Things I wish I would have known before Thanksgiving!

I can't wait to blog about my first gluten free Thanksgiving but in the mean time here's some info to file away for next year. Just put it in the what I needed to know but didn't file! Thanks for the email gluten intolerance group of Utah. Next year I will read my email BEFORE Thanksgiving!!!!!!

You need to find a turkey that does not have gluten injected into it in the broth or have a gravy packet stuck inside which can introduce contamination. All fresh turkeys usually meet this requirement, but so do many frozen ones. The best sale I have seen on turkeys this season is at Smith’s. I called Kroger foods yesterday and spent a half hour on the phone talking to their nutritionist, who assured me that their Private Selection brand is gluten free. It contains no gluten, either in the broth injected nor does it have a gravy packet in it. So there is one possibility for you. If you cook your turkey in a cooking bag, make sure you coat it with any gluten free flour.

Do not stuff the turkey with regular bread stuffing. You can cook the turkey unstuffed, and cook your favorite stuffing separately in a cooking bag for the gluten eaters among you. You can use your favorite stuffing recipe with gluten-free bread. I have also heard that if you like your stuffing on the dry side, Glutino bread sticks make an excellent substitution for bread.

There is a description of how to cook a gluten free turkey at: http://www.ehow.com/how_4589922_cook-turkey-gluten-free.html
It is pretty good, except they say you can use a turkey with a gravy packet in it and just throw the gravy packet away. My experience in our pre-GF days tells me that I have removed a lot of gravy packets that had tiny punctures in them and had spilled the gravy mix into the body cavity of the bird.

Gravy: Swanson broth is GF, use cornstarch or potato starch as a thickener.

Potatoes, yams, & cranberry sauce are fine unless someone does something creative to add gluten. Pumpkin pie filling if made from scratch usually does not contain gluten. There are gluten free pie crust mixes available as well as two recipes at the end of this email that I have not tried. I have also included a roll recipe that I do like.

There is a really yummy looking pumpkin-pie like dessert recipe at http://kitchenparade.com/2008/11/pumpkin-cheesecake-bars.php. It will be gluten free if you can find gluten free graham crackers or substitute GF animal crackers or other cookie for the crust.

FEATHERLIGHT BISCUITS http://forums.glutenfree.com/topic4561.html1 ¾ CUP Featherlight Mix 1 tsp Xanthan Gum 3 tsps Baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsps sugar 1 tsp salt 2 tsps to 1 Tb of Flax meal (opt) 6 Tbs shortening 1 cup of buttermilk ** (or 1 cup of milk with 2 teaspoons lemon juice.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and whisk to mix. Mix the shortening until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add the liquid and gently mix until the dough forms a ball. Turn out onto a floured surface (sweet rice flour) and pat to ¾” thickness. Cut the dough into 2 ½” squares or use a biscuit cutter. Place 1” apart on an ungreased baking pan (or pizza stone) Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes 8 large biscuits **I have found if I sub 1 cup of yogurt, it makes a very light biscuit. FeatherLight Mix 3 cups (4c) Rice Flour 3 cups (4c) Tapioca Flour 3 cups (4c) Cornstarch 3 Tbs. (4 Tbs.) Potato flour (I haven't tried this with arrowroot to make it corn free) I have used this flour mix with the biscuits and made a very light biscuit that my family loves for me to use. Multi-Grain Flour Blend: 1 1/4 c. garfava flour 1 3/4 c. super fine brown rice flour 2 c. potato starch 2 c. cornstarch 1 c. tapioca starch flour 1 c. sorghum flour or amaranth flour (I used sorghum)

Someone else used Wendy Warks mix and liked them,

7 gluten free appetizer recipes are at: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/gallery/0,28548,1848223_1685975,00.html

