Happy New Year! Better Known As: Back to School!

For those of us with school aged children, right now we're either feeling elation or depression that school is about to start. Or maybe a mixture of both. I always struggle with both feelings, since we have a great time all together in the summer and it's hard to be alone when they leave. However, I can't say it's not going to be nice to have a few hours a day where I don't have to listen to the Angry Birds theme song. School starts for us Monday, and here's a quick recap: we've been making rock collections, going to the zoo, going to see the "Up" house in Herriman, chasing a puppy, and generally laying around.

When it gets time to send my children back to school, I find myself in the midst of preparations of Herculean proportions to bring order back into the chaos that summer inevitably falls into. I make detailed checklists of morning, after school, and bedtime routines so people know what to do when (I have yet to have a year where my checklists actually improve the morning rush), clean off the backpack/coat hangers, haul in boxes and boxes of food from Costco as though "The Big One" is coming over the horizon, and take stock of large and small things in a feeble attempt to make the morning rush and afternoon free-for-all easier. Ha. At least I'll get an "A" for effort.

This morning I made crepes for my daughter who was going to her first day of middle school, and I thought I would just make a few for her and do the rest of the batter later, because I was for sure going back to bed after she left. But the gluten free flour tends to thicken the batter as it sits, so I ended up making up the rest of them, and then another batch on top of that, and put them in the freezer for a quick on-the-go breakfast option for me or the kids. (Tip: I put paper towels in between each crepe so I can just pull out as many as I need without defrosting the whole batch. 20-30 seconds in the microwave should defrost them.) I thought this was a clever time saver, if I do say so myself. I've also learned that the best way for me to utilize big meat purchases from Costco is to break them up into dinner-sized portions, wrap them in foil, and label with the ever-present Sharpie.

Usually I make up a weekly meal plan right before I go to the grocery store, taking stock as I make the list. This year I decided to try something new. I divided the days into meal types, and then listed five or six meals for each day that could fit with my schedule and my plan. For example, Monday I always do a dinner with rice as the side dish. Tuesday is Mexican-ish, Thursday is Breakfast for Dinner, Friday we usually go out so the kids make their own dinners. I wrote down what the evening activities are on each day, so I can keep in mind if I need something everyone can eat at different times, or if we have time to sit and relax. In my Excel sheet I used cute colors and fonts, and since I just barely figured out how to use Scribd, hopefully you'll be able to get an idea of what I'm talking about.
Weekly Meal Plan

Basically, my idea was that as long as I knew what options I had for each night, I have a little more flexibility and can still roll with the punches. Then when I do my grocery shopping, I have a little more of the big picture so I can shop for sales on things I use all the time, plus staples for the week. Maybe this will help some of you out this fall if you're struggling getting back into the groove of making dinner. Conversely, some of you may be suffering from convulsions looking at my detailed spreadsheet. That's ok, too. How do you get ready for the fall rush? Do you have any special gluten free traditions or shortcuts that make your heart rate slow down? Please share in the comments box if you do!

Happy eating (and reading, and writing, and arithmeticing...)!

Subway. Summer. Sickness. Stupid.

Apparently it's summer around here, which means the days are filled with a whole lot of hanging out and not producing. I highly recommend it. To bring an end to the saga of my personal summer real estate disaster, my husband and I decided not to move after all. It makes sense for too many reasons to list to take the house off the market, so I've been slowly unpacking the boxes and boxes (and boxes) of stuff that I diligently packed weeks ago. Luckily they didn't travel anywhere, so I've had minimal breakage. And I have to admit, it's kind of fun to take out the things you love and find a new home for them. Kind of like shopping the house, which I always forget about when I get a hankering for re-decorating. I bossed my husband around a bit and made him promise to pay someone to remodel my kitchen for me when the kids go back to school, and like a good boy he said yes. This should make for interesting blog fodder, so stay tuned.

