Food Allergy Support

Specific Food Allergies => Peanut/Tree Nut Allergy => Topic started by: PurpleCat on December 26, 2014, 05:04:05 PM

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Title: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: PurpleCat on December 26, 2014, 05:04:05 PM
Very excited to say DD's allergist approved her to do an in office coconut challenge during February vacation.  Since she is tolerating the allergy shots well enough, DD had a choice of challenging pecan or coconut.  Both of those numbers have come down over the years and it is possible that they are now false positives.

Both are drupes.

Passing coconut would be life changing for DD opening up a whole world of cosmetics, sunscreens, shampoos and soaps previously off limits.  Coconut is showing up more and more in foods too.

Passing pecan would not change much and DD could care less about eating them.

I am hopeful, and I love coconut so I am looking forward to buying a coconut and breaking it open!  Now to wait for February.  DD can't miss school so it works out they have an open slot during vacation week.
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: Macabre on December 27, 2014, 09:47:20 AM
That is very cool!  That would open up a lot.

As far as eating it directly I personally would choose pecans over coconut because I do not like coconut and adore pecans (and it's been extremely useful to have pecans again for us), but with all the products that contain coconut these days, you are right--it's the better choice.

Good luck!
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: GoingNuts on December 27, 2014, 12:29:03 PM
Good luck PC!

I didn't realize pecans were drupes - I thought they were true tree nuts.   ???

And yes, coconut turns up in odd places for sure.  I hope she passes!
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: PurpleCat on February 18, 2015, 03:36:13 PM
She passed!

It was not easy for her.  We were there longer than other challenges and then the doctor wanted us to call at 4:00 to confirm she was still doing OK before considering it a pass.

Poor DD, the first 2 doses went OK.  We brought her stack of college mail to sort and view online while we waited.  A great distraction and a great thing to get organized.

Then each dose got harder and harder for her to get down.  She must have drank a gallon of water!  The last dose looked like it was coming back.  She disliked it that much.  But her vitals stayed stable and she came home and ate lunch around 1.   DD kept saying.....it's not allergy gag!  I'm OK, really....the nurse and I weren't sure.  They kept her an extra hour after.

So it is a pass and it is a huge yuck!  And now I need to find a way to keep small amounts in her diet.  I might bake with it but the doctor said not to rely on the oil due to lack of protein.  DD might like a good tasting macaroon.  The doctor said I might be able to get some in an oatmeal cookie.

Anybody have a good recipe for macaroons?  It's worth a try.

I just slept for an hour.  I was exhausted....did not sleep well last night and today was stressful.




The doctor also looked at her record and said she'd like to redo egg before college........DD and I looked at each other like....NO....  The doctor said we will redo her blood work for that this summer.  DD passed one of those and then the allergy returned.  I'm uncomfortable about re-challenging that one.  There was a 16 year old in the next town over who died from anaphylaxis due to an egg allergy that returned and DD knows this story well as some of that girls friends go to school at our high school.
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: Macabre on February 18, 2015, 03:57:21 PM
Im excited she passed!  Wow! 

I really, really hate flaked coconut--the texture and the taste, so I can't help you. I use canned coconut milk in curry and if I am at the beach and I've had another drink first, I will have a piņa colada. I will eat fresh coconut in larger chunks. But otherwise, I can't stand coconut.

But here are a couple of ideas. Dare makes some coconut creams. I don't know how much coconut is in them. Then you could try curry and other dishes with coconut milk (we buy Geisha--it breaks our no food from Asia rule--but you could buy and drill your own (maybe buy a dedicated manual hand drill). If she can eat Blue Diamond almonds, they have a coconut flavored one that I tolerate pretty well.

We deal with sesame, shellfish and peanut, btw.
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: PurpleCat on February 18, 2015, 04:17:28 PM
OH!  I forgot about Dare Cookies! 

I just ran and told DD and she is thrilled.  When she was a toddler, I'd buy her those and then they added coconut and we had to stop getting them.  She loved the chocolate covered marshmallow and the chocolate cream ones.  She remembers those cookies.  She said she'd be willing to try coconut cremes if I buy her "favorites" too.

