Sausage Making and Sausage, Kale and Bean Soup

Today I helped one of our friends make sausage. He had already ground the pork and spices together, and I helped him with the stuffing process. He made a delicious Italian sausage and the best part was we knew every ingredient in it and there was nothing Tommy was allergic to. He gave us some sausage to take home and that inspired our dinner tonight. The sausage making process is labor intensive, but doesn't seem too difficult. I'm excited to start making our own sausage too. 

I met with a dietitian yesterday to talk about Tommy's diet. I make a conscious effort to provide a balanced diet for him, but with all of his food allergies I was worried that there was some sort of hole in his nutrition. She gave me some resources including a handout on how many servings of each food group kids need in a day. And reassured me that Tommy's diet looked great and well balanced. She did say that if she had to pick one super food, it would be beans. She recommended cooking any veggie Tommy can eat with the beans as an easy all in one meal. 

So, tonight we had Sausage, Kale and Bean Soup. Ben and I loved it. Tommy wasn't as thrilled. He's not a big fan of tomatoes or kale. But it was a good exercise in fine motor skills as he meticulously picked out things from his bowl. And Lily seemed to like the soup a lot as she ate it off the floor.

In other news, who decided it would be a good idea to give a toddler chocolate pudding? Oh right, that was me...

Sausage, Kale and Bean Soup

3 links Italian sausage
4 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chicken broth
2 cups water

1. Remove sausage from casings. Brown in a non-stick dutch oven pot over medium heat.
2. Remove sausage from pot and leave the grease in the pot. Add the carrots, onion, celery, salt and pepper. Cook veggies over medium heat for several minutes until the onions are translucent. 
3. Add the tomatoes, beans, broth and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the carrots are softened. 
4. Add the kale and sausage. Cook until the kale wilts.

Pumpkin Carving and Dessert

Tommy is in a phase where he really likes order. If he sees a door open that's normally closed he'll walk over and close it. So I guess it's not too surprising that he was the same way with pumpkin carving. Every time Ben would pull a handful of seeds out, Tommy would wait for his turn and put a handful of seeds in. Cutest little pumpkin carver.

I started the first round of trying recipes in preparation for Tommy's tonsillectomy next week. Thank you Pinterest for some awesome recipes. I made this Dark Chocolate Coconut Pudding from An Edible Mosaic and it is soooooo good. I followed the recipe except I didn't use the coffee or vanilla. It's a great combination of coconut and chocolate and it was really easy to make.

I'm finally getting around to using the ice cream maker for my stand mixer. I've had it a while, but until we bought a chest freezer I never had room in the freezer for the ice cream maker. I'm so excited to start making tons of coconut and soy milk ice cream!  Up first is Date-Sweetened Vanilla Ice Cream from Wing It Vegan. I'm still waiting on the ice cream maker to freeze, so I'll have to finish that tomorrow.

The Results Are In - I'm Not Sure I'm Ready

It's been a busy two weeks for us with doctor's appointments. Last week Tommy went in for follow-up repeat allergy blood testing, today he went to an ENT for his tonsils and Thursday we're going to see a Dietitian. 

The Allergy Test Results

Tommy's latest round of allergy blood test results are in. His levels for beef, pineapple and rice came back low and we were given the direction to carefully try re-introducing those. All of the rest of the foods came back high and we will continue a strict avoidance of those (wheat, barley, corn, eggs, dairy, peas, peanuts, tree nuts, lentils and mustard).

I'm not sure I'm ready to try rice again. On the one hand it would simplify our life a ton, but on the other hand I'm pretty traumatized from his previous reactions. In the past, when Tommy has eaten rice (brown rice cereal and white rice baked goods) he has horrible horrible projectile vomit. Even from a bit of a cookie made with rice flour. Ben seems confident that we can try it again. So I guess this Saturday we're going to give him a couple grains of rice and see what happens. I'm definitely scared though.

Tommy's Tonsils

About two months ago I noticed a weird looking growth on one of Tommy's tonsils and that tonsil was enlarged. I took him to the pediatrician and she said it looked ok and just watch to see if it grows or bothers him. Fast forward to his allergist appointment last week, and now both of his tonsils are quite large. So we called and got a referral to an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. Over the past couple weeks Tommy has been snoring more and breathing loudly during the day. This is all likely due to his enlarged tonsils. He also stirs a lot in his sleep. So there's a real concern that he could be having sleep apnea. After an exam, the ENT determined that surgery was the best option to improve Tommy's breathing. He doesn't think that the weird growth is a polyp, just a weird nodular shaped tonsil. 

Now we have a week and a half to prepare for his surgery. I'm going to try and stockpile soft Tommy-safe foods for his recovery. I'm finally going to get around to making coconut milk ice cream. This is going to be a long week and a half for me. I'm already anxious thinking about his surgery and recovery. Ben's much more calm since he remembers when he had them out as a kid and that his recovery was better than his two older siblings. 

The Dietitian

We won't meet with them until Thursday. Tommy's growing well and definitely eats healthy. But sometimes I worry that he may be missing some sort of critical nutrients since he has so many food limitations. So it'll be nice to get the reassurance of a professional and also get any tips they have for balancing his diet. 

I'm glad I'm not the patient at all of these appointments. I feel like my blood pressure/anxiety levels are pretty high. Thankfully Tommy is blissfully unaware of the upcoming surgery. 

Apple Pie Pork Chops

This was one of our family crock pot recipes a couple of weeks ago, courtesy of our cousin Courtney. It was so good that we made it again tonight. The pork and apples turn into a delicious sweet sauce. It's great over rice or cooked millet. With this much pork, I would use 1.5 cups of hulled millet and 6 cups of water in the Cooked Millet Recipe. 

Tommy was literally licking his bowl clean when he was done. 

