Last month my three children decided that they were “tired” of our regular chocolate cake and wanted me to make a new chocolate cake recipe!  Now mind you, the chocolate cake recipe I have been using for the last eight years has passed muster with even the most fussy eater!  I resisted their pleas until they won me over.  So, I pulled out one of my 4 recipe files and looked through my old favorite recipes, which all contained gluten, dairy, and eggs.  I found one recipe from Marie Glascow from People’s National Bank where I worked in high school called “Brownie Cake” which contained only two eggs.  This is critical since we have to do egg-free baking.  Then, I found my Mom’s recipe for “Texas Sheet Cake”, which much to my surprise also only contained two eggs.  A closer inspection caused me to realize that these two recipes were the same but simply had different names.

To convert recipes from wheat and dairy to gluten-free and dairy-free and egg-free, you have to be willing to tolerate failures.  Was I in the mood for a failure?  Not really, but my children were so convincing.  The conversion was a great success, however I realized that the next time I made the cake I would grease and flour the pan – something neither recipe suggested.  Last week I took this “allergen-free” Texas Sheet Cake or Brownie Cake to Cross Roads Bookstore in Clarence Center as dessert for the talk I gave as part of their Boxed Lunch Series.  It was a raving success!  I promised the attendees that I would include the recipe in my blog so that they would have it because it is not in my cookbook.  So, ladies here it is:

Texas Sheet Cake or Brownie Cake 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  This recipe uses a special sized pan and that is important.  Use a jelly roll type pan which would measure approximately: 15″ x 10″ x 1 1/2″ OR 15″ x 10 1/2″ x 1″.  Grease and flour your pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine and then set aside:

2 cups Gluten-free flour (see note below)

2 cups sugar                                                                                                  

1/2 teaspoon salt                                                                                            

1 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

In a medium saucepan, combine and bring to a rolling boil and then set aside:                                            

2 sticks of acceptable margarine or solid shortening                                    

1  cup water                                                                                                    

4 Tablespoons cocoa  

Once you have completed the above two steps, mix together:                      

1/4 cup water combined with 1 Tablespoon Ener-G egg replacer                  

Then ADD:                                                                                                      

1 teaspoon baking soda                                                                                

 1/2 cup non-dairy milk substitute                                                                

1 Tablespoon vinegar                                                                                      

1 teaspoon vanilla  

Mix well.  Add the second two mixtures to the first flour mixture and combine until smooth.  Pour into your prepared shallow baking pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-23 minutes or until done.  Watch so it does not overbake.  Frost the cake while it is warm.  This cake freezes well.

Chocolate Frosting                                                                                          

1 stick of acceptable margarine or other shortening                                    

4 Tablespoons cocoa                                                                                      

4-5 Tablespoons of water or non-dairy milk substitute                                 

1-pound (16 oz.) acceptable powdered or Confectioner’s sugar                    

1 teaspoon vanilla                                                                                            

Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.    

Thanks to both my Mom and Marie Glascow for the original to this dreamy delight!  And thanks to my three children for getting “tired” of the same old chocolate cake!  Enjoy!

Love,

Lisa  

My husband, three children and I just got back from Darien Lake amusement park and I am astonished at the frugal family fun this place offers for everyone.  We received the 5 Season Passes as a Christmas gift from family. Having never been season pass holders, we did not know what to expect and we have been overwhelmed with the cost-effectiveness of Darien Lake for a season pass holder.  The park just opened in May for weekends only and already we have been to Darien Lake four times and it is only June 1st!

By my calculations, if we visited the park 25 times or approximately four times a month until it closes for the season in mid-October, our per person cost per visit will amount to about $1.80.  ($1.80 times 25 = $45.00 or the cost per season pass.)  Now, that is $1.80 per visit, NOT $1.80 per hour to the amusement park!  And you can stay for hours and hours and hours for that per visit cost.  Now, I know what you are thinking!  What about the extraordinary cost of gas!  Well, I incorporated that into the equation, and this is how that adds up.

