I am a five star camper. Really. I think it is a stretch if the hotel doesn't come with its own blow drier and a good mini bar ( I don't drink but I like chocolate).
This diet has put a crimp in my idea of "holidays!" Holidays in my mind are all inclusive, cooking free, mindless stretches about 7 days long where mommies everywhere wander around in flip flops and coverups NOT thinking about cooking. How does one do that on a gluten free-casein free diet?
In November my two of my favorite girl friends and I took all of our kids ( five total ranging from 4 to 14) to Drumheller. This involved transporting all of my gluten free-casein free foods in a huge cooler. Three meals a day for 2 nights and 2 days. We booked a kitchenette and away we went. Now I have never thought much about a man having multiple wives. The idea never really appealed, but at the end of that weekend I could have made a great argument for sister wives!!! The three of us laughed and decided we made a fantastic team! Everyone needs and deserves a wife. One of us would cuddle and amuse children, one would prep the ingredients, the other would cook, someone cleaned up and got us all ready for the next meal! The kids were all clean, fed and happy. We were like a well oiled machine. However, that was a holiday with two other very capable women. The idea of doing this all by myself , defied the very idea of the word "holiday".
All that comes to mind are the words planning and preparation. As well as the phrase "luggage restrictions". With only one suitcase and a mind for fashion and shoes, I cannot take my whole kitchen with me on a holiday. On the trip to Drumheller the back of my XTrail was full to the roof. The airline companies would be rubbing their hands together with glee thinking about the charges they could rack up with me.
The kids have done such an amazing job complying with this diet, and getting good grades at school, that we really wanted to do something special for them this spring break. We decided to book an all inclusive week somewhere in the sun. My concern was the diet. If you mess up with the gluten it takes six months to get the traces out of your system. Milk products are eliminated faster, but still.
Our wonderful travel agent made inquiries for me and finally booked us into a resort called the Grand Palladium in Jamaica. They got back to him and told him they could totally accomodate us with the Gluten and Casein free diet. I could have cheered! The only thing I am going to bring with me ( don't laugh) is a few loaves of frozen bread in my luggage and some Agave syrup. And maybe gluten-free pancake mix. Mitchell doesn't eat eggs so without toast or some sort of carbohydrate alternative he really can only eat frut for breakfast. Other than that they said that there are so many people showing up with food allergies that the awareness for the hospitality industry has become a must. I am sure they would cook Mitchell a steak for breakfast if he asked.
We will be gone for a week starting tomorrow and if they have internet you may get a few blogs from sunny Jamaica! If not, I will let you know how the experience was from a diet perspective when we get home. It would be interesting to start a website that listed vacation spots that were willing to accomodate our children's dietary requirements. How easy would that make holiday planning? Everybody deserves a break and I can't wait to have a full week of video game free time with my handsome boys and my amazing partner.
Our boys are at such a fun age, we are looking forward to zip lining, climbing the falls in Ocho Rios and just logging some much deserved time in the sun. It will be a great chance to take them out of their comfort zones just a bit and try some new activities. Maybe even a bit of scuba diving. I will keep you posted!
So think of me tomorrow, armed with my loaves of frozen bread, my syrup and pancake mix, methyl B12 shots for the week and the 560 pills for the week all stashed in my carry on and have a little giggle. And wish me luck !!!!!!!!!!
In love and light,
Kathryn
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