Happy Safe Travels!

That's a great idea. I couldn't make it by TJ's, but I did this:

Trip there:
Ate before leaving to airport

Prepared six naked refried black bean burritos (flairs size actually) and placed in a zip lock bag. I put that in a gallon zip lock and a soft little cooler pack inside that. We will see if that gets through TSA and works in general. I told him if they take the cold pack to buy bottled water afterward and put it against that.

Trip home:
Sent a zip lock with plastic knife, paper towels, another bag along with tortillas, individual Barney Butter cups, and a small jar of Nutella. He really doesn't like sun butter and he knows that if an announcement is made not to eat treenuts that he will need to rely on other things.


In general:
Good Bean dried chick peas for the trip there and back (filling protein)
Kashi Chia and Chocolate Chip granola bars (thanks, Nameless, for that tip many years ago!)
Made Good granola balls

And he has plenty of tortillas and Nutella/Barney Butter in case he needs food there.


He will be on four planes and only one an actual Delta plane. KLM doesn't serve peanuts (they do serve almonds).  He has a plastic bag for his backpack to go in on that flight. He's checking one bag, and his food bag is a $5 IKEA bag that we can throw away—it's lasted longer than planned anyway.  He'll wear an old pair of Tom's shoes on the flight home that can be thrown away or washed. 


He's at the airport waiting to board!

Mac-do you have a Trader Joe's?  We've been buying the Enjoy Life Protein Bites...they are in the energy bar section.

Never heard of That's It. Off to google.

Just bought some That's It bars. They are made in a Top 8 free facility. Also: Kashi chocolate Chip and Chia bars. We haven't bought them in a year. I am hoping they are still safe.

Bumping for myself.

DS had a great time!  Tomorrow he goes off on the band competition trip to Hershey for the day.  I have the menu and it looks safe with the exception of the Mac and cheese - the macaroni has egg. 

Quote from: Macabre on January 18, 2018, 06:45:30 AM
"Clean grill" my foot.  I laugh when restaurants tell me that.

That sounds like a great plan, MaryM.

Right?  I need to call the dinner cruise company and ask some questions and the school nurse for her advice - she is really great.

"Clean grill" my foot.  I laugh when restaurants tell me that.

That sounds like a great plan, MaryM.

I contacted the tour company and she sent me some info.  I need to call each place they will eat individually.  She said Golden Coral will make grilled chicken on a clean grill but I do not think I am comfortable with that...the food on the dinner cruise looks ok - taco bar/Mac and cheese - but I need to call and double check.

We are considering being in the area but not chaperoning.  DH's company has an office nearby.  He can work from there and if we need to provide food for DS for the dinner cruise, he can just show up at dock and hand it off.  Same for when they leave - heat up food in a thermos and hand it to DS before they depart the city for when they stop at Golden Coral..We will see.  I need to talk to the school nurse.  My friend who works at the school said she is not going.  This group is notoriously bad and there have been false accusations made against some teachers this year.  She doesn't want to even take a chance. 

I have no advice, but I can imagine how you feel.  Our middle school doesn't have trips like this, but our school in Illinois did.  I can't say that I'm sorry we moved before DS hit MS there.  I will be dealing with this for swim team in a 2 years or so.

I am back to this thread.  The permission slip for the DC overnight trip came home.  DS is now only egg allergic. Its a hard allergy bc its in so many things and flyers are contaminated....lots of things to consider. 
I really want him to go without us.  He could use that freedom/independence.  There is a dinner cruise and I will contact the company that runs it.  I am sure that I will have send him safe breakfast food bc eggs are everywhere at those hotel breakfast buffets.  They are also stopping at Golden Coral ( ) on the way home.  I will have to send him food for that too and there is some free time when they buy lunch on their own in DC.  I am glad this is in May and I have time to plan. 
One of DD's friend's moms works at the middle school and teaches 8th grade.  She asked me lat night what we were going to do.  I said maybe one of us would go but I really don't want to....I really need to call her and talk about how it was last year when she went.  We were at a school fundraiser last night and it wasn't a good place to chat.

Thanks Mac.  You know what the saving grace is here?  This child HATES chocolate - lol.  I am not sure how he is related to me.  I know there is a Nathans at Hershey and he can eat those hot dogs but I would have to check about the grill.  I am still waiting to hear back from the band director.  I will look onto if they still carry Divvies bc he would love to buy a treat.

I posted in the other thread. We only dealt with peanut, which is such a different ball game. But he's been fine eating at theme parks all his life if we just ask lots and lots of questions.

But to help him pack food: is it a day trip? Refried beans spread on tortillas keep well and are slim.


We found a neoprene rectangular sleeve that has a slim profile for a backpack.

You may call ahead to see if anyone has Divvies. We bought them there the last time DS did a band festival there. It might be nice for your DS to be able to get Divvies--especially when his friends go to the chocolate shop (a huge part of the experience)

DS always brought his own food. At some point early on we really have up trying to make sure he didn't stand out or getting him an equivalent food, and just made sure he had something safe and portable. It is a PITA, but it is what it is.

There was only one place he went to where we trusted them to prepare meals; the Y based Outdoor Ed facility where he went 3 years in a row in HS.  They were quite used to FA's, and were great to deal with.