Four Recommendations

I'm still working on the huge entry that will appear below this entry, but wanted to write a quicker note. If you only try four gluten-free products, these are what I recommend:

Tinkyada pasta. A lifesaver, especially if your family eats a lot of pasta. You can simply cook two pots (one wheat, one Tinkyada) and make the same sauce for everyone.
An all-purpose mix--Pamela's or Bob's Red Mill. They have recipes on the back and can be used for muffins, pancakes, waffles, bread, and I think even cookies. Baking from scratch can be very daunting, especially if you have to buy all the flours, so a mix is a perfect way to get baking.
Rice Chex, Corn Chex. Gluten-free cereal that is easy to find and cheaper.
MiDel Gluten-free cookies. Because everyone should get to open a bag and eat a cookie sometimes.

Places of Note:
Whole Foods. If there is a Whole Foods near you and they have a gluten-free bakehouse, it is worth splurging on any of their products. This is not something we do very often due to the price, but their cookies and muffins are so good. Try this if you're feeling discouraged about gluten-freedom.
Wild Oats. They also have some tasty chocolate chip cookies, if they still do. I have been away from Wild Oats for nearly two years, but they have had some tasty options in the past.

A Day of Meals--Extended Version

My husband has celiac disease; our two children and I do not. I try to make gluten-free eating simpler by finding recipes and foods that are naturally gluten-free. Here is a typical day around our table.

Breakfast. We are a cereal family, and B has tried it all. For a long time he ate either Envirokidz or Nature's Path corn flakes. Van's Frozen Waffles have been another staple: B likes them okay cooked in the microwave and topped with any syrup. These are not as good as homemade, so if you try these before you try making gluten-free waffles, don't be discouraged.
Currently, we have been thrilled about Rice Chex and yesterday, I brought home a box of Corn Chex. These are the best--they're cheaper and easier to find than the specialty products, and stay crisper longer in milk. I have to say, though, I have never had to go to a health food store to find any of the above products. They have all been available at Smith's, Fred Meyer, and sometimes even Walmart. Ordering products you really like from Amazon.com is another option.
Another happy discovery: gluten-free oats. There are several brands out there, and all seem to be truly safe. Our favorite: Bob's Red Mill. Bob is like one of our best friends, actually--his mixes and flours are wonderful. More on that in a minute. We like Bob's oats because they are more like quick-cooking oats than the tougher steel cut oats, and B is mastering making his own granola. We haven't tried cookies with these oats yet, though I imagine they will be tasty.
Other breakfast ideas: breakfast burrito (scrambled eggs, any veggies, and cheese on a steamed corn tortilla); yogurt and fruit; smoothies; Instant Breakfast (any except malt).

Lunch. I try to send B to work with leftovers from dinner the night before. Lunch and snacks can be a tricky business. B sometimes takes soup or chili. Stagg(Hormel) and Pacific Natural Foods are favorites. We especially love Pacific Natural Foods' Tomato soups and broths. Again these products area widely available. We've also had good luck with Progresso soups. They don't say gluten-free, but if they don't have any gluteny ingredients, they seem to be safe.

Snacks (this might be more helpful for sack lunch ideas). We have tried several snack products, and I seem to like more of them than B. Rice crackers (available at Costco), and rice cakes go great with cheese, meat, spreads, and tuna. In bar form, we have many delicious options: Larabar, Mrs. May's (they have many other tempting gluten-free foods available), and KIND bars. Tiger's Milk bars are another classic option. All of these are available at Amazon.com, and I've seen many at Costco as well. These are kind of expensive to have everyday, but are worth knowing about. Another great option: trail mix. It's easy to make your own mix of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, coconut, chocolate chips...premade mixes are hit or miss, so always check the ingredients list. (The issue tends to be cross-contamination). Deli meat, cheese sticks, and Yoplait or Stonyfield Farm yogurts are favorites.

