For the Love of Josh

Yummy Oatmeal Recipes!

2011-10-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

I won't even comment about how long it has been since I last posted...ha. I had some friends request yummy warm breakfast options so I thought I would share a few. Here are some of our favorites...

This is a recipes my mother-in-law passed down to me...
Baked Oatmeal

1/2 Cup Oil (could be canola, olive or coconut)
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Cup Milk (we use almond)
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
3 Cups Oats (we use certified GF Oats)
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Add: 1/2 cup raising, chopped apples, bananas, nuts, or flax seed per your liking...

Directions: Beat together oil and sugar. Mix in eggs, milk, salt, baking powder and oatmeal. Beat well then stir in raisins, apples (etc). Pour into lightly greased pie pan or 8x8 pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon (or pour a little pure maple syrup on top).

You can refridgerate this overnight before cooking (this helps it set a little)...or you can cook it right away. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Eat it warm with milk poured over the top...or let it cool and cut it into squares to enjoy on the road!

This is another favorite recipe of ours. I do not know where I got it from...I usually put the "author" on my recipe card but did not this time. Please forgive me if I have hijacked your recipe without giving credit...it was not my intention to do so!

GFDF Oatmeal Bars

1 1/3 Cups GF Oats
2 1/4 Cups All purpose GF Flour (We use Mama's Almond blend)
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 2/3 Cups Light brown sugar
2/3 Cup Oil
2 eggs
4 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
2 tsps vanilla extract (make sure it is GF...not all are)
2/3 Cups Raisins (or we use Craisins) soaked in warm water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9x 13 pan.
2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.
3. Combine wet ingredients in a separate med. bowl.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix with a fork or wooden spoon until blended.
5. Drain raisins or craisins, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid.Add reserved liquid a little at a time until the batter is smooth.
6. Pour into baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
7. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares or bars.

We wrap these in saran wrap and freeze them individually. That way you can grab one and throw it in a lunch box. They are a very yummy and Josh approved!

On Saying "STARS"

2011-08-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

I have so much to update on this blog that it is almost pathetic...
I promise I will get to it...soon...

But I did want to share a precious story from Joshua's therapy the other day!

I was commenting to Amy (our wonderful, amazing, super duper SLP) how well Joshua was coming along w/ his "s" blends and how I had caught him saying "school" very nicely that day. She decided to informally test him on the word "stars." The conversation went like this...

Amy: "Josh, what are those things called that come out at night and light up in the sky?"

Joshua: "Fireflies"

Amy: "You are right, Josh. Now how about the ones way up high in the sky..."

Joshua: "Ummm, aliens?"

Amy: (laughing) "Well, maybe. I mean the lights that make pictures in the sky..."

Joshua: "Oh, you mean constellations!"

Amy: "Yes! Now Josh, can you please just say STARS for me?"

Joshua: (in perfect clarity) "STARS"

And they once said my boy wasn't smart! Love you Joshy!!!

GFDF Cinnamon Rolls

2011-01-14T09:34:00.001-08:00

This is my version of a wonderful gluten-free cinnamon roll. The original recipe (which I have modified quite a bit) was posted here: I Am Gluten Free. I highly recommend doubling this recipe as it only makes one pan of cinnamon rolls. This BARELY fed my family of 5 as everyone wanted more! Even my hubby (who is not gluten-free) loved them! Please let me know if you try the recipe and have any suggestions...

Ingredients:
2/3 cup warm milk (we use almond milk)
1 packet active dry yeast

2 Tbsp dairy free margarine (we use Earth's Balance)
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg (at room temperature)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups All-Purpose GF Flour (we use GF Mama's Almond Blend)
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp xanthan gum

For filling:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
chopped nuts - optional

For glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
milk to desires thickness

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine warm milk and yeast (be sure all the yeast dissolves) and allow to sit for about 5 minutes until it is foamy.

In the bowl of stand mixer, combine margarine and sugar until smooth. Add proofed milk/ yeast to bowl. Add egg, oil, and vanilla. Mix until combined.

In a separate bowl combine gluten-free flour and remaining dry ingredients. Stir to combine then add to mixing bowl. Beat on high for 2 minutes.

Lay a piece of wax paper on the counter and sprinkle 1-2 Tbsp sugar over it. Scoop dough (which will be quite soft) on to wax paper. Cover this with another piece of wax paper and roll out into approximately 9x11 size rectangle. Remove top piece of wax paper and cover rectangle with filling. Use the bottom piece of wax paper to lift edge and start rolling dough into a long cylinder. Cut into 8 or 9 even size slices (about 1" wide). (Original poster suggested trimming off irregular ends but I just leave them on there). Place rolls into a greased pie plate or cake pan.

Bake approximately 20 minutes (or until the tops are golden brown). Top with glaze if desired.

And ENJOY....I know we did!

Learning with Apraxia

2010-09-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

I've been a little anxious ~ ok a lot anxious and for a long time ~ about starting school with Joshua.

