Dinnertime Blues

Trying to please both of my children at meal times was quite a challenge. Jenna couldn't eat most of what Nedda preferred. Also, Jenna would get upset if she had something different than her sister. To make matters more difficult, Nedda did not like the alternatives I offered Jenna so I could not just put one meal on the table. Add to that delightful mix, a working mom's (a single mom, too!) hectic schedule and you can envision what fun I had trying to prepare dinner.

One Friday night, Jenna was eating her plain rice pasta and Nedda was eating Macaroni & cheese. I heard Jenna tell her sister with a sigh, "that must taste really good. I wish I could eat that." It broke my heart and I decided then and there, Jenna too would enjoy her own plate of macaroni & cheese. I would figure out a way to make a milk-free, soy-free, nut-free and wheat-free version that was not taste-free as well.

That night after the girls went to bed, I headed to the kitchen and surveyed the contents of my fridge & pantry. At first I was hesitant, unsure how I was going to start but then I had a Eureka moment and grabbed a cauliflower, carrots and yellow squash from the veggie crisper. I pulled out her rice milk before closing the fridge door and found a large Vidalia onion that would lend its sweetness perfectly to the dish.

Armed with rice elbow pasta, rice flour, garbanzo flour, tapioca flour and spices, I set out to make my baby girl's first dish of mac & cheese ever. Click here for the recipe and let me know how it turned out if you decide to make it. I thought it came out pretty good and looked pretty darned close to the real thing!

I offered it to Jenna for lunch that next day and to see the look of astonishment and excitement on her face was worth all the extra trouble. "Look, Nedda! I have my own mac & cheese, too! It is sooo yummy! Thank you, mommy!"

Not only did I make her something she thought she'd never get to eat but I also gave her a nutritious meal to boot!

Important disclaimer to this story: Although Jenna loved it, Nedda did not. So you can't substitute the allergy free version for real cheese lovers. However, even though it was not a family friendly recipe, everyone was happy because Jenna had her own satisfying altternative to Nedda's meal.

Stay tuned for more real food allergy-free versions and let me know if there is a recipe you'd like to try and make allergy free.

Check out this page for the "tried & true" reviews of Allergy-free food products.

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Thanks for reading :)