{ Peanut Free Mama }

Whole9 and The Peanut Manifesto

2012-01-12T19:02:00.000-08:00

So it's the start of the new year and I'm not alone in re-examining my diet. I lost about 20 pounds last year due to the separation, exercising more (hello Stand Up Paddling - I love you!!!), and stopping drinking (no, I'm not in recovery, not that there's anything wrong with that).

But I have another 10-15 pounds to go to get back to where I REALLY feel good. So I've been looking at all sorts of programs. I want something that is easy, not too limiting. And something where you just snap your fingers and you're skinny! Ha! Just making sure you were still reading.

Anyhow, I found the Whole9 site. It's basically Paleo way of eating, but they have a Whole30 program where you give up all sorts of foods (grains, sugar, alcohol, legumes, dairy, potatoes) for 30 days and you see some great results.

So what does this have to do with peanut allergy, you ask?

They don't allow peanuts (it IS a legume after all) on their plan.

Here's an excerpt from their Peanut Manifesto:

"Lectins from grains (especially wheat) and legumes (including peanuts and soybeans) are most commonly associated with aggravation of inflammatory and digestive diseases in the body...Recent research has suggested that these lectins may effectively serve as a “Trojan horse” allowing foreign proteins to invade our natural gut defenses....Lectins can cause damage well beyond the gut – commonly in joints, brain, and skin of affected individuals. Continued exposure of the gut by these toxins leads to a persistent stimulation of the body’s defense mechanism in a dysfunctional manner, i.e. autoimmune disease. (Allergies fall into that category as well.)"

This kind of blew my mind. What do you think??

I'm not sure if I will try the Whole30 plan (could I give up rice, pasta, and dairy??). But their stance on peanuts may just convince me.

p.s. now that I think of this, the Whole30 program is what a lot of our allergic kids are already practicing. Gluten free, soy free, milk free, peanut free. Maybe we're trendsetters!

Warning: New Peanut Product

2012-01-09T12:32:00.000-08:00

General Mills has come out with a new product you guys should be aware of:

Peanut Butter Multi-Grain Cheerios

I'm not sure what this means for other Cheerios products (e.g. not sure if these will run on a separate line), but be careful and read all labels on future Cheerios products, just to be safe.

What really is bothering me is that these look VERY similar to the regular Multi-Grain Cheerios. How's a little kid at daycare where Cheerios are the common currency going to know which ones are which (and which to avoid)?

So glad B isn't a fan of Cheerios!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys!!!! How are you all?

Me & D

I honestly can't believe it's 2012. Where did the time go??

Frankly, 2011 was the worst year of my life and the BEST. The separation was the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's gotten so much easier. B is really settling in to her routine (which wasn't without major bumps and anxiety attacks - both for her and for me). I'm seeing someone new and I couldn't be happier.

See?

But as many of you in the food allergy community know, we started the year with a tragedy.

Little Ammaria Johnson, a first grader in Virginia, died as a result of a fellow student giving her a peanut (that she ate) on the playground. She went into anaphylactic shock and passed away.

The school didn't have an epi pen on site (apparently they refused to keep one even though Ammaria's mom asked them to).

I still can't think about this without starting to cry. Bottom line: this was preventable!!

B is 7. She has epi pens all over the school - in the office, in the class, etc.

But you know what? This could still happen to her.

I'm trying to figure out how to tell B about this without scaring her too much. She's usually really good about not eating anything I don't approve (or pack for her), but what if a friend she really trusts offers her something?

We've got some work to do.

If you'd like to help Ammaria's family (they were having trouble giving her a proper funeral), you can find more information on how to donate here.

Hug your kids, FA mamas. And hugs to YOU for advocating to the ends of the earth to keep your babies (and my baby) safe. Tragedies like this can be prevented!!!

Just a quick blog post...

2011-09-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

I'm here - I'm alive!

B started second grade last month - can you believe it??? She had a rocky start with drop offs. Tears! I know it's due to the separation, but even when you know the reason, it's still hard to see your usually confident little girl break down each day when you leave. Thankfully, drop off is MUCH better - I get a few hugs and kisses and off she goes to learn. The last few weeks it's been about Whales (and Narwhals - did you know these things were actually real? I sure didn't!).

Other than that, we're just settling in to the school year. I'm settling in to my new normal as a single woman - it's bizarre and empowering all at once. My new normal is becoming, well, normal for me.

On the peanut front, we'll be heading to the Bay Area FAAN walk in a few weeks - hopefully I'll run into some of you there.

I've got a few product reviews in the works and a book review. Stay tuned!

G

Peanut Allergy Product Review: Enjoy Life Crunchy Cookies!

2011-07-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

I must admit, when I walk into my office on the one day a week I work there (yay for telecommuting!) I get a thrill when I see a box sitting on my desk!

Last week was no exception. I had a box from the good people at Enjoy Life and it was filled with...

Crunchy Cookies!

I was a good mom and waited until I saw B to tear these open.

And boy did we!

It would have been irresponsible for us not to try at least two of each to make a qualified decision about which flavor we liked the best, right?

And the winner?

Sugar Crisp! This is a cookie that you would think was just a regular sugar cookie from any manufacturer - but it's better because it's top 8 free!!

Runner up: Chocolate Chip. Their chocolate chips are in it, so no wonder they are great too!

This isn't to say that we didn't love the Vanilla Honey Graham or Chocolate chocolate chip, mind you. Those are excellent as well.

Thanks Enjoy Life for sending me these samples!

Peanut Allergy: This one's crunchy (and I ain't talking peanut butter).

2011-07-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

i've been wanting to write this post for a while, but it's been difficult.

i'll just say it.

my husband and i have separated. i moved out into my own place recently. it's been difficult (or as I like to say, crunchy), mostly for little B, but we're settling in.

i thank my lucky stars that B's dad and i are on the same page about keeping her safe. knowing i don't have to worry about her when she's at his place comforts me to no end.

if you're my friend on facebook, don't get all blabby about it, cuz a bunch of family still don't know.

but you guys? you trump family any day - the support i get from you is phenomenal!

now that i've got extra time on my hands i'm hoping to get more posts up. i've got a few great books to review and some great new food products to talk about as well.

everything happens for a reason - i'm scared as heck about the future, but at the same time, more excited than i've been in a long time.

Peanut Allergy Product Review: Enjoy Life Chocolate Stuff!

2011-05-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

So the good folks over at Enjoy Life Foods have done it again!

I was lucky enough to receive a box of two of their newest products recently. The Semisweet Chocolate Mega Chunks and the Double Chocolate Crunch Granola.

Oh Emmm Geeeee. Where do I even start?

The chunks are amazing and taste great. I wish I could say I made a lovely batch of chocolate chunk cookies (or blondies) with them, but nope, B and I just ate them straight out of the bag, perfectly content. I even put a small container in her lunch one day for her to snack on (what?! don't judge!). They are so delicious and it's great to have another option for chips for cookies and baking.

The granola was a HUGE hit as well. Nice and crunchy, great, REAL, chocolate taste with no funky aftertastes or mouthfeels. I ate some with banana it was EXCELLENT. So tasty and you feel a little naughty at the same time eating chocolate for breakfast :)

These are definitely going on the must-buy list!

The thing I like most about EL products is that I would buy these even if we didn't have an allergy to deal with - they taste THAT good.

Verdict: 4 big thumbs up from me and B for both - THANK YOU ENJOY LIFE!

Barney Butter Giveaway Winner!

2011-05-16T15:31:00.001-07:00

And the winner of the Barney Butter giveaway is....

Kelly Arroyo!

Kelly, email your preferred shipping address to peanutfreemama@gmail.com and the good folks at Barney Butter will send you your prize!

Barney Butter Giveaway!

2011-05-04T05:57:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I love Barney Butter!

So today I'm pleased to have a giveaway for you - my readers - so you can share in the goodness that is peanut free almond butter!

It's easy to enter - just click the link below (or the photo on the left) and you'll be taken to an entry form. Even if you don't win, you'll still get a coupon for $2 off your next purchase of Barney Butter! So it's win-win!

Click Here to enter to win a box of 12 single serve packs of Barney Butter!

Winners announced on or around May 10th - good luck!

oh poor bloggie...

2011-04-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty absent around these parts, and for that, I'm sorry. I have lots to tell you. Instead of a long winded post, I will give you bullet points:

I'm not eating meat any more. It's working out great! It's been an excellent excuse to eat more protein in the form of crunchy Barney Butter.
B's skin test came back worse than last year. Worse, in fact, than almost any other year. Bigger and wider and even more itchier than ever. My heart broke into a million pieces in the allergist's office. Even though he is still optimistic about her outgrowing her allergy, I am resigning myself to the fact that she's probably not.
I devoured Sloane's new book over the course of an evening. I didn't want it to end. This is a book that belongs in every girls' hope chest. It gave me an incredible amount of hope for my daughter and her journey through life with her allergy. Look for a review here soon (I promise, Sloane!)
I'm going to the FAAN Conference in June in Anaheim. Will you be there?
I created a Facebook page for Peanut Free Mama - come and like me wontcha'?

I promise that I will have more content soon. I've wanted to hide under the covers when it comes to peanut allergy and all that comes along with it since B's last allergist visit.

But now I'm ready to come out.

I hope you'll still have me.

Peanut Allergy: Safe Camp for Kids: Camp TAG

2011-03-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

If you live in the Joliet, IL area, Philadelphia, PA area, or the Sandy Spring, MD area and hope to give your food allergic child a normal camp experience without the worry of reactions, then check out Camp TAG, created by FAAN.

About the program:

Camp TAG is a 5-day, half-day camp for children ages 3-12 that will launch in summer 2011. It will provide a safe place for children with food allergies and their siblings to have fun with no worries about having an allergic reaction, as well as give them an opportunity to meet other children who share the same conditions and know they are not alone!

Camp TAG will provide community outreach and educational opportunities for children with food allergies, their siblings, and parents. It will be 95% fun and 5% educational with age-appropriate activities and games each day on food allergies, anaphylaxis, nutrition, the emotional impact that food allergies have on the child and family, and how to stay safe at school and at home. An educational curriculum has been designed and reviewed by FAAN's Medical Advisory Board.

A registered nurse who specializes in food allergies, anaphylaxis, and epinephrine administration will be onsite at all times at each location. An allergy-friendly snack will be provided, along with water.

The price is pretty great too (well, compared to SF Bay Area summer camp costs).

How I wish there was a Camp TAG near us this summer!

Peanut Allergy: Skin Prick Testing (SPT) coming soon.

2011-02-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

B is going for her annual allergy checkup next week.

I think we'll have a skin test (like we do every year). And, like every other year, I'm sure she'll fight it. Can't say I blame her - according to my sources (my mom and my husband) those things ARE NOT fun. Itching and not being able to scratch for 15 minutes? NO THANKS.

I think I'm at the stage where I'm not even getting my hopes up that it will be a negative reaction. Because if I get my hopes up, I'll just be disappointed when that dreaded pink bump surfaces.

Can you tell I'm having a pity party today?

B keeps insisting that even if she has a negative skin test she absolutely WILL NOT eat peanuts or peanut butter for an in-office challenge.

How did I get such a hard-headed kid? Oh, wait, she's just like me. :)

Peanut Allergy Product Review: Enjoy Life Cookies!

2011-02-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

I've been a HUGE fan of Enjoy Life - I probably go through a bag of their chocolate chips a month (if you're interested in the tastiest non dairy chocolate mousse you've ever had, leave me a comment!). And you can be sure that any birthday party B attends, she's got a Choco-Boom bar with her just in case the dessert/snack is off limits.

If you're not familiar with Enjoy Life, here's a bit about them:

"At Enjoy Life, our whole business is making smile-good foods that keep people’s insides happy. That’s why all of our foods are specially made to be gluten-free and free of the 8 most common allergens. Our goal is to make delicious products that just about everyone can EAT FREELY. We promise they’ll make you smile inside out!"

Most of their products are also free from: casein, sulfites, potatoes, and sesame. How cool is that??

So when they asked if I would try out some of their new soft baked cookies it was a no brainer - of course I said yes! Lo and behold a few weeks later a box arrrived carrying three flavors for Miss B to review.

The first thing we noticed with each box was the overwhelming (in a GOOD way) smell of the main ingredient of each flavor. When you opened the brownies, you smelled CHOCOLATE! And with the snickerdoodles CINNAMON! And the lemon cookies LEMON! It wasn't just a sickly sweet smell (like you get with, say, Oreos).

So what did B think?

Double Chocolate Brownie
I thought for sure this would be B's favorite, but it wasn't. It was MINE though. This is a really satisfying, chocolatey, chewy cookie. I plowed through the majority of these. Even though I had no self control, I did like that the package was separated into little sections that contained 2 cookies each. It gave me a little bit of hope that I would only eat 2 at a time (fat chance, though, they were too good)!

Don't get me wrong, B liked the chocolate, but her favorite was.....

Snickerdoodle!
These little cinnamony (is that a word?) gems were the definite favorite for B (which isn't a surprise since she LOVES the caramel apple bars they make - which also contain cinnamon).

Lively Lemon
The last ones we tried were the lemon. I have to be honest, I'm not a HUGE fan of lemon cookies. Give me a chocolate chip cookie over a lemon bar any day. But I think these may have converted me. I loved the little nuggets of lemony goodness in the cookies - so tasty! Even B agreed.

So would we buy them for ourselves? Absolutely! Definitely a 3 out of 3!! And I'm not just saying that because they sent me 3 free boxes of their cookies (note: that was my disclaimer). There are plenty of companies that send me products that are awful that I don't bother talking about on this site.

