gluten-free Thanksgiving

[itradehilton]

This weekend I e-mailed my mom to ask her not to stuff dressing in the turkey because it will make my child sick, Celiac. She told me no and can't understand why she can't cook the bird with the dressing inside. How do you get people to understand?

[tarnalberry]

I would do nothing more than say "If you cook the stuffing inside the turkey, I will not be able to eat it; the risk of contamination is too high. Please tell me if I need to bring my own turkey." And then bring your own if she wants to not change her ways. You can't control what other people do - only you're reaction to it. (That really goes a *LONG* way for me in dealing with eating with others with celiac. )

[Juliebove]

Sometimes you can't get people to understand. If I were you, I'd bring my own turkey and maybe the whole meal. What else might she do?

[L13]

This will be my first Thanksgiving at my parents house and they are trying to be accommodating to my new needs and I am concerned that something will get missed. I know this is a new way of life but I am freaking out and looking at the food as if something is hidden inside that can hurt me. I know my parents will have the Gluten-Free stuff but it is the cross contamination that I am most concerned about. They think I am "overkill" on this and being too dramatic. I am not dramatic at all - just careful.

I think if they make the turkey in the roast with no stuffing and get one that is Gluten-Free (any recommendations?) and then the mashed potatoes and some other stuff I should be good. I may go early to make sure nothing gets cross-contaminated and then bring a just in case frozen meal.

I would love to bring pumpkin pie. EASY recipe please. I think I will by the premade crust at whole foods (I suck at baking). Then can I just use the standard recipe????

[RobynJ]

This might not be an option for you, but I decided to offer to cook the entire thing. I am making everything gluten free, egg free, carrot free, dairy free (my son has multiple food issues). I was concerned about CC from the kitchen or serving utensils. My family thinks I am over the top too- so I figured this was the best way.

I am sure you have talked to your mom about this- but make sure the turkey is gluten-free. Depending where she shops a lot of the turkeys will have broth injected in them that could contain gluten.

If you have a Costco near you they have little precooked turkey breasts. You could bring one of those some of you own potatoes, and a desert treat for your little one. Just keep her on her own food, but make it Thanksgiving stuff. Tell you mom ahead of time. With my family who thinks I am over the top (even after he got sick from a tiny amount) I just tell them- "Yes, I am over the top, crazy, extremist. But I am a mom, that is my job, right? "

[tarnalberry]

Yeah, when I found out I had to be gluten free - about three months before Thanksgiving, as I recall, I just asked my mother-in-law (we have Thanksgiving with them), "Can I just cook the whole thing? I love your cooking, and I know you are very ingredient aware, but... well, I'm paranoid about getting contaminated?" I've cooked for them in the past, so they know I'm not going to give them a burnt turkey, and she said "Sure, sounds good! Let me know what I can pick up at the store for you ahead of time!"

I'll grant you, I have a fantastic mother-in-law, but I've cooked Thanksgiving dinner since then (though, she and I always discuss menus - I usually suggest a bunch of different recipes and see if she has a preference one way or another), and we usually end up cooking together in the kitchen now. Of course, everything (aside from the broth in the stuffing and the mix of beans in the soup) is a single ingredient, "whole" food. It's a very "from scratch" meal. And yeah, it does take 8 hours to make it... but there are something like 12 dishes that are served, so it's not so bad.

[Ahorsesoul]

Some people will never understand why it's so important for us not to have gluten pass by a celiacs lips. Do not fight it.

I personally do not expect other households to accommodate my celiac disease. Especially at the holidays. Food plays too big an issue with some families for them to change what they fix. If I decide to attend a holiday dinner out of my household I bring my own food or I do not attend.

It's so nice to have family who wants to accommodate my food restrictions but I know that if their kitchen isn't gluten free they will contaminate my food. It's just not worth the effort to expect others (even if family) to change how they cook for celiac disease. It's also very expensive for them to buy all gluten free items. Now I do expect family (and friends) to be understanding and not to give me a hard time that I bring my own food.

The past three years I have kept track of how much per person it has cost me to prepare a totally gluten free Thanksgiving meal. Just for food it runs between $12 to $15 per person.

I suggest you make your dd a Cornish game hen (if she can eat them or a just cook a turkey breast) at home to bring for her dinner. Then fix a dish or two of something gluten free to pass at the family dinner. And make my Pumpkin Pie pudding in a small crock-pot so you dd can have pumpkin pie. I personally do not like pumpkin pie but love the pudding. I have 12 cans of pumpkin in the cupboard because I make this year around.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Pie Pudding

SERVES 4 -6

1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup gluten free flour mix

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons butter or margarine (melted)

2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons vanilla

Whipped Cream

In a large bowl mix together the first eight ingredients.

Transfer to small crock pot coated with Pam.

Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours.

Serve in bowls with whip cream, if desired.

If I don't have pumpkin pie spice I just toss in some cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves. If I have mace I use a pinch of it too. Just using only cinnamon works too.

[strawberrygm]

i asked my friend (like family) if i could bring her over some gluten free flour, so that when she makes her dressing, she uses chicken, not turkey, she could sit aside the onions, celery, etc that goes in it and make my daughter a small pan of dressing with the gluten free flour. thankfully, she understands the cross contamination and will be very careful when doing this.

wildtree has an excellent pumpkin cheesecake mix that you mix with cream cheese, you can throw that into a gluten free crust, or simply eat it with a spoon...yummy!

