Cream Cheese Frosting

My husband's favorite cake is Angel Food.  I have tried, in vain, to find an eggless clone of this fluffy, spongy treat.  Maybe someday I'll master it (or more likely, find a recipe from someone else who has mastered it), but for now we must live without it most of the time.  I do purchase a store-bought angel food cake for my husband's birthday, and pair it with an eggless cake of another variety for Zax to enjoy.

Another thing my husband insists on with his angel food cakes is cream cheese frosting.  When my parents served this cake while I was growing up, we always had it with whipped cream and strawberries.  That's how my mother-in-law serves it too, but hubby prefers the frosting.

We'd always assumed hubby's dad liked the whipped-cream-and-strawberry combination best too, because that's how it was always served for his birthday.  Hubby was appalled when he learned that his dad preferred it with cream cheese frosting, because he thought his father should get his favorite cake for his birthday.  Ever since hubby made that discovery, part of our birthday gift to his father has been an angel food cake frosted with homemade cream cheese frosting, with instructions to keep it all for himself.  We did this again this past weekend.

I found a variation of this cream cheese frosting recipe online a few years ago, and it's so good that I never buy store-bought icing anymore.  I have become a frosting snob.  Here's the recipe so you can enjoy too!

Cream Cheese Frosting 

(contains a whole lot of dairy, but not much else!)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) at room temperature
• 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar (more or less to taste.  I usually do about 2 1/2 cups, although I went as low as 1 1/4 cups for Zax's first birthday, when I was trying not to make things too sweet.)

Directions:

1. Mix butter and cream cheese, about 3 minutes on medium speed, until smooth
2. Add vanilla.  Mix well.
3. Slowly add sugar to desired sweetness.

This makes for a very smooth and spreadable frosting.  You can easily tint it with food coloring, or leave it white.  This is the same frosting I used on Zax's Lego birthday cake.

Frosting the cake for his father.  We moved about
half the frosting to this smaller bowl, so that the
leftovers would not be contaminated with egg-filled
cake crumbs.

Linking up at Allergy Free Wednesdays and Gluten Free Fridays

 

Whew!  This has been a month of nothing but sweets!  I think maybe I'll go back to savory recipes for a little while.

And don't forget to check out our Peanut Allergy Slap Bracelets!  A new twist on medical alert jewelry!

Bulk Nuts and Holiday Goodies

It's almost Christmas!  The season of comfort and joy and music and lights and warmth.  And running around frantically trying to get the gifts wrapped and the food made while still getting a few hours of sleep before the kids wake up at the crack of dawn.  But even though it can be crazy and hectic and exhausting, I still love the Christmas season.  The holiday specials, the baked goods, the children so excited that they nearly burst, the homemade gifts and wrapping up of their own toys just to let somebody else open them.

But there's one thing about the holiday season that slows me down.

Bulk nuts.

At all other times of year, these things are packed up, so their residue stays inside, with maybe only a few spills.  But during the holidays, I get to worry about whether they've spilled out of their bags anywhere else in the store, whether the previous user of my shopping cart purchased (or worse, was snacking on) them, whether any residue got on the checkout conveyor...

In fact, last year I swore they were following me around the store.  There was a cardboard display holding nutcrackers in the meat department, and I saw nutshells inside the display box.  (Not that I would have purchased a nutcracker anyway.)  That at least made sense, unlike the nutshells I found littering the canned soup displays.  Stop following me!

I do my best not to mull over these worries, at Christmas or anytime.  It could be paralyzing, but I usually just step up my handwashing routine and make sure all my own foods are bagged up in the cart.  But just the same, their presence makes me nervous.  Especially when they're displayed like this:

Those cranberry bags have little holes in them to let the berries breathe.  That automatically means I can't buy these cranberries, and opens up concerns over whether any family members purchased cranberries from a display like this in order to make their cranberry relish or brie.

Nuts certainly come out of the woodwork at this time of year.  I don't know why they're so tied to the holidays, but homemade treats from friends become much less edible for me around Christmastime.  Which brings me to my main point of discussion:  holiday goodies from neighbors.

We don't get too many of these holiday offerings.  There are a handful of neighbors we have swapped goodies with in the past, but it isn't a regular thing.  And we've never shared any other meals with said neighbors, so they aren't familiar with our dietary concerns.  (I'm not familiar with any dietary concerns of theirs either, when it comes down to it.)

The holiday cookie offering is something that has always made me feel awkward.  My neighbors aren't required to give me anything for Christmas.  Their holiday goodies are a gesture of goodwill that they have chosen to take time out of their day to give.  Quite frankly, I don't feel comfortable "looking the gift horse in the mouth," so to speak.  In order to feel confident eating their food, I would have to quiz them not only about the ingredients in their cookies, but about the state of their kitchen, what else they were baking or eating at the same time, whether they've made anything with nuts (or peanuts or eggs) recently, whether there was any chance these goodies touched anything with nuts (or peanuts or eggs), etc, etc, etc.

