Six Food Intolerance Living

Almond Banana Smoothie

2010-05-28T08:00:00.016-04:00

I'm sorry for the lack of posts lately everyone. Things are really taking off with the move and there are just loose ends everywhere that need finishing. It's a hectic mess right now but by this time next months, things should be a lot more settled. :)

In the mean time, I have a nice treat for you! For these upcoming hot summer months, this is a refreshing and quick drink and it has become a recent favorite of mine. I make it all the time - breakfast, dessert, snack, you name it!

Almond Banana Smoothie
from Clara Ogren, Six Food Intolerance Living

Ingredients:
1 cup vanilla almond milk
1 ripe banana
2-3 drops liquid stevia (adjust based on the ripeness/sweetness of your banana)
2 drops almond extract
sprinkle of cinnamon
ice cubes
Optional: spoonful of flax meal, protein powder or chia seeds

Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a blender (I have a Vitamix) and blend on high just until ice and banana are completely incorporated.

Pour in a glass and serve.

Enjoy!

Big Changes

2010-05-20T09:58:00.001-04:00

I'm sorry I've been a bit MIA lately. This have been CRAZY around here. There's big changes in the future.

The big news is that we're moving to San Diego! It's something that's been a possibility for quite some time now but nothing was official May 1st and since then, things are moving FAST. We need to be out there by June 21st so we're trying to get everything lined up and set. It's still just stressful at the moment so I haven't really had much time to get excited about it. Plus, having spent most of my life on the East coast, I'm pretty nervous about living on the West coast. Earthquakes, coastal breezes and lack of water have never been an issue for me. The East coast is blessed with plentiful (sometimes all too plentiful!) water, beautiful, thick grass and trees and solid, firm ground. Hubby, however, was born-and-raised in San Diego so he's helping me adjust and it's great that he already knows the area. We've visited quite a bit over the years and I have a few favorite spots of my own so I take comfort knowing that I'll get to enjoy them whenever I want. We went out there last week for a house hunting trip and found a bright, spacious condo that even had a garage - it's tandem which was a new thing to me (but apparently pretty common on the West coast) but I'm loving the storage potential!

Anyway, posts will still be trickling in slowly for a while and will hopefully pick up as I get settled. The blog will see some big changes too as I take out the metro-DC content and add in new San Diego stuff. I hope you all will keep tuned in through all the changes! :)

Thanks!

Let's bring people together!

2010-05-07T09:14:00.006-04:00

If you're a gluten-intolerant reader, you've no doubt heard of Ginger Lemon Girl. She's known for her easy, frugal and delicious gluten (and now dairy and soy) free baking. We became fast friends a year or so ago and have chatted nearly everyday since. Well, I'm excited to say that yesterday, I was mentioned on her blog! :)

It was also about a year ago that my husband switched offices and told me that not only were a couple of his co-workers also gluten free, but that one was also allergic to nuts and another was vegan. Of course, my initial reaction was: "Ooooo, what can I make for everyone to enjoy?" It definitely has to be something baked .... definitely something chocolaty (because really, who can deny chocolate?) and definitely something gluten and nut free that was also vegan. Enter Ginger Lemon Girls Amazing Everyday Chocolate Cake (scroll down to see it, her also Amazing Everyday Carrot Cake is listed first). Yum. So yum in fact that Hubby downs it in a minute without one "This is gluten free, isn't it" word or look. From the first time I made it, it's been in heavy rotation in our house - with one addition to Carries original recipe - chocolate chips. How to make a chocolate cake even better? Add more chocolate - 1/4 cup of Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips to be exact! I always felt it gave it just that extra bit of decadence.

So, I knew the recipe I wanted to make for my husbands co-workers, now I just needed to convert it. It had eggs and I often used almond milk in the recipe. Second part - easy. I used Tempt Unsweetened Original Hemp Milk instead of almond milk. But eggs - how do I replace eggs? Not being intolerant to eggs nor vegan, I had never tackled the problem. But with a little research and creative thinking, I figured it out and made an awesome cake. It's slightly more dense than Carries original Everyday Chocolate Cake but hey, who says that's a bad thing?! ;) And the best part was that EVERYONE in the office could have some, enjoy it and eat together. There's nothing more rewarding than having your food bring people together.

And really, isn't that what all us home cooks are doing? Bringing our families, extended families and friends together, for one moment in an entire day, together around a table. Food in which everyone can partake and enjoy. Hopefully, that's what my version of Carries awesome cake can do.

To see Carries post and pictures that will have you salivating, please go to her blog.

Just want the recipe already? Here it is:

Gluten, Dairy, Soy Free and Vegan Chocolate Cake
Created by Carrie Forbes, GingerLemonGirl
Adapted to be vegan by Clara Ogren, Six Food Intolerant Living
Makes: 1 8x8 pan (doubles well for a 9x13 pan) or 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsweetened original flavored hemp milk
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup allergen free chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients, except the chocolate chips. In a medium bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spray an 8x8 cake pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease with grapeseed oil.

Pour batter into greased lined cake pan.

Bake cake for 18-25 minutes. Test the cake for doneness with a toothpick

Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting with your favorite gluten, dairy and soy free, vegan icing.

Enjoy! :)

Amy's Releases New Gluten, Dairy and Soy Free Products!

2010-04-06T10:44:00.000-04:00

On their website, Amy's announced recently that they will be rolling out several new products. As usual, all of Amy's products are all-natural and many of them also cater to special diets. There are many people who, in addition to gluten free, are also dairy free and some are also soy free (either completely soy free or only soy protein free). Amy's has addressed these diets in several of their new offerings.

Gluten and soy free:
Summer corn and vegetable soup

Gluten and dairy free:
Gluten free chocolate cake

Gluten, dairy and soy free:
Rice Macaroni with non-dairy cheeze (too bad this contains yeast! :( )
Single serve rice crust roasted vegetable pizza (this is only soy protein free as it contains soy lecithin; contains yeast)
Roasted vegetable tamale (with a side of black beans)
Hearty spanish rice and red bean soup
Curried lentil soup
Tomato basil pasta sauce (which also is light in sodium)
Southwestern black bean chili

So far, I have tried the Roasted Vegetable Tamale. It was delish! A bit small for me (I like a big lunch), but I just paired it with a large salad and was in hog-heaven! Yum! I will definitely be on the look-out for the other GDSYWP-free products that I can have - especially that Hearty Spanish Rice and Red Bean Soup, that just sounds amazing to me! :)

Saint Patrick's Day recipes

2010-03-17T12:13:00.002-04:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some GDSYWP-free Irish recipes!

Cottage Pie from Recipezaar
A Traditional Irish Boiled Dinner (Corned Beef and Cabbage) from Wellsphere.com
Gluten-Free Shamrock Sugar Cookie Recipe from About.com (sub butter with Spectrum spread)
An Irish Stew from Gluten-Free Cookery
Potato Leek Soup from FoodIreland.com (use safe milk and butter and in place of half-and-half use coconut cream, more milk or Mimic Cream!)
Irish Lamb Stew from AllRecipes.com (replace flour with an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend)

A variety of Irish Soda Bread Recipes - a naturally yeast free bread! :):
One from the Gluten Free Goddess, Karina
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Irish Soda Bread, #1 from Living Without
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Irish Soda Bread, #2 from Living Without

And, of course, who could have a Saint Patrick's Days without beer? There are plenty of gluten free options! Add some green food coloring and you're all set!

Gluten Free Beers Available in the United States.

2010-03-02T11:25:00.003-05:00

I should preface this post with one fact: I am NOT a beer drinker. Call me crazy, but I've never, ever liked it. Growing up, my father used to brew his own beer in an storeroom that was immediately below my room and I got to have the pleasure of smelling the hops and yeast while he brewed it and while it fermented. So, obviously, I definitely don't like the smell. But, I never liked the taste either. It's too bitter and ... well, something, for me. I have tried many types before going GF thanks to my beer "connoisseur" father and husband, but I honestly just could never take it. So, I am providing this information to you based soley on what I've read about them on the internet. I can offer you no opinions on this matter but thought that it was important to share with my blog readers who may not know that even when gluten free, yes, too, beer is possible! :)

The three most commonly found brands in the United States are:

Redbridge - Produced by Anheuser-Busch, Redbridge is arguably the most commonly found gluten free beer. This rich, full-bodied lager is brewed from the natually gluten free sorghum grain.

New Grist - Made at Lakefront Brewery, a locally-owned microbrewery in Milwaukee, this beer is brewed from sorghum, hops, water, rice and gluten-free yeast grown on molasses. A crisp and refreshing Session Ale.

Bards Tale Beer - Founded by two Celiacs, this company brews the "Original Sorghum Malt Beer" with their own proprietary malted sorghum. Using only sorghum, yeast, hops and water, this American-style Lager has a medium body and an amber color.

Less popular gluten free beers that are available domestically are:

Tread Lightly Ale - Brewed by the New Planet Beer Company, this beer is made from fermented sorghum and corn, hops and yeast. This beer was inspired by the American Pilsner and has a light taste and body, low caloric content and does not have the aftertaste of other sorghum-based beers.

Ramapo Valley Brewery’s Passover Honey Beer - A blue ribbon Honey Beer, this unique beer is Kosher certified for Passover. It is bright golden in color and has notes of honey and hop. The main fermentable is amber honey, molasses is used for flavor, nutrients and color and noble hops add a touch of bitterness to balance the honey sweetness.

Organic B.R.A.T Wellness Drink

2010-03-01T14:57:00.011-05:00

While the age-old, B.R.A.T (Bananas, Rice, Apples and Toast) diet is popular for gastrointestinal distress, what is one to do when toast isn't an option? Organic B.R.A.T. Wellness Drink is made with a base of banana puree, brown rice and applesauce to be easy on stomachs while also providing electrolytes and nutrients. At around 100 calories for an 8-ounce glass, it is comparable to other dairy-free milks and is safe for to those with any of the top eight food alleriges.

Overall, these beverages have a smooth texture with the consistency of watered-down milk, which is thin enough to help calm upset stomachs or to consume when not feeling well. It comes in four flavors:

Original - This is similar in flavor to unflavored, original rice milk with just a hint of banana.

Vanilla - Slightly sweeter than the orignal flavor, this flavor had only a slight vanilla flavor but had a strong vanilla smell.

Cinnamon Toast - Although this had intense cinnamon toast scent, it wasn't overly "spiced" providing a light cinnamon flavor. I imagine this flavor would be great cooked into baked goods like muffins or cakes. This was my husbands favorite flavor.

Chocolate Honey - This was my favorite flavor despite my dislike of the flavor of honey. Actually, I personally didn't taste honey, just a light chocolate flavor.

In addition to being an excellent product, Organic B.R.A.T. Wellness Drink company donates 10% of its profits to various food and medical charities, including St. Jude Children's research Hospital, Feed The Children, Celiac Society, Autism Speaks, and others.

Visit Organic B.R.A.T. Wellness Drink on their website, Twitter or Facebook.

Disclaimer: While I was provided with free samples of this product, my opinions are my own and were not swayed in any way by the company.

RAKU Asian Dining in Bethesda, Maryland offers gluten and soy free sushi options!

2010-02-19T09:00:00.002-05:00

If you live in the DC Metro Area and are gluten free, you are in luck! The Bethesda location of RAKU Asian Dining is a wonderful option for gluten-free sushi. At the bottom of the menu, "Gluten Free Tamari Available By Request" is clearly printed in bold. However, the restaurant does not have a dedicated gluten free menu (for more information on ordering sushi safely, please read my previous article on the matter). I was told to speak with my server on a dish-by-dish basis to evaluate it's status.

My server that day was a gentleman named "Pong" who was very polite, attentive and accommodating. He was very knowledgeable on what was safe but on the few things he wasn't sure of, he gladly went to talk to the chef before I placed my order. Surprisingly, the cornmeal crusted calamari was not safe, nor were the buckwheat noodles - apparently both are made with some wheat. There was a pumpkin soup that was safe as well as many sushi options. I didn't mention my soy intolerance, only my gluten intolerance, because A) I did not confuse poor Pong even more and B) I was going to avoid everything with gluten in it anyway, that would include all their soy based sauces (with the exception of their wheat free tamari for dipping, which I simply told Pong I didn't need).

I recommend the Nigiri Sushi Appetizer (ask for no sauce on the eel to make it safe) and the Double Salmon Roll, which comes topped with an awesome spicy mango sauce. It was so good, I ordered 2 of those! Both pair well with the refreshing, not-too-sweet Peach Iced Tea. The portion sizes are decent, the food presentation is very nice and the restaurant decor was eclectic and fun.

This restaurant has only three faults that I could find. First, parking, which of course is an issue in general in Bethesda. Second, and a major issue in my opinion, is the lack of a waiting area. One is forced to stand pressed against the wall behind the hostess table or in the entry way as other patrons squeese by you. Finally, this place can get very busy. I luckily went right when they opened at 5:00 pm and was given a roomy booth and were well paid attention to, however, when I left around 6:30 pm, the restaurant was packed full and was pretty noisy. For our gluten free needs, I would highly recommend going early to better assure helpful and attentive service.

A menu and contact information can be found on their website.

Squash Egg Muffins Recipe ... with Pictures!

2010-02-17T09:00:00.009-05:00

Spaghetti squash is a wonderfully versatile winter squash. Rich in beta-carotene, vitamin A, C, potassium and fiber, it is also healthy. Use the naturally stringy spaghetti squash in place of pasta in spaghetti, eat as a side dish topped with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, or make this healthy, portable, delicious breakfast! And, it's husband approved! :)

Squash Egg Muffins
from Clara Ogren, http://www.sixfoodintolerance.com

Ingredients (for each muffin):
Oil spray
1/8 cup spaghetti squash, cooked
1/4 a piece of thick-cut Esskay Turkey Bacon (or whatever bacon you have and however much you want!)
1 tsp or 3g Daiya cheese (I mixed both the cheddar and Italian blend flavors, next time, I think I'll use 2 tsp)
1 scrambled egg
Diced scallions, optional, for garnish
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
1) Spray a squirt or two of oil spray into muffin opening.
(I forgot to take a picture of this step, but I'm sure you get it.)

2) Place squash into muffin tin, pressing into the bottom and on the sides.

3) Place bacon on top of squash.

4) Top bacon with 1 tsp of Daiya cheese.

5) Scramble an egg and pour on top. Garnish with scallions, pepper or whatever you like.

6) Repeat this process for as many muffins as you would like to make.

7) Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through.

8) Gently pull muffins out of muffin tin and enjoy!

You Need A Budget

2009-11-24T14:01:00.005-05:00

Today I want to talk about something somewhat food related, though not entirely. Today I want to discuss affording the food that we need to buy for our special diets. We all know that it's not cheap. I've given lots of tips before on how to make it more affordable, but really, with the various flours, alternative products, and gas spent running to all the different stores (because it seems no one store can carry everything we need!), it's just an unavoidably expensive way of life. Aside from doing all the tips and tricks that I mentioned before, another way I make this life doable is through budgeting. Everyone has a different way, I'm sure. And, like with most things, one style may work for one person, it may not work for another. Today I want to share the way that works for my family.

First of all, a bit of background. My husband and I have debt. Most Americans have debt. You, reader, probably also have debt. Being a bit vulnerably honest here, we have quite a bit of debt. We have school loan debt, wedding debt, lived-off-the-credit-cards-when-we-had-no-income debt, and of course, some naive, what-was-I-thinking, stupid debt. In spite of that, Hubby and I have excellent credit. We always paid our bills even if it meant sacrificing other things, we've never missed a due date and we're always on time. However, when it came to the leftover money for our food, entertainment and household, we didn't always know how to manage the money. We did our best but really, we just didn't have a plan.

About 3 years ago, we decided to try budgeting. For the first few months, we tried several different techniques including writing down everything with pen and paper and then reviewing it, making a humble little spreadsheet and then the "envelope" technique. Everything sort of worked, but nothing gave us the organization we wanted, the ability to fix our mistakes and to plan ahead for those big "oh crap" once or twice a year bills. So, I set out to find such a program and luckily, it was out there.

That is when the program You Need A Budget (YNAB) entered our lives. This program addressed all our above issues and even went a step further. The program creator, Jesse Mecham, developed four practical rules to budget by (like "giving every dollar a job" and "live off last months income") and they're smartly built into the YNAB program. In the last 3 years and with the help from this program, we have been able to put literally thousands of dollars into the bank and have even been able to budget for some new, non-necessary things what we just wanted - like a Wii. This was all while still putting a good chunk of change towards our debt, paying for my expensive diet, and buying other things we needed. I can not imagine having done all of this before budget. It would have been pay the debt OR buy the Wii OR buy expensive gluten free flours, but now, those "ors" are "ands" - and we couldn't be happier about it.

Oh and let me add that A), I am in no way affiliated with YNAB (other than me and my now fuller bank account being very happy customers) and B) that this review was by no means solicited by the makers of YNAB or anyone affiliated with YNAB.

Natures Path Crunchy Maple Sunrise and Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise cereals

2009-11-20T10:18:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned before that I'm not a big cereal person and that as such, I didn't want to pay more money for specialty cereal, that I would just get general store cereal that happened to be gluten free. Well, that has changed. Introducing Natures Path new whole grain, gluten free cereals, Crunchy Maple Sunrise and Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise.

Both contain an impressive ingredient list which contain corn, rice, flax, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth. The cereals are organic, kosher, and a good source of fiber (3 grams per serving) and omega 3's (f0.15 grams per serving). They are also soy, nut and dairy free - score!

These cereals are not only good for you, but taste great too. As the name suggests, both are intensely crunchy and have great texture with the mixture of large corn puff balls, rice puff ovals, small crunchy balls that I think are quinoa or amaranth and multi-grain flakes. As the names also suggests, one has a maple flavor which I find is quite strong (which I like, it reminds me of the maple frosted doughnuts I used to get) and one has a vanilla flavor which is fairly mild but is great with vanilla flavored rice milk.

With the nutrition of the whole grain and the delightful flavor, these cereals are definitely winners. I found them locally for $3.99 each and they are worth every penny. Seriously, run out and by them ... Now ... They're that good. Yum!

Can gluten free flours be substituted for wheat flour one-for-one?

2009-11-17T09:00:00.002-05:00

One of the most asked questions from gluten free novices is "Can gluten free flours be substituted for wheat flour one-for-one"? The short answer is that gluten free flours do not substitute one for one with wheat - however, gluten free blends can. Let me explain.

Gluten is what gives wheat elasticity and thus provides that chewy, doughy texture. Gluten also retain gases during the baking process which enables dough to rise, makes it stronger and less likely to collapse. That combined with it's light crumb is what makes wheat the "perfect" grain and why many of those who came before us worked exclusively with it. No other flour combines all those properties into one the way wheat does. So, in order to recreate those properties, we must combine flours and make blends. By combining a grain (brown rice, sorghum, millet, etc) with a starch (corn, potato, tapioca, etc), we are able to imitate wheat by having the grain (flavor and nutrients) and the chew (from the starch). Better yet, if we combine multiple grains and multiple starches, we get even closer to wheat because each grain and starch has their own unique properties and "bring something to the table" so to speak. There are a plethora of other types of flours like bean flours, coconut flour and nut flours and those all have different properties that they can lend too. Finally, we can give flour blends a "stretch" factor and help them bind and emulsify together better by adding xanthan or guar gum. Very little is needed and it adds yet another wheat-like property to gluten free baked goods. So, a blend of flours and starches can mimic wheat and can be replaced one-for-one whereas a single gluten free flour (only brown rice or only sorghum, etc) does not have all the properties needed to replace wheat on its own.

While understanding and learning about all the different flours can be intimidating and difficult at first, the sheer variety provides numerous opportunities for creativity, an assortment of flavors, and ensures that there will be at least one blend that you will enjoy. Personally, my favorite all-purpose mix is this one, though I freely admit that I'm probably just a bit biased since I created taht mix myself! ;)

Faux Soy Sauce: Chickpea Miso Tamari

2009-11-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

The chickpea miso tamari offered by the South River Miso Company offers the soy intolerant an exciting opportunity. Living soy free makes enjoying Asian cuisine a real challege. Although there are several other prepared Asian sauces that one can use, none the distinct flavor (which the Japanese call "umami") or versatility of soy sauce. However, chickpea miso tamari has a very similar flavor to soy sauce and is just as versitile.

