The Guilt of a Food Allergic Mom

By the grace of God, our son Ryan's food allergies are not nearly what Alexis' are. Yes, he is allergic to the same food but will only develop eczema, stomach cramps and diarrhea should he ingest any of them - he has never gone into anaphylactic shock, thankfully.

Ryan is in Kindergarten and doing extremely well. Because of the extreme measures we had to take with Alexis, his teachers are prepared and aware of his situation. Fortunately, he does not need and epipen and the staff know he can not share food and must never eat anything that is brought in by another parent. And although we talked to the other parents to call us should they want to bring in cupcakes, etc. they often don't. Therefore, we always keep a stash of Sweet Alexis Chocolate Chip cookies in the room fridge should something come up.

Today was a learning experience. When dropping Ryan at school, we discovered he had a substitute teacher. She had been to the class previously, knew of Ryan's allergies and everyone seemed comforatable - we have a strict rule, if our kids to not feel safe or the caregiver/teacher/sub doesn't "get it", we pull them out. But, he was happy so I proceeded to remind her about Ryan's allergies and those of one other child in the class room. I gave him loves and I went about my morning.

Upon picking Ryan up, I saw that he was huddled in a ball with his head hung low between his knees, very upset. Aparently, one mom brought in cupcakes and Tootsie Roll lollypops which both contain milk. The substitute was unaware of the stash of safe cookies in the fridge and Ryan sat and watched the other children eat cupcakes while he had nothing (the other child with allergies was able to eat the lollypop). He was devestated. I was heartbroken.

Immediately, I reminded Ryan about his secret stash and allowed him to eat two cookies! I told him how proud I was that he kept himself safe and apologized that he had that experience. My poor boy.

We try to do all we can for our children, but sometimes things fall through the cracks. We are both a little worse for wear today, but we will learn and move on. Now, I'm off to write a reminder note to all the parents about Ryan and his food allergies - hopefully next time someone will remember his secret stash in the fridge.

Food Allergy Gift of Hope!

As I sit down to write this article for the holiday season, my initial intent was to provide a holiday shopping gift guide. However that all changed when I was recently approached by Food Allergy Initiative, a national non-profit organization that has contributed more than $60 million dollars towards finding the cause and cure for food allergies. They asked if I would participate in a letter writing campaign to Congresswoman Capps, asking for her support. Eureka! The prefect gift for the holiday season, the gift of “hope”, that each of us as a friend, relative, neighbor or community member can easily give.

Why should you care? Well, whether you know it or not, this “hidden disability” affect’s everyone. According to FAI, more than 12 million Americans suffer from food allergies and the number of children under age five with food allergies doubled from 1997-2002. Those children are now students in our school system and they require extra attention and care due to the severity of the situation. Schools must hire specially trained health staff, sanitize supplies and classroom implements, and train staff for emergencies that are inevitable not improbable. Every child deserves an education in a safe and secure environment but the schools need financial assistance managing and educating others regarding this potentially fatal disability.

The time couldn’t be more perfect for our voices to be heard. With all the discussion on Capital Hill regarding healthcare, it is time for our Congress and the Administration to devote more of their attention towards food allergies and how we can assist our communities and schools. Although the Government has allocated $17 million to the research and study of treatments to prevent these allergies, this pales in comparison to what has been provided to non fatal disabilities such as Attention Deficit Disorder which receives $107 million. It has become apparent that not enough Americans know about the importance of this issue or why it important as a community.

Yet another reason to act now, we are so close. According to FAI-USA, although researchers do not understand why rates are increasing so rapidly, specifically among children, they do believe they are about 10 years away from discovering treatments or even cures if they are able to continue their work. What we need to do is help ensure that our government representatives understand how serious this problem is, how much we need this research to continue and how imperative it is to support the school districts in which our children attend.

What you can do; Sign up as a supporter and learn more about increasing awareness by logging onto www.faiusa.org. Write a letter or call your elected officials to educate them on food allergy issues. Become an FAI regional coordinator. Ask five friends to join FAI’s advocacy team and follow FAI on Facebook and Twitter.

