Showing posts with label Shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shopping. Show all posts

Friday, February 28, 2014

Empowerment pays off… {#Galactosemia}

The other day Alena and I were at store to pick up a couple of items.  Alena stayed by the front and this is what she was doing when I got back…




…there were snack samples - really yummy looking ones too - and Alena wanted to try it; so to determine whether she can eat she picked up the package and read the ingredients. It did make this mothership quite proud and it showed to me how empowering our kids has helped them to grow.  They need to understand that not all foods are safe for them, that it is not just Mama & Daddy verifying whether it is safe, but they must do so themselves.  It is so important that our kids learn this - because let's face it they all grow up :)  This is also why I think that they need to learn that not all food at home is "safe"; we have learned this important lesson from our dear friends in Italy and we forever grateful for it.  Karin and Eberhard - the parents of Lisa and Philip - told us, if they do not learn this at home where will they learn?  Yes, so our kids know that there is food in our fridge that is just for us parental units, or those eating dairy and there are foods that are not safe.  The kids read labels at the store and if there is no label, or they cannot verify that it is "safe" they will not eat it.  Yes, this is not to say that they are not a little sad if there is not a treat for them…but you know what it is manageable. At least that is what I think; we are just so very lucky!

I have written on this topic before when the girls were much, much younger - if you have a chance you may enjoy these posts from four years, and three years ago.  It was certainly fun for me - it is hard to believe how fast time flies…

Oh, and the yummy snack label Alena was reading?  They were not safe…Alena put it back, and said "oh, that is too bad that I cannot try them…" I We am are so very proud of my our girlies...







Sunday, July 29, 2012

Shopping...

what a boring title, is it not?!  Yes, admit it...I admit it :) In any case, that is it for today.  No dinner post - I am really not totally back in the swing of cooking it was Taco Sunday today - but a post about shopping.  It is exciting so, well at least that is what I think.

You may remember that we met with our fabulous metabolic team, and dietician this past week.  One of the things that were mentioned was that Alena should start to read labels and determine herself whether or not the item is safe.  Well, I thought maybe we start this in six months or so but today we went on our first major shopping adventure.  Why not?!  So today was the day where I had Alena read food labels to determine whether or not the item is safe for either of the girls.  Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine Alena to be excited about this.  She was - s o  s o  e x c i t e d as she read through all the wild ingredients on some of the items.  One word - empowered!!!  At the end of our shopping trip both girls saw a bag of "White Cheddar Pirate Booties".  Now I know that they are not safe, but how would the girls know that without me telling them, right?! So as they asked I encouraged Alena to read the ingredients.  As she read through the first ingredients it was a "oh, I think it may be OK" she read on and ended "Mia Rose we cannot have this.  It has milk." With that she put the package back and that was it.

We will keep working on it on our remaining shopping trips before my favorite season of the year ends...

Sunday, April 29, 2012

The Galactopdx Store...

yes, I added a store to my little Blog.  I added the store as a page->  http://astore.amazon.com/galinpdx-20
You may wonder, why I added it.  The first and to me the most important reason is, that there are many products that we use in our everyday life that are - for us - Galactosemia safe.  When Alena was first diagnosed, I was wondering what will our little baby girl be eating when she gets older?  Will I be able to buy anything read to eat in the store, are there treats we can get in a store?  I think that I am probably not the only mother wondering about these things, so that is why I put this little storefront together.  I also realize, that in Portland we are very lucky and find a lot of these items.  So this is another reason why I put this storefront together.  There are many other products we use, but those are some of the basic items.  Items that are not available through Amazon include Whole Soy Yoghurt, Tofutti cream cheese, and sour cream, ice "cream" treats from Tofutti, So Delicious, Tempt, etc.

And yes,  there is a small percentage that I get from a sale from this storefront. Thank you! I sincerely hope, that you find this storefront useful.  Please note however, that these are the products WE USE. I do not claim that these are appropriate foods for anyone else with Classic Galactosemia. Always check with your dietician, metabolic clinic, and use your own judgment.  When you receive the products always double check the label.


