Surviving the Holidays Gluten Free: Part 4

I will be reposting this series in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I pray that this series is an encouragement to you as you deal with being gluten free during the holiday season this year!

 

Over the past month, we've talked about how to survive the holidays when you are on a gluten free diet. It can be difficult - but it certainly is possible!

Let's review:

1. When you're gluten free and will be dining in someone else's home, you have three choices: eat something before you go; take "safe" food along with you; or eat what items you can at the person's house. Don't forget to talk with the hostess before you go!
2. When you're gluten free and need to dine out at a restaurant, you will want to remember to check the restaurant's website ahead of time for a menu and nutritional information. If needed, don't hesitate to call the restaurant ahead of time to speak to someone in the kitchen.
3. Facing all of those sweets during the holiday season can be a challenge! So what's a GF'er to do?! There's a few options: keep a few storebought gluten free treats on hand; focus on the naturally gluten free sweets; or make your own homemade gluten free treats.

One of the biggest things you can do to adjust your thoughts on being gluten free is remember this:

Concentrate on what you can eat - not what you can't.

Remembering this has made a huge difference in how I approach food. When you see a spread of food, figure out what you can eat safely. When you see something you want but can't have, figure out a way to make it gluten free! Don't dwell on the foods you can't eat - it only makes you crave them more!

The bottom line is this: Don't let being gluten free cloud your holidays! Food does not need to be the focus of the holiday season. Yes, food is a key part of many of our holiday celebrations. But it should not be the sole focus.

In some ways, this year, I'm thankful that I'm gluten free. Why, you ask? Being gluten free has taught me so much about food, cooking and baking. {And I still have miles to go!} I eat healthier because of this diet. I'm more creative in the kitchen because I'm gluten free.

How are you going to survive the holidays this year, in spite of your gluten free diet?

Surviving the Holidays Gluten Free: Part 3

I will be reposting this series in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I pray that this series is an encouragement to you as you deal with being gluten free during the holiday season this year!

 

Over the past two weeks, we've talked about how to graciously dine in someone else's home when you're gluten free and how to handle dining out when you're gluten free.

Everyone knows that the holidays are focused on food - especially sweets. Unfortunately for those of us who are gluten free, many of those sweets are filled with gluten. Even if you are gluten free, there are still ways to enjoy the sweet treats during the holiday season.

Keep a few store-bought gluten free desserts on hand. I'm generally not a huge proponent of store-bought gluten free products of any kind. I will say that I never purchase store-bought GF desserts for myself. I am occasionally given those kinds of items by other people (who typically feel bad for me...even though there's no reason for them to feel that way!).

I like these Schar cookies and Glutino sandwich cookies. I also like the Betty Crocker GF mixes (they also have other mix options) for a quick treat.

Focus on the naturally gluten free sweets. There are numerous "desserts" that are naturally gluten free, especially fruits and many candies. If you're craving a sweet treat, try eating a piece of fruit. Or grab a small piece of candy or chocolate to satisfy that sweet tooth. Better yet, dip the fruit in melted chocolate and you've got yourself a little piece of heaven!

"Pumpkin Crack Cake"

Make your own gluten free desserts. Try a crustless pumpkin pie. Or try making bars instead of a pie (like these pumpkins streusel bars, made with a GF cake mix, or this "pumpkin crack cake"). There are also numerous recipes out there for gluten free cookies, and most of them are easy to make - and taste delicious! One of my favorite websites for gluten free recipes is Gluten Free on a Shoestring. The recipes are all simple and don't call for strange ingredients. I use Bob's Red Mill gluten free all-purpose flour blend with great success. My favorite cookies are the Double Chocolate Chip Cookies.

And of course, as we all know, sometimes it's best to say "No thank you." Since we could all benefit from fewer sweets and less sugar, sometimes being gluten free gives you a great reason to turn down a treat!

Moderation is the key when it comes to sweets - for everyone, gluten free or not. Find simple ways to satisfy your sweet tooth -- find a way that works for you! Being gluten free certainly does not mean that you cannot enjoy sweets during the holiday season!

