Sweethearts Candy Blog's

Did you know that January is National Oatmeal Month? We enjoy oatmeal in cookies and such around here but it's been hard to get my kids interested in it for breakfast.

Until now! I unearthed a Betty Crocker Kids Cookbook from the 1950s (I collect vintage cookbooks)and they had all kinds of cute and retro ideas for kids cereal, including cereal "faces" made of food. Granted, my almost 11-year-old didn't get as big a thrill out of this as my younger daughter, but she enjoyed the flavors.

My 2nd grader, however, really loved the faces and has been thinking up ideas to create animal faces, mimic her own face and more. Use your favorite fresh and dried fruits, brown sugar, maple syrup and whatever additions your kids like. Oatmeal "faces" that are not only yummy and fun to eat, but they will give your kids a good source of complex carbs that will give them energy until lunch time.

Just a note: soaking the oats overnight in milk (dairy or non-dairy, whatever you need to use) makes a very creamy, flavorful oatmeal that is also very quick to execute in the morning--the oats are already soft so they don't require much cooking.

Here's how we created the recipe shown above. Let it be a guide to you and be creative!

Hearty Nut-Free Oatmeal "Faces"
The night before, combine 1 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats (We use Quaker) and 2 cups of milk in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add one tsp. of cinnamon and if you like, add some orange peel or other seasonings. Place in fridge and let "steep" overnight.

The next morning: Place oat mixture in a saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until thick, about 4-6 minutes. I usually add a little more cinnamon, as well, to taste. Divide mixture into 2 bowls (for large servings) or 4 small bowls for small servings.

To make the face you see in the photo: sprinkle dark brown sugar at the top of the bowl for "hair." Use dried cranberries for eyes and mouth and use a slice of banana for a nose.

Enjoy! I'll have more oatmeal recipes as the month continues.

Since so many of my new blog readers are also new to nut allergies, I wanted to expand on my recent post that discussed some basic ways of coping with a new food allergy diagnosis. I've been thinking a lot about this topic for the last few days and considering what has helped me the most as I began learning about life with food allergies.

Based on my experiences as a parent, here are some of the things that have been most important on my food allergy journey:

Be ready for your world to be rocked. Severe food allergies make you look at nearly everything you do with fresh eyes. Food is so ingrained in our traditions, social events and emotions that you may be surprised at how much food plays a role in your life. Things are going to change for your family, that's for sure. However, all of the changes won't necessarily be negative. As I said in my previous post, my whole family eats healthier now. However, knowing that common foods have the potential to harm your child can make the entire world seem unfriendly at times. Don't be surprised if you feel a lot of strong emotions that you need to discuss with family, spouse or friends. If you really feel overwhelmed and it's interfering with your life, seek professional counseling.

Give yourself time to adapt. You may feel apprehensive about certain situations once you know you are dealing with a severe food allergy, so don't push yourself. Knowledge on how to cope with restaurants, school, play dates and family members will not come to you overnight. It's OK to feel scared or confused. As you learn more about food allergies and manage situations successfully, you will gain confidence. But don't expect this to happen immediately. You need time to accept the situation and learn what works and what doesn't before you can begin educating others about it and advocating for your needs.

Always have safe foods on hand--and bring them wherever you go.Food is pushed at kids almost constantly (many of you know this already) so don't get stressed, be prepared. If you are heading out with your child, be sure to bring safe alternatives so that you are not tempted to offer unsafe food simply out of hunger or desperation.

Don't forget the EpiPen.If you're like me, you switch bags or purses, rush around in the morning or are simply human and sometimes forget stuff. An EpiPen is so important, however, that I've turned around and come home rather than go anywhere without my daughter's EpiPen. Leave Post-It notes by your front door or on the dashboard of your car, get your child a special fanny pack or EpiPen carrier but find ways to remember the EpiPen. It won't help anyone if it's sitting at home in a cabinet; EpiPens can and do save lives.

