Waiting

[JenM.]

I did it. I got the blood work done. I'm just waiting for the results now. I have decided to go gluten free anyway. I am sick of feeling sick. While originally I was really overwhelmed by everything, I have decided this is doable and it doesn't need to be as hard as I was thinking it would be.

I do have questions though. Do you really need separate cooking stuff? If you wash it doesn't that clean away the gluten? I can understand the toaster because of all the crumbs. What other tips do I need to know?

[sa1937]

I did it. I got the blood work done. I'm just waiting for the results now. I have decided to go gluten free anyway. I am sick of feeling sick. While originally I was really overwhelmed by everything, I have decided this is doable and it doesn't need to be as hard as I was thinking it would be.

I do have questions though. Do you really need separate cooking stuff? If you wash it doesn't that clean away the gluten? I can understand the toaster because of all the crumbs. What other tips do I need to know?

What kind of cookware do you have? Some can be scrubbed clean but If it's nonstick, I'd replace it. In addition to your toaster, also buy a new colander or strainer for pasta, new wooden spoons, cutting boards, etc. I got rid of tons of old ancient Tupperware as I knew I'd never get it clean.

If you can't get it clean, replace it. If you can, keep it. Aluminum foil and parchment paper are your friends. Hope this helps a bit and I'm sure others will chime in. And not everything has to be replaced at once but definitely replace anything suspect that you use all the time. You can always buy other new things later if you wish. But you don't need to go as hog wild as I did...but it was fun!

The diet is very doable...to start off with shop the outer rim of the store. For fresh fruits, veggies and plain meats, you don't even need to read labels for those although we all become pretty good label readers.

[ktotheroll]

Congrats! Keep in mind, though, that there's a chance the test could come back with a false negative--mine did. My doctor said that this is common and that the best way to know for sure is to go gluten free anyway. I did (it was one year on Tuesday!) and I felt better after just a couple of weeks.

I didn't find that I needed to replace very much. I definitely replaced the toaster, and the pizza stone, but otherwise I just make sure that everything is washed really well.

Do you have other people living with you who will not be eating gluten free? You'll need to be careful about crumbs in the butter, mayo, jelly, peanut butter, etc. Also, I use a different area of the counter for preparing my food than the area my roommate uses in order to prevent any cross-contamination. Oh, and be careful about drinking out of the same glass or bottle as someone who has just eaten something with gluten. I run into that a lot with people asking to try something I'm drinking.

It sounds complex, but it's really not as hard as it seems. Before you know it, it'll be second nature.

[JenM.]

I am a single mom with 2 kids (ages 6 & 12) I wasn't planning on making them go gluten free. I don't usually have gluten in the dinners I make anyway so the only things I really need to change are the breakfast and lunch meals. I figure I can get that under control once I figure out a flour substitute since I like baking anyway. I plan to start really going through the cupboards for a big clean this weekend. Any tips? I still want to make cookies and cupcakes for the kids lunches, is it safe for me to be handling those foods?

[Takala]

I am a single mom with 2 kids (ages 6 & 12) I wasn't planning on making them go gluten free. I don't usually have gluten in the dinners I make anyway so the only things I really need to change are the breakfast and lunch meals. I figure I can get that under control once I figure out a flour substitute since I like baking anyway. I plan to start really going through the cupboards for a big clean this weekend. Any tips? I still want to make cookies and cupcakes for the kids lunches, is it safe for me to be handling those foods?

____________

Liking baking is a very good thing. You will want to not be baking with regular flour anymore, however, as the cross contamination issues will eventually either make you sick no matter how conscientious you are, or drive you batty. Handling pre made ones, wiping up crumbs, and then washing your hands is okay.

You can try buying a bag of pre mixed gluten free baking mixture, such as Pamela's or King Arthur, (both websites have recipes) to start with, or you can buy the basic trio/quad of gluten free rice flour, tapioca or arrowroot or cornstarch, and/or potato starch, and a package of guar or xanthan gum. These basic flours mixed together can be used in many recipes. Many people add some sorghum to these mixtures.

The easiest way to deal with the Flour Storage Problem is to buy your flours on sale. Freeze them at least temporarily so they don't get bugs. Store in the refrigerator. This way they don't go rancid. You can make your own customized pre mixes by dumping a same sized package of each into a big zip lock storage bag, and mixing it up well. ( Some people want to make this more complicated than it has to be.)

If you must do a low carbohydrate diet you can try baking with ground up almonds or coconut flours, or adding some bean flours. (google search SCD, specific carbohydrate recipes, or gluten free grainless baking) There are also gluten free grains and seeds such as amaranth, teff, quinoa, buckwheat which are higher protein and lower glycemic index than the usual rice/starch combos.

If you end up disliking the taste of xanthan or guar gum, or you don't like it:

Kinds of gluten free flours which need less or no extra gums to replace gluten are almond meal, amaranth, and buckwheat - also chickpea - adding some vinegar to the water and presoaking these a little seems to help give them a more sticky characteristic. Also, boiling water and either ground flax or chia seed can be used to make a gel that helps act as a gummer, otherwise, egg or egg whites will work, also.

The cheapest nut meals are those you can grind yourself in the blender.

Some people hate the bean flours when they are used in a pre mix. I cannot taste them when I put them in flour mixes I make, but I'd thought I'd warn you.

Most of your old ingredients that you dip spoons into are going to be cross contaminated. The best habit you can get into is to be pouring dry things out of their containers whenever possible, or to use a clean dry spoon for each and don't get one item cross contaminated with another, in case something is not gluten free, after all. The other thing is to keep a sharpie pen in the kitchen and getting in the habit of labeling everything that is gluten free, and keeping it separate in a mixed household, if you end up going that route.

[JenM.]

Thank you Takala! That was a lot of very useful information. I am definitely going to have to write some of that down as I go on the hunt for alternatives! I guess there is a bit more to cross contamination than I was aware. There certainly is a lot to learn.

[Judy3]

I am a single mom with 2 kids (ages 6 & 12) I wasn't planning on making them go gluten free. I don't usually have gluten in the dinners I make anyway so the only things I really need to change are the breakfast and lunch meals. I figure I can get that under control once I figure out a flour substitute since I like baking anyway. I plan to start really going through the cupboards for a big clean this weekend. Any tips? I still want to make cookies and cupcakes for the kids lunches, is it safe for me to be handling those foods?

Once you get back to baking, just make theirs gluten free. I did that in my house and no one could tell the difference...!! I make cupcakes and cookies (although not often because I'm the cookie monster!!) and now they insist that the gluten free are better so I get "Mom, make yours they're better"

I don't allow regular flour use in my kitchen unless I'm not going to be home for a few days.. Then it's fair game as long as it's cleaned up before I get home..

[JenM.]

Hi Judy,

I am still at the stage that I am concerned over the cost difference which is the main reason I was thinking I would let the kids still have the gluten stuff. I have been having trouble finding any alternatives for me to use at all. I am going on a bigger hunt today and I guess if that fails I'll go on-line.