Dinner. There seems to be a basic formula for the ideal dinner: protein, grain/starch, at least 1 vegetable and hopefully 1 fruit (maybe for dessert). Learning to cook gluten-free has been the perfect excuse to cook from scratch, and because I do this everyday, I try to find simple meals. Following the above formula leaves the door open for plenty of options. We all eat gluten-free for dinner, with the exception of some mixed meals. If we're having spaghetti, for instance, I'll make two pots of pasta--1 GF, 1 wheat, and then serve with the same sauce or toppings.

Protein. every kind of meat is naturally gluten-free. The only thing to look out for is preseasoned or cooked meat. Costco sells labeled gluten-free rotisserie chickens, as do many grocery stores if you're in a hurry. Many marinades and salad dressings are gluten-free as well. We love barbecue chicken or pork, made in the crockpot. (recipe bel0w). We always have to check sauce and dressing ingredients, but we have always found something that works. Brianna's is always a favorite; Kraft also has an excellent selection.

Grain/Starch. Rice. We love medium grain Calrose (it also makes excellent flour); brown has more nutritional value and a nuttier flavor; jasmine and basmati are treats for special occasions (jasmine is what they serve with Thai food; basmati goes with Indian), and are great with anything. Wild rice is delicious (We've fallen for Lundberg, who also make different rice cakes) and also has more nutritional value. Rice noodles go well with stirfries, or as a substitute for pasta noodles. The best gluten-free pasta in the world is Tinkyada. A simple solution for mixed family dinners: make wheat pasta for the wheaties, and cook Tinkyada separately for the gluten-freebies. We have separate colanders to be especially careful. Tinkyada makes all kinds of shapes and sizes, and it never gets mushy. It also doesn't taste as much like rice as regular rice noodles.
Other starch options: baked or mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams; quinoa; polenta; and grains like millet and amaranth. And of course, corn tortillas. Steamed, fried, or baked.

Vegetables & Fruits. Salads with gluten-free dressing. Anything roasted or steamed. Vegetables (and fruits) are one area we can really relax in--they are all gluten-free! I recommend finding out what's in season. It will save money and taste better. Right now great options would be artichokes, asparagus, peas, green beans, carrots, and cabbage, among many others. As mentioned, most salad dressings are fine, but it's always good to read labels. Canned fruit, jams etc, tend to be gluten-free. Strawberries, plums, apricots are a few of the delicious offerings that come in the spring.

A word on Casseroles. There are GF casseroles out there, though I'm not as familiar with them. Basically anything with a rice base will work, just beware of using cream of anything soups--the common ones thicken with flour. If casseroles like this are a staple at your house, you may want to explore more dinner options to save yourself from cooking two meals every night. You may also find it worthwhile to look for gluten-free creamy soups, or to make your own from scratch a la Bette Hagman.

A word on Baking. The biggest hole in a celiac's life is probably baked goods. But bread and cookies and cakes do not have to be completely absent. Our house was established as a gluten-free baking zone, which means I don't bake anything with wheat. Cross-contamination is a concern, and in a mixed kitchen, that will be your biggest enemy. I still think it's possible to pull it off, if you must. There are many mixes on the market. Need a gluten-free chocolate cake or brownies? Bob's Red Mill has mixes for you. I've also heard great things about Pamela's mixes. Both companies also make mixes for cookies, bread, pancakes and waffles. If baking is still too daunting, we recommend products from the gluten-free bakehouse at Whole Foods, MiDel gluten-free cookies, and products from Wild Oats.
Flourless cakes and cookies are another option. There are countless recipes for flourless chocolate cakes, pavlova, macaroons, or these peanut butter cookies:
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2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter

Beat eggs. Mix in sugar and peanut butter. Form into balls and drop onto a cookie sheeet. press with a fork, if desired. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.
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Crockpot Barbecue Meat
Pork roast (tenderloin does well) or chicken pieces
Gluten-free BBQ Sauce of choice
1 onion, chopped, if desired

Place meat on top of onion in a crock pot. Drape the sauce over the meat, covering plus a little more. Add a little water, if desired.
Cook on high 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 8. Meat should fall apart easily when it's done. Serve with baked or mashed potatoes (or sweet potatoes for more nutrition), gluten-free cornbread (made from Bob's redmill mix or Hodgson mill gluten-free cornmeal+rice flour), roasted vegetables, corn on the cob, etc.
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A Word After My Hiatus

In trying to balance many projects in many areas in my life, this blog has fallen by the wayside. It may continue to be there a bit, but I want to keep it going and post at least once a week.
I wanted to find out, are there any recipes you've been searching for? Any questions you have? I have more recipes I can share but would love to address any specifics first.
So stayed tuned for...answers to your questions, delicious Mexican food, fluffy popovers, and seasonal favorites.

