Memorial Day Meaty Veggie Burgers – Shhhhh! Don’t Tell the Kids! May 25, 2012

Give these a try for your Memorial Day BBQ:

My kids can be finicky when it comes to eating vegetables.  So when they were toddlers, I concocted a sneaky way – and what turned out to be a delicious way! – to deliver some vegetables in ever-lovable burger form.

 

This recipe is easy, because it doesn’t need to be exact, you can use fresh as well as frozen vegetables, and play around with its ingredients to your taste.

 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground meat

1/2 onion

1 carrot, cut into inch-long pieces

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets

Salt or seasoned salt

 

In a saucepot, boil water.  Add carrot into pot and let boil for 5 – 10 minutes.  Add broccoli florets to the pot and boil another 5-6 minutes.  Once carrots are soft, drain pot.  Place carrots, broccoli and onion in a food processor and puree until a tiny-bit chunkier than applesauce.  Drain excess liquid in sink.

 

Combine puree with ground meat and add 1/2 tsp salt or seasoned salt (I like Jane’s Crazy Mixed Up Salt).  Form into patties.

 

Grill, broil or saute as you would a regular burger until preferred degree of doneness.

 

Amazingly, not only do my KIDS love these, but so does my vegetable-averse husband!

Hit the Road With a Fast Food Travel Packet May 21, 2012

Ahhhh… with great weather upon us, it’s time to hit the road!   ‘Tis the season for road trips and long weekends away.  And, being on the road is no place to be unprepared for dealing with meals if you have a food allergic passenger.

 

Aside from packing loads of safe snacks to tide the kids over and my son’s medicine, we never leave home without our Travel Packet.  A little general research in advance has gone a long way for us.  Not just of our destination – to help us pick a safe place to eat when we get to town (wherever that may be) –  but research to help us on the road as well.

 

Over time, I’ve kept a folder of allergen and ingredients lists for fast food chains in our car.  It has been immeasurably helpful when the kids are begging for a break somewhere in between destinations.  And, it’s easy to start the process online.  As you continue to travel, take note of the chains (and local stops) on your route.  Once you find new ingredients lists, continue to keep them in your travel folder.

 

Here are a few links to get you going (feel free to share more with others in the comments section below):

• McDonald’s
• Burger King
• Subway (US)
• Wendy’s (US)
• Taco Bell

 

By sharing tips and links, your Travel Packet will be fuller than your gas tank and will make your vacation just a little more peaceful!  Happy trails!

 

**NB:  A big thank you to Jennifer for kindly reminding us to please be sure to look for updates to your packet before setting out on each new adventure as restaurants occasionally change their recipes.**

Book Review: The Peanut-Free Cafe May 16, 2012

 

Hey, bookies!  I just read The Peanut-Free Cafe by  Gloria Koster.  It’s a story about a new student at the Nutley School, where everyone enjoys PB&J at lunch, forcing the peanut-allergic new kid to eat by himself at a  peanut-free table.  In an effort get to know him, the school offers an irresistible peanut-free cafe for anyone willing to give up their peanut butter.

 

The story is clever and the idea of a creating a peanut-free cafe at our house greatly excited my son (as if my house isn’t ALWAYS a peanut-free cafe, but who’s counting…).  However, I would have liked it better if the story focused more on Grant, the child with the peanut-allergy, and his feelings rather than the kids who are able to eat regularly.

 

Kids with food allergies are  looking to see parts of themselves reflected in the media and literature.  And, while my son appeared ready to connect with the Grant, his relationship with the character and plot faded rather quickly as it more prominently focused on a child without food allergies.

 

That said, I think this is a great book to have in school libraries.  It should teach students a bit about what kids with food allergies go through and inspire compassion.   The librarian at my son’s school already ordered a copy earlier this year and the book is constantly checked out.

Baskin Robbins – 31 Flavors and a Few Well-Marked Allergens May 14, 2012

Did you know that Baskin Robbins lists each flavor’s allergens in their freezer window?!  Certainly makes choosing a safe option a whole lot easier!  Thank goodness, the weather’s heating up and we’re craving ice cream!

