Gluten Free Grace

Gluten Free Creamy Mushroom Soup - Oh the possibilities!

2012-01-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

Progresso has Gluten Free soups! I didn't know that. The one I am most excited about is the Progresso Creamy Mushroom Soup. Not only is it gluten free but it is labeled as so!

Oh the possibilities! King Ranch Chicken, Shepard Pie, Chicken Spegetti (with GF noodles)... I haven't made those homey casseroles in a while because Gracie couldn't have them - honestly I don't even know that she would like them - but these are potluck staples and what a treat to serve these at a potluck and EVERYONE can eat it!

Rachael Ray's Chocolate Cups with Whipped Cream!

2012-01-05T20:47:00.000-08:00

Rachael Ray has always been known for her easy, easy recipes. These Chocolate Cups with Whipped Cream are no exception. They are RICH! sweet and yummy AND by surprisingly gluten free!

They are a perfect "fancy dessert" for special friends. They are so rich a little goes a long way. Try it!

We tried Pumpkin Cake Tonight and it was a success! After a while...

2011-11-19T19:19:00.001-08:00

Thursday night I made pumpkin cakes for gifts - full of gluten! Gracie said "I wish I could have some" but I was a step ahead. I previously had made a - only cake mix and canned pumpkin. It was really good and really simple so I decided to try it with Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mix. I modified it a bit by adding cinnimon and two eggs. The batter was REALLY thick but I recall the original recipe being that way as well.

I baked it for 25 minutes as the instructions on the cake mix said. I put a pick in it and it came out clean - Yea!! The cake was still in the shape it was when we put it in - it was pretty dense but looked nice. We let it cool then Gracie iced it with the most FANTASTIC Cream Cheese Icing I have every had! It is like crack! Semi sweet - sort of like cheesecake.

We cut it open with such anticipation!! We had such hope. It was raw in the center...

Gracie suggested we just scrape off the icing and stick it back in the oven and I figured we had nothing to lose. First for 15 minutes, then 10, then some more... All in all it was about an additional 45 minutes of cooking. When it was firm to the touch in the center and was browned on the edges I took it out to cool again.

While it was still warm we cut a piece - then we smeared the yummy icing back on top of the cake and ate it - and love it! It is a dense cake with a texture sort of like a homemade whole wheat bread. It also wasn't very sweet - but that was ok because we had that yummy icing (did I tell you I love that stuff??) It made a really good desert and we ALL enjoyed it even though it wasn't "normal" cake - it was still really good cake!

Next time I might add some other spices and maybe a little water but there WILL be a next time! It was super easy and very tasty. I will just be sure to bake it longer.

So - to recap the recipe:
Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1 can of 100% pumpkin
2 Eggs
1 tsp cinnamon

Spread in an 8x8 greased pan. Bake for "about" an hour. Top with yummy icing :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-19T10:07:00.000-08:00

We have so much to be thankful for this year!! This week is the 3rd anniversary of discovering Gracie has Celiac. She has grown into a lovely 12 year old, is trying new things every week and has taken responsibility for her gluten free diet. Since I broke my ankle she has really stepped up and been a great help to everyone - she won't rub my nasty foot but I still love her!! :) I am healing, everyone is healthy and still in one piece and even though we have had our struggles we are still very thankful for what we do have.

Some other things we are thankful for - THANKSGIVING FOOD!! I want to share some of our favorites for the holiday. I say "ours" because picky Gracie won't eat everything but we love it and it is GLUTEN FREE! I am also throwing in some things we won't be making but look great - good for everyone AND gluten free!

Pumpkin pie!

Mashed Potatoes!

Turkey (of course)

Ham

Chess Pie!

Creme Brûlée

Roasted Vegatables - carrots, brussel sprouts, potatoes - you name it!

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Baked Sweet Potatoes with honey butter

Green Beans with almonds OR bacon

Udi's Gluten free Stuffing!

Cheebe Bread!

Cranberry Sauce - the "good kind" AND the canned kind :)

Rachael Ray's Chocolate Cups

Really the list could go on and on and on and on... Feel free to add your favorites.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kellogs now has Gluten Free Rice Krispies!

2011-09-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

Since I broke my leg Troy is now the shopper for the family. He was at the store the other day and came across Gluten Free Rice Krispies! I was always bummed that Rice Krispies used malt in their recipe - we love that cereal but haven't gotten it since Gracie went gluten free.

Troy got a box and we tried it. It had a great taste and texture, but was not sweet like the regular Rice Krispies - Gracie adds a little sugar. She LOVES it! and we have added it to our "go to" cereal stash.

I am looking forward to make Rice Krispie Pops! Or maybe these wonderful Peppermint Rice Krispie Treat Snowballs for our Christmas Eve Party!

Gluten Free Expo!

2011-09-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Wanetta sent me a link to the Gluten And Allergy Free Expo that is coming to Dallas On October 1st and 2nd! Taste test gluten free foods, have a gluten free lunch, talk to people who know! It is $20 for adults and $5 for kids under 12.

I LOVE expos! Any kind - computer, food etc. but it has been years since I have been to one. I would SO love to take Gracie But I broke my leg and am off of my feet for a couple of months. I would love if anyone is able to go they could come back with a review.

There are several expos around the country - check to see if there is one near you!

Follow up:

Troy and Gracie went - and LOVED it!!! Troy said he had never seen Gracie eat so much EVER! She went from space to space tasting all of the samples and going back for more when she found something she loved and she could eat EVERYTHING! She received some wonderful gifts - Chocolate Chip Cookies from Udi's (which she loved,) She won a great basket of kids treats as well as some books on gluten free living as well as some great samples to take home.

We will be looking VERY forward to going again next year and I would really suggest going if it comes to your area. Thank you Gluten Free Expo! It is fantastic to have a "safe place" to try new foods.

Hibachi equals FIRE!!!

2011-08-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

After taking a friend to the airport last week Sam and I ate at Kobeya Hibachi in Southlake. We LOVED it! Really - what is not to love?? Dinner, a show and FIRE!! Every kid's dream.

Sam talked about it non stop so when we went for a getaway on Friday night we went back to Kobeya. I had spoken to a really nice server who didn't know about gluten free but he did say they would be willing to work with us. Needless to say I didn't trust that conversation 100% so I called ahead. I spoke to Roy who was the manager that night. He said they were very familiar with gluten free and he recommended chicken with salt, pepper and butter, plain rice, plain salad (maybe with lemon?) and the broth (not with the additions of mushrooms and "krab.") They also have gluten free "soy sauce" (Tamari sauce.) He said they would cook the gluten free food first so as not to have a cross contamination issue or cook it in the back in a clean pan. He also said to make sure to let them know when I made the reservation AND let the waitress know.

We were seated and I asked if Roy was there - he was. Since Gracie would not have eaten the veggies (mushrooms, squash, broccoli etc.) he recommended a side of chicken, rice, salad or soup. Gracie picked just chicken and rice and broth. The waitress said "I think the broth has soy sauce in it." Good to know! We decided not to take the chance.

Out comes the Chef! He cleaned the griddle with a combination of oil and vodka. Why vodka?? FIRE!!! They do this for everyone but it was nice to see the grill cleaned before and after each "show." Even though the manager and the waitress had specified that Gracie's meal needed to be cooked first he got confused and started on the fried rice. When I saw him cracking the eggs and start cooking those when her chicken was down I turned to the waitress (who thankfully was right there) and said "We will need to cook hers in the back." She stopped him and said "Her chicken needs to be cooked BEFORE your do the rice!" He looked puzzled so I said "She can't have soy sauce on the same griddle as her chicken - it will make her sick." He stopped cooking the eggs and finished her chicken.

The chicken was really good - simply simple but yummy! He used only salt and pepper and a little oil. The butter would have been nice but I looked over at the mound of butter on his tray and it looked to have crumbs on top so we skipped it. Of course it had that delicious sticky rice to go with it. If you like veggies I say go for those as well - they were cooked PERFECTLY.

At first I thought I wanted to have them cook the meal in the back but now I am glad they did it in front of us so I could ensure "quality control." My fear always is they will say "I understand" but a mistake happens by someone who really doesn't.

I would also like to say Gracie ate EVERY bite!! With CHOPSTICKS!! She loved it - and I loved that she ate something other than just plain lettuce at a restaurant we all could enjoy.

Even with our hiccup I still recommend Kobeya Hibachi - or try one in your area. Since the food and the preparation is simple it should be easy to get a "safe" meal with a willing staff.

Dining out cards for Celiacs

2011-08-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

I have found that I am sometimes brushed off by servers at restaurants. I have even been told "We don't use wheat here" (or flour etc.) at restaurants. Once it was at a pizza place. Really??

I have asked for managers and explained myself over and over and over... I don't mind doing it at all and many servers and managers are HAPPY to help! I really appreciate that. It is those times when you see their eyes glaze over...

When Gracie first was diagnosed with Celiac I found Gluten Free Restaurant Cards but never got any - either the ones that are pre made and laminated or the kind you print out yourself. I just came across them again and I am thinking I will print one to keep in my purse and see if it is helpful.

Here are just a couple I have found:

Celiactravel.com

This one has free printable cards in foreign languages for travel. They are free but he does ask for donations if you print them - or link them to your site.

Triumph Dining Cards

You can get some laminated cards OR disposable cards to keep in your wallet.

Has anyone had experiences with these or others?? Any recommendations?

Buddy Fruits - 100% Fruit (and nothing else.) Really???

2011-07-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

I have seen the Buddy Fruit products at various stores. They state they are "100% Fruit and nothing else." I had looked at the fruit squeezes and saw they were labeled "no gluten" so I decided to try the fruit bites for Gracie. Honestly - I didn't look that closely at the ingredients because it stated 100% fruit (nothing else) - that was my fault and I own it.

Got home and handed them to Gracie - she opened them and started to eat one when she checked the back of the package where it states "May contain wheat starch." WHEAT STARCH?? How did that get in a 100% fruit (nothing else) fruit snack??

Their web site even states "No Gluten" on their product page. I sent them an email asking them to explain themselves - I am interested to see their response. I find their advertising to be confusing and/or deceiving and that really troubles me. It could be the difference between a nice snack for some and food poisoning to others.

Caution!! Walmart Soy Sauce no longer gluten free!!

2011-07-31T10:04:00.000-07:00

I was picking up some more soy sauce at Walmart today and noticed the label has changed. I turned it around and checked the ingredients and it states WHEAT as a main ingredient.

This was in my local Decatur Walmart - I just checked online while looking for an image and it appears they still have it at some of their stores so stock up!! if you find it. BUT check the label first.

I am so disappointed! This is the soy sauce we always get. We have been getting this even before Gracie needed to be gluten free and now we need to find an alternative. What a bummer.

So... This is just another reminder to ALWAYS check your labels when purchasing something - the ingredients may have changed.

Udi's did it again - BAGELS!

2011-07-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered that Udi's has been busy. Busy making yummy, yummy baked goods! Hot dog buns! Hamburger buns! Bagels!!!

I hadn't purchased any of these goodies because Gracie is one picky squirrel! She won't eat hot dogs. She won't eat hamburgers. When I asked her if she wanted to try the bagels she said no. sigh...

Yesterday I decided to try the bagels anyway. This morning I told her I would make her breakfast - I thawed the bagels for 30 seconds in the microwave, split it (it was cut - you just need to separate it) then I toasted 1/2 in our toaster oven (on foil to prevent cross contamination.) I called Gracie in and said "butter or cream cheese?" Her eyes widened and she smiled. "Butter!"

She ate it. She ate ever bite. She smiled and said "Thank you Mom! That was SO good! Could I have more?!" Well of course!

It was delicious - it was REALLY delicious! A great texture and the flavor was excellent. It wasn't as chewy or dense as "normal" bagels are - more like a really good crusty French bread. When I say it is good I am not saying "It is good for gluten free." I mean it is GOOD BREAD! for anyone - gluten free or not.

My wheels started turning - I immediately thought of "The Bread" that I made for my In laws last week. "The Bread" was a recipe I had come across on the Pioneer Woman's blog. I had been wanting to try it but never had a reason to until visiting them. It has two ingredients - bread and butter - but it is bread and butter in a fantastic way! Tasting Gracie's bagel made me think of "The Bread." It would be SO good cooked this way! I just feel it. Trust me - I will try it.

I can highly recommend the Udi's bagels! You will be pleasantly surprised. Let me know if you have tried the hot dog or hamburger buns - I would love to hear your reviews!

