Category: Gluten Free

Posted in Gluten Free, Recipes, write 31 2017

Five More Tips for Going Gluten Free – Blog Post #26

Posted on by traci

Here are five more tips for going gluten free.

6.  Read labels 

This is an important one.  I am not so diligent on this tip.  You need to read the label because there is often hidden gluten in recipes.  It’s more than just looking for wheat.

Here is a link for hidden gluten sources.

7.  Find a buddy who has gone gluten free

This is not always an easy one.  I was lucky that I knew someone at my work who was eating gluten free.  I was able to talk to her during the early days of going gluten free.  She gave me some tips and brands of foods to try.  There are times when we talk about different brands or foods that we have found that are delicious.  It helps to have someone to talk or complain to while you are making the transition.

I have another person who was told by her doctor that she needs to go gluten free.  She knows she can talk to me about what to eat or not eat.

8.  Preplanning is key

I traveled a LOT during the summer which can be difficult when you eat gluten free.  What do you eat in the airport or on car rides?  When I went to visit my friend Molly, I had lots of foods that were gluten free to eat in the airport during my layover.  In fact, I had to remove all of the foods from my traveling bag before going through security.  There was a LOT of food stuffed in my bag.

While we were taking a road trip, I had plenty of food in my trunk in case we couldn’t find anywhere gluten free friendly.

It’s also key to look at menus before going out because a lot of places are not gluten free friendly.  I know I CANNOT eat at KFC or Taco Bell.  They are not gluten free friendly at all.  I’ve tried to eat at KFC about a month ago.  It made me sick.  Check out menus and nutrition guides before going out.

9.  Find ways to make substitutions of foods that contain gluten

This is not always going to be possible.  However there are times when I want the flavors of the foods I used to enjoy.  Find other ways to enjoy those flavors.

10.  Allow yourself to grieve

It’s hard to no longer to be able to eat gluten.  It’s a change of a lifestyle.  It’s going to be hard to adjust to not being able to eat foods that you love.  Allow yourself some time to grieve.  It’s okay.  Just remember you are doing this for your health.

Good luck with your journey.

Happy eating,
Traci

 

Posted in Gluten Free, write 31 2017

Tips for Going Gluten Free – Blog Post #25

Posted on by traci

When I went gluten free in late January, early February, it was a HUGE adjustment for me.

First of all my pantry was not gluten free friendly at ALL.  I had to rebuild my pantry from scratch.

Second of all, my body had to detox from all the gluten I had in my system.

Third of all, I had not done my research when I made that decision.  I went cold turkey so the adjustment was difficult for me.

Speaking of which here are the tips for going gluten free:

1.  Do your research

There are different ways to eat gluten free.  You can avoid foods that contain gluten or eat Paleo which is primarily gluten free.  Maybe the Whole 30 may be the way you should go.  Or you might want start eating whole foods and eliminate any convenience gluten free goodies.

There are many different books that will help you with your research.  Plus there are plenty of websites.

Read up on what foods you should avoid when you are eating gluten free.  It’s not just wheat that you should avoid.

2.  Keep a food diary

Here is the food diary I kept of the first 3 days on my gluten free diet:

1/31/17

Breakfast:  Smoothie – OJ, Greek yogurt, spinach, frozen fruit, coffee
Lunch:  1/2 c. oatmeal, walnuts, local honey, apple pie spice, freeze dried strawberries, unsweetened applesauce, water
Dinner:  McDonald’s bacon ranch salad minus chicken, ranch dressing, small French fries, Sprite
Snack:  blood orange, Garden of Eatin’ blue tortilla chips, apple salsa

2/1/17

Breakfast:  2 Van’s Gluten free apple cinnamon waffles, Milky Way frappe, water
Lunch:  cheesy rice and broccoli, blue chips, blood orange
Dinner:  stir fry beef with mint, olives, Feta cheese and oranges, zucchini and radish salad with homemade dressing
Dessert:  2 sour gummy worms and a piece of chocolate

2/217

Breakfast:  2 Aldi gluten free bread, peanut butter, cheddar cheese stick, mixed fruit cup, coffee, water
Lunch:  cheesy rice and broccoli, blue chips, apple salsa, yogurt with Gluten free granola and freeze dried strawberries, water
Snack:  blood orange
Dinner:  turkey burger made with green chilies, lettuce, peppers, salsa, homemade hash browns, shredded mozzarella cheese, Sonic cherry limeade
Dessert:  piece of chocolate

Not only do you want to keep the food diary, you also need to write about how you are feeling after each meal.  Do you have a headache?  Does your stomach hurt?  Are you satiated?  Did you get hungry soon after eating?

