On a recent Friday in May, Kevin and I flew to New York to spend five days with our son, Bradley. We had a 3:05 p.m. flight scheduled to land in Newark, NJ about 5:00 p.m. Bradley would meet us at the airport. Because it would be close to dinnertime, our commute to his apartment would be one and a half hours and it is difficult to find something I can safely eat at an airport, we agreed I should bring food. Friday morning I packed 2 sandwiches, apples and a couple corn chip & guacamole snack cups. I put them in the fridge and proceeded to forget about them – until we were halfway to the airport. I texted Bradley, asking him to bring food to the airport. Next, I sent Brent a text, telling him to grab the sandwiches when he stopped at our house that evening. (He later sent me a message saying the sandwiches “were good, even the one made with your bread.” High praises for sliced gluten-free bread. (I use Schar Gluten Free Artisan Baker Bread.)
Bradley met us at the airport with an orange and bananas, which we ate while waiting for the train. When initially planning our trip we’d agreed, because of our food allergies, we would prepare the majority of our meals. Also, for the next five days our only mode of transportation would be either on foot or subway. (Bradley does not own a car, typical when living in New York City.) Every place we planned to go would be at least 45 minutes from the apartment. So, with the logistics involved and our food allergies, it would definitely be wise to pack a small cooler with food for each outing.
We dropped our luggage at his apartment and walked to the corner grocery store. We bought fresh chicken, roast beef, bacon, sandwich meat, carrots, celery, onion, peppers, lettuce, potatoes, bananas, apples, grapes, gluten-free bread and bagels, regular bread, cheese, dairy-free yogurt, corn chips, salsa, Lara Bars and almonds.
Back at his place, we made chicken stir fry and planned our meals and snacks for the next 5 days.
Breakfast: We would eat the breakfast foods we’d bought, every morning before leaving the apartment.
Snacks to Pack: Celery, carrots, grapes, apples, almonds and Lara Bars.
Lunch: We made chicken salad for sandwiches. Sandwich meat could be used for sandwiches or lettuce wraps. Because we would be sight-seeing and the weather was favorable, we planned to eat lunch at outdoor seating areas or parks. (That worked well for us.)
Dinner: We planned to eat a second dinner at home – beef stew. We’d also been invited to a cook-out on Monday, which would cover another meal. To finish out the trip, we figured we should be able to find a restaurant or two, that would accommodate all of us.
Bradley said he wanted to make omelets for Sunday brunch on Mother’s Day. On Saturday, we would make a trip to the Union Street Farmer’s Market for duck or quail eggs. {SIDEBAR: Bradley and I are both allergic to chicken eggs. Four years ago, I learned that some individuals with an allergy to chicken eggs are able to eat other bird eggs. Bradley and I both researched this for about a year before feeling confident in trying a duck egg. Neither of us had a reaction. Bradley has also had good luck with quail eggs. I have to STRESS here, that neither he nor I has an allergic anaphylactic response to eating egg. I get migraines, he gets hives and swelling – nothing life threatening. I am not advocating, nor suggesting to anyone to go out and try different eggs. I am simply recounting our experience. If you are intrigued by this subject – please, do your OWN research, and talk to your doctor before trying another bird egg. Below are 3 sites to begin your research.}
Union Street Farmers Market: On Saturday by the time, we got to the Farmer’s Market, it was raining and many of the vendors were packing up. We were unable to find duck or quail eggs, but did find gluten-free Vegan Sheperd’s Pie. We bought two. Kevin passed on the pie, saying he’d order take out. As we were leaving the market, Bradley spied a sign reading – “Ostrich Eggs”. He’d researched ostrich eggs as well as duck and quail eggs finding favorable results for each when it came to us being able to eat them. We paid the vendor $35 and carefully wrapped it for the ride home.
Sunday: We spent part of our morning Googling our questions about ostrich eggs. (One egg is equivalent to 15-24 chicken eggs, weighing 3.5 – 5 lbs. Ours weighed approx. 2 ½ pounds so we surmised it was about 15 eggs worth-give or take.) We took pictures of the egg alone, with other foods and with me. We filmed ourselves cracking the egg open. We had a blast. We made a large omelet for brunch. Ultimately, we got another omelet and 2 meals of French toast out of it. It was definitely worth the $35, for both the deliciousness and the entertainment. That evening we ate the Vegan Sheperd’s pie. While it looked yummy, I was a bit disappointed. I like beans and all, but, in my opinion, there is such a thing as “too many beans”. Also, it was kind of dry. We both said we thought it might taste better with chicken gravy. lol (Kind of defeats the purpose of the whole “vegan” thing.) Overall, Bradley said the pie wasn’t bad.
The three of us did find one restaurant we could all eat at; Noon Mediterranean, a fast food restaurant. (It’s like a Mediterranean version of Qdoba.) It was good. I’d never heard of anything like it before and then last week Brent and I were in Southfield, MI and we found Shwarma Grill – same concept. Yay!
Hoping I gave you some ideas, again, for eating while on vacation. It is more of a challenge when flying, especially if you are staying in a hotel. Individual serving size packets of nuts and seeds, Glutino gluten-free pretzels, Lara and Kind bars all travel well. If your hotel has a mini fridge, you’re golden. If not, utilize your phone for finding food specific restaurants to meet your dietary needs. When traveling with food allergies you just have to plan ahead and be creative.
Safe travels everyone, as we begin the summer vacation season!
https://www.inspiredmylove.com/duck-eggs-vs-chicken-eggs/
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/duck-eggs-less-allergenic-more-nutritious/
https://www.localharvest.org/blog/16682/entry/duck_eggs_vs_chicken_eggs
Thanks for stopping!
Brenda
Disclaimer:
These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know? Just read your labels! Do your research!