Food Appreciation: Starbucks

If you were in your local Starbucks a couple weeks ago, and there was a vaguely woman-shaped parka (it was -30 Celsius OUTSIDE), sweating and squinting at food products, sometimes cursing, and snapping photos…it was me. Well, it might have been me. Maybe it’s a thing kids do these days…I’m pretty out of touch.

You see, I’m on a mission for readily available snacks on the go. Fun snacks. As I’ve mentioned before, our current options for snacking expeditions are limited, so I’m trying to be proactive.

At this point, we’ve got our daughter convinced that an alternative grocery store down the street is a “destination” for treats. Fortunately, right now, she is way more into chips than sweets, but we walk by a couple restaurants, a bakery, a café, a gourmet chocolate shop, and a gelato place on the way. I’m not sure how long the novelty of going to a grocery store that smells like incense and fermented food products will hold up. Her poor older brother, who is not allergic to anything, looks longingly at all the places we pass and tries to be subtle (as only a 5-year-old can) about when we can take just him out for a real treat. He’s a sport about it and doesn’t want his sister to feel bad, but he knows he’s missing out.

We also, at some point, would love to travel with our kids. We’ve never even braved an overnight in a hotel. As it stands, to do so would involve planning and schlepping all our daughter’s meals for each day, along with all the snacks. Other than a grocery store (which IS a possible solution), or a few places that prep fries in a dedicated fryer (see Food Appreciation: New York Fries), we don’t have any reliable places to grab food, especially in unfamiliar territory. It’s doable, but it doesn’t feel like it would be fun.

So, I’m looking for a big chain, that’s widespread, with consistent product offerings and practices. I started with the biggies, but McDonald’s is waffling and taking steps backwards in allergy practices. Everything in there is covered in dairy or egg anyway, so it’s not an option for us, but in terms of supporting those who are only allergic to peanuts, Mick Dick’s has really kicked them in the shins lately.

Others, like Swiss Chalet/Harvey’s have some general policies and lots of information available. They even have some specific products that could technically be consumed by someone with my daughter’s allergy set, but individual franchises aren’t necessarily obligated to follow anything, and we’ve literally been laughed at when asking (after driving 20 minutes out of our way based on website info) about cross-contamination, so in practice, it means nothing.

I did however, have a glimmer of hope at Starbucks the other night. I was, admittedly, solo and scarfing down a very non allergy friendly pretzel dunked in caramel and chocolate, but I took the opportunity to survey their prepackaged selection of goods. I was not overwhelmed with what I found, but I wasn’t necessarily disappointed either.

As noted above, I was lurking around the shelves at a Starbucks in a bookstore, squinting at packaging with poorly contrasted label lettering, in dim coffee shop light. As a general point, prepackaged food is a good place to start. The ingredients are listed and there’s less risk of cross-contamination through handling. If the place that sells cake pops for my son and caffeine for me, ALSO sells snacks the little one can pick out and enjoy, I’ll count that as a win.

Here, are my findings:

Smoothies and Juice – They’ve got a good selection. Because I’m a pretentious yuppie parent, my kids still think juice is a treat. The smoothies are helpful. (But I forgot to take a picture. It was really hot in there.)

Beef Jerky – Not sure how easy a sell this is to a preschooler, but despite her largely vegan needs, she’s a carnivore at heart. Could do. Maybe I’ll tell her it’s bacon.

Apple Chips – I thought these would be good. They aren’t. I don’t know how they screwed them up, but…Ugh. Neither kid would keep them in their mouths, let alone chew and swallow them.

Kale Chips – I don’t care how many times Pinterest tells me Kale chips can be “soooo good.” These ones tasted like socks. Most other brands also taste pretty bad. And I really WANT to like them.

Kale Chips – Cucumber Dill

Kale Chips – Zesty Nacho

Marmite-flavoured Popcorn – I’m willing to try these, but haven’t yet. I enjoyed the toast version of this in my backpacking days though, they should be pretty savory, and salt IS my daughter’s favourite, so there’s potential here.

Sweet Potato Chips – This works. Plain chips of most kinds usually do. Not exciting, but they exist, which is good to know.

