Food Allergy Living

Love Philly Swirl products!

2009-11-13T13:44:00.006-06:00

This company is so great about being up on food allergies. And, they taste amazing too. I have purchased them at Publix and have seen them at Sam's Club before. Some of their products do contain top allergens so make sure you read the labels carefully. We usually only buy the Swirl Stix.

Peanut/Tree nut free, Egg free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Gluten Free

Water, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Banana Puree, Raspberry Juice Concentrate, Orange Juice Concentrate, Stabilizer (Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Citrate, Guar Gum, Pectin) Citric Acid, Red #40, Yellow #5&6, Blue #1.

Yet another peanut allergy death...so sad

2008-07-09T16:07:00.007-05:00

And a reminder to us all as to why we HAVE to ALWAYS carry an Epi-Pen!!

Man's death a stark reminder of food allergy risks

By Sharon Salyer
Herald Writer

SEATTLE -- Daniel Sargent was at Magnuson Park on Sunday, celebrating a friend's 30th birthday.

About 90 seconds after taking a bite out of a chocolate chip cookie, he collapsed.
Read more...

O.R.E.O. (not) Nabiscoooo!!!

2008-06-28T23:33:00.000-05:00

WooHoooo!!! I just wanted to jump up and down when we found these recently. If you have never seen these, you may be jumping up and down right now too! These cookies look exactly like OREOS and they TASTE exactly like Oreos too. I think I have eaten more of these than my sons! The ONLY problem with them is that KIDS - those darn little people (who have no concept of hard earned money!) will eat just the center out and leave the cookie part. So, at about $10 per cookie (oh, kidding), that is hard to take. Maybe that is how I justify eating so many of them...because I won't waste them!! Buy these today. They are so good.

Jo-sef Gluten-Free O's Sandwich Cookies

Made in dedicated Gluten, Lactose, Casein, Peanuts and Tree Nuts FREE BAKERY. Contains NO Wheat or Dairy

Ingredients: Base: Gluten Free Flours: Contains Brown Rice Flour, Tapioca Flour, Soy Flour, White Rice Flour, Potato Starch Hydrogenated Shortening (Palm Oil), Powdered Sugar, Sugar, Water, Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Baking Powder, Vanilla, Xantham Gum. Contains Soy - No Preservatives

Soy Nut Butter on Gluten Free Crackers!

2008-06-28T22:40:00.001-05:00

My boys LOVE these crackers! But, they especially like I.M. Healthy's Soy Nut Butter (and honey or jelly) on the crackers to make a "sandwich". Mommy likes this lunch option b/c it is quick and there is NO cooking involved. The Dr. Schar crackers are the best on the market, in my opinion. I do wish they would make a round version to match the ever popular Ritz cracker, which always seems to be the snack of choice in (kid) group settings (i.e..church, school, etc.). But, until then, Sam is fine with his (cough...$6 crackers) and so am I. I'm just thankful there is something out there I can serve him.

The Glutano crackers are good but I am not happy about their "May contain traces of NUTS, EGGS, and MILK" statement. So, I try to avoid these if I have a choice.

I can't say enough about I.M. Healthy Soy Nut Butter. It has been a true life (or sanity at least) saver for us. I thought it was being discontinued (it turned out...it was just that particular website discontinuing it). So, I called the company and low and behold, I got the owner! Would you believe that I cried on the phone to him (this was in the aisle at Whole Foods)? I thanked him for making such an item and I told him it has changed our life. When you live and breath this food allergy life, you just want to hug the people who have helped you so much! I think he GOT my hug. ha. But, he was SO incredibly nice and asked if we have tried the chocolate version. I think he felt sorry for me so he sent me a container to try!! :) Sam has never been a chocolate fan but he REALLY liked it. They don't carry the chocolate version at Whole Foods (although you know me, I WILL request it!) but I may just order it all straight from the source next time. That way, we can also try their Roasted Sweet Corn, Corn Flake Crumbs or Tortilla Crumbs! Here is a little blurb about their product on YouTube.

I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter:
I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter DOES NOT contain peanuts, tree nuts of any type, sesame, dairy, egg, wheat (gluten), or shellfish. Our products are manufactured in a facility free of those ingredients to eliminate cross contamination.

I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter is made from soybeans which may be an allergen to some people. Some, but not all, varieties of SoyNut Butter contain maltodextrin, an ingredient derived from corn.

