An Update On Sam

In response to my request for what you want me to post about in the run up to the big 1000, my Aunt Irene asked for an update on Sam's skin rash.

Six weeks ago we discovered Sam was sensitive to wheat, dairy and soy, as well as garlic, salmon and peanuts. We removed all those foods from his diet, and it hasn't been easy! But we are seeing some improvement to the rash that has plagued Sam since about this time last year.

Honestly, it's hard to be patient with this process. I try to keep reminding myself that it took a year to get this bad, so it's not going to go away overnight. But it's easy to focus on the fact that he does still have a lot of rashiness and we've had more than one night in the last month where Sam has been awake at night because, "I just itch all over."

That said, we have not used any steroid cream or medicine on Sam's skin in six weeks. And when our friend Sarah recently babysat she commented on how much better he looked. That was good to hear. It's easy for us to focus on the fact that he's still rashy, instead of seeing that he is improving.

Sam's rash started at his feet and gradually made its way up his body and even onto his face. It appears to be disappearing the same way. His face, neck, chest and upper back are rash-free, but his lowerback and arms and legs are still rashy. His feet continue to be the worst, but even they are definitely better -- less scaly.

We're only six weeks in, so I'm not yet convinced that this is the final answer to resolving Sam's skin issues. But it has been more effective than most of the steroid creams and medicines we've tried in the last year. I think the salt water baths have been helping, too.

So Sam's skin is gradually improving, and we are making progress on finding foods he wants to eat, though it's still time-consuming and expensive. We're supposed to keep this up for six months, and I hope to see some major improvement by the time we hit three months.

In the meantime, I am starting to get the hang of this no dairy, no soy, no wheat thing. And Sam is more and more accepting of the substitutes we offer him. Tonight, for example, I scored a major victory with macaroni and cheese made from Tinkyada rice noodles and "cheese" sauce made with non-soy, non-dairy substitute, rice flour, So Delicious coconut milk, and chedddar style almond cheese.

Happy Sam, happy mom!

Thanks for asking, Aunt Irene, and thanks for always checking in on us via the blog!

© Trippin' Mama 2012

Serendipity

I am smiling as I write this, because today serendipity intervened.

I had a bunch of meetings for my volunteer work with 4-H that took me back to the university where I used to work. It is always fun to go back and see some familiar faces and visit old haunts.

Then I ran into my good friend Laurie. She and I shared an office for seven years, and we had some great times together but we haven't always stayed in touch. Hugs, ohmigoshes, and a flurry of conversation ensued. Laurie grabbed my arm and said, "I'm having an impromptu birthday celebration at 5. Come! Please come!"
So I did.

It was the only thing I could do.

You see, Laurie and I both recently experienced a sudden loss. About the same time my cousin passed away, a good friend of hers committed suicide after a long battle with depression. The lesson was not lost on us. Life is short, so enjoy it. Say "I love you," spend time with family, take care of your friends, and for Pete's sake, if serendipity hands you the opportunity to celebrate with a friend TAKE IT! It will put a smile on your face.

Happy birthday, my friend!

© Trippin' Mama 2012

The Worst Hospitality EVER

I've written far too often here about mice and the need to catch them. And more than once I've alluded to a mouse story that took place one girls' weekend when I was with my mom and my sisters. Now it's time to tell the story.

Girls Weekend 2002. We rented a cabin in Wisconsin so we could go the Cranberry Festival. I know it sounds hokey, but we had a good time. What's not to like about a festival where you can shop and eat elephant ears?

Anyway, it was late fall, and when we got to our pretty basic cabin in the woods, our hostess informed us that the last occupants had complained about mice.

She casually said they hadn't caught the rodents yet, then brought in a large plastic garbage can and a six-foot 2x4. She tossed a handful of sunflower seeds in the bottom of the garbage can and very casually told us it was the best mouse trap ever. All we had to do was put the garbage can in the middle of the room at night and set the board up so the mice could run up to the garbage can. According to our charming hostess, the mice would smell the seeds, run up the board, fall into the garbage can and not be able to get out.

I think we made a pretty good show of not looking horrified or falling to the ground laughing. But the minute our "hostess" left, we immediately put the can and the 2x4 out on the back porch.

Can you imagine listening all night to a mouse scrabbling around inside that plastic garbage can all night?

We eased our heebie jeebies with a couple bottles of wine.

