Emily's Allergies: Favorite Banana Pancakes on Fathers Day

It's Father's Day and there is nothing like a great breakfast with that special lady in your life. I love pancakes. I can eat stacks of them. Emily loves bananas as well; she would have them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if she could. Her allergies to milk and eggs make it impossible for her to enjoy pancakes outside of the house, which is a bummer because I would have loved to take her to some of my favorite diners for breakfast.

For this recipe, I picked up some Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten Free Dreams Pancake Mix at Whole Foods. It's dairy, nut, and egg free. I love this stuff. I just followed the directions on the box. Next, I chopped up 2 large bananas - one for the mix itself and the other for topping. They suggest rice milk, but I used Vanilla soy milk instead. I also added a pinch of cinnamon and sugar to go with the banana. Emily had a blast mixing for me. You can see the focus in her face.



She ate most of the bananas in the preparation process; so by the time I served her the pancakes, she only ate a few pieces. That's O.k. Dada is always there to "clean up" after her. After she was done, it was time for drawing before we headed out to Central Park to play and get wet. That's where my cell phone tragically leapt into a watery grave. I hope all the Dads out there (mothers also) had a wonderful Father's Day. I know I did.

Day at the Museum for Emily's Allergies

For my thursday dinner with my princess I switched it up. So my lovely friend Jennifer from Jen Eats Life and Tasty Memories told me she once was a tour guide at the American Museum of Natural History and had a hide and seek tour I told her she had to take us. Me and Emily got to the museum around 3:45pm Jen was running a little late :) its ok though. The food truck outside the museum had "Fench Fies" on the menu and Emily wanted some. So after checking if the food was prepared with other foods that contain dairy, eggs or nuts to set off her food allergies we got a order of fries to share. Jen came not to long after and took us in and showed us all the secret things of the museum. The meaning of the fire burning in the background meant on one display or how the Male Guerilla in another display was killed by the curator. He didn't want to kill the Guerilla it was about to attack him so he had to. He felt so bad that in his will he stated he wanted to be buried where he shot down the Guerrilla. It was amazing Emily loved every moment except the rainforest part she isn't to fond of dark places. We found Po from Kung Fu Panda sat in a giant Oyster saw the T-Rex she laid down for a quick rest and we played hide and seek but her spot wasn't so good. At the end of our tour we got to take some pics with our Dino friends. After we went to Hampton Chutney. I have never been to this place They are Allergy friendly. Emily and Jen had Dosa with chicken spinach and sun dried tomatoes. I had classic Mosala Dosa. It was great along with the mango chutney it came with.

Weekender on Emily's Allergies

Memorial Day weekend oh how I love you and so does Emily. We had a very nice weekend Friday we spent time in Queens with old friends Saturday we headed over to BoBoos (my mothers) house Sunday went to a family barbeque. They even prepared Allergy friendly dishes for Emily :) after the BBQ we headed to see Jen from Tasty Memories and Jen Eats Life to film and make Pizza's on the Grill it was a first time for me preparing them that way. There was no cheese Just veggies tomato, sweet red peppers, onions and cauliflower nothing that would trigger her food allergies (dairy, eggs or nuts).The sauce Jen made was superb. Made a simple dough of flour, water and yeast. Emily loved rolling the dough and beating it. She was such a good little helper. The pizza came out spectacular and Emily LOVED!! it. Can't wait to show the vlog and future collaborations. Monday we went to see Kung Fu Panda 2. That movie was awesome saw it in IMAX and Princess was blown away. She wants a baby panda now :) so DaDa has to get one.  

                                        SKADOOSH!!!!!

I wont let Food Allergies stop the goodness.

Having a child with food allergies can be hard sometimes. You want them to enjoy all the things you did when you where a kid. When i was little one of my favorite things to eat was Banana Pudding. Oh gosh how i loved it so much. I got sick one time from eating it so much :) I took princess to my grandmothers house and my grandma wanted an old fashioned Banana Pudding. You know the cooked pudding the Nilla wafers and the whipped egg whites all layered up and baked so the top is a little brown. Well its a tasty banana pudding but i felt sooo bad because princess wouldn't be able to enjoy the goodness. I had to figure out a way to make a banana pudding for my Emily to enjoy. I found out that the Jell-O brand instant pudding mix didn't have any protein allergens in the ingredient list and i know that Oreos are safe for princess to eat also the golden ones. Nilla Wafers contain milk and eggs.So making the mix using soy milk i started splitting oreos. I didn't want to make it super sweet so i removed the cream and lined the baking pan with the cookie. I needed a cream to layer with the cookies and bananas. I found a recipe for Vegan Coconut cream. I mean wow this banana pudding was amazing. Using these simple replacements Emily got to enjoy a great treat. She wanted more and more but I didn't want her to get a tummy ache like i did when I was young. It was a great desert. Nothing special make it just how you would any other banana pudding.

