I Miss The Days

[Impish]

I seriously miss the days when I *enjoyed* food.

 

When I didn't have to be all paranoid about gluten sneaking in somewhere.

 

When we could zip into anywhere as a family and grab something to eat and go, rather than have to search for somewhere I could eat w/out getting ill.

 

When my choices for something to eat when out consisted of more than salad and maybe an omlette...if I'm lucky.

 

When my supper didn't smell, as Diva described it, like 'salty play doh'.

 

When it tasted good.

 

When I enjoyed my meals, rather than choked them down b/c I need the fuel.

 

When I didn't sit for a good hr later, fighting to keep it down.

 

*gack*

 

(And this is supposed to be the best gf pasta on the market. Heaven help me.)

[Jennay]

I hear you. And sympathize - especially about hidden gluten.

Except, I've found true GF recipes that have meat, veggies, and fats to be delicious!

[lmrich]

:grouphug:

[Impish]

I do ok for the most part, in terms of making supper that's GF, in terms of meat, veggie, etc.

 

It's the direct subs that gag me.

 

Tonight was Olive Garden Fett Alf w/shrimp. Before, I LOVED it.

 

Now, subbing in rice pasta...*gack*

 

Lunch and bkfst still rather suck. I don't want to have to make a flipping production out of every meal, just grab and go already. Not so easy GF.

[Dealea86]

:grouphug:

 

I've found with both gluten and dairy that the best recipes are the ones that aren't supposed to be gluten/dairy free, but are. For example, there's a really wonderful Italian chicken stew that I've been making for years that doesn't have any gluten or dairy in it. I loved it before, and I still love it. But any recipe that was designed to be gluten/dairy free? Blegh. :tongue_smilie:

 

Also, ethnic foods are often a big hit for me. I have an Asian broccoli noodle recipe I've loved for years, and I recently found out it tastes great with the rice noodles you buy at the Asian market (the flat ones meant for Thai/Vietnamese cooking). Also, if you like chicken and dumplings with flat dumplings, Korean rice cakes (the ones used for rice cake soup) are an excellent substitute.

[Lisa in Jax]

We really like "Ancient Harvest" quinoa pasta. IMHO, it's better than the Tinkyada brand everyone else seems to like.

 

I have quite a few GF recipes -- Thai curry, chocolate chip banana bread, pizza crust, chocolate cake, cinnamon rolls, Quick Chicken Parmesan, etc.. If you'd like them, send me a PM or email me (lkporter91 at gmail dot com).

 

Yesterday, we tried a really, really good waffle (or pancake) recipe that can be cf, too, if necessary. Here's a copy:

 

GF Waffles

 

Ingredients

 

1 cup rice flour (I used brown, could use white or combo)

½ c sweet rice flour

½ cup tapioca flour

½ cup potato starch

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 T sugar

1 T lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs, separated

½ cup cooking oil

1 ½ cups coconut milk (or ½ c heavy cream and 1 cup milk, or 1 ½ cups milk)

 

Preparation

Mix dry ingredients and 2 of the three TBS of sugar together. (Keep one T of sugar to whip with egg whites). Set aside.

 

Mix vanilla, egg yolks, oil and milk. Add to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with wire whip.

 

In a separate bowl, whip egg whites with 1 T sugar with beaters until peaks form. Gently fold into batter.

 

Cook in waffle iron as directed, spraying iron with cooking oil spray as needed. Makes 6-8 large waffles. Make a batch and freeze the extras for a quick breakfast another day. :)

 

Modified from a recipe found at:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/KITCHENFRAUS-GLUTEN-FREE-WAFFLES-50022946#ixzz1xPDT0gvB

 

I made this recipe for Shrimp and Grits for dinner tonight -- it was awesome -- and didn't taste like "GF food." :)

 

http://leitesculinaria.com/6249/recipes-shrimp-and-grits.html

 

GF food doesn't have to be boring. I promise!

Edited June 12, 2012 by Lisa in Jax

[Lisa in Jax]

I do ok for the most part, in terms of making supper that's GF, in terms of meat, veggie, etc.

 

It's the direct subs that gag me.

 

Tonight was Olive Garden Fett Alf w/shrimp. Before, I LOVED it.

