Gluten free from A to Z

I’ve been working on this idea for a while now as part of Gluten Freedom Day, which was last week (so yes, my posting is late!).  Gluten Freedom Day was a day to celebrate being gluten free.  Here’s an A to Z guide of gluten free living.    Just some random thoughts…

A – A is for amaranth flour – something I want to try using in 2008.  It’s a goal of mine
B – B is for baking.  It’s not as challenging as you may think.  Find a few a few good recipes and stick with them.
C – C is for cookies (ok, that sounds a bit too much like Sesame Street, I know!).  But C is for Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Ginger Lemon Girl has the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve tried so far.
D – D is for dairy.  For many who are gf newbies, dairy is a no-no.  But in time, as you slowly go gluten free and your tummy heals, you should be fine to have dairy again. 
E – E is for events.  Being gf is always hard at events (parties).  I suggest always make sure to eat something before you go, just in case there’s nothing to eat.  And don’t hesitate to ask the host/hostess “What are the ingredients?”  I’m trying to get better at that myself. It’s all for our own benefit to be safe.
F - F is for friends.  Thank goodness for the likes of Adam & Renee and Scott & Sara.  Two couples who go out of their way to make sure I can always eat safe at their houses.
G – G is for Ginger.  Not the spice, but for my gf blogging pal, Ginger.  She’s got a heart of gold.
H – H is for Holidays.  They’re always hard being gf.  So many goodies around that you can’t partake of. But, there are goodies to make for each holiday you CAN partake of.  We made our favorite gluten free cupcakes for Easter, and I’ve got a great gf flourless chocolate cake for Passover (I’ll post the recipe tomorrow).  Holidays – rough, but manageable. 
I – I is for the Internet.  Thank goodness we have the ‘Net to bring us together, to do research and and to share ideas/hints/tips.  I can’t imagine being gluten free without the Internet.
J – is for Just Ask.  Just Ask what’s in that.  Or is that gluten free.  Or do you have anything gluten free?  The more we ask, the more familiar people and companies become with gluten free, and the more we all benefit.
K – K is for Kate.  Another gf blogging pal who is just so passionate about food and it shows.  Another heart of gold.
L – L is for lemons and limes.  Such wonderful flavor!  Why not make some fresh lemonade or limeade with them?  I love limeade…
M – M is for millet flour.  Another flour I want to experiment with soon.  We had an old bag of it in the house when I went gf.  It was OLD, trust me.  We made some decent chicken nuggets with it, but I need to get a new bag.
N – N is for No gluten?  No problem.  Life without gluten can be done.
O – O is for Others (no, you Lost fans, not those Others!). I’m talking about other people’s blogs.  There are a great number of gf blogs out there, so definitely check my Blogroll out to hit a few and leave them a comment.
P – P is for pretzels.  I do miss a good “real” pretzel, and a soft pretzel at that.  But, I think Glutino has the best gf pretzels out there, as well as the best gf frozen pizza (much better then Amy’s brand)
Q – Q is for quinoa.  I’m slowly experimenting more and more with this grain.  If you haven’t checked it out, do so.
R – R is for Rice.  Thankfully, rice is gluten free. I’ve always loved rice and never was a huge pasta fan (hmm, all makes sense, doesn’t it!). 
S – S is for sorghum.  I’ve been experimenting with baking with sorghum flour, and I like the texture and taste.  It doesn’t leave that nasty aftertaste that soy flour leaves.
T – T is for Teff flour.  Yet another flour I want to try experimenting with this year!
U – U is for unhealthy.  You were unhealthy eating gluten.  You felt like crap.  Tired.  Brainfog.  Gas.  Couldn’t poop.  Or you could poop and couldn’t stop!  But now you are gluten free and you are healthy!
V – V is for Victory!  You’re gluten free, and you’re doing it!  What a true victory.  You’re taking charge and getting healthier and healing your body. 
W – W is for Work.  It’s always hard to go to the office parties where there’s cake and gluten filled items you can’t partake in.  But hopefully, you’ve got some good co-workers that understand what you can/can’t eat.  I’ve got two co-workers, one in my office, and one in Michigan, that are always on the lookout for gf items for me, or share recipes or ask questions.  They are such a great asset to me, since so many other coworkers don’t take my dietary needs into consideration.
X – X is for Xantham gum, of course.  Before going gf I would see that in some ingredients and think, what the heck is that.  Now it’s a key part to gf baking to give your breads/cookies/brownies some elasticity where needed.
Y – Y is for yumminess.  So many people think, “Oh it’s gluten free, it can’t be good.” But you know what, they’re wrong!  True, some gf stuff tastes like crap.  But does roasted red reppers with balsamic vinegar atop fresh mozzerella cheese and basil sound bad?  Sounds yummy to me!
Z – Z is for me.  Those who know me, know why.

GFS