True Mom Confession, alternate title Emma's Mom

I actually had to look through my posts to see if I've used this title already.. because whether you have 1, 2, 5, or more kids... we all have our moments of "True Mom" incidents to which we could confess.

I liken it to the story's my very good friend tells me about "Emma's Mom." Her daughter has been in class with Emma for a few years and at all the parental involvement options at school Emma's Mom is always there - looking like she walked off the cover of Glamor Mom magazine (I know, it's not a magazine, but shouldn't it be??). She always brings the best snacks, decorative art supplies, and has all the kids wishing "I wish my mom was like Emma's Mom." Emma's Mom also has Emma in about every after school activity you can imagine; sports, dance, girl scouts and somehow manages to still have all her homework in on time.

When you have someone like that in your life to compare yourself too you start feeling like you fall way, way, way short. I personally think Emma's Mom is a myth. Oh don't get me wrong, my friend doesn't lie. I know for sure that she has run ins with Emma's Mom. The problem is that while there are those out there who look like the Glamor Mom cover model, we ALL KNOW that no one can juggle a million impossible things at once. Unless of course she has figured out an alternate energy source to sleep... in which case..... if I find that I'll let you know ;-) **back to sipping my coffee**

But when we all admit to those less than stellar Glamor Mom moments, we become a true mom - our transparency is what makes us real. Isn't it funny how the thing we cringe to be real about someone looks at as "Oh, no one would judge you for that." And suddenly we feel a lot lighter? Not so far off the scale of Emma's Mom?

So as we all know, confession is good for the soul... and because I love all you souls out there I am confessing.. there by, in my very-humble-but-of-course-completely-accurate-opinion, being a true mom.

I fell off the bandwagon. I did. I almost made it... but I didn't. The gluten free diet. Wait! Before you gasp! The kids are still gluten free, it's true. I actually made it through November, past Thanksgiving - which is nothing short of a miracle. Pies & stuffing? Two of my favorite holiday foods of all time. It all happened on a very long, hungry, foodless day.

My van was on it's last leg.. or, what do you say? Wheel? It needed some enormously large repairs. I feel as though I can't complain about this because I put almost 70,000 miles on the van and never had to have it repaired for anything. So I was looking at a repair that was more than the van was worth. While nothing compares to being completely debt free, it seemed to be a better option to put the money into another vehicle I could put 70,000 miles on. So off to the best car dealership I have found.

They don't hassle or try to upsell you or rip you off in any way. That's my kind of place. Even going there in the morning, knowing exactly what I wanted, having the salesman waiting for me... the whole process still took well into the afternoon. In getting the kids arranged at their different places I forgot to eat breakfast. Then I was at the dealership past lunch.... and I'm pretty sure you can see where this is going. I was so hungry, my only options were fast food, and Burger King french fries (which are gluten free) can only fill you up so much. So I did it.

I ordered a whopper. With cheese. And I ate it. Ooooooohhhhhh.... it was so delicious. I savored every bite. And after that I was a goner. Christmas cookies - of course! Pizza and burgers here and there (I've really missed those!). Here we are in January and I'm finally admitting my indulgence of gluten.

The house is still gluten free. I still cook gluten free. So the majority of my diet is gluten free. But... I did, I strayed off the straight and narrow. Boy this makes me want a cheeseburger right now. So you all should feel a lot better right now, knowing I'm not Emma's Mom. :-)

Gluten Free Friday Week 11

I know I've been distant here in blog land (I'm actually a little afraid to open my google reader)... we have lots going on. Currently without a kitchen sink. Started our homeschool year. Husband starts his new job soon. And just the general, 5 kids ages 6 and under bit. Whew!

This past week we found two glorious things. Our local grocers sells gluten free ice cream cones. And, we ordered gluten free pizza from a restaurant that was delicious. I'm so excited to have that available to us! The restaurant also sells just the crust you can buy and freeze and gluten free bread. Again, I emphasize to find your local celiac support group for whatever information they have on local places around you. You might find a Pizzeria!

