Classic pairing

Tips for a lactose free cold weather classic. 

     This week has been really cold. I am lucky enough to have a mother-in-law who had just the thing to warm us up. It had been a long day, we were cold, and we did not feel like cooking much at all. My mother-in-law decided that some classic comfort food would end our day on a high note. What better way to warm up on a cold rainy day then with tomato soup and grilled cheese. 

Tips from Mom Heckman for this classic pairing 

  1) Doctor up that canned soup. When using condensed soup add lactose free milk instead of water. 
      This makes the soup have more of a bisque texture and a richer taste. 
 2) Make it your own. you can add pepper, basil, oregano, or whatever you think would go well with       tomato. 
 3) When making the grilled cheese first coat the outsides of the bread with smart balance or earth            balance butter. 
 4) For the inside of the your grilled cheese I recommend Daiya cheese. It has some of the best melts,       of the lactose free cheeses I have tried. 

5) Don't be afraid to dip !

Hope these tips help you enjoy a quick, comforting, and delicious lactose free meal.  

Quick and Cheesy Quesadilla

Quick and Cheesy Quesadilla (Don't worry it's dairy free)

Dealing with quesadilla cravings? Don't feel bad it happens to the best of us. It can be a major pain when dealing with allergies. On top of my Lactose issues, there are quite a few spices I can not handle, (this includes taco seasoning).  So in order to get my cheesy crunchy fix I devised a quick solution to make at home. The great thing about this recipe? You can totally make it your own. I have included some suggestions for you in the recipe. The recipe below feeds four.  

What you will need: 

1) Tortillas (corn or flour will do whichever you like)

2) 6-8 TBS Salsa ( Store bought  in a jar or cold section or make your own) 

3) 1/2 bag- 1 full bag of Shredded dairy free cheese  ( My favorites are Go Veggie or  Daiya) 

4) 2 large Chicken Breasts or 8 chicken tenders

Step one - Spray a skillet with cooking spray and cook chicken on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. flip chicken about half way through. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste. Once cooked, Take chicken off heat, cut into strips or bite size chunks and set aside. 

If you can eat taco seasoning you could add it in at this step. If you like beef you could use that instead. If  you rather just have a plain cheese quesadilla, skip step one. 

Step two - As chicken is cooking, in a microwave safe bowl mix together cheese and salsa. Once mixed well, microwave mixture for  10 seconds at a time.  Take out and stir. Repeat this step until you reach a total of 30- 40 seconds of cook time.  You should see the Cheese mixture just starting to melt. DO NOT LET THIS MELT THE WHOLE WAY. 

Okay, so I know this part sounds odd.  The reason this step is so important because dairy free cheese does not melt like dairy based cheese. It takes a lot longer. This step helps to prep the cheese to melt faster once it is in the pan. Also, mixing in the salsa gives the cheese more flavor and a little kick.

Step three- When cheese mixture is ready, mix in the cut chicken.  

Step four- Spray skillet with cooking spray and trow on your favorite tortilla. Top the tortilla with the cheese and chicken mixture. Top with another tortilla and cook on medium heat until golden brown on each side (about 2-3 minutes). 

Serve with  with your favorite quesadilla toppings.  I hope you enjoy! 

Lactose Free Milk Review Part 2

Happy Saturday everyone!! Sorry for the late post, I am trying to post on Fridays but sometimes life happens. So here is part two of my lactose free milk review:

4) Ricemilk - This is another option worth mentioning, but I do not have much experience with is ricemilk. I have only had rice milk once or twice. Ricemilk is very sweet. That is really the only thing I can recall about it. This alternative does not have a lot of protein. I am sure you can use this for cooking, but just keep in mind it is sweet. Personally, I was not impressed with this type of milk. I know some people love it. Feel free to comment your experiences with this product.  

 5) Almondmilk (image via google images)

Almond Breeze is  one of my favorite brands of  Almond Milk; and yes, I also enjoy Silk’s Almond Milk too.

Taste? - Almondmilk does have a little bit of an almond taste. Shocker, I know. Almond milk is also a little sweeter than soymilk. This “sweetness” is there no matter if you get the unsweetened original  milk or not.  I am partial to the vanilla flavored options of almondmilk.

Varieties within the brand? - Original, Vanilla, Chocolate, and Hint of Honey. They also provide these options in reduced sugar and unsweetened.

What can you do with it? -  Weather it is straight up, on cereal, in oatmeal, tea, hot coco, coffee, smoothies, and baked goods. For me, almondmilk is too sweet for savory dishes; However,  it is perfect for all those sweet things you want to make.

Is this the right alternative for me? -  If you are looking for an alternative to milk during breakfast or dessert this is the alternative for you. If you have any ideas for savory recipes made with almond milk, let me know.  

