Continue reading »]]> Last night was attempt numero dos on making a Sugar Free Chocolate Ice Cream. If you read the last post about it you will remember that it did not look very appetizing.

I did a bit of research on the chemistry of ice cream and how all the various parts work together to get the perfect result. So with a better understanding of the chemical reactions going on, I modified my recipe and actually had some success! I did just a half batch so I didn’t waste ingredients, so unless you double the recipe below you won’t get very much….

2 tbsp cocoa butter

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup DariFree

1 cup of water

4 packets of Sweet Leaf Stevia

½ tsp Vanilla

While the look and consistency were fantastic, it was a bit on the bitter side. And with only 4 packets of Stevia- it is certainly understandable. So you will need to experiment a bit with the sweetness and adjust it for your personal tastes.

However, on day two, the ice cream was a solid block. When left out for about 20 minutes, it slowly softened to a runny pudding consistency. Creamy, tasty but bitter, drippy. Back to the drawing board.

Continue reading »]]> I had a bit of an emergency at home and had to be home for the various repair people to do their thing. It annoys me to lose work hours for this nonsense so I took advantage of our need for test kitchen recipes and did some creating while I waited… and waited… and waited some more.

I needed a bit of change from the ice cream I’ve been experimenting with, so I thought of the frozen treats from my childhood and figured that I would try making homemade Orange Creamsicles. Talk about a blast from the past! Here is what I did…

1 cup dairy free

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp orange flavor

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tsp egg replacer

1 medium orange- blended

Directions: Mix all ingredients, except the fresh orange, together and whisk over low heat until sugar is dissolved and ingredients are incorporated. Place one medium sized peeled orange in the blender and ‘liquify’ until it is good and frothy- about 2 minutes. Add the warm liquid mixture into the blender and continue to blend for 3 minutes. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze overnight. It made a bath of 6 good-sized popsicles with a small serving dish left over.

While the orange adds some orangey color, you may wish to add some additional coloring to get that commercial orange color that most are used to seeing in the store.

And the results? “These are awesome!” said each coworker as they quickly devoured the whole set of them. A hit!

Continue reading »]]> OK! So I think we’ve got a winner…. Ding, ding ding!

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil

7 Tbsp of Pamela’s Vanilla Cake Mix

1 tsp Vanilla

½ tsp Egg Replacer

9 Tbsp Water

1. Using your favorite microwavable mug, melt the Coconut Oil for approximately 30 seconds (microwave times will vary by model)
2. then add in all the other ingredients. Mix well.
3. Microwave for approximately 2 minutes. Cake is done if an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

What did I do the first time that made it come out so horrible?

• I didn’t add enough flavoring so it had no flavor.
• I used WAY too much Egg Replacer ( ½ tsp vs ½ tbsp!)
• And as it turns out, our microwave here in the office is super strong and I seriously over cooked the first round!

You really need to play around a bit with the amount of flavoring you use to adjust it to your particular tastes. Also adjust your cooking time depending on how powerful your microwave is!

And experiment! Try different flavors, try adding chocolate chips, try adding applesauce or even your favorite berry before cooking. I’m curious to see how creative we can get.

Continue reading »]]> While I was doing my research for camps in Connecticut I came across information on camps in other states. And I did find several allergy friendly camps that seem like they mean business and plan their programs accordingly. Here are a few I found that might be worth delving deeper into for when I’m ready to send my daughter to sleep-away camp…

• Camp TAG: “It provides a safe place for children with food allergies and their siblings to have fun with no worries about having an allergic reaction, as well as give them an opportunity to meet other children who share the same conditions and know they are not alone! A registered nurse who specializes in food allergies, anaphylaxis, and epinephrine administration will be onsite at all times.”
• Asthma Camps: This database provides links to dozens of camps nationwide that accommodate children with Asthma.
• Vegetarian Camp: “Delicious vegetarian dining with an emphasis on local and organic foods!”

Your child’s pediatrician or allergist may also be another source for ideas on summer camp. The best advice I can give is to start your search early. Very early! Get to know the prospective camps, take a tour, talk to the camp director and get comfortable. You are your child’s best advocate!

