WELCH'S FRUIT SNACKS CHRISTMAS POUCHES

I added some holiday cheer while packing my kids' lunch boxes for school today by including some Welch's Fruit Snacks Christmas Pouches. My son and daughter enjoy these fruit snacks because they are sweet to eat and as a parent I appreciate these treats are made with real fruit preservative free. Welch's Fruit Snacks also are fat free and low on sodium as well as sugar containing 0% of the daily recommended limits for your diet in these categories per serving. Plus these fruit snacks are a good source of Vitamins A, C & E for the kids.

A box of these holiday themed Welch's Fruit Snacks contains 28 Christmas pouches that are decorated with Santa Claus surrounded by a border of evergreen garland and gift wrapped packages. Each pouch contains seven gummy fruit snacks with a Christmas shape. These include Santa Claus, Christmas trees, ornaments, snowflakes and a snowman. Share some Christmas spirit with your children by including these holiday edition Welch's Fruit Snacks as part of their lunch. They are a fun and health snack that my own kids always enjoy.

Heading out the door to drop the kids off to school and then get to work myself, I tossed a Munk Pack Oatmeal Fruit Squeeze into my briefcase to eat later for a mid-morning snack.  My doctor has urged me to add more Omega 3 into my diet and these tasty snacks provide me a nice dose of these good fatty acids that help keep bad cholesterol in check. Plus they are full of 100% grain and fruit so you are snacking on healthy ingredients instead of junk food.

Picky eater kids may roll their eyes about eating the flavors Munk Pack Oatmeal Fruit Squeezes comes in but I think they are really delicious.  Choose from Apple Quinoa Oatmeal, Blueberry Acai Flax, Maple Pear Quinoa, Peach Chai Vanilla, and Raspberry Coconut. These Munk Pack Oatmeal Fruit Squeezes are a nice way to fuel up and sustain your energy in the middle of the morning when you may feel hungry but your lunchtime is still a ways off.

As the father of children with peanut and tree nut allergies, I do need to note that while these Oatmeal Fruit Squeezes don't contain those allergens they are made in a Munk Pack manufacturing facility that processes peanuts and tree nuts in other products. The company does seem to be very responsible in addressing this noting on their website that: "Good Manufacturing Practices are in place to properly segregate, store and handle allergens, and production lines are fully cleaned in between productions. We conduct allergen swabbing to test for trace allergens before using shared equipment."

Those with food allergies though will need to determine on their own how comfortable they are with the contamination risk of these foods. I know my family is more on the strict side regarding avoiding foods processed in facility with peanuts/tree nuts though not containing the allergens as ingredients. We segregate Oak Munk Oatmeal Fruit Squeezes to prevent  my own children eating these snacks but I do eat them myself when the kids aren't around me.

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM FOR THE HOLIDAYS

My family loves ice cream!  Unfortunately, because my son and daughter have a peanut food allergy eating some isn't as easy as picking up a carton at the grocery store or going out to an ice cream parlor.  Most manufacturers create lots of flavors featuring peanuts on the same production lines as those that don't include them as ingredients creating contamination risks with everything that comes out of their facility.  Because my kids food allergies are severe enough that microscopic exposure from ingesting a peanut contaminated product can cause life threatening anaphylactic shock we just avoid purchasing ice cream altogether.

That doesn't mean my family can't enjoy ice cream though.  We just have to make it ourselves!  So we absolutely include ice cream as one of the treats enjoyed during the holidays.  It is just homemade for us.

One of the ways we make this homemade desert is by using an ice cream ball.  There are a variety of models available that you can find at retailers such as Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, LL Bean, Mindware, REI and Walmart among others.  You can get some exercise and have some fun playing with these ice cream balls while making yourself a tasty desert.

First gather up the ingredients that makeup the ice cream.  We normally make the vanilla variety. Start off with one 14 oz can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.  We mix that together with 4 cups of light cream and 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract.  Pour that mixture inside the container located on designated side of the ice cream ball.  Then add ice and rock salt into the chamber on the opposite side of the ball that has a chamber which surrounds where the ingredients are held.  Rock salt is used in the process because it facilitates a cold saltwater slush surrounding the container your ingredients are held in that helps promote the appropriate temperature to get them to transform into ice cream.  I know it sounds weird to add salt because that is normally associated with melting things like snow off roads, but trust me it really works!

