sallyterpsichore

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping some of you have recipes or ideas for gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and vegetarian appetizers. Quite a list of restrictions, I know, but my friend is vegetarian and I am the other three and we struggle to try and cook together. We're getting together on Saturday afternoon (two days from now), so any suggestions would be highly appreciated. We're both excellent cooks and she's a big of a foodie, so fancy is good. Or maybe I could pass off the easy classics as "retro cool" you think?

I was considering lettuce wraps, but I'm struggling with vegetarian, soy-free fillings...just to get the ball rolling here.

Thanks in advance!

-Sally

Well, you can read my "I'm a lazy single girl with Celiac Disease" blog: Open Original Shared Link for starters! I just did a special post about dealing with hangovers on a gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free diet, so there's that!

Also, I'm 23 and was diagnosed a month after I graduated college, so I hear ya! I also went to Western Michigan University and grew up in the state. I live in Boston now, but I'm hear to talk if you need me!

-Sally

Hi All!

I'm traveling to Italy for the month of July! Cities include: Rome, Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, Venice, Pisa, Florence and Cinque Terre. I've found a website listing restaurants but I'd love some personal advice from people who have eaten in any of these restaurants listed (since they are listed in Italian!). We are also on a budget so we are looking for more reasonable choices! I plan on bringing the "dining card" with me.

Thanks,

Renee

Let's see...I went to Rome, Venice, and Florence in March of this year and had a few problems. Everyone said people in Italy are well aware of celiac disease and will know what you're talking about when you explain it to them (or hand them your translation card...definitely have it with you at all times), but I went to one place where the server was a complete jerk and started yelling. Of course, that can't be the norm, but it was right in tourist central...down a little street in the Piazza that the Pantheon is located in. At any rate, he did find some food I coud eat and it was fabulous...of course, a jug of wine, lemon sorbet with limoncello AND vodka, and steak would be good anywhere...lovely diet! So that ended up not being so bad, as the server came back to apologize after my friend and I were both near tears.

Everywhere else I ate, I pretty much ordered steak. Fish is most likely okay, but most of the servers will be helpful in Rome anyway. I was glutened after eating sausages at a tiny restaurant...which was my own fault, but it certainly didn't look as if it contained breadcrumbs! Sausage...probably not a good plan.

In Venice, I was only there for 4 hours as it was pouring, hailing, and the wind was so strong it broke our umbrellas. I bought a couple pieces of fruit from a street vendor there.

Florence is easy as they are known for their steak. I had some rosemary steak on a bed of arugula...yum.

Of course, you'll still want to make sure that the steaks don't have sauces or anything. And if you're vegetarian, I can't really help you at all! Sorry.

Have fun in Italy and enjoy the Limoncello, it's gluten-free. Also, in the Travelling section of the forum, you'll find tons more info on traveling to Italy.

-Sally

I still feel awful a good portion of the time and I've been strictly gluten, dairy, and soy-free since last November. I know if I wasn't motivated by the pain and depression of eating these things, I probably wouldn't stick with the diet. It's amazing what a motivator pain can be! I still have depression on occasion, which is strange, because that is a new symptom this year, but there are some other possible causes of that. I still think something I'm eating is causing it, but what I'm getting at is that not all of us heal at the same rate. I'm still struggling along every day and have had baby steps toward success, but still have to fight sickness everyday. My guess is that the pain will motivate you to cut all of these foods out and you sort of just have to feed back in different things (milk, soy, or whatever isn't proven to make you react) one at a time and see what your body does. It's certainly no fun, but it'd be nice to find out you could eat something you didn't realize was safe!

Hang in there and keep posting!

-Sally

I know I checked on their website pretty thoroughly the day that I posted the original post on here and I couldn't find a thing helpful for us gluten-free folks. I think the assumption is if it doesn't go in your mouth, you're fine. But my nutritionist mentioned that if it goes in your body anywhere (mouth, eyes, ears, nose) it has to be gluten-free. I've been using an off-brand solution forever because I had a huge stash of it from Costco, but I've been looking for a safe one. No one can help us out here? My stomach would greatly appreciate it...

Thanks,

Sally

I have been using Bausch and Lomb for hard contacts/gas permeable contacts (I still have the OLD hard contacts!) and don't seem to have a problem. Been getting better since taking antibiotics for 2 root canals in February. I can eat and go out in the car now. I have NOT yet called B & L and I guess you could say that I am living on a wing and a prayer. I have their box beside my chair and it's been there awhile but I haven't called yet. Maybe this will give me the boost that I need. I will try to remember to post if/when I call......sorry!

I know I checked on their website pretty thoroughly the day that I posted the original post on here and I couldn't find a thing helpful for us gluten-free folks. I think the assumption is if it doesn't go in your mouth, you're fine. But my nutritionist mentioned that if it goes in your body anywhere (mouth, eyes, ears, nose) it has to be gluten-free. I've been using an off-brand solution forever because I had a huge stash of it from Costco, but I've been looking for a safe one. No one can help us out here? My stomach would greatly appreciate it...

