Things that make me happy

Every once in a while I come across something new that totally makes me happy and makes being gluten free so much fun.  It's like a secret game that you have to be a special member of the club to play.  It's called, "Gluten Free Treasure Hunt"and everyone gets a prize.

Here are a few of my favorites this week:

http://www.glutenfree.net/ Has so many gf foods it makes my head spin!

http://t-shirts.cafepress.com/gluten-free?page=1&sort=by_date_desc some are funny some are serious, everyone needs to cover their nakedness, why not?

http://www.cafepress.com/chickcouture/2186278 cracks me up!  If it weren't for my veg friends I'd be all over these.

http://www.newplanetbeer.net/where-to-buy/ I've never really been a fan of beer but it's nice to know I can find some, made close to home!

Moorhead grocery store:

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/271552/group/Life/ I'd almost consider moving to MN for this, and the million relatives I never see who live w/in 3 hours or less.

F$ Report Out aka my month on a food stamp budget

First off, thank you for joining me on my journey. I'm really glad to see that people can certainly live on food stamps, even if they have multiple exceptions to the "typical" American diet. I can only imagine it's difficult because there isn't room for sweets and a lot of pre-mades.

Quick credit where it's due, this is where I found the plan, please go and read it a little, I think it's interesting: http://www.gfcf-diet.talkaboutcuringautism.org/gfcfsf-diet-on-food-stamps.htm

I'm happy to report that I didn't spend a penny over the initial $240 and have lots of leftovers. I barely made a dent in the spices (the $40 portion of that expense) . As for the leftovers in my freezer: 8 servings of chicken, 8 servings of soups and chilies, 2 stuffed bell peppers, mostly full boxes of grits, beans and rice, 1 lb of carrots and celery sticks, loaf of bread and miscellaneous leftover vegetables and fruit.

I don't foresee going to the store for a couple more weeks, at least.

So, what other interesting tidbits do I have to share? Let's start with the maybe, as in I might be persuaded to cook this again:

Meat Stuffed Zucchini

Why? Because it tasted good and would look prettier if I'd have followed the instructions

Why not? Because half of it is on the stove, half in the oven and that's a lot of dishes for me to wash

Then on to the definitelys:

Black Bean Chili

Why? It's always been a fave but the herbs and celery gave it a freshness I luv

Stir fried Rice

Why? because it was fast and tasted so good! Also, because it was better than my 1st and only other attempt

Tacos

Why? Because they were fast and yummy. I'll have to use beef instead of poultry next time

Roast

Why? Do I have to answer that? Easy, healthy, tasty, good way to clean out the crisper...

Cream of Rice Cereal

Why? It grew on me. Truly comforting on a not-so-happy tummy and maple syrup made the difference in taste

Ratatouille

Why? It's fun to say! It's so pretty! It's so fast! Num Num Num!

Breakfast Potatoes

Why? mmm bacon...

Newman's Own Pasta Sauce

Why? Why not?

Then, sadly there are some meals I will have to give a big fat thumbs down.

Shepard's Pie

Why not? Too many dishes to wash and not enough yumminess for the bother

Meatloaf

Why not? Personal preference, even though the rice made it bearable, I'm just not ok with ground meat

Soup

Why not? Sadly, because I found out I'm allergic to chicken, otherwise I luv soup and would eat it every single day

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Why not? Lots of dishes, work, time, effort and in the end, I just don't like bell peppers cooked, I only dig em raw

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches

Why not? So sad, the bread made my tummy hurt and I had flashbacks to my childhood filled with PB&J. Not all bad, I thought it was yummy - but I'm not a masochist

And that's my report in a nut shell. Don't forget the menu was filled with breakfasts of scrambled eggs and bacon, Rice Chex, pancakes, French toast and lunches accompanied by cornbread, gf croutons and potato chips. I didn't picture everything here, I mean you know what a hotdog and potato chips looks like, right? If not, leave me a comment and I'll send you a pic ;)

Now, I'm off to watch "Weekend @ Bernie's" with my BFF and have a little dinner. Probably leftover Ratatouille - it's even fun to type!

It's a Chili kind of day - Last of the F$!

Today is a cloudy, cold and dreary kind of day. The rain or snow hasn't started yet. This is the perfect day for a hot bowl of meat and bean chili- just like my mom makes. This recipe called for cumin- I used a little curry powder I had on hand instead. It added a nice twist. Now that my tummy is all full and warm, I feel like taking advantage of the cloudiness and take a nap.

I'm also a little bummed that this will be the last meal post for my F$ project. It was a fun experiment and I'm really glad I did it. Tomorrow, I have a recap planned, so check back to see the good the bad and the bearable.

