Eggnots- Easter "Eggs" Made Safe!

Our Easter Basket filled with eggnots!

Check out my review of eggnots® and see below 

for how to enter to win your own 12 pack!

Eggs. They are a integral part of Easter- from stuffing to hiding to dying- they have become a centerpiece of the holiday.  But what happens if you have an egg allergy?  All of those egg activities become impossible, if not downright dangerous.  But one company, eggnots®, has the perfect solution to keep eggs in the picture and reactions at bay.

Eggnots® are a ceramic dyeable egg alternative.  We got a 12 pack and when we opened them up to dye them my daughter exclaimed, “they look real!”  She is right!

After ogling over the “eggs” in the carton we got down to the business of dying them.  We had the dye kit from eggnots®, but you can use other dyes as well.  Eggnots® includes recipes and links for other dye options.

The dye kit from eggnots® included four colors- blue, green, yellow and red and cute cups to hold each dye.  They were easy to prepare- just add the dye packet to ½ cup of boiling water and 1 tsp of white vinegar.  We had our colors mixed up in no time and were ready to dye our eggnots®.

The eggnots® do float in the dye so you have to either weight them down or keep them moving so you get even color coverage.  The directions suggest keeping the “eggs” in the dye for 3-5 minutes.  On our first round, we pulled the "eggs" out after just one minute and they were very pale.  We dropped them back in, and by the five-minute mark they were vibrant!  We did a few of them for 3 minutes, and while lighter than the ones we colored for five minutes, still had great color.  I didn’t blot the first batch of eggnots® before we dried them so ended up with a darker spot on a few of them, but once I remembered to blot them we got a nice even color.

My girls had a blast dunking and swirling the "eggs".  I used the crate they came in to make a “drying station” which worked great, but in hindsight wish I had left the crate intact to use for storage after Easter.  One of the best parts about these “eggs”, they are non-perishable so I will be able to use them for Easters to come (now I just need to get a new container to store them in!).

We do not have an egg allergy in our family so we can dye eggs each Easter, but the experience of dying the eggnots® was exactly like dying real eggs.  And, now we can put these on display for the entire Easter season- no worries about refrigeration or spoiling.  So, whether you have an egg allergy or are looking for a fun Easter keepsake, eggnots® are a great option for adding a little color and egg dying fun to your holiday!

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GIVEAWAY!!!

Want to win your own 12 pack of eggnots?  Head over to our Facebook Page for a chance to enter and win!  The winner will be announced March 31st!  Good Luck!!!

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Disclaimer: I was not paid to write this review, but eggnots did provide me with products to use for the purpose of this review and giveaway.  The opinions expressed in this post are mine and not influenced by the company.


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.

Review of the Easter Treat Box from Vermont Nut Free Chocolates

When you think of Easter, one of the first things that comes to mind is that chocolate bunny you find in your basket.  I still remember as a little girl searching frantically for my basket, grabbing that bunny, and partaking in a chocolate breakfast I was only allowed on that one special morning.

As a mom now, I delight in prepping my daughters' baskets- knowing they too will have that same memory of a sugary, creamy we-get-to-have-chocolate-for-breakfast experience.  But, when my daughter was first diagnosed with her nut allergy, I was not sure we would have a chocolate bunny that was safe for her.  Bunny after bunny had an allergy warning that they were produced in a facility with nuts.

And then, we discovered the Easter treats from Vermont Nut Free Chocolates.

Thanks to Vermont Nut Free Chocolates, whose products are completely peanut and tree nut free, our Easter.. and other holidays, and quite honestly regular days...are filled with safe nut-free chocolate treats.

One of the many yummy Easter options from Vermont Nut Free Chocolates is the Easter Treat Box.  This box is brimming with yummy treats to make Easter chocolatey, sweet and safe! The box includes one Baby Bunny (1.5 oz), one Bunny Pop (2.5 oz), one bag of Easter Miniatures (3 oz) one Easter Pop (1 oz), and one bag of Jelly Beans (2 oz).

My chocolate loving daughters couldn't wait to get their hands on the treat box.  Although, the wrapping was so cute it was almost a shame to rip into it, until we started eating all of the yummy chocolate- then it was a shame to stop!

