Waffles…the Last-Minute Dinner Option {dairy-free, egg-free}

I love waffles. Not so much eating them as I do love the convenience and speedy prep time involved. My kids love them. Hubs likes them as long as I provide a meaty side or a fried egg. So, when I remembered I ‘needed’ to be at a friend’s baby shower/Ladies’ Night Out last night, I quickly ran to the pantry to be sure I had all the necessary ingredients for waffles and much to my delight, I did. So, here you go. You can make these a million different ways and with a myriad of topping options, so be creative!

Waffles {Dairy-free, Egg-free}

Bisquick

Almond Milk

Ground flax seed

Vegetable Oil

Vanilla

Cinnamon

Follow the instructions on the back of the Bisquick box for Waffles and substitute almond milk for milk, 2 T ground flax seed for the eggs and then add in some cinnamon and vanilla for extra flavor. Minimal prep + minimal cook time = great last-minute meal. Serve with your choice of sides. I topped our waffles with fresh blueberries and strawberries and a wee bit of syrup. Big hit with the fam, as usual.

Strawberry Shortcake & Whipped Cream {Dairy-free}

I love a good strawberry shortcake. It makes me think of summertime and running around barefoot in the grass at my mamaw’s house when I was growing up. She and my papaw lived in the country. Technically, it was Knoxville, but it was rural Knoxville. When we took the ‘back way’ (aka – curvy, country roads) to get there, we would pass lots of farmland, cows, an old one-room schoolhouse, several very old dilapidated wooden houses and drive over lots of hills that take your breath away. I don’t know if she ever made us strawberry shortcake, but this summer dessert brings back these memories of my childhood summers.

This has to be one of the easiest desserts to make and it is a crowd pleaser. To make it dairy-free, follow this recipe!

Strawberry Shortcake {Dairy-free}

4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup sugar {or less – you could even use Agave Nectar or Stevia instead}

2 1/3 cups Original Bisquick mix

2/3 cup Almond milk

3 T sugar

3 T Smart Balance LIGHT buttery spread, melted {only the LIGHT version is dairy-free}

Dairy-free Whipped Cream {see below}

Mix strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar; set aside. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Stir Bisquick mix, milk, 3 T sugar, and butter until soft dough forms. Drop by 6 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Split warm shortcakes; fill and top with strawberries and dairy-free whipped cream. Makes 6 shortcakes.

Dairy-Free Whipped Cream {this recipe taken from here.}

2 cans of coconut milk full fat

1 cup powdered sugar

Place your cans of coconut milk in the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours.  The longer the better.  So when you bring them home from the grocery store just tuck two into the ice box for when you need emergency whipped cream.

Also, place your bowl and whip into the freezer for at least 3 hours to chill.  I use my son’s Kitchen Aid mixer with the balloon whip.

Once you take your bowl and whip out of the freezer and set up the mixer do not waste time.  You need to keep the equipment cold.  Open the cans at the bottom with a bottle opener to drain off the coconut water.  Save this it is great for smoothies.  Now open the top of the can all the way and scoop out the thick cream.

Start your mixer on low and move up 1 or 2 notches for speed until you get to moderate.  As it starts to whip and increase in volume, gradually add in the powdered sugar.  Once it’s mixed and looks fluffy like whipped cream, well you now have whipped cream.  Tip from J.C.- look for the beater to leave light traces on the surface of the cream.

Allergies @ the Dentist Office

Wow! What a learning experience this is becoming for me. If you haven’t read my last post on anesthesia and allergies, read it here then continue this post – it will make more sense. Today, I took my girl to the dentist ready for her to have her first set of Xrays and a filling. So, when I got there and turned in her new patient info, I sat in the waiting area going over in my mind my usual allergy spiel.  A nurse came out to us with the chart in her hand to ask some questions. I was ready for her to ask about the egg allergy, but she instead asked, “How severe is her peanut allergy?” In my mind, I was wondering, “What on earth contains peanuts in the dentist office?” When I told her she told me the dentist had eaten a protein bar that morning that contained peanuts and she wanted to be sure my girl didn’t have severe peanut allergies before she saw her. (Later I learned that they typically schedule allergy patients first thing on Monday mornings so that the office hasn’t been contaminated yet and the staff makes sure not to eat peanut butter products those mornings. KUDOS to them!!!) So, I assured her that with the dentist wearing a mask and gloves around my child would be appropriate since her allergy to peanuts doesn’t seem to be as severe as her milk and egg allergies are. I asked her about the egg allergy and she said they’d talk to me about it during the visit.  So, Xrays were done and she does have a few tiny cavities that couldn’t be seen without the Xray and she will need to have them sealed. But today, the dentist told me she would need to order a special type of ‘happy gas’ because even though it doesn’t specifically contain egg, it has a substance that is molecularly structured like eggs and people with egg allergy have reacted to that substance. We obviously want to be on the safe side and go with the alternative! Unfortunately, right now I cannot remember the name of it. And because of its short shelf life, they do not keep it in stock. So, they will order it about a week prior to her next visit. The nurse had asked me if my girl had had any reactions to immunizations and I told her that she did indeed react to the MMR and Chicken Pox vaccines and that I would not allow the flu vaccine (which she had specifically asked me about). Then, she told me that that gives them a good indication of whether or not a child with egg allergy would react to the normal happy gas that they use.

First of all, I have to say that I was quite surprised by this information today! I would have NEVER thought to ask about allergies and anesthesia/analgesics. And secondly, I was extremely impressed with this pediatric dentist office being so on top of things. I feel relieved and just very thankful that they are obviously concerned about allergies in their office and in the way they do things there. The dentist told me she would have an epipen with her while she does the first filling to make sure she is prepared in case of an allergic reaction. (More peace of mind for this Mommy!) I highly recommend Crockett Pediatric Dentistry for those reasons, but please note that I do not know if they are the most affordable. I have to do my research on that, but if money is not an option to you and you are looking for a good pediatric dentist – try them out!

On another very interesting note – I was racking my brain trying to figure out why my girl has a few cavities because we brush her teeth for her (most of the time), we floss them every once in awhile, etc. The dentist asked if she drinks a lot of juice or soda and we do not let our girls drink soda except on very rare occasions and we do not buy juice. They drink water or milk. Except in this case, she drinks rice milk. Immediately, the dentist said, “Ah! I should have known that!” (Because of the milk allergy.) Then, she told me that rice milk is comparable to juice in the way it breaks down into sugar – thanks to all the carbs that rice has to offer. Now that I have been told that, I realize I should have known that myself. We recently switched to Almond Milk because my girl is not allergic to tree nuts and Almond Milk is better for her and has a thicker consistency like cow’s milk. She drinks the vanilla flavored kind. So, the dentist said her son had to drink Rice Milk when he was younger and at age 4 (like my girl) he had the same issues with hidden cavities and it was all due to the Rice Milk.

Anyway, I hope this has been informative for you or someone you know with an egg allergy. It is so very important to alert EVERY person that has interaction with your child about his/her food allergies – even medical professionals.