Now the real work starts!  The ball needs to be rolled, shaken and tossed for twenty minutes.  My kids have a lot of fun playing catch with it and rolling it around the kitchen or dining room floor.  Shaking it around like a maraca is also important to assist getting a good mixture of the ingredients to provide a nice texture as the ice cream forms.  We normally open the ingredients chamber about 10 minutes in and stir things then go back to moving the ball around for another ten to fifteen minutes. The ice and salt never touch the ice cream but rather just foster the right temperature that combined with churning the ingredients produces the final outcome.

So there you have it!  Put enough effort into constantly keeping the ice cream ball in motion for around twenty minutes and you will be rewarded.  You'll have ice cream that can be eaten right out of the ball when you are done. 

For best results though I recommend scooping the ice cream out of the ball and placing it in a freezer-proof container.  Let it solidify in the freezer for an hour or so to allow the ice cream to become a bit thicker than when it is first made.  We also use Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk when making our ice cream because it provides a richer flavor more like what you would purchase at a store compared to just using half-and-half or cream in your own recipe. Click here for a variety of homemade ice cream recipes that can be made using Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk  including two of my favorite flavors from their idea list, Caramel Apple and Chocolate Peppermint.

Of course ice cream isn't the only desert that Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk makes a great ingredient for.  Use it for making candy, cakes, cookies and other sweets.  Visit eaglebrand.com for ideas and recipes on how to make some wonderful treats.  What is your favorite desert to make during the holiday season?

PBS KIDS DVD: ALL ABOUT ALLERGIES

May is Food Allergy Awareness Month, a topic of particular interest to our family as my daughter has a severe peanut allergy. I have to embarrassingly admit not knowing much on the topic before the fateful day when we discovered my daughter's medical condition after she went into anaphylactic shock and came very close to dying. If you haven't previously read about our family's experience with food allergies, here is my post about it.

With 1 in 13 children now suffering from food allergies it really is important for people to have a basic understanding of the condition and understand this is is not a joking matter even though you often see television and shows use it as the topic of comedy sketches. Yes I'm talking about you Big Bang Theory!  There is a really good chance that even if someone in your direct circle of friends and families doesn't have a food allergy you will be interacting with someone at some point who does.  Food allergies are a series, potentially life threatening medical condition.  Since I didn't know much about food allergies until they impacted my family, I  understand how easily others can be in the dark about them as well.  So please take a moment to learn some tips about dealing with food allergies this month as a favor to this food allergy dad.

As part of Food Allergy Awareness Month, PBS KIDS is releasing ALL ABOUT ALLERGIES a DVD collection of shows from some of its most popular animated series that all have allergies as a topic. These episodes are a great way for children and their parents to learn about food allergies. Young viewers can join Binky as he works to understand his peanut allergy in an ARTHUR story, and Daniel Tiger as he tries a peach for the first time and gets hives leading to the discovery he's allergic to the fruit.

The DVD also features a WORD WORLD story in which Pig struggles to tell his friends that he is allergice to peaches after Sheep and Dog bring over a bag of fruit for him to make into pies. I was a bit disappointed PBS included a PEG + CAT episode on pet allergies because it can cause confusion with the food allergy messages.  Also the WORD WORLD episode doesn't really explain food allergies correctly which is troubling because people don't sneeze in those circumstances when having a reaction they break out in hives or start having issues with their body swelling up. Overall though this is a very nice collection of shows that provide very valuable information in an entertaining format.

ALL ABOUT ALLERGIES will be available at retailers across the United States beginning May 9, 2017. It has a run time of approximately 70 minutes. The DVD features five stories from four of PBS KIDS television including these two standout episodes:

ARTHUR --  Binky Goes Nuts

When Binky discovers that he’s allergic to peanuts, he has so many questions: will he be forced to live without Chinese food? Will he ever again be able to eat with his friends? And most importantly, will his Mom ever calm down? Binky learns that the best way not to go nuts is to be well informed, and to understand his allergy.

PBS KIDS also has a special website filled with peanut allergy information and tips revolving around the episode.  CLICK HERE to check it out.  They also partnered with Cherrybrook Kitchen to create a line of ARTHUR themed snacks including brownies and cookies that are peanut allergy safe to eat.

DANIEL TIGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD -- Daniel's Allergy
When Daniel tries a peach for the first time, he learns he is allergic to the fruit. Dad and Doctor Anna take care of him, and Doctor Anna tells Daniel how he can take care of himself, too.

