Peanut Butter Fudge Frosting

Rational Jenn has the latest Living With Food Allergies Blog Carnival up on her site. Go check it out!

If you would like to understand more about children with food allergies or just feel like a good cry, please visit Hipwritermama's site and watch this short video. It makes my heart ache.

We've been taste testing lots of products for Go Dairy Free. It's a tough job, but we're managing. We recently tried Namaste Foods chocolate cupcakes, which are excellent. We frosted them with peanut butter frosting. I looked online for a recipe and ended up making my own based on several I found. I'm sure any nut butter would work well in this recipe. I think the brown icing on the chocolate cupcakes looks very fall-ish.



Peanut Butter Fudge Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup plain soy milk
1/4 cup dairy-free margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Mix with a mixer until smooth and creamy.

Applesauce

I really, really like homemade applesauce. And so do the kids. For years I labored under the delusion that it was hard to make, but now I know the truth! Let me share it with you, so that you may enjoy homemade applesauce goodness of your own. Here's the secret: get thee a food mill. Then you don't have to worry about all of that peeling and coring.

Applesauce

8-10 tart apples, washed (We're looking for middle-of-the-road apples here. Not Delicious, not Granny Smith. Whatever is growing locally right now.)
water
dark brown sugar (optional)
lemon juice (optional)
cinnamon (optional)

Wash the apples and cut them into chunks. Put them in a pan with enough water to just cover the bottom of the pan. Simmer, covered, for about 15-20 minutes, until the apples are soft. Run the apples through the food mill over a clean bowl. Discard the seeds and peels left in the mill. Taste the applesauce, and add a tiny bit (1-2 teaspoons) of dark brown sugar if desired. If the applesauce isn't tart enough, add a shot of lemon juice. Stir cinnamon into the applesauce or serve with cinnamon on top if desired.

Of course, you can always peel and core the apples before you cook them, then mash them with a potato masher. But I am a food mill convert. Plus, I like the way the apple skins turn the applesauce pink. And don't worry, Gramma, Katherine says your applesauce is still the best.

Allergy Kits, or I Am Not A Doctor; Don't Sue Me

School:
Benadryl with clearly-labeled dispensing cup, EpiPen and hydrocortisone, also labeled with directions, in labeled Tupperware box on Teacher's Desk. Shelf-stable dairy-free snacks in Teacher's closet, just in case. Child is sent to school with a dairy-free snack every day.
Dairy-free cookies and cupcakes (for classroom parties) in school freezer stored in clearly-labeled freezer bags. Label information includes Child's name, Teacher's name, contents, and the adjective "dairy-free."
(Nowheymama tip: After baking cupcakes, peel back one side of the cupcake paper, slice the cupcake two-thirds of the way across, as you would a sandwich roll, and spread icing in the center of the cupcake. Rewrap in cupcake paper and place in freezer bag.)

Mama's Purse:
Benadryl with cup
EpiPen
Hydrocortisone
Fruit snacks
Granola bar


Church Allergy Kit

Church Allergy Kit (good for any extracurricular activity location)*
All of the following items are kept in one large, clearly-labeled plastic container that is stored in a locked office when not in use. It is brought out on Wednesdays and Sundays, when Child is present.
Benadryl with clearly-labeled dispensing cup
Hydrocortisone, also labeled with directions
Various shelf-stable dairy-free snacks
*There is no EpiPen in this allergy kit because the doctor prescribes only two: for home and school. Mama is either in the building or nearby with her cell phone and EpiPen. If Mama is away, her EpiPen is given to someone else.

More Tips:
"Unappealing" adjectives like "dairy-free" and "wheat-free" plastered all over the storage containers seem to keep food thieves away.
We put dye-free liquid Benadryl in all of our kits. We tried the Benadryl quick-dissolve strips, but they taste like mint, which Child doesn't like, and you need scissors to open each individual strip. Not very handy in the heat of the moment. I just saw an ad last night for the Benadryl pre-filled single-use spoons. Those seem like they might be a reasonable alternative to put in Child's backpack or perhaps in the Allergy Kits. I'm interested in seeing them up close.

EDITED TO ADD: The Benadryl Perfect Measure Spoons are excellent and mess free. They would also be great in these kits.

Fall

There comes a time in every pregnancy where "You don't even look pregnant!" changes from complement to insult. I am six months pregnant, and that time is now.

