Last Saturday we decided to take a trip up to Sierra Madre to visit the family.  Instead of going to one of the old stand-by’s (like Subway, Chiles, etc)  we went with more of a local establishment.  The situation in the restuarant will be familair for those of us who get to deal with food allergies on a daily basis.  Being in a new and unknown restaurant can make for an incredibly stressful and uneasy situation.  In these situations, you have a few options.  You could have prepared food for the meal ahead of time (which is always the best choice).  You can run out and get one of the meals from fast-food restaurants that are predictably safe.  Or you can hopefully explain your food allergy situation to someone new and hope that they understand the gravity and severity of it.  On this rainy day in November…we chose the last choice.

The waitress comes to the table.  After she takes the initialy drink order, you kindly explain the food allergy situation with her.  She appears to understand and you examin the menu for what would appear to be the best choice knowing common ingredients that might be troublesome.  The waitress takes the order of everyone at the table and then you carefully ask question regarding a potentially allergy-free item on the menu.

The waitress explains that the dish is free of (you can insert your allergy or allergies here).  She runs off with your order and disappears into the kitchen to speak with the staff and now the trust begins.

After about 20 minutes, food is delivered to the table.  Everyone begins to eat.  A plate of innocent looking spaghetti is placed in front of our daughter along with a bowl of cut up fruit.  We ask the waitress again about the existence of “milk” or “cheese” or anything else that might be milk-related.  Again, she assures us that everything is fine.  Again…we trust.

Our daughter jumps into the bowl of fruit and it is demolished within minutes.  Over the next minutes our daughter slows her pace and just looks at her plate of food.  She has not taken a bit and we sense that she is hesitant.  She is seven and well aware of the negative consequences of eating the wrong thing.  She too has heard all of the conversation up until this point…but is still not ready to try the plate of food.  My wife leans over and asks our oldest if she would like to ask the waitress another time if the spaghetti is fine.  She says she does and after several more minutes, we hail the waitress back over to our table.  

Again we ask the waitress about the whether or not the food is safe and she kindly says she would check again and then disappears back into the kitchen.  After several minutes, she appears again and insures us that there is absolutely no dairy in the spaghetti.  Our daughter finally is able to trust and is able to eat some of the spaghetti.

At this point, I am not going to end this story with some horiffic situation of how we had to rush our daughter to the hospital after that lunch.  We had no issues or problems during that meal.  No hives.  No reactions.  No EpiPen.  No trip to the hospital (alhtough secretly I knew there was a hospital exactly one mile down the street).  Everything was fine….but there is definitely a huge element of trust.  Trust for my wife and for me.  And especially trust for my daughter.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

For most situations, parents are going to feel the most at ease when they have personally prepared a meal and make 100% sure that their child’s food is safe.  However…there are going to be those unavoidable situations where you may have to extend a level of “trust” to someone else.  In those situations, just make sure that you look to Lord for your protection and safety.

A few weeks ago, we were blessed to have Steve Negri visit our Food-Allergy Support Group Picnic day.   Here is a short interview we had with Steve Negri on his motivations for making the Mandy’s Pizza Allergy-Free Pizza.

Here is the video.

What makes Mandy’s Pizza different than other Allergy-Free Pizzas?

When you come to us for Pizza, you can get almost any literal topping you can get yourself when you go to a Pizza shop.  Pepperoni, sausage…you can get ham on it.  You can get salami on it…whatever you want.  Whatever you kids wants to be able to finally enjoy Pizza like Mommy and Daddy get to enjoy.  The products that we buy we make sure that we can try to feed the people with food allergies.  And again, people say, I get it because I live it.  Because of our son, Celiac Disease is no where the same as food allergies.  So by default, my pizza was made for this (small amount) of people.  These 15 little kids… not the 50 Celiacs that are out there.  That’s where I make all my money, but it wasn’t done for them.    It was done for my little boy.  And if he can eat it, they can eat it.

How does the Pizza at Mandy’s Pizza taste?

For those who eat traditional cheese, it is even that much better.  I had a guy.  He is an auditor for the State of Massachusetts and called me up and said, “I got a problem.”  “You didn’t ship me a gluten-free pizza” Bob, yes it is.  “No, it’s not.  I’m telling you right now.  I’m on my way down.”    He comes down.  It was a gluten-free pizza.  It’s not like everybody else’s.

