Confession Time

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Recipe Upload to bring you this announcement……

We’ve cheated. Yes, we’ve handed out Smarties (food dye, casein, sugar…), Ranch dressing (casein), real cheese (casein) and I’m sure a few other things over the last couple of months.  We also completely quit the supplements.  I know, I said I was going to put him back on the supplement train.  Guess what?  I didn’t.

His last report card?  Dismal.  No real improvements.  No exciting “wow, he’s come a long way again!” comments.  Nothing to brag about. 

Is there a relationship?  In my darkest moments, I blame myself completely.  After all, I am responsible for everything that does or does not go in his mouth.  Nathan has slowly but surely regressed into a little guy I thought we’d seen the last of:

- shrieking
- screaming (instead of talking)
- defiant
- unable to concentrate on anything for more than a few seconds
- high pitched nails on a chalkboard voice
- slightly more aggressive
- tired and lethargic

I’m documenting this for you & for me.  I hate what I’ve done to him.  I know that half that list is yeast related.  The worst part is, we leave for vacation on Wednesday & the diet is going to be incredibly tough.  There will be infractions and we’ll do our best to minimize them with enzymes. So, July might be a  write-off in some ways.

Our plan of attack right now: 1 tsp Super Nu Thera, 5 mg Biotin, 5 ml DMG, CLO and GSE (10 drops per day)  I hope this isn’t too much for his system.  He’s tolerated the DMG for a week just fine, so we’re adding the SNT now and upping the yeast control.  I’m hoping 4 days of GSE will knock the yeast out as it used to & we can maintain with biotin.

BBQ Hamburgers

Yum Yum.  Nothing like a burger.  Here’s an easy hamburger recipe that we love:

Hamburgers

1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup frozen spinach, thawed & chopped
1 Egg (you can leave out, if the meat is kept icy cold all the way to the BBQ)
1/2 cup either: GF oats or bread crumbs
1 tsp cumin

Mix all together and form into patties. Return to freezer for at least 15 minutes. This helps the burgers to stay together & not break apart on the grill. Put on hot BBQ, cook 5-6 minutes per side, turn only once.

Serve on El Peto GF Hamburger buns – they are a nice generous size and tasty too.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Betcha can’t eat just one! 

 

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup Peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

Cream together all the ingredients except the chocolate chips. Add chocolate chips, I start with 1/4 cup and add a bit more if necessary. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 9 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on sheet for 5 minutes to allow edges to be crisp and centres to stay soft.

*I love Enjoy Life chocolate chips because they are minis. They seem to go farther & they are Allergen-free!

Homemade Applesauce

Not only is applesauce an excellent kid friendly, texture friendly dessert, it can be used to hide supplements.  Some parents report success in using applesauce to teach their child to swallow pills.  It hasn’t worked that way for us, but every idea is worth mentioning!  Homemade applesauce is a bit fussier than opening a jar, but the taste is oh-so-much better.

Homemade Applesauce

Minimum 6 apples, no maximum really
Splash of water
Cinnamon, if desired

Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Place in a large heavy pot with a lid as you slice. Add enough water to just cover the bottom of the pot – about 1/8-1/4 cup, depending on your pot. You don’t really need any water but it does help to make sure the apples don’t burn. Cook over low heat, stir occasionally to keep from sticking. The apples should soften up in half an hour to an hour. Mash with a potato masher for chunkier applesauce, blend in blender for perfectly smooth. If necessary, you can add a bit of sugar, but you probably won’t need it.

I package them into single serving containers enough for a week of lunches and freeze any leftovers.

This is a great way to use up apples that are bruised and otherwise past their prime or if you are lucky enough to own/have access to an apple tree.

Honey Vanilla Pancakes

I make these pancakes on a regular basis. Not only are they great the day they are made, they stay soft for at least 2-3 days kept in the fridge. The recipe started out in “The Kid Friendly ADHD & Austism Cookbook” and I modified it to suit us.

