the same packaging as the spicy BBQ chips and that meant that I accidentally bought the ones with yeast in them (honey BBQ). Be wary, food shoppers. It's been an opportunity to experiment with what "autolyzed yeast extract" means for me in terms of allergenicity...and it's working out okay.
I wanted to post a simple and very easy to manipulate for your own flavor choices recipe that I made recently. My microwave broke and I had to resort to only having an oven to cook in and a toaster oven to rewarm/reheat. That meant turning to the potato staple. I eat lots of potatoes (and corn, since everyone always asks this--potatoes and corn are what i rely on) and this was a handy recipe to make and eat until my landlord replaced my microwave.
Ranch-Bacon Cheesy Potatoes
http://joyouslydomestic.blogspot.com/2012/10/roasted-ranch-potatoes-with-bacon-and.html
Ingredients:
2 pounds potatoes (unpeeled, washed and cut into chunks)
1/2 cup ranch dressing (bottled, not packet)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for topping (if desired) (I used more like 1/2c)
1/4 cup crumbled, cooked bacon (I sprinkled more on top with the cheese)
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
3 scallions, washed and chopped
Salt
Pepper
Non-stick cooking spray
Directions:
2 pounds potatoes (unpeeled, washed and cut into chunks)
1/2 cup ranch dressing (bottled, not packet)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for topping (if desired) (I used more like 1/2c)
1/4 cup crumbled, cooked bacon (I sprinkled more on top with the cheese)
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
3 scallions, washed and chopped
Salt
Pepper
Non-stick cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees.
Add (in
a large bowl) the ranch dressing, dill, cheese and bacon. Add in the
potatoes. Sprinkle in a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to
coat potatoes.
Spoon
into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with foil.
Bake
for 60 minutes. Stir gently halfway through to get the bottom
potatoes rotated so they don't become burnt and to ensure that the
middle and top potatoes get a chance to brown.
Remove
foil. Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. Gently stir again, as
necessary.
Bake for an additional 15 minutes, then sprinkle on a little more cheese, if desired. Bake a few more minutes or until everything is gooey, browned and bubbly on top.
Serve with scallions sprinkled on top for garnish.
Great with a dollop of sour cream.
I didn't end up adding the scallions on top and I've never eaten sour cream with my potatoes, but that's what I mean about this being a great recipe for manipulating for your flavor tastes. I've been thinking about using a ranch dressing--the powder kind--to coat the potatoes and see if the ranch flavor is stronger that way. I'm rather pototoed out right now though, so it'll be awhile before I come back to this. Also, an excellent recipe to share at family dinners!
But don't burn yourself making it like I did....big mistake. The door rebounded onto my arm and I have this fabulous burn on my arm that has three distinct stripes on it that make it look like I've been assaulted--they're exactly the right size, shape, and spacing to look like someone grabbed my forearm. Thankfully, the weather's been cold enough for me to wear long sleeves.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
up to speed
hello all! I've had some revelations re: my food allergies here which are for both the good and bad.
but there's a little something that happened today which was totally disgusting and i had to share...i was at the salad bar at lunch. there is precious little that i can eat in the cafeteria except the salad, so that's where i usually head. i have my doubts about the ingredients in the salad dressing, but i'll get by. regardless of all that, i was waiting patiently behind someone who was in my way at the dressing end of the line and i noticed that as she poured the dressing on her salad, she smeared the ladle all over the hard boiled eggs she had placed on her salad. my eyes about bugged out as i watched her do this three more times (also mind boggling at the calories she just dumped on that previously healthy salad!). it was indeed the dressing i was about to use but i chose something else. but holy cow! if i were anaphylactic, she just contaminated the ladle and also the entire salad dressing by putting it back in the tub.
like i said, mind boggled, eyes bugged. i mentioned something later to a friend and she was surprised that eggs are even allowed on the salad bar anymore and i made the comment that no one's thought about it. you don't think about things like that unless you have to.
speaking of, i just read a fabulous (for me) book called Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life, by Sandra Beasley. she's got the long list like i do, but unfortunately gets the throat-closing, etc anaphylaxis symptoms. Just like I can't eat yeast, which eliminates an unbelievable amount of food, she can't eat dairy. She talks about things like a college roommate eating cheese pizza and talking on the phone. Sandra then picks up the phone and gets hives from the oils left on the phone. That's what came to mind with this lady with the eggs in the cafeteria today (Sandra also mentions the perils of the college cafeteria--too true!).
Regardless, what i loved about the books is that I don't feel so alone in the world. When you have a *list* of food allergies, it can be very traumatizing to go out. She mentions things like having friends at weddings to swipe food off her plate; she had a friend who had a cupcake specially made for her so she could eat cake at that bride's wedding. I have friends with whom I regularly can eat food and trust them so that i don't have to read all the food labels--they're the ones with whom I spent Christmas Eve and also Easter.
