Still here / Todavía aquí

Well, we survived our first post-diagnosis trip to the Land of Peanut Butter (aka the USA). No reactions, despite a trip to a (minor league) ballpark and a fellow airplane passenger eating Conguitos (chocolate-covered peanuts) in the next row. We discovered the delight that is Sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) and found a variety of safe snack foods, thanks to helpful lists from websites and blogs.

I'd love to find a safe source for sunbutter here, but I suspect that if indeed a version is available, that it is probably made by a company that does nut butters, since PA is not really on the radar and demand for a nut-free peanut butter substitute is probably pretty nonexistent. But, I will look just in case.

I did miss being able to enjoy my favorite gourmet coffee flavors, since they all involve nuts (my absolute favorite: Southern Pecan, from Green Mountain Coffee, but I am also partial to Rainforest Nut and anything with almond.) Luckily there are other flavors to compensate.

I was able to pick up a whole pile of books and materials on peanut allergy, including the flashcards Beyond a Peanut, designed to help educate preschoolers and caregivers about peanut allergy. I asked the creator of these cards if they were planning to release a version in Spanish, and she told me that they would love to be able to do it and were looking into the possibility, but it probably wasn't imminent (paraphrasing here-- I can't find her actual response.) In any case, they are a great resource, and like the children's books I ordered, could still be used here in Spain with a DIY translation.

I will continue to post relevant information when I can, though we are about to head out to el pueblo for another mini vacation, so it may be awhile!