Getting ready for school

It might seem a bit odd, but I’m already beginning to think about September, when William will enter Kindergarten.  There are a million questions and concerns racing through my mind, and I’m feeling a bit discombobulated, trying to figure out which of these should take priority. 

Unlike other provinces (Ontario and British Columbia), Saskatchewan doesn’t have  policy or set of regulations covering anaphylactic children in school settings.  Prairie Spirit School District does have guidelines for administering an EpiPen (or other necessary medication) to students, and has guidelines for dealing with anaphylactic children in the school (see section JFL).  That being said, we’re not dealing with an allergy that most people are familiar with.  The school is peanut- and scent-free (which I’m not going to get into, here), but it’s inconceivable, because of the ubiquity of sulphites, for this to be an option for William. 

I’ve already had a preliminary discussion with his classroom teacher, and will schedule a meeting with her and the principal for later this spring.  In the meantime, the dearth of readily-available (and understandable, which is a whole different issue) information on sulphites and sulphite-sensitivity is presenting a bit of a problem.  Sounds like a fact sheet might be in order. 

Bundt pan banana bread

Bundt Pan Banana Bread

This recipe is a staple in our house, and always made in the bundt pan.  Best served warm, and even better with peanut butter!

Adapted from The Best of the Best and More.

Ingredients

• 1 cup organic, unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups organic white sugar
• 5-6 mashed ripe organic bananas
• 4 organic, free range eggs
• 2-1/2 cups organic no-additive unbleached white flour
• 2 tsp organic baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly grated organic nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl.
3. Add bananas and eggs.  Beat until mixed well.
4. Mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
5. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture.  Be careful not to overmix.
6. Pour into greased bundt pan (or two greased loaf pans).
7. Bake 50 to 55 minutes.  Test for doneness before removing (toothpick in middle should come out clean).  
8. Cool on rack for at least 10 minutes before removing.  
9. If freezing, cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap before freezing.

Pumpkin cranberry oatmeal muffins

We're completely out of baking at the moment, primarily due to the nasty stomach bug that's laid all of us up for the last ten days.  Yuck.  So it's time for an über-baking morning.  On this morning's list is banana bread (recipe to come later), multi-grain bread and buns, shortbread cookies, and pumpkin cranberry oatmeal muffins (made with the last of the pumpkin puree I made in December ... of which I will make much, much more next year).

Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins

(adapted from The Kitchen Magpie)

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup of organic pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup packed organic, unsulphured brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened organic applesauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup organic stone ground red spring wheat flour
• 1/2 cup steel cut whole flake organic oatmeal
• 1/4 cup ground organic flax seed
• 3/4 cup organic cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• 4 tsp organic, non-aluminum baking powder
• 1 tsp organic cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp organic ginger
• 1/4 tsp grated fresh organic nutmeg
• pinch organic cloves
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Mix eggs, pumpkin, water, applesauce, and brown sugar in a medium bowl until well blended.  Do not overmix.  
4. Fold in cranberries.
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.  
6. Pour batter into a greased muffin tin.  Note:  Do not use paper liners, as these muffins will stick.  
7. Bake 18 - 20 minutes, until tops spring back lightly when touched.  (If using whole wheat flour, decrease cooking time to 15 - 17 minutes.)

Reaction? Stomach bug? Argh ...

William had an episode of major gastrointestinal distress late Thursday evening, to the point that I couldn't even get Gravol to stay down.  We limped through the night--nine loads of laundry later--and he managed to sleep a bit.  The boys had eaten out with D that evening, so my first suspicion was an allergic reaction to sulphites.  Thankfully, this wasn't the case, as it seems that all four of us have the same bug now, but it did get me to thinking.

Before, my first reaction would've been to give him Gravol and Kaopectate, then check his temperature and keep him clean and comfortable.  Now, I'm immediately giving him Benadryl, then watching him like a hawk, waiting to see if it's just a GI bug, or if it's something more nefarious, requiring constant watch to ensure that it's not the beginning of an anaphylactic reaction.  I feel like I'm over-reacting, but I need to keep him safe ... and there seems to be a constant war between the two, which is a bit uncomfortable, to say the least.  Where do you draw the line between rationality and obsessiveness?  I don't know, at least not right now.  We seem to be making the rules up as we go.  I just hope we're making the right ones.