Have My Cake and Eat it Too

I love ice cream cakes and so does my family. But, let's not forget that Jayden, a Treenut allergic child, cannot partake in most things without finding out about the ingredients that makes that cake so yummy. That one ingredient can cost him his life.

It's a good friend's birthday and we wanted to buy ice cream cake. The most popular cakes we used to buy is Carvel and Friendly's. Well, just by looking at the cake, it appears to be made of vanilla ice cream, chocolate, ice cream, and some oreo cookie filling. Not a problem, right? The ingredients look okay. But, our iron-clad safety training tells us just to bypass this yummy treat...no matter the flavor. Why? Well, at the bottom of the Carvel box (in blue) mentions that it has been produced in a facility which shares equipment with other items that contain tree nuts and other allergens. So, of course, we passed on buying the Carvel. 

 We, absolutely, had to have an ice cream cake and we are down to the last hour before having to present the cake to our family friend. I was afraid that Jayden wasn't going to be able to  have a slice. 

Friendly's had an ice cream cake. It was round with celebration frosting, vanilla and chocolate ice cream and oreo center crunchies. This cake was similar to the Carvel Game Ball cake. The ingredients were on the Okay list. Reminder: this is just for tree nut allergen individual. If you suffer from soy, milk, eggs, etc., the ingredients may pose a problem for you. As for Jayden, the ingredients were okay. Once we read to the bottom of the ingredient list, we noticed that Friendly's added a disclaimer to cover them just in case someone decided to put decorated enhancements on it. Whenever, I see any disclaimer that mentions for eg; 'may contain.....', I get a little concerned. But, since I started this lifestyle, I have learned that most companies include labeling that indicate some kind of warning for legal purposes. I'm no expert as of yet, However, I am understanding it to mean that if you go and put extra party edibles on your cake and your child has a reaction, then don't come back and sue US! Am I correct to assume that? Needless to say, I purchased this Friendy's ice cream and served it BLANK!! Put candles in it and said Happy Birthday!! My Jayden did not have a reaction. Friendly's ice cream cakes are on our OK list for now. I am totally not putting aside baking a cake at home and buying vanilla ice cream in the future.

Delicious Tree Nut Free Smoothie

Before I begin...I will say that this snack is for my tree nut allergy son. If your child has an allergy to milk then it is not advisable to try this snack. However, you can incorporate the alternative liquid that will keep the idea simple and still yummy. Again, this is a newbie tree nut mom trying to find other ways of keeping the little guy happy.

I love snacks and recipes that are derived from fresh ingredients. But, I am not completely innocent to the sugar based products. I, by no means, am advocating that you go sugary and unhealthy. I have been dedicating myself to discover fresher alternative to eating sweet yummy snacks with smoothie fruits and vegetables rather than chocolate bars and Doritos. Uhm Uhm. I even tend to incorporate leafy green vegetables in my smoothie. The kids run the other way every time. This particular smoothie turned out to be an orange/yellow colored one. Isn't that fun?

When it comes to my children..they frown upon healthy smoothies. Yes, that only means they are prisoners of yummy snacks they see on tv and I was a guilty enabler. Hey, I am working on it. I am working to change their way of thinking and to try new things. Hey, its the Semi-natural way today. So, we tried making a smoothie that came from bags and cans. Ohhh, don't curse me. It's better than a twinkie. Oh my!! Hear we go.

So this is what we put in the blender:

1 cup of ice

1/2 cup of frozen peaches (from bag)

1 handful of carrots (from bag,  however much your handful can carry)

       So for my hands, I pulled out about 10 carrots. My son said, "Mom you gotta take some out." So, five came out. He still frowned. I said, "We will leave those five in!" Geesh, we need the beta carotene. He goes, "The beta what@!#"

1- 1/2 cup of milk ( I used 2%, but use whichever you want)
1 canned sliced mangoes ( I normally use fresh)

      I figured the nectar would give it it's added sweetness  rather than the kids dumping sugar into the blender. If you turn your head, that's just what          would happen. Yikes. So I took out 3 slices from the can. I poured just a little juice into the blender from the can. I'd say about 1 tablespoon.

1 fresh Banana

1 slice of fresh kiwi 

I put the lid on ice crush to break down the ice and add extra milk if the spin stops midway. If you don't keep enough liquid in the blender, you will burn out your engine and crack the base of the blender. Ahem. Enjoy the smooth orange sherbert-like tasting treat. Who would have thought that carrots go together with the other ingredients. I think we have the smoothie madness.

Today's Announcement!

I am now a member of BlogLovin....where I hope to connect with other interesting humans. 

