Tuesday, July 01, 2008

One of These Things is Not Like the Others, and Neither is the Other One

So much to write about, so much packing to do before our first trip as a family of five! Gack. In this issue you'll find: a cereal review, a contest, and an anniversary note.

But first, have you read about the possible relationship between milk allergies and recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH)? Holy crap. And milk allergies are now the most common food allergy. We're number one--um, whee?

And now it's time for a Go Dairy Free product review!

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Artisan Inspiration Granola


Photo courtesy of Nutritious Living

Everyone in our family liked this granola, even me with my dislike of raisins and the kids with their dislike of non-uniform cereal. Although the granola is dairy free, vegans and those avoiding wheat and nuts need not apply. It is a fancy, fancy granola filled with dried cherries, raisins, dates, cashews, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, wheat flakes, and other good stuff. I was surprised to see corn syrup listed in the ingredients, but it's not high fructose.

Ingredients: Whole rolled oats, raisins, whole white wheat flakes, whole barley flakes, turbinado brown sugar, sunflower oil, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, mixed fruit juice concentrate (pineapple, pear, apple, peach), dried sweetened cherries (cherries, sugar, sunflower oil), corn syrup, sweetened dates (dates, dextrose), cashews, sesame seeds, dried coconut, pumpkin seeds, honey, maltodextrin, flaxseed, barley malt extract.

Suggested retail price: $4.49/11 oz. box

For more information, visit Nutritious Living.

This review written for Go Dairy Free.

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Group Effort: Pay It Forward Contest

In case you haven't heard, Swistle suggested starting a bunch of Pay It Forward contests, and many bloggers are following her lead because we want to be just like her when we grow up. And because it's fun.

So, I am going to give away a prize to a randomly chosen person who comments on this post between now and midnight on July 4. I will be out of town when the contest ends and will not name a winner until Tuesday, July 8. The winner must then give away something on her/his blog, and on it goes. If you would like to participate but don't have a blog, you can give something away on mine.

Swistle wrote lots more about the contest rules on her blog, and she is keeping a running list of all of the contests as well.

I haven't chosen all of my giveaway items yet, but the box will include some Artisan Inspiration Granola! How's that for tying it all together? [Edited to add: Unless of course someone in your house has a severe allergy to one of the items in the cereal and you don't want it. I'll just think of some other yummy thing.]

If you want to participate, leave a comment telling me a typical lunch you make for yourself or your kids.

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And finally, a happy, happy tenth(!) anniversary to Scott. Yay, us.

42 comments:

  1. My kids are SO picky and in different ways when it comes to food. So for lunch, they rarely eat the same thing. My oldest is a good eater, so she'll have a turkey sandwich and some fruit. For the next one it's usually cheese toast or a fluffernutter with crackers and fruit chews or yogurt. The third usually has an apple or some grapes with crackers or a slice of bread and fruit chews, sometimes a few baby carrots. The baby eats better than the middle two, so she'll have a banana, maybe a sandwich, a yogurt, some crackers, etc. There's not really a REGULAR lunch for her, since I want to avoid the picky trap I'm in with the middle two, so I try to really vary things with her.

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  2. Typical lunch is me playing short order cook trying to tempt them with fruit or tacos or salads. We are of the nut genre of allergies.

    Picky Picky Picky.

    Of course, I made them that way, I am sure. Just ask my mother.

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  3. Happy anniversary to you!
    I'm fiddling around with gf granolas for The Baby - so far, I haven't had much luck.
    Lunches at my house? If it's me and The Baby, I'll make us some homemade soup and she'll have some gf crackers and cheese with it. Now that the kids are home for the summer, things are more complicated.

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  4. Lunch at my house tends to be either leftovers from dinner or sandwiches. Luckily my daughter hasn't shown signs of being a picky eater, and will usually eat anything in front of her - including more of a variety of vegetables than I eat!

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  5. I'm afraid I'm going to offend you when I answer. We're not super healthy here although we are getting better. Much more fruit and veggies in the diet now that the Ex is gone.

    But lunch is often left overs or a frozen pizza... with cheese, lots of cheese.

    I'm bad, I know.

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  6. Darsie is the hugest granola eater ever known to mankind. Elise just likes the raisins.

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  7. We usually have pasta or something like that

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  8. My two year old is on a real PB&J kick. But at least it's natural, organic peanut butter and no-sugar-added jelly, right? Right??

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  9. My lunch is normally leftovers from the night before plus some type of crackers/pretzels and fruit. Yum.

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  10. hmmm, some kind of fresh fruit, some kind of veggie (usually beans or tomatoes) and either a sandwich or a quesadilla. If it's a quesadilla I always sneak in some spinach!