TWO GLUTEN-FREE PIE CRUSTSTender Gluten-Free Pie Crust(Adapted from Karen Robertson)Ingredients:1 ¼ cup gluten-free flour blend (+ up to 1 tablespoon more as needed)¼ cup tapioca starch¼ cup potato starch1 ½ teaspoon guar gum or 1 ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum, not both2 teaspoons fructose9 tablespoons Earth Balance Vegan margarine or shortening*1 large egg + 1 egg yolk1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar or cold water(if using shortening, add ½ teaspoon salt)Directions:
Mix together dry ingredients, then cut in margarine or shortening carefully until there are no lumps larger than pea-size.
Beat together the eggs, and water or vinegar.
Make a well in dry ingredients and add egg and liquid mixture, stirring carefully with fork to combine.
When dough is just barely beginning to hold together, turn out onto a floured surface and flatten and fold, and flatten and fold again. Do not overwork dough.
Roll out carefully between wax paper.
Remove top sheet of wax paper, and invert crust into pan. Using wax paper, press crust into pan and form, then remove wax paper. Use a similar technique for top crust if using.
SOY-FREE, EGG-FREE OIL-BASED PIE CRUST(Adapted from Betty Hagman’s recipe)Ingredients:1 cup gluten-free flour blend½ cup potato starch½ cup sweet rice flour3 teaspoons xanthan gum1 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons fructose3 tablespoons cold rice milk2/3 cup vegetable oilDirections:
Mix together all dry ingredients, then mix together rice milk and oil.
Make well in dry ingredients and add rice milk/oil mixture, stirring gently with fork to combine.
Proceed as directed in previous recipe.
t a chance to read. I have learned my lesson and will stay on top of it next year, but untill then I will stash this info safely on my blog. Being my first Gluten free thanksgiving I think it went well. I never really made any fancy dishes before our gluten free days so the chances of the food being unedible really were high so I'm ecstatic that no one got food poisoning, gluten poisoning, or refused to eat. Actually, I beat out stove top in a side by side taste test at the dinner table. Enjoy the info:

Have you been looking for a place for other celiac kids to get to know each other? I've heard of R.O.C.K. (raising our celiac kids) but have never attended anything. If anyone out there has gone to a meeting our outing in Northern Utah especially I would love to hear you're experience. But, I thought I would post their link so you could find a chapter close to you. They are a national organization. You can also check out their winter and summer gf camps.
http://gfutah.org/ROCK.htm

Taco del mar YUM

Taco Del Mar!!

taco del mar is by far my fave place to eat ! If we are eating out as a family it is probably going to be at Taco del mar. Almost everything there is GF. and I can have them hold the cheese for my little dairy allergy child. My favorite is the Super meat nacho. It's so big I can only eat a 1/2 size but it is so filling and surprisingly healthy. They make everything fresh that day including their guacamole! If you have a taco I suggest the soft corn they actually use 2 tortillas so they can hold up. Just remind them to put down foil on the tortilla press before they put the tortillas on there. Payson loves to share nachos but looks forward to having a kids meal chicken taco. Their kids meal is only 2.29 and comes with chips and a drink.
the following items ARE NOT GF
enchilada sauce
shredded pork meat
flour tortillas DUH!!
check out their website www.tacodelmar.com to find a location or to look at their gluten free menu. DELISH!!!!

McDonalds kids meal

I think I've blogged about this before but we do love Mc Donalds. A new one just opened up near us in Clinton and it has such a great playland. Anyways, what I love also is how great they are in preparing Payson GF happy meals. I've really found that educating the managers of the store and the shifts really makes a difference. It's really important to them that you are getting great service and quality and they try to make sure that you keep coming back. So if you don't know them by name and they don't know you by name then I encourage you to build that relationship. That holds true for any restraunt you really like or plan to go to alot. So here is how I order a GF happy meal:

soft drink/milk
fries/apple dippers ( I have had no issues with the caramel dip ) Yes, the fries are GF again !!!!!!
fruit parfait no granola ( I actually just save the little packet of granola and give them to one of the other kids)
I remind them to put the parfait in the bag ( sometimes they forget and put it on the side and that just ruins the excitement of opening the box and seeing your food)

If they can't figure out how to ring that up they ring up happy meal and either do a grill slip that says no onion, bun, ketchup,pickle etc....
or the easy way is to put ASK ME or just yell it out to the cooks. all of the above work.

You can also order a GF double cheese burger no bun if they change their gloves. Again that is why it is important to become BFF with the managers. Have FUN!!!!!

food schedule

Just a helpful hint. We have found that Payson needs to be on a very strict eating schedule. I don't know if this is common for celiacs but since Payson is in all day school he needs to really have something every few hours. At his school they eat lunch at 11:10 and don't get out until 3:30 so by the time I get through with carpool it's 10 min to 4 or later some days. We have Payson eat at 7:30 in the morning with a very big breakfast then at 11:10 -11:30 he has lunch then at 2:00 he has snack in the office. I provide them with a box of Envirokids rice bars and he gets to bring a friend to the office to eat it and then he goes out to recess. When we get home he has a 4:00 snack and dinner is at 5:30- 6pm. If it's a wild day or he's going to bed after 8pm he also gets a bedtime snack. Here is a sample menu:

Breakfast
Bacon or sausage
eggs or omelet
bowl of cereal ( his DR. says that kids should be drinking the milk from the bowl because that's where alot of the vitamins from the cereal can be found. just FYI)
juice or milk
a little fruit if still hungry like a hand full of grapes or a couple of slices of apple

Lunch
school lunch or if I'm packing it the following:
Sandwich with double meat and cheese or wrap up etc..
cottage cheese and fruit ( i love the cottage doubles!! or I make my own version.)
string cheese
chips
veggies with ranch or fruit
GF cookie or mini size snicker something treat like

2pm snack
Enviro kids rice bar

4pm snack
apples with fruit dip or fruit cup or applesauce
tortilla chips and salsa or bean dip
a meat wrap or two or peanut butter on Glutino crackers YUM!!

