Living Nut-Free, Some Quirks

Since summertime and we discovered our 2 year old's severe nut allergy things have been a bit complicated. It has certainly been a learning curve. Our other two girls had been tested as "sensitive" to peanuts so we avoided them, but didn't worry about it much. We knew nut allergies could be serious so we have been cautious, but not overly concerned. With our little one it is very clearly a different story. Her first reaction was so severe that we now carry an epi pen and Benadryl everywhere. At first, we looked for things without nuts, but accidentally gave her something that had been processed on the same equipment and she had a pretty intense reaction. Now, of course, we scour everything. Still, though, it is hard. I bought hamster food last week and didn't see any nuts on the ingredient list, but did see that it was processed on the same equipment as nuts. Unfortunately, the food had peanuts in it. So, I went to the pet store in our small town and found no hamster food without nuts. Thankfully, she looked up hamster food she could order. The first food had wheat, wheat gluten, and soybeans as its first ingredients. Back to the drawing board and she found a suitable hamster food and ordered it for us. In the meantime, she has chinchilla food. She's not too impressed with it, but the little one is safe.

The point of this post is that learning how to live nut free is quite something. The scope is huge, especially with a two year old who just doesn't have any idea that she can or cannot eat something. Eating out is another problem for children with multiple allergies. We had always chosen salad bars, like Soup Plantation and Souper Salad. I need to contact places and find out what kind of oils they use and am concerned with cross contamination. In-N-Out Burgers we have found to be ideal. Their employees can tell you very quickly what oil they use, 100% cottonseed, everything is fresh and pure, 100% beef and they make their burgers "protein style", a lettuce wrap. The food is great, fresh, free of additives, and perfect for allergy sufferers. Now, if they would just come to our neck of the woods.

We don't know how all this will play out, but we do know that there is nothing more important than keeping our little one safe. We do know that each exposure to even minute amounts of nuts can make the next reaction worse and avoiding it is critical. Our church has even gone the extra mile and people don't bring food with nuts to church. Her preschool has really stepped up to the plate, as well and even makes gluten free playdough for the classes to use. So keeping her safe in her little world is becoming easier with assistance from some great people. Hopefully, some of this will help you keep the people you know safe with severe nut allergies.

Gluten Free Bread and Thanksgiving

This was one of several gluten free Thanksgivings we have had. We made our own bread from scratch, using a gluten free flour blend, for the first time. We have always used mixes in the past. The bread turned out great! Although, I want to work on the blend some more to eliminate the potato starch from it as one of our children has trouble with potatoes. She used to throw up with potatoes and doesn't anymore, so we thought we'd give it a try. Potatoes do, however, tend to make her a lot more emotional. I wanted to try the flour recipe as my friend had first, before I started making adjustments.

Here is the recipe for the GF flour blend:

Part:
1 Tapioca Starch/Flour
1 Potato Starch (not Flour), can substitute for another part Tapioca Starch
2/3 Bean Flour (prefer Navy Bean, could do pinto bean or Garbanzo/Fava, least favorite)
1/3 Sorghum Flour
add Xantham Gum to baked goods (holds it together)

I just buy navy beans and grind them in the Vitamix as I have been unable to find navy bean flour. I grind it several times to get any lumps out of it. I have used it to make cookies, muffins, and now bread. I was told to use any recipe and just substitute it for wheat flour. We just looked up a GF Sandwich bread recipe on the internet. We also used it for stuffing and it made great stuffing.

Other things that worked: making our own cream of mushroom soup, green bean casserole, and a really yummy Peach-Sweet Potato Casserole:

Pre-cook sweet potatoes and mash them by hand leaving them coarse
Add skinned chunks of peaches
Mix together in a pan

Put together a mixture of flour (we used rice flour), butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt for a crumbly topping.