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Glutano Gluten-Free Crackers (Soda Style)

Ingredients: Starch (maize, potato), soya flour, unhardened vegetable oil (palm oil), rice flour, sugar, salt, yeast.

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Dr. Schar Gluten-Free Crackers
Ingredients: Potato starch, rice flour, palm oil, buckwheat flour, modified corn starch, corn syrup, vegetable protein, (lupine), sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, potassium acid tartrate, yeast, rice starch, sugar, salt, diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of edible fats, natural flavors.

YIKES!!! Thanks to Gina Clowes of FoodAllergyMoms.com for sending me this email:

"those crackers have lupine which can cross react w/peanut"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10518837

And, I also found this info helpful:

from the Allergy & Immunology Site

and more from this blog.

So far, we have been fine with them but I will definitely watch more closely now!

Thanks Gina!!

These crackers can be purchased at GlutenFreeMall.com

NPR podcast on Food Allergies

2008-06-18T22:47:00.000-05:00

Thought you would like to hear this podcast from NPR today.

Not much new info but still good to have the PR.

"Fresh Air from WHYY, June 18, 2008 · Dr. Hugh Sampson knows just how deadly a peanut butter and jelly sandwich can be.

Sampson, an expert on food allergies, has just been elected president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He specializes in pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and is also the principal investigator in the Food Allergy Resource Initiative."

Starbucks carrying "allergy friendly" foods??

2008-06-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

I recently wrote in to Starbucks via their "My Starbucks Idea" site. It allows you to post all of your comments and suggestions to Starbucks. Who knows if anyone in the Starbucks company will EVER read them but I decided to post anyway. It's probably just a ploy to cut down on their number of emails and complaints! ha. But, someone wrote in with the idea to have "allergy friendly" (I know that's a relative term but...) food served in addition to their regular baked goods. For years, I have wanted to present Starbucks with a few baked items I make but of course, how do you do that? So, I have decided that maybe someone in Internet lala land will read my post, love the idea and contact me. If you would like to post a "That's EXACTLY what we need!" comment, please do! The more....the merrier!

MI-DEL Cinnamon Snaps

2008-05-24T12:16:00.005-05:00

I was really excited to find these MI-DEL Cinnamon Snaps since it is so hard to find an alternative to Graham Crackers...and I still AM excited about them, but they are pretty tough to find. The Cinnamon Snaps are not to be confused with the MI-DEL "Ginger Snaps" which DO contain EGG (and are available at most grocery stores). As you can see below, the "Cinnamon Snaps" only contain SOY (as it seems every food does.. again, :( so sorry....soy-ites). They are relatively inexpensive too, which is a change in this way of life! ha. Probably $3 per bag. Definitely worth a try...if you are okay with the "produced in a facility" disclaimer. See below.

Mi-Del Cinnamon Snaps
Ingredients: Gluten-free flour (contains corn flour, soya flour, potato flour [dehydrated potatoes, mono and diglycerides, citric acid], corn starch, rice flour, potato starch, xanthan gum), organic dehydrated cane juice, canola oil, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, soybean lecithin 9used as an emulsifier), sea salt, baking soda, natural cinnamon flavor. Contains soy. Produced in a facility that also processes eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat.

Gluten Free Pantry

2008-05-23T23:50:00.000-05:00

Gluten-Free Pantry

Well, for some reason, I am having Blogger's Block. I haven't posted much lately...but there are so many foods out there that I want to tell you about....things not to buy and things to buy. I am not very good about being creative and using my own grains. I'm sure I would save a ton of money if i would bake everything from scratch. BUT, with a 2 year old and a 3 year old with special dietary needs, there is just not much time left for creative cooking. So, I try to find the easiest and best tasting options, even if they cost a bit more. Egg Replacer seems to last forever and you don't have to worry about Rice Flour, Potato Flour, etc. going bad and Xanthan Gum is expensive (what is Xanthan Gum anyway?? It is a new X word to use in Scrabble, for sure.) So, to me, it is worth it to buy the boxed goods. So far, there has not been much difference in ANY of them! I tend to lean toward the Gluten-Free Pantry's items because I like their story printed on the box (a chef mom and her son diagnosed with celiac disease) and I want to support them.

Sam's (and MY) favorite has been the Coffee Cake Mix. It has a yummy, buttery topping on it... too bad this "diet" is NOT low fat.

