Why Sleepovers Suck for a Celiac Child...

So, we did it - we finally let my daughter sleep over at a friend's house. It was her first time sleeping over at a friend's house whose family is not also gluten-free, and today E is home sick, feeling the repercussions.  I knew that there was a high chance of her being "glutened" as soon as she asked me if she could stay at her friend's house; but she's been having so many issues with mean girls in school lately, and I really wanted her to just have a good time with a nice girl and enjoy being a kid for a night. Is that so bad? So I packed her up with gluten free snacks, we gave the friend's parents a brief synopsis of what gluten is and what foods to avoid, and sent them on their way.

The friend's mom and dad are great - They were very receptive to E's dietary needs, bought special ice cream that she could eat for that night and even cooked her eggs for breakfast the next morning.  However, using my mad detective skills I have determined a couple of areas where the gluten may have sneaked in:

- They went out for dinner at a local Mexican Restaurant where E had corn tortilla chips with melted cheese.  I must admit, when I found out that they took my daughter to this restaurant I was immediately excited because it is one of my favorites in the area and we haven't been there since E's diagnosis (because we haven't verified if they offer gluten-free items). But then I remembered why we haven't been there in almost a year and E admitted that they don't have a separate GF menu, she just ordered corn chips with melted cheese. When we asked her if she asked if the chips were fried in oil separate from everything else, like any 10-year-old she admitted she did not inquire. 

- During breakfast E tasted some frou-frou drink from Starbucks because she has never tasted "coffee" before. E said, "it was a drink so it should be gluten free, right?" So there's that....  And really given that E was so blase about tasting the beautiful Starbucks drink, I have no idea what else she actually consumed.

Anyway, regardless of where the gluten came from, later this weekend E started to feel dizzy, really sleepy and then her stomach started hurting. Today she is home with a tummy ache, constipation, and can hardly keep her eyes open. But at least she had a great time at her friend's house!

I think the lesson we've learned is that, at least for the time being, any sleepovers are going to have to be at our house :-(


-Jackie

About Me

So, this is me, or at least my likeness, (IF you add chubby cheeks and crazy naturally curly hair):





I'm Jackie and up until January of 2016, I, along with my husband and 2 kids, was living what most would consider a "normal" life: I worked at a great paying job, I traveled for work about once a month, spent money frivolously (see aforementioned great paying job), and my family dined out at least 2-3 times a week without a care in the world. Then reality struck - we found out that our 12-year-old son has Type 1 diabetes. I have a pretty extensive family history of Type 1, so this should not have been but a shock, but you could have knocked me over with a feather. This kind of stuff just doesn't happen to me, and certainly not my kids...am I right? Well, it did and it was a wake up call for sure. So as my husband fought his denial and I listened to coworkers, friends and even family suggest that I just change his diet (if only it were that easy), I stressed about what to do next. How could I possibly travel to places like Japan for work while worrying about my son's blood sugar and whether or not his father was handling things alright? I was torn. Well then reality slapped me right in the face again and basically made the decision for me - 2 months after my son's Type 1 diagnosis we found out that our 9 year-old daughter has Celiac Disease. After meeting with her Pediatric Gastroenterologist and a dietician, we of course learned that there is more to going gluten-free than just avoiding wheat, so that brings me to where I am at now:


I am a stay-at-home mom of 2 kids who is still learning the best way to raise my Celiac daughter to be gluten free. She is 100% gluten free, while I am about 80-90% and my son and husband are about 70% gluten free. ALL of our dinners are made gluten free. When I quit my job we started living on a budget. A real budget, not just one we pretend to be on to impress people. So every Sunday morning I sit down and plan out our menu for the week and then I grocery shop according to that menu.


I decided to start this blog as a way to share my weekly menus because I see so many people new to the GF way of life have no idea how to start. I make real food that kids eat (with the exception of the fish nights - in which case my daughter gets frozen GF fish sticks). It is not diet food and it is not fancy. It's real food that is typically easy to make.