Stick it in the oven until it looks ready. Honey could be substituted for the brown sugar and put in less butter. I chose this recipe for its simplicity and minimal number of ingredients. Since our children have multiple allergies we are always looking for SIMPLE recipes to limit the ingredients.

The pumpkin pie didn't work out so well. I found a recipe that didn't call for eggs, but called for cornstarch as a thickener instead. We used tapioca starch instead and it had that gumminess that tapioca gives. We'll scratch that one and try again with something else. Overall it was a very great Thanksgiving. Great company, my Mom and our friend Paul, a gorgeous table, four healthy happy children, and a healthy meal. We are so grateful the Lord brought us to this place where we know how to eat and care for our children.

Nudists in Seattle! What's Next???

This story seemed to get past the usual mainstream media. I caught a couple of seconds of it on Fox News and had to investigate further... Apparently, it is just fine in Seattle if you want to walk around and bike ride nude. I'm not sure what else you can do in the nude, but "A police spokesman, Sean Whitcomb, says just being nude is not against the law, but showing yourself naked with the intent to alarm and offend is illegal." Apparently thinking bad thoughts while being nude in public is the problem. You can't do it if your "intentions" are alarming???? Huh, exactly what does that mean? Have the police in Seattle just taken on the role of "thought police"? If you live in Seattle, make sure and report your neighbor if he has bad intentions when he is biking nude.

So, this came up on Fox News because someone was complaining about having a birthday party for a nine year old with nudists riding bicycles in the park. They apparently complained, but to no avail. So if someone wants to walk around nude in their own home, great, go for it. I really have a problem with having to stop and explain things to children while they're in the midst of a birthday party at a park. If my children are protected from seeing nudity on television, then why do they have to see adults nude while they are playing in a park? What's next? Does the nudist have the right to "express himself" in the classroom as long as his intentions are not offensive? If we give people the right to public nudity, where does that right end? How can we know if they INTEND to alarm our children?

The mynorthwest.com article was written on November 14th. One would hope that very shortly it will be cold enough for children to go to the park safely.

More Financial Crises and More Bailouts

So the news was full again this morning about more financial woes. Besides the northern auto industry, now Las Vegas is in trouble. No one seems to be attributing any of these problems to the rapid rise in fuel costs or at least they are not discussing it. So, three years ago, when we started to see fuel prices dramatically increase, the housing market also started to slump. Yes, some people took on risky mortgages. It no doubt was a problem. Most of those mortgages were being paid. They didn't immediately go into default. The problem was that as fuel costs increased and the escalating prices of groceries and other important commodities rose, people had to feed their families and their cars to get to work. Other things went by the wayside, such as eating out and other leisure activities. People quit buying cars, especially the larger, less fuel efficient cars and yes, those with the risky mortgages couldn't afford them anymore. There, folks is what began this economic crisis we are currently in. Yes, poor decisions and bad investments were made. Yes, most people have way too much debt and don't follow sound financial strategies and don't plan for that "rainy" day. Yes, we are responsible for that. People living on the edge didn't forsee it coming and they have paid, as we all have.

What about our leaders? They should have known the fuel crisis would come. The cost of a barrel of oil has been out of our hands for a very long time. OPEC has been less and less influenced by our government's pressure for a long time. Drilling has been a subject for decades. As technology has increased, so our knowledge of the vastness of our own reserves has increased. Yet, even as world demand for oil has astronomically increased our Congress tells us to "conserve". Jeff Bingaman, our US Senator from NM, responded to my questions about drilling with, "Another major increase in the wise use of energy will come from a major increase in efficiency standards for lighting, particularly form light bulbs. These new standards will result in major savings for consumers on their monthly electricity bills, once they are fully implemented in 2018. The energy saving impact of these changes roughly doubles the energy efficiency gains from every other Federal energy efficiency standard enacted to date." Light bulbs, REALLY!We have VAST oil reserves. Many oil-producing nations, as is Alaska, are taking their profits and investing them and utilizing only a portion of the investment proceeds annually. Nations like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and others have huge budget surpluses every year and we're talking BAILOUTS AND LIGHTBULBS!!!

