The Government Wants Your Advice…

Yeah, you heard me right! But it’s likely you won’t be hearing that again for a very long time. This time the Aviation Enforcement Office needs YOUR input. This is your chance to give your two cents worth about peanut allergies and how serious it really is. The office is looking to enforce a no-peanut rule for air travel. This is straight from the horse’s mouth…

We are particularly interested in hearing views on how peanuts and peanut products brought on board aircraft by passengers should be handled. How likely is it that a passenger with allergies to peanuts will have severe adverse health reactions by being exposed to the airborne transmission of peanut particles in an aircraft cabin (as opposed to ingesting peanuts orally)? Will taking certain specific steps to prepare for a flight (auto-injector in order to immediately and aggressively treat an anaphylactic reaction) sufficiently protect individuals with severe peanut allergies? Who should be responsible for ensuring an epinephrine auto-injector is available on a flight—the passenger with a severe peanut allergy or the carrier? Is there recent scientific or anecdotal evidence of serious in-flight medical events related to the airborne transmission of peanut particles? Should any food item that contains peanuts be included within the definition of peanut products (containing peanut oil)? Is there a way of limiting this definition? 

So, head on over HERE and read the article for yourself. Then, LEAVE A COMMENT! This is your chance to let your voice be heard. Thanks to allergymoms.com for alerting me to this important info!

Fruit Salad…Yummy, Yummy

So, today’s snack in VBS {Vacation Bible School} was animal crackers and frosting. Believe it or not, it DOES matter what brand you buy. Some products have been manufactured around common allergens even though they may not contain allergens. But, as we all know, cross-contamination can pose a very serious risk in some people. Therefore, it’s safe to say that if you have an allergy be sure to pay attention to the fine print. (Sorry for the quality of the below pic.)

The animal cracker snack was easy to substitute. I bought the Barnum & Bailey Circus Animal Crackers because they do not contain any of the allergens that Daughter is allergic to and are not processed around any of her allergens. Most generic brands and/or Stouffer’s brand of animal crackers, she cannot have because of the processing issue. So, I just bought her a small box of the circus animal crackers and gave her a very small container of Betty Crocker Chocolate Frosting (has none of her allergens) and she was good to go!

Tomorrow, Daughter will be having Fruit Salad and because I am not sure whether the fruit salad at VBS is canned (which could pose processing issues for Daughter) I just made my own fresh fruit version of fruit salad for her. She will be having some juicy peaches, apples, bananas and blueberries. The hardest part of this will be remembering to pack it in her bag in the morning!

All of these are great snacks and super easy. I’m going to be bringing these snacks out at our house on a regular basis instead of the pre-packaged things from now on!

Monkey Bread

So, Daughter has Vacation Bible School this week and that means there are snacks involved! Not just any snacks, but YUMMY snacks. The kids love it and the food always goes with the theme. This year’s theme is a jungle theme. Hence, the Monkey Bread. Because I love her more than I could ever express, I want her first experience of VBS to be a good one and I want her to be able to be like all the other kids and eat what they eat….well, at least very similar to what they eat. The sweet lady involved in planning much of VBS, was very kind to send me the list of snacks for the week so that I could plan Daughter’s allergy-free snacks. So, here’s my version of Monkey Bread….dairy-free, egg-free and peanut-free. I am pretty sure the only allergen it does have is wheat.

MONKEY BREAD

1 tube of Pillsbury Thin Crust Pizza Dough (*contains wheat)

cinnamon

brown sugar

Smart Balance Light – buttery spread (*dairy-free, vegan)

Open tube of pizza dough, slice into 1/2 inch thick slices (dough still rolled just like it came out of the can). Take each slice, lay it flat on cutting board and cut into quarters. Grease muffin pan, place 3 cut pieces of dough into each cup. Mix buttery spread, cinnamon, brown sugar and then place a nice dollop of the mixture on top of each dough mound. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Serve warm or let cool and freeze them individually for a ready-made breakfast treat or dessert when you need something quick!

*Do NOT use paper cupcake liners. This doesn’t work so well. Believe me, I tried it. If you do use them, take paper liners off immediately after bringing them out of oven so they do not have to be chiseled off this yummy treat!

Stay tuned for more snack ideas!!

‘Chick’en Nuggets

I came across this post the other day from Super Healthy Kids and knew I had to try it! My daughter loves chicken nuggets, but the thought of what they are really made of disgusts me. I’ve been looking for an alternative and I think I might have found one…..after I tweak it. I made this recipe:

1 can Chickpeas, drained and mashed with a pastry blender

1/2 onion, 1 garlic clove, fresh parsley – all chopped up in a food processor. Then, add to the chickpeas.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 egg (I used flax seed because of my daughter’s egg allergy), 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, dash black pepper, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 Tbsp olive oil. Mix and add to bean mixture.

Slowly add in 1 cup Panko bread crumbs (I found one brand free of milk, eggs). Shape into chicken nuggets. Bake or fry til outside is crispy.

My daughter liked them, but not completely head over heels. I think I will tweak this recipe using less onion and instead of chickpeas – maybe black beans or refried beans. They are a little more tasty to me than chickpeas. I absolutely love the idea, though!

You should check out Super Healthy Kids for some other great ideas. It is not an allergy-free website, but a lot of things can be substituted to meet your allergy needs.