Thanks, Enjoy Life, for giving us a chance to taste your soft-baked cookies - we're adding another Enjoy Life product to our list of favorites!

Gab

p.s. be sure to visit their site to download a coupon for 55 cents off a product!

Peanut Allergy: Sabrina's Mom (via allergymoms.com)

2011-02-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

Sabrina.

When I used to hear that name (BPAD - before peanut allergy diagnosis) I always thought of the teenage witch.

Now I think of Sabrina, a 13 year old girl who suffered a fatal anaphylactic episode at school after eating french fries contaminated with microscopic dairy particles.

Her mother, Sara Shannon, turned this horrendous loss into her personal mission - to ensure that noone has to go through this again - to protect allergic children in school. Sabrina's Law is her legacy in honor of her daughter - her only child - who would have been 21 this year.

Gina Clowes of allergymoms.com posted an interview with Sara on her website this month. They are friends and the ease in which they chat about this is really uplifting and wonderful to read. There are so many great points made in the article. This in particular gave me the chills:

Gina: You got the call that every allergy mother dreads.

Sara: Yes, the one every allergy mother dreads. I couldn’t believe it. The word “collapsed,” that’s the worst word for an allergy mom to hear. Sabrina had always survived her reactions. She had never had a reaction where she collapsed.

Gina: This is such an important point for anyone on the call. When I hear, “mild peanut allergy,” for example, and I know you and I both feel the same way and we cringe at this. Because reactions are unpredictable. Most everyone who has had a fatal reaction has had a milder reactions previously.

Please go read it. And bring a box of tissues.

What an amazing woman.

Thank you Gina!

Peanut Allergy: Doing Your Homework

2011-02-01T09:44:00.000-08:00

Are you familiar with FAAN?

If you aren't, you should be.

FAAN is the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. In a nutshell (bah!):

The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) was established in 1991. Anne Muñoz-Furlong founded the organization after her daughter was diagnosed with milk and egg allergy as an infant. She discovered that information vital to raising a child with food allergies was not widely available.

When B was diagnosed, her Allergist gave me a slip of paper with his direct line (I know!) and their URL: www.foodallergy.org. I walked out of the office overwhelmed, but armed with two amazing gifts. Boy, am I glad I have both of those things. Our allergist is an angel and I can't count the number of times I've gone to the FAAN site for help.

FAAN also holds conferences. I'll be at the June 11th event in Anaheim. It will be a chance to bond with other Food Allergy families, learn more about handling allergies day to day (as a parent or as an adult/teen dealing with allergies) and keeping up to date on the latest research. I cannot wait!

B will have just gotten out of school, so she's going to join me along with my husband. When I mentioned there was an allergy conference happening she insisted that she wanted to go. Unfortunately there isn't a kid's track, but I'm hoping she can at least come down and see a little of the action at the conference before I go in to sessions.

I told her it was in Anaheim. She has NO IDEA what that means, specifically that a guy named Mickey Mouse lives nearby.

She's gonna freak her freak. I love surprising that kid!!

If you're attending, please let me know so we can meet! If there's enough of us, maybe I can set up a little meet and greet - it would be so awesome to put faces to the names that comment here :)

Peanut Allergy: Never Assume (again)

2011-01-30T09:26:00.000-08:00

I was at Whole Foods yesterday getting a sandwich (which, by the way was terrible - every sandwich I get there sucks).

I was looking at all the options and noticed that I didn't see peanut butter - woo hoo! I love not seeing peanut butter on menus.

But (oh yeah, there is a but)...

I asked. B wasn't with me so I didn't need a sandwich for her, but I asked anyway.

"So you guys don't do peanut butter sandwiches here?"

You already know where this is going, don't you?

The answer:

"Of course we do! We just don't list it on the menu."

Gah!

There you go. I'll never stop asking, even if it 'seems' safe.

It never ends.

Packing Tip, just because.

2011-01-21T10:02:00.000-08:00

p.s. i want these bags - so cute!

This isn't a lifestyle blog, or a clutter blog, and lord almighty, definitely not a travel blog, but I wanted to share what we do in our house when we travel.

If we're going away for the weekend - and we're flying - we typically carry on, but for trips of more than 3 days it's almost inevitable that we have to check a bag or two. I'm a woman with needs and I HATE juggling what I'm going to wear. Maggie Mason is good at packing light; I am not.

But this has it's pitfalls.

Checking bags sucks. I'm not a fan for two reasons: 1. the price - United is up to $25 a bag! 2. if you lose your bag you're hosed!

There are remedies for these of course.

The first being check your bag online where you'll save a buck or two.

The second is this: we usually check two bags on a trip. In my carry on, I ALWAYS carry a change of clothes for me and B (my husband usually carries on so he's covered) and toiletries/meds. For me it's usually a dress of some kind that packs easily. For B it's usually leggings and tee (and crocs). I keep all our stuff in a Timbuk2 bag like this (which they of course don't make anymore because it's functional).

And then in the two bags we check, I SPLIT our clothes between the two so there's outfits for both of us in each bag, just in case one doesn't arrive. It boggles the mind that one bag will arrive and the other doesn't, but that's airlines for you.

This approach has already paid off once for us. My husband thought I was nuts while I was packing, but once it happened, and only one bag came down the ramp, he was a convert.

And if both bags don't arrive? Well, at least I have an outfit for both of us in my carry on. And frankly I don't really go places that don't have at least a Target store so I know I can go there in an emergency until our bags are found and delivered.

Again, I'm no travel expert but this is my tip.

Are you still awake?

Thank you.

Eating in Maui with a Peanut Allergy

2011-01-17T05:29:00.000-08:00

On our recent trip to Maui we were lucky. For the most part, not much had changed restaurant-wise since we were there in 2007. Sure, a few places closed, and a few places opened, but for the most part, the restaurants I wrote about then remain the same.

Here's an overview of the places we ate on our trip - no reactions and only ONE close call (phew)!

Aloha Mixed Plate
This place has been around FOREVER. It's right next door to Old Lahaina Luau, so you get all the same food as the Luau - pulled pork, poi, etc. We went here at least twice on our visit. The service is slow and surly, but you look out onto the ocean and it's a super casual place to take the kids. Try the Kalbi ribs - you'll thank me for it. Note: They DO have a peanut dish - Pad Thai - on their menu.

Star Noodle
We went here twice. It's a noodle joint that has all sorts of small plates as well. Now this place is a little more upscale and in a totally bizarre industrial (but not unsafe) area near the Lahaina Cannery Mall. Pork Buns, Roasted brussels sprouts with bacon and kimchi, saimin - everything was delicious. Sure, the rip of David Chang's Momofuku left and right, but the place is awesome. Note: They also have peanuts on the menu - in the form of Pad Thai as well as part of a dessert called Malasalada. They were very allergy aware though and the server knew exactly what was in each dish and informed the chef of our allergy.

If you go, go right when it opens so you are guaranteed a table. Otherwise, you wait!

Sheraton Maui Hotel Restaurants
So what is there to say about hotel restaurants? They're pretty boring, not to mention expensive, but we ended up eating in one of them at least once a day. The hotel's Teppan Yaki (think Benihana) style restaurant was closed - not sure if it's reopening after renovation or if they are turning the spot into something else. The Lagoon bar there was still peanut free (think burgers, hot dogss, nachos, etc) and the main hotel restaurant menu was happily peanut free as well (EXCEPT for the breakfast buffet - which we avoided).

Sheraton Luau
We ended up going to the luau at the Sheraton - mainly because it was about 25 steps from our room. But it was fun and let's face it, kids love luaus! All the dancing! And fire! And costumes!

And peanuts on table!

What?!

Yup, we looked at the menu prior to going and figured there would at least be one or two things that were safe for B (rice, roasted meat). And when we got there, they seated us and what was on the table, right there for the picking?!? Boiled Peanuts!! I freaked (internally of course) and ran to find the manager and chef for a chat. They assured me that there were no peanut ingredients in any of the food (or peanut oil) and that the only case of peanuts were the ones on the table. They were very concerned and said in the future they would reconsider even having those on the tables, especially since they specifically ensured there weren't peanut products in the food.

Ironically, not one person at our 10 person table ate a peanut before they were removed - we didn't say a word to them but they still didn't eat any - isn't that bizarre? In any case, crisis averted - whew!

Note: It seems to me that these types of things are always a disappointment food-wise, with or without an allergy. I'm not a huge fan of overpriced buffets. Ok, I said it! But the entertainment really was fabulous.

Hula Grill
Hula Grill is an interesting place. They have a fine dining side and then they have a beach bar, where the tables are actually in a sandy area. Either are fine for kids, but in the sandy area you can sit closer to the music for the evening, which makes dining with vocal 6 year olds better. I think we ate here 3 times during our trip. The bar area has burgers, salads, some raw dishes (sashimi, ceviche) and the fine dining area has things like grilled fish, etc. Note: There are landmines here, so be very careful when ordering. The grilled items SHOULD be ok (ask your server), but peanuts aren't listed on the menu even when they are in dishes. For example, my husband ordered some kind of fish chowdery thing in coconut broth. After eating 80% of it, he started finding peanuts in the bottom of the broth! Boy did he give them an earful! B only had grilled cheese so that was a nice safe route to go.

Cane and Taro
This is a new place in Whaler's Village, right next door to Hula Grill (it used to be a fish place that wasn't good so it's no surprise there was something new there now). We went there for breakfast on our last day and I'm sorry we didn't get there sooner. Great prices on breakfast and HUGE portions. And when we went, the breakfast menu had no peanut dishes - yay!

Nikki's Pizza
Bottom line: this is a mediocre pizza place in Whaler's Village. That being said, it's the mediocre pizza that kids love. So there you go.

They also have plate lunches - do yourself a favor and drive to Aloha Mixed Plate instead. You're welcome.

McDonald's
Not much to say about this, but if you want (need?) something familiar to feed your picky child, this is the place. Don't their fries cure all?

Shave Ice on Main Street Lahaina
There were quite a few shave ice places on the main street in Lahaina that we went to. Basically shave ice is a big snow cone with syrup on it. Never did I see any nut flavored syrups (and I looked!) so it was a nice, safe treat for B, who certainly isn't used to just walking up to an 'ice cream' place to get a safe treat. Use your best judgment, but consider giving one of the stands a shot while you're there.

Safeway
We hit up the Safeway in Lahaina a few times for snacks, fresh fruit, and yogurt (our hotel had a fridge and microwave) - that was good when we were 'nibbly' but didn't want to sit in the restaurant and pay an 18% service charge :)

------------------
So that's it! Lots of places, no reactions, and only one close call!

The verdict? Ultimately, Maui is still VERY doable when it comes to peanuts without having to have a condo with a kitchen. Sure, there's Pad Thai here and there, but it's not overwhelming and the majority of the restaurants that had kid menus that we saw didn't have even PBJ's.

If you have a tree nut allergy, it's STILL doable, but be prepared for Macadamia nuts everywhere. Seriously, everywhere. Every menu had macadamia nut 'something' on it. B didn't eat any of them (although we did pick up some macadamias that weren't cross-contaminated with peanuts for a future challenge) but since she's not allergic to any other tree nuts (or sesame or coconut) we were ok with eating out at these places. We also saw a lot of almonds in dishes. Again, B's not allergic to almonds, but we did avoid eating them just in case.

To read all of my Maui related posts, click here.

If you have any questions about traveling to Maui with a peanut allergy, feel free to email me. If I can't help, I'm sure I can point you in the right direction!

Sweet Find in Philly for Peanut Allergy

2011-01-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

I was alerted to a bakery in Philadelphia that's right up this peanut free mama's alley: Sweet Freedom Bakery! Love their tagline - "Baking You Happy"!

Here's a bit of info from their site:

Philadelphia is a city known for its soft-pretzels, cheese-steaks and all things choc full of gluten and dairy. For those of us with food allergies and intolerances, or who are mindful of how our diet impacts our health and wellbeing, it can be difficult to nearly impossible to find a tasty treat for our sensitive systems. Not any longer! Sweet Freedom is here to serve as a safe haven to children and adults alike who have been deprived of the simple pleasure of eating a freshly baked goodie.

Not only are our products vegan (dairy-free, casein-free, egg-free) and gluten-free, but we avoid the use of corn, wheat, peanuts, and soy as well. The only sweeteners we will ever use are the most natural and unrefined of sugars that are gentler on your body. Rest assured that we also avoid the use of toxic chemical sweeteners and other highly processed sugars and preservatives at all times. We at Sweet Freedom bakery have made it our mission to provide the best tasting allergy-friendly treats that even those without allergies will love!

Too bad I live about 3,000 miles away.

But you Philly readers (I know there's at least one of you LOL) can take a look. If you know the bakery, please leave a comment to let us know how it is!

I love, love, love how many allergy aware places are opening their doors - so cool.

Oh, and Happy New Year folks!

Flying with A Peanut Allergy: United Airlines Snack Boxes

2010-12-16T23:07:00.000-08:00

Whenever we fly, we fly United (well, 99% of the time).

So when we went to Maui a few weeks ago, we flew United (spring for Economy Plus seats if you can - trust me those extra inches seem like feet when you're in the air).

United's got a pretty great peanut policy (you can read it here at the bottom of the page). The caveat in there is that their snacks may be made in a facility that processes peanuts and tree nuts and that their snack boxes could contain other tree nuts.

Snack boxes, you say? What, pray tell, is in the snack boxes??

