First Bbq Holiday With This Disease.... Harder Than I Thought!

[jaime1103]

Well, this is my first Spring, and BBQ holiday with this disease, Happy Memorial Day weekend. I never even thought it would be hard, but it is! We had a BBQ to go to yesterday and I brought my own food and kept it in the car, in the hopes that I could eat something there...but I am slowly realizing it is almost impossible. The host did ask my husband why I was not eating anything, I guess he was offended by my declining all of his MOUTHWATERING concoctions.... homemade ribs, veggie/chicken skewers marinated in soy and garlic, homemade macaroni salad.... oh it was tough! We have another one today and 2 tomorrow.... how am I going to make it? Oh, but I know I will. I know... I know... it really is not a big deal in the scheme of things, there are so many more tragic health afflictions, but it is really hard sometimes. I am usually a very optimistic person, so I am trying to put this celiac journey into the right place, and talk myself into the fact that it really is only food, really it is only food, really it is only food.... can you tell I am really trying here?!? My 3 year old yells across the party, Mommy, aren't you hungry, why aren't you eating like we are all.... oh to be 3 again.

Thanks for listening, I am sure by Tuesday, I will be over this and ready to get back to my normal life of trying new recipes and enjoying my day to day medical recovery and new found well-being.

[Mango04]

It'll get easier. I no longer associate social situations with food, and I can enjoy watching other people eat gluteny foods without having any desire to eat those foods myself. Sounds strange, I know, but you'll likely get to that point sooner than you think.

[pele]

I know, I've been invited to a potluck BBQ tomorrow (M Day) and have pretty much decided to just take my usual lunch and totally ignore the BBQ food. A lot of it is going to be, IMO, unappetizing anyway. Nothing organic, lots of processed, packaged stuff, like cake from a box of cake mix with transfat frosting. So I will be very happy with my banana and maybe a can of sardines and some dried fruit and nuts.

The funny thing is, the people who are organizing the BBQ love to cook for everyone and would bend over backwards to provide me with all the gluten-free food I could eat. And they know other celiacs, too, so they are very understanding and not at all offended if I don't eat the stuff they bought at Walmart and Costco.

Mango04 is right. It gets easier.

[MDRB]

I know how you feel.

burgers usually have flour mixed through the meat, as do sausages. then there is the cross contamination issue.

I usually try to bring my own gluten free pasta salad or macaroni plus pre cooked gluten free chicken skewers and I tape a serving spoon to the bowl to avoid cross contamination with glutened utensils.

Dealing with celiac disease is tough but if you think outside the box a little you can always find a way to make things work.

[LuvMoosic4life]

I know how you feel. I come from a family that based completely around food. i swear, i could walk through the door of my grandma's house during a get together and they wont even say "hi" immediatly its "try this, you hungry? eat eat eat!!!" And since I am the only thin person in the family, if I dont eat, they think I'm annorexic, or are offended that I dont like the food. The one time I actually ate the food b/c I got so pi*** off at trying to explain that I cant have gluten, it wasnt a suprise to me I started feeling sick. Nobody realized that I wasnt feeling sick b/c of the gluten, but it was "oh no, I'm sorry my COOKING didnt agree with you." And then they feel bad b/c they think thier food/cooking doesnt agree with me. I havent once been able to get through to them about the gluten thing, andI'm done trying to explain to them. I'm just going to social events for the piont of being social, not food, if they don't accept that, then I will be more than happy not to go back b/c obviously they dont respect the fact that I am there to visit and talk to them, not to stuff my face with food that will make me feel sick, and just talk about food the whole time. The funny thing is half of my family feels sick after eating also, so they say "oh, its just how we are." AHHH!

[lovegrov]

"...burgers usually have flour mixed through the meat, as do sausages."

Unless you're eating with somebody who purposely adds breading or "flour," burgers and sausages in fact almost NEVER have gluten. I've only very rarely found sausage with gluten and virtually every restaurant avoids adding filler to burger patties.

richard

[lovegrov]

What did the host add to the ribs that had gluten?

richard

[momandgirls]

burgers usually have flour mixed through the meat, as do sausages.

I've NEVER come across any brand of burger (turkey or beef) or sausage that is not gluten free.

[ravenwoodglass]

burgers usually have flour mixed through the meat, as do sausages.

I've NEVER come across any brand of burger (turkey or beef) or sausage that is not gluten free.

It may not when it comes from the store but what are the folks adding to their burgers? Many folks don't just throw the meat on the fire they spice it and if having a large group over very well may add bread crumbs to it. My family did this all the time with burgers, we were poor and there was a need to stretch everything.

