Friday, November 28, 2008

GF/CF/SF/ Whipped Cream

Another recipe great recipe find, that I must save!

Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Gluten-Free Whipped
Cream by Christel King, winner of the Harris Whole Health Healthy
Recipe Contest Last Month, reprint permission of Harris Whole Health
>
> Many of you may know Christel King from
GFCFRecipes. com fame. Thank you Christel for your creation!
>
> This could easily be gfcfsf whipped cream,
cream cheese spread, oreo middle, homemade candy bar cream, cream
pie filler, vanilla ice cream, etc (note: generally, whipped cream
doesn't fall into anyone's idea of healthy food. (But) it is very
challenging to find gluten, dairy and soy free alternatives for
cream. Technically, the recipe fits the guidelines because it IS
largely fruit based, it is very low in sugar and has no hydrogenated
fats. That being said, it is very high in fat and calories and
should of course be used sparingly!!! )
>
>
> Ingredients:
>
> *3- 8oz cans of coconut milk (2 chilled,
one not)
> *1 teaspoon Authentic Foods Vanilla Powder
> *2 teaspoons Frontier Vanilla Flavoring
(alcohol free version)
> *1 teaspoon sugar
>
>
> Directions:
> In a large bowl empty the NON chilled can,
then open the 2 chilled removing ONLY the white solid matter into
the bowl. Add in the sugar, vanilla flavoring, and vanilla powder.
Whip for 3 min.
>
>
> Variations:
>
> For whipped cream- you have it made now!!
>
>
> For vanilla ice cream- simply freeze
>
>
> For cream cheese- let it ferment in the
fridge for 3 days
>
>
> For an oreo center- for the outsides of
oreo mix up Miss Roben's graham cracker mix, Melt one bag of Enjoy
Life Foods chocolate chips mix together, add in 1/3 cup coconut
flour. Press out on cookie sheets BETWEEN 2 waxed paper sheets,
slightly freeze, and then cut out with glass cups. On another cookie
sheet also with wax paper lining the BOTTOM only, lay out the above
whipped cream recipe. Slightly freeze and cut out with smaller
glass. Layer chocolate layer, vanilla layer, chocolate layer and
freeze- you have gaffs Oreos, you can also bake instead of freeze
the chocolate layers at 350 degrees for 10 min watching them
closely, this makes them more crisp verses no bake style.
>
> For a Pie filler- boil 2 cups of fruit per
pie you are making, add in 2 teaspoons corn starch, mixed with 4
teaspoons water to thicken. Add in 2 cups of the above whipped cream
for a 1:1 ratio blend and fill prepared pie crust (use Miss Roben's
corn free Pie Crust Mix or Mock Graham cracker mix). Refrigerate to
solidify.
>
>
> For an Oreo pie- do the Oreo chocolate
recipe with 1/2 the bag of chocolate chips, line pie pan with crust,
melt other 1/2 bag of choc chips to coat the pressed pie crust.
Pour in Organ whipped chocolate moose as directed on pouch. Layer
whipped topping above on, and sprinkle lightly on top with authentic
foods vanilla powder to look baked.
>
> Use on granola, on fruit bowls etc.
>
> For candy bar- blend Miss Roben's Mock
Graham cracker mix and 1/2 of whipped cream. With 1/2 this mix blend
in 1/2 the bag of chocolate chips (melted) with it, and other 1/2
bag of choc chips as normal. Form both mixes into strips and bake at
350 degrees for 10 min. Melt the other 1/2 of a bag of gfcfsf
chocolate chips. Place a chocolate graham on bottom layer, whipped
cream in the middle, vanilla graham on top and dip in the melted
chocolate. Sprinkle sliced almond and shredded coconut on top and
refrigerate and enjoy when solid.

Monday, November 24, 2008

FINISHED MY THANKSGIVING DAY MENU PLAN!!!!!

Well, it took almost the full 8 hours of searching recipe after recipe to find what I needed for this ONE meal lol...good thing I LOVE thanksgiving, I really really love this holiday, next to Christmas, it's my favorite!

