[Wow, I have hibernated completely though Winter and even Autumn on this blog...so sorry, folks; I must try to do better! not getting a new camera to spice up my lonely blog with some Foodie pics didn't help, but I'm working on that lil' detail, too. Meanwhile...]

Yes, Purim is right around the corner, and I’m very excited about our plans for mishloach manot, since they will feature VEGGIES!! yep, vegetables are quite literally the centerpiece of the gift platters this year. More on that in a few days.

Our local supermarket has already begun stocking the shelves with the latest Pesach items, and I’ve been browsing to see what wonderful new gluten-free offerings the food companies have thought up for us. This is my stock-up time for those ‘convenience’ items that I don’t use on a regular basis [whether they were available year-round or not.] ; things like blintzes, gummy candies, chips, frozen french fries, potato-crusted fish sticks, soup nuts [mandel], ‘matza ball’ mix [made from potatoes, not matza], and the huge range of Pesach cakes and cookies that I stash in the freezer for times when I don’t want to bake, like oh, my birthday, for example. It’s a huge help, but an even bigger expense, so it’s always tricky, but the shopping is fun. [I found, of all things, gluten free kosher-for-Passover crunchy onion rings - similar to Funny-Uns; something I couldn't find for years. I'll report other finding during the upcoming weeks, hopefully.

This is also the time of the year to find things like powdered sugar without corn starch, soup powders without gluten and MSG, and other items that don't contain a bunch of grains. I'm fortunate that I can eat most non-gluten grains, but I do know people who can't, and Passover is a blessing for those who are limited in that regard: Pesach is the Potato Bonanza. Being Sephardi, I am allowed to have certain grains and legumes on Pesach, but I am very grateful for the nisht gebrokst crowd for encouraging the market to providing such products to us. [My sister is nisht gebrokst! :) ]

As for the situation I mentioned in the last post, I’m happy to say that things have changed dramatically. My father got onboard with adapting the house for my brother’s needs to be gluten-free, and my mother has followed suit. My bro B is feeling much better, and he’s very happy that his big sis makes him pizza and mac’n'cheese that doesn’t make his tummy ache. Amazing what a little education can do.

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