Sweethearts Candy Blog's

What is Valentine's Day without chocolate? If you haven't ordered yet, you'll want to quickly snap up some nut-free treats from Vermont Nut Free Chocolate, pronto! From truffles to heart-shaped candy, it's all good and 100% nut-free, facility, products, everything..

Peanut Free Planet is another online retailer with a wide variety of treats perfect for Valentine's Day. I recently ordered some Seth Ellis Chocolatier SunButter Cups from Peanut Free Planet and they just arrived! Can't wait to dig in...but I'll hold off until after school. Don't want my kids to miss out!

Enjoy Life Foods offers this yummy allergy-friendly Valentine's Day recipe you can try with your family. I found pink Jet Puffed Brand (by Kraft Foods) marshmallows at my local supermarket (marshmallows are used in the above recipe). They contain gelatin but no egg whites for those of you dealing with dairy and egg allergies as well as nut allergies. My kids loved them--the marshmallows are even heart shaped.

What about school parties? Food is offered at school on Valentine's Day for many of us. For example, our school is offering an ice cream blast on Monday to celebrate the holiday. I was given advance notice from the teacher, which was great. However, I will be putting my Cuisinart into action and sending my daughter with her own ice cream that day.

What are some good non-edible treats to suggest for an allergy-friendly classroom? Every school kid likes pencils, stickers and other non-edibles. If another parent wants suggestions for edible treats, Smarties brand candies and Dum Dum Suckers are two kid favorites that are free of the top 8 food allergens. These are easily found in the supermarket, so that's a bonus. Stay away from Brach's conversation hearts (nut allergy warnings) and all chocolate treats; chocolate is just too risky for nut allergies and kids with dairy allergies can't have it, either.

For more tips on a safe, sweet and successful Valentine's Day class party, check out this link to my previous post on the topic!

I was so excited when Enjoy Life Foods contacted me recently about their new cookies, complete with new packaging! My headline directly quotes the cookie boxes with its "Now Even Tastier" text, and it's easy to see what they're talking about. I pretty much had to wrestle the box of Lively Lemon Cookies away from my youngest daughter. Yes, they're THAT GOOD. You can even smell the delicious lemon aroma the minute you open the box.

We also sampled Snickerdoodles and Double-Chocolate Brownie cookies, the latter made even more amazing by the addition of Enjoy Life's dairy-free, nut-free chocolate chips. Snickerdoodles have all the wonderful cinnamon flavor and chewy texture you love, but with none of those pesky food allergens.

My whole family thought that each flavor of these delightful cookies were packed with flavor and that they had a great, chewy "soft baked" texture. Enjoy Life cookies cater to several different food allergies and intolerances, but you would never know they are "allergy-friendly" just based on taste alone. Plus, each is made with wholesome, natural ingredients so they're better for your kids than many other cookie brands out there.

The other thing that's great for kids with nut allergies is that all Enjoy Life products are created in dedicated, nut-free facilities. So you never have to wonder "Is this safe?" because it is. No cross-contact issues here, folks, so all you have to do is savor the cookies without worry.

I am always happy to hear about a new or improved Enjoy Life Product and I will be buying these again and again. I also recommend these cookies to my daughter's class and Girl Scout Troop meetings because NONE of the "Top 8" food allergens are present in these cookies and they also contain no sesame or sulfites. They're good for just about any allergy--and they taste good. A difficult combination to find, but Enjoy Life definitely achieves that here.

Please click this link to learn more about Enjoy Life and their fabulous line of products. You can also click the link to get some money-saving coupons!

Note: I was not compensated for this review, other than a few cookie samples!

I was SO excited to receive samples of delicious Boom Choco Boom candy bars from our friends at Enjoy Life Foods! And check out the smile on my daughter's face as she displays her candy bar in the photo. Let me just say the bar was GONE a few minutes after that photo was taken.

