In addition to food allergies...

For those of you with food allergies, or kids with food allergies, you know that they usually do not present alone. Eczema, headaches, sensitive skin, asthma, sinus problems... Today was one of those days where the "in additions" took over.

Vince, who is allergic to bee stings, was attacked by wasps and stung twice. With in seconds I was in a complete panic shoving benadryl down his throat and spraying him with benadryl mist (I carry a mini one in my bag. I haven't discussed the pharmacy I carry with me at all times...benadryl spray, neosporin spray, children's benadryl, children's advil, children's tylenol, children's allegra, cottonelle wipes, etc.) No one around me was even worried, which I could not understand until later...they may not know anyone allergic to stings.

After Vince calmed down, Ava came home with a migraine. She gets them frequently. We are still trying to figure out why. Most likely, genetics. Will and I both got childhood migraines. As did both of our dads, his mom, my grandma. There is a 90% chance our kids will get them with that history. However, they upset me every single time. I always get agitated, nervous, google all night long, call the doctor, and lose sleep. I know nitrates have a huge part in them. We have cut out hot dogs, salami, and ham. I also know lack of protein, dehydration, lack of sleep, sinus problems, and change in routine can lead to one. So on a perfect day, she has her nose spray, eats three well balanced healthy meals, drinks lots of water, sleeps 12 hours, and has no stress. But of course, that isn't always the case.

Last year, Ava suffered severely with sinus problems and headaches. She spent the entire school year "sick". I went in her room every morning to find PILES of tissues under her bed. When I picked her up at school she had white rings around her nostrils from a foamy white mucus bubbling out of her nose. Her migraines increased to 2-3 times a week. Antibiotics, ENT, Neurologist, Allergist, Pediatrician...no answers. I finally decided in April, yes me, no one else thought of it, to have her allergy tested for environmental allergies (with all the food testing, we never checked for environment).

She test came back positive to everything but severely to mold and dust. I must say I was surprised. I expected pollen or trees or something else, but not dust and mold. I got a print out from the allergist about what I could do in the house. Take away stuffed animals, rugs, curtains, anything fabric. Wash clothes and linens in warm water every week. Keep AC between 73 and 76 degrees. Buy special mattress and pillow covers. Never leave windows open, "airing out the house" is a myth and actually brings in more dust and mold spores. We even had the AC cleaned and special filters and lights put in. And then we waited....but she did not get any better.

With a few weeks left of school it occurred to me that it could be the school. As fabulous as the school was, the building was old and dirty. I knew that and it never bothered me. I think I used to say it was "cute" and reminded me of where I went to elementary school. But after sending the school board out, three times, I discovered it could be the school. They would not test for mold but there is no doubting that dust was a big problem and mold isn't out of the question. This is referred to as a "sick building". It may not affect 98% of the people in it but Ava is not in that category. Kids in these sort of buildings can get sick more, have behavior problems, get migraines, sleep worse, have asthma, etc. Sure enough, a few weeks into summer her symptoms almost completely disappeared. She is now in a new school and doing well. She even received an award first semester for No Absences! Of course, she still has allergies but she isn't suffering daily like before.

In addition to food allergies, parents of allergic children usually have other things that come up. Tonight I needed a little extra writing therapy as I felt overwhelmed by these "in additions". Thanks for reading, supporting me, and keeping me motivated to write about my journey as a mom of three kids with allergies.

Commenting on the blog?

I apologize if anyone has commented or sent me a message and I did not respond. Like I have said, I am computer illiterate. I have no idea where these messages are going. I believe you can "comment" at the bottom of each post. Lets say "technical difficulties" and I am trying to work thru them....

Baked Chicken Cutlets, egg-free + gluten-free + sesame-free

If I had to pick 3 foods I remember eating as a child, chicken cutlets would make the list. (Off the top of my head...meatballs, chicken cutlets, and take out.) We ate them with a Ketchup/BBQ sauce mixture.

Bread crumbs obviously have gluten but they also usually contain egg and sesame. Even when I could eat gluten, eggs, and sesame I never made them as good as my mom. But now I have to try and find a decent recipe that my whole family can eat without whining, complaining, or hives... and taste near as good as my moms.

Ians makes a gluten free bread crumb, similar tasting to panko, and instead of egg I am going to try a coconut oil and yogurt mixture. Here we go...


