What to have mom bring?

[ktgrok]

My mom wants to know what to bring for thanksgiving...but with my DS9 having celiac the concern is contamination. 

I was thinking mashed potatoes would be safe? Just ask her to use a new stick of butter for them, so no crumb contamination? She's VERY clean - and was a nurse so understands cross contamination, etc. That seemed the safest thing I could think of, and then maybe some premade rolls that I'll keep separate? Or a bottle of wine, lol. 

[HomeAgain]

Wine is always a safe choice. 🙂 Or possibly just turn any of the drink options over to her: cider, eggnog, etc.

In our family, the safe choices to actually make would be:

mashed potatoes

salad

various vegetables

appetizers (chips & salsa, cheese & meat plate, deviled eggs, veggie platter)

Jello salad (ambrosia?)

[lmrich]

appetizers - veggie platter or fruit salad, chips (easy to find gluten free) and salsa and cheese dip. And then you don't have to worry about reheating anything once she gets there.

[Starr]

Flowers for you!

[Scarlett]

Stop making me hungry.  😉

 

[cjzimmer1]

I would suggest a raw veggie tray or a fruit tray.

[marbel]

If she understands cross-contamination, and will be diligent about avoiding it, then mashed potatoes are probably fine. But if believe that she has to be reminded to use a new stick of butter, then it sounds like she is not really aware of cross-contamination, so in that case I'd just ask her to bring something packaged which you can keep separate. But also wine or other drinks as suggested above. 

[kbutton]

2 hours ago, marbel said:

If she understands cross-contamination, and will be diligent about avoiding it, then mashed potatoes are probably fine. But if believe that she has to be reminded to use a new stick of butter, then it sounds like she is not really aware of cross-contamination

My family has to think/talk things like this through, but it's not because they don't understand. They just need to talk out their normal ways of doing things to shift gears (I still sometimes have to do this when I'm cooking for someone with my same issues because I actually take more precautions, such as washing things in a dedicated GF dish pan with dedicated GF cloths and towels, which I don't do for myself). Also, in my family, different people have different needs, and they don't overlap. When someone with an allergy or intolerance visits, they do physical things to go the extra mile so that they don't screw something up. For instance, they will put all the wooden spoons away and put aside individual items that would normally be communal (a personal stick of butter, PB or jam from a freshly opened jar, etc.). Do they mess up sometimes? Yes, but we just double check and roll with it BEFORE the food is eaten. No one gets upset about questions to double-check, and the person that is stretching to accommodate usually says exactly what they did if they aren't asked. We've never had a major transgression that wasn't spotted before someone ingests something with all the cross-checking. Oh, and the allergic kid involved in my family also knew what to ask, though I don't know if that's the case with the OP (I am the other person with issues, and my problem is intolerance vs. allergy).  

I would think mashed potatoes would be fine--maybe some reminders about not using wooden spoons to stir things and to maybe not have anything else on the stove at the same time so she's not tempted to use a contaminated utensil by accident. 

We had a lot of things that are naturally GF in our Thanksgiving growing up (even the gravy is GF if someone remembers to use GF flour or cornstarch in the oven bag for the meat), so most of the issue is grabbing the wrong utensil or dripping onto something else. If she's in her own house, making just potatoes, and having talked out the problems...she's probably good. 

[Shoeless]

6 hours ago, Starr said:

Flowers for you!

This was going to be my suggestion! A pretty floral arrangement for the table would be nice and safe.

[LifeLovePassion]

I would stick to naturally gluten-free things:

A lettuce salad, dressing on the side.

Assorted beverages (pop, stuff to make punch, wine)

Cranberries (homemade or canned)

Homemade cream corn (I have  a crock pot recipe for this)

Green bean casserole ( use canned gluten-free cream of mushroom soup, Aldi  has gluten-free fried onions).  Use frozen green beans as well

 

[Annie G]

A floral arrangement would be perfect-everyone can ooh and aah over it, which probably won’t be the case w celery and carrot tray. 

[catz]

I'd have her bring something naturally GF, plenty of sides would be good options.  Potatoes, salad, beans, etc.  But I'd also pick something your GF child isn't going to want anyway and then be diligent about how things are put out and served to avoid any potential cross contamination.  

[ktgrok]

21 hours ago, kbutton said:

My family has to think/talk things like this through, but it's not because they don't understand. They just need to talk out their normal ways of doing things to shift gears (I still sometimes have to do this when I'm cooking for someone with my same issues because I actually take more precautions, such as washing things in a dedicated GF dish pan with dedicated GF cloths and towels, which I don't do for myself). Also, in my family, different people have different needs, and they don't overlap. When someone with an allergy or intolerance visits, they do physical things to go the extra mile so that they don't screw something up. For instance, they will put all the wooden spoons away and put aside individual items that would normally be communal (a personal stick of butter, PB or jam from a freshly opened jar, etc.). Do they mess up sometimes? Yes, but we just double check and roll with it BEFORE the food is eaten. No one gets upset about questions to double-check, and the person that is stretching to accommodate usually says exactly what they did if they aren't asked. We've never had a major transgression that wasn't spotted before someone ingests something with all the cross-checking. Oh, and the allergic kid involved in my family also knew what to ask, though I don't know if that's the case with the OP (I am the other person with issues, and my problem is intolerance vs. allergy).  

I would think mashed potatoes would be fine--maybe some reminders about not using wooden spoons to stir things and to maybe not have anything else on the stove at the same time so she's not tempted to use a contaminated utensil by accident. 

We had a lot of things that are naturally GF in our Thanksgiving growing up (even the gravy is GF if someone remembers to use GF flour or cornstarch in the oven bag for the meat), so most of the issue is grabbing the wrong utensil or dripping onto something else. If she's in her own house, making just potatoes, and having talked out the problems...she's probably good. 

So, she DEFINITELY would NEVER stir a one pot with something used in another pot, etc. And has no wooden utensils as she feels you can't get them truly clean, etc. She's a bit of a clean freak, which is helpful! 

And as someone else said, having her do something the celiac kid doesn't really care for is a good idea - he actually doesn't like mashed potatoes anyway, lol. I had forgotten that! 

 

[ktgrok]

So, what was decided is she will make a second turkey with gluten stuffing, and I will make one here with non gluten stuffing. (DS doesn't even really like stuffing, but still, it will be available!)

We will put them in different parts of the kitchen entirely, so no cross contamination. Perhaps two different colored serving utensil sets (just going to pick up some plastic at dollar store - can get gold and silver)

She will also make the mashed potatoes which DS never eats anyway, and bring gluten free appetizers (gluten free crackers and cheese - he likely won't eat these either but they will be there, lol)

I'll have hot appetizers that are gluten free, that he will eat, plus all the regular stuff.