Let's Have Some Summer Fun

A few weeks ago my family and I were barbecuing. I love being outside and enjoying dinner on the deck. I wanted to have some fun and the fire on the grill was still going. I grabbed some over sized mugs, and filled them to the brim with everything we needed to make s'mores. The boys LOVED THEM. Don't forget to check labels!

Dairy, and Egg free S'MORES

Marshmallows (egg free)
Divvies Chocolate Bar
Graham Crackers (dairy free)
Skewers

Melt your marshmallow over the grill fire, and sandwich with a block of chocolate between two graham crackers. Melty goodness....

Trials... The Ups and Downs.

In life we find that there are many challenges. I found one of my biggest faced me when my newest addition Braeden was born.. I was determined to nurse him since I had failed with my oldest. Because of various factors, it would take me way to long to explain, I am on what is called a total elimination diet. I am free of dairy, soy, egg, nut, gluten, most corn products, seafood, to mention a few. It has been a challenge, but also a very interesting learning experience. creating treats free of all these things is well... tricky.

Among a few other foods, the most exciting food I have passed was CHOCOLATE. I am creating lots of different things now and I thought I would share a few ideas. First of all - Enjoy Life makes amazing chocolate chips and they are free of the top 8 - so I am able to eat them. If your avoiding dairy - or soy, find these!

Today I just decided to melt the chocolate chips and dip various fruits and cookies in it. I used the below recipe:

DIPPING CHOCOLATE
1 cup - enjoy life chocolate chips
2 tbs - spectrum shortening

Melt the chips with the shortening until smooth - in microwave safe bowl

DIP AWAY - refrigerate until chocolate is set.

ENJOY!

How it all Began

I remember it soo vividly, like it was yesterday. Back when my son Garrison was born in 2007, we were brought into the life of new parenthood bliss.... then came the food allergies and reflux. They reared their nasty hear when he was only 9 days old. We had no idea why we had a baby who just SCREAMED all day and night and people do tend to tell a new mommy, "babies cry", "maybe it is colic" but I knew better - there was no WAY nothing was wrong, SOMETHING had to be going on with him. Over months of trial and error - we did finally gain a happy baby! It was just about 3 reflux meds later and a final diagnoses of ana. reactions to milk, egg and nut allergies. I was in disbelief... what do you feed a toddler who can't have these things?! and oh my lord what will he have on his first birthday?!? so our journey begins.....