Blog Archives
Need A Quick Breakfast?? Look to these awesome muffins from Udi’s!
**Disclaimer: Udi’s provided me with these muffins free of charge in exchange for providing you with ideas on how to use their products. All ideas are my own and I have not been financially compensated**
So I know I’m not the only one with kids. And I also know I’m not the only one who has hectic mornings with those kids. Half the time we are lucky to get out the door on time with a quick snack, let alone have a decent breakfast. So I’m always on the lookout for something that will help us out in the morning.
That’s where these great muffins from Udi’s come in.
Now, they are pretty awesome on their own but…
I always need to feel like I participated in putting meals together so I do this…
Take that can of cranberries and toss it in a saucepan over low heat and stir. Let it break down and cook down a bit until it becomes warm and thick. I promise this doesn’t take long! Right before its ready, wrap those muffins in a damp paper towel and pop in the microwave for a few seconds. Definitely helps you get that fresh homemade feel. Then break the muffin in half if you have littles like I do (or keep it whole for yourself!). Drizzle a bit of that warm cranberry amazingness over those nice warm muffins and watch everyone happily dig in.
There’s one morning crisis solved! Now on to the next….getting them to dress in clothes that match! Wish me luck!
Getting Ready For The Nice Weather
YAAAAAAYYYYYY!!! Awesome weather is back… again. And this time it seems like it wants to stay around. We are already planning on all of the awesome things we can do. It helps the kids get excited and be motivated to spend more time outside, and it also helps me make a nice little mental list of all the new things we will need and all of the things I need to be prepared for.
So, I would like to share with you, a quick little run down of how we prepare for summer, and hopefully it will make your summer a bit easier too.
First, we all know that the return of summer brings the return of sun, and sunburn. Over here we are all almost clear, so we are huge fans of sunblock. As in industrial strength SPF as high as it can possibly be, reapplied every hour sunblock. We use Coppertone WaterBabies SPF 100+ ( see? I wasn’t kidding). Make sure to do your research and verify that the brand you are using is gluten free.
Second, with nice weather come the bugs. Not only the pretty and interesting ones, but those nasty, biting, stingy ones. Don’t forget to make sure you are using some form of protection against those little brats. Slice a lime and push some cloves in it, it helps keep the biting insects away. Also, if you prefer to wear your protection, find a natural based safe alternative. Gluten can hide in bug sprays too. I have a friend that makes ours. You can also make your own, if you are so inclined.
Third, what would nice weather be without cook outs and get togethers? Word of warning…those grills…cross contamination issue!!! While it may not be for some, for those that are very sensitive, it can be a source of concern. So, how to remedy that? We went and bought one of those table top charcoal grills. They are pretty inexpensive and easy to transport. Any grill party that we go to we just toss it in the trunk and we are good to go. This way, we know that there is no way bread or gluten containing meats or what have you have been near it, and we still get to have all the yummy grilled food.
And who can forget about all the great carnivals, festivals and street fairs that happen while the weather is at its best? So… what’s the best way to navigate those potential gluten havens? First, look for information about the fest. More often than not, if community restaurants are going to be present at the fest, it will be listed on the flier or other paper work advertising the event. You can then call the different places and find out what will be served and how it’s prepared to make your safe list. If you do not see places listed, call the city or village where the event is being held. They can give you more information about the type of vendors that will be showcased. If you find out that there will be no safe options while you are there, pack yourself a nice picnic lunch and bring it along. There are a lot of great fair type foods that you can make gluten free. Look for a post containing some of those great recipes coming soon.
This is the basic way that I try to plan out our summer, and some of the tips that I have found to make our lives easier and more manageable. Hopefully this has helped some of you. I welcome your tips as well. And don’t forget to let me know if any of these help you out!
Frustrated….
Pizza box, Germany (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I can’t help but to be frustrated right now. I have several friends that have children that are similar in age to my kids. And of course, my kids love getting together and being able to play. Recently, we had some time to spend with a friend who I have not seen in a very long time and her three little ones. We had a great time. But…..
She knows that my kids are eating gluten free. She knows that it is because of an issue they both medically have. She knows how much I struggle trying to make my kids feel like they fit in.
When she invited us over, she mentioned that we should come for lunch. I began to explain to her my hesitation…and went down the whole list. The foods contents, the cross contamination issues, etc. She still insisted. I offered to bring our own food, that I knew would be okay. I even offered to bring enough for everyone to share. She still insisted everything would be fine. But, if this lifestyle has taught me anything its to be prepared, so I brought food anyway.
