potluck problem yesterday

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/27/2009 9:26:06 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,

Petagoatjunction writes:

 

How do you " guess " what is safe when you eat out? There were over 50

people at the party with quite a variety of dishes that I didn't know who made

what, so I couldn't ask.

 

 

What we do at our vegetarian potlucks is to mark things with a G, D and E

for Gluten, Dairy and Egg content oh yes forgot S for soy since some members

are allergic to these things and others are Vegan. We brought up at a

general meeting how so many people are now allergic to so many things that it

is only a common sense thing to lable items that may contain common

allergens I do believe we need to add Nuts to the list too. You may want to

suggest the same thing because I very much doubt you are the only family that

has those issues.

 

I do hope they can implement some kind of markings.

 

Lisa

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

My family and I went to a potluck yesterday at the organic farm where I work. I

ate just salad, pickles and some corn bread thinking that was probably safe for

no meat/no dairy. I guess the corn bread was made with some type of dairy as I

had a horrendous headache last night and was up most of the night with stomach

problems. My kids were smart and ate just the zucchini muffins I brought and

some sourdough bread. They ate when they got home. My 13 yo son is afraid to eat

anything that he doesn't know what's in it because of his lactose intolerance.

How do you " guess " what is safe when you eat out? There were over 50 people at

the party with quite a variety of dishes that I didn't know who made what, so I

couldn't ask. At 4:00 this morning I decided I would no longer eat anything at a

potluck that I didn't make myself. Is there another way?

 

Michelle in NV

[Guest guest]

Seems like most regular cornbread will have milk it it. If you want to stay

away

from milk products at something like a potluck, I would stick with vegetables

dishes

that are not in a creamy looking sauce and most salads would probably be

ok....then

you take a safe bread....you can always take a tote bag with extra bread in it

to make

sure your children get enough to eat.

 

Since this is also your work place and might be able to have input into the

next potluck,

I would put the suggestion out there that since everyone brings such

" wonderful " dishes,

maybe everyone could either a complete recipe or at least an ingredients list

to be

displayed in front of each dish so everyone can know what it contains or copy

the recipe.

 

In this day and age there are most likely many people who might be attending a

potluck

like this that have either mild or severe food allergies so this would help

out everyone.

When I take a dish to a potluck, to a bereaved home or for someone with a new

baby

or even something for a bake sale, I ALWAYS provide a recipe with the food

item.

 

Nancy C.

[Guest guest]

That is a good idea to mark everything. I know there is another man there who is

lactose intolerent and a 1 year old boy who has severe dairy allergy so it would

have been very helpful to have things marked.

 

Michelle in NV

[Guest guest]

It should be easy enough to do, especially if each person is only bringing one

or maybe two dishes and would give everyone peace of mind before they dig in!

Nancy

 

 

That is a good idea to mark everything. I know there is another man there

who is lactose intolerent and a 1 year old boy who has severe dairy allergy so

it would have been very helpful to have things marked.

 

Michelle in NV

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi!

 

    I sympathize with your problems re: the potluck meal!  There was a time when

I had to watch everything I ate because of chemical sensitivities--seemed to be

a lot of food I could eat if I made it myself and knew all the ingredients, but

at the time I avoided all corn, soy & dairy on principle because they were the

worst.  Later, I discovered the organic foods and could slowly add back some of

those, except corn has always bothered me, so I still avoid it unless I am very,

very careful and only eat a very small amount infrequently.

 

Anyway, I am married to a minister and our church always had potlucks where I

had to make  & bring most everything I ate on my own, not trusting the other

foods there, no matter how good they looked or how much I might have liked to

try them.  I remember how hard that was, and the other people would always say,

" Too bad you have so much food trouble--sorry you can't eat anything here! "   (If

I went to the trouble of explaining, it never seemed they would change anything

they did with food prep, but it was okay--I always took enough food for myself

and to share and that was just how it had to be!)

