Darifree ice cream

ok here's what I did: (will update later depending on results)

bring 1L water to 60C
pour 1cup 60C water into 24oz mason jar
add 2/3cup darifree milk substitute
shake/stir until smooth
fill with 60C water till 16oz
shake some more
add 1 3oz pkg "All Natural! Cherry Jel Dessert"
add 1/6oz (2tbsp) sugar
(couldn't find egg replacer)
(skipped the vanilla)
2pinches salt
2tsp canola oil
shake until blended
pour into large mixing bowl (metal so you can feel the temp)

put a bit of cold water in the mason jar (avoid thermal shock)
add a tray of ice cubes
fill with cold water to 16oz line
shake until all pretty cool
pour into large mixing bowl
mix until ice cubes gone/bowl cold to touch

setup ice cream maker
start machine and pour mixture in
add 1/2 cup frozen blueberries (for the heck of it)
(cross your fingers and) wait 25 minutes or so
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original recipe, from http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/rec/rec96-2.html#rec96-2g.9

From: Karyn Friedman (KSPEACE@AOL.COM)
Subject: Darifree Ice Cream

Well, start checking out garage sales for an ice-cream maker, folks, or ask
your friends if they have one collecting dust. This recipe's a doozy.
Absolutely great.
Took me all of 15 minutes.

In a rubbermaid-type beverage container with a screw-on lid, pour

8oz. warm water
1/3 cup dry, powdered Darifree mix
(or just use 8 oz. of other milk substitute)

Shake until dissolved, then add

1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. egg replacer (or 1 beaten egg)
1 tsp. canola oil, if desired. Remember, kids need fat in their diets!
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

You could also add 1 T. liquid calcium, if desired. This is available @ GNC.

Shake well. Add ice cubes to make 16 oz. of liquid. Once those are melted,
this mixture should be cold enough to use in the ice cream maker, without
further chilling.

In lieu of an ice cream maker, pour into popsicle molds.
You could double this recipe. It would take somewhat longer to solidify.
I suppose you lucky non-allergics could add cocoa powder, chips, nuts, etc.

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facebook networking / coping

joined a facebook group in support of the Zero8 resto-bar in montreal a few days ago. Today I get a friend request from this mother of three children of which one has severe food allergies asking me to check out her blog (http://aproposdesallergiesalimentaires.blogspot.com/).
1. Didn't really expect to start networking that way, but I'm logging her blog address here anyway for future reference.
2. Never suspected there might be so many different groups and websites trying to help people with food allergies. Kinda makes sense though, since (a) we each have to learn quickly to deal with it and we want to help others through that struggle (coping mechanism/empowering), (b) everyone's set of allergies is different so each feels like their case is special and what may be good for others isn't good for me so we're cautious/not trusting of other's claims, and (c) advocacy becomes a necessary part of our daily lives. Interesting.

chocolate cake, a la Nathalie

Got this recipe from a colleague whose (7?) year old kid also has numerous severe food allergies. (Haven't tried it yet, just posting it here FYI and in case I lose the email.)

"Gâteaux au chocolat"

Four = 350 F

1 1/2 tasse farine
1 tasse sucre
3 cu table cacao
1/2 cu thé sel
1 cu table baking soda

mélanger tous les solides et ajouter

1 cu table vinaigre blanc
5 cu table huile végétal ( canola)
1 tasse d'eau
1/2 cu thé canelle ( optionnel)

cuire 15-17 minutes cup cakes ou 25 minutes pour un grand gâteau

Glaçage= sucre glaçé+eau+ cacao ou colorant

blood tests are in

August 2009 unicap results IgE levels (and class), mean wheal dias, and chance of reaction:
Peanut: 57.5 (5), 12mm; 95-100%, don't even consider a peanut challenge.
Cow's milk: 30.9 (4), 6mm; 95%
Egg white: 39 (4), 6mm; >98%
Soy: 26.1 (4), 3mm; near 73%
Shrimp: 2.25 (2); "may outgrow sensitivity, avoid for now"

"One Australian study suggested that the following food allergies will not be outgrown if the skin prick test is/larger than a certain size. These are: Cow's milk 8mm (we're at 6); Egg 7mm (6); and Peanut 8mm (12)."

Good to know he could outgrow the "sensitivity" to shrimp! Would be nicer though if it was a food group we actually ate every once in a while.

Allergist follow-up

Went for annual follow-up last week. He took the battery of skin tests like a pro. He confirmed the food allergies, and tested for distinct grasses (+ve for most/all). He gave us a referral for blood tests; hopefully some will be low enough we can proceed to the ultimate test, the oral challenge...

Pancakes

Preheat griddle (med-hi)
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl:

1.5 cups buckwheat, spelt and/or ww flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp salt
Pour in:

1.5 cups rice milk

3 tbsp (canola) oil

2 tsp maple syrup (optional)
and mix lightly.
Spoon onto griddle (add a few choc chips if on hand), flip once.
Add water to mix if too thick and fluffy.

Sweet variation:

2 tsp maple syrup (optional) with wet ingredients

Spiced variation:

1 tsp (total) cinnamon AND/OR ginger (if fresh grated, blend well with wet ingredients first); or

1/2 tsp nutmeg; or

1/8 tsp cloves; or

1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Inspired by the Allergy Self-Help Cookbook (Marjorie Hurt Jones)

SISU recall

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2009/2009_120-eng.php