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February 2007 Issue |
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Thank you to
EpiPen
For sponsoring this month's newsletter!
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It's okay not to give up hope |
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My son turned 17 this month, and he's been anaphylactic to milk since he was a baby. He's already outgrown many food allergies, one by one, over the years.
Realistically, science tells me it is pretty unlikely he will outgrow his milk allergy. I have accepted that fact, and I've gently explained he'll probably have to wait for a cure.
Nevertheless, he still gets tested every couple of years. His latest ImmunoCAP IgE result has dropped from a high of 26 in 1999 (the first time he was CAP-RAST tested) to 2.6 in January!
We still consider him allergic to milk and will continue to avoid all milk ingredients. Even though my son has been allergic to milk his entire life, though, his allergist still thinks he may eventually outgrow it.
We do know that some allergens - primarily nuts or shellfish, or a milk allergy that persists into adolescence - are likely to be lifelong. Even so, kids sometimes defy the odds and outgrow seemingly unlikely food allergies.
If you and your child are in a similar situation, I think it's healthy to aim for a balance between realistic acceptance and a spark of hope: either hope for outgrowing food allergies, and if not, hope for a cure before our kids become
adults.
Lynda Mitchell
President
Email Lynda
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Ways you can support KFA |
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Kids With Food Allergies marketplace
Our marketplace features businesses offering foods, products, and services useful to individuals with food allergies. The featured businesses support Kids With Food Allergies when they place their business banner in our marketplace.
Support Kids With Food Allergies when you shop at Amazon.com!
Amazon will contribute a percentage equal to 5-7% of the sale price to Kids With Food Allergies for any purchase you make at Amazon after clicking on one of the images on our Book Shop pages.
Kids with Food Allergies online store
Our "Please do not feed me, I have food allergies" T-shirts for children are our most popular items, but there are also sweatshirts, coffee mugs, and other logo items for gifts or family. Cafe Press now offers $5 Flat Shipping--a shipping
rate of $5 for up to 5 items for orders shipped within the US. See the online store for additional details.
MedicAlert $5 discount
Our members and subscribers are eligible for a $5 discount for any new membership from MedicAlert. Sponsored MedicAlert membership information is also available for those unable to afford the cost.
Create your own plush animals
A "please do not feed me, I have food allergies" Taffy monkey is available at Partyanimalsco.com, with a portion of all sales being donated to Kids With Food Allergies. In-home party packages are also available with a variety of plush
animals for children to create at party in your own home. |
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Contact us |
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Project Manager:
Lynda Mitchell
Editor:
Heather Hetler
Contributing Writer:
Amy Hugon
We welcome your suggestions and comments:
Kids With Food Allergies, Inc.
73 Old Dublin Pike, Ste. 10, #163
Doylestown, PA 18901
E-mail:
Webmaster
Fax: (215) 340-7674
www.kidswithfoodallergies.org
"A World of Support"
Important notice
We will never sell, rent or trade your e-mail address to any other organization.
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Announcements |
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KFA Survey Closing Thursday, February 22!
We invite you to participate in a KFA satisfaction survey between now and the end of the day, Thursday, February 22nd. Please
follow this link to participate. Your opinion counts, and we want to hear from you. We appreciate all of the comments and suggestions from those of you who have participated so far. We will use the results of the survey for
making KFA an even better place for families and caregivers.
The survey should take about 10-15 minutes. Thank you!
New Mission Statement for KFA
After much thought and careful consideration over the past six months, the KFA Board of Directors has refined KFA's mission statement to reflect the unique role we serve in providing education and support to families and caregivers. The
revised mission statement is:
The mission of Kids With Food Allergies is to foster optimal health, nutrition and well-being of children with food allergies by providing education and a caring support community for their families and caregivers.
Support Net
The spring issue of Support Net, our quarterly e-publication, will be sent to all Family Membership subscribers in early March. In this issue:
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Meet funny little Jay Brew, age 4, this issue's Rising Star
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Why now? A news and research update summarizing the facts and theories regarding the startling rise in childhood allergies
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Having a difficult time finding a dietitian who can really help? Deb Indorato, RD, LDN, member of our Medical Advisory Team, has some suggestions for you on how to find a dietitian who specialize in food allergies.
Coming Soon: We've Been Busy!
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Avoidance ingredient lists for wheat and soy
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A new brochure for KFA you can download or order print copies to share with others (free)
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A report on our trip to San Diego to exhibit at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting
Family Membership Renewals
We have many Family Members and Sponsored Family Members whose memberships are coming up for renewal in February and March. Please
follow this link if you need to find out how to renew your membership.
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A message from our sponsor |
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Become a Family Membership subscriber! |
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Information. Support. Understanding. Hope.
That's what parents have gained from Kids With Food Allergies Online Community. Help us support the growing number of families raising children with food allergies: become a Family Membership subscriber if you've not already done so, or
donate to Kids With Food Allergies today.
Family Memberships are $25 per year. Family memberships include:
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Unlimited access to our popular online support forums and quality educational resources
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Use of our extensive database full of hundreds of allergen-friendly recipes
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Access to our monthly member newsletter featuring news, tips and recipe updates
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A subscription to our beautiful quarterly e-publication, Support Net, featuring news, views and supportive information for families.
