Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Advanced Degree in Gluten Free

My sister-in-law sold me on her gluten-free lifestyle over lunch last week. “The stomach aches are gone, digestion’s smooth, my perpetual skin rashes are gone. I feel great,” she glowed. “Oh, and I’m losing weight, too.”

This may be an over-share, but my digestion could use some help, and let’s just say my skin could use some clearing. And who couldn’t lose a little weight? So, I’m in. Sign me up for the gluten-free movement.

The thing is, while my sister-in-law has been eating at restaurants with gluten-free menu items and buying pre-packaged gluten-less grub, I have neither the desire nor the bank account to eat out all the time. And, frankly, I don’t think food should come in packages.

But I wasn’t sure where to start. Enter Facebook.

“I want to go gluten free,” I status posted the other day, “and I want to do it at home, from scratch, and I want to enjoy eating it, and I want my kids to enjoy eating it. Any recommendations? Shopping? Cookbooks? Recipes?”

“Sprouts has awesome gluten-free products,” responded my pal Jane, five minutes after I posted. “Though they are pricey, they have 50-percent-off sales frequently.”

“Barbara’s gluten-free honey rice puffins are a crowd pleaser in our home,” suggested Nancy (Sprouts, $3.49 for 10 ounces). “We also like Pamela’s chocolate brownie mix [$6.29 for 16 ounces at Sprouts] and Pamela’s chocolate cake mix [$5.49 for 21 ounces at Whole Foods]. The cake mix cooks up quite moist,” she added.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“I don’t have any gluten-free cookbooks, because I am enrolled on e-mealz for their gluten-free dinner menus,” offered Valerie ($15 for three months of meal plans from e-mealz.com). “I’ve heard about some great gluten-free cookbooks: The Gluten-Free Gourmet, by Bette Hagman, her Gluten-Free Gourmet Makes Dessert, and More from the Gluten-Free Gourmet [all $13.60 on Amazon].”

“My husband and I started a low-carb diet to try to lose weight at first,” explained Heidi. “Then we discovered the Paleo diet [caveman diet], and we’re hooked. Our whole family is grain-free and seeing great results. Two of my kids’ eczema has completely cleared up, and my oldest son has had great improvements with many of the symptoms of his autism. One of the theories out there is that we all have sensitivity to wheat, just in varying degrees. I know I feel so much better not having wheat in my diet.”

Heidi’s cookbook recommendations: “Everyday Paleo, by Sarah Fragoso [$18.07 on Amazon]; Gluten-Free Cupcakes, by Elana Amsterdam [$11.55 on Amazon]; Make It Paleo, by Bill Staley and Hayley Mason [$19.20 on Amazon]; and Paleo Comfort Foods, by Julie and Charles Mayfield [$18.11 on Amazon]. They’re all great cookbooks.”

Paula touted the book Gluten-Free Baking. “The basic gluten-free mix given in that book is two cups brown rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, and 1/3 cup of tapioca starch. The other book I like is Wheat-Free Recipes and Menus, by Carol Fenster [$5.95 on Amazon].”

Paula uses a rice flour online that she’s found to be less gritty than other brands. “I order Authentic Foods super-fine brown rice flour [three pounds for $12.30 at authenticfoods.com]. The flour is ground so fine — it works well in recipes. Authentic Foods also sells ultra-fine white rice flour and many other products for gluten-free baking.”

As for cake mixes, “Trader Joe’s gluten-free brownie baking mix is good,” said Paula, “though I add two eggs instead of the one called for in the recipe, and I substitute butter for the oil. And for a gluten-free mix, the price is reasonable [$3.99 for 16 ounces].”

Paula also uses the rice-flour breads from Trader Joe’s. “I find that gluten-free bread tastes better toasted. Our family likes the Trader Joe’s whole-grain brown-rice bread [$3.99 for 20 ounces] and the multi-grain brown-rice bread [$3.99 for 20 ounces].”

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

City Lights: Journey Through Light & Sound, Hotel Holiday Tea Service

Events December 7-December 11, 2024
Next Article

The greatest symphonist of them all

Havergal Brian wrote over 30 of them

My sister-in-law sold me on her gluten-free lifestyle over lunch last week. “The stomach aches are gone, digestion’s smooth, my perpetual skin rashes are gone. I feel great,” she glowed. “Oh, and I’m losing weight, too.”

