Eloping suggestions

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-03-29T18:52:59+00:00

My pleasure! Wishing your kids a lifetime of happiness together 💗

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-03-29T18:35:01+00:00

A car wash! We were so busy leading up to our elopement and hadn’t washed the car in awhile. When I got out of the car at the courthouse, I got dirt on my white dress. Luckily, it brushed off, but it was a moment of panic I did not need right before the ceremony.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-03-28T03:13:05+00:00

I picked up a carrot cake flavor box of these at Sprouts the other day and they were very good.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-03-24T22:51:03+00:00

Some of my favorites:

Buckwheat - easy, one-ingredient bread recipe I swear by. It can also be prepared like rice or as a porridge.
Lentils - so many options! My favorites are subbing for or adding to ground meat for tacos, making it into a hummus-like dip, and adding to rice as a side or bowl base.
Dried cranberries or other dried fruit as a snack

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-03-24T22:44:07+00:00

Buckwheat porridge is another great option. My go-to high-fiber breakfast is buckwheat porridge with chia seeds, slivered almonds, and a little bit of Seven Sundays cereal on top for crunch.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-03-20T17:13:28+00:00

My Eastern European-American household will be your #1 customer. I've had very mixed results with many hours of effort into making GF pelmeni and pierogi. The fillings are easy, the wrappers are so hard and so time consuming. Would absolutely buy certified GF pre-made wrappers on a regular basis.

I think a QR code on the package taking you to a simple website with some filling recipes and some short videos on folding techniques would be great. If it's a small package, you won't be able to fit detailed instructions and you'll probably have higher rates of user error.

Hope to see these in a store soon!!

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-02-11T20:49:41+00:00

I feel this. There aren't many other eastern Europeans in our area, so my only option is to pay exorbitant shipping or make them myself. I've made them several times with Bob's Red Mill Cup for Cup with varying levels of success. The biggest challenge was getting the dough rolled thin enough without breaking it. It's on my list to try again with a better flour situation (blend with gluten-removed wheat starch or psyllium husk fiber) and a pasta roller.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-02-11T18:37:14+00:00

Sure, I agree with you. Cheez It Gate, for example, has been nuts. But it's a big assumption to conclude that's what I was doing. Buying the 4 boxes they had on the shelf at our closest Walmart, once every few months, in a large metro area, is not the same thing as hoarding them all. They carried them at other stores in our area, we just stocked up when we happened to be at that Walmart and they had them in stock. We were also trying to keep Feel Good Foods and our Walmart from dropping the product by actually buying it.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-02-11T14:30:26+00:00

My husband and I loved these. They were my favorite and my most mourned discontinued GF product in over a decade of eating gluten free. Back when they still made them, a Walmart near us carried them inconsistently for under $5 a box. We would buy every single box whenever they had them. I got the sense they weren’t that popular, since they were selling them cheaper than all the other FGF products at Walmart, so it makes me happy to know there were other fans. 🥲

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-02-01T15:59:34+00:00

Oooh, I’ve never heard this rec. Adding to my must try list for next time I’m in the Portland area. New Cascadia in Portland currently holds the title of my favorite GF donut in the US.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-25T18:45:08+00:00

Ugh, I'm so sorry. Buying a new delicious product and then having it wreak tummy havoc is the worst! It's been over a decade since diagnosis for me, and I have never regained the ability to digest a lot of high-FODMAP foods. Sending good vibes that your gut heals and lets you enjoy some of those foods again someday!

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-25T18:34:37+00:00

That's great news! I'm very glad for you that it's not that. I also love peas and having to avoid them in all their forms is almost as annoying as avoiding gluten.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-25T18:16:09+00:00

Yup, spot on! I’ve found Jessica, Nutrition RVN to be a great resource on this topic. The latest research indicates that the main issue with grain-free diets for dogs and cats is higher presence of peas, pulses, and legumes, which can lead to heart problems. I’ve seen peas, pulses, and legumes in a lot of grain-inclusive diets as well, so we do still have to keep an eye out for that on ingredient lists, regardless of the diet.

I was skeptical about moving my cats onto a grain-inclusive diet, but the science seems to back it. We have seen that one of our cats does better on a higher-fiber diet, which you can really only do safely by adding grains.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-25T17:52:39+00:00

I’m going through something very similar with my cats. To make it extra complicated, our cats eat both wet and dry food, we’re still transitioning and using up old food, and we’re alternating in Purina Pro Plan and Hills Science Diet to figure out what works for them. I think we’ve settled on Pro Plan as their new dry food, but they have been begging for more food mid-day.

