Allergy Awareness

I never expected to have a child with a food allergy.  I don't have any food allergies and my husband doesn't have any.  And yet, we have a child with a food allergy.  For whatever reason, food allergies are becoming more and more common.   I have two friends who have children with food allergies, as well. 

Our particular allergy is peanuts and tree nuts.  Our daughters worst reaction has been to pecans. 
We now carry an Epipen with us.  Thankfully, our daughters case has not been severe.  We are able to continue to eat peanut and nut products in our home.  We just make sure everything she has is peanut and nut free.  However, there are cases where even being in the same room as the allergen or touching the residue can cause a severe reaction. 

So, let's face it, this creates a certain amount of anxiety when eating outside of the home.  When going to a restaurant, we have to ask about nuts.  Potluck or family gatherings can even be more anxiety provoking.  It's sometimes hard to tell what may or may not contain peanuts, tree nuts or peanut butter.  Sometimes it's obvious; other times it is not.  And it's not limited to desserts.

At a small gathering, it's easy to ask others if a food item contains the given allergen.  At a big gathering, it is not.  At times its necessary to take your own food to prevent the exposure.   I also must give constant reminders to caregivers that she has the allergy.

I for one, am glad that more schools are taking precautions for children with allergies.  It gives me more peace as a parent when my child is out of my sight.  Take my word for it, a reaction is scary. 
But what about simple gatherings, like church for instance, might it not be a bad idea to simply share this awareness?  For me as a parent, it would give me a little more peace of mind. 

Now, I'm not talking about doing anything drastic like telling everyone to stop bringing things with nuts or peanut butter or anything.  Completely avoiding all the allergens out there would be impossible.  I know some people with more severe allergies may not be able to be around the specific allergen at all, but those situations would need to be dealt with on an individual basis.  I know those parents would take extreme precautions.  I would too if that were our case.

Now, I know I've only been talking about peanuts and tree nuts.  But say the allergy were eggs or dairy.  These are two more very common ingredients found in the kitchen.  I could also bring up celiac disease, where people are unable to tolerate gluten found in wheat products.  I'm only touching the tip of the iceberg here on possible allergens, albeit they are some of the most common.  This is why I say it's impossible to avoid all allergens.

But what I'm most interested in accomplishing and what I'm talking about is awareness.  The first of these is making others aware that these allergies exist.  The second, is simply placing the recipe with the food item you are taking to make the consumer aware of what is in it.  There are simple ways in which this could be done.  For example, just list the ingredients you included on an index card or tape your recipe card to a craft stick or toothpick and place in the food; or simply lay the recipe next to the dish.  I know some places divvy up desserts and such on too plates for each individual to take.  This is fine too.  Just leave one plate with the recipe attached with a stick near the food item  This will allow people to view the recipe and know what they can take.  And hey, and if someone asks you for the recipe - you've got it ready to share with them!

 

 

Here is my example of a dessert I made recently to take to church to share.  I've included the ingredients.  In this particular dessert, I did not add the nuts - you know why (yet my recipe card has it listed for my example).  If I saw this recipe attached to a food item, I would know to have my daughter avoid it. 

 

So, simply please be aware of those with allergies.  I'm not asking you to avoid making things with nuts or peanut butter.  Hey, it gives me a chance to enjoy these things.  Currently I avoid making desserts or foods with nuts or peanut butter so that I do not have to withhold them from my child.  She loves cookies and you have no idea how badly I want to make (and eat) peanut butter cookies.  But, until she's older at least, and understands the situation more - I won't.  I will occasionally make a peanut butter sandwich, but other food - no. For one, I don't want to make two meals. 

 

 

So, the next time you take a dish or dessert to share, please consider including the recipe for allergy awareness.  I and other mothers with children who have allergies, thank you.

 

 

** update - I learned something new from a friend on allergies.  She has a child allergic to egg.  He can not have the spray used to spray pans for baking.  Another thing I'm sure we all use often.  Something else to be aware of and how hidden then allergen can be.



Cute Christmas Cookie Walk Sign

The Advent season is upon us; and with that comes lots of Christmas preparations.  One of these is lots of baking.   Some of the most made items during the holidays are cookies and candies.  Where can you find a bunch of these goodies at one time?  A cookie walk, of course. 

