Seeing the Peter Rabbit Movie? 5 Questions to Ask Your Child With NO Food Allergies

I woke up in the middle of night recently thinking about all the Peter Rabbit hubbub. I'm sure you've heard, but there is a scene in the new Peter Rabbit movie that shows the rabbits intentionally trying to throw berries into Tom's mouth, knowing he is allergic to them. Their evil quest is successful, and Tom has to use his EpiPen to stop progressing anaphylaxis. 

What's funny about that?

Nothing. It's called bullying, among other things.

But instead of writing another blog post about what's wrong with this scene, and how much it hurts those of us who have children with food allergies (and also hurts those WITH food allergies), I thought it might be most helpful to think about a positive step we can take NOW.

Yes, I'm going to #boycottPeterRabbit like many other food allergy families. Honestly, I wasn't too interested in having my kids watch the movie anyway, since it looked too action packed and stress inducing just from the previews, without even knowing about the food allergy scene.

However, there are many families with no food allergies, families who are our friends, who live in our community, and who we interact with all the time, who are going to see this movie.

If you're one of those families, all that I ask is that you take 5 minutes after the movie to talk with your child. Start by asking them these 5 questions, and...just listen. 

1. Do you know anyone who is allergic to food?

2. Do you think it's right to throw food at someone who is allergic to it, or tease them with it?

3. Do you think it would be funny?

4. How do you think that would make them feel?

5. How do you think someone with food allergies might feel about the scene in the movie when the rabbits throw food at Tom that he's allergic to?

Then, if your child has trouble understanding why the food allergy bullying scene might be hurtful to others like....

his or her friend from school with food allergies....

a kid they know who sits at the peanut free table at lunch...

or someone they've seen a birthday party that brings his/her own cupcake...

Explain to them how TRUE friends might act, and how important it is to put yourself in someone else's shoes.

Hopefully you can have a short and age-appropriate conversion about empathy and compassion. Even though there are many adults who have no empathy or compassion for people with food allergies (just read the comments of some of the articles online....I've learned to not even read them), I'm hoping the next generation, will grow up to be more compassionate about food allergies, and with a greater understanding of them and the risks associated with them.

Let me know if you ask these questions and how your child responds!

Dairy Allergy? How to Get More Vitamin D

The GIANT Nutritionist team at the Philly Gluten Free Expo just this past weekend (with Little Gal hiding behind me!).

Do you ever worry if you or your child is getting enough vitamin D? I know I do. Dairy products are obviously a great source of vitamin D, but if you're allergic to dairy, it's harder to eat enough of this vitamin. As you know, Little Guy is allergic to dairy (milk, casein, butter cheese, cow's milk protein). So, I do worry about vitamin D deficiency, and how to get enough vitamin D without dairy!

Who is best at answering questions like this?  A registered dietitian!

I recently met Rabiya Bower, RD, LDN, at our fun cooking class at The Rachel Way. Rabiya is an in-store Nutritionist for Giant Food Stores. In case you're not familiar with Giant, it's an awesome supermarket that offers a wonderful selection allergy friendly options for our family (BTW, this is true - I shop at Giant every week!).

Rabiya was great with the kids and I asked her to write this great post about vitamin D benefits, and recipes including vitamin D foods. I hope you find it helpful!

Importance of Vitamin D

By Rabiya Bower, RD, LDN & In-store Nutritionist for Giant Food Stores

Have you heard of the hot vitamin that is getting a ton of attention? Vitamin D, also known as the “sunshine vitamin” has been getting a lot of press recently! New research is constantly emerging about the importance of this often overlooked nutrient. We’ve known for a long time that vitamin D is crucial in preventing rickets and helping children grow strong bones. Now, scientists are discovering vitamin D’s role in boosting immunity, reducing inflammation, and decreasing the risk of some chronic diseases, like multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. Some studies even show that vitamin D might play a critical role in regulating mood.

