Sucks to Be You

From Food Allergy Fun


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Banana Bread Oatmeal

1 c coconut milk
1/2 c mashed very ripe banana
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 c GF rolled oats

Garnish:
Banana slices
1/2 tsp coconut sap sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together coconut milk, mashed banana, 1 tsp cinnamon, vanilla extract, and nutmeg. When the mixture comes to a boil, stir in rolled oats.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-6 minutes until moisture is absorbed and oats are tender.

Mix together coconut sap sugar and cinnamon.

Serve oatmeal garnished with banana slices and coconut sap sugar/cinnamon mixture.



Adapted from Grubography

Allergy Season!

It's allergy season. Jay gets two allergy injections every week, and he's had some bad reactions, so he's taking additional meds prior to the shots. The shots aren't helping with his symptoms yet, and he, along with E, got hit a few weeks ago. As of this past weekend, Nate and GracieGirl are ready to rip their eyes out, too. I didn't even think about it, but E's PCA was here today, and she said that the trampoline is covered with pollen. What a way to kick it up, by jumping on it! No wonder the kids started hurting yesterday!

E just screams because his eyes are so swollen and itchy. He rubbed them so hard that he actually broke the skin and has scabs under his eye. He's had a number of asthma flares, and he also broke out in an itchy rash on his wrists. He wakes up crying and screaming during the night, and I know he's exhausted.

Spring was always my favorite season, but it's hard to enjoy it when I have to watch all four of my kiddos suffer. I'd love to open the windows, but that's out of the question. So, we have the a/c running in April. Even so, Jay just took five ice packs up to bed because he's so hot. Of course, he won't change out of his ever-present long sleeves and jeans. There's no point in arguing with him, so I just hope that he falls asleep soon!

Gluten-Free, Fish-Free Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 c apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp wheat-free tamari
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp molasses
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp black pepper

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Mix well.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute.

Cool; pour into bottle and store in refrigerator.

Shake well before using.

Taco Seasoning Mix

I usually use tablespoons for this recipe and sometimes double or triple it, if I have enough of the different spices on hand. I just store it in a small mason jar and use 2 tablespoons per pound of ground beef or turkey, or for recipes calling for a packet of taco seasoning.


4 parts chili powder (1/4 c)
2½ parts cumin (2 1/2 Tbsp)
2 parts garlic powder (2 Tbsp)
2 parts onion powder (2 Tbsp)
1 part paprika (1 Tbsp)
1 part oregano (1 Tbsp)
1 part sea salt (1 Tbsp)
½ part red pepper flakes (1/2 Tbsp)
Black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

Individual Baked Oatmeal (Muffins)

I got this amazing recipe from Sugar-Free Mom. I made a few small changes, and it was a hit with everyone. These are a cross between baked oatmeal (without the texture that some people don't like) and very moist, delicious muffins. I love that I could add different fruits or toppings to different muffins, so I didn't have to listen to complaints from the kids who can't stand raisins or don't like coconut! Everyone got what they liked!

I made some plain, and some with frozen blueberries, frozen raspberries, raisins, chocolate chips, and coconut/chocolate chips. I just placed the toppings on top of the batter before the muffins went in the oven, or, in the case of the frozen blueberries, I pushed a few down into the batter and then placed several on top.

I read that some people had problems with these sticking, so I did a few different things. I melted a little bit of coconut oil, and, using a pastry brush, lightly coated the insides of our silicone muffin liners. In another pan, I brushed the muffin tins with coconut oil, and didn't use any liners. There was a little bit of leftover batter, so I took a mini-muffin tin and coated a few of them with organic shortening.

The result was that the oatmeal slid effortlessly out of the silicone liners. With the other two pans, the muffins stuck while they were still warm. So, I cooled them almost completely, gently ran a knife around the edges of each muffin, and then they came right out.

I made 24 regular-sized muffins, and six mini-muffins. The regular muffins baked for 30 minutes, and the mini-muffins for about 15 minutes. I will freeze some of these on a baking sheet and then pop them into zip-lock bags once they're frozen. Sugar-Free Mom suggests taking them out the night before so that they'll be thawed by breakfast time.

This recipe is definitely a keeper!


2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup raw honey
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp stevia powder
5 cups GF rolled oats
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 Tbsp GF baking powder
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
2 3/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
Toppings: raisins, chopped apples, blueberries, shredded coconut, chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together applesauce, banana, raw honey, eggs, vanilla, and stevia.

In a larger bowl, mix rolled oats, flaxseed meal, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir well.

Add coconut milk, stirring until mixed evenly. Batter will be runny.

Prepare muffin pans. (See above.)

Add ¼ cup batter to each tin.

Sprinkle muffins with desired toppings: shredded coconut, chocolate chips, blueberries, apples, raisins, or other frozen fruit.

Bake 30 minutes until a toothpick in center comes out clean. Enjoy!