sesame chicken~

Sesame Chicken~

Ingredients:

Marinade:

2lbs chicken tenders cut into bite size pieces

2T wheat-free tamari sauce

2tsp rice vinegar

4tsp cornstarch

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Sauce:

1c sugar

1/2 c. wheat-free tamari sauce

5T rice vinegar

2c. chicken broth

1tsp minced garlic

1/4c. sesame seeds (optional)

4tsp cornstarch

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, 1/2 cup of the tamari sauce, vinegar, and chicken broth. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine chicken pieces, remaining 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons of vinegar. Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes. Once the chicken has marinated, add egg whites and cornstarch and stir until well-blended.

In your wok, heat oil over med-high heat. Cook chicken (in about 3 batches) until golden on both sides- this will take 3-5 minutes. Remove chicken from wok with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Cover with foil to keep the chicken warm. If you have more than a couple tablespoons of oil left in the wok, discard the remaining oil( leave just a few tablespoons in the wok). Reduce the heat to med. Cook the garlic for about a minute. Then add tamari sauce mixture. Increase heat to med-high and cook sauce for about 15 minutes. Stir four teaspoonfuls of cornstarch into a little water and whisk it into the sauce. Once the sauce is thickened and bubbly, add the chicken and sesame seeds. Top with green onions if desired and serve over jasmine rice.

Adapted from Gluten Free Mommy

**In order to prepare this ahead of time and freeze, I put the chicken (already cut up) into the marinade mixture, minus the cornstarch and egg whites, into a gallon-size freezer bag.

**In a separate gallon-size freezer bag, I mix the sauce ingredients, minus the cornstarch, double bag, and seal.

**I then place both bags (marinating chicken and sauce mixture) into a disposable aluminum pan. I also put the 4tsp of cornstarch needed to thicken the sauce while cooking into a small ziploc bag and place in the aluminum pan. (I usually don't worry about coating the chicken in the egg white and cornstarch when I actually cook it.)

**If you don't typically have fresh or frozen stir-fry veggies on hand, you may want to put some in the aluminum pan as well so you have them when you go to prepare the meal.

gluten free chicken pot pie~

I'm just posting all my recipes here as I get time in order to have them (the way we like them) all in one place. By no means am I claiming these are awesome and everyone just really should know about them :o)

Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie~

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

4c. cooked, chopped/shredded chicken

30oz+ frozen mixed vegetables (can be thawed)

For the Gravy:

1/4 c. butter

spoonful of minced garlic (however much you like)

1 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped celery

1/2 c. rice flour

4 c. chicken broth

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried mustard

garlic powder to taste (sorry, I never measure)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2T basil

3T sour cream (optional)

For the Crust/Topping:

1c. cornmeal

1/2c. rice flour + 4T

4T tapioca flour

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2T honey

1 1/2c. milk

2T oil (olive, vegetable, etc.)

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 425.

*Oil a 9 x 13 pan. Arrange chicken and vegetables in pan. Set aside.

*To make gravy: In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Saute onion and celery until tender and fragrant. Add garlic and cook for a minute or so more, don't let the garlic burn. Sprinkle flour over top and stir. Add broth and stir to dissolve flour. Add seasonings. Bring the gravy to a boil while stirring frequently. Gently boil for several minutes to blend flavors. Pour hot gravy over chicken and vegetables in pan and stir thoroughly.

*To prepare crust: Combine dry ingredients from crust section in a small bowl and mix well. In a large bowl, combine honey, olive oil, and milk. Heat briefly in microwave to allow honey to mix easily. Add dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Spread over top of casserole. I have to use my hands to spread it out as it's slightly thick. I also don't spread it all the way to the edges in order to avoid spillover in the oven.

*Bake uncovered until hot and lightly browned, approximately 15-30 minutes.

**Adapted from Gluten Free Mommy and Hillbilly Housewife**

chicken tortilla soup~

Stacey, if you end up trying any of these and liking them, let me know! And if there are any others you want feel free to ask. I would eventually like to get all my freezer meals on here under the celiac, recipes, and preparing for baby categories, but we'll see :o)

Chicken Tortilla Soup~

Ingredients:

*2c. cooked chicken (Can quickly sautee in olive oil just prior to cooking if needed. I try and keep bags of cooked, shredded chicken in my freezer for quick meals.)

*1/2 tsp minced garlic (I'm sure I use more as we like garlic and I just kind of dump some in.)

*1/4 tsp cumin

*4c. (32oz) chicken broth

*1c. corn (It's been awhile, but I think I probably just dump in a can of drained corn.)

*1c. chopped onion (Again, I probably use more as we like onion. I just mince a whole onion in the processor and use however much it makes.)

*1/2 tsp chili powder (My kids usually think this soup is spicy, so I'll reduce it next time.)

