Gluten-free Hamburger Buns & Gluten-free French Fries Recipe

UPDATE: Since originally posting, I've found I much prefer store bought hamburger buns. Whole Foods brand are decent... better than the homeade variety posted below. So why not? :)

Happy 4th of July everyone! In honor of the holiday, I thought I'd share the recipes I used in the scrumptious BBQ shown above. It really was to die for, if I do say so myself. :)

For the hamburger buns, I used Jules Shepard's breadstick recipe, which I unfortunately can't find online anywhere (sorry...so not helpful). But it can be found in her book, "The First Year: Celiac Disease and Living Gluten-free." I highly recommend it. I've used this recipe previously for hot dog buns and really enjoyed it, but I have to say I think it makes even better hamburger buns. It held together, wasn't too bready...I could've been eating a burger at a gourmet restaurant.

As for the fries, that's a recipe I can share! :) I don't usually like homemade, steak-style fries. They're too soft for me. But these...no no no. Nice and crispy. I think you'll like them! :)

Gluten-free French Fries Recipe:

Slice up some potatoes, skins and all.

Put them in a plastic bag, and add enough olive oil to just coat all the potato pieces. Shake the bag around until all the pieces are coated.

Add seasoning to your liking. I added chili powder, paprika, lots of season salt and a little garlic powder, and they were DELICIOUS! (You can adjust the amount to your liking...I smothered on the season salt and chili powder, and went a little lighter on the other two.) Shake the bag around until the seasoning is evenly distributed.

Spread the fries on a cookie sheet, and cook at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes, giving them a little stir/flip every 8 minutes or so.

Yum yum yum. Hope you enjoy!

Gluten-free Chinese Lemon Chicken Recipe

You'll have to forgive the picture above...it's sorta half-devoured. :) I forgot to pull out the camera until we were well into the meal, and yum yum yum yum. Food like this does not last long! :)

This is one of those lucky finds. I was looking online for a new lemon chicken breast recipe, came across this one for Chinese style lemon chicken, thought it sounded SCRUMPTIOUS, and guess what? It just happened to be naturally gluten free! The only changes I made were to cut it down to 3 servings, and to increase the honey by the tiniest of bits. Yummmmmmy. Give it a try. I think you'll LOVE it!

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/284/Chinese_Lemon_Chicken38791.shtml

For the fried rice, I just sauteed green onions, green pepper (I actually like red better, but didn't have any) and a bit of minced garlic in some oil, added a couple of scrambled eggs, some peas, and precooked rice, and drenched it in salt, pepper, and La Choy's (gluten-free) soy sauce to my liking. Fry, fry, fry...and whala. :)

A complete gluten-free Chinese dinner in for two!

I'd love to know what you think...

Ghastly Gluten

So, have you ever wanted to track somebody down and strangle them? Or at least give them a good hard spankin? :) I've spent the last week wishing I knew for sure who glutenized me so I could do just that. :)

Yes, I've had a week and a half of cramping, yucky bathroom issues, horrible nausea every time I eat, shooting headaches, aching...and just all around blah-ness. I'm finally feeling better the past couple of days, so no pity party for me yet, but there for a while it was a wee bit frustrating.

So, what do I think got me? Well, I almost hate to say it because you can never know for sure...but well...I'm pretty sure it was Uno Chicago Grill. Yes, we decided to try a new restaurant that we were all excited about, and that had a big, nice, fancy gluten-free menu. I excitedly ordered a gluten-free pepperoni pizza, and went to town. Yum. By that night, I was feeling pretty ill, and it spiraled from there. Maybe it was a one time thing, and they are usually fine. Maybe it was a mix up. Most probably it was cross-contamination. I don't know. But I do know I was one sick puppy, and will not be eating there again soon.

The silver lining is that Brian (hubby) and I have been wondering ever since I started the diet if I'd even know if I accidentally got some gluten, and how that all worked. I guess now we know! Lucky us! :)

Big Boo Boo

Well, I just discovered that I've been making quite a major mistake with my gluten-free diet. It all started yesterday after the hot dog buns when me and the hubbie went to mix up some more Nearly Normal Flour. One of the ingredients is Corn Flour, and as I grabbed the bag of Bob's Red Mill Corn Flour, I noticed it didn't say "Gluten-free" like all his other bags. Hm. I immediately ran to Google (how did people survive before the internet) and did some research. When I came across a blog post from about a week ago, talking about how Bob's Red Mill Corn Flour is now going to be gluten-free, I knew I was in trouble. Apparently, all this time I've been using it, not gluten-free due to cross contamination. Sigh. I was pretty upset and frustrated. I've been so so strict, yet all along my flour has probably been contaminating me. After freaking out, and whining to the hubbie, and trying to trace back all the times I've been sick since starting the diet to see if my baking was involved, I finally just said, "Oh well. It's a learning process. Throw out the flour, and we'll start again."

