Gluten-Intolerance Is EXPENSIVE! (Part I)

Case In Point:
Gluten-Intolerance Is EXPENSIVE! 
What's (All Really) Wrong?
Went A Different Direction (the video) watch for help
(Now) Much BETTER HEALTH 

Finding out I was allergic to my favorite foods has been a drag. Not so much physically. I have truly never felt better in just about my entire adult life... ever since I finally learned I was allergic to WHEAT... of all things! 

However, but also learning I am allergic to so many OTHER things (and more) than just food, plus because...

Gluten-Intolerance Is EXPENSIVE! 

I truly believed... {Gee} Making bread had been my Entire Identity for so long! 

To Stop Making Bread  

-OR-

To Stop Eating Breads...

"Would be as bad as cutting my 
RIGHT HAND OFF!"

It's actually been quite the opposite!!!

Instead, I've rather enjoyed no longer living with the sort of chronic, searing muscle pain and (all-over) joint pain, that I was shackled with all my adult life (just) until recently.

No diagnostic tests helped. Years of seeing specialists least of all my GP for trying to figure out why I suffered so much - except for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Then more recently, there were Insta-Care visits for allergy attacks. These new "crazy symptoms" suddenly started occurring over the past year - all without explanation! The difference? 

I'm eliminating Gluten from my life! 

I ask myself: So what gives?

The RIDDLE/S proved to be Gluten-Intolerance (at least) for ME.

Not one of the (before mentioned) helped me figure out the answers!

What's (All Really) Wrong?

I had already totally stopped eating bread back May 2012. Then I began researching other foods containing gluten since the end of last year, abstaining from these too, since the beginning of this year. Finding my answers to many old questions. All the while, coming up with more (new) questions too!

Though skeptical, my medical doctors were somewhat supportive; hey, whatever works! You can't beat success! However, when I was about to go back to my GI doc for more tests, until I learned I'd have to go (back on wheat) just to confirm any damage was reoccurring... "No way... nothing doing."

That said, I turned a corner and...

Went A Different Direction

...INSTEAD for help, by going to a fabulous 

and highly recommended allergy clinic.

YouTube Broadcast: Dr. Shon Goulding

There I met my all-time favorite chiropractor. Just so you know, I've been seeking help for my specific problems for nearly 38 YEARS, and I'm NOT at all a fan of chiropractors! Anyway, this one's different. People travel for miles to see him, fortunately he's LOCAL FOR ME!

His name is Dr. Shon Goulding, and he has got me back to...  

Much BETTER HEALTH 

(within a few short) MONTHS!

National Allergy & Injury Clinic
Dr. Shon Goulding, 365 W 1550 N # D, Layton, UT 84041 
Phone: (801) 614-0550

Note: I believe I may be the lady he is referring to (within the video) who's allergic to metal. I could barely move my mouth when I first met him, as I was experiencing neurological complex migraines - which mimicked STROKE SYMPTOMS. 

Dr. Goulding said to take off the necklace I was wearing. It was an cheap rhinestone necklace. I liked that it matched my REAL diamond earrings, set in white gold. 

He said, I suspect you are allergic to cheap metals, but he could NOT do a treatment for that yet. I had too many SEVERE allergies to be eliminated first.

As soon as I took it off (and set it on the table) my mouth loosened up completely and so did the partial paralysis within my hand, almost like magic! 

After that first meeting, I tried to wear different pieces of costume jewelry, but those same symptoms instantly returned! It was no problem after the correct treatment.

Another non-food related allergy was printers ink. I was at my our family's furniture store one day, working blissfully on the computer. My husband walked up to the all-in-one printer, made and printed a copy. BANG! My the left side of my face went limp and I immediately turned to complain to my sister-in-law of my plight! She exclaimed that I looked like I was suffering from Bell's Palsy! I limped 20 feet from the computer and printer, telling my hubby to grab the extra printer cartridge, we're heading for the chiropractor's office! 

Sure enough... I was allergic to all printer's ink! A treatment fixed me up - good as new! I have NO trouble now and fortunately haven't had a migraine since then either.

