Many of you may remember the Heavenly Homemakers Recipe Parade we had back in October, when I spent the entire week posting new and fun recipes, giveaways and cooking tips. It was a blast and it made us all hungry to try all the new and healthy recipes!
Well, thanks to all of your encouragement on our Gluten Free Experiment post, and because I just can’t seem to stop myself when it comes to tinkering with new recipes…I’ve been having a good ol’ time in my kitchen the past few days playing with some of the recipe ideas you all sent my way, or just making up fun recipes for foods to eat that don’t contain gluten.
In my quest to create dishes that Malachi (and the rest of us) would enjoy, I have been quite determined NOT to try looking high and low for “specialized gluten free” ingredients. I know they are available, but they are pricey and many of them do not contain much in the way of nutrition.
Besides, I want to come up with recipes that EVERYONE can appreciate and enjoy…not just those who have to eat a gluten free diet. I’m out to prove (to myself, most of all) that there is no end to all the yummy and fun dishes and treats you can make without gluten. I’m also out to prove that eating a gluten free diet doesn’t have to be expensive!
And so…next week we’ll be having a great big Gluten Free Recipe Parade here at Heavenly Homemakers!
I have quite a few recipes to share, and even if you don’t have any gluten free needs in your household…I think you’ll still love all the new ideas to try for your family. I was making some of them before our experiment started…I just hadn’t had the chance to share them with you yet.
In addition, I’ve got several great and wonderful giveaways lined up that fit right in with our Gluten Free Recipe Parade! This place is sure to be hopping next week as you never know when I’ll be posting a new recipe or giveaway post. Prepare yourself for lots of fun starting Sunday night, April 3!
ALSO…because it’s so much fun to do this…I’ll be giving away five $10 Heavenly Homemakers Shop Gift Certificates during the Parade, good for use on any of our downloadable products! All comments left on ANY post that features the Gluten Free Recipe Parade button (shown above) will be included in the drawing. If you leave a comment on every single post featuring the Gluten Free Recipe Parade button…you have LOTS of chances at winning one of the certificates!!!
AND…on Friday, April 8, you will have a chance to link up YOUR favorite and healthy gluten free recipes to share with all of us. This is what I look forward to most – reading all of your great ideas for recipes that do not contain wheat, oats, barley or rye. Even if you aren’t a gluten free gal…I bet you have some great recipes to share!!
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How fun. Our family is not gluten free, but I have been wondering if it is something we should try for many reasons. This will at least give me a start with some recipes!
thanks for all the info, I don’t have any problems with gluten, but I do have some friends who do. thanks for all the work on things you love.
I’ve been gluten free for a year now and am excited to see and try your g/f recipes which do not require special flours or other terribly expensive ingredients! Can’t wait!! :)
we are not gluten-free but i’m all about trying new, tasty and healthy recipes. woo-hoo!!
My little guy, Evan is autistic. We switched his diet to gluten/casein free/ soy free a year ago. It’s amazing the difference in him. One of his favorites is peanut butter/oatmeal cookies, you can find several flourless versions online. Here’s the link to the recipe on my blog:
http://gotrubberwillstamp.blogspot.com/2011/01/evans-favorite-cookies.html I use Bob’s Red Mill GF oats. You can substitute out the CF ingredients for the ingredients of your choice. :)
how exciting! we aren’t gluten free, but I’d love to win :)
Black bean brownies! We’re not GF, but we love them!
We’re not GF but as with others, have friends who are. One of our favorites is a peanut-chocolate chip cookie made with peanut flour.
I adapted your pizza pockets using sprouted kamut flour….yum. I have heard that if you sprout your grains it beaks down the gluten so instead of soaking I usually sprout and then dry in the dehydrator. If that is untrue please tell me what you know…..looking forward to all the fun.
Funny you should say that because my daughter at one point in her life had such a bad reaction to anything gluten. The only bread she could ingest for some reason with no repercussions, was Ezekial Sprouted bread. It may be true.
We aren’t gf, but I love to dabble… :) Any chance you’ll tackle chocolate free next (I can’t have any form of caffeine)?
Sounds awesome! As with others, we aren’t GF but my niece is and I would love to pass on terrific recipes to her!
