Helpful Tips?

[tgrand]

Ok, so I have been gluten-free since Oct. Doing well on the diet, very motivated to NOT cheat. Found a great new doc in Jan who did blood work and determined that I have Iron, Vit B 12, Vit D deficiencies as well as osteopenia and Sjogren's Syndrome. Needless to say, due to my vitamin levels, I'm still dealing with fatigue sometimes. Thankfully, my doctor's office has a great (3 month) nutritional program and it's really helping me. When I do what I'm supposed to, as outlined in the plan (eat healthy and take vitamins), I feel great. I don't need to lose weight (only 112), just trying to heal my body nutritionally. Also trying to exercise at least 3 times a week due to my energy level and particularly b/c of my osteopenia (bone loss). Here's the deal. We have a 2 year old and I feel like all we do is cook and do dishes, housework and chores. I enjoy cooking and don't mind eating healthy, but by golly sometimes I just wish we could order a pizza last minute on a hectic day. I get tired of freezing meals, planning ahead and just "doing" everything. I look at our life and I don't really see where we can save time to relax and enjoy life more. Gotta eat healthy and have to eat at home mostly due to gluten issues and financial concerns. Am I the only one who gets overwhelmed with all the busyness of life now that the gluten free thing complicates the family diet? Yes life is hectic for everyone, but it's more so with this lovely "lifestyle". Does anyone have any great time saving tips for cooking or other chores for that matter? I hate doing, doing, doing around the house and then crashing at the end of the day too tired to spend time with my husband. I also want to spend more time with my daughter. Don't get me wrong, I'm not feeling like gluten-free is a death sentence or whatever. I just wish there wasn't so much work with the food and a toddler and general life stuff, ya know! Busy, busy, busy. I am a stay at home mom, by the way.

Last night I did not want to cook. We feed my daughter a mini pizza on gluten-free bread and then he and I had rotel dip with chips. Easy? Yes! Good for you? Absolutely not! I felt like I had a brick in my tummy last night and today I feel yucky. Just wanted to share my lazy no "cooking" story.

I guess I'm just having a day. Would appreciate any tips, suggestions, easy meal ideas, etc.

FYI - I really appreciate having everyone on here to "talk" to. I don't know any Celiacs locally, so I sometimes feel alone in it. Thankfully I have a super supportive non-Celiac husband.

Blessing to all!

TGrand

[Darn210]

Well, I do a lot of the freezing thing . . . when I make one casserole for supper, I make an extra at the same time to freeze. Anything that I make that freezes well, I make extra and freeze for the times I just don't feel like cooking.

But here are my quick meals . . .

Tacos (Ortega spice packet, Ortega corn taco shells, and Ortega sauce . . . oh yeah, and the cheese and lettuce)

Hormel's Beef roast or Pork roast (with aus jus, NOT gravy) with some quick type potatoes - I've got these frozen mashed potato cakes that I get through Market Day (fundraiser thing from the kids school) or you could do Betty Crocker potato buds

Baked (Nuked) potato and salad

There are some soups (Progresso brand lists gluten on label) and Chili (Hormel I think) but my hubby isn't a soup person

Omlets

[Phyllis28]

I love my crock pot. I like dinner being ready with a minimal amount of fuss in the evening.

I make extra and freeze or refrigerate the extra in single servings.

I will list some of my quick and easy meals, although they may not be healthy enough for you but you maybe able to adapt them.

Pizza - Corn tortillas, Enrico's (or other gluten free pizza sauce), gluten free pepperoni and cheese. 2 corn tortillas on the bottom, pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni in the middle and on corn tortilla on top. Microwave.

Meat Melt.- Corn tortilla, Tuna or other cold meat, cheese, tomatoes and lettece. Micowave the corn tortilla, meat and cheese Taco style and tomatoes and lettece.

Gluten Free Baked Beans and Hot Dog. Cut the Hot Dog into the Baked Beans. Microwave.

