Birthday party! Cowboy up!

We had an awesome natural Feingold birthday party today! We had a cowboy theme and these were the cute cupcakes I made. Chocolate on Chocolate with Newman O's crushed up for the dirt. The little horses were at the party store. We served hot chocolate with the cupcakes. It was such a great day to do the party, 55 degrees which was warmer than normal. The kids rode the horses in the back pasture, practiced roping, and built a tipi. Then we had the food, and watched our friend perform in a little rodeo. All in all it was a great day!

candy experiments

http://www.candyexperiments.com

I've only had time to look at a few of these but they sure seem like fun. At least it's a good way to use up some Halloween candy.

Doctors want FDA regulation of "food" coloring

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/forget-sugar-doctor-screams-for-fda-regulation-of-food-coloring/

More on neurotoxic scents

http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/neurotoxins_and_adhd_connecting_the_dots/

What's that smell?

I've been thinking of chemical smells a lot this school year. We switched schools and are now going to a charter school for the arts. Apparently artsy people also love artsy smells...a palate for the nose. The entrance and many of the classrooms are very heavily scented. Andrew and Adam's main teachers have thankfully not used chemical fragrances inside the classroom but they do switch classrooms for different activities in which I notice strong smells.
I visited a class for science and thought I was fine. After about 5 minutes I started having an asthma attack and coughing. I left quickly and turned around to glance at my spot and found that I was sitting next to an automatic spray glade plug in. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Those little things are sneaky if you get there when they haven't gone off for a while. Fragrances are bad enough but aerosol fragrances just about kill me. I left and nursed my asthma and headache.
On a side note, since I had my gal bladder out my stomach has not hurt with fragrances at all. Remember when we joked last year about the poor kids pooping on the floor if they smelled a candle? I have no idea what connection the gal bladder would have to the fragrances but it will definitely be researched. It took about 5 times of coming in contact with an aerosol, having asthma, and realizing no diarrhea effect followed to figure out that I'm fine now. hmmmmmmmmmm
Poor Alyssa has headaches and tummy aches all day, gets really tired also. She's too embarrassed to ask 6 whole teachers to do without their smellies. I guess in 9th grade you actually have to care what people think. I have to admit that I'm nervous too. I know that it affects many more people than my family but it's still embarrassing to be the weird one. It's funny how people know that cigarette smoke is bad for you but since we don't see yummy smelling chemical droplets of petroleum floating in the air it seems very harmless.

Whole milk is no longer always acceptable :.(

"Until now, any brand of plain whole milk was acceptable, as you wrote. However, the Feingold Association has recently been receiving reports of reactions to milk from people who previously tolerated it. We can no longer consider "any whole milk" acceptable and are researching milks one brand at a time, according to an alert we sent out August 25, 2010. A reader wanting to use the Feingold Program to treat any sort of symptoms really needs to become a member and get the Foodlist and other materials."

This was a comment from Sheila and I'm reposting it as a blog post to make sure readers see it. I'll also be changing the always acceptable list. It's always sad when something as used as whole milk is no longer always acceptable. We buy our milk raw and unadulterated from a local dairy. I would suggest calling around to your local dairies or finding their numbers to read the codes at your local store if you need something acceptable.

And, as I've said several times, please consider joining the Feingold association. I feel like I know what I'm doing but when I stray from the list, I see infractions. I'll be a lifetime member. At less than $7 per month for the whole family, a food guide, fast food guide, and suppliment guide, monthly newsletters with updates on foods and current issues, and a very active chat room, I feel like it's a very good choice for most families.

New websites for lunches

http://www.freshforkids.com.au/lunch_box/lunch_box.html
http://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/

Someone just mentioned that in Australia it's against the law to send unhealthy lunches to school. I don't know the truth of that or who defines what "healthy" is but nevertheless, I really liked these websites. Toward the end of the Fresh for Kids website there are 3 booklets to download that have a lot of great ideas and pictures.

Packing School Lunches

I just responded on a list and decided I'd throw this on here also.

