Preparing for the Holidays

The Grandmas have been Princess Becca's best advocates through our various food trials. Gizmo Grandma (they're all named for their pets in Becca's language) made an entire gluten-free, casein-free Thanksgiving meal based on recipes from Feeding Isaiah. We had moon pies, sweet potato casserole, the most amazing turkey, cranberry chutney, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

Now the Kitty Grandma is prepping Christmas treats with wonderful results. We're putting up some pictures to tempt your tastebuds. First is a picture of our first attempt at a GFCF pumpkin roll. The filling is made from Mimicream whipped up and mixed with some dairy-free store bought vanilla frosting. It had to be frozen right away, and sliced before thawing, but we are very proud of it overall. After that is our home version of iced animal crackers (these are not caseine-free). PB put all the sprinkles on herself. Making goodies was such an integral part of my childhood Christmases that I am getting all sentimental as we form our own holiday traditions.

We hope you are having your own good times as we get ready for all the parties and gatherings of the season. Merry Christmas to our great family of readers!

PB and Mommy

Loving "Living Without"

After no fewer than five people had recommended it to us, we finally purchased an issue of Living Without, the magazine specifically for those living a gluten-free lifestyle. I am so sad it took us this long to pick one up! Our first one just happened to be the Thanksgiving issue for 2010, and I am as much of a raving fan of their gluten-free and casein-free recipes as any of my friends who are also readers.

As great as the GFCF recipes are, I like their resource sections even better! For many of the articles and recipes, they provide links to companies who produce the ingredients. For instance...cream of mushroom soup. Many times my mother and I have lamented the loss of some of our favorite comfort foods due to the gluten content of this standby pantry item. However...the magazine has given us multiple options for obtaining it in a gluten free form so we can let Princess Becca try her own green bean casserole this holiday season.** That one tip alone is well worth the purchase price of the magazine.

Needless to say, we now have a subscription. We're already fighting over which household gets to read the issues first (grandma's house or mommy's house?) I'm sure the information from future issues will occasionally--or frequently--be inspiring more posts here on Feeding Becca.

**for those who are wondering about the casein content of cream of mushroom soup, the answer is that we will occasionally allow PB to consume small amounts of dairy without adverse affect, and holidays and special occasions are the mostly likely sources of dairy. If you are looking for a recipe for making your own gluten-free AND casein-free cream of mushroom soup, I've been meaning to try this one and would love to hear your feedback: http://wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/2010/06/allergen-free-cream-of-mushroom-soup-no-dairy-eggs-gluten-or-soy-food-allergy-recipe-challenge-6.html

Kids, Food Allergies and Bullying

Yesterday our local news station published a story on their website about bullying of children with food allergies. The newest report is showing 1 in 4 of our kids with allergies are bullied by their peers (and sometimes even teachers).

The sad thing is, I'm not at all shocked by this statistic. I'm not even shocked to hear that kids have gone so far as to taunt or chase children with their allergens, trying to force a contact. With three food-allergic children in our home, with all having different allergies, I have seen first hand how cruel the siblings can be to one another. So the problem is not, as one reader commented, a lack of education and understanding. It's a problem of children  needing firm and immediate consequences when they are selfish and hurtful to other people.

What did shock me about the article is the attitudes of the readers who have commented so far. The extent of the ignorance was appalling. Comments ranged from the need to keep food allergic children at home in their glass bubbles, to the idea that food allergies are the creation of parents who are craving attention for themselves. If these are the opinions of the adults, it's no wonder so many children are expressing the same harsh attitudes.

The article and the reaction of the readers underscore my latest debate...what to do about Becca's celiac disease and peanut allergy as she moves into elementary school. The preschool she is in doesn't cook any food on site, so we aren't experiencing flour or other gluten ingredients being dispersed in the air. But kindergarten is unlikely to bring a similar reprieve. I am undertaking a search of city resources to see how we can prepare for this transition. I am hoping that there will be an alternative to home-schooling her, as she really seems to enjoy the school experience. But PB's safety cannot take a back seat as we plan for her future.