What are Boom Choco Boom bars? They are delicious dairy-free, gluten-free and NUT-FREE bars of chocolatey goodness. The bars are made with rice milk and they come in several varieties including dark chocolate, milk chocolate and crispy rice chocolate--my daughter's favorite (and mine.) We do not need to avoid dairy around here but let me tell you, people, these bars disappeared quicker than you can say "Hey, are there any more of those Boom Choco Boom bars left?" My entire family, including my daughter without any food allergies LOVED these bars.

One thing I really enjoyed about them was they have all the chocolate taste but a much lighter feel on the palate due to the rice milk. They don't "overfill" your tummy. This may be why my oldest kept asking to eat more of these. She told me to tell my readers that she "thought she was gonna die" if I didn't give her another crispy rice bar right after the first one. So of course I did. What's a mom to do?

These bars are available at Whole Foods stores throughout the U.S.--look in the candy section. In the Whole Foods I shop at, the candy section is located near the deli and bakery aisles. If you can't find them, you can also order them directly from Enjoy Life. Follow this link to get a coupon for Boom Choco Boom!

Nut-free chocolate is hard to find--nut-free, gluten-free and dairy-free chocolate that tastes great is even harder to find. I think these candy bars would make great stocking stuffers.

FTC Note: I received food samples but no compensation for this review.

What an amazing day for food allergy advocacy! The FAAN Chicago Walk was beautiful, bright, sunny and well-attended. Hooray! My husband wasn't feeling well but he attended anyway and started to feel better as the day went on. He's definitely a stand-up guy and he wanted to be there for our daughter. And, clearly, all the goodwill generated by this fabulous event had a healing effect!

We also brought my youngest daughter, Zoe--the best sister in the world to Alexandra--and Alexandra's close friend, Charlotte. Watching the girls enjoy themselves and get to enjoy the free samples of nut-free foods was truly awesome since partaking of food at events is usually off-limits.

The Chicago Walk was special for me personally because I got to meet up with some of my favorite food allergy advocates and supporters including local Chicagoans Kelly Rudnicki, allergy-friendly cookbook author of The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book and Food Allergy Mama blogger and Joyce Davis, founder of Chicago Cubs Fans for Peanut-Free Baseball. I have had the pleasure of meeting both of these wonderful food allergy moms before and it's always great to see them! In fact, that's Joyce and her family in the photo with me--taken by her sister, Cindy! I know Kelly got a photo of us together--it's on her site. Kelly, send me that one! :)

And then there were all the out-of-town people I had met via social networking but not yet in person. I chatted with the lovely and talented Cybele Pascal and she autographed her book for me: The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook. Cybele also served as the Celebrity Honorary Chair of the Chicago Walk and did a great job! I was also thrilled to meet Aly from AllerDine--such a nice woman!--and so dedicated to the cause that she lost her voice spreading her message. Visit her AllerDine site for reviews of allergy-friendly restaurants across the nation and add your own as well.

I also met Joel Warady, of the Joel Warady Group--a firm that handles awesome allergy-aware companies like Enjoy Life Foods and Kim & Scott's Gourmet Pretzels. What a nice guy! And speaking of Kim & Scott's, not only did they hand out free pretzels at the event, but when I took my crew to Cafe Twist after the walk, I got to meet the fabulous Kim Holstein, co-founder of Kim & Scott's. I also saw Aly from AllerDine at Cafe Twist as well along with many other FAAN walkers in what turned out to be kind of a rowdy and pretzel-filled "after party."

So many generous donations helped me reach my $500 fundraising goal--I was so flattered to even receive a donation from the wonderful Gwen Smith, editor of Allergic Living magazine. Thanks to ALL who donated--you really made a difference and I am so appreciative of your support.

I really can't say enough about how wonderful it was to meet all of these inspiring allergy advocates in one place, in person. Just being around so many families dealing with the same things that we do each day was also really heartening for me and my family.

Supporting FAAN is important to me because of their role in food allergy advocacy and education. I hope you'll visit their site for more info if you are not familiar with them. They truly make a difference.

Thanks to everyone who either attended, donated or help make the Walk happen. Hope to see you next year!

Recently I had the opportunity to write a Guest Blog for Enjoy Life Foods and here is the link to my post: Coco Loco Saves the Day!