Surviving the Holidays Gluten Free: Part 2

I will be reposting this series in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I pray that this series is an encouragement to you as you deal with being gluten free during the holiday season this year!

Last week, we talked about a few tips for those times when you will be eating at someone else's home. Yes, food becomes a central focus during the holiday season, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the holidays when you're gluten free!

What do you do when you're gluten free and invited to dine out at a restaurant as part of a holiday gathering? Of course, you can always pull the "GF card" and get out of it...but that's no fun! While I don't make a regular habit of eating out at restaurants, there are times when it makes sense and works out best for us. Here's a few tips for how to deal with this situation.

Do your research ahead of time. I can't stress this enough! Don't wait until you are in the restaurant to find out if you can eat there. If you do the research ahead of time, you'll be much more prepared. There's two ways to do your research:

• Check the restaurant's website for gluten free information and a menu. Nowadays, the Internet is a wealth of information in the gluten free world! A quick Google (or Swagbucks!) search will turn up more than enough information about dining out when you're gluten free. Many mainstream restaurants post their allergen information online now, making it very easy to get the information you need.
• Call the restaurant ahead of time and speak with the chef. If you can't find the information online, call the restaurant! Speak directly with someone in the kitchen who prepares the food - they will be most knowledgeable about the food and whether or not it's safe for you.

If you do your research and get sketchy information (or no information), I recommend finding somewhere else to eat. If a restaurant can't be 100% certain that their food is gluten free, don't eat there!

This is in no way an exhaustive list, but here are a few restaurants that cater specifically to the gluten free diet.

• Chili's Restaurant - menu and gluten free information
• Outback Steakhouse - gluten free menu
• Olive Garden - gluten free menu
• Red Robin - allergen information
• UNO Chicago Grill (pizza) - gluten free information
• HuHot Mongolian grill - allergen information
• PF Chang's - gluten free menu
• Qdoba - allergen information

During this holiday season, don't be afraid to dine out with family and friends. While it requires some extra attention and planning, it certainly is possible!

Organizing Your Home: the laundry

So far in this series, we've talked about organizing your pantry, refrigerator, freezer, kitchen and bathroom. Like I've said before, keeping your home organized does take time and work - but I believe it's so worth the effort! Your home will be much easier to manage when it's organized.

In this final segment, let's focus on your laundry area. You may be fortunate enough to have an actual laundry "room" - and for that, I am slightly envious! Others of you (myself included) may only have a closet. Our washer and dryer are in a closet off the hallway, just outside both bedrooms. Whatever space you have for laundry - let's talk about a few tips for keeping it organized.

My laundry closet

Utilize the shelving in your laundry area. We have one large built-in shelf above our washer and dryer. I keep a number of items on the shelf (note that not all are laundry-related!):

• Extra detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets, and stain remover.
• Iron...which I {ahem} rarely never use! (OK, well, maybe I've used it about five times in three years...) You can also see that we've stuck the ironing board on the side of the dryer.
• Sewing basket.
• A cooler...it landed there when we moved and that became it's home.

Get creative when it comes to drying clothes! I use our dryer for most items - I don't air dry much. But, there are some items that must be air-dryed, and in our new condo, I've had to get creative since we don't have a patio (plus it's very cold here for about six months of the year!).

I use a wooden drying rack in the second bathroom for most of my air drying. It fits perfectly in the tub! I also hang an extra tension shower rod across the tub and can air dry laundry on that. That works nicely for items that are still dripping wet.

I also recommend storing your laundry baskets in inconspicuous places. I keep one of our laundry baskets in the corner of our room. There's also one on top of the dryer. We have a third laundry basket that we don't use currently and that hides in our walk-in closet.

Surviving the Holidays Gluten Free: Part 1

I will be reposting this series in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I pray that this series is an encouragement to you as you deal with being gluten free during the holiday season this year!

The holiday season is usually very heavily-focused on food. Sure, most people like to eat, and most people enjoying spending time around the dinner table with family and friends. But what do you do when you can't enjoy certain foods?

Being gluten free can be tough. I understand. But being gluten free doesn't mean you can't enjoy the holidays. This four week series will go through some of the ways you can survive - and enjoy! - the holidays, even when you're gluten free!