We have five celiacs here and can’t wait for new recipes!!!
GOOD NEWS — Oats do not contain gluten, they are just cross-contaminated with gluten containing grains. So, as Wendy said above, you can buy certified gluten free oats (ones that use separate equipment to harvest & process) from Bob’s Red Mill.
http://www.vitacost.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Gluten-Free-Rolled-Oats
http://www.vitacost.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Gluten-Free-Steel-Cut-Oats
They also carry these at my co-op, UNFI.
I need a tasty gluten free bread recipe, ladies! We are GF except for our bread, which we use Kamut & Spelt.
And Laura, I use gf grain/bean combos to make flour in my Nutrimill all the time. I’m looking forward to the next postings!!!
I can’t wait to see your gluten-free recipe ideas that don’t call for special ingredients. I’ve been wanting to lessen the amount of gluten my family eats, even though we don’t have any gluten issues. Your recipes are always great!
So excited about this! I was so sad when I had to go gluten free (and dairy free to help heal my gut) since you were my favorite healthy blogger – all of a sudden I could have almost nothing in your recipes. This will be fun!
My hubby just decided to go gluten free with me on April 15th. So I am excited to find some yummy ideas for husband friendly foods!
Hooray!
I have soo many recipes…hmmmm…which ones to share!
We’r enot gluten free, but are cutting back on our gluten foods just cause I think it is better.
SO EXCITED!! :) I was recently diagnosed with an INSANE amount of food allergies. (Like really ridiculous) I am feeling LOADS better though, but have been discouraged with how expensive “special” foods are. And looking all over the internet for good recipes, well…apparently I am really lazy and get overwhelmed really quickly. hah. ;) So I cannot wait to see all the recipes! :)
I can’t wait! We have recently discovered gluten free needs for some of our family members and I can’t wait for some great whole foods without the gluten! Yay! Thanks you once again for all of the work you do to help all of ‘us.’
I really need to express something or EXTREME IMPORTANCE here. Eating Gluten Free when you do NOT have to CAN be dangerous to your overall health in the longterm. PLEASE Laura, I sent you a lengthy email about this but it seems to have been ignored(or maybe you didn’t receive it) But whichever, an OCCASIONAL gluten free meal or treat will not hurt you BUT ONLY THOSE THAT HAVE TO EAT GLUTEN FREE SHOULD. Please check with your MD before starting on a gluten free diet. There a lot of other allegies that bring on the same symptoms that Celiac Disease does. Try removing all animal protiens for 2 weeks and then start re-introducing them 1 every week, with cow’s milk being the last to be introduced.
I am a dietitan and have been throught this with my own daughter. It was animal proteins that were the culpret, not gluten.
Just thought I’d mention that if someone is trying to find helpful info on identifying food allergies a very helpful resource is Dealing with Food Allergies by Janice Vickerstaff Jonega, PhD, RD. The book helps you organize and track foods and symptoms. It has many helpful ideas for conducting an elimination diet. Her website is allergynutrition.com.
Hmm, I don’t remember receiving your email, but it could be in there somewhere with the 350 others I’m behind on reading and responding to! I’ve looked back, but didn’t see it.
Regardless though, I’m certainly not wanting to encourage EVERYONE to eat gluten free…just encourage the people who DO need to. All of the recipes I’ll be sharing are naturally gluten free and taste great as a way to supplement meals.
I’ll only keep Malachi on a gluten free diet if it helps him. If it doesn’t, I’m making him a whole loaf of whole wheat bread to eat all by himself. :)
I wanted to add also, when I said that these recipes can be used for everyone, I meant that gluten free or not…people will enjoy these recipes. I wanted to clear that up real quick – not that I’m advocating that everyone eat gluten free – but that even if you don’t eat a gluten free diet, you’ll still enjoy the recipes I post next week!
Just curious….why would it be so bad to skip out on gluten? Most (storebought) products that contain gluten have little or no nutrition anyway. If someone is going gluten free and cooking from scratch with wholesome ingredients and methods then there is even more nutrtition to be gained from learning to eat more g-free grains. Quinoa, millet, buckwheat, brown rice, the list goes on and on. As long as a person is substituting healthy foods I dont feel it would be dangerous. After all many cultures thrive off of these gluten-free grains. So I feel learning to eat gluten free especially healthy and nourishing alternatives is a good thing and widening the palate and diet to these things step in the right direction. Just my 2 cents!
