Spring Cleaning in the Fall

It is one of the most beautiful Fall seasons here in Utah I have ever seen. The mountains above me seem to be alive with changing colors. I know most people clean out in the Spring but.........I am known for being unconventional. I read an article in Real Simple magazine in which the author tried to go on a "spending fast" for a week. I can no longer get the door shut on my pantry and it seems my cabinets are overflowing with gluten free items I picked up over the last year and have never made. So I am going to attempt a "food shopping fast" for a week, and see if my pantry door will shut again after this "Fall cleaning".

Items I have include chebe mixes, sugar cookie dough, sundried tomato pesto, 4 different salad dressings, lasagna noodles, rice noodles, sushi rice, seaweed wrappers, gf crackers, cereal, cake mixes, muffin mixes, brownie mixes, a never used ice cream maker, coconut milk (to make the ice cream), polenta, arepa flour and the list goes on .

Today I tried gf flour tortillas with chebe mix and a tortilla press that I had never used. They turned out really good and were relatively quick and easy. I like corn tortillas and I prefer not to use so much starch (chebe mix is mostly tapioca starch) in my diet but they worked great for tortillas or wraps. I will try them again, not everyday, but for a treat.

A Year and Counting.....

Well folks, it has been an entire year, yes one ENTIRE YEAR, since I have intentionally ingested gluten. I am just short of a year anniversary with no dairy also (except for those 3 trips to Cold Stone).

Wow! what a year it has been!

I feel like a mother celebrating her baby's 1st birthday. I have been so busy keeping up with the demand that I am not sure where the time has gone and yet in some ways I am glad the learning curve of the past year is behind me. I have cleaned out my kitchen, reorganized everything, learned a new way of eating, shopping, cooking and storing food. Along the way I found out my 4th child and 2nd son, Alex, also does not tolerate gluten which stepped up the challenge even more.

The results of all my efforts?

• I have easily lost 20 lbs.


• My once falling out (I lost about 1/3 of it) hair is back, full and healthy.


• My depression is gone (I am waiting to see what happens this Winter, it was always worse in the Winter).


• My arthritis (yes, diagnosed with arthritis in my 30's!), is gone, atleast I haven't felt that awful ache for months.


• My energy is back! Most days I can go till late into the evening without that overwhelming urge to sleep.


• My creative side has returned, I once again have energy to cook new things, learn yoga, garden, create this blog, and quilt.


• My life is back and I really think I got the better end of the deal, no gluten and no dairy but tons of emotional and physical energy, I am happy to give up the gluten (and dairy) for the rewards. In fact when someone pulls that sad, "Oh I am so sorry for you" face I just smile because I know I am the one coming out ahead.


• I have learned a different way to order when eating out, and am so thankful for good waitresses/waiters who make sure I don't get sick from what I eat.


• I am also very thankful for a supportive husband and kids who have tried many new foods over the past year: rice milk, rice noodles, araepas, amaranth, millet, buckwheat, tapioca, spring rolls, sushi, gf pie crust, cake, cookies and countless "something I just thought would be good" kinds of recipes that sometimes turned out but sometimes didn't. They all laughed along with me when it didn't.


• Alex has grown in the last 6 months and is now "average" on the growth chart. He is also much happier.

Here's to next year! I am starting a GF cooking group in my town and looking forward to many more posts on this blog.

To Mix or Not to Mix

When I was brand new to the GF diet I went to my local health food store and bought 6 or 7 mixes and spent $50.00. I wanted to see what gluten free food tasted like before I got too invested in the idea of eating that way for the rest of my life. There was only one mix that passed the mark in my book as something I would eat again. It was disheartening. I can now convert almost any recipe to GF and have most of the ingredients on hand to do it without making a trip to the store first. I have since found that I can create a much higher quality product and spend less if I just take the few extra minutes to assemble the dry ingredients myself.
The basics to have on hand are:
White rice flour
Brown rice flour
Amaranth flour
Cornstarch
Tapioca Flour/Starch
Potato Flour
Potato Starch
Xanthan Gum
and Pectin
With this basic start I was able to try many recipes and develop a few that I used weekly. The bottom line for me is that it is easier and less expensive to make my own, and they taste better!


A few ideas I have found that save time are as I mix up a recipe to measure out the dry ingredients twice, the second time around into a large baggie. Then half the work is done the next time I make that recipe. I also have learned that my freezer is my best friend! Waffles, enchiladas, soups, rolls.....there is almost nothing you can't make a large batch of and store some in the freezer. Another timesaver is making your own flour mixes. I keep 2 on hand, Bette Hagman's featherlite mix for cookies and my own bread flour mix for breads and rolls.

To answer the question, mix, but make your own!

OK here it is............my blog! Inspired by all of you creative gluten free friends out there who have taken the time to post your recipes, pictures, and stories. I have been so touched and honestly saved by your blogs that I decided to jump in and "pay it forward".

I have been gluten free for 4 months and gluten + dairy free for 3 months. What a challenge! I have always loved food and love to try new recipes but this has been a bit much, even for me! My goal here is to publish some of the recipes that I have really liked. I have a 7 year old son who is also eating gluten free so he is the official taster. Now to get cooking!