Eating out ...

It's inevitable, the day will come that you don't feel like making a meal - you just want to eat out...you want to sit down in a restaurant and be waited on.  It used to be such a carefree and easy experience - decide what you're hungry for, find the closest restaurant that fits the bill, get a menu and pick what sounds the best!  I will admit eating out has me...it's hard to sit in a restaurant and smell the wonderful aroma of gluten laden foods...it's hard to watch the food go by and even harder to sit down with others and watch them order something that just a few years ago I too would have never thought twice about ordering.

I must say, we don't eat out much at all any more.  I'm sticking with my theory that when it comes from my house, and I've been in control of the ingredients we are all going to feel much better.  However, I do enjoy the social aspect of eating out and have such fond memories of great food - and so therefore do venture out on occassion to find the best GF options out there!

Here's what I've found:

• Mexican food is generally a great starting point.  Be sure to avoid flour tortillas and you will likely find a nice variety of menu options.  I have eaten at many different places and never had a problem.
• Google 'gluten free restaurants ____' fill the blank in with the city you are eating in.  I have found that big chains - BJ's, Red Robin, PF Changs, The Outback Steakhouse and such are coming around with decent GF menu options.
• Check with your favorite quaint little places ahead of time.  Amazing what a simple phone call will provide.  Just this past weekend I was headed up to Anacortes with some friends.  My favorite deli resides on Commercial St. in Anacortes.  A quick phone during the week allowed me to give them a heads up, and in turn they made sure to have GF bread on hand.  They were great and knew which menu items were safe and which to avoid.

Once you are there be sure to tell everyone who will have any remote contact with your food that you are gluten free.  I tell the person seating us, the wait staff and ask again when my food comes 'is that gluten free?'.  Recently, I had an experience where the wait staff was certain a food was GF, and then upon the manager bringing my salad and I asked again about the bbq sauce dressing being GF - she hesitated, said she was unsure and then back my salad went...not going to chance it.

I really do think there are lots of places open to the idea of serving GF menu options and I think that as time goes on we will see that really they have no choice :)

You are what you eat :)

My friend, Jenn, has asked me to share with you a few food ideas!  Now, mind you, this is the Jenn that in high school I sat and ate a sleeve of chocolate covered hostess donuts with...and I finished them off with a diet coke!  I've come a long ways since then and have found a much better way of living.

I preface this again with the knowledge that we live in the greater Seattle/Tacoma area where health food stores, small markets and the like are readily available with a quick 20 minute drive.

So, what do I eat for lunch?  Good question!  Most days a simple GF sandwich...the great thing about GF bread, is the serving size is realistic - no 'super size' sandwich here.  I load it with whatever organic veggies I can squeeze in there and then add a slice or two of  lunch meat (Trader Joe's or Columbus from Costco) and some fresh cheese.  I also love a little goat cheese, sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and rice crackers.  Often I will make some sort of broth based soup for dinner and I enjoy having that around for lunch too, I freeze it in single serving containers and pull one out in the morning before leaving with the kids.  Again, I find the key to avoiding what I shouldn't eat in preplanning!  Making sure that when I grocery shop my house is full of foods that are organic, protein rich and tasty!

How about snacks?  How do I keep us energized through the day while keeping 'convenient' foods out of my pantry?  Some days that's easier than others :)  I'll be the first to admit - there are dye free lollipops, tortilla chips and other 'treats' lurking in my pantry --- but control is everything here.  Our biggest snack options is a  fruit plate - simply slicing up a variety of fruit I have on hand and putting it out with some cheese or yogurt for dipping.  My kids also adore popcorn, that is a favorite to put along side a sliced apple (no butter, of course).  I also make homemade granola, that my kids toss on top of greek yogurt (a new found favorite) --- little do they realize it's got healthy oats and almonds hiding in there :)  And if they are really hungry, I've always got the makings for bean and cheese burritos on hand...homemade beans, tossed in a corn tortilla with a bit of cheese - great protein snack!

My kids are known for grabbing an apple or orange on the way out the door knowing they might get hungry while we are out.  We all also love smoothies.  I invested in a VitaMix about 4-5 years ago...truly one of the BEST investments I've ever made!  We pick/freeze fresh chemical free fruit in the summer, freeze it and voila yummy smoothies year round!  I've been known to 'hide' a handful of heart healthy almonds, or spinach in there and they suck them down like crazy!  Our current favorite is an 'orange cream' smoothie.  Take two fresh peeled oranges and toss them in with a banana, two spoonfuls of vanilla/plain greek yogurt and a little ice...blend and there you go!

Hope that gives you some ideas of where to start!  Start with what you know and look a little further beyond there.  Enjoy your weekend and your family time!