*1T lemon juice

*1c. preferred salsa

Directions:

**Sautee chicken in a little olive oil, butter, or whatever you prefer if not yet cooked.

**In large stock pot, sautee onion.

**Add chicken, garlic, and cumin. Mix well.

**Add broth, corn, chili powder, lemon juice, and salsa.

**Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

**Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, monterey jack cheese, etc.

******I usually freeze my soups in double bagged gallon size freezer bags. I often still get leakage when thawing, so be careful. I probably shouldn't fill them so full :o)

barbeque beef brisket, take two~

I had posted my barbeque beef brisket back in the fall here.   I have since then come up with a much easier (and cheaper) way.  Basically, I get whatever beef roast is on sale, brown it briefly, and then gently boil it all day in a large stock pot with water, worchestershire sauce, onion, and garlic.  When it is fork tender I cut off the fat, shred it, and add either homemade or store bought barbeque sauce.  Easy peasy.


**This is such an easy recipe to prepare, very yummy, and makes for a super quick meal when grabbed out of the freezer.
**Since my family doesn't eat bread, we just eat it as bbq with veggies on the side. It makes a great sandwich with melted cheese, but I have to sneak it that way so no one is sad :o)
**I freeze in quart-size freezer bags. If I pack it full, one bags feeds our family with just a little bit left over. Sometimes none depending on how much grazing Caleb does after dinner :o)

cheesy chicken vermicelli~

Here you go! Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken Vermicelli~

Ingredients:

**16oz (1lb) vermicelli, angel hair, spaghetti...whatever...cooked according to package directions (I use gluten free pasta and it works fine.)

**3c. (or however much you prefer) cooked chicken

**5c. shredded cheese (recipe calls for cheddar, which I usually use, but would probably be really good with parmesan, mozzarella, etc.)

**italian seasoning (use generously)

**salt and pepper

**1c. milk or half and half (I usually use 2% milk because that's what I have)

**Would probably be yummy to add squash, zucchini, or whatever sounds good.

Directions:

*Grease/spray a 9x13 casserole dish

*Mix all ingredients except milk, reserving some cheese for top.

*Just before baking, pour milk over top, add last layer of cheese.

*Cover with foil, pressing down ingredients if needed.

*Bake at 350 until heated through.

**Disclaimer: I've not actually eaten this, I've made it for the family when I'm going to be out. My husband claims everyone loves it and as he's not the kind of guy to throw out food and lie to make me feel good, I tend to believe him :o)

**Another thought....I've never frozen noodles. Have any of you? Would it work fine?

sad news, but not the end of the world(in case you were worried)~

I've written lots before about Glen and Anna being diagnosed with Celiac Disease last winter. It costs us $400 to have each person tested, and while Samaritan Ministries does reimburse us a couple of months out, we have to front the money. So the plan has been to test one person at a time as we can. None of the other kids have obvious issues, the only one the was somewhat on my radar was Ethan.

Ethan is my stocky, funny guy. His personality brings me indescribable joy and laughter every. single. day. Of course all my children hold a special, unique place in my heart, but Ethan's is different. I've always felt the need to protect him a little more for some reason. Although he does get over things very quickly, little things, when they happen, are just the absolute end of the world in his mind. Missing shark? Well, he might as well die and go to Heaven right now because life on earth is just not worth living without his great white shark.

On the other hand, he finds the greatest joy in little things. He loves to read, just like his mother. You cannot find him sitting down, or often even standing up for that matter, without a book in his hand. I don't know how many times he's read the back of the same cereal box. Too bad I can't just put his schoolwork on there :o)

Anyway, he was the next one I wanted to have tested for Celiac. I wasn't really worried about him, he wasn't having digestive issues like Glen and Anna, but I've learned over the last year that since Celiac affects absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, that it can manifest in countless ways.

There were a couple of things that caused me to choose Ethan next. First of all, he is very small for his age. He is somewhat solid, but short. The guy is seven in a couple of weeks but still wears a 4/5 shirt and 5t pants. T...as in toddler. He can't wear regular 5s, it has to be 5t. The doctor has never been worried as Glen and some of the other guys in his family are on the short side. He also always seems to be in a bit of a brain fog. That seems somewhat of a contradiction as he is very smart, loves school, and love reading, but as his mother who is with him virtually all the time, I can just tell he seems a little cloudy sometimes.

So anyway, I chose him next. I was so hoping, and praying that his test would be negative. Unfortunately, it wasn't. He, like Anna, carries two Celiac disposing genes. Normal antibody levels are supposed to be under 7, his came back at 41 and 34. As a reference, Anna's were only 14 and 12. Numbers aren't a real clear picture, but it does tell us that his body is fighting the effects of gluten more strongly than Anna's. And not only that, but his body is also producing a strong antibody reaction to dairy. I've been able to deal with the gluten issue fairly easily, but the dairy really throws a wrench in the picture. Thankfully, the little bit of research I've done has said that if I can get the gluten response under control, the dairy may resolve itself.

I am heartbroken. Like I mentioned earlier, little things are a big deal to him. He takes such simple, boyish delight in peanut butter sandwiches and milk. Not to mention things like ice cream, chicken tenders, the occasional donut, etc. He's my child that asks me in the morning what's for lunch and dinner. I haven't had the heart to tell him yet. He knows he was tested, but it's not something he's even thinking about. Glen and Anna are troopers, they like a wide variety of food, and what they can't have, for the most part, I've been able to cook alternatively. Everything else, they've just been able to deal with without too much frustration. Anna also kind of likes being "special" and getting special attention in group settings. She freely admits this ;o) Ethan is going to have a much harder time with it, I'm afraid. He doesn't so much care to be singled out because he's different, and he thrives on routine. He looks forward to little things so much and I hate to take away things that are so basic, but that are such a part of his normal, every day life. He would be perfectly happy to have a peanut butter and honey sandwich with milk for every meal for the rest of his life, I think. I am praying to be able to find a yummy bread that I can make that he will like. Sandwich bread has actually been one thing I've not made a priority as Glen and Anna were never really sandwich people.

