The Great Cashew Caper (long silly, true and maybe helpful) (was Digestive Wellness)

[Guest guest]

Often we are asked why someone, usually meaning a moderator, why won't

someone research a store bought product for legality.

The stock answer is it's time consuming, and we really don't have much

authority beyond saying, It's seems legal but use it at your own risk, "

(unless Elaine approved it prior to passing.)

My issue in question was. " Am I better off using raw cashew in recipes

or cashew butter made from dry roasted kernels with nothing added likje

the kind used at Digestive Wellness? " Elaine always said I has

potential as a scientist (Home Economics) so I created a project,

Sherlock Homemaker and the Cashew Mystery, conclusively establishing

myself a true " nut case. "

I must thank Esther Weiss at Digestive Wellness for total and

informative support on this project including sharing her source of the

dry roasted (no starch added) cashew used in DW's very chewy, little

nuggets of Fudge Snackeroons (chocolate free) and wishing me well in at

least four emails.

The lady at the DW nut affiliate in Montreal directed me to the

distributor of their nut butter in Toronto and in turn they directed me

to a place that no longer stocks their products. I licked out and

located some " Yum " Cashew Butter ( not organic) at our nearby Health

Food store (where no one goes because the entire street and sidewalk is

being ripped up to replace the streetcar tracks).

Harry, the storeowner is a real crab and frowned because he had to hunt

for the one remaining 17 oz. jar of the " Yum " cashew butter which cost

$12 Cdn. even though I had phoned ahead.

I also needed eggs and he only had the expensive organic. As well, I

got 1/2 cup of raw cashews to munch on and see if I had any allergic

reaction. I didn't!

When I got home, one egg was broken and two were stuck to the cardboard.

All the oil had risen to the top of the butter jar and ten minutes of

stirring hardly homogenized it and it may have been on the shelf a long

time. I finally managed to process a cup by hand with a kitchen knife

figured adding the egg and honey (I was duplicating the Peanut Butter

brownies from Pecanbread) would loosen it up. Wrong!. The hand blender

kept getting stuck in the batter and I could not pull it out without

difficulty.

Finally I got the batter in a pan, the pan in the oven, the finished

brownies out on the sill to cool.

My first bite was passable but not notable with immediate swelling of

my abdomen and a funny sensation in my nose, a slight headache and

continued swelling

Conclusion:

1. I do not tolerate dry roasted cashew even the legal ones and I don't

know why.

2. I better be very careful about store bought products, even those

with SCD legal ingredients

3. Some person with more time and money can be the appointed Legal

Eagle for SCD.

4. Elaine DID approve Esther's Digestive Wellness Fudge Smackeroons and

the cashew in them and I am probably the ONLY person who had even a

small problem with them.

Mimi, Dena and all the DW fans, order and enjoy . As for poor pity me,

my cookies will have to come from the Mixmaster, not the Postmaster

Carol F.

Celiac, MCS, Latex Allergy, EMS

SCD 6 years