Just a quick note to let you all know that tomorrow marks three weeks of allergen-free foods for Brady. Three weeks without gluten, soy, eggs and 25 other things his little body doesn’t like.

That may not seem like a big deal, but I’ll tell you… That first week just about pushed me over the edge. I knew we’d make it, but I just wasn’t quite sure how. Every meal created major anxiety.

By the grace of God, we’re getting along much better now. We’re finding suitable substitutes for things or finding new ways of eating the things we like.

Brady has been such a tough, little trooper. He’s even let us indulge in things he can’t have without complaint. Bless his little head.

I have no authority to turn this blog into a gluten-free recipe site, but someday I may just be able to offer some help. I recently posted about our “tortillas,” which are still saving us a bundle of cash.

I’ve priced special gluten-free breads, and the range from $6 to $8 a piece, and they’re small loaves! It doesn’t really help us much, anyway, because my darling Brady is allergic to yeast, too. So here’s what we came up with:

Gluten-Free Pitas!*

(*NOTE: We changed the name after realizing that their fluffier texture was more like that of a pita or even a pancake and less like a tortilla. Brady sometimes refers to it as “pancake bread,” but I think it’s most pita-like.)

• About 1.5 cups of gluten-free flour; I use Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour
• About 1-1.5 teaspoons of baking powder
• Some salt
• Enough water to make a easily pourable batter

As you can see, I’m really accurate with my measurements. *cough* 

Mix it all together with a fork or a whisk and fry it on a hot griddle (or something like that.) I use a ladle to measure / pour so they’re all roughly the same size. You can use these to make “sandwiches” or wraps or roll-ups or quesadillas or whatever you want.

Again, it’s nothing profound, but it helps hold the meat and veggies into a sandwich and fills a craving for bread. Hope it makes your life a bit easier.

I tried to post a photo, but the powers that be in internet land aren’t letting me. I’ll try again soon.

To the best man on earth… Even if you do have your heads in the clouds most of the time, I still love you oodles. Happy 31st, Handsome.

Funny how God lets us learn lessons of humility in just the funniest ways, huh?

Our two oldest boys, Andy and Brady (5 and 4, respectively) got baptized this past Sunday. Afterwards, the Pastor was talking to them and sharing a few words of encouragement. “It’s so great that you wanted to obey God and do just like your parents told you should do!”

So, my yet-to-have-mastered-the-whole-humility-thing son Andy responds, “Um, well, actually my parents didn’t tell me to do it. I just wanted to.”

That boy is great!

Things have been chaotic around here… well, more than usual.

My handsome husband celebrates the big 3-1 Wednesday, so we had a pseudo surprise party for him yesterday. Our two oldest boys, Andy and Brady got baptized at church yesterday, too. It was definitely a special day.

To prepare for company, I spent much of the week (and weekend) trying to find places to hide all the stuff that is accumulated when seven people live in a small house cleaning . Just for fun, I’ve decided to get one of those killer colds, too. I’m just an over-achiever like that.

To top off all the fun, I’m finally getting around to sorting through the kids summer clothes and putting them in the giant tubs that get stored in the basement. Since it’s been turn-your-nose-red-and-make-you-sniffle cold around here for several weeks, I gave in and have decided it’s time to get out the winter wardrobes. Good times.

When I escape from the piles of laundry, I’ll write something more fun and clever… maybe.

Ever since we got Brady’s “diagnosis” of 28 allergies, I’ve been praying for resourcefulness and creativity.

Fact is, I’m surrounded by great resources. Many people at church have food allergies in their families (none as many as my sweet boy, but they know how to play the game.) We are also blessed to live in an area with many good health food stores! I just have to figure out how to make the money stretch a bit…

Anyway, I’ve been trying to think of some creative way to make bread for Brady that doesn’t include wheat (or any form of gluten), eggs or yeast. Not an easy task.

But then I remembered something my mom used to make for us: fried bread.

I don’t know if it’s a real recipe or something she made up, but it’s a very yummy, doughy, heavy bread that’s fried. (Um, profound, I know.)

Anyway, I got the idea to try to make a similar recipe with gluten free flour and make the dough really thin. That way, I can “fry” the bread on my griddle and sort of make my own tortillas!

I did it today and Brady loved them! Slather them with some almond butter and he was elated. I’m hoping he’ll enjoy them for a taco tonight, too.

This little idea may save us hundreds of dollars worth of specialty breads. Thank God!

I let the boys’ hair get a little longer on the top during the winter months. I somehow think it keeps them warmer. In the summer, I attack them with the clippers.

Their hair is just starting to get long enough to look shaggy, so I shaped the edges with the scissors. On Andy, this method looked very rigid and blocked. I was looking at him while I was on the phone with my Mom the other day. I said to her, “I trimmed the boys hair today, but I think Andy’s still needs a bit of work. He looks Amish.”

His hand immediately went up to his head. “But my hair doesn’t feel Amish, Mommy.”

I had to laugh. “Just how does Amish hair feel, Andy?!”

Yesterday, we drove two hours south to visit Nate’s parents. The kids dozed off and on, but mostly stayed awake. Andy must have been thinking ahead to things to come.

“Daddy, why does Grandfather always read us a story before we open presents [at Christmastime]?”

Nate: “Well, it’s a very important story. Do you remember what it is?”

Andy: “Um… Nancy Drew?!”

I couldn’t help myself and lost it then, but Nate thought Andy had correctly answered Luke 2, so he said, “What Buddy?”

Andy repeated: “Nancy Drew?”

In no time, all three of us were laughing so hard we were crying. Through tears I said, “Andy, whose birthday is Christmas?”

Andy: “Jesus!”

Me: “So, Grandfather is reading us the story in the Bible when Jesus was born! That’s what the story is about.”

Andy: “Oh!”

To Andy’s credit, Nate and his brothers grew up reading the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew and his parents still have several of those books on their bookshelves. It wasn’t an unreasonable guess, but it sure was a funny one!

It’s been a very long, complicated week around here. I don’t have anything profound to say…

So, I’ll leave you with a deep thought from Brady.

Upon hearing an adult say the word “honeymoon,” Brady explained it to his big brother Andy: “You know, it’s a big giant moon. Filled with honey. A honeymoon.”

So, that’s it!

My girl Ferris is learning new tricks everyday. In the past two weeks she has:

• started saying “MaMa…Mamamama”
• learned to clap with a little encouragement
• figured out how to mover from her belly on the floor to a full sit
• been crawling for real
• turned eight months old yesterday!

She’s such a sweet tempered baby, too. Easy going and soooo quick to smile. I often say that if everyone had a baby like her, everyone would have a million babies. She’s terrific.

I just hope this doesn’t mean she’ll be a terrible teen.