Pumpkin Pancakes (Dairy and Wheat Free)

Wanna know what we had for breakfast this morning?  We're always looking for new breakfast recipes, and this one did not disappoint us!

Wanna know how to make 'em?
Pumpkin Pancakes

Combine in a large bowl:
3 1/2 cups brown rice flour

½ c ground flax**
1/4 cup raw sugar

1 1/2 TBSP baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt

In a separate bowl, stir together with a wire whisk:
3 cups water
2 cups pumpkin (1 can)
3 eggs
1/4 cup safflower oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.  (Not over-stirring pancake batter is the trick to fluffy pancakes!)

I did 1/3 cup at a time on my griddle preheated to 350 degrees.

This made 24 4-5 inch pancakes!  I froze half of them on a cookie sheet. Then I put them in a bag so they won’t be stuck together when I want to use them.

* Based on our egg free years, I think you could easily use 1/2 c flax mixed with 1/3c water and no eggs.

**You can omit this and use ½ c more flour if your prefer.  I find that flax just seems to really do well with brown rice flour.

This recipe is adapted from Elizabeth's recipe over at Yes They're All Ours. I just made it work for our allergies and it worked beautifully!

Wheat Free, Dairy Free Pancakes, Anyone?

Because starches (other than corn starch which I can't use here) are expensive and because I'm stubborn, I'm always trying to prove that recipes can work without the typically recommended 3:1 flour: starch ratio.  And on pancakes, I've done it.  Thankfully so, because I make pancakes at least twice a week here!

2 eggs
Enough water to get to 2 cups after eggs are in bowl... 2 eggs + water = 2 cups.
1/3 c oil


2 c brown rice flour
1/2 c sugar (I use turbinado)
1/2 c ground flax
1 T baking powder
1 t salt

Mix wets, add dries and whisk JUST UNTIL MOISTENED!  This will be a thick batter, more like a quickbread than bisquick. (Those pancakes below are 5/8" thick or so.) When I'm "pouring it," I use a spatula to help it move onto the skillet in the portions I want.  Let sit for one or two minutes and pour onto skillet (350 degrees here).  Flip when bubbles are popping or bottom feels firm when tested with a spatula. 

            

I get 12 5" pancakes from this batch.  If I overmix, they are rubbery and thinner (because I have to use single acting baking powder that is corn free).  But if I mix just enough and get them all on the skillet right in the first batch, they are perfect!  If you have to do two batches, just do your best to stir as little as possible in between.

 

Because everyone who has a food allergy kitchen likes options, here are some:

Omit flax, just cut water down by 1/2 c.

Omit eggs, just use 2 c water.

Use xanthan or guar as appropriate (I skip it and it's fine).

YUM!

You know...

You know you live in a food allergy house when this is all open in your frig at the same time.



Robert's, Jacob's, Lissa's, Mattie's

Yes! Great Gluten-Free Bread!

After 2 years of trying, I finally have a recipe worth sharing!  I've done this three or four times now and it's worked every time.  Best of all, Mattie likes it!

3c warm water

3 eggs

1/4c oil

6T honey (or sugar)

3 1/2c brown rice flour

1/2c ground flax

1c tapioca flour

1t guar gum

2 1/2t salt

1t baking soda

1 packet yeast

Preheat oven to 150-170 and turn off.  Grease loaf pans.  (This recipe yields 3 4x8 loaves for me.)
Combine and whisk all wet ingredients.  In small bowl, combine and stir (whisk or fork) together all dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk together quickly, stopping as soon as well mixed.  Immediately pour into loaf pans.  (It will be the consistency of a quick bread batter.)  Allow to rise in warm oven until half again as large at most.  With pans still in oven, turn oven on to 350 (mine cooks at 325 on convection) for 30 minutes.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes before cooling the rest of the way on cooling racks.

*I have also baked only one loaf and have frozen the other two until the day I was ready to bake.  In that case I took the frozen batter (frozen in the loaf pan) and set it out to thaw and rise.  Bake just as above.  This batter thaws out enough that you could freeze it in any container and pour it into the loaf pan to finish rising and baking.

*I use guar gum because it is cheaper than xanthan and easier to get my hands on.  It is also corn free, so it's safer for use in our kitchen.  You could easily use xanthan instead.  I think it would be 2T of xanthan gum.