 

Now, subbing in rice pasta...*gack*

 

 

Try the Ancient Harvest Quinoa pasta. It's good -- I promise. :)

[Impish]

I haven't seen that brand, but I'll look specifically for it. I did pick up a quinoa/rice pasta that I haven't tried yet, called 'Good Quinoa'. That was the only pasta I hadn't tried that they carried. Rice and corn I've tried. Corn seems to be better than rice...to a point.

 

I was hoping that my aversion to the rice pasta was a pregnancy thing. Nope. Still completely gack-a-riffic.

[LaxMom]

We really like "Ancient Harvest" quinoa pasta. IMHO, it's better than the Tinkyada brand everyone else seems to like.

 

 

Thank you. I think the Tinyada (and Deboles, and Bionaturae and, and, and all other rice pastas) is appalling. I honestly don't understand why people think it's edible. (eta) Nope, it's not a pregnancy thing. Gack-a-riffic is what my completely non-pregnant take on it is, too. :ack2: I either use the Ancient Harvest or Trader Joe's (I prefer the AH, though).

 

Also on my list of edible:

Gillian's French Rolls (actual bread consistency, plain and cinnamon raisin, and I think they're Canadian, Imp). They're my go-to for hamburgers, breakfast sandwiches, etc.

Food For Life multi-seed English muffins (just like a standard one, nooks and crannies and all). I also have some of their brown rice ones in my freezer. I'll report back when I have one.

Van's and Natures Path waffles. Not really into frozen waffles, but these are great in a pinch.

 

I use Pamela's baking mix for quick muffins and pancakes, and Gluten Free Mama's Almond Blend for just about everything else. GFM makes awesome biscuits and roll-out, NY style pizza crust. I also use if to make the quickest hand-rolled pasta ever, so I can make lasagna. I'm going to try the recipe as an Amish pot pie noodle, too, once it cools back down around here.

 

Lisa's right. GF can be very tasty, and not weird or hard at all.

Edited June 12, 2012 by MyCrazyHouse

[Impish]

Thank you. I think the Tinyada (and Deboles, and Bionaturae and, and, and all other rice pastas) is appalling. I honestly don't understand why people think it's edible. (eta) Nope, it's not a pregnancy thing. Gack-a-riffic is what my completely non-pregnant take on it is, too. :ack2: I either use the Ancient Harvest or Trader Joe's (I prefer the AH, though).

 

Also on my list of edible:

Gillian's French Rolls (actual bread consistency, plain and cinnamon raisin, and I think they're Canadian, Imp). They're my go-to for hamburgers, breakfast sandwiches, etc.

Food For Life multi-seed English muffins (just like a standard one, nooks and crannies and all). I also have some of their brown rice ones in my freezer. I'll report back when I have one.

Van's and Natures Path waffles. Not really into frozen waffles, but these are great in a pinch.

 

I use Pamela's baking mix for quick muffins and pancakes, and Gluten Free Mama's Almond Blend for just about everything else. GFM makes awesome biscuits and roll-out, NY style pizza crust. I also use if to make the quickest hand-rolled pasta ever, so I can make lasagna. I'm going to try the recipe as an Amish pot pie noodle, too, once it cools back down around here.

 

Lisa's right. GF can be very tasty, and not weird or hard at all.

Problem is, I'm in a rural area now. The possibilities are severely limited.

[besroma]

:grouphug:

[Upward Journey]

Try the Ancient Harvest Quinoa pasta. It's good -- I promise. :)

 

:iagree:

[LaxMom]

Problem is, I'm in a rural area now. The possibilities are severely limited.

 

I would make friends with the person at the local grocery, then, and have them order you stuff. You can be the only GF eater around, and GF baked goods keep well because they're frozen.

 

Or, you can mail order from Gluten Free Mall or somewhere else. In good homeschooler form, I get the Mama's and Pamela's shipped via Amazon Subscribe and Save. ;)

 

Life is too short for bad food.

[Lisa in Jax]

I haven't seen that brand, but I'll look specifically for it. I did pick up a quinoa/rice pasta that I haven't tried yet, called 'Good Quinoa'. That was the only pasta I hadn't tried that they carried. Rice and corn I've tried. Corn seems to be better than rice...to a point.

 

I was hoping that my aversion to the rice pasta was a pregnancy thing. Nope. Still completely gack-a-riffic.

