Gluten and hunger

Going gluten free is hard.  Very hard.  I had no idea how much I depended on wheat in my diet.  And I did make a few things that worked out very well, like banana bread and rice-based dishes.  Making baked goods with wheat for Jon led to a lot of temptation, and there were days where there was nothing to eat but a little bread.  At that point, I had to make a decision to go hungry or eat wheat.  If I had more money and time, I would have been able to stick with the diet.  So.  Instead of completely going without, I am making choices.  If I can avoid gluten, then I do, but if I can't, then I shouldn't worry so much about it.  This isn't a diet because of an allergy, it is a choice.

By the way, this is an amazing gf banana bread recipe.

And this is a wonderful egg substitute for when you run out of eggs and still want to bake (I used whole flax seeds).

Gluten-free challenge, Days 2 and 3

Yesterday was my second day on this diet.  I had been quite dissatisfied with Day 1, craving gluten like crazy.  I made some bread with Bob's Red Mill GF Flour Mix, and it ended up burnt and didn't taste good at all.  I peeled the burnt crust off, and it is somewhat decent when toasted.  Somewhat.  I never realized that making bread without gluten would be so difficult!  Yesterday was so much better because I actually ate enough food and even found some gluten free treats out in town.

I woke up feeling amazingly good- lots of energy, not groggy.  Still felt nauseous, just like every morning since high school.  I went out and helped gather up sheep from the field with my friend, and then took town all the summer's electro-net fencing.  I had enough energy to do chores all afternoon.  Jon and I went to the co-op and got some dessert- Jon got bread pudding, I got a flourless vanilla cupcake.  Then we went to a local sushi place and got one roll to split with the leftover soup that was waiting for us at home.  I think that if I can treat myself to healthy and still gf treats and keep my stomach full, this experiment might work =)

Especially since chips are allowed.

Today is day 3, and I have no idea what I will bake or cook today.  But I feel good, full of energy and hope.  Who wants to teach me how to make sushi?

Gluten-free challenge, Day 1

My cookie ideas are going to be an extra challenge now.  I have decided that I will go gluten-free for two months.

This decision comes from a lot of thinking and a tip from my cousin- that going gluten-free might greatly assist  my dreams of having children.  As far as I know, I am not gluten intolerant.  But I have seen studies that may show that not eating gluten can greatly increase fertility.  I don't know what will happen.  I do know that there is a bigger plan out there, and maybe this is my way of being guided.  At the very least, I will have a chance to do lots of experiments with new recipes, ingredients, tastes, and who knows what will happen!

I will be going to the co-op today to get some ingredients in bulk form, and hopefully they have what I 'think' that I need.  There are so many strange flours and starches in gluten-free recipes.  I have no idea of cost or if the store will even have them.  I may end up coming home with a bag of Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour Mix!

Also, from my last post, here is how to make one chicken last for many, many meals:
Day 1: Roast large whole chicken with tons of root veggies for dinner
Day 2: Slices of chicken with leftover veggies for lunch, chicken marsala pizza for dinner
Day 3: Leftover pizza for lunch, buffalo chicken pizza for dinner
Day 4: Leftover pizza for lunch, chicken soup for dinner (made with boiling the carcass in water, straining broth out, then adding the rest of the meat back in with veggies)
Day 5: Leftover soup for lunch, stretch out soup with more veggies and black beans
Day 6: Leftover soup for lunch.  Leftover soup for dinner.
Day 7: Leftover soup for lunch.  Leftover soup for dinner with extra side dishes (didn't I say black beans are amazing?!)
Day 8: Leftover soup for lunch.  Just over a week with one chicken!

And that is how we keep grocery bills down!