Thursday, July 28, 2016

No-No Corn Ingredients List

This is a list I have been working on for awhile.  There are other lists floating around but I wanted a handy list for my family.  Some of these ingredients are not ALWAYS made from corn but often are so they are not safe ingredients unless they specifically state that they are NOT sourced from corn.  These are ingredients which have been present in products to which L has had a reaction. They could be in foods or medicines.  She has an intolerance so her reaction is mostly intestinal/gastric but eventually shows on her skin as well.  Some with an allergy or intolerance can tolerate certain corn products depending on how they are processed but at this point, most don't know without trying the product to see if there is a reaction.

No-No Corn Ingredients List 

  • acetic acid
  • alcohol
  • artificial flavorings
  • artificial sweeteners
  • ascorbates
  • ascorbic acid
  • aspartame
  • astaxanthin
  • baking powder
  • barley malt
  • bleached flour
  • blended sugar
  • brown sugar
  • calcium citrate
  • calcium fumarate
  • calcium gluconate
  • calcium lactate
  • calcium magnesium acetate
  • calcium stearate
  • calcium stearoyl lactylate
  • caramel
  • caramel color
  • carbonmethylcellulose sodium
  • cellulose microcrystalline
  • cellulose, methyl
  • cellulose, powdered
  • cetearyl glucoside
  • choline chloride
  • citric acid
  • citrus cloud emulsion
  • cocoglycerides
  • confectioners sugar
  • corn
  • corn alcohol
  • corn gluten
  • corn extract
  • corn glour
  • corn oil
  • corn starch
  • corn sweetener
  • corn sugar
  • corn syrup
  • corn syrup solids
  • cornmeal
  • cornstarch, cornflour
  • crosscarmellose sodium
  • cyclodextrin
  • DATUM
  • decyl glucoside
  • decyl polyglucose
  • dextrin
  • dextrose
  • diglycerides
  • distilled white vinegar
  • drying agent
  • erythritol
  • ethanol
  • ethylcellulose
  • ethylene
  • ethyl acetate
  • ethyl alcohol
  • ethyl lactate
  • ethyl maltol
  • fibersol
  • flavorings
  • food starch
  • fructose
  • fumaric acid
  • germ
  • gluconate
  • gluconic acid
  • gluconolactone
  • glucosamine
  • glucose
  • glutamate
  • gluten
  • glycerides
  • glycerin
  • glycerol
  • golden syrup
  • grits
  • high fructose corn syrup
  • hominy
  • honey
  • hydrolyzed corn/corn protein
  • hydrolyzed vegetable protein
  • hydroxypropyl methylcellulose
  • inositol
  • invert syrup/sugar
  • iodized salt
  • lactate
  • lactic acid
  • lauryl glucoside
  • lecithin
  • linoleic acid
  • lysine
  • magnesium citrate
  • magnesium fumarate
  • magnesium stearate
  • maize
  • malic acid
  • malonic acid
  • malt
  • malt syrup
  • malt extract
  • malted barley
  • maltitol
  • maltodextrin
  • maltol
  • maltose
  • mannitol
  • methyl gluceth
  • methyl glucose
  • methyl glucoside
  • methylcellulose
  • microcrystaline cellulose
  • modified cellulose gum
  • modified corn starch
  • modified food starch
  • molasses
  • monoglycerides
  • Monosodium glutamate
  • MSG
  • natural flavors
  • olestra/olean
  • polenta
  • polydextrose
  • polylactic acid
  • polysorbates
  • polyvinyl acetate
  • potassium citrate
  • potassium fumarate
  • potassium gluconate
  • powdered sugar
  • pregelatinized starch
  • propionic acid
  • propylene glycol
  • propylene glycol monostearate
  • saccharin
  • salt
  • semolina (unless from wheat only)
  • simethicone
  • sodium carboxymethylcellulose
  • sodium citrate
  • sodium erythorbate
  • sodium fumarate
  • sodium lactate
  • sodium starch glycolate
  • sodium stearoyl fumrate
  • sorbate
  • sorbic acid
  • sorbitan
  • sorbitol
  • sorghum
  • splenda
  • starch 
  • stearic acid
  • stearoyls
  • sucralose
  • sugar
  • threonine
  • tocopherol
  • treacle
  • triethyl citrate
  • unmodified starch
  • vanilla
  • vanilla extract
  • vanillin
  • vegetable anything that isn't specific
  • vinegar
  • vinyl acetate
  • vitamin A palmitate
  • vitamin C
  • vitamin E
  • vitamins
  • xanthan gum
  • xylitol
  • yeast/yeast extract
  • zea mays
  • zein


Natural All Purpose Cleaner

Vinegar and Citrus Peels: All Purpose Cleaner

Ingredients:
Vinegar
Citrus peels (orange, lemon, lime)

Directions:
In a large jar, pour vinegar over citrus peels.  Allow to soak for a week or so.  Pour into a squirt bottle with a little hot/warm water.

I use this to clean counters and appliances mostly but I have also used it on the tile floors.  The citrus helps to deter most insects as well.  The only thing it doesn't seem to keep away is ants.  We still have trouble with ants and can't find anything that keeps them gone.  But the citrus works to keep out spiders and other insects.

