Is It Absolutely Necessary To Buy All New Stuff?

[queenofhearts]

The traditional method of stripping the seasoning from a cast iron pan right down to the metal is to put it into a fire and leave it until the fire burns out. Sounds like you've got it down pat.

Great! I was dreading having to replace all my cast iron stuff-- I have several skillets & a muffin pan-- I'm going to "self-clean" them all in the oven & forbid gluten to touch them henceforth.

At this rate my oven's going to be cleaner than it was when I bought it!

Thanks,

Leah

[TCA]

I'm a cast iron cook. I even have one pan my grandmother started housekeeping with in the 1930s. Needless to say, I'm NOT throwing it out. By the time I found out this could be an issue, I had been cooking in my cast iron for about 4 mos. I gave it all a good scrubbing, but I think I cooked it all out. anyway, I love the self cleaning oven idea. Think I may do that just to be safe! Thanks!

What about bread machines? I tried using mine this week and I cleaned it really well, but I think the bread is what made my son and me sick....... Anyone had luck using an old one?

[aspenkeep]

Ok, this topic was the straw that broke this little camel's back.

I never heard of celiac disease (sprue) before I was diagnosed last Friday (or if I did, I didn't pay attention). I knew I needed to learn more about the subject which is why I came here. But I must be in the wrong place because I'm just getting more and more overwhelmed.

I was under the impression that I had to give up gluten (that alone is daunting), but I have to replace my kitchen utensils and keep two sets? I have two "resistent to change" teenagers -- how would I keep cross-contamination from occuring in my home?

I learned a lot in this topic, but can someone point me to the basic elementary school-level "You have celiac disease and these are the basic steps you need to take?" I tried our library, but all the celiac disease books are checked out.

I need a Celiac Disease 101 or Celiac for Dummies site which tells you step by step all the things involved in celiac disease and how to cope with and live with it?

[2kids4me]

I have 2 children with celiac....do all my baking gluten free but have husband who likes his gluten.

All I did was buy a second toaster that is dedicated gluten-free.

if my husband wants gluten baking - I buy it from the store /bakery. Wheat flour etc is just too"poofy" and the dust creates problems - so I only keep gluten-free flours.

I kept all the pans and when I cook gluten-free? I line it with Tin foil and grease it -kinda like a second skin.

The BBQ? I use those foil pans they sell for just that purpose - they have perforations to let grease drip through but then stuff never touches the grill (great for camping).

If my hubby wants to make reg toast - he just prepares it away from the area I am working at - he will wipe the counter and dry it.

My kids are sensitive to gluten and so far we have done well.

It IS overwhelming - I dont think I felt like I had a handle on it for at least 3 months - right about the time my son was diagnosed and we had to figure out the diabetic/celiac combo (ARGHH).

It wil get easier, sometimes frustrating but your health will improve.

Many great links on this site to explain things. For me, I like books so I bought Bette Hagmans cook book, the first part of the book explains things well and is a handy reference to check back with(she has a couple out - it is one of the basic ones).

[gfp]

I have 2 children with celiac....do all my baking gluten free but have husband who likes his gluten.

All I did was buy a second toaster that is dedicated gluten-free.

if my husband wants gluten baking - I buy it from the store /bakery. Wheat flour etc is just too"poofy" and the dust creates problems - so I only keep gluten-free flours.

I kept all the pans and when I cook gluten-free? I line it with Tin foil and grease it -kinda like a second skin.

The BBQ? I use those foil pans they sell for just that purpose - they have perforations to let grease drip through but then stuff never touches the grill (great for camping).

If my hubby wants to make reg toast - he just prepares it away from the area I am working at - he will wipe the counter and dry it.

My kids are sensitive to gluten and so far we have done well.

It IS overwhelming - I dont think I felt like I had a handle on it for at least 3 months - right about the time my son was diagnosed and we had to figure out the diabetic/celiac combo (ARGHH).

It wil get easier, sometimes frustrating but your health will improve.

Many great links on this site to explain things. For me, I like books so I bought Bette Hagmans cook book, the first part of the book explains things well and is a handy reference to check back with(she has a couple out - it is one of the basic ones).

The point is there is gluten-free and Gluten-Free.

Life is full of risks and choices, all we can do is swing them in our favor.

If your husband had a penchant for making rat poision at home would you use the same pans and coat them in tin foil? Of couse you can eat far more rat poision than gluten without being sick but replace this with the noixious subtance of your choice.

The bottom line is we all have to make compromises, I eat out quite often and sometimes get sick... however I have always my own kitchen to retreat to.

how would I keep cross-contamination from occuring in my home?

The simple answer is not to have any gluten in the home. The long answer is there is a lot of compromise .. you can have a seperate kitchen, if you have room ... but make sure to have a seperate set of dishcloths and vacuum cleaner.