I understand the impulse not to want to inadvertently hurt someone's feelings by guessing she is pregnant when she is not, but, dude. I had my 24/25 week appointment yesterday, and I am measuring at 29 weeks. I look pregnant. (I also have big, nine-to-ten pound babies, so the news that I am measuring large was met with little surprise. Scott: "Shocker.") So, to those of you who want to say that I don't look pregnant, or even, "Did you already have the baby?", please refrain.

At the farmer's market the other day we bought apples, onions, eggs, raspberries, and sweet corn. You heard me. Raspberries and sweet corn. Right there on the table next to the butternut squash and chestnuts. In October. Grown in a community where it is not considered unusual to wade through snow on Halloween. I should be excited to have so much local produce still available, but it feels wrong, somehow. Very "all the seasons shall become one." But we took our purchases home, and the kids enjoyed their apocalyptic berries and corn on the cob with dinner.

Fall is coming, though. Eli and I saw lots of "punkies" on our drive to the OB yesterday. We stopped at a coffee shop on our way home and split a "punkie" scone. Sharing something Katherine can't eat with Eli always gives me a vaguely uncomfortable feeling, like I'm stepping out on her. I'm glad she is the oldest, so we can balance the food unfairness with, "But you can do this!"

The arrival of fall and my hormonal urges are making me feel like doing nest-y things. First on my list: copy Amy Karol's idea for a recipe cheat sheet for the side of the fridge. Genius!

I'm off to listen to the school nutritionist speak at the PTO meeting. This should be interesting.

Fun Links

I did receive Animal, Vegetable, Miracle for my birthday (Thanks, Scott!), and I am really enjoying it. I can't wait to make the pumpkin soup in its own shell. The recipe even suggests using soy milk!

Charlotte Hume visited me for the first time last week. I love her Great Big Veg Challenge site. The mission statement: "To eat our way through as many vegetables as we can find in the A to Z, trying out at least two recipes per veggie, taking ideas from people around the world. Cook, taste, try and Freddie [her son] rates them."

Rational Jenn started a food allergy blog carnival. Some of the bloggers she invited missed the submission deadline (Ahem), but there are several great articles in this issue by punctual bloggers.

If you haven't been to Go Dairy Free in awhile, please visit! Alisa adds great recipes and reviews all the time!

Tomato Soup

The kiddies have developed a liking for tomato soup, and I am happy to oblige them. If we're going to be eating it frequently, though, I want it to be homemade sometimes. Here's my first attempt.

Spicy Clear Tomato Soup (from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, 1996 edition)

2 1/2 lbs. fresh ripe tomatoes, cut up
1 1/2 cups water
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
5 cloves
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Put the tomatoes, water, celery, carrots, onion, green pepper, and cloves in a soup pot. Bring the soup to the boiling point, and reduce the heat. Add the salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Strain. Editor Marion Cunningham's note: I drain the soup into a bowl, and put the vegetables through the food processor; then I strain them again, pushing all the juice into a bowl with the back of a spoon. Correct the seasonings if necessary. Serve hot or cold.

Nowheymama notes: I used a sprinkling of ground cloves because I didn't have any whole ones. Also, I added 3-4 teaspoons of sugar instead of two to make it more palatable for the little ones. Finally, I used white pepper instead of black so I don't hear, "What are those little black things in my soup?"

Edited to add: Mama was the only one who really liked the cloves. I looked online at some similar recipes and noticed that people often substituted garlic for the cloves. I think I would try that next time.

It's My Birthday, I Can Brag if I Want To

Hey, have you all been to Revolution Health? Did you know they just launched a section on Child Food Allergies? And they have guest bloggers? And that I'm one of them? Well, it's true! So go on over there, learn about food allergies, and leave some comments about how my post changed your life, or whatever. Consider it a birthday present to me.

In other news, the first classroom birthday party was held at school the other day, and Katherine reminded Teacher that she needed one of her special snacks from the freezer. She was so proud of herself. Go, Katherine!

Later on at lunchtime when she was cutting up her turkey burger, she shared this tidbit, "Remember, old country people used to cut up their meat."

True, that.

Last of the Summer Zucchini

I love zucchini. Alas, it is almost gone. So here are a few fun ways to use it up, most of which freeze well.

From Mary Hunt's Everyday Cheapskate column, here are her recipes for zucchini brownies and zucchini curry soup. I've altered them to be dairy free, of course.

Mary Hunt's Zucchini Brownies (dairy and egg free!)