So please pray for me, and for him. I'm going to deal with the gluten issue before the dairy one and we'll go from there. The gluten can cause physical damage to his body, that could eventually result in things such as diabetes, cancer, etc., not to mention that I'm now wondering if it has been affecting his growth, but the dairy isn't as serious. I am praying that the dairy becomes a non-issue. I am just so sad for him. I would so appreciate your prayers.

turkey and wild rice soupaka the best leftover turkey recipe ever in the whole world ever~

I love chicken noodle soup. Love it. But since Glen and Anna are celiac, egg noodles are out, and rice noodles just don't really cut it that great for soup. So I've been looking for a good alternative.
Wa la! Chicken (or Turkey) and Wild Rice Soup

Last week I wanted to experiment with a turkey breast in the crockpot just because (yes, this was the day I forgot to turn it on. Obviously, I remembered later ;o) I had a couple of different things I wanted to experiment with, namely making broth in the crockpot over night and finding a good chicken noodle soup alternate.
So this is what I did. After we cut some of the meat off and had it for dinner (I recommend roasting your turkey the traditional way, the crockpot turkey was nothing to talk about.) I put the carcass, still containing quite a bit of meat on it, back in the crockpot, covered it all the way to the top with water, added two quartered onions and a bunch of garlic, and let it cook on low all night. I probably would have thrown in some celery if I'd had some, and if I'd remembered, I may have thrown in some carrots.

The next morning, my house smelled awesome.

Later on, when I got around to it, I took the carcass out, picked off the rest of the meat, and strained the broth. Straining the broth was the one thing that had always kept me from making broth more regularly as I never really knew how to do it well. Some people use cheesecloth, but that always sounded difficult and potentially messy. So I set my largest colandar/strainer inside my largest bowl, and just poured all the broth in there. A few stray pieces of garlic went through, but no big deal. I then stuck the bowl in the frig, let the fat and misc other stuff the strainer didn't catch, congeal at the top. Later on, I skimmed off the congealed part, and then I had my broth. Full of flavor, vitamins, nutrients, super yummy, and not very difficult.
Onto my soup experiment. I had a couple of recipes I wanted to experiment with and create my own. The result was the best chicken (turkey) soup I've ever had, and by far the best I've ever made. My family ALL ate it, and asked for more. We fought over licking the pot. Almost.
So, since you asked and all, and a lot of you are going to end up with some leftover turkey over the next few days, I'm happy to share :o)

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup or Chicken Noodle Soup (or turkey or duck or whatever... ;o)

Ingredients:
1T butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (I think I used an entire small onion, we like onion)
1/2 cup chopped celery (I didn't have any so I left it out)
1c. sliced carrots (I used baby carrots cut in half and probably used closer to 2c.)
1/2tsp dried basil
1/2tsp dried oregano
salt, pepper, garlic to taste
1 bay leaf
10c. broth (if you're using canned broth, use about 8c. chicken or turkey and 2c. veggie)
1/2 pound chopped chicken or turkey (I just threw in what looked right, Glen likes a lot of meat in it.)
1 1/2 cups egg noodles (I used wild rice instead since we can't do egg noodles. I used about 2 1/2c. *cooked* wild rice and added it in at the end.)

Directions:

Sautee garlic, onion, celery, and carrots in butter. I just sautee in the same pan I'm making the soup in.

Add broth, chicken, sauteed veggies, spices, and salt/pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes or so.

While simmering, cook wild rice. When the rice is done, add it to the soup.

Sorry the recipe is kind of all over the place, I had a base recipe that I went off of, and then tweaked it for us. The rice absorbs a lot of the liquid, so even though it seems like a lot, it wasn't excessive. If you want to do it without real broth, the recipe called for 8c. chicken broth and 2c. vegetable broth.

Anyway, it was really easy and so, so yummy. I think I'm more excited about having more of it than I actually am about the main meal tomorrow :o) And while it is excellent the first day, it is even better in the following days.
Let me know if you end up trying it and liking it. It is a 5 star, blue ribbon award winner in my book just because ALL of my kids ate it willingly. With smiles. AND asked for more. All of them! With no complaints. I also love it because I feel like it's super healthy being made with genuine stock :o) Plus...that means I'm not going to have to deal with the turkey mess until Friday...shh...

Barbeque Beef Brisket~

We try and not eat very much pork around here, so we really enjoy having this bbq. It's a little more work than picking some up from Whitt's, but I just make it in bulk and then grab a bag out of the freezer when we want barbeque. It is adapted from Don't Panic, Dinner's In The Freezer!

Barbeque Beef Brisket

**This is a little tricky, measuring wise. I will list the amounts for what it gives as 2 servings, but once it is made, just bag up however much you think your family would eat at a time.

