Super Easy Soup and Bread

So I live right outside of Philly and it has been absolutely freezing the past few days. Here is a great quick and easy soup to make during the week. As you will see from the ingredients you can modify to your liking.

More than "Tomato Soup"

1 jar organic (dairy, egg, and nut free) marinara sauce
2 jars low sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen organic veggies
1 can cannelloni beans
1/2 (dairy, egg, and nut free) alphabet noodles
Salt and Pepper to taste (if your family likes spicy, add 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes.

1. Can't get more simple than this, pour the entire jar of marinara sauce, the 2 cans of chicken broth in a pot until it is simmering.
2. Add noodles, veggies, and beans.
3. Cook until noodles are finished.

Beer Bread

3 Cups self-rising flour
1 12 ounce bottle of beer
3 tablesppons of sugar

1. Sift Flour
2. Add beer to flour and sugar
3. Pour in a loaf pan
4. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Vitamins

When I first learned of my son's food allergies, I had no idea the extent to which I would become and avid reader of food labels. When he switched from the infant vitamin drops to the big boy ones I found out that some contained allergens. I found Gummy Bear Vitamins were allergy free and my son loves them. Another plus, no artificial colors or preservatives
http://www.gummybearvitamins.com/

On a budget saving note, if you have a Target near, there is a Target Brand version of these vitamins.

Allergy Tracker

I found this link through Allergy Living Magazine where I signed up for updates on their site.

Search all allergy-related food recalls from the last 10 years by product, allergen, recalling firm, kind of food or by using multiple fields.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/allergen-database,0,7219804.htmlpage


Another magazine I recently discovered was Living Without.
http://www.livingwithout.com/

SoyNut Butter Review

Five Stars for SoyNut Butter *****

I was so excited when I found this product. I was getting to the point where my son's lunches were getting a little boring but with his food allergies I felt as though I did not have alot of options. He loves it and I have tried it as well. This tastes so similar to peanut butter, you will be amazed and they have a chocolate version!

Can be found at most Giant stores around Philadelphia.

http://www.soynutbutter.com/

Breakfast

Okay, so breakfast can be tricky for someone who cannot eat eggs or dairy, especially if you want to out eat. I always have some of these in the freezer especially if my son is not cooperating in the AM. I am a single mom and sometimes breakfast does happen in the car.

Pumpkin Pancakes
These Pumpkin Pancakes are so, so yummy. Now, I used to love buttermilk pancakes but after making these I don't think I will ever go back.

1 cup wheat flour (I use organic)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Pinch salt
1/2 cup soy milk (or rice milk)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin (don't despair, the extra can be used for pumpkin cupcakes)
3/4 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
non-stick cooking spray

1. Place all of the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. In a measuring cup add soymilk and apple cider vinegar together. Let this mixture rest for a few minutes so the milk begins to curdle a little bit.
3. Add all of the wet ingredients to the dry mixture.
4. Cook pancakes on medium-low heat for about 2 minutes on each side.

I serve these with a non-dairy butter and honey.

"French Toast"
1. Any dairy/egg free wheat bread.
2. Coat both sides with a non-dairy butter like, Earth's Balance.(http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/#/products/organic/)
3. Lightly dip in a little vanilla soy or rice milk.
4. Sprinkle with a little bit of cinnamon.
5. Spray a skillet with a little non-stick cooking spray and cook until slightly brown.


Van's Blueberry Waffles
These are very tasty and can be found at most Giant stores around the Philadelphia area. Since my son is in daycare, I usually pack this for his lunch once a week with soy pudding for a treat day and break from sandwich making.
http://www.vansfoods.com/home/our_products

Great Websites and Books

If you are just starting out, here are some great sites to visit:

The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network- One of the most useful things on this website is their handy list on reading food labels that you can print and take to the store with you. I also signed up for their allergy alerts, so whenever a food items comes up with an undeclared allergen I receive and email.
http://www.foodallergy.org/

Cherrybrook Kitchen- If you are not into baking or do not have alot of time to cook, definitely try these products out. I wish I had found this for my son's first birthday. I made a good effort in trying to make an egg, dairy, and peanut free cake, but honestly it looked like a pile of poop and did not taste too great either. They also have a photo contest that you can enter and if you win you get a free box of their various products!
http://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com/

Vegan Lunchbox- Whenever someone says, oh my gosh, what can your son eat, I describe his diet as a Vegan that eats meat and honey. This is a great site for recipes and the author of the blog also has a cookbook out. She has fun, creative and tasty recipes. Just remember to still watch for nuts if your child has that allergy.
http://www.veganlunchbox.com/recipes.html

Vegan Cupcakes- I must admit that I was a bit of a skeptic when I received this book as a gift. I was wondering how good could a cupcake without eggs be and I also wondered how many different stores would I have to visit to find the crazy ingredients that must be in these recipes. Well I can safely say that I was wrong on both counts. The cupcakes in this book are absolutely delicious. I can't even tell you how many times already I have made the pumpkin cupcakes. Everyone loves them!
http://vegancupcakes.wordpress.com/

Food Allergy Tips and Tricks

Hello,

My name is Kate and I am the mother of an almost 2 1/2 year old little boy. He's the best and I love being a mom. I am starting this blog because I discovered my son was allergic to dairy, eggs and peanuts when he was 7 months old. One day I gave him baby yogurt and he broke out in hives. Over the past 2 years I have learned alot when it comes to reading food labels and cooking for him. Even though it is a pain at times trying to find the right products for him to eat, I must admit he is probably eating much healthier than if he did not have the allergies.

Hopefully, in a few years he will outgrow the dairy and egg allergy but right now the nut one doesn't seem like it is going anywhere. He gets a skin test and bloodwork every six months so I will keep my fingers crossed.

So in this blog you should expect to see allergy-free product suggestions, links to articles and recipes. Hopefully, this will also make your life a little easier especially if you are just starting out. As with all food allergies though make sure you read the labels, and then double check, and re-check them before you have anyone eat the product. And if all else fails make sure you speak to your doctor or allergist.

Hope you enjoy and find some useful information.

Kate