Sponsored Family Memberships are available to those unable to afford the cost of a Family Membership due to financial constraints.
Donations are always welcome and are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. |
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"Iron Chef" KFA Food Competition |
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Results are in from our third competition, with the secret without restrictions of dairy and potato. Ten great recipes were submitted to the Tailgate Party
Snacks competition.
The winning recipe in this competition was
Asian Fusion Sausage Rolls by JacE:
All recipes submitted for the competition to soon be available in our Safe Eats recipe database!
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Meet our volunteers |
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Susan Swift
Susan is a recent transplant to the suburbs of Seattle. She, her husband William and their son Liam (4) are pleased that they did not leave the snow behind when they said goodbye to Pittsburgh, PA. They are starting to get used to the
Pacific Northwest and particularly enjoy being close to fellow parents of food allergic kids (POFAKs) Melkorey and Anna McC.
Liam has recently outgrown many food allergies. He is still allergic to eggs and peanuts. He is also gluten intolerant and sensitive to all forms of sulfites. He is a lifelong member of the "you're never too old nurse" club. His current
obsession is trying to create the craziest Rube-Goldberg contraption ever.
Before becoming a milk machine and seeker of alternative foods, Susan was an environmental planner, a Toastmaster, and a huge fan of pizza, beer, and candy. She now works part-time from home as an analyst for the State of California and
cooks all her meals from scratch.
When it's not raining, Susan likes to jog. When it is raining, she likes to make variations of wacky cake and read the comics. She also enjoys chatting on the phone with her mom and other friends.
You can find Susan hanging out in the Breastfeeding Forum, where she is a Community Host. When she is able, she frequents the Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers Forum and the Food & Cooking Forum. Susan can commiserate with nursing moms on
elimination diets, parents whose kids react to weird ingredients like Vitamin A palmitate and xanthan gum, and those who have never had to cook from scratch before.
KFA appreciates Susan's dedication over the past few years! |
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Active forum topics |
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Editor's note: Our forums provide a place to discuss many issues related to food allergies and your family.
Registration as an Associate Member is at no cost to you, and allows you to read the current topics and messages listed below.
Some of these topics discuss foods. Remember to always verify the safety of any products mentioned on our forums to make sure they are truly safe for your child's unique food allergy issues.
Current Active Topics in our Main Support Forum:
Do you ever eat out?
Are you a family who eats all meals in, or do you venture out occasionally to restaurants? Share your experiences and your restaurant successes.
Works for me Wednesday
Over the weekend, I came across a blog that has a section entitled "Works for Me." Every Wednesday, people contribute their tips and tricks that make their lives easier. Here's a place to share our tips as parents of FA kids.
Birthday party: where?
This thread has some great ideas for food-allergy-friendly birthday party locales. If you'll soon be planning a party for your kid with food allergies, start your planning here.
Why doesn't this have to be labeled as containing dairy?
This thread has some informative discussion about labeling laws, as well as a request for questions for a list one KFA member is compiling to bring to the FDA.
DisneyWorld restaurants?
Disney World is renowned in the food allergy community for accommodating those with food allergies. This thread lists some specific restaurants others have used. Be sure to call Disney before you go to verify your family's safety.
Passover foods
The popular Passover foods return again to a store near you! Read this thread to learn why foods made specifically for Passover are welcomed gladly every year by those with food allergies. The thread also includes links to some very
informative previous threads.
Pinecone and peanut butter bird feeders
This thread has some great suggestions for making that ever-popular kids' craft safe for kids with allergies.
Do you ever get tired of the pity?
Commiserate with others, and get some suggestions of responding to the common response of "Oh, you poor thing!"
Can your kids name all of their allergens?
A great thread about teaching young children about their allergies. |
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News and research |
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Our News and Research Forum is updated daily with new articles related to food and food allergies. You can read the articles, as well as join in a discussion on individual
articles. Here are some recently posted news items:
Hyperlinks to these newstories have been removed from archived copies of KFA e-news since many are no longer working at this time
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Safe Eats recipes |
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Super Sides
If you've figured out the main dish for your meals, but need some help with side dishes, the Recipe Database has many suggestions for you. Here are a few recipes to get you started. For more recipes from breakfast through dessert, visit
our
Safe Eats Recipe Database.
Reminder: These are recipes donated by members and have not been tested in a test kitchen. Be sure to verify the safety of all ingredients.
Mock Rice-a-roni With Veggies
Recipe Created By: Brenda-lee Olson
Made without milk, peanut, egg, soy, tree nut, gluten, wheat, corn, fish, shellfish, and sesame
Ingredients
2 Tbsp margarine
1 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup uncooked vermicelli, broken into 1/2" long pieces
3 cups water
seasonings or bouillon cubes, to taste
frozen vegetables, see comments
Instructions
In a large saucepan, melt the margarine. Add the rice and broken rice vermicelli. Saute until pasta is slightly browned. Add 3 cups of water, seasoning or bouillon cube, and frozen vegetables.
