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Showing posts from 2017

When Late September Feels Like Summer...

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I'm not sure about wherever you're reading this, but here in Boston it feels like summer today even though the calendar says September 26th. Though the unseasonable weather certainly poses some challenges (do we turn on the A/C in September??), there are also some undeniable perks. Boston winters come early and last long...so the days of long walks with the little guy are numbered...and I'm savoring every single one. Also, this gives me a few more days to procrastinate in finally switching over to my Fall wardrobe and digging the Fall decorations out of the scary abyss that is our "seasonal items" closet. And last but not least, this little heat wave gives me a chance to enjoy a treat I probably would otherwise pass up: pumpkin ice cream. Yes, this is my actual cup of ice cream. The pumpkin and gourd were just in the window and I couldn't resist! Now I'm sure that paragraph already has your mind running through some questions but we'll deal wit

Soy, Soy...Boy Oh Boy

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Soy. It is something I rarely thought about prior to my Celiac days. I vaguely knew it had something to do with tofu, but aside from that I knew very little about it. Fast forward to my dairy-free/soy-free diagnosis and suddenly soy became a very important concept in my life. You see when you become dairy-free, things that are labeled vegan catch your eye...because even if you're a carnivore like me, that designation means that there is no dairy and hence you can check one of your allergens off the list. Of course, you soon learn that vegan products more often than not contain soy (and sometimes gluten too) so as someone who has to avoid the magic trifecta (gluten, dairy, and soy), you are left standing in a gluten-free, vegan cafe where you can eat next to nothing, bewildered and wondering how eating out became this complicated. I feel you...virtual hug from me to you, my friend. Now for those of you with immune systems that react to gluten, casein, and soy, there are rarely o

It's Christmas in July!

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When we think back on childhood Christmases, I bet there are a few common memories many of  us share: a stack of beautifully wrapped presents just waiting to be torn open, the delicious scent of dinner mixed with the last few batches of Christmas cookies wafting from the oven in the kitchen, and of course the hugs, smiles, and laughter shared between family members who may not have seen each other since last Christmas. Now that I have you feeling nostalgic for the holiday season, you're probably asking yourself why I'm talking about Christmas on a 90-degree day in July. Well, that's because my Christmas in July is quickly approaching and I want to invite you to join me...or at least to find your own Christmas in another month (before December!). Before you think I've completely lost my mind, I'll answer the question, What the heck is she talking about?, for you: The Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expo , of course! Now you may remember my posts about this event

And Just Like That...It's April.

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I know. April…how did we get here? I came back to you for two brief posts last summer and then disappeared off the face of the digital earth again. I can promise you it was my intention to get back into posting this year. I couldn’t wait to share all my tips for traveling to out-of-state weddings (we had 5 this summer/fall); I was going to document the challenges and triumphs of married life (namely sharing a kitchen with gluten and dairy products again); I was going to take you on my adventures around Boston, discovering new Katie-safe hot-spots to take the temporary place of the ones I had to leave behind in Baltimore. I was going to regale you with tales of my days back in a 2 nd grade classroom, navigating a daily life that once again involves morning snack time...and of course 7-year-olds only love gluten-filled, dairy-filled snacks. I still have half-written wedding advice posts that are sitting in a folder on my desktop, just pleading to be finished and shared. However, as you