Start of the Journey

I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I have felt symptoms that may be attributed to this disease for years, and am thankful for a diagnosis. Starting a new diet, such as the gluten free (GF) diet, is quite a lifestyle change. I have been researching like mad, reading information online, books, reports and talking to my gluten free friends.

I am lucky to have a friend right next door who runs a gluten free kitchen for the health of her family. She allowed me to peer inside her pantry. Her daughter even told me what tastes delicious and what to avoid. I sampled some of the new-to-me GF snacks, bread, and her homemade GF chocolate chip cookies (which must be the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever tasted). Girl, you need to give me that recipe (I'll post it as soon as I get it)!

After finding out what I like, and armed with a list, my husband and I spent the afternoon getting our house ready for our new GF life. We purged the pantry and refrigerator of all foods I could no longer eat. We then set out to the Fresh Market in The Villages. My neighbor, who made those awesome cookies, recommended Cup 4 Cup flour for baking. So, I bought myself a big old bag of that (my husband couldn't live without his baked treats, a.k.a., tasty treats)! After buying some GF ramen, crackers, cereal, and wine (because "wine" not?), we moved on to Trader Joe's. A gluten free Facebook support group in Gainesville, FL suggested the Trader Joe's bagels (something I really missed as a part of my breakfast routine). I was also told to get the Trader Joe's mac & cheese (because it's, "the best GF mac & cheese"). The last stop on our pantry replenishment was Lucky's Market (also in Gainesville). We found several other items to add to our trunk and headed home.

As it was time for dinner, and we really didn't feel like cooking after driving all over Central Florida, we decided on eating out. This can be very scary, particularly for someone with Celiac disease. Not only do you need to be sure the ingredients used in your meal are GF, but you need to make sure the food prep prevents cross contamination. I had read that Crazy Flats in Ocala offers GF dough for all their flats.

When we walked in, I told Jessica, the manager, that I have Celiac Disease and can't have any gluten cross contamination. I asked if they prepared the GF flats separately. She said they did and went into detail about how they change gloves before starting the flat, cut and prepare it in the back room, and use clean cutter once it's removed from the oven. She made me feel very comfortable about safely eating there. I have to admit, I was nervous about being that neurotic customer who nit picks how her food is prepared. I knew I had to talk to the management about it for my health. She was so assuring and happy to answer our questions. This gave me confidence about asking these types of questions for future restaurant encounters.

All in all, it was a great start to our GF journey. The next test will be introducing these foods to our boys!!!