Archive for Parenting
Gluten-Free Snacks for School
Posted by: | Comments
Back to School Week continues at Celiac Family. Today my daughter starts preschool! She attended the same preschool last year, and will have the same teacher my son had two years ago. So, we feel comfortable that we can maintain her gluten-free diet without much ado. However, I did put together a list of gluten-free snack ideas to share with the teacher (and parents, if they request it). The items I included on the list are snacks you should be able to get at just about any grocery store. Perhaps I’ve got one or two new ideas for you? Please leave a comment if you have some other gluten-free snack ideas that aren’t on the list. I can always use some new ideas. 
Gluten-Free Snacks:
Fresh fruit – most fruit cups are gluten-free, too
Fresh vegetables
Cheese – sticks, shapes, string, etc.
Raisins – Sun-Maid
Applesauce – most brands without added flavorings are gluten-free
Chewy Fruit Snacks – most brands are gluten-free. Betty Crocker has even started printing “Gluten-Free” on the front of the box!
Juice – most brands (especially “100% juice”) are gluten-free
Yogurt – most brands without any added toppings; Stoneyfield’s, Yoplait Go-gurt, Trix, Dora
Rice Cakes
Corn Thins
Cereal – Make a trail mix with cereal, raisins, M&Ms, nuts, etc. Some Chex cereals are now gluten-free but to make sure, it should say “Gluten-Free” on the box: Rice Chex, Honey Nut Chex, Chocolate Chex, Cinnamon Chex; Erewhon Brown Rice Crisps; Koala Crisp; Panda Puffs; (Kellogg’s original Rice Krispies is not gluten-free. Update Aug. 2011: Be sure to purchase the new Gluten-Free Rice Krispies. It is clearly labeled as such on the front of the box.)
Popcorn – most brands are gluten-free; Smat Pop Orville Redenbacher’s, Jiffy Pop, Act II (except extreme butter)
Kettle corn – LesserEvil Classic, Orville Redenbacher’s
Gelatin cups – Jell-o, Wegman’s brand
Pudding cups – Jell-o, Swiss Miss, Hunt’s, Wegman’s
Potato chips – most brands without added flavorings are gluten-free; Lays original, Lays Staxx, Wegman’s, Utz, Ruffles, French’s potato sticks; (Pringles are not gluten-free.)
Tortilla Chips – most brands without added flavorings are gluten-free; Tostitos, Mission, Wegman’s
Corn Chips – Fritos, Wegman’s
Other snacks – Cheetos, Original Tings, Pirate’s Booty, Cheddar Airs
I know that the list leaves room for error, but I was trying to make the point there is plenty of gluten-free food out there that doesn’t have to come from a specialty food mart. Please keep in mind, that I plan to check the ingredients of the daily snack everyday when I take my daughter to school. You, too, should check the food labels because manufacturers can change the ingredients at any time.
For specialty gluten-free snacks, check out some of our favorites at Celiac Family’s Amazon Store.
Kids Make Fruit Kabobs
Posted by: | Comments
I love to get the kids in the kitchen and have them help prepare meals. Well… that’s what I like to say. But honestly, when dinnertime comes around, I’m often rushing around to get it done. Instead of finding something the kids can do, I’m often scooting them out the kitchen, out of my way. With our summer activities finally slowing down this week, we were able to take our time and make something together. We decided to make something that’s always a kid favorite: Fruit Kabobs!
Fruit kabobs are a great activity for kids. You can use almost any fruit, they are in bite-size pieces, and the kids can put it together themselves (or with minimal help, depending on their ages). Melon is a perfect fruit to use on the kabobs because it is so easy to cut. I did the big cuts, and removed the rind from the fruit with the big, sharp knife. But then the kids could use a butter knife to easily cut the melon into bite-size pieces. They thought it was great. We had a cantaloupe, but watermelon and honey dew would be good additions. You can see from the picture that we used strawberries and grapes, too. Go ahead and use up whatever you have in the house. Of course, some fruit turns brown quickly, so if you’re making them in advance you’d probably want to avoid those.