Flavoured Potato Chips – What?!?! YES! Flavours without whey powder?!?!! Hallelujah! Still…it’s chips…but it’s not PLAIN chips. Whoot!

Potato Chips – Salt and Vinegar

Potato Chips – Barbecue

And of course, being Starbucks and all, the obvious offering here is coffee. Rich, bitter, delicious, invigorating, but generally frowned upon in the hands of a preschooler. I need the boost, she already rocks and rolls all night and parties every day.

In conclusion, while I’m not excited about the options, and a meal is definitely out of the question, in a pinch, Starbucks might just work. I’d much rather support the amazing local, home spun cafes in my area (and any area really), but a family’s gotta do what a family’s gotta do. I’ll take the kids for a walk this weekend and see how the experience goes. If nothing else, next time we’re stuck en route and the snacks run out, or maybe someday if we’re travelling, well, pretty much anywhere in the developed world, Starbucks will be there with…something.

February 7, 2018 0

We like to party.

We like to party…we like, we like to party.
I apologize for invoking the Vengaboys, but even after 18 years, I STILL hear that song every time someone mentions a party. It’s terrible, but catchy as hell. You’re welcome for the ear worm.

It’s true though, we do like to party. We just have to manage things a little differently than we used to.

Or, from time to time these days, though I hate to admit it, we avoid them.

When we do bail, it’s generally a combination of situational factors (e.g., number of people, if there are kids, if the place is going to be filthy with pizza and ice cream, if there are little old ladies with good intentions trying to give our kid ice cream), and location (e.g., an Italian restaurant, an indoor playground smeared with years of pizza and ice cream residue, a cottage or camping event where emergency services may be unreliable).

We’re not any less social than we used to be. Life is busy, but we love the people in ours and we want to actually see them in a social capacity.

However, sometimes it feels a little overwhelming. Layered in with the factors above, is how much effort we feel like putting into prep and surveillance.

The prep, I’ve talked about before. (See Sesame Seeds of Doubt with regards to events at restaurants, and Excursion Essentials for going pretty much anywhere else.)

The surveillance is something all parents do when we’re fresh to the job and helicopter-y, but it generally fades as kids get bigger and more independent. With our son, we’re at a point where the right party, at the right house, allows us to release him into a toy-filled attic or basement along with all the other kids and it’ll all turn out ok. Our daughter is two and a half so she’s gaining a little independence, but usually wants to stay nearby, and we’re ok with that because the eight-year-old kids aren’t quite babysitting age (though some of the eight-year-olds we know are waaaayyy more grown up than some of the 38 year-olds we know).

In general, we’re pretty relaxed and will team up to check on the kids, bring them in line if needed, feed, water, change, etc. However, in certain crowds, at certain events, we have to kick things up a notch. Not surprisingly, when food comes out, our roles…intensify. While we haven’t gone full secret service yet (those ear piece communicators are expensive), we lock eyes, exchange hand signals for placement in relation to our charge, and establish clear sight lines around the room.

Once a cheese board or a bowl of dill pickle chips (yup…dairy in those) hits the coffee table, our daughter has a shadow: Someone to cut her off if she approaches the snack table. Someone to scan the room for used napkins or those tempting tiny plates that inevitably get sprinkled all over side tables and the arms of couches. We also scan for orange Doritos residue, chocolate or cookie crumbs, fruit that looks harmless but has been served near yogurt dip…you get the picture.

We do it as subtly as possible, but it’s a delicate balance between trying to keep an eye on her, attempting to maintain adult conversation, and tactfully executing a wipe down of any kids (or cuddly adults) who might make contact with the little one or things she’s likely to touch. If she ever goes into show biz, she’ll be well accustomed to the “starlet at a bar with a body guard” routine.

We hope it’s not creepy or weird or intrusive for others at the party. We don’t want to dictate how parties are thrown, or what’s there, or how others have to celebrate when we’re around. We don’t want people to groan when they find out we’re coming and that they have to accommodate us. We also don’t want people to make a huge deal out of it when we have been accommodated. I want to make it clear that we ALWAYS appreciate the good intentions of people making the effort, and the work it takes to do so. But…it can really feel like you’re putting people out when there’s a big “todo” about separating and substituting, or when kids are told “You can’t have that today because R is here.” We want our daughter accustomed to real life and real situations. But, man can it ever suck the fun out of a gathering when it becomes the focal point of your night.

