Welcome to my gf experiment

Welcome to my Gluten Free (gf) Place!

I have found that the majority of gf information shows the negative sides of living a gluten free life and people use words like "unappetizing", "expensive" and "inconvenient".

I'm starting this blog to disprove those assumptions. Going gf is simply eating normal food, minus the bad things. It's easy too! Since I was diagnosed in 2006 I went gluten free and never looked back and I've never felt that going gluten free has been a bad thing at all! The only things I've had to give up are Wheat, Barley, Rye and Oats. That leaves everything else: a wide array of fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy, even chocolate and wine! Things we should all eat anyway. Ok, a little confession: Yes, sometimes I wish I could go back in time when I didn't worry about these things and was much less high maintenance. There, I said it. Now, let's forget it and get over it.

Life is about change, and going gf is change. I get it, people don't like change and mourn their losses. I'm not so sure it's a loss though. There are so many bad things happening to people from eating over processed food, chemicals and additives that it seems to me this is not much different from eliminating transfats, pesticides and high fructose corn syrup from your diet. We don't need them, we aren't built to process them and they makes us sick. So, is it a loss to give things up that make you sick. I think not, I think you would qualify that as a benefit!

So, tonight I'm starting an experiment. I will document my meals including prep time and cost, and we will see if they aren't as yummy as typical American dinners are and that it's not any more expensive than eating a glutenous diet. And if I'm wrong, I'll join the ongoing pity partiers!

The starting place:

Below are some pictures of my kitchen cupboard and fridge. As you can see I don't stock up on things much besides frozen veggies and chicken broth. Part of having a yummy nutritious diet is to have fresh and whole foods around that you like.

Also, a few cooking tools, but not too many, are a good thing. I found a great salad spinner at Walmart for $3, I'd like to say Julia Child told me to buy it, sort of. After watching one of her shows, I was at the store and saw one just like she had. So, I got it. Love it! Yay for the Spinner. I may never buy bagged salad again.

Another good buy, the Magic Bullet. Great to toss an avocado and some salsa for guac or a little whipping cream, spoonful of cocoa powder and a packet of sweetener for divine chocolate mousse. Not so much for chopping large veggies though, since you have to cut them up small enough to get them in there anyway, you might as well just save yourself the dishes and finish the job with a knife. My favorites are my silicone spatulas though. Heat resistant and do a great job of getting those last blobs of batter out of the bowl = no waste. I can't forget to mention George aka the George Foreman Grill. He lives on my counter and travels with me too. I've grilled steaks, made quesadillas and even pizza pockets in him. It's true love. You'll see him a lot in future posts.


Here's where I'm starting for 2 reasons. 1. So I can accurately calculate the meal costs by my grocery bills for menus going forward and 2. So you see how I really keep my kitchen - these were not staged, I'm an organizer at heart.