SOooooooooo...here's what I've come up w/ in 8 hours lol

Appetizer:
Veggie Tray
Shrimp Tray
BBQ meatballs
Deviled Eggs

Dinner:
Turkey
sweet potatoes
stuffing
Green bean casserole
home made cranberries
mash potatoes w/ home made gravy
bisquits

Desserts
Pumpkin Pie
Cherry Pie

Soooo that's it, that's what I accomplished in 8 hours! Yes that really took 8 hours lol

pie crust

ok, think i will make a cherry pie using this recipe for the dough

1 cup almond flour
1 egg
1 cap Pure Vanilla Extract
1 tbsp cf Margerine
1/2 tsp cinnamon
enough sugar substitute or honey to sweeten crust
pinch of salt


Recipe


1. Mix all ingredients together until they form a ball. The ball should have a little moisture to it, but not liquid.

2. You can taste it to make sure there is some sweetness and hint of cinnamon and butter.

3. Smooth pieces of dough into pie tin with fingers until the crust is made.

4. If making pudding/cream pies, bake crust first at about 325 F until just turning a slight golden brown.

Note: If pre-baking (for best results) vent the bottom of the crust using the tines of a fork and use pie weights such as dry beans inside the crust while baking. .................................

easier pumpkin pie recipe

Pumpkin Pie


Ingredients:

1 can pumpkin
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup milk substitute (coconut milk, rice milk, etc.)
1 cup maple syrup
2 eggs (or flax seed egg replacer)
1 9" pie shell

Mix the pumpkin and spices together. Add the remaining ingredients and stir slowly until just mixed. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Bake at 425 for 15 min, then reduce to 350 and bake for another 30-40 min. Allow pie to cool before serving.

ignore me...

Sorry guys I'm at work, and have the day on the computer (watching over a suicide patient) so I'm using my 8 hours to find GF/CF recipes for my thanksgiving meal...so I figured the easiest thing to do is to copy and save them onto my blog...so just ignore me today...or check out a few recipes yourself!

GF/CF French Fried Onions for the green bean casserole

HOW TO MAKE FRENCH FRIED ONION RINGS


2 or 3 big sweet onions

enough milk sub for soaking onions (I used Dari Free)


gluten free flour (I used rice flour)

oil for frying (I used corn oil)

Slice the onions and separate into rings.

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Oil should be about an inch deep. When the oil is hot enough, a flick of water will make the oil sizzle.

Soak the onions in milk,

Put the flour in a large zip lock bag and add some of the onion, shake up...

Place the onions in the frying pan with the heated oil.

The onions will start to get thin and loose their round shape, turn over and cook other side

When the onion rings have finished cooking, lay them on a paper bag or paper towels to cool/drain some oil.


Store in air-tight container, top your casserole, or eat them!

These tasted so good, I wanted to just eat them...can't wait to try them on the casserole tomorrow!

neat stuffing recipe

QUOTE
Gluten Free Stuffing (Shauna James Ahern)

2 loaves gluten-free bread, diced into one-inch cubes, toasted and cooled (we used 1 loaf Kinnikinnick white sandwich bread, thawed, and cubed and then toasted in the oven on broil for a minute or so on each side)
2 large ribs celery, medium diced
1 large yellow onion, medium diced
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper


Sautee the onion and celery in olive oil on medium-low heat until they are translucent. You will be able to smell the onions cooking at this point. (Take a deep whiff. That's a beautiful smell.) Add the garlic, as well as the rosemary, sage, and thyme. Stir these in and cook until you can smell the herbs, about one to two minutes. Remove from heat.

Bring the chicken stock to boil on high heat. Place the egg yolk in a medium-sized bowl and carefully ladle two to three ounces of the chicken stock to the egg yolk, slowly, while whisking the mixture. Add the rest of the chicken stock to the egg mixture at this point. (Ladling a small portion of the stock into the egg first, and blending it, will prevent you from having scrambled eggs.)

