Allergy Free Friday--Websites!

For all you not interested in the Allergy Free Friday....I do have other posts, coming soon!

So,

Where do I get my info? Recipes? Incentive? Motivation?

In no particular order here it goes....

Motivation. You know gluten and milk have an adverse effect on you, but its soooo goood!!!!! How can you give up cake? Bread? Grandma's rolls? How can you give up milk chocolate? Things you've enjoyed and craved forever? Well, first things first. You need to understand why...educate yourself! I read the book "Why am I still having thyroid symptoms when my test results are normal" ...say that 10 times fast! I am not yet done with the book, but I really identified with the symptoms that we're described.

Second...evaluate your condition of living. I had constant irritable bowl, gas (I know, TMI), and anxiety levels that shot up especially after dark. I realized that my "manic moments" as I called them we're not only my problem, but became my families as well. I was hardly ever calm, and did not have the ability to let things go. More then anything, I was constantly having bowl issues. I came to realize that I was not happy with the way I was living. I was longing to be able to have energy every day, anxiety levels drop, and my family relax around me.

Third...look to the future...this goes hand in hand with education. You need to understand what will happen to your body if your condition goes unchecked. What will happen in 5 years...10...down the road. What does it leave you open to? Mine was thyroid cancer, a very real possibility if I left my antibody levels unchecked. And Gluten hyper stimulates your antibodies....by mimicking thyroid. This would leave small holes in my gut...making my body attack small food particles that would get into my blood stream and creating allergies. I really wanted to avoid the onset of more allergies. And get the ones I have under control.

Finally....this has to be a decision you make. No one can make it for you. You have to need to feel better, as much as you need to talk to the Lord. I decided if my body was a temple, I wouldn't fill the temple with things that would hurt it, so I can't fill my body with things that will hurt it. I have had set backs...everyone does...but it doesn't discourage me, it teaches me about my self control.

So, back to the websites! Here are a few I have loved!

www.GlutenFreely.com ~ Great site!! Coupons, you can order gluten free cake mixes, bisquick, and flours. Lots of support and education included!

www.food.com ~ Recipes galore! They have a whole gluten free section!

Here's a link to a list of the top 10 Gluten Free Blogs! Great info, wonderful tested recipes!

http://www.blogs.com/topten/top-10-best-gluten-free-blogs/

Books:

Cooking for Isaiah -- great down to earth, you'll use ever day recipes!

Now, go and do! It'll help you feel better!

Allergy Free Friday! Rolls!

If you learn anything when you go Gluten Free it's that bread is very hard to come by. Good bread is even harder! That is why I was very skeptical when I tried this recipe...rolls? Really, come on! But surprisingly they we're light, fluffy, moist and delish!

First, forget EVERYTHING you know about breadmaking. RIGHT NOW! POOF! GONE!!

Now, know that dough that is gluten free looks like you didn't use enough flour, has a goopy consistency, and you beat it good with a whisk. So I'll go slow...

Rolls

4 TBS shortening (I used Nucoa)

3 TBS honey

2 eggs

1 packet yeast (rapid rise is best)

1 cup Milk (Rice, oat, soy, coconut, you pick!) warmed with 3 TBS melted butter in it.

1/2 cup Potato Starch (NOT POTATO FLOUR ...I got mine at the Gluten Free Foods in Layton, but I know you can get it at most nutrition stores including the one in bountiful on 200 S.)

1 cup cornstarch (say what?! yep, that's right!)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 TBS baking powder

2 tsp Xanthan gum (health food store again, or you can get it all on Amazon)

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp vinegar

Got all that? Okay, preheat to 350 degrees.

combine all ingredients, throw the dry then top with the wet then let her fly! My electric mixer beat the tar out of this. And that's what you want, throw on the whisk attachment or pull out your hand mixer and let her go! Make sure there are NO LUMPS! or it will be yucky...gross...ewe...

Get your hands good and wet. hehehe...I know sound silly. But set yourself up by the sink with a greased muffin tin and your bowl of goop. run your hands under the cool water and grab a glob! fill each muffin tin half way, frequently re wetting your hands to keep the dough from sticking. Should fill 2 muffin tins, or just about.

Bake 18-20 minutes, or until the toothpick your stick in one comes out clean.

