Egg-Free Cinnamon Spice Chocolate Chip Pancakes

A few years ago, reeling from the realization that Roo could not and likely never will be able to consume eggs, I couldn't help wallowing in a warm bath of self-pity. No more leisurely mornings at our favorite pancake house. No Christmas morning french toast casserole. No summer strawberry cream cheese brioche bake. No farmers market donuts. No crepes, waffles, breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros or egg sandwiches. What were we going to do with ourselves on weekend mornings?!

Practicing their Cups

Bean sports weekend morning hair like nobody's business, am I right?

Thankfully I've gained a little perspective over the years. I've learned that Roo seems to do just fine with eggs at the table as long as he doesn't personally ingest them. We still don't risk cross contamination by going out for breakfast if we don't have to, but Christmas morning french toast casserole has retained its rightful place in the holiday line-up (thank gawd!). Don't worry. Roo always gets extra bacon. And usually chocolate.

As for the weekend staples, we've been able to adapt much more painlessly than I ever could have imagined. Egg-free pancakes? No problem!

Egg-Free Cinnamon Spice Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 & 1/2 tbsp baking powder (yes, tablespoons)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup chocolate chips
butter, maple syrup, whipped cream, powdered sugar, berries, or extra chocolate chips to serve


Start heating a griddle or heavy frying pan over medium heat. Whisk together first 6 ingredients (flour-salt) in a large bowl. Pour the milk and oil into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. A few lumps are fine.

Use a ladle or measuring cup to spoon about 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle (or use a tablespoon to make super-mini pancakes like Mufasa). Scatter a few chocolate chips on top of the wet better. When the surface is dotted with tiny air bubbles, flip the pancakes and cook the other side until golden brown. Serve with butter, syrup, whipped cream, powdered sugar, berries, extra chocolate chips or my favorite - plain.

Beaches Negril Resort Allergy Review

A few weeks ago we embarked on our first international travel since 3 kids and Roo's food allergies joined the family. In case there was any doubt, traveling with food allergies is daunting - nuts nestled  in airplane seat crevices, unfamiliar restaurants, driving 15 miles out of the way in search of a well-stocked grocery store only to discover you made a wrong turn 9 miles back...uh-huh.

Traveling out of the country can feel downright impossible. I'm here to tell you it's not. At least for us, at this point in time, with our current set of allergies (peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, and peaches) we have proved it not only possible, but dare I say...enjoyable.

We selected Beaches Negril Resort and Spa based on several positive reviews we read regarding the handling of food allergies. Beaches touts a no worries to food allergies stance and that's really great except we all know it's a big fat lie. There is always some worry with food allergies. Always. That said, Beaches Resorts have made a commitment to take food allergies seriously and are making a concerted effort to welcome and accommodate guests with special dietary needs. Rock on, Beaches!

We notified the resort several weeks in advance of our visit about Roo's allergies and received an email confirmation that they would be able to accommodate his needs. Upon check-in we reminded the staff of his allergies, which had not been notated anywhere in our reservation but turned out not to be necessary. Within a few minutes, we were meeting with the resort's head chef who gave us a rundown of allergy protocol and assured us that Roo would be able to find safe things to eat throughout the week. Nice, right?

At each resort restaurant we informed our server or a manager that we had food allergies. A few minutes later, a chef would come to our table to discuss safe options. At the buffet style Mill restaurant, a chef was available to walk us through the buffet line pointing out which items were safe and those that weren't. Overall, Roo didn't have problems finding things to eat. Special thanks to Chef Conray who went so far as to prepare delicious egg-free, nut-free, fruit-filled muffins especially for Roo which turned out to be some of the tastiest treats any of us had on the trip. Talk about going the extra mile!

Our beachfront suite was large enough for the five of us and had a mini fridge and microwave. We brought along plenty of safe snacks and microwavable foods just in case but ended up barely using any of it. Best of all, no one ever seemed inconvenienced in the least if we asked to double or triple check to make sure certain items were safe. The kids particularly loved eating at the tappenyaki style Kimono's restaurant one night where our chef was careful to avoid eggs and nuts for us as well as onions, due to another traveler's allergy.

I should point out that while the food is ample and edible, it is not gourmet. I don't know about you but on a trip when I'll be spending 70 percent of the time in my bathing suit, gourmet meals are not a huge priority anyway. 24-hour access to soft-serve ice cream at Sweeties was enough for me, thank you very much. For us, food safety and sustenance were the priorities and Beaches Negril delivered on both accounts.

