I eat cardboard-or so they say!
“What does he eat? Is there anything he can eat?” Years ago, when my son’s list of food allergies was crazy long, this is all I heard. I kept waiting for child protective services to knock on my door since acquaintances were positive I fed my son cardboard and nothing else. I eat cardboard and I want you to eat it with me.
At parties, I would proudly announce that I brought the fabulous peanut, tree nut, sesame, sunflower & pumpkin seed, lemon, raspberry, food coloring, dairy and egg free cupcakes and then watch in disappointment as everyone politely choked them down.
Then came my aha moment of deceit!
Why don’t I make gorgeous looking snacks and forget to say what is in them? This is when I discovered at my local ACE Hardware store my vehicle to deceit: a baking pan made out of 5 hearts. Next, was to the find the perfect kid winning recipe! A friend gave me the Better Than Peanut Butter & Jelly by Wendy Muldawer and Marty Mattare kid’s cookbook and my plan was ready to rock. Love the irony of title?
I made Vegan (animal product free –which means no egg and dairy) heart shaped Vegan Banana Muffins for my son’s entire preschool class. A simple metal pan transformed cardboard into wildly popular decadent little banana cakes of love.
Ignorance was bliss.
Once people were not expecting cardboard, they were able to enjoy. We use all our senses when we eat. Therefore, if food is beautiful, smells great, then it must taste great too our brain tells us.
Even though my son is no longer allergic to eggs, the “Banana Cakes” (wink-wink) remain a favorite and is requested endlessly! Check out the Vegan banana muffins . Instead of egg, applesauce is used and oil instead of butter and bananas provide such a fabulous aroma and flavor. I usually bake with two to three pans at a time. Add a drizzle of icing or sliced bananas and you have super fabulous dessert instead of offering a boring cardboard competing with cupcakes topped with plastic rings.
Do you have a fabulous “cardboard” recipe for me to try out? We are peanut, tree nut, sesame seed and dairy free in this household. My son can eat eggs, but we enjoy egg free recipes quite a bit too! I also bake using organic ingredients as much as humanly possible too!!
Email me your special recipe and maybe I can give it a whirl in my kitchen?
Here are some pans I found on the internet, I bought mine at the local Ma and Pa hardware store!
Wilton nonstick heart pan 
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
You are a woman after my own heart. I also advocate for making food beautiful when it might not necessarily taste the way people expect. Only in my case, the taste is a result of my newbie/shaky cooking skills rather than eliminating allergens. Same concept though. =). Loving your blog.
Can I have your Margarita cake recipe to see if I can do it dairy and nut free?