When Food Allergies Go to School: Chicago Tribune Reports

With the recent peanut allergy-related death of a Chicago 7th grader and the also recent enaction of FAAMA, it seems that schools may finally take food allergies more seriously. Still, resistance to using or even keeping epinephrine autoinjectors in schools is prevalent.

See this article from today's Chicago Tribune, an excellent piece that covers the main points that parents are interested in with regard to keeping kids safe at school. I especially appreciated the expert opinions such as that from leading allergist Dr. Scott Sicherer, who pointed out that many reactions that occur at school are from undiagnosed kids. He rightly suggests that having epinephrine autoinjectors stocked at school can save lives.

I can speak to this situation, as my daughter was undiagnosed when she experienced a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction at preschool. Nothing was done for her there and I soon found myself in a nightmare that luckily had a happy ending. It was frankly a miracle my daughter didn't stop breathing--she had every other symptom of anaphylaxis and even lost consciousness during the episode. She was 4 years old at the time.

The current Tribune article doesn't cover preschools. That's an entirely different can of worms that I will address in a future post. However, it does uncover what many parents of food allergic kids have known all along: people are reluctant to use an epinephrine autoinjector even if they witness the symptoms of anaphylaxis. Plus, currently no one will use an autoinjector on your child unless you have the doctor's order. So please have your documentation and orders on file. It's so important.

However, as the Tribune article also reveals, even that's not enough. As parents we must continue to be proactive and involved with our schools. We must monitor situations that are dangerous to allergic kids--and that means any food from a restaurant or a home kitchen. There is never a valid, curriculum-related reason to serve this stuff and yet you'd think banning restaurant food and home-baked cupcakes from a classroom is akin to getting an F on a midterm. I never saw this much food brought to school when I was a student and I don't know why we're seeing it now.

Even with FAAMA, food allergy emergency plans and epinephrine easily accessible, schools won't be safe until people understand what food allergies mean, what cross-contact means and that "peanut-free" doesn't only mean "recipe that doesn't contain peanuts." An understanding of what triggers a reaction can frankly remove any need for medication usage--because reactions won't happen if they are prevented.

The article also sites sobering statistics for those of us sending peanut and tree nut-allergic children off to school each day. What allergies are the most deadly? Peanuts first and tree nuts second. And people wonder why we don't want our kids constantly exposed to food all day long.

If the tragic case of the Chicago 7th grader can have any positive impact, it is to show that half-measures and misunderstandings with regard to food allergies are not only unfortunate and ill-advised, they can be deadly.

Along with the passing of laws, which are just pieces of a larger puzzle, parents need to keep bringing home the fact that food in the classroom needs to be drastically reduced or eliminated unless absolutely necessary--i.e., actually meal times. Lives depend on it.

Christmas with a Peanut Allergy? 'Tis the Season to Be Nutty

It's time for my yearly rant about tree nuts and peanuts flying at you from all directions at the winter holidays! Enjoy and feel free to add your Grinchy gripes. It will make you feel better. ;)

Six year ago when I discovered that my oldest daughter had a life-threatening nut allergy, I wasn't fully aware of the impact that this diagnosis would have on the holidays. But I should have been. Let's face it — a big part of any holiday is the food. Add nut allergies to the mix and you’ve got a recipe for a stressful situation.

It seems to me that the world becomes increasingly more infatuated with nut-containing recipes starting around Halloween and continuing until after the New Year. Food magazines, TV news segments and newspaper cooking sections are filled with nuts, nuts and more nuts. There appears to be a primal desire to stock up on foods that highlight walnuts, pecans, cashews and almonds, almost like a squirrel stocks up on acorns for the winter.

For example, as I flipped through current issues of my favorite magazines, I found recipes for caramel nut cheesecake, Roquefort salad with walnuts, kugel with pecans, green beans with almonds, broccoli casserole with pecans, peanut butter blossom cookies, bourbon balls with crushed walnuts, candied nuts and pecan-laced turkey stuffing. You get the picture. Also, a homemade front-door holiday wreath devised of walnut shells.

Yes, nuts are everywhere you look this time of year (that's not even including our nearest and dearest) and as the walnut wreath proves, sometimes tree nuts greet you at the door even before the hosts do.

Because of the recipes and nutty crafts floating around, holiday parties and dinners pose major challenges to the nut-allergic. Unfortunately those two warhorses of holiday entertaining — buffets and potlucks — can be a health hazard. Standard buffet fare such as complicated casseroles with 20 ingredients or cookie recipes with crushed pecans are off-limits. Sometimes the food doesn't even have to contain nuts but has come into contact with them. If we don't know for sure about a particular food, our daughter doesn't get to eat it, so often she doesn't get to partake of holiday treats made outside of our home.

Food isn't the only thing that's dicey about holiday dining with nut allergies. Since food is so deeply rooted in tradition and emotion, the potential to either offend or be offended during what I’ve come to view as “the nutty season” is endless. It’s almost inevitable that a nut-allergic family will encounter a friend or relative who just doesn’t believe that food allergies are real or who are certain that "just one bite" of their treasured recipe won't hurt, when in fact, it could. People who wouldn’t dream of questioning a child’s diabetes or asthma diagnosis may peg you as a “nut” for asking about every ingredient in a dish, or label your child as "picky" if you are obliged to bring them a separate meal for safety's sake.