Chef type Salad. Cold Meat (tuna, ham, turkey, and or chicken), hard boiled egg, tomatoes and other raw vegetables of you choice, cheese and gluten free salad dressing.

Stuffed baked potato. Microwave baked potato until almost done. Add meat, cheese and/or veggies. Microwave until done. Add any other toppings such as, diced tomatoes, butter, sour cream ect...

Also, WholeFoods has Pacific Foods and 365 chicken broth in small boxes (I think they are 6 or 8 oz). I use these instead of making my own chicken broth. WholeFoods also has big boxes of chicken broth, beef broth and vegetable broth. Neither brand has any preservitives.

[missy'smom]

The rice cooker is our friend. I haven't been feeling well lately eating the typical American breakfast stuff so we decided this week to go back to a more Japanese(DH is from Japan) approach to cooking as our weekday routine. We are cooking a rice cooker full of rice in the am. Breakfast is rice, brown white or mixed or with quinoa added, or a pilaf, a 5 min. soup(packaged or homemade), meat or stir fry and maybe a quick veg. or salad. Rice goes into lunch boxes for DH and DS and the rest is for my lunch or if enough, for dinner. Any leftovers from breakfast go into lunch boxes or for my lunch or saved for lunches tomorrow. Lunches for today are supplemented with fruit, or no-cook/warm up/minimal prep items from our freezer stash. Dinner is made mostly fresh. DH and I worked together this am and I needed to get up only 30 min. earlier. Breakfast prep does triple duty. I felt better. My whole goal with this is better nutrition for me and overall less time in the kitchen.

Twice a month I freeze chicken strips, breaded cutlets,meatballs and meatloafs made in muffin tins(using ice cream scoops to form them) so that I can warm up them up individually. I also make and freeze banana bread and cupcakes. I don't do casseroles or whole meals. I just make and freeze the types of things I mentioned, things that can be re-heated in any amount I wish and that can be made assembly line style and quickly and then warm them up or finish cooking them and add simply prepared rice or pot. or pasta and frozen veg or salad for an easy meal.

If your two year old was a little older, I'd say put her to work. I've trained my son(9) over the years to know how to do most of the housework so that he can help as needed. Some things were taught in steps over a few years. When you have a young one at home, everything can seem endless. If you don't already have a set routine, it may help to establish one. I just couldn't keep up with everything everyday when my son was young and I was sick so I set certain tasks for certain days so that they got done at least once a week or every other week.

Hang in there. It will get better.

[Wonka]

Life is busy with a two year old in the house.

There are alot of very easy meals that can be thrown together and still be healthy. Keep greens cleaned and in the crisper. Make a nice vinegarette (enough for a few days) then you have some greens to throw together when you want to have a quick meal of say: quesadillas, tacos, a quick saute of thin chicken pieces (these slice easy if they are partially frozen - do ahead and freeze they will thaw faster when they are thin) with a sauce (I love 1/3 c. chicken stock, 2 Tbsp lemon or appox. 1 lemon squeezed and some capers or 1/2 chicken stock and 1/2 sherry or port finish either with a Tbsp of cold unsalted butter).

Try to remember that no one will remember if your house was clean everyday or if you kept up with the laundry but your two year old will remember how it felt to play with you, to read with you, walk and talk with you.

[rkd]

I think that everyone with young children feels like you do-- it does get better! Let some stuff go! Have some easy, gluten-free meals on hand and take the day off sometimes-- I am also a stay at home mom. You don't ever really get "off" from your job, so you gotta do whatcha gotta do to stay sane! I am dealing with the same issues, so I know how hard it is!

[gfpaperdoll]

My favoite salad hint - chop up one bunch of celery, one bunch of green onions, grate two carrots, chop a bell pepper or two, line a large tupperware container with bounty paper towels dump all chopped veggies in. Then you can take out some of this & add torn kale, chopped tomatoes, chopped jicama & salad is done - add a chopped meat or two & it is a main dish - sprinkle on some nuts & dried fruit... add chopped cilantro

or take out some of the chopped veggies & add to a can of tuna with some mayo - add chopped apple or pear. these chopped veggies also make a good chicken salad (from chicken that you have cooked & chopped & frozen on prep day)

also makes good potato salad, add boiled chopped potatoes & mayo to veggies.