 

Ancient Harvest is a corn and quinoa blend, which IMO is better than plain corn pasta. If you find some and you like it, you can order it direct -- in bulk, as we did. Not sure how the shipping to Canada would be, though.

 

Lisa

[Unicorn.]

DeBoles is the worst! Ick, ick, ick! Rice pasta is nasty! Our local grocery chain has a store brand that's made w/ corn and rice- and it's pretty close to the real stuff. The Ancient Grains pasta is pretty good too. I love Bette Hagman's (Gluten free gourmet) hamburger buns, and they are so easy!

I bought this pan from amazon, http://www.amazon.com/USA-Pans-Round-Panel-Wells/dp/B001QXW3Q4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1339470201&sr=8-7&keywords=usa+pans

and make hamburger buns for dd all the time- she uses them for sandwiches too.

 

Hamburger buns: the original recipe calls for cornstarch, but I use potato starch instead. I also use 1/4 cup vegetable oil (not healthy I know, but oh, so good!

-------------------

1 part white rice flour

1 part tapioca flour

1 part potato starch

1 tsp per cup of potato flour (so if you use 1 cup each of the flours/starches- 3 tsp of potato flour)

This is the basic featherlight mix.

--------------------

For 6 buns:

1 1/2 cups featherlight mix

1 tsp xanthum gum

1 tsp egg replacer (optional- I don't use it)

1 tsp unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp sugar, divided

1 cup warm water

2 1/4 tsp dried yeast granules (1 pckt)

1 tsp dough enhancer or vinegar ( I use vinegar)

1 egg

2 TBS vegetable oil

 

Grease your pan or muffin rings. In a med. bowl, mix flour mix, xanthum gum, egg replacer, gelatin, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Add 1 tsp of sugar to warm water, and sprinkle yeast in water. Set aside to foam slightly. In large mixing bowl or in bowl of stand mixer, add remaining sugar, dough enhancer, egg, and vegetable oil. Blend together at low speed. Add yeast mixture. Increase your speed and slowly add dry ingredients. Beat until smooth (about 2-3 minutes). Spoon the batter into prepared pan or rings. Cover lightly and let rise in a warm place until double in size (20-25 minutes for rapid-rising yeast, 40-45 min for regular yeast) Bake in a pre-heated oven for 20-22 minutes.

Edited June 12, 2012 by Unicorn

[meggie]

I found this recipe on Pinterest. I'm pretty sure it's GF. I usually do mine over brown rice instead of rice noodles bc I'm cheap like that. But it's very tasty.

 

http://thenoshery.com/2009/07/23/coconut-and-pineapple-chicken-curry-over-rice-noodles/

[KungFuPanda]

I do ok for the most part, in terms of making supper that's GF, in terms of meat, veggie, etc.

 

It's the direct subs that gag me.

 

Tonight was Olive Garden Fett Alf w/shrimp. Before, I LOVED it.

 

Now, subbing in rice pasta...*gack*

 

Lunch and bkfst still rather suck. I don't want to have to make a flipping production out of every meal, just grab and go already. Not so easy GF.

 

Do you like grilled or fried eggplant? That might taste better with your pasta than fake noodles.

 

Jimmy Deans has these ready-to-go breakfast concoctions that are just precooked sausage crumbles with diced potatoes, peppers and onions. They have a rice version too. All you do is heat a few minutes than add some eggs for a all-in-one breakfast. Now, they're probably not GF, BUT they would be EASY to mix up and freeze your own.

 

Steel cut Irish oats can cook in the crockpot all night and you can add apples and sweet spices to it. Also, a bag of frozen fruit with a dollop of yogurt or OJ concentrate can become a really quick smoothie in the a.m.

 

I don't like to cook or eat first thing in the morning, but some of the twerps I live with do. :glare:

[celticmom]

The mention of grits made me think of other southern/cajun dishes that would either be gluten free or probably easy to alter such as red beans and rice, cornbread, Jumbalaya, ect. Gumbo might even be possible if you made your own rue using gluten free flour.

[She Reads a Lot]

Hi, Impish,

 

I know you don't know me but I thought I'd weigh in b/c dh is gluten-free and dairy-free, and the thing that saved me was a good cookbook. The poor man was down to his high school weight (oh, what wouldn't I do to experience that?) because I had no idea what to feed him.