Nonfood Allergies & Wacky Cake

J's results came back--as of now, she does not have celiac disease (phew?). We will really be able to celebrate once we have done the genetic test. I am relieved for now, but my eyebrows are raised. A negative test now means she doesn't have it now, but it doesn't mean she won't ever have it. We'll keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.
J's allergy test panel came back as well, revealing that J is allergic to...dust mites. Severely allergic, it turns out. I was so busy preparing myself for my worst case scenario ("J can eat wheat, but nothing with corn, rice, or soy") that I was a little surprised by this result. Then, of course, it makes perfect sense. She coughs more in bed (a haven for dust mites). her wheeze worsened as the week with the humidifier progressed (mites love warm, humid spaces). And she didn't develop the allergy until we moved to a temperate, humid place (as opposed to high desert dryness that makes her itch like crazy).
I am so grateful that she does not have a separate food allergy we'd have to worry about at this time. Just thinking about it made me appreciate more what people with multiple food allergies have to go through everyday. Sure celiac disease is hard, but also subtracting milk products or eggs?
We faced this kind of dilemma for G's first birthday party. A dear friend of ours is allergic to peanuts, eggs, and milk. Her mom sent me this recipe called Wacky cake. It comes from the site kids with food allergies. You can find the site and the original recipe here.
I have not worked with this recipe to make any successful changes, but I'm intrigued by the possibilities of baking without dairy or eggs.

Wacky Cake
1 3/4 cups rice flour, or gluten-free blend
3 Tbsp cocoa powder (optional)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vinegar
5 Tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup water
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Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl and stir to combine.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until you get a smooth batter. Do not beat.
Pour into greased and floured pan (8" square or 9" round) or 12 cupcakes. Bake in oven until tests done - about 35 minutes for cake, about 20 minutes for cupcakes.

If dairy is an option, any icing will be great. If not, a basic icing of powdered sugar and water will work beautifully.

Upsides if we find out J has Celiac

The tests are in, the results will be back next week. Does J have celiac disease? If she does, here are the upsides:
1. she might be taller. if she starts the diet now, she will not have her growth stunted.
2. she's old enough to understand, but still young enough not to rebel against the diet.
3. i will bake so much more. i think we might save money and there will be so much more around for brad to eat.
4. i get the oreos to myself. just kidding! we don't buy prepackaged wheaty cookies and rarely splurge gluten-free. there might be more cookies around now, though.

Well, that's all I can think of. I'm not thrilled at the idea that she might have it, but finding out now would be so much easier. I have two best case scenarios in my head.
1: Jane doesn't have Celiac OR the gene for it. This means, as far as I know right now, we never have to worry about her having it. Hooray!
2: Jane has Celiac and the gene for it. Then we know! It would be such a relief to know. It might help answer what's causing her asthma like cough...of the last seven months.

There is the possibility that she has the gene, but does not (yet) have Celiac disease in it's full-out glory. For me, THIS is the bummer diagnosis. I don't know exactly what to do with it. I would rather know right now if she has it.
I will keep you posted. In the meantime, I'm working on previously mentioned dinner recipes, as well as some new sweet desserts in time for spring (lemon layered cake with strawberries and cream, anyone? how about sugar cookie fruit tarts?)
Are you waiting for something this weekend?

The Bakehouse: Gluten-Free Cookies, Muffins, and More Cookies

I have been on a roll with both baking and blogging this week, and thought a great way to finish off would be to share some of the results.



First, we made green sugar cookies for st. patrick's day. I have shared the recipe before, and it is still a winner in our book. Below I will share the Quick Icing we used to decorate the cookies (ok, we dipped the cookies in the frosting while they were still warm.)


