You Are What You Eat - Book

I picked this book up at an airport waiting for my flight.

I liked the cover and have a personal belief that we are indeed, what we eat.

I read almost the entire thing on the plane and found the information really practical and easy to comprehend.

Her style of writing was clear and made sense to me. It was broken into small sections, which I really like.

I like to be able to find the information that applies to me directly.

I would recommend this book to someone that is interested in learning how to decipher physical symptoms and learn more about how their body works and how what we put in our mouth effects it.

She has another book out too that I got after finishing this one.

Wheat and Gluten Free Bread and Bagel Mix - Pamela's

My son was a bagel freak!

So you can imagine his distress when he found out about his allergies to wheat and eggs.

We gave them up for a while but then found this mix...note the word "bagels" on the front!!

Yea!

They didn't come out pretty but they actually tasted really good...just like real bagels.

(Especially when they were crispy and toasted.)

Raw Chef Certification Class with Alissa Cohen

My husband, Steve, attended this Raw Chef certification class as a kind of re-entry into civilian society after his year in Afghanistan.

We all went up to Maine together and enjoyed wandering around after his classes.

What a beautifull area.

He enjoyed the classes and meeting many wonderful people.

We benefited with yummy, decadent, raw treats!

Click here to get more information about Alissa's classes

Palm Greens Cafe - Restaurant

A great find on one of our trips to visit my parents.

When we travel, I always google the area for new healthy restaurants and cafes...places we can eat with our personal food choices and multiple food allergies.

I have spent many, many years in Palm Desert and Palm Springs but this was a new find for me.

Lunch at The Palm Greens Cafe was such a treat that we went back two days later for dinner!

There were many organic/vegan/vegetarian/gluten and dairy free options...from stir-frys to wraps to blueberry pancakes. I was even able to have have pizza! The best part was an amazing vegan ranch dressing that would fool anyone.

If you are ever in the area...I highly recommend it. It is a small unassuming place and the food was really good.

Palm Greens Cafe

A Natural Alternative

611 South Palm Canyon Drive, #6

Palm Springs, California

760-864-9900

www.palmgreenscafe.com

Carrot (Pulp) Cake - Recipe

We love to juice!

Anyone that has juiced carrots knows that you end up with a humongous amount of pulp/fiber.

We didn't want to through away it's goodness so I hunted for some easy recipes to utilize it.
I found one for a raw carrot cake type thing...it was amazing!

A bit more like pumpkin pie and completely decadent.

Throw all ingredients in a food processor and press in a pan.

See the link below for the forum that had the recipe we use.

After a bit in the fridge...

this is what you end up with!

Yes, that is raw carrot pulp!

http://goneraw.com/forum/carrot-pulp

(Forum post #1 by sunshineandstars )

We added a vegan (un) cream cheese frosting...recipe also found online.

Enjoy!

Juice Recipe - Valentine's Fruit Punch

A happy accident...

Last Valentine's Day Steve whipped up this random juice.

We simply used what felt good and what we had in the fridge.

The result tasted like sweet fruit punch and was very pretty.

The perfect color for Valentine's Day.

This recipe makes a lot...

about 4 large glasses to share!

Valentine's Fruit Punch

1-2 heads of romaine lettuce

1 lemon

3 red beets

5 or 6 apples

1 pear

1 inch of ginger

half a cabbage (we used napa)

half a cantaloupe

wash well and then run all through a juicer...

Pour and enjoy!

Let me know what you think.

Dairy Free, Homemade, Raw Ice Cream Tip

After giving up conventional desserts about 8 years ago

and then discovering an allergy to dairy products,

I just figured my ice cream days were over.

Then I discovered raw ice cream! Yea!

By adding a few extra natural ingredients,

you can turn almost any smoothie

into creamy, delicious, decadent raw ice cream.

The best thing would be to google “raw ice cream recipes” for specifics

but most of them simply add coconut oil, young coconut meat and sometimes nuts

to a fruit smoothie type thing.

Throw it all in the blender and blend till smooth.

Then you chill it in a bowl in the fridge.

Later you can add things like vegan chocolate chips, fruit or chopped nuts.

