LauraTX

I ended up making this recipe:

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With dairy free versions of the butter and milk.  I used KAF baking mix subbed in for the flour and salt/baking powder since it has that in it.  It turned out great!  

I forgot to snap a pic of the finished product, but they were pretty, too, with the glaze drizzled over them.  Their gluten-free/DF friend ended up not showing up to the party, but luckily I was able to eat most of the hot food since I helped her cook all afternoon, and I was able to be like "STOP RIGHT NOW WASH YOUR HANDS CROSS CONTAMINATION etc etc"  

Gluten washes off 3 year olds, too! But some parents might frown on power washing the kids with a fire hose?

I dunno, sounds like a legitimate plan for all those unclean gluten-eaters out there!  

Continuing on the butternut squash trend, I made this recipe for Pork Loin and Butternut Squash stew last night.  I used pork tenderloin instead of cut up pork chops (who the heck makes a stew with cut up pork chops?!)

It was really gooooood!  If you don't like the curry taste of garam masala you can just use regular seasoning you like.

Pork Loin and Butternut Squash Stew

2.5 lbs pork tenderloin, cubed

2 leeks, trimmed and sliced

4 celery stalks, chopped

2 shallots, diced

7-10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

4 cups cubed butternut squash

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 ½ teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup coconut milk

1 cup chicken broth

Place the chopped veggies and cubed pork into your slow cooker.  Cover with the spices and pour in the coconut milk, chicken broth, and lemon juice.  Mix well and cook for either 5 hours on high or 7 hours on low.

Enjoy!!

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What a great doggy smile!

Okay so I took one for the team and tested my mug cake recipe with actual measurements.  This comes out in between cake and brownie.  I think if you added more fat it may be more fudgy like a brownie.

2 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder

2-3 Tbsp Sugar (I used 2, to make it real good use 3)

1/2 cup Pamelas pancake and baking mix

1 drop vanilla

2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

2 Tbsp + a few more drops water

Stir it all up in a big mug or a bowl, microwave 1 minute, then in 5 second increments until done.  Enjoy!   

I think this would probably work well with any gluten-free baking mix.  Maybe I will try it out with gluten-free bisquick or KAF baking mix next time to see how it tastes.

Pamela's makes an individual brownie mix.

And it is basically the best thing you will ever put in your mouth, by the way.  Haha.

I have made a mug cake, in a big mug or bowl, with pamelas pancake mix.  Just messing around one day but I have made it a few times since then.  My store stopped selling the individual brownie pouches So it is out of neccesity.  If I ordered the 12 pack online I would blow through them and my butt size would increase, I have no self control.

Basically what I did was, using a food scale, tried to make everything equal 100 grams because that is the size of the pamelas packet.  I started with 2 Tbsp. cocoa, some sugar, a drop of vanilla, and then I added the pancake mix (could use any flour blend here probably) up to 100grams.  Now, if you don't have a food scale you could probably do the same thing with... I dunno a 2/3 cup measure?  That' a rough estimate there.  

Then I added 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, 2 Tbsp, water (like the pamelas pouch calls for), stir it up and taste for sweetness, then add a little more water to get to a brownie batter consistency.  Microwave for a minute, then in 10 second increments.

You can use less oil but it won't be fudgy like a brownie, it'll be more like a cake, especially with the evaporation in the microwave.  But still tasty  I will have to make it again some time this week and measure things out a little better as I go, and post a recipe.  I will try it with my KAF baking mix to see how that takes as well.

Edit to add:  if you aren't worried about it going stale, you can just get a brownie mix and experiment with that, just use equal parts water and veg oil to start with, and maybe a half cup of mix?  I also can't keep a whole thing of brownie mix around due to lack of self control, haha.

Since I was a teenager and had a catastrophic life event happen, when I get stressed out I get bad stomach acid and heartburn that can turn into an ulcer.  Very painful.  If it bothers you enough, talk to your doctor about maybe taking an antacid, it doesn't have to be an RX one or every day.  Also, like you said about maybe it being the processed food setting something off, when I eat just crap in general it will cause the same stomach response as stress.  

