I'm not going to lie; traveling with a child who has multiple food allergies is not always easy. It takes a high level of planning and organization.
Vacationing at Walt Disney World, as we will be next week, is slightly easier because the restaurants are all well trained on how to handle guests with food allergies, food options based on what type of allergy a person has, and the importance of not cross contaminating when preparing a meal for someone allergic. We always have to speak with a chef or restaurant manager, and receiving our food tends to take a little longer because of the extra precautions they are taking. Of course, safety is our biggest concern, so we would never begrudge them that extra prep time, but sometimes it's frustrating when Ava is hungry or tired and all we want is a quick meal.
So that we do not have to eat every single meal at a restaurant and have flexibility to grab something quick for the rest of us, we travel with a lot of food for Ava. And sometimes we even travel with cooking apparatus, like Ava's toaster from home. One time Greg plugged the toaster into a gas station outlet so that we could make her a pb&j on the road. We were desperate and almost out of food that was safe for her!
It's always fairly easy to find fruit, which keeps Ava happy for a while until her next meal, but since we eat a high protein diet, I always want to make sure I have a few sources of protein on hand.Our regular packing list for travel includes these items: Justin's nut butter (Ava likes them all, but her favorites are chocolate hazelnut butter and almond butter), rice cakes, Kind bars (Cranberry almond and fruit and nut are Ava's favorites),and Lara bars (cashew cookie is what she likes best).I also usually pack Trader Joe's lentil curls, and/or these delicious rice chips. That way if we find a place that has a protein that is safe for Ava, like chili or hummus, she has something to dip with. Both also offer a little bit of protein, which is nice for a snack like that.
Lately, Ava, Greg, and I have been enjoying oatmeal a few times a week, and I was happy to find individual steel cut oat packages at Trader Joe's. We can make hot water in the coffee pot, add some nuts and seeds, and have a nice breakfast. This will be great on days when Ava wakes up early, or we have a late breakfast reservation.
Generally, we only book hotel rooms with a refrigerator (and at WDW, we can get one added to any room free of charge due to Ava's allergies) so that we can safely store food. This is helpful when we are able to get to a grocery store to pick up fresh fruit, vegetables, and some type of Applegate Farms lunch meat.
Yesterday Ava and I made granola. It was a fairly simple recipe: oats, raw cashews, almonds, and sunflower seeds, a bit of non-dairy "butter", and honey. After we baked it, I added a handful of raisins. It's delicious! I also threw together a simple trail mix with the same nuts and fruit as above, plus dried cranberries, coconut, and pineapple. It will be great to have both on the road and in the parks.
We are almost ready to go, and knowing that I have lots of safe food options available for Ava eases my mind, and allows me to enjoy all aspects of our vacation. Catch you on the flip side!
Friday, June 15, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Blackberry Syrup
At the Farmer's Market last week, we bought a container of blackberries. We all love berries, but Ava and I especially do. Unfortunately the ones we brought home were more tart than we liked, so I decided to find a way to incorporate them into a recipe that would bring their natural sweetness out. I settled on blackberry syrup. It was a simple enough recipe, as found here.
Of course, I had to change it. That seemed like a lot of sugar for a fruit that was already sweet, so I cut it down to 1/4 cup. I found it to be delicious! Unfortunately, the kids didn't love it, but I've been eating it ever since on my Greek yogurt or oatmeal with some nuts and seeds. I plan to try making some blueberry syrup when our bushes are producing plentiful amounts.
Of course, I had to change it. That seemed like a lot of sugar for a fruit that was already sweet, so I cut it down to 1/4 cup. I found it to be delicious! Unfortunately, the kids didn't love it, but I've been eating it ever since on my Greek yogurt or oatmeal with some nuts and seeds. I plan to try making some blueberry syrup when our bushes are producing plentiful amounts.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Foraging in my fridge, freezer, and pantry
Foraging is probably a mild exaggeration, but it caught your attention, didn't it?