I'm really not comfortable asking these questions when a neighbor brought over food out of the goodness of their heart.  Getting answers that will make the food inedible to us will only make the giver feel awkward for having brought over something we can't eat, and make me feel awkward that they took the time and energy to put together a plate and essentially wasted their time.  If it were a party, I would absolutely grill them if I thought we had any chance of eating the food.  If they invited us over for a meal, we would have a lengthy discussion about food.  If they were a close friend we would be likely to share food with regularly, I would be open about dietary needs.  But for a plate of food they aren't going to see us eat?  I just don't do it.

Instead, I make small talk with the giver for a few minutes, thanking them and asking them about their holiday plans.  After I close the door, I hand the plate to my husband (the only one in the house without food allergies) and say "enjoy."  He keeps the cookies out of reach and washes his hands after eating any of them, and the rest of us eat treats that we've made at home.  It's much simpler to assume we can't eat anything people bring over (especially with Zax's egg allergy), but accepting the plate without comment lets them feel good about sharing the holiday spirit.

Once, though, a neighbor brought over a basket of fruit at Christmas time.  That was the Best. Holiday. Swap. Ever.  I didn't have to worry about ingredients, because everything was a single ingredient food.  Never before (or since) have I been able to enjoy a holiday food gift from a neighbor.  If you're looking for ideas to give to neighbors or friends that you know have food allergies, I would highly recommend a fruit basket.  I never knew fruit could make me so grateful until that moment!

What do you do when neighbors bring over holiday goodies of dubious nature?

And don't forget to check out our Peanut Allergy Slap Bracelets!  A new twist on medical alert jewelry!

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

I'm going to cheat this week.  What with Zax's hospitalization, the flu, launching our business, and normal Christmas craziness, I haven't done any more baking.  Instead I'm going to share what my wonderful Aunt sent to us.

This is food allergy loving at its finest!  They live half the country away from us, but sent us holiday goodies and included the recipe with her handwritten notes so we knew exactly what went into her cookies.

I noticed there's no egg at all in these cookies, nor mention of a conventional egg replacer.  My Aunt did her work, finding a recipe that was free of our allergens.  And boy, are they good!  Pairing chocolate with gingerbread is an amazing idea!  I think I'll be making these for myself next year!

So without further ado, here is how to make Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies!

ETA:  I just learned that my uncle is the one who found the recipe and baked the cookies.  All the above still applies.  Thank you!

And don't forget to check out our Peanut Allergy Slap Bracelets!  A new twist on medical alert jewelry!

Linking up at Allergy Free Wednesdays

We're almost to Christmas!!!!!  Are you sick of holiday sweets yet?

Somebody got into the inventory!

http://www.allergysuperheroes.com/by-product/peanut-allergy-slap-bracelet

Flu Shots

This will be short today.  As I mentioned Wednesday, Zax was hospitalized for the flu. He's much better now, and has his normal energy level back except for bedtime.  I caught the flu myself--even though everyone entering his room was required to wear masks and gloves, I was already doomed (after laying in bed with him before realizing he needed to go to the hospital, carrying him face-to-face from the parking garage to the ER, holding him close while he got an IV and an epinephrine injection...)

Click the link to the left, or in the "Allergy Superheroes"
tab at the top, to order one of these for your little
peanut-allergic superhero!

My doc ordered me Tamiflu right away, just based on my personal exposure, so I think I'm ducking the worst of it (not to mention I had whatever partial immunity I was still supposed to get from my flu shot), but I'm still tired from launching our Peanut Allergy Slap Bracelets and taking care of kids who are full of energy (one of whom was supposed to be in school, but can't be because he might still be contagious.)

So I'm just going to share more pictures from Zax's stay in the hospital, and spread the message to GET A FLU SHOT! Even this year, when they say the virus has mutated, it can still offer partial immunity to most people.  We tend to write off the flu as being a minor ailment, but I've now experienced firsthand how scary it can be.  Don't assume it will be minor for you or your children.  Get immunized!  The flu is not worth the risk!

In the ER, getting breathing treatments

After treatments made him feel a little better

Next morning, still not much interest in anything

Using the "Shaky shaky," a device that vibrated his
chest to loosen congestion

Finally allowed to take a walk!

Feeling much better by the end, and discovering just how much
fun it is to play with a hospital bed

Peanut Allergy Slap Bracelet Now Available!!!

We're excited!  Allergy Superheroes has our first product available!  The perfect last-minute stocking stuffer for your little Peanut-Allergic Superhero!

Introducing the Peanut Allergy Slap Bracelet!
http://www.allergysuperheroes.com/by-product/

Call them a slap bracelet or a slap band, we call them fun!  This colorful wrist band is sure to get the attention of any caregiver about your child's allergy.  The "angry peanut" tells them not to mess around with food allergies, but it's no match for your Superhero!