We happen to live fairly close to Darien Lake, so for us the gas cost is about $10.00 round trip (my husband’s engineering calculations uses on that).  If you take the $1.80 per person visit cost outlined from above times our family size of 5, we yield $9.00 plus the $10.00 in gas gives us a grand total of $19.00 per park visit.  In an hourly breakdown, if the 5 of us stay for 6 hours, then the amusement park visit cost is $3.17 per hour. And if we stayed for more hours the price per hour keeps going down.  What family activity can you do with five people outside of your home for $3.17 per hour other than the usual go for a walk, visit a natural park, etc.?

Oh, but there is even more!  On our first visit to Darien Lake earlier in May we received coupons which were good to bring friends for FREE!  Yes, you read that correctly!  We received a total of FIVE coupons good for bringing a friend: one that could be used any day for the rest of the season, one coupon good to bring a friend on Mother’s Day, one for Father’s Day, one for the Sunday of Memorial day weekend and one for Memorial Day.  If you used all of the coupons, that provided approximately another $150 of free value per person!   

Now, the catch – there is always a catch isn’t there?  To be frugal, you need to bring your own lunch, beverages and snacks which we always do and leave the park (getting your hand stamped for re-entry) and eat in your car or at picnic tables near the parking lot.  And to not get hooked into the extra purchases available at the amusement park. The park allows us to get reasonably fresh air, exercise, laughter and fun as a family at a frugal price.

Not much in the way of gluten-free, or dairy-free, so if you are on a special diet, make sure to bring everything you need.  I’m working on getting in shape and this is a cost effective alternative to a gym membership which includes my children and husband, and provides hours and hours of exercise which doesn’t seem like exercise at all!  Hey, maybe we’ll invent the “Amusement Park Diet”…LOL.  I’ll post some pictures once I get a bit of technical support from my son.  Have a happy, frugal and fun summer with your family!

Love,

Lisa 

I am just recently back from San Francisco where I completed a 9-month long program called Power & Contribution and in the process attended a Conference for Global Transformation. I presented a poster during one of the poster sessions and learned a great deal to help me with future Global Conferences.  My topic for the poster session was, of course, food!  

The growing interest in food is unavoidable as the May 19, 2008 cover of U.S. News & World Report reads “How to Solve The Global Food Crisis”, and the The Yorker magazine cover of the same date contains an article called Global food fight.  USA TODAY also ran an article on May 19th called “New breed of American emerges in need of food”.  There are many facets to the topic of food and with food recalls becoming more common, the increase i demand for organic foods, and overall interest in food as a health tool it seems apparent that the growth will continue.

Having presented a poster at the Conference for Global Transformation, I can submit a white paper for next years Journal, and consider submitting a workshop proposal.  It was obvious that people have a hunger (no pun intended) for information on food and the relationship between food and health as evidenced by the small group crowded around my poster that got so engaged in the discussion that they never moved on to see other posters.

It was great to be at a conference of like-minded people!  People who I could lovingly refer to as a bunch of “do-gooders” or people out to change the world.  In either case, it felt like being home to be engaged in conversations with people about how we can contribute to the world to make it a better place for our children and our children’s children.  Is there anything that you could do today for yourself in the area of food?  Eat more fruits and vegetables, or perhaps a little less sugar or carbohydrates?  

Do you have the resources to contribute to your local food bank or food pantry or perhaps the time to volunteer there?  We can all make a difference one small action at a time.  I’m looking to organize like-minded mothers and fathers to make advancements in food in our country and the world.  If that appeals to you, please e-mail me through the website and I’ll add you to my list.  Over time, we’ll figure out the difference we can make together for everyone!

Many blessings and happy eating!

Love,

Lisa

Well I’ve got about 8 or so allergy and celiac baking videos loaded onto the www.youtube.com website to help consumers be successful in the area of special diets and specialty baking.  I realize that the baking videos are not of the best quality so be forewarned.  It is my intention to get better quality videos made to replace the existing ones.  The challenge in making them (outside of not having the right video equipment) was keeping them as short as possible while at the same time not skimping on the necessary content.

One of the videos gives viewers the recipe and technique for having one versatile mix that can be used for making dinner rolls, clover leaf rolls, breadsticks, pizza crust, danish, coffee rolls and waffles.  I have seen a comment or two from viewers that indicated mission accomplished:  consumers helped in a positive way!

