Childfree Chic

2013: Thankful it is ending!

2013-11-22T18:01:17Z

I have been MIA for most of 2013. In addition to coping with my exciting new world of allergies, which are still ongoing as new allergies seem to pop up occasionally, I’ve had family issues occupying my time. For starters, I lost my Mom on February 18, 2013. That has been very hard for me because it was very sudden and I didn’t make it home in time to say goodbye in person. I said it over the phone, but that just seems hollow. I miss her so much.

Mom, Circa 1972

She had been in end-stage renal failure for the past couple of years, so I knew her time was short. The weekend before she died, she had checked into the hospital for some nausea and not eating much, but when I called her she told me she was fine and they were sending her home. They had controlled the nausea, and she was eating and feeling much better. She definitely sounded upbeat and told me not to rush home, as everything would be okay until I could get a reasonable flight. That was on a Friday. On Saturday, once home she was unable to keep her blood sugar up at all. She had taken her Actose (she was also diabetic), but coupled with not eating well, that was it. My uncle struggled all weekend to feed her and keep her from slipping into a coma, but it was truly a lost cause. By the time I got the call and booked the last available seat on a flight home, it was too late. She died while I was en route.

I’m still grieving. And I have mixed feelings. She was in the final stage of kidney failure with almost no kidney function and was starting to retain fluid. I knew what was next: a slow, prolonged deterioration ultimately ending in death by drowning. So, the fact that she went rather quickly in a hypoglycemic coma was a blessing in disguise and a better alternative. On the other hand, it was so fast I never got to really talk with her, tell her I loved her so much, and say my final goodbyes. I still feel empty, like a piece of me will never be resolved. Then I feel selfish for feeling that way, because I wouldn’t have wanted her to linger in pain just so I could feel like I had closure.

Finally, I am an only child, so I have been dealing with the loose ends we will all leave behind when we die: insurance, belongings, notifying friends. It seems to be a never-ending process. It’s 9 months later, and I’m still dealing with insurance crap and some remaining bills from her last stay at the hospital.

As if losing my Mom wasn’t enough, some close friends are involved in a bitter divorce with all the drama of a Lifetime Movie and some to spare: drug addiction, affairs, financial ruin, abuse. This also has been hard, as I and several other mutual friends realized our friend for over 20 years suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder clustered with a couple of other personality disorders. We attempted an intervention to get her to enter drug rehab and get psychiatric help, but she turned on all of us instead of accepting our genuine concern and offers of support. Thus, I lost a friend along with my Mom.

Is it any surprise I just want 2013 to end and hope 2014 is better?

How a Tick Changed My Life

2013-01-30T18:42:57Z

I haven’t posted a new blog entry since the summer. I have been dealing with some life-altering medical conditions: namely, food allergies. This is all very new to me. The only food allergy I thought I had was to shellfish, which is fairly easy to avoid being a landlubber with other options like pork, beef, fish, and poultry. As an omnivore and adventurous eater, I didn’t feel deprived when I thought I was allergic to shellfish! I never missed it.

And then everything changed…

Since 2010, I’ve had some “mystery” digestive ailment. After visiting all kinds of specialists, I was diagnosed with IBS, handed some pills, and told “Good luck! We don’t have a good treatment or cure. We don’t even know what causes it!” So, I plodded along, never knowing if what I ate was going to bring the debilitating abdominal pain and other horrendous side effects, and I was never quite able to pin down exactly what “triggered” the IBS. Then, last September, I woke up in the throes of full-blown anaphylaxis at 1:00am after my husband’s birthday dinner at a fabulous Pan-Asian restaurant. We spent the rest of the evening in the ER.

I immediately booked an appointment with an allergist. Upon listening to my medical history and asking me what I had consumed, he asked if I had been bitten by a tick in the past 2 years. I live in the woods; of course I have been bitten by ticks – several times! He said, “I bet you have the alpha-gal allergy! We’ll run comprehensive tests for all kinds of food, but the fact that you had a 6-hour delayed anaphylactic reaction makes me almost certain that’s your problem.”

And just like that, my life was turned upside down. This thing forever changed the way I eat:

Lone Star Tick

All it takes is one bite from a Lone Star Tick, and you can be suddenly allergic to all mammalian meat and associated byproducts like dairy, gelatin, etc. This little bastard can cause you to develop an allergic reaction to a carbohydrate called galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, abbreviated to alpha-gal.

galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose

This is the first known allergy to a sugar (or carbohydrate), and it’s also the first known allergy to produce a delayed allergic reaction. In my case, the anaphylaxis appears anywhere from 4-6 hours after consuming a mammalian food product: 3-4 for dairy and 6+ hours for actual meat. This allergy was only discovered a few years ago by a scientist at the University of Virginia, so at least I’m on the cutting edge of allergies.

