Teething Biscuits!

Can I just tell you how excited I am that I found dairy-free, soy-free teething biscuits? In my mind, making a huge mess with a teething biscuit is a rite of passage for a baby. I was so sad thinking I would never get to give one to the Monkey because of his allergies!

A girl on The Bump once told me that they do exist.... they're called Healthy Times and she found them at Whole Foods. Of course, this area doesn't have a Whole Foods. I shop at Kroger and they didn't have them. They had other organic teething biscuits but all contained dairy.

Yesterday I went shopping at Bi-Lo because I had a gift card and I'm sure you can imagine my excitement when I found Healthy Times teething biscuits in the baby aisle! I bought 2 boxes. One each of maple and vanilla. Monkey LOVES them! And I had so much fun watching his gnaw on one... especially since he's right in the throes of teething!

You can read more about them on the Healthy Times website!

Shrimp Creole

This has been one of my favorites since I was a little girl. This is my grandfather's recipe and it reminds me of him every time I smell it! Luckily, one of my favorites is also dairy and soy free!

1 bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 pieces bacon, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can of okra & tomatoes (or you can use diced tomatoes and frozen okra)
1 can (12 oz) tomato paste
1 small can mushrooms
1 pounds medium shrimp
salt & pepper

Sautee the veggies and bacon in olive oil until tender. Add the okra & tomatoes, tomato paste and mushrooms. Add salt & pepper to taste. Cook slowly for about 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally. Today I put it in the slow cooker on high.... if you want to cook longer turn the slow cooker down to low. I usually do it on the stove on low but decided to try the slow cooker for a change. So far it's working out great! Add shrimp last and cook for about 15 minutes or until shrimp is pink. If you like your shrimp creole spicy you can add Tabasco or other hot sauce. I usually serve over rice!

It's over...

Lately it's been damn near impossible to get my little guy to settle down enough to actually nurse in the mornings... so I've been making him bottles right after nursing him because I know he's not eating enough. The thing is.... he'll semi-nurse for 20 minutes and then get uber excited when he sees the bottle. This is how I knew it was time to stop nursing him. I was severely limiting my own diet just so I could nurse him once or twice a day and that wasn't even providing him with nourishment! Besides... I still have over 100 ounces of breast milk in the freezer I can give him...

So yesterday morning I nursed my baby boy for the last time...on his 8 month "birthday" and then proceeded to have chocolate for breakfast, oreos for lunch and half of a pizza with extra cheese for dinner! Don't worry, though. Little man can't have dairy or soy for the next 10 months so I'll still have plenty to write about.... plus there are still some recipes for me that I haven't posted yet so I'll be sure to get those on here too!

Speaking of food for baby! Hubby and I had summer squash and zucchini with dinner the other night. I just slice them up and boil them until tender. I threw the leftovers in the blender and pureed them for my son. He loved it! The other thing I've made recently is peaches... just peel, puree and voila! I do believe that if your child is under 7 months you should cook the peaches first though....

Turkey Burgers

You know, I never liked turkey burgers until I made my own patties. The ones that you can buy premade were dry and chewy. Hubby and I decided to decrease our red meat intake so I bought a big package of ground turkey and used it like I would ground beef... spaghetti, burgers, etc.

I add onion salt, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce to the meat, mix it with my hands and form into burgers. I also use this combination for ground beer. You can either grill them or cook them on the stove in a skillet. They turned out wonderfully! I ate mine plain but Hubby liked his on a bun and I'm sure they'd be great on a plain bagel (Pepperidge Farm has no dairy or soy in their bagels but I've just discovered that the Kroger brand is just as good, costs much less and also has no dairy or soy!).

Baked Oatmeal

This is, hands down, the preferred breakfast at our house. I found this recipe on Money Saving Mom and modified it to meet my no-dairy, no-soy needs. Click here for the original recipe.

Here is my version, which is pretty much the same as the original, just no milk!

1 cup oil (can sub. applesauce)
1.5 cups sugar (can reduce)
4 eggs
6 cups oats (not the quick-cook kind)
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups water

Combine all ingredients in order listed. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch pan. I have a sprayer that I can fill with whatever oil I choose. I use olive oil. Or you could just put oil onto a paper towel and grease that way. DO NOT use cooking spray as ALL of them contain soy. Bake at 375* for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned. Can refrigerate overnight before baking. I serve with fresh fruit (bananas, strawberries, blueberries, etc).

Superbowl Food

So what's a dairy-free, soy-free gal to eat when there's such an abundance of queso dip and such? Here are a few ideas!

Last night I had potato skins topped with salt, bacon bits and salsa (read the label as always), Chili (OK as long as you make your own) with Fritos, Avocado spread onto mini bagels (you could also make guacamole without the sour cream... I'm just not a fan of guacamole) and Rice Krispie treats (made with olive oil instead of butter)!

See, with a little imagination you can join the crowd and enjoy yourself!

