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Slowly but surely I'll get these summaries done - here's # 3:
* I am not a teacher, but I hope you won't mind some advice from just another
celiac - one who has been diagnosed for 31 years, a little longer than Bette
Hagman. Unlike Bette, I did not decide to dedicate my life to gf cooking,
but I always do manage to eat (except perhaps on airplanes). Yes, I can get
frustrated even now, but the best advice I ever got was from the doctor I
wasn't sure I even trusted: it is best to concentrate on what we can eat and
not fret too much about what we can'thave. It is pretty amazing to me what
can be bought on the internet and even in the stores, compared to 1971. But
having lived for a long time without a
crusty baguette, I am not very interested in baking yeast breads. No pitas,
no buns. What worked with in my early celiac years were the quick breads that
I had always eaten in my Southern (Tenn) childhood -cornbread, muffins,
pancakes and waffles. The term quick is important -one can make them
quickly. In less time than it takes to run to McDonald's. I think it is
easier to make a batch on the weekend than to order on the internet, and you
can use them all week. I use mixes,different ones for different tastes. I
used pancakes as wraps before wraps were known in the USA. I love being able
to buy corn tortillas now, but I also make corn pancakes for variety. When I
worked long hours and could not go out for lunch, in the days before
microwaves and refrigerators in the workplace, I found my muffins and
pancakes worked well for sandwiches - if left in the car in the sun even
better. And I think gf rice crackers and chips are always available even in
regular supermarkets. I am not sure if you have other allergies that limit
your choices? Even the puffed rice crackers are ok
with interesting toppings. Anyway no major cooking effort but you do need to
buy something more than a can of tuna. People who can eat that plain do not
like to eat!
I am not very happy with most of the breads sold in stores either. Food for
Life Rice Almond or Pecan (with or without raisins) breads in my opinion are
the best for toast and good with peanut butter or cheeses - but they have to
be toasted or heated in microwave to be edible. The nuts add flavor and
texture. Most of our breads get too dry and crumbly after the first day to be
eaten without heating. Kinnikinnick is my internet favorite. Frozen waffles
are ok now and then. I do think it is a matter of personal taste.
* My advice: see if you can get a freezer. If not, free up some space in the
fridge. Then on Sunday or whenever you can swing it, cook up, say, 3 chickens
(whole is cheaper, pieces if you are short on time or energy). Divide them
into one-meal sizes (3 chickens makes a lot of meals) in freezer bags (which
I get cheap at Costco). The whole process takes maybe
15 minutes to throw the chickens in the oven, another 20 to pack them. If you
want to be decadent, cook them in a water-smoker (they don't cost all that
much, and you don't have to watch them for burning because the water protects
them). I just throw the meat (chicken, turkey, roast) on the smoker and
forget about if for an hour or three. If I have more time, I brine the meat
the night before, which creates gourmet-quality fare.Throw the pieces in
plastic in the freezer. A hunk of protein in the middle of the day is great
for the old hunger pangs: a piece of chicken, a fruit, and a couple of
cookies and you have a meal. You can also throw in a pop, if you like them,
or some milk or whatever in a travel jar (they sell them at REI, wide-mouth
crack-proof Lexan plastics you can take anywhere). I pack my eats in a fairly
good size lunch bag that they sell at the grocery, with a freezer pack (also
from the grocery, I keep about 4 frozen at all times). Keeps all day.
If you don't want to cook chicken or want some variety, try gf pre-cooked
sausage (or uncooked, and boil them before you freeze them). Or sometimes I
make about 30 nice crisp tacos and freeze those in packs of 3 -- they heat up
nicely in a toaster oven or even a microwave. An apple cut in half with a big
dollop of peanut butter is a good appetite-suppressor also. Apple and cheese
is a classic, and doesn't take much time at all. Chebe bread is pretty
filling: you have to make it, but it's super-fast and takes no skill
at all and quite delicious.
If you have more energy, you can freeze 'real' meals. It really isn't all
that much work: you just have to make one big meal and divide it up, freeze
it, nuke it when you want it. Noodles with chili and cheese over them work
good, or rice and beans. (Boil some noodles, open a can of chili, put the
noodles in plastic containers, pour chili over each one, top with cheese,
put on the lid, freeze).
Anyway, the trick is to think in advance, stage as much as you can the night
before, and have a 'stock' of little frozen items (or cook for the week on
Sunday). Getting out of the "sandwich habit" is a good idea on multiple
fronts, among with is a sandwich has too much starch and too little protein
and no fruit/vegie, and digests too fast, so it leaves you
hungry. (If I ate muffins for breakfast I'd starve! I need eggs or meat or a
protein/fruit smoothie!).
Getting used to cooking after being used to premade meals is difficult, and
my first 'real' meal I cooked took me 4 hours! But it was worth it. We really
have some wonderful meals now, and I'm getting used to doing real fast ones
with few ingredients, and we all enjoy meals a LOT more than in the past. And
our weight is more under control. Part of the secret is lots
of vegies -- Amy's enchiladas are great, but they are basically meat and
starch and some cheese: if you eat a pile of cooked greens or a big tomato
salad with one you would not be hungry. Cooking with vegies IS time consuming
which is why people don't do it much (all that chopping!). But it's also your
best shot at a healthy life, less appetite, and more fulfilling eating. Take
a look at a cookbook of cooking from Provance.
* Nutritionists are STRESSING the importance of vegetables in our diet and
lunch is a good time to add them. I also LOVE tunafish on rice cakes. You
can make up one of those large cans of tuna with mayo and keep it in the
refrigerator for a long while and use as needed.
Go to Alpine Aire Foods www.alpineairefoods.com. I have not tried them but
they have dried mixes for camping that you might like to try for lunch for a
change. They mark them gf.
Also check Tamarind Tree www.tamtree.com. They have some packaged mixes(like
Amy's) which would be a nice change. Ask for their gf list.
Try Tasty-Bite Indian Food www.tastybite.com for a list of their gf
foods.Taste of Thai also has a gf list. I don't have their web site handy,
but I am sure you can find it. This represents a challenge, but there is a
lot out there - you just have to search.
That's it, more later.
Linda in Savannah, GA
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