Gluten-free baking is easy and tasty!!

There seems to be some misconception out there about gluten-free and dairy-free baking. It is my intention to put that incorrect theory to rest. I have personal experience with this topic as I have been eating dairy-free for over 25 years and gluten-free for over 15 years. In this time I have reduced my weight by a whole person. I had a difficult time eating in restaurants because the owners were uninformed about such food allergies and made no food available, or menu changes, for people with sensitivities or allergies. Today things are much better as there are gluten-free options in almost every restaurant. In some places there are dairy-free options as well.

I continue to make 98% of my own food and baking. When I say make my own food I mean make it, from scratch, with fresh, raw, organic food. I prefer organic food as the taste is so much better and the food is not sprayed with chemicals of any kind. I buy organic fruits, vegetables and even meat whenever possible. When eating out I will usually have a salad with chicken, or rice with chicken and vegetables, because that is the safest for me to eat.

When I started eating a different way, there were not many options for gluten-free foods. Breads were hard and unpalatable. There was corn pasta but not much else. Dairy-free options were very limited and hard to work with. As time went on, there were more people eating this way which created more of a demand for new products. Now when I shop in the grocery store, there are so many options to choose from. As I tell people about my food restrictions, they seem sad for me, but there is nothing to feel sad about at all!

I felt sick for many years and had no relief from the doctors. I was diagnosed with IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, as a blanket term for I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU! As I researched more about gluten intolerance and dairy intolerance, I began to connect the dots. I was 20 years old when I was told by an iridologist that I had an allergy to dairy. This was news to me as I had always eaten dairy and seemed to have no problems. When asked to refrain from eating dairy for 3 weeks and then try it again, as I started eating it again, I really felt sick. All my life I had been ingesting food that my body could not digest, thereby making my body ill! The same thing with the gluten issue. I was foggy headed and unable to think and sometimes even to see clearly. I had a hard time breathing and my nose was plugged up all the time. My forehead hurt and was constantly swollen. I started eliminating certain foods with gluten to see if that would make a difference. After 2 weeks of eliminating all gluten containing foods from my diet, I started to feel better. With such a quick result and reduction of inflammation in my head, and improved digestions which was always an issue, I knew I was on the right path.

I heard it said just this weekend that baking gluten-free and dairy-free means your baking will fall apart. THIS SIMPLY IS NOT THE CASE! When you bake with gluten-free flours, the main difference is the texture of the product. When you remove the gluten, which is the ingredient that makes bread fluffy, it simply means that you have to add in xanthan gum or guar gum to the mix. These items both do the same thing so you only need to use one. I use the guar gum as it is 1/3 of the cost. I usually add 2 tsp. of this to any gluten-free flour mix so that it will stick together. Gluten-free baking just takes a little trial and error to figure out the way certain flours interact with each other. I have created some wonderful, easy and very tasty food in my baking and cooking practice!

I also love to take a regular recipe and transform it to gluten and dairy-free. It is really quite simple, but the voice in your head from other people could make it more difficult than it needs to be. When a recipe calls for milk, I simply replace it with almond milk, rice milk, or soya milk. There is also on the market now hemp milk, hazelnut milk and oatmeal milk. With all these options, why would you think that you have to stick with dairy? As for cheese, I use Soya cheese and Daiya cheese. Soya cheese is made from soy and comes in a block like dairy cheese. It grates and shreds like cheese, melts like cheese and TASTES BETTER THAN CHEESE! The Daiya cheese is made from coconut oil and tapioca flour. It comes in slices, blocks and shreds. This cheese does melt, but tends to stick together more in a clump. Both cheeses taste delicious and come in both mozzarella and cheddar flavor. Also, both of these cheeses make great cheese sauce that is a perfect topping for gluten-free macaroni. Yes, I can still make and eat mac and cheese!

I would be more than happy to help you remake any recipe into a gluten and dairy-free option. I would be more than happy to help you learn how to cook and bake gluten-free and dairy-free. It is my mission to share what I know and to help others modify their eating habits. We are the only species that drinks the milk and eats the milk products of another mammal. Why do we do this when we have so many other great options? It is time to expand your minds and your eating by choosing healthier options. Give it a try. The only thing you have to lose is the preconceived notions that others have given to you. Start with a gluten-free cake mix, or pancake mix, and see what it tastes like. Let go of the notion that gluten-free does not taste good. It tastes great and my body thanks me every day.

When you continue to eat food that your body cannot absorb, you create an illness called LEAKY GUT SYNDROME! It is exactly as it sounds. You create a whole in your intestines that leak food out into your blood stream, to your joints and everywhere else in your body. This is foreign matter to your body as all food is supposed to stay within your intestines to be used by your organs for food and nutrients. This leaky gut creates problems in your entire body and if it is not healed, you will be ill forever and it will only get worse. Let me help you! If you are not sure where to go, or who to turn to for help, let me guide you to the change. There is no time like the present to improve your health, for yourself and everyone else in your life. Make the decision TODAY to change the way you eat. Your body with thank you!!