Celiac Disease Support Group

I am reading and learning just like you!
According to a book that we are reading "The First Year- Celiac Disease and Living Gluten-Free", your kitchen should be gluten free, as even the tiniest amount of gluten dust in the air could land on your counter tops, or on your dishes, and then end up in your mouth and you will suffer the consequences. It is my hubby that has Celiac Disease, but I have gone "almost" (meaning I might have a sweet treat all my own occasionally, but I am not baking it at home) completely gluten free to make it safer for him and I have gotten quite accustomed to the new flavors and textures. Seeing that we are in the learning stages, I have purchased packaged bread mixes for the bread machine, and our favorite so far is Pamela's Products Gluten-Free Bread Mix. It has a smell like old fashioned bread as it is baking and the texture and flavor is really good. And I love it toasted if I can't have it right from the bread machine! We read that there are so many flours out there, that in the beginning it is good to try the mixes to experiment and find your favorite combination of flours before you spend the money on all the ingredients to bake on your own. So, anyway that is the way we are going about it!

Hi There, I was diagnosed with coeliac 7 years ago my husband and 2 daughters are not coeliac so I still cook them whatever they want, even if it isnt gluten free and have had no problems. I have a scope done every year and my intestines are perfectly healthy . As long as you wipe your benches and wash your utensils you should be fine. As for the soy the may mean soybean. Here in Australia we have quite a few gluten free soy sauces. I dont know if you can get changs and fountain products where you are but they both do gluten free. I have just found I am dairy intolerant, not lactose intolerant so it is like starting all over again. Also fructose intolerant. Goodluck with it all and if you have any more questions just ask. Cheers Karen

keeping the kitchen clean is essential if you are going to prepare gluten containing items, cross-contamination is so easy - Penny is right, it can be as little as "gluten dust in the air"
Soy products are usually ok, but soy sauce is prepared with wheat, so it is off limits, Tamari Sauce is GF, made with white soy beans, and is really really delicious.
Kinnickinnick brand makes really good breads that are frozen, which is convenient - I don't eat a lot of bread, so it's a waste if it isn't frozen. I especially enjoy the White Rice Tapioca Italian Bread, and order it by the case (4 loaves per case), but all their products are quite good...
I hear ya with the Diabetes, I don't have it, but many GF products are quite high in sugar and fat... I am fat intolerant, lactose intolerant, and I do watch my sugar consumption... my Mom and younger bro have Diabetes... my Dad and same younger bro have heart disease issues, both have had heart attacks - I don't want to add either of those diseases to my list!
I love buckwheat flour, corn flour, potato flour and garbonzo bean flour (chick pea) for various cooking projects, and Bob's Red Mill baking mixes are quite good, I do use brown rice flour for tempura style cooking, but find it too dense on it's own for baking... Xanthan gum is expensive, and since usually only a small amount is asked for in a recipe, it does take a while to use a small bag, but I have a food sealer, and it keeps my flours and gum packages fresher longer by creating that airtight seal...

Thanks for the info and ideas. Maybe I will start baking when it turns cooler around here. THEN, I will invest in the Xanthum stuff. Freezing it is a good idea. I have a couple of 'freezer type' containers that I could freeze some in and it not go bad quickly.

I will attempt to keep my kitchen free of all the gluten stuff floating in the air (or maybe I will wear a mask, ha) so I don't ingest this stuff too.

We only have a few stores that carry gluten free products, so I would really need to order on-line for some of these things. But, I guess I should get my diabetes under control first, as I know that once I find a bread that is great, I will want to eat it toooo much!

Just want to point out that not all Tamari Soy Sauces you find on the shelf are automatically gluten free. You have to read the label. Some manufacturers do include wheat in Tamari. You have to read the label always. Never assume.