Keeping up with Updated Cans and Cannots

     It can be extremely time consuming to follow up with manufacturers to see if your child can partake in their product. He probably have eating it many times before. So, why check...right? Well, that certainly is not the attitude to have. I had that very same attitude. However, in my research, I stumbled upon articles that mentioned that some children have had reactions to snacks they have eaten all their lives. Learning this fact has, definitely, created a cloud of anxiety over my head. I can imagine how you feel.

     To set me on my path, I  created a list of  snacks that my son loved to eat. I knew that some other moms have already researched manufacturers on similar products that you may use. Rather than just take the advice of a mom who had been on the same path before me, I decided that I have to also do my own leg work. That is the reason behind the disclaimer. Just because one mom found some useful information for her child doesn't mean it applies to all children.

     I jotted down the names of the manufacturers. I noticed that between my trying to be frugal and paying attention to my child's health was playing tug of war. I had to ask myself what was important. If I paid close attention to my child's health, it meant that most snacks had to come from the popular snack moguls; such as Kellogg's, Town House, Nabisco, etc.  Also, buying from the Dollar Tree, Aldi, and Sav-a-lot, I discovered some of our most staple snacks claimed to have been produced in a facility that may have contained traces of peanuts and tree nuts. I am not saying to not shop at these stores. I am not saying that these stores are not safe for people who do not have allergies. In fact, they have awesome deals on meats and other items. My main concern is for people who have to be extra careful with products that may cause a reaction in those who cannot be near or consume one or more of the top 8 allergens. Some of those products are sold there. I realized that I cannot shop there for the snack portion of my grocery list.

     I had to leave the bargain stores selection of goodies. I  had to go back to the large grocery chain stores, like Stop and Shop or Shaw's to get the  name brand products. And nooooo, it doesn't mean that you always need name brand products. It just means that in our research so far, the products that my son is highlighting happens to be products from name brand and are sold at stores that are nearby. Not much of a problem so far. However, I am still on the path finding gourmet products. In going to stores like Stop and Shop, I find that the prices did go up, substantially. I guess I just have to start watching coupon shows to get on top of my game. You can find a bargain here and there. That's altogether a whole other blog advice in which I have no expertise. Lol. I will get back to you on that if and when I save a ton on snacks using them.

     What I totally recommend is signing up with Snacksafely.com  to get your updated approved snack list for tree nut allergy folks. It helps with creating a snack list you and your child can use to determine which snacks your child can prepare for school. What I normal do is print out the list and hand it to him. He would then highlight the snacks he would love to have. I create a list in my smart phone. So, the next time I'm in the market I can pull it up on my phone rather then carry the rather large list with me. Go check it out....the most recent update to the snack list is ready as of Aug 21, 2015.

Until later, Catherine Ratliff (Tree Nutty Mom)

Finding Our ID Bracelet

     Thank goodness for good friends. A friend was nice enough to research ID bracelets for Jayden on Amazon. There are many amazing bracelets listed on Amazon in abundance of styles and colors. Our friend chose this particular color but it's good to know that you don't have to just keep the same colors. Mix it up.

     Personalizing your ID bracelet can become fun and interesting even though it means something not so fun; having the exact tree nut allergy itself. Hop aboard and let's find the funnest, prettiest (if you are a girl), most outspoken ID bracelets. We can help everyone pay attention to our allergy in the coolest way. 

Can I have KFC Mommy?

Okay, the past weekend we decided to go out to eat. I dread this activity. Just like other allergy mom, I don't know to a full science what is safe. Yes, chicken is considered to be protein. But, how is that chicken prepared? We live in a world where there are innovators even in the food industry. They continuously come up with ways to prepare food that is stimulative to the pallette.

Chicken is no longer prepared with Crisco like mom used to make. Some people may cook their chicken in peanut oil or other tree nut oils. Therefore, the trip to Kentucky Fried Chicken had to be a safe one. Now, I took it upon myself to ask them even though I had already gone online and obtained an allergen list from their website. This allergen list is good as of January 26, 2015. Please always refer to their website prior to going to that restaurant.

We had always eaten from there in the past but we couldn't take a chance. It's better to ask the question rather than to be sorry. Perhaps, there could have been a change at that particular location that is just not indicated on the website. So, I asked. I was surprised to discover that the manager and his staff were not aware of their allergens policy. So, it seemed I was the first parent to ever ask if they are using any tree nut products at their locations. I was advised to just not buy anything because they simply did not know. Knowledge is power and if you can help someone then do so. I told them that their website gives a breakdown of their products that they serve. Hopefully, they will review it and be prepared for when the next mom comes asking. It's quite obvious that some of the fast food chain restaurants are not making it their top priorities. So, be very aware and proactive when taking your allergy child out to eat.