Despite vitamin D’s importance in health, researchers estimate that 75% of teens and adults in America are deficient in this key vitamin! There are a lot of factors that influence your vitamin D status. People who often use sunscreen, spend more time indoors, have darker skin, or live in big cities where buildings block sunlight tend to have lower amount of vitamin D in their bodies.

“Sunshine vitamin”

Ultimately, spending time in the sun is the best way to get this vitamin: Exposure of arms and legs for 5 to 30 minutes between the hours of 10 AM and 3 PM twice a week can be adequate to prevent vitamin D deficiency. With the weather warming here in Philly, it’s a great time to get outdoors and soak up some vitamin D!

You can also boost your vitamin D status by consuming foods filled with this nutrient. Dairy foods, like milk, cheese and yogurt typically contain vitamin D. In the U.S., almost all of the milk supply is fortified with 100 International Units (IU) per cup. However, if you are allergic to dairy, your diet may be lacking in this key vitamin. Below are some delicious non-dairy food sources of vitamin D. 

Non-dairy Sources of Vitamin D

• Fatty fish, such as salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna and eel. Choose wild-caught when possible for an extra boost of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids!
• Canned fish, like tuna and sardines. Sardines can be high in sodium, so be sure to wash off the extra salt before eating.
• Mushrooms, including portabella, shiitake, button and chanterelle. Vitamin D content varies widely among mushrooms, so choose your favorite flavor.
• Fortified orange juice. Not all brands are fortified, so make sure to check the label. You’ll want to get 100% juice to avoid added sugars.
• Eggs, specifically the yolks. Eggs are a convenient protein source for any meal, and the yolk contains vitamin D!
• Fortified cereal and oatmeal. Again, check the label for specific vitamin D content. Choose cereals and oatmeal that are labeled whole grain in order to increase fiber, too.

The research is still unclear on how much vitamin D is needed for optimum health. However, we know that vitamin D is important for people of all ages. Be sure to talk to a health professional, like a doctor or registered dietitian, to make sure you’re getting the right about of vitamin D for your body.

Looking for an easy way to add some vitamin D food sources to your diet? Try some of these recipes for dinner tonight!

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich (Vegan and gluten free if use gluten free roll)

Chicken with Asparagus and Mushrooms (this could easily be made gluten free and dairy free)

Poached Flounder with Mushrooms (gluten free and dairy free)

Resources:

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional
http://www.mushroominfo.com/all-about-vitamin-d/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vitamin-d-deficiency-united-states

Follow more Mamacado fun on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest!

Why We're Having a "Free From" Easter & Bunny Lollipop Giveaway!

It's so easy to feed your kids junk. Since Little Guy has food allergies to dairy, eggs, sesame and nuts, we DO stay away from a lot of processed snacks and candy that are not safe for him. However, there is still a lot of junk that he CAN eat. This is especially true during candy filled holidays like Easter. That's why this Easter, we are staying away from all that junk and focusing on a few dairyfree, eggfree, nutfree and sesamefree treats that are made with better ingredients. So what is the Easter Bunny putting in the kids' Easter baskets this year?

Candy! Yes, but just a little bit of candy made with just a few ingredients we can read. TruJoy Sweets Organic Bunny Shaped Lollipops are one of those candies. In fact, I am excited TruJoy Sweets is sponsoring this post because it is an allergy friendly company who makes products that are safe for our family. Plus, TruJoy's products also focus on better ingredients in general!

The ingredients of the Organic Bunny Shaped Lollipops include: Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors (fruit essence including lemon, watermelon or strawberry), Color Added (Organic Fruit Juice).

I mean, how cute are these little guys?

These lollipops are so colorful and festive, and they add some guilt free and allergy friendly fun to an Easter basket.

The Easter Bunny is also going to make some chocolate SunButter cups for the kids' Easter baskets and maybe even some festive Easter bunny cupcakes!

