Kristin Goes Gluten Free: Weeks 3 & 4

This post will be for Weeks 3 and 4.  As most of you know, I am a teacher, and our last day was Wednesday this week (I am not done until tomorrow).  I have a lot I have been wanting to write about including symptom changes, frustrations, and some great recipes! 

I remember thinking that going gluten free was going to be difficult, but I am finding that I like more foods now than before.  Don't get me wrong, I miss bread like crazy (especially from OIP and Harshbargers)!  I even walked by the stand selling homemade Artisan breads today at the Farmers Market just to smell the bread!  I don't really miss desserts, because there are so many gluten free recipes that taste even better than other desserts I've had. 

A frustration I had this week dealt with fast food restaurants.  It's good that they don't have a lot of gluten free foods, because quite honestly it prevents us from going.  I want to warn others to be careful what you read on the internet about gluten free items.  Research your source to make sure it's credible.  I got a small chilli and french fries from Wendy's the other day.  The chilli I have eaten before, and it is fine.  However, I read that Wendy's fries were gluten free.  NOT the case!  I was sick about 20 minutes later, starting with an upset stomach and progressing to a cold sweat, nausea and vomiting.  NEVER AGAIN! 


Recipes of the Week

Easy Monster Cookies
Recipe and photograph from eatingonadime.com 

These were better than any cookie I have had in a long time! Best part...NO FLOUR NEEDED!!!

Ingredients

• 3 Eggs
• 1 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Sugar
• 12 oz Peanut Butter
• 1/2 cup softened Butter
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup M&M's
• 1 cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 4 1/2 cup Quick Oats

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. 
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or use a baking mat. 
3. Combine eggs, vanilla, salt, sugar, brown sugar and baking soda in a large bowl. 
4. Add in peanut butter, and butter. Mix until well incorporated. 
5. Stir in the M&M's, chocolate chips and oatmeal. 
6. Place about tablespoon size chunks on the prepared sheets several inches apart. 
7. Bake for about 9 minutes. 
8. Leave on cookie sheet for about 3 minutes before moving to rack to cool completely. 
9. Enjoy!

Zuchinni Pizza Bites
Recipe from George Stella’s Good Carb Family Cookbook
Photo Credit: Kristin Shields

These were AMAZING! I was so upset that I couldn't indulge in pizza again without having
to make crust with "safe" flours. This totally made up for the lack of not having pizza.
I could have eaten two trays of these!

Ingredients
Cooking oil spray
2 large zucchini, sliced 1⁄4 inch thick on a bias into approximately 16 pieces total
1⁄2 cup tomato sauce (I use Don Pepinos)
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1⁄4 teaspoon dry oregano (I used fresh basil instead from Walnut Springs Produce)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: 1⁄2 size non-stick sheet pan

Instructions

1. Place the oven rack in the second position from the top, preheat the broiler to high and spray the sheet pan with cooking oil.

2. Layout the zucchini slices flat onto the center of the greased sheet pan and spoon a small amount of sauce over each piece. Then place equal amounts of shredded cheese on each and sprinkle with dry oregano and olive oil.

3. Standing by the oven, broil for about 4 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and brown. Remove and serve hot.

George’s Tips:
When you first remove the zucchini slices they may appear undercooked but I assure you that within a minute after coming out of the oven the “carry-over cooking” will take care of that and they will be crisp yet tender and most delicious!

Try topping these with your favorite toppings, just like a real pizza. From pepperoni to sausage and mushrooms, why not try them all!

Support Local and Small Businesses
Below I have listed a few local and/or small business that have been a great help with my gluten free journey!

1. Walnut Springs Produce: http://walnutspringsproduce.com/farm/spring-chores/
This local business is based in Three Springs, PA.  My colleague and friend, Kristi Watkins, introduced me to this wonderful place to get produce.  Her brother,Tim, owns the company with the help of his family and sells locally.  They set up in Three Springs on Saturdays and in Huntingdon at the Farmers Market on Thursdays.  You can also order items on their website. Their produce is fresh and delicious!  I use it when cooking often!

2. Creekside Kitchen Coop: https://www.facebook.com/creeksidekitchencoop
The woman that owns this business, Merri Ann Eshelman, has an array of wonder baked goods, jams, soups, etc.  I tried her gluten free Angel Food cake and gluten free snicker doodle cookies and I COULD NOT tell a difference.  They were spectacular!! You can visit her page on FB to order or visit her at the Huntingdon Farmers Market on Thursdays.  

