Why I don't like buffets.

If your office is anything like mine this week, it is filled with holiday cheer. Christmas parties seem to be on every floor, every day all week long. Yes. Happy Holidays indeed.  And while many love them, and look forward to them after all there are some pretty incredible raffles going on. At least in my company there is. When it comes down to it? I am not a fan.

The main reason: Buffets.

Now I know to most, including my husband buffets are amazing. So much to choose from!  Can’t make your decision, grab a hodgepodge and go. A little of everything surely doesn’t hurt anyone right?

Probably.

But for me, buffets are simply a pain in the…well you know what. 

Food Allergies.

Yes I will fully admit my food allergies will not kill me. Rather it means I will be in the bathroom, breaking out into hives and very well feeling like shit for the rest of the afternoon. It means being picky and having to explain why I can’t eat that piece of beef to the same person over and over.   It means there is bound to be someone who looks at me and thinks, no wonder you are skinny. I would trade my food issues for a chance to eat that steak without running for the hills any day.

The whole one hand thing.

I do not like to complain about my disability. I know and will continue to know there are people far worse than myself out there. And half the time, people forget-including myself from time to time-that I in fact even have a disability at all. Until I head up to the line at a self serve buffet line where I will struggle to hold my plate and get something to eat without making a complete ass of myself. Believe me, it is not easy, and I fear making a complete mess of myself in the middle of my office. Why don’t I just ask someone to help me out you may wonder? Well because my group doesn’t help me carrying boxes, holding a door when my hand is filled and will watch me struggle when I need help with something, cutting using right handed scissors etc. So why would they be willing to help me with a simple thing as a holding a plate. Half the time I do not even ask anymore.

For these reasons I find myself always offering to sit for the receptionist so she can enjoy herself. Because she will inevitably ask me to do so anyway. And I will wait until the last of the group make their way to the conference rooms and then will grab a plate myself and handle it on my own.

No, this post is not to make you feel sorry for  me. Rather as an explanation to those that sat and asked me why I don't like them. Because believe it or not I am alright with my decision. I don't mind it.

But please enjoy the buffet...

Skinnytaste

Food allergies sort of, well suck.  Sure one or two things in the grand scheme of things aren't all that bad. But when you have as many as I do, well it makes eating, hard. I have unfortunantely passed at least one of my food allergies on to my son.

And if that wasn't enough I had to go and have my colon tie itself in knots.I had three major to fix it. My already limited diet found itself that much more limited.

During the holidays with the knowledge that my son is allergic to dairy I went on a search for recipes for cookies sans the dairy and found the website Skinnytaste. A website dedicated to low fat, healthy and yes even allergy free meals. And yes, they had cookies. We were skeptical of course, more so Anderson who cringes at the idea of healthy living at times but recognizes the fact that both his wife and his son have allergies that can't be ignored.

Still he was willing to at least try, and we found ourselves making gingerbread cookies. Turned out they were amazing. So much so that we finished the entire batch, and shared them with some family members, who never knew.

After the cookies we figured that was the end, we were satisfied. But I found myself going back on the website from time to time to see what other goodies they may have. And what I found was meals and ideas and things that we could use instead of what we couldn't. And one rainy weekend, a recipe for chicken pot pie soup caught our eye and we found our selves running to the nearest store to pick what it called for. It may have took a little longer than expected but the end result was like the cookies, quite fabulous.

Seriously.

The most recent try was a shephards sweet potato pie and again it did not disappoint. Anderson in fact said it was one of the best meals he has made. I couldn't agree more.  Suddenly this whole eating healthy for him doesn't seem so bad. And everything we have made has been allergy proof for both my son and I.

Double score.

And you best believe we will be going back for more. I know my family is not the only family who battles allergies. Whether it be eggs, dairy or gluten she has an answer for it all. even if you don't and just looking for some great healthy recipes, I totally recommend giving Skinnytaste a try.

For further information including the recipes mentioned head on over to Skinnytaste.

I doubt you'll be disappointed.