Forget Peanut Allergy: Things I'm Loving This Week #1

I'm sure it's premature to say, but I think Fall may be arriving soon here in Northern California  - I tried to wear summer clothes yesterday and was chiiiiiillly!  But, now that I've typed that, we'll no doubt have a hot spell in early October (just like we always do).

Here's something new.  Non peanut allergy related.

Things I'm loving this week:

The BEST Artichoke Soup

Source: Saveur Magazine

Glass Beaches 

Source: Anthology Magazine (via Flickr)

Big Sur

Source: Hiking in Big Sur

Stitches West 2013
Yes, I'm a knitting nerd. Signed up for this today with my best friend and I couldn't be more excited.  

Source: Knitting Universe

Oahu
Another trip planned - cannot wait!

Source: Haleiwa Town

Tom Bihn Bags
I want, no, I NEED this bag.  Anyone got any spare change hanging around for this beauty? The organizational FREAK inside of me lusts after this:

Source: TomBihn.com

Makeshift Society
How cool is this?  I want to join!

Source: Anthology Magazine

Curried Chicken and Coconut Rice
Um, yummmmmm!?

Source: Shutterbean.com

And, last but NOT least, my boyfriend - ain't he cute?  

Danny reading a putt for Angela Stanford in
Alabama yesterday.  They tied for 3rd. (Source: Getty Images) 

How about you?  What are you loving this week?

G

Back, albeit briefly.

Bella turned 4 over the weekend and I am still recovering. We had a party for her with 20 (no that's not a typo) of her pals from school (and life) and threw a mini carnival that included carnival games, a bounce house, and a real-life popcorn machine (um, so I went a leeeetle overboard). We had a ball! Don't believe me? There are photos (and a video even) to prove it.

But I found myself on the other side of the fence so to speak. One of Bella's pals has a milk allergy and I wanted to make sure the party was absolutely safe for him. But I found myself perplexed as to what I could serve - everything seems to have milk! After a little research, I ended up serving fruit, pigs in a blanket (it's scary that 'buttery' crescent dough has no dairy in it), raisins, chocolate teddy grahams (nope, no milk in those either), and home made chex mix (i used oyster crackers instead of goldfish). His mother was SO appreciative - it was truly a time where he could wander around the party and she could talk to other moms without having to worry. At all. Isn't that cool? I'm so glad I could keep him safe and give her some peace of mind for a few hours (isn't that what all of us allergy moms want?).

The only place I failed was the cake. Due to a snafu with the bakery we use, there ended up being milk in the frosting and he couldn't partake. So what's a peanut free mama to do? Break out the ChocoBoom bars of course! I sent it home with him and his mom (I think she was a bit wary - she hadn't had one and I think we all know how yucky some of the allergen free treats are out there) but I got the seal of approval a few hours later when his mom told me that he tried it and declared it "Delicious. And it's yummy too!".

I'll be back to my regular (well, more frequent) postings soon. I'm still cleaning up from the festivities - I'm hoping I can finish the dishes before we hit the 1 week anniversary of the shindig. Wish me luck - I'll need it.

It's Breakfast Tuesday!

We went down to the Monterey Bay Aquarium today for a little day trip with Bella. It was great (crowded, but great). We got back home around 4:15 and went out for some gardening - by the time we got in it was 6:30 - oops maybe we should have some dinner!

I asked Bella what she wanted and she said - "Brefkist!" (Ok so she doesn't really sound like a two year old - she just likes to say this one word incorrectly - it's our inside joke). So I made French Toast and Scrambled eggs with Pancetta. So delicious, especially accompanied by some home made strawberry jam and yummy maple syrup. And OJ of course. Who says that having a peanut allergy means you can't eat well?

Anyhoo, when I was making the French Toast I was reminded of something my mom passed along to me this week. A blurb in Woman's Day the September 2008 Family Circle magazine about eggless french toast. A woman wrote in to ask how to make French Toast for her newly egg allergic 10 year old daughter. Their solution? Dip the bread directly in maple syrup and fry it up in a pan!

I was skeptical, but you know what? It's not half bad!?! Of course we mainly ate the French toast with the eggs, but if I couldn't have eggs then I could live with bread that's crispy and sticky with syrup.

