Controlling Cc In My Kitchen

[dbmamaz]

I am the only one in my family of 5 who is currently avoiding gluten. I'm actually only eating 25 foods right now - when it was just dairy and gluten, I tried to make more meals the whole family can eat, but I've just given up.

So, CC in my kitchen . . . there was one time I made spaghetti and I know I handled the kids pasta with my hands and didnt wash them, and I had stomach reaction by the end of dinner and was depressed and low energy for most of a week. I've gotten more careful about washing . . .i wash my hands so many times a day i'm sure the psych police are going to charge me w ocd. I clean the cutting board with soap and water before prepping my meals. I prep my food before I prep the family's food. But my husband actually does the dishes and the general kitchen clean (thats most of what he does around the house, other than supervising ds mowing the grass, and of course spending a lot of time w his 4 yo). Anyways, he doesnt clean the counters every day . . he does it when the mood strikes him. Its nasty, but i tell you, i've been a slob all my life, so it doesnt really bother me much

Often, I'll take a paper towel and lay it on the counter and place my utensils there until i'm done prepping stuff in a bowl or on a plate. But you know, sometimes i just put my spoon down on the dirty counter, or drop it on the floor (which gets swept . . um . . weekly maybe?).

Mostly i seem ok, but a few days ago I was going thru the exhaustion where I can barely function and want to sleep all the time and started saying "I hate my life" under my breath . . . i'm pretty sure that was gluten. The most likely culprit was the loaf of crusty bread i'd bought for the family (DH LOVES bread and is pretty insistant that he will never, ever be willing to get tested for gluten intolerance). We have place mats, and no bread was on my mat, right? Except I'm thinking dh may have sat at my chair one day to sit next to the 4 yo, or maybe someone just was sloppy w crumbs, and I probably got cc'd sitting at the dinner table.

as soon as I put this together, I asked my 15 yo dd to clean off the table, and she did. They finished off the loaf last night, and I plan to (plan to lol) clean off the table before dinner.

But i'm a serious, serious slob . . i've tried and tried fly-lady and I just cant do it . . i start a new 'habit' and i remember for a day, a week, there was even one i kept up for 3 mo . . and one day I suddenly notice i hadnt done that for a week or two .. . i cant remember to clean, i cant get motivated to clean. i mean, i do the laundry, the cooking, the shopping, and try to vacuum every room once each week.

So . .. i'm not going to turn in to a great housekeeper, I'm not going to forbid gluten in the house, and there's no way my (all adhd-ish) family members are going to clean up after themselves, either . . .

do you see any way to improve this situation?

[Ursa Major]

You might seriously need to ban gluten from your house. Your family may have to eat their gluten elsewhere. It is your health that is at stake, not just a 'diet whim' of yours.

Explain to your husband how you feel after being glutened, and that you are not able to function in that state. Ask him what is more important, his craving for bread, or your health? Would he like you to get cancer because he insists on eating bread in your house and glutening you?

I am the same kind of housekeeper you are. I am incapable of being really neat and tidy, no matter how hard I try (it is executive dysfunction which is often part of Asperger Syndrome). My house is never as clean as I would like it to be, because I can't manage to have the energy or motivation or organizational skills to have things perfect.

Which is the main reason why gluten foods have been banned from this house. Unfortunately, I know that my husband keeps cookies and Triscuits (and who knows what else) downstairs in his office. And I know that he won't wash his hands every time he eats those, and I am sure he glutens me still at times.

But at least there are no crumbs all over my house any more.

[spunky]

I don't know if this would be possible, but, imagining myself in your situation (I live only with my husband and he just eats whatever I make)...

I would find a room somewhere in the house, if possible, that was for my food only. I would try to have a little dorm-type frige, microwave, maybe even hot plate, and cupboard, handful of utensils, etc., and store and prepare my food in that room only. Sounds like it would be really difficult to do, but if it could be done, you'd have a safe place to store and prepare your own meals, then you could take a prepared dish out to be eaten at the table with the rest of the family.