HOWEVER, we are exceptionally fortunate, and New Years Eve this year was a heart busting reminder of that. We have amazing friends who, for several years now, have hosted a two-stage party where the kids get to celebrate a ball drop at 8pm and the grown-ups celebrate in a second shift once the kids (and some partners) have gone to bed.

Without really bringing it up, without fanfare, and absolutely without eye rolling or groaning, this amazing group of people (hosts, guests, and kids) quietly sorted out a snack menu that was completely safe and completely satisfying. There were fruit and veggie trays, and home made bread. We were asked to bring some dip to contribute. Friends brought guac and nachos. More friends showed up with locally made dairy-free tomato pizza. The hosts went out and found cashew-based “cheese” that was safe (only peanuts are an issue) and really really good. Packages were casually brought over for a quick inspection as needed. It wasn’t a thing. It just happened.

We went to the party, prepped and ready to break out our dark suits and hand signals…and promptly put that shit away and simply raised our glasses. When the kids went to bed, the grown-ups busted out the dairy (and maybe a little more booze), but while our daughter was there, we literally had nothing to worry about.

It may seem like a small thing to them, but the fact that it was thought of and done without hoopla or hullabaloo, or highlighting again and again what was being done because our daughter was there, was EVERYTHING. As I type, I’ve got warm, happy tears in my eyes because our friends are fucking fabulous. We love them dearly and it was so so so good to start the new year with the feeling that things were indeed, fine and dandy.

So, as we ring in a new year where the world in general is feeling less than warm and fuzzy, I leave you with the following message, originally put out by the Vengaboys, but dedicated to the people in our lives who so clearly have our backs:

Hey now, hey now, hear what I say now

Happiness is just around the corner

Hey now, hey now, hear what I say now

We’ll be there for you

You know the rest. Happy 2018!

January 9, 2018 0

There’s no food in that food.

Tis the season to be grateful. Falalalala la la la la!

I am indeed grateful for many things in my life, but this season, I am particularly and surprisingly grateful that some of the food we buy is not…really food.

Sometimes, as an allergy parent, a near or complete lack of natural food products is a big old win. If there’s nothing real, there’s nothing to trigger a reaction. If it’s good and processed, it might be processed enough that the body doesn’t even recognize it anymore. I’m not saying it’s good all the time. I know carnauba wax is NOT something one should consume in any great quantity. But…sometimes…it’ll do the trick.

You see, my five-year-old was PUMPED to make a gingerbread house. My two-year-old, fuelled by her brother’s enthusiasm, also had visions of candy construction dancing in her head. But…I am not a gifted or patient baker. Life is currently pretty full of life-type stuff, and I had no idea how to make vegan icing harden enough to be used as adhesive. I do have a vague memory of my mother fusing gingerbread together with some kind of melted sugar concoction, but a significant part of that memory is actually her swearing as she burnt the crap out of her fingers while the pieces slid apart. In my memory, whatever she used was the candy equivalent of hot glue…my crafting arch nemesis.

I was determined to find a solution that was safe for my daughter, without being a huge pain the ass. There had to be something.

And there was! Was there ever!

After a month or so of calling around natural grocery stores, pestering alternative bakeries, and scouring the depths of Pinterest for a vegan gingerbread house that I could and would actually make, the clouds parted and a miracle occurred.

On a windy, miserable day at ToysRUs, as I debated between Thomas the Tank Engine and Paw Patrol advent calendars (three days into December…because I’m cheap and they’re on sale if you buy them late), I glanced to the left and found this magical answer to my problem:

It was peanut free, dairy free, egg free, the icing and candy balls were pretty much just sugar with some weird binders and oil, and it totally blew my five-year-old’s mind.

I don’t know if the kit was strictly vegan and it’s definitely not advertised as such, but a good close look through the ingredient list confirmed it. There was little to no food in that “food.” Juuust unnatural enough not to be a threat. Score!

The results (sneak peak in the lower right corner there) were a little more abstract than the box, but it was super fun! Got a pile of safe candy from the grocery store, some old stale marshmallows (for snow on Hoth that turned into clouds on Takodana), and went to town.

