Preventing Cross Contamination

So this is my cream cheese. Notice the big GF? My lovely boyfriend wrote it. I don't have to worry about cross contamination at my house. We are really careful. We never double dip utensils into our condiments and the things that we really worry about, we buy two of and label mine, GF. I suggest that you do the same! It makes life easier and my intestines thank me.We also have two toasters (mine is a super cute Hello Kitty!) and other little tricks that make life easier!)

How do you prevent cross contamination in your kitchen?

Helpful Site Alert!

Day Three of Every Day Is A New Post Week is: A Helpful Website!

I am often asked what we can actually eat. Also I am asked what is up with MSG.

I do not eat MSG. Technically, it is GF...sorta... from some information I have found, if the product is made in the United States, then it is Gluten Free. If it is not, then it is probably not safe. I just stay away from it. I tested allergic to MSG so I don't eat it.

But, this site tells you what is up. It is a comprehensive website for us with Celiacs. If you have not been HERE before, then book mark the site and browse!

Vegiac

I am currently eating a delicious lunch. It is a brown rice tortilla with beans, melted cheese, carrots and avocados. SO YUMMY!

I want to thank all of you that sent me comments and emails regarding my last post on going vegetarian while being gluten free. Also, for those of you that also had questions about it with me, I found an amazing resource!

I was on Facebook today and I searched "Gluten Free Vegetarian" in the groups and VEGIAC came up. I suggest that you do the same if you are also a GF Vegetarian! They also have a website, here! It is a forum that is filled with information!

How I celebrated!

``I warn you. This post is long. There is a lot of back story...and maybe some unnecessary ones but hey, it is my wheat free anniversary and I can reminisce if I want to!

Today, as I have stated several times already is my WHEAT FREE ANNIVERSARY! I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do to celebrate this momentous occasion in my life. I know that it may sound silly but living wheat free is a big part of my life. Taking the wheat out took a lot of pain out of my life (not all, once I took the gluten out, I felt a million times better!) but it it was a start. So, I needed to do something to celebrate. Well, as a food blogger, naturally I would turn to food. I love to bake, so I figured I would bake. I started to think about foods that I loved. You probably assumed an eclair, since I am always raving that I need one. But I think I would have a melt down baking that, so I am saving that for another day.

There is a food item that is a comfort food for me. I don't eat it often but I can actually recall big moments of my life where I did eat it. NUTELLA. I remember the first time I ate it, I was back in my home state of New York visiting my Dad. He sent me to day camp and I was homesick for my Mom. My Grandmother would make me sandwiches with bread and Nutella. It was delicious.

From time to time, I would eat this sandwich, each time thinking of day camp. The next time I craved Nutella was when I was pregnant with Jacob. I actually hid Nutella throughout my house. I have no clue if my ex-husband knows. I was a Nutella addict when I was pregnant.

I am even part of a Nutella group on FACEBOOK called "Nutella Is Sex In A Bottle". I wanted the desert that I was making to be an orgasm with one bite! I needed Nutella to be a part of it!

I hadn't had Nutella since my pregnancy. I knew that Nutella had to be a part of this celebration. I ended up purchasing some Nutella for the cupcakes I was making and I couldn't even wait for today. I ate a ton of it. Nutella, you and me...we click.

I literally baked cupcakes all day! Jacob had a blast.


I made a ton of cupcakes! This isn't even all of them! There are some that are being sent to my Mom's work and some that I am sending to my friends and family!



RECIPE FOR MY BIG O NUTELLA CUPCAKES!
365 (Whole Foods Brand) Chocolate Cake Mix ( any mix will d0) & items to make mix
Nutella
White Chocolate Shavings
Make the cake mix according to the box. Then line the cup cake pan with the liners ( I used heart liners because I love being wheat free/ gluten free!) and bake. Cool thoroughly. Using an injector for frosting, inject desired amount of Nutella in each cupcake on the top of each cupcake. Be careful not to put too much because that can cause the cupcake to rupture. Do not worry about the hole being visible, the frosting will cover the hole! Using the chocolate butter cream frosting below, then frost the top of the cupcake and garnish with white chocolate shavings!


Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting Recipe:
-1 ounce chocolate chips melted
-1 cup solid white vegetable shortening
-1 teaspoon Flavor (Vanilla, Almond, or Butter) {I used Butter}
-2 tablespoons or milk or water {I always use milk, it makes it creamier}
-1 lb. pure cane confectioners sugar (approximately 4 cups)
-1 tablespoon Meringue Powder


Cream shortening, flavoring and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. Blend for an additional minute or so, until creamy.