Add the cooled celery, onion, and herbs mixture into the stock and egg mixture. Toss the bread cubes into this mixture and stir it all around with your hands (or a spoon), to coat the bread. Add the salt and pepper and toss the bread again. Place all of this into a greased casserole dish (big enough to hold three quarts) and cover it with aluminum foil. Bake for twenty minutes at 425?, then remove the foil and bake for another ten minutes. Take a toothpick and stick it into the stuffing. If it comes out clean, the stuffing is done. If not, bake until the toothpick comes out clean.

Serves six to eight people, depending on their appetite for stuffing.

POP Syndrome

Thought you guys might like this:

POP Syndrome

The AMA* has just released information regarding a new and relatively
unknown condition plaguing a growing segment of our population. While
it is unclear exactly how many people are affected by POP Syndrome,
the condition seems to have a genetic component connecting it to
Autism, Cerebral Palsy, ADHD and a myriad of other disabilities. The
genetic connection is undeniable as POP Syndrome almost exclusively
affects mothers of disabled children. More puzzling is the fact that
the condition appears to lay dormant in a mother and only becomes
apparent shortly after her disabled child enters the public school
system.

POP Syndrome comes with a host of symptoms and unusual behaviors,
including but not limited to the following:

-Sufferers are frequently observed repeatedly calling school
officials and then leaving messages as if they expect their call to
be returned.
-Mothers with POP Syndrome are often seen meeting with school
officials. To the casual observer, this may seem normal. However,
this futile exercise so closely resembles talking to a brick wall, it
is deemed an unusual behavior.
-The condition appears to affect communication and causes the
sufferer to echo the same phrases over and over again. These echos
usually include phrases such as, "We need to schedule an IEP
meeting", "I'll need that in writing" and "Why not?".
-Eye twitches and unexpected outbursts of foul language are also
common with this disorder.

At this time, there is no known cure for POP (Pissed Off Parent)
Syndrome. Until a treatment becomes available, these brave mothers
will live in the shadows of our society...twitching , cursing and
dialing.

*Angry Mothers Association.

another cream of soups recipe

1 cup dry milk powder
1 cup white rice flour
2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons powdered soup base (like chicken soup base, onion soup base)
Combine all ingredients and mix well.
TO make the soup, blend 3-4 Tablespoons mix with 1/4 cup cold water.
Add 1 cup hot or cold water or stock and cook over medium heat till
thick. Then you can add what ever you want. Broccoli, chicken,
potatoes....

Gf/CF pumpkin pie recipe

Think I'll give this one a try! Doesn't look too hard

No-Bake Pumpkin Pie

(Serves 8)

Cookie-Almond Crust

4 cookies (I used Pamela's ginger cookies)
Handful of sliced almonds
About 4 ounces marzipan (mine was hard, so I microwaved to soften)
About 2+ tablespoons coconut oil (use more if necessary) or ghee or gfcf
margarine

[Any cookies or nuts would work for this crust. But you may need to add
sugar, if you're not using marzipan or lots of sweet cookies.]

Pumpkin Filling

3 tablespoons cold orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons gelatin (from 1 package)
1 cup coconut milk (other milk subs would probably work okay too, but nothing quite thickens like coconut milk)
2/3 cup (4 3/4 ounces) sugar
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 large egg yolks
1 (15-ounce) can plain pumpkin puree (1 3/4 cups)

1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Pulse cookies, almonds and marzipan in food processor until evenly and finely ground, about fifteen 2-second pulses (you should have 1 cup crumbs). Add warm coconut oil in steady stream through feed tube while pulsing until crumbs are evenly moistened and resemble damp sand. Transfer crumbs to 9-inch pie plate and spread evenly over bottom and sides; wipe out food processor bowl and reserve. Using flat-bottomed ramekin or dry measuring cup, press and smooth crumbs into pie plate (see illustration, at left). Bake until fragrant and browned around edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

3. FOR THE FILLING: Stir orange juice and vanilla together in medium bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over orange juice mixture and set aside to thicken, about 5 minutes.

