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.

In the News: Food Allergies, Nut Allergies and Summer Travel

 

Earlier this week, CNN.com quoted me and others (like Anaphylaxis Canada) in a story about food allergies, celiac disease and travel. The story focused on international travel and it had some good information. For example, it looks like many European countries are getting on board with accommodating allergies and celiac disease. You can read the full story by clicking this link. Thanks to the author of this story--she has food allergies herself, so she wanted to spread awareness. I appreciate that she included my remark about not letting allergies hold you back. True, some destinations are better than others, but if you're willing to be flexible, travel with food allergies is something you can incorporate into your life with relative ease.

In the spirit of the season, I gathered links to some of blog posts I've written about travel in the summer.

Here are two links about summer travel including some tips on managing allergies at your destination. Click here and here for these articles.

Regarding air travel with nut allergies: I discuss a spring break trip and how we dealt with the airlines. Click here for that story.

If you have not seen AllergyEats, check it out! It is nationwide (U.S. only) free site that provides peer-reviewed food allergy restaurant advice. You can narrow it down by city, state and multiple food allergens. Even if you don't see a review on a restaurant, you will see what is at your destination and can begin researching. I've used this site and it's very helpful.

One thing I strongly suggest is to have access to a kitchen or even a small refrigerator at your destination whenever possible. That way, you can serve your child safe breakfast or lunch without a lot of searching for "something safe" when everybody's stomach is rumbling and the family is starving. The little 'fridge is a big stress-saver.

If you want a quick link to the food allergy policies on airlines, check the right sidebar of my site for a link to Allergic Living magazine's excellent guide.

What works for you when you travel? Share your tips with us.

For more on coping with nut allergies in general, click here.

Nut-Free Recipe: No Nuts 'Peanut Butter' Chocolate Squares

For anyone who has eliminated peanut butter from their home or other nut butters due to their child's peanut allergy or tree nut allergy, but who still craves it once in awhile, this recipe is for you. Using a peanut butter substitute in place of traditional peanut butter, these squares are so good. I found a similar recipe using Snickers candy bars and I thought--why not SunButter and chocolate chips instead? It turned out to be a good experiment and they have become a family fave.

 

I used the new Hershey brand "Baking Melts" in this recipe for a change of pace from chocolate chips and may I just say: Yum! The large chocolate discs stay soft and melty and are really delicious. A word about Hershey: they will mark their products for "may contains" and shared equipment. If you need more info, they recommend you call them. I've called them many times, use their products and feel comfortable doing so. As always, what product you use is totally up to you! I would also suggest using Enjoy Life Foods nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free and dairy-free mega chocolate chunks in these squares, or any of your favorite chips.

 

I've heard from so many of you that your husband or other family members have given up peanut butter at home (my DH has, too) so this would be a nice sweet treat to bake up for Father's Day. (But of course, they're good any time.)

 

One word of warning: these dessert/snack squares are NOT low-cal and they are addictive. But they have oatmeal in them, so they can't be all bad, right? Ok, you've been warned. :)

 

For those of you avoiding sunflower seed butter for allergy reasons, of course soy butter would work in this recipe. If you don't like to use peanut butter substitutes altogether, then why not treat Dad to my other reader favorite recipe?  Big Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies.

 

 

Nut-Free Mom's No Nuts "Peanut Butter" Chocolate Crumble Squares

 

1/2- 3/4cup (or more to taste) SunButter (TM) sunflower seed butter or soy butter

1/2 cup (or more to taste) of your favorite nut-free semi-sweet chocolate chips, chunks or baking melts. (I use Hershey or Enjoy Life)

2 sticks of butter or dairy-free (or regular) margarine, melted

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use McCormick)

1 tsp baking soda (Arm & Hammer)

2/3 cup dark brown sugar (I use Dominos's)

1 - 1/4 cup oats, uncooked (I use Quaker Oats)

2 cups all-purpose flour (I use Gold Medal)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with baking spray (I use Pam with flour or regular Pam). In a large saucepan or in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter or margarine. Remove the pan from the heat (or microwave) and stir in the flour, baking soda, oats, brown sugar and vanilla until completely blended and crumbly.

