Metro Detroit Food Allergy Support Group

I am so excited to announce that another local food allergy mom and myself will now be leading "The Circle of Food Allergic Families", a support group for food allergy families in the Detroit area. This is a great place for my local readers to connect with each other. Plus, I would love to meet you guys in person!!

Our first COFAF meeting will be April 20 at 6 pm. If you live in Metro Detroit, click here for more information on the when and where of this meeting. If you would like more information, please email me.

If you don't live in the metro area, you can still benefit from this group. I know that many ideas for posts will come from these meetings. In addition, I hope to publish generic notes (i.e. no names or identifying information) that will available on the website.

I am excited to be assuming leadership of this great group with the help of another mom. I hope to make the Detroit area and the entire state of Michigan a safer place for children with food allergies!

Bakery Style Cinnamon Rolls

It's hard to imagine never eating anything from a bakery. Yet, most PA kids never know the taste of a glazed doughnut or a creme-filled long john.

I am always trying new recipes that taste just like something you would find at your local bakery so Tyler never feels cheated. This weekend we had a craving for cinnamon rolls. I found one that tasted exactly like it was from a fancy bakery. And Tyler loved it!

The best part for me, though, was the fact that I used whole wheat flour for one third of the flour and you could not tell at all. Tyler's taste buds were happy and the "gotta make something with at least some nutrition" part of me was thrilled.

Here is the recipe I used:

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk (I used buttermilk because I had some that needed to be used up)
  
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast (I used instant because that's what I had)
  
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 6 cups all-purpose flour (I used 2 cups of whole wheat flour)
  
• 
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 
  
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in the butter; stir until melted. Add water and let cool until lukewarm.
2. In a large bowl, combine the milk mixture, yeast, white sugar, salt, eggs and 2 cups flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
3. Divide dough into two pieces. Roll each piece into a 12x9 inch rectangle. In a bowl, stir together the cinnamon and brown sugar. Spread each piece with half of the butter, half of the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough, using a little water to seal the seam.
4. Cut each roll into 12 slices using a very sharp knife or dental floss. Place rolls onto two 9x13 inch greased baking pans. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
6. To make frosting; combine confectioner's sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Add milk gradually until frosting reaches a spreading consistency. Spread over warm (but not hot) cinnamon rolls.

Enjoy!!

recipe & photo courtesy of allrecipes

New Facebook Discussion Group for PA Kid

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last couple of years, you have probably heard of Facebook.

I get quite a few emails from readers that desperately want to connect with another PA mom. While I absolutely love connecting with others like myself, I also wish I could connect my readers with each other so they have even more PA moms to connect with.

The solution? Facebook, of course!

The great thing about this is you can join the group, we can chat, upload pictures or videos of our PA Kids. This does not have to be entirely about peanut allergies, though. As we all know, PA usually involves many other things (i.e. other allergies, asthma, and eczema). This is a place for us to connect and share notes or just offer support.

If you have never joined Facebook, it is very easy. Just visit the main Facebook page and sign up. Once you do that, you can click the link below and join the Peanut Allergy Kid group.

See you on Facebook!

I'll Have Pizza with a Little Neurosis on the Side

Sometimes when your child has a peanut allergy you get a little neurotic. In my case, it is a lot!

If you have read this blog for long you know that I recently had my youngest child that has never exhibited any symptoms of a food allergy tested for that very thing. Not surprisingly he did not show any allergies to anything during the testing.

Yesterday I met up with my sister in law (the one I blogged about here) and her youngest child. We have a very large mall near my home that has a wonderful playground that the kids love to play on. After they were done playing, we got lunch at the food court.

Both of my boys wanted pizza. Shortly after digging into their pepperoni paradise, my youngest child curled up in a ball and turned pale. It was apparent something was terribly wrong. He wanted to be held so I picked him up. I grew more and more concerned by his complete lethargy. (He is the most active child on the planet, even in his sleep!!)

When you are a mom and you don't know what is wrong with your child, its scary. My SIL (who is a nurse) and my husband were there. It suddenly occurred to me that he could be having an allergic reaction to something. I asked them if his face was bloated or anything else odd. They said it was not.

