Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

Well, it's back to school (work) for me, a new job for my husband and a brand new daycare (in a brand new language) for my son.  I think this is going to be a crazy week with new schedules and many adjustments.  At least I know what we're having for dinner!

Monday: Macaroni Pasta with Black Olives, Sundried Tomatoes, Marinated Artichoke Hearts and Crumbled Goat Cheese 







Tuesday: Chicken Caesar Salad and a Side of Green Beans from the Garden  (Chicken's cooked, but the salad will be put together the day of)

Wednesday: Cock-a-Leekie Soup (Chicken & Leek) with a Salad of Boston Lettuce and Sliced Apples

Thursday: Lemon Fettucine and a Tomato & Basil Salad  

 

Friday: Tuna Burgers on Gluten Free Hamburger Buns with Sweet Potato Fries  (I'll get the buns out when we're ready to eat.  I've never tried gluten free hamburger buns, so I'll let you know how they taste!)

Gluten Free at a Potluck: Planning for the Street Party

Tomorrow night is our annual street party.  The street gets shut down, the music gets blared, and everyone enjoys the last long weekend of summer as a community.  A couple of neighbours are responsible for purchasing the basics, and every family pitches in by bringing along a dish to share, potluck style. 

For someone with a food allergy or intolerance, this can pose some challenges. 

It's not practical to ask each and every family if there's gluten in their dish, because so often it's hidden in ingredients that one wouldn't automatically assume would contain it.  Just explaining what gluten is can be complicated to those not familiar with it.  Not to mention the cross-contamination issues.  It's not practical to supply several offerings myself, and it's rude to only prepare enough of a dish for my son to enjoy.

For an adult, abstaining from the offerings can be difficult, but manageable.  For a child, especially one who doesn't yet understand his limitations, this can be next to impossible. 

So, we're faced with a bit of a dilemma. 

Even if we feed him ahead of time, he's still going to want to eat, especially when he sees the other kids eating.  And while I don't mind discussing his food limitations with people, I don't want them to become the focus of the outing as we try and navigate the buffet. 

What's the plan?   I don't have it all figured out, but I have a few ideas in mind. 

First, I'm going to make some cupcakes or a cake as our official contribution.  Desserts are generally gluten filled minefields, and no kid can resist them.  At least with some yummy cupcakes available, he'll be able to indulge safely. 

Second, I'll ask the neighbours who organize the party if I can scope out the offerings ahead of time and put aside a plate for my son before the party gets started.  That way I can see what's safe and set some aside before any cross-contamination occurs.

Third, I'll probably bring along a main dish as well, on the off chance that there's NOTHING suitable for him to eat.

Fourth, I'll also keep a few safe snacks on hand that I can offer up if all else fails. 

I want my son to enjoy the party but also to stay safe and healthy, without being an overprotective, hovering mother. 

Here's to hoping!

Friday Five List: Long Weekend Edition

Welcome to September!  The final long weekend of the summer is upon us, and with it all those preparations that seem to come with the changing of the seasons.  The start of the school year always feels like a new beginning to me, and I suddenly get the urge to get those projects done that I let slide over the summer.  Here are some of my plans for the long weekend!

1- Cleaning out my closet:  Since I can't wear my summer clothes to work, I generally pull out my fall clothes at this time and put away most of my summer stuff.  It's been a while since I've had to buy work clothes, so I'm starting from scratch with a few basics: a pair of classic cut black pants, a pair in grey and one in brown; a simple black dress, a dark grey shift dress and blazer for meetings and events, a few v-neck sweaters, some simple camis & a few cardigans to go on top. Nothing super exciting, but easy to mix and match until I can slowly start adding more interesting pieces!

2-Cooking:  I plan to have a stock of meals in my freezer that I can pull out from week to week to help cut down on cooking for the week.  I hope to only have to prepare 4 meals on a general week, and have one that comes from the freezer.  I've prepared 4 shepherd pies and 3 meatloafs as well as some turkey meatballs that can be used in various recipes.  I have a few other meals in mind to put together this weekend or next so that I have some more variety in my choices and don't end up eating the same meals over and over again.  My weekly menu plans will still go up every Sunday, photos included.


3- STREET PARTY!!!  I really enjoy our annual street party.  The food is incredible, the DJ plays great music and the kids get to run free on a street that's been closed off to traffic.  The adults get a chance to mingle and catch up, and people just relax and have a good time.  The only thing I've yet to decide is what I'll be bringing along....

4- Painting the Garage Door/ Getting the Garden Ready for Fall:  All of this is weather permitting of course.  Since the forecast looks like rain, we'll see what gets done!  Our garage door has been in need of a repaint since we moved in.  It currently does not match the new stucco we put up last year, and the plan was to paint it this fall.  If not this weekend, there's always the next.

Pre-stucco.  Note the green door.  This is what needs painting.

Post-stucco.  The garage door is still green.  I'll keep you posted on the progress.

