Rice Krispies cereal

I'm so glad they finally came out with gluten free Rice Krispies so I don't have to miss out on Rice Krispies treats. The taste difference is almost not noticeable. I've made these with family and friends that are not gluten sensitive and they liked them. I also like to add seasonal M&Ms for fun color.

I give these 5 out if 5 stars.

Better Batter GF Flour

I read great reviews about Better Batter Flour online and wanted to see if it was as awesome as everyone says. I must say, it's really good.

I bought the flour at Good Earth Natural Foods for about $20 dollars for a 2.5 lb bag. It is cheaper in bulk but I wanted to try it before buying a huge thing of it.

I have tried one other GF flour and several packaged things like muffin mix and they were all kind if sandy in texture (only before cooking) because of the way rice is when ground up. This is the first flour I've seen that actually looks like flour. You couldn't tell why looking at it that is gluten free. It smells a little different though.

I have made two big things with it. The first was bread. I just substituted the flour into my regular recipe. It tasted ok but didn't rise. I guess I needed to make more changes. The second were the cookies. I've also used it in small amounts for dinner recipes.

Tonight I made peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. I used a recipe from a book called Gluten Free Recipes for Kids (book cover and recipe below). The cookies are the same as regular ones, texture wise. They cooked in 12 minutes. They taste very similar to regular cookies. Because it is GF flour, there is a little taste difference but its not too noticeable. Someone who doesn't have a good sense of taste probably wouldn't notice. My 4 year old likes the cookies too.

I really like this flour. It's texture and taste are so much like regular flour that in most recipes I can just substitute it when called for regular flour. I would give this flour 4.5 stars out of 5 and definitely buy it again.

Ham and bean soup

I wanted to share a recipe that's been a family favorite for years. I grew up with it and every winter I start craving it. It's also about the easiest recipe ever.

Ingredients
1 lb bag of dried 15 beans
Ham

The ham can be almost any kind. My mom usually made this soup after a ham dinner and just throws the ham bone (with the left over ham) in the soup. Sometimes I just use thick ham slices or ham chunks. It's really up to you but it has to be thick enough that it doesn't disintegrate while cooking.

Put the beans in a big bowl and put enough water in it that the beans are covered. Let them soak overnight.

In the morning, rinse them and put them in a crock pot. Cover with water. Add any seasoning you want. I usually just do garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
Cover and let it cook for a couple hours. Stir occasionally.

After a couple hours, add the ham. If its a ham bone you can add it sooner. The only reason to wait for adding the ham is so it doesn't fall apart. Don't wait too long to add the ham though because you want the ham flavor in the soup.

By the evening, the beans are soft and it is ready to go. I like mine cooked a little longer so that the beans have turned into kind of mush but its a personal preference.

This recipe is enough food for a few people. The beans are only a couple dollars a bag so its super cheap and goes a long way. It's delicious, filling and gluten free. Only two ingredients and a crock pot. Can't get easier than that!

(Pictured below are the kinds of ham and beans I used most recently for this recipe. Although the beans say "Cajun" I just don't use the Cajun packet they include. I used about half of the ham. )

Brown Rice Snaps

NOTE- Because I haven't had time to sit down and write a long entry about all the products I've tried I've decided to use my new blogger app to make small entries on individual products. I will try to stay up to date. Also, if there is a product you are curious about, tell me and I'll try to find it and tell you what I think.

These crackers are organic, gluten free, dairy free, salt free and have no genetically modified ingredients. They are made from rice.

They are kind of hard to eat plain. They are dry and tasteless. I have also tries honey and jelly on them. It helps but still not that good. I started eating them because my doctor put me on a low-iodine diet so I wasn't allowed to eat salt. Finding foods that are salt free and gluten free is nearly impossible.

I didn't really care for these until I tried them with hummus. Yummus! Haha yes I know, I'm not funny. Anyway, it was spinach artichoke hummus and it was delicious with these crackers. I tried the hummus with carrots and GF pretzels too. I like the carrots with it better than the pretzels but my 4 year old loves the pretzels with it. (I will post on the brand of hummus and pretzels later.)

This brand of cracker comes in different flavors but since I only tried the plain, salt free ones I can only judge these, not the brand.

Overall I think I'd give these crackers 2 stars out of 5. They are dry and plain but if eaten with the right topping can be pretty good.

Gluten Free App

I'm sorry to anyone reading my blog. I know I am seriously lacking in updating but my summer has been nuts. Just wanted to let yall know I found an app that lets you scan the bar code of food and it tells you if it has gluten in it. It can also tell you if there's dairy, soy, nuts etc. And it's FREE. Healthy Grocery Lists & Food Scanner

Sorry

Sorry guys for not posting in a while. School has kept me really busy. I have LOTS of reviews to put up and will get to them soon. Just wanted to let y'all (whoever you are) know that I haven't disappeared.

