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November 2006 Issue |
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Thank you to
For sponsoring this month's newsletter!
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Happy Thanksgiving! |
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Thanks to all of our parents who have volunteered thousands of hours this year to keep Kids With Food Allergies here for families. Thanks also to all of you, our members
and subscribers, for your support and contributions - whether it is in spreading the word about KFA, helping answer questions on our forums, or supporting us financially. Every little contribution by all of you helps make Kids With Food
Allergies a wonderful online home for families.
Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!
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Shop and support us! |
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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.
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. |
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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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Enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner - Plan Your Menu with Recipes from Our Safe Eats Recipe Database
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, don't forget that our searchable recipe database contains contains hundreds of recipes that can help you reclaim Turkey Day!
For our Associate Members who don't have recipe database access, this is a great time to upgrade to a Family Membership-- in time to take advantage of the recipes for the holidays, and you can consider the cost of membership ($25/year) an
early holiday gift to yourself and your family. The Safe Eats database is searchable by type of dish (dessert, appetizer, soup/broth, etc.), and/or by ingredient. Best of all, the results are filtered by allergen. Looking for, say, a
recipe without dairy and wheat? Just check the "milk" and "wheat" boxes, and all recipe matches will be safe for your family!
We have recipes perfect for Thanksgiving: soups, stuffing, cranberry dishes and pumpkin pies. In addition, if you need help adapting a recipe or if you are on a quest for a safe ingredient, be sure to stop by our food and cooking forums
where you can get some parent-to-parent answers to your questions.
Kids With Food Allergies Exhibits at Allergists' Conference
Kids With Food Allergies went on the road to exhibit at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting in Philadelphia, PA earlier this month. Representatives of Kids With Food Allergies spoke with
allergists and allied health professionals regarding the unique and valuable services KFA provides online to families who are raising food allergic children -- our recipe database, our food and cooking support forums, and our family forums
for emotional and social support.
The response and interest we received from the allergists was excellent. We will now be busy sending out our brochures to nearly 150 physicians who requested them for their offices!
Holiday Fundraising Appeal
Our holiday fundraising appeal will be going out by email to all of our members in early December. If you are a member or subscriber, you probably know how valuable KFA is for families like ours.
Please include Kids With Food Allergies in your charitable giving plans this year. We really do need your support to keep KFA here for families, and to improve what we offer. We get lots of requests asking "can you do X or can you do Y?"
Yes, we can do many things, with your help. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent of the law. Kids With Food Allergies is a tax-exempt charity.
Food Allergy Awareness Holiday Card Sale
Our new
Kids With Food Allergies holiday cards are ready. Order soon! We are already half sold out.
Cards come in packages of 15 cards for $19 or 30 cards for $34. Prices include shipping. All proceeds go to funding our programs here at Kids With Food Allergies.
Artwork for the cards is by a food allergic child and the layout is by a graphics designer and mom of a food allergic child. Cards include a food allergy awareness message on the reverse side. We know our members will really be pleased
with these adorable cards!
Holiday Polar Bear Coloring Page
If you love our holiday cards, here's a
free coloring page featuring our holiday polar bear that you can print off for your children to color.
Please Don't Feed the Monkey with Food Allergies!
Party Animals Co. is featuring a
Please Don't Feed The Monkey plush animal kit with a "please do not feed me" T-shirt sporting the Kids With Food Allergies logo. These are a great gift idea for a child with food allergies, and $5 of every one of these special monkeys
purchased will be donated to Kids With Food Allergies.
Email delivery service upgrade
We have begun using a new mail server to improve our monthly e-newsletter delivery service. Unsubscribe directions are at the bottom for those of you not wishing to receive it any longer.
Thanks to CoolerEmail for providing this service for us!
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A message from our sponsor |
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Enjoy Life Foods has tasty eats that are gluten-free and free of all common allergens - no wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish or shellfish! Our bagels, breads, cookies, granola, snack bars, chocolate chips and new
trail mix are sure to please even the pickiest of taste buds! Made in a dedicated bakery and enriched with essential vitamins and minerals, our products help you enjoy life the healthy way. Find us at natural food stores nationwide or
online at
www.enjoylifefoods.com.
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"Iron Chef" KFA Food Competition |
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What is Iron Chef KFA?
The Food Network asks America, "How Do YOU Iron Chef?" We'd like to show them how Parents Of Food Allergic Kids (POFAKs) do it!
This is a fun contest modeled after the popular Iron Chef and Iron Chef America television programs on Food Network, but we've added a food allergy twist. Instead of having a secret ingredient as the theme, there will be a "battle theme"
and "secret without" restrictions.
Our second competition has been announced! We are nearing the winter holidays. Many foods and smells bring us back to our childhood. The crisp air on a cool autumn day. Grandma baking pies, and the wonderful smell of - apples!
