We are family....

Back to food blogging we go...
Last week I was fortunate to have dinner at a family member's house I'd never been to before. She was kind enough to contact me to send her a list of my allergies so that she could make something that in her words, "wouldn't kill me." I always appreciate that.
I sent her the short list (ha). Tomatoes, avocado, bananas, cashews, pecans, macadamia nuts, walnuts, olive oil, paprika, oregano, celery, celery seed, and to please avoid anything heavily dairy. ( i left out all of the raw vs. cooked allergies I have because they're mind-boggling. I've received a couple emails as to what my allergies are. I'll give you all the list another time!)
She came through, big-time.
I was treated to a salad of three different kinds of lettuce (she kept the tomatoes, croutons, and all other accompaniments in separate bowls) with a salad dressing she had found that was a soybean oil base (balsamic vinaigrette by Cardini's? delicious and available in most grocery stores) and did not include the dreaded spices. She brushed corn oil on the grill and kept my chicken breast in a separate container so that it could not mingle with the barbecue chicken she had also prepared. She used separate tongs and kept my chicken on the opposite side of the grill. I was also given whole-wheat rolls.
It was a fantastic dinner for the sole purpose that she had not only inquired and cared enough not to poison me, but because she seemed to master what people in my life who've been dealing with this for a long time already know. She manipulated the meal so that I was eating a variation of the same thing that she was serving everybody else. A few extra serving items, and she didn't have to cook a second complete meal!
She made such a fuss over me that I was really touched. I also ate a fantastic, plain meal without any anxiety as to whether there would be an allergy attack. Non-allergic husband's family makes me feel very lucky sometimes! Thanks, non-allergic cousin :)!