Kelsey Anne & Her Gluten Free Panda Cake

My baby turned SEVEN this past weekend.  This is an especially poignant time for me as we’ve been TTC (trying to conceive) for a while now with ZERO luck (even with the help of a very fancy doctor with a very fancy title and a very fancy price tag).  *sniff* I’m wondering if each day is the last I will have of this age…

Anyway… we celebrated SEVEN in a big way (or at least with a BIG cake).   Mama spent two days creating the Giant Panda Birthday Cake Masterpiece and amazingly enough, I held back the tears as it was destroyed in a matter of moments.  See, I do have my big girl pants on.

I was searching the web for ideas to make panda invitations and a panda cake.  I had a general idea of how I thought I could create a 3D panda cake… but I was hoping to find some confirmation on the world wide web… AND I did!  I came across a cute little first birthday cake made by a doting auntie… I emailed the mama blogger and asked if she knew how auntie made the cake, and what do you know?  I got a response back!  And my suspicion was correct… it was made with the mini bear 3D pan by Wilton.

Anyone that knows me, knows I don’t do things small… so I bought the full size bear pan and went to work.

What I knew… 1. I’d never made a 3D cake using a mold before (although I’d made some pretty cool cakes).   2. It needs to be gluten free and GF doesn’t respond the same as traditional baked goods. 3. I only had 48 hours to complete my project.  4.  The kids make me nuts when I’m attempting something like this and I’m not a very patient, calm, loving Mama under this kind of stress.

I bought a total of 14 gluten free cake mixes… 2 containers of Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening… 6 pounds of pure cane powdered sugar…  6 boxes of Jello pudding… 3 sheets of sugar paper… 2 Wilton icing color jars… 2 dozen organic eggs… a canister of cocoa powder… a $25.00 bear cake pan… and a myriad of other baking ingredients.

This was not a cheap undertaking… but my baby is worth it.

My first bear flopped… and I was nearly in tears worrying that this wasn’t going to work.  What I learned:  Gluten free vanilla cake mixes are not sturdy enough for a 3D mold (even with added pudding mix).  I salvaged the broken bear, sealed him up in a plastic baggie and stashed in the freezer… later we will make some GF cake balls.  All I could think was “that’s $10.00 in cake mixes wasted!”. (I’ve been a bit emotional with all the infertility meds rushing through my veins.)

Thankfully,  my second bear… made of two gluten free chocolate cake mixes (with no added pudding) turned out perfect.  I baked it 20 minutes longer than the pan directions suggested… and I followed the cooling/venting instructions to a T, but then I allowed it to continue to cool resting in the back of the pan for a few extra hours (not overnight though because moisture was collecting and I was afraid it would turn to mush). I also baked 2-12 inch cake rounds (think wedding cake tier), one in chocolate and one in vanilla.

I wrapped up all the cakes in plastic wrap and allowed them to rest on the counter overnight.

The next day was spent layering and frosting the cake.  The bear was time intensive… and at times, I was thinking “why oh why didn’t I get the mini bear?”.  In the end, it was worth all the effort.

The outside of the bottom cake is covered in sugar paper, so this cake is 100% edible with the exception of the popsicle sticks stuck in the cake beneath panda to support her.

I should have planned out the writing a bit better as it didn’t fit as I’d liked… but by then I was tired and my hands were black from the icing bag leaking all over me.

Happy 7th Birthday to the most vivacious, loving, adorable little panda bear a mama could ask for!  Kelsey Anne- January 21, 2005.

Recently, I was reading some mommy blogs of first time, young moms.  I found myself starting to judge (oh, if they had any clue… to be young and convinced I knew it all again…).  Then, I caught myself and thought… “Oh, wait… I used to be just.like.that.” Minus the blog because I wasn’t this cool back when.

When I was a young mom of bambino number one, I was on top of my game… I knew what type of parent I was going to be… and no one was going to tell me differently.

