As the holiday weekend gets rolling, I often feel lost in the shuffle as I keep busy planning not only gf meals, but everything else! In times such as these, I like to plan ahead for dinnertime, when I know the kids will be overwhelmed and tired. And, quite frankly, so will I.

I adapted this from a Weight Watchers recipe, which asks for more cabbage. My kids prefer more rice and I prefer sneaking in some carrots. I find on the most hectic of days, filling up the slow cooker is the fastest way to get things going. And at the end of the day, you will have a healthy, gluten-free meal warm and ready.

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (20 ounces) tomato sauce
2 large bags cabbage and carrots (slaw mix)
1 cup uncooked rice
2 teaspoons salt
2 cans (14 ounces) gf beef broth (Kitchen Basics, Pacific Natural)

Brown beef. Drain. In slow cooker, combine onion, sauce, cabbage mix, rice and salt. Add cooked beef. Pour broth over top, cover and cook up to 5 hours on low. Stir after one hour.

Tip: If you would like a more soupy casserole, add another can of tomato sauce.

As summer break draws to a close, many parents are rushing to stores and stocking up on school supplies, shoes, clothes and the traditional back-to-school garb. I, however, am more concerned with what will be going into the lunch box as we prepare our son to hop on the bus for his first year completely gluten and casein free.

The first thing I made sure to get was an insulated lunch bag that could carry ice. Then, I scoured the health food store and found some packable snacks and healthy treats that were fun and fit his diet. I made some lists of some of his favorite foods and thought about how they might be combined to create a well-rounded healthy meal that will keep him energized and focused, as well as entertained. I found it easiest to break the list up into three categories: Protein, fruit/vegetable and treats. I plan to pack a protein, a fruit and/or veggie and one or two treats. I will add a small water bottle or juice box and send him off. Here is my list:

Protein

• Slices of lunch meat (Applegate Farms or Boar's Head) rolled up or wrapped in gluten-free corn tortillas

• Hot dogs (Ballpark or Applegate Farms)

• Chicken chunks

• Peanut butter in small, dipping container or on a slice of gf bread*

• Chicken nuggets (homemade or Ian's), Ian's Fish Sticks or chicken patties, cooked and then cooled

• Hardboiled egg

Fruits and veggies

• Applesauce

• Raisins

• Apple slices or celery slices to dip into peanut butter

• Carrot sticks

• Cucumber slices

• Apple chips

• Terra Chips

• Veggie Chips

Treats

• Enjoy Life cookie packs (found at Good Food Co. and here)

• Jell-O (I make mine with 1 cup of 100 percent pure blueberry juice instead of cold water to add nutrition)

• GF animal crackers (EnvironKidz)

• A handful of Skittles

• A square of an Enjoy Life chocolate bar

• Tortilla chips

• Celiac Specialties doughnut holes (at Chesterfield shop, some health food stores and here.)

• GF breakfast bars, such as Glutino or EnvironKids brands found at Kroger, Meijer and health food store

• GF pretzels or crackers (also good for dipping)
  

I also like to sneak in nutrition any way I can. Mixes for mini blueberry or apple muffins can be found at health food stores. Or, I bake a batch of these Zucchini Bread Muffins and stick them in the freezer and throw a few in my son's lunch. This recipe is also good with grated carrots.

GFCF Zucchini Bread Muffins
2 cups gf flour mix (I like Bob's Red Mills)
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons xanthum gum
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 small or one medium zucchini
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
Combine first six ingredients, sift and set aside.
Grate zucchini. Set aside.
Quickly blend eggs, vanilla, oil, syrup and applesauce in mixer. Add dry mixture in slowly, until it's all incorporated. Mix in zucchini, raisins and nuts by hand. Spoon into muffin pan, filling each about 3/4 full. Cook 20-25 minutes, until tops are lightly brown. Let stand 5 minutes and pop out of pan.

Tip: Make a batch of cupcakes and freeze. Be prepared for school birthday parties!

* It is important to check with your school on policies regarding peanut allergies.

As a mere beginner in the gluten-free, casein-free world, I am reluctant to venture out to restaurants. Even after scoping out the menus in advance, talking to a manager and being assured that the ingredients are safe to eat, we can never be sure if the cooks know not to prepare our meals on the same grill, fryer or pot as other foods that contain gluten or casein.

