Nut-Free Valentine's Day! A Roundup of Nut-Free Treats, Helpful Links, Ideas and More!

Valentine's Day, the season of love is nearly here. And as those of us coping with food allergies know, it's also the season of potentially unsafe food.

That's why I'm offering this convenient roundup of posts and links that provide some wonderful nut-free alternatives.

Important to note: Seasonal or holiday candy may be made on different lines depending on the brand, and those manufacturing differences may result in a previously "safe" brand becoming "unsafe" due to cross-contact risk. Read the labels, always, every time to make sure your candy is OK to use!

Now onto the links! You will find recipes, treats ideas, non-food crafts (perfect for school) and more. If you are a Pinner, I highly recommend you check out my Nut-Free Valentine's Day Pinterest board. I've been collecting some really good pins from other sites as well as this one. Lots of fun and creative ideas there! The Pinterest link is listed below.

Online Resources for a Nut-Free Valentine's Day

Food Allergies, Valentine's Day and School Party Tips

Pinterest Board for a Nut-Free Valentine's Day

Last Minute Valentine's Day Ideas plus an easy nut-free recipe!

I am proud to say that three of my site sponsors offer nut-free treats. Nutphree's Cupcakes, Surf Sweets and Dean's Sweets are favorite sources of nut-free sweets and goodies for my family. (I've got many more included in the link/posts above). It's nice to be able to count on a nut-free facility -- which these three great companies consistently provide.

And don't forget to click the two Valentine's Day images on the right side bar of the site: the cupid and the box of heart-shaped chocolates. These two images will take you to posts that hook you up with nut-free treats online as well as those you find at the supermarket.

A new one I found this year: Willy Wonka brand Everlasting Gobstoppers in a new heart shape. These may contain allergens other than nuts, but check the label. No nut allergen warnings and I've called this company in the past--they will mark for cross-contact risk. Have any of you found some new nut-free treats at the store? Let us know.

Happy Valentine's Day to you and your sweeties!

Last Minute Valentine's Day Treats at the Supermarket, A Recipe and Love for the Food Allergy Parents

Heart-shaped chocolate chip scones. Yum!

Valentine's Day is tomorrow and as parents of kids with severe food allergies know, we have to remain vigilant to prevent reactions. This holiday of love and treats is not always as "sweet" as we sometimes wish it could be with those concerns on our shoulders, but I hope it is helpful to know that you are NOT alone in this struggle. Just imagine as you drop your child off at school tomorrow that a lot of other parents are going to worry a little more about their kids because candy is not always safe for them to eat. Or maybe they will have to say "no" to a special treat that others can have. It can be hard to deal with the various issues and concerns, especially with regard to health and safety.

 

Remember that your attitude makes a big difference. Let your child know you'll have something special for them after school, or treat them to a nice breakfast that includes the heart-shaped scones above (recipe in a minute). Put a note in their lunch.  As busy parents, sometimes we just have time to give kids a hug and a Valentine card--and that's enough!

 

How you express your loving care doesn't really matter--you would be surprised at how important your simple support is. Truly, it's the best gift you can give. After all, love and not food is what this holiday is all about!

However: If you need safe treat ideas, and you're looking for last minute supermarket finds for Valentine's Day, here's a link to a previous post with several options.

Now onto the scones! I was thinking of a relatively simple and sweet treat that can be easily made into a heart shape without messy frosting, etc. So scones it is! You can use dried fruit in these if you like or make them plain; I used Enjoy Life Foods mini chocolate chips--nut-free, dairy-free, soy-free. The scones have eggs and dairy. For an egg-free variation, see below. Those of you who adapt recipes for dairy free, you can use dairy-free shortening and non-dairy milk in these, but your results and baking times might be slightly different.

These are a nice breakfast treat, lunch dessert or after-school snack.

