luvs2eat

I attended the first "Expo" they had several years ago. It was AWESOME!! My daughter, who lives in Phila., has been to every one since and is SO looking forward to this Sunday!!

My first gluten-free stuffing was with Ener-G. I didn't like it but then I don't like stuffing. Daughter didn't like it either and she was the one who needed gluten-free. Everybody else seemed to like it but there was a lot of leftover.

DON'T LIKE STUFFING??? The stuffing is my REASON for cooking a turkey!! When I could use good old Pepperidge Farm, I'd make tons and bake what didn't fit into the turkey in loaf pans. The best leftover was a slice of stuffing w/ gravy! I've tried several recipes using bread and none have measured up. I've tried cornbread dressing several times and have never been happy w/ it! I now realize that I've not had it soupy enough and it's always come out very dry.

I think I'll try the Ener-G bread and maybe make a small dish of cornbread dressing too.

Ha ha... I think Ener-G was the first gluten-free bread we all tried. As I loved making delicious and beautiful loaves of homemade bread before having to go gluten-free... I actually cried when I tasted it, thinking it would be my only option!

Thanks guys!!

My first gluten-free stuffing was with Ener-G. I didn't like it but then I don't like stuffing. Daughter didn't like it either and she was the one who needed gluten-free. Everybody else seemed to like it but there was a lot of leftover.

DON'T LIKE STUFFING??? The stuffing is my REASON for cooking a turkey!! When I could use good old Pepperidge Farm, I'd make tons and bake what didn't fit into the turkey in loaf pans. The best leftovers were a slice of stuffing w/ gravy! I've tried several recipes using bread and none have measured up. I've tried cornbread dressing several times and have never been happy w/ it! I now realize that I've not had it soupy enough and it's always come out very dry.

Have I read here that there's a commercial gluten free bread that's kind of inedible, but makes the best turkey stuffing?

I've about given up on cornbread dressing... I need a true Southerner to come to my house and SHOW me how to make it, but I'm not giving up on the best part of the Thanksgiving meal!!

Help!!

I was diagnosed at about age 48. Middle daughter was diagnosed about 4-5 years later at about age 26. Youngest daughter was diagnosed about 3 years after that, also at age 26. Oldest daughter (32) was just diagnosed a few months ago after 6 mo. of aggressive chemo for breast cancer.

Youngest is having the hardest time w/ it... she also had issues going on that have been thought to be interstitial cystitis, vestibulitis, and vulvodynia. She has many, many food intolerances... she was down to about 10 foods she could tolerate, but is very slowly finding answers (a hiatal hernia and several ulcers!) and is just starting to bring some foods back.

At least they all like to cook and were very familiar w/ celiac cooking, so it's been easier for them than others, I'm sure! We were never huge convenience food people, so they've not as upset about not being able to eat fast food.

Has anyone ever found a gluten free rigatoni shaped pasta? I have a recipe that requires rigatoni and I've never been able to find it!

I buy my Tinkyada pasta and my Pamela's bread and/or pancake/baking mix from Amazon... scheduling them both at the same time to take advantage of free shipping. I live in west-by-god nowhere and Tinkyada pasta and individual packages of Pamela's are really expensive... in the TWO stores where I can find one or the other!

The local health food store offered to buy Pamela's bread mix to stock and I had to tell the guy that I could get it cheaper from Amazon, so he shouldn't bother.

Before reading the whole post I found I wasn't surprised... till I found out you were in Japan. Seems that peeps in the U.S. are so danged litigious that being glutened at a restaurant could end up in a lawsuit... I wasn't surprised to hear a restaurant ushered you out rather than attempt to accommodate you! I'm a little surprised to hear that it was in a country outside the U.S. So sorry this is happening to you!

When I was diagnosed, my GI doc ordered blood work and scheduled a colonoscopy because I was 49... very close to the age they'd have scheduled an initial screening. The screening had nothing to do w/ damage caused by celiac as that would be seen in the small intestine anyhow.

He was also a GI doc who didn't believe in total sedation. I wasn't upset or nervous at all as I'd seen many "scopes" in my nurse's training. Actually, I was fascinated watching the whole thing and asking questions. I was completely awake and there was such mild discomfort... it just wasn't bad at all. As it turned out, having the colonoscopy had nothing to do w/ my being diagnosed (by bloodwork) w/ celiac disease.

Early detection is the key in colon issues. Please try not to be afraid... the prep is the worst part and that's just not so bad!

Portland is my favorite city!! There are so many gluten-free offerings and all restaurants seem so gluten aware! Last year I went w/ my daughter to a Mexican place and asked the owner if everything was gluten-free. He took me to the prep area and showed me the ONE thing to avoid... some meat thing.

The Whole Bowl is my fave!! I've just discovered a copycat recipe for the super-secret Tali Sauce and have been enjoying Whole Bowls at home (hold the cilantro, please!).

I'll find out the name of the place my other daughter took me ... where we had delicious shrimp tacos and an amazing roasted beet salad w/ candied pecans and beer in the bottle!! I could have gone there every day!!

I just spent 2 weeks visiting kids in Portland, OR. I went to the New Cascadia bakery THREE times while there. I don't know about opening up my own bakery, but I'd love to simply work at the New Cascadia!!

