Twice a year, I’m super stoked to have celiac disease – Passover and May!!!
In the Jewish faith Passover is celebrated commemorating the departure of the ancient Israelites from Egypt, where they had been slaves to the Pharaoh. According to the biblical story, the Israelites left Egypt in such a hurry that they did not have time to let their bread rise. So, to commemorate this departure, people of Jewish faith do not eat leavened bread during the 8 days of Passover.
Typically Passover falls around the time of Easter for Christians.
At Passover, grocery stores stock up on gluten free items. There are gluten free flours, gluten free cake mixes, gluten free matzo (I used for breadcrumbs in a pinch), macaroons, and all sorts of gluten free goodies. Sometimes, I’m even able to find a few gluten free pastries, but those are rare.
But May is the big time. May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month!!
This is a time where those with Celiac Disease post about having celiac and being gluten free. I like to think I’m almost as annoying as Crossfitters talking about Crossfit during May. In full disclosure, I have a Crossfit Level 1 Certification and have done Crossfit off and on for a long time. So, no offense to Crossfitters, but we can get annoying talking about Grace, Kelly, and Murph. 😉
The real joy is that Aldi stocks up on gluten free items. They always have a great selection of gluten free items, but they really ramp it up at this of the year. Last year, I bought fresh gluten free pasta, gluten free cheesecake sampler, and the frozen General Tso’s Chicken. It was nice not to have to think about whether something was gluten free. This is also when I discovered their gluten free Cheddar biscuits. I prefer the Red Lobster ones, but the Aldi ones are where I started my love affair with these biscuits.
Just as a side note, be careful bingeing on the Aldi gluten free treats. If you eat too many, even though they are gluten free, they can still make you sick. I overdid it last year and was sick for a week!
Anyway, let’s start the gluten free fun and enjoy Celiac Disease Awareness Month!!