On to stage Two

Thanks for the tips on finding a new way to eat while my diet is so restricted.

The doctor is pretty much convinced that I have a food issue, so for a month I need to keep a food journal and keep my restrictions. He did give me back dairy, however, and told me to hold off on everything else.

So, keep the ideas coming! Any help you can send my way that doesn't involve plain meat with a side of plain veggies is much appreciated.

Thanks oodles!

More Change on the wind

Ah, Change.

I always wonder why things can't just be stable with my health, but as many of us with auto-immune disorders know, that's not always the case.

In a frustrating turn of events, I've started to feel pretty lousy again, and my doctor put me on a new fast to rule out another food-driven issue. I am now restricted to eating only

• fruits
• vegetables
• meat
• fish

No dairy, no grains, no potatoes or corn (because I eat them both almost daily).

Good news: I've already lost 5 pounds.
Bad news: I have no idea how to cook...

So....  THE POINT of this little story is to reach out to those of you who may be vegetarians or who eat a wide variety of vegetable dishes. I like vegetables, I really do. But...

• I need carbs. I can't really function well or keep my blood sugar as stable as I like without them.
• I need variety. There's only so many salads I can handle.
• I need to stay away from soy and dairy. 
• I need to do this for at least 2 weeks.
• I need ideas. How do you keep variety and interest in what you eat? How do you keep your nutrition balanced?

Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.  If you have a favorite reference, cookbook, website, or recipe you can share, that would be awesome.

Live Free, Gluten Free

Maybe it's the fact that Paula and I are close in age, or maybe it's that our blogs have similar titles, but I really love this new blog I found!

I went looking again for GF blogs with good recipes that I (1) am interested in and (2) can cook from, and one of the ones I found was Live Free, Gluten Free by Paula.

Like many GF bloggers, she posts a weekly menu with easy links to recipes she's posted before. She posts regularly - not like spastic little me - and the recipes she puts up are super easy to understand and follow. There's a lot of variety in the foods she cooks, so the recipes are interesting. She has younger kids, so there are plenty of kid-friendly recipes as well (like the McDonald's style nuggets and fries).

If you're looking for a new blogger to follow, check out Paula's Live Free, Gluten Free. It's a wonderful blog.

Pamela's Microwave Brownies

Yeah, that's what I said! Microwave brownies.

At the gluten-free food expo in DC this month, one of the many samples that Pamela's was handing out was a single serving packet of microwavable brownies. They did not disappoint. Pamela's brownies have long been my favorite GF brownie: great taste, awesome texture, easy to prepare, easy to make in a variety of ways, good counter life. They are just an overall great brownie. These little one minute brownies were just as good.

Yes! One minute!

I wished I had some ice cream to make a sundae with (one of my favorite things to do with a brownie), but even just alone, the warm brownie was perfect and delicious. They should be out in stores in September, so be sure to grab some. They are awesome. A perfect 10.

My first food expo

Yesterday, the CNMC's Celiac Disease Program hosted their first annual Gluten-free food expo. I was so excited to be able to go! I didn't eat lunch, so that I'd have plenty of room for all the snacking, and - even though it was a small gathering - there was plenty to sample and tons of goodies to take with us.

For $5, I bought a red cloth bag (reminiscent of the grocery ones) in support of the CDP. By the time I left, it was nearly full. It was $10 to get in the door, and then the feasting, coupon gifts, free samples, business cards, and buying was ON!

Bard's beer, Tamari, Pamela's, Rudi's, Delight Magazine, General Mills, Choice Batter, Udi's, Glutino, and so many others were there. My favorite were the little personal businesses. I bought cream puffs and soft pretzels. I wish I could have taken home some of everything! There were several small business people from Pennsylvania, and they all said that they ship items.

For a first year event, it was very successful, I think. I can't wait to see how they work out the kinks and make it even better next year. (I may save up and stay for the cocktail party next year....)

Were you able to make it to the expo? What did you think of it?

What makes my world go round?

Dang it, but I truly love brownies.  I might go so far as to say that I luurve brownies.  Giving up brownies when I was diagnosed with celiac disease was the hardest thing I've ever done.

Then I found Pamela.

Pamela's brownie mix is my all-time favorite. It's so good, that my gf-shunning husband will even recommend making brownie sundaes out of them. I adore them, and although they're not cheap, they're an easy easy mix to use and the results are terrific. There's big chunks of chocolate in the mix, and they bake up nice and fluffy and delicious.

Another nice perk of the mix is that there are several different preparation variations on the bag. I usually make the original recipe, but I've also made the vegan recipe once. My mother was in town, and I wanted her to be able to share them with me. They were a little less fluffy that way, but they were still tasty!

If you're ever looking for a great gf brownie, my vote goes to Pamela. Super yum.

Testing, Testing.... Is this thing on?