 

 

Press about 2/3 of this mixture into your prepared pan. Alternate scoops of SunButter (I use a small ice cream scoop) and scatter your chocolate pieces evenly in the pan, about 1/2 inch from the edge of the pan. If you like, smooth out the scoops of SunButter a bit for a more even amount in each bite. (I usually do this.)

 

 

Crumble the rest of the oatmeal mixture evenly on top. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown, then cool the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars or squares to serve.

 

 

 

Makes 24 bars.

 

 Please note: You and your allergist are the best judges of what to serve your child. Any questions about whether or not the foods in this recipe are appropriate for your situation, please call your doctor. For product questions, please contact companies directly. Thank you!

 

 

New Year, New Food Allergy Diagnosis?

 

Click the link for more info on my e-book guide:

http://tinyurl.com/c57j2fy

The following article was posted previously, but its message is perennial.  If you are beginning a new year with a new nut allergy and/or other food allergy diagnosis, hang in there. You will learn what you need to know. What follows are some of my best tips for getting started. (And check out my e-book for lots more info and encouragement).

Each year around the winter holidays, I receive an increase in the number of e-mails and posts I've received from parents facing new nut allergy diagnoses in their kids and I've even heard from several young adults with new nut allergies.

The most frequent word I hear is "overwhelmed." This is so understandable. It is overwhelming. The wealth of information alone (often conflicting) can be hard to absorb. Plus, you may wonder if you'll ever have a normal life again, if you will ever learn to decipher food labels and if your child can even go to school. You wonder if every food has the potential to harm your child and/or you. Life can seem very scary and very surreal.

I've been there and I can tell you that things improve. But I can't sugar coat the facts: your life will change, sometimes in ways you may not even foresee now. Some of the changes will be hard to deal with; some may even be positive in the long run. I can think of two positive changes: becoming healthier in our family eating habits and learning to be more assertive in life and ask for what we need. I also have a truly compassionate daughter whose own struggles have made her want to be helpful to others facing different challenges.

Food allergies are never welcome and they make life more difficult at times. But you can live well with them. Here are some things that have helped me and my family:

Seek expert medical advice from an allergist. I've found the best people to handle the medical aspects of food allergy have been our allergists. Find a board-certified allergist and then follow their advice. Keep up on yearly visits, appropriate testing and keep in contact with them about medications. An allergist will be more knowledgeable on food allergies than most pediatricians, not to knock them because they're helpful, too. But an allergist will be more up-to-date on the constantly changing aspects of food allergies and this will be invaluable to you.

Always stand firm about food allergies. You'll meet people who don't take food allergies seriously, who may even blow them off completely. Sometimes those closest to you won't accept the situation. Be prepared for it. Usually, ignorance about food allergies is the key reason. If you know that something is not safe then avoid the food, situation or if need be, the person until they "get it." Risking an allergic reaction to preserve any relationship is never worth it. As we saw recently in Chicago, food allergies can be fatal when not clearly understood or properly respected.

Be informed but don't overload on random info. This is the hardest thing because Internet access can uncover some crazy stories and information. Overloading on stories of food allergy deaths or unproven medical information is never helpful and may be harmful.

Knowledge is half the battle. The good news is, if you're reading this you probably have received medication, medical advice and are just generally prepared to face a reaction if it occurs. Witnessing an allergic reaction without any knowledge of what may be causing it or without any medication to treat it is much, much worse. If you know what you're dealing with, you can avoid or safely adapt to potentially harmful situations and cut down on risk.

I want to wish a healthy and Happy New Year to you all! Let's be safe together and please continue to share your input and comments!

First Thanksgiving with Food Allergies? Check Out These Tips

You can learn to manage food allergies at Thanksgiving...
and you can eventually even have fun. No, really.

 

Dealing with food allergies at Thanksgiving for the first time this year? This can be a tricky business, but take heart: you can manage it and you are definitely not alone. As you sit down with the family this year, just keep in mind that millions of other parents are in the same situation.

 

Any holiday with a food allergy is difficult, but since Thanksgiving is focused almost entirely on the food served, this one is particularly challenging for families facing a new food allergy diagnosis. Any type of food allergy is cause for concern at Thanksgiving, but peanut and tree nut allergies can give you some heartburn as these foods show up with more frequency and as part of "secret ingredients" in recipes at this time of year. Autumn, especially, equals "tree nuts" so be careful!

