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Let’s face it, being gluten free and fabulous is a lot of work and try as I might to squeeze everything in to a mere 24 hours it is a challenge.  My day job is quite hectic and requires focus and quite frankly allows me to maintain my gluten free and fabulous lifestyle to which I am accustomed.  Oh, I am not going to sugar coat it; GFM is HIGH maintenance but as you know makes no apologies.  Work hard, play harder…what a great mantra.

As I have been gaining more and more readers, I though it might be a good time to do a Best of GFM’s blog posts.  So, I selected some of my favorite posts and thought the best way to share was to shove them right in all of your facesJ.  To my new readers, I hope you will find them both entertaining and useful.  To my regulars, isn’t the second time around always best?  Here are my top 10 favs, in no particular order because quite frankly can you really pick a favorite child:

1.       A Tale of Two Allergies

2.       I'm Not Hungry. I'll Just Pick

3.       Fait Accompli, Gluten Free

4.       Sometimes the Most Delicious Things in Life are the Most Dangereuse Dahlings

5.       Not in My Backyard

6.       Living Well in a World Full of Gluten

7.       A Family Affair

8.       Knowledge is Power

9.       Gluten Free at the Office

10.   Fly Me to the Moon
 
A Family Affair 09/10/2009
 
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GFM is hosting his parents this weekend (actually starting today).  It is great to see them and if you did not see my status update on Facebook the other day I count myself very lucky to have them here.  About a year and a half ago my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that was found really as a fluke as there is no proper test for this type of highly aggressive cancer.  Long story short, after a major surgery (8.5 hours), chemo, and radiation he is still here and, cancer free. 

I supposed I was waxing nostalgic yesterday as it was his birthday – one I in all honesty did not think I would see.  When all of this first happened, my brother who is a medical doctor, helped keep me grounded and realistic as to my father’s prognosis.  Sometimes the truth is harsh and not what we want to hear but, alas, looking back I am glad to have prepared for the worse and hoped for the best.  I was able to move to the West Coast (where my parents were for the surgery) and work remotely the entire time thanks to my company (a great one by the way).  Throughout it all my father never once complained, other than he was “too thin” proving that heroes are, in fact, right in front of our eyes and we just need to open them.

 Both my parents have actually had bouts with cancer.  My mother had breast cancer and prior to this last bout my father had prostate cancer.  It is experiences like this that make me realize my food allergies are really insignificant in the broader spectrum of life and quite frankly if they are the only hurdles I must leap through, I count myself lucky.

Anyway, we are an extremely close knit family and my parents have been married more than 50 years now.  I will dedicate a post to the fabulous party my brother and I threw for them high above Manhattan soon because it was a lesson in gluten free party planning on a truly grand scale so stay tuned.
 
 
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You might have read in a previous post that my mother is my partner in crime, if you will.  We travel the world together and have elevated both shopping and food to a religious experience.  Now everyone always likes to say that there Mom is the best cook…well when it comes to cooking I think I can safely say that my Mom kicks your Mom’s…well, you get the idea.

I jest, but in all seriousness my mother taught me pretty much everything I know about cooking and I remember spending time in the kitchen growing up watching her prepare magnificent meals.  This is likely where I gained my love of entertaining.  My parents (both of whom are still very much with us) loved to entertain and never did anything on a small scale.  The looked for any excuse to throw a fête and were constantly entertaining – it is just what they do.

Well, I have asked my mother to share a few of her delicious recipes with my readers and she gladly agreed.  Now, I am not going to post them all at once but thought I would start with what is likely my favorite, Mom’s tomato sauce with meatballs.  This sauce takes over 6 hours to cook but fear not, it is done in a crock pot so there is minimal stress.  I remember my mother prepping a pot just before bed and awakening to the smell of sauce wafting though the house.  I used to sneak into the kitchen and have a meatball for breakfast.  Mom never minded because, as all Mom’s do, she knew her sons and husband often could not resist and would always make extra meatballs.

It’s funny the things we remember – the smells, the tastes, the sounds, the experiences.  I can say without a doubt that food was a major part of my childhood and some of the best times were spent around the dining room table.