[Glutenfreefamily]

I have a 4 year old and Im basically a single parent even though I am married. My husband is gone for work 14 to 15 hours a day with his commute and basically no help to me since he doesnt have the time to help me out so I completely know how you feel.

I cook huge meals and we eat leftovers and freeze some. Frozen fish is a quick food. I make a vegetarian taco salad that is quick. Its canned chopped tomatoes with onions and green pepper (drained), taco seasoning, canned kidney beans and red beans (drained), mixed together and sprinkled with crushed tostitos on some lettuce. I also make a vegetarian chili like that with chopped canned tomatoes, taco seasoning, beans, corn, and sometimes some cooked tinkyada pasta added to it and a little v8 juice to make it soupy. I also bake potatoes on sunday night enough for about four to five days as they last a long while in the fridge and are quick and easy to hand mash or heat up.

Do you have a dishwasher? If not invest in one. I wash everything almost in the dishwasher. Before it I would spend two hours a day doing dishes. I try and do one chore other than dishes and food each day. We also go out somewhere almost everyday even if its just outside to play in the snow for a half hour. The housework isnt going anywhere and will still be there when you get to it so enjoy yourself and your child a little everyday.

[WW340]

I do a lot of the cook a bunch and freeze also, but my real saving grace is my Rocket Grill.

It is not good for large families, but for a couple and a small child I think it would work.

I use my Rocket Grill almost every night, even when my husband is out of town and I am by myself, I now have a good nutritious meal rather than just a bowl of cereal like I used to.

I can pull out a couple frozen chicken breasts and serve a meal about 10 minutes later, and have no clean up because the cooking is done in a throw away pouch.

I cook chicken breast, pork chops, fish fillets, steaks and burgers with it. While the meat is cooking I throw frozen or fresh veggies in a bowl in the microwave and cook them for 2 minutes. I cook a large pot of rice about once a week and just heat it up on the plate in the microwave, or nuke a potato. Seriously, a nice dinner for 2 takes about 10 minutes from freezer to plate. And clean up is just throwing the dishes in the dishwasher. No pans or pots to clean.

I keep salad stuff in my fridge at all times, so I can make a quick salad and grilled meat if I want to for lunch or dinner.

The grill stays clean always. It is hard

[lizard00]

I have an almost 3 yr old, too. That in itself is a lot of work. So between housework, trying to make sure he actually gets to spend some "good" time with me, and food, it's definitely a challenge. And I work about 28-30 hours a week... but I work at home too. (Small business w/ my mom) And that's only the beginning of a typical week for me.

A few things I have learned, especially having gone through this feeling bad b/c of gluten thing and getting back to normal:

Fresh food is not harder to cook. Often it's faster. Steamed veggies, stir-fries (great b/c they only require 1 pan), rice, etc. I have learned to make things that can be done in 45 min max. As women and mothers, we need to work smarter, not harder. Plan your meals before hand, so that when it's dinner time, you already know what you're going to cook. This is not going to always work, but I like to peruse cookbooks while my hubby is watching TV, then I get ideas for new things to cook. Last night I made pasta w/ homemade sauce. It took no more than 30 minutes from start to finish, was delicious, and best of all, I didn't feel like I was run over by a garbage truck. YAY!

Enjoy your daughter!!! Housework will ALWAYS be there, but she won't always be young. And you can involve her. My son LOVES to help unload the dishwasher, throw things away, help load the washer and dryer, and oddly enough, pick up his toys. But I was so irritated for so long b/c I felt bad, that I missed out on a lot of time with him. When you get stressed about housework, play with her. It's way more fun, and you won't regret it later. A walk around the block or so will do wonders for your mood, and you've done something great for you both.

