When I was a kid, I loved to visit my aunt.  She lived in a house near the beach and she was/is a writer.  Her office, the extra bedroom, was spacious yet cozy.  There was a lot of stuff in that room, but it didn’t feel cluttered.  An entire wall of bookshelves was just crammed full of books.  I used to think she must own every book that was ever written.  There were two windows which were opened in the morning to let in the ocean breezes.  The sofa under the bookshelves converted to my bed at night when I was visiting.  I loved it there.  I loved sitting at the kitchen counter in the mornings with my cereal bowl, watching my aunt take her coffee cup and head off to work, right down the hallway.  I knew I shouldn’t disturb her while she worked.  A few times she let me “edit” for her, probably to be nice and to give me something to do.  It was so nice to sit on the sofa in that sunny little room with the breeze, and the books, and my aunt at her desk, whom I still herald as a magnificent writer and overall remarkable person.   How nice it would be to be in that room again.  Just for today.  To finish the posts I’ve started, and maybe begin a few that are floating around in my head.  Perhaps I would start to write a book.  That would be amazing!  What would I write about?  I have no idea, but I am sure I would come up with something if I spent a day in that room alone with the ocean breeze.

Now, I need to turn off the television and go upstairs to tell the elephants to stop running in the house.  We have laundry to do today, and errands to run.  Tomorrow, it is back to work and school.  My husband is out of town for the day, so I want to spend some quality time with the kids, maybe take a walk.   I will try to find time this evening to finish one of my posts.

I think someday I will have that little writing room of my dreams, and my half-written ideas will be typed and printed for all to read.  Everything starts with a dream, right?

-Michelle

The girls were a little nervous, but mostly excited about starting kindergarten.  My son watched the clock from the moment he awoke, and despite my reassurance that “we don’t need to leave yet,” he kept urging us out the door with,  “We gotta go, Mom.  Can we please go now?!”  When we got to school, we walked my daughters to their classroom and my son told us he would see us later and that he was going to “go do my thing”.   A quick hug and he was off, confidently heading into the 3rd Grade.

Warning: I’ve been reflective this morning.   You see, my twin daughters were born early, at 29 weeks.  Looking back on that time, I almost can’t understand how we made it through.  I won’t tell you the whole story.  The full-length version is too long for this blog post, and it isn’t the reason I write.  I only mention it because it was a difficult time and there was a point at which we weren’t sure if we’d ever have the opportunity to take our girls to kindergarten.  Hard to believe, as I took them to school today, snapping pictures of them outside their classroom.  They were smiling, nervous, holding hands.   They made it!  And it is just the beginning.  They will have a great time, learn so much, meet new friends.

I thought I might be more emotional today, when I saw my babies off to school.  But, I wasn’t.  I was happy.  Happy that they are growing up.  It is a wonderful thing.   I won’t lie, I even had a few high-five moments with some other moms I know who were sending their youngest ones out the door, too.   There is a sense of accomplishment, like “I made it! Yes!”  Another chapter of motherhood ends, as one begins.  Of course, when the bell rang, and my husband and I walked back to our car after saying our final goodbyes and blowing kisses, I did get a little choked up.  And I laughed at myself when tears fell down my cheeks, because I’m really not sad at all.  I just know that this is exactly what is supposed to happen, and the kids, my husband and I, are all exactly where we are meant to be, right now.  It’s a good day.

Now, I sit at my computer and type this story, uninterrupted and in complete silence.   I feel good.   I see the kids’ breakfast dishes sitting on the counter and I do miss the little rascals.  I hope they are having a good day, too.  I think I will pour another cup of coffee and make some phone calls.  Strange, but for the first time in a long time, my kitchen is not chaotic at all.

-Michelle

Amaretto Apple Pie, Eggless and Non-dairy

This is really just a basic apple pie, but with an added ‘Yum factor’…. Amaretto.  I love that amaretto flavor.

I admit, I cheated on this one.  I found a ready-made, store brand, refrigerated pie crust, with no eggs or dairy, and I used it for this pie.  It was obviously a time saver and it happened to be delicious, too.  If you can find one, use it.  But, making your own is simple enough.  Below is my pie crust recipe.  You may recognize it from Our Favorite Apple Pie recipe.

Cream together butter-product and sugar.  Add milk.  Add flour and salt to creamed mixture.   Mix until dough comes together.  Divide into 2 parts.   Press half dough mixture into 9-inch pie plate.   Wrap remaining dough in plastic and set aside.

Now for the apple filling.

Preheat oven to 375°.  Mix the filling ingredients in a bowl and pour into pie crust.  Some people like to arrange the apples in circular rows.  I just dump them in and press them down.   Roll out your top crust and place over filling.   Using a fork, press edges together around the entire rim of the pie.   Be sure to cut vents into the top of your crust.  You can cut shapes in any excess dough and use to decorate your pie.  I rolled out some dough and used a cookie cutter to make small flower shapes.  Then, using a little soy milk, I adhered the shapes to the top of the pie.  Then, I brushed the top of the entire pie with a little more soy milk and sprinkled some sugar on top.