Sound terrible? A quick Google search turned up this recipe, using tofu instead of eggs. Now which one will you try?!?

Laptop Lunch Systems: I LOVE IT!

I have been lusting after the Laptop Lunch system for a LONG time, ever since I saw one at Whole Foods months and months ago. You might be thinking "Gee whiz - lusting is kind of a strong word when talking about a lunchbox, isn't it?". Well, you'd be wrong.

I LOVE anything that has little organizing sections. Purses with 42 different pockets for your cell phone, keys, wallet, lipstick and pens? I'm on it. The Container Store? Don't even get me started because of course I need everything they carry.

So the Laptop Lunch system was practically like heaven when it came to lunch boxes. I'd been using Bento systems from Daiso (the Japanese dollar store near my work) along with items from the Japanese grocery store. And they worked just fine.

But then I stumbled upon a giveaway at Sure Foods Living. I entered it. And I won! What luck!

We got it in the mail a few weeks ago, and we FINALLY used it this week. I am lame and didn't take a photo of Bella's lunch today, but here's what she's having tomorrow:

The photo is pretty horrendous (it's late and I'm tired), but clockwise from top left: meatballs with gravy for dipping in the orange container (and a little pick to eat them with), pirates booty, fruitabu, and sliced granny smith apple. There is a separate drink container that I'll fill with juicy water (1/4 juice to 3/4 water - Bella doesn't know the difference). Lastly, there's a mesh pocket on the inside of the bag where I put a gel pack like this to keep everything cool. It worked perfectly, as the gel pack was still cold when I took everything home today.

Today she had a bologna sandwich on white bread that I cut into little circles with a cookie cutter, some wheat thin type crackers, mini carrots with ranch for dipping, and another half of a granny smith, sliced. I don't think it's a coincidence that she ate almost all of her lunch today - I think she just enjoyed it so much with the new lunch box (you think I'm nuts, but she loves this kind of stuff already - it's in the genes I guess!).

If you're at all intrigued by this, you should definitely check out their site. And if you want some great lunch ideas, even if you don't buy a system, sign up for their newsletter (which always seems to have suggestions) or visit Vegan Lunch Box (don't be put off by the Vegan-ness of it - take a look at her ideas and if you want to add a cheese stick or a bologna sandwich then go for it) and get inspired. If you want to buy a system, you can order direct from LL or you can search for a retailer on their site.

Bella was so psyched to take this school today. Since packing your own lunch is typically a MUST when you have a peanut allergy (or other food allergy) having a system like this that your child loves helps tremendously. And when I picked her up her teachers raved about it. I even had a parent ask me about it - I opened it up right there when she asked to see the inside.

When I can remember, I'll post more lunches here for you guys - maybe you'll get some inspiration when you're stuck for something to pack in your lunch (or your kids). I'll be planning her lunch box meals more regularly now, that's for sure. If you document your kids meals (or yours) let me know so I can see what you're having too.

Thanks to Sure Foods Living (and Alison!) and thanks to Laptop Lunches.

DISCLAIMER: I know this has come off as an ad of sorts for Laptop Lunches, and I suppose it sounds like one. But this is truly just the comments of a very enthusiastic user. If you are looking for a lunch box for your child (or you!) I would heartily recommend this. I haven't been paid or asked to write this nor was this post the result of any agreements between any of us. I'm just a winner - what can I say?!? I can honestly say I would have been just as excited about the product if I had bought it myself. But rest assured, I'll be buying another for myself (and possibly another for Bella in a different color).

Peanut Free Product Shout Out: Nonna Lena's Nut Free Pesto

Prepared pesto is one of those great convenience foods. But with a peanut allergy (and our avoidance of tree nuts as a precaution) pesto, unless it's homemade, is off limits.

Until now.

I shop at Piazza's in Palo Alto, CA at least 3x a week for my lunch and for perishable groceries for dinner (veggies, bread, etc.). I was buying fresh pasta one day and thought I'd take a look at the prepared pestos to see if any were safe. Lo and behold, I found one.

I present to you: Nonna Lena's All Natural Pesto.
Ingredients: Organic Basil, Olive Oil, Fresh Garlic, Fresh Creamy Butter, Parmesan Cheese.