Menu for Week of 14 Nov 2016

Mon - Shrimp Alfredo (Healthier Alfredo) with garlic bread and peas.
    For this I'll make the Alfredo as prescribed (although I might try using a little less butter) and then add about a 1/2 bag of (thawed) frozen cooked large shrimp (tail off) at the end. I'll let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes to let the shrimp warm up and then pour it over GF pasta. I might mix the peas into it instead of eating on the side. You could use a jar of Light Alfredo instead, if you want to save some time. If I'm in a hurry I usually use this one, which is gluten-free:



Tues - Slow Cooker Jambalaya (Jambalaya) and salad.
   I have never made this before but my husband requested it so I'm going to try it.  I plan to use either boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs and I'm going to cook it in my Dutch oven.  I'll have to go easy on the spicy seasonings because I'm wimpy as is my daughter :-)

Wed - Chicken Divan (Chicken Divan).
    Holy cow this looks delicious. Never made it before but I know my family is going to love it.

Thurs - Breakfast Bowls.
    Tater tots cooked in the oven and then placed in a bowl and topped with cooked sausage, scrambled eggs and cheese. Yum.

Fri - Potato Chowder (Potato Chowder) and gluten free biscuits.
    My plan is to cook enough sausage on Thursday to have some leftover to use in the chowder on Friday, saving a little time.  I'm going to try making biscuits using GF Bisquick unless somebody gives me a better idea. I was thinking about melting butter and garlic and then spreading it on them so they taste like Red Lobster's biscuits...

Sat - Pizza Casserole (Pizza Casserole) with salad.
    I'm going to use GF penne and I might try sneaking some mushrooms into this because I LOVE mushrooms (but my kids hate them). I might add some black olives to make the kids happy...

Sun - Grilled Brats and baked beans.
    And by brats this is what I mean (my daughter has a love of cheese):



Have a great week!!!

Menu for Week of 7 Nov 2016

Here is what I'll be making this week:

Mon - Baked Tilapia (Baked Tilapia), Rice and Broccoli Cheese Bake (Broccoli Cheese Bake Side).
    For the Tilapia I will definitely omit the capers at the end because I HATE capers. I've never made the Broccoli side dish before but it looks like something that my daughter will like, and after making her eat the curry this past week that she didn't like,  I figure I should make up for it by making something for her. For the Broccoli Cheese Bake I plan to use GF All-Purpose Flour in place of the regular flour and I'll probably use cheddar instead of Swiss cheese, just because my kids are unpredictable when it comes to Swiss.

Tues - Grilled Ham and Cheese on GF Bread with Baked Fries (Oven Fries).

Wed - Baked GF Spaghetti with Corn and Garlic Bread on the side.
    Basically I just cook the spaghetti noodles as directed (we prefer Mueller's brand) and set aside. Meanwhile I  brown a pound of hamburger and add 2 jars of Prego Traditional to it and let it simmer until the Prego is warmed up.  I mix the meat-sauce into the noodles, sprinkle in about a 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, add about 1/2 a handful of mozzarella cheese and mix it all together real good. Then I dump it into a Pam-sprayed 9X13 casserole dish, sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top and bake it in the oven for 30-35 minutes at 350. Simple and delicious.  I plan to serve it with corn and garlic bread because for some reason corn and garlic bread are synonymous with spaghetti to me.

Thurs - Baked Pesto Chicken (Baked Pesto Chicken) with Mashed Potatoes.
    I am new to the Pesto scene and am so excited to share my Pesto find with you.  This is the only Pesto I could find for my Tomato Soup recipe last week and it was DELICIOUS!  So of course I went and bought more and specifically searched for a recipe to use it again this week. Hopefully others can find this and enjoy it as much as we did:



Fri - Crock Pot Chili (Crock Pot Chili) with GF Cornbread.
    Several years ago my dad passed away and with him he took his chili recipe (along with his famous cabbage rolls recipe) :-(  Since then I have made chili several times and I have yet to produce the exact flavor of my dad's. This recipe was the closest I could find to how my dad made it so I'll give it a shot but I plan to make the following changes: I will omit the pinto beans and I'll use V-8 in place of the tomato juice (that is what my dad always did). Maybe this recipe will get me a little closer... For the cornbread, I found this at our Commissary - we haven't tried it before but I'm hoping we like it:



Sat - Pizza.
    We bought Freschetta Gluten Free pizzas for this day.