Continue reading »]]>  

I don’t know about other allergy moms, but in-school birthday parties really bug me. As a former teacher, I also think they stink! There’s nothing harder to deal with than a class full of kids all hopped up on sugar and one or two sad children who didn’t get to take part because of food allergies.

It’s bad enough when the party is planned and the teachers can inform the parents of an allergic child to send something in. But, often, busy parents don’t even think to inform the teacher ahead of time. They just bring in whatever they please and the allergic children can go suck an egg (actually in the case of my daughter’s school, they get sent to the nurse to pick up some boring snack they can eat while everyone else gets to enjoy wonderful looking cupcakes). Talk about a horrible way to leave out a child. I always feel so badly for my daughter when she comes home and tells me about the great treats all her friends had.

At least my child’s teacher, after seeing this happen a few times, has asked me to send in something she can keep in the teacher’s break room freezer. That was really sweet and many teachers wouldn’t think to do or offer this. I’m happy to do it, as my treats will be better and safer than any items brought in by other parents.

But, I wish that things would be different. Why bring in treats at all? There are more than enough opportunities to treat your children outside of school. Bring in little toys, pens or pencils, cute erasers, or a pile of stickers – food-free options are varied and plentiful! Not only will my child be safe, but all the other children will stay one cupcake further away from childhood obesity.

Continue reading »]]> I’ve been steadily getting back responses to my email about summer camps and their ability to keep my daughter safe.

Here is another, very different response that I received…

All of the camp staff are trained with First Aid – and Epi Pen administration. At our Camp we are extremely aware of peanut allergies…. soy and pear?? I would need more info – same reaction??

There are MANY girls who attend with food allergies.
These are the questions that will be asked of you prior to camp -
What allergies? What is the reaction?
Can the girls in the unit have these food items?
Can the girls in the camp have these food items?

We request the medical forms before camp so that we can review them – contact parents – and decide a course of “action”

We have reserved “allergy awareness weeks” at camps – and invited girls with severe allergies to attend – and we have been extremely successful. We have not been requested to have this in the past two years. but I can reassure you that we have not had an allergy incident in all the summers that I have been the day camp manager.

I would love to answer any specific questions that you have. I can call you on Saturday if you give me your number.

Alright! A response from a camp that seems genuinely interested in keeping my daughter safe. They asked questions, gave a bit of info on their training (additionally their website says that each unit counselor carries the emergency meds at all times, not just left in a central location like other camps) and offers to call me!

Hmmm… this camp is in the running and based on the responses I’ve been getting back, may be the ONLY camp I’m comfortable with my daughter attending.

Way to go Girls Scouts of Connecticut!!

Continue reading »]]> So have you ever had your allergic child tell you 15 minutes before leaving the house in the morning for school… “Mom today is Sophia’s Birthday so I need a cupcake for school today as her mom is sending in a treat for the class”. Yeah, there is just no way you can bake an entire batch of cupcakes in time but you don’t want your child to feel left out while everyone else is enjoying their wheat, dairy and soy ridden treat.

This actually happened to me this morning with my daughter. I’m a planner and always have single wrapped cupcakes that I have made in our big freezer in the basement, so no biggie. Allergen friendly bakeries are few and far between, so what is the non-planner parent to do when this happens?

There is good news… you can bake a single serving of cake in less than 5 minutes! Really! I’ve done it!! Truth be told however, I’ve never tried it with an allergen friendly mix, but I have done this with regular mixes. A few tablespoons of the cake mix, a couple tablespoons of water and a tablespoon of plain mayonnaise (takes the place of eggs and oil) all in a coffee mug (or other microwave friendly container) and in 3 minutes… voila! You have a single serving of cake! Perfect for those specific times in a girl’s life when she craves chocolate cake but doesn’t want to wait an hour plus to eat it! But how does that translate into a recipe to be allergen free?

I went into our warehouse and grabbed one of the Pamela Vanilla Cake Mixes; some coconut oil and egg replacer then went to into our kitchen here in the office. When I say kitchen, I mean we have a room, a refrigerator, sink, toaster oven and a microwave- pretty basic.

