Okay so today I want to talk about how having food allergies makes you or your kid special in a not always so special way.
It can make you feel alone and singled out. Not only do you have the frustrations of the food allergies themselves, but then you have to constantly tell people no you can't eat the same thing as them, you can't do the same activity, you can't, you can't.
Did you know one of the main reasons diets fail is because it ostracizes a person from their peers....You can't eat out with them, drink with them(if you drink) you can't go get ice cream together...people don't want to be left out.
So what do you do when you have no choice? When being like everyone causes hives, itching, belly problems or even worse....risk of death?
First realize it's food and food does not need to define you.
Secondly find other things to do!
Thirdly find a way to make safe food that EVERYONE can enjoy.
Try being open with your friends and family so that they can find thing that are safe for you! Most people really will want to help!!!! And they might not be comfortable asking questions.
We do eggs with tiny army men in them for Easter instead of candy. I volunteer to make a food for every single class party and event. Gabe and another boy in his class LOVE that there is always something they can have and that no one else realizes is special for only them. I try my hardest to match anything the class does. (not always easy, but always inspiring!)
So basically what I'm trying to say is...it isn't always so special to be special. It can make you feel bad, but even when it's not always fun remember that it's making you a stronger person, it's teaching you to be responsible for what you do, for what you eat and to be considerate of others. It is making you a strong, intelligent, amazing person! And when all else fails, go pick up some treat that is pre made and that are safe for you to eat and enjoy like everyone else ;)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Sad news.
A lot of crazy and sad news in the world of allergies.
A sad mistake that could cost a girl her life...
14-Year-Old in Coma after Suffering Peanut Allergy
A very very weird allergy I've never heard of before....
N.Y. Girl, 9, is Allergic to Cold
A sad mistake that could cost a girl her life...
14-Year-Old in Coma after Suffering Peanut Allergy
A very very weird allergy I've never heard of before....
N.Y. Girl, 9, is Allergic to Cold
Taco shells
Add vegetable oil (or your oil of choice as a corn sub) to a pot or frying pan until there is 3/4 to 1 inch of oil. Heat the oil up to about 250 degrees F.
Place one tortilla into the oil, making sure it is completely submerged momentarily. The tortilla will float to the top of the oil once it begins frying.
Use a fork to hold the bottom half of the shell down in the oil and use another fork to fold the tortilla in half. Hold the top half away from the bottom half and allow the shape to set as it cooks.
Turn the shell over in the oil after about 30 to 60 seconds. The half of the shell that was out of the oil is now submerged and the part that was in the oil is now out of it. Continue to use the forks to hold the shape of the shell as well as to hold the bottom half under the oil.
Test if the shell is done after another 30 to 60 seconds has passed. If it has not hardened yet, continue to hold each half of the shell under the oil for as long as it takes to become crispy. Make sure to turn the shell so that each half gets equal time in the oil. (Or else one half will be crispy and the other soggy!)
Remove the shell from the oil and place it onto a plate or pan covered in paper towels. This will drain the shell of excess oil and allow it to set to its final crispiness.
Repeat these steps for as many shells as you wish to make.
Recipe for tortilas if you don't have any that are allergy free for you.
•3 cups all-purpose flour ( for this I'm gonna use 2 3/4 cups white rice flour with maybe a teaspoon of flax seed meal to give it a more normal textrure
•2 tsp. baking powder sub (baking soda and tartar sauce)
•1 tsp. salt
•2 Tbsp. lard or shortening (I always sub equal parts of butter in baking it changes the textures, but taste wise is great or you can use bacon drippings)
•1 ¼ cup lukewarm water
Read more: How to Make Handmade Flour Tortillas | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2034682_handmade-flour-tortillas.html#ixzz1HQkSfokE
In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
Using a pastry cutter or 2 table knives, cut the lard into the flour mixture. Keep cutting the fat into the flour mixture until the dough starts to look like cornmeal crumbs. Make sure that the flour and fat are evenly distributed.
