Allergy Article April '09

Easter time is great for family and friends to gather to share a meal and make fun art projects. For the food allergic child this can be a time of anxiety and stress - but it doesn’t have to be. With a little imagination and a search or two on the Internet, one can find great projects the entire family will enjoy.

For example, a fun alternative to coloring Easter eggs, try painting wooden or foam eggs instead. You could also make eggs from construction paper, paper mache or even colorful pipe cleaners. Cut pictures of eggs out of magazines and make a collage or create a beautiful Easter hat. My kids love anything to do with glitter and glue…the messier the better. Let your imagination run wild and have fun!

Don’t want to put candy in the Easter basket - that’s okay. Here are few suggestions that don’t involve all of that sugar and allergen risk. Try a garden theme basket with gloves, hat, shovel and seeds. Or, a beach theme with a chair, towels, sun screen, new bathing suit and a kite. My family has been known to fill plastic eggs with coins, raisins and even allergy free marshmallows. Don’t want to spend a lot of money - you’d be surprised what is available at your local dollar or art store.

Is family coming for dinner? Here is a fantastic diary free alternative to the traditional potato bake by my friend Barb Nicoletti at www.godairyfree.org.

Dairy Free Potato Bake - Ingredients:
6 - 8 pieces of bacon cooked crunchy and crumbled. Reserve 4 Tablespoons of bacon fat or us 4 Tablespoons of olive oil.
1 small onion, minced
2 heaping Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 - 1.5 cups broth or water
2-3 Tablespoons of milk alternative
3 lbs. potatoes peeled, cubed and parboiled (partially boiled to finish cooking in later process).

Cooking instructions:
Using the skillet you cooked the bacon in, heat the pan on med-low and add minced onion. Saute until soft. Add flour and stir until roux forms. Slowly add broth, garlic powder, and continue stirring until desired thickness occurs (approx. 4-5 minutes). Stir in milk alternative; turn off heat to prevent scalding.

In a treated casserole dish, place potatoes on the bottom of the dish and pour “cream” mixture over the top. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon bits over the top and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Garnish with slivered green onions. Enjoy!

Just a reminder, “THRIVE Allergy Expo - the only Allergy and Gluten Free Expo in North America” is coming to Chicago April 18th - 19th at Chicago’s McCormick Place. THRIVE activities will include allergen and gluten free cooking classes, seminars including cutting edge information on Celiac detection from the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, exhibitor demonstrations, product sampling of allergen free foods and much more. For more information, go to www.thriveallergyexpo.com.
Another great event - “Angel Service Dogs” is a non-profit organization dedicated to help children with ‘Hidden Disabilities’, including Seizure Alert Dogs. Now, they are successfully training dogs to detect food allergies - known as Allergy Alert Dogs. A graduation of the first Allergy Alert Dog group is scheduled at Disneyland this June. There is a week long schedule of seminars and events with major preparations being done for the food allergic community at numerous Disneyland restaurants. This would be a great time to safely visit the park! For more information, email angelservicedogs@gmail.com.