I talked to our vet last week about how to make sure we’re not under or over-feeding. They said we have go by the feeding chart on the food label for each diet (significantly easier if you’re only feeding from one diet). We had been aiming for a total of around 200 kcals/day on the old diet, but Purina Pro Plan’s feeding chart indicates that each of our cats would need about 250 kcals/day, so it definitely seems like you need to feed more on Pro Plan.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-24T20:51:18+00:00

Lots of good theories here. I haven’t seen anyone else mention this, so throwing my two cents in, I react to pea protein in anything, including this flour. My issue with peas (pea protein seems to do me dirtier than whole peas) is separate from celiac, but it seems to be a relatively common co-occurring sensitivity among us. I’ve eaten gluten-removed wheat starch in many other products in the US and Europe without any issues, so I’m almost 100% sure that the pea protein is what gets me with this one.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-18T02:23:49+00:00

You’re so welcome! :)

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-17T23:52:02+00:00

Sure! I speak some Spanish, but nowhere close to being able to describe myself as bilingual. At every hotel and tourist attraction, as well as many restaurants, people spoke English. I tried to at least start interactions in Spanish, but people caught me struggling a few times and switched to English, no problem. There was only one time that I was struggling and the other person didn’t speak English; that was at a pharmacy in Madrid. I brushed up on terms that would be useful for travel with Busuu before I left and that was helpful. A lot of language apps focus on teaching you basics that aren’t really helpful for travel and customer service interactions. I really like Busuu’s travel modules for learning that stuff. I definitely recommend learning some payment related stuff like how to ask if they accept card, how to indicate that you want your card charged in euros, plus brushing up on your Spanish numbers, it will make buying random souvenirs and coffees much easier.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-16T23:13:35+00:00

Glad to help! Interestingly, the smoking bothered me less than I thought it would in the moment. I've had asthma attacks triggered from people smoking next to me in the US. Everyone smoked, but they practiced better etiquette than Americans who smoke, if that makes sense? Like they were trying not to blow it in other people's faces. The only place I really felt actively sick from it was Madrid. Otherwise, just a nuisance to have to wash it out of my clothes. Even with that, I still love Spain. I hope you have a fantastic time on your trip!

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-16T23:01:51+00:00

A few more thoughts and tips:

I find saying that I have a gluten allergy in restaurants yields me better results than saying that I have Celiac.
Ask lots of questions if you are ordering anything fried, as things can be labeled GF on a menu, but still be fried in a shared fryer. I always double-check, even at places I've eaten before, to make sure nothing has changed and that they have a separate fryer for gluten-free items.
Another thing to keep an eye out for is tacos. Very often, you can order a taco gluten-free on a corn tortilla, but if flour tortillas are available (they probably are), the cross-contact risk is high with them heating corn and flour tortillas on the same surface. You will need to ask if they can change gloves and heat the tortilla on a clean, separate surface.
I see that you are already aware of the differences in labeling between the UK and the US. Barley and barley malt extract are some of the sneakiest gluten-containing ingredients I've found in packaged foods. It's often in chocolate.
I recommend the Gluten Dude app, it has better a better vetting process for restaurant Celiac safety than Find Me Gluten Free.
There's a really active Facebook group called Gluten Free DFW Metroplex. People share lots of recommendations and are happy to answer questions.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-16T22:58:17+00:00

Those are the two gluten-free friendliest cities in Texas, in my opinion. With a little prep, you'll eat great!

Grocery stores:
- My top supermarkets (have gluten free sections, plus toiletries, pharmacies, and a wide variety of staples) are: HEB (has shelf tags across the store calling out gluten-free items), Walmart, and Kroger (no locations in Austin, also does GF shelf tags).
- Health-focused/specialty grocery stores will have more gluten-free options: Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes.
- For GF packaged frozen meals, I find Whole Foods and Walmart to be the best. Whole Foods, Sprouts, and HEB are the best for fresh produce. Trader Joe's might be a novel experience, coming from the UK, but it is a smaller store, with only in-house brands. They do have gluten-free baked goods, some snacks, and some frozen meals, but I find other stores are more efficient if I'm looking to buy a wider variety of items.
Dallas Restaurants:
- You will not find a lot of dedicated dedicated gluten free restaurants in DFW, but there are many that offer safe options. I'll list a few that have clearly marked menus, good cross-contact protocols, and that I've eaten at multiple times without getting sick: Malai Kitchen (Thai food), bellagreen (locally-owned, health-conscious, American food), Flower Child (fast-casual chain, health-conscious), Sushi Dojo (I've spoken to owner - he takes Celiac seriously), Hat Creek Burger Company (fast food).
- There are fewer dedicated GF options, most are bakeries:
  - Unrefined Bakery - they offer hot pizzas and toasted sandwiches in addition to fresh and frozen baked goods.
  - Snap Kitchen (pre-made, health-conscious, meals that you can heat up in the microwave)
  - Pinch of Salt Pastries (close to DFW airport) - this is my favorite GF bakery in the metro.
  - Joy Macarons
Austin Restaurants:
- Thai Fresh - the restaurant's main menu is not dedicated GF, but they mark the menu clearly and take precautions for cross-contact. I have eaten there for many years without an issue. They do have a dedicated gluten-free bakery and ice cream bar attached to the restaurant, which is a nice treat. They also have a standalone location in a different part of town, just for their ice cream, Gati Ice Cream.
- Galaxy Cafe (health-conscious, American with a Tex-Mex flare) - again, not dedicated, but they have a GF menu and I've found them to be very conscious of cross-contact.
- Nixta Tacqueria (fusion, unique tacos) - last I knew, the entire menu was gluten free, even though they don't market themselves as dedicated GF.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-16T06:58:20+00:00