So in the name of research, while on the flight to and from Maui, I purchased a snack box (I had safe snacks for B - I wasn't going to risk not having safe food for her in the sky).

You can see a list of snack box choices here.

I need to preface this with a HUGE pet peeve. These items come in a larger box that's only labeled with the name of the snack box (e.g. Tapas Box). So annoying. How are you supposed to know the safest option if you can't read any of the labels??

So I've taken the liberty of listing the allergens or allergen warnings listed on each package in parenthesis (if they didn't have a warning but have a top 8 allergen in it, I've listed it as well). Hopefully one of you guys will find it useful!

On the way there I chose the Tapas Box.

Oloves Marinated Olives (no warning, contains olives, evoo, salt/pepper/thyme. mustard, vinegar and lactic and citric acids)
Milas® Bruschetta Spread (no warning, contains roasted red pepper, artichoke hearts, onion, vegetable oil, tomato paste, garlic, salt, vinegar, thyme, black pepper, basil)
Wild Garden^TM Hummus (no warning, contains chickpeas, sesame paste, water, sea salt, natural spices, citric acid)
Rondele® Peppercorn Parmesan Cheese Spread (contains milk)
Fratelli Laurieri Spread Al Rosmarino Crackers (warning:mfd in a plant that also processes nuts, eggs, and sesame, contains wheat flour, veg oil, olive oil, sea salt, brewers yeast, rosemary)
Jacobs® Cream Crackers (warning: contains gluten. produced on a line handling sesame seeds, milk and egg)
Partners® Olive Oil and Sea Salt Crackers (warning: contains milk and wheat)
Emerald® Natural Almonds (contains: almonds (duh), manufactured on shared equipment and may contain other tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, sesame seeds, milk and soy)
Fantis® Ouzo Candy Mint

On the way home, I chose the Classic Snack Box

Keebler Townhouse® Crackers (warning: wheat and soy ingredients)
Snyder’s® of Hanover Mini Pretzels (warning: produced in a facility that handles peanut butter. contains: wheat)
Nabisco^TM Oreo Cookie (warning: contains wheat, soy)
Jelly Belly® Assorted Flavors (no warning. contains coconut)
Del Monte® Vanilla Yogurt Raisin Fruit Snack (manufactured in a facility that processes tree nuts, peanuts, dairy and soy)
Austin® Zoo Animal Crackers (warning: contains wheat and soy)
Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish (no warning, but contains wheat, milk, soy)
Dairyfoods Cheddar Spread (no warning. contains:milk)

So there you go. There's actually some edible food for kids with a peanut allergy (or other food allergy for that matter). Just remember that labels are always changing - be prepared for the possibility of these items having different warnings at another time.

So the $25,000 question: Would I buy these again?

Probably not.

I'd likely just bring some fruit leather, real fruit, bagged goldfish and a sandwich.

But if I was stuck on a flight with B and she was desperate for a snack, at least I would know what to expect when I opened those mysterious boxes.

What snacks have you seen on other airlines? Anything tasty?

Peanut Free Snack: Chex Mix

2010-12-09T16:28:00.000-08:00

When we were in Hilo Hattie in Lahaina, Maui, I stumbled across some Chex Mix that was peanut free - Teriyaki Chex Mix!

Of course it's not on the General Mills site, but apparently you can buy it at convenience stores. Or, if you are in Hawaii, I guess you can stop by Hilo Hattie.

Yum!

I'm back!

2010-12-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

We flew back from a week in gorgeous Maui last night (and boy are my arms tired - badump dump!).

I'll have some new restaurants that we tried as well as a list of ingredients in two of the three snack boxes offered on United Airlines in a post tomorrow. Maui's just getting easier and easier when it comes to peanut allergy. There was only one scary moment the entire trip (more on that tomorrow too).

Until then I'll leave you with a view from our hotel room - I stared at this every day for a week. It never got old. All the laundry I have to do today already has, believe me.

Until tomorrow, Aloha!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

Gobble Gobble - Happy Thanksgiving!

What are YOU thankful for?

Image from natureartists.com

Peanut Allergy: A Cross-Contamination Story

2010-11-22T13:14:00.000-08:00

Cross contamination can happen when you least expect it.

Here's a short story that taught me that preventing cross contamination isn't always easy.

I was baking pumpkin sheet cakes for little B's class party. It's a great little recipe that I'll post soon (promise - it will be my content for tomorrow!).

So I'm making the cakes and I'm trying to get it over with first thing in the morning, so of course I'm rushing through it. And I'm feeling hungry, so I go to have my morning toast.

So I'm eating and baking, baking and eating.

And the cake's are in the oven, filling the house with the most gorgeous scent.

And I look down on my plate and realize that I was eating almond butter while I was baking.

CRAP!

One of B's classmates is peanut allergic but avoids ALL nuts. And here I was prancing around, making cake while eating almond butter.

After shrieking (seriously - I did!), I took all the previous dishes and put them to the side. Then I washed my hands with really hot, soapy water. Then I wiped the counter down with bleach and hot water. Then I got new utensils and baking dishes, gave them another wash in hot soapy water for good measure and started again.

And now I have two safe cakes cooling on my counter ready for a safe celebration tomorrow.

Peanut Allergy: Pre-Thanksgiving Meal and Some Thankful Links

2010-11-18T11:54:00.000-08:00

Image Courtesy FoodNetwork.com

So last night I decided since I wasn't hosting Thanksgiving this year that I needed to have a turkey dinner in my kitchen anyways dangit!

I went to Whole Foods and got a Diestel Turkey Breast and roasted it up. But not in any old way - I used this recipe from Rachael Ray and MAN was it tasty (and top 8 free since I used olive oil to baste the top of the bird before I put it in the oven).

Why a turkey breast you may ask? Well, my oven died (at least the inside cooking part, not the top burners thank goodness) and I still haven't replaced it (gotta get that done before Christmas Eve since about 25 people will be here expecting dinner - can't serve 'em ramen!). I've been using my handy, dandy convection toaster oven for the last 7 months and it's been great. And it worked perfectly for a small turkey breast.

Throw in some stuffing, green beans, and cranberry sauce (oh and gravy of course!) and we had one heck of a meal!

--------

B has minimum days all this week, and I've been finding little 'thankful' things to do each afternoon. Writing notes to special people, donating canned food/blankets to the local shelter, and today we are dropping off a few frozen turkeys/chickens to our local Second Harvest Food Bank. There are so many sales at the grocery stores right now - for about $25 I should be able to get a few turkeys (or large chickens) to donate to those who can't swing buying their own bird this year.

----------

Have you started thinking about holiday shopping yet? In addition to the usual presents, a few folks close to us will be getting donations made in their name to Heifer International, One Day's Wages or Kiva.

A LOT of our relatives absolutely HATE getting these donations made, and I don't know why. But many of my relatives love it. They have plenty of sweaters, and cooking gadgets, and most of all: blessings. Us giving in their names is their favorite gift of all.

What's your favorite charity?

---------

We have so much to be thankful for - but that's for another time and another post (next week).

D'oh!

2010-11-17T10:51:00.001-08:00

Hi Guys,

So I blew it on NaPoBloMo yesterday - no post! I have an ear infection and have spent the last day feeling like I'm underwater.

Gah!

Back tomorrow though, once the antibiotics have kicked in :)

Peanut Free Thanksgiving: Appetizers

2010-11-15T21:08:00.000-08:00

So I'm planning on bringing a few items to nibble on during the Thanksgiving festivities. Some chips/veggies and dips (snore, but who doesn't love a good dip?) and some teeny quiches.

But every year during the holidays I try something new.

One year I made this - HUGE hit.

But this year, I'm going a little fancy schmancy: Dates with Goat Cheese Wrapped in Prosciutto. Don't these look killer?

Photo Courtesy Self Magazine

Can't wait!

Stupidity At It's Finest (or proof that sometimes you need good PR people)

2010-11-14T21:14:00.000-08:00

So the president of the American College of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology, Sami Bahna,(not to be confused with a much finer scientific society, AAAAI) came out with a statement this week that has upset A LOT of people in the peanut allergy community. With their annual meeting coming up, he definitely needed some material for a session.

You can read it here.

The gist of it is that he feels that bans in schools and on airlines are unnecessary.

“Unfortunately, life is not risk-free,” said Dr. Bahna. “A minority of people are severely allergic to peanuts, but it is not reasonable or possible to expect schools or airlines to be peanut-free. Consideration should be also given to the freedom of the vast majority of non-allergic persons. Also, peanut is not the only food that can cause severe allergy.”

Here's my favorite quote from the release:

"Regarding the airlines, Dr. Bahna suggests that people and parents of children with severe peanut allergies check to be sure the airline carries emergency treatment and educates their personnel about food allergies."

I swear, I almost did a spit take. Who is this bozo kidding? What airline carries emergency treatment? Just to be sure, I've emailed/IM'd a few airlines to see what they actually carry on board.

If you'd like a good laugh, read the part about how to keep kids safe at school. He really is delusional and really knows nothing about how schools work, especially with overcrowding and budget cuts.

On one hand, I really do get what he's saying, but boy he could have spun this differently. His PR rep should be shot (and you know I mean that figuratively not literally).

I've never really been one for school bans (although if my school turned around and said they would be peanut free I would be stoked), but when it comes to being locked in a plane for hours with no escape I sing a different tune. If I'm over the Pacific, I'm feeling much better if there aren't any peanuts on board a flight we're on. And I totally get it about other allergies - what about the other members of the top 8? Or outside the top 8 like sesame or latex? Should those be banned from the skies too? Where does it end?

There has to be a happy medium. But a condescending press release isn't really the way to go about opening up a dialogue about it.

And he certainly didn't win any friends in the peanut allergy community.

Peanut Allergy: Accindental Exposure, Part 1.

2010-11-13T21:20:00.000-08:00

So I promised you an accidental exposure story - woo hoo!

I was chatting with the mom of B's pal, C. She was telling me about a super scary incident at a local pizza place. It was one of those places where there's a place to eat and then a place to play video and arcade games (not like Chuck-e-Cheese - much smaller).

Anyhoo, there were tons of kids in the place this night and her two kids were there. Her daughter C asked for a couple of quarters to get some candy out of the machines. So she gets a few different kinds and has them in her hands. Another little girl that she doesn't know comes up and asks for some of the candy. And of course - C GIVES IT TO HER.

You see where this is going, right?

Yup.

The little girl is peanut allergic. And she reacts. Badly.

The little girl's mom is trying to assess what happened, and is asking little C what exactly she gave her daughter. And C, poor little sweet C who wouldn't hurt a fly, is shell shocked. She can't remember (can you blame her?) and thinks she's killed this girl.

Fortunately the mom had epinephrine and was able to halt the reaction.

My heart hurt for the little girl, and C, but especially the mom of the little girl. She probably thought "We've eaten, we're home free, she's safe to run around and play". And boy, was she wrong.

And this scenario could have happened to any of us.

The moral of the story: Hammer into your kid's brain that they are NEVER to take food from anyone unless you approve it, ESPECIALLY from strangers!

This time tomorrow....

2010-11-12T22:44:00.000-08:00

Not much time to write tonight, but over the weekend I'll regale you with not one but TWO cases of accidental exposure (thankfully neither was B).

Stay tuned!

Veterans Day

2010-11-11T20:57:00.000-08:00

It doesn't matter if you are democrat or republican, pacifist or pro-war. We owe our appreciation to those who make the decision to serve our country and protect our freedoms.

To all military, past and present:

THANK YOU.

Peanut Allergy: Cranberry Sauce

2010-11-10T16:50:00.000-08:00

This isn't an actual photo of my cranberry sauce.
I took it from the McCormick site. Thanks McCormick!

This cranberry sauce is so easy, a 5 year old could do it.

Well, I guess if a 5 year old can zest and juice a tangerine.

OK, here goes.

Get yourself a bag of cranberries. It's the bag you always see in the produce section. Open the bag and pour them in a saucepan.

Put the heat on to medium high heat.

Add a cup of apple juice (or apple cider if you're feeling rich). Then add a cup of sugar. Mix it all together to start distributing all that juice and sugar around the cranberries.

Once it starts to simmer, add in the zest and juice of a tangerine (you know, those little cuties work great for this). Make sure there are no seeds in there!

Mix it all again and bring back to a simmer. Let it simmer, stirring occasionally, and come to a boil until the cranberries pop. It wont take too long and as they pop it will become more saucy. All of this takes maybe 5-10 minutes.

Once most of them pop, take it off the stove (and turn off the heat). Let it cool and voila! You're done! Once it cools a bit it will thicken up even more. Just trust me.

I'm not a recipe writer, but this is what I do every year. It's pretty hard to screw up - I think the only way you could possibly do this would be not to stir it at all and to have the heat too high. So don't do that, ok?

What's your go-to cranberry sauce?

Peanut Allergy: fresh&easy™ Neighborhood Market Product Recall

2010-11-09T15:45:00.000-08:00

If you have a fresh&easy™ Neighborhood Market in your area, this one's for you. Getting a tube full of peanut butter cookie dough would be a big ol' bummer, now wouldn't it??

"Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market is voluntarily recalling some fresh&easy^™ "Ginger Spice Cookie Dough" (16 oz.) because they may contain undeclared peanuts.

Individuals who have allergies to peanuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.

The recalled product was sold in Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market stores in California, Nevada and Arizona.

The recall was initiated after it was discovered that a limited number of the fresh&easy^™ "Ginger Spice Cookie Dough" (UPC 5051379045210) may contain Peanut Butter Cookie Dough."