Happy holidays everyone!

December 23, 2017 0

Sesame Seeds of Doubt

There’s a local-ish gourmet burger chain we go. They have a smattering of locations within an hour’s drive, but there’s one location in particular where we’ve eaten a handful of times as a family. We’re not there weekly or anything, but as noted in previous posts, our stomping grounds are limited and we are pretty damn cautious, so going somewhere a few times a year is a big deal.

I can’t remember how I found out they could accommodate my daughter’s food snaffoos. I think we’d heard that some places have dedicated fryers to accommodate gluten free consumer demand and I called to check. My daughter, like many kids, will happily eat fries as a meal. (Note: If you’re going to judge me as a parent for that, you can go away now.)

When I called, I found out that their burgers are all beef, no binders, and that there was also a gluten free, vegan bun. The angels sang and trumpets played and we took the whole family in, without an extra packed meal.

We followed our standard allergy family dining out protocol:

Call ahead, talk to the manager, and confirm the options (if there are any). Be SUUUUUUUPER friendly.
Let them know when you’ll be coming. Go early so they won’t be rushed or distracted with the order while prepping, and give them time to prep an area or clean stuff off for you. (Theoretically…gotta put a little faith in the fact that you’ve just told them your two year old could die and that they don’t want that.) Be SUUUUUUUPER friendly.
When you arrive, ask again for the manager and let them know that you called ahead. Confirm the allergy list with them and let them know you appreciate any extra effort their staff makes to accommodate your needs. Show them your beautiful daughter (Do this only if she’s in a good mood and adorable. If she’s hangry and being a turd, send your partner with her to the bathroom until you’re seated.). Be SUUUUUUUUUPER friendly.
Thoroughly wipe down the table and chairs where your allergic kid will be sitting with three separate wipes. Accept the “What’s up with that?” looks from other customers and the “I was visibly cleaning that as you approached.” look from the server, with a shrug and a smile. Make a lame “it’s not you it’s us” joke if anyone is in ear shot or in danger of eye strain from rolling them so hard.
When your server arrives re-list the allergies. Show them your beautiful daughter (who is now sweetly colouring and singing itsy-bitsy spider after your partner has slipped her a graham cracker to soften the hangriness). I also carry the list on a pocket sized piece of paper, along with all the terrible things that can happen, and the emergency procedure to follow if they do. Give this to the staff. I know they could write this down, but it makes me feel better knowing that I’m not relying on someone else’s attention span or handwriting. I also feel the consequences and the emergency procedure being printed, but not spoken (more than once) really hammer the point, in a deliciously passive aggressive kind of way. Again, be SUUUUUUUPER friendly.
When ordering, ask again about everything your kid is going to eat. Ask if the server would mind double checking with the cooking staff about any food being prepared, and to double check the ingredients on anything that’s premade. Continue to be SUUUUUUUPER friendly.
When the food arrives, smile, look apologetic, and say “I’ve just gotta ask again…” and make sure your allergic kid is getting what they’re supposed to be getting.
If all goes well, leave a good tip at the end of the meal. Ask to speak to the manager and let them know that the server was great, that the food was appreciated, and that the extra effort didn’t go unnoticed. Of course, wrap it up by being SUUUUUUPER friendly. My feeling on this is that we want more places to be willing to accommodate and we want more people to not be dicks about it. Make them want you back.

This may seem a little elaborate if you’re not in this mess on a day-to-day basis, but going out is an event for our kids and it’s worth the effort. Quality of life, don’t shut me in type-thing.

The catch, of course, is when it doesn’t work. Or even worse, when you think it worked, but maybe it didn’t.

Let’s go back to the burger place. The first time we went, we were extra cautious and the experience was pretty new for our daughter. She was a little overwhelmed by the people, the bustle, and the thematic accents in the décor. She mostly ate fries and a bit of the ketchup soaked burger. All was well. The next time, she ate more of the burger, but who knows how much food actually gets INTO a two-year-old compared to what gets splattered AROUND a two year old.