3.  Grocery Shop BEFORE beginning your gluten free adventure

Since I had been ill before I began my gluten free diet, I had not gone shopping for food prior to beginning my journey.  So the first day of eating gluten free was willy nilly.  As a result, I was HUNGRY during most of the day.  I had a stomach ache most of the day.  My body was detoxing from the gluten and I was not feeding it what it needed.

4.  Comparison Shop for Gluten Free Goodies

I am lucky to have 6 different grocery shops that carry gluten free goodies within 10 miles of my house.  Plus a 7th within 20 minutes of my house.

My mom has suggested I start a notebook of where I should get various gluten free goodies so I can get the best deal.

For example, I know I can get Krusteaz gluten free flour blend at Meijers for 50 cents cheaper than at Krogers.  Or that the best deal for almond meal flour is at Sam’s Club.

5.  Be flexible

What do I mean by that?  Going gluten free is going to be difficult because it is not the Standard American Diet.  A lot of foods have some sort of gluten in it.  Allow yourself some breathing room while trying to figure out how this gluten free diet is going to work for you.  I’m at a point where I cannot be flexible.  If I eat anything with gluten, I’ll get a headache because I’ve detoxed off of gluten.  My body does not like what gluten does to it.

However you should not be flexible if you have been diagnosed with Celiac’s disease.  That is a serious disease that needs to be treated as thus.

Join me tomorrow when I give you some more tips on how to go gluten free.

Happy eating,
Traci

Posted in Gluten Free, Recipes, side dish, write 31 2017

Gluten Free Mac and Cheese – Blog Post #24

Posted on by traci

I hadn’t eaten Mac and cheese in almost 9 months. I used to love it. Then I went gluten free. It took me awhile to be able to find a gluten free pasta that I liked.

Finally I found the Aldi’s G Free elbow macaroni.  It’s made of quinoa, brown rice, white rice, and corn flour. I decided to try it out.  The pasta was great!

I used my basic mac and cheese recipe.  It involves making a roux of flour and butter to thicken the sauce.

The Wee one told me that it was too cheesy! LOL!

This quick and easy macaroni and cheese is going on my Thanksgiving table.  Yum!

mac and cheese

Gluten Free Mac and Cheese

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

 

Ingredients

– ½ package of gluten free elbow macaroni

– 2 Tbsp. butter

– 2 Tbsp. gluten free flour blend

– 2 c. milk

– 1 c. shredded mild cheddar cheese

– 1 Tbsp. mustard

– salt to taste

 

Directions

  1. Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package.  Drain.  Set aside.
  2. Melt the butter in a medium skillet.  (Medium heat.)
  3. Add the gluten free flour blend.  Stir until the flour and butter are combined.
  4. Pour in the milk.  Turn the heat up to high.  Bring the milk to a boil.
  5. Remove from the skillet from the heat.
  6. Add the cheese and mustard.
  7. Allow the cheese to melt, before adding the cooked macaroni.  Stir until the macaroni is coated.  Season with salt if desired.
  8. Serve and enjoy!

 

Here are a few other macaroni and cheese recipes I’ve posted on this blog:  Cauliflower “Mac” and Cheese (Gluten Free), Pressure Cooker Mac and Cheese, Creamy Mac and Cheese (Countdown to Thanksgiving), Healthier Mac and Cheese, and Make Over Macaroni and Cheese.

Happy eating,
Traci

 

Posted in Gluten Free, menu plan monday, ramblings, write 31 2017

A fall visit to the local market and Mom, What’s for Dinner, Week of October 23 – Blog Post #23

Posted on by traci

This weekend, I took the Wee One to the Second Street Market.  They were having a free pumpkin decorating event.  Since he is 12 years old, I decided to take him because it would probably be the last time he would be able to do the decorating.  He did not want to go at first but then ended up having a blast creating Jeff, his pumpkin.

They had feathers, stickers, pom poms, rolling eyes, and pipe cleaners to use to decorate your pumpkin.  You could use a nail to help poke holes in your pumpkin so you could add the feathers and pipe cleaners.  Since the Wee One is older than most of the children, I allowed him to safely poke holes in his pumpkin.  He had a blast doing that.

The final product – Jeff the pumpkin

There is one vendor we go to whenever we are at the Market.  They have the best granola and jams.  The Wee One enjoys picking out a jam or jelly while I get my favorite granola.