3. Hoss's of Huntingdon, PA: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingdonHosss
Hailey and I went here for lunch today.  I asked if the fries were gluten free, but they weren't sure.  So, I went with the baked potato.  Even though I had already ordered, our waitress took the initiative to ask her manager, Erik Lindberg.  He looked into it and told me exactly about both kinds of french fries they offered (the steak fries are the only ones that are gluten "friendly" for those wondering.  Friendly because there is always risk of cross contamination).  He also told me about the updated nutritional information coming soon to their website.  I appreciated the extra mile they took to make me comfortable.  I didn't feel stupid for asking at all, which is big considering how hard it is to ask sometimes. 


Symptom Changes to Date

- I didn't say "I just don't feel good" since I have started!
- Continued healthy bowels (unless I forget my darn Lactaid Pill)
- More awake during the day.  I still don't wake up feeling "rested"
- Not bloated
- Pink gums instead of red and swollen
- Roseacea toned down on my cheeks
- NEW: Decrease in sensitivity in my Fibromyalgia "hot spots". 
- NEW: Not stopping in the middle of sentences trying to remember what I was saying (still some short term memory loss, but I am gaining thoughts back a lot faster)

Until next week, 

Kristin

Kristin Goes Gluten Free: Week 2

I have successfully gotten through 2 weeks!  I am feeling so great as well.  Good news is that my thyroid test came back negative. I continued to eat a lot of meat, fruits, veggies and grains this week.  I didn't really try any new dinner recipes this week.  I haven't had time to plan. We had a picnic Thursday for the Mount Union Art Guild, which I am secretary of.  My friend Rachel, our president, made her mac n' cheese with gluten free elbow mac just for me! I love that girl! :)  It was really good; made by Barilla.  I was able to eat a hamburger with no bun, the mac n cheese, fruit and the gluten free chocolate chip cookies I made.  They were made by Betty Crocker.  I wasn't a big fan, they were kind of sandy.  I did like the Betty Crocker gluten free brownies though! I think now that I am used to this diet, my focus this week will be water, water and more water.  I think I am dehydrated a lot of the time.  I am so busy during the day, I just forget.  I also am going to make an "Out to Eat Cheat Sheet".  I will share when it is complete!

Recipe of the Week

"Ice Cream Sandwiches"
I was so excited when Peights store had ice cream sandwich wafers, so I bought them...then found out I needed to be gluten free!  My original intent was to do this with them, but I wasn't giving up.  I bought these cinnamon mini rice cakes at Walmart, and randomly thought of using them instead.  

Ingredients
- Quaker "Popped" Apple Cinnamon or any flavor
- Cool Whip

Directions
- Spoon cool whip onto one rice cake, then top with another.  Make as many as you'd like.
- Freeze about an hour, then eat and enjoy!


Symptom Changes to Date

- I didn't say "I just don't feel good" once this week!
- Continued healthy bowels (unless I forget my darn Lactaid Pill)
- More awake during the day.  I still don't wake up feeling "rested"
- Not bloated
- Pink gums instead of red and swollen
- Roseacea toned down on my cheeks

Thing are changing, slowly, but surely!  Some things I wish would change a little faster are short term memory loss and the psoriasis on my scalp :(  I have to say, I am just proud that I have stuck to my lifestyle change!

Until next week, 

Kristin

Kristin Goes Gluten Free: Week 1

Today, I officially made it through one week of eating gluten free.  When I made the decision to change my health and lifestyle last Monday, I never could have guessed how beneficial or easy it would be.  I am not going to lie, there are still foods that I want (like the bread from OIP...so GOOD!), but it helps that it makes me so sick I don't want to eat it.  Some people have asked me to list what I am eating, recipes, changes, etc., so I am going to do that via my blog.  I don't want people to get sick of the constant posts on their FB news feeds. This way, I post the link, and anyone interested can read about my journey on here.  So here are some of the items, struggles and changes I had this first week.  This first entry will be pretty detailed because I wanted to document my first week.  In the future I am just going to post new recipes and foods. My hope is that documenting these things will help others with the same issues.  