5- Time with the family:  I know, with the above list, it doesn't seem likely.  But this weekend is the last weekend before the family schedule changes completely, and I want to enjoy the time with my husband and son before the weather changes and the pressures of upcoming holidays (Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas) begin to make free time harder to come by.  I want to take some time to just enjoy being together. 

How do you plan to spend your long weekend? 

First Day Back at Work & A Whole Lot of Gluten

Today was our professional training day before the  school year begins next week.  We complete most mandatory health and safety related items as well as other compulsory training, then have department meetings and get prepared for the return to teaching. 

We also get fed breakfast. 

I couldn't help myself.  I took one look at the bagels and cream cheese, and made a beeline for the table.  Which is funny, because bagels and cream cheese were never a go-to item for me before we cleared the house of gluten filled items for my son.  I think sometimes it's just the freedom to choose something gluten-filled and eat it out in the open,that's just too tempting to pass up! 

But the gluten fest didn't stop there.  On our lunch hour, a group of us headed out to Harvey's, a Canadian burger joint that lets you top your burgers any way you want.  I ordered a classic burger and fries.  I didn't even ask if they were fried in the same place as the onion rings. 

(Just for the record, I know have a crazy stomach ache, since I haven't eaten like that in a long time.  And I'm not the one with gluten issues.) 

It's also funny because, to be honest, asking questions and being aware of the way food is prepared and what goes into each item is not an inconvenience for me.  This is probably because I do it to keep my son healthy.  I don't care if anyone thinks I'm a pain in the you-know-what for asking.  I'm protecting my kid.  If it was for me, I'd probably get all embarrassed and just avoid most places. 

Going gluten free has also made my family a lot healthier, because most of what we eat is much less processed (cake mixes excluded), and we eat a wider variety of foods than before.  It is more work sometimes, especially in the beginning, and I work really hard to ensure my son gets all the nutrients he needs from his meals.  I try to vary our weekly menus so that I'm not relying on the same few standbys.  I want my son to know that there are infinite possibilities of healthy and great tasting meals that can be made without gluten. 

So although I didn't ask any questions or have to worry about what I ate, it wasn't really as satisfying as I had expected.  I rather looked forward to coming home to dinner tonight, gluten free and delicious. 

Wordless Wednesday

Daddy's sunglasses

Cooling off on a hot day

Cuddling on the couch

2011 Goals Update

August is almost over, so it's time yet again for me to reminisce about the month's happenings and to take stock of where I stand in relation to the numerous goals I set out for myself at the beginning of the year.

I'm happy to say that I've kept up with the blog dare challenge and have been posting daily, even when on vacation.  Some days are easier than others, but I've managed to get something posted each day.  I've added a few tabs and organized some of my posts under them to be easier to search for and find.  I have a few posting ideas I've been thinking about, including more recipes and some "theme" type posting weeks, so we'll see where that goes in the future.  I go back to work teaching full time in the fall, so my main goal is to keep up the daily posting and not fall behind on the blog when things get busy at work.

August, like July, was very much about family.  July was spent mostly with my side of the family, but August was about my husband's side.  This is a treat for us because my husband's family doesn't live in Canada.  Traveling to Washington for his cousin's wedding allowed us to see my husband's mom and his brother, who managed to fly in for the occasion.  Etienne only sees his grandma once or twice a year, so we take any chance we can get.  We also spent some time at the beach as a family, which was a well needed family vacation before all the craziness starts in September.

My writing has been sporadic since I've had so many other things to work on, but I hope that when my schedule goes back to normal in September I'll have more time. 

I'm happy with this summer.  It's gone by much too fast, but I guess that's a sure sign that it's been fun!  I've tried to enjoy my time off as much as I can, knowing that I'm back to work full time soon.  I always try to hold on to summer as long as I can, but to be honest, I love autumn because it always feels like a new beginning.  Another few weeks of hot weather, and then bring on the sweaters and the falling leaves! 

Final Few Days at the Daycare

This week is my son's last week at his current daycare.  He goes 3 days a week, Monday-Wednesday, until he switches next week when I go back to work full-time.  His new daycare is attached to the school we hope he'll attend in kindergarten, so the transition will hopefully be easier when the time comes. 

I'm excited about the move for a few reasons.  The daycare is within walking distance of our house, so dropping him off and picking him up will be simple.  He'll learn French (hopefully!).  The centre is small, with fewer students and teachers than his current daycare, so less chance of accidental cross-contamination of someone unaware of his condition.

More importantly though, the daycare's menu is supplied by an outside catering company that supplies all of the children's meals.  I contacted the company and they assured me that providing my son with a gluten free and dairy free meal each day would not be a problem.  The company has a separate kitchen where they provide the meals that don't contain the most common allergens.

