Allergy Watch Label: Innovative Idea by Conrad Foundation's Spirit of Innovation Finalists

Sarah and Jan McCarl, two enterprising young high school students from Utah, wrote me and asked me to help them promote their project, Allergy Watch Label, which is a finalist in the Conrad Foundation's Spirit of Innovation Competition in the Health and Nutrition category.

Because their father has Celiac Disease, they know firsthand how confusing food labeling can be.  They came up with this graphic which allows consumers to view at a glance if a product is safe for them to consume.

You can read more about their idea on their website, Allergy Watch Label where you will find links to their Facebook and Twitter pages.

If you like the idea, please vote by March 23, 2012, for Allergy Watch Label on the Conrad Foundation's Spirit of Innovation Competition website, here. 

I am very impressed with these young women and their desire to make food labeling safe for all of us.  They are also very savvy about the use of social media as a marketing tool.

Good luck, girls!

And the Winner of the Publix, "Best Meals Happen at Home" Giveaway is...

And the lucky winner of a Publix $25 gift certificate, chosen at random by The Prince is...Mami2jcn!  Please email me your name and address and I will forward it to the good folks at MyBlogSpark.com who will mail it directly to you. 

Thanks again to Publix, General Mills, and MyBlogSpark.com for making this giveaway possible.

Publix: Best Meals Happen at Home Event

I have always shopped at Publix, but have become an even more loyal customer now that they are making a concerted effort to label shelves containing gluten-free items with a blue “GF” sticker.  My local store does this in every department and it is really helpful.  While many health food stores do this, and some grocery store chains have health food sections, I really appreciate having the labels at Publix.  I have also found that the manager at my store is very open to product suggestions, so do not be afraid to speak up if there is something you would like them to carry. As I am sure you have noticed, gluten-free is the new hot thing, we are a sought-after target market, thus giving us power; although many of us were gluten-free before gluten-free was cool!

Because I am so loyal to Publix, I agreed to publicize their “Best Meals Happen at Home” event, being held March 8-14, with coupons valid through March 28, 2012.  Be on the lookout for in-store coupons for General Mills products, many of which are gluten-free, such as Progresso Soups, Gluten-Free Betty Crocker Mixes, Gluten-Free Bisquick, and more.  You can sign up to receive recipes and coupons at BestMealsatHome.com. All recipes are easy to make in 30 minutes or less. Note:  these recipes are not necessarily gluten-free, though they are pretty simple to adapt andI figure one can always use coupons for products you regularly purchase.  I have always been grateful to General Mills for having the business sense to create gluten-free versions of their products, and to launch Live Gluten Freely, a website with blogs, tips, recipes and gluten-free products available for purchase online.

In addition, I am a big believer in the importance of eating family meals together.  Even though the “Best Meals Happen at Home” campaign is a marketing event, I think the message is sound.  For those of us with food intolerances and allergies, it is a necessity to cook for ourselves to be sure we know the safety of the ingredients we are using.

In appreciation for telling you about this event, Publix, General Mills, and MyBlogSpark have graciously provided me with a $25 gift card to offer as a giveaway to one lucky reader.  In the comments section please tell me about a special moment or a funny moment you shared during a family meal at home.  As usual, The Prince will draw a name at random on March 15 when I will post the name of the lucky winner.

How Do You Have "The Talk"?

…and I am not talking about the birds and the bees! 

For some time, The Prince has been aware that he is different from the other kids in his class.  We have always promoted the idea that it is okay to be different and that in fact, it is the unique differences that everyone has which make the world so beautiful and interesting.  But I have been somewhat dreading explaining to The Prince that he is different, in part, due to the fact that he has autism. 

We participate in many autism-related activities and of course, The Prince knows that he attended lots of therapies which other children did not have to do.  But he accepted it, worked hard, and is doing really well, all things considered.

