Tales of a Small Town Celiac

Gluten Free in Gatlinburg

2013-07-05T08:23:00.000-05:00

My husband and I recently traveled to Gatlinburg and had a great time! I was a little worried that I would have a difficult time finding gluten free food but after our first trip to Food City my fears were calmed! They recently underwent a remodel which included a pretty large gluten free section. I was so excited when they had Schar gluten free bread because it meant I could actually eat a sandwich when we had a picnic in the park. Food City having a large selection of gluten free options definitely helped take any worry out of our trip to Gatlinburg.

We mostly cooked at our Cabin but if you travel to Gatlinburg and want to eat out there are also quite a few restaurants in the area that offer gluten free items. One of our favorite places to eat with a gluten free menu is Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. I had the Shrimp Skewers which were delicious! Here is a link with some of the other restaurants with gluten free menus

To sum up, if you take a trip to Gatlinburg just enjoy the mountains, the shopping, and the local attractions and don't worry about whether or not you'll find food to eat because you'll find plenty!

Some more Pinspiration!

2013-05-12T19:13:00.001-05:00

No that is not a typo in the title....Inspiration + pinterest= pinspiration! If you haven't figured it out yet I am slightly addicted to pinterest. I just find so many great recipe ideas on there that I wouldn't have found otherwise so I can't help but be addicted! So my newest recipe from pinterest was a delicious Egg Brunch Casserole that I made for Mother's Day today. It was perfect because I made it last night and it was ready when I woke up for Church this morning, which meant less work for me today! Here is the recipe.....Egg Brunch Casserole

The recipe says to cook on low for 8-10 hours. I cooked mine for 9 hours which overcooked it a little bit. It was still delicious but next time I will cook it for 8 hours and check on it. My crockpot could be pooping out on me but I think I just should have cooked it less. We also topped the casserole with salsa which complemented it very well :)

Along with the casserole I also made some delicious blueberry scones. I have never made scones before but I will tell you this wont be the last time I'll make them.! They were so delicious and were a big hit with everybody. I got the recipe from my Gluten Free on a Shoestring cookbook. I absolutely love that cookbook and need to buy the other one. I also found the recipe on her blog.

Instead of Bob's red mill I used King Arthur gluten free flour. I love King Arthur flour when making baked goods! Every time I have used it the product has been delicious and even people that aren't gluten free love it!

Along with the casserole and scones I had assorted fruit and I would have to say it was a successful and delicious brunch!

Why is a gluten free diet so expensive?

2013-04-27T10:34:00.001-05:00

If you have started a gluten free diet you have probably noticed the specialty GF products are much more expensive than comparable gluten containing products. Your probably thinking how am I going to follow a gluten free diet when all the GF products cost at least twice as much as other products! Well as someone on a grocery shopping budget I can tell you that being gluten free does not have to break the bank. Here are some suggestions I have come up with to save some money with a GF diet:

1. Stop buying so many packaged GF products and start shopping the perimeter of the store! First off all of the gluten free chips, cookies, muffins, cakes, breads, etc. don't have many nutrients and are not good for you even if they are GF. I'm not saying to completely stop buying these items, I'm just saying to limit your consumption of them. Try shopping for items that are naturally gluten free around the perimeter like fruit, vegetables, fresh meats, yogurt, eggs, and nuts. These items should make up the core of your diet. I know you can't get everything from the perimeter so here a few items I usually buy from the middle of the store: rice, beans, corn tortillas, cereal, and GF pasta.

2. Start getting creative in the kitchen. Most of the specialty GF items at the store can be made at home for a cheaper price. GF baking can be a little tricky sometimes but it is worth it! One of my favorite cookbooks for cooking GF on a budget is Gluten Free on a Shoestring. It even shows how much you are saving by cooking at home.

3. Buy in bulk. Some gluten free flours and things can be a little pricey but they will go on sale every now and then. When these items go on sale go ahead and stock up on them. GF items don't go on sale that often so its best to take advantage. Also if you now someone that is also GF have them split a bulk order with you if possible.

