A Gaylord Thanksgiving - Part Two

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our stay at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel was fantastic. We had a room with a balcony that overlooked the Delta Atrium (if you have never heard of/seen pictures of this hotel Google it) so we had a beautiful natural view inside. We went as part of the Dreamworks experience package so we got quite a few perks.

Seeing Shreck for the First Time

We woke up our first morning and were able to go to a fun and gluten free safe character breakfast. I know some people are very self conscious about the chef coming out and confirming your allergies, but I love it. The chef came out of the back, asked if I was gluten intolerant or full blown celiac, told me he would cook all my food in clean pans and toast my gluten free cinnamon raisin bread (that they provided!) in the oven, and delivered my food to the table (everyone else had a buffet) himself. It was so refreshing to be able to sit back and enjoy a meal worry free, not to mention the chef was more than happy to smooth any ruffled feathers and ease any worries. This means I got to enjoy my daughter's elation at meeting new characters, and I got to share in the excitement that she was not completely terrified. I had an amazing breakfast.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Fried Rosemary Potatoes,
Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Fresh Fruit

Lunch later was going to be at a little Irish pub we had dinner at the night before. They had quite a few gluten free options and the hamburger without a bun that I had was hands down the best burger I have eaten... ever... in my life. Unfortunately they were closed so I was not able to try the pork belly (sounded like bacon overload to me) that I was yearning for. We ended up having pepperoni, cheese, and crackers out of our cooler. It was cheap and simple. It also eased my sticker shock at dinner.

We ate at Cascades American Grille for dinner. The waiter we had was a little ignorant of gluten issues but when I started explaining everything he could "just tell the chef," he did end up getting him out of the back. This chef seemed a little less happy to come out front but he was still informative and polite. I was able to order a lamb shank with a lemon mint gremolata and goat cheese polenta. When I asked about the polenta the chef was able to tell me the source and also informed me that it is local and dedicated gluten free. Two things I love to hear. The lamb shank fell off the bone and was on a bed of white and sweet potato gratin that was to die for. The polenta was creamy with the tangy goat cheese bite that I love. Again it was great to be able to just relax and enjoy my meal.

On top of the amazing dining we were able to see a short Christmas show featuring the Dreamworks characters, music, and dancing. The baby loved this for the most part although she did cover her ears for one song. It was great to see her dancing in the front row. We also got to meet and greet with characters from Shreck and Madagascar. Amazingly our 9 month old found this fascinating and exciting instead of scary. She also sat beautifully on Santa's lap for pictures and just talked to him. No screaming!

One of the cooler (pun completely inteded) things we did on the trip was ICE! A full on ice sculpture experience featuring Merry Madagascar. The baby was not too thrilled with this one but the adults loved it (I think toddlers and older kids would enjoy this too with a hat... and gloves... and multiple legging layers). You put on parkas (babies do not like big coats), go into a giant convention hall chilled to 9º, and look at a world of ice carved by Chinese artisans. They even had slides that make you go surprisingly fast! I also loved how the experience ended with a full size ice carved nativity scene. It's truly amazing to see. I wish we had been able to spend more time looking at the sculptures but the baby thought her face was going to freeze off so we walked quickly.

We finished the night with a lovely horse drawn carriage ride around the grounds to look at their 2 million (yes MILLION) Christmas lights. There was an adorable 7 month old girl in the back seat so my daughter spent the entire ride talking to her and singing at the top of her lungs. It was hysterical. After the ride we said hello to the horse, the baby stuck her hand up the horse's nostril, and we went to the room to get ready for bed.

Our visit was exhausting and exhilarating all at once. In terms of gluten free friendliness I give the Gaylord Opryland a definite 5 stars. Maybe next time I will get the courage to try and order room service! I would recommend the Gaylord as a great family vacation spot Christmas or no, but the Christmas festivities were truly a treat. 

Happy eating!

Tori

A Gaylord Thanksgiving - Part One

Happy Thanksgiving!