Teach your child how to handle the allergy on their own. Parents are sometimes terrified of this, but if your kids are going to live a healthy life they need to learn how to be their own advocates. Role play situations, discuss unsafe foods and activities and if they are old enough (discuss when is the right time with your allergist) teach them to self-administer the EpiPen. Kids who can advocate for themselves are more confident and happy kids as well as a safer ones.

Embrace cooking and baking from scratch. Not everybody loves to cook but once you deal with food allergies it's actually more stressful not to cook. Why? Because when you frequently visit restaurants or pick up take-out you don't have control over what's going into your food--and that can mean risk of allergic reaction. Plus, cooking at home is healthier overall (and not just lower-risk for food allergies)and its more economical, too. If you don't have tons of time to cook on busy week nights, then cook what you can on your less busy days and freeze meals in advance. Also, be sure to have one or two quick go-to meals in your recipe arsenal and keep the main ingredients on hand at all times.

Be cautious but enjoy your life. This is what our first allergist told us and he was right. You can't stop living because you now deal with a severe food allergy. That's not to say you should take unnecessary chances on food or downplay the seriousness of the situation. However, if you go forward in a positive way, you will affect the outlook of your entire family. If you are the parent of an allergic child, you want them to be happy and live life to the fullest, even though you may worry about them. Adapting to food allergies can mean having to alter how you go about some things, but don't let it limit you (or your child, whoever has the allergy) too much.

We've been planning to visit Cafe Twist--Kim & Scott's Gourmet Pretzel Cafe since it opened this past May and are we glad we did! Even our overheated and subsequently towed car couldn't stand in our way--the car chose to break down just one block from Cafe Twist, so while my wonderful husband waited with the car, my sister and I brought my two girls to Cafe Twist, a nut-free bakery and resto in Chicago. (And of course we brought back some goodies for Dad.)

The reason for our trek to Lincoln Park? Cafe Twist is a nut-free gourmet pretzel cafe that offers sandwiches and cookies made in a nut-free environment. This kid-friendly cafe serves NO peanut butter, but uses Sunbutter instead for one sandwich choice. They are also very allergy aware and allergy-friendly--in fact, a mural on the wall states "allergy aware."

What's especially delicious about the sandwiches at Cafe Twist is that each sammy is made using a warm gourmet soft pretzel. My kids are soft pretzel fanatics so this is a big treat for them!

My oldest daughter got a ham and cheese pretzel sandwich and my youngest opted for the pretzel dog--essentially a hot pretzel wrapped around a hot dog. Pretty ingenious and delicious!

I asked for clarification on some of the items and while they do offer granola for a breakfast item, it is nut-free (though made in a facility with nuts.) The cookies are also safe and nut-free.

Cafe Twist also offers scooped ice cream and while I didn't notice any nut flavors, we don't do scooped ice cream as a rule so that wasn't an issue for us that day.

I know that some of us deal with allergies other than peanuts and tree nuts, but a nut-free cafe is definitely a step in the right direction. It was a great feeling for my nut-allergic daughter to know that she was in an environment that was safe for her and that she could have the baked goods she wanted. As we know, baked goods are a no-no for people with nut allergies as a rule. To wrap up their massive meal, my oldest asked for a chocolate stuffed pretzel and the youngest wanted the cinnamon stuffed pretzel.

My youngest daughter was amazed by the cafe because "I didn't know you could do so many things with pretzels!" Turns out you can. They even have pretzels that kids can twist themselves and then have baked.

So if you've got kids with nut allergies, please visit the fabulous Cafe Twist and tell your friends and relatives! I love to support these places because in this economy, especially, we've got to show them that nut-free is loved, appreciated and NEEDED.

Thanks to Kim & Scott's Cafe Twist for a great meal that put smiles on all of our faces that day, even my husband, despite the car breakdown.

I was interviewed for the current issue of Special Parent magazine, a spin-off of Chicago Parent magazine. The story focused on Chicago-area businesses and restaurants that accommodate various food allergies and intolerances. The story also discussed the difficulties that parents have in managing food allergies with their children and how the new crop of businesses are beginning to make it easier.

