Happy Nut-Free Holidays: Nut-Free Candy & Treats Finds, Holiday Party Tips and More

Nut-free holiday cookies: you'll find the recipe in this post. Read on.

One holiday down, a few more to go! Holiday time is very busy for all of us, so I wanted to share some of my most popular holiday posts in a sort of "roundup" blog post.

I've included links to posts on nut-free holiday candy you can find at the supermarket, recipes for nut-free treats and holiday party tips that allow you to have a safe and healthy time with food-allergic family members. (Also see the post just before this one for info on navigating those holiday dinners with food allergies).

Food allergies can be very stressful at the holidays and sometimes we feel like we have to attend every party and event, even if we know it will be difficult. Depending on how close you are with the hosts and the strength of your interest in attending the party or event, go easy on yourself. If you want to skip something, it's OK. I don't advocate avoiding everything, but the amount of social demands this time of year can be overwhelming, and if you are a family dealing with food allergies, it can feel impossible to keep a kid safe at some of these things. So, use your judgment and have fun is my motto.

A word about candy, especially chocolate: labeling laws do NOT require "may contains" language or "processed on equipment with" language. Some companies may choose to put that information on a label, but it is, at this point in time, voluntary. So if you pick up, say, a chocolate in the shape of the "Frozen" characters and it has no warning for cross-contact, "may contain,", etc, that doesn't necessarily mean it is safe. Call/e-mail companies if you need additional information. If you can't find out the info, then use the links in this post for some safe nut-free suggestions. But remember: ingredients labels/manufacturing procedures can change and frequently do. Be an informed consumer and read labels, even if you see the item featured here.

I also want to give a thank you to Nutphree's and Surf Sweets, two nut-free food makers who are currently sponsoring my blog. Their products are delicious, high-quality, NUT-FREE always, and available in some supermarkets and specialty stores, making them a great resource for nut-free holiday treats. Nutphree's has its owns storefront in the Chicago suburbs, so check it out. Surf Sweets is also available online.

On to the nut-free holiday article roundup. Click each link to go directly to the article.

Tips for a happy, nut-free holiday

Nut-free holiday/Christmas candy

Nut-free Christmas recipes

Snowball cookies (pictured above) recipe

Are you a Pinner? Check out these boards on my Pinterest page:

Nut-Free Christmas Sweets

Holidays with Food Allergies

For general nut allergy information, especially for those of you new to dealing with this issue, my e-book, The New Nut-Free Mom: A Crash Course in Caring for Your Child with Nut Allergies is a concise, compassionate resource. You can find out how to get it by clicking this link.

Your readership and kind comments mean the world to me! I'm so glad that this blog is a helpful resource for so many of you. As this year draws to a close, I wish all of you a wonderful, safe, happy, healthy holiday with your children and families!!

Nut-Free News: French Macarons from Cakes for Occasions--Nut-FREE!

Nut-free French macarons...yes, NUT-FREE.

I don’t know about all of you, but while I can bake many things nut-free, French macarons made nut-free are just not in my repertoire. And that’s been kind of a shame for my daughter with severe nut allergies.

If you know anything about popular culture trends, then you know that French macarons have become the "new cupcake.” Macarons are now standard fare at local bakeries and macaron designs are even becoming a popular trend. Recently, I spotted macaron-themed items at the craft store Paper Source – they’ve got macaroon tea towels, pillboxes, aprons, thank you notes, etc. The new cupcake, indeed! 

Sandwich cookie (aka French-style) macarons like those pictured above are colorful, light, airy and culinary cute personified. However, they are normally made with pulverized almonds or some other tree nut. Obviously, tree nut allergic people can’t partake of these trendy little treats.

 

Well, until now. I was amazed when Cakes for Occasions nut-free bakery in Danvers,

 

Massachusetts, a longtime site partner of mine, told me that they now sell nut-free macarons in their storefront as well as in their online store. They asked if I wanted samples and of course the answer was YES.