For the most part, my family is able to focus on the fun aspects of holiday celebrations and not the food gaffes. We've been fortunate to have a lot of support from family members and friends. Plus, my husband and I enjoy entertaining at our home, which helps eliminate the need for others to concern themselves with the menu. When we do attend a holiday party, I'm always willing to whip up a nut-free side dish or decorated cupcakes.

Perhaps because an individual with food allergies is denied so many treats at this time of year, food allergies teach you how to appreciate the most important things in life. Family, friends and the good fortune to be eating a delicious dinner at all come to mind. I've also found that my daughter is unusually compassionate to other people...maybe because she has her own struggles,she is always quick to support kids who deal with difficulties of their own.

Despite the fact that we sometimes feels as if "Life is a bowl of cashews," it's wonderful to be present at the table with those we love most. And even though my family has to be more cautious about what foods we place on that on that table, "the nutty season" is worth it.

Peanut Allergy News: Cyber Monday Savings from Vermont Nut-Free Chocolates!

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates (one of my all-time favorite nut-free chocolate brands) is offering a weekend sale that goes through Cyber Monday!!!

Now through Monday, Nov. 29 you will receive 10% off all Vermont Nut Free Chocolates products (excludes shipping, warm weather packaging & gift certificates). Simply use the code: “cyber” (all lowercase) at checkout.

This offer applies to all products, including the Christmas selection. You will also find fabulous Hannukah-themed chocolates including nut-free chocolate coins!

Christmas selections include Peppermint Bark, festive truffles, and delicious Christmas-themed chocolates, from Vermont Nut Free Chocolates’ vast selection of allergy safe treats. All of these treats make perfect gifts for those with peanut and nut allergies. Use them as stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, Hannukah treats--you name it. If it's festive and it's chocolate, Vermont Nut-Free has it.

Get your holiday orders in while this special offer lasts!

Peanut-Free, Nut-Free Pumpkin Muffins...for Thanksgiving or the Day After!

I always go a little overboard when purchasing canned pumpkin puree since I love to bake with it this time of year and pretty much only this time of year. If any of you are in the same boat, what do you do with your extra canned pumpkin?

I've got an easy and delish nut-free recipe you might like to try either for Thanksgiving or anytime afterward. Pumpkin lovers won't be disappointed! I got the idea from the pumpkin muffins at Panera--off-limits to my daughter, of course. So why not make our own? You can also bake this recipe in a loaf pan for a moist and delicious pumpkin loaf cake. Be aware that this recipe uses butter and eggs. If you also deal with dairy allergies, you can use your favorite dairy-free banana bread recipe and swap out the bananas for the pumpkin puree.

Nut-Free Pumpkin Muffins
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (or use all white flour)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or use 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon ginger) * Note about nutmeg--it is not derived from tree nuts. It is derived from the seed of a fruit
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (McCormick's or Nielsen-Massey are my fave brands)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
Confectioner's sugar for sprinkling tops, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin cups or 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. In medium bowl combine flour, salt, spices, baking powder and baking soda. In small bowl combine pumpkin puree, milk and vanilla.

2. In a large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at time. Reduce speed to low; alternately add flour mixture and pumpkin mixture, ending with flour. Scrape the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula to ensure even mixing. Beat just until blended; do not over beat.

3. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins or loaf pan. For muffin tins, bake for about 20 minutes and then test with toothpick. You don't want to over bake so a few moist crumbs clinging to the toothpick are fine. For loaf pan, bake about 1 hour and then begin checking. Again, do not over bake.

4. Cool in tins or pan and then turn out onto wire rack. Let cool; then sprinkle with confectioner's sugar, if using. Serve warm.

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving prep is going well! Stay safe, stay cool and most of all, have a happy Thanksgiving!

Peanut-Free, Tree Nut-Free Thanksgiving Recipe: Speedy Sweet Potatoes

I ran this recipe last year and it is so good and easy I just had to run it again. Unlike so many of the sweet potato recipes floating around during the holidays, this one has no pecans or walnuts. I like my sweet potatoes "clean tasting" so this is perfect for me besides being safe for many food allergies. And you can make it in your microwave. What could be better? You can even bring this with you if you're not hosting the dinner--just zap in the microwave before meal time.

I adapted this recipe from the wonderful cookbook "How to Cook Everything" from Mark Bittman.

Nut-Free Speedy Sweet Potatoes
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons canola oil or butter (you can also use dairy-free margarine)
2 tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice, or a few tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave-safe bowl; cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3 minutes, shake the container and continue to microwave at 2-minute intervals until the sweet potatoes are very tender. Serve hot.

Told you it was easy. Plus, it frees up much needed oven space!

Check back soon for more Thanksgiving recipes and tips!