Desperate for Dairy Free Gluten Free Mac and Cheese

As the title states, my daughter misses nothing as badly as she misses her standby favorite--mac and cheese. Princess Becca (PB) has bravely tried more variations than I can count. And the latest attempt was the worst yet! It was so bad that it has become somewhat of a family joke that won't die. All I can say is that gluten-free tamari (soy) sauce and a little nutritional yeast do not combine to taste anything like cheddar.

We've come up with a few more ideas for a GFCF macaroni and cheese dish, but the attempts have reached a level of desperation. A friend on facebook has suggested a combination of applesauce and dairy-free cheddar popcorn flavoring. We'll try it and let you all know. Keep your fingers crossed, and please forward any other ideas!

Taking Care of Mommy (and Daddy)

This past week sent me several little reminders that the adults need someone watching out for their health, too! Being the parents of children with celiac, food allergies, or other intolerances is more than a full-time job. It can consume your life.

After a full week of almost non-existent sleep, I caved in today and brought the girls to my parents'. Becca has been having nighttime leg and foot pain again, the baby is teething, and I am on my last ounce of stamina. So I went back to bed at 10am and didn't get up until after 2pm. I'm still dragging! But at least I can type in a fairly coherent manner (I'm hoping).

With accidental exposures, doctors visits, and random various symptoms of gluten intolerance/celiac disease being such a potential source of daily stress, please be kind to yourself. Our kids need us to be the healthiest, most optimistic and attentive parents that we can! That means getting a good support network, taking time to de-stress, and making sure our own diets are healthy, too.

God bless all GFCF moms and dads, and grant them a little extra sleep tonight.

Unexpected Benefits

Of course, our whole family is now trying plenty of new foods as we search out GFCF options for Becca. It also turns out the baby is allergic to caseine (they actually offered us an epi-pen for her!) So I'm on a self-imposed dairy-free diet until we decide to wean her, just so none of the caseine gets into her little system from me.

With all of the rice milk, almond milk, and gluten free cookies, noodles, and snack items, even my husband and step-son are consuming far less dairy and gluten than at any prior point in time. Some of the benefits we have noticed are as below:

1) Fewer gastric problems (ok, so what this means is far less GAS and tummy upsets)
2) Better sleeping habits
3) Less emotional/behavioral turmoil

Based on these observations, we plan to continue finding ways to include the whole family in GFCF food choices at home and at work/school. The upside is fewer cross-contamination risks for Becca, but the downside is the horrible cost of prepackaged gluten-free foods. We'll just have to continue pursuing budget friendly but more labor intensive homemade meals and snacks.

Hemp--My New Favorite Food Source

My husband gets a lot of mileage out of this, but I have discovered a new source of protein and fiber in a gluten and dairy free format. Hemp!

Despite his incessant joking about the new products in our fridge and freezer, my ultra-hippie new fad is reaping many benefits for my poor diet restricted household.

1st--I have found the solution to one of my last posts where I complained about the difficulty of finding a nutritional supplement drink to replace all of the Boost we used to give to PB (before we knew that dairy was a problem too). There are two really tasty hemp protein mixes, chocolate flavored of course, that I now mix into Becca's almond milk. And I recommend you ONLY use almond milk for this. Water, rice milk, and other alternatives simply will not dissolve the powders half as well. Of course, if you are allergic to nuts then you could try coconut or soy milk, which might work but I did not have on hand to use in my experiments.

2nd--I have found a dairy-free gluten-free ice cream that satisfies the worst of my cravings. It is creamy, rich, and very chocolatey! Also a hemp-based product, it is now a must-have on every shopping trip.

Before discussing the brands I think I'm now required to state that I have received NO compensation, correspondence, or offers from the makers of these foods. If I were making money off this blog, I wouldn't be keeping my day job! And I don't even get free samples. Instead I paid good money for the privilege of testing and reviewing the products. Hopefully that covers all my bases.

For the protein powders, I recommend Nutiva Hempshake (tm) and Manitoba Harvest Certified Organic Hemp Protein Powder (tm). While there are several flavor varieties, I get the chocolate versions of both and then mix them for a smooth, mocha-type flavor. You have to stir this stuff really well, or get a mini blender and whiz the liquid and the powders together for a good 20 seconds. But the result is well worth the effort.

As far as the hemp ice cream--I am in love with Living Harvest's Tempt (tm) Ice Cream in Chocolate Fudge flavor. I am just as likely to tear through a pint of the stuff in one sitting as I ever was with Ben and Jerry's. But when it's all said and done, I at least know I consumed enough omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to get me through a week.