I'm a big fan of ELF. Not only do they make everything in a dedicated, nut-free facility that is also free of the Top 8 allergens (as well as sesame, casein and sulfites) but they make snacks and treats that both of my kids (both allergic and non-allergic) love.

You can also visit the web site for coupons. I love telling non-allergic friends about Enjoy Life Foods. Some have even begun stocking ELF snacks for us.

What's your favorite ELF product? Readers, let us know.

I recently had the good fortune to try the new Enjoy Life Foods product No Nuts! Nut-Free Trail Mix! "No Nuts" Trail Mix from Enjoy Life is what we've been waiting for at my house. My daughter always loved the idea of trail mix--but all brands always contained peanuts or tree nuts.

Not anymore! Enjoy Life "No Nuts" Trail Mix to the rescue. It's a great treat for my daughter to bring to school and she's already gotten a lot of her (non-allergic) friends interested in it.

We tried both flavors: "Mountain Mambo" and "Beach Bash." Mountain Mambo has pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips and more delicious salty-sweet flavors. Beach Bash has dried apricots, cranberries, sunflower seeds and more.

Each flavor is free of peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, dairy and soy. Be aware that the flavors do contain sunflower seeds if that's an allergy concern for you.

How wonderful to have a sweet and salty but healthy snack for my kids. They've both rushed to eat this delish trail mix after school and it's great to have this option.

My daughter's review of both flavors was "They're salty, crunchy and sweet. Just kind of perfect!" I would agree. I think she may have had a slight preference for Mountain Mambo because of the chocolate chips--she's a chocoholic. Don't know where she gets that from.

Click this link to go directly to the Enjoy Life web site page devoted to No Nuts! Trail Mix.

You can find No Nuts! Trail Mix at Whole Foods. I spoke with the Enjoy Life rep and she said this new product is now available at all Whole Foods stores. You can also order online at the Enjoy Life website.

Note: Other than free food samples, I received no other reimbursement for this review.

Whew! It's been a busy week around here with work, holiday prep and all the other stuff that goes along with the holiday season. With all of the holiday magic I'm trying to create, it occured to me that many of you may be wondering where to find safe, nut-free sweets and treats for the holiday season. If you're new to nut allergies, the holidays can be an especially confusing time. What is safe to serve? Where do I find allergy-free treats that I can really trust?

You're in luck because I have some great suggestions! First, A & J Bakery in Rhode Island has some super-yummy holiday treats at their in-store bakery right now including -- gasp!-- nut-free Yule logs! I love those. They are also the home of the allergen-free gingerbread house, complete with plastic decorations, allergy-free candies and a full set of directions. You can order these kits online, so get going! Visit their website to learn more.

Next up is my all-time nut-free candy favorite, Vermont Nut-Free Chocolate! They've got their usual delicious array of Christmas-themed treats including peppermint bark--a family favorite--as well as chocolate "Skippers"--a nut-free M&M-style candy that are great for decorating cookies or cakes.

In addition, Vermont Nut-Free has chocolate coins for Hannukah as well as other Hannukah-themed candies. Be aware that Vermont Nut-Free, while completely safe for nut allergies, does contain milk, soy and egg in many of their products.

If you're looking for nut-free, dairy-free or egg-free cookies and candies, Divvies is the answer. They've got many delicious and colorful options, perfect for stocking stuffers or Hannukah treats.

If you're looking for treats that are free of the top 8 allergens, then of course you've got to check out the assortment from Enjoy Life Foods. Their site even has recipes that use their allergy-free ingredients, so be sure to stop by and see what's on offer.

If you're looking for delicious nut-free, egg-free and dairy-free baked goods--and you don't have time to bake-- look no further than Sweet Alexis Bakery. They've got a delicious assortment that my family is crazy about. These tasty baked goods are extremely high quality and they make a great gift! Or bring them to the family holiday party. Either way, you're gonna love them.

I hope this gets you off to a good start! And to my Jewish readers, Happy Hannukah!