 

I waited until my kids came home from school one day before I unveiled the treats. We were impressed by how well the delicate cookies traveled (from Massachusetts to Illinois), how fresh the cookies tasted and how delicious they were. The cream frosting in the center is just perfect and the cookies themselves are chewy and light—just as a macaron should be but without the pesky tree nuts for those of us who can’t have them.  These nut-free macarons would make a wonderful tea party treat for any girl aged 8 to 88 and, they are festive for birthdays, holidays or other special events.

 

My oldest daughter was very grateful because while she was interested in the whole French macaron craze, she could never actually enjoy a real, live macaron. Luckily, these were worth the wait. Thank you, Cakes for Occasions!

For information on ordering, visit the Cakes for Occasions web site or click here. They are located in Danvers, MA so if you live in the area, stop in and try them. Currently retailing for $24.95 for 15 French-style macarons. The bakery has many more online offerings so check out the website for info on cakes, cookies and other pastry items, all made nut-free.

Food Allergy News: Nut-Free Bakery Celebrating Christmas in July!

There was a LOT of buzz about nut-free bakeries and where to find them on my Nut-Free Mom Facebook page last week, so I'm very excited to share an exciting new promotion by one of my favorite peanut- and tree nut-free (egg-free and dairy-free) bakeries that ships across the U.S. (They also have a storefront in Los Ojos, California.)

Sweet Alexis bakery is celebrating "Christmas in July" by offering delicious and festive Christmas nut allergy-friendly cookies at a discounted rate of $19.95 per dozen (down from the usual price of $24.00/dozen).  This savings is available through e-mail reservation only, not available by ordering directly from the website. So you can reserve your Christmas cookies now at a reduced rate and Sweet Alexis will contact you the first week of December to get shipping information and payment info.

I love this idea from the awesome Michele Fellowes, owner of Sweet Alexis, because let's face it: when the holidays roll around, you're going to be very busy and in need of allergy-friendly sweets. Get it done now, and then you won't have to ask yourself later: what the heck am I bringing to that holiday party? You'll also save yourself some late night baking, panicked grocery shopping and stress. Works for me!

Here's how you can reserve your holiday cookies: Send an e-mail to info@sweetalexis.com and let them know how many 12-packs you would like to reserve and give them a reliable e-mail address where you can be reached. Then, sit back and wait to be contacted in December regarding shipping and payment. If you have any other questions about this promotion, please contact Sweet Alexis directly at info@sweetalexis.com. The offer is good until the end of the month.

Best of all, these cookies are fresh, preservative-free, beautifully decorated and delicious. You won't miss the "missing" ingredients of nuts, eggs, or dairy.

Thanks so much to Sweet Alexis for this promotion and Merry Christmas in July everybody!

Food Allergies and The Fourth of July! Safety Tips plus 3 Great Allergy-Friendly Food Resources!

While there is a lot of fun to be had at any holiday, holidays can increase food allergy risk. So the best defense is a good offense. Be prepared!

To help you enjoy a wonderful Fourth of July weekend, I'm sharing an information-packed post I wrote about the Fourth last year.

I also want to share a grill tip. If you are at a public park or somewhere where shared grills are in use, use some heavy duty aluminum foil on the grill to protect it from cross-contact with allergens left behind. The biggest "shared grill" culprit for nut allergies would be marinades (which may contain peanut oil, other tree nut oils, peanut butter, etc.), so when you place the foil on the grill before cooking, you protect your child's food from anything that may have been cooked on it before. Simple to do and an extra step to minimize risk--always a good thing!

Check the inside of the grill before cooking, too; I've seen peanut shells at the bottom of grills.

If you are going on a road trip, check out this post and also consider taking along some safe prepared treats. I'm happy to tell you about three of my favorites, who also happen to be sponsors of this site.

Sweet Alexis nut-free, egg-free, dairy-free bakery. Order fresh cookies, banana bread and so much more from this amazing bakery that is preservative-free and deliciously wholesome. You won't know anything is "missing" from these truly wonderful treats.

Take a minute and vote for Sweet Alexis by clicking this link. They can win a grant that will allow them to expand their business--and we all need businesses like these. Thank you!

