Nursing with a Sensitive baby... (milk allergy post)

Ok, so I was thinking today about how moms I know out there that are nursing (like me) a baby with allergies or sensitivities. Now, because of having allergies myself, I know how difficult it can be to find foods. AND if you're not accustomed to food allergies, nursing a baby with allergies can be daunting, overwhelming, and down right depressing. So, I decided to make a post to help the mommies out there that are nursing and are in need of a little "Allergy Momma" nudging in the right food direction. This will be several different posts, as there are a lot of different allergies that lil ones can have, and I'm just going to touch on the basics of milk today, so if you do need/want more info on a particular topic, please feel free to email me with one you'd like me to go more in depth on. :) Alright... We're going to start with the most common culprit "dairy".  Now, between our pediatrician, our GI specialist, and good O'l Le leche league, we have come to understand timing  a lot better. When I was first nursing, I thought "Ok, LO can't handle dairy, lets just take it out for a few days and see how she does". I would see a small amount of improvement, but not a ton, and therefore would not be convinced that it was a dairy issue. Unfortunately, allergies in babies (and even children and adults with more complicated dietary needs) take about 6-8 weeks before being completely out of their system. So, what this means is... if you are testing your little one for a dairy allergy (or any allergy for that matter) it's going to take 6-8 weeks before true results in upward trends will be seen. Isn't it amazing that we can see negative results within a very short period of time, but it can take 2 months to see the full result in the positive trend. So, with dairy and nursing, you are going to need to be off of ALL dairy products for 6-8 weeks before seeing a full change. Don't get me wrong though, you may see a bit of improvement right off the bat, but the improvements in eczema, bowel issues, gas issues, vomiting etc, will not be seen fully for about 6-8 weeks.

There are MANY different points in so called dairy allergies (common signs of dairy allergy in EBF exclusively breast fed baby are: green poop, slimy or mucous poop, lacking the seedy grains of white like substance -Lack of seediness can also be a sign of not having enough fat in your diet-, extremely gassy/irritable/uncomfortable).  Many of which could have your lil one in a fit.  My idea of a correct looking infant/baby poop that is NOT eating solids yet and is not on formula is the texture of applesauce or there abouts, the color of mustard on the orangier side, and the smell of buttered popcorn, haha. If your LO is outside of this realm of poop for more than a few days, contact your doctor. It is CRUCIAL to keep your doctor in the loop all the time, that way if there are any issues, you aren't spending hours explaining everything to your doctor. They like to know what is going on, and can better serve both you and your children if they know their history. Normally they will run a few tests on a stool sample you provide when possible to rule out some stuff, and look for carbohydrate/sugar levels, blood, and proteins in the stool. When you get weeks into testing multiple times a week, they normally start looking for things that are more in depth (Celiacs, Imunoglobulin deficiencies, parasites, and some other more rare issues if baby has been out of the country at any point. Anyway, I'm off track...Where were we...
One of the most important thing I cannot stress enough, is knowing the hidden names for dairy contents, and what part of milk your little one cannot handle (if there are any they can). Some of the common, hidden, and even some uncommon names for different dairy "items" are the following:

(Thank you GoDairyFree.com)

Acidophilus Milk Ammonium Caseinate Butter Butter Fat Butter Oil Butter Solids Buttermilk Buttermilk Powder Calcium Caseinate Casein Caseinate (in general) Cheese (All animal-based) Condensed Milk Cottage Cheese Cream Curds Custard Delactosed Whey Demineralized Whey Dry Milk Powder Dry Milk Solids Evaporated Milk

Ghee (see p109) Goat Milk Half & Half Hydrolyzed Casein Hydrolyzed Milk Protein Iron Caseinate Lactalbumin Lactoferrin Lactoglobulin Lactose Lactulose Low-Fat Milk Magnesium Caseinate Malted Milk Milk Milk Derivative Milk Fat Milk Powder Milk Protein Milk Solids Natural Butter Flavor Nonfat Milk

Nougat Paneer Potassium Caseinate Pudding Recaldent Rennet Casein Skim Milk Sodium Caseinate Sour Cream Sour Milk Solids Sweetened Condensed Milk Sweet Whey Whey (milk proteins) Whey Powder Whey Protein Concentrate Whey Protein Hydrolysate Whipped Cream Whipped Topping Whole Milk Yogurt Zinc Caseinate

Now, There are TONS of  new food items (nearly daily it seems) for those of us who LOVE our dairy, but cannot eat it because of nursing a sensitive LO. Daiya cheese i a great cheese alternative (see a former post for more info on it). I'm going to rattle off a few of my favorite dairy free/soy free items that the typical dairy consumer wants, so hopefully you'll be able to find these alternative at your local market.

