Top Ten Travel Locations of the Past Year

My family had to relocate for one year due to my husband’s job and we have tried to embrace the opportunity in all aspects of our lives.  Moving to a new part of the county has expanded our circle of friends and our experiences.  Since this is a blog dedicated to living with food allergies, I will offer some stories about the food we enjoyed and tips for being adventurous on a limited diet.  But foodie be warned; this is mainly a post about places we have seen! 

1. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, North Carolina:  Hands down this was the best place we went all year and given a vote, we all voted that it would be the one place we would all like to visit again.  We stayed a week at the beach, eating, drinking, digging, surfing, and having tons of fun.  We had a very savvy food lover with us on vacation.  He was on a first name basis at the fish market and introduced us to whole crabs and Old Bay seasoning.
   
2. New York City:  We had locals as our tour guides and we explored the city by foot, rail, bus, boat, and cab.  We are thankful to our hosts Laura Lopez and Michael Kim for introducing us to the city in fine fashion.  We traveled by train on Thanksgiving and with a little planning and packing; we enjoyed a holiday feast on the train. 
   
3. Washington D.C.: We stayed the weekend in this great city and toured as much as possible.  We were so thankful to have a comfortable place to stay and a Whole Foods between the metro and the apartment.  Thank you John and Caroline Tunna!
   
4. Cocoa Beach, Florida and Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida:  Given the chance to stay at the beach one more time was an easy decision!  We rented a house at Cocoa Beach.  It close to Disney World, so we stayed there and made a day trip to the Magic Kingdom.  That made the whole family happy.  The beach was so relaxing and it also gave us a chance to see manatees.
   
5. Asheville, North Carolina:  I lived in Asheville for a short time after college and always wanted to go back.  Asheville is surrounded by mountains, waterfalls, and great views.  We had our first taste of Carolina barbecue after spending the afternoon at this water slide.
   
6. Colonial Williamsburg and Historic Jamestown:  Virginia has a wealth of historical sites and many venues for learning about American history.  We packed our lunches and picnicked at these colonial sites.
   
7. Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina: I lump these two cities together only because we visited them on the same trip.  Each city is vastly different from one another, but they are close in terms of mileage.  A visit to the area should include a visit to each city.  We tried a barbecue restaurant, Jim 'N Nick's BBQ, in Charleston.  I must mention by name because they were very accommodating for my son’s food allergies.
   
8. Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina:  Mabry Mill, Floyd, Peaks of Otter.  We hiked, we biked, we explored.  We were very fortunate to have access to this beautiful area within miles of our home.    
   
9. Monticello:  Thomas Jefferson was a man of many talents and interests.  His home and grounds are very interesting and I was most inspired by the garden. 
   
10. Home:  Home has come to mean two places.  We have made a home in Roanoke.  Our Roanoke home is full of friendship, community, and belonging.  People tell me that it is as if we have always been here…but home is also where we will return in a few days.  We are fortunate to return to our Pueblo home that is also full of friendships, community, and belonging…it’s as if we never left.

Top New Foods of the Past Year

My family has spent the last year away from home.  We have experienced and embraced change in many forms.  As I reflect on the past year, I am really excited about all of the new foods we have introduced to our diet.  Most of these introductions to our diet are related to our new locale in the South and some are by way of persuasion.  Click on the underlined links for recipes.

Kale:  Super food to the rescue!   I never had any interest in kale.  I thought it would taste like a weed, be hard to chew, and that my kids and husband would revolt.  By the method of persuasion, Katheryn Kerchof, convinced me to try it.  To help take care of my fears of chewability and taste, I came up with Massaged Kale Salad.

Grits:  Duh…gluten free, why have we not tried this before?  I know!  They were never served with shrimp!  Thank you Gibson Barbee and Lydia Leake for introducing us to Shrimp and Grits.

  Beans:  They are not just for Mexican food anymore.  I volunteered for a program called Happy Healthy Cooks and I discovered new and delicious ways to eat beans.  Try Pasta Fagioli and Brazilian Black Beans and Kale.

   Carrots:  Mini carrots are OUT, carrot chips are IN.  Carrot chips go great with hummus, can be easily chopped for salads, and go great with Carrot Ginger Dip.

   Quinoa Flakes:  Protein for breakfast with this granola.

     Collards:  They need their own bullet point as I am unsure if we will be able to buy them in Colorado.   My husband has a sampled a variety of collards during his luxurious travels to West Virginia and other neighboring states.  

   Green onions, Ginger, and Lemons:  I buy these every week at the store.  I mix green onions and ginger with vegan mayo for a great spread for BLT’s and salmon burgers.  Lemons are essential for Caesar Dressing and Tabbouleh.

   Baked Potato and Barbecue:  Potatoes have been an essential food for my son during our travels.  Most restaurants have them on the menu, there is a Wendy’s in most every town, and they make an awesome lunch entrée for your kid.  The south is all about the barbecue, not to be confused with a cookout. A barbecue refers to the slow, smoked process of cooking beef, chicken, and pork.  We have been able to take our son out for dinner during our travels and it’s been most satisfying after a long, hard day of play!

   Cherrybrook Kitchen Pancake Mix:  I never could make a pancake when I had wheat, buttermilk, and eggs at my disposal.  These pancakes are gluten free, dairy free, egg free and awesome!  Thank you Laura Lopez for introducing me to this brand. 

   Slurpee:  How did my list start with kale and end with Slurpee?  We still want to have some fun!  Our neighborhood in Roanoke has a local 7-11 and all the cool kids hang out there and get Slurpees.  It turns out that a Slurpee is gluten free, dairy free, nut free, soy free, egg free and it’s a special treat on a hot day.

Our son, Sean, made his First Holy Communion this past weekend.  This is a day that I have anticipated and worried about since he was an infant.  It is not normal to worry about a first communion when your child is a baby, but my child had been diagnosed with a wheat allergy at 4 months old. 

 The Catholic Church has a strict rule that the host for communion be made from wheat; wheat free options are not even considered, so my distress over his First Holy communion and each communion thereafter officially began.

 

Fast forward to 7 years later, my son is now eight and he successfully made his First Holy Communion.  He spent the last two years preparing for the sacrament and I have spent the last 7 years trying to introduce wheat to his diet.  Of all of his food allergies (peanuts, nuts, milk, eggs, soy) wheat is the food that is the least reactive to his system.  With the guidance of our allergy doctor, he has been receiving small and gradually increasing amounts of wheat on a daily basis. He is tolerating the progression very well without adverse effects. 

I am far from an expert in Catholic doctrine, but it seems like some progress is being made for trying to provide options for those with celiac disease.  A group of nuns in Missouri make a reduced gluten wafer.  It still contains wheat in the form of wheat starch, but the amount of wheat in a single host is equal to less than 0.01%.  My son does not suffer from celiac disease, so studying the percentages of gluten in a single host is not in my realm of expertise.  At least there is an option.  Check with a church near you!