Yesterday, the news was on while I was making dinner and the Prince was helping me.  A story about a local autism event came on.  The reporter interviewed a very verbal teenager with autism, who had the same name as The Prince.  “Hey, he has autism and he has the same name as me!” said The Prince.  Then he said, “But he is a teenager, only children have autism, right?”  I said that no, teenagers and adults have autism too.  That you are born with it and you still have it as you grow older. Then he asked, “Does it ever go away?”  My heart sank. 

I told him that no, it does not but that many things that used to be hard, like talking for instance, get easier when you work on them, like he has.  Talking used to be hard, and now it is not.  I tried to frame it within our own family.  I said that The Professor has asthma, I have cancer, and his Aunt has Celiac Disease.  We all just need to be more careful of our health and none of these conditions can stop us from doing what we want to do.  That seemed to satisfy him for the moment. 

Then, I said something that I would later regret.  I told him that people with autism have brains that work differently from other people.  In some ways, their brains work better, for example, I told The Prince he had a better memory than most people.  But in other ways, there are challenges, such as when the Prince is upset by loud noises.  I thought all was well and felt that it had been a pretty good conversation.  I was also proud of his self-awareness.

Earlier this week the Prince had learned about organ transplants, a concept he found very interesting.  Last night I found him researching “brain transplants” online.  I asked him why.  “Maybe if I can have a brain transplant, I won’t have autism anymore.”  He didn’t seem especially upset, just sort of matter of fact, but I felt terrible.  So much for saying “your brain works differently.”  I still feel sad about this.

Now what do I do?  I just bought John Elder Robison’s book, Be Different: Adventures of a Free-Range Aspergian with Practical Advice for Aspergians, Misfits, Families & Teachers.  I loved Robison’s autobiography, Look Me In The Eye and wish I could have him talk to my son about growing up being different.  Maybe this book will give me some guidance about how to discuss this topic.  I know this is only the beginning of many conversations with The Prince about this.  To be continued…

Photo credit:  courtesy of The Consulting Collective, Inc. www.consultingcollective.net.

GFCF Mommy Reviews Frugaldad.com

I know from the statistics that Google sends me about my blog that many of you are concerned about saving money. In this economy, who isn’t?!  It seems that a post I did awhile back about where to find coupons for organic and GFCF items is one of the most visited on my blog.   

Consequently, when I discovered Frugaldad.com, I thought I would share this link with you.  Frugaldad.com does all the work of searching the web for a variety of products which can be ordered online and have coupons for discounts currently available.  This site has received rave reviews by The New York Times, The New Yorker, Treehugger, and Business Week.

Right now, The Dad is featuring savings from sears.com at frugaldad.com.  The current discount is for tv’s at Sears, 30-50% off.  However, there are hundreds of categories that you can check out, including health and wellness items, groceries, amazon.com deals, legos.  There are products for pets, for kids, travel.

The interface for The Dad is very easy to use.  Just click on the product group you are seeking, and see if any coupons are available.  If you see something you need, just click and you are linked to the company’s website where the offer appears. All the major stores you can imagine are featured:  Walgreens, Kmart, Walmart, Dell, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and more.

It is somewhat similar to CouponMom, sort of clearinghouse for current deals, but on a larger scale and for a greater variety of products.  You have to check frugaldad.com frequently, since offers expire and change.  But I must say, The Dad has pulled together a ton of information that would take anyone a lot of time to discover by web surfing and googling on his or her own.

I was also impressed that frugaldad.com has a philanthropic heart.  He has created The Frugaldad Undergraduate Scholarship.  Each year, he awards $5,000 to two students towards their tuition for college. 

Currently, there are no coupons under the Health and Wellness, Grocery, or Kids categories.  But I will be sure to check back on a regular basis.  Right now, if you are in the market for a TV, there are some good deals at Sears. I also saw lots of great coupons under the Pets category. We are getting ready to bring home The Prince's autism service dog, Annie, who is still in training, in a few months and searching the Pets section saved me lots of time.

The Dad also has blog entries on various topics of interest to him. For example, this week he wrote an interesting post about the Sears Company, both in terms of marketing history and his fond memories of fantasizing over the catalog.

