Food Allergies: Taking a Minute to Reflect on the Last Day of School

Today is the last full day of school in our district and as I always am when a school year goes well, I am thankful and grateful that my daughter enjoyed a reaction-free year. School can be filled with many food allergy-related pitfalls and regular readers of this blog know that I've covered many of these in detail. (Just search key word "school" in the search bar to the right for several articles on managing food allergies at school.)

However, as the year draws to a close without a reaction, I like to take a deep breath and enjoy what went right. For those of you who have sent your children to school for the first time this year, you are probably feeling a special sense of relief now that it's over. As someone who has been managing and helping my child manage food allergies at school for nearly 8 years now, I can tell you that it does get easier,  especially as kids get older and more able to speak up and care for themselves. That doesn't mean I never have worries, and now we have new challenges like an overnight field trip next year for 8th grade.

But for now, I've got all of that on the back burner. I'm simply thankful that things have gone well. I encourage you to thank your child's teachers and any others who have helped you child manage allergies and/or asthma this year. It's always nice to say "thank you" to the health office workers, too. They've probably gotten to know your child well because they of their formal health plans and medications at school. Let them know that their concern and care are helpful.

On a housekeeping note, don't forget to bring home your child's medications and any new health forms. If you plan to go to a new school or are going to school for the first time next year, please click this link for some helpful information. Most school offices stay open for a few weeks after the last day of school, but after that it may be difficult to speak to anyone at school until the fall. So if you have anything you need to take care of, now is the time!

I'm sure that all of us have things we wish had gone differently but hopefully summer will give us some perspective on how things can be better handled next year. One tip is to join your school's PTO--if you can, get on a party committee. You'll be in a much better position to navigate food allergies and voice your concerns. So many times, people just aren't aware of the role that minimizing food plays in keeping kids safe and included.

If things went well for you this year, it's no accident. It means that you and your child did a great job of handling things and it also means that you have established good communication with your school. And let's be real: some schools are more allergy aware than others. If you found yourself in the position of food allergy "pioneer" this year, then I know you had your share of challenges (I've been there!). Hats off to you!

Life with severe food allergies can be challenging, but as you meet each challenge, it's great to celebrate the little victories. Tell your kids that you are proud of them--and be proud of yourself, too. Whether it was communicating with school staff, providing allergy-friendly food, educating your school about allergies or even sharing your story with other parents, you did your part to help your child have a smooth school year. I admire you all!

Happy Summer!

For more on navigating life with severe nut allergies, click this link for my complete e-book guide.

Nut-Free Supermarket Friday Find, Plus Memorial Day Weekend Party & Travel Tips

Grilling on the go with food allergies? A disposable instant grill to the rescue.

For Memorial Day Weekend, I'm featuring something a little different for Nut-Free Supermarket Finds Friday: a disposable instant grill. No, it's not a nut-free food but we can cook nut-free foods on it and it eliminates cross contact risk from shared or public grills. For example, marinades can have peanut or tree nut products or oils and if you have allergies to fish or other foods, you never know what was on the grill if you're away from home. I've even seen peanut shells inside public grills at the park. 

 

These handy little grills are available at Walmart, hardware stores and supermarkets. Here's a link to disposable grills sold at Walmart.

 

If you're looking for Memorial Day Weekend travel tips, party tips or recipes, then click this link to a past post where there are info and additional blog post links for all of the above!

 

I hope you all have a happy, safe and healthy Memorial Day holiday with your family and friends.

Arizona Food Allergy Alliance: Spring Book Club Discussion of my E-Book "The New Nut-Free Mom"

Arizona Food Allergy Alliance Spring Book Club Selection.
To find out how to join the discussion, read on:

Exciting e-book news! The Arizona Food Allergy Alliance has chosen "The New Nut-Free Mom: A Crash Course in Caring for Your Nut-Allergic Child" as their spring book club selection. Thank you to Lisa Horne for welcoming me into the group for an ongoing book chat that takes place from March through May.

 

The Arizona Food Allergy Alliance is featuring the book club chat in a closed group that is an off-shoot of their Facebook page. To join this group, please click this link and select "join group." This group provides information, news and respectful, courteous discussion on a variety of food allergy topics. The book club chat is seasonal, with only a few books chosen each year, so I'm especially appreciative to be the Spring Book Club Selection. For more information on how to get my book, please see this link.

 

 

The Arizona Food Alliance is a dynamic organization that helps families in the Arizona area cope with food allergies. However, you don't have to live in Arizona to benefit from this terrific resource. The group's reach extends to a lively Facebook page packed with information, a Twitter feed and a great web site. You'll find practical information on food allergies, advocacy opportunities and all kinds of activities like fundraising, meetups for families with food allergies, an upcoming zoo trip and much more.

Thanks again to Arizona Food Allergy Alliance for hosting me this spring! I hope to see you in the group chat.

Nut-Free Ice Cream Recipes, including Blue Moon!

It's hot, and your kids want ice cream or some other frozen treat. Sound familiar? However, with peanut allergies and treat nut allergies in your life, finding "safe" ice cream isn't always easy.