*When I use the dark flax seeds, it adds color to the bread.  Mattie likes that it "looks like Jacob's bread!" so I'll keep doing it this way.

*Even if it does rise well, it will rise some as it bakes and still be just as good.  Don't think it's a failure!

*This bread stays fresh at room temperature for 3 or 4 days.

Ya' think??

 

He used the Avon body paint soap. I guess he's allergic to it!

Can I just say...

That I hate having to cook around food allergies???  

 

To cook a food that doesn't bother anyone I have to avoid dairy, soy, eggs, wheat, corn, and sugary and tomato based sauces.  If I'm counting all of the things that bother Jacob somewhat that require rotation... well, I won't even go there!

 

I'm happy to make healthy meals, but it's so hard to make an interesting meal (meaning one we've not had hundreds of times before!!) without major planning!!  I know I could leave the kids out, and they'd be happy to have peanut butter toast, but I feel like they need well rounded meals for dinner.  Plus, they survive on peanut butter already.  And I'm out of Mattie's bread.  And how do I raise kids who aren't picky if they never eat anything besides kid-friendly because I didn't cook two different meals each dinner??

All of those creamy casseroles and pastas look soooooooo yummy, but I know they'd be gross if I substituted all I'd need to to make them.  I'm just not good at that, though I try.  I wish cooking were my spiritual gift, but then I guess God wouldn't be glorified in my weakness.  I must say, He's not glorified by much of what I create anyway, weakness or otherwise.

 

It's just a drag sometimes!

But I want to do it and do it well!  Because I love my kids and husband and want them to feel well and be healthy.  I just want it to taste good too.

 

This is when I think it really wouldn't be bad to live in a kibbutz or some other close knit community.  I'll clean all the bathrooms in the compound, just don't make me cook! 

Baby steps in the kitchen.

All of a sudden over the past few days I've gotten this very strange wave of energy to tackle some baking challenges I've had since we moved into this house.  I've not really gotten a handle on our kitchen (meaning baking/cooking consistently) and have been feeling guilty about it.  But blissfully, a new energy and motivation to conquer a few things has replaced the guilt!  That's always exciting, isn't it??

I've spent a couple of days researching quite a bit as to the whys of gluten free baking.  I just can't remember things if I don't understand why they work the way they do.  If I understand why, it sticks and I remember to choose the right starch the next time the opportunity arises.

And I've been researching some ways to really bake safely for all 4 of us... just ONE batch of muffins, ONE batch of cupcakes, ONE cookie recipe, etc.  (If I make a wheat one and a rice one, we inevitably run out of one first... then Mattie has yummy muffins left and Jacob doesn't, then Jacob gets pancakes and Mattie gets muffins... Why can't I have pancakes?... Just eat what I fixed for you!  But I want pancakes like Jacob!  But you said you wanted muffins.  But I didn't know we had pancakes!   Any mother out there hear me????)    You can appreciate why I'd like to make just one recipe.  Lol!  I can get myself all worked up just typing that out!  I need to take a deep breath and count to 10.

So today I took the kids to the health food store when we were out picking up a prescription of compounded ibuprofen for Jacob.  (They are both still nursing the flu, so we're trying to stay away from people but are pretty sick of being house bound.)  Anyway, I got the ingredients I needed and came home to be productive.  Here's what I made successfully today:

Almond Milk in my SoyaJoy soy milk maker.  The kids actually both asked for glasses of it plain and drank it!

Strawberry banana creamy smoothies with the almond milk.

Thickened up extra smoothie and froze it to have "ice cream" for dessert!

Wheat free flour mix that is safe for all four of us (meaning free of wheat, egg, dairy, and corn).

Yummy banana muffins with that mix!

Mattie's bread, tweaked a bit with some of what I learned and it's great!  She hugged me and jumped up and down when she knew I was making her bread! :)

They loved everything I made.  I know that sounds weird to say that, but there are MANY, many times I have stood on my head to adapt a recipe, it has turned out really well, and they complain about it (because they are so used to eating the same old kid-friendly things, which isn't their fault).  So, I often lose my steam before I even find a recipe.

But tonight Mattie thanked Jesus for "our new almond milk that's like Grampa Harvey drinks and our yummy smoothie ice cream."

