My assistant showing my remedial sewing skills. Getting better!

Scarf Tales from the Craft Den

Pins are in! It is 11:30PM and I have 7 left to pin. Hubs should be home soon, I think I am done for the night!

The Joy's Hope Scarf Along Challenge

I am in this thing for real!

I'm doing the "Scarf Along" Challenge to help me get over the fact that I am afraid of my sewing machine.

I love my sewing machine, but I am so uncomfortable and afraid of making mistakes.

Julie @ Joy's Hope is changing this for me.

I cut my fabrics! I gave the dog an elk antler to keep her busy, next comes sewing....... eek!

Laboratory Farming

This is what scientists do at lunch when their minds wander. Welcome to the Lab Avocado Farm!

What am I up to?

I heart the farmers market!

Summer was quite interesting here at Casa Allergic
I had a back injury and was not working.
Money was a little tight, we got a new puppy and I was rehabbing my injury.
I started to look for ways to save money and help myself get better.
My puppy needed to socialize.
I found a solution to it all!

The local farmers market

The dog got to meet people and learn how to behave in public
I got to walk around and re-learn movement
I found fabulous produce, saved money and supported local agriculture

Seek one out in your neighborhood!

Recipe: Tuna Pasta Salad

I work full time
I get home from work around 6pm, sometimes as late as 10pm
I'm starving when I get home and I'm not great at planning/cooking ahead
One of my favorite go-to meals is pasta salad

So us allergic folks have to get a little creative

Most imporant is noodles!!
I have found my favorite:
Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta
I love this stuff, it is a corn/quinoa blend
Even non-allergic "hates all my hippy food" hubby loves it!

Here is my "recipe"
(I don't measure, it drives people crazy but I just can't do it, too much work)

Tuna Pasta Salad:
Pasta noodles, boiled
Mixed veggies, cooked
Mayo of some type ( I love the new olive oil mayo)
Tuna ( I prefer chunk light)

Mix things together, it's super tasty if you can remember to make it in the morning so the flavors can mingle
It's not pretty but it sure is tasty!!

Frugal Product Review - Nellie's Dryerballs

I happened across these at my local ALDI on the clearance rack for $4. You just pop them in the dryer with your clothing and they claim to soften, reduce drying time, and reduce lint and wrinkles.
I do try to line dry when possible, but usually just towels and things. I find line drying makes clothes very stiff, so I have to tumble them to soften them. Some days we have time, some days they go right in the dryer. Maybe we can make the clothes dyer just a little bit "greener."

The verdict:
I am somewhat undecided about the effectiveness of this product. I do think it is helping with drying time, I'm not sure about any of the other claims. Because I got them on clearance, I think it was a good buy, I'm just not too sure I would pay full price

Frugal Finds: Oriental Grocery Store

Gluten free and frugal?

It is possible!

Soon after your diagnosis you will go shopping.

You will gasp at prices, you will nearly faint at the health food store.

You'll cry when something you bake falls apart, and you add up the cost.

How on earth is a frugalista supposed to be gluten free and fabulous?

Meet your local Oriental grocery store.

Hunt around; its in your town somewhere

Why is it worth the hunt?

White rice flour from the health food store is usually $5 a bag

At my local Oriental store - $1.19 a bag

Soak that in people, that's huge!

I also found tapioca starch for about a $1 a bag, and rice noodles for about $1.50

Hunt and search for an Oriental store, Mine is tiny but packed to the gills with amazing finds.

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Ice Cream Cones

Dole whip and Gluten free ice cream cones

Don't you love summertime? It's fun to reminisce about all the fun things we used to do as kids. I lived 1/2 mile from the local Dairy Queen, it was such a treat to ride our bikes as a family up there and get ice cream cones.

Then came the allergies...

Gluten free and dairy free people need love too!

Meet your new love, the dole whip ice cream cone

Fist thing first, the cone

Goldbaum's gluten free ice cream cones:

These things are great, I have not had a cone in many many years, but it is exactly what I remembered!! They can get a bit drippy if you take too long to eat. I savor every bite!!

Next, Dole Whip.

Now, this is gluten free but its not 100% dairy free. I've been dealing with my allergy for many years, so I know what I can handle. I can have tiny amounts of casein, but not whey.

I'm very lucky in that there is an ice cream shop about 6 miles from my house that sells Dole Whip. Call around, bug your local parlor until they start selling it!! It comes in many flavors, the favorite in my family is Pineapple.

It's my own personal trip back to Hawaii every time I eat it!

Cooking with Bette - Cream Soup and Biscuit Mix

Cooking with Bette Hagman


Don't look here for Bette Hagman's recipes. go buy her book "Gluten Free Gourmet"
I'm too cheap to buy anything and I bought this book.
You will make every single thing in this book.

I will post from time to time tips and tricks for following her recipes.



Cream Soup Base:

I got my neat glass containers at IKEA, $2.99 and $3.99 depending on the size
To make my cream soup base dairy free I used store brand soy-based infant formula. Seems odd but it works!

Biscuit Mix:
I used the infant formula again and the tool you need to make this is a pastry cutter.
You will thank me.
Keep cutting the shortening until you just have a crumbly mix, not globs.
Make sure you store this in the fridge!