Friday, August 29, 2008

Thursday

7:45am--Drop children off at neighbor's house.
8--Attend Parent Orientation meeting.
9--Pick up children.
9:15--Babysit neighbor's children.
Bake 2 dozen dairy-free cookies for school freezer.
Bake 2 dozen dairy-free cupcakes for school freezer/family birthday party.
11:30--Lunch.
12--Naptime for middle child.
Pay bills.
12:30--Have neighbor over to watch children again.
12:45--Allergy Action Plan meeting at school. Bring medications, cookies, and cupcakes.
2--Visit with neighbor before she leaves.
3--Wash dishes.
Start dinner.
4--Take children outside to play with friends.
5:45--Babysit other neighbor's child.
6:15--Feed children dinner.
7--In laws call from new house.
7--Other neighbors stop by to visit and bring birthday present.
7:45--Parent and brother of child being babysat come by to pick her up.
8--Children's bedtime.
8:30--Yet another neighbor stops by with our half of our farm share.
8:45--Eat dinner.
9:30--Go to bed.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

School Essentials

Laptop Lunches Laptop Lunch System in pink.


Photo courtesy of Laptop Lunches

Mabel's Labels from Christa: Allergy Alerts for medicine/snack containers/outside of lunchbox.


Mabel's Labels photos courtesy of Mabel's Labels
Skinny Minis for everything else--especially one for every component of the lunchbox.



Medical ID bracelet with pink and red hearts. (I might get some of these disposable ones, too.)


Image courtesy of American Medical ID

Monday, August 25, 2008

Monday Musings

Now that H has two teeth, she needs a baby toothbrush. Unfortunately, I can never find one that isn't packaged with baby tooth and gum cleanser. I always throw the baby toothpaste away and use the brush by itself. Why? Look at the ingredients in Gerber Giggles and Grins Tooth and Gum Cleanser:
Glycerin , Xylitol, Sorbitol, Propylene Glycol, Pectin, Xanthan Gum, Colloidal Silicon Dioxide, Natural Apple Flavor, Natural Banana Flavor, Calcium Lactate, Lactoferrin - from Milk, Lysozyme - from Egg, Lactoperoxidase - from Milk

Egg? Milk? In a product labeled "for babies 3 months and older"? Nice, Gerber.

We watched Firewall last night. Three children = three years behind in movies. There's a really disturbing scene where the villain intentionally feeds the peanut-allergic son of the hero a cookie with peanuts in it. On the one hand, while it was hard to watch, I was glad to see a depiction of how serious an allergic reaction can be and to see the parents and sister frantically searching for one of the boy's EpiPens (the villain hid them). On the other hand, the son was supposed to be eight years old, but he let the villain (who was holding them hostage) read the package label to him, and he didn't refuse the cookie or ask to see the label himself. No dramatic scene if he did that, I guess.


Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Living With Food Allergies Blog Carnival

Hey! It's time for the August 21, 2008, edition of the Living With Food Allergies Blog Carnival. Come on in!

Timely Topics
It's back-to-school time. Are you looking for a creative alternative to the traditional medical alert bracelet? Jennifer O. presents Comments From the Peanut Free Gallery: tattoos posted at Comments From the Peanut Free Gallery.

Eating well on a budget can be a challenge, especially with a food allergy. Aryn presents Eat Well for Less: Managing Food Allergies and Intolerances posted at Sound Money Matters.

Living With Food Allergies
Christine presents The Things that Fall Away posted at Corn Allergic - What I Reacted To Today. She writes, "Adapting to life with a severe food allergy, there are a range of day-to-day trade offs to be made to stay safe and healthy in a world that is full of allergens. These are the things that fall away."

Fiona Veitch Smith presents Food Intolerances posted at Fiona Veitch Smith where she writes about the differences between an allergy and an intolerance.

In the mood for some fun points of view? Check out these posts:
Jennifer O. presents When a Peanut Allergic to Peanuts is a Filbert posted at Comments From the Peanut Free Gallery.

Christine presents Allergies and Vampires posted at Corn Allergic - What I Reacted To Today. She writes, "What do the very popular vampires of the Twilight series have in common with the food allergic? Read and find out."

Recipes and Food
Maggie presents Apricot-Ginger Cupcakes with Coconut Butter Frosting posted at Dog Hill Kitchen.

Nowheymama presents a simple dairy-free, egg-free summer pasta salad recipe in Is That a Cucumber in Your Pasta? posted at No Whey, Mama.

And Shannon B. presents Vegan Wines Are Also Egg and Dairy Allergy Friendly posted at Zeer Blog. She writes, "A short entry on how vegan wines are also egg and dairy allergy friendly since wines are often fined with Egg & Dairy byproducts. Short, helpful, with a lot of great links!"

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Living With Food Allergies Carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page. Thanks, everyone!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Jumping Back In

Wow, there's a lot to catch up on! I loved reading about everyone's favorite cookbooks. Jennifer B, I don't know what I'd do without my Fannie Farmer cookbook. Vivian and Charlotte, I'm putting Veganomicon and Elizabeth David on my reading list. And I love old/church/fundraising cookbooks, too! Alisa and I are working on a theory that old cookbooks can be really good resources for dairy-free cooking. Oleo!

Don Mills Diva and her talented sister-in-law are doing a month's worth of gluten-free recipes on Don Mills Diva Recipes and Reviews.

Linda Coss has released her second cookbook, What Else is to Eat? the sequel to What's to Eat?. You can read more about it here.

Finding a Cure for Food Allergies has been nominated as an American Express Members Project. Read more about it here, and consider voting for it here if you are an American Express cardmember.

Now I'm off to help the kids make cards and cake for Daddy.

Estivation

Es-ti-va-tion: 1. The act of spending or passing the summer. 2. Zoology A state of dormancy or torpor during the summer.





Friday, August 08, 2008

Vegging Out


This is the veggie face we submitted to The Great Big Vegetable Challenge's photo contest.

I'm taking a brief break from packing to wish you all a wonderful week. I will be back here next Sunday or Monday after lazing by the lake in New Hampshire.

While I'm gone, how about you tell me what your can't-live-without cookbook is and why? Share recipes, too, if you want! Go crazy!

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Early Morning



Does this photo look dark? That's because it's EARLY. Thank goodness for coffee and blueberry banana bread. (Good idea, SouleMama! Although ours is dairy free, of course.)

Time to start making packing lists for vacation. What items help your family get through a 12-hour car ride? Besides a DVD player because that's a no brainer.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Is That a Cucumber in Your Pasta?



Why, yes. Yes it is. I recommend this salad for your next picnic because it:
1. Tastes like refrigerator pickles.
2. Can be made way ahead of time.
3. Makes a lot.
4. Can become a complete meal with the addition of shredded chicken.
5. Has no mayonnaise,
6. And therefore no food poisoning!
7. Is egg free!
8. Could be made gluten free with gluten-free pasta!
9. Uses up one of the cucumbers lurking in your fridge!

Cool Cucumber Pasta (adapted from my friend's mother-in-law's recipe)

16 oz. penne pasta
1 T. olive oil
1 medium cucumber, unpeeled and thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 T. prepared mustard
1 T. fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp. each salt and pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Do not overcook. Drain and rinse in cold water. Place pasta in a large bowl. Stir in the oil, cucumbers, and onions. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the salad. Toss. Cover and chill for at least four hours--overnight is best. Stir occasionally.