For more useful information about food allergies, please visit Kids With Food Allergies or FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education).  Plus here is an informative video on the topic:

WHIFFER SNIFFERS ARE A SWEET TREAT FOR EASTER

** A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review **

My daughter loves Whiffer Sniffers!  She's covered her backpack with these amusing plush caricatures of sweet treats when school started last fall. They aren't just fun to look at but also are great to sniff as each one is slightly scented to smell like its featured treat.  The school year is almost half over and kids still excitedly run up to her before and after school to get a smell of the Whiffer Sniffers decorating her backpack.  The scents on these backpack clips last for about a year but are also designed so the smell is only noticeable up close so as not to be prominent or overpowering when carried around.  These really are a great way for a child to personalize his or her backpack.

A new Spring collection of Whiffer Sniffers has been released just in time to make for a great addition to a child's Easter Basket, especially for those who suffer from food allergies.  My daughter has a severe peanut allergy and most of the Easter candy sold in store holiday aisles isn't safe for her to have either because of ingredient or contamination issues.  So the Easter Bunny avoids bringing candy and leaves a basket filled with non-edible goodies for her each year.  This year there will be a bit of a twist on that theme though as my daughter will find some sweet treats in her Easter basket that don't present a risk to her --> the newest Whiffer Sniffers to add to her collection.

The whimsical designs and variety of smells incorporated into these plush backpack clips have delighted my daughter so I'm sure she'll be thrilled to find some additions to her collection.  In addition to showing them off, kids also have fun collecting these cute plush creations.  Whiffer Sniffers release new product in waves and retires older versions after awhile so you should be on the lookout and pick up the ones you are really interested in before they can't be found anymore.  The Spring 2017 wave includes a red jelly bean (Jay Bean), cinnamon roll (Howie Roll), bottle of grape soda (Izzy Sodalicious),  ice cream cone (May B. Minty),  jelly doughnut (Phil O'Jelly), orange (Sonny Shine), green apple (Sour Saul), macaron (Maci Macaron) and chocolate milkshake (Mikey Milkshake).  Keep an eye out for Jay Bean as he'll only be distributed around Easter time.

You can purchase Whiffer Sniffers individually either in clear sealed tube that identifies the character or by getting a blacked-out mystery pack container where you can get a randomly selected plush which you won't know what you have until the package is open.  In addition to the fun of being surprised, mystery packs often are the only place to find certain characters.  For example in the Spring 2017 wave Maci Macaron and Mikey Milkshake are exclusive characters that can only be had by finding them in a mystery pack.  If you open a mystery pack and find a sealed bag inside you've really struck gold.  In this case you've got yourself a really rare Sniffer Mix which is a combination of two Whiffer Sniffer characters and are also exclusively found within mystery packs.  The two newest Sniffer Mixers are a Strawberry Milkshake (Bitsy Shakin) and Mint Macaron (Minty Macaron).

CLICK HERE to find a retailer near you who sells Whiffer Sniffers.  They can also be purchased online at WhifferSniffers.com.  If you want to give a child a sweet treat that won't contribute to giving them cavities pick up a Whiffer Sniffer.

Family of 5-year-old Transplant Recipient asks People to have a Heart

Every parent worries about the health and safety of a child.  Experiencing a true life-or-death incident with a child though takes that parental concern and bond up a notch.  That occurred for me when my family discovered my daughter had a severe food allergy after she went into a condition called anaphylactic shock which sent us to emergency room as her face turned red with hives while her eyes and throat swelled shut.  Doctors told us if we had arrived at the hospital just a few minutes later brain damage could have occurred, her organs would have begun shutting down, and she could have even died.  Fortunately, everything turned out alright and she's doing just fine.  We've had to learn about this medical condition and have to take daily precautions to avoid a repeat of the incident but I have to say our situation pales in comparison to getting the news as a parent that your preschool aged child needs a heart transplant in order to survive.

That is the story of the Schultz family who found out that their son Ari would die without a heart transplant.  Ari stayed in-patient at Boston's Children Hospital for 211 days receiving care and waiting for news about whether he'd be able to get a transplant before it was too late.  Then one day the news came:



Ari recently received a new heart and now he's slowly recuperating in the hospital's ICU dealing with some rejection issues his body is having.  Unfortunately, while Ari's mom and dad have been focused on his care they didn't realize that water damage from a storm had caused their family home to become infested with mold.  A mutual friend relayed to me that the Schultz's homeowners insurance will only cover less than half the cost of making the house suitable for Ari to return home to.  To help cover some of the mounting expenses the Schultz are confronting, friends and family of Ari have set-up a Go Fund Me page asking people to show some heart and provide some support.

Making a donation of $10, $20 or more will help Ari get better and will make you feel good.  Every contribution adds up and even making a small donation can have a big impact in helping this family in need.   Have a heart and help Ari out!