And then… bambino 2 arrived… and 3… now, I’m a “mature” Mama at 34 years old with 5 children underfoot ranging in ages from 6-11.5 years.  There’s a few years tucked under this Mama’s belt.

I’ve had the misfortune poor decision making opportunity to be a single Mama for a big part of my parenting years.  I learned to balance reality with idealism… want with need… I learned to hold down the fort entirely on my own. I’ve made more mistakes than I can count.   Through it all, we’ve thrived.

Funny how, judgement goes out the window once you put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

I’ve had a few wake up calls this year on judgement… this was one of them.  Another was my propensity to make a judgement call about who I would give money to on the streets.  I’d find myself running through a list when I saw someone holding a sign… “do I have any ones?, do they look like they are able to work and out for a handout?, does that person look to be on drugs and/or alcohol?”.  One day,  I felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit telling me to stop judging…  Matthew 25:40 says, “…Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”  Today, I am striving to be better at listening to the call of the Holy Spirit… allowing my self to be a vessel for Christ and not for this world.  Just recently, I had a little argument with the Holy Spirit as I drove out of a parking lot during the very busy, pre-Christmas days.  By the time I’d manuevered our HUGE 15 passenger van out of the over crowded (not to mention too small) parking lot amidst rude shoppers fighting for the rights to my parking space… I was miffed.  As I drove out of the parking lot, I spotted the man on the side with his “disabled veteran” sign.  I caught myself going through my check list… I only had a $20 bill in my wallet so I stopped there and proceeded to leave the parking lot.  Traffic wasn’t cooperating, so I was stuck waiting for a few too many minutes.  As I inched forward waiting for my turn to exit, I felt the urging of the Spirit to hand over that $20 bill.  I fought it… I really did.  But… once my turn arrived to exit the parking lot, I reluctantly rolled down the passenger window and handed off that $20 bill with a “God bless you”.  By the time I pulled out of the parking lot, the frustration from the traffic experience had passed and be replaced by the grace of God.

He does work in mysterious ways…

Christmas Eve Baby Jesus will go MIA (hiding somewhere in our house).  When the children wake up on Christmas morning they will go on a Jesus hunt.  Once they’ve found Him, they will carry Him to the manger while singing Away in a Manger followed by Happy Birthday.  Then we will eat CAKE for breakfast.  I’m still deciding on exactly what recipe will find its way into this Christmas morn. Once we’ve celebrated the birth of Jesus, our children will be able to unwrap their gifts and stockings.  Then we will have a nutritious breakfast of eggs and fresh fruit (to keep little bellies full and blood sugar stable after our morning treat) and head off to church.  What does Christmas morning look like in your home?

In the meantime, we’ve enjoyed these delicious pumpkin spice donuts.  Oh my.  They are super simple to make (not grain free… I have to work on that one). I used the recipe over at Bob’s Red Mill for Vanilla Pumpkin Cake with slight modifications.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Donuts

1 small can pure pumpkin (or half a large can)

3 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Mix (or one package, I buy in bulk)

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon (plus extra mixed with organic sugar for sprinkling)

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients until lumps are gone.  It will be a thick batter.  Pour batter into a gallon size ziploc baggie (or a large pastry/icing bag with large tip), seal and snip the corner off the baggie.  Spray your donut pan and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar.  Pipe batter into donut pan, smooth out with a toothpick if needed.  Bake for about 20 minutes at 375F.  When done, allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes and then run a butter knife around the edges to insure all donuts are loose and invert onto a cooling rack.  Enjoy!  For an interesting alternative, skip the cinnamon/sugar sprinkles and top with a confectioners sugar glaze drizzle.

What I’m eating today: (clean, but not quite grain free)- GF oats from Bob’s Red Mill w/ scrambled eggs & coconut sugar, diced baby red w/ zucchini, organic chicken sausage, mushrooms, and a smattering of cheddar… Yum!  I missed my morning snack because I have 11 children underfoot today.

