I can sympathize with your predicament since I've had severe allergies since I was a kid, although not asthma. I would take some of the article above with a grain of salt, since for instance some maple trees have both male and female flowers, so would have seeds and pollen, or he treats all mold as one, but your allergies won't. I can't deal with mildew or penicillin, but have no issues with using organic mulches such as woodchips. You have to figure out what you react to and avoid it. In my case, DH waits to mow the lawn until I will be out of the house for several hours and he makes sure that all windows and doors are closed since grass is a major trigger for me. I have adjusted my life to avoid triggers and learned to jump in the shower and change clothes if I get into something by accident that makes me sneeze and itch. I would recommend allergy shots since my list of triggers is much shorter after a bunch of years of them and my quality of life much nicer. My view is that allergy-free gardening is an oxymoron, especially given that wind will blow microscopic allergens quite far, but that I can make choices that will reduce the impact of my allergies on my life. I would tend to doubt that Nicotiana is the culprit for you. Most of the flowers that shed lots of pollen are wind pollenated, not insect or bird pollenated and have unobtusive flowers. In the spring much of the pollen is from trees (in my area oak, maple, and pine) in the summer, it's grasses, and now it's various herbaceous perennials. A flower like Nicotiana with its showy blossoms is insect and bird pollenated, while the wind pollenated blossoms tend to be small and greenish since they don't need to attract attention. Thus, many folks think that they are allergic to goldenrod (with showy blooms) while they are in fact allergic to ragweed which blooms while the goldenrod is blooming but with virtually invisible tiny green flowers, but lots of pollen. The other frequent allergen blooming right now is plantain, also having tiny green flowers. I have learned to wear gloves (and I wear long pants all summer since skin contact with grass, among other plants, gives me an allergic reaction) to pull these plants in my yard early in the season before they start blooming. I wouldn't be surprised if you look around the Nicotiana bed and find either ragweed or plantain nearby in bloom. Out of the growing season I rarely work in the garden on windy days since I've found that fungal spores like mildew are flying around more. My best recommendation is to keep track of what seems to bother you and at what time of year and then do your best to avoid those things. Shower and change clothes if you find yourself sneezing or itching (to remove allergens) and don't handle the clothes after your shower - put them right into the washer. Have allergy testing done if it gets too bad, and/or talk to your doctor about medication if you feel the need. I've managed to accomodate, but if it gets too bad, find a different pasttime that will be healthier for you.

If you are concerned with off gas, look at the floor score of any laminate. Lots of laminate off gases. Low VOC floors are a concern for me and that is why I am leaning very strongly toward wood-look sheet vinyl. Sounds tacky, but it looks quite good in some pics here on the forum. I'm looking at Armstrong sheet vinyl and Congoleum. Possibly vinyl planks. If I could find hardwood without a toxic finish that didn't cost $$$$$ I would go that route, but no luck. I want to stay at $4 or less a square foot. I've been using this database to check for low voc floors: Here is a link that might be useful: Certified green products

Young and old alike enjoy these BBQ Cups! The kids could pat out the biscuits, grate the cheese, fill the cups, and with help at the stove, make the filling. Barbecue Cups 3/4 pound lean ground beef 1/2 cup barbeque sauce 1 tablespoon dried minced onion 1 (12 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough 1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease the cups of a muffin pan. 2.In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, cook beef until evenly brown. Drain excess fat. Stir in barbeque sauce and dried onion. Simmer for a few minutes over low heat. 3.Flatten each biscuit, and press into cups of the prepared muffin pan. Make sure the dough comes to the top of the pan. Spoon a portion of the meat mixture into each dough cup. 4.Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake for 3 more minutes. These freeze well, if they last that long. And you can vary the cup type: pizza cups with Italian sausage, pizza sauce, mozzarella Mexican cups with ground beef, taco seasoning or sauce, and Monterrey Jack chopped ham, drained pineapple tidbits, cheddar bierocks cups with onion and shredded cabbage browned with the ground beef, American cheese on top Teresa