Place strips of foil around the outer edge of your pie to prevent burning.  Put the pie in the oven and bake for about an hour at 375°.   Remove from oven.  Cool for at least half an hour, but try for a full hour, if you can.  Cut and serve.  I hope you enjoy!

-Michelle

I am not a doctor, scientist or researcher, but I am sure there are numerous factors contributing to the increase of allergies and auto-immune issues in humans.   Environmental causes seem the most obvious.  Pesticides and air pollution can’t be good for us, or the foods we grow, and would certainly, it seems, contribute to asthma, allergies, cancers and possibly other increasingly common issues, such as autism.  But, then again, what do I know.

We tend to see more and more dairy allergies and intolerance these days, which seems quite logical to me, considering the cows’ food source (unnatural, high-energy feed), the antibiotics and the hormones they’re given.  But, when it comes to dairy allergies, such as my son’s  (not to be confused with lactose intolerance!) it is the animal protein, casein, that is the problem.  His body sees this protein as a foreign substance, unable to process it, sending his body into anaphylactic shock.  So, perhaps there is another explanation.  Perhaps the human body simply isn’t designed for the consumption of other mammal’s milk.

Consider this; mammals (the females of the species having mammary glands) produce milk in order to feed their young.  A wonderful design by nature.  Under natural conditions, cow’s milk is nutrient-rich and designed for calves, who gain around 500 pounds in the first 12 months of life.   We take this milk and process it to give it longer shelf life and a taste the general population will buy.   Of course, you can purchase organic, raw dairy milk, which is fine if you aren’t allergic and is not processed like the homogenized, pasteurized versions in the grocery stores.  But, back to my point.  We know that some time around 10,000 years ago, and possibly further back, humans started to farm and raise animals and stopped following herds, seasonally moving from one region to another.  It made perfect sense.  Easier than hunting or moving constantly, and certainly using less energy, breeding animals for consumption was a marvelous idea.  Thus began human’s regular consumption of other mammalian milk, be it by cow or by goat, or any other animal.   10,000 years or more seems like an eternity to us, but it is a mere blink of an eye in the world of evolution.  Fast forward to modern times.  Maybe humans simply haven’t fully developed the ability to consume dairy from other animals at the rate at which we do so.  Add to the bio-evolutionary aspect the fact that we no longer consume milk that comes from cows that graze naturally, as they did 10,000 years ago, during a time when pesticides and hormones were unheard of.  It all sort of starts to make sense.  The same thoughts come to mind when I think about the eggs we eat, the meat we buy, and the produce we consume.  Our foods just aren’t what they used to be.

Now, let’s talk about the increase in auto-immune disease.  Again, not a doctor, but it seems reasonable to assume that it may somehow relate, in part, to our consumption of heavily processed, unnatural foods.   And as amazing as our bodies are, they are working overtime to process the chemicals we eat, inhale and absorb from our environment each and every day.  So, we then develop auto-immune diseases and ailments due to the fact that our bodies are weak from all the stress of keeping us alive and kicking.  Ironically, we then go to doctors who prescribe drugs so we can get better, putting more processed, man-made material into our bodies.  I’m not saying you shouldn’t.  I do.  I would stop breathing and die if I didn’t use asthma medication daily.  I can’t tell you how many times I have taken steroids and antibiotics under the supervision of a doctor.   Many raw food advocates have been arguing the benefits of their raw food diet for years, claiming a significant decrease, if not complete elimination of asthma, allergies, colds and flu.  Now, my husband and I are fairly health-conscious, but I will be the first to admit that I sometimes sacrifice health for ease and convenience. I have popped frozen packages into the microwave without batting an eye.  I have and do occasionally stop for fast food simply because it’s easy and I am in a hurry.   Although I try, I do not ONLY purchase organic, unprocessed foods at the market.  So, I will not throw stones from the porch of my glass house, but I believe most Americans, myself included, are probably lacking in certain nutrients, only found in natural, Earth-made foods.

It may be time for us to consider the effect our choices are having on our health.  On a large scale, it may be time to consider the effects of corporate farming and consumerism.   At the very least, we should be aware of the plants and animals we consume and the means by which we do so.    The sustainability ”movement” is gaining momentum, fortunately, and the better we learn to care for the Earth and its living creatures and plants, the better we will be able to care for ourselves.   I would be willing to bet we would all feel better physically, and perhaps we would see a decrease in food allergies, auto-immune and other disease.  I could be wrong.  Remember, I am not a doctor or scientist.  But I think it is worth a try.

