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Tuna Noodle "Casserole"
(totally allergy free)
Use this recipe to make a "cream soup" base. Super easy!!! http://www.grouprecipes.com/sr/21934/dairy-free-cream-soup-white-sauce/recipe/
Saute some finely chopped onions and chopped mushrooms in a little oil---add to the "cream soup".
2-3 cans of Tuna in water (drained)---add to the "cream soup"
Take your pasta of choice and cook it---we used a Rice Pasta Fettucine noodle.
Add some frozen peas in to the pasta, halfway through cooking
Drain the pasta once cooked--add it back to the pan it was cooked in and then pour the "cream soup" mix in and mix it up.
You can actually add broccoli or carrots as well, but we just had the peas this time.
I hope this recipe makes sense---it was very easy and VERY tasty. Matthew absolutely loved it. I've never seen him eat anything so fast. Even my husband liked it! ENJOY.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
New Allergist....and results!
So we received the results from our new allergist. By the way, we LOVE her. She's very thorough and just completely understanding. While we were there, she educated us on the fact that regardless of having a cat in our household (he's highly allergic), that there was a very large chance he would still end up with asthma. He's already been exposed to the cat for his entire life and she honestly, saw no reason that at this point we should give the cat up.
We were thrilled and nervous at the same time! Our thoughts are why keep something in the house (even though she's like one of our children) that could further expose Matthew to something harmful to his health. But we will see how things go and trust our gut.
MORE RESULTS:
I was shocked to see the diagnosis on the form of " Reactive Airway Disease". I of course quickly consulted with Dr. Google to find out that according to the Mayo Clinic, it's a diagnosis made when they aren't sure what kind of respiratory issue there is, but commonly it's asthma.
The GOOD:
We were thrilled and nervous at the same time! Our thoughts are why keep something in the house (even though she's like one of our children) that could further expose Matthew to something harmful to his health. But we will see how things go and trust our gut.
MORE RESULTS:
I was shocked to see the diagnosis on the form of " Reactive Airway Disease". I of course quickly consulted with Dr. Google to find out that according to the Mayo Clinic, it's a diagnosis made when they aren't sure what kind of respiratory issue there is, but commonly it's asthma.
The GOOD:
- We can begin feeding him more soy, as that now shows up as a Class 0 on their tests.
- They indicate that in a few months we can try to start introducing (slowly) plain white wheat flour (but not whole grain wheat flour, which contains gluten).
- He is showing no sign of Celiac Disease which is GREAT!!!!! Of course, you can't truly diagnose without invasive biopsies, but so far so good.
What hasn't changed is that we must still stay off of egg, dairy, peanut and tree nuts and for now, wheat/gluten. So really no change since I'm not a fan of soy anyways. They'll retest in one more year. He was originally tested around 12 mos of age and he turned 18 mos yesterday.
BUT I do feel that in time he will get better with his allergies (crossing fingers).
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Let him eat cake!!!!
We have a First Birthday party tomorrow for a friend and my big goal was to make a cupcake that we could bring along for Matthew to enjoy. So I searched the net....and voila..... a great recipe http://www.eatingwithfoodallergies.com/allergyfreebirthdaycake.html right here.
And surprisingly, it tasted really great!!! Very chocolately and rich. I gave him a 'test' taste tonight and he not only LOVED it but didn't react to it.
The background is that at Matthew's First Birthday party he didn't get to have his cake because as soon as he began the "cake smash" and barely got a taste of cake/icing he went in to anaphylactic shock. It was pretty scary, but luckily turned out. However, he has not had cake since then...and he'll be 18 months old this week.
I just had to share and hope that this recipe will help someone.
And surprisingly, it tasted really great!!! Very chocolately and rich. I gave him a 'test' taste tonight and he not only LOVED it but didn't react to it.
The background is that at Matthew's First Birthday party he didn't get to have his cake because as soon as he began the "cake smash" and barely got a taste of cake/icing he went in to anaphylactic shock. It was pretty scary, but luckily turned out. However, he has not had cake since then...and he'll be 18 months old this week.
I just had to share and hope that this recipe will help someone.
Shopping Trip to Whole Foods
It's been a while since we posted, but wanted to give a run-down of our latest shopping trip this morning to Whole Foods. There isn't one super close, but we took the drive (about 45 min) to the nearest one and loaded up today.
So many people ask "But what the heck can Matthew eat since he's allergic to SO much??"
It's been tough, but there's actually a lot out there if you're willing to take the time to look, research and go to a few stores rather than just the local grocery store (although I'm surprised to see that even they sell some items nowadays!)
So here's some of what we purchased, in case anyone needs ideas:
VANS waffles and french toast sticks---gluten free, dairy free, egg free. You know these things are good when even my husband likes them!!! We got mini waffles today too that are plain, so we can put regular organic maple syrup on them for a treat.
NANA'S No gluten lemon cookie---also egg and dairy free and no refined sugars
Glutino gluten free pretzel twists--they actually had these out as a sample and Matthew went NUTS for them. I should have taken a picture of his face after eating a couple---very cute.
I can't believe how much like "real" pretzels they taste---and they are also egg and dairy free.
IMAGINE brand creamy potato leek soup--no dairy or wheat
Pacific brand organic beef broth--no gluten (and this is hard to find). I also like the vegetable and chicken broths. Great to make your own gravies since most have gluten/wheat in them.
Quinoa--if you've never tried it--it's fabulous! It's a grain--and super high in protein, low in fat and low in sugar (and also has fiber). You can cook it in chicken broth for added flavor or add some tomatoes to it. Very good stuff and an alternative to pasta or rice.
