Food Allergies and Superstar Caregivers

​I've got food allergies. Life threatening ones. I grew up during a time when food allergies were not nearly as common as they are today and I have no way to calculate or fully understand the impact it truly had on my family life. I just saw a tweet from The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network with a link to a survey about the impact of allergies on caregivers. Frankly, despite how awful it is that so many kids suffer from some kind of food allergy today, I'm relieved to see that the issues surrounding their caregivers are being addressed (and so much more attention is paid to allergies in general). 

Kids used to tell me that I should live in a bubble. I'm allergic to nuts and fish (among other things) - but my allergies go beyond just not being able to eat them. The oils of certain nuts and fish are so powerful that my body reacts just to smelling them, or touching a door knob that someone who ate those foods just touched. I carry an epi-pen and have been to the emergency room to get through bad reactions. Having allergies has made me more aware of the food I put into my body. I was a label reader long before it was cool. The ability to control what goes into my body is something that arose out of both need and anxiety in me. Those feelings are also what led me to create one of the specific features of LaLa Lunchbox. Users can customize their food library. Having choices and adding favorite foods is always a good thing, but being able to remove foods that make you sick or add foods that are in the safe zone was absolutely a must for my app. 

Bizarre as it may sound, I had not previously considered the full picture impact of my allergies on my parents or my sister until I started reading Feeding Eden, by Susan Weissman. I plan to write a full review when I've finished the book and am finding it thoroughly engaging, honest and very emotional thus far. 

For all of the caregivers of food allergy sufferers out there - hats off to you. To all of the food allergy sufferers, I hope you can take comfort and find safety in the amazing support systems that exist for you today. 

Soda in a Baby Bottle!?

My husband and I went to the movies this weekend - a rare treat. Amid the plethora of reviews, there was messaging from a political group advocating "freedom of beverage choice" and using language about how no one tells New Yorkers what to do - and that includes how much soda to drink. 

The issue, of course, is far from over.  After what will surely be a rowdy public hearing on July 24, the NYC Board of Health will decide hether to approve the proposal. You can read all about Mayor Bloomberg's proposal here. 

Frankly, I don't think anyone needs to drink more than 16 ounces of soda. And I'm no fan of soda to begin with so it's a stretch for me to even be cool with 16 ounces. In my work with the New York City public hospital system, I watched with my very own eyes while a mother purchased a can of Sprite from a vending machine and poured it into a bottle for her baby, who looked to be just a year old. The family was waiting, ironically, to see their pediatrician. Sprite. Out of a nipple. For a child who didn't even have a full set of baby teeth. The image haunts me still. Childhood obesity isn't a debate. It's a fact. And stories like this one reveal the excess of calories that Americans consume from sugary drinks. 

photo courtesy of Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times

Can't we do better than this? Mayor Bloomberg thinks that we can - he has been a public health advocate from day one. People who oppose the ban talk about the need for more education about sugary drinks. But it's not that the messages aren't out there. They're just not heard. We have an expensive health crisis looming and it's time to take a more drastic approach. And let's be honest, banning certain sizes of sugary beverages doesn't make them illegal. It's not like you'll have to cross state lines to buy soda and do so surreptitiously. What Mayor Bloomberg is doing is taking a stand on portion sizes and I personally think it's a positive step forward. If you want to drink 32 ounces of soda, you can still do so. Just not in one container. Perhaps the pain in the wallet that comes from shelling out for two servings will make an impact. 

Drinks in Your Lunchbox?

​Oh, beverages. They are so essential to human existence and also such a hot button issue. 

Between the super size NYC soda ban proposal and the ever popular parent question about giving juice to kids, adding a beverage category to LaLa Lunchbox seemed like something that would incite more controversy than necessary. 

I have friends who "spike their water" with juice (their words, not mine) to keep their kids hydrated. I also know parents who spike their milk with chocolate syrup  to encourage milk consumption. I know those who only serve water and those who allow soda. Like all things parenting, it's completely a personal matter. Some choices are healthier than others but it's not for me to judge.

And so, the entire beverage category has been left out of the LaLa Lunchbox design. It's intentional. Plus, the plethora of options felt a little dizzying. ​So when you open up  your LaLa Lunchbox app in the morning before camp or school, please remember: any way that works for you, keep 'em hydrated. 

Last Day of Kindergarten

The days are long but the years are flying. Yesterday I packed my daughter's last kindergarten lunchbox. (Sniffle.) Admittedly, I shed a tear (or ten) at the "stepping up to first grade" ceremony.  When did my little gal become such a big gal? Today, the official last day of kindergarten, was a half day at school - so no lunchbox needed. My daughter had planned the entire week with LaLa Lunchbox, but today it was on a plate,  not inside of her lunchbox. 

But the show must go on. The lunch show, that is. Camp starts a week from Monday and like many camps around the country, campers are required to bring their own lunch. Surprisingly, there was no mention of nut-free items for this camp. My daughter is attending a different camp in August and all of the packed lunch items must be nut free  and with minimal packaging. I'm happy to oblige and glad to have the opportunity to discuss why this is important for our environment. 

Best.Cupcake.Recipe.Ever.

I've been making cupcakes for my kids' birthdays since my daughter turned 1 in 2007. Over the years, I've experimented with recipes and flavors (for example, one year my daughter requested chocolate mint cupcakes with mint frosting). But I keep coming back to a classic, tried and true recipe for white cake that I got from my mom, who has earned well deserved praise on the subject as a cookbook author and food writer. 

Today my son turns 2! I can't believe how time has just whizzed by. Two years ago, he was an 8 pound, tiny, pink, wrinkly bundle. Today he's a smiling, running, opinion-expressing, jubilant little dude. And that dude has made it very clear that he'd like white cupcakes with purple frosting. He's been talking about it for at least two weeks and telling everyone he meets about his upcoming purple frosting cupcakes. The idea came from one of his current favorite books, Cupcake, by Cherise Mericle Harper. My son's favorite cupcake in the whole book has purple frosting with blue flowers. 

Back to the cupcakes. Friends have been raving about this recipe for years. In fact, even though my daughter's birthday parties are now drop off parties, some of my friends like to either stay or arrive early to get in on the dessert. I'll share my mom's special recipe now (thank you, Mom!) - and wish you all the best in your cupcake adventures. 

White Cupcakes (makes about 12 cupcakes)

• 1 cup butter

• 1-1/2 cups sugar

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 TBLSP. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1-1/4 cups milk

• 5 large egg whites

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a cupcake tin with liners. In a large bowl or an electric mixer beat the butter and 1-1/4 cups of the sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy. If your butter is already at room temperature, you can do this by hand. Add the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in parts, alternating with the milk and gently mixing after each addition. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they stand in soft peaks. Still beating, gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until the mixture stands in stiff peaks. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake tin. Bake about 20-22 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Frost with buttercream frosting and enjoy!