The third time she ate most of the burger and all seemed to go well. Unfortunately, a few hours later she complained that her back hurt (daughter-speak for the sharp itchiness of a reaction as it pops up on her torso). She was fussy and fidgety and farting up a storm. Hives appeared. We dosed her up with antihistamine and things cleared up. We checked on her throughout the night to make sure nothing else flared up.

We went step-by-step through the meal in our heads. Did we touch her fries with our cheese-burger-y hands? Did her brother’s chocolate milk somehow splash across the table? We’d been so careful, but there’s always something you miss.

We chalked it up to good old cross-contamination and accepted that we weren’t going to get a definitive answer. Everything should have been clear, but it hadn’t and we took the blame.

This weekend, we returned to the restaurant, followed the procedure, and placed an order with the usual apologies (I know we shouldn’t have to, but we do it anyway) and requests to double check. This time, unlike the others, the server walked back over to us with a binder and showed us an ingredient list.

Duh duh dun!

Turns out, the gluten free buns are dairy free, but include egg. Not vegan. Not cool. We’d gotten both super lucky and super unlucky the first few times we’d eaten there. Lucky that our daughter hadn’t eaten more of the bun, lucky that her reaction was mild, but unlucky that the server and staff we’d spoken with hadn’t check this binder, which was clearly laid out and intended to answer exactly this kind of question.

Playing devil’s advocate, it is possible that the ingredients had changed, that the binder didn’t exist last time (maybe they’d updated procedures), or that something else had gone awry. I’ve worked in food service, I get it.

We thanked our server whole-heartedly for doing the extra checks and ordered the burger without the bun and fries for our daughter. The meal went well, everyone was happy and no hives appeared before bed time.

There was, however, barfing at 2am. Lots and lots of vomit.

And THIS is the hard part.

It is highly unlikely that my daughter’s impression of Linda Blair had anything to do with the dinner that she’d eaten, other than the fact that it came back up for a second showing. There are bugs and flu and all manner of gastro-intestinal horror going around daycare and school. My partner had been sick just days before. She did not have hives, or swelling, or any other symptom to indicate that it was a reaction. However, she also did not have a fever, or aches, or diarrhea, or any other symptom to indicate that it was a virus. Whatever it was, it came and went, and she was starving and only a little groggy from the sleep disruption, within hours of it occurring. No antihistamines or epinephrine needed. (Thankfully!)

There is no evidence to indicate that my daughter came into contact with anything that would harm her at the restaurant. This time, the server had saved our butts by doing what she was supposed to do. She was thorough and attentive. We took every precaution that we could reasonably take.

But…the seeds of doubt are there. We do not and cannot know that it wasn’t something she ingested. Every time she vomits, our automatic assumption is that it’s a reaction. If she gags while she’s throwing up (she’s really very bad at it and makes horrible noises and faces because it’s just a lot of work), we run for the epi pen and prepare to dial 911. We wake her in the night as we shine our phones on her back and belly and face to make sure there aren’t any hives, and that her lips don’t look swollen. In practice, we have to assume that vomit is the first sign of something that can get bad pretty fast.

There is always, though remote, a chance that whatever caused her to purge her system, came from dinner. We thought we could be pretty confident with this particular restaurant, but there was a decent screw-up/oversight those first couple times, that we just learned about, that leaves a bad taste. In the words of every parent at some point: I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.

We are well aware that we’re taking a risk when we’re out. Some allergic families don’t take that risk, but for us, it’s important to try. The reality is that we have to trust others (to a point) and that from time to time, someone will let us down. If we don’t try, then people will continue to say “then just don’t go out” and nothing will ever change for families like ours. It is also a reality that there are more and more families like ours out there. Gotta blaze that trail!

What I am pissed about, is that our list of places we can be at ease just got shorter. We’ll likely go back to the burger place. We know what to watch for and what to ask for (the binder!). We have good reason to believe that the service and the food the last time we were there was on point. Due diligence was done and we got what we needed and paid for.

But it’s never going to be the same.

I’m always going to feel a little off and a little suspicious, and every other restaurant is going to have to that much harder to show me I can feel good feeding my kid there. I’m still going to be SUUUUUUUPER friendly, because I want to reward restaurants and individuals that are even trying to accommodate our needs, but I’m going to dig deep into my nerd-dom to sum things up…

“The seed of doubt was there, and it stayed, and every now and then sent out a little root. It changed everything, to have that seed growing.” – Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game

November 30, 2017 0

Excursion Essentials

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, when we go out, we go with food. Thought I’d post a quick essentials list for what we look for and what we always have on hand when it’s time to eat.

