Eureka!!

We're taking a family "vacation" right now. And the reason I use the quotes is because we had dismissed the idea of a vacation this year due to the added cost of my return to school and the extra day care costs we're going to incur. However, since we didn't want to allow the summer to pass without doing something as a family, we pieced our vacation together. Monster and Monkey are with me at my parents' house and Man went to visit his mother (who is in a nursing home). He'll be back on Monday and we'll do a day trip to the beach and then head down to Charlotte for a couple days of the Discover Place and Great Wolf Lodge. Is it the week at the beach we hoped for?No. But the boys will have a blast and will remember this for quite some time.

The eye-opener for being gluten-, soy- and dairy-free while on vacation begins and ends with eating out. Gone are the days when we get to drive-thru Mickey D's (the Man and I always liked the excuse to eat junk food and the boys never turn down a Happy Meal), bagels for breakfast aren't happening, neither is IHOP. So, armed with sandwiches made with gluten-free bread, fresh fruit and vegetables and some funky gluten-free cookies, we made the drive to Raleigh, NC.

Today, hope came in the form of Bisquick and Borders book store. Did you know Bisquick makes a gluten-free mix? I made pancakes with it and almond milk and it was AWESOME--and since pancakes are one of Monster's favorite foods, it was an amazing find. Borders in this are closing and I managed to find a gluten-free baking book and an Eating Local cookbook that was worth it's weight in gold--and was 20% off plus an additional 10% member discount. So, even though eating junk food at the bowling alley is out, I have a line on cookies and cupcakes and puddings and main dishes that make me want to run out and raid my farmer's market for more food than our family can possibly eat in a month.

Right now, I feel positive, energized and hopeful. I'll see if I still feel this way after we go to Great Wolf Lodge. That will be our true test.