No more time to procrastinate – it is time to get on the ball!  I got a nice start to my holiday shopping on Black Friday, but I have since fizzled out.  I need to get back on it!  The Gluten Freely Twitter party is just what I need!  This coming Monday, December 12, 2011 at 1:00 PM (EST) come join me and many of my gluten-free cohorts for some great gluten-free holiday tips. 

The Twitter party isn’t just about learning, but sharing, too!  Come prepared to share your favorite holiday recipes, what gluten-free flour you prefer to bake with and what your biggest gluten-free holiday challenge is.  Here is all of the information that you need to know:

Follow Gluten Freely on Twitter and hashtag #gfholiday

Here is a sampling of the people who will be participating in the Twitter party:

• GlutenFreely (moderating – @GlutenFreely)
• Vanessa Weisbrod (@celiacprincess)
• Maureen Stanley (@holdthegluten)
• Kim Bouldin (@gfreeislife)
• Nicole Hunn (@gfshoestring)
• University of Chicago (@cureceliac)
• University of Maryland (@celiacresearch)
• Celiac Disease Foundation (@celiacexperts)
• Danna Korn (@dannakorn)

I have made it simple for you guys – just click on the Twitter handle and it will take you right to the page to follow that specific person.  In order to make sure not to miss any of the party, follow the hashtag “#gfholiday”.  You can set up a stream on the Twitter home page by simply typing the hashtag (#gfholiday) in the search bar and then you will see any tweets with that hashtag.  You can then “save this search” and refresh it to see new tweets.  Please feel free to ask questions in the comments section if you have them.

One last thing, for recipes, tips & all things holiday, make sure to visit Gluten Freely Holiday Central.   You will find great information there from Danna Korn, Nicole Hunn of Gluten-Free on a Shoestring, Vanessa Weisbrod of Delight Gluten-Free magazine/Celiac Princess and me. 

Kim

Welcome to December!  The first few days of December were warmer than usual for us here in Ohio, but yesterday morning was quite frosty!  I don’t mind the cold temps in the AM and the mid-day warm up – that is perfect!  I headed out for a run yesterday with my friend and MIT pace coach, Susanne.  As we were running through the park we came upon some wild turkeys!  It was the coolest thing to see.

Looks like they escaped Thanksgiving, huh?  You can see the frost on the ground, can’t you?

Today the Christmas tree & decorations are going up.  Crossing my fingers and praying that all of the lights work.  It never fails that I have to make a trip to the store for more lights.  I just hope that if that does happen again this year, it is before the lights go on the tree, not after they go up.  I have been, there done that more than once it is so frustrating and defeating to have to undo all of the work you have just done. 

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Menu plan

Sunday – Rotisserie chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli & salad

Monday – Baked Ziti, sauteed green beans, Chebe focaccia and salad

Tuesday – Easy enchilada bake, corn and salad

Wednesday – Herb crust roast pork tenderloin, baked sweet potatoes & salad

Thursday – leftovers

Friday – MYOP with Udi’s gluten-free crust and salad

Saturday –Chipotle

Baking

Getting my Christmas cookie baking on this coming week!  I can’t wait!

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Week in Review

Gluten-free Christmas cookies

So Delicious holiday drinks

Trader Joe’s corn pasta

Meijer adds gluten-free store brand cereal

Join Alice Bast for a webinar on December 15, 2011

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Have a fantastic week! Have you decorated for the holidays yet?  

Kim

Thursday my alarm went off at 4:20 AM, which is typical for a weekday.  I hit snooze for 9 minutes and then there were no excuses.  When I began getting up this early to run/workout 3 years ago, it wasn’t easy.  I admit that there were many days in the beginning that I wanted to go back to bed, however, there has never been a day that I have regretted getting up and going to the gym or heading out for a run.  Never. 

It is that attitude and motivation that has carried me through the past few years- that has helped me train for and run 1 full marathon, 5 half marathons and several shorter races. 

Back to Thursday.  I got up, got ready and headed to the gym.  I knew that this run would be special before I even began.  Running the 4 miles I intended to run would help me reach a very special goal. 

As I started to run I got into my zone.  I listened to some favorite songs and appreciated being alive, being present and my body for what it can do.  As I finished my run I had tears in my eyes, as those last few steps brought me to a total of 1000 miles for the year so far. 

Miles:

2101 total / 1000 in 2011

This just goes to show you that you can do anything you put your mind to.  You can overcome obstacles.  You just have to be patient and persistent.  Changes don’t happen overnight. 

And on that note, I am off for a run – 10 miles on the agenda this morning.  Why?  Because I can…

Happy Saturday! 

