Recipe Week: Top 8 Free Cranberry Sauce from My Family

Cranberry sauce = awesome in my book! I have loved it since I was little.  I remember helping my mom open the can of sauce for our Thanksgiving meal when I was younger.  That crazy can-shaped red sauce would slide out in one big piece and we would make round slices for everyone to share.   A few years ago, when I made my first Thanksgiving meal, I attempted to make my own cranberry sauce.  We have not touched a can since!

This recipe is so simple to make, and so much better than the canned version.  And, the best part, it is free of the top 8 allergens! Enjoy!

What is one of your family's favorite and safe Thanksgiving recipes?

Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
12 oz bag of fresh cranberries
1/3 c water
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Juice of half an orange (or about a 1/4 cup of orange juice)

Directions:
In a sauce pan add cranberries, water and sugar.  Mix well and cook on medium high heat for 7-8 minutes (the water should be bubbling).  Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg, turn the heat down slightly and simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally- and get ready to hear some of those beautiful berries pop!  As I stir, I  also smash a few of the berries.  Remove from the heat and add in the orange juice.  (Fresh orange tastes amazing but if you are like me, I forget to buy the orange so I use orange juice all of the time!).  Let the sauce completely cool and refrigerate for a few hours (although we have been known to eat it hot!!).

What is one stay safe strategy that you and your family

 implement during Thanksgiving?

I have loved all of the stay safe tips our families have shared this week.  I would reinforce the need to plan early.  Whether you are hosting or you need to work with your host to outline your plan start doing that now.  Decide what your food plan will be (eat ahead, take safe dishes, coordinate cooking safe items with your host, etc.) and start to activate that plan.  Give yourself (and your host) enough time to think through what needs to be done and time to prepare any special dishes, search for special ingredients, or set expectations around what you will and will not eat at the meal.  Planning and having those conversations early helps to minimize stress and feel good about going into the holiday with a food and emergency plan in place.

What is one pice of advice you would offer to other 

families with food allergies during Thanksgiving?

Many of you have heard me say it, because it is the mantra in our house and my best advice for celebrating safely: Focus On Family, Friends and Fun- Not Food.  Yes, Thanksgiving is a food focussed holiday, but there are ways to also find a non-food focus.  Our family has a tradition of watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade every year (no food involved there).  We also have a great tradition, thanks to my mom and her disdain for anything Christmas before Thanksgiving, where we listen to our first Christmas carols after we have eaten our Thanksgiving meal.  The girls so look forward to that time after dinner.  It officially kicks off the Christmas season for us.  Yes, we eat (we love the meal) but we also find ways to make the day about other things too.

A special thanks to all of the awesome food allergy families who shared their recipes and advice with us this week!  Stay connected for more tips on how to Thrive On this holiday season! And, may your Thanksgiving be filled with family, friends and fun!  Thrive On!




Learn more about Tami and her company, Thrive On Consulting, which provides food allergy coaching and training.  You can also follow her on Facebook for tips to Thrive On with food allergies.

Recipe Week: Dairy-Free Stuffing from The Rose Family

There is nothing I love more at our Thanksgiving meal than stuffing!  The warm savory dish makes the meal so rich and delicious!  I am thrilled that the Rose family is sharing their dairy free stuffing recipe with us today.  And, as much as I love stuffing, I love Wendy's advice even more. As a family who manages a dairy, beef and nut allergy they have put great practices in place to keep it safe and keep the focus on being thankful.

What is one of your favorite safe Thanksgiving recipes?

MOIST & SAVORY STUFFING

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Bake: 30 minutes

Serves: 10

1/2 cup dairy-free margarine (1 stick) We use Blue Bonnet Light or Fleischmanns Unsalted

2-3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

2 1/2 cups chicken broth or stock (use more if mixture seems dry after adding)

1 pkg. (12 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Cubed Stuffing

6 oz. jar sliced green olives, drained (optional)

Heat the oven to 350°F.

Melt the margarine in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.  Add the celery and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.

Add the broth or stock to the saucepan and heat to a boil.  Remove the saucepan from the heat.  Add the stuffing & olives and mix lightly.  Season to taste with salt & pepper.  Spoon the stuffing mixture into a greased 9x13x2-inch baking dish.  Cover the baking dish. For a crispier stuffing, bake uncovered.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the stuffing mixture is hot.