Whole Foods

Although I indeed do love to wander around and shop at Whole Foods, the grocery store, that is not what I am talking about today when I say 'whole foods'...I simply mean eat foods that are whole!  I had someone tell me not long ago that if it doesn't have a mother or come from the ground, we really shouldn't be eating it!  I agree, but am a work in progress too - so must admit that not everything we eat falls into this category.

I've had some great feedback recently in regards to food dye and removing it from our general diets.  This has given me a chance to do some thinking about how going gluten free led me to going dye free which has led me in turn to eating healthier, closer to home and working towards the goal of more whole foods in our diets.  It's hard and takes a conscious effort!  I can't just leave home and think, if we get hungry we'll pull through McDonalds - not a choice.  Nor is it a choice to have a bag of dye filled fish crackers in the car, or pesticide laden raisins...I have to plan and take the food with us - sliced apples and cheese, homemade granola, almond butter GF sandwiches etc...

When you stop and think about it, when your focus is on whole foods, you will naturally eliminate the food dye, preservatives and other 'unnatural' man made junk that is thrown in our food chain.  It really is pretty simple to prepare, store and plan better meals and snacks.  And truly in the end, more cost effective!  You will feel better (physically, mentally and emotionally) and you will be healthier!  And really once it's a habit you won't want to 'go back'...I think about a trip my husband and I took 8 years ago this summer.  We were Coke drinkers - especially if it came from a restaurant fountain drink!  This particular trip was a road trip, with two very small children, and needless to say we were drinking 4-6 cans a day!  UGGGH!  Anyhow, when we got home we challenged one another to see who could avoid it the longest...well, I've never gone back!  A week turned into a month, which turned into a year and when I tasted it, it was AWFUL!  I rarely even drink the natural soda I keep on hand for the kids - it's too sugary!  Give me my water with a lemon slice any day and I am happy!

However, I caution baby steps are best and being realistic too! This process is years in the making for me.  It's taken a true effort to prioritize what my goals are and I only take one thing at a time and implement it into our daily lifestyle.  I am still hopeful to change a few more things and yet am okay with what we've accomplished!  As I said earlier, we don't follow the whole foods policy 100% of the time...however, I bake all our baked goods, I make as much of our food from scratch as possible and when a treat is in order it's a dye free, minimally processed treat!

Like I've said before, I'm a bit of a food freak...and you know with this territory will come those who don't believe and think your crazy!  But if this is what crazy is, I am okay with it :)

Happy Sunny Day!

Hummus!

Okay, I'm the first to admit it - hummus took a bit of time and maturing for me to like!  But, really it's not just something I like, I LOVE it!  This stuff is great, you can put it with anything - my favorite way is simply with whatever veggies are on hand!  It's great, filling and when you make it yourself is low calorie and fat!

My friend, Julie, shared her recipe with me that she also had passed along to her by a friend.  With a few tweeks of my own I am proud to say I can make hummus from scratch!  YIPPEE!  Yet another dish that I know exactly what is in there!  I know what I'm eating, I like that :)

Sooooooo easy to do, you'll love it!  Now I used Julie's basic recipe below and added about another 1/4 cup of broth, 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and another teaspoon of cumin.  If I had sundried tomatoes on hand I'd put a dollop of those in the middle for presentation.  You could also start with dried beans, cook them in your crockpot for 3-4 hours and proceed from there.  Really, work with this basic recipe and design the hummus to your tastes!

Hummus

2 cans Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), about 3 cups, drained and rinsed
3 large garlic cloves, pressed
Lemon Juice, fresh squeezed from ½ a lemon
3 Tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon cumin (or more to taste)
½ teaspoon salt

Drain and rinse your chickpeas. Place all ingredients into food processor and mix until smooth. Taste and
adjust seasonings to your liking. Serve with fresh or blanched veggies, or use as a spread.
*super low fat due to swap veg broth for tahini* adjust to your tastes, but very basic starter recipe! :) Enjoy!

Mmmmmmm! Pumpkin Bread!

I was in the mood for baking today - but couldn't decide what it was I wanted...cookies, muffins, chocolates, what?  Obviously, something on the sweeter side seemed to be fitting the bill!  As I finished up some of my Monday chores, it felt like a pumpkin kind of day - pumpkin bread that is!

Out to the freezer I went - yep, you read that right, the freezer!  See in my crazy food world I use fresh pumpkin, not canned!  This past fall when we were bustling about the pumpkin patches full of those bright orange gems, I gathered myself six perfect sugar pumpkins! 

