The Multiple Food Allergy Life

This is an area that is very near and dear to me. My son and I both struggle with this. It is a detailed challenge that just seems to keep evolving with time. No matter how down pat you seem to get it, there is always the risk of a brand changing manufacturing processes or ingredients without any warning or label updates. Whenever you do see a new label on a familiar product you inwardly panic and scan the ingredients list for changes. At times, it comes down to trial and error and you have to take a chance to see if you will react allergically or not.

This is the reality of my everyday life. And the reality of millions of others who deal with multiple food allergies on a daily basis. 

Avoiding gluten used to be my biggest challenge, and then food allergies hit. It is like a curve ball being thrown at you while you are still trying to catch the last ball. It is like you are caught in between two pitchers, and they are both throwing towards you simultaneously. Never a moment to rest and lay down your defenses. Never a day that you can "cheat". Never an option to simply go out for dinner. 

That's multiple food allergy reality.

For caregivers as well as the one who is allergic, it can be a source of frustration, anxiety (rightfully so), and exhaustion.

But how do we handle this constant reality in a world full of exposure to allergens? Cleaning products, hand sanitizer, air fresheners, medicines, food packaging, foods, drinks, etc. There are SO MANY ways to get into allergens.

Going to the grocery store where everything has been "sanitized" requires avoiding touching carts which have residual corn from cleaners or wipes. A constant thought in the back of the mind about what is on the packages knowing that so many people fail to wash their hands after eating, or use hand sanitizer thinking it is "clean" when in reality it is loaded with chemical toxins and corn derivatives. Being careful not to stand to close to someone who may be wearing hand sanitizer so as to avoid getting asthma from it. And I could go on and on...

Later at home the challenge continues. Washing hands or even showering upon returning home helps prevent some exposures. Then there is avoiding eating any food without first rinsing off the package. For instance, cheese packages, canned goods, and so much more.

The reality follows you everywhere. It goes with you to the doctors office, to church, to family gatherings, to birthday parties, to the post office, the library, or any other place you may go, even the Emergency Room. Your life at times feels dictated by this reality. 

But the truth is, a multiple food allergy sufferer or caregiver is a special kind of strong person. Someone who is always carrying a load but refusing to bend. Constantly protecting, providing comfort, and experiencing close calls. This special kind of person is a great source of inspiration to many out there who face smaller battles on a daily basis.

You never know who is watching you push on, and wondering if they can do it, too. 

You may be one of those multiple food allergy warriors, and you are reading this right now thinking, "Yup, this is so true." Just remember you are stronger, you are braver, and you have what it takes to continue pushing on!

A fellow Multiple Food Allergy Warrior,

~Gluten Free Em

Since 2012, Em has been blogging about the Gluten Free diet, and multiple food allergies. Her recipes and words of encouragement have brought hope to many on this journey. You can get your copy of her cookbook, "Cooking Gluten and Corn Free with Gluten Free Em" on Amazon here:

Razorback Duck Casserole

This is a great way to use up leftover duck. And it is delicious as a brunch dish as well as for late night snacking. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

About 2 cups leftover duck meat from the back of duck

1 large zucchini

1 large red onion

Batter:

About 2 cups or so flour. 

3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
Olive oil.
More oil for brushing on top.

Line parchment paper on unglazed stone bar pan. Spread a thin layer of batter over pan. Thinly slice zucchini in circles and lay in even rows. Dice red onion and spread evenly throughout. Spread meat over the onions. Add layer of batter on top covering as much as possible. Especially cover meat to prevent drying out. Bake at 425° for 30-45 minutes, basting halfway through with olive oil. Bake until golden on the bottom.
Salt the top right after removing it from the oven. Serves 5.

~Em Kennedy 

Copyright 2021

Important Announcements for those who follow by email

Blogger has just announced that very soon follow by email feature of this blog will be going away. If you are signed up for automatic emails for each new post, please reach out to me at contactglutenfreeem@gmail.com as I am compiling an email list.

Gluten and Corn Free Cookbook

 

Get your signed copy of Gluten Free Em's new cookbook! Featuring many recipes that are tailored to food allergy cooking. Including corn free, citrus free, gluten free, legume free, egg free, nut free, and even some dairy free options. For those allergic to traditional meats, this book also offers recipes made with exotic meats including antelope, venison, duck, pheasant, quail, and more! It contains 117 pages, and over 40 recipes including her popular gluten and corn free white bread recipe. This book stems from Gluten Free Em's own struggle with MCAS, and will be a help to anyone dealing with a mast cell disorder or other disorder that causes multiple food allergies.

To preorder please click here:

"Cooking Gluten and Corn Free" new cookbook announcement!

I am thrilled to announce that my new cookbook is available for pre-order!!!!