Olive Garden Goodness

2011-07-07T07:10:00.000-07:00

Gracie wasn't with us the other day when we were in Denton at dinner time so Troy, Sam and I decided to eat someplace Gracie couldn't eat - we picked Olive Garden. The last time we were at Olive Garden was when Gracie got straight A's on her report card and got to choose where we went to dinner - she picked Olive Garden because it was her favorite! She was in the 3rd grade - it was a month before she was diagnosed with Celiac - that was about 2.5 years ago and we haven't been back since.

The salad came - oh the lovely salad! Then the breadsticks - soft and warm - Sam ate 4! Then the pasta came - lots and lots of pasta. All the while I thought of Gracie and was sad we couldn't eat there with her. The manager came by to say hi and I decided to ask him if he had a gluten free menu - THEY DO!! He brought me out a paper menu that had several Gluten Free choices - Pasta, chicken, fish, steak - did you hear PASTA?? They even have a couple of kids menu options (perfect for my scrawny picky eater!)

I asked him how the pasta was prepared - he stated it comes in a package and is prepared in the microwave. Hmmm. Microwaved pasta?? I have read some reviews and they seem pretty promising. I called their customer service at 800-331-2729 and the lady I spoke to stated the past was prepared off premise so they could assure it was gluten free and prevented cross contamination. She stated everything else was a grill item on the GF menu. Even though the idea of microwaved pasta makes me go hmmmm I LOVE that they take cross contamination seriously enough to go out of their way to protect their customers.

I am looking forward to Gracie trying their gluten free items! Have you tried them? I would love to hear from you.

Lets talk about "normal" foods for kids

2011-07-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

I LOVE that there are so many gluten free choices these days. Gracie has been gluten free for 2.5 years and the amount of "Gluten Free" foods that actually state it on the label is amazing! The items that you used to could find only at a health food store (Udi's, Glutino, Pamela's, Amy's etc.) are now found at local grocery stores - it really is exciting to see!

That said... Gracie wants to be normal. She wants to have "normal" foods in her lunches, normal foods at parties, normal foods at restaurants. She is going into Middle School this fall which is hell enough - lets add not being "normal" to the mix! So - lets talk about "normal food." Of course fruits and veggies are obviously gluten free (least you think we just eat junk all of the time :)

Snacks:

- Fruity or Cocoa Pebble Treats! They are like Rice Crispy Treats (except RC's are not GF), individually packaged and perfect for lunches, on the go snacks or parties!

- A lot of the Frito Lay chips! Gracie especially loves the Cool Ranch Dorito's. The Nacho Cheese Dorito's are sadly not gluten free. Lay's Stax are our go to favorite for travel! It is not a car trip if we don't have Lay's Stax (it is like Pringles - but Pringles are not GF.)

- Hunt's Snack Pack puddings are gluten free!

- String Cheese, cheese cubes, cheese, cheese, cheese! We do love us some cheese around here (except for Sam who can't have it :(

- Jif To Go! This is our go to protein that we take with us when we are unsure about what there will be for Gracie to eat. Lunch, parties, snack, restaurant - you name it. They are little 1.5 oz individual cups of peanut butter just begging to be dipped with apples, crackers, Frito's, celery or just with a spoon.

Restaurants:

Let me say that we no longer blindly trust gluten free menus. I have become one of "those Mothers" when we dine out. Even places who state they have procedures in place and have advertised as being safe for those needing to be gluten free - I have found them to have become lazy with their "protocols." Ask for a manager to be sure.

- Taco Bell. They are really good at covering themselves on their web site by stating "Prepared in common equipment." I like that - it is good to know. That said - we have never had a problem with their basic foods - Chips and cheese, taco shells with lettuce and cheese. Needless to say their meat has gluten in it.

- Subway!!! Our new go to favorite! They are testing Subway Gluten Free Sandwiches/buns in their North Texas stores (and possibly elsewhere - but I can't find specifics on this.) I know at our subway it states it flat on the door! They have specific protocol for making the sandwiches (changing gloves, wiping down the counter, etc.) and will get fresh meat, cheese etc. if you ask. I am on them like a hawk! while making Gracie's sandwich since there are so many bread crumbs floating around but thankfully they have always been nice and helpful and we haven't had any problems as of yet.

- Pei Wei. We loves us some Pei Wei!! It is our favorite dining place. Gracie "deconstructs" her Pei Wei Spicy where everything is on the side (chicken, veggies, rice, sauce.) She eats every bite of chicken! That said - we have to be on the ball when we go there - we have had a couple of hick ups and now I immediately ask for a manager.

- CiCi's Pizza. Or should we say Cici's Crustless pizza. They will make a "pizza" in a foil pan with sauce, pizza and GF toppings (veggies, etc.) Gracie brings her Glutino Cheese Crackers and eats it as a pizza dip. She has also started doing something similar at home - She gets the Ragu Pizza Sauce, cover the bottom of a cereal bowl and top with some good mozzarella cheese and microwave for 1 minute. She LOVES this!

- Boston's Pizza has a gluten free pizza - it is very, very yummy!

- Uno Chicago Grill - we can't decide whose pizza we like better - Boston's or Uno's! Either way she eats EVERY bite!

- Grilled Chicken or grilled Salmon. We have had great success w/various restaurants getting simply grilled chicken or salmon - most restaurants have this - check with the manager - they are usually very helpful!

- Chili's has a great gluten free menu. Gracie likes the grilled chicken but she LOVES the Original Memphis Dry Rubbed Ribs - they will also do those on the children's menu. Skip the Chips - they are not gluten free (we learned the hard way :(

Breakfast:

- Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles! These are our current go to favorites for breakfast. I LOVE that they have stated "Gluten Free" right on the front of the box.

- Chex Cereals. I have written about the first time I went to the store to look for something gluten free for Gracie and Rice Chex was right there w/the words "Gluten Free" right on the front! I have loved them ever since. Chex has been the leader in "main stream" cereals becoming gluten free - I am glad others are following!

- Fruity Dino Bites is also a great kids cereal. They are in a bag instead of a box. The Fruity Dino Bites is the only cereal stated GF on the Malt O Meal site.

- Eggs and Bacon! Did I say BACON!! Gracie LOVES bacon (really - who doesn't??) It doesn't matter if it is breakfast, lunch or dinner we can almost always get an egg over medium and some bacon on the side. (As long and they keep the stupid biscuit or toast off of the stinking plate!! Even after asked not to put it on...) this is a perfect easy to get meal.

I am sure there are many more - but goodness this is a long list! I have always said it is a blessing that if Gracie "had" to get Celiac then we are thankful we have so many choices to choose from.

Does anyone have favorites to add? I would love to hear from you.

Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses...

2011-07-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

I didn't really worry about alcohol w/Gracie since she is 11 years old and prefers Mad Dog 20/20 (snort!) however I needed whiskey or bourbon for our Bourbon Chicken last night and did some more hunting.

There is a LOT of information out there about alcohol, the distillation process and gluten free alcohol - turns out almost all distilled alcohols are gluten free!! Celiac.com has a good article about the distillation process.

I happened to have Evan Williams Bourbon on hand and I always appreciate a company who labels their product GF - on their web site or especially on their packaging.

Here is another great article by Celiac.com showing GF alcoholic beverages. Wine is naturally gluten free - then there is beer... Mainstream beer is not gluten free however there are several specialty beers that are. BJ's Brewhouse not only has a gluten free menu - they also brew a gluten free beer!

So - you can have your whiskey and drink it too!

Bourbon Chicken - just like at the mall!!

2011-07-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

It has been FOREVER since I last posted! I have actually tried to post something a few times but either had technical problems or got sidetracked etc. That said I several things to share - starting with BOURBON CHICKEN!!

We were driving home from vacation and stopped at an outlet mall to go in just one store. (insert voice from Sponge Bob) Two hours later... Sam was STARVING and couldn't hold it together for another minute so we stopped by the food court. The choices were VERY limited - we couldn't find any "meal" that was gluten free. We walked by the lady with the samples of Bourbon Chicken (which is a weakness of ours) and took one - then Troy, Sam and I preceded to get it for lunch. Gracie said "I wish I could have the chicken - do you think it is gluten free?" I told her it was made with soy sauce so it was not. Gracie was a trooper and had plain white rice and a Dr Pepper - it really was pitiful.

A few days later I was playing with "Stumbleupon" and I came across a recipe for "Bourbon Chicken...Yes, like at the mall!" I looked at the recipe - hmmmm - I could do this gluten free!

Sam woke up at the crack of 10:30 am and wanted to help cook - he did a lot of the prep. He would also like me to add that "Sam is Gracie's brother" :)

I used WalMart brand soy sauce (which WAS labeled gluten free) (SEE BELOW!!!) as well as Marukan Rice Wine Vinegar and Evan Williams Bourbon which states it is Gluten Free on their website. More on Bourbon later... I used dried ginger and green onions since I had it on hand. We served it with white rice and a salad - but it would have been good w/some steamed veggies thrown in.

It was good - REALLY good! I threw it together in the morning and cooked it in the evening in the same dish. Everyone ate it up! It is easy, easy and something you could prep the night before - the longer it sits the better.

I will be making this one again, and again, and again...

CAUTION ABOUT WAL MART SOY SAUCE!

After making this again today (w/the GF Wal Mart soy sauce) I was at the store and needed to get some more. The label has changed so I checked it - it is now NOT gluten free!! Regular wheat filled soy sauce!! So... Make sure that you use a gluten free soy sauce if you make this!! Wal Mart's is no longer gluten free.

Beware of Blue Bell Ice Cream!

2011-01-23T17:47:00.000-08:00

Gracie played really hard at her basketball game on Saturday so when we went to the store she decided we needed ice cream! They were having a sale on Blue Bell and Gracie said she wanted chocolate - of course. I grabbed it and stuck it in the cart - then wise Gracie said "Is it gluten free?" Of course it is - right? It is basic ice cream - right?? Wrong! The chocolate has wheat flour in it. Wheat flour in ice cream. Needless to say so did several other flavors. I will not assume plain chocolate ice cream - or any flavor is "safe" after this. The Vanilla is the only one we found that showed gluten free.

Braum's, Breyer's and others have gluten free ice creams so they would be better choices.

I had always thought of simple ice cream as being "safe." No more.

Udi's Gluten Free Double Chocolate Muffins!

2010-12-26T16:35:00.000-08:00

Udi's has done it again - Double Chocolate Muffins! Chocolate cake-like goodness in a single serving size with lovely chocolate chunks inside.

These are Gracie's favorite muffins - she loves them for breakfast or for birthday parties! We used to get GF cupcakes for her to take to parties but she now prefers the chocolate muffins - with or without icing. They are a generous size and perfect for putting a little icing with sprinkles on top if you want a little fancy - but also really good just plain.

We find these muffins (like the others) are best when put in the microwave for 1 minute at 50% power (from frozen - adjust if thawed.) The Udi's site says it is also great served with berries for dessert!

I have to admit I am not a big fan of gluten free baked goods but these are REALLY good! Gluten free or not - they are just a darn good muffin.

Chess pie - My oh my!

2010-12-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

So... I go to make pumpkin pie on Christmas morning only to discover I didn't have pumpkin! What to do, what to do? I searched on Allrecipes.com and came up with Chess Pie! Num, num, num.

Chess pie is a super sweet, eggy custard pie - it is a hit with the old people since it has been around forever! I think it needs to make a comeback.

I came upon this recipe that was super simple and had ingredients I had on hand.

So how is pie gluten free you ask? Well - the pie crust isn't but the custard is. I made the filling per the recipe - the only change I made was I didn't add the corn meal to Gracie's dessert since I didn't have GF corn meal on hand. I poured it into a custard dish and put it in a water bath and baked until a pick came out clean.

This was such a simple, old fashioned pie that everyone loved. We topped it with Cool Whip and Cool Whip makes EVERYTHING more awesome!

I also do Pumpkin Pie Custard which Gracie LOVES! I would assume you could do any of the custard pies as a crustless custard by cooking in a water bath. So - break out your favorite pie recipes and experiment for yourself - or try the Chess Pie! You won't regret it.

Gluten Free Bisquick!

2010-12-26T16:00:00.000-08:00

I heard the urban legend that Gluten Free Bisquick was coming - but it appears it is here! I have yet to try it but I would love to hear from anyone who has.

I just went on the Bisquick site and saw they have a "Product Locator" - I see they have a store by my parents who have it.

It looks like the main flour in it is rice flour - it does say the recipes need to be altered because of how rice flour cooks differently. I am looking forward to trying it!

So - has anyone tried it yet?

Update:

It is AWESOME! The pancakes are "normal!" Our whole family eats them.

I add a little more milk since the batter is a little stiff but other than that I follow the directions.

