Let's Start at the Very Beginning

Flash back to a young girl growing up in Lexington, KY, eating peanut butter sandwiches almost daily and serving as a taste-tester for Long John Silvers seafood restaurant.

Flash forward to a mother of two who keeps kosher and just found out that her toddler has a severe allergy to peanuts.

Both girls are me. We'll call me Mama Wass.

I've been keeping kosher for 5+ years, and by now shopping, cooking, and eating within the rules of kashrut is old hat. I work full-time, and I survive by doing most of my shopping - including groceries - online. As I recently stated to a friend, without the internet my children would be naked and hungry. Two websites, kosher.com and peapod help keep food in our bellies and our fridge.

Unfortunately (for many reasons, with my shopping preferences falling low on the list), last week my 2.5 year-old was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy and has now been instructed to avoid peanuts, nuts, sesame seeds, and anything manufactured with or near these products. We must be diligent about reading the labels on any food he may eat. Here's the problem: I shop online! It's not possible to see the exact labels on the food I buy. When faced with the possibility of no longer being able to buy groceries online, my knees began to shake and beads of sweat formed on my brow. I quickly realized that I needed a list. A list of kosher/nut free products that I could safely buy (and then double-check at home) online.

Since google is my friend (except for an unfortunate incident involving images of tumors with teeth and hair), I quickly turned to it to search for such a list. Much to my surprise and disappointment, one doesn't appear to exist.

So I decided to start a blog. I'm hoping that this blog will serve as an ongoing resource for me (and others like me), who need a quick reference list of kosher, nut-free groceries. While my notebook could serve the same purpose, I've always wanted to write a blog, so here it is.

Welcome to my blog. It, like my house, is kosher and nut free.

p.s. Here's my disclaimer: Always double-check food labels before assuming that they are a) kosher or b) nut free. Things change, so just because something was once safe to eat doesn't mean it still is now. Be careful. Use me as a reference but not as a final green light.