Gluten-Free Pantry - Old Fashioned Cake & Cookie Mix
Description: A mix for the perfect birthday cake! Makes a single 9-inch, rich and light layer cake, 18 cupcakes, or 40-48 yummy snickerdoodles (cinnamon-sugar cookies). Either way, real comfort food. Ingredients: White rice flour, sugar, potato starch, sodium bicarbonate, xanthan gum, salt, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate. May Contain: Traces of soy and corn.

Gluten-Free Pantry - Coffee Cake Mix
Description: A to-die-for coffee cake that's sure to wow your tastebuds. Easy to prepare, this treat will become a favorite with friends and family alike. Ingredients: CAKE: white rice flour, sugar, potato starch, sodium bicarbonate, xanthan gum, salt, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate. TOPPING: sugar, brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt. May Contain: Traces of soy.

Williams-Sonoma Ebelskiver Filled-Pancake Pan

2008-04-24T18:27:00.000-05:00

I don't think I have EVER been excited about a PAN before, but I think I am going to have to get this one! How cool is this? You can make FILLED pancakes!! And, if you are an allergy person, you know that every company out there has a pancake mix for us (which is GREAT!) so we eat lots of them! Wouldn't this be a new twist to the boring ole pancake? Click HERE to see a video on how to make them. Easy sneezy. Although.........I just got off the phone with my grandmother who told me they are rationing rice at her local Walmart (she IS 80 something). Hmmmm...maybe I should wait on this purchase. I am having flashbacks of the movie Cinderella Man.

From Williams-Sonoma:
Our exclusive non-stick Ebelskiver Filled-Pancake Pan is the perfect gift for any mom who loves to cook. Hiding a sweet filling of fruit or jam, the bite-size pancakes known as ebelskiver (ABLE-skee-ver) are a cherished tradition in Denmark. Fresh blueberries were the inspiration for our tasty, easy-to-make recipe.

Bolthouse Farms Smoothies

2008-04-24T14:07:00.000-05:00

Another way to sneak some veggies and fruits down kiddos is through Bolthouse Farms smoothies. My kids really like the Berry Boost and Blue Goodness (of course....these are solid fruit). If you don't have wheat or barley allergies, you can try the Green Goodness (which my non-allergic child drinks on occasion). It is full of all kinds of icky green things that we should all eat....one of those being Wheatgrass (1 oz. Wheatgrass Juice = 2-1/2 lbs. Green leaf vegetables!!). Of course, if your little one is in diapers, the poops are full of special green goodness!! Eek!

Ingredients: Berry Blend (Marion Blackberry Puree, Boysenberry Juice, Red Raspberry Puree, Strawberry Puree, Blueberry Puree), Apple Puree from Concentrate (Apple Puree Concentrate, Water), Natural Flavors, Apple Juice from concentrate (apple juice concentrate, water), Banana Puree, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Vitamin A (Beta carrotene), Vitamin E (as Acetate), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) and Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin).

SILK Yogurt

2008-04-22T19:04:00.001-05:00

Silk LIVE Vanilla Yogurt is a staple in our fridge. It is SO GOOD and not only do I cook with it (in cakes, etc.), it goes in a sippy cup or two almost on a daily basis. I will fill a sippy cup with 3/4 yogurt and 1/4 rice milk. Then, I do a little shake dance for the boys (no lie) and then they have a "smoothie". If you have ever tried to give a toddler yogurt to eat with a spoon, you are probably having a "no duh" moment right now (ohhhh....the sippy cup!) as I did when this popped into my toddler brain recently!

INGREDIENTS: Organic soymilk (filtered water, whole organic soybeans), organic evaporated cane juice, rice starch, dextrose, tricalcium phosphate, natural vanilla flavor, cultured glucose syrup solids, pectin, locust bean gum, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), yogurt cultures (L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, L. acidophilus, B. bifidum, L. casei, L. rhamnosus).

Teen accused of planting nuts in lunch of allergic classmat

2008-04-22T18:39:00.000-05:00

Teen accused of planting nuts in lunch of allergic classmate
Sat Apr 19, 4:03 PM ET

LEXINGTON, Ky. - An eighth-grader in Kentucky is accused of putting peanut butter cookie crumbs in the lunchbox of a classmate with a severe peanut allergy.

The allergic student did not eat the cookies Thursday at Morton Middle School in Lexington.

Fayette County schools spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall says the accused student was arrested on a felony wanton endangerment charge. The student will face charges in the juvenile court system.