Cutting the fruit. If your kids are older, consider letting them cut the fruit themselves with Rachael Ray’s Young Cooks Cutting Set
The Sticks. You can use a variety of sticks for skewering the fruit: toothpicks, bamboo skewers, coffee stirs, small skinny straws, or even chopsticks. But my favorite is plastic swizzle sticks, or Drink Stirrers
Good for kids and the family. This activity encourages kids to help out in the kitchen. Kids feel good about what they created. They get to pick the fruit they want, and then eat it! With the kids going back to school soon, I’m also thinking this activity is great for helping kids build fine motor skills.
Now that I got the kids back in the kitchen, I’m hoping to continue it more often. So, when I sit down to plan our meals for next week, I’m going to include one or two items that the kids can help prepare. Planning in advance will allow me to schedule around after-school activities and give us plenty of time to get it done. If you’re looking for some kid-friendly recipes, or maybe a little more inspiration, check out these online posts and articles:
Gluten-Free Kids in the Kitchen
Happy Kitchen Jam Tarts (gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free)
Kids in the Kitchen: Spaghetti and (Gluten-Free) Meatballs
Other Online articles about Kids in the Kitchen:
Cooking with Kids Teaches About Simple Snacks
Dads and Kids Cooking Together
Why Invite Your Kids Into The Kitchen?
.
Cantaloupe is the theme ingredient this week for Friday Foodie Fix at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang. So check it out for more gluten-free recipes with cantaloupe.
Summertime Arts & Crafts
Posted by: | Comments
School’s Out! Today is the last day of school for my kids — at least until September. So, I’m trying to line up some craft projects to keep us busy, and not glued to the TV. Here’s an idea to get you inspired, too: Photo/note holders. The kids made these for their teachers for an end-of-the-year thank you. Originally, I thought I would let the kids paint flower pots, but found these boxes at the dollar store and thought I would use them instead.
Actually, I got all of the supplies at a local dollar store. I love to go to dollar stores to come up with crafty ideas for the kids. They also had some great educational and activity books, including practicing writing letters, phonetics, simple math, telling time and more. They’ll be great for road trips and for those days when I need a quick distraction for the kids.
Wire Photo and/or Note Holders
Supplies:
-
Box to hold the wire photo holders (Instead of a box, consider using flower pots, vases, coffee mugs, or get some clay and make your own base.)
- Paint and paintbrush (Decorate any way appropriate for you and your kids: markers, stickers, stamps, etc.)
- Glass beads to hold the photo holders in place and add weight to keep it all from tipping over. (You could use sand, pebbles, coins, or even floral foam if you don’t need extra weight.)
- Decorative floral wire to hold photos and/or notes. (Could also use 20 gauge wire. Forks would be cute to use for a recipe card holder.)
- Needle-nosed pliers and wire cutter
- We also used photos and cut flowers out of card stock paper for finishing the project.
Directions:
We started by having the kids paint the boxes with their choice of colors. At the same time, I had them paint some flowers drawn on card stock paper. Let them dry a couple hours or overnight.- Next, I shaped the floral wire. Start by pinching the wire on one end with the pliers and turning in a tight circle. Then continue to bend the wire around the circle leaving space between. You can even make different shapes, like stars, flowers, hearts, etc. Use wire cutters to cut the holders at a point a few inches longer than you need it.
- Now bend the other end of the wire to help it stand up nicely on the bottom of the box. Place the photo holders in the box in the way you want them arranged.
- Fill the box with glass beads or other weighted filling. As you’re filling the box, arrange the photo holders how you want them to stay.
- Put notes, pictures, cards, etc. in the photo holders.
Additional Notes:
- This was a fun project for me and the kids (ages 4 and 5-1/2). They did all the painting. I did the actual bending of the photo holders. They helped put it all together, including a thank you note on which they drew pictures.
- Worried about gluten-free paint? Common-Allergen-Free Products available at Discount School Supply
- Great project for teacher gifts, mother’s day gift, father’s day gift, summer camp activity.
