luvs2eat

My husband's son used it and it REALLY helped his acne and surely prevented more scarring. It is a scary drug because of the serious side effects, but it's a miracle one for kids w/ bad acne.

AND as more people learn about us and our issues, new and better breads and things like that will come out and restaurants will "GET" it and we'll be able to do lots more stuff!

I packed my lunch every day. I either made a sandwich w/ my gluten-free bread and took some chips and an apple, or I took leftovers from last night's supper and nuked it at work (in glass containers only!).

I was diagnosed by blood tests. My doc told me my levels were so high, he didn't see a need for biopsy unless eating gluten free didn't help my digestive symptoms. I started researching online and by the time the dietary nutritionist from the hospital got back to me, she said I had way more info on celiac than she did!!

I only wish I'd found THIS place sooner!! Here is where you can find an answer to ANY question.

Actually... looking back on it, she had the IC symptoms before the celiac ones. She had a uterine cyst removed and thought that would be the end to her pelvic pain. It was at that time she was diagnosed w/ celiac and she went immediately and pretty easily gluten-free. The pelvic pain continued and, in researching IC, she could put a face to the almost instant pelvic pain she experienced after drinking OJ.

Even if she doesn't have IC... the gyno/uro doc told her to keep to the IC diet, which she's trying hard to do, until physical therapy can retrain her bladder. It's really getting her down as she comes to terms w/ having to always eat at home and/or have her own food w/ her at all times.

The celiac disease she wasn't upset about ... she's been dealing w/ my ceilac and my middle daughter's for years ... and she lives in Portland, where there are fabulous gluten free bakeries and restaurants. But the pelvic pain and the feeling that her bladder wasn't emptying completely led her to a diagnosis of IC. She's now really bummed, cause an IC diet makes a gluten-free diet look like a piece of cake.

She ended up at a gyno/urology specialist who completely pooh-poohed an IC diagnosis. She told her that the information she found on the internet was simply sites looking for donations! (I told her that if her IC could be cured... she'd happily give them $$!!)

Anyhow... she was so upset. There aren't specialists after this highly specialized doctor and she felt blown off and dismissed!

Luckily, the doctor prescribed physical therapy and she found herself w/ an awesome woman who believes she can absolutely help her and had all sorts of really good naturopathic ideas. She's still following the IC eating regimen and is, at least, more encouraged.

I've seen IC discussions on the board. Any IC sufferers out there who can give me words of encouragement I can pass along?

My husband and I are starting to eat Paleo. I've been having consistent intestinal distress even tho I've been gluten free for years. We're eating meat, veggies, and fruit for better health reasons and because I'm thinking that the carbs I love so much and maybe dairy are part of my intestinal woes.

I'm assuming the good fiber will help my loose bowels rather than make them worse. Can anyone on the Paleo diet tell me of their experiences in giving up grains and carbs?

Missing bread was/is one of my biggest woes... baking homemade bread was one of my greatest joys. My second greatest joy was EATING it!! I will still take a piece of good bread and take a good long "wiff" of it's wonderful aroma!

The bread mixes are pricey, but I order Pamela's (the best I've found... I make it into loaves, rolls, and even bagels!) from Amazon. They ship 6 mixes and by ordering in bulk, they're cheaper than buying in stores. The same goes for Tinyada pastas that I also order. (Amazon's having good sales on gluten-free food right now!) You only have to spend $25 and shipping is FREE!

My local (and only) healthfood store asked me if there were any gluten-free products they could order and carry for me and I had to tell the really nice guy that ordering from Amazon was a lot cheaper than the prices he'd have to charge, so I'll keep ordering!!

We went to a Mexican place we'd been to many times and I asked, like I always do, "Can you please check to make SURE the tortilla chips are corn?" Our server came back and told us that the restaurant had recently changed their corn tortilla vendor and ALL the corn tortillas were dusted w/ wheat flour!! We don't go there anymore.

I always ask... every single time.

I know that the glue on envelopes is suspect. Maybe that's it??

Not only are store brands NOT evil... if you read labels (and we have to)... there are often more natural ingredients in there and less things like high fructose corn syrup! We're huge store brand fans!

When I was diagnosed (at age 48 and no family history), my blood work was so positive, my GI told me I didn't need to have a biopsy. I went gluten free and that was it. Several years later, I did have an endoscopy/biopsy because I was suffering wicked heartburn. The test itself is nothing... don't be afraid if you need one.

Count me in as one who overloaded on things I COULD eat after finding out all the things I could no longer eat. Another difficulty is the higher glycemic index and calorie count for some of the foods we can have. For example, when dieting, one can find high-fiber, lower calorie breads that are 50-100 calories a slice. ONE slice of my delicious Pamela's bread mix, as prepared, is 170 calories PER SLICE!!

