I can’t make use of this, but perhaps you can; Gluten Free Mall has a coupon for 10% Off – Â Order made by 12/17/10. One use per customer, so anyone should be able to use the code.
Coupon Code: dc88f1
Tag Archives: Gluten Free
Gluten Free is Such a Fad
I’m standing at the checkout at WholePaycheck with my usual basket of gluten free items, and the checker looks at my basket and then smirks and says, “That’s such a fad right now.”
Anyone else ever get this kind of reaction?
On a very personal level, I find it frustrating. Not the fad itself, not precisely. But… Celiac disease is a pain in the butt. Particularly when I was first adapting to the lifestyle, I resented it. No cookies, no kitkats, no pasta, no flour tortillas, no easy shopping anymore. And getting that kind of smirk and snark just made it worse. Like ladling a cup full of condescension sauce over schadenfreude pie. No one likes being the on the receiving end of schadenfreude.
Gluten Free Thanksgiving
Sim and I took over making the Thanksgiving meal this year, since my mom is still sick after the chemo. It was an herculean task, but we managed to pull it off.
It was also nearly gluten free. My mother did make some gluten-full stuffing, which she very carefully kept segregated away from everything Sim and I were making so as to avoid contamination.
Black Friday Deals For Those of Us Who Have to Bake at Home
Good Amazon deals going on for those of us who need to bake at home. Most of these should be going on Fri-Monday (you know, the whole Black Friday – Cyber Monday thing).
- KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer
– $499 down to $299 plus a $50 rebate = $249. If you’re thinking of getting one, this is a good deal. Just remember to mail in the rebate forms.
- Breadman TR875 2-Pound Breadmaker
– $129 down to $99. I’m seriously tempted. I’ve seen a bunch of gluten free bread machine bread recipes lately…
- KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer, White or Black
– $349 down to $233 plus a $30 rebate = $203. This is the same model I have in my kitchen, just a different color. Except I got mine at $249 a year ago. This is a very good deal. All of the colors are on sale, but only Black and White are this low. Again, you need to mail in rebate forms. Always mail in your rebate forms.
- Pamela’s Amazing Bread Mix, 25-Pound Bag
– $48 on Amazon Warehouse. Down from $55 earlier in the week. Going for $69 on the regular Amazon site. If you’re a Pamela fan, this is a great deal. That’s less than $2 a pound. Rare in gluten free mixes.
Six Gifts for the Recently Diagnosed Celiac in Your Life
Friends and coworkers seem to be coming out of the woodwork lately asking me what they can feed/give a recently diagnosed celiac relative (amazing how many of us there seem to be wandering around). And seeing as the holidays are fast approaching, I decided to write up a list of several things that can be incredibly helpful gifts for a celiac just starting out on a gluten free diet.
- Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic – Did you know that Sweden had an epidemic of celiac disease among children born in the 1980s and 90s? This book tells you how and why it happened. Did you know that celiac patients are at higher risk for Lupus and Diabetes? This book goes over the research. This book was first on the list of resources my celiac doc gave me (and first in this list I’m making) because it gives a superb big picture overview of Celiac Disease.
- Gluten Free Living Subscription – I recommend this one because I know how much I want it 🙂 It’s a quarterly magazine covering the gluten free lifestyle, the latest medical developments, recipes, events…
- Read more →
Gluten Free Pound Cake
I am crazy busy today so instead of a detailed, well thought out post, I give you a recipe for pound cake. My friend Wendy and I made this in early October (or was it late September?) At any rate, it was incredibly popular with my gluten eating friends, to the point that one of them says it’s the best pound cake he’s ever had.
It’s very dense and moist, and goes beautifully with whipped cream and berries or ice cream or chocolate sauce. It doesn’t taste like the Sara Lee frozen pound cakes that I grew up on, so don’t expect that. But it does have a great pound cake crust. I snagged the recipe from The Happy Tummy.
Seeing a Nutritionist
Stubborness pays off. As does patience, although I have a much shorter supply of that.
After all the run around and nonsense I went through with Blue Shield (BS) over the last several months, I finally have my authorization to see a nutritionist. Mind you, this would have been more useful when I was re-embarking on the gluten free lifestyle back in July. Better late than never.
Long story short-ish: BS only covers nutrition services for diabetics. Anyone else is SOL.
Celiac Panel Results Three Months On
Three months after my biopsy, my celiac blood test results are almost normal; which means I’ve been successful at avoiding gluten.
Three months after going gluten free (again).
Only that first result is problematic, and even then, it’s in the equivocal range. Not outright bad.
I did, however, have a magnesium deficiency. And a chloride deficiency (I didn’t even know that was possible). I’m also skirting the edge of having a sodium deficiency, which seems utterly insane considering how much salt I pour onto my food.
The magnesium deficiency may explain the frequent muscle spasms and cramps I’ve been getting in my legs lately, the massive increase in migraines, and my recent chocolate cravings. The low sodium, no doubt, explains the light headedness when I stand.
I’m definitely not fully recovered. That could take up to a year. But I am making progress.
Quick and Easy Celiac Friendly Party Foods
These are easy, open and serve kinds of foods. The kind that can show up at a potluck and no one will think – Oh, celiac! Also, the kinds that non-celiac friends can provide without driving themselves bonkers.
This is by no means a comprehensive list; I’m sure there are tons of things I don’t know about yet. But it’s a start. I’ve named specific brands when that sort of thing matters (not all tortilla chips are made equal). And, you know, it’s a good idea to check ingredients.
Product Reviews: Brownie Mixes and Cereal
Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownies – Awesome. These were dense and gooey, which is what I like in a brownie. Strong chocolate flavor. As good as regular gluten-full brownies.
Gluten Free Pantry Chocolate Truffle Brownies – Also awesome. As good as the Betty Crockers, certainly. These reminded me a lot of the Ghirardelli brownie mix that used to be my favorite. They’re slightly richer than the Betty Crockers. Gooey and dense. Very chocolatey. My gluten eating friends seem to really like them, too.
Enjoy Life: Perky’s Crunchy Flax Cereal — Honestly, I’m kinda neutral on this one. It’s all right. It is crunchy, and stays crunchy in milk for a surprisingly long time. The flavor is pretty bland. Not much sweetness, which is a good thing. And hey – flax. I added sliced up strawberries to it, and that worked out quite well. I don’t know that I’d really want to eat it without some sort of fruit.
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