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  11. A typical lunch for myself is either last night's dinner leftovers or a chicken and veggie wrap. For my son, it's PB&J, cous cous and carrots. These are his three standbys, the things he will ALWAYS eat.

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  12. Happy anniversary, you guys!

    I make two basic lunches: either sandwiches with two sides such as goldfish crackers and raisins; or "snack lunches," which is little servings of a bunch of different things: cheese cubes, grapes, pretzels, carrot coins, toast squares, or whatever else I find.

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  13. I send babyfood, frozen breast milk, and formula.

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  14. Peanut butter and honey sandwhich and fruit or ham, cheese and fruit.

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  15. Happy Anniversary! Ten years is quite the milestone... congratulations.

    A typical lunch would be beans & toast, bagels with cream cheese or a tuna sandwich, all usually served with a raw vegge platter.

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  16. Lunch for us is BLTs and salad...yummers!

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  17. Hard boiled eggs, cheese, tuna (plain, no mayo), edamae and some fruit. Sometimes a granola bar.

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  18. Typical lunch is pasta with something on or in it. Sandwiches are also a staple.

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  19. I'm a fan of leftovers. Or fruit salad.

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  20. Bud eats peanut butter and jelly, bologna or grilled cheese. Lucy also really likes pb&j but will eat soup or salad readily.

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  21. typical summer lunch (cuz i work as a teacher and don't do lunches most of the school year) is a salad and piece of fruit and then a sandwich or something left over from the night before. No allergies here.

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  22. Kraft mac and cheese is the best!

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  23. Every single day I make the same lunch.

    Nub wants a cheese sandwhich. His bubba, Dub, wants PB&J.

    I do mix up the fruit though!

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  24. I'm a poor collage student on the go, so my lunch is typically string cheese, pbj, and an apple. Boring.

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  25. I will eat anything, but when my husband is home, we often will make bagel sandwiches.

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  26. Um, let's see...my son likes peanut butter (non trans-fat kind) and jelly (naturally sweetened) on whole grain bread, with fresh fruit (yes, I can be really anal about our lunches---that way, I don't have to be about our desserts! :)
    I usually eat chicken or a salad. And a yummy, of course!

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  27. Um, we're cooking up hot dogs right now.

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  28. I've seen that dairy allergy article before. So much is added to our foods.

    Typical lunch, huh? Alysa is in love with sunflower seed butter and jelly and asks for it every day. We also do a lot of egg salad, always a fruit and sometimes a snack/dessert of Enjoy Life cookies or veggie stix. Yum!

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  29. Mac & Cheese, Peanut butter & jelly or some kind of sandwich Ham, lettuce, etc.

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  30. This is embarrassing, but we very frequently eat...Campbells' tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches (we have only the peanut allergy). The kids insist we add elbow macaroni (small ones) to the soup and sprinkle cheese on top. And we never ever eat the crust.

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  31. JB just turned one and she normally eats cheerios and some sort of veggie and fruit babyfood.

    Me: Lunch? When was lunch?

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  32. Lord, it's peanut butter and jelly every day around here.

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  33. Hmmm... typical lunch for us:

    Mister Man will have PB&J or a ham or turkey sandwich or something along those lines.

    Little Miss will have Taquitos or cheese and oyster crackers or pretty much whatever I put in front of her.

    And me... I have the joy of whatever leftovers there were from the night before!

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  34. My kiddo is just starting with real food, so we give him bananas or bread or grapes or crackers or (sometimes) mac & cheese. My husband and I eat lots of PB&J. Pretty boring.

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  35. Since the Kiddo is still primarily breastfed, sometimes I don't give him a "solid" lunch - but if I do, it's anything from turkey and cheese, some sort of fruit, some veggie if we have it on hand, maybe some crackers - he refuses to eat anything from a spoon, so it's all whatever he will scoop into his mouth!

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  36. My son is not much into solids yet so nursing for him and a cheese sandwich for me.

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  37. If I choose what we have for lunch, it's usually leftovers. If my DS picks, it's corn and green beans- his favorites!

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  38. A typical lunch? Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, carrots, chips, a fruit, and a cookie. Wow - looking at that it sounds like we eat a lot!

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  39. Beautiful wedding photo!

    An easy lunch for my son would be peanut butter and honey made into a pocket sandwich, carrots and dip, crackers, grapes/apples/peaches/other fruit, and milk or juice.

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  40. I hate to admit it, but lunch is usually classic kid food - for them and for me (because it's easy and I'm lazy). Which is a shame because I really don't need or want any more chicken nuggets or boxed mac and cheese.

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