I took it home and tossed it with some fresh fettuccine noodles. It is so delicious - not too garlicky, just enough basil. It's basically pesto without pine nuts. It's a little on the buttery side - or maybe I should say olive oily side - so if you wanted to use it on crostini, for instance, you would have to let it sit for a little bit at room temperature so it can soften a bit.

So for Bella's lunch tomorrow, she's getting some penne pasta with pesto and veggies. All I needed to do was cook the pasta and add the pesto - it says right on the label that no heating is necessary. Nonna Lena (if she exists) is a woman after my own heart.

Maybe you can find it where you live? Looks like they have distributors in California, Washington, and Oregon.

p.s. After looking through the site, I noticed that some of her other sauces have walnuts and/or pine nuts in them. This falls in my safety zone - Bella's doctor has ok'd "may contain" or "manufactured on equipment" when it comes to tree nuts due to her negative RAST and skin tests. We've chosen to avoid actual ingestion of whole tree nuts for the time being due to cross contamination/confusion for Bella issues.

You can pick your friends...

Bella's preschool is in summer mode - not much structured learning is going on - which I really appreciate. I feel guilty enough at times that I work full time and she has to be in daycare, so it's great that they treat summer like summer there.

Bella is LOVING the new school. She taken to it like a fish to water and loves going there each day. There's no crying (not that there ever really was, but I sure was worried a new location would trigger it), and, touch wood, she hasn't had a time out for the last week - yahoo!

And on the allergy front, this school has two bonus features.

ONE: They do not allow any outside snacks or birthday treats. AT ALL! The celebrate the children's birthdays without any food at all. Yay! Now, this is kind of a bummer, because what kid doesn't love a cupcake or something on their birthday with their friends, but what a relief! I was basically standing there with her teacher with a bag of safe snacks and wasn't sure what to do with it. They sure didn't need it, which was awesome.

TWO: They have a MUCH better peanut policy when it comes to lunch table seating. Sure, they have a peanut free table, where Bella sits, but at this school ANY of her friends can join her at the table as long as their lunch is peanut free. I was so happy to hear this. At her old school kids were all seated at the same table and it wasn't a great solution.

Maybe things are getting better all around - more awareness - I don't know. But I didn't have to fight anything. It was such a good experience for both Bella and I.

So back to the picking reference from the title. This weekend, we'll be doing a fun summer activity - berry picking! There's a U-Pick farm not too far from us that we're trying out on Saturday - you pay a small fee to pick and then pay for each pound of the berries you pick. They have strawberries, boysenberries, and olallieberries - yum! I think there will be more jam or a crumble (or two) in our future. We'll see how many berries actually make it home with us (in a container and not our bellies).


We're also planning on using the ice cream ball maker we got as a Christmas present (thanks Jon and Amanda!). You just add the ice cream mixture to one side, then some ice, and salt to another chamber and shake away. I can't wait!

If I'm feeling REALLY adventurous, I might try to make Butter with Bella too. We have a quart of heavy cream in our fridge that we need to use before it spoils.

I have a feeling I wont be sticking to my diet this weekend. Ah well, I'll sacrifice myself in the name of summer activities.

What do YOU have planned?

Lucky Finds - My Favorite Foodie Sites

I don't know about you, but I am constantly looking for inspiration for meals to suit Bella's peanut allergy and our tastes that run beyond meatloaf and spaghetti each night.

Here are some of my long term go-to sites for inspiration as well as a few new finds.

Meal Outlaw
"Meal Outlaw is a meal calendar, tracking, and journaling site. You can enter your future meals into your own calendar, look to the calendars of other users for ideas, and comment on any meal you see. It's 100% free."

Sweet Fine Day
This is a new read of mine - but I'm totally hooked. A family in Brooklyn, starting a new food business (swoon), documents the meals they make for their family.

Serious Eats
This is where I get my food geek news on, but they also have a 'dinner tonight' feature that inspires me at least once a month. Their 'talk' section is great too.

Epicurious
All the recipes from Bon Appetit and Gourmet in one place, with an excellent recipe box feature to which you can save and reference recipes from the vault. Need I say more?