The Baby Bunny was my youngest daughter's favorite, while my older daughter liked the colorfully wrapped Easter Miniatures (and she was excited to share one with her friend who also has a nut allergy).  My husband liked the Jelly Beans the best.  The Jelly Beans add a great pop of color and sugary sweetness to the treat box.  My personal favorite was the Bunny Pop.  Who can resist biting the big ears off a chocolate bunny?

From the cute packaging (a real plus if you are traveling for the holiday- no need to pack extra supplies for your basket, it is already perfectly packaged!) to the delicious confections inside, this treat box has all you need for a great Easter gift!  And, if the treat box doesn't have enough chocolate for you check out the other Easter options they offer- you will surely find a safe and tasty option to satisfy your nut free Easter chocolate cravings!

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Disclaimer: I was not paid to write this review, but Vermont Nut Free Chocolates did provide me with a free Easter Treat Box to use for purposes of this review.  The opinions expressed in this post are mine and not influenced by the company.  


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.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta (and Ways to Make it Top 8 Free!)

Lately, I am all about recipes!  Today I am sharing one of my favorite meatless meals.  As a Catholic family, we observe Lent and that means no meat on Fridays.  Here is a recipe I came up with for one of our Friday meals during Lent.

Often times I just throw stuff together and see what happens, and this is exactly how this meatless meal was born!  Check out the recipe below, and if you need to keep your meals Top 8 free check out some great substitutions listed at the end of the recipe.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Spaghetti*
Butter*
1-2 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
1 lb Shrimp*
2 cups Frozen Peas (thawed)*
White Wine
Lemon
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Parmesan Cheese- to garnish (optional)
Parsley- to garnish (optional)

Directions
Prepare pasta according to package directions and set aside.

In a large skillet melt 2-3 Tablespoons of butter.  Sauté garlic for 1 min, add shrimp and cook until done.  Add in pasta and peas.  Add another 3 Tablespoons of butter, juice of half a lemon, a few splashes of white wine and toss well to ensure everything is coated.  Season with red pepper, salt and pepper.  Heat over medium heat until pasta is heated through.  Serve immediately- garnish with parmesan cheese and parsley, if desired.

*Need ideas to keep it free of your allergens?  Check out these substitutes:

No Wheat:  Use gluten free pasta

No Dairy: Use a butter alternative and omit the parmesan cheese as a garnish

No Shellfish: Replace shrimp with asparagus

No Peas: Use spinach

Happy Friday and Happy Eating!  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.

Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers- Top 8 Free, Gluten Free and Delicious!

We have had a few crazy weeks at our house between afterschool activities, work demands and visitors we are rocking!  Despite our busy schedule, I still want us to be eating healthy and most importantly- safe!  To make sure that happens it takes some planning and prep.  Creating a meal plan and prepping things ahead of time has really saved us from being stressed at meal time.  My meal plan helps me to have good, healthy and safe meals ready to keep us going through these busy weeks.

Today, I want to share one of my favorite recipes when we have a busy week.  It is a meal free of the top 8 allergens, one that can be prepped ahead of time, and packed with healthy veggies.  It is my recipe for Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers.  When I was a little girl my mom would make stuffed peppers and I always loved the nights when they were on the table.  My recipe is slightly updated from my childhood favorite, but my version gets rave reviews from my girls- even with all of the veggies!

This recipe calls for ground turkey, but if you are currently celebrating Lent or prefer vegetarian meals you can easily double the veggies and leave out the meat for a great meatless meal option!

I hope your family will enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Ingredients:
Rice
4 Red Peppers
1 lb Ground Turkey
1 Yellow or Orange Pepper, diced
1 Medium Onion, diced
1 Yellow Squash, diced
10-15 Mushrooms, diced
1 tsp Garlic Powder
¼ tsp Cayenne Powder
1 14.5 oz can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Prepare rice according to directions.  Keep warm.

Preheat oven to 400F. Slice the “sides” off of the red peppers so you have large pieces.  Brush both sides of pepper with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for 10-15 minutes, flipping once in the process.

While peppers are roasting brown turkey meat in the skillet.    Remove the meat.  Add a small amount of olive oil to the pan.  Add in onion and pepper.  Sautee for 2 minutes then add squash and mushrooms. Sautee for an additional 3-4 minutes.  Add tomatoes and spices and mix thoroughly, cook for 2 minutes.  Add in the turkey meat.  Let mixture cook on medium low heat until are ingredients are cooked.