To date, we’ve never had a problem with bringing in our own food. I know others who have, but in general, employees back away slowly and smile when we list off our daughter’s allergies. Mostly nobody cares or notices. I think as along as nobody is screaming or making a huge mess, most establishments are pretty cool with a kid quietly snacking in a corner. We even clean up before AND after she eats…what’s not to like about a customer who does that?

The “Look Fors”:

1. Quiet corner away from main food service

2. Vinyl chair…easy wipedown.

What we always bring:

3. Wipes (before, after, during…We buy BIIIIIGGG boxes of wipes.)

4. Yumbox. This thing has been a game changer when we go out. Totally shameless plug here. It’s stupid expensive for a lunch box, but you need the right tools for the job, and this thing really works for us. The compartments are sealed when closed, it’s well-weighted so doesn’t tip, and our toddler can open and close it. Where we go, it goes.

5. Emergency kit: 2x auto injectors, anaphylaxis plan cheat sheet (short version to hand to servers etc. when out), antihistamine.

That’s it. Easy peasy. Just do that everywhere and you’re good.

October 9, 2017 1

It’s like that.

I wasn’t prepared, sitting at my desk at work, eating left-over shepherd’s pie and scarfing cold coffee…to start crying.

I WAS going to suck up my lunch break watching trailers for movies I don’t get around to seeing until they’re on Netflix. Instead, I fake sneezed and withdrew to the ladies to try and de-blotch my eyes.

I’d come across this video from www.foodallergy.org.

I’m not connected with them in anyway, but for obvious reasons, when I fall into a research/panic hole about all this stuff, I often end up on a path that leads to their resources.

This video wrecked me. This is it. This is what it’s like and will be like for my kid and my family. These kids are my kid at various stages of development, and these parents have the same fears and necessary protocols and feelings of guilt and anxiety that we do.

I used to be a pretty chill parent (relatively speaking), but it’s hard not to let the type-A terror demon loose when half of what the food guide recommends your kid to eat, could kill her. I cried because these families get it, and we don’t really know anyone in our circle who really does. It’s not a lack of empathy or interest. It’s just a lot to take in and work into your life, and like many other conditions, it’s hard to fully grasp unless you’re in it. I know I never did.

If you want a little slice of what it’s like to be in the head space of a parent with a kid who has life-threatening allergies, this is it. The creepy stranger that lurks in the back yard where your kid plays, the boogey man that’s hiding behind every corner…Parents and kids have different ways of describing the feeling where everything is suspect. I can usually roll with the notion that “it could be worse”, but it’s always possible that it couldn’t be, and that’s what makes it hard.

To those who’ve shared their experiences in this video and others like it, thanks! It always helps to know you’re not the only ones.

NOTE: FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) has a whole “Food for Thought” video series that’s worth checking out.

September 12, 2017 0

The Game of Scones

Ok, this is more bread/muffin-related, but the pun really works better with scones. Let’s just call it a brilliant play on baked good words and move on.

There’s a game I play, as a parent of an allergic kid. When I pull a recipe, I skip right to the ingredients list. If I have to substitute any more than three ingredients to make it edible, it’s exiled.

If it’s really good and there are maybe four substitutions, but I KNOW they’re going to work, I’m willing to negotiate.

Let’s just say that in the past couple years, my kingdom has become very exclusive.

However, there’s a thing in my family with this cookbook. Some of you may be familiar with it. It’s called “The New Purity Cookbook: A Complete Guide to Canadian Cooking.” (Insert joke about Canadians and maple syrup/poutine/blah blah blah…)

The version we’ve always worked from is from 1945. I’m not sure where exactly it came from or what made it so influential in my family, but my Grandma had it and now I have it, and there are so many things I love about it.

It features awful gelatin-based monstrosities and pineapple glazed things that ought not be pineapple glazed. Typical stuff for the era. I have major issues with the texture of things and there are a lot of recipes that both repulse and fascinate me in there.