4. Shop at stores that are going to save you some money. For example, I love Aldi! I save quite a bit of money by buying most of my groceries there. Aldi also has labels on the majority of their products that says if they are GF or not, you just have to look. I also love Trader Joes but the closest one is an hour away :( Sometimes I also get some GF food from TJ Maxx and Big lots. I have found some really good deals on granola, snack bars, cake, cookie, and bread mixes at both places.

5. Just because an item doesn't say it is specifically gluten free doesn't mean it isn't. When starting out on a gluten free diet I highly recommend to get the Essential Gluten-Free Grocery Guide . Using this book can save you money because your not buying everything from companies that only make GF items and mark up their prices. Also some companies have a list of all the store brand gluten free items they have. Here is Kroger's list. Also go to this link for more general GF info on the Kroger website.

6. If you have a smart phone use some GF apps. There is a great app on my iPhone called ipiit. I love this app because if your not sure if an item is gluten free or not just by reading the ingredients just scan it with the app and it will tell you if it is safe for you or not. This saves me so much time because I'm not having to search the internet to find out if a specific item is gluten free or not.

7. Do some shopping online. Many times you can find better prices on gluten free products online, just beware of shipping costs because they can be high sometimes. I love the gluten free saver website. They send you daily deals to your email on gluten free items. It's sort of like groupon for people on a GF diet. I have bought quite a few things from this website.

Well I think thats enough tips on saving money for now! As you can see being gluten free doesn't mean you have to go broke. With a little bit of research and planning you can save a bunch of money on your grocery bill!

Some of my GF Pinterest recipes!

2013-04-05T19:35:00.000-05:00

So if you haven't given into the Pinterest craze yet, you need to! I have found so many great recipes off of there that I wouldn't have found otherwise. One week I made something I found on pinterest every night of the week! I might be a little obsessed!

I made these cheesy cauliflower pancakes the other night and they were delicious. You would never know they were made out of cauliflower. You can do alot of things with cauliflower that I never would have thought of doing, like make mash potatoes with them. The only thing I did differently was use cornmeal instead of panko bread crumbs. You could probably also use an all purpose GF flour. I did some research and found that Kinnikinnick and Ian's make a GF panko bread crumb. I'll definitely have to try those in the future!

http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com/2009/09/cheesy-cauliflower-pancakes.html

I am addicted to this two-minute mug brownie! So delicious and easy. I just substituted rice flower.

http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/two-minute-mug-brownie/

This pumpkin crisp was a huge hit over the holidays! Just use GF yellow cake mix!

http://rachelschultz.com/2012/10/27/pumpkin-crisp/

My husband loved these Chicken Alfredo Roll-ups. They really weren't to hard to make and it was a whole new take on lasagna. I just used GF lasagna noodles.

http://mmmcafe.blogspot.com/2012/01/chicken-alfredo-roll-ups.html

This was just a sampling of the awesome recipes I have pinned on pinterest! As you can see alot of the recipes I have pinned are not originally gluten free so I modified them. So when you see a recipe that looks delicious don't count it out when it isn't gluten free. There is usually some way you can modify a recipe to make it gluten free and it will still be just as delicious if done right! Feel free to follow me on pinterest! http://pinterest.com/caseylynwebb/

GF pizza and pasta!

2013-03-09T10:16:00.001-06:00

So I think I may be the worst blogger ever seeing as how I've gone for almost 2 years without adding another post. Well I'm going to do my best to revamp by blog and start adding new items and prove I can actually keep up with a blog! I'm trying to figure out how to add a button so you can follow me on Pinterest because I have alot of good recipes on my GF board. I guess I'm just not good enough with technology but I'll work on figuring that out. I really want to share all the great GF recipes I've found and all the great info I've come across!

