100 Random Gluten Free Foods

1. chex cereal
2. corn tortillas
3. apples
4. chicken
5. rice
6. coffee (is that food?)
7. chocolate (okay that’s better)
8. rice cakes
9. peanut butter
10. milk
11. cheese
12. steak
13. potatoes
14. green beans
15. salad
16. eggs (hard boiled, scrambled, omelets, green, “on a train”)
17. sunflower seeds (careful of seasonings)
18. hot dogs (read label)
19. salsa
20. corn chips
21. fruit snacks
22. nuts (but not all trail mixes)
23. ham
24. red hots
25. apple sauce
26. yogurt
27. soup (some Progresso brand or homemade)
28. beef
29. Frito’s
30. cucumbers
31. jasmine rice
32. fish
33. sushi (most- but beware of soy sauce)
34. cheese sticks (definitely a different food group than plain cheese)
35. spaghetti sauce (read label, try Classico Brand)
36. ice cream
37. M&M’s
38. pears
39. bananas
40. humus
41. black beans
42. pinto beans
43. refried beans
44. carrots
45. corn
46. lettuce
47. cabbage
48. salad dressing (NOT asian dressings, most have soy sauce)
49. tapioca
50. jello
51. bacon
52. potatoes
53. turkey
54. rice noodles
55. mushrooms
56. sprouts
57. zucchini
58. Reese’s (I had to counter all those veggies)
59. pudding
60. peaches
61. melons (and I don’t mean the Hooter’s kind)
62. grits
63. onions
64. eggplant
65. french fries (if they are fried in a dedicated vat- and no it’s not the same as potatoes!)
66. non wheat flour alternatives - sorghum, rice, tapioca, corn starch, buckwheat (technically a cousin to the rhubarb family), potato starch.
67. raisins
68. popcorn
69. pepperoni
70. carrots
71. snickers
72. pop (D.P, Coke, Pepsi translation for you non Northerners)
73. fudge (some)
74. gravy (if made with corn starch and drippings)
75. Ahhh I’m stuck…  oh how about berries
76. shrimp
77. lobster
78. tartar sauce (I don’t know about all but I think so)
79. cereal that is simply the puffed grain ie. puffed rice (check label, kamut and durum are WHEAT)
80. some brands of rice cracker
81. larabars
82. nachos (okay people I’m running low on ideas)
83. peaches
84. tomatoes
85. garlic
86. chocolate chips (did I already say that?)
87. fruit smoothie drink (be careful with protein powders)
88. hamburger patty’s
89. ketchup
90. mayo
91. salt and pepper
92. crisco, butter
93. creme cheese
94. peas
95. chick peas
96. yams
97. dried fruit (ha ha, not really another food but hey)
98. alfredo sauce by classico (many have wheat as a thickener so beware)
99. craisins
100. pistachios

So call me obnoxious   It took two days to come up with this list and I’m sure I’m missing key items.  Do you have any to add?  Maybe we’ll make a secone 100 list!

Gluten Free Me…

and super size me while you’re at it!  Unless you are aware that McD’s fries are NOT technically gluten free according the their own website.   I have been informed however that the celiac foundation tested them and found them to be within the limit to be considered gluten free.

On other business…

Summer is officially over since Sunday marked the last day of the fair!

I can still smell the kettle corn cooking.  I’ve still got chicken poo stuck to my boots.  Thing 1 still has artificial freckles on his face, the kind you get from falling off the sheep in Mutton Bustin’ and yet it is time to get back to reality.  Time to eat meals from my own table and time to blog again lest the blog police shut me down. 

Every year I cling to the last morsels of the fair just like Templeton in Charlotte’s Web.  I love the fair; bad food, creative crafts, huge pumpkins and the rodeo!  “The bulls and the blood, the dust and the mud!”  Gotta love it.

What do you eat when you are on the go?

Thinking back on the fair and the mirage that was summer I wondered if it might be helpful to compile some of the fast food orders I make over and over and over again. 

When you have to eat gluten free you tend to avoid fast food like mothers across the nation avoid having to change dirty diapers on the primitive floor of the fair bathroom where there is no warm water, no soap and likely no towels when you are down to your last wet wipe!  None the less when the occasion arises most every mother will just get the job done.

Here is my “menu” for those times when fast food is inevitable.

What can I eat at McDonald’s?

• yogurt parfait (NO oatmeal) 
• salad (NO croutons and NO chicken- not even the grilled one!)
•  fruit and walnut salad (DON’T eat the candies walnuts the second ingredient is wheat)
•  100% beef patties (NOT the Angus patty)
•  McRib Pork Patty.