When he was 2 years old and was referred to speech therapy, there were a lot of assumptions about his cognitive abilities. We were told things like..."If he can only speak in 1-2 word utterances then he can only understand 1-2 word phrases. Instead of saying, "Joshua, go upstairs and get your shoes..." we should say, "Get Shoes." This was a very sad time for me and very difficult for our family as a whole. We drove to San Diego twice a week for speech therapy that just didn't seem to be getting us anywhere. By 2 and a half the speech therapist considered using an alternative communication device for him as they thought he might never speak intelligibly.

Flash forward to his 3rd birthday...we found a speech therapy office much closer to home and decided to give it a try. Joshua was evaluated and the SLP mentioned that he might have "Apraxia of Speech." I balked assuming that this was some new "fad" diagnosis. She went on to explain that Joshua's "receptive language" was extremely high for his age. Huh? What? He understood and could identify vocabulary up to 2 years OVER his age. On the other hand, his "expressive language" (what he could SAY) was at about the level of a 9 month old. I had to ask her again..."so you are saying there is a chance he is smart?!?" Yes. He was and still is very intelligent. But based on the previous speech evaluations and our own interpretation of his speech - we were assuming he was, uh er, not so smart.

The more I began to research Apraxia ~ the more I realized it was exactly what Joshua was experiencing. By definition, Apraxia looks like this:

a child with the diagnosis of apraxia of speech has difficulty
programming and planning speech movements.

In other words, there is a disconnect between what the brain wants to say and what comes out of his mouth. Much like an adult that has had a stroke. Many times they don't even realize what they are saying is wrong. They just can't make the right sounds of words come of the mouth.

When Joshua turned 4, I accidentally discovered that he knew all of his letters. I had letter flash cards out to work with Nicole and I asked her to point to a certain letter. He showed her the right answer. He couldn't SAY the name of the letter...but he knew what it was. And then I discovered that not only did he know all 26 letters by name ~ but he could identify them by the sounds they each made. He had absorbed all of this knowledge 2nd hand...by me working with Nicole. But he still couldn't SAY the names of the letters. Mostly because he is physically unable to link a consonant to the "E" sound. Think about it...B C D E G P T V and Z all have the "E" sound in them. But they all come out sounds like "E."

Midway through last year I discovered he could segment the word to make it easier to understand. We used this method for working on letters. This looks like: buh-E (for B) and tuh-E (for T). It helped but it was still frustrating for all of us. And so, you can imagine, I was nervous about this year.

Joshua started "kindergarten" 2 weeks ago. I decided to ease the frustration of the alphabet...we would learn to sign (American Sign Language) our ABC's. After 2 weeks he can sign all 26 letters to the "tune" of the ABC's. Whenever I ask him to identify a letter, he says it the best he can AND he signs the letter. Somewhere along the way I also read that ditty's and repetition are life-savers for kids with Apraxia. So I looked up some Calendar songs on the internet and we started singing them 1 week ago.

Months of the Year (sung to the tune of 10 Little Indians)
January, February
March and April
May, June
July and August
September,
October,
November,
December...these are the months of the year.

Day of the Week (sung to the tune of Oh' My Darlin')
There are 7 days, There are 7 days,
There are 7 days in a week.
Sunday, Monday
Tuesday, Wednesday
Thursday, Friday
Saturday

Today, I asked the kids if anyone remember the name of the month. I was looking for the name of the current month (especially since it had just changed) but Joshua shot his hand up and started SINGING all 12 months of the year. Now....would a stranger on the street have any idea what he was saying? No. But he was was singing the tune and saying the words well enough that I KNEW he new the names of all 12 months. Amazing! I think I'll be making up some more learning songs for Joshua this year!

Most of all, I am praising God right now for the opportunity and ability to teach my son. In California, we were told a lot of things about his education...and how he would be handled in a classroom setting because of his speech...and none of them were acceptable to us. I am so thankful that God has equipped me for the work of teaching Joshua the way he learns best in an environment that will never limit his learning potential. All Glory to God for Joshy's smart little brain :)

What We Eat...30 Days Worth of Dinner

2010-09-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

I finally did it...

I made a menu for the WHOLE month of September.

Really...I did.

I figure if I am going to travel to the city once-a-month for groceries I better be organized! And since school has started and my husband is now on midnights again...well, further proof of my need to be organized. Oh yeah - and one more...there is no where to eat out here. So I MUST cook or we don't eat.

So this isn't fancy or anything gourmet...but it is our Gluten-Free/ Dairy Free life and we make the most of it!

September
1 - Fried Chicken (w/ GF Bread crumbs)
2 - Tacos
3 - Leftovers
4 - Chicken w/ Zucchini & Tomatoes
5 - Ham & Bean Soup
6 - Leftovers
7 - Teriyaki Beef Sticks
8 - Bratwurst
9 - Spaghetti
10 - Grilled Lamb
11 - Leftovers
12- Spaghetti Casserole
13 - Sticky Chicken
14 - Fresh Fish
15 - Hamburgers
16 - Texas Chili
17 - Chicken Fingers
18 - Leftovers
19 - Tacos
20 - Stir Fry
21 - Marinated Chicken Breasts (grill)
22 - Leftovers
23 - Lamb Stew
24 - Oven Roasted Chicken (whole)
25 - Leftovers
26 - Roast
27 - Spaghetti
28 - Carnitas
29 - Fried Rice
30 - Homemade Pizza

Vegetables and Sides will vary largely on what's available and what we are in the mood for. We eat a LOT of rice and potatoes since those are really the only sides we can have. We will also be eating a LOT of zucchini and green beans from the garden this month.

