Let's Talk Food Allergies and Halloween {Teal Pumpkin Project}

Every year, I feel like I get on here and talk Halloween Candy.  It's good stuff.  It's fun.  Going door to door is a blast for the kids.  We love it because it's the one of the few times we see many of our neighbors.  However, for many kids out there Halloween is just something that isn't all that fun.  There are kids out there with food allergies that will actually make a lot of kids sick. My son, included.  Guess what. . . not every allergy is a peanut allergy.  I am so thankful for the Teal Pumpkin Project for providing a safe way to provide kids with ways that will just bring a smile to their faces! 
So, I thought that this year, I would answer some common questions and show you what kinds of things I have found this year for teal pumpkins.  

First of all, what is the Teal Pumpkin Project?  The Teal Pumpkin Project was started by the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) as a way to make Halloween fun for those kids that can't eat any of the good stuff.   They encourage people to put out a teal pumpkin to alert trick-or-treaters that their house is allergy friendly.   This doesn't necessarily mean that everything they hand out is allergy friendly, but they have special things for those kids who can't have candy.   I love this concept because it provides a way to show ALL kids some love.  And those kids who can't eat the candy usually have to throw it away and it really inst all that fun for them.  You can read more about The project and see how I made a simple dollar pumpkin basket into a teal pumpkin on this post.

You can even print out a sign on my blog here that tells people your house is allergy friendly. 

What kids of things are kids allergic too these days?
There are 9ish common allergens like nuts, milk,  wheat and eggs.  But there are others that also include soy, shellfish, fish, tree nuts, and sesame. 

Unfortunately, most of the mainstream candy companies out there include one or more of those ingredients in their production.  Pretty sad, huh? 

I don't know anyone who has any allergies.  
You may not know anyone, but they are out there.  According to FARE's website there are almost 6 million children out there that have some sort of food allergy.  That is about 2 kids in every classroom that have an food allergy of some kind.  That's a lot of kids. . . that number doesn't even include adults (like me) who have food allergies.  In our extended family alone, we have milk, soy, and tree nut allergies and some specific food allergies that have emerged.  

Can I just buy a pack of dark Chocolate Kit Kats or 3 Musketeers? 
Nope.  Believe it or not, our favorite brands of chocolates are so sneaky.  When they say dark chocolate, they are really saying "darker than the milk chocolate" because its really a combination of milk and dark chocolate.  Also, all of those candies have soy in them.  Why?  Who knows. 

What kinds of things that are not candy can I find for my Teal Pumpkin?

The best way to make sure you have allergy friendly treats is to buy non food items.  Target has been absolutely wonderful in recent years providing amazing and inexpensive treats for kids in their Halloween Shop and Dollar Spot.  I usually stock up after Halloween for the next year when everything is really cheap.  You could spend a couple of dollars on some bubble wants or spider rings and make the day of some sweet kid you don't know! 

This year, we have tattoo and sticker boxes, bubbles, slime, spider rings, pencils and note pads, erasers, glasses, plastic bats, and vampire teeth. 

Are there any candy companies that make allergy friendly candy?
First of all, A few years ago, Target had this chart hanging out in the Halloween Candy section that was super helpful of what NOT to buy.

So, I went to a few stores (Target, Sprouts, and Whole Foods) to see what they were offering in this department. 

Target and Sprouts had Spooky Shape Surf Sweets by Wholesome.  I think they are just fruit snacks.   They are free of the top 10 allergens.  I bought a small pack to put in their Halloween lunches. 

Target and Sprouts also sell Yum Earth brand lolly pops and Gummy Fruits.  We really like this brand a lot.  Sprouts also has the Yum Earth Candy Corn pouches which I bought and totally made my son's day! 

Whole Foods had a nice end cap full of fun things.  But most of them are not allergy friendly (sad face).  Just because it's at a "healthy" type store doesn't mean it's free of soy and stuff.  They did have the Smash Mallow Halloween Pack which I snatched right up because they are just so good!  And free of most allergens. 

Other brands that or great are Annies Bunny Fruit Snacks (Target).

 And that's my Teal Pumpkin Project questions.  I know it's probably a small percentage of kids who will come to your door that have food allergies, but the look of pure joy when they get something that won't make them sick, is something super precious.  I know, because the look on my child's face last year when our neighbors had their own teal pumpkin and Weston got something.  It was pure joy!  Message me if you have any other questions, too!  

What's for dinner {September 2018}

Happy Friday Sweet Reader Friends! 

I don't know about you, but I am so thankful it's Friday.  It has been such a busy, week mixed in with some exciting things and some fun things.  I know that I am not the only one who is dealing with a crazy fall.  Between soccer practices and all the things that fill up a calendar finding time to make dinner or even have dinner as a family can be a challenge.  Who's with me? 

Two to three nights a week, I'm pretty sure that out of 4 of us, we eat at 3 different times!  It can cause any meal plan a little bit of stress and sometimes it might just be easier to get take out, but I hope that this post can bring you a bit of inspiration to your meal plan. 