In other unhappy news, I have a story (sadly, no photo and no recipe, either, but meaningful nonetheless) that should serve as a reminder to all of us who eat gluten free to use "constant vigilance," to quote Mad-Eye Moody. One of my favorite summer activities is going on dates with my husband, because we seemingly forget time together is important during the school year. We went to see the last Harry Potter movie (goodbye, Harry!) and afterwards we were a little sick from all the popcorn and soda but still wanted a light meal. We settled on Subway and I was fine with that because I usually get a salad there, no big deal. Here is where I want you to pay attention: you know how you go into a restaurant when you have celiac disease and you always choose between one of two or three menu items you have in your head? There's a reason for that! When you think, Oh I haven't had that in a while, I think I'll try it again...stop! Check ingredients! Use your smartphone or a satellite or something to double check because it probably is on the "not safe" list and there's a reason you haven't eaten it in a while! What did I order at said Subway? A Seafood Salad made into a salad. Um....apparently wheat and/or gluten are present in the seafood salad. I was not a happy camper for a couple of days. So a gentle reminder to everyone...don't mess with your pre-determined menu thoughts. It may seem boring, but check before you go or after so you know for next time what your options are. And now if you are wondering what salad you can order at Subway and not be stupid like me, check out their allergen list here. Soapbox sermon over.

Happy (and safe) eating!

Me and the Not Bummer Summer

I know it's been almost 20 days since I posted, and I'm here to tell you why. A picture is worth a thousand words they say, so here you go:
And I basically spend my days eating this for lunch:Sadly, after all this work and packing all of these boxes the buyers pulled out of the deal on our home 48 hours before closing, which in turn made it so we couldn't purchase the other home we had bought, so now we are back to square one with our real estate ventures. I'm basically avoiding all cooking (mostly because everything in my pantry and cupboards is in a box) and trying to avoid slipping into a deep depression by eating popsicles and fresh pineapple every day I can. I'm usually a pretty optimistic person and I'm sure I'll be sunshiny again soon. It's just that now I don't really know what we should do...do I unpack the boxes and concede defeat? Or do I leave them packed and keep up the fight? I'm sure an answer will present itself in the near future. In the meantime, here are some glimpses of how we've been spending our time otherwise.

Ballet recitals!Running through sprinklers on hot days and eating Otter Pops!

Having Spongebob birthday parties!

Taking a road trip with this guy!

Throwing rocks into a hole!I hope you are having a great summer as well, and hopefully some gluten free inspiration will come my way soon!
Happy eating!

Celiac Disease Vaccine? Sign Up or Sign Off?

I just was alerted to a news story that is hitting the airwaves (blogwaves?) today from our local news station that is about a vaccine for celiac's disease sufferers. The way I read it, it looks like it will cure the disease. What? How is this possible! I'm dying, in case you can't tell. You can read about it here, on KSL.com's website. I'm interested to know from my readers: if it were safe and proven to cure celiac's disease, would you get the vaccine? Or would you keep on keepin' on the way you are now? Let's have a little conversation about it here.
I'm just adding this cute picture of my little girl at Temple Square in Salt Lake City because I can't stand to post without a photo, and who wants to see a photo of a vaccine? Not me.

Happy reading!

Warm Fuzzy Feelings

Rarely do I take the time to talk (much less think) about the beautiful things in life on this blog. Yesterday I noticed that the lilac bush in my backyard, although beautiful, was beginning to lose its blossoms already. And the crabtree down in the corner was close to having no bright pink flowers on its branches. Spring has decided to show up for the last two weeks of the season where I live, thanks to heavy snow and rain up until a few days ago. We've almost missed the beautiful spring flowers and weather because of the cold, damp days we seem to be perpetually stuck in lately. The sun came out and suddenly I realized there was a carpet of green grass in my flower beds and the tulips were starting to wither. So I took my scissors and brought in a bouquet of my favorites to bring the beauty inside for a while. I started to realize that thinking, planning, and strategizing are useless unless you stop and, literally, smell the flowers.Summer is my favorite time of year to be a gluten free eater. Grilled meat and fresh vegetables and fruits are abundant at every gathering and roadside stand. I seem to be more open to trying new flavors and tastes in the summer. No heavy casseroles with cream and cheese and 14 ingredients, just good, honest food that is at the height of flavor and freshness.Throw out the recipe book and just try something fresh. That's what I call smelling the food flowers, if you will. Have a plan, but be willing to throw the plan aside if you find the world's best corn on the cob by the side of the road and eat that until you feel silly. Leave the cookbook behind and try something new that you might just make up on the spot at lunchtime. That is how most of my recipes have come about. I've thought of what flavors sounded good at the moment and tried out a combination of them on a whim. Voila! A new favorite. What food are you most looking forward to this summer? Leave a comment and even a link to a recipe that uses it if you have one. Now I'm going to get back to enjoying warm breezes, capri pants, swimsuit shopping, and chalk drawings by talented 8-year-old artists living in my midst.Happy eating!