Read the PDF of the press release.

We have a peanut allergy. This is our stuffing.

2010-11-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

So with Thanksgiving coming up, I've been chatting with my mom about what we're going to make (we're spending the holiday with my folks, close to home). She's handling the bird itself, plus some mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and green beans.

I thought I would share a few of the items I'll be making over the next few days. Maybe you care, maybe you don't. But maybe it's your first Thanksgiving and you're feeling like OMG! What the hell am I going to make for my allergic kid's first Thanksgiving?!

I'm doing appetizers, dessert, and stuffing. Oh glorious stuffing! Why don't we start there?

Here's the stuffing recipe I'm making: Sourdough stuffing with Sausage, Apples and golden Raisins (don't turn your nose up at the raisins, silly, it's good!). I've made it before and it's pretty awesome. Here's another if that doesn't do it for you - this one is uh-mazing, but some people turn their noses up at arteeeeechoke hearts. Whatevs!

So maybe you're looking at the recipe and thinking "my kid is allergic to ____. How can i adapt the recipe?"

Allergic to wheat or you're celiac? You could substitute corn bread for the sourdough. But watch out for wheat/gluten in the chicken broth and sausage - check the labels, you'll be ok.

Allergic to eggs? Hmmm. How about egg replacer?

Allergic to milk? I know for sure that Earth Balance will work instead of the butter (I've used it).

Tomorrow I'll regale you with my dessert choices and appetizers. Can you handle it?

So what are your go-to recipes? Share please!

Daylight savings time

2010-11-07T20:48:00.000-08:00

This really has nothing to do with peanut allergy.

It's just a reminder that it's daylight savings time. Isn't it a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detector?

Yup, it sure is. I use the time change as a reminder to switch ours out.

I just changed ours, in fact. It's so satisfying to test them, with their ear splitting sirens.

Stay safe peeps!

Peanut Free Bakery: Zest (San Carlos, CA)

2010-11-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

After I attended BlogHerFood last month, I was scanning the hashtags on Twitter and noticed raves coming from folks who had sampled gluten free treats from Zest Bakery at the Sunday after-picnic.

Zest is a local bakery to me, but I had never gone in. Why?

Why else? Nuts!

I just assumed (you know what they say about assuming things) that there would be too much peanutty stuff there, so we just avoided it.

Now I could kick myself. After a tweet to them, I found out that they are peanut free! Now, don't get too excited - they use other nuts and things like almond milk. But B has the clear to eat all other tree nuts (the only ones we haven't tried are Brazil nuts (blech) and Macadamias (still can't find peanut free ones) so we went in and got a sampling of treats.

A chocolate chip cookie.
A cinnamon apple morning bun/muffin.
A raspberry chocolate chip muffin.

O.

M.

G.

These are so tasty, and you'd never ever know they were gluten free.

And they have pies, and other breads, and ravioli. I even saw a tweet a week ago about pumpkin cream puffs!

Here's a menu. Not sure if they ship, but they should consider it.

My waistline will not be happy this holiday season, that's for sure.

If you're local to the SF Peninsula (or heck anywhere in the SF Bay Area) stop by and try them out. It's a small bakery, but they are sure to have something you'll enjoy. Call ahead - see what they've got that day. You're in for a treat!

Zest Bakery
1224 Arroyo Ave
San Carlos, CA 94070
phone: 650-241-ZEST (650-241-9378)

p.s. they have no idea I've written this post, so no, i didn't get anything free from them to review. this is just a happy customer!

Thanksgiving Countdown

2010-11-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Photo from www.makesandtakes.com

Here's a fun and easy craft to countdown the days to Thanksgiving: A Countdown Turkey!

B and I made one of these last year and she loved removing a feather a day until Turkey Day (or you could add a feather, depending on your preference).

You don't need much to make one either.

Gobble Gobble!

NaBloPoMo

2010-11-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

So it's November, and that means one thing (to me) - NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month)! I've participated the last two years - this year is no exception.

I'm gonna do my best to post each and every day to this blog.

Will it happen? Will I run out of things to say by November 30?

Watch and see!

Oh, and if there's anything you want me to post about, let me know!

Eating Peanuts While Pregnant = Peanut Allergy?

2010-11-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

I hesitated in posting this, but it's a study by a reputable researcher.

Peanuts During Pregnancy May Lead to Later Allergy

Heavy emphasis on the MAY.

I know folks who avoided completely with their second pregnancies and still had a PA child.

The research goes back and forth and frankly I'm not sure what to believe. All I know is that I can't beat myself up over something I may or may not have done 'right' during my pregnancy.

And you shouldn't either.

Peanut Allergy: Outgrowing It

2010-11-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

A funny thing happened at B's annual checkup yesterday.

Her pediatrician was going through her health history and mentioned "Oh and you have the peanut allergy. B, you know you're probably not going to outgrow that?"

So I said, "It's not out of the realm of possibility. She has a negative RAST and her allergist has offered a food challenge."

She looked shocked.

Now, I've read all sorts of stories about kids outgrowing their allergies, or passing a challenge only to redevelop the allergy, or kids with stats like B's failing the office challenge. That's life with a peanut allergy.

And I know the likelihood of B outgrowing her allergy is slim. But the likelihood of a treatment to ease accidental exposure isn't.

But why dash her hopes like that?

Hope is something that keeps me going (selfish, I know) - hope helps ease the fears of what she might face down this long road.

But I want to know how you feel about it - are you resigned that your child will never outgrow this?

Or are you hopeful, like me?

Halloween is Done!

2010-11-01T11:13:00.000-07:00

We made it - Halloween went great! B went as Wonder Woman (here's a shot of her and my neice - they were both WW actually - B is so teeny compared to her big cousin!) and came home with a great haul of candy. And I only had to pull about 6 pieces from her loot - the rest was safe! I mentioned my astonishment to her and she replied "I knew what I could have so I took those from the bowls." To which I replied "But what about these non safe ones? How'd they get in the bag?", to which she responded "Oh, those were from the moms that just dropped one in without asking. I didn't want to be rude, so I didn't say anything." Love that kid!

She hasn't really eaten much. Most of her time has been spent organizing and marveling at the abundance of the candy itself. She doesn't realize that if she doesn't eat some soon she'll be out of luck - it will mysteriously disappear soon :)

Some of Your Peanut Allergy Questions - Answered!

2010-10-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

I managed to answer a few of the questions you guys have asked me (I have a few more to go as well).

Check my answers out.

And, again, ask me anything else you'd like!

Ask Me Anything!

2010-10-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

So I set up a formspring account for myself.

Go ahead, ask me anything!

It can be about being a peanut free mama or anything else you can think of.

Fire away!

p.s. Boy will I feel stupid if no one asks me anything.

Product Review: Ian's Natural Frozen Foods

2010-10-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

A few months back, Ian's Natural Foods sent me some products to try.

And I posted a review on this site.

Or at least I thought I did. But, for some reason, it never posted. So here, without further ado, is my review.

Many thanks to Ian's for providing me with free samples of these products to review on the site!

----------------------------

I was lucky to be the recipient of a sampling of Ian's Natural Foods newest gluten free, allergen free frozen products. These included:

Chicken Tenders
Maple Sausage Egg Wafflewichs
Cheesy French Bread Pizza

At first, I was a bit hesitant to try them. Mainly because whenever I see Gluten Free listed on a label, we usually can't have it because it still has nuts in it. That has actually happened a lot with well meaning family and friends. They pick up a cake mix they assume is safe because it says Gluten Free, not knowing that many of these foods use Almond flour instead of white flour or have nuts in some form or another.

Anyhoo, back to the review. I went on the Ian's site to check out each product - they have a nifty allegen tool - all safe for us!

So we dug in.

The first thing we tried were the chicken nuggets. You know how chicken nuggets are usually chicken paste molded into a nugget shape? Fuggedaboutit! These were the real deal - sweet, crispy, and REAL chicken (you can tell because when you tear them in half they shred just like a regular chicken breast does). B gobbled these up!

Next up? The wafflewich. OMG these were awesome and my favorite. I mean, what's not to love about a waffle sandwich, right? But these were perfect - crispy but soft inside waffle, tasty meat, fluffy eggs and the smell in my kitchen was heavenly. I used my toaster oven to heat it up and it worked like a dream. I plated it by cutting it in half and serving it with some warm syrup. Oh baby! If I was a real food blogger I would have taken a photo - but honestly i gobbled it up too fast anyway :)

And last but certainly NOT least are the french bread pizzas. I have to admit that I was pretty hesitant about these, mainly because it has soy cheese. But I'm eating my words, because these were great too! They reminded me of coming home after school when I was a kid and heating up a Stouffer's french bread pizza as an afternoon snack. So good and Melty! We were seriously fighting over them in my house.

Final Thoughts
I would honestly say I would buy these again for B (and me and the hubs) to enjoy. If you are looking for Gluten Free/Wheat Free options for your allergic child, look no further than Ian's Natural Foods Allergen Free Line! If my picky eater is any indication, your child is sure to love these too!

Full Disclosure: Ian's Natural Foods provided me with free samples of these products to review. I was not compensated in any additional ways nor was I asked to write only a positive review.

Crafty: Paper Plate Polyhedron

2010-10-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of the Family Fun site - they have so many cool ideas to keep kids entertained (plus they have an excellent app for the iPhone and iPad). Every project I've made has actually worked and the kids love it.

Yesterday we made Paper-Plate Polyhedrons.

Took us about 10 minutes and a .99 pack of paper plates.

I'm sure there's a math lesson in here somewhere about polyhedrons (I'm sure a homeschooling mom out there will jump right on this), but the finished product is cool enough on its own.

a small change...

2010-09-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

I wanted to let you in on a small change around here.

No B is still peanut allergic (wouldn't that be an awesome announcement to have one day though?).

I feel like there's alot I want to say on this blog that isn't necessarily peanut allergy related. There's products i find at the store that are cool, or recipes I've tried, or clothes i've bought (those posts would be frequent - hee hee) or hotels i've stayed in that are super. And i want to tell you guys about them. And not in a 'i'm getting paid to tell you this!" type of way. Just to tell you.

Just a peek into my regular life (with peanut allergy sprinkled in a bunch of course).

What do you think?

Dear Universe: I'm an Idiot

2010-09-30T09:16:00.000-07:00


Are we having fun yet?

Sometimes (who am i kidding - many times) as a food allergy mom, you slip up, and you think to yourself "I am SUCH an idiot - how could I have missed this?!". You beat yourself up, because SURELY noone else makes mistakes when it comes to keeping your PA (or FA) child safe.

Right?

Right?

Well, if you are feeling that way in the future, just bookmark this page so you can refer back to it and not feel so alone....

So last Sunday there was a fun run at B's school. It really was more of a slow jog because, well, most kids don't run. They start running, then they get distracted, then they see a water station 20 feet after you start and then over the entire course this keeps happening and you really haven't run at all, now have you?

Anyways, after the run, they gave us a goodie bag and a medal (i use that term loosely) and then handed each child a piece of chocolate.

I know what you're thinking already - "you didn't let B eat that did you?"

Of course I didn't. Well, I didn't right then and there. Actually, i said she could have it then and there but she decided she wanted to eat it later.

Why did I approve it? Well, because a Peanut Free Mom I know organized the event and the chocolates and specifically requested hershey's miniatures plain chocolates for the event. (Note: foreshadowing).

So, we went on our merry way - she went on a bunch of bouncy slide thingies, played carnival games and had a ball in the extreme heat we had (90's in September - yikes!).

So we get home, and she's looking at her swag bag and comes upon the chocolate. I tell her, sure, you can have it now.

So she goes to open it, unwraps the fancy paper with our school logo. And what is it?

A MR. GOODBAR!

She didn't freak out - she didn't eat it - she just handed it to me with a super mad look on her face, like, 'what's the big idea?? - i thought this was supposed to be safe?!?". My jaw hit the floor and I panicked a bit. She hadn't opened it to the chocolate, but what if it was all peanut dusty?? Crud!

I threw it away immediately and made B wash her hands before she could touch anything else or get her hands near her mouth. Crisis averted right? For the most part, yes. But....

But it got me thinking - what if she HAD just randomly popped it in her mouth at the event? I DID tell her that her PA friends mom ordered the chocolates and they were SUPPOSED to be safe, so it was a real possibility that she would have.*

What the heck would I have done???

Because you know what the cherry on top is?

I didn't have an epi-pen or benadryl with me (where was I gonna put that in my spandex pants??).

What was I thinking FORGETTING THE MOST IMPORTANT ACCESSORY I HAVE AT AN EVENT WITH A BUNCH OF FOOD???

And that's the story of why I'm an idiot.

It took that one little candy bar to realize what a fool I am, that I can't let my guard down. I needed that little yellow wrapped reminder to tell me that I need to stay prepared ALL THE TIME (if you haven't seen this segment from The Balancing Act, you'll see all the more reason for keeping an epi on you at all times).

----------------------------

*my fellow PA mom was MORTIFIED about the chocolates - she got in touch with me right away once she discovered the issue herself. i don't blame her a bit - they were donated chocolates and the woman did tell her that they would only be miniature hershey's milk chocolates.

Candy Vending Machines - Beware!

2010-09-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

A lovely reader by the name of Anonymous just left a comment on my last post (next time leave your name lovely reader - i love knowing everyone's name who comments!):

"A new concern: my 8 yo daughter went to gymnastics with a friend last night. After class, the friend's mom let the girls each get a handful out Skittles out of the candy machine--the old fashioned kind where you put in a quarter and crank the handle, and a handful of skittles pours out into your hand. They were two miles from home when my daughter somehow realized that she had bitten into a Reece's Pieces!!! She spit it out immediately and we got her Benadryl right away. She is fine. But just a shout out to other moms to be very aware of those machines."

