Sure Foods Living – gluten-free and allergen-free living

For people who are gluten-free or have food allergies, the holidays can be a reminder of what we can’t eat. Gluten and other allergens are everywhere, and because we are more social at this time of year, this fact becomes more obvious as we attend holiday parties, share meals with family and friends, and are tempted by sweet treats all around.

But you don’t have to go without your favorite foods! You may not be able to indulge in everything, but think about what food would make you feel the most emotionally satisfied — is it pie, is it stuffing? Is it a box of chocolates, matzoh ball soup? Which one holiday food would give you the greatest pleasure? Then, make it happen! If you can buy it, treat yourself! If you have to make it yourself, do it. If someone else wants to make it for you, great! If you don’t have to stop at one food, by all means, don’t! If you are feeling overwhelmed by all the things you can’t eat, let’s simplify it.

I hope this short list of suggestions can help, and if there’s something else you’re longing for, let me know, and I will use my resources to try to find you the enjoyment you deserve!

GLUTEN-FREE / ALLERGEN-FREE GINGERBREAD MEN OR HOUSE

Buy it: Oops, we’re past the deadline already for ordering an allergen-free gingerbread house kit from A&J Bakery, but now you know for next year. Sensitive Sweets in southern California is also making an allergen-free gingerbread kit for purchase.

Make it: You can make this. Seriously, you can. Read my post “I made an allergen-free gingerbread house!”

ROLL OUT SUGAR COOKIES

Buy it: I haven’t found any gluten-free shaped sugar cookies you can buy in stores that are gluten-free, and many of the sugar cookie mixes don’t make cookies that hold their shape.

Make it: I am very excited this year that I found a GREAT recipe for roll-out sugar cookies that are free of gluten, dairy, eggs and nuts! The recipe is from Heidi at Adventures of a GF Mom. (The recipe calls for almond extract which I replace with vanilla.) Cybel Pascal has a recipe for sugar cookies that is also free of the top allergens.

PIE OR PIE CRUST

Buy it: Whole Foods’ Gluten-Free Bakehouse brand has a pie crust, and you can find finished pies or tarts from Katz Gluten Free, Crave Bakery, and Christine’s Upper Crust Pies.

Make it: There are actually tons of gluten-free pie and pie crust recipes out there if you want to make it from scratch. Some of the sites that have recipes are Whole Foods, Simply Gluten-Free, Living Without Magazine, Elana’s Pantry, and Gluten-Free Girl. You can also use commercially available flour blends to make a crust, which saves you some steps. King Arthur shows you how, and if you want a really easy with video instruction, Pamela of Pamela’s Products shows you how to make a gluten-free pie using her mix (is also egg-free and can be dairy-free). Jules of Jules Gluten Free also shows you how to make pie using her flour blend.

GRAVY

Buy it: You can purchase gluten-free gravy mixes. Here is a list of search results for gluten-free gravy on Amazon. Mayacamas is another company that makes gluten-free gravy mixes.

Make it: Instead of flour, use a gluten-free starch. Here’s a little primer on wheat-free thickeners from FitSugar. Ali at Nourishing Meals explains how to make gluten-free gravy. A chef from Whole Foods shows in a video two ways to make gravy, and The Family Chef shares her easy steps.

STUFFING

Buy it: Look around — gluten-free bread  crumbs or croutons are available, but if you can’t find them, you can buy gluten-free bread like Udi’s or Rudi’s to use in any traditional stuffing recipe.

Make it: You can make a loaf of gluten-free bread to use in stuffing recipes. That’s what I do because I can make the bread dairy and egg-free also for people with multiple food allergies in my family. This recipe for Harvest Stuffing always turns out. If you don’t want to use bread, opt for a rice dressing, which will be naturally gluten-free. Make sure any broth you are using is gluten-free. If you have nut allergies, watch out — many stuffing recipes call for nuts.

MATZOH BALL SOUP

Buy it/Make it: You buy the mix to make your own matzoh balls. They are really good and I love the name: Mock-Zah Ball Mix.