Skeeter Snacks nut-free treats. These new nut-free treats come in convenient packs of two with three flavors: Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal and Skeeterdoodle (you know, those old-fashioned Snickerdoodle cookies, with cinnamon).  These are peanut and tree nut-free ONLY, a nice option if you have only nut allergy concerns. The cookies are crisp, yummy andfresh-tasting and were a hit with all of us at home. This business is run by two food allergy dads who wanted to offer their allergic kids a safe snack. Visit the web site to find out more.

Tasterie. Are you traveling? Order a box from Tasterie to take along on the road. Tasterie boxes are custom-made to fit your specific allergies, plus orders are geared towards healthful eating. This service was created by a physician with the assistance of a nutrionist; click the link to learn more. Check out the coupon code on their ad--you can save 10% off of your order.

One more thing; I just contributed a "Road Trip" food article to the current summer issue of Allergic Living magazine with lots of great allergy-friendly treats you may not even know about. Order your copy by visiting their web site.

I wish you all a safe, healthy and happy holiday with your families and friends!

What Is a Nut-Free Cupcake?

"Is there a nut-free bakery in Chicago?" is one of the most frequent questions I receive. Luckily, there is a terrific peanut and tree nut-free cupcake bakery in the Chicago suburbs: Nutphree's! They have recently opened a storefront in Mount Prospect and I couldn't be happier to have them. You can also order from them online.

The Chicago area's premiere peanut and tree nut-free cupcake bakery! http://www.nutphrees.com
 

However, nut-free bakeries are still pretty rare and I bring up the topic for two reasons. One, I've been getting the nut-free bakery question with increasing frequency the last few weeks. And two, many bakeries that serve all manner of peanut and tree nut treats are claiming they can create a "nut-free" cupcake that's safe for allergic people. This is what I'm seeing not only in Chi-town but all over the country.

What is a nut-free cupcake for the purposes of a severely allergic individual? That would be one that is created in a dedicated nut-free facility. Now, I'm talking about supermarket and storefront bakeries right now. You know, the ones you like to sidle up to on a Saturday morning. Mass-produced baked goods have different standards, etc. and different regulation.

Most of you are aware that supermarket bakeries now carry allergy advisory signs somewhere in the baked goods section. That's because there is just too much risk of cross-contact in these small bakeries. If a small bakery is serving pecan pie and peanut butter cookies, I'd be concerned about serving an allergic person their products.

Here are two other red flag terms for nut-allergic people when evaluating a bakery: vegan and gluten-free. The vegan diet has tree nuts and peanuts as staple; gluten-free can often mean that ground up nut flours have been substituted for wheat. When I see vegan and gluten-free, I head for the hills. Personally, I wouldn't serve anything to my daughter that was created in a vegan and/or gluten-free environment unless the place was also dedicated nut-free.

Many bakeries see "nut-free" or "allergy-free" as a marketing tool. They don't realize (or choose not to acknowledge) that nut-free to a nut-allergic person is a health matter. And a serious one at that.

In my opinion, sticking to dedicated nut-free bakeries (and the U.S. does have several that ship across the country) makes the most sense.

Baking at home is also a great option if you're dealing with nut allergies. For example, you can bake cupcakes, leave them unfrosted, wrap them individually and then freeze them. Frost them as needed for parties or events. It's pretty easy and saves a ton of worry--and unnecessary risk.

Here are a few grocery items to have on hand at all times for nut-free baking: white and brown sugar (I use Domino brand), vanilla extract (McCormick or Nielsen-Massey are my choices), confectioner's sugar (Domino's again), all-purpose flour, old-fashioned oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, McCormick food colorings, nut-free/allergy-free candies for decoration (check my Nut-Free Foods list for ideas.) Wilton and Cake Mate also have some safe options for nut allergies, so check the labels. I'm waiting to hear from Cake Mate about a list of nut-free cake decorations as I write this. I'll let you know. Don't feel like baking from scratch? Try the Cherrybrook Kitchen mixes and frostings. These allergy-free mixes are available at most well-stocked supermarkets. If you're looking for cake molds, cookie sheets, cookie cutters, etc. check out the Wilton baking section at your local craft store. They have a treasure trove for the home baker.

I will have my nut-free bakery roundup later this week. Please let me know your favorites so I can add them to my list.