Picking up where I left off...

I do realize it’s been a while since I've “blogged” about the challenges of my new GF life, truth is, the challenges have not gone away, they continue to surprise me (in many ways), and it’s been a very busy year...

Oh yes, I got engaged.

Planning a GF wedding was not as difficult as I thought it would be. Finding the right caterer was key.

We decided to have a fairly small, low maintenance wedding. BBQ on farm with 60 of our closest friends and family. It was perfect.

Equally important, the food was perfect. The last thing I wanted to do was feed my guest dry, cardboard-like cornbread and flavor-less meat. I also didn’t want to take unnecessary bathroom breaks in my 1930’s vintage dress. I found compromise. During cocktail hour, we offered a combination of Gluten free & filled appetizers (it was mostly GF). Tip for the Bride: Have your caterer sneak a GF plate in your bridal suite. I laughed when I kept hearing “make sure you eat on your wedding day”…how could I not? Well. Let. Me. Tell. You. Time flies and so do your nerves. All I could stomach was a good glass of champagne (or two) and the next thing I knew the evening was approaching, the caramelized onion tarts were being passed around, the spreads & breads board was crowded with guests and I was starving! Luckily, my caterer stashed my bridal suite with a safe plate of GF goodness and I did not have to worry about sneaky bread crumbs from the communal table. 

For the main meal EVERYTHING was GF and it was good. We had a whole pig roast (yes, on a farm-don’t judge), grilled chicken, roasted veggies, salads and cornbread-it was all served family style. Outside of my home, for the first time in over a year, I could eat off of the same platters that everyone else was eating off of AND not worry if something fell on my plate. It was amazing.

Dessert can be slightly more challenging if you go the cake route. I’m sure there are plenty of decent GF bakeries around, but we opted for pie instead. It was a good move in many ways. We had a range of sizes: personal, 6", 9”, we also had a range of flavors: peach, blueberry, pecan, strawberry-YUM. Everyone devoured them, probably because they were made with lots of gluten. I however, had a personal GF berry crumble. Delicious.

The day was super special, not only because I married my best friend, but as a Celiac, I successfully got through a huge milestone, damage-free.

Those who helped make it happen: Charcoal Charlie and the Saxy Chef-THANK YOU!