According to their website,

In Japanese, tamari means "little puddle" and refers to the savory liquid that collects in a vat of miso. Our genuine tamari is similar to its cousin, soy sauce, but much sweeter and lighter in taste. Friends who buy directly from our shop come back year after year, declaring that there is no seasoning comparable to South River Miso Tamari. Gathered from the vats of chickpea miso -- Made from deep well water, organic brown rice, organic chickpeas, sun-dried sea salt, organic sea vegetables, and koji culture. Aged in wood for a minimum of 3 months.

As this tamari takes so long to make and is only made in small amount, this sauce is often very limited. If you are interested in this sauce, please order as soon as possible. The South River Miso Company tries to ensure that there is enough to go around by rationing everyone to only one or two bottles per order. So if you're interested in trying some, be sure to order soon!

While both the words miso and tamari typically mean soy, the South River Miso Company uses chickpeas instead of soybeans to make a naturally soy free miso paste. They also make two additional soy free miso pastes - one from azuki beans and one from chickpeas and barley (though this flavor is not gluten free).

Gluten-Free Whole Grain Blend Biscuits Recipe

2009-11-04T09:00:00.005-05:00

While a search for a gluten free biscuit recipe will turn up several options, few will have many whole grains. This recipe uses my gluten free blend which is made up of nearly a two-thirds whole grains. In addition to being nutritious, these biscuits have a nice crisp crust as well as a chewy, soft and moist center. Call me biased, but I think they're a winner! ;)

Whole Grain Blend Biscuits
by Clara Ogren, Six Food Intolerance Living
Makes 10 biscuits

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup dairy free buttermilk (I make mine by mixing 1 cup of unsweetened original flavored hemp milk mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice, stir and let sit for 3 minutes)
1 egg
1/4 cup Earth Balance dairy-free, soy-free butter

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups of my Whole Grain Blend
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pour wet ingredients into a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.

Slowly pour in the dry mix into the wet ingredients. Mix just until incorporated.

Put heaping spoonfuls of mix onto a greased baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown.

Practicing What You Preach

2009-11-03T09:00:00.001-05:00

As I am a big proponent of "practicing what you preach," I thought that I should provide allergen-free candy for Halloween. I figure that if I want others to provide allergen-free options for me and others, then I should provide the same to trick-or-treaters.

So, I made my sign (please realize that I'm not an artist! LOL) which said "ALLERGEN-FREE Candy Available. Please Ask." To my dismay, no one asked. Though, I only had about 20 kids come by. Regardless, I think that this is something that I will do every year and maybe one day, some one will ask! ;)

10 meals you can make from a rotisserie chicken

2009-10-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but sometimes, I really need a quick meal - but not just any quick meal. It has to be safe for me, healthy, and tasty enough for my Hubby to eat. Store bought rotisserie chickens are my answer - many stores (I've found some at Costco and Giant) offer gluten free ones and are labeling them accordingly. There are several rotisserie eateries that are safe too (Chicken Out and Crisp and Juicy). At around $5 each, they can be the answer to healthy "fast food."

Below are my top 10 favorite things to do with a rotisserie chicken:

For a super quick meal, pull pieces of the roasted chicken, place on a plate then make instant mashed potatoes or instant microwaveable brown rice then heat up a can of your favorite vegetables or use the frozen microwave steam ready ones.
Make Spanish Skillet, using diced or shredded rotisserie chicken for the 1 cup of cooked chicken.
Chicken sandwiches - shred the chicken, add mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and onion to brown rice or corn tortillas and serve with chips
Stir-fry asparagus or other vegetables(s) in sesame oil, toss in chicken until warmed through, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top
Shred the chicken and use it to make a Cobb salad
Make chicken salad (I like mine with mayonnaise, dijon mustard, finely diced celery and onions, lemon juice and dill relish) and serve that on brown rice or corn tortillas or on chips
Shred the chicken and top pasta and your favorite pasta sauce
Shred some chicken and put it in tacos with your favorite toppings
Barbeque chicken - pull pieces of chicken off, place on a plate and top with barbeque sauce. This can be eatten off a plate or put inside a brown rice or corn tortilla. Serve french fries and a salad on the side.
Then, after you've eaten chicken for a few nights and picked off all the meat you can, make fresh, homemade soup. Even if you think you'd gotten all the meat you can off the carcass, you'll be surprised at how much more comes out as you simmer it. Use this recipe to make homemade stock in the crockpot. Then, take out the skin, bones and other inedible things. Put the stock and any edible meat into the blender, blend until all the meat is pureed (and the broth is light). Pour back into the crockpot, put it on high and put in noodles, rice, vegetables or whatever you want until cooked through. This is my absolute favorite out of all of the meals. I always freeze a container or two for when I'm sick.

I hope I've shown you that it is possible to have a very fast GDSYWP-free meal that is still delicious!

Gluten Free Onion Rings Recipe

2009-10-22T09:48:00.004-04:00

When I went gluten free, one food I missed dearly was onion rings. I've always loved the flavor of onions and anything crunchy so naturally, onion rings became one of my favorite guilty pleasures. Recently I decided to try to come up with a gluten free replacement. After some trial and error, I finally developed a recipe that I believe will rival any gluten-filled version.

Gluten Free Onion Rings
from Clara Ogren, http://www.sixfoodintolerance.com
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 quart peanut oil (or however much is needed to fill your pan)
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup corn meal
2 teaspoons Lawrys Seasoning (or other all-purpose seasoning mix)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups dairy-free buttermilk (2 cups of your favorite dairy free milk, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, stir and let sit for 3 minutes)
2 sweet yellow onions (preferably Vidalias)
coarse Kosher salt

Directions:
Pour peanut oil into a dutch oven or other deep frying pan and heat to medium high heat.

Measure brown rice flour, cornmeal, Lawrys and garlic powder into a mixing bowl. Wisk together well.

Pour dairy-free buttermilk into a separate, wide, large bowl.

Slice onions into rings.

Place one quarter of the sliced onions into the dairy-free buttermilk and let it sit for 1-2 minutes.

One at a time, take a ring out, cover in the flour mixture, shake off the excess, dip back into the dairy-free buttermilk, then recover in the flour mixture, shake off the excess again, then drop into the hot oil.

Repeat until there are 3-5 onion rings in the oil at a time. Let them sit in the oil for a few minutes until the outside is browned and onion is cooked.

Take out of the oil and place on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with coarse Kosher salt while the onion ring is still hot.

Tips:

These freeze and reheat (in the oven) well.
White rice flour can be used in this recipe but the brown rice flour lends a nice brown color to the finished product and it more nutritious than white rice flour.
Make sure not to get the oil too hot otherwise it will brown the flour before the onion is cooked.
Shaking off as much of the flour as you can is very important. If you do not shake off most of the excess, it will gather in the milk causing a mess or in the oil and burn.
Do not overcrowd the pan, doing so will lower the temperature of the oil.
Try using this batter for breading other vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, etc) to make tempura.

Where's the Gluten?

2009-10-14T08:00:00.002-04:00

Can you see what's wrong with this picture? (click on it to enlarge it)

Case and point for my number one recommendation for living gluten free.

Unsafe soy-free food list (unsafe ingredients and where soy often hides)

2009-10-02T16:12:00.000-04:00

Unsafe soy-free food list (unsafe ingredients and where soy often hides) *

I've worked pretty hard to come up with a list of unsafe soy-free foods (like this one for gluten) and I think I have finally done it! If you see any mistakes or think something should be added, please leave me a comment and I'll look into the matter further. I hope that this list will help all the soy-free newbies and keep you safe!

Always or typically contains soy:
Abura-age (sliced deep-fried tofu)
Atsu-age (deep-fried tofu)
Bean curd (typically made from soybeans)
Chocolate (many contain soy lecithin) *
Concentrated soy
Curry pastes (many contain soy oil) * ~
Edamame (parboiled green soybeans)
Gan-modoki (a soy dumpling)
Glycine max
Hydrolyzed soy protein (HSP)
Isolated soy protein
Kinako (Japanese for soybean flour)
Koya tofu (freeze-dried bean curd)
Kyodofu (freeze-dried bean curd)
Mayonnaise (most contain soy oil) *
Margarine (most contain soy protein or soy oil - Earth Balance makes one that does not) *
Miso ^
Natto (fermented soybeans)
Nimame (stewed soybeans)
Okara (soybean pulp)
Pad Thai sauce (many contain soy protein or soy oil) * ~
Peanut butter (many contain soy oil) *
Shoyu
Soja
Soy-based meat alternatives
Soybeans
Soybean curd
Soybean paste
Soya
Soya bean
Soy bran
Soy butter
Soy cheese
Soy curd
Soy fiber (can be found in baked goods, as well as processed meats, sausages, hamburgers, etc)
Soy flour
Soy grits
Soy ice cream
Soy infant formula
Soy isoflavones
Soy isolate fiber
Soy lecithin *
Soy margarine
Soy meal
Soy milk
Soy nuts
Soy oil *
Soy panthenol
Soy protein
Soy protein concentrate
Soy protein isolates
Soy sauce
Soy sprouts
Soy whipped topping
Soy yogurt
Tamari ~
Tempeh
Teriyaki ~
Textured soy flour (TSF)
Textured soy protein (TSP)
Tofu and tofu products
Uno-hana (soy pulp)
Vegetable oil (usually all or part soy oil) *
Vitamin E (a preservative typically derived from soy)
Worcestershire sauce (in the US, the Lea & Perrins brand is safe)
Yuba (tofu skin)

The following may contain soy. You'll have to read the ingredients and/or contact the manufacturer:
Bouillon cubes
Broth
Canned tuna (may contain vegetable broth which may have soy)
Diglycerides
Fish sauce ~
Flavoring
Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP)
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
Ice cream (many contain soy lechithin) *
Imitation bacon bits
Imitation crab and lobster
Isolated vegetable protein
Methylcellulose
Mixed tocopheryls (a preservative often derived from soy)
Monoglycerides
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Natural flavors
Natural flavoring
Oyster sauce ~
Popcorn, microwavable
Protein
Protein extender
Protein filler
Stabilizer
Starch
Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
Thickener
Vegetable fat
Vegetable fiber
Vegetable gum
Vegetable protein
Vegetable protein
Vegetable shortening
Vegetable starch
Veggie burgers

* Soy oil and soy lechithin are non-protein forms of soy and may be tolerated by some soy-intolerant or soy-allergic people.

~ There are several Asian sauces listed, but there are several that are soy free.

^ Soy free miso made from beans and chickpeas can be purchased from South River Miso.

All About Gluten Free Pasta

2009-09-21T11:25:00.002-04:00

Living gluten free does not mean one has to live pasta free. There is a large variety of gluten free pastas on the market, even some from well-known wheat-based pasta makers

Deboles - With the wide variety of styles and grains, this brand is quickly becoming a favorite.
Dr. Schar - Their collection contains unique shapes of corn and rice based pasta and they also make a variety of other gluten free products.
Ener-G Foods - These pastas are made literally with just white rice flour and water, so they accommodate a variety of allergy needs.
Mrs. Leeper's - In addition to their corn and rice based pastas, Mrs. Leeper's also makes boxed dinners.
Orgran - All their products are Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Dairy Free, Egg free, Yeast Free, GMO Free and Vegan.
Quinoa - This brand sets itself apart by using the naturally gluten free and nutritious quinoa grain.
Tinkyada - One of the most well known and well liked gluten free pastas, this past is rice based and comes in a variety of styles.
Trader Joes - They may skimp on the price, but never on the flavor!
Another source for gluten free, economical pastas are Asian markets. They have many white rice and mung bean based noodles that are naturally gluten free. Often, there are also buckwheat noodles, however, check carefully as many brands mix wheat flour in with the buckwheat, be sure to choose a brand that is 100% buckwheat. Furthermore, a word of caution to those with Celiac or who are highly sensitive - noodles found in the Asian market are not certified gluten free and are often not produced here in the United States so there is always potential for contamination.

Cooking gluten free pasta is quite different from cooking wheat pasta. While the flavor of gluten free pasta is comparable to wheat pasta, getting the texture right can be tricky. Some helpful hints to ensure delicious, perfect pasta every time are:

The first tip to making good gluten free pasta is to read the directions. There are many different types of gluten free pasta and all are not created equal. Unlike wheat pasta, the directions are not always the same. Some cook better at a constant, rapid boil like traditional wheat pasta, some (especially the kind found in Asian stores) are best soaked in cool water overnight, while others are directed to be dumped into a pot of boiling water, then to turn the heat off, cover them and let them sit in the cooling water until soft. The directions for your brand should be your guide.
Wheat pasta tends to be heartier and yields more servings than gluten free pasta so always make a little more than what you are used to.
Cook only as much gluten free pasta as you need at the moment because it does not freeze or reheat well. It is best eaten immediately after cooking.
Gluten free pasta is known to be very sticky. To combat this, there are two things you can do - add 2-3 teaspoons of oil to the water before dropping in the pasta and stir often. The oil will help coat each strand of pasta, ensuring they won't stick and stirring will agitate the pasta in case some pieces do begin to attach to one another.
To add flavor, as with wheat pasta, generously salt the water as you bring it to a boil.
Do not overcook gluten free pasta. Cooking the pasta too long will cause it to get too soft, mushy and it will disintegrate into very small pieces.
When you drain pasta from hot water (so not with the kind you soak in cool water overnight), run very cold water over the pasta to stop the cooking and to keep it al dente.
When adding noodles to a soup, only do so at the very end as the noodles will not hold up to long boiling or simmering.

Ten recommendations for going gluten free

2009-08-07T11:11:00.000-04:00

Remember how I told you that I am writing for Examiner.com now? Well, a few weeks ago I wrote a series of my Top Ten Recommendations for Gluten Free Living. I know that once the decision is made to live gluten free, the lifestyle can be quite daunting. There are so many things to think about - what to eat, how to eat out, cross contamination, etc. In a culture saturated with wheat and gluten, one must learn to cook all over again - or for the first time. I created my top ten list in order to make the transition easier and less expensive. In order, here are my top ten recommendations for gluten free living (these links will take you to the Examiner.com article for each recommendation):

Recommendation #10: De-Gluten Your Kitchen
Recommendation #9: Equip Your Kitchen
Recommendation #8: Don’t Be Afraid to Contact the Company
Recommendation #7: Gather Information
Recommendation #6: Join Support Groups
Recommendation #5: Prepare, Prepare and Premix
Recommendation #4: Check Out Your Local Asian Store
Recommendation #3: Try All the Gluten Free Flours – and Then Try Them Again
Recommendation #2: Eat Naturally Gluten Free Foods
Recommendation #1: Learn to Read Ingredient Labels

Gluten Free Betty Crocker Mix Ingredients

2009-07-07T13:13:00.008-04:00

I don't know about you, but I have heard nothing more talked about in the Gluten Free Community than the new Gluten Free Betty Crocker Mixes. Blogs, Twitter and forums have just been buzzing with news on these mixes - reviews, speculation, location and more. The one question that I have heard more than any other is what are the ingredients? Unforuntely, that information is not provided on their website nor on any other place on the internet that I have found. Today, however, that changes! I am most excited and happy to share with you screen shots of the packaging, including the ingredients!!! The images are courtesy General Mills.

You can click on the above images to enlarge them. I have typed them out too in case the files are too large and take too long for you to download:

Yellow Cake: Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Sugar, Potato Starch, Leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate), Xanthan Gum, Salt.

Devils Food Cake: Sugar, Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Cocoa Processed wtih Alkali, Tapioca Starch, Leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate), Salt, Guar Gum.

Chocolate Brownies: Sugar, Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla), Cocoa Processed wtih Alkali, Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Corn Starch, Xanthan Gum, Salt.

Chocolate Chip Cookies: Rice Flour, Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla), Brown Sugar, Sugar, Potato Starch, Potato Flour, Leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate) Salt.

As you can see, all the mixes are gluten, dairy and soy protein free. The Chocolate Brownies and the Chocolate Chip Cookies do contain soy lecithin and the Yellow and Devils Food Cake may contain soy - I imagine from sharing the same line as the soy lecithin filled treats.

Personally, I'm pretty excited about these mixes. I will probably still continue to make some of my desserts from scratch but these mixes will be great to have on hand for when I need something quickly, to buy when I am traveling (assuming they widely distribute them) or to direct family or friends to use when they want to make something safely for me! Speaking of which, you may be wondering how to make these dairy free. Again, I don't have these in-hand, but I will probably either just replace the butter with Spectrum Spread one for one - or, the Betty Crocker website does offer No-Butter Instructions that might be good to follow. And, if it calls for milk, I plan on using my favorite - Living Harvest Hemp Milk. The web site also has a recipes section using these gluten free mixes.

I haven't been able to find these in my area yet, so I can't provide you with a review right now. Once I have tried them, I will be sure to post my thoughts!

Clara's Gluten Free Whole Grain Blend

2009-07-02T09:00:00.005-04:00

When it comes to baking, I am totally in love with Ginger Lemon Girl's Master Mix. I love that it is mostly whole grain (brown rice and certified gluten free oat) and that I can use it just like I used to use Bisquick in the days before going gluten free. And, it's easy to make dairy and soy free too. I just replace the powdered milk with Vance's Dari Free or I simply use more tapioca starch. And, I replace the shortening with Spectrum Spread.

Yes, it's an awesome mix if you haven't used it before. But, what I've been lacking is an awesome all-purpose mix. There are tons of recipes out there with lots of different uses, flours and from various sources. I have used several in the past, but have yet to really commit to one as my favorite for one main reason - whole grains. So many of them are based on a lot of white rice flour or on a lot of starches. I really wanted something that had more whole grains and was healthy.

Well, it is with great excitement and extreme pleasure that I present to you my new, very own, Gluten Free Whole Grain Blend. It is just a bit over 1/3 starch - giving you enough lift, but also contains plenty of grains for your health! So far, it has served me well, but if you do decide to try the mix, please leave me a comment with your results. I would really like to know how it is working for everyone.

Clara's Gluten Free Whole Grain Blend
from Clara Ogren, Six Food Intolerance Living
Makes 8.5 cups

2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
2 1/4 cups tapioca starch
2 cups sorghum flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup certified gluten free oat flour (can replace with more sorghum or millet flour)
1/4 cup flaxseed meal

Enjoy!

Eating GDSWYP-free in San Diego

2009-06-15T08:00:00.003-04:00

Hubby and I headed down to San Diego last week. It was his father's 50th birthday and we went to help him celebrate! We mostly ate at home (and his parents were very accommodating to my new lifestyle!), but we did go out a few times.

When we first arrived, Hubby HAD to have In-N-Out (which I have spoken of before). Although it is a fast food joint, they make things with fresh, natural ingredients so it's pretty easy to eat there. The fries are whole potatoes, cut straight in the store and fried in vegetable oil (so while safe for those avoiding only the soy protein, it is not safe for those avoiding all soy products). The burgers are made with 100% all beef with no preservatives, additives or fillers. They are topped with lettuce, tomato, onions (raw, fried or without) and their special spread. To order the burger without a bun you just order it "protein style" and it comes wrapped in lettuce as I have pictured below! YUM!

The other day we ate out, we went down to Little Italy. We started lunch with some DELISH gelato at Pappalecco - so good that I dug in and forgot to take a picture! Life's short, why not start with desert once in a while? ;) Most of the time, with gelato, all the fruit flavors are dairy free. But, I always ask to be sure. Anyway, then we went to a local restaurant called Cafe Zucchero and I ordered ... well, not this:

hahaha!! As much as I wanted to, I resisted the fabulous looking pizza. Hubby didn't help and ordered probably the most GDSYWP-filled thing on the menu! ;) Instead, I ordered this:

A spinach salad topped with carrots, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, avocado and peppercorn-coated ahi tuna. Yum. The dressing was an orange vinaigrette. I just asked for it on the side and removed it. I'm not much for fruity dressings. Instead, I used the oil and vinegar that they brought to the table at the begining of the meal with the bread (which I also of course avoided). The salad was quite large, very satisfying and significantly healthier than what Hubby ordered. Who would have guessed that you could eat safely gluten and dairy free in Little Italy of all places? Just another example that living intolerant free doesn't have to be difficult!

