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I am recently (about three weeks) trying to be gluten free. I have been reading a lot about the trials and problems with the lifestyle and how just a smidgen of gluten can make a huge difference. How do your manage in the kitchen when your spouse is not gluten free and has no intention of being so. Do I need to buy special pots and utinsils? When I cook for him, how do I protect myself?

Thank you

LindaBC

It can be tricky. I haven't bought new pots and pans, but I have dedicated one of our old pots to gluten containing foods ie. patsa, barley etc. No gluten containing foods are allowed in the rice cooker. Also, I got a small cookie sheet to put under the toaster which now lives on the lowest shelf in our cupboard and not on the counter. I have heard of people putting the toaster in the basement! We don't have a basement. When I make DH's lunch, I use an old serving tray to catch the bread crumbs. Fresh bread is sliced in another room on a tray and a cutting board reserved only for that purpose. No double dipping with the knife into peanut butter jars, jam jars, honey jars, humous container, salsa jars etc. if said items are going on a gluteny item. If that's too hard then get your own and label it Gluten Free and make sure that everyone knows not to use it.

Porous materials like wooden spoons and cast iron may absorb gluten particles. Whether you replace those or not is up to you. If you are really worried about it (and I totally understand if you are) go ahead and pick up pot and some utencils for yourself to use. I have a set of utencils that I left at my mother's house to use when I'm there. Strainers are a real problem as they are very difficult to clean thoroughly. I would make sure that you have a Gluten Free strainer that has never been use to strain pasta.

As far a food preparation, make the gluten-free stuff first and set it somewhere away from the main action (or at least your portion and cover it) and then continue with the gluten part of the meal last.

Here, DH still eats gluten, but I still make all the meals. He adds bread and gluten containing sauces etc. No more homemade bread or cookies or cakes, at least not gluten containing ones. I put a ban on flour in the kitchen as that stuff stays airborne for a long time and then rests on surfaces you can't even see. I kind of treat it like McD suggests when not everyone in the family will give up meat and dairy etc. Make the meals G Free and let them add what they want to them.

As for storage, put the gluten-free stuff above the gluten containing stuff to prevent falling debris contaminating the GF foods.

My final thought is to clean, clean, clean! Always put your foods on a plate and wash your hands and no tasting when preparing gluten containing foods.

It's scary at first, but you will get the hang of it. Even if you make some mistakes along the way.

RRC

Great advice! I'm lucky my whole family went gf together, but I wanted to add that you need dedicated cutting boards and pasta strainers! I rarely use the pasta insert in my stock pot and just pour the pasta into one of those mesh strainers that I also use when I wash berries, etc. I've read that you just can't get the gluten out of those!

Also, ask hubby to make sure his mouth is clean after eating gluten containing foods before he kisses you. lol.

RRC

Thank you al so much! I didn't realize that it would be so complicated.

Linda

actually just start small unless you know you are highly sensitive.

I do fine with even making cookies occasionally. (But i am not as sensitive as some people are)

Things I do do though is I keep my own bread on hand in the freezer so when i hanker for something it is there.

I do the making my gluten free stuff first too. Toasting it is in the toaster oven not the bread toaster.

OTher things I keep on hand. gluten free cereal and my soy milk.(I like an occaisonal bowl of cereal)

Hubby has gotten used to the rice noodles finally or I just got better at cooking them.
I have not had any trouble with my cast iron pans.. but I do treat them once a year or as needed to keep a good surface on them.
I only use the wooden utinsels on Hubbys stuff.

and I have none wood cutting boards, which I do not use for breads

the breads get cut on the wood boards.

So I guess I have done some instinctual seperating I didn't realize I was doing.

pretty much all the condamints are his... as I have found very few I can eat anyway.

And YEP no double dipping into peanut butter or jelly either.

also I wipe down counters after any food is prepared especially breads.

and I clean out the toaster frequently too.

I think the hardest thing for me is actually having the gluten bread around, because for what ever reason, I crave it... I now do this whole mental exercise when I am craving wheat becasue I am at a meeting and rolls are there or cookies, or I am walking past the fruit pies in the store.

I take a deep breath and mentally remember the stomach pain I will have and the acid reflux..and the pain in my doudum from my ulcer then i remind myself of the lower intestinal cramps I will have and the constipation.
THat usually will get me over the hump of the craving.

I find because I eat a lot of carbs that I am most of the time fine and don't crave the wheat but sometimes.. I think if I am too hungry when I go to the store it will just be a problem.


after you have not been eating packeged things for a while you will find that if you do taste them they do not taste anything like you remember. that is also one of the tihings I remind myself... that no matter how much I want it.. when I eat it.. it will taste bad.

I find that the cleaner i eat the more I can taste the chemicals in food.

Hi Kittyadventures,

How do you treat your cast iron pans? What oils, temperatures do you use?