Sun - Crock Pot Steak Fajitas (Slow Cooker Fajitas) with Salad and Chips/Salsa

Have a great week!
    

Menu for Week of 31 Oct 2016

Mon  - We are eating out, probably at BJ's (BJ's Link) because they have a great gluten free menu for my daughter. Her and I usually eat the tomato soup and share the GF cheese pizza. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Tues - Italian Herb Grilled Chicken (Italian Herb Grilled Chicken) with mashed potatoes and salad.

Wed - Shrimp Tacos (Shrimp Avocado Tacos) with tortilla chips, guacamole and queso.
    I already have a bag of peeled, cooked,  large frozen shrimp in my freezer so I plan to thaw that out and use that. Because we are having guacamole (and my kids aren't really into avocado) I will probably only sneak a little avocado in the tacos, and there is no way I can use the hot chili powder so I'll have to substitute another spice - maybe paprika?  For guacamole I just smash up avocado, mix in some store bought salsa (that I know is gluten free), and season with lime and garlic salt to taste. For the queso I use a can of Rotel and melt Velveeta cheese into in. Simple.

Thurs - Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Rice Casserole, adapted from this recipe (Broccoli Quinoa Casserole).
     I use rice cooked in my rice cooker instead of quinoa, cheddar instead of romano, omit the Tarragon and just season with a little garlic powder and pepper. Delicious!

Fri - Crock pot Tomato Soup (Tomato Basil Soup) with Grilled Cheese.
     Both of our kids have basketball practice on Fridays and we learned a valuable lesson last week - if there is a day of the week that we could really use an easy crock pot meal, Friday is it. We haven't had tomato soup at home in FOREVER and this recipe is a copycat from one of my favorite restaurants from back home (we are a military family). I am so excited to try this out!  For the grilled cheese I'll use Schar's GF white bread and make it just like a normal grilled cheese.

Sat - Mild Curry Chicken with rice and salad.
     A friend of mine recommended I try this sauce because it is gluten free. So because I am trying to venture out of my comfort zone a bit, I think I'll try it this week: 



Let me say, I HATE raisins. Like, really hate raisins. I'm the annoying person who picks them out of the trail mix, eats everything else, and puts them back in for my husband to eat. So I really hope you can't taste the raisins too much.

Sun - Broiled Tilapia (Broiled Tilapia), Grilled Baked Potatoes (Grilled Baked Potatoes) and corn.

Have a great week!

Review of Gluten Free Magic Cookie Bars

My mother passed away when I was only 10 and yet I can still remember her making Magic Bars when I was little. I loved them and I still have a penchant for coconut which I believe is tied to those bars. So when my husband came across a gluten free recipe for them, I was super excited to try them out and share this yummy piece of my childhood with my daughter.

I followed the recipe basically as it was directed, except I didn't have any pecans so I used walnuts instead. I also didn't use the entire can of sweetened condensed milk because it seemed excessive to me, so I used about 3/4 of it.  The consistency of them turned out great. Even my best non-gluten free magic bars will occasionally have issues setting up right so I was pleased with how these set up. However, as much as I like peanut butter I thought that the peanut butter flavor of these bars was too overwhelming for my taste. My daughter on the other hand LOVES peanut butter and could not get enough of them. 

Next time I make these, and there will be a next time, I will probably search high and low for some gluten free graham crackers and then I'll maybe half the peanut butter in the base layer and mix in some crushed graham crackers to lessen the "peanut butter punch" that you get when you bite into them. I'll probably have to give this some thought so as to not make the bottom too dry. Other than that, I don't think I'd do much different. Out of 5 stars I'd give them a 4 and that's only because of my taste buds and the peanut butter - I'm sure my daughter would give them a 4.5 (she thought there was too many nuts).