They are super easy to cook down and freeze, just cut them up into chunks (after seeding them, of course), place in a shallow (I use a 9x13 pan) baking dish with a bit of water and put them in the oven at 250 degrees for a bit (probably an hour to an hour and a half).  You'll know their done when you put a fork into it and it slides right out.  Let them cool real well, peel the skin off and run them through your food processor.  Most all of my recipes call for 2 cups of pumpkin, so I put them in 2 quart freezer bags by the 2-cup portions, place the bags on a cookie sheet and freeze.  Once they are frozen you can remove them from the cookie sheet. Note to self...take my word for it and use a cookie sheet!  If not, be prepared to pull frozen pumpkin from between the 'rungs' of your freezer shelf...not that I've ever had to do that or anything!

Honestly, you will never taste a pumpkin muffin, bread or pie that tastes better than those made with fresh pumpkin!  And, did you realize how good pumpkin is for you?  It's low in calories and FULL of disease fighting nutrients like alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, fiber, vitamins C and E, panthothenic acid, potassium and magnesium. I could go on and on...but really - I do love pumpkin and it's a great benefit that it is good for me too!  Makes me feel a wee bit better about making a sweet treat!

So - here's what I did...using my tried and true pumpkin bread recipe, I swapped out the regular flour for my rice blend, adding the appropriate amount of xanthan gum. 

Then I added a few extra spices!  Have I mentioned how much I LOVE good spices and herbs?  I am a fan of Penzey's, and added these yummy spices to the mix...

Then I finished mixing and voila!  Pumpkin bread that is oven ready!  I like to add chocolate chips to my pumpkin bread, makes for such a decadent treat!

 And the finished product leaves my house smelling AMAZING, my kids' tummys full and a smile on my face that once again I enjoy one of my favorite treats, sans the gluten!

Living Amongst the Chaos

This food world we are emerged in is no easy world to live in!  There are tempations, treats and everything imagineable in between!  When you add to the mix a food sensitivity/allergy combined with knowledge it can seem unbearable and overwhelming.

However, as I've learned 'knowledge is power'.  We're told that, taught that and given many chances to test it out - but it wasn't until this food journey that I really began to understand it.  As I've mentioned, my entire family rides this crazy food train with me...really they have no choice :)  I am the chief grocery shopper, meal planner and well overall crazy lady of the house!  They get what I bring home, mix up and put in front of them.  But, I do try to make it all make sense to them!

This past week it became apparent to me that I am making strides in this area with everyone in our household!  My oldest, my very sweet and kind daughter, came home from school announcing she'd had a watermelon cup left over from the hot lunch orders...'mom, I checked it out and the ingredients said it was just watermelon!'  I LOVE that she read the label!  I LOVE that she took ownership of knowing what a good choice is and made it!  I LOVE that she on her level gets what this is about!  Then there's my son, a very competitive sports oriented guy, who was invited to the one and only Chuck E Cheese with a friend....without much of a thought - he asked me to make him a GF pizza here at home and he'd just play games, WOW, no question about it - he got it!  And lastly, but most certainly not the least, my ever understanding husband, Mr. E.  He hauled me along this week on a trip down to Tacoma where he had to drop something off, and checked out a local meat and product place with me!  He was excited and energetic about talking to the owner and was just as thrilled as I was to find the meat was natural, much of it grass fed and he knew where the meat came from!  I'll write more on this place after we've tried everything we got! 

I know I haven't changed the world or moved mountains by any means - but I have made a huge shift in the thinking of my family.  If you know me you know I can be a bit obsessive about things and this has been no exception.  However, I've completely revamped how we all eat - no easy task!  I respect that I have kids, and they are just that --- kids!  Sometimes I feel bad that they don't do McDonald's or the like. That somehow I've taken away their 'kidness' by removing the bright colorful food, the overprocessed food and the fast food from their lives...but when I see that they have taken ownership in it, when I see that they understand what is in their food and when I see that they get what a better choice this is, I am humbled and in awe of what a little knowledge has given our family!

Thanks!

Just a quick note of thanks this evening!  Over the past week I have received emails and had several readers comment to me about my blog.  Some of you have shared that you have passed my link along to others living in this crazy freaky food world of ours and many of you have shared kind words of encouragement, gratitude and acceptance!  Thank you all for being a part of my journey here.  I will admit that starting a blog is/was scary!  The constant 'what ifs' linger every single time I click 'post', as you never know who will say what and will it just make me look that much crazier :)

So thank you to all of you!  I appreciate your kind words and support!  And although I have no idea what all I will fill the pages of my blog with, it gives me strength and courage to know you are out there!

PS...I've had several people ask me about leaving a comment - I believe you will have to become a 'follower' of my blog to do so.  I am thinking this requires you to give an email address and password.