Kirsty Cussens asked:


Going away from home at Christmas can be stressful enough at the best of time, but when you have a celiac child who needs a completely gluten free diet at christmas, the complexity levels sky rocket!

The main aim is to somehow work out the Christmas celebrations so that your celiac child does not feel too ‘different’, but also so that your hosts do not take on loads of extra stress in catering for the gluten free diet at Christmas. You have probably got your kitchen pretty much gluten free by now, or at least know which areas are gluten free and which are not (and so does your child) But in someone else’s kitchen – no matter how supportive they are, it isn’t so easy, and you have an interesting balancing act of respcting their space and kitchen and ways of doing thing… and protecting your child’s  health.

The main key is communication.  It is worth having a long conversation with your host/hostess a few weeks or a month before you are due to go.  I tend to send some stuff by e-mail for them to look at and think about because too often friends are  very nice on the phone and tell me not to worry, but when we get there it is apparent that they haven’t a clue what a gluten free diet really means.

He/she really needs to understand what the diet entails, while at the same time not feeling overwhelmed by it and wondering if she will have anything left to cook! 

Suggest specific things, like the sort of breakfast cereal your child eats (as long as it is not an expensive specialist one) and having in rice cakes and everyday foods which are naturally gluten free.

Find out the menu and itinery for your visit well in advance and spot any potential problem areas:-



 Will the turkey stuffing (which usually contains gluten) be inside the turkey?  Does it have to be?  Is there a gluten free alternative you could offer to make?

It is easy enough to use cornflour as a gravy thickener – would your hostess be happy to do that?

Can you take an alternative gluten free Christmas pudding/cake for your child?

Will you be going out anywhere else while you are staying away that you need to ring ahead to?



Obviously you will want to take some of your own gluten free supplies; cakes, cookies (make enough to share so your child isn’t always having something different to everyone else) so you always have something on hand, should you need it. I often buy a small tub of margarine and a pot of chocolate spread soon after we get there specifically for my son to use, so it won’t be contaminated by knives that are covered in crumbs.

If you have space in your luggage (I realise that is extremely unlikely but…) you could also take your own gluten free cooking utensils, bread board and so on.  I try to take a spare bag of gluten free flour and baking powder and my own cake tins so if we are running short of gluten free goodies, I can throw together a cake.  I can’t imagine anything worse than everyone else tucking in to Christmas goodies while my celiac child has nothing special to eat!

With a bit of careful planning ahead, however, that should never happen.  If you are going away or Christmas with your celiac child, ring your hosts today!  Have the gluten free Christmas conversation and then go and enjoy the holidays!

Chloe Matthews asked:


As a society we consume more candy and sugar on Easter than all other holidays, except Halloween. Something about the fasting and abstinence during the weeks leading up to Easter makes us more open to the practice of downing as many sugar-coated marshmallows and crème eggs as our insulin levels can stand, and usually guilt free. Of course, there are many people who can’t partake of the annual sugar infused ritual of tearing into a basket of goodies, and Easter should be no less enjoyable for them. Whether you’re watching your waistline or your blood sugar, here are some sugar free, fun alternatives to pop into those Easter baskets this year:

Make your own sugar-free chocolate Easter eggs. Make your own hollow chocolate eggs with sugar-free chocolate wafers. Buy sugar free chocolate wafers at bulk stores or crafting stores and melt in a microwaveable dish on high in the microwave for twenty seconds (add 10 seconds at a time until the chocolate is smooth). Place a tablespoon or two into a plastic Easter egg and snap closed. Swirl chocolate around the egg until it hardens to produce your chocolate egg.

Add a few green-topped carrots. If your loved one believes in the Easter bunny, this is a great way to get him excited about eating carrots. The bunchier the green tops are, the more authentic they will look.

Tuck in some music or movies. Whether you’re stuffing a basket for a child or for an adult, you’re sure to brighten their day with music from a favorite group or a movie featuring a favorite character. Adding new media to your sweetie’s basket also means you won’t have to listen to the same Barney tape for the millionth time.

Fill out with springtime toys. A jump rope, sidewalk chalk and bubbles are all great springtime treats from the Easter bunny. Who cares how old your diabetic husband is? We should all lighten up and get more active, and there’s no better way than with some outdoor toys!

Go ahead, stick in a few marshmallow Peeps. Sugar free Peeps marshmallows are new this season. You don’t have to get a sugar high when you go on a rampage and eat a whole nest full anymore, and you can even skewer them into lollipops to make them more fun for your little one.

Make it look great!

Don’t dwell on the fact that this basket is different. Either make all the baskets left by the bunny the same as this one, or make this one stand out as more special. If other baskets get sugared treats, make sure they don’t get the special carrots from the bunny. If other baskets seem to have more edible treats, fill this one with more toys and music. Easter is traditionally a time of plenty after the fast, so no one should be left wanting!

Kirsty Cussens asked:


For the celiac child, Christmas can be a difficult time.  It’s easier to manage at home, but making it a gluten free Christmas at school can be a tricky one. There are parties, students – and teachers- bringing in Christmas treats (few of which will be gluten free) and all sorts of challenges for the celiac child to find their way through.

You want your child to have fun, to not feel ‘different’ from the others, but in reality they are different in terms of their gluten free diet, and it is important to find ways to help them stick to the gluten free diet while still enjoying the treats of Christmas.

It is really important to get the class teacher on side for this.  They will be up to their eyes in tinsel and school plays (believe me – I’ve done it!) and probably will not really want something extra to think about at this time of year, but a quick phone call, or chat in the playground at the end of the day, asking how you can help them to help your celiac child is necessary.

