#Giveaway Gimbal's Gourmet Candy and $1000 #Sweepstakes

This is the first year I have had both girls in school.  And with school has come the dietary restrictions due to allergies.  My girls can't take in anything with soy or peanuts.  This tends to greatly limit the options for special class treats.  Needless to say, there are only so many things that don't have both (or are not processed in a plant that uses soy or nuts) and the kids will be getting the same things, over and over.  I can't complain much.  I am lucky that I only have to watch what I send into school, not everything my daughter's put in their mouths.

That being said, I discovered a great company, Gimbal's Fine Candies that makes gourmet candies that contain no peanuts, no tree nuts, no milk, no eggs, no gluten, no soy, no fish or shellfish (okay the last two aren't usually problems in candy).  And, here's my favorite, NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!  The candies are also Kosher Pareve and made in the USA.  Another thing I love is that they are carried in stores locally, including Garden Ridge, K-mart, Dollar Tree and Dollar General.  (Store locator HERE.)  Of course, you could also order online.

A little history about Gimbal's.  It was established in 1898 by Alexander Gimbal in downtown San Franscisco.  And today, four generations later, they still have a passion for making delectable treats!  Their motto is, "Making Gourmet Candies for Everyone Everyday!"  They are also actively give back to the community.


I also tried the Sour Lovers.  Once again, real fruit juice, Vitamin C.  They come in 12 heart shaped flavors.  They are very sour!  But, at the same time, they are sugar coated like gum drops and so hint of sweetness just rounds out the flavor.

As I taste one bag, I think, "These are my favorites."  But then I move to the next and say the same thing.  Bottom line, they are ALL delectable!  Great candy with the added bonus of being free from the things many are allergic to.

Right now, Gimbals is running a Sweepstakes on their Facebook Page to show support of local schools and draw attention to food safety in school.  You can enter to win $1,000 for the school of your choice anytime from now through October 31, 2012.

To empower families living with food allergies, the company has developed 5 easy tips to make it easier for parents to find peace of mind concerning their child’s well being at school.  

1)   Talk to your child about his or her food allergy:  The first steps to safety at school start at home. Tell your child never to trade food from lunches or eat anything with unknown ingredients. Encourage him or her to be vigilant about washing hands and find food allergy friendly snacks that can substitute for unsafe foods.  

2)  Set a Food Allergy Action Plan with teachers and school administrators: Provided by FAAN, the Food Allergy Action Plan is available to customize according to your child’s needs. This includes making sure that your child and/or school officials have an EpiPen® on hand and going through scenarios of what to do in the case of anaphylactic shock. 

3)  Seek out other parents of children with food allergies:  It can help to surround yourself with a support group of other parents going through the same experience. This will allow you to have a group to lean on as well as keep a watchful eye out when you cannot be there.  

4)  Volunteer to be a chaperone on field trips or class parent during parties: Whenever outside food is involved, it never hurts to volunteer your time and even offer to bring allergen-free snacks for the class or group. 

5)  Get Involved:  Currently there are several bills in legislation that could help expand access to life saving epinephrine, specifically H.R. 3627 or the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act. You can reach out to local representatives and encourage them to support this bill that would make epinephrine mandatory in schools.  

To learn more about Gimbal's visit their website at http://www.gimbalscandy.com/ or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/gimbalscandy.

GIVEAWAY 

Gimbal's has also kindly sponsored a giveaway on my blog for a Gimbal's Fine Candies Gourmet Sampler" prize featuring bags of all 7 lines of candy.  Simply enter the EASY Rafflecopter giveaway below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Disclosure:  I received 3 bags of Gimbal's Fine Candies to facilitate this review.  As always, this review contains my honest opinions.