SOME GREAT NEWS, and some NOT SO GREAT NEWS

First the great news, because I like to start out on a positive. I have once again confirmed that SPECTRUM ORGANIC SHORTENING is manufactured in a facility that is peanut-free and tree nut free. Though some angry consumer wrote the opposite in an Amazon review, claiming it's processed in a facility with nuts and peanuts (a bold-faced lie, for no good reason!!) I spoke with their parent company, Hain Celestial this morning and they once again stated that it is produced and packaged in a tree nut-free, peanut-free facility. The reason this is such great news is that this is the only dairy-free/soy-free shortening I've been able to find for baking, and it is also organic, non-hydrogenated, and trans-fat free. So please don't listen to these alarmists who are making untrue claims on Amazon. You can't always believe everything you read, and always check for yourself!!

Now here's the not so great news. I went back to read comments on an earlier post and noticed what Adrienne had written about Arrowhead Mills. Though they don't list a warning about processing in a facility with peanuts and tree nuts, I decided to call them this morning. Unfortunatly, Arrowhead Mills Cereals are not produced on Dedicated Lines (and for anyone who wants to know about what that is, check back soon, I'm writing an article about labling which I will also post here). They do practice GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), however, and feel the risk of cross-contamination is low. But they can't promise you.

I think I will test some of my recipes that use cornflakes with Perky's O's or some of the other cereals. Check back in the next few days for updates on that. Perky's are part of Enjoy Life now and are allergen free, and made in dedicated facilities.

What else.... well somebody asked what my family ate for Memorial Day. I did grilled corn brushed with lime juice/olive oil, salt, and chili pepper flakes (very yummy), and a lentil/quinoa salad (also very yummy), and buffalo burgers. But the special thing I made was my chocolate cake (recipe is in my book, and I make it with the oat flour/barley flour combo). First of all, I used pears instead of applesauce, because I was testing for a person with an apple allergy. Earth's Best Pears (yes, it's baby food) work just great in place of apple sauce for baking, if anyone else needs to substitute. Then, because I'm out of "Better Than Milk Rice Powder", I used the Cherrybrook Kitchen Vanilla Frosting Mix. My family all agreed it tasted just like the inside of an Oreo. Pretty yummy. But then, because I'm a chocoholic, I also made the Enjoy Life chips into a frosting following their recipe on the bag, which just combines the chips with rice milk. It didn't really firm up like frosting, so I dribbled it on top of the vanilla frosting in a pretty spirally pattern. YUMMY!!!! Highly recommended for kids and grown-ups!

p.s. Thanks to Nancy for her really interesting info on GMO Corn Crops!!!!! This requires further study, as I for one believe there is often a relationship between GMO foods and food allergies.