We tried to be smart at the buffet and avoided areas where there was high potential for cross contamination from peanut-butter, eggs, etc. Roo enjoyed packaged cereal, bacon or sausage, cheese, and fruit for most breakfasts and there were always options available to him at lunch and dinner (pasta, chicken, quesadillas, etc.). 

The Venetian was hands down our best meal of the week though surprisingly it was the least accommodating restaurant we tried in terms of allergies. Our waiter checked with the chef regarding our allergies and we were told he would make spaghetti and meatballs for Roo. Luckily, that's what he wanted anyway but we were not provided any other options. Despite the claims to the contrary, I couldn't get past the notion that there could be egg in the meatballs so Roo skipped the meatballs, ate the pasta, marinara, and extra Parmesan. He was happy and satisfied to the point that the rest of us were able to enjoy dessert - pumpkin doughnuts, chocolate tart, and tiramisu while he sucked on a ring pop I brought along in my purse. 

Looly relaxing at The Venetian

The bottom line is be smart. Be prepared. Be gracious. Notify the resort in advance of your needs. Be specific. Remind, remind, remind - everyone and every time. Bring along several packs of epipens. The resorts are located far from the nearest hospital. Better safe than...well, better safe, okay? Express gratitude and remember names. Don't assume ingredients are the same abroad as they are at home. Bring back-up. We brought an entire suitcase packed with safe foods just in case. We ended up not using most of it, but it was so much more relaxing knowing we had it available if we needed it. 

To be fair, after reading a few complaints from other visitors to Beaches Negril, I concede the following. It's Jamaica. And it's the tropics. There is extreme poverty in many areas. There are bugs. Milk comes in a box and according to Bean tastes different than milk in the US. The driving is chaotic. It's hot and humid. The birds tend to visit the open air restaurants for their breakfast too. All true. But, guys, it's the tropics!

There are enormous sparkly pools, a lazy river and water slides, breathtakingly clear azure seas, the softest coconut white sand that doesn't burn your feet even at high noon, multiple swim-up bars, fruity rum lunch, a warm, gracious, enthusiastic staff to cater to your every whim, palm trees fluttering in the breeze, and smiling, dripping, sun-exhausted kids. Relax and enjoy it.

 

Timber Ridge Resort Lake Geneva, WI

I've run my mouth a lot in the past about our less than ideal allergy experiences at various restaurants (I'm talking to you, Bahama Breeze!) but after a recent visit to Timber Ridge Lodge and Waterpark in Lake Geneva, WI, it's time for a big shout out. Thanks, Timber Ridge, for taking food allergies seriously and making our celebration of Bean and Roo's 5th birthday so much fun!

I'm 5!

Dealing with food allergies, there's not much worse than being far from home, starving, without an Enjoy Life Chewy Bar in the backpack, faced with the dire prospect of eating at a restaurant where the apathetic staff feigns knowledge and wishes you would just leave. We've been there time and again. Thankfully, Timber Ridge Resort is a different animal.

First and foremost, Timber Ridge Resort rooms have kitchens. Full kitchens!! Note there are no ovens, which could complicate some tasks (like baking a birthday cake for instance) but there is a full size refrigerator, stove top, microwave, coffeemaker, blender, toaster, sink, dishwasher, basic pots, pans, and dishes in each and every room. With Roo's allergies, this is a godsend for us, but having a kitchen at your disposal can only simplify the lives of anyone traveling with kids, allergies or not. 

Despite the kitchen, we ate at Smokey's Bar-B-Que House and the Hungry Moose Food Court at Timber Ridge over the course of our stay and were pleasantly surprised by the staff's accommodation of allergies at both restaurants.

Smokey's offers a binder filled with ingredient lists for every item on their menu. When I asked about food allergies, the hostess was eager to help me find the answers we needed. She didn't pretend to know whether or not there are eggs in the macaroni or if the french fries are fried in peanut oil but she knew exactly how to find out and was happy to do so. Having that peace of mind allowed us to focus on what we were really there for...water park!

Not to be misconstrued, my enthusiasm over the Timber Ridge restaurant scene has far more to do with addressing allergy concerns than gourmet meals. These are not 5-star restaurants by any stretch and that's totally okay with me. If you are in the market for something more refined, however, Timber Ridge sits on the grounds of the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, which has several restaurants of its own. A free shuttle runs every few minutes between the resorts.

We had Sunday brunch at the casual Grand Cafe at the Grand Geneva and found the staff to be just as friendly and accommodating of food allergies as they were at Timber Ridge. Our waiter wasn't troubled in the least by my slew of questions and spoke to the kitchen to find all the answers we needed. Bean and Roo even got coloring books to take home in honor of their birthday.

