Some foods back in

I wanted to update for anyone who follows. We have successfully added cow's milk and chocolate back into Keagan's diet. There has been no reflux and no ill temperaments. Actually, Keagan has nearly been sleeping through the night. All I wanted was longer stretches but I will happily welcome all-nighters too. I have only slept through the night a handful of times in my entire life so all-nighters from Keeley and Keagan mean that mama is getting more sleep, just in time for little Rylie Bay to arrive and wake me every few hours for warm mama milk. Another help to all of this has been my husband. He has taken to sleeping on the long couch pillow on the floor next the children's cots. It reassures them that someone is there and not just mama. Everyone, including me, has greatly benefited from the help and when mama and kids get sleep life is significantly happier. The dogs are hiding less and less.

I definitely know that tomatoes are a no-go for Keagan so I will hold off on reintroducing nightshades again, as well as soy, being that he had such a wild reaction to it. Dye, preservatives, and the nasty add-ins are hardly ever in our diet so introducing those back to his diet are just not going to happen because it isn't healthy. All of this makes preparations for his birthday celebration much easier to plan for. He really missed eating cake at his sister's birthday in January, even though I provided a yummy alternative. It wasn't chocolate like hers and I am afraid we had more of a reaction from him not eating than him eating it.

For now Keagan is gluten-free, soy-free, nightshade-free, caffeine-free (except that in chocolate), dye and preservative-free. As long as all continues well than I will feed him cow's milk and chocolate. I will say though that I have tried to use raw milk as much as I can because I think it is healthier but the food budget doesn't always allow for that. As long as we are all happy and healthy than that is what counts.

Life with reflux

We are currently living a life with reflux. It is nothing new to our family. My first little one had it from birth until about twenty months of age. She had started the medication Zantac around three or four weeks of age and it only resolved itself after her diagnosis of celiac disease. It seems, to me at least, that her reflux directly correlated with her not being able to handle gluten. We had assumed she had food issues with milk, eggs, and corn. But all resolved after she had been on a gluten-free diet. Interestingly, I had done enough research on food intolerances and allergies at the time to put them aside and use later to help when our son came along. As I have said since my first daughter was born, she has been my teacher and my joy. My life changed with her and without her I would not have the courage or strength to successfully help my son.

Our son has always loved to eat. He lived on mama milk happily. In the beginning of his little life I noticed that taking corn, dairy, and soy (in addition to the gluten that was already absent) out of my diet helped crying spells be shorter in duration but he was never an unhappy baby. If he was in any pain it was minimal. After about five months he stopped sleeping for long durations. He would sleep only while on the move, either in a carrier or in the car. At nighttime he would constantly eat mama milk and he seemed to be in some pain but I could never quite put my finger on the cause. Now, granted I have food intolerances to dairy and soy, diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome, diagnosed hypoglycemia, and possible onset of multiple sclerosis and I know this could all impact my children but I have no idea to what extent. So far, my daughter could have inherited the celiac gene from me, I don't know, I have never been gene tested. And my son could have food intolerances from me but it is all guessing games, especially when blood tests don't always reveal the true problem. Or, let's be honest, the solution the medical community provides is usually a type of drug but no answer as to the cause. I don't hold it against them but I am determined to find out why and hold off on the drugs until later. I like doctors but only when they are needed.

But getting back to my son. I knew that something was wrong but that meant doing a lot of hard work and trial and error. I wasn't willing, yet. I made up excuses and tried to justify it with various reasons but in my gut, heart, whatever you want to call it there was something bothering him and it was up to me to determine it. Fast forward to twenty months of age and my husband away for two months. I began to see that he was truly hurting and me right along with him. No sleep. He had all but given up his naps but was totally exhausted, and he slept maybe three to four hours a night and not all at one time. I realized without my husband that we were all exhausted and it was affecting all of us. I had suspected reflux for some time because you could hear him doing it and he sometimes had wet burps, or small vomits, even while he slept. While my husband was gone I had also stopped breastfeeding my son, mainly due to my milk supply dropping to virtually nothing, due to my advancing third pregnancy. Following "the stop" I noticed that my son was worse than he had ever been. I wondered at first could it be separation anxiety because Daddy was away for a bit or had his reflux become worse because he didn't have mama milk (it has been said that breast milk can be a natural soother to the esophagus). Well, once my husband had returned I decided it was time to take action.

