our food restrictions have changed yet again

Well little Miss Willow was born on Aug 10th


About 3 weeks ago I realized that she too has food allergies. Wheat, dairy and soy and maybe eggs. She is getting tested on Friday, but as I am nursing, these restrict my diet as well.



Willow with allergens

all red and angry bumps

a nice clear complexion after two weeks of allergen free

Vegan GF peanut butter cookies

I just posted this recipe on cooking allergy free.

Photo by: kikidavamp

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Recipe Servings: 4 dz Prep Time: 15 mins Description: a dairy, egg and wheat free peanut butter cookie Allergens: Beet, Brewers yeast, Corn, Fermented, Flaxseed, Fructose, Fruit/vegetable, Grain, Legume, Miscellaneous, Nut, Peanut, Sugar, Sugar cane, Sulfites, Vanilla, Yeast Ingredient List:

Qty	Name
2 Tbsp	ground flaxseed
6 Tbsp	water
1 tsp	* vanilla
1 tsp	* baking powder
2 1/2 C	gluten free flour
1 C	peanut butter
1/2 C	dairy free margarine
1 C + 1/4 C	* white sugar
1 C	* brown sugar

- Ingredient has no known allergens that conflict with your allergies.
* - Ingredient may contain more allergens depending on user choice or preparation.
- Ingredient contains allergens which may not be safe for your consumption.
- Ingredient was entered by a user and has not been verified by a site administrator.

Instructions: 1. in a small bowl combine ground flax seed and water, let sit until it forms a gel and preheat oven to 350 F

2.blend margarine and sugars (reserving the 1/4 C white sugar) together until creamy.

3. add peanut butter, vanilla and flax seed gel, stir until well mixed.

4. add baking powder and then flour by the 1/2 C until a stiff dough is formed.mix by hands if needed.

5. roll the dough into inch sized balls, roll the balls in the additional white sugar.

6. press the cookies down ( I like the criss cross pattern but you can press them with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar)

7. bake for 8-10 minutes or until brown

8.let cool and harden 

http://www.cookingallergyfree.com/recipes/show/897

LongHorn Steak House in Mansfield MA

Today we went out to lunch with my mom and grandmother.

I asked the waitress if she could check on the glaze in the Citrus Grilled Chicken.
She brought the manager over and he asked if he could help, he personally went back and checked for me. ( great service)
He came back and said that it did have cornstarch, and modified food starch. So I told him, well cornstarch is fine, the modified food starch, by FDA standards, "food starch" HAS to be corn, UNLESS that pesky word "modified"  is tagged on the beginning, then it can be anything.

So anyway, I ordered and asked that the chicken and mashed potatoes be on separate plates.
They came out, the chicken was on one plate with the orange slices in their own little bowl, and the citrus butter in its own bowl, and my mashed potatoes on their own seperate plate. They were great, lets hope all Longhorns are equal in service.


The Manager even thanked me for the info on modified food starch and said that he will write a note so that he can pass on the info!

Not so Midnight cake

I have been longing for the midnight cake we would get at school with our pizza on Fridays. I have searched the interwebs and have yet to find a decent copy.

This cake is pretty similar with the frosting, but I think I am going to keep tweaking until I get it just right.

Preheat oven to 350F

Cream together
2/3 shortening (Crisco)
1 2/3 C sugar
3 eggs

then add in a mixing cup
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 C coffee ( black and cold)
2 oz melted semi-sweet chocolate


sift together
2 1/4 C flour ( I used my gluten free mix + 3/4 tsp xanthan gum)
1/3 C cocoa
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt


I then blended a scoop of the flour mix, alternating with the vanilla/coffee/chocolate mix.



For the frosting I referred to my mother, granted with all of her cafeteria lady knowledge she doesn't know or ever heard of midnight cake.

She said that the cafeteria uses something like butter flavored crisco for frostings. Not having any I used half crisco half , I can't believe it's not butter. ( I must admit for this I didn't measure in the slightest) I blended the two together, added about a tsp of vanilla and 1 tsp almond extract, then poured in powdered sugar until it looked and tasted "right".

Unfortunately the cake isn't the prettiest seeing that my youngest demon seemingly can reach the counter now.

The Chicken Fingers with Fried Rice

Restaurants

A few restaurants out there now have gluten free menus.
My parents took T and Z out to eat tonight, and apparently Z actually asked for the gluten free menu!
Unfortunately, I got a phone call, practically in tears proclaiming the only thing on the kids menu he could have was the hot dog and he really didn't want a hot dog, he wanted mac & cheese, ( and spaghetti and meatballs, which i do make at home, GF, but at a restaurant that isn't going to be the case)

I really wish that they offered kids something more then steak, bunless burgers, and grilled chicken. Maybe get some Ian's nuggets or something. I let him get the mac and cheese, as he isn't *officially* diagnosed, and he asked for a GF menu all by himself and generally knows to ask what he can eat. Poor kid, I have a hard enough time eating at a restaurant, imagine being 5 and not being able to have nuggets, or pasta, or possibly even fries for fear of the chicken and fries sharing oil.


Oh, so I forgot!

We went to Frate's last night, for T's graduation, I called Bliss, to make sure their ice cream is in fact GF, ( well the common sense ones). After I said that I needed him to use a clean scoop that hasn't touched a cone, or for example cookie dough ice cream, he took the scoop out back and sanatized it for us, right there.

As far as Bliss goes, all of their "main" flavors are gluten free but they are processed on the same belts as non-gluten free products. For example, mint chocolate chip, the chips are gluten free, from a dedicated facility, but grasshopper which contains oreos is also made on the same belt. They always make the Choc Chip first and wash the system down, but can't guarantee that it won't cause a reaction.

Pictures!

Okay, so I am not going to post my dessert recipes here, just in case I decide that I want to convince my sister in law to do her cake buisness and offer gluten free treats too.

But I will post dinner recipes and ideas.

These are my gluten free chinese chicken fingers straight out of oil.

I made a wet batter using my flour mix, buttermilk powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Combined with  one egg, a few drops of seasame oil, about two Tbsp of veg. oil,  and  a cup of water. ( I will work out measurements next time I make them)

These are my chocolate, chocolate chip cookies. mmmmm