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated zucchini (Finely grated)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting:
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup dairy-free margarine
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup plain soy milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt. Stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until brownies spring back when touched.

To make the frosting, melt the margarine and stir in 6 tablespoons cocoa. Set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners’ sugar, soy milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares. Yield: 24 brownies.

Nowheymama note: The brownies look a little weird, consistency wise because they have no egg in them. But they turn out just fine.

Mary Hunt's Zucchini Curry Soup

1 tablespoon dairy-free margarine
1 medium onion, chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 small carrot, shredded
2 medium zucchini, sliced or chopped, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
2 apples, peeled, diced
4 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, or to taste
salt, to taste

In a large saucepan, melt the dairy-free margarine over low heat. Sauté the onion, garlic and carrot slowly until onion begins to yellow. Add zucchini, diced apples, chicken broth and curry powder. Boil for 2 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Purée the hot soup by transferring to the blender in small batches. Return to the saucepan and add salt and pepper to taste. Servings: 4 to 6.

Nowheymama note: I might add more apple next time to make the soup even more kid-friendly. But the kids did eat it. Also, I just blended the soup in the pot with my immersion blender.

Have you been to the Animal, Vegetable, Miracle site? I have, and I cannot wait to get this book. (Perhaps for a birthday present....) Anyway, some of the recipes from the book are online, including one for Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies. Just use dairy-free margarine instead of butter and dairy-free chocolate chips, and you are all set!

Finally, the neighbor who gave me my zucchini bread recipe recommended covering the bread with foil for part of the baking time so that the top doesn't dry out. Hope that helps, Mommy Daisy!

The soup, cookies, and bread all freeze well. I haven't tried freezing the brownies yet. If I did, I would probably freeze them unfrosted and frost them after they thawed.

Poetry Friday

"September has come, it is hers
Whose vitality leaps in the autumn,
Whose nature prefers
Trees without leaves and a fire in the fire-place;
So I give her this month and the next
Though the whole of my year should be hers
who has rendered already
So many of its days intolerable or perplexed
But so many more so happy;
Who has left a scent on my life and left my walls
Dancing over and over with her shadow,
Whose hair is twined in all my waterfalls
And all of London littered with remembered
kisses."
--Louis MacNeice, from Autumn Journal

Wordless Wednesday: Breakfast Tea Party

Colds and Cookies

We've been celebrating the change in the weather by coming down with the cold + fever that Katherine brought home from school on Thursday. Daddy ran out to the store for supplies this weekend and came home with *gasp!* sugar cereal (or "dessert cereal" as it's known around here) as a special treat. I felt myself coming down with the cold on Sunday, so I dug out a cereal cookie recipe given to me by a lady from our church. Yesterday I pacified the children with the cookies while I lazed around on the couch. Yes, I know they have no nutritional value, but they got us through the day. Don't judge me.

Confetti Cookies

1 package of dairy-free yellow cake mix
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup water
1 egg
3 cups Fruity Pebbles

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the first four ingredients with a spoon until blended. Stir in the cereal. Drop by the teaspoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

I can envision lots of variations of this recipe with different combinations of cake mixes and cereals.

Potluck Recipes

Thank you all so much for filling my virtual recipe box! I can't wait to start cooking.

Mommy Daisy's Mom's Chili
Alisa's Whole Wheat Bread
Beck's Gypsy Soup (adapted from a Moosewood Cookbook recipe)
Swistle's Soup
My Buddy Mimi's Chicken Pot Pie (adapted from an Alton Brown recipe)
Nowheymama's Aunt Ruth's Stew

If anyone else would like to share a recipe, please let me know and I'll add it to the list.

Added:
CAQuincy's "Mock" Roast*
*To make it dairy-free, substitute two packets of Road's End Organics Shiitake Mushroom Gravy Mix, prepared, for the cream of mushroom soup. I think that should work just fine.
Cerebral Palsy Baby's Southwestern Egg Rolls (from AllRecipes)*
* I would either leave out the Monterey Jack cheese or substitute Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese for it. We have trouble finding any other 100% dairy-free cheeses around here, and also Tofutti Cream Cheese is the one kind of dairy-free cheese Scott will eat! Because it is creamier than Monterey Jack, I might cut back the amount from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup.

