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Help! Having A Hard Time Coping

BrandyCowley

By BrandyCowley
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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BrandyCowley Newbie
BrandyCowley
Posted

I have really been struggling with a gluten free diet. I live in a town where there are very few specialty stores and the ones we do have are very expensive. I have very little support from family and friends and find myself slipping up all the time just so I can go out to a restaurant and eat with my friends. Why is this so difficult for me, are there any tips someone can give me to help me out with this. I have started to feel very over whelmed! Thank you for your help!!!

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OptimisticMom42 Apprentice
OptimisticMom42
Posted

This wasn't on purpose but just sort of happened..... each person in my family who is gluten free has found another person at work or school who is also gluten free. Having these people to talk to and share with has been so important to us. A few days ago I was able to take a cake to work to share with my co-workers just like before all this happened. My co-worker who is also gluten free was trilled, even offered to buy my kids Christmas presents!

Here's the recipe..........

Two Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mixes

One can of Libby's pumpkin pie mix

Three eggs

One cup of coconut milk

walnuts

This was seriously good stuff, two thumbs up, made me feel so good to be able to share food with friends again SAFELY :D

Hope this helps, RA

Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

I rarely buy specialty foods, just meat, veggies and cheese...

sunnybabi1986 Contributor
sunnybabi1986
Posted
This wasn't on purpose but just sort of happened..... each person in my family who is gluten free has found another person at work or school who is also gluten free. Having these people to talk to and share with has been so important to us. A few days ago I was able to take a cake to work to share with my co-workers just like before all this happened. My co-worker who is also gluten free was trilled, even offered to buy my kids Christmas presents!

Here's the recipe..........

Two Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mixes

One can of Libby's pumpkin pie mix

Three eggs

One cup of coconut milk

walnuts

This was seriously good stuff, two thumbs up, made me feel so good to be able to share food with friends again SAFELY :D

Hope this helps, RA

Wow, that cake mix sounds delicious! How long do you bake it for and at what temperature? I will definitely be making it!

Thanks!

Janie

OptimisticMom42 Apprentice
OptimisticMom42
Posted
Wow, that cake mix sounds delicious! How long do you bake it for and at what temperature? I will definitely be making it!

Thanks!

Janie

400 degrees 45 minutes - was just a halfway between the temp and time for pie and cake - we winged it

DD made a chocolate frosting last night from chocolate peanut butter, powdered sugar and coconut milk that was wonderful also

no soy, dairy or gluten

sunnybabi1986 Contributor
sunnybabi1986
Posted

Hi!

I don't shop at specialty stores, they're just too expensive for me. I get most of my food from Wal-Mart and a local grocery store, and I don't buy many specialty items there, either. I've been gluten free for almost 4 weeks and it started out with me being panicked all the time because I couldn't find anything to eat and it felt like a death sentence. However, after a few weeks, it's gotten immensely easier. One thing I've learned to do is NOT search for gluten free recipes online for all my recipes. I come up with some good recipes that way, but I find a lot more recipes by searching Open Original Shared Link for general recipes for chicken, pork, beef, rice, and potatoes. None of the recipes call for "gluten free" ingredients, just fresh, healthy produce and food you can buy anywhere. I love McCormick's GrillMates because they clearly list on the back of the package if any wheat ingredients are included. Here are a few recipes I love:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

When I don't have time to make dinner, I eat a lot of:

Dinty Moore Beef Stew

Hormel Chili w/Beans

Green Giant Steamers: Roasted Red Potatoes, Green Beans and Rosemary Butter Sauce

El Monterey Shredded Beef Corn taquitos

Salad with Kraft ranch dressing

Baked potatoes

Ensure

And I snack on:

Air popped popcorn with parmesan cheese (yum!)

Blue Bunny ice cream bars

Tortilla chips with salsa

Banana w/peanut butter

Yogurt

I hope this helps some! It's not nearly as impossible as it seems, I promise! It will get easier with time, but there is definitely a sharp learning curve. After awhile, you will learn to find yummy meals to make that taste great with fresh ingredients. Good Luck, you can do it!!

Janie

ang1e0251 Contributor
ang1e0251
Posted

Very good advice. You know, you can go to restaurants with your friends. In fact, you should because gluten shouldn't control your life. If they have to go to a place where you cannot eat, then eat before you go and just have something to drink and enjoy your friends. If you don't make a big deal about it, then they won't either. Research ahead of time where you could eat, in case they ask you, and go there with confidence in the food you researched. Again just eat before if you can't eat safely with them. Friendship doesn't depend on food, it's about being together. This works for family too.

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TryingtobehealthyinMass Newbie
TryingtobehealthyinMass
Posted

You know, I pack some of my fave treats w/me in case I can't eat what others are having... almonds are huge for me! Also, in the past I made some tasty riceflour pancakes in bulk, flavored w/anything from cinnamon to apple chunks that can easily fit in sandwich baggies & stuff them in my purse. That way I'll have something sweet to munch on if there isn't anything I can have.... Hmmm... now that it's the holiday season, I wonder if making riceflour pancakes w/pumpkin would work? Sounds tasty to me! Hope this helps!

Hank Frank Newbie
Hank Frank
Posted
This wasn't on purpose but just sort of happened..... each person in my family who is gluten free has found another person at work or school who is also gluten free. Having these people to talk to and share with has been so important to us. A few days ago I was able to take a cake to work to share with my co-workers just like before all this happened. My co-worker who is also gluten free was trilled, even offered to buy my kids Christmas presents!

Here's the recipe..........

Two Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mixes

One can of Libby's pumpkin pie mix

Three eggs

One cup of coconut milk

walnuts

This was seriously good stuff, two thumbs up, made me feel so good to be able to share food with friends again SAFELY :D

Hope this helps, RA

Where do you find Betty Crocker gluten free cakemix??

mbrookes Community Regular
mbrookes
Posted

My store has the Betty Crocker gluten-free in with the other baking mixes. They also make chocolate cake, brownies and chocolate chip cookies. I have used the brownie mix and love it. It makes a fairly thin chewy brownie

This week end I'm going to use the yellow cake mix to try a pineapple upside down cake.

Also look in your regular cookbooks (I'm a collector and have several hundred) Many recipes are naturally gluten free and those that use only a little flour (like thickening a sauce) can be made with gluten-free flour or cornstarch.

Since your kitchen is already gluten free (IT IS, ISN"T IT?) you don't have to worry about cross contamination.

We entertain frequently and no one even knows they are eating "without."

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