Making the decision to (really) go gluten free

I'll start this out by saying that I don't have celiac disease, my husband Dave does. When he was diagnosed, we knew immediately that it would be best to eliminate all the gluten containing foods at home, so we started to clear out our cupboards. Over the last three years, I've only purchased a few things that Dave couldn't eat, there are only the two of us at home, so I didn't want to waste money on something that would get stale before I could eat it. Making the house gluten free never seemed like a hardship to me because I knew I could eat "regular" food when I was at work, or out in a restaurant if I wanted to, and I could tell myself that this was a really good thing for my ongoing struggles with weight control (who needs bread, and cookies, and cake around the house anyway?). Over time, I began to eat gluten less and less often. It was easy to pass up bread in a restaurant by telling myself I didn't really need those extra calories, and as long as I could still have a cookie or a piece of birthday cake at work, I didn't feel deprived. Everything went along just fine. Then in January of this year I had knee surgery and was off work for 11 weeks. We weren't going out to dinner for quite awhile, so I went completely gluten free (without even thinking about it). So far so good, until a trip to Costco where I decided I was a little bored with breakfast and bought some cereal containing wheat. After that, I had some digestive issues. It was nothing drastic, I just felt like I'd eaten something that didn't quite agree with me. I'd eaten the "new" cereal 3 or 4 times before I realized that the cereal was actually the problem. Oh crap! Really?? I actually don't feel quite as good when I eat something with gluten in it? I challenged the idea by eating some chicken noodle soup and had to admit to myself it was true. So, even though I had not been actively avoiding gluten away from home thus far, I made the committment. From now on I will eat no gluten. Done...decision made...easy...no problem! Right? Well, yes and no. The fact that gluten is in just about any kind of processed food you can imagine is really personal now. I have felt a little bit of sadness as I think about some favorite foods I won't eat again unless I can make them at home with gluten free flours. It feels very different now, but it feels right. I cannot knowingly continue to eat gluten when I know it isn't good for my body. When I think about foods I might miss, like say oreo cookies for instance, I think of Elizabeth Barbone and her website Glutenfreebaking.com. I love her site!! I found it pretty early on in my search for gluten free baking information and have made many of her recipes. Her site is a membership site (worth every penny), but there are also free recipes available there. In her recently published cookbook, Easy Gluten Free Baking, she has a whole section of "Taste Alike" recipes including some of my favorites like chocolate graham crackers, and nutter butter cookies. To check out her website, click on this link: www.glutenfreebaking.com

Back in the Game! New start for my blog, gluten-freebreadbaker. Here it is the middle of April 2010 already. When I started this blog and made my first post last November, I never imagined it would be so long before I would write again. All I can say is that sometimes even when you think you are prepared for certain life-events, you find out that you really aren't prepared at all, and optional activities take a back-seat for awhile. That being said, I am really feeling the urge now to write and tell you about some of my experiences along the path of learning to bake bread without gluten. I'd love to share the stories of my accidental successes, unexpected baking disasters(and what I learned from them), and alittle bit about where I've found the best info over the past 3 years. I will post recipes too, some that have become my favorites, and some I've some up with too.

An update on the bakery: The current tenants will move out sometime in the next week or two (they are still awaiting the certificate of occupancy for their new place). We've hired a wonderful baker and assistant who are ok with not knowing the exact day they will start (thank goodness). We've been busy figuring out what we need, searching for used equipment, and preparing for the Portland Metro Gluten Intolerance Group's Gluten Free Food Fair which will be on May 1st at the All Saints Catholic Church at 3847 NE Glisan St, Portland, Or from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

As busy as we are going to be getting the bakery cleaned and ready to move into, and then getting the actual production going, baking at home will be a bit of a luxury for me. When times are short, I really appreciate the good pre-mixed flour blends like Better Batter. When I can use an old tried and true "regular" recipe, baking always seems easier and quicker. Better Batter flour is my favorite for cookies, muffins, quick breads, and cakes using regular recipes. Here is a recipe I converted to GF from an old "Better Homes and Gardens Bread Cookbook" I got as a
gift in 1972. If you like oatmeal, you'll love these muffins. Sorry I don't have a picture of these. I will include photos whenever I can.

Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup Better Batter Flour*
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick cooking gluten free oats
1 slightly beaten egg
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons salad oil

Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and oats into a medium bowl and mix well. Combine egg, milk, and salad oil into another bowl and whisk together until blended. Add wet ingredients all at once to dry ingredients and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. DO NOT OVER MIX. Spray muffin pans with pan spray and fill 2/3 full. Bake in hot oven 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Time will vary with individual oven. Makes 12 muffins.
* Most "all purpose" type gluten free flour blends will work with this recipe as long as they already contain xanthan or guar gum.