A few years ago, I was introduced to the Gluten Free world through a friend whose daughter was diagnosed as gluten intolerant, and followed along as they made the transition as a family to being completely gluten free.
Since then, my mom has been diagnosed as gluten intolerant, and my circle of friends and acquaintances with gluten free families or children seems to have grown.
Mary Blackburn from EasyGlutenFreeLiving.com
So in today’s podcast, I am excited to pick the brain of Mary Blackburn, from EasyGlutenFreeLiving.com on what it means to be gluten free, and specifically be gluten free with kids.
Mary was diagnosised with Celiac Disease in 1987 when she was a young mother of 2, and has been living Gluten Free ever since.
Her website is dedicated to helping those who are new to Gluten Free living find the information and encouragement they need to be successful in the gluten free lifestyle.
Mary is also the author of Gluten Free Get Togethers, an e-cookbook full of the tried and true gluten free recipes she’s compiled over 20+ years of gluten free living.
Mary is an incredibly knowledgable and generous person. During our entire interview we experienced all kinds of technical problems and she was so gracious and wonderful about it. It’s always a privilege to share with you someone who really knows their topic, but also is just a great person as well. And that’s Mary.
Through this interview, she has given us basically a beginner’s guide to living gluten free. We covered:
What it means to be “Gluten Free”
What Gluten is, and what foods it is found in
What the difference is between being gluten intolerant and having Celiac Disease
The symptoms and indicators of gluten intolerance and Celiac Disease
What you should do if you suspect you or your child is gluten intolerant (and what you shouldn’t do!)
What grains are gluten free and what you can eat on a gluten free diet
The foods you wouldn’t think of that have gluten hidden in them
How to read labels to ensure the foods you are buying are gluten free
How to eat out when you are gluten free and ensure that you won’t get sick.
Her little trick that helps restrauant staff understand what is safe and what is not.
When to get screening for Celiac Disease, and who in your family should be tested.
What misinformation is out there about Gluten Free Living
How to help family members and friends understand what is safe and what is not on a gluten free diet
And so much more
I learned so much from Mary in this conversation, and I’ve been researching this for a couple years now. If you know anyone who is gluten free, or if you or your child is gluten free, I encourage you take the time to listen in to this interview, and share it with others who need to understand what is okay and what isn’t on a gluten free diet.
To listen in, simply click the play button below. To download the recording to your computer, right click on download link below and choose ‘Save Target As’.
P.S. After talking to Mary, and learning that 1 in 133 people are gluten intolerant, I totally understand why it’s so important to build awareness for a gluten free lifestyle. Please, please, share this podcast and help build awareness for our friends and families who live with this disease every day.
So, October didn’t turn out exactly as I imagined. I had asked Jennifer Tankersley to do the Holiday Planning guest post series, with the complete intention of blogging along side her and sharing my thoughts on the topic, and well…
Jennifer has done a fantastic job, and I’m so thankful that she was willing to take over the blog for a little while, because, well, I’ve been at the ball park.
Yep, my boys played Fall baseball, and it took over our lives – again. Just as it will again in the Spring.
I think I’m just going to have to learn that just as I lived through the season of parenting that involved diapers and children who needed to be supervised every minute of the day, I have to accept this season of parenthood that is spent running children to scout meetings, field trips, activities, baseball practice, and spending hours each week hanging out at the ball field.
Don’t get me wrong, I choose for my kids participate in these activities and I believe they get a great deal from doing so. Otherwise we wouldn’t do it. I just need to learn to adapt my schedule - including blogging - and my mindset to accomodate the temporary take over of the schedule.
At the end of the day, I am grateful to Jen Tankersley for stepping up and sharing her Holiday Planning tips with us, and now that baseball seasons is over, I’ll try here in the next few weeks to share some of the thoughts that her articles triggered for me.
In the meantime, I hope that your holiday planning is coming along better than mine, and that you are enjoying the Fall weather!