And, boy, does this change the way I live. I am a Southern girl; I grew up on a farm! I’m accustomed to eating bacon, pork, beef, lamb, and lots of milk and butter and cheese. I can’t have any of those things ever again! I have to carry an epipen with me at all times, and dining out is now a challenge. You cannot imagine the strange looks I get when I tell people I’m deathly allergic to those things. I usually get a raised eyebrow and, “You mean you just don’t eat them, right? You’re a vegetarian.” No, that is not what I mean. I mean I could possibly die if I eat them, so please find out if this chicken/duck/seafood/vegetable dish I’m eating is made with any mammalian product at all: butter, milk, cream, pork/beef broth or stock, rabbit, squirrel, gelatin etc! Basically, I can only consume things with feathers, scales, or shells.

Which brings me back to that shellfish allergy I thought I had. The tests for a shellfish allergy were negative, so HOORAY! On the other hand, my allergist said I am likely one of the people who are extremely sensitive to the toxins in shellfish, which is why I became violently ill when eating it as a child. If it came from a dirty environment, I’m likely to get sick. Also, I have a hard time eating shellfish now, anyway, because of the extremely negative food memories I have associated with it…

Bad Shellfish Memories…

So, this is why I haven’t posted much. I’m still trying to get a grip on this. I have to learn a bazillion ways to cook chicken and turkey. I have to learn how to cook without butter and dairy. I have to retrain my palate to actually like fucking soy milk (gag) and other dairy alternatives. I also to have watch out for hidden things and, apparently, be aware that new allergies could crop up at any moment! In the past few months, I’ve had anaphylaxis to the following:

a vitamin for skin, hair, and nails (gelatin)
trail mix (it had milk powder in it)
Advil (new tests now confirm I’m allergic to NSAIDs and can only take Tylenol)
the adhesive on the sticky pads that put on you to monitor your heart rate in the ER
cats (also new – never been allergic to any animal until now)
Beano (I now eat a lot of beans, and, well – Beano is an alpha-galactosidase enzyme)

They are starting to get tired of seeing my swollen face in the ER, but probably not as tired as I am of the whole not-breathing thing. And I’m so tired of eating chicken and turkey, y’all. I just know that I’m going to find an egg in my chair one of these days. I’m going to start growing feathers, clucking, and laying eggs.

SUMMER: Too Hot To Handle

2012-06-28T15:28:58Z

It’s supposed to be 100° and then some this weekend. Summer just wants to let us know she’s here, kicking ass, and taking names. We’ve had absolutely stellar weather until the solstice: only a few hot days. Thus, I can’t complain too much. However, I need something to keep cool and get a coffee fix at the same time. Even iced coffee isn’t refreshing enough in that kind of heat!

I was thrilled to run across a recipe for a Vietnamese Coffee Sundae. Ice cream, coffee, peanut brittle – what’s not to like? As a bonus, I finally found something interesting to do with those Starbuck’s Via Instant Coffee packets someone gave me last December. They certainly aren’t drinkable as regular coffee!

Vietnamese Coffee Sundae - courtesy of delish.com

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 cup(s) sugar

* 1 tablespoon(s) sugar

* 1/2 cup(s) water

* 1 cup(s) unsalted roasted peanuts

* 1/2 teaspoon(s) cinnamon

* 1 teaspoon(s) kosher salt

* 3/4 cup(s) sweetened condensed milk

* 2 tablespoon(s) instant coffee mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons of hot water

* 1/2 cup(s) heavy cream

* 2 pint(s) vanilla ice cream (homemade is the best, but store-bought will work)

DIRECTIONS:

1.Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of the sugar with the water and bring to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat, undisturbed, until an amber caramel forms, about 12 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the roasted peanuts, cinnamon, and salt until the peanuts are evenly coated. Scrape the caramel mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Let stand until the brittle is hardened, about 20 minutes.

2.Break off 4 medium-size pieces of peanut brittle. Place the remaining brittle in a resealable plastic bag and roll with a rolling pin to crush the brittle into small pieces.

3.In a medium bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk with the dissolved instant coffee. In another medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar at high speed until softly whipped.

4.Scoop the ice cream into 4 bowls and drizzle with the milky coffee. Sprinkle with the crushed peanut brittle and top with a generous dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with the reserved pieces of peanut brittle and serve at once.

FASHION FRIDAY: Summer Casual

2012-06-22T14:32:20Z

Now that Summer has officially arrived, it’s time for concerts, outdoor parties, beach trips, and comfortable casual wear. I recently attended the Drivin’ & Cryin’ concert and needed a cute but comfortable outfit to wear. Lo and behold, I spied a beautiful coral maxi dress on Zappos and new I had to get it! It’s made of that wonderful, light jersey cotton material, so it holds up well when packed in a tiny concert hall with hundreds of other people dancing and getting all sweaty while belting out I’m Going Straight to Hell.

