I am sick of the GFCF Diet

We have been on this diet for 2 years and 11 months now and never once during this time have I expressed negative feelings towards it.

It isn't like I have a choice and I want to present a positive picture for Andy - and I think part of the reason that he is so accepting of his diet is that he follows my example.

But today I just want to vent and get it all out. I am sick of this damn diet!

I know today is going to be a bad day for Andy. Even though we don't celebrate Halloween, they do at school (he is taking a costume to school - we allow him to choose to participate or not - last year he chose not to) and the other kids will be able to eat their treats without regard to what they contain. His will be put in his backpack to be brought home and checked over before he can eat any. If he is lucky, there will be one treat that he recognizes that will not have red 40 in it that he can just eat - but that is a rarity.

I am sick of spending my entire weekends cooking so that we will have enough left overs to eat during the week since I get home from work too late to cook a meal from scratch during the week.

I am sick of having to veto vacation ideas because we can't get a reservation anywhere with a full kitchen.

I am sick of not having the option of going out to eat very many places.

I am just sick and tired of how this diet controls our lives.

Will we stay on the diet? Of course we will. The course has been set and we will continue to sail along, but I don't have to like it.

Is it really that bad? I guess not. We do eat healthier and in cooking from scratch it isn't that much more expensive than a regular diet. We do all feel better on the diet.

Is it really that hard? No, and it does get easier over time.

So what is your beef today lady? THAT IT IS NOT FAIR TO MY CHILD! That is all - it stinks to have to put a child on this diet.

There, now that I have vented I feel better.

Jennie-O Oven Ready Turkey

The gravy packet in this contains gluten - I just threw it away. The turkey itself and the seasonings are GFCF!

I am really excited about finding this - while I don't mind cooking from scratch most of the time and I do know it is healthier for my family - there are just times (like yesterday) when I don't have time to make a fantastic meal. It was so cool to be able to just put this in the oven. It goes straight from the freezer to the oven - so at 3:00 yesterday when I realized I had nothing thawed for dinner I was just able to pull it out and put in the oven. Made some mashed potatoes and frozen veggies and we had a wonderful meal.

Jennie-O's list of gluten free products can be found here: http://www.jennieo.com/turkey_faqs.asp

It was moist and wonderful and tasted great - check it out.

You might also want to check out how bzz agent - they sent me this turkey breast for free! They give you free products that match your lifestyle (you fill out profiles) and then you fill out reports (bzz) on who you talked to about them. It is just honest feedback. They don't want me to lie and say something is good if it isn't. Just create by talking to my friends about the products I try (which I would do anyway) and then report back to them. I don't get paid to do it - but getting the free products is fun. And sometimes it is something like this that really makes my life easier. I plan on keeping one in the freezer for emergencies always. Bzz agent is here: http://www.bzzagent.com/

GFCF Pumpkin Bars

I made these from pumpkins we grew, but you could use canned pumpkin just as easily.

GFCF Pumpkin Bars

2 cups GFCF Flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill GFCF mix)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 beaten eggs
2 cups pureed pumpkin (I used fresh – you can substitute 1-16 oz can)
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil (I used canola)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir flour, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda. Set aside.
Combine eggs, pumpkin, sugar and oil; beat until well combined.
Add dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
Pour batter into ungreased pan 9” x 13” or if you want thinner bars use a 10” by 15” pan.
Bake in oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out. clean. If you use a bigger pan – cook for less time.
Cool and frost.

Frosting:
½ stick GFCF margarine
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoons vanilla flavored Silk brand soymilk.
Beat all ingredients until fluffy – if too stiff, add more milk. If too runny, add more sugar.

GFCF Apple Spice Cake

I made have posted this recipe before, but I keep tweaking the recipe. Here is a cake I just made for a co-worker.
Apple Spice Cake
4 ½ cups peeled, chopped apples
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (or Fruit Fresh)
3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 ½ cups flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill GF all purpose flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13 x 9 inch pan. Sprinkle apples with lemon juice or fruit fresh – it is just to keep the apples from darkening. Cover and set aside. Beat oil with the sugar and eggs until creamy. Sift flour with salt, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Gradually beat into oil mixture. Beat in vanilla extract (batter will be very stiff). Fold in apples – the batter will get easier to mix as you get the apples mixed in. Pour (spread – it is thick) into pan. Bake 50-55 minutes or until cake tests done with a toothpick in the center.

