<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
hanks to everyone who responded to my 3 questions:
1)good prices on rice flour, 2) how to store it, and 3) how to store gf
bread.
This is a long post -I got so many responses, but I will summarize what
I learned.
 
1)I personally went to Ener-G foods (1-800-331-5222) in Seattle and
purchased 2 lb. bags for $1.39.  They are sealed in moisture proof bags
and I am more confident in the purity because the company's purpose is
to provide food for allergic individuals.  They do mail order with
shipping and handling of $4.00 for orders up to $20.00, $7.50 up to
$40.00, $9.95 over $40.00.
 
 Many people recommended the asian markets for rice flour.  I finally
made it down to Seattle's Uwajimaya store and sure enough, they had
white, brown, sweet and glutinous rice flour (in different brands).
They also had tapioca, water chestnut and starches from plants I'm not
familiar with.  The prices were the best I could find: $.59 to $.69 for
white rice flour in 1 pound bags.  The flour comes from asian countries
in thin plastic bags and I had doubts about the purity but a few people
said they use it and have never had gluten reactions.
 
Another good suggestion was to buy a grain mill.  The people who used
these seemed very pleased with the results.
 
More suggestions:
 
- Dietary Specialities 1 800 544-0099 carries 10lb of rice flour and
is works out to be about $1.25 a lb with postage/hadn.
 
- Gluten-Free Pantry in Glastonbury, CT.  Phone number - 1-800-291-8386
        the 2# bag of white rice flour is 2.79.
 
- "our local health food store special orders 25 pound sacks of rice
flour for me (I get organic brown rice flour) from Lundberg farms in
Richvale, California (95974). I have been told by the health food store
that Lundberg only grows and mills rice, so their products are free of
contamination."
 
- Nancy's Natural Foods, 266 NW First Ave, Canby, OR 97013 (503)266-3306
white rice flour is $0.75/lb. and brown rice flour is $1.00/lb.
 
-"Bread and Circus" on the east coast
-Health Food stores (Fred Meyer Nutrition Center, Natures etc.)
you can order 25# bags from health food stores
 
-the local bakery may let you order large amounts
 
-At Kinnikinnick Foods Inc you can buy riceflours up to 50 lbs
 
2) replies on how to store it:
>From those who buy large quantities, the suggestions are to separate
rice, potato and tapioca flours into tupperware or freezer ziploc bags
and freeze most of it.  Put the small quantities you will be using in
the next few weeks into tupperware and keep in a cool, dry place.  The
exceptions are rice bran and soy flour.  These need to be kept in the
refrigerator to keep from spoiling.
 
3) replies on how to store gf bread:
"...bread (not necessarily other kinds of food) actually keeps worse in
the main part of the frig than it does at room temperature or in the
freezer.  Freezing it keeps the moisture from moving from the larger
spaces in the bread to the smaller spaces, which he said is what makes
bread taste stale."
 
Based on this premis, many people recommended slicing the loaf as soon
as it cools, then separating the slices with wax paper or in ziplock
bags (2 slices each) and freezing the whole thing in a large freezer
bag.  The slices are thawed in the microwave prior to use, but one
person makes his sandwich with the frozen bread and finds it keeps the
whole lunch cold that way.  It is ready to eat by lunch time.
 
I tried eating gf before I discovered this list and it was miserable and
impossible.  I lived on yogurt and rice cakes for a whole year.  Your
support and advice is invaluable.  Thank you everyone.
Maria