Sometimes, I just want to eat gluten. Period.

I’ve been gluten free for about three years now and at first it was hard. Super hard. However once I got the hang of it, just like anything else it became easier and easier to do. But sometimes…. it’s not easy at all…

SO WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL

I’m not sure, but I do know that every once in a while I just want to go out to eat and not worry if there is gluten in that soup or sauce, or have a big fluffy bun with my hamburger.   Just one, I’d like to walk into the grocery store, smell the freshly baked donuts, and walk over to the bakery so I can get 1 (or 3).  When going to a function with my kids (where there is ALWAYS food), I might want to try that bar or cupcake that looks so wonderful.  I’m guessing that my six year old will join in this rant as he just wants to have a real girl scout cookie and to eat a school lunch just once in his life.

When it comes to food, I’m simple and these are simple requests.  They are requests that anyone with a food allergy or intolerance have every single day for almost every single meal.  It’s something that most people take for granted, but alas those of us with food issues do not.

STOP, YOU’RE SCARING ME

I don’t mean to be scary and honestly 90% of the time, it’s not an issue. Usually I just bring buns, treats, or food that is gluten free for me and my son and everything is fine.

It’s that other 10% when I’m tired of being so vigilant and we eat a bun with our shredded pork at the graduation party we attended last weekend because I didn’t have it together enough to make/pack buns for us.  Or my will is just down and I want to be normal.  A bun for cripes sake – just one bun!

THEN IT HAPPENS – FOR REAL

When I imbibe in gluten then the fun starts.  The symptoms creep back. I get a little down and super duper tired – so tired that my eyes and face hurt. Sometimes I get horrid GI issues that you do not want to know about and at other times I will get painful sores in my mouth that make eating almost impossible.  I also get these fun skin rashes/bumps on my arms at times too.  Sometimes I have just one of these symptoms and sometimes I get to experience multiple of them at one time.  It’s a blast.

SO WHY DO YOU DO IT THEN?

I do it sometimes because I’m not a celiac and it won’t put me in the hospital and sometimes you just need to let go.  Am I recommending that you do this? HECK NO!  But sometimes if are willing to face the consequences then you  need to just take it from Elsa and “LET IT GO!” and do it.

New Gluten Free Cookbook: Gluten Free Classic Snacks

A NEW GLUTEN FREE COOKBOOK – WHO CARES?

Um, I DO, I DO!! or at least those who are gluten free should totally be excited when a new cook book is released that will help us cook or bake like our glutinous friends can.  The latest cook book from Gluten Free on A Shoestring a.k.a. Nicole Hunn is really quite great!

It was officially released last week on April 7, but I’ve had my pre-ordered copy for a few weeks now.  You can get it too on Amazon.com!

WHAT MAKES THIS COOKBOOK SO WONDERFUL?

First off, it brings us recipes for all the classic snack cakes, crackers, and candies that we cannot have because they are full of wheat, rye, barley, spelt, or kamut (ok, I’ve never actually seen spelt or kamut in anything super deliciously yummy, but stay with me….).

Secondly, the book is full of color photos that are beautiful.  I love it when cookbooks have photos so you know how it’s supposed to turn out.  Sometimes folks will scrimp on the photos but not Nicole.  These photos are top notch!

Lastly, it brings to me (and you!) all of those girl scout cookies you can’t have, the hostess cupcakes and twinkies you long for and last but not least, KIT KATS! I’m jonseing  for a kit kat it seems like every three months or so (and especially around Halloween!), so that recipe excites me to no end.  It makes me feel normal and not deprived by living a gluten free lifestyle.  It also helps my son be more normal too, like at school when they are constantly having gluten filled treats, I can whip something up for him and he’s just like all the other kids.

WHAT HAVE YOU TRIED? WAS IT GOOD?

The first recipe I tried was the Archway Soft Iced Oatmeal Cookies on page 81.  Needless to say, they were pretty awesome.  The oatmeal cookie has mini chocolate chips which in my  mind elevates the cookie to another level.  The cookie is soft and sweet, just like I like my cookies. The glaze on top is not any ordinary glaze. It has a hint of lemon that really pulls it all together.

The second recipe I’ve tried is the Thin Mints girl scout cookies (page 42). I am a girl scout leader and it kills me every year that I cannot have these cookies!  They are beyond delicious!!!  My husband even says that they are better than the real thing and I have to agree. They are minty and snappy just like a girl scout thin mint but it has all real ingredients! What could be better than that?

