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Big City….Little City

March 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I had an interesting time last week when I was travelling to Jefferson City MO.  I have traveled since my diagnosis,  I have been to Washington D.C. and a few other places; most of them bigger cities.  Jefferson City was my first trip to somewhere a little more out of the way and definitely a lot smaller.  I wish I could say that this trip was successful from a food stand-point but I ran into more problems than I have anywhere I have traveled.   I can count three times that I was “glutened” in one week; I know that you may say that that is not much but when you are diagnosed with Celiac Disease you are told that you need to be careful because even a small amount of gluten can start the damage to my finally healed intestines all over again.  A few of the things that I ran in to:

  • A restaurant that put flour in their mashed potatoes
  • A few restaurants that didn’t even know what a gluten free diet
  • The hotel where we (GFBill and GFJason) stayed did a great job of getting gluten free deserts but when it came to lunch it was salad for the first couple of days.  If you are going to say that you cater to the GF, then you need to understand that it has to be more than salad.

You know that you are in trouble when people start asking the “well can you have cheese?”  It really shows how much more education is needed for places where food is served.  With so many people (1 in 133) who suffer from Celiac Disease, I think it is very important that restaurants seek out allergen education.  I think it will take time for smaller cities to catch up but I think it is important that they do, in the meantime I think the next time I fly there or to any small city, I will stick to chain restaurants where I can be sure I will be safe.

But not all was bad…see this thing below.  This was a pork steak that I had from a small shack in Warrenton MO called Two Dudes BBQ; the owner’s wife spent time with me and Jason telling us all the ingredients and how things were cooked.  It was so amazingly good and made my week.

pork steak

 

 

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Where we have been…

February 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Hi followers…if we have any left.  It has been a while since you have seen any writing on this site.  It’s not that we are not still Gluten Free (we are).  It is not that we didn’t want to help or educate people any more (we do).  It’s just that life got in the way.  Since the last time we posted our jobs have gotten more hectic, I lost my dad and with all of that going on it is very hard to find the time to think never mind put sentences together.  So I am here to explain where we have been and apologize to anyone who was reading us and let you know that we are back.  Starting right now with this post!!  There is so much going on in the GF world and we have a lot to say.  So many new products to talk about, so many stories to tell.  I will keep this one short and promise I will be back at the end of the week with more to say.  Just know that even though life gets in the way…we will find a way to get this into life.  Talk to you later this week!!  GFBill

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We are coming back!!

December 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment

We know that it has been a while and that we owe our readers a big apology…work has been killing both of us. But we are getting back to business starting the week after Christmas. I promise.

So stay tuned and look back here soon!!

 

GFBill

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I’m a bad yoda…

June 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I have not abandoned the blog, this is a real heartfelt journey for me.  In my case, we are still trying to get me to heal and at the same time make sure that I have enough nutrition in my body to sustain my vital organs.  I am not complaining, I get that this is part of my journey and I am not letting it get the better of me.  I am just so crazy busy and have had quite a few appointments that it is hard to find the time to be creative.  Even though what we share is our lives, it still takes a bit of creativity to make our loyal followers want to stay our loyal followers.  So I promise, next week I am back in the saddle…  Bill

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Gluten Free Tool Kit

April 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment

In my family every Saturday is “gluten free shopping day.”  This usually consists of a trip to several different places to stock up on food for the week.  This week we had a special appearance by my 13 year old son Evan who is also now starting on a gluten free diet as we wait for results of his Celiac panel blood test (I will write more about this in a future post.)  We usually hit a local health food store called Good Health, which for a small store has a very large selection of gluten free products.  Sometimes it includes a trip to Whole Foods, but not always, as their selection of gluten free products is not as extensive as Good Health.  The one place that we always go is Allcaneat Bakery, this place has the greatest gluten free prepared meals and baked goods.

What does this have to do with a GF Tool Kit?  Let me tell you.  It never fails that when we are on our shopping trip we always seem to run into someone who is just starting on their own gluten free diet journey.  Getting a gluten insensitivity or Celiac diagnosis can bring on a lot of stress since it is such a major change in your life, and most newbies are just looking for someone to throw them a lifer preserver;  this life preserver comes in the form of information.  I met a young women named Megan on Saturday who had just gotten her diagnosis and was looking for someone to give her some assistance.  So what is a Yoda to do?  This Yoda provided a brain dump of all the information in “his” GF Tool Kit.