The solution for many of us: make our own ice cream! It isn't as difficult as it sounds, especially with the easy-to-use and reasonably-priced electric ice cream makers available at any stores that sell kitchen gear.

Besides food allergy safety, there are so many side benefits to making your own ice cream. You choose all of the ingredients and can tailor most recipes to suit your tastes or your family's allergy needs. Most ice cream recipes call for simple, wholesome ingredients so your homemade ice cream will be tasty and healthier. If you want to add some allergy-friendly candies to your ice cream, try Surf Sweets, Divvies or Vermont Nut Free Chocolate "Skippers" (M&M - like candies).

Equipment:

I highly recommend an electric ice cream maker. My Cuisinart ice cream maker (retails about $50--it was a birthday gift years ago) churns the ice cream in about 20 minutes (with additional time in the freezer to get the right consistency). A blender comes in handy, too, for purees, etc.

Don't feel like ice cream or you can't have dairy? You can also make dairy-free sorbets, granitas and even dairy-free ice cream  in an electric ice cream maker or use a metal pan to make a granita. Use your imagination and have fun -- and make sure your kids lend a hand. In fact, it's a great summer project for bored kids.

I've included three recipes. Get ready for ice cream heaven!

Nut-Free, Egg-Free Vanilla Ice Cream

Break out the ice cream machine for this great basic vanilla ice cream recipe! Also known as "Philadelphia" ice cream, this traditional recipe does not contain eggs. Because of this, this ice cream tends to stay a little bit "soft serve" but it is delicious.

1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (McCormick brand is what I usually use--Nielsen Massey is also great.)
4 cups heavy cream or heavy creamy mixed with half-and-half for a lighter flavor
3/4 cup white sugar, preferably superfine
Pinch salt

If using a vanilla bean, split in half and scrape out the seeds. (Keep the pod to make vanilla sugar, basically a vanilla bean placed inside a closed container of sugar for about a week. Wonderful in everything from cakes and cookies to coffee drinks.)

Combine all ingredients and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Serve immediately or freeze about 2 hours for a firmer consistency. For optimum flavor, allow to soften slightly in the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving.

Dairy-Free, Nut-Free Lemon Italian Ice (Granita)

1 cup sugar (use superfine if possible)
2 cups water
4 large lemons

1. In 2-quart saucepan combine sugar and water; heat to boiling over high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to medium and cook 5 minutes. Set saucepan in bowl of ice water to cool.

2. Meanwhile, from lemons grate 2 teaspoons peel and squeeze 3/4 cup juice.

2. Stir lemon peel and juice into sugar syrup; pour into 9-inch square metal baking pan. Cover, freeze for 2 hours and then scrape to break up the ice crystals. Freeze again at least 3 hours or overnight. To serve, let soften slightly and use a metal spoon to scoop up the ice shards. Transfer scoops of "ice" to dessert dishes and enjoy!

You can vary this recipe--substitute your favorite summer fruits, such as watermelon. Puree about 1 cup of the fruit and use it in place of the lemon. Or make an adult version of granita using instant espresso powder instead of fruit juice. Delicious.

Nut-Free Blue Moon Ice Cream

Blue Moon ice cream is a Midwestern favorite and its basic components are a vanilla ice cream base, blue food coloring and mini marshmallows (the "moons"). Usually, some type of nut extract is added, so I came up with the idea of using orange extract instead. It gives the ice cream a hint of a "Dreamsicle" flavor. If your kids don't like orange, use vanilla instead but be sure to try the orange at least once. It's my youngest daughter's favorite!

The addition of cream cheese may seem odd but the cream cheese adds amazing consistency and creaminess without being too tangy. Cream cheese ice cream is the basis for another of my favorite holiday ice creams: Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Ice Cream.

Ingredients:

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese (pref. full fat), softened

1 cup whole milk

1 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp orange extract (I use McCormick's brand for both)

1/2 cup mini marshmallows (or more if you like more) I use Kraft brand.

Several drops of regular blue or "neon blue" food coloring (it should be about the color of a robin's egg, but go "bluer" if you like) Again, I use McCormick brand.

Method:

Combine cream cheese, milk, sugar and salt in blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, add extracts and chill until very cold.

Place mixture in electric ice cream maker. About 10 minutes into churning, add the marshmallows. Churn an additional 10-15 minutes or according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer to an airtight container and place in freezer to harden (about 2 hours; could be more). Before serving, let soften for at least 5 minutes.

Note: For any brands mentioned above, please consider your own allergy needs and check with companies if you have any questions.

Food Allergy Book Giveaway: We Have a Winner!

I'm happy to announce that the winner of our Allergic Girl book giveaway is Karen! Congratulations! Karen will receive a copy of this upcoming food allergy book by author and blogger Sloane Miller. Thanks to all who entered and shared their heartwarming stories of how they approach food allergies with love. You all make me proud!

Karen, I now need to reach you so I can send you your prize. Please e-mail me at nut-freemom@sbcglobal.net with your contact info so your copy of Allergic Girl can get on its way to you immediately!

