WWYD?

[CMdeux]

  My personal vision is of the bridge, sending still-glowing embers skyward with a huge plume of black smoke... while their screams indicate that the rapids far below are carrying them to the sea...     I can almost taste the champagne and satisfaction.

[MandCmama]

There is one and only one mom I will do this for.  I will also let her do this for my boys.  Her boys are allergic to dairy and egg.  Their home is not 100% peanut free (Mom has some protein bars), but it not overtly nutty either, as they use sunbutter so B can sit with M at peanut free table. Our house is in no way dairy free.

We've never cooked an entire meal for each other, but we've made special treats for the boys. I've made her boys dairy and egg free Oreo balls for M's birthday party. I took special precautions with cleaning the kitchen and the tools I'd be using, checked all ingredients with mom ahead of time, and made theirs first.  Our way of looking at it was , it was no riskier than eating at a restaurant.

She did the same for me.  There was a "Holiday Meal" at school before Christmas and the PTA  was going to be passing out cake.  The other mom was already going to making B safe cupcakes and M is used to going eggless anyway, so she was sweet enough to clean her kitchen really well for me and send one in for M.

Would I take this risk with random classmates.  Not likely.  Would I ever let M do it? Not on your life! The day he ate B's cupcake it was like the hope diamond was being delivered, lol! I sent a note to the nurse, the teacher, home to B's mom (to thank her), reviewed with M how this was a very special circumstance we never ever take food from anyone unless mom says it's OK....It's all very exhausting.

[yelloww]

Sweet treat? Buy jello. Problem solved!

[CMdeux]

... um...



immv, but--

DD has never eaten Jello-brand without a reaction.  We have an N of four-- those reactions range from grade 2 to 4, and all were systemic.  (She's pistachio allergic, and we think that is the most likely explanation)

[PurpleCat]

Since our house is peanut, treenut, coconut free...those are never a factor for cross contamination.

I do gluten free bake but only for one very good friend.  I am very careful and she trusts me.  Everything in my kitchen gets a good scrub down.

I bake for a milk allergic friend of DD's when she is at my house. 

The people I do bake for I know well and I understand their allergies very well.


I would not to do so for another child at school.  There are too many variables.  I would not trust I knew everything.  For example, at my son's birthday party years ago someone asked me if my DD was going to eat the cake.  I said yes, it was safe for her.  This Dad then proceeded to tell his child he could eat the cake because my DD had allergies and she was going to eat it!   

Thank goodness I heard him.  I immediately asked the Dad what allergies his son had.  He wasn't sure!      He called his wife.  In addition to peanuts, his child was allergic to milk and soy!!!  Well this cake was not milk free and probably not soy free, neither of those are my DD's allergens!!!

I really need to know all the details before I'll bake for anyone with allergies.  As for that Dad     !!!

[Mookie86]

I haven't read this whole thread, but could you do a store-bought item that's free of all the students' allergens?  That way, you don't have the xc stress but still could serve something that includes everyone?

[nameless]

I'm not seeing that it's worth the stress for you to try to bake for those allergies --- bake for your own...and then a super awesome good-kharma thing would be to buy Enjoy Life cookie packs for the food allergy kids    They usually have them at Whole Foods.

I'm sure...that if you usually see them looking longingly at the baked goods...that when you whip out the cookie packs...you'll have a halo glow around you   ...and how big will their smiles be?!

(I'd still check w/ the 'rents though on the Enjoy Life and their own comfort zone)

[becca]

I do not have a close enough Whole foods to do that this week.  It is out of my area.  But I have seen a few enjoy life products at one store.  I looked at my usual store today.  I saw a pack of cookies that said on the front:  Nut, gluten and dairy free.  Then on the back was a statement that it may contain milk proteins!  Ummm, how is that dairy free.  I forget the brand.