And its really a good thing that I did! We got there, and the kids played for awhile, which was awesome. But then I noticed that she had thrown in a pizza. I knew immediately that it was not going to be anything safe for my kids. So, I asked her. I wanted to know why she was making a pizza when she had offered to provide a safe lunch. She then said, well it is a favorite of the kids, so I was going to give them that, and I have salad and fruits and veggies for your kids. I was appalled.
I, luckily, brought a nice hearty lunch for the kids. But, still not the point. She knows that I do everything I can to NOT alienate my kids. Sorry, but eating something that they can not have right in front of them is awful. To top it all off, she even offered me the pizza. I remained calm during the whole thing, but shortly after lunch my kids were getting tired and had asked to leave. I was more than happy to oblige.
While I did take the time to explain my frustrations to her, I still can not help but to be upset to this day. Please do not take medical issues, especially those revolving around kids, lightly. It is hard enough for the kids to feel like they fit in, try not to make it any harder.
Review: Dr. Lucy’s Cookies
**I was provided free product in exchange for my opinions. I was not financially compensated for this review. The opinions here are all my own and have not been swayed by a third-party.**
Who doesn’t love cookies? I know my family does, but I also know that in order to keep them safe having cookies usually means quite a bit of work for me. Not that I mind, of course. But every now and then it would be nice to be able to go to the store and just grab some. That is why I was so happy to find the Dr. Lucy company. This company was started by a mom, who also happens to be an M.D. She is a mom of a child with severe allergies and was always looking for safe foods that tasted great, but had a hard time finding them. So, she created her own! And they have a ton of great bonuses. All her treats are made in their own carefully controlled bakery. They are gluten free peanut free, tree nut free, milk free and egg free. Plus, they test for trace amounts of milk, egg, gluten, peanuts, almond, and hazelnut. I love that they do all this, and I can feel confident that these are going to be safe for my family. And, just when you think that these treats could not get any better, they are also certified vegan and verified non-GMO!
Just waiting to be eaten!
While I was super excited at how allergen free these were, I was a bit skeptical on how they would taste. Based on past experiences, I know that a lot of times things that are so safe are often lacking in flavor. Luckily, I was happy to find out that this was not anywhere near the case!
Cinnamon Thins
The first ones out of the package were the Cinnamon Thins. They were fantastic! Perfectly sized and a great texture! We tried them first with a nice glass of Almond Milk and they held up great for dunking. The kids were very fond of these. I could not believe that these were free of so many allergens with how great they tasted! They had the perfect amount of cinnamon and just the right amount of sweetness. This package definitely did not last long in my house! I will be buying some more of these. These are going to be the perfect thing to use as a base for pies, with no worry! While I have not done it yet, because we ran out of cookies, it is going to be very easy. Toss the cookies in a zip top bag, smash them up ( let the kids help!) and then mix with a bit of melted butter and press into the bottom of your pie pan! Look for a blog post in the near future with the complete recipe.
Ginger Snaps
Next came the Ginger Snap cookies. Here again, I was a little hesitant, not being a huge fan of ginger. Surprisingly thought, they were not at all overbearing, like other ginger items that I have tried. They had a great ginger flavor, and just a bit of an underlying kick to the finish. Nothing spicy, just a nice burst of flavor. My daughter actually preferred these to the cinnamon thins. My son also liked these, but he said the cinnamon ones were better. My husband and I enjoyed these as well. While I am still working on a recipe that incorporates the ginger snaps, my husband gave me a great pairing. He had suggested pairing the ginger snaps with a nice cup of hot herbal tea. I prefer Tulsi tea and so I made a cup last evening. I sat down with my cup of tea and a couple of the ginger snaps. What a great combination! A little dunking into the tea, a little nibble followed by a sip of the tea…anyway I paired them was fantastic. These are a great way to wind down the day!
I would love for you guys to check out this company and see all of the other great products that they offer. I can guarantee that we will be frequent purchasers! Check them out on their website! They are also on Facebook. I would also like to give my personal thanks to Dr. Lucy Gibney for taking on a great project and helping out all of us with allergic children!
