Making and Baking Gluten-Free this Holiday Season

Making and Baking Gluten-Free

this Holiday Season

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is creating crafts and cooking with my kids. It’s a tradition passed down from my grandmother to my mother and now from me to my two little girls. The smell of baking cookies, filling pies, and the joy of being together excites me every year! For families with food allergies, the holidays can have a little less joy and a little more stress.

About 14 years ago, my twin sister found out she had a gluten intolerance. Shortly after this, I was encouraged to go gluten-free to see if it might also help me, as I had dealt with some health issues that we could never figure out. Over the years, I have developed some little tricks to still celebrate in the same way with my family, without the worry over getting sick.

My grandmother was from a Dutch family, and the “eat them before they are gone” item at every family gathering was her Dutch Butter Cookies. Through much trial and error, I have learned that a gluten-free baking flour with xanthan gum and a 1-to-1 conversion (one of my favorite brands is Namaste) makes substituting your favorite recipes incredibly quick and easy. Another place to look is the gluten-free section of your favorite grocery store. Another trick I have found over the years is to bring my own food (or items) to our family gatherings. If we have sandwiches, I ask they leave out a few slices of the meat and cheese so I can bring bread. I will take my own dinner rolls if we are doing chili or stew (with no flour, barley, or oats in the preparation). One of my favorite things has become creating a gluten-free green bean casserole by using the gluten-free onions and gluten-free cream of mushroom soup you can now find at many grocery stores around the holidays!

By being proactive for you and your children (if they have an intolerance or celiac disease), you can help create a lifestyle where you thankfully never feel left out or without the comforts that food brings to the holidays. You can focus on the family fun and the joy of the season! l