What I love about my Special Child

I posted this earlier today on the autism board on babycenter, but I thought it was worthy of posting here as well. It is easy to get frustrated and see all the parts of autism that we don't like - sometimes it is good to dwell on the positives.

1. His logical, no-nonsense approach to life. I mean, really, do so many words have to have double meanings? What is the point in that and I love it when my child points that out to me.

2. The way he stims when he is excited. Wouldn't it be great if all of us could learn not to contain our joy? He just beams with happiness when he is stimming.

3. Some of his coping mechanisms are ones we could all learn from - for instance when he sees someone that he isn't sure who they are - he will greet them with "Do I know you?" And they usually laugh and they might accuse him of being silly, but they tell him who they are. Seriously, how many times have you found yourself talking to someone that you have no idea who they are and you are afraid to tell them you don't know who they are?

4. His artistic talents. This kid may not be able to draw real good yet, but he puts details into his drawings of things that really are amazing and the colors that he chooses.

5. His joy when he accomplishes something. He gets very frustrated and has to have a lot of encouragement to try something new, but when he finally is able to try something - it is just amazing to see how he lights up and is so proud of himself.

6. His acceptance of his special diet. He never tries to steal food from another child and he always questions any food put before him by any other than me - and while he may feel sad that the other kids are having a treat that he can't have - he is very accepting of it being the way it is.

7. His singing and his musical talent. I just love hearing this child sing along to his favorite CD. He can carry a tune much better than I can.

8. The way he loves to help me in the garden. His knowledge of gardening is pretty awesome for a child his age - and he didn't learn that from being forced to help me, but because he loves to be in the garden with me and is always asking questions.

9. The way he loves to snuggle with me.

10. His love of stuffed animals. I love seeing that softer side of a little boy.

And I am going to add one more that I didn't think of when I posted earlier.

11. His sense of humor. This is one funny kid - he gets how humor should be done and that draws other kids to him. When I hear other kids say that Andy is a funny kid, I know they mean it literally and not odd!

School Lunch Day 6

The thermos today contains baked beans and cut up chicken hot dogs. This is probably Andy's all time favorite lunch. I am also sending a juice box, fruit cup and carrots with thousand island dressing. For morning snack he has a container of Soy yogurt. The next several lunches on my menu are repeats. I won't post another picture until I send something new. If you want a copy of my menu spreadsheet, e-mail me at kathifischbach@comcast.net and I will send it to you.

School Lunch Day 5

The thermos contains cooked rice noodles (Andy requested these instead of bread and since he would probably just throw the bread away, why not - it's a grain) 1/2 of a hamburger and green beans. Then he also has Soy Milk, a fruit cup and ketchup to dip his hamburger in. For his morning snack, we have carrot sticks (carrots from our garden) and thousand island dressing to dip them in.

School Lunch Day 4

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich, baby carrots, plum, Perky O's, Juice Box and a Fruit Cup for morning snack.

Tropical Source Chocolate Chips

Another GFCF Chocolate Chip. Thanks Jennifer for the pic.

Tree Top Applesauce

Thanks to Jennifer for this pic.

Tings

I love Tings - unfortunately Andy can't have them. They are GFCF, but everytime he has tried them - 3 times, he has become a spoiled rotten brat with meltdown after meltdown. I don't know what it could be - the nutrional yeast? Anyway - they are a great tasting snack that is similar to Cheetos. Thanks Jennifer for the pic.

Sun-Maid Raisins

You need to be careful when purchasing raisins - many have hidden gluten as they are coated with flour to keep them from sticking together - and since that is considered part of the packaging process and not part of the food it doesn't need to be disclosed. A good bet is if they clump together, they are fine, but if they separate easily - call the manufacturer and make sure they are GFCF.

Snack Fruits

I can't read the brand name on these - but the picture is real clear - if they carry these in your area, you should be able to find them based on this picture. This is another picture from Jennifer in Washington.

Kirkman's Cookie Mix

Available online from Kirkman's. Thanks Jennifer for the pic.

Hormel Chili

Another easy to find mainstream food that we don't personally use - I cook from scratch and it just never occurs to me to buy this. Thanks again to Jennifer for the pic.

Gerber Rice Cereal

For those of you with smaller kids and kiddos with texture issues.

EnviroKidz Rice Bars

Another pic from Jennifer. I posted a picture of just the peanut butter earlier - Andy doesn't like the berry flavor. These are the only two flavors that are GFCF - the chocolate ones contain dairy.

Enjoy Life Cookies

Another picture from Jennifer. We do buy these cookies sometimes and they are really good - but we don't buy them too much because I would eat them all and my hips don't need them. Enjoy Life makes several varieties and they are easy to find.

Dinty Moore Beef Stew

We don't eat this ourselves, but it is GFCF. My friend Jennifer in Washington sent me this and the next several pictures. Thanks Jennifer - knowing what mainstream foods are OK to buy is a big help for a lot of moms out there.

