Another Post-Allergy First

Over two months after Miss M  was given the "all clear" by her allergist, Big J and I still have aha! moments when it comes to safe foods.  Yes, they are all safe foods now, but our habits aren't so easily changed.  In fact, we have discussed whether or not we will ever stop questioning food safety, and we doubt that it will ever be so.

For instance, on a recent outing we were trying to decide where to go for dinner.  The kids were tossing out ideas (mainly Chick-Fil-A) when Big J proposed a stop at Five Guys.  I've been two or three times before, but I could only go on my own because they serve peanuts.  Big, open boxes of peanuts.  It's completely off-limits for any peanut-allergic family.  In fact, Big J had never been before, but as soon as we remembered that we can go, we headed that way.

So, here's another snapshot of something I never thought I'd see:

That blur is Miss M's fist coming down to smash a peanut open.

And besides the burgers and the super-yummy fries, Five Guys has my respect for this:

Posted on the door as you exit a Five Guys restaurant

 Thanks, Five Guys, for spreading the word about food allergy safety (even though you serve peanuts)!

That's Nuts!

After Miss M's successful food challenge this morning, we went grocery shopping.  I had a few things on my list, but I also wanted Miss M to pick out something special - something she'd never been able to eat.  As we walked down each aisle, it dawned on me how much has been 'off limits' to us over the years.  When we were checking out, I told her to pick out any candy she wanted.  She picked Skittles (nope, not M&Ms or peanut butter cups!) and a snack-sized box of Goldfish for her brother.  (I never buy the 'snack size' of anything since we pack waste-free lunches, so this was an exciting opportunity!)

For those who live with food allergies, this post probably won't contain many surprises.  For those of you know don't live with food allergies, I just thought you might be interested in seeing the grocery store through my eyes.  I am accustomed to ignoring entire sections of the store because very few (to none) of the items is safe for someone with peanut and/or egg allergies.  That's what was normal - and now we are learning a new normal. 

Since Miss M's diagnosis, we have always had to read labels very closely.  Candy, desserts, and cereals are some of the the biggest 'offenders' when it comes to items that 'contain' or 'may contain' peanuts or tree nuts.  And then there are the 'made on equipment that also processes' or 'made in a facility that also processes' warnings, too.

The candy aisle - full of peanuts or potential cross-contamination

The cereal aisle - the organic section, which happened to have a big empty shelf today.  Even the 'healthy' cereals are full of nut warnings.

The cookie and ice cream aisles.  Even snack crackers (cheddar crackers, for instance) and popsicles (the fruit kind) can carry nut and egg warnings. 

Because so many items were off-limits to Miss M - and therefore our family - I began cooking more from scratch. I found that I really love baking.  So, baking from scratch should solve a lot of the problems, right?  Well, there are a lot of things on the baking aisle that are off-limits, too. 

 

And this has eggs.

Another tough thing to give up - and find a substitute for - was my favorite on-the-go snack when Mister J was a toddler.

The granola bar section.

Every corner I turned was an eye-opener today.  Y'all, even pretzels can carry a nut warning.  Until you read the labels, you really can't imagine....

So, what will change now?  Well, we'll put a few things back into our diets that haven't been there for quite a while.  I'm excited about having peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs back in our diets.  We splurged on candy and yogurt-covered raisins (potential cross-contamination warning!) and fruit snacks today, but those will continue to be special treats as they always have been.  I do think that I'll continue to bake, because once you are reading labels for nut and egg ingredients, you notice all of the other, less-than-healthy ingredients, too.  Soy butter will still be a lunch-time staple, especially during the school year.  Miss M's classmates will all be together again in the fall, which means she'll still be in a nut-free classroom.  I'll still read labels, I'll just be on the lookout for different things.  And tomorrow, I think we'll have scrambled eggs for breakfast.

Our Miracle

Miss M passed her food challenge today!  She's now allowed to eat all of the peanuts and eggs she wants!  And let me tell you, she wants everything she eats to have nuts in it right now.

Since she has outgrown the peanut allergy, that means she can eat tree nuts again, too.  They were previously off-limits due to the chance of developing an allergy with exposure.

