I’ve said it before, I’m a huge fan of the Chicago Diner.  www.veggiediner.com  (Where I can eat free of worry and also have a huge variety of foods/drinks to choose from.)  Since Bradley moved to New York last year, we haven’t been back to Chicago or the Chicago Diner.  I’ve been craving the Chicago Diner.

In stepped my friend Kimmy to the rescue.  Last month, she introduced us (Kevin and Bradley were with me) to the restaurant that was able to satisfy that craving – right here in Michigan!  Let me introduce ‘Marie Catribs’, located in Grand Rapids’ Eastown.  We arrived at the restaurant and found a table outside. Our server was great.  We told her I was allergic to dairy, egg and wheat and that Bradley was allergic to egg and wheat.  She listed all of our food options. She also suggested we go into their deli area; where they had many of their offerings in a deli case, clearly labeled regarding food allergens.  We went inside.  While looking everything over, Kimmy saw the owner and asked if he could also offer some suggestions.  He went through the menu, detailing each sandwich or salad and it’s ingredients.  He offered to come outside to our table to take my order himself, if I would feel more comfortable with that.  I told him that wasn’t necessary; his wait staff seemed very well-versed in their menu items.  (I’m always a bit of a basket-case when I go to a restaurant for the first time; I think he sensed it. lol)

We went back to our table and ordered. I chose the ‘Russian’.  A turkey sandwich drizzled with vegan Russian dressing and topped with Marie’s (vegan) coleslaw – all served on a gluten-free, vegan, rye bread.  (With a dill pickle on the side.) The sandwich was awesome; I enjoyed every bite.  After I polished off my sandwich, I dug into my slice of vegan/gluten-free chocolate cheesecake. Yum.  Kevin had a BLT, Bradley the Russian (with Swiss cheese) and Kimmy, a Reuben.  They also ordered dessert:  g-f, vegan chocolate cheesecake and peanut butter pie.  While we were eating; the owner came to our table to ask if everything was alright.   We said yes, thanking him for his concern and also for serving food that allows people with food allergies the opportunity to enjoy a meal out.

He then told us this story about his mother.  Years ago, before the term gluten-free had been coined and certainly before cooking without gluten could be researched online, a diner came into their restaurant mentioning they were unable to eat gluten.  It bothered his mother, Marie, that someone who’d come to her restaurant hoping to enjoy her food, now felt excluded because of their dietary limitations.  She made it her mission to learn to bake gluten-free bread she could serve her customers – and she succeeded!  They serve dishes with meat as well as vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

If you’re in the Grand Rapids area, check out Marie Catribs.  They offer a sit down restaurant, along with outdoor seating during the warm months, as well as a deli with take-out.  Check out their website for a look at their menu.  www.mariecatribs.com  Be sure to read their “about” section for a nice bit of history on Marie and the restaurant.

I forgot to take a picture of my Russian sandwich, which was definitely picture worthy.  I was so excited to try it, I just started eating.  I did take a picture of the cheesecake.  No worries, I will be returning to Marie Catrib’s and I will take a picture of my entrée as well as my dessert.

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                 

 These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know? Just read your labels! Do your research!)

 

Today’s post is about two articles I’ve recently read.  I’m including links to both of the articles, I’m also including a few partial quotes from each article.  These are partial quotes – not complete quotes so I would really like it if you can take the time to read each article.  They are both short reads, so it shouldn’t take too much of your time.  Reader feedback would be great, so please feel free to comment.

On July 18, 2018 I saw an article at vitals.lifehacker.com entitled, ‘Does Almond Milk Deserve to Be Called “Milk”?’, by Beth Skwarecki.  In part, it states “The dairy industry has been fighting for years to get the ‘word’ milk off the likes of almond milk cartons.  Meanwhile makers of non-dairy milks say that being able to call their product what they like is a free speech issue.”  The author then writes, “…it seems like a silly fight.  The FDA Commissioner has correctly pointed out that almonds do not lactate.  On the other hand, nobody thought they did.”  She also points out how the word milk has been used to describe “…whitish liquids that don’t necessarily come from mammary glands.”  She finishes with, dairy milk and plant-based milks are nothing alike, nutritionally.  Please see link for complete article. https://vitals.lifehacker.com/does-almond-milk-deserve-to-be-called-milk-1827718641

A week later, curious to see what more had been written on this subject;  I found an article at cbsnews.com titled, ‘Label change for plant-based “milk” could boost dairy industry’, by Kate Gibson (July 27, 2018) In it, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is quoted as saying the labeling of plant based products as milk could be causing “consumer confusion”. He then lists instances of illnesses caused by children being given plant-based milks instead of dairy milk. Danone North America rebuts, saying “…both dairy and plant-based products are clearly labeled with nutrition facts consumers can use…”.  (Danone North America sells both dairy-derived and plant-based products.)  Please see link for complete article.  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/label-change-for-plant-based-milk-could-boost-dairy-industry/

