Friday, March 4, 2011
Disney and Food Allergies
When I saw this article this morning, Disney Awarded For Food Allergy Awareness, it immediately caught my eye. My husband and I took our kids to Disneyland a few years ago. I was very nervous about the trip, because of Sophie's food allergies. We planned to pack in some of our food every day that we were at the park, but we also wanted to eat at some of the restaurants. In fact, as we planned the trip, we decided that we wanted to go to a character breakfast. We found the Disney staff to be accommodating in every way possible. At every restaurant, a chef was available to talk with us about Sophie's allergies. At buffets, the staff was willing to obtain items from the kitchen for Sophie (this was important to me so that we could avoid cross-contamination from people mixing up serving utensils, etc.). We were also offered the opportunity to order items that weren't necessarily on the menu. In every way, the Disney staff demonstrated that they both cared about Sophie's health and just plain wanted her to have a good time. It was wonderful, and I am glad to see them recognized for their efforts.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Massachusetts Restaurants and Food Allergies
Massachusetts has a new law requiring restaurant managers to become better educated about food allergies. The law also includes requirements designed to make restaurants more friendly to food allergic consumers. After reading an article about it, does anyone else want to move to Massachusetts?
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Stuffed Acorn Squash
I feel like I haven't had time to experiment with cooking much lately, but I made a new version of a recipe my sister gave me tonight and it turned out GREAT! In her original recipe, which I have made and liked, essentially you make chili with sausage in it and put it in the middle of baked acorn squash. The reason I wanted to experiment with the recipe is that I felt like the flavor of the sausage was lost with the chili spices and tomato sauce, which is just a shame! If you're going to stuff your acorn squash with chili, you may as well use ground beef or ground turkey in it instead of sausage.
But I knew sausage and acorn squash would go great together, so I started thinking about other things to use in the stuffing. Here's what I came up with:
Stuffed Acorn Squash a la Emily
Ingredients:
3 medium acorn squash
12 oz. breakfast sausage
2 granny smith apples (diced)
1 14.5 oz. can great northern beans
2 garlic cloves, pressed
salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
Cut 3 medium acorn squash in half. Scrape out the seeds with a metal spoon. Rinse the insides with water and place face down on a baking sheet. I used one with a Silpat on it for easy clean up later; if you don't have a Silpat you might want to grease the cookie sheet. Bake the squash at 400 F for 40 minutes or so.
In the meantime, brown 12 ounces of breakfast sausage, breaking it up into small pieces while cooking. When it is cooked through, add 2 granny smith apples (diced) and 1 can (14.5 oz.) of great northern beans, with a little water (maybe 2 tablespoons?) to keep it from scorching. Also add 2 pressed garlic cloves and salt and pepper to taste. Cook this mixture for about 5 minutes, until the apples are soft.
Take the acorn squash out of the oven and, using a fork or a spatula, flip each half over. Spoon the sausage mixture into the acorn squash and pop them back in the oven for a few minutes while you get the table set (allowing them to heat through).
Makes 6 adult-sized servings, or 12 for kids (just cut each half into half again!).
But I knew sausage and acorn squash would go great together, so I started thinking about other things to use in the stuffing. Here's what I came up with:
Stuffed Acorn Squash a la Emily
Ingredients:
3 medium acorn squash
12 oz. breakfast sausage
2 granny smith apples (diced)
1 14.5 oz. can great northern beans
2 garlic cloves, pressed
salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
Cut 3 medium acorn squash in half. Scrape out the seeds with a metal spoon. Rinse the insides with water and place face down on a baking sheet. I used one with a Silpat on it for easy clean up later; if you don't have a Silpat you might want to grease the cookie sheet. Bake the squash at 400 F for 40 minutes or so.
In the meantime, brown 12 ounces of breakfast sausage, breaking it up into small pieces while cooking. When it is cooked through, add 2 granny smith apples (diced) and 1 can (14.5 oz.) of great northern beans, with a little water (maybe 2 tablespoons?) to keep it from scorching. Also add 2 pressed garlic cloves and salt and pepper to taste. Cook this mixture for about 5 minutes, until the apples are soft.
Take the acorn squash out of the oven and, using a fork or a spatula, flip each half over. Spoon the sausage mixture into the acorn squash and pop them back in the oven for a few minutes while you get the table set (allowing them to heat through).
Makes 6 adult-sized servings, or 12 for kids (just cut each half into half again!).
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Texas Cottage Food Bill
I don't live in Texas. I don't even live near Texas. But struggles in one state are often found in another, and I am fascinated by the Texas Cottage Food Bill, HB 1139. I think you will be, too, once you know what it is!
Nationwide, there are a variety of laws requiring food to be prepared in a specific manner if it is to be sold to the public. These laws govern everything from what type of countertops are in the prep area to (thankfully) what is printed on the ingredient label. At the same time, many people have cooked something and then sold it. Some of us have only sold homemade goods occasionally, such as at a bake sale, and others sell homemade items regularly, such as jams and jellies at a fruit stand. Homemade goods can pose a problem, such as when Sophie wants to buy a krispy treat at a bake sale, but for the most part, homemade products are great!
Back to Texas; in Texas over the past year or two, authorities have been cracking down on the jam lady at the farmer's market, the lady who bakes wedding cakes at home, and even the Church bake sale in some cases. People who sell homemade goodies aren't hurting anyone, so why are they being shut down? Is regulation necessary in ALL circumstances?
In the spirit of full disclosure, the Texas Cottage Food Bill would require that home-prepared food items have a statement on the label saying, "Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by a state or local health authority." As long as the information is provided, it is up to each of us to decide whether or not we would like to partake.
