Allergy Free Snacks, Food Finds, Snacks

Nut Free Butter Cups!

Caren

I am so excited to share this Food Find with you! 

At Trader Joe’s we found Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups; and they are so good! 

I have a confession to make. I really like Peanut Butter. I know this is a Nut Free Allergy Blog and since my daughter’s diagnosis I don’t eat it often anymore, but I like peanut butter. One of my favorite indulgences is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Since my daughter’s diagnosis we don’t keep them in the house, but occasionally I can sneak one at work. So, when I say these Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups are good, I mean they are good, and as close to a safe peanut butter cup as we have experienced so far.   

We were at our local Trader Joe’s. I love shopping there! I like picking up the cut flowers and plants (these make great gifts…Hello Valentine’s Day!). We always buy tamales when we are there also. If you haven’t tried the frozen tamales from TJ, you are in for a treat. On our search for tamales is when I found the Sunflower Seed Butter Cups. We found them on the shelf above the freezer chest, and you need a keen eye. The bags of items are not separated by allergen, so be aware that the bags of the Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups could be sitting next to peanut products. And, like a lot of Trader Joe’s items, can be seasonal. (I see you Danish Kringle.) Trader Joe’s does carry a lot of peanut and other nut products. So I am super excited when we find something safe and yummy! 

My allergic daughter says they are a good blend of salty and sweet, and she really enjoyed them. She is familiar with sunbutter having had them as sandwiches instead of PBJs. but she loves them. Even my son, who is allergy free, enjoyed them also. We may have done a happy dance when we found these and checked the ingredient list and found them safe! 

A very telling moment occurred in the car leaving Trader Joe’s. We loaded the trunk and pulled the bag of butter cups out to eat immediately. I was so excited to find this treat and wanted to have my girl try them as quickly as possible. Before pulling out of the parking lot, we had both popped a cup in our mouths. The chocolate melted just right and there is a perfect ratio of chocolate to sunflower butter. I looked over expectantly to hear my daughter’s assessment of the treat. She said it was good, and then she floored me with the next comment, “How similar are these to peanut butter cups?” I have taken so many of these food moments for granted. In that singular moment, I thought about all the foods I can eat, but that she can’t because they could potentially kill her. Donuts, pesto, trail mix, crepes, pecan pie, turtle clusters, moon pies…peanut butter cups. She has never and most likely will never, eat one. This moment of celebration was amazing, but I never forget that there are things that most folks can enjoy but people with allergies may not ever. 

This is why I blog, for my daughter and to share with others. I want other allergic individuals to be able to find foods they can eat safely but also to remind those without allergies the risks and the dangers for people with allergies. 

I hope that the next time you make it to Trader Joe’s you can snag your own bag of Dark Chocolate Sunbutter Cups.

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What’s In Your Teal Pumpkin?

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There are many options for non-food Halloween treats. Here are some of mine!

Halloween is quickly approaching and there is the possibility of an increased risk of anaphylaxis due to the candy collected during Trick-or-Treating. The Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) did a study in 2020 and found that in Canada “during Halloween and Easter, there were higher rates of anaphylaxis to unknown nuts and peanuts compared to the rest of the year.,” (Leung, Clarke, et al; 2020).

I believe that children in the U.S., like in Canada, also have a greater risk of Anaphylaxis at Halloween and Easter, which is why awareness and initiatives like the Teal Pumpkin Project are so important. What is the Teal Pumpkin Project, you say? Click here for more details but in short, it is an initiative to help those who are impacted by allergies and intolerances be included and have fun on food-driven holidays like Halloween.

In my Teal Pumpkin I have pencils, spider rings, bubbles, fun straws, vampire fangs, halloween tattoos and stickers, pencils, plastic snakes, sticky halloween hands and animals, as well as my favorite, bouncy balls. I also love giving out glow sticks from the Dollar Store (Dollar & Quarter). I will also add Dum Dums lollipops, as they are free of the top 8 allergens.

Most of these items, I bought at Walmart and Target but you can also look online at Oriental Trading and Amazon. Amazon has stretchy skeletons that look fun!

At Halloween, I have two goodie bowls, one with candy and one with alternates to candy. The Teal Pumpkin Project provides flyers that you can display so that allergy affected kids (or their parents) can ask for an alternative. I typically ask if the kids have an allergy, which is not always necessary but welcome.

Even if you aren’t effected by someone with an allergy, it would be a welcome treat if you participated in the Teal Pumpkin Project. Visit tealpumpkinproject.org for more info and resources.

And don’t forget, if you are packing treats for your kid’s class please include allergy friendly options as well. While most schools are now peanut free (thankfully!) kids with severe allergies cannot eat anything that is processed with nuts. Dum Dums and Tootsie Rolls are great options in addition to non-food treats. Check with your child’s teacher to see if there are allergies to be aware of.

Check back here in the next week or so for a detailed list of candy that is safe for your nut free loved one!

Holidays, Labels, Menu Planning

Check Your Buns! Things to look for in your Independence Day Menu

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Watch for cross-contamination in baked goods. Nature’s Own is our choice for loaf bread and buns. So yummy!

The 4th of July is a day to commemorate, celebrate, and enjoy community. It is a time to unite in the things that make us citizens of this great nation. I know that there are many issues, topics, and ideologies that divide us, especially today, but I believe that the greater bond that holds us together is our citizenship. The umbrella of freedom that we are sheltered under provides us with the liberty, freedom, and responsibility to hold our beliefs, speak and share them, while also respecting the ability of our neighbor do the same, regardless of the incongruency of those beliefs with the ones you hold. 

