2013-11-11

Beet-Dill Salad

Delicious salad, from to a colleague at work (thanks AMM!)
 
1/2 c quinoa, cooked as per instructions and cooled ( or another grain - millet also works well)
2 medium raw beets, grated
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 bunches of fresh dill, chopped
2-3 dill pickles, chopped
lemon-garlic dressing
juice of one lemon
1-2 gloves of garlic, finely minced
olive oil
salt and pepper
 
Mix dressing together and add to all the other ingredients and mix well.

2013-11-02

Prevention planning in elementary schools

Had a chat with my kids school principal yesterday, in part about how last year's incident could have been avoided  (I haven't posted about that incident because of investigations that were underway, and honestly, I was too angry).  She also received my suggestions well and supported my idea to help facilitate prevention planning in elementary schools.
Two things all institutions (schools, hospitals, fundraisers, etc) need to do when placing special orders for an event
  1. FAX (don't phone) special orders, and specify you want detailed ingredients and allergy information.
  2. Have your order DELIVERED (federal labelling regulations don't apply if you or someone on your behalf pick up in person). That'll make for a proper paper trail and hold the bakery/deli/etc responsible, while giving you something to review before allowing your kid to eat it.
The principal recognized the order should have been faxed, and was shocked that large orders are not covered by labelling regulations unless delivered.  These are elements that should be mandatory elements of a prevention plan.  After four years of asking for one, and last years incident, the conditions are about right to develop one.

The principal agreed, and suggested a standardized prevention plan (best practices, checklist, guidelines, etc) would help parents and principals negotiate how they can best accommodate individual students with severe food allergies in the school environment (as required under Sabrina's law and board directives). Such a standardized list would also make it easier for principals when moving between schools.

If you are a parent and willing to help develop a recommended allergy prevention plan for elementary schools, or can point me to existing materials that can be used as starting points, please leave me a comment below.