 

I finally dug around on Amazon and found this:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Isaiah-Gluten-Free-Dairy-Free-Delicious/dp/1606521659/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1339477854&sr=8-3&keywords=gluten+free+diary+free+cookbook

 

I have seriously contemplated sending this woman a thank you note--her recipes are that fabulous! Silvana is my new best friend and she doesn't even know it!! I don't think you are dairy free, but you can use regular milk everywhere that she uses rice milk. And you really would not know that these are GF/DF recipes.

 

We have tried at least 15 of the recipes and all have been smash hits, except for the spaghetti (the meatballs fell apart b/c she didn't have me brown them--I knew I should have just browned them anyway).

 

I know it costs a little $$ but to have a book to turn to each week to plan meals (with pictures for the hubby;)) has proved to be worth every penny for me.

 

I live in a pretty large city, but I ended up buying the various flours and starches she recommends online b/c it was way cheaper. So even in your rural location, you could stock up thanks to the Internet. Once you have her basic flour mixture on hand, the other ingredients she uses are pretty typical. Not a ton of fancy schmancy stuff needed, and I've not had to spend a ton of time cooking any one recipe.

 

HTH!

Christina

 

P.S. I totally get the eating out thing. Chipotle is the ONLY place dh will eat out b/c he knows he is safe there. I am really tired of Chipotle :lol:. This means we haven't traveled farther than 1 1/2 hours from our house in a year. Sigh.

[kubiac]

It could be worse: You could also be allergic to dairy, eggs, soy and chocolate. :glare::001_smile:

[BlueTaelon]

Problem is, I'm in a rural area now. The possibilities are severely limited.

 

You can get any gf stuff online, sounds like your still pretty new to the diet, in a few years you may just discover you no longer like the texture of wheat based products once you adapt. I've been gf 11+ years and it's just a way of life. Fwiw, Udis makes really good bread products and "Gluten free baking classics" by Annaliese Roberts has amazing recipes but you need to follow them to the letter right down to the correct baking pans. (5 failed loaves before I realized the pan was 1inch to big, I made it all the time but just totally goofed that week.)

[Impish]

Thanks everyone! I really do appreciate the suggestions.

 

As stupid as it may sound, I find myself mired in resentment some days, and yesterday was one of them. Instead of just getting on w/things, sometimes I find myself indulging in a good p!ss and moan session.

 

I think at least a part of the reason for that is, if I'd made a *choice* to eat this way, for whatever reason, it would be my decision, my control.

 

Having it *forced* upon me just makes me p!ssed. *sigh*

[gardenmom5]

I don't know if you have them where you are, but I love the Pamela's Baking mixes. My son, who "hates gluten free", is pretty happy with Pamela's too.

[LaxMom]

Thanks everyone! I really do appreciate the suggestions.

 

As stupid as it may sound, I find myself mired in resentment some days, and yesterday was one of them. Instead of just getting on w/things, sometimes I find myself indulging in a good p!ss and moan session.

 

I think at least a part of the reason for that is, if I'd made a *choice* to eat this way, for whatever reason, it would be my decision, my control.

 

Having it *forced* upon me just makes me p!ssed. *sigh*

 

I know exactly what you mean. I have those days, too. :grouphug:

 

If it makes you feel better, I decided to do a 14 day raw food cleanse a couple years ago. It was the height of summer, tomatoes (one of my favorites) were abundant and tasty, fruit was fresh and beautiful... After 4 days, I resented my meals so much, I started choosing to not eat than face another bowl of fruit or salad. It was my choice AND I was eating many of my favorite things!

[Mama Geek]

Problem is, I'm in a rural area now. The possibilities are severely limited.

 

You can get almost any of the gf free stuff on Amazon. I assume they will ship to Canada. I don't think I had any problems getting that type of stuff shipped to Alaska although the shipping did cost more.

[Impish]

You can get almost any of the gf free stuff on Amazon. I assume they will ship to Canada. I don't think I had any problems getting that type of stuff shipped to Alaska although the shipping did cost more.

I know there was a time that amazon did *not* ship to Canada, but I've heard conflicting things recently.