Baked Chicken Cutlets:
Chicken cutlets
Ian's Gluten Free bread crumbs
Plain Greek Yogurt
Coconut Oil

First, I mixed some coconut oil and yogurt in a bowl. Second, I put the bread crumbs in a bowl. Third, I rubbed coconut oil in a lasagna pan.

I dipped the chicken in the oil and yogurt mixture, then in the bread crumbs, then put in the oiled pan. Bake at 350 for about 40-50 minutes, depends how thick the chicken is.

Serve with any of your favorite sides. Tonight we are having sauteed spinach and brown rice. And I am having some white sangria (white wine, sprite, and canned fruit cocktail). The more whining in my house the more wine in my house.

Enjoy!

Meat Sauce + Spaghetti Squash

I really really really don't like complicated cooking. When a meal takes longer to prep than it does to eat I won't make it again. I end up exhausted and angry and don't enjoy the meal it took me all afternoon to cook.

Maybe that is my fascination with the crock pot. I cook early in the day and by the time dinner rolls around I feel like I ordered in. Clean kitchen and dinner is ready.

Today I made crock pot meat sauce + spaghetti squash.

Meat Sauce:
Olive oil
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Garlic
Ground beef
Tomato Sauce

Saute the veggies and garlic in olive oil. Put in crock pot. Saute meat. Put in crock pot. Add jar of sauce. Cook 6 hours.

Spaghetti Squash:
Cut in half length wise and put face down on tin foil on baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 60 minutes. Spoon out the spaghetti.

Mix the Squash in the Sauce, top with parmesan cheese (if you aren't dairy-free), and Enjoy!

Are you blaming me?

How many of you moms of allergic kids have been blamed? Did you breast feed? Did you feed them organic food? Do you think it is from all the GMOs you ate? When did you introduce solids?

Not that it matters, but yes, I breast fed for a year. Yes, they ate organic baby food? No, I don't think I ate too many GMOs. And I introduced solids when my doctor told me to, around 5 months.

It actually runs in my family. My grandmother is allergic to almost everything. My dad has food allergies. My brother is allergic to every animal. I am allergic to many medications. My aunt has food allergies. Migraines, asthma, eczema...they are all in my family. Will, their dad, was allergic to milk as a kid. No blame, just genetics. But even if it wasn't, why do people jump to blame?

While in graduate school, studying psychology, I learned a phrase, "Reframe". It means to look at the same picture but change the frame. It could look completely different in a different frame. Yes, food allergies suck. They are scary and they are a lot of work. But if I want to reframe it I could say, My kids eat well because of their allergies. I am forced to give them healthier options. I didn't have the luxury of giving them anything that was available. They have been exposed to foods I would not have given to them if the easy stuff was an option. I could also reframe it and say it exposed my whole family to a healthier lifestyle. It led me to be gluten-free. I would have never tried it if I hadn't done it for my son. But I feel the best I have felt in years now.

So no recipes today, just some deep thoughts. It is what it is. Every kid has something. Every family has something. This is our thing. It is hard but it is part of who we are.

BBQ chicken and Cornbread pudding, gluten-free + egg-free

We went to a party this weekend and there was cornbread. I LOVE cornbread and so does Ava. Neither one of us could eat it and so I made dinner tonight with cornbread in mind. In the last few months, I have made several variations of a gluten-free + egg-free cornbread pudding. But like I have said, I never make the same thing twice and until I started this blog I never kept a record of how I made things. So, in addition to hopefully helping other people, I am now keeping a record of my recipes!

BBQ night at my house.

Chicken:

Put Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce and chicken in the crock pot and push start. Cook about 5 hours. I try and shred the chicken about 4 hours into it so it absorbs more BBQ sauce. But if you are out and about it isn't mandatory.

Gluten-free + Egg-free cornbread pudding:

1/4 cup butter melted, you can substitute with a dairy-free butter 

1 cup any milk, I used coconut

1 can corn

1 can creamed corn

1 cup GF cornmeal

1 cup GF garbanzo bean flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 tsp honey

1 tbsp Ener G egg replacer

1 tbsp ground flaxseeds

Mix all together and bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

You can add green beans, baked beans, sweet potato fries, or cole slaw as sides to these dishes and Enjoy!

