This Friday is very special. Not only is it Valentine’s Day but it’s also Day Seven of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. I must confess that since the Opening Ceremonies I’ve not done much, other than watch the games on tv. So much fun. So much history in the making. And like most folks who watch I’ve been feeling a tad more patriotic than normal.
As I mentioned in the previous post “An Olympic Experience” we Canadians are a quiet reserved lot on the whole. We are proud of our country but it’s a quiet pride. However nothing whips us up like an Olympic win. Of course it’s the same for many citizens of the other participating countries.
This surge in my Canadian pride got me thinking about the delicious treat US President Barack Obama took home to his daughters as a memento of his trip to Ottawa, our capital city, shortly after first becoming president. That delicious treat?
These red and white maple leaf “Canada” cookies. Pure heaven in my books. Every time we visit Ottawa we seriously deplete the Moulin De Provence Bakery’s stock.
The cookies’ brilliant red colour reminds me of a Valentine’s Day treat of Olympic proportions. (See what I did there? Nice segue, no?)
Olympic Valentine’s Day Treat
I suspect I’ll never forget that Valentine’s Day when my son was three. I turned up at preschool just at the right time. All of the boys and girls were tumbling out of the school, screaming with excitement and clutching huge paper bags stuffed to the brim with paper valentines and candy. It was lovely. So innocent and so pure. Or so I thought.
My son was the last to emerge from the building. He, too, was clutching a bulging paper bag but something else was bulging. His cheeks. They were quite red and puffy with hive-like blotches. I leapt over for a closer look. At close range his cheeks were a medical marvel.
“Hi Mom. We had so much fun today. We ate and ate and ate and ate!” Normally a rather happy chappy he was positively spinning with delight. I started to detect supreme sugar overload in addition to the hive-like facial distortions.
Not wanting to alarm him and thankfully noting that there were no secondary airway issues (trust me, buzz man was breathing just fine) I gently began my interrogation. Back up confirmation would come later with my chat with the teacher and the parents on duty that day.
“What kind of treats were you eating?”
“We had red licorice, red smarties, red candy hearts, red suckers and even, even, even red boiled eggs!”
Good lord we were looking at a full on red dye overload. What an Olympic Valentine’s Day treat. My chitty-chat with the teacher could wait. We needed to get home to the bottle of Benadryl. This was the first time he’d needed a teaspoon of that magic antihistamine elixir. His sister sometimes bloomed with mystery hives – the cause of which was never determined.
Since that Olympic Valentine’s Day treat of facial hives which fortunately vanished in a day or two the Valentine’s treats in our house tended to be a bit more natural.
Yes, thankfully there are so many natural options other than Red 40. I encourage you to check out this brilliant blog post by Robin Shreeves on tips to creating the Valentine red without the hives.
How to make your own natural red food dye for Valentine’s treats.
Happy Valentine’s Day! May the red glow on your loved ones be due to the delight in the day and not from the food.
Enough about me and my Olympic Valentine’s Day Treat. I’m curious about you. Have you ever had an allergic reaction to a certain type of dye? Do you feed your family natural treats? Or do you stay clear of all things Valentine? If you’d care to share, I’d love to hear.
25 Responses
U got me thinking about starting my own olympic treat ritual. Only problem is it is only every 4 years. Lol.
Exactly. Remember when they were every two years? First Summer then two years later Winter then two years on Summer …? Perhaps it’s best for our fitness that they are now every four … Hmmm…
How fun! I wonder if my daughter is allergic or something to that dye because when she eats Skittles, she goes wild. 🙂
Skittles!!!! My son’s very favourite!
Such a perfect combination of Valentine’s Day love and Olympic pride. Wonderful!
Thanks Marcie. Happy Valentine’s!
All natural for me….my child always said I wasn’t like the other mothers, I didn’t make cookies and cakes. I confess, I’m not a baker. 🙁 Hives I’ve had….vodka brings them. Lordy, what I don’t give to have a good Bloody Mary, but for me it’s virgin. I woke up one morning after drinking a few and thought I’d gone back in time to become the elephant woman. My face was so out of proportion I couldn’t open one of my eyes, and the other one was open just as a slit. I could feel my cheeks touching the bottoms of my eyelids. I won’t even describe how big my nose was. OMG! When I looked into the mirror it was hilarious.LOL I’d never seen anything like it. Thankfully all went back to normal after a few days, but not before everyone around me thought I contracted some sort of disease.