I've been living Ephesians 3:20-21 today (emphasis mine):

  

²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Today, along with the past few days of testing and waiting, has been a miracle.  I only prayed for Miss M's egg allergy to be resolved.  I never even prayed for the peanut allergy to be gone - I just never imagined we would be in that small percentage.  (I say "we" because food allergies affect the entire family.)  I'm still trying to get past the surreal feeling, all the while rejoicing in it and hoping that I never forget the lessons I've learned.

Update on Hope

When I posted this yesterday, I felt sure that it would be two days until we had the results of Miss M's blood test.  I considered that we might even have to wait through the weekend.

Imagine my surprise today when our allergist, Dr. M, with whom we also attend church, called this afternoon.  Her first words were, "Rejoice!  Rejoice!"  The blood test results were back today - and they were also negative!

We won't start feeding her peanut butter right away.  Miss M will have an in-office food challenge next week.  Over the course of an hour she'll be given peanut butter while she's monitored for any reaction. From there?  Well, I'm not sure.  I can't even think about that yet. 

After avoiding it for nearly three years, the idea of feeding my daughter peanut butter is really very ... weird.  Surreal.  I can't even begin to imagine life on the other side of a successful food challenge.  Of course, I'll keep you posted.

In other wonderful news, my dad's 18-month post-treatment CT scan was clear!   We are celebrating blessing upon blessing this week!

This is what hope feels like

There are a lot of ideas for posts floating around in my head lately - however none on my heart as much as this one right now.

This afternoon I sent a tweet asking folks to pray that Miss M's appointment with the allergist would go well.  Today was the day we would retest for her food allergies, and I was praying that the actual testing would go smoothly (with as few tears and as little discomfort as possible).  I was hopeful we would learn that Miss M had outgrown her egg allergy, but didn't even dare to imagine she would test negative to peanut. 

I am now in the enviable position of HOPE.  All of the skin pricks showed no reaction.  Not to eggs, not to peanuts.  I was speechless, teary-eyed with joy, and trying to stay calm so I wouldn't start sobbing.

We are waiting for the results of blood testing to (hopefully!) confirm the results from earlier this afternoon.  While we wait for the longest two days of our lives, won't you please say one more prayer for us?

I never pack dessert...

I guess I'm relaxing my rules because it's the end of the school year - only 2 1/2 weeks to go!

Today, the kiddos are getting leftover cheese pizza, a simple spinach and cucumber salad, carrot slices, salad dressing/dip in the small container, and a cookie.

I used a Cherrybrook Kitchen mix to make the cookies - the first time I have ever used an allergy-friendly mix for baking. While I enjoy baking from scratch, this mix was so quick and easy! It also made just the right amount - 20 cookies - so we can enjoy them without overindulging or letting any go stale.

Chocolate heaven!

A few weeks ago, we placed our first order from Peanut Free Planet. You guessed it - it's an online store for all kinds of peanut-free products. It was KWFA "Freeling Friday" when we ordered - a portion of our purchase was donated to Kids With Food Allergies. As part of this special day, we also received coupons, samples, and a reusable tote bag with our order.

Our entire family was looking forward to "the day the truck brings the chocolate." Miss M asked about several trucks we saw while out and about - "Is that the truck with my chocolate?" Of course we couldn't wait to dig in when the chocolate (and other items) arrived!

We had our order shipped in a cooler because, until the day it arrived, the weather had been quite warm. We certainly didn't want our chocolate melted when we opened it!


Big J was very excited about the chocolate bars - and this one is huge! Also, it's delicious!

I wanted to get something special for Miss M, since she is the one that misses out on the most due to her food allergies. This chocolate unicorn fit the bill - perfectly girly, and I love that it comes tied with ribbon!

We also miss out on many granola bars, trail mixes, and cereals due to peanut/nut ingredients and potential cross-contamination. Most packs of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds that you find in grocery stores also carry a peanut/nut warning. I can't tell you how exciting it is to have two pounds of safe sunflower seeds and a huge assortment of snack-size packs of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and soy nuts on hand now. The kids nearly inhaled this bag of pumpkin seeds!
Notice the tear on the left side of the bag.... They let me taste a few - yum! I'm really looking forward to adding the sunflower seeds to salads and homemade granola bars. I just wish the pumpkin seeds came in larger packages!

