Pathetic

Why did I think I could go back to gluten?  Guess I just had to prove to myself that I really am intolerant.  Yes I miss gluten and all the yummy baked goods but I don't like the pain, fatigue and intestinal issues.  Oh, and did I mention the headaches?

I have been back on gluten for over a month.  I have gained about 20 pounds and have been pretty much miserable.  My knee hurts again, my back hurts, I constantly have gas and bloating, I have lots of headaches again.  Miserable. 

I stopped the gluten two days ago.  Oh, the detox headaches are BAD!  It is so worth it though.  My knee is already feeling a bit better and I have lost SIX pounds.  I am feeling better about myself because I know I am back on track to a healthier life again.  I am excited to browse all the gluten free bloggers and even find new ones.  I am excited to start cooking new recipes again.  I'm generally EXCITED!!  Hopefully I can get back on track with other things in my life too.  Mainly Bible reading and time with the Lord, also exercise.  I have been a slug for too long!  I am also hoping to become more consistent with my blog. 

Have a blessed day everyone!

Matthew 4:19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

Asparagus Basil Salad, Elana's Pantry and a nap.

Pooped.  That is all I can say about today.  Barely slept at all and am dying for nap time?  Thank God four year olds still nap!

Thought I would share a great web site and a recipe I love that I found there.  www.elanaspantry.com is an awesome site for gluten free eaters.  She had tried and true recipes.  I made the asparagus basil salad once last year and am buying some asparagus tomorrow so I can make it again.  Can't wait until summer so I can have home grown grape tomatoes in it!

ASPARAGUS BASIL SALAD

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and halved

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 ripe avocado, cut into cubes

1 cup sliced basil leaves

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Steam asparagus for 5-7 minutes until fork tender

2. Place asparagus, tomatoes, avocado and basil in a large bowl

3. Stir in olive oil, lemon juice and mustard

4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper

5. Serve

So yummy I ate most of it myself!

Well I am going to take a nap now.  Hope you all have a great day.  I may try a bread recipe this evening.  I'll share the recipe and results tomorrow if I get to it tonight.  God Bless!

A change in the name and other thoughts.

Well, I changed the name of my blog again.  I am trying to find one that no one else is using and Gluten Free Mommy was so I am trying Twins Mommy.  I would hope it isn't taken but who knows.

I am struggling today.  I am having my left shoulder tendonitis and  sciatica on the right side all the way down my leg.  I am also struggling with depression and anger issues.  I have been trying to use 5-htp for my depression but it doesn't seem to be working well enough.  I am going back on the prozac.  I don't want to but I also know that I am driving my husband crazy.  I am trying to deal with my anger biblically as I learned in couseling but am struggling to understand where the anger is coming from to begin with.  I know my chronic pain contributes to my depression which has always manifested in anger.  I also know that my cheating on gluten didn't help my pain and that it is going to take a while to fully detox from the gluten again.  I am also wondering if Diet Pepsi contributes to the pain.  I have been pretty much pain free for over a week and then had some soda yesterday and am hurting today.  I am going to test this theory by abstaining from any soda for a while and see if the pain gets better again.  I am trying to get away from my Diet Pepsi but it is my last vice.  I have at least cut way back.  I sure hope I don't have to give it up completely.

Hubby was awesome this morning and let me sleep in while he started breakfast for the girls.  He tried out a new pancake recipe I found on the Arrowhead Mills website.  We didn't use Arrowhead Mills brand for the recipe and I added 3 teaspoons more of the Stevia.  They turned out great though.  One of the best pancakes I have made so far.

FLUFFY GLUTEN-FREE BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

1 cup  White Rice Flour
3 tablespoons tapioca starch/flour
1/3 cup potato starch/flour
4 tablespoons milk powder
1 packet Stevia in the Raw (I use the bulk which is 1 tsp.  I used 4 tsp)
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
3 Tablespoons canola oil


In a large bowl sift all the dry ingredients together.  Whisk in eggs, buttermilk and oil until well blended and smooth.
Heat a large well oiled skillet or griddle over a medium high heat.  Spoon batter onto hot griddle and flip when batter begins to bubble and side are dry.  Continue to cook until pancake is golden.


One thing I have noticed with GF pancakes is that they are a little gummy even after cooking well.  I don't know if there is a recipe out there that doesn't do that or if it is just a trade off of gluten free.

Anyway, if anyone has suggestions for a way of controlling my depression more naturally I am all ears.

God Bless and have a wonderful day!!

Wow, two days in a row! I'm on a roll people!

Well, I spent several hours yesterday pouring over gluten free recipes I want to try.  I had no idea I had printed out so many.  No wonder the printer is out of ink again!  I did, in the process, find a few I had already made so I thought I would share one today that was very yummy.  I am not a fish eater for the most part, but this recipe hid the fish so well that I liked it and I can get the benefit of fish.  I think it would be great with chicken breast as well.

