GlutenFreeVeganPescatarianism

When I was growing up, the eldest of six children, we were offered two choices for family meals:

Take It Or Leave It.

Preparing three meals a day for her brood of six, my mother spent an incredible amount of time at the grocery store and in the kitchen, but those family dinners provided some of my most cherished memories and the animated banter of so many at the dinner table never failed to make mealtime interesting. 

A large antique family dinner bell that could be heard throughout the neighborhood alerted us to the impending meal. We would immediately stop whatever we were doing, run or bike home, wash our hands and climb onto our assigned stools at the two-sided, ten foot long kitchen counter. The formal dining room was only used for holidays, birthdays or special occasions when we had visiting relatives or important guests. We were warned to "clean our plates" and constantly reminded of "all those children starving in China" although they always looked pretty well nourished to me.

Family dinners usually consisted of a protein, a starch, a vegetable and always a tall glass of milk! We were the quintessential meat and potatoes family. Mmmmm! Comfort food! Bring it on! I was almost 21 before I realized that all fish did not come in sticks from the freezer courtesy of Mrs. Paul!
I really didn't learn to cook until my twenties and I admit to some epic culinary failures over the years. But my early dinner parties were wildly successful. I would ply my guests with ample amounts of alcohol and serve dinner just late enough that everyone was so hungry they would have loved Kibbles and Bits had I served it. Cooking became more of a priority after I had children of my own and their nutritional intake was of the utmost importance. I loved our family dinners and especially enjoyed the dinner parties and holiday feasts with extended family and friends.

When my oldest daughter was 15, she announced she was giving up red meat. Okay. I learned to deal with that. It wasn't long before she eliminated pork, poultry and finally fish from her diet. Thanksgiving became her least favorite holiday. So I now had a daughter who was a Vegetarian. It's all okay! Certainly I could handle that. Millions of people in the world don't eat meat!

Recently, she made the choice to become a Vegan thereby eliminating all animal products including dairy, not only from her diet, but her wardrobe, beauty products and household cleaning supplies. If it was an animal, hurt an animal, was tested on an animal or came from any part of an animal, she wanted nothing to do with it! It's a choice I certainly have to respect. From what I've learned, she's not only healthier but is making the world a better place by embracing this lifestyle and I'm proud of her for doing so. It does however, make planning, shopping for and preparing our family dinners more of a challenge.

My youngest daughter, now 22, recently followed suit and also gave up meat although she continues to eat fish, making her a Pescatarian - one whose diet includes fish but no meat. Okay. I can certainly handle that too.

But this year she had a student in her class with Celiac Disease so began doing research on it and discovered that after years of suffering similar symptoms herself, she probably has an allergy to gluten - a protein that seems to be in just about everything! After trying a gluten-free diet for slightly over three weeks, she had more energy, lost weight, eliminated digestive discomfort, bloating, intestinal cramping, and pretty much felt like a new person. Further research explained how an allergy to gluten might also have even been the cause of her anemia - something she had been dealing with for several years. None of her doctors ever suggested this might be the problem but a gluten intolerance can certainly inhibit the absorption of iron, causing her to be anemic. We're anxious for the next blood test results!

So now, all pastas, breads, cereals, anything with wheat, barley, rye, malt, flavorings, thickeners, stabilizers and about ten million other things that contain gluten are also off the list! Even some salad dressings contain it! Once again, I find myself reading labels like crazy as I learn what products do or do not contain gluten.

My son, who literally spits out anything with cilantro in it, and is allergic to nuts, will still eat most things I cook. Never in my life would I have believed he would be the easy one!

And my dear husband, well, he's always been easy. The human garbage pail: Step on his foot and his mouth opens! He'll eat anything and better yet, always thanks me.

I'm now resigned to the various dietary restrictions and choices of my three adult children - largely because they remain healthy, all live away from home and are primarily responsible for feeding themselves. I also have no choice in the matter! No longer do I have to cook the family dinner 7 nights a week or stress over who can eat what with the exception of those holiday and birthday celebrations or those occasions when one or all of them show up at mealtime.

But I have come up with a fabulous idea... 

One that will surely please everyone...

The absolutely perfect thing to make for all our future family dinners...

Reservations!


"Red meat is not bad for you. Now, blue-green meat—that’s bad for you!" 
-- Tom Smothers