If You Don't Have One, Get One!

My mother in law has always had the softest brown sugar. I, on the other hand, have always been breaking up clumps of cemented brown sugar with a hammer for my cookies over the years. One time I looked inside her brown sugar container and thought, aha! She has a huge clump in here! But it was just one of these guys. Made of terra cotta pottery, you soak them in water for about 15 minutes and then put them in your brown sugar tupperware and it keeps it nice and soft. I'm sure most of you already have one of these, but if you don't, you can order one here. If you don't have one, get one! It will be good luck for you on Friday the 13th!

Happy eating!

A Gluten Free Emergency...Kit: The Backpack Method

The other day I was reminded by the gals at How Does She? that my 72-hour kits needed some attention. And after the events in Japan a few weeks ago I must admit surviving a disaster has been at the top of my list of to-do items. This is a great post about how Missy organizes her family's 72-hour emergency supplies, which is pretty much the exact same way I have organized mine over the last few years. She has better pictures and more in-depth explanations than I do, but I won't be jealous or even a little bitter about it if it helps even one person out. (If you haven't ever heard of the backpack method, take a minute to read this post, it will answer a lot of questions you may have.) A friend of mine told me she had heard someone speak about this and then shared the information with me. I wish I knew who came up with this system, because it's genius and I want to give them credit. Suffice it to say I did not invent this idea. But I love it nonetheless.

Here's the basic idea: group like items together and take up as little space as possible while making sure everything stays dry. The important thing to remember while you're putting one of these together is EMERGENCY pack. It's not gourmet camping pack or even staying at grandma's pack. It's what will keep me ALIVE until I can get to a shelter with water, heat, and food. It's the bare essentials in case of disaster. When I pulled the packs (old backpacks, a couple of $5 WalMart scores) out of the garage to rotate the emergency food, I realized that one of the most difficult tasks I have undertaken is to have emergency food set aside that is gluten free. I know without a doubt that if, heaven forbid, I am ever involved in a disaster with my family the last thing I will want to do is have diarrhea amongst the rubble because I've had to eat wheat.In my pack (keep in mind I am the adult and I have a few more things than my kids do) I have a grocery bag with clothes (sweat pants, sweatshirt, socks, hat, gloves, underwear) that I could wear if it was cold or warm, cutting off the sleeves and legs of the sweats if need be. I have an emergency item ziploc bag (yes, it all fits!) with bug bite cream, waterproof matches, hot hands, toothpaste, toothbrush, sunscreen, tylenol, band-aids, pen with tape that I could write on, neosporin and a pocketknife. My kids packs have most of the same things I have, including wet wipes and a whistle in case they get lost. They don't have the medicines, though.
I have a few other things in the front pocket and side pockets: emergency candles, flashlight and extra batteries, first aid kit, two silver blankets (thermal? solar? I'm not sure which.), more hot hands, a poncho, water cleaning drops, and some cash. I also have a bigger pack of wipes, since I'm sure I'll be wiping more people off than anyone else. I have some diversions, and my kids have some fun things for them to do in their packs as well as a waterproof poncho. Which reminded me that my pack didn't have a poncho...I'm not sure where my poncho ended up, but I guess I'll have to get another one.
I have three day's survival food for each person in a large ziploc bag, and each meal is contained in its own ziploc bag. Things like hot chocolate mix, hot cider mix, kool aid packs, granola bars, trail mix, nuts, and vienna sausages. (Why vienna sausages, you ask? They are cheap, have a long shelf life, and small.) In years past I have put Zone Fudge Graham bars in my packs, and you can get them at Costco for about 75 cents each. But they don't last long, and need to be replaced in 6 months' time. This year I added some small cans of Spam for one of the days for everyone. The goal is protein and calories, and as long a shelf life as you can find. Everybody gets three hard candies and three sticks of gum. I have five water bottles, and each of my five children has three, because they can't carry any more than that. That's a nice spot on my carpet, by the way.