Give the gift of “hope”. Thank you from the food allergic community and have a Happy Holiday Season!

Allergy Free Pumpkin Pie!

As I have always said, baking is a chemistry experiment and ever since Alexis was diagnosed with life threatening food allergies, I have tried in vein each year to make a pumpkin pie that resembles the original. Below is this years attempt found at www.diaryfreecooking.about.com and although I have yet to try it, the reviews say it tastes just like the original. Happy baking!!!
Ingredients:
· 1 Prepared 9" allergy free pie crust
· ¼ cup Egg Replacer powder
· 1/3 cup hot water (not boiling)
· 1 15-oz can organic pumpkin puree
· ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
· ¼ cup maple syrup
· 2 T. canola oil
· 1 T. cornstarch
· ½ t. salt
· 1 t. cinnamon
· ½ t. ground ginger
· 1 ½ cup soy/rice milk, plus more for brushing
· ½ cup soy/rice milk powder
· Sugar, for sprinkling
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a 9” pie plate with margarine or oil. Roll out the pie dough to about ¼” thick and place in the pie plate. Using your fingers, pinch a crust so that it is flush with the plate as desired. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
2. Place a small sack of beans or pie weights on the crust and bake for 10 minutes. Transfer the pie plate to a wire wrack and let cool while making the filling.
3. Turn down the oven to 350 F.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the Egg Replacer powder and the hot water until mixture is smooth and thick, without any lumps. Set aside.
5. In a food processor, combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, maple syrup, canola oil, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and ground ginger, and pulse until just combined. Add the Egg Replacer mixture and pulse until combined.
6. In a small bowl, mix together ½ cup of the soy/rice milk with the soy/rice milk powder until well combined. Add this to the pumpkin mixture and process until smooth. With the machine still running, add the remaining soy/rice milk gradually until the mixture is well combined.
7. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. Brush the crust with soy/rice milk and sprinkle the crust and filling lightly with sugar. Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until the crust is golden and the filling is just a little jiggly. Allow pie to cool completely before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Allergy Free Pie Crust
This recipe was also found at www.diaryfreecooking.about.com . To achieve the flakiest crust, they recommend to use a food processor, keep your ingredients as cold as possible and to handle the dough as little as possible. Makes enough 1 double-crust 9" pie or 2 single-crust 9" pie crusts
Ingredients:
· 2 ½ cups all-purpose wheat or gluten free flour
· ¾ t. salt
· 2 t. sugar
· ½ cup (1 stick) cold soy margarine
· 8 oz. (1 tub) cold dairy-free cream cheese, such as tofutti
· about 1/3 cup ice cold water, more if needed
Preparation:
1. In a food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Add the soy margarine and dairy-free cream cheese and pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. While the machine is still running, gradually add the water until the dough just holds together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
2. Divide dough in half, wrap each half in plastic and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before using, or up to overnight.

Happy Halloween From the Sweet Alexis Pumpkin!

Thank you to a special friend!

In the past few years, there have been some companies out there trying to capitalize on the allergy community by claiming that they are "allergy free" or "safe" when they are not. Some of these companies claim to make allergen safe goods and do not claim that there are cross contaminates in their facility. This puts those that anaphylax to contact or airborne allergens at extreme risk (not to mention risk of cross contamination) yet these companies do it for profit, with disregard to our safety. In talking with owners of other "allergy companies", this is something we are seeing all too often in each of our specialties.

On the other hand there are some companies that have complete and total integrity - one being Amy of www.amybakescupcakes.com. Amy is a local cupcake connoisseur who makes amazing and delicious cupcakes. Amy has never claimed to be an allergy free company and when asked recently (I was not present) what she did in regards to peanut free goods, I am told she explained about the allergens in her facility and about cross contaminates. Amy apparently when on to promote Sweet Alexis, www.sweetalexis.com, and suggested if one is in need of peanut free products to contact us. Amazing!