The kiddos will also get lots of other fun things in their Easter baskets like playdough, bubbles, books, stickers and games. I truly believe that Easter (and holidays in general!) don't have to be completely filled with junk food. 

If you celebrate Easter, what will the Easter Bunny put in your Easter baskets this year?

Now don't forget to enter this fun giveaway! Two winners will get one bag of 30 TruJoy Organic Bunny Shaped Lollipops!

Entry-Form

Congrats to A. Saver and K. Skrivanek. They were randomly chosen as winners of 30 lollipops each!

Thank you to TruJoy for sponsoring this post. We appreciate allergy friendly companies like TruJoy who make quality products that are safe for our family!

Grandma Does It Again: Countdown Checklist to Holiday Hosting with Food Allergies

If you've read Grandma's Guide to Holiday Hosting with Food Allergies, you know that I have a wonderful mom who is an amazing Grandma to our Little Guy with food allergies. Well, Grandma has done it yet again!  She has written a wonderful quick checklist and planning guide for holiday hosting with food allergies. 

Whether you use it as a Thanksgiving Checklist, Christmas Checklist, Hanukkah Checklist or for whatever holiday you celebrate, we hope you find this quick planning checklist helpful!

Grandma's Countdown Checklist to Holiday Hosting with Food Allergies

by Karen Dalfonso

Grandma needs help!  The family get-togethers are a special challenge because my kitchen needs to be allergy friendly less than 1% of the year and I have a lot of work to do.  This is the season for  balancing 60 years of family tradition, exposure to novel grocery store product items and  recipes, social media entertaining ideas and a desire to make this a memorable SAFE-EATING holiday event for my family!  

This year I’ve decided to add my own allergy friendly planning checklist to my “traditional” holiday meal planning list.  If you are using this checklist, simply cross off items you do not find helpful.

Ten days before:

➤Get updated allergen and safe food list (discuss with person with food allergies or parent of child with food allergies).

➤Plan “simple” appetizers, main dish, side dish, salad and bread.

➤List ingredients needed.  Remember to cross off list when purchased.

➤Find designated space for “safe” items and kitchen gear: Paper plates, paper cups, disposable utensils, place mats any cooking utensils such as knives, pans, colander, measuring cups/spoons, flour, sugar, oats, purchased snack or dessert items.

Seven days before:

➤Buy food staples, freezer, and non-perishable refrigerator items.

➤Wash serving dishes, platters, silverware, glasses.

➤Notify guests you appreciate their offer but your menu will not include “extras” as all food items need to be safe.

Two-Four days before:

➤Clean refrigerator and designate a specific shelf for dairy-free butter/yogurt/milk or other allergy friendly items.

➤Find specific area for safe snacks.

➤Scan shelves and remove allergens from shelves if possible or at least arrange in one place in the kitchen.

➤Clean workspace/countertops.  If possible plan regular meals for the remaining few days that do not contain allergens.

➤Prepare make-ahead dishes. Save all labels of foods for guest with food allergies to read

One day before:

➤Complete make-ahead dishes.

➤Re-read food labels.

Day of dinner:

➤Give labels to guest with food allergies to review.

➤Consider arranging for fixed seating (especially helpful if small children with food allergies will be present).

➤Review menu.

➤Make sure guest knows about safe space in refrigerator, shelves, bin, safe snacks, paper and storage items.

➤Arrange for allergy-friendly plate to be served first along with  “seconds” plate. If serving buffet style, arrange for the guest with food allergies to get food first (and put extra food to the side for seconds).

➤Enjoy your time with your family!

What other items are on your countdown checklist for holiday hosting?

Other posts you might like:

Grandma's Guide to Holiday Hosting with Food Allergies

A Food Allergy Friendly Trip to NYC

Last Minute Holiday Recipes

Dairy Free Chocolate Holiday Bark

Big Recall Due to Peanut Residue: Stay Aware

You've heard about the big recall of certain foods due to peanut residue right?  Did you hear that the recall keeps expanding to more products? The AAFA (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America) asked me to share a press release today about the recent FDA advisory recommending people with peanut allergies avoid the affected products. Here are the key points of the press release:

AAFA’s Kids With Food Allergies blog (KFA) highlights the full list of recalled products. The FDA said it is looking into the origin and extent of what it called "low levels" of peanut residue in the flour.

