ARACHIS HYPOGAEA aka Peanut

The other day at work, I was putting on some lotion and my coworker asked me what I was using.  She said she liked how it smelled.  I told her it was lotion by Avon, called Almond and Milk.  I offered her some, but she explained that she could not use it because her son, Tyler, has a tree nut allergy.  She then told me there are lots of things that she cannot use because of Tyler’s allergy, including lotions, body washes, shampoos, and even laundry detergent.  Yep you heard right, laundry detergent.  Specifically she referred to Seventh Generation laundry detergent.  She said that several contain almond oil as in ingredient, and Tyler reacts to it.  So, before I blogged about this to all of you, I checked it out for myself.  I went to Seventh Generation’s website, and randomly clicked on Natural 4X Laundry Detergent Geranium Blossoms and Vanilla.  I really didn’t expect to find any almond oil.  However, there it was in the ingredients!  Listed in the ingredients it says, “(prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil”.  Here is the link to check it out yourself.

It always amazes me where allergies can lurk.  I previously posted about where peanuts can be hidden.  For those of you who have peanut allergies, there is a great list of common things that may contain.  You can see my previous post here.  I had no idea that Arachis Hypogaea was the scientific name for peanuts and Arachis Oil is actually peanut oil!

Always be sure to read ingredients, whether it is in food or other products.  You never know where hidden dangers may be lurking.

Homemade Almond Butter

With so many children having peanut allergies, it seems peanut butter is a thing of the past.  We use a Wowbutter, and Nutella for my daughter’s lunches.  Fortunately, my daughter is only allergic to peanuts, not tree nuts.  Here is a great way to make some almond butter at home.  To view the recipe click here.  Almonds actually are the more nutritious choice.  They are loaded with vitamins, and are heart healthy too.