Newbie

[toddzgrrl02]

Hi everyone, I finally decided to post my intro and give a little background so I can start gaining helpful information.

We recently found out my 14 year old stepdaughter has celiacs disease. Currently she lives with her mom in Virginia (we live in IL) so we haven't personally been affected by the new diet or contamination issues yet. However, she will be here for half the summer and right now it is looking like she will be moving back in with us full time for high school, which means a radical change in our household.

We have three other boys, ages 11, 13, and 15 living with us and as you can imagine they are eating us out of house and home as it is. I cannot imagine limiting their diets based on my YSD's gluten-free diet. I cannot even imagine the increase in the cost of food for feeding one person a gluten-free diet, much less 3 growing boys, myself and my husband.

My goal is to find gluten-free recipes I can cook that will feed us all without breaking the bank to do it... or finding gluten-free foods similar to what we normally eat and making it normal for us and making her gluten-free portion separate. For example, spaghetti. I can make two pots, one regular and one with gluten-free pasta. To me that makes more sense and should be less expensive, hopefully.

Anyway, I am hoping to find out ways to save on our food budget and ways to feed everyone things they like and not limit the rest of the house because of her gluten-free diet but also not torture her with things she can't have.

[Ursa Major]

Let's just say that you can cook many regular, ordinary meals gluten-free. Take supper for instance. Rice and potatoes are naturally gluten-free, and so are meats, fish, vegetables and fruit. So, if you cook potatoes, meat and veggies for supper, you wouldn't even have to worry about it, and it will not cost you any more.

You can thicken gravy with corn starch, rice flour or light buckwheat flour (my favourite). You can't even taste the difference. For Easter I had my whole family here, and the whole meal was gluten-free. We had turkey with gluten-free stuffing (it was so good that I hardly managed to get any, and I was the only one needing to be gluten-free), mashed potatoes, several vegetables, gravy (thickened with light buckwheat flour, and my husband said it was the best gravy he'd ever had) and gluten-free Black Forest cake (everybody raved about it).

There are many brands of gluten-free pasta. In fact, one of my daughters who is not eating gluten-free, prefers rice pasta! I have served spaghetti and lasagna to guests, and nobody knew it was gluten-free. I refuse to cook anything I can't eat myself, so everything I make is gluten-free. And everybody loves my cooking.

I rarely eat special gluten-free foods, because they are way too expensive, and I don't tolerate them very well. But it is very easy to convert many recipes to being gluten-free without sacrificing taste.

Why don't you go to the forum called "Gluten-Free Recipes - Baking & Cooking Tips" and see if you can find some good recipes?

Also, you can post recipes there that you want to convert to being gluten-free, and I am sure somebody will be able to help.

[Ridgewalker]

Spaghetti is a good idea. Make sure you check the sauce companies' websites to check which varieties are gluten-free. I do recommend making the gluten-free pasta first, and then the wheat pasta. Every time I try to make both on the stove at the same time, glutenings end up happening. I think it's just impossible to keep the gluteny pasta water from splashing as it boils!!!

Are you knowledgeable about cross contamination (cc) issues? Examples: putting gluten-free bread in a toaster that has been used for regular bread will contaminate the gluten-free bread; spreading mayo, jelly, etc. onto regular bread and then dipping the knife back into the jar contaminates the whole jar; if you handle bread, crackers, etc. and then touch her food without washing hands, it will contaminate her food. There are other things, let us know if you need more info.

My kids and myself are gluten-free, but my husband is not. My goal is always to fix meals that are naturally gluten-free as well. The expense of an adult and 2 growing boys on a gluten-free diet could be hideous. At this point now, it's not too bad.

Here are some of our frequent dinners: (make sure your cooking spray does not contain flour)

- Chili (check all your non-fresh ingredients, especially seasoning mixes.)

- Baked chicken, usually legs and thighs, with mashed potatoes and veggies (I spray a baking pan, lay the chicken pieces down, and spray the chicken. Then sprinkle with McCormick's Season All and fresh ground black pepper. Always turns out good, quick, and cheap.)

- Pork Chops, breaded with 1/2 gluten-free corn crumbs, 1/2 parmesan cheese, plus a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. Tastes like Shake n Bake, and the gluten-free corns crumbs are not expensive.

- Oven Fried chicken legs (soak in buttermilk over night. Spray your baking pan. Take a piece of chicken, shake off excess milk, and dredge in a mixture of 1/2 parmesan cheese and 1/2 cornstarch. THEN lightly spray the chicken, lay in pan, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.)

- Eggs, Jimmy Dean sausage, and hash browns

- Stir-fried Beef and white rice. (I buy a large roast on sale and slice it thin myself. Slices easier if still partly frozen. Heat oil on large deep skillet. Add plenty of minced garlic and onion flakes and the beef. When the beef is nearly cooked, I drain off any excess liquid, then put it back on heat and add gluten-free soy sauce- La Choy or Wal-mart brand- pepper and maybe some season salt. Finish cooking.)

- Stir-fried chicken or shrimp. Pretty much the same as above, but for chicken I might add a little Teriyaki sauce, and for shrimp I might squirt a little lemon juice.

- Burgers on homemade gluten-free buns. Let me know if you want the recipe I use for the buns, it's really good. It's the same recipe I use for our sandwich bread. Store bought gluten-free bread is expensive, and not very good.

- In the winter, I do homemade soups and stews in the crockpot. Campbell's cream soups on NOT gluten-free though. I like using Herb Ox broths and bouillon cubes.

- Tacos with corn tortillas (Old El Paso seasoning packets are safe and there are others as well.)

- Quesadillas with corn tortillas

- Ham and cheese quiche is easy if you've got the crust made up ahead (let me know if you want a recipe)

- Homemade gluten-free pizza (let me know if you want a good crust recipe)

As Ursa said, if you have recipes you want help converting, just let us know!