The salad dressings do not contain gluten ingredients. All but one are soy free. The Italian dressing is the only one that does not contain milk.

I usually order a yogurt parfait and fries but I just read on the McDonald’s website that the number 2 ingredient is a vegetable oil which includes Natural Beef flavor in which one of the ingredients is hydrolyzed wheat.  And all this time I though fries were gluten free!  WAAAAAA!

I rarely order a plain meat patty because the chances that somebody puts a bun on accidentally then yanks it off and sticks the patty in a boat (crumbs and all) is something I don’t like to gamble on.

What can I eat at Wendy’s?

Wendy’s is my favorite.  In my town it is the best fast food bet if I don’t want to get sick, though I have had the occasional cross contamination issues that go along with chancing it “out on the range”!  Truly only 1 in 100. That’s pretty good.

• grilled chicken patty
• 100% beef patty
• potatoes
• gogurts
• fries (I think but can’t verify online right now)
• salads (minus croutons, NOT including the Asian salad-or just leave off the noodles)
• most of the dressings are without wheat (be aware that soy sauce has wheat so stay away from Asian dressings/marinades)

I usually order one of their wonderful salads.

OR

A chicken patty with my favorite dressing to dip, a sour cream and chive potato and a big swig of good ol’ Dr. Pepper!

What can I eat at Carl’s Jr?

• The low carb $6 burger-
• fries

There is still hope for french fry eaters (unless you are allergic to soy).  I had stopped eating Carl’s fries when they changed to the “fresh cut” version because I noticed the breading and assumed it was wheat.  I actually spit a couple out in a panic and threw three boxes of fries away on that assumption.  Browsing their website I found that the “breading” is actually rice flour so it appears that french fries are still in my future! Don’t eat the zuccini or crisscut fries though.

Since they have the low carb option Carl’s will make any of their sandwiches on lettuce!  They even have real  lettuce!  The chicken (even grilled chicken) is not okay the marinade contains soy sauce.

View the complete Carl’s ingredients list here.

I hope this helps. Here are some other fast food chains and restaurants I’ve left off since I don’t have much experience with them,  our little town doesn’t offer a lot of options!

Please visit Linda’s new and improved “What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free” and don’t forget to check out the other great recipes this week!

Summer Slackin’

See I’m silly, do you suspect my serious compulsion?  I have a compulsion for words and I love alliteration!  

That aside, I spent the time it takes to brew my morning coffee swatting flies!  Why flies you ask?  My darling Thinglets can not resist the great outdoors but since mom doesn’t cook during the summer they also can’t resist multiple trips indoors for a snack.  During the summer I slack in the eating and the cleaning department, I reserve most of my cleaning rampages for the dreary days of winter.  Please pay close attention to the word MOST as I am not good at practicing what I preach! 

The result is a summer slackin’ mamma, several snackin saps and a serious amount of smackin’ stinkin’ segmented sailing suckers!

Since I’ve been a regular participator in Linda’s weekly blog carnival, previously “What’s for Dinner Wednesday” I decided I couldn’t let down the troops so this week I don’t have a recipe but more of a slackers gluten free survival map!

Never fear though, I will be back soon with full tummy recipes since in the Northwest summer is but a passing fancy!  We have guests this week and I plan to bring you my brother in law’s (Lil Sis’ Hubby) “Famous Fish Taco” recipe.  So tune in next week!

In the mean time-

Gluten Free Goof’s Slacker’s Survival Map:

The first stop is my sock drawer!  No I don’t have any science experiments brewing in there just a “treasure map” of sorts that helps me get my head out of the clouds when it comes time to eat!  Food preparation is one area that I am somewhat of a procrastinator.  I am not confident, I am picky and yet I have grand ideas that often flop (unless my hubby is helping- he is an uninhibited cook)!  Sooo, it helps me to have a simple plan to fall back on and yet not be bound to! 

Sounds much too complicated for FOOD!  For crying out loud those six mouths are simply six pie holes!

After I have fished out my treasure map I wistfully make a paper airplane out of it and send it sailing off of the deck, past the pigs, the horses, and the vegetable garden where I am reminded there are numerous summertime treasures we don’t get to enjoy everyday!  Second stop, garden of weedin where we get our veggies fix’!

If there is extra time and I want to impress the rats I might stop by the BBQ on the way back to the house and create a dish for the critics!

