Allergy-Free Brownies... Hooray!

Although I'm challenged by this diet, God is so, so kind in bringing this amazing allergy-free brownie recipe before my eyes! It uses bananas instead of eggs so it's a little banana-y but still very yummy, and besides chocolate and bananas pair great together :) I also used applesauce to cut down on the oil and they still turned out super moist!

Allergy-Free Brownies

2 c. Bob's Red Mill GF all purpose baking flour 

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. canola oil 

1/2 c. applesauce

2 ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat over to 350. Combine first five ingredients. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bake in greased 9x13 in. pan for 25-30 mins. 

I was super impressed that brownies could be made allergy-free and taste so great! I brought some to a friend who is on a gluten-free diet and she almost cried, ha!  

I also have a little update on the complete blood count we had done on Sawyer a few days ago. I got a call back from the pediatrician's office last week letting me know that his eosinophil count, which I found a little more out from here, was double the normal level which can indicate an allergy. So the combination of the blood in his stool and the abnormal blood count, we're pretty sure we've pinned it down to an allergy. I haven't heard back about the stool sample we brought in though.  

So I've been off wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts for 4 1/2 weeks now, with no improvement and I'm kind of feeling like, where do I go from here?... I've considered taking out corn or another common food allergen but I feel like taking more out of my diet would be more than I can handle and really just a shot in the dark. My plan right now is to continue off the top eight for another 4 weeks until Sawyer's appointment with the GI specialist on July 30 and hope that we start seeing some improvement soon. 

God is teaching me an amazing lesson in obedience! I was reminded during the message at church this weekend that God's Spirit dwells in me (1 Corinthians 3:16) and it is not by my strength, but His, that I will push through this very challenging season. My boy is doing so well otherwise, he's starting to roll on his side, grab his toes, and flashes an incredible smile with a little shoulder shrug that just warms my heart! Here's the little handsome man on an evening stroll with Mama the other night :)