Food Allergies: About Our Journey

Eggs, Milk, Peanuts, and Dogs are on the list of things that could possibly go very wrong for our twin boys.  Wheat, oats, and flax also cause problems for one of them.  In April of 2010 we had just left church on a Wednesday night.  Our little guy, Z, started a funny cough as we left, and by the time I drove the two blocks to our home he was struggling to breathe.  He made a hard long grunt to push through an exhale, and his chest caved in as he slowly and desperately pulled through an inhale.  Thinking it was asthma, I started a nebulizer, alerted my husband, and called 911.  I held my 18 month old baby as I watched consciousness slowly slipping away from him.  My husband remembered the epinephrine we had recently been prescribed at the pediatrician’s office.  He jabbed it into our tiny boy’s thigh.  He should have been able to scream or kick, but instead he lay limp in my arms.  Because of the blessing of my husband’s fast thinking and the epinephrine, Z quickly began to breathe better.  Then the hives had enough oxygen to come.  And they did.  That's when we knew for sure that it was an allergic reaction.  In the ambulance a blanket of hives covered his body.  His face swelled and he itched all over.  At the hospital his 18 month old body, barely 20 pounds, received an adult dose of Benadryl, epinephrine, and steroids.   He spent the night in the pediatric ICU as much to monitor the effects of drugs as the persistent reaction that wanted to keep coming.  Thankfully, the next day he came home happy and healthy again.  It was surreal to realize we almost lost him the night before.

Z and S January 2010. Two months before the big scary reaction we tried eggs and they both developed hives.  Z, above, developed a certain kind of hives that look like a sunburn. S, below, had standard bumpy hives and his right eye swelled shut.  These were taken at the beginning of the reaction, so it's not at it's full height yet.  We were off to the pediatrician pretty quickly. 

We have some theories but will never know for sure what Z ate that night at church. We do know what set the stage for it, though.  We were still very new at the whole food allergy journey. I was ignorant about how many prepared foods have hidden and unimaginable ingredients. More than five hours before church that night I gave Z and S a taste of fast food fries. I did not even consider the idea that there could be milk and wheat in fries. The doctors said that he must have eaten something at church for such a sudden and severe reaction, but that the fries probably helped get the ball rolling for the reaction to come.   Oh. The. Guilt.

Our church family was awesome, loving, and quick to respond. They held a meeting where they asked me to come and describe the warning signs of a reaction and demonstrate how to administer epinephrine.  I called it the“How Not to Kill Z and S Meeting."  We never blamed the church for what happened, especially after my own monumental mistake earlier that day.  They knew not to feed the twins, but none of us knew how many pitfalls there were in caring for toddlers with unknown allergies.  He could have grabbed another child's cup or bottle, or even found a stray crumb on the floor without anyone seeing him.  Who knows.  

I blame Allergies for what happens to my boys.
After the big church reaction I sat in an allergist’s office as he said, “They should outgrow most of these allergies by age 5,” and I replied jokingly, but with a lump in my throat:

“How do I keep them alive until then?” 

His sobering answer: “Work with a dietitian to make sure you have all of the major food groups covered as well as possible.  If you know of enough safe foods to keep them healthy, don’t introduce any new foods until we see you again next year.”  It was a punch to the gut.  We had fewer than 20 foods to work with, and just a few seasonings.  Thankfully, though, every food group was represented. 
 

S in 2010.  Mystery reaction.  This is after Benadryl, so his eyes were open again and looking better.

We have come a long way since then, and their fourth birthday is just a month away!  I’ve learned to cook their limited food list in a small variety of ways.  Homemade chicken stock, Rice Chex chicken nuggets, and my grandma’s pot roast are among some of our favorite recipes.  And they can enjoy several fruits and vegetables.  Rice and potatoes are our main and constant carbohydrates (no wheat or oats).  AND we’ve been able to try some new foods and expand their menu a little at a time. 

Once food was resolved, the social life needed addressing.  For a long time after that big reaction, I became a hermit with our guys.  Fighting an unseen enemy, we are no longer as free as we used to be.  Thankfully the Lord has blessed us with many wonderful people with problem-solving hearts. Because of them we have been able to find many safe environments for our guys. THANK YOU to all of our friends and family who take this seriously, watch and educate your own children, help me watch ours, and make crazy accommodations all so Z and S can live as normally as possible. YOU ARE AMAZING!  