The first week, I removed dairy and it was a small improvement. Then as a substitute for dairy I added soy margarine for the butter and soy milk for the cow's milk. It was a huge mistake. His case of reflux turned into a HUGE case of reflux. Now I know that he doesn't have an allergy to soy or cow's milk because our pediatrician had RAST tests done to determine if he had potential allergies causing his severe case of eczema. When your little one is crying, whining, spitting up, and just in general a grump you know you have an issue. Out came the soy. There was a little improvement but something was still off. I really tried to listen to him and notice changes after he ate. I also took to the Internet and started trying to find other ways to help him. I ran across the elimination of the nightshade family, a previous find of mine but one I had never tried. A short list of the nightshade family includes white potatoes, tomatoes, chilies. I thought I would try this before the elimination of eggs. Voila! It took a few days but it worked. I had a little boy sleeping for five to six hour stretches and two to three hour nap during the day. The house almost literally breathed a sigh of relief.

I have still made a few mistakes since then, like forgetting that potato starch comes from potatoes and I made two loaves of bread and fed it hand-over-fist to my son whenever he asked and then wondered why he was not feeling well? But you live and learn and I must say that is exactly what I am doing. I am learning that sweet potatoes are apart of the morning glory family and are an excellent substitute for potatoes and that I can use arrowroot starch or tapioca starch in place of potato starch. I feel that I am actually becoming an expert on cooking gluten, dairy, and soy free. I just made up a batch of delicious gluten, dairy, soy, nightshade, caffeine free cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning breakfast, as well as gluten, dairy, soy, nightshade, caffeine free eggnog. I am always amazed that I can actually do it and that it tastes good, and as I perfect the recipe it turns into a great recipe. Adapting is the key to my success and being a little fearless with what I try.

In addition to this, I am also learning to listen to my own body and be more attune to those in my family. On this reflux roller coaster, I have stopped eating all the foods my son cannot eat. It is something I should have done a long time ago. I feel better and I smell better. Those who have ever been in gastric distress know what you smell like, and it ain't pretty folks. My son and I are chocolate, caffeine, gluten, dairy, soy, and nightshade free. My daughter is gluten free but both she and my husband eat essentially what my son and I eat unless they have an alternative available, such as a cup of delicious hot cocoa made with cow's milk while my son and I enjoy a hot cup of almond or hazelnut milk flavored with ground cinnamon and a little evaporated cane juice. We are all happier for it. I hope that with the new addition to our family soon to arrive that she will not have as many gastrointestinal issues but I know that if she does we will arise to the challenge and we will make it yummy. For know our journey involves everyone being involved in the preparation of their food and understanding what goes into their mouth. Starting with them at a young age and explaining it to them is working surprisingly well and both of my children love to help me cook and as I write we are currently watching their favorite movie, "Ratatouille". It may not be a career they choose but food will be a fun experience for them rather than an, "Oh, I can't eat food so I can't have fun or enjoy food." No pity parties here and no stormy rain clouds hanging around. I wish we had done this sooner. Reflux in this house has been currently stuffed into a pot and boiled away with some satisfyingly tasty and safe foods. The score now stands at Reflux-0, Happy and Creative Family-1. AAaahhhhh.

Why no baby food recipes?

By chance, if anyone has visited this blog in search of tips while feeding a gluten-free or allergy-free baby or child I must explain my absence. With our new addition, now over a year ago, I thought I would try my hand at making homemade baby food and doing all things as natural as possible. Our first child was, I am sorry to say, my little guinea pig. I thought I was healthy with her, and me, but her entrance into this world radically changed mine. She made me re-examine my life, my thought, my heart. My first changed my world and life forever, and definitely for the ever-wonderfully fantastic better. My only regrets with her were my lack of patience and lack of knowledge. But you live and learn and try to not make the same mistakes again. Hence, the motivation to do it all positively different for our family with the arrival of our second bundle of joy.

Listening to your gut and your heart is the most natural thing I have learned on my journey with both my kids. My son, the second arrival, has very loudly told me he doesn't like baby food. I tried to force it on him for a few weeks. I mean I had been in the kitchen for two weeks preparing foods in season and then freezing them so he SHOULD eat them, right? No. He told me no, with no uncertain terms. Now what?

Well, back to the drawing board. My daughter, the first arrival, made me go back to the drawing board when she was diagnosed with Celiac disease at 15 months old. This planning for my son would be way easier than that. My son told me he wanted what we ate. Now this IS easy. I should say it is easy because we eat about 95% organic, try to eat in season and as local as possible and we hardly ever eat foods with additives, dyes, or corn syrup. To incorporate the needs of my son we just started to follow what I call the "baby bird" syndrome. That is, mama chews up the big stuff then passes it on to baby. Voila! Baby is happy, mama is happy, family is happy.

