Living with Food Allergies Blog Carnival Catch-Up! Part 1

Welcome to the July 8, 2010 edition of Living with Food Allergies Carnival. Eek! And today is...NOT July 8. It is July 26! You know how time just gets away from you sometimes? We have some wonderful posts submitted by great bloggers and they really deserve a good read! Take a look!

Colette Martin presents Sharing My Family’s Experience With EE – Symptoms posted at Learning to Eat Allergy Free - Multiple Food Allergies, saying, "This is the third in a series of posts on EE and food allergies, addressing the symptoms of EE."

Pam presents Egg Free, Wheat Free and Soy Free French Toast Recipe posted at Creative Potential Food Options.

Pam presents Semi Raw Vegan Homemade Brownies posted at Creative Potential Food Options.

Pam presents Dairy Free, Homemade, Raw Ice Cream Tip posted at Creative Potential Food Options.

Food Allergy Assistant presents Common Sense for Food Allergies posted at Food Allergy Assistant, saying, "Food Allergy Assistant says "strict avoidance" isn't good enough any more when it comes to food allergy treatment. We deserve better."

Alisa presents Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Pizza, Mac and Cheeze, AND Chocolate Cake! posted at Go Dairy Free, saying, "My honest review of Amy's new GFCF products ... the good, the bad, and the excellent."

Alisa presents Summer (Special Diet) Reading Series of Giveaways Starts Now! posted at One Frugal Foodie, saying, "I'm going to be giving away one or more special diet books / cookbooks every week. This week starts with your choice of "best dairy-free cookbooks." Check it out and enter to win!"

Alisa presents Healthy Homemade Breakfast Bars posted at Dairy Free and Fit, saying, "Diving into the adventures of homemade bars for snacking and on the go. Feel free to sub in seeds for nut-free. Working on a GF version now."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of living with food allergies carnival using our carnival submission form.  Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Upcoming Food Allergy and Celiac Events

A & J Bakery's Gluten Free/Nut Free Grand Reopening Party
Friday, July 23, 2010
6:30 - 9:30 pm
A & J Bakery
1458 Park Ave.
Cranston, RI
www.aandjbakery.net


Kids with Celiac Picnic
Middlebury, Indiana
Saturday, July 31, 2010

From Facebook: "Kids with Celiac Support Group is hosting a gluten free picnic on Saturday July 31 from 3pm to 7 pm at Riverbend Park in Middlebury. There will be face painting, balloon artist, water balloon toss and a jump house. Everyone is asked to bring a gluten free dessert with an ingredients list to share. The group will provide the main meal and drinks. Please RSVP to Tanya Trick @ 574-825-3366 or Familieslivingwithcd@teacher.com by July 26 if you plan to attend."


FAAN Walk for Food Allergy in Seattle, Washington
August 15, 2010
11:00am - 1:00 pm
Warren G. Magnuson Park, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
 Read more about this event on Facebook


2010 FAAN Walk for Food Allergy ~ Long Branch, NJ
September 11, 2010
11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Great Lawn just north of Pier Village
McKinley Street
Long Branch, NJ
Read more about this event


Thank you to all the event organizers for keeping me in the loop!

Shellfish Allergies at the Beach

Since my son does not have shellfish allergies, my personal experience with food allergies really is limited to tree nut and peanut allergies. I am wondering if those of you with shellfish allergies can tell me about skin contact with shellfish at the beach. It sounds dangerous to me. I know my son reacts to skin contact with very minute amounts of peanut and/or tree nuts oils, so what happens at the beach?

There are lovely locations not too far from where we live, where children--and adults--dip their toes in the salt water and wade among hermit crabs, spider crabs, horseshoe crabs, shrimp, jellyfish and other sea critters. Their numbers are great enough that you can scoop up a handful of sea animals with your two hands. Can shellfish allergic individuals do this? What if you are pinched by a crab while you're simply standing in the water? Does anyone have personal experience with this? I imagine skin contact with shellfish for a shellfish allergic individual is dangerous in the same way that skin contact with peanut or tree nut oil is dangerous for my peanut and tree nut allergic son. Can anyone shed light on this aspect of shellfish allergies (and fish allergies)? Also, if you are unaware of shellfish or fish allergy and you have a skin contact reaction, what would be a typical or common reaction? In my son's case, we have witnessed hives after skin contact with nuts and peanuts. Thanks in advance for any info you can share on this subject. It makes me look at going to the beach in a whole new way.

