lamb challenge at home - success!

Lucas wanted to try our last dish of Mother Hen's frozen lamb baby food the other day. Since we always have epipens around and our schedule was clear that night, we agreed with cautious optimism. He enjoyed it, finished the disch, and lo and behold, didn't react at all!

Long live Mother Hen, and thank goodness for their products!

egg challenge

results are, well, encouraging, sort of.

Baked 1/3 egg (white and yolk) into a dozen choc chip muffins last night.
L had one, liked it (mostly because of choc chips, even if still a bit mushy inside, possibly not completely cooked).
An hour and a half later, tummy cramps and rather voluminous vomiting. No breathing issues, no visible hives, no noticeable swelling. Half an hour later, more spirited vomiting. When done, we gave him a spoonful of Benadryl and he slept well through the night (with baby monitor and occasional spot-checks, of course).

encouraging in that only vomiting, not anaphylaxis, and is willing to try again.
also optimistic about future options: yolk and white separately, and fully baked-in.
however, we do have a slight reservation in that exposure can sometimes increase the allergic response in very allergic cases (which optimistically we aren't anymore) and the quality of life and peace of mind will be worth it.

coconut chicken

sounds like an interesting meal option to try next time I have a can of coconut milk open:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 fl oz (1/4 cup) coconut milk
2 tbsp fresh, whole wheat breadcrumbs
2 tsp shredded coconut

Marinate the chicken breast in coconut milk in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Preheat the oven to 375 deg F (190 deg C).
Combine the breadcrumbs and coconut in a bowl.
Remove the chicken from the coconut milk and shake off any excess liquid.
Coat the chicken thoroughly with the breadcrumb mixture.
Pour the remaining coconut milk marinade into a small oven-proof dish and place the chicken breast on top.
Bake in the oven for around 45 mins until cooked through.

adapted from: http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/can-babies-eat-coconut.html

chocolate icing

basic recipe thanks to M&M

3 tbsp butter substitute
3 tbsp cocoa
2 tbsp hot water
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups icing sugar

near-incident at a school event

School organized an outdoor event (winter olympiad) and, unbeknownst to us, had a hot chocolate station to help keep the kids warm. My wife found out because she happened to be there, and inquired about the ingredients. "Oh they're safe, we checked." Good thing my wife double-checked, as one of the main ingredients was "modified milk ingredients" and there was a "may contain traces of eggs" warning.
She called me to whip up some home-made hot chocolate and rush it over to the school, then told the office she wanted to meet with the principal to discuss.

One week later without news, I dropped in at the VP's office, who apparently was just about to call me. She had the box with her and didn't realize "modified milk ingredients" was milk. (?!) She also hadn't read far enough to see the egg warning. (??!!)
After a "friendly" little chat, I sent the P and VP an email reminding them of the seriousness of ingredient-awareness for all people with allergies, of the board's anaphylaxis policy, and offered to help them meet the policy's requirements for prevention planning in the next week or two. I hope they'll take me up on that offer.

Vegan Banana Maple Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from original recipe at http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2010/02/banana-maple-oatmeal-cookies.html.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Prep the egg subst

• 1 tsp ground chia seeds or 2 tsp egg replacer powder or 2 tsp. ground flaxseed
  
• 2 tablespoons water

In a small mixing bowl, combine the chia seeds (or egg replacer or flaxseed) with the water and set aside until thickened (no waiting is necessary if packaged egg replacer is used.)

Prep the dry mixture

• 1 cup regular or quick oats
  
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1/4 cup raisins or dairy and nut-free trail mix

Mix the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl. Add the raisins.

Prep the wet mixture

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
  
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
  
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Add the maple syrup, vanilla, mashed banana, and lemon juice to the egg subst and combine well.

Combine and bake

Pour into the dry mixture and stir well - but don’t overmix. Drop 18 heaping tablespoons onto a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Flatten each cookie slightly with a fork. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until bottoms and sides are lightly brown. Cool for a few minutes on a wire rack before serving.

Notes

Servings: 18
Yield: 18 cookies
Because they contain no fat, these cookies are softer the day they are made and chewier the next day. If you prefer them soft, warm your day-old cookies in the microwave for a few seconds.

Media Advisory - Consumer and health advocates to call on PM to listen

from http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2011/01/c6957.html

Media Advisory - Consumer and health advocates to call on Prime Minister to listen to people at risk of life-threatening reactions, not just brewery industry on proposed food labelling regulations

TORONTO, Feb. 1 /CNW/ - Stalling by the federal government and last minute opposition by the powerful brewery industry are putting important proposed changes to Canada's food labelling laws at risk. The proposed regulations will make it easier for millions of Canadians affected by food allergy and celiac disease to know if there are ingredients in food or beverage products that could hurt, or worse, kill them.
As a result of this challenge to an important government initiative in support of public health, medical professionals, allergy groups, consumer activists and concerned Canadians are calling on the Prime Minister to show leadership and place the public interest over that of a private industry. They will be countering arguments in favour of an exemption to the regulations for the brewery industry and releasing important new information in support of passing the proposed regulations.

Who:

Laurie Harada, Executive Director, Anaphylaxis Canada Jim McCarthy, Executive Director, Canadian Celiac Association Dr. Charles Frankish, Allergist