Suncups Review

I recently attended the Food Allergy Bloggers Conference, in Las Vegas.  When I arrived to register at the conference, I was greeted with two bags of swag!  Coupons, pens, magnets, magazines, and oh so many samples of allergy friendly products!  Of course, I needed to do my duty to you, my dear readers, and try each sample...um, did I mention there were several varieties of chocolate?  Yum! So, I rolled up my sleeves and dug in. First up? Suncups!

Suncups are a peanut free alternative to the Reese Cup. I tested the Dark Chocolate Variety, and let me tell you, it was heavenly!  Here are my pros and cons:

Pros:  Delicious, great texture, fantastic flavor, nostalgic (As a peanut allergy mom, with no peanut allergy myself, Reese cups were a favorite of mine growing up, but I haven't eaten one in almost 10 years.) Suncups are free of peanuts, tree nuts, corn, soy, eggs, and gluten. 

Cons: Just one: Contains dairy....BUT...after speaking to the Suncups representative at the conference, AND checking out the Suncups website, I am beyond excited to say that Suncups with be launching a DAIRY-FREE version later this year, or early in 2015. 

Bottom Line:  This product is great, as is, for me and my husband, who both sometimes long for a peanut butter cup. When the dairy free version launches, I'll be first in line to buy an obscene amount of these beauties for my children!  

For more information on Suncups: click HERE to 

visit their website!  

Please read all labels when purchasing products for your food allergic family and friends, to ensure that the product meets your allergy needs.  

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Kale Chips

So simple.  So healthy.  So yummy!  The joy of kale chips!  We got a LOT of kale in our CSA box this week, so we made some kale chips instead of popcorn for our family movie night! Get your kids in the kitchen to help rip some kale!

This recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, soy-free, fish-free, and shellfish-free. Top 8 Allergen Free! As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

Steps marked with an asterisk (*) are child friendly!  

Click HERE for more information! 

Ingredients:

Kale
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. *Remove kale leaves from their tough stems, and roughly chop into large bite sized pieces. 
3. *Toss with olive oil, sprinkle moderately with kosher salt. 
4. *Spread onto baking sheets in a single layer.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes. 

It really couldn't be easier to make this healthy snack!  My 10 year son is getting braces, and popcorn will no longer be on the movie night menu for him.  I felt so proud when he exclaimed (with genuine excitement): "At least I can still have kale chips on movie night!"

 As always, from The Allergy Safe Kitchen, I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!

Serious Comfort Food Series - Sorbet Fruit Cup

Sorbet Fruit Cups

When I was a little girl, my doctor said that the best thing for a sore throat was ice cream.  My six-year old self loved him for that! But, with several dairy-allergic children, ice cream is not a possibility.  Sure, there are great soy-based alternatives, and even some coconut-based frozen treats, but they are in very tiny, very expensive containers.  I needed something that would be lower cost, safe, and maybe even healthy!  Made with only ½ cup of sugar for the entire batch, this recipe is healthy and packed with goodies like vitamins and antioxidants from the fruit! I came up with these Sorbet Fruit Cups and the kids loved them!!!   


Getting ready to make sorbet!

*This recipe is peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free, fish-free, and shellfish-free. As always, check this ingredient list and your local products to make sure that this recipe is allergy safe for your family and/or friends!

Tasty Lunch - Tuna Lettuce Cups

I made one of my favorite tasty lunches today!   Tuna lettuce cups!  This is a great, versatile, kid-friendly cold lunch.  I find it is an easy way to incorporate veggies into a "kid-meal" and every time I make it, it's a little bit different, depending on what is in the fridge!  Here's what I used today:

Ingredients:
approx. 20 oz of canned tuna in water (drained)
Veganaise
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
fresh chopped parsley
fresh chopped dill
1 stalk, plus leaves chopped celery
1 shredded carrot
chopped bell pepper (any color)
crumbled bacon
halved cherry tomatoes
Endive spears for serving
      *Please check the labels when you purchase prepared products, like tuna and Veganaise, to make  
        sure it is a safe choice for your food allergic loved one!

Directions:
Mix tuna, lemon, celery, carrot, chopped parsley and dill, and peppers.  Add as much Veganaise as you like (less for a drier mix, more for a creamier mix).  Spoon tuna salad into endive spears and place two tomato halves on each spear.  Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and serve! 

These lettuce cups have a fresh, light, spring feel, but they are surprisingly filling!  I usually add some red onion or scallions, but we didn't have any in the fridge!  Sometimes I use different herbs or none at all - which is the beauty of this dish - add what you like/have on hand, and leave out what you don't!  For an extra garnish, you can shred some cheese (dairy or soy) over the top as well! 

As always, from "The Allergy Safe Kitchen", I wish you "Good Cooking, and Safe Eating"!