His discomfort became even more apparent as he started screaming and I wasn't sure how I was going to get him out of the mall. This child has been through eye surgery so he has known pain. Yet, I have never seen him quite like this.

About 15 minutes after the whole episode started, he was fine. The culprit we have determined? GAS!

Seriously, I can't tell you how silly I feel for jumping to so many conclusions, including anaphylaxis. I know this child does not have food allergies but I simply cannot turn that voice off in my head that tells me something might be an allergic reaction.

What makes matters worse for Dylan, I told my husband and SIL I was actually a little thankful it was Dylan and not Tyler. I might have given Tyler an Epi Pen shot for something as simple as gas!!

Yep, Tyler's PA makes me crazy some days!

***

(The picture of Dylan above is not from this episode but just shows how crazy his hair can be in the morning!! It looks like I felt yesterday!!)

Yummy...Frozen Cupcakes!

One of the hardest parts of managing a younger child's peanut is allergy is food related events at school or preschool. (Did I just hear a collective "Ugh!")

For our family (and many other PA families), allowing your child to eat something made in a bakery or in a stranger's home is way too risky. Yet, it makes things like Birthday parties for other children and holiday parties a time for your PA child to feel completely left out.

My sister-in-law (who has 2 tree nut allergic children) gave me an excellent idea that I use now that Tyler is in preschool. Keep cupcakes in the freezer at school!

I asked permission at Tyler's preschool for a spot in the freezer and they happily obliged. My SIL's children are 12 and their school has allowed them to do this for years.

I make a batch of cupcakes and put them on a pan in the freezer for them to initially freeze. (If you stick them in a bag or container before they freeze, they will be a frozen blob by the time they freeze). Once frozen, I transfer the cupcakes to a large freezer bag. I put Tyler's name and the date they were baked on the package. Then they are ready for the school's freezer.

I realize they will not look like the other children's cupcakes. Amazingly, however, Tyler does not seem to mind. So they are at least a little festive, I bake Pillsbury Funfetti cupcakes (the ones with different colored sprinkles in the cake mix). Tyler knows they are his cupcakes and he is always thrilled to have them!

The Coconut Question

I received the following question from a reader:

Do you avoid coconut?

Initially, you might think this question has nothing to do with a peanut allergy. Believe it or not, it actually does have quite a bit to with PA.

Did you know that a coconut is considered a tree nut by many (including the FDA)? When you think about it, it does grow on a tree. It has a hard outer shell. And many that are allergic to tree nuts are also allergic to coconuts.

I will admit that I did not give this much thought until recently. In the back of my mind, I knew there was a chance of Tyler having an allergy. I don't like coconut so I don't cook with it. I do, however, love the smell of it. So, at times, I have had lotions and candles in the home with coconut.

Tyler's eczema has been terrible this winter. I have been looking for a natural treatment for it, rather than topical steroids. I stumbled across information that said coconut oil was good for it. I knew I needed to test him for a coconut allergy before I headed down that route.

The test was performed during his last allergy test. Guess what...he has a mild coconut allergy.

My advice to anyone dealing with a peanut allergy is to avoid coconut until you have a test performed to ensure there is not an allergy. Just to be on the safe side.

I never dreamed Tyler had a coconut allergy. Until he was diagnosed earlier this month.

Don't think coconut just hides in food. Check out sunscreens this coming summer. Beware of lotions. I am even concerned about some of the candles I have. Just like peanuts, coconut can hide in the most unsuspecting places.

Peanut Desensitization - My Take

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our weekend discussion on the issue of peanut desensitization. I had planned to chime in with my opinion. Since I had a busy weekend and never got a chance, I thought it was worthy to make it my Monday post.

Overall, it seemed there was a very positive feeling among my readers for this therapy. I completely agree. For our family, this sounds like it could make a real difference. One reason I was so sad about Tyler's tree nut diagnosis is because I know the peanut desensitization will not make him food allergy free or prevent his need for an Epi Pen wherever he goes. But is a giant leap in the right direction.

I understand those who do not feel comfortable with the therapy. It is, after all, giving your child peanuts. How long have us PA parents had it drummed in our heads to avoid the smallest trace of peanuts or else?

But I trust the research in this area. I trust our allergist when he talks about the faith he has in the treatment. I trust it enough to allow Tyler to participate.