As you talk about the economic crisis we're in, think about what we can do to give our children a future WITHOUT MOUNDS AND MOUNDS OF DEBT. One SIMPLE solution is to quit blathering and get drilling! Drill, Drill, Drill and BUILD MORE REFINERIES! It is about time we solve our own problems and quit being at the mercy of OPEC, which may or may not increase production depending on how they are feeling about us the day we BEG them to increase it. Which by the way, the Saudis and Venezuelans don't really like us too much.

As you are feeling great relief when you fill up your tank, just remember why those prices are dropping... The backs of people that got broken when gas hit over $4.00/gallon. Our economy is failing because our leaders failed to do something years ago to protect us from the whims of OPEC. Our leaders are still failing to deal with the "elephant in the room." We've got the answer to most of our problems in the ground.

I went to this left-wing website and signed their petition "undo the damage". They want to prioritize things for the Obama administration to tackle when he takes office. Overall the choices are very crappy to say the least. However, I clicked on "other" and wrote in: DRILL NOW in ANWR, the Rockies, and offshore. Yes, I did have to agree to get more emails from them in the future. You can easily unsubscribe when you get one. It is important that our voices be heard, especially by the radical left. They are the ones in charge. We just cannot let them blow money on bailouts without doing something to plan for the future and take advantage of our God given natural resources. Write, write, write, to your representatives. The pen is mightier than the sword.

More Feelings in the Aftermath...

This one is worth reading... She sums up two years worth of feelings.

Europe celebrates Obama's election, but Israel is not so sure.

There is certainly a lot to process and even more to pray about.

How Should We See Our Future President??

Another perspective on how we should see our future president... This is from the blog, "A Soldier's Perspective". He has some excellent points. In my last post I discussed "supporting our President-Elect". I do support the position and I do pray that it hasn't been sullied through illegal contributions and financial influence from our enemies and that it won't be tarnished through the upcoming administration. I also agree strongly with the author, CJ, that we will not "treat him with the same disrespect and overt contempt that the Democrats and others have given to President Bush during the past eight years - especially the past two!"

Rather than discussing whether or not to support him, I chose to say that we should seek God's will for our nation. From John Quincy Adams: Duty is ours, results are God's. We did our duty. We put forth great effort and it did not happen. I am wondering what all the silver linings will be in this. Certainly one silver lining is that Prop 8, the amendment in California defining marriage as being between "one man and one woman" passed and may have very well passed in large part due to the overwhelming black turnout; they voted 70-30% in favor of its passage. As they say, "so California goes, so goes the rest of the nation". A very similar initiative passed in California in 2000, with 62% of the vote, only to be struck down by the California Supreme Court earlier this year. This year it only passed by 52% of the vote. Had it not passed, I would hate to think of the rest of the nation going that way. So, we are waiting to see what the future brings, we are watching to see what the Democrats do and above all we are praying that the Freedom of Choice Act doesn't ever get passed (he now apparently has called for something else to be the first bill he signs) and that God protects our nation. We are praying that our nation will be the nation our founding fathers fought for, one that guarantees the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Support Our President-Elect and Hope He Succeeds???

Supporting our soon to be President-Elect has come out of the mouths of many lately. I have mixed feelings about this. Just how successful do we want him to be? I would love America to prosper and succeed in all our endeavors, but what does that mean for the long term future of our nation? The way I see it is if he doesn’t do that well, then maybe we can get rid of him in four years rather than eight. Think about it, four years of judicial appointments as opposed to eight. It will take us decades to recover from his judicial appointments.

My suggestion is to pray protection over our nation and that we desire His supreme will in all things regarding our country. Above all, pray that God opens the minds and hearts of people to see the truth. Pray that He opens their eyes to see the things of God and their ears to hear His voice. Pray not only for people to turn to God, but for those that already have accepted Him to seek His will in future elections. This election could have been easily won if Catholics, evangelicals, and others of faith would have voted based on their faith.