What I’m listening to: Chris Tomlin’s Christmas Album on iTunes.

What I’m planning: prepping meals and activities for my sub while I’m out for surgery later this week.  Christmas crafts/gifts for the daycare families and our daycare Christmas party.

Recipes I’m hoping to tinker with today: Grain free coconut flour bread and grain free coconut flour donuts (chocolate, maybe?).

I’m also applying for acceptance into an 18 hour cohort for infant & toddlers.

I’m feeling very blessed and joyful as we anticipate the birth of our Risen Lord Jesus.  Here’s a quick lesson for you on Christmas-

The word Christmas comes from the Christ Mass (celebration of the Eucharist) in the original (Catholic) church on December 25th.  The date was chosen because there were many pagan celebrations in wintertime and this date would allow Christians to replace those pagan customs with the celebration of Christ’s birth.  The word Holiday is a contraction of the words Holy and day, and is a term used for days of obligation in the church.  So, whether you say Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas; let’s remember the true meaning of the season.

Coconut Flour Cupcakes

Saturday night, we ventured out to a Christmas Light Parade.  Like any small town parade, our children gathered lots of CANDY.  Y’all know, I don’t let my littles consume much of the sweet stuff around here.  Really, I think they need NONE… so it got lost in the land of missing candy.

Like most littles, mine are constantly haranguing me for the sweet stuff.  Sometimes, I give in and let them eat cupcakes for breakfast.

These pretty little goodies were made with a few ingredients: coconut flour, cocoa powder, eggs, agave, coconut oil, baking soda, & air dried sea salt… the recipe is from Elana’s Pantry… instead of frosting, I topped each one with three Dagoba Dark Chocolate Chips.

I find nearly all my cupcake (muffin) recipes over at Elana’s Pantry or in her book, Gluten Free Cupcakes.  My littles agree… these are lip smacking!

I figure, my littles are better off than most… you won’t find any giant Costco muffins adorning our breakfast table.

And guess what?  I made a double batch and packed the leftovers in their lunch boxes today.  (Along with aged white cheddar cubes, veggies, water, and a piece of fruit.)

We will be celebrating the birth of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ first thing in the morning on Christmas… I’m giving my kids CAKE for breakfast.  I’ll likely use a coconut flour recipe for the cake and make an icing using Spectrum Palm Shortening (still shortening but better than Crisco).  We will follow our cake with a traditional breakfast chock full of protein and other good stuff.

Now whose calling this Mama mean?

Have I mentioned that my children are naughty?  Yes, indeed… the little polka dots around here are NORMAL children (how’d that happen?).  So, our nightly readings and devotions are broken by misbehavior, premature blowing out of candles, interruptions, ape child swinging on cabinets, you get the idea…

This Advent Season, I’m reminded to give Thanks even in difficulty… give Thanks for naughty children (who challenge me to become more patient, more Grace giving).  Give Thanks in illness, in the loss of loved ones, in pain, in brokenness, in being broke, in tears… give Thanks in laughter, in love, in fond memories, in delights… give Thanks in all things.

Our motto this Advent (and possibly for always) is “consider others FIRST“.  The daily challenge with my children is loving others, giving over selfishness, finding joy when things don’t go your way.  Perhaps the concept of “dieing to self” is too extreme for young minds, but I believe they can learn the basics now.

This Advent, I’ve wrapped up 28 Christian Christmas story books to open each night.  Week 1, 2, & 4 are in purple wrapping and week 3 is in pink.

Week One Stories

Week Two Stories

Week Three Stories

Week Four Stories

AND… I just realized the photos are a bit out of order… I moved The Legend of St. Nicholas to week two so the children can read it on St. Nicholas Feast Day (December 6th).

I anticipate a few of these books retiring after this year… I found many of them second hand at St. Vincent de Paul or Goodwill.  I didn’t pre-read 100% of them (rather scanned each story).