However, it also features kick-ass cakes, muffins, and quick breads (SCONES!) from a time before people thought butter and lard were bad. Short story…it’s always been my goto for baked goods, waffles, etc.

Unfortunately, the winds have shifted and these days, that shit generally doesn’t fly. The oldies I know and love have to be remixed like dub-hop or trip-metal, or whatever the kids are listening to these days.

Most goods CAN be adapted but often they’re pretty terrible alternatives, or a huge pain in the ass.

The average person without dietary restrictions tends to take this kind of thing for granted, but this is a good one. It freezes well, and everyone likes it.

This my friends, is how I take an old favourite and bend it to my will.

The Original: Banana Nut Bread

The Non-Deadly Remix:

Three essential substitutions, the quantities are the same, and there’s nothing weird or hard to find.

(Optional) Whole grain or wheat flour subs in for all purpose. (Fibre! Fibre!)
(Optional) Maple syrup takes the place of sugar. (Ok…Canadian stereotype validated.)
Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips replace the nuts. (Who wants nuts in banana bread anyway…really?)
Skip the egg and use a flax egg. (The key is to remember to do this before everything else. Logistics! It has to sit a few minutes to hit a good goopy consistency.)
Soy milk knocks out the dairy. (Oat milk is good here too, but soy has a closer nutritional profile to dairy so that’s why I use it.)
(Optional) Extra banana. (Why? Because my baker sister said to always add more. She’s right! Makes a big difference in texture. Texture can be an issue when you mess with baking ingredients, because chemistry.)

The Result: Nutless Banana Nut Bread

1 flax egg (make 5 min early)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ cup soy milk
2 very ripe mashed bananas
As many dairy free chocolate chips as you like. I won’t judge you. (Enjoy Life is the brand I find most often)

I dump all the dry in one bowl and mix and then add all the wet in the same bowl and mix. Then I dump that in a glass baking dish with parchment paper in it so I don’t have to work too hard to clean it. Bake at 350ºF for about 45 minutes (depends how big the dish is). Same mix makes muffins, just bake for shorter time…more like 20 minutes.

Winter is coming…banana bread up bitches!

September 7, 2017 0

Food Appreciation: New York Fries

Food Appreciation is a little feature I’ll be doing from time to time about our adventures and misadventures eating out in the world with food allergies. Nothing endorsed or sponsored here. Just our experiences.

When your kid is allergic to everything, the little things get big. Even small outings require prep.

Everywhere you go you have to anticipate all possible food scenarios and pack accordingly. We have an extensive collection of boxes, bentos, and baggies stuffed with safe options on our person at any given time. If there is any chance an excursion will overlap with meal time, it’s prepared and packed. Meal time not likely? Still packing a crap-ton of snacks.

However, toddlers can be jerks and every effort and option will be ranked, idiosyncratically, on a scale of “That’s awesome, I will happily consume all the healthy options you have so lovingly prepared.” to “Screw you guys, I’m eating exclusively pickles now.” An unfavourable judgment results in a throwdown that escalates quickly and dramatically.

In general, fit or no, it doesn’t matter. There are no other options.

There aren’t, to be honest, many treats either. Especially at the mall.

Fast food service does not generally inspire faith in food handling practices and even when there are options that are supposed to be friendly, franchises take liberties with company protocol and say “nah…just throw that fish fillet in there…”

With our particular combination of allergies, there is but one shining beacon of indulgence at the mall, and that is…New York Fries! We can eat there. All of us!

Thank you New York Fries for using actual potatoes without some weird dairy coating! Thank you for using sunflower oil instead of peanut! Thank you for putting nothing in the fryer but those delicious dirty (skin on) fries! I will happily disregard the eye rolling from employees while I confirm this with a well-rehearsed series of questions asked in different ways to make sure everyone in this transaction has their facts straight. (Redundancy is important.)

Thank you for being the one place at the mall I can use as a carrot, to get both kids to cooperate, while I drag them through stores and pin their arms down so they don’t touch anything.

We made our purchases. We didn’t break anything. We all stayed calm. We all sat down and ate a giant bucket of hot crispy fries like a normal family. It was magic.

August 30, 2017 1

Tag: allergy