Do you have a grill? Enlist your husband a few nights a week. My husband cooks at least once or twice a week, or he helps me. When he's grilling, I get caught up on my kitchen stuff. I'm usually cooking veggies or something, but because they can just cook, I can try to get everything cleaned up and the dishwasher unloaded, etc.

Hope you have a better day!

[Mom23boys]

I reorganized my kitchen so my most used items are within easy reach. We are getting ready to do the same to the pantry. I have 2 microwaves down low so the kids can help with easy things. Instead of a crockpot, I use a turkey roaster and freeze the rest. The kids must help. The 8 y/o can prepare a gluten-free mix with minimal supervision. He is a master at potatoes, chopping and cracks his own eggs. The 6 y/o is learning to cut veggies. The 4 y/o can empty the dishwasher or set tables (I have my dishes in a lower cabinet so the kids can reach them. Chemicals are in the garage)

[cruelshoes]

Our kids are 12, 9 and 20 months. So we are always chasing after/cleaning up after/cooking for/driving around one or more of them. I save a lot of time by cooking in bulk and then freezing in meal sized portions. For example, we cook a whole bunch of meatballs on a weekend and then freeze them in meal sized packages. Then when we want them we can pull them out and have spaghetti, swedish meatballs, sweet and sour meatballs or whatever. It takes a little prep on the weekend, but you only have to get the kitchen dirty once. There are tons of books and websites about once a month cooking (OAMC). If you do a google search, you will have lots of freezer ideas to adapt to gluten-free.

I also mix up all the dry ingredients for whatever I want to cook (breads, cakes, brownies, whatever) in asvance. Then I just have to dump it in a bowl and add the wet stuff and go. If you mix up a bunch of batches of pizza crust or corn muffin mix, you have a great start on the evening meal. Just write on the bag what it is and what else needs to be added and you won't even have to pull out the cookbook again.

Hope this helps.

[imsohungry]

My son turns two next month. I am so exhausted by the end of the day...I can definitely empathize with you!

I have found several things that keep me sane:

1. I save "big cooking" for the weekend

2. During the week, I drag out the crock pot...BBQ, Progresso Mushroom-soup Roast, etc.

3. I keep fruit handy for the baby; he LOVES raisins b/c I called them "chocolate." (sometimes a mother does what she has too)

4. I also throw together (10 min. or less) grits and eggs and microwave bacon. My family loves "breakfast dinners." There is always cereal for a very tired night...serve it with sliced fruit if you don't feel it's nutricious enough. Of course, there's also taco's too. I cheat and buy the pre-grated cheese and the pre-cut lettuce; basically, I just brown the ground beef.

5. Pick up "instant meals" for one night each week to give yourself a night off.

6. Left overs the next day if you're hungry, busy, and tired.

I hope these tips helped. Perhaps you can alter them to meet your dietary needs. Take Care of yourself! -Julie

[texasmama]

I have four kids, ages 12, 7, 5, and 2. The three youngest and I are gluten free so our home is gluten-free. I am struggling, too, with keeping up with the cooking. Everything is made from scratch pretty much. I cook in bulk (homemade chicken nuggets with gluten-free flour) and we eat them for several days. Boiled eggs, nuts, fruits and cooked veggies can make me and the kids a nice dinner. Rice pasta with bottled gluten-free sauce is fast and easy and nutritious. I also wash and chop lettuce and then make fast salads for lunch with boiled eggs, nuts and dried fruits as well as chopped veggies on them. Very filling. I do use mixes for bread (pamelas is our fave) and baked goods like cookies, cakes and pizza dough (gluten free pantry mixes are great), which saves time. I make two pizzas and freeze one. When I am tired, I make scrambled eggs and waffles (Vanns makes a good gluten-free one) when I am tired and serve with a side of fruit. We eat healthy, mostly organic and I am very, very busy. There was an initial learning curve for me and we have not been at this very long, but I feel as if I am just starting to get the hang of it.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Is there a Costco near you? COstco is our friend!

