Eggs or Nuts Need not Apply

I made it to UTAH! Yay! I'm a little jet lagged, but happy to be here! Today we have Jenny from Eggs or Nuts Need Not Apply. Although no one in my family is allergic to eggs or nuts, I still found Jenny's information helpful and informative. I actually use a lot of flax seed in my cooking and love it. If you know someone who may be allergic to either of these foods, please be sure to refer them to her blog!!! Thanks Jenny!

My name is Jenny and I am a wife and SAHM to two little boys. Our oldest we call Danger and he's just about to turn three. Our baby is nearly ten months and we call him Tater, like the tots. Of course these aren't their given names, just what we call them on blogs. Moving on... About a year and a half ago, my oldest was diagnosed with severe allergies to both eggs and nuts. Not fun. I'm sure there are many of you dealing with the same or similar issues with your children. Anyway, after discovering these allergies I became obsessed with reading labels and quickly realized that everything "may contain traces of eggs, nuts, etc....". Everyone's afraid of being sued, right? Not that I blame them, but it makes it very difficult to find food to feed a child who can't have these ingredients that just might be in everything! I just couldn't stand my son not being able to eat pancakes, waffles, cookies, all the good things in life, really. Meet the mother who now makes everything from scratch, well a lot of stuff a least.

So I started a blog that includes resources for those with egg and nut allergies as well as recipes that have neither eggs or nuts. Click here if you want to see that.


The reason I'm here guest posting today is to do more of an educational post, rather than a crafty post. I hope you're not all disappointed, just stay with me.


One of the greatest things I've discovered since my son was diagnosed with his egg allergy is Flaxseed, specifically flaxseed meal or ground flaxseed.

What's so great about flaxseed, you ask? The three following ingredients make it so:

1. Omega-3 essential fatty acid, shown to have heart healthy effects
2. Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities
3. Fiber, both soluble and insoluble.

Some even say it can help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. I'm not promising that. :)

What can ground flaxseed be used for? A million different things, really. You can use it to add nutrition or you can use it as an egg substitute. I like to sprinkle it in yogurt, oatmeal and applesauce. I also use it in granola, granola bars, pancakes, waffles, cookie dough, and the list goes on. For those of you who are pregnant and are going crazy because you aren't able to eat cookie dough right now(or maybe you're not pregnant and the thought of eating a raw egg makes you ill but you really love cookie dough), I'm your new best friend. Make your favorite cookie dough but substitute the flaxseed for the eggs! Keep reading for details on how to do that. Along with the foods mentioned above, you can use it in most recipes that call for egg including quick breads, rolls, muffins and cakes. I can't guarantee it will work in all of those, but I've yet to try it in something that didn't work.

How does it taste? Some say it has a little bit of a nutty flavor to it (but it's NOT a nut). I can't put my finger on what it tastes like to me but it's very mild, whatever it is.

Where can you get it? It will usually be on the baking aisle in nearly every grocery store. I've also found it in the refrigerated section in the health foods area. I shop at five different grocery stores and I've found it in all of them. I also know they sell it at Sam's Club and Costco. If you buy the small, one pound bag that's in the picture, it ranges from $3-$5 which might sound expensive but you use it in really small quantities. I have only had this brand because it's the easiest for me to find and I like it.

How do you substitute flaxseed for eggs? One Tablespoon of flaxseed meal and three tablespoons water equals one egg. Let sit for two minutes then add to recipe. This is usually listed on the side of the package, in case you forget.

Well, I hope taking a break from crafting wasn't completely disappointing and I enlightened a few of you. Thanks Erica for having me and thanks to all of you who didn't close the window after seeing this wasn't a tutorial. Now back to crafting!