And NO there are no detectable levels of anything naughtier than chocolate in any of these products. Enough already! *this last bit is mainly for my dh's benefit*

Traveling with Celiac

If you're curious why there's been such a gap in the postings, it's because this GFCF mom has had an extended break from thinking about, planning, and living the gluten-free life. Princess Becca went on a week-long trip to Florida with her grandmother and great-grandparents. I used her vacation as a mini vacation for myself.

The amount of planning that went into the trip was extensive, and deserves some mention. Eating gluten free and dairy free while away from the home environment is complicated. Not only do you not have your pantry of supplies available, but you also may have limited knowledge about the stores and restaurants in the area. I'm providing the travel plans we made to ensure that PB was safe during her trip and came home without incident.

1) Research the natural grocers and health food stores at your destination, and along the route if traveling by car
2) Pack plenty of gluten free/dairy free snacks in carry-on luggage. Take a refillable water bottle.
3) Pack gluten-free cosmetics and lotions (like sunblock) in your checked luggage.
4) For an extended stay, have family do a "preview" shopping trip to see if they can find your favorite staple items
5) Educate everyone at your destination about the dietary restrictions, and make sure they know not to offer foods to your GFCF child

****OPTIONAL****
Ship a box of gluten free/dairy free meal and snack items ahead by USPS or other delivery company. This worked really well for us, as we did not have to send grandma shopping immediately after landing at the airport.

We are very happy to report that PB did not have any exposures or symptoms due to grandma's careful planning! We hope other families can experience similar success.

Gluten Free at Church

For a long while now, we've been accustomed to taking Becca's snacks along wherever we go, to make sure she receives only gluten free, dairy free foods. That includes taking her own snacks to Sunday School and Wednesday night classes at church. It's always been a relief to know how supportive and cooperative her teachers have been, and to know that from one week to the next they are able to remember her needs. The classes are not exactly small, so I'm sure it is no easy task keeping an eye on her around the other children and their animal crackers.

Even though I knew that our church was a community environment where I could feel safe taking my kids despite all of their food allergies and PB's celiac disease, I was still pleasantly surprised this past Sunday morning when we participated in the Communion service. As the volunteers prepared to pass around the communion wafers, the pastor kindly added, "And if anyone is in need of gluten-free wafers, please raise your hand and we'll make sure they get to you."

Wow! I'm so very proud of my church. Even though Becca was not present in the adult service, I still felt joy knowing that when she does move up, she'll be able to participate in this important observance with the rest of her family. Celiac disease does not have to mean exclusion from family and social life.

Here's good wishes for more gluten-free experiences we can all enjoy!

Antibiotic Allergies

I'm not sure what relationship antibiotic allergies may have to Becca's celiac disease, but we now know she is allergic to zithromax AND to penicillin. Needless to say, it was an unpleasant second day of antibiotic usage at our house. She had hives and itching that were barely relieved with Benadryl.

So they switched her to Cefdinir, and so far so good. I know I said that in the last post, but we're farther in this time. The Cefdinir is also being fairly kind to her tummy (big bonus there).

The symptoms of the strep throat are gone now too, so we are just finishing the round of antibiotics to be good little patients. PB would like to offer a big "thank you" to all her well wishers!

Updates to other posts

So PB has strep, the culture was "highly" positive (which seems to mean she had a whole lot of bacteria growing in that little petri dish). She's on penicillin, and is doing ok so far. We are letting her eat a lot of whatever she wants with each dose, as long as it's not a sugar based food. We are pushing the fluids too.

I've caught it as well. Not surprising for most families, but it's my first strep-throat infection and I'm thinking that my body is sending me an urgent message to slooooww down. I'm lying on the floor as I type. I think my head is going to fall off and I want to minimize the distance to impact.

Remember our gluten-free chicken nugget recipe? Here's a fun tip! Last time we made them, I shredded a beautiful zucchini fresh from the garden (unfortunately not my garden). Then we stirred a half-cup into the ground chicken before forming the patties and voila! The kids got veggies and were raving about the nuggets being good enough to start a restaurant around them. Also, I have discovered that Chinese 5-spice is the best seasoning for the breading--with a tiny pinch of sugar. Necessity really is the mother of invention.

