Today is this writer’s beloved sweetheart’s 34th birthday and the celebration has lasted all week. It began yesterday treating Matt to dinner at Saltgrass Steakhouse, where there is a nice selection of gluten free items from which I could choose and carried over to a delicious gluten free Funfetti cake from Pillsbury. This was Matt’s first birthday celebration opting for gluten free (he has no issues with gluten but often refuses to eat gluten containing items in front of me out of respect for the fact I could eat gluten for over 30 years). All in all, it was a fun celebration.
One of the things I have noticed about living gluten free is that sometimes when you mention a food item is gluten free, people automatically bolt from it. Matt, fortunately, knew from the get-go of our relationship that a gluten free life was one I had to adopt and in support of me, he has followed it. Oh, if everyone had it that lucky.
When you are planning your own gluten free birthday celebrations, the ability to make a tasty gluten free cake with frills is becoming easier. With companies, like Pillsbury, embracing the culture’s shift towards eating less wheat, many are stepping up their games to create the tastiest, most creative cake mix possible — even with sprinkles!
If gluten free cakes still leave your leery of cross contamination or flavorful goodness, then having a birthday ice cream party with many of the more popular gluten free ice cream options would be an idea, especially for hot summertime birthdays. Ice cream does not only have to be the side dish to a tasty cake party.
If you are making a gluten free cake for a party — especially a children’s party — it is probably better to not sky write the fact the cake is gluten free. Just as cake companies are making gluten free cakes more creative or flavor filled, they are also not as cardboard-like or dry as they once were. Oftentimes, it is hard to tell the difference between a gluten free cake and one that uses a wheat-based mix. As much as Celiacs MUST know if a cake contains gluten, it is every bit as good that gluten free NOT be broadcast (unless a lot of Celiacs will be at your party) to avoid having a lot of extra food leftover. Some, sadly, do still judge gluten free as a fad, when – for some – it must be a lifestyle.
Lastly, if you plan the birthday party in the afternoon, after lunch and before dinner, you will avoid the need of creating a large meal for the masses. This way, you will not be tempted to have a pizza party (Pizza Hut offers gluten free Udi’s now, true, but the pizzas are small and the costs add up quickly).
Birthdays are still a wonderful time to celebrate the fact that our loved ones have lived another year of their lives as a part of ours, but they should be fun and not bogged down by the remaining stigma that sometimes exists with a gluten free lifestyle. With a few simple steps and planning ahead, you will ensure the day is stressful and happy for everyone!
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