Deffendall says it was well known that the other student suffered allergies. There was no known history of problems between the two 13-year-olds.

For those allergic to peanuts, trace amounts of peanut oil can cause severe reactions and even death.

GF Corn Bread

2008-04-09T18:43:00.000-05:00

Kuddos to Whole Foods for having their 365 degree food line. They offer lots of Gluten Free options. We tried the Corn Bread and Muffin Mix tonight and my husband said "this may be the best cornbread I have ever tasted.". That is BIG, considering this was made with Egg Replacer (Ener-G Egg Replacer) and Soy Milk. I think it was the 6 tablespoons of BUTTER (Fleishmann's "Unsalted" Margarine to be exact) that I had to add to it!

PRETZELS

2008-04-08T15:56:00.000-05:00

Oh....how we love these GLUTINO pretzels! They are MUCH better than ANY wheat based pretzel out there. They are very buttery and don't break your teeth when you bite into them (now, your budget is a different story but...). My sons love them but I think my husband and I like them more than they do. This is also our staple for Sunday School snacks. We usually treat the whole class and they always love them and ask for more (my son makes "crosses" with the stick version). :) You can buy them online at GlutenFree.com where they are much cheaper than Whole Foods (but I have not ordered from there yet). It's great that glutenfree.com sells the "snack pack" version (not available at Whole Foods) b/c the family sized bags are tough to go through before they become stale. I also recommend their Apple and Blueberry Breakfast Bars but my son isn't in love with any kind of "bar" so they are not a top pick for us.

PRETZEL INGREDIENTS: CORN STARCH, POTATO STARCH, PALM OIL, SOY FLOUR, SUGAR, SEA SALT, CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE, SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE, SOY LECITHIN, YEAST, SODIUM HYDROXIDE. MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF SESAME.

AMY'S Enchiladas

2008-03-25T14:51:00.000-05:00

Recently, I decided to take advantage of Kroger's 20% off Amy's frozen food sale, and I purchased several "pre-made" entrees. So, last night as I was eating my yummy black bean and vegetable enchilada, I glanced at the ingredients. Low and behold, it said "Contains: Soy" which means fair game for Sam! Then, of course, I noticed the big fat NON-DAIRY and GLUTEN FREE words on the front! This was VERY fresh tasting, not too spicy (so hopefully little ones will like it!), and was quick and easy! Too bad I probably fried all of those healthy organic nutrients since I used a microwave to cook it.

PIZZA TIME!

2008-03-01T20:13:00.000-06:00

Well, up until recently, we haven't really tried pizza with Sam. Sadly, we would see the pictures in "word" books and just skip over it, trying to avoid even "going there". Then, we found a decent tasting cheese (see previous posts), and a decent tasting crust. So, after spending about $20 on ingredients and an hour of time, we made a pizza for him! We were so excited. And, then WHAMO - he said "Ewww, I don't wike it!" and he put it down. I guess in a way we were relieved. As far as he knows, Pizza Hut's pizza tastes that way too. :( From then on, when we saw pizza ads or read about pizza, it didn't matter to him anymore. He wasn't interested. But, then (thanks to Carrie Brock), we tried Amy's Rice Crust Spinach Pizza. I don't know why in the world they would choose spinach for their ONLY dairy free and gluten free pizza option, but they did....so we tried it (only $7 and much less effort!). And, it was actually REALLY good. We were pleasantly surprised. The soy cheese actually melted well. Now, Sam thinks he may actually like pizza after all (sans the spinach he picked off). Imagine that. And, it is now my job as the internet/email-nerd mom to contact Amy's and beg them (for the sake off ALL children out there) to please offer another topping option!

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I just received an email from Bob's Red Mill about a new Pizza Crust Mix they now offer. We have really loved everything from their Gluten Free line.

It is available at most grocery stores also, which is nice. I will be trying this mix and I will keep you posted. Now let's just see if I can get my special cheese to melt right!

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from Bob's Red Mill site:

Pizza craving is a thing of the past for gluten-intolerant pizza lovers, thanks to the new Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix from Bob’s Red Mill. Every package contains more than 50 percent whole grains, making this mix both healthy and delicious.

Bob’s Red Mill developed the Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix in its own gluten-free test kitchen with the goal of providing a safe pizza crust alternative for those on a restricted diet. Gluten-intolerant consumers said goodbye to pizza many years ago, thanks to the common ingredient of gluten in pizza crust.