Ingredients:

*8 lbs beef brisket (this is definitely cheaper if you can get it from Sams or Costco) (can substitute chuck steak, but I've never done this.)

*1/4c.+ liquid smoke

*2tsp crushed bay leaves (I always have whole, so I just tear them up into little pieces.)

*1/4c. chili powder

*1T. pepper

*1T. salt

*several bottles of your favorite barbeque sauce, depends on how saucy you like your barbeque

Directions:

**Combine salt, pepper, chili powder, and bay leaves in a small bowl.

**Rub meat completely with liquid smoke.

**Place meat, fat side up, in large roasting pan. (I think I usually use 2 9x13 cake pans.)

**Sprinkle dry seasoning mixture on top. Cover tightly.

**Bake for approximately 4 hours at 325 degrees.

**Scrape seasoning and fat off meat. Cut in very thin slices across the grain or shred.

**Mix with barbeque sauce of choice.

**Freeze in desired portion sizes. I freeze in quart size freezer bags.

White Chicken Chili~

There is always a mad dash at our house between Glen, myself, Anna, and Caleb whenever we have this. The little kids could care less. More for us!

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

*5c. chicken broth

*2c. chicken

*1 small can chopped green chilis

*pinch cayenne pepper (I omit this)

*1/2c. chopped onion (or more, we like onion)

*2 cloves minced garlic

*2-3 cans great northern beans, drained (or any other bean you prefer)

*1/2 tsp. oregano

*1/8 tsp. cumin (or more if you prefer)

*2T. cornstarch mixed with 1/4c. water

Directions:

*Combine all ingredients in large stock pot.

*Cook 30 minutes at medium heat. Stir often and watch carefully, it will stick.

*Reduce heat to low, cook an additional 20 minutes. Continue to stir often and watch carefully.

**Like most soups, this is better if it sits for awhile. It's yummy from the beginning too, though.

**This sometimes is more watery than I like. You could either use less broth, use more ingredients, add more cornstarch, or remove some of the mixture, blend in a blender, and then add back to the pot.

**I freeze this like I freeze other soups. In a gallon size, double lock ziplock bag, and I double the bags.

**If you keep the ingredients on hand, this can be made in a flash. I always try and have bags of shredded chicken and chopped onion in the freezer, as well as chicken broth on hand.

**For a large family, you would probably want to double.

**Thanks to my wonderful book club friend, Julie, for another winner! Yes, I get most of my recipes from friends. :o)

James' Tomato Basil Soup~

I want to make sure and say up front, loud and clear, that this recipe is from my friends, James and Lori Todd. It is completely theirs, and it is fabulous! It gets rave reviews and recipe requests every single time I take it anywhere or give it to anyone.. I am only posting it here on my blog so that I can save it as a url to my delicious site.

Chef James' Fabulous Tomato Basil Soup~

Ingredients:

*28oz. crused tomatos (I use Tuttorossi w/ Basil, I always find it on the bottom shelf at the store)

*(3) 14.5oz cans Del Monte Petite Cut Diced Tomatos w/ Garlic & Olive Oil (brand here is important!)

*2/3 stick of butter

*fresh torn basil if handy (I don't usually have this, and I'm not sure how it would freeze)

*2/3 tube Gourmet Garden Crushed Basil (this is in a tube, I find it in the produce section at Publix, it is like a paste.)

*salt/pepper to taste (I find the canned tomatos are pretty salty, so I don't usually need extra salt.)

*fresh grated parmesan for topping

*4oz. heavy cream (I have made it without this before for my dairy-free friends. It is still very yummy, but it is yummier with it.)

*can add two cans of mixed veggies (or frozen) to make more of a tomato veggie soup (this is what I do when I make it for us.)

Directions:

**add all ingredients except parmesan and cream

**heat through without boiling

**add 4oz heavy cream before serving (If freezing, I do go ahead and add the cream.)

**garnish with grated parmesan

**serve with gluten free cornbread

**This freezes fine. I usually freeze it in gallon size double lock freezer bags, and I double the bags to avoid potential mess.

**This is also a very, very quick and easy soup to make for company or friends having babies, etc. and if you keep the ingredients on hand, can be thrown together in about five minutes.

**For our family (currently feeding 8), I have to double it if we want leftovers.

**I have added zucchini, squash, corn, etc. to this as well instead of the mixed veggies

**Thanks again to James and Lori for the recipe EVERYONE raves about!

Chicken Enchiladas~

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

*app 4c. rotesserie chicken meat or however much you like (or any cooked, shredded chicken, I get the chickens from costco)

*2 cans green enchilada sauce (this is the mild kind)

*1/2 can red enchilada sauce (you could use more if you like it spicier)

* large block monterey jack cheese, shredded

*2-3 T. butter

*2 yellow peppers sliced into strips

*2 onions cut up

*1 can green chilis (optional)

*any other veggies you want to add

*corn or flour tortillas to layer with
(I pour some olive oil on a plate and dip the corn tortillas in the oil quickly before layering them, I don't really know if it's necessary or not. I'm pretty sure if you use flour tortillas this wouldn't be necessary, but the corn tortillas are kind of grainy.)