(Our journey is not over.  This is Z Christmas 2011. We left gift opening early when he and S started to react to something. Thankfully this reaction and other recent reactions have all been mild and resolved with just Benadryl. That's a big sign to us that their allergies are lessening. Theories for this one: dog or peanuts.)

 In truth, though, not everyone wants to make accommodations for us.  One person told me that PB was so important in their children's lives that they would be seriously upset if their school banned it.  I graciously changed the subject before my emotions got the best of me.  When my poor unsuspecting husband came home from work he became my sounding board for my pent-up snarky attitude,  “All right, then!  Because there are people like THAT out there, we will home school our boys.  It’s financially next to impossible, and I looked forward to working one day.  But, SURE, I will teach EVERY subject to just my OWN children in my DINING ROOM.  I will do that.  So THEIR kids can eat peanut butter at school.”  And I cried.  Hard.   

 I’m not proud of my attitude, and the Lord definitely dealt with me over it.  The lesson learned was that: 1. Not everyone will want to help us accommodate our children.  It's a painful truth, but there you go.  And 2.  If the Lord doesn’t heal them, homeschooling would indeed be the very best way to safely educate our little men.  Not everyone can home school, so I still think schools and parents need to make accommodations.  For us, though, with sacrifices, we CAN do it.  When it became clear last spring that one of our older boys also would benefit from coming home, my heart was already primed and ready for the task.   

 I’m thankful that the Lord continues to work with us as we figure out how to balance it all.  We still live with this reality every day, but God gives us daily peace that we're doing the best we can.  One day I hope I can write a post with the title: Z and S are HEALED!!!  For today, though, I'm thankful for the journey. 

Right now our guys are happy and healthy little men!

As I wrote this Z and S were under my elbows, talking to me about their day, and laughing as they played together.  What a gift!  (and a hindrance, so forgive my grammar and other issues, ha!)  I am so thankful for the miracle of all four of our children and for a kind and loving God who carries us through every step of this journey!  

Today's post was inspired by the following link to another mom's story of her scary day that began so simply:

http://www.allergymoms.com/classroom.pdf 

Love,

G

For the Love of the Lord and Reading

If asked to pinpoint one thing we thought we were doing well in parenting, ignoring our many shortcomings of course, bedtime routines of reading and praying together would have to be a star on our chart.  There is something special about everyone coming around a story together and then praying to top it off.  The whole house seems happier when we’re spending this time together.  Lots of parents share this routine, so this is nothing new, but the fact that we still read to our big boys was something that took intentionality for us.  I admit, there are some nights when "getting to it" requires a personal pep talk and second wind of energy, but there is not one time that I ever read to my kids that returned void of warm fuzzies and thankfulness for the time well-spent.

 Our joy of reading together actually started before children arrived.  Thanks to the 20 hour drive between our home in South Carolina to my side of the family in Minnesota, and the 6 hours to My Husband’s family in West Virginia, we have always had long stretches of time to kill.  On such trips, the Hubs and I have shared together such titles as Tuesdays with Morrie and Angela’s Ashes.  Before there was www.audible.com there were books on tape or CD, but when we didn’t have a recorded book, we would read to each other.  Wild concept, I know – actually reading to each other.  I admit we would pause while passing through the mountains of Ashville, NC, or Elkhorn Mountain of West Virginia.  The switchbacks, narrow passes, and 18-wheelers make a prime recipe for motion sickness.  But aside from those mountainous passes, our journeys are mostly straight open road and easy reading. 

Reading to the Belly.  Pregnant with our first guy.  I know, it's such a flattering shot, ha ha.

When children came, reading together went from being a road trip activity to a regular routine.  We read to our first son, A, while he was still being knit together in my womb.  We enjoyed the rhythmic poetry of Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic.  Once A was in the world, we eventually got into a routine of reading a book before naptime and bedtime.  When N came along, we began reading for two in our arms.  Thanks, Dad, for that extra-wide chair you gave us for the nursery!  We would read a book for A and a book for N, plus any “one more!” books they happened to request.  Now that we’re all too big to share the chair, we sit together on the bottom bunk, or I sit in a chair while our now FOUR guys lie together on the floor of the living room for their weekend ritual of indoor camping.