6)  Lactaid milk (selfie below featuring me and my milk bestie)

Please pardon me for being a little goofy here, but this is my favorite lactose free milk. All of the options I have listed above are not only lactose free, they are non-dairy. This option is a little different because Lactaid milk contains dairy, but it is lactose free. It is my understanding that Lactaid milk  is real milk, real dairy, but they are able to add the lactose enzyme directly to the milk. Why does this matter? Well, if you are lactose intolerant you are enzyme deficient and  your body can not produce this enzyme on it’s own. I am so grateful to have lactaid milk in my life. It makes it easier for me to cook and enjoy meals with all of my family.

Taste? -  It is milk…. So it tastes like milk. I have family members that tell me “normal” milk is richer, however I have other family members that tell me they can’t tell the difference at all.

Varieties within the brand? -  Lactiaid milk is just like regular milk. The varieties you can choose from are fat free, Lowfat 1%, reduced fat 2%, whole milk, and Chocolate. These also come in calcium enriched options.

What can you do with it? -  Drink it as it is. Mix a little chocolate syrup into it. Make all of your favorite baked goods. Cook all of your favorite dairy filled recipes. Anything milk can do, Lactaid does better for the Lactose intolerant.  

Is this the right alternative for me? -  Weather you are just sensitive or full blown lactose intolerant, lactaid milk is for the dairy lover. If you have an issue with anything in dairy products other than lactose, this is not the alternative for you. If you have problems with milk protein, this product is not going to help you. Know your body, and just be careful not to over do it with the dairy products.

I hope this helps in your quest for Lactose free milk options or for understanding of a loved one's struggle.  I hope you have a great weekend and check back next week for more.

Part 1 Lactose Free Milk Review

Part 1 Lactose Free Milk Review.

     Hey everyone!

            So one of the hardest things about being Lactose intolerant is not being able to have milk. It can be hard for people with this issue to stomach liquid dairy that contains lactose; Even with Lactaid pills. I feel many of my compatriots with know what I am talking about. So what can you do? Give it all up? Sure that is one option, but it is not much fun. From cereal in the morning to alfredo for dinner, it is hard to beat those flavors. So, do you have it anyway? That will not work unless you feel it is worth being down for the count for a few days. My solution? Find a Lactose free milk alternative that you can drink and use in your recipes at home.  We are so lucky to be living in a time where we have access to so many milk alternatives. I have been drinking this stuff for years. I have reviewed six types of milks that I have use or have heard of. Below is part 1 of  this review for some of the modern alternatives that are out there for regular milk:  

1. Silk Cashew milk (Image from google images)

Cashew-milk…I can honestly say that I have not tried this as an alternative. “Why?”, you ask. Well, though it is marked as an alternative to dairy… IT CONTAINS DAIRY!  At least the Silk cashew-milk does. The last time I picked up a carton of this stuff on the back it said, “ Contains skim milk, Contains lactose”.  Just because something is marketed as an alternative or even labeled as “lactose free” it does NOT meant that it is.  Read the ingredients and nutrition labels. I have made the mistake of not doing so. Learn from my mistakes and save your evening. Now, It has been a while since I picked up a carton. Perhaps, the ingredients have changed. So, until these ingredients are removed I can not rate this product.

2) Soy milk (image via google images )

Okay, so I know what you are thinking, “Silk brand again?”,  well, yes.  I like Silk soy milk, however, it is not the only brand of soy milk out there, and it is not the only brand I have tried or that I like.  I feel like soy milk was the first alternative out there.  When soy milk first came out, it was hard to find. The some brands expensive, some had a chalky texture, some had a really  thick or chunky texture, some just did not taste great, and some had an okay flavor. Now, soy milk is easier to find and brands are getting better at developing flavor.  There are some other brands that I will use, but usually buy Silk when I get soy milk. I even used the “shelf-safe” storage box of Silk when I was in college. This being said, here is my review for this alternative.

Taste? - Soy milk does not taste like milk from a cow. For some, it does have a “soy taste” or a little bit of a “nut taste” to it. This being said, it’s taste is not over powering. You will know you are not drinking “normal milk”, but you it doesn’t take the joy out of drinking your tea, (or coffee) in the morning.

Varieties in the brand?  There are so many types to choose from.  The last time I looked on the silk website,  their soy milk options included:  original, vanilla,  very vanilla, protein plus, chocolate, light, and organic. They also have unsweetened options of many of their flavors.

What can you do with it? - Soy milk goes great on your cereal in the morning and is great for baking. I have used it in my tea, hot chocolate, and for baking brownies. In baking you can not taste a difference.  I have friends that use soy milk as an alternative to milk in their mashed potatoes. Personally,  I have not been brave enough to use it in my savory cooking, however, when I do I will add an update to this post.