I confess that I will not abide by this menu every night. It is just a relief to have an idea on paper...and know that I have the ingredients on hand. Our closest grocery store is 30 miles (we do have a small market in town but their selection is limited and they close at 5:30). Not always so helpful. As I was typing this I realized that I have a lot of leftover nights planned - but if we don't eat them they go to waste...so we might as well plan on eating them.

So hooray for organization! Hope you have a blessed month!

Happy Birthday, Joshua!

2010-08-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

My little man turned 5 this month. Sometimes it is hard to believe how far we have come and how hard we have fought in just 5 short years. To be honest, there were many times I wasn't sure we would make it this far...

I was thinking the other day - as I was making a physical appointment for Joshua with a new doctor - about the three ring binder I have from when he was 2 and 3 years old...it is 1" thick and bursting at the seams. It has all of his medical records/ lab reports/ diagnostics/ x-rays/ and evaluations in it. We traveled all over Southern CA to see the best doctors we could find. There wasn't a week when we weren't going to see someone...hoping they would be the one who could "fix" him. Flash forward...Joshua had his 4 year old physical before we left So. CA last year. We have been in Montana for exactly a year now and he has not seen the doctor ONCE since we have been here...hence the appt. with the NEW doctor. Seriously...he has not been to the doctor once since we got here. Amazing. While I do dread starting over again with a new doctor...she is a D.O. with training in homeopathy. She is open to alternate vaccine schedules...and she is only 2 hours from our home! Yup, 2 hours...I hope it is worth it!

Anyway, Joshua wanted to go fishing for his birthday, so we loaded up the raft and went for a float. Lucky guy - he caught the first fish of the day!!! Like his mo-hawk? Yeah, he wears it well!

Happy Birthday, Little Man! We love you so much and we are so proud of you!

Welcome to Holland...A Poem

2010-08-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

A wonderful poem describing life with a special needs child...

*******
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this…

When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum, the Michelangelo David, the gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland.”

“Holland?!” you say. “What do you mean, Holland?” I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.

But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to some horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It’s just a different place.

So you must go out and buy a new guidebook. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It’s just a different place. It’s slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around, and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills, Holland has tulips, Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life you will say, “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.”

The pain of that will never, ever, go away, because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.

But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.

Written by Emily Perl Kingsley

Got Snow?

2010-03-18T21:02:00.001-07:00

We had a nice spring snow today...about 2 inches in an hour, actually! The children had worked hard picking up apples this morning and Daddy wanted to reward them with a treat. He grabbed 3 bowls of fresh snow and stuck them in the freezer till after dinner. While the kids weren't looking he whipped up some homemade snow cone syrup. After dinner, he brought the syrup in from the back porch (where it had been chilling) and told the kids that "magic elves" had brought it for them since they had worked so hard. He poured the syrup over the bowls of snow and what do you know ~ they loved it! After 2 servings of "snow bowls" each...Daddy insisted that they had to go outside and ask the elves if they could have more...cause there was a 2 serving limit. The 2 older children went outside and yelled..."Mr Elf, may I please have some more snow bowl?" Of course, Mr Elf replied, "Yes" is a high squeaky voice...so they each had one more! Here is how we made the syrup:

4 oz. jello powder
3/4 cup boiling water
1 small bowl or cup of snow

We boiled the water, added the jello powder, stirred until smooth then sat it outside to cool. Then pour it over the snow and enjoy immediately!

Easy enough to make some very special children...very happy!

The Cake Fiasco...

2010-03-15T08:34:00.001-07:00

So...in my last post I was headed off to make a Betty Crocker cake for my daughter's birthday. As I was adding ingredients to the cake mix I sadly opened an egg that was all red inside - you know, what you picture when you think of Salmonella? Ewwww, yuck. I now understand why they tell you to crack your eggs into a separate bowl first. I had to throw everything away. And since we live 30 miles from the nearest grocery store that is open on a Sunday...I was outta luck. No cake mix and no eggs. Bummer.
So...I did what any desperate mom would do - I became resourceful. I pulled out my old recipe for Wacky cake. Wacky cake is a recipe from the depression era that has no milk, eggs, or butter in it. I have used this recipe in the past for GF cakes so I knew it could be done. All Purpose GF flour, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, oil, water, vinegar, and vanilla. Easy enough.
The cake turned out ok. The flavor was good and it looked good...just a little off on the texture. It was chewy. Not my favorite. But the birthday girl was happy enough and it looked pretty....right? Next time, I will make sure I have EXTRA Betty Crocker cake mix on hand :-)

Betty Crocker GF Cake Mixes

2010-03-14T11:04:00.001-07:00

Absolutely delicious and worth every penny! These mixes have united my family on the gluten-free front. My husband and daughter - the non-gluten-free members of our family are completely satisfied with these products in place of their usual wheat-based treats. They are easily converted to dairy free by using dairy free butter. The texture and flavor are excellent AND they are much less expensive than some of the traditional gluten free mixes you will find. Best of all...you can find them on most regular grocery store shelves...even here in rural Northern Montana...bought some cake mix at the near-by IGA yesterday!
As a matter of fact...I am off to make a GFDF chocolate cake for my daughter's birthday party tonight! Yum, I can't wait to enjoy it!

