stephanie Hapner of Winona Lake is a mother to 12-year-old son with food allergy - Wesley, who was diagnosed a few years ago with eosinophilic esophagitis.

Esophagitis refers to inflammation of the esophagus that has several causes, among which are "both food and environmental allergies," which can be discerned with skin and blood testing."

Hapner's book - So What Do you Eat? - was the result of living with her son's allergy, when she started to cook recipes using alternative ingredients that are allergy-friendly. The main reason for coming up with the book is not to raise money but to help others with food allergies.

So What Do You Eat? is a cookbook of more than 250 homemade recipes using alternative ingredients to those that can irritate allergies.

If you'd like a copy of the cookbook, you can request by e-mail:pages_nstuff@mac.com or mail $19.95 plus $4.95 for shipping and handling ($26.39 total, Indiana sales tax included) to: WeslEE Originals, P.O. Box 757, Winona Lake, IN 46590.

Source: The Journal Gazette

[In photo: Stephanie Hapner mixes things up for son Wesley, 12, who has food allergies. Hapner created a cookbook using alternative ingredients; Credit: Dean Musser Jr./The Journal Gazette]