Results tagged "Milk"

Amid all of the craziness of preparing for Annie’s wedding last week, I totally forgot to mention that it was also Vegan Week over at The Kitchn.

I know — HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW THAT? I mean really. With everything else going on in the world… your life, etc. — how did you fail to lift your head up and recognize the significance that is Vegan Week? I mean… I bet you ate dairy — eggs… MEAT, even. Because when I realized that it was Vegan Week, that’s exactly what I did. AND, not only that, but I FAILED to point it out to just about EVERYONE I know… excluding Mr. Sal, of course, who responded with a polite “Oh really” followed by the expected uninterested silence that could pretty much win the world series of poker should the opportunity arise… In other words, I blame myself.

But that’s okay. It’s alright that Vegan Week at The Kitchn was overlooked somewhat… mostly because I am not a Vegan, and you probably aren’t either… although I have to admit that the whole lifestyle is somewhat enviable and admittedly, healthy. And while I admit to questioning the morals of Taste vs. Lifestyle, Vegan Week was a little bittersweet for us as the timing fell just around Will’s allergy tests. Recipe trials, one of our favorite pastimes, over at Will’s Kitchen even slowed in hopes that the need to cook and bake dairy and egg free had passed… So while all of these delicious recipes and Vegan ideas were flashing before my eyes, I was in complete denial about committing to try any of them without knowing whether he was still allergic to cow’s milk, eggs, trees nuts and peanuts… Which, as it turns out, he still is — although his severity is slightly decreasing (yay!).

So while we are brushing off the counters at Will’s Kitchen (where I am repeating this post and stepping up our game) — getting out our spatula collection and preparing for another GO in the world of all things SAFE — the feelings of disappointment are a little numb. We’ve been laxed, a bit too much perhaps, with what we know about food — the controversies and unkempt practices that our country seems to “overlook”. And while I could completely cut loose and get balls out POLITICAL about what I’ve learned over the past three years about food — production, overproduction, shelf-life and LIFE EXPECTANCY– I will sit here angry and frustrated, but patiently stewing (dairy-free — of course). Because who wants to see me shouting at the blinding snow??– Pregnant, admittedly crazy and (oh, what the hell) only wearing slipper socks an apron while whipping together an admirable batch of these?

Come at me with an Egg McMuffin and I’ll gladly show you the door… but not without a lifetime of guilt schooled through flour throwing tantrums and apple sauce….Burned on your brain for the rest of your life… with love, of course.

Organic, farm fresh, real sugar… saved from the GENETICALLY MODIFIED to the Fresh to Fork… We may not be Vegans and we certainly aren’t Vegetarians, but we are shoveling our way out to a new way of eating… One allergy test at a time.

Related articles

• Welcome To Vegan Week at The Kitchn! (thekitchn.com)
• Vegan Around the Clock: 25 Vegan Recipes from Breakfast to Dessert from The Kitchn Recipe Roundup (thekitchn.com)

Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, about it, and subscribe to the blog RSS feed.

A few months ago I mentioned a little project that we had started – Will’s Kitchen. And I know – I can hear you… “Oh my GAWD, when is she going to STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS?!?!?!”. Even I am boring myself.

But here’s the thing. For the Birds is a blog about me (shocker!). And I’m going to write about pretty much anything I want — whether you like it or not. SO THERE. And yeah, I’m going to be pushy about it too… just like anyone that runs after the water delivery truck that pulls into the driveway, DOES NOT DROP OFF WATER, and leaves. Right? Because if I leave the empty bottles outside they will blow away…. but that doesn’t mean that we don’t need refills. And this is the kind of stuff that I sit here writing about… and it’s a DAMN GOOD THING. 

But back to Will’s Kitchen. After trials and fails of recipes and madness, we are happy to say that things are going well…. We’ve made all kinds of things… from breads to snacks to failed frittatas. Honestly, a great deal of attempts end up being rushed to the nearest garbage can, but we are also often surprised by our own concoctions. So it is with this that I have sent out a mass email inviting people to the site to participate. If, by accident, you were left off of the email list, please note that while I am not entirely sorry, I apologize. Here is how it went, please note the horrific absence of sarcasm:

Dear Family and Friends,

I am writing to you to tell you about a little project that we have been working on – http://willskitchen.com

As some of you know, Will was 4 months old when he was diagnosed with several food allergies, most severely eggs, cow’s milk, tree nuts and peanuts. Now that he is two years old, these allergies have remained at high levels and although there is a good chance that he will eventually grow out of them, we do not take any chances and have practically eliminated the allergens from our daily lives. In the process of doing this, we have had to make numerous adjustments, which – have surprisingly made us healthier!