This is just a portion of what we received (between our actual order and all of the samples). I'll be glad to include a list if anyone is interested in more details. We haven't yet tried everything, but so far we have enjoyed everything that we have tried.

One thing I'm really looking forward to is trying out the marshmallow fluff! The kind in the regular grocery has egg, and Miss M hasn't been cleared for eggs. Of course, now that I have it in hand, what to make? Wonder if Mom's Fantasy Fudge recipe will work... Fluffernutters? Of course, they'd be fluffer no-nutters here! A friend has a yummy apple dip that calls for cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, and caramel dip. The kids would probably eat it by the spoonful!!!

We also received several samples of peanut butter replacements. I'm planning to taste-test these with the kids and write up a post with the results. We currently use soy butter, but not the same brand that was included in the samples. We will also try sunflower seed butter and pea butter (made from, you guessed it, peas!). I'm very interested to sample the products, and I hope the kids will enjoy helping me with the tasting.

Just a little over a month to go until Miss M's next appointment with the allergist. While I'm not looking forward to the appointment - it's time for retesting for her allergies - I am looking forward to the results. I'm hopeful that we'll find out that Miss M has outgrown the egg allergy, but I don't want to get too optimistic. On the flip side, I don't want to be too pessimistic, but I do have to be realistic. The chance of outgrowing the egg allergy is pretty good. The chance of outgrowing the peanut allergy is small. Still, I hope for good news.

This post is also linked to Food on Fridays hosted by Ann Kroeker.

Easter 2010

The kids were on Spring Break Tuesday-Friday, so we decided to do a little traveling. While the first day of break was filled with laundry, dentist appointments, and an oil change for the mommy-van, we spent the end of Spring Break with Grandma and Grandpa R. While we were there, we went to a great children's museum, visited with friends we hadn't seen in quite a while, celebrated Big J's birthday, and celebrated Easter!

I took lots of photos, and am pleased with how many of them turned out good enough to print for the kids' scrapbooks. I am really enjoying my new camera! Here are just a few snapshots from our weekend.

I found this cute photo spot on the grounds outside of the children's museum. Did you notice that boo-boo on Mister J's knee? Miss M also scored one a little later in the weekend.

Speaking of Miss M, I think I've mentioned that she doesn't pose for the camera. This was the best I could get - looking at the family off to my left, one shoe off and one on - but I still think it's really cute, and really does capture Miss M.

Ready for the Sunday morning Easter Egg Hunt! Grandma and Grandpa R have such a great yard for hiding eggs - lots of bushes, flowers, and trees!

They also have much more color in their yard than we do in ours, so it was lots of fun for me to be able to camouflage the eggs! One of my fondest Easter memories is hunting eggs in my parents' yard when I was a little girl - finding an orange one hidden under a leaf on the ground, finding green ones camouflaged in the stems of daffodils, and other very creative ways to hide them.

Miss M found her first egg! There were three hidden in this flower bed - all pink! And these were especially for Miss M. One contained a dollar bill, one a dollar coin, and one a quarter. Mister J had a matching set. We sent the kids off in different directions at the start of the hunt, towards their 'special' eggs.

Yes, there was a yellow egg hidden in there! Grandpa R and I hid about 4 dozen plastic eggs in the backyard, all filled with Easter treats!

And here are the kids, checking out their eggs! They were surprised to find the money - and Miss M was very excited to find some chocolate (something we often have to skip due to her food allergies).

I especially love this photo of Miss M. She's usually all go, no quit, so it's nice to catch a relatively quiet moment.

The weather was lovely, and we all enjoyed being outside (though we all manged to get sunburnt!). We also enjoyed the time we had to visit with friends and family. It was a reminder to me that I need to leave space on my calendar to get away from the hustle and bustle of our day-to-day 'stuff' and perhaps even step away from our technology gadgets every now and then. It's easy to forget what that peacefulness feels like - and friends, it is wonderful.

Hope you had a lovely Easter Weekend!