Product Review: Crunchmaster
**I was provided free product in exchange for my honest opinions. I received no financial compensation and all opinions contained in here are my own and in no way influenced by an outside party.**
When I am looking for snacks that are safe for our house, I can NOT even begin to tell you how much of a pain it is to find ones that taste good! I walk down all the aisles with the kids and of course they look and want everything. And I know that even if I didn’t…they would see their friends with “normal” snacks and wonder why they have to be so different. And sometimes, I can’t help but wish we could just buy whatever we wanted without looking. Luckily though, I found a company that really has that in mind when producing their snacks. Crunchmaster!! Check out their website here.
The kids and I were so excited when our product got here… I could barely get a picture before the kids wanted to tear into them!
We were able to try Crunchmaster’s two new kids snacks, Cheezy Crisps and Grammy Crisps. And we also got to try the Rosemary and Olive Ooil Multi Seed Crackers. We were very happy with each item, which is unusual. For those of you that follow this blog regularly, you know how much of a challenge it is for me to find something both kids will like and agree on.
The Cheezy Crisps were the first things the kids wanted to try, and I was all for it. After checking the nutritional panel to see about a serving size, I was even more excited to give these to the kids. 60 of these crackers make up an adult serving for 120 calories! That’s quite a s snack! I portioned out half that amount for the kids and the full amount for myself and got to sampling. Before I even tasted them, I was worried that like so many other cheese snacks, they may have that fake flavor. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they did not. They are made with a great blend of real mozzarella and cheddar cheese and you can definitely taste them. They are light and crunchy and have a fantastic texture. There is enough cheese so that you know you are having a cheese based snack, but its balanced well and not ever overbearing. These snacks are great all on their own. The kids and I also mixed them in with some cereal and pecans and dried cranberries for a nice little trail mix.
Next up was the Grammy Crisps. These have a suggested serving size of 25 crackers for 130 calories. Still not a bad deal in my book, especially because both of their kid centered snacks are made with whole grain. So the kids each got a few and off we went to taste them and see how we can incorporate them into other things. These by far were my favorite of all the Crunchmaster items we sampled. They are nice and crunchy, and have this amazing blend of cinnamon and sugar. These definitely took me back to when I was a kid and the cinnamon and sugar toast that we would have with breakfast. I was so happy to find something that allowed me to share these kind of flavors with my kids. The kids could not get enough of them and were quickly coming up with some great recipe ideas. These are amazing all on their own or in our nice little Smores mix. The kids actually came up with this one…and we mixed the Grammy snacks, some mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips and had our own version of easier to eat, no heat Smores! This is something we will definitely be making again, it is a great little snack mix to have for play-dates or get togethers.
After the kids had their fun with the new snacks and building new recipes, my husband and I set out to try the more “adult” type snack from Crunchmaster, the Rosemary and Olive Oil Multi Seed Crackers. They are super thin and all natural and nice and crispy. They have a great blend of seeds including sesame, quinoa, flax, and amaranth. They are great right out of the bag, with nice undertones of Rosemary and Olive Oil. I was a little nervous that the Rosemary would be overwhelming but it was not at all. My husband was totally content to eat them just plain, but I could not help but wonder what sorts of topping would work best for these awesome little crackers. I tried various cheeses, and our favorite was a New York Extra Sharp Cheddar. I also had a dinner to attend with some friends and wanted to bring something along. I used these crackers and make up some Bruschetta. What a great combination!!! My friends at the dinner party could not get enough of them and just had to know what kind of crackers I was using. They are such a great substitution for bread in dip like recipes and I cannot wait to try therm with other options.
All in all, before trying these Crunchmaster products I had come in contact with mixed reviews from other people I know who have tried them. I was a little hesitant, but I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to try them for myself. I am excited to say they are one of the better gluten-free snack companies out there. For those of you interested in trying them for yourself ( and I highly recommend you do!!) check out this link for a great coupon! Also, please check them out and show them your support on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! And don’t forget to share your opinions with me!
Product Review: Second Helping
In my quest to continuously seek out the best of the best in gluten-free companies and products, I have come across a real winner and an instant kid friendly, family favorite! I am happy to share with you today, Second Helping! They are a great company that provides fantastic meatballs, called Mama’s Meatballs and awesome corn dogs, called Corn Puppies! Check out their website here.
Second Helping was nice enough to send me both of their products to try.
After checking out this great nutritional info….we could not wait to try them out!
In fact, we were so excited about these that we decided to have the Corn Puppies for lunch and incorporated Mama’s Meatballs into our dinner!
