House of Flavors Ice Cream Company is recalling 64oz square packages of Hanniford Chocolate Chip Ice Cream because of undeclared walnuts. This product was sold at Sweetbay Supermarkets in Florida.  If you have this ice cream in your freezer, please return it to the store as one allergic reaction has already been reported.

For more information, click here: Hanniford Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recalled

I was grocery shopping at Whole Foods yesterday. I picked up all the normal things like rice pasta, fruit , rice dream , when I realized that it had been a while since I actively looked for new products. So, having a little extra time, I started looking at everything and found something new, especially for the people out there with allergies to soy and beef! Bahama Rice Burgers!! These new burgers are vegan and free of soy, peanuts, eggs, wheat and dairy. They come in four flavors: Original, Mediterrainian, Pineapple-Mango, and Jerkin’ Spicy. I bought the Pineapple-Mango for Little J.  When we got home I popped a rice burger in the microwave for 1:30. They smell really strong and spicy so I was a little turned off at first. But I took a small bite of Little J’s burger and it was sweet! So gave it to Little J and he devoured it.  I can’t wait to try some of the other varieties.  You can check out the Rice Burger Website here: Bahama Rice Burger

Tell me what you think!

Little J eating his Pineapple-Mango Rice Burger

Little J turned two last Friday. I can’t believe it has already been two years! So we went to dinner with some family (Little J ate before we left…we celebrated some other birthdays too) on Friday and on Sunday we got Little J’s two year pictures taken. Then today we had a check up with the pediatrician. Little J is now in the 75th percentile for weight and the 55th percentile for height. It is so hard to believe that just over a year ago (before we found out about his food allergies) Little J was in the 20th percentile for weight and the 45th percentile for height. He has grown so much since we tok the allergens out of his diet. And we finally convinced the pedatrician to give us a prescription for the epi-pen (like the allergy doctor wanted) just in case. (I feel much better) Anyway, Little J is a normal, sweet two year old. I made him SPEWD Free cupcakes and we ate them last night and he blew out a candle and made a big mess with the frosting….just like any other two year old.

Happy Birthday Little J!

Over the last week, I have seen every peanut product ever made get recalled because of the salmonella scare. Now, while the lack of peanut butter, peanut butter candy, peanut butter cookies, and peanut butter crackers, must be driving some people insane (what are all those people who feed their children peanut butter and jelly for lunch everyday doing? ) I am happy. Not happy that anyone got salmonella (I would never wish that). But happy that my son can live in a  world where peanuts are not edible for anyone…..

At least that’s what I thought until we went to the park. A couple of days ago we went to the playground. There were several children running and playing on the jungle gym and the slide while their mothers chatted on a bench.  I let Little J go , only to see another little boy who had to be about two, run up to Little J with a bag of goldfish crackers. I quickly moved Little J to another part of the playground. Then a little girl and her mom sat down (inside of the playground) and the mom proceeded to hand her peanut butter and cheese crackers. The little girl was taking the crackers (one in each hand) and running over the bridge, sliding down the slide and running over to my Little J. (who proceeded to get an eczema reaction just from being near her) So Little J and I left the park.  But as we did, I wondered, was it really necessary for these women to feed their children IN the playground? Could they not have been fed on the bench instead of on the bridge?

Anyone else out their feel this way??

Last week, an article was published in the L.A. Times about nut allergies. If you haven’t read it click here to read Nut Allergies– a Yuppie invention. I have been debating on whether or not to comment on the article. I believe in free speech. Everyone has a right to their opinion. But honestly, this article stirred something up in me.  My son was tested for allergies and found to have a severe allergy to peanuts (along with all his other food allergies) so I guess this guy isn’t really talking about my son. But here is the thing. I don’t know any people who make a big deal out of their child having a food allergy if they are not sure that their child has a food allergy. Nobody wants to have to go through the trouble of checking every ingrediant in food. Nobody wants to have to make “special food” for their child because their child can’t eat what all of the other kids are eating. Nobody wants to have to worry that their child is going to go into anaphylactic shock while they are at the gym. But as allergy parents we do these things (happily) because we love and adore our children.

There is somethig else in this article that kind of bothers me. My son is adopted (although he couldn’t be more mine if I had given birth to him). He is also African-American and from a poor community.  Does that mean that by adopting him my husband and I gave him a “yuppie” disease??  I don’t think so. You see, although little J wasn’t diagnosed with food allergies until he was a year old, he started showing symptoms at about three months old.

Anyway…enough of my rantings for now. Tell me what you think of the article. Leave me a comment!

A couple of weeks ago I called a local kids museum to find out if it was safe to take Little J there. I have heard that some museums use food products in weird ways, like wheat kernels instead of sand in the dinosaur dig.

I got a very nice woman on the phone, who knew very little about what was used in the museum. She took my name and number down and told me that she would have someone more knowledgable return my call. Fast forward to yesterday. I answer my phone and there is a nice woman from the museum apologizing for not calling back sooner. She tells me that there are no food products used in the museum, but wants to know what allergies Little J has.  So I tell her: soy, peanuts, eggs, wheat and dairy. This is where it ges interesting….she then suggested that I might not want to bring my son to her museum. Why, you ask? Her reason was that someone could eat a peanut butter sandwich and then touch something in the museum.

Is this how people who don’t have or deal with food allergies see us? As people who live our lives never going anywhere or doing anything because our children might come in contact with something?? I mean really, if I think about it too long, I realize that every public surface is contaminated with something.  OMG! Should I put little J in a bubble??????

LOL, no I won’t do that, just like I refuse to constantly worry. I keep my little J as safe as a mommy can. That’s all I can do…..but seriously…do you think we can ban soy, peanuts, eggs, wheat and dairy from the world?

Just Kidding.

Lately my little J has been getting restless at restaurants. With all of his allergies, he can’t eat out anywhere. I usually bring little toy cars, but then I wind up spending half of dinner picking them up from under other diner’s tables. I also usually have snacks, which I put on a spread out napkin. But lately, my almost two year old little J, has found it funny to try to pull the napkin (along with all of his snacks) off the table and onto the floor.

So imagine my excitement when the last time I was at Target, I saw this:

It’s a Chalkmat!! It’s made by Lolly by Sam&Bellie and it has been wonderful so far. The front is a placemat (great for puting little J’s snacks on) and the back is a chalkboard with a little holder for the chalk! And it rolls up to fit in the diaper bag or a large purse.  Little J just loves drawing on the back and the front is a “safe” area for him to eat off of!

I highly recommend the Chalkmat! it was $14.99 at my Target, but if your Target doesn’t carry them (or even if they do) check out the Sam & Bellie website here: Sam & Bellie

Leave me a message with what you think!