4. Combine 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, and spices in small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbles form at edges; remove from heat. Whisk remaining 1/3 cup sugar and yolks together in medium bowl until pale and slightly thickened. Slowly pour hot mixture into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of pot with heatproof spatula, until custard is thickened and registers 175 to 180 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. (When properly cooked, custard should form slight ridge on tip of spatula when bottom of pan is scraped and spatula is lifted.) Immediately pour custard over gelatin mixture and stir until smooth and gelatin has completely dissolved.

5. Puree pumpkin in food processor until smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. With machine running, add remaining 1/2 cup coconut milk through feed tube in steady stream. Scrape sides of bowl and process for additional 10 to 15 seconds. Add pumpkin mixture to custard mixture and stir until completely smooth. Transfer filling to cooled crust. Chill pie, uncovered, until filling is just set, about 3 hours. Cover pie with plastic wrap and continue to chill until fully set, at least 6 and up to 24 hours. Cut pie into wedges and serve.

__._,_.___

Sunday, November 23, 2008

The Progress We've Made!

Well, as of today it has been exactly one month since our very first appt w/ our DAN! Dr. I NEVER would have guessed that, in a months time I would have gone from skeptic to believer!!! Yes, when I very first heard about this whole biomed "movement" I thought it was just a bunch of parents who were seeing what they wanted to see while throwing all their $$$ out the window. So I say I went into this more than skeptical, I expected it to fail, The progress Isaiah has made in a months time is phenomenal. The biggest change in our/his lives to date is the meltdowns! A month ago Isaiah had on average close to 20 meltdowns a day...now we are down to maybe 1 or 2 a WEEK!!!!! Yes a WEEK!! I would have been FLOORED w/ one or 2 DAY, but a WEEK, this has CHANGED the quality of our LIVES DRAMATICALLY!!! Fixing all the problems in his body is going to take alot of time, there is still alot of work to be done, but the fact that THIS much has changed this fast gives me great hope for our future...for the first time ever.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Another great poem!

I need to start a section just for these wonderful poems!

The Misunderstood Child
A poem about children with hidden disabilities

by Kathy Winters

I am the child that looks healthy and fine.
I was born with ten fingers and toes.
But something is different, somewhere in my mind,
And what it is, nobody knows.

I am the child that struggles in school,
Though they say that I'm perfectly smart.
They tell me I'm lazy -- can learn if I try --
But I don't seem to know where to start.

I am the child that won't wear the clothes
Which hurt me or bother my feet.
I dread sudden noises, can't handle most smells,
And tastes -- there are few foods I'll eat.

I am the child that can't catch the ball
And runs with an awkward gait.
I am the one chosen last on the team
And I cringe as I stand there and wait.

I am the child with whom no one will play --
The one that gets bullied and teased.
I try to fit in and I want to be liked,
But nothing I do seems to please.

I am the child that tantrums and freaks
Over things that seem petty and trite.
You'll never know how I panic inside,
When I'm lost in my anger and fright.

I am the child that fidgets and squirms
Though I'm told to sit still and be good.
Do you think that I choose to be out of control?
Don't you know that I would if I could?

I am the child with the broken heart
Though I act like I don't really care.
Perhaps there's a reason God made me this way --
Some message he sent me to share.

For I am the child that needs to be loved
And accepted and valued too.
I am the child that is misunderstood.
I am different - but look just like you.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Menu Plan Monday

Mon: Colorful Kielbasa
Tue: Hawaiian Chicken
Wed Spaghetti
Thur: Home made GF/CF chicken nuggets
Fri: Chicken Broccoli and rice casserole

Colorful Kielbasa

This was a favorite of ours from pre GF/CF...I am attempting to make it autism friendly tonight!