Banana Bread, gluten-free + nut-free + egg-free

I have been searching for a good egg-free + nut-free banana bread for years. But trying to also make a good gluten-free one is a whole new challenge.

This weekend I decided I would try a coconut banana bread. Who knows what I did, but after 2 hours in the oven it still looked like raw dough. I am an impatient cook and don't bother with recipes, or if I do, I am the queen of modifying. Partially because I have to substitute allergens, partially because I don't have all the ingredients, and partially because I always want to be creative. These are all reasons why I never make the same thing twice. I just start dumping flaxseeds, hemp seeds, yogurt, coconut oil, etc.

So tonight I dug deep in the "recipe drawer" and found an oldie from COOKS.com. "Super Moist Banana Bread". I, of course, modified and I am feeling like it might be good. I can't believe I am even posting about it while it is still in the oven but what else am I going to do for the 45 minutes? Certainly not clean the house, do the laundry, or put away the boxes of Costco snacks I just bought.

So here is the modified recipe:
MIX:
1/2 cup of butter, room temp
1 cup of sugar
ADD:
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 tbsp of Ener G Egg Replacer mixed with 2 tbsp of water
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp baking soda
MIX AND ADD:
1 cup GF all purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1 tbsp of ground flaxseed mixed with 2 tbsp of water

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes.

I hope it comes out good... and if you make it too, Enjoy!

Chipotle Night

If you can find the 3 minutes it takes to order the food (for some reason today that was an issue in my house) Chipotle is an awesome allergy friendly easy dinner for the whole family. You order and pay on their website and then pickup. They have little take home sheets, very clear and simple, that tell you what allergens are in all their food.

The pork is the least spicy meat and the black beans are much less spicy than the pinto (for the kids). They even have kids meal deals. They have white and brown rice, veggies, quacamole, amazing corn salsa, sour cream and cheese for those of you who can have dairy, etc. I feed a family of 5 for around $25.

I know, not a fancy post, but as a mom always searching for easy allergy friendly options, I was ecstatic to discover this information.

Order and enjoy!

"Show Me Juice" Concoctions

con·coct  (kn-kkt)

tr.v. con·coct·ed, con·coct·ing, con·coct

1. To prepare by mixing ingredients, as in cooking.

2. To devise, using skill and intelligence; contrive:
(thefreedictionary.com)

Concoct. This is exactly what I do on a daily basis with my  +Vitamix  Blender. Although I wouldn't say using "skill and intelligence". More like using "experimentation". Like I said, I never make the same thing twice. This also goes for the weird concoctions that I create in a blender. My husband, Will, asked me this week, "What is this? Health juice?" Yea, something like that.

This has been going on in my house since the girls could drink out of a straw. They used to call it "Show Me Juice". For years, that is just what we called anything made in the blender. I still don't know where that name came from but it was cute so it stuck.

Here are the most popular "Show Me Juices" in my house:

"Purple Juice"
Frozen mixed berries
Aloe Vera juice
Orange juice
Spinach
Kale
Fish Oil (+Carlson for Kids)
Banana

"Green Juice"
Spinach
Kale
Cucumber
Ginger Root (about a half inch piece)
Orange Juice
Frozen Peaches

"Chocolate Juice"
Chocolate Protein Powder ( +Arbonne International has a dairy-free pea protein based one I love)
Banana
Spoonful of Sunbutter (nut-free substitute for peanut butter)
Ice
Water

Other ingredients I sometimes throw in:
Flax Oil
Vitamin C oil
+Juice Plus+ 
Frozen Mangos
Avocado (Makes the smoothie creamy)
+Lifeway Kefir  (adds probiotics)
Plain Greek Yogurt
Hemp Seeds (adds protein)
Ground Flaxseeds
Oregano Oil


Happy Blending and Enjoy!

Beware of the bars...

Beware of the bars...the serve yourself ice cream bars. They are a huge craze right now, serve yourself ice cream and toppings. Yes, I agree it is a great concept and fun for all people who do not have food allergies. But for those of us who live in fear of "cross contamination" they are a nightmare. Most children will use the same spoon to serve the sprinkles that they used to serve the nuts. And in a whirlwind of excitement the stuff goes flying.

