Snack Attack

Before becoming GDF, I was a chronic snacker.  I loved to eat 'quick food.'  Anything in a package pretty much was fair game.  That's part of the reason I gained so much weight after moving to the east coast, but I digress.  Now, I'm sure you have noticed that a GDF lifestyle is anything but quick.  Meal planning was probably one of the most uncomfortable adjustments when I first ventured into this lifestyle.  It seems like everything has to be prepared or cooked and that anything that does come in a package won't even last you through your hunger strike. (Not to mention that the price will take your arm, your leg and then some!)
So what is a hopeless snacker to do?  GDF is not like other diets, where you can just cheat now and 'do better' tomorrow.  If you cheat now, your tomorrow is shipwrecked, and in some cases even the day after that!  I've come up with a few solutions to the snack attack for GDF folks.  Below is one of my all-time favorites.  Now, it does have to be prepared but I've found that this recipe keeps very well, so preparing it on a Sunday afternoon or evening will make Monday-Friday's snack sessions effortless (if it lasts that long!).

Pico De Gallo

Now please note, this is a family recipe, so I'm not sure where it originated from but nevertheless it is a family favorite.  I grew up (mostly) in the Midwest where I developed a love for Mexican cuisine, so this recipe is a shout-out to all of my Coloradan la familia :).

Dice 2 ripe tomatoes (the juicier the better) and mix them with 1 chopped onion in a medium sized mixing bowl.  The size of the pieces of tomato and onion is completely up to you and how 'chunky' you enjoy your salsa.  Stir the two together to let the tomato's juices soak into the onion.  Let stand while you move on to the other ingredients.  I like to dice up the jalapeno next because the longer the mixture sits, the more the flavors blend.  So, I take 1 ripe jalapeno and cut it up as small as I can (be careful not to touch the seeds with your fingers or it will burn! Just to be sure, wear gloves).  Stir that into the mix and let stand while you move on.  Next, squeeze out an entire lemon over the mixture, but be careful seeds don't fall in.  There is nothing worse than chipping a tooth while eating!  (For a variation, I sometimes add limes to the mix but once you make this a few times, you'll develop your own variations, I am sure.)  Next, take 2 cloves of freshly pressed garlic and stir it in.  Add sea salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste and you're done!
Note: the longer the pico de gallo sits, the spicier it becomes, so if you're not one for spice, cut down the jalapeno to 1/2). 

The greatest thing about this recipe is its versatility.  You can eat this alone with gluten-free tortilla chips, you can put it in your eggs for a southwestern omelette, or use as a marinade for chicken.  It's so good and I think you'll find yourself making it quite often.  My only warning to you is to make sure you make enough; usually once a secret this yummy gets out, it's gone before you know it! (This recipe makes about 4 servings)

Who Dun It Gluten/Dairy Free?

As I was devising a plan for my upcoming 25th birthday party with my brain trust of sisters, Wendy and Molli, the idea occurred to me that I should 'surprise' all of my guests with a gluten-free, dairy-free (GDF) spread.  Brilliance at its finest.  The few people I did tell about the idea were, as I suspected they would be, less than thrilled about the idea.  Now, keep in mind that most of these 'confidants' were people who have journeyed the GDF path with me, so they have been present for some of my cooking blunders (and there were plenty).  So I knew I had to make the food good enough to slip in the GDF elements undetected.  I also wanted to stay with the theme of the party which was a murder mystery set in a casino in Paris.  The plot of the party was to uncover a jewel thief, a murderer, someone who had stolen nuclear plans, and an embezzling casino employee.  All of my guests were donning costumes for this black-tie event, so I wanted to do nothing to detract from the mood, while still keeping the food 'finger friendly' and mess free.

With the help of the very best baker I know, Molli Veach, the party feast was a smashing success!  Here are a few of the dishes I served:

"Cinq Carats" or "Five Carat Veggie Platter"

This one is pretty straight forward, but I included it because of the dip.  I cut up red and orange bell peppers and long green beans, then placed them with grape tomatoes around a vegan sour cream dip (the brand of sour cream I used was Tofutti's). I combined it with a Lipton onion mix packet.  I was so nervous to try it because, honestly, the thought of vegan sour cream was repulsive to me, but it was phenomenal!  