I guess the horrible part of this would be time to prepare theirs in the kitchen and then have to go to some other place to prepare your own... I dont know. If someone else could help with the family's food it might make it not so impractical.

Hope you find a solution, though. I would be very uncomfortable eating around so much other food... I'm not a good housekeeper either, so I really understand your situation!

[KimmyJ]

Honestly, I'm trying to be sympathetic, and in a sense I am - I think we all can identify with how horrible it feels to be glutened. But here are my thoughts: what are your priorities? I can understand not keeping a perfect house, after all, you're living in it, but to let cleanliness take a backseat because you simply can't get motivated when it puts your health at risk seems just stupid to me. How can you expect the rest of your family to be clean if you're not setting that example? And not cleaning the counters every day (in fact, every time you use them) is a serious health hazard, gluten aside. I can understand not keeping things tidy, but I have never understood the lack of motivation for keeping things clean and sanitary. It sounds like you're looking for a quick fix, when the solution is right in front of your face. Stop telling yourself that you can't keep things clean, and just get to work. Even if you made your house gluten-free, who knows how many health problems could develop in your family from poor habits with regards to cleanliness. (I really am sorry if this comes across blunt and insensitive, but you want a real solution, right? Sometimes the truth sucks. )

[Phyllis28]

I live in a gluten limited household. Basically, the only gluten items are cereal, store bought bread products. After many years of sharing the kitchen I removed the gluten items from the kitchen. They are in a mini-kitchen setup where a buffet would go. There is an apartment size refrigerator, a large kitchen cart with cabinets and a small microwave. Anything needed to make gluten food is there. This includes, milk for cereal, sandwich fixings, dishware and flatware.

I only cook gluten free meals. My husband and son (age 19) are on there own for breakfast and lunch since everyone is either at school or work during the day.

I would suggest rid the house of as much gluten as possible if it is not possible to have a gluten free household. If you do the shopping and cooking it is much easier.

Hope you are able to make the necessary changes to maintain your health.

[dbmamaz]

You might seriously need to ban gluten from your house. Your family may have to eat their gluten elsewhere. It is your health that is at stake, not just a 'diet whim' of yours.

I guess I dont feel so strongly since i was never dx'd w celiac, just allergy to all gluten-containing grains and sensitivity to gluten. If my son tests sensitive to gluten (in process) i may get pushier about it . . . but hubby has made it clear that he's supportive as long as I dont unilatirally remove bread from his diet

I am the same kind of housekeeper you are. I am incapable of being really neat and tidy, no matter how hard I try (it is executive dysfunction which is often part of Asperger Syndrome).

THANK YOU, yes

[dbmamaz]

I would find a room somewhere in the house, if possible, that was for my food only. I would try to have a little dorm-type frige, microwave, maybe even hot plate, and cupboard, handful of utensils, etc., and store and prepare my food in that room only.

I've heard of other people doing it the other way, having a 'gluten station' in the house where they can make sandwhiches and stuff. After all, I do all the meal prep for all 5 of us, so I'm the one who needs the big kitchen. I could possibly re-work the breakfast nook . . i'll keep that thought in mind

[spunky]

It would certainly be preferable to do it the other way around, the gluteny stuff in one little area and the rest of the kitchen totally gluten free... but since you have a pretty-good sized family, I thought maybe it might work out more to everyone's likeing if the gluten area was the smaller area.

I think even if a person were a neat and tidy housekeeper, living with lots of children who are old enough to be making sandwiches and fiddling around in the kitchen would keep the place from EVER being safe from gluten. I would never trust an open jar of peanut butter, mustard, etc. with children around, let alone counter tops where more than likely someone is always making a snack or something.

The only other way would be if they would consider not eating gluten or or at least agreeing to keep it out of the kitchen... that would be nice, but sort of unusually magnanimous for a house full of children, teenagers, etc.