Monday (my very first day)

This day was difficult because I just decided to start, even though I hadn't gone grocery shopping.  I had to rely on what was in the house until I got to the store (which wasn't until Thursday!).  I did not eat breakfast, because I didn't have any cereal, granola bars, etc that didn't contain gluten.  For lunch I had strawberry yogurt and a small bag of lays potato chips.  I know, not the best lunch, but it's what I had.  For dinner, we tried the gluten free pizza from Dominoes.  Ham and pineapple on one, black olives and mushrooms on the other.  Warning to those that get this, if you have a family, you WILL need more than one because they are small.  Mike made a salad to have with it and I made gluten free Italian dressing.  

Tuesday

Today I was determined to eat breakfast, so I stopped at Sheetz and got a Kind Bar.  These are great to eat because not only are they gluten free, but they are packed with nutrients from the fruit and nuts.  For lunch I had leftover gluten free pizza. It wasn't as good the next day.  The crust was a bit crumbly.  For dinner we had BBQ Chicken on the grill and broccoli.  The BBQ Sauce we used was Sweet Baby Rays.  I found later in the week not all BBQ sauces are GF! Thanks to my MIL, I tried GF Pretzels from Glutino. I think I liked them better than regular ones!  

Wednesday

Today we had a luncheon at school and I was prepared to eat my chicken and fruit I brought from home.  I decided I would still eat my lunch, but try and eat a few things I thought were gluten free.  Word of advice...mini meatballs are NOT gluten free...at least the ones I ate.  I was so sick within a matter of 10 minutes.  When I got home Mike, Hailey and I were going to his grandma's for her birthday.  The dinner was pizza, salad and cake.  I had salad...lol.  I wanted to visit and celebrate, so I stayed for a little bit, but then I had to go home and make something different.  I was so hungry!  It was a little embarrassing to tell everyone I was leaving to eat.  I went home and grilled myself a steak and had wild rice. To treat myself since I couldn't have cake (which I love) , I had fresh strawberries over Turkey Hill natural vanilla ice cream.  This has only five ingredients and is so good.  I don't even have to take a Lactaid when I eat it.   

Thursday

I continued eating a gluten free breakfast and lunch.  Lunch was just left over steak and rice, which was good.  For dinner we tried gluten free pasta from Ronzoni with my pappy Catullo's sauce.  I couldn't even tell the difference.  That made me happy because that was one thing I was sad to give up.  I also found out I could have Mallow Cups, so I did! Ha-ha.  I won't be making a habit of that snack though since I am supposed to be watching my sugar. 

Friday

Today we dared to try a restaurant.  We went to Hoss's, because I know they have a GF menu.  I ended up getting french onion soup without croutons and fruit from the salad bar. My main dish was steak tips and a baked potato.  First time I have left Hoss's (or any restaurant) not feeling sick. 

Saturday

Rachel and I had a booth at Country Memory Days today, so eating was hard.  I missed breakfast because we had to be up early and I was running late (imagine that lol).  With all the food vendors around, I had no clue what to get.  I decided on pulled pork without the bun.  Bad idea.  I know it wasn't the pork, so I am assuming the BBQ sauce was gluten free.  I was sick within 5 minutes of finishing.  The rest of the day was better.  I had kettle corn as a snack and Mike made steak and rice for dinner.  It was the second time I had it this week, which I know is a lot of red meat, but it was good. 

Sunday

I thought that today was going to be another challenge because we were taking Hailey to Lake Tobias with Darrell, Rachel and Isaac.  We packed a picnic lunch, which worked out perfect.  Mike and Hailey had Lebanon bologna and cheese sandwiches and I just had the meat and cheese rolled up without the bread.  We ate Lay's regular chips, which are gluten free, and gluten free brownies I had made the night before.  For dinner, we stopped at OIP in Burnham for dinner.  They just introduced a new gluten free menu. Their spaghetti is really good, but the bread was taunting me! :(

Symptom Changes

- I typically come home and say to my husband, "I don't feel good, I need to just sit down".  Monday was the first day in a long time that I came home and didn't feel this way!

- Healthy bowels (sorry if that's TMI, but it's part of the change!)

- Starting to feel more awake. Less yawning during the day

- First time I don't feel bloated.  I swear my mid section has gone down a few inches.  I always used to feel pregnant I was so bloated. 

- Today, Monday 5/26, I noticed that the redness and swelling of my gums was gone.  