What makes the Mandy’s Pizza Allergy-Free safer than other pizzas?

During the cooking process, I yell out “Allergy-Free” or they may yell out “Gluten-Free”.  They yell out Allergy-Free pizza in the oven.    Everybody knows that you have to get the tools, make sure you don’t put anything else next to it.  We have two separate ovens.  There are 3 types or 4 types of ovens in our industry:  the traditional coal and wood-fire ones; the deck ovens that have the bricks in there.  The last two would be conveyer ovens.  Mine is the only one that does not have a blower in it.  The blower would blow around all of the flour and all of the allergens in it.  Ours does not have a blower.  It is specifically made, not for us, but it was specifically chosen so that I can sell this product.

People with deck ovens, and I am not going to say who they are around her, who sells a gluten-free product, you are taking a grave chance because they are putting it in the oven, on its own screen…but all that flour is sitting on that deck.    It doesn’t come out.  You brush it away…whatever you think.  But it’s still in there.

Our conveyors have no blowers so when it goes in; it sits on a track on their own screens.  They take it off and put those screens back in secure area.  They have their own tools.  They wash their hands.  They use rubber gloves when they make it.

Why does Mandy’s Pizza make an Allergy-Free Pizza?

It is not a revenue stream for me.  It is a favor…not for adults…but for kids…because kids don’t get to go out and have the fun stuff.

What joy do you get by making an Allergy-Free Pizza?

When you see a little kid come in there and they’ve never had Pepperoni Pizza before.  It’s a running joke at the store where I work all the time.  My one manager Doug goes “Thank you Steve Negri.”  It’s just a joke because kids come up, they give you little card, they tell you thanks.  “Go up and thank that man.”  That’s why we do it…because that kid would have never enjoyed pizza.  How many years go by…”Have you ever eaten pizza?”  “No, I can’t eat Pizza.”

“Yes you can”.  You just have to know where to get it.

The Final Word…

For a parent of two kids with food allergies, it is so amazing that there are people like Steve in the world…who care enough about kids with food allergies to make such a great product.  And speaking from someone who has actually eaten his pizzas….it is definitely true.  These are amazing pizzas that will leave you shaking your heads in disbelief.  The only thing I can say is that if you find yourself in Orange County, CA (Ladera Ranch) or in Pittsburgh, PA and your kids have food allergies….give them a treat that they will remember.

Mandy’s Pizza can be found at: 27732 Antonio Pkwy, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 and http://www.mandyspizza.com

Last year, we learned that the FAAN conference was going to be at the Grand Californian at Disneyland.  For those of you not familiar with FAAN, FAAN is one of the most trusted source of information, programs, and resources related to food allergy and anaphylaxis.  For many years, they have been doing FAAN conferences, but most of them have been held on the East Coast.  Last year they decided to host a conference in Orange County and my wife was able to attend.

First off, if you have a child with Food Allergies you will not want to miss this conference being held on June 9, 2012.  I encourage you to view the conference details and decide for yourself, but the content presented at the event is invaluable.  Our OCFoodAllergy.com support group has benefited tremendously with the content from the FAAN conference.  The information is completely current and there are plenty of people to connect with people to answer questions.  The cost of the conference is completely affordable at a price of $125 per person (even if you are not a FAAN member).  FAAN members pay $100 per person.  You can find out more conference details at the FAAN website.

But aside from the amazing content at the conference itself, the most amazing part is that you get to stay at the Disneyland Grand Californian for the MOST AMAZING PRICE EVER!!!  If you have never been here, it is absolutely amazing.  There are really (3) Disneyland hotel properties:  Paradise Pier, the Disneyland Hotel and the Disneyland Grand Californian.  This is an amazing property with tons of things for the kids.  Even if you do not step one inch into Disneyland, there is plenty to do with all of the pools, Downtown Disney, etc.  And once again the best part…the price.

So what is this amazing price?  $179 per night.  This is truly an amazing price and in my opinion, a once in a lifetime opportunity to stay at this resort at this price.  For some comparison, just check the Disneyland website to see what it costs for a Friday/Saturday night stay at this resort during summer.  It works out to $460 per night (see the image below).  So you really only have until May 9th to book this…so please do not miss out.  You get a mini-vacation with the family and a great conference packed with the latest food allergy information for you and your family.

Are we going?