Hey, guys!

It's been a while, hasn't it?  Well, I've been busy with life and teaching and breeding my bulldog and tending to kids with flu and mono and shopping and cruising and video games... ....

You get the idea.

Well, I wanted to let you know that I had the chance to try Triumph Dining's new Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide and it is awesome.  I don't live near a big city or anything, and don't eat out much, so it took me a while to really get a feel for it and get used to using it.  At work and over the holidays, though, it really made it's worth known.

If you've been debating whether or not you should get one and wondering if it would be worth it, then yes. YES it's worth it. And it's easy: you can look up restaurants by city or by name, either one.

I leave it in my car so that it's with me everywhere I go. I really can just go out to lunch now like I used to, and it's super great. 

(PS Yeah, they gave it to me for free to review, but they didn't make me promise to like it or offer to pay me for this review. Full disclosure and what-not)

Joe Corbi's Fundraiser Cookies

I teach high school, and my husband is a kids pastor. As a result, I frequently have teens coming to me with Joe Corbi's fundraiser fliers.  Until recently, I've always had to say no, but this year, Joe Corbi has started offering gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.

I don't eat a lot of sweets anymore, but I finally broke down and - thanks to a friend's gift - I tried them today. 

Photo from JoeCorbi.com

The dough had to thaw overnight before I could scoop it from the tub, but it scooped easily and smoothly.  I have always made my own cookies, so making these from a mix was a little odd for me.  They did taste a bit processed, but no more than a tube of Nestle mix does.  Overall, I would say these were yummy cookies, and I would be willing to get them again sometime.

Next time you see the fundraisers go buy, I hope you give them a try, too!

Yum, Yum Pumpernickel, Pumpernickel Bread

Tonight when I was browsing the gluten-free freezer section at Bloom (my new #1 carrier of gf food), I found something I thought I could never have again.  Pumpernickel Bread!!! 

I absolutely LOVE pumpernickel bread, so I have to admit that while I practically did (yet another) happy dance in the Bloom aisle celebrating a good find, I was equally a little hesitant to try said good find.  What if it was really bad and killed all my happy memories of pumpernickel bread?!?  (Although, it could kill this one, and I wouldn't miss it a bit.)

But, hey!  Good news, everybody! 

It was great!  It was a little bubblier inside than I would have preferred, but the taste and texture were so good that I nearly opened the bag again and ate a few more.

If you go to the Against the Grain Gourmet website, they have a store locator you can use to see if their products are available in your area.  AGG currently does not ship directly to customers, but it is available in about 2/3 of the states. Go and find some.  It's very tasty.

Chili's

Sometimes it's nice to be surprised.

When I walked into Chili's for lunch one day, it was just on a whim. I figured that - worst case scenario - I would order a salad and call it yummy. I asked for a gluten free menu, just in case. They actually had one - sorta. They had a big bundle of laminated sheets with all the different allergies listed on them, and the hostess flipped to the wheat/gluten page and handed it to me.

The most exciting section for me was the soup section. They have 3 soups listed, and I tried the chicken and green chile soup. It was fantastic! I also had the Monterey Chicken, which was very good.

I went back later with some other friends and had potato soup and a steak... they were both pretty bad. The soup was runny, and the steak tasted cheap, like a buffet steak.

I think that it's a great place to go if you're smart about what you order. I highly recommend that green chile soup, though. It was really really great.

Happy eating!

Pork Chops with Apple-Raisin Sauce

It's been a while since I last Joined Linda over at The Gluten Free Homemaker for one of her "What can I eat that's gluten-free?" recipe days.  I guess it's only appropriate that I post a recipe I've been working on for a while.  I think it's pretty established now that I've made it a few times.  This is one of those recipes that I just pieced together from knowing what flavors I like to combine.  It's not from a book.

And, because I tend to cook like a grandma, the measurements are not exact (heck - they barely exist).  But that's the fun of it for me!  Finding the tastes and combinations I enjoy.


Ingredients:
Olive oil
Boneless pork chops.  (I like the ones with the dark meat on them - they're more tender)
Crushed garlic - several cloves (to taste)
Chopped small onion
2 cups chicken broth
Diced sweet apples (about 1 small apple per chop)
1 generous handful of raisins
Salt/Pepper to taste
Cold water and corn starch (for thickening)

Preparation:
Step 1:  Heat the olive oil in large skillet.  Quickly brown/sear chops on both sides.  Remove chops. 
Step 2: Reduce heat to med-high. Add garlic and onion, stir to prevent burning and cook until onions are clear.  Return chops and any accumulated liquid to the pan, scooping the onion/garlic mixture on top of the chops. Add salt and pepper.
Step 3: Add chicken broth, then apples and raisins. (See below) Cover, reduce heat to medium (or med-low if your stove cooks hot).  Simmer until apples are soft and chops are cooked through.  Time will vary based on thickness of your chops. Meanwhile, mix cold water and corn starch.  Set aside.