Add the water to the flour mixture in ¼-cup increments. Using a large wooden spoon or your hands, make sure to thoroughly incorporate the water after each addition.
When you have added all of the water, the dough should come together in a fairly stiff and smooth dough.
Once the dough is finished, cover the bowl with a slightly damp towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes in a warm place.
Once the dough has rested, evenly sprinkle a small amount of flour onto your work space. Spread a small amount of flour onto your rolling pin as well.
Turn out the dough onto the work space and sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough.
Knead the dough for approximately 2 minutes to make the dough smooth and pliable. The dough should not stick to your hands.
Form the dough into a roll shape. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll each portion into a neat ball.
Line the balls on a floured sheet pan and cover the balls with a few slightly damp towels. Set the sheet pan in a warm place to let the dough rest for approximately 10 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, sprinkle more flour onto your work surface (if you need more flour to keep the dough from sticking to the surface) as you roll the balls out.
Take 1 ball of dough and roll it out to a thickness of 1/8-inch. When rolling the balls out, roll 2 to 3 times one way, then turn the dough a quarter turn and roll an additional 2 to 3 times. This ensures that the tortillas stay as round in shape as possible.
Once you have rolled one tortilla out, store it under a towel so that the dough doesn't dry out.
Heat a large cast iron pan or tortilla griddle over medium heat. Heat the pan for at least 5 minutes before cooking a tortilla on it. This ensures that the tortilla will cook evenly.
When the pan has been pre-heated, place a tortilla onto the dry heated pan. Almost immediately, the tortilla will develop bubbles on the surface. Once you see these bubbles, flip the tortilla over and press down with a large spatula.
After approximately 15 seconds of pressing, flip the tortilla again and press again. The bubbles on the underside should have started to brown.
Once both sides of the tortilla have browned bubbles (and this should not take longer than 1 minute), take the cooked tortilla off the pan and store it under a kitchen towel. The towel will absorb the steam from the tortilla, but will keep humidity near the tortilla which ensures that the tortilla will not dry out.
Continue cooking the remaining tortillas.
You can store the tortillas under a towel until it is time to serve them.
Got the frying part from here
Read more: How to Make Homemade Taco Shells | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2054535_make-homemade-taco-shells.html#ixzz1HQgNzpH4
Tortilas recipe (before alterations)
http://www.ehow.com/how_2034682_handmade-flour-tortillas.html
Place one tortilla into the oil, making sure it is completely submerged momentarily. The tortilla will float to the top of the oil once it begins frying.
Use a fork to hold the bottom half of the shell down in the oil and use another fork to fold the tortilla in half. Hold the top half away from the bottom half and allow the shape to set as it cooks.
Turn the shell over in the oil after about 30 to 60 seconds. The half of the shell that was out of the oil is now submerged and the part that was in the oil is now out of it. Continue to use the forks to hold the shape of the shell as well as to hold the bottom half under the oil.
Test if the shell is done after another 30 to 60 seconds has passed. If it has not hardened yet, continue to hold each half of the shell under the oil for as long as it takes to become crispy. Make sure to turn the shell so that each half gets equal time in the oil. (Or else one half will be crispy and the other soggy!)
Remove the shell from the oil and place it onto a plate or pan covered in paper towels. This will drain the shell of excess oil and allow it to set to its final crispiness.
Repeat these steps for as many shells as you wish to make.
Recipe for tortilas if you don't have any that are allergy free for you.
•3 cups all-purpose flour ( for this I'm gonna use 2 3/4 cups white rice flour with maybe a teaspoon of flax seed meal to give it a more normal textrure
•2 tsp. baking powder sub (baking soda and tartar sauce)
•1 tsp. salt
•2 Tbsp. lard or shortening (I always sub equal parts of butter in baking it changes the textures, but taste wise is great or you can use bacon drippings)
•1 ¼ cup lukewarm water
Read more: How to Make Handmade Flour Tortillas | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2034682_handmade-flour-tortillas.html#ixzz1HQkSfokE
In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
Using a pastry cutter or 2 table knives, cut the lard into the flour mixture. Keep cutting the fat into the flour mixture until the dough starts to look like cornmeal crumbs. Make sure that the flour and fat are evenly distributed.