I think you are doing the right thing in listening in to your body and how it feels.    It does get better and a little less anxiety-causing as time passes.  And of course, the more time passes, the better you feel

There is no harm in taking a test, even though the reasons for taking it are irrational, if you have that seed in your mind, there is no way it will go away until you do.  

Now my crazy sister is telling me this lady is dairy-free, too.  I asked her if it is dairy free as in lactose, casein, all dairy?  She doesn't know.  But at least with the peanut butter cookies, I have to double check, but I should be able to make those DF no problem.  A year or so ago my husband had to go DF for a while because they suspected lactose intolerance, luckily he isn't and all I have to worry about is gluten-free

Hi Suzanne,

I think your case is very similar to mine.  I just happened to find out about my celiac when they were looking at bad GERD and gallbladder, and around the same time I found out I have a disease where I lack part of my immune system, lupus, and fibromyalgia.  So when I was told I have celiac disease, go gluten free and good luck!  I was like... really people?  Why do I need to do this?  I didn't have celiac symptoms other than low iron (which is better now), and of course with all the health problems it is hard to tell what is causing what.  

So I have been living gluten-free since January, and since then I have also gotten control of my other ailments and overall feel better, so think of taking care of your celiac as a pillar of your overall health package.  Now, if I eat gluten, I get symptoms, when I used to not.  Not as bad as some people, but enough to make me really uncomfortable and reinforce the eating gluten-free thing.  My doctors for my immune stuff and autoimmune stuff always ask me if I am still eating gluten free and stress the importance of taking care of everything no matter how little it seems, because with autoimmune conditions it is important to maintain yourself so you don't have a flare up, like eating right and avoiding stress, etc.

I am so glad you were able to get some good information from this forum, these people are great

You crack me up!  I would go to your house and eat  LOL

I wont eat anything on shared equipment.  I will eat same-facility if it is a brand that tests and that I have confidence in.  When in doubt, think about the "D" you will have and remember it isn't worth it, lol.

Yeah I would totally understand if the other celiac person passes on them.  No matter what someone said to me, if they were a celiac themselves, unless I knew them well enough and have been to their house to see what their "definition of gluten-free" is, I likely wouldn't eat anything they tried to feed me, lol.  I am one of the most anal retentive people on the planet, that really is not an exaggeration. 

Our neighborhood watch group is doing a thing where we are baking cookies and taking them to the police, fire dept, and ambulance people.  One of the ladies said she was going to make sugar-free and gluten-free and nut-free cookie trays for people who can't eat certain things.  I really made her mad when I told her sweetly, make sure you attach a note that says "not made in a gluten free kitchen" and "not made in a nut-free kitchen" or go get some from a gluten-free bakery and let them handle it, lol.  Like, she got flaming mad.  I mean, for real she could kill someone if a spare nut particle falls in somrewhere and they are allergic. But, I just walked away after that, because in my opinion it is ultimately your responsibility to check out what you put in your mouth, and if I got home made gluten-free cookies from some unknown person I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole, lol. But I can tell that old lady hates me now, haha.  

But yeah, once I set some aside for the two celiacs so people don't put their nasty gluteny hands on them, hopefully all the other people there will like them, too.    I mean, they will probably all  be very drunk, so I can't wait for the "Oh man these cookies are awesome!" ... "They are gluten free!"  "No Way!" moment.  I am also going to bring my favorite peanut butter cookies I make, you can't tell the difference at all

They are these, I add 1 tsp vanilla and I use all margarine.  Like, these are shovel in your mouth, don't care about calories good.  

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Thanks for your tips so far!  I really haven't touched gluten-free baking much, you guys are an awesome info source

My sister wants me to make pumpkin cookies to take to a party she is having because there will be another celiac there.  And she wants to eat them, she cannot have almond or coconut.  So, the only good looking recipe I found used Pamelas Pancake and baking mix, which has almond in it.  

I need something that uses a pre-bought mix or flour blend, I just have no interest at all in buying all the separate gluten-free flours and having all that crowding my kitchen, I don't bake often enough for that. I also don't want chocolate chips in the cookies-I have seen a lot of blogs posting a pumpkin version of the betty crocker chocolate chip cookie mix, I just want a nice plain pumpkin cookie I can do a simple icing on top of.