The bad news - it is about $4 + for a VERY small package. It makes about two recipes of pancakes. I have only tried it for pancakes - I would like to try the biscuits.

I can recommend the GF Bisquick. It is really good, available (it is at my local WalMart) and EASY!

It's a Celiac thing - you wouldn't understand...

2010-10-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

My friend Teela sent this to me from CNN - it is an interesting article in itself - but the comments on the bottom are priceless!

What a debate! Gluten is the devil, Celiacs are over reactors, I know you are but what am I...

In a nutshell what I took away from it is "It is a Celiac thing - you wouldn't understand."

Easy, fancy, oh so very good...

2010-07-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

Troy has always loved Eggs Benedict and will get it at nicer restaurants when we are eating out for breakfast but we never make it at home. I wanted to do something nice for him for Father's Day so I decided to make this for him in the morning.

We had perfected Blender Hollandaise years ago when we made Bearnaise sauce for steak but I haven't made it in over 10 years. Now I know why - it is fantastic! To the point of being an invitation to an obsession... That said - I have controlled myself - somewhat. Purists would say the only way to make it is on the stove. I am not a purist. I like simple and good. I used this recipe from Allrecipes.com. I changed the servings from 6 to 4 - it made just enough w/a little extra left over.

In a nutshell you take egg yokes and blend it with a good Dijon mustard and a little Tabasco and lemon juice - then add hot melted butter and blend until it is all combined - easy, easy, easy. It is smooth and silky and won't break up like the traditional sauce.

Now time to put it all together. I poached three eggs, toasted three English Muffin halves and instead of Canadian bacon I used chopped bacon. Muffin on the bottom, bacon next, egg then top with Hollandaise. The picture above is the one I made on the second day. The flecks are from a whole grain Dijon I used - I think it adds a rustic look.

Drool...

We loved it so much I got up and made it for Troy again the next morning before he went out of town. Then I stopped. I could eat it every day.

Now I know what you are saying - English Muffins are not gluten free - and you are right. That said everything else is! You could serve it on a gluten free English muffin, a slice of toasted Udi's bread or Udi's bagel 1/2, do it ala Martha Steward and serve it on an artichoke base, serve it on chopped, cooked spinach etc. Or simple serve the sauce over poached eggs. It is hard to go wrong.

Once you realize how easy it is to make Hollandaise Sauce the possibilities are endless. Serve it over steamed asparagus, over grilled chicken or fish, over steamed broccoli or cauliflower - oh so many things. Try it, see if you like it.

Gluten free at The Cracker Barrel

2010-07-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

While traveling this weekend we stopped at the Cracker Barrel. We figured we could get some eggs and maybe bacon for Gracie. When we got there we discovered they have a gluten free menu! There were several things on the menu she could have - she picked bacon and eggs :)

I have looked online I could not find an "official" gluten free menu for Cracker Barrel so I called the company. I spoke to a lovely lady named Sandra and she emailed me the following:

"Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. We appreciate receiving your inquiry and we do understand your concern.

The following is a list of menu items that do not contain wheat, barley, or rye products as an ingredient(the modified food starch in the fried apples is from corn). However, we have an open kitchen where biscuits and dumplings are made from scratch several times daily. Many of our grill items do not contain glutens but are prepared on the same equipment as products that do. There is always a chance that cross-transference may occur.

Please inform a manager of your sensitivity when you visit one of our stores to ensure that every effort is made to prevent the accidental transfer of glutens via the handling and preparation of your meal.

Grill Items: grilled chicken tenders, hamburger steak, ribeye and sirloin steak, grilled catfish, grilled trout, grilled pork chops, country ham, city ham, bacon, eggs, pork sausage, turkey sausage

Side Items: carrots, cole slaw, corn, fried apples, green beans, mashed potatoes, baked potato, pinto beans, turnip greens

Excluding the fried chicken tender salad and chunky chicken (homemade chicken salad) salad, salads ordered without croutons would not contain glutens. See the ingredient statements below for our salad dressings choice.

The vinegars used in the salad refined distilled grain vinegars. According to the American Celiac Disease Alliance, "Distilled alcoholic beverages and vinegars are gluten-free. Distilled products do not contain any harmful gluten peptides. Research indicates that the gluten peptide is too large to carry over in the distillation process. This leaves the resultant liquid gluten-free."

Buttermilk Dressing: cultured buttermilk, soybean oil, water, egg yolk, distilled vinegar, salt, corn syrup, sugar, spices, lactic acid, xanthan gum, guar gum, onion*, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate added as preservatives, garlic*, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, calcium disodium EDTA added to protect flavor. *DEHYDRATED

Peppercorn Dressing: soybean oil, water, sour cream solids, egg yolk, distilled vinegar, salt, spices, dehydrated garlic, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate added as preservatives, natural flavor, calcium disodium EDTA added to protect flavor.

Honey French Dressing: high fructrose corn syrup, soybean oil, corn-cider vinegar, distilled vinegar, tomato paste, salt, paprika, spices, xanthan gum, onion*, honey, invert sugar, beet juice concentrate, garlic*, natural flavor. *DEHYDRATED

Honey Mustard Dressing: soybean oil, water, high fructrose corn syrup, distilled vinegar, honey, egg yolk, mustard seed, sugar, salt, spice, white wine, natural flavor, xanthan gum, citric acid, tartartic acid, artificial color (including yellow #5), calcium disodium EDTA added to protect flavor.

1000 Island Dressing: soybean oil, water, pickles, sugar, tomato paste, distilled vinegar, high fructrose corn syrup, egg yolk, salt, spice, sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate added as preservatives, natural and artificial flavors, onion*, bell peppers, garlic*, calcium disodium EDTA to protect flavor, xanthan gum, guar gum, polysorbate 80. *DEHYDRATED

We look forward to having the opportunity to serve you again soon.

Sincerely,

Sandra Vance
Guest Relations Representative
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc."

I appreciate that they state specifically that they make biscuits an dumplings daily and there may be an issue with cross contamination. Of course this is true for any restaurant - but it is good to be reminded. When we were there the sweet, young waitress was really helpful and understood gluten and our need to stay away from it.

We all had a great lunch and everyone got what they wanted - everyone was happy. I had the lemon pepper fish and it was perfect!

Happy traveling!

Cinnamon rolls - num, num, num...

2010-07-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

I went to get Udi's Sandwich Bread for Gracie from Herb's & More in Decatur and discovered something glorious - Udi's Cinnamon Rolls! Oh - I had such hope...

They were frozen so I thawed one in the microwave, topped it w/the enclosed icing and served. Warm, sticky, gooey, cinnamony goodness! It tasted as Gracie has been know to say "like it is full of gluten!" They are the size of a big muffin - depending on how hungry she is she will either eat a full one or a 1/2 and save the other 1/2 for later.

We went out of town last weekend and took these with us. She had them instead of dessert at night and instead of biscuits for breakfast. They kept well thawed for the 3 days. My only suggestion would be that instead of 2 bigger icing packets there were 4 smaller ones. It was hard to travel w/an open packet.

At $6 a package of 4 they are about $1.50 each - about what you would pay for a cinnamon roll at the donut shop.

I have to give a shout out to Udi's. Not only is their food gluten free it is DELICIOUS! It taste as good as "regular" baked products w/o the horrible dry crumbliness that gluten free products often have. I hear they have bagels - I am on the lookout for those now.

Cinnamon rolls - ummmmmmm

I just "glutened" Gracie

2010-07-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

Ugh, ick, ugh. It just makes me sick.

We have LOVED the Ian's Gluten Free Cookie Buttons. Not only did they taste good they also come in individual packages - perfect for lunches, travel etc.

Earlier in the week I made a quick stop at Sprouts to pick up some snacks. I grabbed come crackers and Ian's Cookie buttons (Chocolate Chip.) Came home - put them in her designated "Gluten Free Snack Bucket" and called it good.

This afternoon she went to get a snack, opened a package and ate a cookie. She noticed they tasted a little different (like coconut) and decided to check the ingredients - it said "Contains wheat! She screamed "It has WHEAT!" We jumped up, ran to the bathroom when she spit out what she could, washed her mouth out and brushed her teeth. I pray she doesn't get sick tonight.

I looked up the package online - they are IDENTICAL!! The graphic at least. One says "Organic" and the other says "Gluten Free" but other than that they are pretty much the same. Check for yourself above.

I called the company - left a message and took full responsibility for not reading the ingredients but am hoping they will consider changing their packaging - I left my phone number and will report back if there is anything to report. I also called Sprouts (the cookies were in the "gluten free area.") The man I spoke w/was VERY nice - said that he also had gotten confused and put the organic cookies in the GF spot because they look so much alike and said he would go to check the shelf.

I accept full responsibility for buying it w/o double checking the package. That said - what a horrible marketing job. If I want Coke I look for the familiar red bottle/can. Diet coke has a silver bottle/can. Lays Potato Chips has different colors for different flavors etc.

I will probably continue to buy the cookies - but w/a cautious eye.

I hope she doesn't get sick - and I hope no one else makes the same mistake.

Update - 7/9/10

We made it through the night - thank goodness! She dodged the bullet this time. The crazy thing about Gracie's Celiac is before she was diagnosed she would get sick about 3 days a week - but she ate gluten daily. It was hit or miss - but when it hit it was HORRIBLE! I am so thankful she is fine. She was so upset and worried - I was as well.

I got a call from Ian's this afternoon. The lady said they have had this complaint before. She did say to always look for the red "Gluten Free" banner. I asked if they were going to be having any other items that were in Organic and GF in similar packages and she said she wasn't sure - and again said to check the red banner. Um - no doubt.

She also said they are discontinuing the "Organic" Cookie buttons and are just going to be making the Gluten free ones - that said the organic ones will still be on the shelf for a while.

She also said they were going to be making a 7 oz. version of the cookie buttons that would be out soon.

So - lesson learned - the hard way. I will be double checking next time before putting items in my basket.

Update 7/10/10

Well - apparently it took some time. Yesterday afternoon Gracie had a bad case of sour stomach that lasted all night. About 2 am she woke us up saying she thought she was going to throw up (she didn't.) Thankfully she went back to sleep and was ok in the morning. She was pretty uncomfortable until it passed.

I am glad it wasn't worse than that - we all were.

My oh my - this looks good! Fluffernutter Cookies

2010-05-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

While "Stumbling" I came across "Picky Palate" - a really cool cooking blog. Most of her recipes are original and look really good!

What popped up was Fluffernutter Cookies! All the goodness, none of the gluten, easy and only 3 ingredients! Peanut butter, Marshmallow Creme (Kraft is GF) and an egg!

They sound awesome. They look awesome and I don't care that Gracie doesn't like peanut butter cookies and Sam can't have them - I think I will try it anyway! Ok - maybe I will try it w/Almond butter.

Ummmm - Cinnamon rolls!

2010-05-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

This morning I made biscuits for Troy, Sam and I and Gracie had her usual cereal. I was in the other room getting ready and I heard SOBBING coming from the kitchen. Sam was eating his biscuits - which is our usual Sunday breakfast - and all the sudden Gracie had "missed" biscuits. She cried for a while - it broke my heart.

A while back I purchased some Chebe Cinnamon Roll Mix - I thought tonight would be the perfect night to try it.

It was really easy to make - egg, oil (I used melted butter), 3 Tbsp apple sauce and some milk. I only had blueberry/pomegranate apple sauce and it gave the mix an interesting color. The package had several recipes on the back - I chose the "spiral" way because it just looked easier. In a nutshell I made thin "ropes" out of the dough then placed it on a plate w/some brown sugar. I pressed a little brown sugar against the rope then coiled it together where the sugar was in the middle. I put a small dot of butter on top and placed it on the baking sheet and baked according to the package directions - it took the full 30 minutes.

The end results looked like - well... you be the judge! :) However it was DELICIOUS!! The butter caramelized the sugar on the bottom which added to its yumminess. The top was an interesting color - it didn't' really "brown" but since the dough already had a brown color it wasn't unappealing. It had a crisp texture on the outside and a chewy texture on the inside - similar to the Chebe Cheese Bread.

Some tips: My friend Jennifer said she made the rolls but the outside burned before the inside cooked. Because of this I made my "ropes" thin and the rolls small. It made about 20 rolls this way. I used my Kitchen Aide Stand Mixer w/the dough hook attachment - I use it for the cheese bread as well. I had to add a small amount of water (2-3 Tbsp) to get the dough to come together in a ball - it was sort of crumbly before that. Use two hands to roll the rope - pulling apart as your roll - it is "springy" and will try to pull back together.

