How to Help

We have been asked a LOT about how people can help our family. One thing that always comes up is of course- meal trains. Because Esella and I have celiac disease- we can’t accept foods made outside our home unless they are made in a GF home/kitchen OR unless they are from trusted restaurants.

(This is especially true for E who got “glutened” at Disneyland and is now even more fearful of foods).

Anyway…I believe there are two different meal train-type- things that have been set up for us….and I will provide information for those when I have them. For now…I wanted to share how you can help through these trains or even outside of them- if you do not have a GF kitchen.

1. Gift cards to Restaurants that are safe
2. Gift cards to Doordash or Grub Hub that we can use to have food delivered.
3. Drop off foods at our door that we can eat/snack on
4. Drop off ingredients for a meal at our home
5. Come cook a meal at our house that can be eaten then OR frozen for later.
6. Offer to take our kid(s) for a few hours on the days after chemo (or sleepovers). This round- my hard days were #2 & #3 after. I have Chemo on Thursdays- so these are always the weekend. We had 2/4 gone most of Saturday the first round and it was really helpful!

Giftcards for Meals:

• Life Is Sweet, Danville
• C Casa, San Ramon
• California Pizza Kitchen, Walnut Creek
• The Counter, Walnut Creek
• Red Robin, Concord
• PF Changs, Walnut Creek
• In n Out, California
• Mixt, San Ramon
• Yalla Mediterranean, Walnut Creek
• Ike’s Love and Sandwiches, Danville
• Mariposa Bakeshop & Cafe, Oakland
• True Food Kitchen, Walnut Creek
• Urban Plates, Pleasant Hill
• Danville Harvest, Danville
• Mariposa Bakeshop & Cafe, Oakland

Meals that could be dropped off to be prepared (IDEAS)

• Tacos (mission flour tortillas, hard corn tortillas, and soft corn tortillas; ground beef or chicken breasts, shredded taco cheese, chunky medium salsa, onion, 3 bell peppers of any colors, sour cream)
• Pasta (box of barilla pasta, Aidell’s meatballs (2 packs) or Aidell’s sausage (whatever flavor), red pasta sauce OR pesto sauce, veggies like onions, broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, etc.) A salad with cucumber and tomatoes is nice to go with it- and a 2 pack of bagettes for garlic bread is nice too- Schaar (usually found fresh), or Against the Grain or Udi’s (found frozen). 
• Three frozen pizza’s GF with a side salad (Cheese, Pepperoni and maybe something like chicken or something on it- a more “grown up” pizza….ha)
• Grilled Cheese and soup: Bread, Cheeses, GF soup, simple salad. 
• Chicken Skewers with sides: Costco has chicken skewers that are GF and easy to heat up. These go great with many sides- we usually do a veggie and a carb (potatoes, GF frozen French fries, rice, etc). 

Foods that can be dropped off:

Nonperishable:

• Chex cereal (Corn, Vanilla, Chocolate, or Peanut Butter flavors)
• Natures Path GF Oatmeal- Brown Sugar Maple flavor 
• KIND Granola (Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, Oats & honey)
• Bob’s Redmill 1 to 1 GF flour
• Gluten Free Bisquick 
• Annie’s Gluten Free Macaroni and Cheese 
• Pacific Foods Creamy Tomato Soup
• Pacific Foods Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
• White Rice
• Barilla Gluten Free Pastas
• Microwave Popcorn (POP secret or other brand- with butter- check label)
• Pirates Booty 
• Veggie Straws (make sure it’s GF)
• Mandarin Oranges (little cups)
• Ortega Hard Yellow Corn Taco Shells
• Nut Thins Crackers 
• Z bars- Protein Bars- Peanut Butter or Chocolate Chip

Perishable but Freezable (can be found either fresh or frozen)

• Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Bread (kids favorite bread)
• Canyon Bakehouse Everything Bagels 
• Canyon Bakehouse Heritage Bread (adults like this one)
• Canyon Bakehouse hotdog & hamburger buns 

Frozen Foods

• Nature’s Path Gluten Free Frozen Waffles
• Udi’s Bagels- white (freezer section usually)
• Udi’s hotdog & hamburger buns
• Freshetta Gluten Free Cheese Pizza
• Freshetta Gluten Free Pepperoni Pizza 
• Milton’s Cauliflower Crust pizzas (2 packs at Costco)
• CPK GF Pizzas 
• Frozen strawberries (use for smoothies)
• Ore-Ida Tator Tots- family size

Fresher foods that should last a bit in the fridge

• Aidell’s meatballs (Italian, caramelized onion- nothing with teriyaki)
• Aidell’s Sausage (most flavors- we don’t like mango- double check its GF- nothing with teriyaki) 
• Farmer John’s Bacon 
• Sliced cheese (medium cheddar-most used, provolone, swiss, jack)
• Italian Dry Salami (double check it’s GF)

Perishables:

• Mission GF soft “flour” tortillas
• Mission GF corn tortillas
• White or Yellow onions
• Brocolli
• Carrots
• Bananas
• Apples
• Zuccini 
• Mushrooms 
• Sweet potatoes 
• Any other potatoes (love them all)
• Bell peppers of any color
• Cucumbers 
• Grapes (I prefer red/purple but my kids like all of them)
• Grape tomatoes 
• Strawberries 
• Organic vanilla yogurt

I will continue to keep this list updated as we think of other things to add. If you have questions- PLEASE reach out and I can answer them (like specific GF brands of foods you are wondering about). In addition- Everett is a “vegetarian” meaning…he doesn’t eat meat but he does eat lots of fruit and dairy ;).

Also- I don’t love cilantro. Just saying.

But I do love tacos. And guacamole. And Bacon. And salads…..