Also.. my husband thought he would be nice (poor guy) and pick up some brown rice bread from the store, knowing that I hadn't made any and might like some. Um... don't. buy. it. It tastes like sand. You just don't even want to attempt to give it a try. Take my word on it. Please.


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Gluten Free Blog of the week: Gluten Freeda

This is not so much a blog as much as a resourceful website. Lots and lots of recipes to search through - in which I especially like how they rank how difficult it is to cook :-). They have a neat little section called What Gluten-Free Kids Like.

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With the kitchen sink out, cooking is down to mostly grilling. So, few new recipes we tried this week. But I did create this one that was amazing!!

Heavenly Tofu

Tonight I made a recipe that was so delicious... I think the clouds may have parted and I heard songs from heaven.

I've wanted to try to figure out a home made General Tso Sauce. I know that traditionally you eat it with chicken.. but I wanted General Tso Tofu.

First, I recently learned how to cook tofu so that it comes out like it does at restaurants. You take a block of extra firm tofu, slice it into pieces you like (I like small bite size pieces, so you get lots of flavor with each bite) and put it into a plastic ziploc bag. Toss in a tablespoon or so of cornstarch and toss it until evenly coated. Then you toss it in a hot pan with melted butter or olive oil and resist the urge to stir until it's nice and crispy on each side. Voila. Crispy tofu.

So this wasn't at all like the take out General Tso I've had. But.. it was spicey and it was delicious.

3 TBSP Soy Sauce
3 TBSP Sugar (I may try honey next time to see if it helps thicken the sauce)
2 TBSP Cooking Wine
1 1/2 TBSP White Wine Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Chili Paste
A few dashes of garlic powder
A few dashes of dried minced onion

Mix all the ingredients, add desired amount to your crispy tofu and toss to coat. Serve with rice or rice noodles. Have a tall glass of water ready. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Gluten Free Friday Week 10

Well, we're in the double digits now! How official :-)

When we need something quick - I really like grabbing something by Amy's Kitchen from our local grocery store. My personal favorite is the Cheese Enchilada. And at around $3.** a meal it's not any more expensive than fast food. We just have to wait to get home to warm it up and eat it, which has stopped the children from feeding my van leftover french fries and hamburger buns.

Another great quick on the run meal is to grab deli meat, cheese, and lettuce and make a wrap. The kids love this. It's also a pretty tasty and nutritious "meal" you can get at any grocer's. This is something you can eat in the car - if necessary.

The other day we were going to visit with family for lunch and I had to shop at a store I'm not really familiar with. Not feeling like going the lettuce wrap route I thought - salad. Quick, easy and not hard to pack full of protein. To our bowl of lettuce + other veggies I added a can of chick peas, walnuts, and an avocado chopped up. I was concerned the kids would complain about needing more so I grabbed a pack of Ball Park Franks. Turns out the salad was their favorite after all, and when we got home they polished off the bag of leftover salad!

Also, I think I forgot to share with you.... International Delights Coffee Creamers are gluten free. How I could forget to mention this I don't know! I'll often drink coffee black when I go out, but I love indulging myself with a little vanilla creamer in my morning cup of coffee. It just makes me happy to be greeting the day. When they say "Delight in every cup" they are not kidding.

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Gluten Free Blog of the Week: Eat Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free, Low Sugar Just be advised that wheat free doesn't necessarily mean gluten-free, but you know that already. So browse to your heart's content! I especially added this blog just for you, Rissa, because her Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free, Low Sugar French Toast sounds amazing.