The Hubs reading with the Big Boys, N and A while wearing his "Peter Jackson Glasses," February 2004

Admission of guilt: we strayed from reading to the big boys for a little while.  As they grew and learned how to read for themselves, we unintentionally phased out their story time.  The twins were babies and couldn’t read for themselves, so of course we began the routine for them.  But bedtime rituals were getting long among four children, and we were exhausted.  It seemed like the big boys’ story time was a natural thing to let fall to the wayside.  Over time, though, as the younger twins started to get beyond just board books and into actual stories, like If You Give a Pig a Pancake or a personal favorite, The Monster At the End of This Book (it hypes up the kids, but it’s soooo funny), I’d often see A and N float toward their door, toothbrushes in hand, to listen as I read to their brothers.  Every once in a while, as a special treat, I’d finish up with the twins and read the big boys a short book from their past. 

The Twins, S and Z, and Me.

It wasn’t until last summer, however, when A and I were both reading the Narnia series (me for the third time, and him for the first) that we started reading chapter books together and the routine was given new life.  A was reading slowly, and I needed his book.  (“Needed” is the proper word because when I’m reading a series I get so hooked that I practically go into withdrawal if I can’t keep my fix).  So we decided to read it together.  We were initially taking turns reading the pages, and he’s an excellent reader, but he kept asking me to keep reading to him.  And N kept joining us and asking for more.  It became clear that my boys still needed their story time.  

Still reading with the Big Boys, A and N with the Hubs.

I felt like we had a connection back that I didn’t know we’d lost.  It now spurns conversations about the books as well as subjects beyond the pages.  We laugh with the characters in the books, like when the very valiant Reepicheep takes on Eustace in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, or we talk about why a particular storyline is so very sad, like in Number the Stars dealing with World War II and the Holocaust.  And we teach about being generous and helpful like the rats in Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, or about being brave like Mrs. Frisby herself. 

The bonus to the end of our chapter for the evening is the prayer time we share.  Our nightly prayers began as little prayers for our sweet babies.  We’d recite “Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep,” and then we would ask the Lord to bless their rest through the night.  Over the years, though, as the big boys have grown, and the twins have faced life-threatening food allergies, they have become very real conversations with God.  They often include a quick review of things from the day that were special, and sometimes they include things that didn’t go so well.  If we’ve made a parenting mistake, like accusing the wrong son of leaving his clothes on the floor, or because we were extra irritable at dinner (you know, therapist couch material, ha!), this is usually the time when we fess up, explain ourselves, and, when necessary, apologize.  The boys include requests for people we love, and we give thanks to God for healings and blessings he’s given us.  But for me, my prayer still ends with asking the Lord to bless my guys’ rest, and to draw them close to himself…with the added request that the Father would heal our sons’ allergies.

Bedtime is not the only time we read and pray, but bed time and meal times are when it’s routine.  Because of this routine for both reading and praying, it makes the impromptu times in between become more natural.  They don’t think it’s weird to grab a book and curl up with it or to stop for a second and pray for the ambulance that just passed.  But I think the best thing about this whole reading and praying thing is that we’re doing it together.  Everyone is gathered around the same thing at the same time.  After a day of constant movement, errands, conversations, chores, events, and more, for just a handful of minutes per night we slowdown and connect.  We shut out the world, transporting ourselves somewhere else, and then we return to reality to pray to the Father who makes it all possible.  It is indeed worth it to carve out the time to read and pray with our guys.

**Links to some articles I’ve read recently that reinforce the idea that READING IS WONDERFUL!**
"Raise a Lifelong Reader"

http://www.pbs.org/parents/experts/archive/2012/05/raise-a-lifelong-reader-by-rea.html?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=fanpage&utm_campaign=pbs

(The title of the following article has little to do with the content.  It's more about examining why boys don't get into reading as much as girls, and some ideas about how to get that to change.)