One of the biggest things we've figured out is that equipment really helps. As
long as we have a thermos or an insulating lunchbox we can pack just about
anything, hot or cold. It took a while to get it down to what we really liked
and learning how to keep the foods hot or cold.
My favorite equipment is a short stainless thermos.  If
we pair the hot thermos food with normal temp foods in an insulating lunchbox it
stays perfectly hot till lunchtime. If it's more of a casserole type food that
can taste ok just warm I like my lock n lock glass containers in an insulating
box.
If we have a cold drink or salad at the same time, I send it in a different
container than the lunchbox with the hot stuff or I just send it with other cool
things.
We've found that a hot thermos of soup along with a cool smoothie and jello
don't mix well in the lunchbox.

Some other favorites that make it easy...

Make lots of sandwiches (minus lettuce and veggies) and freeze them. They'll
thaw for lunch. If you do tuna or other soggy fillings butter the bread first.
I actually LOVE soggy bread when stuff like that thaws.
Make super healthy muffins loaded with flax, oatmeal, whole grains, veggies,
etc. Freeze a couple in a baggie and pop these in instead of a sandwich. I'll
make a quadruple batch at a time.
Hummus freezes well if your kids will eat it with a bread, chips, or veggies
Use the bento box idea and put dinner leftovers in the freezer to space out in
boxes later or just pack it into the lunchbox and stick it in the fridge.
Learn what dinner tastes good cold later if you don't want to heat...spaghetti
and rice taste great with a bit of dressing or sauce on top to refresh it.
Salad with dressing on the side. Any dessert. Even ice cream in a thermos can
work if they're ok with a milkshake by lunch.

Ban on flavored milks in DC schools!

YAY! One baby step ahead! Let's hope other schools follow.

"By Ed Bruske
aka The Slow Cook

Jeffrey Mills, director of food services for D.C. Public Schools, told parents at H.D. Cooke Elementary school yesterday that the city's schools beginning in the fall would no longer serve flavored milk or sugary cereals.

Mills made the remarks at a meeting to discuss staffing changes in the H.D. Cook cafeteria and further details could not be obtained. A PTA officer at the meeting said Mills told the parents that other positive changes in cafeteria menus would be made by the time school resumes in August.

Chocolate- and strawberry-flavored milk, as well as sugary cereals such as Apple Jacks, Raisin Bran and chocolate-flavored Little Bite Mini-Wheats, have been standard fare for breakfast in D.C. schools. Flavored milks contain nearly as much sugar as Classic Coke or Mountain Dew, and when served alongside sugary cereals and breakfast treats such as Pop-Tarts. Giant Goldfish Grahams and orange juice, consitute meals containing 60 grams of sugar before classes even begin. That's the equivalent of 15 teaspoons of sugar, more than a quarter cup.

Some experts argue that the empty calories from sugar cause behavorial problems in school and prime children for health problems ranging from tooth decay to obesity and early onset of diabetes. Flavored milks also cause a drain on school food budgets because they are more expensive than plain milk. But the dairy industry has fought hard to keep flavored milk in school, fearing that children would drink less milk if it did not contain the added sugar.

Many D.C. students drink flavored milk at least twice a day in school, both at breakfast and at lunch, even though other sugary beverages such as sodas, sport drinks and teas have been banned from schools since 2006.

Low-fat milk typically contains 12 grams of naturally occurring sugar as lactose in an 8-ounce service. The chocolate-flavored milk in D.C. schools, from Cloverland Dairy, lists 24 grams of sugar, the added sugar coming from high-fructose corn syrup. Strawberry-flavored milk from Cloverland Dairy contains 28 grams of sugar, or seven teaspoons.

Apple Jacks cereal lists 9 grams of sugar in a 1-ounce serving, or a bit more than two teaspoons, compared to just 1 gram of sugar in a similar serving of regular Cheerios. Cereals with higher sugar content, served aggressively by the D.C. Public Schools' hired food service contractor, Chartwells, are seen as a vehicle for imprinting on vulnerable children the popular kids' brands of corporate food companies such as Kellogg's, which pays hefty rebates to have its products promoted in schools.