If anybody else has other ideas, I'd love to hear from you!
-Jackie

(Gluten Free) Magic Cookie Bars

• Prep
  15 m
• Cook
  40 m
• Ready In
  1 h 55 m

Recipe By:Jewels

"I did a combination of two recipes, peanut butter cookies with three ingredients and magic cookie bars. My brother-in-law loves magic cookie bars but is now gluten-free. I have been trying to come up with desserts for him so he doesn't feel left out. This is an amazing dessert and will stay fresh for days...if they last that long in your house! Perfect for Passover - no flour!"

Ingredients

• Cookie Base:
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups peanut butter
• Toppings:
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 

• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped raw pecans
• 1/2 cup chopped raw almonds
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9x13-inch glass baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Mix sugar and eggs together in a bowl until smooth; stir in peanut butter until well blended. Pour peanut butter mixture into the prepared baking dish.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until cookie base is partly cooked, 8 minutes.
4. Layer semisweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, pecans, almonds, and coconut onto the cookie base. Slowly pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the toppings.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until coconut is slightly brown, about 30 minutes.
6. Cool completely before removing cookie bars from pan. Peel away parchment paper and cut into small squares using a sharp knife.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2016 Allrecipes.com 

Menu for Week of 24 Oct 2016

Mon - Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Pasta (Creamy Tuscan Chicken) and Garlic Bread.
     This recipe is so delicious. I usually omit the sun-dried tomatoes because my daughter is so picky but I just might leave them in this time. We haven't had Olive Garden since my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac and let me tell you, eating this is just like eating at Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill so it is a treat for us.  I'm just making garlic bread using GF Schar's bread, butter and garlic salt, but if I was feeling really motivated I would probably try this Gluten Free Olive Garden Bread Sticks recipe that I found on Pinterest (GF Olive Garden Breadsticks). If anyone tries this recipe I would love to hear how it turns out!

Tues - Tilapia with Vegetables Foil Packet (Tilapia and Veggies in Foil).
   Little clean-up = awesome!

Wed - Slow Cooked Chicken Tikka Masala (Slow Cooked Chicken Tikka Masala) with Rice.
     I'm nervous about this for a couple reasons: I have never made anything like this before and I am not sure if my kids even like Indian food.  But it sounded good so I thought I should try it out.  I might have to resort to ordering the Garam Masala spice from Amazon (Hooray for Amazon Prime) since I couldn't find it at the Commissary.  I am planning to make it in my dutch over rather than using a crock pot, so we'll see how it turns out - fingers crossed.

Thurs - Breakfast Bowls. 
     Tater tots topped with sausage, scrambled eggs and cheese - deliciousness in a bowl.

Fri - Chicken Enchiladas with Chips & Guacamole and Salad.
     Another recipe I haven't tried before but it is similar to others I have (GF Chicken Enchiladas).  I am planning to omit the beans but other than that I'll make as directed.

Sat - Gluten Free Easy Cheeseburger Pie with Corn.
     Found this recipe online and figured the kids would like it (GF Easy Cheeseburger Pie). I'll probably serve the corn on the side but truth be told, it might taste good with the corn mixed into the "pie".

Sun - BBQ Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes and Mixed Veggies.
     I HATE pork chops but for the sake of my family, I've started making them more frequently and am always searching for good recipes that make them tolerable to my picky pork-palette. This simple way of cooking them is just one of the ways that I can stand eating maybe half of a pork chop before I am tired of the taste of it. My family on the other hand LOVES them. I'm just going to throw some boneless pork chops into the crock pot, cover with BBQ sauce and let cook on LOW for about 5 hours. For BBQ sauce we use KC Masterpiece - it's the only brand that my daughter hasn't complained about being too "spicy" for her.

Have a great week and I'd love to hear from you if you try any of these meals out!