I melted the coconut oil in my big ole’ coffee mug, added in a few tablespoons of the cake mix, a tablespoon of egg replacer, a few tablespoons of water and a couple drops of vanilla. Once all mixed, I spooned out portions of the batter and put them in little single serving silicon cupcake holders as I was anticipating greatness and everyone in the office would want a taste.

Three minutes later the microwave ding was heard all across the office and everyone’s anticipation of a yummy sweet treat made them come running into the kitchen like Pavlov’s dogs. It smelled great. It looked great. It tasted… well…. It tasted HORRIBLE! It had a weird rubber texture and there was no taste whatsoever.

What went wrong? Did I add too much coconut oil? Too much egg replacer? Not enough vanilla? Was it cooked too long? Stay tuned for the next round…. Hopefully it will be better!

Continue reading »]]> After the disastrous first attempt at ice cream, I felt confident I could make another run at this. The ice cream maker is so pretty. It calls to me.

I spent almost an hour researching recipes and reading other people’s successful recipes. There are quite a few Stevia recipes, but not too many that are milk free.

I bought liquid Stevia and another type of coconut milk which I now got out. I planned adaptations and organized myself. I even did what they do on the cooking shows; I filled little bowls with pre-measured and readied ingredients so that they could be dumped into the mix without pausing for something as mundane as measuring. Don’t get me wrong, my kitchen was still messy, but ready.

I was trying a little more gelatin in this batch, so I poured some of the coconut milk into a saucepan and sprinkled in the gelatin to let it soften. When I got back to it a few minutes later, it looked like the gelatin had bound to all the coconut milk solids, but left the water. Was that supposed to happen? It didn’t happen with yesterday’s batch and a different coconut milk! Never mind. I warmed the coconut milk to thoroughly dissolve the gelatin and took out my trusty food processor. Perhaps I can blend all the ingredients thoroughly back together?

The remaining coconut milk went into the food processor, along with the liquid vanilla Stevia, more vanilla, the premixed egg replacer and prepared arrowroot and water. It was easier to have all this ready in little bowls, though I missed the bowls during my preparation and had powder and drips all over my counters and floor. Where’s my sous chef?

I put the cover on the food processor, then poured in the gelatin/coconut milk mixture through the feeder tube and turned on the food processor. Shriek! Forgot to put the feeder cap on and the mixture went flying out of the spout! Fits of giggles led my DH to say “I’m afraid to ask!” from the dining room. I suddenly remember why, as a young mom, I kept the kids out of the kitchen when I cooked. Not so I wouldn’t be distracted, which I was, but so there’d be less to clean up after my messy disasters! In went the feeder cap, and the mixture was frothed well, poured into a container and refrigerated.

When I got back to the chilled ice cream mixture, it had separated in the container: milk solids, watery stuff and froth. Back into the food processor (with the lid and feeder cap in place) then directly into the ice cream machine for the proper 20 minutes.

It must have split again while churning, because my resultant ‘ice cream’ was icy and hard, worse than the first batch. And it was flavorless. I also think 20 minutes is much too long for this ice cream maker.

I’m not giving up, just pausing for a bit while I contemplate the world, universe and everything.

Continue reading »]]> A natural rite of passage in childhood is attending summer camp. Whether it’s a day camp or a sleep-away camp, kids of all ages get to experience great activities and make lifetime friendships.  But what about a child who has food allergies?

My daughter is 7 years old and we are looking for a summer program that she will enjoy and one that will be not only be accommodating to her multiple food allergies, but one that can keep her safe. I didn’t realize what a challenge it would be! Most camps have high school kids or, if you’re lucky, college kids as camp counselors. How versed are these kids in understanding food allergies, the consequences and nuances of each type of allergy and are observant enough to see a reaction and get the child treatment?

Being in Connecticut, we have hundreds of camps available with every themed activity you can think of. We started contacting ones we were interested in to inquire on their allergy policies.

Here is the email that I sent out….

“Good Morning,

We are considering your camp for our 7 year old daughter this summer. She does have several food allergies (peanut, soy, pear) as well as Asthma and we are concerned about the ability to accommodate her and keep her safe. Can you provide additional information on your camp and staff training on how you keep children with allergies safe?

Thank you and I look forward to hearing back from you.”