The first thing I noticed when I opened up the Corn Puppies was their plentiful size! With two as a serving, we were feeling entirely satisfied! Bonus is, there are 5 servings per bag! We made these on a day my kids actually had friends over, and it was the perfect food for our play date! The turkey hot dogs inside are nice and plump and juicy. The ratio of corn to hot dog is perfect. Just enough corn to add that great flavor, without masking the hot dog, like I have seen from other companies. They are incredibly easy to make, just toss in the oven ( we used our counter top convention) and let them cook while the kids are finishing up playing and lunch is all done. There was no turning or messing with them and they came out deliciously golden brown and crunchy! After they were cooled and served, I was surprised to see even my pickiest eater, Bear, dig right in! After getting the approval from my youngest critics, I got the chance to sample them. I loved that they tasted so home-made! If I would have been served these at a friend’s house, I would have never guessed that they were frozen and store-bought. What a great find!
After the great success with our lunch, I quickly refocused dinner to a pasta night ( gluten-free of course!) so that I had a great excuse to make Mama’s Meatballs! I opened the package and could not believe how BIG these meatballs were!! I knew for sure that it would be more than enough to satisfy everyone for dinner, since we tend to have some pretty large appetites. There are a bunch of easy options on how to prepare these. Luckily, there is also a speed method. We were really busy that day and by the time I had a chance to start dinner, I just went the quick and easy way, using pre made sauce. Luckily, Second Helping thinks of everything! Just a few seconds per meatball in the microwave and they were nice and hot and ready to go. I, of course, like to pretend I am a big fancy chef, so I tossed them into the sauce before I served anyone 🙂 . I could not resist so after I took them out of the microwave, I took a taste of one, just plain. Oh my goodness! The texture ( even microwaved!) was amazing! They were meaty and juicy and packed full of flavor! I wanted to eat the whole thing, right then and there. A perfect blend of just the right spices.
After we sat down at the table, I watched and waited, I was so excited to get everyone’s thoughts. My husband was very surprised, and could not believe they had once been frozen! He remarked how fresh and great tasting they were, and I had to agree. My daughter Bee dug right in, as I figured she would and told me how much she liked the new meats. Then we came to my son Bear. I waited, pretty positive that I could not get lucky twice in the same day. Getting him to eat is always an adventure. Much to my surprise and delight, he tasted the meatballs and told me how yummy they were!! You can only imagine how happy I was that I had finally found a company that I know my whole family enjoys! Second Helping should get awards just for getting my son to eat!!
We all had such a great time with Second Helping and their products, I know they are going to become a staple in my house. I love that they are quick and easy, especially with how busy and fast paced my days seem to get. I love that everyone in my family enjoys them, since that is something that rarely, if ever, happens. I love that you can order their products and have them shipped to you, so there is no need to worry about whether or not your local stores carry them ( although some do!!). I love that I can have pride in these foods, that I know exactly what I am feeding my family. Most of all, I love, that for that day at least, we really felt like we were eating “like everyone else”. While I always tell my kids there is nothing wrong with being different, no one can argue against the fact that it IS nice to feel “normal” every once and awhile, and I am so thankful to find a company that allows me to do that.
I would love for you guys to check them out on Facebook and Twitter and give them your support!
**Disclaimer** Second Helping provided me with free products in exchange for my honest opinions of those products. I was not financially compensated in any way, nor were my opinions swayed or altered for any purpose. These opinions are all my own.
Awareness in the Food Service Industry
It was another one of those nights tonight…
You know, the whole, hey let’s try and go out and grab something for dinner. For those of you who can do this effortlessly, and without any kind of thought, I envy you…dearly. For us, it is a lovely game of first, finding somewhere safe, and then second, trying to find somewhere that my uber picky Bear will eat from.
After a long debate and thought process, we finally settled on somewhere. As usual, once we were there and getting ready to order, I went through our typical “we can NOT have anything with gluten, so I need to know what your ingredients are” speech. And this was met with the typical “Oh is this for an allergy” question. I begrudgingly say yes, not wanting to get into how it is NOT an allergy (that is another post for another day). But then, to my dismay, our server said they would have to go and ask someone else, and they would get back to us about what was safe. It took quite awhile, and finally someone else came out to talk to us, with a large book that they told me contained all the items they had and what was in each item. And I am NOT kidding when I say that this binder had to be 3 or 4 inches thick. At this point, we explained that we did not feel safe enough to continue our experience, thanked the establishment, left a small tip for our server ( I used to waitress, so I feel that it is only right to leave a little something for taking up some time at a table) and wound up back home eating leftovers.
