"You're Not Special"
What a fun weekend it was celebrating my father. We were able to spend some extra time with him at his favorite spot in the world- his house! My father loves his house, basement, porch, and garage more than any man I know. What he loves more than that is spending time there with his loved ones. We shared a few beers (or rather ciders for me) and let some food cook on The Big Green Egg. This is where some of the best conversations occur about life, happiness, and reflections on the past.
I often have difficulty putting into words what my parents did to raise a child with PKU and somehow instill confidence despite eating "weird food" and drinking "baby formula" (as other kids would often tease). My father came out and encouraged me to share this little nugget of information with parents of children with similar metabolic disorders,
you're not special.
This is it. These three words summarize the best way to raise a child with PKU. PKU does not define a person's value. What makes us special are the accomplishments and contributions to society along with our character. That being said, character can certainly be shaped by living with these dietary restrictions.
My Dad went on to say that in this world we will not be coddled or applauded for having this disease. Therefore, when raising a child there is a fine line between celebrating the child's disorder and also fostering the child's independence in managing the "disease". For the record, it was not ever referred to as a disease in my household. I did not have special accommodations in grade school and high school. My father also stated that me packing my own lunch for school was crucial in understanding that there may not be always be options available and I must plan accordingly. This also provided thick skin and I was able to blow off any remarks about my food being "different". With all the food allergies now a days I am guessing it must be easier for children with PKU and that is fantastic.
I would like to point out that this man is the best dad in the whole world. He is so loving and attentive to his girls (#girldad). There is not a day he doesn't make me feel special but it was never for the recognition of this genetic disorder (which he passed on to me I will remind you all...hehe). He gets creative with low protein food and even made wine and cider for me because I can't drink his home brewed beer, which has been named "Dick's Mix" (his name is Richard, AKA Dick). All of these things make him the best dad ever!
On to the fun stuff now.
Have you all heard to the Big Green Egg?! It is a smoker that is literally shaped like a "big green egg". Now, this thing is epic around my parent's neighborhood. The smokey smell wafts through the air and even triggered their neighbor to buy a smoker. Now, the guys just lounge around the smokers every Saturday evening.
It is a slow-cook method and basically never fails. It would be perfect for my husband who is petrified of cooking (the only time I see him lacking confidence). I have been dying to try out some low protein options. My family loves any kind of chicken and meat cooked on the egg so I needed to get creative. After all, creative is the name of game for PKU.
Enter, jackfruit. Rather than pulling the jackfruit I cooked it in slices as it came in the can, tossed in oil and pink Himalayan salt and threw on the grill! Let it smoke! Without light we couldn't tell which were chicken wings and which were the jackfruit "wings". Once crispy, toss in buffalo sauce and enjoy. This was a total home run! Nick was even eating my jackfruit wings. That is always a good judge of how good the low pro substitute is that I make.