For years, I've cooked dinner every night of the week. As my mother in law would call it, my cooking has always been "from scratchy", which means I make all my sauces and side dishes--no opening of a box or can for me. It's what I prefer ever since I taught myself to cook. I know that I feel better when I eat well, so of course the same principle must apply to my children and their developing bodies and brains.
Due to Ava's food allergies, we rarely go out to eat and almost never do take out. Vacation is the exception to that rule, and even though she has multiple food allergies, the fact that many restaurants are now offering gluten free options makes ordering for her while out a little easier. Once the gluten is removed, it's easy to determine what is dairy and egg free. While I always prefer small local restaurants to chains, often the chains are the ones that can guarantee her food safety.
But I digress. A few weeks ago, I came across a pin on Pinterest that led me back to this blog: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/. While the concept of real or whole food is not new to me, I always appreciate a kick in the pants and some new recipes.
My biggest challenge when it comes to real/whole food is snacks for my kids. It is infinitely easier to buy a bag of (organic) chips or pretzels than it is to cut up fruit, make popcorn or trail mix, or bake whole grain muffins. I'm a mom of three with a 20+ hour a week job, the desire to work out 5 hours a week, friends I love spending time with, volunteer commitments, and various other responsibilities both in and outside of my home. I've noticed that when I'm extra busy, I run to the grocery store more because I'm not planning and preparing ahead, and am instead flying by the seat of my pants. I hate that.
Especially in the summer, I knew I could do better, and so when I read the 100 days of real food blog, it was a good reminder. I skimmed the initial 100 day pledge, and then read most of the posts related to the 100 days of real food on a budget pledge. That was fascinating to me, because our grocery bill is our biggest bill each month. I want to change that, but haven't been successful in doing so. Sometimes my freezers are overflowing with food and yet I go to the grocery store and spend a couple of hundred dollars on more food.
Last week we had a teen aged friend of Noah's stay with us for 6 nights, so there was no way that was the week to implement my idea to get by with what we had on hand. This week was perfect because not only am I back to feeding our family of 5, but we are leaving for vacation on Sunday. I decided that I would try my best to make it through the week living off what was in our freezer, pantry, and refrigerator, and the fruits and vegetables we bought at the Farmer's Market.
The first night was the easiest because I had three Pyrex dishes frozen that contained different proteins: pulled pork, my famous chili, and a hamburger. Everyone got to choose what they wanted, and I served a tray of raw vegetables, sauteed kale, and oven roasted potatoes.
Our breakfast is usually pretty similar from day to day: eggs, bacon or sausage, oatmeal with syrup and nuts, grilled cheese for the boys, or Van's waffles or French toast sticks. I've come to rely on these frozen goodies a bit too much, and I do want to cut back so that they're more of a 1-2x a week thing. Baking for Ava is hard for me, so I don't do it often, but that's my goal for after vacation--to freeze some "safe" waffles, pancakes, and muffins for her. That way I can control what goes in them. I like to add nut flour, which I grind myself, use applesauce instead of sugar, and any other little tricks I can think of to boost the nutritional value of my baked goods.
So far this week I have made whole wheat bread in my bread machine, oat banana pancakes, and lemon blueberry pancakes. Both of them had healthy add ins like coconut oil, Greek yogurt, and nut flour. I'm well aware of the importance of protein, so when I can sneak it into carby foods, I'm very pleased with myself. The best part is that I had every ingredient on hand; in fact the blueberries were from one of our bushes!
We did run out of eggs and almond milk, and didn't have any meat or fish, so I made a quick stop into Whole Foods yesterday. I picked up the eggs and milk, a whole chicken that will make two meals, an onion, and some snacks for our trip. Now I will definitely be able to make it through until Sunday morning.