What is one stay-safe strategy that you and your 

family implement at Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is a holiday rich with unsafe (dairy-filled) foods. We try to make as many of our recipes safe but when the whole family gets together and everyone is bringing something different then it becomes difficult. So our Thanksgiving does include some unsafe foods. Our family eats buffet-style so we set all of the safe food separate of any food that is unsafe. This minimizes be chances for cross contamination. We also let our child with allergies fill his plate first before anyone else has a chance to cross contaminate. This makes him feel special since he is the first to "dig in."

What is one piece of advice you would offer to families 

celebrating Thanksgiving with food allergies?

Although it may take extra time & planning when figuring out your meal with food allergies, remember to enjoy the holiday and don't stress out! Be thankful that you are dealing with something that you can have control over. Focus on all that you have to be thankful for rather than making the holiday all about food. 

Thanks to the Rose family for sharing with us today! 

Stay connected all week for great recipes and stay safe tips from other food allergy families!

Learn more about Tami and her company, Thrive On Consulting, which provides food allergy coaching and training.  You can also follow her on Facebook for tips to Thrive On with food allergies.

Recipe Week: Donuts from the Huang Family

It's Recipe Week Day 3- let's talk breakfast! Holidays can often mean hosting family members (or staying with family) for more than just the Thanksgiving feast.  Breakfast is not as easy as running to the donut shop to grab a dozen to share when you have food allergies, but who wouldn't love donuts as a part of your holiday offerings?  The Huang Family, who manage a severe peanut allergy, is sharing an allergy friendly option for your Thanksgiving weekend.

What is one of your favorite safe Thanksgiving recipes?

Have you ever had those fresh pumpkin donuts from Hubers*???? They're amazing! But now that we're managing a severe peanut allergy, we don't get them anymore. As treat around this time of year, I try to serve these baked pumpkin donuts for breakfast over the long Thanksgiving weekend. My kids will eat and love anything "donut" shaped so the small investment in a donut pan has paid off! 

*If you are not from the Louisville area, Huber's is a local farm/orchard.  Much like many farms, during the Fall Huber's has pumpkin picking and sells yummy Fall treats. 

Baked Pumpkin Donuts 

(from Weelicious.com)

2 cups Flour (I use whole wheat pastry)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup softened unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup pumpkin purée (sweet potato or butternut squash also works!)

1/3 milk

Icing--

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbs milk

Directions--

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Combine first 5 ingredients and set aside.

3. Cream butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. 

4. Add egg, pumpkin and milk.

5. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

6. Place dough in a large zippered bag, seal to airtight and cut off 1/2 inch of the corner. 

7. Pipe dough into greased donut pan. Bake 15 minutes and allow to cool.

8. To make icing, place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. 

9. Drizzle icing over each donut and serve.

These are best fresh and warm!!!

What is one stay-safe strategy that you and your family 

implement during Thanksgiving?

Our biggest stay-safe strategy for Thanksgiving, and really all large gatherings with a lot of food, is to fill them up with a big healthy snack before we go. They are often too busy and distracted to sit and eat a real meal at large gatherings anyway so I try to fill them up ahead of time. We also always bring a dish that the kids will eat and we know is safe. And dessert. We always always always bring a dessert because that is the one thing that we can't trust anyone else to make. And no matter how crazy they get, they never miss the dessert! 

What is one piece of advice you would offer to other families 

with food allergies during Thanksgiving?

My advice to other families is to plan ahead and communicate with the host. Have them save boxes and wrappers if they're not comfortable (or you're not comfortable with them) reading labels. While many people don't understand the abundance of caution necessary to prevent cross contact, most are willing to learn and provide at least a few "guaranteed safe" options.

Thanks to the Huang Family for sharing their tips and recipe with us! 

Stay connected all week for great recipes and stay safe tips from other food allergy families!

Learn more about Tami and her company, Thrive On Consulting, which provides food allergy coaching and training.  You can also follow her on Facebook for tips to Thrive On with food allergies.

