Why didn't someone tell me about the joys of banana bread?

Why didn't someone tell me about the joys of banana bread!?  For no particular reason, this past weekend I decided to make an egg-free banana bread to see how it would go over with the kids.  It was a definite winner and was soooo easy to make.  I actually modified a recipe that you can find here.  Instead of using butter (we didn't have any on hand), I used 1/2 cup of olive oil and instead of 3/4 cup of sugar, I used 1 cup of sugar since not all of my bananas were really ripe (it would have been fine with 3/4 cup of sugar).  I also added about 1+ teaspoon of cinnamon.  On a dreary, rainy Sunday afternoon in Paris, our home was smelling tasty as the bread baked and after an hour we were enjoying warm banana bread and tea.  We at nearly the whole loaf…how perfect!

Banana Bread

Pizza, Pizza, Pizza !!!

With a cloudy, overcast sky this afternoon, I decided enough was enough! And now I feel totally liberated. I will no longer pay 7€ (the equivalent of about $10) for a six inch pizza because now I can make my own. Also, I now have complete assurance that there are no traces of eggs, since they are often used as a pizza topping here in France.   I used a video demonstration on Videojug as inspiration for making homemade pizza dough and it worked like a charm and resulted in awesome thin crust, crispy pizzas.  A total winner from the kids' perspective...they each got individual pepperoni pizzas with monterey jack cheese and for the adults, we had pizzas topped with green pepper, red onion, pepperoni, and fresh mozzarella. I think that using two different types of flour was key to achieving successful dough. I used an all-purpose flour and a fine pastry flour as suggested in the video and also used a commercial pizza sauce (but not too much).   I cooked the pizzas on 490 degrees for maybe 7 minutes.  So simple that I cant believe that I didn't try homemade pizzas sooner.  Give it a try...I bet you will feel just as liberated! Check out the photos below!

Miniature Pepperoni Pizzas for the Kids

Pepperoni, Green Pepper, Red Onion & Mozzarella Pizza for the Adults
 

Did You Know that Amy's is Egg-Free?

So I thought I knew about just about all of the egg-free products available on the market and then I discovered Amy's line of products! According to the label and website, all of Amy's products are made without eggs.  How awesome is that?! This cake was absolutely delicious and my Lady Grace ate three (small) slices and was asking for more. She is attending a birthday party tomorrow and now she can take a slice of this yummy cake to enjoy alongside the other children - though I might put a bit of icing for good measure!

I think that I am an Amy's convert.   Just goes to show you that we all have something to learn!

 

Absolutely Delicious!

Food Allergies & Summer Camps

When we arrived in France last summer, I was told that the only way that children could participate in the summer camps run by the city hall on a full-day basis was to eat the lunch provided by the catering company.  Anyone that knows me well, will not be surprised that I refused to accept.  After convincing the program that reasonable accomodations should be made and providing a note from a French allerologist, the camp managers accepted.  Afterall, would it be fair to restrict a child to the confines of their home during summer vacations?  Not at all.  It is my belief that food allergy sufferers should be able to enjoy the same joys of living, given reasonable accomodation.  The accomodation in this case was quite simple actually - do not feed Lady Grace anything other than what she brings to school in her lunch box and snack pack. We have the same plan at school and have never encountered a problem. 

Interestingly, I just came across an article about food allergies and summer camps in the United States, which inspired this post.  As much as we enjoy our experience in France, I do miss the level of sensitivity towards children with food allergies in the States.  Did you know that there are even summer camps for children that are for food allergy sufferers?  How awesome is that!  Unfortunately, I don't think that I'll be able to find such a camp in France.

Shiitake Mushrooms Rock!

After living in Asia for so many years (I now live in France), I am only now finding the true beauty of shitake mushrooms.  I never realized how much flavor these mushrooms add to a simple veggie stir fry, until a Taiwanese vegetarian friend of mine prepared a meal at our home a few months ago.  Talk about robust!  Now that I'm back on my egg-free, vegetarian-only for breakfast and lunch challenge, I've become creative about my meals.  I found that when I eat a veggie-based meal for lunch with just a modest portion of fish, chicken or turkey for dinner, I have so much more energy.  I will be enjoying this meal at work tomorrow over brown rice!  Anyone want to join me for a veggie for lunch challenge?

Baby Bok Choy and Carrots with Shitake Mushrooms and Garlic

Korean Bean Sprout Salad

I love Korean food.  In fact, I love it so much that once my husband and I took a trip to South Korea  just to enjoy all of the culinary delights!  I visited my local Asian grocery store yesterday and there were absolutely beautiful soybean sprouts available so I decided to try to make a cold soybean side dish that is frequently served at Korean restaurants.  I believe it is called kongnamul muchin. 

Ingredients
1 bag of soybeans
1 finely diced clove of garlic
1 finely sliced green onion
soy sauce
sesame oil
sugar
salt (if needed)

Directions
First begin by boiling the soybeans in about one cup of water with a bit of salt for about seven minutes.  Drain the soybeans and immediately rinse with ice cold water to cool and drain again.  Use papertowles to further dry the soybeans and then set aside in a large bowl.  Then add the diced garlic and sliced green onion.  Mix in a two-three teaspons of soy sauce, a tablespoon of sesame oil, and close to a teaspoon of sugar.  Add more soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar or salt to taste.  Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to chill and then enjoy!

Preparation Time
20 minutes

Korean Soybean Salad

Did You Know That Some Food Allergy Purchases Might Be Tax Deductible?

Just came across a really interesting guest post on the blog It's an Itchy Little World that got my attention - taxes and food allergies in the United States.  The post emphasizes the importance of itemizing and tracking your purchases and having your doctor's documentation.  It appears that the key is whether or not the purchase can be found at any run of the mill grocery store.  That said, my reading of the article and comments is that one must also consider the  "thresholds" - i.e. is it worth it?  Nonetheless, I think it is worth closer examination.  What do you think?