Dinner tonight was lemon basil chicken cooked in the crock pot, mashed potatoes, and sauteed vegetables (Brussels sprouts, zucchini, squash, onions, and cauliflower). Tomorrow the breasts from that whole chicken will be turned into a stir fry with a bag of frozen vegetables and served with brown rice. The next night I'll be making quiche for the boys, Greg, and me, and defrosting some meat balls for Ava. I'm even going to make my own pie crust, something I've never attempted to do since I find working with dough difficult. But I don't have a crust in my freezer and we have tons of eggs, cheese, and herbs, so quiche seemed like the best idea.
Our last night before vacation will consist of anything we haven't eaten by then. I love watching the refrigerator get more and more empty as the week goes on. I'm sure I won't feel this way the day after we return from vacation, but I am at least going to make sure we have a few items on hand so that we don't have to make a mad dash to the grocery store at 8am in order for the kids to eat breakfast.
Tonight the bread machine will be whipping up a multi-grain bread for the boys and in the morning Ava and I will be making some zucchini muffins just for her. Recipe to come.
For years, I've cooked dinner every night of the week. As my mother in law would call it, my cooking has always been "from scratchy", which means I make all my sauces and side dishes--no opening of a box or can for me. It's what I prefer ever since I taught myself to cook. I know that I feel better when I eat well, so of course the same principle must apply to my children and their developing bodies and brains.
Due to Ava's food allergies, we rarely go out to eat and almost never do take out. Vacation is the exception to that rule, and even though she has multiple food allergies, the fact that many restaurants are now offering gluten free options makes ordering for her while out a little easier. Once the gluten is removed, it's easy to determine what is dairy and egg free. While I always prefer small local restaurants to chains, often the chains are the ones that can guarantee her food safety.
But I digress. A few weeks ago, I came across a pin on Pinterest that led me back to this blog: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/. While the concept of real or whole food is not new to me, I always appreciate a kick in the pants and some new recipes.
My biggest challenge when it comes to real/whole food is snacks for my kids. It is infinitely easier to buy a bag of (organic) chips or pretzels than it is to cut up fruit, make popcorn or trail mix, or bake whole grain muffins. I'm a mom of three with a 20+ hour a week job, the desire to work out 5 hours a week, friends I love spending time with, volunteer commitments, and various other responsibilities both in and outside of my home. I've noticed that when I'm extra busy, I run to the grocery store more because I'm not planning and preparing ahead, and am instead flying by the seat of my pants. I hate that.
Especially in the summer, I knew I could do better, and so when I read the 100 days of real food blog, it was a good reminder. I skimmed the initial 100 day pledge, and then read most of the posts related to the 100 days of real food on a budget pledge. That was fascinating to me, because our grocery bill is our biggest bill each month. I want to change that, but haven't been successful in doing so. Sometimes my freezers are overflowing with food and yet I go to the grocery store and spend a couple of hundred dollars on more food.
Last week we had a teen aged friend of Noah's stay with us for 6 nights, so there was no way that was the week to implement my idea to get by with what we had on hand. This week was perfect because not only am I back to feeding our family of 5, but we are leaving for vacation on Sunday. I decided that I would try my best to make it through the week living off what was in our freezer, pantry, and refrigerator, and the fruits and vegetables we bought at the Farmer's Market.
The first night was the easiest because I had three Pyrex dishes frozen that contained different proteins: pulled pork, my famous chili, and a hamburger. Everyone got to choose what they wanted, and I served a tray of raw vegetables, sauteed kale, and oven roasted potatoes.
Our breakfast is usually pretty similar from day to day: eggs, bacon or sausage, oatmeal with syrup and nuts, grilled cheese for the boys, or Van's waffles or French toast sticks. I've come to rely on these frozen goodies a bit too much, and I do want to cut back so that they're more of a 1-2x a week thing. Baking for Ava is hard for me, so I don't do it often, but that's my goal for after vacation--to freeze some "safe" waffles, pancakes, and muffins for her. That way I can control what goes in them. I like to add nut flour, which I grind myself, use applesauce instead of sugar, and any other little tricks I can think of to boost the nutritional value of my baked goods.