The product recalls linked to Grain Craft at this time are:

 Cinnabon Stix

 Safeway 8" Single Layer Red Velvet Cake

 ACME 12” Decorated Chocolate Chip Cookie

 Jewel 12” Decorated Chocolate Chip Cookie

 Chick-fil-A Chocolate Chunk Cookies

 Hostess Snack Cakes and Donuts

 Rold Gold Select Varieties of Pretzels** 

(**Mamacado note - notice the Rold Gold recall as it was announced AFTER the first recall notice! I just checked a package in my cabinet the other day, but it was not affected. Here is how you can check your own packages.)

The company named in the advisory, Grain Craft, has recalled the flour. Grain Craft sells to the baking and food service industries and not to consumers. It says it is the largest independent flour miller in the U.S.

The FDA said it will continue to check to see if other companies may be using this flour.

What Happened?

 On April 26, Grain Craft told the FDA that “sampling by a customer” found peanut residue in cookies.

 Grain Craft confirmed the residue with its own testing.

 The FDA performed its own analysis, confirming the problem.

 Grain Craft traced the affected flour to wheat grown in agricultural areas that also grow peanuts.

 Grain Craft stopped making and distributing the affected flour on April 30.

 FDA analysis performed later did not “show the presence of peanut protein.”

Two reports of severe allergic reactions in children are connected to the investigation.  So, please stay aware and safe and double check everything!

Small Steps this Food Allergy Awareness Week

Did you know it's Food Allergy Awareness Week and National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month? There are so many people making wonderful progress in spreading food allergy awareness, and I truly appreciate their work. It's such an important part of keeping our children safe. 

But I have to be honest. It can also feel overwhelming. 

It's overwhelming to think about doing anything special during our already busy lives and hectic weeks. I suppose that's also true for parents of children in general, but when you have to cook EVERY meal EVERY day as a working parent, it sure takes time.

It might also feel overwhelming with all of the food allergy information we see on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you're a parent of a child with food allergies, I suspect your social media feeds look just the same as mine.

And when you feel overwhelmed, isn't it easy to feel completely frozen and do nothing?

So I've decided to think about Food Allergy Awareness Week in a different way. Even if I don't have time to spread awareness in a BIG way, I'm still going to focus on the importance of my small efforts.

Because no matter how small your effort, you are still making a contribution. 

So, here are some of the small steps I'm taking this week to spread awareness: 

• Changing my Facebook profile picture to support food allergy awareness week.
• Sharing a few more food allergy related articles on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
• Thanking my son's teachers in emails for taking extra care to keep him safe while at school. I may even get myself together by the end of the week and send in a little card and gift!
• Spreading awareness in my day-to-day life. From encouraging my co-worker with severe food allergies to carry an EpiPen (yes, I know, this horrifies me!), to chatting about food allergies with my grocery store check-out person, any conversation about food allergies brings awareness.

AAFA, KFA, FARE and FAACT have some wonderful ideas to inspire all of us this week/month to spread food allergy awareness.  

What small steps will you take to spread awareness and keep our children safe? 

EggNots: Fun for Easter with Egg Allergies + GIVEAWAY

Thanks to EggNots for sponsoring this post. Make sure to enter the GIVEAWAY at the bottom of this post!

If you celebrate Easter, you know that dyeing eggs is a rite of passage for every kid.  

But what if you have an egg allergy?

Since Little Guy has food allergies to eggs, dairy, sesame, tree nuts and peanuts, we've put a few holiday traditions to the side. But dyeing eggs is still a tradition we can celebrate because of EggNots!

In past years, I bought look-alike eggs at local craft stores that were made of materials like cardboard. However, they were very light and didn't feel at all like real eggs.