The move to reduce sugar in D.C. school food would be significant, since neither U.S. Department of Agriculture standards nor the District's recently adopted "Healthy Schools" act regulate the amount of sugar in school meals. It would bring the District in line with other progressive jurisdicitions that have eliminated flavored milk as a health measure. Typically, milk sales drop after flavored milk is removed, but eventually rebound once students get used to the idea of drinking plain milk.

Mills, who previously worked developing restuarant concepts in New York City, took the DCPS food services job six months ago after the positioin had gone unfilled for a year. He has promised to act aggressively to improve D.C. school food quality. We will certainly report further details as they become available."

school tacos

I was just looking through our local district's ingredients...here's a sample

Totally Taco
MaxSnax-ConAgra
Nutrient Facts
Serving Size: 1 taco (4.09oz, 3 triangles)
Amount per serving
Calories 250
Total fat 9g
Saturated fat 2.5g
Trans fat 0g
Cholesterol 10mg
Sodium 630mg
Total Carbohydrate 28g
Dietary Fiber 2g
Protein 15g
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 0%
Iron 15%
Calcium 20%
Ingredients:
Crust: (enriched wheat flour [bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], water, soy flour, dextrose, baking powder [sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum sulfate, cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate], soybean oil, salt, wheat gluten, calcium propionate, dough conditioners [wheat flour, salt, soy oil, l-cysteine, ascorbic acid, fungal enzyme]). Sauce: (water, enchilada/taco sauce seasoning mix [tomato powder, modified food starch, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, maltodextrin, salt, chili powder, sodium diacetate, spices, onion, garlic, silicon dioxide, paprika, xanthan gum, disodium inosinate and spice extractives], modified food starch). Beef pizza topping: (hamburger [ground beef {not more than 30% fat}, salt, spice, hydrolyzed corn protein, natural grill flavor {maltodextrin, flavor (from corn oil), modified food starch, corn syrup solids}, flavorings], water, textured vegetable protein [soy protein concentrate, caramel color]). Shredded mozzarella cheese: (pasteurized part skim milk, cheese cultures, salt,
enzymes). Shredded cheddar flavored mozzarella cheese substitute: (water, soybean oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil with citric acid, casein, milk protein concentrate, modified food starch, contains 2% or less of the following: sodium aluminum phosphate, salt, cheese blend [cheddar, blue, and semisoft cheese
{pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes}, water, whey, salt, citric acid], lactic acid, disodium phosphate, sorbic acid, romano cheese flavor [cheese {milk, culture, rennet, salt}, milk solids, disodium phosphate], mozzarella cheese type flavor [cheese {milk, culture, rennet, salt}, milk solids, disodium phosphate], provolone cheese flavor [cheese {milk, culture, rennet, salt}, milk solids, disodium phosphate, sodium glutaminate, salt, cheese flavor {maltodextrin, acacia gum, 1,2-propylene glycol, trisodium diphosphate, sodium polyphosphate}], nutrient blend [magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin and vitamin b-12], paprika annatto blend [natural extractives of annatto seeds and paprika with soybean oil, mono-, di-, and triglycerides, other flavors, tocopherol, and potassium hydroxide], vitamin a palmitate). Shredded mozzarella cheese substitute: (water, soybean oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil with citric acid, casein, milk protein concentrate, modified food starch, contains 2% or less of the following: sodium aluminum phosphate, salt, lactic acid, disodium phosphate, sorbic acid, romano cheese flavor [cheese {milk, culture, rennet, salt}, milk solids, disodium phosphate], mozzarella cheese type flavor [cheese {milk, culture, rennet, salt}, milk solids, disodium phosphate], provolone cheese flavor [cheese {milk, culture, rennet, salt}, milk solids, disodium phosphate, sodium glutaminate, salt, cheese flavor {maltodextrin, acacia gum, 1,2-propylene glycol, trisodium diphosphate, sodium polyphosphate}], nutrient blend [magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin and vitamin b-12], vitamin a palmitate). Releasing agent: (water, mono and diglycerides, polysorbate 60 and soy lecithin, acetic acid, citric acid, potassium sorbate, propyl gallate, sodium benzoate and polydimethylsiloxane). Cellulose gum. Contains: wheat, milk, and soy.

do not color on your face with markers unless you want to react AND look like a hobo

This is a long one...let me start at the beginning, which is a very good place to start.

