Here's the latest and greatest from the land free of soy and dairy:
We got a Costco membership! We usually tag along with friends to Costco, but when Living Social had a deal we snatched it up. Costco has really good produce prices, so we stocked up this weekend. Although a ton of the things I love to get at Costco contain soy or dairy (my favorite veggie burgers, garlic brown rice/quinoa packs, ANNIE'S MAC AND CHEESE etc), we were able to find some great items to add to our pantry and produce selections. Here are some ideas for what to make if you are living soy and dairy free!
T-B, L-R: French Bread with veggie eggs and avocado. Slow cooker BBQ pulled pork with vinegar slaw. Taco Salad with ground turkey (Still looking for a taco seasoning without soy! Will need to make my own!) Slow cooker cilantro pulled pork with lime rice.
T-B, L-R: Pumpkin Oatmeal. Grilled pork tenderloin (we marinated it in EVOO, salt and pepper) and brussel sprouts with roasted butternut squash. Veggie egg sandwich on sourdough with homemade sweet potato hash (Roasted with EVOO and Mrs. Dash Garlic and herb seasoning) Reused pork for a honey mustard pork sandwich with roasted asparagus and a bake sweet potato.
Remember how I said there were several names for soy? Well, I thought I was being vigilant, but Henry would have good days and bad days with his spitting up. I kept wracking my brain thinking "WHAT DID I EAT THAT COULD HAVE HAD SOY OR DAIRY?!" Well, remember that coconut ice cream that I loved? Turns out it has guar gum in it, which could be derived from soy. Not only did that have guar gum,but so did the honey mustard I had been making salad dressing! I felt horrible. The second I stopped eating those two items, his spitting up became minimal. You live, you learn, you eliminate. Thankfully Coconut Bliss coconut ice cream seems to be okay on Henry's stomach, so I will continue to cherish that treat once in a while.
I have slowly been eating out. I didn't eat out (Except Chipotle, who has EXCELLENT ingredients lists and allergen resources on their website!) because I was scared to cross contaminate. Now, I'm getting bolder. I used to work in the restaurant industry, and I know how seriously I had to take someone's allergy order...I just didn't expect others to take it as seriously. Well, I have been pleasantly surprised! I have eaten out at Brooklyn Bagel, Panera, Bareburger and a Greek restaurant out in Long Island, and ALL were over the top helpful when it came to providing me with dairy and soy free options. While I do miss the ability to order a pizza or grab sushi, this has made me a more creative cook.
Speaking of being a creative cook: Thanksgiving. Yup. The holidays are coming, and I will not be able to eat most of the food. Thankfully my mom is a great cook and will do what she can to accommodate me. However, I will be going to CT early to spend time with family, providing me time to make my own Thanksgiving-ish food. Stay tuned: we will see how pie, mashed potatoes and stuffing is when it's soy and dairy free! Gobble gobble.
How about you? Do you host Thanksgiving? Have you ever cooked for someone with a food allergy? Do you shy away or boldly make special requests at restaurants? TELL ME ABOUT IT!
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