AVRIL KNOWS -- A POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE ON FOOD ALLERGIES

As the father of a daughter with severe food allergies, I've experienced first hand the negativity that hangs over people suffering with this medical condition and their families from having to constantly be cautious about where you go and what you eat; being excluded from places and situations because you become either a risk or an inconvenience; and dealing with people who have no consideration or compassion that their actions impact whether you may be sleeping in your own bed or a hospital room that night because of something called anaphylactic shock.  So I was really happy to share with my daughter a book based upon a true story that provides some positivity to the food allergy experience.

Ginny Heenan is an award-winning San Francisco area artist who paints children's portraits.  She has written several books based upon enlightening experiences she has had while working with these children. AVRIL KNOWS is based upon a real life girl named Abby with a severe nut allergy who was eight year old (which happens to be the same age as my daughter) when Heenan painted a 36-inch by 36-inch canvas oil portrait of her two years ago.  

Heenan strives through this picture book, with illustrations by Savannah Lund and Daniele Derenzi, to help children with allergies see themselves positively through the eyes of an artist.  This book does a nice job of showing how to make "lemonade out of lemons" when dealing with a tough situation and provides encouragement to look at the positive side of life instead of dwelling on the bad things.  I appreciate that Avril isn't presented as a girl who is letting allergies interfere with living her life, but rather someone who is handling her condition the best she can and appreciates some positive encouragement from the artist painting her portrait.  This is a nice book for children with food allergies to read in that it reinforces that they aren't alone in their struggles and has an uplifting message in its story.

 For those who don't have a close connection to someone with food allergies AVRIL KNOWS personalizes what it is like to be a kid living with this medical condition providing a better understanding of what it is like to walk in those people's shoes.  The book isn't a call for regulations, protections or other actions but rather just tells it as it is regarding the story of a young girl living her life with food allergies.  A great selection for any library's children's section or elementary school class reading assignment because it invokes compassion and understanding without preaching, lecturing or demanding anything from its audience.  The book just challenges readers to picture their own face on the canvas of that portrait instead of Avril's.  How would you handle, or how will you handle, living a life with a severe food allergy?  Sincerely answering that question can be a life changing moment both for those with and those without food allergies.

Avril loves learning new magic tricks. She also has an uncanny way of noticing details and things that other people don't, and that makes her good at magic. When her parents decide to have her portrait painted Avril imagines herself as a proud magician. However, Avril learns through the eyes of the artist that her allergies are not a bad thing, but instead make her more powerful and special than she ever imagined.


AVRIL KNOWS: A POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE ON ALLERGIES is available on Amazon either in paperback or as a kindle download.  kindleunlimited members can read the book as one of the free selections in their subscription's services. A Geek Daddy readers can also get a 30% discount by purchasing the book through the CreateSpace estore by using code  DJNXUWGA.

Be a Super Hero this summer when it comes to Food Allergies

With summer starting children will be breaking from the normal day-to-day school routine.  This can be a challenging time for kids with food allergies as they begin to interact with new people and visit out of the ordinary places during summer camps, family vacations, amusement park excursions or trips to the zoo where there may not be a familiarity with dealing with this medical condition.  FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), one of the leading non-profit advocacy groups for the 15 million Americans with food allergies, wants to help educate those who aren't afflicted with food allergies to have an understanding of the safety issues important for those who do have them. Plus FARE wishes to remind those with food allergies (especially children) along with their family and friends not to let your guard down when it comes to maintaining safety practices over the summer break.  You can be a FARE super hero this summer by being cautious and considerate regarding food allergies!



As an educational tool, safety kit, and fundraiser, FARE is offering a special Summer Pack for $29.95 (plus shipping) to help children with food allergies during the summer break from school.  It is a simple, fun way to store and carry all your favorite summer allergy-friendly products.  Plus all proceeds support FARE's mission!

The FARE Summer Pack includes a cinch bag, a medicine storage kit, a food allergy restaurant card, a food allergy tip sheet and a common symptoms of anaphylaxis magnet:

FARE cinch bag:  big enough to carry a water bottle, epi-pens, and all the other stuff kids haul around with them during the summer months.  It also displays foodallergy.org to encourage people to learn more about the topic and give them a heads up that this is an issue to be cautious about.

Medicine Storage Kit:  Can accommodate two epinephrine auto-injectors, a large bottle of antihistamine, and a list of emergency phone numbers.  It is bright red so it is easy to spot!

A Food Allergy Restaurant Card to present to the chef while dining out to outline the foods and ingredients you must avoid.

