Project: "Food Allergy Friendship"

I had an idea a few weeks ago to unite other food allergy moms that was inspired out my friendship with another food allergy, Michelle. This friendship has taught me just how important it is to have a connection with another food allergy moms.

I know many of my readers do not know any other moms that face the struggles a food allergy mom faces. They have no one that really understands the unique challenges they face each day. I would like to help that change.

Project: "Food Allergy Friendship"

Project: "Food Allergy Friendship" is a program that I am starting for the readers of this blog. If you want to connect with another food allergy mom, this is for you!

I will start a database of readers that are interested in participating in the program and will attempt to connect two food allergy moms in hopes of a friendship developing.

Below is a questionnaire that I will ask anyone that is interested in participating in the project to fill out. Some of the questions are a little detailed. You do not have to answer any questions that you do not want (i.e. your location). Each question is an attempt on my part to connect you with another mom (hopefully geographically close to you) that has a child with similar food allergies and other personal similarities.

Name:

Location:

Email address:

Food Allergies in Your Home:

What you would like in a food allergy mom friendship:

Other information you would like to share:

For those who wish to participate, please send an email to peanutallergykid AT gmail DOT com with answers to these questions. I will acknowledge your email and then put you into a database.

Once I have several moms (hopefully that won't take long!), I will match two moms up based on their answers to these questions. Once I have a match for you, I will email you your allergy mom's (or dad's) information. I will then leave it up to you and the other mom (or dad) to connect.

I would love to post some testimonies from this program uniting food allergy moms and dads soon!

When Blog Readers Become Friends

When I started this blog last summer I did not know any other mothers that had a child with a peanut allergy. Part of my hope for this was blog was to connect with a few other mothers who lived with my reality everyday.

Early this year a local mom contacted me after discovered this blog. Through emails and eventually meeting up at our local support group, we struck up a friendship. There is a bond that two peanut allergy moms have that is difficult to put into words.

We often find it humorous how, between the two of us, we have 4 Epi Pens, an overabundance of baby wipes, and enough Benadryl for a small army.

One wonderful benefit, however, is that we trust each other's food. We know the other one cooks in a totally nut free environment and has done their homework on safe foods. Its one of the few times we don't freak out when someone else feeds our PA child.

Last week we took advantage of one of the last few warm Michigan days to get our two PA boys together. There is a special bond between these two boys that their mothers may never fully comprehend.

And there is a bond between two allergy moms that is hard to describe to someone who does not have children with food allergies.

Who knew peanut allergy boys could be so cute?


Thanks Michelle for the friendship! I am not sure how I could have made it through the last couple of months without it!!

Do you have a friendship with another food allergy mom? If so, we'd love to hear about it. If not, tune back in tomorrow for a project I am working on to connect other food allergy moms. I know many of us can and will benefit from these type of food allergy friendships!

Getting Rid of Eczema: An Update on High Fructose Corn Syrup

While I will share a few more things I have done to clear up Tyler's eczema in the next few weeks, I just couldn't resist posting more about my most successful step: eliminating high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

When I wrote about this important step 6 weeks ago, I knew I was onto something important. But the last 6 weeks have reinforced this notion.

In case you haven't read that post, let me sum it up for you: Stay away from high fructose corn syrup! If you are battling eczema, don't even consider skipping this step!

Here are some highlights on this step in the journey from the past 6 weeks:

• HFCS is not a life-threatening issue. So, on some social occasions, I let Tyler eat or drink it. A few weeks ago, one of Tyler's Sunday School teachers noticed Tyler's eczema flared up within minutes of him drinking a HI-C fruit drink. I knew it would eventually appear but not that quick. After a few more trail and error issues, she was indeed right. Just minutes!

• Now that Tyler knows what HFCS syrup does to him, he purposely avoids it. I have explained to him that it is not as serious as peanuts but he does need to watch it. He's only 4 but is now asking people, "Does this have corn syrup in it?" If they tell him it does, he prefers water or a juice alternative I provide. He's not interested in the eczema flare ups. Smart kid!
  

• I had never heard of the HFCS/eczema connection when I tried it. I was just experimenting since I read how unhealthy it was for you. Wow! It made such a difference! I mentioned my findings to our allergist recently and he said he had several other patients that have discovered the same thing.

So, while this concept is not anything deserving of the Nobel peace prize or anything, it is something I simply feel like I had to revisit. Its true there are other things I do to keep Tyler in optimal health, but the elimination of HFCS is at the top of list. It keeps moving higher. Its like a miracle cure for eczema.

Have you tried this step in eliminating eczema? If so, has it worked?

This Week Last Year on PA Kid

Last year here's what I was blogging about:

A Trip to the Cider Mill
A trip with extended family to a local cider mill.

Review of the Book "The Peanut Butter Jam"

All About Cakes: Part 1 & Part 2
About my fun taking a cake decorating class so I can make safe cakes for my kids' birthdays

Just Say No to Sunflower Seeds...for Now
My nerves on overdrive over feeding Tyler sunflower seeds

Weekend Discussion: How is School Going?

If you read yesterday's post, you saw we started school this week. I had more anxiety than anyone! But, there were a few bright points. And lots of educating I can do to help get rid some Moms of the "food allergy Mom" stigma.

I know I am not the only one who experienced good and bad, as it relates to my PA child's back to school experience.

We will start the weekend discussion now that life is back in full swing with fall here. I enjoy reading others' experiences and I know my readers do, too. We can all learn so much from each other!

So here's this week's kick off question:

How is school going? Good or bad? Something you learned that can help the rest of us?

Leave us a comment or visit our Facebook group to discuss it on the boards there.

First Day of Preschool

Tyler started a new preschool this week. While the food situation in this school is actually much better, I still started out with a lot of anxiety.

Last week I met with his teacher twice. In the beginning, I thought she had never had a child with a food allergy. In the end, I think she has not had the best encounters with food allergy moms. I have made it my mission for her to have positive feelings the next time she meets one of us.

I am required to provide all of Tyler's food, which I am fine with since parents take turns providing food. The room will be completely nut free. I will also be required to attend all of his field trips. Another good thing!

Last week during one parent meeting, I was asked to speak to the other parents. {Gulp} I explained Tyler's allergy and the fact I will provide all of his food. Some asked if they were allowed to bring food in that was processed in a facility with peanuts. I told them that was fine, since Tyler will be eating his own food.

One mother asked, very confused, why Tyler couldn't eat something simple she brought in, like a chocolate chip cookie without nuts. I did my best to explain cross contamination. Its a hard concept to grasp the first time you hear it.

Preschool...nerves...food...new teacher....new parents. Its been a full food allergy week in our home!

All in all, I think this will be a good year at preschool for Tyler!

Review of IM Healthy Soynut Butter

Since we were advised by our allergist last year to avoid sunflower seeds I had debated about soynut butter. I didn't want to confuse Tyler since it looked so much like peanut butter. Plus, I heard rumors it was not all that great. So I was reluctant to try it.

Occasionally we go places where we need to take our lunch (like the zoo, etc). I am not a big fan of lunch meat and got a little tired of this summer. On a whim at the store about a month ago, I saw "IM Healthy Soynut Butter" and picked it up.

I felt confident Tyler completely understood the difference between peanut butter or alternative type spreads. Plus, he is not a picky eater so, even if it was not the greatest, I thought he would eat it.

He was so excited to try it. I had not even unpacked the groceries before he was begging me to open it and slap it on bread.

Before I gave it to him, I took a taste. I am a pretty picky eater so I was not expecting much. And you know what?

It was good!!

Plus, Tyler absolutely loved it!! He was thrilled to have a peanut butter alternative. I realized were it not for our PA reality, he would probably love peanut butter.

Overall, I think I prefer Sunbutter just a little more. But, IM Soynut Butter is a close second. Plus, its a great alternative if you are avoiding sunflower seeds.

For those of you wondering, this product is made in a completely peanut free facility.

"Mommy Reactions"

You might think I posted this picture just to show you how cute Tyler looked in his tuxedo this past Saturday. You would, of course, be partly correct!

Tyler was the ring bearer for a friend's wedding and it served as another great reminder of food safety for children with a peanut allergy. And what it's like to be a peanut allergy mom.

As with most weddings, there was food involved. Always a source of anxiety for this peanut allergy momma!

From the moment the bride asked Tyler to be in her wedding, she assured me they would do all they could to make the food peanut allergy safe. She called me from the store as she bought some of the ingredients. She asked intelligent questions that showed me she truly cared (like "Is soybean oil safe for PA?"). She spoke with the person baking the cake and explained our situation.

Yet, when the cake time came I still had some anxiety. It is hard when you are a protective peanut allergic parent to not feel like certain foods have peanuts lurking on a microscopic level. I let Tyler eat a small piece

After eating the cake, I took Tyler home. After all, being in a tux for several hours is not Tyler's idea of fun. As soon as he got in the car, he had trouble keeping his eyes open. He suddenly developed a deep bronchial cough...something he not had all day.

I asked Tyler if his throat felt OK and he said it did. To be on the safe side, I gave him Zyrtec when we got home. After getting out of the tux, his spunky self re-emerged.

So, what happened? I think I had a tired boy. And a boy that is dealing with the changing seasons in Michigan (hence, the cough). I think I had my own little reaction. Even though I don't have food allergies, this is not the first time that my mind has played all sorts of tricks on me when it comes to Tyler's food. Here's how I felt inside:

I really need to coin a term for this sort of Mommy reaction to "Oh my goodness, is my child reacting to something he ate and I feel like I'm going to be sick

Anyone else deal with their own little reactions like this??

Add Raw Honey to Your Diet

Throughout my series on eliminating eczema, some steps have been easy. Some have been a little more complicated (like last week's!). But this week's tip is easy. It involves honey, raw honey.

What is Raw Honey?

So, what exactly is raw honey and what's the difference between it and the regular stuff you can get on your local grocery store shelf?

According to this website, raw honey

is the concentrated nectar of flowers that comes straight from the extractor; it is the only unheated, pure, unpasteurized, unprocessed honey.

How Does This Help Eczema?

In many cases, eczema is related to allergies. Raw honey, in fact, contains many small amounts of pollens. While we can protect our children from small traces of nuts, protecting them from the pollen in the air is impossible.

Here is where the beauty of raw honey comes in! By consuming these small bits of pollens one is allergic to, they slowly develop a tolerance to it (think "allergy shots" here). The fact that the honey is raw means that there has been no heating and/or filtering to take this valuable portion of the honey.

Local is the Key

Finding a local honey is the most important part of honey. Why? It contains the pollens that are in your local air and possibly causing eczema flare ups.

Not sure where to find local raw honey? Visit localharvest.org. On the right side, type "raw honey" and your zip code. It will pull up your closet sources of raw honey. "Local" for the case of raw honey should be within 100 miles.

I found my raw honey at my local farmer's market. I asked a man who was selling honey if he had any raw and he pointed me in the right direction.
How Do You Use It?

In our home, the most common way we consume raw honey is as a sweetener for our homemade yogurt. Tyler also likes it spread on whole wheat crackers.

Some people take a tablespoon or two of raw honey by itself. It serves a a great immune system booster (even if you do not have eczema) so it can benefit everyone in the home.

As with every post I have shared about clearing up eczema, do your own research. There is ample information online about this very topic. (In fact, click on the link below for the picture I used. I was only looking for a picture of honey. The one I selected had information about the benefits of raw honey and allergies!)

Using raw honey to clear up eczema is such a simple and relatively inexpensive step to clearing up eczema once and for all!

Photo courtesy of flickr

FAAN Walk & Local Support Group Meeting

(Although this post is geared mainly to my local Detroit area readers, if you are not local, I have included some links so that you can find similar information in your local area.)

FAAN Walk

Have you ever participated in your local Food Allergy & Anaphylaxsis Network walk? If you have ever wanted to be among countless others personally affected by food allergies, this is the place for you!

The goal of the walk is "to raise public awareness, to provide advocacy and education, and to advance research on behalf of all those affected by food allergies and anaphylaxis."

Last year our family participated family took part and we loved it (despite the fact I was recovering from knee surgery!). This year the local walk will be Saturday, October 3, in Milford. For more information, click here. Food allergy singer, Kyle Dine, will also perform!

If you're not in Detroit, there are still plenty of walks around the country coming up. Check out all the locations here.

Support Group Meeting

Our local COFAF support group meeting will be this Monday, September 21. Our topic will be a roundtable discussion on back to school issues. For more information, click here. If you are in the Detroit area, we woud love to see you there!

If you are not in my area, click here to find a support group in your area. Anyone that is personally touched by food allergies will benefit from a support group.

Natural Sources of Probiotics to Help Eczmea

(This post is continued from my post yesterday on probiotics. If you missed it, this post won't make much sense until you read it!)


Where Can I Get Probiotics Naturally Through Food?

Probiotics are not just something you can get through supplements. In fact, they have really started to become trendy in some foods. Danactive and Activia yogurts have created marketing campaigns based on their benefits.

In our home, we don't eat the yogurt you buy in the store because most of it contains high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. This would make Tyler's eczema worse. (Dannon Plain is the only type I buy, when I buy it. Health food stores or Whole Foods would also have great non HFCS choices, too.)

I actually make my own yogurt! (I know this isn't for everyone, but its really easy!) All it takes is milk (I usually use organic), a cooking thermometer (similar to this one), and a yogurt starter. You can use some Dannon plain as a starter, too. I, however, purchase mine from Amazon (does that surprise anyone??). Here is what I use:



(If there is interest, I would be happy to do a tutorial on how to make this at home. It saves money and you know exactly what your child is eating.)

To add sweetness and flavor, I add honey or the natural sweetener stevia and a dash of cinnamon.

Probiotics Are Not Just In Yogurt

Another great source of natural probiotics that is considerably healthier than even yogurt is something called kefir (read its health benefits here). The taste is somewhat similar to yogurt, but it is thinner and is more of a drink. Tyler loves it and prefers it over yogurt (I also sweeten with stevia and/or fruit)

The equipment to make kefir is the same for yogurt. The method is also very similar. As you might have guessed, I also buy my starter off of Amazon:



You can also get something called "kefir grains". Tyler does not like it prepared this way. I'll let you do your own research on this if it interests you since its a little beyond the scope this article. (You can start here, if you want.)

These are not the only places to get natural probiotics from, however. According to this source, you can get them from:

Aged cheese Beer (microbrews, if you are of age, of course!!)
Cottage cheese (look for bacterial strains in ingredient list)
Kimchi
Miso
Pickled ginger
Pickles (brine-cured, without vinegar)
Sauerkraut
Shoyu
Tamari
Tempeh
Wine (again, you must be of age. Obviously I won't be doing this for Tyler!!)

Research these things before you buy them. Just because they "might" contain probiotics does not mean they do. For example, read the label on cottage cheese. If it does not list a strain of probiotic, it doesn't contain it. I am still looking for one since the store brands I generally buy don't contain a one.

Some buttermilk also contains "friendly bacteria." Again, its not always easy to to find this. Look for ingredients that only say "cultured buttermilk." Nothing else. Most have a bunch of "junk" in them that aren't beneficial. As you might have guessed, I make my own of this, too. (Yes, I'm showing what a "food nerd" I am in this post... and how I am super thrifty! Again, I can do a tutorial if there is interest.)

