(Google Images/freerecipes.org)Who doesn't love chocolate cake? Well, I do have one friend who can't stand to be around it.....bad memories from morning sickness.
But, for the rest of us, chocolate cake is a slice of heaven. We were at a family party last night, and I put two different slices of cake on my plate for Hubby and I. One had nuts sprinkled on the top, the other had coconut.
I told Son #2 that they had chocolate cake for dessert, but one had nuts on the top. But they were in separate pans, so he could get a slice of the coconut covered cake instead. And my brilliant son said, "No thanks mom. I'm not sure if they used the same utensils to serve both cakes, so I better pass" This is the son that is allergic to nuts. Have I trained him well, or what?!
We're always on the look out for nuts and seafood. Son #2 has to watch for nuts, and I usually inspect the desserts first, but I have to admit I was a little lax last night. I'm glad he decided to pass on the cake. Usually, we'll make sure he gets the first slice of a dessert if there's another dessert nearby that has nuts, just to avoid any cross-contamination. People aren't very careful about serving spoons or spatulas, they freely pass them back and forth from one pan to another.
Which also means a problem for me since I have a seafood allergy. Seafood can show up in the strangest places. I RSVP'd to a luncheon and workshop and they asked if I had any food allergies, and of course I mentioned seafood. It was a BBQ theme, so I thought I should be okay. Well, who would have thought they would put shrimp in BBQ beans?! Luckily, I noticed that BEFORE putting any beans on my plate. But it just goes to show that even if you tell people you have food allergies and assume they won't serve what you are deathly allergic to, they do. I always carry an Epi Pen, and so does Son #2. We haven't had to use it yet....
So, be careful. I recently read an article that said tree nuts and seafood are lifelong allergies. So I'll keep inspecting everything we eat. It gets old after a while, but hey! I have this funny thing about keeping myself and my kids breathing and alive.