For the Feast Day of St. Nicholas, my children will find gold coins in their shoes and a set of PlayMobil Angel & St. Nicholas figurines.  I need to do some research and find a special meal or dessert than I can make gluten free to enjoy that evening.

On the agenda this week…

Baking Nativity sugar cookies (gluten free, of course).  I’ll use a sugar cookie recipe from Karen over at Only Sometimes Clever… Lacy at Catholic Icing has a super simple decoration tactic, but I’m thinking a little more frosting/glaze.

What I’m reading:  Give Them Grace: Dazzling your Children with the Love of Jesus by Elyse Fitzpatrick & Jessica Thompson, The Five Love Needs of Men & Women by Dr. Gary & Barbara Rosberg, and One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.

What I’m sad about: My final copy of Faith & Family Magazine (Winter 2011) has arrived in the mail.  This is the last print magazine.

Notable news:  No, we are NOT pregnant yet.  We will let you know when that miracle happens.

And that’s a wrap.  Blessings to you in this season of waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  May His peace fill you, may his Grace remain with you, may you find Thanks in all things.

Kinnikinnick Pumpkin Spice Donuts

Fall is my favorite time of year (well, after Spring that is…).  There is something about a crisp, sunny, Fall day.  I love the vibrant colors, the return of comfort food, and sipping cocoa by the fire.

What I miss the most about being gluten free are the AMAZING apple cider donuts we always purchased at the pumpkin patch.  They were made fresh onsite with the farms pressed cider and lots of spice.  Nothing says Fall like a spice donut.

AMAZINGLY… just as I was mourning my spice donuts this year, the folks over at Kinnikinnick contacted me about trying out a sample of their PUMPKIN SPICE DONUTS.  (Insert me doing a little jig here).  Of course, I said YES, PLEASE! (Or I hope I said please… now I can’t remember, how quickly manners go out the window at the mention of my favorite food!).

A lifetime few days later, a box arrived at my house… it was decorated with a large “freeze upon arrival” sticker.  Yeah… right.  Those donuts never made it to the freezer.

We quickly ripped into the package… it was all I could do to hold the heathens children at bay long enough to get a photo!

Frosting wasn't as pretty upon arrival, but they still tasted GREAT!

Kinnikinnick, you are my new best friend. Your LIMITED EDITION (why?, tell me why?!?!??!) Pumpkin Spice Donuts tasted like crisp skies and  pumpkin patches with rainboots slurping in the mud… they tasted like FALL.

Kinnikinnick, you’ve made this gluten free family happy… yes, food can bring comfort and happiness.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice donuts are free of wheat, dairy, soy, nuts, & potato.  Hurry… they are only avaliable for a limited time at Kinnikinnick.com .  I’m not exaggerating here… this Mama is a nut for her spice donuts and these really did fill that GAPING hole.  As I’m writing this post, I’m drooling over the photos and WISHING I had some in the freezer… next time, I’m hiding them from the children.  Mmmm… hot coffee and a spice donut.

1).  Don’t buy pre-made gluten free (or any) snack products. (We do occasionally.)

2). Shop at discount stores. Today I purchased 24 bags of gluten free (non-gmo) corn pasta for $1.69 per package… this will last us 3 months.  I also purchased gluten free cookies for .99/pkg (I can’t make them that inexpensively!). Our local Grocery Outlet can be a gold mine for gluten free items like these.  I was also able to buy packages of 6 BabyBell cheeses for $1.49 and Greek yogurt 2 for $1.00.

3).  Buy in bulk, but watch price per unit/ounce/pound.  Think about buying beef, pork, and poultry directly from a farmer (by the whole, half, or quarter animal).  You can’t get better quality meat for anywhere near the price at the market.