One major change, aside from dietary, is that we spend a great deal of time now in the kitchen cooking and baking — which, as it turns out, is something that Will loves to do! In this process, we have started creating our own recipes while modifying old favorites. Do you have a recipe that fits in with our restrictions? Or, do you have a dish that you would like to see us modify? If so, please send it over to us and we will let you know how it goes… and of course we will give you proper credit as the original chef.

In the interim, food allergies – especially among children, are on the increase. Recent numbers show that as many as 6% are born with a food allergy with peanuts being among the highest at 37%… We are sure that you know someone that deals with this issue on a daily basis as we do and may only benefit from our fun, online experiment. Please feel free to forward this email in an effort to promote the cause and share the yumminess!

Thank you,
Ryan, Will, Bill & The Bluedog

http://willskitchen.com

So, in short, if you would like to join us  — we’ll be waiting over there, still damning the water guy — spatulas in hand. And don’t worry, I WILL WRITE ABOUT THIS AGAIN. I promise. 

Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, about it, and subscribe to the blog RSS feed.

I was just told that if I write about this experience that things might make more sense to me when I’m finished. I’m not so sure about that but here it is… Yesterday, I drove Will to his pediatrician for a flu shot. This isn’t out of the ordinary, except for the fact that they didn’t give him one.

Now, let it be known that Will has food allergies AND I have always been very forthcoming about this fact with every doctor, relative, waiter, friend, you name them — they’ve been told, Will is allergic to eggs, peanuts and cow’s milk. Not only is it practically written on my forehead in big orange letters, it’s the first thing I say when I wake up in the morning and the last thing my husband and I tell each other before turning out the lights. I have written about this before, and I have researched the topic beyond belief. There is a huge warning light that goes off when Will walks into the pediatrician’s office–ALLERGIC, ALLERGIC.

But a few weeks back, at his 21 month visit, the very same doctor that didn’t inoculate yesterday suggested that we go ahead and schedule a visit for his flu shot.

It was between these two visits that I was reading about food allergies when it was brought to my attention that the flu vaccination is grown in eggs. Not just the regular flu, but the new and shiny H1N1 is as well–which was also suggested that he have. So… Will, who was diagnosed with food allergies at 4 months of age, and has had two flu shots in his lifetime to date–was in danger of the shots he had been given? My mind wanders back… when he was born we weren’t aware of the allergies, so how could we know? When he was one, we were in the process of packing him up to leave the doctors office when the nurse suggested that “Oh, wait, let us give him a flu shot before you go so you don’t have to come back.. ” Yeah, okay, good idea.”. This was despite the massive red flag waving above Will’s head–ALLERGIC ALLERGIC ALLERGIC. We switched doctors a few months later for a whole bucket of other reasons, none having to do with the allergies.

But wait, Will has had the flu shot twice in his lifetime without any allergic reactions.

Now, allergies can develop – and they can decrease. They can huddle in your body for half of your life not doing anything and then suddenly, without warning run amuck causing all kinds of unpleasantries… I know because it happened to me with shellfish. At age two I was riding around on my trike gnawing on a clam – at age 27 I had hives everywhere – from my eyes to the BOTTOMS OF MY FEET, after eating shrimp. When Will ingests eggs or milk, he breaks out in a fit of eczema – we do not know his reaction to peanuts because he’s never been exposed, and we are SCARED TO DEATH OF NUTS. This reaction–the rash, we were told by his allergist when he was one, is considered non-life threatening or non-severe. So that should explain why he never reacted to the flu shot and it SHOULD be okay for him to have another.

So, we drove to the pediatrician’s office yesterday and it was all fun-in-games until I mentioned my findings to the doctor. ALLERGIC, ALLERGIC – the lights were going off, the chart was right there, and as we discussed how non-severe his allergy was, the nurse left to get the shot ready… I asked, for more fun-in-games, do you have the paperwork from the allergist? She did. And right there – scribbled doctors scroll – “SEVERELY ALLERGIC TO EGGS, MILK and PEANUTS”.