So on to the GF pizza and pasta! I've recently found out that Gondola's in cookeville offers a GF menu that consists of GF pizza and pasta! That is very exciting because there's usually not many choices at an italian restaurant if you have to eat GF. I absolutely love pizza so its really exciting to know that I can go out to eat locally and eat a pizza just like everyone else!

Also if your looking for a quick take out GF pizza Domino's also offers one. There was a study done to determine if the GF pizza at dominos is safe for people with Celiac disease. After reading it I would personally take a chance on eating one! Check out this link to see what I'm talking about:
https://www.celiact.com/blog/2012/05/31/108-dominos-gluten-free-pizza-gluten-free-lab-test?utm_source=CeliAct+General+List&utm_campaign=9edccc4c71-12.26+Top+12&utm_medium=email

If your ever in the Baxter area the Whistle Stop offers a GF pizza as well. The pizza is only $2 more than the regular pizza. I've heard the food there is excellent and can't wait to try out their pizza!

I'm so glad that even towns as small as Cookeville and Baxter have places that are offering specialty GF items. It goes to show just how much more aware everyone is getting of people with sensitivities to gluten. It is definitely becoming easier to be GF in this town!

Zatarains!!

2011-10-25T09:20:00.000-05:00

While surfing the internet I came across a Zatarains link that showed they now have 19 varieties of gluten free rice mixes! This is exciting for me because I grew up eating the Dirty Rice and the Jambalaya! I love cajun food and Zatarains is an easy way to get your fix! Check it out!

One Day Will There be a Cure??

2011-09-10T11:19:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've added anything on here.....I feel like I've been neglecting my blog :-( I'll try to add things on here when I have time I've just been extremely busy lately! Anyways what I got on here to write about is that there may be a cure for Celiac Disease in the future!! I think this would be great because us Celiac's could eat what we want to again or at least not have to worry so much about cross contamination when we go out to eat which we all know can be a big issue!

I was reading the CeliaAct blog which has a lot of great information on it and read that there are two projects in the works to cure Celiac disease. One of these projects is a Vaccine called Nexvax. This vaccine would expose your body to the three most harmful protein fragments in gluten in the absence of the molecule that triggers the bad reactions to gluten. The thought is that repeated exposure would cause the immune systeme to desensitize itself in a similar way to how allergy shots work.

The other project that is being worked on is more of a treatment than a cure but it's still a step in the right direction! The treatment is called ALV003 and it uses an enzyme based approach to break down the harmful components of gluten. This would be a supplement that would be taken before eating gluten similar to how people take Lactaid before eating dairy,

Go here for more information on these ground breaking studies:

http://www.celiact.com/blog/2011/08/18/51-cure-for-celiac-disease-part-1

http://www.celiact.com/blog/2011/08/29/53-a-cure-for-celiac-disease-part-2

-Casey

Some Yummy GF sweets!!

2011-05-02T22:42:00.000-05:00

So if you know me you know I have a little bit of a sweet tooth!! Well I found some new sweets that I absolutely love! I always love finding new GF treats to satisfy me sweet tooth that also don't break the bank. Well these new sweets I found are French Meadow bakery chocolate chip cookies and fudge brownies. They are especially great when I want something sweet but don't feel like cooking anything. The brownies are already cooked so all you have to do is pop them in the microwave to get them warm and enjoy! They would also be great in an ice cream sundae! The chocolate chip cookies are squares of cookie dough so you do have to cook them but they only take about 15 minutes and when there done you have ooey gooey delicious chocolate chip cookies. I think they're very comparable to Toll House cookies (but it has been a while since I've had those but I imagine that's what their like). I actually just made me a cookie and it was sooo good! The website even has some coupons if you want to check it out.
http://www.frenchmeadow.com/coupons

Quinoa....funny name, great grain!

2011-04-03T22:03:00.000-05:00

I had some quinoa, pronounced keen-wah, for dinner tonight and I wanted to write a little bit about this great grain. Quinoa is great for people with Celiac disease because sometimes we don't get all the nutrients we need from our diet and quinoa can help us get it. It is full of protein as well as all 9 amino acids. It's also very versatile. You can eat it for breakfast, with dinner, in salads, and more. I'm going to include a couple links with more information on this great little grain!

