Allergies R Me

I went to the allergist today, who confirmed that I won't be having anymore NSAIDs, which wasn't much of a surprise. He couldn't explain the birth control pill reaction and suggested I check with the OB/Gyn. He thought all my hives were from overactive skin reactions from the NSAIDs, which could last for the next 6 months. As for the sore throat and post-nasal drip, he wasn't sure. But he did a skin test of some 40 common allergens--wheat, milk, nuts, pollen, strawberries, etc etc--and I wasn't allergic to any of them.

So, half answers. I have an appointment with the ENT about my sore throat--at the end of July!!! (He's very popular). And I also found a naturopath who addresses food sensitivities that aren't official allergies.

Because, see, some internet self-diagnosis has led me to wonder if I have what is called a salicytate sensitivity. The allergist said it doesn't exist, has been totally disproven. But it's listed on several reputable websites like the Cleveland Clinic, WebMD, and Livestrong. There's even a forum, and the description of NSAID allergies, birth control allergies, and food allergies replicates what I've experienced. I mean, when I eat blueberries and apples my throat hurts . . . and then it responds to benadryl. So I'm just not sure. (C'mon, Goo and Aunt Banana, my medical relatives, weigh in here!)

But I do know that it's not over yet.

Keeps Going

Well, today I said goodbye to ibuprofen, after a quick-onset itchy throat (NOT a tight throat--I had not trouble breathing) an hour or so after taking some advil. And then it responded to benadryl.

So I made an appointment with an allergist who can test for medicinal allergies.

Then I'll be buying one of those swanky medical bracelets.

And taking double fish oil everyday for inflammation, a la my physiatrist. Plus continuing with the anti-inflammation diet (which is a lot like our vegan cleanse; article here, specifics here), especially because it can take a few weeks to kick in.

I have to admit, it makes me pretty nervous to lose out on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which have gotten me through several bouts of back pain and enabled me to get back on my feet, literally, each time.

As the bracelet above says, you gotta have hope . . . .

Score 4-0

I hit a Grand Slam!

Four foods, one week--all successful.

Our church festival was this weekend and I made treats for the bake sale. Wanting DD and DS to have something to choose, I made Pumpkin Raisin Bars with a 1-2-3 Gluten mix. Usually, I would have gotten the babes to help but we were short of time and I made them after bed. Then I snuck them to the bake sale table and we proceeded to shop. Our bars were at eye level and toddler reach so they each chose a baggie of Pumpkin Raisin Bars--and loved them!!!

It probably helps that I used real eggs in the mix, as we are now testing for eggs. No problem so far. And the pumpkin option is on the box--I added the raisins because they love them (well, DS does. DD has picked them out everytime, having changed her mind about raisins. She even once said "Pumpkin bar fixed now."). Like most GF baked goods, they were a little chewy (and like most bars, got a little soggy after 24 hours) but they had a better consistency than most (none of the usual graininess) and a great flavor.

At the end of the day, only one baggie had been sold--I wouldn't trust someone else either (even though I provided the box label and what I added to it)--so I purchased back the extra bags. And we had them for dinner. And breakfast. And probably lunch. :)

My team wins!

Kudos

We had a wonderful weekend--we went to Dinosaur State Park and had a marvelous time seeing the preserved footprints and wandering the maple swamp. And then we had lunch at On the Border. Now, as a Texan, I really like my Tex-Mex food and had been fairly particular. But living in the Northeast, you don't have so many options. And On the Border isn't usually my first choice. But now, when I'm with my kids, it will be.

We identified ourselves to the server as having allergies and immediately she mentioned the special allergy notebook. Within minutes, a manager came to our table with said notebook--a list, broken down by allergen, of all the meals that a person could have. We learned some interesting things--the corn chips are sometimes fried in the same oil as one of the desserts with peanuts and the grilled onions (you know how we love onions) are marinated in soy sauce for about an hour. With this in mind, we were able to choose food for DD and DS that we could be fairly confident would be fine. Coincidentally, except the onions, it was exactly what we would have ordered--chicken fajitas with corn tortillas. They brought us grilled un-marinated onions and extra quacamole, to make up for no cheese or sour cream.