Cook on medium heat until the water is mostly absorbed. Cook longer if you like the rice-a-roni drier. I usually cook it with the lid of the saucepan about 1/4 off so that the water evaporates well. This should take about 20 minutes to
cook.
Comments
Variations:
If you can tolerate onions you could saute those with the rice and pasta during the browning stage.
If you like the cheese and broccoli rice-a-roni, add regular or soy cheese after the water is boiled away. Soy cheese takes a little longer to melt so watch the mixture carefully so it doesn't burn. A little paprika works well with the
cheese varieties. For frozen veggies, you can use corn, carrots, or broccoli chopped finely.
Substitutions
Use any type of seasoning or safe bouillon cube to season.
If avoiding wheat, use rice vermicelli. Use wheat/gluten free ingredients as needed.
Use dairy, soy, and/or corn free ingredients as needed.
Indian Sweet Potato Pancakes
Recipe Created by Sheila
Made without milk, peanut, egg, soy, gluten, wheat, tree nut, corn, fish, shellfish, and sesame
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups grated sweet potato, well packed
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
oil
Instructions
Mix ingredients together in bowl. Use a little oil as a binder. Drop on hot skillet and cook for about 5 min on medium heat, flip and cook until brown.
Comments
Original recipe calls for egg white as a binder, but I use a bit of oil instead.
New recipes accessible to Family Membership subscribers:
Crockpot Bean Medley
Joey's High-Protein Guacamole
Luke's Cornbread
Pineapple Salsa
Lisa Middleton's Spicy Turkey Loaf
Annika's Moist Apple Cake
The tailgate snack recipes from the latest Iron Chef KFA competition will be available in the recipe database soon. Look for the links in next month's newsletter.
For the entire list of new recipes added this month, go to the
Recipe Database and click on "new recipes" in the left navigation menu.
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Food allergy recalls |
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Food alerts! Have you checked the
food alerts section at KFA recently?
All of the food allergy alerts from the U.S. and Canada are listed on our Web site and are also posted in the News And Research Forum. You can also find links to the U.K. and Australian alerts, as well as kosher alerts.
The following foods were recently recalled. Check our Web site for complete details:
U.S. allergy recalls
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Giant Eagle brand Egg Free Pasta Ribbons (undeclared egg)
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Vita Specialty Foods, Inc.'s Sauces: Scorned Woman Wicked Wing Sauce, Jim Beam Hot Wing Sauce, Jim Beam Hot Wing Sauce, Jim Beam Gourmet Foods Hot Wing Sauce, IU Hoosiers Varsity Wing Sauce, Virginia Tech Hot Wing Sauce, Budweiser
Barbecue Sauce, Budweiser Basting Sauce (undeclared milk)
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Ho's Trading Inc Fortune Star brand dried lily bulb (undeclared sulfites)
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The Wornick Company pasta entrees for toddlers, Gerber Graduates (undeclared milk due to switched labels)
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QFL, Inc. Major Egg product in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavors (undeclared milk)
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Unilever Knorr ? chicken flavor bouillon cubes (undeclared fish)
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Morgan Foods Kroger ready to serve chunky classic chicken noodle soup (undeclared milk, soy)
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United States Bakery, Seattle division Betsy Ross Brand chocolate donuts and old fashioned donuts (whey on label not declared as milk)
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Vitalabs, Inc. egg protein powder in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavors, various brand and product names (undeclared dairy)
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E.D. Smith & Sons Wegmans fat free garden French dressing (undeclared milk)
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Fine Land Corporation Ying Feng Foodstuffs brand melon candy (undeclared sulfites)
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El Norteno Distributors brown corn cookies (rosquete de maiz) food treats (undeclared egg)
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Water Lilies Food, Inc. pork dumpling and won-ton products (undeclared egg)
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Lesley Elizabeth Inc. brand names Lesley Elizabeth Inc, Lizzie's Kitchen, Attrezzi, Bangma, Doms, Liebmans, Robies, Savory, Smoke & Fire, Sociale, Trade Winds, Urban Villa, Westborn Markets, Wonderful, and Good Spirits, various products
(undeclared sulfites)
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Elegant Gourmet Inc. Elegant Sweets chocolate cream truffles (undeclared milk)
Canadian allergy recalls
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Great Value brand White Cake mix. (undeclared milk protein)
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Nishimoto Trading Co. cheese Nori Senbei rice cracker (undeclared peanuts)
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Angel Seafoods Ltd. Lotte brand frozen confectionery products (undeclared egg)
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Shirakiku brand honey panko Japanese bread crumbs (undeclared soy)
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Wing On New Group Canada Inc imported green bean cake (undeclared sesame)
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Disclaimer |
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This newsletter is provided to you as a member and subscriber benefit and your use of it is in accordance with our Web site's
terms of service. Please follow the instructions at the bottom of the newsletter to unsubscribe if you no longer wish to be on our distribution list.
This newsletter is sent to all newsletter subscribers and registered members of Kids With Food Allergies.
Copyright (c) 2007, Kids With Food Allergies, Inc., all rights reserved.
Important notice
We will never sell, rent or trade your e-mail address to any other organization. Please see our
Privacy Policy.
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