Now, it's your turn. Can we have your input on allergy-friendly stores, restaurants or other establishments in your area?

Every little step does make it easier, especially when dining out with food allergies. I am encouraged by the article and am hopeful that more establishments will crop up to address our needs. We are definitely loyal customers once we trust a place, so the success of allergy-friendly establishments should be assured.

OK, let us hear from you!

Here is some more peanut-free baseball news. Recently I discovered this Facebook fan page supporting peanut-free baseball at Wrigley Field.

Paste the link in your browser to join baseball fans who want the Cubs to join the other major league baseball teams that offer peanut-free zones and/or games.


http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Chicago-Cubs-Fans-for-Peanut-Free-Baseball/117584061619677?ref=ts

If you'd like to reach the Cubs directly, click here. I know that with their new ownership that the Cubs are considering establishing peanut-free zones, so let them know they have fan support for this measure.

Thanks to Joyce, a fellow Chicagoan, for starting this effort!

I recently blogged about the current evaluation by the U.S. Department of Transportation regarding the proposed ban on peanuts for all airlines and I'm talking about it again because it's so important. This story is getting a lot of media attention and the food allergy naysayers are out in full force. It's time to speak out because many who oppose the ban are pushing back--hard. We need to show our numbers and strength here, not to mention the very good reasons why this food should be banned from air travel.

Peanuts and tree nuts aren't required to keep airplane engines aloft. People won't die if they are denied peanuts and tree nuts for a couple of hours--but in-cabin exposure to this serious allergen can cause death or life-threatening reactions. People don't choose to have a life-threatening food allergy and shouldn't be denied safe passage on a public conveyance because of this medical condition, all because of a snack that is easily replaced.

Please click this link to the FAAN page about this and you'll find the DOT link that will allow you to comment on this. FAAN also offers advice and direction on using the DOT link, so check that out too.

We have until August 9th, so please make your voices heard! So many people are making ignorant comments and remarks, downplaying peanut and tree nut allergies and portraying those in support of a ban as being overprotective and even "un-American." I guess having allergies isn't American?? In any case, please state your case calmly and share your personal airline stories if you have them.

You CAN make a big difference here. Remember, smoking used to be allowed on airlines, too. So did liquids bigger than 1 oz. Things change. People will get used to peanut/tree nut ban on airlines. But we must speak up.

So click here to find the link to DOT and then share your comments with the government. They want to know how we feel--and how often does that happen???--so let's tell them.

With summer, comes day trips and with that comes a need to prepare for all the eventualities. Getting kids ready to go anywhere seems like a military maneuver at the best of times, but when you've got kids with food allergies you've got to take a few more precautionary steps. I got to thinking about this during a recent visit to Brookfield Zoo, located just outside Chicago. But anywhere we go this summer--the zoo, an amusement park, the beach--will require the same level of prep.

So, here they are--my tips for successful summer day-trippin' with food allergies:

1. Get yourself an insulated "cooler" shoulder bag. The Brookfield Zoo, like many other family-friendly day trip destinations allows you to bring your own food. I bought a chic insulated bag from Thermos (TM) and it was a godsend on our recent zoo trip. During one of my numerous trips to Target, I grabbed this cute, diaper bag-sized tote and some freezer packs for keeping sammies and drinks chilled. The extra front pockets were useful for the EpiPens, my wallet and assorted sundries so I didn't have to bring a separate purse. The best part--it wasn't huge and didn't weigh a ton and wasn't awkward like some of those big cooler bags.

2. Bring placemats for the picnic table. Since you just never know if the last family was packing peanut butter (and let's face it, they probably were), be ready to protect the table for your child. Besides offering protection from forbidden foods, it also just seems a lot more hygienic.

3. Locate the First Aid station upon arrival. You may never need it, but it's good to know where it is in the event of emergency.

4. Check and double-check that you have your EpiPens before departure. I don't know about you, but I seem to constantly be transferring my items from bag to bag all summer long. You don't want to leave the EpiPen behind, only to discover that it's missing upon arrival at your destination. I place Post-It notes on my dashboard to remind me.