zucchini overload

2007-11-30 18:12:41

This is an old recipe from gfcfkids that we really like. I searched back and found the one from the original person. They are really good and taste like chocolate cupcakes. They freeze really nice. I always double the batch. I tried tripling it once but it didn't fit in my mixer...what a mess! I have made mini muffins and mini loaves out of the recipe too. Sherri From: "jcb" Date: Thu Nov 9, 2000 9:36 pm Subject: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Okay....I took a couple of recipes and sort of mixed them together to get this....it was originally a zucchini bread and chocolate zucchini breadrecipe....one from Lisa Lewis book and the other from a church recipe book that my mother gave me. I always make sure to sift the dry ingredients 6-8 times together, it seems to take away a little of the gritty taste. When I say GFCF Flour, I took from Lisa Lewis book and just put 2 cups white rice f lour, 2/3 cup potato starch flour, and 1/3 cup tapioca starch and sift them together in a big bowl and then measure from that.....I'm not sure if this is how you are supposed to do it, but it works so..... Also I used a big stand mixer, but I'm sure a normal mixer is fine too.....the recipe in her book says a Food processor, but I don't have one of those. 1 medium zucchini 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup oil 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1 1/4 cups GFCF Flour 1/4 cup cocoa 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthum gum 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda Shred the zucchini. Add eggs, sugar, zucchini, oil and vanilla. Mix well. (I mixed it for probably 1-2 minutes on the 3rd speed of my mixer which probably is medium speed for a normal one). Sift the dry ingredients together several times till they are mixed good. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and mix for about 2 minutes. Pour into 12 muffin cups and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. That's it, hope you enjoy them as much as we have. I froze the ones that were leftover and just take one out and let it thaw on the counter when we want one. Judy

new cookbooks

2007-11-30 15:28:11

I just got my new cookbooks from Amazon.com and I do not know where to begin. I feel like a kid in a candy store. I got the 'Country Beans' by Rita Bingham; 'The Gluten-free Gourmet cooks fast and healthy' by Bette Hagman and Carol Fenster's 3rd edition Special Diet solutions'. With the other three I already have and all the recipes from our list, hopefully I will be able to cook a bigger variety that the whole family will like. Betty

Making Rice Milk

2007-11-30 09:26:55

We've been on rice milk so long, forgot about the high sugar content. Even though the Fred Meyer brand (Naturally Preferred, Pacific makes it) has 13g, that is still very significant. It's so convenient buying it, and getting the extra enrichments (Calcium, Vit A&D and Acidoph & Bifidus. I have a recipe for making Rice Milk, but sounds time consuming, grating fresh coconut, and calls to be sweetened. Has anyone ventured making their own, and tried stevia or safe sweetners, and how was the experience?

Crackers

2007-11-30 00:53:54

I need a cracker recipe for my son's school snacks. He is having a yeast problem again, so we are back to eliminating sugar. I use to make a very low sugar-sugar cookie and cut it into cute shapes. I would like to do the same, but with a cracker recipe instead. He is also off corn, soy, peanuts (almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts OK) and of course, GFCF. Thanking you in advance for helping feed my little cutie! Patsy

balsamic vinegar is okay?

2007-11-29 18:17:32

Somehow I had gotten it into my head that balsamic vinegar was off limits for some reason. Did I over-restrict, again? ;-) It is tasty stuff, but I have limited my cooking to rice vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Will someone set me straight on vinegar? Thanks, Nancy

Homemade taco seasoning

2007-11-29 17:52:36

Didn't someone ask for this last week? I don't have exact measurements as this is my own and I tend to not measure spice, but I'll give an approximate. You may want to adjust it according to your taste but this recipe is mild enough for my 3 yr. old to eat and love. Taco seasoning mix for 2 lb. of hamburger 1/2 tbls. cumin (we love cumin!) 1/4 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp. salt (heaping) A few dashes of pepper 1 heaping 1/2 tbls. of cornstartch 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water Stir all of the spices and the cornstartch togeather. Add to browned meat in a hot skillet, I use med/hi, quickly put in the 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water. The objective here is to get the seasoning to stick to the meat by making it a sauce using the cornstartch and water. It should just be enough to coat the meat with only a small amount of additional liquid in the skillet. If there is too much liquid (this should be thick) or if there isn't enough sauce to coat the meat then adjust the amount of cornstartch and liquid. Jeannie S. Mommy to David, Jacob, and Sean

Summer Squash - how to use/relish/bread & butter pickles

2007-11-29 13:32:18

We once had a neighbor that grew several rows of zucchini and let them get large because they made dozens of quart jars of zucchini relish. I have finally found a recipe for it if any one wants it. I used to have a recipe for zucchini bread and butter pickles but I have lost it. I wonder if one could just go ahead and use the recipe for cucumbers? Betty

Questions

2007-11-29 10:18:10

Hi Karen!! Best to you for beginning the diet!!! Yes, this stuff is rather expensive (well, really it's the shipping). I have found Kinnikinnick to have great products and they were doing a flat rate on shipping last time I ordered. I'm not sure they are offering the special shipping rate still, but it's worth checking out. They have an ALTA symbol which the products with this are GFCF, plus, it lists the ingredients in case of other allergies( corn, soy, etc) are things you need to avoid. The only thing I don't care for is the white cake mix. Everything else is good. I really like the quick bread and bun mix, pancake mix, pizza crust, etc. If you don't already, invest in Lisa Lewis' book "Special diets for special kids" from Amazon.com. It helped get me going. If you don't like to mail order, find a local health food store. Some of them are willing to order this stuff for you (and others) and you save shipping. Be prepared to spend time in the kitchen. I think someone mentioned a conversion chart in Carol Fenster's books, which I will be my next purchase. Hope this helps!!!!!! Cheri****

Explosion of Summer Squash - how to use

2007-11-29 04:53:50

Hi all, We just grate the stuff in our food processor and freeze in ziplock bags. Use it in muffins, cookies (possibly?), and minestrone soup. I also make a wicked canned combo of tomato, zuchinni, onions and peppers with some salt. This is good mixed with tomato sauce over pasta, or dumped in the pressure cooker with leftovers to make soup in fifteen minutes. Carol

New member with conversion questions

2007-11-28 19:12:23

Hi my name is Tabitha and I am new to the list, not new to allergy kitchen cooking. I have been off wheat for years, off dairy for years, and had grown comfortable cooking with spelt, which my Dr. at the time said was OK. Now if my newest batch of tests comes back the way I think it will, spelt is out for me and I will be limited to the following flours: amaranth, kamut, millet, quinoa, rice, rye, teff. Does anyone have, or know of a source where I can get, conversion ratios for these flours, online or off? For instance I know that when cooking with spelt, the ratiio is 1 1/4 cups spelt flour for every 1 cup of wheat containing flour, regardless of variety (whole wheat, all purpose, or self-rising for instance). I have also learned that spelt flour has to be added to recipes last and stirred minimally for best taste of baked goods, but I don't know if that holds true for the flours above. If I could learn those conversion ratios from regular flour (ie self rising, all purpose, whole wheat) to the flours above and how best to use them when handling them in baked goods I think I could adapt to what I expect to be my new diet. Otherwise right now I'm feeling pretty hopeless. Any help appreciated, Tabitha Schaffer, TabMTBC@... Barbies? Crystal? Howdy Doody? Autographs? Snow village? I've got em, email me privately for more info

speaking of cocoa butter

2007-11-28 06:30:07

It seems I read this question before but do not remember if I ever read the answer. I have some unrefined cocoa butter. Anyone know how I can put it to use? Betty

white bread and crackers/pasta question/ cheese sub

2007-11-28 06:07:08

We're phasing in the GFCF diet with my 3 1/2 year old son, Danny. He lives on bread, crackers, etc. So far, he's rejected all of the GFCF breads and crackers we've tried. Is there such a thing as a good-tasting, soft white bread that toasts well? I'm willing to bake from scratch or from a mix, if that's the best option. Because of time issues, I'd prefer to be able to buy something that he'll eat, and bake when I can. Any of the prepackaged breads and/or crackers that taste good and toast well (bread)? Also, I'm ready to start subbing GFCF pasta for my son, but had a few questions. I used to boil up a big batch of pasta, top it with sauce, and then put it into small containers and freeze them, using as needed. Will cooked GFCF pasta freeze OK? Any special considerations here? Lastly, is there an acceptable vegan cheese substitute that he can eat? I want to make GFCF pizza. Some say Tofutti is OK, or Soymage. Janet in Illinois, mom to Danny (3 1/2) and Allison (6 months)

cloud nine chocolate chips

2007-11-28 00:24:55

Hi again, I was under the impression that cloud nine chocolate chips were GFCF. But today in the HFS, I noticed that the bag said they were 100% dairy free, however the ingredients listed cocoa butter? I'm new at reading labels etc, but I thought that cocoa butter was dairy. How can this be? Sheryl

Potato Candy NIGHTMARE

2007-11-27 16:03:13

Ok all, I tried making the potato candy, and it came out like cake batter, no matter HOW much confectioners I added....ANY HINTS???? Potatocandyless-Shari

Could use some encouragement

2007-11-27 13:27:30

Hi all, I've been a member of this listserve for a little less than two months, and have been implimenting a GFCF diet and peanut free and soy free for two months also. While baking foods and finding acceptable foods for my 3.8 year old son has definately become easier over the last two months, I cannot honestly say that I see any improvements in my son's behavior, speech, or "connectivenss". I'm not about to abandon the diet, because I feel it must be helping him out on some level, since he has many food allergy issues. However, I would love to hear some feedback from the members that have been on this diet for a while, as to when I might possibly see some positive resuls from all this effort. All I need is a little encouragement and it would make all this work worthwhile! I just had a whole food allergy profile done on my son, and have not yet got the results. Could it be that there are more offending foods, such as corn, and eggs, that I also need to omit before I see any positive results. The only thing I've noted since starting this diet, was that for the first two weeks, my son was more cranky and irritable. I took this as a positive sign, but since then, there really is nothing more to report. Does any one have any advice or suggestions? I know two months isn't that long, but I would love to get some positive reinforcement. Thanks for listening. Sheryl

Eggless Cakes

2007-11-27 09:49:00

Potato Flour Carolyn. This is an adaptation of a traditional jewish passover recipe. BL ****************************** * v'col netivotcha shalom * ******************************

help with Marci's white bread and rolls

2007-11-27 02:59:45

...just add enough flour so it's not super sticky." Would that be more or less than a full cup of extra flour? Also, I will be making hamburger buns. Would the cooking time still be a full hour for rolls and buns? Thanks for your help! Jeannie S. Mommy to David, Jacob, and Sean

Help with Lisa Lewis recipe please!