In all the times we've ever been to a restaurant with the kiddos--we go about once a week and we always mention allergies to the server--this is the very first time there has been a special menu, or anything more than passing interest in our food issues. I was so impressed. And I will go back.

Yay for On the Border!

Choose Your Favorite Apple Aphorism

Okay, another apple post: we made apple pie with a Gluten-Free Pantry crust yesterday. Not exactly a success. 20 tablespoons of vegetable shortening (because we couldn't use any butter) made it a very greasy dough that we couldn't roll out. Unfortunately, the box didn't say "reserve some mix to flour your rolling pin" and I didn't have any other GF mix in the house. And I was out of wax paper. So we "pat-patted" it into my pie plate, getting it all over the floor and everybody.

They loved the apple-cinnamon mixture, though. And ate it even after we dumped the top crust on, finding cracks to pull the apples out of.

The pie itself came out okay, very crunchy. It probably would've been okay if we could've actually rolled it; ours looked more like a cobbler or biscuit topping. They both ate a big piece as soon as it cooled off (rapidly in the freezer), very proud of their pie, if not that enamored of the crust and just eating the apples. So, I'll probably try it again.

I just want to make them a glorious apple pie like the ones on the cover of all the magazines right now (I think Eating Well's is my favorite pic). And if you want to read a great homage to pie, try Humble Pie, which will make you yearn for a slice and reach for your rolling pin.

Oh, Soy!

Well, our soy test this week didn't go as well as hoped. After 7 days of soy milk for breakfast, DS had breakouts on one arm and the back of one knee. It could've been the bear-shaped graham crackers he inhaled before anyone could stop him at the playgroup (asked about them, he said "Good!"), but I kinda doubt it (so, if you're reading this, J, it's not your fault; well, it wasn't anyway, because I should've been watching him). But the reaction took 5 days to show up and was only present after we introduced soy milk. Last week, we were doing lechithin and soy as an ingredient in other things (like soybean oil) without any problems. So maybe it's just a sensitivity to soy in large quantities. Who knows. But for now, we're getting rid of the soy milk but allowing the emulsifier, which does expand the number of things we can have by quite a bit.

Now only eggs, dairy, wheat, nuts, and various fruits to go . . .

. . . that we know of.

The Best Hot Dog Ever

All jokes aside, I'm not really that in to hot dogs. They're good, like at a ball game or park. I have had some excellent ones. There was a vendor at the World Trade Center who would grill them; I always took visitors there for the view and the hot dog. Chicago as a city worships the hot dog, with celery salt, tomato slices, and other oddities--but they are tasty. But I don't seek them out. I'm more of a chicken finger gal. But DP loves her hot dogs. Good ones, mediocre ones, though not bad ones (she shuns the microwaved hot dog). She likes all the toppings and loved when we lived in Chicago with a hot dog shack on every corner. But then she is from NYC, home of the hot dog cart on every corner . . .

Anyway, the other day I accidentally left my cooler of lunch for the kids at home during one of our outings. Good grief, what were we going to eat? As luck would have it, the tiny cafe at the museum sold hot dogs. Hot dogs without any of the fillers that my kids can't eat. Sure, the lady with the son who had celiac and was also reading the label noted, they had nitrates, but what is a cooler-less mom to do? So we had hot dogs. All three of us. And they couldn't have been happier! First, it was the kind of food everyone was eating, including Mommy. And they do love hot dogs (even the uncured turkey dogs I buy from the natural food store). So now we've eaten hot dogs all over Connecticut--at the orchard where we picked our own apples, at the zoo, at the mall. Without any allergic reactions. It's fantastic. They're having a great time being like everyone else. And even if it's a mediocre hot dog, it's the best food ever.