I am glad I made it! Gracie was happy and satisfied. She had a dessert for tonight and a breakfast for tomorrow. She may always miss "real" biscuits but at least she knows there is still yummy baked goods to be had.

Glutino Pretzles

2010-05-02T10:03:00.001-07:00

We went to Central Market last night and as always we looked around to see what we could find that might be new. When Gracie was first diagnosed we tried the Glutino Pretzels - but we tried the braided ones - she didn't like them. I always hoped she might try them again but was never interested. Well... last night she decided she would. The helpful "Foodie" opened a bag of pretzel sticks and said that kids usually prefer these to the braided type. She LOVED them!

We ended up getting a big bag and when she woke up this morning she wanted to have some. We decided they would be really good with peanut butter (her staple protein.) I tried them and they were really good! If they were not so expensive I would get them as a snack for everyone - however at $5 a bag they are a Gracie treat alone.

Have I told you we LOVE cheese bread??

2010-04-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

These are mine --->

This is the "Professional" bread :)
Well we do! We love it enough we bought a case of Chebe Bread Mix to keep on hand - I always double the batch to freeze individual servings - just pop in the oven and we can have cheese bread whenever we want.

Well... while stumbling on "Stumbleupon" I came across the blog "Simple Recipes." They have a really interesting "Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread" recipe that you make in a blender. Fascinating! I like that you can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for a few days - cheese bread all week!

I have everything at home needed to make this - I just might try it tonight (or maybe tomorrow...)

5/3/10

Well I tried it! The Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread recipe. It was really easy to make. Just dump it all in the blender, pulse then pour. They were really good - could have used a bit more salt but a satisfying crispiness on the outside and a nice, soft, cheesiness on the inside - not to mention - they were HOLLOW! Way cool and completely unexpected. Something the hollowness does is make them light and airy - it also gives you an excuse to eat several!

Very different from the Chebe Bread mix we use. If you look at the picture of the breads in the Pampered Chef Mini Muffin Tin you can see the one muffin that was turned over has a little hole in it. Several came out this way. I can see a number of things to do with this - fill with herbed cream cheese, chicken salad, ham salad... the possibilities are endless! They are like cream puffs - but cheesy.

It could have used a little salt - I would add a couple of shakes from the shaker next time. Gracie prefers the Chebe Bread but also likes these. This will be something easy to whip up in a flash for dinner.

I made them last night and made a few then stuck the rest of the batter in the fridge. Today I pulled it out, gave it a quick pulse then cooked the rest. Really easy!

What I love about them is they are GOOD! What Gracie loves about them is they are bread - really good bread. Often she will eat them in the morning with her eggs while we have our biscuits. She is happy, we are happy and all is right with the world.

(In the voice of the narrator from Sponge Bob)

"20 seconds later..."

I had JUST pressed "send" when Troy and Gracie came in and said "We figured out what to do with the hole in the bottom! Squeeze Cheese!" Or as it is officially called "Kraft Easy Cheese" - the day glow cheese in a can (which is also gluten free!) They stuck the nozzle in and squeezed the day glow goodness inside. Heaven - or something like it... It was really good - not as good as the fancy herbed cheese stuff in my imagination :)

It is Potluck and Picnic time!

2010-04-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

It is always hard to find things to take to picnics and potlucks that EVERYONE will enjoy but also that is gluten free. I came across a Jello recipe and thought "Jello!!" There are so many recipes that use Jello that are already GF and many others that can be easily altered to make them GF (instead of graham cracker crumbs use GF cookie crumbs...)

I posted a while ago about the Jello Cake we used to make back in the day and "Teela's Jello Salad." Here are a BUNCH of recipes from Jello website. Try something new and report back!

I just "Stumbled Upon" this one! One ingredient ice cream!

2010-04-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Troy has been a big fan of "StumbleUpon." You click on what you are interested in, push the "stumble" button and it will take you to random sites. This is how I found the cake below and how I found this delightful ice cream idea!!

One ingredient ice cream. That's right - ONE INGREDIENT! The recipe is on "The Kitchen" site. In a nutshell freeze bananas, blend and voila! Creamy ice cream. Dairy free, gluten free, sugar free... Nothing but bananas.

I think I will have to try this one.

Update 4/21/10

We tried the "ice cream" and it was GREAT! Surprisingly so.

I had three bananas that were "just turning." They were not brown but they were perfectly spotted which means sweet and delicious. I sliced them and put the in the freezer. Tonight I put them in my little "Oscar" - or small food processor - and beat the heck out of them! At first they were sort of crumbly and hard - almost like chopped nuts. Gracie and I tried it at this point and she thought they had the taste and texture of banana split Dippin Dots. I thought it was really good but thought Sam would probably prefer they be sweeter so I added about a teaspoon of honey and a few drops of good vanilla - then I beat the heck out of it again! My poor little Oscar! It had never worked so hard. It started to make a "hot" smell - a little concerning. Next time I will "chop them" until they are the chopped nut consistency then let it sit for a minute just so it can soften a bit - but not too much.

When it started moving from the chopped nut consistency to a smoother one it started "balling" up like bread dough might - then it let go and started getting a whipped consistency similar to semi frozen Cool Whip. It turns to a soft serve consistency. I assume you could put it in a container and freeze it solid.

It was yummy! Gracie LOVED it, Troy thought it would be good as a base for sundaes and Sam thought it was "OK" and added chocolate syrup (he is NOT a fruit eater :) I tried a little chocolate on mine and it took on a banana split flavor. We will be doing this again.

Of course many ice creams is gluten free but it is rarely this good, this healthy and dairy free!

PS: Needless to say the picture on top is mine!

The Master Baker - Gluten Free Cake

2010-04-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

A friend had this on her Facebook page - I thought it was AWESOME! It uses pecans as the base instead of flour and egg whites to give it lift. Sadly Gracie doesn't like nuts in things but I think I might try this for myself some day.

Gesine Bullock Prado (Sandra Bullock's sister) is a baker, blogger and cookbook author. She shows how to make her Mom's cake - changing the name from (find out yourself :) to The Helga Cake! It looks fantastic. It is Gluten Free. What is not to love??

Even if I don't make the cake I am going to HAVE to try the icing - that looks fantastic. I love finding different - and yummy - things for Celiacs to have that are "normal" without the nastiness of gritty gluten free flours and ingredients we can't pronounce. Enjoy!

Well - a lot has happened since we last spoke...

2010-04-17T15:06:00.001-07:00

First off - for some reason my last two posts didn't "take" - it looks like I have been gone for a while but for some reason they got "stuck."

Second - we got Sam allergy tested. What a mixed blessing - stressful but exciting and helpful but sometimes ignorance is bliss.

He has HORRIBLE eczema. It is really bad. We were told it was dairy when he was a year old and always assumed that was the reason for it - turns out he is only "mildly" allergic to milk. He is "moderately" allergic to peanuts! You know - peanuts that peanut butter is made out of. The peanut butter that he had ALL THE TIME!!! Sigh. Thankfully he is not anaphylaxis (or get anaphylaxis?? - it is all new to me.) He just gets the horrible rash. Needless to say we are off peanuts. But peanuts - like gluten - is often hidden. More label reading.

Something else? He is mildly allergic to BAKERS YEAST!! That means two kids no bread! Or at least not his daily sandwich. He can have it about 3 times a week. Even though the doctor said it was a common allergy there is sadly LITTLE info on the web about Bakers Yeast allergies. Thankfully he can still have many crackers, tortillas etc. Sam said "Gracie! There is something else we both can't have - peanut butter sandwiches!" He thought that was cool. I love that kid.

We tried almond butter (also gluten free!) Blue Diamond Almond Butter to be exact. It was good - but a bit bland (has almonds and salt.) Sam liked it "OK" but didn't love it. We added a little local honey (good for allergies!) and he loved it! Thank goodness. Of course it is twice the price but a quick and easy protein.

He was SEVERELY - really allergic to cats and dust mites. That means no new cat and lots of new bedding. It also means we are looking into allergy shots. :(

This is all new to me. Growing up my sisters had grass allergies and my Mom was allergic to raw shrimp but other than that we just ate - and did - what we wanted. No label reading, no special meals, no nonsense. This must come from Troy's side of the family :)

Fairy Bread

2010-03-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago Gracie had to make some sort of food from another country for her class. We looked at Australia and found a traditional kids party treat - Fairy Bread! Never has a treat been more simple AND simply good.

In a nutshell it is bread spread with butter and topped with sprinkles - nonpareils specifically but honestly any sprinkles will do. The crunchiness and sweetness of the sprinkles combined with the creaminess of the butter and the substance of the bread - lovely.

Traditionally sprinkles are made with rice flower - many say specifically on their label they are gluten free. Gracie is currently making her Fairy Bread with Udi's White Sandwich Bread, butter and Halloween sprinkles - never mind it is March :)

Whataburger

2010-03-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

We were traveling through South Texas this week and stopped at Whataburger in Seguin for lunch. I went ahead to see if their french fries were gluten free. I spoke to the General Manager - Joe Garza - and he told me they were. He also told me they have separate fryers for the fish, chicken and fries and was really helpful.

I went out to get the family and we started walking in - out runs Joe looking for us! He was very concerned because he told me wrong - they fried onion rings in the same fryer as the fries. He was VERY concerned that Gracie might get sick if she ate them. I really appreciated his concern.

We decided not to eat there however I called the Whataburger corporate office to brag on Mr. Garza and kindly request they consider making their fries gluten free.

Here is a link to Whataburger's list of items that contain gluten. I do think it is interesting that they have a list of items that CONTAIN gluten - which basically causes us to have to stare at the menu to try to figure out which things do NOT contain gluten.

Chipotle Restaurants

2010-03-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

I was watching a taped show of Oprah's - "Food 101." The owner of Chipotle Restaurants was on talking about the freshness of the foods etc. I then wondered if they had gluten free items - they do!! Take a look at the link above - it is the "FAQ" page and they talk about their gluten free products and procedures. Also - they have an "Allergen chart" which shows the foods that contain gluten - most do not.

The Burrito Bowl looks awesome - all the burrito goodness and none of the flour tortillas.

It is nice to know there are other restaurants to add to our gluten free list.

Gluten free at P.F. Chang's China Bistro

2010-03-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

My friend Darin emailed me this info today. P.F. Chang's has had a gluten free menu but today they added 5 new beef dishes!

I have to say it has been years since I have been to P.F. Chang's. No reason why - we just haven't been. I do remember it fondly. You know I always love it when a restaurant is accommodating to a gluten free diet. They even have gluten free soy sauce.

P.F. Chang's gluten free menu is LOVELY! Many favorites and new things to try. They even have dessert!

I called the Grapevine location and spoke to a manager (I am sorry I didn't get his name - he was very helpful.) I asked how they prevented cross contamination with their gluten free items and he stated that the gluten free area - like the vegetarian area - is separate from the main cooking area. They have separate woks and utensils and a shelf that is earmarked for these things. The manager invited me to call back anytime with any questions.

The last time I went to P.F. Chang's it was just Gracie and I. She had an appointment in Grapevine and she wanted to go because they had Magnadoodles (magnetic write on toys for kids.) We shared a dinner and a fun evening - just Mom and daughter. Gracie was about 6 at the time. We need to go back.

Check out the menu. It looks awesome, the food at P.F. Chang's is fresh and not expensive (lunch is about $9, dinner goes up to about $18) and it is a great place to go to dinner with friends and family.

Things have been slow around here...

2010-03-07T19:34:00.001-08:00

My laptop broke! I have been sharing Troy's laptop (thanks Troy!) but between sharing the laptop, kids, and just plain worn out from work. Sorry for not keeping up - I will try harder.

Also - I have changed some of my information on my "About me." I am no longer "Owned by Miss Kitty." Sadly we lost her about a month ago and we miss her terribly. She was loved by everyone who knew her and because of her "God Mother" Miss Nancy who lives across the street she was known all over town. She had pictures painted of her, a stamp made, greeting cards, was on a calender and was a "Feline friend of the Library."

Recently I have had the (very bittersweet) opportunity to meet several people who have been recently diagnosed with Celiac. It is bittersweet because I hate that they were diagnosed but I love that it is easier to diagnose AND there are more products out there for those who are gluten free than every before. Gracie gets excited to hear about someone else - it is good for her to know she isn't alone. We are a community.

Thank you for following my blog. I love doing it - and I love that others enjoy reading it.

Tostadas

2010-03-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

I spoke before about taco shells - which we love. I have recently discovered my kids actually prefer the Tostada shells. I like that I don't have to cook them before serving.

