Canned Pumpkin Shortage

Going, going... GONE

I just had a major "WHAT?" moment at the grocery store. While looking for some canned pumpkin, I was informed that there is a major pumpkin shortage. How did I miss this? I have been using canned pumpkin for months, even buying it as recently as last week. While scratching my head I had to go online and check it out. And sure enough, there seems to be a shortage with companies like Libby. Apparently, cans of Libby's pumpkin have fetched high price tags on websites like E-Bay, some as much as $30 per can. The cause seems to be several growing seasons with too much rain and not enough sun. I have noticed that it has been hard to find at places like Ralph's, last fall in particular.

Here is a link to an article about the situation from the Washington Post from June...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/01/AR2010060100801.html

The cans that I bought last week were from a smaller, organic grower. As soon as I finish this blog post I am going to head back to the store where I found them and stock up. (Read: Hoard). My family has grown addicted to all things flavored pumpkin... especially muffins and pancakes.

Hopefully the growers will have luck with their crops, as Halloween is just around the corner.

Rosemary Red Soup

Tomorrow night is the season finale of MasterChef and I will be having some of my art department friends over. Here is one of the things I will be serving. Thankfully, the nights have started to cool off so this will be perfect. This recipe is from my friend, Shannon who lives near Seattle. It is one of my favorites!

Rosemary Red Soup

Prep & Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Makes 6-8 servings

3 medium carrots, scrubbed and peeled and chopped
1 beet (2 if small), scrubbed and peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 cup dried red lentils
6 cups water or stock
2 bay leaves
1- 3" sprig fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp. dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2-3 tablespoons miso, optional (but I HIGHLY recommend using it!)

Heat oil in a soup pot; add onion and saute until soft. Add carrots and beet; saute a few minutes more. Wash and drain lentils. Add lentils, water &/or stock, bay leaves, rosemary, and oregano to sauteed vegetables; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 40 minutes. Remove bay leaves and stems of fresh herbs. Puree soup with hand blender or other device with miso. Gently reheat on stove before serving.

CeraVe

There is a wonderful product out there called CeraVe. We have used it for a couple of years now to combat Ella's eczema. A friend told me about it after it helped her daughter with chronic itchy skin. Recently, our allergist suggested that we moisturize Milo each night after his bath. He has never had eczema, per se, but he often gets mysterious rashes in random areas of his skin. So we decided to try the CeraVe on him. She also suggested that we stop using fabric softener sheets, even the ones that are "free" of chemicals and allergens.

It has been close to a month now and he has been rash free. His skin is as soft as it was when he was first born. I like this lotion because it is light and fragrance free. There is no greasy residue and it doesn't take a lot of work to apply it to the skin. (Unlike his sunscreen which seems to take the better part of forever for his skin to absorb it.)

Lately, I have been feeling like my skin looks like the Mojave Desert. Maybe it is because I am getting older; maybe it is all those years I spent on the beach. So I decided to try the CeraVe, for me. I usually apply it right after I get out of the shower or bath when my skin is still a bit dewey. It seems to be helping quite a bit. We use the kind that comes in a pump and we buy it at our local Rite-Aid. It is a little more expensive than other lotions, but I think the benefits outweigh the higher price tag.

If you have had eczema or dry skin and have not had any success with other lotions, I would highly recommend CeraVe.

*Note: I do not make money off of any of the products that I promote. If I find something to be exceptional, I like to share the information. Particularly to those who suffer from allergies/food allergies.

GMA Clip- Food Allergies in Children are on the Rise

Here is a clip from Good Morning America regarding the dramatic rise in food allergies, particularly anaphylaxis, in children.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/kids-food-allergies-increasei-rise-children-alergic-reaction-11526448

Indie Candy

Just discovered this great company in Alabama, called Indie Candy that puts together allergen-free boxes of goodies for your children to keep in their classrooms at school. They sell a wide variety of all kinds of yummy things to enjoy... worry free. They also offer seasonal candies and other treats. Worth checking out if you are a grandparent and want to send a little "Back to School" gift or if you just want to indulge, yourself. Best part, they deliver!

Recipes for Rosh Hashanah- Gluten & Wheat Free

I originally posted this last September. Since Rosh Hashanah is a little earlier this year, I thought I would re-post for those who are looking for something to make that is wheat & gluten free during the High Holy Days. Best of all, these are both wonderful recipes that are sure to bring smiles.

The oven has been working hard tonight. I just finished making a loaf of challah for Ella to take with her to school. It has been very hard to find a decent challah recipe. I have attempted about 10 assorted breads and none have really "done it" for me. But I just found one on a blog that truly impressed me. The best part... it was EASY! And quick. Since Ella is allergic to sesame, I opted for purple sprinkles which she liberally helped me decorate. The blog where I discovered this recipe suggests using a braided loaf pan (GF challah is impossible to braid) but I improvised since I have no such pan. I used a 9" cake round cake pan and sprayed it really well with cooking spray. Then I used a #20 scoop to create mounds which I filled the pan with. I allowed it to rise, as specified. And then I glazed the dough with an egg yolk wash. Ella was then brought in to sprinkle until her little heart was content. And boy, oh boy were we happy with the result. The bread was light and dense all at the same time. And the flavor was also really close to true challah. Here is the link to the recipe... And this is what mine looked like...

If you are wondering, we could not wait to tear into this bad boy. Thus, the torn bit on the lower left hand side of the photo. This blogging rookie maneuver was worth it as Ella proclaimed... "Mommy, this is the best challah... EVER!"

Next in the oven cue was Gluten and Wheat-Free Honey Cakes. Not sure if I have mentioned this before but Ella is REALLY into the Wiggles. On one of their videos they reference honey cakes. Being the foodie that she is, Ella NEEDED to know what honey cakes are. I had not made them before so I was not quite sure. But I stumbled onto this amazing recipe. Which I decided to make as a special treat for the children on Rosh Hashanah. My original plan was to also make a apple sauce with lots of butter and brown sugar (my family is not Kosher). But after making these little gems, I am not sure they need anything. They are, off the charts, delicious. Honestly, they would be fantastic for any party and could be served to anyone, not just the eating impaired. If you are lucky enough to enjoy nuts, I think that this would be a delightful texture to go along with the airiness of the cake. But powdered sugar also does the trick. I bought a mini-bundt pan which had 6 cake slots. The recipe made so much batter, I decided to use muffin tins (greased) and cooked the remaining for approx. 10 minutes. Which yielded 18 muffins plus the mini bundts. This is what I came up with...

Kindergarten!!!

At 7:00 this morning, Ella came running into our room... fully dressed and ready to go. "Today is my first day of Kindergarten!!!!" Needless to say, she was very excited. We gave her breakfast, fashioned her hair "just so" and finished packing her backpack. The kid was truly floating on air.

Last night we checked and double checked everything that she would be taking with her to school: emergency medicine kits, check... snacks, check... school supplies, check... labels on everything, check! We actually had a lot of fun putting it all together.

Her med alert bracelet is quite snazzy. It is made of crystal beads and a lilac adorned, silver plate, detailing everything that could send her into anaphylaxis. Not clunky like the bands of yesteryear; just delicate and complimentary to whatever outfit she might throw together.

Daddy took her to school; Mommy stayed home like a total wimp. (What can I say? I am out of waterproof mascara!) Ella was beaming. Some of the other kids were not so excited. But she just pranced up to her classroom, smiling from ear to ear. I cannot wait to hear all about her first day when I pick her up.