In the end you cannot avoid CC. If the kids go out in the real world they will touch things with gluten on be it a store doorhandle or public transport or whatever. If you live in the country they will breath in gluten when its harvest time... so the point is you need to balance out the risks with a quality of life.

Most people who set out on a gluten-free journey do so with partial information and it takes a lot of time and self-examination to actually find the causes. You like everyone else will make mistakes, we are human but the great strength of humans is to be able to learn from our mistakes but we must first make the choice to do so.

[aspenkeep]

Thank you for your answers.

I hadn't even thought about the grill and it's definitely covered with gluten as I marinade a lot and have thrown out many of our marinades for containing gluten. A new toaster and covering the pans I can do. I tossed the wooden spoons -- what about the plastic ones? I guess I don't use the pots that were used to boil pasta anymore?

On cross contamination, I was thinking of MY new toaster and plastic storage containers, I hadn't even considered the vacuum cleaner or dish cloths. I think I'll stay with trying not to put gluten in my mouth first before I try to remove it from everywhere else in my life. I'd have to wear gloves to feed the dogs in that case. (no don't tell me that I have to do that yet -- wait until I've processed the basics of eating first)

The more I read, the more I've come to the conclusion that we all have to go gluten free (and the kids can have their occasional gluten snack).

I just keep hitting these new awarenesses of what to watch for and every so often it gets overwhelming. Just when I think I've come to accept this, there's a new aspect of it, i.e. tossing all my appliances and buying new, which is not an option at the moment.

[gfp]

Thank you for your answers.

I hadn't even thought about the grill and it's definitely covered with gluten as I marinade a lot and have thrown out many of our marinades for containing gluten. A new toaster and covering the pans I can do. I tossed the wooden spoons -- what about the plastic ones? I guess I don't use the pots that were used to boil pasta anymore?

If they are stainless steel then they will clean up ... lots of elbow grease and scouring and throw away the scouring pad afterwards.

On cross contamination, I was thinking of MY new toaster and plastic storage containers, I hadn't even considered the vacuum cleaner or dish cloths.

Well the dishcloths are probably the first thing ... but if you are vacuuming up gluten (be it dog biscuits or whatever) then it will be recirculated out into the air unless its a hypo-allergenic one with the special filters.

Im moving the order of your post here, you will se why.

The more I read, the more I've come to the conclusion that we all have to go gluten free (and the kids can have their occasional gluten snack).

I have to agree ... it took me a long time to accept this and the same for most people here but its one of those things that can't just be told to someone ... it really does take some time and self-introspection.

I just keep hitting these new awarenesses of what to watch for and every so often it gets overwhelming. Just when I think I've come to accept this, there's a new aspect of it, i.e. tossing all my appliances and buying new, which is not an option at the moment.

Yep but you can work around it. Even if you just buy some temporary cheap pans from wallmart ... try describing to someone how to ride a bike ... you can't its a practice thing but the gluten thing is more like someone trying to describe how to fly a helicopter. But the point is flying a helicopter isn't difficult for those who do it everyday ... its practice. In time being gluten-free is the same way .... the time it takes is largely howe much effort you put in and acceptance. You don't need a PhD to fly a helicopter or fighter plane heck some of the pilots can barely speak their mother tongue but what they have is lots of practice and effort.

I think I'll stay with trying not to put gluten in my mouth first before I try to remove it from everywhere else in my life. I'd have to wear gloves to feed the dogs in that case. (no don't tell me that I have to do that yet -- wait until I've processed the basics of eating first)

The simplest thing is to not give the dogs gluten ... they can get plenty of fibre from your leftover's.... my mother did this for a year and couldn't understand where she was being glutened from ... doigs eat buscuits, dogs make crumbs and lick you ...

Really the simplest way is to regard gluten as poision ... once you put yourself in the mindset its perseverence more than constant set-backs and confusion. Beleive me .. I was determined to not be super-sensitive when I was diagnosed .. I thought I could just not eat bread and pasta and I'd be one of those that can eat oats... and my stubborness cost me a good 6 months of misery.

However if anyone had told me I would have not accepted it ....

[TCA]

aspenkeep,

GFP has given you some great advice here, I just wanted to add that we've all been where you are right now and we've made it. Just take it a day at a time and do what you can in that day. Here's a few tips on things you can do:

1. Go through your pantry and call the 1-800 #s on the backs of the package to see if they're gluten-free. Ask the manufacturers for gluten-free food lists. Most are great about this and will also send you coupons. The web also will have some companies lists. this takes some time, but it helps you identify what you're already using that could be gluten-free.

2. Do the same with your med cabinet. Call about any drugs you take. This is sometimes harder to get infor on, especially with generics. Vitamins, pain killers, cold meds, everything has to be checked.

3. Move on to your health and beauty supplies next. This may not seem like a big priority, but it really is. Espcially anything that goes on your hands. My daughter was VERY sick over some curel lotion we were using, then touching her bottles, etc. Unilever, lubriderm, and suave are some good companies for listing gluten ingredients, so that might be good to start with.