Also, I've included a link to another GFCF mom who puts up lots of really good recipes on her blog. I want to try her grilled cheese! I also can't wait to try a pizza with this dairy-free and nut-free cheese.
GFCF Grilled Cheese

Antibiotics for Becca

Becca is sick. Not from the celiac this time, but from a viral/bacterial infection of some sort. She has puffy eyes, a sore throat, a fever, and loss of appetite. I wouldn't have jumped to take her to the doctor as quickly as I did, except for the call I got letting me know her playmate from this past weekend has now tested positive for strep.

Our dilemma is what to do if the throat swab they took on Becca today comes back positive. Strep is risky business if untreated...but so are antibiotics for our Princess Becca (PB). She is allergic to zithromax (gets that from me unfortunately). All other antibiotics leave her nauseated, with stomach cramping and diarrhea. And when you tell your family doctor that your gluten-intolerant child needs to have all her prescriptions include instructions that the formulation must be gluten-free, they tend to give you that look--the one reserved for uptight, paranoid, delusional, hippie parents.

Any time PB's tummy hurts, she stops eating. Since her celiac disease and hidden dairy problems have left her so tiny, I hate watching her on a self-enforced fast. Our family doctor has indicated that it is fairly safe to wait out the results of the test and to even see if Becca kicks the infection without antibiotics. On that advice, we have decided to delay beginning treatment until the results are in, which could be two days from now. I hope we are making the best decision.

Updates on the strep/not-strep and antibiotics/no antibiotics dilemma will be forthcoming.

Gluten in the Air?

So the giant pancake breakfast did not go well. She didn't have any pancakes but puked back at the car anyway. She also hated the live music. Not sure why. Now she is telling us that the music hurt her tummy. Kids and their wonderful logic.

Expanding My Food Horizons

I've mentioned that at times, Princess Becca (PB) can challenge my preconceived notions of what constitutes an acceptable food choice. Tonight, she did it again--with a little help from her father this time...

We were busy going through the motions of our snacktime conversations:

"I'm HOOONNGRY," PB whines.
"What do you want, baby?" I ask her. I don't expect a usable answer yet.
"Something yummy."
"OK. Like what? Do you want turkey? Or some ham?"
I don't get a verbal response, just a glare.

This is where daddy chimes in. He's not always home for these exchanges, and so the game of "feed Becca" still has some alure to him. (When he's home with the kids, they get two food choices. Take one or don't eat.)

"I used to eat ketchup on my soy-nut butter sandwiches," he tells our daughter.

I gasp and utter an "Oh gross!" before I can stop myself. I immediately know two things:
1) There was never any soy-nut butter in my husband's childhood.
2) He is absolutely sincere that he put ketchup on his ~peanut~ butter sandwiches.

Despite the stomach-churning idea of those foods entering my mouth together, I feel guilty for my reaction. We encourage PB to think outside the norm as she chooses foods that work for her, within her dietary constraints.

Becca gauges my level of disgust, and sides with Daddy (thank goodness for reverse psychology). "Yeah! I want that." she says.

I put a muzzle on my sensibility and give my husband a look. He knows that I will never, ever, be the one to make her a soy-nut butter and ketchup sandwich. They head to the kitchen together for a little father/daughter bonding over their favorite red condiment. I find somewhere else to be until the sandwich is gone. And yes, she really did like it. Daddy loves being right.

Where We Are Today

Becca's petite size is a source of constant worry for me. She was always little (being a preemie) but in the past year she has really slowed down. She hasn't gained a pound in longer than I can remember. I thought for sure it would turn around now that we are aggressively treating the celiac and the dairy intolerance. However, we are still waiting for the scale to budge.

For reference, PB is currently 30 lbs. My father checks her weight daily. When she finally hits 31 lbs we will have a little online celebration. I promise to decorate the blog with something very festive. For now, we'll keep letting her drink the lard through a straw.

Of COURSE I'm joking. Sheesh. I can't believe you would have even considered that I was serious.

(Honey, hide the lard before DFS shows up would you?)