2007-11-26 19:16:49

I need help with the Marci's White Bread and Rolls recipe in LL's book. It says: "Beat at high speed for 2-3 minutes, then add small amount of rice flour until firm enough to work with. Knead by hand for 3-5 min. adding tapioca if necessary." The trouble I'm having is adding the "small amount of rice flour until firm enough to work with." I have to add a ton of flour and it's still too sticky to knead. I almost feel as if this recipe is a practical joke, *LOL*, but I know it must be something I'm doing wrong or maybe you don't really knead it but rather just mix it around with your hands?? Any and all suggestions are welcome. I really want this recipe to work! Thanks! Jeannie S. Mommy to David, Jacob, and Sean

San J wheat free Tamari

2007-11-26 13:37:59

Here's the response I received from San J. I'd be interested in hearing who will still use them after reading this...(just curious). Andrea Dear Andrea, San-J International cannot guarantee that any of its wheat free sauces are gluten free. The reason is because we have had those products tested by an independent lab where the test sensitivity is <170ppm. The results although negative is still not absolute because the test sensitivity does not go down to an absolute zero. There is not a test developed yet to test sensitivity to zero. The only way one can make a guarantee is to not have any wheat or grain source in the same facility. San-J does produce wheat product in separate tanks and hoses but there still may be a slight minute chance of airborne contamination. San-J takes great pride in producing quality products for our consumers. If we can provide you with any additional information, please feel free to contact me. Healthy regards, Deborah Coates Marketing & Sales Assistant

Themestream recipes

2007-11-26 09:45:56

Brenda-Lee, I was running through my personal recipe archives last night and came across a bunch of posts from you and recipes on Themestream..... Since Themestream is unfortunately dead...I wanted to know if these works of art are available anywhere else?????? Thanks again! Andrea

La Choy soy sauce

2007-11-26 00:32:24

I know that someone posted on a list somewhere that La Choy soy sauces are no longer Gf due to the hydrolyzed vegetable protein...I found this hard to believe, so ......... I just got off the phone with Con Agra (makers of La Choy soy sauces).. La Choy soy sauce (and the lite variety) are STILL GF and always have been GF.... I questioned the lady about the sources of the hvp and she said that there's no contamination/question as to the source of the HVP... if you want to call and double check... 1-877-528-0745 Andrea

HELP - How do I bake a cake

2007-11-25 13:47:12

Please help me - I am not a baker... I have the following ingredients gfcf especially for my kid From Arrowhead MIlls Brown Rice Flour White Rice Flour From Bob's Red Mill Baking Powder Baking Soda Cornstarch Toasted Carob Powder Xanthan Gum Spectrum High Oleic Safflower Oil Maple Syrup Maybe 1 egg HOW DO I BAKE A CAKE????? Do you have a recipe with these ingredients???? He can't eat sugar nor stevia. Thanks in advance. YB (Russell's bday on Fri)

need help with what brands to buy

2007-11-25 13:01:27

I am fairly new to the GFCF diet and would like some help on what brand to buy for the following.... ketchup Teriaki Sauce (sp?) Barbeque Sauce Soy Sauce Tomatoe Sauce Hot Dogs I also wanted to know if I can give my son Veggie labeled cheese...is that safe for him to have. I hope these are not ridiculous questions. I have found it so hard to read labels and understand what the heck they mean!! Thanks in advance, June mom to stephen 28months

Fruit dip

2007-11-25 04:59:37

Anyone got any ideas on how to make a fruit dip? I used to use Lemon yogart and Cool Whip. I have a soy yogart, but what might I do in place of the Cool Whip. (teacher today said she used pudding) Of course my son asked for some. Hmm, I wonder if I could do something with powdered soy milk, xanthum, and mashed fruit added to the yogart. Joyce

Snacks ideas

2007-11-25 03:52:45

Hi all, I have been off for a while because we moved to another house (that was a mess), so I am behind on quite a few postings. I need help, though! I am starting ABA with my son this weekend and I am looking for ideas for gfcf reinforcers. I am going to use potato chips and crispy cooked bacon,but I need more ideas. I didn't wanted to do icecream or cookies, because, my son's breakfast and regular snacks are already limited to few items. How about dried fruits? any suggestions on what kind doesn't give "diahrrea"? raisins are a no-no here, because they make him poop a lot. Thanks for any ideas. I'll go also for anything I have to cook, like special muffins or something like that. I just have to start now getting ready for Friday. Cristina-WA (mom to Gary ASD, 4.6 - and Sarah & David, 22 mo twins NT)

Paper Mache Paste- posted Jun 26, 2001

2007-11-24 15:32:54

I hope someone is out there that can answer this quick. My son's teacher called today and they are doing a paper mache project tomorrow and I was wanting to make up the paste that was posted by Jay. What I'm wondering, before I screw this up, is if you start out with 1 cup of water with the rice flour and xanthan and you add 3 more cups of water before you boil it, how does it end up being 1 to 1-1/2 cups of paste? Does it cook down? Becky

Need help with looking for ways to spruce up rice dishes

2007-11-24 06:46:18

Hi everyone! I'm getting a little tired of just plain brown or white rice. Does anyone have any gfcf suggestions on how to spruce it up a bit? Thanks! Lisa

Noah's Variations

2007-11-24 04:56:13

Any of the Noah's Bread variations can be made egg free by replacing each egg with 1 in of agar agar strips or 1 tsp agar agar powder. BL ****************************** * v'col netivotcha shalom * ******************************

Powerhouse Muffins

2007-11-23 22:38:41

(Gluten, and Dairy free) Delicious and loaded with nutrition, these wonderful gluten and dairy free muffins are somewhat similar to a recipe for Confetti Bread that I once saw in an email posting. These have alot more veggies and are seasoned differently - aside from the fact that they are gluten free. Powerhouse Filling 1/2 purple onion, diced (more if you like onion) 1/8 c dried garlic flakes 1/4 dried vegetable flakes 1/2 c grated carrot 1/2 cup grated zucchini 1 c. diced cauliflower 1/2 c soy protein granules 1/2 c snow pea pods diced 1/2 c dice red peppers 1/2 - 3/4 c pureed tomato or tomato paste mixed 3 parts to 1 part water 3/4 c crushed pineapple (not drained) 1/2 - 3/4 tsp seasoned pepper 1/2 tsp thyme 1/2 - 3/4 tsp basil 1 tsp ground mustard 2 tsp dill Basic Noahs Bread Recipe 3 eggs or 3 inches agar agar soaked in 1/2 c of the water below 2 c corn starch 1 c tapioca starch 1 c sweet rice flour 1/2 c sorghum flour or garfava flour 1 c canola or other preferred vegetable oil 3 - 4 tblsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 c water (reduced if significant amount of juice in pineapple) 1 tblsp vinegar or lemon juice or citric acid crystals 1 c Lemon perrier water Preparation: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Be sure that your rack is not too close to the element of the bread will burn on the bottom before it is cooked entirely. The middle set of shelves seems to work best. Spray muffin tins or empty clean tuna tins with safe spray (like Pam) or if you are fortunate enough to have one, the non-aerosol spray from Pampered Chef. Dice or combine vegetables into a large steel mixing bowl. Add seasonings, vinegar, oil and egg and stir. Set aside. If you are using agar agar instead of eggs, soak the 3 inches of agar in blood temperature water for about ten minutes. Once it is soft, break it into tiny pieces and combine with the vegetable mix. In a second bowl, sift together the flours, salt, baking powder. Sift twice to add air and lightness to the fine flours. Mix the two bowls together, combining flours with vegetable/egg mix slowly. Do not use a stand mixer. I find it is best to do this by hand. This batter will be difficult to stir and quite thick. Add the cup of lemon perrier. Do not stir too much or you will mix the bubbles out of the perrier and defeat the purpose of this sparkling water. If the mix is too thin (it should look like very thick cake batter and be able to be spooned into the tins) then you may add small amounts of preferred flour (sorghum or sweet rice) until it is the right consistency. If you have to add more than 1/2 c more flour, increase the baking powder to the 4 tblsp. Spoon this batter into prepared muffin tins or bun forms. My kids dont care what shape its in, they just love these muffins for breakfast, lunch or supper and will eat them all day if I dont hide them. My husband actually complained that the kids were eating too much veggies. And when asked my 5 year old son remarked that he just wanted to grow tall like daddy. Note: Like many things, agar agar comes in different forms. If you can only get the powdered form, which looks very similar to Knox gelatin, I believe the recipe is 1 tsp per egg. Remember to soak the agar in blood temperature water or other liquid(a portion of the liquid from the recipe) before adding to the other liquids. ****************************** * v'col netivotcha shalom * ******************************