Peanut Allergy News: Thanksgiving Savings from Vermont Nut Free Chocolate!!

Vermont Nut Free Chocolate alerted me to their current Thanksgiving sale! As many of you already know, I'm a BIG fan of Vermont Nut Free Chocolate. In fact, I don't know what I would have done without them all these years. Here's what they had to say:

"From now through Thanksgiving Day Vermont Nut Free is offering 10% off all of our items on our Thanksgiving page. Just enter the promotion code Turkey at check-out to receive your discount. Offer applies only to items on the Thanksgiving page."

Click the link for your Vermont Nut Free Thanksgiving coupon.

I hope you will take advantage of the sale prices. Chocolate turkey pops (pictured above) and solid chocolate turkeys are wonderful little treats to place at the "kids table." They help to raise nut allergy awareness, provide a nut-free treat for the allergic kids AND they are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. On second thought, make sure you get enough for the "adults table" as well!

I'll be posting more holiday deals from Vermont Nut Free in coming weeks, so please keep checking back!

Family Feuds, Food Allergy and Thanksgiving

This classic Norman Rockwell painting certainly shows the ideal Thanksgiving meal--everyone anxiously anticipating the feast with a smile and a feeling of goodwill towards all at the table.

Obviously, many families don't meet the Rockwell ideal. They struggle with personality clashes, unresolved arguments and other emotional issues that seem to surface at the table along with the Thanksgiving meal. Even more complicated: What if you are the parent of a child with food allergies? Or you have them yourself? If your family is anything less than perfect (and truly, who has perfect relationships with everyone in their family) food allergies present a whole new way for relations to fight.

This is not a topic that is covered often and mainly because it is an awkward conversation to have. Too often the food-allergic (and their parents) are meant to feel as if they are taking away from the feast, the fun and the tradition if they ask for a certain food to be eliminated from the menu. This is especially difficult at Thanksgiving because the "traditional meal" is so iconic to everyone's idea about what Thanksgiving "should" be.

I've had so many people speak to me about in-laws, grandparents and other extended family members who just refuse to accept food allergies during the holidays. They're determined to serve that pecan pie or walnut-laden turkey stuffing despite the fact that their child, nephew or niece, grandson or granddaughter will be unable to partake of a large portion of the feast. Not only that, the presence of certain foods throughout the kitchen and the home may pose too much of a risk to a highly-allergic person. This is hard. What do you do?

First of all, try to remember the reason for Thanksgiving and the fact that you are in the driver's seat with your child's health and of course your own. If you are not getting reasonable accommodation--and by that I mean, a main course safe for your child or at least an effort to lessen food allergy reaction risks--then you may have to say "We can't make it this year."

Will this anger some family members? Probably, but that's really not your problem. Your problem is health. That's not to say that you close yourself off, shut down the communication and refuse to accept anything less than a full conformity to your rules. Compromise is key here.

One of the first things to consider is that the family members in question may not understand the very real danger of food allergies and that a severe reaction may cause death. When you live with this every day, it's hard to imagine someone won't get this but of course, many don't "get" it. Educate them. Show them this blog, the FAAN site and any information you doctor has given you. Share the details of your child's allergic reaction, if they've had one. Explain what can happen if an allergic person eats a certain food. Explain cross-contact. I talk more about how to do this here.

You won't be able to make inroads with everyone and in this way, you may also need to accept a less than "perfect" Thanksgiving. Family ties are important and so is health. You shouldn't have to choose between the two, but there are times that you will have to make that choice.

Even if you find yourself opting out of a feast this year or part of a feast, consider hosting your family in the future, where you will control the food. Try to keep family in the fold, because this is really what Thanksgiving is all about. Not pecan pie. Not pumpkin walnut bread pudding or pine nut bread stuffing.

Also, Allergic Living magazine will be featuring the topic of family feuds and food allergies at the holidays in their upcoming Winter issue. Stay tuned to their web site for details--today is the last day to subscribe in order to receive the Winter 2011 issue, so head over there! I'm a subscriber and it's a such a wonderful resource.

If you have Thanksgiving tales to share, good or bad, we'd love to hear them.

Food Allergies Don't Take a Thanksgiving Holiday

The days are getting crisper, the leaves are falling in Chicago and every magazine I flip through seems to feature recipes like these: pecan pie, pine nut turkey stuffing and pumpkin nut bread. That can only mean one thing: Thanksgiving is just around the corner. And so is a nut allergy minefield if you're not prepared.

Don't get me wrong, I love Thanksgiving--it revolves around feeling thankful, celebrating family and eating a ton of good food. What's not to love? However, we've all got to keep our guard up if we're caring for an allergic child. Something about the fall/winter holidays makes people crave tree nuts, so this is a particularly difficult time for this allergy. Peanut butter and its many related food items seem to be favorites year round, but tree nuts don't usually turn up in such massive quantities until now.

My family has been celebrating Thanksgiving with a nut allergy for nearly 7 years (!) now and I've seen a lot of nutty things happen in the kitchen (that's not even counting the behavior of me and my relatives) so I have a few tips to share that should make it easier for you to cope.

