Clever Cupcakes

I know, it's been a long time since I posted. I'm very sorry about that. But I came across something the other day that I HAD to share with the world...

Ever since Ella was diagnosed with her peanut allergy, I have been searching for a peanut-free bakery. Up until Sunday, my search had been in vain...but then I found Clever Cupcakes, and I was in heaven.

Located in Coquitlam (right across from Coquitlam Town Centre), Clever Cupcakes offers a huge selection of delicious cupcakes, made fresh every day. They contain NO additives, NO preservatives, NO artificial flavours and NO artificial colours. They are made with 50% less sugar than regular cupcakes. They contain good-for-you ingredients like natural cocoa, fresh fruit, and natural butter. And best of all, they are completely peanut and tree nut free!

Basically, they are the healthiest cupcakes you can buy. But, trust me, you would never guess that from eating one! They are SO GOOD. And there are so many yummy flavours to choose from, like mango vanilla cake with cream cheese icing, chocolate cake with strawberry icing, mint chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting, coconut cake with cream cheese icing...I could go on and on. We only tasted four of the flavours during our visit, and they were all delicious.

The store itself is really cute. They have the bakery in the back, and up front there are tables to sit at, and they also sell a selection of coffees and soft drinks. We sat and had cappuccinos with our cupcakes, while the kids made a huge mess with their cupcakes. Afterwards we spoke with the owner, Juan, for a while. He has a young son with an allergy to peanuts and tree nuts, and also a father who is diabetic. He really wanted to create a product that they can enjoy (he's still working on lowering the sugar content for his dad, though). They get a lot of orders from businesses and schools, as well as orders for birthday parties and other celebrations. And, of course, you can always walk in and see what flavours they have to offer if you're just craving a cupcake...or six.

We will definitely be returning to Clever Cupcakes, for birthday party orders, and just our everyday cupcake needs. (I know what you're thinking - no one should have everyday cupcake NEEDS. But I'm pregnant. Give me a break, here.)

Most of all I was just so happy that I could go in and get Ella a "store-bought" treat and not worry about it. It might not seem like a big deal to most people, but when you have a kid with a peanut allergy, those are the everyday little things that you wish you could give to your child. I think Ella said it best while we were sitting enjoying the cupcakes: "This is way yummier than staying home!"

A Store with a Cause...and Peanut-Free Ice Cream!

Last night I visited PricePro for the first time, and it was AWESOME.

It's kind of a mix between a grocery store, a Costco and a furniture store. They sell lots of great stuff, like furniture, warehouse-pack sized foods, bakery items, fruit & veggies, clothes, shoes, DVDs, regular groceries, frozen foods, etc, etc. Everything you need!

But the best part is that they are part of a non-profit program called Welcome Home, which is a long-term residential treatment program for men who struggle with substance abuse. The purpose of the PricePro store is "to provide Welcome Home participants with the opportunity to acquire proper life skills, social skills, and job skills. They learn how to become valuable employees or how to successfully manage their own business." Very cool!

OK, here's the second best part: they have the most amazing selection of Chapman's peanut/nut-free ice cream that I have ever seen. The ice cream comes in 2L and 4L sizes, and in at least 9 or 10 different flavours. On top of that, they also have peanut/nut-free ice cream novelties, like ice cream sandwiches, ice cream bars, popsicles, cones, etc. And they even have peanut/nut-free sugar-free treats (although I'm not sure why you would want sugar-free ice cream, but to each his own). I got the butterscotch ripple.

I will definitely go back to PricePro. I think you should, too! It's in Surrey at 6911 King George Hwy, open 9am to 9pm Monday to Saturday.

Easter Candy!

I must admit that I was not looking forward to Easter this year. Not because I don't want to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, but because I didn't think I'd be able to find any safe candy. As it turns out, I was pleasantly surprised.

On a recent trip to Wal-Mart, I thought I would wander through the Easter section, just to see what was there. I didn't expect to find anything that Ella could eat. But to my delight, they had almost a whole aisle filled with "no peanut" chocolate! Chocolate bunnies, chocolate kittens, chocolate wiener dogs, chocolate chickens, chocolate princesses, chocolate monster trucks...you name it, they had it! I was in heaven! The only problem was choosing what to buy.

I ended up picking a chocolate bunny, a box of small caramel filled bunnies, some rabbit shaped ju jubes, some jelly beans and a chocolate Iron Man (nothing says "Happy Easter" like biting into the head of a chocolate robot-man).

So, thank you Wal-Mart. Now if only you could do the same at Valentine's Day and Christmas.

All About Restaurants

When Ella was first diagnosed PA, we didn't go out to eat anywhere for a while. I just couldn't handle the thought of someone else preparing her food, and not being able to read the ingredient lists myself.

But we're getting a little more adventurous, and I've started doing a lot more research. So in case you are in the same boat as us, wondering what's safe and what's not, I'd like to share the fruits of my labour with you.

Remember, this list is just what I've learned so far, as I keep learning every day. But at least it's a starting point if you're new at this whole allergy thing!