As far as the sausage goes, it is a mix of meat, fat and spices. Were the spices gluten free? The company that makes the sausage has no regulartory need to check or advise us of the gluten statis of the spices.

[momandgirls]

[As far as the sausage goes, it is a mix of meat, fat and spices. Were the spices gluten free? The company that makes the sausage has no regulartory need to check or advise us of the gluten statis of the spices.

[KimmyJ]

I'm sorry that you're struggling with this. My MIL's whole life revolves around food, so it's very challenging to be at her house. Just the other day she was complaining about how she wished I was comfortable eating at their house because food is so important. Oh please. It's just food, and I don't care about her feelings enough to make myself sick. I told her that I don't mind coming over to eat _with_ them, but I would bring my own food because it wasn't worth getting sick over.

[lindajeaninsc]

I'm newly diagnosed, April 15, with biopsy and positive bloodwork. I've been so angry and frustrated because I have lots of difficult food allergies. But I blamed all my issues on hidden ingredients and food allergies. I had no clue there was anything else wrong!!! I am a master whole wheat bread baker and used to eat cracked wheat cereal b/c I love the taste!

Reading these posts, I have realized how very fortunate I am b/c I have total support from family and my small circle of friends! My best friend is gluten intolerent with no family suppost and my boyfriend has chrone's disease. My sister tested negative but we think it's a false negative b/c she is allergic to wheat for last 5 years. All of my family are taking this very seriously and everyone is being tested! My daughter has positive bloodwork, biopsy is scheduled. No news on the bloodwork for daddy, brother and other sister, yet. My son, niece and nephews still waiting for their testing to be done.

My nephew went to the store and bought new ingredients to make safe bbq sauce for our burgers on Saturday. Instead of going to a big party on Sunday, I hosted a small cookout. I have spent a fortune on alternative ingredients and on my budget, buying at the health food store for safe chicken and alternative flours or bread is very difficult. But I live alone, my house is gluten free and I now take my lunch to work.

I must admit the "oh, you poor thing!" gets real old, real quick! I don't want sympathy. I want acceptance. In the south, everything revolves around food. I work with seniors and their next meal is their favorite topic. My boyfriend is struggling b/c his only limit is dairy and fiber. But he has agreed that we'll cook instead of eating out for most meals.

But I made gluten free bread yesterday, and it's good. We made gluten free brownies, yum!

Do you realise how much of the gluten free food available at the health food store contains beans, sesame and almonds! I have yet to find a low fat or fat free mayo b/c they all have lemon. I will survive this, too. It just is soooo hard! Sorry to ramble, I needed to vent.

Linda

in Greenville, SC

positive for celiac on April 15, 2008

positive for food allergies since May 28, 2004:

turkey, salmon, all beans/legumes, (fava, peanuts, peas, etc.), almonds, black walnuts, rye, hops, sesame, lemon, lime, grapefruit, raspberry, mango, papaya and avacado

[JNBunnie1]

I'm newly diagnosed, April 15, with biopsy and positive bloodwork. I've been so angry and frustrated because I have lots of difficult food allergies. But I blamed all my issues on hidden ingredients and food allergies. I had no clue there was anything else wrong!!! I am a master whole wheat bread baker and used to eat cracked wheat cereal b/c I love the taste!

Reading these posts, I have realized how very fortunate I am b/c I have total support from family and my small circle of friends! My best friend is gluten intolerent with no family suppost and my boyfriend has chrone's disease. My sister tested negative but we think it's a false negative b/c she is allergic to wheat for last 5 years. All of my family are taking this very seriously and everyone is being tested! My daughter has positive bloodwork, biopsy is scheduled. No news on the bloodwork for daddy, brother and other sister, yet. My son, niece and nephews still waiting for their testing to be done.

My nephew went to the store and bought new ingredients to make safe bbq sauce for our burgers on Saturday. Instead of going to a big party on Sunday, I hosted a small cookout. I have spent a fortune on alternative ingredients and on my budget, buying at the health food store for safe chicken and alternative flours or bread is very difficult. But I live alone, my house is gluten free and I now take my lunch to work.

I must admit the "oh, you poor thing!" gets real old, real quick! I don't want sympathy. I want acceptance. In the south, everything revolves around food. I work with seniors and their next meal is their favorite topic. My boyfriend is struggling b/c his only limit is dairy and fiber. But he has agreed that we'll cook instead of eating out for most meals.

But I made gluten free bread yesterday, and it's good. We made gluten free brownies, yum!

Do you realise how much of the gluten free food available at the health food store contains beans, sesame and almonds! I have yet to find a low fat or fat free mayo b/c they all have lemon. I will survive this, too. It just is soooo hard! Sorry to ramble, I needed to vent.

Linda

in Greenville, SC

positive for celiac on April 15, 2008

positive for food allergies since May 28, 2004:

turkey, salmon, all beans/legumes, (fava, peanuts, peas, etc.), almonds, black walnuts, rye, hops, sesame, lemon, lime, grapefruit, raspberry, mango, papaya and avacado

I just wanted to mention, I made a potato salad with some sour cream and italian dressing instead of mayo, and whoo!!! That's good stuff. I saw you didn't list dairy, so you might want to try it. It's kind like german potato salad I guess.

[lindajeaninsc]

I just wanted to mention, I made a potato salad with some sour cream and italian dressing instead of mayo, and whoo!!! That's good stuff. I saw you didn't list dairy, so you might want to try it. It's kind like german potato salad I guess.

JNBunnie,

Thanks, I will look up german potato salad in my cook books. It's hard to focus on the positive but that is the only way to live with this. And, I must say, getting some energy and enthusiam back will be so great!

lindajeaninsc

[Calicoe]

My nephew went to the store and bought new ingredients to make safe bbq sauce for our burgers on Saturday. Instead of going to a big party on Sunday, I hosted a small cookout. I have spent a fortune on alternative ingredients and on my budget, buying at the health food store for safe chicken and alternative flours or bread is very difficult. But I live alone, my house is gluten free and I now take my lunch to work.

But I made gluten free bread yesterday, and it's good. We made gluten free brownies, yum!

Do you realise how much of the gluten free food available at the health food store contains beans, sesame and almonds! I have yet to find a low fat or fat free mayo b/c they all have lemon. I will survive this, too. It just is soooo hard! Sorry to ramble, I needed to vent.

Linda

in Greenville, SC

positive for celiac on April 15, 2008

positive for food allergies since May 28, 2004:

turkey, salmon, all beans/legumes, (fava, peanuts, peas, etc.), almonds, black walnuts, rye, hops, sesame, lemon, lime, grapefruit, raspberry, mango, papaya and avacado

I needed this thread because I have to admit that BBQ season will be very difficult, because I LOVE BBQ and the food at family gatherings. I think lindajean is on the right track above in hosting your own cookouts, but it is so expensive. I want to learn how to make my own bread and baked treats, AND gluten-free BBQ sauce that will rival all the others! In the meantime, I think I would have to cook my own BBQ food and take it so as not to feel left out. I think at my families house I would probably bring another grill and just do my own food side-by-side.

*But, it is not fun to have to deal with this AND be unemployed and broke. Yikes! I think I'll just stay home this season to avoid the gluten and prying family questions.

[jaime1103]

The hosting your own BBQ is a good idea! Maybe next year we will give that a shot.

I have to say, Saturday's BBQ was not so fun, it was at my husband's friends' house and I was not very comfortable, but then by yesterday's BBQ, I decided to take charge. Yesterday I brought Bob's brownies (with the home-ade fudge icing) and a gluten-free humus with Utz tortilla chips. It was great. I asked my friend to put some salad on the side for me, brought my own dressing, checked the meat and cheese package, all gluten free, it was a brand new grill, first time used, so I knew it was safe, and I really enjoyed myself! My mom is hosting today and she is so thoughtful, the whole menu is gluten-free, it makes it so nice.

The potato salad recipe sounds great - I will have to try that too.

For everyone else out there who had the same feeling, thanks for responding. I hope you made it through!

Richard, I am not sure what was on the ribs, but they were already on the grill with the soy sauce covered chicken skeweres when we got there.

Thanks again, I guess that this will def. get easier as I figure out how to navigate through these things!

[DingoGirl]

It does get much easier.......but I do remember the pain in the beginning!

Try this.......I have two small mini-grill things, about five inches in diameter. unfortunately, a friend gave them to me, and I don't know where she got them.....they may actually be trivets, but they look just like mini barbecue grills. They have been quite handy for me - I put those on a barbecue grill wherever I am, and have the host grill the meats/sausage/chicken I bring for myself, atop those (Trader Joe's has wonderful gluten-free sausages), and I never have a problem.

You can buy your own gluten-free hamburger/hot dog buns at the health food store, and bring your own salad, side dishes condiments, all of it. If anyone asks you about anything, just smile and say, oh, I have a food intolerance and must be quite careful (easier than explaining an auto-immune response to gluten - though if they probe further, and they usually do, I'll give the 30-second Celiac summary).

It gets easier!

[curlyfries]

I brought my own chicken and seasoning and had a piece of foil put on the grill for it to be cooked on....thought I had everything covered. When the host thought it was done, he proceeded to split it open with the spatula he'd used for everything else!!!!GAAAAHHH!!!!

[MDRB]

burgers usually have flour mixed through the meat, as do sausages.

I've NEVER come across any brand of burger (turkey or beef) or sausage that is not gluten free.

Wow, maybe this is an Australian thing. I have a really hard time finding burgers and sausages that are gluten free. Where I am, all the butchers and supermarkets mix flour and egg with the meat to hold it together as a burger. Whenever I want burger I have to buy plain mince beef and make the patties myself. The same goes for the sausages.

Grrr big incentive to move to the US.

[lovegrov]

"As far as the sausage goes, it is a mix of meat, fat and spices. Were the spices gluten free? The company that makes the sausage has no regulartory need to check or advise us of the gluten statis of the spices."

I've yet to find a spice that has barley, oats or rye in it, and if it has wheat, in the U.S. it MUST now by law be listed. This has been the law in the U.S. for more than two years for all foods and the law for meats for much longer than that (the meat law calls for ANY grain to be listed).

Before the allergen law I always called companies about their sausages and I found almost NO sausages with any kind of gluten (except beer brats and sometimes preformed patties). Jimmy Dean, Kroger, Hillshire Farm, Private Selection, and on and on.

As for burgers, some people do put bread in them, not so much to stretch the meat as to help the patties hold together. My ife used to do this. But I've found a great way to determine if that's happened. Ask.

[pele]

Jamie, What makes this easy for me is feeling so much better. I went to the BBQ on Monday and had a great time with people I hadn't seen in a while. I watched them pig out and I ate only the small lunch I brought with me and I felt great. Back in the old days I would have felt miserable for the rest of the day with a belly full of gluten. That helps me not miss the BBQ food at all. I hope you start to notice a big difference in how you feel, too.

[lindajeaninsc]

I needed this thread because I have to admit that BBQ season will be very difficult, because I LOVE BBQ and the food at family gatherings. I think lindajean is on the right track above in hosting your own cookouts, but it is so expensive. I want to learn how to make my own bread and baked treats, AND gluten-free BBQ sauce that will rival all the others! In the meantime, I think I would have to cook my own BBQ food and take it so as not to feel left out. I think at my families house I would probably bring another grill and just do my own food side-by-side.

*But, it is not fun to have to deal with this AND be unemployed and broke. Yikes! I think I'll just stay home this season to avoid the gluten and prying family questions.

Calicoe,

It isn't easy, no matter what the circumstances! This disease just su---! Having vented, I suggest that you go to the library, it's free. Find books on gluten intolerence, the cookbooks are listed under: Gluten Free Diet.

Read all you can about gluten and try the recipes. Baking bread is just following steps, in order. If you can solve an algebra problem or housetrain a puppy, then you can learn to bake your own bread. Baking your own is much cheaper than buying gluten free bread at the Whole Foods.

If you don't buy sodas, ice cream and candy, you can buy flour. Buy it anyway, you have to eat something safe. Get a gluten-free flour blend or buy sweet sorgum flour, tapioca starch, cornstarch and brown rice flour. Buy bread baking yeast and xanthum gum. It's much cheaper to buy the ingredients then it is to buy a package of mix. Store all of these in the fridge so they don't go rancid. The gum is very expensive but your bread, pancakes and muffins will crumble without it.

Use the muffin recipe found on the GIG site or in a gluten free cookbook, and bake a batch of muffins. Then make pancakes or cookies. Then try the bread. Stick with the easiest first, and work your way up. If you don't have a mixer, stir the batter with a big spoon for twice as long as the recipe says, at least eight minutes for bread!

I already told my daughter that from now on, I wanted gift cards to Whole Foods for Christmas and birthdays. Tell your family the same thing. Think about how competent you will feel after you make your own bread! I promise it's very satisfying. If you can bake bread, you can do anything! Break it down into steps, and then do it.

Linda Jean

I

[babysteps]

"...burgers usually have flour mixed through the meat, as do sausages."

Unless you're eating with somebody who purposely adds breading or "flour," burgers and sausages in fact almost NEVER have gluten. I've only very rarely found sausage with gluten and virtually every restaurant avoids adding filler to burger patties.

What did the host add to the ribs that had gluten?

richard

The good news is that almost anything that is traditionally "bbq" is possible to have gluten-free. But almost all of it might have gluten. It all depends !

Most 'food service' burgers in the US either have flour/breadcrumbs to hold them together and/or have "natural flavors" - some gluten-free folks seem to tolerate "natural flavors" but I do not, based on some surprise glutenings...

Many sausages are gluten-free but some are not (maybe 30% of the labels I read). Anything that says "spices" without listing the spices, I assume may (or may not) have been processed with some flour to avoid caking. Some sausages have soy sauce in them, and some may have actual wheat or barley. I know the wonderful garlic sausage at our local BBQ takeout I cannot have; their other meats & spice rubs are all okay though (when I went gluten-free I had a LONG conversation with them; luckily they make all their own rubs & sauces).

Ribs can easily have spice mix with MSG, "spices", "natural flavors" or such possibly gluten containing items - again, some gluten-free folks are fine with these, but I have found it's better if I avoid them. Ribs with sauce, many sauces have soy sauce, malt vinegar, non-gluten-free worcestershire, or "natural flavors".

I have spent a fortune on alternative ingredients and on my budget, buying at the health food store for safe chicken and alternative flours or bread is very difficult.

I don't want sympathy. I want acceptance.

Do you realise how much of the gluten free food available at the health food store contains beans, sesame and almonds! I have yet to find a low fat or fat free mayo b/c they all have lemon. I will survive this, too. It just is soooo hard! Sorry to ramble, I needed to vent.

Linda

in Greenville, SC

positive for celiac on April 15, 2008

positive for food allergies since May 28, 2004:

turkey, salmon, all beans/legumes, (fava, peanuts, peas, etc.), almonds, black walnuts, rye, hops, sesame, lemon, lime, grapefruit, raspberry, mango, papaya and avacado

Linda - Wow, sounds like you are coping well! I admit I don't even attempt gluten-free bread - my corn chips and rice crackers keep me happy. Not sure if it saves $, but you may want to check out local farmers for reliable meat. Our town has a weekly farmers market and I can get lamb, pork, beef and chicken, all of which I know is trustworthy.

Good luck on low-fat mayo. If you can tolerate eggs, maybe you can experiment with egg whites, oil, some sort of thickener (tapioca? guar? agar?) and create the first non-citrus non-bean non-sesame non-nut low-fat mayo

I brought my own chicken and seasoning and had a piece of foil put on the grill for it to be cooked on....thought I had everything covered. When the host thought it was done, he proceeded to split it open with the spatula he'd used for everything else!!!!GAAAAHHH!!!!

Don't you hate it when you take what you think is every precaution and then, BAM!

Thanks for sharing, now I have a phrase to add to my bbq speech

Last week I went to a restaurant, wonderful food but tag-team service and even though waiter 2 noted the rice was a pilaf and had vermicelli, and I said "I can't eat that", the same waiter brought my dish with the pilaf. To the restaurant's credit they made me a new dish, new plate, and substituted a nice tomato and cucumber salad. "I thought you said you could eat the vermicelli" he said. At least I had witnesses or I'd think I was losing it

[sickchick]

I am starving now with all the BBQ talk... ( I wanted to share my favorite SPICE RUB)

Java-Chile Rub

1/2 cup ground Coffee

3 tablespoons ground pasilla or ancho chile

3 tablespoons coarse salt, kosher or sea

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

mix the spices thoroughly in bowl.

store covered in a cool dark pantry.

Enjoy! This rub I love on New York steaks... I have used it on Salmon and London Broils too

I've mixed it in with Ground beef, ground bison, and ground turkey

it's smoky and spicy

[MindyK]

I know how you feel. I come from a family that based completely around food. i swear, i could walk through the door of my grandma's house during a get together and they wont even say "hi" immediatly its "try this, you hungry? eat eat eat!!!" And since I am the only thin person in the family, if I dont eat, they think I'm annorexic, or are offended that I dont like the food. The one time I actually ate the food b/c I got so pi*** off at trying to explain that I cant have gluten, it wasnt a suprise to me I started feeling sick. Nobody realized that I wasnt feeling sick b/c of the gluten, but it was "oh no, I'm sorry my COOKING didnt agree with you." And then they feel bad b/c they think thier food/cooking doesnt agree with me. I havent once been able to get through to them about the gluten thing, andI'm done trying to explain to them. I'm just going to social events for the piont of being social, not food, if they don't accept that, then I will be more than happy not to go back b/c obviously they dont respect the fact that I am there to visit and talk to them, not to stuff my face with food that will make me feel sick, and just talk about food the whole time. The funny thing is half of my family feels sick after eating also, so they say "oh, its just how we are." AHHH!

I have been trying to deal with this disease for the last 8 months or so. My family, also focuses everything around food. If you aren