At my grocery store I have access to the pamelas, BRM, and KAF mixes as well as the betty crocker stuff.  In my pantry I have Pamelas pancake mix (with almonds), gluten-free bisquick, and brown rice flour.

Normally I can figure stuff out on my own pretty easily, but I am stumped.  I was thinking about getting the KAF all purpose baking mix, and just subbing it in a non-gluten-free recipe.  What do you guys think?

I agree, ask for a copy of the test results and that way you can get a second opinion if need be.  And it helps to give a copy of that kind of stuff to your primary care doc as well.

Oh yeah, I bet in Spain they love paella in a pressure cooker.  I am also interested in maybe buying one and trying it out, but the pressure part kind of scares me, even though I know modern ones have failsafes built in.  I know my sister makes chili in a pressure cooker and it makes the meat much more tender than over the stovetop. 

What kind did you buy?

Maybe they can get one of the "good kids" in her class, preferably someone she already gets along with and is friends with (so the kid isn't forced to and resent/be mean to your daughter), and have it where your daughter is always at the end of the table, so she only has one person next to her, and always that kid next to her.  Then you can acquaint that kid with all the concepts of not getting things on her that can make her sick, and she will be less isolated yet still better off than being surrounded by crumb-spewing children.  If they have round tables or a setup where  there is no end seat, maybe there can be two kids. 

My local grocer will put gluten-free stuff on sale sometimes, but it is usually like 20 cents off a 5 dollar mix.  Any little bit helps, I suppose!

One of my favorites: while at a family gathering, my uncle says, "Don't you have that disease that's all over the Internet where you can't eat anything?" Me: I guess so : / him: " good, this cake was made with white flour, not wheat! Enjoy!" Me:

This cracks me up.  I have gotten that, too.  "It is white bread not wheat, there is no wheat in this!"  

People have no idea what goes into their food, haha.

And Adalaide, I met a Vegan, sometimes gluten-free hippie at the store that same day.  Saw her with her kids grabbing pamelas bread mix so I say, "Are you guys celiacs, too?" because I am always eager to meet local gluten-free people.  She goes on to tell me they are vegan (as I look at the really non-vegan stuff in her cart but perhaps it was for someone else) and she feeds her kids gluten-free when they are sick because it makes them feel better.  I tell her as nice and politely as I can, "Ya know if you think gluten makes them ill, you may want to get that checked out at the doctor." She goes,"Oh no they don't get sick from the gluten but I just feed them a pure diet while they are sick because gluten is bad for you and gluten-free helps you keep the weight down..... blahblahblah" I just politely smiled and told her have a good one!    lol  Some people are not worth the effort to talk to.

That sounds really good, Julie.  Honestly, any baked bread product with added garlic and oil, is gonna be darn tasty

With my myriad of health problems, I generally don't talk about them to strangers when I don't have to other than "I lack part of my immune system don't be sick around me."  People always read something on the internet or see a commercial on TV and that makes them an expert.  Their sister/friend/grandma/cat had that and they cured it with this magical treatment!  

People do this with every ailment.  My dad, bless his soul, passed away from ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis AKA Lou Gehrigs disease) a few years ago.  Before he looked visibly sickly and had to use a wheelchair, he would tell people what he had, saying it was a fatal illness with no cure or effective treatment.  Then people will say things like "Oh yeah I have weakness in one arm, too, I know how it feels."  You can really tell if people are actually listening or not due to some of their responses.  He couldn't comprehend how people can compare anything to his death sentence.

If you are in my house, you will respect the fact that you cannot have gluten, you will not smoke on my property because even the smell on you when you walk inside makes my asthma go off, and you need to wash your nasty hands so you don't get me sick, because a 2 day cold to you is 4 weeks of suffering to me.  I don't mind inquiries and dumb questions, I try to be patient, but if you are disrespectful of things I need to do for my health, I would show anyone the door, I don't care who it is.  Outside there is more I will tolerate, but when people start telling you their expert medical opinion I just tell them, I have it handled, I only take medical advice from professionals.  Usually that makes them hush.

...AND, the people who keep saying to me 'but surely you can have a little bit', 'but you can't be intolerant to all these foods, couldn't it be in your head?!'  Grrh, I second the nervous breakdown!

