Gluten Free while Nursing

Bridget, Kate, and Trey Christmas 2011

On October 19th we had our baby boy, Trey. Everything has gone really well and he has been such an angel.

I have decided to be Gluten-Free while I nurse. My decision came after seeing some article (that I can't find anymore!) that said being gluten free while nursing an at-risk baby may help lower the chances of the disease displaying itself. I haven't been able to find much research on this topic. I talked to my dad, who is our Doctor. He said scientifically it does not make sense to go gluten free while nursing. When the body processes the food we eat into breast milk it breaks it down and changes it so much that you shouldn't be able to recognize the food, even gluten. However, he knows someone who is nursing and whenever she has dairy her baby gets a rash. Scientifically, this should not happen. But there is a definite link between what she eats and her baby reacting to it. My dad says, knowing this, there is a chance that it is the same with gluten. Even if it only lowers his chance by a fraction, it is worth it to me.

Gluten Free Friendly Restaurants, YC's Mongolian Grill

Hurray for Restaurants that are accommodating for Gluten Free!

We are big fans of YC's Mongolian Grill. They have 5 locations around the Valley (Phoenix area). When you first walk in and pay for the food, you tell the Cashier you have a Gluten Allergy and they will give you a little sign to put on your tray. Pile on as much food as you can (using the little papers they provide to smash as you go). We like to double up on the sauces, be sure to steer clear of the Soy sauce! SOY SAUCE IS NOT GLUTEN FREE! When you bring your food up to the cooking station, the cooks will see the sign and clean off the cook top before cooking your food.

TJ had lunch there this last week and didn't feel the least bit glutened!

Gluten Free Homemade chicken broth

After making a whole chicken in your crockpot as seen here, follow these steps to make a broth.

1.Once you have pulled off all the meat put the remaining bones, etc. back into the broth.

2.Add the "extras", or neck bone and organs, you set aside from cleaning the chicken.

3.Add an onion, cut into fourths; a few cloves of garlic, carrots, celery, salt and pepper, and 1T rosemary or 1T basil. Or any other seasoning you like.

4.Cook on low overnight, or 8-10 hours.

5. Strain. Use a thin strainer or cheescloth. Refridgerate. Good for 2 weeks at most. If you know you won't use it all, you can freeze it in an ice cube tray, then put in a baggie for as-needed.

Gluten Free Rotisserie style chicken in the Crockpot

I used to get the cooked Rotisserie chicken from the store for a quick and easy meal. But not knowing what seasonings are used or who touched what before the chicken, I like to play it safe and make my own now. Plus it is so cheap if you buy a whole chicken when it goes on sale! The best price I have seen in my area is $0.67/lb.! The best part is it always makes 2 meals for us!

Preparing the chicken:

1. Take out of bag and rinse well. Remove the stuff that is in the cavity (neck bones, organs, etc.) Remove the skin and any fat if you want (I do). The chicken stays moist without the skin, but you can leave it on and just pick it off after it is cooked if you like.

*set aside the "extras" from the cavity if you would like to make a broth later. Just stick them in a baggie and refrigerate.

2. Place in Crock pot/slow cooker. Season with whatever you want! A few of my favorites..

Italian dressing; Rosemary with garlic, salt and pepper; Lemon Pepper, garlic, salt; Cumin, chili powder, garlic; Cajun seasoning; Or just a little garlic and salt and pepper. You could also just chop some fresh onion or garlic.

I haven't tried this yet, but I have a friend who likes to put on a can of Cranberry sauce. There really isn't a wrong way to go! The key is to keep in mind what else you want to serve with it and how you want to use the leftovers.

3. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Check the internal temperature before eating if you are unsure (180-185 degrees Fahrenheit), or just make sure the juices run clear. *Save the bones and juice in the crock pot if you want to make homemade broth.

Tip: It is much easier to pull off the extra meat when the chicken is warm.

*If you would like to make some Homemade (Gluten Free) Chicken broth check out tomorrow's post.

Ideas for using the leftover chicken:

Chicken quesadillas

Chicken noodle soup (use the broth too!)

Hawaiian Haystacks

Chicken and Rice casserole

BBQ sandwiches

Tacos/Burritos

You can also put the extra chicken in a baggie and freeze it to have on hand if you don't use it within two weeks.