Oh and that is the plan for my next blog post Kelli! Not your elephant story — mine. It’s awful isn’t it? So bizarre. I felt quite well just looked rather freakish!
I would have freaked out! Isn’t it crazy how artificial stuff can wreak havoc like that!? thanks for the alternative.
Pleasure Tiffany. I just wish I knew about the alternative before I knew we needed it!
Oh my GOODNESS!!! I remember when we were little, my brother chewed so many blue gumballs that his…um…stool…was bright, neon blue for DAYS. I know it’s not red, but that can’t be healthy for your colon, you know? –Lisa
Oh my – Blue! Well that’s an interesting colour. And for days?!? Man alive. NO can’t be healthy for the colon.
Forget the red. I want chocolate! Well, except for the red roses I often receive. 🙂
hahahaha! Yes, me too Linda! Me too!
Happy Valentine’s Day Kelly ! Fortunately, none of my family has ever looked like the elephant man after eating anything. I must confess to the unhealthy treats for Valentines Day, usually chocolate and cupcakes ! Your healthy fruit plate looked delightful, but I think my family might rebel ( unless they were chocolate dipped strawberries ) !
Oh you are blessed Jane. Elephant man/woman is not a good look.
Whoa! Poor lil guy! I’ve heard about the concerns with Red 40.
And yippe to one week in! Loving it!! But seriously didn’t know they changed it to every 4 years?? Really? How did I not know this?
I thought of you last night when Shawn White wrecked, and all the excitent with skating and the luge. (<<I know that's not spelled right but I suddenly can't spell the downhill on a sled thingy)
It used to be every four years but the same four years for Summer and Winter. So 1986 Summer 1986 Winter. Then those that be changed it up so 1986 Summer 1988 Winter 1990 Summer 1992 Winter etc. At least that’s how I remember it.
Yes, so sad for Shawn White. I think your luge spelling is bang on!
So exciting that we still have a week to go, no? Here’s to lots of downhill on a sled thingy and folks on skates on ice shooting a round disc into a net and folks zooming downhill on boards and even folks zooming into the air on boards! Wahhoooo!
Kelly –
I have been enjoying the Olympics too. I am from U.S. – Minnesota and it’s great to learn about how others engage, as well.
Cindy
It is great to learn how others engage Cindy. Off to read your Bridal Shower ideas!
I was at a birthday party where one of the children was allergic to red # 40, brings on severe hyperactivity in him. Apparently it’s in nearly everything, even white things you wouldn’t suspect like vanilla flavored cakes. The parents were vigilant, trying to check everything before it went into his mouth but there’s only so much vigilance one can have when surrounded by screaming 4 year olds. Eventually it became apparent they lost the battle. The mother sighed and said oh well, he’d settle down and sleep in a day or two. More like two.
Oh we were so lucky that it was just a one off – I think due to the excess amount of Red #40. 2700 items in one go versus 1. Poor little chap – hope your friend’s son calmed down within the week, I mean within a day or two.
Oh my, the rosy-red hive cheeks of the little ones. When I was a kid I went through a period of mystery-caused hives and we were cautioned to have benadryl on hand at all times. I’m glad I outgrew it and no photos were ever taken of me in the throes of swollen itchy magnificence. I’m pretty mindful these days of avoiding foodstuffs with the infamous red dyes. I do have to say those maple leaf cookies look very delicious. But today I’m enjoying a bouquet of reds thanks to the magic of tulips.
Did others in the class have a similar reaction to the Valentines Day treats? I bet that teacher had red dye remorse! I’m loving the Olympics, even though there have been some disappointing results from Team USA. Still, so many great stories and so much incredible talent !
Nope – nobody else had a reaction to the red dye Mo. He had a really mild one again a few months later after consuming gigantic bag of red licorice at a movie. Now is red dye immune – fingers crossed. Re the Olympics – you guys did well in the skating dept. yesterday! That was nicely done.