Where you can find my posts.....

Hi Friends,

I just want to make sure you all can find my posts.

I post more often on....

Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/Mom-to-Food-Allergy-Kid-Blog-115964001758490/

And Instagram at
https://www.instagram.com/momtofoodallergykid/

Hope to see you on social media.

Allergy Safe Halloween with Oriental Trading

It's that time of year again, we are thinking about Halloween and Trick or Treat. Our family supports the Teal Pumpkin Project® and allergy moms know that Halloween can be a scary time for kids with food allergies. Candy is everywhere so this year we ordered non-candy treats to hand out at Trick or Treat from Oriental Trading.

I let Nathan pick out a few items from Oriental Trading that he would like to give out for Trick or Treat.

Here is what Nathan picked out:

               

                                                       Magic Coin Tricks

                                                       Magic Worms

Mini Mesh covered Color Changing Stress Balls

                                                   
                                              Glow in the Dark Slime

                               Glow in the Dark Mini Halloween Paratroopers

                               
                                                        Growing Brain

                                                Pumpkin Whoopee Cushions

                                     Glow in the Dark Sticky Tumbling Skeletons

If you want to order your non-candy treats please go to Oriental Trading's Halloween page. They have a huge selection of fun Halloween items.

*Disclaimer:  This post contains information about products that were sent to me by Oriental Trading for review.  Regardless of this, I picked out the items and all opinions in this post are 100% my own opinion.

Stop EPI Pen Price Gouging

Mylan's 420% price increase on life-saving EpiPen needs to be stopped, we need to write a letter to congress to help stop EpiPen Price gauging. 

How can we afford to keep our children safe even if they offer a $0 co-pay or $100 savings.

Click here to send your letter.

Thank you!

Our Dog Allergic Child Got a PUPPY!!

I never thought we would see this day! We got a puppy and my super allergic son is NOT allergic to her. She is hypo-allergenic Teddy Bear, part Shih Tzu, and Bichon Frise. Her name is Zoey and she is 3 months. We love her so much!! 

Nathan hasn't had any problems with her. He still is allergic to dogs but not all dogs. 

SunButter Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats

Dairy Free, Peanut and Tree Nut Free, Egg Free and Wheat Free

• 3 tablespoons Fleischmann's UNSALTED margarine
• 4 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows
• 1/2 cup SunflowerButter
• 1 1/2 Cup of Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips or Chunks
• 6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal 

DIRECTIONS

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until melted.

2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. 

4. Melt Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Spread over the cereal mixture until covered.

Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Store covered for 1-2 days or freeze.

~Please remember to check all ingredients to make sure they are safe.

2015 Milwaukee Food Allergy Conference

2015 Food Allergy Conference Wisconsin Saturday, November 14, 2015 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (CST) Milwaukee, WI

• Understanding what an IgE mediated food allergy is 
• CDC’s Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies In Schools
• Psychological impact– Food Allergy Bullying
• Food Allergies and the Law
• Dealing with Anaphylaxis in the School Setting – A School Nurse's Perspective
• Latest food allergy research
• Label Reading: Beyond the Basics
• FALCPA (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act)
• Private school perspective

For more information and to sign up click HERE.

It has PEANUTS!!

Here is an another example of bad food ingredient labeling. 

I got this cookie for me and luckily I have no allergies.

It clearly contains peanuts and peanut butter but at the bottom it only states that is CONTAINS DAIRY.  But if you read the ingredients it actually contains WHEAT (GLUTEN), MILK, and EGGS in addition to the DAIRY. 

This make me nervous that food is being sold with this kind of labeling.  It came from a local bakery so I did block out the name.

Just a reminder to read all of the label. 

Chocolate Pie

Nathan has asked about chocolate pie so I found this pie crust at one of my local grocery stores. It is GF, Egg Free, Dairy Free and Nut Free. I took some JELLO choclate pudding and made it according to the package but used soy milk instead of dairy. 

It turned out pretty good, I added marshmallows on top. Wish we had soy whip cream, that would have been better. 

MediKidz Winners

The MediKidz winners are:

Carla Z.

Beth M.

Joanna P.

Holly F.

The winners have been notified and will receive their books soon.

Thank you to all who entered!

Review: MediKidz Explain Asthma Comic Book

I have had an opportunity to review a great new comic book MediKidz Explain Asthma Comic

The Medikidz are superheros who live on MEDILAND, a planet shaped like the human body. They are experts in health and illness, and their mission is to teach you all about your body and how illness affects it.

My son's asthma isn't easy to explain to him but we read  MediKidz Explain Asthma Comic Book and it really helped him understand about his asthma and why it is sometimes harder for him to breathe. The book kept him interested since he loves reading comic books.  

I will be giving away 4 copies of this  MediKidz Explain Asthma Comic book to my readers. May 15th is the last day to enter. Complete the form below to enter. Good Luck!

For my readers who will be in the Washington D.C. area on there is a MediKidz Explain Asthma Comic Book Launch.

When:  Friday May 8th
Time: 3:30-5:00PM (EDT)
Where: Children’s Playseum, 545 8th Street SE, Washington, D.C.


Sign up for this FREE event today

To view other MediKidz books in the series visit MediKidz.com

I  did not receive any compensation for this review.  I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

FARE Walk Milwaukee 2015

FARE Walk for Food Allergy Milwaukee, WI Sunday, June 7, 2015 • Check-in/Activities: 8:30 am

Veteran's Park 1010 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53202 To sign up visit 2015 FARE Walk

Register your EpiPens® and get a Free carrying case

Register your EpiPens® and get a Free carrying case.