Playgroups are Brutal

But not in the ways you might think. Ours, for instance, is a wonderful group of supportive, friendly, usually relaxed moms without a lot of drama, intrigue, or competition. We've been meeting since the babes were all a few months old, about two years. Each week we meet at someone's house and talk while the kids trash the place. Then we leave.

Oh, and in between, everyone eats. The hostess serves breakfast or lunch or snacks--we used to be very ambitious. I made chili twice and ordered out pizza and had sundaes. There have been wonderful salads, wraps, and huge spreads of pastries and nibbles. AND the guests bring things--there's the obligatory box of Munchkins (I used to always bring Pepperidge Farm Cookies), and we have a couple of incredible bakers (everyone gets excited when they RSVP!). It's becoming less fancy, more functional, as the children have become toddlers (and many of the moms are now pregnant with #2). But I love it. I mean, what else does a SAHM need--good friends, adult conversation (and it's not always about kids!), and food, plus no clean-up (we're pretty shameless about leaving places a mess, but we each take our turn and it's ok--it's impossible to clean up with a toddler experiencing the "I need a nap" collapse).

But food is becoming a real problem. We used to just breast and bottle feed the babes; then it was the jar food phase. And we all did Cheerios (well, we did an organic oat variety) and Gerber Graduates. But now everyone else's kids can (though won't always) eat everything. Except mine. And so playgroup is becoming difficult, right up there with birthday parties for sheer trauma (I'll tell you sometime about crying in the bathroom over cake at a birthday party). Mainly to me. Mind you, everyone knows and is great about the allergies and helping me police their intake. But I want the kiddos to be able to eat chocolate chip cookies and mini-hot dogs in crescent rolls and macaroni and cheese. Especially after they've asked for the umpteenth time, watching their friends inhale these things.

I do take a treat everytime--I had been taking fruit salad but now that DS can't have pineapple or mandarin oranges, he just doesn't get excited about a bowl of apples and grapes as a treat. Today's goodie was a failure. We cheerfully made gluten-free cornbread (from a mix, with applesauce for buttermilk and oil for melted butter and egg replacer) this morning and even licked the bowl clean (DS had eaten all my blueberries so we couldn't make muffins). However, when the time came to actually eat the cornbread at playgroup, no go. They also didn't want the cereal, special pretzels, "smooshed fruit," "wizard cookies" (a GF cookie with little wizard imprints), or raisins I had brought along and presented with great enthusiasm. They wanted the chocolate chip cookies and the mini hot dogs.

And so, after trying all the tricks in my huge purple backpack diaper bag, I gave in and unwrapped numerous mini hot dogs from their buttery crescent shells (and hoped that they weren't chock full of peanuts or something; luckily, the kids' allergies manifest as skin rashes and only if they have a significant amount of a food. Still . . . )

And they loved them.

Sigh.

I won't even bother posting that cornbread recipe.

Mommy, hungry!

As a SAHM of two-year old b/g twins, I hear "Mommy, hungry!" about a dozen times a day. This blog is going to be my record of feeding hungry toddlers, my partner, and myself, both body and soul.

Some things to know: my toddlers have multiple food allergies. No soy, dairy, eggs, wheat, nuts, honey, or a variety of citrus fruits and berries. So, cooking is sometimes a challenge because, well, I like those things and almost all my recipes include one or more of those ingredients. But we're trying. And sometimes it works; sometimes it's just messy.

And I'm doing Weight Watchers--the Core plan, for now--I've lost about 18 lbs, with more to go. So, though I love baking, I'm trying to avoid that for now.

Tonight, it's pot roast, except without the actual roast which they find hard to chew. So, we're using stew meat cut into really small pieces and a variety of veggies. The kiddos love veggies and will probably skip the meat altogether, though DD did have a thing for brisket when we were visiting the grandparents in Texas. The crockpot should be done in about half an hour.

-=-=-
I was wrong. DD ate the meat and none of the veggies; DS did just the opposite. DP (let's just use this for "dear partner") and I are about to sit down. I think we'll eat both.

And she brought fudge home.

Now, that's not Weight Watchers's Core plan at all!