But here is my point, I just feel like if you work in an establishment where food is served, you should be knowledgeable enough to explain to patrons what is or is not in your products. Not just for those with gluten issues or food allergies, but for anyone who asks. People are becoming more and more aware of what they put in their bodies, and typically most like to know what they are eating. I just find it amazing that in most cases the servers or counter staff typically have no clue what they serve. Even worse, as in our case, the management did not even know what was in the products they were serving. Um…what? While I understand that this may be a paycheck for you, this could be a life threatening mistake for someone else. I am not at all trying to downplay the need for us with food issues to do our homework…but it would be nice for places to start educating their staff on the make up of the their products. Also, maybe a bit of education on the plethora of food issues that people can have. It would be nice to walk into a restaurant and explain my situation and have it met with something more than a weird look. A bit of extra effort on the part of restaurants could do wonders for their customer service, and open up their businesses to a whole new market of people who may have previously been unaware that eating there was a safe place.
Product Review: Bakery on Main Oatmeals
I am very happy to introduce you guys to Bakery on Main!! They are a great company located in Connecticut. They began as a small bakery, making all of their products in small, careful batches. They started with the simple idea that those with gluten issues should not be restricted from delicious foods! They have since expanded their company, but still hold true to their original ideas, making yummy gluten free foods in small batches, with amazing results! All this brought to you with great prices and an easy to navigate website (click their logo to visit!). On their page you will also find their store locator, or, you can order products directly from them, with a really easy to use order form!
I was invited to try their line of instant oatmeals, and I was super excited! Oatmeal is always a favorite here… especially with the little ones. Living a gluten free lifestyle usually means that oatmeal that is safe, is typically hard to come by…and good luck if you want something instant! Bakery on Main has managed to solve both of these problems! An awesome array of flavors that are made with a blend of Chia, Flax, Amaranth , and Quinoa. They are also free from dairy, casein, wheat, gluten, and on top of all that are NON-GMO!! Mix that with the fact that they only take 60 seconds in the microwave and you really have a great find!
All the yummy flavors!
The company was kind enough to send me a total of 6 flavors: Apple Pie, Blueberry Scone, Maple Multigrain Muffin, Strawberry Shortcake, Traditional, and Carrotcake. Four of the flavors are currently available and can be purchased either in stores or on their website. The two that are no currently in stores (but will be soon) were the Carrotcake and Blueberry Scone.
We tried the Strawberry Shortcake first, and it was amazing! You could taste the strawberries, the nuances of the shortcake, and it had just the right amount of sweetness. The Apple Pie was equally amazing, and tasted remarkably like the real thing! My husband even commented that he felt like he should put ice cream in it! Maple was also really good, and we loved that it was just the right amount of maple, while still being able to distinguish that nice multigrain taste. Carrotcake was very true to flavor, and tasted just like a carrot cake. I was very surprised, because any time I have tasted other Carrot cake items, I have been very disappointed with the artificial type taste they have all had. That is why this one was so different, and I will definitely be buying this once its available! The Traditional was another great option. I am one of those people who love to add fresh fruits, nuts, and other things to my oatmeal, and this was a great way for me to do it! I divided it in half, added a nut mixture to one half, and a fruit mixture to the other. The oatmeal flavor stood up well against the mixtures that I added and worked as a great base. And I can only imagine how great this would be a base for some Gf oatmeal cookies! And last but not least…. our favorite…..
Blueberry Scone!! THE WINNER!!!
The Blueberry Scone flavor!!! There were plentiful pieces of blueberry that were perfectly sweet and ripe. I seriously felt like I had just tossed in some fresh picked ones from my garden! That is an amazing flavor to get in an instant oatmeal. On top of that… there was a great undertone of scone flavor…something I miss very much since eliminating gluten. It reminded me of sitting at my favorite coffee shop, bakery treat in one hand and a coffee in another. The kids also loved this one, and for both of my kids to actually agree on a flavor is a feat in itself. I promised them that as soon as this flavor hits the stores, we will be purchasing it, more than likely in large quantities!