Jenny's Heart-Shaped Chocolate Chip Scones

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Ingredients:

1 and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I use Gold Medal)
2 - 1/4 tsp. baking powder (I use Clabber Girl)
1/4 cup sugar (Domino's) plus extra for sprinkling on top of scones
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 stick cold butter or cold non-dairy shortening or margarine
1 large egg (if you need egg-free, you can omit the egg but your scone will be more like a biscuit--and that's not a bad thing!)
1/3 cup milk or cream
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life, at Whole Foods, some SuperTargets and supermarkets) or dried fruit like Craisins

Stir together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then, using two knives used scissor fashion or a pastry cutter, blend in butter until it is the size of small peas.

Stir in chocolate chips or dried fruit and make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Beat milk or cream with egg and then pour into the well. Mix together lightly but thoroughly; do not over mix or you will have a tough dough. If it won't come together into a ball, add a little more milk. Then, use your hands to mix the dough together. Place on a floured surface and pat into a rectangle (or an approximation of one, as I did. See below).

Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter or other cutter (or alternatively, pat into a circle and cut into triangle shapes), cut out scones and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with additional granulated sugar, if desired.

Bake for about 10 minutes until golden brown. These are best served warm, or reheat for about 15 seconds in the microwave.

Regarding food allergies and Valentine's Day, here's a post from a few years ago that you might also like.

Lots of love to you all! Here's to a safe and happy day!

Food Allergies and Valentine's Day Parties at School: Some Safety Steps to Take Now

Chocolate is high-risk for nut allergies, so be careful.

Valentine's Day and life-threatening food allergies: Sometimes it's hard to feel the love. When food can cause a life-threatening allergic reaction, (particularly sweets which are out in abundance at this holiday) you have to anticipate problems before they occur. Believe it or not, you can learn to "heart" Valentine's Day again.

Personally, I've found that advance preparation cuts down on stress (you, your child, the teacher, other parents) and risk (your child). Here are five suggestions for handling a Valentine's Day party in your child's classroom:

1. Give the teacher a heads-up today. Don't wait until the week of, or even a few days before. Speak to the teacher, send an e-mail, pick up the phone, your choice, but make it a point to find out what is going on with regard to food. Does food have to be offered? What about a game, a craft or a story? If food is going to be present and you can't avoid it, offer to send in a safe treat and then emphasize that your child sticks to that and that only. If your child has a health plan that prevents food in the classroom, check to be sure this is going to be upheld. You'd be surprised at how many parents simply show up with cupcakes and dump them on a teacher. Work with the school so that you can figure out solutions to these inevitable hiccups that occur on party day.

School administrators can help, too. For example, our school has a no treats or gifts policy on Valentine's Day. (This is for many reasons, not just food allergies). The principal sent out a note detailing this policy to all the parents.

2. Check the crafts. Are any edible crafts being done or is food being used for inedible crafts? Ask now. Crafts using certain foods are a bad idea with food-allergic kids in the class unless everyone is on the same page about what is safe and what isn't. So why go there? Suggest an alternative craft if you must. The store Michael's has tons of craft ideas; so does Target and other discount stores. You can find crafts for Valentine's Day online, too. Check out this link from Parents magazine: http://www.parents.com/holiday/valentines-day/crafts/kid-friendly-valentines-day-crafts/ This link has a few crafts involving foods--skip those or find safe versions, whatever works best for the kids in your classroom. There are several creative food-free ideas here.

3. Be careful of candy in/taped on the actual Valentine. People love to attach candy to valentines. It's cute, no doubt, but can be hazardous to a kid with food allergies. Instruct your child not to eat candy on their Valentine and alert the teacher so that they can be on the lookout for this.

4. Role play with your child. This may be the most important point. It's never too early to teach a child to refuse food. Our rule has always been: "When in doubt, do without." Teach your child to be polite but firm when offered food that may not be safe. This would pretty much include all candy and baked goods you have not sent to school, but pretzels, chips and popcorn brands can also be unsafe. Our daughter has always refused food since she we knew of her allergy and I truly believe it has helped her remain safe and strong when the topic of potentially hazardous food arises.

5. Promise your child a safe treat after school. It's hard to be a little kid (or even an older kid) turning away candy or treats at a party. It might make it easier if you inform your child they will have something good waiting either after school or later that evening. It doesn't have to be food, but if you're looking for some nut-free Valentine's Day treats, check out my post about online V-Day resources and supermarket finds.