School time is just around the corner. Do you know that the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology has resources for patients on it’s website? Please see the attached document for helpful information to think about as you are starting the school year. Print it out and bring it to the school. Let us know how the schools respond and if we can help.
aaaai website
click here for PDF

4-1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

3 Cups white sugar

1 Cup unsweetened cocoa

1 Cup crisco oil

3 cups water

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 Tblsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour 9 x 13 pan.  Sift together flour, cocoa, soda and salt.  Add sugar and mix together.  Add oil, water and vanilla.  Mix thoroughly.  Pour in pan, bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes a large cake – I have cut recipe in half with good results.

1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 Cup (2 sticks) Butter or Margarine (softened)

1/4 Cup Skim Milk

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 tsp Almond Extract (optional)

2  1/2 Cups Flour

1 Tsp Cream of Tartar

1 tsp Baking Soda

Mix ingredients together.  Refrigerate dowgh 2 – 3 hours.  Cut or form cokkies.  Bake on cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes.

1/2 cup cold milk

1 package (6-serving size) vanilla flavor instant pudding & pie filling

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (may substitute 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger and 1/8 tsp ground cloves in place of pumpkin pie spice)

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 1/2 cups frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed

1 Graham Pie Crust (i.e. Keebler Ready Crust)

In large bowl beat milk, pudding mix and spice with wire wisk for 1 minute.  (Mixture will be thick.)  Whisk in pumpkin.  Stir in whipped topping.  Spread in crust.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set.  Garnish as desired.  Store in refrigerator.

For those living with food allergy, it is no surprise that many in the public have a poor understanding of food allergy really is. A recent study (with the above title) from the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology has recently tried to shed some light on this topic.  What they found won’t surprise parents of food allergic children, but shows some of the knowledge gaps that we face.  The study was an email questionnaire, and if you were a physician, parent of a food allergic child or lived outside of the U.S. you weren’t allowed to answer.  The good news, is that 94% of respondents recognized that food allergy can be fatal.  This is reassuring that message of the potential severity of a reaction is recognized widely.  About 70% responded that hives, and difficulty breathing could be part of a reaction.  

That information reassures me, but 65% of respondents thought that low fat milk was safe for a milk allergic child.  Over 50% of those answering thought that food allergy can be cured, and 70% believed that daily medicine could prevent a reaction.  

On the plus side, most recognize that food allergy can lead to serious symptoms and potentially be fatal.  However many do not realize that avoidance of foods is the only treatment available, and at this point we do not have preventative medications that can be taken–not yet anyway!