Wish List Foods--Nutritional Shake

Before we decided that dairy was causing much of Becca's elimination troubles, we let her drink Boost almost daily (because it is gluten-free). Now, we are really wishing we had an alternative to keep her going on car trips, or at other strange times when a gluten-free meal is not readily available, or when her tummy is cramping too bad to eat solid foods.

Does anyone know of a nutritional drink--chocolate flavored of course--that is both gluten AND caseine (dairy) free? If not, I'm going to start trying to come up with a recipe of our own. I'd welcome ideas from other parents of GFCF kids, or from nutritionists!

Oh, and I do want to mention that powdered mixes would be fine. We can always shake it up with a little rice milk from those individual serving packets.

Cold Bacon

Becca is never hungry in a normal sort of way. She is all or nothing. When she is not hungry, good luck getting anything down her except water and juice. But when she IS hungry she will wear you down in her efforts to keep eating, eating, eating.

So after I have pulled out, heated up, mixed together and served thirteen different foods in an hour's time, I get a little less rigid about our food boundaries. My dad has often caught me at these moments, and raised serious objections about the things I'm letting her choose.

Tonight, for instance, is one of PB's hungry times. But in addition to being ravenously hungry, she was maddeningly picky. I opened the fridge door and read off the list of items (for the tenth time) available for her dining pleasure. Ah-hah! Hiding in the back was a small batch of pre-cooked bacon.

We had a winner. I take the bacon to the microwave to warm it up.

"I want it cold!" says the little princess.

It takes me less than two nano-seconds to decide on this one. My eyebrow raises, but just barely. I rip out two pieces and fork them over. She walks off chewing happily on her prize, and I am content knowing I just saved myself fifteen seconds of microwave time and three minutes of blowing on hot bacon to cool it back down. Ain't I smart?

Home Made Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets Recipe

I found a recipe on the web for making chicken nuggets that are "just like" McD's. Unfortunately it was full of gluten, "just like McD's."

So we reworked it for a gluten-free version (and changed up the seasonings) and the result was a hit with everyone in the family. The only thing that still needs some tweaking is the breading, which turned out a little bit grainy. If anyone plays with this recipe and develops a good variation PLEASE post it as a comment.

Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets Recipe:

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 Egg, beaten OR egg substitute prepared according to package directions

1 Tbl water

Gluten-free seasonings to taste (paprika, sea salt, powdered onion, garlic, white pepper, etc)

OR

Gluten-free beef bouillon powder

2 c. gluten-free all purpose baking mix (ie Bob's Red Mill)

Oil for frying -- Grapeseed or Canola

In a small bowl, beat the 1 Tbl water into the egg. If using egg substitute have it in a small bowl ready for dipping. Pour the two cups of baking mix into a separate, medium-sized bowl. Lightly season baking mix with salt and white pepper, or whatever other seasonings your family prefers.

Cut the raw chicken into pieces and drop into your blender, or just throw it whole into a food processor. Season the pieces with the buillon or your own seasonings and then pulse together until chicken forms a paste.

Heat 1 and 1/2 inches of oil on medium heat in frying pan, or use a deep fryer. Make sure oil is new, or has never been used to cook anything with gluten.

Roll chicken paste into ball shapes (a rounded tablespoon of chicken each). Dip the ball into the baking mix and coat well. Flatten the chicken in your hand until it resembles a chicken nugget and is of even thickness all across. Dip nugget into egg mix to coat and then back into baking mix. Set aside on a dedicated plate until you have a batch ready to go into the fryer.

Deep fry the nuggets for five minutes, turning once if they are not fully submerged. Remove to plate to cool. Serve with dipping sauces or plain.

See attached picture of how ours turned out! If you don't want to go gluten-free, just substitute plain old flour for the baking mix.

Bad Day

So today is a bad day for PB (Princess Becca). She's puking again and has an itchy mouth this time. I think it must be a food allergy that didn't show up on the last skin tests. I'm starting a food diary and we'll see if we can find the pattern.

I would just take her to the allergist right away, but CHP+ has dropped us again because they are unable to handle their own renewal processes. Please everyone say a prayer (or keep your fingers crossed if you're not into praying) that we can straighten out the insurance situation and also identify Becca's latest triggers.

