It is so hard to know if we are making the right decisons..or being to overly protective. One family style place we have always enjoyed going is Bob Evans. Last time we went there, the waitress came back to let me know that their kids meal with potato wedges shaped in A B C's were either fried in peanut oil or made with peanut flour...I can't remember. I was heart sick!!! I thought that would be a SAFE place to eat. They let her substitute cottage cheese...and we ate... but,I watched her like a hawk. I did not enjoy the rest of the meal because I kept thinking....this is one more place that I don't feel "safe" going! I am afraid to eat there now..Is that overly cautious??? What are some places you do feel comfortable going out to eat?

When my son was about 6 months old, we went to one of our local family-run pizza places, "Nick's". We often had taken our eldest son there and thought nothing of it. We always had great food and fun there. Now, I CRINGE thinking about having taken my infant there (we found out he was PA at 9 months old). The "novelty" of the restaurant is to bring you bowls of peanuts as you wait for your pizza and let you dump the shells on the floor. Needless to say, we never ever will eat there again.
I was surprised that other restaurants do the same. My in-laws were so psyched on taking us to their favorite seafood restaurant when we visited them in Florida: Shell's. We just arrived at Shell's parking lot when my mother-in-law said, "Oh, looks like there will be a wait (there were people waiting outside the restaurant) but not to worry, they have peanuts we can munch on at the bar!" I freaked. OK. Sometimes you have to hammer it into even the relatives that you cannot have your kid around peanut dust and a restaurant that allows peanuts to be thrown onto their floor is no restaurant for a PA child. It took a bit of explaining from my husband to get my in-laws to understand why I absolutely refused to eat there with my kids, but Shell's (which is a chain restaurant) in Florida is definitely an off-limit restaurant for us.
My son is almost 2 so I haven't had problems packing his lunch or dinner when we go to restaurants. To be honest, I haven't had the courage to let him eat anything but what I've prepared and packed myself. But, he has more than just peanut allergies.
So in terms of restaurants to avoid due to cross contamination or peanut flour/oil use, I'm sorry I can't contribute. I do read and appreciate the advice from you all since I know someday my son will want to eat "like the rest of us" rather from a thermos-packed meal. But, I'll be a nervous wreck when that day comes. Ugh! Warmly, Julie B.

RAISING for Kris.
Jaime [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

schools.
Disclaimer: This is not intended as advice or recommendation in any manner or form. It is merely what works for my family, *our* son and *our (my family) own personal situation*.
MommaBear

Though it has been a gradual process ( [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img] mostly) I am trying to think of anything that hasn't changed. Most of our changes have been by necessity- so I don't think that we are more careful than we need to be... but I also don't think everyone with PA needs to be this cautious, either.
We still like (and eat) Mexican food, from two restaurants in town. We also still love the ocean and the beach- but we have to plan for food ahead of time. We also like the library a lot.
Neither DH or I eat anything peanutty- (including Asian/Indian food other than Japanese) if we will be returning home in less than 8 hours.
We will not fly with our daughter. She has had exactly three airplane rides on supposedly pn-free airlines which resulted in two minor reactions.
She is homeschooled and will be until she is competent to self-administer epinephrine. (Our anaphylaxis incidents have been full-blown within 2-10 minutes of onset)
Our daughter has playdates only with those children whose parents can abide by our "rules" about no pn prior to the playdate, no food brought in to our house, etc. etc.
Nobody brings food into my house for my daughter but me and my DH. Nobody.
We go nowhere that food is the focus- (really).
We avoid community ed classes that occur after lunchtimes, and always check the class structure with the instructor beforehand.
Petstores are generally off-limits if they have birds.
I never set foot in candy shops or bakeries with my daughter.
We do not shop at certain grocery stores because they either have loose peanuts in bins or they have a %&#@ (sorry) peanut butter dispenser.
I have also gotten used to having to wait in line twice when buying groceries- once behind the people whose pb/pn food package is leaking/breaking/spilling on the conveyer belt and once to pay for my stuff in another line. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] The cashiers think I am insane, but harmless. I try to avoid the people with bulk pb in the cart to start with.
We have not left our child with a babysitter since she was nine months old. We have never left her at anyone else's house (other than my MIL, and we don't do that anymore either).
The zoo, children's museums, and sporting events of all kinds have been casualties of this battle for us (through bad scouting reports [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img] and also through bad experience). I am not comfortable enough to go camping, boating, or backpacking with our daughter, though my DH thinks this is odd.
We will never go to another potluck with our daughter. Family events included.
We only go the local playground when both of us can go- this is so one person can keep dd in sight at all times (epipens in hand) and the other parent can cruise the perimeter looking for pb/pn being consumed. As soon as that is sighted and confirmed, we leave.
Basically, we don't go anywhere with our child that hasn't been previously scouted- usually more than once. We also go only when we can all agree that if there is any change in comfort level (from any one of us) that we will leave immediately.
[img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/frown.gif[/img] Wow. I never really added it all up- this probably sounds so limiting and draconian!! It doesn't feel that way, BTW [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] It feels comfy and safe and pretty happy!!
By the way- we have been doing this for three years and have had 2 ER visits for anaphylaxis and gone through three bottles of Benedryl for more minor stuff. (So I don't think we are a lot more careful than we need to be- our case is just at one extreme, I guess.)

I had to proof an ad today at an ice cream store (kind of like a Dairy Queen). Just inside the customer window was a large uncovered plastic container (ice cream size) of peanuts.

My comfort zone is pretty wide, but it's getting smaller, the worse my reactions get. I will occasionally go to Dairy Queen, but am leary only because I had a stomachache from their ice cream last year. I will NEVER eat a Blizzard or anything they have to mix.
I Will NEVER, EVER eat at McDonald's again. Something about their french fries and other fried goodies bother my stomach and make me wheeze. Then, on Saturday, I attempted to eat a Grilled Chicken Salad--forget it now, as something made my stomach all queasy and weird. Have NO idea what it was, but not good.
French Fries I do avoid occasionally--depends on where--b/c they seem to bother me at other places too.
I'll fly, but NEVER on ATA, since they won't fly a pa person.
That's about it, other than certain environments. I live alone right now, so obviously I have no reason to have pb in my house. Should I marry, there will be no pb in my house (my bf has already stated that, as he has totally avoided peanuts since he found out I was allergic!!!)