Didn’t mean to leave you all hanging the other day with those pictures of cookies and no recipes, but it was “Wordless Wednesday”.  Today I am sharing all of the links so you won’t be without the yummy goodness for too long. 

• Gingersnaps
• Spritz Cookies
• Almond Cranberry Bites
• Gingerbread People – I can’t share the recipe but this post details where I found it and tips on how we made them.
• Thumbprints
• Peanut Butter Blossoms
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Dark Chocolate Snowstorms
• Russian Teacakes (Snowballs)

Please feel free to post questions in the comments section and I will do what I can to answer them as quickly as possible. 

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On the topic of the holidays, have you started to decorate yet?  Decorating is on my agenda for this upcoming weekend.  I am actually looking forward to it this year!!  Usually I dread it because I am the one doing most of the work.  However, this year, Hannah has declared herself official Christmas tree light installers.  Fine by me!  Also time for this guy to make his appearance…

Have you heard the story of “The Elf on the Shelf”?

This year the FDA released an updated version of where our daily foods should be coming from.  Today I found a gluten-free version (Thanks Amy, Dietitian at Mary Rutan Hospital, and The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center).  Check it out:

(source)

I will be using the aforementioned diagram with Jon to hopefully help get him eating better.  If he doesn’t listen to me, maybe he will listen to his trainer. 

I like how this diagram specifies which versions of “breads and cereals” are healthier choices.  This tool can be very valuable to those just starting the gluten-free diet.  I remember those days – feeling lost and wondering what to eat.  Making changes is not easy, but I like to think of the gluten-free diet as a positive lifestyle change.  Not only will the diet most likely help you feel better, but eating foods that are in their natural state and less processed is much better for your body.

Kim

Where did the holiday weekend go?  I swear it seems like it was just Monday.  I want a do-over.  Last few days of November will be rainy here, but I’ll take that over snow.  We may see the first few flakes later in the week.  Not bad, considering I think we saw them in October last year. 

Have you started to decorate for the holidays yet?  I just didn’t have it in me to get the tree up this weekend.  I hope to get it up this weekend, or I may not have a place to live.  LOL!  Everyone in the house (but me) seems disappointed that it isn’t up yet. 

Sunday – Leftovers (I think we are done now)

Monday – Grilled chicken stir fry with roasted veggies & quinoa and salad

Tuesday – Soft tacos, black beans, corn & salad

Wednesday – Burgers, sweet potato puffs, green beans & salad

Thursday – Baked Ziti, steamed broccoli & salad

Friday – MYOP on Udi’s gluten-free crust

Saturday – Pei Wei take out

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Guess it is time to start baking for the holidays.  I need a plan before I start.  I think I will ask the kids to each pick their favorite Christmas Cookie and then add one or two more of my own.  That way I am not going nuts and making 15 different kinds of cookies. 

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Anyone taking advantage of Cyber Monday deals today?  Make sure to check out these gluten-free deals:

Katz is offering $1 off every product

Gluten Freely is offering an additional 20% off of already discounted prices. (Discount will be given at checkout.)

At least there will be none of this on Cyber Monday:

Crazy times out there on Friday!

Thanksgiving day started out with a 4 mile race around Dublin – Glacier Ridge Metro Park to be more specific.  The morning temperature was 37 degrees, but according to local meteorologists, the sun was supposed to come out shortly after the race began.  That never happened and there was a chilling wind, so I couldn’t wait to get moving!  I even stayed in my car as long as I possibly could with the heat cranked up to get as warm as possible before heading out.

I set out to do this race with no time or pace goals.  I had never run a 4 mile race before, so any finish time would be a PR (personal best).  I started out running with Sarah and one of our 10:30 group pace coaches & friend, Susanne, for the 4 miles.  We had a blast just chatting it up!  Sarah took off to chase a fast finish and another MIT 10:30 group woman joined us after the first mile for the run & conversation.  It was so nice not to think about anything and just have a good time.   This was probably one of the most fun races I have run, most likely because there was no pressure. 

Sarah, Susanne & me before the race “in the people” trying to stay warm

Before I knew it the finish line was just ahead & I picked up the pace & finished strong.  Got my medal and free bottle of wine & posed for pictures.

I ended up finished 1383 out of 3242 finishers with a finish time of 38:28 and a pace of 9:37/mile.  Best part is that I wasn’t sore the next day so I was able to walk around shopping for 6+ hours.  Another great race put together by M3S Sports!

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My mom, Joe and Aaron had already begun to prepare our Thanksgiving feast by the time I arrived home.  Everyone pitched in and we had a fantastic gluten-free meal.  13.1 pound free range, organic turkey.  I love that it was 13.1 pounds (half marathon bird)!