…Shannon
P.S. Had to share this picture of Jazzy with you, she’s been coming to the ball park since K got her, and LOVES it! …. if only I could learn to love the ball park as much as Jazzy does
So many holidays are built around the fact that we all have to eat. Because of this, the dishes found on the holiday table are often traditional. They are more than just nourishment, they have become one with the holiday and with the memories of holidays past.
While it is a joy to cook from the recipes of our ancestors, when you’ve formed your own family unit, it may be an opportunity to create new food traditions.
This holiday season, take the time to plan out the meals that will offer your family and friends a chance to gather and remember.
Here are some ways to get started planning now so that you can create a stress-free holiday table.
Gather recipes – Start looking through your recipes to locate favorites and keep them together in a convenient spot. If you have a copier at home, copy several of your favorite holiday recipes onto a few pages, then add these to your holiday planning binder under either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Then replace your recipes back to their original location for safe-keeping.
Plan holiday meals – A Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas dinner may look somewhat similar. Plan them at the same time to save time. Consider main course (turkey, ham, roast, soup). List possible side dishes (stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole). Check off salads, bread, and drinks. And please do not forget the dessert (pumpkin pie).
Delegate dishes – If your holiday meals will be in the company of extended family, don’t feel like you have to go to all the work and expense yourself. Call your guests and ask them to bring a dish. You can either choose for them or guide them in their decision.
Create your grocery list – Work from your menu plan to create a comprehensive grocery list for each holiday meal. Be sure to combine when possible. If you know you will need sweetened condensed milk for dishes served at both holidays, then buy them both now. Be sure to cross them off your list so you don’t purchase doubles. This will not only save a step later, but will ensure that the stores don’t run out before you have a chance to buy.
Consider the table – The actual holiday table is the centerpiece for your gathering. Dig out your best linens and make sure they are laundered and pressed. Polish your silverware. Shine your china and glasses. Decorate the table with leaves, pinecones, glass balls, a wreath, candles, whatever might be available. It doesn’t have to be fancy. This personal touch will warm the gathering and make it extra special.
Schedule your preparation – Don’t save all of the preparation for the last minute. Think about what can be done the day before, a few days before, a week before, etc. Make a timeline for the actual meal day so you get the turkey in the oven on time and coordinate the cooking of the side dishes.
You should not exclude yourself from reveling in the holiday meal. Don’t forget to relax, and enjoy.
Jennifer Tankersley is the creator of ListPlanIt.com which has hundreds of printable lists, checklists, and planning pages to put your world-and your holidays-in order.
She also writes 100DaystoChristmas.com, which gives a daily dose of inspiration and motivation to get you through the busy holiday season.
A house is more than a home. It is a fortress, the place where we snuggle in with our loved ones and feel safe and secure. During the holidays, our tiny kingdom takes on an almost magical quality. The sights are a little brighter, smells are a little sweeter, and the sounds are of laughter and carols.
The fortress is quite typically the backdrop of a majority of our holiday memories. Preparation is key to maximizing the warmth and beauty of the holiday season. Here are some areas to consider prior to December.
Cleaning
Charity organizations such as Goodwill and Salvation Army are in need of your donations to stock their shelves, so go from room to room looking for items that are no longer used or loved. Children should take the time to go through their things and pass on the things that are broken or no longer enjoyed.
Vowing not to put anything out until it has a dust-free surface to rest on is a good motivation for thoroughly cleaning your house in time for the holidays.
Decorations
You don’t have to break the bank in order to fortify your holiday home. There are plenty of ways to add Christmas cheer that don’t even include Target. Ask your parents if there are any Christmas decorations that they might be willing to pass on. A visit to your local craft store will produce plenty of wonderful ideas for holiday crafts and decorations. My children and I make a Christmas chain out of green and red construction paper. It is simple, but it is tradition and means something to us.
The Tree
What living room is not enhanced with a piece of nature as its focal point, even if it happens to be artificial nature. Growing up, my family would pile into the front seat of my Dad’s pickup (pre-seat belts), and we would drive to the next town’s grocery store to rummage amongst their shipment of pine trees to look for “the one”.
