First of all, my thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by the tragedy in Boston. Much love and strength.
I am a Lactose Intolerant.
I’ve been diagnosed lactose intolerant since I was very little. Growing up with this intolerance to lactose wasn’t easy, particularly because lactose free products and non-dairy milk alternatives were simply not accessible on those days. {Fortunately now there is a range of lactose free and non-dairy milk alternatives mostly everywhere! And that certainly makes life a little bit easier for me.}
Have you or any in your family ever had or have problems with lactose or dairy products?
Well, as a child, my organism had the worth reaction to milk and yogurt and I used to feel absolutely terrible having to try the famous chocolate milk, I felt ill. It made me feel sad having to say ‘No’ to every person that offered me a yogurt, a glass of milk or piece of chocolate. Some people felt offended and thought that I was been rude or fanciful about food, so I had to explain my ‘lactose intolerance condition’ every time this happened. It was only fair!
While I was growing up I attempt to taste yogurt and milk again, yes, I wanted to be able to enjoy these foods as the rest of my cousins and friends, but every attempt was always unsuccessful, my body had a significant allergic reaction to lactose {rash, fever, itching,in addition to digestive discomfort} It was clear that these symptoms would continue for a long... long time.
My mother was always concerned about me getting enough calcium, so she started looking for different kind of vegetables and fruits that could be ‘in some way’ a substitute of calcium. She started increasing the quantity of leafy green vegetables, and little by little started combining some vegetables with small amounts of cheese {since it wasn’t clear if I would have the same allergic reaction to cheese as well}. Fortunately I didn’t have any negative reaction to cheese! That was a relief! Vegetables and fruits never were a problem for me as a child, contrary to some of my cousins and friends, that always complained when having to eat veggies or fruits! As a child that made me feel very proud of myself! My aunts would congratulated me, and my parents for such achivement with vegetables. Yes, they would say; Felicitaciones! 'Congratulations' , I hope my children would enjoy veggies and fruits as much as your daughter does! And at that age, that kind of complement really meant a world to me!
However, years of experimentation made me more conscious about lactose and dairy milk products, but not all dairy have the same impact in my body. I learned that I was not intolerant to butter or cheese {although I still keep my cheese intake low} I've also learned that dairy is not essential to survive or be healthy! Living with an intolerance to certain food can be challenging, and occasionally inconvenient to me but at the same time can be easy to manage, once you learn your own limits and how much lactose and dairy your body can handle. But not all the people who have lactose intolerance and would react the same way.
I still not able to tolerate regular milk or yogurt, but since my body change constantly, I've also started experiencing a little progress too. Now there are some food that I can eat. Such as sour cream, ricotta, sometimes plain yogurt, my beloved dulce de leche and ‘once in a while’ ice cream with regular milk. But always keeping the intake of these products very low, otherwise my body would not react very well!
Fortunately there are a fabulous substitutes to regular milk. And they can be used when cooking or baking. Almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, rice milk... Amazing, no!
So, you’ll start seeing lactose free and non- dairy milk alternatives recipes in the blog as well. Starting from today! Vanilla-Coconut Muffins with Lemon Syrup! These are delightful and friendly for people who have no problems with lactose too.
If you suspect that you may be lactose intolerant or have problems with dairy products, you can read information about it here.
Happy Week!
Vanilla + Coconut Muffins + Lemon Syrup ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Makes 9 regular size muffins The batter consistency is a bit different, and the amount of coconut milk you need for the batter will depend on how thick your almond butter is. I used a thick almond butter that I made at home. So increase the quantity of milk gradually, you might need less than 3/4 cup. Also I'd suggest using paper muffin cups, since these can stick easily even with a non-stick pan. If you don't have paper cups make sure to grease your muffin pan very well.
Recipe adapted from the spunkycoconut blog
1 Medium egg
1/2 C. Almond butter2 Tbsp. Honey
2 tsp. vanilla essence
1/8 tsp. Stevia {or you can use soft brown sugar to your taste}
1/4 tsp. Baking soda
1/4 tsp. Baking powder
Pinch of Salt
2 Tbsp. Coconut flour
3/4 C. Coconut milk
Preparation:
In a bowl, using an electric mixer, add almond butter, egg, honey, vanilla essence and stevia or sugar. Mix these ingredients until creamy. Then add coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and stir using a wooden spoon and adding coconut milk gradually. Until everything is combined. Divide mixture among muffin paper cups, about 3/4 full.Bake at 180C/ 355F for 12-15 minutes. Let them cool completely. Pour about 2-3 Tbsp. lemon syrup over each muffin and sprinkle with lemon zest. Arrange muffins on a serving plate, place in the fridge and leave to set for 30- 40 minutes and serve.Lemon Syrup
1/4 C. Lemon juice, freshly squeezed 1/4 C. Soft brown sugar
Preparation: In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add lemon and sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cook until sugar has dissolved and consistency becomes slightly thick. Let cool completely.