Honey Vanilla Pancakes

Makes 8-10 pancakes

1 egg
1 cup milk substitute (vanilla almond is excellent)
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup GF flour blend (add more if batter is too thin)
1/4 tsp xanthan gum (optional, recommended if you expect to use reheated or as a sandwich bread)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder

Mix liquid ingredients together. Add dry and blend until smooth. At this point, you can also add frozen or fresh fruit, smashed bananas are great. Sometimes we even get decadent and add chocolate chips. Cook in a hot, greased frying pan about 1/4 cup per pancake.

A couple of notes:
I’ve tried tons of GF flour blends & have not noticed a real difference in any of them here.

These make amazing “bread” for a sandwich. I would use a plain milk sub and omit vanilla if you are planning to use a savory or protein filling. Mostly we use it for PB & J, so the original recipe is fine.

My non-GF family members eat these as fast as the GF ones!

Back off the Supplement Train Again

Well, I did try to stick to a supplement regimin.  Honestly I did.  But, with all the sickness (lung infections, bladder infection) and the busyness of spring, it has been really hard.

The irritating thing is that I have about 150 dollars worth of supplements sitting unused in the cupboard.  I’ve tried to console myself that we’ll get back to them eventually.  I sure hope I am right & that they help Nathan break through his next plateau.  Right now, he’s still “climbing”, with only the GFCF diet on board.

It’s not that I don’t want to supplement him.  He even tolerates most of it very well.  Except for the Super Nu Thera, but….  I just fell off that wagon & am having an awful time climbing back on.

As another thought – Peru has the most wonderful mandarin oranges in the stores these days.  Sweet, little, yummy.  I think we’ve eaten at least 5 lbs in the last 2 or 3 weeks.  I remember a time you could only get “Christmas Oranges” at ahem…Christmas.  But, through the wonder of globalization, we can now eat little oranges most of the year.

I know it’s not 100 mile diet-friendly.  I don’t care.  Those suckers are the best.  If you haven’t tried one yet, I suggest you do.  Before we eat them all!

iHerb Shipping Update

I know, from my stat counter that the shipping time from iHerb is a concern for fellow Canadians. My last order was placed on April 30 and was received (by me) on May 11th. So, that is 7 business days, or 11 days after placing the order.

I also know that placing your order in the morning, earlier in the week can sometimes shave a day or two off the delivery time. But, this is no guarantee. I always suggest giving yourself 2 full weeks (14 days) notice that you will need a replacement supplement. I know that doesn’t always work out either. More than once, I’ve checked the mail, desperately hoping that this time the order would come in 5 business days. Not likely.

Another way you could shave some shipping time would be to send it to a US address, if you have access to one and live close to the border. (And have a valid passport after June 1st!) I believe the US shipping times are about 1/2 of ours, so if you are desperate, that is another option.

I have found though, with a bit of pre-planning and forethought (which you get really good at with GFCF), it is possible to receive your new supplements “just in time”. That is the best way, because it is freshest and not cluttering up the cabinet.

Our last order was for Nordic Naturals Children’s DHA (chewable & Liquid). The boys love the strawberry chewable. I am not such a fan of the price per serving, so I also ordered the strawberry liquid. To me, it tastes the same as the liquid in the chewable. They have not tried it, so I will post a full review when they do.

Don’t forget, there is a $5.00 off coupon if you are a first time buyer with iHerb. I don’t want anyone to miss out (like I did!), so here’s the code again: MEN348

I’m sure it seems like I push iHerb a lot, but I just can’t say enough about the variety, pricing and great service they offer. Why pay more at the Local HFS? Save those dollars for frozen waffles and treats!

To Test or Not To Test?

We started GFCF without any testing and have managed quite nicely up until now by using observation and trial & error. I think it has worked just fine, though I do wonder about whether the boys are truly sensitive to other things that are harder to remove like eggs and corn.

Eric’s eczema is getting worse & I know that dairy does aggravate it. But, is there something else? Is it eggs? Soy? Corn? Sugar? He is a much harder kid to feed, picky about what he likes and adamant that he will not give up gluten and dairy completely. Achieving 100% compliance with him has been pretty much impossible. I think he feels better off dairy and gluten, I know I do, but the lure of a cheese slice or piece of bread is just so tempting.