No, can't do any other nuts.  I love almonds but her number for those is still pretty high.

DD tried the coconut water I drained from the coconut, I use it in smoothies....no go.  But it is not the same as coconut milk which is coconut mashed with coconut water.  I was thinking I might use that instead of milk when baking. 
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: hedgehog on February 18, 2015, 04:27:10 PM
Keebler makes a cookie, I forget the name, which is like a Girl Scout Samoa.  Yes, it is coconut to, but I taste a lot if the caramel myself.  It might be worth a try. 

Coconut ice cream?  Maybe in flavors that hide the coconut flavor, like a rich chocolate. 

A really easy macaroon recipe is a bag of coconut, a can of sweetened condensed milk, a little vanilla.  Scoop onto a cookie sheet and bake, just until starting to turn golden.
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: Stinky10 on February 18, 2015, 04:31:38 PM
Congrats!

This is the easiest recipe

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/coconut-macaroons-recipe4.html

and it's good.  Read the reviews though as there may be some adjustment needed - I know when I've made it sometimes it's watery - and you don't want that - that makes the edges of the cookies thin - but you can trim that off with sizzors and no one with know.   
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: YouKnowWho on February 18, 2015, 04:44:16 PM
What about using coconut flour?  Granted you would probably have to buy unsweetened flaked coconut and make yourself.  We were using Bob's until Em's tree nut debacle (I think it's shared facility with almonds).
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: hezzier on February 18, 2015, 04:50:32 PM
I know a lot of people will not use trader joe's but I called on their canned light coconut milk and was told there were no tree nuts.  It does not have a strong coconut flavor. 

There is a coconut flour that we have ordered in the past from Tropical Traditions that was safe as well. 
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: GoingNuts on February 18, 2015, 05:13:00 PM
Hooray!  Make her a virgin colada with coconut milk!  Check out Goya, they label well. Add some rum to yours. ;-)
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: becca on February 18, 2015, 06:41:54 PM
Yay!  I agree with GN's recommendation!
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: Macabre on February 18, 2015, 09:47:34 PM
oooh--brilliant GN!

I just had another thought:  DH and I made a coconut milk ice cream for a friend with a dairy allergy at a dinner party we had.  I will look for that recipe. I posted it I think. You can't taste the coconut.  I know--I ate it, and i was only offended by the chocolate taste, not the coconut taste, lol. 

Also--this may not work for you, but DS eats Amy's chocolate ice cream.  The vanilla is too coconutty for me, but the chocolate though I don't like it (because I really don't like chocolate), didn't taste coconutty to me--much.  Just a little.  Our own recipe was better for me, but Amy's is an option for DS. 
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: PurpleCat on February 19, 2015, 07:28:53 AM
I will definitely check out Amy's.  Hoping it is peanut treenut free.

I love GN's recommendation!  Momma could use a cocktail after yesterday!

I also like the idea of coconut flour....might be good in cupcakes and DD does not have to eat large quantities, just a small amount 2 or 3 times a week.

I trust Keebler labels so I will look for those cookies too.

Now the macaroon idea I had, well if they need egg to hold them together, that won't work.  I guess I've never made them before, just bought them for myself during passover when they have the cans at our grocery store.  I have to have four (wheat protein) to change the egg protein to make it tolerable for DD.  She can eat baked egg but not direct egg.  She has reactions to direct egg.

Thanks everybody.  DD is still sleeping.  I am curious how her skin is this morning but not nervous because I scheduled her allergy shots for 1:00 today.  I figure if there is anything weird, the allergy nurse will see her skin and be able to check her.
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: Macabre on February 19, 2015, 08:16:04 AM
The Amy's is fine for peanut. But we don't deal with egg or treenuts.
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: buttons on February 19, 2015, 08:21:58 AM
Congratulations!

