Forgotten Halloween Post

Had the joy of going to a large Halloween Ball at a very upscale club in DC…

Of course I had to go as the “Queen of Hearts”!

Gluten Free Challenge

The Gluten-Free Challenge Home.

“May is Celiac Awareness Month, our goal is to spread the word about living a gluten-free life. We hope you will ‘Challenge More‘ by taking the Gluten-Free Challenge and encourage your gluten-consuming friends and family to join you. Let’s all come to the table together to enjoy delicious food. Pamela has put together her favorite bagel recipe on a card you can download. She’s also gathered some of her most tantalizing recipes to entice everyone to the table.” -pamelaproducts.com

Could you walk in my shoes for one weekend? 1 in 133 people have Celiac, an auto- immune disorder that is only able to be controlled by removing all traces of gluten from the persons diet. I struggle some days to succeed at this, not from a lack of vigilance on my part but due to a lack of public awareness. So please join me for this challenge. Let’s show the world that 1 in 133 is a big deal!

Polenta

Polenta and Spicy Sauce

Most of us work so it stands to reason that sometimes it is hard to come up with dinner ideas when we are tired and hungry upon arriving home. Since fast food really isn’t an option this is where having safe, ready made foods in the pantry comes in handy.

Grouchy, hungry and tired chick’s polenta dinner in less then 5 minutes.

1 tube of Trader Joe’s Polenta
1 Jar of Trader Joe’s Arrabiata Sauce
Olive Oil
Parmesan cheese to taste (meal is safe for dairy free if you omit this)

Slice the polenta into 1/2inch slices and brush each side with olive oil. Lay on a cookie sheet. Place under the broiler for 2 minutes per side. I like to sprinkle the second side with Parmesan cheese to brown a little. Meanwhile open the sauce and microwave for 2 or 3 minutes. I do it right in the jar. When hot pour some out into a pasta bowl. Top sauce with polenta slices and cheese. Viola…Authentic Italian that is safe and ready in 5 minutes.

Now what?

If your newly diagnosed with Celiac this is probably what you is going through your mind. Now what? What can I eat? Am I going to have to survive on air alone? Will I ever enjoy food again? And how the heck am I supposed to afford to eat gluten free when all the foods labeled gluten free are so expensive?

First off let me tell you to breath. You can live a happy gluten free life and still be able to afford to have a life. Gluten free living is easier now then it ever has been in the past. While there are amazing products out there for us to choose from they can be cost prohibitive on the average budget. But combining a few products with other foods that are naturally gluten free will go a long way to saving your wallet.

 

So jump into sprue on a budget!