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If you blog gluten free and would like to be considered for my gluten free blog of the week please feel free to send me an e-mail or leave a comment. I'd be happy to review it. I basically just pick bloggers who have recipes that strike my fancy ;-)

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This week I made Two Potato Salad. Kind of. I doubled the recipe, our store did not have yukon gold so I used red potatoes, and did not add red onion as much as I love red onion (I thought raw onion would get too many protests, the kids are on an anti-onion kick recently which is bizarre considering they'll eat a raw radish like an apple. But I never claimed to understand those little people...) It. was. delicious. It was... sweet potato heaven. It was... perfect summer food. I love sweet potatoes so very much and to have a new way to serve them is perfect for me. I also love it because it was a delicious potato salad that was crisp in taste from the dill and the apple cider vinegar- not slimy full of mayonnaise-fatty, plain, tasteless globs of salad on my plate.

But it is sweeter, and if you don't like sweet potato then this salad certainly is not for you. But it is for me, that's for sure! Yum yum yum!

How's it going?

I have found as I plod on with gluten free living that I sometimes have the mindset that there's a destination in mind. That I'll reach a certain week number, say... week #85 and I've hit my goal and it's all done. The fact that this has been a chosen, albeit needed, lifestyle has yet to sink in sometimes.

I'm asked often "How do you do it?" "How's it going" "How do you resist the cravings?" "Can't you have it just once in a while or in small quantities?"

Have I ever mentioned how much I love food? Yes? Thought so. This was not easy for me. I've mentioned that too? Who'd have thought.

I think the key thing in giving anything difficult up is having a good support system. My mom and sister are both GF and when I'm having an attack of "GIVE ME BROWNIES OR ELSE" they know where I can get or how to make what I've needed to get me through that. Which leads me into my second point, have things on hand in your pantry for when you need that something special, that snack, or last minute quick dinner.

It doesn't feel like agonizing sacrifice when you're craving brownies and you pull out your Pamela's Brownie Mix and make some. It DOES feel like sacrifice when you want brownies and everyone around you is eating the gluten filled kind. So be good to yourself. If you know you can't make the switch without "x" then help yourself along.

The funny thing is I thought I'd desperately miss things like brownies. I have found that the more time that passes while being gluten free, the less I'm craving and missing certain things. The gluten free brownies aren't half bad either. In fact, I'm craving sweets a whole lot less.

In giving up gluten I decided to give up my other big weakness. I've stopped drinking Coca-Cola (which actually is gluten free). Anyone who knows me knows what a big deal that is. I was tempted to give in and just have one at a restaurant the other night but my sister ordering an Evian peer pressured me into making the right choice. I'm glad I did after all. But when I was dying for a coke, I'd settle for a Snapple Peach Ice Tea instead. And slowly... I've found myself drinking less and less of that. It's much cheaper, anyway, to buy the lemons I've been getting weekly and tossing a slice in with a glass of water. I'm finding that so much more refreshing (not to mention exceedingly healthier).

So cravings over all are subsiding and I'm finding myself inclined to wanting the healthy things now that I've gotten most of the junk out of my diet. Gluten and Coca-Cola are two things I never thought I'd give up, and here I am.

Can I have just a little gluten or have gluten once in a while? No. Does a vegetarian eat meat sometimes? No, because that would make them an omnivore. When you choose to go gluten free for health reasons you have to do it 100%. It's not a fad or a quick weight loss diet. It's a lifestyle decision. For us, we chose it not because we preferred to eat that way but because of necessity. Which means - no gluten. Not a little. Not ever.

The funny thing is, I think that it may not be long before I prefer our gluten free living. I'm really enjoying the creativity and the yummy food it has brought along the way.

Gluten Free Friday Week 9

The first thing I would like to share with you this week, is that in the last several things I have learned something new about soup - it can be eaten without a side of bread. Whether that be rolls, bread sticks, slices of bread, crusts, croûtons, or crackers - you can actually eat soup without those things. Yes - you can have that with your gluten free versions. But... I've come to be able to enjoy a bowl of soup without the need for some kind of bread product. Interesting.

I finally got to try the Turtle Mountain Cookie Dough ice cream I told you all about. Before I tell you how delicious it was, I have to say the coconut flavor took my by surprise. Yes, I know the ice cream was made from coconut milk. Somehow I didn't expect coconut flavor with cookie dough ice cream. Coconut flavor and all - it was delicious!!!! Oh what a treat! I enjoyed every little tasty bite I had.