Conclusion: Yes Gluten-Intolerance IS EXPENSIVE, it's cost me plenty to get where I am so far, and I am so grateful. Yet you can see by the (above examples) - it's NOT only all about gluten - and gosh who knew??? 

Would I go back to my existence of living in unbearable chronic pain? Not on your life! Do I still hurt? Yes, some because I still have RA, Rheumatoid Arthritis, possibly developed 12 years ago, due to my allergy to wheat. I'm still nearly cured (comparatively speaking) to the levels of pain I once lived with, but yes I do hurt somewhat. Still.

Diet and research suggests  "Gut Health & Autoimmune Disease (may be the cause)".   

Warmly,
Sharon Anne

Comments Always Welcome! Check out: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sharealikecooking and/or my cooking site http://sharonanne.com/ (where) I'm DEVOTED to cooking tips!

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup: W/ both (Gluten-Free) and Traditional Rue Recipes

Instant ClearJel®

The thickener I use in this soup is Instant ClearJel® Powder aka: ICJ® Powder  It's my favorite thickener. I've actually been using it for nearly 30 years! That's a very long successful track record!

Now if you've been following either my blog (or my Yahoo Group) you might already be familiar with ICJ® Powder  

If not, let me introduce you to this wonderful THICKENER!!! 

Instant ClearJel® Powder  is rarely (as is) and almost NEVER in grocery stores. 

It's true, because the commercial industry hopes you'll NEVER learn about it. It's one of their BIGGEST & BEST trade secrets. Instead they'll only sell it to you within their baked goods and end-products! You buy it all the time in all your favorite baked goods. Plus restaurants use it within their cooking too. 

Instant ClearJel® Powder, aka: ICJ® Powder is often sold only locally in restaurant supply-source stores and kitchen shops or ONLINE. As I said earlier... it's my favorite thickener, and I've been using it literally for over 3 decades. 

I love using it for my jams, fruit pies and many wonderful desserts.

I also use it to thicken my favorite CREAM SOUPS, which is what I want to SHARE with you in this post... 

I USE to make cookies and .... Even my BREADS were made with B.B. Buttermilk and ICJ® Powder, but now ALL those days are GONE, since I've stepped down from my reign from...

The "BREAD QUEEN"

Due my ALLERGY TO WHEAT!

It's NOT all that bad...

• The Good News: I'm NOT at all allergic to Instant ClearJel®.
• INSTANT ClearJel® Powder: Is a modified-corn-starch thickener.
• Cream Soups are made creamy and smooth with ICJ® thickener!
• Thickening Rues: I share 2 types for the Creamy Cauliflower Soup ... one with ICJ® & another using all-purpose flour.

Cider Roasted Vegetabes Recipe and Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup 

{w/  Thickening Rue I Or II}
Makes: 8-10 servings

Printer Friendly Version

12-qt Stockpot:

1/4 cup butter

1 head cauliflower

1 cup green onion

1/2 cup celery

1 1/2 TBSP garlic

1 cup water

Thickening Rue I (Gluten-Free)

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INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup powdered milk* (NOT instant)

1/3 cup Instant ClearJel® Powder

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

4 cups milk, 1 or 2%

2-3 tsp chicken base baste, of your choice 
[Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base, Reduced Sodium - 16 oz] 
OR [McCormick Chicken Base Paste]

DIRECTIONS 

Combine dry ingredients together first, blend in the milk and chicken base to thicken; may thin with additional milk, as necessary. 

Soup:

3 cups water
Add your choice of Thickening Rue

4 more cups milk, 1 or 2%

3 cups Colby Jack Cheese, shredded

Jalapeno bottled slices, minced

Fresh parsley, minced

Dried thyme

Pickled Jalapenos "Pinterest PIN"

Garnish: 

1 cup Colby Jack Cheese, shredded

Fresh parsley sprigs

Jalapeno bottled, slices 

To Stockpot: Melt butter - add chopped green onion and garlic. Break cauliflower into florets, but leave into fairly large pieces. Cook on Medium-heat with the lid on. Adding 1 cup water, only as needed for steaming - until vegetables are well cooked. Stirring occasionally - cooking 25 min.

The cauliflower will become soft enough to (EVENTUALLY) have bite sized-pieces in the soup. Once the veggies are cooked AND removed from the heat.