GFDF Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-03-09T13:26:00.000-08:00

Yum, yum, yum... the best peanut butter cookies you will ever eat! Even if you are not Gluten-Free!

2 Cups Peanut Butter (I use crunchy)
2 eggs
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup White Sugar

Mix all of the ingredients together. Roll into bite-sized balls and place on a cookie sheet. Press down with a fork making a crisscross pattern on top. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 8-9 minutes.

Seriously...that's it! They are moist and chewy and you can really appreciate the peanut butter flavor.

GFDF Chinese Cuisine

2009-07-31T08:06:00.000-07:00

Shrimp Stir Fry

3 Tbsp GF Cornstarch
1 1/2 Cups Cold water
6 Tbsp. GF Soy Sauce
4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 Cups fresh broccoli florets
1 Cup sliced carrots
1/2 Cup sliced onion
other veggies as desired (I added squash because it was handy)
1 lb. uncooked shrimp
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 Cup chopped peanuts (optional)

1. Combine and stir water and cornstarch in small bowl. Add soy sauce, garlic powder and ginger and set aside.

2. In large wok, stir fry broccoli and carrots in 2 Tbsp olive oil or sesame oil for about 3 minutes. Add other veggies (and a tad more oil if needed) and cook for 2 more minutes until tender-crisp. Add shrimp and garlic and cook 3-5 more minutes.

***I threw in some pre-cooked chicken breast strips for the kids at this point since they are not too fond of shrimp.

3. Stir sauce in bowl and then pour over shrimp and veggies. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes or until thick.

Serve over rice!

The whole family loved this dish. It was easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. My husband even commented that it was better than *some* of the Chinese restaurants we have tried. That was a great compliment from him :-) Joshua loved the chicken, which I pulled out for him and cut into bite sized pieces. He even liked his rice w/ sauce over it. Now if I can just get him to eat the veggies I'll be a happy mom!

Scientists Characterizes New Syndrome Of Allergy, Apraxia, Malabsorption

2009-07-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (July 15, 2009) — A landmark study conducted by Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland is the first to reveal a new syndrome in children that presents with a combination of allergy, apraxia and malabsorption. Autism spectrum disorders were variably present. Verbal apraxia has until now been understood to be a neurologically based speech disorder, although hints of other neurological soft signs have been described.

The new study, led by Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland scientist and pediatric emergency medicine physician, Claudia Morris, MD, and Marilyn C. Agin, MD, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician at Saint Vincent Medical Center in New York, however, suggests that the symptoms of verbal apraxia are, at least for a sub-group of children, part of a larger, multifactorial, neurologic syndrome involving food allergies/gluten-sensitivity and nutritional malabsorption.

"While it is critical to treat verbal apraxia symptoms that often include severe delays in expressive speech production with speech therapy, we need to start asking why these kids are having these problems in the first place so that we can identify mechanisms we can actually target to treat the cause of the symptoms," says Dr. Morris.

Published in the July/August issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, the new study takes a major step toward identifying the potential mechanisms that may contribute to apraxia symptoms. In the study, Dr. Morris collected information from nearly 200 families with children who suffered from verbal apraxia in order to better characterize the symptoms and metabolic anomalies of a subset of children. The data clearly demonstrated a common cluster of allergy, apraxia and malabsorption, along with low muscle tone, poor coordination and sensory integration abnormalities. In addition, Dr. Morris was able to gather laboratory analyses in 26 of the children, which revealed low carnitine levels, abnormal celiac panels, gluten sensitivity, and vitamin D deficiency among others.

All children genetically screened carried an HLA gene associated with gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. "The sample size is still small and should be interpreted with caution," says Dr. Morris. "However this is of particular interest given the recent publication by Eaton and colleagues in the July 6 online edition of Pediatrics demonstrating a greater than 3-fold risk of autism in children born to mothers diagnosed with celiac disease. This brings some credibility to the anecdotal reports of gastrointestinal and behavioral improvements in children with autism spectrum disorders and/or verbal apraxia when eliminating gluten from their diets. Although the implications of these observations remain to be determined, this association and the utility of dietary modifications warrant further investigation, particularly if we can identify a genetically vulnerable group".