I've been working with a wonderful group of people to help plan a cookie walk fundraiser for our church.  It's coming up in a week and a half.  The other night, during one of my sleepless hours, an idea popped into my head.  I had just acquired some boxes over the weekend, and rather than recycle them, I kept them thinking they'd come in handy.  Well, they didn't even get a chance to collect any dust on my shelving. 

Well, since cookies have been consuming my mind, I suddenly pictured a gingerbread man.  Hmmm.  Cardboard boxes would be the perfect color of a gingerbread man.  Hmmm.  Wouldn't that make a cute sign to place out in front of the church?  Cute, attractive, and sure to be an attention grabber.  Thus, my gingerbread men sign was born. 

 

 

I decided to make a total of three gingerbread men, with each one holding a sign - so all together it announces: "Cookie Walk Today".    I put much more time into it then planned.  Why?  I was having way too much fun.  I drew faces, made some cute squiggly lines with yarn and some with glitter glue.  I added some buttons and a bow tie, and even some strips of fabric for scarves. 

 

I even covered them with contact paper on the front, folded the contact paper over to the back, and then secured the entire back with packaging tape.  Why?  Just in case of rain.  The next step will be to tape them to metal garden stakes and put them up when cookie day comes. 

 

If I remember to take the camera, maybe I'll add another picture for ya!

 

And please, also remember the reason for the season:  the tiny babe, God's Son, born in a manger to grow up to live a perfect life and die on a cross for the sins of all, and rise again to give us the gift of eternal life.  Prepare your hearts and minds for Jesus' second coming. 

 

Blessings to you during this season!

 

 

 



Recycled Party Hat

So, this weekend I have a baby turning one!  I don't know where this last year went, but we are of course having a party.  Hmmm.  A party?  I don't have any party hats.  Well, not except for some Winnie the Pooh Ones that I'm already planning on using for a theme next year (courtesy of a garage sale find), and Princess hats left over from my daughters birthday.  Can't use princess for a boy and not going to use Pooh.  I just want one picture with a hat on his head since it's his first birthday. And I've made all the other decorations, so it doesn't make sense to go shopping for some Dino décor, just for a silly hat.

That's It!  I'll just recycle one of the old princess hats!

Well, there was no way I was going to come up with a cone shape to cover up the old hat.  And I still wanted the shape from the previously purchased hat.  I didn't have time to start something from scratch.  So, I just started ripping pieces of paper (I used three different colors), grabbed a glue stick, and stuck them on.  Then, I cut out my dinosaur and glued it to the front of the hat.  And, there we have it: a quick, inexpensive hat for the birthday boy!

 

 

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Toilet Paper Roll Cord Keepers

Imagine your decorating for Christmas.  The lights you hang won't quite reach to the nearest outlet.    You head to the box where you store extension cords, only to discover they are all tangled or knotted together.  After a few minutes of untangling them, you finally get it free.  Are you tired of these tangled cords? My mom got tired of this problem a long time ago.  We came up with a solution that became one of my favorite childhood crafts.  Just yesterday, I shared this craft with my daughter for the first time.

What You Need:
-empty toilet paper role, paper towel roll, or other cardboard tube
-crayons, markers, or paint

Instructions:
**Decorate any way you would like and HAVE FUN!

 

 

Pssst - Parents beware:  As a kid, I would sell these to my mom for money.

 

Now, fold extension cord in half a couple times (the number of times you can do this depends on how heavy duty your cord is).  Then stick the ends through the toilet paper roll and throw it in a box.  And Ta Da:  They're ORGANIZED!  No more knots!

 



 

 

 

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New Adventure Creative Card

Is someone you know getting ready to go on a new adventure or start a new chapter in their life?  Maybe they have just graduated college and are ready to step into their dream job.  Maybe someone is moving to a new state or our out on their own for the first time.  Maybe it's a new job after being employed at one place for many, many years.  Whatever the journey may be, why not send them a creative card to support them and let them know your thinking of them.  That's where this idea originated.  A family member of mine has finally landed her dream job and I want her to know how excited we are for her.

So, what image do you think of when consider a journey or heading out on a new path?  For me, it was footprints!  Hmmm, where can I find footprints?  I know!  I know!  My kids.  And let's face it, who doesn't get giddy anytime you see something made from the footprint or handprint of a special child in your life.  There just so cute!  Yep, we decided to make a mess.  We pulled out the finger paint and made footprints onto a card.  

