My sister and her two year old daughter have just been diagnosed with Celiac’s Disease. I have been pushing my entire family to get tested because they all have stomach problems. My sister was told she could not be tested while she was pregnant so when one of her daughters started to show signs they both went in. She does have three other children that will also need to be tested.

She is starting to feel the overwhelming  stress that many of us feel when we were first diagnosed.

I want this transition to be as easy as possible. While researching local stores for her we remembered that when I visited two years ago we went shopping at a Harris Teeter store. Just out of curiosity I went to their website. To my delight, I found they have a system where you can enter your desired items online into a list and pick them up at your local store. I searched through their groceries and found many GF items. This was a long process but once you have the list made it couldn’t be easier. I created a username and password for her and now she has access to an entire list of GF products at a store she can go to at her convenience. I don’t have a Harris Teeter anywhere near me but this is a great resource for her living in North Carolina.

I know there is a lot of criticism circulating the GF world about this being a fad diet. We all know that is not true! Recent publications are making readers think that following the gluten free diet can be used for weight loss. Some might lose weight initially but I would never consider it a fad diet or quick fix for losing weight.  There is a percentage of us who experience weight gain because our bodies are finally absorbing nutrients again. Lucky us!

Either way those of us who will be following this diet for the rest of our lives will reap the benefit of this fad. More and more mainstream manufacturers are creating a gluten free version of easy made products. Thank you to Betty Crocker and General Mills, just to name a few!

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I am not even sure if you can buy instant gluten free oatmeal. I know I just paid over $7 for my package of GF oats so I can’t even imagine how much it would cost to purchase flavored packets for breakfast. I have had this recipe for many years but it was not until I went gluten free that I actually started to use it. It also makes a great Christmas gift for those who want to do a homemade Christmas. This recipe is so simple!

Gluten Free Spiced Instant Oatmeal

• 8 cups GF rolled oats
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups dried apple or raisins

Combine all in a large bowl. Mix with a wire whisk until evenly distributed. Pour into a sealed glass container.

To make: pour 1/2 cup boiling water into a bowl and add 1/2 cup of mix.

Note: I have used this mix for my apple crisp recipe and even no-bake cookies. If you follow a low salt diet feel free to eliminate.

My daughters always remind me when the container is getting low and it only takes minutes to make weeks worth of breakfasts.

photo credit: sleepyneko

I prefer to make my own pure vanilla rather than buying it.

Here is the breakdown in price for store bought versus homemade GF pure vanilla:

• $7.17 for a 2 ounce/59 ml bottle of organic GF vanilla
• for 750 ml of this kind would cost $93.21

Versus

• $30 for Idol Grape Vodka – high quality, distilled 7 times and filtered 5 times
• $8 for 2 vanilla beans bought from Walmart (half the price I would pay for 1 bean at other grocery stores)
• Total cost for 750 ml of homemade vanilla would be $38

This recipe is easy to make but be sure to give it time for the flavor to blend.

• 1 bottle of Idol Grape Vodka – 750 ml
• 2 vanilla beans

You will have to pour out just a tiny bit of the vodka for the beans to fit without over flowing. Cut up the beans into small pieces. Make sure you use all of the bits that fall out. They are the most important part of the flavor. Add to the vodka and cover. Let sit for at least 1 month. The coloring will be very light, almost clear. The longer it sits the better the flavor and the darker it gets. I just used up the last of my bottle and it was very dark and flavorful. It had been sitting for almost a year.  The vanilla will last indefinitely. Whole vanilla beans that have been used in sauces or other liquids can be rinsed, thoroughly dried, and stored for reuse. I always transfer my beans to the next bottle and just add a new bean along with the old.

Try this recipe when your vanilla is done. Browned Butter Frosting Enjoy!

photo credit: stevendepolo