Recipe Week: Festive Cake Pops from the Muchnok Family

At my family Thanksgiving, we have no less than three desserts so I am delighted that the Muchnok family is sharing another awesome dessert option.  Their family manages multiple allergens including peanuts, tree nuts, egg and soy protein, as well as celiac disease so they know all too well how hard it can be to find safe dessert options when attending holiday gatherings. This recipe seems so simple to make, and the best part- it can be repurposed for other holidays too!

What is one of your favorite safe Thanksgiving recipes?

One of our favorite safe treats, particularly at Thanksgiving, are yummy chocolate pumpkin cake pops!  Don’t let the word “cake pop” scare you, these fun treats are so easy my 5 and 8 year old can make them on their own with minimal assistance with the oven!  However, you may want to make them yourself just to make sure your kids and husband don’t learn the secret ingredient is a vegetable –pumpkin!

What you need:
1     box  Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devils Food Cake Mix
1 15 oz. Can of Pumpkin (we use Libby’s)
Hershey’s Chocolate chips  (or Enjoy Life mini chips for a “Top 8” allergen free option)

Optional:
Cake Mate Sprinkles (we trust Cake Mate labeling)
Cake pop sticks

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325.  Dump all 3 ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir until well mixed.  Note: amount of chocolate chips depends on personal preference—we love chocolate!  You only need enough chips to ensure each cake bite has a few as it really adds to the taste.  Then, spoon batter into mini muffin tins until close to the top as these cakes do not rise much.  Bake approximately 8-10 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean or the cake pop easily lifts out of the pan when attempting to remove the toothpick!

As soon as you remove the muffins from the oven, simply use your hands to gently shape each cake into a ball and place it on a rack to cool.  While cooling, melt additional chocolate (either in microwave for kid-friendly option or on the stove with a double boiler).  Dip and swirl each cake pop in the melted chocolate and then add any desired toppings.

Makes approx. 36 cake pops!

What we love most about these (do we dare say healthy) cake pops is not only how easily and quickly you can make them but also their versatility!  We have used them as Princess Ariel “dinglehopper” cakes using mini forks inserted (for my daughter’s 5th birthday), have converted them into spooky Halloween creatures, and have even turned them into pumpkins and turkeys for Thanksgiving.  This year, snowman faces and Santa’s reindeer will be paying our family a visit!  The opportunities are endless depending on your creativity and choice of toppings.   Both kids and adults rave about these treats!

Of benefit to food allergy parents, by having the ingredients available in your pantry, you can make a batch in no time and vary the toppings for each cake pop to offer a festive treat for any unplanned get together.  If you add the chocolate chips after blending the cake mix and pumpkin, you can take some of the batter out and make a few pops top 8 allergen free rather than making the entire batch with the more expensive chips.  Make sure to mark the different cake pops because everyone’s treat will look the same! Yeah!

What is one stay-safe strategy that you and your family 

implement during Thanksgiving?

What we find challenging over the holiday is the availability of many tasty treats that “taunt” our youngest who loves sweets.  As she is only 5, our picky eater has not yet developed a love for stuffing, gravy, and pumpkin pies--a “must have” for many of us.  So, I make sure to take along a sampling of her favorite sweet treats (i.e. cake pops, sugar cookies) decorated to the envy of all.   We have a portable cooler that allows us to also take many favorites on the road and keep them fresh…a must have for the food allergy parent!

What is one piece of advice you would offer to other families 

with food allergies during Thanksgiving?

Maintain a watchful eye at all times!  Although you may be able to convince family to go nut free for the holiday, we find avoidance of all of our youngest ones allergens is just not realistic.  More importantly, loved ones not cooking under these special dietary restrictions on a regular basis are just not prepared to avoid the pitfalls we have learned over the years.  We travel with a number of our own basic cooking necessities.  (i.e. cutting board, knife, spatula, small pan) to help prevent the cross contact issues and always help out in the food preparations when possible. It may not always be a relaxing holiday, but makes for a much happier family!

Thanks Amy and family for sharing this recipe with us!  I know we will be adding these safe and versatile cake pops to our list of fun holiday dessert options!

Stay connected all week for great recipes and stay safe tips from other food allergy families!