Here is my trick. Get your ice cream, or sorbet for those who cannot eat dairy, and ask the employees to bring you toppings from the back. Tell them you or your child has food allergies and you prefer the toppings from the original package. I have never been refused.

Another cross contamination nightmare is the meat department at grocery stores, even the beloved Whole Foods. Just yesterday I went to order Garden Turkey Burgers at The Fresh Market. I was tired and in a rush. But at the last moment, as the guy was reaching thru the cabinet, I realized they were next to the Macadamia Nut Chicken Cutlets. And yes, of course, the nut/breading was overflowing into the burgers. Do your best to see what is near, not just next to, the meat you are buying. I walked to the other end of the cabinet and picked a different meat. This happened to me at Whole Foods a while ago too. I was so excited to find lamb meatballs that did not have egg or breading and started to order them but thank God realized they were next to a sesame marinaded skewer. It is much safer to either ask the employee to please get you fresh meat from the back or head over to the other side of the meat department.

And lastly, buffets are a danger zone. Once again, if you must eat at a buffet, ask to speak with the chef or manager and get food fresh from the back. Remember, servers are not always educated on allergies. Talking to a chef or manager is usually better, but trust your gut. I had someone tell me this week that the rice wasn't gluten-free because there was chicken in it.

Beware but enjoy :)

Everything-Free Chicken Tacos

All moms, even ones with no food restrictions, get bored of their usual dinner routine. And all moms need a go to easy dinner for the busy day of the week when you don't even get home until dinner time. I have found the most simple, delicious, healthy, and everything-free chicken. Oh, and something I haven't mentioned about myself, I LOVE all food mexican.

Everything-Free Chicken Tacos

4 breasts of chicken
1 jar of Salsa, I prefer +Jack's Special. It is fresh, so look in the cold part of the store

Put both in a slow cooker and cook 6 hrs. At around 4 or 5 hours fork the chicken so it shreds and has time to absorb the salsa. Don't over cook or it gets dry. Add to corn tortillas (which are gluten-free) and top with anything! I usually top with quacamole.

Quacamole

2 avocados
1 tomato diced
1 lime squeezed
cilantro
salt & pepper

OR
2 avocados
2 spoonfuls of Jack's Special Salsa

Sometimes we eat it with beans and rice instead of as tacos (good if you are allergic to corn). Or you can add it to Amy's Chili. Or make burritos/quesadillas with it. Or put in an omelette (if you eat eggs).

Enjoy!

Meatballs, egg-free and gluten-free

I have a habit of looking at ingredients in a dish even when I am pretty sure we can't have it. But while strolling the Whole Foods in Boulder, CO I spotted a meatball dish in the hot food section. Although there were about 20 items in the meatballs there was no egg and no bread crumbs. It looked strange, there were olives, fennel, feta cheese, garlic, and a whole bunch of other things I do not remember. But I bought them and loved them. So when I returned home I went out and bought what I remembered and tried to recreate the Colorado Meatballs (which is what I call them now). After a few times I think I have figured out an easy, delicious, egg-free, gluten-free meatball.

Like I have mentioned, I am not a chef. I NEVER make the same thing twice. It always tastes different. However, I will give my best version of a recipe:

2 lbs of ground beef
1 can of chopped olives
1 package of feta cheese
2 tbsp of minced garlic
2 tbsp of chopped fennel (which I almost always forget at the store)
1 jar of GF tomato sauce, which most are.
salt & pepper

I mix the olives, feta, garlic, fennel, salt, & pepper in a bowl making sure the feta is in as small of pieces as possible. Then I add the beef and mix as well as I can. Then I put the jar of sauce in a big pot and turn the stove on low. I make mini meatballs and add them to the heating sauce. Cook about 30 minutes.

I like to eat them with the Ancient Harvest Quinoa spaghetti. I also make them as an appetizer when people are coming over and serve them with tooth picks.

Enjoy!!