Summer Concert Outfit by childfreechic featuring maxi dresses

Christin Michaels maxi dress
$63 - zappos.com

Necklace
$60 - bananarepublic.gap.com

Yellow gold bangle
$40 - bananarepublic.gap.com

Sperry Top-Sider Summerlin
$75 - zappos.com

I have to say, this outfit got a fantastic reaction from the Mister. I think his jaw actually dropped and he stuttered a bit, saying I looked off-the-charts fucking HOT. Then he said I looked like the real-life version of the painting Flaming June by Leighton or a Roman Sun Goddess.

Flaming June by Frederick Leighton

Hey, I’ll take it! Not bad for a 40-something chick, right?! As a pasty white redhead, the color combo of gold and coral does wonderful things for my skin. Who needs a tan?

Traveler Tuesday

2012-06-19T20:28:50Z

I cannot believe I haven’t posted to my blog since my trip to Maui at the end of February. However, I have been a very busy girl. Isn’t that how it always works when you take a vacation; you return to a pile of work? Alas, I wasn’t the exception to the rule. It’s so terrible I haven’t even cataloged all the photos I took while there. However, here are a few choice ones for you to peruse:

Humpback Whale - Maui, HI

It was peak whale-watching season in Hawaii, and the Au-Au Channel was packed with them. It was one of the most breathtaking sights I’ve ever seen, being that close to these large creatures. I was lucky enough to even see one of the males do the tale-slap on the top of the water!

Whale Tail - Maui, Hawaii

I booked my whale-watching trip through the Jacques Cousteau Ambassadors of the Environment program at our hotel, The Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua. It was fantastic. We were on a very small zodiac boat with only two other people, a marine biologist, the captain, and his first mate. Thus, we had something of a private tour.

Posting these photos makes me want to rush right back to Maui right now. Crap…

FASHION FRIDAY: Vacation Preparation

2012-02-03T20:34:35Z

I’m ready for a nice, tropical vacation, but I desperately need to update my wardrobe with some pieces. For starters, my dress sandals are a bit worse for the wear. If I’m going to be in a tropical climate, I want to show off my feet and cute pedicure! I had a discount coupon for Zappos, and I fell in love with his pair of blingy Stuart Weitzman shoes:

Stuart Weitzman Gemex Sandals

They are the perfect color of gold, and the crystals on them are so shiny! My crow totem approves. These will look perfect with so many dresses that I have.

Speaking of dresses, I also wanted something which has sleeves, packs easily, and is dressy enough for some of the more upscale restaurants. I like things with sleeves because I’m usually cold. While the outside temperature might be completely tropical, many places have the AC cranked up, which means I need a cardigan, jacket, or something with sleeves. Also, strappy sundresses don’t work so well on me because of the major boobage. I like some coverage so I don’t look like a low-rent hooker. Thus, I was thrilled to find this ombre green dress. Green is my color, and I love the kimono styling!

Green Ombre Kimono-Style Dress

Now if I can just figure out what color to paint my toenails. Any suggestions? I’m having a difficult time deciding on the color.

Midweek Martini

2012-02-02T20:55:37Z

I have been neglecting this blog. However, that is going to change, hopefully, because work is finally slowing down. In addition, I’ve actually booked my first honest-to-Gawd vacation in I don’t know how long. I’m going to HAWAII! Yes, I will be basking in the sun for 8 days and 7 nights on Maui. I cannot wait to suck back some fruity drinks made with fresh pineapple juice. In anticipation of that glorious event, today’s featured drink is the Mai Tai.

Mai Tai Cocktail - Hawaii's Finest

Since this will be my first trip to Hawaii, I have no idea what the original Hawaiian cocktail is like. I do, however, know that I’ve tried several on the mainland and throughout Caribbean resorts, and this recipe is by far the best one I’ve made at home. While I think most Mai Tai cocktails are made with nothing more than pineapple juice and lime, this one has some other fresh juices. I’m all about what tastes good.

INGREDIENTS

* 3 oz. light rum

* 3 oz. dark rum

* 1 oz. orange curacao (or grand marnier)

* 2 oz. pineapple juice (fresh is amazing if you can do it)

* 2 oz. guava juice

* 2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice

* 1 oz. orgeat syrup (almond syrup w/ orange or rose)

* 1 oz. simple syrup

* crushed mint leaves to garnish (very important)

* pineapple wedges for garnish

* lime wedge to garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Put all liquid ingredients in cocktail shaker. Fill two high ball glasses with shaved ice. Shake cocktail shaker thoroughly, at least ten times. Strain into two glasses.

Crush the mint leaves between your fingers and float on the top of the drink. It is important to really bruise the mint leaves, because they blend the flavors together. You should NOT skip the fresh mint – it is the key to the whole drink.

Garnish with pineapple and lime wedges.