1. Cook peppers and onion in butter until tender (and any other veggies you want to add)
2. Mix chicken meat with enchilada sauce and pepper/onion mixture.
3. Spray bottom of a 9x13 pan.
4. Layer chicken mixture, tortillas, and cheese. Top with extra cheese.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.


**If preparing for the freezer, just layer and freeze. I cook it when thawed.
**You could also put some of the mixture into a tortilla, roll up, and freeze that way. I would then pour a little more enchilada sauce and shreeded cheese on top. Since we have to use corn tortillas and they are so small, I just layer it like a casserole.

**Depending on your family size, this could make anywhere from 1-3 meals.

**This is loosely adapted from my friend, Jennifer Brewer. Thanks, Jennifer!

Chicken Soup w. Barley & Lentils~

Chicken Soup w. Barley & Lentils

or double lentils if you're gluten free,

which we are,

for the last few years anyway.

But whatever.

Ingredients:
2c. Chopped onion
4 cloves minced garlic
4T. Butter
60oz + chicken broth
3c. Water
3c. Cooked chicken

1c. Dry lentils, rinsed and drained
1c. Barley (substitute 1c. lentils if gluten free for a total of 2c. lentils)
1/2 tsp. each basil, oregano, and rosemary
3c. + sliced carrots (I use baby carrots halved to make it easy)
(2) 14.5 oz cans cut tomatos


Directions:
** In a large pot (I use my largest stock pot), cook onion and garlic until tender.
** Stir in water, broth, lentils, barley, and herbs.
** Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
** Stir in chicken and carrots. Simmer, covered, for an additional 20 min or until carrots are just tender. Stir frequently as sometimes it sticks.
** Add undrained tomatos and heat through.



**This is good when first made, but even better if it sets up for a day. You can leave it on the stove for a long time to enhance the flavor, just watch it carefully. It does stick. After a while, it may thicken up, I just add more broth, water, herbs, etc. and you can do this numerous times and really make it stretch with no loss of flavor.

**If you keep cooked chicken and chopped veggies on hand, this is a very easy and very quick meal to make.

**If freezing, I usually freeze in double seal ziplock bags, and I double the bags to protect against potential mess. If I had more freezer space, I would freeze in gladware containers.


**I originally got this recipe from my good friend, Heather Norman. Thanks, Heather!

celiac question answered~

You said I could ask a question and since I'm new to your blog......is your husband a celiac? I've done a lot of research into it over the past two years. My son and I both suffer from intestinal disorders which I believe are related to wheat/gluten. One time we went off gluten for two weeks and life was grand (except we were so hungry). What prompted you to go gluten free?

-Jonine

Let's see. Yes, my husband is a Celiac. So is my oldest daughter. None of our other children really have any symptoms or problems, so they've not been tested. We did find out that Anna is a double-gened Celiac, meaning she got a gene from each of us, so we do plan to have our other children tested in the coming months as that greatly increases the likelihood that they could have gluten issues in the future. **update 12.2008** We found out our third son, Ethan, is also a Celiac. You can read about why we chose to have him tested next and how it all came about here.

For a little history on how we came to learn that he was a Celiac, you can read a pretty thorough description of how his symptoms started and how we learned it was Celiac here:

Lose 30 pounds in 30 days...Guaranteed!

The way his symptoms started was pretty sudden, and through a lot of research I've learned that Celiac can almost lie dormant or at least asymptomatic for years until it is triggered by something. I sincerely believe that at first Glen did have giardia (a parasite) that triggered the onset of the Celiac. He went along for 31 years being pretty much fine, other than having a weak stomach, and then all of a sudden, he got scary sick and literally lost over thirty pounds in a couple of months. He became violentlly ill. It was bad. We had some initial trouble finding a doctor that would investigate and didn't want to just treat his syptoms, but once we saw an actual GI doctor, he immediately ordered a colonoscopy (which was fine, Celiac affects the small intestine, not large), and a bronchoscopy. He immediately suspected Celiac, and it was furthur confirmed via blood testing within a week. Since Glen went off gluten, he has felt fine.

Glen and I also believe it was the Lord's mercy that allowed us to discover that Anna also has it. She has always suffered with stomach problems, but nothing nearly as violent or pronounced as Glen became. She was also always a big bread lover :o) Once she heard that Dad was going off gluten, she immediately thought maybe it would help her as well, and on her own, she went cold turkey. She also immediately felt better.

This was a big flag to Glen and me that something was up with her as well, as how many nine year olds do you know that will voluntarily give up homemade rolls, pizza, and a host of other wheat containing foods that she loves? She struggled through it a little, but as she felt so much better, she stuck it out. A few months later we had her tested via an online testing facility (that involved a sample collection I won't go into detail about, but didn't involve blood - haha. We also had her genetically tested which involved a cheek swab.) It was really a relief for her results to be positive as it gave an explanation as to why her stomach had been bothering her for so long.

As far as the hunger thing, it was and is an adjustment. Thankfully, there are a few factors that have made it quite a bit easier.