Amy and I have had the pleasure of becoming friends and supporting one another however, when hearing of this it brought tears of joy to my eyes. Thank you Amy from the Sweet Alexis family for not only your support but also from the allergy community for keeping us safe! Good luck to you and God Bless.

Angel Service Dog Graduation featuring Sweet Alexis!

One of our favorite allergy conscious companies, Angel Service Dogs (http://www.angelservicedogs.com/), is holding their first graduation ceremony this weekend in Colorado where Sweet Alexis products are being enjoyed by all. We first met "Rocko" the peanut sniffing dog and his adorable owner Riley, at the Thrive Expo in Chicago this past April where Riley fell in love with our chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin raisin bread.

Typical of the allergy community, Angel Service Dogs was created by Riley's parents out of necessity. Now they've made it their mission to help other food allergic families in need. As a "food allergic mom", Sherry completely understands the in's and out's of living with this life threatening disability and what is necessary to keep her safe. The two week long event will include everything from learning about "safe" dog foods and products, to eating out, going to school, to trips to the grocery store and more.


Thinking about getting an Angel Service dog? Angel Service Dogs is so completely dedicated that they offer to assist with fundraising, training, follow up visits and consultations. Contact them immediately if your are evening considering it, as the process takes time and requests are many.

Unfortunately, Alexis was not with me in Chicago to meet Riley but we hope to get the girls together very soon. The two of them are amazing and would take the world by storm. For now, Riley calls me "the cookie lady" and I am so thrilled to provide safe treats that her, her family and the other food allergic families have on hand can enjoy.

Tips For a Safe Halloween with Food Allergies

Here is my recent article for Central Coast Family Newspaper...enjoy!

Halloween is a great time for kids and adults alike. My husband and I dress up every year and the children get a kick out of it! However, as you can imagine, a holiday filled with candy can make the event a bit tricky when dealing with food allergies. How do you allow the kids to enjoy the holiday and keep them safe at the same time? Thanks to my friends in the allergen community, there are many alterative plans to making this a safe and fun Halloween for all. Listed below are a few sites worth checking out.

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network’s annual Trick-or-Treat for Food Allergy gets the kids involved with the cause. By collecting coins instead of candy, kids raise funds for FAAN’s food allergy education and research programs. Parents can get involved too by taking a collection bag to work, the gym, local stores, etc. Last year, this event raised over $17,000 and every bit helps! To register go to www.foodallery.org/Support/Halloween or call 1-800-929-4040.

Halloween Food Allergy Twitter Party – Join hosts Jennifer B. of Food Allergy Buzz (www.foodallergybuzz.com) and Ruth Smith of Best Allergy Sites (www.bestallergysites.com) on October 2nd, 9:30pm – 10:30pm (EST) for a great discussion from experienced parents on how to make a fun and safe Halloween. These are amazing women that are extremely involved and knowledgeable in the allergen community so I am sure it will be an extremely informative event. Follow the link to http://www.socializr.com/event/foodallergies/halloween and join the fun. All are welcome so if you can’t attend, please encourage a friend or relative. Prizes will also be given at the event so don’t miss out!

Kids with Food Allergies (www.kidswithfoodallergies.org) have numerous tips including an eight page downloadable guide to help families have a safe Halloween both at home and at school. Included are suggested activities, crafts and games that are fun for everyone. My favorite part is the recipes which include a Carmel Apple Dip which can be made virtually allergen free. In addition there is an amazing gluten free pumpkin cookie which I will have to make for my gluten free friends. Yum! KFA is an amazing source for all things food allergic that has helped my family through the years.

Here are some suggestions that we have found to be very successful in our own home:
1. Look for community events at your local church, community center or lodge that promote games, rides, etc.
2. Host a Halloween party such as pumpkin carving contest that would include safe treats and snacks.
3. Candy Swap – Carry safe candy with you to swap immediately or when you get home. Presents such as toys and coins in exchange for the unsafe candy always does well in my home.

With a little bit of planning and creative thinking, Halloween can be a great event for all. As mentioned, my kids love that we dress up – this year fairies for the girls and Star Wars for the boys. Hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween!