Teleidoscope

Wed, Jun 04, 2008

Lent Forever

Posted at 6:45 pm MDT to Miscellaneous

I have some doubts about this allergy testing. It didn't seems to pick up things like peanuts that have a history of making my tongue swell up. The doctor gave me a prescription for an epipen, which is probably a good thing to have around in general, in case of those kinds of reactions. Or someone getting stung by a bee, I suppose.

Some of the things the test did pick up made sense, like grasses and ragweed.

It didn't pick up penicillin, which is kind of a relief (though also kind of moot, which I will get to). My vitamins and St. Johns Wort are OK, too.

Things I have been told to stay away from: shellfish, green beans (but peas and kidney beans are OK) and milk (including butter, yogurt, and cheese products) and eggs. So even though I turn out to not be officially allergic to penicillin molds, I can't try French cheeses.

I need to look up some recipes for meals for Lent. Giving up milk and eggs forever is going to be really hard: I love cheese. I pretty well live on cheese. Cheese is something I can swallow when nothing else wants to go down.

I suppose I won't need to worry about lactose intolerance.

Eggs are a little less of a problem: at least when I'm at home I don't use that many of them. Or I didn't use many eggs until I started baking pound cakes. I guess the pound cake I made for Nanette and Elsbeth is the last one. Maybe there are actual Lenten hot-cross bun recipes that don't use eggs or milk -- I like hot cross buns.

No eggs means no mayonnaise, so no potato or macaroni salads this summer. And Ranch dressing has egg and buttermilk.

I checked the label: the brand of pasta I'm using is 100% semolina, so I can eat it as long as I don't put on any cheese. I think that's going to be supper tonight.

No more risotto (damn, I'm glad I hadn't gotten around to making a batch this week). Maybe I can make something risotto-ish without the butter and cheese, just olive oil. Nonna's Bean Soup will be strange without the cheese and butter, too.

The homemade soft pretzel recipe has butter, but maybe I can substitute olive oil.

Holiday breads and cookies and stollens are going to be frustrating: I can make them, but I can't eat them because of the eggs. Maybe by then I will have figured out some alternatives.

No more boxed puddings (which I have a lot of in my cupboard): lemon calls for eggs and chocolate uses milk.

I have two Chocolove bars in the house "may contain traces of milk and nuts" but milk is not an actual ingredient, so I guess I can still eat them, but probably not buy any more.

Ghirardelli bittersweet morsels have milkfat. Darn. Not sure what I am going to do about those.

I should check whether the Mayan Cocoa from World Spice Merchants has milk powder in it. It may still be usable where a supermarket cocoa mix is not.

I wonder if the eggs and dairy thing is why I have never been fond of frosting?

And if I'm not technically allergic to lettuce, why does it always, ALWAYS give me heartburn?

permanent link || trackback || 0 comments || Add a comment

Mouser

Posted at 6:43 am MDT to Miscellaneous

Dinah caught a mouse at 4:30 am and insisted on discussing the fact at length. And when a siamese discusses something, you don't ignore it. Her "I am a mighty huntress" meow is distinctive. And loud.

She must have eaten the whole mouse, for a change. I didn't find any remains.

At least today will be a short workday: I've got the appointment with the allergist this afternoon.

permanent link || trackback || 0 comments || Add a comment