My First Gluten Free Foods

I've already tried a few gluten free foods and thought I'd let yall know what I thought of them. I've tried Schar bread, Sesmark Rice Thins: Sesame flavor, Glutino Cheddar crackers, Bisquick, Honey Nut and Rice Chex cereal, Quaker Rice Cakes, Dynasty Maifun Rice Sticks, and Heartland Spaghetti noodles. Did you know that (most) Kix cereal, Jello products, and Stephen Gourmet Hot Cocoa are gluten free? Cool huh? So here are my reviews in no particular order...


Schar Multi-grain bread



I've read both good and bad things about this bread online but I liked it. It tasted different but not too bad that I didn't want to eat it. A lot of what I've read about GF bread is that most people think it's really gross unless toasted. I tried a bit first. Not bad. It does have a different taste so be prepared but all GF foods do. I wouldn't eat it plain but I think as a sandwich it would be fine. It was soft and not crumbly, like some of the online reviews said. Maybe they got an old loaf. (I tried a second loaf and it was a little crumbly, particularly the top crust. I think it was just an older loaf so I guess it really depends how fresh it is. Also, it was barely crumbly until I put it in the frig.) Toasted, it was very similar to regular bread. It's more dense than normal bread so the small slices are just as filling as a regular sized slice.

The loaf is small and so are the slices. A piece of sliced cheese has to be torn up to fit on the bread. It's a 14.1 oz loaf whereas regular loafs are about 20 oz. Once opened, it has to be kept in the frig and eaten within 3 days. Maybe that's why the loaf is so small. Because it's kept in the frig, I toast it a little before I use it, just to warm it up.

I found it at Sunflower Farmers Market for about $5.50. Go on their website to find out if there is a store near you that has it. I was trying to find Udi bread but the store didn't have it. That bread has a lot of good reviews so I will try it as soon as I can find it.

I will buy Schar bread again.



Sesmark Rice Thins: Sesame flavor



These are definitely different but I like them. At first they kind of taste like sunflower seeds. Then the taste changes.

They are very crunchy. It's like eating a thick chip.

I will buy these again.






Sorry, I'm too tired to do anymore tonight. I will update this soon with more reviews.

No Longer a Juice Virgin!

Well, as the title says, I'm not longer a juice virgin! lol. Today when I came home from school (first day of new semester!) my new juicer was waiting for me at my door step. I was so excited. After reading the manual cover to cover, I gathered up a few "safe" choices for vegges and fired up the juicer. I choose carrots, apples and celery. This was a recipe from the manual. It called for:



4 celery stalks
4 apples
4 medium carrots

I only had the small 1 lb bags of mini carrots so I used the whole bag, figuring it would be about equal. I also used 5 stalks of celery because I had only 5 and didn't want to leave just one in the frig. You can't do much with just one.

I juiced them all on the top speed (5) because that's what the manual said to do. I am a little confused though because the juicer has it's own setting for apples (4) and that contradicts what the manual said to do. It made a lot of juice, way more than I could drink. If you have 2 or 3 people drinking it though it would be fine. It filled the juice container to the Max line but didn't even get half way in the debris container. I was surprised at how much juice just the carrots made. I had to cut up my apples, even though they say you don't have to. They were a tad too big. Watch out for baby carrots too. Some would "jump" out of the juicer before I had time to put the pusher thing in.




















The pulp was pretty dry. None of it stuck to my fingers. There were a few chunks of apple or celery but for the most part it was shredded. I think one time I'll juice just carrots because that pulp looked perfect for carrot cake. There was a handful of slightly wetter pulp stuck to the top, inside of the juicer where the pulp goes into the container. It felt kind of like playdoh.



Although I had the apples and vegges in the frig, the juice wasn't that cold. It tasted not bad. There was a bit too much celery and maybe carrots but still not bad. It was very watery. It kind of surprised me, probably because I'm used to store bought juice and they add all kind of things to it. Maybe it was just too much celery. Celery does have lots of water in it.

Cleaning the juicer wasn't bad except for the mess filter. It's a major pain in the butt. I scrubbed it with the brush and even soaked it, like the manual said, and there's still a tony bit around the edge I can't get. The rest of it was just rinsing so it wasn't bad but I didn't realize how big the juicer would be. All the pieces I rinsed took up the entire dish rack and then some (the pulp container is huge). It have a small kitchen and almost no counter space so this thing looks massive in my tiny kitchen. I think I'll clear off the dining table and use that as my juicing spot from now on because there's just no room on my counter. I had to use the stove top as a counter!