So far this week I have made whole wheat bread in my bread machine, oat banana pancakes, and lemon blueberry pancakes. Both of them had healthy add ins like coconut oil, Greek yogurt, and nut flour. I'm well aware of the importance of protein, so when I can sneak it into carby foods, I'm very pleased with myself. The best part is that I had every ingredient on hand; in fact the blueberries were from one of our bushes!
We did run out of eggs and almond milk, and didn't have any meat or fish, so I made a quick stop into Whole Foods yesterday. I picked up the eggs and milk, a whole chicken that will make two meals, an onion, and some snacks for our trip. Now I will definitely be able to make it through until Sunday morning.
Dinner tonight was lemon basil chicken cooked in the crock pot, mashed potatoes, and sauteed vegetables (Brussels sprouts, zucchini, squash, onions, and cauliflower). Tomorrow the breasts from that whole chicken will be turned into a stir fry with a bag of frozen vegetables and served with brown rice. The next night I'll be making quiche for the boys, Greg, and me, and defrosting some meat balls for Ava. I'm even going to make my own pie crust, something I've never attempted to do since I find working with dough difficult. But I don't have a crust in my freezer and we have tons of eggs, cheese, and herbs, so quiche seemed like the best idea.
I will likely never figure out how to properly insert a picture!Our last night before vacation will consist of anything we haven't eaten by then. I love watching the refrigerator get more and more empty as the week goes on. I'm sure I won't feel this way the day after we return from vacation, but I am at least going to make sure we have a few items on hand so that we don't have to make a mad dash to the grocery store at 8am in order for the kids to eat breakfast.
Tonight the bread machine will be whipping up a multi-grain bread for the boys and in the morning Ava and I will be making some zucchini muffins just for her. Recipe to come.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Caught my eye
Tonight as I sit at work (shhhh) trying to pass the time, I find myself searching etsy for cute things. Here are some that I love.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/79307964/custom-personalized-name-backpack-zipper
http://www.etsy.com/listing/57401355/you-are-my-sunshine-11x14-fine-art-print?ref=af_you_favitem
http://www.etsy.com/listing/78640252/stephen-joseph-snack-sac-lunch-box?utm_source=OpenGraph&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share
http://www.etsy.com/listing/77787184/buy-2-get-1-free-grasshopper-headband?ref=sr_gallery_28&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=head+wrap&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fchildren
What has interested you lately?
Friday, August 12, 2011
Lake House
Last week we spent a few nights at a lake house about an hour and a half from home. We've never done a lake vacation
before, so we were all very excited about it. Our normal car trips are 6-8 hours from home, so the relatively quick trip to the lake was a welcome change for all of us.
These photos show the lake from a public beach that we visited our first day of vacation. We decided to go here because although there was an inlet outside the doors of our rental, it was kind of iffy looking. The water looked murky and smelled pretty gross. However, in my quest to be a good and fun mom, I jumped in on our last night and found out that the inlet was filled with mud. Even thinking about it now, a week later, I can still feel that awful slimy mud on my feet.
Our second afternoon, we went to Greensboro, GA, a very small town with a cute historic district that was all of about five blocks. We window shopped in fifth generation antique stores, got some ice cream from the Creamery, and then happily climbed back into our car and its cold a/c. Ava and Luke both fell asleep for the hour's drive to my cousin's home.
Now we're gearing up for the start of school. I can't believe that I will have all of my children in school full day THREE days a week! What will I do with myself? Well, shop, cook, clean, and work out. Not too exciting, but it sure will be nice to have a little kid-free time to myself.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Back...sort of
I've totally abandoned the blog because I was frustrated by certain links that were missing from the compose box. Links like add images and photos. After much frustration, I think that I've fixed the problem by creating a new gmail account specifically for this blog. I promise to start blogging regularly.
See you soon!