I don't seem to have too much trouble with breads. I seem to really crave potato chips, which are gluten free, and I have indulged in as I've had many moments of weakness this past year. 10 pounds later, I'm realizing that I don't need them to be happy. Plus I've found more foods that I can eat. I'm finding that processed foods like chips and gluten free cookies etc. really give me some abdominal distress.

RRC

I use olive oil specifically extra virgin... I have a nickle allergy so any other kind of oil will have nickle deposits...
I rub it all over and then cook it at about 300 -350 degrees F.
I have tried lower degrees for longer but higher seems to work the best.

I love the cast iron because it crisps things so much faster. a crucial thing when it comes to not using oils in our cooking.

some people prefer to use lard on their cast Iron.. which you can do but there is that ethical animal issue for some people.

as to chips... I know it is a grease bomb but I have found that lays potato chips are easier on the tummy.... there is still the grease issue but they don't irritate my tummy

avoid the ruffles.. not sure what they do to those but even the plain chips bug me.

as to gluten free cookies i am similar to you... I can eat the home made kind but the store bought ones tenfd to irritate my tummy.
I assume there is a chemical in them that is bothering me as I can eat the regular ones.


Also whe you are cooking if the pan is heated before adding your food you have less sticking. And the cast iron makes excellent heated corn tortillas.


here is a link for cast iron care
Cast Iron Care

once in a while if it needs, i will wipe a little olive oil in with a paper towel... just a light glaze.

Thanks for the tips Kittyadventures. Does the olive oil give a hard surface? How long do you cook it for? I have read that oils will be gummy and that a saturated fat like crisco or coconut oil gives a harder surface. I feel so guilty talking about oils and chips in the McDougall forums. I think the problem with store GF cookies is the xanthan gum. I've had trouble even at home with xanthan gum. Some people are using ground flax instead with good results. I think I'll try it one day. Not now. I've got some weight to lose.

RRC

Olive oil is the only vegetable oil that does not leave a sticky surface.

Corn oil is the worst. with safflower somehere in the middle.
Most people use either crisco or lard to surface their pans, but I have had excellent results with teh olive oil. again i am trying to minimize my contact with nickle. so i avoid the crisco and all the other oils.

and you cook the pans for at least an hour.. give it two if you can.

I know when you talk about oil on here it usually gets people going, but i find that we do have to live... and unless you have a cholesterole problem a little bit is not going to hurt you. a tiny bit can go lots further than people realize, by little, I do mean a little. I have a cholesterole issue but mine isn't too bad. I try to use as litle oil as possible and I don't worry about getting oil free food when I eat out, mostly because what I usually order has very little oil on it.

as to the chips... well darn it... I have given up so much that I want to occasionally have some chips... once or twice a month. also I think because of the gluten Issue i try to keep in mind what I can get away with eating that won't upset my tummy for those occasions when I get caught out and have to eat something.

Hmmm the xanthan gum interesting. I hadn't thought of that. for me it is sorgham flour.. honestly that stuff if i do use it has to be cut by half. as to the ground flax seeds for adding elasticity, check to make sure you aren't allergic.. you may be able to eat the whole seeds but the ground stuff may irritate you.

I have been having good success with oat flour and of course rice flour. (gluten free oat flour) Corn starch is good but reduce any sugar in the recipe to less than half because the corn starch is very sweet on it's own.

Thanks for the tips on the cast iron. I will try the olive oil. I have a Griswald pancake griddle that I found beautifully seasoned in the garbage, but now shows signs that it needs to be done again. I wasn't sure what to do.

My cholesterol was so good the last time my doctor checked it she didn't see a point in doing it again any time soon. I'm fine with flax. I've read that chia will work as well as flax. So, if you can't have flax the chia may be an alternative.

My favourite chips are the salt and black pepper Kettle Chips. I can eat a whole bag without even realizing it. So for now, since I'm starting to feel better, I'm staying away from them for a long time. When I go out now, I just assume that I will get hungry and that nothing safe to eat will be available and bring a couple of nuked potatoes and a bottle of water. Sometimes a Larabar.

I can cook no problem and even bake without oil. I don't even miss it. It's just the packaged foods. I felt the same way as you about being forced to give up so much. And feeling miserable and little sorry for myself. Not that you feel miserable and sorry for yourself, I have no idea about that, but I have, and dammit I was going to have a treat! I hope I'm done with that now as I can't wear my pants anymore.

I miss nut butters and avocados mostly.

RRC

LOL RRC.. oh yeah I get the feeling sorry for myself thing all teh time.

and rather than cut some things completely out, I try to allow myself to occasionally have them... them being avacado, nuts and I don't cook with oil much anymore and when I do it is very tiny amounts. the things I miss the most are pudding and cheese.

and yogurt. they have soygurt but it never feels as good in my tummy as real yogurt.


Usually when I go out to eat I end up with a salad... but sometimes I luck out and they will have a dish I can eat.
I try to eat something before we go out so I am not starving. IT works for me. I haven't done the bringing my own potato out with me yet.. but I live in CA so we usually have something I can eat at most restaurants.