The end of what I thought was a good thing.

It looks like the Stateline F.A.S.T. is coming to an end. There has been no activity in this group for well over 6 months despite my effort. I wish everyone the best of everything. Please contact me if I can help with your allergy needs in any way.
Take Heart,
Bev Pomering

Frost is near but do not fear.

Hello Everyone. I hope all is well with everyone out there.
An update on my JayJay. Well it's been six months since Jason was tested negative for the majority of his allergens. We've reintroduced most of the foods and PRAISE GOD! NO REACTIONS! He hasn't even been bothered by his seasonal allergies. We're still avoiding shellfish. Which is easy since he's never had it and doesn't care to try it.
Still no news on future meetings but that doesn't mean we can't support each other via the blogspot or email. Some of the largest support groups meet solely online. The Kids With Food Allergies: Food Allergy Support & Food Allergy Recipes website notes that more than 12,000 parents have joined Kids With Food Allergies, a nationwide nonprofit organization offering online food allergy support groups for families raising children with food allergies. Their website is listed on our LINKS list. Check it out!
Some other helpful links I found while on FAAN's website were
http://www.abcnews.go.com/health/allergies

http://www.foodallergy.org/media/HotTopics/picturethis.html

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America is asking people with food allergies and their caretakers to take an online survey.

The purpose of the survey is to find out how people use the labels on foods that list ingredients and the warnings that a product may be contaminated by a known allergen. AAFA wants to become better informed about the impact of these labels.

Currently, federal law requires food manufacturers to include any of eight major allergens in the ingredients list on the label if the allergens are present in a food product. Advisory labels, saying that a product may contain an allergen, are not required, although many manufacturers use them. However, the wording of these advisories varies.
If you would like to participate in this short, online survey, please click the link below and make sure to complete the survey before October 31, 2008!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=LT6Y49lRmdLyNqqV_2bFLvuw_3d_3d
Thank you for completing the survey and providing AAFA with this important information!

The IFAEA website notes the IFAEA President will speak at 6 school health days around Illinois this fall from Rockford to Mt. Vernon. Tell your school nurse to attend one near you.

The Kids With Food Allergies website has a holiday booklet for you to read. The link is listed below,

Celebrate Halloween safely with food allergic children

First Halloween dealing with food allergies? Download KFA's Celebrating Halloween with Food Allergies booklet : Eight pages filled with activities to replace trick-or-treating, allergy-friendly craft recipes, safe Halloween games, school party ideas, and Halloween treat recipes.

Well I wish everyone a safe & Happy Halloween. Please contact me if there is anything I can do to help you in any way. I have lots of resources and a love to help those in need.

Take Heart,
Bev Pomering

FAST updates

Hello.

I have decided to stay on as the blogspot moderator. I will keep all the announcements posted, the moderating & editing of the blog along with all the other ins & outs of the blogspot.

There are a lot of people blogging about food allergies. We are part of a ever growing world of food allergic people. Check out these other blogs too,
http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/blogs.html
http://mykidsallergies.blogspot.com/
http://peanutfreegallery.blogspot.com/
http://mykidshavefoodallergies.blogspot.com/

http://www.he-cant-eat-that.blogspot.com/
http://www.peanutallergykid.com/2008/07/tylers-peanut-allergy-story.html

I could go on & on. There are a lot of great food allergy blogs out there. An endless amount of support, resources and all around great information.

I'll be in touch soon.
Take Heart,
Bev Pomering

30 days

Just 30 days until this blog ends. This group is looking for someone to pick up the baton and run with it.

Is that someone you? Contact me for more details.

Take Heart,
Bev Pomering

Stepping Down

Hello Everyone!

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer. WOW did it go fast!

It is with a heavy heart that I announce that I am stepping down as director of
this support group. I will be pursuing a degree in Business with a full class
load this fall while working full time. Not to mention, I'm a wife and mother
too. That leaves me with not enough time to devote to the team in a director
position. I hope that someone in the group is able to take on this position.
Please let me know if you are interested and I will give you all the paperwork
from the group.
I will keep the email and blogspot up and running until October. I can still be
reached at the contact information listed below.

Take Heart,
Bev Pomering

A few summer recipes~~~

Pear Cranberry Leather
2 lb. pears
1 pkg. fresh cranberries (12 oz.)
1/4 C. honey

Cook cranberries in saucepan w/ small amount of water until skins pop. Remove from heat and drain well. Cook pears in saucepan with water until tender. Drain. Puree pears and cranberries together. Add honey and mix well. Pour mixture onto two plastic wrap lined 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 jelly roll pan. Spread evenly. Bake @ 225* until no longer wet to the touch. (about 4 hours) Remove plastic wrap and cut each sheet into 4 strips. Roll. Wrap with new plastic wrap. Store in refrigerator until your ready to eat.


Lime Dressed Fruit
1 1/2 C boysenberries or blueberries
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C water
1/4 tsp shredded lime peel
1/3 C lime juice
1/2 tsp poppyseed
2 medium cantaloupes
2 C sliced strawberries
(OR YOUR FAVORITE SUMMER FRUITS)

Combine suger & water in small saucepan and cook over medium heat. Stir 1 to 2 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in lime peel, lime juice and poppyseed. Cool.
Meanwhile, halve and seed melons; scoop out melon balls. Mix together melon, strawberries, boysen or blueberries. Drizzle with cooled dressing. Refrigerate in sealed plastic bowl for several hours. Garnish with strip of lime peel.