Gluten-free honey poppyseed muffins.

I have been experimenting with Bette Hagman's Quick and Easy Muffins this week. I have tried recipes from Bob's Red Mill and Whole Foods, but when we're in a hurry, Bette's muffins can't be beat. This week I've toyed with using honey instead of white sugar. More on that to come.
The best news of the week: I successfully adapted another cookie recipe. Their texture and flavor is addictive, which is the main reason I can't make these again anytime soon.
But I still want to share them with you.
If you are looking for some gluten-free, decadent, chocolatey cookies that hold together, here you go.



Gluten-Free White Chip Chocolate Cookies
Nestle Tollhouse

• 2 1/4 cups rice flour, OR *1 3/4 cup rice flour, 1/4 cup sorghum flour, & 1/4 cup coconut flour (see note below)
  
• 2/3 cup Saco Premium Cocoa (any gluten-free baking cocoa will do)
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (gluten-free)
  
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsel (or the chip of your choice)
  

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Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Gradually beat in flour mixture.
Stir in morsels.
Drop by well-rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until centers are set.
Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Enjoy with a nice glass of milk.

TO FREEZE: Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet and stick in freezer until set, about 15 minutes.
Remove from sheet and place in an airtight freezer container or bag (squeeze all air out of the bag)
Store until ready to bake, then preheat oven to 350, drop dough balls on ungreased cookie sheet, and bake.**

*I am still investigating whether it was this flour mix I used or the cocoa that made the texture of these cookies soft and less ricey. We have always been fine using all rice flour in place of all-purpose flour.
**Frozen cookie dough drops may need an extra minute or two in the oven, but we have successfully frozen cookie dough twice now and found no difference in the taste or texture. The cookie dough is also excellent in ice cream.

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Quick Cookie Icing
The Joy of Cooking

An easy, quick icing great for cookies or pound cakes. It is naturally gluten-free.

2 cups powdered sugar
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, or 3 Tablespoons hot heavy cream

3 to 4 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
food coloring (optional)
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In a medium bowl, beat sugar and butter together on medium speed.
Add milk, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth.
Add additional milk or powdered sugar as needed to correct the consistency.
To store, cover the surface of the icing with a sheet of plastic wrap. This keeps for up to 3 days at room temperature, up to 3 weeks refrigerated, or frozen for up to 6 months. Soften and stir or beat until smooth before using.

Celebrating Gluten-Freedom

It's not very fair of me to say any of this since I am not the one who must adhere to a gluten-free diet, but I still wanted to write about the benefits of living in a mostly gluten-free kitchen. I know it's not easy for my husband to get enough calories (we're working on it), but I still want to share the bright side I've found in celiac disease.

1. Fewer processed foods. We still end up with more than I would like, but it is much easier and cheaper to buy whole foods and make things from scratch.

2. Less Junk Food. I do not want to buy a bag of Oreos if I am the only one who will eat them. Simple.

3. Focus on fruits and vegetables. I am far from perfect at this one, but I do think about it a lot more. Being more fresh-food conscious also comes from having children--we want them to love the best foods from the very beginning. All fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten-free, filling our kitchen with a beautiful, limitless sky.

4. I love a (baking) challenge. I have learned so much more about baking than I would have without the alternate ingredients. I've also found that creativity flourishes best with some boundaries.

5. Health food stores and alternative ingredients. Many gluten-free recipes I find use natural sweeteners and whole grain flours (just not the flours we're typically familiar with). Another number of recipes or foods happen to be organic. My education with these ingredients has been a slow process, but would likely be nonexistent without gluten-freedom.

6. A built-in excuse to try new foods. Going gluten-free is hard in the beginning, when you have to learn all the no's and can'ts of the diet. After a while these become second nature and you begin to focus again on all the yeses and can's. And there are so many delicious possibilities out there.
Even just five years ago I would not have pictured myself fixing baked sweet potatoes and quinoa with butter and parmesan. That's what I ate for lunch today, and it just so happens my baby liked it too. I'm grateful that eating gluten-free is so much easier these days and hope we can continue to find delicious options.