I’m not sure what to think of this.  Is the general public really unable to wrap their minds around the difference between dairy-derived milk and plant-based milks?  Are they really that confused?  Do people really think whether they are drinking a plant-based milk or cow’s milk, that they are receiving comparable nutrients?  Maybe I don’t get it, because growing up I had a best friend who lived on a dairy farm and as an adult, I now live in another farming community where I literally have four dairy farms within a five mile radius of our house.  So, I know there’s a difference between cow’s milk and plant-based milk.  I also want to mention that although I am now dairy-free, I wasn’t always.  From little on, I was a lover of cows’ milk. All three of my kids drank whole (cow’s) milk starting at the age of one year.  I was the mom who insisted my kids always drink whole milk while they were growing up.  (Our family doctor couldn’t stress enough, the importance of giving our kids whole milk with its’ high fat content, which is just want growing kids’ brains need.)  Once the kids were in their late teens, we switched to 2% milk; a real adjustment for myself, Kevin and the kids.

I only started buying plant-based milks because of mine and Abby’s allergy to dairy milk.  We have cow’s milk in our refrigerator (Kevin drinks it), right beside my almond and cashew milks.  I worry if I’m getting enough calcium and vitamin D in my diet because of the lack of dairy in my diet.  I took a nutrition class to learn what I can eat to replace the nutrients I’m missing because of my non-dairy eating habits.  So, to think people are confused – that we have to remove the word “milk” from plant-based products  (which are used as a milk alternative) because people are unable to know the difference between the different milks; I wonder if they’re just not giving us enough credit. Will a name change make a difference?

What do you think?

Thanks for stopping.

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know? Just read your labels! Do your research!)

 

 

Giving a big “shout out” to acknowledge Celiac Awareness Month. While I don’t have Celiac Disease, I do eat a wheat-free/gluten-free diet (as well as dairy-free and egg-free).  I find that information regarding Celiac Disease is helpful for anyone living gluten-free.  I’ve attached a link, which explains Celiac Awareness Month.  It also has a description of Celiac Disease and lists some activities and events for May.   http://www.whathealth.com/awareness/event/celiacawarenessmonth.html

In keeping with Celiac Awareness Month, I’m also posting an NPR article titled “When Going Gluten-Free Is Not Enough: New Tests Detect Hidden Exposure”.  (Thank you Tim, for sending me this informative, yet, somewhat distressing article.)  This article is a must-read; whether or not you, or a loved one, is living gluten-free.  It sheds some light on the fact that although an individual is eating gluten-free; there are new studies suggesting there are far greater incidences of gluten exposure than ever realized.  It is a very eye opening and somewhat alarming article.  If this is happening with gluten-free products, the food industry’s “darling”; where everyone is tooting their “gluten-free horn” – what’s happening with other foods that claim to be free of certain food allergens?  How closely are food manufacturers really watching for cross contamination, etc. in the lesser known food allergies?

When we first started living gluten-free at our house, it was hard to find gluten-free foods.  I had to learn to cook and bake gluten-free from scratch, unable to buy pre-packaged mixes and products.  Over the years, I’ve lightened up a little and buy some pre-packaged items, but for the most part I still cook/bake from scratch.

When I do pick up something in a box – I read, read, read my labels.  (http://veganwithasideofbeef.com/index.php/2018/02/28/read-read-read-your-labels/)  While reading the ingredient label, I also look for one of two statements below the ingredient list:  “May contain trace amounts of…”  OR “Manufactured in a facility that also processes foods containing…”.  If either of those statements names any of my food allergens, I put it back on the shelf.  Cross-contamination is real and it’s not worth the headache, literally or figuratively.

Check out the article below.

When Going Gluten-Free Is Not Enough: New Tests Detect Hidden Exposure

April 3, 20188:00 AM ET

JILL NEIMARK

For the 3 million people in America (myself included) with celiac disease — an autoimmune disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten — culinary life is a series of intricate leaps, accommodations and back-steps. We peer at labels, know the difference between “gluten-free” and “certified-gluten free” and keep a dedicated set of dishes and pots at home to avoid contamination by flour dust, crumbs of bread and bits of pasta indulged in by family members or roommates.

Even so, there are regular mishaps — like the gluten-free Cheerios that weren’t, or the news this past February that Chobani had recalled almost 85,000 cases of Flip Key Lime Crumble yogurt because they contained gluten, even though the containers were labeled gluten-free.

But now, two worrying new studies suggest that accidental gluten exposure, even among celiacs following a gluten-free diet, may be far greater than we ever realized. A February study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at gluten exposure detected by two new tests, one for urine and the other for stool. The tests detect peptides of gluten that make it through the digestive tract intact in all of us. (Nobody completely digests gluten, but most individuals don’t have an adverse reaction to the undigested molecules).

Amounts of daily gluten in a regular diet can soar as high as 7,500 mg on average for women, and 10,000 mg on average for men. For celiacs, the recommended limit for safe consumption of gluten is a mere 10 mg a day — any more than that tiny amount can trigger symptoms, and if exposure is ongoing, intestinal damage. That’s because in celiac disease, gluten triggers an autoimmune response that damages the intestinal lining and impairs absorption of nutrients. The study, which examined data on individuals from two different clinical programs, found the average amount of gluten consumed on a gluten-free diet was 244 mg (by stool analysis) or 363 mg (by urine analysis).

