Helpful Links for Corn Allergies

http://www.cornallergens.com/list/corn-allergen-list.php

http://www.cookingallergyfree.com/allergens/allergen_listing/corn_allergy

Mariah Carey Ft. Jay-Z, Akon & Lil Wayne - Bye Bye (Threemix)

TODAY'S GUITAR LESSON
I love this song, especially this remix! Figured out the chords and key, working on improvisation.

A picture’s worth a thousand words | Greenpeace USA

A picture’s worth a thousand words Greenpeace USA

We didn't win Greenpeace's "Save the Whales" photo contest but we were featured on the "Some of Our Favorites" slideshow! Hundreds of photos were submitted from all around the country asking President Obama to keep his promise and vote to keep the ban on commercial whaling when he meets with the International Whaling Commission on June 3.

Congrats Thomas!

Tonight Thomas graduates from preschool. He is officially ready for kindergarten to begin in the fall. Time for a chapter to close and formal education to begin. Just think K-12 then college and graduate school. Then he can go to work every day and be a big man just like his daddy. I wonder what he will be? For now, we will cherish his special day and our little boy who dreams of being a jedi or possibly Indiana Jones when he grows up :)

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day 2010. I am queen for the day, which means it's my day off. It's one day where I can do whatever I want and I don't have to do any of the normal work associated with being a mom. I can sleep in and stay in the shower as long as I want to. I don't have to deal with any drama with the kids. Not doing any chores or cooking or shopping. In fact, all I want to do is relax, play guitar, do some yoga, read a book, and take a nap before we go to dinner at my in-laws' house. I'm savoring each moment and finding peace in the quiet house. Joe got me some knockout roses to plant in the front and back beds. I've been wanting to experiment with growing roses, and now I can! All three kids gave me nice hugs and kisses and Zoe made me a cute card. Sierra treated me to a specially made allergy free rotisserie chicken lunch. I love being a mom so much and feel so lucky to have three healthy and adorable children.

Sent my mom a dozen roses and a card to tell her we are thinking of her today. Hope she is having a nice day too :)

Food Allergy Meal Plans

To follow up on my last post about my experience with food allergies, I wanted to share some information about my diet and how I choose foods to eat. Instead of exhausting a long list of what you can NOT eat, I will stick to the things you CAN eat. There are a couple tricky things I've learned along the way in terms of what you can NOT eat and will share them first briefly to help you save time in learning them for yourself! For example, I never knew vinegar was distilled from wheat, but it is. So, vinegar is a no-no, along with all its products like pickles and vinagraittes and mayonnaise. I've also learned that cane sugar and fake sugars are off limits as well. Cane sugar is in the corn family, and I react every time I have it. I also learned that grapes have yeast naturally occurring under the skin, and that wine has yeast in it. I am a big fan of wine and have yet to fully give it up, and yes I do stay somewhat rashy all the time because I choose to keep my vice. But I do avoid grapes and other forms of yeast in general. There are lots of gluten-free items on the market these days, but if you are also allergic to corn, like me, gluten free does not mean corn-free. In fact I've found most gluten free products contain corn under another name like xanthan gum etc.

So, when it's time to eat, how do I choose? Fruits (except grapes) and veggies are always ok, and thank goodness I like them all. We've made the switch to grass-fed, free range beef and chicken, and we also buy the wild caught salmon (instead of farm raised) and natural pork. You have to be careful because lots of meats have starches or sugars in them and unless you read the package you wouldn't think of that. For example, rotisserie chickens have corn starch and are rubbed with spices that include wheat and corn starch (maltodextrin etc). Lunchmeats also contain sugars and spices so steer clear. Block cheeses work the best for me. Shredded cheeses frequently have corn starch added to prevent caking. This is true of all shredded cheeses including parmesan. Since I can't have bread or tortillas, I wrap things in lettuce and seaweed or just stick with salad or dinner entree style. I have found one brand of salsa (Herdez) that only contains veggies and nothing else. I cook with butter, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. My salad dressing is olive oil and lemon.

Breakfast: coffee (with cream and honey), fruit, yogurt (I've found one brand that is only sweetened with fruit and doesn't have starch), rice cereal with lactaid, whey protein/lactaid smoothie (frozen fruit optional), gluten/corn/sugar free waffles w/ real butter

Lunch: veggie salads, cottage cheese, boiled eggs, chicken, shrimp, avocado, cheese, nuts, beans, tofu, any combo of lean meats, veggies, fruits, (block) cheeses, etc.

Dinner: meats, rice, potatoes, rice noodles w/ cheese or olive oil/garlic sauce, quinoa, veggies, salads, beans, tofu, lettuce wraps, home made soup or chili, home made spaghetti sauce

Dessert: fruit

Eating out is pretty much impossible since they always seem to have something starchy or sugary! I always talk to the chef about my allergies and ask for things as plain as possible, but some places can't accomodate my requests and I just have to do the best I can based on common sense. I pretty much know I will end up with a rash and belly ache after eating out, but sometimes it's worth it just for the experience. Food is such an enjoyable party of life, so it's hard to give up absolutely everything including dining out with friends and family. But I do my best to keep it to a minimum and cook at home as much as possible.