pixiegirl

I made this bread yesterday for the first time... My bread machine is old and has a very small loaf in it, so I dumped it all in the machine, let it mix and rise in there, then before the bake cycle I took a spoon and took some out (otherwise it would have overflowed while baking).

I took the extra and made a small loaf and baked that in the oven. Wow it all turned out so good. This is by far the best gluten-free bread I've ever had. My dog thinks so too.... I left the loaves out on the stove to cool and she jumped up and grabbed the smaller one (that was cooked in the oven) and ate the whole thing!

I didn't get any of that dough enhancer yet, I ordered some but it didn't arrive as of yet but the bread was great without it. Now where do you order those English Muffin Rings???

Susan

Oh I'm glad I didn't go to the store yet, I was going to do it tomorrow morning, many thanks for telling me about the yeast! I'm try it without the dough enhancer first... thanks so much for the info!!

susan

Ok I've read here over and over how good this bread is, so I bought some and it came today... well it figures my yeast is too old to use so I'll have to run up to the store for more.

However my real question is this... it says to add a dough enhancer (yes it says this is optional but....) what is a dough enhancer? Does it make the bread better? Where do I get it?

Susan

LOL well if you get it and there are any upscale places in downtown houston, let me know!

susan

I've yapped about Legal Seafoods a number of times here and I'm glad you brought it up again, they deserve the good word. The restaurant is very interested in helping people with all sorts of food issues. I am gluten-free and my daughter has a life threatening allergy to peanuts and reactions to all nuts.

Legal is one place we both enjoy going because they take our issues so seriously. Although they don't have a nut free menu, the manager always comes over and speaks to us about things my daughter can eat. They speak to the chef and the mark it down on the bill. Every experience I've had there has been wonderful and the to top it off the food is great!

Susan

La Choy soy sauce is supposed to be gluten-free but I have a reaction to it, I did try some soy sauce from Whole Foods market that said wheat free, gluten free on the label and I did not have a reaction to it...

I think the DNA pannel at Entrolabs is at least a couple of hundred dollars, I ordered the whole shebang, along with lactose and all sorts of stuff and I think it was about $300. I know thats a lot of money but I felt my health was worth it.

Hang in there, read the lists and you will get the hang of it soon enough.

Susan

Yes I think the bottom line in any restaurant is that you have to ask. The McDonalds I go to they say they never use the fry fryer for anything other then fries. The way its set up, its not even close to the other food, its way in the front of the store buy the cash registers not by the rest of the food so that makes it much harder for a mistake to happen. I've eaten their fries many times (yesterday as a matter of fact) and never had a reaction.

susan

I'd say if you call a company and they say their product is gluten-free then you can bank on that, the reason that the problem happens at restaurants is because you are asking a server who usually has NO understanding of Celiac, if you were to call the company headquarters you'd get a better response.

Most food companies are very worried about lawsuits (this includes restaurants) so if you go to the headquarters you will get the right info.

susan

I hate to say but by your descriptions of what you are eating I think you are still ingesting a lot of gluten. I've had similar symptoms to yours (less the hospital visits) and a doctor that told me to eat gluten because my blood tests came back negative. Well I tried a gluten-free diet and felt wonderful after the first week, so I gave up on the doctor. I paid to have my DNA tested at EntroLabs and I came back with having the two "main" genes for celiac. My mother has suffered from the same symptoms for years and it took me months to talk her into trying totally gluten-free and she did, and she feels great for the first time in years.

For the first few weeks I only ate plain food: fish, meat chicken, rice and veggies, no seasoning, no mistakes. Then I added back regular milk (my doctor had convinced me 8 years ago I was lactose intolerant and guess what... I'm not, what I am is celiac). Now I do belive I have some other food issues and I'm trying to figure them out...

I think for a few weeks you should try to give up the restaurants and eat simply. Now I am using some gluten free subsitiute foods but I have come to learn from these lists and my own experience is that most regular foods, snacks etc. contain gluten or are made on the same assembly lines as gluten foods. So I stick with cereals breads cookies that specifically say gluten free. There are lists out on the internet that will help you find what foods you can eat and what you can't and I think until you really understand the various issues you will still be having reactions. Hopefully someone will post the various lists and you can check company web sites and/or call the companies. May drugs (rx and otc) have gluten as do supplements, you MUST check.