Jacob is bummed out because I cut him off from cupcakes. Poor kid. Stephanie came over to enjoy gluten free cupcakes! So did Melissa who called me to say that they were awesome. She then Twittered that "@Michelle2008az Your gluten free cupcakes were amazing! They could even rival Sprinkles (and you know how much I love Sprinkles)." Thanks Melissa!

It was an awesome night! It was a great year of being wheat free :) Cant wait for the many years to come. I believe that this lifestyle is the best for me, thanks for reading me and watching me on this journey!

Happy Anniversary To ME!

This is what I wrote on April 23, 2008 my first day being wheat free ever:

Today was day one on my new wheat free lifestyle. I have not gotten one stomach ache, head ache, cranky moment or tired moment. Even though I will have to say goodbye to a lot of my favorite foods, it will be worth it if I feel better.

You can find that on my Endless Possibilities blog. The next day on the same blog I wrote about my first experience ordering food wheat free:

I spent time with my friend Kelly today. She and I have been friends since 9th grade. She is a lot of fun and I am totally excited for her because she and her husband are expecting their first child! We went to lunch at Johnny Rockets and I stuck to my wheat free diet by ordering a hamburger with no mayo and no bun. Afterwards, we went to Whole Foods and did some shopping. The day was great and I totally cherish the time that I spend with her since we both lead pretty busy lives. Kelly enjoying her french fries.

A year later I am still wheat free ( I celebrate my gluten free anniversary in August!) and I cannot be happier. I love the choices that I have made for myself and my health. I was told by some friends that maybe I was allergic to wheat. My best friend Stephanie has celiacs but I didn't want to think that I could possibly have it too. When I did get the diagnosis I got on the ball and took charge of my health. I will be celebrating all day this change in my life. Check back later to see how I celebrated this change in my life! Oh, and the no mayo thing was because I was on Weight Watchers at the time, not because of the wheat intolerance.

I abhor hospitals

( Posted on 11/14/08 on the Endless Possibilities Blog)

So, on Wendesday, I had four seizures in less than 24 hours, lip numbness, a terrible migraine and ringing in my ears. Jared witnessed three of the seizures (I will write in the love blog when I am up to date with homework) and the fourth occurred outside of the er in front of a nurse and some EMTs...mortifying to say the least.

They admitted me into the hospital on Wednesday. They did a slew of test. The seizures showed up on none of the tests.

Then I got some news that I am not yet ready to share on here. I am still sitting with it. Only my close family and Jared know. When I am ready to write about it, I will. It isn't anything to worry about so, please, no one go into a panic. I just need time to process things.

A bunch of tests later...including the one I have written about twice...the one with the glue that always gets stuck in my hair took place. I forget the name of it. I am drained.
My heart was in bradycardia. I think it is always beating slow. They woke me up from sleep a few times to make sure I was ok.

I was discharged today. I just feel tired. I still have the ringing. I still have the numb lips. I still have the headaches.

But I have love.

I have the love of Jacob, who was super sweet with me after his nap.

I have the love of my incredible boyfriend. He is my amazing ear and my comforting embrace through this. He hears me complain. He hears my ups and downs through this all. His hugs provided me comfort. He was my ride home today. My sushi lunch date too because gluten free hospital food is even worse than normal hospital food.

I have the love of my awesome friends. Kelly came to visit my drug induced self in the hospital. I was on pain pills most of the time and she was there. She also came to visit today. Then there is Ashley who is also my ear. She has a medical background so she is giving me advice, thoughts and just being there.

And I have the love of family. I feel so blessed and surrounded with warmth. There were times during this where I felt dismal. I think the only one who heard this was Jared during one of my sedated rants.

I am glad to be home.

I missed a ton of homework. I had no internet and I felt so miserable while I was there, that I would have been unable to do it anyway. Tonight I spent most of the night looking at the screen.

Like I said, I will update the love blog soon. I have a new pic to post and some other stuff to write about.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

Yummy Cookies!

(Originally posted on the Endless Possibilities Blog on 8/29/08)

I usually don't try gluten free breads or cookies. I usually find them lacking in flavor and in texture. The night that I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, my mom came home with these:


I normally let Stephanie try out all of the gluten free products and then read her blog review and decide if it is worth a try. I have started to read other gluten free blogs because I have felt bored with what I have been eating lately.

I decided to try these cookies this morning and they were really good. They tasted just like I remember cookies to taste.