The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
Every year at work, we have FOOD WEEK, it is always during the holiday season and it is one long week of eating and snacking and "oh, who brought this, it's delicious" and "good grief, what is that, it looks like road kill" and then everyone moaning about how much their bellies hurt from over eating ya da ya da ya da.
Generally, I try to bring something relatively healthy or at least not loaded with sugar. Veggie tray, or meat and crackers, crock pot of soup/chili and buns. It goes over well and there is never any left overs.
Out of all my coworkers, I am the one with the food intolerances, not the 'don't eat it because of personal choices' person, but really, gluten and dairy give me pain in the digestive system so bad, I refer it to a bout of gout. Stomach gout. The guys at work can relate, they ask how much pain can gluten and dairy cause, I say, think of it as gout, and you can see them wince at the thought.
Do any of my coworkers ever think of me when they are thinking of what to bring for food week? No, but I am okay with that, truly, I am, I don't expect people to go out of their way for me. Until today. When one coworker asked me what I was bringing for the table, and I said that I would have to re-think it as a lot of people brought a meat and cheese tray, which I was going to do as well.
Co-worker says, "Well, just bring something that you can have that no one else would want". Meaning, and I know they meant it, g-free and dairy free cannot taste good at all, so who would want to eat it anyways. It gets soo tiring.
This is my life...
Non g-free person: "How can you do it, I would starve, what can you eat that doesn't have gluten in it?"
Me: "I dunno, steak is usually pretty good."
Fine, a bag of regular chips it is then for the food table, because we all know potatoes are loaded with gluten.
(Thanks for listening to my rant, I feel better now... )
Generally, I try to bring something relatively healthy or at least not loaded with sugar. Veggie tray, or meat and crackers, crock pot of soup/chili and buns. It goes over well and there is never any left overs.
Out of all my coworkers, I am the one with the food intolerances, not the 'don't eat it because of personal choices' person, but really, gluten and dairy give me pain in the digestive system so bad, I refer it to a bout of gout. Stomach gout. The guys at work can relate, they ask how much pain can gluten and dairy cause, I say, think of it as gout, and you can see them wince at the thought.
Do any of my coworkers ever think of me when they are thinking of what to bring for food week? No, but I am okay with that, truly, I am, I don't expect people to go out of their way for me. Until today. When one coworker asked me what I was bringing for the table, and I said that I would have to re-think it as a lot of people brought a meat and cheese tray, which I was going to do as well.
Co-worker says, "Well, just bring something that you can have that no one else would want". Meaning, and I know they meant it, g-free and dairy free cannot taste good at all, so who would want to eat it anyways. It gets soo tiring.
This is my life...
Non g-free person: "How can you do it, I would starve, what can you eat that doesn't have gluten in it?"
Me: "I dunno, steak is usually pretty good."
Fine, a bag of regular chips it is then for the food table, because we all know potatoes are loaded with gluten.
(Thanks for listening to my rant, I feel better now... )
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Re: The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
People who don't have legitimate food issues can be real ignoramuses, can't they? I have a dairy intolerance, haven't eaten dairy for years and years, and even my mother, who (I think) means well, has encouraged me to order cheese-crusted dishes at restaurants. "Oh, you can just scrape off the cheese, can't you?" She means well, but after all this time you'd think she wouldn't still be so WILLFULLY ignorant.
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Re: The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
Wonderful opportunity to instruction people! To expand their horizons. My SIL has ciliac disease and a load of other food sensitivities. I've taken to telling her to NOT accommodate us, because what she makes for herself is so delicious!
Re: The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
Tarlo Farm wrote:Wonderful opportunity to instruction people! To expand their horizons.
Every.single.day.
I will be eating at my desk, and one guy will see me eating something - soup, chicken and veggie soup, my go to lunch - and he will proceed to ask if I can eat that, doesn't it have gluten in it? I told him the other day that of course it had gluten in it, today was the day I had decided to commit food suicide, death by soup...
I just put out my contribution - I went and bought Boom-Chika-Pop popcorn, that states gluten free.... I put it in a bowl, walked to the other room to grab a spoon to put in said bowl so that no hands go in, and I see a co-worker, grab the spoon from the homemade bits and bites, which is loaded with gluten, throw it in the popcorn, give 'er a big swirl and heap some popcorn on their plate, and throw the spoon back in the gluten filled bits and bites.
My popcorn is now contaminated... I just walked away....
Re: The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
I love humanity. It's people I can't stand.