In resturants you can just assume something is ok, they may use the same cutting board as something with gluten or the same pan or the same oil to fry it in, you have to tell the server, maitre d' and I ask them if they told the chef. Gluten hides in everything, various vinegars, sauces, coatings breadings... you have to be really vigilent to get it out of your diet.

Again just assuming a product that you use to buy is gluten-free you can't do until you know for sure, gluten hides in flavorings, vinegar, carmel color, natural flavorings and cross contamination.

Good luck, Susan

Someone in charge of the houston gluten-free group told me there were a number of bar b q places in town that are gluten-free, but I can't help you with the names of them, she said I had to pay for the list of them. It was only $5. so it might be worth it to you but I felt it was very unfriendly to ask a visitor to pay, so I didn't! (shooting myself in the foot for sure!)

thanks for your help, I'm going to have to do the chain places I guess.

Susan

Well someone has to be more expert on this then me, but I've had an unexplained rash on my foot for years and after I found out I had to be gluten-free I did some research on DH. Yes your dermatologist can test for it and if I remember correctly oddly enough they take a small piece of healthy tissue (biopsy I guess) next to or near the DH skin problem.

I'm sure someone that has had this done can explain it better. My DH (I'm sure thats what it is) is not extensive and its looking somewhat better since I've been gluten free (since september 2004). So I'm hoping it will slowly disappear on its own with my gluten-free diet.

Susan

I've been eating many of Thai Kitchens soups but after going to their web site, it appears ALL their sauces are gluten-free.... hmmm I find that hard to believe.... I remember the other day looking at one of them in the store and thinking it was probably not gluten-free.. maybe it was because of the soy sauce.. I guess I'll have to try them now!

Susan

Certainly experiences will vary from restaurant to restaurant and as many people here always say.... eating out will always be a risk... but I think we can decrease that risk by going to very gluten-free friendly places.

Best, Susan

I hate to say but from what I've read I think the time it takes to feel better is different for everyone. All our systems are somewhat different, tolerate different things and were damaged to various degrees.

I've had a similar history as your husband, problems for about 10 years, unexplained rashes, no clear diagnoses. I've switched primary care doctors but my old one told me I did have have celiac and to begin eating gluten again (I had gone off it for about 3 weeks at that point and told him how much better I was feeling). I did end up paying for EntroLab genetic testing which came back that I carry to 2 main genes for celiac, so chances are pretty good I have gluten problems. But one doesn't need to do that or spend the money in my opinion... with the symptoms your family has, going gluten-free is the best way so find out.

That being said, I've been gluten-free since about Sept. 2004 and I feel 90% better then I have in years, however I still do have some symptoms and I'm beginning to think that I have developed other food issues too. It seems like when I eat soy I get some problems. So I have just taken the stance that its going to take a long while for me to figure it all out and that it will be an adventure. (my cup is usually half full)

Every time I go back to the basics, chicken, veggies and fruit, virtually all my symptoms go away, so I keep going back to that diet and then trying to add things, if they bother me, I try and avoid them. I know I'll figure it out, eventually.

Also I've been told that we have to expect that if we had symptoms for say.... 10 years, its going to take a while to get it all out of our system. Again from reading posts here, some feel great in a matter of a couple of months, some have taken a year... but for me the 90% better I feel is a godsend. I'm able to live my life so much more normally now.

So all I can say is be very aware as to what other foods seem to bother your family and see if they get better when you eliminate them. It takes time and can be frustrating but you are on the way to better health.

Best, Susan

I just want you to know that you have your restaurants mixed up.... the restaurants you listed are owned by 2 different parent companies... One, the Outback people are very gluten-free friendly, the other Darden is not.

Outback owns: Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Lee Roy Selmans, Cheese Burger in Paradise, Bonefish Grill and Paul Lee's Chineese. They have franchise agreements with Flemings Steak House and Roy's restaurants. I'm not saying all these places have gluten-free menu's but the chain is very gluten-free friendly.

Darden owns: Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze and Smokey Bones. They are not gluten-free friendly. I had a horrible experience with Olive Garden, I went in and spoke to them and they told me they didn't want me to eat there, that they felt comfortable with NOTHING. I e-mailed the company a day or so later and received an e-mail that said if I had such severe food allergies (I don't have any allergies, which I explained, just celiac) that Darden restaurants were not for me.