 

And Jacob and I even engaged in a conversation in which he showed sympathy!!

Jacob, after tasting the almond milk: Um, I think it's yummy.
Me: Okay.  (Thinking, better than many responses I get from him about new things!)  I'd like it if I can make it so it's really yummy for you.  Maybe I can figure that out.
Jacob: I know you try hard and it's hard for us to like things and be thankful for them.
Me:  I know you want to have new things like everyone else can eat, and I'm doing the best I can for you.  But when you ask for new things, I try and then you complain about things because they're different than you're used to, it makes me not want to try anymore. 
Jacob:  Yeah.  I can understand how you feel frustrated about it.  I would feel that way too.

I just thought that was a sweet way to end our day.  :)

Baby steps in the kitchen.

One of the best things I could have lost

In the chaos of the move, I lost the index card that had Mattie's (wheat-free) sandwich bread recipe on it. That first week I was frustrated as I needed to make her bread, but couldn't find it anywhere! I finally got desperate and tried to replicate it as best I could. I knew the ingredients, but wasn't sure about the ratios. So I based it on my wheat bread recipe. Well, I'm so glad I lost that old card! I've made bread three or four times since we moved in here and it's getting better each time! Today's batch was the best it's ever been.

Here's my recipe...

4c brown rice flour
1/2 c potato starch flour
1/2 c tapioca starch
1/2 c ground flax
1t salt
2T xanthan gum
3 packages yeast

2 1/2 c warm water
3 eggs
4T honey
4T oil
1T apple cider vinegar

I whisked the dry ingredients together, then added them to the liquids. I stirred it up by hand until it was well mixed, put 3 loaves in the warmed oven (turned off) with a few spritzes of water to let it rise. Waited till it almost doubled, then cooked for 25 min at 300 in my convection oven (cook at 325 if not convection).

It is so good! The texture is the most like wheat bread I've ever had. It's always exciting to have success in a food allergy kitchen!!

Our Natural Remedies for Flu Season

Ever have your bed taken over by sick kids??

I've had several people ask me lately what natural things I use when we get sick, so I thought I'd just put it all here for reference. Generally, I try to avoid antibiotics at all costs! For Jacob, we have to find a dairy and corn free antibiotic which proves to be a challenge, and Mattie has to have a dairy free one with no food colorings, which proves to be a different challenge! Not to mention that she ends up with rashes almost every time... you get the idea!

I will say, when my kids have strep, I go for the antibiotics. Because they can't always articulate how they are feeling and the contagiousness (is that a word?) of strep, I know I need to nip that in the bud right away. Sometimes, antibiotics are best and I do realize that. I just wait as long as I can before using them for the kids. And I'll have to be on my deathbed, I think, before I use them for me.

So, here are the things I keep in our cabinet...

Oregano Oil

Oregano oil is a natural antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal. I'm always sure to get an enteric coated product. It can give you heartburn if not. Also, all oregano oil is not the same potency, so look for a high percentage of carvacrol if you order a different brand. It is also sold as a liquid product. I WILL NEVER TRY TO TAKE THIS AGAIN! One drop... ONE drop was so potent it burned my mouth mixed into a 16 oz smoothie! No exaggeration. Not sure why anyone in their right mind would use the liquid form!

Garlic

Garlic is a natural antibiotic and antiviral. This product has parsley which makes it odor free. Jacob, Mattie and I have all taken this, and none of us has smelled like garlic yet! (I've seen this sold for anywhere fomr $3 to $10, so check your prices before ordering!)

Colloidal Silver
I don't use nearly as much as the guy who turned blue, but we do use it around here. I have a silver generator and mine is about 20 ppm. (The blue guy's was something like 700 ppm! It was also a different kind of silver.) We use it on skin, take it orally and gargle it. I have a lot of trouble with my throat when my allergies are bothering me, and I'm prone to strep. At the first sign of my throat starting to hurt I gargle with silver three or four times a day. No kidding, within 10 minutes of the first time, my throat feels better. I do it for several days just to be sure. I also did this recently when both of my kids had strep and I didn't get it!