[EmilyR83]

I am making my own Thanksgiving dinner the day before Thanksgiving. Then when we go to the inlaws, I will bring my baby his own plate of food and snacks to eat. i will also bring a gluten free dessert that he can eat. The risk of cc is to high in my opinion. I make pumpkin pie with no crust and I love it! I hate crust so it works out well for me too=).

[momxyz]

We usually have Thanksgivng at our house, but my mother in law loves to cook for us and traditionally has made a good portion of the meal (including her stuffing.) We live less than five miles apart so this kind of coordination is very feasible.

Since my daughtr and I went gluten free she has, up til now, been really great about stuff. Makes breaded chicken with gluten free breadcrumbs, at first breadcrumb I made for her, then with a gluten free brand she found in her regular grocery store. And she has made several of the Betty Crocker mixes for us too. Though she still makes some of her traditional things, which is OK, because my husband can eat them (as well as my son, when he's home)

The gluten-free adaptations she has made she did voluntarily and freely.. tho last night my husband told me she has started to become a little frustated with the limitations. For example she would love to make lasagna for a family meal... and hasn't for some time. (Note to self, go find some brown rice lasagna noodles quick!)

I am hoping this will not set the stage for sore feelings for the holidays. My husband and I had talked about doing 2 small turkeys, rather than one big one. One, she could do just the way she has always done. And the other will be prepared by us. My husband is talking about getting out the turkey fryer - we actually did 2 small turkies a few years ago, one fried, one in the traditional way. both were good. Either way I am going to concoct a new stuffing from gluten-free bread...

I agree with the others, let your mom cook the way she wants, and offer to bring some sides that you can prepare gluten-free at home. (Plus bring your own turkey meat...)

[babygirl1234]

i just dont eat anything that i cant have because my family doesnt actdate for me whatsoever but yeah its hard to get them to understand

[itradehilton]

Thanks for the support, I didn't even think about the turkey. I was thinking that my child doesn't like stuffing so if my mom could just cook it in a different pan then life would be good. We have a 3 and 1/2 hour drive to get to her house so it complicates things a little. I just was hoping for a little compassion from my own family.

[luvs2eat]

With the best of intentions and the greatest love in the world... people who haven't been cooking gluten-free for a while will poison you. Without a doubt, I'd bring my own meal...

[jerseyangel]

With the best of intentions and the greatest love in the world... people who haven't been cooking gluten-free for a while will poison you. Without a doubt, I'd bring my own meal...

This is so true--I'm traveling from Texas to Pennsylvania and plan to bring my own food.

[Alphawave]

That is nothing. At my table for the holidays will be: Me-Celiac, Oldest daughter-Celiac, Son-in-law- low fat due to issues after a gallbladder removal, step-son-refuses to have pork at the table (don't know WHY), my sister-in-law's husband is lactose intolerant, my daughter-in-law is ALLERGIC to dairy. My youngest daughter's boyfriend's son is sensitive to all food dyes. My completely non-allergic/sensitive son won't be there as he lives in San Francisco. I'm sure if he decides to come he will have developed an allergy to SOMETHING.LOL.

So far, no one is allergic/sensitive to expensive, aged scotch.

We will still have fun. (OK, no FOOD fun)

[itradehilton]

Now if I just didn't have to drive back home the drink sounds good. I have decided I will pack my own food for DS.

[tarnalberry]

That is nothing. At my table for the holidays will be: Me-Celiac, Oldest daughter-Celiac, Son-in-law- low fat due to issues after a gallbladder removal, step-son-refuses to have pork at the table (don't know WHY), my sister-in-law's husband is lactose intolerant, my daughter-in-law is ALLERGIC to dairy. My youngest daughter's boyfriend's son is sensitive to all food dyes. My completely non-allergic/sensitive son won't be there as he lives in San Francisco. I'm sure if he decides to come he will have developed an allergy to SOMETHING.LOL.

So far, no one is allergic/sensitive to expensive, aged scotch.

We will still have fun. (OK, no FOOD fun)

This shouldn't keep you from enjoying your meal. My Thanksgiving has always been gluten and dairy free (happens to be soy free as well), and very low fat (since my FIL is on the Ornish diet). (And we always have turkey... I've never used pork at Thanksgiving. )

We generally have bean soup, a green salad w/ fruit on top, turkey, turkey gravy, roasted root vegetables, sauteed green beans, roasted field greens with beets, rice based mushroom stuffing, and some variety of dessert (sometimes just baked apples, sometimes pumpkin pie, sometimes homemade "ice cream").

[SoMuchPaint]

I am glad I read this. This is both my first Thanksgiving knowing about my gluten intolerance AND the first Thanksgiving in my memory not being hosted by my family. I had planned on bringing a gluten free (corn free, soy free) stuffing/dressing and some sort of gluten free (corn free, soy free) desert, with my brother-in-law's blessing, but I guess I need to bring my own turkey meat, too.

I'm not even sure I've been gluten free long enough to notice if I get a dose of gluten, especially as I am in my third trimester, and everything in my body feels odd right now, but I'd rather not risk it. I'm really hoping to make it through this pregnancy without developing another autoimmune disorder (which happened with my two previous pregnancies).