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Navigating Junk Food Holidays When You Have Food Allergies

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Navigating Junk Food Holidays When You Have Food Allergies

One upside to food allergies is that we're not tempted by a lot of sweets — because he can't have a lot of sweets. But on the other hand, food holidays (and in particular, junk food holidays like Valentine's Day, Easter and Halloween) contribute to allergy parents' anxiety.

New Year's Resolutions for Cooking with Kids

New Year's Resolutions for Cooking with Kids

Well, here's something kind of cool — when you cook with your kids, you can tackle parenting and health together. I've been thinking about some things I want to accomplish in the kitchen with my son this year, and I thought I'd share some ideas on New Year's resolutions as they relate to cooking.

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Yes, It's Time to Think About Next Thanksgiving

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Congratulations! You have hosted a glorious and delicious Thanksgiving meal. (Or, hey, maybe you just barely survived — that deserves props too.) And hopefully, the dishes are almost done. If you are like us, it takes a few days to get caught up on all the dishes and cleaning  and leftovers.

But you're not quite "done" with Thanksgiving.

If you hosted or cooked anything at all for Thanksgiving, there is one additional task that I'd like to recommend from one home cook to another.

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The Upsides to Hosting Thanksgiving

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I feel like I need to come clean: I've never really loved Thanksgiving foods. I like cooking, and I love to eat. But turkey? Blah. Cranberry sauce? Nope. Potatoes? I can live without 'em. Gravy? Please, go away.

So, yeah, I'm probably not your obvious choice for Thanksgiving dinner host.

Confession: I Haven't Cooked Much Lately

Confession: I Haven't Cooked Much Lately

I'm going to level with you: Lately, I just haven't had the energy for cooking. My workdays have been long. My son was sick a couple of days. I've had several evenings where it's just my son and me — and it's really hard to cook for two. So, yeah, I've taken a bit of a break from the kitchen just to catch my breath.

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5 Reasons We Want Kids in the Kitchen

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5 Reasons We Want Kids in the Kitchen

It's National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day — a good reminder to get kids involved in cooking. It's not always easy, and it's never fast, but the benefits are real. So, even if you don't let your kids take over the kitchen, invite them to join you. Consider these five benefits.

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Hosting a Labor Day BBQ? Going Allergy-Friendly Is Simple

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Hosting a Labor Day BBQ? Going Allergy-Friendly Is Simple

For our first Labor Day BBQ, my son was just a few months old, so we could do cheeseburgers and potato salad and mac and cheese ... Anything we wanted. Since then, though, we've been managing his allergies. And I've worked to make sure that everything on the table is something he can have.

Getting Out of a Food Funk

Getting Out of a Food Funk

Here’s something interesting, I’d think, holding a vegetable we haven't had in a while or a tempting marinade or sauce. Then, I'd consider different preparations ... pasta, stir fry, tacos, the grill. Followed by: Who cares? It’s not like my boy will eat it anyway.

Between my son’s allergies and his pickiness about food (yay, toddlerhood!), I get into rut after rut.

Traveling as an Allergy Parent

Traveling as an Allergy Parent

While there would be food at our destination, I was nervous about it. Typically, before we go out to eat, I try to vet a restaurant and review the menu to ensure there is indeed something on the menu my son can (and will probably) eat. I wasn't able to properly do that in advance of the weekend. Plus, the resort was off the beaten path, so it's not like we could easily wander off-property and dine at Chipotle if the resort's food wasn't cuttin' it.

So, I threw some leftover rice and chicken into a cooler just to be safe.

As I stared at that cooler and the jumbo bag of snacks, I remember thinking: Are other parents doing this? Is this a toddler thing or an allergy thing? I'm pretty sure it's an allergy thing.