Absolutely.  Last year we missed the “cuttoff” for the event and had to stay a Paradise Pier.  We still had an amazing time…but we ended up spending just as much at a less-desirable hotel.  The plan for our family is to stay at the hotel on Friday and Saturday nights.  On Saturday, my wife will attend the FAAN conference for the full day, while I drag the kids off to the many pools.   In fact, we probably will not even step foot in Disneyland that weekend because there is so much to do at the hotel.  The bottom line…is that this a great event at an amazing price.  You can even park “2 cars” with a single parking fee.

Even if you cannot afford to stay at the hotel or if there is a conflict with something else…try to make a point to get at least “one of you” to the conference…as the content is just that good and valuable.

If you do end up staying at the hotel…make sure that you plan a bit on the “food” side as I am not sure what is available for food choices at Downtown Disney.  The Rainforest Cafe is pretty good when requesting “specialized meals” for food…so if you decide to make the trip, make sure you do a little homework ahead of time.

Also…if you are going,  send us an e-mail or leave us a message so that we can connect up at the event ([email protected]).

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When talking about food allergies, it always nice to be able to find those “magic” foods (and treats) that somehow dodge the bullet of problem food allergy ingredients.  For our family, “milk” and “peanuts” are the ones to avoid and every now and then you come across that “Oreo” type snack.  I use the Oreo analogy because for whatever reason…Oreos do not contain eggs or milk (but they do contain wheat and soy)..  And when it comes time for that non-traditional, non-healthy breakfast food for the kids, it is the Pavillions Cinnamon Rolls for us.  Now the caveat is that you “always” want to check the ingredients each and every time…but somehow this product does not contain any “milk.” (as you can see by the incredients…it does contain wheat and soy).

About a year ago, my wife discovered this magical breakfast treat.  Of course, with all things that are 90% sugar…you will probably have your best results if you only give your kids 1/2 a serving…as a full serving with our munchkins will usually result in a full 45 minutes of bouncing off the ceiling…so just be forewarned.   

The price of these bad-boys are $3.99 for a pack of six…but you can usually find them on sale for $1.99.  Pick up a couple and freeze the other pack for “emergency” mornings where only a child-bribe will get you through the day.

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It makes me sad when I read articles like The Huffington Post’s Article, “Food Allergies Much Less Prevalent Than Claims Of Food Allergies, According To Expert”.   The article points out that if someone makes a claim that they have food allergies that you have the right to “question them” to make sure their claims are “medically valid.”  This article, along with others , fail to miss the daily battle that parents with kids with food allergies go through daily.  This is a serious “life or death” situation that we get to experience with our kids daily…over something as innocent as a peanut, a glass of milk or a even a cookie.

As a parent of two kids with two different life threatening food allergies…..the routine is oddly familar to parents who have kids with food allergies.  You get up in the morning and you pray that the Lord will give your child protection and a shield from coming into contact with anything that might send them to the hospital.  This is not a game we play.  This is not a way to get “preferential treatment” or “special” treatment.  This is serious stuff we are dealing with.

For those of you who have kids without food allergies…just close your eyes and image a make believe situation with me for a second.  You send you kid to school to sit at a table where everyone is eating poison.  Arsenic….cyanide….all the bad ones.  However, you get to send your child into this environment every day…..without your assistance.  You send them to sit a table where everyone around them is enjoying poison that does not hurt them…but would definitely hurt your child.  You hope that they do not come into contact with anyone.  Would it be reasonable to just ask people to wipe their hands after a meal?  How about a mandatory trip to the bathroom to wash-up?  But this unimaginable environment exists for kids everyday who suffer from food allergies.  This is what it is like.

And from another perspective, there is the battle of understanding and tollerance.  Most of the time teachers are accodating and understanding.  Sometimes they are not.  Many schools understand your medical condition and accomodate your requests…..and many schoold will not.  Parents of kids in your class will hopefully understand and be compassionate….and sometimes parents may feel “put out” because they are unable to pack peanut butter in their child’s lunch.

And this is where the Huffington Post article exacerbates the problem.  We need more understanding….not more questions “whether our medical claims are valid.”  Our children just want a safe environment to learn without the constant fear of coming into contact with things that are going to send them to the hospital.  

Think about it another way,  Would you ever consider asking someone who says they have “cancer” to “medically validate” their claim?  How about someone with ADD?  How about someone with Down’s or Parkinsons?  The answer is obviously…of course not.  Why would we?  It would seem ludicrous….and just as ludicrous as asking someone with food allergies if their claim is “medically valid.” 

