H1N1 Flu Shot and Egg Allergy

My son successfully recieved his first dose of the swine flu vaccine without any egg allergy complications.  A couple of days ago I took him to the doctor for his second.  About a half an hour after we got home I noticed that his leg was swollen pretty bad around the injection site and it was red.  His whole thigh and part of his stomach was blotchy red, his nose was running, his leg seemed to really bother him and he just seemed to not feel well. I called the doctor and they told me to immediately give him Benadryl and put cold compresses on his leg.  Within an hour or so the symptoms began to go away, without any wheezing.  I was told that an egg allergy reaction to the flu shot doesn't always occur on the first injection, but shows up on the second. We were lucky that his wasn't serious. I was never told this, or else I would have waited a while at the office before coming home. I'm glad that he is now vaccinated and I think it's important for all parents do, but if your child has an egg allergy please be cautious and ask lots of questions. We felt a false sense of security after he recieved the first without any issues.

Martha White Corn Meal Mislabeling

The other day I decided to bake my son some corn muffins using Martha White Corn Meal.  While they were baking I decided to call the company just to make sure their mix did not contain eggs. I gave them the barcode number and all the info about the particular bag I purchased. To my shock, I was told that it was mislabeled and that the bag I had contains eggs. I was five minutes away from giving it to my son!! Needless to say the muffins found the garbage!  They apologized and said they would figure out the problem. I wish more companys would take allergies seriously! What an aweful mistake to make.  Please call and inquire about all the products you feed your little ones. I'm glad I did!

Coupons!

I always call and inquire about every new product that I give my son.  I make sure I know what their factory and labeling practices are.  You can't always trust the labels. The wonderful thing is that it seems like everytime I call they end up offering me great coupons just for calling their company. They vary from free stuff to dollars off. So, not only am I spending just a few minutes insuring my sons safety, but I also get something in return!

The Best Allergy Baking Book I've Come Across!!

Today I purchased Kelly Rudnicki's new book, "The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book". I can't wait to make all the recipies in this book! It is so exciting, for a mother of a child with food allergies, to have a wonderful source to turn to for all my baking needs! The recipes are easy to follow, delicious and I already have most of these ingredients in my pantry. My son is already in love with her blueberry bread recipe, so I can't wait for him to discover many more of her safe yummy treats! This is by far the best allergy baking book I have come across! Thank you Kelly for making my baking life easier!

Clay Pumpkins

I love this clay-dough recipe! It's so easy and my kids can use it to make snowmen, pumpkins, ornaments and so much more. Have fun!!

1 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 Cup of salt
About 1/3 Cup of water

Mix the salt and flour in a bowl. Add the water a little at a time. Squeeze and knead the dough until it's smooth. You can add more water if it's crumbly or less if it's too wet. Add more flour if it gets too wet. Now you can let your little ones make whatever their hearts desire and keep it forever! When done sculpting, put creations on a foil covered baking sheet. Bake at 225 degrees. Large ones can take up to an hour each side and small ones as little as 15 minutes. You'll know when they are done, just keep checking on them. I let mine sit out a day or two, just to be sure. Then paint and cover with a coat of clear nail polish when dry.

Flu Shot Testing

Carter finally went for his flu shot testing appointment and even though he is highly allergic to eggs, he was able to successfully receive the flu shot. It ended up being a long day for us though. When we got to the office we were told that they didn't have flu zone available yet, which is for children four and under. My poor son had been off all his allergy medicine for over a week because of this testing. No vaccine, no testing. I left feeling disappointed because we wanted to get him the flu shot as soon as possible and now they said it could be days or weeks. With one phone call to my pediatrician's office I was able to obtain the vaccine myself. I brought it to the allergist's office and he was then tested. They pricked his back with the vaccine, antihistamine, egg and one other. Of course the egg swelled up, but luckily the spot where the vaccine was didn't show much sign of irritation. He was then able to get a full dose at once and we had to wait around for about a half an hour or so. If his back had shown serious signs of irritation, they would have given him a little at a time over a couple of hours. We feel much better now knowing that he is protected and will most likely be able to get the swine flu vaccine. They do want to skin test him again for that one though, just to be sure. If your child has an egg allergy and needs the flu shot, ask an allergist about the testing. It was painless, just itchy. Maybe one day they will make the shots safe for all egg allergic patients without worry!

Flu Shot

I have always been strict about my whole family getting the flu shot every year. This year we are worried about our son because he has an egg allergy and it is not recommended that those with such an allergy get a flu shot. My husband and I both got one, as well as our daughter. His allergy/asthma doctor thinks it is important that he is also protected, so this week we are having him tested for the flu vaccine. They are going to prick his back and put the vaccine on it to see how big of a reaction he has. He has always gotten the flu shot and only had slight reactions, but since egg has been totally eliminated from his diet for a while he could have a shock reaction. If his reaction is okay they will give it to him in the office and watch him for a couple hours. The only reason that I am considering doing it is because he has bad asthma and he needs to be protected if possible. I'll let you know how it goes!

The Best Ever Egg and Nut Free Sugar Cookies!!!

I have tried so many egg free sugar cookie and shortbread recipes, but never found one that my whole family could agree on. Until now!! My mother in law gave me this recipe, but I had to do a few modifications to make to safe for my son. This is the best sugar cookie recipe ever! I hope you think so as well!

1 cup allowed butter, soft
3/4 c sugar
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
1/2 t baking powder (egg free)
1/4 t salt

Combine butter, sugar and vanilla in mixer bowl. Beat at medium until creamy. Reduce to low. Add the remaining ingredients. Beat well. Roll into 1" balls, flatten to 1/4" thickness with your palm or the bottom of a glass that is buttered and sprinkled with sugar. I find that it's easier to use your palm and then sprinkle them with the sugar. Bake 7-9 minutes at 400 degrees, until edges are just slightly golden.

My Favorite Egg Free Bread Recipe

The first white bread recipe that I blogged about is good, but this one is our favorite! It has more flavor and a few more ingredients than the other. The other one is good because most of us already have the ingredients in our pantry. I had to make a special trip to the store for a couple of these ingredients. It was well worth it! This recipe is for a bread machine. It is egg free, but it does contain milk and wheat.

1 1/2lb. loaf -
1 c plus 2 Tablespoons water
2 T allowed oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 T sugar
1 T dry milk
3 1/4 c bread flour
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Add the ingredients in the order given. Use the 1st setting.

Spangler Candy

My son always gets a sucker after his allergy shots and I feel safe about giving them to him since his doctor said they were fine. Today while I was shopping I found them in the candy aisle, they are called Safe-t-pops. On the back of the bag it clearly states that, "This product does not contain peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, or wheat gluten. It has been manufactured on dedicated equipment." These are the only suckers that I feel safe giving my son, also because they have safety loop handles. They are also the makers of Dum-Dums and they too contain this statement.