Anyway, that's my story of the day. A lesson learned: always read ALL the stinkin labels oh-so-carefully!

Gluten-free Hot Dog Buns

UPDATE: Since originally posting, I went to Disneyland and experienced EnerG Brand Tapioca Hot Dog Buns. Can't go back. They are my fav. Just sayin'... :)

(Yes, I'm a bit of a ketchup, saucy girl. :))

What's Memorial Day without hot dogs I ask you?! :) After being surrounded by hot dogs on our cruise last month, I have been craving them like crazy and wasn't about to let the holiday pass without pulling out the George Foreman and grilling some! (Gotta love apartment complexes that forbid real barbecue grills :)) Gluten-free hot dogs were easy: we went with BallPark. But what about buns?! I didn't know what to do. In the end, I used Jule's Shepards Bread Stick recipe (found in the before recommended book), and they actually turned out quite tasty! I did them a little too big, not expecting them to raise as much as they did, but overall...yum. Nice and spongy like a hot dog bun, and yummy flavor.

That being said, if any of you know of a killer recipe, do share!

Happy Memorial Day!

Gluten-free at PF Changs

My husband took me to dinner at PF Changs yesterday for our anniversary, and I gotta say...best dining out experience so far! Everyone at the restaurant, from the hostess to the waitress, knew exactly what we were talking about when we requested the gluten-free menu. No one was at all surprised or confused. The waitress even volunteered all kinds of helpful info without me even having to ask (i.e. they use seperate woks for all the gluten-free food). And I was so excited when they actually handed me a REAL menu, with only gluten-free options on it! It wasn't a print out from the internet, they didn't hand me their normal menu and tell me what they could change to be gluten-free...it was a complete gluten-free menu!

We started off with the Lettuce Wraps, and then ordered the Chang's Spicy Chicken and the Lemon Chicken. It was all delicious--I was thrilled to be eating a REAL meal. A lot of the times I go to a "gluten-free" restaurant, and end up feeling like I should be happy just to be able to eat a bland meal there. Not the case here...there was breaded chicken, there were sauces, our waitress even knew to bring us gluten-free soy sauce. It was such a great, great experience! Highly recommend it.

My heart belongs to CHEX!

Just got back from the grocery store and am toting my first box of gluten-free Honey Nut Chex! That's right!! I'd heard Chex was expanding their gluten-free line, but hadn't expected to see them so soon. What a great surprise! From what I hear, Chex will now be offering gluten-free Rice, Corn, Honey Nut and Strawberry Chex! As a cereal girl, I couldn't be more pleased! :)

Haribo Gummies

I am a gummy candy fanatic, and Haribo has always been my brand of choice...so I was thrilled to find this on their website:

"Are Haribo products gluten free?Most Haribo products are gluten free. The following Haribo products are NOT gluten free: Black Licorice Wheels, Red Licorice Wheels, Sour S’ghetti, Fruity Pasta, Pico-Balla, Allsorts and Pontefract Cakes."

http://www.haribo.com/planet/us/info/faq.php

Not only are most of their products gluten-free, but it was also so easy to find! Go Haribo!!!

(You MUST try putting the Gummy Bears in your gluten-free rice krispie treats. Such a yummy addition! Yeah...I'm kinda like a really tall three year old...)

Favorite Flour

I am by no means the expert in this category yet, because honestly I have done very little experimenting up to this point. In fact, I loved the first all purpose flour mix I tried so much, that I haven't experimented at all! But I still thought it was worth sharing: Jules Shepard's Nearly Normal All Purpose Flour Mix. (Random note: for me it's easier not to add the xanthum gum directly to the mix...I add it to the dry ingredients at the time of baking. It's an extra step, but it allows me to adjust it if needed. Usually I use a teaspoon for every cup of flour mix, but sometimes a little less...)

I am pretty picky when it comes to my baking. I'm a perfectionist, and like things to taste, well, perfect! I was terrified of what the gluten-free thing would do to my baking...but seriously, with this flour mix, I pretty much use all my old recipes, and they usually turn out amazingly normal (taste, texture and form!).

