Trina (or anyone with a child with nut allergies), Randy's taking chocolate chip cookies for a birthday treat tomorrow. There's a child in his class who's highly allergic to peanuts/peanut by-products. The recipe I have for the cookies is safe EXCEPT for the chocolate chips, which say "processed with equipment used on peanuts". I can leave the chocolate chips out of some for this kid, bake them first and then package them seperatly and I'd think they'd be safe. My question is, if it were one of your kids, would you let them/would they eat the cookies? I know that I'd be making them as safe as I possibly can, but they may not think so and I'm afraid I'd be going through the trouble (which really isn't much) for nothing. I don't want this kid to not get anything, though. Although he's probably used to not getting the same thing as the other kids. What do you think? Should I just try to find something prepackaged that's safe for him instead? Any suggestions as to what? TIA This really makes me thankful that I don't have to do this on a regular basis. I know I'd get used to it, but wow, the reading of lables and everything is intense!

By Trina~moderator on Monday, August 29, 2005 - 05:58 pm:

LOL! Yes, it is a PITB, isn't it?! Are you friendly with the child's parents? If so, call tonight and explain your situation and explain your willingness to leave the chocolate chips out but that you wanted to check with them first. They will either give you the go-ahead and appreciate your efforts or will graciously thank you for your concern but choose to err on the side of caution. My friends usually call ahead of time and ask me what to do. We'll go over ingredients on the phone and decide from there. If I know the parents fairly well and trust them I'll give them the go-ahead AND alert the teacher, but usually, especially when I don't know the parents, we err on the side of caution. Don't feel bad because this is the way of life for us.

Thanks for the reminder, BTW. I'm meeting with Tyler's new school nurse tomorrow to give her his Epi-pen and discuss his allergies. I also need to prepare a packet for their teachers.

By Cat on Monday, August 29, 2005 - 11:48 pm:

Thanx, Trina. I did find some chocolate chips (another brand) that don't say anything about using equipment used with peanuts, so we went ahead and made the cookies. I don't know the kid, so I can't call his parents (there are over 150 5th graders in this school). I emailed Randy's teacher again and I'll leave it up to the kid/his parents. Hopefully if he can't have the cookies there will be something for him (Randy's 3rd grade teacher had a kid with a chocolate allergy and she kept a box of treats just for him). Good luck with Ty's nurse tomorrow.