[toddzgrrl02]

spreading mayo, jelly, etc. onto regular bread and then dipping the knife back into the jar contaminates the whole jar;

I hadn't thought about that one. I can def see that being an issue with the kids because the boys will not think or remember that kind of stuff. Not sure how to get them to remember either.

As for cream of soups... I actually found recipes to make many of them homemade and gluten-free. I'm hoping to do that when needed.

You shared some great food ideas. I'll def be back and save this posting for future reference. It seems like so much to learn and remember and keep track of.

[gfpaperdoll]

You might want to get her a small college room size refrigerator. With three boys in the house it is going to be hard for her to even walk in your kitchen much less touch anything in there.

Also please remember that if you cook with wheat flour or wheat cake mixes in the house that she will get sick.

Will her mother be able to send some money for any extras that she might need?

You could also get some personal help from your local support group. There might be someone in your neighborhood that cooks gluten-free & would be happy to share or have her over occasionally. You cannot know how wonderful it is to be in someone's house that is gluten-free!!

If she were in my area between me & a fellow celiac 4 streets over we would keep her in gluten-free food!!!

So please check out your local support group & go to a meeting & talk to people!!!

Thank you for preparing ahead for her. It is hard at first but I know that she will appreciate the caring work that you are doing. & I do think that all your family will benefit from eating in a little healthier (IMO) way sometimes...

[Darn210]

Here is a list of mainstream companies that list the gluten in their products, therefore, if it doesn't actually call out wheat, rye, barley or oats, then vague terms like "natural flavoring" are OK for these companies . . .

Open Original Shared Link

Some good staples that are mainstream and gluten-free . . .

Progresso Creamy Mushroom Soup (it has slices of mushrooms which is a problem for my husband!!!! so I send it through the blender first)

Great Value Brand Au Gratin Potatoes

Betty Crocker Potato Buds (I'm not an instant potato fan but sometimes you need something quick - can also be used in some coatings)

Fruity Pebbles, Rice Chex, Dora the Explorer Stars (the Rice Chex are new, make sure you get the box that says gluten free - I also used crushed chex in my meatloaf)

Most Ortega products

Hormel products (check labels - they list their gluten sources)

Oscar Mayer lunch meats/hot dogs (check labels - they list their gluten sources)

Kraft Cheese products (check labels - they list their gluten sources)

Jif peanut butter

Eggs/Omlettes

Breyer Ice Cream (Chocolate or Vanilla - lots of other flavors too but that's all we get)

Most Ore Ida Fries

All fresh/nonbreaded meats (watch for prebasted stuff)

All fresh fruits and veggies

Most canned or frozen fruits and veggies (watch out for sauces)

Let us know what you need.

[toddzgrrl02]

Also please remember that if you cook with wheat flour or wheat cake mixes in the house that she will get sick.

I understand she cannot eat or touch thing with gluten in them, but simply cooking it in the house will make her ill? I hadn't heard that before. I'm not one to use a lot of wheat flour or cake mixes so those aren't really an issue. But why would my cooking them make her sick if she isn't eating it or around when I make it?

[gfpaperdoll]

Although you might not realize it flour poofs up in the air & gets on everything & it also gets in the AC/heating ducts... Some of us get sick just walking in a bakery... or the worst the flour aisle at the grocery after someone has just stocked the flour bags or is stocking them at that moment or horrors one has broken & there is flour everywhere

[Rachel--24]

I hadn't thought about that one. I can def see that being an issue with the kids because the boys will not think or remember that kind of stuff. Not sure how to get them to remember either.

I imagine it would be difficult for everyone to remember. It would probably be easier to just buy seperate jars for her...they can have special labels on them so that they dont get mixed up. You can also use squeezable conatiners for mayonaise and most other condiments...that way there is no worry of dipping a contaminated knife into the jar.

[Ursa Major]

I understand she cannot eat or touch thing with gluten in them, but simply cooking it in the house will make her ill? I hadn't heard that before. I'm not one to use a lot of wheat flour or cake mixes so those aren't really an issue. But why would my cooking them make her sick if she isn't eating it or around when I make it?

No, in general, cooking non-gluten-free food won't make us ill (like pasta). But if you use flour, some will get into the air and gets breathed in, it is inevitable. Plus there will be a fine layer of flour dust on things in the kitchen after using flour. If you touch those and then eat with your fingers, you get glutened.

Regular kitchens can be a minefield for us!

You will also need to use separate (new) cooking spoons for her, especially if yours are wood. You can't get the wooden ones clean enough to be safe. She will also need her own toaster, as your regular toaster isn't safe. If she eats gluten-free pasta, you will need to have a separate colander from your regular one (if it is plastic), as you absolutely cannot get all the gluten off the colander. Cutting boards are another issue, as is scratched non-stick cookware.

A cousins daughter has celiac disease, and she is the only one in the family. When the girl comes home from college, they have to be extremely careful. The mother can't even bake her regular bread in the bread machine, as her daughter will be ill for a week otherwise!

Liz has her own toaster. Once at college a roommate used her toaster by mistake. Just once. When Liz toasted and ate her own bread later (not knowing about the mix-up), she had an immediate DH outbreak and got severe depression (one of her symptoms of glutening) and diarrhea that day.

Needless to say, she had to buy a new toaster.

I am not telling you this to frighten you, but to show you how careful you need to be. Liz has a younger brother, who eats gluten food, as do her parents. She doesn't get glutened in her house when coming home, because everybody is vigilant, and while she is there, no baking with regular flour is done at all. Cakes and cookies etc. that are being baked when she is around are all gluten-free, and nobody minds, because they can be delicious. Plus, of course, they don't want her to be sick.