For special celebrations it appears you can coordinate with the resort to have festive signs, balloons, and probably ponies and princesses set up in your room upon arrival. I am a bad mother and coordinated no such thing. Thankfully the water park and an ice cream breakfast were enough for Bean and Roo, despite the many other birthday kiddos we saw celebrating in full regalia.

Happy birthday, 5-year-old!

The resort is not perfect. The water park is a bit small compared to others we've visited and I fear we're on the verge of outgrowing it but overall, it was a great way to spend a 5th birthday. Everyone we encountered on staff from the water park to the arcade to the trolley driver were pleasant and helpful. The resort is not luxurious but it is well-equipped and very family-friendly. Best of all, Mufasa and I were able to relax and enjoy the trip without having to stress over where Roo's next meal would come from.

Bahama Breeze Fiasco

We spent Memorial Day in Cleveland and overall it was stellar. Bouncy house, swimming pool, sunshine, barbecues, playgrounds, new shoes, a pinata, cocktails, good friends and one bad restaurant experience. Having been on the other side of the food allergy equation, I'm usually willing to cut restaurants some slack. Feigning knowledge, however, is never a good idea when allergies are in play.

Here's a copy of my letter to Bahama Breeze corporate office.

Dear Boss Man (not really his name),

On Saturday, May 26, 2012, my family of five visited Bahama Breeze in Orange Village, OH. My four-year-old son has food allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs. While we avoided the need for epi-pens and hospital visits, the attention we received in response to his allergies was abysmal.

I know that dealing with food allergies is a nuisance. I have worked in restaurants and am sensitive to the myriad unreasonable requests and demands we customers make.  Still, I wouldn’t be writing this letter if I didn’t sincerely believe it might help protect a future diner.

We purposely dined at an off peak time. I let our server, Tony, know of my son’s allergies immediately and asked if he would mind checking to see if the bowtie pasta from the children’s menu contained egg. Tony informed me that he didn’t need to check because all pasta contains egg. Obviously, as the mother of an egg-allergic child and someone familiar with food preparation, I knew this wasn’t true. I explained that generally only fresh pasta and egg noodles contain eggs, at which point Tony told me that Bahama Breeze makes all of their own pasta. How impressive for a Caribbean-themed family restaurant to make all their own pasta – and bowties at that! Still dubious, I opted not to argue further.

So, we ordered the grilled chicken instead. When I asked Tony to verify that the chicken wasn’t marinated in anything containing nuts or eggs, he told me that the chicken “should be good.” Well, “should be good” isn’t good enough when anaphylaxis is involved so I asked him to please check in the kitchen, but never heard back. When our food arrived the chicken was covered in a glaze. My husband questioned Tony yet again about how the chicken was prepared at which point Tony finally asked another server what was in the glaze. She responded “citrus juices and egg whites.” Thankfully my son hadn’t tasted his food yet. But what if he had? Fifteen minutes later Tony brought us a plain chicken breast but our confidence was shaky.

When we dine out we’ve learned that some restaurants are better equipped than others to deal with food allergies. That’s okay with me. But please have a plan in place even if that plan is to state that you do not accommodate allergy requests. When dodging a bullet, I generally prefer not to tip the shooter.

Thank you for your time.

Our Allergy-Friendly Restaurants

If you or someone you dine with has food allergies, trust me when I say I know how frustrating and downright dangerous it can be to go out for a meal. I could regale you for hours with stories of Roo's uncomfortable, but thankfully not lethal, restaurant adventures. Too many hives, tears, and fist-clenching tummy aches to count. And the vomit. So very much vomit I've taken to carrying a Tupperware container and washcloth in my purse. You think I'm kidding.

This is the list I wish I had three years ago. It's definitely not exhaustive, but I hope it might give someone out there a starting point for traversing the restaurant scene with food allergies.

Roo's current allergies include eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, peaches, and beef. I do not claim that the restaurants listed below have menu options suited to every person with food allergies because there are just too many variables to consider. In our personal experience, however, these standouts have gone above and beyond in helping our family enjoy a safe meal time after time. Perhaps more importantly than what's on the menu is the restaurant's attitude about food allergies in general.

All-stars:

California Pizza Kitchen
Our personal experience here has never been bad, dating back to the days when Roo was off all dairy and apple (in addition to the eggs, nuts, beef, and peaches). The waitstaff has always been willing to check labels, ask questions in the kitchen, and use foil under pizzas in the oven to avoid cross contamination. They've allowed us to dress our own pasta at the table, which sounds so small but when you're presented with a plate of glistening noodles in a bowl, how can you really be sure that's olive oil and not butter? Better still, here's a link to their allergy information.