The three main danger areas I can think of (and it’s our first gluten free Christmas so if I’ve missed anything vital please comment) are:-

Parties

There is always a Christmas party.  It is always a highlight.  There will always be lots of delicious-looking gluteny food which your celiac child has to say no to.

Find out when it is early so you can get prepared!

Ask if the school would mind having a color coding system on plates of food: gluten free on holly plates, forbidden on Santa plates (or something!)  Or even better, get your child a gluten free plate ready loaded before the start. (This is preferable as communal bowls of crisps etc. can be contaminated by gluteny fingers even if the crisps themselves are gluten free)

Make sure you provide gluten free alternatives to the sandwiches, sausage rolls, cakes and biscuits that the other kids are having.

Find out what the prizes are for the games (usually edible) and if the children will be given a party bag to take home.  Hopefully the teacher will check the labels on the candy, because there is so much that is gluten free it is easy enough to do.  If not you will again have to send in your own alternatives.

Baking

It seems that baking at school is a traditional part of Christmas these days, but this can be full of dangers for the celiac child.  If the teacher is open to the idea you might want to suggest some easy, naturally gluten free recipe ideas for all the kids to have a go at – that would be easiest

But if they have decided to make Christmas Star Cookies (or something similarly gluten-full, as far as I can see it there are three choices:

1. Allow your child to cook what everyone else is cooking but not eat any of it (which is somewhat hard on the child but protects their tummy)

2.  Ask for your child to be excused the baking, which is really hard if the whole class is baking together, but if it is done in small groups with other activities taking place at the same time is less noticeable.

3.  Provide alternative flour, baking powder etc. and alternative baking tins, utensils etc. so your child can bake with the others.  Bear in mind that flour gets everywhere, and even if your child is using their own flour there is no guarantee it will not be contaminated.  This could make it difficult for the teacher in charge of the group, unless they are very understanding.

If you have the time spare, the best option might be to go in as a volunteer for the activity to help out.

 Treats

The teachers bring them, the students bring them: Christmas is full of candy and biscuits.  It is important that any celiac child, as soon as they can read sufficiently well, learns to read labels, and your child will have to put this skill into practice over the Christmas period.  Hopefully a lot of it will be gluten free.  If not, make sure your child’s teacher has a stash of gluten free alternatives that you have provided so your celiac child does not miss out.

Kirsty Cussens asked:


Christmas – especially a gluten free Christmas – takes a lot of planning.

Of course you want your celiac child to enjoy the same treats as everyone else… but sometimes you wonder if that is going to be possible! Mince pies, Christmas cakes, selection boxes and advent calendars… there seems to be gluten in everything! Seven strategies which have helped me enormously in planning a gluten free Christmas for my celiac child. I hope they help you with yours!

1. Plan ahead and spot the danger areas. Go through your family’s Christmas itinerary and work out where a gluten free diet might be compromised. Working through my calendar the other day I remembered that the School Christmas Play is always a mince-pie fest. I need to go prepared with my own gluten free mince pies. Christmas parties need to be planned for, even simple events like a carol service will usually serve mince pies or cookies.

2. Bake in advance and freeze enough individual bags of goodies for each event. I usually take a gluten free mince pie and a gluten free cookie to each event for my celiac son, so I have little bags in the freezer ready to take out on the morning of the event (and because they are safely in the freezer they cannot be eaten ‘by mistake’!)

3. Speak to your child’s school about any Christmas parties or events they might be putting on and how your child will be catered for. You may have to provide your own food, or they might be willing to do that for you if they are very understanding, but have a plate ready laden of food that your child can eat. Even sharing a bowl of gluten free snacks with other children could put the celiac child at risk of contamination by gluten on their fingers. It’s not worth the risk! You may also want to check if they are planning to do any baking around Christmas and talk that through carefully with the class teacher.

4. If you are going away for Christmas, speak to your hosts as soon as possible! Make sure they thoroughly understand the gluten free diet because there is nothing worse than spending every meal wondering if your child will be ill afterward. I often find that people are willing to buy in or cook gluten free food, but often don’t realise the dangers of cross-contamination from say, cutting the gluten free Christmas cake with the same knife as the ‘normal’ Christmas cake. Offer to take some gluten free christmas cookies, gluten free mince pies or a gluten free Christmas cake so you know your child will have enough gluten free food. I **** rationing!

5. Bake lots! Gluten free Christmas food is so expensive if you have to buy it all, and gluten free mince pies cookies and so on are relatively quick and easy to make. You can use your usual recipe with gluten free flour and baking powder, or have a look on my blog for gluten free christmas recipes (see below). A gluten free Christmas cake is a Must, and again, no harder to make than any other cake. If you are reading this, thinking ‘I never bake anything! I buy the lot of it!’ Well, it might be worth spending a Sunday afternoon in the kitchen with the kids! I tend to bake gluten free for the whole family – celiac or not – which means my celiac child feels no different to everyone else.

6. Beware of the hidden gluten in selection boxes and other Christmas candy. I found that selection boxes may be mainly gluten free… but there is just one bar that is forbidden. It’s not worth it! And a bit rough on the child if they have to lose a bar as soon as they open it. I found some big glass storage jars this year, and filled them with candy that I know is gluten free. They look fantastic and really Christmassy with a big red bow on top – and my celiac child will probably still make himself sick… but his I know it won’t be because of gluten!

7. Look for gluten free Christmas dinner alternatives for the whole family. Gluten free turkey stuffing and gravy tastes just as good. If everyone is eating the same, you don’t have to watch your celiac child the whole time, you can just relax. Of course, if you are eating in someone else’s home this is harder, but hopefully you have discussed it with them carefully beforehand and your child also knows what he/she can and can’t eat.

Have a fantastic gluten free Christmas!