(Just a note: I added a picture of the waffles to my waffle-recipe-post!)

This is a crazy week for us in the Gouette household.  My 13 year old son is running the sound effects for a community theater production in Monmouth, and this is what is fondly known as “hell week” in the theater world.  It begins with a 9-hour tech rehearsal on Sunday, followed by 7 more days at the theater (with Wed night off if all is going well).  Added to that, it’s “back to school” week for us, after a “vacation week” last week.  (My husband came home sick on Monday… so it was a bit of a dud vacation-wise, but I did get a lot of fall projects done!) 🙂

It is also use-up-everything-in-the-pantry week.  (I know, whose idea was it to do that this week!?)  So, while this probably should have been a major crockpot week, I had some other odd things I needed to make.  Tonight was chicken tetrazini.  (A little chicken goes a long way in a nice filling casserole!)  I meant to take a picture of it, but we ate it too fast. 🙂 (Oh, and incidentally, it is super-amusing the words spell-check offers you for “tetrazini.”  I am sitting here LOL:) )

I thought this would be a good time to mention things we eat when we are on-the-go a lot, because we will be relying on these a lot this week.  These are some of our favorite “fast foods.” (Fast, meaning, you planned ahead so they’d be quick to grab!)

Peanut Butter Apple Wraps These are a very tasty, and easy to transport.  Make ahead of it will be eaten soon, or bring the apple, the rice tortilla, and some peanut butter (or sunflower seed/almond butter), and whip it up wherever you are!  I always bring these when I travel, too.

Almond Joy Balls and Peanut Butter/Chocolate Balls As I mentioned in an earlier post, these are a very satisfying, lasting snack, but are so tasty they also feel like a real treat.

Granola and Yogurt I make my own yogurt, that is easily digested by even the most severely dairy-intolerant members of my family.  We have also bought soy yogurt before I learned to make my own tummy-friendly one.  And you already know that I make my own granola. 🙂  This is a great breakfast or lunch, or a pick-me-up snack.

Muffins I often try to double-batch muffins when I make them, and freeze them.  These can thaw during the day while you are on the run, and be ready to eat.  (You can also thaw them for 20 sec in the microwave, but I don’t use a microwave very often).

Salad to Go, with Nuts or Chicken I will make up a bunch of salads in small containers, so each person can have a ready-made lunch/dinner if we will be on the go during meals.  They can each add their own dressing of choice.  (Sometimes I”ll pack dressing in small containers, if we will be waiting several hours to eat them).  We keep them in a cooler with an ice pack, and they are still crispy-fresh when we are ready for them.  Hint: Croutons make a ho-hum salad into something special! 🙂

Trail Mix- HOMEMADE! I haven’t bought trail mix in years.  It is so much healthier and more frugal to just mix up your own.  And trail mix is a happy food by nature. 🙂  I usually use raw almonds, plain peanuts, raisins, and allergy-friendly chocolate chips. Before I reacted horrifically (read: E.R. trip) to cashews, I would put raw cashews in too.  Now I only put them in for the guys to take with them, not in the family jar.)

Breakfast Cookies  ‘Nuff said? 🙂

Dehydrated Apple and Banana Chips and Fruit Leather (More to come on this soon!)

Crackers and Cheese or Pepperoni- fondly called  Snackaroni’s by Little M.  A real treat, and not very healthy, but when heading to a party at someone’s house, especially a gathering involving pizza, this is Little M’s favorite substitute.  Nut Thin crackers (almond flavor, if you please) and some gluten-free pepperoni. (These pepperoni have no preservatives, something we work to avoid.)  And I think they’re pretty tasty  myself!  Also, I can bring these crackers to any party where they are likely to have cheese and crackers, and eat these with the cheese being served.  (If it is real cheese, not “flavored.”) I also eat them with nut butters as an alternative to bread for a “sandwich.”

Almonds In a pinch, a handful of raw almonds can keep my blood sugar even.  They don’t have to be kept cold, and fit in my pocket.  Sometimes, when I’m in a rush, simple is best!

Apples I adore apples. (Maybe it’s growing up in Maine, with my dad’s family owning an orchard?)  This is a major on-the-go food for me.  Paired with a handful of almonds and I’ve got a truly balanced snack, or light meal.  Also, even places like Tim Hortons or gas stations will have fresh apples available, for an emergency snack stop, where the only other option for me might be a bag of Utz or Cape Cod potato chips!

Well, I have to get back to the theater…. time to grab an apple and hit the road… again!

This is part of a 31 Days series on Less Stress in Allergy-Free Eating.  To view a list of all the posts in the series you can go here. To subscribe to my posts via email, you can go to my homepage, and type in your email address in the box on the right-hand margin.  To view the list of over 700 bloggers participating in this 31 Days blogging challenge go here!