Thursday, June 12, 2014

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, PAhttps://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


Friday, May 30, 2014

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


Monday, May 26, 2014

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)


Saturday, May 24, 2014

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)