I lived in Switzerland for five years while growing up, from age 9 – 14. I remember when ordering salad at restaurants, there wasn’t generally the list of choices we’re used to in US restaurants – salad came with dressing. It was butter lettuce and dressing.

Recently a recipe for the ubiquitous “Swiss Dressing” was posted on a reunion page of the school I attended while there. It made me laugh – the inclusion of “Magi Wurze” as an ingredient sent me to google – it’s basically MSG in a liquid base.
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As I was scrolling posts on Facebook a few weeks ago, my heart broke. A friend shared the new method she’d been using to get her child to sleep on her own. It was a pretty standard sleep-training method: leave the child alone for gradually longer periods of time, periodic reassuring, tolerate the whining or crying a bit….

But it generated an extremely polarized conversation. In the one camp, “kids need to be trained to be independent,” and the other, “kids need to sleep with their parents as long as they exhibit the need; they will learn to be independent by having their needs met.”
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A shorter version of this article was published in my kids’ school newsletter. Here it is in it’s full gory glory.

The cry is nearly universal. “What can I send with my child for lunch that is healthy, but won’t be ignored or dumped in the trash?”

Add on top of that, “And is free of (some combination of) gluten, dairy, soy, egg, corn, grains, sugar, nuts, …”

It’s enough to drive a mama/papa mad.

As a mama of two boys who between them avoid gluten, dairy, grains, sugar (honey excepted), artificial additives, and salicylates (say that ten times fast!), I’ve been mad. In all senses of the word.

Then I feel lucky. After all, they can still have eggs and nuts. And soy, if I liked (which I don’t).
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Remember ranch dressing? Back when you could eat dairy? It made veggies worth eating. And salad.

You can have it again.

Coconut Ranch Dressing

Directions:
Place all the ingredients a food processor or blender and mix well.

Enjoy!