First of all, my husband is very easy to please. His Dad died when he was seven, leaving his mom with very little life insurance, and four children to raise. He grew up just thankful for food in general. He is not picky, and he doesn't complain. In all honesty, I've not heard him complain one time about anything he cannot enjoy anymore. Not once. He's a trooper :o)

Secondly, we live in an area that has a very big natural foods/organic community. Gluten free items are found in not only our specialty stores (Whole Foods, we're getting Trader Joe's, etc.), but there's a fairly good selection in many regular grocery stores. While it can definitely get pricey, it is available. I've also found that Amazon has excellent prices on the gluten free items we use most often. I've also found that Pamela's Baking Mix (I buy it in bulk through Amazon) can be substituted in almost any recipe for flour and the result has been great every time. This has allowed us to enjoy pancakes, biscuits, cookies, cakes, etc. that are virtually indistinguishable from their gluten-laden counterparts.

In addition, I am so thankful I live when information is available in seconds. The internet community has been a lifesaver. There are an abundance of gluten free cooking blogs and information sites.

The hardest things have been eating out and parties. Glen can manage just fine anywhere, but I have to remember to pack Anna her own snack for special things at church, friends' houses, etc.

I know that technically, when one is a Celiac, it is supposedly very, very important that one is 100% gluten free, and that some Celiacs can get seriously ill from literally a crumb of gluten. Thankfully, that is not the case with Glen or Anna, so it allows us a little flexibility. Our entire house is not gluten free. Our other children, as well as myself, do eat sandwiches, and regular gluten containing foods (pizza, macaroni, other treats on occasion) as they are cheaper, and then I only have to make/buy the gluten free treats for Glen and Anna. I have to weigh cost vs. convenience since I'm feeding a family of eight here. For some things, like main meals and baked goods, I make completely gluten free as it's too time consuming to make two kinds of spaghetti, two kinds of casseroles, two batches of cookies, etc. But for some treats (bagels, cinnamon rolls, pizza crusts, pretty much anything that is "premade") I buy separate as the premade things are very pricey. I guess basically, if it's something I can make, I make it all gluten free, but if it's something I have to buy premade, then I usually buy the regular and gluten free varities.

The transition to making gluten free meals was actually much easier than I anticipated. Much easier. If you can really tell a difference in how you feel when off gluten, I would highly encourage you to find a few recipes online that sound good, make a grocery list, and try it for a few weeks. You will also find that most of your regular recipes can be pretty easily adapted. I'm glad to help you in any way I can. Most of our staple meals around here that formerly contained gluten (casseroles, pasta dishes, pizza, etc.) were VERY easily adapted to be gluten free. And on a more serious note, if you truly are Celiac, and not just gluten sensitive or intolerant, as I'm sure you've learned from your research, it is important that you remove gluten from your diet as it can lead to a huge variety of health problems, including cancer.

And you know, since you asked and everything (ha ha) my current number one gluten free concern is that I really hope by the time Anna gets married, bakeries will be skilled in making gluten free wedding cakes :o) That is most definitely not on my list of talents!

Well, I've answered your question and a lot of other ones you didn't ask :o) I told you all I was bored. This kind of stuff has been really helpful for me in our transition to a gluten free lifestyle, so I kind of wanted to put it out there for anyone else who might benefit.

So there you have it....everything you ever wanted to know about our Celiac adventure....and then some.

stocking the freezer~

Upon finding out the news, my brain kicked into prepare mode. I have this thing that upon finding out I'm expecting, I do major mass cooking in order to have meals stocked up in the freezer for those days where I don't want to smell, cook, or taste anything, not to mention the days I feel exhausted. I am usually able to do enough cooking to have main dishes prepared to last approximately five or six months of using two or three per week. I just have to pull it out, cook it, and prepare whatever veggies, salad, etc. I want to go with it. I will do another major cooking round two months before I'm due. OCD, I know.

I felt a little silly making a grocery list and major grocery run so soon, but I knew it was now or probably never. Seeing as how I knew my family probably would want to continue having dinner over the next few months, I decided to go ahead. Next week I will be doing a major house clean and packing for Florida. The following week we will be gone, and when we return, I need to jump back into school. By that time, I'll be about eight weeks, and probably will not be up to schooling and mass cooking.

So, yesterday afternoon, Anna, Haven, and I made a run to Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Publix, and Jason's Deli for good measure. (A girl's gotta have her broccoli cheese soup, sandwich, and pickles you know.) Throw in getting rear-ended and that about sums up our night. No joke, I have been rear-ended four times while pregnant, I think. And I've never been rear-ended while not pregnant! Weird.

So today I spent all day in the kitchen. I think I sat down for 15 minutes. Today's tally:

*One gallon of chicken soup with lentils

*Two gallons of white chicken chili

*Two pans of chicken enchiladas

*One gallon tomato basil soup (thanks, lori!)

*8lbs bbq beef brisket

*10lb bag of onions chopped and in the freezer

*20lbs chicken cooked and chopped (I will use this to make chicken casserole, bbq chicken, tacos, etc.)

*5lb hamburger meat browned with onion in the freezer

(all gluten free, thank you very much!)

Whew. I'm exhausted. Glen and Caleb spent all evening working on putting our cabinets together for the school room, while Anna and I spent most of the evening cleaning up the kitchen.