This week I plan on making the Little Debbie Cosmic brownies (page 113) so I can make them into mini legos for my son’s Lego party that we are having this weekend. I’ll let you know how they turn out and also how I plan a gluten free birthday party later this month.

WANT TO TRY BEFORE YOU BUY?

If you want to try out some recipes before you purchase this, then I urge you to head on over to glutenfreeonashoestring.com.  She has posted two recipes from the book that will make your test buds and bellys super happy!!! The first one is for gluten free Twix bars and the second is for gluten free hostess cupcakes.

I’m not a gambling type of gal, but if I were, I bet Nicole may post even more of these solid gold recipes, so keep watch out for them! Yeah baby!

** UPDATE: 4/15/15 **

Nicole posted another great recipe today for Little Debbie Style Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Crème Pies. I love these little guys.  I cannot wait to try them!

Also, if you visit the gluten free on a shoestring blog and sign up for email notifications she gives you a PDF of 5 recipes from the new cookbook.  WHAT A STEAL!  Go check it out today for your free recipes.

P.S. I purchased this cookbook with my own funds and all of my opinions are my own!

Gluten Free Menu Plan: April

MENU PLANNING, IS IT USEFUL?

Yes, super useful!!! It keeps me sane and I’m not stuck nightly trying to determine what we’re having for dinner.  Therefore, I thought it might be fun to start publishing some menu plans each month.  One of the questions I get the most from curious friends and family is, “How do you know what to make every day especially now that you’re gluten free?”  It doesn’t have to be hard once you get used to the gluten free products out there and build some confidence converting recipes.

I menu plan one week at a time and I usually do it the week before I’m going to use it.  Since I’m posting this on a Friday, this for instance would be my menu plan for the following week.  This allows me to prepare my grocery list and get my shopping done at the beginning of the week or during the weekend. Sometimes I have to go back mid-week for fresh items but usually only once – twice max.  It also allows me to plan ahead for some ingredients or pieces of the menu that needs to be made ahead.  I’ll make sure to note that clearly so you will be prepared if you follow my menu plan at any given time.

This also allows me to work around our weekly activities. For instance my daughter has dance on Wednesdays, so usually we’ll have leftovers that night so I load up early in the week to cover a “no cook” night on that day.

SAMPLE MENU PLAN FOR APRIL

Sunday: Gluten Free chicken tenders from Perdue, Ore-Ida Mini Tator Tots, Green Beans

We usually have the kids swimming lessons on Sunday nights and I do Zumba at the YMCA, so Sunday night dinners need to be fast and hearty!

Monday: Breakfast for dinner night – Iowa Girl Eats Breakfast Pizza, fresh fruit

I’m so happy that the Iowa Girl we all love has gone gluten free. She has some really superb recipes!

Tuesday: Taco Night!

We use Old El Paso or Ortega hard shell tacos that are gluten free.  I make up my own seasoning mix for the ground beef and of course avocado slices, lettuce, tomatoes, and grated cheese are all naturally gluten free.  When I’m really in a special mood, I’ll make up a batch of the Pioneer Woman’s Restaurant Style Salsa. It is so fresh and yummy even though some of the ingredients come from cans – you’d NEVER know! I swear on it!

Wednesday: Leftover Night

This is dance night, so this is the evening where we clean out the fridge or sometimes get take out.

Thursday: Fresh Lemon Pasta with grilled Pork Chops and Asparagus

My kids adore pasta – I mean l.o.v.e. it!  I’m glad that I can make it for them and the gluten free version is super yummy!  For spaghetti which is what I used for this particular recipe, I went with the Barilla Gluten Free. It is by far the best spaghetti out there and the leftovers are just as good as the day you made it.  Everything else in this recipe, the ricotta, lemon zest/juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil are all naturally gluten free!

Friday: Gluten Free Pizza Night!

Lately, I’ve been really digging the Glutino Pizza Crust mix that you can get in most large retail grocery stores.  It makes two very large pizzas so I parbake both and end up freezing one for later use.  Please note that you’ll need mixing and rising time for this, so you need to plan  ahead if you are making the crusts.

For the pizza sauce, I use the Classico Traditional Pizza sauce that is naturally gluten free.

We also really like Hawaiian style pizza.  Canadian bacon is often gluten free but this one you’ll want to read the packing to ensure that it is.  We also put on pineapple and green olives – two naturally gluten free foods.