Lunch in a Box
This woman makes amazing bento lunches for her son. I get lots of inspiration for Bella's lunches here.

The Kitchn
Yeah, the spelling of that is right. The Kitchn is part of the Apartment Therapy family, which, if you live in a small place, is someplace you need to look at NOW. Part product resources, part recipes, part food p@rn, I keep coming back when I just can't think of what to have for din dins.

What are your favorite sites?

p.s. thanks for all the comments regarding the challenges you are facing as a peanut allergic individual or the parent of one. you gave me a lot of inspiration!

Sunbutter: Drumroll please...

I posted about this over at my Facebook group, but I thought I'd give the rest of you a laugh.

I must really be doing my job and getting through to Bella.

I bought a jar of Sunbutter on Friday. After tasting it myself (and finding it oddly enjoyable after being a peanut free household for a few years now), I excitedly made a sandwich for Bella.

She regarded it with skepticism, took a bite, and immediately spit it out. That's my girl!

I've had it the past two days on an english muffin (which is almost like heaven for me - I miss PB on english muffins SO badly) and she's wanted nothing to do with and regards it with disgust.

I guess all the teaching I've been doing regarding what she can have with a peanut allergy has paid off. Now the question is, do I try to make recipes that use peanut butter and replace it with Sunbutter?

Can You Eat It?

Have you guys seen this site? You select the allergies that you are dealing with and it spits out a list of food that's 'safe' to eat.

I haven't really checked it for accuracy, but I am in favor of the concept.

Does anyone know who's behind this?

Gung Hay Fat Choy! (may prosperity be with you)

Happy Chinese New Year!

Living in the Bay Area we get to celebrate a multitude of cultures. We're especially lucky to have such a large Chinese population (and great Chinese Food)!

Now we all know that Chinese Food can be a scary encounter for someone with a food allergy - so much of the food contains peanuts. But do you know why? Here's a little something I discovered when I was reading about the Chinese New Year this morning:

Dumplings
On New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, it is customary to eat dumplings, known as "jiaozi" in Chinese, which represent the progression of the years. They are filled and then boiled or steamed. In northern China they make "shui-chiao," shaping them like horseshoes, which is meant to bring riches to those who eat them. Plump half-moon shaped dumplings evoke "yuanbao," a 50 ounce silver ingot. Eating them is supposed to bring wealth and good luck.

Dumplings can contain a piece of sugar, a coin, a peanut or a chestnut, each signifying a different omen. Did you just bite into a sweet dumpling? Happiness will be knocking at your door. Did it contain a coin? Luck will smile on you. Is it stuffed with a chestnut? You'll soon have a boy. Is it filled with peanuts? That's a sign of longevity (in Chinese, peanuts are also called longevity fruit.)

Longevity? Not in our house I'm afraid.

But we'll be eating Chinese food this week without a doubt (luckily we have a great relationship with a local place who know about our food allergy and accomodate us).

Don't want to head out to Chinese Food? Try to make some yourself to celebrate the year of the rat!

Meal Planning

I'm always looking for new ideas for meal planning - gotta keep my tiny child interested in eating so she gains weight (boy I wish I had that problem). Here are a few of my recent ' new finds' (that aren't new at all - just to me) :

• Williams-Sonoma Quick Family Meals,which also includes a great section to help get your kids interested in cooking (found via apartmenttherapy.com)
  
• A nice collection of printable forms for meal/menu planning
• Everyday Meal Planning at RealSimple.com
• I'm not a huge fan of 30MM, but Rachael Ray's site has tons of quick recipes (and a great kids section).
  

Oh, and one last thing: Meal Prep Kitchens
I'm still contemplating going to one of those meal prep places (our local ones are called Sous Kitchen and Deeelish!). Have you ever tried one these places? I emailed Sous Kitchen about 6 months ago and they offered (very nicely I thought!) to let me come in early to prep my food before everyone else to minimize cross contamination. I've even noticed that their meals lately haven't really contained peanuts or nuts. Maybe they are changing their menus a bit to attract those families with nut allergies?

Something to consider or to avoid? What would you do?

Slow Week, So Let's Bake!