A number of states have already passed cottage food bills, including Michigan and Oregon. It is a boon to entrepreneurs in the cooking world, and to many in the tasting world as well. A teensy part of me wonders about the impact for those with food allergies, but who better to answer questions about the ingredients and manufacturing practices for a product than the person who actually made it? And anyway, I love homemade cookies enough to think that people in Texas and everywhere else should be able to enjoy them.
Nationwide, there are a variety of laws requiring food to be prepared in a specific manner if it is to be sold to the public. These laws govern everything from what type of countertops are in the prep area to (thankfully) what is printed on the ingredient label. At the same time, many people have cooked something and then sold it. Some of us have only sold homemade goods occasionally, such as at a bake sale, and others sell homemade items regularly, such as jams and jellies at a fruit stand. Homemade goods can pose a problem, such as when Sophie wants to buy a krispy treat at a bake sale, but for the most part, homemade products are great!
Back to Texas; in Texas over the past year or two, authorities have been cracking down on the jam lady at the farmer's market, the lady who bakes wedding cakes at home, and even the Church bake sale in some cases. People who sell homemade goodies aren't hurting anyone, so why are they being shut down? Is regulation necessary in ALL circumstances?
In the spirit of full disclosure, the Texas Cottage Food Bill would require that home-prepared food items have a statement on the label saying, "Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by a state or local health authority." As long as the information is provided, it is up to each of us to decide whether or not we would like to partake.
A number of states have already passed cottage food bills, including Michigan and Oregon. It is a boon to entrepreneurs in the cooking world, and to many in the tasting world as well. A teensy part of me wonders about the impact for those with food allergies, but who better to answer questions about the ingredients and manufacturing practices for a product than the person who actually made it? And anyway, I love homemade cookies enough to think that people in Texas and everywhere else should be able to enjoy them.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Golden Rule of Food Allergies
A life with food allergies has so many rules that regular people don't have.
Always read labels.
Always read them again.
Keep your Epipen handy.
Be careful eating things that are homemade.
Check your utensils and plates to be sure they are clean.
Watch for cross-contamination.
Don't kiss anyone unless they have just brushed their teeth.
The list could go on and on, and I'm sure you have your own set of rules. Last year I listened to a talk by Dr. S. Allan Bock. He has been involved in the collection of food allergy morbidity statistics over the years, and he shared a key piece of information: all food allergy deaths occurred when patients did not have their Epipens. Most are in the teens and early twenties, and there are other common characteristics, but in every case, there was no Epipen handy. Ever since then, we have lived by the Golden Rule of Food Allergies: Never eat without your Epipen. It's simple--if you eat, have an Epipen nearby. If you don't have the Epipen, don't eat. Even foods that are "always safe" can be contaminated sometimes. So just remember,
Never eat without your Epipen.
Always read labels.
Always read them again.
Keep your Epipen handy.
Be careful eating things that are homemade.
Check your utensils and plates to be sure they are clean.
Watch for cross-contamination.
Don't kiss anyone unless they have just brushed their teeth.
The list could go on and on, and I'm sure you have your own set of rules. Last year I listened to a talk by Dr. S. Allan Bock. He has been involved in the collection of food allergy morbidity statistics over the years, and he shared a key piece of information: all food allergy deaths occurred when patients did not have their Epipens. Most are in the teens and early twenties, and there are other common characteristics, but in every case, there was no Epipen handy. Ever since then, we have lived by the Golden Rule of Food Allergies: Never eat without your Epipen. It's simple--if you eat, have an Epipen nearby. If you don't have the Epipen, don't eat. Even foods that are "always safe" can be contaminated sometimes. So just remember,
Never eat without your Epipen.
Friday, February 11, 2011
New Pamphlet
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has released a new pamphlet on food allergies. It's very comprehensive, so take a look and consider whether there is someone in your life that might benefit from reading this pamphlet.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Mystery Hives
Of the possible lifelong illnesses, food allergies aren't too bad. They are manageable--just avoid the foods you're allergic to and everything is fine, right? Except for mystery hives. Mystery hives are the bane of my existence. Those days when Sophie has a rash and an itch and who knows what else, but we examine her diet and there is NO cause, drive me insane. And the thing that makes me even more crazy is when a non-allergic person in our family has hives. Seriously, what is going on here? Starting in September (I remember specifically because the first one was on my birthday), my husband began a pattern of hives. He got 1 to 3 at a time. Usually they were on his hand or arm, although he had some on his abdomen too. We still don't know why. Sometimes when he got them, we'd been out to eat, but other times he hadn't eaten out in days.
A few weeks later, my oldest daughter started getting hives, too, a few at a time. It's been several months now, and my husband's hives have abated--he hasn't had any for at least 3 or 4 weeks. But my daughter's hives are getting worse. Yesterday she showed me at least 12 hives--on her back, abdomen, and shoulders. We have racked our brains to come up with causes, but to no avail. The best I can do is suggest that she use body lotion after her showers to improve the health of her skin and thereby offer it a little more protection. It probably won't make any difference.
:( Mystery hives. :(
A few weeks later, my oldest daughter started getting hives, too, a few at a time. It's been several months now, and my husband's hives have abated--he hasn't had any for at least 3 or 4 weeks. But my daughter's hives are getting worse. Yesterday she showed me at least 12 hives--on her back, abdomen, and shoulders. We have racked our brains to come up with causes, but to no avail. The best I can do is suggest that she use body lotion after her showers to improve the health of her skin and thereby offer it a little more protection. It probably won't make any difference.
:( Mystery hives. :(
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