I have to be honest, I’ve gotten back some rather callous responses which have made me feel that they do what they can, but don’t really take it seriously. Not having a written plan or something in writing about how their staff is trained does not leave me with warm fuzzies.  Here is a response from a rather expensive camp…

“Thanks for considering xxx Camp for your daughter.  We have several campers each summer who have allergies and we do our best to keep them safe.  We provide a peanut-free table at lunch where campers can sit and eat.  Our nurse is at the table or nearby and always carries an EpiPen for any emergencies.  If you would like to discuss this further, please feel free to contact me at (860) xxx-xxxx.”

“We do our best” is not a statement that sits well with me as I want them to do more than their best! Granted my daughter has never had a life threatening reaction, but allergies are unpredictable and I need to be able to trust these strangers who I’m giving charge of my most precious gift.

I received back several emails with that type of sentiment. So far I have been unable to find a summer camp in Connecticut that made me comfortable about accommodating my daughter with food allergies. I’m curious- what do working parents do during the summer? Do they sign their child up for the camp that has the best activities and hope that their child won’t have a reaction while at camp?

Why aren’t there more camps that cater to keeping our allergic kids safe? I know many parents in our local area that would gladly pay for a quality camp for their allergic child. Talk about a business opportunity! Any entrepreneurs paying attention?

Continue reading »]]> I bought myself a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker so that I could join in the testing. I thought it would be great for the grandchildren. Their diets are so limited, homemade egg free, milk free, soy free, nut free ice cream will be quite the treat. Besides, I am the only one in the office on a milk free, low sugar diet, so I am particularly interested in the sugar free ice cream. I’ve been cooking for more than a few years, tweaking recipes and all. I know what I’m doing, right?

Prepared for the challenge, I washed the canister, the blade and the cover of my new ice cream maker. Dried the canister out thoroughly and made room for it in my freezer.

I haven’t made ice cream before, so I studied the manual, such as it is. Not much there; some recipes, some information about care of the machine, best way to freeze the canister. The only process instructions were to pour the ice cream mixture in after the machine was on and to turn it off at the desired thickness. Nothing to it.

I researched a few more recipes that used Stevia, extracted what I thought was best from the three and made a custard base for my ice cream. The recipe is quite different from what Jen was using. I was using coconut milk, and playing with arrowroot and gelatin. After all, I am a good baker, I can figure out how to approach this chemistry experiment, right? I put the mixture in the fridge to cool. I was tired by then, but I’d be ready to tackle the ice cream maker in the morning.

The next morning, I could hardly wait! I sampled the cooled ice cream mixture. It tasted good, but it was a little grainy. So I strained it and then I was ready to go. With the nicely frozen canister in place, I turned the ice cream maker on and slowly poured in my mixture. Everything was looking good. AND because I distract easily, I set the timer for 20 minutes. I expected it would take longer.

Less than 8 minutes later, I peeked through the clear cover to see how it was going: Ice cream balls had formed over the top of the blades and nothing was churning.

• First Mistake
  Based upon my years of experience, I stopped the machine, took out my trusty spatula, and scraped the balls back to the bottom of the canister. When I turned the machine back on the mixing blades kind of went sideways a little and made a loud knocking sound, like the mixer blades do when they’re not settled in right.
• Second Mistake
  I stopped the machine again and tried to scrape the blades clear. Couldn’t. Ice cream was frozen to the sides of the canister and I couldn’t clear it. I knew I’d messed up this batch then so I put the balls of ice cream mixture into a container. It tasted good. DH liked it too. I thought, “Maybe it’s done already?” so I put it in the freezer.
• Third Mistake
  My next thought was “Maybe I can get another batch out of this frozen canister by cleaning it quickly and putting it back in the freezer?” I rinsed it out with warm water to get the ice cream off the sides. Then I went to dry it quickly with a towel. Next thing I knew, I was holding one end of the towel, with the canister dangling from it and wondering “What’s wrong with this picture? Oh – the towel has frozen to the canister!”

DH joined me in the kitchen and much hilarity ensued, like something out of Keystone Cops. I graciously gave in to the fact that I’d messed up thoroughly. Oh, my first batch of ice cream? A frozen solid block. Nice if you scraped it, like a vanilla ice, but not the creamy mix I had in mind.