First Holidays Since Being Diagnosed

[diane64]

Hi Everyone,

I enjoy reading all of the posts and responses. It's good to know that I am not alone!

As we approach the holidays, I am beginning to remember all of my old holidays favorites that I can no longer eat. How do you cope with this loss, especially since we have to watch everyone enjoying all of the foods we used to eat and enjoy?

Thanks!

Diane

[GReilly]

Hi Diane,

This is my first major holiday after being diagnosed as well, however I am approaching it with joy. I am looking forward to being able to eat without feeling sick and I think that's the most important thing to focus on. I also think that being gluten free will open the doors to a lot more 'tasty' food and experimenting if you are willing to do so. In terms of dealing with everyone else eating gluten products around you try cooking for get together's yourself or finding a dish you can eat that you absolutely love and bring that if you can't cook the entire meal. It get's difficult but cooking takes away a lot of the stress because you are doing something for yourself, you know you can eat the outcome and other people will love the food.

Be sure to also mourn the food you will miss because not doing so will have a bad impact, but don't let that loss control your life. There are tons of gluten-free alternatives to holiday favorites.

Remember, just remember how good you will feel!

Georgia

[Emilushka]

This is my first holiday season after diagnosis too. But I spent our last Christmas in the bathroom or clutching a cup in case I puked, so although I am really missing pumpkin pie and the ease of eating whatever I want, I'm going to try to keep it all in perspective: I'll be able to be where I want, which is OUT OF THE BATHROOM. I'm going to just bring my own food unless I am 100% sure about what I'm eating (basically, only at my mom's). Otherwise, I'll ogle the food, but I'll eat before I go over and bring food to munch while I watch others eat, and just thank goodness that I don't have to live in the bathroom.

[cap6]

I was diagnosed in March and was not dealing with this at all well. My therapist told me to look at this first year as A Year of Firsts. My first meal in a restaurant, my first trip, first b-b-que, first holiday etc. This really helped me mourn the foods lost and to move forward. I made a list of "firsts" and how I dealt with them (some not very well!!) and it has helped. Whatever it takes right?

[sb2178]

Substitutes. Baked apples instead of pie, cornbread instead of rolls, etc.

[Skylark]

My family really helped with my first holidays. At Thanksgiving, my SIL looked up a sausage and cornbread stuffing to make for me, and Mom cooked some pumpkin pie filling in custard cups so that I wasn't left out of desert. We did the turkey gravy with cornstarch. The rest of the thanksgiving foods my family eats (cranberry salad, turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies, baked apples) are naturally gluten-free.

At Christmas I realized there were treats I always made that are gluten-free. Fudge, pralines, marzipan, truffles, and stuffed dates are all naturally gluten-free. I'm going to try my bourbon balls this year crushing gluten-free animal crackers instead of Nilla wafers and hopefully the recipe will work. I tend to get gifts of baked goods, so I take them to parties or serve them to friends. I was usually able to find something I could eat at parties, as people tend to put out candies, cheeses, and nuts at Christmas. It IS hard - make sure you have something good stashed in your purse when you go to Christmas parties. Like Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner is not so hard to make gluten-free.

[Takala]

I never did get what was so great about stuffing, so that's not a big deal to miss out on an overcooked sodden little wad of bread.

We cook our own special holiday dinners gluten free.

I can't think of anything that can't be converted if it is necessary to use an item that had flour. But most Thanksgiving food is gluten free anyway. Turkey, vegetables, potatoes, yams, cranberry sauce. Gravy can easily be converted to gluten free. You aren't supposed to cook stuffing inside the bird anyway so it gets down in a side casserole dish after starting it on the stove top. I have done stuffings completely without any conventional bread, using instead things like mushrooms, and they are better than regular. Pie crusts can be done gluten free or the shells can be purchased frozen or gluten free mixes used. We bake pumpkin pudding instead, with coconut milk and pecans. If you can find a gluten free bakery (some will mail order) you can also buy gluten free baked holiday goods. Health food stores now carry good gluten free bread varieties.

The more you cook the less big a deal this is. I don't even like commercially made holiday food now, it lacks taste.

[diane64]

[quote name='Takala' date='07 November 2010 - 10:28 AM' timestamp='1289154502'

Thanks everyone!!! You have some good ideas!

Diane

post='651715']

I never did get what was so great about stuffing, so that's not a big deal to miss out on an overcooked sodden little wad of bread.