I had a case of Kay's Natural Gluten Free products sent to me to try out. The kids loved every single thing they tried. I have to say, my all time favorite was their oh-so-yummy Kay's Natural Cereal.

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Gluten Free Blog of the Week: It's All Gouda I found this blog off of the blog I mentioned last week. I'm not 100% sure she always blogs gluten free.. but the numerous recipes I've read on her blog all are so far! I can't wait to try her homemade polenta recipe!

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Recipes I tried this week.... recipes.. recipes.... what did I cook this week? I can't even remember yesterday.

Actually, we went out twice in the last week (don't tell me I'm spoiled, that sort of thing RARELY happens) to both P.F. Changs and Outback Steakhouse, both have gluten free menus. So those are two chains all over the place that if you're traveling and need a place to eat - there you go!

Gluten Free Friday Week 8

This week is momentous for me. Last Friday, I had been gluten free for 4 weeks. I don't really count 28 days as a month.. so now that I have been gluten free for 5 weeks, I've definitely surpassed the 1 month mark. I had said numerous times in the last year or so that I could never go gluten free and I have. It's amazing to think of what a vice food can be, especially when there are so many who are barely making it and I complain about not being able to buy my favorite food. Oh perspective, there you are again.

One of my favorite indulgences in my past glutenous eating life was honey mustard pretzels. Oh how yummy. I knew that while they weren't going to get me to give up my gluten free ways, I was sincerely going to miss them.

Enter... Lundberg Honey Dijon Rice Crisps. Dare I say, these are even better than the honey mustard pretzels? Yes, I dare to say they are. Dee-lish-us, people. They are so good. A little on the pricey side until I thought "Um.. are these on Amazon??"



Also, along the lines of chips.... Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream Chips are gluten free. ****Hallelujah chorus playing**** I'm just saying. In case you need to know that.

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Gluten Free Blog of the Week: Gluten Free Goddess

How do I begin to describe this blog? Helpful? Delicious? Informative? I'm not really sure where to start. I can't wait to try the post she put up today about how to make your own maple breakfast sausage - oh mercy. Like I need to be eating sausage ;-) but.. you know... for informational sake. I'll make the sacrifice to eat excessive calories for the educational benefit of you all.

Aside from the sausage... the other recipes of hers I hope to try soon are these : Sweet Potato Shoestrings, Vegan Peach Ice Cream, Pinon Rice Bake, Two Potato Salad, Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones...... I have to stop before I make myself hungry.
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I'm sure I've mentioned Pamela's Wheat Free Amazing Bread mix before... it's fantastic. Even better - the Pamela's Products website has other recipes involving their amazing bread mix. Including... pizza crust! We had the BEST pizza I've had in I don't even know how long. I know, I have a thing for pizza. I've mentioned it once or twice. It tasted like pizza with whole wheat crust. It's been so long since I had anything that delicious. We used a sun-dried tomato sauce that was perfection. And of course.... spicy pepperoni. I took a nice big slice, folded it in half and ate it NY style. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Not to mention, Pamela's has their annual gluten free recipe contest going on. You could win a $200 gift certificate!! Unfortunately, my gluten free cooking isn't up to creating my own recipes this year. But next year... watch out fellow GF home culinary artists!

Also.. I must be snacking lately. I tried C365's Chex Mix Recipe VERY VERY good. If you make this, expect it to be gone shortly. Anyone who likes Chex Mix should make this themselves. It's got to be much cheaper than buying it buy the bag.

Gluten Free Friday Week 7

With all the giveaways going on I nearly forgot it was Friday! I actually haven't entered that many this time :-) but have been trying to read each comment that I've received, how caring, thoughtful and sweet so many people have been!