Apples can be used in many ways and your dish may be in any category. The secret without restrictions are gluten and soy. All of your dishes must feature apple - fresh, dried or applesauce. All of your dishes must not contain
any wheat, gluten, or soy products.
Join in on the fun and be a judge or a participant for this contest! Any KFA Family Member who is not a challenger in the current battle can be a judge. Judges select one or more of the contest recipes to try out at home, then rate each
recipe. For more details on judging or on entering the battle, please visit the
Iron Chef Food Competition Forum.
Our first competition challenged participants with a pumpkin theme and all recipes had to be prepared without milk and eggs. We are pleased to announce the winning recipe, Creamy Pumpkin Curry soup, created by member Joanne M!
This delicious recipe made without milk, peanut, egg, soy, gluten, wheat, fish, shellfish and sesame, is now in our searchable recipe database, available to all of our Family Membership subscribers. Congratulations and thanks to Joanne M.
and the other nine participants for creating wonderful recipes for this competition!
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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.
Kids With Food Allergies is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity that relies on financial support from donors and members to sustain our growing organization.
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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Meet our volunteers |
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Maia Moore
South Dakota is home to the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, the world-renowned Corn Palace, and this month's featured volunteer, Maia. Maia and hubby Jeff care for kids Mason (almost 7, and an avid bike-rider!) and Princess Mollie (almost 3),
and love almost every minute of it.
Maia is knee-deep in school volunteering now that Mason, who recently received a Character Counts award at school, is a big first grader.
Before her world revolved around the school calendar, she used to enjoy fostering and retraining dogs with special needs. She loved taking an obnoxious dog and teaching it to be a loving pet! Now that the kids are old enough to enjoy pets,
she's adopted two dogs with *issues*!
Maia also enjoys baking, although it's more of a challenge now that she's managing food allergies. Our KFA recipe database, and the ideas she's picked up in our Food & Cooking Forum, help immensely!
Maia is an excellent resource for FPIES or MSPI. Mason has outgrown some of his FPIES triggers, but still avoids rice. She also has experience managing seasonal/environmental allergies and reflux.
Between Mason and Mollie, Maia avoids dairy, egg, soy,rice, peanuts, treenuts, fish, and shellfish. She was very pleased when Mason outgrew his reaction to oats! Maia is also a good person to bounce for vegetarian ideas, since she's a
long-time vegetarian.
Maia volunteers as KFA's Coordinator of Volunteers, and can mostly be found in the "Breastfeeding with FAs" and "Babies, Toddlers, Preschoolers" forums.
KFA thanks Maia for her years of dedicated help!
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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.
Thanksgiving Tips
As we near Thanksgiving in the United States, many POFAKs start wondering how to make the holiday work for their family. A holiday that is mostly centered around food can cause some anxiety for anyone; adding in food allergies can make
the situation overwhelming.
On KFA, we have parents with much experience in preparing a safe Thanksgiving for your family's needs. Suggestions include preparing a separate meal for those with food allergies, or make the food that everyone eats safe for all. If you
are traveling, you can make safe food at home and bring it. Additional tips can be found in the
Thanksgiving Holiday article in our
Resources section (accessible to Family Membership Subscribers).
The most common advice given on the forums is: plan ahead. Make a menu, anticipate problem areas, find solutions for those problems. If you have family members who frequently disregard your children's food allergies, plan for how you
will respond to that. A large family gathering can include small children who are used to walking around with food that may be unsafe for your child. Plan now how you want to deal with that kind of situation.
Another option is to start new traditions that are not centered around food. Go for a walk together. Concentrate on the things for which your family is thankful. Volunteer to help others that day.
There are many threads on the forums relating to Thanksgiving.
how to handle holidays with family is a recent thread in our main forum. In addition,
no need to go back to formula thread contains quite a bit of discussion on dealing with Thanksgiving and family expectations. In our
Food and Cooking Forum (accessible to Family member subscribers), you can find these threads:
Let's talk turkey
This thread was started last year, with new information added this year. It discusses different brands of turkeys.
Thanksgiving frets
This thread includes some menu suggestions
Thanksgiving dinner! Menu, recipes...
A thread from 2005 with many suggestions.
And in the
School Age Kids, Teens, & Tweens Forum, find out about
P/TN and E free snack ideas for Thanksgiving: ideas of snacks to take to school for classroom celebrations.
Current Active Topics in our Main Support Forum:
Coconut IS a nut according to FDA
This thread discusses how with recent changes requiring listing individual tree nuts in labeling, FALCPA includes coconut as a nut.
We exhibited at ACAAI this past weekend!
For more information and discussion about Kids With Food Allergies at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting, read this thread.
Panic attacks due to food allergies
Has your child had panic attacks because of fears of a food allergy reaction? If you have any advice to share, or if you need some suggestions, join this thread.
Desperately seeking non-dairy cheese
The question many ask when confronted with a milk allergy--is there any good soy cheese? This discussion lists the many varieties, and people's personal experiences with different brands. Also, check out
What kind of cheese do you use on pizza?
