Celiac Disease Awareness Month

May is National Celiac Disease Awareness Month.

"One in 133 Americans has celiac disease – a lifetime condition that requires those who are diagnosed to completely remove gluten from their diet. This can be a difficult transition for many, as gluten is found in several commonly used ingredients making it even harder for those who are unfamiliar with this intolerance to determine what can and cannot be served."

Up until a few years ago, when my cousin was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I'm not sure that I had much awareness of the disease. Now, when we have family dinners, everyone makes a concerted effort to make sure that foods that are gluten free are noted - so that she can easily identify those that are safe for her to enjoy. Some easy swaps that can be made include using cornstarch to thicken sauce and gravies, instead of flour; serving corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas; making homemade dressings and dips with gluten free ingredients. Sometimes, people will even make two versions of the same (or similar) dish, one that is gluten free and one that is not. Helping her have a variety of options to enjoy requires thoughtful preparation and reading the labels of the ingredients used in the dishes to make sure that each is Gluten Free. Sometimes, you have to read through the ingredient list, but other times manufactures will include a notation on the label noting that the product is Gluten Free.

Here are some tips provided by Frito-Lay Chef Ngoc Trinh, an expert in gluten-free cooking. With these tips, hosting a sans-gluten gathering is a breeze:
"Plan Your Menu:

o Create a mouth-watering menu that your gluten-free guests can enjoy from start to finish. Chips and dips make great starters, especially when you pair your favorite Frito-Lay snacks with delicious gluten-free dips.

Check the Ingredients:

o Be sure to check your ingredients’ labels for wheat, rye, barley and malt. We’re helping fans easily identify which of our snacks are made without gluten by placing a “GF” icon or a statement on the back of qualifying bags.

o Some of your favorite Frito-Lay snacks may already be gluten-free since many of our chips are made with just three ingredients – corn or potatoes, oil and salt. (you can check out the list here)

Prep for the Party:

o Incorporate place cards so guests can easily identify each dish and determine if it’s gluten-free. Use descriptive titles that incorporate ingredients so guests know exactly what to expect.

o Use color coordinating condiment bowls, utensils, and serving pieces to eliminate the hazards of cross-contamination between gluten-free and non-gluten-free foods."

Here are examples from a couple of Frito Lay products, on how they label their package with gluten free information.
a text label:

a gluten free symbol and text label:

Do you know someone that has Celiac Disease? How do you prepare foods for events with your friends that have this or other special dietary needs?

No compensation was received for this post. Frito-Lay provided me with a Gluten-Free Guide to Entertaining kit – including two bags of gluten-free Frito-Lay snacks, a color-coded condiment tray and chalkboard place cards, as well as information for this post. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.

Kennywood

This past weekend, the family decided to make it a long weekend. My son's school ended early, due to construction on the local schools (building some, tearing down some), so we decided to take a couple of vacation days and get away before everyone else was out of school.

We used to live in Pittsburgh. Not for many years, but for a few years during our engagement and our early years of marriage. We had been to Kennywood a few times while we lived there and decided that would be a fun place to take the kids. We were able to get our tickets at a discount by purchasing them at the local Giant Eagle.

We packed an overnight bag, figuring that we could decide on the fly if we were going to stay in Pittsburgh or simply make the drive home. We packed up some sandwiches, chips, cookies and drinks to eat for lunch when we arrived at the park. This is a favorite amusement park money saving tip - make one of your meals a picnic before you go in (or come back out to the car for a break). Not only is it an economical option, it also helps make sure that you have one reasonably decent meal.

We climbed in the car and made the just over 2 hour drive to Kennywood. The main observations from the ride - tolls have gone up and Pittsburgh traffic is the same. to us, it seems that Pittsburgh is the only place where you routinely see people breaking going UP the hill.

Upon arriving at the park, we were glad to see that they still offered free parking to their guests. We found a space to park and set up in the back of the van for a quick picnic lunch. After lunch, everyone put on sunscreen and we put water bottles in our backpack to carry in to the park. Water bottles are another favorite money saving tip. By packing an insulated refillable water bottle, we have a ready supply of cold water while waiting in lines. Most amusement parks, in my experience, will provide free cups of ice water to their guests. We would get a number of them - drink a few and then fill the water bottle with the others (most places will not fill your bottle, but some will). This allows us to stay well hydrated all day, and not fill ourselves on the costly and sugary sodas.

Based on where we were able to park, we felt pretty good that the waits shouldn't be too bad, but as our luck would have it, the first line we waited in was F O R E V E R. As we stood in line, we learned that it was Kennywood Day at many local schools. That would explain the buses that we saw in the parking lot and the large number of kids in attendance at the park before Memorial Day. Our first ride was Garfield's Nightmare - a 3D dark boat ride. At first, my daughter was a little uneasy, but after a while realized that it wasn't actually scary.