I've said some of these before but they bear repeating. And if you're new to nut allergies at the holidays, take heart. Once you've been through it once, you learn A LOT so you're much better prepared next time. You must not apologize for the allergy or worry about seeming "over the top." Believe me, that's better than winding up in the ER with your child.

The other thing to remember is that family recipes and traditions are different, but one thing is the same at Thanksgiving: the emotional ties to favorite foods. So don't be shocked if you meet resistance to a "nut-free" or altered Thanksgiving menu at first. Your family and friends will get the hang of it as time goes on. And if they don't, you may want to consider hosting the celebration.

Safe Thanksgiving Tips for Nut-Allergies:

1. Communicate about the allergy early and often. Whether you plan to attend a dinner outside of your home or you are the host family, you want to put the word out now about your nut allergy concerns. Things to discuss would be safe brands of bread for stuffing, gravy sauces or sauce enhancers or mixes, stuffing recipes in general (many contain pecans, pine nuts or other nuts), desserts and cross-contamination when cooking or baking. You want to give people plenty of notice about the food to help ensure safe choices. Many times people set their menus and decide what they plan to bring to a dinner early, so go on, make that call today!

2. Offer to provide safe alternatives to family favorites. Does someone always want to make pecan pie or peanut butter blossom cookies? See if you can make an alternative pie or offer to make the cookies using SunButter (sunflower seed butter) or soybutter. Or, introduce a new recipe that may become a nut-free family favorite.

3. Be careful at the buffet table. Buffet tables present cross-contact problems, since serving spoons may be used for more than one food. You may ask to serve your child first to prevent cross contact, or prepare a separate plate for your child in the kitchen.

4. Suggest an alternative to "mixed nuts in a bowl" and peanut-laden Chex mix-style snacks from the party. Yes, these are a big hit with many family members, but see if you can bring an alternative snack. These are particularly dangerous because younger allergic children may grab these items and eat them before you can stop them. Also, people spread the nut dust and residue around with these snacks.

5. You bring (or make) dessert. Desserts are one of the top foods to cause allergic reactions, so don't chance it. You do the dessert. It may seem like a lot of work but honing your dessert-making skills is a must if you're a nut allergy caregiver. Also, everyone loves desserts, so if you make a good one you'll be one of the "heroes" of the dinner! :) Another thing I plan to do this year is give each child a chocolate turkey from Vermont Nut-Free Chocolate. A way to promote awareness, yes, but also a way to include your child and impress their cousins with a delicious treat. If chocolate is out of reach for you due to other allergies, any little "extra," whether a safe candy or even Thanksgiving-themed pencils, helps your child feel like they brought something special to the party and helps them cope with having to avoid certain foods.

6. If you're really concerned, bring a safe meal for your child. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you may not feel the meal is safe enough for your child to eat. That's OK--it happens. Just bring something extra for them and serve it to them without a lot of fanfare. If anyone asks, use the situation to increase awareness: "Alex can't eat the dinner because of her nut allergy." You never know--this simple statement could result in more cooperation from others for the next celebration.

This is just a start. I'll have more tips as we get closer to the holiday, including some nut-free recipes. If you have any tips that have worked for you or if you have any questions about managing this nutty holiday, let me know!

Food Allergies, Cross-Contact and "Top Chef Desserts"

Yep, Top Chef is in my sights again, but this time as a lesson about cross-contact and how little it seems to be understood by not only the general public but by chefs. Did any of you see last week's "Top Chef Desserts" episode? It was "Restaurant Wars" (in this case, Bakery Wars) in which the cheftestants created a makeshift bakery for one day and then competed with their dishes.

Obviously, there were peanuts and tree nuts galore in these dishes. However, at one point, a "customer" came in and said he was allergic to nuts. One of the pastry chefs then said he would make a "safe" treat for this customer and served him one. Now, they didn't show what precautions they took, if any, but with all the peanuts and tree nuts swirling around the kitchen, they should not have served this customer. Not if he had a true nut allergy. The cross-contact risk is too high and the cheftestants were under an extreme time limit.

Cross-contact is simultaneously one of the most important and most difficult aspects of food allergies to explain to others. People will say "You can have this--it doesn't have nuts in it." How many times have you heard this? I know I've heard it more times than I can count and so has my daughter.

Being responsible about a severe food allergy is about more than ingredients. The environment in which food is prepared is just as important. So is the placement of the items once baked. Take a "nut-free" cookie baked in a "nut-free" facility and then put it on a bakery display next to hazelnut cake and peanut butter cups. Now the "nut-free" cookie is unsafe due to possible cross-contact.

Bake a plain vanilla cake in a small kitchen that just featured a peanut butter cupcake. The plain vanilla cake may be harboring peanut matter and is not "safe" for those with a nut allergy.

Take a plain Butterball turkey and stuff it with cornbread pecan stuffing and that plain turkey is now unsafe for someone with a nut allergy. Thanksgiving is a whole other can of worms that I will address in future posts. But since so many of us will be explaining cross-contact in the coming weeks, I couldn't resist throwing it in here now.