Sam likes them with bean dip and / or taco meat on top. Gracie likes them with shredded cheddar and lettuce. I like them with cheddar melted on top - like Joe T Garcia's nachos. Troy likes them topped with meat, cheese, lettuce and salsa then chopped up into a salad. I also love that tostada night is a night where we all enjoy our dinner.

Gluten free at Pei Wei

2010-03-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

Last night the kids and I went to Pei Wei. We all LOVE Pei Wei and it is someplace where the kids will eat everything on their plate.

I have mentioned several times that Gracie is VERY picky - which is a royal pain. Troy figured out that Gracie likes it better with the sauce left off. I figured out that she likes the sauce on the side for dipping. I also figured out that Pei Wei is AWESOME at accommodating even the pickiest eaters! Grace gets basically chicken nuggets with rice and veggies on the side and I get a kid who will eat all of her meat. This is a kid who does NOT eat much meat at all. I love the fact that I get a fun meal out at a restaurant "I" love and the kids love also.

Great information from General Mills!

2010-03-07T18:52:00.000-08:00

My friend Kathy sent this link to me - it is AWESOME!

General Mills Living Gluten Freely is a great site with recipes, product information etc. I love that gluten free has gone "mainstream" and it is easier than ever to find products at your grocery store - instead of having to always go to a specialty store - for gluten free products.

Check it out!

Interesting information from the Food and Drug Administration

2010-01-31T11:02:00.000-08:00

While looking at the Nutella website I came across this LINK to the Food and Drug Administration.

It has a lot of really good information about labeling information for Gluten free products as well as information on Celiac Disease.

I am really excited when I see clear labeling for gluten free products. It is a no brainer - you don't have to worry if the food is safe or not.

Taco shells

2010-01-31T06:35:00.000-08:00

We have always been taco fans at our house. We have used flour tortillas or soft corn tortillas - never really buying the crunchy corn shells. Well... then there was Gracie.

Crunchy taco shells are basically corn, oil and salt. They come in regular, large, flat bottomed (our favorite for some odd reason - they don't break while filling them) and tostada shells.

Last night while going to a Mexican restaurant it dawned on me that restaurants usually serve pre-made crunchy taco shells. We were going to Rosa's Mexican restaurant and learned they don't make their own. Gracie had lettuce and cheese tacos (since she is basically a vegetarian other than fish and bacon) and ate every bite.

I realize this is "common sense" for many Celiacs - but the fact is often I realize down the road "Oh - that is gluten free - she can eat that!" I think this is true for many Celiacs - you strip yourself down to the basics then start realizing what you CAN have.

Audios!

I had such hope

2010-01-20T18:38:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow night is "Cici's Pizza night" to raise money for our school so the 4th graders can go to camp. We were SO excited because we learned they can make a gluten free pizza! Whoo hoo!!

I decided to call ahead to get some information and asked for the manager. I asked about a gluten free pizza - he had no clue what I was asking.

I said "crust less pizza."

He said "Oh - we can do that. We put it in a personal pizza pan and use sauce and cheese and whatever other toppings you want. "

I wanted to clarify it could be gluten free (as in a pan free of wheat residue etc.) so I said "So you can make it with out flour on it at all?"

His response - "We don't have any of that here - you don't have to worry."

(Me) "You don't have what?"

(Him) "Any of that stuff you are talking about."

(Me) "Flour? It is in all of your pizzas."

(Him) "Huh? What? No - we don't have that."

I started to explain myself and Troy wisely said "Hang up." I excused myself and hung up.

Sigh.

Double sigh.

I am not as disappointed that we couldn't get gluten free pizza as I am upset that it was proven to me that sometimes businesses will say what they think they want you to hear to "make you happy." We would have been in a world of hurt if we had trusted this "manager" and his "don't worry." Not to mention how disappointed Gracie would have been if we had gotten there only to have to leave because we were misinformed.

Update

Well - it turns out it was a case of "Stupid is as stupid does."

I decided to drop Gracie off at basketball practice and take Sam to Cici's for dinner as a reward for a good report card.

We got here and I ordered a cheese free pizza for Sam (which he devoured!) and saw a Manager walking around. I asked the lady at the front if this was the same manager that was on duty last night - she said it was a different one. When he stopped by our table to ask how everything was I said "I have heard you can make a crust less pizza here - do you?" He told me that yes they can - they put it in a foil "to go" pan (aka for the Celiac as "Safe!") and will put sauce and cheese then any topping you want. YEA!! Of course Gracie only likes cheese on her pizza so she would be eating a little sauce and melted cheese but we could bring some bread for her to dip it / spread it on.

We we go there often? Probably not. However it is GREAT to know it is an option for everyone. Honestly none of us love Cici's - however with birthday parties, sports dinners and going out with friends it is nice to know it is an option.

I guess it pays to ask the question more than once - especially to someplace local.

Put a cherry on top!

2010-01-16T16:56:00.000-08:00

Gracie LOVES Maraschino Cherries - simply loves them and always has.

She has been asking me to get some for her for a while but honestly I have forgotten to pick some up while at the store. I got some today at WalMart (Great Value brand) and it stated on the jar "Naturally a gluten free food." I really like that. We all know cherries are a naturally gluten free food but with the artificial color and extra flavoring etc. you never know what will be in it. It is nice that it is so clearly stated.

Not only does she love how they taste she just loves the "fancy" that it brings to any food. Add it to lemon lime soda, ice cream, put it on a dish of pudding or on top of the whipped cream on your hot chocolate. Fancy, fancy, fancy.

I think the thing it brings - especially to a child with Celiac - is there is SO much she can't have that is fancy. Stick a bright red cherry on top and something very simple seems kicked up a notch.

They keep forever in the fridge. Keep it on hand to put a cherry on top!

Aveeno Nourish Hair Care - a warning!

2010-01-08T17:12:00.000-08:00

I was watching TV and a commercial came on for Aveeno Nourish Hair Care with "The Power of Wheat Complex." It says it "Harnesses the restorative power of wheat protein (aka Gluten) for hair care."

I have to say a year ago this wouldn't have phased me. Now flashing lights were seen and beeping noises heard at the mention of wheat protein. Honestly - even though I am careful about foods I wouldn't have thought to look at shampoo ingredients. Needless to say I will be more careful in the future.

I like Aveeno products and have some. I am sure this is a fine product for most people - just not for Celiacs or those with gluten intolerance.

1/10/09

A commenter asked a really good question - what is the issue with gluten in shampoo? Thankfully Gracie hasn't had an issue with this - but I have heard of others who have. When she was diagnosed the nutritionist recommended we stay away from products with gluten in them. When I was doing my research in the beginning I came across several blogs and websites that also suggested staying away from beauty products with gluten in them.

This is one of those things I don't have first hand experience with but there are enough warnings out there I am not willing to risk it.

A blog I enjoy reading wrote a bit about her experience with it - check it out:

Gluten Free Mommy

Sandra

Gluten Free Grace is on Facebook!

2010-01-07T17:58:00.000-08:00

Gluten Free Grace now has a Facebook Page. Just type "Gluten Free Grace" in the search field and you will see our page. If you become a fan it will alert you when I put new posts.

Allrecipes.com

2010-01-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

I have used the recipe site "Allrecipes.com" for years. It is real food by real people and I have always been able to find what I was looking for.

Yesterday I put in "Gluten Free" in their search and there are several Gluten Free recipes! Some look better than others but it is nice to know there are some out there.

Something else I like is you can add recipes. I have done this (pre GF days :) but it would be a great place to share your favorite gluten free recipes with the rest of the gluten free world.

Check it out!

Udi's Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread

2010-01-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

Along with the other goodies we received from Udi's was a loaf of Udi's Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread. I thought "Oh - Grace won't eat that." She didn't like whole grain bread before she was diagnosed - I couldn't see her liking it now.

Well... I hated to waste the bread and since she had only been eating it as grilled cheese I decided to give it a try - oh - and not tell her :)

It has been 3 sandwiches later and she is none the wiser - she sucked them down as quickly as she did with the sandwich bread and never questioned it. Trust me - if she thought something was "off" she would have mentioned it!

I compared the nutritional info on both breads - honestly it will come down to taste. If you like a whole grain bread then try it - you may like it better. Either way - the Udi's Sandwich bread or the Udi's Whole Grain bread is a HIT at our house!

There's an App for that!

2010-01-01T19:40:00.000-08:00

While Grace ate her Gluten Free Ice Cream at the cute little shop in Southlake I played with my new iPhone. We were considering going to dinner later and I thought I would do a search on "Gluten Free" on the App Store. There were about Apps under Gluten Free - restaurant finders, Celiac Restaurant Cards (which could be pulled up in different languages!) gluten free info etc.

Are they awesome? Not really. Are they fun - you bet. Some are free, some are under $2 and others are over priced. It is just nice to know they are out there.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T16:17:00.001-08:00

I know this is a day late but I would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas! I hope the new year brings you much happiness and peace and I pray for a symptom free year.

The Bagwells

Now for the Udi's Blueberry Muffins...

2009-12-11T18:43:00.001-08:00

Grace says "these are great - but I like the Lemon better." They are good - really good - and I like the blueberry better! Troy said "blueberries are made for muffins" and these prove it. I think the blueberries made it moister and gave it a nice texture.

We have solved the "crumbly" problem. When we first tried the Udi's Lemon Strusel Muffins we tried them straight from the box. The Udi's Blueberry Muffins were put in the freezer then heated at 50% power in the microwave for 1 minute. The microwave provided the moist heat these needed - they tasted moist, fresh and delicious.

As with the Lemon Muffins the Blueberry Muffins had a nice texture - not grainy. That is so important since it seems EVERYTHING we have tried that is gluten free (other than the cheese bread) has been grainy.

We really do love the muffins! The quality and flavor is FANTASTIC!

Blue Diamond Almond Nut Thins

2009-12-10T14:48:00.001-08:00

When Gracie was first diagnosed we found the Blue Diamond Almond Nut Thins at our local health food store. We got the plain almond ones and she didn't like them. I tried them - they were ok but I didn't love them.

Fast forward to this past weekend. We had a babysitter over - my friend Melissa's daughter and she sent along some Blue Diamond Almond Nut Thins Cheddar Flavor. The powdered cheese dusted on the crackers made ALL the difference! They were flavorful, crunchy and satisfying. She ate a whole box.

They have several different flavors to choose from - we haven't tried the others but look forward to doing so. They were right around $3 a box - not bad for GF crackers.

Tortilla Soup - Yummmmmm

2009-12-09T20:55:00.001-08:00

I made Tortilla Soup tonight - it is one of my favorites. A spicy chicken soup made better with the addition of crushed up corn chips, cheese and/or avocados - perfect for a winter day.

I have made Tortilla Soup for years and it just dawned on me tonight that it is gluten free! Not that Gracie would touch it with a 10 foot pole - but it still is gluten free :)

I have made it so many times over the years that I no longer have a recipe - you can look up one online if you want more specifics or "wing it" with my recipe - it is really forgiving. It calls for chicken but I used left over turkey for mine tonight.

Tortilla Soup

6 cups of chicken stock (I had homemade turkey stock on hand that I used.)

2-3 cups of cubed or shredded cooked chicken.

One can of Rotel Tomatoes and green chilies

one can of diced tomatoes

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder (or fresh -to taste)

1 tsp onion powder (or fresh -to taste)

1 can sliced carrots (or fresh sliced)

Throw it all in a pot and simmer. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and/or crushed tortilla chips and/or sliced avocado.

Add more or less stock, more or less chicken, corn or other veggies (left over roasted veggies work really well.)

I have made this for family and company - it freezes REALLY well and can be easily doubled or tripled.

Enjoy.

Udi's Gluten Free Muffins

2009-12-09T18:18:00.000-08:00

Last week I reviewed the Udi's Sandwich bread (which Grace devoured and we had to buy more!) A day or two later I got an email from Heather who is the Marketing Coordinator for Udi's Gluten Free Foods. She had seen my previous post and offered to send me some more of their baked goods to try. I was cautious at first because I think one of the things that makes this blog work is I go to the store to try something - post if I like it or not and go about my business. Would free muffins make me a cheater? I decided they would not - mainly because I am cheap and I love free stuff! So with full disclosure I will give an honest review of the Udi's Gluten Free (and dairy and soy free) Lemon Streusel Muffins.

They were REALLY good! I mean honestly really good. A bit crumbly but not too sweet and a light lemon flavor. Grace decided she wanted it with milk since it was a bit dry - I was thinking it would go well with coffee. Troy's comment was they were not "over done" as in many gluten free baked goods try to over flavor their stuff to mask the fact they really taste like crap. The texture was also very good - not grainy or sandy as other things we have tried.