“This study reflects what many celiacs experience in real life,” explains analytical chemist Jennifer Sealey-Voyksner, one of the study’s authors. “I was diagnosed with celiac in the early 2000s and even on a gluten-free diet, I was still getting sick. I began to actually analyze my own food using mass spectrometry techniques, and I found out that some of the gluten-free pastas I was eating, and even a body wash I was using, contained gluten.”

In another study last year, the urine test for gluten exposure found that an astonishing 45 percent of children and 48 percent of adults on a long-term gluten-free diet were nonetheless being exposed to measurable amounts of gluten.

The results go a long way toward explaining the decades of reports showing that somewhere between 30 and 50 percent of patients with celiac disease and on a gluten-free diet still have damaged intestines that have not fully recovered — even in the absence of obvious symptoms. That raises their risk of numerous health problems including infertility, osteoporosis and bone fracture and even lymphoma.

“This analysis rocked me to the core,” says dietitian Tricia Thompson, who founded Gluten Free Watchdog, a site that offers education and gluten-free food testing and sometimes wrangles with the FDA or corporations to press for stricter oversight.

“If the gluten levels reported in this analysis are reasonably accurate and can be corroborated by additional studies,” says Thompson, “this raises so many questions — such as, how good is our counseling of celiac sufferers, and how often are they being exposed through cross-contact?”

Cross-contact can start at the farm, where gluten-free crops might be grown adjacent to, or rotated with, gluten-containing crops. It can also occur anywhere down the line in processing, packaging and shipping. When Thompson reported the study on her Facebook page, which has over 17,000 followers, worried comments spooled out, ranging from concerns about airborne gluten from the bakery section of supermarkets, to cross-contact from wheat-eating family members, to a report from one woman with a gluten-detection dog able to reportedly detect down to 1 part per million (the dog alerted her to gluten on her shopping cart). A lament from one person with celiac disease seemed to sum it up: “There is no safe place in this world for a celiac. It breaks my heart.”

If individuals with celiac disease want to know whether their diets are compliant, the bowel and urine tests are now available for home testing, without a prescription, from a company called Glutenostics. It is recommended that a patient work with his or her doctor and a dietitian to interpret results and get subsequent counseling. The urine test, says Glutenostic’s managing partner, organic chemist David Winternheimer, is probably not sensitive enough to detect inadvertent exposure to gluten.

“You have to eat 500 mg of gluten, or about two bites of bread, for the urine test to be positive,” says Winternheimer, “and most people on a gluten-free diet don’t get that much.” Instead, the urine test is recommended primarily for caregivers and parents who want to be sure their children are adhering to the diet, especially when away from home.

The stool test, in contrast, requires only 50 mg of gluten (roughly the amount present in a dime-sized bundle of breadcrumbs) and can measure intake accumulating over several days. The stool test is unlikely to catch a low-level, one-off cross-contact event, but could be useful for detecting highly contaminated food or ongoing consumption of low levels of hidden gluten. “If you are concerned that you have been regularly exposed to cross-contact from gluten over a period of days,” says Thompson, “you may find the stool test useful.”

Winternheimer confirms: “Patients who are symptomatic and not sure if the cause is gluten, or patients whose bloodwork still tests positive for gluten exposure, may want to utilize this test.”

If the stool test is positive, an audit of possible sources of exposure is in order — from other household members to foods or medicines that may contain hidden sources of gluten. “A dietitian may choose to have patients keep detailed food records,” says Thompson, “that can be used alongside the results of stool testing to help determine possible sources of exposure.”

For Jennifer Sealey-Voyksner, these results point to the fact that a gluten-free diet may just be inadequate as a solitary treatment option for many individuals.

“I just got ‘glutened’ yesterday at a restaurant,” she says. When she ordered a sandwich on gluten-free bread at her regular deli, a new person in the kitchen mistakenly used regular bread. Several bites in, she started to experience symptoms — “brain fog and some cramps,” as well as other gastrointestinal distress, she says, knocking her out of commission for another day.

“I’m one of the more sensitive folks,” she says. “It doesn’t take very much gluten for me to show symptoms. There is a great need for more accurate tests to measure gluten in foods, as well as therapeutic drugs, either to work alone or in concert with a gluten-free diet.”

This is their link:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/04/03/598990638/when-going-gluten-free-is-not-enough-new-tests-detect-hidden-exposure

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know? Just read your labels!)

 

 

“…A shared meal is a social event where thoughts, experiences and emotions are shared.”  (Gillian Crowther)

Recently, Kevin and I hosted a fish fry at our house on a cold Lenten Friday night.  Getting together for fish on the Fridays during lent is something we’ve done for years with my sister, Darlene, her husband Tom and their kids. We take turns going to each other’s houses; if you’ve got fish in the freezer, bring it over – same goes for french fries, mushrooms and onions.