What a keeper!!

I'm constantly amazed at the kindness/concern of friends/neighbors. We have an incredibly "gruff" neighbor who now reads labels when he's buying ingredients for something he wants to cook so he'll be able to tell me if I can eat it or not. It really touches me!

Since baking bread was one of my favorite things to do... going gluten free was hard for me. I was diagnosed w/ celiac disease pretty quickly. When people asked me what the symptoms of celiac disease are, I told them that one of the more common ones is unexplained weight loss... then I'd look down at myself and say, "Um... I didn't get that one!"

I spent the better part of a year stuffing myself w/ gluten free food to make up for all the food I could no longer have and gained about 40 lbs!!

Last winter I was just about ready to go to my doctor to ask for some high-powered acid reducer, like Nexium, because I was having such terrible heartburn/acid reflux that...if I didn't know better I'd have thought I was having a heart attack!! I finally had to admit to my carb addiction... I'd literally wake up in the morning and think to myself, "What carb can I make today? Pasta? Rice? Bread?"

I cut out almost all carbs. I ate scrambled eggs for breakfast and, more often than not, ate veggies (cooked broccoli and carrots or zucchini) w/ a splash of ranch dressing for lunch... occasionally adding 1/2 cup cooked brown rice... and a lean protein w/ a salad and/or veggies for supper. The easy part was not having to "think" of what to cook cause I knew I was pretty much eating the same things every day!

Saturday night was my "cheat night" and I'd make a pizza or have some pasta.

I lost 20 lbs in several months and guess what?? No more heartburn!! I was not only eating too many carbs... I was simply eating too much at supper and going to bed w/ too full a tummy!!

The 20 lbs has been easy to keep off. I'd like to lose the next 20, but will be happy to lose at least another 10 using my same method. I've been slacking off on my eating plan lately. Time to jump back on the bandwagon!!

I bought it because I think the very best dumplings were always from Bisquick. I made waffles w/ it and wasn't AT ALL impressed. I much prefer Pamela's pancake/waffle mix. I sure hope it makes good dumplings for my beef stew!

They look delicious!! All of your recipes look so yummy! Thanks so much for posting them!!

I'm so sorry this happened to you! I can't relate to that particular circumstance, but can completely agree that Celiac can be so humiliating sometimes!

I've learned how to flush the toilet at just the right moment (courtesy flush!) so people can't hear that I'm MURDERING the bathroom. I've also learned to lift the seat and make sure I've not left "evidence" of my crime before I leave the bathroom!

UGH!!!

Going gluten free wasn't too hard. Having to eliminate dairy was REALLY hard. I've learned to drink my coffee black. If I had to give up coffee... I think I'd really have to take the gas pipe!!

I put my coffee into a travel cup for a few weeks so I couldn't see it... that's how I went from coffee w/ milk to black coffee.

I'm so sorry you can't drink coffee. Maybe switching to tea might be better?

It was so long ago, I can't remember what I ate. I drank a lot of beer tho... THAT I remember.

Reading all these responses leave me flabbergasted! My doctor was SOOO nice and really well informed. My symptoms were unrelenting diarrhea and a hugely noisy tummy... I used to say it sounded like wolverines were fighting their way out!! I had no pain or any other symptoms.

He tested me for parasites, put me on a course of medicine for that, and scheduled blood work and a colonoscopy (cause I was 49 and it was a good time for an initial screening).

After the colonoscopy, he came to me w/ the bloodwork and said, "I have good news and bad news."

The good news was that he said he knew how to stop my diarrhea/tummy wolverines. The bad news was that I had celiac disease and could never eat wheat, etc. etc. again.

Done and Done. I consider myself so lucky!!

Youngest DD went to her GI w/ research she'd done in the internet... desparate to find an answer to her symptoms that being extremely carefully gluten-free weren't solving at all. He saw her papers and said, "Oh great... you've been on the internet. Why don't YOU tell ME what's wrong w/ you?"

DD burst into tears and told him she was just trying to find ANY answers for her debilitating symptoms.

She never saw him again and sent him a scathing letter about his crappy "bedside" manner!

Kirkland's smoked pulled pork at Costco is DELICIOUS!!!

I think they sound like they're trying to be accommodating and that's good. In fact, I'd RATHER take my own food/desserts so I won't get glutened w/ the best and most loving intentions. My incredibly sweet, late MIL bought me a loaf of gluten-free bread but it was disgusting tasting and I felt like I had to eat it because it was expensive and she went so far out of her way to find it. I'd rather bring my own bread!

I ask people never to cook to accommodate me because I don't trust that I won't get glutened! It's just easier... and safer... for me to bring stuff!

I mean no offense, but why would you consider putting anything other than pure maple syrup on pancakes??? It's naturally gluten-free and delicious!

Real french bread and crusty country loaves are what I miss... plus real chocolate chip cookies w/ lots of walnuts.

I'm used to gluten-free bread now and it's good, but it's not real french bread. And I've never had a chocolate chip cookie that can remotely compare to the real thing... so I don't bake 'em anymore.

I'd love a good old Big Mac too.

Wow... I'm all the way up at the top of Marion county! Wish you guys were closer! You sure have better shopping options down there, I'm betting!!