It calls for a cup of condensed cream of celery soup, I found 2 recipes for this
The small version
1 cup cold milk sub
2 tbls cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp gf/cf butter
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper

for cream of mushroom add 4 oz can of mushroom pieces
for cream of celery 1/2 cup auteed chopped celery
for cream of chicken 1/2 cup chicken pieces

the large version you make ahead and store...I THINK I'm gonna try this one, since i have a ton of our favorite recipes that call for cream of something soups

2 cups dry powdered milk sub
3/4 c corn starch
1/4 cup bouillon granules
1 tbs dry onion flakes
1 tsp basil
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbs dry celery flakes
1 tsp salt

mix and store

to prepare combine 1/3 c mix and 1 1/4 cups cool water in small sauce pan...stir in and bring to boil over med heat

Boil and stir a full min remove from heat.


Colorful Kielbasa


1 can condensed cream of celery soup
3/4 c water
1 tbsp butter
1 lb smoked kielbasa cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup long grain rice
1 package (10 oz) frozen peas
1 cup shredded cheddar (I'll be omitting this from his portion)

In a skillet combine soup, water, and butter...bring to boil. Add Kielbasa and rice...reduce heat and cover, simmer for 15-18 min or until rice is ALMOST tender.

Stir in peas, cover and simmer 15 min or until rice IS tender, and peas are heated threw

Remove from heat

Sprinkle w/ cheese and cover let stand until melted about 5 min.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

wow

OMG, so last night I was at work, and I called the kids on my lunch break and Isaiah informs me that he ate a piece of toast, apparently Rob made the kids cinnamon toast, Isaiah's on his bread, and Xanders on reg bread...Xander didn't finish his piece, and I guess Isaiah ate it...this kid is NUTS this morning!!! I can't believe how horrible he's stimming, and making wild noises, and the spontaneous mischievous actions. ..like I had him in the bath, I went to pack his lunch and come back and he's wetting the dog...The past 2 weeks have been so wonderful, and peaceful ...I just can't believe one piece (actually less cuz Xander ate some of it) can do this to these kids, and to think I was giving him 2 pieces everyday, along w/ other gluten and casein products. It's just amazing!

Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew

Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew

By Ellen Notbohm
South Florida Parenting

Some days it seems the only predictable thing about it is the unpredictability. The only consistent attribute, the inconsistency. There is little argument on any level but that autism is baffling, even to those who spend their lives around it.

The child who lives with autism may look "normal," but his or her behavior can be perplexing and downright difficult. Today, the citadel of autism, once thought an "incurable" disorder, is cracking around the foundation. Every day, individuals with autism show us they can overcome, compensate for, and otherwise manage many of the condition's most challenging aspects. Equipping those around our children with a simple understanding of autism's most basic elements has a tremendous effect on the children's journey towards productive, independent adulthood. Autism is an extremely complex disorder, but we can distill it to three critical components: sensory processing difficulties, speech/language delays and impairments, and whole child/social interaction issues.

Here are 10 things every child with autism wishes you knew.

1. I am a child with autism. I am not "autistic." My autism is one aspect of my total character. It does not define me as a person. Are you a person with thoughts, feelings and many talents, or are you just fat (overweight), myopic (wear glasses) or klutzy (uncoordinated, not good at sports)?

2. My sensory perceptions are disordered. This means the ordinary sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday life that you may not even notice can be downright painful for me. The very environment in which I have to live often seems hostile. I may appear withdrawn or belligerent to you, but I am really just trying to defend myself. A "simple" trip to the grocery store may be hell for me. My hearing may be hyperacute. Dozens of people are talking at once. The loudspeaker booms today's special. Muzak whines from the sound system. Cash registers beep and cough. A coffee grinder is chugging. The meat cutter screeches, babies wail, carts creak, the fluorescent lighting hums. My brain can't filter all the input, and I'm in overload! My sense of smell may be highly sensitive. The fish at the meat counter isn't quite fresh, the guy standing next to us hasn't showered today, the deli is handing out sausage samples, the baby in line ahead of us has a poopy diaper, they're mopping up pickles on Aisle 3 with ammonia. ... I can't sort it all out, I'm too nauseous. Because I am visually oriented, this may be my first sense to become overstimulated. The fluorescent light is too bright. It makes the room pulsate and hurts my eyes. Sometimes the pulsating light bounces off everything and distorts what I am seeing. The space seems to be constantly changing. There's glare from windows, moving fans on the ceiling, so many bodies in constant motion, too many items for me to be able to focus - and I may compensate with tunnel vision. All this affects my vestibular sense, and now I can't even tell where my body is in space. I may stumble, bump into things, or simply lay down to try and regroup.