Most significantly, the data indicate that the neurologic dysfunction represented in the syndrome overlaps the symptoms of vitamin E deficiency. While low vitamin E bioavailability may occur due to a variety of different causes, neurological consequences are similar, regardless of the initiating trigger. The study suggests that vitamin E could be used as a safe nutritional intervention that may benefit some children. Growing evidence support the benefits of omega 3 fatty acid supplementation in a number of neurodevelopmental disorders. Anecdotally children with verbal apraxia will often demonstrate leaps in their speech production when taking high-quality fish oil. The addition of vitamin E to omega 3 fatty acid supplementation in this cohort of children induced benefits that exceeded those expected from just speech therapy alone, according to parental report.

"While data from a case series is by no means conclusive, the results clearly point to the need for further attention to this poorly understood disorder, and a placebo-controlled study to investigate the potential role of vitamin E and omega 3 supplementation in this group of children," says Dr. Morris.

She points out that it is equally important for children given an apraxia diagnosis to receive a more comprehensive metabolic evaluation than what is current practice. Many of the nutritional deficiencies like low carnitine, zinc and vitamin D are easily treated. By not addressing the nutritional deficiencies, the child will continue to suffer from significant medical consequences of those deficiencies. The first step is to identify and treat the deficiencies. The next step is to try to figure out why they have these deficiencies and a fat malabsorption syndrome in the first place. However, Dr. Morris does advise families to work closely with a physician rather than trying promising but unproven interventions on their own.

In the mean time, however, Dr. Morris's study provides the essential foundation for identifying the children who may need these treatments.

"By identifying these early red flags of the syndrome, we've provided a way to get these kids treatment at the earliest possible moment. While 75 percent of the time kids identified as late bloomers really are just that, 25 percent of the time there is a true pathologic condition. To miss it is to miss critically valuable time for early intervention. If a child has all these symptoms, chances are they are going to fall into the 25 percent who have a condition that needs further evaluation and treatment."

Adapted from materials provided by Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland

Please see here for Science Daily's Website and post of this article.

GFCF Crispy Chicken Tenders

2009-03-31T22:40:00.000-07:00

2 Tbsp. Earth's Balance (non-dairy) Buttery Spread (or margarine), melted
1 Cup GF Cornflakes, crushed
1 Cup all-purpose GF Flour mix (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp. Seasoned Salt
about 10 Boneless Skinless Chicken tenders (or breasts sliced)
2 eggs, beaten

Melt the butter substitute in the bottom of a 13 x 9 in. pan. In a shallow bowl, mix GF Cornflakes, GF Flour, xanthan gum, and seasoned salt. Dip chicken in egg, then roll in cornflake mixture. Dip again in egg and roll in cornflake mixture again. Arange chicken in pan. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn over and bake about 15 minutes more. Serve with GFCF BBQ Sauce or GFCF Ranch Dressing.

My son asked for 3 helpings of chicken tonight. I was amazed. He was esecially pleased with my recent purchase of GFCF Ranch dressing and literally savored every bite of chicken. This will become a staple for us. Now, if anyone can tell me how to prepare these in bite-sized fashion and freeze them so I can pop them in the toaster over...I will be one happy mom!

A couple of tips...the xanthan gum is key. If you do not use it, your breading will fall apart and right off the chicken. Trust me...tried it before. Not good. Also, I put my cornflakes in the food processor tonight for a much finer finish and it worked great. I will do this again in the future. Enjoy!

Yogurt Smoothies

2009-03-31T22:29:00.000-07:00

Before Joshua became "Dairy Free" the one food we could ALWAYS count on him eating was a yogurt smoothie. He had at least one per day and we figured that was the best way to get probiotics into him at that time. I know, I know...some of you are cringing right now because they are LOADED with sugar. That was a hill I was not willing to die on - at least I knew he wouldn't starve to death when there were yogurt smoothies around.

Flash forward to him becoming Dairy Free and think of how he cried when I told him he couldn't have them anymore. I tried making smoothies and "milk shakes" but they just weren't the same.

Until today...I had a revelation!

We recently stumbled upon "Coconut Milk Yogurt." It is very tasty and Joshua loves it! It is is a bit thinner than cow's milk yogurt, so today I decided to add some rice milk and stick a straw in it. Then I thought...what the heck - I threw in his Omega's and his Calcium/ Magnesium and by golly...

HE LOVED IT!

He thought it was a "REAL" Yogurt Smoothie. And of course, I wouldn't dare tell him otherwise!

PS: Downside to Coconut Milk Yogurt - $2 per container. He darn well better love it at that price!

The Fog is Lifting

2009-03-24T08:23:00.001-07:00

The smile seems so much bigger...and brighter these days! Joshua is on a high right now and we are just riding the wave! His language skills are booming (even his SLP is surprised at his progress) and the fog has lifted from his eyes. He is acting like a little boy again. Of course that means he is in to mischief and tormenting his sisters...but I'll take it! Even his gross motor skills are improving right now. He is jumping from 2 feet and running faster than I have seen yet. He smiles and laughs, eats (for the most part), sleeping better and has far less tantrums than before.