Buckwheat Yeast Bread

2007-11-23 19:53:51

I have made several attempts at this recipe and finally got it right. Not only does it have great texture, it holds together well for slicing. The next time I try this recipe I will try using 2 tbls of oil. This batter is about as thick as a wheat batter bread dough would be. It is thicker than most gluten free bread batters. Dark buckwheat flour (ground from whole buckwheat groats) needs more liquid than the same amount of light buckwheat flour (ground from dehulled buckwheat groats) so either the flour or water will have to be adjusted if you use all dark or all light buckwheat flour. I use 1/2 of each in several recipes and like the taste and texture better than either flour by itself. You could probably substitute xanthan gum or methlycelulose for the guar gum. To use milk or a liquid milk substitute instead of a powder, use 1/2 cup milk or milk sub and 3/4 cup water instead of 1 1/4 cups water. * Exported from MasterCook * Buckwheat Batter Yeast Bread Recipe By :Joanne Spotten Serving Size : 3 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Gluten Free Yeast Breads Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

GFCF Diet Meeting]

2007-11-23 11:06:45

I just noticed that the earlier post did not mention that this store is located in Portland, Oregon. Patsy

Madeline Cookies

2007-11-23 10:43:41

Does anyone have a recipe for madelines? I just bought a pan and was going to convert the recipe, but when I opened it up there wasn't one. Thanks for the help, Patsy

Country Beans Cookbook

2007-11-22 22:59:51

I just checked _Country Beans_ by Rita Bingham out from the library. This is an interesting cookbook as the author includes a lot of recipes for bean flours. The soup bases she uses with bean flours are casein free as well as gluten free are different from anything I've come across. Although it is not a gluten free or casein free cookbook, the author does include many specific gfcf recipes and includes her own recipe for a gfcf baking mix. The ISBN # is 1-882314-11-5 This is the 1999 edition, and it looks like it has been revised from a previous edition to include more gfcf recipes as well as recipes lower in fat. The cover says " An index to the hundreds of fluten-free bean recipes, as well as the nearly 120 recipes using bean flour." The recipes look good, but do use bean flours that are not as readily available as garbanzo bean flour, but I am going to try using my garbanzo bean flour in some of them. The author recommends home grinding, but I haven't tried grinding my own beans yet, and am not sure that I want to. Jolene

biscuit mix

2007-11-22 13:55:13

Hi, I posted the biscuit mix recipe originally, and yes, you can leave out the cream of tartar, but we have found that the consistency of the final product does turn out a little bit better with it. One other thing to note: after sending in the recipe, I realized that I forgot to include 1/2 t. xanthan gum/cup flour mix. Some recipes need this and others don't, but it's safer to just add it right into the mix, so the recipe *should* read: Bisquick Mix Substitute 10 C. Flour (gf rice or bean flour combo) 3/8 C. Baking Powder **5 tsp. Xanthan Gum** 1 tsp. Cream of Tartar 1 1/4 C. Powdered Milk 1 1/2 Tbsp. Salt 1/4 C. Sugar 1 lb. Crisco shortening We have tried all kinds of recipes using this mix, and it works amazingly well. We have made dumplings, biscuits, impossible pies (main course and dessert), sweet rolls, pancakes, and more, and we have not had one failure!!! Both my gf and non-gf children have loved everything we've made. Anything you can do with bisquick, it seems, you can do with this mix. Sue C. Mom to 8 in MA (-:

a biscuit flour mix

2007-11-22 10:27:03

I forgot who posted this and I have not tried it myself yet but still planning on trying it. == Bisquick Mix Substitute 10 C. Flour (gf rice or bean flour combo) 3/8 C. Baking Powder 1 tsp. Cream of Tartar 1 1/4 C. Powdered Milk 1 1/2 Tbsp. Salt 1/4 C. Sugar 1 lb. Crisco shortening Mix all together and store in an airtight container. This will last approximately a month. You can cut this recipe in half. Use as you normally would use bisquick.

Lisa's book???

2007-11-22 05:06:02

Hi Lisa, I live in Australia, how do I get my hands on your book? Can I order it thru my local book shop? Thanks Kim

looking for a good cookie and biscuit flour mix???

2007-11-22 02:41:21

One that I can mix myself instead of buying pre mixed flour from the shops. Please help, Kim

Kitchen Aid pasta attachments?

2007-11-21 17:30:30

Hi, everyone-- I started making Bette Hagman's basic pasta last week, and I am in love! I never made homemade pasta (hardly ever even bought fresh--too expensive) before starting the diet. It was wonderful! However, the rolling and cutting was really tedious. If anyone uses an attachment on their Kitchen Aid (or any other pasta cutter, for that matter), could you please tell me what it is and how you like it? I've read both good and bad things about both the meat grinder/pasta disk and the pasta rollers. Thanks a lot! If you haven't tried this pasta, and corn isn't an issue for you, try it! It's a million times better than the rice pasta available in stores. Amanda

Arsenic (Off topic for some recipients)- in treated lumber materials

2007-11-21 07:42:50

Another item that can result in arsenic poisoning is treated lumber. If your child comes in contact with wet decking or play centers that are made from treated lumber, their is arsenic in the wood that is used to prevent rotting. The government is trying to ban the use of treated lumber in products that are contact with children(i.e. play centers). Has your child been in contact with any treated lumber? My son has not been test for metals, but as an a toddler he did come into contact with wet decking on multiple occasions. My inlaws live on a lake front property and have a two level massive wrap around deck and boat dock which were made from treated lumber. I let Tyler play on the deck on the dock, while they loaded the boat with coolers and such. So this has crossed my mind, too, about the arsenic levels. At the time, I wasn't aware of the arsenic in these materials. Diane Hartman

tips for beginners

2007-11-21 05:51:52

We're ready to start the gluten-free, casein-free diet with my 3 1/2 year old, Danny, who was diagnosed PDD-NOS. Are there any good mail-order/Internet catalogs that sell this type of food? Secondly, can you suggest any cookbooks or books about GFCF in general that we should read before we start this. Thirdly, for those of you who have done the GFCF diet, what type of changes have you noticed in your kids, both bad and good, and how long did it take for you to notice any differences? Fourthly, I'm looking for any particular brands of GFCF products that I can substitute for the limited items my son will eat that currently aren't or might not be GFCF, which are: toast crackers cheese pizza yogurt cereal with milk mac and cheese pasta (particularly likes pesto sauce) cookies sliced lunch meat (does this contain G or C??) Janet Kalbhen E-mail: jkalbhen@... Home Phone: 847-955-1848 Fax: 413-643-8955 Snail Mail: 5728 Butler Lane Long Grove, IL 60047-8243 Web: www.electronicpublisher.net

Is morton salt gfcf ??

2007-11-20 23:46:56

To All: According to Earl Thorn (312-807-2643) of Morton Salt, the free flowing agent (which is what may cause salt not to be gluten-free) used in Morton Salt is calcium silicate. Earl says the salt is gluten-free. He also notes that the salt has a trace of sugar in it. Nadine G. Gilder Autism Educational Services 732-473-9482

Bagels Yum!!

2007-11-20 16:17:07

I tried the Quick Bagels recipe from Bette Hagman's book on Breads. While I wouldn't call it "quick" - It took about 2 hours start to finish, it was fairly easy. They did come out looking more like bialys than bagels as they are rather flat, but they are chewy and have a nice, mild flavor. They seemed to deflate a bit when I boiled them prior to baking, and I did have to add about 1/3 cup of sweet rice flour to get the dough firm enough to shape. Regreasing my hands often while shaping them helped too. One of the things I liked about her new flour mix is you add the Xanthan gum to to mix when you make it. It simplifies measuring later when you make the bagels. The same mix is used for pizza, french bread and crusty rolls. I'm going to try the french bread next for our 4th of July party. My way of remembering Lafayette and his troops for helping out during the revolution! Due to copywrite issues, I can't reprint the recipe here, check your library for a copy of the book - that's where I got mine. Happy 4th everyone! - Gina

Digest Number 487

2007-11-20 06:46:04

That's the one! Thanks Denise. Jeannie

PA Dutch Molasses Cupcakes

2007-11-20 04:53:49

How wonderful! These sound like mini shoo fly pies (which I LOVE)! Thanks for the recipe. We'll have to try it out soon. (-:

GFCF diet article

2007-11-19 23:42:35

This information was posted some time back and since there are new people that have come since then, i thought it was a good idea to post it again for them. It is good info for beginnings and friends. Betty Gluten-free and Casein-free Diet Theory and General Questions This article is located on the web at www.autism-utah.org

Help finding the Molasses muffin/cupcake recipe

2007-11-19 17:45:06

Hi everyone, I used to have a molasses muffin/cupcake recipe that was wonderful, but I can't find it! I believe I got it off of this list about 5 months ago. I've checked the archives but didn't get anything to match my search. If anyone has this recipe would you mind posting it for me? Thanks! Jeannie S. Mommy to David, Jacob, and Sean