Cross-contact is the reason for food labels that say "may contain peanuts." It's the reason for companies choosing to create and label foods "made in a nut-free facility." Cross-contact is real and not to be downplayed.

I've heard Chef Ming Tsai talk about his food allergy-friendly restaurant Blue Ginger and how he tells his chefs to treat any food allergens like they are "raw chicken." When dealing with raw chicken you change cutting boards and utensils and wash your hands frequently or risk salmonella. I think the Raw Chicken Analogy is as good as any I've ever heard. Feel free to use it.

The main thing about cross-contact is that if you live with a severe food allergy or care for someone who does, you can't let others lack of understanding about it get in the way of safety. I know people can get offended if you tell them that you or your child can't partake of their particular foods that "don't have nuts in it."

Think of raw chicken. And then skip the food in question with a thank you and a smile.

Sunbutter Cups from Cybele Pascal! A Delicious Treat for Any Season!

Because we have to give up so much of our Halloween candy bag, I try to make some special treats for both of my kids to enjoy. I realized that my oldest has never had a peanut butter cup, but she has developed a real taste for Sunbutter and her younger sister (without allergies) loves the stuff, too.

I was so happy to come across this recipe for Sunbutter Cups in a magazine article, courtesy of cookbook author and allergy-friendly baking authority, Cybele Pascal.
Click this link to go directly to the recipe. (You will need to scroll down nearly to the end of the article.)

My husband and kids went crazy for these Sunbutter Cups! (And I admit, I nabbed a few myself!) They are so tasty and lots of fun to make with my daughters.

If your child has food allergies, generally their candy bag is a little light after all the unsafe stuff is removed. I know Halloween is over, but these Sunbutter Cups are good any time of the year. How about making them when you have guests visiting over Thanksgiving or Christmas? If the kids are stir crazy, grab a jar of Sunbutter and whip up a batch of these little candies.

I hope Halloween went well for everyone and now we enter the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. Stay tuned to The Nut-Free Mom blog for tips, advice and yes, more recipes. In the meantime, I'm getting myself another Sunbutter Cup before my kids get home from school!

Food Allergies Common and Growing Says LA Times

Some of you may have read this article based on a study by Johns Hopkins University, but if you haven't, check it out, here.

According to the story, one of the most common food allergies is to peanuts. Other studies have shown that tree nut allergies have grown right alongside peanut allergy. (The article doesn't mention tree nut allergy, but other sources have noted this connection.) So if people try to tell you that no one had a peanut allergy when they were a kid so therefore, they can't really be so numerous (an illogical argument to begin with), you can point them to this story.

I'm glad the LA Times reported on this increase because food allergies are altering the landscape of everything regarding eating: agriculture, restaurants, prepared food products, grocery stores, even how items are displayed before purchase due to cross-contact concerns.

Besides just your own family members (or yourself) do you find more people you meet either have a food allergy, know someone with one or care for a child with a food allergy? In my own experience, I've found this to be increasingly true in the last five years. What about you?

Surf Sweets: Halloween Candy Safe for Peanut and Tree Nut Allergy!

Gummy candies are a childhood favorite and a wonderful part of Halloween (gummy worms, anyone?) and it has been notoriously difficult to find a nut allergy-friendly version. Not anymore! Every parent of a nut allergic child needs to know about Surf Sweets! This delicious gummy candy is launching its new Surf Sweets Sour Worm Halloween Pack, now available at Whole Foods Stores throughout the U.S and specialty retailers just in time for “trick or treating." I've also found Surf Sweets at local stores including Marion Street Cheese Market in Oak Park -- it's always exciting to find candy sold at retail that is made in a completely nut-free facility!

The new Surf Sweets Sour Worm Halloween Pack contains 20 individually wrapped Surf Sweets Sour Worms in a specially designed, Halloween-themed bag. It’s the perfect treat for trick or treaters or party favors.

In addition to its new Sour Worm Halloween Pack, Surf Sweets offers seven unique varieties of its mouth-watering organic and natural gummy candies and jelly beans in 2.75-oz packages: Gummy Bears, Gummy Worms, Organic Jelly Beans, Sour Worms, Organic Fruity Bears, Gummy Swirls and Sour Berry Bears. It also offers three snack-size packs (0.9-oz) of its Jelly Beans, Gummy Bears and Sour Berry Bears.

Surf Sweets uses only the highest quality organic and natural ingredients for its candies, and they’re all free of corn syrup, synthetic dyes, artificial flavors and GMOs. All Surf Sweets candies are gluten free; dairy and casein free; allergy friendly, meaning that they contain none of the most common food allergens (wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish, shellfish); and Feingold approved. And all Surf Sweets candies are produced and packaged in a dedicated nut-free facility.

These are great not only for trick or treaters but for class parties. In fact, I'm helping at my daughter's party where there are multiple food allergies. I will definitely bring the new Halloween packs with me. I also think the gummy worms would be great added to a safe "Worms in the Dirt" recipe (I'll have a safe recipe up soon!) or added to juice drinks as a spooky touch at a Halloween party. Fun, yummy, organic AND allergy-friendly--how can I resist?

