Some Allergy Friendly Restaurants

We had a FACTS (Food Allergy Community of Tennessee) meeting tonight and we discussed traveling with food allergies and shared some restaurants that are more than willing to accommodate those with food allergies. If you were not able to make it, here is the handout that was passed out...

Sit Down Restaurants

• Bonefish Grill-(Cool Springs)-cook to order/aware of food allergies
• Carrabba’s Italian Grill-cooked to order/aware of food allergies
• Outback-cooked to order/aware of food allergies
• P.F. Changs-cooked to order/aware of food allergies
• J. Alexander’s-Layne has had a good experience with them
• Cantina Laredo-Ginger recommends
• Bahama Breeze (Memphis, Atlanta)-while traveling we dined here and had a wonderful experience
• Cracker Barrel-the manager gave me a list of options that would work with my son’s allergies
• Corky’s
• O Charley’s

Tips for Dining Out

• Call the manager in advance and ask if they can accommodate with the food allergies and let them know when you are coming in to dine. Get their name and ask if they will still be on shift. If not, ask what manager to speak with when you arrive.
• Try to go at a time when it is not too busy (when the restaurant first opens or at an odd time is great since the manager will have more time to spend with you and the kitchen will not be slammed…this means less chance of a mistake/cross-contamination).
• Tell your server about the food allergies
• Ask to speak with manager (if you have the name of the manager, that is even better) once you are seated at your table.
• Hand a Chef Card (there is one on FAAN, HERE) to the manger so he can give to the chef so he/she has a hard copy of the allergies that they avoiding while cooking
• Thank them…Thank them…Thank them (make sure to give your server a good tip)
• Grab (or ask for) the manager’s card and follow up with an email thanking them or even email corporate to “brag” on the manager/restaurant if they have done a great job (mostly likely, they will remember you when you go in to dine again)

A quick Bite to eat

• Honeybaked Ham-ham and turkey are free of the common allergens: dairy, soy, gluten and nuts. They are also open for lunch (coupon HERE). There are also coupons in the inserts in the paper sometimes.
• Tossed (Cool Springs)-dairy free/gluten free tomato basil soup and salad options.
• Garlic Jim's (Cool Springs)-gluten free pizza/have non-dairy cheese available if you pay extra
• Red Robin-Layne has had a good experience

I am certain there are many more restaurants that are safe and/or accommodating in our area. The most important thing to do is get online, look up the menu, find out if there is something that looks like it could be safe and give them a call to make sure. It would be disappointing to get to the restaurant only to find out that nothing is safe to eat or the staff is not accommodating. You will get a feel for it on the phone if they want to take care of you and make sure the food is safe.

I have some of these restaurants and others under Safe Options for Eating Out


*Bonefish Grill, Outback and Carrabba’s Italian Grill are affiliated and more than willing to take care of those who have food allergies. Again, just mention to your server and the manager when you arrive.

Enjoy an Allergen Free Night Out!

Spice Muffins

These are great to have as a treat. I like making them in mini muffins for Brody because they are bite size and don't break apart (and make a mess) like regular muffins. You only need two ingredients, which makes this such an easy recipe to whip together in a moments notice.

This recipe is free of milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, fish and shellfish

*Could be soy and wheat free if right mix is used

Ingredients

1 box Spice Cake Mix

1 can of 100% pure pumpkin

Directions

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl. Put in a mini muffin pan and bake at 350 for approximately 10-12 minutes.

I like to freeze the leftovers in a freezer bag to have treats that are ready to eat!

HoneyBaked for Lunch

If you are like me, I usually think of Honeybaked for around the holidays; but what about for lunch?

We now know that the ham and turkey are safe, so I thought this was a great deal for $4.99. The lunch deal includes your choice of a whole sandwich, chips and a drink. If you are gluten free, I think just eating the ham or turkey by itself would be great!

Click here for the coupon. It expires on 3/6/2010 so you have a little while to use it.

The hardest thing that I have found is to have a safe place for lunch that won't break the bank...this is a great option!

The ham and turkey (smoked or roasted) are free of dairy, milk, eggs, glutens or wheat products, nuts or nut products, and soy products (soy flour, soy oil, etc.)

If you want the ingredient list for either the ham or the turkey, just email me at allergenfreeplease (at) gmail (dot) com and I will send it to you. It is the list from the company.

*If you go, I would speak with the person preparing your lunch and tell them about the food allergies.

I was told at the Honeybaked Ham that I go to, that the meat is sliced on a different slicer than the cheese (which is awesome!); but just make sure, you can never be too careful.

