would you trust that it's REALLY gluten free?

When she put this burger in front of me in the diner-style restaurant in some small town in Maine... I eyed it with suspicion. 

The waitress had assured me that they had gluten-free buns.  When I simpered my concern "Was it really gluten-free?" She gave me a look that asked "You calling me a liar?"... She didn't come out with the bag, but did give me the name of the bakery that they got the buns from. 

I felt hesitant (you can even see in this shot where I picked off a corner of the bun to "test" it). I ate the burger... but with an uneasy, slightly paranoid feeling, despite the fact that it looked different from Bill's "normal" bun. Even Bill was giving me the "you're being neurotic" vibe.

I'll admit the burger was pretty darned tasty and nothing "bad" happened. When we got home from our trip I checked out the bakery online. They didn't highlight making gluten-free goods so I sent an email to which they responded "we are working on getting our gluten-free status". I don't know what that meant, but it did make me realize that it's not such a bad thing to remain cautious when someone tells you that what they are serving you is gluten-free. What would you have done?

gluten at home - what's your biggest challenge?

For my first 20 years on a gluten-free diet I lived at home. Meals, and what was in the larder was the domain of my mother. Sometimes I ate a different meal than the rest of my family, but it was more likely a variation - Chinese vermicelli rice noodles in place of pasta. In the 70's and early 80's that was the "pasta" available...I can't blame my family for not wanting to join me. I don't remember many other exceptions...My Mum wasn't interested in cooking two versions of everything - everyone had what I was having when it came to dinner.

Over the next 20 years I've lived in a variety of living arrangements. I've lived with roommates, stayed with families and spent a number of years on my own. Alone is by far the easiest gluten-free lifestyle - until you find someone who is quite happy to join you in your diet (with the occasional loaf of french bread on the side). I've arrived. Today the pasta is still rice, but everyone in our household eats it. It's good enough to serve to guests.

Everyone needs a safe place to call home, and I know that not everyone is as lucky as I am in this department. What do you find the biggest challenge when it comes living with others and having gluten in the house?

"may contain wheat" - where do you draw the line?

Whether you pick up a box of rice crackers, a bag of jujubes, or a package of raw almonds for that matter... what do you think when you see that little disclaimer at the end of the ingredients list? 

Ingredients: Almonds. May contain traces of dairy, wheat and nuts. Nope, I'm not making this up - actually seen on a bag of raw almonds. MAY contain nuts. 

I get that manufacturers are being cautious - I love it in fact. Their facilities likely make or package a large range of food items that may have made contact with said almonds. I would love it even more if I had a kid with a peanut allergy that went into anaphylactic shock from contact. 

Part of me wonders however if this is the new "dry clean only" label that is put on everything to ensure that no one is culpable. I've hand washed a lot of dry clean only items in my lifetime. In a few years every package containing items smaller than an egg may read "may be choking hazard". Am I taking this thought process too far?

Contamination for someone with celiac can mean a nasty reaction and internal damage (even without symptoms). I'm curious about where you  draw the line when you read this "may contain" statement on packaging.

www.claudinecrangle.com