I'm glad I didn't have to make the chicken nuggets. I just couldn't bear to get out the raw chicken, cut it up, swirl it in eggs and crumbs, and fry it in oil. I'm just too dangerous in the kitchen. The last time I tried frying, I splattered oil all over the ceiling, every appliance and myself. I had to put a cover on the fire and run to a cold shower so I didn't end up with 3rd degree burns!

I know it's a real let down for all of you, my faithful readers, since that was supposed to be the grand finale.

So I'm a bit of a drama queen. My F$ experiment has been completely do-able for any normal (gf) person. I tell you true, I'll finish out the next 5 days on leftovers and return happily to my plain, instant diet though. Even if it's terribly boring because I have a dozen other new projects planned in the coming weeks.

I'll definitely still cook some of these meals, Ratatouille and meat stuffed zucchini were really good and the Newman's pasta sauce was so yummy, it might be worth making the rice pasta to go with it. But others, mostly the poultry, will never see my kitchen again.

30 days of service

I'm doing something special this month. I've dedicated myself to b

eing of service to others for 30 days!

Yesterday was day 1.
I brainstormed ideas to get me started, found a great website that gave me tons of ideas http://charityguide.org/ and got started by signing up with the Make a Wish foundation to donate my time to make dreams of seriously ill kids come true.

My energy is humming!

So, my basic plan is to do something specific each day for the next 30 days (and beyond!) to help someone near me.
This week I'm going to start with friends and family and make a conscious effort to identify something they need, that they wouldn't normally ask for help with, and help them! Now, if you're reading this and you think you're one of them, know that I would always help in any way I could, just ask :) But I want the people around me to know I care enough to do without being asked.
I was sharing this goal with my mom today, and she is my ultimate cheerleader. She reminded me that I do help people every day and this is nothing new to her! LOL

It's true, I always help someone who is struggling to open a door and give encouragement when ever I can. The intention of this blog is to help anyone who stumbles across it with gluten free issues. And I find myself sharing information constantly to help people educate themselves about important issues affecting them daily.
It was good for me to be reminded that I'm not completely self centered, yet I still feel moved to do more. I want to actively seek out new opportunities to help people around me.

So, please let me know if you have any thoughts or great ideas on service projects for me.

How do you serve others? Where do you see needs?

I'll keep you posted on my journey. Now, I'm off to send some encouragement to an old friend who could really use a boost.

Over and out :)
Cocoa

Shepard's Pie - Day 21

I promise, it's not burned!! It just looks darker than the nice toastiness that it was.

As far as Shepard's Pie goes, this was not too bad. I dock points because you have to start it on the stove then move it to a baking dish and make the mashed potatoes separately. Then I had much leftover that went into freezer containers for future meals. Too many dishes, so I'm thinking this one hits the cutting room floor as far as future menu planning.

My thoughts:

1. Use instant potatoes for the shepard's pie and leftover meats and veggies to keep the dirty dish count down.

2. I'm going to stock celery more often, it goes so good in things!

One more meal left for me to make - Chili. Do I have to? I don't like regular chili, maybe if I can get some eaters to come over and finish it off for me?

I'm going to go call the parents right now. They like chili and cornbread, I'll just have to invite them over!

I forgot to post the Meatloaf! & my food burning returned

I can't believe I forgot to post the meatloaf! I made this when my cousin was in town and fed it to the family. We all thought it was great! I'm not big on meatloaf...it's usually squishy. This recipe was really tasty though. I subbed out an equal measure of cooked rice for the breadcrumbs (remember the bad bread experience from week 1?). I think the rice was what made it. There was more lightness to it and chewy rather than mushy.

This recipe is definitely going on my favorite list. I had to wear rubber gloves to do the hand-mixing so I didn't get it all under my nails, but that made for quick clean up! Also, I didn't get much in the line of leftovers, very disappointing, so I suggest making a double batch and freeze some for later.

I hesitate to tell you about the sausage with onions and peppers because I have to admit I completely charred the onions and peppers and had to shove them in the trash. I considered not mentioning it, but I think the picture gives me away.

I still fed the sausages to my family though and they loved 'em. I wasn't completely psyched about them myself. I hate caraway seeds and they were plentiful, and usually are, in Italian sausage. That's all I have to say about that.

But, there is more...

Looking ahead to next week's menu, I'm afraid I'll have to peter out on this F$. Since chicken is off my plate, so to speak (yeah, I'm witty baby!) and the next week is poultry heavy, I'd have to substitute (more) and somehow it just doesn't feel right. So... I'll try to finish off with what's left and I have a fabulous wrap-up post planned to share about the entire experiment. Stay tuned :)

I'll be back...

Where can I get good Alligator broth?

I went for Allergy testing this week and out of 300+ foods that they tested me for, I'm allergic to one. A single food. Chicken. I thought the Dr. was teasing me, but no, it's true.