This review was one that I had a lot of fun with, and Bakery on Main is a company I would trust again and again to provide my family with great tasting food that I know is safe. Check them out in the links below and help support a company that knows what it means to our community to have safe and great tasting foods!
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/BakeryOnMain
Twitter – https://twitter.com/BakeryOnMain
Instagram – @bakeryonmain
Pinterest – https://pinterest.com/bakeryonmain/
**Disclaimer** Bakery on Main provided me with free product in exchange for my honest opinions in this review. These opinions are my own, and I was in no way financially compensated for this review.
Gluten Free Candy
Over the past few days I have been working on some research and emailing companies to try and bring you the best list of gluten free candy that I can. This is is not, by any means, complete. What I mean by that is, it does not contain all of the candy out there that is gluten free. If it did, it would probably be as long as a book! I have not included any of the specialty candy brands that only work with gluten free candies, but rather chose to focus on what “normal” candies are safe. This is because, odds are, you and your children will come into contact with these mainstream candies way more often than those of a specialty nature. As always, please make sure to check the labels. While all of this information is current, that does not guarantee that the manufacturers will not change their recipes or manufacturing processes.
Tic Tacs are considered by the company to be gluten free. They said that none of their items contain any gluten containing ingrediants. For more information, you can reach the maker of Tic Tacs, Ferrero at 732-764-9300.
Jelly Belly jelly beans are considered by the company to be gluten free. ALL of their jelly beans, in ALL flavors are safe. However, sometimes Jelly Belly will package their items as a mixed set that may contain malted milk balls, or other candies that are not safe. Always make sure to check the packaging… as long as its JUST jelly beans, you are free and clear. You can contact Jelly Belly at 800-522-3267.
Wrigleys makes gum, mints and other candies. They also make Lifesavers, Creme Savers, Skittles and Starburst. Almost all of their items are considered to be gluten free. The company assured me that the only products that are NOT considered to be gluten free are: Altoids Smalls Peppermints, Altoids Chocolate Dipped Mints, Hubba Bubba Gummie Tape and Lucas and Swinkles Candy Strips. Contact Wrigley at (800) 974-4539.
Necco is another famous brand of candies that replied to me with a list of their gluten free options. They include : Necco Wafers and Chocolate Wafers, the Sweethearts Valentine Conversation Hearts, Mary Janes, and Peanut Butter Mary Janes, Sky Bar, Mint Julep Chews, Banana Split Chews, Candy House Candy Buttons, Haviland Thin Mints, Wintergreen Patty, Nonpareils and Chocolate Stars, and Canada Mint, Wintergreen and Spearmint Lozenges. You can contact Necco at 781-485-4800.
Nestles also makes are variety of candies, both under their name as well as Willy Wonka. The items that they have assured me are currently considered to be gluten free are: Laffy Taffy, Pixie Stix, Bit O Honey, Baby Ruth, Original Flavor Butterfinger (no seasonal flavors, or shapes), Goobers, Nips, O Henry, Nestles Milk Chocolate, Snowcaps, and Raisinets. For more information, you can contact Nestles at 800-225-2270.
Just Born makes the marshmallow peeps that we usually see on Easter, and they also make Mike and Ikes. The company said that any of their marshmallow products that are gluten free will be labelled gluten free. They began this process last October. While some of the products do say modified food starch, the company assured me it was corn, so it was safe. This list of Mike and Ike candies that are safe are the following flavor varieties: Hot Tamales, Zours, Tropical Typhoon, Jelly Beans, Berry Blast, Italian Ice, Original Fruits, Tangy Twister, Redrageous. You can contact Just Born at 888-645-3453.
Smarties says that most of their line is gluten free with the exception of the Smarties Gummies. While the Smarties Gummies have no gluten containing ingredients, they are processed on machinery that also processes gluten containing ingredients. However, something to be aware of with Smarties, is that the company often sells them to other companies to bag together with other items. In these cases, the other items that the products may be bagged with cannot always be considered safe. Note from the Smarties Company…. “Note: If the UPC number on the packaging begins with “0 11206”, you can be assured that it is manufactured in a facility that is gluten free and safe to eat if you have Celiac Disease.” If you need to contact Smarties, you can do so through their website.
Mars Chocolates sent me the following list of what was safe. Please note that some varieties of M&Ms are NOT safe and you are always going to want to check the packaging! Here is what is safe from Mars: all flavors of 3 musketeers and Snickers Bars, M&Ms EXCEPT for pretzel and SOME mint and coconut, Milky Way Midnight and Milky Way caramel bars, and ALL Dove chocolate products EXCEPT cinnamon graham and cookies and creme flavors. You can contact Mars at 800-627-7852.
