Mixes from the Heartland Reveiw #2

This is my second review for Mixes from the Heartland. I really enjoyed the food that they sent me and implore everyone to go to their website and try some of their food. It makes mealtime very quick and delicious. And if you have any food allergies it is perfect because they are a facility that is free of wheat, soy, barley, oats, rye, eggs, nuts, and by products (which is listed on the back of their packages).

The last time I posted a review, it was regarding their Beef Skillet Dinner and their Sweet Potato Brownie Mix (which was to die for!!). This week I am going to be reviewing their Italian Bean Soup, Corn-n-Tomato Salsa, Strawberry Dip, and Tex Mex Spaghetti Meal.

Like most of their packages, all the ingredients are inside. I just added some chopped tomatoes and Italian sausage and the meal was good to go. You put it on the stove and boil it for a while and then it is ready to eat. I will be honest, I hate soup, but this one I really liked. I wasn't sure if I was going to, but I did. The variety of beans and the added sausage, makes it a quick meal in one soup.

Their Tex Mex Spaghetti meal was really good. I added the browned beef and tomatoes and mixed everything together for a Texas flare to the spaghetti. It was really good. And everything again came right in the bag. All of the meals that I made produced enough for a family to eat. I was able to actually share most of everything that I made with my sister's family. They said they really enjoyed it also and would buy from Mixes from the Heartland (and none of them have any food allergies). Once again, people probably think that this food might not taste as good because it is allergy free, but it does have flavor to it.

The Corn-n-Tomato Salsa was really good as well. I put the mix in sour cream and made a chip dip with it. It gave a great twist to the plain chip.

If there is something that I think you should try, it would be the Strawberry Dip. I had people asking to take some of it home (not trying to be selfish, but I didn't want them to). This was a major hit in my house. It was amazing!!! All I had to add was some cool whip and cream cheese and it made an incredible dip for fruits. I used strawberries and bananas. It tasted great with both. My niece was eating it plain out of the bowl. That is how good it tasted. I have to say I was surprised by this dip.

Once again I have to say that I really think that this is a company that you should shop through if you have food allergies. It is something that everyone can eat and the person with the allergies will not feel left out because everyone is eating the same thing. So go out and buy some of their products. Their food will be in my cupboards!!

A Child's Food Allergy Poem

I have a food allergy

So what if that’s true.

That doesn’t make me different

I just avoid certain foods.

You may think it’s funny

To taunt and to tease,

But I also have feelings

So stop and back away please.

Just think how you would feel

If denied all these foods,

Especially at birthday parties

Where you can’t have cake or ice cream too.

Each and everyone of us is different

Our allergies are not the same.

For some it could be dairy, nuts, or fish

And for others soy or wheat is to blame.

Whether young or old

I have to remain safe,

Because cross-contamination

Could cause a devastating fate.

So please learn to read all labels

And my arm bracelet too.

Cause 100% safety

Is the best thing for me and for you.

© 2010 Belladona Creations
QE4J2BJFGA37

Mixes from the Heartland Review

I have been lucky to be able to do a review for Mixes from the Heartland. They sent me a variety of different items to try and review. They are a facility that is free of wheat, soy, barley, oats, rye, eggs, nuts, and by products (which is listed on the back of their packages). If you click on their name above it will take you to their website.

The first item I tried was their Beef Skillet Dinner. It came in a sturdy plastic pouch with the noodles and the seasoning mixture. How much more convenient can you get than to have an all-in-one dinner packet? This makes last minute meals very quick and easy. I know a lot of people may think all natural food lacks in taste, but this didn't. It was really good. And there was enough in one packet to feed a whole family for dinner. This is perfect for someone who has a gluten intolerant. The noodles are made out of brown rice instead of wheat.

The next item I tried was their Sweet Potato Brownies. These were AWESOME! I usually don't eat anything that deals with sweet potatoes (not a fan), but I was glad I ate these. They have turned over a new leaf in me. These are a quick bake also. All you do is pour the packet contents into the bowl, add butter and eggs and you are done. They bake up nice and soft. My house smelled so good! When my sister stopped by I asked her if she wanted to try one, she did and enjoyed them.