Many people do suffer from food intollerances, which can be severely challenging and difficult….but because they do not involve the immune system….not life-threatening. The parents who attend our meetings have kids with life-threatening food allergies.  According to FAAN:

What are the common symptoms of a food allergy reaction?
Symptoms may include one or more of the following: a tingling sensation in the mouth, swelling of the tongue and the throat, difficulty breathing, hives, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and even death. Symptoms typically appear within minutes to two hours after the person has eaten the food to which he or she is allergic.

The two takeaways from this story are simple.  Point number 1.  If you or your child suffers from food allergies, put your trust in the Lord above for protection (The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him; Psalm 28:7.)  And point number 2.  If you do not have food allergies, but you happen to someday cross paths with someone that tells you (or their child) suffers from food allergies…please do not ask them to “medically validate” their claim.  The last thing they need in their day is to convince you that their very real and very scary “medical condition” is true.  

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This is a real photo of my lunch at work the other day.  For the last year, I have really made a huge effort to adopt a healthier life style by eating correctly.  This is a great lunch.  570 calories.  A bijon spinach salad, with nuts and raisins.  Some pita crackers and light swiss cheese.  I typically top it off with an Apple.  It looks healthy and it is a great way to adopt to healthy living (see the Daniel Plan as as good place to start).

But if you look closely at this “healthy” lunch, there are at least 4 coomon food allergies that are deadly to children with food allergies (or anyone with food allergies for that matter).  This is the reality of the situation and something that many of us take for granted.  Both of my kids have different food allergies and would be unable to consume any of my lunch.  But, I can just eat this lunch and not think twice about it.  I don’t question what I put in my mouth, I never think whether it will hurt me or not….and I never wonder if eating something is going to send me to the hospital.  Honestly, I never think about it….but the other day I did.  I looked down at the plate and realized that most of what I was eating was not safe.  Not safe for my kids…but also not safe for most people afflicted with food allergies.

I bring this up because as your children get older (in the 6 plus range), they will start becoming more and more concerned (and sometimes anxious) when it comes to food and eating.  You want them to be aware and you want them to be knowledgeable.  However, this type of discernment (I believe) comes with some emotional prices.

So the next time you sit down to have your healthy (or even non-healthy) meal?  Think about about how you never worry whether the meal will hurt you?  Whether it will make you sick or make you ill?  All the little things that we take for granted daily….and then think about it through the eyes of someone else.

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Welcome to 2012 everyone.  We hope that you had a great and safe Christmas holidays with all of the food gatherings.  Unfortunately, we are not going to be able to meet in January due to other conflicts that week…however, we are very exciting about some of the things we have planned in 2012.

The next Saddleback Church Parents of Kids with Food Allergies Support Group meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 21, 2012 and you will not want to miss it.  Our goal is to have an allergist come to our meeting to help answer any questions that we may have on food allergies.  If you are interested in attending this event, please make sure that you sign up so that can know how many people to expect for this special event.

Once again….no meeting in January 2012….but a special meeting in February 2012 (that we want to know if you are coming or not).

Lastly, just a reminder that the OCFoodAllergy Forum is now active and people are posting to comments.  We definitely encourage you to check it, register and be a part of the conversation.  You can find more information by going here:  https://www.ocfoodallergy.com/forum/

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If you are anything like our family, just the thought of good Chinese food can bring a smile to your face. But if your kids have food allergies, then most of the time you will be avoiding Chinese resturants at all costs. But we have discovered some good news at one of our favorite resturants….P.F. Chang’s.

On our last visit there, we were on a mini-vacation and really had thought that our best option for our kids was going to be plain chicken and white rice. But after speaking with the manager of the resturant, it turns out that on request, they will provide you with a detailed list of items that are “safe” for a specific allergy. The key is that you will want to request this each and every visit, but as you can see by the image below, if you child is allergic to milk (like ours), then you actually have a lot of great options for food at the restuarant.

So when you and the family feel the urge for Chinese food with your food allergic children, then consider a visit to P.F. Chang’s where they can provide some very detailed information regarding a multitude of food allergies.