Menu for Week of 17 Oct 2016

Mon - Spanish Rice with Ground Beef (Spanish Rice with Ground Beef) and corn.
     I've never made this before but since I've missed the Knorr packet of Spanish rice since we've gone gluten free, I saw this recipe and thought I'd try it.  I do plan to omit the 1 can of tomatoes with green chilies and cut the chili powder down to just a sprinkle because my daughter won't eat anything remotely spicy.

Tues - BLT Salad with garlic bread on the side.
     I'm planning to simply make a salad using romaine lettuce, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, cheese and bacon.  I'll serve large portions and then give everyone homemade garlic bread (made with GF bread) on the side.

Wed - Tilapia on the grill (Grilled Garlic Parm Tilapia) with broccoli.

Thurs - Cheesy Fried Potatoes (Cheesy Fried Potatoes).
    Let me just say that my husband found and added this while I was in the shower, taking a break from preparing my menu/grocery list for the week.  He was super excited about this so as to not disappoint, we will try it out, as unhealthy as it probably is :-)

Fri - Lasagna (Mueller's Lasagna Recipe) with GF Garlic Bread and salad.
   I use Prego traditional for the sauce and Mueller's GF No-Boil noodles.  Delicious!

Sat - Homemade KFC Famous Bowls (my son's favorite meal). 

     Here is a picture of what Famous Bowls look like (KFC famous bowl). Since my son's diabetes diagnosis and then my daughter's celiac diagnosis we haven't been to KFC, and my son was really missing these. So about once a month I'll make them for him.  You basically just layer mashed potatoes, "fried" chicken, corn (optional), and GF gravy in a bowl and then sprinkle some cheese on top.  I always bake my boneless, skinless chicken breasts (usually with crushed Lays chips on the outside to make it crunchy) but this time I am going to try a new recipe (Easy Oven Fried Chicken). I plan to use regular milk, all-purpose GF flour instead of almond flour, and of course boneless, skinless chicken breast (my family won't eat anything else - ever).

Sun - Grilled Marinated Flank Steak (Marinated Flank Steak), roasted potatoes and green beans.

Have a great week!

Gluten Free with a Head Cold...ugh!

So, our little celiac has her first real head cold since being diagnosed. I thought it was tough finding sugar-free over-the-counter medicine for our diabetic when he got sick, but it was nothing like trying to find out if OTC cold medicine is gluten free. This frustrating online search has led me to believe that there must be an online conspiracy designed to purposely confuse people. Although there are many resources to be found online, it is virtually impossible to verify the validity of any of them - most of them could just be people's opinions for all I know.  One of the sites that I did find that would have been helpful to me was last updated in 2009, so there's that. From all my research these are the truths that I was able to walk away with:

- Unlike with food products, OTC medication manufacturers are not required to identify on the label if the top allergens are in their product.

- OTC Pharmaceuticals often contain sugar alcohols like maltitol, which contrary to its name is not a concern for gluten (malt). Any gluten has been processed out of it.

- Just about every website I came across with a list of "approved" gluten free OTC medications listed all Mucinex medications and most (but not all) Robitussin medications.

- Several of the supposed expert sites had errors on them from either misspellings or misleading information, leaving me to question whether they are indeed maintained by experts at all.

- I miss the days when both of my kids could take OTC medicine without worrying about whether it would spike their blood sugar or tear apart their gut :-)

Menu for Week of 10 Oct 2016

Monday - Everyday Baked Chicken (Everyday Baked Chicken), quinoa and peas
I'm going to pound the crap out of this chicken because someone just told me that it makes a huge difference in tenderness. Maybe that's why I haven't liked chicken so much in the past and this will be a game changer?

Tuesday - Baked Bean, Sausage and Kale Skillet (Baked Bean, Sausage and Kale Skillet).
I have never made this before but I figure my kids love baked beans and sausage so surely this will be a hit...

Wednesday - Parmesan Tilapia (Parmesan Tilapia), mashed potatoes, corn.

Thursday - Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole) and salad.
My husband is on a "chicken cordon bleu kick" so I saw this on Pinterest and though I'd try it out.