They have:

gluten-free turkey meatballs you can store in the freezer and pull out as needed,

gluten-free frozen salmon burgers

gluten-free frozen pre-cooked breakfast sausage patties

gluten-free pre-cooked grilled chicken strips (NOT breaded)

gluten-free Buffalo Wings

gluten-free hummous in huge containers

Speaking of containers, Sam's Club has wonderful food-grade plastic square storage bins that store 10 pounds of gluten-free flour, and even bigger bins that store 20 pounds of Japanese rice.

If you like things like chicken nuggets and fish sticks, you can use corn meal to "bread" them, and they turn out fantastic! (And you can freeze them for later, and then bake them just like Mrs. Gorton's or Mrs. Paul's or whoever makes those frozen fish sticks. I use the tilapia they sell at Costco, dip it in cornstarch, dip it in beaten egg mixed with a little mayo, and then in corn meal seasoned with chopped parsley and maybe some garlic powder. I put them in a greased baking sheet, spray like mad with Pam (you could use melted butter) and bake for 20 minutes at 400.

I've just discovered this site www.lunchinabox.org and there are some wonderful ideas for packed lunches, plus recipes for the dinners that the leftovers came from to be made into the packed lunches.

It really does get easier! Oh, and Hormel has a bunch of canned gluten-free stews that are surprisingly tasty and nice, including empanadas, which my 12-year-old just scarfed down.

[Phyllis28]

My favorite Costco purchase is the pre-cooked hot roasted chicken. It say gluten free on the label. I check each time I buy it just in case the ingredients change. I add a dinner salad and rice for a quick dinner.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Yes, I totally forgot about the roast chickens! And they are DELICIOUS!

Plus they do double duty: Pull the meat off the bones for your meal, and plunk the bones in your slow cooker with sliced onion, carrots, and whatever other veggies you like, and make chicken soup! I just let it go on high all day or all night (but not both).

[tgrand]

No Costco nearby. I'm not really sure why as we have everything else! I could drive into Houston when I go to Whole Foods, I suppose!

Thanks to everyone for the tips! I so appreciate you taking the time. What would we do without this forum and the internet? How did people survive back in the day with out this form of connection and all these great gluten-free products currently available? I know we have it easier than some in the past!

TGrand

[Mom23boys]

How did people survive back in the day with out this form of connection and all these great gluten-free products currently available?

I started casein free before I got internet. It was HARD! Plus, they didn't have all the good stuff they do now.

[gfp]

Try to remember that no one will remember if your house was clean everyday or if you kept up with the laundry but your two year old will remember how it felt to play with you, to read with you, walk and talk with you.

Well sometimes they do .. but so what!

I'm not the tidiest person naturally but I am busy at work and have little time BUT one thing I always do is COOK.

I might end up making a mess cooking and not get round to clearing it up that night if I'm really tired out but ... I always try and cook and always try and make something healthy.

We are what we eat as the saying goes ... IMHO we are not how much time we spend vacuuming, ironing etc.

For me I put eating and my health ABOVE these .... if people remember what the heck... so I didn't vacuum but at least I'm well.

[lizard00]

Well sometimes they do .. but so what!

I'm not the tidiest person naturally but I am busy at work and have little time BUT one thing I always do is COOK.

I might end up making a mess cooking and not get round to clearing it up that night if I'm really tired out but ... I always try and cook and always try and make something healthy.

We are what we eat as the saying goes ... IMHO we are not how much time we spend vacuuming, ironing etc.

For me I put eating and my health ABOVE these .... if people remember what the heck... so I didn't vacuum but at least I'm well.

I couldn't agree more. And for me, if I eat bad, I feel bad, which means there is THAT much more of a chance that I am NOT going to do ANY housework. It becomes a vicious cycle.

[babysteps]

wow, great accumulated wisdom!

It is HARD to balance housework and sanity for most of us.

