During the first few weeks and months of being gluten free, I was overwhelmed with what to cook. I found myself not knowing where to even start.
I ended up turning to quite a few mixes and boxed items. I choose these options because I knew that they were safe to eat, but I did not really like using them.
In general, I like to make homemade versions of things. I found it hard to go from making the majority of my food from scratch to using mixes and prepackaged items. I think homemade food in general is healthier than the store bought alternatives. I knew that I could make healthier versions of what I was buying. I did not want to compromise my family’s health just because I was eating gluten free.
Not only was I uncomfortable using a lot of mixes, I found them to be extremely expensive, and really not all that good. I found a few recipes that I like the mixes for, but for most things I knew there must be a better way.
I was determined to find desserts and other baked goods that my family would enjoy, and that would not cost a fortune to make. I started adapting some of our favorite recipes using gluten free flours.
If you have used many gluten free flours, you know that they are just not the same. It is not quite as easy as just adapting recipes. It takes a little more tweaking than that.
In the process of finding something that worked, I have had a lot of disasters and failures.
Cooking disasters are difficult for me. I have been cooking a long time. I know how to bake breads and all kinds of desserts, but the world of gluten free baking has been a whole new experience. I feel like I have had to learn how to cook all over again.
I am slowly learning about gluten free flours and how they work. I am starting to enjoy the science behind cooking even more. I am starting to have some successes, but it is taking time.
I am determined however, to not give up, this journey is so worth it.
Hi, I stumbled across your blog today and love it. I really understand a lot of this post. My daughter was just diagnosed with celiac a few weeks ago and it is so hard for me to accept a new lifestyle-especially with how I cook. Baking and cooking are therapeutic for me and for it to be tainted has been very difficult. I’m frustrated that all of the hard work I put into making good bread, rolls, etc is kind of going down the toilet. I like that you are converting your original recipes to be gf, that is what I’m hoping to do. I like a good challenge,hopefully we can all create close substitutes for the things we love baking and cooking. Do you have time to email me your tips on what you do to tweak your original recipes? I’ve been jotting down several of your recipes since I noticed we actually make a lot of the same foods after looking at all of your recipes. I’m the most confused about what types of flours to use when. What kinds for pancakes or what kind for cookies, etc. Thanks, Lisa
I wish I had an easy answer for you. I can really relate to what you are saying. The world of gluten free baking is so challenging and there is not an easy answer. I have had a lot of trial and errors and a lot of disasters especially in the beginning. I love the science behind food and that has helped as far as gluten free baking goes. I read gluten free cookbooks and get ideas of what flours work where. I don’t think there is a perfect blend that you can make or buy that will work in any one thing. What works for pancakes may not work in cookies or cakes. I have found gluten free cookbooks to be ok, but not great. Mainly because many of the foods are not foods my family likes and I want our food to be as close to what it used to be as possible. However gluten free cookbooks are a great source of information. I often look at recipes in those books to figure out how to adapt mine. Also remember to give yourself a break. GF is a whole new world it is challenging but worth it. It will not always be easy, but it is something that is possible. Let me know if I can help in any other way.