Amy's Rice Crust Spinach Pizza
INGREDIENTS : NO TRANS FAT • NO ADDED MSG • NO PRESERVATIVES (VEGAN) ORGANIC RICE FLOUR, FILTERED WATER, ORGANIC TOMATO PUREE, SOY CHEEZE - MOZZARELLA TYPE (FILTERED WATER, EXPELLER PRESSED HIGH OLEIC SAFFLOWER AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL, TOFU [SOYBEANS, CALCIUM SULFATE], SOY PROTEIN, INULIN [A NATURAL EXTRACT OF CHICORY], CARRAGEENAN [FROM SEA WEED], AGAR AGAR, SEA SALT, NATURAL FLAVOR, LACTIC ACID [VEGAN], ORGANIC SUNFLOWER SEED MEAL, ORGANIC SPINACH, ORGANIC POTATOES, TAPIOCA FLOUR, ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, ORGANIC AGAVE NECTAR, ORGANIC SOY CHEEZE--RICOTTA TYPE (WATER, ORGANIC SOYBEANS, ORGANIC BROWN RICE SYRUP, NATURAL FLAVORS, ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, SALT, ORGANIC SPICES, MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE [A NATURAL SEA MINERAL], ORGANIC LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE), ORGANIC ONIONS, ORGANIC TOFU (FILTERED WATER, ORGANIC SOYBEANS, NIGARI [MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE, A NATURAL FIRMING AGENT]), EXPELLER PRESSED HIGH OLEIC SAFFLOWER OIL, SEA SALT, ORGANIC GARLIC, SPICES*, YEAST, ORGANIC EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, SOY LECITHIN, ORGANIC TAMARI (WATER, ORGANIC SOYBEANS, SEA SALT), BLACK PEPPER. CONTAINS SOY AND SUNFLOWER SEEDS. *100% PURE HERBS & SPICES (NO HIDDEN INGREDIENTS)

Normal People Food - an Old El Paso dinner

2008-02-25T00:30:00.000-06:00

There are very few pre-packaged items I can buy at any old grocery store. But, believe it or not, Old El Paso Taco Dinner Kit is free of all dairy, gluten, egg, and nuts. Now, I'm not saying this is the best thing in the world for health. But, it sure is fun for the whole family. What seems to work best for my 2 yr. old and 3 yr. old is to make "nachos" out of the shells. We basically follow the instructions on the box. Sometimes we use ground beef, sometimes ground chicken. We only use 1/2 of the spice pack (so it won't be "too spicy" for kiddos). Then, we break the cooked (corn) taco shells into triangles, top with ground meat and dairy-free cheese - then stick back in the oven to melt the cheese and voila! NACHOS! You have never seen kids eat something so fast. So, on to my next review. CHEESE. EEEK. This is a tough one. Along with a good buttery gluten-free cracker, good dairy-free cheese is hard to find. Rice Cheese and Vegan Cheese are the closest I can find. My boys really do like it though and it goes in almost everything they eat. It is very slow to melt but it will eventually. Let's just hope for a new alternative soon.

Rice Cheese Ingredients: (American flavor): Rice base (filtered water, rice flour), maltodextrin, rice bran oil, pea protein, tricalcium phosphate. Contains 2% or less of carrageenan, salt, mono and diglycerides, sodium polyphosphate, vegan natural flavor, jalapeno peppers, vegan lactic acid, sodium phosphate, food color (carotenal - vegan), calcium chloride.

Click here for Vegan sliced cheese ingredients.

Aveda

2008-02-25T00:24:00.000-06:00

Okay, I'm all for recycling and "going green" but this is a little out of hand. I made a purchase at my local Aveda store today and when I was checking out, the lady (who was mad that I was not purchasing more of her products....in plastic containers) said "Would you like to help save the environment and not take a bag today?" Uhhhh......well,...I have never heard that one before so I said "yes, that's fine". Then I thought about that for oh....2 seconds and I went back. I said "You know, I think I will take that bag. If this product spills all over my car, I will have to use a whole tree of paper towels to clean it up!" So, I got my plastic bag and trotted on out.