3. Please remember to distinguish between won't (I choose not to) and can't (I'm not able to). Receptive and expressive language are both difficult for me. It isn't that I don't listen to instructions. It's that I can't understand you. When you call to me from across the room, this is what I hear: "*&^%$#@, Billy. #$%^*&^%$&*" Instead, come speak directly to me in plain words: "Please put your book in your desk, Billy. It's time to go to lunch." This tells me what you want me to do and what is going to happen next. Now it's much easier for me to comply.

4. I am a concrete thinker. I interpret language literally. It's very confusing for me when you say, "Hold your horses, cowboy!" when what you really mean is "Please stop running." Don't tell me something is a "piece of cake" when there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is, "This will be easy for you to do." When you say, "It's pouring cats and dogs," I see pets coming out of a pitcher. Please just tell me, "It's raining very hard." Idioms, puns, nuances, double entendres and sarcasm are lost on me.

5. Be patient with my limited vocabulary. It's hard for me to tell you what I need when I don't know the words to describe my feelings. I may be hungry, frustrated, frightened or confused, but right now those words are beyond my ability to express. Be alert for body language, withdrawal, agitation, or other signs that something is wrong. There's a flip side to this: I may sound like a little professor or a movie star, rattling off words or whole scripts well beyond my developmental age. These are messages I have memorized from the world around me to compensate for my language deficits, because I know I am expected to respond when spoken to. They may come from books, television or the speech of other people. It's called echolalia. I don't necessarily understand the context or the terminology I'm using, I just know it gets me off the hook for coming up with a reply.

6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented. Show me how to do something rather than just telling me. And please be prepared to show me many times. Lots of patient repetition helps me learn. A visual schedule is extremely helpful as I move through my day. Like your day planner, it relieves me of the stress of having to remember what comes next, makes for smooth transitions between activities, and helps me manage my time and meet your expectations. Here's a great web site for learning more about visual schedules http://www.cesa7.k12.wi.us/newweb/content/rsn/autism.asp

7. Focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can't do. Like any other human, I can't learn in an environment where I'm constantly made to feel that I'm not good enough or that I need fixing. Trying anything new when I am almost sure to be met with criticism, however constructive, becomes something to be avoided. Look for my strengths and you'll find them. There's more than one right way to do most things.

8. Help me with social interactions. It may look like I don't want to play with the other kids on the playground, but sometimes it's just that I simply don't know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation. If you can encourage other children to invite me to join them at kickball or shooting baskets, I may be delighted to be included.

9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. This is termed "the antecedent." Meltdowns, blowups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my meltdowns occur, they can be prevented.

10. If you are a family member, please love me unconditionally. Banish thoughts such as, "If he would just ..." and "Why can't she ... ?" You didn't fulfill every last expectation your parents had for you, and you wouldn't like being constantly reminded of it. I didn't choose to have autism. Remember that it's happening to me, not you. Without your support, my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think. I promise you I'm worth it.

It all comes down to three words: Patience. Patience. Patience.

Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me. I may not be good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed I don't lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates, or pass judgment on other people?

You are my foundation. Think through some of those societal rules, and if they don't make sense for me, let them go. Be my advocate, be my friend, and we'll see just how far I can go.

I probably won't be the next Michael Jordan, but with my attention to fine detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein. Or Mozart. Or Van Gogh.

They had autism too.