• Measures 1" x 9"
• Bands are made with a flexible metal insert covered with 100% medical-grade silicone
• Ink is lead-free and environmentally friendly

As you can imagine, we're thrilled to finally have this up!  We can still deliver by Christmas, if you choose Priority Shipping by 11:00am MST, December 20th.  First Class shipping may arrive by Christmas, depending on how close you are to Englewood, CO.

Pick one up today!

The Flu

I had half of what I thought was a really great post written for you today, and then all my plans were thrown out the window.  Hubby and I had hoped to do some exciting stuff for our business too, but that also was thrown a curveball.  Instead of doing the things we'd hoped, we went to the ER instead.

Zax started coughing Sunday night, but not overwhelmingly so.  We figured he was getting a cold.  He said he felt okay Monday morning, but rapidly slid downhill.  A few hours after school was supposed to start, he not only said he didn't feel well, but complained of a headache too.

Now, Zax sometimes get headaches that we figure are migraines.  They haven't happened frequently enough to see a specialist, but migraines run in the family and they seem to fit the pattern.  During these headaches, he cries constantly unless he's asleep, and just totally shuts down.  Especially if we don't get him painkillers the moment he first complains.

So that's all we thought was happening, but Monday he just kept carrying on.  Finally, he'd been crying for so long, even an hour after painkillers (which should have taken effect), so I started digging for more.  That's when he revealed that it hurt to breathe.  I listened to his back, and definitely heard wheezing.

I gave Zax a dose of his brother's albuterol in the nebulizer, and it helped.  Shit, I thought.  I mean, good that it helped, but I really felt down at that moment. I showed signs of asthma before my 2nd birthday, Kal started showing signs of asthma right after he turned 1, so I'd been hoping that Zax had dodged that particular bullet by making it to age 6 with no signs.  Feeling depressed, I made mental plans to call our allergist's office in the morning while finally feeding Zax and then getting the boys ready for bed.

Two and a half hours after Zax's neb, as I was laying beside him in bed, I realized that he was wheezing again.  He was also taking short breaths, and his breathing was making it impossible for him to settle down to sleep.  It was too soon for another neb, so I briefly consulted my husband and took him to the ER.  Not a moment too soon, either, because his breathing got worse in the car and he started his incessant screaming again.  (Among other things, I felt bad about how long he had probably been in distress before I noticed.  He'd had a headache, but it was secondary :(

I didn't feel too horribly worried until we got to the ER and they raced him into a room after barely taking his vitals.  It's that bad?  Oh shit!  They gave him all sorts of meds, including magnesium-something in his drip, somewhere around 6-8 vials of albuterol, and even epinephrine.  But the thing that scared me the most was the speed at which they worked. *shudder*

They got him stabilized and then looked for what might have brought us in.  It definitely wasn't anaphylaxis, he'd barely eaten anything all day.  I'd been thinking enterovirus, but I was wrong.  Apparently, that's waning.

The culprit?  The flu.  "Influenza A."  And this, after his allergic reaction to his flu shot.  It didn't even protect him.  According to the hospital staff, something has mutated or deviated this year, so the flu shot isn't providing full immunity.  Brother.

After Zax's allergic reaction to the shot, the allergist had said that since his reaction wasn't systemic, they would probably still advise getting a flu shot next year, they would just spread it out more. They'd put it in his thigh rather than his arm, because it's a bigger muscle, and probably do a half dose in each leg.

I'll be honest.  I wasn't sure what I thought of that suggestion.  What if the next reaction was worse?  At least I had a year to decide what to do.  However, after seeing Zax hospitalized and struggling for breath from the flu, I will continue to get him a flu shot unless he starts having really serious reactions to the shot.  Hopefully next year the shot will hit the mark again, and I'd much rather deal with redness and itchiness for a day than spend part of three days in the hospital, watching my child's heart rate soar because of all the stimulants they've given him but still seeing that he has a long road to recovery.

I write this just before going to bed Tuesday night, listening to Zax breathe in the hospital bed.  His respiration is slow and easy now, without the aid of supplemental oxygen.  I'm thankful that he bounced back so fast.  This afternoon, I went from consoling him, to simply being with him, to doing my best to keep him out of trouble.  He took several unassisted walks and figured out the controls for the hospital bed (which occupied him for at least an hour.)

We'll be heading home in the morning, hoping that hubby and Kal don't get this (especially Kal, since his lungs are already compromised.)  As for me?  I laid in a bed and shared other close contact with my poor, sick child.  I started getting symptoms Tuesday.  Hopefully with early application of Tamiflu and aggressive treatment with albuterol and Flovent, mine will be mild (and not land me back in the hospital.)

Be wary of the flu this year!  Get lots of rest and wash your hands a lot.