Food Allergy and Classroom Celebrations: My Story for Chicago Parent

I'm so thrilled to finally share this story with all of you just in time for holiday parties. My article about food allergies in the classroom is now online at Chicago Parent and available in the print version of their current October issue.

I've been a frequent contributor to Chicago Parent and I'm so grateful that Chicago Parent provided me this opportunity to not only address the risks involved regarding food being on offer in the classroom in so many ways, but also to provide some alternatives to food. You can see those in the article sidebar.

Also, there is a yummy recipe from Kim Lutz (fellow Chicago food allergy mom) from her new Welcoming Kitchen book. Check out Kim's blog to learn more!

Thanks to all of you who were interviewed for this story. Here's to safe school celebrations! Cheers.

Nut-Free Ice Cream Recipe: Pumpkin Pie!

Fall is here! So I thought I'd re-post this ice cream family favorite recipe for PUMPKIN PIE ice cream.

My kids love this but it's also special enough for the adults. Put a big dollop of Cool Whip on top and it's like pumpkin pie without the crust.

Chicago Parent magazine included this recipe in their online cookbook. Click the link for the entire recipe and enjoy!

Nut-Free Chocolate from Dean's Sweets!

Dark, delicious, NUT-FREE chocolate truffles. Does this sound good to anyone right about now? If so, then you will want to check out Dean's Sweets, a nut-free chocolatier I recently had the good fortune to discover.

Run by a couple who decided to go the nut-free route to accommodate the increasing number of allergy sufferers, Dean's Sweets offers elegant hand-dipped chocolate truffles that are completely nut-free. This is pure chocolate decadence and the chocolate truffle flavors such as Cayenne, Ginger, Champagne and even Rum remind me of the movie "Chocolat" where a French chocolatier created unusual and deeply delicious chocolates that made people happier than before.

These truffles are for sophisticated palates, so nut-allergic adults will enjoy the indulgence. I sampled an incredible assortment that included all of the flavors above as well as Cinnamon, Maple, Stout, Coffee, Raspberry, Milk Chocolate and even Lemon Apricot Chevre. For fall, Dean tells me that they will be offering a Pumpkin chocolate truffle as well. Perfect for the harvest season!

My kids really enjoyed the more kid-friendly flavors and my husband I were delighted with the more "adult" flavors. I also loved the sea salt chocolate caramel truffles. If you like salty sweet chocolate treats, these are heavenly.

To find out more, including how to order, please visit their website!

Food Allergy and Back to School: My Post for the FAAN Website

I was so honored when FAAN asked me to write about going back to school with food allergies for their blog, FAAN Notes. It got me thinking about the many lessons I've learned over the years and how far our family has come in terms of growth and adapting to the challenges of food allergies.

Here is a link to my post. I hope you enjoy it, and that you will also check out the many great back to school resources that FAAN has to offer on their site. Thanks to FAAN for all that you do!

Nut-Free Candy Finds for Halloween and Beyond!

Everybody wants some candy ideas for a nut-free Halloween this week, so I realized that it's high time I share some nut-free, (mostly) allergy-free Halloween treat ideas that are easy to find anywhere. It's great to have some options to throw in your supermarket cart with the knowledge that it's safe for food-allergic kids.

I found several candy choices that are free of the top 8 allergens and definitely free of peanuts and tree nuts. A lot of the following candies are even available in Halloween-themed snack-sized bags.

(Important: Always consider your specific allergy needs and/or call the candy companies if you have additional questions. Because packaging or manufacturing procedures may change, it is always up to you, the consumer, to verify allergy info and procedures. Thank you!)
Surf Sweets (top 8 allergen-free)

Yummy Earth (top 8 allergen-free)

Enjoy Life Boom Choco Boom (top 8 allergen-free)

(The above 3 candies are found at Whole Foods and specialty grocers.
Check their web sites for store locators.)

Now for basic supermarket finds:

Twizzlers

Skittles

Mike & Ike Jelly Beans

Junior Mints (not safe for all allergies, but safe for nut allergies)

Pez

Tootsie Pops

Carmel Apple Pops (made from the Tootsie Roll company, a completely nut-free facility!)

Life Savers

Starburst

Smarties

Sweet Tarts

Dum Dum Suckers

Dots (including "Candy Corn" Dots and "Bat" Dots)

Nerds (Willy Wonka brand)

Also, here are some non-edible Halloween treats to try. Don't forget to tell the class Room Moms and teachers about some of these. I found many of the following items in the Oriental Trading Company catalog--the prices are not bad, either, when you consider how much you spend on candy. Buy in bulk and you'll save money. Just keep leftovers for next year.

Some of my favorites are:

Spider rings

Halloween stickers (buy rolls of these and cut them off in segments to pass out at the door)

Halloween pencils

Pumpkin-shaped Ring Pops

Small, Halloween-themed toys

Plastic Halloween finger puppets (available at Target stores for $1 but not for kids under age 3)


If your allergies are nut only, as always, I recommend Vermont Nut-Free Chocolates. A great variety of Halloween-themed chocolates and jelly beans are available here. Premium Chocolatiers has beautiful molded Halloween chocolates that are a great trick or treat for allergic kids--these chocolates are free of nuts, peanuts, eggs, dairy and gluten. Divvies is a great source of online nut-free, egg-free, dairy-free treats, plus they can be found at some supermarkets such as Wegmans.

I hope this gets everybody off to a good start and please share your ideas, too!