News I Have News Pay Attention OK

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I started a new group blog over at The Queen’s Scullery. Check it out, Victorian nerdery ahoy. You are invited, if you want to be.

Life without wheat is going okay. We made a run at this a year ago, and sort of backslid on it. In theory, Franny’s father is taking this more seriously now after the hospital thing. In reality, there are cracks in the system, of course. Franny saw pics of my English pudding that I made for Christmas, and she said she had some at her dad’s house, but said it did not look as nice as mine.

“Really? Pudding?” I said. “Did you get a stomach ache?”

“No,” she said.

“That’s good.”

“Oh, there’s something else though, Mom. The other day he was trying to talk me into eating this granola bar thing. He said, ‘Come on, a little won’t hurt.”

“Well,” P. said. “Every time anyone tries to talk you into eating wheat, offer to kick them in the nuts first, so they can be in pain with you.”

“If it is a lady, offer an eye poke,” I said.

Franny spends a fair amount of time now mourning her departure from gluten. She sighs over things she cannot eat, and we are finding the balance between making substitutes, like gluten-free scones (bleah) and just eating other things. She was bonkers over some shrimp and spaghetti squash I made, because it was “just like noodles” as if we do not have soba and rice noodles on the regular.

I am very excited to get back into our regular non-holiday routine tomorrow, which includes me being done working my second job. Yeah!

7 thoughts on “News I Have News Pay Attention OK”

  1. If you haven’t already, check out Gluten Free Girl’s blog. She makes amazing gf stuff. I’ve been off the stuff for years and it gets easier, but I’m all growed up. Kind of.

  2. I reluctantly gave up wheat last year and solved a 30ish-year skin problem, automagically. Since then, though, I have struggled with finding “wheat substitutes” for various things and in many, many cases have settled for just eschewing that which is wheat-like, because the substitutes tend to be so awful.

    However, there are a few things worth knowing. Tinkyada makes the best gluten-free pasta, if Franny wants noodles. I also like the Trader Joe’s GF pastas and especially the “rice sticks” for Pad Thai. Glutino makes the only GF pretzels worth eating, and in fact I almost never buy them because I will gobble them all up and be annoyed with myself. ;) And this pancake recipe made with the GF baking mix of your choice (I like Pamela’s, but it doesn’t matter much) is actually really yummy and pretty healthy. (I don’t have a problem with oats, though, and some GF folks do, so proceed carefully.)

    Hope that helps some. I think it’s a lot harder to go GF as a kid. Tell Franny I said it gets easier. :)

  3. gluten free brownie mix from the trader joes is really delish. Too bad I’ve given up shuga as well as the gluten.

  4. I’m gluten-free and it’s really not bad at all once you get used to it. There are so many GF foods now, you can substitute almost anything. This pasta rocks my world: http://www.quinoa.net/145/163.html. Get the linquine or spaghetti and you’ll never know you’re not eating semolina pasta (don’t try the small varieties – bleh mush). This doesn’t get gummy or have a weird taste like brow rice pasta. My 6-year-old loves it too, though it’s expensive, so I let her eat the regular wheat pasta thanks very much. Also, check out this blog – in particular her dark chocolate brownies (Franny won’t miss anything after trying them): http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/. Gluten Free Girl is also great, as Amy mentioned above. And Mir is right – Glutino makes the best stuff – their Cheddar crackers are a pretty good simulation of a Ritz cracker and their pretzels are awesome. I also use their bread – frozen, like all GF breads, but it’s not AS dense as most, and works for sammies, that again, my 6-year-old will eat. Also, does Franny know she can still eat ICE CREAM?! Or anything made with cream?!?! Or maybe she doesn’t care…and just wants a scone…

  6. I admit I am kinda with Franny on the “le sigh” of missing wheat, even though there are a lot of substitutions. Two additions to the very good advice (I am so checking into the pasta and pretzel ideas), Da Vinci Bakery – Greenwood and….um 90something? makes great gluten-free desserts, scones too, and the Great Harvest in West Seattle (right along California) has a rotation of gluten-free breads that are supposed to be pretty darn good.

    One thing that always gets me is cross-contamination. Fries are out almost everywhere because of how much battered stuff gets fried in the same oil. And it is a pain in the butt to ask, people look at you like you have two heads.

    As an adult sufferer, one thing my doc is pretty open about is occasionally allowing yourself an evening of gluttony, because of the cravings. Not sure if that translates nicely to younger sufferers but perhaps once every three months a “real” scone? Then a healthy dose of probiotics? All I know is that in February, there is a croissant in my future.

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