Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

Why is it that I always have the ingredients for chocolate cake in my house?  This depression era vegan chocolate cake is fantastic!  Moist and crumbly and oh so tasty.  I sadly have yet to have the time to find a dairy-free margarine in the stores so I just made up a chocolate-peanut butter frosting with ingredients I did have. This frosting is just slightly peanut buttery.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

• 3 squares Bakers Chocolate
• 2 Tbs Dutch Process Cocoa
• 4 Tbs oil
• 2 generous Tbs natural Peanut butter
• powdered sugar to taste
• approximately 1/2 cup Almond milk

Instructions

1. Melt the Bakers chocolate over low heat in a small saucepan.
2. Add Dutch Process Cocoa, oil, and peanut butter.
3. Add powdered sugar to taste (I estimate that I used about 1/2 cup)
4. Whisk in almond milk.
5. Pour and spread over finished cake when still warm.

Got Milk?

This Soon Shall Pass

I'm not going to pretend that mothering these two precious girls is easy.  It's by far one of the hardest things I've ever done. My day now flows around their schedule; I've lost my 'control' over my life. I can't leave them for more than 4-5 hours or I have to chain myself to a pump (which is somewhat painful these days). What I eat is now catered to their needs and I am humbled every time I have to ask a room full of people or a waiter, "Is there dairy in that?" My body is stretched and flabby from gestating them and scarred from their entrance.  My back hurts from leaning down to feed them. I never know whether I'll be granted 8 hours of consecutive sleep or just 3. My brain cells seem to have hidden themselves in some forgotten place.  My house is more of a wreck than ever before. Time to pursue my own interests is limited until I can predict how long they will nap. I'm so exhausted most days that I struggle to meet my husband's needs.

But this soon shall pass.

The constant tiredness, the bench in my living room strew with burp rags and bibs, the days of trying to squeeze into just one pair of pants I used to wear (after both pairs that do fit are covered in spit up), the waking at 2:30 or 4:30, and the compulsive label reading and wondering how to get enough calories to feed all 3 of us...

It will soon pass. And when all the chaos and unpredictability passes, when all the exhausted tears dry up, when all the diaper changing/washing days are gone, when I can actually manage to get dinner on the table more consistently then will I look back and miss this time? Will I wonder what I missed while I was too busy complaining, too busy wondering why my needs/wants are always last, too busy wallowing in selfishness?

This soon shall pass.  I will pause this moment to celebrate. To reach down into this different life I'm living and claim what is good, what is right, what is holy.  To bring it to Him and thank Him.  To remember that my purpose here is greater than changing diapers, or even being a mother; my purpose is point to Him and love greatly.  My purpose is to wallow in His grace.  To send my smile back up at Him as my girls smile up at me-- happy to matter to someone.

So I will stop here in this crazy moment to celebrate briefly the glorious gifts that will soon pass unmentioned.

264. Waking up at 2:30, 5:45, 8:30 to little girls cooing in the dark.
265. Having little girls to wake up to at all.
266. Reading The Pout Pout Fish in chorus with my husband as two girls grin.
267. Being unable to finish writing a single blog post without being interrupted to provide nourishment to a wailing baby
268. Babies falling asleep silently while playing
269. Oh those beautiful crazy happy smiles first thing in the morning!
270. Crazy little laughs that sound almost like a wheezing asthmatic: Ah-ha Ah-Ah
271. Smiling at me while they nurse
272. A baby who whines herself to sleep
273. Waking up to coughing
274. Watching them stare distractedly at the world
275. 6 hours of consecutive sleep (8 hours for them)
276. Surprise spit up down my pants, on my tummy, all over daddy's arm, shot up into their own eyes
277. The frustrated looks and noises they make when on their tummies because they know they know how to roll over but can't quite remember the correct sequence of movements.
278. The intense concentration etched on their faces as they reach for a toy I dangle in front of them
279. Trying desperately to bend their little knees in order to stuff their legs back in their footed sleepers.
280. How they must thump thump thump as soon as we free them from their diapers
281. Literally having the bathe Bronwyn because of an epic diaper blowout
282. Aeralind constantly rolling back to belly and then whining because she can't figure out how she got there
283. Non stop chatter at the cow or the caterpillar or mommy and daddy or their sister
284. Watching them discover the world
285. Derek telling all three of us made up dragon stories
286. Turning their heads to our voices
287. Answering a million questions while strangers coo over them
288. Feeling them collapse in our arms with exhaustion
289. Humbly asking other for help to open doors when I'm out
290. Having automatic admission to the twin play group.
291. Watching them eat their bibs
292. Close to tripling birthweight by 6 months
293. Sitting with daddy playing computer games
294. The sweet scent of shampoo and spit up
295. Those curly eyelashes
296. Little eyes looking for me across the room
297. Bronwyn in the Bumbo chair on our table while we eat dinner
298. Little nails scratching my chest, little hands pulling on my shirt
299. Precious smiles shared between ready made sisters
300. Sisters  holding hands and thumping their little legs

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Oatmeal and Wheat Flour Pancakes

I love breakfast foods. Unfortunately so many of my favorite breakfast foods contain dairy: biscuits, muffins, pancakes, waffles, cheesy scrambled eggs, omelets , egg casserole...  A lot of these foods just aren't the same without dairy. Last weekend I wanted pancakes and I flipped through my favorite recipes in frustration: butter, milk, buttermilk, and yogurt were all required and sometimes multiple items in the same recipe!  I found one recipe in my box that looked promising and I switched out the milk for almond milk. Perfect!