Tomorrow we're going to visit my grandmother.

Friday's plan is to make and deliver a meal to a friend that just had a baby. I also need to finish my cooking plans, and on Saturday I am making meals for three more friends that have had babies. I normally do not make this many meals for other people, I just happened to have four good friends have babies within a few weeks of each other. Sunday we are planning to go to my grandparents' house in Kentucky.

Sing with me....

"Food, glorious, food..."

The other meals that I'm planning on making for us are:

*at least one more pan of chicken enchiladas

*5 more lbs browned hamburger w/ onion (spaghetti is a staple around here and having the meat already browned makes it like a ten minute meal)

*3 meatloaves (w/ shredded zucchini...shhh...they don't know) mixed in gallon bags in the freezer

*4 chicken & broccoli casseroles

*4 pans of sesame chicken

*20lbs marinated chicken breasts (I'll put a family sized portion in a ziploc w/ various marinades....thaw & grill...yum!)

*i have lots of frozen broccoli and stir fry veggies as well

I may do some more after I go through my recipes. I have a lot of gluten free recipes saved that I'm wanting to try. Kind of hard to commit to making them in bulk. Mostly everything I've tried so far has been good, though. I also just discovered this blog of a woman who is using her crock pot every day this year....and it's all gluten free! Yes :o)

When I found out I was expecting Haven, I went to Super Suppers, but now with the celiac issue in our house, that's pretty much out. We didn't care that much for most of the stuff anyway, and it's much easier to just make what we like in bulk. It sounds excessive and obsessive, but it comes in sooo handy when you're not feeling well. (I actually do this even when I'm not pregnant as it's really nice to spend a couple of long cooking days and not have to worry too much about dinner for the next five or six months. I still do make fresh dinners, but it's great to just pull something out of the freezer as well.) I don't usually have a problem with being nauseous, but I am usually completely wiped out until about sixteen weeks. (That's what clued me in that I might actually be pregnant. Normally, I do not like naps. Four days in a row of really, really wanting one mid morning was a big sign. That, and being freezing cold. I freeze when I'm pregnant, regardless of the time of year. I sleep in pants, a tank top, a sweater, with a heating pad and quilt. I think my body diverts all its energy to growing a baby. I can never seem to get warm. :o) Anyway, being tired along with starting a new school year, and well, I can use all the help I can get in any department. I'm so glad I got our new job schedule worked out already.

On a side note, I'm abandoning my Atkins diet. I am glad I did it, and by no means am I going back to my previous way of eating. Cereal, drinks other than lemon water, junk food all tastes pretty gross now (yes, I tried all of it - ha ha). It feels so good to have some self control in the food department. I've never been a super unhealthy eater, but I liked chips and the occasional Dr. Pepper as much as the next girl :o) I've been enjoying lots more fruit and veggies the past two days, though, and I am really looking forward to making a yummy green smoothie in the morning!

Happy Wednesday...

Good Night :o)

quick update on glen~

Just a quick update...

We should find out for sure on Monday, but at this point, the doctor strongly suspects that Glen has Celiac Disease. It is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the small intestine in response to ingesting gluten.

While this would necessitate a huge change in eating habits and dietary lifestyle, I am supremely thankful that this is all it is. I didn't realize how stressed out I was getting about the whole thing, but I can tell you there are 7 other people in this house that are probably breathing a sigh of relief that I am not on edge anymore :o) Everyone was hiding from me last night!

Thanks again for your prayers, I really, really appreciate them. So does everyone else around here :o)

thanks for the prayers~

So I feel like a total dunce. Here I've been thinking, wow, either no one in the entire world actually reads this, or I totally freaked everyone out and nobody knows what to say to me. Something apparently happened with my blogger settings as I've not been getting email updates to comments left, and here I've been thinking no one knew what to say to me about Glen. So today I actually scrolled down and realized several of you guys have left me encouraging comments! So I just wanted to say thanks!

Julie, your comment was very encouraging, and I definitely remember visiting with you at Chris' wedding reception. I found your blog through Conversations with Judah awhile back, and actually just checked it the other day...so you'll have to update soon :o)

So anyway, you all are actually my real friends :o) just kidding....
Thanks so much for the prayers. All this has just come back up for me again today, actually, as I'm taking Glen tomorrow morning for the tests, and I'll be sure to update as soon as I know anything.

lose 30 pounds in 30 days...guaranteed!

...all you have to do is have an unidentified digestive problem that prevents you from eating and/or holding down any food or liquid for days on end....and....wa la! Instant weight loss.