Mott's Fruit Snacks

Made with real fruit juice. No artificial colors or flavors. And they taste good too. And you can buy them at a regular store - what a bonus!

Edited 10/6/07:

Here is the response I got from the company about their GFCF status:

Dear Kathi Fischbach:
Thank you for your interest in Brach’s and for contacting us about the gluten free status of our Brach*s Mott's™ Fruit Snacks. Please be advised that the FDA has yet to establish any standards or guidelines. Consequently, we do not consider any of our products gluten free. Thanks again for contacting us.
Yours truly,Marlene Tomasek (marlene.tomasek@brachs.com)
Brach’s Consumer Relations

I called them and also spoke with them - my interpretation from talking to them is that because there is no standard set in the US on gluten - they don't want to classify anything as GF. They may contain trace amounts so use at your own risk. Andy has absolutely no reaction from them - but we all know that you can have no reaction and still have damage done internally - so again - use at your own risk. I think I am going to look for an alternative until I know for sure. Andy's use of fruit snacks is pretty limited to when the kids at school are having something that he can't have so he doesn't get them all that often. I prefer to feed him fruit.

Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

Most chocolate chips are not dairy free. This is a brand that is.

School Lunch Day Three

Today's thermos contains mini corn dogs and fries. He also has baby carrots, a fruit cup and ketchup. Not in the picture is the snack bag of popcorn that he took for his morning snack.

School Lunch Day Two

In the thermos is fish sticks, fries, and green beans. He also has a fruit cup, ketchup and chocolate soy milk. The snack bag has Panda Puffs cereal for his morning snack. He loves to eat them dry.

Preparing Lunch

School has started and it is time to start packing lunches for school each day. I will share some pictures here of our lunch making process - so you can see it is not that bad.

Fill Thermos with boiling water

I do this as the lunch is heating in the oven - I dump the water out when it is ready to fill. This helps keep the food hot longer.

Ketchup

I send ketchup in a tupperware container - my guy has to dip everything in ketchup. This is a nice size container for him to dip, seals tight, but not so tight he can't open it and easier to manage than packets.

The filled thermos

Layer the hot items in the thermos - there is corn on the bottom and then the fries and nuggets side by side. It fills the thermos up and the fuller the thermos the hotter the food will stay.

Lunch ready for the lunch bag

His first day of school lunch - a thermos with chicken nuggets, fries and corn; silk vanilla soy milk, a fruit cup, ketchup and a rice bar for his morning snack.

All ready for school

My big first grader on his first day of school.

Grocery Shopping 8/26/06 & 8/27/06

This week I visited the Bittersweet Bakery and Valley Natural Foods as well as my normal grocery stores. Items I bought at Valley Natural included foods that I cannot buy anywhere else, but also items that are carried at my regular stores but were cheaper there.

At Bittersweet Bakery I bought:
2 loaves of bread
Orange Delight Cookies for Andy
Monster Cookies for Dan and I.

At Valley Natural Foods I bought:
Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
EnviroKidz Panda Puffs Cereal
EnviroKidz Gorilla Munch Cereal
Soy Dream Strawberry "Ice Cream"
Tamari Soy Sauce
Ian's Allergen Free Fish Sticks
Welshire Kids Chicken Hot Dogs
Brocolli
Welshire Kids Chicken Nuggets
Almond Breeze Chocolate Almond Milk
EnviroKidz Peanut Butter Rice Bars
Savory Thins Rice Crackers
Tinkyada Spaghetti
Silk Soy Yogurt

At Super Target I bought:
Johnsonville Brats
Jennio Extra Lean Ground Turkey
Motts Fruit Snacks
Fresh Cantaloupes
Baby Carrots
Fresh Plums
Fresh Peaches
Fresh Strawberries

At Rainbow Foods I bought:
Tofutti Sour Supreme
Fresh Grapes
Fresh Lettuce

I made mini corn dogs yesterday

The recipe for mini corn dogs is in the archives - 8/14/06. I took pictures of each step as I made them to share with you. You could probably make full size corn dogs the same way.

Cut hot dogs into 6 pieces

1/6th of a hot dog seems to be just about the right size for a mini corn dog.

Dipping in batter

Many people have asked me the secret to making the mini corn dogs - they can't get the batter to stick. What I do it stick them on sticks - the kind you use for shish kabobs - you dip them in the batter and fry them in the oil on the stick and then take them off.

Frying in deep oil

They are so much easier to handle in the oil on the sticks - I find six to be about the right number to do at once - by the time you get the sixth one dipped and in the oil, the first one is done just right. Drain on paper towels when done.

Finished Corn Dogs

You can see the little holes in them from using the sticks, but they taste fine.

Savory Thins Rice Crackers

We like to eat this with chicken salad spread on them or with the fake Tofutti cream cheese.