Tootsie Roll who also makes Charms Products has ensured me that as of October of last year, ALL of their products are considered to be gluten free, with the only EXCEPTION being Andes Cookies. Great job Tootsie Roll! You can call Tootsie at 773-838-3400.
Hersheys Chocolate lists the following products on their website as gluten free. The list is: all Almond Joy and Mounds, Milk Chocolate Kisses, the caramel and cherry cordial filled chocolate kisses, Hersheys nuggets, Heath Bars, Skor and Skor Toffee bars, all York Peppermint Patties, all Reeses peanut butter cups EXCEPT holiday shapes. Hersheys chocolate bar and Hersheys chocolate bar with almonds are also considered to be gluten free, but ONLY certain sizes. The plain chocolate bar is gluten free in the 1.55 ounce size and the Hersheys with almonds is gluten free in the 1.45 ounce size. I think that this is strange and in our house we avoid those two bars altogether though. You can contact
Hersheys at 800-468-1714.
I hope this helps to put your mind at ease a bit when your kids want candy, or come home with candy from school or from friends houses. I recommend printing out this list, or one of your own if your children have other allergies, and giving it to friends, family, babysitters, or school teachers. Anyone who could possible give your child candy. This safe list allows for a little more freedom and normalcy for your child when they are not with you. If you have any questions, or if there is anything you think I may have missed, please feel free to let me know.
What Do People With Food Allergies Need Most??
What do people with food allergies need most? An Epipen! OK, seriously, what do they really need? They need us and our support and understanding! They need positive people who help them on this crazy journey. They did not pick this, food allergies picked them! They didn’t ask to be deathly allergic to food. They didn’t ask to have to carry an Epipen with them wherever they go. They just want to feel normal and accepted.
The people who are around us the most, such as coworkers, friends, families, and teachers make the most impact on allergic people. If you work with, go to school with, teach, or have a food allergic family member show them you care.
Here are some simple, little things you can do to help make them feel “normal” and included.
- Try not to talk negatively about food allergies or how much of a pain they are. Believe me… they already know
- Don’t say things like, “oh poor thing” or “It must be awful not to be able to eat ______, I couldn’t live without being able to have _______!” Yes, it sucks! No one wants to have to abide by special diet. Anyone who has ever tried any type of dieting knows that!
- Put forth a little effort. A little bit of effort goes a long way! Go out of your way to read labels and purchase or make something that is safe for them to eat.
- Understand the allergy is REAL. Just because you can’t see it does not mean it’s not VERY real and VERY deadly.
- If you are ever unsure of a food or ingredient, always ask. A food allergic person will never make you feel stupid for asking, in fact they will really appreciate you trying!
- Go out of your way to purchase a special snack or food that is safe. Allergic children will especially appreciate this
- Go over any foods that you plan on making with the allergic person or their parent to see if they are safe. It is extremely awkward to turn down something that was specially prepared if not 100% sure it’s safe.
- Last, always keep in mind that an allergic person or their parent is not trying to be difficult. They only have their best interest and health in mind.
If people are not supportive of your food restrictions, then maybe they are not worth being around. Unfortunately, my grandmother is like that. She claims she doesn’t “understand” my daughter’s life threatening peanut allergy. She will give her a bag of candy that includes Snickers and Reese’s. For Valentine’s Day she gave her a heart of candy she could not have, and that was clearly marked “contains peanuts”. If we go there for dinner, she will tell me that she doesn’t know if anything is safe for my daughter to eat. Can I bring safe foods with us? Sure. However, I feel that her carelessness and blatant disregard for her food allergy, shows that she is not willing to put forth any effort for her great-granddaughter. Therefore, I have stopped putting forth effort to see her. Is that the right attitude to have? Maybe not, but every family needs to decide how to handle their own situation. If you know someone like my grandmother, be sure to discuss the problem in private. Don’t let your allergic child see or hear anything negative related to their food allergy. You don’t want the child to feel they or their allergy is the cause of the problem.
Finally, no matter what, don’t let people bring you down. Always do what is right for you! Keeping yourself safe and healthy is more important than keeping others happy.
**Allergy Warrior Annie**
Allergy Warriors & Gluten Free Living 