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

2009-06-05T08:00:00.003-04:00

I don't know about you, but I am always on the look-out for new crockpot recipes. I LOVE using my crockpot, but it's hard because between my workday and commute, I am gone from home for a minimum of 10 hours every day! Most crockpot recipes are for much less than that, even if I cook them on low instead of high. So far, I have only found 1 dish and 2 soups that are able to hold up to this timeframe. But then, I came across this recipe and saw that it could go 6-9 hours. I figured, I bet it could hold up a lot longer if it had just a bit more liquid and I tried it! Of course, I also had to tweak it! Here is my version:

Crockpot Salsa Chicken
from Clara Ogren, Six Food Intolerance Living
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts or thighs (can even use frozen)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, NOT drained
1 jar salsa (chose the spiciness level that is right for your family)
2-3 tbsp lime juice
1-2 tsp of adobo powder
Half of a bunch of cilantro, chopped
Tortilla chips or soft corn tortillas

Directions:
Place chicken, salsa, corn, beans, tomatoes (with juice), lime juice and adobo powder into crockpot, mix.
Cook on low for 10-12 hours.
Just before serving, sprinkle in the cilantro, mix in.
To eat, shred chicken (this can be done in the crockpot with a spoon) and serve with tortilla chips, over rice or inside soft corn tortillas.

Tips:
A nice lettuce side salad is the perfect accompaniment to this meal or instead top the salad with the chicken mixture for a fiesta salad
Top with sliced avocado or with a dollop of guacamole
If you are able to have dairy, this dish would be great topped with sour cream and/or shredded cheese

And wouldn't you know it, it held up beautifully for 12 hours. I mixed it around a bit to evenly distribute the liquids and it was perfect as it stayed nice and moist! I took my lid off and on a lot the last 2 hours or so doing a lot of mixing. If yours is too liquidy, just take the lid off, turn the crockpot on high, watch it and mix occasionally. That'll help boil out the liquid. I don't know about you, but I'd rather it be too liquidy and moist than dry and hard! ;)

I ate this rolled up in soft corn tortillas with a side salad. Hubby ate it with tortilla chips and was plenty happy without the cheese (though I'm sure he would have prefered it!).

This dish was super easy - effortless, really and was quite tasty. And, it's pantry-friendly! What more could you ask for? :D

An Announcement

2009-06-01T08:00:00.002-04:00

I have a big announcement to make!

You ready?

No, we aren't moving.

No, I didn't win the lottery.

No, I don't have a book deal (yet! anyone wanna give me one? ;) )

No, I'm not pregnant! Why does everyone always ask me that when I say I have an announcement? You trying to tell me I'm fat? ;)

I am the new Baltimore Gluten Free Examiner!

Woo hoo! I'm seriously excited about this. I will be posting 3-4 articles a week dealing not only with gluten intolerance, but other intolerances/allergies too! There will be some subject overlap in posts here and articles there, but the content will be different. I was actually accepted for the position a couple weeks ago, but I wanted to get the page all set up and a few articles published before sending you all over there. It's all set up now so feel free to head over there and check out some nice GDSYWP-free information! Also, be sure to subscribe so you will get an email notification when I upload new articles! :D

Five Guys - GDSYWP-Free!

2009-05-27T08:00:00.001-04:00

Five Guys has always been known for their simple menu, good food and their fresh, never frozen philosophy. They have received several awards and are even Zagat rated. Because of their dedication to fresh, natural foods, they are very understanding of and willing to cater to food intolerances.

In the FAQ section of their website, they specifically address several food allergies. Because of all the information that they provide, I can easily to see how to eat there GDSYWP-free! According to their website, their buns contain gluten, dairy and soy and of course, their cheese contains dairy. Therefore, if I simply avoids the bun, cheese and pork bacon, I can easily to dine there safely! (If you have intolerances to egg, also avoid the bun and if you have intolerances to peanuts - stay out of the restaurant!! Not only is peanut oil the only oil to be found in this restaurant, but shell-on peanuts are also served openly as an appetizer.)

But don't think because I can't have the spongy bun or the melty cheese that I'm missing out! I have the choice of an all-beef hot dog or a burger with one or two patties. And, there are plenty of delicious toppings to choose from to flavor my humble burger. I can chose from: mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, relish, tomato, lettuce, pickles, raw or grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, green bell peppers, fresh jalapeños, and three sauces - A-1, hot and barbeque. The food is served wrapped in a piece of foil and is placed on a plastic tray or in a signature grease-stained brown paper bag.

As a side, they offer fresh french fries - cut in the store from real potatoes. There is even a white-board in every store telling you from where the potatoes being served that day came! The fries are available in regular or large size - though either is more than enough for two people to share. The styrofoam cup that they are served in is often overflowing with those crisp-outside yet soft-inside potatoy goodness. There is also an option to have the fries Cajun style where they come sprinkled in a delightful mixture of spices. Yum! I complete my meal with a cold Coca-Cola brand fountain soda, iced tea or bottled water.

While there is always a risk of cross contamination, the staff there is very willing to accommodate when given clear instructions. When I order, I let the cashier know that I have a wheat and a dairy allergy and that I would like my hamburger or hot dog served with no bun and no cheese. I also request that the assembler of my meal put on new plastic gloves. What I receive is a foil-wrapped burger or hot dog, then the toppings and sauces will be in separate foil or plastic cups, ready for me to assemble to my liking. They do have plastic forks and knives there, though I have yet to find one that has plates, but the unwrapped piece of foil works well enough (Five Guys - if you're reading, some nice sturdy cardboard plates would be greatly appreciated!! :D).

Sample Menu

2009-05-25T08:00:00.002-04:00

When I tell people about all my food intolerances and explain that I cook almost completely from my home, I often get asked what exactly CAN I eat and if it's hard. Well, it's not hard per se, but is more time consuming. As for the food, well, it's tasty! Here is a run-down of just a few options that I have:

Sample Menu

Breakfast:
Rice Chex, Honey Nut Chex. Corn Chex, Trix or Honey Kix with Hemp, Rice or Almond Milk and Fruit
Fried Eggs with Beef or Turkey Bacon and Grits or Home Fries
Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free Pancakes or Waffles with Beef Bacon and Fruit
Gluten/Dairy/Soy/Yeast Free Toast with Peanut Butter
Fruit Smoothie
Hormel Canned Corned Beef Hash with Fried Eggs and Fruit
Veggie-Filled Omelet

Lunch:
Any dinner leftovers
Gluten/Dairy/Soy/Yeast Free Flour Wrap, Toast, Corn Tortilla or Rice Paper Wrap filled with turkey, lettuce, tomato, onion and avocado served with potato chips on the side
Hormel Dinty Moore Beef Stew with side salad and homemade dressing
Imagine Brand soups - some are safe
Glutino Brand Gluten Free Chicken Ranchero with Brown Rice Frozen Meal
PJ's Chicken Tamale Frozen Meal
Amys Brand soups - some are safe
Egg/Tuna/Chicken Salad with Gluten/Dairy/Soy/Yeast Free Crackers and Fruit
Chicken, Vegetable and Rice Soup
Green Salad topped with Grilled Chicken and homemade dressing

Dinner:
Grilled Chicken, Lamb or Steak, Baked Potato and Steamed Veggies
Gluten Free Brown Rice Pasta topped with Tomato Sauce and Ground Beef
Chicken and Veggie Stirfry with Gluten/Soy Free Oyster Sauce over plain White Rice
Roast Turkey/Chicken/Beef with Roasted Veggies and Side Salad and homemade dressing.
Taco Salad - romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onions, avocado topped with grilled meat, black beans and safe tortilla chips
Bunless Hamburgers or Hot Dogs with Potato Salad, Side Salad and homemade dressing
Turkey and Bean Chili

Dessert:
Fruit
Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free Cobbler
Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free Cake
Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free Cookies
Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Dairy Free Gelato
Dairy Free Sorbet

Snacks:
Mixed Nuts (minus Walnuts)
Fruit
Plain Potato Chips
Original Fritos
Gluten/Soy Free Beef Jerky
Fruit Leathers
Rice Cereal Bars
Fruit Smoothie
Hummus and Carrot Sticks

As you can see, I do not have to go hungry or sacrifice taste just to eat well!

Meat Comparison

2009-05-18T08:00:00.014-04:00

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Back when I was doing Weight Watchers, I was looking for a lot of meat alternatives. I had already used a lot of turkey breakfast meats and ground turkey in place of ground beef in hamburgers, spaghetti, etc, but ground turkey just did not cut it for a real hamburger. One day, when I was shopping with my Hubby, he saw this:

Buffalo? Ground buffalo? Huh. Then I flipped it over and looked at the nutritional information:

Hm. Not too shabby. So, we took it home, tried it and loved it! It tasted just like beef - but was healthier and thus less WW points. It went straight into rotation! Though, recently, it has not been. I see it at the stores, but we really just don't eat much ground meat much anymore and when we do, it's always turkey.

Well, a few weeks ago, I went into the doctor for a general checkup. Verdict - I have a Vitamin D deficiency (which, if you want to know, I am trying to solve with a good multivitamin and this which has 2,000 IUs of vitamin D in 1 tsp! Wow!) and my cholesterol was high. The over-all cholesterol wasn't so bad, but my triglycerides were way bad ... like nearly double what it should be. Eek! So, anyway, I need to bring it down badly. The doctor prescribed more exercise, less sugars, less carbs and less/better meat (and, surprisingly, the fish oil that I suggested taking helps lower triglycerides too! Score!). Anyway, I started doing some research on sugar alternatives (will discuss this more later) and on meat. I thought - what meats are better for you, which ones have less calories and fat? Then I thought again of that lovely ground buffalo that I used to eat back on Weight Watchers and I dove into the research.

Among other places, I turned to the USDA website for information. Did you know they have a search tool to help you find out what nutrients are in the foods you eat? Pretty cool. So, I looked up all the various meats that I eat to get a better idea and I put together a table.

First, some notes and disclaimers before I share this table. First of all, I am not a nutritionist, I just compiled the information that I found on what I think is an unbiased, trustworthy site. Please do your own research and consult with your own doctors/nutritionists before deciding what is best for you. Anyway, notes - you will notice this table does not include pork. I am intolerant to pork, therefore don't eat it, and didn't include it in this list. I only included meats that I eat, but the USDA link that I gave above should give you information on pork should you want it. I kept all the amounts the same - 1 cup cooked. I tried to pick all ground meats. Buffalo (Bison) only had one listing on the USDA site. I'm not sure if it's ground or steak or what, but it's all I had, so I used it. I also wanted to use all lean ground meats, like I did in the instance of the beef, but ground chicken and ground turkey only had one listing. I'm not sure what percentage these would be or what, but I only had one option so I had to take what I could get! ;) Finally, I rounded. I hate all those decimals, so I used the typical rounding methods - .5 and up got rounded up, .4 and down got rounded down. Easy peasy, right?

So, here are my results based on the information found with the nutrients search on the USDA Website.

	Bison, cooked	Ground beef, 85% - 89% lean, cooked	Lamb, ground or patty, cooked	Turkey, ground	Ground Chicken
Serving Size	1 cup, cooked	1 cup, cooked	1 cup, cooked	1 cup, cooked	1 cup, cooked
Energy (kcal)	192	305	346	296	301
Protein (g)	38	32	30	34	34
Fat, total (g)	3	18	24	17	17
Cholesterol (mg)	110	109	118	128	110
Saturated fatty acids, total (g)	1	7	10	4	5
Monounaturated fatty acids, total (g)	1	8	10	6	7
Polyunaturated fatty acids, total (g)	0	1	2	4	4
Calcium (mg)	11	22	27	32	19
Iron (mg)	5	3	2	2	2
Magnesium (mg)	5	3	30	2	2
Sodium (mg)	76	485	496	545	513
Vitamin B-12 (mcg)	4	3	3	0	0
Folate, total (mcg)	4	3	23	0	0

So, as you can see, buffalo has much fewer calories, slightly more protein, significantly less fat, less calcium, slightly more iron and much less sodium than all the other meats. And it tastes great? Pretty cool!

Another interesting thing I found out from this table - I had no idea just how high in calories and fat lamb was! Yikes! Good thing I only eat it a few times a year. I mean, I really love it, but my Hubby does not, so I only make it when he is out of town or my parents make it when we visit sometimes (and a steak for my Hubby). It is surprising high in magnesium and folate though.

For me, I think what I'm going to do is stick to turkey for my bacon, sausage and hot dogs and use buffalo in any recipe calling for ground meat and limit beef to the occasional steak and occasionally get beef bacon (which I much prefer, but I gotta get those triglycerides down) instead of turkey bacon. Of course, I will start trying to incorporate more seafood/fish and vegetarian meals.

Now, how to sneak a meatless meal by Hubby? ;)

Starbucks Valencia Orange GF Cake!

2009-05-13T08:00:00.003-04:00

Everyone in my various GF networks have been raving about the new Starbucks Valencia Orange GF Cake! I quickly checked out the ingredients and was pleasantly surprised with it being DF/SF too! Yay! The ingredients are:
Whole Eggs, Valencia Orange Pulp, Almonds, Sugar, Orange Peel, Gluten Free Baking Powder, and Orange Oil.
Isn't it grand when life is nice and simple! And, it looks like they really know what they're doing! They even disclosed how they are manufacturing these little beauties and I have to admit that I am impressed! It's SO nice to have a mainstream company really looking out for us GF!

After searching around for it for a few days, I finally found a store that had them. I purchased 3 - 1 for myself, 1 for my husband, and 1 for later. Hubby and I had one that night for dessert.

For the first one, I thought it was VERY moist, it was not crumbly or dry or grainy, the flavor was pretty good and the serving size was great - not too big, not too small. Now for the bad - only that I thought that it was very orangy. It's okay but a bit strong by itself, but would probably be better with coffee - which I'm sure was the intention. But I couldn't order any because I can't drink coffee black and Starbucks does carry a DF/SF milk (Starbucks, if you are reading, could you please carry a DF/SF milk? Hemp or hazelnut milk would be divine, but I'll settle for almond or rice milk).

Well, fast forward 5 days after purchasing them, I opened up the third one. Short version - not good. The cake had a faintly moldy smell and it was super sticky and stringy. In fact, in my first bite, there was a string hanging from my lip and I thought it was a hair or something. Nope. It was from the cake. It seriously looked like a cobweb. Maybe excess sugar? It's sort of like the strings from Rice Krispie treats or something, but they were tougher - sounds funny, I know, but it's true. I tried taking a picture of it, but it just didn't come out. Anyway, I tried breaking the strings by pulling the bite further from the cake - nope - the strings grew longer. I tried breaking it with my finger. It worked, but I had to pull far and I got a sticky finger. The only other way to deal with them was to spin the cake around until the strings broke. I don't know what all that stringiness was, but it completely turned my stomach. Just to make sure, I pulled a few more bites off with my fork, and sure enough, other bites did it too, so it was not just a fluke. Yuck. I do notice though that there are no preservatives listed in the ingredients, that might be it. The other thing is I see printed "10909 17:34" so I am guessing a manufacturing date of January 9, 2009 at 5:34pm. So maybe it has just been too long? I have seen this before though. When I first started baking from scratch, I made a pumpkin pie. I left it out at room temperature thinking that like store-bought ones, it would be fine. Well, within a week, it was not! The top was super glossy, the pie smelled faintly of mold and it was stringy. I'm thinking whatever happened to the pie has now happened to this cupcake.

Don't believe me? Well, sadly, I'm not the only one with this experience. Ginger Lemon Girl said the same thing happened to her poor cupcake - and what's worse is hers were like that from the day she bought them! She did not the chance to experience them when they were actually decent! :( But, she did really enjoy their Passion Tea Lemonade!

I'm not mad at you, Starbucks. I was and am thrilled, excited and hopeful about your efforts - and especially thankful for your trying to cater to us poor food intolerant people. Unfortunately, this product falls way short of just how good GF/DF/SF can be! If you want some help, I know plenty of recipes that would be better suited for this application! ;)

Asian Pears

2009-05-12T08:00:00.003-04:00

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

I just love Asian Pears (also known as Apple Pears, Taiwanese Pears, African Pears, Korean Pears, Japanese Pears, etc - see, they're so good everyone wants to claim them!). When ripe, these babies are very sweet and juicy yet crisp. They are low in calories and yet a good source of both Vitamin C and Fiber.

Wanna know to pick them? They are in season from roughly July to October. Quality Asian pears are best selected by smell rather than by softness. Unlike most pears that give in to a bit of pressure when ripe, Asian pears can be ripe even when they are still firm. So, look for a sweet aroma (though they might not smell as strongly if they're cold) and of course, stay away from pears that are real soft, wrinkled, have scuff marks or are bruised.

Asian Pears are one of the few fruits that I enjoy plain/raw - I just wash, slice, remove the core and eat - skins and all. They are just so refreshing! However, I also enjoy them in smoothies. They are great way to sweeten up smoothies and are neutral enough in flavor that they go with just about everything!

I have also read lately that they are quite good cooked/baked - something I never even thought about doing!. This recipe sounds especially yummy. I also found this recipe and these. Now that I'm thinking about it, these pears are neutral enough that they may be good on salads too! mmmmm ... these ideas are definitely something that I need to try - and soon!

If you haven't tried Asian Pears before, you really must - you can't go wrong!

My First Baking Creation: Pumpkin Soft Muffins

2009-05-05T08:00:00.005-04:00

I'm going to share a little secret with you all today. Ready?

I don't enjoy baking.

Seriously. I only bake because what I can bake at home is both cheaper and MUCH more tasty than an baked goods that I can buy in the store. But do I enjoy it? Heck no. I am a cook at heart, not a baker. I like to mix different meats or veggies together or mix different spices in or use different techniques or adjust things on the fly, that kind of stuff. Things that can not be done with baking.

But, I've also come to the realization that baking will now forever be a part of my life, whether I like it or not. Thus far, I have stuck to following other peoples baking recipes perfectly - very little adjustments (maybe subbing one fruit puree for another or swapping out chocolate chips for raisins, that kind of thing - minor stuff) because I've been too much of a novice to attempt coming up with my own recipe. What ratios to use? What helps with rising? How much rise do I need? lol. I am still confused sometimes! Baking is so hard for me because once it goes in that pan, I can't adjust it anymore! Eek! So, I've been afraid. Until now! I figure, what the worst that can happen? I develop something yucky, toss it and it's over. Or, develop something yummy and delicious! So, a few days ago, I got brave! I decided to try coming up with my very own baking recipe. Here's what I came up with:

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Pumpkin Soft Muffins
from Clara, http://www.sixfoodintolerance.com
Makes 18 muffins

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups Ginger Lemon Girls Master Mix
3/4 cup coconut flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened original flavored hemp milk
4 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can unseasoned pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup grapeseed oil
4-5 tsp turbinado sugar (optional)

Directions:
Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl

In a separate, large bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients

Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, until well combined

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Take 2 12-muffin tins, line 18 with paper liners

Spray the inside of all the liners with 1 squirt of oil spray. Also spray the inside of a 1/4 cup measuring cup.

With the 1/4 measuring cup, take a heaping scoop of the mix, place into one of the muffin liners, continue until all are full.

Sprinkle some turbinado sugar on top of each muffin - about 1/4 tsp each. This gives the muffins a nice crunchy/crisp top.

Bake 30-35 minutes until done.
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If you decide to try these, please be sure to let me know what you think of them! I'd love to hear what you think!

Vita-Mix Fridays: Hummus

2009-05-01T08:00:00.002-04:00

I just love hummus. It's good for you, it's easy to make, it's naturally GDSYWP-free and it's so delicious. And better yet? It's Vita-Mix friendly!

My base recipe can be seen here. That is what I made today. But the recipe is super easy to adjust. Sometimes I add artichokes, black olives, pine nuts, roasted garlic (my personal fav) or whatever sounds good at the time.

What do I dip with now that I'm GF? My favorite is carrots. I love the slightly sweet flavor, the crunch and of course how healthy it is! Sometimes I make rice flour wraps and use that to dip. I also love to use hummus on a sandwich wrap instead of mayo or other condiments.

Basically, you can't go wrong!

Trader Joe's Finds!

2009-04-29T08:00:00.014-04:00

Trader Joe's is like THE place to go! Their foods are yummy, cheap and they clearly list all ingredients - thanks, TJs! :D

Some of my favorite things there are:

Almond meal. All Natural. Yum. Not the blanched kind, but still yummy and at a great price! In case you can't see, each bag is 16 oz, 1 pound - for only $3.99! It says right on the bag, great for baking and breading - and they're right! I often use this to bread some chicken breasts for faux fried chicken and it's delicious in my Almond Torte ... which reminds me ... I haven't made that in a while! Why not! Oh, I need to get on that!

Orange Peach Mango Juice. Need I say more? Delish! Half a gallon for $2.69.

Orange Juice. Hubby wanted me to post this. He loves this orange juice. Me? I think it's a bit too sweet and still prefer Simply Orange. But, I guess I gotta give in on some things as long as they're safe! ;) Anyway, this is only $1.99 for half a gallon.

