I switched my diet to gluten-free about 5 years ago after exhibiting a series of symptoms that seemed to indicate that I might be intolerant to wheat. Since then, my health is improved, I’ve had the Celiac panel tests completed (I am not celiac), but I seem to function better on a diet that is free of wheat. At first, I thought it would be impossible to not consume wheat, since it was in everything. However, slowly, and with a lot of great suggestions and recipes from gluten-free bloggers, I now find eating and cooking wheat free to be relatively second nature. One of my big concerns initially was the exorbitant cost of many glute-free foods. I thought the only way to be strictly gluten free would be to double or triple the grocery budget. However, after serveral weeks (and months) of adjustment, with careful planning, gluten free does not need to involve huge grocery bills. Here are some steps that I take:
–I base meals around naturally gluten-free ingredients — meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits are all naturally gluten free. [Virtually all of the recipes in the recipe section are gluten free]
–I avoid processed food — gluten, and the potential risk of gluten and cross contamination, is problematic in processed foods. To avoid this, I base my meals and almost all food around natural whole foods. In fact, I use relatively few canned items except canned organic tomatoes, coconut milk, and tuna and sardines.
–I try not to imitate gluten-filled foods regularly — although I occasionally will substitute coconut flour or almond flour and create some type of baked good, these are not that frequent. Meals are generally planned around naturally gluten free foods listed above. There are several reasons, but one of which is that some gluten-free substitutes are quite elaborate and costly; and second, I often find that I’m disappointed by the gluten-free version of many gluten foods (such as pizza crust). Rather than having second rate food, I experiment with recipes for new dishes that are wonderful. I rarely by foods that are labeled “gluten-free”, but rather by the natural, whole ingredients.
–I menu plan around affordable selections – such as chicken drumsticks instead of breasts, and lower cost vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, and carrots. There are many gluten-free foods that are inexpensive, especially when purchased in season.
–I try to adjust ingredients seasonally — most grocers sell seasonal food at a lower cost. For me, this constantly challenges me to prepare different ingredients year round and to avoid serving the same food all the time.
–I fix one meal for all eaters — my husband also eats gluten free at home, rather than preparing two distinct meals. When I have guests over, I will inquire about food allergies or restrictions and select a menu where all guests can partake of most dishes.
–I aim for high nutrient dense meals — this of course applies to everyone regardless of their food restrictions. With gluten intolerance, the body is often depleted of proper nutrients for some time. The best way to ensure health is to ensure that all of the vital vitamins and nutrients are restored.
shared at Frugal Friday and Food Renegade
I have been reading a lot about nutrition and healthy eating and have seen the reports that the overwhelming majority of Americans are deficient of crucial minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients, especially magnesium, potassium, and some of the B-complex vitamins. One of the best sources of some of these nutrients are bone broths, long simmered broths where the nutrients become dispersed into the broth. I normally use a mixture of broth from hamhocks and chicken bones, boiled down with a dash of apple cider vinegar which is supposed to help release the minerals. Another major source of nutrients are green vegetables. So, I thought, why not combine these two and make a bone broth — green veggie soup. To make it easily digestible and quick to eat, I pureed the soup, turning the texture a nice lovely color. Interestingly, the soup is a great way to clean the crisper drawer of the last of the carrots, celery and other vegetables. The recipe is very flexible and amounts are approximate. I like to serve this with a drizzle of coconut milk or cream on top and a dash of tobasco. You might like it with a squeeze of fresh lemon. I serve this as the first course of dinner, or as a lunch with savory muffins. We really liked this soup and both my husband and I gave it a double thumbs up. Given that it is time consuming to simmer the bone broth, I will likely make double or triple batches and freeze some.
Green Velvet Soup
4 cups (or more) of homemade stock
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 zucchini, sliced
1 crown broccoli, broken into florets
1 small bunch collard or mustard greens, chopped fine
2 handfuls spinach
1 bay leaf
optional spices — I use a dash of curry powder and red pepper
1 cup, drained cooked white beans (optional)
Bring all of the ingredients except the spinach to a boil in a soup pot. Lower the heat to simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes until vegetables are tender. In the last two minutes, add the spinach leaves. Puree soup with a hand blender (easiest) or a food processor or blender (be careful of hot liquids). Season to taste, and serve with a dash of coconut milk, or a squeeze of lemon.
shared at $5 Dinners, Pennywise Platter, and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
August 30th,2010
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There’s been a lot of recent hand-wringing over what appears to be a more permanent shift in American views toward the economy. More persistent unemployment and concerns over future earnings has more households saving, staying home, and renting over owning. However, is this such a bad thing? While obviously it is better to have a robust employment market, other aspects of shifts in financial behavior seem to be healthier and bode for more resiliency in the face of future adversity. If, as the article implies, leaner times are here for longer than expected, are you prepared?