I'm not a huge coconut fan, but I put it in homemade granola and it's nice.


eta the necessary exclamation point!
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: hedgehog on February 19, 2015, 05:06:18 PM
No egg recipe

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/homemade-coconut-macaroons
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: PurpleCat on February 20, 2015, 03:04:03 PM
Some success!  DD went grocery shopping with me this morning.  We bought Amy's Mint Choc Chip and Mocha Choc Chip Coconut ice creams, we bought flaked coconut and one bottle of Coconut Water Lemonade.

DD drank the "lemonade" and really liked it. 

She has baked a batch of Hedgie's recipe macaroons adding some chocolate chips, they are cooling now. 

I'm sure she will want some "ice cream" tonight.  So glad she is more positive about eating coconut.  She is at least willing to try and I reminded her she does not have to have it every day and she does not need to eat a lot. 

She was disappointed we did not find Dare coconut cream cookies, but I know where to get those and we left with Whippets which don't have coconut but she has not had in years because of her allergy!

We looked at coconut flour and I bought a jar of coconut oil - it was organic and it was on sale.  The flour bag warned that it requires extra liquid due to the high fiber....so that means experimenting with recipes.  I told DD I'm saving that for another shopping trip after I do some reading.
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: PurpleCat on February 20, 2015, 03:35:49 PM
and she ate 2 macaroons..............   ;D


Thanks for the recipe Hedgie!
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: rebekahc on February 20, 2015, 03:53:57 PM
Quote from: PurpleCat on February 19, 2015, 07:28:53 AM
I will definitely check out Amy's.  Hoping it is peanut treenut free.

I love GN's recommendation!  Momma could use a cocktail after yesterday!

I also like the idea of coconut flour....might be good in cupcakes and DD does not have to eat large quantities, just a small amount 2 or 3 times a week.

I trust Keebler labels so I will look for those cookies too.

Now the macaroon idea I had, well if they need egg to hold them together, that won't work.  I guess I've never made them before, just bought them for myself during passover when they have the cans at our grocery store.  I have to have four (wheat protein) to change the egg protein to make it tolerable for DD.  She can eat baked egg but not direct egg.  She has reactions to direct egg.

Thanks everybody.  DD is still sleeping.  I am curious how her skin is this morning but not nervous because I scheduled her allergy shots for 1:00 today.  I figure if there is anything weird, the allergy nurse will see her skin and be able to check her.

My sister makes awesome vegan cupcakes and I know some of her recipes call for coconut flour.  I'll ask her to send them to me and hope you can find safe coconut flour to use!
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: Macabre on February 20, 2015, 11:03:12 PM
I thought of you twice at the store tonight. Once when I saw the Dare coconit cookies and once when I saw these. No idea about them. One says contains tree nuts. Because, you know, coconit is considered one. :)

(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/McCobbre/Mobile%20Uploads/DD9088A0-AE66-43C8-9203-58208F641BDE_zpsurrvfykl.jpg)
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: hezzier on February 21, 2015, 06:06:58 AM
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/

There are tons of coconut recipes at this site.  This is where we buy our coconut chips (bigger than flaked), oil and flour from.  They have weekly specials and certain items so we try and wait for a good deal or free shipping.  Once I get my kitchen back, I'll need to call again...they've added sesame oil to their list of items, I also see a coconut PB (not an issue for us).
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: PurpleCat on February 21, 2015, 07:49:36 AM
Thank you!

DD asked if there was such a thing as coconut chips and I had no idea!  I will look for those.

Hezzier, there is some great information on this website for us newbies.  Must revisit later.  Sesame and peanuts are DD's 2 highest testing allergens - but even if I can't buy their product the info is great.
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: hedgehog on February 21, 2015, 07:52:46 AM
Quote from: PurpleCat on February 20, 2015, 03:35:49 PM
and she ate 2 macaroons..............   ;D


Thanks for the recipe Hedgie!

I am glad she liked them.  I have been making them that way since I was a kid.  I was well into adulthood before I realized there was any other way.
Title: Re: Coconut Challenge!
Post by: peanutallergies on May 03, 2015, 05:14:10 PM
Quote from: hedgehog on February 19, 2015, 05:06:18 PM
No egg recipe

[url]http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/homemade-coconut-macaroons[/url]


that looks good, will give it a try :yes: