Gluten-free, Wheat-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Peanut-free, Tree nuts-free, Fish and Shellfish-free and also free of a few other major allergens like mustard seeds, sesame seeds, chickpeas etc. So what does it contain?!?

Ingredients:

1. Watermelon: 1/4 of a small watermelon (should yield 1 cup of pureed watermelon)
2. Rice flour: 3/4 cup
3. Salt
4. Oil or dairy substitute

Method:

1. Remove the edible part of the watermelon and puree it to a smooth paste in a blender. A seedless watermelon will yield better results.
2. Empty the pureed watermelon into a mixing bowl. Add the rice flour a little at a time and blend it in with a fork or a wire whip - Hand Whip French, Stainless Steel.
3. Add 1/4 cup water and a pinch of salt – mix thoroughly.
4. Heat a non-stick pan on medium flame. Grease the pan with 1/2 tsp oil.
5. Pour approximately 2 tablespoons of batter in the center of the heated pan. Gently spread it into a 6″ pancake.
6. When the top of the pancake is almost dry, flip it over and cook the other side for 1/2 a minute.
7. Serve hot with syrup and fresh fruits or the way I like it best – ‘as-is’!

Reblogged from The Food Allergy Chronicles:

• 
• 
• 
• 

This weekend, I embarked on writing on the topic of cross-contamination. As a parent with children with food allergies…it is one of my greatest fears.

The more I wrote, the more I realized how much a factor it plays in my daily life. Cross-contamination touches so many parts of my life the story seemed to take on a life of its own.

Read more… 504 more words

Thanks to Circle of Moms search for the 'Top Food Allergy Mom Bloggers' in North America, I met Susan, the blogger at 'Food Allergy Chronicles'. The food allergy blogging world is like one big happy family with a high sense of camraderie. It's quite simply because our objective is simple - 'make the world a safer place for food allergy sufferers'. To that end - we are constantly learning from each other... What I love best about her blog is - Susan writes about her experiences raising 2 sons with food allergies - field trips, school, vacations and more. My son is much younger than hers so I learn a lot about what to expect through her experiences. Of course her recipes are also delish and her baked good are supremely decadent!!! All her recipes are healthy, nutritious, dairy-free and nut-free. And this particular recipe is free of all the top 8 food allergens too. But, what makes it extra special is that it is also free of 2 other allergens that are becoming increasingly dangerous - sesame seeds and mustard seeds. Thank you Susan for letting me share this kid-friendly delicious post on Allergy Foodie :-)

The gluten-free blend is the recipe for self-rising flour mixture from Living Without magazine and contains the following:

• Sorghum Flour: 1 and 1/4 cup
• Rice Flour: 1 and 1/4 cup
• Tapioca Flour/ Starch: 1/2 cup
• Xanthan Gum: 2 tsp
• Baking powder: 4 tsp
• Salt: 1/4 tsp

Mix it well and store it in an airtight container till you need it. The recipe is inspired by one of the most popular Indian chefs, Sanjeev Kapoor – whose recipes are simple and easy to follow. The best part is that the same dough can be used to make diamond crackers that are baked or fried. The baked one is obviously healthier but both are equally delicious in slightly different ways.

Baked diamond crackers

Fried Crackers

Ingredients:

1. Gluten-free flour: 1 cup
2. Allergy Friendly butter substitute: 1/4 cup
3. Powdered Sugar: 6  tbsp
4. Cardamom powder (optional): a pinch
5. Fennel seeds (optional): 1/2 tsp (crushed coarsely)

Method:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the butter substitute. I used Earth Balance vegan butter. Rub in the butter into the flour with your finger tips till the mixture  resembles coarse bread crumbs.
3. Now add cold water (less than a tablespoon at a time) to the mixture  and bring it together into a soft dough. This flour mix require very little water so add very slowly else you will have a wet mess on your hands. You will need less than a 1/4 cup of water.
4. Let the dough rest for 20 - 30 minutes.
5. Divide into 4 balls.
6. There are 2 ways this can be converted into a cracker: baking and deep frying.
7. If you are planning to deep fry it, dust the rolling pin and board liberally with gluten-free flour. If you are planning to go the baking way use the minimum amount of flour that you need to roll out the dough because the powdery feel on top of the cracker leaves an annoying after taste when baked.
8. Now gently roll each ball into approximately a 6″ – 8″ thick circle. It will crack but keep cementing the dough together with your fingers as you roll gently.
   

   Rolling cookie cutter

9. Use a rolling cookie cutter or pizza cutter or knife to cut the rolled out dough into small one inch squares or diamonds.

Baking:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and gently place the cut dough on it.
3. Bake it for 9 – 10 minutes. The edges will darken in color when it is done. Keep a close eye on the oven because these cookies can burn easily. (I burnt my first batch by keeping just 1 minute more and oven temperature 25 degrees hotter – blah!!!)
4. Let the cookies cool down completely before serving or packing in an airtight container.

Deep Frying:

1. Heat oil in a deep frying pan – the ideal temperature is 350 degree F.
2. Gently add the square/diamond cut dough to the oil and deep fry to a golden brown.
3. Remove it onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.
4. Let the cookies cool down completely before serving or packing in an airtight container.

The crackers whether baked or fried have the right amount of crunch without being hard – definitely an awesome snack for kids.  And, a great snack for adults to…serve it with fruits, Daiya dairy-free cheese wedges for an allergy-friendly cocktail party.

Deep Fried 'Diamond Crackers'

I would like to end this post with a shout out to an avid Allergy Foodie supporter, Ashwin to wish him a very Happy Birthday. I am yet to meet him in person but his larger than life persona energizes through humor and motivates through personal example all those around him. Thanks to a job that puts him in some of the remotest corners of the world – this adventure sports loving, musician and humane army dad brings unique input to Allergy Foodie – gluten-free Nepalese beer, water chestnut flour tortillas, apricot kernel oil and more. And, on the personal front – I would not have jumped out of a plane at 13000 feet if it had not been for his laughter inducing encouragement

Wishing you a sunny  life dude and thanks for your precious input to Allergy Foodie!

Baked Diamond crackers.

]]> http://allergyfoodie.com/2012/04/13/allergy-friendly-diamond-crackers/feed/ 6 anurao IMG_3591 IMG_3585 IMG_3581 IMG_3482 IMG_3582 IMG_3583 IMG_3486 IMG_3488 IMG_3589_1 IMG_3591 http://allergyfoodie.com/2012/04/10/allergy-friendly-spring-mint-rice/ http://allergyfoodie.com/2012/04/10/allergy-friendly-spring-mint-rice/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 02:51:23 +0000 Anu Rao http://allergyfoodie.com/?p=1738 Continue reading →]]> The days are getting warmer and mint flavored lemonade and mojito is on my mind Or, more to the point…the crisp, fresh flavors of mint leaves! These leaves are extremely aromatic with a cool aftertaste and are used to flavor teas, beverages, jellies, syrups, candies, ice creams, lentil fritters, entrees etc. A word of caution people – it has a strong flavor so, a little goes a very long way. The good news is – it is also healthy and has many healing properties. I found this post on wikipedia very interesting - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentha

So, here is a dish to celebrate Spring – light, flavorful and elegant ‘Mint Rice’! It does not contain any of the top 8 food allergens and is also free of mustard, sesame and corn. Yes – it still tastes delish!

• Time: 30 – 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings as a main dish

Ingredients:

1. Basmati Rice:  1 cup
2. Bay leaves: 2
3. Whole Peppercorn: 4 – 5
4. Cumin Seeds: 1/4 tsp
5. Garlic Cloves: 2 (finely sliced)
6. Mint leaves (destemmed and julienned): 1/3 cup
7. Oil: 1 tbsp + 1 tsp

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a small sautee pan.
2. Add the sliced garlic cloves and stir till it becomes a light golden brown.
3. Now add the cut mint leaves and stir. In about a minute the leaves will will wilt. Keep it aside.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp  oil on medium flame in a heavy bottomed, deep 2 quart vessel.
5. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and peppercorn and stir for about a minute or till the cumin seeds and bay leaves turn a darker brown.
6. Add the rice and stir for a 2-3 minutes till the rice is coated well with the oil.
7. Add 2 cups of water to the rice and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame to a medium-low and cover leaving a slight vent for the steam to escape.
8. Stir once in 5 minutes to ensure that it does not stick to the bottom. When all the moisture is almost completely absorbed. Cover the dish and switch off the flame.
9. Let it rest for 10 minutes and then add add the sauteed mint and garlic. Add salt to season and mix everything by gently fluffing it with a fork.
10. Serve warm

1. They may not be manufactured in a dedicated facility so, there might be cross-contamination with many common allergens like wheat, nuts, soy and dairy. So, even if the ingredients do not contain any allergen, an allergic reaction is a possibility.
2. As http://www.thefreedictionary.com correctly points out, Jelly Beans is ‘a rich sweet made of flavored sugar and often combined with fruit or nuts’. Yes, jelly beans could contain nuts!!!

So, I looked around to see if there are any safe jelly beans and one company I came across was the San Francisco based company Gimbal’s!

They are not only free of the top 8 food allergens, they also avoid high fructose corn syrup, trans fat, gluten and gelatin and use real fruit juice – go figure!!!

A recent press release by the company had this to say about the jelly beans made by Gimbal’s…

Gimbal’s Fine Candies Sweeten the Easter Holiday with New Additions to its Gourmet Jelly Beans

(San Francisco, Calif., February 16, 2012)— Gimbal’s Fine Candies has always been loved for its tantalizing Gourmet Jelly Beans, but now there are more reasons than ever before to enjoy them.

Gimbal’s has tweaked their recipe so that these delicious Gourmet Jelly Beans are now made with Real Fruit Juice.  Each serving of Gimbal’s Gourmet Jelly Beans includes 10% of the daily recommended requirement of Vitamin C and contains no high fructose corn syrup.

And, to the delight of Easter Baskets everywhere, Gimbal’s popular assortment now includes seven new favorite flavors including Mango, Pomegranate, Ice Cream Cake, Superfruit Fusion, Honey, Kiwi Strawberry Smoothie, and Sour Cherry.

Gimbal’s Fine Candies confectionary is one of the only major confectionary manufacturers in the USA that has committed to be free of the eight major food ingredients that are responsible for over 90% of food allergies. These food allergens include peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. In order to eliminate risk of cross contamination, these eight foods are not included in Gimbal’s recipes, nor are they permitted inside their production and packaging facilities.

Additionally, the company is proud to manufacture all its confections right here in the United States, so people know when they purchase any candy, they are supporting American made products and jobs.

“Our Gourmet Jelly Beans are one of our best selling candies because of their excellent value and incredible taste,” said Karin Vollrath, sales and marketing director for Gimbal’s Fine Candies.  “They are absolutely delicious and a perfect treat for every Easter celebration.”

The gourmet Jelly Beans are just one of the delicious products from Gimbal’s Fine Candies and offer the same unbeaten quality and value their other candies bring to consumers. Gimbal’s also produces Cherry Lovers® Candies, Honey Lovers® Candies, Sour Lovers® Candies, All Natural Licorice Scotties® and chewy cinnamon LavaBalls®.

Gimbal’s Fine Candies are available at many major national retailers, including Walmart, Rite Aid, Big Lots, and now online at http://shop.gimbalscandy.com/

WHO: Gimbal’s Fine Candies

WHAT: Gourmet Jelly Beans New Flavor Additions and Online Store

INFO: Visit www.gimbalscandy.com or call 800-344-6225

About Gimbal’s Fine Candies:

Gimbal’s Fine Candies was founded by Alexander Gimbal in 1898 in bustling downtown San Francisco. The company survived the 1906 earthquake and resulting fires because of its protected location near the San Francisco Customs House. Four generations later, all of the staff at Gimbal’s remains just as passionate about confections as it was over 100 years ago. From old-time favorites to innovative new candies, everything Gimbal’s creates is made with pride in the USA.

That’s when it suddenly dawned on me…a parent/caretaker alone cannot keep a child safe! A lot of people contribute through big and small actions to make the life of a food allergic child joyous – family, friends, teachers and more. In fact, I would go a step further and say that it is impossible to raise a healthy and confident food allergic child without society’s help.

In my mind, the one person who stands ‘tall’ amidst them is my niece who was but a child herself when Arjun was born.  The 9 year old would get up at 6 am despite her summer vacations just to see a 4 month old Arjun cackling with laughter. Since then a life-long bond of love, laughter, empathy and friendship was forged between these two cousins. So, this special post is dedicated to Soumya on her 16th birthday.

When they first met...

If I were to pick one person to take care of Arjun’s food in my absence, it would be her because she has taken it upon herself to know exactly what he is allergic to and how to read the ingredient statement. A few years back, the two of them were decorating a gingerbread house over Christmas with friends. I skimmed over the ingredient list of  the icing and deemed it safe for Arjun to eat a couple of spoons. My niece kept asking me if I was sure and made me go through the list again. Oh boy - was she right! It contained egg whites and within minutes Arjun’s lips swelled up and he started throwing up. Thank god – it was not more serious than that but from then on – ‘I listen to her!’

Frantic Easter Egg Hunt

That being said – another person who plays an equally big role in Arjun’s life is Soumya’s big sis Shruti who, I can totally rely on to take care of any emergency. Between the two of them – they make Arjun feel safe in a way only siblings can…

Arjun's first Christmas gift from his cousins - Elmo

So many of Arjun’s childhood moments were first experienced with his beloved Soumya…pillow fight, tents, kiddie science experiments, making a snowman, sledding, summer fun – waterpark, beach et al,  trick-or-treating and so much more!

She has helped my 6-year old gain confidence and feel loved in so many ways.

…when she found Arjun’s allergy-friendly dishes very tasty – it gave him the confidence that his food might be different but no less tasty than regular food.

…she is the one who has taught my shy little one how to make friends in a new school.

…to celebrate her 16th birthday, she wanted a movie-date exclusively with Arjun. So, Arjun went without his mom for the first to see Lorax and he wasnt scared because his big sis was with him. How special is that!!!

…she has been instrumental in making me realize that I should not let Arjun have an easy pass on other things just because of his allergies. That has definitely put him on the path of being strong despite limitations rather than being the object of pity.

…incidentally, she is also one of Allergy Foodie’s most ardent supporters

There is so much more I could write but then this would cease being a ‘post’ and become a book instead!

She has learnt a lot in the process too – she saw for the first time in her young life that life could be tough. I still cannot forget her eyes brimming with tears as she saw Arjun strapped up to the hospital bed for a medical procedure. But, she fought back those tears and read him books and played board games with him instead.

The connection - 'fellow pirates'

To celebrate my 100th post a dish bursting with energy, colors, nutrients and the spirit of fresh Spring seemed appropriate so here is - ‘Allergy Friendly  Rösti with a layered salad’. The dish looks so elaborate, festive and gourmet that it almost comes as a surprise that it is so easy to put together. Above all – it is just the kind of dish that my niece and son would love too…

Now, what is a Rösti?! As epicurious.com puts it a rösti [RAW-stee, ROOSH-tee] is: In Switzerland rösti  means “crisp and golden.” The term refers to foods (today, usually shredded potatoes) sautéed on both sides until crisp and browned. Rösti potatoes are pressed into a flattened pancake shape while browning. Instead of just using potatoes to make an allergy friendly rösti, we will uuse a medley of vegetables to kick up the nutrition quotient.