This Gluten Free Friday will be brief to say this:

Remember the blog, Triumph Dining, I told you about last week? Well, they have a special going on for the month of August.

They're giving away a free American Dining Card. You do not have to pay shipping, only a $0.70 handling charge. (so, free for the price of $0.70 ;-D)

This card will help you when you go out to eat at a restaurant by informing your server and chef what is and is not OK for you to have in your food or used to prepare your food.

It takes less than a minute to read (according to the website), folds up to fit in a wallet, and is laminated to remain durable. I'm waiting for mine in the mail but thought you may be interested in getting one of these for yourself!

Gluten Free Friday Week 6

The following Perry's Ice Cream Flavors available at ice cream stands are Gluten Free (some of the in store flavors may be gluten free but I didn't look those up since we were going out for ice cream);

All American
Bananas Foster
Birthday Bash
Bittersweet Sinphony
Black Cherry
Black Raspberry
Bubble Gum
Butter Almond Crunch
Butter Pecan
Caramel Cashew
Caramel Cup Craze
Caramel Praline Turtle
Chocolate
Chocolate Almond
Chocolate Panda Paws
Chunky Chocolate Chip
Coconut Almond Fudge
Cotton Candy
Death By Chocolate
Fireball
Fool's Gold
French Roast Coffee
French Vanilla
Heavenly Hash
Kahlua Almond Amaretto
Mango
Maple Walnut
Mint Chip
Mint Ting-a-Ling
Muddy Sneakers
Orange Blossom
Orange Pineapple
Oregon Blackberry Cheesecake
Panda Paws
Parkerhouse
Peanut Butter Cup
Peanut Butter Fudge
Peanut Butter Swirl
Pistachio Nut
Pumpkin
Rocky Mountain Raspberry
Rum Raisin
Spumoni
Strawberry
Strawberry Cheesecake
Super Hero
Vanilla
White Lightening

I share this list with you because Perry's doesn't have a comprehensive list on their website. You have to go flavor by flavor to see if it says gluten free. So I made a list for myself and you!
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gluten free blog of the week: Triumph Dining

Kelly at Triumph Dining has a great blog with a huge variety of gluten free information. She also has a nice long blogroll of gluten free bloggers. So I'll be gluten free blog hopping for a while! Besides all the great info and resources, she has some very helpful products for gluten free living. 2 guides, one to grocery shopping and one to restaurant dining. But the one that I really liked was the dining cards. These cards are helpful for you, family, restaurant servers and cooks, to identify where gluten can be hidden in certain ingredients. There are 10 different cuisines with specific content to each type. They are laminated and can be folded up to fit into your wallet.
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In the home cooking news, I've been modifying a lot of favorite family recipes to just make them work. On hot days the kids and I have made some tastey lettuce wraps. The kids and I are still sticking to it and going strong!

Oh, and my son wants me to be sure to let everyone that I talk to know that Skittles are gluten free. Just because that's very important.

Gluten Free Friday Week 5

Since it's summer time, grilling hot dogs is in order. My favorite Hebrew National hot dogs are gluten free! If you have never tried them, you must! They are absolutely amazing.

I learned that WalMart's Brand, Great Value, will boldly print "Gluten Free" under their ingredients list when their item is gluten free.

I also found out that the city we live near has a Celiac's Support group. If you are gluten free or going to become gluten free I highly recommend getting in touch with one! I don't plan on going to any support meetings, but they have a great website with a very long list of local restaurants that offer gluten free menus. Including a place to get pizza around here!

Lastly, but most certainly NOT the least, I have learned about Turtle Mountain.

Turtle Mountain makes Dairy Free, Soy Free, and Gluten Free ice cream. Even their Cookie Dough ice cream is gluten free!!!! I love cookie dough ice cream, so I was absolutely elated to find this out. I will be trying it soon and letting you know how it is!

Gluten Free Friday Week 4

I said it before, but initially the kids were the ones who went 100% gluten free. Our house was converted to Gluten Free. But my hubby and I were still eating Gluten when we were out if it was more convenient for either us or other people.