Pork & Sauerkraut

Last night we had a couple of friends over for dinner and I made pork and sauerkraut. Usually I just do pork chops, cover in sauerkraut and bake until done but last night I was ambitious. I made an actual pork loin for the very first time and it turned out fantastic!

In a large, oval casserole dish I did the following: Put a little bit of the sauerkraut in the bottom of the dish to prevent the meat from sticking, place loin on top of that and season with a little bit of black pepper. Cover the loin with the rest of the sauerkraut and bake at 350 for 2 hours. My pork loin was just under 3 pounds and I used a meat thermometer to be sure it was done. I was shooting for a core temp of 170 degrees but I ended up with 185. I was afraid the meat would be dry but it was surprisingly moist and everybody loved it!

I served it with mashed potatoes. I made the regular version with milk and butter for everybody else and made a smaller amount with chicken broth for myself. Be careful, though. Some brands of chicken broth contain soy! I use the Progresso broth.... no soy and it has a great flavor.

My girlfriend brought over a salad and some fresh green beans that she sauteed in olive oil and Morton's Nature's Seasons, which I had never tried but it was great! On the salad I used some balsamic vinaigrette that I made myself. To make this I combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard. I also shake in a little bit of garlic powder. All of this is to taste, I don't have an exact recipe.... but I do know that this is a strong dressing and a little bit goes a long way!

Bacon Wrapped Apple BBQ Chicken

We had this last night and it was awesome (sorry I couldn't find a picture for you)!

1/2 cup BBQ Sauce (any kind will do as long as it doesn't have soy... I used KC Masterpiece original)
1/2 cup applesauce.
3 chicken breasts
6 strips of bacon

Wrap two pieces of bacon around each chicken breast and place in crock pot. Mix BBQ sauce and applesauce and pour over the chicken. Let cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.... so easy and sooo yummy! The bacon gives this dish a really great flavor!

I served ours with rice and green beans but you can do whatever side dishes are appealing to you!

Cranberry Apricot Glazed Pork Chops

This isn't what we're having for dinner tonight, although we are having pork chops of some variety (I haven't decided what to do with them yet). But, this is one of my favorites and my husband likes it too!

In a small pot I combine some apricot jam (jam because I like little bits of apricot in it... but you can use jelly too), a tiny bit of water to thin the jam and some Craisins. Simmer on low heat while you cook the pork chops in a skillet. Place apricot glaze over the pork chop on the plate, not in the skillet.

I usually serve with rice and a green veggie of some sort. but you can serve whatever you want as sides.

If I come up with something truly interesting to do with tonight's pork chops I'll be sure to post it...but it's been kind of a rough day (dentist before 9 AM, a cat who did not like going to the vet for shots... and let me know, and a 7 month old baby with a mouth injury... don't worry, he's going to be fine) so it will probably be just a pork chop, browned in the skillet with a side of rice and a veggie. I'm too tired to be creative tonight!

Bread

As I typed in the last post, Pepperidge Farm bagels are A-OK. Then I realized that they deserve their own post! I always get the plain mini-bagels and sometimes I even get the cinnamon raisin mini-bagels as a treat! Here are a few of the things I do with bagels:

- Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches (natural PB doesn't contain soy)
- Hamburger buns (always make your own patties, though)
- toasted with jelly in the morning
- dip in spaghetti sauce
- I like them just plain for a quick snack

I'm sure there's a lot more that can be done with them since that's the only "bread" I'll have for a while.... I'll post more as I think of more.

Spaghetti!!

So I've always been a fan of Ragu spaghetti sauce. I was heartbroken when I discovered that every version I've seen contains soy. But after a few months of not having spaghetti, which is one of my favorites, Prego isn't so bad! I get the Mushroom version and prepare as follows:

Brown meat (ground beef or turkey) in a skillet along with half of an onion diced and a couple of cloves of garlic, pressed. If I use fresh mushrooms I'll put those in when the meat is about half way done. If I'm using canned mushrooms I add those with the sauce. Drain the fat off of the meat and pour in the jar of spaghetti sauce. I can't think of an easier meal! Tonight I prepared it with ground turkey, onion, garlic and canned mushrooms.... so yummy!!

If you like to have bread with your spaghetti, might I suggest Pepperidge Farm bagels.... either regular or the mini-bagels. It's the only form of bread I've found that contains neither dairy or soy!

Baby Foods

I might as well kick this thing off with some ideas on what to feed baby.

Did you know that Gerber baby cereals (rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, etc) contain soy? That would explain why the blood in our son's stool got worse when we tried him on rice cereal.... even before he was diagnosed with a soy allergy. I've discovered that Beechnut cereals are soy free (not sure about Earth's Best as I stopped looking when I found Beechnut)! Or, if you're supermom, you can make your own cereals by grinding oats or rice (brown rice for more nutrition) at home in your blender. I'm not that ambitious.... I just use Beechnut!