Add the water to the flour mixture in ¼-cup increments. Using a large wooden spoon or your hands, make sure to thoroughly incorporate the water after each addition.
When you have added all of the water, the dough should come together in a fairly stiff and smooth dough.
Once the dough is finished, cover the bowl with a slightly damp towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes in a warm place.
Once the dough has rested, evenly sprinkle a small amount of flour onto your work space. Spread a small amount of flour onto your rolling pin as well.
Turn out the dough onto the work space and sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough.
Knead the dough for approximately 2 minutes to make the dough smooth and pliable. The dough should not stick to your hands.
Form the dough into a roll shape. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll each portion into a neat ball.
Line the balls on a floured sheet pan and cover the balls with a few slightly damp towels. Set the sheet pan in a warm place to let the dough rest for approximately 10 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, sprinkle more flour onto your work surface (if you need more flour to keep the dough from sticking to the surface) as you roll the balls out.
Take 1 ball of dough and roll it out to a thickness of 1/8-inch. When rolling the balls out, roll 2 to 3 times one way, then turn the dough a quarter turn and roll an additional 2 to 3 times. This ensures that the tortillas stay as round in shape as possible.
Once you have rolled one tortilla out, store it under a towel so that the dough doesn't dry out.
Heat a large cast iron pan or tortilla griddle over medium heat. Heat the pan for at least 5 minutes before cooking a tortilla on it. This ensures that the tortilla will cook evenly.
When the pan has been pre-heated, place a tortilla onto the dry heated pan. Almost immediately, the tortilla will develop bubbles on the surface. Once you see these bubbles, flip the tortilla over and press down with a large spatula.
After approximately 15 seconds of pressing, flip the tortilla again and press again. The bubbles on the underside should have started to brown.
Once both sides of the tortilla have browned bubbles (and this should not take longer than 1 minute), take the cooked tortilla off the pan and store it under a kitchen towel. The towel will absorb the steam from the tortilla, but will keep humidity near the tortilla which ensures that the tortilla will not dry out.
Continue cooking the remaining tortillas.
You can store the tortillas under a towel until it is time to serve them.
Got the frying part from here
Read more: How to Make Homemade Taco Shells | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2054535_make-homemade-taco-shells.html#ixzz1HQgNzpH4
Tortilas recipe (before alterations)
http://www.ehow.com/how_2034682_handmade-flour-tortillas.html
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Mmmm Noodle soup! (friends reference)
Soup.
Mmmmm. It's always good to have soup on a cold day!
Today I am making a bean and ham soup.
1 applegate farm ham (love this company!)
1 bag of mixed beans
1 kitchen basics broth (if you are allergic to corn you can't get the veggie stock! It has to be a meat broth)
4-5 cups water water
onion powder (or a small onion)
garlic powder
ground thyme
celery salt
Put it all in a crock pot (spices I normally do about a teaspoon of each but spice to your tastes) on high for the afternoon. It's yummy and super easy to make! Can't go wrong with something you can cook while you are not there!!!!
Mmmmm. It's always good to have soup on a cold day!
Today I am making a bean and ham soup.
1 applegate farm ham (love this company!)
1 bag of mixed beans
1 kitchen basics broth (if you are allergic to corn you can't get the veggie stock! It has to be a meat broth)
4-5 cups water water
onion powder (or a small onion)
garlic powder
ground thyme
celery salt
Put it all in a crock pot (spices I normally do about a teaspoon of each but spice to your tastes) on high for the afternoon. It's yummy and super easy to make! Can't go wrong with something you can cook while you are not there!!!!
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