Chipotle
Chipotle is our safety net. Did you know that Chipotle is a nut-free establishment? It took me long enough to figure that out. Did you know they have kids meals that include a cheese quesadilla (or taco or whatever), a side of rice, beans, and a small bag of tortilla chips? They make their allergy information readily available and are always willing to put on clean gloves or grab a fresh tub of beans to avoid the potential of cross contamination. Perhaps the best part about Chipotle is that they are ubiquitous. We can almost always find one in a time of need. One word of caution, however, if you suffer from a soy allergy, Chipotle is not your savior. There is soy in almost everything.

Seasons 52
Interestingly, owned by the same parent company as Bahama Breeze, but SO much better equipped to handle allergies. 

Steak n' Shake
Health food it is not, but the service and attention to allergies we get here is fairly awesome for a fast food joint. Managers routinely let us read any and all labels, deliver food personally, and make sure everyone is breathing and smiling. Read the labels because everything is not transparent (for instance there is egg in the milkshake base), but I love the attitude toward allergy disclosure at Steak n' Shake.

Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants
How freaking awesome is it that all the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants, and there are a lot, have allergy info available and a responsible protocol in place for dealing with allergies? Many offer a gluten-free menu too! The downside is that Lettuce restaurants are not everywhere. We are lucky here in Chi-town that we can choose from a vast array of cuisines and varying levels of fanciness within the Lettuce Entertain You family. But, unless you're in Chicago, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, or Washington DC, you're out of luck.

Honorable Mentions

Noodles and Company
Tasty pastas and noodles, allergy info is available online and behind the counter (just ask for the allergy menu) but be careful of cross contamination. Remind them to use a clean pan or clean the griddle and watch out for the nuts.

Red Robin
They talk a big game about allergy sensitivity and they have allergy menus available but they probably shouldn't need to run up to the office to print them out and then act uncomfortable when we choose to order something.

Cracker Barrel 
Not the most consistent in handling allergies, but we always seem to be able to find something suitable and safe.

The Not-So-Good

Buffets scare the crap out of me. There is just way too much potential for cross contamination.
Five Guys (in case the peanut shells on the floor weren't a clue)
TGI Fridays
Sbarro
Bahama Breeze - Yikes! Read about our Bahama Breeze fiasco here.

And no, that doesn't mean that these are terrible restaurants and that no one should ever go there. It's just that in terms of allergies, we personally have had one or more sub-par experiences there.

Traversing the Restaurant Scene with Food Allergies

I want my kids to see the world before they're too cool to hold my hand. I want them to run their fingers along the weather-pocked stone of the Mayan temples I keep telling them about. I want them to know the sharp sting of black sand on the soles of their feet and the cool melt of ahi on their tongues. They should be sticking their noses into steaming pots of dal in India and sampling nshima in Zambia where their father was born. Our passports are up to date. I even bought a new bathing suit but sadly we won't be boarding an Airbus any time soon. Damn you, food allergies. I want to go on vacation!

OK, so we're not quite ready to tackle international travel yet, but as I mentioned in a previous post, we're inching toward mobility. Over the course of the past four years of dealing with Roo's allergies (now down to eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, beef, and peach) we're starting to get the hang of this eating on the road gig.

First things first. When we go to a restaurant we always have Roo's epi-pens and Benadryl. Always.

We call ahead whenever possible to get a rundown of how the restaurant handles allergies, what food items are safe, and what type of oil they use to fry stuff. We do not call to ask these questions at 7:00 pm on a Saturday night.

Once we get our menus, we ask all of the allergy questions again and compare answers. Often they are not the same as those received on the phone.

We keep an emergency snack bag in the car with a few small items in case we can't find something safe and need to buy ourselves some time. This bag contains fruit snacks, pretzels, and Dum Dum lollipops at a minimum. Bananas and turkey roll-ups do not keep well in the car. 

When someone, say a busy waitress, takes time to find out once and for all if there is egg in the fusilli pasta and returns with the label torn from a box, we do not let this act go unrequited. We are chronic over tippers. This is not a bad thing.

And we're learning to relax.

Eating out with food allergies is a risk but so is everything else worth doing. Every time Roo works his way across the monkey bars I worry that the kid before him had peanut butter on his fingers. Every time Looly goes on a play date I worry that there's an unsecured firearm in the house. Every time Bean opens our back gate on a stormy day I worry a gust of wind is going to smack the iron handle into her teeth. But somehow the monkey bars get crossed, the play date gets played, and the gate gets secured once more.

I guess that's what we do. I can't protect them from everything. For Roo, eating buttered noodles and broccoli from a kids menu is just one of those things.