 

*off to check amazon*

[athena1277]

Impish, have you tried staying away from all baked foods and pasta for a month or so, then slowly adding back in the GF baked foods and pasta? A lot of people who start GF past early childhood find that if you stay away from all the baked foods for several weeks find that they sort of "forget" exactly what "normal" baked foods taste like and then the GF foods are not so bad tasting. Might be worth a try if you are having so much trouble adjusting.

 

As for eating out, I agree that it's hard. It's better than it was a few years ago, but can still be tricky, especially if you are traveling.

[Mama Geek]

The mention of grits made me think of other southern/cajun dishes that would either be gluten free or probably easy to alter such as red beans and rice, cornbread, Jumbalaya, ect. Gumbo might even be possible if you made your own rue using gluten free flour.

 

We made Etouffee with Bob's Red Mill GF baking mix. It turned out great. It would work well in Jumbalya and Gumbo as well.

[Impish]

Suhweet! Looks like they've changed and now ship to Canada! Woooo hoooo!!!

 

ETA: Except the page keeps resetting and I can't look at squat. *headdesk*

 

ETA2: amazon *says* it ships to Canada, but when I go to order, they refuse to ship to my addy. *headwall*

Edited June 12, 2012 by Impish

[Mama Geek]

Something else you might look at is corn masa. I have ended up using it for tons of things. It is cheaper than alot of the other stuff. I usually mix it with some cornmeal to bread chicken or fish. I mix 3 parts corn masa with 1 part rice flour and a spoonful of xanthum gum, milk, eggs, vanilla, & cinnamon to make pancakes.

[Mom-ninja.]

I was hoping that my aversion to the rice pasta was a pregnancy thing. Nope. Still completely gack-a-riffic.

 

There are things that made me gag and vomit while I was pg and to this day I can't even smell them. Sometimes it's a memory thing.

 

I just finished Gluten Free Girl and she talks about learning to love food again. She says she focuses her meals on foods that are naturally gluten free for the most part. The book has some recipes in it that I want to try. The amaranth hot cereal sounds so yummy.

 

For breakfast I keep Van's gf waffles in the freezer for a quick breakfast along with precooked sausages.

 

We love hot rice cereal (I like the Arrow Mills brand although you could make your own), hot buckwheat (ds's favorite), and hot quinoa cereal.

 

I love love smoothies for breakfast. Those are easy and fast.

 

Start thinking of food that are not substitutes for gluten.

 

Tortilla chips with salsa, avocados, cheese, olives, etc. is a yummy lunch. Tuna or chicken salad eaten on lettuce leaves is really yummy. I like to use the whole romaine leaves.

 

Anyway, the book was nice to read. She also talks about how it's okay to grieve every now and then. Just don't let it over take your life. :001_smile:

 

I have days/moments when I feel sad that I can't just pick up the phone and order a pizza or Chinese because I'm too tired to cook. A few weeks ago my in-laws were talking about eating at my all time favorite Italian cafe and how good it was and I became angry. I was just fuming at the unfairness of it.

 

Know what I did? I went to the cafe armed with my little restaurant card in Italian, and had a nice chat with the owner. She is so lovely and nice and loved the little card. I went when they first opened so that I was the only one there and she had lots of time. She explained how they make things in the kitchen and how they clean. She told me most of the gelato would be safe for me to eat. She reassured me that she would personally serve me each time and make sure there was no cross contamination. Now, of course I can't eat their crepes and panini but that's okay. I love gelato. :001_smile:

 

Oh, as for pasta substitute I like spaghetti squash and it's also healthier. :D I like it with pesto.

 

Vent away. My dh always gets an earful when I'm depressed about it.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Impish - when did you go GF? It must have been during my absence from TWTM.

[Impish]

During my pregnancy w/Boo, DA. I probably should have been GF yrs ago, but all the pain meds I was on masked the symptoms I was having.

 

Once I went off the meds during my pregnancy, it became loud and clear that gluten was baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad for me.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Oh, all right then. I am sorry I missed that.

 

I hope following a GF diet becomes easier for you. I have to do it too and admit to feeling frustration when we try to eat out. It takes me forever to order and then I give the waitress/counter person so many instructions I feel like a freak. Justthe other day DH and I were eating breakfst at Denny's and I asked about whether or not the hash brown potatos wer GF. The cook was so flustered she brought the 5 lb box of frozen potatos to the table so I could read the label. It was embarrassing, everyone was looking at us.