Silver is a bit harder to get in the kids because they can't gargle, and it has a slight metallic taste. Both kids will drink in halved with juice if I make them. Robert and I just drink it straight. (I think it's way more tolerable than Pepto Bismol!) We inhale it using a nebulizer, rub it on the skin (for non skin issues as well), and use it as a nasal spray in addition to the gargle and swallowing. If possible, I get it as close to the problem site as I can. (i.e, eardrops for an ear infection, nasal spray for sinuses, etc.)

There is quite a controversy about the safety of silver. Use it at your own risk and do your own research! I read and read and read and feel good about what we're using. But after all I read, I'd be afraid to buy anything. It is VERY overpriced and not necessarily always what it says on the label.

Vitamin C
It speaks for itself.

Vaporizer
As soon as the weather gets cooler and we start running our heat at night, I get a vaporizer going, especially in the kids' room. It keeps our sinuses moist and avoids the chronic winter snottiness that we all wake up with otherwise! It also helps us wake up without sore, dry throats.

So to prevent illness (if we've been exposed or we've been at a playland or Dollywood!), I do one garlic and oregano each day. If I forget to start it and we end up sick, I do one garlic and oregano with each meal for day one, then breakfast and dinner days 2 and 3 and maybe 4, then just one a day for several more days. I do 7-10 days like I would for an antibiotic. (I also use the silver, but the pills are easier for the kids so sometimes I forget about it.) My plan is to do a maintenance dose (especially for the kids who don't complain until it's too late) through the entire flu season this year and see how we do. We've already been caught off guard early this season, so I need to stay ahead of it from here on out.

I do know the echinacea is also very helpful, but I'm allergic to ragweed so it makes me sneeze. I have never tried it with the kids.

Using these products above, we've treated urinary tract infections, strep, bronchitis, pinkeye, and an ear infection. And those are the things that were diagnosed by a physician. We have encountered other things that we've managed to head off at the pass before they were full blown. My goal this year is to remember the maintenance doses so we can kill it all before it manifests itself!!

If you google the products (not necessarily the specific brand I like), there is a wealth of information about them on reliable websites. Prescription for Nutritional Healing is a sort of Bible for me as well.

These are also a couple of good online places to order. If a product is sold by these guys, I trust it to be a quality product, though I almost always check other places to be sure I can't find it cheaper.
Vitacost.com
AllStarHealth.com
NEEDS.com (not necessarily the best prices)

And if your kids don't swallow pills yet, there are some ways to sneak them in. I taught Jacob with a "big gulp" of applesauce without telling him there was a (small) pill. Only after he had swallowed it did I tell him it was there. Mattie's just so darned independent, she just had to do it because everyone else did. We moved up from there and they are both champs, applesauce or water! (I know some people do it in chocolate syrup too.)

---------------

There are a few random things I have noticed when treating our illnesses with natural remedies that I wanted to pass on too!


Rest really does matter! There is a reason they laid in bed for a week with the sniffles in the old days. Our body needs it.

The sicknesses seem to run the same course, just much more quickly.

I have the most success when I catch something very early and treat it with a few different things.

These natural remedies seem to be a bit more effective on bacterial infections. Viruses sometimes seem to have to just run their course, though I think this makes them a bit lighter.

Best Wishes for a Healthy Flu Season for your family!

September Camping

Our September was so busy, I am way behind on a few things I've wanted to share! We went camping with our good friends one weekend, now I don't even remember when. And we just went to a local campground so we could be at church on Sunday morning. Our friends have a camper, so we did have the luxury of our own potty, shower, microwave and frig (essential with my kids allergies). But we chose to sleep in our tent for the kids' sake. We camped last year in Destin for a week, but that was in the camper so it didn't really feel like camping.



My kids both had their first S'mores! They also enjoyed roasting their own hot dogs for dinner.


Mattie's had EnjoyLife Chocolate Chips (dairy free for her), a regular marshmallow and New Morning Grahams.


Jacob's had New Morning Grahams, the EnjoyLife Chocolate Chips and Ricemellow Cream (corn and egg free marshmallow fluff like stuff).


They loved sleeping in the tent! They both slept very well after the initial excitement of the first bedtime.


These guys were visitors we saw more than once! Our campsite was huge and we ended up getting to camp in the woods about 100 feet off the road. We saw raccoons too!


Swinging with Daddy at the playground!


Not sure what she's so deep in thought about, but she sure is cute! She spent all weekend covered in dirt... about which she was very happy.

