Wonderful primer on starting the gluten free diet

Here is a link to a post on Karina's blog (Karina's Kitchen) which explains the basics of avoiding gluten. It's very helpful for those who are just starting the gluten free diet, or for those who wonder what the gluten free diet is all about.

Any of you who are gluten free and have relatives that just don't get it might want to send them the link in an email....maybe they'll figure it out! :)

The Gluten-Free Cheat Sheet- How to Go G-Free

It's Wednesday! What's for Dinner?

I haven't been participating every Wednesday, because things have been kinda crazy busy for me lately. And they're about to get worse, unfortunately. More about that later though.

Tonight, we are having breakfast for dinner. Breakfast dinners are a favorite with my family; the kids love breakfast anytime! The main dish is my breakfast "quiche" (original recipe from my SIL, Libby . . . modified to our tastes and to be gluten free), while the bread is homemade gluten free banana-blueberry muffins. Please click on the links to find the recipes.




Please visit The Gluten-Free Homemaker for more fabulous gluten-free dinner ideas!

Gluten Free Menu Plan For This Week

Well, another week has passed and I haven't finished half of my weekly to-do list! But at least I do have a menu plan for the coming week:

Monday: Easy Fish Tacos, green salad

Tuesday: Creamy Tuscan Chicken, rice, honey-glazed carrots

Wednesday: Breakfast Quiche (for dinner), gluten free banana-blueberry muffins

Thursday: Grilled Steaks, Parmesan Cottage Potatoes, green salad

Friday: GF BBQ Chicken Pizza, carrot and celery sticks

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: Mrs. Leeper's Gluten Free Tuna Casserole, peas with garlic and mushrooms

By the way, if you're visiting my blog, please leave comments if possible (such as what you like or what you would like to see, what info would be helpful, etc.). Thanks!

Update on my general state of health

I have to say that currently I'm feeling better than I have felt in a long time. I've been gluten free for 5 months now, although it's been a struggle to be COMPLETELY gluten free. I know that I've been glutened a number of times since I started this in November, and am still in the process of making certain that all of my medications and shampoos and soaps and lotions are gluten free.

One of the biggest problems recently was that I started adding a certain brand of millet flour to my breads and then discovered that the company (Arrowhead Mills) had a reputation in the celiac community for contaminated products. As soon as I got rid of the Arrowhead Mills millet flour and any bread I had put it in, I could tell I was feeling better....so I HAD been glutened by their product! It's so difficult to really be sure you're gluten free, especially when there are products out there that claim to be gluten free but aren't!

Of course, this is due to the fact that there is no absolute standard for what "gluten free" means. That is, how many parts per million of gluten are actually allowed before a product is NOT gluten free? So companies are left to their own devices and some of them make it up as they go along. There are many reputable companies out there (Authentic Foods, Bob's Red Mill, Pamela's, etc.) that can be trusted, but when you're a newbie you just don't know these things.

Anyway....I'm not having headaches, nor much vertigo at the moment. No hand tremors either. I did have several weeks of headaches and other issues when I was using the contaminated millet flour, but that appears to be over. My extreme fatigue has diminished as well. I am still in the wheelchair though, and I don't seem to be able to function without it for significant periods of time due to severe back pain. But I'm willing to be patient and wait a bit longer.

So if you're in the beginning stages of the gluten free lifestyle, don't be discouraged. It does get easier and you will feel better. Some people feel better right away, others take more time to see improvement. Just stick it out and persevere, and be certain to check all possible sources of gluten in your environment....clean and purge your kitchen, of course, and buy a new toaster, new cutting boards, etc., but don't forget other things such as spice or seasoning mixes (frequently have wheat starch in them), soups, condiments, marinades, etc. Gluten can hide anywhere!

Gluten free, casein free recipes

I've started a new category of recipes on my Gluten Free Recipe Archive: casein free. Many people with celiac disease find that they are sensitive to dairy and other foods as well after going gluten free....I hope this new label helps! :)

Gluten Free Menu Plan For This Week

I'm taking a few vacation days this week, and we plan to go out to dinner one night. Sorry for being a bit late with the post:

Monday: Crockpot Chili, rice

Tuesday: Lentils and Rice Middle-Eastern Style (aka Mujadrah or Mujadarrah), green salad

Wednesday: go out for dinner! :)

Thursday: Salmon croquettes, scalloped potatoes, peas with garlic and mushrooms

Friday: Broiled steak with sauteed mushrooms, baked potatoes, green salad

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: Crockpot Garlic Chicken, rice, green beans sauteed with dill

Matt is home

Little Matthew Patrick passed away this morning. Please keep his adoptive family in your prayers.

Update on little Matthew Patrick

Several weeks ago I posted a prayer request for baby Matthew Patrick, a baby born with a very serious (terminal) medical condition called hydranencephaly. According to his blogsite, apparently little Matt is already nearing the end of his very brief life here, and I would like to ask you to pray again for him and also for his adoptive family members. This is a very, very difficult time for them....I can't imagine their grief as they prepare to say the final goodbye to their little one.

Gluten Free Menu Plan For This Week

This week will be rather busy for me, so I've opted for a couple of Crockpot recipes and other fairly simple meals; I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend!

Monday: Leftovers from Easter (Yum!!)

Tuesday: Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken, green salad

Wednesday: Gluten free Pasta with Shrimp, gluten free rolls, peas with garlic and mushrooms

Thursday: Cheese-stuffed meatloaf, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli

Friday: Gluten free Pizza, green salad

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings, mixed vegetables

What's for Dinner Wednesday?

Tonight we're having one of our favorite gluten-free dinners: Crockpot Chicken Parmesan with gluten free pasta and peas with garlic and mushrooms. We're using Trader Joe's brown rice pasta with the Chicken Parmesan; Tinkayada pasta works well also, if you don't have a Trader Joe's handy.

Please visit the host of "What's for Dinner Wednesday", the Gluten-Free Homemaker, for more great gluten free dinner ideas!

Gluten Free Menu Plan For This Week

Pardon me for the late post; it's been a bit crazy around here! You might notice that I've recycled one of my dinners from last week that I didn't actually make (we did eat take-out one night):

Monday: Sandra's "Juicy Lucy" Cheeseburgers with gluten free microwave "buns", Oven Fries, green salad

Tuesday: Crockpot Chili, rice, gluten free cornbread, baby carrots and celery sticks

Wednesday: Crockpot Chicken Parmesan, gluten-free pasta, peas with garlic and mushrooms

Thursday: Easy Fish Tacos, steamed broccoli

Friday: Beef Stir-Fry with Snow Peas, rice

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: (Easter dinner) Glazed ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans with dill, homemade gluten free rolls