Crispy Cucumbers and Tomatoes in Dill Dressing
1/4 C cider vinegar
1 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chopped fresh dill weed
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 T vegetable oil
2 cucumbers, sliced
1 C red onion, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges

In a large bowl, mix the vinegar, sugar, salt, dill, pepper and oil. Add cucumbers, onion & tomatoes. Toss and let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.

Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
1 1/2 C freshly shredded zucchini
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 C sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon (allspice is a good substitute if you have an allergy)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 C GF flour mix (see posted recipes)
1 tsp xanthum gum for each cup of flour
1 C of walnuts (IF YOU DON'T HAVE NUT ALLERGIES)

Use a mixer to beat the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla. Add the baking soda, cinnamon, salt & baking powder. Slowly pour in the flour and xanthum gum until well mixed. By hand, mix in the zucchini and nuts. Pour into greased & floured loaf pan. Bake @ 350* for 75 minutes. Let cool. Remove from pan and slice.

Soy Nut Butter Drive

To the Stateline Food Allergy Support Team members and...
other members of our community,

You might have heard that the Rockford Food Pantry is doing a Peanut Butter
Drive. This food drive was started to collect peanut butter (and jelly) for
children that eat free school lunches and may not have food to eat during the
summer.
HHMMM???? What if the child is allergic to peanut butter? Yes, they could just
have jelly sandwiches but they should have a good source of protein just like
any other child.
That got me thinking... there is something we can do & it would be a great
opportunity to offer support. We know what it's like to not be able to feed our
child something that's offered to others. It's rough on us & rough on our kids.
Let's collect Soy Nut Butter for the kids with food allergies and sensitivities
that may need to use the Food Pantry's services this summer.
I'll be collecting jars of Soy Nut Butter until the end of May. Please contact
me if you would like to donate a jar, or two or three.

Thanks!
Take Heart.
Bev Pomering

Spring is in the Air!

And so is the pollen! How's everyone doing with seasonal allergies? Jason is in full swing suffering. Back to the allergist to do a med check. We'll be checking food allergies too. Praying for good news!
Here's a few interestng links I've come across. Enjoy the spring!
http://aafa.org/pdfs/FINAL%20public%20LIST%20Spr2008.pdf The AAFA's list of the Most Challenging Places to Live with Spring Allergies.
http://www.actagainstallergy.com/aaa/11980-peanut-allergy-can-be-defeated.html This is a new study released by the AAFA & Duke University on Peanut Allergies. (HHHMMM????)
http://www.foodallergy.org/FAAW/FAAW%202008/calendar08.pdf IT'S FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK! MAY 11-17
http://www.unitedforlunghealth.org/ The first ever United for Lung Health Federal Advocacy Day 2008, to be held May 13-14, 2008 in Washington, D.C.
Take Heart,
Bev

Members' Recipes ~ ~ Feel free to post your own favorite recipes!

Gluten Free Pancakes (Abby's find!)

1 ¼ c rice flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ c buttermilk or sour cream (I used rice milk for dairy-free)
2 eggs
¼ olive oil (I used safflower oil for a lighter taste)
Cinnamon and vanilla to taste, optional
Blueberries or fruit to taste, optional

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Melissa's substitutions to make wheat-free (not gluten-free because of the oatmeal) are as follows:

For flour use ½ cup brown rice flour and ½ cup of tapioca.

For sugar use ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of blue agave.

If you are going to substitute flours only, add 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum (the agave adds moisture so the xanthan gum isn’t needed).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
an oldie but goodie:
Flourless peanut butter cookies
1 c peanut butter
1 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 c chocolate chips - optional (I usually leave out because they are too sweet in my opinion, but more like a gourmet cookie)
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, let cool before removing from pan as they can be fragile.
Best to double recipe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
vegan wheat-free chocolate chip cookies
1 3/4 c oat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c br sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/3 c canola oil
1 Tbs ground flaxseeds
1/4 c soy milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c chocolate chips
(Only the ingrediants were sent to me so I'm assuming that we would mix & bake as you would with any cookie recipe.)

Allergy Free Vacations Are Coming!

Our next meeting is THIS THURSDAY! Man, sorry I haven't posted the details before now. Time slipped away from me with the lovely spring weather we have had.
This Thursday's meeting will be from 6-8pm at the Ledgewood School Library. Our topic is Traveling with Food Allergies. Bring your tips, best destinations and questions. We're sure to have some great conversations.
See you Thursday!
Take Heart
Bev

ANOTHER CHANGE FOR THE FEB. 7th MEETING

THE MEETING WILL BE AT THE STONE CREEK SCHOOL LIBRARY. This is the school directly south of Ledgewood school. The address is 11633 South Gate Rd, Roscoe. The meeting will start at 6pm. Edie Applegate, RD will be speaking on nutrition and we will have open discussion after that. Please come and share your thoughts.
Have a great weekend and see you next Thursday!
Take heart,
Bev
~~~SEE COMMENTS FOR MEETING SUMMARY~~~

February's Meeting will be on the 7th!

NOTE THE DATE CHANGE FOR THE NEXT MEETING!! It will be the first Thursday, which is February 7th.
Nutrition and Food Allergies will be the topic for February. There will be a Registered Dietitian speaking on this topic. Her name is Edie Applegate. She is a retired RD with a long list of accreditation's to her name. She worked for many years in Rockford area and now just spends her time speaking to small groups and organizations on a wide range of Nutritional topics. She has PLENTY of experience in Pediatric Nutrition along with Food Allergies.
Come see her presentation and join in on an open discussion of issues we've been handling lately.
Hope to see you all on
Thursday, February 7th
6- 8pm
Ledgewood School Library, Roscoe.

Take Heart
Bev