Simply Organic's Banana Bread Mix

2008-02-19T22:34:00.000-06:00

Tonight I made Simply Organic's Banana Bread. This is (I believe) a new item out. I purchased it from "Health Nuts" in Gulfport, MS but you can also order it online (they also have Carrot Cake). It is also the only gluten free mix that does not SHOUT that on the front of the box "I'm Gluten Free!". I'm not sure why because the ingredients surely do not have anything with gluten in them. And, there is no allergen information listed on the box. So, of course, I emailed the company to let them know my thoughts. I'll teach them a lesson or two. ha. Just kidding. My husband Wade made a funny face when he ate one from the "tester batch". I thought they were pretty good. But, we decided to add raisins to give them a little zing. I also added applesauce because that is my added staple in everything I seem to buy. For some reason, I think it adds a sweetness not found in the plain mix, but it is also a little nutrient addition....that is, if you don't use applesauce with added sugar. Overall, I think my boys will really like them, especially if I add a little honey or dairy free cream cheese to them! They also think it is fun when I put "Soy Nut Butter" in the middle of a cooked muffin. Another tidbit of info, I made muffins instead of the bread. The muffins were completely done in 13 minutes and the bread (according to the box) says to bake for 50-60 minutes. So, much easier my way! :)

Ingredients: Organic rice flour, organic Fair Trade Certified™ cane sugar, baking powder (made with organic ingredients), xanthan gum, organic cinnamon, sea salt, organic allspice.

NOTE: I received this email back from their company. A little lame in my opinion....

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Ginger,

Thank you for your inquiry. Frontier is not an allergen free facility, thus we do not state that any of our products are allergen free. We follow strict GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices) to minimize the potential for cross-contamination, but do not test for the presence of allergens in our final products.
Gluten is present in our facility, so we are not able to state positively that our products are gluten-free. We do have full ingredient disclosure on our products.

Avacados

2008-02-16T23:07:00.001-06:00

Call me crazy but for some reason, I have never really thought about where an avacado comes from (can you put a preposition at the end of a sentence?). If money can't grow on trees, then avacados do...b/c these guys are expensive. This is one thing where price doesn't matter to me. My boys will eat a whole avacado EACH at one meal. It's crazy. Now, all you moms with picky eaters, don't throw up. I have no clue why my boys picked this one to like, but they did, and I'll take it. It is packed full of great nutrition. They will eat them plain (especially if I cut them into "wheel" shapes) But, oddly enough, they won't eat guacamole! Kids?! I, on the other hand, love guacamole, and if they would eat it, this would be a "safe" food to eat. My favorite is by Wholly Guacamole. It is priced well, keeps well, and tastes great. And, they have a fun name. That always helps.

Ians SUPER TOTTTTSS!!!!!!

2008-02-16T21:52:00.000-06:00

Yes, you did read the ingredients correctly! Potato, Carrot, Cauliflower, Peas.....all shaped nicely into letters! ahhH! This may be the perfect Kid-Friendly FOOD! My boys LOVE these and my husband and I like eating their leftovers! These are great paired with the AllergyFreeFoods.com (mentioned earlier) Chicken Nuggets for a last minute "what's for dinner?" fried food night. They do have these at Whole Foods, but I think my friends robbed the store blind the day after I told them about these for their kids! :)

Ians Natural Foods - My Opinion

2008-02-16T21:38:00.001-06:00

Now, this is something I am VERY excited about...a PIZZA and CORN DOG which Sam can eat! The only problem is that I worry about how they will taste. Although I think Ians idea and marketing is cool, I don't think their products match up to their packaging. They are just SO close to getting it right...they just need to spend a little more time in development. Maybe they need to get with the Enjoy Life people to find out how they keep their products soft. Several of the Ians products I have tried turn into bricks once cooked. I think their Crunchy Cinnamon Cookie Buttons ARE bricks! BUT, this does not take away my hope and excitement about a potentially good product to try. Now....I will say that we have LOVED the letter SUPERTOTS. This may be the greatest invention ever. So, on with my next OPINION....

Cherrybrook Kitchen Pancake and Waffle Mix

2008-02-16T21:12:00.000-06:00

I originally thought Cherrybrook Kitchen did not have Gluten Free products, but once our local Wild Oats changed to Whole Foods, the Gluten Free options from Cherrybrook appeared on the shelves! Woo Hoo! After trying many varieties of Pancake Mixes, these are by far the best and easiest (and have the coolest packaging)! No mixing Egg Replacer, etc. So, for those busy days when you are trying to get out the door, you just mix this with Rice or Soy Milk and VOILA! You have a pancake mix ready to go. Well, I will say that I add applesauce to mine (a little health and more flavor)...or depending on what my kids are wearing, I will add blueberries (as you know, cooked blueberries, although so healthy, tend to ALWAYS drop on your freshly dressed child)! I'm excited to try their other products now! Oh, and one other tip! I have a separate waffle maker for my boys so there is no confusion as to what has been on there beforehand. I know their cooking spray, butter, etc. is the only thing allowed on their waffle iron. One of these days, I am going to get a fun waffle maker with animal shapes, etc. Any grandparents reading this? ha.

