Hello and Welcome!
Come on in and have a seat. While visiting this blog you will find five items; a recipe, a tip, educational information, a new item and a grocery list which correlates with the recipes. Many gluten free blogs have started since more individuals find thier selfs with this new challenge. This blog is ment to be your one stop shop. Links to other gluten free blogs, websites, and locations to best find what you need are included.
Having a family, friends, jobs, holidays, and other commentments means we are always busy. So what if we were not able to pick up fast food to fill in a meal on the way to our childerens' soccer game? Or pick up a birthday cake for our husband's special day? What about the holiday cookies everyone enjoys or the stuffing at Thanksgiving? How about pizza and beer on a friday night? These are just a few questions that arise when gluten is no longer part of your family.
Many of us have found answers to some of our questions out of survival. We will not let this food allergy take us hostage, lol. Some of the solutions I have found are; Cook in advance. Pick a day, use your crockpot, oven and stove. Prepare two to three meals at once then put them in your fridge & or freezer. Also prep fresh veggies and fruit for the week. I find it takes me one to three hours to set us up for the week. Add up the time we spend during the week in lines waiting for "fast food" or a table at a restaurant and you will discover time to prep for your week. These meals and snacks are ready to grab when needed and will save you time and money.
Next is the celebrations or special times during the year. For birthdays I often have baked the cakes or cupcakes needed. There are both gf cake mixes at most grocery and gf recipes. The best of both that I have found will be shared over time (pssst...gluten free pantry is a wonderful and consistant product). However we all have those times were life itself is busy before adding in the extras. For those times I use a local bakery. Fortunately with the increased demand for gluten free there are many new perks popping up. One perk, a local gluten & nut free bakery in our neighborhood. Research what is around you, you maybe suprised. For the question of pizza night. Again there are ways to make your own (best low cost effect) and local places offering gluten free choices. We prefer to make them. Homemade pizza makes for a fun family night activty or choose to make in advance and freeze them.
Over the years I have developed a basic gf pantry. These iteams are often needed in many gf recipes and are little cost when bought in bulk. Please note that some items like the xantham gum can have a bit of a high cost. The good news is many recipes call for only a tbs of this product. In the end it is still more cost effective to make what you need then to buy it.
Basic GF Pantry, Grocery List:
Argo, Cornstarch 2.19lbs $2.48 at Sam's Club
Bob's Red Mill, Xantham Gum 1/2lb around $11.00 at local grocery stores
Millville, Corn Flakes 1lb2oz around $2.00 or less at Aldi's
Fage, Plain Greek Yogart 35.3oz around $3.00 at Aldi's (Sam's Club larger
amount around $4.00)
Arm & Hammer Baking Soda 13.5lbs $6.68 at Sam's Club
Vinegar 2/1 gal jugs $3.58 at Sam's Club
Apple Sauce 2/64oz $5.88 at Sam's Club
Please note that prices may very with locations different then Central Ohio.
Thank you for visiting! See you soon. Our next blog will include a recipe for EveryDay Loaf, tips on gf breadcrumbs, learning about how to use cornstarch, and a new item making things easier.