But I officially went Gluten free about a week ago. Last Friday night I ate pasta at my in-laws house and since I've been mostly gluten free at home with the kids I think that's why I started having pains an bloating in my stomach. I was a little surprised to have reacted like that.

On top of which, thyroid disease is linked to Celiacs. And since my thyroid is still not under control its just time.

I'm not sure if you know how hard this is for me because, as I mentioned.. I love food. But it's been going well and I'm not looking back! If this could help me feel better, there's no way I'll ever enjoy a slice of New York Style pepperoni again. And if you know how much I love my pizza, you know that's saying a lot.

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Nestle Tollhouse Semi-Sweet Morsels are gluten free. I contacted Nestle and they said that their ingredient list will specify if something is containing gluten although it is not labeled gluten free if it does not. Afterwards they mailed me some coupons along with 2 pages of gluten free recipes that use their semi-sweet morsels - yum!

International Delight Coffee Creamers do not contain Gluten.

V8 Vegetable Juice, V8 Splash, and V8 fusion are Gluten Free. Only three of the V8 smoothies are gluten free. The gluten free flavors are Orange Creme, Peach Mango, and Strawberry Banana. (I don't buy V8 but someone asked me if our kids wanted to have some V8 splash juice, which really is only 10% juice, which is why I don't buy it. So I looked into it)

All M&M's, with the one exception of crispy M&M's, are gluten free. I rejoiced. If I can have peanut butter M&M's I can deal with losing a few other favorite things. If you want to know if your favorite candy is gluten free, try checking this list or this list.

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My favorite Gluten Free blogger was on Rachel Ray this week! I know I already shared her blog with you, but I just wanted to share her success. I think that's so incredibly exciting! Way to go, Stephanie!

Gluten Free Blog of the Week : Gluten Free Organics and More It's written by another Gluten Free Mama. The post of hers that really caught my eye was called Emergency Food. In it she talks about the Emergency Food kit she put together for her Gluten Free family in case they ever had to evacuate their home quickly. Great idea and great tips! I think you know what I'll be working on this week now.
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No new recipes tried this week that I can think of. Just repeated a lot of favorites and did a lot of grilling!

Gluten Free Friday Week 3

This post comes a day late because of the holiday yesterday!

I was asked a question by Beck last week (Beck, I can't view your blog! Your profile is set to private)

So how's it going for you guys? Are you seeing changes as a result of the gluten-free food? Can you explain more of what the effects of gluten vs. non-gluten are on your son/family? I'd love to learn more about it.

It's going very well. Surprisingly, our kids have adapted excellently. I think this is due to 2 things. The first is that our kids are very good good eaters. They've always eaten a wide variety of foods, so they're still enjoying many of their favorites (fruits, veggies, big salads, quinoa, etc) The second is that we do not often do treats and we've made a point to do extra treat since going gluten free, so that they know there is lots of "fun" gluten free foods as well. Our kids have commented a few times that "Being Gluten Free is the best!"

We have not seen any major changes yet. There have been a couple moments where someone forgot and gave them a bite of something, or a graham cracker, etc. I have noticed that our youngest son, who is still in diapers, has had much more firm bowel movements. I found that interesting.

Our kids have suffered with some loose bowel movements over the years. But nothing like when the oldest 2 were babies, I'll have to write about that more some other time. If you don't have loose stools 6 times or more a day, then doctors deem you normal. So, the occasional trouble the kids have in the bathroom for no apparent reason I never could put my finger on.

We have noticed in the last week this has happened less and less. Until yesterday, Isaac had to make a mad dash to the bathroom. I'm not sure why it happened, but I know we'll figure this out eventually.

Isaac also has some developmental delays, we're hoping in a few months we'll see some more clarity for him in speech, communication, etc. We'll have to wait and see. That's a big hope.

Here's some info I would like you all to consider:

An estimated, 1 in 100 Americans has celiacs disease. Only 3% of that number has been diagnosed.