Common Symptoms of Anaphylaxis Magnet lists the most common symptoms of anaphylaxis and what to do in an emergency so that camp counselors, coaches, babysitters, and other people who may be supervising a child with food allergies can have easy access to the information.

Parents who have a child with food allergies that will be outside a lot in hot weather may also want to consider purchasing a FRIO Epinephrine Cooling Bag which isn't included in the FARE Summer Pack.  It keeps epinephrine at a stable room temperature during the hot summer months! This reusable 5.5” x 7” wallet has insulating qualities that are activated by water – no refrigeration or ice needed – and holds 2 epinephrine auto-injectors. When activated, the FRIO cooling pack keeps its low temperature for a minimum of two days, even in temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a great item to add to your emergency supply kit, travel kit or camping kit as there is no refrigeration needed. 

FARE has also posted a special SAFE FOR THE SUMMER section on its website.  It includes tips on emergency preparedness, traveling, summer camp, and barbeques.  Summer Barbeque Tips for Hosts & Guest and Managing Food Allergies at Camp are two very informative articles I'd recommend everyone take a moment to read.  This special educational section of the FARE website also highlights four important points for families dealing with food allergies to remember over the summer months:

1. Avoid the heat: Epinephrine is sensitive to light and should be stored at room temperature. Never leave your auto-injectors in a vehicle, where temperatures can rise to the triple digits. 
2. Prevent: Make sure you remain vigilant about reading labels and never take chances with foods you're unsure are safe.
3. Prepare: Summer is a great time to prepare for the school year, including learning how to advocate for your child and about the guidelines and laws that help ensure the safety and inclusion of students with food allergies. 
4. Practice: Using a trainer or expired auto-injector, practice how to use the device. Review your Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan with the entire family and all caregivers.

Dealing with my own children's food allergies is something that our family has to be constantly vigilant about.  I shared my story about being a food allergy dad on the FARE blog which you can read here.  We're lucky in that my children attend a school with a peanut free campus which provides a lot of peace of mind regarding their safety while they are attending classes but have to admit it can be easy to become complacent when they aren't guaranteed as protective an environment during the summer months when out and about.  Please be a Super Hero this summer by being cautious and considerate about food allergies.  Your actions could save a life!

A Family Night Dining Out @ nkd pizza

Having children that not only are picky eaters but also suffer from severe food allergies can often make something as seemingly simple as going out to eat a grueling experience.  I am pleased to say neither of these problems were an issue for our family during a recent evening dining out at nkd pizza's newest Michigan location in the city of Sterling Heights at the corner of 16 Mile Road and Dequindre.  nkd pizza creates a new standard for the term "comfort food" as in addition to its offerings being great tasting their food is also prepared with healthy ingredients in a thoughtful manner that will give people with food allergies some comforting peace of mind about eating items from there.

What kid doesn't like pizza?! Well my son apparently is the odd one out because he won't even try the stuff.  Fortunately, nkd pizza also has chicken tenders on their menu that my son really enjoyed.

When it comes to their pizza there are 10 house selections to choose from, such as Margherita, Road-House & Oahu, or you can build your own customized pie.  We built our own pizzas and they were delicious!  You know nkd pizza passed the taste test when my daughter scarfed down a whole pizza by herself.  My wife and I particularly enjoyed nkd pizza's unique crust combined with their house made tomato sauce.

The reason nkd pizza's crust is so good is because it is made from an Ancestral Blend® of 10 grains plus agave fiber and probiotics (healthful bacteria like the ones found in yogurt for balance and digestive health) bound by water and made by hand at the restaurant. The grains they use include oats, brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, teff, spelt, tapioca, and two kinds of wheat. This combination of grains, fiber and probiotics creates a satisfying feeling when eating it because the ingredients provide a slow, sustained release of energy compared to the crash you may experience when eating other single grain, highly processed pizzas.

nkd pizza really has a focus on healthy eating.  They make your pizza by hand using fresh, all-natural ingredients.  No artificial colors, additive or preservatives involved with making up these pizzas.  This focus on healthy eating also means that nkd pizza takes addressing food allergies very seriously which is appreciated by this family who deals with that topic on a daily basis.  In fact, nkd pizza provided us a tour of the restaurant's kitchen to demonstrate their commitment to addressing allergy concerns and cooking with all natural ingredients.