In fact, I told our allergist I am ready today. He seems to think it won't be terribly long before the treatment is available in our area. He has over 500 patients with a peanut allergy. There will a lot of us considering it, I'm sure. But my mind is made up!

If you haven't contributed to the discussion on this issue, I would love to hear your thoughts. You can do so here.


photo by jhhwild

Peanut Desensitization - Would You Do It?

photo by fornal

In the last week or two peanut allergy has been back in the news quite a bit in the last week. The peanut desensitization I wrote about last year (you can read that here) is really nothing new.

The gist of the treatment is to give very small amounts of peanut flour that increase over time. After a year or two some of the children can tolerate up to 13 peanuts. (If you haven 't read about it before, check out the links above)

I would like to spark a discussion among my readers this weekend. Would you consider this treatment for you PA Kid if it were available to you to today?

I will chime in later this weekend with my own thoughts on this subject in the comments section. But, I am very interested to hear your take on this somewhat controversial therapy.

Allergy Testing on Siblings

After my series last week on Tyler's last allergy visit, you probably thought you heard the last of the allergist trials from our home for a while. But the vivid reminder of the severity of food allergies prompted me to make an appointment for my youngest child, Dylan.

Unlike Tyler, Dylan did not have eczema from the time he was a baby. In fact, I have never had a single reason to suspect Dylan of food allergies...except for the fact his big brother has them.

I know there is probably a lot of debate about whether you should test a child that shows no symptoms. But, after I talked it over with our allergist, I felt the only way I would not worry and Dylan would be completely safe would be to test him.

For me the biggest question was whether or not I needed an Epi Pen when Tyler was not with me. I admit I have carried it with just Dylan and I at times just because it made me feel better.

Dylan will be 2 and a half next month. He has had his own share of health problems. Muscular problems in both eyes required surgery last year with another one in the future. I hoped and prayed that was the only serious issue I had with him.

I let him have his beloved pacifier (normally reserved for the bedroom) during the process. Have you ever seen a more pitiful face? (Again, sorry my cell phone takes small pictures)

I have decided allergy testing on my children rips my heart out. Here is what I saw:
(Yes, that is me in the picture! I also took the picture so you might understand why the angle is a little weird!)

In the end, it appears Dylan is allergy free! I would like to get up and do the happy dance but there was one minor issue. He had a very, very mild reaction to peanut. The allergist said he is 99.9% sure he does not have a peanut allergy. But the only way to know for sure is to do a food challenge.

If you know our story, you know that when Tyler did a peanut challenge in our former allergist's office, they were forced to call 911. What happened to Tyler almost never happens (zero RAST with a life-threatening reaction). Yet, it happened. And a food challenge on Dylan scares me.

We will wait until he is 3 (next fall). In the end, I will do the challenge because we need to know for sure for the day Dylan goes to preschool. But I would be lying if I didn't say that I am little freaked out about it.

The good news is that there was no question about any of the other allergens he tested for, including tree nuts. But that stinking peanut will not leave my family alone!

New Allergen Friendly Foods

Do you deal with multiple food allergies and find it nearly impossible to find convenience foods? St. Louis-based Allergy Friendly Foods, LLC announced today the national launch of Allergaroo®, the country’s only allergy-friendly, gluten-free brand of delicious, convenient, ready-made dishes.

All three of the great-tasting Allergaroo all-natural, ready-made dishes, including Spaghetti, Chili Mac and Spyglass Noodles, can now be found in more than 1,000 select grocery stores throughout the U.S. in addition to natural foods stores and specialty online retailers.

To find a grocery store near you that carries Alleraroo, click here.

Can't find a grocery store near you? No fear...Amazon
carries them, too! With the click of your mouse, you can have Spaghetti, Chili Mac, orSpyglass Noodles,

Isn't it great the allergen friendly food is becoming easier and easier to find??

Kyle Dine: Songs about Food Alleriges

If there is one thing that Tyler loves, it is music!! Nothing is cuter than listening to him sing along to his favorite songs.

I was excited recently to discover a musician that sings about nothing but food allergies! His name is Kyle Dine and his music actually sounds fun and catchy. With songs like "Epi Man" and "Stop! Please Don't Feed Me!" it might actually makes food allergies fun! It would also would also be a great way to help a preschooler who doesn't completely understand his allergies or only sees them as limitations.