This is the first year we've tried EggNots, and I was amazed how much they looked and felt like real eggs. From the egg carton to the weight of the eggs (about as heavy as real eggs), they are just like the real thing!

The secret? EggNots are a dyeable ceramic product. The ceramic material makes them look and feel so realistic.

Little Gal even tried to crack one!



Now, this brings up another point. Just be sure to communicate to your child with an egg allergy that these are NOT real eggs. 

Children with an egg allergy need to know that they are safe for them to touch and use. It's something I was sure to stress to Little Guy before he even touched them because they can easily be mistaken for real eggs. 

Okay, onto the fun.

Just take a look at this crazy table! We didn't have newspaper, so we lined our table with old catalogs and flyers. 

I gave the kiddos a few options for decorating including natural dyes like Color Garden and India Tree. But you know what they loved best?  Using a small paint brush to cover the eggs with glitter paint!

Aren't they just vibrant and beautiful?

There are so many ways you can decorate Easter eggs. From natural dyes to paint, or markers and stickers. 

However you do it, it's all about spending time together as family, laughing, talking and sharing in special moments - food allergies or not.

Leave a comment about why you'd like to use EggNots this Easter and be entered to win one 12-pack of EggNots. Two winners will be randomly chosen by 9am on Friday, March 11! U.S. entries only please.

You may also like:

Easter Bunny Hayride

Easy Easter CupCakes

Gluten, Dairy and Egg Free Strawberry Vanilla Cake

Allergy Friendly Easter Celebration

SuperEaster

 

SunButter Chocolate Heart Cookies for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! I thought I'd pass along a few fun and food allergy friendly Valentine's ideas that have worked well for our family for past Valentine's Day celebrations! And you know that means they're dairy free, egg free, nut free and sesame free!

First, make sure to check out my new guest post on the SunButter blog today for SunButter Chocolate Heart Cookies. They're an extremely easy Valentine's Day treat AND one of the BEST vegan and nut free cookies I've tasted in a long time. 

I've baked this recipe 3 times now (for multiple school events!) and they turned out perfectly each time.

Make sure to also pin this recipe on Pinterest for future use!!

I also just love these easy heart shaped pancakes - vegan pancakes for us.

And this delicious Chocolate Cocoa Popcorn - an allergy friendly treat!

And don't forget about heart shaped chocolate dipped Rice Krispie treats like this!

So many tasty foods can be made into heart shapes. All you really need are a few good cookie cutters or heart shaped pans. Here are a few items I've collected over the years to make our Valentine's Day celebrations fun! (affiliate links)

How are you celebrating this Valentine's Day?

A Food Allergy Friendly Trip to NYC

We took a fun day trip to New York City a few weeks ago to show the kids all the sights and sounds of the Christmas season. Since we live outside of Philadelphia it only takes about 2 hours to drive to NYC. Great for a day trip. So, we packed some supplies (and you know that means TONS of food allergy friendly food!) and off we went!

This is a photo of all of the food allergy friendly food I packed. I knew it was too much, but I felt better having too much than too little. This was supposed to cover the kids' second breakfast (yes, we have lots of second breakfasts in this house!), multiple snacks in the car, and a possible lunch if we didn't feel it was safe for Little Guy to eat at a restaurant.

We parked at a lot near Rockefeller Center (thanks to the Hubs for driving!), and we walked about a block to see the tree and ice skating rink.  It was PACKED with people, but everyone was in good spirits.

We surprised the kiddos by meeting my parents there (Yes, this includes the famous Grandma who wrote "Grandma's Guide to Holiday Hosting with Food Allergies").

Being together was a great treat for everyone!

Little Guy is VERY into Legos right now as a 5 year old, so despite the long line, we stopped at the Lego store right in Rockefeller Center and bought the kiddos two Lego sets.

Then we had lunch! 

