Eating Gluten Free: Breakfasts

June 21, 2010 By
Image courtesy of Whatsername?

This is a series of posts designed to help those of you eating gluten-free, or feeding gluten-free kids. If you missed the earlier posts, read about GF Dinners and Frugal Shopping Tips.

In the month I’ve been eating gluten-free, breakfasts have been pretty easy. One reason? I’m boring and like to eat the same thing every day. I have eaten cereal my entire life (I’m somewhat of a cereal fanatic, if you haven’t seen this video yet). Replacing my super high-fiber cereal with GF cereal has not been effective, though. Eating a bowl of Chex in the morning is like eating air. I’m starving 10 minutes later; it’s just not cutting it. So I’ve had to experiment a little with what keeps me full but still doesn’t take long. I’ve organized my findings into three time frames:

SUPER QUICK
For mornings where there’s really no time, I either eat a bowl of Corn Chex with raisins/strawberries/blueberries. There are several brands of GF cereal, like EnviroKids that I’ve seen at Trader Joe’s, and while the Peanut Butter Puffs are delicious, I can’t have them in the house because of my son’s peanut allergy. I haven’t splurged yet on the GF type of O’s cereal*, but I could buy them with the Amazon GCs I earn from Swagbucks. It’s hard to swallow $3/box when I used to spend .25-.50/box!

My other quickie breakfast (and sometimes morning snack if I’m too hungry after cereal) is a cup of Greek Yogurt with flax seed and strawberries/blueberries.

IN THE MIDDLE

When I have a little more time in the mornings, I microwave a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins, then let it cool while I prep the kids’ breakfasts. I used some Swagbucks to order certified-GF oatmeal* from Amazon.

TAKING MY TIME

For home mornings, I can take a little more time and splurge a bit. I saute some chopped green pepper and mushrooms and make an Egg Scramble, or on a weekend I can make a brunch of Savory Omelets and Rosemary Potatoes. If I cook on a weekday morning, though, the kids suddenly want to eat half of whatever I’ve cooked for myself.

Because I don’t need a lot of variety in the morning, I’m happy to eat the same thing every other day. But those of you with more discriminating palates (or picky kids),

What do you eat/serve for gluten-free breakfasts?

Disclosure: I am not a doctor, and I am not giving advice regarding the GF diet. I am simply sharing my personal experience.
*More disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate, which means that if you purchase through my link I get a tiny percentage. Thank you!

Filed Under: GF, Home Cooking

Free Mommy Cards at Kodak Gallery

June 21, 2010 By

Kodak Gallery

Kodak Gallery is offering 50 FREE Photo Contact Cards, and you only pay shipping of $3.99. These make great “Mommy Cards,” where you can share your name, email and phone with new friends you meet at club meetings or the park. You might also use them as Save-the-Date cards for an upcoming shower or wedding, or you can upload a great photo or kids’ drawing to use as gift tags (just punch a hole!). Since the cards are 2.5×3 inches, they’re perfect for slipping into a note; maybe use them as “We’ve Moved” cards with your new address.

They’re also still running that offer for 20 FREE Birth Announcements. Just choose a 5×7 flat card from the FREE selection, and you can get two sets of 10 and just pay the $2.89 shipping. Some of the designs are versatile enough to use as 1st birthday invites, thank you cards for baby or shower gifts, or even invitations. Get creative when these freebies come up!

And finally, if you are new to Kodak Gallery, you’ll also receive 50 FREE 4×6 Prints. The shipping for those is $3.49. 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Happy Father’s Day!

June 20, 2010 By

Hope you have a great day planned for the special dad(s) in your life. We’re headed out for a fun day trip to Dutch Wonderland, but before that we’re having a breakfast celebration with Daddy.

We painted.

We traced our hands.

We podged.

And we made this interpretation of the great projects found at RootsAndWingsCo (I liked the saying on this fabric one but wanted the ease of scrapbook paper so I combined the two projects).

If you’re looking for Father’s Day freebies to take Dad out, check out Centsable Momma’s list of Food Freebies and all the other freebies (from state to state) over at Free Sample Freak.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Gardening this Weekend?

June 19, 2010 By

Home Depot Garden ClubWe’re outside pulling weeds and popping off dead flowers…and it’s HOT out today! If you’re doing gardening today, be sure you’re signed up for the Home Depot Garden Club. This morning, they sent me an email with a coupon for Buy One, Get One FREE Perennial Plants, good through July 5th. If you haven’t signed up before, sign up now and you’ll get the coupon right away.

*Disclosure: This banner/link is served by Logical Media, of which I am an affiliate.

Filed Under: Coupons Tagged With:

Eating Gluten Free: Dinners

June 19, 2010 By
Image courtesy of Whatsername? 

This is a series of posts designed to help those of you eating gluten-free, or feeding gluten-free kids. See the previous post for frugal shopping tips.