POTATO LATKES

Buy it: Hmmm… nope, you’re going to have to make these.

Make it: Easy to make gluten-free, just substitute an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend for the flour called for in traditional recipes. Need to be egg-free too? Don’t worry, I figured this one out for you: Gluten-Free Egg-Free Latke Recipe

CHOCOLATES

Buy it: See’s Candies is still my favorite boxed-chocolates. They have an allergen list, so depending on your allergy, you might be able to find something you can have!

Make it: You can easily make chocolate lollies and shapes by following these steps:

1. Buy candy molds in holiday shapes, like snowflakes or snowmen or Christmas shapes or Santas.
2. Buy Enjoy Life Foods Chocolate Chips or Mega Chunks – they are free of the top 8 allergens.
3. Temper the chocolate in the microwave by heating the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave, at power level 5 or 50% for 30 seconds. Using a rubber spatula in a gentle sweeping motion,  stir the chocolate, even if none of it has become liquid yet and return the bowl to the microwave oven for another 30 seconds. Remove, stir, and repeat until about two-thirds of the chunks become liquid and about one-third are in soft lumps. Continually stir to cool the chocolate until the soft lumps disappear and the chocolate has cooled a little.
4. Pour the chocolate into the molds, or use a spoon or spatula to put it in, and let it set in the refrigerator.
5. When chilled completely, wrap the chocolates with colored foil or clear wrap.

What else is tugging at your tummy this holiday season?

Researchers were able to turn off peanut allergy in mice by tricking their immune systems into thinking the nut proteins were not a threat to the body. The researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine attached peanut proteins onto white blood cells and then put them back into the mice. These mice, who were supposed to have an anaphylactic response if they ate peanut, did not have a life-threatening allergic reaction to peanut extract. Essentially, the researchers created tolerance to peanut in the mice. The immune system, which previously treated the peanut protein as a threat, now didn’t. The researchers were able to achieve the same tolerance in other mice using egg protein.

This is exciting new research targeting food allergies specifically and the hope is that these methods could someday be applied to humans. If we could train the immune system not to overreact to food substances, wouldn’t that be wonderful??

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and Food Allergy Initiative.

Read full article: Peanut Allergy May Be Turned Off By Tricking Immune System

These SunButter Balls are much better than Schweddy Balls and they are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut and peanut-free, and soy-free! The credit for this recipe goes to my sister, Leslie, who lovingly adapted it so that my daughter could eat it too. She also used healthy ingredients to give these little snacks a nutritional punch!

This is a great recipe to make with kids. They love to make the balls and roll them in the cereal! Once coated, keep them (the balls, not the kids) in the refrigerator to have as a healthy snack, to pack in lunches, or for protein on the go. The cereal on the outside, in addition to providing a little crunch, prevents them from being sticky.

To read the recipe for Sunbutter Balls, click over to my post on the Attune Foods blog!

I’m in tears as I watch an interview with the amazingly composed father of Jharell Dillard, a teenage boy who died last week from anaphylactic shock after eating a chocolate chip cookie that he didn’t know contained nuts. The cookie was given to him by his aunt by mistake. I feel such pain for this family and fear of losing my own daughter like this. It can happen so fast, and so easily, which is why it is so important to always – always – carry an Epi-Pen. Unfortunately, this boy didn’t have one with him because he was always so careful. As careful as one is, accidents can happen.

As if one death isn’t enough of a reminder, there are two more in recent news.

A 20 year old college student, also in Georgia, died after eating at the dining hall. The full story is here.

A young Bay Area man died just last month after eating a salad that contained nuts. He made the news because he was a key witness in a crime, but hopefully his legacy will be to raise money for food allergy awareness and research, as his friends and family are walking in his honor at the 2011 Food Allergy Walk in San Jose, CA.

I don’t mean to be morbid, but I am still haunted by the horrible story of a 7th grader who died at school in Chicago last December, and the tragedy of BJ Hom, an 18 year old who lost his life while vacationing with his family in Mexico. There is a memorial fundraising run in his honor.

