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Sunday afternoon thoughts

My parents saved me an article yesterday from the Oregonian newspaper that talks about being gluten free.  It also includes a quiz on the signs of celiac disease created by Dr. Peter H.R. Green, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.  My search for this article online also led me to another Oregonian article about some great places to try in Portland with chefs who know first-hand about dietary restrictions.  I always love trying new restaurants where I can eat food without worries.  And, now that I am currently dairy free, too, that has added a whole new element. 

In any case, this leads me to thinking about how much easier it is to eat out (parts of my recent DC trip withstanding), and how much more prevalent this seems than when I started this journey 10 years ago.  I also know that this means that Martha Stewart gets to make disparaging comments and newspaper articles can  have titles such as "Going gluten free: Nutritional buzz word or serious health threat?" Seriously, I think it is okay to question dietary fads.  At the same time, I don't have any problem being certain that I have a gluten intolerance, and that undiagnosed dietary intolerances can lead to a host of other health issues.  I learned that first hand, and have now seen studies that back this up.  There was also the very sad story on one of the blogs a few months ago where a child died due to a food contamination.  That is tragic.

I also clearly remember that I used to be skeptical about dietary issues, and probably was a bit snug in my assertion that I could eat anything.  I like to think of my current situation as some sort of karmic justice and/or dose of humble pie. :) I am grateful that the issues are not more serious, and hope that they never become that way.

Ten years was when my journey to figure out how to regain health by changing my diet (i.e., cutting out wheat) started.  This is not a new idea, of course.  My dad had to change his diet years ago to manage his heart disease, my friend and former roommate, Megan, discovered diary restrictions 20 years ago, when we were roommates, and I know many more people who have other dietary restrictions (nuts, eggs, soy, dairy, etc.).  

So, where am I going with these thoughts?  As the title suggests, these are just Sunday afternoon musings as I have time to write while Alexander naps and Geoff runs errands.  This actually feels like quite a luxury to sit here just thinking and typing!  And, perfect timing, I hear Alexander start to stir upstairs.

Back in action

It's clearly been a while since I have been able to blog.  But, I was inspired by a post on the

Gluten-Free Goddess blog to make a link back to the resources that she talked about.  I'm now not only gluten-free, but am also trying dairy-free. It's another new adventure, but luckily a lot of the blogs have variations for dairy-free, too!  In any case, check out the Gluten-Free Bloggers List for some amazing other bloggers.

Holidays, food and health

Tis the season for...sugar!  It seems like everywhere I go there are sweets!  And, that is my first inclination in terms of what to cook and eat, too.  I'm thinking about whether to make cookies or fudge or muffins.  The food blogs and Facebook posts right now are filled with cookie and treat recipes. My mom is making her standard set of holiday cookies to send to family and friends.  And, since many religions and groups have some sort of holiday this time of year, it is pervasive.

At the same time, I am trying to eat healthier.  This is not just a pre-New Year's resolution. This is not a "low-carb diet" idea. It is, however, an ongoing life decision and something that it hard to do, perhaps especially at this time of year.

I have made a commitment to myself to eat more fruits and veggies (especially veggies) each day.  Going gluten-free has often meant finding delicious and/or edible alternatives to all of these treats, sweets and grain-based staples of our American diet.  And certainly, as I have been blogging, I have found it important to try out new recipes and gluten-free ideas.  The emotional part that doesn't want to be "missing out" on normal holiday treats, will be trying some of these amazing recipes for treats.  But, I'm wanting to see if I can also make an effort to eat less grains, in general, and more lean proteins and veggies.

They are not mutually exclusive, of course, and as with many things this time of year, it may just be a matter of moderation in all things. :)

Bread machines - part 2

I made some bread in our bread machine!!  I found the manual, which helped give me confidence and direction. :) And, I also used a mix, so it was pretty darn simple.   The mix I used was Inspiration Mixes Millet Oat bread.

I think it is pretty tasty, but it does suffer from the typical gf issues of heavy denseness.