When I visited his website, I was excited to see that he will be in our area in two months. I penciled it in on our calendar. How fun to go to a concert dedicated to nothing but food allergies!!
To learn more about his CD or purchase it, you can visit this link.

If you would rather purchase it as an MP3 download, Amazon carries it. (You can listen to clips there, too.)

And the Winner Is...

Thank you so much to all of you who played along in our fun little contest last week. Not only will one of you get free products, we all learned some new treats to feed our PA kids. Valuable information, indeed!

I know, I know, you're here to see who won the allergen free foods from allerneeds.com.

Drum roll, please...........

The winner is comment # 14: Emily!!!! She left the following comment:

My son just turned two today, he was diagnosed officially at 18 months. He loves sweets but doesn't get them very often. For his birthday party I made banana cream pies, it was a Curious George theme. He loves his Grandmother's jell-o dessert.

I really appreciate your blog. It has truly been a help to me.

Emily

I used random.org to select the winner. (For the record, I asked it to generate a random number between 1 and 20 -the number of comments- and 14 popped up!)

Congrats Emily. I will be contacting you shortly to get your address so you can start enjoying your peanut free treats soon!!

Advocating for Safer Restaurants

Have you ever wished the restaurants your family visited or would like to visit were more allergy aware? Sometimes the reason they are not is simply because no one has taken the time to educate them.

The Food Allergy and Anaphylactic Network (FAAN) recently released a training guide for restaurants. It offers education on things like food labeling, guidelines to avoid cross contamination, and much more to make restaurants more aware of how to keep those with food allergies safe.

This guide is available for free download here.

While you can provide it to your favorite restaurants, you can do much more to help out every food allergic individual in your state. Most states have some organization(s) to which many restaurants belong. The goal of these organizations is to educate restaurants to help their businesses achieve as much successful as possible.


Wouldn't you say understanding how to keep your child safe while they dine should be a part of their definition of "success?"

I live in Michigan and a friend suggested I let the Michigian Restaurant Association know about this new guide. That is exactly what I did. I sent them the following email:

Hi. I am with Circle of Food Allergic Families. We are a support group in Oakland county for families dealing with food allergies.

The Food & Anaphylaxis Network(FAAN) recently released a free training guide for restaurants. It includes case studies, best practices, up-to-date research, food labeling information, practical strategies for avoiding cross-contact, suggested procedures for keeping guests safe, and steps to prepare for an allergic emergency.

The guide is available for free download at http://www.foodallergy.org/downloads/welcomingguests.pdf.

I know many people in the restaurant industry are aware of the increasing incidence of food allergies today. This guide should provide a great deal of information and guidance that can help restaurants both big and small.

Would you consider posting this guide on your website so that it is available to members of your association?

If you have any questions about this guide or food allergies in general, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Best Regards,
Robyn

Doing something similar in your state is an excellent way to educate those who have the potential to make a huge difference in the safety of your child. Even if you choose not to eat out (many families with food allergy families make this choice), many other FA families do. This is your chance to help keep those families safe.

The more people from each state that contact these organizations, the more they will take note. (i.e. If you live in Michigan, please contact MRA just like I did!)

To find out where to contact in your state, start by googling your state's name and the terms "Restaurant Association." For example: "Michigan Restaurant Association." See what comes up in your search. If it doesn't immediately pull something up, look around and I think you will find something.

You are welcome to use as much of the text of my own letter as you want. If you are not a part of a support group, make yourself relevant by letting them know you have a child with life-threatening food allergies.

If you have a friend in the food service industry, they might be able to offer suggestions of other organizations that might be interested in this guide.

Our job as PA parents is to keep our children safe when they are out of the walls of our home. Promoting this guide is a very positive step in that direction.

Mommy Guilt No More

The genetics were set for Tyler's PA & TNA when this picture was taken at just a few hours after his birth.

**********

{If you missed the first two parts in this series on coping with a new life-threatening food allergy, click here and here.}

When I began researching food allergies when Tyler was diagnosed a little over 3 years ago, I felt a tremendous amount of guilt. The more I read, the more I saw there was a very possible link to what a mother eats while pregnant and nursing and what their child was allergic.

