PB&H

My kids were having peanutbutter and honey sandwiches for lunch today.  They looked so yummy I grabbed the Sunflower butter out of the fridge.  The only time I had tried it was on celery.  Not so good just with celery.  I had planned on sticking the sunbutter in cookies to use it up.  Today I tried it with honey on bread(allergy filled white).  I had to get used to the texture but it was pretty good.  It is interesting how good my memory is of foods even if I haven't had them for a long time.  The sun butter tasted so fatty but it doesn't have anymore fat than peanut butter.  At least the brand we buy.  I won't eat it daily, but that was pretty good.  I use almond butter more often.  It's texture is quite differnt than the sun butter and more flavorful.

Almost allergy free pizza

I does have real cheese on it but no tomatosauce.  Verde sauce and cheese. It was so tasty I had a few bites before I took a picture.  I wanted to document the yumminess.  The verde sauce has garlic and butter, spinach, and pinenuts.  Perfect for pizza and pasta.  Again it is on one of my all pupose pancakes. 

Probably barley which now makes my throat swell sometimes.  Arrgh.  Is that how you spell it?  Frustration is not foreign to me but today I am in such a good mood I am not.  Funny how that works out. 

Most of the time it's "What ever.  We'll figure it out."

Ham and cheese panini

This is for a day when I am rotating and eating allergens!  White bread, ham, cheese, butter- flattened under a pot while grilling on the skillet.  I only buttered one side of my sandwich since the butter was enough on the skillet for when I turned it.  Top with spicy ranch dressing.  The dressing really makes it better than a regular old grilled cheese.  Jed would rather just have grilled cheese-

no pressing flat- but he loved the spicy ranch too.

Food for thought

Grinding my grain to make my bread!  Takes about 15 minutes for a pound of barley. 

Good work out for our arms- the kids like to help.

Breakfast!  Oat or barley crepe with blueberries.

Lunch- crepe with mayo, cucumbers- sprinkled with sea salt and dill.

Dinner- Chicken curry in a hurry- from Rachel Ray.  Topped with baby corn, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts.  My favorite topping was the roasted hazel nuts(didn't have almonds on hand).  So yummy!  I like to cook when I have time and energy.   That is the problem!  Not always time and energy.  That is why I end up eating corn dogs now and then.  I did spend some time cooking and freezing food a few weeks ago.  I have cilantro pesto, hummus, verde sauce, and lentils in the freezer.  I need more variety on hand I suppose. 

My Baked oatmeal Birthday cake!  Thanks Mom!  Sorry.  That's my best picture of the cake(not best pic of me).  It is traditionally a breakfast food but is very versitile.  Here it was made with peaches in a heart shaped pan.

Here is my Hummus biscuit from last January.  I have made them since and realized, if you make a batch and others are not likely to eat them, freeze most of them.  They are easy to get tired of but so good at other times.  Here it is topped with Sesame Tahini, cucumber, salt, and dill.  I have also had it with egg salad or meat.  I need to get creative!

I went to an allergist in Provo and he put me on the yeast free diet for three months in 2008.  That diet excludes all sugar, things that would grow yeast, and foods that showed up on my allergy test.  That was interesting.  I felt great and lost quite a bit of weight.  I went off the yeast free diet and started adding in known allergens.   I could handle the foods I had been allergice to for a few eatings and then the symptoms showed back up.  Itchiness, sore mouth, and worst of all anaphlanactic shock(throat swelling).  I have never had to go to the hospital for my throat swelling but have an epi-pen for emergencies.  I have just used Benadryl to deal with reactions.

So, I kept up my on again off again eating well and gained back the weight I lost!  I have been exercising regularly since November 2009.  I didn't lose any weight until this last week when I went off allergens again.  I have still been using milk and cheese.  It makes things taste better.  It will be a week on February 3rd with no sugar and stuff.  Happy eating!

To eat!

Hamburger on home made oat cakes.  It really was good.  Canola mayo is my friend.

a new year, a new blog

So, I was feeling alone in my battle of the allergies.  People can only take so much allergy talk before their eyes glaze over and they think how can I get away with out hurting her feelings?  My husband admitted to me he goes numb when the allergy chatter starts.  I so wanted to be one of those women whose husband would say "I never heard her complain once!"  and he would be so proud of me he would cry.  Oh well.  I felt I wasn't getting enough sympathy in my trials so now I complan sometimes to remind Jed that it is hard for me.  A hug works, I don't expect anyone to come up with any answers for me.
I could journal- in a journal, but a blog can get people together.  I could  help someone.  They could help me.  How many people  have blogged for thereapy?  Hmmm.
I kept a food log for six weeks.  It was good but it was private and I certainly listed all the pies I ate on Thanksgiving for dinner!  All allergy laden.
I am thankful that it is myself with allergies and not my kids.  I think that would be harder.  I do think if it was my kids I would take it more seriously and take care of them better than I take care of myself.  Interesting thoughts.  So, if you're interested for any reason or have allergies yourself- I plan on blogging my journey.  Hopefully this journey will be one back to better health and good food choices!