In honor of Pi Day, I thought I would re-post one of my favorite pie recipes (not that any of us need an excuse to eat pie). Dairy-free, Gluten-free Ice Cream Pie with Cookie Crust  For the crust: 32 grams brown rice flour (1/4 cup) 30 grams sweet white rice flour (1/4 cup) 20 grams potato starch (2 tablespoons) 16 grams tapioca starch (2 tablespoons) ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum ¼ cup organic cane sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons dairy-free/soy-free shortening (cold) ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage (cold) For the filling: 1 pint So Delici ..read more

Two thousand and sixteen was a trying year for those who need to carry epinephrine auto-injectors. With the recall of Sanofi’s Auvi-Q in 2015, patients were left with few options, and in many cases, unaffordable price tags, forcing some families to make some tough budget choices. Mylan CEO, Heather Bresch, was called to task by the media and Congress for what some called price-gouging, given the market dominance of the Epi-pen (Mylan’s branded epinephrine auto-injector) following the disappearance of the Auvi-Q and the lack of new auto-injectors being approved by the FDA. But 2017 is a new ye ..read more

It was Thanksgiving. Plates of turkey, mashed potatoes, and veggies were being passed around the table. My son asked if we had cranberry sauce. We didn’t. I had made a deliberate decision not to make cranberry sauce. Here’s the back story: I have made cranberry sauce for every Thanksgiving dinner for – forever – or at least as long as I have been preparing Thanksgiving dinner. In recent years it seems that I am the only one who eats the cranberry sauce and the leftovers eventually get thrown away. I didn’t think the cranberry sauce would be missed. I was wrong. So when I saw the last of t ..read more

Lately, I have been suffering from sneezing and congestion fits that look and feel a lot like allergy. To date, I have been unable to determine what the culprit is. I am, however, certain that this is related to food. After about a month of food journaling I am suspicious that this may be a histamine problem, as there are simply too many foods – including foods I have been eating for years without an issue – that seem to set off these reactions. (I am also still suspicious that I may have a true food allergy to sunflower seeds – a prospect that makes me sad… no more SunButter cups…) I have no ..read more

English: Intermed. mag. Image:Eosinophilic esophagitis - high mag.jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia) My son was diagnosed with eosinphilic esophagitis (EE/EoE) at the age of ten, more than a decade ago when doctors were just starting to understand the disease. Today – thankfully – we know much more. And because of that, it’s not too surprising that more people are being diagnosed. In Learning to Bake Allergen-Free I shared the story of our journey to a diagnosis. It wasn’t easy. I like to think that today we would have an easier time getting the correct diagnosis due to the efforts of phys ..read more

The sessions at the Food Allergy Bloggers Conference (FABLogCon) are always terrific. There are two tracks and sometimes difficult choices have to be made. This year I made it a priority to hear Dr. Julie Brown talk about epinephrine and auto-injectors (a session that I missed at FABLogCon 2015). I learned that it's not just size and form of the auto-injector that matter: 1. Dosage is less scientific than I thought. Epinephrine auto-injectors come in two standard sizes/dosages – the adult version (containing 0.3 mg of epinephrine) and the junior/child version (containing 0.15 mg of epineph ..read more

My breakfast is usually quite predictable, either gluten-free oatmeal (preferably prepared on the stove top) or corn flakes. Throw some blueberries on top, add some hemp milk, and I am set. But sometimes a fast and easy solution is required -- a breakfast bar or something like this new granola from Bob's Red Mill.  Disclosure: Bob's Red Mill sent me a sample for review. Can I be a bit of a food snob for a minute? I must admit that I prefer my own homemade granola (recipes can be found in The Allergy-Free Pantry). There's something about homemade that just makes it taste better. But if ..read more

Fifteen tears ago, I dreaded Halloween. My son was about 10 and we had just figured out what foods he needed to avoid. And, short of lollipops, there was virtually no safe candy for him. I tried looking for something to swap out for him -- something without milk, peanuts, or possible contamination -- and it just wasn't available. He quickly took on the role of Chief of Handing Out Candy at our front door so that he could participate safely. So much has changed, and yes! for the better. Most in our community are painting pumpkins teal and collecting their stash of non-food treats. (Why didn't ..read more

I will get right to the point. I am worried that the recent discussions on Epi-pen and Mylan Pharmaceuticals could set us back a decade on access to epinephrine. Four years ago I wrote a piece that appeared here and on Forbes.com, titled, “Of Course There Should Be Epinephrine in Our Schools.” During those four years hundreds of advocates, medical professionals, and legislators have come together to ensure that there is epinephrine in our schools – a place where food is served every day and, unfortunately, where some children will have their first anaphylactic reaction. This is progress. An ..read more

If you have been following here for a while you know that I am on a constant quest for the best allergen-free skin care. For me, that means products that don't contain wheat or soy proteins, or chemical sunscreens. If I use them I may break out in a rash, and I will be itchy, for sure. Preservatives and fragrances also sometimes cause problems. So I was very excited when Skinny and Company asked if I wanted to try their coconut oil beauty products. Yes, yes, yes! They sent me a complimentary samples of the facial oil and body butter, along with some good oil coconut oil (for baking, cooking, e ..read more