Instead of Milk: So Delicious Coconut milk, we like all three varieties (unsweetened, original, and vanilla) but they are all good for different things. We like the So Delicious brand best, though it tends to be a wee bit more expensive. Coconut milk is similar to the consistency of whole milk. Nice and thick (I love Vit D milk). It is great for baking with, and makes for LOVELY cakes! Even when I could have dairy, I still made my cakes with canned coconut milk, and LOVED it!

Instead of Butter: Earth Balance spreads. I get the red label one and Coconut, as these are dairy and soy free. For the "red label" It is clearly marked SOY FREE on the outside, and all of their butters (that I know of) are dairy free. This is the closest I have found to butter, in both taste and texture. It's actually quite similar to margarine, consistency and taste wise. In other words, it isn't butter, but it gets you close enough to be able to eat toast, make food that calls for butter, and not affect the taste to much. :) As for the Coconut spread, I'M IN LOOOVE! This stuff is soo good in anything that would be ok with a sweet or somewhat fruitlike taste in it. I love it in my steel cut oats, and on toast (with mango peach apricot jam by E.D.Smith), sauteed with sweeter veggies like carrots, and in or on muffins, cakes, pastries. It's wonderful, and has a very delicate and pleasantly mild coconut flavor.

Instead of Cheese: Daiya cheese. They have a pepperjack, cheddar, and mozzarella. We've only ever had the mozzarella, but it was yummy and melted well. These are dairy and soy free!

Instead of Yogurt: We have two favs! We LOVE the SoDelicious brand of coconut milk yogurt, but at 1.99/6oz we don't indulge too often. The greater majority of the time, we get an almond milk yogurt called Amande

Instead of Mayo (which normally is just egg, but occasionally contains milk/soy): Earth Balance Mindful Mayo

That's all that I can think of for subs on milk products. If you need help finding a good substitute for something that I haven't listed, feel free to ask!

I am not an advocate for rice milk or rice milk products. They tend to be lacking in nutritional value, taste/flavor, and any quality that would make them a good substitute when baking. The rice yogurts I have tried were awful (but this isn't to say there aren't some good ones out there, I just haven't found any yet).

All of the items listen above are free of milk/wheat/gluten/soy/egg. There are many choices out there if you are only suffering from one allergy, but we have to avoid all of these, so these are the yummiest/Best options for us.
This has become quite a long post! Continuing with the wheat/gluten, soy and egg allergies on other posts. Check back soon for these posts, and good luck!

Food for Life Brown Rice Bread!

So, I just wanted to tell you all about a surprisingly yummy little loaf of bread I stumbled upon while at Nugget (can be found at most "health" food stores though, even our family favorite Trader Joes). It was in the refrigerated section, and that's the only place I've ever seen it accept at trader joes. The brand is Food for Life and the actual bread I like is the Brown Rice Bread.  This cute little, 1.5 lb (I know right!), loaf of bread is the best bread I've found thus far, outside of just baking your own. It is very dense though, not fluffy like your typical sandwich bread, but very yummy with E.D. smiths Peach Mango Orange spread that we found at Costco. It is chewy, heavy, and REALLY good with my 2 favorite "butter" Spreads (Earth Balance soy free and Coconut). If you haven't tried either of these, you really should give them a shot. The coconut one is AMAZING in steel cut oats with a little dark brown sugar, and the soy free one is the only spread I've found that is free of wheat/Gluten soy egg and dairy/Casein, that still tastes like butter. I'll do another post on my butters, but that's my kick on them for now. Back to the bread... Its soft and chewy on the inside, and has a nice somewhat crisp top, which is GREAT for toasting. I did find that if you like a toasted turkey sandwich this is a great choice. Though the slices of the bread are quite small, about 2.5''-3'' tall and 3-4'' wide  (typical for gluten/wheat free breads) it tastes GREAT with some deli turkey, butter lettuce and ripe avocado. Something great about this bread is that it does not taste burnt, which oddly is quite hard for me to find in a gluten/wheat free bread. Not sure why, but so many of them taste burnt to me. Only bad thing about this bread is that because of the dense type of bread that it is, it does not soak up much (ie: butter, honey or other things that are more liquid when warmed), so I end up with honey dripping on my hand quite often, though I could think of worse things, when eating toast in the mornings. So, all in all, it's worth a try. We found this cheapest at Sprouts Markets and Trader Joes (between 3.25 and 3.99), with it being most expensive at Sunflower markets and traditional grocers (5.25-5.99).
As always, I hope the incite helps you in some way or another, or maybe even just gives you something new to try. Stay tuned for a post on a few different flowers we've been playing with and a yummy recipe for Gluten/Wheat soy dairy and egg free coconut fried chicken! We love it, and think you will too!
As always, with Love,
The Allergy Mommy