This recipe is from Alton Brown on the Food Network. They're chewy... not crumbly or gritty at all!! You need to bake them on a Silpat or parchment paper tho. Regular cookies have lots more butter so you don't need to grease the cookie sheet, but these will stick if you don't use the Silpat or parchment paper.

8 ounces unsalted butter

11 ounces brown rice flour, approximately 2 cups

1 1/4 ounces cornstarch, approximately 1/4 cup

1/2-ounce tapioca flour, approximately 2 tablespoons

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup

10 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 1/4 cups

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons whole milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Once melted, pour into the bowl of a stand mixer.

In a medium bowl, sift together the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, xantham gum, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Add both of the sugars to the bowl with the butter and using the paddle attachment, cream together on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, approximately 1 hour. Shape the dough into 2-ounce balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes, rotating the pans after 7 minutes for even baking. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on the pans for 2 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Store cooked cookies in an airtight container.

I don't have kids in school anymore, but just wanted to say... WOW, am I impressed by the way your son's school is accommodating him. Those people (nutritionist and cafeteria peeps) deserve some kind of awards!! Maybe peeps here having to deal w/ these school issues can call your son's school and see how implementing a plan in their schools would be a great help!!

Share the recipe, will ya?? I'd kill for a good bagel!!

Seems most of the recipes they do at parties use crescent rolls. I wonder what sort of recipe you could do... even w/ all the precautions?

I was diagnosed in my late 40s... the ONLY one in my family and extended family! My middle grown daughter was diagnosed about 4 years later, at 23. My youngest daughter has just been diagnosed at age 26... w/ celiac AND interstitial cystitis. I told the oldest, who had negative bloodwork when I was first diagnosed, to enjoy gluten now cause it appears celiac will show up sooner or later!

I made the gluten-free boule yesterday!! It's not exactly like the original wheat flour recipe, but then what gluten-free result is the same? It was delicious! Absolutely the best homemade bread recipe I've tried yet... I use Pamela's bread mix for sandwich bread. It didn't shrink back on itself after baking and everyone liked it! (even non-celiacs). It was light and WONDERFUL!

I did like I do when I make the wheat bread for fam and friends... I mixed it up in my Kitchen Aid mixer and just put plastic wrap tightly over the bowl for rising out of the fridge and then the whole bowl right into the fridge. I don't think I've been this excited since I discovered Tinkyada pastas!

The funny part for me was that I didn't have a heavy dutch oven (I imagined they were talking about a Le Crueset casserole/dutch oven), but I did have a big, really heavy cast iron thing w/ a lid. I think it weighs about 10 lbs! I put that into the 500

I developed petechia about a year after going gluten-free. I noticed them on my arms... when I'd scratch even a small itch, I'd end up w/ red lines that stayed for hours, sometimes days! I went to my doctor who told me it was a symptom of LUPUS and since I was dealing w/ autoimmune issues, she sent me to a rheumatologist. He sent me for blood work ... MANY little blood vials! I had a mildly elevated ANA and nothing else. I saw him every 6 months for 18 months and nothing ever came of that mildly elevated ANA.

It was that rheumatologist who gave me the best description of celiac or any autoimmune disease. He said that my body was like a country (I asked him if that was a FAT joke... haha) and my immune system was the army who protected my country. Sometimes, he said, the army doesn't have much to do and they begin fighting amongst themselves causing damage to the country. And that's an autoimmune disease... when your protective army is fighting itself! I thought that was really neat.

I've made the regular boules many times for my wheat-loving friends and neighbors. It's very easy and delicious... or so they tell me. I'm SOOOOO PSYCHED that I can try it gluten-free!!!

Been wanting to do a muffaleta ever since I saw the Neely's do it on Food TV!! Not to mention making tiny boules and taking out the middles and toasting them for soup bowls!!

I don't know about the enzymes on shredded cheese, but I don't like it because I think it has a flavor and a texture. I always shred my own... tastes way better!

I have a friend who is wonderful about knowing the ingredients of what he cooks so he can make sure I can eat it. I'm so touched when he does this. But we had a conversation last night about eating in restaurants ... even when they have a gluten-free menu. I explained to him that I can have a lengthy conversation w/ the server or the manager and even the chef... but when that kitchen door closes, I am absolutely at the mercy of the people behind it to REALLY understand and not use a contaminated spoon or cooking pot. It's almost always a crap shoot (pardon the pun!) and why we dont' eat out very often.

So many of my friends "get" it... up to a point... heck... all these years later and I'm STILL figuring it all out myself!

I've done the Pamela's bread mix bagel variation and thought it was the closest to the texture of a real bagel I'd had since going gluten-free.

I completely understand your grieving. I went thru it and my daughter's going thru it now. She's not grieving for the gluten free part, as she's been familiar w/ mine and my middle daughter's issues for years. But she's discovering that she also has interstitial cystitis, which limits her diet even more! She's having a hard time dealing w/ the idea that so much of entertaining and being w/ friends revolves around food!

It's all a learning process... it'll get easier... I promise!