My family eats gluten.
I buy wheat in abundance and grind it several times a week to make flour for our baking needs. We eat regular oats frequently, and the occasional barley or rye. We experimented with eating gluten free a couple of years ago to see if it would help our son’s eczema. (It didn’t.)
But thanks to that experiment and the time I’ve spent learning from my friend Kim (who has been cooking gluten free for several years and who helped me put these books together) – I am well informed about how to prepare gluten free foods. I know how to keep food safe for those who can’t have gluten. I have in my head a big list of food options that are gluten free. I have many foods on hand in my kitchen at all times that are just fine for serving to the gluten sensitive. It’s really not difficult.
I really hadn’t thought much about the importance of having gluten free recipes and knowledge until last week.
We had invited some college students over for a meal after church. On Saturday, I had prepared in advance two big dishes of Italian Pasta Bake, and a double batch of Whole Wheat Butterhorns. The next morning, right before we left for church, Asa came down and said, “Mom, you know what I just realized? I remember from camp that one of the girls coming over today can’t have gluten or dairy.”
Umm…Italian Pasta Bake and Whole Wheat Butterhorns are both very full of gluten and dairy. I knew that at least she could eat the salad and green beans I had planned to go with our meal. But what else? And with that thought in mind…we headed off for church.
We caught the young lady after worship to let her know we were so glad she was coming and we asked about her food sensitivities. She told us not to worry about her and assured us that she was used to not eating when she went places and that she’d just come hang out.
Oh nonononono. Not at my house. I aim to please! Thou shalt not eat a meager little salad and a few green beans when dining at my table if I can help it.
Without even having to try, and because I had Tinkyada rice pasta on hand (yay!), I was able to quickly throw together a gluten free, cheeseless Italian Pasta Bake for her while I was tossing the salad and baking the rolls. I was very careful not to cross contaminate any of the foods (because Kim taught me well). I loved being able to present her with plenty of food that day so that she didn’t have to just sit there and watch us all eat.
That’s just one story to explain why I am so thankful to know how to cook gluten free foods. I can’t tell you how often this knowledge comes in handy. We’ve got friends coming to stay with us for several days this summer who can’t have gluten. When we were in Denver last month, staying with someone who couldn’t have gluten, I was easily able to help cook. Our boys have a gluten sensitive friend who has come over for a birthday party and I was able to have food for him. I made gluten free food when I hosted bunco because one of my friends in the group has Celiac. And on and on it goes. It is not hard to cook gluten free food once you know for sure which foods to avoid.
In preparation for our guests this summer, I recently took the time to update my Gluten Free Recipes page. Would you believe that 115 of the recipes on my site are naturally gluten free?? Naturally – as in, that’s how I make those recipes on any given day when I’m not thinking about gluten or non-gluten. There are no special ingredients or products needed. You can make many gluten free recipes with the ingredients you already have in your kitchen!! I love this.
Check out my Gluten Free Recipes page, and bookmark it or pin it so that you have easy access to it. Then you will also be well prepared to serve food to someone who can’t have gluten. Feel confident, knowing that many, many regular pantry and refrigerator staples are naturally gluten free. My page of 115 recipes proves it!
How comfortable do you feel preparing gluten free foods? Have any gluten free recipes to share?
Kati says
As a gf person who is also used to watching other people eat at social events, I say, hats off to you for using your knowledge to include that girl in your meal! It means so much when someone goes out of their way to make sure there is something available for a diet-sensitive person. What a meaningful,tangible way to show love to someone! :)
Jeri says
Thanks for the great list of GF recipes! My mother-in-law has celiac, so this is very helpful!!
Kate says
Your intentions are wonderful and I’m glad it worked out! However, lots of people who cannot have gluten may rather have an “out”. It’s hard for someone to politely decline a meal when it is specially made for them and placed in front of them. While you know about cross contamination and are careful, lots of people think they know and then it backfires (like, for instance, if the host has a convection oven and airborne gluten particles end up blowing all over the food).
