Sunday, April 24, 2016

SMK | Raleigh, NC Newborn Photographer

I can't say enough about this family! They have been with me from the very beginning [they were my first maternity shoot AND my first newborn shoot ever so many moons ago].  They just welcomed their third adorable baby into this world, and I had the pleasure of capturing the sweet newborn stage for the third time for them.  This girl did such a great job cooperating during her photo shoot debut, and I can't wait to watch her grow.  Here's a little sneak peek into our session...



















Sunday, April 10, 2016

Allergy Friendly Recipes

I'm sitting here hooked to a certain machine 😉 (so of course I'll blog some recipes). I've been on a dairy and soy free diet for Piper for over 2 months now and I'm currently adding eggs and wheat to my list of no-no's. I wanted to share some things I've learned since starting this interesting journey (in case you are just starting out too).


Snacks-
Snacks have been the weirdest for me. I'm used to grabbing a granola bar or pop tart to snack on but not anymore! Here are some of my favorite snacks:
-Lara bars (I love the coconut cream pie, apple pie, peanut butter chocolate chip, and pecan pie the best)
-Fruit
-Homemade Rice Krispie treats.

(Warm some canola oil over low heat and melt 2 bags of marshmallows. Add as much Rice Krispies cereal as desired depending on how marshmallowy you like them...usually 4-6 cups. Pour into a baking dish and cut once set.)
- I found this recipe for "cheesecake" on Pinterest: 


Breakfast-
-Almond milk!
-Vanilla almond creamer and coffee
-Oatmeal
-Honey Nut Cheerios (lots of cereal is dairy/soy free and some is also wheat free)
-Eggs and bacon (if you're still eating eggs)
-Cornmeal pancakes

-I found this recipe for muffins if you're still eating eggs: (http://m.cookstr.com/recipes/blueberry-swirl-muffins)


Lunch-
I mostly eat fruits, veggies, salad, deli meats, or (before I cut wheat) sandwiches made with dairy and soy free pita bread. Cape cod bbq chips and nuts are good too.


Dinner-
Finding brands of soups, sauces, seasonings, noodles, and other ingredients takes a while at first but is worth it in the end.  I just found some brown rice spaghetti noodles that I'm going to start using.

-Fajita bowls with cilantro lime rice:

I use basmati rice. Cook using chicken broth according to package directions, and add the juice of one lime and a bundle of roughly chopped cilantro to taste. I cook chicken and peppers in the fajita seasoning and add lettuce and salsa.

-Campbell's makes an apple bourbon bbq slow cooker sauce that I use (with chicken instead of pork) and I used pita pockets before I cut wheat.

-Spaghetti using appropriate noodles for your diet and check the sauce if you don't make your own. Often the heart healthy options are good. I like adding sausage and spinach.

-Shrimp and sausage hash with corn. Pretty self explanatory!

-White chicken chili
Cook 1/2 an onion and a pound of chicken. Either shred or chop the chicken. Add to 3-4 cups of chicken broth, a jar of salsa verde, 2 cans canellini beans, 1 can great northern beans, and bring it all to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes covered and serve with cilantro.

I hope this helps anyone starting out who might be feeling overwhelmed!