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=142&tname=foodspice

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/basic-quinoa.php

I also found some great recipe's on ThePinkCowgirl.blogspot.com. I made the breakfast quinoa she has on there and it was easy and delicious!

Kroger Remodel!

2011-03-07T22:10:00.000-06:00

So I feel like I've been neglecting my blog ever since I started my new job. The training is wearing me out and then I don't feel like doing anything at night. I'm going to start doing better and start putting some more good info on here though! Tonight I just wanted to share about the new Kroger remodel here in Cookeville. I went there last week and was surprised to see their new expanded organic and gluten free section. There's new snacks, soups, freezer items, and more! I got some gluten free taquitos, oreos, bagels, udi's bread, udi's pizza crust, and a few other things! By the way they have a separate Udi's section by the produce! I'm so glad they decided to expand that section because it gives us gluten free people in Cookeville more options. It's the next best thing to having a store like Whole Foods or Earth Fare. I'm so happy that gluten free foods are becoming more popular and abundant because it makes things for people living gluten free, even in small towns, so much easier!

I also want to share a recipe from the Live Gluten Freely website that is delicious! It's called Better Than Almost Anything Cake, and it is one of the best gluten free cakes I've ever had! Here's the recipe....

1 box Betty Crocker® Gluten Free devil's food cake mix

Water, butter and eggs called for on cake mix box

1 jar (12.25 oz) caramel topping

1 cup frozen (thawed) whipped topping

1/2 cup toffee bits

1. Heat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Make and bake cake mix as directed on box, using water, butter, eggs and any of the pan choices.
2. With handle of wooden spoon, poke top of warm cake every 1/2 inch. Drizzle caramel topping evenly over top of cake; let stand until absorbed into cake. Cover; refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.
3. Spread whipped topping over top of cake. Sprinkle with toffee bits. Store covered in refrigerator.

Social Situations

2011-02-08T17:03:00.000-06:00

So I don't know if it's just me but it seems that most social situations in life involve food. Someone without food allergies or intolerance's doesn't give this a second thought. I know I never did until I had to go gluten free. Friends want to go out to eat, there's banquets or luncheons at work, there's barbeques,etc. Many people who are new to a gluten free diet don't know how to deal with these situations or don't want to bring attention to themselves by telling people they can't eat the same things they can. I used to hate to have to tell people why I can't eat there food at a party or explain why I have to order a certain way at restaurants. I thought of it as a burden and I didn't want to bring so much attention to myself. I was just feeling sorry for myself which I think can be normal when first diagnosed with Celiac disease. Now over a year after my diagnoses my attitude about my gluten free diet has totally changed. Instead of dreading telling people about my gluten free diet I use it as a time to educate someone else that might have known nothing about Celiac disease or what gluten is and why I can't eat it.
The reason I bring up social situations is because I just started a new job yesterday and I was already presented with a challenge involving food. Today for lunch they brought pizza for everyone which they told us yesterday they were going to do. So instead of waiting until today to say hey I can't eat the pizza so I just brought my own food I spoke up and told them I can't eat that because of a food allergy (sometimes its just easier to say its a food allergy) and if it was ok to bring my own lunch. My manager of course said that was fine and nothing more was said about it that day so it really wasn't a big deal. That used to be a big deal to me to speak up like that about my diet but I now know it has to be done. So today during lunch I did have some questions about gluten and why I can't eat it and how I eat at restaurants. I didn't mind answering the questions at all and it didn't make me uncomfortable and I got to teach some people about gluten intolerance. So my point is don't be afraid to speak up and don't be embarrassed to bring your own food if you need to because people aren't going to judge you for it, they'll usually just be genuinely curious. Just remember your health comes first and don't ever feel like you have to eat food with gluten in it when your in a social situation where everyone is eating food that your not supposed to.