Oatmeal and Wheat Flour Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Wheat Flour
• 2 Tbs Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbs Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 Cups Instant/Quick Cooking Oats
• 2 Cups Almond Milk
• 3 Eggs Beaten
• 1/4 Cup Oil
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla or Almond Extract (I prefer almond!)
• 1/2 Cup Blueberries, Nuts, or Chocolate Chips (Optional)

Directions

1. Preheat a lightly oiled griddle over Medium Heat
2. In a medium bowl, mix oats and milk.
3. In a large bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients.
4. Whisk eggs, oil, and extract into the oat/milk mixture.
5. Fold in berries, nuts, or chocolate chips.
6. Pour batter on griddle. Cook 1-2 minutes until bubbly. Flip and continue cooking until lightly browned.

Worn out with Grace

It's been a busy few weeks and this week is supposed to be busier.  Breastfeeding support group, Bible Study, Shepherding Group, Dance Rehearsal, maybe a Playdate, and a Dance Performance. Whew!  But all of it is filled with grace and with people who speak grace. I am worn out by Grace.

250. My Bible Study Group
251. Sara, meeting her and her twin boys. The crazy sets of events bringing us to friendship.
252. Baby Reagan arriving safe (pleas pray as she has been sick)
253. Watching concentration that goes into grabbing a toy
254. Aeralind's cheerfulness in the morning. What a joy to wake up to.
255. Bronwyn cuddles when she's not feeling so well.
256. Snow melting on Saturday in time for us to get out of the house
257. Coconut shrimp
258. Hand-me-down toys
259. Blessing others with the overflow of hand-me-downs
260. Baby fragrance
261. Snuggles with my husband
262. Facebook chat with far off friends
263. Watching Derek "roughhouse" with the girls

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Easy Beef and Veggie Soup

Budget meals are my best friend right now and this one is easy, cheap, and makes a TON!  Seriously, I froze 3 more meals from this.   This would be great for lunch throughout the week.


Veggie Beef Soup

• Ground Beef
• Onion, chopped
• Large can of beans, rinsed and drained (your choice or omit)
• Family size bag of frozen mixed veggies
• Can of chili sauce (Hunts brand, by your canned tomatoes)
• 28 oz Can of diced tomatoes
• 8 cups beef broth (I used McCormick Beef Base)
• 2 cups cooked rice (or omit)

Ingredients

1. Brown ground beef with the chopped onion.
2. Dump meat and remaining ingredients in crock pot.  Cook on high or low (depending on when you want to serve it) until warmed through.
3. Easy peasy! Enjoy!

5 Months

Sometime last month marked the day where Derek and I came together to create a little person and where a God who knows what we needed more than anything knitted that little person into two beautiful girls. I can't believe it has been a year.  A year of anticipation and sleeplessness and lessons on our selfish natures and laughter at the antics of two sweet girls.  They've officially been out here in the world for 5 months today; I can scarcely believe it!

Let me confess that the girls current stage makes me consider doing it all over again.  They are getting to be so much FUN! They laugh, they play with their hands and toys, the smile, they talk, and on occasion they roll over. When they're tired they just curl right up over your shoulder and snuggle in.  This sweetness is practically contagious.

Aeralind Grace

This little girl is so focused on whatever she is doing.  I can hardly snap a photo without capturing intense concentration.  She's taken to thumping her little legs down as hard as she can at every chance she gets, but especially when she's trying to keep herself awake.  Eventually, she'll cover her face with one hand and suck on her thumb until she falls asleep.

Aeralind rolled over from tummy to back for the first time on February 1st. I was out of the room fixing lunch and when I returned she was lying innocently on her back.  She repeated her feat when I left the room to get my drink.  I actually caught her rolling from tummy to back 3 times in a row two days ago.  She's pretty good at it, but sometimes her little brain just can't remember the correct sequence of movements.  When that happens, she lays down her head and complains loudly.

Aeralind can be a clown when I least want her to be a clown.  She'll start grinning at me while nursing in the middle of the night. When she's tired she'll gladly sit there and coo and laugh and grin at me until she almost convinces me that she'd rather not sleep.

