crc0622

Tanya - how did they test you for celiac? You mentioned a colonoscopy for crohn's but you'll need very specific blood tests and/or an endoscopy for celiac.

Dana - he can have any distilled vinegar. The only big no-no is any malt vinegar, as it is made from barley.

Hope this helps!

Celeste

Richard,

We can always count on you to be the voice of reason, no matter which forum you are on! Thank you.

Celeste

Keep in mind when you start the anger-mail that many companies who cannot absolutely certify that their items contain no wheat will have to start putting "may contain wheat" on their labels just to CYA. Those Fruity/Cocoa Pebbles, Corn Puffs, Malt-o-meal cereals, etc. you can almost be assured they would have to do that because they all warn about cross-contamination. It's a risk that you currently choose to take, but would you if it says on the label "may contain wheat"?? It's not just cereals - think of all the multitude of companies making every kind of product on our shelves who would have to start labelling this way - Kraft, Hershey, ConAgra, General Mills - companies we rely on to be straight with us. But if there is the slightest chance of CC, it would have to say "may contain wheat."

Yes, we want some reasonable ideas about what is in our manufactured food, but if you do it in the way that it sounds from this thread, they'll start labeling it as such even when it may not be so. Even the labelling law which just passed did not include barley and rye as major allergens, so we'd still have to be on the lookout for them. And it did not include toiletries and probably never will.

Proceed with caution, and don't over-exagerate the conquences. It is not like an anaphylactic peanut allergy.

Celeste

I have heard others say that those french fry stands are okay because all they cook in there are french fries. You could check with them to be sure, but it seems like it should be safe.

Celeste

I wouldn't even trust the salad. From everything I have read, Applebees is one of those places to stay out of. That's fine for me - I never much liked them anyway.

Salads are a major source of cross-contamination - often they are mixed in the same bowls, where croutons have been, dressings are slopped around, fried onions sometimes. Bad news. Unless you can see them make it with fresh gloves and ingredients that haven't been "dribbled" on, who knows!

Celeste

I think that if they are regularly smoking pot, the question as to whether it's gluten-free or not is kind of irrelevant . . .

Celeste

Penzey's has come out with two new Taco Seasonings, Bold and Chicken. I just called and they are both gluten-free. Their Original Taco Seasoning, however, is still the only one they carry that is not gluten-free.

I love these spices. They are great quality and very good prices. If you order in larger quantities, the prices are even better.

Celeste

Jacksonville, FL

I think I got glutened at Don Pablos a while back and I was very careful when ordering and asked a bunch of questions. There's always the possibility of contamination anytime you eat something you don't prepare yourself. If in doubt, don't!

Celeste

Unfortunately, due to the same thing that creates that wonderful seasoning, cast iron is a no-no for us! The gluten won't be scrubbed away (and what good cook would scrub their cast iron, anyway?)!

Stainless steel and anodized aluminum is good - easy to scrub clean.

Thanks for all the great info. I do tell everyone I can possibly tell when I have a good experience, Celiac or otherwise! And I try to let management know when a Chef does a really good job, too, even if it means a phone call the next day. They should know how much it is appreciated when their staff goes beyond the call of duty!

Celeste

Have you adjusted your plans due to the Hurricane?

Nukapai:

Sounds like all of your symptoms are pointing toward Celiac. As I have read on another Celiac forum, IBS means "I've Been Stumped" hahahaha

Lay off any processed foods for a while and you won't have to worry about those nasty little hidden ingredients like "gluten-free wheat." Sounds like science fiction, doesn't it? Well, according to many, it's fiction, not science.

There have been a lot of warnings about eating items marked gluten-free when traveling in Europe because they do recognize the wheat starch as being gluten-free, but it's really not and lots of people (including you, undoubtedly) have reactions to it.

Hang in there!

Celeste

Hello again, Canadian Karen. You stole my comment about delphi! I don't know how anyone could want any more recipes than are available there!

Folks, if you don't visit delphi, you are missing out on a lot of good info - it's a different environment than this one (a little older crowd, I think) but we have several members who do both forums. Check it out.

I don't think they are all gluten-free - esp if Bob's doesn't say gluten-free, it is probably not gluten-free. All his stuff is marked as gluten-free if it is. Some of the product lists have safe stuff on them. I would suspect Quaker has CC issues. Check delphi's list - it's the best I've seen. I know for sure that Adluh corn meal is on one of the lists, but you only may be able to find it in the south. Not sure where you are.

Celeste

Sharon,

Upon diagnosis, I too ran to my local healthy food store and bought a bunch of processed gluten-free stuff I didn't think I could live without. Well, most of those are still in the cupboard because I just don't eat much of the specialty stuff. There are a lot more options in your regular store than you realize. (Yes, Cheetos are gluten-free, even though some don't eat them due to cross contamination issues I have never had a problem with them.)

I have found that the only thing I really can't find in a regular store is soy sauce (the jury is out on whether LaChoy is really gluten-free). I have purchased some cake, cookie, brownie mixes via mail order but requested that my commissary carry them AND THEY DO NOW! (I'm a Navy wife.) I did mail order some ready-made cookies, cinnamon bread and pizza crusts from Kathy's Creations and put them in the freezer. I'll eat a cookie every couple of days or so. I made my own mixes and put them in the freezer. That way if someone else is having sweets, I can too. I also bring them to work with me.