Here's a list of some helpful hints when dealing with social situations involving food........

When going to a party, inform your host or hostess of your allergy so they'll know why you have to turn down there special homemade lasagna and chocolate cake. Sometimes they might even offer to make you your own gluten free food, just make sure they know about cross contamination. I would also double check the ingredients they use because although they are being sweet by making you a meal they probably don't know the gluten free status of the ingredients as well as you do.
Bring a gluten free snack for everyone to try like chips and salsa or something homemade. People who never had gluten free food can see how delicious it can be.
Host your own party with all gluten free food!
Never go to an event on an empty stomach just in case there is absolutely nothing there you can eat. You can also carry a snack bar with you just in case you get hungry.
When going out to eat always inform the server about your allergy. If the restaurant doesn't have a gluten free menu its always helpful to call ahead and speak with a manager to make sure they can accommodate your gluten free needs.
Don't think of your diet as a burden but think of it as a chance to be creative with your cooking and to educate others!

What is gluten?

2011-02-04T19:16:00.000-06:00

The big question is "What is gluten". If your like me I didn't know much about gluten until I got diagnosed with Celiac disease. I knew a little bit about it from being a server but I had no idea to what extent gluten can be found in things. Well gluten is found in wheat, barley, or rye, so it's found in many things like bread, pastas, cereals, gravies,cookies, cakes, licorice, and beer. So at first it may seem like the end of the world because if you were like me most of your favorite foods contain gluten and you think you can never eat those things again. Well I have good news for you! You can still eat your favorite foods but in gluten free versions. Don't get me wrong there are some gluten free foods out there that are not so good but there are some other ones out there that are just as good as any gluten filled food. If you love sweets like me Pamela's Products has some great cookies and other snacks and Betty Crocker makes some great brownie, cookie, and cake mixes.There's even some great gluten free beers out there if you like to crack open a cold one every now and then. There are also many foods that you probably already eat that are gluten free and you don't even realize it.
Gluten can be a little less cut and dry than just wheat, barley, or rye because it can be hidden in things you wouldn't think of. It can be hidden in natural flavors as barley but I've found this to be a rare case. It can also be hidden in some mixed spices and marinades so watch out for those. Here is a list of ingredients to watch out for when reading labels because they contain gluten......Bulgar, Couscous, Dextrimaltose, Durum, Einkorn, Farina, Graham Flour, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Kamut, Malt, Matzo, Seitan, Semolina, Soy Sauce, Spelt, Tabbouleh, Triticale, Wheat Bran, and Wheat Germ. To tell you the truth I have no idea what some of these are and I haven't come across a lot of them but it's good to know about them just in case.

Here's a list of things you can eat in when plain: fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, eggs, beans, oil, wine, and distilled alcohols.

Don't worry your diet doesn't have to be bland to be gluten free there's some great gluten free sauces, spices, and marinades out there. I've also used gluten free bisquick to make some of my old favorites like breaded chicken tenders. It sounds simple but you'll appreciate it when you can't just get chicken tenders at any restaurant!

So I'm going to leave you with two pieces of advice that I have found the most helpful in my gluten free journey. Always read labels and don't eat any questionable item because its just not worth it! One more thing, if your feeling tempted to eat gluten, because at first you will be and you may even give in to your temptations, just think about how you feel after you eat gluten and remember its not worth being sick to eat those gluten filled foods. Hope this helps!

Sources
The Essential Gluten-Free Grocery Guide

New to a gluten free diet?