Soup:  Ladle out much of the cooked veggies to a resting container and reserve for later. Add 3 cups water to the large stock pot of remaining cauliflower. Add the prepared Thickened Rue and 4 more cups of milk. Heat on low until the soup gets warm, about 140°F. 

Slowly add in the cheese. Toss in minced jalapeno slices, with plenty of fresh parsley. Sprinkle in the dried thyme, to taste. Warm the soup to 160°F for 10 minutes. 

Garnish and serve with parsley sprigs and bottled jalapeno slices.

 Thickening Rue II (Traditional)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups milk

1 Tbsp onion powder

2-3 tsp chicken base baste, of your choice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

DIRECTIONS

Coat a deep saucepan with olive oil. Add butter and stir with a whisk. When butter is melted, add flour and whisk until the flour cooks fully and no longer looks white. Add liquid and incorporate till the lumps are gone. After is thickens then add it to the vegetables you have already cooked in the pan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                   Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

                    The Cider Roasted Vegetables link to my "Pinterest" PIN

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Powder Milk Substitute: Regarding the powdered milk, both my daughter and I have difficulty with milk... so instead of powdered milk, we substitute 3/4 cup Morning Moo® powder.  It's a lactose- free milk alternative; tastes even better than {reg} powdered milk - blends just as well, but made from Whey protein.

Great News: They even make a fully Gluten-Free Morning Moo variety too.

Regarding Cheese: Shredded cheese often contain GLUTEN! Plus I'm allergic to the coloring in cheese. Certain brands DO make me sick, while others haven't. Go Figure!

Lactaid: I don't have issues with dairy, so the milk and butter are fine for me... as long as I take Lactaid Chewable Tablets and I also take Culturelle Probiotic -- 30 Vegetarian Capsules every day.

 

Enjoy,
Sharon Anne

Comments Always Welcome! Check out: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sharealikecooking and/or my cooking site http://sharonanne.com/ (where) I'm DEVOTED to cooking tips!

Why Cook With Distilled Water?

I've cooked, tested and developed my own recipes for over twenty years.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So-called Experts: Some cookbook authors make this claim not to use distilled water in dough - otherwise - the dough becomes too "slack".

How? From the lack of inorganic minerals?

This is nothing but an "old wives" tale! Their claims are "PURE" NONSENSE!

Though no pun intended - although distilled water is nearly 99% "PURE" H²O.

I'll Bet: They've NEVER tried making bread with distilled water themselves.

Hard Water: Have YOU ever noticed YOUR jam jars and lids come out covered with hard water film or dust?

Question: How about when a saucepan, with water boil boiled dry, notice any gray residue left behind?

Answer: Whenever you bake a loaf of bread or a cake in the oven, the oven heat leaves it behind as the water evaporates out (i.e.: saucepan).

So GUESS WHAT my pretties all that inorganic garbage is getting trapped within your home-baked goods too.

Then we scratch our heads, wondering why our breads are only soft, when baked fresh, and then they stale so quickly. 

No wonder, if YOU'RE always using hard tap water!

My Tip: Try any properly stored or (new) bottle of DISTILLED WATER in your favorite recipes. You may surprise YOURSELF just how much better your (old) bread recipe or your favorite soup recipe tastes afterwards!

I use Distilled Water in 90% of all my cooking and baking recipes w/ water.

Tips for Cooking with Distilled Water:  

The list really goes on and on...

Soups taste so much better with stock made with distilled water. 

Pasta also has a better taste when boiled in distilled - who knew?

Breads stay softer longer (no hard water minerals); the difference is outstanding.

Beans and Legumes, cooked in distilled, cook faster - taste better.

Canning w/ Distilled! Use distilled water, over and over for canning, for no more gray film to cover and muck up your beautiful jars.

Syrups, be sure to use it for fruit syrups too.

Distilled Drinking Water: 

It's better for you and let's face it! People DETEST tap water (let alone 8 glasses a day) 

Besides everyone agrees... TAP WATER  tastes lousy! Bottled water's expensive... 

Distilled water is NOT at all expensive and it tastes great - personal preferences!