Adam is playing Jefferson Davis, president of the South in the Civil War, in a wax museum at school. What a fun idea right? He got his costume together complete with top hat, white shirt, and vest and he memorized his lines.

The next night, Ana whacked him HARD with a recorder (the kind you play, people call it a flute sometimes) and gave him a big old black eye. So, he already looked funny but I figured that he'd be fine cause he had his costume. If I needed to, I could put a bit of mineral makeup around it.

Well, the next day I picked him up after dress rehearsal and noticed that I'd picked up a hobo instead. His top had had been crunched, his pants were dirty because the goats jumped up on him that morning while he was feeding them their bottles, and the clincher...he had DRAWN a beard on his face with black markers.

When I asked my brother (who works at the school) if he'd seen Adam he mentioned that he had and was wondering which character he played. I said, "I know, he looks like a hobo." My brother's response..."You mean he's not supposed to be a hobo?"
I told him that he was the president of the South...

pause for hysterical laughter on both ends of the line

Yeah, after quizzing Adam I found that the kids asked their teacher if they could draw beards and he said ok, as long as it will come off. Now, what 11 year old boy is going to have any idea if the marker is going to come off of his face?

pause for more laughter

so, he scrubbed and scrubbed and even used a magic eraser on his face. Now we're down to a crunched hat, a black eye, and a 5 o'clock shadow of black marker. Yeah, he's gonna be playing a hobo today.

ok...more laughter.

Bugs in our food too?

This article made me laugh. I've known about carmine and where it came from for a while now but I've chosen to somewhat ignore it. I'm just happy to not have the red #40 in my food. But, the laugh factor came when reading the cost of carmine vs. chemical dye and thinking, can't we just have non-dyed food? Would it really be that awful? Would kids NOT eat a strawberry granola bar because it wasn't red enough? Would they not eat a gogurt that was pale pink from strawberries instead of bright red from petroleum or bugs? I do know that certain colors are more appetizing and I've been known many times to throw in a handful of blueberries in a green smoothie to make it purple but, that's my point. Unless your food is green from supplements, why bother painting it different colors?

http://www.usnews.com/money/business-economy/articles/2008/07/11/will-bug-based-food-coloring-catch-on.html

Would you rather eat something made from petroleum or bugs? It's not a dare but the crux of a change in the food industry. Pressure on companies to abandon artificial dyes is expected to result in increased use of natural food colors—the most popular of which is cochineal, a dye made from insects that are ground up and added to foods to make them rosier.
Click here to find out more!

The British government has recommended that food manufacturers stop using additives like Red No. 40 and Yellow No. 5 (commonly called "nasties" in the U.K.) by the start of 2009. Some American activists, citing studies linking eight artificial dyes to hyperactivity in children, want the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to take a similar stance.

A move away from artificial food coloring would spur demand for a red dye made from the cochineal beetle. Cochineal, often known as carmine, has already made its way into hundreds of U.S. products, including yogurt, waffles, and lipstick.

Demand in Peru alone for the cochineal dye has doubled in the past six years, from 1,000 tons of dry cochineal in 2002 to 2,000 tons now, according to the Cochineal Working Group, a network of farmers and researchers. The dye is made by scraping female bugs and their eggs off cactus leaves and grinding them into a powder. The main producers are in Peru, Chile, and the Canary Islands.

"Production could be more if necessary," says Liberato Portillo, coordinator of the Cochineal Working Group, a section of the International Technical Cooperation Network on Cactus, which provides information and research on cacti. As demand has increased, Ethiopia and China have started cultivating the insects as well, Portillo says.

Making carmine the main source for natural orange, red, and blue tints might be easier said than done, says Al Baroudi, president of Food Safety Institute International, a consulting group based in Henderson, Nev. "People who are farming it now don't have a remote idea of what the demand will be" if large international manufacturers start placing huge orders for the dye to keep their foods' vibrant colors—and their customers.