2011-02-02T23:29:00.000-06:00

I know when I was first diagnosed with Celiac disease it was a little overwhelming for me. It was easy to say "well the cure for my disease is just a gluten free diet" but when you actually start looking into what does and doesn't have gluten in it, it seems like you'll never be able to eat anything but rice and potatoes for the rest of your life! Well I have found that to be very untrue and I believe there is a gluten free version for every gluten containing food out there. You just have to be willing to do some cooking at home and some experimenting , especially with baking. Once you get the hang of what to look for on labels when shopping and what kinds of questions to ask when dining out eating gluten free gets much easier.
When I first started doing research on what I could and couldn't eat there were a few books I received as gifts that were extremely helpful. The first of these books was The G - Free Diet: A Gluten Free Survival Guide by Elizabeth Hasselbeck. It was like my gluten free bible. I think I read that thing in about 2 days because all of the information was so helpful. Anyone newly diagnosed with Celiac definitely should read that book.

Another book that was extremely helpful was The Essential Gluten-Free Grocery Guide by Triumph Dining. If your on a budget like me this book will be very helpful because it tells you what everyday items on the shelves are gluten free. Many of the specialty items are pretty pricey so if you can buy everyday items that are gluten free as well it will save you money. I would make my grocery list and look up questionable items and find out what brands were gluten free before hitting the grocery store. Sometimes I would carry the book with me just in case. I have the 3rd edition so it looks like it might be time to update because I just found out there is a 4th edition. It's always good to stay up to date because product ingredients change sometimes.

The other book that was very helpful was The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide also by Triumph dining. I wanted to still be able to go out to eat and know what I could and couldn't eat before I got there. It tells you what popular restaurants have gluten free menus in most big cities in the U.S. and many of the gluten free menus are actually in the back of the book. I always bring this book with me when traveling just in case and it always helps to be prepared before going somewhere to eat when you have to eat gluten free. This is the same edition I have and believe it is the newest.

Well here are my gluten free lifestyle tips for today!

The Beginning of a New Blogger

2011-02-01T22:51:00.001-06:00

    Well since I've eaten dinner and my husband has finally stopped annoying me (in a loving way of course) I can begin my blogging! I just want to talk about my story a little bit to get this thing started.
     My troubles started towards the end of my 09' spring semester of college. It seemed like after every time I ate my stomach would get upset and I just didn't feel good. Then as the semester progressed it started to get worse. Not only was my stomach upset but I was having other unpleasant problems as well (if you know what I mean). I even had to rush out of the classroom more than a few times to go to the bathroom because my stomach hurt so bad, embarrassing :-(. The beginning of the worst of my problems was when I went on a girls trip to New York and everything I was eating and drinking was upsetting my stomach and the only thing that kept me out of the bathroom was Imodium. At that point I had no idea what was wrong with me and why I felt the need to run to the bathroom so often.
     So a couple more weeks after that it was time for my yearly girlie appointment so I thought I would tell my doctor about my tummy troubles. She said it sounded like IBS and I should try eating less acidic foods and what not. Well I tried the IBS diet and it didn't work but Celiac can easily be thought to be IBS because of similar symptoms. So I suffered on through the summer with no relief from my issues. After going back to school in the fall and still suffering, in October I finally had enough and I made an appointment with a local Gastroenterologist. He listened to my symptoms and did a blood test that showed I most likely had Celiac disease. So later he took a biopsy of my small intestine and it was confirmed from the flat villi that I had Celiac disease. The only way to treat it is with a gluten free diet.
      When I found out I was going to have to eat gluten free I was glad I found a way to feel better. It was very intimidating at first because I was completely changing the way I thought about food. So with alot of research and support from my family and friends living gluten free has become a way of life for me and I wouldn't change it. I eat healthier than I ever have and have learned more about food than I ever thought I could. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't an overnight cure but I did start getting some relief almost immediately following the start of my gluten free diet. Know over one year later I feel 99% better ( i won't say 100% because I still have the occasional issues but who doesn't). So I just want to keep sharing how I'm keeping up with my GF lifestyle and enjoying life!

By the way here's the links to what I made for dinner.....very yummy!

http://glutenfreemommy.com/gluten-free-cornbread/

http://www.easytobeglutenfree.com/crockpot/289-slow-cooker-ham-and-cabbage-soup