When stored properly in heavy-grade plastic bottles, distilled does NOT take on the flavor of the plastic, like when stored (long-term) in plastic milk jugs. If buying from the grocery store, be sure to rotate fast, and don't store.

Distilled Water Storage Tips:

• Storing water isn't difficult. I store 50 gallons of DISTILLED WATER in ten (5-gal) bottles. i.e.: the photo (left)
• Distillers:  I refill my (5-gal) bottles at The Water Outlet on 28th & Washington and/or Kitchen Kneads on 3030 Grant Avenue in Ogden, Utah.
• Don't store distilled water in milk-jug-type plastics ever for [long-term] storage!  If you do, they need to be rotated out QUICKLY. Only purchase distilled water in hi-grade heavy-blue-plastic bottles FOR LONG-TERM.
• Don't store any water in an open container (pitcher). Water easily picks up odors and stales quickly. Simply keeping it covered prevents off-tastes.

We keep several (3-gal) dispensers with spigots, filled with Distilled Water.

• One  (up on a shelf) for easy access in our bedroom closets.
• Another resides on the kitchen counter.

My whole family drinks Distilled Water at room temperature. I could never guzzle 8-12 ounces cold water, room temp is easy!

• We also have a narrow-quart fridge-container to add juice concentrate to.

I do store TAP WATER in a 55-gallon drum, plus several 5-gal containers of water for personal needs. 

Here's a link to: How to Clean, Prepare and Fill a Water Barrel

____________________________________

Notes: In the link above, the blogger says, "it's a myth to rotate your water every 6 months!" In context for the 55-gallon drum... YES! 




In Conclusion...

• However... for your DISTILLED drinking water... NO! 
• Store what you drink and drink what you STORE. 
• When you regularly DRINK your stored distilled drinking water, rotation is such a SNAP and so very effective.

Meanwhile... You're living a far tastier and healthier life-style!

Sharon Anne

Comments Always Welcome! Check out: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sharealikecooking and/or my cooking site http://sharonanne.com/ (where) I'm DEVOTED to cooking tips!

Household GREEN STUFF Counter Spray

Although not food, I love, Love, LOVE this recipe!
I  truly figured out long ago, that I've literally saved the big, big 
Buck$$$ by making my very own homemade...

Household
GREEN STUFF 
Counter Cleaner

I am seriously sensitive, if not even allergic to many cleaning chemicals... 
So instead... I've been making this well over 30 years! 

In fact... My kids have known no other spray cleaner within our home. I've been sharing the VERY RECIPE on my http://sharonanne.com WEBSITE - ever since 2002!

So now... ever since... many of my family - friends - and - READERS repeatedly REQUEST for the RECIPE and to USE it in their own homes now.



Household 

GREEN STUFF 

Counter Cleaner

Re: Printed Labels - Well up until just about a year ago - I WAS SADLY USING mailing labels and just a Sharpie pen.

That's  because [anything] printed with an InkJet printer {always bled and ran} - even if a little droplet of water or spray came in contact printed label. What a BUMMER; and such a waste! {Strike-out used as emphasis!}

Free Printable LaserJet {3 LABELS}

1. Download the FREE Printable LaserJet {3 Labels} and print with a LaserJet printer.
2. I give permission to [email] the Free file to an office supply store - to print on a LaserJet printer.

Cut out the 3 labels. Affix labels to (1) 1-gallon bottle and (2) 1-quart spray bottles. I like to use DOUBLE STICK tape to adhere labels onto the bottles, carefully sealing down the corners, as needed.

Household 

GREEN STUFF

Counter Cleaner

Diluted: Fill half the bottle with the pre-made concentrate. Fill the remainder of the bottle with tap water. Cover and spray DILUTED onto counter tops to sanitize; no rinsing is not required.

Full-Strength: Fill the bottle full, spray the UNDILUTED concentrate. Wipe and rinse with a wet cloth. 

The Recipe:



Most Warmly,

Sharon Anne

Gluten Intolerance: Prior Identity... I was the BREAD QUEEN

THERE IS A HAPPY ENDING TO THIS!

Truly in ALL my circles, I was known as Sharon Anne

"THE BREAD QUEEN!"

