Holiday Trip

[Ennis-TX]

Time again for my once a year holiday trip to San Antonio for my birthday. Thought i would share how I deal with food and planning for these.

I have made my own Birthday Cake a Paleo Cinnamon Cake that I added Cinnamon swirl date paste to make it a giant cinnamon roll. Bringing this along with my own little covered griddle, utensil, 3 cartons of egg beaters, 2 Cartons of almond milk, 3 Cans diced Tomatoes, 3 cans of Spinach, 1 bottle of my homemade Hemp and nutritional yeast Parmesan seasoning, coconut wraps, Flavor God Pizza Seasoning, 1 cans of pumpkin puree, 1 bag dried fruit, 1 bag pumpkin seeds,  a dozen homemade sugar free eggnog flavored almond butter cookies,  1 container Hershey dark cocoa, stevia, instant coffee, 1 can real lump crab meat (Treating myself). Along with my standard backups of shakers and a canister of meal replacement shake. With this line up I can have omelettes/scrambled egg wraps with tomatoes spinach and hemp Parmesan for a pretty balanced meal, along with a almond and coconut cake slice. then fruit and seed snacks. The pumpkin I can snack on sometimes as it is chock full of vitamin A, carbs, etc. and even spread a bit on my cake.    This all allows for safe cooking at the hotel in my room, I checked with the hotel they will allow it and are providing a fridge. I am also bringing my obvious clothing, meds, etc.

I have this year managed to get a wonderful booking with the menger hotel at $98 a night for a standard room with a queen thanks to booking 6 months ago. I have also got a good deal on a round trip train ride at $56, this allows for me to bring all the baggage and have a relaxing long trip where I can walk around the train and enjoy the scenery. I have planned out to go see a few museums, see the river walk at night with all the Christmas lights. And generally enjoy long relaxing walks around town trying to forget about life and all the daily stresses.

I will post links to pictures later, and update this post, if anyone wants the recipes for the cake, cookies, seasoning I can post those on request.

If they had a microwave I would have loved to pack some homemade veggie packs where you seal veggies in a marinade in vacuum bags, then poke a few holes and steam them for a great side.

[kareng]

If you don't mind, I will add a few of my tricks for staying in hotels, too. (Actually.... I am adding them anyway )  You have more dietary restrictions than I do, it is harder for you, I think. Travelling by car, or , it sounds like train, you can carry more with you than a plane.  There are more and more safe places for Celiacs to eat, but sometimes they aren't in your part of town.  In the beginning, I brought more than enough to feed 3 Celiacs.  I like to have a choice.   As I go along, I find that it is often easier to hit a grocery rather than lug everything with me.

 

- get a hotel room with a fridge and a microwave.  You have a "legal" right to a fridge for medical reasons and you are not required to explain your medical reason (in the US).  Not every place has microwaves.  I find it easier to just book a hotel that has all that standard with the room.

-freeze food if possible - make ahead some chili, for example,and freeze it.  It will keep all your other food cold and prolong the life of the chili.

- bring shelf stable & sturdy foods like apples,  Go Picnic boxes, PB (jar or packets), Crackers, nuts, bars, etc.

- I search ahead for a nearby grocery - you can get fruit, cheese, nuts, PB, etc.  Most groceries have gluten-free crackers and even a few frozen things that are gluten-free like some lean cuisine

- if there is a nearby Whole Foods type place - you can even get gluten-free frozen meals

- hotels with complimentary breakfasts - fruit, yogurt, PB & Jelly packets, Cream cheese packets, honey, hard boiled eggs (I have had good luck because they are separate from all the bready stuff - I take eggs off the back of the tray).

Adding - I always bring a few plastic utensils ( and snag more at the hotel breakfast), paper plates, napkins, small sharp knife, bottle opener, maybe a can opener

[Ennis-TX]

Trip went great no issues with food, I even invented a new flavor combination finding making a pesto with diced tomatoes, my Parmesan hemp and garlic seasoning along with crab meat made for a wonderful blend and a topping of sauteed peppers and grilled asparagus.