As you can see by this two day post, I feel very strongly about the benefits of probiotics. Until I was working to clear up Tyler's eczema and get him totally healthy, we didn't worry about these sort of things. In fact, I had never even heard of kefir! (I bet this post is the first time many of you have, too!!)

In our home, Tyler (eczema problems) and I (respiratory problems) both take a supplement every day and we try to eat yogurt or kefir daily. This ensures we are getting the probiotics we need to stay as healthy as possible.

Clearing Up Eczema: Probiotics

It's been a couple of weeks since I wrote on my eczema series and I've missed it! Outside of my home and church, food allergies are my passion. Now, I am finding helping people with eczema is coming in a close second. If you have missed any posts in this series, click here.

When you read the title, did you say, "Pro...what??" It has only been in the last couple of years that I have heard much about probiotics and I am so amazed at their health benefits. As you might expect, they have been very beneficial to helping me clear up Tyler's eczema.

(Please note: I am not a doctor or a nurse. I'm just a mom that does a lot of research to keep her children healthy. Talk with your family doctor or allergist if you have any concerns about the information I share.)

What are Probiotics?

I get this question a lot, including from people in my own family. Would you be surprised to know you have most likely been reaping the benefits of probiotics on a small scale and didn't even know it? If you have eaten yogurt, then you have!

Probiotics are beneficial or "good" bacteria. Its hard to believe that any bacteria could actually be "good" but we need this type of bacteria to be healthy. Your body contains billions of bacteria and other microorganisms and many of them work hard to keep you in good health.

If you have ever taken an antibiotic (a drug that kills bacteria, even the good stuff) and have suffered from loose stools as a side effect, you know first-hand how miserable it can be to loose that beneficial bacteria. They serve a great purpose to keep us in optimal health. Like any other health problem, when things get out of balance, our health suffers.

These bacteria actually aid in digestion and guard our body by protecting it from harmful pathogens.

How Does This Help Eczema?

Many of these "good bacteria" are housed in our intestines. As much as 80% of your immune system is actually in your intestines! Eczema is an overreaction of the immune system. By strengthening the immune system, we can lessen, or possibly eliminate, the red, itchy flare ups that eczema creates.

I have studied probitiocs off and for a couple of years and am just now starting really wrap my mind around all of this. But, if I had to sum up their benefits for eczema in one sentence, I would say: "They give your body the right tools it needs to go to war."

"War" might seem like a strong word but if you have ever seen eczema like Tyler gets, you would completely agree with this analogy. His body fights hard against things it really shouldn't. For him, culprit #1 for is corn syrup. While I can eliminate that from his diet, I can't eliminate things like dust and mold which also trigger his eczema. So, I need to give his body the tools it needs to fight it off in a healthy manner.

What Kind Should I Get?

It took me quite a while to figure out exactly type of probiotic to put Tyler on. Last March I asked his allergist and then started digging around on Amazon (where I buy so many things these days). I read and read and finally found something that I wanted to try.

Last week we went back to our allergist and I showed him what I was using and he said it was an excellent choice. Yeah! Plus, Tyler loves the taste.

Here's what we use:



I give Tyler one of these daily along with his multivitamin. Not only do they help with eczema, they also keep the immune system strong.

When my youngest child, Dylan, was recovering from rotavirus in April (translation: LOTS and LOTS of intestinal problems), I gave him one of these each day, too. It seemed to help him regain his health a lot quicker.

(A quick note: the particular brand we use are not safe if you are dealing with a milk allergy, per a disclaimer on the bottle. Check out other probiotics Amazon sells here or visit your local health food store.)

Even if you do not live with eczema, probiotics are great for many things. I suffer from bouts of terrible bronchitis. Last week, in anticipation of fall when I suffer the most, I started taking an adult version since they also are great for respiratory problems. (There are even reports they can help prevent asthma in children.)

Here is what I am on, for adults considering using them, too:




If I were required to give only two things to do to clear up eczema, they would be eliminate high fructose corn syrup from your diet and take a probiotic supplement.