Often times restaurants just provide lip service in regard to customer concerns about food allergies but from talking to the staff and touring the kitchen, A Geek Daddy could tell that nkd pizza really gets it.  They clearly understand that contamination is as important as ingredients are when it comes to food preparation safety.  They've made sure that their primary menu is peanut / tree nut ingredient and contamination free.  Dairy free options are also available.  Also there is a gluten free option for almost every pizza option on the menu.

Of course when dealing with food allergies nothing can ever be easy.  Unlike its main menu dough which is made on-site, nkd pizza purchases the gluten free dough from a vendor that processes it in a facility with tree nuts.  So the utensils, pans, and ingredients need to be segregated to avoid contaminating the gluten free food with wheat used to make the customized Ancestral Blend® breads and crusts in the kitchen and to avoid the main menu food coming into contact with the dough used for the gluten free pizzas which  was made in a facility that also processes tree nuts.  nkd pizza does a nice job of accomplishing this by having separate preparation areas and not allowing equipment to be co-mingled within the kitchen.  At last a restaurant that understands the concept of avoiding food allergy contamination within the kitchen!

Understanding that people with food allergies are often suspicious of baked goods for deserts, nkd pizza only provides packaged treats that contain ingredient labels and allergy warnings on them.  Catering to a food allergy clientele, their deserts are gluten, peanut and tree nut free.  While their pizza and salad menu can accommodate most food allergies, the desert option does contain milk and egg as a heads up for people with those allergies.  Also if you have a soy allergy both the main course pizzas and the gluten free options have it as an ingredient so this probably isn't a restaurant for you. All in all though, nk pizza does a very nice job of trying to be an accessible restaurant for most people with food allergies based upon all the variations of this medical condition.  They also provide a very thorough allergen alert listing on their menu to assist consumers with food sensitivities.

When dining in while you are waiting for your order to be prepared have some fun playing the word find game by the cash register.  If you can find all 20 words you can get 10% off a future order!

If you don't feel like going out for dinner, nkd pizza delivers.  They will bring your meal to you for just a $1.50 delivery charge + optional driver tip.  Currently there are two Metro Detroit locations, Sterling Heights and Shelby Township, with plans for additional restaurants in the near future.  Both the Shelby Twp. and Sterling Heights restaurants will deliver within a 2 mile radius of their location.

nkd pizza isn't marketing itself as a gluten free or food allergy friendly restaurant.  It's focus is being a healthy eating destination and part of that motif is making sure their food is accessible and edible for as many people as possible.  So you don't need to have a food allergy to find a visit worthwhile! Their being proactive to these constituencies is a value added bonus to the restaurant's commitment to a health-conscious menu.

nkd pizza delivers, not just to your home or office, but in providing great tasting food with a focus on fresh, natural ingredients that people with a variety of food allergies can feel comfortable  partaking in.  The best part about the place though is that my family just flat out enjoyed our meal during this family night dining out. For more information, sign up for their e-club which will send information about promotions and special insider perks to your email inbox by visiting www.nkdpizza.com/eclub.

A Geek Daddy was invited to nkd pizza for a complimentary family dinner and tour of the newly opened Sterling Heights location to assist with facilitating a blog review.  Opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.

P.S. nkd stands for "Naked" because the pizzas are au naturale when it comes to their preparation and ingredients.

Twigtale Books: Sharing with Care Bears

**A Geek Daddy was provided the featured product for free** 

My daughter in first grade has been given an ongoing homework assignment of reading 30 minutes per day after school.  It has been challenging to find plenty of books to keep her interested in continuously reading plus that are also at her beginning reading level.  So it was nice that as a Care Bears brand ambassador, A Geek Daddy was provided the opportunity to review the new "Sharing With Care Bears" personalized book from Twigtale.com.  The Twigtale service provides a soft cover book with a themed story template, like the Care Bears, and lets people personalize it by inserting pictures and customizing some of the text.

The service is really easy and convenient to use.  Just visit the Twigtale website and select the story template you want to use which include Doc McStuffins Big Sibling Book, Everybody Gets Scared, Me & Daddy, Learning To Stand Tall & Act Brave Versus Bullying, and Sharing With Care Bears, among other topics.  Themes include safety teaching stories, identity and self esteem, ages & stages, family changes, learning, and well being.  There is also a category where you can completely create your own book from scratch. 

As a parent of two children that have severe food allergies, I was pleased to see that Twigtale has partnered with FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education, a leading non-profit that advocates for the 15 million Americans that have food allergies) in creating a personalized book to help parents explain specific food allergies to children.  "My Food Allergy" is personalized with photos and specific details about a child's allergy to make it an engaging and effective way to help children understand what it means to have a food allergy and how to stay safe.  Plus a portion of this particular book's sale is donated back to FARE to help support its mission of finding a cure for food allergies and helping keep individuals with food allergies safe.  Based upon our family's satisfaction with Sharing with Care Bears, we are probably going to go back to Twigtale to create My Food Allergy books for each of our twins who suffer from life-threatening peanut allergies.