Learn more about Tami and her company, Thrive On Consulting, which provides food allergy coaching and training.  You can also follow her on Facebook for tips to Thrive On with food allergies.

Recipe Week: Thanksgiving Pies from the Newcome Family

      When you think Thanksgiving you often think pie! We are lucky to have Jennifer Newcome and her family sharing not one, but two, yummy pie recipes that they make for their family who manage a peanut and tree nut allergy.  In addition to being an awesome baking mom, Jennifer also blogs about their life with food allergies at Allergy Mom's World and is the creator of the popular Facebook group Nut Free and Allergy Friendly Recipe Exchange and Support.

What is one of your family’s favorite and safe Thanksgiving recipes?

My family’s favorite Thanksgiving food is pie…of course! So here are two of our favorites…

Homemade Apple Crumble Pie

6 medium apples cut thin (I use 3 Granny Smiths and 3 Golden delicious)

¾ cups of sugar

1 teaspoon of cinnamon (McCormick)

2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (Pillsbury)

A pinch of salt

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Mix all the ingredients together.

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup of butter (room temp)

6-8 table spoons of cold water

Add butter to the flour and then add the water and salt,mix (by hand) until dough is formed. Roll it out and then place in a pie dish. Cut excess dough from the sides. I then fold it over on the edges and press the edges with a fork. Bake at 350 until golden brown.

Crumble: 

1/2 cup of all-purpose flour (Pillsbury)

1 tablespoon of sugar

A pinch of cinnamon (McCormick)

1 teaspoon of water

Combine with your finger until crumbly.

Spoon filling into crust and top with the crumble (sprinkle a pinch or two of cinnamon on top).  Bake for about 45 minutes until topping is brown. Let cool for 1 hour.

Pumpkin Pie

This is an adapted Libby’s recipe

Preheat oven to 425

For this I use a frozen Shoprite 9 inch pie crust

1 can of pumpkin (I use Libby’s)

1 (14 oz.) can of condensed milk (I use Shoprite)

2 eggs

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon (McCormick)

¼ teaspoon nutmeg (I use McCormick, nutmeg is not actually made from nuts)

A pinch of salt

I use a stand mixer but you can mix by hand. First add the pumpkin, condensed milk and eggs. Next add your dry ingredients. Mix until combined and smooth. Gently pour into pie crust. Bake at 450 for about 15 minutes. Then drop the temp to 350 and bake for 40-45 minutes. Next use a knife check to see if the pie is done. It is done when the knife comes out clean. Let cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate the leftovers.

What is one stay safe strategy that you and your family 

implement during Thanksgiving?

I feel like the most important thing is education our extended family. Everyone in the family knows what my son’s allergies are and how to read labels. They also know what signs to look for in an emergency. My family has also been trained on how to use an Epi-pen.

What is one piece of advice you would offer to other families with 

food allergies during Thanksgiving?

My advice is to talk to your family and go over the menu in advance. If you need to make one or two dishes that you know will be safe then do that. And most importantly enjoy Thanksgiving. There is no reason allergies should stop you.

Thanks Jennifer and family for sharing these great pie recipes!  Who is ready for a slice?


Stay connected all week for great recipes and stay safe tips from other food allergy families!


Learn more about Tami and her company, Thrive On Consulting, which provides food allergy coaching and training.  You can also follow her on Facebook for tips to Thrive On with food allergies.

Disney and Food Allergies: A Magical Place for Dining Out

We go to Disney because my daughters love princesses, we go to Disney because it is magical, but the main reason we go to Disney is because as a food allergy family we can go there and EAT OUT!  Every Meal, yes, every meal!  It is the only true vacation I get as I am usually toting half our kitchen with me and preparing meals for four on two tiny burners in kitchenettes. 

Our recent trip to Disney did not disappoint on the princess, magic or food front– here are some of the food allergy dining highlights that continue to make me want to visit Disney (and have them train the rest of the restaurant world!).