Ridge Cut Potato Chips. These are AWESOME!! The ingredients - unpeeled potatoes, oil (sunflower or safflower) and salt. How cool is that?! The taste great and are really good for lots of different applications - munching on, with sandwiches, oh and GREAT for dipping - we particularly love them with tuna salad. I get a 1 pound bag for $3.29.

Pound Plus Chocolate Need I say more? hahaha These are 500 grams, which is over a pound, thus "Pound Plus." And for only $3.99? Super score! They have 72% and 61%. I actually usually get the 61% because I think it tastes less bitter. But then, I'm still getting used to non-milk chocolate! ;) Anyway, I think that one comes in a brown wrapper? I'll get a photo of that one next time. Just stay away from the blue wrapper one. That one is milk chocolate!

Gluten-Free Pancake and Waffle Mix - 18 ounces for $2.99. This stuff tastes pretty good, but to be honest, I still prefer Ginger Lemon Girls Master Mix Pancakes (except I use 1 full cup of hemp milk), but what I really love is that TJs offers this. I LOVE that I can tell people that there is a commercially available gluten free product that is easy to use and tastes good!

Gluten Free Brownie Mix. 1 pound for $2.99. Again, I like these brownies but I don't find this mix as good as brownies that I can make myself (especially Elanas Brownies), but again, like the Pancakes & Waffles Mix, I LOVE that I can tell people that there is a commercially available gluten free product that is easy to use and tastes good!

Ahi Tuna. Hubby and I love this stuff. It comes pre-marinaded so it has instant flavor, and it's so easy to cook! Just thaw and cook! In the summer, Hubby will throw it on the grill (I especially like when the ends get a bit crunchy) and in the winter, I just broil it in the oven. At $5.49 a pound, we're happy campers!

Almond butter! I usually get crunchy, unsalted for general eating and for this recipe but sometimes I also get smooth unsalted and make these. It's all natural and only $4.99 for a 16 ounce jar - can't ask for much more than that! :)

Other great things they have are:

I have seen that some Trader Joes carry GF breads, but so far, all the ones I've seen have yeast in them. So, I can't comment on them!
I have heard that Trader Joes makes a brown rice pasta that is supposed to be pretty good (though not as good as Tinyaka by some reviews), but the TJs that we go to doesn't seem to carry it, so I can comment on those either.
Vitamins/Suppliments - Again, I haven't purchased any of these, but several are listed as GF.
A GF Flourless Chocolate Cake - This has dairy in it, so I haven't tried it, but it looks awesome!
Rice Drink. I forgot to ask for a picture of this. This is the first non-dairy milk that I actually liked. This is NOT the Rice Dream rice milk. This is in the refrigerated section and comes in 1/2 gallon containers. It is TJs brand and the vanilla container is beige and purple. This milk is thinner than the other drinks in my opinion which, for me, makes it easier to actually drink straight. I get unsweetened vanilla and it's great on cereal too or in recipes and bonus - it's cheaper. Can't remember the price right now but I know it comes out cheaper than the quart boxes and I think it tastes much better! :) I'll take a pic at a later date so you'll know what I'm talking about!

*** Many thanks to my darling Husband for these photos. Lately, he's been doing all the TJ runs and he took all these nice photos with his camera phone just so I could do this blog post. Yup, he's a keeper! ;)

Costco Finds!

2009-04-28T08:00:00.004-04:00

Believe it or not, Costco is a great place for people with food intolerances! Seriously! I will show you some of my favorite Costco finds:

Remember this post? Well, here is a picture of this awesome stuff! 1 whole pint of Pure Vanilla Extract for only $5.99!!! Woo Hoo! Love it!

Mareblue Naturals' Blueberry Pomegranate Trail Mix Crunch

When I saw this, I was so excited! It says gluten free, wheat free, dairy free right on it! And, it's soy free too! Woo hoo! I picked up this beauty - 20 ounces for $8.99!! It's great to leave at work to munch on or even grab a handful when I'm running out the door!

Tostitos Scoops
Warning: These chips do contain SOYBEAN OIL

I love these chips. They're perfect with salsa, guacamole, chili, Natalie's Black Bean Salsa and tuna salad! Yum! I'm able to get a 22 ounce bag of these for only $4.59!

Wholly Guacamole - Classic

Yum! What's not to love about this? It is GF/DF/SF and is delicious! My Costco sells these in packs of 3-16 ounce containers for only $8.69!! Wholly is right! ;)

Snow's Chopped Clams

I love having these in my pantry! I keep these around to make Ginger Lemon Girls Creamy Clam Chowder or to throw into a quick Seafood Pasta. At the grocery store, I pay anywhere between $1 and $1.50 for a 6.5 ounce can. But, at Costco, I can get 6 cans for $5.69.

Generic Zyrtec! 300 tablets for $14.99!!! Note, this isn't completely dairy free. It does have lactose in it. However, I've been taking these for months with no side affects, so there must not be too much in there.

Other great things they have are:

Meat in bulk (sometimes a good buy, sometimes not!). I found a leg of lamb there before for $3.99 a pound!
Fresh fruits and veggies - also sometimes a good buy, sometimes not.
Juice - if they have a kind you like, their juices usually come in pack of 2 for a reasonable price.
Vitamins - several of which are labeled GF (and DF or SF)! Nice!
Contact Lens Cleaner - I don't remember the price exactly on this, but it's CHEAP. I get 3 huge bottles and then I am set for a LONG time (hence why I can't remember how much I paid. I think like $10 for all 3 bottles - but don't quote me on that!)

Breakfast: Thai vs. Australian

2009-04-27T08:00:00.016-04:00

Growing up with a Thai mother and an Australian step-father made meals at our house interesting. There was a large variety of different foods and actually. For dinner, one night we'd have stir fry and the next we'd have roast lamb and veggies. It was great. There was usually something different and new to look forward to. For breakfast, there was also a big difference.

Here is what one version of a traditional Thai breakfast looks like:

This is just a plain egg with white rice ... that was topped with just a couple splashes of fish sauce (start with 2 or 3, taste, and work your way up - this stuff is potent!). I know that this might sound strong and salty and unappealing to some of you - but it's not! I promise. Don't believe me? Ginger Lemon Girl tried it and liked it!! ;) It's so simple, so naturally GDSYWP-free, and so delicious. Something about the rich egg yolk with the salty fish sauce is just heavenly and comforting. There are two tricks - 1) The egg must be over easy - you want to try to get a really crispy egg white and yet keep a runny egg yolk and 2) Your fish sauce must be fresh. If it's a translucent light brown color (sort of like tea) with a light fishy odor, then you're good. If it's dark brown or even black and very strong smelling - toss it now!!! It's old and yucky.

And here is one version of an Australian Breakfast:

Just a bit more food than the Thai breakfast, huh? :) This is just fried eggs over toasted bread with bacon, baked beans and grilled (well, mine were fried) tomatoes on the side. With one change, this is easily gluten free, and with a few other tweaks, it's pork free! To make this gluten free, just use gluten free bread and to make pork free, use turkey or beef bacon and use vegetarian baked beans (these are my favorite). What I love about this is the mixture of the rich yolk with the sweet baked beans and the crunch of the toast and then a few salty meaty bites of bacon. I actually usually forgo the tomatoes, but thought I'd include it here to be true-to-the-food.

I know that for some of you, these dishes might be stepping out of your comfort zone, but trust me, it's worth it! They're pretty quick, tasty, and with just a few minor tweaks, GDSYWP-free - what more could you ask for? :)

Stay Tuned!

2009-04-22T10:00:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry I've been a little MIA lately! Things have just been nuts around here. Two weeks ago, a big project at work dropped into my lap and I'm only just now getting a handle on things, I had Salmonella poisoning all last week, Hubby had a business trip, been doing a bit of spring clearing-out and ya know, just general life getting in the way of things!

But - I've come up with a couple of good post ideas and even a few recipes to share, so stay tuned! :)

Quote Tuesdays

2009-04-14T08:00:00.002-04:00

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” ~Dale Carnegie

I have been thinking a lot lately about confidence.

Confidence is something I always had growing up - confidence in my abilities, confidence in myself and confidence in my actions. But, somewhere along the way, I seemed to have lost it.

I think gaining weight had a lot to do with it - not because I was fat or unattractive, but because I wasn't myself. Everyone could see it and often pointed out - they said that I was meeker, milder and more quiet. I had retreated in, not feeling understood. I hated being told that I looked "different" or being asked if I was pregnant or that "I would never have recognized you." I was usually fine with the weight that I had put on, but to be told that I didn't look like me was not okay. All of a sudden, I began to not feel like me either. I wallowed in that for a few years, fluctuating in weight, not feeling like myself, trying to rediscover myself only to realize that I wasn't that same person anymore - so then trying to figure out who the new person I has become was - then being hit with the fact that my body wasn't really my body but instead something food had taken over - I had no idea what my body was really like since it was always fighting something. It was just one blow after another. I feared I'd never lose the weight, that I wouldn't ever be myself again and I had no confidence in myself. All that doubt lead to more inaction - more wallowing in my own self pity and laziness - which, not surprisingly, didn't help!

Recently, however, I have begun to have more confidence in myself. I am learning that I am strong, determined and smart. I have confidence in the new lifestyle that I have begun, I am confident in the choices I make and I am beginning to have more confidence in my body. After reading this moving story, I decided that it was time to stop putting off doing/buying things until I have my "better" body. I bought a couple new, beautiful, pieces to add to my wardrobe - splurged a bit on a few pieces of jewelry and decided not to wait anymore for a skinnier body to get some feel-good clothes. And, they are in my newest style - vintagey, feminine pieces. It's not about waiting and longing for the body that I had and want again, but instead about celebrating the body that I have now - a curvy, womanly, comfy body. After all, Real Women Have Curves.

Now, all this is not to say that I'm giving up hope on a skinner body - but I'm not focusing or obsessing over it, either. My main goal is to be healthy, and if getting skinny comes as a result of that - then so be it - if not, then I will survive! I am taking actions to be a healthier person - I'm moving around/exercising more, I'm trying to eat more fruits and vegetables while eating less sweets and I'm just trying to take care of me. I know these actions will only further help my confidence and before you know it, it will no longer be a conscious effort, but instead, a result of my routine actions!

So, what have you been putting off? What do YOU want to do? Well, go out and get busy doing it! :)

Quote Tuesdays

2009-04-07T08:00:00.003-04:00

"Courage does not always come with a roar. Sometimes it is the quiet voice at the end of the day that says 'I will try again tomorrow.' " ~Unknown

This quote really struck me. It is so true in so many ways and for some many reasons.

When I first started this diet, I made a few mistakes, but rather than throwing in the towel, I just said, okay, it was an infraction, but I will try again tomorrow. It worked and I'm now 100% GDSYWP-free and it feels good.

Now, I'm trying to summon the courage to be more active. I want to exercise regularly for both a bit of weight loss and for over-all health. I've never been one much for exercise so it will take a bit of diligence on my part, and some support from my friends and my Hubby! Even if I miss a day or don't do as much as I had planned/hoped, I will not give up but instead remember to try again tomorrow!

Vita-Mix Fridays: Mint Julep

2009-04-03T08:00:00.002-04:00

A while ago on my Vita-Mix Users Yahoo Group, a lady named Cathrine posted a success story with a recipe she called "Mint Julep with a Twist." It looked good, so I tried it, but of course, I had to tweak it a bit! Here is what I came up with:

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Mint Julep
Inspired by Cathrine from the Vita-Mix Yahoo Group

1 long English cucumber, chopped into smaller chunks
1 1/2" slab of fresh pineapple, chopped into smaller chunks
1 large handful of fresh mint leaves
1 splash of lime juice (I used bottled, but you of course you could use fresh)
1 cup water
2 droppers full of stevia
1 cup of ice

Mix it all together starting on low & slowly increase to high. Once it is all pureed, turn the Vita-Mix down to low and add ice until chopped.
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This made A LOT, nearly a whole Vita-Mix full, so be warned. Hubby had a few sips, but wasn't thrilled with it, so I drank it myself over 2 days. This was pretty refreshing, not quite as "summer" tasting as I had imagined, but still quite good!

Enjoy!

Quote Tuesdays

2009-03-31T08:45:00.000-04:00

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What! You, too? Thought I was the only one.' " ~ C.S. Lewis

I know you all have heard me talk about my wonderful, dear friend Carrie, right? Well, did you know that we've never met in real life? Yup. Not once. And we've never had a real conversation over the phone. Seriously. We met through her Gluten Free Recipes Yahoo Group when she asked me to help her moderate and it just all took off from there! We did A LOT of the "What! You, too? Thought I was the only one" through emails and chats - with food, with our housekeeping skills (or lack thereof! :) ) and with our general lives. In only a few short months, she has become an integral part of my life. She is a dear friend and a wonderful person. If you haven't been to her blog, Ginger Lemon Girl, be sure to visit today! :)

Vita-Mix Fridays: Tortilla Soup

2009-03-27T08:00:00.004-04:00

Today, one my all-time favorite recipes, and one of the ones that "sold" me on the Vita-Mix! Vita-Mix Tortilla Soup from the Vita-Mix website (and cookbook!). But, as usual, I tweaked things a bit. Here is what I do:

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Tortilla Soup
Inspired from Vita-Mix: http://vitamix.ahoy.com/recipe/recipe.cgi/0/274/

Yield: 5 cups
Speed: Variable to High to Variable
Time: 5 to 6 minutes

Ingredients:
3 cups water
2 bouillon cubes
1 Roma tomato
1 carrot
1 rib celery
1 thin slice of onion
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 thin slice of yellow squash
1 thin slice of red bell pepper
1 thin slice of cabbage
1 mushroom
1 packet of Sazon Goya Low Sodium Seasoning, Natural & Complete
dash adobo powder without pepper
dash chili powder
dash cumin
handful of black beans (reserved)
handful of corn kernels (reserved)

Directions:
Place all ingredients to cumin (leaving out black beans and corn) in Vita-Mix container in order listed. Secure 2-part lid. Select VARIABLE, speed #1. Turn on machine and quickly increase speed to #10; then to HIGH. Run for 5 to 6 minutes until steam escapes through lid opening.

Reduce speed to VARIABLE, speed #2. Remove lid plug. Add in the black beans and corn kernels just a few seconds - long enough to chop them up a bit.

Serve immediately.
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Can't you just see that steam rising from it? All from a blender! Pretty cool (er, uh, hot), huh?

Kettle Chips - Sea Salt & Vinegar

2009-03-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

Kettle Chips - Sea Salt & Vinegar

Finally! A salt & vinegar chip that I can have!! My favorite chips ever used to be these, but they had gluten and dairy in them. Phooey! Then, when I looked at other brands, they all had gluten, dairy or yeast in them! It's been a year without my beloved salty, tart and tangy chips, but they're back now, baby! :) These are super crunchy too, since they're kettle cooked. Double Yum!

Carrot Sesame Salad

2009-03-25T08:00:00.004-04:00

I came across this yummy looking Carrot-Sesame Salad while blog surfing a while ago. I decided it was time to make it, but of course, as usual, I tweaked it! There were a few ingredients I didn't have and it has soy sauce in it. So, I modified it and here is what I came up with:

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Carrot Sesame Salad

Ingredients:
2 medium carrots
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt
Splash of fish sauce
1/2 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 Tablespoon toasted black sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds

Directions:
Put all ingredients into a bowl, mix well.
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I am so pleased with how this came out! It's a great side dish or appetizer. It's so tasty - slightly sweet yet tangy. Yum!

Enjoy!

Quote Tuesdays

2009-03-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

"In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." ~Carl Sagan

My friend, Carrie (aka Ginger Lemon Girl), sent me this quote. Isn't it funny? I guess we really don't cook from scratch! I guess it's all in your perspective! :)

Vita-Mix Fridays: The Cheesy Imposter ... in the Vita-Mix!

2009-03-20T08:30:00.002-04:00

Enough with the smoothies, right? Tired of reading about them on Fridays? Well, okay, I hear ya - and I've got just the kinda recipe that you're going to love!

When my sweet friend, Carrie, asked me to test a recipe for her, I was excited and on board immediately! I just love Carries recipes! She is a fab baker and chef. When she told me it was a CF/SF/YF cheese sauce, I got really excited! There are a few CF/SF cheese sauce packets or mac & cheeses out there - but they all have nutritional yeast in them! That doesn't cut it for this GDSYWP-free girl! But Carries, now that covers it all! :D

Allow me to introduce the Cheesy Imposter!

(Cute name, huh? And quite fitting, I think!)

After reading the recipe, I thought, hhhmmm, blend huh? Then heat in a pot? I bet the Vita-Mix can do it all at once! And sure enough, it did! Boy, do I love this thing! :)

Here's the recipe as I made it (stuff in bold is tweaked a bit):

Carries Cheesy Imposter
2/3 cup unsweetened hemp milk
4 tablespoons cooked chickpeas
1 heaping tablespoon tahini
3 tablespoons cashews
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic granules
3/4 teaspoon tumeric
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
scant 1 tablespoon diced pimiento peppers
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Now, instead of following her directions, I put all of it into the Vita-Mix, slowly went from Variable 1-10, then to high and let it run for 3 minutes. Perfectly blended AND warm! Wonderful! I love it when the Vita-Mix makes life just that much easier! :)

I had some last night on some oven-roasted deli turkey and am having it today for lunch over a baked potato. But, I can see this recipe in so many different applications - over steamed broccoli, a dip for tortilla chips, and dare-I-even-think-it, on pizza! Yay! :D

You've GOT to try this recipe - especially if you are CF/SF and even more so if you're YF too! :D

Enjoy!

Dad's Potato Salad from Simply Recipes

2009-03-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

The other night, I made this potato salad.

It was my first time making potato salad and it was GOOD! The only changes I made were:
I halved the recipe for just Hubby and me
I left out the parsley since I didn't have any
I added a sprinkle of granulated garlic (of course)!

This recipe had a super yummy in flavor - but I messed up on the texture and temperature. I didn't cook the potatoes long enough and they were a bit hard on the inside. And, I didn't let it chill long enough (I only did 30 mins or so), so it was still a bit warm. Hubby and I agreed that we like our potato salad COLD. Next time, I'll probably make it a day in advance to let the flavors mesh together and to give the salad time to get really cold.

So, lessons learned! But hey, the good news is that I now have a yummy recipe to add to my repertoire! :D

Quote Tuesdays

2009-03-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

"It would be nice if the Food and Drug Administration stopped issuing warnings about toxic substances and just gave me the names of one or two things still safe to eat." ~Robert Fuoss

When I read this quote, I literally laughed out loud! It reminds me of when I tell people about all my food intolerances. They almost always say, "Geez, what CAN you eat?" Well, I can eat rice and potatoes (which always surprises people - they tend to confuse "gluten" with "carb"), all vegetables (asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, etc), all fruits (apples, oranges, bananas, pineapples, pears, etc.), all nuts except walnuts (cashews, peanuts, almonds, pecans, etc) and so forth and so on. I guess it surprises people because so much of the American diet revolves around wheat and dairy. grilled cheese, mac and cheese, cheeseburgers, hamburger helper, cakes, doughnuts, etc. I reassure them that I am certainly able to eat plenty and do not go hungry! ;)

Liz Lovely's Ginger Molasses Cookie

2009-03-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Liz Lovely's Ginger Molasses Cookie

When I saw this at my local Roots Market, I thought, cool! GDSYWP-free! Then, I gave the package a little squeeze (I know I shouldn't do that - ssshhhh, don't tell!) and was shocked when the cookie actually gave! No rock hardness! Wow! I looked at the flavors: Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Fudge and Ginger Molasses. I figured I could make a kick-ass chocolate chip oatmeal myself and a yummy chocolate cake, but what I hadn't had in a year is a good molasses cookie - which are one of my favorites! So, I decided to give the Ginger Molasses a try.

Seriously, I can't say enough good things about this cookie. Yummy, Yummy in my Tummy! Seriously, this might be the BEST GDSYWP-free pre-made, packaged and bought that I have ever had! YUM-O The only bad thing I can say is that there was WAY too much ginger on there for me - I picked off all the large pieces that I could and it was still too spicy for me. But then, take into consideration that I'm not a big ginger fan and therefore don't eat it much. But, the texture was PERFECT - soft, not crumbly and moist. The flavor was good, I'd prefer more molasses and less ginger, but it wasn't off-putting or anything like that. Seriously, a GOOD cookie.