What Doesn't Becca Eat / Having Becca Visit

For any who are interested, here are the current dietary restrictions we follow for Princess Becca:

Gluten
Dairy
Peanuts
Nitrates/Nitrites (preservatives)

In addition we try to minimize the following:

Food coloring
Sugar
Artificial sweeteners

If you're planning on having Becca over for a visit, we're glad to help with food ideas or to send meals along.

Gluten-Free Vegetable Soup

Even if I don't have time to make everything from scratch, and I don't have the money to buy everything prepared, I am finding ways to do "hybrid" cooking.

So tonight, for instance, we took a can of organic, gluten free vegetable soup and threw it in a soup pan to heat. That one little can of soup costs almost $3, and since it's not condensed it's really only meant to feed one.

Enter the creative portion of this whole endeavour. A quarter-pound of cooked hamburger, with a couple of tablespoons of fresh herbs and 4 cans of water, goes into the soup pot. Then a chopped zuchini from my aunt's garden takes the plunge, followed by a 1/2 cup of dry gluten-free macaroni noodles.

The results? The soup is still safe for Becca, is chock full of nutrients for everyone who eats it, and costs barely more than the original tiny individual-serving. Best of all....BECCA LOVES IT!

Emotional Roller Coaster

Any of you who know Becca also know that it is an understatement to call her a drama queen. Lately, though, it has been even worse than usual. In random bursts of massive emotional upheaval, she can bring the entire house to its knees.

I googled the terms "celiac, gluten and emotional" and found lots of threads that confirm my suspicions. People with celiac who get into gluten can suffer serious emotional symptoms that sometimes dwarf the physical ones.

So next time Becca cries buckets because we are washing her favorite pajamas, or gets herself into an extreme state of hyperactive oppositional defiance over pointing with her index finger instead of her middle one (YES she is really fighting us on this and I am horrified), I'll be sure to reevaluate our day and her diet. I bet we'll find a tummy ache somewhere in there as well.

Have I mentioned how much we hate food allergies and intolerances? But we will someday have the healthiest menu on the block. Someday--when we get this all figured out.

Maybe We Should All Go Gluten-Free

As I look around the kitchen, my mommy-laser-vision is focusing in on a million potential sources of cross contamination for Becca's unwitting consumption. There's the toaster that leaks breadcrumbs, the spilled pasta water on the stove top, the vague film of someone's lunch that's covering the table, and I'm pretty sure that knives which have been used to spread jelly on wheat bread have been reinserted into the jelly jar to get just a "little bit more."

So far we haven't experienced any major disasters, but I just feel like we are inviting it by sharing our food prep space this way. I've had other celiac families tell me that it's really just easiest and safest to keep the whole family on a gluten-free diet while in the house. I've been resistant to the change, however.

For one thing, how in the world would a family possibly afford it? Becca's gluten-free diet alone is almost equal to the food costs for the rest of us combined! And in the second place, poor CJ already has a restricted diet of his own with his tree nut/peanut/strawberry/shellfish allergies. And much of Becca's GF/CF food is made with almonds or other nuts.

On the other hand, we have found lots of acceptable alternatives (like the new brownie and cake mixes) that we all get along with--except for that little problem of price. I know I should try to minimize our gluten-containing foods, at the very least.

So is it about to be bye-bye for Sarah Lee in our house? Maybe one of these days. I'm considering heading out for a lotto ticket...

Roast Beef for Dinner

"Mom...I'm hungry."

A normal complaint in any household, but for us it is a non-stop mantra. Becca really is ALWAYS hungry. Usually we don't stop at fast food restaurants because they are so unpredictable. But tonight the baby was screaming at the top of her lungs, and Becca was whining her own sad tune..so, I cut across two lanes of rush hour traffic and pulled into the first restaurant we passed. It happened to be Arby's.

"Can I have turkey?" was Becca's request.

"You mean roast beast?" I asked. My husband is responsible for none of our children knowing what roast beef really is, so we all speak in terms of Dr Seuss.

I'm not in the mood to ask the young thing manning the drive-through window if the beef was gluten free, so I ordered it without a bun and had it packed up in a plastic case. Poor Becca had to smell her dinner all the way home so I could check it on the computer.

The good news? Arby's advertises on its website that the roast beef is gluten free! Yay! The bad news? Roast beef is not sufficiently insulated by a plastic box to retain any heat for a delayed meal. Becca scarfed it down anyway.

Score one for Arby's!