Tuesday, January 26, 2016

I've been saying it all along!!!!

They stole my slogan!!!
Ritz Crackers now have a TV commercial that ends:" what's on the table is never as important as who's around it. "
  I've been saying that for years! You're probably all sick of hearing it! 
  But, hey, it's true. So I guess now everyone, not only our food allergic community, knows it. 

And don't forget the Cookbook-- thanks. 
You can check out the link below or on the right hand side of the full site. 
  

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Think Outside the Dinner Box: Allergy-Free

One of those weeks where everyone's home for dinner every night-- and you're scratching your head about what to cook. It's a new year, so why not try something new. It's cold, so you want something cozy and homey. 
  I already made minestrone this week--Now what?
  So out come the cookbooks. 

  But the more I looked at the books the more I became convinced that not everything needs a dollop of cream or a coating that is dipped in egg. 

 That's usually the food allergic family dilemma. Too any substitutions. And last night it got to me--  my mind went blank and I couldn't think what to cook for any future dinner much less tonight's dinner. 
   But then I remembered an exercise I used to do with my freshman psych students: brainstorm how many ways to use a brick. ( of course in NY the first answer was always "break a window")
  But apply it to dinner: how many ways to use the foods my kid CAN EAT and is NOT allergic to??? 
Many ways-- and none required breaking a window.  
  So we had chicken thigh stew with red beans, celery and ham ( or spicy sausage if you want). And the next night, meat soup-- diced carrots, celery, shin beef and peas. And the next night, a roasted oven-stuffer with garlic and parsley and olive oil under the skin and lemons and carrots in the cavity-- and since the oven was on: cauliflower with sliced Granny Smith apples and yellow raisens. 
  Of course the list could go on and on: the point is to think about what we CAN COOK,  CAN EAT and have creative fun with those foods-- and forget about the rest!
 
   
  
  

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Bear with me: The blog has been acting  a little funny-- so you may have gotten some posts twice-- and the online blog didn't update. So here goes again.
 

Chicken a la easy

My new year's resolution is to use a little less oil and a lot more chicken. Yesterday, I got a chicken, cut up into pieces, and  put it in a roasting pan. I took a can of diced tomatoes and spooned them over the chicken-- without the liquid, makes it too watery,  Then I diced 3-4 cloves of garlic and sprinkled them over the chicken and tomatoes. And, of course, I added lots of pepper.  Pop it in the oven at 400 covered with tin foil and let it cook for 40 minutes.  Then removed the tin foil, stirred a bit, and cooked for another 30-40 minutes until nice and bubbly.
  I served this with rice, and since the over was on, I roasted Brussel sprouts (halved with a Tablespoon of oil and some water).
  Easy and delicious-- and a pretty healthy way to start the new year.