 

Chasin’ Tails…. Laissez Les Beignets Rouler! May 7, 2012

A new restaurant opened near us in Arlington, VA:  Chasin’ Tails.  And because I loved their sense of humor (their coming soon banner read “Chasin’ Tails… A Crawfish Seafood Restaurant” just to stay in the good graces of the neighbors as they built), I had to try it.

 

As usual, before we went I reviewed their menu online and phoned in with questions.  The manager was happy to hunt down answers to my many questions, and as a result we had a great experience.  This was a fun, casual, family friendly place that we can’t wait to return to.  Best of all, we had great success with my son’s allergies.

 

Here’s the skinny:

• The manager checked the full ingredients of everything from the dessert (beignets!!!!!) to the breading of fried items;
• He was quick to bring up issues, like the fact they use buttermilk to bind the seafood/chicken to its breading;
• The chefs were willing to alter the way they operate in order to prepare food safely for my son.  For example, when he wanted chicken tenders, they used egg (thank goodness he’s now outgrown that allergy!) to bind the breading to the meat;
• Their fry oil is a canola/soybean blend.  If you’re allergic to dairy, you may wish to check to see if the fries are fried with the buttermilk-bound seafood and, with the help of your allergist, determine if that is safe;
• The regular fries are flavored with a cajun spice.  They are DELICIOUS, but a little spicy for the kids.  Like most items, you can order them without the spice.  (P.S.: The amazing sweet potatoes fries – of which I ate 2 lbs – come UNspiced);
• The beignets are nut-free!  They are warm and they are yummy!

 

My son excitedly tried my lobster, my friend’s shrimp in addition to his own chicken tenders.  Everything we ate was so good, we are all talking about going back very, very soon!

Cinco de Mayo – Pan de Polvo May 3, 2012

Here’s a little allergy-free recipe to help you celebrate Cinco de Mayo.   I think this will follow tacos nicely in our house.

 

Mexican Shortbread

 

2 Cinnamon Sticks

2 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

2/3 cups butter-flavored shortening (Crisco’s variety is amazingly dairy-free)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup, plus 2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a saucepan, bring cinnamon sticks and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil.  Let cool.  Discard cinnamon sticks.  Refrigerate liquid until chilled.

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, beat shortening, vanilla, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cinnamon “tea” until light and fluffy.  Stir in flour mixture.

Roll dough into 1″ balls.  Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.  Bake 15 minutes or until slightly browned around edges.

In bowl, combine 2 Tbsp sugar and ground cinnamon.  Dip cookies while still warm in cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Makes 3 dozen.

*As printed in InStyle Magazine, May 2009*

Dairy-Free Substitutes April 30, 2012

A few friends of mine recently found out they were lactose intolerant and others have discovered their children are allergic to dairy.  In response, I sent them my dairy-free cheat sheet so they could eat without problems.

 

If you find yourself in the same position or know someone who is, here’s a list of some dairy-free substitutes to help you out:

 

Margarine (also use for baking, etc):  

Earth’s Balance Buttery Spread (or Sticks) or

Smart Balance Organic (the vegan kind seen here:  

Both taste exactly the same as margarine and work well in baked goods.

 

Ice Cream:

We sub sorbet for ice cream as it is nearly always milk-free.  We buy either Haagen Dazs or Ben and Jerry’s variety, although there are probably others that work.  There are also many places to find sorbet (restaurants, ice cream shops, etc) in our area and elsewhere (see  http://shmallergy.wordpress.com/tag/sorbet/).

 

Cream Cheese:  

Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese (tastes almost exactly like regular cream cheese).  Tofutti also makes dairy-free sour cream which mimics regular sour cream and dairy-free cheese pizza (found in the frozen food section).

 

 

Chocolate Chips:  

A great way to satisfy that chocolate craving is with Chocolate Dream chocolate chips which are dairy-free.  So are Guittard Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.

