Sweet Summer Treats

Coming off this long holiday weekend my thoughts are turning to summer, more specifically summer desserts.  One of my girls’ favorite things is a treat after a meal; this is no doubt my fault as I have the same need for a sweet treat.  My husband laughs as the three of us plot out what we will have, although he often willingly partakes.

As a family with food allergies, treats can be tricky as many dessert items contain Claire’s allergens or could have come in contact with her allergens while being processed.  While we are restricted there are still many things that we can have.  I have found that focusing on what we can have helps us thrive on despite the things we cannot eat.  As we head into summer, there are so many tasty traditional summer treats that we can enjoy, even if we have to modify them a bit. 

My Thrive On 3 this week- some of our favorite allergy-friendly summer treats:

Grilled Fruit

One of the things I quickly learned when we found out about Claire’s allergies is that minimizing ingredients and sticking to simple recipes is best.  There is nothing simpler, or more delicious, than grilled fruit.  On Memorial Day we grilled peaches.  They were sweet, delicious and a healthy way to feed our sweet-tooth (bonus!!).  We do not have a dairy allergy so we were able to top ours with a little whipped cream, but a simple sprinkle of cinnamon would be tasty too!  So many fruits can be grilled- try watermelon, pineapple or skewered strawberries.  We will definitely be grilling up some new fruits this summer!

Homemade Ice Cream

Ice cream and summer go hand in hand.  We have decided that going to the local ice cream shop or buying ice cream at the grocery store or from the ice cream truck poses too much of a cross contact risk, but we don’t want the girls to miss out.  We make our ice cream at home with our awesome Cuisinart Ice Cream maker.  With just a few simple ingredients it churns up deliciousness all through the year, but especially in the hot summer months.  It included a recipe book that has recipes for all different flavors of ice creams and frozen yogurts.  One of our family favorites is chocolate chip ice cream. We make the vanilla ice cream recipe and add in Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips- hands down better than any chocolate chip ice cream I have ever had at an ice cream shop!  If you are dealing with a dairy allergy you may think that ice cream is off the table, but there are many recipes out there for dairy-free ice creams and most stores offer dairy free options as well.  If you can’t find them in the regular ice cream section check the organic or natural foods section.

S’mores

Growing up, my family went camping each summer and S’mores by the fire were a given.  We still do S’mores, but now we have to be careful about the chocolate we use.  Soon after we were diagnosed with Claire’s nut allergy we discovered Vermont Nut Free Chocolate.  The company was founded by a mom with a son who is allergic to peanuts and their products are safe for those with a nut allergy.   At the beginning of the summer season I stock up on chocolate bars so we are ready for nights by the fire pit.  When we are making the S’mores I make sure Claire has a dedicated stick for roasting her marshmallows.  That way, there is no chance for cross contact as she makes her S’mores in case others are using different chocolate bars.

Enjoy all of the sweetness that summer has to offer- even if you have to modify it a bit!  Until next time- Thrive On!

Learn more about Tami and her company, Thrive On Consulting, which helps families and individuals dealing with food allergies at www.thriveonconsulting.net www.thriveonconsulting.net