Saturday: Cooking Light’s French Onion Soup with an Against the Grain baguette for the bread substitution AND ensuring my beef broth is also gluten free.

I’m actually going to make the slow cooker recipe that was in the latest Cooking Light magazine, but the link here is a similar recipe.

WOW! THAT WAS EASY!

This is a fairly simple week. I hope that you find this feature useful- feel free to steal my menu plan or mix it up with others to make one for your family.

P.S. All opinions are my own and I did not get paid a thing for telling you about these gluten free products!

Common Gluten Free Pitfalls: Holiday Menu Planning

With the Easter holiday approaching us, I thought I’d take a few moments to go over some of the largest holiday pitfalls when trying to avoid gluten.

MAIN DISH REMINDERS

Most people have ham for their Easter meals, but some do turkey, roast beef, or other meats.  For the most part, meat is naturally gluten free.  Sometimes in the processing of meats like ham, etc…. there may be gluten ingredients involved, so please make sure you are reading labels and are avoiding anything that includes WHEAT, BARLEY, RYE, KAMUT, & SPELT.

One of the largest offenders here can be an ingredient simply labeled as “MALT”. Most malt in the US is barley based and it’s a no go for those of us trying to be gluten free, so please read your labels. If in doubt, always call the company with the toll free number on the package.  They will be able to tell you right there in the grocery store if it’s gluten free or not – hey, I’ve done it!

SIDE DISH REMINDERS

The main culprit in side dishes is anything made with a cream based soup. Almost all of the common brands on today’s shelves include gluten in the form of wheat and they are clearly labeled.

I have found great cream soup alternatives in the gluten free isle but they don’t taste the greatest (sorry guys).  If you are not up to making your own, the best canned cream based soup is Progresso’s Cream of Mushroom soup.  It is clearly labeled as gluten free and it’s pretty good.  The only thing to keep in mind is that this is already reconstituted so it is not a ‘condensed’ cream soup like you’d normally see. You’ll need to alter your recipes slightly for the extra moisture but typically I find this is not a problem at all.

If you want to get fancy and make your own cream based soups, then I need to send you over to gluten free on a shoestring’s blog.  Nicole did a great job remaking all the cream soups you’d ever need in a gluten free form.  Follow this link for creamy soup goodness!

Otherwise all vegetables and fruit in their natural form are naturally gluten free.  If you need to add a sauce or something like that please sub in gluten free flour in your favorite recipes or simply use butter or olive oil.  The good news is that dairy products like butter, sour cream, etc.. are also naturally gluten free and so is olive oil.

The best bet for side dishes is to just keep it simple and you’ll be ok.  But again, read labels and call those toll free numbers if you need to!

ROLL/BREAD REMINDERS

So this is obvious – almost all rolls & bread items off the shelf contain wheat. This was a huge loss for me. I love bread. Literally love that stuff. I mourned the loss of bread for a very long time.

Then I found some gluten free brands that were actually GOOD! Alleluia! There are two brands that I feel confident recommending to you.  The first one is from Udi’s who is a major powerhouse in gluten free bread. Udi’s classic French bread rolls, are really, really good. They can be pricey but in a pinch they are great. The other good news is that Udi’s products are widely available in most grocery stores and they have coupons online!

I also really enjoy Against the Grain bread products. We have tried the original rolls and the baguettes. My kids go bonkers for them, they are that good. I have only had luck finding these products at Whole Foods and again, they are pricey.

Another route is to make your own. Again, I will send you over to gluten free on a shoestring’s blog in her bread recipe section. I plan on making Nicole’s paleo rolls for our Easter dinner. I have never made them before but the comments are great and I feel confident following her recipes.

I also have had super luck with Sarah’s dinner rolls from the Sarah bakes gluten free treats blog. They are really easy and I prefer using butter rather than the coconut oil. The only thing to remember with these recipes is that Sarah uses her own flour blend. This doesn’t bother me and  I can throw it together quickly because I have all the ingredients on hand. Pysillum Husk can also be difficult to find. Originally I found it at my local co-op and most recently I found a large container at Trader Joe’s. In the end, these are so wonderful.  The last time I served these at a birthday party, my friend’s son, who is a gluten eater, had several because they were soooo good! Success!

DESSERT REMINDERS

Again it should be obvious that desserts will be another no-no when it comes to gluten.  All cakes, cookies, pies, tarts, cupcakes, bars, etc.. will be made with wheat flour. It can be pretty discouraging but don’t give up there are options out there!!!