Quinoa elbows--yes, they make pasta too! Who would have guessed?? And it actually TASTES like real wheat pasta, which is a bonus. Our whole family eats it. They make all kinds...check it out.
Enjoy Life bars---very berry and caramel apple are our faves. They are gluten free, egg free, milk free, etc (basically this whole line is "allergy free" meaning free of the 8 most common allergins. They also make a fantastic cookbook for desserts.
Rice Dream organic rice milk---because he's allergic to dairy and can't have cow's milk, this is what we've been feeding him. We also use Pacific brand. He seems to like it. Be sure any type of alternative milk you get enriched though.
Rice Vegan American flavor rice vegan slices (aka: cheese). It's from Galaxy Nutritional Foods. Unfortunately, they changed the ingredients and although still safe, they took out the jalapeno pepper and it tastes GROSS (to me). Matthew will still eat it, however I don't feel like he likes it as much as the old stuff. They have cheddar flavor too.
Ricera Rice Yogurt---they have several flavors, including strawberry and blueberry. He's not big on it, but I keep trying. It has the probiotics in it as well.
Earth Balance Buttery spread---this one is buttery (flavor) and soy free. Basically it's veggie oil that you can cook with and bake with. We use it for the whole family now. Tastes great.
Spectrum organic shortening---great for cooking and is gluten free, dairy free, etc.
Sunbutter---it's like peanut butter minus the peanuts and tree nuts. It's made from sunflower seeds and honestly, it tastes great. Salty but great. I make peanut butter sandwiches for him all the time. Trader Joe's has a great price on it.
Other stuff Matthew eats but isn't necessarily from Whole Foods:
Lots of chicken breast
Hamburger meat
Energ G Light Tapioca Loaf (bread)----very good and one of the few that he can eat untoasted.
Most gluten free breads must be toasted first.
Cherry tomatoes, green beans, asparagus, baby carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, clementines, banana, pureed blueberries and prunes, apple sauce, apples, pears.
Chex cereals---rice and corn are both gluten free and he loves them
Barbara's Breakfast O's--they are just like cheerios and easy for him to eat. I've tried others but ended up tossing them because they were rock hard. These honestly taste just like the real thing (Cheerios). But warning--they are tough to find!!
So many people ask "But what the heck can Matthew eat since he's allergic to SO much??"
It's been tough, but there's actually a lot out there if you're willing to take the time to look, research and go to a few stores rather than just the local grocery store (although I'm surprised to see that even they sell some items nowadays!)
So here's some of what we purchased, in case anyone needs ideas:
VANS waffles and french toast sticks---gluten free, dairy free, egg free. You know these things are good when even my husband likes them!!! We got mini waffles today too that are plain, so we can put regular organic maple syrup on them for a treat.
NANA'S No gluten lemon cookie---also egg and dairy free and no refined sugars
Glutino gluten free pretzel twists--they actually had these out as a sample and Matthew went NUTS for them. I should have taken a picture of his face after eating a couple---very cute.
I can't believe how much like "real" pretzels they taste---and they are also egg and dairy free.
IMAGINE brand creamy potato leek soup--no dairy or wheat
Pacific brand organic beef broth--no gluten (and this is hard to find). I also like the vegetable and chicken broths. Great to make your own gravies since most have gluten/wheat in them.
Quinoa--if you've never tried it--it's fabulous! It's a grain--and super high in protein, low in fat and low in sugar (and also has fiber). You can cook it in chicken broth for added flavor or add some tomatoes to it. Very good stuff and an alternative to pasta or rice.
Quinoa elbows--yes, they make pasta too! Who would have guessed?? And it actually TASTES like real wheat pasta, which is a bonus. Our whole family eats it. They make all kinds...check it out.
Enjoy Life bars---very berry and caramel apple are our faves. They are gluten free, egg free, milk free, etc (basically this whole line is "allergy free" meaning free of the 8 most common allergins. They also make a fantastic cookbook for desserts.
Rice Dream organic rice milk---because he's allergic to dairy and can't have cow's milk, this is what we've been feeding him. We also use Pacific brand. He seems to like it. Be sure any type of alternative milk you get enriched though.
Rice Vegan American flavor rice vegan slices (aka: cheese). It's from Galaxy Nutritional Foods. Unfortunately, they changed the ingredients and although still safe, they took out the jalapeno pepper and it tastes GROSS (to me). Matthew will still eat it, however I don't feel like he likes it as much as the old stuff. They have cheddar flavor too.
Ricera Rice Yogurt---they have several flavors, including strawberry and blueberry. He's not big on it, but I keep trying. It has the probiotics in it as well.
Earth Balance Buttery spread---this one is buttery (flavor) and soy free. Basically it's veggie oil that you can cook with and bake with. We use it for the whole family now. Tastes great.
Spectrum organic shortening---great for cooking and is gluten free, dairy free, etc.
Sunbutter---it's like peanut butter minus the peanuts and tree nuts. It's made from sunflower seeds and honestly, it tastes great. Salty but great. I make peanut butter sandwiches for him all the time. Trader Joe's has a great price on it.
Other stuff Matthew eats but isn't necessarily from Whole Foods:
Lots of chicken breast
Hamburger meat
Energ G Light Tapioca Loaf (bread)----very good and one of the few that he can eat untoasted.
Most gluten free breads must be toasted first.
Cherry tomatoes, green beans, asparagus, baby carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, clementines, banana, pureed blueberries and prunes, apple sauce, apples, pears.
Chex cereals---rice and corn are both gluten free and he loves them
Barbara's Breakfast O's--they are just like cheerios and easy for him to eat. I've tried others but ended up tossing them because they were rock hard. These honestly taste just like the real thing (Cheerios). But warning--they are tough to find!!
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