Dinner
main meal
veggie or two
rice side or potato side

Bedtime snack when needed pike one:
Quaker snack size rice cakes
yogurt
corn tortilla quesadilla roll up.
popcorn
cheese stick
fruit
raisins

This schedule has really helped Payson with his moods and energy levels. I also give him a multi vitamin ( gf of course) and most days a vitamin milk drink. The reason I thought about sharing this with all of you today is because Payson forgot to have his 2 pm snack because they had inside recess due to weather and was a wreck after school! When we got home he had a total meltdown and then admitted that he had forgot about his snack and didn't feel very well. We had a small snack right away and had dinner early at 4:30 with seconds! and a bed time snack. Wow did missing that snack change his behavior. It was validation to me that this schedule is working for his little body.

Hayley's faves!

This is from my friends blog and I thought I would share her favorites! Her baby is only a few months old so he doesn't have any faves ....YET!!!

LIVING GLUTEN FREE - It's not that bad...
CELIAC
For all you Celiacs out there, I've listed some of my GF eating favorites below. See the helpful hints on the side of our blog as well if you're interested.
Learning to live a gluten-free lifestyle can be challenging, but not impossible. Celiacs are increasing in number regularly, and if we can help each other, then I say, "Knowledge is power!" I hope this information is helpful to you. Good luck with your health and well-being. Hayley

HAYLEY’S GLUTEN FREE FAVORITES

BreakfastCereal
CerOs RaspberryErewhon brand – Crispy Brown Rice (great for Rice crispy treats and rice crispy chicken)
Puffins – Honey RiceBakery on Main (Granola – both Cranberry and original)

Pancakes
Pamela’s Pantry PancakesI think Glutino Pancakes are good, too.(I haven’t tried any other brand.)

Snacks/Desserts
Kinnikinnick Blueberry muffins (already made-frozen)Glutino Muffin mix – (with a little butter, honey, or your favorite jelly) These muffins taste like sugar cookies.
The Gluten Free Pantry (Excellent brand)Brownie MixChocolate Chip cookie mixCroutons
The Craving Place Peanut Butter Cookies (add more water and butter)
Pamela’s Pantry Simplebites – Mini chocolate chip cookiesLundberg Rice Chips (my favorite is Southwest flavor)
EnviroKids (good brand)Rice bars (I like the peanut butter and berry, but they also have chocolate flavor.)
Glutino Pretzels – (wonderful for my Pineapple Pretzel salad recipe)
Mission corn chips are gluten free (we use these for taco salad or nachos)
Frito’s are gluten free (we use these to go with our gluten free homemade chili)
Charlotte’s Gluten Free Rice Bread (It’s the closest I’ve found to the real thing.)

Meals
Mrs. Leepers box mix (just like hamburger helper – I think I like it even better.)
Chicken AlfredoBeef Lasagna
Tinkyada Noodles (all kinds)
Bob’s Redmill All purpose Gluten Free Flour (This flour is a great substitute for any recipe.)

Chicken Chilli Taco Stew

By far the best I've ever made or tasted. My kids gobbled it up!!! I'll be using this recipe for the ward chili cook off !

Ingredients:

1 8oz can of tomato sauce
1 14oz can of diced tomato with chilli's
1 14oz can of diced tomato with or without chilli's depending on how spicy you like it
1 package of taco seasoning ( gluten free of course )
1 can of kidney beans or pinto
1 can of black beans
1 can of corn ( drained)
2 boneless chicken breast

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and place on high for 3 hours. 30 minutes before eating take out chicken and shred and then stir in and serve.

You can also do this with hamburger meat.

serves alot!

cheater, cheater, gluten eater!!

I went for a walk today with my GG( good girlfriend) who also has celiac. In fact, she got her diagnosis a year and half ago so a bit before my Payson and I've known her for about 3 years.She lives just up the road, is our Bishops wife and the only other celiac my little one knows. She lent me every book in her GF library and gave us many samples of foods and shares bread and goodies with us. Every Sunday she brings a piece of GF waffle wrapped in purple cellophane to use as Sacrament bread for Payson as well as herself. She has been a great blessing. We met for a walk today and I was telling her that I'm trying to make exercise a habit and that since about May of last year I've lost 15 pounds. She asked how I had lost the weight and I said " well I guess by going GF, at least at home, myself." We pretty much eat GF at all of our family meals. The only thing we don't eat GF is for sandwiches at lunch, but we don't eat them very often. But, I mentioned since doing that I am definitely more sensitive to gluten when I eat it outside of the house. I admit it, I am a cheater! When we go on dates I end up eating the bread sticks at Olive Garden. There was a ward pizza party last week and I had some and was sick for nearly 2 days. I can't help myself! So, I know Payson got celiac from my side of the tree. I've had Tummy issues since I was teen. eating GF makes the issues go away, so I don't feel like I need a Dr's diagnosis to tell me I have celiac I'll just not eat it anymore. Yeah right. I wish I had the will power my little one has. He never cheats, nor does he even want to. I can't seem to give up my morning pop tart no matter how hard I try! So I asked him how mommy can work on not cheating. Here is what he told me.