No matter the kind of tree (real or artificial), no matter if you dig your tree out of the basement or use a saw to cut it down yourself, no matter if the bulbs are glass or ceramic, a Christmas tree truly symbolizes a traditional holiday home. Reserve a date on your calendar now for purchasing/ assembling and adorning your tree.
There are more ways to prepare for the holidays ahead of time. Take the steps necessary to consider what currently can be done so that you can enjoy the holiday season to the fullest extent. Join us as we talk about how to plan ahead for your holiday food and holiday festivities in the next 2 weeks.
Jennifer Tankersley is the creator of ListPlanIt.com which has hundreds of printable lists, checklists, and planning pages to put your world-and your holidays-in order.
She also writes 100DaystoChristmas.com, which gives a daily dose of inspiration and motivation to get you through the busy holiday season.
When you conjure mental images of past holidays, they are likely centered around family at the table, friends around a tree, or folks bundled up and gathered together for various celebrations. Though we may spend a lot of time thinking about gifts, meals, and travel plans, it is our relationships to family and friends that truly make the holidays a special time of year.
By starting your holiday planning early, you can be better prepared to take care of the details and then have the time to focus on what truly matters during the holidays. Here are a few examples of the kinds of preparations to begin to consider:
Gifts
Although gifts are supposed to be a selfless way to demonstrate your love and gratitude to another, they have become the single biggest stressor when it comes to the holidays.
Not only is there so much pressure to find and afford the “perfect gift”, but the expectations of gift-giving are often unreasonable. The first step to less stress at Christmas is to prepare your gift list.
Gather your family around the table for a brainstorming session on how you can consider handmade gifts for family and friends.
Start shopping online and through catalogs for ideas.
Set budgetary limits.
Give yourself a deadline well before Christmas to accomplish your gift-buying.
Gift-Wrap
You may be tempted to just skip over this one, but how many people end up organizing gift wrap and wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve? Taking inventory of your wrapping paper, gift bags, bows, ribbons, tape, and gift tags should be done as soon as possible. Then schedule a gift-wrapping party with friends or plan to wrap present each week on a certain week night.
Cards &/or Letters
The holidays are a great time for keeping in touch with family and friends, whether near or far. The steps to accomplishing this in plenty of time is to sit down and plan out your needs; add cards, letters, or supplies (for making your own) to your shopping list; and schedule time with your family to write, fold, lick, stamp, and share in the fun.
Giving
Yes, there are expectations from family members. Yes, there are traditions that must be carried out. However, if we forget that the meaning of the holidays is to give, whether it be through some sacrifice of our time, our abilities, or our resources, we forego the happiness that is allowed for ourselves and others. Brainstorm ways to give of yourself this holiday season. It truly is better to give than to receive.
There are other ways to prepare for the holidays ahead of time. Now is the time to be considering what can be done so that you can enjoy the holiday season to the fullest extent. Join us as we talk about how to plan ahead for your holiday food, holiday festivities, and your holiday fortress in the next 3 weeks.
Jennifer Tankersley is the creator of ListPlanIt.com which has hundreds of printable lists, checklists, and planning pages to put your world-and your holidays-in order.
She also writes 100DaystoChristmas.com, which gives a daily dose of inspiration and motivation to get you through the busy holiday season.
In the meantime, I hope that your holiday planning is coming along better than mine, and that you are enjoying the Fall weather!
While it is a joy to cook from the recipes of our ancestors, when you’ve formed your own family unit, it may be an opportunity to create new food traditions. 
No matter the kind of tree (real or artificial), no matter if you dig your tree out of the basement or use a saw to cut it down yourself, no matter if the bulbs are glass or ceramic, a Christmas tree truly symbolizes a traditional holiday home. Reserve a date on your calendar now for purchasing/ assembling and adorning your tree.
Although gifts are supposed to be a selfless way to demonstrate your love and gratitude to another, they have become the single biggest stressor when it comes to the holidays. 
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