It's the week before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature will go hungry or have to do without.

I did a big stock-up trip to both Whole Foods and Meijer yesterday. I wanted to make sure to have plenty of gluten-free candy canes, quick and easy food options and the usual grocery supplies. With my kids home all week and last-minute holiday activity, I wanted to have the fridge and freezer full so I don't have to run to a busy grocery store to grab anything. I spent a small fortune in the process.

I got a few boxes of Ian's French Bread Pizza (about $5 each), a package of K-Toos chocolate cookies (about $6), Bob's Red Mill pancake mix (about $4), a few boxes of Bell & Evans chicken strips (close to $6 each), a loaf of gluten-free bread ($6), some gluten-free Hormel Natural ham lunch meat ($4) and some Kinnickinick hamburger buns (close to $8), which I slice into three discs and toast for my son to spread cream cheese onto (better than gluten-free bagels). Oh yeah, the Tofutti cream cheese is nearly $4. Already, I was over $50 and this was no way going to be enough food to last us through the school break.

Good thing I had already baked a batch of blueberry muffins (recipe below), sugar cookies (which I sprung for the box mix instead of homemade --- the winner for most expensive at nearly $9) and cooked up a big pot of spaghetti sauce. The veggies I froze in the fall will come in handy, as will the Rice Chex and Betty Crocker mixes I stocked up on a few weeks ago when they were on sale. And a friend of mine kindly gave us FOUR bags of Glutino Pretzels that she found on clearance at Kroger a month ago.

I'm glad I don't stock up on all the pre-made gluten free foods all the time. The total at the register nearly knocked me over. I have vowed to cook more and start freezing as soon as the holidays are behind us. I will have to make small trips and avoid all these mixes in the future, unfortunately. The 123 Gluten Free sugar cookie mix (found it at Kroger) was truly fantastic with a basic powdered sugar frosting.

It got me thinking about the cost of gluten-free food again. It's hard to go for just fruits and veggies when you're stocking up for a week or two. And although I was careful to make quite a few homemade goodies, I still shelled out some big gf dough to make sure those with special diets didn't feel left out during the festivities. But it could be worse.

During the holiday season, I often think of those less fortunate than myself. I am not alone. In Colorado, the House of Neighborly Service food bank offers the nation's first gluten-free options for needy families. Anne Miller, a mother of seven with an already atrocious grocery bill, suddenly had to provide her teenage daughter with gluten-free food.

"Basically the whole family has to eat gluten-free now," said Miller in a recent Associated Press story, who walked out of the House of Neighborly Service food bank with a grocery cart full of gluten-free soups, pastas and pizza dough mix. "It becomes extremely, extremely expensive."

The food pantry, founded in 1961, opened its gluten-free food section after local activists with wheat allergies volunteered to pull it together. Activists say the food bank is the nation's first with a special program for people with celiac disease.

I applaud their efforts. Check out the group here for more information.

As gluten-free cooks, we feel the pinch week after week. It's a tough task and not cheap. But please remember that eating gluten-free is not a luxury. It is a medical necessity. And as I'm balancing the checkbook this week, I'll remember that even though a special treat to my son may cost three times as much as others who enjoy typical holiday delights, his health is worth the dent our family budget. And I feel fortunate that I can find a way to provide that for him.

Here is a thrifty recipe (derived from Carol Fenster's recipe in "Gluten Free Quick and Easy") that is good to take as a snack or add to the Christmas breakfast buffet:

Banana Blueberry Muffins
2 cups flour blend (we like Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
2 ripe banana
1/2 cup milk (rice milk can be substituted)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
Grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease muffin pans, or add papers. In stand-up mixer, beat all ingredients except blueberries on low speed, then increase to medium speed once thoroughly combined. Beat until batter is thickened, stopping to scrape at least once. Mix in blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin pan about 3/4 full. Bake 20-30 minutes, or until muffin tops are slightly brown.

Makes about 16 muffins.

Last-minute shopping tip: Whole Foods has gluten-free gift baskets for under $30. I checked one out that had gluten-free beer, crackers and munchies.