And thankyou Laura for doing this. My two kids and I recently went g-free mostly for my oldest son who has a bad rash that has only gotten worse recently. And since then I have felt SO much better! No more depression, much more energy and drive, and I am 32 weeks pregnant with my 3rd! Also if I do have gluten I feel awful for a day or more. So I’m listening to my body and enjoying widening my cooking skills lately. I am so looking forward to trying some new recipes!!!
I totally agree with you Jennifer. As a health care practitioner (I am not a Doctor but work very closely with them all day every day!)I cannot see why eating gluten free (as long as you are not just using white rice flour and tapioca starch and potato starch in all of your recipes) would be harmful. As noted many cultures around the world eat a naturally gluten free diet without even knowing it. There are a ton of nutritious gluten free grains available: teff (high in iron), sorghum, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa just to name a few. They often have a better nutrient profile than our hybrid wheat. I also know that many of the “gluten” tests on the medical maret are unreliable at best. Every Doctor I know has said to me that they are a “red flag” at best and that avoiding gluten and monitoring for improvement is the best “science” we have available on the market at this time. So if a gluten free diet is done correctly it can still be nutrient dense and even improve health. Azure standard carries teff, teff flour, buckwheat, millet and sorghum flour all at really great prices (and they taste pretty good too!) I had to be gluten free for awhile to help heal my intestines and have never felt better! I will continue to be gluten free most of the time as I feel better and every gluten test I had was negative but my Doc says it’s just fine as long as it’s done correctly! (You can even sprout or soak your gluten free grains with great success)!!
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with! My problem with going GF is that I’m also allergic to all dairy and eggs. :( Makes things kinda pathetic in the kitchen!
I’ve been cooking GF for two years now. I don’t buy special GF foods except for crackers occasionally. I do, however, buy buy GF flours or grains to grind my own flour. I’ve had fun experimenting with foods my family can eat, but it also gets old sometimes when I need something quick and don’t have anything prepared. Work and school lunches, or traveling takes more planning. I’ll be looking forward to the ideas you share!
What a fun idea! We are not gluten-free, but we do enjoy a variety of gluten free treats as part of a balanced diet. But we stick mainly to grain-free options with the most nutritional bang for the buck :) Can’t wait to see what you have on parade for us and also look forward to sharing some recipes as well, such as my grain-free apple crisp muffins, dried fruit blondies and lemon-poppy muffins. Thanks so much! Blessings, kel
I’ve been hungry, er… gluten free (and soy and corn) since March 3, 2011. Actually, it’s getting better now since I’ve discovered substituitions for many of my allergy laden foods. The problem I have with most gluten-free recipes is that they’re so lacking in fiber and nutrition and heavy on sugars. For me, waffles have become my new “bread”. I like using buckwheat, millet and flax meal with butermilk as the leavening– that whole guar gum and xanthan is overwhelming to me at the moment. Anway, we are currently in Florida and have discovered a bakery that makes many allergen free breads that are light on sugars and use nutritious flours–check ’em out for inspiration. http://www.samisbakery.com. They make their bread from millet and flax mostly. Looking forward to next week! Sharon
what a fun idea ! We know many many families who are sensitive to gluten AND I love recipes so I am REALLY excited about this :D
Laura,
I have made your cheesy beef and rice (using your taco seasoning for the beef) and I used corn tortilla chips instead of rice. They came out great. This might be something you would like to try. It’s basically all your recipes in a different combination!!
Laura,
Thank you so much for doing a feature on gluten free recipes! We are a house divided on the issue. Three out of fie in our household have varying degrees of issues with gluten, the worst being myself, as a celiac.
I appreciate the awareness you are bringing to the subject.
Thanks again!
OMG! Can I come and give you a great big hug! :-) I visit your website EVERY day and LOVE it. I love all of your recipes and have made several for my family, but I haven’t tried them all myself since I need to follow a gluten free diet. I am so EXCITED for this week – thank you so much!! I can’t wait for the recipes. You are the BEST!
looking forward to seeing what the week holds :-)
Okay, how or why is eating gluten free bad for someone who is not allergic to gluten? Isn’t wheat the main culprit in our diets? How does it hurt to substitute wheat? Fiber can be found in many sources and I would imagine most of the minerals/vitamins could come from other sources as well. I am confused.