 

When eating out, to avoid problems with foods you can't tolerate, it's good to

remember to TELL the wait-person what you DON'T want, for example, shredded

cheese or cheese sauce (which might be on veggies, especially broccoli or over a

baked potato).  Possibly, you also would not want butter, depending on how

butter affects you. 

 

You HAVE to remember to ask, because they don't tell you everything...Just

politely say, " Does this come with something on it?  Please leave

off....(whatever it is). "   You can also ASK:  " Put (dressing, margarine, a

condiment) ON THE SIDE... "

 

I have the opposite problem, in that most margarine, made from various unknown

oils, might contain corn oil, which I am sensitive to.  I just try to avoid ALL

margarine on principle, so I try to ask (ALWAYS, but sometimes I forget) at a

restaurant, " Does the (vegetable being ordered) come with something? Is that

margarine or real butter? "   Our wait-person has often gone back to check to see

what the restaurant uses and has returned to tell me.  If it's margarine and

they don't have butter, I ask (as nicely as I can) for the item to be either

plain or (for a baked potato), I ask for a favorite salad dressing " ON THE

SIDE " . 

 

If I think to ask FIRST, then I have most of the time been served what I asked

for, the WAY I requested it.  Only occasionally, and it does happen, I have had

something go wrong and

either the server or the food-preparer made the mistake.  I try to be polite and

ask nicely, but asking for something on the side, no matter what comes with the

food, is always safe, because then you can leave it off if it doesn't agree with

you.

 

This is probably most important with baked potatoes, which sometimes are

routinely topped with blobs of margarine/butter AND (sometimes) also plops of

sour cream. 

 

I hope the next time you have to eat out in a restaurant or at a potluck you are

able to find foods you love and that are agreeable to your health needs!

 

Peace and blessings!

--Laura B., in Illinois

 

Have to stick to veggies, hummus dips, rice, baked potatoes, corn chips, etc.

Donna

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I agree Nancy, they will never list all the ingredients. I have been ready to

eat macaroni salad many times at potlucks, when I ask what the ingredints are

they will say, oh you can eat it, there's macaroni, onion, mayo, celery, salt

and pepper. They overlook the can of tuna, or crab or shredded chicken you

usually can't see.

The safest food is your own food so make sure to take a dish to share and toss

an avocado, rustic roll, banana or something to go along with your meal, in your

purse or in a cooler bag in the car so you can grab it before you sit down to

eat.

Donna

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

[Guest guest]

That's too bad. Everyone around here seems to be pretty good at bringing

their

recipe just written on a 3 x 5 card and putting it in front of their dish. I

definitely

agree it is a good idea to bring something along extra that you can eat. The

only

thing there is there is for sure to be SOMEONE who comes up and says, " Boy!

That looks delicious!! Where did you find that one? I want some of that! "

People!

Nancy

[Guest guest]

I love that idea, especially for larger gatherings. I wish more people did

that, if only for the simple reason that there is usually a salad or dessert

that is so good I have to have the recipe! At the last potluck I went to, I

had to ask around quite a bit to figure out who made these fantastic

chocolate peanut butter bars... My grandmother finally mailed me the recipe

a couple of weeks later, after the cook heard that " Doug's daughter " wanted

the recipe for them, and got it to Grandma.

 

Audrey

 

On Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 11:21 AM, nancy curtis <nancihankwrote:

 

>

>

> That's too bad. Everyone around here seems to be pretty good at bringing

> their

> recipe just written on a 3 x 5 card and putting it in front of their dish.

> I definitely

> agree it is a good idea to bring something along extra that you can eat.

> The only

> thing there is there is for sure to be SOMEONE who comes up and says, " Boy!

> That looks delicious!! Where did you find that one? I want some of that! "

> People!

> Nancy

>

>

>

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Maybe you could encourage more people to do it by doing it

yourself and maybe putting a little note in the bulletin that

everyone gets about the next pot-luck. You never know what

can happen until you try.

Nancy