Holly &amp; Jay

2007-11-19 12:41:39

Great news Holly, thank you Jay for bringing it to our attention. Angela

I need some cooking basics explained :0P/Chocolate Cake

2007-11-19 10:19:56

Here is one recipe that is different but does taste good. It is one that you do not have to worry about grinding or finding the chickpea flour because you can use the canned beans. We tried it and it was pretty good. Betty ------ Chocolate Cake 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips 2 cups (19 ounce can) cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans),drained and rinsed 4 eggs, or 1 cup egg substitute 1 cup sugar ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar In small bowl, melt chocolate in microwave oven, 2 minutes on medium power. In blender or food processor, combine beans and eggs. Add sugar, baking powder and chocolate; process until smooth. Pour batter into non-stick 9-inch round cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Breadshop natural foods gfcf?possible infringement

2007-11-19 02:33:55

Does anyone know if "Puffs n Honey" by Breadshop Natural Foods is gfcf (no phone or email on box, just California address) .Our son had a bowl and absolutely loved it. It contains rice syrup (possible barley enzymes) and doesn't specify gfcf. Just "Wheat free". . I hope it wasn't our first infringement. Box is in the attic till I hear its safe. Thanks, Alex

I need some cooking basics explained :0P

2007-11-18 17:23:12

** Guar gum may have some laxatives effects; xanthan gum doesn't. Both are used to subs for the missing gluten in the flours: they make up for the gluey effect of gluten in baked goods, and keeps the dough together, otherwise it would fall apart and crumble easily. Generally use 1 tsp of Xanthan gum per cup of flour mix. ** Eggs is another when is an ** Gluten is the "essence" of your baked goods. First consider getting some other books as well, so you have more recipes to confront and maybe come up with your own. Second, usually you never want to use one flour; always mix flours. If you get one of the Bette Hagman's books (miss Robens sells them and you can get them at a Barnes & Noble too) she has the doses for all kind of mixes includding her basic flour mix : 6 parts (or cups) of white rice flour + 2 parts of potato starch flour + 1 part of tapioca starch. Then she has other mixes like her bread mix or the bean flours mixes, etc. all are pretty good and all are good subs depending on what to bake or cook. then there are lots of starchy flour that are used for binding or for sauces thickening. ** I hope this makes sense.. ** Sorry I don't do much of cakes and brownies; mainly cookies. But I am sure some other one here can give you some good ones. Do you avoid anything else in particular? ** Good luck with all the mixing and stirring :o) Cristina-WA

Nutella substitute

2007-11-18 13:25:39

Try mixing some cocoa or melted semisweet choc. chips into almond butter. Maranatha's is GFCF, last time I checked. Almond butter is yummy!

Glutano animal shaped pasta

2007-11-18 08:58:23

I was so excited to find the new Glutano animal shaped pasta. (Found it on the Gluten-Free pantry website). My son thinks it is so cute. Unfortunately, it is only for stringing necklaces as we are avoiding corn. Does anyone know of a rice version of this pasta? I would love to have some he could actually eat! I have tried the spirals, elbows, etc. but they are just not cute enough for him. Thanks, Patsy Nelson

Nutella...fake?

2007-11-18 01:03:50

My son ASD 4 1/2, used to LOVE nutella, which of coure I haven't given him since I started him gfcf. He is not a great fan of peanut butter (neither am I), though he eats it from time to time, and I was wondering if anyone has a good sub for Nutella. For those who don't know the product, it is a hazelnut milk chocolate spread. I was wondering if I could at least find a hazelnut creamy stuff-like peanut butter-that I could mix with some chocolate or similar...or if I could make it and how. I know peanut butter is made by "squeezing and mashing" peanuts, but, of course, I've never done it; anyone know the process so if I can't find a hazelnut spread, maybe I could make my own? Anyone have ideas? Then I could put it in a Nutella clean jar and fake it. :-) Thanks to all, Cristina-WA

article acknowledging "our own" group member Holly Bortfeld

2007-11-17 23:37:40

Click on the url and when you get the Page Not Found error add 0-160658.html from the second line to the end of the url and it should work. Joanne

Paper Mache'

2007-11-17 13:11:52

Dear Judy, Usborne Books has a great book on paper mache'. I don't have copy of this one on hand to look it up for you but you can check out my website....www.ubah.com/L0795 I will post on the message board today and see if anyone has this on hand and can give me a recipe for you. Glenda~~~

GFCF Cream of Mushroom Soup

2007-11-17 10:01:36

Mushrooms are off limits if a)there is an allergy and b) you are on a no-yeast regimen. The anti-yeast diet excludes anything potentially moldy. This even includes fruits or veggies that grow on the ground or tend to develop molds (e.g. raspberries.) Years ago my son picked a bunch of raspberries and basically went nuts 30 minutes later. I went out to the bushes and sure enough, lots of the berries were slightly moldy. He was on NO SUGAR and NO YEAST at the time, and it was pretty bad. He does eat these foods now. We did the anti-fungal thing for about nine months, until subsequent tests showed them to be under control. Unlike the casein and gluten, the yeast thing is something that can USUALLY be cleared up within a few months. For some, it is a much more persistent problem. LL

Imagine Products are great soup base substitutes.

2007-11-16 19:55:35

I have found that Imagine products are great as substitutes for soup bases. I love their potato and leek soup and use it for a base for many of my casserole recipes. The taste is dull compared to traditional soup but I add my own spices to get the taste I am looking for. It works great in place of any cream soup base. Imagine's chicken broth is also GFCF and if you live near a Trader Joe's that's where to buy it. They have the lowest prices.

coconut oil

2007-11-16 15:25:51

Does anyone know where cocnut oil can be purchased? After reading the article online, I would really like to get some.

Homeade Rice Milk

2007-11-16 07:58:32

Hi Brenda-Lee, Thanks for the info on Rice Dream. I have not tried to make my own Rice Milk. I just found a recipie for Rice milk in Karyn Seroussi's book. Is that the one you use? Do you use white or brown rice?

cereals?????

2007-11-16 06:11:31

So is Amazon Flakes. They are like frosted flakes, I like them better than Honeyd Corn Flakes. If I watch for sales I can buy them at 2.99 instead of the normal 3.99 in Salt Lake. Joanne

New to list

2007-11-16 01:42:36

I am new to this list. MY dh and dd have Aspergers. I have downloaded all the recipe files and and anxious to learn more about cooking GFCF! Glenda~~~

need a white cup cake recipie please

2007-11-15 13:29:20

I want to make some white cup cakes for my aytistic girl. Must be gfcf thanks. Michael

ingredients help/bread

2007-11-15 06:12:49

Rhonda, you might try mixing it in your bread maker but baking it in smaller loaves. GFCF bread does seem to do better in the smaller pans. Betty

ingredients help

2007-11-15 05:55:54

Is there a difference between tapioca flour and tapioca starch? I've seen recipes which call for both by name. I also want to thank whoever started the topic of pizelle makers. I have almost perfected a recipe for ice cream cones using one. Still searching for a good vanilla ice cream recipe. I tried the one from Tim and Staci Clark, and it was good, but the raw eggs in it scare me a little. Anyone got anymore suggestions???? Thanks again, Cheri****

Guisto's Soy Milk Powder

2007-11-14 21:55:57

I just checked with Guisto's (650-873-6566) and their soy milk powder is just soy. I didn't ask about cross-contamination since they have good measures to reduce the cross-contanimation risk in their non gluten flours. I will be buying some to try when recipes call for milk powder. If anyone is interested, I will report back on my results. Joanne

flax oil and peanut butter

2007-11-14 21:33:27

I was wondering what you guys think about mixing Laura Scudder's Old Fashioned peanut butter with flax oil? I have to put the peanut butter in the mixer to mix it up really well without making a mess by just mixing it in the jar. I have poured off some of the oil before and I was thinking of pouring off all the oil on top and substituting flax oil instead. I always keep it in the refrigerator anyway once it is opened and mixed up. I thought that way I could get more flax oil into the boys. I don't use this to make cookies just for sandwiches and crackers. Betty

almond milkd

2007-11-14 08:50:14

aren't almonds considered phenol? for those who are avoiding... for the PST thing and all? just wonderign

Potatoes " Duchessa"