Sweet Thoughtfulness

My daughter and I were shopping at T@rget on Friday afternoon before we picked up my son from school. We just needed a couple of things, and as we were checking out Miss M asked for a treat (aka candy).

What's every mom's first answer to that question? "Not now, honey." And let the begging begin....

Admittedly, I'm a PA* mom, so there's more than just the sugary-high-followed-by-crash to be concerned about. A lot of the check-out aisle candy contains peanuts or is potentially cross-contaminated. So I moved on to my next tactic - I offered to give Miss M a snack at home, trying to talk it up by mentioning that she could have snack time with her big brother. I am not winning....

There's another little girl with her mom ahead of us in the checkout line. Of course, they are overhearing the entire conversation I'm having with Miss M - including the whiny parts and the 'no-you-may-not-have-candy' parts. I noticed that the little girl ahead of us did get to pick out a sweet treat, that she whispered something to her mother, and that she walked back to the candy display to select another sweet treat. Her mother paid for their items and handed one of the treats to the little girl. The little girl then turned around and handed it to my daughter and said, "I heard you asking for some candy."

Along with expressing our appreciation of the little girl's generosity, the PA mom panic was setting in and I was feeling a couple of other emotions, too:
a - Put in my place by a little girl who sees the joy in a little surprise treat every once in a while.
b - Split second decision of whether or not I should decline the candy, explaining my daughter's allergies, and thereby squash this little girl's sweet, loving, giving spirit?
c - Do I let Miss M accept the treat, allowing my daughter the joy of receiving the gift, and also allowing her to learn from the example set by the other little girl?
d - WARNING! WARNING! POTENTIAL PEANUT CONTAMINATION! WARNING! WARNING!

And my responses to all of that panic?
a - Have I mentioned that Miss M's love language is gifts?
b - Um, no. There will be no squashing of sweet little girls hearts today.
c - Well, yes - but will read the label once we get to the mommy-van and I'll deal with any tears (if it's not a safe treat) once we are in the relative privacy of the vehicle.
d - That is no joke, y'all - it's like there ought to be flashing caution lights, too. I really don't think I'm hypervigilant - I can't tell you how much candy is off limits to someone with a peanut allergy.

We paid for our purchases and walked back to the mommy-van, Miss M holding on to her newly-gifted treat. As we were across the parking lot, Miss M asked me, "Does it have nuts?" You can't imagine how tight I wanted to squeeze my sweet girl right then. I am so proud of how much more aware of her allergies she has become in the last few months, and I was super proud to know that her excitement over this unexpected gift didn't lessen her vigilance.

As it turned out, it was a safe treat - mommy's anxiety melted away, Miss M's happiness multiplied even more, and I realized I could probably learn a big lesson from a generous little girl who was in line with us at T@rget.

*peanut-allergy

Valentine's Day 2010

I had fun making the valentines for the kids' classmates this year, though at one point I was tempted to tape a boxed valentine to a pencil and call it a night! To be honest, I did most of the work after the kids were in bed, so I was tired. And, I didn't get Mister J started on the writing soon enough. However, I did had fun picking out papers that looked 'feather-ish'! And I was SO excited when Mister J saw what I was making, recognized it as an owl, and got the corny play on words that I'd made up for the back (Happy V-owl-entine's Day). There were others, but that's my original creation.

The ones on the top are for Mister J's class - they looked more like something a boy would pick out, I though. The brighter ones are for Miss M's class - I still have a hard time giving anything with pink on it to a boy, even on Valentine's Day.

Miss M's class doesn't allow food/candy treats due to the number of food allergies. I'm not a big fan anyway, so we usually give pencils, crayons, of similar. I did give a coupon for a free Icedream from Chick-Fil-A one time. Since it's not food in the classroom, and at the discretion of the parent, I do think these (or the free doughnut coupons from Krispy Kreme!) are a fun choice.

Here are the goodies for their teachers - Miss M has two teachers - which we finished up (gasp!) the morning they were to be delivered. I packed a Target $1 Spot mailbox (red or white) with some dill crackers that I made, used a magnetic photo frame to make a 'chalkboard' card with a handwritten "I (heart) U" and a message on the back, and stuffed it into a gift bag that I decorated with punched tags and curling ribbon. Simple, cute, and inexpensive. This is one of my favorites of teacher gifts I've given.