I've tried it in all the following with great results:
Homemade buttermilk pancakes
Gooey Chocolate Cookies
Homemade brownies
Homemade corn bread
Gluten-free pizza crust
Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've tried it in all the following with nearly great results:
Chocolate sheetcake (perfect texture, but I could taste the corn flour a bit which bugged me...next time I'm going to try adding more cocoa to mask the flavor)
Homemade sugar cookies (perfect form, and pretty perfect flavor, but the texture was a little off...too crumby... I'm still contemplating how to fix that...any suggestions?)

I still have a lot to learn, but for now, this flour has been a LIFESAVER for me! If anyone out there has a favorite, don't be shy! I'd love input!

Question for you...

Ok, so if there are any expert people with Celiac out there, maybe you can give me a hand. I was told that oats are part of my no-no list (with the exception of certain foreign oats, etc). Recently, someone who's had Celiac for a while sent me a recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and told me they think Capn Crunch is gluten-free. I was ecstatic, but after looking at the label saw that oat flour is the second ingredient.

Any insights on oats? What's the rule?

Gluten-free Cruise on Carnival

Me and the hubbie just took a week long cruise on the Carnival Glory. One of the reasons we chose Carnival--they say on their website that they can offer a gluten-free menu for their guests! Just thought I'd report on how it went.

Here's how it works: each night in the formal dining room, they would send over a hostess to show me the next night's menu. She would help me pick something that the chef could prepare gluten-free, and put in the order for me. Not too shabby...not a special gluten-free menu, but I found I was able to eat pretty well! Steak (without seasoning), different chickens...they even prepared a yummy gluten-free fettucini for me one night! They offered gluten-free bread, but after the first night, I passed (yucky yuck). For dessert, I mostly had fruit plates, vanilla ice-cream and sherbet, although one night the chef sent out a gluten-free bread pudding. Just make sure to be alert and careful--one of the first nights they brought me out a side of veggies in a cream sauce, and even though they reassured me they were gluten-free the first time I asked, I had a bad feeling. Didn't think they could be gluten-free. After re-checking with the chef, the waiter whisked them away very apologetically and brought me out a clean plate.

Also, be warned that they only provide the gluten-free help for dinner in the formal dining room. Breakfast and lunch I was on my own. Breakfast was a piece of cake. I'd have the omelet station prepare an omelet, and have some bacon, yogurt and fruit on the side. Lunch proved to be more complicated. The buffet had a great salad bar, and there was always fresh fruit, but I found myself ODing on those things after eating them for lunch everyday. The lunch buffet usually included a carving station, and my husband got really good at talking to the head chef to find out exactly how the meat had been prepared. On days where that was safe, it was a lifesaver.

Just a couple of warnings... the first day, before we/they figured out the gluten-free thing (we had to talk to the maitre-d about it before our first dinner), I almost became the first person in the history of the earth to starve to death on a cruise ship! :) Nothing at the buffet seemed safe for lunch after we embarked except for salad, so I lived on that and fresh fruit the first day. IF YOU'RE GOING TO CRUISE, TAKE SNACKS! It was really hard to always be surrounded by yummy looking pizza and burgers and deli sandwiches...even the hot dogs started looking good! Luckily, me and the hubby had brought along lots of gluten-free rice krispie treats, and some cinnamon glazed almonds, and some Butterfingers & Baby Ruth's (soooooooooo great that they are gluten-free). Otherwise, the trip would have been a lot harder.

All in all, a good experience. Tough and tempting at times, but great to be able to at least have a delicious, safe dinner provided each night!

I recommend...

I really enjoyed this book, and found it really helpful. It discusses everything from eating out, to the disease itself, to recipes. I think it's one I'll go back to time and again when I have questions.

Kemps Greens Ice Cream

I received the following email after inquiring about Greens Ice Cream:

Thank you for your interest in our products.Our ice cream products are gluten free with the exception of flavors that have inclusions such as cookie pieces, cookie dough, malt, etc. We use "corn" as the modified food starch.We value you as a customer and hope you will continue to enjoy our ice cream products.
Sincerely, Julie King
ADMINIS ASST I

Nice. I love ice cream, and it's been nice to not have to eliminate something I love! I think most are actually gluten-free, but checking doesn't hurt.