Step 4: Once cooked, remove chops and spoon some apples and raisins over each chop.  Reserve some of the fruit for the sauce.  Return heat to high and bring liquid to a boil.
Step 5: Using a hand blender, blend the fruits, onion, and garlic into the liquid.  Add starch mixture to thicken slightly until a light sauce forms.  (If you don't have a hand blender to use in your pan, you can simply whisk the starch in, but blending ingredients together makes for a much richer, more flavorful sauce.)  Cook for a few moments to aid in thickening.  Pour/spoon over the fruit and chops.

Add sides of your choice.  I served them with green beans and garlic mashed potatoes.

My favorite bread

The Gluten Free Pantry French Bread is my all-time favorite (so far)!  

It is super-versatile, easy to mix, and consistent.  I tried a bunch of different breads when I was first diagnosed, and this one has stayed my favorite.  It tastes good, and I can pretty much make whatever I want to from it.

I have made dinner rolls, large loaves of bread, pizza crusts, and little loaves from this mix.

Most commonly, I make 2 small loaves from the mix.  Ironically, I have never made a baguette from this mix.  (because I don't have a baguette pan.)

Back when I used to bake anything and everything, all the time, I bought small loaf pans for making banana bread and zucchini bread (because that's what Grandma used, of course). 

These are the pans I use now for making this mix.  The one on the left is a regular sized bread pan.  The mix can make one of those if you want larger, sandwich sized bread.

I like the small loaves because I can slice one, wrap it tightly and freeze it.

 

 

Then I can eat the other.  I am the only person in the house who eats gluten free, so I don't usually make it through the whole loaf without freezing some. 

If you're looking for a good tasting bread with a nice texture that is good plain, toasted, or grilled or served as french toast, garlic bread, or straight from the oven, pick this one.  I love it.

What's your favorite?

Triumph Dining has arrived!

If you were looking for the Triumph Dining banner from the original site, have no fear, I have transferred it over for you.  Ta-da!


I love Triumph Dining.  I agreed to be an affiliate for them because...

1. They are a local company.  Their mailing address is  just up the road in Falls Church, VA.
2. They have an excellent blog with all kinds of great product release info and links to products like grocery shopping guides and dining cards to help explain to servers and cooks what we need for healthy service.
3. They have a great newsletter.  I do love reading through it and clicking on the links that interest me.

If you are new to this whole gluten-free thing or just looking for some fresh ideas or the latest news, check out Triumph Dining!  (Hint:  There's a link in the side listing that will take you directly to their blog.)

Recipe round-ups

A new addition:  in the sidebar, you'll see buttons linking you to several weekly recipe round-ups.

I contribute recipes now and again to these, but I have also found them to be a great source of inspiration and of practical recipes.  Often, I have been stumped by cookbooks which call for flours I cannot buy at any of my local or near-local stores, and I appreciate having access to meals which are usually much easier to collect ingredients for.

If you're looking for some good recipes, check these out!  Linda, host of What Can I Eat that's Gluten Free (on Wednesdays), and Amy, host of Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, have a really great thing going.

Welcome!

Welcome to the very first posting on my new blog!  Are you my first follower?  Leave me a comment and let me know:  I have some gluten free goodness for you!

(Wait, wait!  There are already 44 other posts!)

Yes, yes, I know.  Those posts are imported from my original blog:  Here's What Let's Do.  If you want to know a little more about me, feel free to wander over there, but all the good gluten-free stuff is going to be here.

What can you expect from this site?

• Recipes. Mostly of my own, but if I run across a good one from elsewhere, I'll share that with you too!  If there's interest, I may start a recipe round-up, but let's not get ahead of ourselves now, okay?
  
• Cook book reviews.  I adore cook books!  I've purchased many gf cookbooks in the year and a half since my diagnosis, and occasionally I get another as a gift or as an advanced copy.  There are a few reviews on here already, too.  Check the links in the side bar or search for them at the top of the page.
• Product Reviews.  I write these from time to time for Gluten Free in Baltimore, and I plan to continue that here with reviews of national products and products local to central Virginia.  Some of these will be products offered to me by manufacturers for review, but primarily they will be things I just decided to try for myself.
  
• Honesty. Yup.
• Support.  It's been a rough year and a half, as some of my older posts will attest to.  I feel your pain, new gluten-free diner.  Many of us remember the transition.  It was hard.  It gets easier.  We'll help you through it.  Feel free to ask questions, and I'll provide as much info and guidance as I can.
• Links.  On the sidebar, there will is a list of other gf blogs that I read, support, or write for.