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Is it just me or has the Costco shopping excursion become a staple of the weekend family ritual?  From this parent’s perspective, the love of Costco centers first aroiund savings, secondly around the amazing free food cart samples inticing you at every aisle and lastly knowing that the Costco “return policy” is on part with Norstrom’s.  All of these things combined insure that we come back over and over again….the lure of $1.50 hot dogs, inexpensive movie tickets, 20 pound bags of tortilla chips and filling up on the lowest gas in the city.

However, on the dark side of any store that serves free food samples, especially from the perspective of a parent of kids with food allergies….Costco can be a very challenging experience.  Most of the time, the “sample” food carts are seldom serving “safe” foods…so attempting to keep Child 1 and Child 2 content while shopping can be a challenge.  Can I have that?  Can I eat that?  Every corner is filled with no’s and more no’s.  For a while I have known about the “safety” of the Costco Fruit Smoothie…which I typically can easily feed 2 to 3 kids and provide a safe food treat while I shop through paradise.  As with any food item, I check the ingredients on every visit…but ultimately, it does help get me through the store easier than having to say “no” every 22 feet.

Today while at my local Costco, I was able to get a copy of the “Costco Food Court” Nutrional and Allergen Data (Dated 3/16/2011).  This sheet contained a detailed list of the food allergens found in food items at Costco; namely, Wheat, Milk, Egg, Anchovy, Tree Nut, Almonds and Soy.  The contents has been summarized in to the table below.

As always with all things relating to food allergies, it is always advised that you should ALWAYS request for the current food ingredients for the items that you are ordering.  Food recipes can change at any time and a food that may have been safe in the past…may not be safe now.  In other words, please do not ASSUME that the information above is correct or accurate.

The allergen information in the table above is to merely help “guide” you to discover new “options” on food items offererd at Costco that may give you new options when shopping with your children on your next visit.

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Just a quick thanks to those that were able to attend our August 18 Better Parents of Kids with Food Allergies Support Group meeting.  For those of you were not able to make it, there were some great suggestions for upcoming topics and perhaps some guest speaker ideas.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 6:30 pm.  We hope you can make it.

As always, if you have any questions regarding our support group, you can always contact us at www.ocfoodallergy.com, e-mail us at: [email protected] or leave us a message at: (949) 229-1110

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We are happy to announce that the August meeting for the Orange County Parents of Kids with Food Allergies Support Group Meeting will be meeting on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 in Room 407 at Saddleback Church at 6:30 PM. This support group is a non-medical group that helps parents deal with the struggles of raising a child or even children who are suffer from food allergies.  The group meets the 3rd Wednesday of every month at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA and serves all of Orange County.

Come share with other parents your concerns, coping strategies and gain emotional support in this safe environment.  Saddleback Church is located at:

1 Saddelback Parkway, Lake Forest, CA 92660

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We are very excited to announce that Saddleback Church Parents of Kids with Food Allergies Support Group will be hosting their first meeting at Saddleback Church on Wednesday, July 21, 2010. Meetings will be scheduled for the third Wednesday of every month at Saddleback Church in Room 407. Directions to Saddleback church can be found here. As parents of two children who suffer from food allergies, we are so excited to be hosting this new support group that will hopefully bring much needed support to parents that share similar needs, struggles and difficulties. When: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 Where: Saddleback Church, Room 407

When: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

If you are a parent of a kid who suffers from any type of food allergy, you understand the difficulty with navigating the dangers of daily life as it pertains to food. This support group, “Parents of Kids Suffering from Food Allergies” was launched in order to help parents that are dealing with this exact situation.

Our meetings will begin on Wednesday, July 21st at 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Saddleback Church in Room 407. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Saddleback Church at 949-699-8000 or you can e-mail the church at [email protected].

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Welcome to 2011.  We hope all of you had a great a Christmas and New Years enjoyed with friends and families,  We are very excited to announce that we have a special guest attending our January Support Group meeting on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 (next week). Dr. Kendra Klassen is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in Lake Forest, CA, with the Center for Individual and Family Therapy (CIFT) and has been counseling children and families for over 10 years.  She has agreed to come to our support group and share with us her expertise and personal experiences in regards to our journeys with children, allergies, and anxiety.  This is an excellent opportunity for you to come and ask questions and share your own experiences with the other support group members.

We know it is difficult sometimes for both parents to attend, but we hope that you can at least send a parent to this very exciting evening.  As before, we will be meeting in room 407 at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at Saddleback Church.  We look forward to seeing you.