Gluten-Free Drugs

If you're anything like me (and for your sake, let's hope you're not...I'm pretty crazy, after all :)), Celiac isn't your only health concern. I'm on a few different medications for everything from thyroid problems (pretty confident Celiac caused that) to adrenal gland problems (hoping Celiac is causing that and it will be under control after being on the diet awhile...but who knows!). Throw birth control into the mix, and my kitchen counter pretty much already looked like a 98 year old woman's before I even got diagnosed with Celiac. Upon diagnosis, my GI said it was really important that I take a daily multi-vitamin, calcium supplement, and Vitamin D to help my body get the nutrition the condition is stripping me of... so, you can just imagine the size of my a.m./p.m. pill box, and the hilarious jokes my husband comes up with. :)

Problem is, drugs have to be gluten-free now too, and reading those labels isn't as easy as reading food labels. Not only are the ingredients really funky (Croscarmellose Sodium what?), but in addition, drugs aren't covered under the nifty 2006 law that states "wheat" has to be listed on the label. So, as to whether ingredients like "starch" and "modified food starch" and "fillers" have wheat... your guess is as good as mine.

Needless to say, getting me transitioned over to gluten-free meds and vitamins was an adventure. Thank goodness my hubbie is so supportive. He was on the phone with pharmacies and manufacturers for days straight. Before even finding out if my meds were gluten-free, we had to find out who the manufacturer was because most of my meds were generic brands. Fun fun stuff. Pain in the royal behind is more like it! ANYWAY, after all the research and pain we went through, I thought I'd post a few of the things we learned, hoping it makes someone else's life a little easier:

#1: http://homepage.mac.com/sholland/celiac/GFmedlist.pdf and http://www.glutenfreedrugs.com/ both have lists of gluten-free meds.

#2: Kirkland Signature (Costco) brand Daily Multi Vitamins are the one brand of cheaper, non name brand vitamins we found that say "Gluten-Free" right on the package!! THANK YOU COSTCO! We called on CVS brand, and were told they couldn't guarantee they were gluten-free.

#3-Medco By Mail is AWESOME! Our insurance just happens to do our medications through Medco, and when we called to see if Medco By Mail could tell us if my generic meds were gluten-free, we were immediately transferred to a pharmacist, who discussed my health issues, and then guaranteed that "Celiac Disease" would be added to my profile. What that means, is that every time we refill a prescription, Medco will research the medication to insure that it's gluten free before it's shipped right to my door! Talk about cool! I'll take it!

#4-The "Spring Valley" brand of vitamins carried at Walmart (light green and yellow bottles) seems to list right on the back if the product is gluten-free. (This is the brand of Calcium I'm currently using.)

#5-When we checked in March 2009, here was the status of some of the meds/manufacturers:

-Mylan: Said in an email that all their drugs are gluten-free. (This is the manufacturer of my local Walmart's generic levothyroxine at the moment).
"Thank you for contacting Mylan! Per your request to follow is information regarding the gluten content of Mylan's levothyroxine tablets, 100ug; Mylan does not add gluten (i.e., wheat, rye, barley, oats or spelt) to any of the products manufactured by Mylan. Mylan uses only synthetic alcohols in the manufacture of its products. The starches used in the products are corn-, rice-, and/or potato based. I hope this helps. If you have any other further questions please feel free to contact me at (800)848-0461 ext 4349. I am available Monday through Friday 8am-5pm eastern standard time. Thank you once again for contacting Mylan. Sincerely, Jennifer Gerdes, RN -- Jennifer Gerdes, RN Product Safety Specialist Global Product Safety and Risk Management Mylan White Birch Tower II, 4th Floor 1311 Pineview Drive Morgantown, WV 26505 "

-Sandoz: Claims that their generic levothyroxine is gluten-free.

-Name brand Levothroid is gluten-free. (This is what I'm using right now.)

-Par: This is the manufacturer of the generic dexamethasone Medco shipped me, so I'm guessing it is safe to assume it's gluten-free.

-Roxane: I got a little peeved with this manufacturer. A phone call and email both pretty much told me the same thing:
"Roxane Laboratories Incorporated (RLI) does not provide information about the composition of the ingredients used to manufacture our products. Additionally, RLI does not provide details of the quantity or content of each ingredient used to make our products. RLI products are approved by the FDAand the approved ingredient information is available within the package insert supplied with all products distributed and sold. Package inserts are also available at http://www.roxane.com/. We apologize for any inconvenience caused,and we suggest that you consult with your prescribing physician to determine a recommended course of action based upon this information. Kind Regards,Technical Product Information, Boehringer Ingelheim Roxane, Inc.Tel: (800) 962-8364Fax: (614) 308-3540"
At the risk of sounding rude, sooooooooo not helpful.

