Hi!

"Food Allergy Fright Night" and "Allergen-free Halloween Treats" up on Lime.com
at

http://www.lime.com/food/story/5085/food_allergy_fright_night

http://www.lime.com/recipes/story/5094/allergen-free_halloween_treats

Amy's Low Sodium

So far... not so good.

Amy's Low-sodium aren't cuttin' the mustard around here. I tried serving the low sodium rice bowls, and was told, "I HATE IT!". I tasted it myself and had to concur, the texture was awful. The rice is not really a granual anymore, more like a mushy gruel. The ingredients are super healthy (But as always with Amy's products, watch out for the SOY!). But super healthy is just not enough. If I'm going to go the pre-made route with my kids on nights that I can't muster the energy to cook, then it at least has to be tasty. Sadly, the enchiladas had the same texture problem. Mush. Now here's the interesting part. Amy doesn't use preservatives. And more power to her for that. But if truth be told, in frozen food, maybe it's hard to maintain the integrity over long periods with straight up home cookin' ingredients? Is it too much to ask that it be simple whole food, and also take 5 minutes to whip up in the microwave? Maybe the two just don't go together. Thus far, I'm sticking with AMY'S GF/CF products, that pizza discussed in earlier posts, and the ziti bowls. For whatever reasons of alchemy, these seem to maintain their yummyness. And for the record -- does anyone else find it annoying that Rachel Ray has changed "yummy" to "yummo"?

My life has taken an interesting turn of late. My little one, Monte had a life threatening asthma attack 2 summers ago that landing him in the hospital in an oxygen tent for 2 days. I took him off dairy and he was fine. This summer, I started him in a new preschool, they were feeding him dairy, his asthma came back. His wonderful Danish Pediatrician said, "STOP THE DAIRY!!!". I told the preschool to stop feeding him dairy and the asthma cleared up, but diarrhea and chronic stomach pains persisted. I soon realized they were still giving him butter on rice, on noodles, in bread, in CHEEZITS!!!! They didn't understand that dairy was anything other than milk. Anyway, I think Monte is also allergic to Dairy. And I wonder, what is it in the milk protein that is so hard for the immune system to accept? Does anyone have any info on raw milk? I know there is a growing movement that supports the benefits and safety of raw milk/grassfed cows movement. Just interested.....

I know I'm full of questions these days, but I continue to wonder why the rates of food allergies are rising so rapidly and also the relationship between what we eat and how it affects behavior.

All the best to all of you. Thanks for checking in now and again. And I've said it before, i'll say it again, if anyone wants to share allergen-free recipes here, I'll post them giving you full credit.

NEWS FLASH!

AMY'S GLUTEN-FREE, NON-DAIRY BAKED ZITI BOWL GETS 5-YEAR-OLD TO EAT HIS PEAS!


Okay, have you tried Amy's new products? As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I got a chance to sample the gluten-free, dairy-free pizza and it was awesome. Same holds true for this new tasty easy dinner sensation. Lennon LOVED it, and even uttererd,
"you know, I'm actually really enjoying the peas". That's no small thing for a kid who has always hated peas. This dish is a great option for people on allergen-free diets, as it's free of all top allergens, except for SOY. If you can't eat soy, this one is out for you. :( It's also great for vegans. Or anyone for that matter.

Next week I'm going to start trying the new Amy's Low Salt dishes. For those of you who don't know about these products, Amy's makes a lot of frozen vegetarian dinners, which are usually made with the most basic simple ingredients -- very close to homeade, and now that she's introduced the low-sodium line, they're even healthier.

I'd like to know how many of you are on a gluten-free diet, or know somebody on a gluten-free diet. Please leave comments. Do you think this is a fad? Do you think people are going gluten-free when they don't have to? Or are there many many more people with celiac than we realized? And also, your thoughts on the relationship between autism and gluten and casein would be helpful. Any feedback at all on this would be helpful.

And speaking of gluten-free, I made gluten-free banana pancakes this morning, and they were totally yummy. I like to use Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-free Baking Flour because it's nutritious and full of fiber. So here's the recipe.

GLUTEN-FREE, ALLERGEN-FREE PANCAKES

1 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-free Baking Flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. egg replacer mixed with 2 Tbsp. Rice Milk
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Rice Milk
1 tsp. honey or light agave nectar (low on the glycemic index and suitable for diabetics)
1 Tbsp. Safflower oil, or Canola oil, or Rice Bran oil, or Sunflower oil
1/2 cup fruit of choice
cinnamon (optional, depending on fruit you choose)

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, Combine egg replacer, rice milk, honey/agave, and oil. Make sure honey has been whisked in thoroughly. Whisk wet ingredients into dry. Add fruit and stir gently to combine. Cook pancakes on a lightly oiled medium-hot griddle or skillet. When bubbles appear around the edges and have popped, flip, and finish cooking till golden on both sides. Two things to note, first don't flip them too early or they'll stick, and second, gluten-free pancakes take a little longer to cook, so if necessary, turn heat down to medium-low to continue cooking pancakes in the center without burning them on the outside. Serve with maple syrup or light agave nectar. Makes about 9 medium pancakes. Double if you want to feed a larger group.


What is light agave nectar, some might ask. Agave nectar is made from cactus (juice). It's like cactus sap, and I believe it has a rich tradition in Native American cuisine. It's really good. I now use it in baking, and put it in oatmeal. As mentioned, the light version is great for diabetics. It's one downside is it has a short shelf life, so products made with agave nectar must be eaten quickly. I discovered this last year at Expo West, the natural products expo. One woman I met had developed a cookie line with agave, only to learn that all her products went rancid on store shelves. But don't let that little story scare you away from cooking with it yourselves. Trust me, you won't be dissapointed. Look for it at health food stores, whole foods markets, and ask for it at your local supermarket -- maybe, just maybe, they'll order it!