The other thing is they are kind of expensive. I paid nearly $4.00 for 2 large cookies - but they were decently sized (a bit larger than my palm and about 1/2 an inch thick) - and had high quality ingredients, so it isn't a terrible cost. I wouldn't get these for everyday or anything, but for a treat, or if I saw them when I was traveling or if I needed a grab-and-go kind of thing, these were GREAT. I think I need to try the other two flavors ... all in the name of reviewing them for this blog, whad'ya say? ;)

Vita-Mix Fridays: Kale and Pear Smoothie

2009-03-13T08:00:00.008-04:00

Okay, so this looks an awful lot like the Strawberry You-Won't-Taste-The-Spinach Smoothie. I know. But! It tastes completely different! I promise. First of all, there isn't a single strawberry in there ... or a drop of spinach, for that matter! Today's smoothie is a Kale and Pear smoothie from the Vitamix website.

Anyway, I made this recipe and it was GOOD. Yum! And you won't taste the kale at all. I promise. Hubby does NOT like kale, not one bit (well, except in this recipe, but you can't taste it then either - it's covered in bacon! hahaha) I'll definitely be making it again - and you should totally give it a try. After all, kale is a super food!

----------
Kale and Pear Smoothie
from Vita-Mix: http://www.vitamix.com/household/health/green_smoothie.asp
Yield: 4 cups
Time: 1 1/2 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup green grapes
1 orange, peeled
1/2 Bartlett pear
1 banana, fresh or frozen
1 cup kale
1/2 cup water
2 cups ice cubes

Directions:
Place all ingredients into container and secure the lid.

Select VARIABLE speed #10, then to HIGH for 1 ½ minutes. Turn machine off.

Serve immediately.
----------

Enjoy!

My Two Favorite Chocolate Bars

2009-03-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

When I first started letting chocolate back into my diet, I was thrilled to have it, but I was so missing my milk chocolate. I have never been a fan of dark chocolate and was not adapting well. It was so bitter, strong and harsh to me. It took a while to find some that I actually liked that were also GF/DF/SF! So, today I'm going to share with you my 2 favorite chocolate bars! Personally, I don't think they taste at all like dark chocolate, but they are so you get all those good antioxidants and flavonoids, and of course, get to avoid the dairy!

Alprose Deluxe Dark Chocolate with Hazelnut Praline

This stuff isn't always easy to find, but when you do, it's so worth it! It is completely GF/DF/SF but it is DELISH! I think it's light on the tongue and melts beautifully. It's really creamy and just a bit nutty - so good! I couldn't believe this was dark chocolate when I first had it. I kept checking the package!

Divine Dark Chocolate with Mint
Warning: This bar contains Soy Lecithin

I have always been a fan of the chocolate and mint flavors together and this bar just takes it to another level! The mint is crisp and bright! I love that the mint is in chips, crackling just a bit under your teeth and tongue. The chocolate is mellow, a bit creamy and "levels out" the sharpness of the mint. It's not at all bitter to me! I just LOVE this bar. And, even the packaging is appealing! Doesn't it just draw you in and make your mouth water?

Quote Tuesdays

2009-03-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

"When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste." ~Laiko Bahrs

This is SO how I do things!

I am such an amateur baker (as in only started when I went GDSYWP-free and still only do it when I must), so I always very closely follow the directions. I am so scared to mess something up! I just don't know what I'm doing or the science behind baking enough to tweak anything! I'm a wuss with baking. I always check with my Gluten Free Recipes Yahoo Group before I even try to convert a "regular" recipe to GF!

However, when I cook, I feel so much more comfortable! I have no problems adding this or leaving out that or whatever. I totally cook by taste! I really love to get creative with a dish! It's fun for me and I love when I come up with a yummy result! :D

Glutino Gluten Free Chicken Ranchero with Brown Rice

2009-03-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

Glutino Gluten Free Chicken Ranchero with Brown Rice

I was quite happy when I found this in the store! It's GF/DF/SF! Woo hoo! Of course, it was also $5.00! Boo hoo! ;)

I kept it in the freezer for in-case-of-emergency-only. Well, I didn't have a lunch on hand the other day, so I grabbed it! The flavor is actually not bad. It was a little bland for my tastes, so I sprinkled a bit of Cajun spice on it and it was better. The only other thing that I have to complain about is the size. Maybe I'm a piggo, but I was still hungry afterwords. It just wasn't enough for me. Luckily, I had brought along some tortilla chips, so I ate some of those too.

All-in-all, this is a good in-case-of-emergency meal, but for the price, I would only keep 1 on hand at a time and still mostly try to use my bulk cooked meals, for economical reasons!

Vita-Mix Fridays: Strawberry You-Won't-Taste-the-Spinach Smoothie

2009-03-06T08:00:00.007-05:00

Soon after my Hubby and I were married, we bought a Vita-Mix. We were roped into the sales pitch at our local Costco and we gave in. I love soup, Hubby and I both love smoothies, I could make various dips (like hummus! yum!), Hubby wanted to try making his own ice cream ... this machine seemed like a good investment! So, we plopped down nearly $400 on the Vita-Mix 5000. Yes. You read it right. $400. Probably not the best idea for our poor, newlywed, my-student-loans-are-about-kick-in budget.

But ya know, I have yet to read a bad review of the machine and in all honesty, it really does kick-ass in the blending department ... uh .... when I use actually it! So, this is what this is all about. I really need to start using this baby more. At least once a week. So, I am going to start Vita-Mix Fridays. Every Friday, I will post a new Vita-Mix recipe, some will be my own, some will be from various cookbooks or websites (always cited, of course! ;) ).

So, today, I will share my latest smoothie recipe, something I threw together based on what was in my fridge. My Hubby aptly dubbed it the "Strawberry You-Won't-Taste-the-Spinach Smoothie," which says a lot considering that he is not a fan of veggies ... especially spinach!

---------------
Strawberry You-Won't-Taste-the-Spinach Smoothie

2 cups frozen strawberries
2 loose handfuls spinach
1 cup mango juice (I used this one)
2 tbsp vanilla rice protein powder (I used this one)
1 banana

Throw all the ingredients into the Vita-Mix, slowly speed up to variable 10, then to high and continue blending until smooth.
---------------

I took this in to work for breakfast. It was good, but there are two changes that I would make. 1) I thought it had a tad too much protein powder in it (I could feel the powder on my tongue), so I would probably only use 1 tbsp next time, but the flavor was great. And the fact that Hubby even enjoyed it proved to me that it was yummy! 2) Ice! How could I forget the ice! I like my smoothies to be icy, chilly and cold. But, since I'm out of Vita-Mix practice, I totally forgot about ice! Oops! *Sigh* There's always next time! ;)

Oh, and if you're wondering about the container it's in, it's a Blender Bottle. It's awesome. I have a purple one and Hubby has a blue one. There is a metal wisk ball in there that shakes up all ingredients to make sure everything is all evenly dispersed and good. It's the best thing for smoothies!

Chicken Piccata with Artichoke Hearts

2009-03-05T08:00:00.003-05:00

Another yummy find!

The other day, I had some chicken breasts that needed to be used up, but could just not figure out what to make! I wanted something different! So, I searched the 'net and found the recipe here on All Recipes.com.

Here is the original recipe, as is:
----------
Chicken Piccata with Artichoke Hearts
Originally from "JAMMINMARTIN" on All Recipes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded 1/2 inch thick and cut into thirds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 (13.75 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped, liquid reserved
1/4 cup capers, with liquid
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
1. Mix together the flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning on a plate. One by one, dredge the chicken pieces lightly in the prepared flour mixture.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken pieces for 2 minutes per side, or until nicely browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

3. Using the same skillet, cook and stir the garlic and onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour the white wine into the skillet, turn the heat to high, and cook until the wine reduces by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, artichoke hearts, reserved artichoke liquid, and browned chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Stir in the capers and butter.
----------

The only substitutions I made were:
I used a GF mix instead of the all purpose flour
I didn't have any white wine on hand, so I used an extra 1/2 cup of chicken stock
I had about a handful mushrooms that were on their last legs, so I sliced them up and threw them in too!

All I can say is YUM-O! Even Hubby, who doesn't like artichokes liked this! Granted, he picked out most of them, but ate a few of the solitary leaves. He said that we can add this to our rotation, so I'm super happy about that because this dish was VERY good! It did take a bit of prep, but so worth it! The dish was just bursting with flavor! I served this with a side of brown rice, but I can totally see it next to white rice or plain or with a slice of bread or steamed broccoli ...

Quote Tuesdays

2009-03-03T08:00:00.004-05:00

“Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience.” ~ Author Unknown

I've never been a patient person ... uh ... ever. But, I'm trying to be patient with my Celiac Gene test. I'm trying to fill my days and not think about it ... and it's everlasting affects on both my life ... and the future of my family ... and future kids. No, I'm not thinking about it at all! ;) I'm being wonderfully, calmly patient!

Oh, and if you believe that, I have some ocean front property in Arizona to sell ya! ;)

A Bit About Sushi

2009-02-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

I love, love, LOVE sushi! And, Sushi is actually pretty safe to eat GFCF. Of course, SF is a whole 'nother thing, but it's possible, I promise! I still eat it all the time! Seriously! It is one of the easiest things to eat out since it is prepared fresh and to-order, so you can easily customize it!

Sushi rice, nori (seaweed paper that sushi is wrapped in) and of course the raw rish are all naturally GFCFSF.

Here are some things you have to watch for:

Dairy:

The only dairy stuff that I can think of off the top of my head that is usually in sushi is cream cheese - so, if a roll I want comes with it, I just ask that they replace it with avocado or cucumber or something, it's usually not a problem.

Gluten/Soy (I'm combining these two because pretty much anything with soy sauce could have wheat in it):

If only GF: Anything "tempura," fried, or labeled as "crunchy" - those all are done with wheat flakes
If only GF: Avoid crabsticks. They almost always have wheat in them. You can ask if they use real crab or imitation. Real crab is fine. Imitation is not. They should be able to tell you if it is real crab or not - it's a fairly common question.
If GF and/or SF: Soy sauce with wheat in it - so if you are both GF/SF, you'll have to deal with no sauce whatsoever or bring a bit of fish sauce. If you are only GF, not SF, bring your own wheat free soy sauce but still ask that they do not put ANY sauce on any of your sushi. I cannot emphasize this enough the waiter/waitress! Just so you know, some rolls don't say that they have sauce on them on the menu, but it arrives with a sauce on them! So, be very, very clear. This might get you a weird look - "No sauce?" "No sweet sauce?" "No soy sauce?" Just keep nodding - yes, NO sauce of ANY kind. They all most likely have soy in them and could have wheat in them.
If GF and/or SF: Anything with eel because it almost always comes with soy on it or was marinated in soy

Here are some other words to watch for - most will not show up in your sushi menu, but they may be in entrees (if your sushi place offers other entrees) or in the appetizers:

GF only: ramen, soba, udon, gyoza, panko, tempura, miso (this is soy based and can have wheat added in sometimes), dashi, salad dressing and marinades (of course all sauces can have wheat in them), tamago (an omelet that has soy sauce in it), flavored roe, fish cake, soy sauce, teriyaki, sweet soy, sweet sauce
SF only: gyoza, miso, dashi, salad dressing and marinades (of course all sauces can have wheat in them), tamago (an omelet that has soy sauce in it), flavored roe, soy sauce, teriyaki, sweet soy, sweet sauce

Some safe options:

Sashimi: all it is - literally - is slices of raw fish. So, you'd get a plate full of little pieces of raw fish. You could ask for a bowl of rice to come with it, but it won't have the "sushi" flavor because sushi rice has vinegar and some other stuff in it. You could ask for a bowl of sushi rice, but it depends on the place if they'll do that.
If you can eat soy, a good appetizer is Edamame (salted and steamed soybeans)
California Roll or Rainbow Roll - if GF: replace crabstick with shrimp
Alaskan or Philadelphia Roll - if DF: replace cream cheese with avocado
Any Nigri sushi (this is just a pillow of sushi rice, sometimes with a dab of wasabi and then the fish on top - no sauce, no veggies, nothing to worry about here - just don't order the eel one or tamgo if your GF or SF!)

I hope that helps out a bit! Sushi can be very safe, you just have to know what to ask for. Oh, and if you are in the Southern Maryland area, my two favorite sushi places (out of the ones that I have tried so far) are Niowana Hana and Wasabi Zen. When I'm in Northern Virgina, I really like Yokos. It's gotten mixed reviews, but me and my Sister really enjoy it! I've also heard that Tachibana is really good, though I've never been there myself.

Enjoy!

Clara's Avocado Sesame Salad

2009-02-26T08:00:00.007-05:00

Okay, so Hubby and I tried a new sushi restaurant the other day. We usually go to this one, but we decided to try this one to switch things up a bit!

I noticed an avocado salad on the menu. I love avocados, so I asked the lady what was in it. She said it had iceberg lettuce, avocado, sesame seeds, miso dressing and topped with tempura flakes. So, it was soy and wheat filled! :( I politely declined but thought, ooooo, that sounds super good and I bet I can make a safe version at home!

So, this is what I came up with:
----------
Clara's Avocado Sesame Salad

Ingredients:
3 romaine lettuce leaves
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced the long way and mediumly sliced the short way (hope that makes sense! Basically, you want bite size pieces)
1 slice of red onion (Cut vertically so you'll get several little skinny pieces, not a ring)
2-3 heavy sprinkles of toasted black sesame seeds
1 light sprinkle of toasted white sesame seeds
4-5 tsp of My Favorite Dressing
1/2 handful or so of Rice Chex (check to make sure it's GF)

Directions:
Roughly chop the lettuce leaves, place them on the plate

Place the avocado randomly on top of the lettuce

Spread the onion pieces around on top of the avocado and lettuce

Sprinkle both the sesame seeds on top

Drizzle on the dressing

Crush the Rice Chex in your hands and sprinkle over the whole salad
----------

Oh! So this is SO good! Really, very, super good! Try this ... TODAY!!! I mean, not only is it amazingly good, but avocados are so good for you!

The black sesame seeds really give the salad a deep flavor that is also a bit nutty, the dressing lends that vinegary/sour flavor, the avocado is creamy and also a bit nutty and then the lettuce, sesame seeds and Rice Chex give you that crunch! It's a flavor explosion and a textural sensation!

Oh my!! Yum yum! And, completely GDSYWP-free! :D Life is good.

Enjoy!

First Celiac Appointment

2009-02-25T10:00:00.001-05:00

So, I went to go see Dr. Alessio Fasano yesterday. Overall, I'd say it was good appointment. I gave them a run-down of my history (which is basically a summary of this post and this post). It took a while to go through all that with the nurse - about 20-30 minutes or so, and then I actually met with Dr. Fasano for all of like 5 minutes! Keep in mind that we waited for like an hour before we even saw the nurse! Crazy, huh? I was there from a bit before noon until nearly 2!!

Anyway! What it boils down to is that they took my blood to run the Celiac gene test on me. The results will be back in 10-14 days. If it comes back negative, I only have a 5% chance of having Celiac. If it comes back as positive, it means that I carry the gene for Celiac, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I actually have Celiac. If it is positive, I would then have to decide if I want to do a gluten challenge - which basically means that I'd have to go back on gluten continually for a month or so. I was told it would not have to be much (in their opinion!) - I was told 1 slice of bread, 1 cookie or even a couple crackers would be enough. Then, after a month, I would come back in for a biopsy or antibody blood test and see where to go from there.

It's sort of a Catch-22 for me. I mean, I want the gene test to come back positive because I really believe that I, and some of my family members, have Celiac. But, I don't want it to be positive because I am scared to death of having to go back on gluten. I know I'll be so run-down, need lots of naps, be irritable, have lots of headaches, etc. I know the doctors think 1 slice of bread, 1 cookie or a couple crackers isn't much, but we all know differently, don't we?

So, we'll see. I'll update you guys when I hear back about the test. For now, I'm sitting on pins and needles!

Non-Quote Tuesday

2009-02-24T08:00:00.007-05:00

Yep. Sorry, no quote on this particular Tuesday.

Today, I'm going to share something much more personal, a bit scary but hopefully a bit exciting!

I am going to go to the University of Maryland Celiac Center today.

I am going to request that they will give me a Celiac genetic test. I know that it won't diagnoise me for sure as Celiac since I've already gone GF and can't have the blood test or biopsy, but it can rule out for sure if I don't have Celiac. You can read a bit more about it here.

I'm pretty emotional about it all. Like, on one hand, I KNOW that gluten is POISON to my body - I don't need medical confirmation of that - but, there are some benefits to having an official diagnosis:
1) I've been trying to get my family to get tested but they won't because they don't think there is a problem. If I test as carrying the Celiac gene, I hope that it will make them realize that it is imporant!
2) Kind of in-line with number 1, but I want to know how great the risks are of my future children having gluten intolerance. If I carry the Celiac gene, I know to get them checked as soon as I can, but if I don't, then I know just to be careful of and watch for gluten intolerance.
3)It would be nice to have a note of diagnosis to prove that I need my special food. Like, not to friends or anything like that, but more like to officials. Like, when I travel or go to a function that does not allow outside food brought in, I have read/heard that if you have a letter of diagnosis stating that you need special food, then you are sometimes allowed to bring food in. This would help immensely!
4) Just knowing what's going on with my body. Like, I know that gluten (among other things) hurt my body, but I sure would like to know why. I think it would help me just understand myself and my body a bit more.

I'll be meeting with Dr. Alessio Fasano, a doctor internationally recognized for his work with Celiac disease. I figure if anyone would be able to diagnose me with Celiac after over a year free of gluten, it would be him! So, here's hoping!

So, I'm not sure exactly what will happen or what I'll find out, but please cross your fingers for me, I need all the help that I can get! I know I'll be a wreck all day!

I'll be back soon to discuss the visit!

Pantry Meals

2009-02-20T08:00:00.004-05:00

So, after the recent post on Bulk Meals, I started thinking about how much I love Pantry Meals, as in dishes that are be made from items that can be kept in your pantry. I love them for several reasons:
1) I am able to keep ingredients on hand for however long and use them whenever I need to whip up a quick meal!
2) They're also economical! I also like being able to stock up on canned goods when they're on sale and know that I can use them in the future. Our pantry foods, and pantry meals, have saved our budget lots of times in the past!
3) They're easy to double or triple for when you have surprise guests, or to just make bulk meals!

So, I thought I'd share my favorite Pantry Meals - you'll notice several of them are also on the Bulk Meals list, sorry for the cross-over, but I wanted to point out how the two really intermingle! Anyway, as usual, this list is by no means complete, and I'm sure to update it from time-to-time. When I do, I'll be sure to put an "updated" date on it so you'll always know how recent it is.

Carries Creamy Clam Chowder
Curry
Pantry Casserole -- no recipe - I just throw whatever veggies/beans that I have in the pantry into a casserole dish with whatever meat I have on hand, add some canned soup (or not!) whatever spices look good and cook!
Seafood Pasta
Shepards Pie - this does require some ground meat, but other than that, it's pantry! I make mine with ground beef, cooked and drained canned (drained) corn, carrots, green beans, all mixed together with either tomato soup or beef broth, pour into a casserole dish and mix up, top with instant mashed potatoes and bake until meat mixture is boiling and the potatoes start to brown.
Spanish Rice
Tuna Salad -- I know there are lots of recipes for this, mine is just a mixture of diced onions, diced celery (including the leafy tops), mayo, yellow, mustard, Old Bay spice and dill relish.
Chili
Spaghetti - brown rice pasta, a jar of spaghetti sauce and a can of beans - all things easily kept in the pantry! Of course, if you have some ground turkey/beef/chicken or some sausage in the fridge to add, that's even better! :D

Enjoy!

Quote Tuesdays

2009-02-17T08:00:00.003-05:00

“Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of those pieces” ~Judith Viorst

This sure does take some strength - more than I have!! I am seriously addicted to chocolate. I need a piece (or 10! ;) ) at least once a day! I do have some days when I am able to fight it off, but most days I cannot. My Naturopath had originally listed it on my list foods that I was intolerant to. But, I tell ya, I only lasted like 5 or 6 months without it! I very well may be intolerant to it, (thus explaining my "need" to have it everyday) but I just cannot live without it! Those months without it were very hard! Since I don't really feel any affects on it, I have obviously let it back into my diet. I know that you don't have to feel affects for something to be affecting you, but I just couldn't do it! A life with no chocolate? Ack! I tell ya, it sure does take some strength to not eat more than I do!

Bulk Cooking

2009-02-11T08:00:00.007-05:00

So, I'm sure I've mentioned in the past that I really like to make foods in bulk and freeze them. It's great for a few of reasons:
1) It's economical - frozen GDSYWP-free foods are expensive!
2) I can only handle eating so many leftovers before getting tired of them, this makes sure that I don't throw away a bunch of perfectly good food
3) It's convenient! I can just grab it and take it to lunch or grab it when we're going to someone elses house so I know that if they don't have something safe for me to eat, I am prepared!