Baroudi says the price of carmine would no doubt go up with demand. The cost of carmine is generally about four times that of coal- and petroleum-based synthetic dyes—between $50 and $80 per kilogram for carmine, compared with $10 to $20 for synthetics. Jeff Greaves, president of Food Ingredient Solutions in Teterboro, N.J., says that with carmine, "you typically have to spend 10 to 20 times as much to get the same color intensity" as you would using artificial colors.

Although the FDA has rebuffed calls for it to ban artificial colorings, experts expect many food companies to shift on their own to satisfy international markets. Global Industry Analysts reported in late 2007 that "outbreaks of food scares and heightened awareness of the health benefits of organically produced ingredients are thought to be behind the dramatic turn from unhealthy ingredients."

Greaves says that "there is definitely a trend towards natural color.... Carmine sales are up 20 percent this year already." Greaves's company processes and distributes both artificial and natural food colors for sale in North America and Europe. It is one of the world's biggest carmine suppliers, selling about 75 tons of the dye per year.

"There's still a cultural 'icky' thing about carmine," Greaves says. But drastic market change is not unprecedented. In the mid-1970s, "Red [Dye] No. 2 got removed overnight, and what replaced it was carmine," he adds. Use of Red No. 40 also increased after the FDA banned Red No. 2.

Companies will "work real hard to formulate new colors for export," says John Rushing, an expert on food science and business who teaches at North Carolina State University. Red cabbage is another source for a natural dye, but it's much more expensive than carmine, Rushing says.

Cochineal is not without controversy, and not just because making food coloring from insects may be unappetizing. For one thing, cochineal is an allergen. "Allergies to carmine are less common than to artificial food coloring, but they can be severe," says Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington health advocacy group that supports a ban on artificial food dyes. "If carmine is used, it should absolutely be indicated on the food label as a potential allergen."

Carmine is also an animal-based dye, which doesn't sit well with vegans and vegetarians. Erik Marcus of Vegan.com says foods with carmine "are always nonvegan."

There is already a small effort to avoid carmine. When Nestlé, the Swiss food manufacturing giant, switched its Smarties candies from artificial reds to carmine in 2004, it was blasted by vegetarian groups for the insect content. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals lists candies with no carmine (or other animal-based substances) on its website, and a few cosmetics companies tout themselves as "carmine free."

Five safe ingredients

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2940146/five_safe_ingredients_for_foodsensitive.html?cat=25

This is an article about five safe ingredients that one mom keeps around for safe treats.

easy lunch boxes-product

http://www.easylunchboxes.com/

hmmm, I might give these a go.

cute lunch, risotto cakes and meatballs

http://lunchinabox.net/2010/03/24/leftover-remake-risotto-cake-recipe/
This one looked particularly yummy and easy to make Feingold safe.

Super Sloppies!

Today's lunch was a huge success so I'd love to share it. If you're vegetarian, leave out the meat. If you're gluten free, use GF rolls or bread

saute 1/2 an onion with a bit of butter till soft and yummy smelling (can skip the saute if you're in a hurry)

in a food processor add the onion, 3 carrots, 3 sticks of celery, and any other veggies you need to use up. Pulse till it's finely chopped. Add 1 can of drained black beans and barely pulse to start to break them up.

In the same pan as the onions, begin to brown 1 lb of ground beef (check your labels for color or solution)

When it's almost done, add the veggies and stir. While this is cooking, add a can of tomatoes or 1/2 cup catsup or whatever sloppy joe type base you want. Add spices like onion powder, garlic, parsley. Taste, then add salt to taste. We used about 1 tsp of salt. Add a bit of water if you need it.

Serve in the middle of approved rolls or on top of rice.

This was a huge hit even for my super sensory one who detects the faintest bits of onions or tomatoes. The texture that he expected from the ground beef really hid anything else that was in there.

We served our Super Sloppies in a roll with fluffy stuff (whipped cream, cottage cheese, homemade yogurt, fruit)

Dandelion fritters...weeding AND food

This morning I weeded my lawn, and then I made lunch.

Dandelion fritters are one of our favorite springtime treats. Just send the kids out to a natural lawn (you don't want to gather from one sprayed with fertilizer or pesticides) and let them fill up a bucketful of dandelion blossoms.

