Others Cooking For Us?

[seezee]

What is the best way to help people cook who want to invite my daughter over for meals. We are almost a year into this and I generally feel it's too much to ask, but her friends' parents offer and want to take her places without me (she's 11). Is there a good resource I could give them that's not too lengthy. Something like "How to Cook for Your Celiac Friends" I find gluten-free kind of tricky and I do a lot of research and keep our kitchen gluten-free. Any suggestions or good resources?

Thanks,

[kareng]

What is the best way to help people cook who want to invite my daughter over for meals. We are almost a year into this and I generally feel it's too much to ask, but her friends' parents offer and want to take her places without me (she's 11). Is there a good resource I could give them that's not too lengthy. Something like "How to Cook for Your Celiac Friends" I find gluten-free kind of tricky and I do a lot of research and keep our kitchen gluten-free. Any suggestions or good resources?

Thanks,

I saw this, maybe on this site: A girl brings her own pancake mix, bowl & magic pancake pan to sleepovers & fixes them for all. Also, when my kids stayed over, they always get pizza. Maybe you could offer to bring a gluten-free pizza at the same time as the other pizzas. Or they could get Godfather's or some other place with gluten-free pizza. I know I would be willing to do that for my kids friends.

[lynnelise]

Having the child bring special food and a pan is a good idea. Otherwise I'd be tempted to thank them for the offer but explain that it would be way too hard on them to find cookware and utinsels that weren't previously contaminated.

[mamaw]

The granchildren go for stay overs often. One thing is that when other families are not gluten-free there is a big chance of CC. To make things easier for the other parents & keep our kid fairly safe we prepare the food & send it along. Some people understand the gluten-free lifestyle now after years of having our kids over they now can cook gluten-free for our kids. They just prepare things that are naturally gluten-free ie: grilled chicken, salad, veggies.. Ice cream for dessert for supper, lunch is tortlla chips , salsa or cheese ( or I send peanut butter sandwiches ), breakfast is eggs, bacon,sausage, juice.

But I always prepare gluten-free foods for them if the parents do not understand the gluten-free...I always make a dessert that is big enough for everyone to try. Its been years for our kids & most of their friends love gluten-free goodies....

I guess its who you trust understands gluten-free & let them cook for your child. In the beginning it is just safer & easier to take the gluten-free foods....my opinion....

Even at sport events where a concession stand is available, we take gluten-free soft pretzels or burger & bun to heat up in the micro for our gluten-free kids. This way our gluten-free kids have the same as the wheat eating kids....

The main thing is not to overwhelme other parents about this or your child may not be invited back...

hth mamaw

[seezee]

That sounds good. For sleepovers I send her with a microwaveable dinner and she has gluten-free hot breakfast cereal that she makes. It's mostly that her friends' parents ask how they can do it without me sending something. They're trying to be nice hosts. So far, we just have said it's not really a good idea. Her best friend's family has a cabin up in Maine and want her to come up for a weekend for example. I could pack her up with some things they could heat up, maybe a pan for pasta and some sauce? I usually say that they could give her fruits and veggies, milk, gluten-free cereal, lots of candies are fine? I figure the older she gets the more we'll have to figure this out. Any other ideas? I told one mom it's kind of the same as you treat raw chicken - you want to keep anything that touches the raw chicken (or gluten) off of food...

[mamaw]

I think if a parent is willing to learn then by all means teach them.......but again I think to make it easier it is best to send food. That way no one is stressed out over gluten-free....

Your daughter is 11 , she should know how to read labels & refuse foods that are not safe for her....For a camping trip I would send gluten-free mac& cheese, gluten-free beef stick , jerky, protein bars, ready made gluten-free pancakes, waffles to heat up on foil or micro...stuff like that.

You mentioned candy --- not all candy if gluten-free so be careful with candy....

Also if this is a person your kid & their kid are very close friends & are together alot, I would make up a list of gluten-free safe foods ........so the parents know some things that are safe in junk food& real foods....A list of places where also they could dine out, fast food & sit down......

Our youngest child was taken to dinner by one of his friends for his birthday. I gave them several choice places that were gluten-free & they chose one from that list....

Knowledge is power!!!!

blessings

mamaw