Recently I had the pleasure of receiving some samples of Enjoy Life Foods products including two varieties of nut-free granola and two breakfast cereals: Enjoy Life Crunchy Rice and Enjoy Life Crunchy Flax. Both of the cereals are

Just wanted to give a shout out to one of my favorite companies, Enjoy Life Foods. They have a brand-new blog and I look forward to reading it.

Enjoy Life Foods also has the added bonus of being available in many grocery stories nationwide, so not only are they a tasty allergen-free choice, but they are also a convenient one.

Also, The Nut-Free Mom Blog appears on their blog roll. I just found out a few days ago and I'm honored to be in such great company--I see a couple of my blogger buddies there as well.

I have a little story to share about Enjoy Life Foods that illustrates why I love it so much.

A few weeks ago my youngest daughter was at her Daisy Scouts meeting and one of the leaders called me. She knew that I know about nut-free foods and was double-checking a snack they were about to serve the girls. One of the girls has a severe nut allergy, just like my oldest child.

Well, it was unclear from the label if the food was nut-free and I hung up the phone unable to shed any light on it.

I told my oldest daughter what had happened and she said "Don't we have some Enjoy Life Coco Loco Bars?" Yes, we did. In fact, I'd just bought them a day before.

She then offered to bring them to the meeting so the allergic Girl Scout could have a safe snack that we KNEW without a shadow of a doubt was nut-free. My daughter took the short walk over to the school herself and hand-delivered the goods. She told me later that the girl with the nut allergy had her face light up when she saw a "safe" food arrive in a package with the words "nut-free" all over it. Plus, Coco Loco are darn tasty.

Later, the Daisy Scout leader told me that she would keep the Coco Loco box for future meetings and that the girl's mother was ecstatic to learn that Enjoy Life Foods had saved the day. I think ELF got a few new fans that day.

So for all of you who may not have heard of this fabulous allergen-free food company, be sure to check out their web site and look for them at your local grocery store.

My kids have always loved famed chef and TV star Emeril Lagasse--maybe because he talks directly to the camera (as kids shows tend to do) or maybe because he made a Sesame Street cooking video several years ago--one of their favorite videos back in the preschool days.



Either way, he helped get them interested in food and cooking which turned out to be a good thing once we discovered my oldest daughter's severe nut allergies. We cook and bake all the time around here now and the kids enjoy pitching in to help.



So I was happy to discover this joint venture between Emeril and Enjoy Life Foods on YouTube. In it, Emeril visits a Whole Foods store and talks to families with all manner of food allergies and intolerance, including gluten intolerance and nut allergies.



Then, he demonstrates how to make allergy-free brownies that can be enjoyed by families with multiple food issues.



No matter what you think of Emeril, it's clear that the man loves food and is very enthusiastic about the subject so I think he's a great person to advocate for allergy-free food. His participation in this video also shows that food allergies have come a long way in reaching the public consciousness. First Martha Stewart posted allergy-free trick-or-treating tips on her web site and now Emeril tackles allergy-free cuisine! I'm encouraged when I see mainstream figures addressing the subject of allergy-free cooking and baking. It's just becoming an accepted thing--and as Martha would say, that's "a good thing."



Enjoy the clip!

Granola bars are a great, quick and healthy snack--unless you have nut allergies. These bars are usually loaded with nuts or at the very least have come into contact with nuts during the manufacturing process.

I always enjoyed granola bars as a snack and have wished my children could enjoy them as well. They are so easy to pack in a backpack or lunchbox.

The good news is that there are more and more nut-free granola bars on the market these days. Two delicious versions that I've discovered are from Vermont Nut-Free Chocolate and Enjoy Life Foods. The only downside would be that these are a bit pricey. To help with the cost, click here to get an Enjoy Life Foods coupon. You can also find nut-free granola and similar nut-free snacks at FAB Snacks, founded by Jennifer B of the blog Food Allergy Buzz.

Enjoy Life Foods are available at many supermarkets across the U.S. including Whole Foods Market. They are also now available at Jewel grocery stores in the Chicago area--that's where I buy mine.

What are some reader favorites? I can't try them every granola bar out there, so let me know!