Wednesday, March 28, 2012

You just have to ask...

the store I do most of our grocery shopping here in Portland is New Season's Market. Everything is just right; they carry all of the items we need, the employees are super nice always willing to go the extra step and the store is locally owned. They carry local food which is marked as such, the freshest fruits and vegetables, locally sourced meat and fish, plus all of the other galactosemia safe food items we like. With the prepared foods items,  sausages, ham, etc. the employees are always willing and able to tell us whether the item contains milk derivatives or not.  I have never encountered a person who was not willing to help.
The Soutions/Demo desk at New Season's Market on Hawthorne 
The girls also like to come along for the trip to the store.  Both of them have known New Season's Market their entire lives as the Seven Corners store opened right after Alena was born.  I think one of the reasons the girls like it so much is because there are always food samples at the demo/solutions desk.  The Seven Corners store generally always had a sign up stating whether the food contained any allergens.  We were used to the routine. Then the Hawthorne store opened about a year ago.  It is much closer to our house and is the natural choice for us for grocery shopping.  But you know what?  Yes, the food samples at the service/demo desk only declared nut and tree nut allergens.  Argh! - I was quite disappointed and talked with the lovely lady working the demo/solutions counter about this issue.  In my conversation I told her about the issue and that the other location, always declared all allergens.  I asked whether they would please implement the same system.  A week later or so, they did not have a sign up but they told me that they are working on finding a solution.  And yes, shortly the sign was there.  It list all of the major allergens, and the employees mark off which allergens are included in the samples. I was so happy and I never gave it a second thought until last week.  I saw the lovely lady I initially spoke with  through an ingredient list and mark all the allergens included on the sign.  It deserved a compliment and that is when she told me this specific sign was created just because I brought the issue up.  The demo manager came up with the solution to come up with the perfect sign.  Yay!!!!  Now that drives home the point, you just have to ask and you shall receive!


The perfect allergen alert sign




One last note, the opinion expressed in this post are my own and I have not received any compensation in any form from the store.  Thank you, New Season's Market on Hawthorne! You are THE best!


Troy, the demo manager and creator of the sign with Alena and Mia Rose



Monday, March 19, 2012

The lesson learned today...

It seems there is a different lesson to be learned every day. Most of them are miniscule and will not matter to others, but every so often there is this "Aha" wake-up moment. I had one of those today....
I was getting the lunch boxes for the girlies ready, and decided that it would be soup today. I got a can - It is for lunches of last resort - from my recently replenished pantry, opened the can, and poured it into the pan to warm up. Summer vegetable soup it was to be exact - but when I poured it in the pot, it looked - to me - kind of odd. Could it be that a vegetable soup - not cream of - contains MILK? - Then finally I read the label, and it was disbelief. Yes, the vegetable soup contained non-fat milk and I almost fed it to my children...What happened? How could this me?
You probably think, it is not a big deal just move on, but it really hit me. 99% of the time I read labels. Even on foods I buy on a regular basis. But there is the 1% - and the soup was if.
So how could I not read the label of something I had never bought before? I went back when I made the purchase. I bought a bunch of "Amy's" soups when they were on sale at New Seasons. I rember looking at labels and trying to decide which ones the girlies would like. I simply missed to check, and double check the label - probably was being a Little sloppy.
So here is the lesson for me. Always double read labels on all items - belive ,me when I tell you that I felt horrible.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Chocolate found - Spreadable, and bar chocolate :)

We recently found a couple of new (at least to us) items in the store.  One is spreadable chocolate which is somewhat similar to Nutella but without nuts, and milk; the other is a creamy sweet chocolate bar which is perfect for making s'mores and for eating :)

I found both items at New Seasons Market here in Portland.  The spreadable chocolate is "Dark Choco Dream", made in Belgium and distributed by Natural Nectar.  Here is a link to the manufacturers' site http://www.natural-nectar.com/default.asp?contentID=665. Only the Dark Choco Dream is milk free. The items is also available from various online stores.  Oh, and it is quite delicious :)

The chocolate bar is "Sweet Chocolate Dream".  It is very creamy, delicious and really sweeter than the usual safe dark chocolate I found. In the dark version, there is also a bar with raspberries, rice crunch, almonds, and just plain dark chocolate.  In case you are interested, here is the link  http://www.tastethedream.com/products/category/493.php.  The girlies - by the way - love it!!!

Happy Chocolate eating to all!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Ice "Cream" - Coconut Bliss by Luna & Larry's

Shopping this week I bought a different kind of ice cream. http://www.coconutbliss.com/. It comes in a ton of different flavors. We got "Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge" and let me tell you it is delicious. The whole family LOVES it. It is creamy, just like the Hemp ice cream, and just delicious. You really do not miss any dairy here. - It is not yet available in Canada, but it looks like it will be available across the border in 2010.

