St. Patrick's Day the Gluten Free Way

Picked up O'Reilly's Corned Beef at Shop Rite and very happy to see those magic words, "Gluten Free," on the label. Ten years ago those words were rarely seen, especially on seasonal food. I almost danced in the meat aisle.

Up early this morning, that slab of deliciousness is now submerged in the crock pot. The potatoes and cabbage will go in as soon as I get home from work. Dinner should be ready at seven. All that's missing is the green, gluten free, beer.

Every St. Patrick's day I used to worry about the safety of the meal. The magic words rarely appeared on the good stuff. If I wanted to find them, I'd have to go to the health food store. Now, bigger companies are stepping up and realizing the importance of labeling things gluten free ...

Bahahahaha! Just kidding. They do it because they see a market. More and more Celiacs are being diagnosed. That 1 in 100 number is growing and I'm sure this old estimate will soon be updated. Add in the dieters. Those who are going gluten free because they think it will help them lose weight (Ha!) or who are just hoping to calm the chaos in their gut.

I only hope this isn't a flash in the pan and that labeling gluten will become the norm and not a passing fad. When I see the magic words, "Gluten Free," on a label I go to the company's website and thank them. A short note to let them know how that thoughtful gesture impacted my day and my life. Did they do it for marketing? Who cares! They made my life easier and probably healthier.

Happy St. Paddy's Day! May the Corned Beef be gluten free and the meal make you smile. Just make sure the green beer is gluten free, too!

God Bless Ireland

Sharing a Gluten Free Kitchen with...(Gulp!) ... Glutenators!

For those who react badly to gluten sharing a kitchen with a glutenator can be scary. I've gotten sick on more than one occasion on just a tiny amount of gluten so I'm super careful of what goes in my mouth. And I share my kitchen with gluten.



How to manage a shared kitchen?

Set boundaries.
      My counter space is "L" shaped with a stove on one side. All gluten belongs to the left of the stove. There's a drawer on that side holds the gluten snacks. There's a toaster and electric can opener on the counter and a gluten bread basket.

     Right side of kitchen is the longer expanse of counter with a gluten-free toaster, gluten-free blender, gluten-free electric can opener and the always gluten-free coffee pot.

     There are two Teflon pots in our kitchen - both glutenated. The stainless steal      pots are gluten free. Glutened plastic spatulas/Gluten-free stainless spatulas. (Remember Teflon and plastic holds gluten.)
   
     A lower cabinet is the plastic-ware. I consider all plastic-ware glutenous.
     Upper cabinet is the glass -ware. These have plastic tops but I can hand wash        them away from gluten. And glass-ware comes in lunch-box sizes. Yay!

The biggest thing about a shared kitchen is co-operation. No matter how careful we are it doesn't work unless every family member understands cross contamination. Take time to set the rules and make sure everyone understands the gluten boundaries. Give the glutenators a special place to keep their goodies and make another area the gluten free zone. You're tummy and immune system will thank you for it.
Happy cooking!

Where Gluten Hides

Going gluten free easy???
Well, no.
It's not just what you buy, cook, and serve your Celiac that is an issue. It's also what you cook in, store in, and clean with.

• Teflon pans; Teflon is porous and will hold gluten to be passed to the next food cooked on it. Stainless steel is the best choice. 
• Tupperware/Plastic Storage; Plastic is another porous product that can pass gluten along to the next food stored in it. Does the dishwasher remove gluten? It's 50/50. Plastic has microscopic divets so you're still taking a chance. I use glass (dishwasher)with plastic lids that I hand wash away from gluten.
• Toaster! It's the last hold out for some newly diagnosed Celiacs. If the toaster has ever been used for gluten toast, then it has crumbs in it and it will get on the gluten free food. Invest in another toaster. We have two. Red one is gluten free and all the way on the other (gluten) side of the kitchen is the black (gluten) toaster. 
• Kitchen Sponge; If your kitchen sponge has ever touched gluten...well, it's sharing it with everything it touches. Wipe your sink out with the sponge? Was there ever gluten in your sink? Sponge contaminated. I use paper towels or dish clothes with wide knit netting that go int he washing machine. 

More info can be found at Gluten and Dairy Free.

Stay safe, Stay gluten free!