Since, I took a little bit of a break over the summer with these posts, some of these will be some repeats because they are just that good and that easy!  So, here's what we ate in September:

Grilled Chicken, Chopped Salad, and Grilled Potatoes

This dinner was a clean out the fridge kind of night.  So I marinated some chicken breasts I had in the freezer with this recipe and grilled them.  They were so tasty!  The potatoes I sliced were tossed in olive oil and seasoned with some salt and pepper and tossed on the grill!  And that salad was the Mediterranean chopped salad from the grocery store.  It's my Ethan's favorite!  (also doing a happy dance that my son eats salad!).

Pulled Pork Picnic Salad

I mentioned earlier that we've been spending a lot of dinner time at the soccer field.  And since, we've been eating a lot of Whole 30 based foods, this one is my favorite go-to!  In face, I'm going to make it tonight for dinner!  All it is is some chopped romaine lettuce, tomato wedges, thinly sliced onions and some pulled pork, tossed in with this dump ranch.  The Pulled Pork, I get from Costco.  It comes in 2 pack that is pre-cooked.  All you have to do is stick it in the crockpot on low and cook for a few hours to warm it up.  Easy Peasy! 

BBQ Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

That same Pork that I made in the salad above lasts more than one night!  Score for two meals in one!  We just tossed the leftovers in some BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Rays is our favorite, but not Whole 30), Stuffed it in a baked sweet potato and drizzled some of that dump ranch over the top.  So delicious and so easy! 

Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies

There are so many of these floating around Pinterest like this one.  It's my favorite quick dinner recipe and it's whole 30 when we use Aidells Apple Chicken Sausage. . . so win!  Also. . . pretty much everyone eats this and so yeah.  Complete win!  Plus, roasted veggies are a great way to win your kids over to veggies because they taste so good! 

Steak and Sweet Potato Bowls

So, this recipe just makes me drool just thinking about it!  The combo of the dressing and roasted sweet potatoes and steak just make me all hungry!  These bowls are amazing.  In fact, you need this on your meal plan this month!  This one is pretty easy because you can make them ahead of time and eat the bowls while you are watching your kids practice soccer or eat it as a family and feel good about the deliciousness that you are feeding them!  Also, my husband does NOT do avocados and still likes this without the drizzle or sliced avocados.  So, it's still a win if there is someone who is anti avocados. 
You can find this recipe here.


And that's it for this post for September's What's for Dinner.  If you need any more quick and easy recipes check out this post.

Do you have any recipes that need to be on our menu?  Put a link to your favorite recipe in the comments so we can try it this month. . . I am in a rut. . . it happens! 

Have a great weekend! 

Our favorite chili

 It's October and it's starting to feel like fall!  My windows are open and the sky is painted with the most beautiful fluffy clouds leftover from last night's rainfall.  That rain was the best!  We haven't had rain in months and it was so welcomed around here!  Waking up to rain is the best!  So, when I was menu planning for this week, thinking about easy, hearty meals for my tween on soccer nights, I knew that chili was just what we needed! 

I mean, doesn't chili just scream fall food?  It does in this house, because that's about as close to comfort food as I get.  It made this recipe right after I picked up the kids from school, let it simmer on the stove, fed Ethan and packed up some for me to eat while I watched him play.  I was able to turn off the stove and it was still warm for Jon to eat when he got home from work.  By the time practice had finished, it was cool enough to throw in a container and save for the next two nights.  Last night, we finished off the last of it and it was still just as delicious as the first night. . . I love it when that happens. 

Here. . . let me inundate you with pictures of delicious chili.

See you are drooling.  Unless of course you don't eat meat, then you should hop over to this recipe, because it's one of our favorites too and is vegetarian! But, if you are a meat lover and love a good, hearty chili I highly recommend this one.  It's based off the Deen Brothers Tailgate Chili and they had a good teacher.  So, keep scrolling and make this for the weekend and then go visit a pumpkin patch because it's October and that just sounds like something you should do.

 Our Favorite Chili
adapted from the Deen Brothers 

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 TBS Chili
2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 bag of frozen sweet corn (I use Trader Joes frozen grilled corn)

Serve with sliced avocados, shredded cheese, green onions, sour cream, corn bread, corn chips, etc. 

Directions:
Heat up a large pot or dutch oven.  Brown ground beef and pork over medium heat.  Once it's nice and crumbled and brown, add in onion, garlic, and pepper.  Add in seasonings and let simmer for a few minutes.  Then add the beans, tomatoes and corn.  Continue cooking on medium for about 30 minutes and then keep on low until you are ready to serve. 

on "Ten things to tell you"

This blog is one of my happy places. I started it back when Ethan was a year and a half as a way to give myself a "job" that wasn't the same as being a mom.  Over the years, I've gotten braver about what I've shared and with the addition of instagram, blogging has changed.  I love it.  It's much more interactive and personal.  One of my favorite posts are the Connection Time posts because I get to share with you what's happening currently in my life. . . my loves, my likes, my mundane.  It's like we are sharing conversation over a cup of coffee.  When, Laura Tremaine (formally the woman behind the blog Hollywood Housewife), posted a challenge on her Instagram feed I knew that I wanted to join in.  Her desire for the challenge was to get people talking, perhaps go deep, and maybe have a bit of fun.  I jumped right in. and some of them were really hard. 