Now, don't panic! When they cool down they kind of shrivel, like your beloved old persons cheeks. they taste just as good! If you'd like them a little larger for this reason fill 1 muffin tin, they'll look huge when cooking but shrivel to about half. They taste wonderful however!

The taste is more like popovers but flakier and fluffier. My family LOVED them! especially with honey on top! Enjoy!

They've come to take me away! HA HA!

Help, they're after me.

Little brain cell sucking gnomes....they live here you know...shhh...they'll hear me. They're adorable, but that's just a frount. They really want my sanity, my brain cells, and my life, wait....did I ever have a life? I'm not sure...

Oh NO!!!

It's happening.....my brain cells, they're leaving for more fertile ground.

It started with my keys, if I ever had any, they we're gone when I went to find them!

Then my camera, with lots of fun pictures I wanted to post here today....

And now my sanity. I'm sure it was here somewhere!

Ah! shhhh.....

quiet!...

here they come.....HIDE!

Allergy Free Friday

I know it's not Friday, I'm jumping the gun in case this Friday is crazy! Happy first sunny day in a LONG time!

So, I am cooking allergy free. Anyone who has done this knows it's similar to cooking in a foreign country, the ingredients are different, the results are different. So, I have decided, because of the numerous allergies in my extended family to do Allergy Free Friday's. Every Friday (or every other if I'm a little crazy that week) I will try and post a recipe I have tried that week that is virtually allergy free. I know, everyone has different allergies, but I will mainly focus on gluten/dairy free, most will be nut free as well. Here it goes:

Gluten/Dairy Free Popovers.. (similar to german pancakes) by the King Arthur Flour company

This recipe was very very very easy, and would go well with some goat/sheep cheese or eggs or just plain powdered sugar or honey

4 large eggs

3 TBS melted butter

1 1/4 cups milk lukewarm (soy, almond, I used oat milk)

1 cup multipurpose flour (you can buy the king arthur brand or use another brand, like Bob's Red Mill)

1/4 tsp xantham gum (essential! It's expensive, but a little goes a long way, you can get a pound on amazon for 12.00! Best deal I've found yet!n I got mine at a nutrition store 8 oz for 14.00!)

1/2 tsp salt.

Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan (or popover pan if you have one)

Whisk together the wet and the dry separately, then gently add the dry, sift if you can. It's a lot like making gravy, you don't want lumps.

Pour into greased cups filling 2/3 full.

Bake 25 minutes, reduce oven to 350 and bake for 15 more minutes or until deep brown. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes then remove from pan and serve immediately.

Even my husband liked these!

The Grand Experiment!

So, I've been reading this book...I know...Dangerous, right?!

Anyway, I need to get my Hashimoto's under control (thyroid disease) I still feel awful, even though my test results are in the normal range. As well as having numerous other unexplainable problems. So I've decided my well being, health, and life are my own. And no amount of chocolate cake is going to keep me from feeling awful!!! If people can give up drinking, I can give up Dairy and gluten!!! Why? Because of numerous scientific reasons I won't bore you with now.

FYI Gluten is found in numerous foods containing wheat, and other grains. Don't worry! There are grains without gluten in them...I won't go completely veggie!

don't worry, I won't ask anyone to modify their meals for me when we are there! I can bring my own.

So, I've been off gluten and dairy for a few days now, and I must say, I've never gone this long without being swollen, and having joint pain! I've ordered a gluten free cook book, and decided I will be making 2 meals for my family, one for me, and one for them. It's more work. But gluten free is quite expensive to make in bulk. Also, in lieu of the price of certain flours I can have...rice...bean, etc. I have decided to put my hand crank mill into use! I won't be using them on a large basis, as I will cook normally for my family, so it won't require too much! I have brown rice, and beans, and a mill already! It's my grand experiment, and according to this book by a doctor that has studied my autoimmune disease for decades, it should help.

Not only with my inflammation, but my weight! There arn't a lot of grab and go treats for the gluten/dairy free! Lots of fresh veggies for me!

I'm giving myself until Christmas, if I don't feel a whole lot better I'll give it up, and search for a new solution.

But I must say, 4 days into it....I feel great.

Here's hoping it works!

love,

ER