And here are the lunches I packed that day:

Heart-shaped soybutter and jelly sandwiches, natural cheetos (a rare snack), half clemetine, carrots and dip, and another special treat - a Clif fruit twist. I put the colorful napkin in the box to keep the jelly from oozing on to the Cheetos, so I put a 'regular' one in for them to (hopefully) use to wipe their hands and faces.

Fast forward to Sunday.... It was time to give our kids their gifts from Mommy and Daddy! I was SO excited about this, since I'd wanted to get these particular items for them since last year. I ended up finding them ON SALE, rode them around in the back of my minivan for quite a while owing to the number of snow days we had, and then finally managed to wrap them up (individually) in a large, black, plastic table cover to get them in the house. I had to walk them right past the kids (due to them being home for snow days!), and just told them I had a 'bag of stuff to take upstairs.'

We really don't make a huge deal out of Valentine's Day goodies. The kids usually get a book, a CD, or some other small-ish gift. This gift still fell within what I feel is a reasonable dollar amount, but is a much more sizeable item than usual. Without making you wait any longer - photos of their beanbags!

I was thrilled to find these so I could create a reading corner in each of their rooms. I was super excited that I found them in 'valentine' colors, but that was just a bonus. I thought I might have been just a tiny bit more excited than the kids until Miss M dragged hers downstairs all by herself to read in the den!

Oh - how could I not mention this? Big J and I got a date night on Saturday night and went out for an adults-only dinner! Appetizer, salads, dinners, and dessert! It was delicious, and we didn't talk about the children for an entire meal! Yay, us! And thanks to Grandma RL, our babysitter for the evening!

Overheard #28

...at dinner tonight.

Mister J: "What's mayonnaise?"

Yes, that's right, our 6-year-old doesn't know what mayonnaise is. Big J was adding it to a sandwich at dinner this evening, and that's when the question came up. Since Miss M is allergic to eggs, we rarely use mayo - but do keep a small jar around for the adults to use on sandwiches and in the occasional pasta salad. Of course, we still don't use it often, and almost never finish the jar.

Big J and I had a moment of did he really just ask that? before we explained mayonnaise. What a weird thing to have to explain....

Drained...

It's no secret that things have been busy around here. I'm physically drained this week. As a result, I'm also pretty emotionally drained this week. And, this has been a 'not fun' week to have a food allergic child. (n.b. - My purpose in writing this post is not to complain or seek sympathy. This blog is an outlet for me as much as it's a way to share and remember. I'll get to the point....)

I like to think I'm usually a pretty laid-back mom when it comes to Miss M's food allergies. That I can survey a situation without others noticing. That my behavior doesn't shout "helicopter mom" even though that's what I'm charged with being - at least when it comes to food allergies. That I'm not terrified, but only reasonably cautious, when PB&J's appear at picnic lunches with friends. (Please go read a little more about my experience as a food allergy parent in a guest post over here). Certainly, I make folks aware of our situation, but it's usually not a big deal. So why is it on my mind right now?....

We've spent the week at Vacation Bible School. There's a snack supper in the evenings. They serve some foods that Miss M cannot have. They also serve an alternative meal for kids that don't like what's being served. Yep, you guessed it ... it's peanut butter and jelly. I've found that this arrangements isn't at all unusual, and I've tried to be supportive of a friend who is also experiencing the same thing this week with her food-allergic child. Through our common experience, we are really supporting each other, and that has been invaluable!

At VBS, we have to ask for a 'no dessert' plate for Miss M's dinner. It's not ever been this tough for me, as a food-allergy parent, to make my child into a 'have not.' I think it's the daily repetition that's getting to me. Miss M isn't concerned that she doesn't have the same dessert as everyone else. (I pack a special treat for her, just in case she notices - which has only been one time, so far.)

It also makes me sad that Miss M can't sit with her age-mates at the VBS supper. Many of them eat PB&J for dinner, so she sits with Mister J and me. I asked Miss M's teacher to make sure everyone washes their hands (not just baby wipes) before they all gather for the opening assembly. It's more work for her, and I feel badly that we are an extra burden.