So, what are you waiting for? You should do some bulk cooking yourself! :D

I thought I'd compile my favorite bulk cooking recipes for your use. This list is by no means complete, and I'm sure to update it from time-to-time. When I do, I'll be sure to put an "updated" date on it so you'll always know how recent it is.

Updated: 2/16/09

Stove-Top
Chili (to switch this up, you can put it on top of hot dogs for Chili Dogs or you can put it on top of a salad to make Taco Salad)
Spanish Rice (you can add ground turkey/beef to this and/or whatever veggies you have on hand to make it more of a main dish)
Curry
Turkey or Chicken Veggie soup (I take a roasted turkey or chicken carcass, boil it out to make a broth, add any leftover chicken pieces, along with chopped celery onions and drained canned green beans, corn and carrots. Yum!)
Pancakes and Waffles!
Carries Creamy Clam Chowder

Oven:
Easy Light Cassoulet
Roasted meat (I love to make a large roast, then freeze the leftover, cooked meat to use later in a recipe or to defrost and eat with sides later)

Crock Pot:
Pizza Soup
Pasta Fagioli
Burger Heaven Casserole

Things that do NOT freeze well:
GF Pasta (the Pasta Fagioli and Pizza Soup recipes above call for GF Pasta. You can tackle this 2 ways - 1: just deal with soggy, broken up pasta - which is what I usually do - or 2: make and freeze the soup without the pasta and make fresh stuff and add it when you're ready to eat the soup)

Enjoy!

Quote Tuesdays

2009-02-10T08:00:00.002-05:00

“Americans have more food to eat than any other people and more diets to keep them from eating it” ~Unknown

Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Atkins, South Beach, Low-Salt, High-Fiber, High-Protein, Various food allergies ... we Americans are so concerned with diets! And yet, we are also a nation of obese people! I think we, as a society, need to focus more on whole, natural, unprocessed foods and less on diets.

That's what I have been trying to do for the last year - eating naturally GF foods that are tasty and healthy. I rarely buy mixes or premade foods. Of course, I do still purchase some for convience purposes, but it is drastically less than before!

I certainly haven't lost weight this way yet, but then, I'm also healthier and feel better than I ever have!

Quote Tuesdays

2009-02-03T08:00:00.003-05:00

"Life is not a continuum of pleasant choices, but of inevitable problems that call for strength, determination, and hard work” ~Indian Proverb

I think this quote is especially appropriate for my anniversary week.

With a lot of strength, determination and hard work, I was able to make it a whole year GDSYWP-free. Well, that and the support of my darling Hubby!

I think, for me, when it started getting really hard, I just had to make the choice. I had to decide that I would make a major change in my life. I was determined to live my life and not feel pain or be sick all the time. I had to commit to being GDSYWP-free. I had to stick with it because I knew, deep down, regardless of what other people said, that I am better without all those things.

Now, more than ever, I am determined to live each day, one day at a time, eating safely and taking care of my body.

A Year of GDSYWP-Free Living!

2009-02-01T08:00:00.005-05:00

What a difference a year can make.

Today, I have lived one year of my life Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Yeast, Walnut and Pork free. Happy Anniversary to me!

I can not even begin to explain to you all the ways my life has changed in a year. I feel like a completely new and different person. I have gone through a metamorphosis. All the things that I thought were "normal" for my body, I am now realizing were all signals from my body. My body was trying to tell me something was wrong all along, but I just didn't know how to read the signs. This journey hasn't been easy. I won't lie or sugar coat it for you. There have been times when I wanted to give up. There were times that I thought I was the crazy one. I've cried. I've yelled. I've been frustrated. I've been angry. But, I've also felt happy, calm, joyous, renewed, educated and proud. In one single year I have learned so much more about food, about my body and about myself.

I have learned:
That I'm stronger than I think
That my Husband is the most supportive, caring and loving man I've ever known
That I know my body better than anyone else - including doctors
That I need to listen to my body more closely
To trust myself
That 99% of food manufacturing companies are all about money - they could care less about their consumers health and they prove it by all the junk that they put into their products
That Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Yeast, Walnuts and Pork are all POISON to my body
That our country needs to be more aware and educated about food allergies, food in general and how food affects the body.

In one year, I feel the best I've ever felt. I have a whole laundry list of symptoms that are GONE! I was nervous about sharing this as it is a bit personal, detailed and graphic, but I think it's important to note so you'll understand just how far I've come. Here they are:

Physical:
Alternating diarrhea and constipation - I've had this as long as I can remember
Mucous in my stool - I had this for the past 10 years in varying degrees
Floating stools - I've had this as long as I can remember
Eye twitching (mostly the left eye) - I had this on/off for about 10 years
Constant sinus problems - This had plagued me for the last 8 years, resulting in 1-2 sinus infections per year!
Abdominal pain ranging from uncomfortable to excruciating - I've had this as long as I can remember
Joint pain in my knees, mostly the left - This started about 8 years ago
An itchy rash on my elbows and buttocks (which I now think was dermatitis herpetiformis) - This was my most recent reaction, beginning about 3 years ago
Itchy bumps on my legs that cause scarring (maybe also dermatitis herpetiformis?) - I've had this as long as I can remember

Mental:
Bouts of extreme fatigue, sometimes "napping" for 4-5 hours - This started about 5 years ago
Severe mood swings/irritability - I've had this since puberty, but it has only gotten worse and worse through the years
Brain Fog - Forgetting details of an event, confusing one event with another, forgetting things easily

These are symptoms that I had that were fixed in other ways so I can't gauge if the food change helped, but I would bet that they would have:
Menstrual irregularities - I had this so badly as a teenager that I was put on birth control to regulate my body and I have been on them ever since
Nosebleeds - I had these as a kid - I would sneeze or blow my nose and my nose would start bleeding or I wake up in the middle of the night with blood flowing from my nose. It only stopped when my parents had a vein in my nose cauterized

So, when people tell me that they can't believe that changing my diet can make me feel better, I laugh on the inside. ALL of these symptoms were gone within 6-8 months of changing my diet. And they haven't returned. If it's not the food, what is it? A miracle? That happened at the same time that I started this new lifestyle? Come on.

This journey has really allowed some people in my life to shine and has brought me to some new, amazing people and I'd like to say a few "thank yous."

First and foremost, my husband. He has supported me in ways that I can't begin to describe. I will never be able to thank him enough.

Darlene Betsill, the Naturopath from Georgia who discovered these ailments and told me that I could do it.

Dr. Mayer Green, my Chiropractor who heals my spine, generally cares about me (and all his patients!), gives me advice and has fixed shoulder problems that have plagued me since my teenage years!

My friend, Kristen M., who has some food intolerances herself and was one of the first people I called when I found out. She lets me vent and encourages me.

My Vegan friend, Kristen W. who understands my on-going search for safe foods and the hardships of restaurant eating!

My new online friends and supporters, all the bloggers and fellow Yahoo Group Members that provide me with recipes, advice and support, especially my dear friend, Carrie.

Lastly, my family. For trying to understand and for loving me regardless.

This is only the beginning! I can't wait to see what year two has in store for me! Stay tuned ...
:D

Vanilla K-Toos

2009-01-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

When am I going to learn that store-bought safe cookies just don't do it for me?

For me, store-bought GDSYWP-free cookies are too hard/crumbly, way expensive and the flavors are usually not quite right.

Well, the other day, I spotted these at my local Roots grocery store and thought I'd give them a try. Ugh. Big mistake.

When I bit into these, all I could think about was caulk. Caulky in texture and I've never tasted actual caulk, but I imagine it tasting something like this as well. Ick. Yuck. Bleh.

If you're reading this and really like these vanilla K-Toos, I'm sorry to offend, but I think these might be the worst GDSYWP cookies I've ever tasted.

No wonder people think this diet is awful and tasteless ...

Instead, try making these cookies. They are SO worth the extra effort to make some cookies versus buying them.

Pamela's Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2009-01-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

I spotted these at my local Giant grocery store and was excited to see a gluten, dairy AND soy free cookie that I could buy! So, I swiped it up.

The flavor of these was actually pretty good, though I did find them to have a bit of a salty taste. The texture, however, was not-so-great. It was crumbly and a bit grainy.

That, combined with the price, makes me realize that I just need to make my own cookies and stop buying them!!

Quote Tuesdays

2009-01-27T08:00:00.005-05:00

"How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young?" ~Paul Sweeney

This quote made me laugh out loud! When I first went GDSYWP-free and explained to my family that I would have to make EVERYTHING from scratch, they all went completely silent! They just couldn't believe it or imagine it. Everything these days is all about instant gratification, but that's just not feasible with this kind of lifestyle. I make all my food from scratch - meals, breads, desserts, everything. It does take a lot more patience, time and energy, but having safe food for my body is so worth it. I've never considered myself a patient person, but I am learning. When I eventually have children, I know that they will grow on real food, will be educated about what goes into their bodies and will learn the value of patience!

You know you have Gluten Intolerance if ...

2009-01-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

This is just TOO funny ... and yet, SO true!

You know you have Gluten Intolerance if ...

1. if your bread looks like a moon rock and tastes like dried out play doh.

2. if you run from real play doh!

3. if at least once a day you fake a smile and say, ... "Sorry, I can't have that."

4. if you call a dream about eating pizza and chocolate cake a nightmare!

5. if you eat ... before ... you go out to eat.

6. if you bring your own soy sauce to the sushi restaurant.

7. if you think the words "Are you sure it's not all in your head?" are grounds for murder, especially when they come from your DOCTOR!

8. if you have thought about strangling friends and relatives who suggest "It won't hurt you to have just a a little bit, will it?"

9. if you can’t remember what real crackers are supposed to taste like.

10. if you actually have nightmares about reading labels.

11. if you compare all of your food to "normal-people-food."

12. if you call all your relatives when you get sick and say. “It MUST have be been something Cross-Contaminated at your place”!

13. if you know that Xantham Gum is NOT for chewing.

14. if you know that 'Spelt' is a distant cousin of wheat, but 'Buckwheat' is not related to wheat at all.

15. if the builders working on the house next door can EASILY substitute your "bread" for one of their bricks.

16. if you actually know what an anti-TTG and an IGA blood test are.

17. if you can find "Hidden Gluten" in food labels in the blink of an eye, and your family couldn't find them if they had a magnifying glass, dictonary and a PhD!

18. if you've had to give a doctor a 'Crash Course' in Gluten Intolerance.

19. if a 7 Course Meal is really a 1 Course Meal for you - Lettuce.

20. if you have written"Contaminated"on jars of jam.

21. if it takes you 4 hours to do your grocery shopping and your eyesight is ruined.

22. if you hyperventilate when passing by the bakery counter.

23. if you've ever deliberately rammed your trolley into a Shredded Wheat display 'in a fit of rage'.

24. if you've ever had to take out a loan to pay the grocery bill.

25. if you've had to replace every pot, pan and baking dish in your kitchen ... even though they all work perfectly well!

26. if you've ever picked 4 different brands of chicken broth before finding one that you can have.

27. if you are up late at night trying to develop a recipe for pizza without flour, cheese, yeast, tomatoes, beef, garlic and oregano.

28. if you can spell 'Transglutaminase' and 'Dermatitis Herpetiformis'.

29. if you just discovered how to make flour out of beans.

30. if having a "solid bowel movement' is the highlight of your day.

31. if you've mastered saying "I actually enjoy MY food" without having your face twitch.

32. if you know all about guar gum and its uses.

33. if you hide the gluten-free cookies when friends come over, so they don’t eat them.

34. if you see someone buying rice flour and you just have to ask them if they are gluten intolerant too!

35. if your friend wants to make you a gluten free birthday cake, but you plead with them not to go to that trouble ... because you're secretly terrified it will be cross contaminated.

36. if all your favorite sites are food intolerance related.

37. if you've mastered the art of lying when people ask you “Aren’t you hungry”.

38. if you long to look at the contents of other people's fridges and pantries just to see if you can eat anything!

39. if someone complains of IBS, and you have to fight the urge to yell "Quit eating Gluten!"

40. if you burst into tears of Relief at the sight of the words "Gluten Free" written on the corner of a product.

41. if you've installed floor-to-ceiling bookcases in your bathroom.

42. if you have a stack of recipes that you printed off the internet sitting on your dining room table that you haven't tried yet.

43. if you have called a restaurant to ask if they have a gluten free menu ... and then had to explain what gluten is!

44. if you have ever explained why regular oats are bad but "GF-certified oats" are okay ... even if they look the same.

45. if you've ever walked into an Asian store and squealed when you see rice flour for only $6 for 5 lbs!

46. if you keep a freezer full of "safe" meals for emergencies when you can't cook.

47. if you have a list of safe restaurants in the glove compartment of your car.

48. if at least one of your suitcases is filled with food when you travel.

49. if you get asked to go to lunch with co-workers and you have to ask where they are going before you can give your answer.

50. if you know who Bette Hagman is.

***Originally from here, but I tweaked it a bit and added to it! :D

Clydes Restaurant

2009-01-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

I have been meaning to write about this for a while, but I kept forgetting! I have very exciting news! I have found a new (well, new-to-me) food-intolerance-friendly restaurant!!

Back at the beginning of the month, my work held it's holiday party. One of my co-workers had recently been to Clydes (the Tower Oaks Lodge location), a popular and local restaurant, and really enjoyed it. He suggested we go there for our holiday party. Well, you all know my first thought - "Can I eat there?" So, I rushed to find their website and was comforted and relieved to find this in their FAQ page:

"I have a food allergy. Can you accommodate my diet?
We are very successful at honoring dietary requests whether it is for any of the 8 major allergens, miscellaneous allergens, or general dietary requests. Communication is key -- please tell us when you arrive that you have an allergy, and we will do our best. We are not nutritionists, but do believe that we serve great food that can be prepared to meet many common requests. Since our food is cooked to order, our chefs can make something delicious and safe for you."

So, I got excited! Yea! They will accommodate me as best they can! And, they're familiar with the top 8!! When I called to make the reservation, I asked if I needed to call in advance to assure that they would have food that I could eat and the lady taking the reservation said, "Oh, no. We deal with food allergies all the time. I'll mark it here on your reservation, but just be sure to tell your server when you arrive and we'll take care of you." Ah, such a weight off of my shoulders.

So, we got there, I told one of the servers (we were such a large party that we had 2 servers) and when the other server came to take my order, she knew right off what foods I could and couldn't have and even knew to double check with the chef about the sauces and that butter was considered dairy (most restaurants ignore the fact that butter is dairy and I end up getting sick)! Everything was easy and I was confidant that I would have a safe meal. I ended up ordering the filet mignon (with no sauce) and 2 veggies - spinach and green beans. It you know what? It was delicious! And, more importantly, it was safe.

Upon further research, it seems that Clydes is really working hard to be food-intolerant-friendly! This is a really nice article about their efforts.

I'm so, so excited about this new find!! Clydes will certainly enjoy lots of new business from me! If you're in the DC metro area, be sure to give them a try!

Quote Tuesdays

2009-01-20T08:00:00.003-05:00

"Sisters don't need words. They have perfected a language of snarls and smiles and frowns and winks - expressions of shocked surprise and incredulity and disbelief. Sniffs and snorts and gasps and sighs - that can undermine any tale you're telling." ~Pam Brown

So, not a food or health related quote this week, but as always, oh, this is SO true.

I am blessed with a wonderful, beautiful, caring, thoughtful older Sister. I treasure my relationship with my Sister so much. Among many other Sister characteristics, we can communicate volumes with only facial expressions and even eye glances. My husband, an only child, cannot understand this. We'll sometimes spend a family day/night together and when Hubby and I get home and talk about something that happened I'll say that I thought/felt this and my Sister thought/felt that. He'll ask me how I know or when she told me that. When I tell him that she didn't tell me or that I knew how she felt by how she reacted or looked, he just doesn't get it. It's a hard thing to explain. I mean, I grew up with her, she was practically a second mother to me (her being 10.5 years older than me), I can often tell what she's thinking as she's thinking it. I can't explain it ... it just is what it is.

Now, she has two beautiful daughters of her own (one a bit over 2 years and one nearly 5 months). I hope that they, too, one day will have a similar relationship to ours. It is a true, pure and wonderful blessing.

Quote Tuesdays

2009-01-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon." ~Doug Larson

LOL! I don't think this one needs any banter ... it was just too good (and funny!) not to share!

Burger Heaven Casserole

2009-01-08T08:00:00.003-05:00

So, do you remember how I told you about the crock pot challenge that my Sister and I tried back in the Fall of 2007? Well, I remembered that there was ONE good recipe that came out of that experiment! Burger Heaven Casserole. I thought that it was pretty tasty, Hubby thought it was just okay ... probably because it had lots of veggies in it. I think I need to make it again. ;)

--------
Crock Pot Burger Heaven Casserole
from http://www.dietsinreview.com/recipes/crock-pot-burger-heaven-casserole
Serves 6

Ingredients:
16 oz. extra lean ground beef (or turkey)
2 cups sliced raw potatoes
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen peas, thawed (I don't like peas, so I replaced them with green beans)
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1 10-oz. can Healthy Request Tomato Soup (this has gluten in it, so I would just use 10 oz of tomato puree or sauce)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 can mushrooms
Salt and pepper
Cooking spray

Directions:
Spray a Crock Pot container with cooking spray

In large skillet, brown meat, onion, celery and mushroom mixture

In Crock Pot container, combine meat mixture, potatoes, carrots, peas and corn

Stir in tomato soup, water, parsley flakes, salt and pepper to taste

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (Mine was in there for 10-11 hours while I was at work and it was still fine).
--------

If you can have cheese, I think that would set this off nicely. Probably a nice sharp cheddar. For those of us who can't ... well, break out the Lawrys or Old Bay and smile because it still tastes great! :D

Enjoy!

Quote Tuesdays

2009-01-06T08:00:00.004-05:00

"There's lots of people in this world who spend so much time watching their health that they haven't the time to enjoy it." ~Josh Billings

How true is this? I can relate to this quote in such a strong way! Here's a story for you:

Last Tuesday, I was very, very naughty. I had not one, but two McDonalds Hashbrowns. They are my weakness. Crunchy on the outside, soft, warm and melty on the inside. I stopped in for some OJ and decided to get just one little hashbrown ... but the clerk informed me that instead of paying $0.80 for one, I could get two for $1. Ugh. I cracked. I'm only human. A human addicted to McDonalds hashbrowns. Hashbrowns that are flavored with something containing both gluten and dairy.

By Wednesday, guess what? Beautiful dermatitis herpetiformis ... everywhere. First my arms, then my butt cheek, then my legs, my shoulder. Ugh. Yuck. But! I did it to myself. I won't start complaining here. The purpose of this story is to say that prior to this most recent break out, I hadn't given one single thought to my now itchless, bumpless skin. I mean, I've been thankful for my non-irritated stomach, my regular, painless bowel movements, my lack of brain fog, my sustained energy and even my more balanced mood, but I haven't given one thought to my beautiful, not-inflamed skin. I had been to consumed with monitoring my intolerances and bodily functions that I hadn't taken the time to enjoy the health of my skin.

So, take this post as a reminder to notice and enjoy your health. Give thanks for even one symptom being relieved because we all know that it could be worse!

Safe Asian Foods

2009-01-05T08:00:00.002-05:00

As an Asian American, I crave and need my Asian food every now and then. But, being gluten and soy intolerant doesn't make getting my "fix" very easy. Asian food is one of the hardest to eat out simply because many Asian sauces have wheat in them, and of course, most have soy in them ... even ones that don't traditionally call for soy, like Pad Thai sauce ... but I'll try not to get onto my soapbox right now.

Anyway, I have been compiling a list of Safe Asian Foods/Brands for a while now and thought that you might appreciate this list too.

This list is by no means complete, and I'm sure to update it from time-to-time. When I do, I'll be sure to put an "updated" date on it so you'll always know how recent it is.

As always, be sure to read all the labels for yourself to make sure that ingredients haven't changed, that you've chosen the right brand/type, and to just generally make sure that these foods fit your chosen lifestyle.