I totally agree! I am super wary of those machines - we had a close call a few years ago with B and we only do the toy/sticker machines now. I'm so glad her daughter was safe too - what a scare!

Thanks Anonymous for the heads up and reminder!

First Grade Starts TOMORROW!

2010-08-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that my little girl is starting FIRST GRADE tomorrow.

What happened to this little bean?

God, just look at those chubby cheeks and arms..

And even more so, look at my clean house - Holy Moses - haven't seen THAT in a LONG time - ha ha.

So we met B's teacher on Monday. She is so much warmer and nicer (frankly) than her Kindergarten teacher! She's nervous about B's peanut allergy, but she wasn't defensive about it. She just wanted to know what we needed to do to keep B reaction free. It couldn't have been a better meeting (I asked her all of these questions). I know, we'll see how things go over the course of the year, but it is a great start.

I just finished putting together 4 epi kits (epi pen, benadryl, doctor's note, and medication approval note) for different locations on site at school: Her room, Main Office, Library, and a Traveler (that will go with her to PE class and/or any other unexpected location). I'm not doing one for the lunch table this year. Why? Well, her class is right in front of where they eat. So if there's an issue, the staff and volunteers will know to go to her class to get her meds. The office is right nearby too. Also, last year it got put out on the table where they eat lunch. In the winter it isn't really an issue, but when it's sunny - i don't need to tell you guys - the meds are shot if they get hot. I did, however, put a benadryl single dose in her lunch box. It helps that I'm working lunch duty 2x week this year. One day is a minimum day (no lunch) and we'll keep our fingers crossed for the other two each week.

And here's where the frustrating part comes in. I called our allergist over a month ago asking for a prescription refill for epi pens and a doctor's note telling the staff when to use the epi and when to use benadryl (if anyone's interested i can post the copy of the letter - just leave me a comment on this post). Simple, right? Just redate the letter from last year and update the benadryl dosage if necessary to account for weight gain.

Nope, not simple enough for her.

I get there today (I know, nothing like waiting til the last minute) and she didn't leave me the letter. Instead she left a one page "allergy plan" that didn't give any actions, dosages, doctor's name/signature, or clinic location. What the hell?? It's not like she was new. So I left a not-so-nice message on their voicemail today asking them to just recreate the letter - i didn't ask for an allergy plan, but thanks anyways. I'm not leaving anything to chance so I'm having my husband drop off a copy of last year's letter at the allergists on the way to his office.

So in those packs I have the old letter. It'll do for one day. And then I get to go and replace all the letters. These people are going to think I'm crazy.

And I am, a little. Aren't all FA moms a little bit?

Back to school hit me hard last year and it's hitting me hard this year as well. It's not enough that we have to worry about our kids fitting in, liking their teachers, doing their best job at learning. We worry about each and every phone call we get, worry about every possible scenario that could happen, and try to anticipate it ALL, all the time trying to be calm.

It's exhausting.

I hope you are all handling the pressure well!

Back to School Peanut Free Lunches

2010-08-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

I always chuckle a little when I see lists of ideas like this - a peanut free lunch is _just that_ for me - it doesn't have any peanuts in it - duh.

But I do know that these types of lists help parents of non-allergic kids who can't pack peanut butter anymore because of school bans.

So without further ado, here are some 'peanut free' lunch ideas from Parenting.com.

But the real question is: would YOUR kid eat any of these?

Mea Culpa? Seriously??

2010-08-10T06:21:00.000-07:00

Many of you in the food allergy community are well aware of Joel Stein. He wrote a pretty inflammatory piece about peanut allergies in the LA Times last year.

I think I speak for most FA parents when I say I wanted to punch him in the face upon reading said article.

Well, in a brilliant karmic event, Joel's son was diagnosed with food allergies recently.

Ok, maybe I'm being harsh when I say brilliant - I really wouldn't wish membership to this club on anyone. But in some strange way, he's on the receiving end of it now.

So in this week's Time magazine (it's on newstands now - I just read it in the grocery store - or you can subscribe online), he writes what he calls his "Mea Culpa" about the whole thing.

And you know what?

I thought it was lame.

I know he's trying to be funny, but it still rang hollow to me. I think he had a great opportunity to say something a bit more responsible and just completely sidestepped it.

What about you guys?

Product Review: Barney Butter!

2010-08-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

Those of you who read my blog know that I LOVE Barney Butter, so when the kind folks at BB asked if I would do a formal review of their product on my site it was a no-brainer.

For those of you who have just arrived, Barney Butter is incredible almond butter. But you know what? Saying that it's just ' incredible almond butter' seems too underwhelming.

I really SHOULD say "almond butter that doesn't look like any other grainy, wierd, flecked almond butter that's already out on the market". Or maybe "almond butter that looks like peanut butter - seriously, it LOOKS just like it, spreads just like it - and you don't have to mix the jar like those awful organic peanut butters that separate with the oil on top."

Or lastly "your husband who always loved peanut butter and wont have it anymore because of your allergic child and absolutely hates sunflower butter and swore he would NEVER taste another substitute, but took a spoonful of this stuff and actually had teeny little tears in the corners of his eyes when he tasted it?"

Too wordy?

Let me start over. The kind folks at Barney Butter sent me some 90 calorie sample packs of their almond butter last month to review and I've been finding all sorts of creative ways to use them.

Here are the details of the 90 calorie packs:

90 calories (7.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of fiber, 1.5 grams sugar. Since they are low in calories (2 points a pack if you're on weight watchers) I don't feel guilty having them.
Ingredients: Almonds, Evaporated Cane Juice, Palm Fruit Oil, Sea Salt
Gluten Free
No Transfats
No Hydrogenated Oils
Vegan and Vegetarian Friendly
Made in an almond only facility
Guaranteed free of peanut particles and contaminants

And here's what I did with them:

Ate the first one straight from the packet (what? like you wouldn't have?!)
Gave a couple to my girlfriend who was running a marathon and needed 'fuel' for the race
spread one on a half a bagel (yum)
made a dipping sauce for dumplings (added soy sauce, hoisin, chili and rice vinegar - again, yum!)
added one packet at the end of a stir-fry to thicken things up
used one to dip banana into
added one to a smoothie
and last but not least, made an honest to goodness AB&J (almond butter and jelly)

And that's just in the last few weeks! Just think of how much more you can do with it. Actually, just look on their site - there you go!

Here's the thing: this stuff is great. Smooth, great flavor, easy to spread. Easy to bake and cook with and no strange aftertastes. You could easily fool someone with this. Trust me, my daughter is STILL a little freaked out by it even though she can read the label and knows it's OK for her to have.

If these folks ever decide to go out of business I might just need to buy the company and keep it going.

I'm not kidding.

Thanks, Barney Butter, for the opportunity to spread the word about your product!!

Disclaimer: This is a product review. Barney Butter provided me with samples of their product to review. I was not compensated in any way (beyond the samples).

Camp's Around the Corner....

2010-07-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

So after MUCH back and forth with the Girl Scouts they decided to put ALL the allergic girls in B's grade level in my unit (including B - which is unheard of apparently). 6 out of 15 girls have a food allergy (and ALL include a peanut/nut allergy).

So I'm leading a unit with the following allergies:

peanut
tree nut
milk
eggs
honey

It's definitely going to be interesting! I'm going to be able to carry epis/benadryl for the girls in my pack (something the other leaders wouldn't do) and I'm working with the moms to ensure that the meals will be safe (it may require the moms to supply a substitute ingredient - like honey free graham crackers - is that too much to ask of them?).

As for meals, the camp leaders wouldn't let us ask the other unit's moms NOT to pack peanut/nut products (!), so we're going to have LOTS of hand washing before and after and we'll be setting up buffer zones for the girls - so if there's another girl with a PB&J, we'll make sure the girl with the ham sandwich is next to the allergic girl instead. It'll be a juggling act for sure!

But ultimately, I'm doing what I had hoped that a group like the Girl Scouts would have taken upon themselves to do in the first place without a fight.

The funniest thing is: I feel very nervous about this. I'm in a strange position of watching after another mama's allergic girl. I'm worried that I'll make a mistake and a reaction will occur. I'm worried that I wont read a label properly and slip up out in the woods no less.

Isn't that silly?

If you all have any suggestions/ideas about any foods to watch out for with a honey allergy, let me know. We cookout on 3 of the days and our meals are: Tacos, Hot Dogs, and Pizza. Desserts are homemade ice cream, watermelon, and s'mores. I immediately thought of the graham crackers for s'mores having honey, but is honey in bread? Suffice it to say, I'll be reading A LOT of labels in the coming weeks. I've got alot of homework to do.

When the contact at camp sent me the menus, she kept saying in her email things like "oh its veggies and ranch dip so all your allergic kids will be able to have it".

Uh, no they wont. Last time I checked, Ranch had MILK in it.

Sigh.

If this camp thing isn't spectacular, then there's NO WAY we're going next year.

What have I gotten myself into?

UPDATE: Good news! I spoke to the mother of what i thought was an allergic camper. Turns out that a girl who's file said she needs to avoid peanuts, honey, and eggs isn't actually allergic - i thought she was allergic or possibly vegan - but her mom just avoids them (not sure why as she's had all three in baked goods, but I didn't even want to ask why she had to put this on the health form - oh well). That makes just peanuts/nuts and milk to work with - that's a cakewalk!

The Allergy March: Click Through to this...

2010-07-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

My friend Janeen wrote a really interesting post on her site Our Story: The Good, The Bad, and The Food Allergies. If you don't read her site already, you should. She's smart, funny and just an all-around good person who's got a son with multiple food allergies. She handles it all with so much grace - I really wish she lived close to me so we could hang out together!

Her post, "Allergy March: Is Your Body Trying to Tell You Something?" hit home for me on MANY levels.

I'm thinking it will hit home for a few of you out there too.

What are you waiting for? Go!

Girls Scout Day Camp Problems

2010-06-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

Girl Scout Day Camp starts at the end of the month and we're encountering lots of resistance with our efforts to keep our allergic daughters safe.

Unit leaders not wanting to carry epi pens, unwilling to make simple accomodations for snack foods, not willing to even ask (not demand) that parents not send in PBJ's.

I'm not sure what's going to happen.

The leader of the camp has even suggested that very allergic campers not even attend. Can you freaking believe that!?!?!?

I'm shocked and saddened. And I'm looking for your advice.

What's our recourse here? I've got a call with the head of camp tonight. I've got lots of ideas to make this work, but would love to hear what you all have to say/your experiences/solutions, etc.

Thanks,

G

Waiters Mocking Your Food Allergies? NY Times tells you what to say...

2010-06-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

I think this is my third post this week - yikes!

In the New York Times, Florence Fabricant answers a readers inquiry about waiters mocking her food allergies.

What do you think of FloFab's response?

For me, it was nice and succinct.

What would you tell the reader to do?

New Product for Peanut (and other food) Allergy Kids: FA Bracelet

2010-06-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

Saw this today via Best Allergy Sites:

Allerbling!
"The best way to avoid food allergy emergencies is through awareness. As parents, we want our children to be safe. And when your child is in school, on playdates, in summer camp, or just hanging out at the playground, Allerbling^TM can be your silent partner that informs and reminds others about your children's food allergic condition.

Until there's a cure... there's Allerbling^TM, the new food allergy awareness bracelet."

These look adorable (and like something my tomboy daughter would actually wear). B just can't get behind wearing the MedicAlert bracelet I got her (but she'll tolerate the necklace). For $15 for the set (or you can buy the components separately if you only need one or two buttons*) it's worth a shot.

*Looks like they just have the top 8 allergens, but I'm betting that if enough folks email them about other foods they might just add them.

A Little Facelift....

2010-06-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

I'm updating the blog a bit - freshening up the look of things around here so bare (or is it bear? i always confuse those two, like it's and its) with me while i play around with color, background images, etc.

Our summer is rolling along nicely. Skateboarding camp starts tomorrow. I'll be hanging around for that one - 3 hours a day this week in the sun, watching cute young men (seriously, they are adorable and polite which gives me hope that manners are still alive somewhere) teach my daughter how to 'drop in'. Luckily I have an iPad so i can actually work while I'm hanging out in the park.

Next week is rock climbing. Have I mentioned that I'm raising a little tomboy (well, a tomboy who plays with polly pockets, but she'll deny that to the end)? I'm not sure if skateboarding will stick or rock climbing for that matter, but i'm so proud of her that she'll try anything and that's she SOOOO active. She's quite a character. I know I tend to write about the stressful stuff on this site, but man is that kid wild and wonderful!

But she's still an allergy kid. The online allergy community sent around this link recently, and it's a keeper. If you haven't seen it, get a tissue (or 5) ready.

That was a doozy, huh? While B isn't at this stage, she exhibits some of the anxiety you see here. The nerves are definitely starting to show and just yesterday we were at a birthday party and even though I was adamant about the cake being ok, she just would not eat it.

But we made it through a whole year of Kindergarten! A few close calls, but NO reactions.

I call that a success. Her principal did too, and wants to make sure we put the same system in place for first grade (I know some of you out there might find the fact that a principal is actually working with a FA parent to be unbelievable).

Now we'll do our best to make it through the summer without any reactions.