Sounds like a tough situation, and I guess it is... but you do need to find some way to make a safe place, your own food preparation areas, gluten free, so you can just enjoy the feeling of good health! If you get totally gluten free, who knows, you might get all energized and start turning into some sort of fantastic cleaning whiz!!!! (that'll never happen to me, though...LOL!)

[Ursa Major]

Honestly, I'm trying to be sympathetic, and in a sense I am - I think we all can identify with how horrible it feels to be glutened. But here are my thoughts: what are your priorities? I can understand not keeping a perfect house, after all, you're living in it, but to let cleanliness take a backseat because you simply can't get motivated when it puts your health at risk seems just stupid to me. How can you expect the rest of your family to be clean if you're not setting that example? And not cleaning the counters every day (in fact, every time you use them) is a serious health hazard, gluten aside. I can understand not keeping things tidy, but I have never understood the lack of motivation for keeping things clean and sanitary. It sounds like you're looking for a quick fix, when the solution is right in front of your face. Stop telling yourself that you can't keep things clean, and just get to work. Even if you made your house gluten-free, who knows how many health problems could develop in your family from poor habits with regards to cleanliness. (I really am sorry if this comes across blunt and insensitive, but you want a real solution, right? Sometimes the truth sucks. )

Kimmy, yes, you are coming across callous and insensitive. Not everybody is as perfect as you, I guess. But that doesn't mean the rest of us who are human are stupid.

And not being a clean freak has never killed anybody. In fact, it has been proven over and over that houses were everything is always spotless and constantly sanitized with antimicrobial cleaners put people at a much higher health risk in regards to asthma and allergies of many kinds.

My house has never been perfectly clean. And I have very healthy children. In fact, when all their friends constantly had the sniffles, my kids were fine. They so rarely got sick that they usually didn't see a doctor more often than once in five to ten years.

Not cleaning the counters every time you used them is a health hazard? Come on, get real. That is pure nonsense.

Please try being a little more sensitive in future when trying to give advice.

[Ursa Major]

My post showed up twice, so deleting the duplicate.

[Nancym]

It seems like you're asking how to change the outcome without changing anything else, I don't think you can. Sometimes you just need to change things to get different results.

But I suppose you could try to ban things that create gluten crumbs. That would be a good start. If you can, ban all gluten food. You mentioned that you did do that but stopped, why?

[jerseyangel]

For the record, I agree with Ursa--that was out of line.

As for the CC problems in the kitchen, I also have a mixed kitchen since my husband and 23 year old son eat gluten. We have a "gluten cabinet" and a large drawer near it for gluten items like breads and bagels. Their toaster is kept in the gluten cabinet along with boxed foods such as cereals and crackers.

I keep no flour or baking mixes containing wheat flour in the house--those get into the air and where ever they land is contaminated. Like Phyllis, my family works and are on their own at lunch--I only make gluten-free dinners and desserts. My husband and son are very good at keeping their crumbs and things contained in the area designated. They also wash up after handling and eating gluten.

I would suggest religating the gluten items and cookware to a section of their own. When making your food, use paper towels, foil or a plate to keep it off the counters and separate. Don't forget that the sponge or towels you use can cc, also.

Maybe when you're in the mood, rearrange things so that keeping separate will be easier for everyone and not a constant struggle for you. Once you get into a groove with it, it becomes easier and almost second nature.

[babysteps]

My mom was likely OCD hoarder, and although FlyLady has helped me, I hear you!!

If your hubbie's main issue is bread, try telling/training/asking/whatevering him to prepare it in a designated zone *only*

keep the spreads (jam, butter, etc) used on the bread separate (or tell/train/etc these 4 steps - 1 knife/spoon in spread, 2 spread on clean, empty plate, 3 second knife/spoon in spread on plate, 4 put spread on bread). The steps seem really complicated, especially to non gluten-free people, instead I keep 2 sticks of butter going, the gluten-free one is sealed safe in a hard plastic container.