What you will not see on this site:

• Medical advice.  I'm a teacher, folks, not a health professional.
• Advertising for companies I would not use myself.
• Recommendations for products I don't like or won't use.
• Mutant zombies.  (Check my personal blog for those - haha)

I hope you enjoy this site.  I welcome your conversation and feedback.  If you're new to the site, take some time to check out some of my older posts.  There's some great recipes out there, and some yummy products, and even my own personal diagnosis story.

Do you have a gf blog?  Let me know!  I'm always looking for new people to link up with.

See you around the web!

A well-fed Mikki is a happy Mikki

Just for kicks, I checked the label of my favorite granola bar again while I was at the grocery store. Lo and behold: no more wheat! I can eat my Nature Valley granola bars again!

Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

(Of course you have to be willing to eat oats... and I am.)

I've had 2 of the 4 kinds already, and yum, yum, yum. I am happy.
-sigh-

It's so awesome when I get back one of my favorite foods.

Yummmmm. Chili.

It's Wednesday, and time for another recipe for my recipe group: What Can I Eat that's Gluten Free? hosted by Linda at the Gluten-Free Homemaker.

This week's recipe? Chili!



Ingredients:

Olive oil
2 onions
1 head of garlic, chopped
4 bell peppers, various colors
1 large carrot, sliced


2 small cans green chilis
1 can dark kidney beans, drained
1 can light kidney beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
2 cans tomato sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes


2T chili powder
1/2t cayenne
1t garlic powder
1T oregano
2T basil
1T cumin


1 to 1 1/2 lb ground beef



A note: This is NOT a spicy chili. If you want spicy, then add several different kinds of peppers of whatever heat level you like. You can also increase the amount of cayenne pepper as well.



Preparation:

1. In a large kettle, heat olive oil over medium heat.


2. When warmed, add onion and garlic. Saute until onions begin to clear.

3. Add diced peppers and sliced carrot. Stir occasionally.


4. Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, brown meat while veggies cook. Drain, if necessary.

5. Add seasoning to veggies and stir well.

6. Add canned items to veggies.

7. Add meat.

8. Stir well.

9. Simmer on low for an hour or two, at least, or transfer to crockpot.


Note: Chili is best if allowed to cook for at least 6-7 hours (overnight). Always best the second day.

Enjoy!

(PS - Hats off to my mom-in-law for the original recipe. Which of course I lost. Three times. And then just made up again from memory. Thanks!)

Pork loin with apple-raisin sauce

It's Wednesday! Time to find out what you can eat that's Gluten Free. Thanks, as always, to Linda for hosting: Check out her blog to see everybody's recipes.


Step One:
Slow roast a pork loin (or your favorite cut).
Season with: garlic, onion, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano
Top with: raisins and sliced green apple
Add a little moisture, if you like - a splash of water or broth, maybe

Step Two:
After meat is finished, remove roast and cover to rest.

Step Three:
With a hand blender (or whatever), blend the juices, apples, and raisins
Strain into a saucepan or skillet to remove excess pulp and meat bits
Heat to boiling and slightly thicken with a mix of cold water and corn starch
Season to taste

Step Four:
Slice meat and top with apple-raisin sauce
Enjoy
Yum

PS: Sauce is also good with potatoes, even when it's not really quite thick enough to be gravy.

Caprese

Ok, so I forgot that this week was supposed to be an appetizer week! Grr. Well, here's a salad that I usually have as an appetizer. (Does that count?)

Check out Linda's blog carnival (What Can I Eat that's Gluten-Free) for the other appetizer recipes this week. She also just posted the August summary, in case you're looking for some variety.

------------------------
Caprese - a summer salad

Ingredients:
Fresh, vine-ripe tomatos, sliced, room-temperature
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Fresh basil, torn into small pieces
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Optional ingredient: Balsamic vinegar (I always used to add this, but it is mostly an American addition, from what I've been told. I tried Caprese without, and it is better. The flavor balance changes dramatically. It's a very different dish if you add the vinegar.)

1. Layer the tomato and mozzarella slices on a plate.
2. Sprinkle with basil salt and pepper.
3. When ready to serve, drizzle a little olive oil over the whole dish.
4. If you're a vinegar person, you can sprinkle a little of the balsamic over the plate as well, but just before serving. The vinegar combined with the salt and tomatoes will turn everything mushy if left sitting.
   

Steak Ceasar

It's Wednesday, and time for "What can I Eat that's Gluten Free?"

Ingredients:
Thin-sliced steaks, any cut. (I prefer strips or sirloins for this salad.)
Romaine lettuce
Cardini's original salad dressing
Parmesan and/or romano cheese
Thin-sliced red onion and tomato
GF croutons

Procedure:
I like to either marinade/glaze the meat with the salad dressing or season it with garlic powder, salt and pepper before grilling. After grilling, let the meat sit for a few minutes before slicing thin.

Prepare salad as usual.