2007-11-14 07:56:47

I haven't made this in a while and it came in my hands the other day, so I made it again and then decided I should have shared. My son doesn't eat mashed potatoes and I was tired to french fry. If you cook them crunchy, they will be a treat. Maybe many of you know it already, but for those who don't, here it is (it is in grams, I hope you can convert in Lb- 1,000gr = 2.2lb; multiply the grams by 2.2 and you have the lb): Potatoes "Duchessa" recipe 600gr potatoes 1 egg 2 egg yolks pinch nutmeg 40gr cf margarine salt & pepper to taste Peel potatoes and boil them in water (you can wash them well and boil them with the skin, peel them after boiling them, but watch not to burn your fingers :o) this way they absorb less water) or steam cook them; drain, and while still hot put in potato ricer and squeeze them to mash (you can y=use a potato masher, but have to make sure it will be SMOOTH; do not use bender/mixer as it alterate taste) into a large ceramic or glass bowl-holds heat well-.add the margarine, salt & pepper,and pinch of nutmeg and mix well with wooden spoon. incorporate threec egg yolks, one at time, making sure to stir well to avoid sudden cooking of the yolk, and therefore the "scramble effect". Put this mixture in a pastry bag with star tip, and squeeze out onto a baking sheet, while giving it a turn so to achieve that star look-as if you were piping stars on a b'day cake- You will be using about 1 Tbsp for each duchessa. brush with beaten egg white and bake at preheated 360^ F for 15 to 20 min until golden brown. I usually omit the egg white and line them up on baking sheet covered with wax paper-so they'll come unstuck easily-and then freeze them for future use. Once they're frozen, I put them in ziploc bag to store in freezer, and pull out small amounts at a time. I also make double batch, but have to work very fast as the mixture cooles off and gets too hard to pipe out. A good addition to it may be a boiled carrot mashed along, but make sure it has lost all the water after boiling, or mixture will "run" and be hard to shape. Enjoy them as a side dish or as an appetizer, as well. Cristina-WA

rice and soy free milk alternatives

2007-11-13 18:02:12

Potato and coconut milk are both good ideas, and I didn't see anyone mention almond milk. My 17 yod won't drink anything else these days. (warning: Some almond milks are not gf. We use Blue Diamond Almond Breeze.) Funny, all 7 of my children and I are milk allergic, 2 are celiac, 2 of us are allergic to soy, and my hubby is lactose intolerant. In our refrigerator we have: Rice Dream (not gf but milk and soy free) for me (I just like the taste best and am allergic to soy), Almond Breeze for my oldest (celiac and allergic to soy), homemade rice milk for the next 2 (They just prefer the taste, and it's cheaper!), Silk soy for the next 4 (slightly cheaper and more nutritious), and Lactaid milk for my hubby. In my pantry are a couple of boxes of Westbrae rice milk (gf, soy free) for cooking just in case I don't have any homemade made up, and I have a box of powdered milk for when "normal" people come to stay with us. LOL! That's 7 different kinds of milk in one house! That must be some kind of record. (-: Blessings, Sue (-:

This is an email from a friend of mine about vaccinations

2007-11-13 15:07:43

. She is not on an autism list but I know many parents feel that the vaccinations harmed their child. I do not feel that it helped Evan to receive so many at once.

Need ideas for cereal

2007-11-13 07:11:08

Does anyone have any ideas what I can put in my child's cereal if he cannot have rice milk or soy milk??????? Thanks

coconut milk-Brenda-Lee

2007-11-13 07:07:48

BL, where do you buy coconut milk? I was wondering if I could find it maybe locally. Betty

Virus

2007-11-13 05:30:04

I get the list on digest, which stops attachments, this ia another alternative to web only, although web only is the safest but slowest wat to read the messages. Thanks Brenda Lee for tracking this down and the list members who watch out for viruses. deliberate mail with attachments is best sent directly to an individual or refer to a web link or URL if possible. It is always best to explain that there is an attachment in the body of the text and even in the title of the post, like 'vacation pictures attached'. Stay alert and get an antivirus program and update it weekly. I use Norton Systemworks with Norton Antivirus, 'Innoculate It' is good too, free as well. Angela

] Thank you Denise

2007-11-12 16:58:40

Denise As Co-moderator I realize that for people using the diet for children with autism your statement holds true Denise, however some people on the list have joined us for other reasons. I am not personally rotating gluten in any of my children's diets but others who have allergic children rather than spectrum disorders are. Not every one on the list (and there are about 800 of us) is doing to treat a spectrum disorder. I was simply responding to one new member who had stated that she was rotating foods with her child AND was using rice dream. My children are not spectrum disordered but one has Celiac's Disease and a dairy allergy and the rest have multiple food allergies. Thanks for caring enough to respond though. It is good to know that others are looking out for us. Blessings, BL ****************************** * v'col netivotcha shalom * ******************************

food intolerance

2007-11-12 16:15:27

PLEASE be aware that ANYTHING can cause problems! I have an Autistic grandson who had MANY screaming fits, etc. My daughter FINALLY noticed they were worse after eating rice OR a rice product. She stopped the rice. The screaming fits stopped. Also, hi speech cleared dramatically! Even fast food places, which say they're gluten-free, will use rice flour instead of wheat to dust their fries.

shaving cream

2007-11-12 00:55:09

does anyone know if Barbasol shaving cream is gfcf. If not is there a safe shaving cream? My son's class is having one more "special" project tomorrow. The teacher just told me of this today. Thanks for any help. Cyndi

] New to the Diet for BRENDA LEE

2007-11-11 20:48:31

On Sun, 17 Jun 2001 23:59:33 -0700 "Brenda-Lee Olson" <Luvee77@... . If you are rotating gluten this may not be of concern to you, but I thought I should bring it to your attention in case you did not know. Brenda Lee, What do you mean by that "if you are rotating gluten"? This diet (GFCF) is not for rotating gluten. People on GFCF rotation diets rotate corn days, rice days, potato days, but NOT a gluten day. Gluten is eliminated Denise on Long Island New York *

Off topic: Attachments to E-mail

2007-11-11 14:50:23

I received tons of mail with attachments this morning. What is going on??? They're all from GFCF lists!!! Someone needs to make sure of what they send, or specify in the E- mail subject, that the attachment is safe!! Otherwise I delete w/o opening!!! Thanks!! Cristina-WA

Mocha mix

2007-11-11 10:34:58

someone advised to use mocha mix as a milk subs, I do not recall on what list so I'll post it here and there... The ingredients say (I bought it yesterday) <...sodium stearolyc lactylate... any of you think so? Cristina-WA

Food intolerance testing

2007-11-11 00:16:10

A while ago, somebody wrote in about food intolerance testing. I believe it was called ELISA or RAST or something like that. Does anybody have web site information on this type of testing they can pass on? I want to do some research.... Also, if anybody has done this type of testing when your child was GFCF, did you get a false positive on gluten and dairy? Or did you allow your child to have the gluten/dairy prior to the testing to get accurate readings? Any information would be greatly appreciated! Vicky in Atlanta

GHEE???

2007-11-10 23:13:04

I was wondering...Isn't <GHEE okay on a cf diet! So, is it? Because if it is (and proven casein free for sure), than I could use it too! :o) Thanks, Cristina-WA

WHAT is a pizzelle iron?

2007-11-10 21:25:58

Ok now I am curious! I didn't even know what a pizzelle was until someone posted the recipe and explained it. So it is like an ice cream cone or a waffle. Good. What is a pizzelle iron? where do I find one? and if not, can the recipe I saw here, be baked in an oven? and at what temperature? And how do they have to look? Round? do they spread like cookies do or do I have to spread them with a spoon? Ok, enough questions I believe...thanks, if you dare answering :o) Cristina-WA (mom to Gary 4 1/2 with ASD, and Sarah & David 21 mo twins NT)

] ICE CREAM CONES

2007-11-10 13:05:04

Denise, I made them last week and they were good!!! I had to dilute them a little more though, because the batter is too thick and while you try and spread it, it has already cooked. It takes a while and you burn your fingertips a bit, but my son loves them-never mind the ice cream!-I was only wondering if there was a baked kind or a different one that comes with a waffle texture? Cristina-WA

Need easy ice cream cone recipe

2007-11-10 08:05:01

Hi, My son is having his 5 yo birthday party at the end of the month and he has been asking for ice cream cones. I haven't seen any that I can buy, (anyone know of any?), so I thought I'd try to make some but need a recipe. Any help appreciated. He is dairy free, gluten free, yeast free, and egg free. Thanks, JoDee

I'm New: Recipe Conversion Help

2007-11-09 22:43:12

Hi, I just joined this recipe list. I have been making crepes for my family for many years, but now I can't sub for regular bleached wheat flour; when I tried to make substitutions, rice milk was not that great-but can be done, probably- and Soy is too thick. Any suggestions? The original recipe calls for eggs, flour, butter, milk, salt and nutmeg. I tried sweet rice flour-because is a thickener-but was way too sweet and nauseating; how about cornstarch? Or what else? Can I sub with buckwheat or other flour? I think rice flour would be to "grainy" for it... Thanks everyone,Cristina-WA

Ramen Noodles substitute?

2007-11-09 20:54:02

We use rice, bean or tapioca threads which are a really fine noodle thinner than vermicelli or angel hair pasta. Bean threads seem to be the cheapest around here (about 70 cents per bag Canadian), but I don't like the taste as much as rice threads. BL ****************************** * v'col netivotcha shalom * ******************************

Banana bread-forgot ingredient!

2007-11-09 17:40:42

In posting the banana bread recipe, I forgot to add the 1 tsp. of xanthan gum. It was not in the original recipe but is definitely needed. Suzanne

Anyone have a good baked doughnut recipe?