See you soon!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Chili
Chili happens to be one of the foods that everyone in the family absolutely loves. Because of that I rarely modify my tried and true recipe(below). However, on Saturday while at the gym, I watched a Barefoot Contessa show where she and a friend were making chili that looked divine. (recipe also below) And yes, I do watch cooking shows at the gym, so what? ;-)
Because it requires about five hours of prep and cook time, and I was rushing home so that Greg and Luke could go to a birthday party, I didn't make it last night, but I would have had I had the time! On their way home from the party, they picked up all the ingredients and after lunch today I started dicing onions, garlic, and green peppers.
As soon as I added the seasoning, everyone asked what the great smell was. While it was simmering, I made guacamole (my simple recipe below) and fresh corn chips--so easy, slice corn tortillas into triangles, spray with olive oil, dust with sea salt, bake. I also cut up raw vegetables to eat with the dinner, but everyone was so ravenous before dinner that I placed the vegetable tray on the table and watched it get emptied before we even sat down to eat.
We couldn't wait to try the chili, and it didn't disappoint. I knew that it would be very spicy as prepared on the show, so I cut most of the seasoning in half, and even with that it still had a welcome kick with each bite.
Luke was happy to eat the beans and vegetables, and of course add cheese on top, but he's not a huge steak/beef eater. Greg had two huge servings, and a few hours after dinner, Noah went back for seconds as well. Score!
This is a recipe I'll definitely make again.
Devon's Award-Winning Chili
Ingredients
* 5 pounds beef brisket, cut in 1-inch cubes
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 cups chopped yellow onions
* 6 large garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tablespoons chili powder
* 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, crushed
* 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
* 2 tablespoons ground cumin
* 2 green peppers, seeded and diced
* 1 bay leaf
* 6 cups tomatoes, chopped with their liquid
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup strong coffee
* 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans
* 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
Directions
Pat the brisket cubes dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in a very large heavy-bottomed pot and quickly brown the meat, in batches, on all sides. Transfer the brisket to a separate bowl and set aside. Saute the onion and garlic in the same oil over medium heat until limp, but not brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chili powder, pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and cumin and saute for 1 minute. Add the green peppers, bay leaf, tomatoes with their juice, the reserved meat, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt, to taste. Add the coffee, cover the pot and simmer for 1 more hour.
Add the kidney beans and basil, and warm through. Transfer the chili to a large serving bowl and serve with sour cream, grated Cheddar, diced tomato, tortilla chips and guacamole.
Suzanne's Award Winning Chili (ok, not really)
Ingredients
One pound grass fed ground beef
One can dark red kidney beans (or if you plan ahead, a bag of beans that you soak and cook; if you do get a can, make sure they don't have HFCS, many do)
One can chili beans or pinto beans depending on how spicy you want the dish to be
One 28oz can of diced tomatoes--I like the Muir Glen Fire Roasted
One 8oz can of tomato paste
One yellow pepper, diced
One orange pepper, diced
One half green pepper, diced
One cup yellow onion, diced
Two garlic cloves, minced
Chili powder, red pepper flakes, sea/kosher salt, pepper--all to taste
Directions
Saute onions and garlic in olive oil for about five minutes, then add ground beef that has already been salted. Brown meat, remove from heat. In a large stockpot or crockpot, add all ingredients. Simmer/cook on low for 2-6 hours.
My absolute favorite accompaniment is Trader Joe's cornbread, as it is the only cornbread that I've ever made--either from scratch or a box--that is subtly sweet, very moist, and crunchy on the outside. LOVE! And, I like to shred two types of cheese, cheddar and something like monterey jack or pepper jack.
Sometimes I think chili is even better the next day, and I can't wait to have some for lunch tomorrow with a few saltines.
Guacamole
Ingredients
Two avocados
Eight grape tomatoes or one plum tomatoes
Juice from one lime
Tablespoon of chopped cilantro
Lots of salt, to taste
My only real trick is that I take the seeds out of the tomatoes, and give them a rough dice. I use a spoon and mash the ingredients, but not too much because I like a few chunks.
