There is Life After Spaghetti-O's

Close to two years ago, I ran across a recipe on a blog I stalk  read MSPI Mama. She had figured out how to recreate Spaghetti-Os! My son was immediately in heaven...lol. I follow her recipe, making sure to add the nutritional yeast and I also add 1 Tbsp sugar to the pot. It gives it that slight sweetness that spaghetti-o's have. For those who don't know, nutritional yeast is a powerhouse of a food...it's super rich in B vitamins, and it just so happens to have a slightly cheesy, nutty flavor. It's awesome to add to dishes that need a little cheesy flavor boost. Your local natural foods store should carry it.

With no further ado... here is the Spaghetti-O's recipe on MSPI Mama's blog....

New Potatoes and Peas

This is one of my son's favorite dishes! Grandma makes it every time we come visit.

Steam some new potatoes with some freshly shelled peas (if you can get them. If not, diced regular potatoes and frozen peas are good too!).

In a saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp of either MSPI safe margarine or clarified butter (ghee) for each 2 cups of sauce you want to wind up with. Add an equal measure of flour to the hot, melted margarine/clarified butter and stir for a minute or two. You don't want to color the roux, just cook the raw taste off the flour. Add 1 1/2 cups rice milk for each 2 Tbsp of margarine/clarified butter used, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil and thickens. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup MSPI safe coffee creamer (gives it that nice creamy taste). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sauce will be a little thin. That's OK...the potatoes will help thicken it up a bit. Pour the sauce over the steamed potatoes & peas, stirring to coat. Add a little more salt and pepper, if needed.

Pizza, Part III

I meant to follow the pizza cheese post with a post for homemade pizza sauce and some other info, and I got side-tracked (easy to do in this house!).

I originally got this from my brother. I've fiddled with it a little, and he's fiddled with it a little, so now our recipes look different! Making your own pizza sauce is so incredibly easy, assuming you have a blender (and honestly, is there anyone who doesn't have a blender???) and a few simple ingredients.

Pizza Sauce

2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes, DRAINED (reserve a little juice)
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper (or red pepper flakes if you want it a little spicy)
Garlic powder
Onion Powder
Oregano
Basil
Thyme
Marjarom
Anything else you like in your sauce....

The above mentioned herbs are only suggestions. Experiement with your favorites and come up with something you like!

In a blender, combine the diced tomatoes (NO juice), tomato paste, sugar, salt, pepper, and a health dose of onion powder, garlic powder, and any herbs you like. I pretty much stick to oregano, basil, thyme, and a little marjarom. Put the lid on the blender and blend on the highest setting for 2 or 3 minutes. You want to make sure it's completely pureed. Pause to scrape down sides occasionally, if needed. If it's too thick for you, add a couple tablespoons of the reserved juice off the canned tomatoes until it's the consistency you like. I like my pizza sauce thick. My brother likes it a bit thinner. Taste it and adjust any seasonings until it's how you like it. Yield: Approximately 2-3 cups sauce (I've never measured!)...enough for 5 or 6 pizzas.

Now...about pizza toppings.

All the veggie and fruit toppings should be completely fine. They're definitely fine assuming you use the fresh fruit or the fresh vegetable. Double check any processed fruit or veggie to make sure it's MSPI safe. Where you have to be concerned with pizza toppings is the MEAT. You got it... the meat!!! I didn't know until I started reading labels that many manufacturer's use either whey or fermented whey, or a derivative of whey or lactose. This can make or break your pizza. Read ALL meat ingredients (sausage, pepperoni, ham, canadian bacon, etc.) carefully to ensure you're choosing one that's MSPI safe. Pile on the toppings, pile on the Daiya cheese, and you're set!

Our Story

When my son was a baby, the pediatrician recommended I use soy formula since I was both nursing and supplementing with formula, since soy formula is supposedly easier to digest. There was a distinct change in his digestion starting at 2.5 weeks of age. Instead of newborn pasty poo, he passed hard poo, and was in a lot of pain. It wasn't long until we realized he couldn't tolerate soy. We were prepared for that reaction though, as the Husband's family has a long history of soy intolerance. Switching to a milk-based formula was better, but still a bit problematic. I didn't think much of it, though, since he seemed to do better than before.

At the age of 2, he continued to have severe constipation issues, and he was put on Miralax by the pediatrician. We avoided overt forms of soy (but never cut out 'hidden' soy), and continued with the Miralax regimine. Fast forward 5 years... at the age of 7.5 years, his digestive issues became much more pronounced and things were going downhill. I finally gave up with the pediatrician and began researching things on my own, and thanks to a friend, I learned about Milk Soy Protein Intolerance (MSPI). The more I read, the more I wanted to learn. It fit my son to a 'T'. As of April 1, 2011, he has gone dairy and soy free, and he's a much happier kid when he's not had anything with dairy or soy. The pedi was confident that after a time, when I began re-introducing dairy and soy into his diet again, that he would be able to handle things on not only a derivative level, but to have milk products cooked or baked into food items. I've discovered over the summer that's not the case. The true derivative level is OK for us... but even small amounts of foods with casein, whey, soy protein isolate or anything that resembles milk or soy sends us back to square one with digestive issues.

I was very overwhelmed at the beginning of this journey and had NO IDEA what to do and what we were going to eat! My son has never been a huge meat eater, relying more on dairy then meat for his protein needs (milk, chocolate milk, cheese, etc.). Once I cut these out of his diet, he had normal bowels for the first time in his life! He's healthier and happier, and that, combined with the absence of pain, is motivation for me to continue! So, I thought I'd put all my MSPI friendly recipes in one spot...not only as a reference for myself, but hopefully it will help someone who is scratching their head and saying, "Now what???"

I make as many things as MSPI friendly as possible so I don't have to make two different meals each time I cook. My husband has not been terribly excited about some of the dairy/soy-free foods, but I've gotten things to a point where he rarely realizes I've made something MSPI safe! I know if it passes the Husband's test, it should pass most people's test! Let me know what you think!