Seriously the worst hospitality EVER. 

© Trippin' Mama 2012

Fast Approaching 1000 Posts

I can hardly believe that I am fast approaching 1,000 posts on this blog. That's a lot of writing in just under four years, especially considering all the little people in this house. Little people who both provide blog fodder and keep me from blogging all at the same time!

It's been quite a journey so far, and I have enjoyed my little writing playground here immensely. Thank you all for coming along for the ride with me. I appreciate your comments and emails and most of all your willingness to laugh along with me.

I have just nine more posts to go to number 1000, so I'm giving you the chance to tell me what you want to see here in the run up to that big milestone. Throw me a bone and toss out a comment telling me what you wish I'd write about. I pretty much tell it all all the time, but maybe I've missed something along the way and you're just dying to know. Well, here's your chance!

And if no one has any burning questions, then I'll be forced to subject you to whatever I can come up with on my own while chasing three toddlers around the house and helping a kindergartener with her homework. It probably won't be pretty.

So, what say you?

Christy

© Trippin' Mama 2012

Politics Starts Early

Last week Amelia learned about various presidents in school in celebration of President's Day. That night when I was tucking her in, I asked her what she was grateful for.

She replied, "President Obama."

Ahem. Her mother spent three years working for the Republicans, and while her father has never been on the Republicans' payroll, that's where his votes go, too.

"Did you learn about him in school?" I asked.

"Yes. He's in charge of the whole country. That's a really hard job," Amelia replied.

Well, she's right there, and we respect the office of the President, no matter what.

"What else are you grateful for?" I asked, assuming we'd move off the topic of presidents.

She answered, "President Ruth."

"President Ruth?" I thought for a minute. "Do you mean President Roosevelt?"

"Yeah, that's it," Amelia said.

"Teddy or Franklin?" I asked. Amelia looked at me quizzically. I tried again, "The Roughrider or the wheelchair?"

I held my breath. She had a shot here.

"The one in the wheelchair," Amelia answered.

I broke the news to her Daddy a short while later. He looked at me and said very seriously. "We are clearly doing something wrong."

Let the indoctrination begin!

© Trippin' Mama 2012

From My Kitchen: Free Pancakes!

When I say free pancakes, I'm not talking no cost. Sorry! I'm talking wheat-free, dairy-free, soy-free pancakes. We've tried a couple of mixes and gluten-free Bisquik, but nothing has really bowled us over, so I got busy for Fat Tuesday and whipped up THREE batches of homemade pancakes.

We measured. We poured. We cooked. We tasted. We compared. And we found two winners. Because wouldn't you know it, not everyone liked the same pancake.

I made an oatmeal pancake with oatmeal flour and lots of cinnamon that was a hit with the boys. Amelia ate an entire one before saying she didn't really like it. Hmmmm. I think she liked it just fine. I started with this recipe for Flourless Oatmeal Pancakes from Lauren's Blog.

Since Lauren grinds her oatmeal into flour and I already had oat flour on hand I just used that. This recipe includes yogurt, so I used vanilla So Delicious coconut yogurt and omitted the vanilla extract. Lauren suggests adding pumpkin, banana or any fruit puree, which I didn't do, but I think the pumpkin version sounds delish! My version is included below.

Amelia's favorite was "Dad's Best Pancakes (Made Gluten Free)" from Ginger Lemon Girl. And Jeff and I agreed. Personally, I think Dad's Best with cinnamon in them would rock. Maybe next time. You can follow the link to the original recipe above, but I made a couple small changes so I've included my version below. (Also, because this blog is becoming my recipe box and I want to be sure I have this recipe included!)

I also tried Buttermilk Pancakes with Coconut Flour from Bob's Red Mill. They did cook up nice and fluffy, as promised, but I'm not sure that the substitute buttermilk (So Delicious coconut milk plus 1 tablespoon of vinegar) really did the trick. And they were a touch gummy, which is a problem I'm finding with things made from rice flour. I would consider trying this again with sorghum or millet flour in place of the rice flour, and rice milk plus vinegar as a substitute for the buttermilk.

Since we had two winners, I'm sharing both recipes with you.