I also have several suggestions of foods to eat that contain natural probiotics. Tyler takes his supplement daily and I try to feed him one natural probitic food daily. Join me tomorrow where I will share what he eats to keep his body full of all of those "good" bacteria.

I strongly encourage you to do your own research on the benefits of probiotics. Below are a few sources I used in preparing this post. But, dig deeper and make sure your child (and you!) are putting things in your body that will keep it in optimal health to keep the eczema (and a ton of other health problems) at bay.

For Further Reading on Probiotics:
Mayo Clinic
Mercola

The role of "good" bacteria & the immune system:
Science Daily
Danactive website

Just Like My Big Brother

I suppose one of the normal parts of being the younger sibling is wanting to be just like your big brother. Minus the peanut allergy, of course. Or, maybe not!

I was thrilled in January last year when Tyler started asking me the "Is this safe?" question. He had just turned 4 and had been dealing with PA for 3 of those years. As you can imagine, those three years we filled with lots of anxiety because Tyler did not fully understand his allergy. So when the "Is this safe?" question started coming out of his mouth, I almost did a back flip!

I was also worried my youngest child might have Tyler's same allergies. Even though he had never reacted to anything, I still had him tested last spring when he was 2.5 years. Our allergist was 99% sure there was no PA (a food challenge in the future is the only way to know for sure...not looking forward to that!).

Since Dylan does not appear to have PA, I don't allow him to eat nuts, but I am not nearly as scared about cross contamination issues. Its also been a teaching tool for me to show Tyler how Dylan (and lots of other people) can eat things he can't. Its easier to teach at home and he has handled it wonderfully.

So...in the last couple of weeks Dylan started bringing me food and asking "Is this safe?" It still makes me chuckle to myself because its so darn cute! And I answer each question for his specific allergy situation (or lack thereof). Tyler knows the difference in his health needs and Dylan's.

He looks up to his big brother so much. He has never even seen a nut in his lifetime, much less eaten one. He will never know a day where our life has not revolved, to some extent, around Tyler's allergy. For him, PA is just one more thing to look up to Tyler for.

Plus, it is cute!

Technical Problems

Just a note to my readers that we are having major computer problems in my home. Someone has hacked into our home network and all of our computers have all been in the shop due to viruses. Despite the fact that we had a computer guy over fixing the "hacking in" issue on Friday we are still having problems.

We are down to one computer which my husband is using for work. Our computer guy is coming back today to work on the network and bring one more computer back. Hopefully I will be back posting tomorrow.

One Mom's Back to School Story

How is the back to school time going for everyone? I know this is one of the most stressful times of the year for any parent. If you are stressed, just remind yourself that it is an act of love on your part.

Take heart. You are not the only one! Recently a reader, Linda, shared her schooling story with me. Her daughter is in first grade this year. Since I really enjoy hearing the struggles other mom have so I know I am not alone, I thought you might enjoy it as well.

Linda's permission, here is her story in her own words:

My Food Allergy School Journey

My daughter will be in first grade in September and has been in the same public school since 3yrs old for preschool. Before she started school, they already had a peanut/nut ban in the district. The school staff and teachers/aides and even parents for the most part have all been very accommodating. However, I don't know that I'll ever be "completely" comfortable anytime I drop her off to a place where I will not be.

Experiences at the School

I have asked teachers, administrators, and the nurse if the ban is strictly peanuts or all nuts and depending on who you ask the answer varies. The teachers, including the nurse say that yes, all nuts are included in the policy. I have established a good relationship with the school nurse and office staff.

Every year on the first day of school, I bring a new set of Epipens, Benadryl, copies of the allergy/emergency plan (I got the format from the FAAN site) and a detailed memo for teachers, aides, etc. My daughter has also had an IEP and 504 plan and both of these document state her nut allergy information.

Every year on the first day of orientation a list of school rules are handed out. Included is the peanut free policy. Also, the classrooms have signs that warn of allergic kids in class, wash hands before coming in.