I did research beforehand on AllergyEats to find safe restaurants around Rockefeller Center. I also searched on a few of my favorite allergy related Facebook groups, and I did a general Google search. I called a few different restaurants a few days before and I decided that Bill's Bar & Burger and Del Frisco's Grille would be the best choices in the Rockefeller Center area for Little Guy's food allergies.

The wait at Bill's Bar & Burger was much shorter than at Del Frisco's, so we decided to eat at Bill's!  I have to say, food allergies or not, it was a great place for kids. Here's why:

• It's a large (2 floors), festive restaurant and noisy kids are not an issue!
• The food is very kid-friendly - burgers, sandwiches and salads type meals. Pretty similar to Red Robin or a diner.
• SANTA CLAUSE was there! He was walking around the restaurant talking to all the kids. Their eyes just lit up when they saw him.
• Every kid gets WikiStix to play with while waiting. How genius is that!? They also give kids crayons and a coloring page to pass the time.

I'm always nervous when we go to a new restaurant due to Little Guy's food allergies. It was even more nerve-wracking that day since it was REALLY busy and loud in the restaurant. 

The waitress took awhile to get there, so I actually got up to find a manager first thing to discuss whether they could make safe food for Little Guy.  I gave him our chef card and he assured me they could make a plain hamburger with veggie or fruit. He said to make sure the plate has an allergy stick in it to confirm that it's the allergy-friendly meal.

I was relieved when they brought out a plain burger and side of fruit with the allergy stick in it. Then I gave Little Guy his safe bread to make a sandwich. I was relieved even further when he ate it with no problems!  Phew.

Then we were off to walk up 5th Avenue to Central Park. It was a fun day with lots of festive stores, decorations and potty stops :)

We saw many sparkling Christmas windows...

We had tons of fun in Central park. We watched the horse and carriage riders and the ice skaters glide around the outdoor rink in the park (yes, this is where they skate in the movie Serendipity!)...

We laughed at the seals doing tricks in the Central Park Zoo (which we could see from OUTSIDE the zoo!)...

And we climbed the huge rocks in Central Park for some fun views and extra adventure....

It was a perfect day trip to NYC for a 5 and 3 year old. And the most important part? We came together as a family to enjoy the anticipation of Christmas and get in the spirit!

Have you ever been to NYC at Christmas time? OR if you have food allergies, do you have any other restaurant recommendations?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Mamacado!!

Grandma's Guide to Holiday Hosting with Food Allergies

It's Thanksgiving! This is the time of year when we count our blessings. Thankfully, I can count my parents as one of those blessings for many reasons. They offer support and understanding in every part of our lives. This support and understanding includes Little Guy's food allergies. They have always done their best to keep him safe and create an amazing, fun, and food allergy friendly holiday for us at their house. 

My Mom wrote this guest post all on her own - with no prompting from me. As an experienced host of someone with food allergies, she feels passionate about sharing her guide to holiday hosting with food allergies. 

I wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving and I hope you enjoy this helpful post!

By Karen Dalfonso

This will be my fourth year hosting winter family gatherings that include my Grandson (now 5 years old) with multiple food allergies to dairy, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame and fin fish.  

I love planning special dinners, and having overnight guests is always a treat. Grilling burgers, corn on the cob, fresh fruit, summer safe-snacks are summer staples. Somehow, my kitchen is adequate for that menu, but the holidays pose special challenges not present during the summer outdoor months. 

Due to the multi-tasking during holidays, it is so easy for mishaps to occur in a kitchen which does not ordinarily follow allergy-friendly guidelines. Converting a kitchen into an allergy-friendly kitchen takes some effort. 

So, I would like to share a few short-cuts and safeguards which I have adopted during the last 4 years since we found out my Grandson has food allergies.  I hope to provide a little confidence for someone who is new at this, especially during the busy family gathering-times of the year.  

Planning:

Spending time planning a menu, getting recipes together and stocking up ahead of time on staples is a rule-of thumb for everyone. It's particularly important for an allergy-safe menu, as there is less room for flexibility.   

