Big Reunion Weekend!

[tarnalberry]

What does this have to do with gluten free, you ask? Well... let me set the stage - newbies, keep reading!:

(Yeah, yeah, I can be a little verbose... bear with me. )

10 years ago, nearly to the day, I started college, along with a number of other people. The administration and upperclassman organized orientation to get freshmen acclimated to the college and to meet each other and form friendships and so we did! Yay! Friends!

*zzspsdpad* (that's the sound of the fast forward button

This weekend, three of those wonderful came out to stay with us, and six of the group who live in the area popped in and out for the festivities. There was poker, bowling, video games (hey, we were reliving the old days), lots of chatting, a party where we all got dolled up (and at least one hangover the next morning!), berry picking, and lots and lots of food!

Ah... now you see where I'm going!

Food?! Oh noes! But I'm gluten free and dairy free, and no one else has any food intolerances. And there was not only the party, but two smaller dinners, two lunches, two breakfasts, and one big barbaque. While my husband did have his snack food out, and there was partaking in non-gluten free twizzlers and graham crackers (and hence much amusement at my direction to eat over the carpet so I can more easily vaccum up the crumbs than I can from the leather couches), everything else was gluten free. That includes the:

* chicken stir-fry with bell peppers and sugar snap peas and onions

* the salmon with saffron rice and green beans and carrots and salad with balsamic vinaigrette

* the apple muffins and blueberry muffins

* the pancakes with homemade blackberry syrup

* the bean salad with avocado and onion and tomato and jalapeno and bell pepper

* the guacamole with tomato and onion and lime

* the pork chops and tri tip and sauteed carrots and onions and roasted rosemary potatoes

All 12 people who partook of the food enjoyed it, complimented me on it, and were quite well satisfied, leaving me with little in the way of leftovers, despite the fact I always cook a lot of food!

To top it off, I didn't want to be missing out on the fun, so most of these meals were relatively quick, and not very involved at all. It was still a lot of cooking, but I wasn't in the kitchen all the time (though I did run the dishwasher four times in three days!), and didn't slave over a stove any more than I wanted to.

I wanted to post this for the newbies or those who haven't yet shared the diet with their friends and family much. You can entertain others and share entirely gluten free food (in this case, dairy free, nut free (by chance) and it could easily have been made soy free and egg free as well - the only thing with it was the stir-fry). They not only needn't know the difference, even if they do, the food is still just as good, if not better! Don't let the diet isolate you, even when it comes to food, if you don't want it to. Of course, if you don't care, then there's no need to worry about it, but if you do, it doesn't have to stop you, or slow you down at all!

[TCA]

Way to go! I'm always cooking for folks and they wouldn't know the difference if we didn't tell them. We eat like everyone else, just better!

[floridanative]

Wow that is wonderful and thanks for sharing. I have a goal that my hubby's family reunion in three weeks will not be a drag for me - not sharing a cabin with all the gluten eaters since that's all they know of food and I'm not kidding. At least you inspired me to make sure and take lots of gluten-free goodies to share and I'm sure they will not believe Pamela's cookies and 123 gluten-free pan bars are gluten free! We were also just asked to bring our own breakfast to a timeshare weekend with in-laws which aggravated me at first but then I decided to bake a lovely breakfast casserole (sub out bread with potatos) to take up, and offering to share. I'm sure they think my food is awful, and if I don't let them know it's not, they'll continue to be misinformed. Due to the cost, I have not shared anything with them since I saw them right after my dx. Now I know it's very important for me to do that, extra cost or not. Thanks for your inspiring story.

[Mango04]

That's awesome. Just to further prove that it really can be done, my family had a graduation party for my brother a couple months ago and the whole thing was gluten, dairy and soy free. The food was awesome and nobody knew the difference. We served chicken skewers, shrimp skewers, quinoa salad, potato salad, guacomole, three or four different types of salads (I can't remember) and cupcakes. The gluten-free cupcakes were particularly popular . Everyone ate tons. So yeah, host parties and don't worry about cooking gluteny stuff for the gluten eaters...they really won't know the difference