1. Think whole foods like fruit, instead of your typical ooey-gooey, high-sugar desserts. CHOCOLATE-COATED FRUIT PARTY PLATTER (source: "Get The Sugar Out" by Anne Louise Gittleman) 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares 1 T. unsalted butter (coconut oil is a great substitute for butter - and if you are avoiding dairy because of lactose, the higher the fat content of a dairy product, the lower the lactose - butter has very little lactose) 1/2 c. unsweetened apple-juice concentrate 1 t. natural vanilla extract 4 c. fruit (whole strawberries, bananas, navel oranges, kiwis, etc.) Spray a baking sheet with a vegetable cooking spray (or cover with parchment paper or Release aluminum foil); set aside. In the top of a double boiler, over simmering water, melt chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally; remove from heat and cool slightly. Whisk in juice concentrate a little at a time until chocolate is smooth; add vanilla extract. If mixture is too thick, add a little more concentrate until it thins out. Dip ends of fruit into chocolate mix, twirling to coat lower half of each piece of fruit; let excess drip back into pan until all chocolate is used. Place fruit on prepared baking sheet; place in freezer 10 minutes to set chocolate. refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 12 servings of 3 pieces each. --------------- Marinated Fresh Fruit Kabobs Marinade: 1/2 c. honey (agave nectar or no-calorie substiute) 1/4 c. water 1/4 c. lime juice 1/4 c. orange juice Fruit: 1 c. honeydew melon balls or cubes 1 c. watermelon balls or cubes 1 c. cantaloupe melon balls or cubes 2 large nectarines or peaches, cut into cubes 8-12 bamboo skewers In small saucepan, combine honey (or substitute) and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in lime juice and orange juice. Cool completely. Combine fruit in medium bowl. Pour marinade over fruit; toss gently. Cover; refrigerate 1-2 hours to blend flavors. When ready to serve, place about 12 pieces of fruit on each bamboo skewer. 8-12 kabobs ------------- Instead of Apple Pie... Orange Sauced Apples 3 T. agave nectar (or other sweetener) 1 T. cornstarch 1/4 t. nutmeg or cinnamon or apple pie spice 1 c. orange juice 3 cooking apples (For French Apple, add some raisins.) Combine agave nectar, cornstarch, spice, juice, and blend well. Stir in apple slices. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 5-10 minutes or until apples are tender and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve warm. You can top this with sprinkles of crunchy cereal, homemade sugar-free granola or nuts to give it a "crust". 2. Check your local library for cookbooks on the subject. Here are a few that I have in my library that would have appropriate recipes in them. Have your library get them through inter-library loan if they don't have them on the shelf. The "allergy" cookbooks have recipes for frosting/fillings that are dairy-free, as well as other dessert items. -The Complete Food Allergy Cookbook - by Marilyn Gioannini -How Sweet It Is...Without The Sugar - by Jean C. Wade -The Allergy Self-help Cookbook - by Marjorie Hurt Jones -Stevia (Naturally sweet recipes for desserts, drinks and more!) by Rita DePuydt 3. If you can use agave nectar (a natural, low-glycemic, honey-like sweetener), I have many recipes you could use. If you are dealing with Candida, then that requires a whole different approach to foods and agave nectar wouldn't be a suitable sugar substitute. I've used agave nectar as a substitute for "sugar" for many years now. An easy way to use agave nectar is as a substitute in recipes that use honey as a sweetener. "Sugar-Free" is a bit broad. Do you mean free of white table sugar, since things like concentrated fruit juices are also full of "sugar"? White flour and white rice raises blood glucose as quickly as white table sugar, if you are avoiding "sugar" for blood sugar problems. It's easy to substitute agave nectar for sugar in recipes. Muffins and other quick breads also make great "treats" and snacks. Make up batches of mini-muffins and freeze them. 4. Tortillas are a great substitute for yeast-free bread. They can be used for quick meals, including wraps. They are also fun and easy to make at home. 5. Nut milk and rice milk is a great substitute for milk and is easy (and much cheaper) to make at home. Personally, I avoid soy, since it's high on the list of allergens. If it's lactose in milk you are avoiding, then Whey Milk is a great substitute - www.wheymilkusa.com. -Grainlady