I cut the apples into little pieces, but I think shredding them like you do carrots for a carrot cake would work also. I think this would also be good with pecans.

This makes a very large cake; it filled my pan up totally – if your pan is a little small, you might want to make a half dozen cupcakes so the pan doesn’t overflow.

Food projects in school

Blame it on age or simply not having to notice and therefore remember, but I don't remember that many food projects when I was in elementary school. I do remember taking treats to school for my birthday and making Mexican food in Spanish Class in Jr. High and High School, but I don't remember so many projects involving food in elementary school.

Andy is only 1 month into First Grade and already we had encountered a few birthdays and Japenese food tasting. Now I have to find and/or make Hot Cross Buns for him because the music class has been learning the song of the same name and the music teacher is bringing Hot Cross Buns in for the students.

And it nevers comes at a good time. I did find a recipe on the internet and then yesterday afternoon, Dan ran out to our favorite health food store and found some cinnamon buns that I think I can just put a cross of icing on.

I feel pretty proud of myself most of the time that I have the lunch and snack routine down so well that feeding him daily at school is pretty seemless - so when I need to put something together at the last minute and it doesn't fall neatly into my pre-planned week I get irritated and want to scream why do they have to use so many food related themes at school? But then I calm down and realize it is not the end of the world - that it probably is a really effective way of learning and the kids probably love it.

This week I think I am set, I just wonder what next week will bring.......

New packaging for Glutino Pretzels

I was a little confused when I was shopping and thought maybe they didn't have the pretzels we like so much, then I figured out that it was just new packaging! So I thought I would share in case someone else is looking for the other picture I posted. Same great taste - just a different bag.

I wonder if I also have celiac.....

I am slowly coming to the conclusion that I need to be GFCF as well as Andy. Since we do not bring any non-GFCF food into this house, most of the time I am. I have a confirmed dairy allergy, but I am starting to wonder if perhaps I also have celiac. I certainly do much better on a GFCF diet. My entire life I have suffered from constipation and bowel issues. I have suffered unexplained rashes and practically lived on antacids and I always had canker sores in my mouth. Once we went GFCF for Andy I started to feel much better - but I was still getting both gluten and casein when at work. I was unemployed from June of last year through January this year. During that time since I was home with Andy I had very little chance to consume anything that wasn't GFCF. My BM's were never so normal as they were during that time and I never ate one single antacid. In the fall we took a trip out of town and I had some ice cream. Within minutes I was heading to the bathroom and had the runs all weekend. I got a runny nose and thought I was coming down with something - it was followed by the most terrible (and itchy) rash a few days later. Two months later I decided see if it really was the dairy (I had been tested for a dairy allergy years previous and it was positive, but it was too hard for me to stay away from dairy - I was still in denial) so I repeated the ice cream experiment with the same results. Once I returned to work at the end of January I again had many more opportunities to eat gluten and casein. I found I could eat small amounts of dairy and be OK - but no chunks of cheese, no pizza and no ice cream. Gluten didn't seem to bother me - but I really didn't eat it that much - maybe a few croutons on a salad. I was out of state all week this past week at a conference for my job. I avoided dairy - but it is impossible to avoid gluten at these sorts of things - and there was plenty of gluten everywhere. I got so sick. I still feel sick and I have been home for two days. I have eaten a whole huge Sam's Club bottle of Tums, my bones hurt, my skin is itchy (a rash is just appearing), my mouth is full of canker sores and I've had a runny nose. Something triggered a migraine (something I thought maybe I had finally gotten rid of for good). My son is adopted - I am not genetically related to him - what are the odds that I would have celiac as well? Regardless, I think I need to stay GFCF as much as possible. I think I will enquire into a special menu at the next conference I attend.