These are reminders to be vigilant about food and to carry medicine at all times, no matter how mild past reactions have been.

Here are some important facts most people probably don’t know about food allergies, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN):

• The severity of a person’s allergic reactions to food cannot be predicted from previous reactions. Someone whose reactions have been mild in the past might react more severely during a next episode. A FAAN review of food allergy fatalities found that most of the people had never had a severe allergic reaction until the one that caused their death. Thus, all food allergies must be taken seriously.
• The incidence of peanut and tree nut allergy among children appears to have tripled between 1997 and 2008.
• Even trace amounts of a food allergen can cause a reaction.
• Most people who’ve had an allergic reaction to something they ate thought that it was safe.
• Early administration of epinephrine (adrenaline) is crucial to successfully treating anaphylactic reactions. Epinephrine is available by prescription in a self-injectable device (EpiPen® or Twinject®).
• A study of fatal reactions in children and adolescents found that most occurred at school, and were associated with significant delays in treating with epinephrine.
• There are no significant risks to giving epinephrine even if someone isn’t having an allergic reaction, unless one has a serious heart condition.

Awareness and education of those around us is the key to keeping our children safe!

Walking into a bakery and choosing anything from the case is no big deal for most people, but for the first time ever in my soon-to-be 7 year old daughter’s life, she was able to do just that last Saturday. Sensitive Sweets, located in Orange County, California, is a dedicated gluten-free and nut-free bakery that specializes in baked goods and custom cakes for people with food sensitivities or dietary restrictions.

While there are gluten-free bakeries popping up here and there, most gluten-free baked goods contain dairy, nuts, eggs, soy or any combination of these most common allergens. Sensitive Sweets, which had its grand opening July 13, offers cookies, muffins, cupcakes, breads and cakes that are free of gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, and nuts.

You should see the cakes! Because we were there on a Saturday, we got to see a few of them being picked up. Those lucky kids! To get a fancy, bakery-made allergen-free cake is really a treat for kids that have never had one!

We treated ourselves to sugar cookies (my daughter’s favorite), chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, cinnamon bread (great, soft texture), and a lemon blackberry cupcake (my favorite). I asked my daughter what she liked about the bakery, and she said, “that it was gluten-free, and e-free and n-free and d-free.”

I would like to thank Melanie, the owner and head baker, who started the bakery because of her own experience with her two sons. The bakery is located in Fountain Valley, which is nowhere near where I live, but luckily close to relatives who we visit!

For more information about Sensitive Sweets, go their website or Facebook page.

I recently encouraged my daughter’s elementary school to put a food allergy program in place after the peanut butter incident. The principal liked my proposed ideas and I was able to address the entire school in an assembly on food allergies. It was well-received. In fact, my daughter told me today that whenever her classmates are eating something she is allergic to, they warn her: “Be careful, I’ve got peanut butter today.” These are first graders — it warms my heart! I have definitely sensed a heightened awareness since the assembly. I am working on the rest of the program which will be put to use at the beginning of the next school year. It is inspired by the ideas put out by The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), but with my own twist and with a more age-appropriate message for elementary school kids.

Any program that raises awareness at school is greatly needed. I have not advocated for a peanut or nut free school, CONTINUE READING »

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FROM 2010. THE 2011 HALLOWEEN LIST IS HERE: Halloween Candy List Gluten-Free Allergen-Free 2011

Here’s the list you’ve been looking for… but first, you get to see the giant spider I made in my yard last year for Halloween! The Home Depot guys cutting the black pipe to my specifications thought I was crazy! The spider is coming out again this year with some modifications (furry perhaps?)

Now on to the candy…

Each candy shows if its ingredients contains wheat/gluten, milk (dairy), soy, egg, nuts, or peanuts (6 of the top 8 allergens — fish and shellfish are not included since I have not found this to be a concern with candy). I do not include coconut as a tree nut and have not listed coconut as an allergen. I called many of the manufacturers and/or checked their websites for gluten and allergen information,which I have noted at the end of each manufacturer’s section. To print this list, click on the Print icon above the title. If you don’t see the print icon, click on the title of the article first.