I know the parents would be ok with what I might make.  My greater concern is what if I do cross contaminate something and someone is ill.  I don't want that on me.  I would feel awful.  A child could be harmed.  I used to make things for 2 girls in dd's grade.  I was far more careful than their moms.  The girls would eat stuff my dd never would.  So there, I knew I was likely keeping them safer!  The GF is what concerns me.  I just do too much in my ktichen with it, even if I actually usually avoid it myself.

This is a good conversation, so that is why I posted it.  So many things to consider.  Ds wants me to try to make it safe, as he is friend with the 2 boys.  He is so caring for others and wants me to include everyone.  I will try to find something special I can hand to those kids.  They are all getting candy with the Valentines, and ours are safe there.  So they  will have lots of sweets available to them on this particualy party day.  I could even bring some extra bags of skittles for them. 

Skittles cover me on all fronts, right?  Package say GF.  If I fail to find a pack of cookies or such.  Where I live is a town where there is only smaller independant grocers, or local chains, and the one main chain is still a small store.  No super stores with the broader selection of allergy specialty foods. 

[ajasfolks2]

What about Lucy's cookies?  Can you get those?  They might cover all the various food allergies and requirements?

They can be found at Whole Foods.

((becca -- as an aside, I seem to recall my DH posting in the comments section at a newspaper once upon a time, yes?))

[ajasfolks2]

Crud, posting at same time as you -- sorry the Whole Foods is too far to go.

[becca]

Ajas, not sure about your newspaper reference? 

Never heard of Lucy's. 

But, it just dawned on me we do have an awesome organic/natural market and they stock a lot of gluten free products.  They may have Enjoy Life and more.  I do not go there often, as they are crazy expensive for shopping for a family with picky kids where you toss too much food!  I used to go there for egg replacer.  We do not need that anymore.    That place is 5 mins down the road.  DUH!  I drove by it twice today, lol.  I tend to forget about it because it is not the best place for PA/TNA, due to lots of bulk bin products. 

[ajasfolks2]

Here is link to the Lucy's - actually Dr Lucy's

http://www.drlucys.com/

[becca]

I recall the newspaper comments thing now, Ajas!  My local paper?  Gosh, I forgot all about that!  Oy, what an ordeal that was. 

[hedgehog]

I would not to do so for another child at school.  There are too many variables.  I would not trust I knew everything.  For example, at my son's birthday party years ago someone asked me if my DD was going to eat the cake.  I said yes, it was safe for her.  This Dad then proceeded to tell his child he could eat the cake because my DD had allergies and she was going to eat it!   

Thank goodness I heard him.  I immediately asked the Dad what allergies his son had.  He wasn't sure!      He called his wife.  In addition to peanuts, his child was allergic to milk and soy!!!  Well this cake was not milk free and probably not soy free, neither of those are my DD's allergens!!!

I really need to know all the details before I'll bake for anyone with allergies.  As for that Dad     !!!

BTDT.  When DS was still in elementary, the nurse lamented that there were parents who, upon hearing that I had checked the ingredients and OKed them, they would let their allergic child eat it without checking themselves.  I would have happily shared info with them, but no one ever asked me.  And I am not sure it was the same allergies.

I do know there was one other mother who checked every time her son bought--different allergy.  Checking lunches together was how we met, and we are still friendly.

[becca]

Oh, yeah, in preschool, they would approach me and ask if certan things were safe *for other allergic chidren.*  When I said something to the director, that I could not be certain what was ok for other kids, not knowing how they do things and all of their allergens, she would give me a look and say, "Oh, well, you are more careful that his parent, and I do not want to hurt this child!"  She was not naming the children in these cases.  But very, very many people are much less careful than out small group here.  I dare say, most.  In my community, anyway. 

One of the kids in the class was recently at ds's bday.  No epis.  He ate the pizza and cake.  I made the cake and it was safe for dd and I had vetted the pizza for her too.  I did share my info with the dad, and we even discussed the allergies.  Got the, "his aren't so bad," line.