What I've Learned After 2 Months of Gluten Free Eating

1.  I still have a LOT to learn!

2.  It's hard, especially eating out.  Honestly, eating out isn't all that fun anymore.  Not all restaurants are equally gluten-friendly.  My new favorite, Juniper Grill, has a ton of delicious options, is well labeled, the wait staff is accommodating and understanding, and they even have GF creme brûlée!!!  Other places that have options and make it easy are Max & Erma's, Burgatory, Cheesecake Factory, and Dairy Queen.  A quick Google search will bring up a menu of options so you can visit the restaurant well-informed.  Two local places that have GF options are Do Wood-Fired Pizza (just call ahead to make sure they are not out of the GF pizza crust - it's delicious!) and Burgher Burger.

3.  Other people don't really understand.  They may truly care, but most people have absolutely no idea what gluten is or where it is found.  Try not to take it personally.  If you think back to before you were GF, you likely knew nothing about it either.

4.  Bob's Red Mill GF all-purpose flour is fine for soups, but NOT for baking.  I tried it in pancakes and cupcakes, and it smelled and tasted terrible.  In potato soup and broccoli soup, no problem.  From what I've read, it's the chickpea flour.  So, I spent a ton of money on Amazon (over $50) to buy several flours to make my own baking mix, and it's been great!   I can NOT remember where I found this recipe, but it was somewhere on Pinterest.  I used:
24 oz. white rice flour
24 oz. sweet rice flour
24 oz. GF brown rice flour
20 oz. tapioca flour
2 1/2 T Xanthan Gum

Apparently, you can buy bags in these sizes elsewhere, but I couldn't find them.  So, I measured them out and placed them in a large glass jar.  Once it runs low, I can use my leftovers for another batch!

5.  It's a lot of trial and error.  I've tried a lot of meals and desserts, and only a few would be on my list to make again.  So far, these are:

• Slow Cooker Potato Soup Notes: I used 4 c. chicken stock, butter (not bacon grease), GF flour as a substitute for regular, regular fresh-shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and the low-fat sour cream.  YUM!  My hubby ate all the leftovers, so I only got it once for dinner.
• Banana Bread  Notes:  This is healthy and delicious - I love it for breakfast!  In place of the vegetable oil, I even used coconut oil to give it a nutritional boost, and it was perfect!
• Broccoli Cheese Soup  Note:  All you need to do is substitute GF flour!  So good!!!
• Cheesecake  Notes:  Delicious!  You won't miss the crust!  Just make sure to use a large pan, or you will be making two (I won't tell you how I know that...)
• Cilantro-Lime and Black Bean Shrimp and Rice Skillet  Note: This was the first time I've ever made shrimp at home, and it turned out delicious!

6.  Aldi's has a lot of reasonably-priced, yummy GF products!  If you haven't already realized, it is expensive to eat this way!

7.  Focus on foods you can have instead of those you can't.  I love baked goods, so I keep trying different recipes to make my own.  The fact that I can have a banana split blizzard from DQ or an Espresso Love milkshake from Burgatory is a total win for me!

8.  Two months in, I don't feel much different, though I am less bloated.  I do not have more energy, which is what I was going for.  I know I should probably eliminate all dairy and grains, but I'm still working on mastering this.  I also learned that I have sleep apnea (from a home study).  So, while I await my endocrinologist appointment and overnight sleep study, I'll stay GF.  If I find that all I need is my adorable CPAP machine to regain my energy, I will probably go back to gluten.  But that leads me to...

9.  YOU CAN DO IT!!!!  I am a carb addict.  I could live on pasta, and I've only had it once in two months (it was not good...).  It's very different to be making changes for your health instead of to lose weight.  (Strangely, that is also ultimately for your health, but it feels different.  Hopefully you know what I mean.)  It takes a LOT of reading and time to figure it out, but if I can make it through, you can, too.  I mean, sometimes, all I can have is a crappy grilled chicken salad because the restaurant has no GF options, but then I go get a blizzard from DQ and it's all good!

What are your tips and tricks for eating gluten-free?  What are your concerns about going GF?  Hit me up!  

  

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of my fellow moms!  To those who work at home, and those who work out of the home.  To those who are mom AND dad, those who have a partner, and those who share custody.  To those who have one child, multiple children, adopted children, foster children, have lost children, or are raising their children's children.  To those who feel like they have it all together and those who know they don't.  

Being a mom is a tough job.  Truly, I never realized how hard it is to raise children until I had my own!  As a teacher, I thought I was prepared, that I had an idea, but I was wrong.  It is so different than I expected, so much harder at times, but way more fulfilling.  I mean there are days I can't wait for them to go to bed so I can sit and breathe for a few minutes.  But there are far more times when I watch them with wonder, marveling at these precious little creations that I have been entrusted to raise, bursting with pride at how they are growing and maturing into their own amazing young men.  

Your job as a parent is so much more important than any other job you will ever have.  It is within our power to raise healthy, self-sufficient people, or those that carry our scars far into adulthood.  No matter how hard we try, we are going to mess up.  We all are, and that's just real life.  But these precious little gifts, even when they are acting like hellions, need us to be the adults and make the hard decisions for them.  The time goes so fast and soon they will be making all those decisions on their own.  Guide them well.  Seek out other moms to help build you up and reinforce you when you're feeling weak and broken (it's only natural to have those days sometimes).  Someone who you can vent to, cry with, and laugh with over your mom-story.  Be that type of friend to others in need.  Judge less and care more.  

On this, your day, know you are strong and fearless.  You are a rock star, in your child's eyes and mine!  Whether your children are playing like angels as you relax in your perfectly-styled splendor OR your children are ripping each other apart as you sweat and cry and try to hold it together, I raise a glass to you today.  May you have at least a few minutes of peace, and a LOT of appreciation for all you do that goes unnoticed on a daily basis.  Happy Mother's Day!

Natural Little Explorer

As the weather improves (thank goodness!!!), Cole and I have decided to take some nature walks.  Well, today, we decided this.  Hopefully he will stick with it, though he tends to be very mercurial in nature.  In the course of these walks, he has also agreed to be my model so I can continue to practice and improve my photography and scout locations.  Here are some of my favorites from our adventure today.  Enjoy!

 I am obsessed with these dandelion pictures!!!!

More ...oh my goodness!  I just LOVE them!!