Independence Day is the day that we threw off the shackles of having the government decide and speak for us. It is the day that the People joined together, and with a common voice but differing ways to achieve the specifics, rose up and called for liberty and freedom was born. In our history, we have not always gotten it right, done it the best, or listened to the reasoning of better angels. However, despite our flaws and foibles, I have hope that we have and will continue to learn from our mistakes and truly be a city on a hill. 

We celebrate with our neighbors and our subdivision. We begin the day with a parade. The kids decorate their bikes and scooters with red, white, and blue streamers, flowers, and other patriotic items. I loaded up with supplies from the Dollar Store. The parade is a great time for all the neighbors to get out and either visit with one another or have an opportunity to meet each other. We are relatively new to the ‘hood, and I met the sweetest family who live around the corner from me. Instead of streamers and bows to join them in the parade, they brought their pet parakeets, on their shoulders! I had never seen such a thing and it was intriguing. 

{Side Story: that bird later flew the coop and ended up flying away to another neighborhood about 5 miles away. It was successfully reunited with her family eventually, but I guess the bird got a taste of the freedom that 4th of July!} 

Speaking of taste, food always comes to mind when celebrating on July 4th. There are sneaky places that peanuts, and tree nuts can show up in your holiday menu. 

Our Menu: We are having BBQ Baby Back Ribs, grilled hot dogs, potato salad, coleslaw, fruit, and brownies!

  • Check your buns! Bread is a sneaky place that doesn’t always come to mind as a place for peanuts and tree nuts. Many bakeries have cross contamination so always check those labels. We had to change loaf bread a few years ago because the bread we used was being produced in a factory that also processes peanuts and tree nuts. If we are at someone else’s house and the label is gone, we skip the bun. 
  • Read the ingredients for your hot dogs. Some can contain Lupine flour which is a legume in the same family as peanuts. It has been noted that severe reactions have occurred because of hot dogs or meat products that contain lupine flour. Not to go into to many details about the composition of a hot dog but they are not always all meat, or prime cuts of meat. 
  • Check the BBQ Sauce! If you buy bottled BBQ Sauce, be sure to check it or ask your host when you are at a social gathering. I have seen some sauces use peanut oil. I will be making my own BBQ Sauce. Stay tuned for that recipe! 
  • Some of my friends make brownies from scratch. I know, it sounds crazy and laborious to me too, but they swear it is easy. I get my brownies from a box. I have noticed that Duncan Hines has either changed its labeling or is starting to produce mixes that are not also processed with peanuts and tree nuts. I am still a bit weary and use Betty Crocker. Enjoy Life premade, individual brownies are a good choice if you visit someone’s home. 

I hope you enjoy your Independence Day Holiday is full of fun, friends, and safe food! 

What is on your Independence Day Menu? Share your favorite 4th of July Foods below in the comments. 

Allergy Free Snacks, Snacks

Enjoy Life – A good reminder and a tasty snack.

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I love this blog title. Enjoy life! When I sat down to write this post, I did not intend on waxing poetic about life. It just hit me in big, bold font…ENJOY LIFE. This is not an admonishment, but a reminder. Take time to enjoy life and those you cherish. Love life and live it to the fullest. Rejoice in the days that you are given as the brevity of life is an actuality. I say this because we all struggle. We all have things that we must contend with externally or internally that can drain the joy out of a moment or a day. Sometimes it is things, situations, or memories. Sometimes it can be people. If you can’t find a way to love those situations or those people, find things in your life that bring you joy. It may be as simple as a good conversation with a friend, a good book or movie, a sunset, a good meal, or the completion of one task off of an ever growing to-do list. Find it and celebrate it with a grateful heart!

I know that with allergies, it can be harder to enjoy some simple things like birthday parties, class parties, restaurant dining (especially if it is a buffet or bakery) or events where the food isn’t controlled. I have watched my daughter struggle knowing that the food the other kids had could potentially kill her but wanting so badly to participate. I am so thankful that the folks at Enjoy Life make products that are free from allergies. We recently started purchasing Enjoy Life Chewy Bars from our local Publix grocery store. The Caramel Blondie has been a hit at our house. My son, who is not food allergic, likes to eat them too. I like that I can buy the Chewy Bars and both like them.

These bars are “School Safe”, and are made in a dedicated NUT FREE & GLUTEN FREE Facility according to the packaging. They are also free from 14 allergens. Really good news for parents and kids alike!

So do you know what a Blondie is? Yes, also the character in the Dagwood Comics. (I promise that I am not really that old; I just have a head full of trivia.) A blondie is a brownie without cocoa powder. The cocoa is substituted for vanilla and brown sugar. I can hear you now saying, that that is not really a brownie. My husband thinks that dessert is only dessert if it has chocolate and maybe he is right. But if you add chocolate chips to the vanilla based blondie batter then it is a true dessert I guess. According to Wikipedia the Blondie had been around longer than the Brownie.

Do you have a go to Blondie Bar Recipe? Try this one from Southern Living. I just adore Southern Living! https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/best-brown-butter-blondies

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Welcome!

admin

Welcome to The Allergy Nuts and Bolts! I am so glad you are here! I hope you will enjoy your time on this blog as we talk about Peanut and Tree Nut Allergies.

I am a foodie with a daughter who has nut allergies. My goal is to help others with nut allergies learn and grow together as we have culinary adventures at home and traveling.

Bon Appetit!