Internet Potluck

It feels like fall here today, and I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some new recipes to feed my family. So let's have an Internet Potluck! Post a recipe in the comments section, email me one, or put one up on your blog. I'll collect them all later.
Bonus points if it's a dairy-free recipe or one that can be made dairy free. (Hints: if you usually top your casserole with cheese, I can leave it off. If you use butter and milk, I can use dairy-free margarine and soy milk. If your recipe is Pasta Alfredo or Cream of Chicken Sour Cream Potato Casserole, we might have a problem.)

I'll go first. This recipe is from my Aunt Ruth, and I don't know its real name. I made it all the time when I was pregnant with Katherine. In the summer. In Kentucky. Scott is an understanding man.

Aunt Ruth's Stew

Simmer together for two hours:
1/2 head of cabbage, cut in wedges
1 large can plum tomatoes, squished slightly with your fingers
1 large can sauerkraut
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
3-4 peeled and cubed potatoes
4 pork chops*
1 package Polish sausage*
1 package kielbasa*

Serve in bowls. If you really want to carbo pack you can serve it over mashed potatoes, as Ruth does.

* I try to dial down the fat content by using lowfat sausages and boneless pork chops.

Monday Mission and Some News

And so the Monday Missions begin again.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation, lazy list format:
Threw bridal showers
Went to a reunion
Was a Matron of Honor
Went on vacation
Threw a Star Wars birthday party
Plotted Katherine's safe entrance into public school
Gestated*


* I had my 20/21 week ultrasound today. Everything is fine, and... it's a GIRL! Now, on to planning room arrangements and looking at tiny pink clothes....

Schooled

Nowheymama is happy to present Katherine's first week of school, the semi-condensed version.

August 29: Met with Katherine's teacher, the Kindergarten secretary (our school district has a Kindergarten-only center), and the school district nurse (one nurse for five school buildings spread across town). Was less than pleased when the nurse said, "It's so nice to meet you," and I had to remind her that we've met. And spoken on the phone. Several times. Although Nurse had initially been the most helpful (as compared to Principal, who was absent from the meeting, and Superintendent's office), in this meeting she was obstructionist. She was concerned about the medications (Benadryl, TwinJect, and hydrocortisone) being in the classroom. Teacher wanted them in the classroom and was fine with it.
Nurse: "I just don't want to have to create a new policy for first grade, second grade and so on. I think whatever we do this year should be the policy from now on."
Nowheymama: "Yes, that's why the medication needs to be in the classroom as her doctor stated in his letter, the original copy of which you should have in Katherine's file."
(Don't mess with a protective mama and her raging pregnancy hormones, lady.)
Nurse "introduced" me to FAAN and remarked on how helpful their information is. "This document lists all of the stages of reaction you were just talking about, Mrs. Hatfield!" You don't say. I agreed that they are quite helpful, and hopefully did not express inner sarcasm.
Teacher was totally on my wavelength and was suggesting things before I could. I will go on all field trips. I will help with all classroom parties/activities. I will provide foods for K. to have during birthday parties, etc. Teacher will leave a note taped to her desk detailing K's allergy for any substitute teachers, and Secretary knows the treatment procedures, as does the teacher in the next classroom. Teacher encouraged me to call anytime and assured me she will do the same. I leave the meeting feeling hopeful.

August 30: Katherine and I attend Kindergarten orientation, which has been shortened to 45 minutes from its usual 90-minute length. I give Teacher K's box of meds, turn in the FAAN Food Allergy sheet to Nurse, and get clearance forms from Secretary. The chaos of the event worries me a bit, and I decide to speak with Teacher the next morning before school when I drop off K. Today is also K's sixth birthday. Apparently, we are "redshirting." Who knew? But I say this: her birthday is close to the cutoff date, and I wanted her to have another year to learn about her allergy before we sent her to school. Her understanding has increased so much. She sometimes even double-checks if something has dairy when I give it to her. This breaks my heart, but it also makes me so proud. This is what parents want: independent, free-thinking children who know how to care for themselves.

