Wednesday, November 22, 2017

The Best Things in Life are Free (Gluten Free, that is!)

                               

A couple of months ago I started asking my followers on Facebook and Instagram to contribute for my Thanksgiving post.  While many bloggers are posting recipes and how to safely navigate the holidays with family and friends when you are gluten free, I decided to go a different direction.  I put out the idea that "The best things in life are gluten free." and I asked my followers to list some of their favorite things that are naturally gluten free.  


My goal is to show that there is so much more to holidays (and life) than just food.  In the Celiac and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity world, we face the holiday season with trepidation and anxiety because of shared meals with non GF family and friends.  I want to focus on the positive things a holiday can bring.  There are so many negatives about living with Celiac Disease or any other autoimmune disorder or chronic health condition.  But, we're still alive and as long as there is breath in our bodies, there are beautiful and positive things out there for us to cherish and enjoy.  Every.  Single.  Day.  I didn't get a lot of responses to my requests, however, those who did reply provided some incredible thoughts on a variety of wonderful gluten free things to enjoy.  So, without further ado, here they are:

**Note: throughout this post I will be including hyperlinks to pages that are relevant
to this post and the people who participated by posting their comments.
I am including these links because I believe their pages are helpful
 to the Celiac and gluten free community.**


A few of my own favorite naturally gluten free things are: children laughing, waking up to the aroma of coffee brewing, kitty snuggles, relaxing with a good book and a cup of hot tea under my favorite throw blanket, reuniting with old friends, spending time with loved ones, connecting with others in the Celiac and gluten free community, joining my New Hope (church) family each week to worship and grow together, bear hugs, candles, an over-sized sweater fresh out of the dryer, kicking off my shoes at the end of the day.

Edie 'Smilee' Place Orris (Facebook): Spending time with my dear daughter! 
(Siouxland Celiac note: Thanks, Mom!)

mile_high_celiac (Instagram): Jumping in leaf piles, enjoying a hot cup of coffee in the crisp fall air, seeing the beauty of the trees changing color as far as the eye can see.
The mountains laying in wait for the impending snows in late October.  The monarch butterflies traveling through as they fly south for the winter...the gaggles of Canadian geese making their stops and honking overhead, echoing through the still chilly air as they fly in their perfect "V" formations...
Walking through the outdoor shopping mall with the smell of pumpkin spice in the air...seeing friends meet up outside a coffee shop, overhearing their excitement and creativity, exchanging recipe ideas and oo-ing and ah-ing over each new addition or twist the next person adds to the imagined flavors of their recipes for Thanksgiving...looking into confectioners windows and watching the candy makers begin to work on the new seasonal treats...breathing the first crisp breath of the new fall air.  Collecting flower seeds for the next year...collecting leaves for those projects 🍁🍂 there are so many awesome things that ONLY happen in the fall 💓🍂🍁
(Siouxland Celiac note: don't forget to check out her YouTube channel Life Minus Gluten.)

martafocker (Instagram): Even though my Canadian Thanksgiving is well past I will still comment on What is Naturally Gluten Free (that I love).  That would simply be WATER!  Water water water!  I love Water SO much I can't even explain without sounding like a freak.  Obviously humans need water to survive but I love to drink it and bathe in and swim in it!  I don't need to add anything to my water to drink it, it does have to taste like NOTHING though (no weird aftertaste).  All sources of water are Gluten Free...tap water, bottled water, lake water, ocean water, pool water...ditch water 😜  And of course Bath Water...aaahhh think I will take a bath right now cause I'm thinking about it 😃💦 but I really wish to go for a swim in Water but it's too cold...bah!  Wait: I should make a cup of tea with it...Naturally Gluten Free as well 😋  Decisions, decisions. 
(Siouxland Celiac note: I LOVE my followers!!!  And @martafocker's comments bring to mind a charity I learned about a couple of months ago at church called Charity Water that works to bring clean water to Third World nations who have no clean water sources.  I will be writing about this organization in the next few weeks, so stay tuned or check out their website for yourself here.)


Cupcake and Yoga Pants (Facebook): Pumpkins 🎃, bonfires 🔥, and ghost 👻 stories! 🎃
(Siouxland Celiac note: you can check out Cupcake and Yoga Pants blog here.)

Jen Harold (Facebook):  Spending time with relatives we don't get to see often enough, a game of cards, veggie trays, and the joy that the season of togetherness brings.
(Siouxland Celiac note: 💖💖💖💖 well said!)

AlafiaMarije Wright (Facebook):  The soap and other skin care products I make for our company, God's Green Earth have started healing my family and are a blessing to many others and the beauty is that these non-toxic and made from scratch products are naturally gluten free and don't hurt people, animals or the 🌎  God really blessed us with this ability and this business.
(Siouxland Celiac note: for more information about God's Green Earth natural skin care products click here.)


rachelwjj (Instagram):  God's fresh grace every morning!!!  And, for someone who despises the cold weather, the promise of spring time 🌞🌞🌞the ability to have a job, gluten free food on the table, roof over my head and family to share it with 💓😘
(Siouxland Celiac note: this wraps it up pretty good, don't you think?!)




Do you have your own favorites to add to these great naturally gluten free "best things in life"?  Please be sure to comment with your favorites.  I want to hear from YOU! 👉







And, since it IS Thanksgiving, I'll give you a couple of links for some great recipes from two of my favorite people, my friends Kallie and Tina.

For Kallie's gluten free Pumpkin Pie bon bons visit her YouTube channel here.  I'm going to make these tomorrow!  I can't wait!!!!

For Tina's gluten free Dressing recipe visit her Better For You Bakery page here.  I use her mixes and recipes a lot.  In fact, I'll be making decorated sugar cookies this weekend using her  gluten free Sugar Cookie mix and her GF Buttercream frosting recipe!!  

Happy Thanksgiving and may you feel God's blessings and love through out this holiday season and always.


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