 

Once you've been through a couple of holiday meals with the family, you will be better able to anticipate some of the pitfalls. However, if you are just starting out, both you and your family are still learning what it means to create a food allergy-friendly meal. The best policy is caution. Don't feel pressured to serve your child anything you can't verify is safe for them. A food is never worth risking your child's health for, so don't feel compelled to feed your child anything you have doubts about. This is a good policy to maintain at all times, and especially at the holidays where such a huge variety of different foods may be on offer.

 

While you are getting used to food allergies and family meals, it is always a good idea to bring a separate meal or at least some food items that you know are OK for your child to eat. This is much easier than trying to determine if every food you didn't make or bring is safe. The fact is, many times you have no way of determining that. Not having nuts as an ingredient is only one piece of the puzzle. A recipe may have no actual peanuts or tree nuts, but it may have had cross contact with these allergens during the preparation process. Sometimes even the cook is unaware that there may have been cross contact, or what that means, especially if they are unused to dealing with severe food allergies.

 

Unless a food has a label or you made or brought the food yourself, there is a risk factor there. Avoid the ER and avoid these unknown foods.

 

What else to watch out for while navigating Thanksgiving with nut allergies?

 

Turkey stuffing. Turkey stuffing often contains tree nuts such as walnuts or pecans. If a turkey has a nutty stuffing, this renders the entire turkey unsafe to eat because the stuffing can permeate the meat. Some breads are unsafe for those with nut allergies, too. If you are not hosting, you will want to be careful of stuffing.

 

Sauces and gravies. These often contain hidden ingredients, so be careful!

 

Buffet-style meals. A family favorite, but if utensils are used for more than one dish and anything contains nuts or other allergens, the other foods can be cross contaminated.

 

Desserts. Desserts are high-risk for nut allergens and other food allergens. Bakery desserts may be cross contaminated due to the environment in which they are made; the same goes for homemade desserts. Bring a dessert for your child to make sure they can have a "safe" sweet treat with the other kids; even better if you bring enough to share.

 

Any food with unknown origins, or catered foods. If you don't know what's in something or how it was prepared, don't serve it to your child.

 

Difficult situations.

Occasionally, you may have to do some fancy footwork to deflect a difficult situation while celebrating the Turkey Day feast. Here are a few common scenarios and how to handle them:

 

Friends or family who baked something "nut-free" especially for your child.  Awkward! Unless you have personally schooled this person in detail on allergy-free baking and they have a kitchen that never sees peanuts or tree nuts cross the threshold (hardly anyone, in other words) anything home baked by others is at risk for cross contact. And keep in mind that many people believe that "nut allergies" mean peanut allergies, only! If you must avoid tree nuts as well, you run twice the risk of cross contact from a home baked item.

 

What to do if offered a treat "that doesn't have nuts in it"? Not everyone is as invested in your child as say, grandparents are, so if this is a relative or friend you don't see often, you can just sidestep the baked treats.  Say something like, "Thank you so much. That was so sweet and thoughtful. I'd love to try one of your cookies." Then don't give any to your allergic child, whatever you do!

 

What if this is a close friend or family member? You can be a little more detailed, especially if this is someone you see often. Explain that because of cross contact risk, you are under doctor's orders to avoid any homemade treats but that you love the thought and you appreciate the effort. Offer to have them over to bake a treat with you and your child if this is an activity they would enjoy.

 

Questions about "why so many kids these days have allergies?" or "what will happen if little Susie eats peanuts?"

Let's face it: discussing life-threatening food allergies doesn't exactly make for appetizing table talk. If people are truly interested and are sincere in wanting to help you, offer to discuss your family's personal situation at a later time. You can always tell others that no one knows why there are so many allergies these days, but in the meantime you are following your doctor's advice on keeping your child safe. Then change the topic to a light hearted subject--or switch the discussion to politics or religion. Whatever it takes! (Just kidding, don't do that). A simple answer and subject change usually do the trick.