2007-11-09 10:58:44

Hi - Does anyone have a good baked doughnut recipe? I used the recipe in Carol Fenster's _Special Diet Solutions_, and it was delicious; however, it was a very dark, almost gingerbready type of doughnut. I'm looking for a doughnut that is like a light-colored, plain, nutmeg-scented, cake doughnut. Could I use a wheat doughnut recipe, substituting Bette Hagman's Four Flour Bean Mix and some xanthan gum? Thanks - Laurie

Pizzelle recipes

2007-11-08 19:09:12

Does anybody have recipes for the Pizzelle iron???? I have one and I'd love to use it!!!!!but I don't have any recipes. Thanks! Andrea D

GFCF Sourdough breads

2007-11-08 11:56:25

I had fantastic luck with a Sourdough bread from Bette Hagman's "The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread" cookbook. She actually has at least two sourdough bread recipes in that cookbook. The bread was soooooo good that I had three slices (in a row) with a little topping on it! I decided I couldn't keep making it if I couldn't stop eating it. Bette Hagman's recipes are designed for what she calls "Full Cups" which means that you will either need to sift the flour into the measuring cup OR full the measuring cup until it is heaping and overflowing then tap the bottom of the cup until the overflowing portion settles into the cup. This is a critical part of using her (and other GFCF recipes). I opt for the heaping cup and tap, tap, tap, tap method since I am on the lazy side. If you don't do either method then there will be too much liquid in the recipe because you shorted the recipe in the flours. This is no different than brown sugar. Most experienced cooks know that brown sugar is always packed! And most recipes don't even say "firmly packed" because it is assumed. The same principle is at work here. "The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread" by Bette Hagman is a fabulous cookbook. If you have any other questions, please feel free to e-mail me privately. Good luck! Lisa

sorghum flour mixes

2007-11-08 08:35:20

The main one I have used is 6 cups or parts sorghum 2 cups or parts potato starch 1 cup tapioca starch and mix well. The latest is 1 cup garbanzo bean flour 2 1/2 cups brown rice flour 2 1/2 cups sorghum 2 cups potato starch 1 cup tapioca starch. Both have done well for me.

GFCF sourdough starter?

2007-11-08 07:32:51

Here is what we posted in our upcoming catalog: Sour Dough Starter, reprinted with permission by Red Star® Yeast. Rice flour can be used to make the slightly sour flavor popular in sourdough breads. The starter serves as the leavening so no additional yeast needs to be added in your bread recipe. To make starter: In a 4-cup container, combine 1 cup warm (110-115ºF) water, 2¼ tsp active yeast, & 1½ cups white rice (mixture will be thick). Cover loosely with plastic wrap & let stand 1-3 days in warm place, stirring 2-3X/day. As it ferments, the starter will "rise & fall" & get thinner; once ready it will be bubbly & may have a liquid layer on top (blend if so before use). The starter can be used over & over again; the flavor will get tangier as it ages. Store unused portion in the refrigerator. To nourish the yeast & keep the starter alive, replenish the starter as needed with 3 cups rice flour, 2 cups water, & 1 tsp sugar. Stir until blended & let stand 10-12 hrs in warm place before use. Jay

Banana bread with Stevia

2007-11-08 05:19:51

-------- I played around with the Honey Banana Muffins to make a recipe I could use with Stevia. It came out pretty well. --Betty Banana bread with Stevia Cream: 3 ripe bananas, mashed 1/3 c. oil 2 eggs 2 Tbls. honey 1 teaspoon Stevia powdered extract sift together: 3 cups gfcf flour mix (I used a sorghum flour mix) 4 t. baking powder 1 t. salt Add to banana mixture and combine well. I filled the muffin tins 3/4 full and baked at 350 degrees about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Banana bread question

2007-11-07 17:01:36

Karen, The almond flour recipes really are only for almond flour. I'm sure if you are able to use rice flour that there are lots of good banana bread recipes out there for it. The almond flour batters are very lumpy and dry. You kind of have to even them out in the pan. The eggs are what hold the recipe together. Sometimes when you aren't allowed any of the other flours, you'll take what you can get with the almond flour. I actually do like the banana bread recipe when made with almond flour. Dawn

