Jen

Author's details

Name: Jennifer Dufour
Date registered: March 15, 2012
URL: http://www.madalexproducts.com

Biography

I was an extremely shy and timid person, but when I became a mom 6 years ago that all changed! A parent must act as an advocate for their child and look out for what is best for them. After going through my own set of food allergy issues, I began to notice similar reactions in my daughter, except she'd get tiny little hives around her mouth every time she ate tomatoes. Her pediatrician just chalked it up to her skin being super sensitive and being a drooly kid. He didn't feel the need to have her tested by an Allergist. Well, mom knows best and sure enough not only did she have an allergy to tomatoes, but to soy, a number of fruits best classified as a Birch Pollen Allergy, and nuts. Shortly after my daughter's diagnosis at 2 years old, we placed her into a pre-school. Although we supplied instructions, the school would still give her food from the center because THEY thought it was safe for her to eat and, as everyone with a soy allergy knows, soy is in just about all processed foods. Who were THESE people to make that decision for MY child?!! We also found that her soy allergies were a problem her skin came in contact with it. I quickly learned about soaps and lotions which had Vitamin E and glycerin (often soy based) and even many craft supplies that have soy bases which would cause unsightly eczema on my little girls hands (FYI- some carpets have soy in them too!). I had to create a very detailed document for the center to educate them about allergies and even had a 'responsibilities' list of what I expected of them and what they could expect from me in order to keep my daughter safe at school. (here is a copy of my form) We've been lucky that our daughter has outgrown the tomato and apple allergy, but part of me wonders if she really has or if it has just manifested itself into other symptoms, like her asthma. I am still very cautious when it comes to her eating tomatoes and apples. While her skin reacts with a negative result on the prick tests for those foods, her tummy tells me she is still quite sensitive. Allergists will admit testing for allergies is not an exact science and the key is to be observant, to know your child and to be an advocate for your child to keep them safe! I am lucky to have had a culinary background and I'm not afraid of cooking so I made a lot of homemade meals and snacks and got a large freezer in the basement to make large batches. But I will say convenience snacks and treats for the various holidays were a challenge to find. While many local grocery stores are starting to carry some foods that my daughter can eat, candy is especially hard to find, that was until we started MadAlexProducts.com! So not only am I the buyer for MadAlexProducts.com, but also a customer with a very happy little girl who loves to get treats just right for her!

Latest posts

  1. Another Try at Sugar & Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream — May 22, 2012
  2. Orange Creamsicles — May 18, 2012
  3. The 3 Minute Cupcake is Actually The 2 Minute Cupcake — May 15, 2012
  4. Summer Camps Outside of Connecticut — May 7, 2012
  5. Summer Camp Success! — April 26, 2012

Most commented posts

  1. A Substitute for Coconut Oil in Ice Cream? — 4 comments
  2. Dog Park Low Sugar Chocolate Ice Cream — 1 comment
  3. The Curiously Strong — 1 comment
  4. Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream – Round 2 — 1 comment

Author's posts listings

May 22

Another Try at Sugar & Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream

Last night was attempt numero dos on making a Sugar Free Chocolate Ice Cream. If you read the last post about it you will remember that it did not look very appetizing. I did a bit of research on the chemistry of ice cream and how all the various parts work together to get the …

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May 18

Orange Creamsicles

I had a bit of an emergency at home and had to be home for the various repair people to do their thing. It annoys me to lose work hours for this nonsense so I took advantage of our need for test kitchen recipes and did some creating while I waited… and waited… and waited …

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May 15

The 3 Minute Cupcake is Actually The 2 Minute Cupcake

OK! So I think we’ve got a winner…. Ding, ding ding! 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil 7 Tbsp of Pamela’s Vanilla Cake Mix 1 tsp Vanilla ½ tsp Egg Replacer 9 Tbsp Water Using your favorite microwavable mug, melt the Coconut Oil for approximately 30 seconds (microwave times will vary by model) then add in all …

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May 07

Summer Camps Outside of Connecticut

While I was doing my research for camps in Connecticut I came across information on camps in other states. And I did find several allergy friendly camps that seem like they mean business and plan their programs accordingly. Here are a few I found that might be worth delving deeper into for when I’m ready …

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Apr 26

Summer Camp Success!

I’ve been steadily getting back responses to my email about summer camps and their ability to keep my daughter safe. Here is another, very different response that I received… All of the camp staff are trained with First Aid – and Epi Pen administration. At our Camp we are extremely aware of peanut allergies…. soy …

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Apr 23

Three Minute Cupcake… Disaster

So have you ever had your allergic child tell you 15 minutes before leaving the house in the morning for school… “Mom today is Sophia’s Birthday so I need a cupcake for school today as her mom is sending in a treat for the class”. Yeah, there is just no way you can bake an …

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Apr 18

Summer Camp for Kids with Allergies

A natural rite of passage in childhood is attending summer camp. Whether it’s a day camp or a sleep-away camp, kids of all ages get to experience great activities and make lifetime friendships.  But what about a child who has food allergies? My daughter is 7 years old and we are looking for a summer …

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Apr 13

Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream – Round 2

We will not be shipping the Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips once it starts getting warm. (Imagine how happy our customers would be to receive melted chocolate in the mail!) What about my chocolate ice cream? As a result, I spent some time playing with the Creamy Non-Dairy Chocolate Ice Cream recipe.  I was very happy …

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Apr 12

The Perfect Dairy Free Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream… Finally!!

I was quite hesitant about trying to make Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream again after last week’s disastrous result- if you remember it was the Curiously Strong post where it was stronger tasting than an Altoid! Yuk! There was WAAAAY too much mint flavoring. So I went to the opposite extreme. I got out my …

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Apr 06

The Curiously Strong

There is a story one of my coworkers loves to tell about me when I was pregnant and my love for Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.  The story goes… she was running out to get lunch and asked if anyone wanted anything. That particular day I was craving ice cream and she was kind enough …

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