Freelance writer and consultant Ellen Notbohm is a columnist for Autism/Asperger's Digest and co-author of 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (Future Horizons). She favors "common sense" approaches to raising her sons with autism and AD/HD. She lives in Oregon.
Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew , By Ellen Notbohm, South Florida Parenting - link to this great article.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

I'm still here.....

The first time I heard this song, it melted my heart, the words just seemed like they could be from an autistic child talking to the world. This is one of my new favorite songs, I put some of Isaiah's pictures and set them to the music...

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Menu Plan Nov 10-14



Sunday~ Chili
Monday~ Baked Potatoes with left over chili
Tuesday~ Mosticolli and salad
Wed~ Apricot Glazed Pork Chops
Thur~Chicken A~la~King served over noodles
Fri~BBQ crock pot ribs and baked beans

Snack~
FRUIT SMOOTHIES
FRUIT MEDLEY

Apricot Glazed Pork Chops,
This is an old pre diet recipe that I am going to convert this week
It calls for Pork Chops (or chicken breast)
2 Jars of Apricot preserves
10 tablespoons of onion soup mix

Mix Apricot preserves and onion soup mix set aside. Brown pork chops. Add pork chops to apricot mixture and bake.

To make the Dry onion soup mix (since the stuff I use to buy isn't GFCF)
3/4 c instant minced onion
1/3 c beef flavor instant bouillon
4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp celery seed crushed
1/4 tsp sugar

combine ingredients and store in airtight container
5 tablespoons = 1 package onion soup mix


Chicken A LA KING

2 cups cooked cut up chicken
1 can Campbell's chicken and rice soup
1 can milk sub
1 bag frozen mixed veggies
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp cornstarch

mix soup veg chicken milk in pot heat thoroughly
mix water and cornstarch stir until thickened
serve over mashed potatoes rice or noodles

Fruit Medley
3 11 oz cans mandarain oranges drained
1 16 oz can pineapple chunks
2 sliced bananas
2 cups minature marshmallows
2 cups coconut flakes

mix and refridgerate

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Afraid to jinx it

So I've been thinking it, but have been too scared to say it out loud, praying it isn't just a coincidence...but I think I can safely say I am seeing a change in Isaiah...he stims so much less now, he's not as hyper, his meltdowns aren't quite as frequent. Getting ready for school this week has been almost easy! He hasn't battled me about eating, he has had some mild meltdowns, and some stimming but not near as much as usual. Today Tierra and I went to walmart and I asked Tierra if Isaiah seems different to her at all, she said YES HE DOESN'T DO THIS (mimicked his usual hyper jumping up and down w/ making a weird noise stim). My heart just melted, ok it wasn't just me seeing what I want to see, someone else sees it too! And she's pretty impartial. I mean she knows we've found a new Dr. and are trying things to help Isaiah be more normal, but she doesn't know any of the details, or what might change. So I feel I can safely share this, I am almost certain, my baby is healing!!!

Here's what we've done so far...
October 23, Met our DAN, and began mixing the Biomed w/ chiropractics and acupuncture (not needles just a painless laser)
October 24, started the GF/CF barely soy diet,
October 30, started epson salt baths
October 31, 2nd appt w/ DAN, this is also the day we noticed his psoriasis that we've been battling for 4 years had magically disappeared
November 3, began taking Probiotics...

Monday, November 3, 2008

Menu Plan Monday is now GF/CF

Menu Plan Monday new Pictures, Images and Photos

Photobucket

All dinners are served GF/CF/ and low or soy free

Monday Sweet and sour chicken w/ white rice
Tue Pot Roast
Wed Tacos w/ rice
Thur BBQ Chicken Breast w/ baked beans
Fri Meatloaf w/ baked potato



Sweet and sour chicken recipe:
This will be a new recipe for me...it LOOKED great!