4).  Skip breakfast cereals.  My rule is that I will NEVER pay more than $2.00 for a box.  We buy Rice Chex or gluten free Rice Krispies when they are on sale.  Otherwise we eat homemade muffins, eggs (lots of them), gluten free oats (I buy in 25lb bags from Bob’s Red Mill for $1.27lb vs. over $3.00lb in stores).  We try to limit cereal to NO MORE than 2 days/week.  It’s not healthy (despite what the boxes say) and it’s expensive.

5). We are instituting “Poverty Week”.  Once a month, for one week,  from Monday-Friday, our family will eat VERY simply.  Our first week will be Rice and Beans.  I will calculate the difference in the cost of a normal food week and we will donate the savings to a feed the hungry program.  I am hoping this will teach our children just how lucky we are and give them some sense of gratitude and instill a desire to help others. (Wishful thinking?) This could be done merely as a money saving measure, but I feel its more important to use it as a time of helping and teaching.

6).  Set a budget.  I also have specific prices I won’t pay over… for fresh produce, my max is $1.00/lb.  I purchased two bags of frozen organic broccoli today at 2lbs for $2.99, however they were crowns only.  My cereal budget is $2.00/box.  I don’t buy gluten free pasta unless I can get it at the outlet store.  I spend a little more to get organic spring salad mix because the nutrition cannot be matched in a lower cost option.

7).  Plan ahead.  This is the one that always gets me.  If I don’t plan my menu in advance, I end up making extra trips to the store which ALWAYS results in spending money I wouldn’t otherwise.

8). Avoid junk food.  It’s highly processed, has no nutritional value, and is expensive.  Plan wisely, to get the best nutritional value for your buck.

9).  Don’t drink your $ away… soda, juice, and other “drinks” lack nutritional value, add empty calories and cost a fortune!

10). Stock up when you find a great sale on non-perishable items.  This will save you from spending too much later for the same item.

11).  Eat in season.  By purchasing local produce when it’s in season, you can save a lot of money, support local agriculture, and naturally diversify your diet.

12).  Chose simple meals.  We are so caught up in variety, we’ve lost sight of the value of a simple, nutritious meal.

I bought Velvetta today.  That makes twice in my lifetime… it’s not a normal staple around here but I was feeling the need for comfort food on this first gloomy looking Fall day.  Plus, I was at Grocery Outlet and found some GREAT deals.

Tonight I am only cooking for 5, however this could serve 7-8.

This is comfort food at it’s finest…for $7.94 + sides (For a gluten free pasta meal, this is a GREAT price).

1 lb. GF pasta (Pasta d’oro Fettucine $1.69 pkg)

1.5lbs frozen chicken breast tenders (half of a 3lb bag @ $6.99= $3.50)

1lb frozen organic broccoli (2lb pack crowns only, $2.99= $1.50)

1/2 lb Velvetta (2lb loaf for $3.99 = $1.00)

1 cup milk (.25)

salt, pepper, & garlic powder to taste

I cook the chicken from it’s frozen state over medium heat in a stainless skillet, with a lid.  Check frequently to, add liquid (or olive oil) if needed and turn.  Season with salt, pepper, & garlic powder.  Once cooked through (or mostly), dice into bite size pieces and return to skillet with some olive oil to brown.

While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add pasta and a drizzle of olive oil.  Cook 8 minutes, then add frozen broccoli, cook until pasta is tender tender.  Drain & set aside.

Once the chicken is cooked through and nicely browned, add Velvetta chunks and 1 cup milk.  Simmer on low heat until Velvetta is melted and you have chicken in a nice, creamy sauce.

Combine sauce with pasta; add a side of green salad and a bowl of grapes, serve, eat, smile.

Flavor variations: Tex-Mex?  Add 1 cup salsa of choice or a can of R0-tel to sauce.  Less cheesy?  Add 1 cup cream of mushroom soup (homemade!) to sauce and increase milk if needed.  Feeling the moo?  Sub ground beef for the chicken.  This is also awesome with ground sausage if you desire spice!

Have a bit more time?  Mix everything together, pour into a prepared glass baking dish, top with broken Lay’s plain potato chips and grated Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 until golden and bubbly (about 20 minutes).

