Monthly Archives: October 2012

By Guest Blogger Sunny Busby (And Love it Too!)

I’m a firm believer that the best food is naturally gluten-free.

Whole fruits and vegetables, minimally processed meats, eggs and nuts are all naturally gluten-free, and my family thrives off a whole-foods diet.  It’s easier, it’s safer, and frankly, it’s nicer on both my waistline and my pocketbook.

And then comes the holidays. And birthday celebrations. And anniversaries. And school parties. And snacks at church on Sunday.

Did I mention the holidays?

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By Bridget

Aside from the costumes, one of the best parts of Halloween is the ability to gather a plethora of candy treats through the simple declaration of “Trick or Treat!” Laura provided a great post last Thursday, with lists of gluten-free treats that are commercially available so your trick-or-treaters don’t have to worry.

To keep your kids (and yourself!) safe, here are three important things to remember about food safety this Halloween:

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By Laura (The Gluten-Free Traveller)

Photo credit: www.preventionrd.com

No matter how old you are, carving scary faces into pumpkins is great fun. But what else can we do with pumpkins? We can eat them of course!

Here are some fun ideas for how to eat your leftover Halloween pumpkin. These popular orange squashes are naturally gluten-free and can be extremely delicious as part of a sweet or savory recipe.

You could add pumpkin to almost any gluten-free dish and it would probably be fantastic, but here are some tasty ideas -  Click to continue reading »

By Emily

When I was little I thought that Halloween was a holiday for kids.

Now that I’m a world-weary 27, I realize that’s not entirely true. Just because you’re too old to trick-or-treat (and don’t have any small ones of your own to schlep around the neighborhood) doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate. And what better way to celebrate, I ask you, than to drink?

Below are a collection of my favorite Halloween- and Fall-themed beverages, loosely listed in increasing order of complexity. All are, of course, gluten-free. As an added bonus many are made with the inherently gluten-free spirits like tequila and rum, which we know from previous posts many of you prefer.

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By Laura (The Gluten-Free Traveller)

We are fast approaching the spookiest time of year again. Costume stores are opening up all over the country, pumpkins are on sale everywhere you look and Halloween lovers are decorating their homes with spider webs and creepy creatures!

As if all of this wasn’t awesome enough, one of the really fun things about this time of the year is that candy manufacturers are bringing out their Halloween candy! Gummy pumpkins, squishy spiders, gooey witches, chocolate skulls. But which of these spooky snacks are gluten-free and safe for us to devour on these fast drawing in October nights?

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By Leslie

Day 7

I’ve not cheated at all. Then again you can’t cheat when you’re adopting a lifestyle and not dieting. Living gluten-free is a lifestyle, a choice.

Some things I’ve noticed:

I grocery shop more than I used to. This is a big deal since my husband does the shopping and does it dang well. But now I shop because I want particular things and because I’m so new to this that I need to take my time and read labels.

At the grocery store I spend much more time on the perimeter than I do in the aisles. Meat. Fruits and veggies. Eggs. About the only thing I got from the beautifully merchandised Halloween decorated aisles today was walnuts and bottled sparking water. Although our local grocery has plenty of gluten-free products (and I carry my Triumph Dining Grocery Guide around with me, which is very helpful), I’ve stuck with whole foods thus far.

I’ve lost a few pounds. Or my body has reorganized my waistline to differently display the whole foods I’m eating. I have not worked out the last week because boneheaded me fell down the stairs on Day 3 while taking a load of laundry to the wash. That’ll teach me to do laundry before the sun rises.

Planning is key. I prep lunch the night before and bring it to work because I don’t want to be tempted by Posh Bagel on the ground floor.

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By Bridget

As is true with my family, most households are not completely gluten-free. Though research bounces back and forth, there seems to be a general consensus that completely eliminating gluten from your diet if you’re not suffering from a gluten intolerance is not necessary, and can actually be detrimental to proper nutrient consumption. Thus the question arises: how do you keep up the gluten-free habits for the sake of one family member, while maintaining a healthy, well-rounded diet for gluten-eating members of your family?

Here are three tips for cooking for your gluten-free family member in a generally gluten-filled house:

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By Laura (The Gluten-Free Traveller)

With the lack of gluten-free labeling legislation in the US, sticking to a 100% gluten-free diet can often be challenging. So what if there were a simpler way for celiacs to ensure their food was free from cross contamination and safe to eat?

Many companies offering ‘gluten free’ products already have testing methods to look for traces of gluten in their products, but often these are expensive and perhaps less simple than they might be. How about if you could test your own food for traces of gluten?

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By Emily

Photo from seaworldparksblog.com

My childhood memories of theme parks are generally pleasant ones: a dolphin flinging a carnation into the crowd — and right into my lap — at SeaWorld; the giant bouncy castle at Sesame Place (I think it was Ernie’s bed); etc etc. Of course, these memories are BGF — before gluten-free — and I wonder how my experiences would have been if I were on a special diet.

Happily, for those kids (and big kids) with allergies or intolerances who are visiting SeaWorld, Sesame Place, Busch Gardens, or any of the other parks in the SeaWorld family, the menu options have just grown drastically.

SeaWorld has teamed up with the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) to introduce a comprehensive set of guidelines for all of their various locations. According to the press release blog post, more than 6,000 staff members have been trained to assist guests. There are some really nice touches here, not least that the program is designed to suit gluten-free guests as well as those with multiple sensitivities.

New programs include:

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By Laura (The Gluten-Free Traveller)

Macaroons are naturally gluten-free and delicious, making them a great treat for celiacs and other folks keeping to a gluten-free diet. Many countries produce their own variations on macaroons but the traditional macaroons, originally from France or Italy, use almonds as the main ingredient.

St Julien’s macaroons are exceptionally yummy. Descending from a 17^th century French recipe of crushed almonds, egg white, sugar and honey, they are made without any added nonsense. No flours, fillers, artificial colorings, flavorings or preservatives get anywhere near these tasty treats!

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