Rösti with layered salad

Ingredients:

For the rösti:

1. 4 medium sized potatoes (yukon gold works well)
2. 10 beans stringed and cut into small pieces
3. 1 medium carrot, cut into small pieces
4. 1 cup spinach cut finely
5. 2 tbsp Rice Flour
6. Paprika powder
7. 1/2 tsp: Cumin powder (optional)
8. 1/2 tsp Coriander powder (optional)
9. Salt to taste
10. Oil to pan fry (approximately 2 tbsp)

For the salad:

1. 1 large carrot grated
2. 1/2 cucumber (preferably seedless) cut into small cubes
3. 1/4 cup cooked corn (use frozen corn)
4. 1 cup sprouts (mung bean sprouts work especially well)
5. 1 medium onion finely diced
6. 1 large tomato cut into small cubes.
7. 2 very thinly sliced serrano chilis or 1 very thinly sliced jalapeno.
8. 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (optional)
9. 1/4 tsp Cumin powder (optional)
10. 1/4 tsp Paprika powder (optional)
11. Salt to taste
12. Any allergy-friendly crunchies (I used rice and lentil chips)

Method:

1. Boil and peel the potatoes. Cook the cut carrots and beans either with the potatoes or separately.
2. Mix the cooked veggies, chopped spinach and other dry ingredients for the rosti and make a soft dough.
3. Divide the dough into 12 portions. Roll it into a smooth ball and gently press it down into a 1/2 inch thick disc.
4. Heat a shallow frying pan or skillet (preferably cast-iron) on medium heat. Use a brush to spread oil on the pan evenly.
5. When the pan is hot, place 4-6 Röstis in the center of the pan and cook till a beautiful golden brown – about 3-4 minutes.
6. Flip it and press down lightly. Cook for 3-4 minutes more.
7. Keep the cooked Röstis aside.
8. When ready to serve, form an assembly line of all the salad items that you would like to top the Röstis with. Start by placing 3-4 Röstis in an individual serve salad bowl.
9. Now start layering all the salad vegetables in any order atop the Röstis. Finsh it off with a sprinkle of paprika, cumin powder and salt. Finally, top it with an allergy friendly crunchy of your choice.

Shredded carrots and corn...

Topped with cucumbers...

Then come the diced tomatoes...

Followed by the onions...

Followed by chillis and paprika for heat and a dash of salt and cumin powder

Garnish with cilantro...

Topped with mung bean sprouts...

The grand finale - top it with some crunchies or chips!

Allergy Friendly Rösti with layered salad - 'Spring'alicious!

Options:

Apart from the toppings that I have used, a few other toppings that work great are:

• Grated lettuce
• Grated beetroot
• Grated radish
• Diced peppers (red, yellow, orange. yellow)
• Any beans like kidney beans, black beans etc.
• Pour 1/2 tsp of lemon or lime juice in the end
• Instead of lemon juice, add 1/2 tsp tamarind juice and/ or coriander chutney

Finally my longest post to date comes to an end with – ‘Thank you to all the people who have made a conscious effort to make Arjun and my life easier…family, friends, teachers and even strangers!’

Happy Spring…

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines ‘fudge’ as ‘a soft creamy candy made typically of sugar, milk, butter, and flavoring’. That is exactly what the Carrot Fudge is – though we will substitute milk, butter and flavorings with allergy-friendly alternatives…

• Time: 35-40 minutes
• Yield: 16 pieces

Ingredients:

1. Carrots: 2 cups peeled and grated (approx 5 medium sized carrots
   

   I love my dainty lady grater

2. Sugar: 1/2 cup
3. Coconut milk (Check it out at Amazon.com food store – Chaokoh – Coconut Milk 13.5 Fl. Oz. ): 1 cup. Any non-dairy milk with a high fat content like Hemp Milk or Dari-Free made with less water will work well. Rice Milk and Oat Milk is too watery.  
4. Saffron: 3-4 strings (optional)
5. Cardamom Powder: 1/2 tsp (optional). Pop a 2-3 whole cardamoms and powder the seeds inside with a rolling pin. Alternatively, use pre-ground cardamom powder. Of course, as with any spice the flavor is best when fresh 
6. Raisins: 1 tbsp
7. Margarine/ dairy-free shortening: 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Grate the carrots using the largest sized shredder.
2. Heat the margarine in a heavy bottomed vessel at low to medium flame.
3. Add the freshly grated carrots and mix well.
4. Let it cook for about 5 minutes with intermittent stirring. The carrot will start changing color.
5. Add the sugar and mix well. Adding the sugar at this stage is what gives the rich orange color to the carrots.
6. As soon as you add sugar, it will melt in the heat and the mixture will become watery.
7. Continue cooking the carrots for another 5-7 minutes or till the moisture almost evaporates.
8. Meanwhile bring the coconut milk to a gentle boil in a separate heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the saffron strings and switch off the heat. The saffrom strings will give a beautiful yellowish color to the coconut milk.  
9. Add the coconut milk to the almost cooked grated carrots.
10. Cook the carrots, stirring constantly to ensure that it does not stick to the bottom of the vessel.
11. In approximately 10-15 minutes, the moisture would have almost completely evaporated. Add the raisins and stir till there is not water stagnating in the pan.
12. Meanwhile keep a 2 qt baking dish ready by greasing the bottom and sides.
13. When all the excess moisture has just evaporated from the carrot but it is still gooey, it is done!
14. Now pour it into the greased pan.
15. Let it cool down completely and then let it set in the refrigerator for an hour. Now, it is ready to be cut into bite-sized pieces and served
    

    Voila - carrot fudge!

16. If, you accidentally remove the gooey mixture a little too early from the fire and it is still a little too moist to set like a fudge…just roll it into small carrot truffles between the palms of your hands and place it in small paper cups – which kid would not like carrots served this way?!?
    

    Yes - it could be served as carrot truffle

Ingredients:

1. Yellow Split Mung Bean: 1 cup (that’s it!)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 C.
2. Spread the mung bean uniformly on a baking sheet.
3. Toast the mung bean for 8 – 10 minutes. Give it a good stir after every 3-4 minutes to prevent uneven roasting. For a light yellow colored flour – toast it for 8 minutes. Longer if a more brownish yellow flour is desired.
4. Alternatively, you can dry roast it on the stovetop in a heavy bottomed vessel on medium-low heat till it brown to the desired degree. Stir constantly to prevent burning. As the bean gets toasted, the nutty rich aroma of mung bean will waft through your kitchen – yummy!
5. Remove from the oven and let it cool down completely.
6. Grind it to a very fine flour in a high-power dry grinder. The flour should feel as soft as all-purpose flour to touch. A word of caution: a coffee grinder will ‘not’ yield very fine flour. Most of my recipes do call for fine flour! However, a coarser grind may be more appropriate for some recipes.
7. Let the flour cool down completely before storing it in an airtight container.

A quick note – cilantro and coriander leaves are just different words for the same herb,Coriandrum sativum. Cilantro is a Spanish word and is widely used in the US but it is referred to as coriander in UK and India. A nutritional side-note – coriander or cilantro contains antooxidants and has medicinal uses too.