Now, you may ask what is it exactly that we eat. Well, I have grown since having kids. My tastes are more attuned and more refined since having my first, as well as gluten-free. It is amazing that once you remove junk you can actually taste your food. We eat small meals, sitting down and make it a pleasurable experience: candles, fully set table, quiet music, and an atmosphere of calm. I should say this is a major key to getting the whole family to eat well. Then as we eat I listen and watch for clues on what everyone likes and go from there. Though with kids I encourage them to eat a particular food, such as broccoli, many times before we decide if it is a food that they like or dislike. I have found my daughter dislikes broccoli very much. I have cooked it many ways: steamed, raw, baked with cheese, sprinkled with sea salt, etc. The simple fact is she gave it a honest try and does not like it. Another positive example is my attempt with Gouda cheese. Neither gluten-free baby liked it but I kept trying it. Smoked Gouda, plain Gouda, aged Gouda, Gouda and apple, Gouda and sausage, grilled cheese Gouda. And guest what? Now they both love it. It is my daughter's favorite and my son's second favorite, second only to mozzarella.

Needless to say, whatever I eat the kids eat. It is healthy, definitely less work and it keeps me on my toes for trying new and exciting recipes. I am still feeding my son mama milk whenever he wants, and hand expressing a little for my daughter and sneaking it in her smoothies. I also give them both multivitamins. My son has a liquid form and my daughter the chewie vitamins. In addition to this, I give them both fish oil every day.

I encourage anyone to try this way of feeding the family. It is easy, good for mama, good for the family and the earth. Your children will thank you later because you have established lifelong healthy habits. The last advice I offer is that you incorporate your children into your routine of shopping, creating and serving the food and meals. My children LOVE to help and actually whine if they can't stir, "chop", shop or eat what I am. Kids are fast learners and if you make this a constant then it will become a very natural habit. I know it has with mine.

Food ideas:

*We try and use all organic foods but if not try natural and/or local.*

BREAKFAST

~Scrambled Eggs(can add cooked onions, cheese, chard, etc.)

~Yogurt with honey or agave syrup and fruit, like dried blueberries or fresh

~Sausage

~Smoothies

~Gluten-free oatmeal with a touch of brown sugar and cream

LUNCH

~Gluten-free grilled cheese sandwiches, you can add tomato, spinach, arugula

~Sushi, I do homemade (I use Lundberg Gluten-Free Sushi Rice) but in a pinch I buy the gluten-free sushi offered at Whole Foods (check because not all are gluten-free). I serve it with gluten-free pickled ginger. I use the wasabi but my kids find it extremely spicy. Try it with yours but just a touch.

~Homemade fish sticks (I use tilapia I buy at Whole Foods, cut it up and use the savory marinade from the Sears book . After the fish marinates from anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, dredge it through gluten-free flour and broil the fish for about 5-10 minutes.)

DINNER

~Salmon pan fried in olive oil with garlic, lemon juice and a little salt salt, green beans sauteed in olive oil and garlic

~Homemade gluten-free pizza

~Spaghetti

~Gluten-Free chicken piccata (to make it gluten-free substitute flour with gf flour blend. I use garfava flour), mushrooms sauteed in a wine sauce (My daughter doesn't like these but my son loves them. Though he likes eating raw onions. He has a well developed palate.) , and baked asparagus drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese

SNACKS

~Dried fruits and nuts (for children over two)

~Cheeses

~Yogurt, honey and fruit

~Raw veggies, or cooked for smaller ones

~Rice cakes and nut butters (sunflower seed, cashew, almond, peanut)

~Smoothies (We call it ice cream. Usually "pink" ice cream because the strawberries turn it pink. You can sneak in all sorts of healthy things. Fish oil, fruits (A quick tip is to buy fresh fruit, cut it up and freeze them. It is a great substitute for ice cubes.), flax seed, yogurt, vitamins, even veggies like kale, chard, kelp. They never know, as long as it is blended well. Once I didn't blend it well and a big piece of kelp stuck in my daughter's straw and she thought it was a booger. It took her a whole week to try another smoothie.)

~Homemade popcorn sprinkled with organic kelp granules instead of salt

~Homemade trail mix ( I mix sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, toasted pumpkin seeds, currants, cashews, pistachio nuts, Enjoy Life Foods chocolate chips, dried banana chips and sometimes golden raisins. My son likes the pumpkin seeds, banana chips, chocolate chips, and dried fruits and my daughter will eat it all. I get most of my organic fruit and nuts from my local co-op and what they don't have I get at Whole Foods. Read labels or ask staff about where these things come from. Most nuts and fruits are safe but some can be sorted on equipment shared with potential allergens, such as wheat.)