Sounds like you are taking steps in the right direction

I really had no clue on housework (my mother was a hoarder, but at least did cook) well into my 30s until I found Open Original Shared Link, a free system that helps me cope & taught me a LOT - her key is doing a little bit at a time, progress not perfection - with lots of breaks in between. When I say "no clue", ask my spouse, he still kids about how I thought junk mail was a floor covering... Anyway if it sounds interesting check out the link at nap time (just set a timer for 15 minutes when checking out the site, or you'll -- well, I would -- be there for hours!).

Also, our church just did a mission trip to an orphanage in Oaxaca Mexico -- there, all the kids (many of them special needs) wash their own clothes starting at age 3. In the laundry sink. And they are proud to provide for themselves! Needless to say that's not the norm here, but it is thought provoking

If you are at home, you might try doing your main meal at noon - sometimes that seems easier to tackle to me, and makes it less likely that nutrition gets shorted. I have a friend who did her main meal at breakfast for a while, to make sure she had enough energy for the day - not for everyone, but feel free to experiment a little.

For dishes, my Dad's neighbor had a brilliant method - she put a dishpan of soapy water in the sink before starting meal prep, everything went right in. When the meal was done, a quick swish and rinse and the dishes were done! That was an eye-opening approach to me

[gfp]

I couldn't agree more. And for me, if I eat bad, I feel bad, which means there is THAT much more of a chance that I am NOT going to do ANY housework. It becomes a vicious cycle.

I know exactly what you mean ...

The worse I eat the less motivated I am to do anything else ... and things start to back-up.

[Wonka]

I have four kids, ages 12, 7, 5, and 2. The three youngest and I are gluten free so our home is gluten-free. I am struggling, too, with keeping up with the cooking. Everything is made from scratch pretty much. I cook in bulk (homemade chicken nuggets with gluten-free flour) and we eat them for several days. Boiled eggs, nuts, fruits and cooked veggies can make me and the kids a nice dinner. Rice pasta with bottled gluten-free sauce is fast and easy and nutritious. I also wash and chop lettuce and then make fast salads for lunch with boiled eggs, nuts and dried fruits as well as chopped veggies on them. Very filling. I do use mixes for bread (pamelas is our fave) and baked goods like cookies, cakes and pizza dough (gluten free pantry mixes are great), which saves time. I make two pizzas and freeze one. When I am tired, I make scrambled eggs and waffles (Vanns makes a good gluten-free one) when I am tired and serve with a side of fruit. We eat healthy, mostly organic and I am very, very busy. There was an initial learning curve for me and we have not been at this very long, but I feel as if I am just starting to get the hang of it.

I have four children as well but they are older now (almost 20, 12, 12, 12) so life has become much easier. I still have to drive the triplets to all sorts of places but at home they are of an age that they are a great help to me. I have been teaching them how to use the stove (they were too short until now to learn it safely - I have a gas stove) and they know how to use the microwave so they are able to pull together their own breakfast and lunch and they can help me in the kitchen if I need it (I love to cook and I often need to remind myself to find them jobs so that they learn). They will be going to highschool next September (they go from grade 8 to 12 in this city) and will be getting cooking at school too which will be brilliant, then I can start putting them in charge of some of the meals (maybe on the days that I'm not home lol).

[linsmad]

I struggle myself sometimes with last minute gluten-free meal preparation. Sometimes I try to cook extra gluten-free past and keep in it the firdge for those last minute night. I also try to keep eggs on hand for last minute omelets, or lettuce for salads. Sometimes (when I have a bit more time) I try to measure out the ingredients for the gluten-free breads, so all I have to do is mix with warm water, and yeast, and then we'll be ready to go. I too am a big fan of freezing so that in a pinch there's gluten-free food to eat!

I agree, it is definitely not easy! I think back to the day when we all ate the same things, and think what a breeze!

I am so excited to hear about all the gluten free products at Costco! I am a big fan, and had no idea so much was available there!!! More time savings