Speak To Me

[JerryK]

So I'm just creating a message today to stay in touch with my Gluten Free side. I figure it's

better to talk about it up front than ignore it and face the consequences.

So remind me of all the things that will happen to me if I slip up again and eat some DAMN

croutons

Hope everyone has a great weekend. j

[Lisa]

How's you hard-headed brother doing? (well at least one of them).

[L.A.]

Croutons=Crap...literally

[nikki-uk]

  L.A. said:

Croutons=Crap...literally

My hubby had the crouton experience once when we went out to a restaurant.

He'd spoken to the chef, explained what he mustn't have - chef said 'no problem'

Dinner was served up with croutons on top

(now just what did that chef think they were made from?? )

Hubby thought he'd get away with picking them off....big mistake!!!

...got that 3am urgent call for the bathroom!!!!!

[JerryK]

  Momma Goose said:

How's you hard-headed brother doing? (well at least one of them).

Well twin brother is now convinced that CYMBALTA is the cure all for his aches and pains.

Never mind that they went away when he went gluten-free for a while. He's sure it's "depression"

Never mind that the symptoms of being ill from what you're eating and "depression" are quite similar.

Can you tell it frustrates me?

Other brother now says "maybe it was a stomach flu".

My stomach flu sure went away after being gluten-free. Try convincing other people that

[Phyllis28]

Choices below:

A. Gluten = sick and bathroom

B. GlutenFree = feeling well and having fun

I always opt for B.

[Nantzie]

No matter how good something tastes at the moment, the payment for it last 10,000x longer than the enjoyment you felt for the moment. You wouldn't buy something with those terms would you?

It's like buying a car, driving it for a month and then paying for it for 10 years for that one-month experience.

Plus, we like having you around here.

Back away from the croutons Jerry.

Nancy

[UR Groovy]

JerryK,

Do I remember you saying you have anxiety/depression issues when you eat gluten? I'm pretty sure that you don't want to have anxiety, given the choice. Don't you kind of feel like maybe you spent enough of your life with these types of issues? Why invite even one more day of that into your life? One day is precious to me - I'd think that every day would be precious to someone like you too.

Let's see ... well-being vs. croutons. It's your battle - what are those things worth to you?

Added later: Now I remember - I think you didn't mention these specifically, but a general feeling of less anxiousness. Still ...

[Nancym]

It could be worse, you could have MY family. They think I'm nuts with the seeing Celiac all over their various illnesses.

[Guhlia]

  fajitas said:

JerryK,

Do I remember you saying you have anxiety/depression issues when you eat gluten? I'm pretty sure that you don't want to have anxiety, given the choice. Don't you kind of feel like maybe you spent enough of your life with these types of issues? Why invite even one more day of that into your life? One day is precious to me - I'd think that every day would be precious to someone like you too.

Let's see ... well-being vs. croutons. It's your battle - what are those things worth to you?

Added later: Now I remember - I think you didn't mention these specifically, but a general feeling of less anxiousness. Still ...

I agree... Especially with teenagers around, Jerry. Ugh... That's enough anxiety right there!

[pedro]

Hi JerryK

Did anyone mentioned

diarrhea

diarrhea

diarrhea

and then feeling like a big truck passed over you, in other words discombobulate.

men is hard to be gluten free!!!!!

Best regards

[johnsoniu]

If you slip up on croutons again I will bombard you with PM's, ridiculing you for cheating with croutons instead of something more nutritous and wholesome; like girl scout cookies, a Big Mac, or a deep dish pizza

Stay strong brother, we're all here for you

[Kellygirl]

Hope you can stay off the croutons. I am new and I have to say that reading this site is better than any of the Celiac books that I bought. This is a nice place to learn the diet the quick way that is for sure. I am affraid to eat out at all. I had a baked potato the other day at Wendy's and almost screamed at the lady when she went to cut it. She looked at me strange and I just told her I have food issues. I prefer to just eat at home where I know it is safe. This disease hasn't been as hard on me as I thought it would be. I can thanks my 4 year old nephew for that, he has a severe peanut allergy and there are times when he is with me in Tim Horton's when I get a coffee. Last week he pointed at all the delicious desserts and said those will kill me ya know. That's when I realized that he is a hell of a lot smarter than me, I was diagnosed a month ago and thought that I will just avoid bread and stuff when my stomach bugs me. That day I realized that I wasn't using my head and that my nephew was a lot smarter than me. I am going to try to remember that the next time I want a bean burrito or a granola bar. I just started the gluten free diet a week ago, the day after he told me that the donuts could kill him. Stick to your diet Jerry, it's only been a week for me but I feel better.