This is where it gets tricky. After six years of rotating out hard granola bars and expired food, I'm seriously thinking of buying some MREs so that I only have to worry about the food every five years. It's probably cheaper, now that I think about it. But still, I thought, what if I can't find one that I can use? I love these two options from Costco, because the fruit has a two year shelf life and the trail mix at least has M&Ms for fun, but they don't last as long as I thought they would (only about 6 months). I found these at WalMart last night. They last a little longer (about a year) and I would for sure eat all three of these foods. Jack Links beef sticks (this could be questionable, but I checked the label twice and couldn't see anything wheat-related. If anything, I'll carry it for everyone else to eat.), dried cranberries (for vitamin C, fiber, and flavor) and Nature Valley has just come out with an Almond Crunch bar that is gluten free. And there's always this if you want protein and calories. (I have a small peanut butter in my pack also.) My husband's pack has a package of beef jerky that everybody else can eat. I've also got the cups and spoons and some boullion cubes for added meal options. These are also questionable, but I know there are some gluten free varieties out there, I just didn't have any on hand when I made up the packs. These are actually probably due to be thrown away so that will give me an excuse to buy some.

So I did some research to answer my burning question: is there actually an emergency food option that is gluten free? Emergency Essentials actually has two or three that would work for my backpack: Vegetarian Chili, (the nutrition information lists Textured Vegetable Protein, which I have always heard is gluten, but the label only says soy.) Southwestern Style Chicken with Black Beans, (the best option, I think: nothing questionable on ingredients) a Chocolate Shake, and refried beans. Emergency Essentials has all kinds of preparedness items if you are interested in ordering something.

I hope that has jogged your memory into thinking about emergency preparedness, and some of these gluten free options aren't ideal, but they will keep me alive until I can get back to my Namaste spice cake mix and Frosted Corn Flakes.

Happy packing!

Inspiration from Jamie

I'm still going on about my Whole Foods finds. I know you're probably wondering how much money I spent there on all of these things. Honestly, I don't even know. It's one of my weaknesses, shopping. And I must admit that as a gluten free eater sometimes when I see a food option I just buy it, no questions asked. You never know when you're going to find your new favorite product because you were willing to try it out for $6.

This find isn't necessarily a food find, but it's just about as good. As I said last week, I was in Whole Foods looking for inspiration. Wandering up and down the aisles is usually what gets the juices flowing for me, but while I was in the checkout line I spied this:A copy of Jamie magazine, UK edition. Jamie Oliver, in case you live in a cave and don't ever watch TV, is an English chef who is all about fresh ingredients and local cuisine. He hosts a show called Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution where he goes and tries to help American communities eat healthier. And he makes food look amazing. So talented and knowledgeable, this guy is. I have never actually seen a physical copy of this magazine, ever. I hope that means I don't get out much, but being somewhat of an Anglophile and a foodie, I grabbed it just to see what the food forecast is like across the Atlantic. First and foremost, this is truly a British publication. All of the ads are for UK products, most of which I've never heard of, but some were welcome reminders of old friends. (My favorite cheese, right there in print!)The paper it's printed on is even different. It's a matte finish rather than glossy and a little bit thicker than regular magazine stock. It has beautiful photography and very British recipes. For example, you could learn how to make fish pie (sounds gross to me, but I'm a fish hater...apparently it's a very traditional British dish), damson, pear and walnut muffins (what's a damson, you ask? I think something like a plum, but I'm not even sure about that), cassoulet, or Oxtail stew. One thing that caught my eye were these buckwheat crepes with poached pear and apple cider. They looked like a recipe that I could easily make gluten free, and I'm always looking for ways to use buckwheat that are delicious. (I have failed several times with buckwheat, that's why it's on my radar.)

I'll be honest and say not all of these recipes are ones I would ever make. But that's not the point. The point is that sometimes you need to think about food in a different way than you always think about it when you get bored with what you're eating. Sometimes imagining yourself in another country through the pages of a magazine are just the trick. And sometimes it's just plain fun to read a beautiful magazine that's all about a local cuisine and peek into another culture. Thanks for the trip, Jamie!

Happy eating!

Macey's Cooking Class...I'm So Behind!

