All I have to say for today is I wish companies would stop advertising how tasty their gluten free foods are if they have simply put shiny packaging on cardboard. Ugh I hate health food. Today is one of those days I wish I could just eat a cupcake, or a twinkie, just to have the familiar yummy taste in my mouth. I know, I can eat most anything others can just a gluten free version, but I honestly have forgotten what fruit loops taste like! I have a pantry FULL of food for my family and I can eat a can of tuna... that's it. Oh, and I have some gf noodles with nothing to put on them to make them taste good. This is one of those frustrating days where I wish I didn't have celiac disease! I long for a good seasoned calzone, a "real" pizza! I shouldn't complain, I eat Zpizza's gluten free pizza once in awhile, but even then it's health food pizza! I want oily, fattening, melt in your mouth real pizza. I guess I should get off my butt and try to figure out how to make it for myself, shouldn't I? I just get so tired of having to invent recipes and make things from scratch just to eat things that taste right! God why is it soooo difficult for food producers to make something that HAS A GOOD TASTE that doesn't contain gluten?

That is my rant for today! Maybe someday my prayers will be answered and good food will be readily available in a gluten free version... until then I bake and cook and complain ;)

Christmas Day

Christmas is finally here! We had an absolutely wonderful christmas - lots of love, laughter, and exciting gifts. Dinner was a challenge this year as we left home for a family dinner at a relative's house. Now I react to any teeny weeny crumb of gluten, so I am always super careful. No one ever really wants to feel sick, and certainly not on a holiday! So I did not eat even though I brought a gluten free dish. I was too nervous about contamination. I ate a few doritos and once we got home I had a really nice chicken salad. I hate not eating at a family get together, but I deal with it as lightly as I can. It's embarrassing when people make an issue of your gluten free status, they just don't understand!

At home we roasted a plump little chicken, and boy was it great! I made sweet potato casserole and had many christmas cookies to munch on. I refuse to let food ruin any more holidays for me! Thanks to lots and lots of trial and error cooking and research I no longer feel left out at get togethers - I either host and make all gluten free foods (no one notices I swear) or I bring myself a small plate. I'm slowly changing things so having celiac disease doesn't prevent me from enjoying any situation!

A good friend of mine's father has celiac as well, and has some health issues. He currently is on a lung transplant list - and upon hearing about that my son started crying asking me when that will happen to me. He knows I'm healthy, there isn't anything "wrong" with me, but he assumed that since her father had celiac and I had celiac that I would someday have lung issues as well. I quickly explained that no, celiac doesn't follow any certain path, and as far as I know I don't and won't have any issues with my lungs. It's very hard when things like that happen, because celiac disease affects each person so differently there really isn't a model of "that will happen to me someday". I know I'm a little out of shape, but overall I think I'm really healthy!

Happy Holidays!! I'm off to enjoy a week of relaxation with my family :)

Hamburger Fried Rice

So I thought I would throw some gluten free easy recipes on my blog as I make them. Nothing too complicated, just things I run across that are easy and taste great! I love asian foods, and am always trying different recipes that have an asian flair to them!

Hamburger Fried Rice

*as always, if you are making this as a gluten free recipe check your ingredients to ensure gluten free status! I have brands I am very loyal to, but I still check every time I buy a new container to ensure nothing has changed on the ingredient list.

1 1/2 tsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. soy sauce (I use La Choy)
2 teaspoons ginger
3 eggs; beaten
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
1 small onion. diced
2 green onions thinly sliced
3 cups cooked white rice
1 cup cooked ground beef

I cook my rice in a Rice Cooker and then add to the hamburger mixture when it's finished cooking.

Blend sugar and soy sauce. Set aside. Brown ground beef, set aside. Heat olive oil in wok or large skillet. Cook eggs to soft scramble. Add garlic, ginger, onion, soy sauce mixture, rice and ground beef. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 min.
If you like more soy sauce, throw more in! Found this recipe somewhere online and modified it to our likings. YUMMY!