My spouse keeps his bread in a ziploc in the freezer; the toaster oven is in the designated gluten zone.

I cannot tell you how hard it is for me to remember not to touch my face before washing my hands while cleaning the gluten zone - you'd think I would learn faster! Gloves can help me remember

The worst is really crusty bread, those crumbs go flying! Maybe cut or break the bread up outdoors, some households do that.

Try to see what works for you, I'm sure you can find a solution that helps, or at least is a step in the right direction.

[KimmyJ]

I apologize for being insensitive - I was only thinking of what I would need to hear if I were in the same situation, and it was out of line. I sincerely do hope that you can solve your problem.

[dbmamaz]

I apologize for being insensitive - I was only thinking of what I would need to hear if I were in the same situation, and it was out of line. I sincerely do hope that you can solve your problem.

Thanks, Kimmy. There are lots of different people who's minds work lots of different ways, and being clean was never a priority in the home i grew up in, or my own. Sometimes its hard to realize just how different people can be, and that its all good . . . except for cc lol

[dbmamaz]

The worst is really crusty bread, those crumbs go flying! Maybe cut or break the bread up outdoors, some households do that.

I love that idea lol! Except hubby hates to walk outside due to severe sensitivity to biting insects (he seriouslly scratches himself raw in his sleep and takes weeks to heal) as well as asthma set off by environmental allergies. I cant even open the windows.

Luckily i cant eat PB any more, and everyone knows to leave my sunbutter alone, and i dont have any bread at all right now. I did hear my hubby correcting my son the other day at the table to drop something on his plate rather than touching his plate w the serving utensil because there were things on his plate I cant eat - so he is aware and supportive. We just all need to learn where to draw the line for us.

[babysteps]

Except hubby hates to walk outside due to severe sensitivity to biting insects (he seriouslly scratches himself raw in his sleep and takes weeks to heal) as well as asthma set off by environmental allergies. I cant even open the windows.

okay, here's a crazy idea

do you have a double oven?

If so, do you ever really use both? (we have one, and ignore the top oven because the thermostat doesn't work so well in it)

you could designate one as the bread cutting zone, then just close the oven door & the crumbs are semi-quarantined.

Or just choose an easy-to-define corner of the kitchen, or even a small table in another room...

I know you'll find something that works!

[gabby]

Here's a small thing that will help a little: get rid of the wooden cutting board and get one of those nice glass ones. They are easy to clean off without worrying if there's bread stuck in there somewhere. Also, if you have room, keep a bowl of soapy water in the sink at all times and throw used utensils in there where they can't cross contaminate anything.

Replace placemats with a cloth tablecloth that you can easily shake out after meals (shake it outside).

That's all I can think of for now...but I'll add more if I come up with anything else.

Hope that helps!

[lizard00]

I'm the only gluten-free one in my house too. And I think we are at the point where the only gluten in the house is bread. But usually, my husband will take it to work and leave it and my son eats sandwiches with at my mom's house (she babysits while I work). Maybe something like that would work with your family, where they eat sandwiches, etc out of the house?

I don't know if your family eats pasta a lot, but I would recommend for your own sanity, preparing only gluten-free meals. It just makes life easier. Anyway, we eat Tinkyada at our house, and my husband that other day said he actually preferred the texture of that over the regular wheat pasta. Maybe you could pull a switch on them, and when they love it, break the news. Everyone that I have served it to never knew.

I used to be better at housekeeping, but then I got sick. Any part of my glutening process is lack of motivation or interest in anything. So, while my house made me crazy because it was messy, I was not at all interested in cleaning it. I am getting better, this week I've felt pretty good and feel like I've accomplished much. But, who knows what next week will bring. I don't like to clean when I feel GOOD, why on earth would I want to if I felt bad? My best trick was putting the gluten infested thing directly into the dishwasher. That way, I didn't even have to worry at all. That helped A LOT!!! Now that we have pretty much a gluten-free house, it's easier. But whatever you do, focus on getting yourself well and feeling better. Then you can worry about all the other stuff. In the end, what matters is NOT how much we cleaned or reorganized!