1. Remember how awful you feel and really try to remember exactly how bad it was.
2. Think of something you need to do or are going to go do that is fun. If you eat gluten then you might have diarreah and not get to go.
3. Remember no one takes care of you if you cheat. ( If Payson cheated he knows he would get no sympathy. No rice bags, tummy rubs, cartoons on the couch, and no complaining. you did it you deal with it Harsh I know but so far it has worked).
4. If people are your friend they will try to help you not to cheat.
5. The less you eat it the sicker it makes you. ( I need to take his advice that was my advice. The longer you go without gluten the more it bothers you when you inroduce it into your body.

I have also tried really hard to not be the gluten police. If he sees a cookie at the store and says I want a cookie or is says it looks good I don't say " you can't eat that remember" I say " I know bud. If you really want it you can have it but I think you know why you shouldn't have it. " He always tells me " are you crazy that thing is poison for my body. I said it looked good not that it would feel good to eat" and I try to remove situations that might tempt him. He brings GF equivalent items to bday parties, playdates, etc.. I know that it is a gluten filled world out there but you wouldn't send an alcoholic to a New Years party where there's going to be a toast without some sparkling cider. So try to remove temptation. and also talk about it. Alot. Ask why he wanted to cheat or did cheat. There is always a motivation, if you can find an alternative or role play the situations your child feels like cheating in it will empower them and maybe help cut down on the cheating itself. Now I'm going to go and take my own advice!!

What is GF, CF, DF??

I sometimes forget that I at times speak my own language. I use a lot of abbreviations such as GF. GF stands for Gluten Free. If you've gone through a diagnosis process for Celiac you're child was biopsied and tested for not just gluten (celiac) but also for casein, dairy, etc.. If you are reading some of the literature out there or great books or you know what you're child needs to avoid, you will see GF gluten free and also CF casein free. My Payson is only allergic to gluten not to casein. IF you're child is GF but also allergic to casein then you are looking for foods that are GF and CF. I'm sorry that I've never thought about letting people know if things are CF or DF not just GF. My favorite GF and DF, and EF (egg free) products are by Enjoy Life click here http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/

Quaker Rice Cakes

I'm sure many people know of Quaker Rice Cakes but did you know they have mini sizes? For about $3.00 a bag you can get so many flavors. So far we love chocolate, cheddar, and caramel. Be careful though the new mini whole grain cakes look almost identical and also come in snack packs. All of my kids love to eat them and if you let them they can eat almost an entire bag at once. You can make Smores out of the caramel ones as a substitute for the graham cracker. I've found that if you make it like an open face smore using just one rice cake for the bottom it's easier to eat. The chocolate ones are also a great alternative to cookies and taste great as a bedtime snack with hot cocoa. Enjoy!

Cupcakes

We had a birthday the other day for my dad that lives with us and of course I waited for the last minute before I even thought about do we have cake do we not have cake? I'll be honest I'm still a little nervous about making a gluten free cake for all to eat especially doing it with egg replacement for the little one and making dairy free frosting just sounded overwhelming. I'll save that adventure for a weekend and I'll take pictures. LOL. So I did what most of us mom's do and I made a regular cake from good ol' Betty Crocker ( which by the way happened to be in the deep abyss of the non gluten free food storage, and made Bob's Red Mill Chocolate Cake Mix. I made the GF version first to save myself some time on the clean up. To my surprise the whole 2 cake process only took me 20 minutes!! For 2 cakes. Especially since the oven was already warm. I choose to make GF cupcakes instead of a whole cake since I can freeze them in a Tupperware and have them ready to go for B-day parties or for a special treat if someone happens to drop off cookies for our family Payson can have a GF cupcake instead. I actually made the non GF cake a German Chocolate one and used the same German Chocolate frosting on the GF cupcake for Payson. Don't freak out I did check out the label and I believe if I remember right it was Duncan Hines frosting. All I know is that it's the frosting I usually get and if I get the creamy version and not the whipped of whatever flavor it is GF. Does anyone know why whipped frosting in a can has wheat?? Anyway, It was great, everyone was happy and I have lots of cupcakes for the future. In fact we just got an invite to a Halloween Party I'm sure I'll have to send them with.