Safe Places

• McDonalds (except for the McDonaldland cookies)
• Wendys (except desserts & salad almonds)
• Panago
• KFC (except desserts)
• Taco Bell

Unsafe Places

• Dairy Queen (peanuts & nuts everywhere!)
• Tim Hortons (bakery environment: high possibility of cross-contamination)
• A&W (most burger sauces have "may contain" warning, and they could easily end up on the surfaces where they prepare other foods)
• Burger King (turns out that many of the foods cooked in the deep fryer "may contain" nuts or peanuts, which makes everything cooked there unsafe)
• Any bakeries (way too much risk of cross-contamination)
• Any ice cream places (hardly any ice cream is safe)

"Sit Down" Restaurants

• Red Robin (no allergen info, but we've talked to them and they're good)
• Boston Pizza (no allergen info, but we've talked to them and they're good)

Tips for Eating Out

• I always wipe Ella's hands & face, then the table & chair, with a baby wipe as soon as we sit down
• Of course, we always always have her emergency kit
• If I haven't been able to read a full ingredient list online beforehand, I have an in-depth conversation with the waitress, who usually checks with the kitchen staff as well
• We always stay away from desserts, even if they appear peanut-free, because they are prepared near other desserts which probably have nuts/peanuts in them
• My biggest tip: do your research!

I hope this has helped! Unfortunately, most of the research I've done has been for fast-food places, but that has more to do with the fact that we're dining out with two toddlers, rather than the peanut allergy.

I just wish more restaurants would publish their allergen information online. It's so much easier than talking to the staff, and I feel much more comfortable if I can read it myself. I have started emailing restaurants to request this info, but it will take a lot more people doing the same thing if we want them to change.

If you know of any other "safe" places, leave a comment!

Safe Snacks at Starbucks!

I love Starbucks. I love their coffee beans (I have three different types machines at home just for making coffee), I love their espresso drinks (caramel latte is my favourite), I love the atmosphere in their stores, and up until recently I loved their baked goods.

Then came Ella's peanut allergy, and the days of going out on a mommy-daughter date to Starbucks and sharing a banana loaf or ginger molasses cookie went out the window.

Until now!

Starbucks has recently started selling Lucy's cookies. They are free of wheat, gluten, dairy milk, butter, eggs, casein, peanuts and tree nuts. Which, I admit, made me a little skeptical at first, but we tried them anyway. And they are AMAZING. So yummy! And it was less than $2 for a bag of 4 cookies, which is totally reasonable.

So, thank you , Starbucks! Because now I can once again go out for coffee with the kids in tow, and there's something for them to eat and keep them busy while I get 5 minutes of peace.

Baked Goods!

Do you know how hard it is to find baked good that are peanut-free? Near impossible. In fact, most of the time I don't even bother walking through the bakery section, because it just depresses me. But I got a tip (from one of the great moms who was at my anaphylaxis group meeting) that Superstore had some. So, naturally, I drove out to Superstore the first chance I got.

And she was right! It was wonderful. I almost didn't know what to pick, but this is what I got:

And check it out...peanut-free!

I have to give props to Superstore. They have the largest selection of peanut-free stuff that I have seen so far. Even their "no name" candy (like jelly beans and jujubes) is peanut-free. And baked goods!

I love cookies...

Nut-Free Chocolate!

As anyone with a peanut allergy would know, it is really hard to find candy and chocolate that is safe. Basically, I've found my options to be limited to snack-size Smarties, Aero, Coffee Crisp, and Kit Kat. And after a while, that gets really boring.

Needless to say, I was delighted to find a chocolate store that specializes in nut-free treats: Vermont Nut Free Chocolates. We ordered a box of assorted chocolates and some wrapped chocolates for Christmas. And they were DELICIOUS. Just as good as Purdy's, or any other similar chocolates, and priced about the same, too. And shipping wasn't too expensive, either.

I will definitely be ordering more. Not only do they make amazing boxed chocolates, but they also have candy, baking chocolates, fun shapes, and things for every different holiday.

Allergen Free Food!

I came across a great CANADIAN website that I thought I would share. It's called Allergy Menu.

Basically it's an online grocery store where you can shop by allergen. So if you're allergic to one (or more) of the top 8 allergens, you just check that box, and it will find safe products for you! They sell everything from trail mixes to spreads to candy to cookies to snack bars to chocolate...basically all the allergen-free stuff that's hard to find at a "regular" grocery store.

What I'm most excited about is the candy. Since Ella's been diagnosed with PA, we've eaten SO many snack-size Aero, Kit Kat, Smarties and Coffee Crisp. I'm kind of getting sick of them. But there's not a whole lot of choice for peanut-free chocolate (especially terrible for me is the fact that my absolute favourite chocolate bar of all time is Reese Peanut Butter Cups). So finding a place where I can get more variety is AWESOME!

What's also cool is the Christmas stuff they have - advent calendars and candy canes! And I thought we'd have to go without!