We have asked for chicken to be cooked on tin foil and vegetables to be prepared without butter, but how do we really know the food was not contaminated? We figured we would just have to test the waters and compile a list of a few good restaurants that are "safe" to eat at. Here is what we have found so far:

1. We have had good experiences at Outback Steakhouse, which had a gluten-free menu and was recommended by the Tri-County Celiac Support Group.

2. According to a list here, Carrabba's also caters to the gluten-free. We will be attempting dining there next.

3. I recently received information on an ALL gluten-free restaurant in Sterling Heights called G.F. Cucina's.

That's, unfortunately all I've got. I am curious to know your experiences eating out. Please comment with any restaurants in the Metro Detroit area you have found that cater to gluten- and/or casein-free diets.

The Olympics are approaching, and I am determined that if there was a category for feeding picky eaters, I would win a gold medal. Not because I am any better at it than other moms who have the same task, but because I simply feed the world's pickiest eaters.

My four-year-old is on a gluten-free, casein-free (gfcf) diet. That means, not only do I take the wheat protein out of his meals, he also does not eat the dairy protein casein (pronounced kay-sin). It was a long, hard road to get him completely rid of both proteins, especially because he is extremely picky anyway. When we began, there only were a few foods he would let near his plate: macaroni and cheese, pizza, string cheese and chicken nuggets. Not only was he very rigid about the texture and color of the food, he also was adamant that everything was cold. Not warm or room temperature: cold.

Then, he was diagnosed with both celiac disease and autism. The gluten went right away, of course. And as world's pickiest eater No. 1, he did not let it go without many epic battles. But after lots of shopping and many plates of food thrown across the room in a fit of rage, we found a few standards he would tolerate. And we moved on from there. Soon, he was gobbling down my gluten-free recipes and findings. Then, it was suggested to us that our son may benefit from a casein-free diet. We slowly weeded out the casein and found that after a short period, he seemed to be benefiting from this diet. For more information on autism and the gfcf diet, click here.

However, that was not the end of the Olympic efforts our family had to make. I also have a child who is 2 -- and as picky as my child with special needs. He isn't bothered by texture and color. But if it isn't sweet, his plate may end up on the floor, as well. So, determined not to make a different meal for every person in the family, I set out on a quest to find some meals to win over my very critical judges.

Here is what I found:

1. Sweet, not junk
A lot of fruits and vegetables are sweet and can be made to please my picky palates. Sweet potatoes are a big hit with both of them. I blend half a potato up in a food processor and add SmartBalance dairy-free buttery spread and a pinch of salt. My gfcf son loves the smooth texture, and I chop the other half into bite-sized chunks for my sweet tooth.

2. Make it fun
Some health food stores carry products that look fun to eat. Good Food Company carries frozen meals, cookie packets and even fruit roll-ups. It may cost a bit more, but it's worth the price if I can give something to my gfcf child that resembles what other kids are eating.

3. Pasta, pasta, pasta.
See the previous blog entry.

4. Basic meals are key
Plain chicken, hot dogs (Ballpark is gluten-free) or pork with rice and veggies can't be easier or more all-encompassing. At first, Picky Eater No. 1 wouldn't touch anything that wasn't cold, smooth or covered in cheese. But after weeks watching the rest of us eat basic meals (we gave him a small snack after he refused), he finally joined in. I'm glad we held out.

5. Be creative
We had fun finding new ways to eat old favorites. A lot of store-bought convenience foods are mighty expensive, and more often than not, don't taste like the original. Here is a chicken nugget recipe my kids dig into:

Chicken Nuggies
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 a box of gf cereal (we use EnviroKidz corn flakes, which are very sweet and sold at most large grocery chains)
SmartBalance Buttery Spread or Pam cooking spray or (not Pam for Baking, which has flour)

Place package of chicken on a cutting board. Cut into bite-sized squares with a knife. In large plastic bag, mash up cereal and place chicken cubes in, a few at time, until they are coated. Place on a parchment-lined cooking sheet. squish each cube until it resembles a "nugget" shape on the pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Let cool until desired temperature and enjoy!

Tip: Grind up fresh veggies, such as brocolli or summer squash, in the food processor and mix with ground chicken to sneak in nutrition.

If you must buy them from the store, I recommend the Bell & Evans brand or Garrett County Dinosaur bites, which are a little harder to find. I have seen them at the Good Food Co. and sometimes Whole Foods, but could not find them at the Gluten-Free Mall.