If you want to know more about this fragrant herb - I found this short write-up on cilantro/coriander very informative. Growing up in India, one of my fav home projects with mom was gardening and a coriander patch was a must, given the ubiquitous usage of coriander leaves and seeds in Indian cooking. I try to do the same with my little one and if growing your own herbs is something you enjoy, this article on ‘How to grow Coriander (Cilantro)’ is pretty good. So easy and so much cheaper than buying it though coriander leaf bunches are very reasonably priced in South Asian stores ( $1 for 2 bunches of leaves during summer months)

Presenting Allergy Friendly Cilantro Pumpkin Seed Pesto…

• Time: 25 mins
• Yield: Approximately 1 – 1.5 cups

Ingredients:

1. Cilantro: 3 cups, packed (just remove the very thick stems)
2. Olive Oil: ¼ cup
3. Pumpkin Seeds:  ½ cup
4. Serrano Chili, finely chopped: 1 (Entirely optional. The tropical country gal in me add 4-5 of these chilies!!! )
5. Juice of 1/2 a lemon
6. Garlic cloves, finely chopped: 2
7. Freshly ground black pepper: 1/4 tsp (use only if not using chilis)
8. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Spread the pumpkin seeds evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 350 C for 10-12 minutes. The seeds will brown and puff up. Let it cool down for a couple of minutes.
2. In a food processor, pulse grind the cilantro, pumpkin seeds, chili, garlic and salt until well blended. Add a tablespoon of water to help easy grinding. Add freashly ground black pepper for heat if not using chili
3. Now add the olive oil slowly and continue grinding till it is well-blended and reaches pesto consistency.
4. Remove it into a container and add the lemon juice and stir well.
5. Use as a sauce with pasta, as a spread on toast, to enhance the flavor of sandwiches and more…yummm!

In classrooms all over the world, little kids will be exchanging Valentines and the goody bags will be replete with foods possibly containing nuts, dairy, eggs and other allergens. The very thought sends me into shock So, love this article by FAAN to keep our kids safe at the Valentine’s Day classroom party. Thankfully, my son is in a school district which has strictly forbidden chocolates et al in the goody bags but I will still be volunteering for their party to ensure my little one is safe in the humungous public school system. If circumstances permit – I would strongly suggest caretakers of food-allergic young children try to do the same.

With that, the countdown to a beautiful allergy friendly Valentine’s day begins…

The smell of freshly baked allergy-friendly Cherrybrook Chocolate Chip cookies wafts in from the kitchen as my little one and I put together food-free valentines for his friends – the pink flower stickers for the pretty little girls and the football stickers for the handsome little boys…perfect    

Looking forward to a day of allergy-friendly culinary decadence. (Some of the recipes have already been posted and some will be posted in the next few days)

Recently, I was on vacation in the San Fransisco bay area and my dear friend Saurabh who hosted me started my mornings on more than one occasion with a glass of refreshing basic mimosa. And, that’s exactly how I would love to start this day of love – champagne and orange juice…thanks Saurabh, for spoiling me the allergy-friendly way

Picture courtesy: wine.about.com

Accompanied with allergy-friendly lightly sweetened crepes stuffed with mildly sweetened freshly grated coconut with just a hint of cinnamon, fresh organic strawberries and blueberries served with a dusting of powdered sugar…

A leisurely lunch of chicken and asparagus brown rice pasta tossed in allergy friendly cilantro and pumpkin seed pesto made from scratch with extra virgin olive oil. This is one of those times when I wish my readers could smell the dish -  just bursting with the fresh flavors of cilantro and roasted pumpkin seeds – a perfect late winter pasta dish!

Off to help out with my 6 year old’s school Valentine day party laden with allergy-friendly chocolate-chip cookies, organic strawberries hand-dipped in dairy-free chocolate and allergy-friendly artisan pretzels dipped in rich dairy-free dark chocolate. That sure is a lot of chocolate but isint that at least a little bit of what Valentine’s Day is all about

Oh – to be surrounded by the love and laughter of young children…the best gift life could give me on Valentine’s day

Finally, winding down the hectic but cold day with a bowl of warm ‘Allergy Friendly Chicken Soup - my way‘ accompanied by slices of allergy-friendly bread, battered with mung bean flour spiced with paprika and gluten-free asafoetida and deep-fried to a beautiful golden brown. 

To end the day, I would love to settle down with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon cheering to a ‘life of purpose’ – strengthened by the love of family, friends, children, life and above all oneself!

Happy Valentine’s Day