 

I would love to be able to walk into a restaurant and order a french dip sandwhich and fries and be able to enjoy it.

 

When DH and I went to Gettysburg last week I was happy to find a GF cheese pizza on the menu in the cafeteria. It wasn't too bad; paid a bit with a minor allergic reaction to the cheese but oh well.

 

On the flip side I have never felt better and am thankful for finally knowing a trigger for so many negative things in my life (mental and physical health issues).

 

As time goes by I am finding more recipes to try and different foods that I enjoy thattake the place ofthe gluten filled goodies.

 

What I am upset about are the physical changes in my body. I am putting on belly fat and my tummy is becoming flabby. It's weird. I have always been athletic and solid so the flabbyness is disconcerting. I am also having a difficult time losing any weight. I find this especially annoying because so many people who have gone GF claim to lose 20 or so pounds the first year. I am not losing any weight but the fat seems to be redistributing itself. If only it would go to my behind! Now that would be something!!

[Dealea86]

It could be worse: You could also be allergic to dairy, eggs, soy and chocolate. :glare::001_smile:

 

:svengo:

 

My rule of thumb, like I said previously, is to try to mostly eat foods people have enjoyed for centuries. If it was invented in the last 50 years to try to mimic a gluten staple, I am very wary. But the corn/quinoa pasta is really pretty good. It turns the cooking water yellow, but once you get over that it's really very tasty.

[Critterfixer]

Quinoa pasta is good. The one thing I really would have missed was spaghetti noodles for my Salerno Spaghetti. So I like my quinoa.

I also would have missed toast. Thankfully I can have my bread because my local store started carrying Udi products. This has also meant that the rest of the family is now gluten-free for the most part when we are eating at home.

 

I don't eat gluten, soy or any non-cultured milk products. I can have yogurt, cheese and buttermilk, but even cooked milk is not good for me. I also avoid soy like it was a poison, which meant chocolate was out until I found a dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free chocolate. I'm also a little bummed out right now because I'm probably going to have to give up beans altogether, and I really like beans!

But I wouldn't trade how much better I feel now for all the ease of being able to eat whatever and wherever again. But I also really don't eat out much at all any more. There is one thing I have been able to eat at one restaurant here in town. I order that every time. For the rest I just cook it at home. My cooking beats most of the places in town anyway.:D

[Lisa in Jax]

Thanks everyone! I really do appreciate the suggestions.

 

As stupid as it may sound, I find myself mired in resentment some days, and yesterday was one of them. Instead of just getting on w/things, sometimes I find myself indulging in a good p!ss and moan session.

 

I think at least a part of the reason for that is, if I'd made a *choice* to eat this way, for whatever reason, it would be my decision, my control.

 

Having it *forced* upon me just makes me p!ssed. *sigh*

 

I *completely* understand. I'm somewhat resentful, too, though for a slightly different reason.

 

We eat this way b/c it helps normalize ds's behavior, but he's often unappreciative of the yummy things I make b/c he thinks he should be allowed to eat "normal" food. (He can't tell he's different when he eats gluten. We sure can, though!!)

 

It ticks me off to spend so much time making tasty substitutes for him, when he's often clueless about the time and love that goes into making it for him.

 

 

Lisa

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I *completely* understand. I'm somewhat resentful, too, though for a slightly different reason.

 

We eat this way b/c it helps normalize ds's behavior, but he's often unappreciative of the yummy things I make b/c he thinks he should be allowed to eat "normal" food. (He can't tell he's different when he eats gluten. We sure can, though!!)

 

It ticks me off to spend so much time making tasty substitutes for him, when he's often clueless about the time and love that goes into making it for him.

 

 

Lisa

You can come cook for me and will appreciate everything you do.

 

Just a note from someone who behaves poorly after eating gluten and spent many years causing problems for others with my attitude- thank you so much for sticking with it. You are doing the best thing for your son and you need to be applauded. I realize he doesn't appreciate it now but he will. You are making a difference!:grouphug:

[Lisa in Jax]

You can come cook for me and will appreciate everything you do.

 

Just a note from someone who behaves poorly after eating gluten and spent many years causing problems for others with my attitude- thank you so much for sticking with it. You are doing the best thing for your son and you need to be applauded. I realize he doesn't appreciate it now but he will. You are making a difference!:grouphug:

 

Wow. Thank you so much for that. It means a lot. :)

 

Do I understand you to say that in the past you didn't realize the difference in your attitude/behavior "on" gluten, but now you do? What changed? How did you recognize it?