At our house, Kevin fires up the deep fryer outside. (Michigan weather permitting.)  We all go in and out of the garage, to chat and maybe have a beer while the food cooks.  As one batch comes out of the fryer; someone runs it into the garage, where we have a table set up waiting for the food, putting it in a dish lined with paper towel.  Everyone wanders in and picks up whatever is fresh out of the fryer; choosing to stand and eat with their fingers – even though I’ve got paper plates and utensils setting on the table.  There’s a feeling of camaraderie we all share as we do this.

Then, food allergies came into play.  The breading we were using on the fish, mushrooms and onion rings contained wheat.  Later as the food allergy list grew, tartar sauce and coleslaw (both made with mayonnaise) also became forbidden for some of us.  We made adjustments.  We cooked some of the foods in the house, in its’ own oil with a gluten-free flour – which didn’t quite do the job, but was an honest effort.  Darlene went above and beyond, making salads, finding salad dressings that all of us could eat.  She picked up a gluten-free pancake mix and suggested we try breading the fish, mushrooms and onions in it. It was very good.   A couple of years we even tried grilling or baking the fish to eliminate the need for breading.

But, this year, Kevin just really wanted to have a regular fish fry again.  I told him I would make the tartar sauce and coleslaw with “Hellmann’s Vegan – Carefully Crafted Dressing and Sandwich Spread”. (https://www.hellmanns.com ) I would pick up some gluten-free panko to try as breading since I can no longer find the pancake mix that Darlene had used before.

Bradley, who was home that weekend, mentioned to Kevin and I that he enjoyed a good fish fry, but was always a bit disappointed at having to cook our foods in the house while everyone else hung out in the garage or by the fryer.  Not only were we away from the others  while cooking in the house; our foods were almost always done before everyone else’s. He and I both agreed it’s a drag cooking our foods separately and having to eat different food than everyone else.

This year, Abby took care of that situation for us.  She brought a box of Zatarain’s “Fish Fri Crispy Southern”.  (https://www.mccormick.com/zatarains ) We erred on the side of caution, only breading some of the foods which would go in the deep fryer with the Zatarain’s; not sure if we would like it. (Everyone liked it.) Bradley and I still cooked our fish in the kitchen, but were able to reach in and grab a mushroom or onion ring from the same dish as the others.  Such a simple act, yet it felt good to be a part of something larger.

If we, as adults, can feel a bit “left out” in a situation like this, how do kids feel in a similar situation? How do elementary age kids feel when they can’t eat a birthday treat that the rest of the class is enjoying?  Sending in enough cupcakes for everyone and also a small fruit or vegey tray allows everyone to have a snack together without drawing too much negative attention to anyone.  (Ask the teacher or the child’s parent if you’re not sure what you should send.) This also can be tough for teenagers.  When Bradley and Abby were in high school; they mentioned more than once, that every team/classroom meal or reward seemed to revolve around pizza, sub sandwiches, pasta or ice cream.  They didn’t expect, nor want, these rewards to be eliminated because of their food allergies.  They just wanted their food allergies acknowledged, and if possible, a substitution offered.  Some of the teachers did just that, and ordered them a large salad when the class had pizza or subs.  Bradley’s cross country coach and his wife, prepared everything gluten-free for him at their week-long team camp.

The simple act of sharing food is more important to all of us than I think we truly understand.  No one likes to feel “left out”.

“Good food is all the sweeter when shared with Good Friends.”   (gimme some OVEN)

 

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                

 These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know? Just read your labels!)

 

The movie Peter Rabbit, recently released in theaters, is causing a bit of a stir in the food allergy world.  I have not seen the movie, but several weeks ago I did see multiple online articles about it.

Apparently there’s a scene in the movie where blackberries are used as a weapon.  One of the movie’s characters, Mr. McGregor, is allergic to blackberries.  In an effort to get into Mr. McGregor’s garden, Peter Rabbit and his forest friends intentionally shoot a blackberry into Mr. McGregor’s mouth with a sling shot.  This causes an anaphylactic response and the need for an epi pen.  You can see one of many articles on this scene at (www.newyorker.com – then search: The Real Problem with Peter Rabbit’s Allergy Scene.) Or you can just google peter rabbit movie food allergy and you’ll find plenty to read.

Some have called for a boycott of the movie saying it is food bullying.  (www.cnn.com – then search: Parents Boycott Peter Rabbit Movie over Food Allergy Scene.)  Others have retorted with – I’m summarizing here: “…there are larger injustices in this world to get indignant about, leave the poor rabbit alone…” (www.telegraph.co.uk – then search: Peter Rabbit food bullying)  I will add here that Sony has issued an apology regarding the scene.  (www.nytimes.com – then search: Sony apology)

I am not advocating a boycott, nor am I saying there shouldn’t be one.  I do want to say, I am bothered by this.  This scene may have been done all in the name of “slapstick comedy” – something many of us were raised on.  In fact most of us have laughed as a piano has been dropped on someone.  But we also have to admit that the likelihood of a piano falling on someone in real life is quite low.  Someone getting sick, or worse, dying as a result of food allergies – that happens.  I think my biggest complaint here is that it trivializes food allergies.  I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen people roll their eyes when I tell them my kids and I have food allergies.  These people can be acquaintances or someone assisting me in a store or taking my order in a restaurant.  I believe many honestly think we are making it up.  A while back I read an article in a magazine entitled something to the effect of “The Things That Annoy your Food Server.”  In it, they actually listed “Telling your server you have food allergies.”  They really did!  Our food allergies are being viewed as an annoyance, not a real and serious issue. That tells me right there, someone is not taking food allergies seriously and it’s more than a few people.    Attitudes like this don’t help any of us with food allergies.