Clueless Voters?

Clueless people wouldn't actually vote, would they? Or rather you could call this post: Train a Child in the Way He Should Go...

If you don't train your child properly they could end up like these people. Our seven year old knew these people were ridiculous.

Here's a clip from the Howard Stern radio show from a couple weeks ago.
It purports to show that Obama voters were really voting for him on some basis other than his proposed policies. The interviewees, I'm sure, were cherry-picked for the show, but still its amazing that there are people who are so completely clueless.

How many more people out there are there like these? Let's hope they didn't actually vote...

I rest my case. We need to work very hard to educate people for future elections.

The Governator Weighs In...

From Yahoo News:

'Governator' Schwarzenegger mocks 'skinny' Obama

..."And then we're going to make him do some biceps curls to beef up those scrawny little arms. But if he could only do something about putting some meat on his ideas.

"Senator McCain on the other hand is built like a rock. His character and his views are solid."
"John McCain's character has been tested as no other presidential candidate in the history of this nation," Schwarzenegger said. "He has spent five and a half years as a prisoner of war. He has been tested under torture, under temptation, under deprivation, under isolation."

"He has proven what kind of a man he is. We don't have to wonder if he's ready to lead. We don't have to wonder is he ready to be president of the United States. John McCain has served his country longer in a POW camp than his opponent has served in the United State Senate."

Mr. Obama, you'd BETTER take OUR side...

This is plagiarized from Joy who posted it on "Homeschoolers for Sarah" on teamsarah.org... She said it all! Nothing like using a man's own words to show who he is. So, here he is, the real Obama:

'As I've said about the flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides,' Obama said. 'There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American flag is a symbol of oppression. And the anthem itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air and all. It should be swapped for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song 'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing.' If that were our anthem, then I might salute it.'
-BARACK OBAMA

Taking sides!! If you are the President of the United States, you'd BETTER be taking OUR side!!!
America has spent MORE money abroad to HELP other countries than ANY OTHER country on the FACE OF THE EARTH!!!
How DARE Obama say that our flag represents OPPRESSION!!!
Our Anthem speaks of our History...when WE freed OURSELVES from oppression...Our countrymen DIED so we have the freedom that we enjoy today!! ALWAYS remember, lest history REPEATS itself!!
Americans DO NOT salute our flag and National Anthem because they LIKE war! We salute them because WE UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT the HIGH PRICE that was paid by the shed blood of our countrymen!!
There IS NO SHAME in this!!!

COURAGE!!!

Our praise goes out in the biggest way to pastor Mike Naranjo of the Rock Christian Fellowship in Espanola, NM. He has brought new meaning to the word courage by facing the brute ugliness of abortion head-on. The sign in front of the church shows the stark contrast of what this election is all about. It is about "LIFE, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Besides the church marquee, there is a trailer parked in front of the church showing an aborted baby with the words above it: Obama's healthcare, your taxes. The complaint from the local police is that the baby's genitalia is showing. The question of one of his parishioners, an ex-con living in the church's men's program, "If it is just tissue, then why worry about genitalia?"

Mike Naranjo has adopted 8 children, operates rehabilitation programs for both men and women, and has a small school on the premises. He left his father's party who has had a corrupt stranglehold on Rio Arriba County politics for generations. His followers are plastering Espanola with voter guides from Wallbuilders and National Right to Life. This is a church that doesn't fear man, but honors God.

Obama Would Bankrupt Coal Industry????

A Halloween Poll

Okay, so the election is almost over, but not yet. There is some speculation that the polls are turning more and more towards McCain and if our pumpkin is any indication, it is looking great. We got all kinds of compliments on our pumpkin. Of course, since our yard is so incredibly well decorated it is possible that those disagreeing with us just decided to skip our house.