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Clinical Services (Celiac Disease Program and Support Group):
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Helpful Tips for Birthday and Holiday Parties
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- Easy to make gluten free mixes are available from many gluten free vendors. Some popular mixes include mixes from The Really Great Food Company, The Gluten Free Pantry and Miss Roben's.
- Try to make the birthday cake or cupcakes close to the time you will be serving. Gluten free baked goods can be very good but they do not age gracefully, and without gluten they harden very quickly.
- Ice cream cakes are a good alternative if you can find a local store that makes a gluten free version.
- As your child gets older you might want to consider taking a cake decorating course to achieve a more professional look to the gluten free baked goods you are serving. Your child will be delighted when you come home with the new treats you learned to decorate each week in class. Your child will not only get to enjoy the gluten-free baked goods, but will also enjoy the fun decorations on their special treats. Decoration courses will also teach you a lot about the different basic frostings and how the stiffness or lack of it affects the design you are trying to create. There are plenty of basic frosting recipes in every cook book just remember to substitute a gluten free vanilla extract for the traditional kind.
- For your child's birthday party, don't be afraid to ask cake decorators and party planners to coordinate the themes and colors of the party. Cake decorators have the ability to create gluten-free frosting and gluten-free cakes/cupcakes, making it safe to eat for your child. Guests can also enjoy the gluten-free goods as anyone can eat the cake or cupcakes. It is generally better to allow the birthday boy or girl to eat the same cake or cupcakes as his or her guest so that your child won't feel left out.
- If the host is having a piņata see if you could gently recommend a few gluten free candies for it. You can also work out the trade in method at home and/or encourage your child to trade for safe choices at the party. If your child is too young to know what is safe I suggest you be there to monitor the event so you can quickly substitute safe versions of the treats. This hold true for the "goody" bag that comes home at the end of the party. Request that the host does not put any unsafe treats into the "goody" bags at all. Many parents have kindly supplied a GF alternative in my child's bag.
- If it's a party it must be pizza! Ninety-nine out of 100 times that is the meal choice at a party. I pre-cook a GF pizza and supply several slices on a microwavable plate for easy reheating.
- As your child gets older, there will be times where he or she will prefer to eat something at home before going out to a social event. This is a matter of choice and often more closely reflects the child's proximity to adolescence than anything else. As difficult as it is to think of your child going to a social event and not being able to eat while there, ownership of the diet is the most important thing. For support, tell your child that whatever works for them is fine with you, and try to treat it more as an issue of logistics than anything else.
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- Send a letter to all the parents in the class to inform them of your child's dietary restrictions and ask them to please let you know if they are binging in treats for the class.
- It is probably a good idea to ask the teacher for a list of all the birthday's in the class so that you can double check with the families in case you have not heard from them.
- Keep a few pre-made frosted cupcakes in hand for any unexpected party. Check to see if you can leave a couple in the nurse's office or the teachers' lounge freezer for surprise celebrations.
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- There are several brands of gluten-free Easter candies and jelly beans available. The secret is to start calling companies a month or so before so that you have time to research safe brands before they are sold out. If your child is attending an Easter egg hunt you can have him or her trade in for gluten-free Easter candy that you bring with you.
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- A delicious turkey dinner can easily be made gluten free by several simple steps. The most important thing to remember is that you cannot stuff the turkey with gluten containing bread and imagine that you could safely serve a gluten-free slice to your child. It will be contaminated. It is widely considered unsafe to cook a stuffed turkey anyway so please consider preparing all stuffing outside of the bird.
- There are many versions of stuffing from rice to cornbread that are savory and delicious. Do not feel you have to give up the traditional bread stuffing. You can either make it using gluten-free bread for everyone or make up two versions. Often having mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, etc. is plenty for the gluten-free member of the family. The other area of caution is in the gravy. Delicious gravy can be prepared with cornstarch and pan drippings rather than wheat flour. (Argo cornstarch has a good gravy recipe on the side of the box.)
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- The traditional dish of Hanukkah is potato latkes, or potato pancakes served with applesauce. There are many recipes for this Jewish classic but they often contain wheat flour- make sure to substitute gluten-free flour instead. Gluten-free potato latke kits are available in certain grocery stores. Call your local grocer in advance to make sure they carry the kits.
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- The hardest type of party is the one with a teenager's dream menu being served. Let's face it- chicken nuggets, mozzarella sticks, pizza and burgers sum up a gluten drenched menu. If your child is willing to have a separate gluten-free meal supplied by you or the chef then go for it. If not, see that he or she eats something before the party.
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