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Re: The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
I gotta admit, I had no idea food could be contaminated with gluten this way. I might have done the same thing just not knowing.Tuddy wrote:I just put out my contribution - I went and bought Boom-Chika-Pop popcorn, that states gluten free.... I put it in a bowl, walked to the other room to grab a spoon to put in said bowl so that no hands go in, and I see a co-worker, grab the spoon from the homemade bits and bites, which is loaded with gluten, throw it in the popcorn, give 'er a big swirl and heap some popcorn on their plate, and throw the spoon back in the gluten filled bits and bites.
My popcorn is now contaminated... I just walked away....
Re: The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
Yes, it's very tough. I too am celiacs and have many other food allergies. The worst person ever is my own mother...yes, she doesn't care, and chooses to make holiday meals an opportunity to have a tantrum about how my food restrictions cramp her style. This year when I was told that I could just make an entire meal just for myself and bring it to Christmas dinner where the menu was all off my diet, I decided I'm done. My hubby and I will be going out of town for Christmas by ourselves. What a relief!
P.s. The sad thing is my dad is also celiacs and dairy intolerant and she doesn't care. His hands break open in a cracked mess when he eats gluten. She's a piece of work.
P.s. The sad thing is my dad is also celiacs and dairy intolerant and she doesn't care. His hands break open in a cracked mess when he eats gluten. She's a piece of work.
Re: The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
angela9823 wrote:I gotta admit, I had no idea food could be contaminated with gluten this way. I might have done the same thing just not knowing.Tuddy wrote:I just put out my contribution - I went and bought Boom-Chika-Pop popcorn, that states gluten free.... I put it in a bowl, walked to the other room to grab a spoon to put in said bowl so that no hands go in, and I see a co-worker, grab the spoon from the homemade bits and bites, which is loaded with gluten, throw it in the popcorn, give 'er a big swirl and heap some popcorn on their plate, and throw the spoon back in the gluten filled bits and bites.
My popcorn is now contaminated... I just walked away....
Yes, cross contamination is real, just picking the croutons off that salad isn't good enough for celiacs people. The worst story is from the pharmacy I used to use. When I was first diagnosed it was drilled into me that meds often contain gluten as fillers. So I was initiating a conversation with the pharmacist about checking my meds against a list of GF Rx drugs I was given and he actually said, "Gluten!? Isn't that just in pizza?" I promptly changed pharmacies.
Re: The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
Tuddy - people can be so inconsiderate!
However, I actually had no idea that people with gluten intolerance are so sensitive that cross contamination is a concern! So thank-you for that.
I used to be vegan (as an experiment). I was vegan for 6+ months and during that time I also completely eliminated refined sugar and enriched flour and any sort of modified oils. I had to travel for work during that time and my co-workers elected that we should go to the local 'tex mex' restaurant for dinner one night. We were in a small town, and there was only one rental vehicle, so I couldn't exactly go anywhere else.
Anyway, after poring through the menu closely for about 10 minutes I finally figured out I could have the veggie fajitas with no cheese, no sour cream, and no avocado (because I'm allergic). This still broke my 'no modified oils' rule, but that was the only thing I could eat. Anyway, I placed my order and the waitress assumed a look of absolute disgust and said "no cheese and no sour cream? EWWW!" I was so mad that she was so judgemental I gave her a bare minimum tip... And I used to waitress!!
However, I actually had no idea that people with gluten intolerance are so sensitive that cross contamination is a concern! So thank-you for that.
I used to be vegan (as an experiment). I was vegan for 6+ months and during that time I also completely eliminated refined sugar and enriched flour and any sort of modified oils. I had to travel for work during that time and my co-workers elected that we should go to the local 'tex mex' restaurant for dinner one night. We were in a small town, and there was only one rental vehicle, so I couldn't exactly go anywhere else.
Anyway, after poring through the menu closely for about 10 minutes I finally figured out I could have the veggie fajitas with no cheese, no sour cream, and no avocado (because I'm allergic). This still broke my 'no modified oils' rule, but that was the only thing I could eat. Anyway, I placed my order and the waitress assumed a look of absolute disgust and said "no cheese and no sour cream? EWWW!" I was so mad that she was so judgemental I gave her a bare minimum tip... And I used to waitress!!
Re: The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
Cross contamination is real, unfortunately, especially for those who are celiac. Celiac is an autoimmune disease, so a lot more care and attention is required. I am not Celiac, I have had my blood tested and scoped both ends and biopsy taken. I have been diagnosed with a non-Celiac gluten intolerance.