This week we'll look at how to handle dining in someone else's home.

When you're dining in someone else's home, you essentially have three choices about how to handle the situation:

1. Eat food at home before you go. Have a snack or small meal at home before you leave. This will leave you less hungry (and tempted) at the gathering.
2. Take food along with you. Don't be embarassed to do this! Consider taking a gluten free dish along to share. This way, you will have something to eat - and you can share some gluten free yumminess with others! Alternatively, you could also pack a snack or two in your bag just for yourself. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this!
3. Eat what you can at the other person's home: fruits, veggies, chips, cheese, etc. If it's an appetizer-type party, there will likely be at least a few safe food options for you.

Most often, I will choose numbers two or three. I often bring a gluten free dish along (something homemade!) and people are usually impressed that it's gluten free ("Oh my gosh! There's no gluten in this?!"). In addition, I do often pack a small snack in my purse, just in case. I will also just eat what I can, and enjoy it!

It can be helpful to talk openly with the hostess before you go. Most people will appreciate the education because they really do want to please all of their guests. This is going to be most helpful when a full meal will be served.

*One word of caution - I find that quite often people (both the hostess and other guests) are very interested in what it means to be gluten free. This can lead to long discussions about celiac disease and being gluten free. I try to keep the focus off me and my diet, especially at a dinner or party, so just be warned that this may happen.

Another option is to simply host the party yourself. You're in control then! Of course, this isn't always practical, but when it is, consider it. You can always have other guests bring a dish, but at least you know that the food you provide will be gluten free!

Don't shy away from dining at someone else's home, even if you are gluten free! You have several choices about how to handle the situation. I encourage you to consider your options and then make it a point to enjoy the get-together!

If you can't wait for next week, you can read the entire series HERE!

Surviving the Holidays Gluten Free: Enjoy the holidays!

Over the past month, we've talked about how to survive the holidays when you are on a gluten free diet. It can be difficult - but it certainly is possible!

Let's review:

1. When you're gluten free and will be dining in someone else's home, you have three choices: eat something before you go; take "safe" food along with you; or eat what items you can at the person's house. Don't forget to talk with the hostess before you go!
2. When you're gluten free and need to dine out at a restaurant, you will want to remember to check the restaurant's website ahead of time for a menu and nutritional information. If needed, don't hesitate to call the restaurant ahead of time to speak to someone in the kitchen.
3. Facing all of those sweets during the holiday season can be a challenge! So what's a GF'er to do?! There's a few options: keep a few storebought gluten free treats on hand; focus on the naturally gluten free sweets; or make your own homemade gluten free treats.

One of the biggest things you can do to adjust your thoughts on being gluten free is remember this:

Concentrate on what you can eat - not what you can't.

Remembering this has made a huge difference in how I approach food. When you see a spread of food, figure out what you can eat safely. When you see something you want but can't have, figure out a way to make it gluten free! Don't dwell on the foods you can't eat - it only makes you crave them more!

The bottom line is this: Don't let being gluten free cloud your holidays! Food does not need to be the focus of the holiday season. Yes, food is a key part of many of our holiday celebrations. But it should not be the sole focus.

In some ways, this year, I'm thankful that I'm gluten free. Why, you ask? Being gluten free has taught me so much about food, cooking and baking. {And I still have miles to go!} I eat healthier because of this diet. I'm more creative in the kitchen because I'm gluten free.

How are you going to survive the holidays this year, in spite of your gluten free diet?

Surviving the Holidays Gluten Free: All those sweets

Over the past two weeks, we've talked about how to graciously dine in someone else's home when you're gluten free and how to handle dining out when you're gluten free.

Everyone knows that the holidays are focused on food - especially sweets. Unfortunately for those of us who are gluten free, many of those sweets are filled with gluten. Even if you are gluten free, there are still ways to enjoy the sweet treats during the holiday season.

Keep a few store-bought gluten free desserts on hand. I'm generally not a huge proponent of store-bought gluten free products of any kind. I will say that I never purchase store-bought GF desserts for myself. I am occasionally given those kinds of items by other people (who typically feel bad for me...even though there's no reason for them to feel that way!).