Tonight I will be teaching (I use the term loosely) another gluten free cooking class at Macey's Grocery Store in Sandy (7800 South 1300 East) at 7 p.m. I have been super busy putting on a week-long event at our elementary school and I almost forgot to remind everyone out there about it. Stop by and say hi if you're in the area and get a treat. We will be making Gluten free Breakfast Casserole, Gluten Free Blueberry Scones, and Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins...brunch ideas for Easter! See you there!

It's Good to Be the Mrs.

I got a set of these darling little measuring spoons at Alt Design Summit in my swag bag, and I can't bring myself to remove the cute little tag on them. It was too perfect that my name was attached to a cooking thing at a blog conference. If you would like to buy some for yourself or as a gift, you can find them here. No April foolin'.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Pei Wei Love!

A confession: I'm addicted to the Vietnamese Chicken Salad Rolls at Pei Wei. I have them on my cell phone's phone book and I call them on my way to pick up my daughter from preschool and voila! Lunch for the lunch hater any time. This is a regular occurrence and apparently they save your order by phone number and they know what you ordered the last time you called in. I always make sure to order them gluten free (which just means they give you the gluten free dipping sauce because the wraps themselves are gluten free) and they've gotten it right every single time. Convenient for them but semi creepy if you ask me that they know what I'm going to order. Anyway, I always forget to look in the bag when I get take out at Pei Wei. I can't eat the fortune cookies and there's no reason to get the soy sauce packets out either. Well, as luck would have it, I just dumped out the whole bag the other day to get a napkin and out popped these packets of gluten free tamari sauce from San-J. What? When did they start to make these? And how great is it that Pei Wei cares enough to order them and remember to put them in my gluten free lunch bag? Good times and good customer service, if you ask me.

Happy eating!

Flirty Apron Winner!

Happy Valentine's Day to all my dear readers! I hope today you have a little bit of something sweet, a little bit of love, and a little bit of kindness come your way!

And, drum roll please....the winner of the Flirty Aprons giveaway is...

Angelina with the sassy red hair!

Congratulations! Email me your address and which apron you'd like to receive from Flirty Aprons and I'll get that sent right out to you! I noticed they just added some new designs over the weekend, so if you didn't win, head over and check them out. At under $30, it could be your Valentine's gift to yourself!

Happy cooking and happy eating!

A Valentine's Giveaway...Flirty Aprons!

Aprons could save the world. I'm serious. Do you know how many laundry disasters have been averted by aprons? I am forever putting holes in my t-shirts from where my jeans rub against the counter when I do dishes or cook. *That shows how short I really am!* But when I wear my apron my shirts are blissfully hole-less. I have a really cute everyday apron I wear all the time:

Those are my cute teenager types that live here. It's hard to see in this picture but I ordered it from this little danish internet site because I couldn't live without that fabric. But aprons can be a great fashion statement as well. (Have you noticed the blog header? That illustrated apron is to die for!)

Usually when I cook on TV or teach a class there's one thing you can be sure of: I will be wearing some sort of sassy apron that goes somewhat with the seasons. Understand that when I say seasonal I don't mean a screen-printed Rudolph or pumpkins and vines on them. Nooooo. I mean cute fabric with contrasting ties in colors that either remind me of a holiday or fabric that I can't turn away from. Here are a few examples: Me with the Harmon's guys, Bob and Randy, at Thanksgiving at Good Things Utah Me at the KJZZ studio in March (photo credit by Billy DeMong--gold medalist!) Yet another fun time in the summer at Good Things Utah (apron from The Pleated Poppy)

Lucky for you, this weekend you'll have a chance to win your very own sassy apron that you will look terrific in while you're cooking up a gluten free storm in your kitchen! Our friends at Flirty Aprons of CSN Stores are giving away one apron to a lucky Off the Wheaten Path reader. All you have to do is tell me which apron you like and why. Click here to see the full line of aprons. You have until Monday, February 14 at noon MST to enter. Winners will be announced shortly after 12. Enter now, you don't want to miss out on these cute aprons! Here are some of my favorite ones. I love a classic vintage cherry pattern. This is sophisticated but cute at the same time. Red and white for Valentine's! Who doesn't love a cute cupcake pattern? I am a sucker for brown and blue together. I love the mix of fabrics here. Get over to Flirty Aprons and leave me a comment today! And while you're at it, if you're bored and need something fun to look at for your kids, check out these swing sets from CSN Stores at swingsetsandmore.com.

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy apron shopping!