Coconut Challenge!

[PurpleCat]

Very excited to say DD's allergist approved her to do an in office coconut challenge during February vacation.  Since she is tolerating the allergy shots well enough, DD had a choice of challenging pecan or coconut.  Both of those numbers have come down over the years and it is possible that they are now false positives.

Both are drupes.

Passing coconut would be life changing for DD opening up a whole world of cosmetics, sunscreens, shampoos and soaps previously off limits.  Coconut is showing up more and more in foods too.

Passing pecan would not change much and DD could care less about eating them.

I am hopeful, and I love coconut so I am looking forward to buying a coconut and breaking it open!  Now to wait for February.  DD can't miss school so it works out they have an open slot during vacation week.

[Macabre]

That is very cool!  That would open up a lot.

As far as eating it directly I personally would choose pecans over coconut because I do not like coconut and adore pecans (and it's been extremely useful to have pecans again for us), but with all the products that contain coconut these days, you are right--it's the better choice.

Good luck!

[GoingNuts]

Good luck PC!

I didn't realize pecans were drupes - I thought they were true tree nuts.   

And yes, coconut turns up in odd places for sure.  I hope she passes!

[PurpleCat]

She passed!

It was not easy for her.  We were there longer than other challenges and then the doctor wanted us to call at 4:00 to confirm she was still doing OK before considering it a pass.

Poor DD, the first 2 doses went OK.  We brought her stack of college mail to sort and view online while we waited.  A great distraction and a great thing to get organized.

Then each dose got harder and harder for her to get down.  She must have drank a gallon of water!  The last dose looked like it was coming back.  She disliked it that much.  But her vitals stayed stable and she came home and ate lunch around 1.   DD kept saying.....it's not allergy gag!  I'm OK, really....the nurse and I weren't sure.  They kept her an extra hour after.

So it is a pass and it is a huge yuck!  And now I need to find a way to keep small amounts in her diet.  I might bake with it but the doctor said not to rely on the oil due to lack of protein.  DD might like a good tasting macaroon.  The doctor said I might be able to get some in an oatmeal cookie.

Anybody have a good recipe for macaroons?  It's worth a try.

I just slept for an hour.  I was exhausted....did not sleep well last night and today was stressful.




The doctor also looked at her record and said she'd like to redo egg before college........DD and I looked at each other like....NO....  The doctor said we will redo her blood work for that this summer.  DD passed one of those and then the allergy returned.  I'm uncomfortable about re-challenging that one.  There was a 16 year old in the next town over who died from anaphylaxis due to an egg allergy that returned and DD knows this story well as some of that girls friends go to school at our high school.

[Macabre]

Im excited she passed!  Wow! 

I really, really hate flaked coconut--the texture and the taste, so I can't help you. I use canned coconut milk in curry and if I am at the beach and I've had another drink first, I will have a piña colada. I will eat fresh coconut in larger chunks. But otherwise, I can't stand coconut.

But here are a couple of ideas. Dare makes some coconut creams. I don't know how much coconut is in them. Then you could try curry and other dishes with coconut milk (we buy Geisha--it breaks our no food from Asia rule--but you could buy and drill your own (maybe buy a dedicated manual hand drill). If she can eat Blue Diamond almonds, they have a coconut flavored one that I tolerate pretty well.

We deal with sesame, shellfish and peanut, btw.

[PurpleCat]

OH!  I forgot about Dare Cookies! 

I just ran and told DD and she is thrilled.  When she was a toddler, I'd buy her those and then they added coconut and we had to stop getting them.  She loved the chocolate covered marshmallow and the chocolate cream ones.  She remembers those cookies.  She said she'd be willing to try coconut cremes if I buy her "favorites" too.

No, can't do any other nuts.  I love almonds but her number for those is still pretty high.

DD tried the coconut water I drained from the coconut, I use it in smoothies....no go.  But it is not the same as coconut milk which is coconut mashed with coconut water.  I was thinking I might use that instead of milk when baking. 

[hedgehog]

Keebler makes a cookie, I forget the name, which is like a Girl Scout Samoa.  Yes, it is coconut to, but I taste a lot if the caramel myself.  It might be worth a try. 

Coconut ice cream?  Maybe in flavors that hide the coconut flavor, like a rich chocolate. 

A really easy macaroon recipe is a bag of coconut, a can of sweetened condensed milk, a little vanilla.  Scoop onto a cookie sheet and bake, just until starting to turn golden.

[Stinky10]

Congrats!

This is the easiest recipe

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/coconut-macaroons-recipe4.html

and it's good.  Read the reviews though as there may be some adjustment needed - I know when I've made it sometimes it's watery - and you don't want that - that makes the edges of the cookies thin - but you can trim that off with sizzors and no one with know.   

[YouKnowWho]

What about using coconut flour?  Granted you would probably have to buy unsweetened flaked coconut and make yourself.  We were using Bob's until Em's tree nut debacle (I think it's shared facility with almonds).

[hezzier]

I know a lot of people will not use trader joe's but I called on their canned light coconut milk and was told there were no tree nuts.  It does not have a strong coconut flavor. 

There is a coconut flour that we have ordered in the past from Tropical Traditions that was safe as well. 

[GoingNuts]

Hooray!  Make her a virgin colada with coconut milk!  Check out Goya, they label well. Add some rum to yours. ;-)

[becca]

Yay!  I agree with GN's recommendation!

[Macabre]

oooh--brilliant GN!

I just had another thought:  DH and I made a coconut milk ice cream for a friend with a dairy allergy at a dinner party we had.  I will look for that recipe. I posted it I think. You can't taste the coconut.  I know--I ate it, and i was only offended by the chocolate taste, not the coconut taste, lol. 

Also--this may not work for you, but DS eats Amy's chocolate ice cream.  The vanilla is too coconutty for me, but the chocolate though I don't like it (because I really don't like chocolate), didn't taste coconutty to me--much.  Just a little.  Our own recipe was better for me, but Amy's is an option for DS. 

[PurpleCat]

I will definitely check out Amy's.  Hoping it is peanut treenut free.

I love GN's recommendation!  Momma could use a cocktail after yesterday!

I also like the idea of coconut flour....might be good in cupcakes and DD does not have to eat large quantities, just a small amount 2 or 3 times a week.

I trust Keebler labels so I will look for those cookies too.

Now the macaroon idea I had, well if they need egg to hold them together, that won't work.  I guess I've never made them before, just bought them for myself during passover when they have the cans at our grocery store.  I have to have four (wheat protein) to change the egg protein to make it tolerable for DD.  She can eat baked egg but not direct egg.  She has reactions to direct egg.

Thanks everybody.  DD is still sleeping.  I am curious how her skin is this morning but not nervous because I scheduled her allergy shots for 1:00 today.  I figure if there is anything weird, the allergy nurse will see her skin and be able to check her.

[Macabre]

The Amy's is fine for peanut. But we don't deal with egg or treenuts.