My Gluten Free Promise!



Like most people when I found out I had to go gluten free I turned to the internet, and a couple of books. Being part of the food blogger world I scanned through countless blogs all of which offered all sorts of great looking recipes..... here comes the big However!
When I realized that those foods were bad for me I realized that there is a reason they are bad and why try to constantly substitute glutinous foods for ones that replicate the bad stuff? (especially when they are often so heavily processed!).
Gluten is very hard to digest, for some it is only diffucult and a minor annoyance that they don't even pay attention to, for people like me it actually causes adverse and sometimes embarrassing reactions and for others who are celiac it can cause irreversible damage to the intestinal tract. It really isn't meant to be eaten by anyone, and many cultures avoid it all together, or use it very sparingly. In North America however it is in EVERYTHING! Well just about everything, it hides in Soy Sauce and lurks in salad  dressings and marinades. It acts as a Stabilizer and Flavoring. If you see the words 'Natural Flavoring' or any variation you can bet that it is sneaky gluten getting into the things you use each and every day!
Now back to those blogs... everywhere you look you can find gluten free baking recipes, and I suppose this is the area where people need some expert information but it just seems so unfairly represented. When I was looking for recipes I was looking for those magical foods that are naturally gluten free and delicious, I wasn't looking for replications of the foods that were making me sick! I wanted fresh new ideas that I knew would lead to good health I wanted to see recipes that featured whole foods like vegetables and quinoa! I wanted to see ideas for breakfast lunch and dinner not just bread and dessert!
Where is a normal gluten free breakfast, lunch and dinner blog??

Well then I suppose it is up to me to provide you with that. I have already begun to Label my recipes Gluten Free so you can look here to find the ones that are currently gluten free, and please check back for more!
I can't promise that I won't throw in the occasional rice pasta, or gluten free cookie but I want to focus on how someone who has to eat gluten free actually has to eat, not just how to treat yourself. So many people are daunted by going gluten free but it really isn't that hard, you just need to rewire your brain a little bit so I hope I can help anyone who needs that! But remember these recipes will still be delicious for all so everyone is included!

Love,
Tiff

Lotus Root Chips - The prettiest Chips of all!



As I mentioned not only an I gluten free now but I am also allergic to Potatoes :(
I found these Lotus Roots at Wal Mart of all places and while I don't usually buy produce from there these piqued my interest. No Potatoes means No Potato Chips... and I love things that are salty and crisp.
So get ready for the Worlds easiest recipe!


Lotus Root Chips

Lotus Root
Salt
Oil for frying

I sliced my Lotus Root on a mandolin, I used the second to thinnest slice, the thinnest was just a little too think for the bit that I wanted but you do whatever floats your boat.

Fry in small batches until golden and crisp, seasoning with salt while they are still warm.

They taste just like Potato Chips except they are SO much prettier! I have also used them as a garnish, what a simple and delicious way to dress up a meal!

My discovery came from a cup of tea!

Yes, my gluten intolerance was discovered due to a cup of tea.....


You may laugh at this but here it goes:
I went with a friend to have my Tea Leaves read last November and the lady who read them told me all sorts of things that were true and interesting about work, relationships, life you know the juicy stuff you usually want to hear when going to see a 'psychic' then near the end of the conversation she added in that I as allergic to something and I knew it because whenever I ate it I got a runny nose.
For months I had been getting a runny nose and kept thinking that I must be allergic to something but I didn't know if it was something in the air, in my house, or something that I ate... and if it was something that I ate how the hell would I decipher what it was, most of the time I consume many different ingredients in a meal. She said she thought it was starch, most likely wheat and potatoes.

So for about a month and a half I cut out starch from my diet completely. Including over Christmas which was really hard. I had also recently been talking to a woman who was allergic to 'everything' and had become really sick before she began working with her doctor to figure out she was allergic to all sorts of things and all he told her was to journal her food and how she felt, so I decided to figure it out on my own. As I said I cut out all starches from my body, then I slowly reintroduced them... well I tried... most starches made me feel terrible. I remember one one occasion around 11:00 in the morning I ate a single one bite brownie and by 1pm I was sick, in bed for the rest of the day. The only way I can explain it is like the worst hangover you have ever experienced x 100. I was nauseous, my head pounded harder then I had ever felt and I was completely drained of energy, I stayed in bed until the next day. So that means wheat certainly didn't agree with me. I also tried to drink a beer, and it left me feeling bloated and gross not as violent of a reaction as with the wheat but then I put two and two together and realized that was why I get terrible hangovers from only drinking two beer.... and that was why I get awful migraines sometimes... Gluten!
I had suspected but hoped it was just wheat and not gluten all together... somewhere I knew though... I can eat plenty of rice, quinoa, and other whole grains but not Wheat, Barley or Rye...
and as for Potatoes, they aren't that bad, but they do make me feel extremely bloated and gross so I just steer clear.

I know it is a strange way to learn about your health, but I am so grateful that I took her seriously. I am a much healthier person because of it!

Love,
Tiff

PS: Here is a link to the already Gluten Free recipes on my blog :)  Gluten Free