Another vendor at the market sells hand crafted Popsicle.  The Wee One enjoys squeezing Wilbur the pig.  He was not going to get a Popsicle at first but then changed his mind when he saw the cookies and cream one.  I got the apple cider flavored one.  It was fantastic.

Some of the other things we saw while we were at the market.

The Wee One had fun when we were at one of the veggie vendors had beets and turnips.  He told the Wee One to turnip the beet.  The Wee One responded by picking up some of the beets and gently dropping them.  He told the vendor “Drop the beet” in which the vendor laughed.  Such a good memory.

After we were done at the market, we ran some errands.  While we were at Walmart, we saw this Mickey and Minnie display.

Haunted Mickey and Minnie

 

A co-worker gave me the big pumpkin on Friday afternoon.  Check out the size difference between Jeff and the Big Pumpkin.

Continue to page 2 for our menu for this week.

Pages: 1 2
Posted in Gluten Free, Recipes, write 31 2017

10 More Gluten Free Recipes from My Blog – Blog Post #22

Posted on by traci

Welcome to today’s installment of 10 more gluten free recipes from my blog.

  1.  Sausage, Cream Cheese, and Rotel Dip (GF)
    Sausage, Cream Cheese, and Rotel Dip
  2. Green Beans, Potatoes, and Ham (GF, DF)

    Green beans, ham, and potatoes
    Green beans, ham, and potatoes
  3. Bacon Cheddar Ranch Smashed Potatoes (GF) – Make sure the ranch is Gluten Free.

    Bacon Cheddar Ranch Smashed Potatoes
    Bacon Cheddar Ranch Smashed Potatoes
  4. Chunky Vegetable Sausage Pasta Sauce (GF, DF, W30, Paleo) – Use Gluten Free Pasta, Zoodles, or Spaghetti Squash instead of whole wheat pasta.
    Chunky Vegetable Sausage Pasta Sauce
  5. Iced Coffee (GF,)
    Iced coffee
  6. Pumpkin Puree (GF, DF, Paleo, W30)
    Pumpkin Puree
  7. Pumpkin Spice Latte (Recipe #1)
    pumpkin spice latte
  8. Homemade Ranch (GF)
    Homemade Ranch Dressing
  9. Italian Chicken (GF, DF) – Use gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
    Italian Chicken
  10. Pumpkin Granola (GF, DF) – Use gluten free oats
    pumpkin granola

Happy eating,
Traci

Posted in Gluten Free, write 31 2017

5 of My Favorite Gluten Foods from Aldi’s – Blog Post #21

Posted on by traci

We used to go to Aldi’s when I was younger but quit going when I was an adult.  It was not until Tanya died did I start going there again.

Now I love that place.  It’s probably my most favorite grocery store.

I love how Aldi’s has labeled foods as being gluten free.  It makes it so much easier to shop.

Here are five of my favorite gluten free foods from Aldi’s:

Rosemary and Olive Oil Multi-seed Snack Crackers

liveGfree Gluten Free Rosemary & Olive Oil Multiseed Crackers

I found these when we were on vacation in Charleston, SC.  I got some hummus and decided I wanted to dip crackers in the hummus.

These are especially good with the olive tapenade hummus they have at Aldi.  Yum!

Blue Tortilla Chips

SimplyNature Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

We love our tortilla chips here at my house.  The Wee One and I enjoy snacking on tortilla chips with either apple or pineapple salsa.

I would take these to school last year.  My students were fascinated with the fact they looked like black chips.  Once they tried them, they realized they tasted similar to regular yellow corn chips.

Caramel Apple Baked Chewy Bars

liveGfree Gluten Free Caramel Apple Baked Chewy Bars

Yum!  These are nice to have as back-up bars when you are running errands.

Gluten Free Pretzels

liveGfree Gluten Free Pretzel Minis

These are delicious.

Nut Mixes

SimplyNature Raw Cashews, Walnuts, and Macadamia NutsSimplyNature Raw Almonds, Pecans, and Pistachio Kernels

They have two different nut mixes that I really enjoy.  Both are just raw nuts and /or seeds.  One has cashews, walnuts, and macadamia nuts.  The other has almonds, pecans, and sunflower kernels.  Both are delicious.  Enjoy in moderation.