Okay, I will get off of my soap box now and get to the topic of this week’s post.  I actually decided a few weeks ago, after seeing all of this news about the Peter Rabbit movie that this incident would be a nice way for me to open up a dialogue about another hotly debated issue:  Food Allergy versus Food Intolerance/Sensitivity – What should we call it?

First off, let me clarify, no one in my family experiences an anaphylactic response when eating their offending foods. My children experience GI troubles, hives, headache, fatigue, and low grade fever, when consuming their offending foods. I experience three day migraines. Below you will see I’ve copied one source explaining the difference between allergy and sensitivity along with it’s link.  I also have a link below the first link that is very informative, but way too long for me to copy into this post. I have found, the more I search, the majority of sites list anaphylaxis as the key component in saying whether or not someone has food allergies; whereas GI troubles (bloating, gas, diarrhea, stomach pain, stomach ulcers), signal food intolerance/sensitivity.  You can call it what you want, but I’m calling it as I see it, and that is an allergy.  I was told my kid was allergic to ragweed & grass when her head got all stuffed up and that her brother was allergic to penicillin when he broke out in hives after taking it.  Neither had an anaphylactic response to those things and yet they called it an allergy.  (How many of you have seen the red wristband on someone in the hospital to alert hospital staff to a drug allergy?)  So why don’t we call this a food allergy? I suppose what we call it really doesn’t matter.  If what you are eating is having a huge negative effect on your life; causing you to stay home from work or school, cancel your plans to go out or have friends over, end up in the bathroom or your bed sick for hours, then it really doesn’t matter what you call it; it just needs to be addressed!   This being said, I will continue to refer to our issues as food allergies – as I have since starting this blog.

If you or a loved one has food issues, please don’t let people trivialize them.  They are real.  They are having a negative impact on your life.  Don’t let someone make you feel silly because of this.  You don’t owe anyone an apology because you cannot eat their food or because you’ve brought your own food.  Advocate for yourself and/or your loved one – you ARE worth it!

Heads up here: One of my editors (Brent) informed me that I need to expand on this whole Food Allergy vs. Food Intolerance/Sensitivity debate in a future post.  He said one post cannot do this topic justice.  So be on the lookout for that.  And in the name of transparency, while I’m sure I’ve just impressed all of you with the fact that I have multiple editors; I should mention my editors are my children (Read: unpaid/Mother guilt????) This is a dubious honor which has been bestowed upon them all because – I’m the Momma!  In all seriousness, they (as well as their significant others) all truly do their part in helping me with this blog – and I thank them.  And I owe special thanks to my husband, Kevin, who endures more than you will ever know as a result of veganwithasideof beef.com (“Are you done taking pictures of our food yet? I’d love to eat it while it’s still warm.”) Last but not least, I thank all of you for supporting me, reading, sharing and commenting on my blog!  We’re all in this together.

Another editor request was for Dad’s Hasenpfeffer (Rabbit) Stew recipe to finish out this post.  Brent can have a bit of a skewed sense of humor – something he gets from both his parents.  While our 3 kids were growing up, rabbit hunting was an almost weekly event at our house during rabbit season.  That meant we had a lot of rabbit meat. This stew was always a favorite of the kids on a cold winter day. (Me? Not so much. I’m not a wild game fan – I’m just not.)  Don’t forget to check out the 2 links below the recipe.

Kevin’s Hasenpfeffer (Rabbit) Stew

This recipe is one of those that you have to “eyeball” when it comes to your ingredients.  Kevin would do up rabbits as he got them so he usually did up 1 or 2 rabbits at a time.  He couldn’t really can’t give me any exact amounts on the veggies and mushrooms.  I’ll give you this recipe using one rabbit.

You will need:

• 1 wild rabbit, skinned and cleaned with all meat cut off bone.
• Potatoes (cut into chunks)
• Carrots (cut into chunks)
• Mushrooms (cut into chunks)
• Onion (diced)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2-3 bouillon cubes
• 3-4 cups of water
• Rice flour and potato starch to thicken broth

Boil rabbit slowly in water and bouillon (boiling slowly helps tenderize the rabbit).  After it’s been boiling for a while, add veggies and mushrooms.  If the water has boiled down quite a bit, you can add more water. When veggies are soft, thicken broth with rice flour and potato starch.

Serve warm.

When Kevin had a lot of rabbits he would can this stew in quart jars in our pressure canner.  Pressure canners are tricky things so I’m really not comfortable giving out a recipe using a canner.  I can tell you that his recipe can be easily converted to canning with it.  If you have a pressure canner, and want to try canning rabbit stew, please refer to the instruction booklet you received with your canner finding the section regarding canning meats and stews. All pressure canners are different and I am not qualified to instruct you on canning with your pressure canner.

