Best/ Worst / Funniest MM You Got

Hashem_Yaazor

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 10:42 am

amother wrote:

I hate to be a killjoy, but I have a serious concern regarding mishloach manos. My family members have severe allergies to nuts/sesame and though we finally came to a point where some schools are sensitive to this issue, and are peanut/nut free, the same sensitivity was not shown with mishloach manos. I read through these 5 pages, and several people sent hummus, peanut butter balls etc. These foods can have fatal repercussions, as these allergens are airborne, so the person does not even have to touch the food or eat the food to suffer an anaphylactic reaction. One of my family members almost died from anaphylactic shock, so I am more sensitive about this. But perhaps it is time as a community to take this issue more seriously, so we do not indirectly cause another person harm.

You should know that for the kids' mishloach manos, I made energy bytes, which I always make at home with peanut butter. However, since I was giving it to other kids, I made it with soy butter (I hope it tasted ok) with a note it was peanut and nut free. Mind you, many may be allergic to soy as well, but I highly doubt in the 31 people we gave, there is 1 who can have an anaphylactic reaction from proximity to it. I do agree that peanut butter should be avoided unless you know for certain everyone you give to can handle it. Sesame I'm not so sure about, though it's on the rise -- the schools are not yet sesame free, at least where I am, and therefore it's still accepted to have it around others. There comes a point where we have to stop and realize we can't account for everyone's allergies. Remove the major ones, but some of the achrayus has to be on the recipient too if it's not a danger of just breathing it in.

imamazing

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 10:47 am

Weighing in as a mom of two severly allergic children...

Purim used to be an extremely stressful day for me. I have worked out a system with my kids where I screen everything that comes into the house and if either of them is allergic to a food it goes into a special place and they get something special (yes I need to stock up on lots of special foods instead) in return. I will also only allow them to eat from store bought packaged food. No homemade good.

My allergic children are 6 and 3 so they really are old enough to somehow understand yet young enough that they are not running around alone. I am more of a mother hen, but Bh my vigilance had paid off. I will only allow my non allergic child to eat what his siblings can. If he is ever home with me alone, he knows he will get the chocolates dairy etc that the others cant have (we eat it outside to avoid air borne allergens)

I also make the seuda at home for our extended family and do most of the cooking, so I feel safe with the foods my kids are exposed to . Yes, it does make it harder on me, but in the long run I am doing what is best for my children. BH at this point I find Purim to be a lot less stressful as we discuss all this in advance and have a working plan for my children.
Of course ppl even close relatives send us problematic food without thinking, but I don't hold it against them. This is my responsibility, not theirs.

amother

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 11:15 am

1387 wrote:

Healthy mishloach manos doesn't have to take long to assemble. For ex: Baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, Hummus & bags of pretzel chips or melba toast.
Someone sent over 2 potato knishes as part of their mishloach manos. I thought it was a great idea!

It may not take long to assemble but I like to assemble my misholach manos more then a week in advance. Also I dont have room to keep it all in the fridge.
Can you think of cheap and somewhat healthy foods that would work here?

amother

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 11:22 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

This is all I asked for, sensitivity to life threatening conditions. You avoided sending peanut butter because you were sensitive and understanding.

boro parker

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 11:47 am

ButterflyGarden wrote:

I agree. For that matter how far would it go? What about diabetics? So now we are all making sugar-free, nut-free, peanut-free, gluten-free, sesame-free, milk-free, egg-free, fat-free, soy-free, fish-free mishlach manot? And don't forget it has to be healthy too. What

I guess next year I'll send celery and a potato.

and remember it should be cooked to be yotzei the mitzvah...

Pita

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 2:03 pm

ButterflyGarden wrote:

I guess next year I'll send celery and a potato.

Potatoes are not good for diabetics. Wink

Raisin

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 3:52 pm

amother wrote:

Since I know personally the people I am sending MM to, of course I would make sure not to include any problematic food for those with allergies. I am happy to make up one or two nut or whatever free MM if needed. Last year I sent to a family with allergies and I subsituted whatever was necessary.

cuties' mom

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 6:34 pm

amother wrote:

Applesauce cups, fruit cups, juice boxes, crackers, pretzels, small boxes of cereal

zaq

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 7:39 pm

QueenBee3 wrote:

I liked all those little bottles of Kedem grape juice!

Me, too! Know why? Because I can put them away and pack them in my MM for next Purim! A year old is just about when it tastes best. Brand new it's rather bland, two years and it starts to get a bit shopworn, but at a year old it has that full classic purple grape flavor and scent.

Lady Godiva

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 8:09 pm

zaq wrote:

How do you know you're not the one recycling them for the third year in a row?
I don't think those Kedem bottles have expiration dates on them.

zaq

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 8:20 pm

mom in france wrote:

I would love to give those types of things but honestly it would take me ages to make 30 kugels or veg platters ( just for adult MM) how do you guys have the time???

Bake ahead and freeze (not veggie platters, obviously). Mass production in one marathon session is not so hard if you have a power mixer or food processor with a high-capacity bowl and set up your kitchen assembly-line fashion. You line up five or six bowls and measure the dry ingredients into them before you start measuring liquids so that you don't need to wash and dry utensils in the middle, and you have just one cleanup session at the end. You grease all your pans at once so they're ready to be filled. Soon as the first batch goes into the oven you start mixing the second batch, and for all subsequent batches, there's no oven preheating time. If you place your baking pans on a large baking sheet with side walls (like a jelly roll pan) you can handle several pans at once instead of moving them one by one. This also helps protect your oven floor from spillovers.

For veggie platters, assembly-line is the only thing that makes sense. You can cut up and store each veggie veriety in a separate zipper bag or container in the fridge the night before, and then lay out the platters assembly-line fashion in the morning. If you include dip or dressing, fill your lidded dressing containers and store them in the fridge, maybe in a box or basket so you can take them all at once. Once you plan the layout of your platter, you can go on autopilot laying down a bed of kale or lettuce if you're doing that, plopping your dressing container in the middle and then each veggie in its place all around. The planning and prep work is the big thing--once that's done, execution isn't hard. And again, it's just one cleanup session at the end.

mommy#1

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 8:51 pm

amother wrote:

ok, now im happy. my dh told me not to put sesame seeds on what I made because some people are allergic to them. I told him come on, how many people are allergic, it looks nicer with them, and people see them right away, so if they are allergic they'll just stay away. my dh convinced me not to put them on, even though I don't think anyone I gave to is allergic to sesame seeds, but he said its not worth it... im glad I listened!!

seeker

Wed, Mar 19 2014, 11:44 pm

Another allergy mom here and I vote that people should LABEL homemade mishloach manos, especially if it has any unusual or commonly allergenic ingredients. I give homemade soup and I tell people it is fat-free, gluten-free, and added-sugar-free. If there's anything else they need to know, they should probably ask. I would think at minimum, nuts, peanuts, dairy, and soy should be noted on the label. Some people are allergic enough that they can't go near it at all, even without eating it. If you're making something homemade for mishloach manos then you're already putting in extra effort, writing a bit extra on the label is not much more to ask. "Happy Purim from the Friedenbergersteins - rice krispy treats contain peanut butter"