Here’s what is inside!!

1. It is great if you have someone who can tell you what products tastes good and what doesn’t.  We have provided that in an earlier post that Jason wrote.

2. Knowledge is power, and the more you understand about your diagnosis and diet the better.  Here are a couple of good books that I think provide a lot of useful information:

3. I also found a few good iPod/iPad apps for eating out:

  • The Gluten Free Registry – finds all the restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores near your location
  • Gluten Freed – has a decent list of places to eat by state
  • Is that Gluten Free - a little expensive but gives you a list of most products in grocery stores and whether they are gluten free

4. The Gluten Free Guide- my nutritionist told me about this book and I could not live without it.  It is called the Gluten Free Shopping Guide.  It has an extensive list of things that are gluten free and includes most local super market chains.  They also update it if products are added or taken off the list.  It can be found here…

5. The Web – there are way too many great sites out there about gluten free living and Celiac disease to list so I will just give the most important one below:

6. I have found that the magazine Living Without has some great articles along with gluten free recipes and resources.

7. Most grocery chains that cater to the gluten free crowd have product lists of all their gluten free products.  Two chains that I know that have them are:

  • Whole Foods
  • Trader Joes (read throughly, some of their things are made in the same plants, cross contamination may happen)

8. A list of Gluten Free Medications, most of us take something even if it is ibuprofen, it is always better to know that you are not going to react to it.

9. A couple of standby restaurants that you know you can go to and get a safe gluten free meal.  Use the The Gluten Free Registry to find local places.  Even though restaurants may not advertise GF, they may have GF – call and ask – you never know.  Mine are:

10. A support system:  this is probably the most important.  Having good friends and family who will help you through this transition make it so much easier to get through.

This is by far not a complete list and there are so many more things that you can have in your tool kit but I thought I would tell you what has helped me.

Hopefully this will help a few more “Megans” come to grips with their new lifestyles…

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Take Me Out to the Ball Game…Gluten Free Style!

April 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment

As I write this post, the Red Sox, my home team, sit in the cellar of the American League East with a record of 2-9,  not such a good start to the season.  A season where they are predicted to win 100 games and make the World Series.  Right now, you might be asking yourself, “When did the Yoda’s change this into a sports blog, I wanted to learn about gluten free living.”  Well we didn’t so don’t worry.  I was fortunate enough to be able to attend two Red Sox games this week, unfortunately they lost both games, which is now why they sit in the cellar.  OK, that is enough complaining.

Here is the information that you came here for!

As they are finding that Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance are far more prevalent than they thought, many ball parks that are now offering gluten free options.

Here are just a few of them with some examples of what they are offering:

  • Citi Field : Hot dog and hamburger on gluten-free bun, gluten-free snacks, gluten-free beer
  • Citizens Bank Park : Hot dog on gluten-free bun, gluten-free beer
  • Coors Field : Hot dog, hamburger and chicken sandwich on gluten-free bun, potato chips, cookies and brownies, gluten-free beer
  • Oriole Park at Camden Yards : Gluten-free crab cake, Asian noodle salad, hummus and vegetables, hot dog and sausage on gluten-free bun, gluten-free beer
  • Turner Field : Grilled sirloin burger served on tapioca-organic rice roll, hot dog on gluten-free bun, potato chips and popcorn, cookies and brownies, gluten-free beer

You will notice that Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox, is not on this list.  Needless to say I was a little nervous about what I was going to eat and I didn’t have time to grab something at the house so I knew that I would be hungry.  The park does advertise that they have a selection of gluten free snacks which basically consisted of  a brownie, a chocolate chip cookie and two kinds of chips that are gluten free.

The funniest thing about their gluten free section is the woman who works there who tries to talk you out of anything that you try to buy because they are expensive ($5 for the cookie, $3 for the chips).  I actually asked her jokingly if it was part of her job to talk people out of buying this stuff! 

Since I was a little anxious about not being able to eat, I talked to my “Yoda” Jason about his experiences and he told me that popcorn was OK, and that he has asked for hot dogs and burgers without rolls.  Where I was not thrilled that I had to ask this at the concession stand, I gave it a go anyway.  He was also reminding me to watch out for cross-contamination, of course.