Just pick off the thin stem, it doesn't taste good, dip in corndog batter or your favorite fritter batter, and fry. We usually just sprinkle them with salt and eat. Sometimes we chop a few of the dandelion greens and mix it with the batter along with some savory herbs. Or, for a truly yummy treat, roll them in powdered sugar after frying. YUMMY!

Our very favorite batter is the corn dog batter that I have listed here.

They're very thin so you don't need much oil when they're frying. They tend to flip themselves over on their own too if the batter is light enough so it's easy.

Get the hang of the dandelion twist to make sure your batter is all over the blossom.

mmmmmmmmm

Here's a video of a different way to do them. I love the thick batter on mine but someone might like this.

Just a slide show of our RV vacation

This was our awesome vacation. We bought a little and older bumper pull RV trailer and it was a GREAT investment for our little Feingold family. We only ate out once, when we tried rattlesnake, and the rest of the time we had the ability to pull over anywhere we wanted and make food in our little kitchen. LOVED IT!

Somehow it's too large for the column so if you want to see the whole movie just click on it and it should enlarge the show.

Organic? GMO? What is my fruit?

From Liv..."Learned something facinating yesterday in my organic gardening lecture. On the sticker that comes on fruits and veggies has a number that specifies what kind of fruit or veggie they are. Organics start with a 9 and followed by 4 other numbers, like this 9-XXXX. And Genetically Modified fruits and veggies start with an 8 followed by 4 numbers, like this 8-XXXX."

Thanks so much Liv. I found out this info years ago but forgot the exact numbers and have been searching for it for years. I'm so glad that you sent this out.

http://www.plucodes.com/docs/IFPS-plu_codes_users_guide.pdf

Hot Beef Sundaes

http://www.delish.com/recipes/cooking-recipes/unusual-state-fair-food?GT1=47001
"Touted as comfort food at its finest, the hot beef sundae is a generous helping of buttery mashed potatoes surrounded by slow-roasted roast beef and gravy, sprinkled with Cheddar cheese, and garnished with a cherry tomato. It may look like a sundae, but this baby is all Sunday dinner."
How's this for cute? Visit the link for the details and remember to use Feingold safe ingredients.

Easy piping gel for cakes

Piping gel for cakes

1 cup colorful juice or water with natural coloring
1/2 cup sugar (can omit if juice is sweet enough or if using juice concentrate)
1/4 cup corn starch

Mix all ingredients while cold.
Bring to a boil stirring constantly.
Boil for about two minutes.
Let cool, then fill your icing bag and pipe on your letters.

Natural Peeps-you got em!

http://momskitchendesk.blogspot.com/2010/03/natural-easter-peeps.html

These are so cute. There's just something about peeps that are amazingly fun. Marshmallows are super easy, and I never thought of just dipping them in sugar. mmmmmmm

Cake Decorating

What a great idea...

I take approved hard candies and suckers, and chop them in my little food processor to make sprinkles. They work great for cakes and cookies. I use the red and green ones at Christmas and the other colors throughout the year :o)
Jennifer
www.oneverybusymomma.blogspot.com

Jamie Oliver School Lunch Program

http://www.hulu.com/watch/136381/jamie-olivers-food-revolution-episode-101

Another science experiment, Taylor's Fuzzy Brained Mice

http://www.feingold.org/PF/taylorsmice.html
Here's another science experiment for those interested. I've posted it here before but thought it needed a refresher.

Got Petroleum...On your fruit? ewwww

Long story short...
I made an awesome mounds like candy the other day (an invention) and thought that I'd look it up to see a "real" recipe. Well, I found one but it included paraffin.

HUH? I thought that paraffin was a petroleum product for candles and such, not for food. But, upon further research found that it is approved for food and is commonly used in chocolate and as a coating on apples and other fruits and veggies. (Good reason to stick with the food list for chocolate)

I guess when I hear "food grade wax" I think of beeswax. But no, paraffin is considered food grade.

So, random theory based on Danika's wandering thoughts...could this be a reason why so many kids react to apples?

If anyone has info on how to tell if an apple is waxed, oiled, or natural, or any other info related to this, please send it in. In the meantime we'll keep buying our fruit from Azure Standard or wait till our trees come on.