Peanut-Free School Lunch Ideas: Even I Get Stumped

School has been in session for awhile now and it seems that many parents -- of allergic and non-allergic kids alike -- are seeking peanut-free lunch ideas. Some people need an alternative lunch because school is peanut-free or their child wants to sit a lunch table with a friend (love this reason!) and then of course there are those in the same boat with us: peanut butter just isn't an option.

I occasionally get stumped myself, something I discussed on my blog post for Sunbutter in August. Another issue is people who use tree nut butters instead of peanut butter. We can't do those either since my daughter and an increasing number of kids are also tree nut-allergic.

If your child will try it, Sunbutter is a great PB substitute that contains no tree nuts (though it does have some traces of soy. I believe Sunbutter is trying to change that.)

For all of us who need options, whether you are nut-free mom or you just have a nut-allergic child in your life, check out delicious list of 15 peanut-free lunches from Parenting magazine. I love the creativity and nutrition factor in these lunches!

Offering kids something other than peanut butter for lunch has a nice side option in that it teaches kids to enjoy a variety of foods.

What's your favorite, go-to nut-free lunch?

Food Allergy Walk for a Cure: Support Team Nut-Free Mom

Calling all blog readers! I need your help! I'm doing the FAAN Walk for a Cure fundraising this year, and I am seeking donations from my you, my loyal readers.

I know I have the best blog readers in the world and you all truly inspire me. I am eager to hear about your concerns, struggles, obstacles and triumphs on this food allergy journey because I am on it with you. That's why I started this blog and now, that's why I'm walking in Chicago on October 17th.

This blog has long been the place where we converge to discuss the challenges of living with nut-allergies. Many of you either have a child or family member with a nut allergy and lately I've been hearing from adults with nut allergies.

We all want the same things: advocacy, education, and ultimately a workable cure for this life-threatening condition. FAAN is hard at work to make all of these happen. I don't know what I would have done without them in the early days of my daughter's diagnosis, and I am hoping the $$ contribution from my walk will help them keep up the good work.

Here is the link that will take you directly to my fundraising page. Click the "Support Me" to donate. Thank you in advance! I hope to see you in Chicago soon!!

Halloween and Peanut Allergies: Trick or Treat???

Halloween is on everyone's mind these days and if your child has severe food allergies, the prospect of candy is definitely scarier than any other aspect of this holiday.

When my daughter was first diagnosed with life-threatening peanut and tree nut allergies, we considered not doing the whole trick-or-treating thing. It just seemed counterproductive and potentially harmful emotionally. Why be handed lots of candy that you can't eat? We thought about doing other Halloween activities, like attending Halloween-themed events at the zoo and Chicago museums, but seriously thought about just skipping the candy routine.

My daughter was 5 years old at the time and all she cared about was dressing up like a Disney Princess (that year, I think it was Sleeping Beauty.) She really wanted to go door to door in her fancy costume and I didn't want to have her miss out. Thinking back to my own childhood, Halloween was never only about the candy. It was mostly about dressing up and hanging out with my friends after dark. Candy was a nice side benefit--but definitely not the whole show.

Why should it be any different for my daughter then? We decided to take her out and just have her hand us the obvious unsafe candies--Snickers, Reeses, Butterfingers, M&Ms, and sort through the rest of it later.

It was amusing to see the reactions of neighbors who tried to hand my daughter a Snickers bar. She would politely refuse, ask if they had anything else and then say "OK, then. Thank you anyway" and skip back down the street. Most were like "huh?" A few thought she was being ungrateful or picky. So what? She was so empowered. Finally, I said "just take the candy and I'll put it in a separate bag." That's what she did and all was well.

When we got home, I traded her unsafe candy for a Halloween treats bag: Bonne Belle lip balm, stickers, safe candy and a Halloween book. She loved it!

By the next year, she was running back to me to hand me Snickers bars and the running to the next house without a second thought. Let me tell you, people love their Snickers. I had a bag full of them by the end of the night. No matter. Being with her buddies and dressing up was enough for my daughter--plus she knew she got her own special goody bag later.

A lot of you may wonder "what's the point" about trick-or-treating with nut allergies but if your child really wants to do it, I say go for it. It's a way to show them that they can participate with other kids, while still being careful about their allergy. Now that my daughter is older and her trick-or-treating days are numbered, I'm so glad she enjoyed this. I don't think she'll remember the bag full of Snickers as much as she'll remember the good times she had dressing up, seeing "spooky" decorations and running around in the dark with her friends.

Halloween Cookies Safe for Peanut Allergy: Frankenstein Monster Toes!

It's October first which means it's once again time for some peanut- and tree nut-free Halloween cookies! This fun recipe for "Frankenstein Monster Toes" cookies (tweaked from a recipe I found that used almonds)is a big hit with family, friends and blog readers alike. My recipe also now appears in the Chicago Parent online cookbook! The cookies make a great, nut-free addition to Halloween parties and are just a great treat that makes both kids and adults smile.