Could you have Celiac's? The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness has an online quiz here. If you take it, let me know your results!

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Gluten Free blog of the week : Gluten A Go Go This blog is going to tickle your taste buds, for sure. Right now I'm trying to learn how to replace the normal every day foods, happily grabbing a gluten free brownie mix when my kids need their own replacement at a birthday party. But next time we need something that's not part of the everyday meal plan - this blog is where I'm going to get some recipes. Danish, cookies, pralines??? I didn't know those kinds of food would all be a part of my world of "Cooking from scratch" again.

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Recipes we tried and liked :

Pamela's Pancake Mix - WOW! We've always made out pancakes from scratch, so I was worried how a gluten free mix would taste. The kids and I loved it, and Jake loved it so much he said he liked it better than normal from scratch pancakes! Delicious!

This Spinach and Feta Quiche was OK. I think I made two mistakes that caused it to just be mediocre : 1) I accidentally bought regular spinach in case of baby spinach 2) I think I put in more spinach than it called for. The flavor was all right.. but... it was just lacking. I might try it out again with the baby spinach just to see.

This Broccoli and 3 Cheese Soup was beyond amazing. It was delicious. The kids loved it, Jake loved it, I was wishing I tripled the recipe. I could eat this every day it was that good. The cheese I chose to use were Cheddar, Jarlsberg, and Monterey Jack. I can't wait to make this one again.

Gluten Free Friday Week 2

In our first few weeks of becoming a Gluten Free Family, we encounter the question repeatedly "What exactly is gluten?"

To skip the lengthy explanation, Gluten is a protein. It's found in numerous types of grains, and added to many nutrient deficient foods. This is why gluten is found in your yummy homemade whole wheat bread and in Nacho Cheese Doritos.

One of the hardest things is turning down food/drinks offered by well intended people because the ingredient label says "Natural Flavorings" Because the vague title many times includes a "flavoring" that contains gluten. ''

So your tip this week is, if a label does not say gluten free but the ingredients say "Natural Flavorings" or "Artificial Flavorings" contact the company first.

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Gluten Free Blog of the week : Gluten Free Girl

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Recipes we tried and liked this week :

Peanut Butter Honey Bars (I sprinkled semi-sweet chocolate chips across the top, yum)

This bread mix in the bread maker is delicious (especially compared to store bought Gluten Free bread)

I created my own recipe for a spicey chicken marinade, which was also delicious using the leftovers shredded and tossed into this Rice and Beans recipe.

Gluten Free Spicey Chicken

I threw this recipe together and thought I'd share:

Put your chicken in the crockpot, I used a 5 lb whole chicken.

Mix this marinade :

4 cloves of garlic, minced (I use a garlic press)
1/2 c. orange juice
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. tamari sauce (or soy sauce for those not GF)
1/4 c. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 heaping TBSP Asian Chili Sauce
approx 1/2 tsp salt
approx 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Pour over the chicken and cook.

Yum.

Gluten Free Friday Week 1

Welcome to the very first blog post of Gluten Free Friday! I imagine cheering going on in the blogosphere right now. That's ok. You may clap, I'll wait for you.

Ready?

So I'm really glad for those of you are embarking on this adventure with me - whether you're already a gluten free family and ready to chip in week to week with all your valuable knowledge, or if you're trying to learn how to start a gluten free diet for your family, or if you're just reading along to plain ol' be supportive of this really big new change for my family.

I had a huge head start on what gluten free living would be like since my mom has been gluten free for a while now. I already understood the major food do's and don'ts and some of the trickier ones. Here's a simple way to start that I like to call : Gluten Free, 1-2-3 (oh yes I did, rhyming and everything. I know. Amazing)

1. Go to your library and try out these books (or, of course, order them from Amazon through my links!) : Live Gluten-Free for Dummies by Danna Korn, Kids with Celiac Disease by Danna Korn, Gluten-Free Girl by Shauna James Ahern, and Wheat-Free, Worry-Free by Danna Korn

2. Visit this page for a quick reference sheet for both yourself, friends, and family. It's an easy overview of what you can and cannot eat on a Gluten free diet. Visit here for a more in depth of the "cannot eat" ingredients. And use these pages to do #3 which is...