** Side note: We were at Grandma's house last week for a birthday party for Nicole. When it was time to serve the cake, I took his plate inside and got him a piece of "his" cake. Luckily, both the gluten and gluten-free cakes were chocolate w/ pink icing. His looked like every one else's cake. Before eating he asked me, "Mom, is this gluten-free cake?" I said, "Yes son, yours is gluten-free" and he responded, "Good, then I can eat it." Then he told me, "Thanks Mom for bringing me gluten-free cake." For those of you who KNOW Joshua, this is huge. Of course, no one else on earth would have had any idea what he was saying - but I did, and that is all that counts in that case!

Anyhow, what is different? Well, in our usual fashion - we changed many things at one time. The major thing is removing dairy. I think that is making a difference. Also, we have added 1 capsule of Omega 3-6-9 by Nordic Naturals (supposedly a great tool for apraxia), Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin C and Probiotocs.

Other items of interest: Joshua now has his own big boy room! He has always shared a room with Nicole (and the baby had her "own" room). On Nicole's 5th birthday we decided to switch things up a bit. We now have a "girl's" room and a "boy's" room. At first, Joshua was a little sad that he was going to be by himself but then he realized that Samson (our 2 year old yellow lab) is a boy and that HE should live in the boy room too. So we moved Samson's bed into Joshua's new room and now they are roomies! I'll try to get some pictures of his room - it is cute. He has a "Red Car" (Lightning McQueen) poster, 2 Monster Truck posters, and a WWII Airplane poster. We have a military helicopter poster on it's way too. He is sleeping through the night in his room now and even better- he doesn't wake Nicole up in the mornings!

While I am sure this "wave" will not last forever...I will ride it with joy till it ends. Praising God for His goodness and small miracles that bring hope today!

GFCF Cornbread - Yum!

2009-03-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

1 Cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Mix
1 Cup GF Cornmeal
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1 Cup Dairy Free Milk (I used Vanilla Rice Milk)
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 egg, beaten

Combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl. Pour all at once into dry ingredients and mix until combined. Pour into greased 8" pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve w/ DF buttery spread and honey. Yum!

*My husband said - "I assume this is gluten free because Josh is eating it, otherwise, I couldn't tell." That is when I KNOW i have a good recipe!

Apraxia Speech Cards

2009-02-24T23:09:00.001-08:00

OK, so we are back to the business of speech therapy with the oh so talented SLP Megan. We are paying out of pocket until we convince the insurance company that Joshua's speech therapy IS medically necessary (I mean, really...they have never heard the child speak. Who are they to decide it is not medically necessary?). It is pricey, but how can we not? This is his future ability to speak that is at stake! Anyhow, Megan asked us to take some pictures of things around that house that Joshua uses or plays with on a daily basis. We came up with about 30 pictures so far. She is going to take them and make flash cards (much like the Kaufman Cards, for those of you who are familiar) and break the words down into manageable chunks, eventually working up to the complete word. I am really excited to see how they turn out. She will write the word sequencing on the back of the picture and we will take them to get laminated. I'll let you know how if it works! Here are a few of the pictures we used:

"Shoes"

"Pretzels" (GFCF, of course)

"Movies"

"Monster Trucks"

"Teddy"

Getting Back to Business

2009-02-21T07:25:00.000-08:00

So much has happened in the past few months! For those of you who are disappointed in my lack of posting (which, I am not exactly sure that anyone follows this blog), go read my apology at my 3 Angels Blog. Joshua is now 3 1/2 and I guess the most significant thing over the past few months has been the confirmation of his Apraxia diagnosis. When he was first diagnosed, I admit I was skeptical. I thought that maybe it was a hip new diagnosis that was being handed out frivolously. However, after seeing an audiologist, 2 additional speech therapists and a video evaluation from Nancy Kaufman herself...I guess it is true. His evaluation at Children's Hospital was sad but revealing. He tested out at the higher end of 4 years old for congnitive understanding. Actually, she had to "make" him fail the test there because she knew he was getting worn out. His expressive language (what he can say), however, was still equivalent to less than a 2 year old. So basically, he gets it...more than we give him credit for...he just cannot communicate back to us. How frustrating!!! (for him and us)

Over Christmas I was able to read Jenny McCarthy's book, "Mother Warriors" and it was very enlightening. I began to grasp that perhaps Joshua's "issues" are bigger than just the Apraxia. He has always had texture issues and has recently started covering his ears and yelling "Too Loud" when I turn on music. While I am quite certain that he is not autistic, (many doctors have assured us that he is not because of the relationship he has with Nicole...and autistic child could have the personal relationship he has with her) I do realize that he may fall somewhere on the outskirts of the spectrum. We saw a DAN provider (Defeat Autism Now) at the beginning of the year and he confirmed that Joshua shows "soft signs" of being on the spectrum, especially when he eats gluten. He recommended we keep Josh off of gluten (not that putting him back on was an option) and that we eliminate dairy from his diet as well...too promote healing of the gut. He also recommended a host of supplements and physical exercises to do at home to promote brain development and help repair his neurological functioning.

So, Joshua is now GFCF. And oh, it is fun. I realize now just how much dairy he was eating. Yogurt smoothies and cheese were daily favorites. And the hot chocolate...but we won't go there. So now we live on Chocolate Almond Milk, Enjoy Life Cereal Bars (which someone pointed out to me on a GFCF discussion site...have no nutritional value what-so-ever), and Ian's GFCF French Bread Pizza and French Toast Stixs. I am finally getting motivated to cook GFCF, so I will share recipes with you as a find them!