Note: Please, as always, double check ingredients and also check with the child’s parents before giving them any candy or allowing them to eat anything! I will not be held liable for any accident occurring due to the use of this list. It is meant as a guide only.

In a hurry? Check out these:
Gluten-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2010
Allergen-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2010

NOTE for bloggers: If you are going to post or share this list, would you be so kind as to give me credit and link to me? This took many hours of my life and I even got kicked out of Walgreen’s for taking notes in the candy aisle, so please be considerate of my hard work!

Mainstream candy listed by brand, in alphabetical order:

ADAMS & BROOKS

• Scooby Doo! Fun Pops (lollipops with picture of Scooby Doo)
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, wheat/gluten, soy
  • Ingredients contain: no top 8 allergens
  • Package statement: “Packaged in a plant that processes peanuts and tree nuts.”

AIRHEADS

• Airheads Bars and Airheads Bars Sour
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, wheat/gluten
  • Ingredients contain: soybean oil
  • Package statement: “Manufactured in a facility that processes wheat flour”
• Airheads Xtremes Rolls
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk
  • Ingredients contain: wheat flour, soybean oil
• Airheads Xtremes Belts
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, soy
  • Ingredients contain: wheat flour, wheat starch
• Airheads Pops and Whistle Pops
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, soy, wheat/gluten
  • Ingredients contain: none of the top 8 allergens

AMERICAN LICORICE CO.

• Sour Punch Twists
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, soy
  • Ingredients contain: wheat/gluten

ANNABELLE’S

• Big Hunk
  • Ingredients free of: wheat/gluten, milk, tree nuts (see company Gluten-Free info below)
  • Ingredients contain: peanuts, eggs, soy lecithin
  • Package statement: “made in a facility that uses milk, egg, treenuts, wheat and peanuts”
• Rocky Road
  • Ingredients free of: none of top 8!
  • Ingredients contain: milk, tree nuts (cashews), wheat/gluten (barley malt and wheat flour), soybean oil
  • Package statement: “may contain peanuts, eggs, and flour”
• Abba Zabba
  • Ingredients free of: tree nuts, eggs, milk, wheat/gluten (see company Gluten-Free info below)
  • Ingredients contain: peanuts, soybean oil and soy lecithin
  • Package statement: “Made in a facility that uses milk, egg, treenuts, wheat and peanuts”
• Look
  • Ingredients free of: tree nuts, wheat/gluten (see company Gluten-Free info below)
  • Ingredients contain: milk, peanuts, soy lecithin, eggs
  • Package statement: “Made in a facility that uses milk, egg, treenuts, wheat and peanuts”
• U-No
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, eggs, wheat/gluten (see company Gluten-Free info below)
  • Ingredients contain: milk, almonds, soy lecithin
  • Package statement: “Made in a facility that uses milk, egg, treenuts, wheat and peanuts”

Gluten-Free info (via phone Sept 2010): The only guaranteed gluten-free candy is the 2 oz. (regular size) Big Hunk. For all other candies, including the mini Big Hunks, there is the possibility of contamination from flour that is used on the belts. While there is no flour used specifically for the Big Hunk minis, there is flour used on the belts for the manufacture of the Look bars.

CONTINUE READING »

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FROM 2010. THE 2011 HALLOWEEN LIST IS HERE: Allergen-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2011

This is a 2010 quick list of Halloween candy with ingredients that are gluten-free and free of the top 8 allergens. I have included a package statement if it mentions allergens. For a more complete listing, along with company allergy statements, please read the Halloween Candy List – Gluten-Free Allergen-Free – 2010. For a gluten-free listing only, please read the Gluten-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2010. To print this list, click on the Print icon above the title. If you don’t see the print icon, click on the title of the article first.

NOTE for bloggers: If you are going to post or share this list, would you be so kind as to give me credit and link to me? This took many hours of my life and I even got kicked out of Walgreen’s for taking notes in the candy aisle, so please be considerate of my hard work!