As always, please let me know what you think. By the way, Alena, the chocoholic :), loves the chocolate hazelnut fudge ;)

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Vanilla "ice cream" with chocolate sauce and raspberries

We love summer. Long days, walking barefoot, kids in swimsuits, sunshine, Oregon berries...

Yesterday the girls and I went berry picking again. We ate all of the berries from our last trip (yes, all 12 lbs. of blueberries were eaten within 3 days!!!) Good thing there are still blueberries available even so for only another two weeks or so...So we went again and came back home with
12 lbs. of blueberries, 3 lbs. of marionberries, and 3 lbs. of raspberries. Marionberries are so thorny, and Alena's absolute favorite. On the way home Alena kept talking about chocolate with ice cream, berries with ice cream, carrots (?) with ice cream and chocolate...well, you get the picture. How could I resist but to buy the fixings for ice cream sundaes?!

For the first time I bought Vanilla Bean "ice cream" made from Hempmilk. WOW - is that tasty. It is made by Living Harvest Foods, Inc. and the brand is "Tempt"...Here is the link to the "ice cream page" http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/CategoryDisplay?cgmenbr=655972&cgrfnbr=3021040. The flavors include Vanilla Bean, Mint Chip, Coffee Biscotti, Chocolate Fudge, and Coconut Lime. So far I can only pledge for the Vanilla Bean. It is delicious...oh, and for the chocolate sauce I bought Chocolate flavored Syrup by Santa Cruz. The girls loved this too :) Check it out, here is the link http://www.scojuice.com/products/dessert_toppings/chocolate_syrup. The girls topped the "ice cream" with the chocolate sauce and raspberries.

Oh, and if you wondered what happened to the berries. 1 bag of blueberries are frozen (yeah!), marionberries = 8 jars of jam, raspberries - most of them are eaten, and I made 2-1/2 jars of jam out of the rest, 1 bag of blueberries will be made into jam, the last bag of blueberries will be eaten :))) - I LOVE Summer!

I love to hear from you, so please let me know if you like this...

Friday, July 17, 2009

SO DELICIOIUS - Coconut Milk Ice Cream from Turtle Mountain

We found something new that is quite delicious! On our weekly trip to the grocery store Alena picked out a box of "Mini Chocolate Vanilla Bars" from So Delicious. They are made from coconut milk, super creamy, and very, very good. FYI - I just saw that they are now also offering Coconut Milk in 1/2 gallon containers. It is fortified with minerals and available in plain, vanilla, as well as chocolate. In addition, there are now also coconut milk yoghurt's available. We have not tried the milk, but the yogurt. The yogurt is also quite good, however it runs on the spendy side if you know what I mean ;). What do you think? Would you like to try it too...well, here is the link http://www.purelydecadent.com/. Let me know what you think.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Pancake Mix - Part II

There is a part II to the pancake mix saga?! Yes :))) - It has become our tradition to have pancakes on Saturday mornings. So this morning I decided to use some of the pancake mix we bought earlier this week. Now, I can give my full rating ;)...

First of all let me say that Alena was so excited about pancakes. In school she also helped to mix it up, so she was thrilled to be working on this again today. She got out the apron for herself and Mia Rose, way too cute :))) In any case, I am writing about rating the pancake mix, right????

I always make German pancakes and they are flat, more crepes like I think is a good description. My dough is usually very light and "runny". This dough was very, very heavy so that was a little strange to me. I used the griddle to bake them (this would never work with the "Germans"), poured nice round little puddles on the griddle. They "puffed" up and I have to say that they turned out to be perfect, typical pancakes you would get served for breakfast here at any restaurant. Really, really good...so if you are looking for a good pancake mix, try the one from Bob's Red Mill. Plus you can order online :)))

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Pancake Mix and PJ day at school

Tomorrow Alena's school is having a Pajama Day complete with a pancake breakfast. The teachers asked me today if I could bring a pancake mix which is safe for all kids. Off hand I did not know the answer as I usually make ours from scratch. In any case the girls and I took a little trip to Whole Foods this afternoon to find a pancake mix. Each girl had her own little shopping cart so we did have quite a bit of fun ;) - I originally thought that it would be quite simple to find a dairy free mix, not so! Seems like most of them have whey, buttermilk or some other milk product added.

I still found a few and bought the Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free Pancake Mix from Bob's Red Mill. Here is the link to the product http://www.bobsredmill.com/product.php?productid=3749&cat=126&page=1.