Suddenly the many sleepless nights I had off and on during my pregnancy with him that I consoled myself with peanut butter toast came flooding back to me. The peanut butter and crackers I ate when I was a new nursing mom seemed almost sinful.

So, I did what most moms do, I felt totally responsible for his health problems.

I know I am not alone in this feeling. I have heard from many moms that echo my feelings. I've written about this before so they knew they found a kindred spirit.

I knew I ate pecans and probably even almonds during my pregnancy. But, I NEVER ate cashews. I can't stand the taste of them. I have never even bought them.

As I sat stunned in the allergist's office last week, I told the doctor that I never ate cashews. How could Tyler be allergic? (Umm...needless to say Tyler has never eaten them either!)

The allergist told me that all it took was a trace in his system to cause the allergy. It could have been somewhere in public. A family member's home. Or somewhere I would never think of. Who knows how it was introduced?

In fact, the doctor told me he has seen children that are diagnosed with a peanut allergy that their mothers also never ate or had peanuts in the house. Yet, a trace entered their system that caused an allergy to develop. It came from somewhere but not necessarily from mom.

Once the initial shock wore off from our new diagnosis, I actually felt such a sense of guilt lifting off my shoulders. Since February 2006 I have blamed myself for his allergy.

But it just may not be my fault after all! So, in a weird way, this last week has been somewhat liberating for me.

If you have emailed me or ever felt guilt for your child's peanut allergy DO NOT! Its genetics. Don't waste any more emotional energy on that. Its not worth it and you are not to blame. It was in the genetics for your PA kid. Nothing less, nothing more.

OK, now, 'fess up. Who else reading this has fallen victim to this guilt I have carried around for way, way too long?

Emotions and a New Diagnosis

{If you missed my post yesterday on Tyler's newest diagnosis of tree nut allergy, click here.}

When Tyler was first diagnosed with his peanut allergy at 13 months, I was very newly pregnant with Dylan and I took the news very hard. I think part of the problem was the I googled "peanut allergy" and quickly discovered it is the most deadly food allergy. Nothing prepares you for news like that.

I have told myself in the last 3 years since we discovered PA that a tree nut allergy was a very real possibility but I hoped and prayed we just had PA. I was scared I would take the news with any new allergies with tears and grieving.

When I noticed the big reaction emerging on his back, I tried to tell myself maybe it was one of the environmental things the allergist was testing for. But I have learned enough about food allergies in the last 3 years to know what a life-threatening reaction looks like. Deep down I knew it was not good.

When the diagnosis was confirmed I felt a little numb. I knew I needed to be strong in front of Tyler. Tyler is a perceptive kid. As I kept looking at his back, he said, "Are you sad Mommy?"

I told him I was sad but everything would be fine. Because it truly will. The last 3 years have taught me Tyler can inspire strength in me when dealing with his food allergies that I never knew I had. This time proved that fact.

I'm an emotional girl. I'm a crier. So as I drove home right after the diagnosis I wasn't sure how to feel. I had to remind myself that not much would change in our home. Not much would change with what he ate.

The biggest disappointment was the fact I have a lot of faith in the possibility that is coming for the peanut desensitization treatment. While I would still do it in a heartbeat, we will still need to be ultra vigilant with other nuts.

The morning after the diagnosis I woke up a little before 5am with the new diagnosis on my mind. I realized that I am so much stronger about this stuff than I ever dreamed. The biggest help is realizing I must accept it and not allow my mind to dwell on it too much.

No tears this time. No anger. No imagining what it would like to not have this diagnosis. Just acceptance and realizing this is part of my child. If I love all of him, I must be strong and accept him, even with a few genetic flaws. Plus, it could be much, much worse. (Ever seen a child go through chemo?)

In the end, this diagnosis has made me much, much stronger. It has also relieved a lot of the "Mommy guilt" that goes along with having a child with life-threatening food allergies. I'll be back tomorrow to discuss that...

A Visit with the Allergist

When Tyler was first diagnosed with a peanut allergy at 13 months, I was shocked. I didn't even know our allergist was testing for that. I had requested a test for eggs. I was relieved we found out in her office and not in the ER.

