Holiday Orders

Easter is just around the corner, and I'm going to be heading to the East Coast to spend the holiday with my brother and his family. I'm so excited to see my beautiful goddaughter and spend time with loved ones. Because three people in our party have celiac disease, it is essential to plan the weekend's menu and do any necessary ordering ahead of time.

We will be having ham for our Easter dinner. Ham, like turkey, may contain hidden gluten, so it's very important to confirm that it is, in fact, gluten-free. We like Kirkland ham, which is safe for us.

At my sister-in-law's suggestion, we ordered our baked goods from Mr. Ritt's Gluten-Free Bakery. It is the same bakery from which she and my brother had gotten me a birthday cake a few years ago -- the one that helped me realize that I did have options when it came to my food. The completely gluten-free bakery does offer some dairy- and soy-free options, which makes it especially nice for me.

For this year's celebration, we will be having a cocoa-orange coffee cake as a part of our brunch Easter morning. A carrot cake will complete our Easter dinner as the primary dessert. We ordered it unfrosted -- you can get individual cake blanks -- as I'm the only casein-free person. That way, we can split it, and I can do a vanilla frosting for myself while they can do the traditional cream cheese concoction. A split cake may not make for the prettiest presentation, but it's sure to taste good. We also got almond macaroons to enjoy throughout the weekend.

Mr. Ritt's does offer savory as well as sweet items -- artisan breads, bagels and flour mixes to name a few. Allow 10 days for any orders, and visit www.mrritts.com to download a condensed menu and for contact information.