And that is my mission: To help consumers navigate the muddy waters of a gluten-free, dairy-free and other allergen free diet!  How helpful are these videos?  Take a peak and let me know.  Do you have a subject that you would like covered?  Let me know.  I realize firsthand how difficult it can be when you first discover that your diet needs to be altered for whatever reason!  It can be overwhelming and seem impossible!

However I can help and support consumers in this area, it is my honor and pleasure to do so.  In the future, I’ll be adding more content to my website and a frequently asked questions section.  What else would serve your needs?  Let me know!  I’m here to help!  Have a Blessed week!

Love,

Lisa 

I have been living in the world of Celiac disease, gluten-free, and food allergies for over eight years now, and oh, how the times are changing!  Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that involves foods containing wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut and other grains that contain gluten. Gluten is found in breads, crackers, cookies, and other baked goods as well as lunch meats, gravies, sauces, soups, and salad dressings.  When people with Celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, the villi in their small intestines becomes damaged or even destroyed.  Over time, the impact of damaged or destroyed villi is that a person can no longer absorb vitamins and vital nutrients because the villi are crucial for this process.  That means that people with undiagnosed Celiac disease then become at risk for other serious illnesses including cancer.

Gluten is a common food ingredient that is becoming easier to avoid as more people are diagnosed with celiac disease.  Statistically speaking, about 1 out of every 133 Americans has Celiac disease making it more common than diseases that you are very familiar with.  The recognition of Celiac disease has grown exponentially in the last eight plus years.  I can hardly believe the increase in the number and quantity of gluten-free products that you can now find in health food and grocery stores!  

Today only about 3-5% of the people with Celiac disease are diagnosed which means that we have about 95-97% of the Celiac population undiagnosed and tragically at great risk for serious health problems and potentially death.  The more people that get diagnosed and the greater the demand for gluten-free foods the easier it is for everyone!  

Celiac disease and gluten intolerance are highly recognized in Europe. So much so that for many, many years McDonalds has made gluten-free hamburger buns available.  When we get enough American’s diagnosed with either Celiac disease or gluten-intolerance, we too will be finding gluten-free hamburger buns popping up at all of our fast food restaurants.  Now, let’s see how fast we can come together to create THAT as a new reality!

Love,

Lisa

How many of us can say that we actually live life with no regrets?  I have had a chance recently to take stock and evaluate how many regrets I have (so far) in life.  More than regrets, it is the mistakes that I’ve made which I wish I could have a “do-over” opportunity.  But mistakes are what you learn from.  Ask Henry Ford and Albert Einstein and a few others that had many things not turn out before they accomplished what they set out to do.  Yes, mistakes I have made plenty of, but regrets are another matter.

I regret not doing the Dance Marathon while at Penn State.  ”Thon” as it is lovingly called.  But I couldn’t go back to Penn State and do more, do it better or have more fun which makes me happy.  I think what makes me have few regrets is that I think big and go for the gusto!  I’ve already done many things in my life that I was told were not going to happen.  Doing the grunt work to get the Alpha Omicron Pi Chapter started at Penn State was just one of those things.

More than a few Penn Staters thought that I was out of my mind to even try. And then that I was even crazier to continue when the Panhellenic Council voted down allowing AOII to colonize at Penn State.  And yet, we were ultimately successful because I and others were not willing to give up.  What do you regret?  What regrets do you have that you could still impact?  Do you regret not keeping in touch with old friends?  Learning a new hobby?  Spending time with your family?

It’s never too late to interrupt the path of regrets.  It first takes a moment of contemplation to review your own life, where you have been and what you have done.  Only then, and in contrast to your own vision for your life can you look for possible regrets.  I am surrounded by loving and generous friends, three great children, one hard working husband, and I am living into a vision where I am contributing my gifts to others.  Now that makes me happy.  What makes you happy?

Love,

Lisa

When people find out that I am a mother to three children (11 and under), cookbook author, public speaker, taking classes, involved in Toastmasters…you get the idea – they look at me in disbelief. Prior to starting college, I ran a pretty tight schedule with a part-time job, activities and organizations and school. The more you practice any skill, the most likely outcome is that you will become better at the said skill and eventually you will have mastery around it.

