Aspiration

Jenn sent me this link. An amazing food photographer! I want to be like him. Keep following to see how it goes... ;)

Long Time

It's been forever since I blogged. My life has completely turned around since the last time. I'm recently engaged to a wonderful man who loves to cook (safe for me!). I feel so blessed. He's already created several of his own allergy-free recipes. As we move forward together in life, we will be blogging many of the new, fun recipes we try and invent.

I'll keep you posted. :)

GF Vegan Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

This was my first time cooking with eggplant. I was a little nervous, so I think I cut it too small. It kind of disappeared into the mixture when cooked. But overall, it was pretty good. I took the recipe from Epicurious.com, and left out a few of their ingredients and added a few of my own (I can never seem to follow a recipe without tweaking it!).

Discouragement.

I've had a few rough days/weeks as far as food goes. Yes, I've created some delicious (and safe!) treats within that time span, but I've also encountered some allergens. And I've been invited to several very well-meaning people's homes for meals (which is very difficult). I never know what to do with myself in those situations. I don't want to turn down hospitality, but I really don't want to suffer for weeks on end just from eating one meal. I feel really bad when I have to explain my allergies. I've also been feeling really embarrassed, and I'm not really sure how to deal with that one. It revolves around my allergic reactions, mostly. I've been getting really self-conscious since my face erupted, and I really hate meeting new people when I look like this. It's like I want to say to everyone: "it's so nice to meet you - I don't normally look like this!" Then I want to explain my allergies so that they know this is not normal. I don't know what to do. I can't seem to figure out why I'm having so many problems. I feel lost.

Some Informational Websites

I came upon these sites today, and haven't had a chance to look through them.  But they look like they could have some good information or links to recipes, so I thought I'd share.  Let me know if you have a favorite food website - I always love new information or recipes!

http://www.gluten.net/
http://www.foodallergy.org/

Angelic Cake

I made an Angel Food Cake! I think it turned out really good! I think Aaron thinks so too- we both ate three pieces that night. Anyway, here's a picture. Let me know if you want the recipe.

Let Me Clarify...

Butter, that is. One of the ladies at my allergy support group mentioned that you can remove the dairy proteins from butter through a process called clarifying. I decided to give it a try, because it would sure be nice to be able to use butter again!


First, you simmer your butter. The Whey and Casein will separate from the milk fat, and you scoop it off the top (white foam).

Once no more foam rises to the top, you filter the butter. I filtered it twice through coffee filters in a strainer. (still a little skeptical that the proteins disappear in the foam. lol)

Finally, the lady in my group said that she puts the clarified butter into 1/4 cup blocks in a muffin tin. That way, when a recipe calls for a certain amount, you can measure it out pretty easily.