As I've said before, bread really is the hardest thing to do gluten free when you are imagining a gluten-filled version.

I'm including two photos...

Bread machines

Am I the only one intimidated by a bread machine?  I think they are a wonderful idea (put stuff in and have bread come out).  But, we can't seem to find the instruction book, and when I plugged it in and it started beeping, I immediately unplugged it and switched to a new project.  It is interesting because I don't think of myself as a techno-phobe.  And, in general, I like to just try buttons to make things happen.  But, this contraption without a manual is a bit overwhelming.

From a brief search on the internet, I learn two things 1) it is very common to lose manuals, and 2) I am not alone in my feelings. :)

What to make...

I spontaneously have some time on my hands and am thinking of baking something that will suit this rainy and cold, but beautiful, Fall afternoon.  We still have a whole pumpkin we can do something with, and muffins are always good since they are an easy, quick breakfast.  Or, perhaps I'll take a nap (another rare thing).

I'm going to an interesting-sounding event tomorrow.  It is an event where there is a medical doctor/gluten-free specialist/singer-songwriter coming to Corvallis.  (Who says you can't do it all!)  Sound unique?  I heard about it from a friend at work, and we're going together.

Facebook, contests, and gluten-free goodies

Using Facebook is an amazing way to learn about gluten-free products, recipes, blogs.  It is also a way to meet others who are interested in the topic.  But, lately, it has also been a way for me to go a little crazy and enter into a bunch of contests for free bread, cookbooks and more.  I haven't won anything yet, but hope springs eternal!

new bread to try

I had to work today, so I went to the Co-op on the way home to pick up some things for this week.  While there, I saw a new type of gluten-free bread in the bread section (rather than the freezer section), so I decided to try it out.  I believe this company had some samples at the Gluten Free Fair that I went to in Salem in September.

Anyway, I got the Gluten Free Multigrain Bread from Tarte Desserts & Bakery in Eugene.   I had it for dinner (toasted and with a bit of butter) with some chicken and rice soup that Geoff made.  It is good, and I like the poppy and other seeds they have used in it.  As is expected, it is a bit on the expensive side.

Local gf bread

Here's a picture of it to show you what I'm talking about. (I'm also making use of my cool new birthday present from my sweeties!).

Cinnamon rolls for breakfast - Udi's-style

Udi's gluten-free cinnamon rolls were on sale at the Co-op, so I bought some.  Wow are they good!  Heated for about 20 seconds in the microwave, they are scrumptious!  They are not too sweet and have a great texture.  You can actually peel them apart just like the gluten-filled kind.

I didn't like their frosting very much, so I have been eating them "plain" (though they hardly taste plain with all that good cinnamon sugary stuff on the insides).  However, Geoff made me some delicious frosting for them to use this morning.  It was a great breakfast. :)

Spanish gluten free and other blogs

I just found a blogger after my own heart...someone who writes about gluten-free Catalan and Spanish food at The Sensitive Epicure. I haven't gone through all of her blog, but was enticed by her opening line in a post entitled A Sampling of Spanish Tapas where she writes "Yes, I miss Spain" and then goes on to talk about Barcelona and Catalunya, and some of the typical delicious dishes there (but made gluten-free!).  Apparently, there is even a Catalan Celiac Association.   I'll have to keep that in mind for my next trip (whenever that may be!)

It's amazing how fast you can go down the "rabbit hole" on the internet.  I was looking on Gluten Freeville's website because I clicked a link from their Facebook page yesterday about a Pesto Veggie Pizza.  Anyway, once I was on their website, I thought I'd check their recipe page for a quiche recipe, as I was in the mood to make a quiche, and there in the Appetizers section it listed a recipe for Tortilla Española with Spicy Aioli (gluten free, vegetarian) that had been posted by Erin Swing. That sounded even better, and I know how to make a tortilla espanola (thanks to my friend, Lucia), but wanted to check out her recipe and the spicy aioli part!  Hence, this is how I ended up on the Erin Swing's blog called The Sensitive Epicure.