I wouldn't go to a Darden restaurant now if you paid me, they were so.... not nice. I'd like to add I'm a stockbroker and I won't buy their stock either!

susan

Oh I'm sorry I misunderstood your statement about the intestine thing... My mom is stubborn and she eats bread (now gluten-free bread) at every meal. She says she "can't" give it up. She certainly isn't obese but if she continues like this she might be. I should have mentioned she is a dynamo... she's 79 and never stops... she runs her own house, works (!), sees friends, travels, lunches, and volunteers, and runs the 2 acre grounds of her home (which include tons of flower gardens and a half acre veggie garden, and you won't find any weeds in her beds).

I inherited one of my two celiac genes from her, I hope I also got her health and activity gene too! She's a tough customer at times but a wonderful person! I often take the attitude that I guess at her age, if she wants gluten-free bread she can have it.

If I came off as.... well... as something... (can't find the right word)... its just that I'm burnt out on diets... every single one of my friends is on a diet of some sort, most of them constantly (most of them don't need to be), and I'm sick of the dieting "lifestyle" I have a friend who has been Atkins for 2 years now... I'd like to add that when she started the diet she was 5'6" and 120 and today after 2 years of Atkins, no carbs hardly every, well she is the exact same size! But I can recite everything Atkins even though I've never been on it because its all she talks about. Another friend is South Beach.. for about 5 months now... she keeps telling me how much she loves it (ok thats fine) but if shes lost any weight in 5 months I can't see it! Again, she talks South Beach constantly. My boyfriend, sigh... he did South Beach, then Sugar Busters, and now the cabbage diet!! OH yes I forgot the grapefruit one. Now he could stand to lose about 10 pounds, but after all these diets... he's gained about 5 pounds!!

I keep telling them all that its not about never eating a carb again or having cabbage soup 2 meals a day... its about healthy eating, good food, new tastes, enjoying your meal time, a variety of foods, smaller portions and moving a bit more. Well, they all poo-poo me. So I'm just diet burnt out, thats all.

I've never had any problem losing a few pounds when I gain it, I just cut out some of the snacks I have and do smaller portions and in a week I'm back to where I want to be.

Best! Susan

I'd like to say that there is some great advice here, I'm fairly new to being gluten-free, I started going gluten-free in...ohhh early October I think, for me I've lost weight, just a few pounds but I was normal/lean to start with.

I'd just like to make a couple of comments.. my mom has gluten problems too and she has gained weight since being gluten-free and of course there is a difference in our ages but my mom is far more active then I am, my job has me sitting in front of a computer all day, I start now at 6 am and walk away from it at about 5 pm, so its a long day of very little activity, whereas my mom is often busy and on the go all day long. The only real difference I can see (other then our age) is that she has tried to "replace" the bread/grain products that she can't have with gluten-free ones. I have not. And if you start reading the calorie content of some of the gluten-free baked goods, bread, cookies, pancakes, waffles, pizza dough, you will find its far higher in calories then its gluten filled counter part.

Instead I have tried to simplify my diet and try cooking in new ways with new flavors (like swordfish with homemade mango salsa last night, yum). Yes once in a while I will make a gluten free pizza but to me they are so not as good as gluten pizza that I don't bother with it very often. So I think that makes a huge difference.

My last comment is about this idea of your intestional track being so damaged and its difficult to get the proper nutrients that when you get healthy on a gluten-free diet your body enters starvation mode and trys to sock pile on nutrients and of course calories. Now I know this happens when you take too few calories out of your diet, but I'm wondering if this actually happens with celiac's. I looked around for some actually scientific literature documenting this and couldn't really find any. I'm not saying its not true, I'm just wondering... could it maybe be this.... that with such a damaged intestine you had to eat more calories to maintain your weight and health and consequently you eat larger portions or eat more often and have trained your brain to see a portion size of chicken to be... oh say the size of .... say 4 pieces of bread stacked up (couldn't come up with anything else that size) when actually a portion of chicken or fish is the size of a deck of cards? (to keep my eye on the prize I keep a deck of playing cards right on my kitchen counter).

I go out often with friends and the amount of food they eat at dinner (and the amount that is served in restaurants) is unreal. And while we eat we often spend the entire meal talking about losing or maintaining weight! Even when I have friends over and we have tea and I serve some cookies... I eat 2 of them, they eat 8. And they always comment on how little I eat... but then say, but how can you eat dessert? I eat anything i want to occasionally and its always in small portions.