-Michelle

Sources:

• Norwich BioScience Institutes (2007, October 16). Animal Protein Allergies Explained. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 8, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071015081742.htm
• Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin – Madison. Growth Charts. Growth Characteristics of Small-sized Holstein heifers. Dairy Calf & Heifer Management UW-Extension.  Retrieved August 7, 2011, from http://www.uwex.edu/ces/heifermgmt/charts.cfm

It can be a little tricky to pack lunch for a kid with allergies.  I don’t know about you, but we tend to get into a “lunch rut”.   Once we find something that my son can eat, we pack it every single day until eventually, lunchtime becomes so predictable and unappealing that half of his lunch comes home with him each day, uneaten.   Our standard lunchbox fare consists of a sandwich, made with deli-sliced turkey with Vegenaise® on wheat, or tuna with Vegenaise® on wheat, apple slices, fruit snacks, and a juice box.  Sometimes, I include a soy pudding.  This year, I will be packing not just one, but three lunches each day.  My daughters start Kindergarten!  Of course, I want to make healthy lunches, but I also want to keep it interesting, and affordable.  So, I will be scouring the supermarket and health-food store for delicious new ideas.  We’ve already identified some awesome new vegan cookies that my son can eat.  I will keep you posted on my discoveries and, if you have any suggestions, let me know!

-Michelle

-Michelle

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise.  Warning: Spaghetti squash can be very tough.  Please use caution when cutting.  Place squash face down in baking dish and fill dish with 1/2 inch of water.  Cover tightly with foil and place in oven.   Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes.

While the squash is baking, over medium heat, heat olive oil in a pan.  Add your chopped onion and garlic.  Stir frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn.  Once the onions become translucent, add your diced tomatoes and stir.  Season with as much salt and pepper as you like.  I’d say about 1/4 tsp. or so of each, but do what you like.  Chop your fresh basil and add to the sauce.  Remove sauce from heat.

Remove squash from the oven.   Scoop out the seeds from the centers and discard them.  Using a fork, scrape the inside of the squash and place the spaghetti squash pulp into your serving dish.  You’ll notice the pulp resembles thin spaghetti when scraped out.   Spoon your tomato sauce over the squash and serve.

-Michelle

Quin, Age 2

When my son was little, I had to be so careful about food.  Having severe allergies myself, I wanted to protect him from the potentially life-threatening result of an exposure to dairy.  It made me so nervous when he started preschool.  After all, dairy was EVERYWHERE!  I even contemplated (very briefly) not sending him to Pre-K at all.  I could just imagine a snack-time mishap… milk coming out of some kid’s nose (you remember that happening when you were a kid!) and spraying my son in the face, his eyes swelling shut and his breathing becoming shallow and nobody doing anything to help him.  Oh my God!  The thought was almost more than I could bear.  Or, some craft project involving a type of paint that contains a dairy protein.  I don’t know of any but, it could happen!  Nobody else, even his wonderful, sweet preschool teacher would know that you must read the ingredients on EVERYTHING…. EVERYTHING!  Even my family couldn’t be trusted.  I just KNEW my mother or my in-laws MIGHT accidentally feed him something that would send him into anaphylactic shock, and if I wasn’t around to deal with it, nobody else would know how!  Oh NO!  How emotionally exhausting it is to think about, even now.

Well, somehow my son has survived to the age of 8.  His allergy was no doubt the focus of  my extreme anxiety, stress and over-protectiveness.   Before he could read, I made sure he knew to tell people that he was allergic to dairy and to ask them to read the ingredients for him.  He was so good about it.  Very grown-up about it.

Well guess what, there was a day when my worry became a reality.  Funny how that happens, isn’t it?  He was in kindergarten and it was lunchtime.  Everyone in class knew of Quin’s allergy to dairy, and most kids found it fascinating that milk could make him so sick.  So, some little boy tried to put cheese on my son’s arm, thinking it would be funny to see what would happen.  Quin dodged the cheese, and only a small amount smeared onto his shirt.  Cheese.  Delicious sandwich accessory, or deadly weapon?  ( I feel like I need a sound byte here; dun dun dunnnn)  Some other kids told a teacher about the incident and she separated the other little boy from my son.  When I picked him up from school that day, Quin told me about what happened.  He said he was alright and that he and that boy became friends afterward.  His kindergarten teacher spoke to the class about the seriousness of allergies, and that was that.

Looking back, it is hard for me to admit that I was a bit too overprotective at times.  On the other hand, we are talking about a very serious allergy.  I just wish I hadn’t worried SO much.  Truth, motherhood and worry seem to go hand-in-hand, allergies or not.  Moms with severely allergic kids HAVE to be a protective advocate for their child when they are young.  Then, we have to teach our child how to protect himself.  He/she should be educated on their allergy and understand how to deal with it.   If I have any advice for other parents, and I do hate to give unwarranted advice… just kidding, I do it all the time.   Don’t freak out too much.  Just make sure to educate yourself, your child, your family, and your child’s school.

One of the biggest challenges with the dairy allergy, is convincing people that it is completely different from lactose intolerance.  Trying to get the point across that my son’s reaction to milk is far more severe than a tummy-ache, can be difficult.  Some people just don’t get it.  But that’s OK.  Quin now knows how to read packaging and is comfortable talking to adults and other kids about his allergy.  He knows what ingredients to look for and what to do if he does ingest or even touches dairy products.  So, I don’t worry too much anymore.   At least, not about his allergy.

-Michelle