One dessert that is easy to pull off the shelf is ice cream. Just make sure to stick with the basics as many mix-ins have gluten. I would also make sure to read the labels on toppings and stay away from the malt powder.

Another easy dessert is plain fruit. All naturally gluten free! Try adding some whipped cream for extra flair.

But let’s face it, you’ll want to have something extra super yummy. It’s a holiday for cripes sake! I’m not a big fan of premade gluten free treats. I can recommend the flourless chocolate cake and the gluten free cupcakes from Trader Joe’s but beyond that, I have to suggest you make your own. You can find a lot of great recipes online. The following blogs will have tried and true recipes that you can count on: Gluten free on a shoestring, Sarah bakes gluten free treats, Maebells, and Beard & Bonnet.  All of these blog links can be found on my links page.

I’m in charge of dessert for our celebration. I plan on making and bringing a cookie/bar tray.  It will include: iced oatmeal cookies, lemon bars, and nutella hazelnut brownies (recipe to come soon on this blog!).

Happy gluten free holiday menu planning!

P.S. All  opinions are my own. I’m not getting paid for a thing!

Why our family went gluten free…..

GLUTEN FREE, YOU’RE KIDDING?

Nope, not kidding.  In December of 2012, our home went 100% gluten free. My son and I were the main culprits of this change and we try to eat gluten free 100% of the time in and outside of the home.  Now my husband and daughter only eat gluten free when A. It’s at our home, or B. It’s made in our home.  Meaning if they are out at restaurants, school, a friend’s or family’s home, etc… they eat gluten to their hearts content.

BUT WHY?

I was told in the summer of 2012 that due to my Hashimoto’s (Thyroid) disease that I could “try” to be gluten free and see if it helps.  They warned me that there were no studies to back this claim and that I would just have to see if it helped me.  My first reaction was 100% anxiety as I have some issues with eliminating foods from my diet. on. purpose.  (more about that later.)

In the end I thought, what the hey, I’ll give this a try but I only avoided gluten in the home and ate it while I was out.  It actually improved my thyroid antibody count, so I kept at it.

In the mean time, our little guy continued to be chronically sick even after having his tonsils and adenoids removed.  Western medicine just was not helping him, so we decided to take a risk on Nutritional Response Testing (NRT) by a local chiropractor.  The results came back that he had issues with wheat. Great.

After that, it was just a no brainer for me that we had to be 100% gluten free. Since, I’m the main cook in the home and I was not going to make 2 meals for everyone (one gluten free and one gluten laden), then the decision was made.

ISN’T IT HORRIBLE?

It was horrible, I’m not going to lie. This is not something that I would ever tell someone to do on a whim.  I had to relearn almost everything I previously knew in the kitchen. My trips to the grocery store took hours so I could read labels and determine what we could and could not eat. My husband would ask me why I was gone so long for the first few months and quite honestly, I didn’t have a better answer than, “this is how long it’s going to take for a while.” It was pretty torturous.

At first, our meals really stunk, too. I didn’t know what I was doing and it was way different than using wheat flour for your recipes or just grabbing something from the shelf. Gradually, I got better at cooking and baking gluten free and now our meals are great – even the gluten eating family members agree.

DID IT HELP?

Yes, it has helped.  My thyroid antibodies remain low which helps me in the long run avoid any nasty treatments, like removing my thyroid completely.  I do feel like I have more energy, am less tired all the time, and other random symptoms have also disappeared.

My son who was chronically underweight and ill, gained 5lbs within his first two weeks of going gluten free and has had only 2 infections needing to be treated with antibiotics.  In fact, now when he is sick, he recovers the fastest!  The quality of his life has greatly improved.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT OTHERS GO GLUTEN FREE?

Nope, I wouldn’t.  That probably makes me super unpopular with the gluten free crowd but I don’t care.  It will not help you lose weight (I can attest to that), it isn’t the cure all for all random ailments, and it’s not trendy.  Whole grains are a very important part of a balanced diet and they shouldn’t be removed unless you show signs of celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

WHAT IF I DO HAVE CELIAC DISEASE OR A GLUTEN TOLERANCE?

Then this is the place for you.  I’m a full time working wife and mother. I cannot make everything from scratch all of the time. I read a lot of blogs and scour stores for gluten free finds.  I’m going to try and help you transition to a gluten free lifestyle without becoming completely overwhelmed. So stick with me, I’ll help ya get there!