Ahh Nuts!

When Kennedy turned one I started giving her peanut butter because I though PB & Js were a staple for kids. Soon after, she developed what I thought was a peanut allergy. When I told the doctor about the rashes I found she told me to wait 6 or so months before trying peanut butter again and explained that some children grow out of these early-onset allergies. However, six months later she still seemed allergic. I have never taken her to get officially tested but have just assumed she was allergic and have avoided making some of my favorite goodies that included peanut butter.
Last week when I went to the beach for my quilting retreat I made a big batch of my favorite peanut butter chocolate chip cookies (recipe courtesy of my lovely sister, Alison). Incidentally, I left a few behind for Chris's lunches, stored in the freezer in snack-size Ziploc baggies. You can guess where this is going. . . .Mom out of town, unlabeled cookies, Dad's first time ever being left in charge for more than just a few hours. Kennedy had downed about half the cookie before she told Chris, "Daddy, I think there is peanut butter in these cookies!" Chris panicked but, being the doctor he is, kept a close eye on her. Nothing happened. We thought our troubles of the peanut allergy were over.
This weekend I made one of my favorite desserts that I haven't made in a very long time: Peanut Butter Pie. I thought this would be a good way to ease Kennedy into the life of peanut butter. After all, I didn't want her to be afraid of peanut butter just because we had been telling her for her entire life that she had to avoid peanuts and peanut butter. I was right, she ate her whole piece of pie then asked for more.
About an hour after dessert I started getting the kids ready for bed. Kennedy came to me complaining that she itched everywhere. . . .even in her bum. Poor thing was miserable. She had rashes all over. I quickly ran downstairs and grabbed the Benedril and asked for "the doctor" to come check her out. We agreed that this was probably due to the peanut butter and decided that there would be no more peanut butter for Kennedy.
You would think this would be enough to traumatize a four-year-old but she seems to take it all in stride. This morning she told us, "No more peanut butter for me until I'm an adult!"