Get your signed copy of Gluten Free Em's new cookbook! Featuring many recipes that are tailored to food allergy cooking. Including corn free, citrus free, gluten free, legume free, egg free, nut free, and even some dairy free options. For those allergic to traditional meats, this book also offers recipes made with exotic meats including antelope, venison, duck, pheasant, quail, and more! It contains 117 pages, and over 40 recipes including her popular gluten and corn free white bread recipe. This book stems from Gluten Free Em's own struggle with MCAS, and will be a help to anyone dealing with a mast cell disorder or other disorder that causes multiple food allergies.

Check it out here!

Special Announcement: New Cookbook Coming Soon!!!

 

"Cooking Gluten and Corn Free with Gluten Free Em" is coming soon! Keep your eye out for the announcement, and be ready to pre-order your own copy, as these will go fast!! This fantastic cookbook will feature the recipes that have been staple foods in our home for the last 9 years. Many of the recipes are free of the top 8 allergens as well as Gluten and Corn. From biscuits, to pizza, to entrees, and side dishes... your mouth will water as you prepare these foods for your family!

Gluten and Corn Free Workshop!

I am excited to announce our very first Gluten and Corn Free Workshop being held on Zoom tomorrow, January 15th, at 8pm Eastern time. Come with a pen and paper ready to take notes and enjoy the recipe demonstration as well as a dedicated question and answer session!

To register please visit

https://forms.gle/qNDqDp6oML1ZhyMH9

There are only a few seats left so please register soon to be included!

Gluten Free Bison and Pepper Jack Stromboli

Next time you have leftover steaks sitting in the fridge, and you are wondering what to make with them....try stromboli!

About 2 cups of leftover bison steaks chopped finely.

1 jar of Newman's Own Mild or Medium Salsa.

1 pound of pepper jack cheese grated or cubed.

Fresh oregano leaves chopped finely.

Any other toppings your heart desires 😀!

To make the crust, mix 2 cups of freshly milled brown rice flour to a medium mixing bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda. 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix well. Add 1 1/2 - 2 cups full fat high protein Greek yogurt. (We use Oikos) Add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. Mix well. The dough should be moist and all the flour incorporated into the dough. Adjust yogurt amount to get this result. Take half of the dough and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Add another piece of parchment paper on top of the dough to prevent sticking to the rolling pin. Roll it thin to about 1/4 inch or less. Like the thickness of pie crust. Remove top piece of parchment paper. Fill one side with half of the toppings leaving room on the edge for the dough to be sealed. Then fold the other half of the dough over as a lid sealing the edges by pinching them together. Cut two or three vents on the top of the stromboli with a fork.

Repeat for remaining dough. Transfer both stromboli to an unglazed stone leaving the parchment paper under them, and bake at 425° for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving! Enjoy!

Have a Happy, Healthy, Gluten Free day!

~Gluten Free Em~

Stir Fried Veggies-- a Light and Easy Meal for Anytime of the Day!

 

How about some stir fried veggies to get your morning started, or for anytime of the day, really! Healthy oil, fiber, and vitamins! #glutenfree #cornfree #legumefree #nutfree #annattofree #carrageenanfree #dairyfree #eggfree #veganrecipe

Feeds two. (Or one if it's me ) Multiply it by 3 for a family of 5.

3 large organic golden potatoes peeled and diced

2 large organic carrots peeled and sliced

1 small yellow organic onion diced

About 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups of frozen organic broccoli florets

Combine everything but broccoli in a medium nonstick skillet. Cook until the potatoes start to brown, then add broccoli. Cook until slightly browned. Sometimes I toss in 1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds as well. Then serve!

Enjoy!

If you try this, let me know how you liked it!

Scalloped Potato Casserole Em Style

3 pounds of organic red potatoes peeled and shredded

1 small onion shredded or diced very small

2-3 tablespoons of fresh organic oregano leaves chopped

Salt

1/2-1 pound of cheddar cheese (white cheese that is annatto free)

1-2 cups milk

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Shred potatoes and onions to resemble hash browns. Oil the bottom of a 13x9 glass-baking pan. Spread the potato and onions in the pan evenly. Add oregano evenly throughout. Salt well… as the potatoes will soak up the salt and may need more than normal. Add milk over top. Shred the cheese and distribute evenly across the top. Bake at 350° on next to the bottom rack for about an hour or until the potatoes are softened and the cheese is browned. Let it set for a few minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Have a Happy, Healthy, Gluten Free day!

~Gluten Free Em~

Em Kennedy

Copyright 2020

For a Downloadable/Printable PDF version of this recipe, please click the Paypal buy now button below! (Only $1.99 and you can add it to your recipe collection!)

Gluten Free Em’s Favorite White Bread

This bread takes a little effort, but is worth every bit of it! Fresh out of the bread machine it has a moist texture and is great for sandwiches. Of course, after a day or two it dries out and gets crumbly like all homemade bread. That is never a problem in my home though, because we eat it all up in one day!!!

