The Gluten-Free Way: My Way

The Gluten-Free Way: My Way

The Gluten-Free Way: My Way by Adrienne Z. Milligan and William Maltese
The Gluten-Free Way: My Way by Adrienne Z. Milligan and William Maltese

The Gluten-Free Way:  My Way

I co-authored and published this book with William Maltese.  The book was born out of my family’s lifestyle change to living gluten free in 2001.

After my husband and son stopped eating gluten, a whole new world of preparing food and tastes were opened up for us.  New grains and flours.  New products – some good, some horrible.

Some of my favorite recipes are included in this book.  These recipes are ones we eat often and our company tends to request when visiting.

If you are looking for a list of companies which sell gluten free products or make them, I have added those as well.

Are you looking for information on gluten free support groups?  Maybe you want to learn more about living gluten free?  Check out the list of support groups, as well as websites for further education, included in our book.

Our book is available on Amazon.com in print and for the Kindle.  You can also find our book online at Barnes & Noble for your Nook and in paper format.

If you like to sponsor local businesses, check out our favorite mill (and pick up a copy of our book) when you visit The Country Living Mills online store.

If you are on Facebook, we would love to have you join us on our page for all things relating to our book and gluten free living.  When you visit, please say “Hi!”

What is your favorite gluten free recipe?  Which store do you find the most gluten free products?  How long have you been living gluten free?

~Adrienne

Note: The information in the book is current as of the last edit done by the publisher.  If you find something which is incorrect, please list in the comments so I can make a note of it.  Thanks so much!

Avoid these Seven Grains when Gluten Free

Avoid these Seven Grains when Gluten Free

Avoid these Seven Grains when Gluten Free Copyright Adrienne Z. Milligan

As a teenager living gluten free, I have learned about seven grains which will have negative effects on my body if I were to eat them. I did not know much about many of these grains before I started this post, as many people I meet do not.

While on a tour of Bob’s Red Mill with my mother and aunt, I was able to see all seven of these grains in person.

Learn How to Avoid these Seven Grains When Gluten Free

1. Wheat

Wheat is the most widely used (and I think the most widely known) of the seven grains. As a relative of grass, wheat is widely used in commercial markets from cereal and pastries to doors. (I admit I was surprised to learn doors can be made from wheat!) The berries from wheat (also known as wheat berries) can be cooked like Farro since wheat shares similarities with Farro grains.

2. Rye

Rye is a close relative of wheat and barley. It is used in making breads like pumpernickel. It is also used in alcoholic drinks including rye beer and whiskey.

3. Barley

Barley is found in many baked goods and commercially processed foods. It is what barley malt is made from. Barley malt is found in many cereals. It is also used in the making of many beers along with hops. It can also be used in many of the same ways as Farro (mentioned below).

4. Spelt

Spelt is a species of wheat which is considered – by some – to be a subspecies of the widely used common wheat. As one of three species of wheat, spelt is part of the Farro group. When in Germany and Switzerland, be sure to ask if spelt has been used in what you are ordering, as it is commonly used throughout both countries. It can sometimes be mistaken for barley due to the similar size of the grain.

5. Kamut™

Kamut™ refers to Khorasan wheat, which is an ancient species of wheat originally grown in Ancient Egypt. As a trademarked species here in the United States, there are strict growing and labeling requirements. Currently, it is only grown commercially in Montana. It is not a widespread grain, yet.  It is known best for its rich and nutty flavor.

6. Triticale

Triticale is a genetic hybrid of wheat and rye. Its name comes from wheat (Triticum), and rye (Secale). Currently, its main use is for feed and fodder.

7. Farro

Not actually a grain, but a group of three wheat species: Emmer, Einkorn, and Spelt. Emmer wheat, chiefly grown in the Garfagnana area of the Tuscany region, (in Italy) is called ‘true’ Farro. Emmer is used in making Tuscan dishes such as Farro soup or Farro salad. The other two Farro grains can be mistaken for barley.

How Many Grains Did You Recognize?

Until my tour of Bob’s Red Mill, I had only heard of four of these grains. It was an eye-opener for me. Learning about these seven grains has made me aware of other ingredients to avoid.