It is important to know when your EpiPen expires and if you are like me, you have a million things on your mind that you don't think about the expiration date.

Don't forget with Summer coming that your EpiPen can't get hot, don't leave them in your car.
Go here to register your EpiPen and get your free case today.

Chick fil A®'s - Allergen Information

I found some information in Chick-fil-A's website that I found interesting.....

Chick-fil-A’s Quick Reference Guide for individuals with food allergies lists each menu item as it relates to the FDA’s top eight allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.

For those who are allergic to foods other than the top eight listed allergens, this guide also includes the complete ingredient list for each menu item. Note that we prepare our foods following procedures to prevent allergen cross-contamination, but our products containing wheat, egg, soy and dairy are made in the same kitchen. If you have an allergy, we recommend that you consult with your physician prior to making a decision about whether or not to eat any Chick-fil-A® product.

Chick-fil-A uses 100% refined peanut oil for all of our breaded chicken. According to the FDA, highly refined oils such as soybean and peanut oil are not considered allergenic, and therefore are not labeled as such. For gluten-sensitive individuals, the Gluten Information section includes a list of Chick-fil-A menu items that may fit your gluten-free diet.

I have always been told that if you have a peanut allergy that you should not eat anything cooked in peanut oil so we have avoided it. 

My question is.....if you have a peanut allergy do you eat foods cooked in peanut oil?

Ingredients in McDonalds Fries

There are allergens in McDonalds French Fries. Be Aware....

Puppy Chow ~ Peanut Free, Dairy Free, Wheat Free and Gluten Free

Nathan has a limited snack choice with all of his food allergies and he takes a snack to school everyday, so I came up with this recipe for Puppy Chow!

The best part is you can't taste the difference between using real Peanut butter or using the Soy Butter, so it is a great safe snack even for those not allergic to peanuts. Great for a Peanut Free classroom.

"Specialty" Ingredients I use

Ingredients

9 cups Corn Chex™, Rice Chex™, Wheat Chex™ or Chocolate Chex™ cereal (or combination)

1 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips 

1/2 cup SunButter or WOW Butter

1/4 cup UNSALTED Fleischmann's margarine (it is dairy free) 

1 teaspoon vanilla (gluten free) 

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 

Directions 

In a large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
In a 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave Enjoy Life chocolate chips, Soy butter and margarine uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. 

Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

LIFE HAPPENS. Be Prepared. ®

LIFE HAPPENS. Be Prepared. ^®  is a patient/caregiver video series. We invite you to view the videos at EpiPen.com. 

Through this unique series, we bring to life seven patient/caregiver stories that emphasize key aspects of managing potentially life-threatening (severe) allergies and a life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), such as preparedness and avoidance. Each story is educational, helping the broader community understand that whether school, work, travel or life happens, those at risk for anaphylaxis must always be prepared.

The videos reinforce that being prepared means having an anaphylaxis action plan to:

·         Avoid known allergens

·         Know what symptoms to watch for

·         Use an EpiPen^® (epinephrine) Auto-Injector if anaphylaxis occurs

·         Get emergency medical help right away

As you know, the risk of anaphylaxis can be scary, but it is our hope that this collection of videos can help support those managing severe allergies in a meaningful way.

We hope you will find these videos valuable.

#Teal Pumpkin Project

We are participated in the #TealPumpkinProject and I wanted to share some photos on a teal pumpkin I made.

I didn't want to use a real pumpkin because I wanted to be able to use this pumpkin every year so I bought a white craft pumpkin at Target ($13) and  acrylic paint from Walmart  (.50 a bottle). I painted the pumpkin a Tuscan Teal color.

Pictured below is my finished teal pumpkin and in the middle picture is the blue pumpkin I used to hold all my non-candy treats for the little Trick-or-Treaters. The non-candy treats included: erasers, eyeball bounce balls, rubber bracelets, beaded necklaces, army men and spider rings. I posted this sign on our front door.  We had Trick or Treat last weekend and kids loved the non-candy treats.

eBook: An Overview of Food Allergies for Parents in Need of Answers

Are you new to food allergies or do you have questions about food allergies that you would like answers to? Well, there is a very resourceful eBook titled: An Overview of Food Allergies for Parents in Need of Answers by Kathy Penrod and Mary Ellen Ellis. 

I read this book and found it a very helpful resource. The book has many different topics from what is a food allergy, to dealing with everyday life and food allergies.  There are food allergy myths,  graphs and even statistics. We have been living with food allergies for almost 8 years and there was so much more I learned about allergies after reading this very informative eBook. I recommend this book to all my readers.

You can download the FREE book here.

I  did not receive any compensation for this review.  I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

2014 Food Allergy Conference Wisconsin

Registration is now open for the 2014 Food Allergy Conference Wisconsin being held Saturday, November 15th.

Please go to the link below to see more details and to register.

www.2014foodallergyconferencewi.eventbrite.com

Please share with anyone you think may be interested. Registration is required and seats are limited.

This project was made possible through a community grant from Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) and through the generous donation of venue and resources at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. being held Saturday, November 15th.

Please go to the link below to see more details and to register.

www.2014foodallergyconferencewi.eventbrite.com

Please share with anyone you think may be interested. Registration is required and seats are limited.

This project was made possible through a community grant from Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) and through the generous donation of venue and resources at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

Back to School

Today was the first day of school, Nathan is in the 2nd grade. Wishing everyone a safe school year!!