Just discovered two more yummy looking recipes to try for the holidays:

Ginger-Honey Pumpkin Pie
(note: the image attached to the recipe on the epicurious site is wrong - that's a pie with a walnut streusel topping - it's definitely not nut free - this is the correct photo)
and

4-Ingredient Favorite Coconut Cookies (no photo, sorry)

These, coupled with the chocolate cake recipe from allergic girl will make for one sweet Christmas.

What are you baking this year?

Gobble Gobble

We had a great Thanksgiving - hope you did too!

We're busy around Casa Peanut Free with post-Thanksgiving activities including the SF Auto Show and the local Festival of Lights Parade, mixed in with family time, movies and trips to the park. I haven't done a lick of shopping yet, and I don't plan on it.

Most importantly, we've gone a year plus with no serious peanut reactions. And this spring we found that Bella's tree nut allergy is gone. For this we are TRULY thankful.

Hope your holiday weekend is just as full and happy. Back on Monday with more posts.

p.s. the cheeseball was a big hit! instead of making a ball (for some reason it was too soft), i spread it in a shallow oval dish and sprinkled the bacon over it. mmmm. more surface area meant more bacon. hee hee. try it folks , it's awesome.

Why Didn't I think of that???

When I go by the cheese section in our grocery store, I usually pick up a wedge of affinois or brie. But I wistfully glance at the cheeseballs - you know what I am talking about - the balls of orange cheese covered in nuts. Didn't every American family get issued one of these each holiday season?? Obviously this is a no-no in our family, so I just walk on by...

But lo and behold, in today's Serious Eats there was a link to an article in the Houston Chronicle with a unique twist on the cheeseball: BACON! Why the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks didn't I think of that?!?!

I am SO making this for Thanksgiving this year.

Here's the recipe:

ARTISANAL CHEESE BALL

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

• 8 ounces fromage blanc or cream cheese
• 1 (4-ounce) package aged Cheddar, finely shredded
• 1 (4-ounce) package crumbled blue cheese
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon each: garlic powder, fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 8 slices smoked applewood bacon, or 1 cup finely chopped smoked almonds

Combine the cheeses, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, pepper and salt in a food processor or bowl of a stand mixer; purée or beat with a mixer on low until mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes.

Fold in the green onions; place mixture in a large bowl. Shape into a ball with a large mixing spoon; chill 1 hour.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes; drain on paper towels. Dice; set aside.

Gently remove the cheese ball from bowl. Spread bacon bits (or almonds) on wax paper or cutting board; roll the cheese ball until evenly coated. Serve at room temperature with crackers.

Makes 12 servings, each tablespoon 165 calories (78 percent from fat), 14 grams fat (9 grams saturated), 43 milligrams cholesterol, 1 gram carbohydrates, 7 grams protein, 372 milligrams sodium and no fiber.

mmmmm. bacon.

Do Your Part to End Hunger

Sometimes I go on and on about how difficult it can be to negotiate the world of food with a peanut allergy, oftentimes forgetting that some folks aren't as lucky as we are. Some folks don't wonder what they will eat, they wonder if they will eat.

Noone should ever be hungry, especially kids, so we donate as much as we can to this local organization. Can you spare a few dollars for some hungry folks in your area? It doesn't take much. Check out how far it goes at Second Harvest. I bet if you Google 'food bank+yourcity' something will pop up. Go ahead, try it.

It's just a few lattes (or burgers or a CD) for you. But it will help calm a little (or big) kid's rumbling belly.

We all need to take care of each other. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Hope yours is safe and happy (and reaction free).

We're Back - Pt. 2

Here's part two of our Maui Guide. Sorry for the delay in getting this up here. Enjoy!

So, last time we spoke, I took you through how we got to Maui and where we stayed. Now for the good part - what we ate and how we played!

Eating
First and foremost, make reservations! Restaurants were really busy each night and it was vital that we asked our concierge for help - she scored us reservations at all sorts of places.
Also think about the timing of your dinner reservations. We managed to get sunset dinner times for a few of these places and it was great. Bella loved watching the sun go down (and so did we - so romantic!).

Second, we mentioned the peanut allergy wherever we went, no matter how big or how small. We were amazed by the warm reception we got and the accommodations that were made for Bella (without affecting other diners - like at the teppan yaki place we went to against my better judgment). We got many comments in the range of "of course we don't use peanut oil anymore - too many people are allergic" and "let me know what you are interested in ordering and we'll make sure that it's safe for you or advise you against it if it isn't".

Ahem, and on to the food.

We avoided the obvious places (ice cream parlors, Vietnamese, and Thai), but here is a sampling of where we went along with a mini review. All are in walking distance from the Sheraton except for Sansei Sushi and Aloha Mixed Plate.

In the hotel:

Keka'a Terrace
This is a mundane, boring place to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Kids under 12 eat free with a paying adult. Standard kid's menu with no PBJ. Breakfast buffet fairly safe. The only items with nuts were on a separate counter (baked goods). All the cereal in the buffet were in the mini boxes too. Pricey though.

Teppan Yaki Dan
So many of you are going to think I am a complete moron, but here goes. This place is one of those Benihana-type cook at your table places. Cross contamination abounds!!! BUT (and there is a big BUT here) everything was fine. I spoke to the host, then the manager, then the chef himself about Bella's allergy. No peanuts on the menu, but their dipping sauces had macadamia nuts. Some of the dishes have a sauce with tree nuts, and some of them have a nutty garnish. We let them know that she could indeed have sesame oil (to which I know they sighed with relief). Since we were seated at a table with 5 other people, you couldn't tell them what to order, but they made it work.

Everyone ordered. Some folks ordered the scallops with a macadamia nut pesto. I guess they usually stick that on the grill, but at our table, they didn't! Everything was cooked without the sauces. Bella had chicken teriyaki so they did hers first, then the subsequent dishes. But beyond that, the folks who got the scallops - not only did they not put the nut garnish on the grill, the chef walked around the table and sprinked the garnish on their dishes to avoid any possible contact near Bella.

All in all, it was a great meal and I would highly recommend it.

Lagoon Bar (poolside)
This is the bar next to the pool that has cocktails as well as a light lunch/dinner menu (think burgers, sandwiches, and nachos). Pricey (do you see a trend here?) but consistent - consistently mediocre, but easier than getting out of the pool, back to the room, dressed, and out the door. You understand me, I know you do.

They serve a snack mix with your cocktail. It's kind of like a really spicy pretzel mix without nuts. I didn't check any labels, but I assumed it was safe for Bella. But she wouldn't eat it since it was so spicy. Crisis averted!

But this place DOES have PBJ on the menu, which was annoying, but that's life. We ended up going with a hot dog each day for Bella. Be advised, though, that all the cooking is done in a makeshift grilling area near the pool. There isn't much in the way of separate cooking areas. I did, however, let the server know about Bella's allergy, so I hope this contributed to the fact that she was reaction free!

Room Service
We only had one instance to eat room service and thankfully we didn't have to pay for it. See my previous post for a description.

Hula Grill (in Whaler's Village)
This place offered by far the best food and best eating experience during our trip. We didn't have reservations, but only had to wait about 20 minutes for a table. They have a couple of areas to eat here: a beach bar (basically an outdoor patio that is over sand - no thanks, don't want a 3 year old under the table the whole time, a bar, and an indoor seating area). This is a nice restaurant inside and a very casual one outside. We opted for a table inside and we weren't disappointed.

We had a very laid back waiter who I swear was Jan Michael Vincent's son, so I was a little nervous about explaining the whole peanut allergy thing, but I needn't have worried. Here's what I said (and actually what I usually say when I eat out with Bella): "So my daughter has a peanut allergy. If you can advise us about any peanuts or nuts in the dishes on your menu I would appreciate it." And he says, "No problem. We are very used to dealing with food allergies here. First I'll double check with the chef on what you are ordering to make sure it's nut free, then when I submit your order, I let them know it should be a nut free table, then when the orders come out, our managers check the order before the food comes to the table". Except he said it in a voice that sounded like Jeff Spiccoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. His name was Cameron, I believe. What a great server (and all around dude). Then he brought me a glass of chardonnay, my husband a glass of merlot, and Bella a big old virgin strawberry daquiri (her drink of choice on maui).

Great kids menu too. Normal food, not just chicken fingers and grilled cheese. Bella had the grilled fish with a beurre blanc sauce and loved it! Kids have palates too and the folks at Hula Grill know it. Bravo! We'll definitely be back again when we head to Maui again.

Leilani's on the Beach (in Whaler's Village)
This is one of those restaurants that has been around forever and is mediocre. It was smooth sailing with Bella's peanut allergy, but the food wasn't good at all. We really just went for the sunset (which was fantastic!). Save your money and go to Hula Grill and sit inside. The food is much better. And it's owned by the same restaurant group (amazingly), so your money is going to the same place.

Nikki's Pizza (Food Court in Whaler's Village)
Great, simple pizza by the slice and salads with no hidden landmines. Good for lunch or dinner.

Maui Tacos
Sometimes you just want a taco. This is the place to go on Maui. No peanuts to speak of anywhere. Messy and delicious. Yum.

Aloha Mixed Plate
This is the place we go right after we land every time we go to Maui. It sits right next to the Old Lahaina Luau (and is part of them in fact). Except instead of having to sit through hulas and fire dancing (not that there's anything wrong with that), you can sit and have your kalua pork, lomi lomi salmon, and poi in a casual environment overlooking the water with the locals. We ate here three times during this trip - we just love it. Totally relaxed, totally casual, and safe for Bella. Heads up though, they DO have a Thai noodle dish on the menu with a peanut sauce, but they were really allergy aware so I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Sansei Sushi (located in the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua compound)
So I hate to say it, but this was the one place that I believe Bella had a reaction. Can I be 100% sure? No. But my gut tells me that cross contamination was the culprit. After eating there, she had some GI issues (down south if you get my drift). This is a 3 year old who eats sushi at home, so it's the only explanation I have. Mark, Bella, and I all ate the same things exactly. Puzzling. We were assured that there was no peanut oil or peanuts in any of the food we ordered. Maybe she was just having a bad day, but GI issues were one thing (along with the hives) that initially tipped us off to her PA in the first place. She never (honestly never) has GI issues. Ah well, if it was a reaction things could have been MUCH worse.

But this was another one of those places where the hype didn't match up with the final product. The sushi was so-so, the ramen was just OK, the tofu alright. Not sure if we're just spoiled by being in the Bay Area with all the sushi places, but I don't know if I would go again. Actually, scratch that, I would go again, but I would sit at the bar and see what the sushi chefs recommend. Maybe we just got a dud waitress? Suffice it to say, we were underwhelmed. Maybe it was a bad sign when the waitress told us that she really didn't like sushi?!? Yikes.

So this post is getting long, so I'll be brief with the next two sections: Playing and Sightseeing.

Playing
Here's a brief list of what we did on Maui:

• swimming - every day at least twice a day. bring two bathing suits.
  
• beaches - but watch out for those currents - someone actually died on the beach outside our hotel while we there!
• snorkeling - so much to see for the mere cost of a snorkel rental. be safe though and swim with a friend and don't go too far out.
  
• inner tubes - get one to just chill in the pool at the hotel
  
• ABC stores - ABC is the store of Hawaii. i put this under playing because at these stores you can have loads of fun buying tacky souveniers for all your friends back home. they are like starbucks - one on every corner.
  

Sightseeing
Of course this isn't ALL we did, but here are some recommendations for Maui.

• Maui ocean center - a great, small aquarium to visit. a good diversion on a particularly hot day.
  
• reef dancer - we didn't get to go on this, but it is a glass bottom boat. the plus is that there is no height requirement unlike the submarine rides.
  
• hula shows - there are a ton of free hula shows in shopping centers and at hotels.
  
• luau - again, these abound everywhere. they had one at the sheraton (which we watched from our balcony), but your concierge can set you up with one of many in the area.
  
• Kaanapali beach hotel - this is worth going to at around 6pm. There is a nightly music show that is right out of the movie Swingers. Except it's Hawaiian music. The entertainment value is off the charts. Plus the drinks are cheap.
  