Things to watch out for

About two years ago I thought it would be fun to plant seeds in the backyard with the girls. Of course, it didn't go so easily. As I opened the "wildflower seed pouch" (from Target) a gust of wind came and blew it past Ava. Within seconds she was sneezing out of control, had hives on her face, and started talking like she just sucked the air out of a balloon. After a bath and double dose of benadryl she was better. I looked at the packet multiple times and could not figure out what she was allergic to. So I put it in a ziploc and saved it. Thought maybe it was a flower I would later discover she was allergic to. I swear a few weeks ago I took the packet out and at the bottom, no where near the ingredients, said "Contains peanut shells". WHAT!!?? In Wildflower seeds!!?? I swear, when I let my guard down we have a close call. Sometimes I think people think I am insane. Like I want my kid to be sick. Like I want to be a pain in the ass in every restaurant, every party, every school function. But then in an activity that has nothing to do with food we have an incident.

Last month Ava, yes she seems to be my most allergic kid, was waking up every day with one of two hives on her face. I had no clue why. But then one morning it was multiple hives. Was it the sheets? The new conditioner? I took both away and the next night I was hanging out with her while she showered and right in front of me as she washed her hair, with the SAME SHAMPOO she had been using for a year, she broke out all over her forehead! Shampoo, lotion, soap, sunscreen...these things all may contain things you or your kids are allergic to. I almost bought a shampoo today for Ava and at the last minute checked the ingredients and it had almond oil! This is only a few weeks after she had hives from a shampoo. We ALWAYS have to "be on" when our kids have allergies. It is our job.

So this blog is about things I learned the hard way...

Bread crumbs usually have egg and sesame seeds.

Chick Filet uses peanut oil!

5 Guys uses peanut oil and has peanuts everywhere

Marinades frequently have sesame oil. Publix Mojo rotisserie chicken has it.

Head & Shoulders extra dry scalp is made with Almond Oil.

Egg beaters are made out of eggs.

Publix bread (used in party platters) usually has egg.

Many hamburger and hot dog buns have sesame seeds.

Publix cake (or Target, Costco, etc.) use an extremely large amount of egg whites.

Haagen daz ice cream has egg yolk.

Dunkin Donuts donuts have egg yolk.

Hummus is made with sesame oil.

I didn't even know until my kids had allergies that mayonnaise  is made from egg.

Babysitters, waiters, teachers, etc do not always understand allergies. Be VERY specific. Tell them to ALWAYS call you if anything is "weird". I had a babysitter give Emma three baths because her "butt felt itchy" and "tongue felt funny". She did not call and when I texted her "is everything ok?" she wrote back "yes". She didn't want to bother us. Turns out she let Emma have a bite of her granola bar. When I checked on Emma that night her ears were swollen and whole body was bright red. I now always remind people that I want them to call if ANYTHING seems unusual. BTW I love that babysitter and still use her. I figured she will never feed my kids anything without asking again. She texts a picture before letting my kids eat anything.

Ever wish you could feed your kids fast frozen food like everyone else?

I know fresh food is healthier but sometimes a busy mom just wants to feed her kids from a box. When moms talked about chicken nuggets and mac n cheese I would wish things could be that easy. Well leave it to me to find all the "fake" foods that make my life easier. I know there are lots of gluten-free things but a lot of them have eggs or nuts...no good for this house. And a lot of vegan things are egg free but loaded with nuts and gluten. I am writing this post to share my favorite brands that are everything-free.

Frozen Waffles:
Natures Path Organic are my favorite! The Chia one is my preference but I also like the Buckwheat one. They are both egg, nut, dairy and gluten free.

Frozen Chicken Nuggets:
Apple Gate Gluten Free Chicken Breast Tenders or Nuggets are good for all of us.

Frozen Pizza:
Bold Pizza (I have only seen it at Whole Foods) is egg, nut, dairy, and gluten free and actually good. I suggest cooking it until it is crispy. They have plain, meat, or veggie. I have had them all and like them all!

Gluten Free Pasta:
I have become a huge fan of the Ancient Quinoa Harvest brand, especially the spaghetti.

Favorite desserts were covered in my last post. And just in case anyone is wondering we had frozen pizza, chicken nuggets, and sweet potato fries for dinner tonight. Maybe cost $10, no worries, no dishes, and I have time to write. Success!

