Vacation

Soon after Baby Bee was diagnosed with food allergies, all kinds of thoughts and worries ran through my mind. 
What about birthday parties?  She can't eat the birthday cake?  Will she have to take her own cake to every party?
What about trips and vacations?  Where will we eat and what will we do?  What about places that don't allow outside food?
Thanksgiving???  Christmas??  Valentine candy!!  Halloween treats!!  We won't be able to accept anything!
What about everything other holiday function or party or gathering that all revolve around food?
At the time I was too overwhelmed to even begin to think about how we would cope.  I still don't have answers to all the questions but I'm learning a few things.

This past weekend we took our first family trip with Baby Bee in tow.  We stayed at a fun resort and my mom had called ahead to speak with the restaurants there.  The chefs spoke with her on the phone and were knowledgeable about food allergies.  They even had suggestions for what Bee could eat at the restaurant and they planned to make some special items just for her. 

Well, I was still a little nervous, so we arrived with our ice chest full of things for Bee to snack on...just in case.  We swam, we played, and then we headed to dinner.  Our server did not act shocked and confused when we brought up food allergies (most servers look dazed and panicked when we bring it up).  That was a pleasant surprise.  The chef came out to talk with us.  When we mentioned our name he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, on it he had the list of all of Bee's allergies from when my mom called.  He read through the list and asked if that was our list, and then made suggestions for what she could eat.  Our table was served food a little bit later and Bee enjoyed her meal with us. 

Can I just say how rare this is?  That the chefs and staff would be familiar with food allergies and actually be helpful and willing to make adjustments to meals?  Why can't more restaurants train their staff and chefs to understand food allergies and know how to make substitutions? 

Eating out felt so normal for a change.  And for our next trip, I've already called ahead, and while this place can't do special cooking for Bee, I already have permission to arrive with an ice chest full of meals for Bee.  Vacations...we can do this.

Blog Break

In case you missed it, I took a blog break for a few months....due to morning sickness.  That's right!  Our hive will have a new baby bee in February!  I hope I'm back for a while and can post more regular updates. 

Protein Shake

Baby Bee is tiny, tiny and we worry about her nutrition, her calcium intake, her protein intake, her caloric intake, her weight, and her absorption.  Basically, we worry about everything that does go into her tummy and all the things we wish could go into her tummy.  Our doctor recommended this protein shake for her that is made from a rice-based protein source.  It is free of all of her allergens and seems to taste pretty good to her.  She drinks one shake every morning!

Bulk

Wow!  Is this bag heavy!  Our local health food store allowed me to purchase some brown rice flour in bulk when they received their latest shipment.  No shipping fees!  Now I just have to figure out how to store this stuff! 
Time to bake!!!

Beer bread!

Coffee cake!
It smells so good in here!

Chicken Tenders

Ok, in case you haven't noticed I am not the Pioneer Woman and this is not tasty kitchen.  This is the allergy free kitchen, and sometimes it is just not that tasty!  It does not have gorgeous edited photos of every ingredient laid out in brightly-colored porcelain bowls.  It does not have detailed photo instructions for the recipe.  Heck, sometimes I don't even have pictures of the food at all.  We are hungry over here!  I do not have beautiful cookware, it would be broken or disappear into the play kitchen with all my strainers.  I cook with between one and three children (with an average of two) screaming and/or clinging to my legs.  Often, I have two helpers peering over the very, very dirty counter tops, with a third trying to climb onto said counter tops.  I spend my cooking time trying to keep one child from picking his nose while stirring (guess who that might be) and keeping up with a very profound conversation from another, while a third is randomly pulling the hair of the person closest to her.  Thank you Bee!  If there is hair in my cooking, it is solely her fault.

Sometimes PC cooks, which is one of the many reasons why we call him Prince Charming.  And, he's actually very good at it.  Give him a skillet and he is dangerous!  We hide in the bedroom until we're called.

Tonight we came out to garlic chicken, but we smelled it long before (and long after) it was done.

You start with our favorite and basic chicken tender.

Chicken tenderloins
1 cup brown rice breadcrumbs
1 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t pepper
More for sprinkling

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
Combine breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper, and dredge chicken.
Place chicken in skillet of hot olive oil.  This oil needs to be really hot.  You might need to test one first to make sure the oil is popping or you will have some soggy chicken.
Cook for a few minutes, rotating regularly, until tenderloins are brown on all sides and juices run clear when cut.  Place on cooling rack and continue cooking tenderloins in batches until all are done.

