Great thread! Something I was planning on doing for my containerized tomatoes next season (I balcony garden) is mixing some coconut husk chips (1/4 to 1/2 inch chips, not coir) in with my potting mix as the chips retain a good amount of water AND air. I saw that someone suggest coconut coir (which is shredded coconut husk fiber, not chips) in their mix yet I have never used this product and can only suggest using actual chunks of coconut husks. I admit that I am a novice when it comes to tomatoes but for my containerized citrus trees I use a 4:1 ratio of CHC and peat and it works amazingly. For my first Meyer Lemon tree I simply potted in Miracle Gro for cactus and citrus and within a month or two all of the leaves on my tree had dropped and it appeared to be dead. I decided to repot it and the mix smelled aweful and was still wet after not being watered for about 3 weeks. I repotted it in the 4CHC:1peat mix and within a month or two it started to bud again and rebounded. The first ingredient in Miracle Gro for cactus and citrus is peat which holds entirely too much moisture for citrus in a container (at least for it to be the number one ingredient). I'd bet that just about any mix that has peat as the number one ingredient for growing nearly anything in a container will eventually become problematic because of a lack of oxygen to the roots of the plant. When I bought CHCs at the begining of the year I got a 3 cubic foot bale (after being dried and compressed) and even after potting my 15 or so citrus varieties I still have about 2.5 cubic feet that is just taking up space in my storage unit. Depending on what potting mix I buy for my containerized veggies next year I would like to mix at least 1 or 2 parts CHCs and see how how the plants respond. CHCs expand and contract just like a sponge (holding a great amount of water and more importantly air) and also takes forever to breakdown (literally years which is what makes it great for citrus). Here is a link on CHC usage and I used the same supplier they suggest (Crystal Company) as they wash their product 3 times which removes a good amount of salt buildup that may exist. I am not sure if any of my information is useful for tomato growers but if you have never used CHCs before for anything I would suggest giving some a shot (get a citrus tree also!). Great posts folks! Joe

"I'm used to eating ... whole grain bread or my discs...magic pops which are made with wheat...and pasta, and eggs, and cheese and crackers and peanut butter." along with the other foods you are listing is un-healthy eating! ... " Most of the foods you are eating sound bad! I understand you were looking for someone who has tried it and succeeded. I can only report that, although I am cheating, I have stopped buying products or eating meals that contain those foods. Easing my way there, lol. So my intake is way down. It's hard to contemplate but in reality is not all that hard to do. I guess gluten is one of the hardest to give up. Maybe dairy. I also incorporate anti-inflammatory foods in my diet. Once you start thinking this way, you will see all those processed and so-called "healthy" foods as unappealing junk food. The less the better. Of course your favorites are harder to let go of. But there are still yummy foods to eat and you don't have to go hungry as on a low calorie diet. 2000 calories of mother nature is not the same as 2000 calories of man-made junk. Your taste and the cravings do change. It's simple. Fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy lean meats, almond/coconut/flax seed milk, Soy-free Earth Balance for butter (you won't miss it!). Nuts, seeds, berries. Grass-fed beef is supposedly as healthy as fish. I don't drink milk but use one or more of the alternates on cereal and it tastes fine that way. Ick used for things like yoghurt or ice cream, but those are unhealthy processed foods anyway. The coconut ice cream I tried was edible but nothing to look forward to, imo. I have tried brown rice pasta (Joy) and it is a good substitute, better than the old wheat pasta we were supposed to be switching to. I don't know if it is on their plans and is certainly not a great choice if losing weight is your goal. I need to come up with some healthy desserts and snacks, bread alternatives. At least try Dr. Fuhrman's way of looking at things, focusing on high-nutrient foods. His patients also reap the big health benefits but are not specifically told to eliminate certain foods. He tells people to follow "the salad is the main meal". Load it with vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts. You might want to start slowly since your system is sensitive. I wonder if pro and pre-biotics would help straighten things out there. It sounds like you could have a gut imbalance. There are also enzymes for gas that a lot of people say works. I don't think you need to question whether or not it works, although of course it won't "cure" everyone. These aren't your typical infomercials. They are MD's for the most part. JJ is a Ph.D. They all have patient practices. This is now scientifically backed research. I don't think they are lying and the patients are made up stories. They aren't some of those doctors who try to sell their own magical supplements you can't live without either, although they might offer books, diet plans and some food products. This post was edited by snookums2 on Mon, Sep 23, 13 at 17:55

The recipe I use for Wacky Cake is a little different and makes an 8-inch square cake. It's also a great recipe for a 7-year old to learn how to make a cake. I use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil or melted butter. Omit the cocoa powder and add 1/2 t. Penzey's Cake Spice (or pumpkin pie or apple pie spices, or a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg) for Spice Cake. WACKY CAKE 1-1/2 c. flour (I use soft white whole wheat flour or spelt) 1 t. soda 1/2 t. salt 3 T. cocoa powder (can omit) 1 T. vinegar 2 t. vanilla 5 T. butter, melted (I use coconut oil.) 2/3 c. honey (I use low-glycemic agave nectar) 1/3 c. cold water. Mix ingredients in an 8" square pan in this order: Combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Make 3 holes evenly spaced apart in dry ingredients. In the first hole, put vinegar, in second hole the vanilla, and in the third hole place the melted fat. Mix the honey and water together and pour over all the ingredients in the pan. With a dinner fork, mix well (be sure there are no dry ingredients remaining in the corners. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for 30-35 minutes. You can also mix the ingredients in a bowl, then add to the pan and bake. ---------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL CEREAL TREATS (source: Beyond the Bowl - by Debby Maugans) 10 ounces Peppermint Patties, Andes Mints or bite-size 3 Musketeers candies 3 T. butter or margarine (I use coconut oil) 4 c. Rice Krispies 1. Unwrap the candies and place in a large glass bowl. Add the fat. Microwave on HIGH for 2-3 minutes, or until melted, stirring after 1-1/2 minutes and then every 30 seconds. Stir in the cereal. 2. To make shapes or bars, press the mixture into an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Chill until firm. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters or cut into 12 bars. To make holiday egg nests, coat your hands with cooking spray and shape into 16 (3-inch) nests on a platter; let cool. Fill with jelly beans or other small candies. To make ice cream cups, spoon the mixture evenly into 14 (2-1/2") muffin cups coated with cooking spray; coat your hands with cooking spray and press the mixture firmly to the bottom and sides of the cups. Let cool; remove from the cups and fill with ice cream or other goodies. Store these treats in the refrigerator. -------------------------------------------------- Check Duncan Hines cake mixes, I believe some of them are vegan, so they won't contain dairy or eggs - check lable. 1 cake mix, any flavor 10-ounces soda/pop (any brand, NOT diet) Mix together. Pour into greased baking pan and bake according to package directions. For chocolate cake use a dark soda/pop (Coke/Pepsi), for a light cake (white/yellow/spice) use 7-up or Sprite. ---------------------------------------------------- You will find some recipes at the link below. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Meraby's Allergy Family Foods

Kate, Apologies for not reading all the previous answers. I'm short of time. I've done a lot of dairy free baking and there's no problem. As others have said, you can substitute water for milk in most things. If the recipes calls for whole milk, you can add a dab more fat to compensate. Margarine will give you a different crumb than butter. Butter gives you the "melt in the mouth" feel of certain crisp cookies. For most cookies, cakes, etc., it works just fine. To get a good outcome, however, you must use "baking sticks", which have 100 Calories per serving (I think that's one ounce). I haven't done pie crust with this, though I have used 0 trans fat vegetable shortening. With shortening, I think there's an odd flavor--really flavorlessness--that requires a little something tasty in the pastry. Any margarine that's labeled "vegan" or has a kosher signiture mark and "parve" or "pareve" has no dairy in it. I use Earth Balance soy free (red label), but I'd assume that any of their baking sticks would be of similar quality. I also use their soft version for things like adding a dab to a vegetable, corn on the cob, potatoes, etc., for non-dairy or non-animal uses. I really dislike nut milks. Soy isn't so bad if absolutely needed, but I'd rather do without milk altogether for most purposes. Hemp milk seems the best of them to me, but is hardest to find or make. Almond singles "cheese" aren't too awful for adding a cheese-like texture to sandwiches, but they aren't much better than that. There are some truly lovely nut cheeses, but nutritionally, they're very different from cheese, and should be used advisedly. Good luck with it all!