Drink through a straw. Make sure you have a designated driver … or make at home so you don’t need one.

If you are having a party, these can be made ahead of time and stored in a pitcher, but make sure you stir well before serving.

I can almost feel those tropical breezes already!

Midweek Martini

2012-01-18T21:08:04Z

It’s been a rather long holiday hiatus for me; longer than I intended, actually. Work is kicking my ass right now. However, I can’t think of a better way to return from my hiatus than by posting a warm alcoholic beverage. It is January, and cold weather tells me to hibernate, eat fattening things, and drink things like Glogg. What’s Glogg, you ask? It is a Swedish beverage with a funny name and much like mulled wine but about a hundred times better!

Glogg - Swedish Mulled Wine

It’s traditionally served with a snack of raisins and almonds. What’s not to love?! A crunch salty-sweet snack and some alcohol. I dig it. If you’re having a particularly cold day, make a batch, invite some friends, and have a movie marathon or play some video games.

INGREDIENTS:

* 2½ cups full-bodied red wine, such as Cabernet

* 1½ cups ruby port

* 1 cup cognac

* ¼ cup light brown sugar

* 1 orange peel

* 8 green cardamom pods

* 2 cinnamon sticks

* 5 whole cloves

* 1 whole star anise

* ¼ cup blanched, sliced almonds

* ¼ cup raisins

* ¼ cup dried cherries

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large stockpot set over medium heat, combine the wine, port, cognac, brown sugar, orange peel, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and star anise. Bring to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Cover and set aside for 2 hours.

2. Strain the glogg through a fine-mesh strainer, discard the spices and rewarm. Place a few blanched almonds, raisins and dried cherries in each glass and add the glogg. Serve immediately. Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

Recipe courtesy of Tasting Table.

HOLIDAY: Munchable Gifts

2011-12-22T18:23:24Z

When it comes to holiday gift-giving, I’m definitely in the homemade camp. I prefer to give (and receive) homemade items, and I especially love to give food. I may not know what color scarf you would prefer, but I do know if you like white, dark, or milk chocolate (or no chocolate)! Thus, I usually make food and package it into cute containers. This year I made some chocolate-peanut-butter bark, and I was thrilled to find these super-cute take-out containers for it at World Market.

Adorable Winter Scene Container - Complete with Bark!

These are perfect for many reasons. First, it’s a cute winter woodland scene with critters, and it has a bear in it. I ♥ bears! Because it’s a Winter scene, it’s not specific to any particular holiday. I can give it to friends and family regardless of what they are celebrating: Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia, etc. Second, it has a cute bark design on the sides, and I’m giving chocolate bark. WIN!

If you’re curious about chocolate-peanut-butter bark, I made it from a recipe I found here, with one small change. I also added small mini-pretzels to my bark, so it contains semi-sweet chocolate, peanut butter, salted peanuts, mini Reese’s cups, and pretzels. I love the juxtaposition of sweet, salty, creamy, and crunchy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark from Best Mom on the Block

Midweek Martini: Solstice Edition

2011-12-21T18:42:06Z

Happy Solstice! Today marks the official beginning of Winter and the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Going forward, our days will slowly become longer as we begin another transit in our elliptical orbit around the Sun. Did you know that we are, in fact, approaching the closest point in our elliptical orbit to the Sun? It’s true! We’re actually closer to the Sun on the day of the Winter Solstice than we are on the day of the Summer Solstice. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s cold now because we only get indirect rays of light from the Sun due to the tilt of Earth’s rotational axis. Most people mistakenly believe it is Winter right now because we are at the most distant point from the Sun in our elliptical orbit, but that’s not the case.

As such, I thought today’s Midweek Martini should celebrate the intriguing mechanics of our solar system. What could be more appropriate for a Winter Solstice celebration than a drink called Fire & Ice? It is a layered drink featuring Hot Damn (i.e. cinnamon schnapps) and Bailey’s Irish Creme. Cinnamon is one of those wonderful warming spices, which makes it ideal for a cold Winter’s day, and represents the warmth of our Sun. The Bailey’s Irish Creme represents the ice and snow of Winter.

Making a layered drink can be tricky, so I’ve included a video on how to perfect the art of the layered shot!

The video above instructs you to fill the shot glass with equal amounts of Bailey’s and Hot Damn, but I prefer a ratio with more Bailey’s than Hot Damn. However, make it to your tastes! I think this drink tastes a bit like a cinnamon bun.

INGREDIENTS:

* 2/3 fl. oz. Bailey’s Irish Creme

* 1/3 fl. oz. Hot Damn cinnamon schnapps

DIRECTIONS:

Start with the Hot Damn, then top it off with the Bailey’s Irish Creme to make a layered drink. And if you prefer to have a vegan version of this drink, try using this recipe to make your very own vegan Irish Creme!