(And by the way, PC does not measure anything so these are really ballpark figures, so you'll just have to taste test as you go.)

These are some yummy chicken fingers!

But PC does a variation on these that is a huge hit at our garlic-loving house.

Garlic Chick
2 T olive oil
18-20 garlic cloves crushed (yes, we really use that many)
1 can chicken broth
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t basil
1/2 t oregano
3 T millet flour
1/4 cup water

Heat oil in skillet.  Add crushed cloves and saute until golden brown.  Remove cloves and mash and place in a bowl.
Add chicken broth to hot oil.  Let cook for about 2 minutes.
Add lemon juice, basil, and oregano to skillet, stir, and let cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add mashed garlic.
Add flour slowly, stirring with each addition.
Add water and stir until sauce thickens.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour this over your chicken fingers and you'll keep the vampires away!

An Argument

Ohhh, I have sat in this chair many times.  I wasn't looking for an argument, but I found several, and paid for all of them.

Let me take you back.....

This is Baby Bee, only a few hours old, resting in Daddy's arms.  If I only knew....this was the calm before the storm.

Bee was a fussy baby, very very fussy.  Bee didn't eat well or sleep.  The pediatrician tried to sympathize with "the tired mommy," but I knew he wrote me off.

When we presented with all over eczema, he stated that it was just that, simply eczema.  He wrote me a prescription for steroid cream and ushered me to the door.  Ok, Bee did not have "just" eczema, she was covered, and her crying was for a very good reason.  I suggested food allergies.  "No, definitely not."  But I really think...What about yeast?  Does she have a yeast infection?  "No, and I will NOT prescribe something for a yeast infection when it is NOT a yeast infection."  I argued that point for a few more minutes.  Then we argued about steroid cream and my not wanting to use it.  (He said I had no choice.)  Then we argued about whether I needed to see a dermatologist.  Finally, I insisted on a referral.  I left.  How many arguments was that?  Four?  And I paid for that....

The dermatologist was no better.  Yes, it was eczema.  Yes, I knew.  This was the one point that I was NOT attempting to argue.  But what about food?  Was food causing this?  We argued.  He laughed.  Then he suggested we present at grand rounds.  We did that and got the same answer.  We met with the pediatric specialist.  Then we had the same food allergy argument.  Wow, I paid two times for that argument.

The follow up appointment was no better.  I brought up the food issue again, asking for a blood test.  I was vehemently denied that test after an argument.  Then I brought up a yeast infection.  We argued over that too. I paid, but I guess I got two for one on that day.  What a sale!!!

So, I tried another pediatrician.  We argued about food allergies, and he finally relented and ordered a test.  This was 4 or 5 months after the initial visit to the pediatrician.  I was going on 7 months with little or no sleep and a baby who was more than miserable.  I think I looked something like this at that appointment:

Yup, I think I would have just ordered the blood test too.  I wouldn't argue with that anymore.  Win number one!

Of course, the test showed multiple and severe food allergies.  I cancelled my next follow up with the dermatologist and started calling immunologist/allergists.  None would take us as patients due to Bee's age of 8 months.  The angry look was coming back.

We met with an ENT who wanted Bee on steroid meds when she turned 1.  Not going to happen.  Argument.  Then we argued about dietary restrictions.  I was told that I could not manage my diet to restrict Bee's multiple allergens.  Yeah, well, we had an unpleasant argument there.  At least I felt like I got my money's worth on that one.

We traveled to another state to see an immunologist.  He was just not that helpful.  We argued about steroid cream and we argued about yeast infections.  We argued about Bee's allergens and if we could actually avoid all of them.  I can, but more importantly, I will!  No point in arguing that one with me.  What a long drive home!

Finally, got in to see an immunologist in our state.  Called and begged and ARGUED on the phone.  Win!  Guess what her first words were..........your baby has eczema and a secondary yeast infection.  Bingo!  No argument there!  That began our road to recovery.  Multiple yeast and other fungal infections, as well as staph infections later, Bee is clear of all infections and has stayed that way for months.  It just took a little argumentation and persistence to get there.

How sad that I had to argue with every provider in order to help Bee.  But even more sad, that they would argue back with me.  Or was it just contradiction?

Secondary Glutenization

We have established that there are many foods Bee cannot eat.  For example, Bee can't eat gluten.  But what if Bee ate chicken which had been fed gluten-containing grains.  Will that affect her as well?  Apparently, I'm not the only one wondering about this issue.  However, whether grain fed animal meat does contain gluten or not, we are free-range, grass-fed, organic kind of people.