Nature's Gate Natural Toothpaste

This is the toothpaste that Dan and I use. It is GFCF as well as flouride free.

Kirkman's Toothpaste Gel

This is what we use for toothpaste for Andy (he doesn't like mint) - make sure your toothpastes are GFCF as well. It is also important to me that they also be flouride free.

Claritin RediTabs

If you have a child with seasonal allergies - remember to check all OTC meds for GFCF as well as their food. I also look for products that are have no artificial colors.

Crystal Farms Margarine Sticks

Note that they say dairy free. Many margarine sticks contain whey or casein.

Grocery Shopping 8/20/06

As you will continue to see, I do buy most of my food from regular grocery stores. This week I shopped Super Target and Cub Foods.

From Cub I bought:
Health Valley Rice Bran Crackers
Ortega Tostada Shells
Bottled Water (I will not allow my family to drink tap water full of flouride - nor do we use the toothpaste with that poison in it)
Envirokidz Animal Cookies (Vanilla)
Envirokidz Rice Bars
Fresh Turkey Thighs
Boneless Beef Ribs
Lettuce (we eat lettuce faster than the garden can produce it this time of year)

From Super Target I bought:
Tree Ripened Peaches
Ocean Spray 100% Juice Fruit Juice
Hormel All Natural Lunch Meat
Old El Paso Vegetarian Refried Beans
Silk Cultured Soy Yogurt
Red Grapes
Dry Navy Beans
Eggs

EnviroKidz Rice Bars

These are the peanut butter flavor - the berry flavor is also GFCF.

Health Valley Rice Bran Crackers

These are what we use to replace graham crackers.

Tom's Bread (A GFCF Recipe)

Tom is a wonderful man with celiac who posts on the yahoo group gfcfrecipes. He has created this recipe and loves to share it with others. When I cannot get to the Bittersweet Bakery to buy bread - this is the only recipe I make any more.

CELIAC LIGHT BREAD by Tom Van Deman
August 20, 2003

1 1/8 cup Chickpea flour, also called Garbanzo Bean flour (I grind my own)
1 cup cornstarch (I use Cream corn starch)
1 cup + 1 Tbs. tapioca flour
3 1/2 tsp. xanthum gum
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. brown sugar(Make sure that there are no lumps)
1/4 tsp. creme of tartar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/8 cup warm water (uncomfortable to touch but not boiling)
3 Tbs. vegetable oil (I use peanut oil or canola oil)
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

Bread Machine Method

WARNING: Adding more liquids or flours or reducing same could cause the bread to not cook thoroughly on the inside or to be too heavy. Also, I am at almost 6000 feet altitude in Denver area which might cause your bread to be slightly different than mine. First try it as is and then experiment if necessary.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl except for the yeast. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly with wire whisk. Mix together the lightly beaten eggs, warm water, and oil in a separate bowl and thoroughly mix with wire whisk. Pour the liquid ingredients into your bread machine bowl (I use my Zoj). Immediately spoon in your dry mixed ingredients on top of the wet ingredients to make a mound in the center but covering all of the wet ingredients. With a spoon or spatula, make a small depression on top of your dry ingredients (must be dry for the yeast) and immediately spoon in your yeast. Place your bread machine pan in the machine correctly and turn the machine to regular wheat bread cycle and turn on machine. (This dough will need two kneadings in order to get its content to proper consistency.) Do not add any more liquids or flour. The dough will form a sticky ball. With a spatula, scrape down the sides of machine bowl to make sure all of the dry ingredients get into the dough ball. On the rise cycle, use your spatula that is wet to smooth the top of the loaf, if desired. Bake the bread using the medium crust setting. When finished, turn the loaf out onto your wire rack and allow bread to cool or you can slice it while hot (Do not squeeze the loaf too tightly while holding it to slice while hot.) Slice the bread thin with a serrated bread knife or electric knife and enjoy.

Oven Method

Turn your oven to 375 degrees. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl or your mixer bowl including the yeast. Mix thoroughly on medium or low setting. Mix together the lightly beaten eggs, warm water, and oil in a separate bowl and whip with wire whisk until all ingredients are mixed. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with your mixer on medium speed (Use paddle or dough hook). When sticky ball forms, scrape sides to get all of the flours and ingredients mixed together and continue to mix for about 1 minute more. Scrape into a 9 x 5-inch lightly greased loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap, set in non drafty warm place and let rise until at least double size (approximately 45 to 60 minutes). Remove plastic wrap and place pan in preheated oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped with a spoon. Turn the loaf out onto your wire rack and allow loaf to cool or you can slice it while hot (Do not squeeze the loaf too tightly while holding it to slice when hot.)

GFCF Ranch Dressing

1 cup firm silken tofu
1/4 cup Mayo
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.

We like to use it as both a veggie dip and with plain potato chips.

Enjoy!