Gluten-Free Diet Awareness month

November 9, 12:24 AMFrugal Living ExaminerMarilyn Magee

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October was Celiac Awareness Disease month and here we are in November and it is Gluten-Free Diet Awareness month.  A bit of a connection there. http://www.examiner.com/x-2940-Frugal-Living-Examiner~y2009m10d4-This-is-Vegetarian-Spinach-Lovers-Apple-Celiac-Awareness-Disease-etc-Month

Wikipedia has a nice explanation of what a gluten free diet is: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free_diet .

Never-the-less, gluten free living is fast becoming a way of life for many people.  It can be overwhelming to try to figure it out by yourself.  Thankfully you don't have to.  No reason to reinvent the wheel, thousands have come before you and now share all of their collective information via the internet.

You can find recipes, stories, encouragement, and hope, all on the internet.  If you are a new member to this way of eating, welcome.  Many with gluten sensitivity are finding ways to live without the typical wheat flour products that flood the market.

Some people can tolerate oats in that they don't have gluten in them per se.  But cross contamination is a real problem for people highly sensitive.  You can find a few brands that claim no cross contamination.  And you can always buy certain grains and make your own flour.

For those of us on a frugal living budget, going gluten free screams money, money, money.  But, it doesn't have to.  You can try making your own bread and baked goods, thus saving quite a bit of money for the pocket book.

The really great thing about going gluten free is that you will feel better!  Who doesn't want to feel better?

With that said, here is a non-gluten flour recipe mix:

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour or sorghum flour
• 1 Cup white rice flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour, potato, or corn starch
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum

Makes three cups. 

This mix has been tried it, but since I bake often, I made about 1 gallon of it and put it in the refrigerator.  We had gluten free pancakes for breakfast with blueberries in them, made with this mix, you'd never know it was gluten free. 

I have also tried millet flour, it is less expensive than some of the other flours.  When you purchase the xanthan gum, you will be shocked, it is expensive, but you don't have to use much so the small pricey bag will last a very long time in the refrigerator.  Store it in a jar.

I use Rumford's Baking Powder, it's gluten free, or you can make your own.  

Follow me by clicking on the subscribe button above.  I will include a recipe for bread in a future article.