GF HA ha: Sweet

2003
Lynnwood

me: "Do you flour your beef, in the Beef with broccoli?"
Women Behind Counter: "He?"
me: "Is there wheat flour in this?" *pointing*
WBC:"... It spicy, not sweet."
me: "How do you make it?"
WBC: *waves frying pan at me*

Um, ok. I'll just get the steamed rice.

Gluten free by choice?

A friend of mine, who works with Children asked me how I felt about people going gluten free, who "don't have too"

Well, that depends on what you think makes it required.
I would eat gluten if it did not make me ill.

But I have known people who swore that there child with autism does so much better on a gluten free, no sugar, non dairy diet.

I know diabetics who find Gluten free diets easier to manage with less insulin.

Oprah, Gwyneth Paltro and other Celebrities claim that being gluten free is essential to a good Detox.

I'm behind anything that makes gluten free products more accessible to me.

In 2006 Reader's Digest published a list of the 10 diseases that doctors miss. http://www.rd.com/health/10-diseases-doctors-miss/}  # 7 was "CELIAC DISEASE In adults it takes an average of 11 years to diagnose celiac disease,... An estimated two million Americans have the disease but an astounding 97 percent go undiagnosed."
So, I can imagined that in the 6 years since then, with all the attention that it gets, we have gathered up most of that 97%

On the other hand, When I hear about someone claiming to be gluten free who is obviously not doing it seriously, It makes my teeth clench. Weather it's "My Doctor said, but I still eat cake" or its someone doing "low carb" and calling it gluten free.
For some this is a fad diet. They think that eliminating gluten will help them lose weight, or something superficial like that.

.

In 2010, in Spain they did a study that found that "healthy adults who ate a gluten-free diet for a month had a dramatic drop in protective gut bacteria and immunity-boosting chemicals." SO it's not a good idea to do it if you dob't NEED to.

So I think, if you suspect celiac disease, or gluten intolerance, get tested. If your test is negative, try the "diet". If you don't feel better, then Gluten is NOT your problem. Put your focus somewhere else.

Mother's day- WOW cookies

It's Mother's day.
SO I indulged in some cookies.
WOW cookies.
"Bakery Tubs"

Snicker doodle. Light, chewy, moist. A light coating of cinnamon/sugar around a soft cookie. As good as I remember. Delicious. I will get these again!!

Peanut butter, Chewy, moist, dense. But Not peanut enough. I expected more, as the first ingredient is Peanuts. Nice bits of nut, thought the dough.

Overall, good, worth the calories, but if I'm craving peanut butter I'll make my own.
I suppose my standards are a bit high, from my Grandmother's Peanut butter chewies.

More Adventures in Bread

I used a Bob's Red Mill bread mix in my Bread machine and was disappointed with the result.
I mixed the Dough before I put it in, as sometimes it does not get mixed well. And I read on line that beating down GF dough for a second raising is not necessary. SO I thought, I would just take the mixing paddle out of Mr Loaf, and then way it would Just rise, and Bake and be all good.

Well as you can see. It was not All good.
Sponge, and the bottom of the loaf was Doughy.
SO it was a fail.
On the up side, our Whole Foods market has UNDI's loafs doe $5.00 Can't beet that!

GREAT U: Gluten-Free Guide to College Living | NFCA

While wondering the Internet, on a gluten free Google I cam across this publication.
GREAT U: Gluten-Free Guide to College Living | NFCA
I wish there had been something like this for me when I went off to college almost a decade ago.

When I started at Washington State University, I did a lot of negotiating with dining services on these same items they brought up in the “red flag” article. 

WSU Require all freshman to live in Dorms, and that was a BIG problem for me to get GF foods from the Dining hall. Luckily the head of Dining services was a very kind women, and her Daughter had recently been diagnosed with a miled food allergy, so she was receptive to me concerns. Sadly, there was not much she could do about it. They could  not revise there whole system just for a handful of kids with allergies. But she did help me figure out what was safe, and what was not. And with her help I got approval to only spend one semester in the Dorms, and it was a building that had a kitehenstt on each floor, soI could make my own meals. After that I got into Campus Apartments and had my own Kitchen.

 I made connections with other GF students over my years there, and some were un-prepared to advocate for their food safety. Some were so use to their mother baking them everything for scratch they were shocked at how little GF food was available to them in the real world.

There was a Co-op bakery, over the state line, in Idaho, the carried GF Specialty products. Ther was one day month I was out of class early enough to hop on the bus, walk 6 blocks, get my groceries, walk back to the buss stopp, and make it home before the buses stopped running. I would Stock up. I had my own minni fridge, which I kept in the corner of my dorm room, cranked up as cold as it would go, and wrapped in blankets to insulate it. That little cfreezer was STUFFED with GF foods. My servival was dependent on it.

Monogram Napkins

I prefer using place mats over table cloth.
My MiL got my some Green leafy place mats.
As well as Rosemary(purple flowers) themed place mats
My mother made me purple hydrangea place mats.
Hubby got me Purple gingham place mats.

My dishes are White, with a blue trim.
Our cups are White with blue rims
you get the Idea

Purple and blue do go together...But I wanted to make a stronger connection.
SO I got these white napkins.
And Put a Blue monogram on it.

Perhaps it needs a purple accent?

Schar Chocolate O's

We have my sister to thank for the last few Snack food reviews. Yay for Cons!
Any way:

I noticed that the Schar stand had a new product, Chocolate O's.
I got the Kinnicknick Brand too, for comparison

My sister and I cracked open the cookies at SacuraCon, in the largest AMV viewing in the USA.
IN the dark we munched, first on the KinniToos.
My sister was enjoying them. I then told her that she had to have some of each, to compare, for the Blog. Then she had one of the Schar. And would NOT have another.
She thought the Schar had the texture, and taste of dirt. And the filling was dry.
On there own, the next day, the Schar cookies were not bad. But compared to the Kinni Toos, they failed.

Almost Normal

A good example of Gluten free acceptance in Mainstreem

Kettle Cuisine, Chicken Soup review

Kettle Cuisine Chicken Soup with Rice Noodles.
Frozen
The taste was quite good.The portion was small. The whole box, containing the soup and bowl is only 10 OZ. The whole thing is 140 calories. And loaded with a quarter of your daily Sodium. My conclusion:Good in a pinch, as a single serving of soup for a sick person.But if you are well, your better off making your own, starting with a low sodium can of chicken broth.

It's still me

Due to the changes in Google, I am finally making an alter-ego for this Blogg.
SO that I can continue to bring you Gluten free product reviews.

Say Hello to 180 Miles From Ordinary

Cheetoes and Gluten

If you follow this link: cheetosyou can see what I'm about to interpret for you.

Cheetos have no gluten Containing ingredients.
However, only Natural while Cheddar, has validated through analytical testing to contain less than 20 ppm of gluten.
All of the other flavors of Cheetos "may be manufactured on the same lines as products that contain gluten."
If you want to see there whole legal statement it is Here: fritolay
And so is a list of all their products that are GF to that Magic Less then 20 ppm.

Basically, it's an individual call if you going for the Classics Cheetos or one of the Officially Gluten free Off Brands. You have to weigh taste against safety