at the extreme risk of sounding like a commercial

Our family is loving Zipzicles!  There are some great recipes on their website.  We've tried pureed frozen cantaloupe (which my kids won't touch but somehow frozen makes it different), and the Spinach Surprise.  So much better than the dye-filled and artificially flavored alternative! 

favorite snow cone recipe

With the temps soaring again, all eyes turn to the freezer for relief.  We've been tinkering with making homemade snow cones, and this recipe is our favorite so far!

First, the best way I've found so far to make homemade lemonade apart from squeezing my own lemons:  1 bottle Minute Maid lemon juice.  Make lemonade according to directions on the box; I think it is 4 cups of water and 3/4 c. of sugar.

Then, fill a blender as much as you like with ice.  Pour lemonade until within one inch of top of ice, and blend everything on "ice crush" setting.  If you leave it as is, you have a wonderful FG stage 1 recipe.

However, we have been enjoying some natural maraschino cherries as a special anniversary treat (from me to Eric).  I found these on sale at our local health food store.  The cherries are incredible, but what to do with the leftover juice?  DON'T throw it away!!!!  Pour it on top of the snow cone (or in with the blender with the lemonade) and mix with straw.

Soooo refreshing!!!  And in my case, one very happy husband.

keeping cool when it sizzles

Every year our neighborhood has a Fourth of July celebration.  And every year, some creative and talented people pull together to make it even better than the year before. 

A look inside a police car--"this is where the bad guys go, so don't be a bad guy."

It was the first year the kids had their own police escort for the bike parade.

Josiah still has not figured out the parade is not a race. He thought he had won and raised his fist in victory.

The biggest draw, especially this year: the water!!

Who needs swimsuits?

One neighbor found this pattern for a bike wash and had some neighborhood dads help put it together.  What a perfect year for it to debut, with temps topping 100 by afternoon!

How many passes until you are clean? 

As many as it takes to get cool!!

And you don't have to be a child to enjoy it!

The morning was so much fun, but also so centered on food.  We all ate breakfast before we left so we were less tempted by the breakfast food and brought some treats along for Josiah, but it is still hard when he has to sit out of the candy parade.  He handled it very well, knowing by now that such things are not possible.  But still, perhaps next year I can find some special things to toss his way.  Candy that works for Josiah is one of the hardest things for me to find for him.

There were snowcones, and Josiah was delighted to experiment with unflavored ice.  But that sparked an idea, and tonight I made lemonade slushies for supper.  Ice + lemonade in the blender = a cool treat!  And the possibilities of varying the recipe are endless!

Other natural ideas to beat the heat: Annie's has some new fruit snack bunnies and the pink lemonade flavor works great for our little guy!  He also loves Edy's mango bar popsicles: these come in several natural flavors (read carefully as lime has artificial color) but many have ingredients like cornstarch that Josiah can't handle.  I'm glad we were able to come up with one that works!  And finally, Luigi's Italian ice are naturally flavored with no artificial colors.  My older kids can have at those!

Stay cool!!



new candy!

I can't help but be excited about this! Unreal candy is made without corn syrup, preservatives, food dyes, artificial flavor, and is non-GMO on top of all that.  Our local CVS carries these and we tried a couple of kinds.  Don't expect the overwhelming sweetness of a regular candy bar, but do expect to love it anyway. :)

the brain/gut connection

In the past couple of years, I have read a lot about the connection between diet and behavior.  If I could narrow what I've learned down to the three most helpful books, they would have to be the ones listed below.

Why Your Child is Hyperactive

by Dr. Ben Feingold

Dr. Feingold was a pioneer in learning to understand the connection between hyperactivity and food additives.  He did not set out to help kids with hyperactivity but stumbled into the work while treating a patient with allergy symptoms.  Even though the information is 50 years old, it is still a great place to start when considering natural solutions for ADHD.

Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders

by Dr. Kenneth Bock

This book helped me understand the link between the rise in autism, ADHD, asthma, and allergies.  While all manifesting in different ways, these disorders actually have a similar underlying root cause: how the body deals with toxins.  While some of it is technical, there are many success stories and help in understanding how DAN doctors are looking at the body and treating these conditions.

Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Depression, and Schizophrenia

by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride

This is my most current read on the subject and really seems to get to the root of many neurological disorders: the condition of gut flora.  The author of this book was able to help her own autistic son recover through diet, and has helped hundreds more to find help and healing through implementing her GAPS diet.  With autism on the rise (1 in 55 boys are now diagnosed) it would be a good read for anyone concerned about what may be causing autism and related disorders.  While my child-bearing years are over, I have 3 children in my home who may be parents someday.  After our own battles linking diet with health and behavior issues, I want to consider these things seriously.

It will be interesting to watch what continued research in these areas will show.

Happy reading!

what happens to normal kids when you remove food additives

At a normal school, with normal kids in Australia, they found out what happens when you take out foods with added chemicals.  In our own family, two of my three children were what I considered "normal" and yet we've found each and every one of us (me included) feel so much better physically and emotionally when we are eating "real" food.  I hate to think what we would have missed seeing in our children if we hadn't made these changes.  It's more than worth it!!

This study was done in 2007.  Thanks to the FG mom who shared it recently!

GFCF chicken nuggets? Yes, it can be done!

One of our favorite pre-Feingold restaurants was Chick-Fil-A.  Unfortunately, their food is loaded with additives and MSG.  I'm so thankful for the mom who shared this recipe recently.  We tried it before removing dairy and gluten and it was wonderful, but it will be easy to adapt to our new way of doing things as a once-in-awhile-treat with a couple of simple substitutes.  Enjoy!!

Chicken Nuggets

Oil for frying
2 eggs
2 cups milk (CF-try substituting a milk replacement or just omit and use only eggs)
2 cups flour (GF-use rice flour)
2 TBSP powdered sugar (I will probably omit or substitute another kind of sugar)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1.75 - 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips for fingers or bite-sized pieces for nuggets

Mix together the egg and milk. Place the chicken in this mixture, and let sit for at least an hour. While the breasts are sitting, mix together the flour, sugar, pepper, and salt. Once the sitting is done, dredge in the flour. (Optional: for a thicker coating, after the first dredging, put the chicken pieces back in the milk bath for a few seconds, and re-dredge in the flour.)

Heat oil in a deep fat fryer to 375 F., gently drop chicken pieces into the oil, and let cook until golden brown.

first week!

It has felt a bit like a cooking marathon, but we've made it through our first week of gluten free.  There have been some recipe flops but most have been winners.  The biggest prize however is seeing a side of Josiah that I've never seen before.  Feingold was good, but this is off the charts. 

A few nights into his new diet, I was tucking Josiah into bed when he told me, "I love gluten free.  My tummy is not hurting anymore."  I was suspecting some digestive troubles, since Josiah has complained of gnawing hunger since he learned how to talk, often demanding a snack even after a good meal.  Lately he's not been eating much at once, saying he was full--another subtle sign that something may be going on.  As a baby, there were all those feeding issues (even beyond normal reflux) that I've never quite been able to explain.  But still, he never complained of an actual tummy ache with words.  To hear him say his tummy felt better was almost a shock but also very confirming that there was indeed digestive discomfort going on.

So it makes me wonder, what do we do when we are uncomfortable?  Even as adults, can't we be demanding of everyone around us, irritable, and have trouble paying attention?  Seeing changes this week has filled us with hope as well as sympathy for other children who may be having similar difficulties, and those parents who are doing their best to manage them.

Here are a couple of our favorite recipes from the week!

If the mention of sweet potatoes gives you a mental picture of a casserole with marshmallows on top, it's time to try something new.  Who would have thought of fixing them like this??

Sweet Potato French Fries (recipe adapted from Everyday Paleo)

4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, cut lengthwise into strips
1/4 c. olive oil
2 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cover two cookie sheets with aluminum foil.  Toss sweet potatoes with oil and spices.  Spread evenly on cookie sheets, being careful not to crowd spears.  Turn once or twice during cooking, baking about 30-40 min.  Potatoes are done when slightly crispy.  Serve with salsa.