After the diagnosis, however, I wished I had requested tree nut testing, as well. My husband has a niece and nephew that are allergic to tree nuts so I knew there was a very real possibility that Tyler was, as well. Since then I have requested that testing be done. At each allergist appointment since then, however, something has prevented it.

After a little over 3 years of waiting, last week the BIG day. I was nervous. So was Tyler. This time he was old enough to know what was happening. Like any 4 year old, Tyler doesn't like needles.

In our home, we have a rule that if you do anything involving needles, you get a car from the movie Cars or a train from Thomas the Tank Engine as a special treat. Here is Tyler (with a smile on his face!) admiring his new car moments before testing:



Then the "fun" began. Anyone who has ever had a child allergy tested will certainly recognize this (I have no idea why the next 2 pix are so small since I took them with the same camera):


and this:



I was very optimistic that he would turn out fine. But genetics are stronger than a Mom's wishes. The verdict was not good. He had a mild reaction to nearly everything (including mold & dust that I also requested).

But the biggest shock was this:



That, my friend, is a cashew reaction! It was about the size of a half dollar (maybe even bigger.) The reaction was so bad it made him feel sick. He said his mouth and throat did not feel "funny" but he just didn't feel good. This prompted the allergist to give him some antihistamine and keep us a little bit for observation.

So the final verdict is a tree nut allergy. Nothing really changes in our home since we avoided them anyway. Still it is very disappointing,

As you can imagine there were lots of emotions that I encountered after the diagnosis. I will be back tomorrow to talk about all of that.

Review of Allerneeds.com & a Giveaway! ****GIVEAWAY ENDED****

A couple of months ago (before all the craziness in our home started!), Allerneeds.com asked if they could send me some of their products to review. I happily agreed but knew who the real reviewer would be: Tyler!

Allerneeds sent me an incredible box of goodies. I can't tell you how excited Tyler was! Usually when candy is around, I have a special safe treat in my purse. But this time everything was safe and just for him! I didn't even make him share with his little brother for once. (Don't worry, Dylan has plenty of treats Tyler can't eat.)

In his box of peanut-free goodies were the following:

No Nuttin':

• Apple Cinnamon granola bar
• Double Chocolate Chunk granola bar
• Vanilla Cinnamon granola clusters

Enjoy Life:

• Beach Bash trail mix
• Very Berry snack bar

AllerEnergy:

• Blueberry nutrition bar
• Chocolate Chip nutrition bar

Mars:

• Dark candy bar (made in Canada so it has the peanut-free label I've blogged about here)

Any company that goes out of its way to cater to those who can't have peanuts is certainly a company worth supporting. The thing that impressed me most about this company (besides their products & generosity) is their website! I have never seen anything quite like it.

I know that many of my readers deal with multiple allergies. Just select what allergies your child has and it will generate a list of safe products. If you are just dealing with peanut and/or tree nut allergies, all of their products are safe!

On the orange bar at the bottom, it says "Shop by Allergy." Just select which allergies you deal with and **presto** a list of safe products!!



Honestly, could allergy-free shopping be any easier?

I'll be the first to admit that candy like this is not cheap. Their prices, however, are very comparable to other food allergy sites I have visited. I consider myself very frugal but when it comes to having safe candy that allows Tyler to feel "special" and like he is not missing out on anything, I am willing to pay whatever is needed.

Tyler has not tried quite everything yet but he has tried a few things. He loved the Mars (we already had those on hand). He also loved the AllerEnergy Chocolate Chip Nutrition Bar.

On the other hand, he was not so crazy about the Vanilla Caramel clusters from No Nuttin'. He's not a picky eater so that was a surprise. (I make these from scratch so that may be why.) I tasted it and it tasted fine to me.

Even if you are not in the market right now for this type of product, I still encourage you to check out their website. I know you will be as impressed as I was. If you are like me, just knowing where you can get some safe treats for your PA kid when you need to is worth a lot!

You can click the logo below to visit their site. (It is also on my left sidebar.)

Keep scrolling down for the GIVEAWAY!!

