I found bread!!!!

Yes I am as excited as one person can be about buying bread. Since switching to a non gluten diet I have had one kind of bread which shall remain nameless. So yesterday I wandered around Fred Meyers trying to figure out which bread to buy. I wanted something that was not frozen and felt like real bread. I want real bread, bread you can dip in your eggs or eat as toast or even grill. I miss grilled cheese sandwiches like you would not imagine. I would sit there and smell my families that I made. After much debate I settled on Ener-G Foods White Rice Loaf, 16-Ounce Packages (Pack of 6) I can't say settled because I cracked open the bread and it looked and felt like normal bread so I put it to the test and made over medium eggs. Then I toasted the bread which came out perfect slathered some butter on it and some actually stuck on it (my other bread the butter would just melt off) took a bite and was in gluten free heaven!!!! Of course Amazon has amazing deals and they come in a package of 6. The White Rice Loafs have a pretty long shelf life but when you break the air lock seal your bread is good for a week so be careful when you pop that baby open. I plan on making cheesiest potato soup but making some changes to make it healthier since when you go gluten free you need to make sure you are not gorging which is easy to do. I hope to make this by Wednesday so that I can have some soup for the week and the weekend. When I make it I will post my personalized recipe and pics of the finished product

Lets talk Gluten Free Candies

When you get your diagnosis and you have to make all the life/food changes you wonder where candy/chocolate stands. As a woman this is very important to me. I love chocolate, it is delicious and melts in your mouth. As a mom it is a tiny pleasure I allow myself to indulge in. At work we have a Gluten free group and one of the ladies sent me an email. It was about candy bars (who was a happy girl? I was!!!!) So lets talk about candy bars


Ok list


Reeces Peanut butter cups
Hershey's bars (with or with out almonds)
Baby Ruth
Snickers
M&M plain/peanut
Butterfinger
Milky Way Midnight
Heath
Dove Dark Chocolate
fudge
York peppermint patties
Hunk bars


If you can't do chocolate and dairy:
Divinity candy
Starburst
Skittles
Most hard candies--read labels
Most taffy--read labels 
Peanut brittle
Gummy Bears/Worms




Also check out Ener-g foods they have great allergen free chocolate.


When I found this out I was elated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it is nice to know we may have to make large sacrifices when it comes to food but we still have options in candy choices

Sometimes You Get Discouraged

When re-adjusting your life to being Gluten Free it can really get you down. You have to become a detective looking for sneaky gluten at every turn. While you are out with family you have to see all the things you used to love but can no longer eat. I miss pizza so much it kills me as well as chocolate. Apprehension slides in when you first look at gluten free products and it truly is a hit or miss selection. I have been lucky enough to discover the Ener-G this company has amazing pretzels. The sesame ones are the most delicious of the bunch. I truly look forward to buying and trying the other products.

Pirates Booty is another favorite. I can find a 6 pack of small bags which is perfect for work at Amazon for as low as $17.85 with amazons subscribe and save.

Another to die for Gluten Free food is Kind Bars. So far my favorite is the Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew bar it is like eating a candy bar. Some stores sell these in singles like QFC, Fred Meyers, Kroger, Costco, and Bartells. You can on Occasion find them on sale and if not then amazon is your go to for these bars.




Just remember that going gluten free does mean an increase in the price of the foods you eat but it also means that you will be having food longer. That is what I keep in mind when I look at the price. I also upped my fruit and veggie intake. Being Gluten free does not mean the end of the world it means changing how you see it.

Starting out Gluten Free

When you first discover that you are no longer able to eat Gluten your whole being screams NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO and WHHHYYYYYYYYYY  then reality kicks in and you start researching what exactly can you eat or not eat. You soon realize that there is way to many words to remember. Basically you need to avoid Wheat, Barley. or Oats (that are processed in facilities that process wheat) Watching out for cross contamination is huge too many foods are processed in facilities that also process food. When in the Grocery Store you must check every package you buy for processed in wheat facility, look for oats, barely, and containing wheat. Just starting with this step will make you feel so much better.

Gluten Free is the hardest

Change to make. I thank HCG everyday because it lead me to a diagnosis of Celiac Disease. No fun I was making myself sick my whole life. Luckily I work at a Gastroenterology clinic so I had resources at my finger tips. It wasn't enough they had standard paperwork that they gave everyone. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and create a Gluten Free resource Site. I will be adding resources and recipes to this blog so that others who are going through what I am have a place to look. Starting tomorrow I will be adding the resources so keep an eye out