Spring has Sprung... Almost

It’s Spring! Well almost... As I sit here and look out my window I can see tiny shoots of green peeking up through the mud pit that my front yard has become. This gives me hope! Soon, the world will be green again and the sun will reign supreme once more. So, I am launching a preemptive strike. In spite of the gray clouds and the warnings of “one more winter storm”, I am getting prepared!

I don’t know about you, but my life changes seasonally. From what I eat to the things I do, it all fits the season. So, first on my list is to bring out the Spring eats. Naturally, Spring eats will have to have a lot of greens. This is so easy to do since almost all green foods are naturally gluten free! I hadn’t really thought about that before today, but it’s true. The chill in the air tells me that soup weather is not entirely gone, so we’ll move to lighter soups and colorful foods with the greens.

With these thoughts in mind, and really just for fun, I went to the recipe section and put together my Spring menu. We’ll start off with a Very Tasty Green Salad, and because I’m hungry, I’m going to pair the salad with The Best Asparagus Soup You’ve Ever Had. Ever. For the main course, we’ll have some Sundried Tomato Pesto Chicken with Pine Nuts (because I love sun-dried tomatoes and this dish is pretty!) Finishing out the meal is Fruit Cobbler (mixed berry, perhaps?)

After stuffing myself silly on this colorful, Springy fare, it’s time to turn my attention to other Springtime matters, like cleaning. Spring cleaning is a time honored tradition in many homes. One that brings new life to winterized adults, and sends the kids into hiding. If you recently went gluten free, there are things to consider when it comes to Spring cleaning that may have never made your list before.

First off, make sure to check the ingredients of those cleaning supplies for hidden contaminants. The last thing you want to do is clean your counters with gluten. While you’re at it, why not take the “green” theme a bit further and make sure you are using products that will keep the environment as squeaky clean as the house is about to be.

Another thing to put on the Spring Clean list is the pantry. It has come to my attention that there are some Celiac patients out there who are, in fact, gluten cheaters! (You know who you are) Now is your chance to quit it! As you lift each item off the pantry shelf to wipe away the winter dust, make sure you toss out the ones that will lead to temptation. Trust me, your intestines will thank you.

Since my cleaning products got switched out last year and my reactions are too severe to even consider cheating, I get to skip those two steps. Instead, I turn my attention to the lunch box. From this day forth, I will let the winter doldrums have the peanut butter and jelly. I will pack my daughter’s lunch-box with green salads, fresh veggies and tasty chicken wraps. This way, she too will know that Spring has Sprung!

One last thing before I leave you to your thawing out. Scanning the recipes section led me to the sad realization that Spring recipes are in short supply. This is a problem that I charge each member of the Gling community with fixing! What are you waiting for? I’m telling you, we have to get ahead of the curve here in order for Spring to know how badly we want it. I’m going to trust that you have this under control, though, and leave you to it :)