Actually, it's not really very funny at all, and I've spent too much wasted time worrying about what may or may not actually be wrong with my husband, so I'm not going to devote much more time here. In a nutshell, Glen has always had a weak digestive system. He's always been quite susceptible to stomach stuff. Since Thanksgiving, though, he has had this (as yet) unidentified problem that runs in cycles. We've thought detoxing (he had recently changed his diet for the better right before the onset), food poisoning (realized the odds of that happening so many times in so many weeks...probably not), stomach bug (hmmm...odds are slim that only he would catch it...over and over and over), ibs (symptoms don't really fit), chrone's disease (again, symptoms don't totally fit), to what I tend to think the problem is. Giardia. One little word. Life, as we know it, comes to a stand still. Think one day feeling totally fine, next minute, the onset of symptoms you know is the beginning of what you hope is only a day or so of feeling miserable beyond words. I will you spare you the details (google it if you are so inclined...be warned), but suffice it to say that it's bad. What makes it really hard, though, is finding a doctor that will actually listen and try and find out what's wrong, not just try and give you a pill to alleviate the symptoms. Don't get me wrong, I very much want my sweet husband to feel better, but even more, I desperately want to find out what is wrong with him, causes him to not be able to drink even a small cup of water without vomiting or going to the bathroom all night long, unable to eat anything for days, hardly able to walk for weakness, and caused him to lose close to 30 pounds basically since Christmas. It started out him only feeling bad for a day or so here or there, then fine for awhile. But this last episode has had him sick since last Saturday. He was finally more normal last night, although he did throw up again a little this morning. Anyway. He's feeling better now.

So...giardia. Traveller's sickness. It's actually quite common, a lot of people get it and don't even know that they have it and their body takes care of on its own, but for some reason (weakened digestive immunity?) some people are floored with it. The reason I tend to think that's his problem is two fold. The first being that he went to see a lady that does electro-dermal screening and that's what popped up on her findings. We'd never heard of it before and up until that point had been baffled. I looked it up online and the symptoms fit exactly. She wanted to treat it herbally. Okay....if he could actually keep anything down and we had time to do it that way. Treating it that way can take awhile. Plus, a good friend of mine who is very into herbs and treating things naturally said that is not really the way to deal with a parasite. Parasites are stubborn and evil and you don't want to be easy on them. Kill them and kill them fast....before they wipe you out, basically. I'm all for natural as well, until my husband is literally shriveling before my eyes. I say bring on the meds. (For all you natural healing types out there, we did try the herbal thing briefly, but quickly realized he needed treatment fast. He has been on a probiotic with immune building stuff added in for a few weeks now.)

So, visit to the family doctor. A round of flagyl. Glen is feeling better...yay! For a little while. Then it came raging back, twice as strong. This last bout has been the worst by far. (The guy is amazing, though, he has still managed most days to get out long enough to deal with his jobs, in between napping in his van and knowing where the nearest bathroom is at all times (sorry...too much information). He also stays in a sweet mood toward me and keeps a great sense of humor with the all of us...even if it is from the couch.) Okay, he calls the doctor back, they say "hmmm...maybe ibs. I say no, my research tells me probably not ibs, probably giardia as again, this is how it effects some people." Well, they don't really want to deal with it. I actually really like this doctor, but he's a family doctor, not a GI doctor, and I think they just don't really know what to do.

So, the GI doctor is finally able to see him yesterday. By this point Glen is finally feeling quite a bit better. The GI doctor doesn't think it's giardia. He says it should have shown up on their testing (my research says it is notoriously hard to test positive for, but the dr says he has a newer test that's accurate), and the flagyl should have taken care of it (my research says for some people that is definitely not the case, it takes more than one round of meds, and this stubborn parasite can actually live outside the body for a long time, so it is easy to reinfect...but whatever, he's the doctor). Fast forward to March 4 (praying he won't get sick again before then) when Glen gets to go for some oh-so-fun testing. Yuck.

Now, before you all begin to run when you see us coming, none of the rest of us have whatever this mystery is, so it's not really contagious. And trust me, in a family of 8, if someone has something contagious, someone else will get it. And, in all honesty, it could be ibs or something like that. Hopefully, prayerfully, the testing will show us what the deal is and how to help him feel better. We just want it gone. He cannot afford to lose anymore weight, actually. His pants literally fall off of him. His hips can't even hold them up, they will slide right off if he doesn't wear a belt :o) So, for whoever may read this...if you will please pray for him and that his doctor will find the problem and that it will be gone.

And one other prayer, the secret one that has really been mostly unspoken in my mind, although I have mentioned it on occassion to Glen, but I don't think he realizes how it's kept me up at night this week when I'm nursing the little boys or been lying awake listening to him in the bathroom...I have always been scared of this year. Glen's dad died of cancer when Glen was 7, and I have always had this little thought in the back of my mind that something would happen to Glen when Caleb, our oldest son was 7. I've never dwelled on it, or believed it, but it's been a little nagging thought. I've been able to keep it at bay even through the last few months, but this week...well, I've been bothered by it. We had a neighbor a few years ago, that began to get mysteriously sick, slightly, very slightly similar symptoms to Glen, and by the time they finally opened her up to find out was wrong, she was so full of cancer that that she died the following week. Now, I don't believe that is what is wrong with Glen, I don't accept it, I'm not speaking it over him or any of that stuff, I just want to know what's wrong with him and fix it. And I want a doctor that will listen to us, talk with us, and figure it out.

So anyway, prayers would be much, much appreciated. And I plan to enjoy a nice night with my husband tonight and have a fabulous time giving my sweet sister her very first baby shower on Sunday!

Updated to add...it's just celiac!  Ha ha, just.  But seriously, compared to not knowing, it's no.big.deal.  Thank you, Jesus!