Is this the right alternative for me? - This  is a question you need to answer for yourself. Soy milk is pretty flexible. It allows me to enjoy my green-tea frappuccino at Starbucks and the whole family to enjoy desert.  I use soy milk every now and then. I have to say that this is my second favorite alternative, because of it’s versatility.

3)  Coconut milk - I am not a fan of coconut, so I have not had this myself. However, felt it was worth mentioning as an option for my lactose intolerant brethren. As an ingredient in cooking and for a drink, coconut milk is pretty popular. So if you are a coconut fan, perhaps this is the perfect option for you. Please share your experiences.  

More of my review to come next week! Check back soon soon for information on rice milk, almond milk, and Lactaid! 

Common Lactose intolerance Questions

8. Common Questions about Lactose intolerance:

 

1. What is it? An allergy?  - Lactose intolerance is NOT an allergy. If you are allergic to dairy, it is my understanding that you would have a reaction to dairy in a different way. You would have a reaction to dairy the same way that someone with a peanut allergy would have a reaction. You could also have a problem with reactions if dairy touched your skin. If you are lactose intolerant you are not suffering from this type of affliction. Lactose intolerance is an ENZYME DEFICIENCY. An enzyme deficiency means you do not have the enzymes in your body to break down lactose. Lactose is “Milk Sugar”. So, if you are lactose intolerant you either  have a hard time or you cannot, break down the sugar that is found naturally in milk.  (picture below found Via google images).

2. If it is not an allergy, why do you tell people it is? – Why? Because it is hard to explain. As wonderful as it is to FINALLY have the chance to tell people what it is, and what it is like to live with, every few people understand what an enzyme deficiency is. People understand the term allergy, and as soon as you say it they take you seriously. It is just a fast way to get a stranger, like a weightier to take it seriously.
3. Is it a “big deal”? I mean come on you just get a little gassy, right? – As I said before this is an enzyme deficiency. This means people can have varying amounts of the enzyme needed to process lactose. It means that people have different severities of lactose intolerance, (sorry for the science answer).  My Dad used to make fun of term “Lactose sensitive” but that is what some people are. It can be hard for those people to digest dairy, but they can do it. However, those people may get a little gassy or bloated. Then there are people with severe lactose intolerance. These people, like myself, cannot process lactose at all. (picture below found Via google images)

4. What are the symptoms? – Because, there is a range of how this deficiency can affect people there is a range of systems. Again, some of those with this affliction just deal with gas. This is one end (pardon the pun) of the spectrum. The other end of the spectrum is food poisoning-like symptoms. Symptoms include, stomach discomfort, pain, or cramps. Severe symptoms are vomiting, and diarrhea, sometimes both at the same time. Sometimes symptoms can last a few days. My Mom likes to say, “It is as if you ate plastic. Your body doesn’t know what lactose, “the plastic”, is so it is trying to get it out of your system as quickly as possible”.
5. You can grow out of it, can’t you? – No, it is highly unlikely that someone can “grow out of” lactose intolerance. I am sorry, but this question is one of my biggest pet-peeves. I growing up I had a few family members say this too me over and over again. All the while my symptoms and sensitivity were worsening. As a kid, it makes you feel like something is wrong with you. As if dealing with this issue isn’t hard enough. I am not sure what the medical answer is, but I can tell you my lactose intolerance has gotten WORSE with age. Again, this is an enzyme issue. If your body does not have the means to process a material it is very unlikely it will start “magically” producing something it could not before.  I only know of one case where there was such a change in a person. My cousin-in-law was lactose intolerant, (among other issues, more on that to come), until her pregnancy. It was like the baby taught her system how to produce the enzyme. While this is awesome for her, don’t go getting pregnant so you can eat a pizza. The chances of that happening are few and far between.(picture below found Via google images)

6. What can affect you? What can you not eat?  - You will want to avoid any Dairy products or product made with Lactose if you have this issue.  Anything  made with milk, cheese, cream, butter, sour cream, ice-cream, whipped cream, and butter cream frosting… the list goes on and on. If it is baked in bread or a cake, or crust, some people are able to handle the amount of lactose in those. Not sure why perhaps it cooks out some.  
7. What do I need to look out for? – Anything with the words, Milk or Lactose in the label. READ FOOD LABELS, I cannot stress this enough. Do not just read the nutrition facts, you know the thing that looks like (picture below found Via google images):

While these facts are important, you really need to be looking at the list of ingredients. This list is MORE important to you than the nutrition facts. Companies have started to add milk sugar in places it does not belong. The other month I kept feeling sick. I couldn’t figure out what was going on. It would happen after lunch every-day. I would make myself a turkey sandwich and an hour after all I wanted to do was lay down. I didn’t understand until I read the back of the turkey package. They have started to add lactose to the pre-packaged turkey. They already added it to flavored potato chips and now lunch meat. Lactose has now been added to a lot of different lunch meats. So beware of what the list of ingredients on the back of the label says.