That swing may hurt.

A few months ago i was doing something Emily Loves to do. Swinging her by her hands could be going up and down stairs or just walking with another person holding her other hand. I didn't feel anything but she was complaining her arm was hurting after swinging so I just thought it was stretched to much or just her muscle hurts I told her to move it up and down so it could feel better. She didn't want to. She was in pain but not extreme pain so I didn't think it was dislocated but we took a trip to the ER because I didn't see her feeling any better. The Dr. took a look at it and told us it was Nursemaids Elbow. A very common injury in toddlers caused from a jerking of the arm. Like when swinging by the hands.  The ligaments are looser and the bones arn't fully developed. So the Radius slips out of place causing an uncomfortable pain when the arm is moved. Something so fun and enjoyable can hurt our little ones. The Dr. did two simple movements to make sure it was back in place and princess was fine 30 minutes later. Forgetting about the arm. I was shocked because she still wants band aids on Booboos from a month ago. This is my Public Service Announcement to parents. Be careful kids love to swing. It can even happen while walking and your little one trips and you pull them back up by the hand. So parents be careful.

Its not the Tacos its the Salsa

 My princess Loves tacos. I came across this Recipe for some good healthy fish tacos. Emily doesn't have Fish allergies but for parents who do have little ones with fish allergies u can always make it chicken or whatever replacement u prefer. Fish tacos remind me of a summer getaway. What did it for me in this recipe was the Mandarin Orange salsa. Made with cilantro a jar of mandarin oranges, red onions and salt. I left out the jalapeno I dont think princess would have been to fond of something  "Thpicey". I like to use Smart & Delicious Wraps. They came out great. I was skeptical about the Mandarin salsa at first but one I tasted it with the tacos my mouth lit up. Such a great Combination. I have used this Recipe a few times and there are very little tweeks I needed to do to make it for Emily to enjoy as well as an adult. Make your tweeks so your little ones can enjoy some healthy tacos.

Food Allergy Q&A

Someone ask Dr. Steve on WPIX Can a vegetarian diet while pregnant increase the risk of your child having food allergies?if you have any questions or answers to other parents questions please post.

The bullying allergy

This is a great report on WPIX about kids being bullied because they have food allergies. Dr. Steve talks to Dr. Larry Blater. I can see how this is bullies would fin it easy to target kids with food allergies. It may make kids afraid to eat around others or single themselves out. As parents you just have to let your children feel as great as they can be. I agree with Dr. Blater with letting your child assume responsibility. Even though my princess is only 2 1/2 when we go out to eat i ask her what she wants (all she will say is FENCH FIES). but i give her a few choices list maybe 3 she can have and let her choose or order all three and let her have at whichever she likes most. I see in her face she is proud and excited to be able to choose.

Maya Angelou

 Its woman's history month and I have to dedicate some post to the great women in our history and women who have inspired me. Maya Angelou has played a major part in my life. Most men wouldn't admit to something like that but i am the only boy in my family. I have always been surrounded by women and all of them great to me. From my mom beating a drug habit and my older sister raising me to my great grand mother (R.I.P.) and grandmother for taking us in. In school reading about the Harlem Writers Guild while looking up information on the Harlem Renaissance. I read up on Miss Angelou, about how she was raped at the age of eight by her mother's boyfriend at the time and was mute for 5 years after that. Her grandmother encouraged her and introduced her to literature. After that she blossomed becoming the first black street car conductor in San Francisco. She went on to do acting and in the 1060's she began working on her writing and, in 1970 her first autobiographical work, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, became a best seller and was nominated for the National Book Award. Her Poems inspire not only women but people in a whole. Reading her works you can feel the deepness to it. So today i am honoring Maya Angelou. Every 3 days this month i will honor another great woman in history. Who is your great woman in history?