Ok, so most of the time I cook for my family. But there are times when for one reason or another, it just doesn’t happen. (like today when I needed to go to the grocery store but there was a real,bonafied thunder storm in Southern California…it reminded me of growing up in South Florida) So I keep some stuff in my pantry that is safe for my son on these occasions. I was looking at my options and decided to try Namaste Foods Say Cheez. In the past I have found different varieties of Mac and Cheez that were free of soy,peanuts,eggs,wheat and dairy. Most of them were very strong smelling(not like cheese either) and Jackson refused to eat them. I had bought the Namaste variety in the hopes that it would be different, but then didn’t make it for fear that it would smell nasty and Jackson wouldn’t eat it. Today I opened it and made it. It was pretty easy to make (boil the pasta, heat three tablespoons of oil and one tablespoon of water and mix with cheez packet and then combine drained pasta and cheez sauce). The first thing that I noticed is that it didn’t smell bad and the rice noodle elbows were cute. I mixed it all together and tried a bite, and I must admit that while it is no blue box mac and cheese, it was pretty good.

So I sat my little 20 month old boy down in his booster seat and placed the Say Cheez in front of him. Then I waited. He took his spork and speared a couple of noodles and he swallowed them and then he put the spork down and started eating them by the fistful! In fact, he ate the small portion that I gave him and when he was done he handed me the bowl. I started to clean him up but he wanted more! So I gave it to him……

This is a shining review for Namaste….

By the way, the Namaste pasta comes in two other flavors: Pasta Pisavera (Jackson has tried this one in the past and likes it) and Taco Shells (I can’t seem to find this one so if you have tried it, leave me a comment….)

I told you there was going to be a surprise. Here it is…there are now Official Team SPEWD Free T-shirts available for purchase at Zazzle! I made them specifically for the FAAN Walk for food allergies and any profit that would have been made on the shirt will go to the  FAAN Walk for Food Allergies!

Please check out the Team SPEWD Free t-shirts at Zazzle by clicking here Team SPEWD Free Store

Please help us find a cure for food allergies!

We have signed up to walk for food allergies with FAAN in Los Angeles!  The walk is November 16,2008 in Santa Monica. I am so excited to be doing this walk. I know most of you reading this know about the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxsis Network, but just in case you don’t, here is a link to their website: FAAN

Now for a couple of exciting things:

1. I have set up a SPEWD Free Team!!! So if you want to walk with us, click here to join our team : FAAN Walk For Food Allergies SPEWD Free Team

2. If you would like to donate to our team, click here: Donate to SPEWD Free Team

Also, check back on Monday for a surprise involving the FAAN Walk for Food Allergies…..

I hope to see some of you at the walk (walking with the SPEWD Free Team)

Let’s Help Find a Cure For Food Allergies!!

Heather

We flew back from Minnesota on Wednesday. I have to admit this flight was an experience. The way we get home is to fly from Rochester to Minneapolis and Minneapolis to Orange County. The first flight was only thirty minutes and Jackson did well. They don’t serve any food or drinks on the flight from Rochester to Minneapolis because the flight is just too short. Then we ran across the airport and caught our three and half hour flight to Orange County. We fly first class on this leg of the trip because Jackson is still young enough to sit on my lap and it is cheaper if we need to change the flight home. Plus they don’t serve the snack packs with peanuts in them. In fact, I have have never sat in first class when they have served peanuts.

So it was a little weird when Jackson started to get an eczema attack. But I am not much of a panicker and so I just kept an eye on him. But it kept getting worse and then he started to look a little swollen and he started to just scream. At this point I grabbed the Benadryl Spoon that I had in my diaper bag (Benadryl spoons,in case you didn’t know, are small, individually wrapped single doses of Benadryl….awesome and just perfect for putting in  diaper bags or purses.) and gave it to Jackson. He seemed to calm down a little after that. We made it home fine, but I still can’t figure out what he was reacting to….

Anyone else have a similar experiance? Leave me a comment!

Jackson was diagnosed with food allergies right after his first birthday. In a way it was a good thing because has never eaten most the things he’s allergic to, so he doesn’t know what he’s missing. That however, doesn’t keep him from trying to steal a sip of my soda or an occasional bite of pizza. He never suceeds though.

Anyway, Jackson, Ben and I were driving through Minnasota yesterday, to try to see some of the small towns, when Jackson started to get cranky and hungry. The only thing in sight was a McDonalds. I had packed a tuna pouch,some crispy fruit and an enjoy life snack bar in my bag,so I told my husband to pull over. We went inside one of the coolest McDonalds I have ever been in. Instead of the normal McDonalds “Playground” they had a small house that was shaped like an old fashoned Happy Meal Box. Children were running in and out of it and Jackson just looked at me and gave me his best smile. “MOM!”he said and pointed at the Play Happy Meal Box. I smiled and tried to get him to eat some more tuna. “MOOOOOOOOOOOM” and pointed again. But I couldn’t let him go and play with the other kids. Who knows what food particles lurk in the Happy Meal Play Box….and more importantly what kind of reaction he would have. So I navigated carefully around it and got out of there without a tantrum. But it makes me sad….I just want my son to have a normal life….