Pumpkin Pie (Wheat-Free, Gluten-free, Egg-Free, and Dairy-Free)

Ok, so.. It' true. I LOVE pumpkin Pie. and lets be honest folks, it's just that time of year. Kind of depressing for me really, but onward and upward! So, in my hopes of finding a way to eat pumpkin pie, I found this little recipe. Now, I'm going to have to REALLY work hard to find an alternate, that tastes right and has the right consistency, for the vanilla soy it calls for... I'm thinking coconut milk is going to be best. We'll see though. Not sure how pumpkin/coconut pie will taste, but I am sooooo willing to give it a try! So, thank you All Recipes for the recipe, and here's crossing our fingers that it turns out yummy! Happy Baking!
Love,The Allergy Momma

Prep Time:
20 Min

Cook Time:
1 Hr 15 Min

Ready In:
3 Hrs 35 Min

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all purpose baking flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons french vanilla soy creamer
•  
• Pie Filling:
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1 cup french vanilla soy creamer
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon dark corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Stir together all purpose gluten-free flour and 1 teaspoon salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and soy creamer until creamy. Pour oil mixture into flour mixture, stir with fork until blended. Pat the crust into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven. Remove and set aside.
3. Decrease oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place pumpkin, soy creamer, brown sugar, cornstarch, corn syrup, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cloves in a blender. Blend until combined. Pour into prebaked pie crust. Place foil around the edges of the pie crust and bake for 60 minutes or until a knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool pie on counter for 2 hours then refrigerate overnight before serving.

Allergy free Cheese! (soy free, dairy free, Vegan cheese)

Yes, that's right... you read it correctly. Dairy free, Soy free, Vegan CHEESE,by 2 different companies! Daiya and Galaxy foods! I have longed for cheese for a while now, and stumbled upon these little Jems while searching for food ideas. To be honest, I'm not even sure what I typed in google that got me to them, but SWEET MAN ALIVE, I don't care. haha.
Galaxy foods makes the brand "Rice Vegan", and they have both slices and cheese blocks! I found rice vegan a many of the health foods stores and a few regular grocers including winco! They have 3 flavors *Cheddar *American &*Mozzarella. I have to caution you. There are a few other brands that galaxy foods makes, and they are sold in the same spot as rice vegan. Make sure you read the labels carefully, as to ensure you are getting the ones without soy! I LOVE THIS CHEESE. Granted I haven't had real dairy in ages, but it really isn't bad. I use the cheddar slices for my burgers, and it's great. I do have to warn that it doesn't melt really great by just being put on the burger while on the grill. I normally zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds and it finally melts then. Otherwise it curls upward (I know, strange).
 Daiya is my second favorite... They have 3 different cheeses to choose from Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Pepper Jack! I've listed the info for each below, that I got from the Daiya website. :) Give it a try. They have a "where to buy" link on their page that will tell you where the nearest retailer is that carries it! Mine is just a few miles away! It's about 4.50-7.00 for a 2 cup bag of it, but I did see it at a regular grocery store, and it was 6.50 (ouch!). It melts GREAT. I would say that the mozzarella tastes like a combo of cheddar and mozzarella, but it's not bad. Made a Quesadilla with it, and I think I probably should have put bbq chicken and some salsa in to help with taste. By its self it's not the greatest thing in the world. The texture when melted is much like what you would get with a packaged "fake" cheese, you know, like "american" cheese that is meant for going on burgers kind of thing. It's not real oily like you would expect, but VERY stretchy. All in all, it's worth a try. I'm still yet to try the pepperjack, so if you try that one please let me know what you think. I'm not a spicy food kind of person. I chalk that up to the food restrictions giving me such a plain diet, but I'd love to hear some thoughts, especially for those who are looking for something with more flavor! As always, happy eating, and happy days!
xoxo, The Allergy Momma

Egg Substitutes!

Now, this is a tricky one... as eggs do different things in each item they are found in. Sometimes it's making it fluffy, sometimes it's acting like the glue to hold things together, sometimes is the flavor it's self. There are myriad ways eggs can be used so each time you need to substitute them for something, the substitute will be different because of the need. I can tell you from experience, you cannot substitute the egg in pancakes with applesauce. The result is disastrous, and quite disgusting actually. So... here they are. :) I'll put more example of how to use them below.