2minute GF hamburger buns!!

I know most of you are super mom's like me and occasionally you get caught without a Gluten free bun to be found. It's happened to me on the way to several ward cookouts, family BBQ's and the odd camping trip. Now there is hope ( as long as you have a this mix and a microwave).
Food Tek a company I had never heard of until I found this mix last week at Good Earth in Riverdale has saved the day!!
It's called Fast & Fresh.. from your microwave Wheat-Free Gluten- free Hamburger Bun mix.
1 bag includes 4 packs of mix(enough to make 4 sets of buns) measuring cup and mold trays. Being always the skeptic and Gluten Free Rachel Ray wanna be I thought "is it even possible to make a bun in the microwave"? OH BABY IT IS!!!! so here are the directions simplified by me:
1 open the mix pouch and put it into a cereal size bowl
2. add 4tbls + 2 tsp. of water to the mix
3. stir it with a spoon until the lumps are gone ( 10 seconds maybe)
4 pour half the batter into each mold
5. put it in the microwave for a minute and a half on high
6.turn the mold over onto a plate and add your burger or chicken pattie.

Now they aren't brown on top. they're all white kinda like an angel food cake. But, my little boy loved it and said they had a little bit of a sweet taste. I tried it and thought it kinda felt like an angel food cake in texture wasn't horrible and for something that came out of a microwave that is GF and my kid will eat. I'll take it!! It does contain milk though because they use dry milk powder but they are egg free. I think you could possibly use them for strawberry shortcakes and breakfast sandwiches. Just an idea.

Classic Fun Center is FUN!!!

Well, if you read my post on Chuck E Cheese you're probably wondering where we ended up for dinner. Well we went to Classic Fun Center. It's an indoor bounce house extravaganza with party rooms, arcade/game/skeeball, and a roller rink you can bring scooters to. It also has a snack bar which I have always avoided! However, shame on me for not taking the time before to ask if they would make our special pizza. We love to go there in the summer. I was so judgmental I figured there was no way that teenagers would be understanding or even get what I was asking. I was so WRONG!!! The staff there was incredible. In fact, Paysons' GF pizza had started to thaw by the time we got there and some of the cheese and toppings had started to slide off and so the young kid asked me if it would contaminate his pizza if he added sauce, cheese, and toppings to it to make it look like a pizza again. They also drew a diagram on a piece of paper showing how much to leave cheese free add topping. As she wrote it. I thought that is going the extra mile!!! When they brought the pizzas to the table Paysons' was on his very own plate all cut and ready to go. We had one of the funnest nights as a family. So if you live in the Davis County area and are ever looking for some fun I highly suggest Classic Fun Center!! We might even do a birthday party there.

Chuck E Cheese Please!!

On Monday night after recovering from a week of Strep throat at our house we decided to go check out the new Chuck E. Cheese in Layton. Of course I tried to call the number that was on the side of the building that you can see from the freeway and that was a universal number to direct you to another number for that location. I finally got a manager and surprise she was great!!! I'll admit I had very low expectations that a huge franchise like that would care about a food allergy family. We went over a couple of contamination concerns and she even told me if I was still concerned I could bring my own foil. Which was not an insult I assure you. So if you want to go there bring you're own GF pizza or pizza crust and call ahead! She said it really is helpful to them to know when families with special needs are coming so they can brief the staff or inform the next shifts manager. We told her about when to expect us. She even agreed to keep a couple of pieces of the pizza free of cheese and still put toppings on it. That would be for my dairy free child. We expected a great night of family fun until we got there and realized every other family in Davis County had the same idea. So we will try again in a couple of weeks but I feel good knowing Chuck E. Cheese is a place where my kids can kids even if their pizza is different.

make your own lunchables!

How to make your own Lunchable
First of all you have to have the right containers. When I was at Walmart I found these little round containers with lids that come with. They're a little bigger than a nut cup so about the size of a fruit cup. We love the Glutino crackers that look like Ritz. They're just a plain cracker flavor that makes them perfect for making Lunchables.


1. place 4 crackers in 1 container.

2. Take a piece of lunch meat and cut it into small rectangles. 1 piece of meat can make 4 pieces. I like to use 2 pieces of meat so he can double it up. Put into another container.

3. Do the same thing with cheese. Place in it's own container.

I know you could just put them in sandwich bags but the containers just make it more lunchablish. They are also reusable so you're being much more cost effective.