It's unbelievable sometimes the tricks I have to implement. Sometimes I can get away with freely admitting to allergies--that happened at a wedding i went to recently, where the cake was served with chocolate covered strawberries. The groomsman sitting next to me asked how I could possibly pass up on a chocolate covered strawberry and I laughed it off, "Easy, I'm allergic!" to which he responded with something like how that was a good reason. Early at this same wedding reception, however, I felt compelled to eat rice. I could eat the fish and green beans and be totally fine with food, but a friend of mine passed me the risotto in a well meaning attempt to make sure I could eat whatever I could. It was okay, I had taken a pill in a preemptive move and damn, was that good risotto, but it came with sacrifice.
I can sometimes slither out of eating things, like the strawberries, or sometimes not, like the rice. It was also difficult when I recently attended a luncheon. I know the cook had done a roundabout check on the food allergies because shrimp and chicken were both offered....with rice. Eggs were completely avoided. Almonds were slivered onto the salad. It was a minefield. And being a small luncheon, unavoidable with being rude and that is a huge thing for me. I muddled through and went home with a pounding headache and some misery later in the afternoon.
Food allergies can also be wielded when i'm feeling malcontent. I was at a party where the hostesses did a very poor job mingling divergent groups of people and just overall it was not a good experience. At the end, they were passing out cookies as a favor...I bluntly said something like no, i wasn't interested, I'm allergic to eggs--completely meaning to make them feel bad. I have had only a twinge of regret over the comment because I truly believe that people should be more considerate of things like that (I also could not safely eat any of the food at the party) but...yeah. I shouldn't wield my food allergies as a weapon.
Either way, none of this is easy on me. I discovered that rice gives me an eczematous rash...ON MY FACE. Also on my leg but that's not as much of a cosmetic sacrifice. It probably explains why I could never get that patch on my leg to clear up. My face has always given me trouble, but has been remarkably clear in the last year or so...the thing about skin? 28 days to regenerate. Which meant that rash was here to stay. I also recently came home from a lunch where, once again, there was nothing I could eat, so I took a pill and powered through some broccoli salad and then remembered that i was allergic to grapes...the raisins in the salad were suddenly little bombs waiting to attack. I spent the afternoon curled up in bed in agony (grapes + eggs).
Nothing about this is easy. As always, it's a reminder for everyone to not take for granted that which we all frequently do...I am reminded on a daily basis how blessed I am to be able to walk and talk and move independently and have a family that loves me...so while I struggle to find anything to eat, it's generally not too much of a sacrifice. Most day. :)
In other news...I did successfully manage to go out to dinner the other night. I cannot remember the last time this happened. And granted, I brought home half of my grilled shrimp entree because I wasn't certain the glaze they put on it was safe (it was, i had the rest last night) but it was a success. I had massive anxiety the whole time my mom and I were out, but it was indeed a success.
Watch out allergy sufferers...pollen is creeping up on us all! (And it makes the food allergies worse, btw).
More recipes to come...I got pinterest to feed my need for allergen-free recipes. :)
but there's a little something that happened today which was totally disgusting and i had to share...i was at the salad bar at lunch. there is precious little that i can eat in the cafeteria except the salad, so that's where i usually head. i have my doubts about the ingredients in the salad dressing, but i'll get by. regardless of all that, i was waiting patiently behind someone who was in my way at the dressing end of the line and i noticed that as she poured the dressing on her salad, she smeared the ladle all over the hard boiled eggs she had placed on her salad. my eyes about bugged out as i watched her do this three more times (also mind boggling at the calories she just dumped on that previously healthy salad!). it was indeed the dressing i was about to use but i chose something else. but holy cow! if i were anaphylactic, she just contaminated the ladle and also the entire salad dressing by putting it back in the tub.
like i said, mind boggled, eyes bugged. i mentioned something later to a friend and she was surprised that eggs are even allowed on the salad bar anymore and i made the comment that no one's thought about it. you don't think about things like that unless you have to.
speaking of, i just read a fabulous (for me) book called Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life, by Sandra Beasley. she's got the long list like i do, but unfortunately gets the throat-closing, etc anaphylaxis symptoms. Just like I can't eat yeast, which eliminates an unbelievable amount of food, she can't eat dairy. She talks about things like a college roommate eating cheese pizza and talking on the phone. Sandra then picks up the phone and gets hives from the oils left on the phone. That's what came to mind with this lady with the eggs in the cafeteria today (Sandra also mentions the perils of the college cafeteria--too true!).