These are the links I mentioned:

Physical reactions to certain foods are common, but most are caused by a food intolerance rather than a food allergy. A food intolerance can cause some of the same signs and symptoms as a food allergy, so people often confuse the two.

A true food allergy causes an immune system reaction that affects numerous organs in the body. It can cause a range of symptoms. In some cases, an allergic food reaction can be severe or life-threatening. In contrast, food intolerance symptoms are generally less serious and often limited to digestive problems.

If you have a food intolerance, you may be able to eat small amounts of the offending food without trouble. You may also be able to prevent a reaction. For example, if you have lactose intolerance, you may be able to drink lactose-free milk or take lactase enzyme pills (Lactaid) to aid digestion.

(http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/food-allergy/expert-answers/food-allergy/faq-20058538)

This is a good site:

https://www.avogel.ca/blog/allergy-and-intolerance-find-out-the-difference/

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know? Just read your labels!)

Wow, what a whirlwind week!  Bradley and Tim came home this past week.  They came bearing gifts; which makes sense since they were home to (finally) celebrate Christmas with all of us.  (Such is the life of those working retail and living out of state.)  Along with gifts, they brought chocolates – and my inspiration for this week’s blog.  They had boxed chocolates; two boxes, one of which was just for me! I haven’t eaten boxed chocolates in over 6 years.

My chocolates came with “Dear Coco  be transported by chocolate” printed in blue on its black cover. www.DearCoco.com   This box, with its’ beautiful blue organza ribbon made my heart swoon.  I LOVE chocolate and have always appreciated tasteful product presentation.  I’m the girl who enjoys a beautifully wrapped package almost as much as the gift itself.  I carefully slid the ribbon off the box and slowly removed the cover.  Oh my, the smell was intoxicating.  I removed the protective paper covering the candy.  What a sight to behold.  Some of the prettiest candy I’d ever seen.  Yes, I am getting emotional.  For crying out loud people, we’re talking about someone who has been living with a sea of chocolate floating all around her and she has been stuck in the middle on a deserted island with nothing but fruit.  I savored every moment of this unveiling.  I breathed in the heavenly aroma, looked over the little “key” or “map” or “index” cards they enclosed in the box identifying the different chocolates.  (I actually went to ask.com to get an official name for these cards; there is none.)

Next I did what I believe most of us would do, if we could, when eating a box of chocolates.  I picked up a piece of candy, took a bite out of it; enjoyed it thoroughly and put the remaining half back in its’ place in the box, to enjoy later.  I did this about eight times, smiling and laughing as I did it.  It’s crazy how much I enjoyed this.  I had no idea how much I’d missed the sheer act of eating boxed chocolates.  I can also tell you this made me think of my dear friend Dee, a fellow chocolate lover.  She was famous for taking bites out of multiple candies and putting them back if she didn’t like them – even though we were all sharing that same box of candy.  It was a given this was going to happen, there was no use in complaining. LOL

I have to tell you, over the next four days I ate about ¾ of that box.  I can’t really name a favorite, although the Belgian Chocolate Velvet, Peppermint Powerball and Tahiti Lime all stand out in my mind.  The Tahiti Lime – that was a nice surprise.  I can honestly say I did not find one bad piece of candy.  That’s a bit surprising to me because we’ve all taken a bite of the chocolate covered jelly whatever it is piece of candy and wished we could put it back and choose a different one.  With this box that never happened, I liked them all.  While some of the flavor combinations seemed a bit unusual, they really paired nicely.

The four day visit was filled with family, fun, our Christmas dinner of roasted chicken and vegetables, mashed potatoes and stuffing, a Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland visit and a trip to Whole Foods.  www.wholefoodsmarket.com  Yes, for us, Whole Foods is a “destination stop”.  We enjoyed a glass of wine as we wandered through the aisles.  I picked up foods I usually don’t try along with some of my everyday staples.  I took a picture of the new foods I purchased, so if I like them I will remember what they were.  I’ll be trying these foods over the next few weeks and will let you know if I’ve found something I will buy again or if I had to throw it out.

So now we all know where we can find good chocolates for our family and friends with dietary restrictions (unless they have a nut allergy) and/or those choosing a vegan lifestyle.  Thanks Tim for doing the research for us and for the box of candy. Below you will see pics of my box of chocolates.  Check out their website.

 

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

I want to talk about something many of us probably don’t think about.  It’s the fact that when dealing with food allergies, it’s not just what we eat that can cause problems for us; our personal care products can also cause trouble.

Case in point:  I was at the store looking at body washes and saw one that looked a little more “natural” because it didn’t appear to have much – if any – dye in it. (It was a Softsoap Luminous Oils Body Wash.  Sorry, I don’t remember which specific one it was, I only took a picture of the ingredients list and didn’t even think to take a picture of the front of the package.)   I flipped open the top to smell it.  Okay, I could handle that smell on my body.  Now, look at the back for ingredients.  Holy Crap!  They actually put nonfat dry milk in this body wash!!!