~Bumble Bars

I hope this is helpful to anyone who reads. The Internet has been such a great source of information and help that I hope through my experiences I can help someone too. I hope to report back soon with a successful adventure. If I don't post before, in just a few weeks our family will be visiting Arizona. I am excited because there is a a pizza parlor that serves gluten-free pizza! I will say that I am a little nervous because it will be the first time flying with two children and traveling so far from home while eating gluten-free, especially since we will be staying in place with no family or friends. I am gearing myself up with a positive attitude, open mind, slow nature and a spirit of adventure! It will be fun exploring. I will get to see the Grand Canyon and it will be my first time out West and I get to share with my children and hubby. I'll report on that soon but until then cheers to you and your gluten-free or allergy-free baby/child!

Market gluten-free teething biscuits

I still haven't perfected my teething biscuit recipe. I won't share it with others until I feel it is good enough, but until then I have found a few companies I would like to share with you. I told you last post about a teething biscuit I found at Whole Foods. My gluten-free boy can't eat it but your gluten-free baby might. The company Baby Mum-Mum can be found in stores or can be bought on Amazon. They have a few varieties to choose from. I am just grateful there are more gluten-free products becoming available.

While I am on the subject of gluten-free pre-packaged baby food I will mention a few more. I will state upfront though that I am trying to adhere to a menu of organic, homemade and in-season. But as all of us saintly parents know sometimes all of the aforementioned just isn't physically, or mentally,possible. However, just because we don't have time doesn't mean we have to sacrifice on our values and quality. Having said this, you can find an organic line of baby food in almost any store now but add to it gluten-free or in my case gluten-free/numerous food-intolerances free and it can get tricky. Tricky but doable.

First, check the baby food aisle for jarred baby food. Read labels carefully and even write down companies names and go home and call them. Better safe than sorry is a great policy to live by. Jar food is great. I save the jars for food I make at home, art projects, or I recycle them.


Another great place to look for gluten-free baby food is in the frozen food section. I found two companies I would like to mention. Now, you should know I haven't tried them yet and you still need to read the box but it looks like it has great promise. Plum Organics is a company that has a wonderful and sound mission. Their belief is "that by exposing infants and children to authentic, minimally processed foods one can positively influence their taste buds and appreciation of healthy foods for life." I think this type of mission is great because it leads to less finicky eating. The family can eat as a whole rather than divided by the type of genre of foods those at the table prefer to eat.

The second company is Happy Baby. This is a company I would like to own myself. First, the company name just makes you smile. Second, the fun little names for all the foods are exactly what I would do. Lastly, it is good food. Granted it is what I would make at home but this is the next best thing. Happy Baby also creates authentic foods which gives them another point in my book. Either way both look like great alternatives. The packaging is such a waste compared to waste created when making homemade baby food but as an alternative it is great.

I hope this helps someone, somewhere. I will be posting a teething biscuit recipe, hopefully by the end of next week. Happy eating to you and your gluten-free baby!

Helpful for others but not so much for me

Well, we are having issues here with our introduction of solid foods. I have started solid foods and stopped. We re-started, then stopped. After we started rice cereal it seems like my son's system goes haywire. It says to me he isn't ready for much yet. I do have an underlying fear (though I have learned that with fear you meet it head on, otherwise it can cripple you) that we will go through the same food issues we did with my daughter. Granted, I was feeding her food with wheat and it took a bit to discover this an give her body time to heal. I am just telling myself to take it really slow. The boy is definitely interested in eating, especially when we eat. But he is a healthy seven month-old weighing in at 26lbs eating gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free mama milk. He is literally in size 2T clothes on top and 3T on the bottom. Needless to say, he is not lacking for calories or nutrients. I will figure this out but until then I keep coming up with new concoctions.

I made two Indian dishes from this great website and of course adapted as needed. The Indian Soup was not a big hit, only because it was quite bland, which would be perfect for a really little one. I tripled the recipe and used ghee in place of the butter, as well as used all organic ingredients. With a little salt, I enjoyed the soup. The other recipe, Vegetable Korma, was a hit with my two and half year old, as well as with my hubby and me. Again with this recipe I tripled it, used all organic ingredients, and substituted canned diced tomatoes for the tomato puree. Keep in mind though that these two recipes use a lot of various vegetables and your gluten-free little one should be tolerant of all of them before you feed them these great recipes. These recipes work really well for toddlers, like my girl who is two and a half years old. She can eat almost all things except gluten.