Regardless, what i loved about the books is that I don't feel so alone in the world. When you have a *list* of food allergies, it can be very traumatizing to go out. She mentions things like having friends at weddings to swipe food off her plate; she had a friend who had a cupcake specially made for her so she could eat cake at that bride's wedding. I have friends with whom I regularly can eat food and trust them so that i don't have to read all the food labels--they're the ones with whom I spent Christmas Eve and also Easter.
It's unbelievable sometimes the tricks I have to implement. Sometimes I can get away with freely admitting to allergies--that happened at a wedding i went to recently, where the cake was served with chocolate covered strawberries. The groomsman sitting next to me asked how I could possibly pass up on a chocolate covered strawberry and I laughed it off, "Easy, I'm allergic!" to which he responded with something like how that was a good reason. Early at this same wedding reception, however, I felt compelled to eat rice. I could eat the fish and green beans and be totally fine with food, but a friend of mine passed me the risotto in a well meaning attempt to make sure I could eat whatever I could. It was okay, I had taken a pill in a preemptive move and damn, was that good risotto, but it came with sacrifice.
I can sometimes slither out of eating things, like the strawberries, or sometimes not, like the rice. It was also difficult when I recently attended a luncheon. I know the cook had done a roundabout check on the food allergies because shrimp and chicken were both offered....with rice. Eggs were completely avoided. Almonds were slivered onto the salad. It was a minefield. And being a small luncheon, unavoidable with being rude and that is a huge thing for me. I muddled through and went home with a pounding headache and some misery later in the afternoon.
Food allergies can also be wielded when i'm feeling malcontent. I was at a party where the hostesses did a very poor job mingling divergent groups of people and just overall it was not a good experience. At the end, they were passing out cookies as a favor...I bluntly said something like no, i wasn't interested, I'm allergic to eggs--completely meaning to make them feel bad. I have had only a twinge of regret over the comment because I truly believe that people should be more considerate of things like that (I also could not safely eat any of the food at the party) but...yeah. I shouldn't wield my food allergies as a weapon.
Either way, none of this is easy on me. I discovered that rice gives me an eczematous rash...ON MY FACE. Also on my leg but that's not as much of a cosmetic sacrifice. It probably explains why I could never get that patch on my leg to clear up. My face has always given me trouble, but has been remarkably clear in the last year or so...the thing about skin? 28 days to regenerate. Which meant that rash was here to stay. I also recently came home from a lunch where, once again, there was nothing I could eat, so I took a pill and powered through some broccoli salad and then remembered that i was allergic to grapes...the raisins in the salad were suddenly little bombs waiting to attack. I spent the afternoon curled up in bed in agony (grapes + eggs).
Nothing about this is easy. As always, it's a reminder for everyone to not take for granted that which we all frequently do...I am reminded on a daily basis how blessed I am to be able to walk and talk and move independently and have a family that loves me...so while I struggle to find anything to eat, it's generally not too much of a sacrifice. Most day. :)
In other news...I did successfully manage to go out to dinner the other night. I cannot remember the last time this happened. And granted, I brought home half of my grilled shrimp entree because I wasn't certain the glaze they put on it was safe (it was, i had the rest last night) but it was a success. I had massive anxiety the whole time my mom and I were out, but it was indeed a success.
Watch out allergy sufferers...pollen is creeping up on us all! (And it makes the food allergies worse, btw).
More recipes to come...I got pinterest to feed my need for allergen-free recipes. :)
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
cheesy biscuits
Now you all know that i love to make bread that I can actually eat. I also love cheese. when you combine the two, all the better!
These were a big hit at Easter dinner...
These were a big hit at Easter dinner...
1 Container of Pillsbury
Grands Biscuits (original called for flaky layers…really?)
1 8oz package of
mozzarella
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan
Cheese
1 tsp. Oregano/Italian
Seasoning
1. Open biscuits and
flatten. Preheat to 350.
2. Cube mozzarella into
approximately 2” chunks. (I had some left over which I grated and used instead
of the parm)
3. Place 2-3 cheese
chunks on flattened biscuits and seal well. Place seam side down on baking pan.
4. Brush with olive oil
and sprinkle with parmesan and Italian seasoning (I used garlic powder).
5. Bake at 350 for
approximately 15-20 minutes until golden and firm.
Now, as you might expect, some cheese leaks out depending on how well you sealed them. I had cheese leak out of nearly all of mine, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Trimming and eating melted cheese was a delightful part of this. As such, I think flattening the biscuits and creating a crater in the middle to give you more dough to create a seal with will probably be an avenue I explore in the future.
They are, rather obviously, best served warm.
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