Mainstream candies:

ADAMS & BROOKS

• Scooby Doo! Fun Pops (lollipops with picture of Scooby Doo)
  • Package statement: “Packaged in a plant that processes peanuts and tree nuts.”

AIRHEADS

• Airheads Pops and Whistle Pops

CADBURY ADAMS (now part of Kraft Foods)

• Swedish Fish
• Sour Patch Kids and Sour Patch Extreme
• Sour Patch Xploderz
  • Package statement: “Manufactured in a facility that handles peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy and wheat.”

CE DE CANDY

• Smarties (only USA, not Canada), Smarties in a Pouch, Tropical Smarties, Bubble Gum Smarties, X-TREME Sour Smarties, Smarties Parties, Easter Smarties, Smarties Double Lollies, Smarties Mega Lollies, Smarties Pops
• Candy Money
• Love Hearts
  

FARLEY’S AND SATHERS

• Super Bubble and Super Bubble Blast
  • Package statement: “Manufactured in a facility that manufactures products containing traces of eggs.”
    
• Trolli Gummi Bears, Trolli Sour Brite (Frite) Crawlers
  • Package statement: “Made in allergen-free facility but packaged on equipment that packages products containing traces of milk, wheat, egg, peanuts, tree nuts and/or soy protein.”
• Jujyfruits, Jujubes
  • Package statement: “Made in allergen-free facility but packaged on equipment that packages products containing traces of milk, wheat, egg, peanuts, tree nuts and/or soy protein.”
• Brach’s Candy Corn and Gummi Candy Corn (not flavored candy corns — see below)
  • Package statement: “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and/or soy protein.”
• Brach’s Mellowcreme Pumpkins
  • Package statement: “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and/or soy protein”
    
• Heide candies — Jujyfruits, Jujubes, Cool Grape, Red Raspberry Dollars, Wild Cherry
  

FERRARA PAN

• Lemonhead, Red Hots, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Applehead, Grapehead, Cherryhead
  • Package statement on some: “This product was manufactured in a facility where peanuts, almonds, milk, cashews, macadamias, pistachios, soy and egg are used in the production of other products.”

FRANKFORD CANDY & CHOCOLATE COMPANY

• SpongeBob Gummy Krabby Patties
  • Package statement on some: “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, and wheat.”
• Gummy Body Parts
  • Package statement on some: “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, milk and soy.”
    

HERSHEY

• Jolly Rancher Hard Candy and Hard Candy Sticks

IMPACT CONFECTIONS

• Warheads Sour Chewy Cubes

JELLY BELLY

• Jelly Belly Jelly Beans

JUST BORN

• Mike & Ike
• Hot Tamales
• Peeps Pumpkins and Ghosts

NECCO

• Necco Wafers
  

RIVIERA

• Spooky Candy Rings (eyeballs, Frankenstein heads and other shapes on rings)

SPANGLER (may contain traces of soy oil)

• Dum Dums
• Chewy Pops
• Saf-T-Pops
• Circus Peanuts
• Candy Canes
• Chewy Canes

TOOTSIE

• Dots

WRIGLEY

• Starburst
• Skittles, Skittle Sour and Skittle Crazy Cores
• Lifesavers Hard Candy and Lifesavers Pops
  • Ingredients free of: wheat/gluten, peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, soy (except some flavors, like Butter Rum)
    
  • Ingredients contain: soy lecithin (some flavors)
    
• Lifesavers Gummies, Big Ring Gummies regular and Sweet and Sour

WONKA

• Bottlecaps, Everlasting Gobstopper, Runts, Fun Dip and Fun Dip Sour, Pixy Stix, Sweetarts (regular), Tart N Tinys, Nerds, Spree
  • Package statement: “Made in a facility that also processes wheat and egg.” (Sweetarts)
• Giant Chewy Nerds
  • Package statement: “Made on equipment that also processes peanuts, nuts, milk, wheat and soy.”