 

Resentment from others about a food item banned from the meal. This is a tough one, because many people don't understand that the mere presence of certain foods might pose a risk. Thank your family and friends for avoiding anything on your child's behalf and offer to work together in the future so that everyone can be happy with the meal while also keeping it allergy-friendly.

 

If this type of thing is a big problem for those in your circle, you can always host the meal yourself and make it clear that it is "free from" whatever you need to avoid. Then anyone who attends has fair warning and can make other plans if they would like. After dinner or the day after Thanksgiving might be a better time to gather if prohibited foods become a big issue for family members. Thanksgiving is about tradition, so many people have strong ties to foods. If everyone communicates and realizes there are no "perfect" solutions, you can usually work out some sort of compromise.

 

http://nut-freemom.blogspot.com/p/my-e-book-new-nut-free-mom-now-available.html

 

For more information on educating others about allergies and navigating life in general with nut allergies, check out my e-book The New Nut-Free Mom: A Crash Course in Caring for Your Nut-Allergic Child." 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! 

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!

New to Nut Allergy? Here Are Some More Helpful Tips

Since so many of my new blog readers are also new to nut allergies, I wanted to expand on my recent post that discussed some basic ways of coping with a new food allergy diagnosis. I've been thinking a lot about this topic for the last few days and considering what has helped me the most as I began learning about life with food allergies.

Based on my experiences as a parent, here are some of the things that have been most important on my food allergy journey:

Be ready for your world to be rocked. Severe food allergies make you look at nearly everything you do with fresh eyes. Food is so ingrained in our traditions, social events and emotions that you may be surprised at how much food plays a role in your life. Things are going to change for your family, that's for sure. However, all of the changes won't necessarily be negative. As I said in my previous post, my whole family eats healthier now. However, knowing that common foods have the potential to harm your child can make the entire world seem unfriendly at times. Don't be surprised if you feel a lot of strong emotions that you need to discuss with family, spouse or friends. If you really feel overwhelmed and it's interfering with your life, seek professional counseling.

Give yourself time to adapt. You may feel apprehensive about certain situations once you know you are dealing with a severe food allergy, so don't push yourself. Knowledge on how to cope with restaurants, school, play dates and family members will not come to you overnight. It's OK to feel scared or confused. As you learn more about food allergies and manage situations successfully, you will gain confidence. But don't expect this to happen immediately. You need time to accept the situation and learn what works and what doesn't before you can begin educating others about it and advocating for your needs.

Always have safe foods on hand--and bring them wherever you go.Food is pushed at kids almost constantly (many of you know this already) so don't get stressed, be prepared. If you are heading out with your child, be sure to bring safe alternatives so that you are not tempted to offer unsafe food simply out of hunger or desperation.

Don't forget the epinephrine.If you're like me, you switch bags or purses, rush around in the morning or are simply human and sometimes forget stuff. Epinephrine is so important, however, that I've turned around and come home rather than go anywhere without my daughter's epinephrine autoinjector. Leave Post-It notes by your front door or on the dashboard of your car, get your child a special fanny pack or medication carrier but find ways to remember the epinephrine. It won't help anyone if it's sitting at home in a cabinet; epinephrine autoinjectors can and do save lives.

Teach your child how to handle the allergy on their own. Parents are sometimes terrified of this, but if your kids are going to live a healthy life they need to learn how to be their own advocates. Role play situations, discuss unsafe foods and activities and if they are old enough (discuss when is the right time with your allergist) teach them to self-administer their autoinjectors. Kids who can advocate for themselves are more confident and happy kids as well as a safer ones.

Embrace cooking and baking from scratch. Not everybody loves to cook but once you deal with food allergies it's actually more stressful not to cook. Why? Because when you frequently visit restaurants or pick up take-out you don't have control over what's going into your food--and that can mean risk of allergic reaction. Plus, cooking at home is healthier overall (and not just lower-risk for food allergies)and its more economical, too. If you don't have tons of time to cook on busy week nights, then cook what you can on your less busy days and freeze meals in advance. Also, be sure to have one or two quick go-to meals in your recipe arsenal and keep the main ingredients on hand at all times.

