First, I am not a writer. I have never claimed to be a writer and I can't promise that I'll do any good at keeping up with it but I'm going to give it a valiant try. It seems everyone is blogging now days so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon as well. I admit that I read most of my friends blogs regularly and I enjoy all of their tips & tricks on anything and everything as well as just hearing how their lives are going. My goal is to not only share my struggles & victories with learning to feed a child with a milk & egg allergy but to hopefully grow from all of the suggestions, tips and comments that I hopefully receive :)
Second, I am not a cook. Can I cook? Yes, if it comes from a box or has step by step detailed directions that are easy to follow. Do I cook? Not really. That is something I am hoping to change. I have lots of excuses for why I don't cook. I work full time midnight 12 hour shifts 3 days in a row. True, but what about the other 4 nights of the week? I have a really tiny kitchen with very little cabinet space. Again very true, but there are lots of people with kitchens the same size or smaller who manage to cook just fine without a gourmet kitchen. I don't have a clue where to start when it comes to finding foods that Reagan can eat as well as Adam and I. Once again a true statement, but why did I buy all those dairy free and vegan cook/tip books if I wasn't planning on using them? So pretty much my excuses are lame and fall flat yet I've been hanging on to them for dear life. So if I'm not really cooking and am living by my excuses what have I been feeding poor Reagan you ask. Well, for breakfast she eats oatmeal with cinnamon for the most part or a big banana and a tall sippy of Silk +DHA. I make a mean PB&J that she loves (with bunny bread since it is one of the few breads with no milk). I am also good at boiling some water to make some whole grain pasta with marinara (again I have to check the brands because some contain milk. Milk in marinara? Yes, it's crazy and I don't know why but some brands do have it on the label) She eats green beans and apple sauce. And I have found a chicken, veggie and rice heat-able that is quick to make that she loves. She is a picky kid (I wonder where she gets that from...I think it's half and half mom & dad) so that makes things a little more difficult plus she is old enough now that I can't force her to take a bite. I can but she just pulls it out of her mouth and throws it to the dog if I do.
So there you have it. My poor child eats the same 3 or 4 things every day and I'm writing this in hopes that it will help me change. I'm hoping to hear ideas of meals that would be easy and nutritious for the whole family so that Adam and I are not having to eat out or waiting to eat our meal until she goes to bed so we don't feel guilty eating something she can't have in front of her. I call my blog going vegan...sort of because Reagan can still have meat just nothing made with dairy or eggs. I'm hoping to learn how to grocery shop better (from following my good friend Alicia Gregg's blog) and save money doing it (which is whole other can of worms for me that I won't get into now). But mainly I'm hoping to become the wife & mother who cooks nutritious meals for her sweet little family. I'm a little embarrassed to point out my weakness as a cook but I'm pretty sure most people who are close to me already knew that. I've learned from experience that without accountability my goals usually fall flat on their face so I'm hoping those of you who read this (if anyone reads it) will help me out with ideas and encouragement. Now I just need to go grocery shopping so we actually have some food in the house for me to cook :)