--Have you continued to keep your skillset up-to-date in case of employment concerns – one of the biggest surprises for many people is the lack of job security that the current marketplace has exhibited. Unfortunately, I don’t see this as a temporary issue, but rather as a permanent shift in the way company’s treat their workers. Part-time employment, contract employment, periods of time between jobs appear to be here to stay. To keep on top of this, the best thing is to maintain a continually upgraded set of skills, even if comfortably employed. HTML skills, language skills, and additional certifications continue to be valuable.
–Are you optimizing your savings — establishing an emergency fund, saving each month, and putting away money for retirement is absolutely wonderful. Be sure you are optimizing the savings through smart (and not overly complicated) investment strategies, interest bearing accounts, and taking advantage of the wealth of information out there on risk diversification and savings.
–Have you cultivated a set of hobbies that are not cash drains — with staycations more popular and people spending less on eating out or on expensive purchases, there’s a risk that the new lifestyle starts to become a chore. Explore new hobbies and activities and find new interests. Most communities have a public library and community center with activities, volunteer opportunities, maps for trailwalking, and lots of other things that are good for your wallet. Remember to have some fun as well.
shared at this week’s Carnival of Personal Finance
We had a mini heat wave last week during a season when the weather has been unseasonably cool all summer. As a result, I didn’t make the chili, shifting it to this week, and made a simple salmon salad cold meal when I didn’t want to fire up the stove or oven. For this week, in addition to the chili, I will be making some of our spicy dishes that are part of the regular routine. Also, I’m loving my new immersion blender, so things like blueberry coconut ice cream can be made in about 2 minutes.
Breakfasts: Guacamole deviled eggs, Greek yogurt, white peaches
Lunches: Leftovers, chopped salad w/ canned tuna
Dinners:
Sunday: Sweet potato and blackbean chili, green salad, plums
Monday: Leftover chili, arugula and pear salad
Tuesday: Broiled steaks, broccoli and tomato salad, blueberry coconut ice cream
Wednesday: Indonesian spicy rice (leftover beef), bok choy
Thursday: out
Friday: Thai red curry with shrimp, cauliflower rice, apple ginger coleslaw
Saturday: Moroccan bugers, raw vegetable plate, yogurt sauce
shared at Menu Plan Monday
With kids headed back to school, college students leaving the nest for the first time, and backpacks and lunchboxes needing to be packed, back-to-school can be one of the more expensive seasons of the year. Fortunately, it’s also a time of sales and discounts on a number of items, and a time to exert creativity. These are some of the great money saving ideas that I’ve seen during back-to-school times:
–Take advantage of sales (when they happen): typically many stores, including drugstores, grocery stores, and office supply stores, will have school supplies like paper, notebooks, glue, and crayons on sale right before schools re-open. This is a great time to stock up on things that will be used continuously. To make them maximally useful, be sure not to get seasonal items (like special backpacks or notebooks with what is currently the child’s favorite television character) if it might not be used again. However, other items, like clothing, are more typically marked up during this season.
–Personalize ordinary items for the college kid (or others) — A number of items for college dorm rooms are ordinary household items, but at a significant price premium. Things like desk organizers, shampoo caddies, even comforters and pillows can be made fancier by personalizing with an artistic pen or decals.
–Don’t be afraid of used items – especially textbooks. The price of textbooks continues to rise each year to alarming levels. In many cases, used textbooks are available for purchase or exchange. In addition to bookstores, look for other resellers including on-line avenues and bulletin board exchanges.
–Look for high quality, sturdy items — now that environmental awareness is growing, more people are seeking high quality, sturdy items that can be reused for a long time. Backpacks, lunchboxes, and small furnishings all fit in this category.
–Take advantage of rebates – especially on larger cost items like a computer or printer or for year long subscription items like contact lenses. Be sure to file for the rebate immediately.
–For lunchboxes – try some creative ideas for a healthy lunch to pack in a lunchbox. Not only can homemade lunches be made relatively inexpensively with good planning, you can control the ingredients and improve on the nutrition.
shared at Works for Me Wednesday and Frugal Friday