Apple Pie Pork Chops

2 lbs boneless pork loin chops
12 small or 8 medium gala apples, cored and sliced
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp potato starch
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt

1. Optional: Line crock pot with crock pot liner
2. Place pork chops at bottom of crock pot.
3. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.
4. Pour apple mixture over pork.
5. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. 

Bison Meatloaf and Squashed Potatoes

Meatloaf is one of my favorite comfort foods. I had been making my meatloaf pretty much the same way for years (1 lb ground beef and 1/2 lb hot Italian sausage), but with Tommy's allergies we usually stay clear of prepared sausages and their mystery spices. So last night's meatloaf was a combination of ground bison and pork. I made a pork and turkey meatloaf a while back, and while it tasted good, the color was way too light for my preference. It just didn't seem right to me. To me, it's not meatloaf unless there's some red meat in there.

My secret to a gluten, egg and dairy free meatloaf is to use dry minced onions in place of the breadcrumbs. I like having onion in there anyway, and this way I don't have to sacrifice homemade bread to make breadcrumbs. And the tablespoon of coconut flour really helps with the binding too. Trust me, you won't end up with coconut flavored meat. This was our favorite Tommy safe meatloaf so far.

I guess I should be glad that my toddler hasn't become addicted to french fries, but at the same time, it's a little annoying sometimes that he won't eat white potatoes. He only likes orange sweet potatoes. It's great for the nutritional value, but I do miss making a big pot of traditional mashed potatoes to go with meatloaf. Last night I made Squashed Potatoes. It's a mixture of boiled russet potatoes and roasted acorn squash. That was a good blend of squash and white potatoes. The mixture was colorful enough for Tommy but still had some of that regular mashed potato flavor. Win-win! 

Bison and Pork Meatloaf

1.25 lb ground bison
1 lb ground pork
1/2 cup dry minced onion
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup apple juice
3 oz tomato paste
1 Tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry basil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dry rosemary

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. In a small bowl, combine the minced onion and coconut milk. Let sit for 5 minutes.
3. In another small bowl, combine the tomato paste and apple juice
4. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add in the onion mixture and 2/3rds of the tomato mixture. Mix thoroughly with your hands. 
5. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or foil. Form the meat into a loaf. 
6. Spread the remaining tomato mixture over the top of the meatloaf.
7. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the internal temperature is at least 160°F.
8. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Squashed Potatoes

2 acorn squash
2 russet potatoes
1 Tbsp refined coconut oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Slice the squash in half and scrape out the seeds. 
3. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place the squash cut side down on the baking sheet.
4. Bake for 45 minutes until the squash are soft. Let cool.
5. Remove the squash flesh from the skins and set aside. Note: The squash can be prepared up to this point earlier in the day.
6. Peel and cut the potatoes into big chunks. Place the potatoes in a dutch oven pot with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium high and boil until the potatoes can be broken apart by a fork.
7. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. 
8. Mash the potatoes and add in the squash and remaining ingredients. 
9. Heat mixture over medium low until warmed. 

Asian Style Pork Lettuce Wraps

This week our family crock pot dinner is Asian Style Pork Lettuce Wraps. I found a recipe online that looks good, but I had to make a few modifications to fit in Tommy's diet. So my version is below. This meat is delicious. It would be fantastic on top of rice or millet too. It was sweet with a little spice. And it created a great sauce. Plus the house smelled wonderful all day while it cooked. 

Asian Style Pork Lettuce Wraps

2 lbs boneless country style pork ribs
4 Tbsp gluten free soy sauce
2 Tbsp soynut butter
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 Tbsp honey
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Lettuce leaves
Red bell pepper, sliced (Optional)
Broccoli slaw (Optional)
Radishes, slices (Optional)

1. Optional: Place crock pot liner in crock pot.
2. Place pork at bottom of crock pot.
3. Whisk together the soy sauce through cayenne in a small bowl. Pour over pork.
4. Cook on low 4-6 hours.
5. Shred pork and serve on lettuce leaves with the toppings of your choice, like broccoli slaw and sliced red bell peppers

Taco Salads with Creamy Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

I LOVE taco salads. The kinds made with soft tortillas and not the fried kind. We love the wheat tortillas that you cook yourself, but now that we're transitioning to a wheat free household, I went without a tortilla. And honestly I really didn't miss the tortilla. It just left more room in my bowl for all the delicious fixings. 

A couple years ago I came up with a great recipe for a cilantro lime vinaigrette that was similar to the one at Cafe Rio, but with significantly less oil. This time when I made it, I added a half of an avocado. Such a huge improvement! The avocado gave it a creamy consistency and emulsified the dressing. This will now be my go to taco salad dressing. =)

Over the summer, Tommy was having an issue with awful diapers and we finally figured out that he had developed allergies to peas and beef (in addition to all of his other allergies). He tested positive on the skin prick test, but it was a small welt. I can't remember if we had been giving him traditional beef or grass-fed beef. So we decided to try grass-fed beef again. So far it's going ok. The jury is still out.

Ben grew up on a cattle ranch. His dad raises the most delicious beef ever. I really hope that Tommy is able to eat beef. If not now, then hopefully he'll outgrow this allergy soon. 

Lindsay's Taco Salads

Layer the ingredients in the following order:
Tortilla (Optional)
Cheese (Optional)
Some sort of seasoned meat
Sauteed Peppers and Onions
Lettuce
Avocado
Salsa
Creamy Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

This time we used grass-fed beef seasoned with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. And I sauteed a red bell pepper with an onion in a little oil with pepper, dry minced garlic and some red pepper flakes. Fajita seasoning also works great. 

Creamy Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

1 handful cilantro, large stems removed
1/2 half of an avocado
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp canola oil
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lime

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.