Option 1: Ener-G egg sub: Great little egg sub found at your local "health" food store (whole foods or the like).
*Mix as directed on the box

Option 2: Bananas
*1/2 large or 1 small banana mashed to each egg

Option 3: applesauce
*1 egg- 1/4 cup applesauce PLUS 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

Option 4: 2 tbsp flour, 1/2 tbsp shortening, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp water
*per egg needed

Ener-G egg subs can be used in everything, but they are expensive. If you need something to turn out the closest it can flavor and texture wise, I would recommend these first.

Bananas work GREAT in muffins. We have a lovely recipe that I'll post sometime soon for blueberry muffins. Since we substituted the eggs for bananas, they ended up being blueberry banana muffins, but were very yummy, and flavorful!

Applesauce can be used in items, where you would like there to be as much moisture as possible. This one is so much more of a trial and error for me. Though it's a very healthy, and viable, option it is hard to say exactly how it will turn out. :)

The mixture in option 4 is what is most often used for cakes, and scones and the like. Though it is not as healthy, it does not add flavor, or have a tendency to change the texture of the baked good. :)

Well, that is it for now. Hope it's helping!
Love, The Allergy Momma!

Pamela's Ultimate Baking & Pancake mix!

Love this stuff, even though it has buttermilk in it. Great fluffy texture, and yummy taste! You can buy it in bulk on Amazon ( 3, 4 lb, packages for around 33-38 after s&h). 

This is the ingredient info, that Pamela's website has, so you can see if it will work for you or not.

Ingredients

Brown Rice Flour, White Rice Flour, Cultured Buttermilk, Natural Almond Meal (may appear as brown flecks), Tapioca Starch, Sweet Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Grainless & Aluminum Free Baking Powder (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Potato Starch), Baking Soda, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum.

This stuff is great! If the ingredients are ok for you, I would definitely give it a try. :) My oldest daughter, who is 3, really liked this, and she doesn't even need the GF stuff. :) Thanks Pamela's for another yummy item!

The basics for Gluten Free!

Ok, so when we started the gluten and wheat free portion of our dietary-restricted life, we noticed something... The bread you have available to buy at the store, at normally a pretty hefty cost too, is disgusting. I do note though, that Rudi's breads makes a decent cinnamon and raisen bread.
*Hint* For those who are new to Gluten/Wheat free, these items can often times be found in a refrigerated section of a store. Even Walmart now carries a small selection of gluten free items (different placement in every store, so just ask them there).
Our favorite finds recently have been these 2 items.
~Pamela's ultimate baking and pancake mix (this has buttermilk, so beware if you have a dairy allergy)
~King Arthur's multi-purpose flour (make sure you get the gluten free one)

 Both of these lovely little items can easily be found (in slight bulk) on amazon, for a much lower cost than at your local retailer (whole foods, sunflower markets, sprouts markets, etc).

According to cooking Light magazine, one of the best pastas out there is by Quinoa. This gluten free pasta is made of both corn and quinoa, boasting a better nutritional value than others and taste/texture are better as well.
Remember that unless it says "Gluten Free" there is a chance, even if the item doesn't actually have gluten, that wheat or gluten could be in it because of the production process and it being milled on machinery that has been used for wheat products before. When it doubt, call the manufacturer. They always have a helpful line you can call with questions like these.
For the Oatmeal Lovers out there, Bob's Mill has a wonderful steal-cut oats bag that is Gluten free, and can even be found at Walmart, among other natural food stores. Though it comes at a pretty penny (about 5.00) for the small traditional bob's mill size bag), it has been a lifesaver for me. I'm an oats Lover, and can't live without these!
Last note here, for those with a sweet tooth!
Pamela's brand, carries a wide variety of yummy treats that are all gluten free. Though we cannot eat most of them because of the other allergies we have, they have a shortbread cookie (loaded with butter) that is gluten free and oh so tasty!
Hope you have some new things to try!
Love, The Allergy Momma

Embarking on a new Journey!

Hello Readers, as many of you have guessed by the intro, we have a VERY strict diet, to say the least. We have the unfortunate Love for food as well. These do not tend to mix well, as I have found, most especially in baking. So, hopefully as I have learned over the last 3 years of "tailored menus" for my two little girls, and a lifelong individual menu for myself, I can get you started on what you need to stock your pantry with, and what you have just got to avoid at all costs! I'm excited to start helping all of you Mommies out there that are just starting the journey, and HOPE that you get some strength from this. :)