BUT I HAVE NO TIME!

When we tell anyone for the first time that we have Celiac Disease they respond with " Oh that sucks", "Ahh that's really tough", "What do you eat then" and so many other classics. Its all true though. It sucks not to eat whereever you want and for your GF pizza to be double the price and to spend grocery shopping checking labels and praying your favorite chip company didn't change any ingredients and fail to inform you. It is really tough to have to make things from scratch and try eating packaged GF bread and watch it crumble in your hands but not have the time to make it from scratch. We eat very similar foods just minus the gluten...

So here are some tips with dealing with not having anytime and spending so much money on a $10 GF meal that is $1 for an average person.

1. Make in advance and freenze it- You never will have time on Monday morning to bake a loaf of bread or Friday night to watch a batch of pizza dough rise, however you may have time to do both on Sunday night. Here is what I suggest. When you have the free time bake a loaf of bread or a box of pizza dough. When the bread is done, let it cool, slice it and freeze it. This will keep it from molding too fast which gluten free bread tends to do when left out and then remove amount needed each time. Also when it comes to other things. Make your pizza dough and then bake them all for about half to 2/3 of the time suggested on the box. Then freeze them putting parchment paper in between them for easy seperation when needed. How fantastic is that!
2. Simply avoid meals that normally have gluten in them- I know this seems so simple but how many of us Celiacs don't do it. We buy GF pasta, GF bread, GF pizza and so one. We shounld cook more with GF grains like rice, potatoes, amarath, quinioa and so on. Explore your grocery store and you will be surprised. Don't go searching for GF croutons for your salad, think of something more creative like nuts, dried fruits and seeds. You will be amazed how much better your meals take, how much faster they are to prepare and how much cheaper your groceries are.

Turkey Franks!

http://www.empirekosher.com/zip.php?contentpage=pagesnew/guidelines.htmSummertime cookouts can  be a little tough for us GF folks. We have to read the labels of everything and can never be completely safe. I was at a cookout the other day and all the hotdogs were put in buns and delivered to the table. Even if I could eat them, I couldn't anymore. I asked a friend to make sure a sausage I knew was safe by brand name didnt touch any bread or other non gluten free product.

Well when I was at the grocery store I found a few hotdogs with gluten free written right on the label like Nathan's hotdogs. However these products can be pricey.

Then I found Empire Kosher on sale  at Stop and Shop and looked them up on my smart phone. Sure enough this company makes a ton of gluten free products. Check them out and tell me what you think!  Empire Kosher GF List!

Be safe and don't cheat at BBQs this summer because who wants to be bedridden in the summer.

-S