The Bugabees

We are starting a food allergy book collection for our elementary school library. The very first book I will suggest is the BugaBees. 

The illustrations, the colors, the rhyme, and the rhythm are wonderful, and I adore the message. "It's okay, I can have fun without (fill in the offending reaction-causing food) anyway!" The story works perfectly for my 6 year old son and is ideal for younger children as well. The characters are insects--what young child isn't fascinated by bugs!? The challenges the BugaBees encounter--Halloween, lunch-time, and other social gatherings--are the same real-life challenges we and all food allergy families experience. It is very easy for children to relate to the characters. Good role models, the BugaBees don't let food allergies slow them down or spoil their fun.

Some doctors' offices provide books to their young patients. I think the BugaBees is a book which deserves that honor at the allergist's office and I encourage you to buy a copy for your allergic child or for your local library.

Kudos to Amy Recob on her lovely book!  

the BugaBees is available for purchase online for $16.95 from Beaver's Pond Books.

Congrats on A & J Bakery's Three Year Anniversary!

Note from our friends at A & J Bakery:

Dear Valued Customers,

 We are a few weeks into the Summer season and it is a HOT one already. So, why not get away from the summer heat and cool off with some pastries from A&J Bakery.
 

  A&J Bakery is home to the World's Best Biscotti in 28 different flavors.  This biscotti is available in nut free and also in nut & gluten free. 

We would like to invite you our loyal customers to come to the Cranston, RI store on Friday, July 23, 2010 from 6:30-9:30pm to help us celebrate our three year anniversary and the expansion of our store front.  

The first 50 guests that come into the store that evening, will receive a free reusable A&J Bakery Bag. Two lucky winners will receive a $20.00 gift card to the store inside of their reusable bag.

 At the gathering on the 23rd we will be sampling some of the new nut free and nut & gluten free items.

Please stop in and help us celebrate.

New items that are available at the Cranston, RI store: 

  * Nut and Gluten Free Pound Cake

* Nut and Gluten Free Rugelach

Nut, Gluten, Egg and Dairy Free Apple and Blueberry Pies 

* Nut and Gluten Free Lemon Squares

* A&J Bakery Nut and Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (2lb Bag) has been reduced to $7.95 as the regular everyday price. (saving $2.00)

* Nut and Gluten Free Donuts available in Chocolate and Vanilla

* Nut and Gluten Free 8pk Hot Dog and Hamburger Rolls

*We are now carrying a variety of new Allergen Friendly Candy. So, stock up today for all of those summer get aways, when you might need a great allergen free sweet candy treat. (Lolli-pops, jelly beans, assorted hard candy and much more..)

  

From all of us here at A&J Bakery;

We have been happily serving you and your allergic family members over the past threes. We have loved every moment of it. Thank you for all of your business and support. We hope to continue the great service and products that we bring you daily for many years to come.

 

  

*** Sunday, August 15, 2010 through Sunday, August 22, 2010 we will closed for vacation. We will re-open on Monday, August 23, 2010 at 10am.***

Thank you, Amy & Joe Hitzemann Owners of  A&J Bakery

Allergy Friendly Bakery Seeks YOUR Opinion!

A wonderful allergy friendly bakery seeks your opinion as they contemplate some possible new goodies to tempt your sweet tooth!

The bakery currently is peanut-free, nut-free, egg-free and dairy-free. They are considering some new treats which would contain sunbutter but want your opinion first. Being an allergy friendly bakery, they are aware of sunflower seed allergies. They would like to know:

Would this be a conflict for the peanut allergy community as some are also allergic to seeds?

What do you think? This is an opportunity to let your voice be heard so please take our poll on the upper left corner of this page! Feel free to also share your thoughts in a comment below. Thanks so much!