Anyway, we've switched over now...finally, and it feels like a pretty big accomplishment!

Brands that I could marry

I just have to give a shout out to a couple of brands that I am absolutely in love with. Any company that is going to make my little gluten-free life easier with great labeling, deserves my recognition!

KRAFT
Kraft says, "We understand how important it is for people who have been medically diagnosed with gluten sensitivity to have accurate information about foods to help plan their meals and diets. Our policy for all Kraft products, including Oscar Mayer and Nabisco brands, is to list gluten-containing ingredients in the ingredient statement on the package label."

AWESOME. If there is any wheat, barley, rye or oats in any Kraft food, it will be clearly labeled. How's THAT for helpful. Finding a for-sure gluten-free salad dressing just got a lot easier. They own a ton of brands, though: Cool Whip, Oscar Mayer, Nabisco...etc.etc.

I am in love with Kraft.

GREAT VALUE
I have to say, GO WALMART! I have noticed that they do an exceptional job of labeling their products as Gluten-Free if they are. There's nothing better than that kind of simplicity. They also do a good job at making little disclaimers on the label about possible cross-contamination, which manufacturers aren't required to do.

Current Gluten-Free Favorites

BREAKFAST:



Can you tell I'm a cereal girl? :) I'll never forget the conversation that went on at my dietitian's office that made my day:

Me: "So I heard that Safeway carries a cereal called Fruity Nuggets that is gluten-free?" Me on the inside: "Please tell me I get to eat something in the mornings besides Chex...I love Chex...but every morning for the rest of my life could get a little dicey."

Dietitian: "Well...real Fruity Pebbles are actually gluten-free too, but they have zero nutritional value."

Me, acting disinterested: "Oh, really. Huh." Me on the Inside: "Sweeeeeeeeeeet!!!! Like I care! They are one of my favorites!"


LUNCH:

String Cheese and Cheese Sticks with Yogurt or Salad



DINNER IN:

Mexican (tacos or enchiladas) with Trader Joes or Mission Corn Tortillas, and homeade sauce


DINNER OUT:

Austin Grill (I'd actually never eaten there til I started the diet. Then I discovered they had a gluten-free menu, and gave it a try and YUM. Just YUM. The Taco Salad...scrumptious.)

SNACKS:

String Cheese

Trader Joe's Buccaneer Joes White Cheddar Corn Puffs

Cheetos

Corn Chips and Salsa (Sam's Choice(Walmart) Southwestern Black Bean and White Corn Salsa....YUM)

Greens or Bryers Ice Cream (any flavor without harmful mix ins)

CSA Gluten-Free Product Listing

I am LOVING my CSA Gluten-Free Product Listing binder! It lists gluten-free products found in normal grocery stores, such as Safeway, Albertsons, Winn Dixie, etc. It also lists national brands that have gluten-free products, and has a great section on label reading. I love the glossary of commonly found label "ingredients", that tells you what each ingredient is and if it's safe. CSA has done a lot of research for me, and I'm all about making my life and shopping easier! It's just filled with lots of good stuff and was worth the $30 to me! I pull it out before many a grocery store run! You might want to check it out:
http://www.csaceliacs.org/ProductListing.php

And if you have any questions about it before you order, let me know! :)

Ingredients that are a little picked on...

Shortly after I was diagnosed, I went to see a dietitian. I desperately wanted to know how to read labels in the supermarket, and had no idea where to start! I didn't want to have to buy all specialty, organic food. I wanted to be able to shop at the store down the street and eat as many normal foods as possible. So, I went in for a little "label reading" session, and learned some things that have been VERY helpful. The list below talks about ingredients that have been viewed as bad in the past, but are actually OK. Woo hoo for advances!

#1-Obviously, if the label says "wheat" "barley" "rye" or "oats" anywhere on it, not safe! However, what I DIDN'T know, is that due to a law passed in 2006, if any of the sub-ingredients or flavorings or anything contain wheat, the manufacturer HAS to put the word "wheat" right there on the label. This is AMAZING because it means that "Modified Food Starch" and "Starch" are now a-ok if bought after 2006, and if the label doesn't say "wheat" anywhere! Modified food starch is in EVERYTHING, so this is great great news. Now, keep in mind, this rule ONLY applies to food manufactured in the U.S, and it only applies to food (not drugs, or beauty products).