Just my two cents. You are obviously approaching this with a loving heart, but the way you phrased it–” I loved being able to present her with plenty of food that day” made it seem like it might have been more about you being a “good hostess” than about her comfort. What if putting that food in front of her made her more uncomfortable than staying safe while everyone else ate? Just make sure that if people REALLY don’t want to test the waters, they can easily decline and not be surprised by “look what I made you!”.
One short example: My friend Ashley cannot have nuts. Once I made cookies for playgroup and put the cookies on a platter. In passing I told her they were nut free. It didn’t matter–she didn’t have one. The reason is because she’d rather just not eat one than spend 10 minutes asking me about the source of the chocolate/flour/every other ingredient. By just not eating it, she avoids challenging me on whether they are truly nut free enough for her to eat, and she avoids potentially getting sick.
Laura says
You’re right that it is very important that we make our guests comfortable and not push anything on them they don’t feel good about – great point! I wasn’t able to write the whole story within the post, but rest assured, we had lengthy conversation with her both at church and then once she was in our kitchen so that I could check thoroughly and specifically with her about whether she was comfortable about eating the food. She was joyful to have a meal provided for her!
Amanda Yoder says
As a celiac myself, having someone like you is amazing to come across, whether as a friend or someone offering to feed kids from church!
Kris Mays says
Yes! Two of us are currently gluten free while working on healing our guts. Three of us are off eggs (1 has a permanent allergy to them) and the same three off dairy. It is quite a challenge!
Erika says
I wish everyone had your compassion and willingness to accommodate food allergies & sensitivities. For our family, it has become almost impossible to go over to someones house for many of the reasons Kate mentioned above. We have gluten, dairy, egg, nut, soy, corn & fruit allergies among our adopted children… it makes cooking a real challenge even for me! Rather than burden our host with it, our solution is to pack them little bento meals that they can take with them when visiting friends or when we go out to eat (which is rare). I find most hosts are relieved, as am I, so we can spend our time focused on fellowship & not cross-contamination. Thanks for sharing your heart & all your wonderful recipes!
Beth @ Turn2theSimple says
We are not gluten-free (except for the baby…no gluten or grains until 12 month molars are in). We aren’t dairy free either but just so you know, your pudding recipe is great made with coconut milk! No other changes needed, just has a bit of a coconut taste to it! I make my own coconut milk from dry, unsweetened coconut…always on hand when I run out of milk!
Shelley C says
Thanks for listing all your recipes in this handy way..I pinned it for later use. One of my sons is now gluten free and when he and his family come to visit, I stress over what to feed them. I once made him sick with an unexpected ingredient or cross contamination and I felt so terrible! I still am green about the whole thing, but if I can have several recipes I know he’ll like in rotation, my stress level will go down.
Vanessa says
Our family isn’t gluten free, but while I was making my children these roasted veggie bites, I realized they would make a great gluten free lunch or snack: http://vanessasvalues.blogspot.com/2013/05/recipe-roasted-veggie-bites.html
Kim S. says
Can you host me at your house Laura??? I appreciate the lengths you went to for that girl immensely. I recently had a person insist on making me a meal telling me she was very knowledgable about gluten free cooking. Wouldn’t you know, half way through eating my salad, I realized that there were croutons in it, the regular kind. We were eating in a low light setting and I had been served the salad with dressing, so I didn’t see the croutons until I bit into one. When I questioned to see if the croutons were maybe GF, she said she wasn’t even thinking about it when she put the croutons in the salad and sorry, she hoped I didn’t have a reaction. *sigh* Those of us who are gluten intolerant or Celiac don’t get to hope we won’t have a reaction, since we know we will. We can only hope the reaction doesn’t last long.
Jami Balmet says
I love this!! Hospitality is very important to us as a family and I always want to make guests in my home feel welcome and important! I never thought about learning how to cook gluten free for that reason.
I’m going to have to pay attention to that from now on :) Thanks!!