Here's a little Wiki for your reading enjoyment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraffin

Mexican cole slaw

MMM, made an invention today and I had to share since most of my standbys are already on here.
I started with a basic fresh salsa of diced tomatoes, diced onions, chopped radishes (weird but my friend puts them in and they're wonderful), crushed fresh garlic, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, and salt.

Then, I saw the cabbage head sitting on the counter, ready for tomorrow's dinner, and I wondered.

The cabbage was sliced thinly like I would for cole slaw, added 1/2 cup of mayo, splash of whole, raw milk, and a sprinkle of salt, and dumped a cup of fresh salsa into it.

It was good that night but when I got it out for lunch today it was awesome. The flavors blended together so well and the cabbage had softened a little with the salt and lime juice. YUM!

Alyssa's science experiment

Alyssa had to do a science experiment and of course, she wanted to do something with Feingold.

The pictures stopped at day 10 but I'll let you know that after this point all of the chemical plants stopped growing. The control is still going strong and is about 8 inches tall with an amazing root system. The kids wanted to see how long they could keep this experiment up but my card reader died so I can't post pictures. I think that the root system is especially interesting. The colored roots wouldn't even hold together as we took them out of their containers. The pictures are harder to see than in reality but the strands of wheat grass were also so tiny with the chemical plants. Thin and spindly.
This was all achieved with 2 oz of water, only 10 drops of food coloring and one packet of aspartame (Equal). The water was reverse osmosis in case the chemicals in tap would have affected the experiment also.
The seeds were hard red wheat that were soaked in the chemical water for 4 hours before planted in regular soil.
The question for this experiment was, "Do petroleum products hurt living things?" and the answer was most definitely, "yes".
Now,  if you want to make a change in your diet, here is my very favorite, #1 book to understand how food works with our bodies and how traditional cultures stayed healthy.

Epsom Salts

http://www.feingold.org/DOCS/EpsomSalts.pdf

I found this article interesting. My daughter has been taking magnesium sulfate orally for acne and it has had amazing results. I understood that it helped with liver detoxification. This explains a little about why it helped and why it's a possibility of helping with food reactions also.

Reader Questions, dairy and how long does a reaction last

"We are trying to go petroleum free. For now we have discovered all the kids are lactose intolerant. And that red dye SERIOUSLY affects my daughters behaviours. Her Grandma snuck her some candy that had that darn red dye. That was yesterday at lunch. Today she is still very agitated and aggresive and keeps having what we call "freak outs." Could a chemical or dye still be causing a problem after that long or could it be something else? Thank you for your help."

Oh yes, dear reader, a reaction can easily last for 3 days or longer. This is especially true when you're talking about red dye or other colors. And, when you add the lactose intolerance or other intestinal issues you compound the reaction times. If the intestines are working slowly they aren't removing the problem (dye) effectively.

As for the lactose intolerance, have you tried raw milk yet? My kids and are are terribly lactose intolerant but we can drink raw milk just fine. We do much better on raw milk than any milk substitute. To find a store in your area look here http://www.realmilk.com/

"my mind is going crazy"

My heartstrings were just tugged and I have to write this post. I have a feed logger and can see what people search for before they get to my site. I saw that someone 4 days ago searched for this, "children says mind is going crazy, uncoordinated, severe mood changes, 5 yr. old".

It really hit me because that was one of our deciding factors to try petroleum free eating. I remember it so well. Andrew said that to me. He said it a few times. "Mom, if just feels like my mind is going crazy and I just can't stop." That was a scary statement. But you know, now that I've been petroleum free, when I sneak, that's exactly how I feel. Especially with red. I feel like my mind just won't settle down, it runs and runs and won't quit, I am fearful and angry with colors, I want to lay on my couch and read and when someone comes near I want to yell. Then, I go to bed and have restless leg syndrome and panic attacks and can't get to sleep for hours.

I want to cry when I read that a 5 year old feels the same way because I know that most of the world doesn't understand and they keep pumping the chemicals in. After all, the FDA does say it's safe...right?

menu #5

Well, the last post seemed to work out well with adding as I went. So, here's menu #5...

