A Common Shepherdess

Grate: 1 small zucchini (or 1 small yellow summer squash) 1/4 small onion Mix together in a bowl: 1 cup gluten-free oat flour (I grind my own from Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Oats.) 3/4 tsp dried parsley 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp salt Stir in: 3/4 c club soda Add: grated vegetables Drop by the teaspoonful into hot oil. Deep-fry 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately. Sprinkle with lemon juice or serve with sour cream for dipping or just enjoy plain.

I love shortbread. I have Scottish ancestors. How can I not like it?! I came up with this tasty, gluten-free recipe. 10 Tbsp softened butter (1 1/4 sticks) 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup tapioca flour 1/4 cup brown rice flour 1 cup oat flour Beat the butter, sugar and salt on medium speed until very fluffy. Stir in the tapioca, rice and oat flours. Knead until well blended and smooth. Firmly press the dough into a 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Bake at 300 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, until pale gold. Remove pan and cut almost through the dough to form bars. If desired, sprinkle with 1 to 2 tsps sugar. Let stand until completely cool. Gently retrace cuts and separate into bars.

Another gluten-free find at Wal-Mart: DeBoles gluten-free rice pasta. I found it next to the regular pasta. There was spaghetti-style and penne. Both boxes were 8 oz and cost $1.47. It tasted pretty good. I cooked it slightly al dente and it tasted a little raw and starchy. But when it's covered with Newman's Own Marinara sauce ...yummy! DeBoles also makes pasta from corn flour. I'd love to try that. I've tried corn pasta before and it tastes more like regular pasta than rice pasta does.

I made a nice discovery at our local Super Walmart. While browsing the frozen foods section, a box of waffles caught my eye. The words Wheat-Free were large across the front of the box: Van's All-Natural Wheat-Free Waffles. These waffles are also vegan (dairy-free and eggless), no trans fat and no cholesterol. And the price was only $1.88 for a box of 6. The same price as a box of 8 Eggos. Much cheaper than most gluten-free products. The ingredients are recognizable too: water, brown rice flour, potato starch, rice flour, pear/pineapple/peach sweetener (no sugar added!), canola oil, baking powder, salt, soy flour, soy lecithin, guar gum (the binder in most wheat-free baked goods). There's 5 grams of fiber in two waffles. I know what you are thinking: 'yeah, but how do they taste?' They taste great! Perfect for soaking up melted butter and syrup! I'm already thinking they would be a nice base for a gluten-free strawberry "shortcake". Walmart onl...

I'm gluten-free. I have been gluten-free for about 12 years. (It sounds like a confession!) I've collected information over the years and have learned a few things. The most important thing I have learned is to appreciate what I can eat instead of focusing on what I can't have. Over my college years I put on quite a bit of weight. During my senior year of college, I started having digestive problems, mainly chronic diarrhea and terrible cramping. That first year after symptoms started I lost 60 lbs. During this time I was eating mostly carbs and protein and fat. Anything to keep the weight on. At first it was fun to lose weight without trying but after awhile it was unnerving. One evening at a church function, I visited with a man who was an old friend of the family. He asked how I was doing and mentioned how he had learned of some of my stomach troubles from my mother. He suggested that I stop eating wheat. He had stopped eating wheat and his recurring headaches...