Even though they were a bit on the dry side they were not "too" dry - they just were not sticky like muffins often are. They were big with a satisfying "muffin top" which Gracie loved. She ate 3/4th of the large muffin with a glass of milk she immediately wanted another. I convinced her it would be best to wait until morning. This however is the golden "thumbs up" from Gracie - if she doesn't love it she doesn't eat it willingly.

These run about $6 for a box of 4. This comes to about $1.50 a muffin. Not bad for bakery muffins but more of a treat in my house than a staple. That said - we will be buying them again.

As we try our goodies (muffins and bread) I will report back and let you know what we think. Thanks to Udi's for the goodies! We do appreciate it.

Gluten Free Jello Cake

2009-12-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

I was looking at "Gluten Free Steve's" blog and the question was asked "How else have you used the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mix. This is what I posted:

I recently made this cake using "regular" cake mix for work however it would work REALLY well with the BC Gluten Free Yellow Cake mix. This was popular in the 80's but it needs a comeback! :)

In a 9x13 pan bake the cake according to the mix directions. Let cool.

Mix up a large package of Jello (any flavor) according to the directions. I prefer strawberry but whatever flavor or color you want would be good.

Using the back of a wooden spoon poke holes in the cake - I like to do a pattern so every piece has the same design. Pour the hot Jello over the cake and refrigerate. Once the Jello has set "ice" with Cool Whip (which is gluten free!) and serve.

Udi's Gluten Free Sandwich Bread - Oh My Word!

2009-11-28T12:24:00.000-08:00

My friend Jennifer has Celiac and recommended Udi's Sandwich Bread. She said it was great for sandwiches, grilled cheese etc. with out having to be toasted. We were at Central Market yesterday and they had some in the freezer department. We got up this morning and made a grilled cheese sandwich for Grace and she LOVED it! Troy and I tried a bite and it tasted like real bread - REAL BREAD!!! It was good - and not just "good for gluten free."

Grace wanted to add:

"I just had a grilled cheese that tasted so much like REAL grilled cheese, that my mom had to check AGAIN to see if it was gluten free!!!!!!!!!! CENTRAL MARKET ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Grace is right - after Troy and I had a bite I have a momentary panic attack that I had gotten the wrong bread - I didn't - it was gluten free! It wasn't brick heavy - it was airy and spongy - like a good home made bread.

You can find it in the freezer section where better gluten free breads are sold. It was just under $6 a loaf - about average for GF bread. I found it at Central Market - but Jennifer said she has gotten it at bigger health food stores in the North Texas area. You can also buy it online.

Oh - and Grace had another grilled cheese for lunch :)

2000!!

2009-11-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who have helped me get to 2000 posts in less than a year! I am honored and hope you have come away with something you can use.

Thank you especially to those who have added comments. They have been very helpful and I get giddy when I get a comment :)

Pumpkin Pie!!!

2009-11-25T14:11:00.000-08:00

Grace LOVES pumpkin pie - LOVES it! We all do. Troy's late Mother made a great pie and I make her recipe every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Several weeks ago Grace said she was going to miss pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving - I suggested we try to make it with out a crust - like a custard. I am sorry we waited too long.

It is AWESOME! Really, really awesome - and so very easy.

Unless you have your own family recipe I would suggest the Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie recipe - gluten free and very easy to make. Instead of pouring it into a crust - pour it into a baking dish or custard cups. I did both - Grace devoured both custard cups in a matter of minutes. Place in a larger dish with about an inch of water and bake as directed on the can. Make sure it sets - it may need a tad bit longer than suggested - depending on how deep the dish is etc.

Top with whipped cream or Cool Whip (Which his GLUTEN FREE!) and enjoy. Since I only made two custard cups I couldn't try it but I would assume bruleeing it would be FANTASTIC also. Of course I am always looking for ways to use my brulee torch :)

Enjoy your Thanksgiving and have your pie and eat it too!!

What we are thankful for

2009-11-24T06:16:00.000-08:00

A year ago this week Grace got her diagnosis of Celiac. What a year we have had! We went from being freaked out and "What do we do now??" to handling it - pretty well.

We have learned where we can safely go out to eat. We have learned what is good in school lunches, we have learned about CHEESE BREAD!! Yummy, yummy cheese bread. We have kissed a few frogs that were toads (baking mixes) and kissed a few frogs that were princes - brownie mix! - and cheese bread! We have learned A LOT about hidden gluten, read tons of labels and had to explain ourselves over and over and over again - but it has been ok. Really - it has.

We have had a few - very few - hiccups but for the most part have a good handle on this gluten free lifestyle for Grace.

We did have a conversation with her this weekend about her having a responsibility for her health and eating and needing to not only try - but willingly eat - things she hadn't been eating. She got an egg for breakfast at the hotel the other day and ate baked chicken last night - a good start. Protein is hard for her to get enough of.

I am thankful in this time of Thanksgiving that we have found the key to making Grace feel better. She is growing and thriving and - tall and beautiful.

Thanks to all of my blog visitors - I appreciate your comments and support.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gluten Free Eggs??

2009-11-11T04:25:00.000-08:00

This just goes to show you that you can find gluten in the strangest places. We went to iHop last night for a fundraiser - knowing full well that what Grace could (or would) eat would be limited. She ended up having a plate full of bacon and hot chocolate - the dinner of champions!

I got an omelette - spinach and mushroom - it was yummy. In the description it stated (paraphrase) "We add a little pancake batter to make our omelettes fluffy." ??? Who would have thunk it? Honestly it wouldn't have phased me a year ago but now I wondered why it didn't state it more promptly. I did a little google search and it appears iHop isn't really forthcoming with their nutrition information - for any allergens and needless to say - gluten. Troy said "It is a restaurant based on batter - what do you expect??" I have to agree - but that said - many restaurants are accommodating their customers with allergy info or special menus - it would be nice if a company as big as iHop did the same - or at least made an attempt.

To scope or not to scope - That is the question.

2009-10-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer - This is simply me "thinking out loud." It also bounces around so stay with me. I am not advocating one position or another - however I am advocating speaking to your doctor and asking questions while deciding the best thing to do for you and/or your child.

When Grace was experiencing her HORRIBLE stomach aches we were willing to do anything to help her feel better. One night while she was terribly sick she said (pitifully) "I HATE this! I wish there was a medicine to make me feel better - even if it was made of turtle guts I would take it because I HATE this."

Fast forward to seeing the gastro doctor. He recommended doing blood tests to check for allergies and Celiac. I wasn't familiar with Celiac - actually I had seen the word but thought it was Celtic Disease - who knew?? The blood test came back positive for Celiac Disease. I was told we needed to schedule an upper and lower scope (AKA endoscopy and colonoscopy) to get a true diagnosis. I asked if it was necessary and I was assured it was - because it was the only way to truly tell if damage from scaring on the intestines had been done.

During this time I spoke to a friend of ours who also had a daughter with Celiac Disease. She had told me Celiac runs in her family so when her daughter started having problems the first thing they did was put her on a gluten free diet. She immediately felt better. When she spoke to her daughter's doctor he said to put her back on gluten for 3 months so they could do a scope to check for scaring. She decided she couldn't put her daughter through this, self diagnosed her with Celiac Disease, kept her gluten free and years later she is perfectly fine.

WE scheduled the scopes. WE wanted to know. When we told Grace she sobbed. SOBBED!! Then we all cried together. We told her this was her "turtle guts" and we needed to know to make her feel better. She was a real trooper. The scopes showed scaring and the official diagnosis was Celiac.

This past weekend Troy and I were listening to a podcast about medical procedures and how we often do things that are medically unnecessary because they are "common" or expected. This got us talking about Grace's scopes. Last November we really wondered if they were "necessary." We had a positive blood test, we could test it with diet and (elephant in the room) it was EXPENSIVE - not to mention terribly invasive - especially for such a young girl. Being freaked out parents we did as we were instructed, frightened and worried all along. We wanted what was best for our daughter and we were not going to let our fears about procedures or finances stand in the way. A year later we are still making about 4 checks out to 4 different offices to pay for all of this. A year later our lovely daughter is THRIVING!

Are we glad - you bet we are. We are so happy Grace is not only well - she is terrific! But the question remains - were the scopes NECESSARY?

I could see it for an adult who has suffered with undiagnosed Celiac for years and you need to see how much damage has been done. My question is how necessary is it for a child who has only had symptoms for a couple of months? What did we gain by the scope? A firm diagnosis of Celiac. That is a good thing. What could we have done without the firm diagnosis? Accepted the blood test as "good enough?" Tried a gluten free diet to see if it worked before going further? These are the questions we wonder about now.

I think my point is I wish we had more information. I wish we had asked better questions. We very well may have done the exact same things - however we would have felt more confident in our decision.

Tried a new Cheese Bread tonight

2009-10-06T17:34:00.000-07:00

I was at our local, small town IGA and was stopped short - Gluten Free Cheese Rolls?? In the IGA??!!! I HAD to try them.

They are Pandebono "Artisan Bread Cheese Rolls." There were 8 rolls that were ready to bake and turned out SO GREAT! Grace loved them - and so did we.

The down side - they were $6 plus change per box - that is about .75 cents per roll. Expensive - you bet. Handy - sure. Will I make them again - probably will - quick, convenient and something everyone loves. Will I make them often - no. I am too cheap to keep them on hand. I do hope they continue to carry them.

I committed the cardinal sin of gluten free parenting

2009-09-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

I DIDN'T READ THE LABEL!

Grace went to her well child check this week and is up to 60 lbs!! Yea! We all were so pleased. We talked about her eating and since Grace doesn't eat much meat she suggested a multi vitamin with iron in it.

I go to the store and look around - it is hard to find a kids vitamin with iron in it! None of the gummies have it and many of the regular ones don't either. I finally found some Sponge Bob ones that had iron and grabbed them.

Yesterday the kids wanted to try them so I opened them up and handed them out. Sam liked his, Grace ran in and wanted to spit them out - they tasted sandy (I tried one - not good.) Thankfully it tasted bad to her so she spit it out - RIGHT THEN I thought "read the label." Right on the label it said "Contains wheat." DAD GUM IT!!! Who would have thought a vitamin would have wheat in it?? Obviously not me. I made her spit as much as she could then we washed her mouth out w/o swallowing then brush her teeth.

Thankfully she was fine, we dodged a bullet but will be more careful from now on.

Gluten Free Birthday Cake!

2009-09-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

Sam's 8th birthday was last Monday and he (very maturely) said he wanted a gluten free cake. I tried the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate cake mix - it was successful.

What I liked about it - it tasted good, was very easy to make, cut well and was easy to get the mix.

What I didn't like - it was pretty dry (we ate it with a glass of milk) It was flat (two tiers were the size of a normal one) and did I mention it was dry?

It was helped a lot by the icing. I think next time I will put icing in the middle or something moist like cherry pie filling or pudding.

That said - the kids LOVED it and ate it until it was gone! It kept for days, went in lunches and all in all was a hit with the kids - especially Grace. I think it comes down to "love the one your with." She loved the cake she could eat.

Peanut Butter Cookies

2009-09-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

I made these for Grace right after she was diagnosed - she hated them because they tasted like peanut butter cookies (Duh!) I had to make some cookies for a meeting tomorrow night and looked for something I had the ingredients for on hand - that is when I remembered the cookies!

It is an old recipe - flour less and basic - and really good!

Gluten Fee Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

Cream peanut butter and sugar together, add the eggs and hand mix well. Make small balls (I use the small Pampered Chef Scoop) and put the traditional fork marks on the top. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes until golden and set. Let cool for a couple of minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer to a rack to cool.

I have seen other recipes that have baking soda or chocolate chips etc. but the basic recipe is the same - simple and easy.

Souper Salads!

2009-09-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

When my sister Eileen was visiting this summer she went to Souper Salads and said it was great. She also said they had a gluten free menu!!

I myself have never been a fan of "All you can stand" buffets because I consider it to be a personal challenge (I have zero self control :) However I thought everyone could probably find something they liked. THEY DID!

Troy liked the soups, I liked the chicken salads and baked sweet potatoes, Sam (who is dairy free) found plenty to eat and Grace loved the fruit, puddings and sunflower seeds. The kids had an odd but balanced meal and everyone got to eat exactly what they wanted. For kids 10 and under it was less than $4.

Here is a link to the Gluten Free menu:

http://www.soupersalad.com/documents/GlutenFree_Menu.pdf

My favorite recipe site

2009-09-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

I LOVE allrecipes.com! It is my favorite go to site for any or all recipes. Got a bucket full of squash - put squash in the search bar and you will have a ton of recipes pop up. Got squash and cheese and crackers - put the ingredients in "ingredient search" and it will pull up several choices.