- I lost 3 lbs and my face looks thinner (see below)

Kristin Goes Gluten Free

IBS, Psoriosis, PCOS,Vitiligo, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue... After months on end of feeling sick almost daily, I was starting to feel like a hypochondriac.  I was always developing the weirdest symptoms and diseases.  The worst symptom of all is the short term memory loss. It was getting so bad, that I had to make an appointment, or risk insanity! My doctor and I discussed my symptoms, then made the connection between the many autoimmune diseases I have.  It was decided that I had autoimmune disorder and that it would be best to go on a gluten free diet.  In addition to the 5 autoimmune diseases I already have, I have to get blood work for Celiac and thyroid.  

This is when Google always gets the best of me.  I searched extensively for resources on both autoimmune disorder and the gluten free diet. I ended up buying a book for my Kindle called "The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disese and Heal your Body".  I can't wait to start reading it! I am especially thankful for the family and friends that have been supporting me and giving me great ideas for recipes and which gluten free products in the stores are the best.  It has been a week since I have gone completely gluten free and I have felt great!  My stomach issues have calmed down, I am not as tired, I have a little more energy, and I don't have that "I feel sick but I don't know why" feeling everyday.  I wish the concentration issues and short term memory loss had improved this week, but I know it will eventually.  I was only sick twice this week, both times I ate foods that I wasn't certain about the gluten contents.  

I have a feeling this will be a little easier to stick with than your run of the mill diet to lose weight.  This is for my health.  I want to be able to play with and keep up with my daughter and husband.  I don't want to come home everyday and just want to collapse.  To help me through, I am going to keep updating my progress and posting recipes I find along the way.  

This week's suggestions:
-Ronzoni Gluten Free Pasta (yellow box) 
- Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownies (YUM!!!)
- Dominoes GF Pizza (I really like this the day of, but the crust was a bit crumbly when re-heated the next day)

Kristin Goes Camping: Money Saving Tips

My husband Mike and I have been camping each summer, usually twice, for going on nine years now. What started out as just the two of us in a small tent, with tarps for cover, sleeping bags on the floor of the tent and a huge Walmart bill, has turned into much more.  We have a huge tent, EZ-up for coverage, air mattress to sleep on and a much smaller bill at Walmart! 

Why the huge bill you ask? We would think of 5-10 things we would need or want once we were already far from home.  I now make lists. We bring the list, and a pen, so we can add items we need while we are thinking about it.  

Last year, we added a new camper, little Miss Haileybug. She loved camping last year and was only six months, so we are excited to see her reaction this year. Bringing a little one isn't as hard as you would imagine. It just requires some more gear. A Pack n' Play is not only great for sleeping in, but to contain her while we are cooking or unpacking/packing.  

Our challenge this year, with Mike being furloughed a day a week, is to be thrifty with the grocery bill. Seeing as Pinterest is my new best friend, it was the first place I looked for money saving ideas.  Below are a few things we did this year that will definitely cut that precious moola off of our bill. 

Money Saving Tip #1

Food from home: We planned a menu for each day, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then we went through to see what we already had from home. Frozen hamburger, steaks and chicken, eggs (in a plastic egg holder bought at WalMart), condiments (which we will talk about later), lunch meat, cheese, bread, butter, spices, etc. My all time favorite this year  is "Do-it-yourself shake and pour pancakes", minus the shake part ;)  

1. First, you need a large squeeze Ketchup bottle (ours is Heinz of course lol). If you don't have an empty one, empty the contents into another container. 

2. Once emptied and cleaned out with soap and water, peel off the labels.

3. Make whatever pancake mix you usually make in a bowl with a spout. 

4. Use a funnel to fill the bottle with the batter. If you don't have a funnel, do what I did and make one out of wax paper. Cut a piece in the shape of a square, roll into a cone shape and tape together. 

4. Put the lid on, label it pancakes and there you have it! Pancakes ready to squeeze out onto your campfire griddle! 

Money Saving Tip #2

This brings me to something I mentioned above; condiments.  Use small tupperwear to store ketchup, mustard, relish, mayo, sour cream, etc. We had a small ketchup pouch we bought at Walmart, or we would have used a container. Label them so you don't have to dig so much around the cooler.

Money Saving Tip #3

Bags of ice are so expensive, and when you are going to need to by them all week for your cooler, the last thing you want is to have to buy it just for the trip for the cold foods your bringing from home.  