In our house, SunButter, soy and coconut milk for baking, Enjoy Life cookies, safe chocolate chips and Wheat Thins are some items I can buy ahead of time.  Freezer items may include some of my Grandson's veggies, sausage, chicken, waffles, coconut non-dairy “ice cream”, etc.   

If I am baking, I try to buy duplicate products which will be set aside and separated from my other kitchen products, to ensure cross-contact with allergens do not accidentally occur. That way, when I begin baking my special allergy friendly-recipe, I have new products. I don’t need to worry about accidental cross-contact with eggs or other allergens.  These items can be stocked on a separate shelf, or in my case, a covered bin.  During the busy times, this planning save so much time and extra trips to the grocery store.  

Storage:

I find storage in a covered bin is great for me.  This way the items, which are not used everyday, stay clean and ready for me to use. In my bin this year, I’ve added measuring cups, measuring spoons, a colander, and brand new containers which have been washed and are in a plastic bags. 

These storage containers can be quickly used to store any item safely and are already washed. I can be sure it has not previously been contaminated with an allergen.  After a year, I absorb the container into my kitchen and buy new products for my “bin”, wash the product, then place in plastic bags.  I also try to use Pyrex or glass when making a bean salad, fruit salad or other item, as I can be sure the bowl is “clean”and does not have traces of an allergen.    

In my bin, I try to also keep cute children’s placemats, drinking cups and plates, although disposable utensils can also be used.  I like to buy disposable silverware in small containers of 24, as I always worry well-meaning guests could place used silverware back in those large packages which seem to last for  “years”.  I feel these little steps are worthwhile in order to be reassured  that the eating surface is safe.

Refrigerator:

As the holiday approaches, a special shelf in the refrigerator helps to separate allergy-friendly items from other items.  I find it helpful to use a container to hold small items such as coconut yogurt, juice boxes, non-dairy butter, etc., which can get “lost” in a holiday refrigerator.  A special shelf or storage area in the kitchen or another room for crackers, cereal, or other items is also helpful.  This helps to avoid “errors” made in a rush. It is also helpful to have snack-size bags made with pretzels, popcorn, or other items that can be quickly grabbed.  Remember, taking snacks from the large “family”  bag always runs the risk of allergens in the product.

Mealtimes:

During any mealtime gathering, be sure to make the allergy-friendly plate first.  If you think there will be “seconds” later,  placed food in storage containers before the rest of the guests take their dinner. I always try to use a placemat on the table, with either disposable silverware or a different pattern of silverware.  That way I can  make sure the item has been properly washed. We tend to shift seats, plates, glasses often during a large gathering so this is a helpful safeguard for me.  Paper products are great to insure everything is clean. For emergency cutting of vegetables, etc., just cut the item inside a ziplock bag if unsure of clean surfaces in the kitchen.  I always use foil or parchment paper for baking or grilling to insure the food is on a safe surface away from any allergens.  

Enjoying family time:

So, next comes the fun part!  The laughter, the memories and the great holiday traditions. One of the best is a cookie plate.  Our cookie plate may look a little different from those in other families, but our cookie plate is packed with love and great times.  If you have time to make one cut-out cookie recipe, one gingerbread recipe, or one favorite sugar cookies, that is really enough!  Pretzels can be dipped in safe-chocolate, dairy-free Rice Krispie treats are always nice, chocolate peppermint candy bark, and Enjoy Life cookies come in lots of flavors. Sharing that special dessert is part of our holiday tradition.  We remember to be thankful for each other and don’t want to miss that special part of sharing!

Grandma making cookies with Little Guy.

You may also be interested in:

My Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

Gluten-Free Homemade Stuffing - Tastes like StoveTop!

Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Pretzel Peppermint Bark

Dairy-free Rice Krispie Treats 

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

5 Favorite Cookbooks for an Allergy Friendly Thanksgiving

Last minute holiday recipes