Oyster Sauce:
Lee Kum Kee - the Choy Sun Type
Lee Kum Kee - Panda Brand - Green Label Cholesterol Free Type (This product must be pretty new as I am unable to find it for sale online anywhere, but I did find this flyer with all the information about the product)
Wok Mei

Fish Sauce:
Thai Kitchen
Squid
Golden Boy
Tra Chang

Peanut Satay Sauce:
Thai Kitchen - does contain SOYBEAN OIL
Maesri

Spicy/Hot Sauces:
Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce
Huey Fong Chili Garlic Sauce
Huey Fong Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

Pad Thai Sauce:
MaxChup
Thai Kitchen
Maesri - does contain SOYBEAN OIL

Curry Paste:
Maesri Masaman - does contain SOYBEAN OIL
Maesri Panang
Mae Ploy Masaman
Mae Ploy Panag

Instant Foods:
Thai Kitchen Original Pad Thai
Thai Pavilion Authentic Pad Thai - does contain SOYBEAN OIL

Quote Tuesdays

2008-12-30T08:00:00.005-05:00

"As I see it, every day you do one of two things: build health or produce disease in yourself." ~ Adelle Davis

This is SO true. Especially for us food-intolerant/allergic people. We have to make the choice, one day at a time, everyday, to build health or produce disease in ourselves. We can eat safe, healthy foods and live well, or we can choose to eat unsafe, unhealthy foods and end up producing disease in our bodies.

I often think about the first 24.5 years of my life spent eating all the wrong things, being in constant pain and discomfort, just generally being unwell. In nearly a year, I've learned more about my food than I ever knew in the first 24.5 and I am so much more aware of my body now - I what I put in it, how it reacts, my energy level ... all of it.

I know I am better without gluten, dairy, soy, walnuts, yeast and pork. I know that though I may crave those foods and still taste them in my mind, that they are poison to my body. So, I make the choice, the commitment - everyday - one day at a time - to be healthy.

Quote Tuesdays

2008-12-23T08:00:00.004-05:00

"Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good." ~Alice May Broc

I don't know about you, but when I read that quote, I laughed out loud! In my house, garlic is a requirement in all savory dishes ... almost always accompanied by onions. Hubby often makes fun of me about it. I use minced garlic, granulated garlic, dried garlic, roasted garlic ... garlic anyway I can get it! In soup, stir-fry, casseroles, on veggies, meat, pasta ... garlic anywhere I can use it! In fact, there is only one non-sweet thing that I can think of that I don't like with garlic - Guacamole! I know that it is often sprinkled in there and something about the rich, creamy avocado just does not go with the savory, deep garlic flavor for me.

I remember having a conversation recently with my friend Carrie, aka Ginger Lemon Girl. She named herself that because those were 2 of her favorite flavors. I told her that if I were to do the same, I would have to name myself Garlic Onion Girl ... lol ... which doesn't have quite the same ring!

So ... garlic - love it, hate it? What's your favorite garlicy dish?

Seafood Pasta

2008-12-18T08:00:00.005-05:00

Last week, we were given a box of canned goods from someone who was moving. I rummaged through it to find things that would be safe for me to eat. One thing I found was some canned sardines in tomato sauce with red pepper. I have never had them, but hey, it was safe for me, and it was free! I did a quick Google search trying to figure out what to do with them and came up with this recipe. I thought it looked like a good place to start. But, as I was cooking it, it seemed a bit bland for my tastes. So, I doctored it up a bit! Here is what I came up with:

---------------------
Seafood Pasta
from Clara, http://sixfoodintolerance.blogspot.com
Makes 4 large servings

Ingredients:
16 ounces brown rice pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (5.5 ounce) can sardines in tomato sauce with chili, not drained (I used this one)
2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced claims in clam juice (1 drained, 1 not drained)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
6 baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
Lemon juice
2 tsp Italian Seasoning

Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until tender.

While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cook for a few minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add the sardines with their sauce, breaking up the sardines with your spoon a bit. Cook a bit to heat the sardines through.

Drain the diced tomatoes and add them to the pan and the Italian Seasoning.

Drain 1 can of the minced clams - put the clams in a bowl off to the side. With the second can, drain them over the pan, allowing the juice to go into the sauce, add the clams to the same bowl as the other. Do not add the minced clams yet.

Add the sliced mushrooms, stir and reduce heat to low.

Keep on a low simmer until the pasta is ready, allowing the sauce to thicken.

When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the sauce.

Add the clams and the lemon juice.

Continue cooking just long enough to heat the clams through (if you cook them too long, they'll get chewy/rubbery).

Serve and enjoy!
---------------------

This dish turned out pretty tasty. Hubby thought it was a bit too "fishy" but enjoyed it anyway. I think that next time, I will add some fresh basil. I think it would "brighten" the dish and maybe take away some of the fishiness.

The thing I like most about this dish is it is made from things that I can keep in my pantry. I love "pantry" meals because I can keep the ingredients on hand for a long time and just whip the dish up whenever I need it and quickly, too! Pantry food, and meals, have saved our budget lots of times when we were struggling.

Quote Tuesday

2008-12-16T08:00:00.002-05:00

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

This quote reminds me of a conversation that I had with my Hubby not too long after I was diagnosed with my food allergies. Back then, it was 9 food intolerances - the 6 that I follow now as well as shellfish, cinnamon and caffeine (since then, I have found that shellfish gives me no problems and that I tolerate cinnamon and caffeine fine as long as the doses are small and infrequent).

I had received the diagnoses a week or two prior to February 1st 2008, worked at it a bit and officially started February 1st. It had been a long, rough couple of weeks, but I was working at it. I had a few emotional breakdowns, but I was trying very hard not to let my emotions take over. I was running to every grocery store that I could think of to look for safe foods, I was researching my intolerances online, learning about hidden ingredients, scouring blogs for recipes and just generally trying to grasp all this.

Then, a day or two prior to Valentines day, Hubby came home with a beautiful robin's egg blue bag in his hand. He had gone to Tiffany's! He handed me the bag and told me to open it. I pulled off that satin white ribbon very gently, wanting to savor this moment. When I lifted off the carboard lid, I saw a beautiful lock necklace. He bought me the matching necklace to the lock bracelet that I had received from my Sister a few years prior. I was ecstatic. Hubby has always good with gifts, but we aren't rich or extravagant people, so this gift was a big one! I had been lusting over the matching necklace for a while, but never thought I'd actually get one! I loved it! But that wasn't the most touching part. That was definitely the speech that followed. My sweet Hubby told me that this was not a Valentines gift and I was confused. He said that he had watched me struggle with this new diet (uh ... lifestyle) and with some other medical issues that I had been dealing with for a while. He said that he was really proud of the way that I was handling it all and that through these experiences, he was able to see my inner strength and thought it was so beautiful. He said that he knew what I was going through wasn't easy, but he admired my will to go on and wanted me to know that he loved me no matter what. I was so touched. I felt so appreciated. I was surprised. It was all so moving.

Even now, 10 months later, I cherish that necklace. It is beautiful and perfect (and goes with all sorts of outfits! ;) ). But whenever I look at it, I look past it's physical beauty and remember the significance behind it - what I went through, how far I've come and just how wonderful my Husband is.

Chicken and Spinach Bake

2008-12-15T08:00:00.004-05:00

Boy do I love Google!

Last week, I had planned a Chicken Masaman Curry night. Well, when I actually went to make it, I didn't feel like curry! So I check my fridge - I had chicken thighs (that were supposed to go into the curry) and some spinach. I did a quick search (and that's why I love Google!) and I found this recipe. I'll also list it here in case the link dies or doesn't work for you or whatever. Here it is:

----------
Chicken and Spinach Bake
from Diana Rattray, About.com
Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 to 12 ounces fresh chopped or baby spinach, cleaned
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chicken broth
4 chicken breast halves, boneless, pounded slightly to even thickness
Creole or Cajun seasoning blend or other blend
salt and pepper
1 large tomato, diced
4 green onions, with green, sliced

Preparation:
Heat oven to 350°.

Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or spray with cooking spray.

Put spinach in the baking dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add chicken broth.

Sprinkle chicken with seasoning blend, salt, and pepper; arrange over the spinach.

Sprinkle with the diced tomato and green onion.

Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 25 minutes.

Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until chicken is cooked through.
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And wouldn't you know, it was delicious! :D I served it with brown rice and it was just lovely! I did make a few changes:
I used chicken thighs instead of breasts, and only 3 as that's all I had
I didn't weigh my spinach - I just used what I had, which was one large bunch
I didn't have green onions, so I used some red onion
I added a clove of garlic, sliced up ... just because I think every savory dish needs some garlic! ;)

I really did like it! It was super quick, easy, healthy, made with ingredients that I usually have on hand, and the best part ... Hubby even liked it! He doesn't really care much for spinach, but ate it anyway! It was sort of matted to the chicken, so he didn't really have a choice, but he said he didn't mind it at all! Whoa! He suggested that next time I use fish instead and I think that's a fabulous idea! I need another way to cook fish! :D

If you can have dairy, I think some feta sprinkled on top and allowed to heat/melt before serving would be just perfect!

Enjoy!

Fried Rice

2008-12-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

Today is my Mom's birthday! So, in honor of her birthday, I thought I'd post a recipe that I learned from her. Fried Rice! It was a favorite dish of mine growing up and I ate it a lot when I left the nest. It was a "taste of home" and was pretty easy to make! What I'm about to share is really more of a method than a recipe (as usual!), but that's because I make it so often that I don't measure, also as usual!

Oh, and I should note that I have not made this dish since going soy free. Like I said, I grew up with this, so I'm very used to this dish tasting a certain way. I thought I'd give my taste buds a long break from it before attempting to make it again. Maybe then, they will forget and I'll be able to enjoy a new, soy-free version! And, it's totally possible. Instead of soy, you can use a bit of fish sauce (careful!!! It is extremely potent!), maybe a bit of oyster sauce, or try looking up a recipe for soy-free soy-like sauce. There are several recipes floating around out there consisting of Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, etc.

First things first, it is best to start with cold, hard rice. So, make it the day before and then refrigerate overnight. You can make this dish with fresh rice, but the rice will be a bit mushier/stickier.

Really, the hardest part of fried rice is dicing everything. I usually use shredded carrots, minced garlic, sliced mushrooms, sliced green onions, sliced beef (I use the cheapest I can find, then slice against the grain to make it tender) or you can use ground meat. Oh, and I add egg. You can totally customize this to your liking, leaving out some things, adding anything else you like - diced bell peppers, tomatoes, etc. And, I use a very large wok to cook this, but I think a dutch oven or deep skillet would work, too.

So, to start cooking, put some oil in the pan (vegetable, corn, or some other neutral flavored oil is best here - not olive oil, that's the wrong flavor for what you're doing here - you can even a bit of sesame oil in there - just not too much as it is very potent). When the oil is hot, add garlic. Let it sit for just a few seconds, then add in your meat. Cook until pink in the middle.

Next, add in your rice, stir around until warm. Then, add in your veggies. Stir in. Then, add in your sauces. This can be whatever you have on hand. I used to use soy sauce, a small dash of fish sauce and a mushroom soy sauce - check to make sure it's GF!!!! Most are not. But you can use whatever sauce you can find - a bit of teriyaki is good too. I don't have an exact amount as I've been making it so long, I just eyeball it. But, start small - less is more with soy sauce. And, of course, you can always add more, but not take out. You just want enough to flavor the dish, not to coat the rice or to make the dish soupy. Anyway, stir some more. Add any spices that you want to add. I love garlic, so I usually add a bit of garlic powder and I also add some ground pepper. You probably will not need any salt as the soy sauce is salty enough. Also, this is where many restaurants add in A LOT of butter. Probably like 1/4 cup - seriously. I sometimes add in a tablespoon or so, sometimes none. That's why mine never tastes as good as the restaurants - but is much healthier! ;) If you want that restaurant flavor though, add A LOT of butter and that'll probably do it! Stir some more.

For the egg, I break 1 or 2 into a bowl, scramble it with just a touch of the soy and some garlic powder for flavor.

After the sauce, veggies, rice and meat have all been stirred a bit and allowed to sort of mesh together, make a big well in the middle of the fried rice, exposing the bottom of the pan. Then, pour in the egg. Stir just the egg around (like you would normally scramble it in a pan) until it's about 2/3 cooked, then mix it in with the rice and stir it all around some more (notice a pattern here? ;) ). This is how you get tiny streaks of egg throughout the fried rice rather than chunks of it.

Keep stirring intermittently until the egg is all cooked and everything is mixed well.

Add sesame seeds for garnish, if you'd like.

All done! I promise this sounds like it's hard, but it's not. It just takes some time to prep all the meat and veggies and then everything is sort of layered in when you cook.

Enjoy!

Quote Tuesdays

2008-12-09T14:05:00.005-05:00

As a child and a teenager, I was really into reading. Books, magazines, short stories, whatever I could find! Reading was really 2 things to me: 1) A way to get away - to transport myself from my life into something different, new and exciting and 2) Reassuring myself that someone else had been through what I was going through. I guess I figured that if I could find just one other person who got through it alright, then it meant that I would too, eventually.

I especially loved quotes. They really helped me with that whole reassuring bit. I don't know why, but they spoke to me. I guess it's because they were short and to-the-point. I liked them so much that I had this special book and whenever I heard a quote that "spoke" to me, I'd write it down. That book soon turned into 2, which then turned into 3 ... and I think I'm still on that third one! I sort of slowed down in college and only write them in every once in a while now. It's something that I've been meaning to get back to, but life just sort of gets in the way, as I know you understand.

Anyway, as a way to sort of get back into it, and because I think it would be fun to share and discuss, I thought I'd start posting a quote here once a week. And what better day than today? So, introducing ...

Quote Tuesdays! :D

The first one I'm going to share is one that I read somewhere recently that really stuck with me.

"Everything will be all right in the end, if it's not all right, then it's not the end." ~Unknown

Don't we food intolerant people know ALL about that? In the beginning, this new diet ... new lifestyle ... seemed so shocking, overwhelming, difficult and tedious. I was NOT alright. I was totally freaked out, mad, annoyed, confused, frustrated, tired and lost. But, here I am, 10 months later, and I'm alright. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still feel all those same feelings from time to time. But the difference is that now, I know things will be okay, life will go on ... I will survive!

I know it's not the end, in fact, my journey has just begun, but I know that in the end, as now, I'll be alright!

Simple Garlic Asparagus

2008-12-03T08:00:00.003-05:00

I made a super quick, easy, healthy and naturally GDSYWP-free side dish this past Thanksgiving that everyone loved! It's so super simple, they didn't believe it! I've been making it for years, but never thought to share it! It's really more of a method than a recipe, but here it is:

----------
Simple Garlic Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus
Olive Oil, about 1 tablespoon
1-2 cloves of garlic

Directions:
Take the asparagus and snap off the ends (it will naturally snap where the "woody" part ends) and lay flat onto a baking sheet.

Thinly slice the garlic, place that randomly on top of the asparagus.

Drizzle the asparagus with a bit of olive oil (drizzle with real olive oil, don't use the spray, it will burn the asparagus ... ask me how I know! ;) ).

Place under the broiler until as tender as you like (I like mine with a bit of crunch still, so it only takes around 10 minutes. If you like yours softer, it may take a bit more time).

You could also salt/pepper/spice it, but I love to taste the asparagus, olives and garlic all by themselves.

As a bonus, if you like garlic as much as I do, the garlic will also be sort of roasted and is yummy to eat, too! You can eat it straight with the asparagus (since it has been broiled too, it is pretty mild ... at least to me, it is!), or pull it out and throw it in with mashed potatoes or however else you would normally use roasted garlic!

Enjoy!
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And who knew asparagus was so good for you on top of tasting so yummy? Yeah for good yet tasty foods! :D

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T08:00:00.008-05:00

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday - even as a little girl. I always thought Valentines day was silly for kids to celebrate - I thought it should just be for "Mommys and Daddys" (funny how kids think, huh?). The Easter Bunny scared me. Halloween was okay, I didn't like talking to strangers and I don't like spiders. 4th of July was great, except for all those darn mosquitoes that always bit me! My birthday was fun. Christmas was nice, I liked decorating, looking at the Christmas tree and of course getting presents, but I never really looked forward to it.

But Thanksgiving, now that was the best. I loved being surrounded by family and close friends. We got to all just hang out, watch movies, play board games, and just generally enjoy one another. The leaves falling outside and all the decorative pumpkins were so beautiful to look at. The food included all my favorite dishes. And the message was something that I could completely understand and get into - being thankful.

I loved Thanksgiving so much that I tried to make it come twice a year.

Growing up, I used to spend my summers in a tiny town in Minnesota with my Grandparents and Father. Every year, my Grandmother would ask me what I wanted her to make for dinner on my birthday. She said she would make anything that I wanted. Every year, I said the same thing - Thanksgiving food! It's only now, looking back, that I realize just what my poor Grandmother went through just to give me that wonderful meal.

When people think of Minnesota, they mostly think of snow and the super cold winters. Well, you may not realize it, but Minnesota also gets VERY HOT in the summer! It gets majorly humid, hot and muggy ... and there was no central air in my Grandparents house. The only refuge from the heat those summers was to either hide in the underground basement, or to sit out on the screened-in deck with a fan directly on you, being perfectly still. I can only imagine how hard it was for my poor Grandmother to get in front of the oven to bake a turkey for hours and cook a whole huge meal ... just for me. She would gather all my Aunts, Uncles and Cousins and make us all a huge meal that included all my favorites - turkey, mashed potatoes, LOTS of gravy, green beans, lettuce salad and we'd all have birthday cake for dessert. As a child, I really liked and enjoyed the meal and this time together, but as an adult, I am humbled, amazed and especially thankful.

My Grandmother is no longer with us, but I always think of her on my birthday and at Thanksgiving. In my mind, I still can clearly see her standing in front of the oven, sweating way and the stove covered with her beloved cast iron pans and littered with bits of food, gravy and grease.

I also think of year that my stepbrother and his family came up to my Moms house for Thanksgiving - my sister-in-laws stuffing is still the best that I've ever had. I remember the year that my first niece was born - arriving early, just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family. I think of the year that I had Thanksgiving at my house - and made nearly everything from scratch.

I look forward to this year, with my newest little niece and making new, GDSYWP-free, dishes that are sure to become new favorites.

Thanksgiving has always been special to me, and will continue to remain so. It's about all the things that I find wonderful about this world - family, friends, food, kindness, sharing and appreciation.

I'm saddened that Thanksgiving has been squeezed out this year in favor of the store-and-consumer-friendly Christmas season. It seems like Christmas just keeps coming earlier and earlier every year, but even more so this year. Around where I live, Christmas stuff has been out since Halloween - completely skipping one of the most genuine and uniquely-American holidays. I could write on and on here about this subject, but I want to focus on the joys of this occasion besides, I think Andy Rooney summed it up quite nicely on his own.

Please take the time to really enjoy this holiday - to enjoy our food, one another and to be truly grateful for all that we have. I hope that everyone has a beautiful, memorable, wonderful and deliciously safe Thanksgiving.

Glutenized

2008-11-24T11:15:00.005-05:00

I got glutenized!

Yup. And it was all my fault. I can admit it. I'm mad at myself, but hey, it happened, I can't take it back, but I can try to learn from it.

So, Hubby and I were having an errand day yesterday. I made a point to eat a large brunch before leaving. I made a point to bring snacks. I was really trying, seriously.

So, we finally get to our final store, Ikea. Hubby spots their Pasta Marinara with Swedish Meatballs and really wants them. He also ate well before leaving, but we had been running around a bit and who knew how long we'd be in Ikea (I tend to get lost in there ... but that's a whole 'nother story!) Anyway, I decide to give in and let him eat there. He hates shopping with me, but does it because he knows that I like to have him there, to chat with, bounce ideas off of, give me his thoughts on items, etc. So, I thought the least I could do for him was to give in and let him eat what he wanted. At first, I wasn't going to eat anything. Everything on the menu looked bad - meatballs would have pork and/or breadcrumbs, the salmon had a glaze on it that was sure to have soy oil or butter in it, and the chicken was breaded. ALL their entree salads had cheese on them. I was just going to sit with Hubby while he ate and wait until I got home to fix myself a safe meal. Good girl!

But then ... ugh ... the fries. I watched them being dropped into the oil, saw where they were placed to drain and serve, I eyed them through the glass - they looked safe. So, I got fries. And, I took Hubby's side salad that came with his meal and put a tad of the safest looking dressing they had - Italian (sure to be filled with soy oil and who-knows-what-else). Oh, and a dark chocolate bar (that was only $0.99! How could I resist? :D)

So, we sit, and I start eating. Uh oh. I detected a grainy, crumbly substance on a few of the fries. I looked at them closer. They weren't dipped in flour, there weren't big chunks of crumblies. It could be salt ... or maybe tiny bits of fries? Even if it was flour, it was only a *little* bit ... I had had little bits of gluten when I've been out before ... and, at this point, I had already paid for them and I wanted them. I am a french fry fiend. They call to me ... I need them. So, I ate them.