Saddleback Church is located at:
1 Saddelback Parkway, Lake Forest, CA 92660

Click here for a Google Map

About Dr. Klassen  Dr. Kendra Klassen is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in Lake Forest, CA, with the Center for Individual and Family Therapy (CIFT).  She graduated from Rosemead School of Psychology, and has been counseling children and families for over 10 years.  Her passion and specialty is working with attachment disorder, the difficulty in bonding most often found in adopted and foster children.  More about her work in this area can be found on her website, www.familyrestorations.com.

Dr. Klassen also has a passion for holistic health.  With a father-in-law who is a chiropractor in Canada, friends in the field of nutrition, and a son with food sensitivities, Dr. Klassen has researched many aspects of food and environment as they relate to physical and mental health.  She is excited to share with us her expertise and personal experiences in regards to our journeys with children, allergies, and anxiety.

It is interesting when you have kids with food allergies because you come to realize that your semi-controllable ritual is what you rely on most in your day.  You live your life like a scientist in that you want things that “work” and do not cause “allergic reactions” to become the norm.  You want things to remain the same from day to day.  Take something as simple as Almond Milk.  For those of us with kids with food allergies to milk (and not almonds), the Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla almond milk has been a staple in our home for almost 8 years now.  After trying a number of different “non-milk” alternatives, our family settled on the almond milk product.  And honestly, so did I.

It is actually a great milk substitute for a number of reasons but one of the biggest ones is that it has 0 grams of sugar.  This is a big one because if you are required to substitute one product (low-fat milk) for another (almond milk), your hope is that you would have a healthier solution than your initial choice.  And for our family, it was definitely that.

Now fast forward to the beginning of September 2016.  On a typical Sunday afternoon Costco run, as we are checking off our Costco list of essentials for the week, we head down the aisle that would normally carry the Almond Breeze almond milk.  After searching a bit and then re-checking the end-caps to see if it had moved, it was no where to be found.  They were out….or so I thought.

After we checked out, I went over to speak with one of the managers at a terminal and I was shocked to learn that they were not carrying the brand any more.  WHAT?  HOW COULD THIS BE?  After all these years….no more.  Being the persistent person that I am, the next day I reached out to Blue Diamond and sent an email.  Additionally I sent an email to Costco.  And then, I received back the bad news I was hoping to not receive.

Thank you for contacting Blue Diamond Growers. We appreciate your feedback and sorry that Almond Breeze is no longer at your Costco. Unfortunately this was a decision made by Costco. We will certainly pass along your comments to our Marketing and Sales team that work directly with Costco. You can also help us by going to the Members desk and requesting the Store Manager to please bring back Almond Breeze. Meanwhile I can send you some money saving coupons for your efforts and dedication to Almond Breeze.

ARGGG!  This is a bad dream.  Does this mean that as a food allergy parent I am actually going to have to shop at Whole Foods (sorry…..but no offense) to buy another “specialty” item that is going to add another large expense to my monthly bill.  In an act of desperation, I did notice that there was another “almond milk” product that Costco was carrying….but after bringing it home, my wife quickly pointed out the fact that it was “non-vanilla” and contained “a ton” of sugar.  This would have to go back.

Now fast forward to today.  After a last minute Costco run this evening, and after checking out, I decided to speak with a manager again about the almond milk situation.  My plan was simple.  If I could find a location that had the product, I would just drive there and buy several hundred dollars worth of almond milk.  Why not?  It has a huge shelf life (usually more than 1 year) and if it meant that I was going to save a lot of money then I would be completely justified in my decision (even though I would most likely hear a long speech from my wife on my insane decision).

The manager types at his computer a moment to tell me what I already knew.  The Blue Diamond brand was no more…but then he said something interesting.  He said that there was an “alternative” Kirkland product.  Huh?  What did that mean?  So, I politely asked if he could show me what he was referring to and guess what.  There it was.   In a NEW BOX.  A NEW product I have not seen before.  A KIRKLAND REPLACEMENT for the Blue Diamond Product.

And now….Thank You Costco.  You have just launched “Organic Unsweetened Non-Dairy Vanilla Almond Milk).  When you look at the packaging it is clear that it is being marketed for the Smoothie market….but that does not matter to me.  It is the same package….at the same price.  Thank you Costco.  Thank you Costco.  Thank you Costco.

As you can see by the photos, the product seems to be identical.  Next time you are at Costco, if you have been searching high and low for the almond milk, the love for Costco has returned.