I was lucky enough to find someone from the company that operates the concessions in the park and he explained that asking to have it “your way” was perfectly OK.  He also explained to me that there are concession stands throughout the park that sell only fries so their fryers are dedicated and their french fries are not battered and therefore ok.  When I say they sell only fries I mean they do not prepare chicken fingers or fried dough at that stand.  So things were definitely looking up.

I did order a burger without the bun the first night.  The second night I brought two pieces of Udi’s bread and put the burger on that - very delicious!  I also had french fries, and the best thing was I didn’t have a bad reaction to any of it.  The only bad reaction was from a woman sitting a row in front of me who looked at me a little funny for eating a burger with my fingers (trust me I could not find a fork or knife anywhere, I searched and searched).  So other than that one thing…no problems.  Watch the game lady, not me!

If you go to Fenway, the concession stand I was told about can be found under the bleachers between sections 37-42.  The best way I can describe it is that it is to the left of the “big” men’s room.  Don’t be scared that it says Fried Dough on the sign, they prepare that separately in a different fryer.  So where Fenway Park does not scream “gluten free” there are things availble that you can make gluten free just by asking a couple of questions.

My advice to newbies (like me) who are going to any sporting venue would be to go a little early, take a walk around, survey the situation and see what they have to offer.  They may, like Fenway, have a few gluten free options, but as you walk around you may find many more options that you can make gluten free just by asking.

So its root, root for the the home team, they have to starting winning sometime, don’t they?  I wonder if any of the players are gluten free?

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I have a personal Gluten Free Chef…and it isn’t my wife????

March 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

…And to be honest with you she’s OK with it.

Time is just not something that I think anyone has a lot of these days.  Especially with two teenage boys who go to school miles away from our home and a wife who works full-time.  So when I was diagnosed I thought OK, I will go out and buy whatever I can get my hands on and my wife and I can start baking/cooking gluten free, WRONG!!!

With limited time, there never seems to be those few extra minutes to try to figure out how to make the best GFree brownies, or how to work with GFree flour, never mind sit down and create a gluten free meal plan for the week.  Therefore, I have relied on a lot of gluten free prepackaged food from one of my favorite local places Allcaneat Foods.  (I promise to review them sometime in the near future-they’re awesome and if you’re in the area you need to check them out).  I must also confess that I believed that once I was diagnosed that we (my wife and boys) were in this alone. I thought we would deal with this as a family, much like we did when our youngest son was diagnosed with a milk protein allergy as a baby and a red dye allergy as a toddler.  We weren’t thinking about all the supporting cast members in our journey.

In my case, people like my sister who saw GFree bread and boxed Mac & Cheese; and picked them up for me.  Or my mother-in-law who instantly started thinking about how my favorite meals at her house could be adjusted to make them GFree.  And, of course, my Mom (you may remember from an earlier post I told you I am kind of a mama’s boy) who immediately went online to look for GFree cookbooks and magazines.  She even spent a whole afternoon watching GFree day on QVC and was texting me the whole time asking if I wanted her to buy this or that!

apple-pie-ck-709820-l But I think everyone (yup that includes my wife and my Mother!) pales in comparison to who I now refer to as “my personal gluten free chef.”  For the sake of protecting the innocent we’ll just call her Eliot.  Eliot is one of our family’s closest friends and she has been more “into” my diet than me.  On one of my first visits to her house, I was greeted with boneless chicken breaded with mash potato flakes accompanied with white rice, so yummy.  Another time it was GFree risotto and for dessert GFree brownies made with sour cream to make them super moist.  Most recently it was a homemade apple pie, completely gluten free!  This put me right over the top and provided the muse to write this post.  On top of all this, she has a list of items containing gluten on her refrigerator so that when we are planning our next “pizza night” she can make sure there is always something there just for me-and yes she even found a local place that has GFree pizza!  She always has a new type of cracker for me to try along with her homemade hummus that is gluten free for me to snack on.

You are probably saying to yourself, you are so lucky to have an Eliot in your life, and how I wish I had an Eliot too.  And that is exactly my point-I had no idea when I was diagnosed that I would have the supporting cast members I now have to help me figure my way through this new GFree world in which I now find myself.  But, as I am learning to navigate my new GFree existence; I have found that the people who love me really are willing to go the extra mile so that I continue happily on my “crazy” diet.