So, if you are a person who has is gluten intolerant or has a nut allergy, this would be a perfect company for you to get food through. My daughter has nut allergies and was able to eat everything that I made. I didn't have to worry about what was in the food for once. I also have a mother who is gluten intolerant and she was also able to eat everything that I made. She has a difficult time finding food to eat and this turned out to be a perfect place for her to buy food that she loves and tastes good. I will start buying from them and urge you to also. Their food is really good.

Over the next couple of days I will be writing reviews on their Tex Mex Spaghetti Meal, Italian Bean Soup, Corn-n-Tomato Salsa, and their Strawberry Dip. So come back and read my reviews on those items.

Disclaimer: I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a sample of the product to try in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Parsley ~ An Actual Food Allergy

There are so many different types of foods that children or adults can be allergic to. Sometimes I am not sure if my daughter is just not feeling well or if she is really having an allergic reaction. Most of the times her reactions to certain foods is pretty much clear cut, but then there are those times when she just vomits (pardon my words) hours later and has no other reaction with it. Those are times when I am left wondering if it is truly something to be avoided or not.

A while ago we had a big dinner at my parent's house. Everything was "food safe", so my daughter could eat until her heart was content. At least that is what I thought. A new item that was presented was red potatoes with parsely and olive oil. Now looking at that, you wouldn't think that it would affect someone in any way whatsoever. But later that night, she got up out of her bed and told me she felt sick. She then went into the bathroom and plopped herself in front of the toilet. I have been blessed to have a young child who can tell me she is going to be sick and still make it to the bathroom before throwing up. As gross as this may sound, I have been in the habit of checking her vomit to see what has made her sick. This time it was red potatoes and parsely. Wow, who would have thought that would be the thing to make her sick!

Today I decided to look on the internet and see if someone could really be allergic to parsely. Can you believe it, you can. I have always kept her from it after that one incident, but that is just because I tend to get paranoid when she has any type of reaction to food. On Wikipedia I found out that parsley is part of the Birch family. Some of the other foods in the Birch family are: almonds, apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, carrots, celery, cherries, chicory, coriander, fennel, fig, hazelnuts, kiwifruit, nectarines, parsley, parsnips, peaches, pears, peppers, plums, potatoes, prunes, soy, strawberries, wheat, and potentially walnuts. After seeing this I thought that I should have done research on it sooner. She happens to be allergic to almonds, hazelnuts, wheat, and walnuts. It is hard to say what to avoid and what not to avoid. She can eat apples, bananas, carrots, celery, cherries, soy, strawberries and wheat (her number for this is so low she is not affected by it) without a problem. Unfortunately, it is going to have to be a guessing game for me for the rest of her life.

Copyright © 2010 Allergykidmom. All rights reserved

The Joys of Raising A Smart Kid

Is my child the only one who uses her food allergy symptoms to get what she wants (in terms of food)? My daughter thinks she can pull one over on me by saying she is experiencing symptoms in order not to eat a certain food. If it weren't for me knowing exactly what she is allergic to and how to really tell if she is having a reaction, she just might be able to get away with it.

Her favorite cereal, for the time being, is the Puffins cinnamon flavored cereal. I lucked out when I came across Barbara's Bakery cereals. They don’t have a lot of choices, but the two I get are wheat free, dairy free and made in a peanut free facility. Because we don’t have a slew of different cereals for her to choose from, when she finds one she likes, she tends to over indulge. Quite naturally, most kids do.

Just the other day, she was eating a bowl of cereal. In order for her not to eat up all the cinnamon cereal, I gave her the regular brand. Half way through her bowl she started to yell for me. I went in and asked what was wrong and she proceeded to tell me that her tongue was feeling funny. This is the first symptom she usually experiences when she eats something that she is allergic to. I looked at her and she seemed fine. I asked her what she meant by her tongue feeling funny and all she could say was that it felt weird. Apparently, she had forgotten that I gave her this same cereal the night before and the week before without any kind of reaction. When I refreshed her memory, she had a "man I just got found out" expression on her face. Yes dear, I know all your tricks! I've explained to her that she can't fake her symptoms (when she doesn’t want what is in front of her) because one day I may not believe her when she tells me she is having them. Of course, anytime she says something is wrong, I take her seriously. While she is trying to outsmart me, she doesn't need to know.

While sitting here typing this out, I wonder, is there anyone else going through what I am going through or is my daughter the only one who tries to manipulate me with her allergic symptoms?

Copyright © 2010 Allergykidmom. All rights reserved