Remove peppers from the oven.  Top with meat mixture and serve with rice on the side.

We do not have a dairy allergy so we sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top- but it is delicious without the cheese as well.

Enjoy and 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.

A Food Allergy Friend in Need

Meal Train.  If you had said those words to me 10 years ago, before kids and life in the suburbs, I am pretty sure I would have told you it was a fancy dinner excursion on a train.  But now, knee deep in motherhood and minivan ownership, I know a meal train is what you do when your friends need you.  A meal for a friend who just had a baby, a meal for a friend who had surgery, a meal for a grieving friend.  I have been a part of the meal train numerous times, gladly preparing meals for friends in need.

But what about a food allergy friend in need?  When I broke my foot a handful of years ago, a friend suggested setting up a meal train for us.  While I loved the idea of having the extra help, the sheer thought of food coming into my house that I had not made was more anxiety producing than having to deal with two toddlers on crutches.

For a food allergy family, the meal train may not be the best way to help.  So many chances for unsafe ingredients or cross contact occur when meals are prepared by others, who may not be as well versed in how to manage food allergies and prepare safe meals.  So what can you do?  Here are a few suggestions for how you can help a food allergy friend in need.

Offer to Cook at Their House
If your friend really needs help with meals, offer to prepare them at her house.  That way she can read all ingredient labels and you can use her kitchen gear, which will be safe. You can plan a meal with her to ensure you know safe ingredients to include and verify which brands are safe.  Preparing the meal at her house also gives you the added benefit of spending time with your friend while you cook!

Gift Cards
Simply providing a gift card to a grocery store, so she can buy her own safe ingredients, is a great way to help.  Many stores now offer online shopping and in-car pick up.  Get her the gift card and offer to pick up the groceries.  She may still wish to do some of the cooking, but you can help get the food to her.

Another gift card option, see if there are any restaurants that the family eats at regularly because they know they manage food allergies effectively.  Some families with food allergies eat out very rarely, so be certain to talk with your friend to ensure you get a card that they will actually use.  If you can find a restaurant that works take out can be a beautiful thing!

Non-food Ways to Help
If providing food is just not practical for food allergy reasons, offer your assistance in other ways.  Perhaps chipping in to have a cleaning service, offering to watch the children, or take care of pets.  You know your friend and you know what she might need- talk to her about the ways you can help outside of food.  And, sometimes just spending time with her is the best gift!

We would love to hear what other suggestions you have for helping a food allergy friend in need- post them in the comments below.




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.

Food Free Ideas for Valentine's Day Parties

The Winter Holiday party went off without a hitch.  Fun games, lots of laughs and safe for those with food allergies.  Woo-hoo another food allergy mom success in the books!!! The holidays are over, parties are over, and the decorations are packed up- I am quite enjoying the slower pace that January brings.  But, as I flipped through my calendar this morning it hit me- Valentine’s Day is not that far off.  Another round of holiday parties is lurking just around the corner, and it is time to start thinking safe games and treats.

A Pinterest mom I am not- sure in my head I can execute those amazing things- but in reality I fall into the always hilarious #nailedit category.  As such, I like to keep our parties simple, but simple doesn’t have to mean boring!  Here are a few simple, yet fun, ideas to get your creative juices flowing and thinking about adding some food-free fun to your party so that everyone can celebrate safely!

GAMES:

• Valentine Bingo: There are a number of free printable online- just search for free valentine bingo.  Instead of using heart candy as bingo markers use heart shaped beads, buttons or stickers.

• Broken Hearts: Cut hearts in half in different ways and/or patterns.  Separate the hearts and pass out to the kids and have them their match.  You could also use uppercase/lowercase letters or words and definitions on the hearts and have the kids match them.  

• Find the Hearts: Hide and/or hang 6-8 different colored hearts around the room.  Give each child a sheet that has all of the same color hearts on it and send them on a hunt to find all of the hearts.  The first person or team to find all of the hearts wins.  We did this with my daughter’s preschool class and it was a big hit!

TREATS:

• Pencils
• Erasers
• Combs
• Bouncy Balls
• Heart Stress “Balls”
• Small Heart Pillows
• Bubbles
• Love Coupons

Comment below with some of your favorite non-food games or treats!  Thrive On!

Be sure to like Thrive On Consulting on Facebook for more great Valentine's Day ideas and some great give aways!

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.