"Roulette Rapide" or "Rapid Roulette Rice Bars" 

I was so excited to find out that Rice Krispies® had come out with a gluten-free version of one of my favorite cereals!  As for the taste of the cereal, it was a little 'ricier' than usual, but far better than having to abstain altogether.  (I used Kraft Jet Puff® marshmallows, although I can't speak for whether or not they're completely gluten free as I have found conflicting information, but they don't seem to bother my stomach at all. Here's a website with information on the subject: http://www.ceceliasmarketplace.com/gluten-free/gluten-free-product-of-the-day-403/) I followed the recipe on the marshmallow bag, using unsalted butter (My doctor had told me that 'real' butter has very little lactose in it and shouldn't upset my stomach.  I have done both clarified and unclarified butter and haven't been able to tell a difference most of the time.)  Theses would have been just as good with clarified butter and they were delicious, evidenced by the empty plate half an hour into the party.  

"Poker Chip Chocolate Cake" (No French name here!)

This was the best part of the night!  People were raving about the cake before and after they found out it was sans gluten or dairy!  This was Bob's Red Mill® Chocolate Cake Mix and Pamela's® Vanilla Frosting Mix (For allergen info on Pamela's Frosting Mix, check out this website: http://pamelasproducts.com/allergy-information-2/ .)  It was ridiculously good!  The mixes themselves are GDF and they give you several options on the back of the package for making it, such as combining with rice milk or almond milk.  I, myself used Lactaid® 2% Milk for the vanilla frosting (which I love as a lactose alternative!)  For the decorating of the cake, we ('we' being Molli actually doing while I managed from afar) cut shapes out of construction paper and laid them on top of the already frosted cake.  Then, we covered the cake with the red sprinkles and removed the construction paper pieces.  We smoothed the white areas with a warm, wet butter knife.and voila!!  It was so yummy!

Here are a couple of snapshots of the mixes I used:

bobsredmill.com

Pamelasproducts.com

At the end of the party, everyone was surprised to find out my little GDF secret!  With their mouths full and all smiles, no one said a word about being completely duped! Ha!

The Diary of a Gluten/Dairy Free Blogger

In January of this year (2012), I was diagnosed with a sensitivity to gluten.  I can tell you that while I was sitting in the doctor's office listening to my diagnosis, my head was spinning.  I thought to myself, "What in the world is 'gluten'?" almost too embarrassed to ask, but I did and my doctor was very thorough in his explanation.   He began to explain what a gluten overload was doing to my body, in medical terminology of course, so he may as well have been speaking Greek.  I had a lot of questions about foods I could/couldn't eat, what alternatives I should try, and most of all, how my life was going to change.  So I went home and used the most trusted source of information today: Google.
Now, let's backtrack to 2009 for a moment so that you can grasp the whole picture of what was going on.  In December of 2009, I had suspicions that I might be intolerant of lactose, so I went in and asked my doctor for a lactose challenge.  Five needles later, I had definitely had a challenge and it was more than I had bargained for!  My results came in and I was not at all surprised to find that I was in fact lactose intolerant (which is different than sensitive to it).  Ok, fast forward to January 2012, my doctor tells me the two 'allergies' are related!  He then orders me on a strict diet restriction of gluten and dairy for further monitoring.  So, boys and girls, this is where our story begins....
It is now November, so I have lived without gluten and dairy for about 10 months.  It has been one of the toughest things I have ever done in my life, to date.  When I first started, I didn't know which way was up.  I knew bread was to be shunned, but I would come to find that a dietary restriction like mine was so much more involved.  I had to learn everything again.  I am thankful for the experience because I can honestly tell you that since I've been gluten and dairy-free (from here on out referred to as "GDF" because let's face it, it's easier for all of us) I have felt wonderful.  I lost 25 (and counting) pounds and I have never felt so good about myself.  Things are dependable in my body again.  That's huge for me.
The purpose of this blog that I am establishing is to help people like me.  There are some great sites out there about gluten-free food and dairy-free food, but not a lot about the combination.  I've learned a lot about what foods I can enjoy naturally being GDF and even more about "substitution cooking," or making my food GDF.  I'll share recipes I find, articles I read, and helpful hints I learn along the way, but I hope if you're in the same boat I am, that this blog makes your transition into the GDF world a little easier than mine was.  Good luck and welcome to my blog!

Before and After GDF Living