Happy Halloween

Halloween festivities have been in full swing here. We are headed out soon for a fantastic party at our church. There will be great games and an abundance of sugar! Another highlight every year is going to Hubby's office the week of Halloween to trick-or-treat among his co-workers.

Our little fairy and train engineer

Fun at Daddy's office

Inspecting the loot

So much candy!

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If you have a child with food allergies, as we do, you know how difficult Halloween (and other holidays) can be. That's why I was so excited to find this web site. Alison at Sure Foods Living posts a comprehensive list of common candies and their ingredients (including allergen information). Her list has come to my rescue many times. She has recently posted the newest list for 2010. I hope it helps you as much as it has us!

Have a Happy and safe Halloween!

Fun on the Farm

I have begun a recent journey in search of more natural and healthy foods for my family. What began has a desperate search for non-allergenic food options has led me to become more open-minded of the idea of living organically. I have never been a big proponent of organic living. As a matter of fact, a few years ago I would have claimed that "organic" products were simply a marketing ploy for food manufacturers to get you to spend more of your hard-earned money on their products.

Boy, was I in for a serious education! I am only just beginning on this journey, and as a self-proclaimed processed-food lover, I have a long way to go! I am loving the education I am getting, however. The books, the articles, the research, and certainly the conversations with others who know so much more than I.

For example, I had a conversation last week with a friend who is much farther on the "organic journey" than I am. (When I found out she grinds her own wheat I told her I didn't know if we could actually be friends! ....Love you, Linds! :)) In the course of the conversation I learned that she and her family drink mostly raw milk and have done so for almost two years now. I had heard of raw milk, but didn't really know what it was or why it is considered (by some) to be better for you.

My curiosity was piqued and so last Friday the kids and I set off with my friend and her kids on their weekly milk run. I was interested in trying this phenomenon called raw milk, but honestly, I was mostly excited about taking the kids to a farm where they could feed and pet goats, see the cows from which the milk actually comes, climb a few fruit trees, and visit some bunnies and chicks. I was not disappointed. Here are some pics from our little field trip:

Feeding Mama Goat

Checking out the peach trees

Stopping to study a roly-poly

Looking for the cows

Little Man wasn't sure he liked the goats at first,
but he eventually warmed up

As for the raw milk...I bought a gallon for my family to try. As one friend put it, "Surprisingly, it tastes like...milk!" I thought it had a bit of a "buttery" aftertaste, but after my second glass or so I didn't even notice the aftertaste anymore. I'm not saying we're ready to "convert" to raw milk. But I can say, I LOVE the idea of knowing where my food (and milk) comes from.

I know there are some large controversies surrounding the issue of raw milk, and I haven't sufficiently done my own research. I'll have to get back to you on our final verdict. If you're as curious as I am, do your own research. (And if you have researched it, let me know your thoughts and share your resources...I'm always interested in learning more.) If nothing else, it's interesting to learn where your milk comes from, what happens to it before it gets to you, and decide for yourself what you think about it.

For more information on raw milk, see:
Raw Milk Facts
RealMilk.com
RawMilk.org
The FDA
US News
University of Minn Food Safety

Books, Books, and more Books

I love books. Hubby often laughs at me, because I leave stacks of books around the house so that, if I have a spare moment (and I do mean "moment" since there are two little ones constantly vying for attention), I can grab a book and get a few paragraphs further in my reading. I currently have nine books checked out from the library...and that's not counting the ones the kids have checked out.

Since I have been relatively "blog silent" so far this year, I thought I would share what I have been doing...mostly, reading and research. When I'm not tending to the kids or the house, shuttling us to preschool or church, running errands, or scouring the Internet for houses for sale (yes, we're still looking), I have my nose stuck in a book or magazine.

I read mostly non-fiction, because I love learning about new topics. My latest interest is nutrition. It all started as I was researching food allergies (more on that in a later post) and discovered that many food allergies are related to the "additives" and other junk in all of our processed foods. That led me on a search to discover just what we are eating these days and how to select foods that will provide the best and most nutrition for my family.

Below are three of my recent favorite finds. I had heard of these books quite a bit, but never got around to reading any of them. You may have already seen or read many of them. If not, I encourage you to check them out. While a lot of the nutritional basics are repeated in each book, each one gives a distinct slant on specifics and provides a treasure of nutritional know-how in itself.

Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding
I believe this was the original Eat This, Not That book written by the editor-in-chief of Men's Health Magazine in 2007. In it, Zinczenko gives valuable information on the nutritional content of many of your favorite foods and restaurant staples, including suggestions of what to eat and what not to eat at your favorite fast food and sit-down restaurants. This book is a simple and easy beginner's guide to making the best choices at restaurants, the supermarket, and even your favorite holiday gatherings.

Eat This, Not that for Kids by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding

A practical tool for any parent, Eat This Not That for Kids provides valuable information on some of your kids' favorite restaurant fare...even those that are not available online. Some of the information is common sense, some of it is rather shocking. For example, did you know that Chili's Pepper Pals Chicken Crispers pack an unbelievable 41 grams of fat? And Romano's Macaroni Grill's Kid's Double Macaroni 'n' Cheese contains over 1,200 calories...and that's the kids' portion! Zinczenko also provides an entire section on school cafeteria and vending machine options as well as several recipes for giving kid-friendly fare like mac and cheese and nachos a nutritional makeover.

