Our daughter can't have dairy.
This is difficult for adults, but it poses a real challenge for kids. Especially kids like ours, who used to eat some dairy then had to stop cold turkey. Our little princess has always been lactose intolerant - but that meant she could still freely enjoy yogurt and some cheeses. Very do-able.
This summer she had an unexplained, icky, blistery rash on her arms and legs that wouldn't go away. After much trial and error, we finally linked it to dairy. She had suddenly, inexplicably, become allergic to dairy. Ugh. We are very thankful she doesn't have an anaphylactic reaction, but still - a rash is no fun.
Our biggest challenge has BY FAR been lunch. I pack her lunch every day. Thankfully, she really loves fruit, veggies and carbs. But, without our old crutch of yogurt or cheese, her lunches are pretty boring and predictable. Enter Jell-O. She LOVES Jell-O. But - it is such a nutritional wasteland. It's not that I think everything that passes her lips must be nutrient packed.... it's really the sugar and dye that pain me. I'm sure you could guess, like most people in their 30's & 40's, I was completely fueled by sugar and dye as a kid. I never lacked for Jell-O or Kool-Aid. I think I drank Kool-Aid daily in the summer (Half gallon water, packet of Kool-Aid, cup of sugar - forever in my brain). But we live and learn and we just don't need that. Did you know that food dyes are BANNED in Europe? See HERE for more on that.
Well, it turns out that homemade gelatin (aka Jell-O) is no harder to make than the stuff I grew up on. And it is dye-free of course. Knox Gelatin is the crucial ingredient (remember Knox Blox??) and oddly enough, they don't give you this recipe on the box or on their website. There are many versions in other areas online, but here is my version:
Homemade Gelatin:
- 1 packet unflavored Knox Geletine* *
- 1/2 cup of 100% fruit juice** (cherry, peach, cranberry, apple...)
- 1/4 cup (or a little less) sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water or enough to make 2 cups total, including your juice.
Bring juice to boiling - either on the stove or in the microwave. Add to the boiling juice, one packet of Knox Geletine. Whisk until completely dissolved. Add in the sugar. Stir again until dissolved. Last, add in the cold or room temp water.
At this point, I like to immediately pour the gelatin into the smaller bowls that will go directly into the lunch box. It's a pain to transfer a larger bowl of gelatin that has already set later on. If you are going to eat it family style, leave it in the bowl you are using. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
Alternate version - Orange Dreamsicle:
- 1 packet unflavored Knox Geletine*
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 T. sugar
- 1/2 cup vanilla coconut milk***
- 1/2 cup water.
Follow same prep instructions from above.
* Yes, it is spelled like that - I double checked! Knox is sold in a box of 4 packets near the Jell-O.
** You may have to adjust this amount, depending on the strength of the juice you choose - for example, cherry is very strong and 1/2 cup is enough. Peach is milder - you may need less.
*** You can actually sub out some of the water in any recipe for the coconut milk, it gives your gelatin a tropical taste.
Enjoy! Let me know if you have any great flavors to share!