I used stock paper folded in half, hamburger-style.  I put one set of footprints on the outside and one on the inside.  We did bigger footprints (my three-year-old) on the front cover of the card and smaller footprints (11 month old) on the inside.  The thought behind this was that the footprints would appear smaller as they got farther away.    Then we put a little saying with the prints, "Best Wishes On Your New Path."  And don't forget a message along with it and sign your names!  A reminder that God has great plans for them, would be wonderful too, of course!  Oh, and no worries.  If you don't have children around to use for your footprints, use your own!  You just might have to adjust the size of your paper!

 

 

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Homeade Taco Hamburger Helper

Again, I love the taste of Hamburger Helper, but I don't like to buy it because I don't think boxed stuff like that is very healthy.  So, I developed my own Taco version.  Now, I'm sure I'll will disappoint some of you - I don't have the exact measurements of the ingredients for you.  Why?  Because I follow a pinch of this and a dash of that method of cooking.  I will however, try to give you an idea of amounts.   Also, I will also share with you two versions of the same recipe.

 

This is the cheese sauce version.

To make, you will need:
1 pound of ground beef, browned with desired amount of onion, and then drained. 
Elbow macaroni, cooked and drained.  (I will guess I sue about 2 cups cooked). 
sweet peppers - variety of colors or whatever you have on hand
Ground spices: cilantro, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, basil, and chili powder)
hot sauce
cheddar cheese

After the beef is browned and drained, add a few dashes of each spice.  I don't always add cayenne pepper.  It depends how hot I want it and who is eating it.  Then I add a few dashes of hot sauce.

Then, mix the macaroni and peppers in with the meat. Last stir in desired amount of shredded cheddar cheese.  Cover and let melt.

So, what's the other version, you ask?  It a cheesier version:

To make Cheesy Homemade Taco Hamburger Helper:

First, brown beef and onions, drain and add spices as in the first version.  Add macaroni and peppers.

Second, make a white sauce with cheese.  To do this:  Melt one tablespoon butter in a small sauce pan.  Next, add 1 tablespoon four, a dash of salt, and a dash of pepper.  Stir and cook for a minute or so.  The add the milk (not all at once).  Constantly stir until thick and bubbly.  Once it bubbles, stir for 1 to 2 minutes more.  Then add 1 cup of cubed cheese. I use Velveta.  Stir until melted.  Then add a few dashes of hot sauce to the cheese sauce.  Then add the cheese sauce to the browned beef and macaroni.  Yum!  Enjoy!


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Kid's Keepsake Craft Box

It's starting to pile up.  The cute craft projects made by my darling daughter who is three.  The ones I can't bear to throw away.  No, I don't keep every single colored picture or anything like that.  If I did that, my house would be stuffed by the time I am forty.  But there are certain ones I don't want to part with.  The ones that really get me are those that are made with a foot or hand print.    I especially enjoy those that she brings home from daycare, Sunday School, or VBS.  We also love to do crafts together.

I knew I needed to find a place to store these special keepsakes.  Many of them are displayed somewhere in the house, at least for a little while.  But eventually they must come down, to make room for something new.  I finally had an idea.  A craft that we could do together.

I emptied a shoe box. Unfortunately all of them were in use.  Then we gathered some of these "projects for saving" and used decoupage to glue them to the box.  We mainly used her handprint crafts and a simple craft project that she had done at daycare where she decorated her name.  I also traced her hands onto construction paper, cut those out, and put them on the box. 

 

Brylee loves to "use the scissors" to cut out paper.  She is very good at making confetti.  So, I let her cut paper while I put on her craft items.  When I was done with that, I let her decorate the box with the paper scraps.    Well, actually it was a combined effort!  I also cut out some shapes from some of her "painted" pictures from daycare and put those on, too.  Then we covered the entire box in a coat of decoupage.  It was a very fun mother/daughter project!   We would have painted the box first, but since it was already a nice, lovely orange color, we just broke out the decoupage and got our fingers sticky!!

 

 

 

I'm already saving a couple handprint/footprint pictures that daycare did with my baby boy.  Guess I better go shoe shopping so I can get another box!!!

 

I hope you enjoy making your Keepsake Craft Box with your special kid!

 

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