My sweet friend Sarah offered up a solution, which of course made me laugh right out loud - Alligator broth :) Of course, she's kidding (I think). But really, what will I use for soup now?

At the appointment I told the Dr. "No, I don't eat chicken, I don't really like it." Then I thought about it and I had been using cans and cans of broth for soup lately, almost every day for months. When I got home I pulled open the fridge and right there in front of me was a package of Hormel pre-cooked chicken breast. Oh. Now I remember, I discovered that a couple months ago and thought it was a little miracle in a box.

See, I hate raw chicken. It gives me the heebie jeebies and I can't cook it unless I'm wearing disposable rubber gloves and it's garbage day so I can get rid of all the wrappers right away. Then I flood the kitchen with Lysol (remember how I said I was not loving the raw poultry on my F$ experiment?).

Until now, I thought it was just some weird irrational quirk. Yesterday, I decided it was my subconscious keeping me from something I was allergic to. It was successful until Hormel invented that yummy cooked stuff so I could rationalize eating it. Darn.

It's kind of like gluten to me. I never really liked pasta or bread, in fact I would eat the toppings off the pizza and leave the crust, I'd douse on twice the pasta sauce to gag down the spaghetti and I'd eat the insides out of sandwiches and leave the bread. In college we had a joke about how I ate chocolate chip cookies - that you might as well just give me the chocolate without all the icky cookie bits. Needless to say, I got scolded for wasting food and laughed at for that "quirkiness" that was part of my charm. Mom felt really guilty for that when I was diagnosed with Celiac.

The moral of the story is, if you don't want to eat something and it gives you the heebie jeebies just tell people you're allergic to it - it's probably true.

Also, go do allergy testing if you can. It gave me great peace of mind about what was causing me issues and also what's not!

Black Bean Chili - Day 18

Oh boy, am I a sucker for black bean chili. I usually slack off and just dump a can of beans and some salsa together with a side of warm corn tortillas. I'm a simple chef, remember? :)

This recipe was a little more complicated than that and called for actual spices and celery of all things. WOW! What a difference! It tasted fresh and bright instead of my warm and muddled concoction I've known and loved for so long. Will I be able to go back or will I always keep a stalk of celery in my fridge just for those black bean chili days?

P.S. this is the black bean chili mentioned on the menu from 2 weeks ago that has been calling to me all day long. I'm so happy right now!!

P.P.S. would the chili be even better slow simmered on the stove or in the crock pot (I used the microwave)?

Adventuring in Dining out - I dream of non-contamination

I've been looking for restaurants to go to lately. I want to eat out once in a while, especially when I have company so I don't have to cook and clean!

I dream of restaurants that are truly gluten free and I wonder why they aren't popping up. I mean, it's not like people without gluten intolerance couldn't eat there...

Anyway, here's my report out from good to bad:

Chipotle: I can't sing the praises of Chipotle enough. Their allergen statement is short and sweet - like I like it! http://www.chipotle.com/Chipotle_Allergen_Card.pdf All of their food is gf except the flour tortillas and they do that "fwap" with the stuff so crosscontamination hardly even concerns me. I ask them to put on clean gloves before they make mine and I'm happy. Extra kudos on the Organic options! Unnatural food chemicals will be the demise of us.

Jason's Deli - has an allergen report online: http://www.jasonsdeli.com/files/jdeli_allergen.pdf?phpMyAdmin=8d5f164b1d65cc8467461fb90f2883c9 and the staff was very helpful. Luv them! I ordered a build-your-own sandwich, w/o bread of course, and it's great. Where else can you get pastrami, corned beef, sauerkraut, mustard, organic spinach, lettuce, tomato in a box - hot meat, cold veggies. MMMMM!!!
True story: I ordered meals to be delivered to my office by 5:00 pm so I could take them home to my family for dinner. The guy that delivered told me he specifically reviewed the book for me too and took out a dressing I'd ordered that isn't safe and replaced with with gf ranch. So, I luv him too. I'm happy to report one time/life saving discovery for me!! Plus, if you order online you get deli dollars to redeem for free food (Yay!)

Outback: Duh! I think anyone stepping into a gf website probably got tipped off that Outback has a gf menu, and has to some extent for a while. http://www.outback.com/foodandmenus/pdf/glutenfree.pdf. I luv me a fat juicy steak and a cheesy baked potato. Hold the bread!! We ordered ‘Take Away’ on a Saturday night for the fam and I’m happy to report it was ok. They forgot one of our sides, which seems to happen often when you order takeout from anywhere, but the food was good. We tried the gf brownie dessert and it was addictive.