Read Labels and Ask Questions to Avoid these Seven Grains When Gluten Free

I hope that this guide has helped to explain how to avoid seven grains when gluten free. It does get tiresome reading the label on each product in the store when shopping. Reading the labels and asking questions reduces the possibility of being “glutened.”  (“Glutened” is what my father calls it when he gets gluten due to cross-contamination or by accident.)

Please share your experiences in the comments!
~Gluten Free Eagle~

Gluten Free Camping

Gluten Free Camping Copyright Adrienne Z. Milligan of Gluten Free Preppers
Gluten Free Camping Copyright Adrienne Z. Milligan of Gluten Free Preppers

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Gluten Free Camping 101

It can be challenging to live gluten free.  Some people may think gluten free camping to be an even bigger challenge.

Gluten free food is easy to take camping.  As a teenager living gluten free, I have some experience finding gluten free foods that can be taken on any camping trip.  I have been camping with my family several times.  I have been camping with my local Boy Scout Troop even more than with my family.

Preparation

Before you leave for your gluten free camping experience, you might want to plan a menu.  I know how much a menu has helped my patrol in the troop.  My mother also plans a detailed menu before we go camping.  It helps her know what to buy before we leave and what she can buy locally when we get there.

Your menu should have what you want to eat for all breakfasts, lunches, dinners, plus snacks.  (Snacks can be super easy to take camping like string cheese and apples!)  Consider when planning your menu what meals you will be cooking at camp, any potlucks you may be attending, as well as if you plan to eat out for a meal or two.  If it is summer time, does the area you’re camping near have a farmer’s market open during your stay?  If so, you might be able to find local produce there for your meals thereby reducing the amount of food you need to purchase and pack before leaving home.

Say the food you plan to cook costs too much money or is not going to be tasty, you will not enjoy the food.  Why buy it and make it if you will not be happy with the outcome?  You will probably not look back fondly on the camping trip as a whole either.

What food do you want to eat while camping?  If you really want S’mores and you eat gluten free, you CAN have Gluten Free Smores!  I have had them.

Now that you are thinking about those yummy marshmallows getting golden brown over the fire…

Cornbread ready to go into Camp Oven Copyright Adrienne Z. Milligan of Gluten Free Preppers
Cornbread ready to go into Camp Oven Copyright Adrienne Z. Milligan of Gluten Free Preppers

Cooking

How will you be cooking your meals?  Using a rack over the fire pit?  A propane camping stove?  A Dutch oven with charcoal coals?

When we have gone camping as a family, we have used our Coleman™ brand double-burner stove.  It serves as a heating source while set up, taken down it is a preparation table. We also have a ” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Camp-Chef™ brand double burner stove and oven, which we use to bake cornbread, brownies, and even cake!

When camping with my Boy Scout Troop, eating gluten free is harder, as not everyone understands exactly what I can and cannot eat. The main problem with this lack of understanding is cross-contamination.

 

Cross-contamination is when something gluten free comes into contact with something which contains or has touched gluten.  Yes, touched gluten.

As an example, my father was at a restaurant and ordered a salad.  It came with croutons (most commonly made of dried wheat bread), so he politely asked for a new salad without croutons.  They took the croutons off the salad instead of having the kitchen making him a new one.  He began reacting just as if he had eaten a slice of wheat pizza.

To avoid cross-contamination follow these three steps:

  1.  Use separate areas for cooking gluten free food.

This one is simple.  If the food without gluten does not come near the food with gluten, then you have nothing to worry about.  However, if this doesn’t work…

  1.  Prep and cook the gluten free food first.  Wash dishes being used for the gluten free food and eaters first.

This keeps the cooking surface free of crumbs that would have stuck to your gluten free food.  Washing your dishes first ensures that no crumbs end up on your clean dishes.

  1.  Serve the gluten free food with separate serving utensils and plates.

This one follows the same principle as the first, if the food with gluten doesn’t touch the food without gluten, then there is no problem.

I would love to hear about your gluten free camping experiences, recipe ideas, and other gluten free related stories.  I do hope that this post has helped you in some way.

Enjoy!

~The Gluten Free Eagle~