Ali's Story

I am a stay-at-home mom and I love it. I enjoy cooking here and there, but it isn't something I really love or excel at. Whenever I look up recipes online, I look under "30 minutes or less", to give you an idea. When Kate and TJ were diagnosed with Celiac I had a bit of a rough time with the transition, especially with being the cook. I got so caught up in thinking about everything we couldn't eat and couldn't do. I don't know when the change occurred (I am ashamed to say it wasn't all that long ago) but I realized that it really isn't all that bad. Yes, you have to plan out meals a little more carefully, and yes, it can be a little more expensive for certain items but it gets easier the more you live with it. Plus it is exciting when you find a new restaraunt or great recipe or product. I am hoping by my posting this I will help someone else with the transition to a Gluten Free lifestyle.

Gluten Free Lettuce Wraps

One of our favorite dinners!

2-3 chicken breasts

1/2 T oil (olive is great but sesame is best)

1 zuchini (chopped)

1 large carrot (not the baby carrots)

1 can waterchestnuts (chopped)

1/2 onion (chopped)

1 clove garlic (chopped)

Fresh grated ginger root (this is to taste, but about 1t)

1/2 Cup Gluten Free soy sauce (must be labeled GF!)

1.Cut the chicken into small pieces (smaller than a dime).

*I love using the kitchen shears to cut up my chicken so I don't get a cutting board all dirty from raw chicken! (Plus you can find them super cheap, even at the Dollar store!)

2. Cook in a large pan or wok with the oil.

3. Add onion and garlic, cook unitl the onion is clear.

4. Add ginger, soy sauce, zuchini and carrot. I like to use the small grater or the peeler for the carrot to keep it from being overwhelming.

5. Cook until desired texture for zuchini. Ususally 1-2 minutes.

I like to either add the sesame seeds in with the veggies or put on at the end, how much you use is a preference thing.

Serve with Sticky rice and lettuce!

You can add any other veggies you like to this too. Sometimes I put in mushrooms, yellow squash, a little green onion, cabbage, or celery.

Gluten Free bread mixes

One of our favorite gluten free bread mixes is this "Blue Chip Group". It is wonderful because you can buy it at most Walmarts (in the food storage, canning isle). It is only about $5 and makes about 2 and 1/2 loaves! So it is by far the cheapest I've seen when it comes to mixes or buying a loaf. Plus, it calls for very basic ingredients, water, yeast, and vinegar. The last time I bought this it was in the blue bag instead of the usual gold, so I pictured both.

The key to making this mix into yummy bread is the temperature of the water and letting it rise.

I buy the little packets of yeast most of the time because I don't go through a lot of it. You know, the 3 packets sealed together. I like to buy the "Active Dry" or the "Instant, Quick Rise". On the directions it will tell you the best temperature for the water. But I have found that 130 degrees Farenheit always works when you are adding the water after the yeast is mixed in with the flour mixture.

Next, letting the dough rise in a warm place (like a window seal) will make a big difference.

The loaf is not the size of regular, homemade bread, but it isn't much smaller. It is also slightly sweeter than most bread. It makes great toast and my two year old loves having it on hand for a snack.

We also like to use it for making french bread pizza. Cut the loaf in half and put on your favorite sauce and toppings! Or you could do a lot of small, thin, toast slices for a good thin crust.

Overall we really like this product!

Gluten Free chocolate chip cookie mix review- Betty Crocker

We made some chocolate chip cookies from a Betty Crocker mix. And we gave it two thumbs up!

They were moist and chewy, not something you usually get with gluten free! The cookies were even pretty good after a couple of days. Thank you Betty C for making another easy treat!

Kate's Story

Kate was born in April 2009. Over the first year of her life she was very healthy. When she turned one and began eating more and more solid food however, something changed. She sort of stopped growing, and began thinning out. On occasion I noticed she had a distended tummy. She was a very happy little toddler, but would sometimes get fussy for seemingly no reason. Then the blow-outs started. Over the course of two months she went from one bowel movement (BM) a day to six BMs a day. I'm not talking little ones, either. I'm talking the massive blowouts where you had to change her clothes and sometimes wash her in the tub. She ate constantly. It was obvious the food was running straight through to her huggies. She even began to look unhealthy and would catch every bug that was going around. We talked to our Pediatrician (who happens to be my dad), after talking through a few possibilities and decided to try a gluten free diet. The first day gluten free she didn't have BM. From six to none! The next day she had the first solid BM in months. It was a pretty straight forward answer. This was October 2010. Nearly a year later Kate is growing like crazy! She is healthy and happy. Gluten free is definitely worth it.