Oatmeal Pancakes with Cinnamon

(Free of  wheat, dairy, and soy)
1 cup of oat flour or ground oatmeal (pulse rolled oats in food processor or blender until finely ground)

½ tsp baking powder

3 eggs

1 egg white

½ cup of vanilla So Delicious coconut yogurt (or any plain or vanilla yogurt, if you're not dairy free)

½ tsp of vanilla (I omitted this since I used vanilla yogurt)

1 tsp of Cinnamon

 

* Optional (1/3 cup of Pumpkin Puree or 1 small banana smashed or add any fruit at the end)

 

Stir ingredients together until just blended. Spray griddle or pan and cook pancakes until top bubbles and edges are dry. Flip and cook until nicely browned.

The result is a pancake that definitely tastes a lot like a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon. They were not too thin, and had a nice texture.
This next recipe, though was a real winner. They were thin, but delicious with no hint of gumminess or grittiness. A real home run!

Dad's Best Pancakes (Made Gluten Free)Adapted from a recipe by Carrie Forbes @ Gingerlemongirl.com
(Free of gluten, dairy, and soy)
Dry Ingredients
3/4 cup sorghum flour (the original recipe calls for brown rice flour)
1/2 cup arrowroot starch (the original recipe calls for tapioca starch)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients
1 egg
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used So Delicious vanilla coconut milk. I you use plain milk, add a teaspoon of vanilla)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds + 2 tbsp. boiling hot water (Mix & set aside for 5 minute to gel, then add to wet ingredients.)

Directions:
In a medium sized bowl add all dry ingredients and whisk together thoroughly. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the vanilla (if using), an egg, 1 cup of non-dairy milk, and the oil. Whisk wet ingredients together with dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed. You will have a very wet, but slightly thick batter that will cling to the whisk. Brush skillet or non-stick pan with olive oil or non-stick spray. Heat pan on medium high heat until it's hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle. Pour a few tablespoons - 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the top and pop and the edges are slightly dry. Flip and cook the opposite side for 1-2 minutes.

 

This recipe made very thin pancakes, but they tasted the most like the pancakes we're used to. I did omit the 3 tablespoons of rolled oats, which Carrie says add great texture. I was afraid my kids wouldn't like the "lumps." I did like that I was able to boost the nutritional value a bit with sorghum flour and flax. The next time I make the oatmeal pancakes, I'll probably use flax in place of one of the eggs.

I have a recipe for buckwheat pancakes that I'm planning to try, too. Buckwheat is not gluten free, but it is wheat free, in spite of its name. (Buckwheat is actually a grass, like wild rice, not a grain.)

In the meantime, enjoy either one of these recipes. We sure did!

© Trippin' Mama 2012

The Extraction

Yesterday I took Sam to the ENT so they could remove the foam sticker from his ear canal.

It wasn't pretty.

Sam already suffered through two failed attempts to remove the sticker, so I practically had to sit on him to get him in the car seat and to the doctor's office.

By the time I got him there he was so excited to have alone time with mom he was his usual happy self.

Until the doctor came at him with the metal hook. Then Sam freaked out. I was holding him. The nurse was holding him. Sam was yelling, "No! No! No! Let's go home!"

He would not cooperate.

The doctor, who I am told has a set of twins who are three, said "Is he always like this?"

I gave him a dumbfounded look, then replied: "You mean terrified and upset? No, he just gets like that when someone comes at him with a sharp, scary instrument."

Hello?! Have you done this before? I'm betting most of your three-year-old patients don't lay here cooperatively while you dig in their ears.

Anyhow, the doc decided to use this little vacuum to suck the sticker out. Only problem is that he told Sam it was just going to be noisy and it was just like the vacuum at home. Sam does not like noise (unless he is generating it), as I have documented here, here and here.  and he HATES the vacuum cleaner.

I was shaking my head no, but the doc was not looking at me. So Sam cried harder and held his hands over his ears even tighter.

Eventually the doc left and the nurses took over. They gave Sam a lollipop, took him for a ride on the chair, and blew a glove into a balloon and drew a face on it for him. Once he settled down, the doc came in to try again. It took three of us to hold him down and he kept yelling at us to quit "squishing" him. Of course, we didn't have a choice.

Finally the sticker was out. It had actually adhered to the eardrum. Really? Those foam stickers won't stay stuck on paper for eight hours let alone eight days!

Here's the most expensive foam sticker ever to enter our house. (I hope!)

When we got home Isaac crawled up next to Sam and looked in his ear. Then he said, "Did they take your brains out buddy?"

Fair question under the circumstances.

© Trippin' Mama 2012