My reply to anyone who said this and was pushy would be: "Come hang out with me in the bathroom for a few hours after I eat this, then" 

And I have a ridiculous conversation to add!  More of an appalling conversation.  Like Laura fuming at the ears mad abd wants to strangle someone conversation.  I did my weekly grocery shopping and I wanted to do a test run with the pilsbury gluten-free pie crust before I make a really ugly one on thanksgiving and try to pass it off to my family.  I stop at the section and because I always look at expiration dates, noticed all the pie crusts and pizza crusts were expired by a couple of days.  There are two stock boys a few feet away so I say

"Hey guys, a bunch of these are expired."

Stock boy #1 walks up and looks, "Well I don't like people who eat gluten free stuff anyways."

I really couldn't tell if he was trying to joke or meant it, but it made me so PO'd, I am sure it showed on my face.  

"Well, I actually have a medical condition and eating gluten puts me in the bathroom all day.  So you...."

Here I trailed off.  I was about to finish that with "Can go [redacted] yourself" but somehow I managed to think I better not give celiacs a bad name

So I said, ".....So ....I just don't have anything nice to say to you about that."

Stockboy #2 gives stockboy #1 that look like "Duuuude you messed up haha" while stockboy#1 looks embarrased as heck, and I helped them pick out all the expired ones and rotate the stock.

I then bought a Stonyfield yogurt that expired in September (really people?) because I was too fuming mad to remember to look at the date when I put it in my cart, haha. I am not going to file a complaint on that, because I am sure that guys buddy is going to give him crud for days by the way he looked at him.

No one should ever feel put upon to lie to someone to make them feel good about what they cooked for us. A simple "I'm sorry but I don't eat things I haven't made", "...haven't helped make" or a simple "no thanks" should suffice. If someone wants to get all hurt over the fact that we aren't willing to risk actual harm to our bodies to make them feel warm and fuzzy inside then frankly they can go be hurt about it. They're the one with the problem, not us. I find that by being polite but firm in declining what is offered is quite effective.

I do agree with this.  The only circumstance I can see this being beneficial is if Grandma made dinner and she has alzheimers or something that will make her unable to understand regardless of what is said to her.  The reason I say this, is this is how my grandma was her last few years with us.  One year she made Christmas dinner 4 hours early and left it on the stove to stay hot and it was all crusty, my sister took her into the bedroom to "look at a picture" and we all dashed for the garbage can to make it look like we are her food, then we took holiday dinners to my house so that wouldn't happen again.  God bless her soul, I loved her very much regardless of her kookiness.

But yeah, if you are going to be family or friends with someone the rest of your life, you don't want to have to set yourself up for fibbery that whole time.  But I understand the temptation to use that strategy because a lot of people dislike confrontation.  Today, my best friend posted on facebook about making pumpkin bread.  I replied "If I could indulge in your gluteny awesomeness I would be showing up on your doorstep."  She then asked if she found a gluten-free recipe and made it, would I eat it?  I told her "You are one of the few people I would let cook for me, as long as you let me go all anal retentive on you and make sure you aren't cross contaminating, then maybe "  And she understood.  Anyone other than her and maybe two other relatives, I would have said "Since I don't want to chance getting sick, I cant."

So if she brings it up I will just be like hey, come to my house lets cook together (and by that I mean, come to my gluten-free kitchen and cook stuff because yes I really do want to eat it!)

Overall, if you choose to use little white lies remember you are setting the foundation of people not taking your illness seriously and you having to run around behind grandmas back for the rest of your life.  That applies to other things in your life, too.  I have some relatives that never learned that lesson, haha.

I have looked up Del Friscos in my area and they seem to be gluten-free friendly.  Call ahead and talk to the manager or chef, and decide what to order before you go in so you can focus on the stuff you are doing with your coworkers.  Generally, once you go upscale you are going to have much better luck at getting good gluten-free food, unless you go to one of those places with a fixed menu and "no substitutions please."   And steak, glorious delicious steak, is naturally gluten-free  I go to a local steak place and get steak and mashed potatoes with a salad and I am more than pleased with it.  It just sucks to pass on the rolls.