And that's another reason why I'm going to hang out at the skate park with B tomorrow. Teenagers teaching skate lessons probably aren't up to date on allergic reactions or how to administer an epi pen. But I'll be there, under the guise of 'hanging out in the park, working'. I really DO want her to fly on her own, but it ain't happening yet. She's an incredible self-advocate, but she's still 5.

But isn't that what we Food Allergy Mamas do? Hover a bit? Think of every scenario that could happen and try to anticipate every physical and emotional hiccup?

I would do anything for that kid. Just like you guys would do anything for yours.

They are SO worth it :)

G

p.s. i have no idea what 'drop in' means - but i've heard the kids say it so there you go.

Peanut Free Snack #2

2010-05-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

Have you been waiting on pins and needles for Snack #2?

Yeah, I didn't think so. But here it is anyways!

A little back story:
Around these parts, we're venturing into the land of tree nuts. B had a negative RAST and skin test to all tree nuts, so one-by-one we've been introducing them to her (with her doctor's approval). I can't tell you how stressful this is (for all of us I'm sure). We give her a nut and then sit and stare at her for 20 minutes to see if she has a reaction. Big Fun in the PFMama's house!

So far we've tested Almonds, Pecans, Hazelnuts, Pistachios, and Pine Nuts with success. It's a total nightmare trying to find 'safe' nuts (meaning that haven't been cross contaminated with peanuts), but I've done it.

That being said, B's been eating almonds for a while now. She's a skinny little thing so any added good fats are in rotation.

I've even let her have packaged snacks that contain almonds (as long as they don't have a peanut warning of any kind). Now I know many folks out there will say "But how do you know that there isn't cross contamination at the source?". Well the short answer (and I guess the long answer too) is: we don't. Is there logic there? Not really, but there you have it.

OK, enough yapping, here's the snack I found.

I've been looking for a peanut free granola bar that isn't chewy. I hate those ones that seem like rice krispie treats with the stretchy little strings that extend when you take a bite. Blech!

You know the ones I want? I want the Nature Valley texture kind! The hard, crunchy ones! Love those, but no way is B getting 'em. They're full of peanuts! Or so I thought.

So being the go-getter that I am I've kept at it, reading every dang label over and over and over (are you getting it yet) again.

And then I found these: Kashi Roasted Almond Crunch Crunchy Almond Granola Bars. Here's a link to the nutrition panel.

And I know there are those of you out there that are avoiding ALL nuts and for this I'm sorry. I've totally been there and I hope I haven't bummed you out by blogging about these. Seriously.

But if that ever changes, know that these are GREAT. They taste awesome and I keep one in my purse at all times for a snack for ME.

I can't tell you all how happy I am that I can pack these in B's backpack at summer camp or in her lunch in the fall. It's like the holy grail of peanut free snacks.

All my continuing detective work pays off - well at least sometimes.

Peanut Free Snack #1

2010-05-29T21:08:00.001-07:00

I found a couple of peanut free snacks I wanted to share with you. I can't give it all up in one post, so I'll give you one today and one tomorrow.

Here's the first.

I was at the grocery store today, buying my weekly load of stuff as well as some extra treats for the memorial day holiday. I was wandering in the snack aisle, picking up some, uh, healthy treats. And I spied these. I love me some Chex Mix!

Who was I kidding? These have never been safe. What the heck was I thinking picking these bad boys up?

But I did. And, as usual, I read the label, expecting disappointment.

But something's changed. On the corporate site, you'll see this label:

The warning says "Contains Wheat, Milk, Soy, Sesame, Almond, and Peanut Ingredients".

But on my bag today, the warning says:
"Contains Wheat, Milk, and Soy Ingredients."

No PEANUTS! No Almonds! No Sesame!

I know it's easy to make this homemade, but I always end up with WAY too much. And I KNOW that there are all sorts of things added to the bagged stuff that makes it not so great for your kids (or yourself for that matter). But being able to pick up a bag of this to take to a football game or picnic is a real time-saver and someday I'm going to use it to my advantage.

But isn't it saying something that it doesn't have peanut flour anymore? Are things changing?

I'm going to take it as a good sign.

Now make sure you read the bag's label in your store, just in case. Don't want you picking up an old batch.

And it just goes to show that reading your labels constantly pays off. If it isn't protecting you against accidental exposure, it'll show you new products that have become safe for you!

Let the snacking begin!

- Gab

p.s. And next time? Stay tuned for something most peanut free parents long for to put in their allergic kids lunchboxes and backpacks...

Being Prepared

2010-05-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

The company I work for is pretty great. Sure, I bitch about work like the next guy (or gal), but in the big picture I have it pretty dang good. I work at home, work 4 days a week, and have a creative job (web site producer).

And the benefits are phenomenal.

An added bonus is that every year my company pays for every employee (who wants to) to be certified in 1st aid, cpr, and aed training.

We had our training last week and I was really happy to see the time they spent on identifying and treating allergic reactions. One thing I did laugh a little at was that they said that people with allergies always carry their epinephrine and can self administer it.

Sure, I thought to myself, sure they do. When they aren't breathing - is that when they would be self administering it?

Maybe I'm just thinking about 5 year olds. Do adults actually self administer?

Still, they spent about 20 minutes on the section.

Oh, and I hope noone at work ever has an allergic reaction. Watching my fellow employees with trainers was frightening. I think most of them would have self injected themselves.

Girl Scout Camp

2010-05-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

Short post....

I'm volunteering as a unit leader at Girl Scout Day Camp this summer.

Yes, I (think) I know what I'm getting myself into.

B is going to be a camper (although not in my unit). It should be fun (seriously, it will be - I can't wait to do all those campy activities).

Tonight I had a training meeting with my co-leaders. We went over menus for the 2 weeks. It's 3 meals that we cook (the rest of the days campers bring their own).

Do I have to tell you what's on the menus?

Yup. Peanut Butter. Ants on a log! PBJ's!

Yikes! It's camp for cryin out loud! What happened to hot dogs and hobo packs???

Not sure what I'm going to do.

What do YOU think I should do?

p.s. as i'm writing this, I'm watching Modern Family. How much do I love that show?

THHHHHIIIIIISSSSSSS MMMMMMUUUUUUCCCCCHHHH!

Is Birth Month Associated with Higher Allergy Risk?

2010-04-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Interesting article on BBC News: Winter Babies Are More Prone to Food Allergies. The gist of it:
Babies born in autumn or winter are more likely to develop a food allergy than those born in spring or summer, US researchers have found.

When was the mighty B born, you ask?

October (of course!). Blergh. But we live in California - and the October she was born was sunny and warm and gorgeous.

I never know what to make of these studies - and I always take them with a grain of salt. Or in the case, Vitamin D.

What month was your allergic child born?

Interesting Links

2010-04-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

Some interesting links (well, in my opinion) to share with you this week:

Majority of children considered peanut-sensitized by standard tests may not actually have peanut allergy
Um, ex squeeze me? A Baking Powder?*
How to Eat Well on a Food Stamp Budget
What I found interesting about this was that peanut butter wasn't mentioned once.
Emotional Impact of Food Allergy
Thanita jotted down notes from a FAAN conference she attended. I dread B becoming a teenager and throwing caution to the wind.
Ming Tsai's Crazy Chicken-Rice Noodle Stir Fry
Looks tasty (and save for the fish sauce, top 8 free, right?)! You could substitute soy sauce for the fish sauce or tamari or bragg's liquid aminos?
Nuts vs. Drupes: What's the difference?
I'm ashamed to admit I'd never heard the term Drupe before. Have you?
Dairy, Egg, and Nut Free Oatmeal Fudge Bars
How awesome do these look??? From the Food Allergy Mama.

What about you guys? Anything to share?

*for those youngin's out there, I was quoting Wayne's World :)

Aw, crap.

2010-03-29T13:14:00.001-07:00

The good news? We got a dog!

The bad news? Mark's allergic. Hives. Sneezing. Itching.

Back she goes.

Can someone tell me when this allergic household will get a break?!?

Gah.

Are You Ready for Me to Rock Your Peanut Allergic World?

2010-03-11T12:15:00.000-08:00

So when your child is diagnosed with a peanut allergy, like most folks, you clear your house of peanut products. Why take a chance on having it around if your child could die as a result of accidental exposure?

But maybe you've been used to having peanut butter on toast in the morning, all melty and delicious. Or maybe a secret spoonful at night as a treat?

Ah, I remember it well.

And I thought those days were gone.

But guess what? I've reclaimed that glory and I want to share it with you.

I'd like to introduce you to my new crush: Barney Butter.

I know, kind of a funny name (until you learn it's the name of the founder) - Barney reminds me of that big purple dinosaur and I used to shudder a little when I heard it.

But no more.

I've tried all the spreads that claim to be a great substitute for peanut butter: Sunbutter, soy butter, pea butter, other almond butters. But they never came close. Until now.

Barney Butter is peanut free, all natural almond butter. It is so eerily close to peanut butter that you might REALLY fool someone (and let's face it - anyone who says they've fooled someone with Sunbutter is suffering from a case of wishful thinking - it's good, but it's not THAT good). I think my husband may have actually had tears in his eyes when he tasted this - he was never expecting to have anything as good as this in our cupboards to slather on apple slices or soft white processed bread (yeah, I buy it, so what?!?).

Now if you have a tree nut allergy then this has just been a big tease (and for that I apologize). But if you've been given the go ahead from your allergist to incorporate safe tree nut butters then I highly encourage you to try this. The color is spot on, the consistency is identical (no stirring needed!) and, the taste, oh lordy!

This is so good that I've turned other folks on to this who's kids have a peanut allergy (but were told no tree nuts unless they were free from cross contamination) who stash this in their cupboards just for those times when you just need a little taste of the sweet stuff.

I sound like a pusher, huh?

I just want as many folks to try it as possible so it never goes away. Honestly, it's not the cheapest - it's almost $8 at my local high-end grocery, but it's SO worth it. I can't wait to cook with it - I'm sure the results will be phenomenal.

And what about little miss B - what does she think? She wont touch it - too close to the real thing. I don't think they intended to be a safe alternative for peanut allergy sufferers, but they have found a HUGE fan with me. Thanks Barney Butter!!!

OK, enough gushing on my part.

Have any of you tried it??

p.s. The folks at Barney Butter didn't ask me to write this post, haven't sent me this to review - heck, they don't know me from Adam. This post is truly from the heart.

Peanut Allergy and Jelly Bellys

2010-02-26T05:46:00.000-08:00

Here's some good news from the makers of Jelly Bellys. (via a KFA tweet).

"None of the other flavors of Jelly Belly beans contain peanuts as an ingredient. We no longer process peanuts in our manufacturing plants."

Woo hoo!!!

If they don't process peanuts in their plants anymore, a tour might be in order, no?

Peanut Allergy: How do you guarantee peanut free food?

2010-02-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

Why, grow it yourself! No chance of cross contamination there, now is there?

I mentioned this week that I'll be planting a garden this spring. I am hoping to have produce to eat as well as can for the winter.

Well, a little research turned up this site (if you click on the link, I think you'll just happen to see what I am planting this year). They also have a plan for a high yield garden, but I'm not a fan of alot of the veggies they suggest. Check the site out - it's pretty cool!

Now I just need to decide if I want to buy seedlings or start seeds on my own. I think I'm going for the easier route unless I can't find seedlings.

Planting time can't come soon enough for me :)

Proof That Some People Just Don't Get It....Again.

2010-02-24T08:48:00.000-08:00

Today, I managed to get a small taste of what a milk allergic mom goes through.

I just dropped B off at school and saw something baffling.

They have alphabet snacks, meaning each week someone brings in a food with a different letter - we had "V" so I brought in vegetables with dip. In theory, it's a cute idea, but what a pain in the butt when you have food allergies to worry about!

So today is "Z" day and the mom brought in Za'atar rolls, which in and of itself is a pretty awesome idea for a Z snack! But here's where the insanity came in to play.

B has a classmate (let's call her X) with a milk allergy.

So while I'm getting B settled (coat off, homework in cubbies, etc.) this creative mom brought the snack in and told the teacher it was safe for everyone. Of course I chimed in (uh, grilled more like it, but I was nice - really!) and asked about the ingredients to determine whether or not it was safe for B.

But then she says "It's safe for X, too. There's no milk in it, but I just used cheese in the dough."

I looked at her and said "What exactly do you think cheese is made from?"

Blank stare in return from both her and B's teacher. X would be having a different snack today.

But what if I wasn't there to point that out?? I don't think X is ana to milk, but still. We should still be educated and vigilant about keeping our allergic kids safe.

It never ends, I guess.

When we get around to educating parents in B's class next year, I think I'll pull together a handout detailing the top 8 allergens and examples of each food.

Have any of you guys experienced something like this? I've had the 'she can't eat peanuts but she can have other nuts, right?' line, but that one's sort of understandable - they are two different things.

I'm interested to hear your thoughts - should I have just butted out??

p.s. just found this neat handout for foods to avoid with a milk allergy - this will come in handy!

ppss. and here's one for peanut allergy!

How does your garden grow?

2010-02-23T00:14:00.000-08:00

It's 12:16 am and I can't sleep.

It was such a gorgeous day here in northern California, and my mind is racing, thinking about the kinds of veggies I'll be planting soon.

I'm also going to try my hand at raised beds.

We currently have a pear tree and blueberries. I'm going to plant tomatoes (sungolds-we had them coming out our ears last summer), radishes, cukes, zuchini, and a variety ofherbs.