"How to Talk to a Little Boy"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/lisa-bloom/how-to-talk-to-little-boy_b_1473167.html  

 I looked for some articles on praying with children, but didn’t find what I was looking for.  One suggested putting a cloth on the floor and opening a Bible in the middle.  If this floats your boat, go for it.  To me, however, that sounds more complicated than it needs to be.  We just talk to God about our kids.  And, honestly, they love to hear us talk about them.  They love hearing their mom and dad asking God to help with the bully on the playground or their grades in school.  They love hearing their request that they just mentioned leave our lips because we feel it is important enough to ask the Father about it.  And we encourage them to petition the Father to help them with the test at school or the brother that gets on their nerves.  I would just be sure they still hear their parents pray for them.  It models how to pray, and it shows them that we love them enough to pray for them. 

In the end, I did find this one article that I thought was pretty helpful

“Praying with Children”

http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/1623/praying-with-children

Rice Chex Chicken Nuggets

RICE CHEX CHICKEN NUGGETS:

(Note: I used to make these with commercial "Rice Bread Crumbs" that I found at our local health food store, but they turned out soggy and tasted weird. So we tried RICE CHEX INSTEAD!)

 I had Z and S (age 3) bash baggies of Rice Chex cereal into crumbs (about 5 cups). 

Then I mixed about 1/2 tsp oregano, 1tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper together and A and N (ages 8 and 9) combined the seasonings with the Rice Chex crumbs. 

I cut a pound of chx breasts into 1.5 inch pieces. A and N formed an assembly line coating them in extra light tasting olive oil (with salt and garlic powder sprinkled in it), then in Rice Chex mixture, then onto the cookie sheet.  (NOTE: You have to really push the crumbs into the chicken.)

Baked for 20 mins at 400 degrees, then turned on the broiler for 3 mins to crisp the tops.  THEY WERE AWESOME!!  Even I, the chicken nugget hater, LOVED these!  ENJOY!

(Update: After eating these for lunch and dinner 3 days in a row (by request), we've determined that the twins are sensitive to oregano.  Boo.  THANKFULLY these still taste AMAZING without it!)

Allergy Friendly Valentine's Day Lollipops

Friends!  Here's an update on the lollipops.  They turned out so CUTE! The recipe for making them is HERE-Corn-free Lollipops .  This time I tried 100% frozen grape juice concentrate for flavoring.  I used about 1.5 Tblsps of thawed concentrate and it wasn't enough.  They still tasted good, but not like grapes.  So I will try 3Tbsps next time.   

I am sooooo excited that I found HEART SHAPED MEASURING SPOONS to use as molds.  I found them in the Target dollar spot, so if you head out there now, you might just find some.  I also have a mini-muffin pan with hearts in case this hadn't worked.  The muffin pan is not ideal because you can't control the distance between each mold, but I think it might have worked as an alternative.

I ran out of lollipop sticks, so I used the smaller measuring spoon to make small hard candies instead of lollipops. 

Note: be sure to be patient and wait for the lollipops to really reach hard candy temps.  I didn't let mine go long enough so they still made good lollipops, but they became floppy and sticky as we ate them.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Pinterest Barbie

Updated.
This morning I LOVED waking up to find "Pin This" as my friend's latest "Share" on Facebook.  FINALLY a REAL mom! :

 Pin This is a blog entry. 

It's a real mom's compare/contrast with Pinterest to her reality.  I've never seen her blog before, so I have no idea what the rest of the site features, but the above entry is pure gold.

In light of several conversations with friends lately, I recently posted this:

"Of my 246 pins on Pinterest I have now done 12. Honestly, that's 12 more than I thought I would do when I started pinning. Happy Pinning, Everyone!"

My girlfriend and I JUST talked about how Pinterest has produced a new version of the Barbie Doll Effect.

 PINTEREST BARBIE!!: She not only has the perfect curves, but she dons a perfectly astonishing hair style complete with embellished bobby pins and homemade hairspray.  Her apron is handcrafted, no sew from a Target tablecloth, and in her hand is a tray of homemade cupcakes with hand sculpted sugar doilies.  Accessories include: two children in hand sewn outfits playing at a table made from crates and baskets, spray painted, labeled and organized.  Also available: ingredients for children's homemade play dough and homemade colored rice.  PRICE: Utter Exhaustion.

Now we're not only to have the perfect body and curves, we are now to have the picture-perfect home, stimulating crafts for our children, and dinner should belong in those glass displays meant to entice diners at restaurants. 

