Lunches of fun...on the go! Part 2: Teens, Tweens and Adults

I'm back with more lunchtime inspiration for my CSID friends, but lots of these ideas would also work for any low carb, gluten free, keto or paleo diets. Once again, most of these meals work during the induction diet, and if you need more info about that, see Lunches of fun...on the go part 1. Remember to check all ingredients against your safe food list, sub any sugar for dextrose or fuctose, and have some FUN with your food!

Now for the round up.

Lunches of fun...on the go! Part 1: Toddlers and Kiddos

Pack lunches are always a challenge. Take away sandwiches and it can seem overwhelming. This post is lengthy, but it's goal ito demystify the process of making pack lunches safe, healthy and fun for CSID kids from toddlerhood through elementary school.

Pretty Princess Parfaits

We had a knights and princesses party here for the Personal Assistant and Mr. Baby's birthday. It was super fun. The menu was pretty easy, but I did make a few special treats. Like these yummy parfaits. Mmmmm.

 

(Healthy) Sugar cookie dough

I love cookie dough. It probably should have killed me years ago in college when the cookies never quite got baked. But here I am, still loving cookie dough from afar. Until now.

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios

I promise this is easy.

 

Quick Fix: Baby Food

We make most of our own baby food here. It's easy, fresh and cheap, but I think the main benefit is knowing exactly what your baby is eating. Not because I don't trust baby food companies, but because it's just easier when you are introducing new foods. (Also because CSID. But that's a whole other conversation.)

At Christmas the Hubster gave me a Black & Decker smoothie blender. At the time I was all "oh, gee...thanks?" But later I figured out all that it could do and thanked him properly. The best feature of this blender is that it fits on mason jars-which is great for so many reasons. Especially baby food.

 

Frozen smoothie treats for teething babies

Most teething treats are starchy and out of bounds for us. Lots of yogurt drop baby finger foods have added sugar or are made with sucrose containing fruits and veggies, so again-out if bounds. But I wanted to make some yummy teething treats for Mr. Baby, and decided to try making frozen yogurt drops. He loves them.

Chocolate Cherry Pancakes

I like pancakes. I really really like pancakes. But I am allergic to eggs. This is well documented at this point. The personal assistant as CSID (I should maybe explain that one of these days) and cannot eat sugar (sucrose) or "too much" starch. But I still really like pancakes.

Lunches of Fun

When we found out our oldest son had CSID I was panicked that all the hard work we had done to diversify his diet and make food fun would be in vain. Would mealtimes become a drudge? Would all the food be plain and tasteless? Would my son (who loves to eat) become a picky eater?

Guest Post: What Most People Don't Understand About Food Allergies

While Jen is dealing with her own egg allergies and trying to get her toddler's CSID under control, Jane reveals what it's like to live with an adult with serious food allergies.  While most of us can graze on whatever is on the free food table at work (really who doesn't say "Doughnuts..!  I shouldn't but....") And many of us can freely orient our social situations around drinking, snacking, and eating.  For some, meals are a gauntlet.

 Jane is a 30-something teacher who lives with her husband and naughty cat in Wisconsin.

Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad Wrap (CSID lunch)

We are on week 3 of the induction diet for CSID (Congenital Sucrase-Isomaltase Deffiency). One more week and we can start Sucraid and will have more food options. But in the meantime, I am getting bored serving the same lunches over and over. Today I wanted eggless chicken salad (I am allergic) and came up with Avacado Ranch Chicken Salad Wrap. It was really tasty!

Zen Entertaining and the art of faucet repair.

I hosted my first Christmas this year for my family, because my brother just wanted everyone together, and I am too pregnant to travel comfortably. It was going to be great. Perfect. Beautiful. The menu was set, much was preped ahead of time so I could relax instead of cooking, the decorations were beautiful, the house was clean, so what if the paint wasn't all touched up, and the closets completely cleaned out, faucet was a little loose, it's an old house. I could get to all of that later.

Sweets for my sweet, sugar free chocolate cheesecake crepes

As some of you know, The Personal Assistant is not allowed to have any sugar. None. Zip. Zelch. But... 'tis the season of cookies, and pie, and candy canes, and hot chocolate. And he's two, so it is extra hard to watch him forgo all of the sweet treat fun. And as a bonus, I am allergic to eggs, so breakfast casseroles are also out. Oh, and I am hosting this year, so I probably shouldn't just serve toast and cereal.

But I think I found a solution...for Christmas breakfast we will be dining on Chocolate Cheesecake Crepes! They are divine, and easy, and make ahead and freeze-able, and totally egg and sugar free, but no one will know but you and me.

It's Thanksgiving, and everything is perfectly normal.

The Hubster asked me to make a "traditional" apple pie this year. No rosemary infused crust, no citrus in the filling. "Fine," I said, "but it IS going to be a mile high, and have smoky molasses notes in the filling, and the lattice crust will be extra dense and smothered in melted butter, cinnamon, and sugar, and you can't stop me."

Pumpkin Pie Doughnuts

 I adore pumpkin and while I don't embrace the pumpkin spice coffee situation that happens this time of year, I do put it in everything else...bread, pancakes, muffins, pie, risotto....

I came across this recipe for Pumpkin Pie Doughnuts on the King Arthur Flour blog Flourish.

My first attempt was an A-, so of course, in the name of science, I'll need to reproduce this study in deliciousness.

Peanut Butter Popcicles

Taking a little break from couponing and shopping today. (I actually just finished my meal planning and shopping for this week through January 5th yesterday, so I am a bit exhausted.)

I'll be back tomorrow with more helps for the Double Your Donation Challenge, but today I'm just Mom, and we are just making my Personal Assistant's favorite treat, Peanut Butter Popcicles.  Before we get started, I should tell you that this recipe is totally easy, and super adaptable to your kiddo's dietary needs.

Give to the Max Day!

When I lived in Minneapolis I always donated on Give to the Max Day.  Now that I no longer live there I am focusing my efforts a little closer to home.

Double Your Donation Challenge: Couponing Basics

So you've never couponed before, and here we are asking you to coupon and DOUBLE your donation. This is going to be really hard right? WRONG! This is a piece of cake. Follow me!

Curried Greens

If You Give a Mama Some Greens

The CSA is filled with greens.  When she picks up the greens she gets chilly.  When she gets chilly she wants some curry.  When she wants some curry she'll need some garam masala.  After she's made some garam masala, she'll need some naan to go with it.  After she eats her curry and naan, she'll need to go back to the CSA to get more greens!

Weekend Project: Homemade Garam Masala

I work at a college that runs a program called "Friendship Families."  This program matches international students with contacts at the school or in the area.  We're not responsible for hosting our students, just checking in on them, taking them to dentist appointments, and making a homemade dinner every once in awhile.  One of our new students this year is from Nepal. As we were getting to know each other over the summer I asked about the foods she liked and promised to try to make them here.