Talking Allergies

Susan, did you make your tiny fruitcakes?

I always ate quaker instant oatmeal flavored packages prior to the allergy mahem. I have not had them in a long time and was checking them all yesterday at the grocery store...and yes they all contain forbidden milk.

Then I thought DUH (thats my word of the day, I had a few DUH moments lately), buy the plain hot cereals and flavor it yourself. I always liked them with milk or cream, but I used silk for coffee and it was just as good. I bought "red river" hot cereal and had it tonight for supper (my husband is away on business) with a fruit salad. It was so good and my oldest daughter loved it! My youngest is in a "I don't want to try new foods stage" so she did not try. Last time she tried a new food it was chicken and we ended up in the er, so I don't blame her for being hesitant to try new foods.

I'm looking forward to experimenting with cream of wheat (pretty sure no milk), and oatmeal as well. Can't wait to try the flavors I used to like such as apple/cinnamon, peaches/silk for coffee, raisons and spice, maple/brown sugar etc. Hot cereal has made the regular rotation of foods in my house.

No, I ran out of time.

We did make a spice drop cookie and added chopped mixed glazed fruit and glazed cherries(also chopped). (Our daughter calls them Treasure Cookies) We also made Gingerbread men and something called Christmas Lights (balls of red or green cookie dough baked and rolled in confectioners sugar) -she told everyone not to eat them because they tasted bad. We also made a Rice Crispies Treats Christmas Tree (add green food colouring). I had a Christmas Tree cake mold from the dollar store. We decorated it with FruitLoops Winders (unwound and separated) for the garlands and Skittles for the ornaments.

I make instant oatmeal using the bag of instant (rapid or minute) oatmeal, salt, sugar cinnamon and currants. If I'm organised I'll dehydrate apples, cut them up and add them too.

Our daughters daycare provider has been making brownies (from a mix) for the other kids. I thought today that I could make up some milkfree and eggfree mixes for her along with some disposable baking pans. I'll just send a card with the instructions.

I get the ideas, I just need the energy!

Sorry budding in some of the "light" oatmeals are milke free, my sister's son is milk allergic and he eats them. I think the apple?

Hi everyone, I can't tell you how excited I am to learn that Oreos are milk-free and egg-free! I was like saskmommyof2, felt stupid not knowing before now until I read on and learned that it is a recent development. They are my husband's favorite store-bought cookie but we don't keep that stuff in the house with our milk and egg-allergic daughter. I will be shopping tomorrow! I am on the lookout for a dairy-free parmesan substitute . . . anyone know of anything available in Canada? I've been searching the web, keep coming up with "Parmazano", made by Florentino, a dairy-free parmesan, but I can only seem to find UK sites which would involve hefty shipping, duty, exchange, all that stuff. If you have some, please let me know where you get it! Also still looking for a shreddable or pre-shredded cheddar substitute . . .please share!

Here's a list of the little milk-free, egg-free jewels found in my kitchen:
- Kingsmill egg replacer for baking - a godsend - get it if you don't have one already - so much better than the b.soda/oil/water combo - cheap, easy to use.
- Vegenaise - made by Earth Island - dairy and egg-free mayonnaise that actually tastes fine, I use it for pasta salads and sandwiches. Hubby doesn't like it but I don't mind it at all (just a bit bland- need extra s&P)
- all kinds of Tofutti products - cream cheese, sour cream, ice cream sandwiches, ice cream bars, creamsicles, cheese slices . . . check them out at www.tofutti.com - you can even read every product's ingredient list on their site, instead of in the grocery store aisle - so much easier - be careful, some flavors of "ice cream" products contain egg. I have used the sour cream and the cream cheese at social gatherings, not even mixed with anything, and no one knew the difference - they were all being careful to keep it away from my daughter until I told them it was safe - they couldn't get over it
- crackers- plain Ritz, all Teddy Graham flavors, Vegetable Thins, Wheat Thins, French Onions, Ritz peanut butter mini sandwiches,
- most catelli pastas
- cake mixes - a lot of no-name brand white cake mix, and Duncan Hines either lemon or yellow - I can never remember which as I only buy it for birthdays and I have to check them each time - buy the cake mix and use the Kingsmill egg replacer to make the cake - works out fine. Betty Crocker mixes all contain milk
- Duncan Hines whipped frostings (white) (I think the chocolate is safe too). Also some no-name brands (again Betty Crocker is not safe)
- Junior MInts (can you believe it?)
- no-name rice krispie squares (individually wrapped, great for lunch bags). Name-brand (Kraft? - the shiny blue foil packages) contain butter flavoring.
- Chapman's sorbet - my daughter loves it - had it for dessert tonight - she loves the rainbow one for all the colors. - melts very quickly - I don't advise putting it on cake like you would ice-cream - cake will get soggy very quickly
- no-name animal crackers
- Farley biscuits
- arrowroots
- Maple Leaf Top Dogs weiners

for fast foods - McD's and Wendy's kids hamburger meals do not contain milk or egg, according to their websites. My daughter eats them (too) frequently and has never had a reaction. Her milk allergy is moderate; egg is anaphylactic.

Please share any ideas you have on cheese products. I am desperate to make some casseroles, so tired of meat and potatoes every night, but just about every recipe I have calls for cream of some soup, cheese, etc.

Dare has produced a lot of peanut/nut free products. I e-mailed them to see if they could inform me what they make that is also free of contamination from milk and egg. This is the response I recieved:

DARE PRODUCTS FREE OF EGG AND MILK


Vinta
Social Tea
Simple Pleasures: Encore Social Tea, Oatmeal, Lemon Social Tea, Cinnamon Snaps
Breaktime: Oatmeal , Ginger, Sprinkles

for parmesan if soy is ok, there is a Vegan product (they also have a veggie version, but that one has milk) but sitting here I can't remember the name... I just know what it looks like because that brand has Veggie or Vegan written in big letters on their products, so I always think it's their brand, but it's not

Justonemom,

I have a recipe for cream of mushroom soup. I found it a while ago on foodallergy.org. I usually double or triple the batch (make the thickened version), and freeze in a bunch of 1 cup gladware containers, just the right size to substitute for a can in your favorite recipe. You could also alter it to make cream of chicken, brocoli and others. It is an awesome recipe alone as a soup, or as a sauce you are going to love it!!!

1/4 cup onion minced
1 tsp. celery minced
dash of garlic salt
3 tbsp milk free marg
4 oz. chopped mushrooms
2 tbsp flour (wheat, barley or rice )
1 cup chicken broth ( I use homemade vegetable broth, we have a chicken allergy too )
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups non-dairy creamer ( I use silk for coffee )

In medium saucepan, saute onion, celery, and gar;ic salt in margarine until soft. Add mushrooms and brown. Blend in flour stirring continuously over low heat until mixed. Add broth, salt, and non-dairy creamer. Bring to a boil slowly and simmer 2 minutes. Stir continuously.

To alter recipe to thicken ( to use in a cassarole, as a sauce for meat, potatos or pasta )

Add 2 tbsp flour to 1/4 cup broth. Mix to get out all lumps. Add into soup at final stage.

regular ritz crackers
LOOKS as if friut roll ups are o.k - but call first
lilydale gourmet turkey or chicken breakfast suasages
butterball turkey kelbasa
freybe chicken and turkey pepperoni sticks
pc celeb lactose free marg.
no name potato and onion perogies
campbells vegetable soup with abc's - my son loves this soup
several kellogs cereals - kelloggs told me they are aware of the top 10 allergens and always state them on the box
jewish hALLAH BREAD OR BUNS ( ALL MY KIDS LOVE THEM - EVEN THE ONES WITHOUT ALLERGIES)

Hi, just a warning, only the calorie-reduced (blue label) Celeb margarine is milk-free. The regular (red label) contains whey.

I had contacted pc regarding that very margarine. In a very small place on the marg...it has a small orange circle with the word dairy under it, which sparked my interest. Apparently, it is made on the same line as their other margarines., and they do not recommend it for someone with a true allergy, but they make it for those who are lactose intolerant. It seemed to be a case of meeting minimal labeling laws, and not providing the information that it has contacted dairy in an obvious way on the package. I found the fact that it was nowhere near the ingredients, and that you practically need a magnifying glass to read it to be a bit annoying.

This whole margarine lack of a proper "may contain" thing really ticked me off. I now use earthbalance.

Thank you!!! it is the blue menu that I have - I will probably stop using it because I cannot take the chance - that one day it may cause him to have a reaction.

thank you - both. though come to think of it i also called pc - and they assured me that the machines are thoroughly cleaned between batches.
but anyway, i don't want to take the chance.

No problem, that's what this forum's for. One thing that really bugged me was when Celeb first came out as the replacement for PC Too Good to be True (which didn't contain milk), the store employees were telling people they were the exact same product, just a different name. They actually told my brother-in-law this when he was picking up some baking supplies for my sister, who was doing some baking for a family gathering that would include my daughter. Thankfully we caught the error and no bad results. . . You can never be to careful and you have to second-guess everyone.

_________________
Carrie

P.S. Pillsbury ready-made pizza crust and Pillsbury ready-made croissant dough (both in the blue tubes that you break open by twisting) are both milk and egg-free. I use the pizza crust all the time to make homemade pizza and just omit cheese on my daughter's portion. She loves it and so do we!

Justonemom, I started questioning the pc marg. after noticing a small french "equipt laitier" on the old too good to be true marg. I noticed it months after my milk allergic daughter had started using it. That was when I first contacted them and discovered that it too was made on equiptment shared with dairy, and they had the "equipt laitier" on the package to inform customers of this. Not a real warning in my opinion, especially if you don't speak french, which I don't. I just recalled that "lait" was "milk".

Thats why I looked real close at the new ones, found the word "dairy" on it, and phoned the company. Yes, they do wash the equiptment, but is shares equiptment with dairy filled margarine! Yikes!

That is when I had a major margarine crisis and discovered this one

http://earthbalance.net/

You can call the company to locate a retailer in your area if you want to try it.

here are two more:
kraft jet puffed marshmellows
frito lay original baked lays chips