But I'm looking for some inspiration - so tell me, what do you like to grow?? I have a large yard but, frustratingly enough, not alot of flat gardening space.

p.s. Thank you all for your kind comments on my last post. You guys are the best! Your support and a few days in tahoe took the sting away. I owe you all a solid.

Valentine's Day, Peanut Allergy, and Crushing Disappointment

2010-02-14T05:28:00.000-08:00

It's 5:30 am on a Sunday and I just realized it's Valentine's Day! Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you're going to be with someone you care about today and that you've found safe treats to share with the peanut allergic person in your life.

It was a rough week around here. I've been dealing with some difficult people this week and it's been stressful for me. I wont go into too many details here, but suffice it to say: I am a strong believer in karma and there are some people in this world who are going to get a swift kick in the butt in the future.

Another hiccup was B's annual appt with her allergist last Wednesday. She has been adamant that she didn't want to go to the doctor and was under no circumstances going to have a skin test. Being the naive parent that I am, I thought she was just being dramatic and that everything would be great at her appointment. Sure she'd be a little uncomfortable, but wasn't it worth it to see how her levels would be this year?

Boy was I wrong. She complained the whole car ride there. Thought of every excuse in the book as to why she shouldn't be there. And couldn't I just call his office and tell him she was sick and wouldn't be making it today? Oh, how cute, I thought to myself - she's so strong willed. Ahem.

Actually, she WAS fine during the first few minutes of chitchat. But once she saw the skin test come out she LOST HER MIND. As in I had to physically hold her while they administered the test. All while she was screaming and crying.

And when the test came back, her wheal size had doubled from the previous year.

I. Was. Crushed. As in, wind-knocked-out-of-me, are you flipping kidding me? And you don't need to leave me a comment about how it's not about me and I should be strong for my child, blah blah blah. I KNOW that. I'm not a moron. I had on my best poker face and not a single tear was shed. I just couldn't believe it.

I was seriously expecting her to not have a reaction. What the hell was that bump doing there? That was the control or the histamine, right?

Wishful thinking on my part.

Then we heard the same thing her allergist says every year. That he is sure she'll outgrow this. He even offered to schedule a food challenge right then and there. B gave her wholehearted response right away: NO!

She just doesn't care about it. I feed my feelings into it more I guess. I am way more bummed about it than she is. She doesn't know anything different, so what does she care? It's just one food to her (I guess all my reinforcing has worked).

In the grand scheme of things, having one peanut allergy isn't the end of the world and we've been managing it really well. And we'll continue to do so. But it breaks my heart as a mother that the window of her outgrowing this seems to be just out of our reach and closing a little more each year.

So after that bummer of an experience (for me), I had people (who ironically are from the FA community) being really difficult. Being an advocate for food allergy isn't a competition for me, but apparently it is for them. I'm striving for a common goal of helping people, not having the most followers. Have I helped one of you out there or made you feel less alone? Then this little blog of mine is worth it. I'll leave it at that.

It just never ends.

Anyhoo, I hope you have a great Valentine's Day. Big hugs and smooches to you all!

Girl Scout Cookie Time!

2010-01-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

So little miss B had her first Daisy meeting today. It's basically the girl scout that comes before a Brownie (yeah, I thought Brownie was the entry level model too).

She LOVED it. It was really cute to see all these little girls getting to know each other and learn the girl scout pledge (it came right back to me too - i think it changed just a smidgen since i was a brownie tho'). I hope she likes the experience as much as I did.

I was a little stressed about the start of this troop (this was the inaugural troop meeting) since I didn't know if B would be selling cookies. I think there might be 2 of the cookies she can have? Thin mints and Samoas I believe. So she was going to have to touch them?!?! Gah!

Anyways, I was worried for nothing. They aren't selling them (not sure if they are too young or we're too late). All that panic energy I could have focused on something else, like cleaning my bursting hall closet. Ah well.

But if you're wondering which cookies are safe for your allergic child, look no further. There are two bakeries that bake Girl Scout Cookies:ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers. Each site has nutrition information for the cookies they bake as well as an allergen statement.

Find out more about Girl Scout Cookies here as well.

Peanut Allergy Fear #2,986: Drop Off Birthday Parties

2010-01-11T12:39:00.001-08:00

In the last 24 hours, B has gotten not one, but TWO birthday party invitations.

Great, huh?

The only bummer is that they are both drop off optional. One of them is in San Francisco at the Exploratorium - there's no way she's going to that alone for a variety of reasons.

Not sure about the other one that's local. It's at an arcade.

My gut is telling me to insist that I come or she can't attend. But I also know that eventually I need to let go.

But B is only 5! A baby I tell you!

Do I drive her there and sit outside the venue, just in case? Will I have 'crazy' written all over me??

What should I do??? What do you guys do???

Peanut Allergy Unfriendly: Turtle Mountain So Delicious Coconut Creamer

2010-01-05T15:05:00.000-08:00

How about the good news first??

Turtle Mountain/So Delicious has a new product (well, new to ME at least):
Coconut Milk Creamer!

And now for the bad news....
folks with a peanut allergy can't have it. Well, at least the Hazelnut Flavor.

I put some in my basket at Whole Foods, got all the way to the register and THEN looked at the label: Contains Peanuts?!?! Doesn't say it anywhere in the actual ingredient list (I'm suspecting it's hidden in the 'Natural Flavoring' that appears on the actual label - not the one on their website which isn't the label I saw at WF). Not a word of it mentioned on their website actually.

To be fair, I didn't look at the other two flavors when I was there. So the others might be safe.

I was so bummed though. Their yogurt is awesome and I assumed (ha!) that the creamer would be peanut free too.

Ah well, I'll just have to stick with half and half for a while longer.

Happy New Year, Peanut Allergy Peeps!

2009-12-31T17:30:00.000-08:00

Another year has passed and we've gotten more and more used to living the peanut free life. It's just, dare I say, the norm for us.

As I mentioned before, B goes back to the allergist next month for another skin test (and possibly a food challenge - not holding my breath though). B is adamant that she doesn't want one. She's ok the way things are.

I keep pushing - 'but don't you WANT to try peanut butter??'. 'Nope,' says she.

I want her to. I need to keep reminding myself that it's not about ME though. Gah.

Oh, and the biggie? B is eating almonds now (safe ones with no cross contamination issues). She LOVES them. That's why her not wanting to eat peanuts just drives me - dare I say it? - nuts! Next up: pecans from a farm in Georgia who assures me that their equipment "has never, ever seen a peanut!". I'll keep you posted.

By the way, the prime rib we had on Christmas Eve? Fabulous! I'll be making that again for another Christmas definitely. And all of the Christmas scurrying around was worth it - sort of. I still wish we could get away with escaping to Maui, just the three of us one Christmas. Sometimes family and all the associated obligations of the holidays are just way too much for me!

All in all, it's been a strange year. Good at times, bad at times. Sad at times.

I turned 40 - and it really sucked. I'm nowhere near where I thought I would be at this age (but still pretty close I guess) and it's becoming more and more apparent that unless a miracle happens, B will be an only child. I know, I know, it's not the end of the world, but there's a HUGE difference between not WANTING another child and not being able to have another child. I guess it wasn't in the cards for us, which sucks! And it really doesn't help when people keep reminding me that she's an only child.

So 2010, bring it. Whatever you want to throw at me, I can take it.

And I hope you ALL have a safe and happy new year and that you reach out to me whenever you feel the need in 2010. I love hearing from you all - it makes me realize that we're all in this together. The support I get from you guys is powerful and I appreciate it!!! Remember I'm on twitter and on facebook, so follow and friend away :)

Big love and kisses (MWAH!) to you all!

p.s. B and I were at the animal shelter this afternoon and we fell in love with this little boy. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to convince Mark that he needs to come home to live with us, but no doubt I'll have to bring out the big guns.
Wish us luck.

Things I've Been Doing....

2009-12-18T21:44:00.001-08:00

Things I've Been Making:
- Fruit cake
- Fleur de Sel Caramels
- A List (and checking it twice) - Ha Ha! Sorry I had to throw that one in for the holidays.

Things I've Been Contemplating:
- The 6 rib prime rib (only about 10 pounds of 49 grams of fat per serving MEAT) I just ordered for Christmas Eve Dinner. I've never made prime rib before. Is it easy? Please assure me that I'm not setting myself up for disaster! This is the recipe I think I'm using. Gah!
- Making B's annual allergy checkup in January. She's been begging NOT to have one. Can't say I blame her - those skin test are itchy mo flickers!
- the last day of school was today: NO REACTIONS even though there were plenty of opportunities for it. so thankful.

Things I've Been Doing:
- Letting B taste Nutella for the first time (her eyes just about BUGGED out of her head). Don't worry, her doctor said it was ok to try a small taste and go from there. She has tested negative in both blood and skin tests. No reaction. Whew.
- Ice skating in Union Square, San Francisco

Things I'm Regretting:
- The 10 lbs I've gained since I turned 40. Back on the Shred this week now that I don't have to hustle B off to school in the mornings for the next two weeks.
- Letting B taste Nutella for the first time. What can of worms did I open up???

What are you guys up to?

It's done...

2009-11-30T07:01:00.000-08:00

I made it! A whole month of blogging about Peanut Allergy.

How did I do?

New Epi Pen Shape/Size/Features - Peanut Allergy Sufferers Take Notice!

2009-11-29T08:17:00.000-08:00

I thought most people had heard about this, but just in case you haven't...

Dey Pharmaceuticals (makers of the EpiPen) have changed the design of the Epi-Pens!

Here's a link to a PDF that explains everything that's new about the pens.

But what you might not realize? The new size might just make your carrier obsolete (i.e. they wont fit!).

My good bloggy friend Denine (she's so great - I love knowing her!!) was kind enough to take a photo of both the old and new Epi on her Facebook account (hope you don't mind D!). See for yourself the difference in size.

We're not due to refill our Rx for a while. But I know that with the new pen will come another training for anyone who is around B.

Have you gotten the new Epi-pen yet?

Thanksgiving Feast FAIL for Peanut Allergy

2009-11-28T08:03:00.000-08:00

OK, maybe B's Thanksgiving Feast at school wasn't a total FAIL.

But get this.

I walk into school with B's stuffing muffins in hand (they were a HUGE hit BTW - the other stuffing mom's stuffing wasn't touched - I actually felt a little bad) and asked the teacher if anything had nuts in it.

She said, "Don't worry, the kids know enough not to give B anything with nuts."

In my mind I've got an inner monologue going:

"Oh, you mean the kids who know basically nothing about food allergy (save for 2 others) and who can't READ know not to give her nuts?!?! Are YOU nuts lady?"

I ALMOST laughed in her face, like are you out of your cotton picking mind?!?

But I said, "it's not the obvious nuts I'm worried about, it's the hidden ones. Mind if I take a look at what you're serving?"

And I did. And everything was safe for B. Awesome! Off I went to work/errands/etc.

Cut to pickup.

On the way home, B tells me that she couldn't have the dessert at said feast. I probed, because sometimes she actually CAN have the dessert, but she gets scared/worried about it containing nuts and doesn't eat it.

"Why couldn't you have it?" I asked.

"Because it had a crosstamination warning" (her words, not mine).

"So what did you have? (thinking stupidly that her teacher surely gave her one of the safe snacks in the bag I put in the classroom)"

"Nothing. Neither did M (who has a milk allergy) or M (who has a peanut allergy too)."

So I say "Wanna go to Starbucks for some chocolate milk since you didn't get dessert?"

That went over well. So we did.

But inside, I'm getting annoyed.

I mean, why couldn't the stupid (yes I said it!) teacher tell me that morning that they would have a dessert that wouldn't be safe???? WTF (yes I said it!)??? I could have easily gone home and whipped something up (I'm all Martha Stewart like that). Why didn't the jackass (yes I said it!!) use one of the safe snacks I provided months ago???

So frustrating.

But B, wasn't angry. So why am I?

Needless to say her teacher and I are going to have a LONG chat on Monday about all of us.

Are You Still Full...

2009-11-27T08:58:00.000-08:00

And wondering what to do with those leftovers?

Martha can help.
So can Rachael Ray.
And don't forget about Bon Appetit and Gourmet.

And if you're heading out for Black Friday, don't forget your iPhone app.

Gobble Gobble

2009-11-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I am thankful for:
- my family (mark, little b, and all my extended peeps)
- no bad allergic reactions this year (a few sniffles here and there but nothing else)
- my job (even though I don't like going to work, i like my work a lot)

and YOU. Having this little pocket of people who 'get it' makes handling peanut allergy so much easier.

Thanks for reading and have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Gabrielle (aka the Peanut Free Mama)

Adapting Recipes that Include Peanuts for Peanut Allergy Folks

2009-11-25T08:16:00.000-08:00

For folks whose children have multiple food allergies, adapting recipes can be a challenge.

Thankfully there are lots of books out there that can help and offer recipes tailored to multiple allergies like this one and this new cookie one from Enjoy Life.

But for those of us avoiding peanuts (and nuts), it isn't TOO hard to make substitutions.

But are there any recipes that you've had trouble adapting because of peanut butter or marzipan for example? I figured out a substitute for ground almonds in cakes a few years back, but beyond that I've just substituted sunbutter for peanut butter (with mixed results) and sunflower seeds for ground peanuts.

I'd love to hear about recipes we can make over together. And while we're at it, what's your favorite allergy cookbook? Comment away!

Trader Joe's - Have You Noticed?

2009-11-24T13:12:00.000-08:00

For those of you that shop at Trader Joe's:

Have you noticed that more and more of their food seems ok for peanut allergies? I went today after dropping B off at school and found quite a few items she could have that I don't seem to remember being able to buy before.