We cook our own special holiday dinners gluten free.

I can't think of anything that can't be converted if it is necessary to use an item that had flour. But most Thanksgiving food is gluten free anyway. Turkey, vegetables, potatoes, yams, cranberry sauce. Gravy can easily be converted to gluten free. You aren't supposed to cook stuffing inside the bird anyway so it gets down in a side casserole dish after starting it on the stove top. I have done stuffings completely without any conventional bread, using instead things like mushrooms, and they are better than regular. Pie crusts can be done gluten free or the shells can be purchased frozen or gluten free mixes used. We bake pumpkin pudding instead, with coconut milk and pecans. If you can find a gluten free bakery (some will mail order) you can also buy gluten free baked holiday goods. Health food stores now carry good gluten free bread varieties.

The more you cook the less big a deal this is. I don't even like commercially made holiday food now, it lacks taste.

[T.H.]

I was diagnosed last year, and last Thanksgiving was my first major holiday (I didn't count Halloween, LOL) after going gluten-free.

It was hard, I'll admit. I felt left out at times, both because I couldn't eat the same foods, and also because I missed out on some of the little things, like the 'post-thanksgiving leftovers' meals where everyone got to relax and eat leftovers, and I ended up making food for myself again.

Some of the things I did that helped

-I did not try and feel like it wasn't a loss. Because it was. It's okay to say, 'wow, this sucks. I mist this. I wish it wasn't this way.' Especially that first time. But then we hit that point where we are reminded that life goes on, we've mourned, 'nuff said.

- I tried to remember the good stuff too. Very nice not to feel crummy and get sick so much during the holidays! The fact that I will have MORE holidays because I'm healthier now.

- This year, I'm going to make more food, so I can enjoy my own 'leftovers,' too.

- I helped make the other food, anyway. It made me feel less isolated. I made my own food earlier, so I could still participate in the camaraderie of Thanksgiving cooking with friends and family, if that makes sense?

- I wasn't able to make substitutes for myself (too many other problems at the time), but I did go to some health food store and get some gluten-free pies and cakes and 'food' for my kids. Whole foods had gluten-free pies and cakes in their bakery section - if you got there early enough. They had gluten-free cookie dough, or gluten-free bread that you can chop into chunks and make into stuffing, etc... So if you do not have a lot of other allergies or issues, you can definitely make your own version, or buy your own version, of many of your favorites.

- For pie? One of the nicer, and easier, recipes I saw was for an ice cream pie. Get Pamela's gluten-free chocolate cookies (can't remember the exact name. The ones in the purple bag, not the box) and crush them with a rolling pin. Mix with a little shortening, press into a pie pan and bake for just a little bit. I think the recipe for this is on the cookie bag. And then in a bowl, stir some gluten-free vanilla ice cream until creamy and a little soft, scoop into the pie shell after it's cooled, and spread it out. And then top with a gluten-free chocolate syrup and whipped cream and put it in the freezer to set. It's awesome.

[cyberprof]

Diane and others who are having their first gluten-free Thanksgiving/Christmas/hanukkah/New Years:

You can develop new traditions or find recipies/sources for 99.9% of your previous treats.

There are great recipies out there for turkey with stuffing, pies, cookies, gravy, even Yorkshire Pudding (an English/Scottish Christmas favorite of mine).

A great blog with recipies is www.glutenfreegirl.com She is wonderful! She is running all her T-day recipies now. And there is the Gluten Free Goddess Open Original Shared Link The Goddess is always gluten-free, sometimes vegan, sometimes egg/dairy free and has the best brownies and carrot cake recipie ever- including those with gluten! Both of these blogs have recipie indexes.

I have made a great gluten-free piecrust but it has taken a few years. I would suggest buying gluten-free bread for stuffing, buying gluten-free pie crusts at Whole Foods. Or make the pie in custard cups without crust for the first year. Use shortcuts until you get up to speed.

It is totally do-able. The holidays can be joyous, and especially since you know that you are healthier.

Hang in there!

[MelindaLee]

Living Without magazine has a Thanksgiving issue that has recipes for lots of great holiday traditions. There really is no reason to miss out on anything (except those...(drool)...warm crusty rolls...sorry). This is my first gluten-free Thanksgiving too. Though I will have a momentary lapse and desire some bread, there are too many benefits to eating this way! I just have to think about how great I feel, and how yucky I feel when I have even a crumb of gluten. Eat Drink and be Thankful!