Who Else Just Went Through Their First Holiday Season Gluten-Free?

[Monklady123]

This was my first holiday season since going gluten free, so I was just wondering who else was the same and how it went for you. And, even if it wasn't your first how did it go?

I'm lucky because I'm the cook for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we don't have family here at all. So for Thanksgiving it was just the four of us, and for Christmas it was just us plus my sister. I did cook regular stuffing for the others, and then a kind-of corn bread casserole thing that was gluten-free. And everyone ate that and said how yummy it was. lol...

Then after Christmas we went to my parents' but they're older now and don't cook much so I always try to do most of the cooking when we're there. My dad does have one recipe that he likes to make, a microwave turkey taco thing. It uses corn tortillas but I had to check to be sure the taco seasoning was Gluten-free. It was.

For me the hardest part was the desserts. It was hard to watch everyone eating pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. Yah, I could have made a Gluten-free one, but I didn't. Maybe next year. I did discover that Pamela's peanut butter cookies, which are not great by themselves, are very tasty with some Cool Whip on them

So all in all it wasn't too bad. Still learning how to deal with always always always having to be vigilant. And accepting that this will be a rest-of-my-life deal. But... I do feel SO much better! lol..

[eatmeat4good]

Just went through my first holiday season gluten free. I was sick for 7 years, for 5 of those years I was unable to work for fatigue, depression and sores. Dr. said fibromyalgia...you will have to learn to live that way.

Right.

Until 3 months ago when found this site. This past year my husband divorced me for being sick all the time. So it was bittersweet to find out that if I had been diagnosed long ago that wouldn't have happened nor all the destruction to my body. He was used to me being active, professional and a great cook. Anyway, the wonderful thing is, my 16 yr. old went gluten free and it has resolved all sorts of problems. Excessive sleeping, asthma (severe vitamin D deficiency causes it), fatigue, moodiness, muscle aches and pains. He is a different kid. Lerning to use and appreciate his body now that he can move.

I have been on a roller coaster of emotion. Relief and happiness, despair and guilt for what I didn't know I was doing to my son and myself. This is the first year I didn't bake up a storm for the holidays. It was very strange. Not a cookie was baked or eaten. My son is doing excellent. He jogged over the break from school and never in his life has he had the energy to do that. Dr.'s thought it was from the asthma but it wasn't.

So happy to see him thrive. I just cringe when I remember all of our Christmas pasts where I glutened myself and him unknowingly and it led to severe symptoms for both of us. Also cringe when I remember making peanut butter sandwiches for school lunches and kissing the insides of the slices of bread so he would know he was loved. We used to laugh about that together...now all those gluteny pleasant memories wake me up in the middle of the night. Seems everything I ever did to be a good wife and mother included gluten.

The future looks bright since we expect to be feeling ever better...but God do I wish I could get over the mother guilt. And why oh why didn't I google more and see Dr.'s less? In the end that is what it took.

I don't want to be greiving, but I am. I tried to yank myself up and went and got The Almond Flour Cookbook so I can start baking again and get myself on to the funner side of Celiac.

Guilt, relief, and hope....past present and future....and when all else fails...I eat a Snickers.

Thanks for asking this...I think I needed to get that out.

[bincongo]

Just remember guilt keeps us in the past and never seems to solve anything. But of course that is easier said than done.

I just went through my first gluten free Holidays. Thanksgiving turned out great. We all met at my daughters home since she just had a baby, and I did all the cooking. By doing all the cooking I was able to control what was done and it turned out great. As for the Christmas season, I was glad I missed all the parties because I was helping my daughter with her new baby and she lives out of town. I kind of dreaded the parties because I would have to look at the good food and not eat any. Next year maybe I will be able to except my situation better but this year I was glad to opt out.

I did find two of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes in gluten free form and they were very good.

[bonnie blue]

It was pretty good here, my roller coaster of emotions hasn't calmed quite yet, but my family is awesome!!! Thanksgiving and Christmas were at my Dad's and he is wonderful about my diet, he made roast beef for me and made sure no one touched anything until I got my plate. Your right the dessert part is tough, oh how I miss those wonderful sugar cookies made with white flour. I did make pumpkin pie though, I just didnt have a crust, and you know what....who cares the pumpkin with whip cream was fantastic. Also money is pretty tight so I just started researching cookies and cakes without flour, I have made peanut butter, peanut butter chocolate chip (these are amazing!!!!), no bake cookies, monster cookies, and a flourless chocolate cake that is pure heaven.

This holiday season was tough, and I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, you know how it is with the restricted diet and the huge lifestyle change, but everyday I feel better, I have a husband who loves me and takes care of me, four beautiful daughters, and a sweet grandson who reminds me everyday that I am loved. So here is to a new year filled with new beginnings, healthier bodies, and a whole lot of happiness!!!! We deserve it

[quincy]

It was pretty good here, my roller coaster of emotions hasn't calmed quite yet, but my family is awesome!!! Thanksgiving and Christmas were at my Dad's and he is wonderful about my diet, he made roast beef for me and made sure no one touched anything until I got my plate. Your right the dessert part is tough, oh how I miss those wonderful sugar cookies made with white flour. I did make pumpkin pie though, I just didnt have a crust, and you know what....who cares the pumpkin with whip cream was fantastic. Also money is pretty tight so I just started researching cookies and cakes without flour, I have made peanut butter, peanut butter chocolate chip (these are amazing!!!!), no bake cookies, monster cookies, and a flourless chocolate cake that is pure heaven.

This holiday season was tough, and I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, you know how it is with the restricted diet and the huge lifestyle change, but everyday I feel better, I have a husband who loves me and takes care of me, four beautiful daughters, and a sweet grandson who reminds me everyday that I am loved. So here is to a new year filled with new beginnings, healthier bodies, and a whole lot of happiness!!!! We deserve it

This was my first Christmas gluten free. Being a bachelor who ate out ALOT, I used my stove for the first time. yes, it's true. My sister came up from NC and she prepped the turkey for me so all I had to do was put it in my oven. I am glad to know that my oven works.... haha. The rest of the family chowed down on stuffed turkey and the typical Italian meal before the turkey which consisted of homemade ravioli's. Oh well. I found some gluten-free ravioli for Christmas. I also cooked the turkey here for Christmas and had friends over. So in a way celiac has opened my horizons!!!

[MelindaLee]

This was my first, and we had meals at home and all over the place. In addition, my oldest son graduated College and I had a party for him. I am lucky, my family has been super supportive and went out of there way to find gluten-free food for me. Even some of my co-workers went out of their way to bring gluten-free treats to our "pig-out". I also LOVE to bake, and found it thrilling to learn to bake gluten-free. I have been "practicing" since August when I was diagnosed. (My plan for the near future is a gluten-free bakery.) I had many gluten-free cookies, and pies, and cream rolls. Overall everything went without a hitch.

[djshep]

I also just finished my first gluten-free holiday season and it was really okay. I do all the cooking usually anyway and was able to pull off complete tasty Turkey, dressing, veggies and even desert. All gluten-free! We discovered that my daughter is also celiacs, so we spent time together in the kitchen cooking and enjoying each others company. She is a senior in high school and will be going to college next year, leaving me home alone to face the empty nest. The holidays were low key and relaxed. I love to cook and am enjoying learing how to make good healthy gluten-free food. I made cookies using the old recipes just subsituting gluten-free flour and it worked.

I am trying to embrace the celiac diet as the road to be healthy and doing all the right things for myself. I am gratiful that we found out about the celiac disease before my daughter left for college because it would have made that transition really miserable for her. All in all it was a great holiday! I did skip one party because of all the pastries that would be out--next year I will get there!