Kitchen Organization

[frances]

Forgive me if this has been covered before. I have a 3 year old that is gluten/corn/cowmilk intolerant. We have been at this for a while. I would love to throw everything out of the house that she is intolerant to but that hasn't happened yet.

It has been challenging to learn to cook for her but we are doing okay. I do all the cooking. I keep food, snacks, etc. in strategic places so that my husband knows what is acceptable for her to have. He doesn't know how to cook for her, and neither do any extended family members. She is only 3, so she is only responsible for her diet as a 3 year old would be. I am concerned that if something happened to me or I was out of commission for a time; that no one could step in and cook for her properly.

We live in a remote area - very difficult to find ingredients to cook with; or prepared foods that she can have. I have been putting together a notebook (with plastic sleeves) where I am putting labels from ingredients, convenience foods, etc. I am listing where I purchased the items, the cost, cross-referencing recipes, - generally how to use them. Am I reinventing the wheel?

Is there a resource already available that would help me catalogue ingredients and convenience items and provide the necessary information so someone else besides myself could understand what to purchase and how to prepare it? Am I nuts?

[Smunkeemom]

I am currently writing my own database to do that, I have no clue if there is another one out there commercially available.

I have a notebook like you talked about (okay big confession I have 4)

I have been thinking lately about having a Saturday where I teach hubby how to cook all the gluten free stuff the girls eat, and go through labels with him to make sure he knows what he is looking for, but I haven't done it yet.

You might try putting everything in a spreadsheet on your computer, if you are an organization freak like me, it looks better than the notebooks.

[frances]

I am currently writing my own database to do that, I have no clue if there is another one out there commercially available.

I have a notebook like you talked about (okay big confession I have 4)

I have been thinking lately about having a Saturday where I teach hubby how to cook all the gluten free stuff the girls eat, and go through labels with him to make sure he knows what he is looking for, but I haven't done it yet.

You might try putting everything in a spreadsheet on your computer, if you are an organization freak like me, it looks better than the notebooks.

Smumkeemom:

Thank you so much! So I'm not crazy. We haven't met anyone in real life that is doing what we are doing - noone has a clue as to what happens to my daughter if we don't stick to this diet. It's just good to know that I am not the only one dealing with this.

I am planning to organize mine on the computer but haven't quite figured out how yet - my husband won't touch the computer so it will be for me.

[Smunkeemom]

Smumkeemom:

Thank you so much! So I'm not crazy. We haven't met anyone in real life that is doing what we are doing - noone has a clue as to what happens to my daughter if we don't stick to this diet. It's just good to know that I am not the only one dealing with this.

I am planning to organize mine on the computer but haven't quite figured out how yet - my husband won't touch the computer so it will be for me.

haha, you know, people do think I am crazy. I have a special sponge for my counter and a different one for my gluten free dishes and another for my gluten dishes and yeah, I am a nut.

(they are all color coded too)

I memorized the forbidden ingredients list in my sig (from celiac.com) and I have little "food folders" that go where my girls go, that has a page about celiac, and then a page of safe foods, and another of foods to NEVER even let them touch, then behind that it's got the gluten free menus for some fast food places (in case there is an emergency and they need food) they take them everywhere, I let them color the outside and put stickers on them LOL

yeah, I might be a nut, but my kids are always going to have info with them so they can eat right.

EDIT: I forgot about the fact that I carry a USB drive with all the info with me, so I can print it out if need be (of course I have to get ahold of a computer and printer) and also it's all on my palm pilot.... yeah, I told you.. people think I am a nut.

I am working on making my own dining cards.........

[acousticmom]

Is there a resource already available that would help me catalogue ingredients and convenience items and provide the necessary information so someone else besides myself could understand what to purchase and how to prepare it? Am I nuts?

When my son was diagnosed with celiac disease, I started working on a database like that. But I never finished it, since he's twelve and good at reading labels and helping cook, and hubby and extended family have been learning this stuff along with me. (After reading how many people deal with unsupportive families, I tell them all the time what a blessing they are!!)

Anyway, I've considered finishing the database and marketing it online, just not sure how many people are as nuts/anal as me! But it's such an overwhelming amount of info, and so hard to communicate to others. . .

Would such a tool be helpful if it were inexpensive? I'd love your thoughts.

Carol

[Smunkeemom]

When my son was diagnosed with celiac disease, I started working on a database like that. But I never finished it, since he's twelve and good at reading labels and helping cook, and hubby and extended family have been learning this stuff along with me. (After reading how many people deal with unsupportive families, I tell them all the time what a blessing they are!!)

Anyway, I've considered finishing the database and marketing it online, just not sure how many people are as nuts/anal as me! But it's such an overwhelming amount of info, and so hard to communicate to others. . .

Would such a tool be helpful if it were inexpensive? I'd love your thoughts.

Carol

I am almost done with mine, it should be commercially available by June of next year (gotta let people test if first)

I wonder though with so many people having other "food issues" if a gluten free one is enough? It seems like I really need to work on ones for all kinds of intolerances, but then my goal of June 07 would have come and gone before I could get it ready

[acousticmom]

I am almost done with mine, it should be commercially available by June of next year (gotta let people test if first)

I wonder though with so many people having other "food issues" if a gluten free one is enough? It seems like I really need to work on ones for all kinds of intolerances, but then my goal of June 07 would have come and gone before I could get it ready

It's hard to know where to stop, since so many food intolerances can be intertwined, with or without celiac disease. Best of luck!

Carol

[frances]

Wow! Thank you both for your replies. I would be satisfied with a program of some kind for gluten if I knew that down the road there would be 'plugins' for other food issues. Or gluten/dairy and updates later. It seems complicated to me as I am not that computer savvy.

We do pretty good at avoiding gluten/cow milk. Corn seems harder to avoid - and getting harder all the time.

[Smunkeemom]

Wow! Thank you both for your replies. I would be satisfied with a program of some kind for gluten if I knew that down the road there would be 'plugins' for other food issues. Or gluten/dairy and updates later. It seems complicated to me as I am not that computer savvy.

We do pretty good at avoiding gluten/cow milk. Corn seems harder to avoid - and getting harder all the time.

good to know, thanks for the input.

[angel-jd1]

I know of one lady who had a toddler. She would label each safe piece of food with a stickey label. She might have a fruit leather and it would have a sticker on it that said "Gabby's Snacks". Her little girl knew that if it had this sticker, then it was safe and it was hers to eat.

A system like this would be helpful if you ever had to go somewhere, had a babysitter, or hubby was watching the little one. The toddler would know on her own that her snacks were safe if they had the sticker. Could be a little expensive to label the food, but if you only did this when absolutely necessary. Or even just kept a small stash of things labeled for when dad was "on duty", it could be helpful for all.

-Jessica

[taz sharratt]

i kinda feel the same but its just me who is intolerant and everyone is fine so im allways wanting thier food or they are wanting mine.