Bad move. Bad girl!

Within 5 minutes of eating the dreaded fries, my stomach started rumbling, grumbling and then the sharp pokes started in. It didn't feel good. Within 10 minutes of eating, I started to feel grumpy, annoyed and irritable and felt gassy. Within 15 minutes of consumption, I had to run to the bathroom. Also not good. Within 20 minutes, I was tired and just wanted to go home. I was getting less and less calm/patient and more and more irritated.

So, we get home and I crawl into bed. The house was cold, the bed was warm, I could watch TV and best of all, I could lie down. Within another 20 minutes, I was passed out. But it was weird. Ya know when you take NyQuil's or some other sleep-inducing medicine and sometimes your body falls asleep before your brain does? Ya know how you can't move your arm, leg or other body part, even when you want to? And you're fully awake and aware of things you hear around you and what you're thinking? Well, that's how I felt. My body completely shut-down but my mind was still fully aware. It was a strange sensation.

As though it hasn't been proved enough times already, this is even further evidence that gluten is poison to my body.

The thing that really gets me is how it affects my mood. I mean, making my stomach hurt, making me need to use the restroom, making me sleepy - physical stuff - I can get food doing that to your body, but to affect your state of mind? To me, that is amazing. I mean, I've read plenty about it and have felt it, but each time, I am still amazed. I mean, I feel myself getting more and more irritable and I know, logically, that I'm being unreasonable or irrational, but I still feel the way I feel, ya know? I can't change my mood just by wanting to ... but gluten can change my mood. Just by eating it, I am a different person, someone that I don't like, thinking and acting in ways that I don't want. Seriously? I think that it's pure evil to affect someones mood or behavior against their will. Hubby and I discussed this at length after I woke from my gluten-induced coma. It's just not cool.

Gluten IS Evil!

Do you love your crockpot?

2008-11-17T09:08:00.008-05:00

I don't know about you, but I've never really been *in love* with my crockpot. I mean, in theory, it sounds like an awesome thing - a meal that cooks itself, set it and forget it - sounds great, right? Well, it never really worked that way for me. The main factor in this is that between the time it takes to get to/from work, plus the time that I'm at work, I need a recipe that can sit in the crock pot for like 10 hours. That's a lot to expect from any one appliance, and of course, your food. A year or so ago, my Sister and I even tried making one recipe a week each to try out some different recipes and find out which ones could handle our schedules ... yea, that only lasted a few months. Everything we made in there comes out tasteless and boring. And all beef tasted like pot roast, no matter what we put in there! The only recipe that we tried during that time that came out really good was this one.

Well, then came along the Crockpot Lady. She made a New Years Resolution to use the crockpot once a day everyday in 2008. What a daunting task! But boy, do I love her for it! I love how *she* does the testing for me! :D She inspired me to make Smoked Beef Brisket a while back. And lately, she has been inspiring me to make soup in the crockpot! Now, why didn't I think of that? I must confess that I LOVE soup. I'm not sure why, but it's so comforting to me. Hubby on the other hand? Well, he indulges me. But hey, it's a meal that's yummy, hearty and can withstand hours in the crockpot, what more can you ask for?! So far, I have tried her Pasta Fagioli and her Pizza Soup. Both came out beautifully. I think next, I will try her Tomato Soup, subbing coconut or hemp milk for the heavy cream, of course! :D

So, if you don't LOVE your crockpot, try out a soup recipe and see if you get that warm, fuzzy feeling like I did! Yes, Mr. Crockpot, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship! ;)

Lea &Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

2008-11-12T08:00:00.003-05:00

Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

Not all Worcestershire sauces are gluten free, but Lea & Perrins is! Well, at least in the US it is. I've heard that in Canada it has malt vinegar in it. So, as long as you're in the US, feel at ease and reach for that beautifully paper-wrapped goodness! :D

Heinz Ketchup

2008-11-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

Heinz Ketchup

I remember a few months after I went GDSYWP-free, Hubby and I went to a gluten-free day at my local Roots Market. They had several vendors there giving out free samples and coupons. It was nice to speak with (fairly) educated people about gluten-free foods and we even discovered some new favorite foods. One funny thing happened, though. I was browsing one of the aisles and Hubby called me over to one of the sample booths. He was so excited that one of the vendors was serving french fries with ketchup. His eyes were all wide as he explained to me that this ketchup was gluten free! I ate it, kind of giggled to myself and told him that it was great and all, but good 'ol regular Heinz is gluten free too ... much to the chagrin of the vendor as several people were around at the time. I won't mention the brand name, I really do like that company and the ketchup really tasted fine, but was a bit on the expensive end. Why go to a special store and pay more for an item that I can easily and cheaply find at my regular grocery store, ya know?

So, if you've been buying special, more expensive gluten-free ketchup - there's no need! Plain 'ol, grew-up-with-it Heinz ketchup is gluten-free too! :D

A Well-Stocked Kitchen ...

2008-11-10T08:00:00.003-05:00

... does wonders!

I have read in a few places about not knowing what to keep stocked in a food-intolerant-free kitchen (I say kitchen instead of pantry as there are several non-pantry items that I almost always have on hand to be able to whip up a quick meal in minutes). So, I thought I'd post what I personally always keep in-stock - with backups. I'll also link to any blog posts that I have on the items so you'll have my review and probably a link to the product website. I'm sure this list is bound to change with time as I discover new things, so I'll update it. I'll be sure to keep an updated date so you'll know how recent it is! So, here we go ...

Baking Items/Flours:
White Rice Flour
Brown Rice Flour
Sweet Rice Flour
Tapioca Starch
Corn Starch
Xanthum or Gar Gum
Buckwheat Flour
Millet Flour
Sorghum Flour
Flaxseed Meal
Almond Meal
Coconut Flour
GF Oat Flour
GF Rolled Oats
Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
Slivered/Sliced Almonds
Chopped Pecans
Peanuts
Shredded Coconut
Cocoa Powder
Spectrum Shortening
Baking Powder
Baking Soda

Pantry Items:
Canned Corn
Canned Carrots
Canned Green Beans
Canned Black Beans
Canned Pinto Beans
Canned Garbanzo Beans (also known as Chickpeas)
Diced Tomatoes
Tomato Sauce
Tomato Paste
Tomato Puree
Canned Tuna
Pureed Pumpkin
Canned Minced Clams
Clam Juice
Bushs Vegetarian Baked Beans
Hormel Corned Beef Hash (for a super quick, safe meal in a pinch)
Dinty Moore Beef Stew (ditto)
Orville Redenbachers Natural Popcorn - Simply Salted, 50% Reduced Fat
Masaman and Panang Curry Paste
Kitchen Basics Chicken and Beef Stock
GF Pasta
Jasmine Rice
Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter - Crunchy
Garden of Eden Black Bean Tortilla Chips
Wavy Lays Potato Chips
Sunsweet Cherry Essence Prunes
Stretch Island Fruit Leathers
Amy's Black Bean Vegetable Soup
Cocoa Pebbles, Fruit Pebbles, Rice Chex and/or Trix Cereal
Imagine Brand Soups (mainly creamy tomato and/or creamy mushroom)

Dairy-Like Items:
Hemp-Nut Milk
Almond Milk
Coconut Milk
Coconut Cream
Rice Milk
Yogurt - made with Coconut Milk

Frozen:
Alexia French Fries
Ice Cream - made with Coconut Milk
PJ's Chicken Tamale Meal (for a super quick, safe meal in a pinch)
Ian's Natural Frozen Foods - Popcorn Turkey Corn Dogs, Chicken Nuggets and/or Fish Sticks (Ditto)

Spices:
Adobo Powder
Cinnamon
Cumin
Chili Powder
Dry Mustard
Sesame Seeds
Italian Seasoning
Poultry Seasoning
Cloves
Nutmeg
Ginger
Rosemary
Thyme
Basil
Parsley
Garlic
Onion
Extracts (Vanilla, Coconut, Almond, Peppermint, etc)
Kosher Salt
Finely Ground Sea Salt
Pepper Mill

Condiments/Sauces:
Lemonaise
Heintz Ketchup
Frenches Mustard
Dill Relish
Sweet Relish
Oyster Sauce
Texas Pete Hot Sauce
Texas Pete Cocktail Sauce
Corn Oil
Olive Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Coconut Oil
Liquid Smoke
Goya Marinade
Lemon Juice
Lime Juice
Worcestershire sauce
Sesame Oil, Toasted is preferred

Fresh Produce(of course, some of these vary by season and by what I'm making that week, but these are HEAVILY rotated in my kitchen:
Zucchini
Roma Tomatoes
Lettuce - Romaine or Green Leaf
English Cucumber
Cilantro
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Avocados
Bananas
Asparagus
Kale
Spinach
Carrots
Pineapple
Apples
Oranges
Mangoes
Mushrooms

Meats (Ditto Above):
Ground Meat - Beef or Turkey (I don't care for ground chicken)
Bacon - Beef or Turkey
Sausage - Beef, Turkey or Chicken
Eggs
Egg Whites
Lunch meat (usually smoked turkey, occasionally roast beef)
Hormel Turkey Pepperoni

Orville Redenbacher's Natural Gourmet Popping Corn, Simply Salted

2008-11-07T08:00:00.005-05:00

Orville Redenbacher's Natural Gourmet Popping Corn, Simply Salted

Finally! A popcorn that I can actually eat! :D I love popcorn. On a plane, on a train, in a box, with a fox ... hahaha ...

Anyway, like I said, I've always loved popcorn. In fact, it was my go-to snack back on Weight Watchers . But, when I went GDSYWP-free, couldn't find one that was both dairy and soy free. Urg.

Until now! Orville Redenbacher came out with a "Naturals" line of popcorn and their Simply Salted flavor is both dairy and soy free! The ingredients are: Popping Corn, Palm Oil, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols (for Freshness). I'm not exactly sure what a Tocopherol is, but hey, no dairy, no soy, no gluten, (or yeast, walnuts or pork, for that matter! ;) ) so I guess I can't complain too much! And, it's delicious to boot! It's just sweet enough that you don't really miss the butter, but not so greasy to leave that film in your mouth! This is definitely going to become a new constant in my kitchen! :D

EDIT: In my excitement, I forgot to mention that while this is soy protein free, it is not completely soy free. It contains a form of vitamin E called Mixed Tocopherols which is usually derived from soy. As I am only soy protein free, I am able to consume this derivative of soy (as well as soy oil and soy lecithin), but if you are avoiding all soy or are highly allergic, please stay away from this product.

Only You, Fellow Food Intolerant People ...

2008-11-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

.. will understand!

So, I was at Costco over the weekend stocking up on canned goods when I decided to go down the spice/baking aisle, just to see what spices they had. I do that from time to time ... how else would I have found my gargantuan container of my beloved Old Bay?! :D

Anyway, I came across a very large bottle of Kirklands (Costco's brand) Bourbon Vanilla Extract (a pint, I think?) for only $6. Whoa! I thought that was a pretty good price (I usually pay around $3 for my small McCormicks bottle). I thought about getting it, but then I figured that it probably wasn't gluten free, and if it was, how would I know since it's usually not labeled. But, I picked it up anyway and turned it around - and you know what? It WAS labeled as Gluten Free! Get out, right! I was SO excited, I called my Hubby and was telling him, but he was just like, "Oh, that's good." He just didn't*really* get it! But I know you guys do!

It looks like people are becoming more and more aware of gluten! :D

My Favorite Salad Dressing

2008-11-05T08:00:00.002-05:00

When I first when GDSYWP-free, I was looking high and low for a salad dressing that I could have. ALL of them had soybean oil in them or even wheat (for a thickener, I guess?). Urg. Later, I found plenty of options in my local specialty store but, until I found those, I made my own salad dressing. I had previously had a Cobb salad dressing that I had used a couple times, but not being able to have Cobb Salad, and because it's what I dol, I tweaked it a bit! This is now probably my favorite salad dressing.

It's a mixture of tangy/sweet and just a tad sour. The sesame seeds/oil do give it a bit of an Asian flair (or is it flare?), but it's not too Asian flavored. I usually make up a batch and just keep it in the fridge in a jar. It does tend to separate after a while, but I just shake it up and it's good to go!

-----

Clara’s Salad Dressing

Ingredients:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
pinch of sugar
pinch of kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients except the oils in a bowl and whisk together.

Whisk in the oils slowly.

This recipe is highly adaptable. Adjust it to your liking - you can add more/less vinegar for a tang/sour flavor, more/less sugar for a sweeter flavor. Also, toasted sesame oil added a stronger

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I just realized that I've never noticed how much this actually makes! Oops ... well, next time I make it, I'll pay attention. If you make it before I do, though, be sure to leave me a comment with approximately how much it made! Thanks!

I hope you enjoy this dressing as much as I do!

An Awesome GDSYWP-Free Sandwich Option!

2008-11-04T09:30:00.003-05:00

Last night, I decided to finally try the Savory Waffles from Karina's Kitchen. I found them a while ago and they looked good, but I just never got around to trying them. But boy am I glad that I finally did!

I made these last night and they turned out pretty good! Since I am not Vegan, I decided to use 2 eggs rather than the replacer, and I think that in combination with a few other facts created a more chewy waffle, but it still worked! If I use eggs again next time, I will probably reduce the xanthan gum just to see if that helps a bit. Also, we only have a Belgian waffle maker, so the waffles were more soft/gooey than crispy and were super tall/thick, but the flavor was really good, and they didn't break apart or crumble as I was eating, so I was a SUPER happy camper! I imagine that if/when I toast them, they may be a bit crispier. Yum. I will totally make these again!

So, if you've got the terrible gluten/dairy/soy/yeast intolerant combination like me, you've GOT to try these. They are a quick and easy option and worked perfectly for sandwiches!

Natalie's Black Bean Salsa

2008-10-31T08:00:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween!

I know everyone is probably going to be super busy tonight, so I thought I'd share a recipe that is quick, easy and you probably already have all the ingredients on hand in your pantry!

Over at the Gluten Free Recipe Swap Yahoo Group (I told you that group is wonderful!), Natalie from Creating from Scratch shared this Black Bean Salsa recipe. It sounded super good and I had all the ingredients on hand, so I whipped up a batch. My oh my. Talk about YUMMY! It was so quick, easy, healthy and delish! The only tweaking I did was to add an entire bunch of cilantro (just because I love it so much) and added 2 avocados instead of just 1 (again, because I love it so). Also, be warned, this recipe makes A LOT. Probably fine for a family of 4 or so, but for just Hubby and I, it was a lot. So, I ate it for lunch for a couple of days ... by itself ... with just chips ... yeah, I'm a muncher ... I mean, that's how good and filling it is! Natalie says that she also serves it with chicken or rice to make a meal out of it.

Actually, it's been a few weeks since I made it last ... I think another batch is in order! :D

Clam Chowder from Ginger Lemon Girl

2008-10-30T08:00:00.002-04:00

So, I've told you about her cake, yeast-tolerant people rave about her bread, and now, Carries done it again! Ginger Lemon Girl's Clam Chowder is a total winner! It's quick (only takes me about 30 total - prep and cook!), it's filling and it's yummy and I can even make it dairy free! :D

When Carrie posted her newest creation over at the Gluten Free Recipe Swap Yahoo Group, I SO wanted to try it. First let me say that my Hubby LOVES clam chowder, so I have attempted to make two different versions in the past ... both with horrible results - bad flavor, too thin, etc. I was scared to try making it again and dairy free, but I reminded myself that I've been making so many other things that I wasn't sure about that came out just fine.

When I told Hubby what I was going to be making it for dinner that night, he kinda smirked (I'm sure remembered those other yucky batches) and asked, "What's the back up dish?" When I told him that I had faith in *this* recipe because it was was from Carrie, the girl who developed "The" chocolate cake, he said, "Oh, it'll probably be good, then." I only changed 2 things: the recipe called for 6-10 oz of clams, but the cans I found were 6.5 oz and Hubby and I like a lot of clams in there, so I used 2 cans - so 13 oz. Then, for the 1 cup of cream, I used coconut cream (not milk). I thought it was great. Hubby thought it had a bit too much of a coconut flavor (remember that he doesn't like coconuts at all), but that didn't stop him from eating an entire bowl of it! Seriously! I was shocked. He said the first few bites were very coconuty, but after that, it was fine.

The following week, I made it again, this time with hemp milk instead of the coconut cream to see what the difference would be. I think it was definitely less rich with the hemp milk, which I expected, but also less creamy , which sort of surprised me because I think hemp milk is pretty darn creamy. And, the chowder needed a bit more cornstarch to thicken it up, but then, I like my chowder pretty thick. Anyway, Hubby liked that the second batch didn't have a coconuty flavor and said he prefered the hemp milk version over the coconut cream one, and of course, I prefered the coconut cream one! Maybe next time I'll try a hybrid of the coconut cream and the hemp milk. It's all in the tinkering, I guess.

You should absolutely give this recipe a try, and when you do, be sure to leave Carrie a comment - tell her Clara sent you! :D

ANOTHER Best GDSYWP-free Bread. Ever.

2008-10-29T08:00:00.001-04:00

Uh oh ... okay, maybe I should stop using that whole "Best Ever" thing ... hahaha.

"The Best GDSYWP-free Bread. Ever." that I wrote about before now has a new contender. Gluten Free in the Country's Buckwheat Applesauce Bread.

This bread is not only tasty, but has a wonderful texture. I think the winning ingredient is the addition of gelatin. Now why didn't I think of that? It adds a nice "spring" to the bread that is usually found with yeast. I have tried this bread three times now - twice as-is, and once with sorghum flour in place of the buckwheat (just for a different flavor because I didn't like the buckwheat taste with peanut butter ... ick!). Both times, the loaf came out beautifully. Next time, I think I will try millet instead of buckwheat for yet another flavor.

If you try it, please let me and Debbie over at Gluten Free in the Country know what you think! :D

The Best GDSYWP-free Chocolate Cake. Ever.

2008-10-28T08:00:00.001-04:00

Seriously. EVERYONE loves This Everyday Chocolate Cake from Ginger Lemon Girl.

It is super moist, rich and lovely. It's not too hard to whip together, and doesn't have any real exotic ingredients. I make mine with hemp milk, grapeseed oil and eat it with no frosting, sometimes adding in chocolate chips, and it's awesome.

I've given it to like 6 non-allergen people who all loved it. Hubby likes it so much that he requested that I make it for an office party he had to bring a dessert to a while back. Yup, he requested a GDSYWP-free cake, he didn't buy one, he didn't request I make a "normal" cake, nope, he wanted this one! That should proved just how good it is! Give it a try today, you won't regret it! :D

Chocolate Chips from Enjoy Life

2008-10-27T11:00:00.000-04:00

Enjoy Life Brand Chocolate Chips

These are the chocolate chips that I LIVE by. I won't use anything else. Why not? Well, who else has "gluten, dairy and soy free" labeled right there on the front of the package? hhhmmm, who else?

Yup. No one. Except Enjoy Life! I trust the brand and they're delicious! What more could you ask for?

Try them in this recipe, in place of the raisins. You won't be disappointed! :D

Easy Light Cassoulet

2008-10-24T08:00:00.004-04:00

I haven't posted a recipe in a while, huh? Well, now's as good of a time as any!

I'm not sure where I got this recipe. Maybe Weight Watchers? I don't know ... but, if it's your recipe, leave me a comment and I will promptly give you credit!

Easy Light Cassoulet
Serves 6-8 people and is a one dish meal

Ingredients:
2-1/4 cup parsnips, thinly sliced (can also use potatoes or carrots)
1-1/2 cup celery diced, including tops
1 cup onion diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
8 oz lean ground meat (I use turkey)
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup red wine or port (can replace with stock)
28oz can peeled Italian-style tomatoes
19oz can Cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1 tbsp Herbes de Provence or Italian herbs
3/4 cup GF bread crumbs (can just skip this)

Directions:
Saute' parsnips, celery and onions with olive oil and salt on medium heat until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the meat and continue to saute' until the meatis well browned and the onions are translucent.

Deglaze the pan with red wine being sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the chicken stock and tomatoes.

If the tomatoes are whole, break them into small pieces using a spoon or spatula.

Add the beans and herbs and slowly bring to a simmer.

Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by 2/3.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Transfer mixture to a large casserole (you can skip this step if you started with a dutch/french oven instead of a sautee pan) and top with bread crumbs, if using.

Bake for 35-50 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly and the bread crumbs are a deep golden brown.