buckwheat recipes

2007-11-07 09:25:47

Pot Roast Casserole 3 1/2 lb Boneless beef round roast 1 can Health Valley beef or veg broth 1/2 cup Kasha or Buckwheat 1 ea Medium rutabaga 1 lb Carrots 1 lb Green beans About four hours before serving over medium heat, cook beef, fat side down, until brown on all sides. Put into crock pot or dutch oven. Add broth, Kasha and 4 1/2 cups water. Over high heat bring to a boil. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, cut ruatbaga into quarters; peel and cut quarters into 1 1/2 inch chunks. Cut carrots in half and lengthwise into quarters. Trim ends from beans. When meat is cooked,remove 2 cups broth/kasha mix from pan and place in blender. Blend until smooth. Stir into liquid remaining in dutch oven or pot. Add rutabaga and carrots and bake for one hour. Add green beans cover and bake for 30 minutes. Makes 10 main dish servings. sweet and sour Stir fry 1 lb beef or pork or anything else cut meat into thin strips or small cubes 2 T sesame oil 1 t fresh grated ginger Any or all following vegetables cut into thin strips or pieces 1/2 onion 1 1/2 cup cabbage Napa, or regular 1 red bell pepper 1/2 cup jimica 1/2 cup celery 1 cup zucchini or other summer squash 1/2 cup eggplant 1/2 cup sugar peas or snow peas or english peas 1/2 cup mushrooms 1 cup broccoli or cauliflower you get the idea? 1 T molasses or honey 1/2 cup crushed pineapple more grated ginger 1-2 T arrowroot 3/4 cup cold water salt to taste red pepper to taste Prep all your ingredients. Use at least three vegetables and as many as you like. Make the size of slices or pieces consistent. Heat oil in wok or large skillet, add onion, ginger, red pepper, add meat when oil is very hot. stir and toss till browned. Drain meat and put aside. Add a little more oil to the pan and throw in 1/2 skillet full of vegetables, stir to coat, add 1/2 cup water, stir, cover and steam for 3-5 minutes, remove and repeat till all vegetables are done. The vegs should be steamed but not soggy. Add molasses or honey, pineapple, salt, more grated ginger, and heat on medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, mix arrowroot with water and add to pan, stirring constantly until starts to thicken, toss cooked vegs and meat into sauce and mix. You can serve finished stir fry over boiled quinoa, millet, buckwheat groats, finely grated zucchini boiled like noodles, spaghetti squash. How about a mock stroganof over GFCF toast, shepard's pie, pastry pockets, pot pie? Are you trying to serve the same food to the whole family? I often use the same meat, but add different vegs or starches for the rest of us. Like meatballs for everyone, french fries for the kids, baked potatos for grown-ups, different pastas but the same sauce. Zucchini Burgers 1 c zucchini -- shredded 1/2 c mashed potato or mashed chickpeas 2 eggs -- beaten 1 sm onion -- chopped 1/2 c GFCF crackers, bread crumbs, or cereal crushed 1/2 c cooked buckwheat Mix together. Drop by Tbs. full on non-stick skillet in which 1 tbs. oil has been melted. Flatten with spatula. Brown each side about 8 min on med. heat. BUCKWHEAT You can use buckwheat in just about any recipe that calls for pilaf. Most buckwheat recipes, however, recommend mixing one egg in with the buckwheat before sauteing, to keep the grains from sticking together into a mush. If eggs are out of the question, then perhaps pre-soaking them for a minute or two in boiling water could work as well. Using buckwheat in a pilaf recipe adds a nice, nutty zing! It can be cooked as an accompaniment to meat dishes, in hearty pilafs, and as a savory stuffing for meat and poultry. Kasha makes a good substitute for wild rice. Cooked kasha can also be eaten like cereal and mixed with fruit, berries, honey, and milk. Buckwheat groats can be whole or coarsely ground; both are often toasted to add a nutty flavor. Kasha or buckwheat groats is available in most large supermarkets, as well as natural-food and specialty stores. Blini A small pancake made of buckwheat flour and leavened with yeast. These pancakes are often brushed with large amounts of melted butter and served with caviar (I wish!) and sour cream. Buckwheat Pancakes 3/4 cup buckwheat flour 1/4 cup millet flour 2 tsp GFCF baking powder 1 egg 1 TBS oil 1 cup water (to desired consistency) mix well add water to thin and cook on hot griddle. Buckwheat Breakfast Pancakes 1/2 c buckwheat flour 1/2 c other GFCF flour 1 tsp GFCF baking powder 2 tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 egg, beaten 1 c GFCF milk (I used 3/4 c and added more as needed) 2 tbsp melted GFCF margarine Mix dry ingredients together, add egg, milk, and margarine, beating well after each addition (I just added the liquid stuff altogether). Pour 1/4 c batter for each pancake onto hot, lightly oiled griddle. Cook 1 to 1/2 min (sic) turning when edges look cooked and bubbles begin to break on the surface (I adjusted the flame so that mine took a bit longer to cook). Continue to cook 1 to 1-1/2 min or until brown. GFCF Sourcream Buckwheat Pancakes: Use above recipe. Add 1 tsp baking soda and substitute GFCF sour cream for milk. Buckwheat Banana Bread 2 Tablespoons flax seeds, ground OR 2 eggs, beaten 1/3 cup water 1 1/3 cup buckwheat flour 1/2 cup pumpkin (or other) seeds 2 tablespoons tapioca (or other) starch flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon guar gum,* optional* Guar gum helps trap carbon dioxide, producing bread with a slightly lighter texture. It doesn't affect the flavor. 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon, optional 2/3 cup chopped walnuts or other nuts, optional 1/4 cup walnut or other oil 2 cups mashed bananas, about 4 medium (see variations) 1/2 teaspoon unbuffered, corn-free vitamin C crystals 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 tablespoons boiling water Preheat oven to 400F, Combine flax seeds with water in a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil and immediately remove from heat. Set aside to soak until needed. Oil and flour an 8x4 inch loaf pan. Tap the pan gently to coat the bottom and sides with flour: Tap any extra flour back into the mixing bowl. Combine pumpkin seeds, tapioca starch, salt, guar gum and spices. Blend on high 1 minute, stopping twice to scrape the bottom. Add seed mixture and nuts directly into the flour; and whisk together well. (E-Z MIX TIP: measure 2 1/4-cups of water; pour into the blender jar. Mark the level and discard the water.) Combine in blender oil and add 2 ripe bananas, broken into 1" chunks. Blend. Continue to add banana chunks until the 2-1/4-cup level is reached. Add the corn-free vitamin C crystals and flax mixture. Blend one minute. Pour the liquid mixture over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Add to the batter and stir with a few swift strokes until water disappears (don't beat it). Quickly scrape batter into pan and place in hot oven. Immediately reduce temperature to 325F. Bake for 70 minutes or until a toothpick thrust in the middle comes out dry. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn it out on a wire rack and cool completely before slicing. VARIATIONS The following fruits may be used in place of banana. Pineapple Bread - Simmer fresh pineapple puree 10 minutes. Substitute 2 cups of puree in place of bananas and proceed as above. (Save the remaining pineapple puree to use as "jam on the bread.) Applesauce Bread - Substitute 2 cups of Applesauce (preferably homemade). Pear Bread - Use 2 cups of chopped, ripe pears. Mystery Bread - Blend fresh, sweet green seedless grapes to make 2 cups of puree. *Guar gum helps trap carbon dioxide, producing bread with a slightly lighter texture. It doesn't affect the flavor. The next one is a little easier to prepare and can be made with pretty much any flour. I use tortillas for sandwiches and they freeze well. E-Z Tortillas 11/4 cup any flour (not starch): (amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, quinoa, whichever you choose will determine the flavor.) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup water; room temperature 1/2-1 teaspoon oil, optional but use it especially with quinoa and millet) Whisk 1 cup of flour and the salt together in a bowl. Make a "well" in the center and pour in the oil and water. Stir several strokes with a fork until the dough clumps together in a ball. Preheat a large griddle or 2 skillets. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup of flour on a bread board or piece of wax paper. Break off balls of dough the size of a golf ball. Roll them in flour. Flatten with your hand, turning often to keep them floured. As the dough absorbs flour, the texture becomes more workable - like "Playdough." Roll each tortilla thinner with a rolling pin or a smooth, clean bottle. When thin, and 6-7 inches across, check both sides to see they're well floured. Bake them on the hot griddle, one or more at a time (depending on your equipment). Use no oil. Bake about 3 minutes on each side. Once you get the feel of making and baking tortillas, you'll do it quickly and easily. Put the baked tortillas on wire racks or lay them on cotton towels. E-Z MIX TIP: To work on wax paper - wipe your counter with a damp sponge, lay the wax paper flat. The dampness holds the paper in place and keeps it from slipping. When finished, fold the paper several times an discard. Out goes most of your mess. (Wax paper may contain traces of corn starch.) OK - one more - I haven't tried this one either so let me know how it comes out! Buckwheat Crackers 1 cup "white" buckwheat flour 1/4 cup arrowroot or tapioca starch 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons sesame seeds 2 tablespoons cold pressed sesame oil 1/2 cup water Preheat oven to 400. Mix the flour, starch, salt and seeds in a small bowl. make a "well" in the center of the flour and pour in the oil and water. Stir with a fork. As the flour absorbs the liquid, the dough will start to clump into a ball. Oil the center of a cookie sheet (the flat kind without edges is easiest to work on). Leave the outer edge, about 1 inch, unoiled. Scrape the ball of dough onto the middle of the cookie sheet. Pat it into a flat rectangle. Oil one side of a sheet of waxed paper or foil Place the oiled side down on the dough. Using a rolling pin or the side of a smooth bottle, roll the dough out very thin. (It will approximately fill the oiled space onto the cookie sheet.) Cut the dough into 2-inch squares. Salt the tops lightly if you wish (use a salt shaker to control the flow - and don't overdo it!). Place cracker in the oven; immediately reduce oven temperature to 350. In 12 minutes remove them from the oven and lift off the crispy crackers around the outer edge. Put them on a wire rack to cool. Separate the remaining crackers with a spatula. Turn the oven off and return those crackers to the oven for 10-20 minutes until they're crisp enough for your taste. These are awesome pancakes. Do not dilute the batter, it is better to spread it thickly with a spoon. I double the batch and reheat for another meal. This is if we don't eat them all in one sitting:-) BUCKWHEAT AND POTATO PANCAKES 1 cup buckwheat flour 1/3 cup potato flour 3 tsp GFCF baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 3 Tbsp sugar (I used 1 Tbsp) 1 egg or substitute 3 Tbsp oil 1/4 tsp GFCF vanilla 1 1/2 cup GFCF milk or use water 1/2 cup blueberries (opt) Mix all ingredients and spread thickly on a heated greased grill or frying pan. Turn when brown and cook until brown on the other side. STUFFED VEGGIE PEPPERS Fresh, whole bell peppers, as many varieties as possible!!! 1 celery stalk, diced 4 garlic cloves, crushed or minced 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 medium onion, diced 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon ground marjoram 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound. mushrooms (any variety) washed and chopped or cubed extra firm tofu 1 cup cooked buckwheat or quinoa 1 cup cooked thin poha 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, toasted 1/2 cup pecans, toasted 1/4 cup sesame paste 2 tablespoons GFCF soy sauce or Bragg's 1/4 cup peanut or coconut oil, for frying (optional) crumbled tofutti cheese or crushed potato chips to taste(optional) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a saucepan, combine the celery, garlic, garlic powder, onion, Italian seasoning, and marjoram, and sauté in the olive oil. Add the mushrooms or tofu, and cook until the liquid evaporates. In a mixing bowl, combine the buckwheat or quinoa, poha, sunflower seeds, pecans, sesame paste, and soy sauce with the sauté mixture. Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly, and stuff into cleaned and seeded bell peppers. Bake 30 to 40 minutes until done. Top with cheese or potato chip crumbs. Russian Soup 1/2 cup chickpeas -- garbanzos 1/2 cup kidney beans 1 cup kasha or buckwheat groats 8 cups water 1 onion 1 carrot 1 turnip 1/4 small cabbage head -- shredded 2 tablespoons corn oil OR sesame oil 1 teaspoon sea salt 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce 1 handful parsley -- chopped Wash the chickpeas and beans separately, then soak each separately in 2 cups cold water for 8 hours; or bring to a boil, simmer for 2 minutes, and allow to soak in the warm water for 2 hours. Drain beans; add fresh water to cover. Bring beans and chickpeas to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Then combine the beans and chickpeas with their cooking water in a 4- to 6-quart pot. Add the groats and remaining 4 cups of water; cover and bring to a simmer, cooking for 40 minutes. Chop the onion, dice the carrot and turnip, and shred the cabbage. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onion and saute, then add the rest of the vegetables, stirring well after each addition. Continue to saute for 10-15 minutely Now stir the vegetable mixture into the beans and barley; add more water if needed and simmer for 25 minutes. Season. Garnish the soup with chopped parsley and serve. I'll look for more. Angela

for Brenda-Lee Olson

2007-11-07 08:36:09

Brenda-Lee, it sounds as if you also have been having a lot to keep you going. I hope that both you and your friend have easier days coming with all your loved ones doing much better. Does your son have his own nebulizer at home?? Andrew hates to use his and only does so when he is seriously sick. His mom is suppose to use hers 4 x daily. She cannot do that with the drug recovery program she is on because she is at the program 12 hours a day but she does try and get 2 x daily in. Any way, here is wishing health and rest to you and your friend. Betty long to update you all, but my own eldest has been really bad with his asthma for the last month and for the past two weeks we have been having nebulizer treatments at the local hospital twice daily. On top of working, taking care of a dh who broke his a bone in his back and my regular duties, there isn't much time for anything else.

Tomato Vegetable Soup

2007-11-06 23:43:58

I had the idea for this recipe Tuesday night and made it last night. It is definately a keeper. I think it will freeze well if the veggies are slightly undercooked. Joanne * Exported from MasterCook * Tomato Vegetable Soup Recipe By :Joanne Spotten Serving Size : 2 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

Pancakes

2007-11-06 22:59:21

We hadn't had pancakes in a while, and I didn't have a GF mix on hand. So I tried making them from scratch. I considered Karen S.'s pancakes in Lisa Lewis's cookbook, but I noticed that there is no liquid called for in the recipe. It calls for eggs and dry milk substitute, but no water or liquid milk. It seems that pancakes need more liquid. Is there a missing ingredient or should it be liquid milk substitute? Has anyone tried this recipe? I ended up making a recipe from Carol Fenster's Wheat Free Recipes & Menus cookbook. I added a tablespoon of soy flour and 2 tbsp of ground almonds to the batter, to add more protein and fiber. Her recipe calls for vanilla. The combined flavors of the vanilla, almonds, and soy with maple syrup was amazing, very complex flavors. I was merely trying to make a healthy breakfast my daughter would eat! Who knew GF foods could taste so good, I actually preferred her pancakes to the buttermilk ones I made for the rest of the family. -Gina

Thanks for all the help

2007-11-06 15:22:45

Hi again! I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was so kind and generous with their time and knowledge when I asked for help. I received many emails full of great advice and recipes. I consider myself lucky that I live in an age when this support and advice is so readily available through our internet community. I hope that one day, I too will be able to "pay it foward" and help out another new member of our group. Thank you all so much. Your kindness and support are truly appreciated. Sheryl

NOAH'S BREAD RECIPE

2007-11-06 09:06:14

I'm sorry. Could you please send me the bread recipe you have been talking about. I joined this list after Themestream closed its doors so I couldn't retrieve the recipe. Thanks! I hope all are well. :-D

Powdered Vanilla

2007-11-06 00:18:57

Does anyone know where I can purchase some GFCF powdered vanilla? Bette Hagman lists it as an ingredient on some of her muffin recipes, and Miss Roben's does not carry it. Thanks so much. Sheryl

wal-mart and kraft

2007-11-05 16:22:28

pretty please with sugar on top can i have the Wal-mart and Kraft lists? my private email is amy0978@.... I am frequently at Wal-mart and would appreciate anything that would help make this transition easier.

almond flour...