Just take a good look around and you will find that you too have this support system waiting to help you in any way they can.  And lastly my hope for you is that you too will find yourself an Eliot in your life.

 

 

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One of these things is not like the other…

March 17, 2011 by 2 Comments

Not sure if everyone remembers the song from Sesame Street where they had three things that were alike and one that was different. If not, here’s a link to see it…

This is a bit like what I feel like living gluten free in a predominantly gluten world (don’t get me wrong, things are much easier for me than they were for Jason when he began his diet, starting with the fact that I had a personal Yoda to guide me through what was good and what was not so great). There are still many challenges that I, as a GF-er have to contend with on a day to day basis in all areas of of my life:

Home: I am the only GF person in my home, so I have to think about my own dinner and sometimes what my family is going to have for dinner too. My bride will eat GF with me most of the time, but my boys have to be tricked into it. We don’t do that too often, but it is a little easier with pancakes or PF Changs takeout. Children also don’t have the bandwidth to understand that your life is different. For example, I recently purchased a bunch of ready to heat and eat food that I use primarily for lunch and dinner. When I asked one of my boys (I don’t remember which one, and they aren’t confessing) to put the food in the freezer for me, well…it never got there instead it was sitting on the floor – defrosted and wrecked. I was livid, not just ecause it was a waste of money, but I had to rethink my menu for the rest of the week because I had just lost three days of food. It is more expensive to eat this way and more time consuming as there are two parts of the family to buy for.

But you know what…it’s ok!!

Work: Recently I was told that I have killed the “going out for lunch trips” in my office. I know they were kidding and I wanted to know how “I”, who now brings his lunch everyday, killed this. They told me it was because they felt bad that I couldn’t go. I told them I could go but it just required a little prior notice and planning. So I think they understand a little better now. Jason has told me countless stories of traveling at work as well. He finds himself eating Subway salads when everyone else is getting a nice big sub. While there is nothing wrong with Subway salads (they are tasty), there’s more to life than salad. As a side note, Subway is testing GF bread at some of their locations in Texas, unfortunately a far trip for either of us.

But you know what…it’s ok!!

Friends: Recently I received an invitation to a friend’s house for dinner, which never affected me before, but now it is a little different. You ask yourself so many questions:

  • Do I tell them about my diet and expect them to cook for me?randy2
  • Do I bring my own, and if I do will that offend them?
  • Do I show up with no prior notification and play with my food?

This is very different from what I used to be like, and very different from most of the people in my life.

But you know what…it’s ok!!

Why do I keep saying that, because it is Ok that I am different, it is ok that I have these different needs than my family, friends and co-workers. Why, because the other option is NOT OK. The other option is being sick, malnourished, and in my case having 20-30 apthous ulcers (canker sores) in my mouth at any given time. This was my reaction to Celiacs…Not fun, trust me!!

So one of these things may not be like the other, but that thing (ME) is finally healthy!!! So, what I am trying to let people know, is not to spend time feeling isolated, take the time to plan and enjoy your new found health. Don’t be afraid to tell people about the new you and don’t be afraid if they don’t know what to do. You can’t control other’s reactions, but you can control your diet and yourself.

It’s Well Worth It!!

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welcome to gluten free yodas!

February 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Here at Gluten Free Yodas (GFY), we want offer a different perspective on living gluten free.  Whether you have lived gluten free since birth or have  just learned that you need to live gluten free, there is an entire world of reviews, testimonials, recipes, and other GF blogs out there.  Our mission is to provide advice and experience from an honest and forthright perspective.  While our focus may take more of a male slant, our sentiments cross gender boundaries.

Living gluten free in today’s world is far less complicated than it was 10 years ago.  Now, most supermarkets have a small corner dedicated to ‘natural foods’ and often label a section of an aisle as ‘gluten free’.  Have you ever noticed the prices on some of the items?  Yikes!  Compared to their gluten-filled cousins, these products can sometimes be double (or more) the cost.  Allow our product reviews and our lists of GF favorites to be your guide, and to help save you a dollar or two.  Living gluten free all these years, we have learned a thing or two about products, on-the-go tricks, and general “What the heck am I going to eat at the game tonight? – I can’t drink beer and I can’t have pizza!” quandaries.

We hope our blog breaks down misconceptions of living gluten free and offers new perspectives from two dudes who live gluten free.  (And still drink beer too!)

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