1lb chicken breast cut up
2 tsp gf/cf/sf oil
6 carrots
1 onion
1 green
8 oz pinapple (reserve juice)

for the sauce:

1/2 cup pinapple juice
1 cup water
2 tblsp vinegar
1 tblsp soy sauce ( BTW walmart carries GF/CF soy sauce YAY!!!)
4 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp corn starch

directions
cook chickenin lrge skillet w/ hot oil...set aside
cut carrots onions and green pepper into 2 inch long strips, set aside
mix sauce ingredients together heat to boil stirring frequently...set aside
cook carrots w/ a little water in covered skillet for 5 min
add onion cook uncovered 2 min
add green peppers and SS sauce cook uncovered 1 min
add cooked chicken and drained pinapple
heat to cook threw

Serve over rice

Serves 4

Sunday, November 2, 2008

What Isaiah wants everyone to know...

A friend of mine has this posted on her myspace, and it really hit home with me...I hope everyone who ever comes in contact with Isaiah, or any autistic kid for that matter, would read this, and get a small glimps into what life is like for our children.

Nobody can see my disability. I look just like every other kid -- attractive, walking, making sounds. They can't see how my neurons are scrambles in my brain. They can't see the misconnections between my left and right brain. Nobody can see that I have autism spectrum disorder. Nobody can see that my body is sick. No one can see that my stomach is in knots from my digestive system not working. No one can see that my body and mind are starving because my cells don't make the right enzymes to digest food. No one can see that I suffer from low blood sugar because i can't properly metabolize nourishment. No one can see that my body is attacking its own nerve cells from autoimmune dysfunction. No one can see that mercury ,lead, and arsenic cannot be excreted from my body, so it keeps building up in my brain. No one understands that my body cannot tolerate normal enjoyments for children, like bright, vivid colors and loud noises. I desperately want to be a kid and enjoy these things, but my body just won't let me. But everybody can see how inappropriate my behavior can be when I am out in public. Everybody can see how immature I can be compared to other kids my age. Everyone sees the 2-year-old's tantrum when things have been too overwhelming for me. Everyone sees my frustration from trying to cope. Everyone sees my screaming & fighting. Everyone just assumes I'm being bad, not that my body hurts, my eyes are in pain from colors, my ears ring with loud noises not heard by others. Everybody sees my tantrums when I don't get my way. No one sees that I can't explain my fear when I think I'm not being understood. Everyone may see me scream if my mom takes something away from me. No one can see that having something of comfort can keep my fears under control for me, and taking it away makes my nerves explode in anxiety. No one understands how hard I have to work just to keep my behavior from reacting to the chemical imbalances in my body that make me feel horrible. No one can see that, no matter how hard I try, sometimes I cannot control it. No one can see the shame I feel after I've had a meltdown from my body's problems. What they don't see is that I'm a person. I have feelings and want to be loved and accepted like everyone else. What they don't see is that, when they look at me like I need a good spanking, I understand that I'm not capable of controlling my body. What they don't see is that I scream because I don't know how to say, "Help me." What they don't see is that I hear every ugly word they say, but for the life of me, I can't make my mouth say what I'm feeling. But they don't see that as a disability. They say I'm unmanageable. They say I'm a problem .But I'm not a problem. I have autism spectrum disorder. My mom has taken me to more specialists than you can ever imagine. She's read more books and done more research on my disease than a parent would ever want. She has tried special diets, supplements, drugs, and various metabolic therapies. She has prayed for guidance and asked for discernment on how to help my body. And behavior, oh yes, has she tried everything to help my behavior. Stop telling her all I need is a spanking. If a spanking would stop all this, my mom would gladly exchange my disability for a spanking. She knows better than any of you what I need to help me, and what we both need is your understanding, not ignorance. I just want to be accepted and understood. No blamed and shamed. I want to be appreciated for my gifts. I do have some if you look more closely. I want to be cared for as a person. I want you to care, even when I act like I don't. I want to be respected, just like you do. I want you to respect my mom and dad for all the hard work they have done to help me try to lead as normal a life as possible. I want you to respect my family and all the struggles we have endured because of our love for each other. I want to be loved like any other child. And I need you to role model respectful behavior for me so I can be respectful, too. I want you to love me just like Jesus would. Debi Tyree