I cannot imagine the amount of effort it takes to maintain this site.  My hats off to FrugalDad for all his hard work. 

South Florida GFCF Parents: Check out The PlayGround Theatre's Autism and Sensory-Friendly Inclusion Performance of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"

Brochures with a picture-story study guide describing what to expect when you attend a theater performance are available. Use these with your children prior to the event to prepare them for the experience.  The theatre will provide modifications to sound and lighting, noise-cancelling headsets, and a quiet room. Tickets are $10/adults and $5/children. For tickets and additional information, contact Judy Litt at The PlayGround Theatre, 305-751-9500.

I cannot tell you how impressed I am with this organization! The Prince, Professor, and I were honored to be a part of a small focus group to prepare for this performance.  The PlayGround Theatre was the first in the State of Florida to present a shadow performance where specially trained American Sign Language Interpreters performed as "shadows" on stage alongside the Company's actors.  They have an innovative and comprehensive approach to making a live theatre performance accessible for all children.  Special accommodations are available so children with sensory, motor, cognitive, and other developmental challenges can enjoy the performance, giving them a sense of empowerment and inclusion.  Now, they have created a special program for children with Autism and Sensory Integration Disorder.

The Prince, Professor, and I will be there, along with my local parent posse!

Satisfying Wintery Side Dishes

With perfect timing, just before the holidays, you may recall that Pacific Natural Foods made me an offer I could not refuse: they stocked my pantry with their non-dairy staples; and when I say stocked, I really mean it! I have been so spoiled by having their delicious, often organic, stocks, soups, rice milk, and hemp milk at the ready this winter.

I wanted to share two of my favorite recipes in which I incorporated these products. I have never used Mushroom Broth much before, but I must admit, it is now going to be regularly stocked in the GFCF Mommy kitchen. I have been pleasantly surprised how often I have used it. Below is a recipe for Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf, which I got from Real Simple magazine. I love this recipe and make it almost every Thanksgiving. I substituted Pacific Mushroom Broth for water and it really enhanced the rich, earthy flavor of the dish. I think that mushrooms and wild rice are great combination. I’ve started to experiment with mushroom broth, substituting it for chicken broth and find it improves almost any recipe that includes mushrooms. Last week I added it to a chicken pot pie (with mashed potatoes substituted for the crust) and The Professor devoured it!

The other recipe is my favorite Butternut Squash Soup from The Whole Foods Cookbook. Here, I substituted Pacific Vegetable Broth for water, and again, I feel the depth of flavor was especially nice. The Prince loves any kind of soup and he even noticed the difference. It is another holiday favorite, but also the perfect thick, creamy soup for a wintery evening. It has the “mouth feel” of something with cream in it, but it has no dairy in it at all.

Enjoy the recipes!

Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf With Cranberries

From Real Simple

1 ½ cups long-grain and wild rice blend (I use Lundberg)

¾ cup dried cranberries

3 TB olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 pound mixed mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shitake), thinly slicced

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 TB chopped fresh tarragon

3 cups mushroom broth (I used Pacific)

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

Cook the rice blend according to package directions, substituting mushroom broth for water. Fold in the cranberries, cover, and let stand 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and tender. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook until soft, 5-6 minutes or so. Turn off the heat and fold in parsley and tarragon. Add the mushroom mixture to the rice, toss to combine, and serve.

Butternut and Squash Soup

From The Whole Foods Cookbook

1 TB olive oil

2-3 lbs. butternut squash peeled and diced

2 large carrots, chopped

1 medium onion

1 TB minced, fresh ginger

2 quarts vegetable stock (or two 32 oz. cartons)

1/8 cup orange zest

1 bunch parsley, chopped

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Sea salt and white pepper to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large sauce pot or stock pot. Saute the squash, carrots, onion and ginger briefly, about 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the stock and zest and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft and tender.

Add the parsley, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Puree the soup with a hand held immersion blender (if you are using this method, be sure to use a stock pot rather than a sauce pan) or in a food processor or blender (working in batches for this method). Process until the soup is smooth and creamy.