2007-11-05 15:47:21

Hello! Has anyone ever used almond flour in their bread, cakes, or cookies? I recently ran across a recipe in that book Special Diets For Special Kids that called for almond flour. I was wondering how this was to work with. ~Mary~

oh no

2007-11-05 01:43:45

I was wondering why all the old posts. I am glad to know that i am not the only one getting old posts responded to by a virus. I am not worried about opening up the attachment but it does get tiresome to get so many. Betty

general &amp; lists

2007-11-05 01:14:04

I'm new to this group, and new to the gfcf lifestyle. I'm curious about the numbers of my youngest son's blood results (antibodies against gluten and casein) - one number was over 13,000 and the other over 9,000. The U. of Florida did recommend doing the diet, but didn't give much information on these numbers. If anybody could shed some light on it for me, I'd appreciate it. Also, I'd love the Kraft and Wal-mart lists, that would be great! And, any fairly easy and good recipes or ideas of staples that you always keep on hand would be most helpful. I have several books and cookbooks/info that I'm poring over, but there's soooo much. I have to compile what's recommended and try them little by little, I think! My son loves dairy - milk, cheese, cottage cheese, milk chocolate, and breads/buns/cereals (soft white, of course) so any info as to substitutions that actually taste like the real thing would be terrific as he is very particular! Thanks so much! Joyce

Questions: Bette Hagman's book on baking bread

2007-11-04 11:46:26

Hi - I have a few questions concerning recipes in _The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread_ by Bette Hagman. Tonight, I did Sesame Bean Buns, and they were delicious - however, they were very brown on the outside, yet almost gummy inside. What should I do next time - reduce the H2O or add more flour? Another question concerns her Orange Coffee Roll recipe on p. 238 of the cookbook. One of the ingredients is ricotta cheese (1/4 cup). What would be a good substitute? Tofu? Any advice would be appreciated. Also, she has a Honey Sweetened Hawaiian Bread on p. 56. It calls for a 6 ounce can of Pineapple-Orange-Banana juice. That's not available in my area. Thus, I don't know whether she's referring to a small can of concentrated frozen juice, or a single serving size can of regular strength juice. We have 12 ounce cans of that juice, either frozen, or in shelf-stable concentrate. So my question is - do I use 6 oz of concentrate, or 6 oz of juice already prepared? Also, my daughter likes buns rather than bread; can I prepare the bread in English muffin pans/ Thanks so much for any help you can give me - laurie

hot dogs and some other questions

2007-11-04 10:12:53

hi, kathleen young here mom to connor 4yr been on gfcf diet since feb. i had a couple questions i hope you all can help me with: 1) old el paso taco mix (division of pillbury) claims their taco mix is gluten free yet my son has a reaction when he eats it so i'm trying to find the culprit what is maltodextrin? it has msg and bht (bad stuff i know) but i usually only get this reaction to gluten (screaming crying). 2) i called hebrew national and they claim all their hot dogs are gf but they have hydrolyzed soy protein when broken down can have gf effects ( whatever that means) any advice on what they are talking about? what hotdogs (if any) do you all use. 3) lisa lewis (if your out there) or anyone else that is knowledgeable what do phenols do. i'm getting a reaction to something orange juice, tomato's mabey corn same reaction as gluten (screaming crying). this has just cropped up in last couple of weeks but i heard that after gfcf other foods start showing reactions. 4) karyn seroussi in your book you list an example of the diet for your son and list salami sticks what kind do you use ( i can't find any without additives bht ect..) sorry this is kinda wordy i've been a member since i started the diet and have been accumulating these questions. thanks to lisa and karyn i have both books it really hasn't been that hard and well worth the effort!!

Pork Chops and Apples -- Yum!!

2007-11-04 06:46:19

Hi........ I love finding recipes that I don't have to adapt for the diet! I found this in an apple cookbook, "Apple Lovers Cookbook" by Shirley Munson and Jo Nelson. This has become a family favorite. Pork Chops and Apples 2 Tablespoons GFCF margarine 6 pork chops 4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I used Granny Smith apples) 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon Brown pork chops in margarine on both sides. Place apple slices in lightly greased baking dish. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples. Add pork chops. Cover and bake in 325 oven for 1 1/2 hours. Serves six. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!..................Linda in Boise

grinding own flour

2007-11-04 04:52:50

If you want to grind dark buckwheat flour buy some unhulled and take it with you when you are mill shopping. I have 3 mills and only the Whisper Mill will grind dark buckwheat and I have to run it through 3 times before the hulls are small enough that it makes a nice flour. I am going to try grinding some unhulled buckwheat in my mom's Magic Mill (a superb stone mill) to see if a stone mill will grind it finer. If the Magic Mill will grind the dark buckwheat better or with less times through I am seriously considering buying a stone mill. If you want a comparison of dark buckwheat flour in the Whisper Mill and the Magic Mill, let me know and I will post if after I have tried the Magic Mill. Bean flours I can just run through the Whisper Mill once. The flour does get warmer than I would like, even when grinding sorghum which my whimpy mills will grind. Joanne

New to the Diet

2007-11-03 21:17:00

Hi all, I am currently three weeks into the GFCF diet, and have just learned about this website recently. My almost 4 year old son is a real carbo lover. His favorite foods are: bread, pasta, waffles, and pancakes. Needless to say, I would love to hear from anyone on this list that has successfully found recipes for these types of foods. Since my son does not eat meat, or chicken, etc, protein is always a concern for me. So, if anyone has any good recipes for breads, pancakes, waffles, etc that incorporate the use of bean flours, or other high protein ingredients, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to email me privately at: ams1088@... Thank you in advance for your help and support. Sheryl

Maltodextrin and Hot Dogs

2007-11-03 09:35:16

Hi All: I thought you'd all be interested in a little information on maltodextrin. Most people on a gluten-free diet are confused by maltodextrin. Because of the name, they think it contains malt and is therefore unsafe. This is not true. It is not produced from and does not contain malt products. It is safe for use on a gluten-free diet because it does not contain proteins from wheat, barley, oats, or rye. Maltodextrin is an easily digestible carbohydrate made from natural corn starch. The starch is cooked, and then acid and/or enzymes are used to break the starch into smaller polymers (a process similar to that used by the body to digest carbohydrate). It is a polymer of dextrose and does not contain any significant quantities of protein, fat or fiber. If you're looking for tasty hot dogs that are not only GFCF but also soy free, Get Turkey or Chicken Franks from Empire. In the upper right-hand corner of the package it should say Kosher for Passover. I believe they are made Kosher for Passover all year round. Because theay are Kosher for Passover, they are also Soy free. The same is true for Hebrew National products. If you can find any Kosher for Passover Hebrew National Franks, they are soy-free. By the way, Passover foods are also corn-free, for those of you who have this limitation as well. Nadine. G. Gilder

Hi &amp; Help!!!

2007-11-03 08:07:38

Hi everyone, I'm Joyce in NC with two ds, ages 1 & 3. It is just a miracle that I stumbled on your list. I think I found it from a Positive Discipline Board. I hate to jump in with an intro and a question. I usually like to read some of the achived messages first but I need some help. Here's my problem, please forgive me because I don't know where to begin. When my oldest son, Jaedon, was 1 1/2 the doctor suspected autism but suggested that we waited until he was 2 before testing because he was a preemie and I had trauma and lots of meds during pregnancy (another story). At 2 they tested him and determined that they couldn't make a clear dx but thought it may be Pervasive Dev. Disorder and recommended speech therapy. Jaedon was tested again at 3 and they decided to label it developmentally delayed and recommended the special children's preschool program. Well husband is totally against preschool program but he continues to get speech. Let me say in my husbands defense that whatever milestone or activity that Jaedon test below age level, he eventually starts doing that thing on his on so husband just thinks he is a late bloomer. I cannot say I was thrilled with the dx from PDD to DD because my son still has some strange behaviors (e.g. high pitch screaming, some behaviors look compulsive to me, outburst of rage towards 1 yr old brother). I am at my wits end and that's what lead me to the positive discipline group. Jaedon also has terrible allergies and has been on a variety of medications but nothing seemed to really help. Finally I got tired of the constant congestion, nose bleeds, runny eyes, etc and took him to an allergist a few weeks ago. They did a RAST panel and the doctor just called me and faxed me the things that he was most allergic to. This is what has me perplexed and confused - It turns out that Jaedon is allergic to Eggs, Milk, Wheat, Corn, Peas, Soybeans, & Peanuts. My first concern is what is my child going to eat? But secondly, I've been wondering if some of this strange behavior could be connected to his severe allergies? He has a follow up appt. next week but I thought the more info I have the better. I'm so sorry because I feel like I'm rambling but I'm in a tough place right now in so many areas in my life. Any suggestions, resources, support, or anything would be appreciated. Thanks, Joyce