Advance prep for future dinners…

The broccoli came in a 2 lb package but was nicely divided into 1 lb bags inside. Label 2nd bag- Cheesy Chicken Pasta.

Place the other 1.5lbs chicken into a large freezer bag. Label bag- Cheesy Chicken Pasta

Cut the Velvetta into 80z chunks, place in small zip bags, back in box.

Place chicken and broccoli together in the freezer, make sure you have an extra bag of pasta ready to go.

Now you have a quick prep meal for the future.  Use all open Velvetta within 8 weeks.

Mama & Daugther- August 26, 2011

This Mama is growing up… how do I know this?  I am now the parent of a TWEEN!  That’s right, my firstborn, Kaylee is 11 years old.  Which means, it’s time to really teach our values so she can start forming her convictions now… before she is in a difficult situation.

Last weekend, Kaylee and Mama had a Girls Time Out.  We shopped, we dined, we sipped cold beverages, we had pedicures and haircuts, we purchased tween appropriate cosmetics…

Most importantly, we went through Passport 2 Purity.  The contents of our lessons and conversations are private… just between Kaylee and I.  But the point of this weekend was to teach Biblical values to our tweens before they are in the situations middle and high school bring.  If we help our children gain convictions, it will be a lot easier for them to stand strong against peer pressure.

I can’t help but wonder how my decisions (or non decisions) may have been different if I had parents with a strong faith who shared this valuable information with me AND held me accountable… We are praying that despite our past mistakes, as parents, we will be successful in giving our children something we didn’t have… and with the grace of God, our children will come through life a little less scarred.

Kaylee said the weekend was exciting and fun… I’m sure all the shopping helped.   To enable us to have more activity time, I burned the CDs into my iTunes and loaded them up onto Kaylee’s iPod Touch.  While we enjoyed pedicures, we listened to one of the lessons.

We decided to stay local and sleep at home for the weekend.  This decision allowed us a couple of things:

1) More $ for a special gift

2) More $ to spend shopping & dining

We listened to the CD lessons while driving between activities, while enjoying Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in the parking lot and on the iPod when activities allowed.

Daddy & Daughter- August 26, 2011

Our weekend wrapped up a little differently than the program suggests.  Daddy took us on a celebration “date”.  We got dressed up and curled our hair (or I should say Kaylee’s hair, Mama’s was still wet when we left the house).  Daddy drove the car out front, rang the doorbell, and escorted his ladies out for the night.  Our dinner was at P.F. Chang’s (they have a wonderful gluten free menu) where Daddy shared a beautiful letter he wrote for Kaylee and gifted her with a ruby ring (Kaylee’s birthstone).

Daddy explains the meaning of the ring

Kaylee and I had a wonderful weekend, we connected, had wonderful conversations, and hopefully made memories that will last a lifetime.  Daddy and I will keep praying daily for Kaylee (and all our children) and Daddy is making sure all the girls know he will be interviewing any potential dates in the future (a very long long time away).  I love that Kaylee has a beautiful reminder on her finger… so anytime she is struggling, she can look down and remember her commitment to God and her family.

Kaylee Girl

Outback's Flourless Pecan Brownie... YUM!

Have you noticed how many restaurants, cafe’s, and bakeries are touting “gluten free” menu items these days?  You’d think that we were in for a grand culinary experience with all the options avaliable today. BUT (yes, there is a but…), in my recent experience, I’m finding many business do not fully grasp the gravity of Celiac disease and gluten contamination.

Bring my children to your fine establishment so you can poison them with your cross-contamination, NO THANK YOU.

What you don’t understand is that GLUTEN IS POISON for those of us with Celiac.  This is not an allergy, you can’t label it as mild, moderate, or severe.  Gluten exposure in a Celiac is a damaging prospect at any level.