I’m assuming you’re asking this in response to Nancy’s comment above? Just didn’t want to leave you hanging in case you thought I was leaving you hanging! I really have no idea the answer, but I think Nancy may come back and share what she’s learned from her research??
Laura, I looked at this study that is linked in a response here (http://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/15885/1/BJN-GFD.pdf). On pages 9 and 10, it discusses the results of analysis of fecal content (hey, just reporting what I read! ;-) ) from ten healthy adults who spent 30 days on a GF diet. They did not have celiac or any known issues with gluten. They experienced an increased presence of E. Coli bacteria, and a decreased presence of helpful bacteria. Subsequent pages discuss a decreased presence of anti-inflammatory stuff. Basically… it changes the microbiota composition and therefore the gut health.
The conclusion was fairly straightforward: The obtained results suggest that a GFD may influence the composition and immune function of the gut microbiota in healthy individuals without the influence of any underlying disease paralleled to reductions in polysaccharide intake.
It didn’t indicate whether these changes were significant enough to cause any adverse effects. Actually, it may have… but all the percentages of various substances that increased or decreased didn’t mean beans to me. :-) It does say that they ‘maintained a good health status during the intervention.” Is it a big deal that the lactobacilus group proportions were significantly reduced?? I have NO clue! lol
Ah, thanks Brenda!! Very interesting information!! It DOES make sense. However, I wonder just what kind of gluten free diet these people were eating? Were they substituting “regular wheat bread” with commercial “gluten free breads” that basically have no nutrition, thus they were becoming less healthy overall? hmmmmm….
And, I have lots of funny little quips to say about the research of fecal content, but all of them make it sound like I’ve been living in an all male household for too long, so I’ll refrain.
Yeah… it’s a very technical read about fecal content, and your boys would actually glaze over if you forced them to read it for a science lesson. lol Here is what it said regarding the diets of the subjects (8 women, 2 men – the study was done in Spain):
No significant differences in dietary intake were found before and after the GFD except for reductions (P=0.001) in polysaccharides. Bifidobacterium,
Clostridium lituseburense and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii proportions decreased (P=0.007, 0.031 and 0.009, respectively) as a result of the GFD analysed by FISH…Subjects were submitted to a GFD by replacing gluten-containing foods by equivalent ones certified as gluten-free (20 ppm maximum gluten content) by the Spanish federation of
coeliac association (FACE) over 1 month period. Food diary records were kept for 72h (2 weekdays and 1 weekend day) both before the start of the intervention and after 1 month to monitor dietary changes. At the front of the diary, detailed information on how to record food and beverages consumed using common household measures was provided. When
completing the food diary records, subjects were instructed to record everything they ate or drank. Food diary records were… reviewed, and analyzed for energy, water and macronutrient contents based on the CESNID food-composition database of Spanish foods….These changes could be related to reductions in polysaccharide intake since these dietary compounds usually reach the distal part of the colon partially undigested, and constitute one of the main energy sources for beneficial components of the gut microbiota.
I would think that taking a quality probiotic would counteract any microbial issues and would an overall good idea to aid in digestion and nutrient absorbing.
Yay! I am so excited for this week! My husband went GF about 3-4 weeks ago in an effort to get his horrific psoriasis and eczema under control. The difference GF has made has been wonderful! He still has the rash, but it is much improved and no longer painful. He also no longer has joint pain that has plagued him for years. I’ve been trying to do more GF cooking, especially suppers, in an effort to support him. I can’t wait to see some new recipes!
We have a good friend who is GF and I’ll look forward to seeing some great recipe ideas for when they are over. He is GF and she is vegetarian. For a family that is neither it takes some planning to figure out what to make. Turns out our winter squash enchiladas fit the bill and we ALL love them!
I thought oats were GF…am I wrong?
Heather
Most oats have been processed right along with other gluten filled products, making them contaminated with gluten. You CAN buy gluten free oats, which are oats processed in a clean environment so they are not contaminated!
