Sensitive Sweets Blog

Food Allergic Reactions in School

Wed, 02 May 2012 19:37:00 GMT

This is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Food Allergies in Schools:

"Food allergies are a particular concern in the school environment. Studies show that 16%–18% of children with food allergies have had allergic reactions to accidental ingestion of food allergens while in school. Moreover, food-induced anaphylaxis data reveals that 25% of anaphylaxis reactions in schools occur among students without a previous food allergy diagnosis."

"School personnel should be ready to effectively manage students with known food allergies and should also be vigilant and prepared to respond effectively to emergency needs of students who are not known to have food allergies but who exhibit allergy-related signs and symptoms." CDC.gov

I completely agree that staff should be trained and prepared. It's important for an epi-pen to be available in the classroom, not just in the nurses office. We also need to train our children (if age appropriate) on how to notify a teacher and how to use an epi-pen. The two times my son Bradley has gone into shock, it only took about 5 minutes before his airway was fully closed. There's not enough time to hunt down an epi-pen from a nurses office.

Vaccines and Autism (Are they connected?)

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:28:00 GMT

I have been running Sensitive Sweets bakery for about 3 years now, and it's shocking how many stories I've heard from my customers, connecting autism and vaccines. Most of these families explain that right after a vaccine, their child has serious symptoms including high fevers and seizures. From that point on, their child is "gone...a ghost."

As you may already know, I believe that most of our health issues are connected to what we eat. Diet has directly affected both of my sons, and they are doing extremely well without medications because we monitor everything they eat. However, I also believe that certain medications and vaccines are necessary. For instance the Polio vaccine...can we deal with Polio...NO way! But can we deal with chicken pox or rotavirus? YES, because we have dealt with it. It's not fun, and boy oh boy it's a BAD week of being ill, however I'd prefer to limit the number of vaccines my child is receiving.

I recently read an interesting article in CBSnews.com about Vaccines and Autism. You might find this interesting....

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20049118-10391695.html

Schools to provide Gluten-free and Casein-free Foods

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 01:58:00 GMT

Donna Rosinski wrote an excellent article on the TACAnow.org website about schools being required to provide gluten-free, casein-free foods if requested by the parent, and if it's included on the IEP. We just had our IEP meeting on Friday, and we have our son on a strict Gluten-free, Casein-free diet. I am certain that our son has greatly benefitted from this diet and from therapy. For more info, read this article:

http://www.tacanow.org/family-resources/must-schools-provide-casein-and-gluten-free-foods/

This is an interesting issue. Let me know your thoughts.

How to have a safe, easy, and fun party? Sensitive Sweets Cake and Cupcake Decorating Party!

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 22:59:00 GMT

One of our biggest struggles was having a fun and safe party for our severly allergic son. At every party he gets hives from just touching the table where someone ate cake or pizza. This is why we are NOW offering Cake and Cupcake Decorating Parties....It's super easy, safe and fun!

Sensitive Sweets Decorating Parties!

We are a Dedicated Gluten-free, Nut-free Bakery. Our cakes are made with NO gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, or tree nuts. Healthier and Allergy-free.

For a party that’s out of the ordinary, schedule your Sensitive Sweets Decorating Party. Whether it’s a Birthday Party or a Girls Night Out, a decorating party is too much fun! We have several different packages available. We also offer take-home kits (call 24 hours ahead). Each session includes a hands on demonstration on how to decorate. Cakes and cupcakes come baked and ready to decorate. And we clean everything up so you don’t have to!

Sensitive Sweets Cupcake Party (age 4 and up): Each guest gets 2 cupcakes, one to eat and one to take home, sprinkles, toppings, and a cupcake box. 60 minute session, maximum of 12 guests. $12/guest.

Ultimate Sensitive Sweets Cake Party (age 6 and up): Each guest gets a 2 layer 4” round cake, frosting, sprinkles, cake decorations, and a cake box. 90 minute session, maximum of 12 guests. $24/guest.

Sensitive Sweets Cake Challenge Party (age 12 and up): Teams will compete with one another on a themed cake challenge. Participants will start with 30 minutes of demonstration and then break into teams with one hour to assemble ready to use items. Items include ready to ice cakes, cupcakes, frosting, fondant, rice crispy treats and a multitude of other decorating supplies. The winner will receive a Sensitive Sweets gift set. 90 minute session, maximum of 12 guests. $29/guest.

Ask about additional items for your party including drinks, aprons, chef’s hats, invitations, and goody bags. Minimum of 6 guests per party, a maximum of 12. Deposit is required at booking (non-refundable). Activities are for paid guests only. No outside food is allowed. Prices are subject to change.

www.SensitiveSweets.com (714) 968-9169

Sensitive Sweets is open Tuesdays-Fridays from 10am-6pm and Saturdays from 10am-5pm. After hour parties may be available. Closed on Sundays and Mondays. Have a sweet day!