Sunday

B-Pancakes and a pink smoothie for Valentine's Day

L-sandwiches with the very last of the roast (Just a note here, the roast was $1.99/lb and has provided us with many meals and sandwiches. Rather than balking at the $3.50 for 6 oz price of natural lunchmeats we feast on roast beef or real chicken sandwiches)

D-new batch of crock pot chicken and rice in the rice cooker, green salad, raw whipped cream fluff (probably craisin and pecan with real almond flavoring)

Monday

B-oatmeal packets

L-chicken salad sandwiches with leftover chicken

D-pizza, homemade

Tuesday

B-approved cereal, raw milk, banana

L-peanut butter sandwiches

D-spaghetti with natural sausage, salad

Wednesday-

B-pancakes

L-homemade lunchables, cheese, crackers, lunchmeat

D-leftovers

Thursday

B-omlettes

L-chicken sandwiches with leftover chicken

D-burritos

Friday

B-homemade doughnuts, maple bars, and raw milk

L-pasta and leftover chicken with broccoli and alfredo sauce, in thermoses

D-peanut butter sandwiches, apple slices, homemade cookies

Saturday

Brunch-waffles, fruit syrup, whipped cream, oj, bacon

D-hamburgers, salad, ice cream

menu #4

If there is no recipe please assume it's Feingold approved and on the current list. Make sure to be familiar with the always approved items.

Monday:
B-whole grain cereal and raw milk, peach smoothie with fresh/frozen peaches, raw milk, raw honey, spirulina, golden flax, ice

L-rhodes rolls with farmer cheese, homemade Lara bars, water with root beer flavored stevia drops, peaches

D-whole wheat bagels with sliced roma tomatoes and whole milk mozzarella (walmart brand in the square, not the rectangle), salt, pepper, and garlic, toasted for 5 minutes under the broiler and a big salad with mixed greens, avocado, tomatoes, and one package of McDonalds newman's own ceasar dressing. They'll sell extra dressing packets for a quarter so we save them. One package is all we need for a whole family salad. Sparkling apple cider.

Tuesday

B-approved cereal, raw whole milk, banana

L-last night before bed I started brown rice, millet, and golden flax with braggs aminos in my timed rice cooker to be completed at 7am. Then, in my crockpot went a package of chicken thighs (tyson all natural for .49/lb), a cup of water, and an herbal seasoning with some salt. In the morning I layered the rice, chicken, and strong broth that it made into our short, stainless thermoses for the kids. I left mine, Russ's, and Ana's in the rice cooker and crock pot so we could eat it hot too. In addition we had a salad and water. The kids also got an approved sucker, and a tiny container with gummy vitamins and pumpkin seeds.
The importance of clean water is huge if your kids are away from home. Our water here has flouride besides the normal chlorine. We've noticed if they drink more than a sip from a fountain we see behavior issues. We use reversed osmosis here in general.

D-Bajio kids meals (bean and cheese burritos with green salad and sprite), FYI this is not FG approved...we just normally find it ok and it's been a hectic day.

Wednesday-
B-premade oatmeal packets (the kids chose tropical with dried fruit and coconut

L-whole wheat bagels with cheddar cheese, cottage cheese and mandarin oranges, flavored stevia water

D-crock pot potatoes, carrots, cabbage, beef roast (some for tonight, some for a later lunch), fluffy salad with whipped real cream, cottage cheese, mandarin oranges, and a bit of pineapple juice concentrate
Note: usually when we have meat meals we go sparingly on the meat, lots of veggies, and save the meat and broth to use later.

Thursday
B-omlettes and herbal tea

L-rolls with peanut butter and honey, an orange or a banana, water, nuts and craisins

D-leftover roast, rice noodles, broccoli, combined and simmered in a sauce made from braggs, sugar, apple cider vinegar, and corn starch for a beef and broccoli like dinner

Friday

B-purple smoothie (fruit like dark berries makes spinach or kale smoothies purple)

L-leftover roast and baked potatoes

Saturday

B-yogurt and cereal

L-roast beef sandwiches (using leftover roast), fruit

D-chicken and vegetable won tons (using leftover chicken, in the food processor with veggies)