Wendy's GF kid's meal

I am on a roll!!!! We went to Wendy's today ( it was chiropractor, dance, tumble and Daddy's football practice night and we were tired of Mc Donald's ). I asked for the manager right away and told her our food allergy situation. I mentioned that across the street at You know who's they would provide me a substitution in the kid's meal to make it allergy friendly for us. I was shocked when she told me that Her daughter and herself had just been diagnosed in June. Does God work miracles or what!!!! She asked if there was anything we could substitute that kids would like. My kids love the baked potatoes and even the chili so it was easy!!! But, they have the choice between a mandarin orange cup or a yogurt and milk or soft drink and a frosty is included plus a toy. Talk about a value. Plus it was only 2.69!!!! So here's how we ordered them

Payson ( celiac )
Baked potato (Chili next time he said)
yogurt
frosty

Karson (dairy/egg allergy )
baked potato ( even though he can eat the burger he loves the potato )
mandarin oranges
he gave me the frosty in trade for a bedtime cookie treat

Of course they both wanted a soft drink.

Later when I was picking up Kaylyn from her tap class I drove thru for her food and she said it was so nice of them to do all of that for her brothers and how good it made her feel that we had another place to go to eat as a family. She wanted her kid's meal the same way.

I hope you can talk to your managers to see what they will do. I will try to find out how we can get this to maybe become a policy at some of these big chains.
Happy Eating!!

Happy meals make me happy!

Happy Meals Make Me HAPPY!!!!!!

Score one for the kids!! I do have to gloat for a minute, it did take a couple of phone calls and some explaining but a GF happy meal can be bought!!! Yes, you heard me right. You can request a parfait instead of a hamburger in the meal at NO EXTRA CHARGE~Although, I would gladly pay it if they asked. It all started with Payson asking an innocent question about why I always bought a Parfait and gave it to him and never bought a Happy Meal for him. " because they don't make gluten free Happy Meals." I said with some disappointment his response was a full blown meltdown (which he does not have very often when he's told he can't eat something). Looking back I wasn't being very considerate, I just figured he'd be excited just to eat out somewhere. Anyways, I started brainstorming. I knew their menu and what my limited options were but the answer was right there staring at me for months and I hadn't put the pieces together until just a few weeks ago. Of course I politely asked the girl at the counter to replace the hamburger with a parfait. I even offered to pay the extra or buy it separately as long as the parfait was placed in the happy meal box. That of course came back with a "let me ask my manager" The first couple of times the managers recognized me ( Yes, we eat there that often) and did it no problem then one day my mother in law goes in asks for the happy meal the same way I do and gets a "no, we don't do that" My mother in law throws a hissy calls the "Is there something we can do better" hot line and leaves my info! So long story short I talked to a wonderful store manager, district manager and at one point some Mc Donald's corp. people and they have assured me that ANYONE who asks for a gluten free Happy Meal made with a Fruit and yogurt parfait instead of the hamburger will receive it at no extra charge! So go girls demand your child have a gluten free Happy Meal! I explained to her that to a child it makes a difference whether your happy meal comes like everyone else. The look on Paysons' face the first time he opened up the box and saw EVERYTHING was SAFE was PRICELESS!!! You would have thought he was eating a happy meal for the first time. I suggest you make nice with the manager at your local McD's first and educate them on why and how to do it. They loved the fact that they were the only fast food restaurant in our area that had GF fries. They don't realize what an a blessing it is to be able to have a spot to drive thru between activities. So from the manager work you're way up to the big boys. Kissing but never hurts and they want you to be loyal which us food allergy mom's are. Let me know what you're MC D's tells you!

Bread Experiment

This week I will be testing bread!!!! My son attends a charter school and they do a gf lunch for him. Since Payson only likes homemade bread I offered to make the bread and provide it to them if they bought the mix. I've been using a recipe mix which he really enjoys however, I'm always open to finding alternatives. I've never used a mix or a bread machine so this week will be interesting!!

Last night I made Bob's Red Mill Mix. In my random poll of people at the Health Food Store this seemed to be a common tried and liked or had heard of someone who used it. The bread turned out well in the bread machine however after I had the mix etc.. in the machine I read on the machine direction manual that you should make a small indentation in the dry mix to place the yeast so that it does not touch the wet ingredients which can make the bread not rise as much.
Next time I'll read all the directions first. I think it still turned out OK. i DID NOT like the fact I had to use about 8 eggs to get the needed amount of egg whites. Holy cow!!! Now I have to make sure that my youngest doesn't get a hold of it. If he ate a piece of it he'd be sick for days.
I also found it hard to make sure all my stuff was at room temp. So I got it all out and measured and left it on the counter for a couple of hours and then got sidetracked so then I started worrying that bacteria was growing. I don't know I'm a little to OCD for leaving my milk and eggs on the counter to warm up. Today I will try it again egg free version style and we'll see!!!
At least he has bread for school. They keep it in their freezer and use it on sub sandwich day so it last about a month depending on what else they use it for that month.
The bread machine is convenient though