An ice cream maker isn’t imperative

but it does help with the consistency when freezing.

I picked up an “out of the box” Cuisinart model for about $30

at a national bed and bath store.

I just load the chilled mix into the frozen bowl,

turn on and wait about 30 minutes.

Just think, in the time it takes to clean up the kitchen after dinner,

you could have a custom blended, healthy raw treat

that you feel good about putting in yourself and your family!

I store the bowl from the ice cream maker in the freezer
so that it is always ready to go!
If you put it in a plastic bag
it won't get frostbite.

Spreading the Word!

New calling cards are on the way...Yea!

I am so excited to be able to share what we have learned.

Posting on a blog will be much easier than responding to individual recipe requests via email!

Having everything in one place where people can visit, at their convenience, is a wonderful thing.

My wish is that this blog helps others to not feel so helpless when it comes to food issues.

I also hope that we enable people to feel empowered and grateful for the abundance they have.

Pre-made, Allergen-Free, Vegan Cupcakes - Izzi B

These were a real find!

Totally decadent and pretty to look at.

We found them at a small natural foods store in New Canaan, Connecticut but I think they can be ordered online or by phone.

We shared them with non-allergic friends and they didn't know they were so allergen free!

Izzi B's promotional material states:

No wheat

No soy

No eggs

No gluten

No dairy

No nuts

No casein

No refined sugars

No honey

No seeds

No apples

No trans-fats

No preservatives

Celiac-friendly

Vegan

All Natural...

-whew!

One would assume that that would translate into

No taste...but no!

They were super yummy.

Let me know what you think...

Click here to visit Izzi B's Website

Food Safe Allergy Testing - Finding Hidden Food Allergies

So this is what I received last year,

telling me that I was mildly allergic to most of the foods I ate on a regular basis.

Good news, because my symptoms finally had an explanation.

Bad news, because I was going to have to completely change the way I eat, think, plan, cook, etc...

It has been interesting, to say the least...

and a bit of a blessing too.

You can have this test done through your doctor

or by contacting the company directly.

They send you a kit and you send back a blood sample. Very simple.

If you think you might be sensitive to certain foods,

or if you have unexplained symptoms,

you might want to see if it's what you are eating.

From what I have learned, there are over 200 possible symptoms that stem from this kind of delayed food allergy. Way too many to piece together on your own without doing an elimination diet.

This was a gift...not to think I was going crazy, or imagining my symptoms.

Knowing that it wasn't something that was going to be solved with more prescription meds and creams.

I had to be proactive...I had to keep asking questions, search for a doctor that understood a more natural approach, read, etc...

It was totally worth it!

Let me know what you find.

Book - Vegan The New Ethics of Eating

A new book I bought using my Mother's Day gift card.

I was actually looking for a vegan cook book and then I stumbled on this and it spoke to me.

I have just begun to read it but I am horrified and hopeful at the same time.

I will let you know how I feel when I finish.

let me know if you have read or decide to read it.

A little scary.

Building a Blog

I am very busy organizing information, taking pictures and compiling tips and products to share. I have learned a lot over the past 8 years or so and it really brings me joy to pass that information on.

There are so many options for healthier versions of favorite foods and small daily choices add up to significant change.

Be back soon,
Pam

Welcome

As a labor of love, I created this blog to help others move easily along the path of food choices, based on dietary restrictions...due to medical needs or personal choice.

A little over a year ago, my then 9 year old son and I were both diagnosed with multiple delayed reaction food allergies, and while not life threatening at this moment, they have caused us to alter our lifestyle and food choices dramatically.

Everything is different.

Traveling, parties, events, celebrations, picnics, school lunches, snacks...everything.

In our case, it has been, for the most part, a blessing in disguise. It has caused us to look at our eating patterns and change our bad habits. It has also filtered into the rest of our family and beyond.

I hope to share our discoveries and knowledge in an effort to help others in our situation.

It's not the end of the world...and we are not alone!

Till next time...
Pam

Coming Soon!

Resources and information to help you navigate through the confusing and sometimes frustrating world of food!

Stay tuned...