I found the recipe for this basic sugar cookie in a Halloween-themed food magazine and modified it to fit my own nut-free specifications. If you have kids with dairy, egg or wheat allergies or celiac disease, you can substitute your favorite "safe" sugar cookie recipe. Just be sure to refrigerate your dough for at least an hour.

Frankenstein's Monster Toes Cookies
Ingredients:

1 pouch (1 lb. 1.5 oz.) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix--or use your favorite from-scratch sugar cookie recipe
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use McCormick)
7 drops NEON green food color (McCormick makes this--check the supermarket baking aisle)
36 Mike and Ike or other "safe" jelly beans such as Surf Sweets or Vermont Nut-Free

Method:
1. In large bowl stir cookie mix, flour, melted butter, egg, vanilla and green food color until soft dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For each cookie, roll heaping teaspoons of dough into 2-1/2 inch finger shapes. Be careful not to make the shapes too big or too flat--the dough spreads a lot during baking!
3. About 1 inch from the end of each "toe" squeeze dough slightly. With knife, gently make lines in the dough to look like "knuckles"
4. Bake 6-8 minutes until set. The edges of the cookies should not be at all brown. While still on cookie sheet and working quickly before cookies cool, gently but firmly press a jelly bean into the edge of each "toe" for fingernail. Cool cookies one minute; remove to cooling racks. Let cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Peanut Allergy News: Changing Food Labels and a Cupcake Recipe

Do you check the labels of foods, each and every time? Most of us probably do, but when you're used to using a "safe" food, sometimes we don't. Recently, I checked the label of Hostess Cupcakes for my daughter and was surprised to find new tree nut allergy warnings. Of course I wondered if the risk had been there all along and that may be the case. It's difficult to get a straight answer from companies on that one. Another possibility is that they changed their manufacturing practices and are using new production lines or different facilities. This happens more often than you think.

It isn't just Hostess. Whole Foods Brand Organic Ketchup now carries a nut allergy warning. One of my Facebook friends just alerted me that some types of Ragu brand spaghetti sauce now have a nut allergy warning on the label. I checked some Ragu flavors at my local supermarket and didn't see any nut allergy warnings, but you might depending on where you live.

The bottom line is to always read a label! And when providing a "safe foods" list to friends or teachers, be sure you keep a copy for yourself so you can periodically re-check the labels throughout the year. You never know when they will change!

Getting back to cupcakes. I don't usually buy Hostess cupcakes for my daughter since I am pretty much a from-scratch baker due to nut allergy risks of baked goods. Still, kids like to eat what their friends are eating. And though the taste isn't so great, the appearance of Hostess cupcakes and the cream center are a big hit with kids.

Here is a recipe for a cream-filled cupcake that I found in a cookbook years ago and tweaked for my nut-free purposes. This recipe is not something you would make every day but for birthdays or special occasions it is a delicious treat! Please note: The following recipe is nut-free only.

Nut-Free, Cream-Filled Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

Cream filling:
2 3oz packages cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup marshmallow cream (I use Marshmallow Fluff brand)
1 large egg
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Cupcake batter:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch process if possible (I use Vermont Nut-Free or Hershey's Dutch Process)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tbs water
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tsp white distilled or cider vinegar
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Make the filling: In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, egg, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Place mixture in freezer while you prepare cupcake batter (or refrigerate for one hour)

Make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin with baking cups.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt, stirring with a whisk to break up any lumps. In another bowl, combine water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Gradually add liquid ingredients to the flour mixture, whisking until completely blended.

Place a tablespoon of batter on each lined muffin cup. Then place a dollop of chilled cream filling (about 1 tablespoon) into each cup. (You may have some filling left over.) Fill cups about 3/4 full with remaining cupcake batter--do not overfill. Bake 25 minutes or until cupcakes look set around the edges. Cool in tins about 15 minutes and then gently lift out of pan and place on wire rack to cool completely. When cool, finish with Fudge Icing.

Fudge Icing:
1/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Vermont Nut-Free or Hershey's brand) or 4 oz chopped semisweet chocolate (Vermont Nut-Free or Baker's brand)

Place chocolate in bowl. In a saucepan, bring cream to a low boil and then pour over chocolate. Stir until chocolate melts completely and icing is smooth. Cool until slightly thickened and room temperature.

When cupcakes are cool, frost each one with an offset spatula. Let cupcakes stand until frosting firms up.

Peanut Allergy Dilemma: Learning to Let Go and Let Them Grow

I started writing this blog when my daughter was in second grade; now she's in fifth. We actually discovered my daughter's allergy when she was four years old and in preschool.

Though the early years were scary for many reasons, I think our current and future situation is possibly going to be both the most challenging and also the most rewarding. Now that my daughter is 10, nearly 11, I can't really approach her as I could a small child. She's growing into her own person and wants to do more things idependently. She's clamoring for sleepovers "not at OUR house, at my FRIEND's house" and other activities that take her out of the realm of a controlled food environment and optimum safety.

