Tickle Your Tummy Nut-Free Treats!

As many of you know, baking is a must for those of us with nut-allergic kids. Bakery goods are off-limits so we've got to be ready to provide a yummy treat for classroom parties or birthday celebrations.

I don't know about you, but I don't have Martha Stewart-style decorating skills. I can do the decorating basics and make cakes, cookies and cupcakes that taste good, but when it comes to the finer points of decorating, it's time-consuming and tricky. Plus, let's face it: we don't always have the time to whip up a beautifully decorated baked item at a moment's notice, but we hate for our kids to miss out on bakery quality, decorated goodies.

That's why I am so thrilled about Tickle Your Tummy (TM) nut-free treats! This Canadian-based company churns out beautifully decorated cakes, cupcakes and cookies that are 100% nut-free. The best part is that these treats are available at Whole Foods markets throughout the country. You can also get them via mail order.

There are a lot of online nut-free food bakers and food manufacturers that I love, (just check out my links under "Nut-Free Foods") but how great to be able to swing by Whole Foods and pick up these treats on the spur of the moment? That's something that we can rarely do.

The other great thing is that you can recommend Tickle Your
Tummy to friends, family and classmates' parents who want to offer a treat that nut-allergic children can enjoy. In fact, my number one question that I get from non-allergic families is "Where can I find nut-free baked goods?"

Visit your local Whole Foods to locate these treats--they should be near the bakery section of the store. And if you don't see them, ask the store to order them.

Thanks to the La Grange, IL mom who alerted me to these tasty treats!

Whole Foods Gets Exposed in Tribune Special Report

Here is Part 2 of the Chicago Tribune ongoing special food allergy investigation. Turns out that Whole Foods isn't so wholesome when it comes to their food labels.

The photos above is of chocolate chunks I purchased at Whole Foods about a month ago. The package states that "good manufacturing practices are used to segregate ingredients in a facility that also processes milk ingredients."

Turns out that was not the case--the opposite was true. Plus, several of the store brand 365 Organic chips have also tested positive for hidden, undeclared nut allergens. I almost served these to my daughter after being thrilled to find "safe" chocolate chunks at Whole Foods. Their approach is totally unacceptable--and potentially dangerous.

Click this link to read the whole story.

I would advise all of us to skip the supermarket chips and order from Vermont Nut Free until labeling practices are reigned in. Those of you who need to use dairy-free chips, what are your current sources for those? I'd like to share that here. Let me know!