The health and science blog for Children's Hospital Boston has released a multi-part video series related to the topic, "A cure for milk allergies?" The first four videos in the series take you through the life of a mother, Robyn Nasuti, and her 11-year-old child, Brett, who was born allergic to 15 foods. Brett is the very first Children’s patient to go through a milk exposure desensitization trial (the first of its kind in the country), which could potentially cure him of his severe milk allergy.

The fifth video in the series veers away from the Nasuti's and the desensitization program to hear from celebrity chef Ming Tsai. Tsai is the chef-owner of famed Blue Ginger restaurant in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and a spokesperson for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) ...

Kristina, from the blog Fun with Food, is a speech-language pathologist specializing in pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders. She encounters many children who have experienced negative associations surrounding food. These children often have accompanying oral motor feeding difficulties and sensory processing difficulties--making eating a very stressful experience instead of an enjoyable one. In a recent post, she goes into detail about the specific symptoms and solutions she has sited in many food allergic, specifically milk allergic tots. She has generously offered to share her story and findings with us here ...

"Common referrals: child not progressing to age appropriate textures and would rather graze throughout the day than sit for meals. Often have high intake of dairy, such as yogurt, pudding milk, goldfish crackers. IgE allergy testing reveals no allergies, however there may be a strong indication of food intolerance as congestion is increased when these foods are eaten, darker areas or lines (Denni morgan lines) appear below the eyes, Constipation that has to be stimulated by thermometer or Miralax or other treatment, or diarrhea that has been persistent. May have diaper rash and eczema or just one red cheek or ear that seems 'flushed' and is hot to the touch, not to mention recurrent ear infections. Does anyone have this experience?

About two weeks ago we hosted a little giveaway here on Go Dairy Free and One Frugal Foodie called "A Recipe for Recipes." Readers were asked to submit up to three of their favorite dairy-free recipes for the chance to win the cookbook of their choosing. So many wonderful recipes were submitted, but in the end, we had nine books to give away, and nine winning recipes!

All of the recipes are dairy-free, but several meet other dietary requirements, such as vegan, egg-free, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, sugar-free, or low in fat. Wherever possible (and when it won't effect the end result negatively), I have added notes to the recipes to accomodate special diets ... but feel free to experiment on your own, or simply enjoy these wonderful recipes specifically as written ...

For years foodie blog followers have eagerly awaited a cookbook from Lauren Ulm of Vegan Yum Yum. A wrench in the plans delayed its release a couple of years ago, but at last it has arrived.

Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining and Everyday is inching its way toward the Amazon best seller list, and for good reason ... it contains inviting recipes like Blueberry Waffles with Lemon Icing, Baked Mac and Cheeze, Caramelized Leek and Spaghetti Squash Polenta with White Sauce, Creamy Tomato Barley Risotto, British Lemon Maple Scones with Mock Clotted Cream, and Hurry Up Alfredo (recipe below) in addition to gorgeous recipe photography taken by Lauren Ulm herself.

At twenty-six, Lauren Ulm has already appeared on the The Martha Stewart Show, and created four new doughnut flavors exclusively for Vegetarian Times magazine. She writes the popular blog Vegan Yum Yum that won the 2008 VegNews magazine Veggie Award, and the 2008 Veg Blog Award. To further entice your taste buds, Lauren has shared the following three (dairy-free, egg-free, vegetarian) recipes from her new cookbook, Vegan Yum Yum:

Sept 24, 2009 - associated Brands Inc. of Medina, New York is voluntarily recalling 320 cases (3,840 selling units) of "Price Rite Beef Flavored Bouillon Cubes", lot code 22 JUL 11, as the lot has the potential to contain a dairy allergen which is not declared on the label.  Consumers who have an allergy to milk may run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.

Price Rite 25 count Beef Bouillon Cubes were distributed in Pennsylvania.  Consumers would have purchased this product through Price Rite retail stores.

While we are all well aware of the physical effects food allergies have on so many people's lives, it is easy to over look the emotional and even social implications. Family gatherings, friendly meet-ups, and events more often than not revolve around food. But it isn't just the food allergic who are put in an awkward situation. Caring friends usually want to help, but when you don't live with something yourself, it can be hard to properly accomodate. Thinking of everything, as usual, the founder of Allergy Sense was happy to share with us her tips for friends of the food allergic community:

"It appears there are many misconceptions about food allergies and unless you live with them everyday, you may not be aware of many potential “triggers”. As a friend to someone who has food allergies, you need to be both understanding and accomodating. Remember, you friend didn’t choose to have food allergies he/she was either born with them or grew into them. Here are some tips/suggestions for non-allergic individuals to help minimize any uncomfortable situations:

Last month, we reported that Allergy Grocer and Miss Roben's Mixes would be returning to the market. Well, the mixes have arrived, and Navan Foods is on the job, stocking every possible mix that they can get their hands on.

They have the Corn Free Confectioner's Sugar, Buttercream Frosting, Cake, Goldfish Cracker, Mock Graham Cracker, and several more mixes in stock. The full line up can be viewed and purchased from the Miss Roben's category on the Navan Food's website.

Jennifer Elizondo, the founder of Navan Foods, offered the following additional notes regarding the Miss Roben's Mixes:

It is truly amazing to me that this innovative little company has yet to come across a real direct competitor to their Chunks of Energy. Sure, they are vying for the healthy snack, grab and go, athletic, and trekking markets, right alongside hundreds of bar manufacturers, but realistically “chunks” are in a whole different league.

I absolutely love the smaller portion sizes that you can pack along like trail mix, popping exactly as many as you need when your energy begins to wane. No more wavering on which sized bar to open as you try to figure out your appetite, or fit in just the right amount before dinner. No more eating just a half a bar only to find the other half has gone stale when you make your way back to it. Even better, these lovingly made chunks vary randomly in size, ranging from a small 5g bite to a triple-sized bite, so you can further customize each serving. Oh, and of course there is the mix and match feature. Can’t decide between fruity, chocolaty, or carob? Enjoy a piece of each! So what are these chunks like?  ...