This may be an over-share, but my digestion could use some help, and let’s just say my skin could use some clearing. And who couldn’t lose a little weight? So, I’m in. Sign me up for the gluten-free movement.

The thing is, while my sister-in-law has been eating at restaurants with gluten-free menu items and buying pre-packaged gluten-less grub, I have neither the desire nor the bank account to eat out all the time. And, frankly, I don’t think food should come in packages.

But I wasn’t sure where to start. Enter Facebook.

“I want to go gluten free,” I status posted the other day, “and I want to do it at home, from scratch, and I want to enjoy eating it, and I want my kids to enjoy eating it. Any recommendations? Shopping? Cookbooks? Recipes?”

“Sprouts has awesome gluten-free products,” responded my pal Jane, five minutes after I posted. “Though they are pricey, they have 50-percent-off sales frequently.”

“Barbara’s gluten-free honey rice puffins are a crowd pleaser in our home,” suggested Nancy (Sprouts, $3.49 for 10 ounces). “We also like Pamela’s chocolate brownie mix [$6.29 for 16 ounces at Sprouts] and Pamela’s chocolate cake mix [$5.49 for 21 ounces at Whole Foods]. The cake mix cooks up quite moist,” she added.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“I don’t have any gluten-free cookbooks, because I am enrolled on e-mealz for their gluten-free dinner menus,” offered Valerie ($15 for three months of meal plans from e-mealz.com). “I’ve heard about some great gluten-free cookbooks: The Gluten-Free Gourmet, by Bette Hagman, her Gluten-Free Gourmet Makes Dessert, and More from the Gluten-Free Gourmet [all $13.60 on Amazon].”

“My husband and I started a low-carb diet to try to lose weight at first,” explained Heidi. “Then we discovered the Paleo diet [caveman diet], and we’re hooked. Our whole family is grain-free and seeing great results. Two of my kids’ eczema has completely cleared up, and my oldest son has had great improvements with many of the symptoms of his autism. One of the theories out there is that we all have sensitivity to wheat, just in varying degrees. I know I feel so much better not having wheat in my diet.”

Heidi’s cookbook recommendations: “Everyday Paleo, by Sarah Fragoso [$18.07 on Amazon]; Gluten-Free Cupcakes, by Elana Amsterdam [$11.55 on Amazon]; Make It Paleo, by Bill Staley and Hayley Mason [$19.20 on Amazon]; and Paleo Comfort Foods, by Julie and Charles Mayfield [$18.11 on Amazon]. They’re all great cookbooks.”

Paula touted the book Gluten-Free Baking. “The basic gluten-free mix given in that book is two cups brown rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, and 1/3 cup of tapioca starch. The other book I like is Wheat-Free Recipes and Menus, by Carol Fenster [$5.95 on Amazon].”

Paula uses a rice flour online that she’s found to be less gritty than other brands. “I order Authentic Foods super-fine brown rice flour [three pounds for $12.30 at authenticfoods.com]. The flour is ground so fine — it works well in recipes. Authentic Foods also sells ultra-fine white rice flour and many other products for gluten-free baking.”

As for cake mixes, “Trader Joe’s gluten-free brownie baking mix is good,” said Paula, “though I add two eggs instead of the one called for in the recipe, and I substitute butter for the oil. And for a gluten-free mix, the price is reasonable [$3.99 for 16 ounces].”

Paula also uses the rice-flour breads from Trader Joe’s. “I find that gluten-free bread tastes better toasted. Our family likes the Trader Joe’s whole-grain brown-rice bread [$3.99 for 20 ounces] and the multi-grain brown-rice bread [$3.99 for 20 ounces].”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Holiday Market At Petco Park, Will Smith’s Dance in the Darkness Tour, Light Shows, Snowfall, Caroling

Events December 12-December 13, 2024
Next Article

Gonzo Report: Bob Long played piano for Tina Turner and Ray Charles

And he got the crowd shaking at InZane Brewery
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader