For example, my good friend invited John to her son’s birthday party and I made a special treat like I always do, for John to bring in place of the birthday dessert. I happened to have a lunch date with girlfriends that day, and my husband drove John to the party. But for some odd reason, John told my husband that he didn’t want the special treat, and that it was fine. He’ll just have water or something there. Like most of you, I’m sure, I would have made John bring the treat “just in case”. When I picked up John, he seemed to regret that he didn’t bring it, but after talking a little further about it, I learned that sometimes John just gets tired of having to bring or have the “special” treat. I personally think it is because of all the parties recently, and it can be just as tiring for an 8-year-old boy to be on his guard. As his mom, I can certainly relate.

However, the following email from my school superintendent literally picked up my spirits, and made me feel that little by little, we are getting to the point of regulating how much food we are bringing into our children’s classrooms:

Hi Kelly,

The Ad Council completed their review and have made recommendations for next year that include the restriction/regulation/control of food in the classrooms, but not an out right elimination. Staff and Parent handbooks will be revised to codify these changes.

However, our work is not complete. The new guidelines are still considered “under review.”  We are hoping to work with them and see how implementation goes.  Interestingly, a few teachers have already made comments like, “It might be easier for me to simply avoid the use of food in my classroom.” While this sentiment is clearly not universal, you can see that opinions are changing.

Additionally, we have given the Curriculum Department the task of doing a subject-by-subject audit of the curriculum.  Our goal is to identify every place that teachers are using food as part of their instructional practice. Once identified we will be asking how necessary this lesson is and what controls need to be put in place.

I know that this is not exactly where you want us to be (at the moment). However, we are taking a concerted effort to move in an improved direction.

The superintendent was right in saying that “this is not exactly where I want them to be”, but I am SO HAPPY we taking the next steps to developing a responsible policy that is good for EVERYONE, not just the children with allergies. It is a chance for educators to really pause about how they use food in their curriculum, and to determine if it serves an educational and valuable purpose. I am very proud and happy that this getting the attention it needs. Don’t ever give on your schools; they WILL listen and try to work in the best interests of our children. It may take a while (in my case, YEARS) but in the end, ALL our children will benefit from these healthier and important changes in the classroom.

Finally, I have another blog post up at Martha Stewart’s Whole Living. I’d love for y’all to check it out and post your comments! Thanks so much everyone and here’s to the start of a fun and WARM summer!!

This year I am going to add my Dairy, Egg and Nut Free Chocolate Chip Scones to the mix and serve as an after school snack with tea (for me) and hot cocoa (for them, my kiddos). Of course you could also just make these scones the night before, up to the part of rolling and cutting, put in the fridge on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop them in the oven when you wake up in the morning. Your kids (and probably your husband) will thank you TONS! I think these scones would be a delicious Valentine’s treat for your child’s teacher, wrapped in a pretty little take out box topped with a large silky pink ribbon. A little bribery goes a long way!

Scones are SUPER easy to make. The only trick is to treat them with a light hand and just enough milk to bring the dough together. You don’t want the dough to be too sticky or too dry. I also have indicated adding 1/2 c. dairy free chocolate chips, either the Enjoy Life miniature chips or the larger Divvies chips (available online). In this recipe, I must say I prefer the larger size but it is up to you. I also added 1/4 c. dried cherries because I love the red cherry/chocolate combination. But my FA son John prefers these with no dried berries whatsoever (he’s a chocolate purist!)

Finally, feel free to cut these scones into the traditional triangle scone shape by cutting dough in half, shape each half into a disk, roll to 1/2 inch thickness and cut each circle into 6 wedges. However, I love making these with my kids and using a 2 inch biscuit cutter was easier for my 5-year-old to handle. My 4-year-old loved to brush the melted dairy free margarine on the tops before popping into the oven.

Happy baking everyone!!

DAIRY, EGG AND NUT FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES

6 T. cold dairy free margarine, diced  + 2 T. dairy free margarine, melted for brushing tops

3/4 c. dairy free buttermilk (3/4 c. soy or rice milk mixed with 3/4 T. vinegar, let stand 5-10 minutes)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. unbleached all purpose flour

2 T. granulated sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. dairy free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life or Divvies)

1/4 c. dried cherries or cranberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt with a wire whisk. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut in the 6 T. margarine until mixture resembles large crumbs.

Add vanilla to the “Buttermilk” and mix well. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour “buttermilk” in middle, a little at a time. Stir with rubber spatula until the dough just comes together. Stir in chocolate chips and if using, dried cherries or cranberries.

Transfer dough to lightly floured surface and knead about 15 times. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut dough in half and shape each half into a flattened ball. Roll each ball out into a 1/2 inch thick disk. Use a 2 inch biscuit cutter to cut circles or use a knife to cut each circle into 6 wedges. Place on prepared baking sheet and brush with melted margarine.

Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

By 2 pm I had the urge to bake, not something new, but something familiar. I just wanted to bake and decorate simple sugar cookies with my kids.  I live for these moments of simplicity. At dinner my 4 year old asked if I had a good birthday, and I replied, “the best ever”. He said he loved my birthday too, even more than Christmas.

Baking brings families together and builds memories. Yes, we all love to eat the finished product, but what really matters is the time spent creating with the ones we love. Children with food allergies, especially, deserve to build gingerbread houses, make sugar cookies and decorate them with their favorite icing and sprinkles. They deserve to build memories with their families like any other kid. They deserve this type of normalcy.

Just time for the holidays, I will be at Borders in Wilmette (3232 Lake Avenue, Wilmette IL) THIS Saturday, Dec. 11th at 4 pm decorating allergen safe cookies, as well as answering any questions about food allergies, etc. I hope my local readers can come out with their kids; it will be so much fun!

Happy Baking everyone!!! xxoxo

Two tips: this recipe can be baked in either a 15 by 10 jelly roll pan (for smaller and thinner bars, my kids’ personal favorite) or if you like a thicker bar, use a 13 x 9 metal sheet pan. Also, make sure not to over mix the batter when you add the applesauce. Stir it in and mix until thoroughly combined. Over mixing will produce a tougher result.

I can’t wait for you and your families to try this out!

As a side bar, some of you may already know that my second book, “Vegan Baking Classics” just appeared in stores this week. It is the Vegan version of my first book, The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book. My publisher approached me with the idea to repackage my first book to make it more Vegan friendly and share all those great recipes with another audience. I thought it was a great idea, since I have so many Vegan readers and get emails all the time from Vegans. I omitted some of the non Vegan recipes (gelatin, honey) and also added a dozen or so new recipes as well. The book will look very familiar if you have the first book, but for many people who don’t search for “food allergy titles”, Vegan Baking Classics will be new to them. I am excited for everyone to enjoy all these recipes that are so loved.

I’m also thinking about a third book and would love your input. What types of recipes would you like to see in a new book? Is there anything else that would be helpful to you and your family? I LOVE your input, it helps me more than I could ever say. So thank you in advance….and post or email me anytime. I’ve always said I really feel I have the BEST blog readers…I feel very fortunate to have such a wonderful support network. Thank you Thank you!!

DAIRY, EGG AND NUT FREE SPICED APPLESAUCE BARS

1/2 c. dairy free margarine

1 c. granulated sugar

1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce

1 1/4 tsp. vanilla

2 c. unbleached all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

OPTIONAL: 3/4 c. raisins if desired

Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13 x 9 metal baking sheet or 15 x 10 x 1 inch jelly roll pan (see my note above) with dairy free baking spray. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dairy free margarine with sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1/4 c. applesauce and vanilla and beat well. In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt with a wire whisk. Add to margarine mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in applesauce (add add optional raisins if desired) and spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake 22-25 minutes or until lightly browned and cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely, cut into squares and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

So while Halloween at school was a success, I recently ran into an issue at my son’s cafeteria that I felt had to be addressed. I’ve written in the past about how happy I’ve been with our cafeteria’s food allergy policy, and how I am especially grateful for our head chef lady. It is because of her willingness to make changes and be diligent about food safety that John has been able to order from the lunch line several times. I NEVER thought this would be possible due to the extent of his allergies. However, the head chef lady prepares food separately in her kitchen for John, orders food from the vendor that has minimal allergens in it, and makes a lot of her food from scratch (as opposed to the overly processed, frozen junk most food vendors carry).

The head chef lady has even offered to stock plain popsicles that John can have on Friday’s Treat Day (where all the kids have the opportunity to buy cookies and ice cream for dessert). She also tried get soy milk on the menu so the kids with dairy allergies and vegan diets could enjoy a nutritional drink too instead of having to order juice. We ran into our first stumbling block with that initiative and that request was denied by the school district for reasons that still baffle me.

Which brings me to an issue that came up yesterday in John’s lunchroom. Last year, I had a list of menu items I knew John could safely eat from his cafeteria. This year, I have had to start all over again, because many of the “safe” products that John has previously enjoyed have been switched out for different brand names. Case in point: Chicken Tenders was on the menu and John was so excited to order this item again, as he had ordered them last year. I then did what I have always done; told John sure, but we have to go talk to the chef lady to double check the boxes and ingredients. I stopped in after dropping John off to his class, went to the freezer to look at the packaging and sure enough, the new chicken tenders had milk in it. I promptly informed the chef lady of this, who profusely apologized and had no idea. It wasn’t her fault; the head cafeteria administrator did the ordering and has changed products. Even though the nutritional value is the same, this person switched brand names for no apparent reason and with no regard for the added allergens in the product.

This is a great example of why we always have to check ingredients EVERY SINGLE TIME our children eat in the lunchroom. Take nothing for granted, because anything can change. What I am annoyed about is that John, and other kids with allergies were starting to enjoy the same freedom of walking through a lunch line that the other kids did. Even the head chef lady acknowledged that she saw John light up with a smile every time he could walk with a tray like his friends did.

I contacted the higher powers at our school about this and asked them to give the purchasing power back to the individual chefs at each of our school district’s cafeterias. They are the ones in constant contact with food allergy parents, and more closely monitor labels than a head administrator. I’ll keep you posted on the outcome.

When I used to work in the city, I loved to visit Ghirardelli’s Chocolate Shoppe for a tall mug of hot cocoa to go. Over the years, I’ve turned to this easy do-it-yourself hot cocoa mix because it reminds me so much of that decadent hot cocoa I used to enjoy. There’s nothing better than warm chocolate to soothe the soul, especially on a chilly fall day. All you need is soy milk, Hersey’s cocoa powder and a little sugar. Oh, and a mere five minutes on the stove top. The best part? The aroma of simmering chocolate on the stove top can’t be beat.

Upcoming Event alert: If you are in the Austin, Texas area be sure to sign up for a holiday baking class with me at the Whole Foods Culinary School on Saturday, Nov. 14th. I’ll be hanging around afterward to sign books and talk about my favorite allergen free baking tips. Hope to see you there! Happy Baking everyone!

DAIRY FREE HOT COCOA

Yield: 4 servings

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hersey’s)

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. water

3 1/4 c. plain soy or rice milk

Allergen free marshmallows, for topping, if desired (I use Kraft Jet Puffed Marshmallows)

In a medium saucepan combine cocoa powder and granulated sugar with wire whisk. Add water and heat mixture over medium high heat until it comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in soy milk and reduce heat. Simmer five minutes and serve in fun mugs with allergen free marshmallows.

• PREPARE TO HANDLE THE HALLOWEEN TREAT FOR SCHOOL PARTIES: Ever since John started preschool I have designated myself as the “Snack and Treat Mom” for all holiday parties.  Sometimes, I’ve had to combat with some moms who were adament about sending in their child’s favorite peanut m&m’s.  But over time, as there has been more awareness over the danger of food allergies, I’ve had less resistance. I like to offer a treat that also serves as a craft: pumpkin shaped plain sugar cookies (see my recipes section), bowls of allergen safe icing, candies and sprinkles to decorate. I also love to serve fresh fruit kabobs to the kids along with the cookies. Too much sugar CAN be a bad thing….
• LOAD UP ON ALLERGEN SAFE CANDIES AHEAD OF TIME: There are some good allergen safe candy choices at the store. Our favorite every year are Smarties, Starburst Plain, Original Skittles and those fabulous little Dum Dum Suckers. I fill a huge bowl with all of these and let my kids pass the candy out to all the trick or treaters.
• GO TRICK OR TREATING: What makes Trick or Treating so much fun is not just getting candy, but the act of running from house to house with your family and friends and waiting for the perfect moment to scream “Trick or Treat!”. This is probably John’s favorite part, even more so than getting the candy. We have had a strict rule since he was old enough to talk that there is NO eating on the way. But I always have a backup bag of “safe candy” in my purse if he whines loud enough. So we all just go from house to house, trick or treating like everyone else.
• WHEN YOU ARRIVE HOME WITH YOUR CHILD, ASK HIM TO HAND OVER THE BAG: This is discussed several times prior to Halloween so there are no surprises or issues. The full bag of treats is handed over to me for even exchange of my own bag of “safe treats, cookies and candies. In addition, I pack either a Target gift card or special toy I know he’s been asking for (this year it’s a DS game (on sale of course…). When John was in preschool hot wheels and little trucks did the trick.
• DONATE THE RELINQUISHED BAG OF CANDY: Our school collects excess candy to give to nursing homes and homeless shelters, so it is easy for us to trade our candy in. If your school doesn’t do this already, consider asking your principal to start this year. It’s a wonderful way to give back to others.
• SIT BY THE FIRE, ENJOY A CUP OF MULLED CIDER A WARM DINNER IN THE CROCKPOT: My sister has a tradition of having sloppy joes in the crockpot waiting for her overtired and sugar-crazed trick or treaters. I inherited this great tradition from her and it is a wonderful way to end the evening of craziness. The kids warm up their toes, eat a good dinner and talk about how much fun they had. Again, the less emphasis put on food and candy, the better. So, in the end, John’s Halloween isn’t much different from anyone else’s.  Halloween doesn’t have to be so scary, right?

I’m sure many of you have your own tried and true Halloween tips and tricks….I’d love to hear them!

Happy Halloween!

Disneyland: This was the main reason we travelled to California in the first place. My kids have never been, and neither have I.  I had always dreamed of going as a kid, and now at 34 years old I can finally say I did. It literally took my breath away to walk into the front gates and down Main Street. Everything was as magical as I had imagined it all these years. I was seeing it all for the first time, right alongside my own children. That is a moment I will treasure for a long time. Disneyland should really be called Dreamland, especially for those with food allergies. Snack carts were overflowing everywhere with healthy choices such as watermelon slices, grapes, apples, pineapple, etc. Just before lunch time I literally bumped into a head chef at Disney, Chris Justensen. I asked him the best place to eat with food allergies, and he responded with not only the best places, but he was incredibly well versed in food allergy awareness, cross contamination issues, their food safety protocol, and ingredient lists. He even let me know that if a reaction were to occur on the grounds, emergency services would be there in minutes. The only negative was that Divvies was not sold there (I think Disneywold has them). I asked if they are going to put it on the menu again, and his reaction seemed to indicate no.

Legoland: Another great, kid friendly place with more rides and fun interactive stuff for the kids. They also had healthy snack carts (although no one beats Disney for doing things right….they’re kind of like Martha Stewart). We had lunch back at our hotel room that day, but dinner out at a local brewery was fabulous and our servers and chef were very responsive to our food allergy questions.

Wild Animal Park/San Diego Zoo: We took a Wild Animal Safari ride as well as saw Dino Mountain (well, my husband took the older two while I hung back with my two little scaredy cats). Again, we came back later to have lunch in our room but had a fabulous Italian dinner in one of the nearby coastal towns with gorgeous views. Our servers there were also very attentive to our food allergy concerns.

San Diego Padres Game: Yes, baseball games are typically a food allergy nightmare (especially with a severe peanut allergy) but my son is obsessed, I mean OBSESSED with baseball so we really wanted to show him a newer park that is totally different than our beloved Wrigley Field. We sat in bleacher seats, which are very kid friendly and have grassy spots, as well as a sand pit in the outfield where young kids can play with their sand buckets while mom and dad watch the game. Upon arriving at our designated seats, I saw just a few peanut shells that I removed. John sat in his seat and never moved anyway because his eyes were glued to the game. He LOVED it and I am so glad he got to go.

Sea World: This is another park that knows how to handle medical issues and food allergy questions. When we first entered the park, the security who checked my bag saw my EpiPens and proceeded to give me a map of all the nearest first aid stations in the event an allergic reaction occured. Later in the day when we were watching one of the famous Sea World shows, that information came in handy since my 4-year-old suffered his first bee sting. He screamed out in pain, and I immediately removed him to outside the show. I got a hold of medical personnel who treated my little guy. We were initially a little concerned as we didn’t know if he was allergic to bee stings so we kept a close eye on him for 30 minutes. All turned out OK in the end.

Hotel del Coronado: One of the most majestic, gorgeous and beautiful hotels I have ever seen. We took in breathtaking views of the island as well as the the historic hotel. Marilyn Monroe filmed “Some Like It Hot” there, and there amazing photo opportunities throughout the grounds. We had a beautiful lunch there, and the servers were awesome. The chef even came out with the hot dog bun wrappers to show me the ingredient list himself. It was perfect.

We still have the weekend here as my BFF from Scottsdale is driving in with her two adorable kids tomorrow. Then we are leaving Monday…and here’s to hoping for another safe and uneventful flight back home to the Windy City. I’m a changed person after this trip. I used to worry obsessively over travelling with John, but this expereince has opened our eyes that as long as we prepare well enough, a trip away from home can be a happy and memorable experience.

One more side note: my good blogging friend Lissa at Raising Food Allergic Kids is doing a fun contest with Kim & Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels (my personal good friends as well, and they are VERY food allergy aware….way more than most companies). Visit her site at www.rfak.org for more information….

Have a great weekend everyone!

Below is my response to our school superintendent:

Thank you for the follow up. I am disappointed the Ad Council wouldn’t take the initiative and just eliminate food from birthday celebrations.  Clearly we aren’t banning the celebration of “birthdays” from the classroom environment, we are simply eliminating food. Given the alarming rate of childhood obesity and substantial rise in food allergies among school aged children, I am shocked the Wellness Council and Ad Council would advocate otherwise. The backlash(if any) is most likely limited to a handful of teachers and parents, and the majority of parents I have spoken to would welcome this change wholeheartedly. We all agree that the food itself shouldn’t be the center of the celebration, but rather the celebration itself.

I agree with the fact that staff buy in is critical in any successful implementation, but I would imagine the majority of teachers would love to eliminate the mess and hassle of food anyway. Also, it is often forgotten that children with food allergies are often excluded from these activities or singled out by having their parents make special accommodations (for the record, sometimes me or other parents I know haven’t been given sufficient time or warning from the teacher with regard to bringing in a special treat for their child. Again, an unnecessary hassle).

I appreciate the recommendation of a Treat Resource Guide for teachers. However, after the resource guide is issued to staff, how will you measure teacher feedback and implementation? Do you have a process in place that will determine how many teachers adopt a non food birthday policy? When will you collect this data and how will we (parents) learn of its findings? When will the Ad Council meet again to discuss this issue, and how do they plan to use the data to determine when and if a change will be made? In my opinion it seems like this approach is a lot more work and unnecessary time will be spent discussing the value of food and how it relates to the educational impact of a child’s day.

My husband and I are very appreciative of your support and willingness to speak on our behalf. However, we are frustrated that this issue is really an issue at all. More and more school districts already have a Non Food Birthday Policy in their schools. It is a provision with many positives and few negatives, yet we can’t implement it. I truly hope that we can come up with a solution that benefits everyone.

And so I did, and the end result is this: the Dairy, Egg and Nut Free Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies. They remind me so much of the taste and texture of a Little Debbie treat, and so John was able to have his “Little Debbie” moment too. These little cookies are somewhat delicate because of its chewy texture so store them in between squares of parchment paper in an airtight container to maintain its freshness.

As the unofficial treat mom for my children’s class and sports parties, I like to make  a fun and colorful platter of these cookies, along with my chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip brownies and snickeroos. There’s literally something for every-one’s tastes. I also like to include a pretty tray of fruit kabobs, because kabobs are way more fun to eat then a little bowl of fruit. Whether or not you are making treats this week, give the Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies a try; I know you and your kiddos will love them.

Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

2/3 cup dairy-free margarine

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

2/3 cup dairy-free buttermilk (1 T. vinegar mixed with 1 cup Soy or Rice Milk)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine margarine, sugar, applesauce, buttermilk, and vanilla. In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt with a wire whisk. Add to margarine mixture, and mix on low for about 1 minute to combine. Increase speed to medium high, and beat for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 400ºF, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a  cookie scooper to place batter onto baking sheet. Bake 7 to 10 minutes, or until set. Cool completely on baking sheet.

The response from the superintendent went along the lines of “I agree the 504 Plan needs to be amended. That was it. No one apologized for miscommunication, the slip up, for anything. My son’s life could have been at risk and I got the sense that little tidbit was overlooked. In fact, in my follow up email to them both, this is what I wrote:

This is no longer an acceptable and appropriate action, due to the fact that all the accommodations were in place (including notifying me if food will be served) and due to human error, mistakes were still made. For the record, are you saying there isn’t language in the 504 Plan that states I would be notified if food is served? I would never agree to a 504 that says this, as I have always strongly advocated that I am in direct contact with his teachers over celebrations, etc. Including the fact that I have asked to be his room mom every single year because I wanted to oversee how class celebrations were handled. I have even gone so far as purchasing safe treats for every activity just to ensure his safety.

I was Ian & Margery‘s guest this morning on FM107.1 Minneapolis/St. Paul.

You can listen to the segment here:

Here’s a link to the MP3 file: Interview by Ian & Margery on FM107.1

Eating the Irish way on St. Patrick’s Day inevitably means serving some variation of Corned Beef and Cabbage. A wonderful and traditional accompaniment to this dinner is the Irish Soda Bread. The Soda Bread itself has a long history in Ireland, dating back to 1840 when bicarbonate of soda was first introduced to the country. It became especially popular after the Famine Years, since the baking soda replaced the more expensive yeast in bread recipes. Traditional Irish Soda Bread recipes have just four ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. Other add ons like currants, raisins and caraway seeds were introduced later as a way to give more flavor and variety.

I love the flavor of currants and caraway seeds so I’ve included them in my Dairy Free Irish Soda Bread. Also, since my recipe is dairy free, it uses a buttermilk substitute by simply adding vinegar to soy milk. Many soda bread recipes are shaped into a free form loaf and have an X marked on the top. It is written that the X is meant to ward off evil but a far more common explanation for the X is to give a guideline for cutting slices. Mine is simply put into a round baking pan. What could be simpler?

Enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day, whether you’re Irish or not!

DAIRY FREE IRISH SODA BREAD

Yield: 1 round loaf

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup currants

3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds

11/2 cups dairy-free buttermilk (2 T. vinegar mixed with 2 cups soy milk, let stand 5-10 minutes)

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a wire whisk. Slowly add the buttermilk, and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Stir in currants and caraway seeds.

Preheat oven to 350ºF, and spray a 9-inch cake pan with dairy-free baking spray. Place batter into prepared pan, and bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned.

My daughter Chloe particularly likes these waffles which is shocking to me because she normally is a white starch type of girl (like me I guess!). I used to buy Van’s waffles but one day long ago got freaked out by the “shared facility” disclaimer and set out to make my own waffles. I promise you will fall in love with this recipe. Enjoy!

DAIRY, EGG AND NUT FREE WHOLE WHEAT WAFFLES

2 T. water

1 ¾ c. soy or rice milk

½ c. vegetable oil

2 c. whole wheat flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 T. light brown sugar

¼ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 200 degrees and heat a waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions.

In a large bowl mix the water, soy milk and vegetable oil with a wire whisk until combined. In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients with a wire whisk and add the water mixture. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix; lumps are fine.

Spray the inside of the waffle iron with dairy free cooking spray. Pour enough batter to spread to edges. Close and bake according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer waffles to warmed oven and repeat with remaining batter.

Yield: 16 waffles

(Tip:  Freeze extra waffles by placing in reseal able plastic bag with parchment or wax paper in between layers. Label with name and date; freeze up to 2 months) To reheat unwrap waffles and toast at the low setting in a toaster.)

For those of you who want to make something chocolaty try these simple Dairy, Egg and Nut Free Chocolate Chip Brownies. I have to say developing the perfect brownie recipe wasn’t easy. Some people love cakey, some love fudgy. I love a combination of both. Of course since nuts aren’t an option in my brownies I added some Enjoy Life chocolate chips to give some extra ooomph. The secret to this recipe’s success is the ingredient silken tofu. It gives the brownie the right lift and texture in order to achieve that perfect balance of cakey and fudgy.

I always make a double batch of these and line my 8 inch square pan with aluminum foil sprayed with dairy free baking spray. When the brownies cool you may lift out the brownies and cut into perfect squares using a serrated knife. Alternatively use a two inch heart cookie cutter and make little chocolate hearts. Dust with a generous helping of confectioner’s sugar and your kids will go nuts (pun intended) for these!

DAIRY, EGG AND NUT FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP BROWNIES

½ c. dairy free shortening

1 c. granulated sugar

½ c. silken tofu

1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 c. unbleached all purpose flour

½ c. cocoa

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

½ c. dairy free mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8 inch square baking dish coated with dairy free baking spray.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine shortening, sugar, tofu and vanilla thoroughly. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt with a wire whisk. Add to the shortening mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

Spread batter into prepared baking pan and bake 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Yield: 16 bars

Another “journalist” professed his own theory in last week’s LA Times OP ED piece. Joel Stein’s “Yuppie Invention” talks about how food allergies aren’t all that big of a deal. Here are his written low lights:

“It is strange how peanut allergies are only an issue in rich, lefty communities”

“Genes certainly don’t cause 25 % (hey Joel, you should have checked your AP stylebook; percent is written out. Remember?) of parents to behave that their kids have food allergies, when 4 % do. Yuppiedom does. 

“Your kid doesn’t have an allergy to nuts. Your kid has a parent who needs to feel special. Your kid also spends recess running and screaming “No! Stop! Don’t rub my head with peanut butter!”

Mr. Stein closes his article with the very scientific observation that he once downed a lot of peanuts at a bar, and his throat became tingly. He chased down some beer and forgot all about it. Brilliant writing.

When I was in journalism school I lived and breathed all things Edward R. Murrow. In case some of you don’t know who Murrow was, he was the pioneer in broadcast journalism who set the highest standard for other journalists. Two of my favorite Murrow quotes came to mind when reading Mr. Stein’s piece:

“Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices – just recognize them.”

“To be persuasive we must be believable, to be believable we must be credible, to be credible we must be truthful”.

Truthful Mr. Stein was not. Instead, he was outrageous, uneducated and quite frankly an embarrassment to the code of ethics set forth by journalists. Check your facts, be truthful, put your own agenda aside and respect the power that has been granted to you. The freedom of the press is so important we protect it in the contstitution, but when wannabe journalists like Mr. Stein abuse their platforms to write stupid articles it is an abuse to all journalists. Viewers and readers across the country are losing their trust in the media. We expect more. And as Newton Minnow once predicted that TV would become “a vast wasteland”, the print media is just as guilty.

In the meantime, I thought I’d pass on Mr. Stein’s email address. Let’s try to educate him as well as hold him accountable for his careless writing.

Joel Stein: jstein@latimescolumnists.com

 My obsession with cinnamon and bread started when I was a child. My mom would make me cinnamon toast when I was sick or just because. That infatuation with cinnamon carried over when I lived on a kibbutz and there was nothing else I wanted to eat in the kibbutz dining hall. They didn’t have much, but they had cinnamon toast! Then in my college days, when I was working and going to school and I didn’t have  a lot of extra money to shop for groceries I turned to my old standby again; cinnamon toast. It has been my friend for life.

Now my kids share my deep love and respect for cinnamon toast. And they love this bread too. It tastes jut like cinnamon coffee cake with lots of delectable cinnamon crunchies on top. When I pull the bread out of the oven I tell everyone to backoff for ten minutes (like anything it needs a little time to rest) and then we dig in. Between my four kids and husband, it’s gone within 30 minutes. Hope you enjoy it with your family during these vacation days at home.

CINNAMON CRUNCH BREAD

This bread has a delicious layer of cinnamon crunch on top. My family usually devours this loaf soon after it comes out of the oven.

¼ c. shortening

¾ c. sugar

2 T. water

2 c. flour

¾ tsp. salt

1 T. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

1 c. soy or rice milk

TOPPING

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ c. sugar

2 tsp. melted margarine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan with dairy free baking spray.

Cream shortening and sugar well, add water. Beat until fluffy.

Mix flour salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to shortening mixture alternating with soy milk.

Pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle top with cinnamon mixture. Bake for 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean and topping is crusty brown. Cool 10 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 12 servings

I said sure, but also wondered why some moms still sent in candy when I already said I was going to donate all the items. I suppose there is always one or two who still want to participate and send something in anyway.

He showed me all the bags of red hots, mints, gum drops and other traditional gingerbread house candies. Every single one of them had one or more of the ingredients John is allergic to. Proved my point…if I didn’t send to school all the supplies we would have run into the same situation for the fourth year in a row. As painful as it was forking over the $80 dollars, that moment alone made it worth it. One thing is for sure: I will be in John’s classroom tomorrow to make sure those other bags of candies aren’t opened.

To the average person who doesn’t have to face these food allergy safety issues it must seem like we are the food police. But the reality is we are simply protecting our children, not only physically but emotionally. I’ll never apologize for going to these lengths to make my son safe and feel included. The most meaningful thing to me is that whenever I have baked or brought ingredients to school I always get a warm smile from my son as I leave, his way of thanking me for thinking of him. And that is really all that matters.

Here is the recipe that won them all over:

DAIRY, EGG AND NUT FREE PUMPKIN PIE

Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete with a creamy pumpkin pie. This version is lighter than traditional versions made with evaporated milk and eggs. If you are short on time and want to use a store bought crust, Pillsbury brand will do. It doesn’t contain any dairy or eggs.

½ recipe Best Pie Dough for 9 inch pie

1 ½ c. silken tofu, whipped in blender until creamy

¾ c. packed light brown sugar

½ tsp. good quality vanilla extract

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground cloves

1 15 oz. can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fit chilled pie dough into 9 inch pie plate and trim dough to form a rim. Crimp with fingertips. Line dough with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until crust is very light brown, about 15 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. In the large bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine ½ c. whipped tofu, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, spices and canned pumpkin  Add remaining 1 c. whipped tofu and beat well. Pour mixture into prepared pie plate and bake 15 minutes. Decrease temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 50-60 minutes or until set. Cool to room temperature on wire rack, then refrigerate.

BEST PIE DOUGH

¾ c. cold dairy free shortening (buy in stick form, and cut into small pieces)

1/2 tsp. salt

2 c. all purpose flour

4-5 T. ice cold water

Combine flour and salt in a food processor. Add chunks of shortening and pulse a few times until mixture is crumbly. Add water one tablespoon at a time, pulsing until dough just comes together. Transfer mixture onto floured board, and divide into two disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour or frozen up until one month.

Pumpkin Bread Slices: See my recipe for for Pumpkin Bread. Cut into smaller bite size pieces for little hands.

Cranberry Orange Muffins: See recipe below

Corn Muffins: See recipe below

Allergen Free Turkey Trail Mix: My kids mix up this “Turkey Trail Mix” from bowls of Raisins, Dried Cranberries, Mini Pretzels, Dairy Free Mini Chocolate Chips, Kix Cereal, Marshmallows. Feel free to add to or omit according to your own preferences.

Fresh Clementine and Apple Slices: Place peeled Clementine and Apple slices in a pretty little dish. Perfect for little hands, no peeling required!

It is a festive, beautiful and relatively healthy assortment of baked treats and fruit. Try a few for your own little turkey’s class parties! Here are my Cranberry Orange and Corn Muffins….they’re super easy to handmix in a bowl with your kids.

CRANBERRY ORANGE MUFFINS

1/3 c. vegetable oil

¾ c. soy or rice milk

1 T. water

1 ¾ c. all purpose flour

½ c. granulated sugar, divided

2 ½ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. salt

1 c. fresh cranberries, roughly chopped

Grated zest from 1 orange

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and generously spray 12 cup muffin pan with dairy free baking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl mix vegetable oil, soy milk and water with a wire whisk. In a separate medium bowl combine flour, ¼ c. granulated sugar, baking powder and salt with a wire whisk. Add flour mixture to vegetable oil mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined; do not over mix.

In a small bowl combine cranberries, remaining ¼ c. sugar and orange zest, fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned and cake tester comes out clean.

EASY CORN MUFFINS

3 T. vegetable oil

1 c. soy or rice milk

1 T. water

1 c. all purpose flour

1 c. yellow cornmeal

2 T. granulated sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and generously spray 12 muffin pan with dairy free baking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl combine vegetable oil, soy milk and water with a wire whisk. In a separate medium bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt with a wire whisk. Add to vegetable oil mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned and cake tester comes out clean.