Lazy Gluten Free: My Story

My Story

In 2008, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. It took the doctors 6 months to figure out what was wrong with me. I was in constant pain, bloated, and tired all the time. Thinking I just needed a better diet, I was loading up on whole wheat and grains, which turns out was exactly the opposite of what I needed to do. My diagnosis came from finally being referred to a gastroenterologist who immediately told me to have an upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, during which they biopsied my small intestine. The results came back that I had Celiac Disease (click the link to learn more).

The second I found out what the problem was, my Mom and I jumped on Google and started doing research. My mom was a complete lifesaver from the beginning until even now. She loaded up on rice Chex, rice, and hunted down other foods that I could have so I could start the gluten-free diet right away. I was amazed at how much better I felt after just one week. The pain was virtually gone, I was feeling more energized, and I could tell my overall quality of life was improving. Since that time, my Mom and I have experimented with many recipes and ingredients to create gluten-free dishes that were much like the gluten versions that we were used to.

In 2011, Steven and I were to be married and I was going to be living on my own for the first time since being diagnosed. At my bridal shower, my Mom gave me the best gift I could have ever asked for: she put all of my favorite gluten-free recipes together in a homemade cook book. This has been such an awesome resource for me, as well as the internet, and a couple other cookbooks I have bought.

Steven has been a great help and has offered so much support throughout all of this as well. He offers his honest opinions of all my experimentation, and he often helps me to cook. When I was first diagnosed, he quickly learned what to look for in ingredient lists, and has been able to determine if an item is gluten free or not ever since. I feel truly blessed to have such a great support system with Steven, my family, and even my friends too.

With Steven's encouragement, I finally decided to start a blog where I can share with the rest of the gluten-free community my findings and recipes. I am very excited to be able to help others make food that is easy and doesn't require weird or tasteless ingredients. I pride myself in being able to find quick substitutes for gluten-containing ingredients, and keeping up with finding gluten-free national brands. You will find many items you recognize, and some that you may be excited to learn are gluten-free. I will also share with you the best-tasting substitutes I have found for those items that will never be gluten-free (breads, pastas, etc.).

Please feel free to post comments, feedback, and suggestions. I would love to hear the things that you have found, as well as how my recipes work for you. This is a place where we can all learn from each other.

Enjoy!

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