Final Words

• Maui seemed very peanut aware. There wasn't a single restaurant where they were shocked to hear about a peanut allergy and/or didn't already have peanut precautions in place. What a relief. That being said, going to Maui with tree nut allergies will be challenging for you. Everything is macadamia nut this and macadamia nut crusted that. While Bella didn't knowingly ingest anything with macadamia nuts, the likelihood that there was cross contamination was VERY high. I don't doubt that she was exposed to them inadvertently.
  
• Maui is expensive. Save your pennies before you go. $8 hot dogs and $10 cocktails abound. I warned you.
• Sunscreen and rash guards are a must! Kids don't care what time it is and whether or not it is a 'good time' to go out in the sun. Slather the sunscreen on! Better yet, slather it on AND get your kid (and heck, you) a rash guard with the highest SPF you can. You can get them online or you can buy one there. Trust me, they work and you wont ruin your vacation with 3rd degree sunburn (which actually happened to Mark one time - but that's another story).
• Bring less than you need - you can always buy things there.
  

I hope this little guide helped anyone out there traveling to Maui - with or without a peanut allergy. Just know that folks there are really all about you having a good time, so give it a shot.

It's Coming, I Swear.

I should have Part 2 of my guide to peanut free Maui travel up some time today. Sorry for the delay!

Catalogs Carrying Food Warnings?

I was flipping through the latest Red Envelope catalog and came across two interesting things. The first is this awesome gingerbread house! When I was a teenager (a long, long time ago) I used to make gingerbread houses (think Martha Stewart), complete with windows made from melted sugar - the works! So I just love gingerbread houses. But I hate the super kitschy ones (sue me, I'm a gingerbread house snob :>).

But this one blew me away because it's modern! I love it. I am on a bit of a modern kick at home. So much so that I am trying to convince Mark that when we renovate, we do a midcentury style ala atomic ranch.

And what does this have to do with food allergies? Well, that's the second interesting thing I came across. I was VERY pleasantly surprised to see this included in the description:

modern gingerbread house

Every bit as edible as the original, this isn't your grandma's gingerbread house. We gave the classic holiday treat a mid-century makeover, complete with garage and rock garden. An unique gift and sure-fire conversation piece, it comes assembled and ready to enjoy. Once unwrapped, it should be eaten within 30 days. Left as decoration, it will keep for up to 12 months. Candies used for embellishment may contain nuts.

A may contain warning!!! Can you believe it?!?!

I don't recall seeing anything like this in the Harry & David catalog, or Dean & Deluca, or heck, even Williams-Sonoma (can you tell I am a foodie at heart or what?). Maybe this is the start of a great trend?

Even though the rock candy may contain nuts, I still may order this for my mantel. There's no way Bella could get to it there. Maybe I could shellac it?

NEW Product: Batter Blaster

I thought you'd all get a kick out this product that I heard about via Daily Candy.

It's Organic Batter Blaster! Pancake batter in a can. Ready at a moment's notice for when you are REALLY craving pancakes. It's like whipped cream, but it's pancake batter. Actually, if you watch the demo (click the link at the bottom left of the home page), it looks kinda gross - put it this way, it isn't all fluffy and tasty looking like whipped cream.

Nutritional Information Here. Looks like it contains wheat, eggs, and soy. I am tempted to buy it just to see what it tastes like. Bella loves pancakes, but part of me keeps saying "just make the darn batter yourself and stick it in a squeeze bottle!". But, boy would this be handy on a Sunday morning...

Mock Pies?

Have any of you out there made the Ritz Mock Apple Pie recipe?

I am starting to think of baking for the holidays and may try it (mainly because I am curious - not because of allergies).

But seeing this recipe made me curious about mock Pecan Pie. Growing up, pecan pie was my absolute favorite! But Bella can't have it (even though she's not allergic to pecans - can't have that cross contamination risk though). But I do want her to experience even a fraction of the joy of this taste sensation, so I am going to do my best to recreate it safely.

I've seen two versions online. One with oats and one with pinto beans (which sounds horrendous, but hey so does a pie full of crackers and people seem to love it).

But I have a few ideas on how to make a nut-free pecan pie up my sleeve and I'll post my findings soon.

Come to think of it, are there any recipes that have nuts (or other allergen) that you wish you could make nut free? Maybe I can take a stab at those too! Leave me a comment -