First Big Test
This weekend was my first big test. My three year old, Amy, started eating gluten-free products a little over a half a year ago but so far I have managed to feed her exclusively in my house. This weekend we ventured out into the big scary world of eating in public.
I knew I would need to prepare food for her in advance for the three meals we were to share with the extended family, so I cooked up some fluffy yellow rice, crunchy chicken cutlets (breaded with gluten free corn flake crumbs), and chocolate rice muffins for my unforgettable gluten-free dessert. I added some gluten-free bread that I had in the freezer and carefully packed it all away trying hard not to crush the muffins in the process. We were going to my brother’s house for the weekend to celebrate my nephew’s bar mitzvah.
The first meal was frustrating. My daughter took one bite of her bread and declared that she would eat no more for the rest of the night. I tried to entice her with the delectable rice that I had prepared, but she kept glancing at the rice that everyone else was eating and shaking her head. She knew something was different about her rice. I had even less luck with the cutlets so I gave up. When dessert came out she studied her gluten free dessert for a long time before I pointed out how similar it was to the chocolate cake everyone else was eating. Then she agreed to take a bite. A bite. That was it.
The next day was worse. My daughter might be three, but she is no pushover. She was quickly catching on to the fact that everyone else was eating roast beef smothered in gravy, and she was stuck with the same gluten-free products she rejected the night before. This time she was hungry though. So she took a few spoonfuls of rice before she pushed her plate away and refused to eat. When dessert came around she walked over to the buffet table and stared at the chocolate mousse cake and the sugar cookies. I was almost embarrassed to offer her a rice muffin. Why hadn’t I made her roast beef smothered in gravy and chocolate mousse cake??? I berated myself for the next two hours.
The last meal, later that night, was the worst yet. This time she didn’t just walk over to the dessert buffet table, she walked over to it and attempted to grab a piece of cake. Who could blame her? I pulled her hand away and as I looked into her sad desperate eyes I wanted to cry. But she beat me to it. She cried and cried.
Then it hit me. POPCORN! There must be popcorn somewhere! Who needed cheesecake drizzled in chocolate syrup when you can have popcorn? I ran over to my sister-in-law and asked if she had any popcorn at home. She did! I grabbed my crying child, and ran the three long blocks in the freezing cold until I reached her house. I would make my daughter forget all about those soft cinnamon cookies with the pop of a kernel.
And she did. Within minutes she was happily crunching away while the hurtful memories of the weekend melted away like butter on a salty gluten-free piece of popcorn.
Julie
3 Responsesto “First Big Test”
Leave a Reply
Thanks for sharing this – I can completely relate and I’m a GF adult! One of the biggest challenges in dining out is not feeling left out! Glad you found a solution for Amy – next time I go out to a public function, perhaps I should bring a bag of popcorn
You and your daughter are both troopers! So tough for a little one (and her Mommy).
it is so hard when the cake looks -so- good, i was at my freinds place the other week for a dinner and wow…the cake someone bought looked so good. all i had was some gluten-free-vegan muffins (since one of our other freinds is vegan) which as good as they were, could not compare to the cake.
next time and and my vegan freind are teaming up, to make the best gluten-free-vegan cake ever!