[dbmamaz]

I really appreciate all the ideas. I'll keep turning them over in my mind and figure out what will work best for me. So far, the family has NOT liked the gluten-free pasta, but we never tried tinkydada (or wahtever it is) before i went off rice. I LOVE the glutino, but last time i put it in soup, my daughter complained about the texture. Part of the problem is we are highly sensitive both to flavor and texure - some people are, really - so we notice subtle differences others wouldnt notice.

The funny thing with the bread - i just bought it to suprise the family, they just love it so much I WANTED to buy it for them . .. i even made gluten blueberry muffins 2 weeks ago . . because i wanted to. Since the ONLY grains I can eat right now are corn and millet, and i can only eat 5 fruits (none of which are banana or blueberry), gluten-free breads and muffins are just as off-limits to me as glutinous ones. I LOVE cooking and baking for my family, and always went the extra mile to get the absolute best recipes and best ingredients, to cook things rivaling anything we could buy . . . this is a really hard psychological adjustment for me. Esp cuz most recipes folks rave about have tapioca, which makes me very sick.

Keep on trying . . . .

[Ursa Major]

Are you able to tolerate buckwheat flour? I can't stand the dark buckwheat flour, but I sometimes bake with the light buckwheat flour. I bet you could make delicious muffins using only cornstarch, millet and light buckwheat flour (which is not a grain). But even just with cornstarch and millet I bet you could bake pretty good muffins.

And if you try and they turn out nice, do yourself a favour and put the kind of fruit in that you can eat, too!

You can bake corn bread, too. Who says it has to contain wheat flour? You use the corn meal as always, but use corn starch, or millet flour instead of the wheat flour. I have been meaning to try it with light buckwheat flour, but haven't had the energy to even bother trying anything new because of being ill the past five weeks.

You should not bake with gluten flours. The dust gets in the air, you breathe it in, and get yourself glutened. In fact, you seriously should ban regular flour from your house, if nothing else.

You can definitely make something like a crisp, be it with apples or pears or another fruit out of whatever flours you can tolerate, since they don't need to rise. That is the first thing I dared try, and for nearly two years it was the only thing I baked. Most people really liked it.

[dbmamaz]

Are you able to tolerate buckwheat flour? I can't stand the dark buckwheat flour, but I sometimes bake with the light buckwheat flour.

I tried buckwheat breakfast cereal before I went on this major elimination diet, and I want to try buckwheat again soon, but the cereal did not appeal to me. I have made corn muffins - i'm also off eggs, of course, but I make them with corn meal, corn starch, potato starch flour and potato starch, flax seed/water, orange juice, baking powder, darifree soured w lemon juice, and xanthan. They are edible fresh (i'm not really missing baked goods, truth be told) and good enuf crumbs to make turkey burgers with. HOwever, i still feel like i'm reacting to something - xanthan or bs, i dont know

thanks

[Aleshia]

being dirty is supposed to be a good thing according to this https://www.celiac.com/articles/21557/1/Bei...ease/Page1.html

[gfpaperdoll]

You might want to experiment with the cornbread - you can make it a lot of ways & you can even make little fried skillet bread - is what my grandmother used to call them. You do not have to use any other flours in cornbread - just corn meal. i use cornmeal & coconut milk in place of milk & I do put in an extra egg - but you could just use your egg substitute...

well, remind me to never comment on anyones houskeeping - even when asked laughingly said. Lets see we tell each other what to eat & what not to eat & when to eat & what supplements to take - but commenting on dust in the house looks like a taboo subject. Which I find highly amusing!! oddly enough, I need to be up cleaning myself, I am having company over tomorrow & the dining table still has paperwork stacked on it. My sister is not a neat person, I always was, my mother was definitely not a housekeeper & I look back & think that she had major undiagnosed gluten issues, she took antidepressants her whole life - that is so sad..