Anyway, here are their other products and link:

Cherrybrook Kitchen

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie
Gluten Free Sugar Cookie
Gluten Free Fudge Brownie
Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle Mix $5.45/box

CHICKEN NUGGETS to the RESCUE!

2008-02-16T18:20:00.000-06:00

This may be the BEST thing that has ever happened to us in this food allergy craziness. It seems funny that a "food" could be a blessing, but when you are desperate for "normal people" foods that are allergen free, the choices are limited. So, when I found these, my life really changed. CHICKEN NUGGETS!! from Allergy Free Foods. They can be found at several grocery stores (not Whole Foods though) with the list on their website. I get them at Kroger in the frozen food section (with the Tyson frozen nuggets, etc.). These are much better tasting than any "non-allergy" nuggets I have ever tasted too (well, okay, not better than Arbys!). They also have breasts, tenders, country fried steak, and many other products. It doesn't look like you can order the chicken on their site but they do have an online shopping section. One thing I like about these is that part of the batter is flax seed! We have found them to be best fried in oil in an iron skillet! I need to buy stock in this company since I have sent more people out to buy these than anything else.

From their website:

Health Benefits:

AllergyFree Foods is firmly committed to the consistent evolution of a healthier lifestyle that supports the development of food products which taste as good as they make you feel.

True to our name our product line does not contain any of the recognized top 8 food allergens. The symptoms of afflictions such as Autism and Celiacs Disease have proven to be triggered by allergens such as Gluten.

By steering clear of gluten amongst many other allergens those with allergies can finally enjoy the products that they crave such as chicken nuggets, pancakes, country fried steak and more.

But that is only the beginning.

Many of our products contain significantly less fat, cholesterol and calories than other products in the market place. These benefits and more leave us to one conclusion. Regardless of who you are and what your dietary needs may be, AllergyFree Foods is the hands down solution to leading a healthier lifestyle.

2008-02-16T18:02:00.000-06:00

Here is one of our favorite muffins. They are fairly pricey BUT the good thing is that they make a TON. And, the REASON they make a ton is because you can keep adding and adding ingredients and they always turn out great. It is a basic muffin mix but sometimes we will divide the "base" mix in 3 or 4 bowls. In one bowl, we will add mashed bananas, in another we add pumpkin and cinammon (and raisins), in another mommy adds carrot slivers and other hidden treasures, and applesauce and chopped apples in another. We seem to try something different every time we make them. Sometimes I will even use these as "cupcakes" for parties. I just top them with white icing. Most of the time (after baking), I will freeze them in small ziplocs (maybe 4 per bag) and thaw them as needed throughout the next two weeks. Almost everything we have tried from the Cravings Place has been great! You can buy their products here.

Cravings Place Gluten-Free Quick Bread and Muffin Mix $6.09

Ingredients: Brown Rice Flour, Vanilla Bean Powder (vanilla beans, corn based dextrose), Non-aluminum Baking Powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, bicarbonate of soda, corn starch (from non GMO corn), calcium acid phosphate), Sea Salt, Cinnamon, Baking Soda, Xanthan Gum, Nutmeg.

Old MSNBC video about Peanut Allergy death

2008-02-16T13:48:00.001-06:00

This video is from 2005 but it's a great example of why we have to be so serious about that darn peanut. I am starting to wonder if moms need to do their own study to figure out this craziness.

Click here to view video.

Valentine's REDO

2008-02-15T18:02:00.000-06:00

Well, unfortunately, some snow touched the ground on Wednesday, and they cancelled (pre)school. So, we weren't able to send our fun heart cakes. But, fortunately, we were able to eat a few at home! The boys loved that. So, here I go again. early Friday morning, I wake up to create NEW heart shaped cakes for Sam to take to school. The one thing about these special food items is that you really need to eat them fresh. Waiting even 2 days makes a big difference. So, we recreated them and the whole class gobbled them up today. Or, so I heard. Kudos to the kids who may notice a difference and they still eat them anyway! They are 3 year olds. When they are 4 and 5, they may not like them as they do now! I'm just taking advantage of the time while I have it! Plus, I put lots of icing so how can they not like them?? I used a different mix today. I used Gluten Free Pantry's Old Fashioned Cake & Cookie Mix. It was good but just a tad bit bland. I would still buy it anyway though. I'm sure using egg replacer didn't help. So, if you can use real eggs, I'm sure they would taste better.