When there is no extra time my map ends up as fuel for the barbecue and I whip up my go to summer meal complete with Sweet Baby Ray’s drizzly grin!

Occasionally I forget the whole thing and let my seven year old create his own masterpiece!

So in case there is any question, my treasures are featured all over this page!  No need for maps or compasses my husband and I have been thoroughly blessed with the four adorable children God has trusted us with!

Psalm 127:3-5
3Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
       children a reward from him.

 ⁴ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
       are sons born in one’s youth.

 ⁵ Blessed is the man
       whose quiver is full of them.
       They will not be put to shame
       when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Aaarg, I hope you’ve enjoyed this treasure hunt, come back next week for a seriously good installment of Linda’s new and improved “What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free” and don’t forget to visit the others this week!

Mayo Clinic Research: Celiac becoming more common

I found this link to be interesting and somewhat confirmed my thoughts that genetic altering of common grains could be part of the problem for those of us with celiac. Check out this article.

Xanthan Gum vs. Guar Gum

I’ve been told that xanthan gum and guar gum are interchangeable in gluten free baking so I bought guar gum last time because the store was out of xanthan gum.  Below are the results…

Guar Gum Loaf

I couldn’t even get the bread out of the pan without it falling apart, we made this loaf into french toasts since the egg helped keep it together.  I couldn’t bear to give it to the chickens.

Below is the exact same recipe a week later using xanthan gum…

Support a great new gluten free magazine!

This new magazine looks absolutely delicious, I hope you will try it out!  I can’t wait to get my first issue! Go to www.delightgfmagazine.com

“Delight gluten free is a fun food & lifestyle magazine for people with Celi ac Disease, gluten intolerance and food allergies. It hosts delicious gourmet recipes and easy semihomemade as well. Don’t miss the Gluten-Free Meals on a Budget either. Whatever your food allergy you should be able to find something that fits your household, in their February issue they offer gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, soy-free and even some rice-free recipes. Not only that, this magazine has a travel section coming in May that will host lots of fun ideas and good advice for when you venture out on the road. Personal stories, inspiring articles on Autism, Q & A with the Doc are among the other features of this magazine.”

Restaurants with gluten free options

If you are willing to risk the possibility of cross contamination here are some restaurant chains that have made an attempt to offer gluten-free options, because you can’t always pack a sack lunch. Don’t be a goof, always ask before you order and don’t be embarrased to let the waiter and/or chef know how important it is to get your order right. 

First some quick tips: 

French Fries are often lightly breaded, seasoned and fried in a vat with other gluten products so don’t assume they are ok.

Fried rice is often made with a slight amount of soy sauce in the vat to keep it from sticking together – always ask.

Soups, sauces, maranades and salad dressing are easy items to ask to read a label on.

• Arby’s http://www.arbys.com
• Carl’s Jr. http://carlsjr.com
• Chick-fil-A  http://chic-fil-a.com
• Chili’s http://chilis.com (download allergy info under “menu” before you go)
• Claim Jumper http://claimjumper.com
• Cold Stone   http://www.coldstonecreamery.com
• In N Out Burger http://in-n-out.com
• Jack in the Box http://jackinthebox.com
• Mimi’s Cafe http://mimiscafe.com
• Old Spaghetti Factory http://www.osf.com
• Outback Steakhouse http://www.outbacksteakhouse.com
• P F Changs http://www.pfchangs.com
• Red Robin http://redrobin.com
• Wendy’s http://www.wendys.com
• Winger’s Grill and Bar http://www.wingers.info

Is anybody out there? What CAN I eat?

I would like to start an interactive post by posing a question.

What are your favorite foods that are automatically gluten free or with small variations using ingredients from any regular grocery store?

I want to make a list of things we already eat that we can continue to eat after going gluten-free or wheat-free. We had to discover these things on our own 3yrs ago but it sure would have been helpful for someone to give me some perspecitve and point out the things I was already eating!  I ate plain rice cakes  for lack of creativity, until I realized- fruit is gluten-free, salad is gluten-free (check dressings), chicken, steak, rice, enchilada’s (with corn tortilla’s), taquitos and consequently cheese is gluten-free! YIPEE even most coffee, latte’s, and chocolate is gluten-free (almost a life saving revelation). My Kiddo’s are thrilled that most yogurt is gluten free and when my 1st grader makes lunch he always does cheese sticks wrapped with lunch meat. It’s the little things that count.

So, go to it, what are your fav’s?

Extensive list of gluten free blogs