Kelly

[Ed-G]

  pedro said:

Hi JerryK

Did anyone mentioned

diarrhea

diarrhea

diarrhea

....and have Iforgotten to mention.....

...the diarrhea?

Ed inMD

[NoGluGirl]

  Kellygirl said:

Hope you can stay off the croutons. I am new and I have to say that reading this site is better than any of the Celiac books that I bought. This is a nice place to learn the diet the quick way that is for sure. I am affraid to eat out at all. I had a baked potato the other day at Wendy's and almost screamed at the lady when she went to cut it. She looked at me strange and I just told her I have food issues. I prefer to just eat at home where I know it is safe. This disease hasn't been as hard on me as I thought it would be. I can thanks my 4 year old nephew for that, he has a severe peanut allergy and there are times when he is with me in Tim Horton's when I get a coffee. Last week he pointed at all the delicious desserts and said those will kill me ya know. That's when I realized that he is a hell of a lot smarter than me, I was diagnosed a month ago and thought that I will just avoid bread and stuff when my stomach bugs me. That day I realized that I wasn't using my head and that my nephew was a lot smarter than me. I am going to try to remember that the next time I want a bean burrito or a granola bar. I just started the gluten free diet a week ago, the day after he told me that the donuts could kill him. Stick to your diet Jerry, it's only been a week for me but I feel better.

Kelly

Dear Jerry,

How much do you love your gallbladder? Do you want to keep it? If so, stay gluten-free! Otherwise, you will have to get it out. Gluten intolerance and Celiac are linked to gallbladder disease. Also, would you like to keep your intestines? How fond of those are you? I was just wondering, since many people end up damaging theirs when they eat gluten. Do you like sweets? Diabetes can be caused by gluten intolerance and Celiac as well. Just a thought, buddy!

Dear Kelly,

Welcome to the forum! I have a little welcoming gift for you!

I have a list that should really help. This is overwhelming. I went through this with myself six months ago. You spend most of your day cooking and cleaning obsessively. The rest you are on the phone with reps from companies trying to find out what is safe. I decided to save you the trouble!

1. There are a number of things in the regular grocery that are safe. Some things are labeled already. Wal-Mart's Great Value brand has numerous things you can eat.

2. For the love of God use Coupons on items you are allowed to eat. People can get them and print them out online even. Call some of the local stores and ask if they accept online coupons.

3. Check the ads online and in the newspaper. You would be surprised how many people do not do this.

4. Some items like rice flour and rice noodles are safe to buy at the Chinese or oriental market. The merchants are more than happy to help you if you cannot read the label.

Now, here is my list of great things to get you started:

Condiments:

Smart Balance Margerine*

Crisco Shortening

Crisco Oil

Pompeiian Olive Oil

Great Value soy sauce

Heinz Ketchup

Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce (all Lea & Perrins Products are safe)

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce

Kraft French Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Kraft Thousand Island Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Pace Picante Sauce

Ortega Salsa

All Classico Red and *White sauces

All Jif Peanut Butters including Smooth Sensations

Welch's Grape Jelly

Cool Whip*

Philadelphia Cream Cheese*

Miracle Whip

Daisy Sour Cream (fat-free, low-fat, regular)*

Snack Foods:

Utz Potato Chips (Found at Sam

[Nantzie]

Hey Jerry -

I've made some pretty good croutons out of gluten-free bread. I love croutons, so I totally get how you could fall off the wagon on those. I used to eat croutons out of the box like other people would eat crackers. Plus, they're so small and innocent looking.

I haven't made them for a while, but this is basically what I do.

Cut some gluten-free bread into crouton-sized cubes. If you can plan ahead (I never can) leave them out to stale for a few hours or overnight.

Melt a stick of butter or 1/2 cup of margarine. If you use real butter, I like salted because then I don't have to add much, if any.

Add some seasoning - pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, italian seasoning, paprika; that kind of thing. I mix it up real well with a wisk and dip in a cube of bread and eat it to get a feel for the seasoning. Careful if you add more salt - you can't really back off from too much salt very easily.

Put the bread cubes into the butter mixture. Let them sit long enough to seem like they've soaked up the butter really well. Add more bread cubes if you need to. You don't want them swimming or soggy, just coated.

Preheat the oven to 250.

Get a baking sheet - with sides. Spray it with gluten-free cooking spray. Even though you're working with butter, the cooking spray does help a little for some reason.