Gluten free and Celiac Diet Blog (fresh versus frozen)

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:28:00 GMT

There are so many options for gluten free and celiac diets, but unfortunately many are a waste of money. I have a pantry and freezer full of dry and inedible products I have bought, and struggle to throw away because of the cost. One thing I can tell you....buy FRESH!!!! It makes a HUGE difference with gluten-free products. Try to compare our freshly baked bread to frozen...there's NO comparison! Come on into our bakery and sample our freshly baked cupcakes, brownies, muffins, cookies, and bread. Try it and you will see what I'm talking about. We also ship our freshly baked products every week!

Melanie Hohman, owner

Sensitive Sweets

www.SensitiveSweets.com

Our Allergy free Gingerbread House Kits

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:58:00 GMT

Now we can build a Gingerbread house like everyone else, and with no stress. My youngest son Bradley is anaphylactic to eggs, dairy, and nuts. He's also intolerant of wheat, soy, and many other foods. A few years ago, one of my customers asked if I could make a Gingerbread House that was allergy free...WOW, I was determined....especially so that my son Braldey could build one as well. Now we sell our kits every year, and it's a blast! Our kits ($24) not only comes with delicious gingerbread cookie walls (that you will want to eat!), icing, and lots of fun toys...but it's also FREE of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy and nuts! Our deluxe kit ($29) includes everything the standard kit has but it comes with gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nut-free Surf-Sweets candies and almost double the amount of toys. It's so simple to assemble too.

Here's the step by step:

Cover the cake board included in your kit with aluminum foil or wax paper. Take 2 cans from your pantry to use as support for the walls. Add our icing to all four edges of the rectangular cookie, and lean it up against one can. Add icing to all five edges of the tall side walls and connect it to both rectangular walls. Repeat this step for the last wall. After the icing has hardened, (takes about an hour), remove cans and add the plastic roof, door, and windows with the remaining icing. Take a look at the pictures I have in the gallery. If you need any help, just call us. BE sure to email us a photo of your creation to enter our Gingerbread House Contest. The winner will receive 6 FREE gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nut-free cupcakes. Enjoy!

Reduce swelling from Rheumatoid Arthritis with a Gluten-free diet

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 21:44:00 GMT

We get several customers that tell us that the swelling caused by their arthritis deminishes when eatting a strict Gluten-free diet. I found an article that talks about this. Jess Thomson from Arthritis Foundation says that "Researchers at Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, Sweden found that participants who ate a well-balanced diet free of animal products and foods containing gluten (a protein found in some grains) increased their levels of antibodies that may protect against inflammation associated with heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...to read more check out:

http://www.arthritis.org/meatless-gluten-free-meals.php

Why Gluten free ?

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:10:00 GMT

Gluten is the protein in wheat. Everything we typically eat (pizza, bread, crackers, cereal, and even toothpaste) has wheat. About 1 in a 133 people have celiac disease which is a severe intolerance to gluten. Many of our customer that have this disease have terrible stomach cramps, bloating, and headaches even when they get a tiny amount of gluten in their food. This is why it is important to avoid cross contamination. Several bakeries claim to make Gluten-free products, however this is nearly impossible since flour can remain in the air for almost 24 hours. We at Sensitive Sweets are proud to be a dedicated gluten free bakery, so you can feel safe and spoiled!

Halloween Candy and Allergies, Trick or Treating with Allergic Children

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:19:00 GMT

Many people ask me about Halloween, and whether we go trick or treating. Since our youngest son Bradley, has severe food allergies, we need to be extra careful. He can NOT eat anything in his bag. So what's the point? Well, it's about being a kid, and getting dressed up, and going door to door just like every one else. As for the "bad candy", we leave all of it for the Halloween Ghost to take. This ghost has NO teeth, and comes in the middle of the night, to take the "bad candy" and he leaves a gift. Our boys get excited for the ghost to come, and they have no problems giving up their bad candy for a bag of "safe candy" and a gift. Trust me, once you start this tradition, they will be hooked.

Sensitive Sweets interviewed on GFCF Autistic Chef Tom's Radio Show

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:44:00 GMT

Chef Tom interviewed Sensitive Sweets on his blog radio show yesterday. He is a fantastic GFCF autistic chef, and we will have him in our bakery in June for a book signing. Listen to the interview below:

Listen to internet radio with Autistic People on Blog Talk Radio

The Most Common Food Allergies

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:33:00 GMT

The most common food allergies are milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, wheat and soy. Milk is the most common, yet most people recognize peanuts as a major issue. My son Bradley is allergic to 7 of these. He's anaphylactic to dairy, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. We carry an Epi-pen and Benadryl wherever we go.

