Thursday, July 10, 2008

Cow Appreciation Day


While this blog is not one to promote fast food, I thought this might be fun to pass along anyway.

If you dress like a cow and go to Chick-fil-a tomorrow (July 11) you will get a free meal. Chik-fil-a was the ONLY fast food I would eat until we found out that Dash has a peanut allergy and that Chik-fil-a fries in peanut oil. So now it's off limits for our family anyway. But for those who are always on the look out for a free meal, have fun getting dressed up!

11 comments:

B-Mama said...

Our Mimi went out and purchased cow material today to make little kerchiefs for all of us to wear there tomorrow... lol. I think Chik-fil-A is a wonderful establishment--we always get the *best* customer service when we're there.

AWOL Mommy said...

Tex,
I have a serious question for your fun little post. How did you detect Dash's peanut allergy and what is the deal on those in general? I mean is it genetic or dietary? Why does it seem like no one in our generation had peanut allergies and now it is quite common? I know how well you feed your kids, and what a rich and balanced diet, were you disappointed to learn of Dash's allergy?

Right Said Red said...

We REALLY tried to like Chick-Fil-A, but after one family trip we all felt sick ;-( I have this type of relationship with Fast Food, which is probably a good thing! I did, however, hear great things about this particular chain, and I love the fact that they are closed on Sundays.

Right Said Red said...

AWOL Mommy,

I don't have a child with a peanut allergy, but I don't think there is really anything a parent does to cause an allergy, although some may argue certain things increase your risks. For example, introducing high allergy foods to early can actually increase your risk of having an allergy.

I believe most of these things are highly genetic. For example, my father is allergic to certain things, like penacillan, and my daugther is now allergic to them! So I think there is a strong genetic component to allergies.

That being said, the huge increase in peanut allergies is a bit strange. I have heard some argue that it is related to vaccines? But I don't know how much evidence there is to substaniate this claim. I think part of the issue might just be a simple matter of awareness, in that many children have a peanut allergy that results only in a rash or shows up in a blood test, and these children would not have had that diagnosed years ago? Just a thought. I personally think it is probably related to something in our environment...maybe vaccines, maybe something else, but we just haven't figured it all out yet. Like many things in medicine, there is really so much more we don't know about our bodies. I just wish more doctors had that perspective.

Anonymous said...

B-mama,

I concur. Chik-fil-A is a wonderful establishment. Maybe I'll see you there.

Mad Cow

Anonymous said...

Hi – Looking forward to seeing you all at Chick-fil-A today in full cow gear! Be sure to check out http://www.cowappreciationday.com for other easy tips on how to dress to get your free Chick-fil-A!

Right Said Red said...

Tex,

Was this post really just an excuse to elicit a comment from Mad Cow ;-)

Anonymous said...

I read it as such.

B-mama, where are you? I've been waiting at Chik-fil-A.

texas mommy said...

We were very surprised to find out about Dash's peanut allergy. I posted about when we found out about Dash's allergy here. I was more scared than disappointed. Some allergists argue it is best to expose kids to highly allergic foods in utero, and others think that abstaining from highly allergic foods is better. Obviously, this advice is totally contradictory, so I can't say I did anything right or wrong. I have severe environmental allergies, but no food allergies of which I am aware. There is a strong genetic component that I believe is mainly passed through the maternal side.

A kind reader pointed out that many people who are allergic to peanuts, including his son, can eat chick-fil-a, which I have heard as well. They use highly refined, processed peanut oil (versus fresh cold-pressed oil) so there is a very little chance of a reaction to peanut oil in this form.

We don't live particularly close to a hospital and I had a 3 week old baby when we found out about Dash's allergy, so I haven't taken any chances in terms of exposure and carry our epi pen everywhere.

Dash will be retested in about a month when he turns 3. I don't know a whole lot about the peanut desensitization studies that are being conducted all over not, but they are working on a "cure" too.

Red...I have never heard of any link b/w peanut allergy and vaccination, but, rather, egg allergies and vaccinations. For example, since Dash has tested positive for an egg allergy, he can't get a flu shot unless there is a doctor to monitor if he were to react to the egg protein in the vaccine.

At the end of the day, no one really knows exactly how allergies created or why, which is frustrating!!

B-Mama said...

Texas Mommy, I give you SO many props for having to deal with these childhood allergies! Yet I guess you do it because you have to, right?! No doubt they are issues such an "on the ball" mommy can handle... Dash is a lucky boy. I'm trying to remember--has Jack Jack presented with similar symptoms?

texas mommy said...

We don't know if Jack-Jack has a similar allergy. Testing is only effective after you have been exposed to the allergen and since we are a peanut free household, he hasn't had the opportunity to show us one way or another. We won't expose him to nuts until at least 3 and then we'll find out.

Also, I have to say that reading every label to see is something was produced in a factory that also processes nuts makes you read labels very closely and realize how much crap there is in processed food, so you are more likely not to buy it anyway!