As we approach the school year, I dread that this has been a taste (no pun intended) of what's to come. That thought is starting to pull me down into the depths....

The bright spot in all of this is that I know I'm not alone. There's my blog friend who is going through the same thing this week. There's the church member serving dinner who went out of her way to be sure Miss M had a non-cross-contaminated dinner plate (I have learned she has a PA kid, too). There's the VBS teacher who admitted that she has no experience with food allergies, and took the time to call me this morning to make sure the snack she will be serving tonight will be safe. I'm encouraged that there are people out there who care. I'm not doing this alone. But it still stinks....

Hop On Over...

Hi Friends!

I'm not here right now, but if you need me, hop on over to Triad Smarty Pants. I'm guest posting there today!

Back soon!
RLR

(text follows)

Food Allergies: A Parent's Perspective

At my daughter’s recent well-child check-up, the pediatrician and I were discussing my daughter’s diet. More specifically, we were discussing that my daughter doesn’t care for meat. As we talked about alternatives to ensure that she is getting enough protein, we immediately removed the top two suggestions, peanut butter and eggs, from consideration. Why? Because my daughter is allergic to both of them.

Two summers ago, my husband and I learned of our daughter’s food allergies. We immediately cleared our refrigerator and pantry of any food that could cause another reaction, began reading food labels even more closely, and by tried to learn as much as we could from doctors, parents of food allergic children, and online resources. In our home and other familiar environments - such as the homes of family and friends, our church, or our preschool - we are very comfortable with the level of care and attention to preventing exposure. It’s when we leave these familiar surroundings that our level of concern shifts into overdrive...

Family gatherings, vacations, parties, cookouts, and trips to the pool are just some of the ways we all have fun in the summer. However, as the parent of a food-allergic child, I find that there is always a bit of worry that sneaks in when we should just be having fun. Finding ‘safe’ foods at potluck meals such as family gatherings and cookouts can be a challenge. Vacationing means not only being away from home, but perhaps being away from familiar restaurants and food brands. While we have experienced some accidental exposures, the lessons we have learned from each one have helped us anticipate situations where an allergen may be present and develop our family’s plan for avoiding future exposure.

The most important lesson we have learned is to ask questions. In a restaurant, we may ask to speak to the manager. We constantly read labels – even if someone who is aware of our daughter’s allergies is the one providing the food.

Our daughter was young when we learned of her allergies. She was still at the age where we often brought along her snacks and meals when we were out and about. As a result of her allergies, though, we have never stopped bringing them along. When we go on trips, we typically bring along our ‘safe’ granola bars, a jar of soy butter, and a few other treats in case there’s something served that our daughter cannot eat.

We do a quick visual survey when we arrive some place that is outside of our comfort zone. Because our daughter is still too young to completely understand her allergies, it is our job to be vigilant for her while we teach her ways to take care of herself.

Finally, but most importantly, we always bring along her medications just in case she is exposed to peanuts or eggs.

If you are not the parent of a food-allergic child, these precautions may seem overwhelming - or even extreme. I often get asked, “How do you do it?” or someone will say to me, “That must be hard!” Label-reading, lunch-packing, and treat-bag sorting are normal activities for our family. I think (hope!) we have made it to the point that it’s pretty inconspicuous most of the time.

There are a few things that make can special events more relaxing even though we are living with food allergies:
•Hosts that inquire about food allergies – we don’t expect a meal catered around our daughter’s diet, but we do appreciate knowing that bowls of nuts or candies won’t be sitting about
•Knowing in advance what foods will be served so we can plan accordingly, and a host who understands that we may decline certain foods or bring along alternatives
•When hosts ask for suggestions to provide a ‘safe’ alternative food
•Being able to read the labels on original food packaging whenever possible
•Teaching your children that sharing food with other children is not a good idea, unless they have permission from a parent

In any situation – summer, holidays, or even school events – an open dialogue is the most important factor in keeping a food-allergic child safe!
Here are a few online resources that I often use (click name to access):

