This weekend went to the fabulous FAAN conference (www.foodallergy.org) and heard Hugh Sampson speak on new research toward tolerating foods; a nutrionist that made me certain I need to do a food diary for my child and a wonderful speech by a dad who has been there, done that and gotten the t-shirt!
All in all a great day to network with other parents about socializing, about how to do a food challenge--about how our kids are dealing with new foods and how they are willing to step in and take charge situations all across their lives because they know how to advocate for themselves about their allergies.
Pretty heady stuff-- and seeing old friends and watching the kids gravitate to each other like magnets. It was great-- everyone there is one of us-- with Epi-pens in one hand and a lunchpack in the other-- and it's easy to share the good and the bad and the everyday. I met a woman who has a 2 year old with the same allergies as my 16 year old. Well seeing me--having made it this far--and seeing my kid standing tall next to me, obviously in find health and welfare very nearly overwhelmed her. She was ready to go home and know that all would be OK. very moving.
check out the next conference in your neck of the woods.

this is the second week my oven is broken. I shouldn't say broken--crippled. I can turn it on for about twenty minutes before it beeps and flashes a code that means I have to turn it off...or it turns itself (!) off...like some alien robot. I never knew I used my oven so much--of course the burners work--otherwise I'd be crippled-- but the oven. What about roasted zucchini and peppers; what about a roast chicken (FYI I forgot and started one, then when *F3* started flashing, I turned off oven and put chicken in huge stockpot with carrots and onions. I turned the flame up pretty high and tilted the pot top so air escaped--and cooked that chicken. Before serving I put in the oven again for about twenty minutes...just the time it took for my alien robot oven to shut off again. The chicken was browned and nicely juicy and cooked....but I was worn out!
so I continue to be ovenless--for anything over twenty minutes.

hey all of you out there--it's 10PM and not only do I know where my children are--I'm still cooking!!!
Tomorrow's lunch menu will be sliced pork, cooked carrotts, and brown rice bread with an applesauce and an energy bar for afternoon sports... the bread mix is new, and never gets unsoggy in the middle so I have to brown it in the broiler every morning before it pops in the lunch pack. what happened to Orgran Quick White Bread??? I loved that--so easy and never even needed egg substitutes. I am not a "let's go in the kitchen and bake some bread" kind of gal--so that Quick Mix was awesome for me...oh well...
gotta get the pork off the stove.

Went to a terrific food allergy luncheon today--that is a luncheon to raise money for a food allergy organization. Five hundred women--mostly--in the same room all for a common cause. Very moving and made me feel very Helen Reddy: I am Woman, hear me roar.
also, the sheer number of people there connected to someone with a food allergy really brings into sharper focus the rise in food allergies in the last 15-20 years. Most of the moms had little kids--and mine's a teenager. The increase is real; I didn't know but a few other food allergic families--and now there were 500 in one room. Granted this was in support of an organization, but the numbers are growing. And, the vast difference between now and when I had a young 'un is awareness. The public at large is more aware of food allergies (and the danger of them) than even 10 years ago. Thank goodness.
So, I will think on this large network that's out there, ready to raise awareness even more through education and ready to reach out a hand to help.

hope everyone's well out there. Just been thinking about the phenomenon that I call the "cold food" phenom. I am so happy sometimes that a camp/school/party can feed my kid, that I don't ask for them to do the nice things--like heat up the food I send-- or vary the menu from chicken and rice. I accept what's offered and don't push, because so often there's nothing offered. I'll hang up the phone and realize that I just OKayed a cold meal right from the pack I sent --because so often things do NOT go as you have carefully planned.
on the other hand, we went to dinner at family this week--and the cook called about all the ingredients, made only food my kid could eat and lots of variety--so I guess the moral is, take the good with the cold.

Been reading a few articles about food allergies, and while I like that food allergies are in the media, the slant that many of the pieces take is too negative for me. "oh woe is me" is not my kind of attitude. I surely know the extra effort food allergies take --with travel or for school and the stress food allergies add to everyday life. Call me Pollyanna here, but life is good. Spring comes, flowers bloom (alright so that comes with itchy eyes and runny noses...) our kids are learning to fend for themselves and we are more creative in our approach to life. see ya soon.

I just made another rocking cake--with a gluten free cake mix and egg replacer (I like Orgran). Went over big as a Monday night dessert. And, being a NYer, I was happy to read that restaurants in NY will now have posters with the six major allergens/pictures and exhort cooks and servers alike to respect food allergies-- I think Ming Tsai had a hand in this, so a shout out to him!