I like these Schar cookies and Glutino sandwich cookies. I also like the Betty Crocker GF mixes (they also have other mix options) for a quick treat.

Focus on the naturally gluten free sweets. There are numerous "desserts" that are naturally gluten free, especially fruits and many candies. If you're craving a sweet treat, try eating a piece of fruit. Or grab a small piece of candy or chocolate to satisfy that sweet tooth. Better yet, dip the fruit in melted chocolate and you've got yourself a little piece of heaven!

"Pumpkin Crack Cake"

Make your own gluten free desserts. Try a crustless pumpkin pie. Or try making bars instead of a pie (like these pumpkins streusel bars, made with a GF cake mix, or this "pumpkin crack cake"). There are also numerous recipes out there for gluten free cookies, and most of them are easy to make - and taste delicious! One of my favorite websites for gluten free recipes is Gluten Free on a Shoestring. The recipes are all simple and don't call for strange ingredients. I use Bob's Red Mill gluten free all-purpose flour blend with great success. My favorite cookies are the Double Chocolate Chip Cookies.

And of course, as we all know, sometimes it's best to say "No thank you." Since we could all benefit from fewer sweets and less sugar, sometimes being gluten free gives you a great reason to turn down a treat!

Moderation is the key when it comes to sweets - for everyone, gluten free or not. Find simple ways to satisfy your sweet tooth -- find a way that works for you! Being gluten free certainly does not mean that you cannot enjoy sweets during the holiday season!

Surviving the Holidays Gluten Free: Dining Out

Last Monday, we talked about a few tips for those times when you will be eating at someone else's home. Yes, food becomes a central focus during the holiday season, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the holidays when you're gluten free!

What do you do when you're gluten free and invited to dine out at a restaurant as part of a holiday gathering? Of course, you can always pull the "GF card" and get out of it...but that's no fun! While I don't make a regular habit of eating out at restaurants, there are times when it makes sense and works out best for us. Here's a few tips for how to deal with this situation.

Do your research ahead of time. I can't stress this enough! Don't wait until you are in the restaurant to find out if you can eat there. If you do the research ahead of time, you'll be much more prepared. There's two ways to do your research:

• Check the restaurant's website for gluten free information and a menu. Nowadays, the Internet is a wealth of information in the gluten free world! A quick Google (or Swagbucks) search will turn up more than enough information about dining out when you're gluten free. Many mainstream restaurants post their allergen information online now, making it very easy to get the information you need.
• Call the restaurant ahead of time and speak with the chef. If you can't find the information online, call the restaurant! Speak directly with someone in the kitchen who prepares the food - they will be most knowledgeable about the food and whether or not it's safe for you.

If you do your research and get sketchy information (or no information), I recommend finding somewhere else to eat. If a restaurant can't be 100% certain that their food is gluten free, don't eat there!

This is in no way an exhaustive list, but here are a few restaurants that cater specifically to the gluten free diet.

• Chili's Restaurant - menu and gluten free information
• Outback Steakhouse - gluten free menu
• Olive Garden - gluten free menu
• Red Robin - allergen information
• UNO Chicago Grill (pizza) - gluten free information
• HuHot Mongolian grill - allergen information
• PF Chang's - gluten free menu
• Qdoba - allergen information

During this holiday season, don't be afraid to dine out with family and friends. While it requires some extra attention and planning, it certainly is possible!

Surviving the Holidays Gluten Free: Dining at Others' Homes

The holiday season is usually very heavily-focused on food. Sure, most people like to eat, and most people enjoying spending time around the dinner table with family and friends. But what do you do when you can't enjoy certain foods?

Being gluten free can be tough. I understand. But being gluten free doesn't mean you can't enjoy the holidays. This four week series will go through some of the ways you can survive - and enjoy! - the holidays, even when you're gluten free!

This week we'll look at how to handle dining in someone else's home.