 

My biggest wish is that ds will begin to see/feel the difference in his behavior "on" gluten, so that he will monitor it for himself. It sounds odd, but I almost wish gluten caused digestive upset, so he'd be more motivated to notice. For now, he doesn't like being on "the diet," so he sneaks food whenever he can, and he takes little to no responsibility for checking labels, etc., though he's old enough to do so (13).

 

Give me some hope? ;)

 

Lisa

[LaxMom]

Suhweet! Looks like they've changed and now ship to Canada! Woooo hoooo!!!

 

ETA: Except the page keeps resetting and I can't look at squat. *headdesk*

 

ETA2: amazon *says* it ships to Canada, but when I go to order, they refuse to ship to my addy. *headwall*

 

Um.... Not to seem like a crackpot but, are you on Amazon.ca? Because I'm seeing GF supplies on the site.

 

Gluten Free Mall on celiac.com ships internationally (I have trouble thinking of Canada as international for the purpose of shipping), as does Organic Wholesale Club. They have lots of GF options, and decent prices.

[amy g.]

We are GF here, and I've found that my kids are sensitive to the chemicles and preservatives in prepare GF products.

 

They do MUCH better with meals that only include fresh meat, natural cheese, nuts, eggs, fresh fruit or vegetables.

 

It seems daunting, but worth giving up convienience foods in the end.

 

They eat spaghetti squash instead of pasta.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Wow. Thank you so much for that. It means a lot. :)

 

Do I understand you to say that in the past you didn't realize the difference in your attitude/behavior "on" gluten, but now you do? What changed? How did you recognize it?

 

 

Give me some hope? ;)

 

Lisa

 

That is exactly what I am saying. I was a *itch, no doubt about it. Didn't know why, couldn't help it. MIL first noticed the food connection and would make me eat raw vegetables whenever I was too emotional, contrary, whatever you want to call it, but I didn't listen to her and ate whatever I wanted.

 

I knew something was wrong and went to psychologists and doctors to try to figure it out. Since the majority of my symptoms were behavioral I was diagnosed with chronic depression and a personality disorder. Long story short, I spent a number of years highly medicated (in a stupor at times) in order to control my behavior and emotions. The meds never seemed to work, however, and after a time dosages would be adjusted and new meds would be prescribed.

 

As time progressed I would self-medicate with pizza, chocolate, cake, more pizza, Panera Bagels, more pizza (pizza was my favorite comfort food);).

 

It was only when I became seriously physically ill about two years ago and began doing a series of food challenges and detox diets that I made the connection. After the big detox when I went sugar, gluten, and carb free for a month, I felt awesome. I was happy, emotionally stable, and that dark cloud that hovered over my head began to dissipate. Once I began to introduce foods back into my diet --Wham! The *itch was back. And these were simple foods - oatmeal with blueberries, a plain Panera bagel with butter, macaroni and cheese. It took all of about four meals to make the connection. Out went the carbs. I felt better.

 

I have been GF for about a year now and I cannot, and choose daily not to, eat gluten. I know what it does to me and my family. (tearing up over here out of guilt)

 

Truth is I can tell in less than an hour that I have consumed gluten. I begin to get emotional and weepy (much like PMS) but then the grumpiness starts and I become snippy and negative. When that hidden gluten makes it's way into my diet (mostly when I eat in restaurants) and I begin to feel the weepiness I apologize to my family for anything that will happen in the next few hours. I let them know it is not their fault, take everything with a grain of salt and get back to me tomorrow or the next day.

 

I have to laugh because any time I become perturbed or crabby (like when the dishes aren't done ortheir rooms are a mess) the first thing they ask is if it's the gluten talking.:D

 

The change in my behavior and emotional well being is so drastic my diagnosis of a pers. disorder has been rescinded/revoked/removed which makes me very happy.

 

There are times when I feel like a new life has been given to me. I was just telling DH that I feel awkward at times because I feel like I am discovering myself and the world all over again.

 

--

I wonder what my life could have been like if anyone had seen the food/gluten-beahavior connection when I was younger and had done something about it.

 

HTH