Alisha here:

Sarah has been in Africa since Sunday so there will not be a gluten-free meal plan posted this week, understandably. She has been with her daughter, which has been rewarding and exhausting all at the same time. (If you are not familiar with her story you can see what she wrote before they left here.)

Sarah managed to type a post on her thoughts about eating gluten-free while traveling. If you are on a strict gluten-free diet you know this can be very challenging at times. If you are not, you can imagine. For some people a gluten-free diet is more of a preference but for Sarah it is a legitimate allergy, (go here to read more about how she learned she had a severe gluten-allergy) so it is necessary that she try to stay away from gluten as much as possible, no matter where she is on the planet. The allergies don’t take a vacation.

Check out this delicious lunch that awaited them when they got to the foster family who has been taking care of their daughter since September of last year. The foster mother served them barbecue chicken, salted fish (fish jerky really), fufu, cassava, boiled cassava, & rice. Chadwick, Sarah’s husband, says “It was obvious they were very proud and had worked very hard to be so hospitable. It was humbling, for sure.”

Sarah typed up a post about eating gluten-free while traveling, but was not able to upload her pictures before her laptop lost its charge. She requested that I add a couple of photos and she will share the photos of what she packed for the trip and the food she has been eating  later when she gets back. This is the one picture (above) of the food they were eating that they shared on Facebook so I wanted to share it with you. I thought I would also share some of the other precious moments that Sarah and her husband posted on Facebook of their time in Africa so far, just to bring you up to speed and to let you know how to be praying for them.

Some pictures of Sarah with her
adopted daughter, while in Africa.

Chadwick and Sarah brought gifts for their daughter and the foster family. Phoebe Benedicte helped them give gifts to all the children and adults, who were so very thankful. The kids loved the suckers (bon-bons), and the flashlights they bought them!

 

Sarah says this: “She had fun today trying on ALL of her headbands at once! She is definitely a little princess!”

Chadwick says: “We went to the US Embassy, where technically Phoebe was on US soil!!  (the picture here was just afterward, as they would not allow it inside). Here we submitted our final documents, and completed our visa interview!”

A nice day of relaxing and playing together. (Play-dough with daddy.)

 

Cuddles and resting with mommy. I love this picture!

Their latest update from Chadwick and Sarah was posted yesterday: They are still waiting on the passport photo, but their medical/visa requirements have all been met/acquired!! They say that when they get the passport they will go get their visa no problem!

Bonjour from Africa!

As many of you know, my husband and I left on Sunday of this week for Congo, Africa! After a 4 year process, we are finally going to bring home our adopted daughter. There is a lot of joy in our hearts at finally holding our daughter and knowing it is forever! Yet jet lag, culture shock and a 4 year old with unlimited energy (who thinks momma is a playground and trampoline rolled into one) also brings exhaustion. Which is why it is so important that I have prepared ahead of time by bringing gluten free food.

So how do you prepare yourself for an international trip if you are gluten free?

First and most important piece of advice:

Pack as though the only food you can eat is what you bring.

Packing enough gluten free food to feed yourself breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks may seem overwhelming but with some preparation it is simple.

When I get back I will share a picture of what I brought on my trip.

For now, here is a breakdown of the meals/snacks I packed…

Breakfast:

Gluten Free Instant Oatmeal. Did you know Quaker now sells Gluten Free Instant Oatmeal? Got mine at Target!

Kind Oat Bars & Kind Chia Bars (I brought lots of these!)

Gorilla Munch Corn Puffs (The box got a little squished in the suitcase- but the cereal was fine!)

Rice Cakes with Peanut Butter

Banana Chips

Lunch & Dinner

Tuna, tuna, tuna- I brought about 12 cans of tuna! It is hard to find tuna that is soy free, but at wal-mart you can buy the Ocean Natural that is soy free and it’s under $2 a can! You could also bring a container of mayonnaise in a plastic bottle to make tuna salad. Also you can buy canned chicken to take as well!

Canned Black Beans

Gluten free Canned Chili or Soup (I already at mine!)

Peanut Butter and Crackers (or buy GF bread/GF tortillas)

Idaho mashed potato flakes (small prepacked that only requires water to make)

Curry and vegetable fried rice (Found this at Wal-mart- no gluten or soy! Put in microwave or pan to reheat. I wish I would of bought more of these!)

Snacks

Mixed Nuts

Veggie Chips (These are like pringles, but gluten free! I found mine at Walmart)

Kind Bars (gluten and soy free)

Dark Chocolate (great topped with peanut butter!)

Peanut Butter (grab a spoon, scoop it up and top with some chocolate chips!)

Rice Cakes

Banana Chips

Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks (Honey Mustard are yummy!)

Breton Gluten Free Crackers (These are my favorite gluten free crackers!)

Smoked Sausage or Beef Jerky

Microwave popcorn

When you get to your destination, scope out your hotel’s menu for gluten free options. For example, I am eating a lot of rice, french fries, roasted chicken, eggs, bananas and avocado. It is unsafe here for me to eat fruits or veggies that do not have a hard “shell” or exterior, but if you are somewhere where you can drink the local water then find fresh fruits and veggies to stock up on in your hotel room! Another great source of protein is local cheese and deli meats.

We are lucky enough to have a stove in our hotel room and so I packed accordingly. Another traveling tip is to try to get a hotel room with a kitchenette or at least a microwave. There are so many things nowadays that you can make in just the microwave! For example- the curry and vegetable rice can be made using a microwave!

One more thing: don’t forget about packing food in your carry on for the plane ride! We were on a plane for 15 hours (on and off) and the only thing safe to eat was 1 time when there were mashed potatoes. Prepare food in your carry on to sustain yourself on the flight. I bought individual jif peanut butter- do not carry on the regular sized jar because it is considered a liquid (it is allowed on the plane but you must put it in your liquids bag), beef jerky, crackers for the peanut butter, kind bars, nuts and dark chocolate. The last meal you eat in the states be sure to EAT A LOT! I ate a huge lunch and it helped me to feel full for at least the first flight!

Well, friends my laptop battery is about to die and we do not have an international power adapter that is currently working so I must say Au revoir!

Until next time, Blessings!