Eat This, Not That: Supermarket Survival Guide by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding
This is my favorite Eat This, Not That book so far. The book opens with a sort of primer on nutrition, including how our foods have changed in the last 20-30 years (with the introduction of such things as high fructose corn syrup and trans fats) and how that might be impacting our nation's current struggle with obesity. These changes aren't simply limited to process foods, either. Even our meats, dairy products and produce pack less of a nutritional punch than they did decades ago, mostly thanks to "advances" in farming techniques which result in growing plants and animals faster and "stronger." Zinczenko also uncovers some sneaky marketing tactics used by food manufacturers to "dupe" consumers into believing highly-processed, nutrient-lacking foods are actually good for us! The bulk of the book is spent going section by section, aisle by aisle through your supermarket and comparing name-brand product against name-brand product. It is a lot of information, and all of it is beneficial.

I'm also wanting to check out two of Zinczenko's more recent books: Eat This, Not That: Restaurant Survival Guide and Cook This, Not That: Kitchen Survival Guide which gives practical, nutritious recipes for duplicating some of your favorite restaurant meals at home.

For a complete list of books, plus practical tips and nutritional information, visit EatThis.com.

Do you know of any other helpful nutritional resources? If so, leave me a comment and let me know. They'll probably find their way to my stack of books (or list of web sites) soon.

Where to begin...

I sat down the other day to blog since it's been well over a month now, and I got completely overwhelmed. There's so much to catch up on I don't know where to begin. I definitely want to share pics of our amazing vacation to Colonial Williamsburg (as well as updates of Baby Zoe and all the cousins).

And of course, I wanted to share the good news that we sold our house after only three weeks on the market. Then there's the frustration of not finding a new house (at least not the one we want for the price we can afford), the sinking realization that we have to find a place to live in a few short weeks, and the slow resignation (on my part) to the fact that that place will be a temporary duplex, which is smaller than our already too-small house.

Maybe some day soon I'll blog about all those things...and all the lessons that God is teaching me along the way. But for now, I want to focus on something else that has been consuming my almost-every waking moment...my son's food allergies.

We've known for a little over a year that Little Man had a peanut allergy. It came as quite a shock, and provided to be a HUGE exercise in education and self-control for me as I come from a long line of peanut-butter-lovers. (My dad has been known to add the staple to such things as hamburgers and hot dogs!)

Just when I thought I finally had the routine down--checking labels, quizzing restaurant personnel, informing caregivers, sticking brightly-colored "Allergy Alert!" stickers all over him before putting him in the church nursery, hiding and sneaking bites of contraband PB here and there...the stakes got drastically higher.

A couple of weeks ago we visited the allergist with a simple question concerning vaccination and ended up finding out that, in addition to peanuts, Little Man is also allergic to egg and soy. Well, this provided a whole new level of education, adjustment, and more than a little stress to my life. I've known a few other moms who have struggled with food allergies in their families, but I had NO IDEA the level of stress it can cause. I have an all-new appreciation and empathy for families who deal with any type of food allergy or intolerance.

I've only begun my research, so I'm sure there is much I still do not know. But I wanted to take some time to list a few things I've discovered in the last few weeks. I hope this will be helpful to any who have, or know someone who has, food allergies.

1. Soy, soybean oil, and soy lecithin is in almost EVERY processed or prepackaged food (even organic or all-natural foods since soybeans are a natural food).
2. Some sources say soybean oil and soy lecithin do not contain the protein that causes an allergic reaction and therefore are safe. However, our allergist maintains that those ingredients can and do cause a reaction. We choose to avoid them to be safe.
3. I have yet to find a bread, tortilla, or wrap that does not contain soybean oil. I did find a whole wheat pita bread that seems to be safe.
4. It is important to check the ingredients on EVERYTHING! (I found soy listed on my cornstarch, and my friend found it as an ingredient in her flour!)
5. Some sources maintain that only raw egg contains the protein that causes allergic reaction (because heating the egg changes the protein). While Little Man has never reacted to anything with an egg cooked or baked into it, our allergist recommended avoiding it as it can cause a reaction.
6. You can use the following substitute for 1 egg in any baking recipe: combing 2 Tbsp flour, 2 Tbsp water, 1/2 tsp baking powder. (I have used this in muffins and didn't notice a difference!)
7. You can also substitute 1 Tbs of flax seed and 3 Tbs of water for 1 egg in any baking recipe. (I have not tried this yet, but found the recommendation on the side of the flax seed box.)
8. Children will likely outgrow many food allergies, including soy and egg by the time they are in preschool. The chances of outgrowing a peanut allergy is much lower.
9. Those with a peanut allergy should also avoid tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.), even if they do not test as reactive to those allergens, because most plants process them together and there is a high risk of cross-contamination.
10. Soynut butter is a good substitute for peanut butter for those with peanut allergies. We used it for awhile until Little Man developed the soy allergy. (Yes, apparently they can develop an allergy to a food they've not reacted to previously.) Sunflower nut butter is also recommended as a substitute as it is not processed with nuts and therefore no risk of cross contamination. (However, the only brand I've found so far is manufactured in a plant that processes soybeans!)

I'll share more as I learn. Right now I'm working on "tweaking" some of our favorite recipes to be Little-Man-friendly and will post some once they've been tested and approved. :)

If you know someone who has food allergies, I recommend the the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network web site. It's a wealth of information. If you have food allergies, what tips and tricks have you learned along the way? I'd love to hear from you!