"A" for Effort

2008-11-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

So my sweet, wonderful, amazing, perfect husband has a mental block about our son's food allergy. For all intensive purposes we'll call it D-E-N-I-A-L. I caught him sneaking Joshua some saltine crackers the other day and when I calmly and sweetly reminded him that "Joshua can't eat those!" he sighed deeply and confessed that he had forgotten - again.

Flash forward a few days - my hubby was being a real angel to me (see my 3 Angels Blog about our Fireproof experience) and offered to go to Sam's Club to pick up a few things. He called me on the way home to tell me about his exciting find - he had gotten our dog (Samson, the 2 year old yellow lab) some canned dog food to mix-in with the dry food and it was GLUTEN-FREE! Can you believe it...gluten free dog food. It was so cute...he was so proud of himself for buying something gluten free - just because he recognized the term. I thought - well, at least I won't have to worry if I find him eating the dog food again!

How a 3 year old dresses himself...

2008-10-31T13:44:00.001-07:00

I am not complaining that his pajama pants are on inside out and backwards...at least he put them on! He usually comes out of the bathroom butt-naked with his underwear and shorts in hand, expecting me to dress him. This is at least a step in the right direction!

Surgery and all...

2008-09-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry we have been away for a while, things have been hectic around here. Between the end of summer illness, the beginning of the fall routine, a teething baby and a surgery for Joshua...I am not quite sure which end is up! We are finally starting to pull things back together. Joshua had his circumcision revision on Friday at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. Dr Holmes performed the surgery and we really liked him. As much as I hate to write about this (I am sure that Joshua will hate me for it one day too), I'd like to share the experience in case anyone else out there has to go through it too.

Joshua had a build up of scar tissue at the base of his urethra that caused a serious direction of flow issue. We had no idea until he started potty training and only then did we realized that he couldn't pee into the potty....it went straight up in the air! The urologist said it was a must fix and actually got us into surgery in about 4 weeks; which is unheard of at any children's hospital. Daddy took the day off work and took him to the surgery (guy bonding, I guess). That was a tough one for me because I have always been there for the surgeries. They have actually let me go back and hold them while they sedated him - which is because I was a nurse and promised them I wouldn't freak out when he actually went under. Anyway, I stayed home w/ the girls and taxied to ballet class.

Anyway, the surgery itself lasted about 20 minutes. The doctor cut back the scar tissue, realigned the opening and put in a few stitches. Joshua was in recovery for about 3 hours because he wanted to fully appreciate the effects of anesthesia and kept napping the day away. Daddy said he left relatively happy and never complained of any pain. They picked up a prescription for Tylenol w/ Codeine (thank you Dr Holmes) and drove an hour and a half home. Joshua was doing so well that daddy even considered stopping at the climbing store for some gear, but decided that wouldn't be very nice.

Meanwhile, the girls and I drove all over town looking for a special present for Joshua for being so brave. We finally found a big plush "Red Car" (Lightning McQueen) for him to cuddle w/ when he got home. Daddy and Josh got home around 5pm and by 6:30pm he had pee'd for the first time. He did not complain about it hurting at all. Our biggest challenge that night, and still, is keeping him from playing too rough. We gave him one dose of the tylenol w/ codeine, but it seemed to wear off before we could give him another dose. So I gave him some Ibuprophen and that did the trick. He slept through the night and has only complained a few times since then. I have been continuing the Ibuprophen about 3 times per day just to ward off any potential pain. He is still a bit swollen and bruised, which looks worse than it seems to feel. I have to gently encourage him to use the potty and when he goes he tells me -"Wow Mom, it doesn't hurt." as if he is expecting it to hurt and is suprised when it doesn't.

I write all of this because I am amazed at the recovery we are seeing. I really expected the worst, especially based on some other blog entries that I read. Joshua has been very brave and I am really proud of him. Most of all, I am praising God for getting us through this one pretty smoothly so far!

Follow up appointment is in 3 weeks, we'll be hoping that it was successful and that our little man will have a happy life of being able to pee into the urinal instead of all over his shirt!

Yummy Risotto Rice Entree

2008-09-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

I recently saw this item on sale at the grocery store (Vons, to be exact) and thought we should give it a try. Joshua is a rice fiend and I am always looking for new varieties to keep things exciting. Fortunately, this one way great! Lundberg Family Farms Creamy Parmesan Risotto is gluten free and tastes great. It was creamy and comforting and everyone (except my hubby) loved it. My hubby, who drinks pickled jalapeno juice from the jar, thought it was a little bland. Add some tobasco and Ta-Da! He liked it too.

Wordless Wednesday - Cooking Josh

2008-09-10T08:17:00.001-07:00

For more Wordless Wednesday visit

More News...