A new staple at our house has been muffins made with coconut flour.  They are loaded with protein and therefore help keep Josiah's blood sugar stable and his tummy feeling full.  He does not do well at all with sugar on an empty stomach, but if we can serve one of these muffins alongside fruit or a cookie, his day goes much better!  The lemon poppyseed muffins were tasty, but our favorite is definitely the pumpkin pie muffins from fastpaleo.com.

Pumpkin Pie Muffins

3/4 Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1/2 Cup Coconut oil, melted
6 eggs
2 Tsp Vanilla
1/4 Honey, melted
2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
Handful of walnuts (if desired)
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder (Optional for chocolate muffins)

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.  Sift the coconut flour and spices together, then add baking soda.  In a separate bowl, mix all remaining ingredients except walnuts until well blended.  Add the sifted flour and spices to the pumpkin puree. Mix well and divide the batter between the muffin pans and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until done.


Today I was able to get a little Christmas cooking done.  After trying a couple of things with Josiah and sugar, I decided to chance it and make his sister's favorite Jackpot Drop cookie recipe by subbing some GF flour for regular flour, GF oatmeal, and carob chips for chocolate.  The cookies turned out beautifully and he did well with one after a hearty lunch.  Sweets have become more rare around here than they used to be, and most of the things I have made this week have been sugar free.  But it IS Christmas time!!

There have been many reasons for smiling today, as I have often lifted my heart to the Lord in tremendous gratitude for answered prayer.

first day gluten free

So far, so good.  Breakfast was eggs, bacon, and a pear.  For snack, we had to get creative.  As you can see, we figured out what to do with an avocado.  It is amazing how readily kids will try food they have helped make.  This was yummy!  First we tried the dip with carrots but of course corn chips tasted even better.

Josiah's Avocado Dip

one avocado, mashed with fork

one clove of garlic, chopped or diced

1 T. lemon juice

black pepper to taste 

Serve with vegetables or (sigh!) corn chips.



from the trenches

This article was written by a woman who struggled with ADHD and used medication until finally finding diet as a way to manage her symptoms as an adult.  All I can say is WOW.

In her words, after waking up out of an ADHD fog by going gluten free and sugar free via the Paleo diet:

"What we are doing by medicating (ADHD children) is creating a generation of kids who only know how to march in time with the masses, and don't understand that the things that make them unique also make them wonderful. We are teaching them that anything that makes them “different” makes them a problem. We aren't cultivating their unique talents and strengths and we are suppressing their creative abilities. We are breeding a generation of robots, and suppressing creativity, passion, and individuality."

The pursuit of managing ADHD with diet is difficult, but stories like this encourage me to keep trying.

Halloween success!!

My youngest is not in reaction mode, no one got sick...it was a great Halloween.  These candies were a hit with Josiah, who rarely eats any candy except Yummy Earth Lollipops.  I may be somewhat less Scroogish about candy next year after watching how excited he got about his very own special candy "without artificials, Mommy!"

ready for Halloween

After 15 months on the Feingold diet and seeing how food additives affect all three of my children, I am having trouble with the idea of handing out candy filled with chemicals to our trick or treaters this year, even if that is what they get at every other house.  However, finding a suitable alternative is not easy.  Most candy is loaded with artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.  Grab your favorite candy bar and read the label. 

At my weekly grocery trip last week, I found what I was looking for: small treat bags of Teddy Grahams.  Coupled with Life Saver Pep-O-Mints, I have some reasonably priced treats without artificials to hand out!  However, even Josiah can't eat either of these.  They have a corn sweetner which causes him to react behaviorally.

What will he be having for Halloween?  We ordered him some white rock candy, naturally flavored and colored gummies made without corn syrup, and a Jack-O-Lantern shaped piece of maple candy.  Rachel will probably get a Gharadelli all natural chocolate bar, and Micah is getting some special gelatin-free "marshmallows."  This is so complicated, my boys can't even share their treats without having issues!

They are looking forward to turning their trick or treating candy in for some small toys.  Halloween is fun even without the candy!!  I'm thinking next year we may skip the special candy and just make cookies.

more homemade crackers

Graham crackers used to mean a high price tag or a trip to Whole Foods (not really an "or" since it's so far away!)  A big, big thank you to the Feingold moms who shared their recipes with me!  It was hard to pick which one to try first.  I think these would be even better with a little cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top, which is basically what Rachel did with them anyway.