Friday - Slow Cooker Lemon-Garlic Chicken (Slow Cooker Lemon-Garlic Chicken) with roasted asparagus and hollandaise sauce (check to see if GF), and rice.
I have no idea if the packet hollandaise sauce is gluten-free but as luck would have it, our celiac wouldn't go anywhere near that or asparagus pre-celiac diagnosis so in our case it doesn't matter. I'll make her and her brother another vegetable (probably peas).

Saturday - Breakfast for Dinner: Omelets with Hash browns.
I can't stress enough how much my family loves having breakfast at dinner time.

Sunday - Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings (Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings) with ranch dressing, kettle chips, and a homemade vegetable tray (carrot sticks, celery etc.)
For football Sunday of course.

Menu for Week of 10 Oct 2016

Monday - Everyday Baked Chicken (Everyday Baked Chicken), quinoa and peas
I'm going to pound the crap out of this chicken because someone just told me that it makes a huge difference in tenderness. Maybe that's why I haven't liked chicken so much in the past and this will be a game changer?

Tuesday - Baked Bean, Sausage and Kale Skillet (Baked Bean, Sausage and Kale Skillet).
I have never made this before but I figure my kids love baked beans and sausage so surely this will be a hit...

Wednesday - Parmesan Tilapia (Parmesan Tilapia), mashed potatoes, corn.

Thursday - Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole) and salad.
My husband is on a "chicken cordon bleu kick" so I saw this on Pinterest and though I'd try it out.

Friday - Slow Cooker Lemon-Garlic Chicken (Slow Cooker Lemon-Garlic Chicken) with roasted asparagus and hollandaise sauce (check to see if GF), and rice.
I have no idea if the packet hollandaise sauce is gluten-free but as luck would have it, our celiac wouldn't go anywhere near that or asparagus pre-celiac diagnosis so in our case it doesn't matter. I'll make her and her brother another vegetable (probably peas).

Saturday - Breakfast for Dinner: Omelets with Hash browns.
I can't stress enough how much my family loves having breakfast at dinner time.

Sunday - Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings (Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings) with ranch dressing, kettle chips, and a homemade vegetable tray (carrot sticks, celery etc.)
For football Sunday of course.

Letter for School

One thing I've noticed since my daughter's Celiac diagnosis is just how ignorant people can be, often through no fault of their own. I think a lot of people hear the words "gluten-free" and think that it's just the current fad resulting from clever advertising campaigns. On back-to-school night this year I did what I thought was the good parent thing and I informed my daughter's teachers that she has Celiac Disease and cannot have any gluten. Her new teacher nodded her head but I could tell by the glassy look in her eyes that she probably really didn't understand what Celiac is or what exactly gluten is (which she sheepishly confirmed when I asked). 

Something I've learned while navigating the school system (due to this, anxiety/learning challenges with my daughter, and my son's Type 1 Diabetes) is that verbal communication is not enough and to be the best advocate that you can for your child, you really should put EVERYTHING in writing. Below is a copy of the letter that I wrote for my Celiac daughter that I gave to all of her teachers, the school nurse, and the front office at her school. I attached a list of approved snacks to the letter and included my contact information on it.  I can't take credit for the idea - I came across a sample letter that another parent wrote in my favorite magazine, Gluten Free & More (I think it was in the August or September 2016 issue). 

Child’s Name

Re: Celiac Disease

This letter is to inform you that our daughter E has celiac disease and to let you know of her special needs. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that wreaks havoc on her body when gluten is ingested. E was diagnosed with celiac disease after positive blood tests and biopsies in March of 2015, and has been living a gluten-free lifestyle since that time. It’s what keeps her healthy.

           

Gluten is a protein in wheat, rye and barley. It’s found in a wide variety of foods – cookies, breads, pastas, cereals, candy, snack foods and even some surprising sources like Play-Doh and Bath & Body Work’s hand sanitizer. Because celiac disease is not an allergy, E will not be in immediate danger if she ingests gluten either accidentally or due to cross contamination. However, she will likely experience intestinal distress, as well as mood changes, fatigue, bloating, and headaches (we are still learning the signs and symptoms of E’s accidental exposure to gluten).