My plate with some of the best mashed sweet potatoes EVER!  Aaron mashed with butter, milk, sour cream & honey – heaven!!!  I noticed after I took this picture that I forgot my veggies and went back to grab them.

Hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend, too!! 

Kim

I have written several articles on what Jon likes to eat and gluten-free kid-friendly choices.  Surprisingly this hasn’t helped us out recently because Jon has become extremely picky.  I am sure some of it is control on his part and maybe a touch laziness, but the bottom line is that he was not eating enough to maintain his weight. 

It just so happened that Jon had gym this year first quarter and they weighed the kids at the beginning and the end of the quarter.  Jon just mentioned in passing that he had lost 7 lbs in 9 weeks.  That certainly caught my attention.  Was it because he wasn’t eating enough?  Was it because he may have been ingesting gluten?  I suspected that it had to do with the amount of food he was taking in (or not taking in).  Because he takes medication for ADHD, he is often not hungry when they eat lunch at school (10:30 AM – he had an earlier lunch and I asked his guidance counselor to move it later).  I have tried to impress upon him the importance of taking in enough food to fuel his body, especially since hockey season has started up, but his teenage boyness has made that difficult. 

When I was at a hockey meeting last week, I chatted with the goalie coach about Jon’s weight loss and he suggested I talk with Jon’s doctor or the school trainer.  Since Jon and I see the same doctor and I was in there the following day, I asked him.  He definitely thought that this needed to be addressed and suggested starting with the school trainer because they are right there at the school.  The trainer was very responsive and he met with Jon to come up with a plan for him taking into account that he needs to follow the gluten-free diet. 

Our first step is keeping a food diary for 3 days so that we can get an accurate account of what he is taking in.  He needs to be taking in 3000+ calories/day and is currently at a max of 2500, which probably accounts for him being about 10 lbs underweight.  The trainer gave Jon some suggestions that I had given in the past, but were much better received coming from him.  I have also switched Jon from skim milk back to whole milk.  He drinks about 5-6 cups of milk/day and whole milk has an additional 60 calories/cup than skim milk does. 

I think the key to the success of this is the trainer keeping in communication with Jon.  If he meets with Jon regularly, Jon is more likely to stay focused and eat like he needs to. 

Some of the things Jon likes today (that very well may change tomorrow)

• Quaker chocolate rice cakes with peanut butter & jelly (breakfast & before practice)
• Bananas
• Yogurt
• Muscle milk
• Milk shakes
• Rice
• Baked potatoes
• Burgers (with cheese on Udi’s Gluten-Free buns)
• French fries
• Tacos
• Gatorade (before practice)
• Chipotle burrito bowls with extra sour cream & cheese
• Cocoa Pebbles bars
• Shrimp scampi
• Fried eggs
• Bacon
• Whole milk
• Apple juice
• Cool Ranch Doritos
• Mandarin oranges
• Corn
• Broccoli
• Carrots

If Jon fails to gain weight or the trainer determines from his 3-day food diary that he isn’t getting enough calories or nutrients, he will be referred to a sports nutritionist. I am just thankful that we have the help of the team trainer to make sure he is healthy. 

So, are you out shopping today?  Did you go out at midnight or early in the morning?  While I love to get up and head out with my mom and Hannah, you won’t catch me out at midnight the night before.  Not only do I feel for those employees who had their holiday cut short, but this girl needs her sleep or Black Friday shopping could get ugly.

Black Friday isn’t just about shopping at big box stores or malls, but make sure to check out your local health foods stores for gluten0free deals!  I know locally that Raisin Rack is running some great deals!  Don’t like to head out with the crazies?  Shop online.  There are deals to be had starting on Thanksgiving day.  If you haven’t checked out Ebates for online shopping, you are missing out.  I have received a couple of checks from them already just for going through them to shop online. Additionally, they sometimes offer extra coupons for the store you are shopping.  Don’t forget to check your favorite online gluten-free vendors, too!

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I have some exciting Gluten Freely news to share with you guys!  First, Gluten Freely hit over 100,000 fans on Facebook!  What an awesome accomplishment!  Secondly, GlutenFreely.com will be talked about in an article about gluten free and General Mills this Sunday (11/27) in the NY Times magazine.  Make sure to check it out and let me know what you think! 

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In the spirit of Black Friday and the upcoming holiday season, I leave you with this:

Yes, that is me pretending that I am Buddy the Elf on an escalator in Nordstrom.  The day this was taken was so much fun!  I was visiting my sister in Atlanta and we had a “Sisters Shopping Day”.  I promise that no alcohol was involved and we didn’t get tossed out of Nordstrom, either.  I think I even had a cup of coffee in my hand! HA! 

Elf is my all-time favorite holiday movie!  What is your favorite holiday movie?  Did you brave the Black Friday crowds?