Let me know if you try any of these recipes!
Because it requires about five hours of prep and cook time, and I was rushing home so that Greg and Luke could go to a birthday party, I didn't make it last night, but I would have had I had the time! On their way home from the party, they picked up all the ingredients and after lunch today I started dicing onions, garlic, and green peppers.
As soon as I added the seasoning, everyone asked what the great smell was. While it was simmering, I made guacamole (my simple recipe below) and fresh corn chips--so easy, slice corn tortillas into triangles, spray with olive oil, dust with sea salt, bake. I also cut up raw vegetables to eat with the dinner, but everyone was so ravenous before dinner that I placed the vegetable tray on the table and watched it get emptied before we even sat down to eat.
We couldn't wait to try the chili, and it didn't disappoint. I knew that it would be very spicy as prepared on the show, so I cut most of the seasoning in half, and even with that it still had a welcome kick with each bite.
Luke was happy to eat the beans and vegetables, and of course add cheese on top, but he's not a huge steak/beef eater. Greg had two huge servings, and a few hours after dinner, Noah went back for seconds as well. Score!
This is a recipe I'll definitely make again.
Devon's Award-Winning Chili
Ingredients
* 5 pounds beef brisket, cut in 1-inch cubes
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 cups chopped yellow onions
* 6 large garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tablespoons chili powder
* 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, crushed
* 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
* 2 tablespoons ground cumin
* 2 green peppers, seeded and diced
* 1 bay leaf
* 6 cups tomatoes, chopped with their liquid
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup strong coffee
* 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans
* 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
Directions
Pat the brisket cubes dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in a very large heavy-bottomed pot and quickly brown the meat, in batches, on all sides. Transfer the brisket to a separate bowl and set aside. Saute the onion and garlic in the same oil over medium heat until limp, but not brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chili powder, pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and cumin and saute for 1 minute. Add the green peppers, bay leaf, tomatoes with their juice, the reserved meat, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt, to taste. Add the coffee, cover the pot and simmer for 1 more hour.
Add the kidney beans and basil, and warm through. Transfer the chili to a large serving bowl and serve with sour cream, grated Cheddar, diced tomato, tortilla chips and guacamole.
Suzanne's Award Winning Chili (ok, not really)
Ingredients
One pound grass fed ground beef
One can dark red kidney beans (or if you plan ahead, a bag of beans that you soak and cook; if you do get a can, make sure they don't have HFCS, many do)
One can chili beans or pinto beans depending on how spicy you want the dish to be
One 28oz can of diced tomatoes--I like the Muir Glen Fire Roasted
One 8oz can of tomato paste
One yellow pepper, diced
One orange pepper, diced
One half green pepper, diced
One cup yellow onion, diced
Two garlic cloves, minced
Chili powder, red pepper flakes, sea/kosher salt, pepper--all to taste
Directions
Saute onions and garlic in olive oil for about five minutes, then add ground beef that has already been salted. Brown meat, remove from heat. In a large stockpot or crockpot, add all ingredients. Simmer/cook on low for 2-6 hours.
My absolute favorite accompaniment is Trader Joe's cornbread, as it is the only cornbread that I've ever made--either from scratch or a box--that is subtly sweet, very moist, and crunchy on the outside. LOVE! And, I like to shred two types of cheese, cheddar and something like monterey jack or pepper jack.
Sometimes I think chili is even better the next day, and I can't wait to have some for lunch tomorrow with a few saltines.
Guacamole
Ingredients
Two avocados
Eight grape tomatoes or one plum tomatoes
Juice from one lime
Tablespoon of chopped cilantro
Lots of salt, to taste
My only real trick is that I take the seeds out of the tomatoes, and give them a rough dice. I use a spoon and mash the ingredients, but not too much because I like a few chunks.
Let me know if you try any of these recipes!
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