Last Minute Tips for Awesome Allergy-Free Holiday Entertaining

And even if you completely miss Hanukah and Christmas, there’s always Boxing Day (December 26th)!

Allergy-Free Holiday Entertaining Survival Guide

When you are struggling with food allergies, the holidays may seem daunting, but they don’t have to be. There are so many fun and easy party ideas and holiday activities that don’t have to be about food, that embrace the allergy-free lifestyle or that combine food and friends while shifting the focus from the former to the latter. Here are some fun ideas for both the grown-ups and kids in your family:

1) The best way to ensure that you don’t have an allergic reaction is to do the hosting! This doesn’t have to be a drag or tons of work: plan your menu and then email your friends your favorite allergy-free recipes (5 ingredients or less makes it easier for them) and host a potluck New Year’s Eve dinner. That’s exactly what I did for Thanksgiving! My friends loved trying a new, easy recipe, and I knew that the menu would be both delicious and safe. Put one person in charge of finding a good gluten-free beer and a great biodynamic wine.

2) Have an allergy-free recipe exchange/ cocktail party. Steep various fruits (cranberries, pomagranate, oranges or raspberries) peppers or vanilla beans in individual bottles of vodka and have vodka flights (one bottle of plain vodka per fruit, vegetable or bean. More specific instructions are on the Internet). Serve warm cider as a non-alcoholic drink. Ask everyone to bring a gluten-free, dairy-free or nut-free recipe with a memory of that recipe attached and trade at the party.

3) Host a tree-trimming party. Serve coffee and juice, a crudités platter. Have everyone over right after lunch but well before dinner so the focus is not on food but on good friends and the holiday spirit.

4) Host a gluten-free cookie exchange. Tell friends to be creative with their gluten-free baking or bring new brands for everyone to try. Bring a dozen, leave with a season’s worth of holiday baking. Provide boxes for your guests to load up. Serve coffee and tea.

5) Have the kids over for a cookie or pretzel decorating party. Buy gummy candies, Necco wafers, allergy-free sprinkles and chocolate chips, whatever looks good, make a simple frosting from confectioner’s sugar and water and go to town! Get gluten-free pretzel rods and make them into snow men with the frosting and mini chocolate chips or decorate allergy-free cookies from the supermarket.

6) Make allergy-free ornaments from cornstarch play doh. There are loads of recipes on the Internet.

7) Make a “gingerbread” house from cardboard and let your kids and their friends decorate it with a simple frosting made from confectioner’s sugar and water, safe candies (Necco wafers make great roof tiles), fruit or whatever else you can think of! Affix large, plain, pink or orange lollipops behind the windows with frosting and light from the inside with a mini-flashlight.

Host a “Wear Your Ugliest Christmas Sweater Party”. Play Christmas carols, serve take-out Sushi and have a screening of Charlie Brown’s Christmas Movie. Award prizes for the worst sweater!

9) If you are attending someone else’s potluck bring an interesting allergy-free dish. My fudge or gingerbread men are always great, or make meatballs with rice bread crumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs and cornstarch in place of the egg (about 1 TBS cornstarch per pound of meat).

10) Going out or to others’ homes is inevitable during the holidays. Ask, ask, ask! Never be afraid to ask a waiter in a restaurant what is in your h’ors doeurves or dinner. If the waiter doesn’t seem knowledgable ask to speak with the chef. Same goes for your hostess. But remember: when in doubt, leave it out.