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
Raising Food Allergic Kids
Sure Foods Living
Food Allergy Buzz
The Nut-Free Mom

These are great suggestions for readers who may have children with allergies, but also for others who may not quite understand how serious this situation can actually be. Thank you, RLR, for some terrific insight on this topic! Also, RLR has an adorable and uplifting blog of her own that you can check out here! - RH

Family Reunion 2009

We went to see Grandma RL and Aunt L for the weekend - it's family reunion time! It was great to see all of the folks we don't get to visit with regularly. You would think that a reunion is also a great opportunity to get a family photo. Plenty of hands around to take a snapshot with me in front of the camera. Did I get one? Nope. Forgot. Forgot to take photos at a family reunion.

One more thing about family reunions - I love the food. Love it. But my excitement is dampened a bit now that we are living with food allergies. We brought along foods that we knew Miss M could eat, including her own dessert stash. Wait ... I did get a photo!

"Mmmm! Oreos!"

MMMMM!

Big J had a bowl of the Best Shrimp and Grits in the Southeast for dinner tonight! We drive quite a ways for these, and are never disappointed. (Bummed that I forgot to use my flash, so I don't think you can quite understand the deliciousness from this photo alone. But, trust me - best. shrimp. and. grits. Ever.) Only disappointment of the evening was that we could not have the Pound Cake Panini for dessert because the ice cream in it contains eggs (we all eat according to Miss M's food allergies, especially if it's something we know she will want to eat - like ice cream). However, since we couldn't actually finish all of our meals, we ended up skipping dessert anyway.

Convenient Scratch Baking

Yes, it sounds like an impossible thing, but it's not! Read on!

I enjoy being in the kitchen - cooking or baking, old recipes or new. More and more often, I find myself baking from scratch - with my daughter's food allergies, it's often difficult to find 'safe' mixes. Plus, I just like knowing exactly what I'm serving to my family and friends. But how do I balance the work of scratch baking with the convenience of a mix? Especially when company's coming, and there's a birthday cake involved? Taking a cue from my friends at Dream Dinners, I created my own mixes!
I gathered the recipes I was planning to use, all of the dry ingredients, and got to work! I amended the recipes a bit to account for any of the mixing work I did ahead of time, printed them out, and put all of the ingredients and the recipe into a larger bag. I made two cake mixes and one cookie mix to use over the weekend. I'm tempted to mix up several batches of our favorites because this was just SO easy!

As much as my kids and I enjoy baking together, it just wasn't practical for our weekend. So, when I don't have time to spare, premeasuring my own mixes work for me!

For other great tips and tricks, visit Works for Me Wednesday over at We Are THAT Family.

8 Things You Really Want to Know

I've been tagged! Jane Anne from Gravity of Motion tagged me a few days ago for this fun blog meme. We've had company at our house for a few days, so it took me just a little while to sit down and complete the meme. I'm glad to be back to the blog and give things a whirl - here goes!

8 things I look forward to:

• girls night dinners
• sit-on-the-porch weather
• Sunday lunch with friends
• trying a new recipe
• grocery store/Costco trips (weird, I know)
• Fun Day Mondays (summer outings with some other families from our church)
• co-op Saturdays
• completing my whole-house reorganization project

8 things I did yesterday:

• served two sit-down meals
• baked a birthday cake
• washed a LOT of dishes
• bought new sneakers for Miss M
• gave Miss M Benadryl for an apparent exposure to peanuts of some sort
• was thankful for the opportunity to visit with my family
• forgot to start the dishwasher after dinner
• fell asleep early (10pm)

8 things I wish I could do:

• have 'unload the dishwasher with a twitch of my nose' as my superpower
• run a marathon
• live closer to all of our parents - or have all of them live closer to us
• remodel my kitchen to have more counter space
• handle a knife like a real chef
• catch up on all of my scrapbooking projects (and there are many)
• be a better housekeeper
• be more organized

8 shows I watch:

• Bones
• Burn Notice
• Royal Pains (hysterical. really. in an over-the-top, are-people-really-like-this? kind of way)
• NCIS
• In Plain Sight
• Tori and Dean (I know - I don't like reality tv - but it's definitely a guilty pleasure)
• Grey's Anatomy
• Private Practice

*those last two I could give or take, but they are still set to record on the DVR. I don't usually watch the reruns....