 

Frosting:

Pillsbury’s Cream Supreme frosting is amazingly dairy-free.  So, if you’re not interested in making it from scratch, here’s a great off-the-shelf option.

 

There are a few things that are surprisingly dairy-free “naturally” (using that VERY loosely), like Oreos (all sugar! no milk!) and Nabisco Sugar Wafers.  You may be surprised at what contains and doesn’t contain milk, so I would start reading the backs of everything without assumptions!

 

Best of all, I have found all of the above products in our local Safeway, Giant and Whole Foods!  Convenient and dairy-free!

 

Now here’s where you help me:  We’ve tried tons of soy yogurts but still haven’t found one that tastes similar to its dairy counterpart.  Let me know if you all come across one!  Also, looking for a decent tasting dairy-free cheese.  Would love to hear if anyone has had any luck with that?

 

 

 

 

 

React? Act! April 25, 2012

Like a lot of people these days, my kids are sneezing up a storm from spring airborne allergies.  And, for my older son:  this often means an increase in his asthma.  As if the sniffling wasn’t bad enough!

 

After his first spring asthmatic reaction in school (a doozy – the kind that he hasn’t had in a long time!), we had a chat.  Knowing my son and his proclivity for following classroom rules,  I assumed correctly that my son was trying to wait until his lesson was over to let his teacher know he was wheezing.  That won’t do!  Not only is wheezing the first symptom of asthma, but can also be a symptom for a food allergy reaction.  We had to re-emphasize the importance of reporting to adults even if it means interrupting them or demanding their attention.

 

My husband and I told him that one of the FEW exceptions to following the school and classroom rules is when you don’t feel well. “If you are wheezing, you need to tell the teacher right away – even if she’s talking or teaching the class.  If you are at recess, find an adult in charge and tell THEM right away.”  We very calmly expanded the lesson to include food allergy symptoms, “If your belly feels sick, if you have hives or an itchy throat, you must also tell an adult right away.  Even if those feelings aren’t really bothering you yet. It’s important to let the nurse see what’s going on so you can get back to playing!”

 

Thankfully, my son digested this lesson very well.  Since this chat, he’s been speaking up and heading to the nurse to get a puff of his inhaler as needed.  Not only does it empower him, but it helps keep his wheezing from escalating to a full-blown asthma attack.

 

Our hope is that calmly and gently teaching kids to recognize signs of asthma and allergic reactions will make them feel in control and ultimately help protect them.

Nut-Free Pumpkin Seeds at a Discount! April 23, 2012

Finding nut-free seeds is like finding Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket.  Bizarrely difficult.

 

Enter Gerbs.

 

I’ve already tried the Toasted Onion and Garlic variety (see Found: Nut-Free Seeds).  And, now we can’t stop eating the Touch of Sea Salt.  Gerbs are addictively delicious!  And, a great way to satisfy those nut cravings in our nut-free household.  Plus, they are safe to send to school, camp, and playdates.  Too bad I have to share them with the rest of the fam!

 

If you want to try them, check their website for local retailers -OR- you can order online and receive a 10% discount on your entire order by using the code “SHMALLERGY”.

Let me know if anyone tries the trail mix!  Mmmm…..

French Meadow Bakery – Gluten-Free at your Fingertips April 19, 2012

I’ve noticed this little freezer in the bakery section in our local Safeway for a while but hadn’t had an excuse to explore it until this year.  My son’s classmate and teacher are both allergic to wheat.  So I’ve taken to getting a little something special for them for class parties and other school celebrations.

 

As it turns out, this freezer in our bakery is reserved almost exclusively for French Meadow Bakery products:  brownies, breads, bagels, cookies, pizza crust and tortillas – ALL gluten-free!  The beauty of these products is that they are frozen, so they have a long shelf life if you need them to.  For us, it’s wonderful because although we are no longer allergic to wheat, it’s nice to have these on hand for my son’s friends and other visitors who do eat gluten-free.

 

Available locally at Giant, Wegman’s, Safeway, and Whole Foods.