Homemade Graham Crackers

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Cup Butter, chilled & cubed

1/4 Cup Honey

1/4 Cup Water


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a food processor or mixer combine the first 6 ingredients.

3. Add cubed and chilled butter to the mix and pulse/mix until it resembles coarse meal.

4. Add honey and water and continue to mix until it all combines.

5. Remove and shape the dough into a flat disk and place between two pieces of parchment paper.

6. Roll dough out until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into crackers or shapes.

7. Place cookies on aluminum foil or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

8. Cool and serve.

homemade goldfish crackers

A fellow Feingold mom recently shared this recipe on the member's board.  Since these are the only cheese crackers I can find for Josiah, I can only find them online or a Whole Foods, and they cost more than I'd like to pay, it was time to give them a try.  They were incredibly easy!  I didn't bother with cutting out goldfish shapes, just used a knife or pizza cutter to cut them in squares.  The kids raved that these are way better than anything we have ever bought.

Ingredients

8 ounces, weight Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

4 Tablespoons Butter, Cut Into Cubes

1 cup Flour

¾ teaspoons Salt

2 Tablespoons Cold Water

Preparation Instructions:
 
Pulse everything (except water) together in the food processor until the dough resembles coarse sand.  Pulse in water, 1 tablespoon at a time.  Remove dough from the processor, wrap in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes.  Roll out the dough and cut into desired shapes. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, or until crispy.

Makes approximately 7 dozen crackers.

Just some notes: I cut down the salt and am going to see how half whole wheat flour tastes.  Shh...they'll never know.

oatmeal packets

Oatmeal.  Nothing sticks to your ribs quite like it.  What a great breakfast for kids who otherwise get hungry, um, about 5 minutes after they are done.  These make-ahead packets are healthy and frugal, not to mention yummy!  For each, measure dry ingredients into plastic containers or ziplock bags.  It makes a huge bowl so I will probably halve the recipe next time around.  The varieties are endless, but I can't replicate the tiny eggs hatching into candy dinosaurs that my oldest kids still pine after.  Maybe someday I'll add some sprinkles for a special surprise.

Cherries and Cream Oatmeal  (otherwise known as Eric's Oatmeal)
1/2 c. quick-cooking oats
handful of dried cherries (the original recipe calls for 1/4 c. dried blueberries)
2 t. nonfat milk powder (I used Organic Valley)
1 t. brown sugar
pinch of salt (I leave this out)

Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal
1/2 c. quick-cooking oats
1 t. nonfat milk powder
1 t. brown sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
If desired, you can also add 2 T. chopped pecans.
After cooking, add  maple syrup to taste

To prepare packet:  Use ziplock bags or small plastic containers and add ingredients.  When ready to eat, add 1 1/4 c. boiling water, or 1 c. water and microwave on high for 1 1/2 min.  Stir vigorously for 30 sec.  Packets can be stored in airtight containers for up to 4 weeks.

a quick supper for a family on the run

It's been a busy week running back and forth to the fair, helping neighbors move, and finishing up swimming lessons.  The crockpot came in handy yesterday, but I was coming up short for a quick meal tonight.  Thankfully, this recipe from $5 Dinners was in my inbox this week and I remembered it was a quick meal to throw together from leftovers.  We had deli ham, a block of monterrey jack cheese, dried parsley and frozen red peppers from the garden, and plenty of eggs on hand as always.  This never has to be the same twice.  And Micah definitely gave it a thumbs up!

Frittatas
Start with these 5 ingredients:
•6 eggs
•½ cup milk
•2 Tbsp flour
•1/4 tsp salt
•¼ tsp pepper

Add: ¾ cup shredded cheese of your choice. It could be Swiss, cheddar, Parmesan, Asiago, pepper jack.

Add: 1 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, rosemary, basil, thyme or 1 tsp dried herbs, like parsley, rosemary, an Italian or fiesta mix. Choose one or mix a few together.

Add: 1 cup cooked meat, diced. This is a great way to use up leftovers, such as diced ham, chicken, or sausage. If you don’t have any meat on hand, you can replace this amount with additional vegetables.