#2-Distilled vinegar has been known as a naughty little ingredient for quite some time, but my dietitian informed me that it is now considered safe for Celiacs! (If manufactured in the U.S, after 2006, and the label doesn't say "wheat". This is going to be a common disclaimer, so remember it! :) ) Apparently they've proven that the distillation process makes it impossible for particles as big as gluten to get through. This means pretty much all vinegar should be safe, except for malt vinegar. (If you read "Malt" anywhere on a label, i.e. "malt flavoring", "malt", "malt vinegar" etc, think "barley". Malt is made from barley. Not safe. With the exception of "maltodextrin"--see #4 below.)

#3-Along the same lines, she said that within the U.S. vanilla, almond and other extracts are safe if manufactured after 2006, and if the label doesn't say "wheat" (although she said to watch out for maple...I'm not sure why yet...still investigating...).

#4-Maltodextrin is safe if manufactured in the U.S. after 2006, and if the label doesn't say "wheat".

#5-Caramel Coloring is apparently safe if manufactured in the U.S. after 2006 if the label doesn't say "wheat".

So, we have to read the labels carefully, but there are actually quite a few gluten-free foods in a normal supermarket! Enjoy!!

Diseased in D.C

Hmmm...not quite as romantic as Sleepless in Seattle, but it's kinda got a ring to it... :)

So, I'm really not the type to broadcast my health problems. Generally, if there's something wrong with me, few people know it. I'm just not the type that likes people worrying, or babying me, or announcing my life story from the pulpit... :) But I think that this blog could be a great way for me to keep track of all the information I find about Celiac, gluten-free products, tips, tricks etc. I also know what a crucial role my internet research played in the initial stages of my diagnosis, and how helpful it was--so I'm hoping this blog will add to the amount of information out there for other people who are on the Celiac journey too.

ANYWAY, for 8 years I've been dealing with bloating, tummy pains, and other crazy symptoms that you really don't want to know anything about...promise. :) (Although, if you're on this site reading, you probably know WAY too much about those miserable bathroom symptoms yourself!) I was diagnosed with IBS, and have just gotten used to discomfort. But after a routine physical in January 2009, and some tests, and a specialist, I was diagnosed with Celiac Sprue Disease. With WHAT? Celiac Sprue. I'm still learning myself, but apparently it's an autoimmune disease where eating even trace amounts of gluten causes your body to attack itself. The main victim is the small intestine...it gets swollen, and the little finger-like villi that transport nutrients get destroyed, and so your body doesn't get the nutrients it needs. Apparently it not only causes all the digestive problems and headaches I've been dealing with for so long, but it can also cause other nasty things if left untreated, like osteoporosis, anemia, arthritis, colon cancer...etc...etc. Fun, right? :) So, I got diagnosed and I thought, "No biggie, we'll treat it." But then... the kicker. The only treatment was to change over to a permanent "gluten-free lifestyle" (don't you love the word "lifestyle"...makes it so much more FUN than a "diet" :)) Gluten is found in wheat, barely, rye and oats (and anything made from, or that has touched any of those things) meaning I could no longer eat... 70% of what you find at a grocery store :) I quizzed the doctor hard, asking how strict I needed to be, and if the diet was just to control symptoms--let's be honest, any way out I would've taken it. But apparently it's important, and even tiny amounts of gluten can cause a damaging flare-up that lasts for months.

The really, really hard part for me was not giving up the junk food...it was the thought of not being able to cook and bake normally. Cooking is something I LOVE and something that I feel like I'm somewhat talented at. I LOVE whipping up tasty new concoctions. But, recipes just aren't quite the same without...flour? :) At least, that's what I initially thought. I spent a good couple of days getting teary eyed whenever I looked at a sugar cookie, or saw my flour canister, or worse...my oven. :) But it didn't take long before I realized it could be a lot worse, and began feeling blessed that I had a doctor sharp enough to find the problem before it caused...problems.

So, with a more positive attitude, and only an occasional sniffle, I started researching, I started narrowing down flour options, I went to a dietitian, I started talking to the friends and acquaintances who reached out to me with tips and love. And 6 weeks into the diet, I can honestly say the adjustment hasn't been too bad. ESPECIALLY in the cooking/baking department. Things continue on pretty normally in that area, much to my relief. (More about that in a future flour post.) While eating out is still a bit challenging and different, the rest of my life is carrying on very nicely. :) There's hope! I promise!

So, here I go...starting off my journey and recording what I learn and experience in the process! Let the adventure begin!