Here is Karen's story:

"Karen said...
The first Christmas after my 14 month old had her first reaction to peanuts was extremely difficult. Family members still were not very accepting of her allergy, brushing it off as not being very serious. Some even insisted that the traditional Christmas salad still have almonds in it even though we were told to avoid other nuts as well. It's been over 2 years since then and all of our family is extremely supportive of our now 3 year old. It's amazing to see how they go out of their way to make sure she's safe when she's over at their houses, at holidays and anytime! Their love and support mean so much to us and I can always count on them to think about reading labels and calling companies, etc. It takes time and a lot of learning to know what it means to be "nut/peanut free" and they have really come a long way!"

Since this giveaway got a great response, I will be doing more of these in the future. Keep reading this blog for more details.

Note: This winner was chosen at random via a computerized process.

Food Allergy Reactions: Communicating the Symptoms to Young Children

Recently, some readers have asked for advice on describing allergic reactions to young kids. They also wanted to know how to teach young children how to describe it to them, the parent, or to other adults.

This is a great question, because with kids getting diagnosed at younger and younger ages, they may not remember their severe allergic reactions. Some kids are diagnosed nowadays without experiencing that severe allergic reaction, so they may not know how to tell if they are having one.

In our case, my daughter reacted at age 4 for the first time and it was sudden, violent and life-threatening. She remembers the exact feelings she had, to the point that she was able to detect herself having a reaction at school. She got help right away, was given Benadryl, I was called to school and she made a complete recovery. The reaction, thankfully, turned out to be mild. However, had she not gotten help right away, it very well could have escalated. You never know how severe an allergic reaction is going to be.

I give you our story to show you how important it is to teach kids how to recognize the symptoms and how also to tell you, their caregiver, grandparent or daycare worker that they may be having an allergic reaction.

If you can't see hives or facial swelling, that doesn't mean a reaction is not taking place or about to take place. Kids may complain of an itchy throat or tongue, or even a "sore" throat. They may tell you that the food they are eating just tastes "wrong" to them or "spicy" or "sour." They may spit out a food (that's good if they do) because of an allergen you may not know if present. For example, from a very young age, my daughter would spit out foods immediately that contained any peanuts or tree nuts. We just thought she was picky! I wish we had known better.

Kids may also describe tummy troubles--they may feel nauseous or like they have stomach cramps. Breathing difficulties may be described as "my chest feels funny."

Here is a great link to the FAAN website that lists several examples of what young kids might say if they are having an allergic reaction.

Teaching your child to describe an allergic reaction
If your young kids have verbal skills, they probably have their own way of describing to you when they feel ill. When my oldest was very young, she would tell us "There's a bug in my throat" when she felt sick in any way. This was because in the past she had heard one of us say "She caught a bug" and then she confused that with the expression "I have a frog in my throat."

Your kids might have similar sayings. Role play with them and discuss, using terms they will understand, (such as the ones I list or those listed in the FAAN link), how a reaction might feel. Discuss with them what they will do if they feel this way.

One thing to note is that some children will look for a place to go and be alone, such as the bathroom, if they are feeling ill. You don't want a child who is experiencing a reaction to be alone because the reaction can advance before you or anyone else finds them.

Stress to your child that if they feel any allergy symptoms, they should go find an adult immediately and tell them. Period. Practice this with them and you can even make a game out of it to make it feel less scary.

Visual images of food allergens and potential allergy situations are also helpful. Be sure to check out Beyond a Peanut educational flashcards, a perfect tool for young children.

It's never fun to have to teach your child about life-threatening allergic reactions but think of it as an investment in their future health and independence. As kids grow older, the number one line of defense against them having an allergic reaction is: themselves. Kids who learn what to do, what to avoid and how to get help will be more confident and a lot better prepared.

Also, if your child has food allergies and special needs, please check out this article that I wrote recently for the Chicago-based magazine, Special Parent. Kids with special needs may need different approaches.

New Food Allergy Guidelines: Will They Make a Parent's Job Easier??

A lot of you may have seen these recent news stories about new food allergy guidelines from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. For those of you who didn't see this info or who want links, I've provided them below.

About a week and a half ago, the NIAID released new guidelines for diagnosing food allergies. These guidelines are intended to be especially helpful for parents whose children have been diagnosed with multiple food allergies and who may have very restricted diets.

Also, here's what the Wall Street Journal had to say about the new guidelines.

Personally, my family's life is not affected much by these new guidelines because my daughter has not only been diagnosed via blood and skin testing, she has also experienced more than one reaction to nuts and peanuts. We know the allergy is there and since one reaction was about a year ago, she's not a candidate for new tests at this time. In other words, her allergy is hanging on, at least for now.

However, the new guidelines are so encouraging to so many because up until now, not everyone was being diagnosed in the same way. This led to confusion, misdiagnosis and possibly unnecessary limited diets--which we also know means limited lifestyle. Also, food allergies can fluctuate and change over time. This is also addressed by the new guidelines.

As always, please get advice from a board-certified allergist or pediatrician before changing anything you are doing with regard to your child's allergies.