• My becoming the BEST BREAD BAKER was an early goal, ever since I was 17-yrs old.
• I've taught people how to make the very best bread, at times even at a professional level, and now for over 30 years!
• I enjoy sharing many of my OWN special Bread Secrets and {those from others} I've learned along the way.
• Plus the great KA mixing tips, from trial and error myself, I marvel at the number of daily hits these pages receive from Pinterest I recieve. It's really such a kick!

I can't tell you how much I love baking - and how much I love sharing this with YOU... I love the smell, look AND satisfaction a perfect loaf gives... fresh from of the oven.

______________

UNFORTUNATELY I've also been disabled most of my adult life. They've ruled out MS [on and off] ever since I was twenty, but I still have unexplained nerve damage. I was finally diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis 12 years ago.

______________

On my worse days... I would still bake bread; even if I could not cook a meal, having a fresh baked loaf... which like I said [early on] was my IDENTITY... after all it held my self-worth together, and that I was providing goodness for my family!

______________

I'm an ORGANIZED BAKER!

I had all my wheat pre-weighed in neat little baggies for quick grinding and my favorite recipes are neatly "in-grained" into my memory banks!

It'd take me just 5 minutes to dump my ingredients into my bread machine [simply by weight], since I rarely measured anything. Just press start the Dough Cycle... and let it rip.

Later, I'd shape my beautiful loaf by hand, let rise until double and bake it in the oven! Oh I believe, the smell of fresh baked bread can be described as intoxicating? It is for me!

______________

Anyway... I've NEVER discussed my disabilities HERE before. because I've only wished to... SHARE MY ABILITIES! However... I've now since discovered that I suffer unbearably and severely from

GLUTEN INTOLERANCE!

WHAT???? How and Who????

Not The Bread Queen????

Yes! You see, after 38 years... all the wonderful FOOD I LOVE... has caused me unbelievably, serious painful inflammation all these years.

My immune system's response has attacked and ransacked my body, even though I'm on a biologic immune suppressant medication.

My love for foods with gluten is actually responsible for all this...

BONE DAMAGE

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
NEUROLOGICAL DAMAGE
FIBROMYAGIA
CHRONIC FATIGUE

Unfortunately and ultimately... YES!

I now know this to be true for myself!

You see... I first took myself off of bread last summer.
It wasn't even on purpose! I just was too busy to bake bread from June - August.

It wasn't a conscious decision, except that I wasn't baking bread - I wasn't eating any bread either. This is because I detest store-bought bread, mostly because I refuse to pay $4.00 - 5.00... for what I can make for $1.00 or so.

I simply and completely went without eating bread for 3 months.

Happily, my pain levels {on the pain scale of 1-10} literally dropped from as high as 12-15 {you see... my pain actually had super powers!} but were reduced down to the levels of 6-8!

In the meantime... I also lost 15 lbs simply by eliminating breads, nothing else! Then I lost ANOTHER 15 lbs. AGAIN w/o dieting. Just no bread, zero sandwiches... nothing on a bun for nearly a year.

Don't get me wrong. I am not sharing some food fad here. Instead, I felt like ALICE in WONDERLAND, falling down a rabbit hole. Worse, I was modeling the life of JOB from the BIBLE.

I am only hoping TO be able SHARE WITH ANYONE who may have suffered or will suffer {as much as} I HAD. Note that I said (had). That was past tense!!!!

What I am saying, I AM finally seeing there is a LIGHT at the end of this long tunnel.

HERE'S THE HAPPY ENDING TO THIS!

I've now lost a total of 40 lbs... I'm gone down from a size 14 - down to a size 4 - now since May 2012.  (Hahaha... don't you hate how photos will put 10 lbs back on you though!)  Quite honestly, I feel better... and more like MYSELF than for a very long time! 

I'm healthier and stronger - and I don't even feel deprived at all.  Instead I truly feel extremely blessed!

Yes, here I am in 3-inch heels, w/o crutches, no wheelchair -  no exaggeration!  (I've not worn heels like these - ever - in my life!)  I'm truly saying - "Hurry take the picture, before I topple over!" LOL!

Most Warmly,

Sharon Anne

Comments Always Welcome!

Check out: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sharealikecooking and/or my cooking site http://sharonanne.com/ (where) I'm DEVOTED to cooking tips