Thanks,

Sally

Centrum is gluten-free...as is Caltrate, if you need options for Calcium and D

One a Day Women's is NOT gluten-free, just FYI.

I need some help. My nutritionist told me that anything that goes into your body, whether through the mouth, nose, eyes, ears, etc...has to be gluten-free. However, I haven't been able to find ANY information about contact solution or eye drops. I DID find that Renu doesn't guarantee ANYTHING to be gluten-free.

Anyone know any safe brands?

Thanks in advance,

Sally

I read somewhere that all Colgate toothpastes are fine. Has anyone heard otherwise?

Actually, it was my nutritionist who said they were all gluten-free...she's had a Celiac diagnosis about 15 years ago and is one of the premier researchers, so I'm quite confident in her advice/knowledge.

I was unusually tired and my joints ached horribly for months and months. You don't get all better in a couple of weeks.

richard

Yep, I second that. I've been gluten free since the day after Thanksgiving (I wanted to eat one last feast before getting my test done...since they were quite certain I had celiac just from my antibodies). Anyway, I'm still a mess. I get migraines (have one now), my stomach still kills me with no hints as to what it is, I get major muscle aches, fatigue, and depression. I've also been off dairy and soy since January. It's frustrating to not be able to eat much or have a social life and still not get much better. I'm still better than I was while eating gluten, but you sort of lose motivation when nothing improves like people say it will ("I felt so much better within a couple weeks!" etc. etc.)

Good luck with the doctor and keep posting if you need any support/advice, or just want to whine!

-Sally

Thanks so much for responding so quickly!

I don't even know what the base alcohol is in limoncello. I know that there's a ton (and I do mean a TON) of sugar and of course lemon flavoring of some sort.

I should've asked my nutritionist...darn!

Sally,

I sure hope so as I'm sipping some at the moment. One of my stepdaughters brought me a bottle from Sorrento. She's the smart one.

Of course I'm sure you know all about the Danny Divito embroglio vis a vis The View?

best regards, lm

Hi everyone,

I read through most of the posts about Italy in the travel section, but I didn't find anything about limoncello. Is this gluten-free??

Thanks in advance!

-Sally

I'm checking right now on a cider called "Original Sin" that's really tasty. It's made in NY, but they have it here in Boston (Cambridge especially) as well as Michigan and a few others.

I'll update this when I get an answer.

In terms of vodka, my doc said any vodkas are fine, since they're all distilled. So, while the potato vodkas are super tasty, they're expensive, and all the cheap folk out there like myself will appreciate being able to buy Smirnoff (or the crap in the plastic bottles, if they so desire)!

Will update,

Sally

Yay, it is safe! "thanks for the e-mail. O.Sin is gluten-free. we use only apples and

champagne yeast - no artificial flavors or colors. we do add sulfites

and sorbate to stabilize the product. we do need to add the info to

our site."

AB makes a gluten free beer! Made from Sorghum. As a self-confessed beer snob, I was so excited, but so worried. I like Belgium ales, domestic microbrews, brutally hopped IPAs. What would this be like?

Not bad. Not bad at all. Tastes, smells, pours like a beer. At 8.50 a six pack, about what I'd pay for something I'd usualy drink. I'm on my second six pack (not at once!), and I havn't been sick yet, so it's kosher for me at least.

So drink up boys and girls! It's good!

So glad to hear this! I'm a beer snob as well (hence the pain and tears!) I really don't like

Bard's Tale...and I'm sure someone in Boston carries Redbridge. In fact, I think some of little local liquor stores do, according to the Busch site. Excellent! Thanks for the good news!

-Sally

I'm checking right now on a cider called "Original Sin" that's really tasty. It's made in NY, but they have it here in Boston (Cambridge especially) as well as Michigan and a few others.

I'll update this when I get an answer.

In terms of vodka, my doc said any vodkas are fine, since they're all distilled. So, while the potato vodkas are super tasty, they're expensive, and all the cheap folk out there like myself will appreciate being able to buy Smirnoff (or the crap in the plastic bottles, if they so desire)!

Will update,

Sally

Hi everyone,

I'm new here, despite learning about my celiac disease back in late Nov. (I was still dealing with moving, a new job, making friends, and now my new fun food problems). Anyway, it's looking like Boston is the perfect place to live if you are forced to deal with this mess that we deal with.

Has anyone been to a cafe on Newbury St. called "The Other Side"? A vegetarian friend told me about it and it's supposed to be very friendly to "alternative lifestyles" like vegans and people who actually enjoy wheat grass smoothies (blech). She was thinking they might be celiac-friendly. I'm crossing my fingers for this one since 1) I'm cheap and can't often afford PF Changs or The Elephant Walk 2) who wouldn't love a little cafe for hippies and artsy folk in the Back Bay? (I'm a writer...) 3) anywhere that caters to gluten-free folk, vegans, and vegetarians would be greatly appreciated as my new group of friends here have a slew of difficult diets.

I'll keep my eyes open for any new tasty places we can eat in return for your responses!

Thanks!

Sally