Allrecipes.com also has MANY gluten free recipes - pancakes, cookies, pie crust, cakes etc. Another nice thing is the reviews - you can read the reviews and often they have helpful tips - you can also leave a review.

Here is one I tried recently that was really good:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Crustless-Spinach-Quiche-2/Detail.aspx

Check it out! You may find something you love.

Cheese Bread Mix!

2009-08-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

I had previously posted how I made the "Brazilian pao de queijo" recipe and it was so very good. While out I found a package mix of Chebe Bread Products Cheese Bread Mix and decided to try it. It was SO EASY!!! and so very good. I mixed it up in a matter of minutes in my Kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook then scooped it out with my Pampered Chef Small Scoop and put it on parchment paper over a cookie sheet to bake. (Did I mention I sold Pampered Chef?? (shameless plug - lol))

Grace tried it and LOVED it and we all thought it was as good - if not better - than the home made version. I used a good shredded parmasan cheese which I think made a big difference.

This is one of those "for anyone" recipes that would be great for parties, company or just a Tuesday nights dinner.

French Meadow Bakery White Sandwich Bread

2009-08-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

On our visit to Central Market today we found French Meadow Gluten Free White Sandwich Bread. I was able to feel the bread and it had a soft texture so we decide to spend $6 on a loaf of bread!!

As soon as we got home Grace wanted to try some drizzled with honey - her response? "It taste like it is full of wheat!!" and she had two pieces. This bread is made with a mix of corn and tapioca starches. "I" could taste the obvious difference between this bread and "regular" bread but I think Grace is far enough removed to start enjoying GF bread. We didn't even have to toast it - it was good straight from the bag - however I would think toasting would be helpful.

This gets a thumbs up at our house.

Gluten Free Cupcakes!

2009-08-29T17:04:00.001-07:00

Central Market now has cupcakes in their bakery! They had yellow cake with white icing and chocolate cake with chocolate icing. They also had 4 inch mini iced cakes in the same flavors and are made by "French Meadow Bakery."

On Friday someone brought cupcakes to school - thankfully I thought to send snacks right away because it was just the first week of school! Since these cupcakes freeze well (per the bakery) my plan is to put a couple of these in the "Cup a Cake" cupcake holders, place in a freezer bag then put in the teacher's lounge freezer (it helps that I work there :) I will probably bake cupcakes for her when I am able but it is terribly handy to be able to pick these up now and then - or on our way to a family birthday etc.

We took one of the cupcakes to try tonight - everyone got a taste and we ALL agreed it was a darn good cupcake! The icing was buttery tasting and the cake had a nice texture. I also added sprinkles before freezing to make them fancier - because everyone loves fancy! LOL

Mourning the loss

2009-08-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

The last couple of times we had pizza Grace cried. It was pitiful. Even with a good GF pizza just for her or even with the pizza from the place she always hated she still mourns the loss of "regular" pizza.

It makes me sad for her. I know it is "just a dietary change" but it is also a knowledge of something so close but unattainable.

Glistening, ruby goodness

2009-07-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

Last week I had hand surgery and my friend made us a great dinner! She really put a lot of thought into what everyone in the house could eat - Grace and GF, Sam and no dairy. She made grilled chicken, fresh corn, salad and "Jello Salad." It all was fantastic - the Jello Salad was outstanding!

It is what your elderly Aunt might bring to the church potluck - something we all have had at some point but it got lost along the way to more glamorous fare such as stuff with capers or kiwi. Yes - it is void of any "nutritional value" other than the fruit - but honestly - who cares. It warms your soul and makes you smile.

Grace was THRILLED that something so "fancy" would be gluten free! I was thrilled to find something so easy and nostalgic to make for her - AND me.

Teela's Jello Salad

1 large box Strawberry Jello - with water as directed.

1-2 bananas - sliced

1 small carton of sweetened, sliced strawberries

mini marshmallows

Add the hot water to the jello as directed.

Add the strawberries to the hot jello - mash them up to melt the frozen strawberries - the coolness will help set the jello quicker so no need to thaw before hand.

Add the cold water to the Jello as directed then add the bananas.

Let set it in the fridge for about 90 minutes or until slightly thick - stir to mix the bananas and strawberries throughout the Jello - otherwise they will sink to the bottom. Once it is a thicker consistency top with the marshmallows and chill to set.

It is a perfect potluck dish, summer dessert or party treat that everyone should enjoy. I hope you like it!

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies

2009-07-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

I made this the other day - they were GREAT! Crisp, buttery, chocolate chippy :) They were very good, very easy and tasted "almost" just like "regular" chocolate chip cookies. If you put them out for a party my guess is no one would know the difference - however since I knew it was GF I did notice some texture differences. Of course - it didn't stop me from grabbing a mug of milk!

Once mixed it was crumbly. I used my Pampered Chef small scoop to scoop out cookies - thankfully I placed them apart because they flattened and spread out by a lot.

I would really recommend these - they were great, easy and best of all GLUTEN FREE!!!

1019!!!

2009-06-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

I go out of town and missed 1000! :)

Thanks to those of you who visit and those of you who have commented. I hope you have come away with something you can use.

When Grace was diagnosed in November of 2008 we were blindsided! How in the world would we do this??!!! A few months later we have surprisingly figured it out and honestly - it just isn't "that" hard.

We went to the Sprouts sale and stocked up on Grace's favorite snacks. The lady checking us out asked "Are both of them gluten free?" "Nope - She is gluten free and he is dairy free. It is a big pain when we eat out." We both chuckled. It is a pain when we eat out - not only is she limited by what she CAN eat but she is limited by what she WILL eat. If it were not for cheese and cereal she would waste away. That said she is a good sport about trying new things (usually) and is a good sport when she is in a position where her choices REALLY are limited - like a pizza party, a restaurant w/limited choices, surprise cupcakes at school etc. Thankfully w/a "little" pre-planning (snacks at school, brown bags when we go out etc.) it is very doable.

Thanks again! Please keep your comments coming - I would love to learn from you guys.

Brownies, ummmm brownies

2009-06-27T17:52:00.000-07:00

We tried the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownies today. VERY easy to make (eggs and butter)and really good. The batter was REALLY thick - I mushed it flat with my hands. They are very rich and super sweet - that said... they tasted like BROWNIES! Real honest to goodness brownies. Brownies you can take to a pot luck or birthday party. There was none of the grit or raw flour taste with some mixed baked goods.

I will keep a package of these on hand for parties or a rainy day for Grace. The nice thing is these should freeze well - I wrap them in waxed paper and keep in the freezer - she can take them out and have one whenever she wants one.

Score!

2009-06-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

I was in Keller (Tx) tonight and stopped by the Kroger's there. They had the Betty Crocker Cake, Cookie and the Brownie mix!!! Grace was so excited.

I looked for the mix by the other brownie mixes but it wasn't there. It was in the cake mix area but the mixes were together (instead of the GF cake mix by the cake mixes, GF brownie mixes w/the other brownie mixes etc.) The boxes were yellow - different than the other Betty Crocker mix boxes. They were about $4.50 per box.

Grace is looking forward to trying them - I will let you know how we (she) likes them.

Gluten Free on sale at Sprouts!

2009-06-24T15:18:00.000-07:00

We go here pretty often since it is right by my parent's house. This is where we get the take and bake GF pizzas, chocolate crispy rice bars and crackers. What I love about Sprouts is they have little tags (green - I think) in their aisles stating "Gluten Free." It makes GF things - such as cereal, cookies, crackers etc. - MUCH easier to find. They also have an excellent selection of fresh chicken sausage (various flavors) which are all gluten free! We had the Brats last night and they were excellent!

The fine print says "all tagged gluten-free grocery and frozen grocery products, plus select items in other departments, limited to quantities on hand."

Needless to say we will be heading there this week!

Celiac Joke

2009-06-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

What do you call a gluten free joke?

Corny!

It made us giggle.

Gluten Free Betty Crocker Baking Mixes!

2009-06-10T05:09:00.000-07:00

I am SO excited!! Betty Crocker has come out with some gluten free baking mixes!! Yellow Cake, Devil's Food, Chocolate Chip cookie mix and Brownies.

These should be in mainstream grocery stores this month. They are made in a gluten free processing facility, their canned icing will also be labeled gluten free in a couple of months. I am so EXCITED!

It does state that they will be a little more expensive than the regular mixes - but less expensive than traditional GF mixes. My friend read a review where they did a blind taste test (not telling that one was regular and one was GF) and the GF products did really well - in some cases better.

Thank you Betty Crocker for doing this. We now have an easy and affordable option for school parties etc. without having to make a special trip to a specialty store. YEA!!

http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/gluten-free/

Gluten Free Cupcake from Starbucks

2009-05-28T17:20:00.000-07:00

Starbucks has started carrying a Gluten free cupcake - Valencia Orange Cake. It is really good. A moist orange cake topped w/almonds - sweet and tender. It is individually wrapped to prevent cross contamination.

I surprised Grace with this at school during lunch one day - she was very excited. Of course she didn't like it.

sigh.

I think she would have liked it if it didn't have the almonds on it - she doesn't like nuts in her food. She took them off the top but said it still tasted like almonds.

I thought it was good - especially with coffee (go figure.) It is exciting to have another mainstream option avaliable to people with Celiac.

PIZZA!!!!!

2009-05-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

Sprouts has started carrying a "take and bake" Gluten Free Cheese Pizza. It is DELISH!!! It is an 8 inch pizza with a gluten free crust, good cheese that bakes perfectly in about 7 minutes and taste like a "real" pizza.

I asked Grace what she wanted to say about the pizza and she said "Tell them I don't like it. I LOVE it!!!"

Skinny Minnie eats the whole thing. THE WHOLE THING! This kid never eats the whole thing of ANYTHING.

This can be found in the "prepared foods" area of Sprouts and is under $3. I have had the best luck by placing it directly on the rack (w/a cookie sheet on the rack below it to catch dripping cheese.) Let it sit for a minute or two before cutting and enjoy.

Grace's First Holy Communion

2009-05-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

What a BEAUTIFUL day!! The weather was perfect and is was simply lovely.

Grace had her first Holy Communion this morning. Granny, Grandpa, Aunt Renee, Uncle Mark and cousin Austin came to support her and we had a lovely time.

Aunt Renee got a lovely Pix for Grace to put her low gluten host in. Before Mass I placed the pix on the alter and unhinged the top for easier opening. Grace respectfully went up to communion with Father hands clasped then proceeded to question him if he had the gluten free host in his hands :) A little gutsy but I was proud that she practiced our "always ask" policy - of course it was. She was also proud that she didn't make a face while drinking the wine. Aunt Renee said she saw her take a healthy gulp!

Back to our house for a family lunch. Oh - the discussion about what to serve. Something easy to make, keep warm for a couple of hours while at church with out drying out and something that Grace could have that was gluten free, Sam could have that was dairy free and Aunt Renee could have that was beef free - brussel sprouts maybe?? Troy and I went to Central Market yesterday to look at options. Shortly after arriving a helpful "Foodie" told us of their Rotisserie Chicken sale (buy a chicken and get a free pound of cole slaw and a pound of potato salad - easy and inexpensive!) Perfect.

We had chicken (which I quartered an put in the fridge the night before then put on low heat before leaving for church), the salads, asparagus, a variety of fruits and some breads for the gluten lovers in the family. Everyone loved it.

Dessert - oh the dessert! The Victorian Flourless Cake from Central Market - yummy goodness coated in ganache. Devine. I placed rock candy around the base of the cake to "fancy it up" and everyone loved it.

She was beautiful, everything went off without a hitch and all and all a perfect day.

"The G Free Diet"

2009-05-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

Elisabeth Hasselbeck was on The View yesterday talking about her book "The G Free Diet." I know nothing about the diet - however Grace was excited to hear them talk about Celiac on TV and talk about all of the good foods you can eat.

http://abc.go.com/daytime/theview/video

Gluten Corn Chex are here!

2009-05-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

Gluten Free Corn Chex have hit our local Walmart! I just found them at the store today. We currently have Rice Chex and Corn Chex that are gluten free. I am still waiting on the other flavors to come in.

I have said it before but will say it again - I LOVE that General Mills has taken Celiac Disease and other gluten issues seriously and has provided us with a mainstream cereal that is also certified gluten free.

Yea!

Another lovely use for Rice Bread

2009-04-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

About a year ago Troy and I realized our kids had never had Twinkies - what neglect! They tried them, liked them then never asked for them so that was that.

Last week Troy realized our kids had never eaten cinnamon toast! That was one of the first things I learned how to "cook" and I remember it fondly from childhood.