We’ve had some good and some not so good experiences lately.  I am really trying to remember that when restaurant personal ask me “how sensitive” I am to not take it personally, it is purely lack of education with this rapidly growing “diet”.  This is where the growth of gluten “free” gets dangerous for those of us with Celiac vs. an intolerance.

In our lovely town of Eugene, there is a quaint little cafe called New Dawn.  New Dawn is 100% gluten free… Dave, the owner discovered through his research that trying to do both gluten free and glutened foods in the same establishment was dangerous.  He has hired on two bakers who are gluten free and know first hand how important safe foods are.  Our family loves New Dawn… the people, the food, the conversation.

Outback Steak House- well informed, has a gluten free menu. Serves a to-die-for flourless pecan brownie dessert (that is plenty big enough for two).  Has a relationship with GIG to maintain good standards.  Satan My husband still ate an entire loaf of the brown bread in front of me… (seriously though, who can blame him).  I did not get ill from this experience.  My steak and mashed potatoes where great, my veggies were good (even minus the seasonings).  The dessert was AMAZING (this was the first time I was able to enjoy a dessert at a restaurant that tasted just like what I was used to eating pre-Celiac).

P.F. Chang’s- these people have done some research.  The regular menu contains a gluten free section.  GF meals are served on plates with a P.F. Chang’s logo.  They even have gluten free soy sauce.  My glutened husband ate GF and didn’t notice a difference.  We enjoyed a flourless chocolate mound cake which was more like a rich fudge than cake but was delicious and rich.

Papa’s Pizza- Our Papa’s not only boasts a great indoor play structure but also carries gluten free crust and dairy free/soy free cheese (Daiya).  The best part?  We can eat there because they have a separate preparation space (with a short wall barrier in place), separate toppings, and use a separate oven for gluten free pizza.  The gluten free orders are taken on a bright orange paper and the order paper stays with the pizza until you take it to the table. The salad bar is a nightmare as all are because the croutons go swimming in salad dressing and who knows what else.  No desserts avaliable (except monster cookies full of regular flour).  By far our children’s favorite place to eat.

I’m sad to say we had a not so great experience at McMenamin’s.  They now carry (really tasty) gluten free buns from Jensen’s so I decided to order my burger with the bun.  It arrived toasted.  I also ate six tater tots (which are GF but were cooked in the fryer with corn dogs).  I was feeling sick within 30 minutes of eating and by the next morning I was in major GI distress.   I wondered about the bun later, if they toasted it in the same area as the regular buns.  Obviously, the tots didn’t help the situation (I chose to eat a few knowing this…).  This is one of the establishments that asked me “how sensitive”. The good news; I was introduced to Jensen’s (Gluten Free Concepts), tracked them down at a local market and brought some home.  The children say Thank You.

Restaurants to avoid- those serving primarily gluten foods (pancake houses, bakeries,  Italian restaurants where pasta is made fresh on site, etc…). Flour can stay in the air for 24 hours… that flour can then end up in your food, in your nasal passages, on surfaces you touch, etc… this is bad news for those with more than an “intolerance”.

Questions to ask-

1. Is the kitchen staff familiar with gluten free cooking?
2. What precautions are taken to avoid cross contamination?
3. Do you have separate work and cooking surfaces for gluten free foods?
4. How do you serve GF foods to ensure the right food reaches me? (for example, special colored or logo plates, food picks, etc…)
5. For baked goods (cookies, muffins, donuts, cakes, etc…)- Are they prepared in a separate, GF kitchen or in a shared kitchen? (If shared, question further about standards to determine if you are comfortable consuming the product.)

Remember, you are the best and often, ONLY advocate for your (or your families) safety.  Gluten is Poison for those with Celiac.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions, explain that this is more than an intolerance.  I prefer to call ahead whenever I can to question the kitchen staff (at an off time, so they aren’t incredibly swamped).  Do your homework, don’t be afraid to pack some safe items with you… if the restaurant gives you any flack, educate them.