My First Experience with a 504 Plan for my Preschooler
She looked at me with her almond eyes full of thought, as if she understood everything. After a long pause she softly said, "It's okay, Mommy. I won't care if no one sits with me at lunch time." My heart broke for her. At four years old, she was exceptionally perceptive. I could tell she was sad, but she didn't want me to worry about her. I wanted to cry; she was trying to take care of me, but I was the mom. I had just explained to my daughter the plan that we created with he
Making Cupcakes: The Lemonade of Life for the Food Allergy Mom
When I was growing up, I was told: If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. My young daughter's food allergies are a pretty sour lemon in our life right now. Every event we go to is darkened by the looming fear of an anaphylactic reaction, by the planning for a reaction, and by the preventative steps we must take to keep her safe and included. It can be exhausting, stressful, and emotional at times. If you don't live this life, it can be hard to understand, but another food a
Discovering the Holy Grail: A delicious egg free, dairy free, and nut free cake recipe
I'm an allergy mom but I'm not a fan of eating cardboard cookies or tart tasting chemical cupcakes. I'll give it to you straight: There are a lot of BAD allergy sensitive recipes out there claiming to be "delicious", when in reality, they resemble chalk, mixed with bug spray, with the texture of grainy stale bread. Yum! (Sarcasm.) Hey, I get it! Baking is hard when you have to substitute EVERYTHING! But, I am a baker by hobby and an allergy mom who doesn't give up. I am convi