Mattie and Dum Dums

Mattie has always been a lollipop lover. And I've always offered lollipops maybe more than the average mother, because I buy the good organic ones that are all natural so they are safe for Jacob. When we were headed to Florida in August, we were almost out of our Jacob safe lollipops, so I bought a bag of Dum Dums for Mattie so she wouldn't be using up Jacob's supply. (I have to order them online.)

I didn't notice it while it was happening, but several weeks after this Robert and I were talking about her behavior kicking back up into high gear again. It seemed like we were going backwards and recovering ground we'd already conquered. She was getting more defiant, strong willed, ugly, and less self entertaining. She was also giving us bedtime fits again. But we just figured it was a phase.

I had ordered more lollipops for Jacob, but continued to give her the Dum Dums because she loved the flavors. After a week or two I realized they really are full of junk and she would just have to get used to the others again. They have quite a few more flavors than they did originally, so she'd just have to take it or leave it. (I packed up all the Dum Dums and have them ready for someone to pass out for Halloween.) Somewhere in the middle of this thinking about candy being unhealthy for her, I had some random thought about her behavior time line and was getting very eager to see her a week away from Dum Dums. Hmmmmm...

Well, it's been about ten days now and I have to say our delightful little girl is back! She's playing with toys independently, reading books for herself, verbalizing instead of dropping to the floor in one second flat while melting down, playing well with Jacob (instead of being nasty just to get a rise), asking cheerfully for things she wants, accepting the answer "No" without major conflict, etc. Now, she's not perfect by any means, she's TWO! But she is sure a different child! I think she feels better too.

The Dum Dums were the only diet change in there. And she was having 2 or 3 a day on average. We were doing Benadryl some that was probably contributing to the cycle as well. And I do remember a time in the past when I've given her Fruit Loops for a snack (like bought a box and she consumed most of it). And I remember thinking that I thought they made her cranky so I didn't buy it again! I guess there really is something to this!

Here are the Dum Dum ingredients:
Sugar, Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Salt, Artificial Flavor, Color Added (Includes Red 40, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Blue 1)

Here are the ingredients in Yummy Earth Lollipops I order on Amazon:
Organic Evaporated Cane, Juice, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Non-GMO Citric Acid, Organic And Natural Flavors (Watermelon, Lemon Oils, Pomegranate, Orange Oils, Raspberry), Organic And Natural Colors, Red Cabbage, Purple Carrots

There are definitely days that I'm thankful for my kids' food allergies (not saying Mattie is allergic to these, though). If it weren't for my experience with them, I'd be feeding them all sorts of horrible things with no attention paid to food-behavior connections. I do get tired of the inconvenience of it all, but that lack of convenience has served as protection for my kids' health. That is priceless.

Allergy Free Banana Muffins

I actually made muffins this morning that both of my kids can have... and they taste good!

I decided to try one more time before I gave up. I didn't have the heart to make muffins that one of them couldn't have.

Here's what I did based on my favorite recipe that always works...

Whisk (or sift) together in small bowl:

2c brown rice flour

1/4c tapioca starch

1/4c potato starch

2t guar gum

1t salt

1t baking soda

Mix together:

1 1/2 c raw sugar

1/2 c shortening

6T ground flax (or 3 beaten eggs)

2c mashed banana (could substitute 15 oz pumpkin and spices on can, or applesauce and cinnamon)

Add dry to wet and stir just until moistened. Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes for loaves, 25-30 minutes for muffins.

Even better cookies!

I had to make more cookies today, because we ate so many we didn't have enough for the kids luncheon tomorrow. This time I altered the recipe a bit with better results. These were softer and not as greasy (I cut the fat in half).

Here's the recipe for "Egg /Dairy / Corn Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies:"
1/2 c + 1T margarine, softened (or 1 c shortening)
3/4 c white sugar (I used turbinado)
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
2 t vanilla

2 1/2 c all purpose flour (I used fresh ground soft white flour)
1/2 c oats
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt

2 c chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for convection). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add applesauce and vanilla .Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, powder and salt; gradually mix into the creamed mixture. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven, until light brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

I will say, if you can tolerate dairy, use butter instead. Nothing is as good as real butter in chocolate chip cookies.

I made good cookies!!!