Over this first month I’ve been eating gluten-free, dinners have been the easiest transition. There were three reasons for this:

  1. Many of our favorite meals were already gluten-free.
  2. Other meals were easily adapted by making a simple substitution, though some experiments didn’t always work (pasta to quinoa, for example).
  3. Making the change coincided with a change in our schedule where I wanted to use my crockpot more, so I started using a fellow blogger’s cookbook, Make it Fast, Cook it Slow. Several of Stephanie’s recipes were already our family favorites, and since everything in her book is GF, it was easy to try some new dinners.

My Pineapple Pork Chops recipe was easily adapted; only the soy sauce had to be changed to GF. I was already serving it with brown rice and a green vegetable, so now it’s a complete GF meal.

Changing the soy sauce also made my Asian Fish in a Packet recipe a GF meal. I love how it cooks in the foil with brown rice and bok choy, making it a complete meal with easy cleanup.

Last, the Broccoli Pie I make all the time, which uses Bisquick, was easily adapted by substituting 1/4 cup of GF Pancake/Waffle Mix. This is one of my go-to dinners where I can substitute any cheese, veggies, or meat and make a quick meal on a busy night.

We tried several new dinner recipes from Make it Fast, Cook it Slow. The biggest hit with my kids so far was Crockpot Broccoli & Beef (I agree with Stephanie that the sauce is SO much better than takeout Chinese food, it’s not gloppy and gross, and the flavor was fantastic). I served it with long Thai rice noodles I found at Trader Joe’s, which the kids loved.

I had several recipes that didn’t need any adaptation at all: my Spinach Pie, which is already crustless, is one of the vegetarian meals we eat often, so I made some GF cornbread for me to eat on the side, and the rest of the family had regular (it’s less expensive).

Adapting my go-to Pasta Salad was a failure; I simply replaced the regular pasta with quinoa, but the dressing made it too mushy and the texture was odd. Next time, I’ll try this Warm Quinoa Spinach Salad from the Gluten-Free Goddess, and sprinkle our favorite Feta cheese on top.

For a treasure trove of family recipes that are gluten-free, these blogs are so helpful:

  • Gluten-Free Mommy: I’m eager to try her Salmon Cakes recipe, since the one my kids love is full of bread crumbs. This one uses brown rice or wild rice and looks great!
  • Gluten-Free Goddess: Karina is a long-time chef of GF recipes, so look for the simpler ones if you are intimidated by unusual-sounding baking ingredients. She has a whole section of GF/CF recipes if your kids are also dairy-free. Her Kicked-up Macaroni & Cheese looks incredible!

What I’m finding challenging now is eating away from home. We don’t do restaurants often, but many post their GF menus online (Heather at Celiac Family has a handy compilation of those menus). What I’m finding tricky is eating at potlucks, picnics and barbecues–so far I’ve been carrying my own meals just to be safe. Those of you who are eating GF, what do you recommend and what are your favorite gluten-free dinners?

Disclosure: I am not a doctor, and I am not giving advice regarding the GF diet. I am simply sharing my personal experience.

Filed Under: GF, Home Cooking, Recipes

All You Magazine Winner & News

June 18, 2010 By

Did you get your email from All You today? I was expecting to receive the Spending Plan to help keep track of my your grocery budget and receipts, but it didn’t say much. It sent me to the Grocery Challenge blog, where I subscribed for updates, but the email also said the Challenge started today–and it doesn’t! It officially starts Sunday, June 20th, so you have another day to get prepared.

Important note–Jan (Grosse Pointe Mom), you won the 1-year subscription to All You Magazine, but you didn’t leave an email in your comment or on your Google profile! Please contact me by midnight Saturday night, or I will have to choose another winner. The new winner is #176 Jessica Kok, who also doesn’t have an email address in her profile (grrr!). Please email me, Jessica!

And that’s a good reminder to all of you–if you don’t have an email address in your profile, please make sure and leave it whenever you enter a blog contest. Thanks!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Friday Finds 6/18

June 18, 2010 By

Happy Friday! My babysitter called in sick today, so some blog posts will be a little late. Instead, I’ve been ironing (happens once a year, I promise) and doing crafts with the kids. We’re working on this cute Father’s Day project for this weekend. Making a mess and having fun! Here are my finds for the week:


Today is National Flip Flop Day,and you can get a FREE Smoothie at Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Thanks for Frugal Friends for the info. If you really want to celebrate, make some Embellished Flip Flops with your kids, too!

Toys R Us has a FREE Family Lego Event tomorrow, Saturday, June 19th from 12:00pm-2:00pm. Check with your local store for participation.

Michael’s has a FREE Father’s Day Card Making session tomorrow, June 19th from 10:00am-2:00pm for kids age 3 and up.

For Father’s Day crafts to make at home, download a FREE eBook of Father’s Day crafts*.

Baby Cheapskate is giving away a $200 credit to Diapers.com, but you must enter the giveaway by Saturday at 10:00am ET.