I have to be honest; the fact that they put milk in a body wash is not a surprise to me.  Several years ago I read an article on the practice of different food products being added to some of our personal care products.  After reading the article, I read over the ingredients on my body wash, shampoo, conditioner and hand and body lotions.  The body wash, shampoo, conditioner and hand lotion were good – as far as I could tell. (I will note here that the FDA does not require manufacturers of cosmetics and personal care items to list if they contain a top 8 allergen www.kidswithfoodallergies.org. )  My body lotion was another story.  I gave away 6 tubes of very nice body lotion – which contained milk – to 2 of my sisters.  I then went to the health store and picked up a vegan body lotion, “Nature’s Gate” Lotion – Vegan / Non GMO Fragrance Free.  www.naturesgate.com.   Lesson learned there.

Next fact:  Not every package – whether food or personal care product is going to list the food ingredient as obviously as the Softsoap product did.  (Thank you Softsoap for at least making it easy for me to see you added milk to your product; not that I’m thrilled about it.)  There are so, so many ways to say wheat or milk or egg, etc…I cannot even begin to tell you right now.  Luckily I’ve found someone that has put together a short list.  www.kidswithfoodallergies.org .  If you go to their home page, then to their menu, click on Living With Food Allergies, then click Allergens.  They list 7 allergens.  Click on the food you want to research and they will give you instructions on how to read a label for that specific food and will also list some of the ways you may see it on an ingredient list.  While this list does not cover all of the ways to say, for example:  milk; it does give you an idea of what to start looking for.  Over the years I’ve checked out a lot of sites trying to find all of the many ways you can say milk, egg or wheat.  I am working on compiling that list and hope to get that to you soon.

Last thing I will mention is that the FDA also does not require that prescriptions and over-the-counter medications list if they contain a top 8 allergen, such as milk.  I discovered this the hard way 2 different times last year after taking prescription antibiotics.  After taking the prescription medicine for 7 days, I started going into what I recognized as my “dairy migraine” symptoms.  It starts with lower neck pain, my ears “feeling” plugged and ringing in my ears.  Then I go into a migraine.  A day and a half into it, I put two and two together.  As I lay in my bed with a throbbing, blinding headache, my neck and upper back going into spasms, feeling nauseous, aching all over and running a low grade fever I talked with the pharmacist who told me – after she did some research – that my antibiotic actually contained LACTOSE.  She told me, the drug manufacturers put it in to help it “go down a little easier” when we swallow the tablet.  Seriously, they do that.  Well, I stopped taking the medication and rode out my migraine for another day and a half.  The fever and nausea passed.  My neck and upper back spasms settled down after 5-6 days, the achy feeling after about 2 weeks.  Two months later I was put on a preventive medication and 9 days into it the familiar symptoms kicked in.  I called the pharmacy and was told after they looked into it, that this too contained lactose.  I asked her to please list all of my food allergies in ALL CAPS in my file.  I now research every medication before I will start taking it.  My pharmacist is also very diligent about watching my prescriptions.  Find a pharmacist who will actually take the time to look into this for you.  If they can’t be bothered, find another pharmacy.

I’ve added 2 pictures at the bottom of this post.  These are just to give you an idea of what you are going up against when reading labels for personal care items.  The first is of the body wash containing milk.  The second is of a lotion which contains wheat germ.  I gotta be honest, I wasn’t 100% sure about wheat germ. I figured I would never want it in anything I eat or use because my problem is actually with wheat, but I wasn’t sure about the gluten.  I came home from shopping and looked it up.  I’ve put what I found under the picture of the lotion for those of you that have a problem with gluten.  (Picture quality not the greatest, I was standing in the store aisle taking these pictures.)

nonfat dry milk on the last line of ingredients

Does Wheat Germ Contain Gluten? | LIVESTRONG.COM

https://www.livestrong.com/article/248866-does-wheat-germ-contain-gluten/

Gluten is a protein that naturally occurs in wheat, rye and barley products, and it can cause intolerance in some individuals, leading to various symptoms of illness. … To do this, it’s critical to know which foodscontain gluten, and wheat germ is a food that must be eliminated in a gluten-free diet.

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

When I tell people my kids and I have food allergies and then I explain our reactions to certain foods, they usually say, “I had no idea food could do that to someone.”  It’s that statement that makes me feel it may be helpful if I give you some background on my kids’ and my own allergic reactions.  Maybe you or someone you know has had a similar experience and didn’t realize it could be food related.

Today I’ll start with the first kid.  In early 2003 our oldest son, then 14, began having daily stomach pain.  The pain wasn’t horrible but definitely enough to make him miserable whether at home, school, practice or his part-time job.  We had no idea what was making him sick. This continued for months – he turned 15; winter turned to spring, his stomach pain got worse.

Mother’s Day weekend he went on a school service project.  He came home nauseous and in severe pain.  He told us the pain had actually knocked him down to his knees at one point.  We took him to ER and they kept him in the hospital for three days.  Every test came back showing nothing.  They sent him home and we followed up with our primary care doctor.  He was referred to a gastroenterologist who removed his gallbladder, but had no relief from his symptoms.  More than a year passed with still no answers.

