Allergy Danger! Raisinets Recalled–May Contain Peanuts!

As a mom of a nut-allergic child, this is the kind of recall that gives me nightmares. 

Nestle has received a handful of reports of peanuts being found in some of their fun size Raisinets with the production code of 02015748/UPC number 2800010255.  Though the packages were printed with the allergy warning "made on equipment that also process peanuts"  they still should not have contained actual nuts.

The company advises those with peanut allergies who have purchased the recalled product not to consume them. Nestle urges consumers to contact their consumer services hotline at 1-800-478-5670 for a full refund and to immediately throw out any remaining packages.

An Update on the McNeil Recall of Tylenol, Motrin and Zyrtec

If you've been wondering when infants' and children's liquid Tylenol, Motrin and Zyrtec would reappear on drugstore shelves, the answer is no time soon.

Today, I received a letter from McNeil Consumer Healthcare (Ironically addressed to Mrs. Bernstein, despite the fact that my husband was actually the one who spoke to McNeil on the phone to secure our refund!) to update me on the status of recalled products.

The gist of the letter is basically that they are "conducting a comprehensive quality review…and have identified corrective actions that we will take before we begin manufacturing at the plant where the recalled products were made" and that it take at least until the end of 2010 before they are able to begin selling these medications again.

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Happy Birthday Baby! Wheat, Nut and Egg Free Birthday Cupcakes

My daughter has not exhibited any allergies, but, with  nut and fish allergic older brother, I see no reason to rush into any potential allergens, such as wheat or eggs.  I will probably introduce egg yolks and then whites to my little one in the next few weeks, but, until then, this birthday cake will have to do.

This recipe turned out even better than I had hoped.  Basically, I experimented a little bit with some alternative flours, settling on a flour mix which I based on a few different sources including the Land O Lakes website and Rebecca Reilly's  Gluten-Free Baking.

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A peek Into My Kitchen: Homemade Candy Corn

I have always wanted to make my own candy, and now, with a nut-allergic toddler, I am even more interested in experimenting with candy that I make sure is safe for him.  Candy Corn has always been a favorite of mine despite all of the nasty waxy ingredients in the mass-produced kind, so I'm kind of excited to try to make my own without all of the factory additives!

CAVEAT–I have not yet tested this recipe.  I am merely sharing it because it is seasonably appropriate and sounds pretty simple (if labor intensive) and yummy.  My friend Sheri tried it and vouches for it–though she replaced the Light Corn Syrup with Lyle's Golden Syrup.  I hope to test it out soon…and I'll comment back!

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