When you're dining in someone else's home, you essentially have three choices about how to handle the situation:

1. Eat food at home before you go. Have a snack or small meal at home before you leave. This will leave you less hungry (and tempted) at the gathering.
2. Take food along with you. Don't be embarassed to do this! Consider taking a gluten free dish along to share. This way, you will have something to eat - and you can share some gluten free yumminess with others! Alternatively, you could also pack a snack or two in your bag just for yourself. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this!
3. Eat what you can at the other person's home: fruits, veggies, chips, cheese, etc. If it's an appetizer-type party, there will likely be at least a few safe food options for you.

Most often, I will choose numbers two or three. I often bring a gluten free dish along (something homemade!) and people are usually impressed that it's gluten free ("Oh my gosh! There's no gluten in this?!"). In addition, I do often pack a small snack in my purse, just in case. I will also just eat what I can, and enjoy it!

It can be helpful to talk openly with the hostess before you go. Most people will appreciate the education because they really do want to please all of their guests. This is going to be most helpful when a full meal will be served.

*One word of caution - I find that quite often people (both the hostess and other guests) are very interested in what it means to be gluten free. This can lead to long discussions about celiac disease and being gluten free. I try to keep the focus off me and my diet, especially at a dinner or party, so just be warned that this may happen.

Another option is to simply host the party yourself. You're in control then! Of course, this isn't always practical, but when it is, consider it. You can always have other guests bring a dish, but at least you know that the food you provide will be gluten free!

Don't shy away from dining at someone else's home, even if you are gluten free! You have several choices about how to handle the situation. I encourage you to consider your options and then make it a point to enjoy the get-together!

Menu Planning: How?

Last week, we talked about why menu planning is so beneficial. Without menu planning, I would be lost! Since we know that menu planning works so well in so many homes, now let's talk about how to actually plan your meals efficiently and intentionally.

1. Use a calendar - either weekly or monthly. I use a monthly calendar (pictured above). I just printed basic monthly calendars from this website. You can also print weekly calendars from the same website.
2. Decide which meals you are going to plan regularly. Will you plan breakfast? lunch? dinner? All of them? I only plan our dinner meals because that works best for us. For some families, it's better to plan all three meals, or maybe just two meals. We have a set number of breakfast items from which we choose each morning. For lunch, we eat leftovers or sandwiches (for my husband). While that works for us, be sure to do what works best for your family!
3. Start plugging in meals on your calendar! Once you have decided if you will plan weekly or monthly and you have decided which meals you will plan, it's time to start plugging meals into your menu plan! I recommend using a pencil; it's likely that you will switch meals once or twice during the month.
4. Put your menu plan where the entire family can see it. Our menu plan hangs on the side of our refrigerator. My husband knows he can check the menu plan at any time if he wants to know what's for dinner! I can promise that you won't hear "What's for dinner?" at my house!
5. Every evening, check the menu plan to see if you can do any prep for tomorrow's meals. If you need to get meat out of the freezer, it's easy to check the menu plan each evening and take meat out for the next day. If there's any other kind of prep that you can do, menu planning will help you prepare for that.
6. Keep a running list of new meals that you want to try. I keep a list in my homemaking binder of new meal ideas that I want to try. When I am working on my monthly menu plan, I check this list and try to put at least one or two new meals into my menu plan.
7. Save all of your menu plans. I highly recommend keeping all of your menu plans. I save all of mine in my homemaking binder. When I make my menu plan, I refer to all of my previous menu plans for my ideas. After doing monthly menu plans for over a year, I have a lot of menu plans to look back on!

How do you make menu planning work for your family? What other tips do you have about menu planning?

Menu Planning: Why?

This is Part 1 in a two-part series about menu planning. I hope you will be inspired to be more intentional about the meals in your home after reading this series. Part 1 will focus on the reasons why menu planning is so beneficial.

I am what you might call a hard-core menu planner. During the last week of each month, you are guaranteed to find me sitting down with my menu planning binder and a blank calendar. Yes, that's right. I plan our dinner meals one month a time! I started doing this about 14 months ago and it has made such a difference in how our household operates.

While you may not want or need to plan your meals one month a time, I encourage you to try menu planning in some form. For some homes, planning one week of meals at a time works better. If that's best for you, go with it!

