Ice cream - aargh!

[Weta]

DS1 (dairy allergy) has been invited to a party at Pizza Hut on Monday - worst possible venue for him really, although he always takes his own food to parties anyway. I was hoping they would just be having cake for dessert but it turns out there will be ice cream as well and I'm dreading telling him as it's the thing that bothers him most about his allergy.

I can bust a gut to make a nice cake for him to take, but am a bit stumped about the ice cream. Usually when it arises he has a Coke instead, but all the kids will already be having those kind of drinks so he will still feel he is missing out.

Feeling stupidly upset about this!!

[Weta]

No, I think they just get served a plate of ice cream (we are in Luxembourg so it is a bit different to the UK).

It's basically just a standard party (ie games etc) in a private room followed by a meal served at the table. The mum is very nice and has asked my advice about dairy-free sweets for the party bag etc.

Unfortunately it's probably just one of those times DS1 will have to suck it up :(

[mintyneb]

It's not something I've done myself and I don't know how well it would go down with a corporate chain but a friend of mine took her own swedish glace icecream to a pub where they had booked Sunday lunch and they happily served it up for dessert for her DD.

Assuming you have dairy free icecream in your freezer would it be worth giving the restaurant a call to see if you could take some in? Also assumes that it won't have melted on the the way there of course!

I have to agree that icecream has to be one of the worst dishes to deal with as the alternatives (if there are any) just never match up :(. I totally understand your distress as it really gets to me when DD can't have what other children dothough

I hope you can get something sorted and that your DS can enjoy himself along with his friends

[ilovemydogandMrObama]

Yup, DS has the pizza from Pizza Express with just the tomato sauce, bacon and pineapple.

[greenbananas]

Weta, I can understand that you are feeling upset!!! We try so hard to avoid our DCs feeling their differences, and then something like this comes along. How old is your DS?

As mintyneb says, they may let your DS take Swedish Glace (or similar) in a coolbag, along with safe sweets to sprinkle it with. They are more likely to allow this if you quietly phone them in advance. I've never had a problem with this kind of thing if I have been able to speak to the manager in advance.

Please tell your DS that, as someone who is able to compare Swedish Glace with 'normal' cow's milk ice cream, I am in a position to tell him that Swedish Glace is much, much nicer!!!!

[Weta]

Thanks for suggestions guys! I think I'm too scared to let him take the pizza option, especially as I will have DS2 and can't really stay - though to be honest he's quite happy with a meatball and rice ready-meal option I have as he regards it as a real treat. I've already rung restaurant to ask if they can heat it for him and they said it's fine.

I don't think there are any shops where I could get an ice lolly, and we don't have Swedish Glace here (although he tried it in UK and wasn't wildly keen anyway!). But I have bought a box of ice lollies from the supermarket and I think I will say he can have one as soon as he gets home. Did think of taking it to restaurant but I will have to pick him up direct from work and take him straight there so it will be impossible to keep it cold beforehand.

He is 7. To be honest he will probably be ok with it if he can have something when he comes home (plus cake while there) - probably one of those times where it's me feeling upset about all the things he has to cope with.

Actually I have just spoken to him while writing this message and he's come up with the idea of taking a lollipop to have while the others have ice cream and then the ice lolly when he gets home... I shouldn't stress so much!

[trixymalixy]

Phone the restaurant and see if theres anything they can do.

Or take ice cream/ice lolly instead as others have suggested.

For DS's, we went out to an american diner and they allowed us to bring Swedish glade for him and served it with a candle in it.

[yoshimi]

I guess you've checked they don't do sorbets- we get away with a scoop of sorbet in an ice cream cone with my little one when we're out.
I have discovered how to make yummy alternatives at home though, you just need a blender. Freeze some bananas and berries (raspberries, strawberries etc) then blend them up with a dash of coconut milk or (creamy milk substitute) and a squirt of honey. V quick & easy.

[Weta]

I did end up staying because of logistical transport problems (plus I am quite friendly with the parents) and actually it was quite interesting in a funny kind of way.

The 'ice cream and cake' turned out just to be an ice cream cake so it really wasn't an issue after all that!

On the other hand it was all pretty chaotic... I'm sure the parents would have managed to sort him out without me (well apart from the game involving eating milk choc with knife and fork and with gloves on, though I'd trust him not to participate in that) but I can see it would have been an extra stress for them. Definitely glad I insisted on him taking his own food as there is no way I could have expected the parents to cope with the risk/monitoring etc on top of the party, and the (many different) staff seemed very stressed and all over the place too.

Yoshimi, we did give DS1 a sorbet (or soy ice cream) once when out but he had a reaction to it as I think they had previously not used different spoons for it from the ones for the other ice cream (in France, where there is much less awareness of allergies). So we don't do that any more. I do make sorbets at home though, and there are some we can buy too.

[Whelk]

Glad it worked out Weta.
I understand the feeling sad about all of the things he has to cope with.

DD2 is just 2 (allergic to egg and milk) and it really has just started for her so sadly I am watching these threads with interest. I am very much in the stage of taking all her food with me as I just can't trust many people on cross-contamination, but realise I am going to have to.

DD1s egg, lentil, strawberry and pineapple allergies seem a walk in the park compared with milk (although they didn't at the time).

[mintyneb]

weta, glad to hear things worked out OK although I think I would be pretty stressed out in your shoes given all the chaos going on!

Bit sad to hear about the chocolate game (one I remember with great fondness from my own childhood!) though. To have a game centred on a food, and particularly the one type of food that a guest can't eat seems a bit insensitive. Could they not have told you beforehand so that you could provide some dairy free chocolate - or is that not an option where you live?

as to eating sorbets whilst out and about, DD had some sorbet in a cone a couple of months back but ended up with hives and swollen lips probably due to cross contamination on the serving spoon. Had things been OK, she would only have been able to eat down to the cone anyway as they usually have millk in them so in all its only half a treat really :(

[Weta]

Yeah, I remember the choc game with fondness too. I think they just didn't really twig until the last minute... though it was fine because I was there and suggested him doing it with sweets instead (she had kindly bought some dairy-free ones after checking with me) and then she was the one who realised (luckily) that he would need a separate plate and clean knife and fork. I should remember to ask about games in the future as well as the food and party bags!