Fun allergy songs for kids (online)
Enjoy these songs about food allergies with your kids!
Isolation
It can feel isolating and overwhelming to have a young child with contact allergy reactions. Of course, on KFA, you are not alone. This thread has some ideas and support if you feel isolated.
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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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Quick Pasta
As we enter this busy holiday season, sometimes a quick dinner is needed as many other preparations fill up the day. Try these quick pasta recipes for an easy dinner. 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 Satay Noodles
Recipe Created by Meg
Made without milk, peanut, egg, soy, tree nut, gluten, wheat, corn, fish, shellfish, and sesame
Ingredients
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp sunflower seed butter
1/2 cup canola or other oil
3 shots Tabasco sauce (to taste)
1/2 tsp Ume vinegar
2 Tbsp mirin
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 pound safe spaghetti-style noodles
2 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
If using sesame seeds: heat a heavy skillet (not nonstick). Toast sesame seeds 2-3 minutes until fragrant, stirring/tossing frequently.
Whisk garlic and sunflower butter together until combined. Beat in oil until combined and smooth. Add remaining ingredients (except spaghetti) and whisk to combine.
Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Add pasta to "Satay" sauce and stir to coat. Place completed dish in serving bowl, or in individual portions on plates. Top with sesame seeds, if desired.
Substitutions
You can use any safe nut butter or substitute. Peanut or cashew would be good if nuts are safe for you. If you're using sweetened soy butter, I'd add a touch more acid--either a little more lemon juice or vinegar.
Ume vinegar is the brine leftover from pickling Japanese umeboshi plums. If substituting for Ume vinegar, replace with 1/4 tsp. kosher salt.
Mirin is Japanese sweet rice wine. If avoiding corn, be sure to find one that does not contain added corn syrup. If substituting for Mirin, replace with 1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar plus 1/2 tbsp honey or other liquid sweetener.
1/4 c. lemon juice is approximately equal to the juice of two lemons worth. (Strain seeds, of course!)
I used rice spaghetti. Substitute other pastas as appropriate.
Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Sauce
Recipe Created by Jane (jellin)
Made without milk, peanut, egg, soy, tree nut, gluten, wheat, corn, fish, shellfish, and sesame
Ingredients
zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup sharply flavored pitted black olives, such as Kalamata or Nicoise
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 2 Tbsp chopped fresh)
1 tsp salt
freshly grated pepper
1 pound safe thin spaghetti or capellini
Instructions
In a serving bowl large enough to put pasta in later, mix the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, olives, thyme, salt, and pepper to taste. Just before adding pasta, remove garlic pieces.
Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain pasta, but do not overdrain; it should still be piping hot and dripping when it is added to the serving bowl.
Toss hot pasta with the sauce. Serve immediately.
Comments
I use the side of a big knife to smash the garlic. Just make sure the garlic stays in a few big pieces because you will take it out later.
Substitutions
Use dairy, soy, egg, and/or corn-free ingredients as needed.
This recipe should work with any type of strand pasta including rice pasta to make wheat/gluten free.
Be sure to verify the ingredients of the olives as unexpected ingredients can be included in the brining solution.
New recipes accessible to Family Membership subscribers:
This month's new recipes come from the Iron Chef Competition. They are all made without dairy and egg (most are made without many other common allergens, as well), and contain pumpkin. The judging is over, but the recipes are still
available!
Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Roasted Pumpkin Risotto
Creamy Pumpkin Curry Soup
Pumpkin Gnocchi with
Autumn Sauce
Pumple Crumble
Pumpkin Pastry Bites
Fall Colors Pumpkin Bread
Harvest Oat Cookies
Pumpkin Muffins w/Pumpkin Seed Streusel
Pumpkin with Meat Sauce
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 more details:
U.S. allergy recalls
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Wilkins-Rogers, Inc. 2 lb Washington Seafood Breader (undeclared milk)
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Whole Foods, Inc Whole Treat Organic Vanilla Ice Cream Bars Dipped in Chocolate with a best by date of Aug. 2, 2007 and a time stamp greater than 21:25 (may contain undeclared almonds)
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Archway Cookies LLC Classic Oatmeal Big Batch Homestyle Cookies, 13.75oz packages bearing the date code "Best Before Jan 11 07 AX." (undeclared walnuts)
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Maizteca Bakery 1.5 pound packages of "Maizteca Mexican Bread" (undeclared milk)
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Sara Lee Food & Beverage 12 oz. Sara Lee Premium White Hamburger Buns (may contain undeclared milk)
Canadian allergy recalls
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Les Aliments Dang Ngoc Inc. Corn-O-Dog (undeclared egg protein)
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Aik Cheong Instant Cappuccino White Coffee 3 in 1, Aik Cheong Instant Coffee Mix 3 in 1, imported from Malaysia (undeclared milk protein)
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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.
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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