Starbuck's: Ok, so they don't exactly qualify as a dinner type place but, their drinks can have as many calories and protein (if you get soy milk) as a meal...and now they have gf cookies, fruit snacks and some of their packaged foods are potentially safe like the fruit and cheese platter. You have to call their customer service line to find out about allergens, but the employees in the store will let you read the ingredients on everything including the syrups & milk. Yes, I asked to read the ingredients on the soy milk before I'd drink it!

Boston Market: Nice Allergen List online: http://www.bostonmarket.com/restaurant?page=allergens. I like what I see and have had 2 good experiences with them. I say Yes! It helps that I LUV creamed spinach and their poultry gravy is gf - hard to find gf gravy!

Chili's: posts Allergen Info: http://www.chilis.com/EN/Allergy%20Information/Chilis%20Allergen_Generic.pdf I'm encouraged, the entree warning says "w/o sides" but they list the safe sides, so I'm thinking you could make a decent choice. This goes on my list of places to try on a Friday night. p.s. there's one really close to my house - bonus!

Wendy's: has a gluten free list: http://www.wendys.com/food/pdf/us/gluten_free_list.pdf. It's mostly condiments but I was happy to see that I can have Frosties. And the salads are pre-made, that makes me feel safer since the croutons etc are in separate packages. I'll go there in a pinch.

And the bad…

Burger King: Has a Gluten Sensitive List: http://www.bk.com/cms/en/us/cms_out/digital_assets/files/menu_nutrition/GlutenFree.pdf So if all you are hungry for is packets of sauce… Me? Nix! Sorry BK isn't doing it my way.

Carrabbas: Publishes a gf menu: http://www.carrabbas.com/menu/pdf/GFmenu.pdf but the catch is you have to ask them to make your food without "grill baste". I nixed them based on the fact they have no dedicated gf grill. My logic is that if everything is basted with some gluteny goop and cooked on the same grill as my food, even if they don't add extra goop, I'm getting contaminated. The only things on the menu mostly ok are 3 salads and I'm sorry, as good as the Fiorucci sounds, if my dinner mates are eating Sirloin Marsala, I'm going to be a very grumpy girl unless I have several glasses of wine. Neither will turn out well.
I did try them for take out a couple months ago and it did not settle well with me – now I have an idea why.

Macaroni Grill: A friend of mine who has Muniere's disease suggested this to me based on her experience there. They accommodated her special requests (none of which include Gluten btw) so I decided to check out their menus. Surprise! They have an allergen report too: http://www.brinker.com/gr/allergens/mac%20allergen.pdf.


Nixed! When I saw all the "w/o" notes, I just couldn't imagine trying to make that all clear to a waitperson that's paid $2/hour on a busy Saturday night and expect any kind of success. I'm not that lucky. I mean, if they can't make risotto and goat cheese gf (these things are naturally gf!) I'm not eating there.

McDonalds: They may have best intentions but, NIXED! Online you can look at ingredients lists galore but I'm not that desperate or have enough time in my life to work it out!

Johnny Carinos: GF Menu: http://www.carinos.com/menu/74879/showgluten/1062 but the items on it describe angel hair pasta...Umm - what? I called and confirmed - they do not serve gf pasta - it's a hoax y'all!

Applebee's: My Mom loves Applebees (at least while she was in Oklahoma). Sorry Mom, they don't post allergens on line. They are falling to the bottom of my list.

TGIFridays: posts no allergen info online or even a FAQ statement. nix.

Pasta and Navy Bean soup- day 16

It's nice to have pasta on the menu, although it can be a little pricey. I like Tinkyada rice pasta because I can get it at the grocery store. I've heard about corn pastas but haven't tried them yet because I don't really go out of my way to find stuff. Also, I try to limit corn because I heard it's one of the highest GMOs and is in everything so I really don't want to O.D.

Once again, Newman's marinara. I am really diggin this stuff!

So, we are a smidge over halfway in this month on F$ and I have to say. I haven't been hungry once, there's been a nice variety of foods and it's been super relaxing to be told what to eat every day. This has been a little dream come true for me.

I have found a few foods that don't agree with me and has led me to make an appointment with an allergy specialist. I'm hoping that will help me solve some seemingly random issues. Scary to think I'll have to give up more foods but hopeful that I may have perfect health again soon.

On to the real story today though. Navy Bean soup with ham. Soup is good, I luv soup! I cheated and made this in the microwave and used canned beans. I couldn't imagine making 12 servings of this, simmering for hours...I really don't have the time. Sorry if you're disappointed in me, but it would have been much less frugal for me to have to toss half of this soup in the trash, no?

As it was, I had LOTS of leftover anyway!!
My last confession - I used Bacon instead of ham hocks (once again frugality on my part).

Once I'm done with this experiment, I'm going to have a nice pan of gf brownies, or maybe cupcakes. I have been missing sweets! Not dying without them, but it is one of those things I enjoy from time to time.