I have recently read statistics that more then ever before American's are dieting.... buying diet books, food, joining gyms, diet centers, etc and unfortunatly we are fatter then ever. With that information one can conclude that dieting makes you gain weight, especially when you add to that statistic that most people who diet, regain what they lost and add on more. I couldn't agree more, dieting is bad for your health. What we need to do is make lifestyle changes, exercise more, eat less, eat better, care about what it is that we put into our systems. Not for a week or a month to lose weight, but lifelong ones to be healthy.

Just my ideas, such as they are.

Susan

I'm similar to Deb, I've only been gluten-free for a few months but I would never gluten myself intentionally because I get far too sick... my mom has gluten issues and well... she does occasionally eat gluten things... she doesn't get too sick so she "thinks" its ok.. I know, I know...

Anyways, I don't panic or feel anxious because I'm not a panic-er by nature but boy do I get sick and its right away (within like 20 minutes). When I do get glutened accidently and start to feel that sick feeling.. I'm more resigned and just get into the here we go again mode... I'm sick for days.

But with reactions such as yours... I'd try to skip the gluten altogether.. I know its harder for some then others but what I've discovered these past 3 months of being gluten-free is that I actually like cooking! Not for crowds but I'm really getting into make new dishes and working with new flavors.

Susan

I've been told that their plain (single) spices are gluten free, however, my local grocery store only sells McCormack and I needed curry and its one of their blended spices. They have 3 different kinds of curry and all 3 are called blended. Does anyone know about these?

Susan

I'm going to Houston next month for a week for business and although I know its a huge metro area, I'm curious if anyone knows any gluten-free places I can eat...

Thanks for your help, due to the nature of the trip, I will be eating out for every meal, I can help with restaurant selection but its not going to be easy.

Thanks, Susan

I've lost weight since I've been gluten-free (which is only just over 2 months) but I've greatly simplified my diet... very few prepared foods, I eat Lundenburg farms rice chips occasionally and gluten-free ginger snaps now and then but mostly I'm eating fruits, veggies and protien. I didn't try to make exchanges for foods I was use too that contained gluten, I eat almost no bread and although I've had gluten-free pizza crusts I don't really care for them so I've sort of lost the urge for pizza. So with a very simple basic diet I've lost overall about 5 pounds on my currently 120 pound frame...

Susan

Hi Kandee,

Yes I am going to write to them, started the letter yesterday.. they are right in my back yard so if I can help educate them I am willing to. I happen to love Whole Foods far more then Trader Joe's not only do they take the gluten-free issue more seriously but the store I go to is HUGE. It has everything. However its almost an hour drive to Whole Foods for me but I do go about once every 3 weeks or so, thankfully its located in a fantastic shopping center with great stores (j jill, singred olsen, coldwater creek, gap, tons more).

Susan

I bought 2 items at Trader Joes and they are not on their gluten-free list but as we discussed in a previous post the list they offer is not up to date.

The first is called Thai Coconut simmer sauce... the ingredients are as follows:

water, coconut milk, sea salt, sugar, cilantro, garlic, ginger, tamarind, lime juice, arrowroot, shredded coconut, black pepper, crushed red pepper, lemon grass, mint leaves, xanthan gum.

The second product is also a trader Joes brand and its

Genova Pesto... ingredients are: Olive oil, basil, imported parmesan cheese (cows milk, enzymes, salt) Imported Romano Cheese (Sheeps milk, culture, enzymes, salt) Walnuts, Garlic, Black Pepper, sea salt.

I guess I'm hoping someone has tried these or knows about them, but the ingredients sound ok.... right?

Thanks, Susan

I just read on another list that Trader Joe's brand of gluten-free pasta is not made on a dedicated assembly line... not sure if thats fact or not. Trader Joes makes it hard to complain, you have to put it in writing and send it snail mail. Sigh.

Susan

I just wanted to reinterate that we need to check labels constantly. I went to Trader Joe's yesterday and right when you walk in the door they have a gluten-free food list of various products in the store that are gluten-free, it lists a lot of Trader Joe products.

One product on the list was "Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce" I found it on the shelf and looked at the ingredients, one was soy and it said in ( ) that it contained wheat! I went to the store manager and was told that gluten is only in white flour and that the wheat in the soy must be wheat flour?? I asked them where they got that information and was told that the store takes food issues very carefully and were trained as such. I told them that information was just not correct and they told me that I was wrong and perhaps need to talk to my doctor to understand my issues better!

So just be careful. I'm going to write to Trader Joe's this morning but I was stunned.

Susan