Going Gluten-Free?

Photo of Sydney and my Dad, I can't wait until Ben and Ashia's real baby gets here so we'll have a human form to love on!

While you are reading this blog I'll be in Jackson visiting my Dad for the weekend. I have a niece who is turning 13 and Ashia and I are going to celebrate her birthday. I have been sick with BAD sinus headaches for three nights now but felt better on Thursday. Wouldn't you know Friday morning I woke up at 3am with a sinus turning migraine. I'm going to Dad's anyway and see if I feel better away from home. We live in an older farm house and sometimes there are things in this house that make me sick. If I get to Dad's and feel great we'll know it's the house and we'll start trying to search out the problem. (details and photos to come)

Below is some very good information that I got off of another blog about gluten free living. I hope that you gain something from reading it and you too are able to live or help someone else live Gracefully Gluten-Free.


A Cheat Sheet for Going Gluten-free

Gluten is the elastic protein in the grains: wheat, rye, barley, durum, einkorn, graham, semolina, bulgur wheat, spelt, farro, kamut, and triticale. Commercial oats also contain gluten due to cross contamination in processing.
 

Recipes that use flour (bleached white flour, whole wheat, cracked wheat, barley, semolina, spelt, farro, kamut, triticale) or vital wheat gluten are not gluten-free.

Semolina, spelt and whole wheat pasta, including cous cous, are not gluten-free.

Beer, ale and lager are not gluten-free. Brats, meats and sausage cooked in beer are not gluten-free.

Malt vinegar, malt flavorings and barley malt are not gluten-free.

Recipes calling for breadcrumbs, breaded coatings, flour dredging, bread and flat bread, croutons, bagels, croissants, flour tortillas, pizza crust, graham crackers, granola, cereal, wheat germ, wheat berries, cookie crumbs, pie crust, crackers, pretzels, toast, flour tortillas, wraps and lavash, or pita bread are not gluten-free. 

The vegan protein called seitan is not gluten-free; and some tempeh is not gluten-free (you must check). Flavored tofu may or may not be gluten-free. Naan bread (traditionally made from teff flour) and Asian rice wraps may be gluten-free, but are not necessarily gluten-free (check labels).

Barley enzymes used in malt, natural flavors, and to process some non-dairy beverages, chocolate chips, coffee and dessert syrups (and even some brown rice syrups), are not gluten-free. Always check.


Gluten is sneaky.

Hidden gluten can be found in gravy, broth, bouillon, soy sauce, tamari, marinades, sauces, salad dressings, cured meats, sausage, hot dogs, vegan hot dogs, sausages and burgers, self-basting poultry, flavored and herb cheeses, blue veined (bread mold based) cheeses, spice blends including curry powder, dry mustard, canned and prepared soups, tomato paste, sweeteners, confectioner's and brown sugar, beverages, flavored coffees, herbal teas (watch for barley), roasted, flavored or spiced nuts, jerky, flavored yogurts and puddings, some chocolate and chocolate chips, cocoa and instant coffee mixes, flavored vinegars, cooking wines, flavored liqueur and liquor, wine coolers, some ice cream and frozen desserts. Always read labels. Call the manufacturer.
What is gluten-free?

Grains, flours, starches and thickeners that are safe for celiac and wheat allergies include:

Corn, grits, polenta and cornmeal

Buckwheat, buckwheat cereal, kasha and buckwheat flour

Rice- white, brown, risotto, basmati, jasmine, sticky rice, rice cereal

Rice flour- white rice, sweet (glutinous) rice and brown rice flour

Quinoa, quinoa cereal flakes, and quinoa flour

Millet and millet flour

Sorghum flour

Amaranth and amaranth flour

Certified gluten-free oats and oatmeal

Coconut flour

Teff flour

Nut meals and flours- almond, chestnut, pecan, cashew

Chick pea, garbanzo, soy (soya) and bean flourTapioca and tapioca starch (manioc)

Potato flour and starch

Sweet potato and yam flour

Arrowroot starch

Cornstarch

Pre-made ingredients that are safe for celiac include:

100% corn tortillas and taco shells, pre-made polenta rolls

Plain teff wraps made from 100% teff flour

Plain 100% brown rice tortilla wraps

Unflavored mochi

100% Corn pasta

Quinoa and corn pasta

Soy pasta (if it states gluten-free)

Brown and white rice pasta, rice noodles, rice glass noodles

100% buckwheat soba noodles

Rice paper, rice and tapioca rice paper wraps

100% nut butters- almond, peanut, cashew, pecan

100% seed butters- sesame tahini, sunflower and hemp seed butter

About baking recipes:When it comes to converting your favorite baking recipes to gluten-free, a simple one-to-one flour substitution will not yield the same results as your recipe based on wheat flour. Gluten is a giving, stretchy ingredient that supports rise, structure, texture and kneadablity. It takes more than a single gluten-free flour replacement to make a cake, bread, muffin or cookie recipe work. A combination of gluten-free flours and starches with some extra egg whites or leavening, and xanthan gum added to improve viscosity is necessary for optimum results.


Taken from http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com