I have really been enjoying emails and posts regarding savory, rather than sweet, gluten-free foods.  Last week, I got an email from Jules GF about Broccoli-Cauliflower Soup, which sounded good, too.  I got the ingredients and hope to make it tonight or early this week. Perhaps it is because it is Fall, or perhaps it is because I just started Weight Watchers at work, but I am more interested in the main courses rather than desserts right now.   Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a good gluten free dessert (especially with my birthday coming up), but it is not what I want to focus energy on right now.

Rudi's to the rescue!

So, as most of you know, I've been wheat-free for 8 1/2 years.  During that time, I discovered Rudi's spelt bread, which to my taste was the best, most delicious, "closest-to-real-bread" I found.  When I started going completely gluten-free this February, I realized that the hardest thing to create without gluten is actually bread. Imagine my excitement, then, when I learned that Rudi's started making a gluten-free line of breads in July.  I got some last weekend, and it is great!!  Great texture, flavor and it holds together well.   I'm soooooo happy!  And, they sell it here in Corvallis at the Co-op (and perhaps some other places).

Also, last Saturday I went to the Gluten Free Food Fair at a store called LifeSource Natural Foods in Salem.  I had some super great onion rings made with a mix called The Celiac Maniac Batter Mix.  It is so new that he didn't even have it in the store yet, but did sell me a bag he had with him.  I went with Cynthia, a friend from work, and her roommate, Sarah.  It was fun to see all these locally-made gluten-free products, and to get to taste them, too.  I heard about this store and fair as I was searching online to see where to get Authentic Foods flours, which had been recommended in a cookbook. They sell this flour in bulk, which is super, so I'll try it out and let you know.

Even the best laid plans...

So, I'm wondering if my container labeled "gluten-free" oats is actually not correctly labeled.  The muffins taste delicious, but something I ate yesterday is irritating my intestines.  Isn't it great to have such instant feedback?

At my parent's house yesterday, we realized that Goddess dressing has wheat!  Ugh.  I never thought to check that, so that could also be the culprit.

In any case, I'll take a break from the muffins and see if that helps.  Alexander can keep eating them, which was one of the main goals for making them in the first place.  I've discovered that it is really nice to have something easy and ready to go in the mornings for our breakfast.   Muffins freeze well, so I can make up a bunch and then unfreeze them as needed.  And, they are also great for travel and camping.

Banana muffins

Hi!

I'm back to blogging.  I guess I just took the summer off.  It has been a very busy few months, so I haven't had a chance to do any posts.  But, I made some wonderful gf banana muffins today and wanted to let you know.

I wanted to make sure they were 100 % gluten free, so I took the recipe at http://half-bakedbaker.blogspot.com/2009/01/guilt-and-gulten-free-oatmeal-banana.html and used 1 c. brown rice flour and 1/2 c. Bob's Red Mills' Mighty Tasty Hot cereal instead of oat flour and added 1 Tbls. of applesauce. I used Agave syrup instead of brown sugar and I also added about two tablespoons of flax seeds and my now "signature" few tablespoons of applesauce.

They turned out great!  And, Alexander LOVES them.  He's already had part of three of them today.

Hopefully, I'll be back soon.

Eating in Kansas City, MO

It has been a while since I've been able to blog, and it seems like in that time, I have heard of some great new resources and found out some more people I know may be gluten free.   I will try to post the resources as I can.

I'm in Kansas City right now at a NAFSA professional conference, and overall I have to say that it has been surprisingly easy to eat well.  I found a place in the Denver Airport that served rice bowls, and here I have gone to this great market near the Convention Center that has a salad bar.

The only glitches so far are:
1) I ate the seasoned potatoes at breakfast this morning before I thought to ask if they had wheat on them.  They did, but luckily I haven't felt any strong negative consequences today.  I did make sure to take a probiotic, so perhaps that helped.

2) At the KCISS reception tonight, I could only eat one of the appetizers they had at the buffet (some sort of meat kabobs).  I'm guessing that may be a problem the entire conference since caterers often have wheaty appetizers large group events.