If you are a parent of a child with food allergies, we invite you to our March 2016 food allergy support group meeting.  Designed for parents with kids with food allergies, our meetings (that meet every other month), help support parents with a wide range of food allergy topics.  The goal of the meeting is to provide a safe place where parents can share their concerns with other parents that can understand their food allergy situation.

According to FARE, researchers estimate that nearly 15 million Americans have food allergies and that nearly 1 in every 13 children.  This means that with roughly two children in every classroom, food allergies affect many families in Orange County.  Our goal is to provide a safe place to address this need.

In addition to speaking on Food Allergies, our group this month will continue the discussion of Oral Immunotherapy (OIT), which is a very popular topic.  Many of the families that attend our support group have first hand knowledge on some of the OIT programs that available and are more than happy to answer any questions that you may have.

We hope that if you have a child with food allergies that you will decide to visit us Tuesday, March 16, 2016 at 6:30 PM.  Our meeting will be at Saddleback Church in the Ministry Office 2 building.  For directions, please visit us online at:  https://www.ocfoodallergy.com/when-we-meet/

Holidays seem to be an especially difficult time of the year when it comes to parents of kids with food allergies.  The main culprit seems to be that so many holidays have a foundation centered around the consumption of food.  Parties, meals, desserts and holiday specific treats can make things very challenging.  The hard part is when you think of Easter…you immediately think of big, giant Chocolate Easter bunnies.  Now it is time to change your thinking:  Think dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free, egg-free Chocolate Easter bunnies.

A few years back, we discovered a great place to tackle the Holiday of Easter.  Premium Chocolatiers is a company whose core mission is around the concept of providing high quality chocolates to those who prefer to avoid milk, nut, gluten and egg products.  Their process is quite extensive and you can read more about it by visiting the Premium Chocolatier story section on their website.
The bad news is that if your child suffers from a Soy allergy, you may not have any options here.  But if your kids suffer from a Milk and Egg allergy or a Nut allergy (like our kids)…then this may be a great option when it comes time for Easter.  We have ordered from them in the past and their products are very high quality.

So with Easter around the corner, take the time to check out Premium Chocolatiers for your chocolate bunny needs.  You will not be disappointed.

And any Easter story would not be complete without a quick plug for those of you living in Orange County, California.   Saddleback Church serves the Southern California community through more than 200 ministries, eight worship venues, a variety of counseling and support programs, Bible studies and seminars, local and global outreach programs, and a broad network of small groups meeting in local homes. Its purpose is to lead people to Jesus and membership in his family, teach them to worship the Lord and magnify his name, develop them to Christlike maturity, and equip them for ministry in the church and a mission in the world.  For more information, please visit:  www.saddleback.com.

Read More Just a friendly reminder that we have a very special guest this week (Wednesday) at the Better Parents of Kids with Food Allergies Support Group meeting. Georgina Seeck agreed to return and give an exciting discussion on the topic of Histamines in foods.  As in prior meetings, we will be meeting at Saddleback Church in room 407 at 6:30 PM tomorrow evening (Wednesday).

The topic of Histamines is especially exciting for those of us with kids with food allergies, especially since I personally am a bit uninformed on the subject.  Georgina will bring in her knowledge and research as it pertains to High Histamine foods vs. Low Histamine foods and the possible allergic reaction that may occur if to many High Histamine Foods are combined or consumed. Helpful hints on how persons with food allergies can learn how to avoid possible Histamine triggers. Come and share your experiences with the group and hopefully you will discover some new and exciting information as it pertains to your child and their food allergies.

About Georgina Seeck

Georgina is the founder of “Green Cupcakes and More”, Allergy-Friendly Baked Goods, Founding Team Member “Chief Change Agent” for the West Coast for AllergyKids.com. Georgina is actively involved in giving back through her company and has served Non Profit Organizations including, The Ecology Center, Easter Seals, TACA, Orange County Celiac Spruce Chapter #14, and, Shea Center for Therapeutic Horse Back Riding. She has appeared on CNN, KDOC TV, and has been featured in OC Family, OC Register, OC Register “The Juice”, and in the near future, OC Register “Faith in the Valley. She is also creating a speaking series on “Living an Allergy Free Life, in an Allergy Filled World”.  

Saddleback Church is located at:
1 Saddelback Parkway, Lake Forest, CA 92660

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