Category: Events
Love Me a Good Party…
I am a sucker for any excuse to GO BIG! Any excuse to set the table up in a theme and kick some color into, what can be, a grey mundane day. So when I set out to keep Tha Baby’s birthday simple I didn’t factor in my own nature! So… it’s Simple-er !
Inventory
- Helium Tank and 30 balloons
- bag of more balloons
- ribbon
- paper plates
- plastic cutlery
- Plastic Glasses
- Mini Ice Cream Scoop
Gifts ( one from each family member, plus errr maybe a couple more little things! Yay for back to school time and doing double duty!)
And the food? Here is the:
Afternoon’s Menu
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vanilla frosted cupcakes
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- WHEATY Confetti Frosted Cupcakes ( for the multitude of NOT GF guests)
- Evil KoolAid
Supper Menu? The Potluck contribution will be fresh raw veggies and two Roast Beefs, on peppercorn encrusted and one BBQ seasoning rubbed.
That is keeping it simple for me! LOL
K.I.S.S. Seven!
K.I.S.S. sounds like a great motto for this 7 year old’s party! Who knows. I might just be able to just SIT enjoy the festivities myself. *GASP! I know! Scary isn’t it. more
Carnie Fare
Stampede Days, Rodeo Weekends and with all of them comes THA MIDWAY! Twisty turny paths of screams and jostling children crammed full of adults with their heads turned up mesmerized by the riotous gyrations of metal caged buckets on steel frames. The excitement is high and the pack mentality surges though the yards. While all this excitement is what draws some people to the over crowded theatrical presentation, to others it is the FOOD.
Corndogs, salt water taffy, Stampede Burgers and deep fried Coke. In the wholistic perspective you can’t really call it food but Mid Way Fare is what draws those who are no longer interested in the rides. Deep fried, salted and sinfully sweet mouthfuls of eternally-bad-for-you AWESOMENESS.
Gluten Free Hell? Damn Close!
It and Christmas are when I get to pining over the gluten free losses. I LOVE Corndogs and French Fries over soaked in Gravy. The smells take me back … righhhtttt… back to the time I are one of the Midway double cheese burgers with fried onions right before stepping into the caged ZIPPER. * Covers Mouth Quickly* Yup. Should have listened to my mother!
Today my Teen is heading down to the Midway with cash in hand and excitement sparkles in his eyes. The first year in the pack without a parental unit in sight. Sighs. He does his best as a teen to stay gluten free yet not be a lepper in his crowd. I give him coodos for that. Today will be a challenge. I am dropping him off and Tha Baby and I will take a walk around. I plan on scoping out the eateries and seeing what Gluten Free options MIGHT exist there!
Watch tomorrow for the scoop… or Twitter today!
5th Annual WF Pancake Breakfast
Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5!
This is our 5th Year hosting our Wheat Free Pancake breakfast but Pancakes aren’t all you will find. Rain or shine we will be having some activities for the kids and more food than you can loosen your belt for.
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Saturday, July 23 · 10:30am – 1:30pm
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Quesnel
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So RSVP and come have a meal that reminds you that
Gluten Free isn’t GLUTTEN free! WOOT!
Contact Dianne @ 250 316 6561 or check out the event on Facebook and hopefully see you there!
3 Sinful Traps of GF Drinking
Yesterday I posted about alcohol… Last night I drank it! Yup, a going away party for a Brazillian chap was a good enough excuse to enjoy the FIRST really summer feeling evening in weeks. Jugs of Mojitos and Dirty Mojitos ( spiced rum) circled around the table and topped up frosty glasses with lush looking greens. I passed on those and instead reached for the bottle of Disaronno. Delicious… but deadly. How so?
1) Sugar Content
For a system that has reduced sugars, right down to carbs and high GI fruits, launching into a bottle of condensed sugars is BRUTAL on the system.
2) Tha Munchies
There is something about having drinks in hand that inspires the need to also shovel snacky foods into your mouth. If you have the discipline and fortune to have a veggie platter handy then you are in luck! More than likely though, it will be bags of potato chips and other not-so-great food choices.
3) The It’s-Just-Ones
Ahhh yes, as the alcohol flows the inhibitions come down and that doesn’t just apply to ‘wink wink, nudge nudge’. That also applies to the wheaty gluten laden sweets and foods that you normally know are ‘ bad date choices’. You start to watch them from your peripheral vision and slowly start to sidle over to them. ” Just one… I am going to be hung over anyhow…” excuses start to pop to mind. Then ‘just one’ pops into your mouth. You are officially off the wagon…
For me, I also compounded the situation with Diet Coke. Aspartame laden and killer on my system, I have come to recognize the link between my Fibro reactions and the presence of this once staple item in my home. Years of thinking that the fat in foods was the villain, I would instead consume Aspartame in quantities unimaginable. Yogurts, sweets, drinks and all sorts of ” healthy options” pumped the chemical into my blood. That is a soap box for another day!
So, today I ache in ways that make me think I sprained things, I am sluggish and grey. All in all…
I knew better. But it tasted soooo goood!
THIS Sunday in PG…
Raw Food 101: Essential Facts and Benefits Workshop this Sunday, February 27, 2011 from 1pm-3pm in PG more
Government Pulls Through!
On February 16th, 2011 Health Canada will Publish Amendments to the Food Allergen Labelling Regulations in Canada Gazette, Part II (CGII)
Canada’s new food allergen labelling regulations will come into force on August 4, 2012
For more information…. check out the Health Canada Site.
Falling Away
The end of fall is fast approaching. The leaves have all but left the trees and tonight will be Halloween Looting. Tomorrow will be clean up. Then I move forward to preping for xmas. Yes, I start thinking early. Step one of that process, though, is reviewing Fall.
This past month has been a struggle for our little Wheat Free Horde ( 3 boys from 6 – 13 and myself). I was not aware of how many safeties I had put into place when we lived in the City. Some of the things I just naturally did and others I know I worked hard at, all to ensure that my boys had the best holiday/traditions I could manage while keeping them Gluten Free and laughing!
I have great memories of holidays and family times and I REALLLY want my kids to be kids and have those when they grow up. I don’t want them to remember parties where they felt left out, unable to enjoy the socialness of ‘breaking bread’ with friends, or sharing in a celebratory piece of cake with the Birthday Honored. I want life to move forward as if this just IS, not like it is a handicap that needs to hold them back from anything.
In review of years past? What did we do to make the events appear effortless and smooth?
Host our own party:
- Keeps the kids as the hosts and in control
- Plan a meal with GF everyday foods like Ogre Feet Meatloaves, Build Your Own Pizza-o-lanterns, Beef stew with Maggot Pasta bits, or some other fun grossness
- Load up on GF trick or treat candies
- Non candy based prizes ( McDonald’s coupons, trinkets, swim passes, etc)
- Old fashioned take home treats like candy apples, popcorn balls and caramels!
As guests at parties;
- Bring GF cupcakes/foods to share
- bag/decorative pail of GF candy for the treats table
- Stash GF alternatives as “swaps” in our bag for if the kids win a non GF prize.
- STAY UP BEAT & DON”T EAT IT!
Desire to DEVOUR!
So often it is easy to ‘sneak’ a bite, make excuses or otherwise sabotage yourself. The last thing you need on top of a sugar hang over, though, is an allergic reaction! It can make a whole household struggle! Totally not worth it.
Relocating this year has given us some speed bumps as we settle into new routines. So far we are GF safe but there have been some close calls and some hick ups. Still a success. Next year we will reconnect with some old traditions to bring our personal touches into our new lives!
Happy Ghostly Greetings to Looters and Looted!
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