Bean has a number of food intolerances that result in a bad stomach ache even with very limited exposure. As a result, he and I - because of nursing - have been on a hypoallergenic diet since he was three weeks old. We are free of dairy/casein, soy, wheat, gluten, egg, fish, shellfish, nuts and tree nuts along with some of the more acidic fruits and vegetables. Any time we trialed any of these foods, Bean failed. Until today! Last week, I mentioned that I reintroduced almonds in to my diet. Exactly one week after starting the trial, we have not seen any adverse effects. I'm calling that a pass!
I have really enjoyed having one of my favorite foods back in my diet. I have enjoyed almonds in a number of ways. Raw almonds. Roasted, salted almonds. Bananas and apples with almond butter. Almond butter is absolutely wonderful. I use Maranatha Almond Butter because the only ingredient is, well, almonds. No additives. No preservatives. Very important for us because preservatives often contain soy which is still a definite "no" for Bean. I also was able to find a ginormous jar of Maranatha Almond Butter at Costco for $5.85 - one jar that is a third of the size costs $9 at Whole Foods. Anyway, I love almond butter.
Yesterday, I decided to try my hand at making my own allergy-free (excepting almonds) granola/cereal bar/cookie thingies. Husband found a recipe in the New York Times some time ago and has been making different variations every week so I adapted his recipe for me. They turned out amazing! I'll list the recipe below, but the measurements are not exact. I'll also list the ingredient brands that I used because other than the almond butter, they are allergy friendly. You can substitute any of the ingredients for any of your favorite cereals, granolas, nuts, seeds, nut butters, seed butters (sun nut butter is typically allergy friendly), fruits in similar proportions. These bars are ridiculously good and I'll be making more soon. Now I just need to figure out what to try next. This pass gives me hope that we will be able to successfully introduce more foods! Now, if only I can get Bean to actually eat something other than coconut milk yogurt... But that's another post for another day.
1/2 Cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats1/2 Cup Erewhon Organic Rice Twice Gluten Free Cereal1/2 Cup Maranatha Almond Butter1/2 Cup Honey1/4 Cup Unsweetened Organic Coconut Flakes I toasted the coconut in the oven for 5 minutes1/4 Cup Craisins1/4 Cup Enjoy Life Allergy Free Chocolate Chips
Mix dry ingredients in bowl.
Mix nut/seed butter and honey in pan. Stir over medium heat until blended.
Pour nut/seed butter and honey over dry ingredients. Fold until blended.
Pour mixture in to a brownie pan lined with plastic wrap or wax paper. Refrigerate for one hour. Cut in to squares and store in refrigerator.
Eat them. Enjoy them. All of them. They're good for you. Really!
