The garlic-free ketchup is Annie’s Natural Organics. It’s a bit expensive – $4.29 for a 24-ounce bottle – but then that’s the world of allergic living. It tastes normal, though, which was more than I was ever able to pull off with homemade garlic-free.

Do you know the brand of the garlic free ketchup? My friends daughter is also allergic to garlic and I know she was commenting on the lack of ketchup.

Mustard is not considered a common allergen here. So, anything that reads “and spices, botanically base flavors, Natural flavorings” we avoid. Unless I can READ the ingredients for myself, it doesn’t go in his mouth.

Thank you for this peek into anaphylaxis and how sneaky it can be. We don’t have a history of food allergies, so this is new territory for us. I’m sorry you and your son went through this.

Yes, I want to prepare food and take it along every time Big Guy’s invited to a birthday party, because it feeds my need to be a control freak in the spotlight. Yes, I enjoy the pit in my stomach at the thought of changing schools next fall and fearing we won’t have the super-understanding and compassionate teacher and staff that we have at our current school. It’s such a glorious feeling I recommend that everyone try it.

Reality: I’ve never had an enemy I dislike enough to wish this one.

What’s funny is how often of late I go out of my way to avoid the attention, just so I’m not accused of trying to attract the attention. I could be famished to the point of drool running out of my mouth but I’ll simply say, “No thanks. I’m not hungry” if someone offers pepperoni or sausage pizza or seafood. Declining it because I’m allergic will either make the host or hostess feel bad, which I hate, or spur a long discussion, which can be even worse.

Funny thing, though. Before my pork allergy reached anaphylaxis level, I could get away with picking meat off pizza and people just assumed I was vegetarian. I never got the reaction to that assumption that I get to admitting food allergies.

Twelve food allergies has to be hard for a kid and for mom. I’m lucky that most of my 20+ are not anaphylaxis-inducing and I can tolerate them if I’m careful about eating in combination and on successive days.

… well-meaning, I suppose, but ill-informed parents who would have a heart-attack if a drunk driver were careening down their suburban street while their child rode a tricycle but think nothing of exposing my child to life-threatening food — curious thought process these folks have.

AMEN, KEVIN! That’s a far better analogy than anything I’ve ever come up with.

Amazing that she could detect the peanuts in the ice cream. I swear, on some level, the body knows these things. Big Guy loves chocolate but has had zip interest in the Coco Puffs his brother devours. Lo and behold, this week come to find out General Mills is adding a peanut warning to Coco Puffs.