Hasn't Been Easy!

The last six months haven't been easy ones.  I know a lot of people would say, "but your daughter is no longer allergic to peanuts!  How can you still not be celebrating?"  And, it's true.  Our family has definitely enjoyed the benefits of no longer being worried about what Abigail eats.  There's another side to the picture though.  She doesn't like peanuts!

While she doesn't make a gigantic scene every time I put something peanut in front of her, she does protest.  So far, we've been most successful with peanut butter cups from Trader Joe's and honey roasted peanuts.  She doesn't really enjoy the honey roasted peanuts, so they are treated more like a bitter pill that has to be taken.
  
I had every intention of posting about her going back to school without the allergy.  Quite a change for us. Halloween was interesting too.  I also had all intentions of posting pictures of her eating peanut-based candy bars for the first time.  She tried a miniature Snickers and then promptly removed them from her bag.  She tried a Butterfinger, and did the same thing.  Peanut M&M's were a little easier for her to eat, but she'd rather have the plain ones.  What she did enjoy was the ability to eat the other items that were manufactured in the same facility or on the same equipment.  They didn't contain actual peanuts, and were no longer a risk!

We did have more success last night with Girl Scout Cookies.  Yes, it's that time of year again.  As Cookie Mom, we've had more cookies in our garage than room for my car!  Last night, she tried a Tagalong for the first time ever!  She ate it and said she liked it.  The test will be if she asks for another one today.  It was the first one I've had in 9 years too.  I couldn't really enjoy it though because of the ingredient list.  My husband declined one altogether, but my 5 year old son ate one...his first too!  I think he's benefited just as much as Abigail.  He loves peanut products and until last year, had only known sunflower butter products.

Our allergy concerns may have subsided, but they were replaced with others.  This last year, we've spent considerable time and effort dealing with the other "A" disorders....ADHD and Anxiety.  They've been a major factor in why I haven't been posting.  My focus has changed.  That, and Abigail is now 10, and I feel like I should respect her privacy regarding these issues.  Which leaves me at an impasse.  Where do I go from here?

I don't know that answer right now.  I keep getting new visitors, followers and comments.  I get e-mails from you guys that I've been awful in responding to in a timely manner.  I've gotten request to try and review peanut-free products.  I've been so busy addressing day-to-day life that I've gotten side-tracked in addressing this blog.  And, in truth, we've succeeded in beating this allergy.  While we'll never put it behind us (it's shaped who we all are), we have put it aside for the time being.  There are other pressing issues.

I love you guys and I love this blog for the outlet it gave me to help deal with her life-threatening allergy.  It was empowering and therapeutic.  Will I post again?  I'm planning on keeping you guys updated on our trips to UNC.  We may be officially done with the study, but unofficially, they will still keep tabs on Abigail.  Thank goodness!  Right now, though, my focus is on healthy eating and working with my child to overcome her inability to stay on task and to deal with her anxieties.

I've been praying on the next steps.  I just have to wait and see where God leads me.  Blessings to all!

Easter Experiment

Before Easter gets too far behind us, I wanted to write about an Easter experiment that we conducted this year.

In keeping with our dietary habit of avoiding artificial colors because of their link to allergic reactions and ADHD, I decided it would be fun to try to dye our eggs naturally.  It's something that I've wanted to do for years.  In fact I posted about it way back in 2010, but never made it a reality.

Because we weren't going to have a table full of rainbow colored cups, I tried to still keep it fun for my 9 and 4 1/2 year old by turning it into a science experiment.  I had found an article in Natural Awakenings that recommended we add natural ingredients when boiling the eggs.  Using their suggested foods/ingredients, we pulled out every pot in the house, added water, the ingredients and vinegar and commenced boiling.  Know that saying that a watched pot never boils?  Well, it's true.

It's Easter Sunday afternoon, and instead of enjoying a relaxing activity with my family, I find myself slaving over a hot stove...all by myself.  Some would call that a failed experiment and stop there.  Still needing hard-boiled eggs for breakfast the next morning, and being somewhat curious, I (notice the singular tense) completed the experiment.  I could call it a success in that the eggs were cooked, some had color and we weren't promoting the use of artificial colors.  Just as easy, I could call it a failure, and for obvious reasons.

In order from left to right, we used frozen blueberries for blue/purple, frozen spinach for green, cherry juice for red, paprika for orange and turmeric for yellow.  I'm not giving up though.  The yellow eggs were gorgeous, and with the right ingredients and amount, this could be a viable option.  The eggs absorbed the nutrients from the spinach, blueberries and cherry juices making that a bonus, and all of the water and ingredients used to boil the eggs got used to water the outside plants.  So, maybe not a complete failed experiment.