Natural/specialty candies:

AMANDA’S OWN CONFECTIONS (www.amandasown.com)

• Chocolate shapes and chocolate lollipops

ANNIE’S

• Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks (Flavors: Tropical Treat, Berry Patch, Sunny Citrus, Summer Strawberry)

ENJOY LIFE (www.enjoylifefoods.com)

• Boom CHOCO Boom Dark Chocolate Bar, Crispy Rice Bar, Milk Bar

INDIE CANDY (www.indiecandy.com)

• Halloween Chocolate Lollipops, Halloween Crystal Lollipops, Halloween Gummies

PURE FUN (www.organiccandy.com)

• Halloween Pure Pops
  • Ingredient statement: “Manufactured in a segregated area of a facility that may product products containing nuts.”

SURF SWEETS (www.surfsweets.com)

• Gummy Worms, Gummy Swirls, Gummy Bears, Fruity Bears, Jelly Beans, Sour Worms, Sour Berry Bears

YUMMY EARTH (www.yummyearth.com)

• Lollipops, Candy Drop, Gummy Bears, Gummy Worms

Looking for non-candy ideas for Halloween? Read How to have an allergy-free Halloween.

This is amazing karma, but not the good kind…

Last year Joel Stein wrote an incredibly offensive piece about food allergies for the LA Times, to which I retaliated with my own article here, called What some (ignorant) people think about food allergies. Now, his own one year old son has been diagnosed with nut allergies.

There were many parents of children with food allergies who wished this karma on him. I didn’t, because I would never wish food allergies on anyone. Bluntly speaking (since this is how Stein likes to write), FOOD ALLERGIES SUCK! It is a burden for us as parents, for the kids themselves, and for pretty much everyone around them. As a parent of a first-grader with food allergies, I’m not sure how much Stein understands how challenging it really is yet, but at least now he believes food allergies are real!

He won’t be the last one that needs to be convinced about the reality of food allergies. Right now there is some kid sneaking peanut butter to school in his lunch because his parent packed it for him and told him to be quiet about it. We have more educating to do!

Read these other articles about Stein eating his words:

• Peanut-Free Tables Are Turned
• Joel Stein’s Mea Culpa

Easter is coming quickly! Are you ready?

Let’s cut to the chase! This list is by no means complete… but here are some ideas. You can also check out last year’s Easter article. Post more ideas in the comments if you have them!

JELLY BEANS:

• Jelly Belly
  • Gluten-free
  • Free of top 8 allergens (wheat, milk, soy*, nuts, peanuts, egg, fish, shellfish)
    
  • SuperFruit flavors are made with all natural colors and flavors and was recently accepted by Feingold Association.
  • Allergen info (via web March 2010):
    *Soy lecithin is used on Chocolate Pudding flavor.
    Are your Jelly Belly jelly beans gluten-free?
    All flavors of Jelly Belly beans are free of gluten. We do not use any wheat, rye, barley, or oats in the basic recipe for Jelly Belly jelly beans. The modified food starch listed on the package is cornstarch.
    If I am allergic to peanuts, can I eat Jelly Belly jelly beans?
    Please continue to carefully check all ingredient statements on packages and bulk bins for peanut ingredients.  We discontinued Peanut Butter flavor of Jelly Belly beans (this flavor contained peanut butter and peanut flour) however, it is possible this flavor may still be included in packages sold in retail stores.
    None of the other flavors of Jelly Belly beans contain peanuts as an ingredient.  We no longer process peanuts in our manufacturing plants.
    Are Jelly Belly jelly beans dairy-free?
    Yes.  We work very closely with all of our ingredient suppliers to ensure that all ingredients are free of dairy.
    