If you suspect your child of having a food allergy, I highly recommend the skin test. Within 15 minutes we were able to find out about his sensitivities. Although not 100% accurate, its a great guide to start with. The issue we had is that some of his reactions are delayed. For instance with tomatoes, a reaction would show up 4 days later. Keep track of what you feed your child with a food journal. Every monday, introduce one new food, and wait several days...see if anything happens within the week. You may need to retry foods in order to see a pattern. We gave Bradley tomatoes for 6 weeks before realizing that was what was causing his mucous and flu like symptoms.

Sensitive Sweets Grand Opening Video

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:18:00 GMT

In case you missed it, here are a few videos from our Grand Opening this past summer. We are now open in Fountain Valley, CA. We also deliver nationwide!

GFCF School lunches (FREE of gluten, dairy, soy, egg and nuts)

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 18:27:00 GMT

Many customers ask me what I make for school lunches. Here are a few of my typical lunches for my kids:

1) Sandwich: made with Sensitive Sweets fresh white bread (Sunbutter and jelly, or turkey, or ham)

2) Snack: either a fruit strip or Sensitive Sweet's muffin (chocolate chip, carrot, healthy, or blueberry)

3) Crunchy stuff: either CHEX cereal, Pretzels or Veggie Chips (pretzels by Ener-G are terrific)

4) Fresh veggies and dip (either fresh organic broccoli, baby carrots, or cucumber) Hummus or vinegar & oil for the dip.

5) Juice Bottle (we dilute our juice with water, typically we use organic apple or grape juice)

Feel free to leave some comments about your lunches. Be sure that they are gluten-free, dairy/casein-free, and nut-free. Thanks.

EASY gluten free, egg free, dairy free Recipes

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:08:00 GMT

Here are some of my favorite EASY recipes...all FREE of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy and nuts!

GFCF Chicken Nuggets (FREE of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy and nuts):

Heat 1 inch of olive oil in a large skillet (medium high heat). Place a cup of tapioca flour/starch in a flat bowl and add a tsp of salt and seasoning if desired. Cut raw organic chicken into squares or strips, then dip into tapioca flour, coat both sides. Place in hot skillet and fry till golden brown and not pink inside.

GFCF Fish Sticks (FREE of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy and nuts):

Heat 1 inch of olive oil in a large skillet (medium high heat). Place a cup of tapioca flour/starch in a flat bowl and add a tsp of salt and seasoning if desired. Cut fish into strips and dip into flour, coat both sides. Place in hot skillet and fry until it's golden brown and fully cooked.

GFCF Grilled Turkey Sandwiches (FREE of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy and nuts):

Preheat skillet at medium heat. Slice Sensitive Sweets fresh gluten-free, vegan bread and spread Earths Balance butter on one side. Place on grill till golden brown. Add thinly sliced zucchini, grilled onions, green peppers, fresh spinach, tomatoes, sprouts, and sliced turkey or ham.

My son is NOT Autistic...he's just different.

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 18:34:00 GMT

I started Sensitive Sweets because my youngest son Bradley (3 years old) has severe food allergies. About the time we opened our gluten-free (GF) bakery, we received our third and final assessment on our oldest son Luke (5 years old). He is a high functioning autistic, and now he's enrolled in speech class twice a week. Wow, I still don't accept the label...however I accept that he is different and he needs extra help. We immediately put him on a gluten-free diet. It was easy for us since we already eat that way because of Bradley. The problem was that Luke has always eaten whatever he wanted. Within a few days of removing gluten, his behavior COMPLETELY changed. He had improved focus, better eye contact, went from his typical grumpy attitude to happy, and his tantrums (which were about 3 per week) went to zero! After about a month I gave him back wheat/gluten to see what would happen. BIG MISTAKE! He not only had diarrhea that day, but the next day he had a far worse tantrum than before the diet change. He kicked and spit at me and we ended up late to school. I am absolutely convinced that my son can not tolerate gluten. He was put back on the GF diet that very day, and he had about 4 more grumpy days. Now he's back to his happy self. Our next step is to completely remove casein (dairy). I will let you know what happens.

I do believe that things happen for a reason. I feel very blessed to be able to bake goodies for my family and others with sensitive diets. If you have a child with autism, or know someone who does...please take a look at the many websites that talk about the GFCF diet.

TACAnow.org says that there is a 91% improvement with the GFCF diet.
Generationrescue.org states that the GFCF diet is one of the most beneficial dietary interventions for autism.

So why do some say it doesn't work? I think it does work, but you have to be very strict about it. There's gluten and casein in almost all packaged foods. If possible, make everything from scratch. We eat a lot of organic fruit, vegetables, chicken, turkey, gfcf bread, and beans. I have spent so much time researching for Bradley's diet, so if you need help, just send me an email and I can help you plan your meals.