Weekend Entertainment – Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free or not – Lunch Menu #1
Sharing Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free meals with friends does not have to hard. It really is about choice for everyone
Hi Weekend Entertainers,
This summer I had the wonderful opportunity to host friends and family at Riverbend, our rural retreat (aka cheap cottage not on a lake). Being in the country is wonderful as it really allows you to relax at a level you may not be able to do in the city.
However, relaxing can be hard if you are eating a restricted diet and your guests are not. I was fortunate enough to have open-minded guests who respected my choices and were open to healthy meals for the weekend. I bought most of the food at my favourite organic store in the city, as in the country we are limited with our grocery store options.
We started off with a trip to the farmers market that filled in the gaps from my organic store purchases. Who can resist cherries and strawberries when they are in season in Ontario. Not me. We picked up peaches and nectarines along with fresh beans, lettuce and radishes. We then hit a cheese factory that makes amazing cheese which has been a regular stop for the hubby and me. They had samples and were baking cheese bread. This was a real test of my willpower to not eat the cheese samples or taste the cheese breadsticks our guests purchased. Part of having others accept your way of eating is to ensure others get to have what they enjoy on the menu.
When we arrived at Riverbend, we jointly prepared our first meal together which was about choice.
On the menu:
- Organic Brown Rice Crackers
- Mary’s Organic Crackers
- Almonds and pecans
- A veggie platter that included carrots, celery, radishes, peppers, cucumber, and broccoli
- Hummus
- Strawberries and cherries
- Wasa toast
- Cheese breadsticks
- An assortment of cheeses
I could eat items 1-6 but not 7-9. So I had lots of choice. And by arranging the serving tray like we did, my choices were close together so I sat closer to my side of the tray which allowed the cheese eaters to enjoy the amazing cheese we picked up.
When you plan for success and give yourself and your guests choice, everyone is happy. Best of all was the great company of friends who accepted that we needed to have flexible and adaptable meals.
May your weekend be filled with positive people who support your choice to move towards wellness.
To your good choices,
Jo-Ann Blondin, your 9CupChallenge partner
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[…] is so much fun when you share it with friends. Check out Lunch Menu 1 and 2 as well for ideas on how to eat gluten-free, sugar-free and dairy-free but provide choices to […]