My favorite cookbooks (so far)

I am a 3rd generation cookbook collector. SO now most of my collection is just for display. But, I have found some new cookbooks that I will actually use not just look at. Here are my most loved:

1. The Kid Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook- I found this one by accident at a place called Bukos it's a discount store in Ogden and Farmington for you Utahns. But, try Amazon. It has more than 150 recipes that are Wheat free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Egg Free, and Low in sugar. I love, love it

2. The Incredible Edible Gluten Free Cookbook for kids- Almost as used as the other but with it you have to assume that you need to adapt the recipe for other allergies but it gave me great help with information about having a gluten free kitchen and other helpful resources.

3. The Gluten Free Cookbook For Dummies- Yes, the good old dummies books. My sweet Grandma got it for me. Has alot of good family recipes and conversion how to.

GF chocolate chip cookies (we call them chippies)

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES GLUTEN FREE STYLE

INGREDIENTS
1/2 C. margarine or butter ( i like to use butter @ room temp)
1/2 C. shortening ( i like butter flavor from crisco )
3/4 C packed brown sugar
3/4 C sugar
2 eggs or replacement equiv.
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp baking POWDER
2 C RICE flour
3/4 C TAPIOCA flour
1/2 C POTATO STARCH flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 12oz package of milk chocolate chips or you can use the enjoy life brand of chips for egg/dairy/gf version

* You can add caramel chips or even heath bar pieces etc. if you want to. It even works with M&M's.

DIRECTIONS
*You can make these in a bowl W/ hand mixer or with a standing mixer

Preheat to 375
1. Beat shortening and butter with mixer on med. speed for 30 seconds

2. Add the brown sugar, sugar eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and RICE flour. beat until creamy and combined. I add a little bit at a time. it seems to combine better that way.

3. Beat in the TAPIOCA flour, POTATO starch flour, XANTHAN gum, and salt.

4. With a spoon, stir in the chips or whatever you're adding

5. Drop the dough onto the ungreased cookie sheet. ( i do actually spray a little butter flavored Pam on mine or you can use parchment paper for no cleanup.)

6. Bake for 9 to 12 min until the edges are lightly brown . * i bake closer to 9 until the center looks almost done and then I take them out and let them sit on the sheet on top of the stove until cool. You're oven might be different then mine but if I wait until they're looking almost done they seem to be overdone.

IF YOU WANT TO FREEZE THEM!!!

Make them the same way except don't bake (obviously) and instead make a dough log and wrap with plastic wrap and them place in a freezer bag and label them. When you're ready to bake just take them out slice the log and bake. You might have to increase the baking time doing it this way. Otherwise, take the log out and let it thaw and then bake the next day.

Quickie snack organization

You may be thinking to yourself now what? We've got a diagnosis where do I go from here in the quickest, simplest way? Organization is key my dear girls! Plus it's time to put some routine into your life! Organizing your pantry, cabinets and fridge is going to save you sooo many headaches! Let alone, it let's visitors, babysitters, family members and Dad know what is. Here are some quick thoughts that will get you started in the right direction. Each of these ideas takes at the most 20 minutes to get into place so get started right away!

Sticker System

We have a sticker system in our home. The gf (gluten free) jars of peanut butter, mayo, butter, jelly, basically anything that could be "poisoned"(contaminated) or I didn't buy in a squeezy bottle gets a sticker. I bought a couple of boxes of the colored dots used normally at yard sales at Walmart. When the groceries come home Payson gets to put the stickers on his food. Gets too is the key word here. It's not a punishment to have celiac nor is it a punishment or a chore to assist in helping prepare his food for the pantry. He has told me he enjoys having his "own food", must be a middle child thing. I think he also likes being alone with me in the kitchen doing something that's all about him even if it is placing stickers on jars. It also gives him the freedom of being able to make some of his own food. I'm reminded daily that he's almost 7 and can make PBJ all by his self if he doesn't use the pokey knife.

Snack Jars

OMG! Why didn't I do this years ago with all of my kids! I had some huge Costco size containers from biscotti that i used to eat BFA ( before food allergies)
I was a Brownie Girl Scout Leader and thought some day I might use them for a craft. Being the scrapbooker that I am I covered the label and made HUGE snack jars. I only put a weeks worth at a time in them otherwise they seem to dwindle down faster even if they're only supposed to have X amount per day. One is the gf snacks the other one is for the non gf kids in the house. They have different colored lids so even my 4 yr old knows which is his.

