The culprit is...food allergies!
Yeah, we got tested for them. Yeah, we got some positives. The allergist told me not to worry about it if the children never had any "significant" reactions.
Well, I guess a sore throat for nearly four solid months is enough of a reaction. We are now officially an allergy family, avoiding about a dozen very common foods. I am learning many interesting things such as how to make ketchup using cranberry sauce, carrots, pears, vinegar and spices. (Only I can't do that any longer because cranberry sauce has corn syrup and we're allergic to corn.) And how to make ranch dressing. (First you mix up the egg substitute, then you mix up the mayonnaise, then you use some of it to mix up the ranch.)
That's right.
And how to make hamburgers out of ground pork. And that Jell-O has trace amounts of beef. And that only unsalted Fleischmann's margarine is truly dairy-free. And that most potato chips are made with corn oil. And that you can be allergic to oranges but not other citrus fruits, and beef but not bison, and chicken but not turkey.
Yep.
And where to find interesting ingredients for wheat/gluten-free bread, like xantham gum and spelt and bean-based baking mix. And that you are hard-pressed to find a dairy substitute if you are allergic to the following: cow's milk AND soy AND rice AND tree nuts. So you try goat's milk, which is just...odd-sounding.
Ooooeeee.
In four weeks, we re-evaluate and see what kind of effect this has on our health and decide whether to continue down this road for our children's sake. Prayers for Mama's sanity much appreciated.
