Day 70
My teeny tiny baby girl's second birthday is coming up in a week. I can hardly believe it. Seems like yesterday she was a seven pound six ounce feather resting on my chest. There's a lot I could say about the past two years and how challenging and wonderful they have been, but it's all such a jumble in my head and heart right now I don't think I could write very coherently about it.
Instead ... I'll focus on cake! I am trying to come up with a recipe for a birthday cake that fits all of our restrictions. A month ago or so I was saying "who needs a birthday cake! She's only two, she won't notice that she didn't have one." But then we recently went to a birthday party and Ellie got to help blow the candles out and the look on her face was priceless. I turned to Ian and said, "Cake. She must have a cake."
This compulsion to make sure Ellie got to blow out the candles was at least part of my motivation to trial coconut last week (fail), because I had found a recipe for frosting that was primarily made out of blueberries and coconut oil. This would have been perfect since we're still not eating honey.
I am trying to come up with something that uses no: dairy, coconut, honey, citrus or legumes (you'd think that cake without legumes would be a no-brainer, but the birthday cake recipe in the Healing Food Allergies class I took called for white beans). Plus of course all the other GAPS restrictions we all know and love - no flour, sugar, etc.
This Banana Birthday Cake from Elana's Pantry might work. I'd just have to leave out the agave and baking soda and use duck eggs instead of chicken eggs. But what do I frost it with? Hmmm ... any suggestions mamas?
I found this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.veganbaking.net/vegan-recipes/frostings-icings-and-sauces/creamy-cashew-cream-cheese.html
You could probably make this GAPS-legal and maybe add some gelatin to make it more stable for frosting. Please share what you make!!
Magda
I just discovered your blog last night and just finished reading every post! I am also doing GAPS for/ with my 11 month old breastfeeding son. I have not come across any information on this topic of GAPS and the breastfeeding baby. We started GAPS at least 3 months ago but am doing full GAPS. I had already lost quite a bit of weight doing various restrictive diets trying to see if my son's eczema, reflux, and sleep issues were food related. I have also not had the support of my holistic family doctor, but am seeing another holistic pediatrician and a pediatric dermatologist next week. After about a month on GAPS my sons eczema almost completely cleared, but after about 3 weeks it returned. It is puzzling and hard to continue when the diet seemed to work and then not anymore. I thought maybe swimming in our chlorinated pool might have been the trigger for the eczema returning, but after keeping him out of the pool for a whole month, no improvement. My 3 year old daughter is also still nursing, so this could be a long road ahead still for me and my baby boy. I am planning to do a watermelon cake for his first birthday. You cut watermelon into rounds and stack them like a layer cake. Thank you for writing about your experiences.
ReplyDeleteTeagan - So glad you found my blog! I think GAPS and breastfeeding are not very well represented in the book so we're kind of blazing a new path, aren't we?
ReplyDeleteI know how it is to feel like the diet is working and then not working and how INCREDIBLY frustrating that can feel. I'm personally going through an "I want to quit" phase right now. It's really important to take the long view and look at how things were before you started and now, rather than how things were last week and now, you know what I mean?
Interesting point about chlorinated pools ... I've kept my daughter out of them since starting the diet and she went in one on Monday and came down with a stomach virus. Coincidence? Who knows...
I love your watermelon cake idea!!! I'll have to file that one away. :)
PS - I am seeing an AMAZING nutrition counselor who has helped us and listened to us like no doctor ever has. She does phone stuff. Let me know if you'd like her info.