All ten days of the challenge are scattered around my IG feed, but I wanted to take some time and put them all down in one spot.  Maybe even continue the conversation over here (so feel free to comment!).  Here are the ten prompts and my answers. 

I grew up. . . 
I grew up in two different states.  The first seven years were in Wyoming, where it snows on Easter Sunday and at recess we played in the snow.  Following my first grade year, we moved to California, where I kind of fell in love with the beach!  We spent summers driving back and forth and sometimes braved black ice and horrible winds to visit family at Christmas.  My mom made sure we hit every national landmark between here and there during my childhood and I am so thankful!  Those road trips taught me so much more than I learned in the classroom and gave me a crazy love of traveling and adventure.  Now I love passing that adventure on to my kids. 

Someone who has influenced you . . . 
I could pick authors that I have read or even my mom, but really, in this season of life that I'm in, it's my husband.  This guy challenges me to be brave, to take time for me, and to grow in God's Word.  He encourages me, works out with me, and reminds me to say no things every now and then.  He likes to play devil's advocate and make me really think and I couldn't imagine a better husband and influence!

Something that has changed my worldview . . . 
This one really made me think long and hard.  Seriously, these prompts were not as easy as I thought!  I mentioned earlier that my mom instilled in me a love for traveling.  As my husband and I raise our boys, we are loving how much they love adventure and want to be involved in where we head to next.  I am so thankful, these two are not content thinking the world is just here, in the town we live in. . . even thought we live in such a diverse place!  They get to see God's amazing and creative creation, experience places in our nation's history, and experience the cultures of the places we visit.   It is our hope that they grow up knowing they are not in the center of the world and love the vast diversity of the world we live in. 

Something that I'm strangely good at . . . 
Tetris.  I am absolutely horrible at video games, but when it comes to Tetris I pretty much rock at it!  Also, I'm really good at packing a car, which my husband claims is because of my Tetris skills. 

A defining moment in my life . . . 
Honestly, I think it was in high school when I finally let go of all my anger and hurts and finally decided to forgive.  I grew up going to church and had a relationship with God since I was little, but I was holding on to so much anger (red hair + anger = crazy temper!).  Once I did that my temper improved and now it comes so natural to forgive and let go.  Lesson learned.  Let God have your grudges, forgive people who hurt you (doesn't mean you have to be best friends. . . just forgive) and let God handle the rest!  He's got you covered! 

Something I recently discovered and I can't 
stop talking about . . . 
Last spring, I tried Oatly oat milk with my latte and it was love at first sip!  This milk allergy gal just swooned a few weeks ago when Whole Foods started selling it and then almost cried when I went back to get more and they were all out for who knows how long.  I kind of cry over food.  It happens.  But this stuff is amazing and get's the best froth for a good latte.  We love it so much that when we used the Oatly Oatfinder to decide what coffee shop we were going to try out.  We've baked with it and we had great results!  This stuff is great. . . especially if you can't have milk!

Something that I am struggling with right now . . . 
Honestly, this is a constant battle.  I want to create so much and finding time to do that is hard.  It fuels me and it's kind of why I started this blog.  Some days, the creating is minimal because life just sort of happens (kids, laundry, soccer practice, and other things).  Other days, I squeeze it in, either with little projects or some huge sewing projects and I'm left feeling giddy.  I am working hard at setting aside time several times a week just to slow down and create.  It does my heart so much good! 

My magical reset button . . . 
I love this because sometimes my attitude downright stinks, I'm having a crummy day, or I'm just exhausted.  First off all, the salty beach air and cool breeze reset me instantly. . . but I can't always do that (it's a 3 hour drive!).  So, coffee and or delicious food and time to myself always do the trick.  Usually my funky attitude issues come because I am not taking care of myself.  So grabbing a coffee, wandering Target, or having a lunch break with a good book will usually do the trick!

I have mixed feelings about. . . 
This one was really hard.  In fact, I don't even think that I answered it over on instagram (oops!).  But because I;m here and it won't be ten things if I don't answer.  So, I have mixed feelings about change.  I like it and hate it all at once.  It's both exciting and scary all at the same time.  I fight it and forge head into it all at the same time. 

In 3 months ask me about. . . 
if I am still writing (not just on the blog). I've been trying some new things and working on being brave.  And it's hard.  Also, ask me if I've finished any projects. . . I really need to finish some stuff!


So there you have it. . . 10 things to tell you.  I'm so glad I did this challenge because it really made me think and I hope that it gives you a glimpse of me and my reality outside the blog and Instagram world.