One of the things that I like best about Kennywood are the classic amusement rides that they have. So many amusement parks have become so focused on the thrill rides, that they are left with thrill rides and the kiddie section - making them less appealing as the kids get older. They aren't tall enough, fearless enough to rid many of the thrill rides, but really seem to have outgrown the true kiddie rides. At Kennywood, they have a Kangaroo, or Flying Coaster. The last of it's kind, based on a text I received in line was purchase in 1962 for about $30,000. They also have a Turtle, which has been a favorite at the park since 1927. A Merry-Go-Round, the Paratrooper, Pirate Ship, Whip and the Swings, are other classic amusement rides that they still operate. They also have Noah's Ark. My daughter was not a big fan of this fun house style ride, although she really did enjoy the shaking bridge near the end of the attraction. Navigating the fun house features while carrying my daughter created quite a challenge - especially since we were the first one's off the elevator and had to lead the pack through the dark.

Of course, they do also have several thrill rides and coasters. We only rode a few of the coasters, missing out on trying the Skyrocket which we found closed for the day by the time that we went to ride and on Phantom's Revenge, a ride we know we enjoy but couldn't talk our son into riding. We rode the Jack Rabbit and the Exterminator as a family and my son and husband rode the Racer and Thunderbolt together. The Jack Rabbit was a hit with everyone, but the wild mouse of the Exterminator was not enjoyed by the kids.

For dinner, we shared a whole pizza. This is an economical option, in my opinion. We were able to feed the family for just over $20 and had more than enough food. We did allow the kids to each choose one treat to end the day. At first, my daughter wanted ice cream, but after seeing the make your own slushee blend that her brother was going to enjoy, quickly changed her mind.

It was a very enjoyable day, there was a little bit of rain while we were in line for a ride, but otherwise the weather was great. I think for me, one of the best parts is that we were able to ride most rides as a family. There was a vast selection of rides that were appropriate for all of us. They offer a parent swap, so for those rides that my daughter wasn't tall enough to ride, we could have chosen to both ride with my son, with only one wait through the line.

Changing up Lunches

As we got closer and closer to the end of the school year, my son seemed to be not only less interested in the daily lunch offered at school, but also less interested in the usual packing options. It seemed that no matter what I offered to include in his lunch, it was met with a resounding "No".

I totally get it, eating the same thing on a regular basis quickly leads to burnout. Sometimes, mixing it up just a little can make a huge difference in the appeal of a meal. I do this at dinner, turning pasta into Mexican dishes, pizza into a cheeseburger, and such - so why not try it at lunch?

There probably is more latitude for creative lunches for myself - since I have access to a microwave to warm up my meals. I have been known to pack myself an egg and cheese sandwich, when I need a change of pace. I simply pack an egg and a glass dish that I can microwave it in, a slice of cheese and an English muffin (I have access to a toaster too). It makes for a different and tasty lunch option.

I don't think that my son has easy access to a microwave at his school, although I am sure that the teachers would probably help him out by warming a meal in the teacher's lounge. As such, typically I rely on food that can be eaten cold from the lunch bag when I am packing a lunch.

Luncheon meat sandwiches are one item that we often will pack in a school lunch. Normally, my son prefers them plain. To mix it up, I prepared some recently using cheese - not normally a big fan of cheese, I found a Cheddar with Buffalo Sauce in it that he enjoyed. He loved the way that the cheese spiced up the sandwich and made it seem like something different.

packing the family a lunch for our recent amusement park trip

Another idea I have for mixing up the lunch is to cut up the turkey, ham or bologna and the cheese into small circles (use the top of a juice glass for the perfect shape and size). Pack your round turkey, ham and cheese, along with some round crackers (try the whole wheat varieties) that they can stack the meat and cheese on. This do it yourself 'sandwich' is a crowd-pleaser at my house.

Another packed lunch favorite at my house is peanut butter and jelly. To mix it up, try it with some new flavors of jelly - we have tried flavors like peach and blueberry, in addition to grape. Like the buffalo cheese, this is an easy way change up a familiar favorite.

There are also some meals that you can send the leftovers to school the next day for the kids to enjoy cold. So, look to your dinner for some other ideas of things to pack. I have done this with quiche and with pizza. They are both tasty, even when they are cold.

"Here are a few recipes from Hormel Foods Test Kitchen Director Joan Hanson that will be sure
to keep the kids happy and may even help you switch-up your own lunchtime routine! Joan has
recommended these recipes herself as fun ways to spice up end of the school year lunches.

Crisscross Ham and Cheese Sandwich
Three-Cheese Chili Pup Cups
Barbeque Chicken Tortilla Pizzas"

How do you mix it up to keep your family from becoming bored with the same lunch routine?


No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some of the information for this post.