Allergic Living's 5th Anniversary Contest

Test your allergy knowledge by taking the Allergic Living Quiz. You could win one of 4 copies of Cybele Pascal's The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook!
**Contest closes Friday, May 7, 2010**

http://www.allergicliving.com/contest/



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The federal government is putting the finishing touches on an important document: "Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy"



Here's what it does:

Makes recommendations to healthcare providers on how to diagnose, manage and treat food allergy
Identifies gaps in the current science to be addressed through future research
Offers solutions to controversies in patient management practices



Do you share FAI's thoughts?



Are you glad these guidelines are coming out?



Is there something else you wish were covered?





Make a public comment -- it's easy:



1. View the guidelines



2. Click on the public comment form



3. Follow the easy instructions to submit your comment




We, the public, are invited and encouraged to comment on these draft guidelines.

Here's what FAI thinks:

We are appreciative and grateful that the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) is issuing these guidelines and commend the agency for creating comprehensive guidelines that incorporate the input of the leaders in the field.



As NIAID has noted, this process has helped shine a spotlight on gaps in the science that can be addressed through research. Now that they have developed guidelines to help effectively manage food allergies, policymakers should focus on expanding research and closing those gaps that will eventually lead to a cure.


The public comment period closes on May 6th -- act now!

Then tell your elected officials they can do their part, too.



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Hippity, Hoppity, Easter's on its way!

If the Easter Bunny is looking for ideas about what treats would be safe to bring your food allergic child this Easter, tell him (or her) to hop on over to the Premium Chocolatiers website! This company specializes in milk-free, egg-free, nut-free, and gluten-free gourmet chocolates. These delicious goodies are hand crafted using a signature blend of roasted cocoa beans along with the finest ingredients!

http://www.premiumchocolatiers.com/easter-fun-c-21.html

Happy Easter to all!

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Peanut-Free Night - Kane County Cougars

Spring is on it's way and baseball season is right around the corner! The annual Peanut-Free Night at Elfstrom Stadium will be held on Wednesday, July 14th at 6:30 PM. The event will once again take place on the first day of a homestand so that they can ensure the stadium is properly cleaned.

If you have any questions or would like to order tickets, please contact Erin Wiencek at 630-232-8811 or ewiencek@kanecountycougars.com.

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New FAAW toolbar!

We have something new and exciting we'd like to share with you! It's the new Food Allergy Association of WI toolbar - once added to IE or Firefox, each time you shop at more than 1,300 stores (from Amazon to Zazzle!) a percentage of your purchase will automatically be donated to Food Allergy Association of WI - at no cost to you (and you may even save money as the toolbar provides coupons and deals as well!). The toolbar also has a search box and each time you search the Internet, about a penny is donated to Food Allergy Association of WI.
http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/food-allergy-association-of-wi

Please pass this along to all of your friends. The two minutes it takes to add this toolbar to your browser can make a lifetime of difference!

Get the toolbar NOW!
http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/food-allergy-association-of-wi

Valentine's Day Treats

Valentine’s Day is just a few days away, and what better way to let your friends and family know how much you love them than to make allergy-friendly Valentine treats! Whether you make heart shaped pancakes for breakfast or just frost sugar cookies with pink icing, your little ones will be excited and feel extra special! But if you’re looking for some new ideas, maybe you’d like to give one of these recipes a try…

Lemony Love Potion

12-ounce can of pink lemonade concentrate
1 cup raspberry sorbet (I use Whole Fruit brand, available at Woodman’s)
12 ounces lemon/lime soda

In a pitcher, prepare the lemonade concentrate with recommended amount of water. In a separate pitcher, combine the sorbet, soda, and 1 cup of the lemonade. Stir, serve, and enjoy!

Easy Oreo Truffles
1 (16 ounce) package Oreo cookies
1 (8 ounce) container Tofutti soy cream cheese
1 package Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Crush cookies in a food processor or resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin. Place in a medium bowl. Add soy cream cheese and mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Place balls in refrigerator or freezer for about an hour. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. Dip the balls in the chocolate and place on a wax paper covered baking sheet. Decorate with sprinkles or colored sugar if desired. Refrigerate until firm. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

Variation: Use Golden Oreos in place of the chocolate Oreos and add a couple drops of red food coloring to the cookie/soy cream cheese mixture to give the truffles a nice pink color for Valentine’s Day when biting into them!

And of course you can never go wrong with…

Chocolate Covered Strawberries
1 package Enjoy Life chocolate chips
2 Tbsp shortening (optional)
1 pound fresh strawberries with leaves

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Carefully dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture and place on wax paper to cool. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set.