4. Buy some gluten free treats that make you feel like you can eat!!! I highly recommend Enjoy LIfe snickerdoodles, Chebe breads and pizza crust, Cause your Special (glutenfreegourmet.com) and Pamela's brands (on sale now at amazon .com), and Tinkyada pasta. If you don't have a good health food store near you, glutenfreemall.com is a good place to start and order from.

5. You don't have to throw out all your pans, but do be careful. I didn't realize this was an issue for months and months and got glutened several times. I wouldn't use cast iron, wooden spoons, colanders and scratched teflon pans. Other things will probably be ok if you wash them good and use the dishwasher!!!!

6. Take a breath!!! You're not going to be able to do this over night, but it will all come together. We're all here to help, so try not to panic!!! I have a list for my son I called celiac disease 101. My daughter is in the hospital a lot and we have this list for people who care for him during those times. It might help you to get started. PM me with your e-mail address if you want it. It has the foods he likes on there, but it's mostly kid type stuff.

Good luck and it will be ok!!!!!

[2kids4me]

If your husband had a penchant for making rat poision at home would you use the same pans and coat them in tin foil? Of couse you can eat far more rat poision than gluten without being sick but replace this with the noixious subtance of your choice

Whoa now. What I meant by coating the pans with tin foil is that I use the same pans as I had before, I scrubbed them and yet still coat them with tin foil to cook the food on (just to be sure). The only gluten in our house is the wheat bread he uses for toast ( in a separate toaster) or baked goods which are NOT baked in any pans in this house. All meals are gluten-free. I did replace the loaf pans with the seamless kind because I knew I couldnt get the seams totally clean in my old loaf pans.

There is a real world out there and I show the kids how we can eat safe in the presence of gluten. If butter may be used on something gluten, a separate amount is placed in a glass bowl. The kids know that it is not for them. ANY home baking is strictly gluten-free as I said.

We deal with a lot more than celiac in this house and I wanted to pass on how I did it without the added expense of replacing every pan in the house. We lay out about 500$ a month at the drugstore for diabetic supplies and we had to be realistic. I went on the advice of the GI doc - kids are both healthy and followed by an expert in Celiac disease -he is currently a board member in the Canadian Celiac Association.

[aspenkeep]

Thank you all so much. All of you.

Hmm I haven't done #3 or #6 yet, I've done 1,2,4. Maybe I should put #6 first :-)

I wonder if I put the grill grate in the stove and run the self-cleaning cycle if it that would work. I'm going to try that as soon as the temps drop.

About the dog food; I used to feed my dogs the BARF (Bones and Raw Food) diet, but had to stop recently due to cost. Will start it up again when things even out and then I won't be glutened by them.

I feel better after making a run to the grocery store (after throwing away half of the pantry in the past few days). I have myself some snacks and such so that I don't feel anxious when I want to snack. Now we have a variety of snacks that I can eat. My boys were even agreeable and everything we got is gluten-free. One was disappointed when he discovered that Potato bread isn't made solely from potatoes!

I've gotten a couple more books from the library and started reading them. I feel comfortable with using foil on my pots and pans until I buy new. I'll get the new can opener and toaster sooner. I've really bleached the sink. Guess I'm off to look at my health and beauty supplies and try and figure out if they have gluten in them.

Thanks again for the support during my breakdown.

[gfp]

I've really bleached the sink.

Bleach won't make any difference one way or the other ... if you want a specific cleaner then alcohol is best since gluten is by definition soluble in alcohol.

Whoa now. What I meant by coating the pans with tin foil is that I use the same pans as I had before, I scrubbed them and yet still coat them with tin foil to cook the food on (just to be sure).

Slow down, Im just trying to illustrate how to view gluten. If you think of it like rat poision then it really helps, except of course rat poision is usually not so toxic in small amounts.

While we think of it as a food, albeit one to avoid we treat it differently.

If you had used the pans to make rat poision would you still be using them?

In fact it wouldn't do you any harm if they are well washed out but you think about it differently ... its like food manufacturers with "natural flavoring" or drug companies using vegetable products as a base ... we think of wheat as a food not a poision and until we make the mental connections we tend to handle it and think of it differently ..

p.s. On BBQ's : apparently many of the briquettes are made with a part of wheat stalks and waste so real wood charcoal is safer.

[aspenkeep]

Word of advice (from experience!) Do NOT put the barbecue grill in the oven on clean cycle until you have removed ALL of the grease from the junctions -- especially where the grill is welded. Otherwise it smokes and causes the fire alarms to sound exciting everyone.

Oh I'll clean the sink with alcohol then and soak all the stoppers too. Thanks.

We have a gas grill rather than charcoal, but I'll keep that in mind the next time we use charcoal. Gosh that gluten is in everything isn't it.

Sure hope I don't develope a soy sensitivity -- noticed that Soy is in everything also.