Girls, just like with Barbie Dolls, we need to realize the truth: just as Barbie's curves are impossibly unhealthy so too is the standard we set for ourselves when we envy others lives through the lens of social media. 

Can you imagine how much Barbie's SHOES cost - custom jobs required.  Or her chiropractor, for that matter.  With feet permanently molded for 6" heels, she's bound to have problems, not to mention her other, uh, notable features that HAVE to cause back and neck pain. 

It's just not healthy to be that perfectly molded.  With this added layer of crafty perfection, she's not only perfectly molded, but she's EXHAUSTED and BROKE.

As little girls we used Barbie as our measuring stick for beauty, and now we seem to use social media in much the same way.  We need to keep in mind that there is a reality beyond the screen.  Many of the pictures on Pinterest are probably snapped in the two minutes before the kids wake up from nap or come home from school. Or the photographer zeros in on the beautifully shaped cupcakes, cropping out the Disaster Area that was once the kitchen. 

But let's not be too quick to judge.  We're probably all at least a bit guilty of polishing our lives for the snapshots we offer the world.  When we know someone is coming to see us, we put out our best stuff. 

We run around and pick up the dirty socks, put the toys away, and take out the trash. We dust off the smiling family pictures on our mantle, and perhaps we throw together some freshly baked cookies or a meal for our guests. 

And we will PRAY no one opens the closet, medicine cabinet, or goes into THE MASTER BATHROOM!!!!  (though Pinterest probably has an idea for how we can take care of those trouble spots, wink wink).

Facebook is another way we let people look into a window of our lives, and we know they're dropping by, so we dressed it up a bit. 

On Facebook Moms often have posts about their parenting adventures.  My post might say something like:

"My boys are all playing quietly in their fort together! OH brotherly love. Bliss!" 

But, just as there is a moment when our guests leave and life gets back to normal, there is always a status beyond the status, and a scene beyond the social media. 

For example: my four boys played beautifully together for about 20 minutes the other morning.  They pulled every single cushion, blanket, sheet, pillow, and stuffed animal into the den.  They set up the card table over it and dubbed it their "Fort."  YES I love their creativity and willingness to work together.  But it was followed by two hours of frustrated effort to get it all cleaned up again.  No perfection here!!

My simple status following that episode may have simply been, "I love chocolate."

Getting back to Pinterest,  we need to remember that the pictures on Pinterest are not even from our own homes or real life, but rather they form a WISH list!

 I take comfort in the fact that the pictures on Pinterest and the social media statuses of perfect parenting aren't all from ONE WOMAN or ALL IN ONE DAY.  They are highlights from several women, showing that no one woman possesses utter perfection all at one time. 

I remember the day I was introduced to a spiritual version of "Pinterest Pressure" in the Bible: Proverbs 31:10-31 - WOW. Talk about intimidation!  It's overflowing with qualities a "wife of noble character" might possess. 

It could be an overwhelmingly high bar for a girl, but a wise and wonderful friend (and mother of 6 children), told me, "First of all, this is an EXAMPLE of a woman.  Secondly, she isn't all of those things all in one day. She possesses a collection of those qualities over a lifetime."

Proverbs 31 doesn't mention the flaws that she undoubtedly has.  Instead it's a list of her positive features, her highlights over time.  It's a polished snapshot of an ideal woman.  Whew! THAT'S a relief!  With that lens I can see a more realistic ideal woman.

 Pintest Pressure and social media statuses of perfect parenting beg the reminder that no two women are exactly alike, and we are who we ARE, and not what we DO.

"Psalm 139:14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

So, Pinterest Barbie, with your handcrafted apron, perfectly styled hair, and hostess tray filled with homemade delights, you go ahead and be yourself.  I might make an apron, and I might even use your recipe for sugar doilies.  Some day.  But not today.  And probably not all at the same time.  And maybe not at all.  And I'm okay with that.

Corn-Free Allergen-Friendly Lollipops

As a mother, I never imagined myself saying this: I want my kids to have candy. 

The twins' birthday is THE a candy-loving holiday- Halloween!  For their first two years, their birthday party has been a fun allergen-free family celebration with goodie bags full of inedible Halloween favors, but I have always wanted my boys to have candy.  I searched and searched the Internet for a recipe that was safe for my guys.  I initially thought about doing rock candy - you know, the science experiment in growing sugar crystals.  But to do enough for a party would require a table full of mason jars for days while growing crystals with uncertain results.  Ugh.