It isn't fun, but it isn't the end of the world like some people think it would be. In fact, my husband's g-free/dairy free pie crust is to die for and he gets asked to make shells all the time for people! (He hates doing it because dealing with the dough once rolled out is like dealing with spider webs.)
It isn't fun, but it isn't the end of the world like some people think it would be. In fact, my husband's g-free/dairy free pie crust is to die for and he gets asked to make shells all the time for people! (He hates doing it because dealing with the dough once rolled out is like dealing with spider webs.)
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Re: The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
Rosie B wrote:Tuddy - people can be so inconsiderate!
However, I actually had no idea that people with gluten intolerance are so sensitive that cross contamination is a concern! So thank-you for that.
I used to be vegan (as an experiment). I was vegan for 6+ months and during that time I also completely eliminated refined sugar and enriched flour and any sort of modified oils. I had to travel for work during that time and my co-workers elected that we should go to the local 'tex mex' restaurant for dinner one night. We were in a small town, and there was only one rental vehicle, so I couldn't exactly go anywhere else.
Anyway, after poring through the menu closely for about 10 minutes I finally figured out I could have the veggie fajitas with no cheese, no sour cream, and no avocado (because I'm allergic). This still broke my 'no modified oils' rule, but that was the only thing I could eat. Anyway, I placed my order and the waitress assumed a look of absolute disgust and said "no cheese and no sour cream? EWWW!" I was so mad that she was so judgemental I gave her a bare minimum tip... And I used to waitress!!
I wouldn't have given her any tip, and would have let the manager know about it.
Re: The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
Yeah, I hear you. I'm celiac (with a few other minor intolerances), and sometimes I feel like a vulture, I'm so protective over the food that I bring. Thankfully, I've got a supportive extended family, and we have a separate table for the gluten-filled stuff, and color-coded serving utensils and labels when we all get together.
Buffets/potlucks are the worst (all these open bowls...spoons get used from one to another, if it's finger food, then they've touched the chips before the veggies, stuff drops off plates into the GF food) and unless I can go first, I just normally eat ahead of time and don't even bother.
But, I've found, I can replicate most things GF and they can be just as tasty...and most people have no clue!
Buffets/potlucks are the worst (all these open bowls...spoons get used from one to another, if it's finger food, then they've touched the chips before the veggies, stuff drops off plates into the GF food) and unless I can go first, I just normally eat ahead of time and don't even bother.
But, I've found, I can replicate most things GF and they can be just as tasty...and most people have no clue!
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Re: The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
[quote="angela9823"
My popcorn is now contaminated... I just walked away....[/quote] I gotta admit, I had no idea food could be contaminated with gluten this way. I might have done the same thing just not knowing.[/quote]
And that's why rather than walk away, you could have nicely pointed out that she'd contaminated your popcorn. She didn't know either. And still doesn't. My SIL's SISTER doesn't get it, but is trying.
It's got to be awful for you.
My popcorn is now contaminated... I just walked away....[/quote] I gotta admit, I had no idea food could be contaminated with gluten this way. I might have done the same thing just not knowing.[/quote]
And that's why rather than walk away, you could have nicely pointed out that she'd contaminated your popcorn. She didn't know either. And still doesn't. My SIL's SISTER doesn't get it, but is trying.
It's got to be awful for you.
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Re: The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
PNG_Pony wrote:Thankfully, I've got a supportive extended family, and we have a separate table for the gluten-filled stuff, and color-coded serving utensils and labels when we all get together.
But, I've found, I can replicate most things GF and they can be just as tasty...and most people have no clue!
Lucky you and great idea re: table and color-coding.
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Re: The Holiday Food Table - Be warned, I am ranting
angela9823 wrote:I gotta admit, I had no idea food could be contaminated with gluten this way. I might have done the same thing just not knowing.Tuddy wrote:I just put out my contribution - I went and bought Boom-Chika-Pop popcorn, that states gluten free.... I put it in a bowl, walked to the other room to grab a spoon to put in said bowl so that no hands go in, and I see a co-worker, grab the spoon from the homemade bits and bites, which is loaded with gluten, throw it in the popcorn, give 'er a big swirl and heap some popcorn on their plate, and throw the spoon back in the gluten filled bits and bites.
My popcorn is now contaminated... I just walked away....
I know. I was just thinking "at least she used a spoon..."
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