Spread the bread cubes out in a single layer (do this in more than one batch if you need to).

Put them in the oven. Watch them like a hawk. (Mostly because I don't remember how long this is going to take...) You're going to want to have a low temp for a while until they're dried out. I need this step because I don't plan ahead well. Once they're crunchy and just need some browning (just grab one out, let it cool and eat it to check), you can up the temp to 275 or 300. Heck, if it's going to slow for you, crank it up to 325 or 350. Just make sure you WATCH them.

Let me know if you try it. I've ended up with some not too great croutons and I've ended up with croutons I have to hide from my husband.

Nancy

[gfp]

  Kellygirl said:

Hope you can stay off the croutons. I am new and I have to say that reading this site is better than any of the Celiac books that I bought. This is a nice place to learn the diet the quick way that is for sure. I am affraid to eat out at all. I had a baked potato the other day at Wendy's and almost screamed at the lady when she went to cut it. She looked at me strange and I just told her I have food issues. I prefer to just eat at home where I know it is safe. This disease hasn't been as hard on me as I thought it would be. I can thanks my 4 year old nephew for that, he has a severe peanut allergy and there are times when he is with me in Tim Horton's when I get a coffee. Last week he pointed at all the delicious desserts and said those will kill me ya know. That's when I realized that he is a hell of a lot smarter than me, I was diagnosed a month ago and thought that I will just avoid bread and stuff when my stomach bugs me. That day I realized that I wasn't using my head and that my nephew was a lot smarter than me. I am going to try to remember that the next time I want a bean burrito or a granola bar. I just started the gluten free diet a week ago, the day after he told me that the donuts could kill him. Stick to your diet Jerry, it's only been a week for me but I feel better.

Kelly

Kelly.....

I think you are making a VERY wise choice and one I wasn't smart enough to do at 1st....

What I would say is having your gluten-free haven is VERY important... (it is to me)...

However after A while I do eat out... and I do get sick on occaision....ITS IMPOSSIBLE to be gluten-free and eat out regualrly because try as they might (or sometimes not) the kitchens are full of gluten...

Even without the croutons ... if the chef doesn't realise this what if the sald came without croutons anyway? It doesn't mean the chef didn't unwittingly contaminate it ...

NoGluGirls list is a good start but remember she has specical circumstances that she lives at home with parents don't understand nor want to understand celiac disease... Personally I wouldn't trust Kraft .. BUT if I were in NoGlueGirls's situation it would be far better than risking parental CC.... but I have a luxury she does not...

The point is you have to find a risk level for your situation.... If you can be 100% gluten-free at home its obviously better but if you have to share a kitchen then something in a sealed packet can be your best bet! My advice would be if you can don't eat ANYTHING processed.... having said that I buy my corn tortillas, I could make them but I have found a decent brand seems not to give me probs... the nice thing about being gluten-free 100% at home is you can add a food item AND test it objectively... so when I tried my gluten-free taco's and tortillas I didn't eat out for a week before... or after... and did super paranoid mode washing hands etc. after using restroom doors (i.e. wetwipes on the door handle to get out) and train rails etc.

The chance of glutening on these is really small BUT from my POV I want my test of the new product to be as definitive as possible!

The more processed and ingredients a food has the more chance one of them is CC'd ... and 99% of those risky ingredients are just additives anyways....

I just bought a convenience item the other day.... its a frozen meat and tomatoe spagetti sauce and its labelled with tomatoes, herbs, beef salt and corn starch... (that's it) however... I still view it as a gamble... we will have to see,

[gfp]

  Nantzie said:

Let me know if you try it. I've ended up with some not too great croutons and I've ended up with croutons I have to hide from my husband.

Nancy

Hey... I do this all the time but I just fry them.... and I'm very happy with the results... I find the gluten-free bread already has that dry/hard texture to start with... your's might (well probably are) be better but mine I find almost foolproof and REALLY quick and easy.

[kevsmom]

Hey Jerry - Would you prefer to be off having fun and chasing your nieces or sitting on the pot? Cindy

[Nantzie]

  gfp said:

Hey... I do this all the time but I just fry them.... and I'm very happy with the results... I find the gluten-free bread already has that dry/hard texture to start with... your's might (well probably are) be better but mine I find almost foolproof and REALLY quick and easy.

I've done it in a pan before too. It works just as well. I've found that if I make a big batch and get them nice and dried out, I can keep them in a container to use whenever I need them, so that's how I do it.

But Jerry, if you need a crouton fix in a hurry, do them in a pan.

Nancy