I don't have a picture of this.  I never think to take one when I make a new jar.  One of these days, I will remember and add a picture.  This method has been shared all over Pinterest and other social media.  It does work, is easy, and is cheap.  We already use citrus.  Now we just keep the peels in a jar for cleaner.

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Homemade Lemonade and Lemonade Syrup

Two posts in one day! What?!  Well, it's rainy and yucky outside.  I haven't even been able to open my pool yet.  It's criminal!  Already four days into June and I can't open my pool!  So, I'm on my computer pulling new recipes and watching L play with her toys.  The house is a wreck because she is bored.  She has pulled out toys from the deepest corners of her toy boxes.  This is a child who does not enjoy just sitting and playing video games like other kids.  She is always on the go go go...  She did mention wanting to try lemonade though.  L?  Wants to try something new?  No way!  So I went and bought some lemons.  She, of course, cannot just have the lemonade at the store.  I have to make it from scratch.  But I already learned how to do this long ago.  So, this morning we squeezed lemons.  She thought that was really cool.  She only wanted to juice one though.  She didn't want to touch the "dirty seeds."  My sensory child...  They were slimy from the juice and pulp.  But she did sit and watch.  It was a good experience for her.  So now I will share the experience with you.  :)

And guess what... I remembered pictures this time!!!


Lemonade Syrup

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (I squeezed about 6 medium lemons for this this morning)
1/2 cup water
1 cup raw organic sugar

Directions:
In a small/medium saucepan, bring lemon juice and water to a boil.  Whisk in sugar.  Make sure you are using non reactive cookware.  I used a silicon coated whisk. Pour into a jar and let cool.  Refrigerate syrup in jar for up to one month.

To make this into lemonade, stir 1 Tablespoon (per 8 oz.) of syrup into a cold glass of water.  Adjust to taste of course.  I find that two tablespoons of syrup in one of my larger glasses of ice water is perfect.


This is what my jar of syrup looks like:

Homemade Body Scrub (Oh, and I'm Back... Again...)

Hello again!  I deleted my last 'I'm back' post because (obviously) I wasn't really back.  I fully intended to be, but you know, life happened.  So... Much... Life...  So first, I will update.  I mostly blog for myself, my family, and my friends.  I hope I can help a few others out there too, but it is primarily for us.  This is basically a catalog of information through our crazy journey.  It all started when I had my own medical struggles and then my daughter had hers too.  Now, I see so many others going through similar struggles.  I hope I can help them too.  I thought about just making the blog completely private so it didn't matter when I updated.  However, I have had so many through my daughter's issues ask me to keep going, that I am going to keep it mostly available for others as well.  However, posts may be sporadic and mostly caught up during summer break.  I am on summer break right now.  My summer breaks aren't really breaks.  I spend a lot of time at professional development and meeting with my team to plan our curriculum for next year.  The rest of the time, I spend planning our year of food and health at home for my family.  If you remember, my daughter cannot have corn.  Corn is in everything.  And I mean EVERYTHING!  I have learned much more about all of that since I posted last so I will try to update on that as I go.  We have also learned more about the delays this has caused for my daughter as well as other possible special needs for her academically.  We are still working on those.  It is a work in progress, but so far, we have had very supportive networks and teachers working with us even though we've had a not so supportive history of doctors.  She fits all of the newer research for learning and food needs.  I am thankful for the teachers, therapists, and specialists who have been so supportive and helpful.  Also, since my last post, I have had surgery and my husband has had a few surgeries.  Crazy, I know.  I had to have a hysterectomy.  Apparently, things were much worse than were showing up in blood tests and ultrasounds but I was in so much pain.  We only did a partial so I still have PCOS to deal with.  It was basically choose the hormone problem I'm used to or the opposite hormone problem.  Ugh!  So I am still fighting with hormones and weight.  Luckily, I've just gone back and forth and not gained all of what I lost back.  I am still smaller than I was when I had L by almost 20 pounds.  Hopefully, now that all of that is done, I can get back on track and keep losing.  J has lost a ton of weight though.  Good for him...  (*insert eye roll here*)  So there is a bit of an update for now.  Here is a recipe that won big as Christmas gifts this year: 

Coconut Body Scrub

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup raw organic sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
preferred essential oil (optional)

Directions:
There are a few ways you can do this.  On my lower legs and arms, I use the sugar as is.  If I make one for my face and upper legs though, I put the sugar in my Ninja (food processor or blender) to make it a finer grain.  This is a preference though.  First I went ahead and softened the coconut oil just a bit. 10-15 seconds in the microwave is plenty.  You don't want it all liquid.  Mix it with the sugar. I used my hands and a good spatula to do this.  Then, if you want, you can add a few drops of an essential oil.  You can leave it just coconut.  I like this sometimes during the summer because coconut oil on it's own provides some UV protection.  But lavender oil (for relaxation) or lime (to wake you up) is sometimes nice too!  I mix it up.  I love to play with my oils.  Easy peasy!  

I didn't get any pictures of this when I did it at Christmas.  Silly me!  I will try to remember next time.  When I fixed these up for gifts, I just put some in little red ramekins with ribbons around them.