3. Purge your kitchen. Go through the fridge, cabinets, pantry, freezer, etc. It's easier to just get it out of the house instead of saving it for "Oh, maybe when we have guests." You'll use the wrong ingredients on accident thereby ruining an entire meal, or someone watching your child doesn't know better and gives them the glutenous food. Just do yourself the favor and give it to a friend or neighbor.

I would like to add that if you're looking at a label and you're not positive if it is gluten free call the 1-800 number listed, almost every single product has one. Also, Kraft has pledged that if their product is gluten free it will say so below the list of ingredients. So if you have a Kraft item that does not specify it is not ok for the GF diet.

Remember that food in it's most natural, unprocessed form is best for everyone - but also most easily identifiable as gluten free or not.

Lastly, I'd like to leave you with a link to a great blog that I know all mom's are going to love, whether you're a GF family or not. It's called A Year of CrockPotting and she shares a new crockpot recipe every day! And, all her recipes are gluten free. So you're going to want to subscribe to that one for when you need a new crockpot meal or if you're having your favorite Gluten Free family over for dinner ;-)

Things I don't want to know

Have you ever avoided asking something - because you didn't want the answer?

My mom was misdiagnosed as having Crohn's Disease about 10-12 years ago. Then, about a year or two back she learned that she actually has Celiac's Disease. Celiac's Disease is something you are genetically susceptible to. My sister was tested about a year or less ago, and she too, now must live gluten free forever.

There have been results showing children with an ASD improve dramatically on a permanent gluten free diet. We received results back last Thursday for Isaac. We had not previously tested him, although I suggested it because of the family history, because our doctor really didn't feel it was necessary. I was semi-contented with that. In my heart, I had this feeling that we would need to put Isaac on a permanent gluten-free diet, but I was so secretly hoping he would be in the clear.

Please don't take this the wrong way, because I am happy that we were finally able to get testing done for him. But when we got the results back I wanted to cry. Not only is Isaac having an active elevated antibody response to dietary gluten sensitivity, but he has 2 genes predisposing him to gluten sensitivity. I'm not a geneticist so please don't ask me to explain, but he has received a gene from each myself and Jake. Which means that all of our children need to be on gluten-free diets thanks to our special combination of genetics.

We are so fortunate to have so much information readily available to us, lots of books, cookbooks, recipes, well labeled food, etc. But can I just tell you that I cried? I cried because I like food. I should say I love it. I love to cook, I love my favorite meals, I am definitely attached.

In the past week we've gone gluten free in the house. This means.. the kids are gluten free all the time. Jake and I are sneaking it when they aren't looking if we're out. The kids have taken this so very well. Isaac initially cried when he learned we couldn't get cheeseburgers at Burger King anymore. Aside from that, they've done awesome. In our first gluten-free week we have even had to attend not one, but two birthday parties, in which they were totally awesome sports about not getting the cake. (they did get special gluten-free treats of their own. But still, no tears over the lost cake people!) I have felt so very proud of them.

I should go totally gluten free since thyroid disease is related to Celiac's. I know. All of you who have been praying are now wondering why I haven't taken the plunge to totally purge gluten from my life. It's because I LOVE THE FOOD! I just can't go cold turkey. Apparently my children are stronger than I am. But I'm slowly working on it.

I initially balked at what this might do to our grocery bill. But I think once I get the hang of it and the new grocery shopping under my belt we will even out.

So in honor of this new change in our life, I have decided we will be doing "Gluten Free Friday" here at my blog! I will share with you good websites, yummy recipes, helpful links, shopping tips, and whatever else I should be learning in this new journey of our life.