The pain continued with some days worse than others; weekends by far the worst. By this point I had reached the end of my rope.  I didn’t know if I wanted to cry because I felt so bad for him or just scream in frustration.  No one could give us any answers!  I found a website that discussed food allergies.  I mentioned the site to my sister and she told me there was an allergist in East Lansing that did blood testing specifically for food allergies.  We made an appointment.  They did the blood work and also had him do the “Caveman Diet” http://www.dividecreekent.com/forms/forms1/CAVEMAN%20DIET.pdf. Basically it’s a 5-7 day diet where you eat only fresh fruits, vegetables and meats.  Generally after 5-7 days you feel better, and then you reintroduce the foods you’ve not been eating to see if you will feel miserable again.  (Sounds fun doesn’t it?)

They diagnosed him as being allergic to wheat, corn and soy.  (He does not have celiac sprue.)  After getting his diagnosis I made the connection.  He liked sandwiches, pasta, baked goods, sports drinks, pizza, corn chips, popcorn and candy – all the foods every teenager loves. I took a look at the lunch he packed every weekend when he worked 6-8 hours on a farm.  It consisted of 3 sandwiches (that’s 6 slices of bread!), a cereal bar, chips, an apple, and a couple cookies.  He also drank one or two sports drinks.  Yes, that’s a lot of food – and no, this is not an exaggeration.  The kid had an amazing metabolism and was super active.  It was crazy to think about the sheer amount of wheat and corn he was eating daily, not to mention the overload on the weekends! He had to cut all wheat, corn and soy from his diet.  This was tough, but I am happy to say that in a short amount of time he started feeling better.  We were thrilled the day he said, “I can’t believe how good I feel.  I just thought everyone had a stomach ache every day.”

I’d decided, when possible, I wanted all 5 of us to eat wheat, corn and soy free.  Making these food changes was not easy.  It meant spending a lot more time in the grocery store reading labels and a lot more money on gluten, corn and soy-free products.  I also spent a lot more of my time in the kitchen.  I can’t tell you how many disastrous meals I prepared for my family. I threw out a lot of food as the result of failed recipes.    Who knew that overcooked rice pasta looks and tastes a lot like the stuff we used for paper mache’ projects in elementary school?  (Not that I… ever actually ate the paper mache’ goop. lol)  Fresh baked gluten-free bread sometimes comes out shaped like and as hard as a rock.  Gluten-free cakes don’t always rise (birthdays were a bit of a downer for a couple years).  Gluten-free cookies will literally crumble as you take them off the cookie sheet, barely making it into your hands. I once baked a brownie mix that seriously looked like it was alive.  It kind of had a heartbeat (or it was breathing).  I baked it until it finally quit moving, which was about an extra hour.  We cut it and realized I had created brownie flavored gum.  We just chewed and chewed and chewed and…. After chewing a while, we threw it out; I was afraid it might damage our digestive systems.  I was getting frustrated.  I wondered if instead of buying anymore gluten-free products, it just might be easier to throw a $20 bill in the wastebasket; saving me time and grief.

Two years later while on summer vacation, I was in a health food store.  They carried the book “Gluten Free 101: Easy, Basic Dishes Without Wheat” by Carol Fenster, Ph. D. https://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-101-Basic-Dishes-Without/dp/1889374083

I bought and started reading it as soon as we got back to the cabin.  At 5:00 a.m. the next morning my husband woke to go fishing and found I was still reading; making notes in the book’s margins and in a notebook.  Dr. Fenster made cooking for food allergies seem simple.  She introduced me to xanthan gum – a key ingredient when baking with gluten-free flours.  (A rule of thumb is if you are using 1 tsp baking soda; add 1 tsp. xanthan gum also.) Although her book only addressed gluten-free cooking/baking, I at least had somewhere to start and could make substitutions for corn or soy if needed.  Reading Dr. Fenster’s book not only gave me recipes for gluten-free cooking, but also the confidence to keep trying new recipes and foods.  I still get frustrated.  I still have a fair number of baking fails, but I also make a greater variety of foods and we all enjoy eating again!

I use the following flour blend for baking.  It can be found on pg. 41 of “Gluten-Free 101: Easy, Basic Dishes Without Wheat”. (Find link above.)  All of the ingredients can be found in health food stores & some grocery stores.

Carol’s Gluten-Free Sorghum Flour Blend*

1 ½ cups sorghum flour (I use sweet sorghum flour)

1 cup tapioca flour

1 ½ cups potato starch or cornstarch (I use potato starch)

½ cup corn flour or almond flour or bean flour or chestnut flour

I use almond flour which can be expensive.  As Dr. Fenster suggests, I grind my own almond flour by grinding blanched almond slivers in a small coffee grinder.   Refrigerating the flour blend is recommended because it should be used within two months.  (I freeze mine because I don’t use it very quickly.)

*Makes 4 ½ cups

I’ve kept you here long enough.  Thanks for stopping by!

Brenda

p.s.: Next time I’ll have a cookie recipe using the above flour mixture and I’ll try to have pictures.  Everyone keeps telling me – “People love pictures!”

Disclaimer:                                

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know? Just read your labels!)