September 4: Scott and I drop off Katherine for her first day of school. After leaving her in the bus hall, I give the dairy-free snacks and my clearance forms to Secretary. I ask to read the labels on the crackers and pretzels Teacher keeps in her room. Secretary can't find them, so we go find Teacher, who tells me the brands. (They are fine.) Teacher asks what she can give Katherine for a reward instead of M&Ms. We agree on Skittles. I express concern about food on the bus that will take K. home. Secretary says she will call the transportation office. I tell Teacher that there are students from K's preschool in her class, and I worry that their parents might say something is safe for K. when it is not.
Teacher: "They think they understand."
Nowheymama: "Yes."
Teacher: "I will only listen to you."
Teacher reiterates that she will be calling me often, and I say call anytime.
I go home and spend Eli's naptime making a wreath (a wreath!) for the front door because I can't concentrate on anything else.
Katherine comes home on the school bus (We're letting her ride home because it's Kindergarten students only on a "van," otherwise known as a "short bus.") I reiterate the information about her allergy to her bus driver, who replies that he doesn't allow any food on his bus. Period.
Katherine loves school, she had a great time, and they had cookies for a special treat. "All the other kids had a different kind, but I had one of the special ones you sent, Mama. And guess what? I didn't feel itchy at all, all day!" Whew.

September 5, 6, 7: School continues to go well with Katherine eating only the snack I send for her each day. She loves school and wants Daddy to take her "as early as we can go" every morning. Eli is not adjusting so well. He can't wait to greet his sister as she gets off the bus, and was very angry with her the first day of school. As they almost never fight, we were surprised to see him haul off and hit her. I explained to a tearful Katherine that this was his way of saying he missed her and was sad that she left to go to school. He's gotten better each day.

So, the first week of school went well. I hope the rest of the year goes as smoothly.

Middle Name Meme

In honor of Beck's birthday, I will finally do the meme she tagged me with. With which she tagged me.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of their middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged, you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

My middle name is Jane. (Sarah Jane! Bet you never heard that name before.) I am the seventh-generation Jane on my mom's side of the family. Katherine is the eighth.

J - Just. Just went to Katherine's Kindergarten orientation yesterday. On Wednesday, I met with the nurse, the school secretary, and K's teacher to discuss her allergy and the importance of all of the medications being in the classroom. I am working on a longer post about this, but overall, everything went well.

A- Anxious. I am still anxious about her being at school, though. There are just so many variables and accidents that could happen. It is difficult to have faith that everything will be fine.

N- Nose. Eli keeps beeping my nose, complete with sound effects. "Bweep!"

E- Eating. I am eating my breakfast off of Katherine's new tea set, in the company of K and her Felicity doll. Very dainty. Now K. is playing her new Nintendo DS game. She is a woman of many interests.

So, let's see, for J-A-N-E I will tag Janelle, Alisa, A Garden of Nna Moy, and He Can't Eat That. (Cut me some slack, I didn't have enough blogs beginning with the right letters.)

Happy Sixth Birthday

How is it that you are six?

What a perfect birthday. Your first school bus ride, a tour of your new school, and meeting your teachers and classmates. Then, dinner with your family and your grandparents: your favorite pizza (bacon, no cheese) and Daddy's pineapple upside-down cake, followed by water "tea" in your new tea set.

Happy Birthday, Baby.

Low-Cost, Dairy-Free Star Wars Birthday Party

Invitations: Printed on our computer using a picture of R2-D2.

Menu:
Chicken Light Sabers (Schwan's chicken fries)
Carrot Light Sabers (baby carrots)
Strawberry Grenades (hulled strawberries)
Pretzel Light Sabers (pretzel rods)
Popsicle Light Sabers (freezer pops)
Yoda Cake (Daddy found the cake decoration on Ebay. Mama baked the cake.)

Beverages:
Ice Water, and some Horrible Blue Drink from W@lMart that the birthday girl tried at preschool (in April!) and decided she wanted for her birthday. She remembered, too.

Activities:
Star Wars coloring pages
Playing outside
Pin the staff on Yoda--The staffs were cut out of a paper grocery bag. The kids were blindfolded and stuck the staffs on with Scotch tape.

Treat Bags:
Lunch bags decorated with Star Wars clip art, containing
88-cent light-up swords from W@lMart
Luke and Leia paper dolls
Glow in the dark bracelets


May the Force be with you.

My Worst Nightmare

48,000 pounds of cream spill from truck on I-80


"Workers hurried to clean up 48,000 pounds of cream Wednesday after a truck carrying the liquid tipped on its side on Interstate 80 in Shenango Township. The cream, which isn’t hazardous to humans, can cut off oxygen to fish if not properly cleaned up from a stream, the Department of Environmental Protection said."
Jason Kapusta/The Sharon Herald

(Isn't hazardous to humans? I beg to differ.)


"A stream of milk flows from the accident scene at mile marker 5 on Interstate 80."
Jason Kapusta/The Sharon Herald

Wish We Were There