If you can manage your time, you can certainly manage your life. Time management is one of the areas of life that a large majority of people struggle with. Where are you on the topic of time management? Could you stand to improve your relationship to time? One of the many things that I do each week that works very, very well is to make a list of the things that I need and want to accomplish for the week.

I call this my “Things to do” list and I type it up on the computer numbering each item. I start the list by looking at my Franklin-Covey Planner and typing up any things that have to happen on Monday, Tuesday and so forth through the week. Once I have noted the conference calls, appointments, phone calls and other action items that are required to happen on a given day, I then list out the other items that either need to be done or that I would like to accomplish.

In total, my “Things To Do” list typically contains about 40 items. How much of that do I actually get done? Well, it all depends on the week. In a good week I get 50% of the items done. In a really great week, I can range up in the 75% range. And it flectuates due to items that are not in the plan like car issues, illnesses and other unscheduled meetings and plans.

If you don’t engage in a practice like this and you were willing to do it on a weekly basis, I know it would make a big difference in your life. I do my list on Sunday evening (usually), and then punch it and put it in my planner. It then drives the week’s activities! If you can manage your time, you can manage your life! Have a great week!
Love,
Lisa

Yes, you know that you are technically challenged when you have to ask your 10-year-old son for help with your cell phone! No shame in that! My 5-year old daughter was proudly boasting this week that she was good with technology. It gave me room for pause as I then ask her, “What IS technology?”

“Well, the microwave is technology,” she answered with the pride of any child. Yeah, even I can do that technology! So, here I am technically challenged and blogging. Imagine what else is possible. Having mastered getting a blog posted, my feat this week will be figuring out how to notifiy all of my family, friends, and followers that I now have a blog. There is some way that you can register to receive automatic e-mails when I post a new blog to my blog (yes, I’m sure that there is some technical language here that I am missing). Perhaps you will figure that out.

It is amazing how our children are growing up in a technical world and they take to it like a fish takes to water. Our world is changing. Are we changing to keep pace? I think that the work that I am doing to gain new skills to help me cause a new future would fall nicely into the “change” category. It is confronting, however. I have garnered new skills in the area of what I can say to people, what I can do on any given day, and how I can nuture and inspire people. And it is all very, very confronting.

Now I just have to confront my need to get exercising. How technical is that? What areas of life are you confronting today? What new technical skill could you gain in the coming week? Sending you good love and powerful positive energy.
Love,
Lisa

As we launch our cookbook we as a family are grateful to so many for all of the love and support that has been given to us. It is stressful to have a child who is not healthy with all of the added doctor visits, time and energy required. Adding extraordinary medical bills on top, just makes an already hard situation even more crushing. I am thankful to family, friends, and total strangers for sharing love, generosity, and encouragement in times when we could not see our way clear of the hardships we were encountering.

People like Linda and Garry Breitbach, Diane & Keith Gregor (as in Gregor’s Garden Grove in West Seneca) and Alberta & Paul Roman are just a couple of the names that pop into my mind who have contributed remarkably to helping us overcome tremendous problems. Gratitude hardly seems strong enough to capture our deep appreciation to the hundreds of people who have supported us. In our great nation, every thirty seconds someone goes bankrupt due to medical bills according to the AARP. We are thankful that we have missed that arrow.

My personal philosophy has always been that God only gives you what he knows you can handle. But the addendum to that is God gives you a problem so you can use it to contribute to others. And I would like nothing more than that. My mission is to use what we have been through starting with food to empower others. And those of you who know me personally know that I have a personal commitment to alter the future of health care for the better. What else would you do given the same circumstances?

It is my personal vision to create the partnership of millions of Americans to cause a new future in health care. That is what enables me to get up out of bed in the morning, despite very difficult circumstances, and be in action. I want a new future for my three children – a better world. It is humbling to say the least to have overcome such difficulties. It is inspiring to be working to alter the future for the better. Gratitude and appreciation have helped me survive and move forward. What are you grateful for today? Who do you appreciate?

Many, many blessings to each and every one of you.
Love,
Lisa