The representative told me that they try to provide students with food restrictions meals that are as close to those that everyone else is eating as possible.  For example, veggie sticks and cream cheese dip would be replaced with a dairy free version of cream cheese.  This is important to me because my son is starting to realize when his food is different from that of everyone else, and he doesn't like it.

I have to admit though, putting my son's meals back in the hands of anyone but myself is also causing me considerable anxiety, although the company is reputable and the menu and preparation methods sound appropriate.  When Etienne was being fed by his current daycare, we had more than one incident of cross-contamination and illness.  He hasn't had an incident since May, when he was accidentally fed a slice of whole wheat bread at daycare, and I would like it to stay that way.  I've been providing all of his food for a long time, and I've rested easy at least knowing that his food was safe and hadn't come into contact with any ingredients that would make him sick.  Handing over this responsibility to someone else is proving to be more difficult than I thought it would be!

Wednesday night is the orientation/open house.  We've already discussed Etienne's requirements with the staff at a previous meeting, and we're going to be providing a list of items he can't come into contact with, like certain types of glue, paint and clay-type products.  We'll provide alternatives if necessary, but I just hope things go smoothly.

Like all parents with children beginning at a new daycare or school, I hope that my son likes his teachers, makes friends and has fun every day.  On top of those concerns, I worry that he'll struggle with the new language. 

Above all though, I worry that he'll make it through each day without getting sick.  Without being fed something that damages his insides, that causes him pain and discomfort, that makes his soft skin break out into an itchy, miserable rash.  Without suffering through the mood swings, lethargy and vitamin and mineral deficiencies that accompany contamination with gluten. 

Fingers crossed.

Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

Hello everyone!  This week I tried out some new recipes, and I'm happy with the results.  Here's what we're eating for dinner this week.

Monday:  Turkey Scallopini with Basil Pesto and Sauteed Green Beans in Olive Oil & Garlic and Marinated Artichoke Hearts

 

Tuesday: Maple Glazed Salmon with Fava Bean, Red Potato & Mushroom Compote 







Wednesday: Polenta w/Tomato Sauce & Sauteed Mushrooms (The sauce is ready, the polenta I'll make same day.)

Thursday: Quinoa Vegetable Soup & Spanish Tortilla (Spanish Omelette) 

A tomatillo

 

Friday: Ground Beef Nachos with Goat Cheese Cheddar and Homemade Tomatillo Salsa 

The photo of the salsa doesn't do it justice.  I really need a better camera.  The mixture of the dark green of the jalapeño and bell peppers contrasts nicely with the lighter green of the tomatillos and the bright green cilantro stirred in at the end.  Definitely a recipe to keep.

50 Jars of Tomatoes and a Birthday Party

This morning's birthday party was a lot of fun for my son.  We brought along some gluten free hot dogs and hamburgers to match the menu, and I baked a few gluten free cupcakes for him to enjoy as a substitute for birthday cake.  I used the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix to make the cupcakes, and the Duncan Hines fluffy white frosting that I had leftover from when I made the Devil's Food Cake.  They baked up perfectly, were nice and moist, and had a great vanilla flavour.  YUM! 

The only problem we're now encountering is that my son has reached the age where he realizes that his cupcakes are not the same as the birthday cake that everyone else is eating, but he's not old enough yet to really understand why.  I explain to him that the cake will make him sick, but he still doesn't get it.  I think next time I'll try matching the colour of the icing to the cake to perhaps make it seem more similar.  He did enjoy his cupcakes though, and there were no meltdowns, so I'm happy.

On the tomato front, they got done today, and I brought home about 50 jars of freshly canned tomatoes that we can use as sauce, in chili, or soups, or casseroles...the possibilities are endless!  We now have some canned roasted red peppers and some canned tomatoes to get us through the winter.  There's nothing like opening up a jar of tomatoes in the dead of winter knowing that they were preserved right at their freshest point, when the best looking specimens available at the grocery store are pale and nowhere near ripe. 

Weekly menu plan goes up tomorrow! 

5 Things on a Friday: Canning Tomatoes Edition

Today we canned tomatoes.  All day.  There will be more tomorrow.  Hopefully we'll do enough for two years, so that we won't have to do it next year.  I'm sore and tired, so before I relax with a nice glass of wine, here are my thoughts on the day.

1- The acid in tomatoes is great for exfoliating the skin.  My hands are smooth as a baby's bottom.

2- A little salt, a little basil, and a lot of tomatoes.  Simple recipe, simple process, a lot of elbow grease.

3- By about the 900th tomato, one begins to wonder if having homemade tomato sauce is really worth all the fuss.

4- The first time you open a jar and the smell of homemade sauce hits you in the face, you realize that of course it was worth it.

5- Maintaining a family tradition that reminds me of my childhood is worth the sore back and hands. 

Before more tomato canning tomorrow we have a birthday party to attend.  Picked up the yellow food cake mix to make cupcakes so that my son can participate in the birthday cake too.  What's that?  What about the cake I made two days ago?  I have no idea where it all went...