I'm struggling with what I will let her do and not do, but mainly I stick to the principles that we've had all along. Safe is safe. Some things aren't safe and we don't do them, but we'll do something else. However, I don't want to squelch her independence or joy about new friends and new experiences. It's a very tricky balancing act and we're figuring it out as we go. These days, I often feel like I'm on a balance beam.

Like all of us dealing with a life-threatening nut allergy (she is allergic to peanuts and most tree nuts)I evaluate each situation individually and urge you to do the same. When questioning what you will let your child do, you have to ask: how allergic are they? How risky is the activity? Is an allergic reaction relatively avoidable with certain precautions? Do the adults in charge truly understand how to handle an allergic emergency? Finally, the last question is: How much does your child want to do the activity?

All of the above goes into my decision-making. From Day One of being a "Nut-Free Mom" I've always wanted my daughter to have the fullest, most "normal" life possible. However, this involves some work. I strongly believe in educating all of the parents of her close friends on the details of her allergy; I will even give them copies of her Food Allergy Action Plan just to keep it all straight. At the same time, my daughter and I go over scenarios and possible allergy risks and discuss the best way she can handle them.

Obviously, no matter how much your child wants something, you shouldn't allow it if it just seems too risky. Health comes first. However, I am finding myself on the balance beam much more frequently these days and it's a new kind of scary. We could fall off and we have to walk a very straight line to stay on the beam. However, getting out there is liberating to my daughter and ultimately to our family. And of course, we aren't walking a beam with no soft mats underneath to break our fall. Always carrying medication and following our "house rules" when it comes to food help us make it safely across the beam and back again.

As my daughter grows, it's not just providing safe foods and hosting play dates any more. It's about teaching her how to be responsible for her allergy without scaring her away from life and its many experiences. She is eager to try so many things and I support her in that. I know that she's going outside of our realm with knowledge, her medications and some confidence that she can handle herself. As she grows toward adulthood, these are going to be key in keeping herself safe.

Food Allergy News: FAAN on Lifetime's "The Balancing Act"

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network is really working hard to raise food allergy awareness and educate the general public about food allergies. Don't miss their appearance on Lifetime TV this Tuesday, September 21st! I just received the following alert from FAAN e-news:

Remember to tune into “The Balancing Act,” on Lifetime Television, Sept. 21 at 7:00 a.m. for a segment about food allergies featuring FAAN. Click in the link for the show's promo and be sure to tune in!

The program will feature interviews with our Heart of FAAN Child Ambassador Leandro de Armas, Brian Hom, who tragically lost his son as the result of a fatal food allergy reaction, and Maria Acebal, FAAN’s Vice President of Research and General Counsel, as well as a demonstration of how to use an epinephrine auto-injector.

Let's show our support for public education about life-threatening food allergies by watching this much-needed program!

Teacher New to Peanut Allergy? Here's What To Do

I've been hearing from many readers about school-related issues lately and one of the most frequent issues that pops up is dealing with a teacher who has never dealt with nut allergies. This is becoming less frequent of an occurence, but it still happens.

In fact, it happened to our family. My daughter's first grade teacher had been teaching for 20+ years and was a lovely person. However, she had never had a peanut-allergic student. Terror raced through my body when I first spoke to her and got this news. With my daughter being so young, I was especially concerned.

Despite my initial worries, this teacher turned out to be a great supporter of our daughter and the time spent in the class went really well. In fact, the teacher decided to speak of our daughter's allergy to the entire class (with our go-ahead, of course) and she even shared her own medical issues (asthma) with the class. She showed them her inhaler and then discussed Alexandra's Epi Pen. It was only one example of how well she handled the whole thing.

However, I know that teachers new to nut allergies are sometimes completely freaked out by the situation. I've had other adults I've had to help learn about nut allergies and here is what has worked for me.

Discuss symptoms. Many people are afraid they won't recognize an allergic reaction when they see one. Give a list of explicit symptoms to look out for and what steps to take. Food Allergy Emergency Action Plans are a great tool for this. You can find them at the FAAN website.

Emphasize that you are the teacher's partner. Explaining how you will help throughout the school year, either by providing safe treats, volunteering at field trips or pitching in at a party shows you are involved. If you have a busy work schedule and can't always volunteer, checking in before major events for a review is really helpful.

Educate the educator. Some teachers have no idea of the basics of a food allergy so don't leave them in the dark. Refer them to the FAAN website, provide them with brochures from your allergist or feel free to send them to this blog so they can understand what they are dealing with. Every adult I've shared info with has really appreciated getting the knowledge.

Keep the lines of communication open all year. Teachers are human; with all the other kids they have to care for, sometimes they will forget the allergy protocol. Don't assume the worst. If a slip-up occurs, schedule time to discuss the situation in a non-accusatory manner. The teacher wants the school year to go smoothly as much as you do and reminders are something you should anticipate. I've never had only one conversation about food allergies with any of my child's teachers. It's an ongoing discussion.

Now it's your turn. What has (or hasn't) worked for you? Let us know!