1. Take gallon size Freezer Ziplock bags and fill them half way with water. 

2. Squeeze as much air out as you can, then zip shut. 

3. Lay flat in the freezer. These take about 24 hours to freeze solid. 

4. Use them along the sides of your cooler or to lay on top of foods.

5. We also froze a small pack of mini waters and stuck it in the cooler.

Hope those ideas help save you a little money and keep some of your sanity! 

Keep a lookout for more camping tips, ideas and recipes! 

Zucchini Fritters

I despise trying to think of what to make for breakfast and lunch. I don't know why, but my best guess is that during the  "school year" Mike and I get our own breakfast and lunch, and Hailey eats both at daycare. The weekends would consist of the breakfast classics: pancakes, bacon, eggs, omelets, french toast, etc. So, during the summer, I hit a cooking rut. The monotonous routine of cereal, granola bar, yogurt, repeat, no longer works for Hailey and I.  This morning I tried my first different recipe.  It was zucchini fritters. I came across the idea on Pinterest, but if course, gave it my own twist.  Without further ado, here is my pin a week challenge, Week 3.

Zucchini Fritters

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon lemon 
• 1 Tablespoon fresh cut or 1/2 Tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   Using the large holes of a box grater, grate zucchini into a medium bowl. Add the salt, lemon juice, chopped parsley, garlic, pepper, and eggs. Mix well to combine. Slowly add flour, stirring so no lumps form.

2. STEP 2

   Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until the oil sizzles when you drop a small amount of zucchini mixture into the pan. Carefully drop about 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture into pan; repeat, spacing fritters a few inches apart.

3. STEP 3

   Cook fritters until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Turn fritters, and continue cooking until golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer fritters to a plate; set aside in a warm place. Cook remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil to pan if necessary.

   Helpful Tip: Although I cooked the recommended time, the middle seemed really wet or raw. I believe it was the moisture from the zucchini. I recommend patting your zucchini dry before mixing. 

Pin A Week, Week 2: Bathtub Fun!

My 18 month old, Hailey, LOVES the water, but she HATES getting her hair washed.  My husband and I do what we can to distract her, but the little wind up toy that swims around the tub wasn't cutting it.  My first purchase was tub crayons by Crayola.  She really enjoys those and it worked, she barely noticed us washing her hair.  She gets bored easy though, so I needed a backup ready to make the tub double fun!  I found this idea on Pinterest.  The pin explained how to do the project, but I added a little twist by writing some learning opportunities as well. I hope you can use it to entertain your little ones and provide an unexpected learning experience as well. :)

Noodles in the Tub

What you Need:

- 2-3 Pool Noodles (the cheapest I found was at WalMart.  I only used one and she liked it, but it didn't really fill the tub like it recommends)
- Sharp Knife (no serrated, this makes a mess! lol)




What you Do:

1. Lay the Pool Noodle on a cutting board, peice of cardboard or something to protect your cutting surface.
2. Cut into sections that are 1-3 inches in length.  I did two sizes so I could talk about big and small
3. Throw into bathtub and your children will have a blast!

Learning Opportunities:

1. Color Naming and ID- Choose 2-3 different colored noodles so that you can have your child identify and name colors in the tub.
2. Counting- Take groups of anywhere from 1-10 out and put them on the side of the tub to have your child count them out. If they can do more than 10, great! If you have an older child, have them count how many of each color then add them together for an extra challenge!
3. Sorting- Have your child sort by color or size by having a few large Tupperware bins available (they will float in the tub)
4. Size- Talk about big and small. Have your child name big and small and also identify big and small by holding two up and saying "which one is smaller/bigger"?
5. Cause and Effect- Some examples: When I hold the noodle up and pour water on it, it goes through the hole and into the tub.  When you put it under water what happens? (It pops back up.  This can lead into the science activity listed below)
6. Science- Does it Float or Sink?  Although this activity is geared toward older children, it certaintly doesn't hurt for your younger ones to see and listen to the experiment.  They will pick up on the vocabulary as well as the cause and effect of each.  Start by talking about the noodle and that it popped back up from under the water because it floats.  Then choose an object that sinks and talk about how it stays under the water because it sinks.  Have several objects that float and sink available and have your child identify each.

Fun can be learning, so go and have some fun! :)