Cheaper GF flour ingredients

Eating GF isn't cheap, but there are ways to cut the budget.  One way is to mix your own GF flour blend.  Recently I read that in doing this you risk buying bags of ingredients that may actually have a high gluten content (stinkin' cross contamination).  The suggestion was to purchase a ready made product.  I choose to mix my own flour blend, but by experience I have learned to only purchase ingredients labeled gluten free tested (got burned by one labeled a "gluten free grain"....um duh).  I admit though, I buy regular cornstarch off the shelf.

The most recent cost savings way to get Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour mix components is to go through Amazon.  Amazingly, buying from Vitacost through Amazon saved nearly $1/bag with a bonus of free shipping if you purchased $49(double check to see if that promotion is still available to be sure).  Search for your item and choose one, then look to the right of the screen where it shows other vendors.  Vitacost should be listed as another vendor.  Compare the price. :)


Here are some ways to get GF flour ingredients super cheap, usually around $1.09/lb (generally in 12 oz packages).

(text pasted with liberties from highlighted website forum)

These flours are commonly available from local Asian grocery stores:

Chinese Grocery Store (usually labels include the english translation)

• white rice flour
• sweet rice flour (labeled glutinous rice flour-though it contains NO gluten)
• tapioca flour
• corn starch
• potato starch (NOTE:potato starch and potato flour are NOT the same!)

Indian Grocery Store (along with their Hindi names)

• millet flour ...is Bajri (pearl millet)
• sorghum flour...is Jowar or Juwar
• Buckwheat flour ...is Kuttu
• Chickpea flour ...is Chana or Besan
• Potato ...is Aloo
• ***FYI: "Atta" when alone describes wheat flour***

I can find cornstarch at a local orchard that sells bulk foods for $0.79/lb, which is cheaper than store brand at the grocery store. But the Chinese grocery sells it by the bag too so if you're already there buying other flours, the cost of gas may not justify making a special trip for one ingredient.

Diagnosing Celiac/Gluten Intolerance

Just read today that anyone who has a family member with any autoimmune disease (grandmother, aunt, sister/brother, cousin, etc), should be tested for Celiac. Because it runs in families, and is an autoimmune disease as well.

Excellent sheet with a list of Celiac symptoms and questions for a doctor if you're suspicious that gluten could be causing you problems.

Gluten/Celiac websites worth mentioning

Here are some great GF blogs/sites to bookmark.

Cooking and Baking sites

• http://glutenfreenaturally.blogspot.com/ There are even GF sourdough recipes on here, and a variety of bread recipes beyond basic rice bread.
• http://www.thebakingbeauties.com/ This site has a little of everything.

Diagnosing Celiac and Gluten Intolerance sites

• Celiac Disease Symptoms list This article from celiac.com has an excellent list of symptoms associated with celiac. Symptoms are different for each person so just because you don't have the same symptom as another person with celiac, doesn't mean that cutting gluten out of your diet won't help.
• Getting a Celiac Diagnosis Another excellent article, also from celiac.com. It's written by a GI doctor married to a doctor and they both end up with celiac. Discusses diagnosis and history of doctors diagnosing.
• Gluten Intolerance symptoms Contains a pretty comprehensive list of symptoms and their associated mistaken "diagnosed" diseases when gluten intolerance isn't correctly diagnosed.

Gluten Free ready-made products

• List of ready-made products Actually, this is a website offering a service, but the list of GF foods was too good to not pass on. These are foods that they offer, but it's nice to have a list like that of what is available for those times that you don't have time or energy to find a recipe and mix it up yourself, or when you just need a treat. :)

GF Hot Cross Buns!!!

I found a recipe for Hot Cross Buns, just in time for Easter!!!! They were on a blog I just found and she has TONS of GF recipes. http://www.thebakingbeauties.com/
Here they are......

Look at them!!!I can't tell you how incredibly excited I am to find this recipe!!!!!

And, the insides look just like my Mom's recipe!!!!!!!!

I made these this weekend and they were WONDERFUL!!! Just in time for Easter! :)

I substituted for the bean flour (because I can't stand bean flours) and it worked out just fine.

There are only two changes I made to their recipe. Here are my changes:

- For the flour bean mix I used

2T teff flour

6T millet flour

1/4c sorghum

3/4c cornstarch and

3/4c tapioca

(the teff and millet were used in place of the garfava bean flour and I only mixed up about what was needed- I think I had about 2T left over that I just threw into my regular jar of flour mix)

- Instead of the cinnamon, I used 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp nutmeg. I did this because these were the spices used in our family hot cross bun recipe and I wanted it to be as similar to that as it could. Tasted just like I remembered, but next time I might add a bit more brown sugar to the recipe. I didn't compare that to our family recipe.

I meant to take a picture....but we ate them too fast. Seriously! :)

another GF blog with bread recipes

A gluten free blog that I just ran across yesterday. She has many different recipes for bread...even sourdough! :)
http://glutenfreenaturally.blogspot.com/

The best GF donuts ever!

Want a round GF donut hole, or a donut that actually rises and doesn't have a rice texture? This recipe is for you. Straight from the Betty Crocker cookbook. :) Use the multi-grain GF flour mix I have posted. :) Enjoy! This makes about 1 doz donuts.

1 1/2 c flour (I used my GF multigrain mix)

1/2 c sugar

1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 Tbs shortening (I've used olive oil and it turned out fine)

1 egg

1/3 c milk (or coconut milk, or rice milk or whatever)

Heat oil to 375 degrees. Measure half the flour and remaining ingredients into large mixer bowl. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed scraping bowl constantly. Beat 2 minutes medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in remaining flour. Turn onto well floured board (or parchment paper). Roll around lightly to coat with flour. Roll dough gently, or pat out to 1/2 inch thick (or so). Cut with floured donut cutter. Slide donuts into hot fat turn as they rise to surface. Fry 2-3 minutes until golden brown on both sides, remove from fat, drain, serve plain sugared or frosted. Makes 1 doz.

The last time I made these I used olive oil, mixed everything in together and they turned out fine..the dough didn't look as good as following the directions, but the end product was pretty much the same. (actually I did that because I didn't read the directions before I started...oops!) :)

GF and hospital stays

I just found this info. If for some reason you have to be in the hospital, eating GF can cause problems. Check out the link for printable pages to take with you, letting the hospital staff know the dietary restrictions you have, medicine and food-wise.