So I looked for other hard candies, but I kept finding recipes with corn starch, and my guys are allergic to corn (among a million other things).  Whether the recipe called for cornstarch itself or powdered sugar, which contains cornstarch, every recipe had SOMEthing my guys couldn't have. UNTIL I saw a recipe for making your own powdered sugar using a coffee grinder and potato starch!  I suddenly had renewed hope!

Powdered Sugar with Potato Starch (Note: this link also has other GREAT tips about corn-free cooking!)  In case the link doesn't work, here's the recipe:

1 Tbsp Potato Starch (I don't know if tapioca starch would work, but would be worth an experiment if someone has a potato allergy)
1 cup Sugar
Grind in coffee grinder until no longer grainy.  So easy!

WHERE TO BUY THIS STUFF:  I buy my rice flours, potato starch, and tapioca starch at local health food stores, but I just discovered the very same brands for half the price on Amazon! Gotta' love that site. Some have had luck on Ebay, but I'm just not into it, espeicially with food products).

So now to make some lollipops.  

After A YEAR of searching for a good recipe, I finally found this one:

 Easy Homemade Lollipop Recipe:

     2 cups sugar

     2/3 cup water

      1/8 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

      Any desired flavoring (I used organic orange and lemon extracts, but I've since learned (with dark clouds gathering in my head) that many extracts often use alcohol derived from corn, which is why they can claim to be "gluten free."  UGH! This may explain some eczema flares. But THANKFULLY! "The Chew" on ABC showed a lollipop recipe using a spoonful of frozen 100% juice concentrate (thawed) for flavoring.  I've been to a couple of stores looking for a truly 100% juice that doesn't say "Natural Flavors" in the ingredient list, and they DO exist. I finally found a grape juice and a lemonade that we can use. I have not tried them yet, but will update when I have)

     Appropriate vegetable coloring (I didn't use any coloring, and the juice idea has natural color with the juice)

 INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine sugar and Cream of Tartar with the 2/3 cup water.

 Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Boil until a temp of 290 F. is reached or until a drop of mixture will become hard when dropped into cold water. Remove from heat.

Add flavoring and coloring. Pour into greased pans or molds.

When partly cooled insert wooden sticks. (be sure to spin the sticks once they're in place to thoroughly surround them with lollipop syrup and secure them in the lollipop!) Chill in the fridge until they are completely cooled and hard.  Store in an airtight container.

PROBLEM: I didn't own any molds, a candy thermometer, or sticks. 
SOLUTION: I posted my dilemma on Facebook and my friends came through!

STICKS: A friend suggested I buy my lollipop sticks and thermometer at Michaels, similar to these Lollipop Sticks , Candy Thermometer. 

MOLDS: My friends had three ideas for molds:

1. BUY A MOLD:  Our Michaels didn't have molds for HARD candy (READ LABELS!  They had LOTS for soft candy that were quite deceptive.  This is how I found out the hard way that not all lollipop molds are created equal.  Hard candy lollipop molds are a hard white plastic and will say they are meant for hard candy.  I did a search for "hard candy molds" and bought mine from a small site I'd never heard of.  Thankfully it worked out GREAT!  And I have cute dinosaur molds.
RESULTS: I love our dinosaur molds, but the lollipops turned out VERY BIG and thick that the kids can't finish all at once!  So my recommendation would be to find smaller molds for kiddos.

2.  NO MOLD: to make wonky lollipops: Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and carefully spoon the hot lollipop syrup onto the sticks  ( (I also sprinkled powdered sugar, but it clumped up on the oil, so ignore it in the picture below.  Also, for oil cooking spray, I've found an olive oil cooking spray that has a hint of soy that works for us, but if you have a soy allergy, Pampered Chef at one time sold a pump spray bottle that lets you put your own oil inside, pump in air pressure, and spray.  Awesome!). 
RESULTS: When I did it this way, they turned out so thin that the lolli would fall off the pop almost as soon as the child took one lick.  These are great with adults, but a bit awkward with kids.