Once you've selected your story template you are asked some questions based upon the theme of the book.  For the Care Bears it was really easy as they just wanted to know my child's name to insert periodically throughout the text of the story.  They also asked for a photo to use on the cover of the book.  You just need to upload a digital photo from your computer and you're all set.  Additionally there is an author designation which you can customize based upon who the book is from such as Mommy & Daddy, Grandma & Grandpa, Aunt Sue and Uncle Joe, and so on.

 

The website then allows you to flip through the pages of the book inserting additional pictures or editing text in specifically designated areas.  For example on the page below you could add a picture plus alter the text as desired where the story talks about who your child's best friends are.

Here's another example where you can add in another personalized picture and provide your own text describing the activities that your child likes to do with his or her best friends.  Sharing with Care Bears is 21 pages and provide the opportunity to add pictures and customize text within 6 of them. It's really easy peasy to put together.  Wow did I just say easy peasy?  You know I spend a lot of time around first graders don't you?!

As I mentioned the book was very easy and convenient to customize on the Twigtale website and it arrive at our doorstep lickety split.  We received our personalized Sharing with Care Bears book in the mail three days after we had ordered it.  My daughter has really been thrilled to have a Care Bears book that includes her in the story.  As parents, we really appreciate that the text is simple enough that early readers can easily read it on their own.  So not only has this book provided a nice story for my daughter to enjoy but it also has been a great aid in helping her practice her reading by allowing us to include it as part of her first grade reading assignment.

For more information about ordering your own personalized children's books, visit www.twigtale.com.  These books cost $20 plus shipping and handling.  They normally can be delivered within a week after an order has been placed.

DISCLAIMER:  As a Care Bear brand ambassador, A Geek Daddy blog received a complimentary Sharing with Care Bears book to review from Twigtale.  No financial compensation was provided.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Food Allergy Awareness Month Twitter Chat - Thursday May 14, 2015

 In recognition of National Food Allergy Awareness Month, A Geek Daddy Blog will be co-hosting with the Life of Dad Bloggers Network a special Twitter Chat to promote awareness and information on the topic of food allergies.  Join us on Thursday, May 14, 2015 from 9 to 10pm ET as we are joined by special guest Doctor Dave Stukus, pediatric allergy and asthma specialist at Nationwide Childen's Hospital in Columbus Ohio.

During this chat about food allergies and kids, A Geek Daddy Blog will randomly be giving out four $10 iTunes gift cards to participants who are actively participating in the conversation throughout the hour.  To eligible for winning one of the gift cards that we'll be giving out every 15 minutes during the chat, participants must be following the Twitter accounts of @LifeOfDadShow & @Geekdad248 , use the hashtag #LifeofDad in their tweets, and be a United States resident over 18 years old.  No RSVP for this event just show up and engage in the conversation.

In addition to the #LifeofDad Food Allergy Awareness Twitter Chat make sure to participate in A Geek Daddy Blog's Food Allergy Trivia Contest for a chance to win a great gift pack courtesy of Comcast #Xfinity.  Answer some trivia questions for a chance to win a backpack filled with a mobile recharging kit for smart phones and tablets, coffee mug, baseball cap, and a water bottle. Must be a US resident and over 18 years old to participate in the trivia contest. CLICK HERE to give it a shot.

You can become a food allergy action hero this month by taking a moment to educate yourself on this matter and pledging to make an effort to be considerate of those who suffer from this medical condition.  If you are up to the challenge CLICK HERE to download the template to create your very own food allergy action hero costume.  Print a teal mask and a hero emblem for your shirt then cut out and wear them to have fun as you show your food allergy spirit.  Take a picture of you in your action hero outfit and tag it with #FoodAllergyMonth on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. There are adult and children's sizes of the masks available to download.

Once you have your food allergy action hero gear, take a moment to read this one page handout that contains facts about food allergies that can be shared and used to help educate others about this growing public health issue.  Download Now.

 

For more information about food allergies visit FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) at www.foodallergy.org.

DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of these contests and delivery of the prizes. By participating in this contest, you waive any and all liability to A Geek Daddy Blog and its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. No P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers and as a public service to promote awareness on the topic of food allergies. Any opinions in this post are my own.