For the first time in my life, after hearing unbelievable news – I became dizzy, I fell into the chair, I couldn’t breathe. The doctor gave me some water–and after taking a sip I thought, was that water or rubbing alcohol. Will was busy playing with a stethoscope and had NO IDEA that for the past 22 months I have treated his allergies like that of well – anything non-severe. We have eggs and milk in our house. I wash dishes all together. I use the same skillets. I kiss him after eating cheese. I tell people — its not that bad, he just gets a rash – tra la la. I have convinced myself that he will grow out of these allergies. And upon hearing that his allergist TOLD US ONE THING AND THEN WROTE SOMETHING ELSE IN HIS CHART, my mind left the room and went into the crazy world of WHAT-IFS. Not to mention that his previous and current pediatrician had failed to read the allergists WARNINGS. We are considering our legal options.

Okay, so you’ve read this whole thing so far… I’ll try to keep the afterwards short. Will is fine–absolutely awesome, actually. He didn’t get the flu shot and we are taking him to a new allergist in a few weeks AND in his 22 months, none of the WHAT-IFs ever happened.. I, however, am still shaking… and my husband has torn up every phone book he could find. If I had it my way, I would never take him to a member of the medical community ever again but thats just silly-talk. Considering that he never reacted to the flu shot, chances are that his allergies are not severe and the original allergist was just flitting about and wrote the wrong thing down. Other wise the unthinkable would have happened a very long time ago… Right?  

Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, about it, and subscribe to the blog RSS feed.

Will was only a few weeks old when we discovered that the rashes that seemed to come and go all over his body were being caused by allergic reactions to eggs, cow’s milk, peanut products and dog saliva. Interesting combo, but impossible, right? I mean he was only a few weeks old… it’s not like he was eating any of these things… However, his Allergist was quick to point out that he in fact was ingesting all–through my nursing… which then came to a screeching halt. The dog saliva–that was just welcome-to-the-world-love from the Bluedog.

We left the Allergist that day–Epi-pen in hand…just in case the test results were off the mark… and ears full of instruction… Speechless. Not only could Will not have eggs, milk or peanuts in their singular form–but he also had to avoid foods/drinks that contain them as ingredients. Do you know how many products this cuts from daily living? Aside from having to read every label on every item that ever comes in contact with Will… there was the guilt… MY GOD THE GUILT. How did I let this happen, it must have been something that I did or didn’t do.. Dammit, why did I smoke in the nineties? I thought wine and coffee were supposed to be good for you.. Maybe I didn’t eat enough apples… And as for the dog saliva, we’ll just have to tie Blue’s tongue up in his ears somehow… A bubble.. I need a bubble to put my boy in… Maybe there was too much Mercury in all the fish I’ve ingested these 33 years.. I’m a minefield..  Maybe I… But wait. There is a chance that he’ll grow out of it. All of it. A very good chance.

Now, let it come to pass that I have researched food allergies inside out, up down, backwards, under-over and in my sleep. There really aren’t any answers to be had… despite the seriously condemning nature of the topic… Most kids born today–in America– are allergic to something… And, most parents are not as insanely bothered by a rash as we were… but everyone is looking for an answer. And thank God–for Will, his reactions are just a rash–some kids go into shock and the unspeakable happens. After major investigations… it’s the same as everything else that seems loopy in modern day life… We can blame the world around us, the things that we have done–most unknowingly, to our bodies and well–life as we know it. The rash, by the way, never seemed to bother him.

So, we are in it… and honestly, it really isn’t that bad. Will is incredibly healthy–turned 18 months this past Friday. There are tons of “alternate” food choices out there… Alternates to things that, as it turns out, are really not very good for him anyway. And, thanks to the vegetarians and vegans of the world, these things are not hard to come by. Soy is a blessing in disguise… and cow’s milk–not so great for the bod anyway… who knew? Most things, in fact, that contain milk and eggs, even on their own, are not so hot health-wise (as heart disease sweeps the nation). And, on a more “all about me” note… We as parents are in massive growing company of others that are scouring over books, websites, blogs– frustrations equaling fear demanding answers looking for solutions….. something has to give.

Eventually–sooner than later…  there will come a day when he’ll want the ice-cream… someone will give him a piece of cheese… I guess we’ll deal with that day when it arrives.. Peanuts — we have high hopes that they will be banned from existence entirely.  For now we’re doing great, and as for Blue… we untied his tongue and are just mindful about the number of licks that actually land on Will…. as that friendship grows, however, it has become the hardest part. 

(March 2009)

3OnTheSides

1. This book is amazing: Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living by Alisa Marie Fleming
2. This book is awesome too, although it has given me a huge bought of deja vu: The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food is Making us Sick — And What We Can Do About It by Robyn O’Brien, Rachel Kranz
3. These cupcakes rock, as does the yet again deja vu causing article.

Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, about it, and subscribe to the blog RSS feed.