Hi Laura!
Oats are grown alternate years in a wheat field and that is why it is not safe to eat regular oats. Bob’s Red Mill is what we use! Just FYI.
Thanks Laura! I’m looking forward to checking out the recipes.
We’re not gluten free, but we try to eat at least one grain free meal each day just to make sure we’re not relying too heavily on breads. Looking forward to the parade!
On whether gluten free is healthy, I can’t see how it’s not. There are many traditional cultures that don’t eat the grains that contain gluten on a regular basis. What I think is not good is substituting commercial gluten free foods for gluten containing foods. That’s what they found in this study: http://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/15885/1/BJN-GFD.pdf.
Woo Hoo Laura!!! I am gluten free and stuck in a major gf rut when it comes to delicious meals for EVERYONE in my family. So excited for this little parade. THANK YOU!!
This is going to be great! I have been *trying* to go gluten free for the last month, but it hasn’t been easy. (I recently found out I’m gluten intolerant) Really looking forward to this. Thanks Laura!
This sounds amazing!
What a great idea! I am always looking for new recipes! My son is on the autism spectrum and has Celiac, and my daughter is gluten sensitive,as am I. We have been gluten free for my son for 5 years now. It takes about 6 months for gluten to exit the body fully and up to 3 years to repair from the effects of it, if you are Celiac or gluten sensitive. My son’s DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) doc said that no one should never,ever eat gluten or have dairy. We took this advice seriously, and have never looked back. Eating gluten free is very expensive for us, so I won’t be posting any recipes – but I look forward to seeing everyone else’s!
Hi Susi, May I ask why the Dr. suggested that no one should ever eat gluten or dairy?? Is that including raw milk?? It’s my understanding that raw milk is the one thing that can sustain life – if you had no food or drink but had raw milk only, you could continue to live b/c of all the nutrients that are in it.
This is all new to me & we don’t personally have any diet issues but I’m excited to see all these people feeling better after going gluten free & it’s made me wonder if I’m “feeling bad” & just don’t know it! lol. Seriously though I wonder if it could help me feel better even if I’m not “sick”…does that make any sense? :)
Thank you for your info & help!!
Tiffany
We’ve been eating GF for awhile just because it is healthier. No spendy mixes here either- good luck, there is some stuck in the rut moments, but they quickly pass.
I’m so excited to read and make your GF recipes. Thank you so much! I hope your son is feeling better – my daughter and I have been GF (I’m also CF) for more than 2 years now and our lives are so much better!!
This is a great idea. Don’t forget to try http://www.tammysrecipes.com/fudgy_black_bean_brownies
Yum. Brownies….
I’m looking forward to some gluten-free ideas to try. Even though we don’t have problems with gluten, I try to eat gluten/grain free sometimes.
I am excited about this parade! We are not gluten-free around here, but my hubby and I recently went through The Maker’s Diet and were totally grain free for a month. I was shocked at how good I felt! It was a challenge, but we ended up really enjoying it! Looking forward to some new ideas on this subject. Also, been looking at the GAPS and SCD diets for my precious 5-year-old daughter who has Cerebral Palsy and many neurological issues. Really praying hard about gluten’s roll in my family’s life!
Thank you for posting all these wonderful recipes!! I can’t wait to try them!
I’m very excited to see some bread recipes that don’t taste like cardboard :))
I’m always looking for new recipes to liven up our meals!
My family isn’t GF but the Gift Certificate would be wonderful to win! Thanks! :o)
I just got an email from eatbetteramerica.com & they had 6 recipes for gluten free snacky-type stuff (is that a word – snacky???)…they all had Chex in them but since you’re such a genius with making things “healthier” you could probably work some magic!!
http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/search.aspx?criteria=Six-More-Gluten-Free-Snacks&WT.dcsvid=NDE5Njk4NDk3MwS2&rvrin=A5FE7DB8-8AE7-4DA7-8AE5-867AC268E5CB&WT.mc_id=Newsletter_EBA_2011_4_6
Blessings!!
Thank you so much! I am looking forward to the recipes.
Thank you for doing this. – Mom of gluten-free eczema-ridden son
I will have to save a link to these recipes for when I need to make things for my nieces who can’t have gluten.