Bonefish Grill

There is another safe restaurant for you to eat at...Bonefish Grill. A few months ago, my in-laws took my husband and I out to dinner without the kids, and while we were there I asked the server if they would be able accommodate Brody with his food allergies. I was told to bring him in and they will make safe food, since they make everything cooked to order. I was excited to have another restaurant that was not annoyed or who didn't have a clue about cooking for someone with food allergies.

My husband and I were planning on going to Bonefish for a date night in the near future because they have $5 Bang Bang Shrimp (full of allergens) on Wednesday nights (this is one of our favorite appetizers). This is a great deal for this appetizer...and there is no limit on how many you can purchase :)

Well, we decided to bring the kids with us since it was a last minute decision to go. I got on the Internet, looked at the kids menu and saw that grilled chicken and fresh vegetables is one of the options (I figured this could definitely be safe). I called and spoke with one of the staff and asked again if they could accommodate Brody. I was told to come in and that they would take care of us.

When we arrived at Bonefish, I spoke with our server and she immediately brought the manager to our table. We spoke to him about the allergens that we are having to avoid. He said the grilled chicken with no seasonings and freshly steamed broccoli with no seasonings would be safe for Brody. He spoke with the chef and made sure that there would not be any possibility of cross-contamination. The manager personally brought Brody out a little plate of fruit so that he had something to snack on while his dinner was being prepared (I thought this was going over and beyond). Brody nearly cleaned his plate when his dinner was brought out. My parents joke that we are not going to be able to afford to feed my two boys as they get older :)

The manager came back to our table during dinner to make sure that everything was alright and I thanked him and told him it is so nice to be able to dine somewhere that the staff completely understands the food allergies and the severity of it. We had a wonderful, safe experience at Bonefish!

We ordered off the kids menu for Brody, but they have many adult options (not just seafood). Check out their menu online. They also have a Gluten Free menu.

The manager gave me his card and told me to give him a call before we come in and he would take care of us...

Nathan Miller

Manager

3010 A Mallory Lane

Franklin, TN 37067

615-771-1025

bg0802@bonefishgrill.com

To find a Bonefish Grill near you, click here. Also, you can call and make reservations, which is so nice!

Hope you are able to have an allergen free night out :)

Spaghetti with Meatballs and Sausage

My mother-in-law has a great spaghetti recipe that makes enough to feed an army. The reason I love that it makes so much? Well, you dirty your pots and kitchen ONCE and get to eat homemade spaghetti three to four times (at a later date, of course)...how nice is that? I am learning to cook more at one time and freeze the rest for other meals. It really makes it convenient when evenings are busy (or things come up); you can pull a healthy meal out of the freezer and put it together in minutes. This concept has been saving my family time and money.

Spaghetti with Meatballs and Sausage

This recipe is free of milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish

Ingredients

olive oil (enough in the pot to saute onions and garlic)

2 large onions, diced

10 cloves of garlic, pressed

2 lbs fresh mushrooms (optional)

5 28 oz cans of petite diced tomatoes

5 8 oz can of tomato sauce

2 12 oz can of tomato paste

3 bay leaves

3 tbsp Italian seasoning (I used fresh oregano and rosemary from my herb garden)

1 tbsp parsley

sugar to taste

optional: a couple splashes of red wine

2 pounds of cooked Italian Sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces (this can be cooked in a pan, or baked the same way as the meatballs...directions below)

meatballs (recipe below)

1 lb of spaghetti noodles (We love Quinoa and it is Gluten Free)

*if you want your sauce Vegetarian...leave out the meat :)

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot, saute onion, garlic and mushrooms (if using). Once soft, add petite diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, seasonings, and sugar. Add meatballs (directions below) and sausage. Let sauce simmer for approximately 8 hours (the longer it cooks, the more the flavors combine). Serve with your favorite spaghetti noodles.

*I have also made this recipe in two large crockpots and it turned out great.

Meatballs

Ingredients

2-3 pounds of ground sirloin

3 slices of safe bread ground up in blender to make breadcrumbs (or you can use prepared safe breadcrumbs)

3 garlic cloves, pressed

Italian herbs (I use fresh oregano and rosemary from my herb garden)

Enough rice (or soy milk) to help bind together

Directions

Mix all ingredients with your hands in a large bowl and make into little balls. Place on a baking sheet (with a lip to catch any liquids...I use a pampered chef baking pan) and bake at 400 for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until browned. Once cooked through, put the meatballs in the sauce pot.

Once you eat your meal the day you prepare it, divide the rest of the cooled spaghetti sauce into gallon freezer bags (this would feed 3-4). Label the bags of sauce and put them in the freezer for later use. If we are having guests over to eat, I take out at least 2 freezer bags of sauce.