The other brand I found without dairy in some of their mixes was Arrowhead Mills. The mixes which looked fine at first glace are the Buckwheat Pancake Mix, Kamut Pancake Mix, Wild Rice Pancake Mix, Oat Bran Pancake Mix, and Gluten Free Pancake Mix here is the link http://www.arrowheadmills.com//products/category.php?cat_id=169.

It looks like you can order from both companies online. - As for the taste, I will have to let you know later on this week if the kids like the pancakes. I am sure that they will be great :)

Have a great day!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Snacks for the long airplane ride...chocolate :)

We are leaving for Germany today in a week. Wow, this is really coming up super fast...so many things I have yet to do, work to be caught up on, yikes. I did however (and I am so proud of myself :) ) start buying snacks for the long trip when I went grocery shopping this week. Pretzels, cookies, soy milk, and CHOCOLATE. Is there anything better than the taste of sweet yummy chocolate on a long, long plane ride? Well, yes maybe a glass of wine, a good book but obviously not for the girlies...I am so excited that I found "Chocolove" Chocolate bars in a small and handy size. I got orange, and raspberry. This chocolate oh so good, don't get me wrong I do like Newman's Own chocolate but "Chocolove" is a notch above it. I love it and so do the girls!!!

Give it a try. Please let me know if you like it. Here is the link to their site http://www.chocolove.com/ and I just saw that the mini bars are new. Note, they also carry milk chocolate bars - the dark chocolate ones are just fantastic :) Enjoy!

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Cookies...

Every week I buy some cookies for Alena's lunch. Have you seen the Dairy/Wheat free version of Newmans Own Organics ?
  1. Fig Newmans --> be sure to only get the Dairy/Wheat free version as the regular does contain milk
  2. Newmans O's --> they come in a variety of flavors. I have bought the "regular" version before for us. They also come in Dairy/Wheat free
  3. Alphabet's --> I usually buy the "regular" chocolate. This is also available in Dairy/Wheat free
  4. Champion Chip Cookies --> I buy the "regular" flavors. This is also available in Dairy/Wheat free
  5. Hermits --> I buy these - not available Dairy/Wheat free

Here is the link to the site http://www.newmansownorganics.com/goodfood.html You can not only take a look at the items available, but also see the ingredient list. We like all of them, of course homemade is even better...

Another good option are the "Snackimals" available from Barbara's Bakery. They come in a variety of flavors and you can also get them conveniently packaged in 2-1/8 oz. bags. Great to take along as a "just in case" type snack. All of the "Snackimals" are safe and they are all really good. I just saw that you can also order them online. Here is the link http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/barbarasbakery/allproducts.d2w/report.

Happy snacking everyone :)

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Toby's Spread(s)

Have you ever tried Toby's Spreads? They are fantastic, vegan yummy treats. The girls love them. You dip veggies, spread it on bread, it is just fantastic - and you would never guess that it is vegan.

The spreads come in a variety of flavors. We like original, and the lite original version. I love the jalapeno version, but not so much the rest of my family. Check it out here http://www.tobysfamilyfoods.com/whatwesell.php.

Happy snacking everyone :)

Saturday, January 31, 2009

It never hurts to ask for "custom made" food...

Can you actually use "custom made" with food?! Mmmmmh?! Well, its not a grammar blog so I will not worry about this now :)

I am getting ready for a girls weekend. The girls weekend is with my German girls friends and Ron will stay home with the little girlies. In any case, we will go on a fantastic hike this morning in the Columbia Gorge and I am responsible to bring the "hiking snack" for everyone. It is Pretzelbread from "My little t American Baker". So now finally I am getting to the Galactosemia point, right?! Alena, Mia Rose, and I just went to pick up the Pretzelbread. An entire bag of delicious smelling fresh bread...it is just so good, BUT it contains some butter. Neither of the girls can eat it and they LOVE Pretzelbread (in Germany they eat a Brezel every day :) ). I explained to them that it contains milk, and they each got a yummy fruit roll. Almost end of story...I ended up talking to the owner asking whether it is possible to get the bread w/o butter and the answer is YES!!! I am so excited. Here is the scoop, you have to order 24 each and give him at least 2 days advance notice. That's it. - 24 each sounds like a lot, but I think that it will be just fine to freeze them. When ready to eat I think it'll need a little brushing of water and some time in the oven. That's eat!!!

Here is the link to the bakery http://www.littletbaker.com/ . It is located right here in SE PDX on the corner of 26th and Division.