I also found that Publix carries some cereals that are gluten-free and SuperTarget has a couple of Bob's Red Mill items that are gluten-free (not all are, though - watch the label - it will say gluten-free).

I primarily eat meat, fresh veggies, potatos, rice, fruit. I have never had a problem with fruit that many have when first gluten-free. I love the stuff. We always try to make enough at supper to have leftovers for my lunch the next day. Eating out is not only difficult, it is very RISKY - always!

Pay attention to your body - it may be good for you to keep a food diary of EVERYTHING you eat for the first month or two because it's easier to figure out where you might slip up that way. Read all you can - there are other forums besides this one that are good, too. You can join as many as you have time to read! I regularly visit 3: delphi, yahoo sillyyaks and here. All have a different "specialty" or flavor and you'll quickly develop a favorite.

Good luck and hang in there.

Celeste

If you want a list, the best I have found is here:

Open Original Shared Link

Scroll down a little on the first page and you'll see a gluten-free product list. It is updated pretty regularly.

Baking soda is very hard on the teeth and gums. You'll soon have no gums!!

Try Kathy's Creations in Ohio. No website that I am aware of but they ship everywhere. I'm in FL and got a box of goodies last week including a cookie sampler, cinnamon swirl bread, pizza crusts. 866-821-8183

Hubby had a couple of the cookies last night and couldn't believe they were gluten-free. I ordered the sampler (6 kinds of cookies, I think) and put it in the freezer. Pull out a cookie, let it sit for a few minutes and good as new! Also sliced the bread and froze with wax paper between slices. Pop in toaster in the morning and run. Haven't used the crust yet but they look good!

They ship on Wednesdays and are closed on Mondays.

Celeste

The site referenced below is the BEST for gluten-free recipes. I have mentioned it here before. One of the moderators is a chef, owns her own restaurant and posts - literally - hundreds of recipes. If you only use this website, check out others because each has its own "flavor" or personality.

Open Original Shared Link

There is also good information for newbies on cross-contamination, how to de-gluten your kitchen, etc. etc.

Celeste

I agree about using whatever you've already got out. Also, a good tip if you are using a mix that calls for flouring the pan, flour it with a little of the mix, then you don't get white stuff on the outside of your cake/brownies/whatever when you're done.

Celeste

I was going to suggest buttermilk, too, for those that can have dairy. A Southern thing, I think.

If your breading is falling off, your oil is not hot enough. Drop a couple of crumbs in the oil before you fry. If it sizzles and floats, it's hot enough. If it sinks, let it get hotter. (If it disintegrates before your eyes in a wisp of smoke, you've got it way too hot! )

You only really need to flip one time. Flipping too much will cause your breading to fall off and the chicken to absorb more grease because you're lowering the temp of the oil every time you flip. Don't be afraid of the oil being hot - if you get any smoking at all, turn down the heat a little - but not much!

Don't fry in olive oil. Too low a smoke point. Can't get it hot enough.

Celeste

I guess I'm the weirdo here. I have barely any period. I'm on the pill - have been for 18 years - and have had low hemoglobin and taken iron also for the same length of time, sometimes I've been taking iron as much as three times a day. I've had two periods since going gluten-free and haven't noticed any difference except they may be even lighter than before. I only use a pantyliner. (I know - don't all hate me!) Maybe it's not having enough blood to spare!

BTW - I am in three forums for Celiac and this one is the funniest about the gross descriptions of things. The other two are SO careful about every little "BM" or whatever - this one cracks me up how descriptive and open everything is. Kind of refreshing, actually. We have all been through so much. I remember when I first went to the doc with this problem, I was so embarrassed - now I'm telling people about it in the grocery store!

Celeste

Yep - Dutch is what I've always heard we were. Some German thrown in there, too. I have fair skin, freckles and look Irish so there's probably some of that floating around. (I have a strange fondness for Ireland, also. They say if you have a drop of Irish blood in you, you always consider Ireland home, so maybe that's it!)

My whole family has been on this side of the pond since before the Revolution, though, so no telling what else is lurking up the tree!

Celeste

I've eaten it for supper the last two days. I think I'm okay!

Two comments:

Product formulations are different in other countries, so be careful if you are not in the US. (Karen, I know you are aware of this from delphi but thought I'd mention it for others.)

Publix brand sherbets and yogurts are gluten-free - confirmed recently.

Your exhusband sounds like a real caring, sensitive kind of guy - NOT.

Any chance you could threaten taking some kind of legal action? Some variation of withholding medical care might work . . . just a thought. No way I would eat gluten again for a challenge - I feel too good, am building muscle, gaining weight. Luckily (?) I am off the charts positive in all the tests and biopsy.

Is this to "prove" to your exhusband that he needs a restricted diet? Do you have him gluten-free when he's with you and he feels better? If he's getting sick every time he goes to see dad, maybe that will convince him.

My hubby's ex has whatever medical care she finds necessary for his daughter - I would not imagine trying to intervene in that. She's with her every day and knows what is best.

Yes, this is a byproduct of celiac disease, as well as infertility caused by not having regular cycles. Low weight alone can cause missed or absence of periods. You're about as normal as it gets around here.