Historically on my family's side Thanksgiving is time for a sedate meal and the inevitable PBS specials on the Grandparent's TV. Then I married my husband. His family is crazy (in a good way I assure you) and suddenly I found myself looking forward to Thanksgiving. This meant a HUGE party, lots of food, and Aggie vs Longhorn heckling. 

About two months ago I had a revelation. I'm gluten free now... WHAT WAS I GOING TO EAT?!?! Now I love his family but they simply don't understand the whole you can't touch bread then touch my food thing. It's a lot to take in when trying to cook for a lot of people. I get it. That's why all my parties are completely gluten free and if no one catches on that's perfectly fine.

I swear 2 hours after I made this revelation and already started planning my mini meal I received an email from my mother in law asking if we wanted to go to Nashville for Thanksgiving. I was ecstatic! My in law's are spectacular in general and are amazing with gluten free-ness. So they worked everything out, made all the reservations and we got to have an amazing holiday.

I'm not going to lie, I super over packed... I didn't ever use the GF bread I packed. I somehow miscounted the days and ended up with way too many clothes. I don't even think some of the stuff I packed saw the light of day. New mom, newly gluten free, slightly OCD... lesson learned.

There are a few things I packed that were definitely needed

Gluten Free Mini Pancakes (made with GF Bisquick)- The baby loved these, we gave them to her both warmed and frozen. She liked them both ways. I made hers dairy free as well then put them all in a gallon size freezer bag. We were able to use hotel mini fridges or put new ice in the cooler every day so they did actually stay frozen the whole time. These were great during the character breakfast.

Happy Baby Organic Puffs Sweet Potato - Happy baby makes 2 flavors of little cereal puffs that are gluten free. Sweet potato and strawberry. We have a history of strawberry allergies in my family so sweet potato was the obvious choice. These were great for the car seat, or in a pack n play in the hotel. They are perfect for grabbing with little fingers, they melt, and they don't make a huge mess.

Happy Baby Organics Simple Combos and Meals - I  usually make my own baby food but for this trip I wanted commercial food that could be kept in a suitcase. Happy Baby simple combos come in those fun little squeezey pouches. Boon makes spoons you can attach to the valve on these and then spoon feed the baby. We didn't use these at all. My daughter loved slurping the food out of the pouch directly. It was also far less messy that way (except the one time she decided to experiment with squeezing the pouch from the bottom). The Happy Baby meals also have a lot of gluten free options that still contain starches and grains such as millet, and brown rice. Not to mention the baby was the only one to have turkey on this trip ha ha.

Gluten Free Snacks for Grown ups - Pepperoni, string cheese, crackers, fruit snacks... Not only were these great in the car, they were great for those times we couldn't find a gluten free place to stop for food.

Once we got to the hotel everything became easier, they have a great gluten free environment. Reviews coming soon!

Happy eating!
Tori

Product Review

Annie's Gluten Free Macaroni and Cheese

Once upon a time I used to buy huge multi-packs of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. The blue box standard is easy and great for those 2am study sessions. After going gluten free I found myself missing my cheap and easy fall back.

Annie's Rice Pasta & Cheddar is a great alternative. The pasta is tender but not soggy, the cheese sauce is akin to the sharp salty funk you know and love. But the best part is the blue box. This is something you could serve for your child and their friends without any of the other kids knowing anything is amiss. 

The only downside I have found with this so far is their recommended recipe is missing butter. If you look on the bottom of the box they do say, "for a rihcer sauce add 2tbsp butter," but this is not something you see readily. When making the pasta the recommended way the sauce comes out watery and does not stick to the noodles well. The butter is a necessary addition in my opinion.

Like most things gluten free the price is higher than it's gluten-full alternative, but I think it's quite reasonable at around $2.50 a box (at my local HEB). You can also order it in bulk off of Amazon for around the same price a box, around $30 an order.

Overall I would give this product a 4 out of 5. I think it tastes good and has a great texture but it is still a boxed mac and cheese. I often add ingredients and turn it into my own concoction. I would definitely recommend it for a quick easy meal or a baked mac n' cheese base.

Happy eating!

Tori