Friday, April 27, 2012

Food Allergy Luncheon

Isn't great to get together with friends WHO GET IT!


-what a relief to be with people who get it, who believe you, who understand that the slightest bit can be harmful, and who are full of positive energy, and recipes, and tips on how to get through the rough spots.


At the amazing Food Allergy Initiative lunch (www.faiusa.org) I saw a moving video of teens talking about their allergies and how they'll feel when they go away from home:
One cute guy said: I'll have better things to worry about than my allergies-- like my classes. 
And one young teen said: I'm so lucky to be a girl-- we get to have a great fashion accessory to carry our Epi-Pens and Benedryl...
Is that the best!



And this week I spent time with friends who both have sons going off to college-- and we talked about what to bring, how much to text in the first week, when to cry (and when not to) as well as
ALLERGIES: 
I told them I send bulk items from Amazon-- this week I sent Enjoy Life CocoLoco Chewy bars --and to get  free shipping I added a bubble gun.  It's Spring--what kid doesn't want a bubble gun!
 And they told me that the new Rice Chex cereal is good, and I told them that the blue Peeps have milk-- FYI only the yellow chicks don't-- 
THEY GET IT-- and it buoys me up every time.


So whether it's a support group with regular meetings; reading a food allergy blog; going to a conference or a luncheon or just calling a friend-- food allergies are much more manageable with  people who get it.  




PS:
 Reaction alert -- Kingsmill Brown Rice bread-- even tho the listed ingredients were fine, and when I called the customer service line--they confirmed all ingredients.
   I  have to say the Kingsmill/PaneRiso people were great on the phone.
The woman read all the ingredients, including trace; looked up what kind of "caramel coloring" they use (dairy free and all natural) and even looked up what the cellulose is (made from denatured tree bark....)
Son was fine-- but won't eat that bread again.




Monday, April 16, 2012

victory!

In my city it's summer-- should only be spring, but it's summer with a high of 82 and humidity-- means lots of flowers and people in shorts-- and gets me thinking of summer foods-- and my goal to learn how to make a good granita (crushed coffee ices like in Italy) and fruit sorbet. I am looking for good recipes-- and easy too-- I am not very skilled at desserts- but maybe I'll have better luck with icey things than baked goods.

And, a small victory-- the mini marts at my son's college will now start selling plain rice cakes--a favorite snack of his.
Why is that a victory-- because before now these marts only sold "popcorn' or 'caramel' flavors-- the popular flavors. But my son advocated, and the dining services people listened and worked on it and found a supplier to provide these 'less popular' plain brown- rice cakes that are safe for him.
I'm curious if these rice cakes will be less popular, knowing that healthy snacks and whole grains are all the rage--for only the best reasons-- among everyone, college students included.