Easter Prayers for the GOLDEN bunny!

Hippy Hop-pity Easters on it's waaay. In our house this means early on line shopping for safe Easter bunnies or late night candy making sessions trying to hide the chocolate creations from my daughter. This year we are going to be away during Easter. Since we are flying I figured packing the bunny would mean arriving to our destination with an unrecognizable brown lump in my suitcase. So I went online, ordered my bunnies early and had them shipped to my mom's house in Florida a full week before Easter. After a hardy pat on the back for a job well done-I was content to know that a cute little Nut Free, Egg Free chocolate bunny would be sitting my daughter's Easter Basket on Easter morning. wrong. A few days later I get this email from my Step Mom: "your shipment arrived. You did not get your bunnies. Instead you received a small package of fruit candy, a very small bag of jelly beans, and a package of chocolate eggs" My heart sank but I immediately contacted the company, thinking if they shipped it immediately I'd still have it for Easter. The company sends me an email stating "we're all out of those bunnies, can we send you this bunny instead?" NOPE! The replacement bunny's are made on the same equipment as egg products. So now we're 10 days from Easter and NO bunny for Alexa. I immediately started scouring the other allergy friendly sights for that ever elusive Nut Free, Egg Free Chocolate bunny. I felt like Elmer Fud chasing Bugs Bunny and kept humming, "get the wwaabit, get the wwaabbitt". After about 30 minutes of websites which said "sorry we're no longer taking Easter orders" BINGO! I find one. I order my cute little 4 oz bunny for $4.95 and click order...then...BAM! I see the total cost- $14.95!!! They charged me $10.00 for shipping a 4 oz bunny!!! WOW! So now I have 4 oz bunny worth $14.95 coming for Easter-I've nick named him "The GOLDEN Bunny". Outrageous I know, but her smile on Easter morning will be worth it right? Only problem...still no bunny and I can't get any confirmation from the company that it has even shipped! Sigh...I suspect that she'll go without a chocolate bunny this year. I feel like I failed her. Worst part, now Nick can't have his chocolate bunny either. What kind of evil Easter bunny would bring a chocolate bunny for Nick and blow her off? Ok-so let's all join together and say an Easter Prayer for the Golden Bunny and hope it arrives by Saturday!!!

Just par for the course

This morning I stayed in bed an extra 15 minutes-which meant I was almost 15 minutes late to drop Alexa off to school. Not a great way to start the day but I still remembered her lunch, the special blanket she wanted for nap, snack for the class, AND her show and tell item. I gathered up the kids and hustled off for the 10 minute walk to school. When I arrived at school I was greeted by her teacher who promptly said "I screwed up." I wasn't really paying attention because I was wrestling with Nicholas and reminding Alexa to change into her sneakers, hang up her coat, and put her lunch on the lunch cart. Her teacher repeats, "I'm sorry, I really messed up-I decided to make Mac and Cheese with the kids today and I forgot Alexa needs her own noodles." Now I'm paying full attention and immediately my "allergy" brain kicks in, "ok-what type of noodles are you using? Barilla-hmm-no not safe for her." Ok I can figure this out... "I'll run next door to the store and grab some safe noodles for her". Strike that idea-the teacher had already cooked the noodles and didn't have time to cook new ones for Alexa. Her teacher suggests, "what if we give her the sauce and let her dip crackers in it? It's not the same but maybe she won't feel left out?" okay-that might work but I'm pretty sure it won't. I know Alexa, and dipping crackers in cheese sauce while other kids eat noodles is not the same thing. So now I think, "Can I go home, boil up some noodles and make it back before they make the Mac & Cheese?" Probably not, they're doing it at 10am and it's now 9:15....then suddenly, voila! I remember I happen to have cooked bow tie pasta in the fridge at home! GREAT! I really don't want to walk all the way back to the apartment and come all the way back to school but I know I will if she wants me to. I decide to ask Alexa because sometimes she doesn't care or isn't interested in what they are making. "Alexa-Rebecca decided this morning that she'd like to make Mac and Cheese in class but she forgot safe noodles for you. Would you like to have a little sauce and dip crackers in it or do you want me to go home and get pasta for you?" She responds, "Mom-I'd like noodles, PPLLLEEESE can I have noodles?" Even though I'm tired, it's cold outside and it's a 10 minute walk each way-I can't say no. So-off I went to get her noodles. As inconvenient as it was, I'm grateful that the school tries to accommodate and include her. I'm also grateful that the school is close by because next year she may be at school that is not close by and if they forget to call me or do a last minute food project she'll be out of luck. Just an another average day for an Average Allergy Mom!!

Allergy Free Salad (nut free, egg free, soy free, wheat free, sesame free,)

Simple recipe for a simple quick lunch salad and so good for you. For dairy free-omit cheese, for fish free-omit tuna.

Ingredients:
1 package prewashed Mixed spring greens
3 oz chopped chicken, tuna, or lean cold cut such as turkey or ham
1/2 can of beets
sliced red pepper (or any other color you prefer)
1 oz crumbled goat cheese
splash olive oil & red wine vinegar

Fill bowl with greens, add next 5 ingredients, add splash of sea salt and enjoy!