P.S.: I just remembered the proper word for food "special order" isn't it?!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Lunch...lunch meat...Part One - Salami

I just thought about this. Something I also never really paid much attention to before I had kids, and before they went to school. - I am sure you are aware that a bunch of processed lunch meat (Wurst as we Germans like to call it) contains lactose. This is something I found out pretty early. I was however so disappointed to find out that most Salami (and I LOVE Salami) also contains milk. From what I understand milk is used in the manufacturing process to give it that nice tangy flavor. Luckily there are a few which are "safe" for the girls. Both kids love
  • Coppa, or Capicola http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coppa is delicious. When you buy it make sure that it is sliced really, really, really thin. Almost paper thing...fantastic. Here in PDX I buy it at Pastworks on Hawthorn. New Seasons has it as well but they never slice it thin enough for my taste. FYI - when searching for the wikipedia link I saw that there are a couple of online stores selling it
  • Applegate has prepacked salamis which are all lactose free http://www.applegatefarms.com/

Do you know of any other salami's which are available that is good? Please let me know.

Next topic will be ham :)

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Ian's Natural Food - convenience foods

Have you tried the fish sticks from Ian's Natural Foods? The girls really like them. Did you know that they have an entire range of fun foods without any milk sugar? I just looked at their site and am so excited. Mac and no cheese, French bread pizza, etc. take a look here http://www.iansnaturalfoods.com/allergen_free.html NOTE: for full disclosure on all items click on "Nutrition Facts" I noticed at least one item containing milk. The items are available through resellers. I contacted the company and found out that everything is also available for purchase through the web-site, continental US only. In their response the company advised that "...the Red Banner product line is different in that very strict manufacturing guidelines are followed. Any possible contaminant (like milk) is removed from the plant, and the equipment and room are sanitized. All ingredients are tested for cross contamination – as are swab samples from the machinery. In addition, samples from each run of finished product are checked for presence of wheat, milk, eggs, nuts and soy by an independent testing laboratory..." The web-site is great and easy to navigate. You can take a look at all the foods they offer. Ingredients are listed when you click on "Nutrition Facts" Allergens are marked at the end of the ingredient list.

I hope this is helpful...

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Bread Crumbs....

OK, is this a boring topic? Yes? Maybe? Maybe not? - I actually use bread crumbs at least once a week and it took me some time to find the type I like to work with. So hey, it may be a good topic for a Wednesday morning...

Maybe its a German thing but I use bread crumbs frequently. Meatloaf, Fleischkuechle (German little flat meatballs), Schnitzel, breaded chicken, etc. No, we don't eat breaded food every day :). I choose the type of bread crumb depending upon the type of food. OK I will hold you no longer in suspense...

- Manischewitz, Matzo Meal Unsalted - it comes in a 16 oz container. I prefer the Matzo Meal
when I use the crumbs as a "glue" like in meatloaf, Fleischkuechle, etc.

- Panko (not sure if its breadcrumbs) any type but please remember to double check the label.
Trader Joe's sells a good version, Kikkoman is good, and Ian's has an great Panko breadcrumb
selection.
* I am not sure if you are familiar with Ian's but they have great convenience food
and according to their web site it is all milk sugar free (among other allergens).
We have had the fish sticks, and buffalo chicken before the girls liked it a lot...
Here is the link http://www.iansnaturalfoods.com/

Have a great day everyone. Please let me know what you think. Do you like this type of information? Is it helpful? Do you like the products?

P.S.: I almost forgot here is the link to Manischewitz http://www.manischewitz.com/

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Cookies and Birthday Party

We all were invited to a 2nd Birthday party today. There was of course a ton of food neither girls could eat. Goldfish crackers, ranch dressing, salami, cheese, cake, cup cakes, etc. Of course I am still a bit anxious about Mia Rose getting into the crackers, but not so much anymore. I know that I don't have to worry about Alena anymore since she will generally double check with me. So when we first got to the party I pointed the foods out they can, and the ones they cannot eat. - Generally I always bring food for the girls but I did not need to today. My friend was so sweet to make the trek to Sweet Pea Bakery to get yummy cup cakes (they are so good you never know that they do not have milk, butter, etc. in them) http://www.sweetpeabaking.com/.

She also got Vegan cookies which I have gotten before too. They are really, really good and come in a variety of flavors. Here is the info on the cookies

  • Alternative Baking Company, Inc. - www.alternativebaking.com is the Web-site. Here in PDX we can buy the cookies at New Seasons. But listen up, I just looked at their Web-site and they DELIVER throughout the US...Isn't that great.

I would love to hear from you if you like these cookies as much as my girls do. Chocolate Chip is (of course) their favorite flavor...

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