2008-08-30T23:07:00.000-07:00

Joshua had a long week. We saw the Urologist to discuss his circumcision revision (poor kid, how much worse does it get than that) and the Speech Pathologist all in one week. In a very interesting twist of the straight and narrow, we discovered that Joshua has Childhood Apraxia of Speech. We had long thought that he had a normal speech delay related to the Acid Reflux, but apparently this is not the case. The Speech Pathologist tested him quite extensively and asked if anyone had ever mentioned apraxia to us. I said no and asked what it was...she explained that apraxia is a neurological disconnect between hearing and speaking. He hears normally, but he cannot translate what he hears into what comes out of his mouth. Hence the speaking in vowel sounds and grunts (and we just thought he'd make a perfect Marine).

Joshua had a special sedated hearing test in the Spring showed some neurologic abnormality in the auditory brainstem, but the SLP (Speech & Language Pathologist) could not identify the significance of that result. Now that Joshua is 3 and could have more extensive testing done (under a new SLP), they were able to pinpoint the abnormality as Apraxia.

I have to admit I am a little bummed, although glad to have an idea of the challenges we will be facing in the coming years. I am thankful that God has convicted me to homeschool, as I do not want him "labeled" by the school or his peers. His potential for learning is just as high as everyone else, he'll just need to learn things in a different way. I also cling to the fact that God has a plan and a purpose for Joshua's life and He is going to use Joshua is mighty ways.

For more information about Apraxia of Speech:

WF/GF Teriyaki Sauce

2008-08-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

Teriyaki chicken is by far Joshua's favorite food. We learned this while completing a food trial before a GI scope. Unfortunately, it gives him terrible hives (because of the wheat in the soy sauce). I feel terrible depriving him of one of the few foods he devours, so I went in search of GF Teriyaki Sauce. I was hoping that San-J would make one in a bottle, similar to their wheat free soy sauce, but they don't. What I did find was a great recipe using the San-J WF soy sauce.

WF/ GF Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 cup GF soy sauce (San-J Tamari sauce)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp oil
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 clove garlic
1 tsp dry ginger

Mix well and let set for 20-30 minutes. Refrigerate and store unused portion.

(I found this recipe here)

I made this for his Birthday dinner last night and he LOVED it. So did my 4 year old and my husband. I will definitely be keeping this one on hand!!!

A Neat Trick

2008-08-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

Wheat Free/ Gluten Free Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches

Joshua is not too fond of Wheat Free/Gluten Free Bread...at least not the ones we have tried so far. (And I can't say that I blame him, I didn't care for them either). But out of desperation I came up with a great trick. I use gluten free pancakes to make him peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.

When I make pancakes, I always double the recipe and freeze the leftovers. When I need to make a sandwich (like today, because we are meeting friends at the park for a picnic), I just grab 2 pancakes and use them for bread.

I use Pamela's Wheat-Free & Gluten Free Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix for my pancakes. I have tried many recipes for making them from scratch, but the wheat free flours are expensive and there is no guarantee that he will like or eat them. Trust me - I have bags of flours I will never touch again in my pantry because of this experiment! Anyhow, I finally settled on Pamela's mix and even my wheat-eating 4 year old will eat these pancakes. They are easy to make (just add water and egg) and they are moist and tasty. The mix does contain almond meal, so there are little brown flakes in it, but my kids don't seem to mind.

So that's is...

2 Pancakes + Peanut Butter + Jelly =
One Happy 3 year old boy!

A work in Progress

2008-07-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome all to my blog for Joshua. If you have spent any time over at 2 (and now 3) Angels to Grow Me you already know how special Joshua is to us. He has suffered an array of ailments since shortly after birth and I have spent most of my brainpower and energy trying to figure out how to help him. After more doctor's visits than you can count, more $$$ than you would ever want to spend, and far too much pain and suffering for a toddler...we think we finally have it figured out. Of course, the docs don't necessarily agree because it just doesn't make sense to them - he doesn't fit into a textbook definition and they aren't willing to read between the lines. That being said, we give our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, all the glory for his current health and happiness. He (the Lord) gave us such strong convictions and led us (once we were finally willing to follow) with a clear sense of direction in treating him.
Joshua will be turning 3 in about 2 weeks. He is so much happier today than he was a year ago. He still has a significant speech delay and has episodes of acid reflux that leave him unable to eat (sometimes for several days in a row), but 98% of the time he is just great!! The only thing that helps - his wheat free diet. We finally figured out that whole grain wheat was causing his acid reflux/ stomach ulcers, and chronic hives. He has never tested positive for a wheat allergy (he has been tested 3 times), and by no means is he anaphylactic...but he does have a delayed response/ GI aggravating wheat allergy. About a year ago, it was confused with Celiac's Disease, which is actually what started us in the right direction. The doctors are now convinced it is not Celiac's Disease (praise God)...and that there is a slight chance he will outgrow this type of sensitivity.
The purpose of this blog is to share our experiences, encouragement, frustrations, and LOTS of recipes with anyone who is interested. I will be back in a day or two to share some recently discovered recipes that my whole family loved - not just my picky (almost) 3 year old son. Thanks for stopping by the blog and thanks for being patient while I get started!