Happy eating,
Traci

 

 

 

Posted in Gluten Free, write 31 2017

Five of My Favorite Gluten Free Foods from Trader Joe’s – Blog Post #20

Posted on by traci

Coconut aminos –

As I mentioned before, I use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.  I love the price.  $2.99 a bottle – I probably have 5 bottles at my house.

Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips

These were a discovery of mine when I went to visit my friend Molly.  We wanted a snack so I bought these.  We ate the chips with pineapple salsa also from Trader Joe’s.  Yum!

Click on the photo for more information about sweet potato tortilla chips.

Pineapple Salsa

Yum!  I love eating the pineapple salsa with the sweet potato tortilla chips.  At $1.99 a jar, that’s not a bad price for salsa.

Image result for pineapple salsa trader joe's

 Gingermints

This is a great gluten free and vegan breath mint.  The mint has a great little bite to them.  Ginger is great for upset stomachs.

Gluten free White Bread

When I was in Pittsburgh over Labor Day weekend, we visited a local Trader Joe’s.  We were all buying our dinner while at the store.  I ended up getting the Gluten Free White Sandwich Bread.  I used it to make myself a mixed butter and jelly sandwich.  So yummy!

Image result for trader joe's gluten free white bread

Here is a list of gluten free foods at Trader Joe’s.

What are your favorite foods at Trader Joe’s?  Gluten Free or Not Gluten Free

For other my favorite gluten free blog posts, here are some links.

Gluten Free Breakfast Ideas While on a Road Trip

5 of My Favorite Gluten Free Snacks

Happy eating,
Traci

Posted in Gluten Free, write 31 2017, Writing Workshop

RAK and What’s in My Gluten Free Pantry? – Blog Post #19

Posted on by traci

writer's workshop

Today’s prompt is to write about something nice you’ve done.

Last week, my work decided to have a contest.  We were divided into teams. Each team was assigned a country.  One of our assignments was to do Random Acts of Kindness.

My team was late to the game. We did some of RAK but not as much as one of the teams.

My team was confused about the rules of the game so we did not know what we were supposed to do.

The country we were given was China. On Friday at the end of the game, We finally decided to get cups of blessing; aka pudding, for the staff.

Here is the photo of the sign we wrote up with the pudding cups

IMAG4101

IMAG4100

It’s not much; however, it made people’s day.

Please continue to the next page to see what’s in my Gluten Free Baking Pantry.

Pages: 1 2
Posted in Gluten Free, Recipes, Rice, write 31 2017

Taco Rice (GF, DF) and Homemade Burrito Bowls – Blog Post #18

Posted on by traci

My mom and I enjoy going to a place called Hot Head Burritos.  We usually get a Lil bowl with either brown or white rice, pinto or black beans, and our choice of meat and toppings.

You can use this recipe as the base of your burrito bowl.  It would be delicious with taco meat or chicken ranch taco meat.  You can use either black or pinto beans.  It’s up to you to decide what type of toppings are on your burrito bowl.

Lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, pico, sour cream, corn, and guacamole are some topping ideas.  Yum!

As you can see, being gluten-free does not have to be boring.

IMG_0690

Taco Rice

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

– 2 Tbsp. oil

– 1 onion

– 1 garlic clove, minced

– 2 c. white rice

– 2 Tbsp. homemade taco seasoning

– 2 c. water

– salt to taste

Directions

  1. Set an electric pressure cooker to saute’.
  2. Add the oil, onions, and garlic.  Cook until onions are translucent.
  3. Add the rice and taco seasoning.  Stir.  Cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Add water and salt.  Stir.  Manually set the pressure cooker to 8 minutes on high.  (Put the lid on the pressure cooker.)
  5. After the rice has finished cooking, do a quick release.
  6. Fluff the rice.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

Posted in Gluten Free, Quick, Recipes, write 31 2017

Sloppy Joe French Fries (GF) – Blog Post #17

Posted on by traci

There is no real recipe.

On Saturday, I decided to make sloppy Joes.  Instead of eating it without eating it with gluten free bread, baked potato, or by itself, I decided to make French fries.

I topped the French fries with the Sloppy Joes and then added some shredded cheese.  Yum!

Saturday is a pretty casual day for our dinners.  Hubby saw how I ate my Sloppy Joe and decided he wanted to eat it the same way.

IMG_2394

Sloppy Joe French Fries

Stars of the recipe:

Steps:

  1. Make the French fries.
  2. Meanwhile make the Sloppy Joes.
  3. Top the French fries with Sloppy Joes and cheese.
  4. Enjoy!

So easy and delicious!

Happy eating,
Traci