           

We would appreciate if you could ensure that E avoids gluten at all costs. We want her to have a great school year, as I am sure you do too. Here are a few things that should help in the classroom:

Cross Contamination   Please be aware of any gluten products in the classroom. From sandwich crumbs to some art supplies, it’s important to be alert to E’s surroundings and her work surfaces. We encourage a lot of hand washing, especially prior to handling anything E will ingest.

Restroom Breaks   E needs to be excused to use the restroom on an “as needed” basis.  E deals with chronic constipation and her belly often gets bloated and uncomfortable. She may sometimes be in the restroom a little longer than most – that’s just how her system works.  If you feel at any time that she is abusing this, please let us know and we will talk to her.

Birthdays and Other Special Celebrations   E will have her own “special treats” in the nurse’s office that she should be allowed to have when the class celebrates a birthday.  For other special celebrations when the class will be having pizza or other types of gluten foods, please let me know ahead of time so I can bring something in for her to have.  Our goal is for her to not feel excluded as much as we possibly can. It’s important that even candy be checked for gluten prior to E eating it.  We’ve found that wheat is hidden in surprising places like Air Heads and Mentos (neither of which E can eat)!

Field Trips   Please let me know if any special treats will be eaten during field trips so I can provide something gluten-free for E to take along.

            

If you have any questions about E’s diet or about certain foods she can or can’t eat, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you so much for working with us to make E’s school year gluten-free friendly!

Menu for Week of 2 Oct 2016

This Week's Menu:

Sunday (Football day in our house) - Taco Nachos (Taco Nachos) and Baked Potatoes

Monday - Shrimp and Vegetable Skewers (Shrimp and Veg Skewers) with Quinoa

Tuesday - Seared Scallops (Seared Scallops) with Roasted Red Potatoes and Salad
     This is a first for me. I have never made scallops before so I have some GF fish sticks in the freezer as a back-up.

Wednesday - Lasagna (Mueller's Lasagna Recipe) with GF Garlic Bread and Corn
   This isn't my exact recipe but pretty darn close. I use Prego traditional for the sauce and Mueller's new GF No-Boil noodles.  Turns out great.

Thursday - Shrimp Tacos (Shrimp Tacos) with Chips and Queso

Friday - Chicken, Broccoli, Alfredo Rice Casserole, adapted from this recipe (Broccoli Quinoa Casserole)
    I use rice instead of quinoa, cheddar instead of romano, omit the tarragon and just season with a little garlic powder.  So delicious and my entire family loves it.

Saturday - Adobo Pork chops (Adobo Porkchops) with Mashed Potatoes and Peas

Menu for Week of 25 Sept 2016

Menu for Week of 25 Sept 2016

Sunday - Parmesan Chicken Casserole (Parmesan Chicken Casserole) with Gluten-Free pasta and salad

Monday - Cheesy Ground Beef Rice Casserole (Cheesy Ground Beef Rice Casserole) with a side of cantaloupe

       This is more for the kids. I've never made it before and I hope they like it.

Tuesday - Raviolis with Prego, garlic bread and corn.  These are the raviolis that I use (E's Favorite  Raviolis)

     We are celebrating E's (our celiac's) birthday on Tuesday and this is her favorite meal, otherwise I  typically don't make such "big" meals every day throughout the week.

Wednesday - Breakfast Bowls (OUR FAVORITE)!!!

     This is simply just tater tots (Ore Ida's are GF), GF sausage and scrambled eggs layered in a   bowl, with shredded cheese on top. Always a hit in our house.