Be cautious but enjoy your life. This is what our first allergist told us and he was right. You can't stop living because you now deal with a severe food allergy. That's not to say you should take unnecessary chances on food or downplay the seriousness of the situation. However, if you go forward in a positive way, you will affect the outlook of your entire family. If you are the parent of an allergic child, you want them to be happy and live life to the fullest, even though you may worry about them. Adapting to food allergies can mean having to alter how you go about some things, but don't let it limit you (or your child, whoever has the allergy) too much.

Food Allergy News: Shea Nut and Tree Nut Allergy

I get a lot of questions about shea nut and shea nut butter. This is actually not a "true" tree nut but it does raise a lot of questions for people with tree nut allergies, much like coconut does.

Shea (nut) butter turns up in some candies and other foods. Shea is listed as a possible oil in Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, for example and it used to be an ingredient in Candy Corn Kisses from Hershey. My daughter has not had a problem with shea and has eaten the above candies without incident, but since this is a fairly new ingredient to foods, we are being cautious with it.

I thought I would share this article from Allergic Living magazine that references recent studies finding that shea nut appears to be safe for nut allergies.

Of course, before serving any questionable food to a tree nut-allergic person, always check with your allergist.

Shea nut butter turns up with increasing frequency as an ingredient in lotions, shampoos and body washes. I've had a lot of concern from blog readers about this. Since lotions contain many other chemicals besides shea, if you suspect shea allergy, don't self-diagnose. Check with an allergist--it could be shea or some other ingredient causing the problem.

Click here for Allergic Living's full story on shea nuts.

Peanut Allergies, Nut Allergies and Vanilla Extract

I'm running the following post again, for those who may have missed it.

With the holiday baking season upon us, I've had several e-mails about the safety of vanilla and other baking extracts. This is obviously a big concern for those of us who bake nut-free because most companies also produce almond extract.

A word about almond extract--you'll notice that some of these brands say that it is not produced from actual almonds, but from the pit of certain fruits.

Please be advised that apricots and peaches can be cross-reactive for tree nut-allergic people because these fruits are in the almond family.

I personally recommend avoiding almond extract if you are dealing with almond and other tree nut allergies. Also, with some of the more "gourmet" brands, you may be dealing with pure almond and also cross-contact issues on the production lines. Why even go there? I am uncomfortable using "almond" anything for someone with an almond allergy. Of course, please check with your allergist if you have more questions about this.


Now, back to vanilla. I contacted three of the biggest manufacturers of vanilla extract and baking products: McCormick, Nielsen-Massey and Wilton. I'm very happy to report that 2 out of 3 of them don't even use "real" almond for their almond extract. Wilton, as most of you may have discovered already, is the most challenging, since they do have peanuts and tree nuts in their facility, even though some items are not sharing production lines. If you'd like to use their products, I'd say it's your call to make. Also, you may have to do some digging about each individual product. Their response below contains more info.

Here's what each company had to say in response to my e-mails inquiring about the safety of their extracts.


McCormick: "McCormick and Co. does not use peanuts or tree nuts in any of our facilities. The Oil of Bitter Almond used in our Pure Almond Extract is extracted from apricot kernels, not the almond itself."

Note: I asked specifically about extracts in my e-mail. McCormick now makes many spice blends beyond their basic extracts and spices; they make other products as well. If you have concerns about other products, give them a call.

Nielsen-Massey: "All of our products are nut free. We do not process anything with tree nuts in our facility. In fact our Almond Extract is actually made from bitter almond oil which comes from stone fruit pits such as peaches. Please be assured that all of our products are safe from nut allergens."


Wilton: "I have attached a link from our website that displays our vanilla extracts and the following allergy information:

http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E30D833-475A-BAC0-52C00F6FD95206EF&fid=78453C7E-475A-BAC0-57C37A0C5D55907A

No Peanuts/treenuts in the product but there are peanuts/treenuts present in the facility

http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E314C89-475A-BAC0-56036B0DE5130990&fid=78453C30-475A-BAC0-5A9F9766D10A9E08

No Peanuts/Treenuts in the product but there are peanuts/treenuts present in the facility

As far as our sprinkles and decorations are concerned, because we are very specific when it comes to food allergies, if you would kindly provide me with a few stock numbers from our website of some decorations that you are interested in because we want to make sure that we provide you with the correct information."