Stay tuned!

Homemade bread!

I came home last night to still-warm gluten free bread. Mmmmmmmm.  There is something very comforting about warm bread (even without the gluten).

After all the experimenting I've been doing with trying different gf breads from bakeries and stores, we have come the conclusion that it is very expensive to eat this way.  And, in many cases, the stuff that we bought was just not very good (see April 11 post).  Eating gf if you don't want grains is pretty darn cheap, but who wants to do that?  It is not surprising that one of Alexander's words is "toast."  He knows the good stuff!

When I got three loaves of my favorite gf bread (the flax seed bread from the Living Earth bakery) this week and brought them home, Geoff started thinking.   Thus, the homemade bread.  :) He actually went and got a bread machine yesterday to do this, realizing that we will probably very quickly make up the cost by not buying so much of the other breads.  It turns out that even bread machines have gf settings these days!   Luckily, I had stocked up on some gf flours and supplies when we went up to Bob's Red Mill store over the Easter weekend, so it looks like he didn't have to buy that many supplies.

Toaster waffles and other morning thoughts

When we went up to Seattle and stay with my cousin, she and her kids had toaster waffles for breakfast.  Geoff had gotten us some of the Trader Joe's gluten free toaster waffles, so Alexander and I tried them when we got home.  A big hit!  Easy, tasty and fast...all good things in the morning.   I went this weekend to pick up some more, and they were out!  I guess I'm not the only one who thinks they're great!  But, the nice person I spoke with at TJs said she'll save three for me and call me when they get some in.

That's sort of a pattern for this past week.  I also went to the Living Earth bakery on Friday to get some of their flax bread.  They were also out, so I special ordered some to pick up on Wednesday. I also had to order three of them to do this.  It must be a magic number.  This means that after this morning I'm out of bread.  It's probably good for me to figure out more non-bread breakfasts.

It has been a while since I've been able to blog, so I have had a lot of thoughts running around my head.  Here are some thoughts for upcoming blogs...

• Tips for eating more fruits and veggies (my new goal, and hopefully easier now that the spring is here!)
• Millet - bird food or breakfast?
• Other gf resources I've found/heard about
• Do I feel better/notice a difference being completely gf?
• Vitamins and supplements

Loving feeling good!

So, I am still gluten free. I made it through the six-week trial period I set myself for being gluten free and not just wheat free. And, while I am not completely sure how different I feel, I feel good. I'm actually a bit nervous to try spelt again in case I like it but it makes me feel terrible.

The only hard part about going gf is...

BREAD! You may think I'm joking, but I am not. There are a lot of delicious gluten free foods out there, but the one that seems nearly impossible to make great is bread. As part of this weekend, we went to three gf bakeries (2 in Seattle and one in Portland). I had one of the best cupcakes ever at Cascadia Bakery in Portland, but the bread...bleh. I'm hoping that they just had a bad bread day.  The Flying Apron in Seattle's Freemont district also had some scrumptious treats, but I didn't see any bread. Perhaps they didn't have any that day? Then, this morning we went to Wheatless in Seattle. Amazingly good apricot cheese danishes and lemon bars, but the bread had all the telltale traits of gf breads (either it is light but falls apart easily or is dense and heavy, and in all cases it is expensive). I know it is hard to immitate gluten, but it seems to be most difficult to do in breads!  I have found that other baked goods are easier to make yummy so that the gluten isn't missed. But, bread is tough! I remember why I was so excited when I discovered Rudi's Spelt bread. It tastes and acts like wheat bread.  From all my research, I still think that the Millet bread at Living Earth Bakery is the best gf bread I've tried.

Eating in Seattle

We're on vacation for a long weekend in Seattle. It's been fun to explore the gf options here. Today we're at the Portage Bay Cafe, and they have two gf pancake options. Yesterday, Mike and I went to the Flying Apron Bakery, and tomorrow we hope to stop at Wheatless in Seattle.