Hammond - Enjoy lifes cookies for everyone!: 150 delicious treats that are safe for most anyone with food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities

150 DELICIOUS GLUTEN-FREE TREATS THAT ARE SAFE FOR MOST ANYONE WITH FOOD ALLERGIES, INTOLERANCES, OR SENSITIVITIES

LESLIE HAMMOND AND BETSY LAAKSO

To my three amazing little girls, Wendy, Allison, and Madeline

At Enjoy Life, our whole business is making smile-good foods that keep peoples insides happy too.

When I started Enjoy Life Foods in 2001, I had a mission of making great-tasting allergy-friendly and gluten-free foods that most everyone can eat freely. Since then, our mission has remained constantall of our products are specially made to be free of the eight most common allergens (no wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, fish, or shellfish) AND gluten-free. Early on, we also made the decision that we would make all of our products in a dedicated nut- and gluten-free facility for customers safety and peace of mind. Our Enjoy Life product line has now expanded to include cookies, snack bars, cereals, granolas, bagels, trail mixes, chocolate chips, and chocolate bars... and were introducing new foods all the time. If you want to learn more, visit us at www.enjoylifefoods.com.

I am not personally affected by food allergies or intolerances; however, many members of the Enjoy Life team are, and so we all have a deep understanding and appreciation for how challenging and (sometimes) frustrating it can be to find delicious and nutritious foods when you have dietary restrictions.

At Enjoy Life, we want to help people enjoy life by offering delicious, healthy, and, most importantly, safe foods that nearly everyone can enjoy even if they have food allergies, food intolerances, Celiac Disease, autism, or other health concerns. Food is central to our culture and way of life, and we never want anyone to miss out on lifes little pleasures just because they cant eat certain foods.

There is nothing more satisfying to me personally than when a mother, for example, tells me that our cookies help make her food-allergic son feel more normal and included when his classmates are eating their after-school treats... or when I see the grin on a little girls face as she eats a chocolate bar for the very first time... or when I talk to a dad who tells me that our foods have taken some of the worry and anxiety out of feeding his child... or when an adult gets diagnosed with Celiac Disease and discovers a whole new world of delicious gluten-free foods that make her feel good. These moments and your gratitude and appreciation for what we do motivate and inspire all of us at Enjoy Life each and every day.

When Fair Winds Press and Leslie Hammond first approached us about partnering on an allergy-friendly cookie cookbook, we got very excited about the project. What could be better than creating a cookbook full of 150 cookie recipes that are free of the eight most common allergens, easy to make, and really tasty? Thanks to this unique cookbook, theres no need to worry about whether the recipes are safe or whether they will turn out wellLeslie and her family have multiple food allergies themselves, so she is very familiar with the challenges of baking allergy-friendly treats. Plus, you can rest assured that the Enjoy Life team has reviewed each and every recipe in the book to make sure they are safe, healthy, and, most importantly, totally delicious!

We hope that this cookbook helps you and your family enjoy life in the kitchen and beyond.

Wishing you happy and healthy eating.

Scott B. Mandell

CEO, President, and Founder

Enjoy Life Foods

smandell@enjoylifenb.com

The conventional ingredients in our favorite baked goods make them look, taste, and smell irresistible. Wheat flour makes the cookie soft and chewy. Creamy butter and eggs give a rich taste and weight on the tongue. Chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch, candies, and nuts give cookies a kick that excites our taste buds.

Now, imagine being allergic to all of these ingredients.

However, having to avoid many allergens does not mean having to sacrifice your favorite treats. With 150 delicious recipes that are gluten-free, wheat-free, peanut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, treenut-free, fish- and shellfish-free, and soy-free, this cookbook will allow you to have your cookies and eat them too! Whats more, the recipes are yummy and simple to make. Cookies for Everyone! is packed full of helpful information, family stories, tricks of the trade, and love.

Without staple ingredients like eggs, dairy, butter, and wheat flour, what do you do to indulge in the occasional treat? Even more challengingwhat do you do for your children when they want to have the same treat that everyone else is enjoying? Is it possible to make delicious cookies without the wheat flour, eggs, soy, nuts, and/or dairy? Or, better yet, can you make a desirable, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth cookie that your kids will actually approve of?

I had the experience of being the kid who couldnt eat anything. I know the feeling of watching everyone else enjoying tasty treats while I sat on the sidelines during birthday parties and holidays. There were no mouthwatering gingerbread men at Christmas, decorated sugar cookies at Easter, Halloween, or Valentines Day, or even a warm chocolate chip cookie with a glass of cold milk at bedtime.

Now, I am the mom of three little girls who all have a variety of foods they have to avoid. So between the four of us we stay away from gluten, dairy, tree nuts, and soy. Our food restrictions vary, so not all of us have to avoid each ingredient. So do I make four different cookies for each of us, or one awesome cookie to suit all of our needs? My years of cooking experience have proven you can make a cookie that everyone can eat and that everyone will love.

DID YOU KNOW?

Food allergies affect 12 million Americans, or 4 percent of the population. More than 6.5 million Americans are allergic to seafood, and over 3 million are allergic to peanuts and tree nuts.

(Source: Food Allergy Initiative)

This cookbook is all about allergy-friendly cookies. Keep in mind that even though you have allergies, there are many foods, such as whole grains, lean meats, fruits, and vegetables that provide the nutrients that you need. Cookies are cookies, allergy-friendly or not. They are not the mainstay of our diet, but a special tasty treat. Many of my cookie recipes call for healthy flours and ingredients that provide nutrients and fiberwhich allows you to sneak some good stuff to your family in the form of a treat! Of course, a few of the recipes are just simply delicious little sugary fun GOODIES! To get the bulk of your nutrients, stick to the healthy stuff. Then, after your nutritious meal, have a cookie!