Thursday - Potato and Salmon Patties (Potato Salmon Patties) with broccoli

Friday - GF Meatballs (GF Meatballs) with mashed potatoes, GF brown gravy and mixed vegetables

Saturday -  Papa Murphy's Gluten Free Pizza (Papa Murphy's GF Pizza Recommendations)

     This will be our first time trying Papa Murphy's since going gluten free but since we are celebrating E's birthday with her friends this day, we thought we'd try it (along with some GF cupcakes from our local GF bakery).

Thank You for Small Favors

One of the biggest challenges for my 9-year-old daughter when she found out she had to go gluten free was giving up the typical snacks that kids seem to gravitate to: Goldfish crackers, a lot of her favorite chips, cereals, cheese sandwich crackers, etc.  Then about a month ago her endocrinologist gave us a sample of these wonderful little nuggets that will change gluten-free parenting forever - Lance Cheddar Cheese Sandwich Crackers. They are delicious and taste almost like their Ritz counterparts. I couldn't find them in any of our local stores so I ordered them from Amazon (I was that desperate for my daughter to have them). I highly recommend these crackers...

Here's a link to where I found them on Amazon Lance GF Cheddar Sandwich Crackers

Enjoy!

Jackie's Fantastic Gluten Free No Bake Cookies

I LOVE  No-Bake cookies - I mean really love them. In fact I rarely make them because I love them so much that I eat them until my stomach hurts. But with baking season just around the corner I needed to try out something that I can make for the holidays; something other than the cardboard-tasting cookie and cake mixes that I find at local grocery stores that I cover with inches of delicious frosting to hide the boring taste. So I found a recipe at my favorite trusty recipe site, Yummly, and made some tweaks and they were OUTSTANDING. My kids loved them, I loved them and my husband tolerated them (he's not a big sweet person - crazy, I know).  Here is the recipe. You're welcome.

Fantastic Gluten Free No Bake Cookies

Adapted from Eat, Live, Run (ELR No Bake Cookies)

3 Tbsp. butter
3/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. milk
1 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa
1 1/4 C. milk chocolate chips
1/4 C. peanut butter
1 3/4 C. Gluten Free Old Fashioned Oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)

Prepare cookie sheet by placing a sheet of wax paper over it.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat until melted. Add the sugar, cocoa and milk and stir well. Add the peanut butter and chocolate chips and continue stirring until everything is melted together and looks smooth. Add the oats and stir well to ensure all the oats are fully integrated into the mixture. The mixture should now be "chunky" and if it isn't, add additional oats by 1/4 C. or so until the mixture is chunky. Remove from heat. Drop the mixture by spoonfuls onto the wax paper covered cookie sheet (or roll into balls and place on the wax paper) and let cool/harden for 30-45 minutes. These can also be placed in the refrigerator to expedite cooling.

Menu for Week of 18 Sept 2016

Menu for Week of 18 September 2016

Sunday - Brats w/ Kettle Chips (Cape Cod brand are GF)

Monday - Chicken Cordon Bleu (Chicken-Cordon-Bleu) and broccoli
     This was my husband's request this week and will be my first time making it. Hopefully it turns
     out :-)

Tuesday - Grilled New York Strip Steak, Jasmine Rice and Crock Pot Cream Corn (Cream Corn)

Wednesday - Parmesan Crusted Fish (Parm Crusted Tilapia), GF Fish Sticks, Salad, Peas

Thursday - Mexican Pizza (Mexican Pizza), Corn Tortilla Chips, Queso (Rotel & Velveeta), Corn
        For seasoning I use GF taco seasoning, I omit the pizza sauce, and use hamburger instead of  
        sausage

Friday - Tomatillo Chicken (Crockpot Verde Chicken), Jasmine Rice, Mixed Vegetables
       I do not use cilantro and I actually use Herdez Tomatillo Verde Cooking Sauce for this. You can 
     also add a can of green chiles if so desired (my family doesn't like hot and spicy so I leave them
     out). SO DELICIOUS.

Saturday - Parmesan Meatloaf (GF Parm Meatloaf), Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
     For breadcrumbs I tear up pieces of GF bread and it works fine.  I also use only hamburger and
     Prego Marinara or Prego Traditional pasta sauce.