Overall, I really enjoyed my first juicing experience. The juicer worked great and the juice wasn't bad. I think I'll really get into it once I find some recipes that work for me. Tomorrow I will be trying one with spinach.



(The juicer I'm using is the Breville BJE510XL. It's about $200 and available only online. If you find it in a store let me know.)

Why Juicing is Good

I had a long day and don't feel like writing a long entry tonight so I'll just give you a quick run down of some of the benefits of juicing. (I'll probably do a longer entry later.)

1. Juice is easier and quicker for the body to digest. Juicing takes out a lot of the fiber because it's just juice and no pulp. Not having to digest the fiber gives your body a break. (If you are worried about not having that fiber or wasting the pulp, don't be. Many people use it in breads and soups.)

2. It takes more fruits and vegges to fill up a glass than you could eat normally so you are getting extra nutrients. It's also good if you don't like the taste of vegetables but still want the benefits. Just mix in fruit, usually an apple, and it covers most vegetable tastes. (This is one reason I wanted to start it.)

3. It can be used to detox your body. (We could all use this with all the processed junk we eat.)

4. It can boost your overall health and energy.

5. Most people lose weight and do it easily and relatively fast.

6. Some say it cured their illness or cancer.

Although there are lots of benefits to juicing you should check with your doctor first if you have any health conditions or are on medications. Some vegetables can lessen the affects of your medication.

So what's up with Gluten?

For all those who are beginners, like me, let me start by explaining what Gluten Intolerance is and the symptoms. (Remember, I am not a medical professional. This just comes from my own research.)

Gluten Intolerance is a lesser version of Celiac disease. You can test negative for Celiac disease and still be gluten intolerant. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which a person can’t tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten shows up in bread and pasta, but may also hide in many other foods, such as cold cuts, salad dressings, beer, and even licorice.

Some symptoms are as follows (list copied from here)
- Abdominal Distention
- Abdominal Pain and Cramping
- Alternating Bouts of Diarrhea and Constipation
- Anemia
- Arthritis
- Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
- Autism
- Bloating
- Bone Density Loss
- Borborygmi (stomach rumbling)
- Constipation
- Stunted Growth and Failure to Thrive
- Depression, Anxiety and Irritability
- Dermatitis Herpetiformis (skin rash)
- Diabetes
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Malodorous Flatulence
- Malodorous Stools
- Gluten Ataxia
- Grayish Stools
- Hair Loss (Alopecia)
- Headaches and Migraines
- Hypoglycemia
- Infertility
- Joint pain
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
- Lactose intolerance
- Mouth sores or mouth ulcers
- Nausea
- Numbness or tingling in the patient’s hands and feet
- Osteoporosis
- Peripheral Neuropathy (including either a tingling or sensation of swelling your toes and fingers)
- Sjogren’s Disease
- Steatorrhea (high lipids in the stool, which may cause the stool to float)
- Teeth and Gum Problems
- Turner Syndrome
- Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies
- Vomiting
- Unexplained Weight loss
- Urticaria

WebMD lists these as common symptoms:

Gas, abdominal swelling, and bloating. These symptoms result from a failure of the small intestine camera to absorb nutrients from food. You may also have mild stomach pain, but it is usually not severe.

Abnormal stools. Diarrhea or bulky, loose (or watery), pale, frothy, and foul-smelling stools often occur. The stools may contain a large amount of fat and may stick to the sides of the toilet bowl, making them hard to flush. Although children and adults often experience the same types of symptoms, intestinal problems, such as constipation, are more likely to occur in children.

Weight loss. Adults and children may have unexplained weight loss despite having a normal appetite. Younger children may fail to gain weight and grow as expected, a condition known as failure to thrive.

Fatigue and weakness. Celiac disease can result in a general lack of energy and strength. Sometimes poor nutrient absorption causes fatigue and weakness.

Vomiting. Some people may get sick after eating gluten. Children are more likely than adults to have this reaction.

Celiac disease may also lead to:

- Osteoporosis and other bone problems related to a lack of calcium absorption.
- Anemia caused by iron deficiency and/or folic acid deficiency.
- Infertility or having more than one miscarriage.
- Delayed onset of puberty.
- Frequent respiratory infections.
- Problems with memory and concentration.
- Irritability in children. And adults may show signs of depression.