I am working on a recipe for a teething biscuit that is of course gluten-free but also dairy, soy, egg and possibly corn and sugar free. So far, yuck. None I would give to my dogs, in fact they wouldn't eat them. I can do it though and will keep you informed. In the meantime, Whole Foods is now carrying gluten-free teething biscuits based off of teething biscuits served in the Orient. Both of the varieties this one brand carries have dairy in them, which won't be tolerated here, but if your gluten-free little one can handle it, then how great for you! I forgot the name of the brand but next time I am in I will write it down, along with a photo, and edit this post with the new information in it.

Sorry it has been so long since the last post but life with little ones can be full! If anyone wants to share helpful information definitely add something to the comments. I would love Gluten-Free Baby to be a place where we all learn and share, especially if it will enhance our babies' happiness and well-being. Happy eating to you and your gluten-free baby!

Luscious Blackberry Smoothie

This is a fine recipe for an OLDER gluten-free baby, for example a toddler or older gluten-free baby. Berries are high on the allergy list so be sure your gluten-free baby is tolerant. Also,the blackberries in this recipe have seeds that gluten-free, or any other, baby can choke on. Besides that warning, this is a great way to serve up a fruit that your little one will enjoy! I posted this in my adult gluten-free recipes, as well. Make enough for your gluten-free baby AND you! Happy eating to you and your gluten-free baby.




Luscious Blackberry Smoothie
1 pint of organic blackberries
1-2 organic bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup organic plain yogurt, none if dairy-free
2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice/sugar (or agave nectar, brown rice syrup, stevia)
Ice to meet your desire of thickness or thinness

Blend bananas, vanilla, yogurt (skip if dairy-free) and ice until smooth. Then add blackberries and evaporated cane juice. Add more ice, as needed. If you so desire add a little rice milk or other milk for a little extra oomph. Also, if you are not dairy-free you could top with a little whip cream (see my recipe below). Happy eating to you and your gluten-free baby.

Freckled Face Mama's Homemade Whipped Cream
1 cup organic heavy whipping cream
3-4 tablespoons evaporated cane juice/sugar

Beat whipping cream and cane juice/sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer (I use my kitchen aid mixer) on high until stiff or the consistency you so desire. The only problem I have with this recipe is that I want to eat it all myself rather than serve it with what it is supposed to accompany.

Starting out on solid foods

In this gluten-free household we are semi-attempting/semi-starting to introduce our boy to solid foods. I have attempted several times ONLY because he seemed interested. The times I have tried he sometimes seems interested and other times not at all. I don't feed him solids everyday. Sometimes it may be three to four days between solid food meals. He's happy and I am happy. He's 26lbs and I am not worried about him wasting away. I encourage anyone who is starting out on solid foods to REALLY listen to THEIR little one. Some are ready before others and forcing food on a little one before they are ready is just not necessary. With that bit-o-soap-box out of the way I will move on.

I am going to make all the baby food I can from home with organic and in season fruits, vegetable and meats. The best thing is to introduce a new food every 4-7 days. Keeping a food journal can be cumbersome but it is worth it in the end, especially if you need documentation to fill in the blanks later. I have found the best source for aiding me in making baby food is Super Baby Food. As expected, I have to adapt most of the recipes to be gluten-free.

The rice cereal was my first try and adaptation. What's that you say, rice IS gluten-free? Why, yes, it is but you also have the possibility of contamination-that's how we found out my daughter had celiac disease. She was already on a gluten-free diet but the rice cakes she ate daily were not. So when I make rice cereal for the boy I make sure I use a gluten-free rice, such as Lundberg Rice. I use brown rice and once we established it was ok with the boy I made fresh, organic fruit to mix in. This recipe can also be used with gf millet, gf buckwheat(which is not wheat), or white rice. My daughter and I seem to have a food intolerance to oats (contaminated or not) but this company would be a good one to buy from if you want to make oatmeal. If making this for an older child or adult you can always substitute the water with rice milk, nut milk, cow milk, goat milk, etc. and then add a fresh fruit or even as a special treat, maple syrup or brown sugar.

I hope this is helpful for someone and that you enjoy making it and sharing it with your little one. Happy eating to you and your gluten-free baby!

Gluten-Free Rice Cereal

1 cup filtered water
1/4 gluten-free brown rice

Put 1 cup of water in small pot (no lid) on stove and set aside. In a food processor, or blender, grind the 1/4 cup of rice until is very fine. It will look like the flakes you use from a commercial box of rice cereal. Almost like the loose-powder that women use with their make-up. The duration in which it takes you to grind very much depends on your grinder.After it is done grinding put it into the water you have set aside and bring to a simmer. Now stay near by because it won't take very long at all. Stir it fairly constantly until it it resembles a thin porridge. Now you are ready to serve. It keeps in the refrigerator for around 3 days. It won't keep long at all though if your gluten-free baby eats it pretty regularly.