It Gets a Little Easier

In Kindergarten, it has gotten easier. Preschool was a little tricky because there was a celebration for every type of holiday. Also, there were other preschool classes and they used to combine for lunch and various other activities. I baked a lot of cupcakes and cookies those two years of preschool. Also, I request that the teacher give me at least one day advance notice, so I can provide something safe. I do keep safe candy in the class in case something comes up. But sometimes, other preschool classes would have treats and decide to share with my daughter's class. The teacher would call and ask if it was okay, and if it wasn't, she would give her the candy that I had supplied.

People were not bringing in items with nuts, but there was stuff from bakeries and that's a cross contamination issue. Also, sometimes people use mixes that have manufacturer warnings.

Kindergarten had less celebrations- yeah! By coincidence the teacher has to carry an Epipen for herself (non food allergy - bees), so she has training from a personal experience. This year there was another boy with the same allergy. That was great because his mom and I would take turns making something safe for them to eat. His family moved away in the spring, but it was nice for a while to have a FA buddy in class. I had three incidents where parents brought in items that were not safe, a carvel cake (the crunchies have a manufacturer's warning) and cupcakes from a bakery. When these moms found out my daughter couldn't have the items, they felt bad and apologized and asked if they could bring something else for her. I thanked them, but it's easier to just send my own treat. It made me feel nice though.

At our local Shoprite, they sell packaged cupcakes from a bakery in N.H. that is a peanut and tree-nut free facility. I always have those on hand for school. Also, I bought a cupcake holder in the shape of a cupcake, my daughter loves it and the other kids think it's neat.

Even though the policy is in effect, there's a full time nurse, I am always feel somewhat on edge during school hours. Especially when the caller ID shows a school number. But I think that's natural for FA parents. One thing that has helped my anxiety a little, is that my daughter understands her allergy now. At 3, it was hard to explain. Now she knows to ask and not take anything unless I provided it or say it's okay.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience Linda. I know many of us have "been there, done that" and are happy to know we are not alone. I know I was thrilled to see I'm not the only one that is nervous when the phone rings when Tyler is at school.

I admit I have thought about the cupcake holders that Linda talked about. I probably will buy one soon. A quick Amazon search yielded these results for those who are interested:

Recipe of the Month: Homemade Fortune Cookies

Yes, that's right! You can make fortune cookies at home. Since Chinese food is nearly always unsafe for those with a peanut allergy, I feel nervous even giving Tyler fortune cookies. I always find his limitations as more of a challenge to be conquered in a creative way than a restiction. Fortune cookies are no different.

Plus, I get to put any sweet saying in these fortune cookies that I want! Once I made these for a friend who had been in a car accient and stuffed the cookies with words of encouragment.

Ready to make fortune cookies? Let's get started!

A word about this recipe: you must be ultra vigilant while making them and not mind burning your fingers a little!!

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.Grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper. Have your slips of paper ready to go folded, off to the side.

2. In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites and sugar on high speed with an electric mixer until frothy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and stir in melted butter, vanilla, , water and flour one at a time, mixing well after each.



3. Consistency should resemble pancake batter.


4. Spoon the batter into 3 inch circles on the prepared baking sheets. Leave room between for spreading.



5. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges begin to brown slightly. They will look like this:


6. Quickly remove one at a time, place a message in the center.Be prepared for you to possibly burn your fingers a little during this process! The key to this step and the next two is to do it as quickly as possible before the cookie "sets."



7. Fold in half.


8. Fold the ends of the half together into a horse shoe shape.

9. If they spring open, place them in a muffin tin to cool until set. I do this as a precaution for all of them.



And presto! You have made your own fortune cookies!!


Please Note:
Although these cookies are not malleable if overbaked, you need to bake them long enough until they are golden around the edges or they will be too under baked and remain soft, spongy and pancake-like. This is a tedious process but worth it!! Enjoy!