I realize that is nothing to celebrate in the average kitchen, but in my life, it's a very big deal! If you don't remember my last attempt at chocolate chip cookies, see here. But look what I made today!!

These are egg free, dairy free, corn free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and they are yummy and not flat as a pancake! Woohoo!! Last time I tried for wheat free too, but that was too much for one cookie! So this time, I found a recipe that is originally made with shortening, used applesauce and baking powder for the eggs, added a bit more flour and some oats to bulk them up and they are great! They are greasy, but I think that's just the shortening. (I think next time I'll cut it down some.) I'm just happy to make cookies that look like something non-allergy free!

Here's the recipe for "Egg free Dairy Free Corn Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies:"
3/4 c shortening (originally 1c)
3/4 c white sugar (I used turbinado)
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
2 t vanilla

2 1/2 c all purpose flour (I used fresh ground soft white flour)
1/2 c oats
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt

2 c chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add applesauce and vanilla .Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, powder and salt; gradually mix into the creamed mixture. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, until light brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

I will say, if you can tolerate dairy, use butter instead. Nothing is as good as real butter in chocolate chip cookies.

Hamburger buns!!

I made homemade hamburger buns! Jacob has never had a bun before, hot dog or hamburger. He's never cared, actually.

But there is a teenager at church who has some food allergies, and his mother has had a hard time fitting "baking from scratch" in her schedule. And one thing she said they had no success finding was buns, so I gave them a try. I was so excited at how they turned out! Next time I will do a couple of things differently to get them to be taller, but all in all, I was pretty pleased with my success.

I kept half of the batch for Jacob to have at home, and he enjoyed his first one today with a ham and cheese sandwich. He was so excited! Later on I was taking a picture and said, "say cheese!" He said, "I love my ham and cheese sandwich on my new hamburger bun that you made for me and Aiden!" (Not the best phrase to catch a smile, but it was cute!.)

Chocolate chip cookies - the thorn in my flesh

Well, just being real here...

Generally, I really do okay with my kids' allergies. (Mattie-dairy and wheat; Jacob-corn, dairy, and eggs) I don't like it, but hey, we don't have leukemia. Today is one of those days I have about once a year or less. I'm so frustrated!!! I don't love to cook to begin with, but food is such a major deal at our house it's even worse than normal.

I've been trying to cook meals that we can all eat as a family, but it's so hard! We have very few options...
~marinades and dressings ALL have corn in them b/c of the vinegar (and homemade ones are nasty)
~casseroles all have "cream of ..." soups and are out for dairy and corn (Can't make my own b/c there is no corn free bouillon.)

Plain grilled chicken with ketchup on it just gets yucky after awhile. Well, after the first bite. So then I give up. And then I feel bad that my kids are eating the same boring things they always eat. And that Robert is eating boring food too (though he never complains). Planning our weekly meals just reminds me how complicated it is to make a "normal" meal for my family...one where we all eat the same thing.

I've been trying to bake some things that we can all eat...that means corn free, egg free, wheat free, and dairy free. The problem is that it means substituting a lot of ingredients and they just flop! Since I don't like to bake to begin with, I really hate it when I try and blow it so bad! Generally, it makes me feel like a terrible cook. I know it's not my fault that egg-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, corn-free chocolate chip cookies are hard to bake, but that is no consolation when I pull a crumbly, greasy flop out of the oven for the fourth time. It's even worse when I consider the cost of the ingredients that just got wasted! (Dairy-free corn-free chocolate chips are $5.69 per bag! Not to mention the pecans and organic raisins.) And the worst part?! Jacob complains that they are yucky!!!!! (Now, I've eaten several of them this morning. They are not yucky. Messy? Yes. Yucky? No.) I give up!

So here I sit venting to my cyber family (after talking to the Lord), crying all the while because food is such a high stress factor for me some days! I still have all the dirty dishes from my baking failures on the counter and in the sink. And nothing good to show for it. So, not feeling much like the warm fuzzy Proverbs 31 woman this morning.

I am reminded of a few things though...
~The fact that I don't like to bake is not my imagination.
~Egg-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, corn-free chocolate chip cookies are not possible in my kitchen.
~There is a reason we cook with wheat, butter and eggs.
~This is not going away.
~David (in the Psalms) does not address food allergies.