Flavorful Flounder

Ingredients:

2 pounds of flounder or sole fillets                   3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice                                3 tablespoons chopped green onions

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese                      1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Coat a piece of heavy-duty foil; brush with lemon juice.  Crimp foil forming edges to make a small "disposable" cookie sheet.  Place foil flat on the grill.  With cover closed on the grill, cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter.  Add Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, onion and salt.  Mix together and brush over fillets.  Grill for an additional 3-4 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Printed from allrecipes.com  submitted by: Tammy Sanborn

note: I did not have green onions so I finely diced some yellow onion.  It turned out wonderful!


As you know I am new to this blogging thing.  I have visited many other cooking blogs and have seen that they are able to post recipes that are printable.  I am hoping to have time to investigate and learn how to get all those cool things on my blog eventually.  For now, I am sorry to say, you will have to copy and paste to print it or write it down.  Patience is a virtue.

Enjoy the recipe and have a wonderfully gluten free day!  God bless!

Terrible! What I have learned being Gluten-free.

Wow, it has been forever since I posted.  I thought this would be easy.  Just spend a little time every other day or so writing about my experiences.  Posting some recipes or products I have tried, etc.  Just like Bible Study, I have found it easier to do other things.  Sad.

 I have been attempting the gluten free lifestyle for about ten months now.  It is expensive and hard after 41 years of eating wheat products.  I miss my soft bread, pretzels, cake, etc.  I love GF brownies but I have not found a really good sandwich bread, either home made or store bought that I really like.  Udi's is great for toast and I have found a French bread mix from GF Pantry that makes a great pizza crust but nothing is soft enough for a nice sandwich.  Needless to say I have cheated.  Bad move.  I am now, once again suffering with knee pain and foot pain.  I am slowly detoxing once again because I can't stand doing it quickly and having to give up all grains and fruit of all kinds.  I do know now that I have to stay gluten free for the rest of my life.  I have also started having stomach pain and gas since I cheated.  I guess I really proved to myself that I am gluten intolerant at the least.  I thought about being tested for celiac but I know you have to start eating gluten rich foods again for several weeks and that is something I am not willing to do because of the pain I know it will bring back.
 
So, what does that mean.  No more gluten for me, ever!  I am on the search for a GF bread, either home made, a mix, or store bought that I can have a good sandwich on.  I know they won't ever be the same as wheat based breads but there has to be something better than what I have had so far.  I am also on a quest to find a way to enjoy the GF lifestyle on a smaller budget.  I think it is horrendous that they charge so much more for a GF product.  I don't believe for a minute that it costs $2 more a can to make GF mushroom soup!!  The industry is just taking advantage of gluten free people just as they do with medicines and natural supplements.
     
I am also going to start using all the recipes I have printed from the many GF blogs I subscribe to.  I want to test them and share them if they are good.  I may even publish a few of my own.  I make a mighty fine sweet and sour chicken or pork that is GF and my family loves it.  My problem is I need to start measuring so I can actually write out recipes.  I think I am going to invest in a good food scale too since I have read that weighing your ingredients makes for better bread results.  Hmm, will have to talk to the husband about that one.
 
Well,  guess I will peruse the recipes and try something new today.  I'll let you know what I made and how it turned out on the flip side.  Oh, and one thing I have tried is Bob's Red Mill Brownie Mix.  Yummo!  I did, however, put it in a little bit smaller pan than called for so they would be thicker and chewier.  Turned out fabulously!

 Until next time, which hopefully won't be months on end, have a great GF day.

Gluten Free Homemaker

Fall is upon us. At least I think so. The weather man says we could be back in the 80's soon but we all know how inaccurate they are! LOL!

I got an email today from the GlutenFreeHomemaker.com She is having guest bloggers this month to introduce squash recipes. I am so excited. I love squash and am looking forward to getting some new yummy recipes.

Don't forget to check out the links at the bottom of my blog. Also, look for a new lentil recipe soon. I made some yummy lentil and wild rice soup a couple of days ago. Problem is I need to start writing down what I put in so it can be replicated for others! :)

Making a Habit

How do you make a habit. Not only out of doing a GF diet, but at doing a daily post.
I thought being a stay at home mom would give me plenty of time and incentive to get on here every day and blog about my diet experiences. Wow, who knew how lazy I can be?!?!

Was on vacation for about a month. I did really good until the end. I had some gluten because it was just easier to hit the Burger King and get a cheeseburger than to try and find something GF. I paid for it. By the time we were home my knees were killing me and I started having restless leg syndrome again. I am now GF again and starting to feel better again already.

My hardest struggle so far has been finding a GF bread that I like. I refuse to pay $6 a loaf all the time for bread. Udi's is really good but the price is crazy. I found a recipe on gingerlemongirl.com that is really good. Hubby figured out that adding a little more water helped it rise and be a bit lighter too.

I am just disgusted with the whole health food industry. I can buy a can of cream of mushroom soup from campbell's for around a buck. To get GF I have to spend $2.99. You can not tell me it costs almost $2 just to put rice flour instead of wheat flour. The health food industry really needs to make healthier foods more affordable. I am going to make my own mushroom soup and freeze it for my favorite chicken and rice casserole.

Well, time to look for some more recipes and take care of the twins. Have a great day!!