Fridge basket

I know it seems a little too organized but prove me wrong girlies! So you get the cheap white baskets from the dollar store or walmart or use a tupperware container if you think the lid will actually get put back on. In the basket you put the fridge snacks for each kid or allergy type in your home.
Example:

Payson's GF basket has: gogurt, pudding,string cheese,fruit cup, and jello

Karson's EF/DF (egg free/ dairy free) basket has: jello, soy string cheese, and a fruit cup.

Ladies we all know what it's like when they're all screaming for a snack it' s so much easier to let them get it themselves after asking then having to stop and find a snack for each of them. This also is teaching them personal responsibility. They live in a world that does not cater to their "food disiabliliy" all the time and when they grow up and go on missions or off to college we can't go and cook and decontaminate their dorm rooms. The sooner you get your systems in place the sooner your life will get back to a new normal!

Need Support?

Are you overwhelmed with the challenges of having a celiac child or other children with food allergies? Well I'm here for you. I've started a support group for mothers with our issues! Whether you are in the first few days of a diagnosis, have known for a while or your intuition is telling you something isn't quite right with your child I would love to help you. Other moms' are where you are now or have been there. Email me at foodallergymom4U@yahoo.com and I'll contact you with further information. You can find more support at www.gfutah.org
Let's start a food allergy awareness revolution!

Symptoms of Celiac Disease May Include One or More of the Following:
Recurring bloating, gas, or abdominal pain
Chronic diarrhea or constipation or both
Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
Pale, foul-smelling stool
Unexplained anemia
Bone or joint pain
Behavior changes/depression/irritability
Vitamin K Deficiency
Fatigue, weakness or lack of energy
Delayed growth or onset of puberty
Failure to thrive (in infants)
Missed mentrual periods
Infertility male & female
Spontaneous miscarriages
Canker sores inside the mouth
Tooth discoloration or loss of enamel
Have You or a Family Member Been Diagnosed With the Following?
Type 1 Diabetes
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Fibromyalgia
IBS
Eczema
Sjogren's Syndrome
Peripheral Neuropathy
Thyroid Disease
Dermatitis Herpetiformis
Osteoporosis

does your child have celiac?

As I have learned doctors don't always take mothers concerns seriously when it comes to us complaining our child has tummy aches and constant diarrhea and is cranky most of the time. I'm sure many Doctors were suspicious of my frequent visits with the same issues. Most physicians recognize the classic symptoms of celiac disease : diarrhea, bloating, weight loss, anemia, chronic fatigue, weakness, bone pain, and muscle cramps.Doctors may not be aware that celiac has other symptoms, some that do not involve the small intestine. More often, symptoms can include constipation, constipation alternating with diarrhea, or premature osteoporosis. Overweight persons may also have undiagnosed celiac disease. Children may exhibit behavioral, learning or concentration problems, similar to ADD. Irritability, diarrhea, a bloated abdomen, growth failure,
Projectile vomiting can also be a symptom even in babies. My son had "chronic reflux" as one doctor told me which could bave been partially true but untill the age of 2? Others will have symptoms such as anemia, chronic fatigue, weakness, migraine headaches, nerve problems such as tingling of hands or difficulty walking, or other conditions that are unexplained and/or do not respond to the usual treatment a doctor might try. You could have a couple of these symptoms or most. People are frequently misdiagnosed as having 'irritable bowel syndrome', 'spastic colon/bowel', or Crohn's disease'. My sons' GI Dr. said there is no such thing as IBS just undiagnosed celiacs! Could one of them be you or your child?

Welcome to my blog about having children with food allergies and how to feed them!

Welcome to my blog! Just to warn you I'm new to the blogging world so please be patient.

I've started this blog as a way to connect and hopefully help other moms' who understand what it is like to have children with "food disabilities", meaning kids with food allergies. I just happen to have more than one "food disability" in my home. My 6 year old boy last Jan. was diagnosed with celiac disease after several years of symptoms. Many of you can relate to the frustration of the process of getting an acurate diagnosis. But, I also have a 4 year old who is allergic to dairy and eggs. Did I mention he also has outdoor allergies and asthma? I remember what it was like that first time trying to come up with a meal plan that would work for 2 difficult food allergies and yet be tasty for the 1 child and 3 adults in our home that had no food allergies. Did I mention one of those adults is my husband who is the pickiest man I've ever known. He only uses BBQ sauce or ketchup to flavor anything and doesn't eat fruit or vegetables unless it's corn or potatoes. So being the generous soul and wanna be book author/advacote I thought I would share our familys' story and experiences with you. So let's talk. Let's share our favorite kid/allergy friendly places to eat, our best "Oh know I'm out of gluten free bread"lunch ideas, and how we manage to have busy lives and yet feed our children nutruitious not toxic (as I call it) food and get the rest of the family to eat it! PS. tell me your favorite cook books, and recipes also. You can never have enough of either.

-melissa the gluten free mama