8. Is there a way to combat it? – If you are Lactose intolerant there are ways to make sure you feel your best, and eat the foods you like. 1) depending on your sensitivity, cut down on your dairy intake or avoid it when you can. 2) Take “Lactaid”. These are enzyme pills that allow you process lactose for short periods of time. You should meet with a doctor before taking them, but they are an over the counter product. These do not work for some people. This could be because some brands work better than others or because these people have a hard time processing milk Protein, not milk sugar, (lactose). Not being able to process milk protein is a whole different issue. However, I digress. My point, it if you can take it and it works for you it does make life a little easier. I will post more information about “Lactaid” later. 3) Look for dairy substitutes and swap them out when you can. 4) Give yourself breaks from dairy when you can. You cannot stop or reverse lactose intolerance but I hope this helps!

Lactose Background

  I was born in the 90’s.  Back in the day, people knew of Lactose intolerance,(... and gluten intolerance, and other food problems) but, I don’t think they were as commonly talked about as they are today. When I was young, I would get sick often. My stomach would hurt, or I would have bathroom issues, or I would just throw up. My mom took me to the doctor trying to figure out what was going on.

   The doctor had a hard time pinpointing the cause. Despite her frustration, my mother kept on trying to solve the “mystery” that my doctors couldn’t.  It took my Mom writing down everything, EVERYTHING I ate and drank to figure out what was going on. She found out that the common thread with my issues was dairy. If I had more than 3 servings of dairy I would get sick. I was “Lactose sensitive”.  She later explained this to my physician. After this discovery, doctors deemed that it would not be safe for me to start taking Lactaid until I was 12. Until then, we were to keep track of my dairy intake and after 3 servings, avoid dairy. And drinking a glass of milk was out the question.  

The glass of milk thing was a big deal at first. I don’t know if it was a 90’s thing or if it was a family thing, but all of my cousins and my sister would have either a glass of milk at dinner or before bed.  I remember my stomach feeling uncomfortable or hurting if I participated, and me feeling left out if I didn’t. As my sensitivity grew, I could no longer drink milk at dinner like my sister or my cousins.

   In the 90’s there were not a lot of dairy alternatives. I remember my mom bring home a few different milks for me to try. I don’t remember the names of the brands or types of “milk” they were, but I do remember them not tasting good. My mom would always try the lactose alternatives with me. This helped remind me that it was normal to try new things, and that I was not alone.

    I remember one day my Mom come home from the store so excited because she found a dairy free chocolate milk. I was excited too. She poured out two small glasses. We were standing in front of the kitchen sink, the sunlight from the summer afternoon lighting up the room. Hoping for the rich sweet coco smell, I took a whiff.  I said something along the lines of, “Mom it smells chocolatey.” We both took a sip... and... spit it out into the sink. Mom said something along the lines of, “Oh, that does not taste good”.  The “milk” was thicker than one would expect. It also did not have a chocolaty taste. It was more like canned meat with coco on top. We poured it out in the sink soon after.  Finally, I turned 12 and was able to take Lactaid.  

    My family has Italian heritage; so, needless to say, I am surrounded by amazing food, which happens to contain a lot of dairy. Lactaid makes life easier. As I have gotten older, my lactose intolerance has gotten worse. The start of my 20’s has brought new issues, Lactaid doesn’t always work as well as it once did. Luckily the world is filled with more dairy alternatives now, (many of which I plan on reviewing here, so that you may avoid the kitchen sink spit take).

 For my health, I have cut back a lot on my dairy intake, I use dairy alternatives when I can, I try and take my Lactaid no more than once a day, and have dairy free days as often as I can.  Please check back here for recipes and reviews

Who is this person?

 Who is this person?

  

Hello! I am MaryKate McDonald- Heckman.  I am a learning support teaching/ instructional assistant, a Penn State graduate, a wife, a daughter, a sister. I enjoy reading immensely. I like to write, go to movies, cook, and be with my friends and family.  I am not a doctor or a nutritionist.

   That being said, I am 26 years old and have been living with Lactose intolerance, allergies, and anxiety my whole life.  My family and I started out knowing very little about these things. Through trial and error, research, and yes, doctors’ appointments, I have learned a lot. I am still growing and learning, but I want to share what I have learned and am learning with others.  I hope my stories, tips, swaps, recipes, and experiences will help you or someone you know, so you don’t have to do the leg work I did. Or, at least I hope to give you a good recipe to try.