Other places to find more arts & crafts and printable activities for kids:
- Gluten-free play dough and Gak
- Printables 4 Kids – summer printables, printable coloring pages, mazes, word-searches, activities, educational
- Discount School Supply – Free Activities
- Family Fun – crafts by age, printables, games
- DLTK – crafts, printables
- AmazingMoms – crafts, holiday activities, playtime ideas
Chicken Enchiladas
Posted by: | Comments
I love chicken enchiladas with salsa verde (green sauce), but ordering at restaurants can be difficult to determine if it is gluten-free. The restaurants may dip the corn tortillas in the same oil that the flour tortillas are at the restaurant, thus creating a cross-contamination risk. In addition, wheat flour could be used in the sauce or in the chicken broth used to prepare the chicken and sauce.
Well, here’s a recipe you can make at home that is just as good as you can get in a restaurant, or perhaps better! It does take some time to make it, but it isn’t difficult and it’s so worth it! My dad makes the original recipe and always gets rave reviews. I’ve modified it slightly to make it a little easier on me and adjust the flavor to my liking, but the original recipe comes from El Paso Chile Company’s Texas Border Cookbook.
Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
2 (4 oz.) cans chopped green chiles
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 lb. tomatillos (about 5 or 6 six large)
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 fresh jalapenos, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Cup chicken broth (Make sure it’s gluten-free.)
2 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 Cups corn oil
12, 6-inch corn tortillas
4 cups chicken, cooked and shredded (Try Slow-Cooked Mexican Chicken.)
12 oz. shredded cheese (about 3 Cups) Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or combination
Directions:
- Cook tomatillos in a pot of salted (1 tsp) boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. Don’t cook too long or the tomatillos may fall apart. Remove from the water and cool to room temperature. Once cooled, I cut out the stem.
- In a blender, combine tomatillos, onion, jalapenos, garlic and 1-1/2 tsp salt. Blend until smooth. Add the green chilles and then enough chicken broth (about 1 Cup) to make sauce a total of 4 Cups.
- In a large skillet warm olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the tomatillo sauce carefully (it may splatter). Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a deep skillet or large pot, heat 1/4″-1/2″ corn oil over medium heat. Using tongs, immerse the tortillas one at a time in the oil, turn them, and then transfer them to absorbent paper. The tortillas should be in the oil no more than a few seconds, and the oil should be hot enough to soften the tortillas but not so hot that the edges begin to crisp.
- For each tortilla, spread a TBSP of sauce on it. Place about 1/3 cup chicken and about 1 TBSP of shredded cheese in the bottom center of the tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place in a baking dish (I use a 9″x13″ pan.). Continue for the remaining 11 tortillas.
- Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 degrees F until heated through, cheese is melted, and sauce is bubbling – about 15 minutes.
Additional Notes:
- For the jalapenos, I chop the whole chile and discard only the stem. If you like your enchiladas a little more mild, be sure to remove the seeds before chopping.
- These make great leftovers. Just heat a couple enchiladas for 90 seconds in the microwave.
Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang is doing a round-up of garlic recipes this week for Friday Foodie Fix. She has a lot of good information on different types of garlic. And, I’m sure there will be lots of garlic recipes to review. Although this recipe doesn’t have a lot of garlic in it, it wouldn’t be the same without it.
Gluten-Free in Schools Seminar
Posted by: | CommentsThe National Foundation for Celiac Awareness is holding an online seminar April 3, 10:30 PDT (1:30 pm EDT) on being Gluten-Free in Schools. Presenters will be:
- Margaret Weiss Masiello, RD; Clinical Coordinator of Kogan Celiac Center
- Beckee Moreland, GREAT Guide Coach
- Nancy Baker, Director of Education – NFCA
This is a webinar, thus takes place online. Participants will log in to a specific website to watch the presentations and call a specific phone number to listen to it at the same time. The cost of the seminar is free, however you will be responsible for any phone charges you may incur.
Space is limited so be sure to register if you’re interested.