Consumers, please note: It is up to you to check each product you use. In fact, as practices change, it is a good idea to check labels or call for info from time to time. I do this with my favorite products as well as new ones, and I suggest you do the same for your own information and peace of mind. Thank you!

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?

Are Food Allergies Getting Easier to Manage?

I was interviewed for the current issue of Special Parent magazine, a spin-off of Chicago Parent magazine. The story focused on Chicago-area businesses and restaurants that accommodate various food allergies and intolerances. The story also discussed the difficulties that parents have in managing food allergies with their children and how the new crop of businesses are beginning to make it easier.

Now, it's your turn. Can we have your input on allergy-friendly stores, restaurants or other establishments in your area?

Every little step does make it easier, especially when dining out with food allergies. I am encouraged by the article and am hopeful that more establishments will crop up to address our needs. We are definitely loyal customers once we trust a place, so the success of allergy-friendly establishments should be assured.

OK, let us hear from you!

Peanut and Tree Nut Allergy: Tips on Staying Safe at Summer Parties

Summer is party time and of course you need to be careful about peanut and tree nut allergies during this warm and wonderful season. With a few precautions and some common sense, a good time can be had by all. Here are some things that have worked for me and my family:

Talk about it. When you reply to an invitation, notify your hosts immediately about any food allergies or dietary restrictions. It's nice to give them advance notice so that they can tailor the menu or ask you to bring a dish.

Bring the dessert. Most people with food allergies have to avoid desserts from bakeries or even other people's kitchens because of cross-contact concerns or because they can't eat the ingredients--nuts, eggs, wheat. Offering to bring at least one of the sweet treats ensures that your family members will be able to enjoy dessert with everyone else.

Beware of double-dipping. A perfectly "safe" food can become allergenic if the same utensils used for one dish are then used in another. Buffets can become danger zones for this reason. If you are invited to a buffet, either ask to serve your child first or bring your child a separate main dish that only they will eat.

Consider the grill. Grills can become a food allergy nightmare due to marinades containing peanut butter, nut oils or dairy items and/or potentially allergenic proteins like seafood. (Or hamburger buns, if you've got wheat allergy or celiac disease). You might want to invest in a Smokey Joe (small size BBQ) to tote along to a party. That way, you can grill away without worry.

Own the allergy. Don't be afraid to bring your own food or to share your allergy concerns with your hosts. An upbeat explanation of why your child (or you) can't eat a particular food beats staying at home. In the end, it's more important that you enjoy time with friends and family than what you eat while you're there.

Nut Allergy Awareness, One Neighborhood at a Time

Yesterday was our annual "block party." We have a lot of kids on our block and they had a great time, breaking a pinata and playing "Ghost in the Graveyard." (Anyone remember that one? It's so retro but apparently kids still play it!)

Last year, my family and I were new to our block. At last year's block party, we encountered a "Peanut Hunt" where the kids searched for peanuts in the grass. Also, the pinata may have had some peanuts in it, I'm not sure.

At any rate, peanuts were everywhere so we really had to keep an eye on my daughter. Being new to the neighborhood, we didn't know about these activities in advance. I'll admit that I felt that I was in a difficult position this year. I still didn't know most of the block party organizers very well and many had lived on our block for several years. I did casually mention skipping the Peanut Hunt to one of the moms and had planned to contact the main organizer to confirm.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, my next door neighbor (and longtime resident of my block) approached me as I was walking the kids home from school. She told me that she had seen my column in a local newspaper "OnLagrange.com" and the link to my blog. She then brought up the block party and said she hadn't known about my daughter last year and that she would see to it that no peanuts were present at the party.

I was so grateful and I thanked her profusely. Sure enough--no Peanut Hunt, no peanuts in general. And, best of all, nobody seemed to miss them.

As we approach the holidays and parties, I thought this was a good story to bring up because it shows you that many, many people will accommodate you if they understand the situation. (Of course, it also helps if you have great neighbors!) Don't be afraid to ask for a few tweaks to a menu. In a lot of cases, it's not a big deal and you'll have saved yourself and your child a lot of needless stress.