• Surf Sweets
  • Gluten-free
  • Free of top 8 allergens (wheat, milk, soy*, nuts, peanuts, egg, fish, shellfish)
  • Allergen Info (via web March 2010):
    Are your products gluten-free and casein-free? Yes, all of our products are both gluten-free and casein-free. Casein is the protein found in dairy.
    Are your products peanut-free? Yes, all of our products do not contain peanuts and are produced and packaged in a facility free of peanuts.
    Are your products produced and/or packaged in a facility with other common allergens? No, our products are produced in a facility free of: wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, tree nuts, nuts, fish, and shellfish.
    Surf Sweets products are made with natural colors and flavors, organic fruit juice and sweeteners, and provide you with your daily allowance of Vitamin C. We are also one of the only candies made without corn syrup.
• Gimbal’s
  • Gluten-free
  • Free of top 8 allergens (wheat, milk, soy, nuts, peanuts, egg, fish, shellfish)
  • Allergen info (via web March 2010):
    Gimbal’s Fine Candies facilities are free of these eight most common food allergens.
• Just Born
  • Gluten-free
  • Free of top 8 allergens (wheat, milk, soy, nuts, peanuts, egg, fish, shellfish)
  • Allergen info (via phone March 2010)
    Please always check packaging as ingredients can change from year to year, but at this time, the jelly beans are free of gluten and the top 8 allergens.
• Update: Jolly Rancher, Starburst, Lifesaver and Mike & Ike Jelly Beans are all free of the top 8 allergens!

BUNNIES & CHICKS & EGGS, oh my!

• Peeps
  • Gluten-free (including chocolate covered peeps)
  • Regular peeps are free of top 8 allergens (wheat, milk, soy, nuts, peanuts, egg, fish, shellfish). Chocolate covered peeps contain dairy and have an allergen warning for peanut, tree nut, egg and coconut.
    
  • Allergen info (via phone March 2010)
    Please always check packaging as ingredients can change from year to year, but at this time, Peeps are free of gluten and the top 8 allergens.
• Hershey’s
  • Check label!
  • Stay away from Robin Eggs! These are Whoppers in an Easter disguise, and they contain gluten.
  • Hershey’s allergen info:
    The Hershey Company strives to provide its consumers with accurate, reliable ingredient statements upon which consumers can make their purchase decision. The Hershey Company has an Allergy Task Force that ensures that the ingredient statements are always accurate, and that any allergen statements placed on the label is understandable. Do your products share plants & equipment? We take food allergies very seriously at Hershey and have strict procedures in place to prevent crossover of allergens into other products that do not contain the allergen. In instances where we have a concern about possible crossover by an allergen we take the added precaution of including an allergy information statement on the label.
• Make your own chocolate eggs and lollipops!
  If you’re worried about the ingredients in the available chocolates out there, trying making your own! Here’s how I did it:
  1. I got Easter egg and bunny lollipop molds at a baking supply store (Cake Art).
  2. I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips.
  3. I tempered the chocolate in the microwave (see end of post for instructions), poured it in, and let it set in refrigerator.
  4. I wrapped the little chocolates with colored foil and the lollipops with clear plastic and a pretty ribbon.
  5. I marveled at my work — it was so easy I couldn’t believe it!
• Garnish baked goods with bunnies and other Easter decor
  If you can’t actually find a bunny to eat, then stick one on top of a treat! Last year I made these mini-cupcakes using Pamela’s Vanilla and Chocolate cake and frosting mixes, with Wilton sprinkles and some bunny decorations. They were a hit and I will be making something similar again this year.

How to temper chocolate in a microwave oven to make chocolate molds (from the Guittard website):

1. Place chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl. Place the bowl of chocolate in the microwave oven. Set power level to 5 or 50%. Set time to 30 seconds. Heat for 30 seconds.
2. Take the bowl out of microwave oven and use a rubber spatula in a gentle sweeping motion to stir the chocolate, even if none of it has become liquid yet.
3. Return the bowl to the microwave oven. Heat for 30 seconds more. Remove. And stir.
4. Repeat the intervals of heating and stirring until about two-thirds of the chunks become liquid and about one-third are in soft lumps. The temperature of the liquid chocolate at this point will be about 100°. Continually stir to cool the chocolate until the soft lumps disappear and the temperature lowers to 89°F.
5. At this point the chocolate should be in temper and ready to use.