My symptoms are digestive. As far as I know, I do not have any mental symptoms. (My fatigue could be Gluten related or not. I have a thyroid condition that could be contributing to it.) I have experienced abdominal pain and discomfort, bloating, gas, frequent infections, nausea and constipation. Symptoms can be very different depending on the person. My sister-in-law experienced more mental things like migraines and foggy head.

Because these symptoms are so common, they are often dismissed or diagnosed wrong. Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease is much more common than people realize. It's estimated that for every person that is diagnosed as being gluten intolerant, there are 89 people who haven't been diagnosed. That's pretty high.

Once you've started a gluten free (gf) diet you will basically be getting rid of or replacing wheat, rye, and barely with things like rice and corn. Here is a link to a list of some things that you can eat from your grocery. Make sure to check your labels carefully. Some companies show right under the ingredients if it has gluten or not, some don't. There are gluten ingredients that won't say "wheat" some of the "bad" ingredients are:

- Wheat, wheat berries, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheatgrass, or any form of the word wheat (other than buckwheat, which is an unrelated plant)
- Barley, barley malt, barley flour, or any form of the word barley.
- Rye, rye flour, pumpernickel flour, or any form of the word rye.
- Oats, oatmeal, oat flour, oat groats, or any form of the word oats, if your doctor has advised you to avoid oats. If your doctor permits oats on your gluten-free diet, look for gluten-free oats.
-Flour, including instant, bread, cake, enriched, graham, and all-purpose flours. Flours made from safe grains (such as corn flour, millet flour, and rice flour) are safe.
- Triticale
- Einkorn
- Spelt
- Semolina
- Durum
- Bulgar or Bulghar
- Kamut
- Cracker meal
- Couscous
- Tabbouleh
- Tempura crumbs
- Malt, unless specified as being made from a non-gluten source (such as corn).

For continued list of bad ingredients follow this link.

At first it will be very overwhelming and it will seem like there's nothing you can eat. Just start by taking out the breads and pastas and adding more fruits and vegges. Once your craving for wheat and carbs has gone down a little, start trying some GF products. Breads and prepacked GF foods are expensive. A lot of people make their own breads but flour is also expensive, although cheaper than buying the already made bread. GF foods have a different taste so it will take some time getting used to. Most people toast their bread, even for sandwiches. They say it makes it taste more like regular bread. If you are craving carbs, nachos are great. Many tortilla chips are GF. I throw some on a cookie sheet, add cheese, refried beans and taco meat (some taco meat seasonings have wheat) and put it in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese. YUM! They are very filling so start will a small amount. It's easy to make too much.

I hope this has been of some help. Next I will talk a little about juicing, and I don't mean the illegal kind.

Welcome

Hello y'all! Welcome to my blog. I hope this blog is of some use to you. I have recently (since Jan 1) started a gluten free diet to try and help with some digestive issues I've been having. I happened upon this diet purely by accident. My doctor didn't have any answers to my problems and I was getting more and more frustrated with always feeling bad. Then I heard that my sister-in-law was just diagnosed with gluten intolerance. I jumped online to see how I could help her. (It was around Christmas time so I thought I'd get her a gluten free cookbook because she loves to bake.) Before looking for the cookbook, I googled "Gluten Intolerance" because I wanted to know what that meant exactly. During my research I was surprised to see that the things I had been experiencing were symptoms of gluten intolerance. I immediately decided I would start a gluten free diet, after the holidays of course, and see if my symptoms went away.

I have been on, what I call, a gluten 'lite' diet for a week now. I say lite because I have been mostly gluten free but have been eating some gluten to use up already opened boxes of things or the last of my Christmas candy. Even though it takes around 4 months to get the full affect, I feel so much better already. I can't wait to see how I feel after a few months.

I mainly wanted to start this blog because I was forgetting which brands of gluten free produces I liked and which I didn't. Instead of just writing it down I thought I'd post it so if someone else was wondering about a product they could read this and decide if they wanted to try the product or not. No company is paying me. I'm not selling their items. I'm just trying to help others, and myself, decide which brands taste the best. And let me tell you, gluten free foods defiantly have a different taste. I read on someone's blog that it takes a few weeks for your taste buds to change and your body to stop craving wheat so easing your way into GF diet is a good idea.

If I talk about a product that you have tried, please post your comments about it and whether or not you liked it, even if you don't agree with me. Everyone's taste buds are different so I may like something you don't or vis versa.

As you can tell by the second half of my blog title (yes I know it doesn't flow well), I am also starting to juice. My new juicer will arrive tomorrow so I will start posting soon after. Again, I didn't want to forget my recipes or things I liked or didn't like so I'll be posting here. Feel free to comment or post your own recipes.

Thank you for joining me on this new journey!