8 5 busy bloggers I tag:

• H at Beyond the Belly (she's busy moving right now, but I hope she'll get to it when things settle down!)
• Patrice at Williams Family Blog (she's busy right now, too....)
• Georgia at Living on Campus... (she's expecting baby #2, so she's a little busy....)
• Shannon at Blonde Ambition (she's just started a new job with a longer commute, so she's a little busy, too)
• Susannah at Get the Big Idea (she's got three kids, and school is out for the summer - what do you bet she's busy, as well?)

Ladies, I'd love to read your 8, but you won't hurt my feelings if this doesn't make it to the top of your to-do list!

Jane Anne also asked what I was doing this time last year. Hmm... Let's take a look back thorough the blog and see.... Aha! Mister J and I were painting this (it's hiding behind behind the paper chain). I was also getting ready for a trip to California and Miss M's 2nd birthday party. I'll follow her lead and ask - what were you doing this time last year?

Food Allergies from a Parent's Perspective

There's a great article mentioned in a post today on Food Allergy Buzz. Hope that you will check them both out!

"I Despise This"

My daughter is allergic to peanuts and eggs. For those living with food allergies, sometimes all of the label-reading we do still doesn't keep us or our kids safe, and that stinks. I know that every one of us faces risks every time we walk out the door. For those living with food allergies, sometimes the danger follows us home, a stealthy, silent intruder.

A bloggy friend of mine sent a Twitter update last evening -
"Nerves are shot. Son had allergic reaction to cake batter. No nut warning included in allergy warning on cake mix."

And a later update:
"Trying to relax. My son is okay after a allergic reaction to Duncan Hines cake mix (nuts were not included in the allergy info)"

Her husband posted about it on his blog this morning. She will post about it later on, and I'll link to her post at that time.

While everything is OK now, it was a scary experience for them and their peanut-allergic son. If you know someone with food allergies (tip: even if you aren't aware of it, you know someone with a food allergy), I hope you'll go over and read about their experience.

The Accidental Vegetarian

I was having a salad for dinner a few nights ago. It was 'leftovers night.' I'd taken a leftover steak, sliced it, reheated it a bit, added it to the top of a pile of lettuce and veggies, and topped it with some bleu cheese dressing and croutons. (Yes, it was good! Just ask Big J, who had his doubts, but was pleasantly surprised.) As I was eating my salad, Miss M pointed to my plate and asked for a bite. I pointed to a particular bite of the salad (you'll understand in a moment), and she confirmed that, indeed, it was the bite she wanted. I passed her a bite of the salad, which she put in her mouth and immediately took back out. Why?

"That's meat!" she said with disdain, handing it back to me.

Big J and I were surprised that she'd asked for a bite of meat, but after reflecting on the events, it occured to us that she may have thought it was a crouton since I had some pumpernickel croutons on my salad. But the point of the post is this:

How is it possible that we have a child who, for the most part, will not eat meat?

We eat meat at nearly every meal. If we eat fish, we typically serve chicken nuggets to the kids*. Miss M ignores them. I think I have served two (evening) meals without meat in the last year. At Chick-Fil-A, she eats the fruit and the waffle fries (I'm a fry kind of girl, so I can't blame her for that....). She will eat lunch meat, but that's not the healthiest thing out there. Neither are McNuggets (sorry, Mickey D's), and she'll eat about ONE of those out of a Happy Meal, followed by all of the fries, of course.

Last night, we had fettucine alfredo. She ate more than Mister J, I think.I offered leftovers of that for dinner tonight, and she wolfed it down - along with about 1/3 of a bag of steamed edamame. She can put away some edamame - even shells it herself! I'm comfortable with the amount of protein she's getting, but I still wonder...

How did we end up with an almost full-time vegetarian in the family?

*Miss M's allergist hasn't given us the OK to introduce fish into her diet. And, if we are giving her a chance to eat chicken nuggets as an alternative, we feel Mister J should be allowed to eat them as well.