Aeralind felt pretty yucky the earlier this week (I accidentally had dairy at a Super Bowl party) and she acts just like her Daddy when she's doesn't feel well.  She just wanted to be held and have her head stroked and talked to in a gentle voice.

Bronwyn Hope

Bronwyn is movement caged.  This little girl rarely stops moving!  She can rotate herself 360 degrees while lying on her back and can do it so fast she gives the back of her head carpet burn. She loves to roll up on her side and play with her hands or more recently the hanging toys. The concentration she puts forth when trying to grab a toy I dangle above her is intense; I can see how proud she is to be able to grasp successfully.

Bronwyn rolled over tummy to back twice on January 23. I saw the first roll and her daddy got to see the second one. Since then she's decided that she'd much rather play with her hands or whatever toy you hand to her. In fact, on tummy time now she just lays her little head down and stuffs her whole hand in her mouth.

Bronwyn hates to go to sleep for a nap. She will whine because she's tired and then scream when you lay her in the crib.  She also wakes up earlier than her sister consistently. I think she just likes having the extra attention. ;)

Bronwyn is in love with the borrowed Bumbo seat despite the fact that putting her in it almost instantly results in copious amounts of spit up. She is happy to sit on daddy's desk and watch him on the computer.  She loves sitting on our kitchen table watching me cook dinner or enjoying dinner with the two of us.  She'll smile and join right in with chatter.

Tears

Counting His Gifts

234. Babies that nurse
235. 2 hour naps
236. Grown up conversation
237. Conviction
238. My Cameras
239. Random meeting in Lowes
240. Mango smoothies- Sunshine in a glass
241. Dairy-free cook books at the library
242. Clean baby smell
243. Sun dried diapers
244. Unexpected Valentine gifts from "Auntie Jen"
245. Sucking, munching, self-soothing fingers
246. Tired babies collapsing in their Daddy's protective arms
247. Lying with him in bed, whispering
248. The smell of smoke
249. The tinkling of the wind chimes

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Balsamic Chicken

This was an effort to make something out of what I had in my refrigerator and cabinets so I didn't have to run to the store.  Honestly, it tasted like something served at a gourmet restaurant!  And it was so easy!  It would be equally as good with beef or any other veggies that are in need of leaving your crisper.

Balsamic Chicken 

•  Canola Oil
• 2 Onions, sliced thinly
• 2 Green Bell peppers, sliced thinly
• 1 lb Chicken (I used tenderloins)
• 3 Cups Chicken Broth
• 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3 Tablespoons Corn or Arrowroot Starch

Instructions

1.  Caramelize onions over low heat.  When they become translucent, add the green peppers.
2. Add Chicken and cook until chicken is browned.
3. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
4. Combine Vinegar, Sugar, Garlic, and Cornstarch.
5. Pour Vinegar Mixture into pan while stirring.  
6. Cook until thickened.
7. Serve over rice, pasta, or non-dairy mashed potatoes since it makes a lot of sauce.

Thumbsucker

Milk Allergic/Sensitive Recipes: Chocolate Pudding

I needed chocolate today and I was all out of dairy-free chocolate chips (and a Whole Foods trip with two babies is beyond my comfort zone), so I modified a recipe for Chocolate Pudding from The Joy of Cooking.  It turned out great!

Chocolate Pudding

• 2 1 oz squares semisweet Bakers chocolate (dairy free!)
• 0 to 1/4 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like chocolate)
• 2 Cups milk substitute of your choice (I used almond)
• 3 Tablespoons Corn or Arrowroot Starch

Instructions

1. Melt chocolate squares over low heat
2. Whisk in sugar if using.
3. Whisk in 1 3/4 cup milk and turn up the heat slightly.
4. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup milk with 3 Tablespoons corn starch
5. When the chocolate mixture starts to get hot, add milk/starch mixture.
6. Stir frequently until the mixture reaches your desired pudding texture.
7. Pour into cups and chill in the refrigerator.

Multitude Monday

208. First taste of solid food laughter
209. Snuggling with hubby while watching NCIS
210. Fussy babies at 8:00pm rather than 3:00am
211. Generosity
212. God providing for our family in a very mighty way after asking for prayer.
213. Car insurance paid.
214. Grocery gift cards received
215. Our estimated tax return should provide for all the baby debt with some blessings to share with others.
216. Pumpkin pudding (otherwise known as pumpkin pie without a crust)
217. Little Monsters

218. Grocery worker taking out my groceries on a day when I couldn't avoid shopping with the girls in the cart
219. Creativity.
220. Ripples smoothed over with grace filled words.
221. Prayer
222. Pointing others to thanks.
223. Laid back babies
224. Ice crystal diamonds everywhere

225. Watching snow fall like gently blown petals
226. Icicle popcicles
227. Moonbeam lying on the couch next to me as I type
228. Sleep :)
229. A heater that works
230. Starfish toys to chew on

231. Maple Honey Turkey
232. A borrowed bumbo
233. Blankets