My husband, whom I adore, is pretty tolerant of the whole GFCF thing, just as long as he can keep having his normal food. I haven’t managed to make a GF bread that is as good as he would like. My GF cookies are a crumbly mess (even with trying stick non-CF margarine), so I can’t say that I blame him. But, it also means there are “forbidden” foods in the house. I could tell him “100% GFCF” but I know that it is really hard for him. (He’s also not a child & needs to make the choice for himself, I think)

So that brings me to wondering if I should have food panel testing done for both kids, but especially Eric. It is a bit expensive, might not tell us anything we don’t already know & involves find a supportive doctor & a blood draw. Nathan has had one. It was pretty rough on him. I’m not anxious to put him through it again.

So, should I try to pursue testing? What has been your experience?

Quick Update

Just wanted to update you all about how easy GFCF has become for us. I had a conference this week and the kids were shuttled between grandparents for three days.

So, how did we do it & stay on program? It helps that both grandmas are totally on board for the boys. My Mom has a few boxed mixes and keeps noodles in the pantry. My hubby’s mom needs us to bring a few things (cereal, lunch for school) but reads labels very well & tries her best to ensure the foods she chooses are at least GF.

I literally walked out the door with a hug and kiss & didn’t worry about their diets all week. Simple. There is nothing like unconditional support from your parents and parents-in-law. For those who don’t have this, I feel for you. But, everyone has also noticed the major change it has made in Nathan’s life, so it is pretty tough to “refuse” to follow his program.

So, now we’re waiting to restart supplements next week. I did a quick reading test with Nathan and he is scoring even higher right now. I think he needs to learn about 10 more of the pre-primer words & he’ll be ready to progress to the Primer words. He kept stealing the cards he didn’t know back, so it was hard to tell how many of the 45 he doesn’t know. He sure gets mad when he doesn’t know the word, so that is pretty exciting.

I ordered again from iHerb. I just love the value and selection they offer. Don’t forget, there’s a discount of $5.00 off your first order – use code MEN348

Supplement Break

Sorry I’ve been absent, we’re still GFCF, thriving, and happy. But, it seemed an ideal time to back off all Nathan’s supplements. He is not happy about it. He likes his “vitamins” as he calls them. I felt we were getting a bit out of control both with the quantity and cost.

He was supplement free for about 1 week and then I noticed his BMs started to stink again. We started back into the Kirkman ProBio Gold chewable probiotics. These are a llight, vanilla-y tasting chewable that he quite likes. They do have a strep strain but I don’t think that is an issue for us. He is taking 1 in the morning and 1 at bedtime.

I’m only going to give him enzymes for infractions for the next while. He has a birthday party at preschool today that he wants to enjoy, so we’re going to try 3 chewable (Houston) AFP Peptizyde & 3 Zyme Prime. He’ll be eating a small piece of birthday cake. I am hoping his gut can handle this. He had an infraction this month earlier that he handled with enzymes just fine.

Since it is nearly seeding time, the boys are getting lots of outside time which means I am going to be spending a lot more time in the kitchen. Hubby needs food for lunches and so do the kids. I made a batch of Banana Chip muffins yesterday, oh so good.

My current plan for supplements is this:
April 26: Continue supplement break, do cognitive testing on weekend
May 3: Introduce Nordic Naturals chewables or liquid
May 10: Folic acid (was supposed to be folinic but I screwed it up so we’ll start there)
May 17: B12 sublingual

We’ll do some additional testing weekly and observe changes. I’d like to get him back on to DMG at some point before the end of the school year but we’ll see how he tolerates this plan first. I’d also like to get him on a multi-vitamin, we’ve got some SNT left & trial sized powder, which he doesn’t like.

Speaking of the trial SNT powder, would you like it? Leave a comment & maybe we can make arrangements to get it to you. Seems a shame to have it waste in my cupboard.