In Part 2, I will talk more about how to menu plan, but in this section, I want to examine some reasons why menu planning is so beneficial.

1. There's no what's-for-dinner panic at 4:30 p.m. This is probably the main reason why menu planning is a must in my home. If left without a menu plan, you will find me staring at my refrigerator and pantry at 4:30, totally unable to come up with anything for dinner. With a menu plan, that doesn't happen!
2. The entire family knows what is for dinner. My husband knows to check the menu plan if he wants to know what's for dinner. It hangs on the side of our fridge all month.
3. It allows for flexibility. When I plan our month of meals, I take into account meetings, get-togethers, church functions, etc. that may affect whether or not we eat dinner at home. I can plan simple, quick meals for nights when I know we need to leave at 6:00. And if our schedule changes abruptly one night or week, I can switch a few meals around in the plan.
4. It encourage variety and trying new menu items. I like to put a few new meals on the menu each month when I make the menu plan. By doing this, we have found a number of new favorite meals, like homemade Spanish rice, Chicken Enchilada Dip, and Cheeseburger Soup, to name a few.
5. It helps you plan ahead for shopping. Because we live in a rural area, we don't grocery shop on any sort of regular basis. We typically pick up groceries whenever we are in a neighboring town that has a store. With my monthly menu plan, I know in advance what items I definitely need to pick up on one of my shopping trips. This also helps because I know what to look for in the sale ads.
6. It's fun! Let's face it - menu planning is just. plain. fun. Or is it just me who thinks that? I am, by nature, an organized person, so menu planning fits well with that. While I don't enjoy dreaming up dinner on the fly, I do enjoy sitting down once a month and planning our meals. And honestly? Cooking dinner is more fun when I already have a plan in place!

Do you menu plan? Why is menu planning helpful for your family?

Life in a Small Town... {Part 2}

{Read Part 1 of this series HERE.}

Since we moved here, I have begun to appreciate life in a small town. Most importantly, we are being obedient to God’s calling in our lives, even though it isn’t what we thought we should do.

Then again, who are we to choose what we get to do?!

We’ve been blessed with not one, but two, caring and loving congregations. We’ve been blessed with a four bedroom house in the “country” on four acres of land to rent for the past year (for a great price!). We’ve been blessed with a part-time job for me through the local school district, making a difference in many disadvantaged kids’ lives here. We have been blessed.

With nearly one year of small town life under my belt, I have begun to recognize some of the benefits of life here. Sure, there are some downsides…but we can talk about those some other time!

1.       You spend less. Let’s face it. When the only stores in town are Dollar General and Kwik Trip, you don’t shop as much. You learn to plan your shopping trips much more carefully. And if you don’t have something, you make do without it! When shopping means one or two hours of driving round trip, you just don’t shop as often. Spending less is great for your budget!

2.       You’re bombarded by media less. When I travel to a larger town or city, I actually feel like I’m being attacked by too much media. I get overwhelmed much more easily now since I’m not around much media on a regular basis. And when you don’t have media encouraging you to buy something, you’ll spend less money!

3.       Life is simple. When Friday night entertainment consists of the local high school football game or the high school’s musical, or relaxing at home, life is just more simple!

Do we want to live in a small town the rest of our lives? Do we want to raise our family in a small town? Probably not. However, during this season of our lives, small town life is just what need!

Life in a Small Town...

We moved to small town Wisconsin this past summer, due to my husband’s first call as a pastor in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Since this was our first call, we were not able to say yes or no to the call – we were expected to take it.

We did provide the seminary with a few of our preferences:

1. Not extremely rural.
2. In the Midwest, but not in the North.
3. Not a dual parish.

In late April, we sat in a church service and waited to hear our first placement. I can remember it clearly: two church names! My dad looked at me and said, “Does that mean it’s a dual parish?!” And after the service, my father-in-law says, “Oh, Emily, that is a town of less than 1,000…”

Hmmm, interesting…

Yep, you heard that right. We got a call:

1. In an extremely rural area.
2. In the North part of the Midwest.
3. In a dual parish.

Stay tuned next Monday for Part 2...and find out how we really feel about small town life!