I once had a blog that I started when I was 18 to just have a place to keep track of recipes. I had several years before discovered I had allergies to gluten and dairy and I wanted a place to share. As is very common, I stopped after a year because life was busy, and no one really read it except for me.

So when some friends told me recently I should start my own blog, sell my own cookbook, actually sell my own flour mixes, my gut reaction was, NO, that’s a lot of work. You may be thinking, what changed my mind?

My daughter did. My daughter changed my mind completely. We have had many struggles, as any new parent has, however, our situation has been a bit more unique. We had a textbook perfect pregnancy, so when did things start to change? 2 days after our daughter was born we got sent to the NICU (a story for another time) and later got diagnosed with a congenital condition called Incontinentia Pigmenti.

Our journey didn’t just end there. At 3 weeks she started having some blood in her bowels, by 3 months it was concerning and the doctors finally diagnosed her with Cows Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA) and Soy protein allergy. Since then there have been additional allergies discovered including corn and egg.

So. Why a blog? I have always enjoyed making my own food, mostly because allergy friendly pre-made food is ridiculously expensive. Everyone keeps asking me for my recipes, how I make my food taste so good. I even had one friend tell me she doesn’t like desserts, but she will gladly eat anything I make. So I wanted to share with you what I do, the recipes I have, and the tricks I have learned.

It isn’t just this though. On this journey I have come to the realization that I have so much more to learn about allergies, and what better way to go about this than to share as I learn. I want our friends and family to understand the struggles of an allergen free home, of what to expect when we are out in public, and how to ensure that you and your kids are creating an environment safe for others with allergies.

Did you know that babies can react to allergens through their mothers breastmilk? I sure didn’t. Anything I eat that V (my daughter) is allergic to passes through my milk and she has a reaction. Usually little ones can’t have an anaphylactic response from this exposure, but it makes it no less serious.

Did you know that labeling on packages isn’t always accurate in the “allergen” section? For example, “caramel coloring or flavoring” usually contains dairy or wheat, but companies aren’t required to state that on the package. I learned this the hard way when balsamic vinegar in a greek salad that I was eating was causing V to be in excruciating pain for over a week, all because it had caramel coloring in the ingredients.

I wish that there weren’t others out there like our family, who have had to struggle with finding information on food allergies or other medical conditions. There are varying opinions, everyone’s situation is different, packaging and labeling is in no way accurate or always reliable. I often have to contact companies myself to discover whether their food is safe for our family.

It’s also not easy deciding as a family when someone is diagnosed with an allergy how far you take it. Do you eliminate those allergens from your home completely or do you try to create safe zones, and what that may look like for each family is different as well.

So, I invite you to journey with us, to learn as we learn, and to grow in ways you never expected. My life has changed dramatically since I became a mom and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

If you have any specific requests on what you want to learn, or specific recipes, feel free to contact me and I’ll see what I can do. I’m hoping that we can all come together and make the world a safer, more inclusive place for everyone, but especially for our little ones.