Shopping list:

Eggs

Milk

Sugar in the Raw (Or brown, or white will do.)

Apple cider vinegar

Salt

Honey (Raw honey if possible)

Olive oil

White rice flour (Bob’s Red Mill is the brand that I recommend on all the flours except brown rice.)

Brown rice flour (Freshly milled using a Wondermill is how I do it.)

Tapioca starch

Potato starch

Almond meal

Active dry yeast (Make sure it says it is gluten free)

If you don’t have a corn allergy, you can also purchase xanthan gum and use a small amount, but it is not required. It does give it a more elastic texture, which makes it that much closer to the white bread you are used to. I personally do not use it any more.

If you have a bread machine:

Mix together…

2 whole eggs plus 2 egg whites

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons  Sugar in the raw (or brown sugar)

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup of olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

Break up the yolks with a fork and add honey to the bread pan covering the paddle thoroughly with honey. Pour in liquid mixture.

Add dry ingredients…

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1 1/2 cup white rice flour

3/4 cup tapioca starch

3/4 cup potato starch

1/4 cup almond meal

2 teaspoons of yeast/ or one packet

Set bread machine on basic with medium crust and don’t forget to scrape the edges to ensure all dry ingredients are mixed in to the batter.

Without a bread machine:

Mix the same liquid ingredients with a mixer until the eggs are frothy. Slowly add dry ingredients, scraping edge of bowl to mix thoroughly. Transfer to a greased and floured loaf pan leaving at least an inch space at the top of the pan for the dough to rise. (Can be divided into two smaller loaves if desired.) Heat oven to 200°, then turn off. Place pan with dough into the warm oven to rise. In about an hour dough should be nearly doubled. Gently press the top of the loaf until it deflates slightly. Let rise again for 1 hour. Bake at 325° for roughly 45 minutes, or until top is very dark and toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Baking time will vary based of your oven.

If you don’t have a bread machine and are serious about going gluten free—Do yourself a favor and Go GET ONE! They save you time, effort, and money. They make the bread much better in texture and taste, not to mention nutrition from fresh ingredients. You will be happy you did!

~Em Kennedy~

Copyright 2016

For a Downloadable/Printable PDF version of this recipe, click the Paypal pay now button below!

Quick and Easy Gluten Free Pizza

Who doesn't like a good pizza, right? Food allergies can really limit the availability of safe foods, and pizza is no exception. But not any longer!!! Here is my personal corn free, gluten free, legume free pizza recipe! This can easily be nut free as well by simply leaving out the almond flour.

Quick and Easy Gluten Free Pizza

2 cups freshly milled brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 -2 cups high protein Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup almond meal (optional)

Gluten and corn free toppings of your choice. Some recommended topping listed below.
Your favorite salsa or pizza sauce. (I use Newman's Own mild salsa)
3/4 pound grated Grazier's medium cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese)
1-2 large white mushrooms sliced
1/2 a small onion diced
1/2 a bell pepper diced
ham or pepperoni diced (Applegate is a safe gluten free, corn free brand but always check the label to be sure as products can change)

Preheat oven to 425°
Bake time is about 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. (varies based on oven)
Makes (2) 13 x 9 pizza's or 2 medium round pizza's.

Mix dry ingredients together. Add yogurt to form moist dough. Adjust amount to make sure all flour is moistened. Add olive oil. Divide dough in half. Line 2 pizza pans with parchment paper. I use 13 x 9 glass pans or cookie sheets. Place dough in pans. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top of dough and work dough evenly throughout the pan. Do with other pan as well. Peel back top parchment paper slowly and gently. Add salsa or pizza sauce on top of  moist dough, then add preferred toppings including cheese. Bake until edges start to brown, and cheese is starting to brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before attempting to cut and serve.
Enjoy!
~Gluten Free Em~

For a downloadable printable PDF version of this recipe, click on the Paypal buy now button below!

Gluten Free Em's Favorite Brownies

www.glutenfreeem.com

2 cups freshly milled brown rice flour

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4-1/2 cup cocoa powder (for richer brownies add more)

2 eggs

1 cup sugar in the raw (or white sugar)

½ stick of butter

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

1 ½ - 2 cups Greek yogurt

Sift together dry ingredients, or at least stir well. Cream together butter and eggs. Add sugar, vanilla flavoring, and Greek yogurt mixing well. Stir in dry ingredients. Batter should be thick but moist. Adjust the amount of yogurt accordingly so that dough is completely moist.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper, or butter and flour. Bake in 425° oven till toothpick inserted in the center comes out nearly clean. Don't over bake! Enjoy!

For a printable PDF version of this recipe, click the Paypal buy now button below!