Food Allergy Action Month Trivia Contest

I grew up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches almost every day at school. As a first time parent, I didn't think there was any cause for alarm in giving my children food that I ate myself as a kid. Having no friends, family or work colleagues with food allergies, the topic actually didn't even come to mind. Than one nice summer day, I took the afternoon off work to enjoy some time with my kids. I fed my daughter a banana slice with a very small amount of peanut butter rubbed on it. She was only a toddler and had never had peanut butter before; my wife had read something about food allergies a few days earlier and asked me to give our 18 month old twins a small sample so just in case a negative reaction occurred I was the one dealing with the situation and not a baby sitter or day care. I didn't think much of it...what was the worst that could happen? Maybe a rash or some itching? Twenty minutes later we were in the ER at a local hospital with my toddler's eyes, nose and throat swelled shut. She was going into something called "anaphylactic shock" and was surrounded by a half dozen or more doctors and nurses urgently rushing in efforts to save her life. It's an experience I'd like to help make sure hopefully others never have to go through.

Fortunately, my daughter survived the experience. Our lives have changed now though. My daughter has a severe food allergy to peanuts and we always have to be on guard to her coming into contact with them now. Her twin brother has a more moderate allergy to them, but we have been warned by our doctor that additional exposures could enhance the condition to a more dangerous level. So we screen all the food they eat now for its ingredients and potential contamination, wipe down surfaces that could have residue on them that could be absorbed into the skin, and try to avoid situations that could put our kids at risk. May is Food Allergy Action Month and since I know from personal experience both how the subject isn't a top of mind issue for most people and also how people without food allergies can expose those who do to risk, injury, and sometimes even death, A Geek Daddy Blog is sharing our story to promote awareness and provide information on this topic.

Our friends at Comcast Xfinity have generously donated a great gift bag as a prize for A Geek Daddy Blog's Food Allergy Action Month Trivia Contest. Answer the trivia question below for a chance to win a backpack filled with a mobile recharging kit for smart phones and tablets, coffee mug, baseball cap, and a water bottle. Must be a US resident and over 18 years old to participate in the trivia contest.

Unfortunately, the number of children with food allergies is an increasing trend with most school now averaging 2 kids per class room with a moderate to severe food allergy compared to that number being a fraction of a percent a generation ago. No one knows what is causing this escalation in food allergy cases and there is no cure. Watch this short informational video from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, to learn more about food allergies and to find the answer to our trivia contest question.

For a chance to win the Comcast #Xfinity prize pack submit one or both of the following entry methods to earn up to 3 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sunday May 24, 2015:

Congrats to Kev from Maplewood, Minnesota on winning the Trivia Contest! Thank you to everyone who participated.

E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address plus correctly answer this question: In what year did an expert panel issue "Guidelines for the Diagnosis & Management of Food Allergy in the United State"? Email subject line should be ALLERGY ACTION HERO. (1 Entry)

For additional entries, visit our Facebook Food Allergy Action Month Trivia Contest post and leave a comment mentioning one of the eight most common food allergies (2 Entries)

A special thank you to Comcast Cable Heartland Region for generously providing our trivia contest prize.

We've encountered many people over the last few years who don't think that our daughter's food allergy is "a big deal", don't want any restrictions placed on them to help protect children with food allergies, or just don't care and believe it is just our family's issue to deal with and if something bad happens it is my daughter or our family's own fault.  While we understand that our daughter's medical condition is our burden to deal with we also believe that when it comes to school and public spaces that there should be some level of safeguards in place to allow people with food allergies to be able to live healthy and productive lives without fear that someone else's actions could hurt them. We're not trying to rid the world of peanuts, our family is just asking people show some consideration and compassion for those people who are facing a life threatening medical condition.

You can become a food allergy action hero this month by taking a moment to educate yourself on this matter and pledging to make an effort to be considerate of those who suffer from this medical condition.  If you are up to the challenge CLICK HERE to download the template to create your very own food allergy action hero costume.  Print a teal mask and a hero emblem for your shirt then cut out and wear them to have fun as you show your food allergy spirit.  Take a picture of you in your action hero outfit and tag it with #FoodAllergyMonth on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. There are adult and children's sizes of the masks available to download.

Once you have your food allergy action hero gear, take a moment to read this one page handout that contains facts about food allergies that can be shared and used to help educate others about this growing public health issue.  Download Now.

 

For more information about food allergies visit FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) at www.foodallergy.org.

DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest and delivery of the prize. By participating in this contest, you waive any liability to the publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. No P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. Any opinions in this post are my own.