Am I crazy? Are the fumes from the not-yet-cooked turkey making me crazy?

If you do shop there, what's your favorite item?

One Day's Wages: Can You Spare It?

2009-11-23T20:30:00.001-08:00

I came across this recently launched site via my twitter feed today (the founders have a daughter with allergies): One Day's Wages. I am so intrigued by the concept of donating just one day's wages per year to contribute to help ending extreme global poverty.

I know I've already posted about helping out families in need over Thanksgiving. We help on a local level a lot. But not on a global level. This is an interesting approach on how to do just that.

Even if you don't contribute to One Day's Wages, I encourage you to use their calculator to see what just one day's salary equals. I was shocked when I saw a day's wage for Mark and I. Totally doable to donate.

I know, I know - we're in a recession - you can't afford a day's salary! But I know that I could give up a bottle of white wine here and there to feed someone else on the planet. Or give them immunizations. Or give them clean water. Or stop them from being exploited.

I don't mean to preach, really. But as I'm writing this (on my laptop) I'm in my house, that's warm, with a full belly, and a healthy child asleep in her room, I kind of feel like passing some of this on to another human being. That's all.

Ok, back to peanut allergy tomorrow.

Am I Crazy? Wait, Don't Answer That...

2009-11-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

So Thursday we're going to my mother in law's for dinner. I wasn't that concerned about it until I realized.

No leftovers!!

No extra turkey, no mashed potatoes, stuffing, or gravy?!? No 'moist maker' for my sandwich (do you remember that episode from Friends - always cracks me up :)) If you don't know the episode, watch part of it now:

Well, that wasn't sittin' too well around the PFM household, so guess what I did?

Yup, I made Thanksgiving dinner for us tonight (with extra Madeira gravy - for the moist maker). I cooked a turkey in my slow cooker (yeah, it was weird, but it worked sort of), stuffing muffins, Brussels sprouts roasted with bacon, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.

We had plans this afternoon (thus the slow cooker method), so the bird cooked while we were out. I got home and did the rest fairly quickly. Since I was only cooking for 3 it didn't take much to pull it together.

Right before B went to bed she had a presleep bowl of mashed potatoes with butter and gravy. I love that kid! I'm the same way - I could practically do shots of gravy, I love it so much.

Have you guys done this too? Making Thanksgiving dinner before the big day, just for leftovers?

Busy Saturday

2009-11-21T17:28:00.001-08:00

I've spent the day doing all sorts of chores. Suffice it to say I feel the need to reward myself.

With these.

Vermont Nut Free Skippers.

Like m&m's except a little bigger. So good*.
"leave on the top shelf so high you need a stepladder to get them" good.

Have you guys had any other VNF chocolates? What's your favorite? I think I might need to order some more safe treats for the holidays.

*and no, they didn't send them to me or ask me to review them. i ordered some from peanut free planet a few weeks ago. they are so good.

Be Thankful this Year, Please...

2009-11-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

If you follow my personal twitter account (I also have a PFMama account if you're interested), you saw this tweet I posted earlier today. It's a letter that a hostess wrote to her guests that had offered to bring food to Thanksgiving. Read it here.

I'm not sure if it's REALLY real, but if it is I feel sorry for her 'guests' and I feel sorry for her - mainly because she's SO uptight about the holidays that she's willing to alienate her family. Yikes.

But it got me thinking that she needs to give a little (and by give I mean relax a little - who gives a crap what kind of spoon they bring to serve a dish?). Which then led me to ask myself what I'm most uptight about at family gatherings.

You guessed it: Peanuts and Cross Contamination.

I don't think I'm alone here (given my company: YOU).

I probably don't sound much different than this woman sometimes. I'm sure I lecture and look at labels and generally get in everyone's business about the food we're having and how safe it is. If someone even mentioned nuts to me a few years ago, I went a little crazy. I felt it was a personal affront if they even had peanut butter in their house (didn't matter if it was on a shelf in a cabinet B couldn't reach).

I mean, the NERVE, right?!?

I actually laugh now thinking back on that. And there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with making sure the food we were having was peanut free, especially when it's a communal meal like Thanksgiving where folks tend to share more (and drink more, thus making cross contamination more likely - I mean who remembers what tongs they used when they've had Uncle Ned's special egg nog?).

BUT this year I am going to try to remember that not everyone lives and dies by the peanut like us. That they mean well and try their best. But if it isn't their affliction (for lack of a better word) it isn't in the forefront of their minds. Heck, if B didn't have a PA I would be the first to bring a pecan pie to a shingdig - I mean if you have a peanut allergy or nut allergy, you just don't eat it right?

So I'm going to give people a break this year. And not sound like that maniacal lady. I'm going to be thankful for all my friends, near and far (and in bloggy land) who support us as much as they are able. We're so lucky, really.

Can you imagine writing that letter, I mean really??? If this was an FA host, the letter would ask folks not to bring anything! Am I right or am I right :)

Good Lord. I hope HJB (the first victim - I mean errr guest) brought A LOT of wine - they surely needed it.

Hunger Affecting More and More People

2009-11-19T07:20:00.000-08:00

I read a disturbing article in the New York Times this week. Hunger is at a 14 year high. It's staggering. And the thought of kids going hungry makes my heart hurt as a mom (and a human).

We're so lucky - we don't worry where our next meal is coming from. So many don't have that luxury, so we make it a priority to help. I've already dropped off a very large box of groceries in the bin at my office and we budget money to donate over the course of the year to the food bank that is in our small town.

It's not too late to help your local food bank by donating food or your time. It doesn't take a Ph.D. to assume that food banks will be hit hard this year due to our crap economy.

Oh, and since we're a peanut allergy family (and well aware of other food allergies), we donated a variety of allergy friendly foods (including gluten free items and a few jars of sunbutter). Allergies know no boundaries, right?

How else can we help??

Christmas Craft: Peanut Free Bird Feeders

2009-11-18T07:11:00.000-08:00

Last year we did a craft similar to this but used pine cones.

I found this on the Hearts and Trees blog - the stars were aligned, cuz we had some stale bagels hanging around.

It was super easy - we used a mixture of lard and sunbutter to coat the bagel halves and then pressed them into birdseed (safe birdseed mind you). We strung them up with kitchen twine on some of the trees in our yard.

It was quick and surprisingly fun to do with little B. I have birdseed all over my dining room floor, but it's a small price to pay for getting our craft on.

I'm hoping a crazed racoon doesn't run away in the night with them!

Photo from About.com via Hearts and Trees

Awesome Thanksgiving idea

2009-11-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

Is this pure genius or what?

Stuffing baked in muffin tins?? How cool is this for kids (who am I kidding - adults too)?!

Act surprised when you see these if you're coming to Thanksgiving at my place this year.

Photographs by Evan Sung for The New York Times

Peanut Allergy Peeps Online

2009-11-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

I have made quite a few good allergy pals online via this blog. Here are just a few (my Google Reader has over 30!) that I think you'll find interesting:

janeen @ our story
alison @ sure foods living
sloane @ please don't pass the nuts

but I'd love to hear who YOUR favorites are. What are your go-to food allergy blogs?

Slow Sunday...with a catchy soundtrack

2009-11-15T06:49:00.000-08:00

I don't have any food or food allergy related content today.

But do you want to know what we're doing today?

We're going to see the guy on the left: Justin Roberts!

It's become an annual event for us. So fun, such a nice guy, and great music. It's sure to be a blast again.

How's YOUR Sunday going?

Oldie but a Goodie: Bread without a peanut warning!

2009-11-14T09:33:00.000-08:00

A few years ago (about 3 years ago to the week actually) a sensation was started with this No Knead Bread Recipe.

I love it because it's easy (really, there's NO kneading!) and it's cheap.

And best of all?

No allergy warning.

It's made in MY facility (and there's no nuts here). If you have a dutch oven, some flour, some yeast and some salt (oh and water) you'll be able to do it to.

Have you tried it? I'm making a loaf as we speak - it should be warm and out of the overn in time for dinner on Saturday night.

Yum.

Homeschooling? What do you think?

2009-11-13T05:53:00.000-08:00

I've been leaning more and more towards homeschooling B.

No, she hasn't been bullied.

No, it isn't because she's got a peanut allergy.

Yes, she has lots of friends.

Yes, she's keeping up academically.

I don't know - there's just something that makes me want to home school. I really feel like she's a good candidate (and that I could do it to, and well). But taking that leap is big!

So I'm curious - how many of you home school your kids? Why?

And how's it working out?

I've got a poll set up to the right. Will you take a second and let me know where you stand on the issue? If you have anything else to say, leave me a comment!

Guess What's Right Around the Corner??

2009-11-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas!!!! I lurv, lurv, lurv Christmas!

Every year we make a gingerbread house. Well, I should say that every year I used to MAKE a gingerbread house. From scratch, with sugar windows and all that good stuff.

Then I got wise. They have kits! With prebaked (and flat, uncurled) pieces! And frosting! And candy!

And then we got a peanut allergy diagnosis.

One year I got a Wilton Kit, which has a warning. I just didn't let B eat any of it (no fun).

Then last year I was at Ikea and found one. It didn't have a warning, so I went with it. They are selling them this year too (check this page, scroll down a bit and you'll see them). They are just the walls - they don't include candy, so don't let the image fool you.

I'm on the hunt for a safe kit this year. Looks like King Arthur Flour makes one and so does Stonewall Kitchen (and they even make a lobster shack gingerbread house - so cute - that's it over there on the left). I can't tell if they are safe though - gotta send some emails to find out.

Any ideas? Have you found any safe kits?

Happy Veteran's Day and serving with a peanut allergy

2009-11-11T07:42:00.000-08:00

I am so proud of all of the armed forces in the US and around the world that work to keep us safe. Having just one day to thank you just doesn't seem enough...

But did you know that a peanut allergy (or other allergies) can disqualify you from joining the military? Neither did I!

This is from the military.com website:

The causes for rejection for appointment, enlistment, and induction are:
a. Allergic manifestations. A reliable history of anaphylaxis to stinging insects. Reliable history of a moderate to severe reaction to common foods, spices, or food additives.

At least I know B will never be drafted (har har - she's a girl so that wouldn't happen anyway).

But still. Thanks guys (and girls).

Labels: How Far Do You Go?

2009-11-10T06:44:00.000-08:00

I try not to single out B with too much peanut free paraphernalia.

She has a medic alert bracelet (or if she isn't wearing that, she's got a shoe tag and a dog tag necklace), a button on her backpack, and that's about it.

I have a few cute shirts that say things like "Some Bunny Doesn't Eat Peanuts", but not much else.

I don't label her jacket. I don't have a bright colored lunch box for her that says "NO Peanuts!".

I'm not criticizing other parents for doing this. I'm actually wondering if I'm doing her a disservice by being quiet about it. But I also don't want to single her out to bullying by going overboard.

How are you all finding a balance with this? What's working for you?

How much is too much? Too little?

It's a Jungle out there...

2009-11-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

A quick Monday morning post....

For those of you who love Mother's Circus Animal Cookies but don't give them to your child because of the may contain warning, have I got some good news for you.

Nabisco makes iced animal cookies too! Same look, just as tasty. And no warnings! (note: I tend to trust Nabisco since they have other products that do carry the may contain or manufactured on equipment warnings). These are perfect for the holidays too - kids love them.

So there, Mother's. There's a new sweetie in town.

Refusal

2009-11-08T06:56:00.000-08:00

B has been to two birthday parties in as many weeks and hasn't had a piece of cake at either.

And not because I told her she couldn't. It was quite the opposite. I told her the cake was ok to eat - safe in fact and to go ahead a dig in!

She wouldn't budge. She had a slice at each event in front of her but made excuses at each (my response? I ate the cake for her - what else was I to do?).

But why did she really refuse?

Was it her sixth sense? Fear?

I'm thinking the latter. I think she's stuck in between being polite to her host and being her own advocate.

My heart breaks that she even has to THINK about this stuff at the ripe old age of 5. That she worries an innocent piece of cake could do her in. Even one her mom says is ok.

I hope and pray she grows out of this.

Thanksgiving Foods to Watch Out For with a Peanut and Nut Allergy

2009-11-07T06:22:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving coming up, I thought I'd give you just a few ideas of where nuts can be lurking (besides in your wine glass):

Pie Crusts - many of the pie crusts I've see of late in cooking magazines (and online) utilize ground nuts in the crust. This wouldn't be apparent to the naked eye in say, a pumpkin pie, and could send you into a reaction (which is never fun, especially during the holiday celebrations). Always ask about ingredients if you aren't completely sure. And if you still aren't convinced it's safe, then abstain.
Stuffing - watch out for almonds and pecans (and chestnuts) in stuffing.
Green Beans/Brussels Sprouts - I've been seeing lots of recipes for these greens either garnished with nuts (like hazelnuts and almonds or pine nuts) or in compound butters composed of these nuts in their ground up form.
Sweet Potatoes - again, this veggie goes hand in hand with brown sugar and - you guessed it - nuts! Look for pecans and/or walnuts as a pairing typically either mixed in or part of a crumble on top.
Cookies - this is a no brainer in some respects, but the holidays are definitely a time for nuts! Marzipan (ground almond/sugar paste) abounds in baked goods as well as walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, and peanut butter.
Extracts - Lastly, keep in mind with ANY baked goods that people use almond extract a lot to replace vanilla. If you are going to take a chance and have a sugar cookie, you just might want to ask about almond extract.

So what did I miss? Readers, comment away!