On my way to a gluten free lifestyle..first weekend.
BTW, this is not cute or anything else..If you are looking for that check out Heather Smith Casas's page .

 Sally what is her url??



This weekend ended on a high note but started not so well. I was doing the "poor me, angry thing" but got better after the trip to Whole Foods.

 I went to Whole Foods and found that they don't have a GF section but do have products marked on the shelf. I was  disappointed that they didn't have a GF list or anything. The lady at the desk said to read labels. This maybe what I need to do but at the time I needed a bit more hand holding.  I went to the one in Palatine on Dundee..next time I'll try the Schaumburg one as it is bigger and may be more helpful. I have also heard that Trader Joes has a GF list, so maybe I head over there next week.

I really did well on Saturday for most of the day..but Saturday night was the Palatine Township Senior Center Gala. I worked 8 hours on Saturday night there. The Gala was great fun, it was a murder mystery theme. I sold handcuffs for people to put their friends in jail. It was cute - a policeman (in uniform) arrested the person and took them to jail..anyway, i had known that the dinner would not be GF or Gluten friendly, but i gave myself permission to just have fun. But from a GF standpoint..I ate the salad*(yeah) but put dressing on it (*boo), skipped the barley soup (yeah) , ate the main course but it was drowning in sauce..(boo) tried to avoid the sauce (yeah). I suppose I should have brought my own dressing and asked for a dinner with no sauce! (oh well) ..and I  ate the ice cream for dessert. :-)

Sunday I was feeling better about the Gluten Free thing..went to the Library and Barnes and Noble..downloaded on my Nook  a book called G Diet by Elizabeth Hasselback ( yep the same one from the View), got 3 library books and looked at many more.
On Friday, I was talking to Sally and mentioned that when we were Feingold that we got a book that made everything easier as it explained what to buy. All I was looking for was the book, the shopping guide..well a new GF "friend" recommended the GF shopping guide .

"
Grocery shopping for a gluten-free diet doesn’t have to be a challenge. Thanks to the Cecelia’s Marketplace Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping Guide, you’ll no longer spend hours looking at nutrition labels or calling up food manufacturers to get the scoop about product ingredients. Instead, you can carry this compact handy guide (4.5″ x 6.5″), which can easily fit inside your purse or coat pocket.
This guide includes a convenient index feature which makes it easier than ever to find out whether a product is gluten free. All gluten-free certified products and food items which are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility are clearly marked with symbols, accommodating all sensitivity levels. This guide takes the guesswork out of your weekly grocery shopping trips.
With this book, you’ll get information about all of your favorite brands and gluten-free foods. Cecelia’s Marketplace Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping Guide contains a list of over 37,000 food and drink items. Major food manufacturers like Heinz, Kraft, Del Monte and Frito Lay are all included. Plus, the items from your favorite supermarket chains, like Albertsons, Hy-Vee, Kroger, Meijer, Publix, Safeway, Trader Joe’s, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Winn Dixie, Wegmans and more, are listed as well. You’ll be able to quickly look up the information you need within seconds, all in one handy, compact guide.
In this edition of the Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping Guide, we’ve also included an added bonus for those that are on a gluten-free diet. This book contains over 2,000 over-the-counter pharmacy products, including antacids, pain relief, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, supplements, vitamins and more. Now you can shop for all your family’s needs without worrying about the gluten content in certain products." I called Eric, as he has the student prime account with Amazon and asked him to order it. Free shipping and speedy delivery..:-)

I did find it in the library, but knew that i needed to own this..

Then, I started cleaning and purging the kitchen.. big job!!! One website had recommended that since there would be gluten eaters and a GF eater, that the kitchen be sectioned off into zones..
So Scott and the boys have the pantry, cabinets above and below the back wall, while I have the small cabinets around the stove.. WHEE!

I read the "Gluten connection" by Sarah Leiberman, which was recommended by the librarian. Great book.

I asked on the GF website about dishes, pots, food storage containers, etc. The answer was " As long as it can be thoroughly cleaned without leaving any traces of gluten, you do not need to replace it. The items you need to be most worried about are typically made of wood, plastic, or teflon (such as spatulas and cutting boards) and/or have small crevices where gluten can get stuck such as colanders. We hope that helps! " So that left me to replace cutting board, measuring spoons and cups, colander, food storage etc..

What a busy day!!!!!