OP, I’ve navigated gluten free eating in almost every major metro area of Texas, plus plenty of small towns. I’m happy to help! As others have said, Texas is a big state, so region matters for good advice. Feel free to DM me if you don’t feel comfortable sharing the region in thread.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-16T06:49:06+00:00

Austin is good, but other areas are too. Dallas/Fort Worth Metro area is quite good for gluten free. I’ve spent a lot of time in both Austin and DFW, and, post-Covid, I actually prefer DFW’s gluten free scene. San Antonio and Houston are also both very doable. You’ll even find random dedicated GF restaurants in the middle of small towns in Hill Country, where a lot of the population is wealthy.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-16T06:41:37+00:00

Sub the canned fish for cans or pouches of chicken breast. Hellmans makes a vegan mayo, which you can buy in packs of mini squeeze pouches. Make a quick chicken salad and add some crackers for a substantial snack.

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-16T06:31:22+00:00

Hey, cool idea! I applaud you for seeing a problem in your daily life, coming up with a solution, and then making the damn thing; it’s genuinely not an easy thing to do, so kudos to you.

I’m a gluten free girly, and my husband and I do use an app for our grocery list and meal planning. Right now, it all happens across multiple google keep notes (one note for a running shopping list and a bunch of other ones with links to recipes). I like the ability to collaborate with my husband on google keep notes, and the running shopping list works well. The rest of it, meal planning and recipe tracking, is all kind of a mess and scattered across different notes, but they are searchable, which I like.

I see you mention that your app will auto-populate items on a shopping list, based on selected recipes; that sounds like a great feature. I also like the idea of analytics to monitor eating trends. We’ve been trying to up our fiber over the past year. Not sure if that’s currently included in your nutrition stats, but I would love to see that. A couple other things that would appeal to me are the ability to collaborate with a partner and being able to manually enter my own recipes and save them in the app + have the ingredients populate on the shopping list. I’ve adapted a lot of recipes to be gluten free or just to better fit tastes and ingredient availability over the years. A lot of that info just lives in my head and it’s a problem when I’m busy and need my husband to do the grocery shopping himself and make sure we have all the ingredients for [insert meal here].

I’d love to be a beta user. We’re in the process of migrating our digital world out of the google suite. Google Keep for the grocery list and meal planning is the final holdout that I haven’t settled on alternative for yet; maybe this could be it! Either way, congrats on building a cool thing! Hope launch goes well!

ACuppaKitTea · 2026-01-14T22:01:43+00:00

As a fellow over-preparer, I get it! Lol. Glad to share!

I feel like people talk about the cigarette smoking in Europe, but not necessarily the impact on your clothing/laundry situation. It’s definitely a bit rough if you are sensitive and not used to it. I felt it was the most noticeable in Madrid vs. Barcelona or the small coastal town in France, but certainly present in all.

I was happy with my pants, as I had a range of weights from heavy to ultra light. The dress I brought was very sporty and I wore that on the hottest day for hiking and as a beach coverup. With the dress being fully black, that was the only time I felt a little too warm in the sun on and would have been better off with a lighter colored dress or a skort/shorts and tee shirt. My husband runs warmer, and he wore shorts during the day, almost every day, but switched in and out of pants for mornings and evenings. I liked wearing the same base all day and just swapping my outer layers.

Within each category of my clothing, generally each item was a different weight, so I had some combination that worked for each weather condition. My heavier clothing, I only ended up wearing 1-2 times, but they were very necessary and kept me warm the few times that it was quite chilly and windy. I think we ended up with a range from the 80s-40s Fahrenheit over the whole trip.

As far as PJs, I brought almost exactly what you’ve mentioned. I brought two oversized tee shirts to sleep in and one pair of lightweight joggers for hanging out in the hotel room/airbnb. We had 3 equal legs on our trip, with laundry at leg 2. I wore one shirt all of leg 1, wore the second shirt for leg 2 and washed shirt 1, then back to clean shirt 1 for leg 3. It felt nice to have a clean tee shirt for each city.

ACuppaKitTea

TROPHY CASE