More uses for your leftover sauce?

• meatball/sausage hot subs
• baked ziti
• use as pizza sauce for a homemade pizza

I got my huge 16 quart pot (it is from The Food Network) at Kohls on sale and I love it. I use it to cook tons of beans, soups, spaghetti sauce, etc. I figure it will come in handy when I am making lots of food as my two boys get older :)

Saving Money in the New Year!

I have been couponing now for about 2 1/2 years. It is amazing how much money I save and how well I am able to feed my family. Not only am I able to save on food, I am able to save on toiletries, paper products, etc.

When I found out Brody had food allergies, I thought, "That's it, I am not going to be able to save money when food shopping; I am going to have to shop at Whole Foods." I returned most of my unsafe, unopened, non-perishable food to Publix (they were so great about it). I went to Whole Foods looking for safe food for myself (since I was nursing at the time) and for Brody. I was SO overwhelmed by having to shop milk, egg, wheat and peanut free. The first time I went to Whole Foods, I don't think I bought anything. I just walked around writing down prices and feeling sick to my stomach. I ran into another mom who pointed out safe butter (Earth's Balance) and we exchanged information (We now keep in touch. It is funny the instant connection you make with others who have to deal with food allergies). Once I started processing the whole food allergy thing, I started finding products (this is how Allergen Free Please started) and realized that if I cooked mostly from scratch, I could control exactly what was going into the food (obviously this cannot be done for everything...and that is why I found go-to products, but try to use coupons when I buy them).

The Sophie Safe Cookbook (free of the top 8 allergens) got me thinking about the family recipes that I had that I could change ingredients and cook for my family. She has great recipes in her book.

Back to coupons....you can buy good, allergy safe food (Muir Glen, which has organic tomatoes, paste, and sauce has coupons out all of the time...I am able to get some of these products for almost free when the company puts out their $1 off a Muir Glen Product coupon). My favorite site that has a bit of everything is Southern Savers. Jenny matches up coupons/products and stores for you. You can even print your list right from her site. IT IS AWESOME!

I buy two newspapers a week for my family. I try to find out which place is selling them for $1 (or I buy them on Monday at the Kroger near my house because they are $1). The "rule" of couponing is to buy a paper for each person in your family, but for right now, two works for us.
I cut out the coupons that I KNOW my family will use. We try to avoid high fructose corn syrup, MSG, trans fat, dyes and of course egg, milk, wheat (we do give Brody some wheat now and he is doing great with it) and peanuts. I save tons of money each week and buy healthy food for my family...coupons are not just for junk food...PROMISE! I get Soy milk coupons, frozen vegetable coupons (great for soups), salad coupons, orange juice coupons, etc, not to mention paper products and toiletries. Now wouldn't you use these? By time grocery stores double the coupons (most up to .50)...you have paid for your paper and much MORE!

Another frugal tip...I have found that Kroger has a great selection of safe food in the organic section for my family. They double coupons up to .50, which makes the price come down quickly. I find safe food for Brody all of that time that has been marked down as "manager's special" and I am even able to find organic meat marked down (getting ready to expire), put it in freezer bags and freeze it for later use.

The Thrifty Momma matches up Whole Food Deals if you shop there (click on categories at the top of the page and then scroll down to Whole Foods). I will run into Whole Foods for my Kid's Fish Oil, Earth Balance Buttery Sticks for baking and any other deal I can score. Don't forget that Whole Foods has the Whole Deal book of coupons that you can combine with a manufacturer's coupon if you have one.

Buy the newspaper this Sunday...there is going to be a ton of coupon inserts. Clip your coupons, head over to Southern Savers for all the details on how to get started and start saving money in 2010!

My favorite (not all grocery deals) site that I love for all kinds of deals is Hip 2 Save!

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2010! Does the New Year put anyone else in the organizing mood? One of my short term goals, is to get an emergency plan ready for Brody (laminated and concise) to have with him at all times. I will share that with you when it is complete. After his severe reaction on Thanksgiving, I see how important an emergency plan is; especially if he is under the care of someone else at the time of an accidental ingestion.



Also, head over to Be Free For Me and leave a comment to win a Sweet Alexis Gift Pack, full of a variety of egg-free, dairy-free and nut-free cookies, muffins, breads and cake (A $50 value!). Two readers will win, so you have an even better chance! You have until Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 by 12:00 midnight to put in your entry.



Take a minute to read the story behind Sweet Alexis....it made me misty-eyed while reading. Again, I am always so encouraged by moms who don't wallow in their children's food allergies, but get out there and make a change...SO AWESOME!