Add: 1 to 1 1/2 cups of fresh vegetables, diced. Sweet peppers, asparagus, squash, tomatoes, green onions, peas, shredded zucchini are a few examples. Choose one or mix a few together.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Coat a 10 inch pie pan with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, salt, pepper until smooth. Stir in the cheese, herbs, meat, and the vegetables until combined.

4. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the eggs are set in the middle or golden on top. Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Lemon Pasta Bake

With an overabundance of parsley in our garden, it's a perfect time to make this recipe, a family favorite!

Ingredients


• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti

• 4 Tablespoons Salted Butter

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced

• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested

• 2 cups Sour Cream

• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste

• Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese

• Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped

• Extra Lemon Juice

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.  In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.  Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

say, "cheese!"

After we had success giving Josiah some Kilgus Farmstead milk, I had a hunch that natural, organic cheese would also work for him.  So today, we headed out to the Ropp Jersey Cheese store just outside of town.  This is one of those special places where we even know the owners.  I knew from past experience that we could try free samples and find out before even buying if the cheese would work for Josiah.  He tried the cheddar curds and some Cojack cheese, delighting in every bite...and no reactions.  We headed outdoors to pet some calves, a turkey, and some goats, and also watched through the window where they make the cheese.  Then back in to grab a few varieties along with a package of antibiotic-free and hormone-free ground beef.  What a fun shopping experience, and we look forward to many more.  I can hardly wait to make pizza and calzones with real cheese for everyone this week! 

Does it cost more to shop this way?  Yes, if you are making the switch from the cheapest store brands, although not a lot.  But it will save us money over what we were spending on milk substitutes.  It is a good feeling, too, to support our local farmers.  Their hard work and services mean a lot to us!

got milk?

I was ready to give up on milk.  Then I found this at our health food store and cautiously let Josiah try it.   He does not react to it at all.  Amazing!!  It sure tastes great, too.  It is not homogenized, but a good shake before pouring takes care of the cream that rises to the top.

I'm still not sure what it is that would make this milk better for Josiah than what we were buying before.  He is very sensitive to added vitamins and some corn derivatives.  It could be that, or it could be that healthy cows allowed to pasture feed really do produce better milk.  A year ago I didn't even want to attempt to understand the arguments behind organic food, but I'm coming around when I see the difference it makes in a child with so many food sensitivities. 

I can't wait to try their yogurt.  Now if we could just find some cheese that works for him...

move over, Dairy Queen

Ah, it's summer, the time of year to enjoy a dripping, refreshing ice cream cone on a hot summer night.  Unfortunately, it's hard to find an ice cream parlor that caters to the dairy-free sect.  When I saw this recipe for coconut ice cream, I couldn't wait to try it for Josiah.  It's much cheaper and more delicious than anything we have ever bought pre-made.  A few substitutions were in order since he can't tolerate raspberries, but the result was still mouth-watering.

Thanks, Dad and Mom, for digging out your ice cream maker!  Josiah loved this.

Mango-Banana Coconut Milk ice cream
Ingredients
2 14 oz. cans of unpressed coconut milk ($2.46) (I used a can that said "first pressing"--Thai Kitchen)
1 mango, cubed ($1)
1 container baby food bananas
1 tsp lemon juice ($.03)
1/2 tsp vanilla ($.03)
1/2 cup sugar ($.20) (Substitute agave syrup or honey if desired)

Directions
1. SHAKE the coconut milk cans.  Milk must be nice and mixed!
2. Blend frozen or fresh (and cold) mango, baby food banana, lemon juice, vanilla, and sugar with 2-3 Tbsp of the cold coconut milk.
3. Quickly add COLD fruit puree with COLD coconut milk into the spinning ice cream maker.  (I just mixed everything together and put it in the freezer for 15 min. to get it cold.)
4. Let “churn” for 20-30 minutes, or according to the instructions of your ice cream maker.
5. Once it forms an ice cream like consistency, transfer it quickly to a freezer safe container. Freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

Cost $3.72 for 2 pints of coconut milk ice cream

Taken from $5 Dinner Mom website

We will have to try this with raspberries, too, for the rest of us!