Holidays

Sunday

7 Tips For A Stress Free Gluten-Free Christmas



Hey, everyone! Christmas is just around the corner and I'm super excited! With my gift shopping complete, I am working on a menu for our holiday dinner. If you are worried about hosting a meal for your loved ones, have no fear! I've put together a few tips to help keep you calm and on track. 
Remember to read all labels and when in doubt, go without.





Tuesday

Happy Canada Day !!!


Happy Canada Day !!!





To celebrate I made a patriotic Strawberry Shortcake to enjoy with the family







Wednesday

Alek's Controllable Christmas Decorations for Celiac Research

christmas banner 486x60



Do you enjoy looking at Christmas Lights?
There's a website on the Internet that uses several webcams to provide a live view of thousands of 'em.
You can also CONTROL them - yes, turn them on & off with a click of a mouse from your home PC ...
plus you can even inflate (or deflate) the giant Elmo, Frosty, Santa, SpongeBob, and Homer Simpson - D'OH!
So surf over to the Christmas Lights Webcam
to check out all the fun action at the totally free site which also raises awareness about Celiac Disease Research at the University of Maryland.







Thursday

Alek's Controllable Halloween Decorations for Celiac Research


Alek Komarnitsky is a parent on a mission. His two boys have Celiac Disease and for the past 7 years he has been doing something spectacular to help raise awareness for the condition. He decorates his house to the extreme for Halloween. It really deserves to be on an HGTV Halloween special. It gets better too....We can control the lights! Alek's website offers us the opportunity to view the decorations on 3 live webcams. You can even inflate/deflate Homer Simpson, the Incredible Hulk as well as other awesome characters. Alek's Controllable Halloween Decorations for Celiac Disease is probably the most innovative and interactive way to raise money for Celiac Disease yet.




If you enjoy the decorations (and hard work) please consider donating to the  over $60,000 raised for the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research. Don't forget to  send an instant message over the webcam. You can also watch the fun and excitement on Halloween night. 

After the American Thanksgiving You can view Alek's Controllable Christmas Lights for Celiac Disease



Wednesday

How To Survive Halloween Gluten Free


It's best to discuss any school Halloween activities with your child's teacher. Prepare a special snack (ie: a cupcake or decorated cookies) for your child to eat during the celebration. 
I would also suggest giving the teacher a loot bag containing  Gluten Free goodies. This prevents temptation and the feeling of being left out as there can be a lot of that darn gluten at school.


There are numerous Gluten Free "safe" candy lists published online.  Although I had thought about researching and creating an updated list, in the end I decided not to. My reasoning for this is to encourage the constant checking of ingredients and not to create a so called safety net of sorts, that may inadvertently give a false sense of security. Sounds over the top right? 




  • Ingredients can and do change frequently
  • There may be confusion between a full size product and it's miniature counterpart as they often have different ingredients
  • American and Canadian versions of the same product tend to have different ingredients

It may be time consuming but reading the ingredients on the package is key to having a successful trick or treating experience. Keep in mind that some companies do post a Gluten Free label on their candy which can be helpful. I would still advise reading the label in it's entirety to be sure that there is no risk of cross contamination.  


Check ALL treats before they are consumed but have some fun with it. It's easy to make a game by grouping the candy into piles.
  1. Safe Candy
  2. Not Safe Candy - This group of treats can be donated to a sibling, perhaps as a trade or even designated as a treat pile for mom and dad.
If there is No Ingredient List-contact manufacturer or place in the Not Safe pile
    If you feel that there may not be enough "safe" treats handed out, create a Gluten Free goodie bag. Remember, not every treat needs to be candy. Think temporary tatoos, stickers, hair accessories, bracelets, glow sticks, Halloween themed story books and movie's. The possibilities are endless.



    Disclosure

    This policy is valid from 23 February 2013

    This is a personal blog written and edited by me. All opinions are that of my own. I am not a healthcare professional or an expert. All information presented in this blog is purely that of my own experience and or opinion. Please consult a medical professional before making any changes to your diet.

    I write this blog as a hobby that I am passionate about. From time to time, I may receive monetary compensation for a sponsored post. I only work with brands that I trust and would use in my own home.

    This blog accepts complimentary products for review. The opinions I have of a product will never be swayed by a company sending me an item(s) for free. I take into consideration the opinion of family members who are gluten-free due to Celiac Disease and I also value the opinions of non-gluten free family members. Taste is a matter of personal opinion so please use your own discretion and don't take my opinion as a gold standard.

    Any ingredient or gluten-free claims should be verified with the restaurant/manufacturer as things can and do change.

    For questions about this blog, please contact: sandra@glutenfreedoll.com

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