Our first table service lunch was at the The Garden Grill Restaurant in Epcot.  They serve family style, so I was not sure how this would go.  We informed the host and our server about our allergies and they both assured us that the chef would be by to talk to us, and they also provided us with an allergy menu.  In no time, Chef Tom was at our table ready to learn more about our allergens and help us make safe selections.  The biggest issue seemed to be the bread which could have been in contact with sesame seeds, but the restaurant offered an allergen friendly bread so we opted for that.  Stuffing was one of the main dishes served, and again, because of possible contact with sesame we opted to leave it off our order. 

The food was delicious and because of the care taken to ensure the meal was free of our allergens we all got to enjoy a family style meal while we slowly rotated around the scenery in The Garden Grill and met Mickey, Chip, Dale and Pluto.  It was a great first table service meal and this mama breathed a little easier with our first meal behind us.

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Our table service the next day was the best dining experience we have had at Disney so far.  We had the privilege of dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom.  My girls were so excited that they probably could have been served stale bread and still loved every second of being inside the castle to eat with the princesses.  But, to the contrary, we had what was probably the most delicious meal we have had at Disney.  

Our allergy was indicated on our ticket when we checked in for the lunch and our server immediately connected us with the chef.  Chef Brad was awesome!  He talked through our allergens, spoke directly to my daughter about what she wanted to eat, told us about their prep process, and double checked ingredients for us.  My daughter really wanted to have the turkey pot pie- and it was safe!  The desserts were an issue because of cross-contact, but Chef Brad and his team prepared a special dessert platter with Enjoy Life cookies and fresh fruit.   During the lunch the girls got to make a special wish during a wishing ceremony and although I was not given a wand and a wishing star I was wishing every restaurant would follow the allergy protocol we were experiencing at Disney!

 

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Our third day at the parks, we were lucky enough to score a last minute lunch reservation at Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom.  On our previous Disney trip, we had dined there for a table service dinner and had a wonderful experience.  Lunch, however, is not table service.  You order at a kiosk and then proceed to the dining room where they deliver your food to you. 

When we checked in I informed them that we were dining with an allergy and they instructed me to notify the person at the kiosk station when we entered.  As we waited in line and I watched guests punching in orders on touch screen kiosks, I started to get really nervous.  It all seemed a little too chaotic for me!

When we reached the front of the line to be assigned our kiosk station I informed the cast member that we were dining with food allergies.  He told me that there was an allergen menu as a part of the options and to use that.  My stomach dropped- this was not the service I was used to when we dine at Disney.  I went on to explain our list of allergens and he immediately said ok- wait here and I will get the chef.  My anxiety continued to rise as we waited in the busy room- maybe this was a bad idea, maybe my last minute score of a reservation was not a good thing after all!

That all changed when Chef Ryan came out.  He seemed unaffected by the crazy going on around us.  He talked to us about what would be safe given our allergens and helped make suggestions for items for my husband and I to keep the table allergen free.  He was calm, friendly, and even shared his own experience of living with food allergies.  He stayed with us the entire time as we entered our order to ensure we did it correctly.  Once again, I was floored by the care and concern these chefs show for diners with food allergies.

As we entered the busy dining room, I saw food being wheeled out to tables in closed glass top carriers.  Immediately my mind went to cross-contact.  But, our food was hand delivered and the servers made note of our allergies as they placed the food at our table.  It was executed flawlessly and the best part of this meal- my daughter got to enjoy a cupcake for dessert! 

We had a number of positive dining experiences at the quick service venues we chose as well including Liberty Inn at Epot, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café at Magic Kingdom and the Riverside Mill Food Court at Port Orleans Riverside. My only complaint is that there were not a lot of safe snack options at the gift stores and snack shops.  I would have loved to have seen more Enjoy Life, or other allergy friendly options, available.

Our trip was magical for so many reasons, but as a food allergy mom to see my family be able to dine out, multiple times, and have safe and delicious food is at the top of the list for me!

What are some of your favorite Disney dining spots?

Learn more about Tami and her company, Thrive On Consulting, which provides food allergy coaching and training.  You can also follow her on Facebook for tips to Thrive On with food allergies.

Product Disclaimer:

Thrive On Consulting does not sponsor or endorse the products or restaurants listed, nor has Thrive On Consulting been paid to include these suggestions.  Products mentioned here are provided as ideas and suggestions to help you Thrive On with food allergies.