If you are getting where you can eat less & less foods, you are probably getting gluten somewhere - for sure when you are baking with wheat flour - that is a big no no - I am surprised no one said anything about it - I would love to bake for my family also - but I cannot & I will never be able to bake with wheat flour ever - but I make gluten free stuff that is wonderful...

I would also look for other issues that might be causing the food allergies - & I do understand food allergies - I am allergic to a lot of stuff myself - but they are fairly stable & I have added in some foods since gluten-free - 4 years in June.

[bakingbarb]

I tried buckwheat breakfast cereal before I went on this major elimination diet, and I want to try buckwheat again soon, but the cereal did not appeal to me. I have made corn muffins - i'm also off eggs, of course, but I make them with corn meal, corn starch, potato starch flour and potato starch, flax seed/water, orange juice, baking powder, darifree soured w lemon juice, and xanthan. They are edible fresh (i'm not really missing baked goods, truth be told) and good enuf crumbs to make turkey burgers with. HOwever, i still feel like i'm reacting to something - xanthan or bs, i dont know

thanks

I am a lot like you. I don't really miss breads, I try to bake them and I do try to eat them and they are ok but it is ok I don't miss them. Baked goodies though would be hard for me! LOL

Could you be sensitive to corn? I don't know if you mentioned that before but I was looking at the ingredients you listed. Is it possible to be having issues with xanthan or bs? I don't really know that answer so I am asking it. But corn I know is a common allergen.

Question though, when you bake is there any possibility you are getting cc'd? Muffin pans maybe?

The reason I ask that is my house is fairly clean, but it isn't spotless and there are gluten full bread crumbs in the kitchen. I do a majority of the cooking, really pasta and bread and cereal are the only things that are eaten often that have gluten in them. No one bakes gluten full things because I am the one that bakes. Once in a while I will bake something for them with regular flour and I do clean very well when I do bake so it isn't an issue. What I think though is the baking pans and the muffin pans worry me as stuff can be stuck to them. I try to line all my baking pans before I use them.

It sounds like you are tired though and it is hard to clean when you are tired. I have had an issue with that for years but then I ended up taking an antidepressant and have more energy now. I have only been on it (this time) for a couple of months and I have been noticing more energy BUT I am still not a perfect house cleaner.

It sounds like you really need to go over the cc issues with your family again. They need to understand to be more careful. They need to know that it isn't your fault that you have this (cause sometimes human nature wants to place blame or get annoyed) but it is their fault if they make you sick even if it is an accident. When you are sick do you still do for them? They need to SEE how sick you are and that it affects them.

My family gets it for the most part and is more careful more and more but there are bread crumbs left on the counter more often then not and it is the same people doing it over and over. One time I got home and got really angry. I didn't put the bread crumbs there I AM NOT CLEANING THEM UP NOR AM I GETTING SICK FROM THEM BECAUSE THEY WILL BE GONE WHEN I COME BACK IN HERE!!!!!LOL

As for the pasta thing, have you made homemade? I have been thinking about trying it only because like you and your family if the taste is weird or the texture off I don't want it either (hence I don't care about the breads too much, bread=weird). I will eat it but I don't care one way or the other either. I eat my spaghetti sauce in a dish with black olives, a pat of butter, and grated cheddar. Plus I am afraid the colander is permanently glutened and don't care enough to buy one for me. I don't care because I don't miss the noodles! LOL

Oh and for meatballs or meatloaf I love the quinoa flakes instead of gluten-free bread crumbs.

I thought the ones made with the quinoa were 100% better then the gluten-free bread crumb version.

Take care of you, thats a first thing. That is what I have had to learn and am still learning. I can't take care of them if I don't drink enough fluids, don't eat something safe, don't take my vitamins and so on! Oh and getting enough sleep! That is something I still have a hard time with, getting enough rest.