The Christmas Miracle

I don't know the right way to write a blog, so I hope you can stick with me through this.  It is very difficult for me to share my experiences.  These experiences have molded me into the person I am today. The past years have not been easy, and reflecting on parts of my life brings emotions close to the surface.  However, friends and family have been telling me for years to do this, and I finally have the courage to share my voice.

Now, back to where I left off a couple of days ago.  I was devastated when I received the allergy results.  Not only was I told that I needed to eliminate all of the problematic foods for at least six months, but I was also told that I would need to put my kids on a 4 day rotation schedule to give them the best chance of controlling the current allergies and preventing other allergies from developing in the future.

I am not a doctor, so I can only share what I was told.  I was told that when an "offensive" food is eaten, the body creates antibodies to fight that food.  Allergy symptoms flare up when the antibodies build up.  If my family followed a 4 day rotation, the antibodies should have time to clear and not build up causing problems in the future.  So, not only did I have to start from scratch, but I also had to strictly rotate the foods that our family could have.  Also keep in mind that though corn and rice were okay for my kids, they were not okay for me.  There was so much to consider. (My degree in math and physics couldn't help me with this one.)

I call my first recipe my Christmas Miracle. I patterned the recipe after my mom's pancake recipe.   I wanted it to be a little sweet with some cinnamon and vanilla.  I remember how grateful I was that the recipe worked. It still brings tears to my eyes as I think about how that little success gave me hope and encouragement.  I have since improved my pancake recipes. (Yes, recipes plural.  Remember the rotation schedule.)  

A pancake is one if the most versatile things.  You can freeze them for future breakfasts.  Then, you can either warm them in the toaster or in the microwave.  Also, If you are making a sandwich with them, make it with frozen pancakes, and by lunch it is thawed.

I need to tell you one more thing about my recipes.  I try to keep the recipes very simple. I use as few different grains as I can due to the rotation schedule.  (There are other recipes out there that use multiple grains to enhance the product, but I can't mix grains.)  I also try to keep the ingredients to basic items you should have in a kitchen.  The exceptions to that are xanthan gum and Ener-G egg replacer, but once you buy those, they last a very long time - kind of like a spice in the cupboard.