Gerber also makes a product called Puffs that come in several flavors. I have yet to see a soy free flavor but did find one flavor of the store brand version that didn't contain dairy or soy. Honestly, though... it's easier and cheaper to just buy Cheerios. I got our son the multi-grain Cheerios and he loves them... and they're totally safe for his little digestive system!

Another item that is off limits are biter biscuits. I've checked the ingredients labels on Gerber, Beechnut and Earth's Best (organic) and they all contain milk or soy. Same goes for Baby MumMums. I found a recipe for applesauce crackers and made those but they're not quite the same. They don't get soggy and crumble like biter biscuits do. It got soggy but it didn't fall apart enough for him to be able to swallow it. The ingredients consisted of flour, applesauce and oil so they'll be totally OK for him later, just not right now while he's learning to chew!

Most purees are OK. Actually, I found that all of the Gerber Stage 1 foods that my local grocery store were fine. When you get into Stage 2 foods you have to be careful. I noticed that some of them contain milk. There are the obvious ones like macaroni and cheese but some were not so obvious. Just get into a habit right now of reading all labels before buying anything... I actually read labels two or three times before a product goes into my shopping cart. And be sure to read the labels on foods that have been okay in the past. Manufacturers have been known to change their ingredients from time to time.

I just started getting in to making my own baby food... which is probably the absolute best thing to do because I KNOW exactly what is going in to it.

Applesauce is ridiculously easy. Just peel and cut the apples up (I cut mine into fourths), taking out the core, of course. Put them into a covered casserole dish and microwave on high for 2 minutes per apple (4 apples = 8 minutes). When done the apples will be mushy and all you have to do is stir them up, let them cool and feed them to baby. Add a drop or 2 of lemon juice to prevent browning, spoon them into ice cube trays and freeze for up to 2 months!

Other foods I've recently made for the little man include:

Carrots - steam or microwave (with a little water) until very soft, puree in blender or food processor, using the water used for cooking if they need to be thinned, and freeze in ice cube trays.

Sweet Potatoes - Bake in oven or microwave. Put in blender or food processor and thin with breastmilk, formula or water to desired consistency. Freeze in ice cube trays

Mango - Choose a ripe mango. Peel chop into pieces and puree. I didn't even have to add any water. Freeze in ice cube trays.

Avocado and Banana - These are super easy! Just peel the ripe banana and mash with a fork... thin with breastmilk, formula or water to desired consistency.... Cut the ripe avocado in half, remove the large seed and scoop out with a spoon. Mash with a fork and thin with breastmilk, formula or water to desired consistency.

That's all I can think of for now.... I'll of course post recipes and more products as I come across them. If anybody who is reading happens to find a biter biscuit that is dairy-free and soy-free please comment and let me know!

Our story

In June of 2008 our son was born. For the first 3 weeks of his life my breastfed boy was a perfect little guy. Slept much of the day and didn't really fuss or cry when he was awake! Then things started to change. He started having screaming fits and I noticed that he often passed gas while screaming. We tried several different gripe waters as well as Mylicon drops. In July of 2008, after talking with several friends and doing some research, I decided to cut all sources of dairy out of my diet.

I started with the obvious: milk, cheese, yogurt, etc., but decided to take it a step further and stay away from anything that contained dairy products of derivatives (whey, casein, ingredients that contained the word "lact"). For a while his gas got better and he wasn't screaming as much. Then it got worse.... much worse.

In late August my husband noticed a small drop of blood in our son's diaper. We called the doctor, of course, and took him in a couple of days later when the blood didn't subside. We were sent away with instructions to redouble my efforts to avoid dairy. After a week of him screaming and screaming and more blood in the diaper I called the pediatrician back and insisted that they perform a stool culture. I just had a feeling it was something more than a milk protein allergy, as I had already been off dairy for over 6 weeks. The tests came back showing a Shigella infection. A bacterial infection in the colon that was causing ulcers on the intestinal lining.... thus causing belly cramps and blood in the stool.

Well, we dealt with that for a while and, when we insisted on retesting his stool it came back negative..... but he was still screaming and having bloody stools! Finally, after about 4 stool tests, we were referred to a pediatric gastroenterologist. At the age of 5.5 months, after over 4 months of bloody stools and screaming fits, he was also diagnosed with a soy intolerance. We put him on Neocate formula and it all cleared up. In the meantime, I pumped around the clocked and cut soy from my diet, determined to keep breastfeeding! During all of this my supply was greatly decreased but we still nurse in the mornings... and I still eat no dairy or soy. The gastroenterologist tells us that he will have to stay on the dairy-free, soy-free diet until he is 18 months old.

I wanted to start this blog to help other mothers out there in my situation. The task of cutting dairy was daunting enough but it seems that soy products are used in EVERYTHING (including cooking spray!). This blog will be mostly recipes and food ideas for both mom and baby.

Our son is now 7.5 months old and happy as can be. It's like he's a completely different child. He's great at eating purees and starting to eat some finger foods. I will include in this blog not only what I feed myself but what I feed my son.

Please feel free to leave comments if you have questions or if you have recipes or other ideas!