Breakfast of Champions

Traditionally, the egg is a staple at breakfast. I love a good omelet with vegies and cheese. When Greg is home, just the vapor from cooking eggs bothers him. If you ever want to scramble you an egg, just wait until he is gone and then run the kitchen fan. When he was a boy scout, we had a fundraiser making chocolate silk pies. Each pies contained four eggs. I helped with the project and knew that Greg shouldn't be cracking the eggs, so we had him work to the side forming the pie boxes. After a while, the vapors caused Greg to break out into hives and he had to leave spending the rest of the day taking Benedryl. It was proof enough to me that the vapors alone cause him to be miserable. Luckily, Greg has his grandpa's fondness for oatmeal. He prefers the old-fashioned oatmeal. When you want to have a special breakfast for Greg, he does like pancakes. As mentioned above, currently the Betty Crocker pancake mix does not have eggs. He also can eat Pillsbury pop-n-fresh cinnamon rolls. Read the labels for the off-brands. Some of those contain eggs. Our conference mornings are coffee cake days. My recipe contains eggs ( I would make Pillsbury cinnamon rolls for Greg on those days) but here is one that doesn't contain eggs. You can try it and see how is turns out.

Eggless Coffee Cake

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 peeled, cored grated apple
• Topping:
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter

Combine dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients, add to dry and mix. Pour into 8x8 prepared pan. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over top. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

I was trying to stick to breakfast foods, but let me tell you one of Greg's favorite apple desserts. I have used fresh cut up apples or dehydrated cannery apples with this home-made recipes. It became the favorite of Greg's cross-country team so I made it for all the spaghetti feeds we had at our house.

Spice Cake Apple dessert

Butter pan (either 8x8 or 9x13, depending on how much you want)
Fill pan with peeled and sliced apples.
Sprinkle dry cake mix on top. I use spice cake with the apples. If I made a 9x13 pan, I would use the entire box. Use half a box for 8x8. Melt butter and pour on top. For a full size, I would use an entire cube of butter. Try to distribute butter as evenly as possible. If I felt the apples would be dry, I might add a slight amount of water to the apples before the cake mix (maybe 1/4 cup) and a little bit of lemon juice. Cover with foil.
Bake in 350 degree oven until apples are soft, usually 40-50 minutes.

 This is sweet and is best served with ice cream.

A new eggless life....Reading Labels

I always new this day would come. My food allergy-stricken son would marry and what has become just a way of life in our household, would now be a learning experience for his new bride. Greg was born with severe food allergies. He had an allergy to all tested foods except soy and chocolate. Over the years, his ability to tolerate certain foods has changed. He was worst as an infant and as a teenager. In his young adult years, he now has the ability to eat many foods. He is also old enough to know how to control his eating if a certain food will upset his system.

Luckily, food labeling has become so much better. I have read every food label since he became eating. I had to know every form of the products he was allergic to (for example, sodium caseinate, found in marshmallows, was a form of milk and he couldn't have it for a while). Today I don't have to read the tiny print on most packaging. At the bottom of the list, the allergens are listed (Contains: egg, wheat, milk, etc.) The labeling even tells if a product was made on equipment that may have been contaminated by an allergen.

So my first advice to my wonderful young daughter-in-law is to read labels. You will know then what pancake mix you can buy (Betty Crocker, not Krusteaz), what cans of soups Greg can eat (beware of egg noodles. I am surprised how many soups made by Pregresso have eggs), and the list goes on. Certain pre-made foods can have recipe changes, either adding eggs or deleting them. Every couple of years, re-read labels of foods and see if the product ingredients have changed. The first few years of marriage, Greg can probably go shopping with you and he can point out either what he can have or what to definitely never stalk in the pantry for him (no Ranch dressing, no mayonnaise, no marshmallow creme, no chow mien noodles, no egg noodles, as examples).

I sent you on your way with the ingredients for Greg's favorite snack. When I made these for him, he would put them in a container and hide them in his room so  the family wouldn't eat his treats. On this blog, I will post recipes that I have altered or were completely egg-less to begin with. While doughnuts will not be a staple in your home, you will find other foods, most being much healthier alternatives to many egg-based foods. Best of luck in cooking for (with) Greg and welcome to the family!!!