You don't have to be birthday cake-free when you are egg-free

One of the hard parts of having a kid with allergies is birthday parties. At first I would sneak out of a party before the cake or run to the bounce house for cake time. But once the girls were old enough to "know" I had to act. I found vegan recipes or added egg substitute to boxed cake mix. The egg substitute never worked that well, though. The cake was flat and fell apart. The vegan recipes were almost always too complicated for someone who was not a chef. So finally after years of searching (which is why I am writing a blog-to help you avoid years of searching) I found +Cherrybrook Kitchen mixes. They have box mixes that only require a few added items (like water and oil) and you have a delicious dessert in 30 minutes. I bring dessert everywhere!!! I bring cupcakes to every single birthday party and I bring cookies or brownies to every get together. I stock my house with these mixes so an hour before a party when I have that "Oh S%$T, I forgot to make a dessert" moment, it only takes 3 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to bake. All of their mixes are egg, nut, and dairy free and half their mixes are gluten-free.

And do not forget school birthdays! At first I tried to find out every time a parent was bringing in a birthday treat but most of the time I would be dropping my kids off and see a parent walk in with the colorful foot high with icing cupcakes from Publix. I swear I would get angry, like, "How dare you not tell me you were bringing in dessert today!" But then when I realized parents who do not have kids with allergies do not always think about allergies, if at all. So I started leaving boxes of Everything-Free cookies with the teacher for moments like this. +Enjoy Life brand has many flavors to choose from (Snickerdoodle, Chocolate Chip, Brownie, and some others). Their treats are "free of the 8 major allergens". Emma likes the +Nanas Cookie Bars. There are egg, soy, and dairy-free and Nana's does make some desserts that are also gluten-free. My advice is make it something your child does not have at home, so it is "special" (like the colorful foot high with icing cupcakes all their friends are eating).

I must say, I was very proud when a boy in one of the girls' class said, "Its not fair! You get a different dessert than us!" That is what I hope for. Not that kids are jealous, but that my kids aren't always jealous of everyone else and what they eat. I want my kids to feel somewhat similar. When other kids get a treat, they do too. When other kids eat birthday cake, they do too.

Why not add Gluten-Free to the family diet?

A little over a year ago I took Vince to some sort of natural doc for a rash on his hands and severe eczema. We were barely thru his office door and he said, "Take him off wheat and come back in three weeks." My response was, "Why not add Gluten-Free to the family diet?"

I did as I was told. The rash on the hands went away and the eczema came and went, same as before. Then again it was hard to keep a 2 yr old gluten free, he ate Cheerios and Goldfish off the floor at play grounds. But after three months I decided Vince doesn't need to be gluten free but it isn't as hard as I thought, I should do it! I had been told a few times to try it for bloating but always assumed it would be too much work. So, exactly a year ago I took myself off gluten. The results were worth it! Within 3 weeks the bloating decreased and I felt better. Now, we have a new food issue when ordering at a restaurant. Waiter, the kids are egg, nut, and sesame free and I am gluten free, have any good desserts?

I always joke that "I should start a blog"

I always joke that "I should start a blog". I am not a writer or blogger or chef or nutritionist or even computer literate. I am a mom of 3 kids with allergies. I spent the last 7 years researching, cooking, experimenting, shopping, and dining with allergies in mind. I always felt it would be easier for someone else if I just wrote about all the recipes, restaurants, brands that I found over the years, if I started a blog.

My twin girls, Ava and Emma, were diagnosed with food allergies around their first birthday. They immediately got hives when it was time to start introducing foods. The girls were breast fed and at 10 months when I introduced formula Emma was covered in hives. At a first birthday party Ava left covered in hives after eating the cake. Macaroni salad, hives. Hummus, hives. And this continued until their first check up when I casually mentioned it to their doctor like it was no big deal. She, of course, referred me to an allergist and blood work. I was SHOCKED when the doctor told me my girls were allergic to dogs, nuts, eggs, milk, sesame, and a little bit to everything else. He told me to get rid of my dog and change their entire diet. I cried and never went back to him. I ended up at my brother's childhood allergist who told me I can keep the dog but yes, my girls were "Very Allergic".

Four and half years later when my son, Vince, was born full term and a singleton I was sure he would be allergy free. But around the same age the pattern started again. Eggs, hives. Sesame roll, hives. hummus, hives. And we went back to the allergist to hear the same thing...You and your husband make "Very Allergic" kids.

So here I am. Not a writer or blogger or chef or nutritionist or even computer literate but I am going to give blogging a shot.