mbrookes

GFlover is  soooo right. I am not a case of celiac, I am a person who has celiac. You can drive yourself nuts with the "what if's" in life. Trust gluten free labels. If you have a problem with that, you may have another sensitivity. Most celiacs are fine with anything under 20ppm, which is the legal limit for marking something gluten free. Relax.

If you don't have overt symptoms, I don't know how you will know if you get glutened. My advice would be just stay super alert to anything that goes in your mouth. Perhaps your skin's condition could be a signal.

I get very nauseated and have diahrrea, so there is no doubt. However, the reaction may not come for a couple of days, so I, like you, never know for certain what the culprit was. Constant vigilance is my only weapon. Sounds like you are doing a good job. Just keep it up.  

One thing to remember... you don't know how many people were interviewed to get those 4 lame brains. They may have gotten a hundred good answers, but they weren't funny. Mainly, I didn't like his attitude.

Gemini, I agree with you. I have had great experiences eating out in little ol' backwater Jackson, MS. The more upscale the restaurant, in general, the more cooperative and understanding they are.

Another plan:Pick a restaurant you like and talk to the owner/manager/chef or whoever is in charge. Go when they are not busy and explain your situation. Tell him/her that you would like to be a regular customer if they can work with you. This works especially well at "Mom and Pop" type places. That way you will have a safe place to suggest with a group. Added bonus: Don't be surprised if they take you under a wing and treat you like royalty. 

Easter dinner was at my house, so everything was gluten free....really easy to do. Daughter brought a gluten cake (after asking if it was ok) and we handled it carefully, so no cc. The great part was the two teen aged grand daughters. They LOVED the cheesy Chebe rolls.  Once again: all good foods come from Gram!

What cracker do y'all think is closest to good ol' Premium Saltines? I love raw oysters, but I want a cracker with them, and so far none seem as good as (or even close to) Saltines.

For fresh breadcrumbs just throw a few slices of bread in the food processor. For toasted I cut each slice into 4 strips and slowly toast in about a 300 degree oven until the bread turns medium brown. Then I use that for croutons, base for appetizers, whatever. Throw a few in the food processor for toasted bread crumbs. Add any dried herbs that you like. I generally just add Italian seasoning.

I have found that being a "regular" at a restaurant makes a huge difference. My two favorite restaurants (one up-scale and one middle of the road) know me and have learned how to make my meals safe. Generous tipping doesn't hurt.

The weather warmed up and the farmer's market opened, so I'm eating tons of fresh vegetables. Haven't tried the chicken and dumplings, but I will post the results when I do.

Ipellegr, sounds like a good idea. I will try it that way. Thanks.

Is there a gluten-free condensed tomato soup like Campbell's? I used to use it in a couple of recipes and would love to have a condensed version.

I use William Sonoma's Cup4Cup, and since I don't do a lot of baking the expense is not awful. I have made just about everything I used to cook with Cup4Cup with great results. I have not tried yeast breads with it.

I use buckwheat for pancakes, and we (even the grand children) like them better than the old wheaty ones.

Roll some tuna salad or chicken salad in leaf lettuce. I love it that way and I don't miss the bread of a sandwich. Another quick easy idea: Glory brand canned turnip greens are really good.

Another happy story: My husband was given a state-wide award and a banquet was the venue. He mentioned that I might not eat because I had to be gluten free for health reasons. At the banquet, there was a green tag in front of my place... so the waiters would know I was the one who got the gluten free food. I even had a special dessert... a bowl of mixed fresh berries with whipped cream which was much better than the tired cake everyone else had. I was very impressed that a large organization would be so sensitive to my needs.

    The world is so full of good people that we can just over-look the others.

Or buy fresh nuts and toast them yourself.

I have not reacted at all to the gluten removed beer Omission. I know there are good gluten-free beers out there, but none are available where I live (Jackson, MS). The beer distributer I talked to said he can't get any of those some of you have named as "good".  Red Bridge is the only one available. I tried cider, but it is way too sweet for my taste. As long as I don't have a reaction to Omission

, I will keep drinking it. 

Thanks, folks. I am now encouraged enough to try for myself. We've got another freezing spell predicted (this is NOT RIGHT for Mississippi) so I'll try chicken and dumplings for a cozy food.

I really, really want some chicken and dumplings. Has anyone made gluten free dumplings? I'm wondering if my old recipe would work with a basic gluten-free flour or would they dissolve when dropped into the broth? Help! 

I saw that in the paper and loved it. Dilbert is one of my very favorite comics.

I understand that you may also be asked to say what percent of the gluten free food is consumed by others who do not have Celiac. Sounds like too much trouble for a possible tiny deduction.

I, too, am skeptical. If a person can't give a source for information, they may not have a dependable source. About the spread of incorrect information... I spent the first year of being gluten free doing without a lot of products that are really harmless, due to incorrect information. For that reason I always look for the source of gluten charges.  

Home Goods is the store I meant. I also find good gluten-free stuff at TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning and Marshall's. They all have a "weird food" aisle. 

Here is my take on that:

Shared facilities would be cooking something with gluten and something without gluten in the same kitchen. Just keep them separate.

Shared equipment would be cooking something with gluten and something without gluten in the same pan. As long as you thoroughly clean the pan it is OK.

Fake Ritz crackers:

Put melted butter in a spray bottle. Lightly spray Glutino cheese crackers. Sprinkle with a little salt. Bake in a medium hot oven a few minutes (don't brown). This tastes a lot like Ritz as I remember them from 6 years ago.

I am Episcopalian and, as far as I know, the only Celiac in the congregation. After talking to my priest, the church now provides me a gluten free wafer served from a separate receptacle. I do not drink the wine, due to the almost certainty of cross contamination. I understand that there is a real problem if you are Catholic, but I would urge any others to talk to their clergy person about providing gluten free host. I am back to receiving communion after 6 years without.