KinniToos Cookies!

2008-02-13T21:39:00.000-06:00

Speaking of that little store in Gulfport "Health Nuts" and SUGAR, I found a new cookie for Sam! Since he doesn't like anything chocolate flavored, I bought the vanilla version and we have gone through several bags now. They are like a vanilla oreo! Although, when I just looked for them online, I noticed this statement: May Contain: Traces of sesame seeds, soy, eggs and tree nuts. AHH! Of course, this is not on the bag. I will have to call the company on this one.

Sugar Fix

2008-02-13T21:32:00.000-06:00

If your kids are like mine, they are always wanting something sweet. Of course, I give in on a daily (well, probably hourly) basis to sweets. But, since I am now offering something ELSE, we have dramatically cut back on our sweet intake. I bought these Rhino Gummy Vitamins at a store called "Health Nuts" in Gulfport, MS (great little store). Children can have up to two a day. So, for my kids, they get one in the morning and one after nap or rest time (a great encourager for taking naps too!) For some reason, these have given them their candy "fix" and they are content with it. But, I know they are also vitamins. So, everyone is happy.

Valentine Treats

2008-02-13T20:40:00.000-06:00

Well, so, I spent Tuesday night making "special" heart cakes for Sam's pre-school class' Valentine's Party on Wednesday. I tried a new MIX from the Gluten Free Pantry called "Spice Cake and Gingerbread Mix". It is so nice when you have a pre-made mix ready to go! I used Egg Replacer (2 eggs) and soy milk. They were actually really good! I would highly recommend this mix. But, be careful b/c if you are making cupcakes or smaller cakes, they cook only 1/3 of the time the package recommends! You could also add applesauce to make them a little lighter. But, overall, they were pretty light and fluffy. Once they cooled, I spread white icing on top. Icing is one thing I didn't discover until recently (that you can purchase!). I was always making my icing....but low and behold, there is a store bought version for us! It is Pillsbury Vanilla Frosting (the Funfetti version is at Target - with safe sprinkles included!) Most sprinkles seem to be okay (containing soy only) except the chocolate versions. Unfortunately, anything that is solid sugar is okay in my house.

About Us

2008-02-13T18:58:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I am finally catching up with the rest of the world and creating a blog! The reason I have decided to "give in" and blog is because I have an odd life and I know there are others out there who are in my shoes. My son Sam is one of the many children (12 million actually) out there with "food allergies". When he was 3 months old, he literally looked like a burn victim. His skin was covered with eczema and after months of research, we had him tested for food allergies. The outcome was not too good. He was highly allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, cow's milk, wheat/gluten, eggs, soy, garlic, and oddly enough celery. Praise God he has outgrown soy, garlic and celery. I completely admire any parent who can feed a child without soy in their diet. It is a tough one. But, for those of you out there who are living a gluten/wheat free, casein/lactose/dairy free, egg free, peanut and nut free life, this blog is for you!

I almost cringe to talk about this because there are such strong views on food allergies. I found a group on Facebook today with their mission being to (basically) CAUSE an anaphylactic reaction in a classmate. They are so mad that they are not allowed to bring peanut butter to school now. So, they will hide peanut filled cookies in their lunches and sit next to a child who has a peanut allergy just to test it. Then there are those (like my grandmother) who think they have a peanut allergy because it makes their stomach hurt. Or, the "just one bite won't hurt" crew. But, to those of us who live this life, we know that one bite can hurt. We are the ones who read about the deaths of children after getting even trace amounts of allergic foods, we are the ones who stay up late at night cooking for the entire class just so your child's food "looks" the same, we are the ones who bring safe food every where we go, we are the ones who have crazy food bills, and we are the ones blessed enough to have to avoid fast food and have to cook healthy alternatives for our children (if there is a silver lining!). So, on with our rice milk, on with our bland crackers, on with our egg replacer, on with our label reading we go. I hope you find some useful tips here.