Eden in the FAAN (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network) Food Allergy News for Kids. Edens's tips for the holidays and blurb:

...allergic to milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, salmon and some legumes. "During the holiday's when I have a safe food that my mom has made for me, I like for other people to eat the things they like too. I don't want people not to eat foods just because I have allergies."

I was surprised and happy when Eden told me he wanted to be in the newsletter that he has been reading for years. He has turned down this opportunity previously but lately he seems to be more aware of how he feels about his allergies and expressing those thoughts. The FAAN Food Allergy New for Kids offers a venue for allergic children and it gives them a tangible sense that they are not alone -  A good feeling for the New Year.

We are going to Philadelphia to sightsee for exactly two days and one night. Below is a photo of some (but not all) of the food I'm packing to accommodate Eden's food allergies. To be clear - I am NOT complaining. The abundance of food products that address even his multiple allergies is incredible as compared to even five years ago.

As seen above:

SO Delicious individually sized chocolate flavored coconut milk  www.turtlemountain.com for pre-bed and otherwise snacking

Rice Dream fortified plain rice milk www.tastethedream.com  to bring to our hotel breakfast

Enjoy LIfe Foods Cookies to bring to restaurants for after dinner dessert

Terra Blues Potato Chips to bring to any restaurant meal where Eden would like to order french fries but can't (which will be all)

Our own safe bread slices

parentclub.ganzworld.com/celebrations/egg-free-gluten-free-latkes-recipe

I know, I know. We parents don't want our kids to sit through the entire holidays with their face in front of the computer. But as long you know they are going to putting in some screen time, I think it may as well be well-spent screen time. These are two free computer programs I'm considering getting for my children over their school winter vacation:

http://www.paint.net/ "Paint.net is a free computer and image and photo editing software for computers that run windows..."

I just posted this photo of roasted chestnuts in Fantasy Foods. As I wrote "Every December my family walks 5th Avenue to see the holiday windows in the stores. And every year I buy my daughter the roasted chestnuts and I buy Eden a giant pretzel. He has eaten a lot of pretzels." Street food has become a new phenomenon in NYC and not one that everyone can share in. Sometimes trucks are individually owned and so it's easy to ask about ingredients. In other cases, these foods just present one more reminder the forethought that goes into a restricted diet.

The front of my apartment building has just emerged from months of scaffolding. My site here has been under a similar cloak of construction and it feels great to be writing in my own home again. Much has happened since my blog post:

Feeding Eden: The Trials and Triumphs of a Food Allergy Family became more than just a place-saver on retail websites -- It's now on pre-order.

I wrote some Huffington Post pieces. One of them - about why we need a national education of life threatening food allergies brought me to realization that if Eden were to have an anaphylactic reaction in a public space, a simple lack of public knowledge about food allergies could decrease his chances for receiving the right medical assistance.

And I've spent some time thinking about how many people besides those with food allergies don't eat food that they love. (A good friend just went back on her Weight Watchers program and I imagine her holidays will be challenging.) So check out my Feeding Eden Fantasy Foods page on Facebook. And let me know what you think by posting your Fantasy Foods.

It feels good to be out in the light.

Last night’s dessert co-baked by kids using brownie mix (www.cherrybrookkitchen.com) which is Peanut, Nut, Dairy, and Egg free. kids added mini marshmallows and graham crackers.

This was part of a dinner. Eden can eat bacon from home but in a restaurant he can only eat bacon if it’s baked on a clean tray, not fried in a pan or on a griddle. The risk of other-food-contamination is too high if it isn’t prepared the right way.

Street fairs can be fodder for disappointment if you have food allergies. But this pretzel stand was a mini-Mecca amidst the usual funnel cakes. Just wheat and water.

Cheese is Dairy and the pepperoni has Soy listed in the flavorings. this was a slice I reheated for my daughter while I served my son a slice without cheese, just sauce and crust.