Rice bread smeared with butter and topped with cinnamon and sugar - broiled in the oven. Lovely. The butter added moistness to counteract the dryness of the bread and who doesn't love a good butter and sugar combination.

Celiac and the young Catholic

2009-04-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

Grace is having her First Communion in a few weeks. This should be simply a very special time for everyone. It has turned into a very stressful one.

Troy and I disagree with what Grace should do - we do both agree that it should be her choice.

As Catholics we believe that Christ is fully present in both the bread and wine. Thus Grace would be fully participating in the Eucharist by just taking the wine. Should be simple - right?

Troy and I view this differently for several reasons. As much as it pains me to say so - we both have equally valid points. Troy is a Convert and remembers being denied communion as a non Catholic. I am a "Cradle Catholic" therefore in our situation I feel the wine only is a sensible compromise. Troy feels she will always regret not taking "full Communion" (bread and wine) if she doesn't do it on her First Communion (but refrain from then on.) I feel what should be a joyful time could turn into a sick and painful time by taking the bread. I also feel it is hard to ask others to take her Celiac seriously if we decide "just this once."

Grace - knowing and accepting all of the risks - wants to take the bread just this once. I am torn.

Several months ago Troy did a bunch of research and we learned that for Catholics there must be wheat in the host. For other denominations rice hosts are acceptable. While typing this I remembered Troy came across some information about a low gluten Host. I researched it and found this!!!

http://www.benedictinesisters.org./bread/low_gluten.php

Needless to say I will be contacting our Priest! I pray he is open to this. He is a kind man - but he - like many - don't understand Celiac and think it is not that big of a deal. It is a big deal - especially to Grace. I will also be making a purchase to have on hand.

Rice Crispy Treats - ugh.

2009-04-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

If Grace has asked me once she has asked me 100 times "Are Rice Krispy Treats gluten free?" We have the Crispy Rice treats that I wrote about but she really wants the REAL Rice Crispy treats like Sam eats.

The problem is the Malt flavoring. I guess it makes it taste good but for a kid w/Celiac it is a problem - needless to say.

Pizza night!

2009-04-04T05:46:00.000-07:00

Last night Grace wanted to make Pizza. Um - Grace - we don't have crust... She figured it all out - here is Grace's Friday night pizza.

Rice bread, a thin smear of tomato paste topped with twisty cheese stick (mozzarella and cheddar) pulled apart and broiled until toasted.

She loved it so much she had a second topped w/shredded cheddar cheese.

Simple, easy and she loved it!

She said (after most of it was eaten) "Take a picture for your blog!!!"

Who knew that the nasty rice bread we all hated would make something so yummy for a Friday night. Toothpaste tube tomato paste made this SO easy - no bottle or can to open and waste - just squeeze out as much as you want - since Grace only likes very light sauce it is perfect.

This will be a keeper!

Some wonderful things that are gluten free!

2009-03-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

It is so easy to get wrapped up in what is or isn't gluten free - what is this made of and how is it made, cross contamination?? MSG - yes or no w/gluten? The list of questions go on and on. Granted - Grace will only eat a few things on this list but when I think of gluten free I think of pre packaged foods - fact is there are many WONDERFUL things that are naturally gluten free.

A Steak dinner with a loaded baked potato and fresh asparagus and butter.

Strawberries and whipped cream.

Really good cheese served with Granny Smith apples.

Wine.

Creme Brule.

Fresh from the tree cherries.

Watermelon.

Blueberries.

Sweet Potatoes - baked and topped with butter.

500 Posts!

2009-03-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

I am pretty excited about this - this blog either is gathering steam or I have a lot of kind friends.

Thank you to all who visit. It is nice to know I am not just talking to myself.

Sandra

Jiminy Crickets - did I just say that??

2009-03-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was talking to my dear friend Allison. She was telling me her 7 year old daughter is convinced she has Celiac after hearing her Mom talk about Grace with friends etc. - why not want what someone else has? We chuckled. Then Allison said "You know - she does often have tummy troubles - we have chalked it up to stress. She doesn't have any other symptoms of Celiac. I have thought about it before." I suggested she try an elimination diet - wheat and dairy are a good start. Her response "I could never do that - wheat is in EVERYTHING!"

Here is where it gets freaky - my response? "It really isn't that hard."

There I said it.

I remember in the beginning being SO VERY overwhelmed - wheat IS in everything - isn't it?? Four short months and lots of research later it really isn't that hard. Not that it isn't a pain, not that it can't be hard "sometimes" and not that we don't have to be diligent about it - just that now that we got the hang of it - it really isn't that hard.

I do think "one" of the reasons it isn't that hard is Grace has taken charge of her own diet - we don't have to fight about her wanting things she can not have. She knows if it has gluten in it it will make her sick - she choses not to eat it. For this I am thankful.

So with a pocketful of knowledge, an agreeable Celiac and the willingness to "just do it" living gluten free isn't really that hard.

Pao de Queijo - Brazilian Cheese Bread

2009-03-19T19:03:00.001-07:00

So yummy. So easy.

I recently found out that the cheese bread from Texas de Brazil (TdB) and Fogo de Chao etc. (Brazilian steak houses) is naturally gluten free! It has been a few years since I last went to TdB but I remember the cheese bread fondly.

It is made of tapioca flour - not wheat flour. It is soft, chewy and really good. When I say chewy I mean chewy! Sort of like fried cheese sticks - chewy in the middle, and crisp on the outside.

Here is the recipe I used - I modified it from another recipe.

Pao de Queijo - Brazilian Cheese Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil or butter

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp salt

2 cups tapioca flour

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs - beaten

Directions

-Preheat oven to 375.

-Heat butter/oil, water, milk and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately when it comes to a boil remove and stir in flour until smooth.

-Stir in cheese and egg. It may be lumpy. Let rest for 15 minutes.

-Drop rounded tablespoons sized balls onto ungreased baking sheet.

-Baked until the tops are lightly browned - about 20-25 minutes.

Things that worked for me: I used a mix of butter and olive oil.

I had a hard time mixing the batter by hand so I stuck it in my Kitchen Aid mixer w/the dough hook - worked like a charm.

I used my Pampered Chef scoop sprayed with non stick spray to make the balls - it was a perfect tool and made for quick work - you could also use two spoons.

The original recipe called for much bigger balls/rolls - since I had bite sized rolls at TdB I wanted to recreate that - you could try it bigger if you wanted to - just adjust the cooking time.

These are great with dinner or would be a nice appetizer alone or w/with a dipping sauce (marinara?) Also - a purist may disagree - but I would think garlic or herbs would go well with it for something new.

Years ago I tried the frozen ones in a bag but when I checked the package they were made in Brazil and they had Maltodextrin in them - not safe enough for me now.

Cake Wrecks - Gluten full fun!

2009-03-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

I love this site - it cracks me up every time I see it.

It may make some of you thankful you can't have gluten.

Enjoy!

http://www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com

NEWS FLASH! All Chex Cereal is now Gluten Free!

2009-03-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

Except for Wheat Chex for obvious reasons :)

I had heard on the interweb that someone found Corn Chex that was gluten free - but my store didn't have it. I checked the Chex website and there was no mention of it - so I called them. I was "let in on a little secret" that supposedly just came out today (really??) that ALL Chex Cereal (minus wheat) has been reformulated to be gluten free! This includes their Chocolate, Strawberry, Honey Nut, Corn, Rice etc. That said - their "Multi Bran" does state wheat bran on the label - always wise to check before eating.

She said that by June of 2009 all of the cereal will be changed out - start looking for it in your grocery store. It should have "Gluten free" right on the front of the box.

While on the phone Grace walked into the room. I asked the lady to hold for a second while I told her the news. She heard a big clap, then a YEA!

How nice to have wider choices at the grocery store with "regular food."

Yea!! Thank you General Mills. A small formulation change on your part means SO MUCH to those with Celiac!

Uno Chicago Grill - aka Pizzeria Uno

2009-03-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

In one word - AWESOME!!

We went to Uno and asked for a GF menu. When the waitress came we said "She has Celiac - we need to be VERY careful everything is gluten free." We were told no problem. A bit later the Manager came by and assured us everything would be taken care of. He also told me about a local "Chef to Table" that the local Celiac group was putting on (and they were going to be a part of.)

On the menu were two choices - cheese and pepperoni. The manager also stated most of the toppings were GF - except for the sausage. Needless to say Grace wanted plain cheese with light sauce.

It came out on its own - not sharing a tray. She tried a bite, then another and said "This tastes like PIZZA!!" Not sort of like pizza or OK for gluten free but like REAL pizza! I had a bite and had to agree - it was delicious. She had 3 pieces of pizza - THREE PIECES!!

They have a whole GF menu and are very accommodating. Sam can't have dairy so they made him a cheese free pizza but said if we wanted to bring our own soy cheese next time we could. Everyone in my family left happy.

I would highly recommend Uno Chicago Grill - we will be going back.

Traveling with Celiac

2009-03-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

I started writing a blow by blow of our trip to our niece's wedding but decided it came down to just a few points:

- All I have to say is if it were not for cheese sticks I don't know what we would do. We took a cooler and kept them in the hotel fridge. It was the staple of her weekend.

- Cereal from home in individual size baggies was really helpful at the hotel. Milk from their breakfast along with fruit made a fine breakfast.

- We went to two buffets for dinner - the only thing she could eat was the salad. One I got ahead and pulled the salad before it could be contaminated by the bowl of croutons next to it. At the wedding I spoke to the waiter and they said the only thing they could guarantee was gluten free was a salad - when dinner was ready they brought out a beautiful salad and brought it to the table.

- I learned it doesn't hurt to ask - most people are really accommodating.

- A "snack bag" filled with wrapped snacks (crackers, cookies, chips) is really helpful - it can pull together a quick lunch or just a snack on the road.

- I spoke before about the shortbread cookies decorated with icing - I did this in the hotel room before the wedding and we brought our own dessert for Grace - she was really happy with this because it was "special" and different than a wrapped cookie.

Don't be afraid to travel! With limited supplies, a little planning and asking a few questions at restaurants you can go anywhere.

Sandra

400!!!

2009-03-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

We have had 400 visitors to this blog - how exciting!

Thanks to everyone who has visited. I hope you came away with something you can use - or at least a chuckle or two. I also want to thank those of you who have posted comments. I get giddy when I get comments - being new to the blog thing and all. I especially love getting helpful tips we can use - and share.

Now a word from Grace:

Since I found out that I could not have gluten, I have been eating cheese because there are lots of healthy food that have gluten in it. Cheese is the best food to eat if you can't have gluten!!!!!!!

Thank you for visiting my blog!!!!!

Grace

FWIW Grace is OBSESSED with cheese. She makes up songs and stories and draws pictures of Cheeseland. I thought "I" loved cheese. Grace loves it more :)

Thanks again.

Sandra

Uno Pizza - Gluten free menu!

2009-03-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

Someone recently told me that Uno Chicago Grill (forever known to me as Pizzeria Uno) has a gluten free menu! I was excited and checked it out online - here is the link:

http://www.unos.com/kiosk/nutritionUnos.html

I called the Ft Worth restaurant and spoke to a manager - he said the crust was made out of rice flour and they take care to prevent cross contamination using different shelves, tray's and paddles to pull the pizza out of the oven.

There were several toppings that were gluten free for the pizza - mostly veggies but they also have pepperoni. The pizza is about $11 - more than I really want to spend for pizza for one small person but would be nice for a sometimes treat and we can take home the leftovers.

I wish I had gotten the guys name - he was really helpful. He said he had tried it and it was pretty good - didn't taste off. I would love it if anyone has tried it "in real life" and can give their review.

A Taco Bueno mistake.

2009-03-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

We recently went to Taco Bueno thinking we remembered the chips and cheese "nachos" to be gluten free. They are not. Grace had a bad stomach ache shortly after eating them and looked at me pitifully and said "Celiac."

UGH!

Apparently their chips are fried w/other stuff - including flour tortillas. Lesson learned - the HARD way.

Grace's current favorite snack - EnviroKidz Organic Chocolate Crispy Rice Bar

2009-03-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

Grace LOVES these! They taste like a cross between Rice Krispy bars and Coco Pebbles. I have found them at Sprouts and at a Target in San Antonio (but not at all Targets.)

They are just a little more expensive than the Rice Krispy bars but not by much - I got them on sale for $2.99 for a box of 6 - I think they are $3.20 regular price. They also have fruit and peanut butter flavors - but she likes chocolate best.

Grace has them w/a glass of milk in the mornings or for an after school treat.

Click HERE for the EnviroKidz website.