It turned out that most of the foods that interested him is still on the 'okay to eat' list, with the exception of the Reese's peanut butter pie slice, the Cafe Valley Bakery chocolate chip cake, and the Cafe Valley Bakery lemon cake.

I asked him what type of oil they were using to cook the chicken. I was told Canola Oil. Bingo!! It was a go. I told them to give us the chicken! Ooh wee! He also ordered the potato wedges and his all time favorite biscuit. No symptoms. I guess the main thing I was concerned about wass whether someone came to work and had a tree nut sandwich and salad and placed it on the counters and didn't wipe it down. Yessss, I am losing it but with good reason. But, why would they ever do that when they can just devour all that yummy chicken? Hey, just keep the pies and cakes in the separate fridge section and all will be fine. Let's hope that team gets on the bandwagon with the allergy education.

Little Note; We know that it is also very important to watch out for Cholesterol and try to get fruits and vegetables into the diet. So, the trip to KFC is not an often one. It's good to know that it makes the list in so many choices.

What Tree Nut?

It was a typical evening. I just came in from work. I needed to unwind because I was exhausted from being in the office; phone calls, computer issues, files everywhere, etc. I was going to make myself comfortable if it killed me. The evening's snack was cashews and Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey. Yum! I decided to share some cashews with my son. Sure, he asked for some. I did not hesitate giving him some since we polished off a can of peanuts together months ago. I even made the comment, "Why not....it's not like you are allergic to them. Have some." Well, unsuspectingly, our night was in for a big change and a rude awakening. Just because a status is realized one moment in time doesn't mean it will not change down the road. What that means is, my son actually WAS allergic to nuts. I just didn't know it yet.

Approximately eight minutes later, he came into the bedroom complaining of pain in his throat. I was too busy to acknowledge what was happening. I was on a really interesting part of my game on the laptop. I told him to go have a sip of water and relax. He left. He came back in 1-2 minutes...this time crying and holding his throat. He had my attention then. I wasn't sure what the issue was, but I knew I needed to act fast. I threw on some pants and ran him into the car. I still didn't realize it was a reaction from the cashews I had fed him moments ago. To assess the situation, I made sure I asked him if he had trouble breathing. He said 'no'. He also spoke in complete sentences. That lead me to believe that he was not in any immediate danger. So, I decided to drive him to the emergency room myself. Boy, was I totally naive at what was happening. We were lucky that his reaction began mildly. At this point in the event, his symptoms were pain in the throat, pain the chest, swollen lip (which seemed to go down as we approached the hospital). 

When we got to the emergency room, we actually had to wait in line. He seemed fine. Once they examined him, they realized that he had an allergic reaction to the cashews since it was the last and only thing he ate. However, they didn't see any reason to give him anything at that moment. He was alert, he was not wheezing, his throat was open, and no vomiting,etc. They told us to take a seat in the waiting room and if we noticed anything new to come back up to triage. Fair enough. 

We sat in triage and watched the Monster's High movie. We even discussed what was going on in the movie. Now, this next part will tell you that the symptoms of a child with any type of allergy may differ from the next or each experience of the occurrence may be different from the last. During his very first experience, we would say that he was lucky. The incredible lax behavior of myself and the medical team at the time was a bit off it's game (for lack of a better phase). He didn't have a noticeably severe attack from the cashew. 

Well, we were really into the Monster High movie. Minutes later, I look down at him and noticed his eyes were swollen. His entire body was full of welts and bumps. I rushed him into triage where they gave him some Benadryl. Benadryl works nice for allergic reactions. But, still they didn't see the problem he was having. He was beginning his life threatening reaction to the cashew. His process was just off to a slow start. The wheezing began. At this time, the doctor's came out to get him. He was still able to walk himself back into the examination room. Unfortunately, the doctors and a whole team of nurses noticed right away that it was more serious than the triage nurse knew. 

The doctor noticed that my son's face was pale and his lips were very white. He was too tired to wake up. I told him that perhaps Benadryl's side effects were taking effect. They witnessed it all too many times. They made a decision to give him the Epi-pen shot along with other medications to offset his allergic reaction. They explained to me that they believe my son is now a Tree Nut allergy kid and they needed to watch him. 

 I was in Nut Denial! However, I complied. I was numb to the whole idea that things were going to change; right down to the training of how to use the Epi-pen at home. Long story short, we met with an allergist after the hospital stay and was determined that his diagnosis was a true one after he failed the tree nut test with flying colors. Cashews are the most deadly for him.

So.......our journey begins! Mom's job of being proactive begins!

I am now a Tree Nutty Mom.