A Gluten Filled and Gluten Free Valentines Day!
To finish off the love fest surrounding Valentines Day last Saturday, I'm sharing a Romeo and Juliet story. The story of gluten eaters and a celiac living together, to be exact.
I still have to be careful when I eat at home. Wheat crumbs can hide on the counter, dishes have to be scrubbed twice, and I always ask before munching down on leftovers in the fridge.
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| 2 GF + 2 gluten eaters = 1 family! |
Since my diagnosis in May 2013, my family has been my gluten free rock. We've transformed from eating the typical American diet of fast food, processed products and lots of beef to boasting a nearly 99% gluten free house. Goodbye Panda Express, hello Chipotle.
At times, I definitely feel guilty. Besides wheat bread, breakfast cereals and the odd night of tortellini, gluten has been kicked out of the house. While that's obviously wonderful for me and my gluten intolerant mother, my sister savors the gluten-filled snacks she receives at school with deprived appreciation.
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| Hannah and her gluten free B-day cake! |
As we celebrated Valentines Day last weekend, though, I couldn't help but see a happy ending in this love story. On Friday night, my dad surprised me with a huge box of goodies from Starry Lane Bakery. Not only is it a dedicated gluten free facility, but it's treats are also vegan, peanut free, tree nut free, and soy free.
Biscotti, chocolate chip (and double chocolate chip) cookies, raspberry macaroons, a maple brownie, a chocolate fudge brownie, an iced star cookie, and even a loaf of their freshly baked sandwich bread overflowed from the box! We've been slowly devouring the goodies and are still in shock that everything is gluten free, vegan and delicious enough to even win over the gluten-eaters. Miracles do happen!
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| All the noms! |
The fact is, most holidays revolve around food and Valentines is no exception. So when my boyfriend agrees that Chipotle is an acceptable choice for some early Valentines Day fine-dining, I'm grateful. When my family goes out of their way to research and buy goodies that both my taste buds and my stomach can love, I couldn't appreciate them more.
As my dad and sister devoured gluten pizza this weekend, I dug into my buckwheat and pesto alternative (which, thanks to the layers of veggies loaded on top, my sister lovingly calls my "pizza casserole"). And while my family ate cereal or waffles for breakfast, I rejoiced over my usual morning luxury: banana ice cream covered in all the toppings.
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| Gluten free isn't free of flavor! |
I still have to be careful when I eat at home. Wheat crumbs can hide on the counter, dishes have to be scrubbed twice, and I always ask before munching down on leftovers in the fridge.
After a lovely weekend full of the people and food that I love, though, I know that this Romeo and Juliet tale won't end with a poisoning (gluten or otherwise).
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| Just lots of cookies minus gluten but plus love! |
Happy late Valentines Day, everyone. Gluten eaters, celiacs and all!
How did you celebrate Valentines Day? Is your home 100% gluten free? Comment below!
O I have to check out that bakery! Perfectly safe for me!
ReplyDeleteFor Valentines Day (not really "for" it; we tend not to celebrate Hallmark holidays) my wife splurged a bit and got some beautiful sea scallops for a recipe from a relatively new cookbook, Indian Cooking Unfolded by Raghavan Iyer, "Cardamom Fennel Scallops". Iyer is a guy from India who ended up in Iowa (culture shock!) and learned to cook Indian food using just ingredients he could find in an American supermarket.
ReplyDeleteThis dish uses fennel, mustard and cardamom seeds, along with garlic, dry red chiles, and coconut milk, and doesn't seem all that Indian. It's darn good. Something you might find in an upscale American-Indian fusion restaurant in La Jolla (if there were such a thing) for beaucoup bucks. Great Valentine's Day dinner, and totally gluten free.
We're not 100% gluten free-- my wife doesn't need to be, and there's no reason for her to give up her beloved homemade whole wheat bread which she has for breakfast every day. (I can still enjoy the smell of it baking even if I can't eat it anymore.) But all of our dinner meals are gluten free (unless she has some non-GF bread with hers). Like you, I have to be careful about crumbs and surfaces, but it works out well. We're both careful not to poison me. (She even mixes her bread dough next to the stove and turns on the exhaust fan to minimize the spread of the flour.) Not 100%, but we're pretty careful.