 3.  MAKE A MOLD: Use a cookie sheet with sides (jelly roll pan), fill it with powdered sugar, use something to press shapes firmly into the sugar (I used a cap from a juice bottle, washed, of course), align your sticks into the shapes, and pour in the lollipop syrup. 




RESULTS: I have to say, in the end, this was my favorite method.  Kind of messy, but in the end there was NO oil, and the added layer of powdered sugar added an element of froofroo to the pops.  YUM!




Enjoy!

Paula Deen's House Seasoning, Basic BBQ, and Sweet Potato Fries

Years ago, before our very allergic twins were born,we had the "Food Network" for just a wonderful few weeks and I saw Ms. Paula Deen.  A dazzling classic Southern lady who knew how to throw anything and everything into a pot and have it come out crowd-pleasingly wonderful.  Pot-scraped-clean-every-time good.  

 But even with Ms. Paula's classic, easy-to-do recipes, I'd flop.  So I abandoned my hopes of being the next Paula Deen.  This mutt of a Minnesota girl turned South Carolina Gamecock just couldn't cook.

One take-away I have from my early experiments with Paula Deen, however, is her House Seasoning.  It's so basic: salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  I've had the recipe for years and years, but it wasn't until the twins were born with so many food allergies that I learned how multi-purpose this wonderful seasoning combination could be. 

Here it is, Folks:

http://www.food.com/recipe/Paula-Deens-House-Seasoning-Mix-57340

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Directions:

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

That's it!  So basic.  I actually don't really mix it up and store it anymore.  I just sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder on whatever meat I'm cooking, but the concept is still fully alive and well.  I AM SO THANKFUL THE TWINS AREN'T ALLERGIC TO GARLIC!  I have a friend who said her little men are allergic to garlic.  This might be true for others as well, and, always keeping in mind that my guys could develop a sensitivity to it, I've branched out to try other seasonings.  It turns out that celery powder and onion powder are also delicious!  And rosemary tastes wonderful on poultry, though I think it gives my guys runny noses (dark cloud). 

Why did I feel inspired today to write about Mrs. Paula's lovely House Seasoning?  Today I'm making BBQ.  I have no idea how other households do it, but around here we have some guys who like the sauces, some who don't, and some who are allergic to them, so I don't use any sauces in my BBQ.  This is NOT a heart-healthy meat.  At All.  But after a weekend of chicken tenders and squash soup, we're ready for some Southern food.

This recipe I can say I came up with on my own.  And it's so so easy:

BASIC BBQ:

Big ole Boston Pork Butt (yes, I typed "Butt" and it's actually used on the package label)
and Paula Deen's House Seasoning

Put Butt in slow cooker.  Sprinkle liberally with house seasoning.  Cook on low for about 6-8 hours until it falls apart with a fork. 

Don't be tempted to pull it out before it falls apart easily.  Once done, put just the meat into a large dish, leaving behind loose fat and bone (I use my large roasting dish with a lid so the meat is easily stored in the fridge).  Use paper towels to soak up extra fat from the meat.  It will be dripping with it.  Use a couple of forks to shred it.  I taste it at this point and sometimes add some more House Seasoning.  Serve over rice with a side of steamed vegetables, or plain with a side of roasted potatoes.  My husband adds mustard-based BBQ sauce to his, another child adds soy sauce, and the rest of us eat it plain.  Whatever works!

*My secret to rice: My guys don't like plain brown rice, so I mix white and brown rice together and store it in a container! No minute rice for us. I use a rice cooker and cook fully loaded whole grain rice. No rinsing so it retains nutrients.

Thank you, Ms. Paula Deen!



Bonus Recipe:
SWEET POTATO FRIES:

 Scrub 2-3 sweet potatoes, cut diagonally into coins, then slice each coin into strips like french fries. (UPDATE: per my friend's suggestion I now cut my fries in half again.  The bite-sized pieces cook more evenly!)  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Place fries on the sheet in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt. Bake at 400 for about 20 mins, or until fork tender and slightly browning on the bottom.  Might want to turn them over halfway through.  Alternative seasonings: cinnamon, or sprinkle with brown sugar at the end.  I used to baste the fries with olive oil first, but I've since discovered that we like them better without any oil. 

I always pile too many on the pan (pictured left) because my family eats them ALL.  :)  Soon I'll need to add a second tray!

Love,
G