OK, you did not think I would keep all of these treats for us did you? Of course not! As a thank you for reading this blog (and for putting up with me during my mini hiatuses in the last couple of months), one lucky reader will receive :

1. Enjoy Life Beach Bash Nut Free Trail Mix (also free of gluten, egg, soy, milk, fish & shellfish)
2. AllerEnergy Blueberry Nutrition Bar (also free of the above mentioned)
3. No Nuttin' Apple Cinnamon Granola Bar (also free of the above but has a cross contamination warning for sesame).
4. Mars Dark bar(contains milk & egg but free of everything else)
   

So how do you get these wonderful peanut free treats for your PA Kid?
Leave a comment telling us what your PA Kid's favorite treat is (see we can learn from each other too!)

If you would like a second entry, subscribe to PA Kid through e-mail. (See the top of the right column for that info.) If you already do subscribe, just leave me a comment telling me so and you will get a second entry. (That is a total of 2 comments for 2 entries)

So I can contact you in case you are the winner, please leave your email address in your comment.

This giveaway will end at 9:00 am next Monday, March 16. The results of the giveaway will be posted shortly after the giveaway ends!! ****GIVEAWAY ENDED****

Good Luck!!

Dare Cookies at Amazon - Hurry!!

Amazon notified me that they are now selling Dare cookies again. I have never personally tried these but have heard from readers in Canada they are great. Plus...they are made in a peanut free facility! (I verified this is listed on each of the listings below...not all Dare cookies state this on Amazon.)

For some reason Amazon does not carry these often and only have small quantities when they do. So, if you are interested in buying a case of these safe cookies, act fast!

Here is what they are offering (these prices are for a pack of 12 boxes of cookies)...



(As of 3/8/09 4:00pm EST only 2 of the Maple Creme left)
(As of 3/8/09 4:00pm EST only 3 of the Lemon Creme left)

As of 3/8/09 4:00pm EST only 3 of the Whippet Cookies left


Note: these probably would not be a great choice if you are dealing a coconut allergy. :)

If you purchase any of these, I would love to know what you think. I have them on my list to buy next time we are in Canada.

A Little Update...

I wanted to apologize for dropping off of the face of the blogosphere this week. In fact, I have been very hit and miss for the last couple of months with this blog. We have had several health problems going on in our home (including some with yours truly). I have been forced to put this blog on the back burner at times. Please understand I love helping others dealing with food allergies and am committed to doing that again the very near future.

In addition, there have been some computer problems that have compounded my ability to keep up with emails and other requests. I promise to catch up with these in the very near future.

Food allergies are tough! The journey never ends, does it? Tyler went in for more allergy testing this week and we have discovered another life-threatening food allergy. You can imagine the emotions that go along with all of that. I know probably everyone that reads this blog has dealt with that.

My plans for next week are to write a review of a candy supply company and a few posts on dealing with all of the emotions that food allergies bring while I am in the midst of a new diagnosis.

Please be patient... Next week is a new week and hopefully it will bring a little more health to our home!

Peanut-Free Candy Anyone?

If you read this blog last fall, you know that we literally crossed the border to find safe candy for Tyler. I don't really understand why Canada seems to understand the need for peanut-free candy more than the US does. I'm just thankful we only live an hour from the border.

I received the following information from Karen at Avoiding Milk Protein (thanks Karen!). Since so many of you are looking for safe treats for your PA Kid, I thought these links to Canadian candy were worth posting. Prices for this type of candy are certainly higher than you would pay at the store but worth it for few safe treats that you can't get in the US (like Kit Kat!)

Canadian nut free facilities have been expanding and popping up in recent years as American neighbors watch in wonder. With the economic down turn, companies are unlikely to build in the US, especially with costs involved with insuring the facility is indeed nut free.

This has created a growing industry of companies that ship much wanted nut free from Canada to the US. Some of these companies started as candy shipping companies, then out of demand have categorized their nut free products. Most of these companies have grown out of the demand for Nut Free Canadian products. The newest shipper is Canadiannook, who only sells Canadian nut free products.

www.canadiannook.com

www.peanutfreeplanet.com

www.allerneeds.com

www.canadaonly.ca

www.halfpennybooksandmore.com

www.canadiansweets.com

www.panhandlepremium.com

I not have dealt with most of these companies so I can't personally endorse them. I have, however, dealt with Allerneeds.com and have a favorable review of them coming later this week.