*Disclosure: This banner/link is served by Logical Media, of which I am an affiliate.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Free 8×10 Collage Print at Walgreens

June 17, 2010 By

Today through Saturday, June 19th, you can get a FREE 8×10 Collage Print at Walgreens with code GOBIG8X10. Upload your photos at Walgreens.com, order your collage print, and enter the code to remove the $3.99 price. Pick up your collage in-store to get it completely FREE. Make a Father’s Day collage, or try one of these other ideas:
  • If you have a huge pile of your child’s artwork from this school year, take some digital photos or scan them and turn it into one collage print. It’s a great keepsake that takes up a lot less space!
  • Make a collage of pics to give your child’s teacher as an end-of-the-year gift.
  • Use a few photos of your child’s spring sports for the collage–to keep or to give to the coach.
Thanks to MrsMoneysaver for the heads up on this deal.
Filed Under: Uncategorized

Frugal Strategies for Special Diets

June 17, 2010 By

This is a series of posts designed to help those of you eating gluten-free, or feeding gluten-free kids…

I’ve worked through a series of food allergies with my son, beginning at birth, and now we’re down to just peanuts. It’s severe–we carry an Epi-pen everywhere we go–but it’s doable. Thankfully, there are very few instances where it’s been a big inconvenience or hassle. I know it’s a different situation for my friend whose son is allergic to both dairy and eggs. And many of you have kids with even more restrictive diets.

Now that I’m eating gluten-free, I’m going through the same learning curve trying to figure out what to eat and how to pay for it. The good news is that once you know how to shop and eat frugally, you’ll see that many of the same strategies apply whether or not you have food sensitivities, allergies, etc. Here are some examples:

  • Make Your Own. Just as making my kids’ waffles costs me pennies compared to buying frozen waffles at the store, the same goes for any expensive processed foods. Once you see the prices of gluten-free breads, cookies, etc. you’ll want to learn to make them yourself. And even an expensive mix for GF bread costs less than the same loaves already baked.
  • Buy in Bulk when you can.  I can get a better price on a case of GF-certified oats or baking mix buying through Amazon than I can at a local store. If you don’t need a large amount or can’t store it, consider splitting a bulk order with friends/neighbors/others with the same dietary needs.
  • Keep it Simple. Sticking with simple foods in their natural state is less expensive than buying processed foods. I’ve seen GF energy bars for $1.29/each at Trader Joe’s, but they’re just compressed nuts, cranberries, and sunflower seeds glued together with a brown rice syrup. I’m better off buying the nuts, seeds, and dried fruit and making my own bags of trail mix. The same goes for meals; a baked potato is healthier and much more frugal than a GF mix for bread.
  • Use Less of the Expensive Stuff. This came to me after feeding my family a 3.00 box of GF Cornbread–d’oh! Why do all five of us need to eat the expensive stuff if I’m the only one eating GF? From now on, I’ll make corn muffins and freeze the extra. Then I can take one out for myself and the others can have regular, inexpensive cornbread. If you’re feeding one child (or yourself) a special food, keep your costs down by substituting “regular” for everyone else.
  • Combine Coupons with Sales, then Stockpile. Instead of spending $3.59 for a box of Corn Chex, I’m waiting for a good store sale. I have a handful of .75 off coupons that will double, but my money will go even farther if the price drops with a sale. Then, I’ll buy 10 boxes to stockpile so that I don’t have to spend $3.59 the next time we need a box.

Over the next few days, I’ll share some recipes and ideas for gluten-free breakfasts, lunches, and dinners along with some great resources and blogs I’ve found over the past month of eating GF.  I hope you’ll help by sharing your own suggestions in the comments section of each post!

**Updated: Read how I shop gluten-free at Target, Amazon, Local Grocery Stores, and Peapod.

Image courtesy of Whatsername?

Filed Under: GF

Shop Catherine’s for $5 or a little more!

June 17, 2010 By

Catherine’s (a sister store to Lane Bryant) has a coupon code out right now that gives you $15 off a $20 order, and you can select FREE shipping to a local Catherine’s, Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug or Cacique store. I see lots of great items in their clearance section–socks, scarves and jewelry if you’re not a plus-sized shopper–and lots of cute tops and tanks if you are. I’m going to pick up two cute scarves for less than $9 and have them shipped to a store nearby–what a great frugal gift! I’ll keep one for myself…

On top of that, you can shop through Ebates to get 3% cashback on your order. And if you’re new to Ebates, you’ll get the $5 sign-up bonus because you’re placing an order worth $20 or more in your first three months. Here’s how it works:

  1. Sign up for Ebates if you haven’t already. When you sign up for Ebates through my referral link, you’ll earn $5 on your first purchase of $20 within 90 days of signup, and so will I. Thanks for supporting MoneywiseMoms while shopping smart online!
  2. Click on Catherine’s through Ebates. Click on “Shop Now” to open a tracking ticket (that’s how they know to credit your account with the cash back).
  3. Use code 777004847 to get $15 off your $20+ order. Choose ship-to-store for FREE shipping, and checkout.
  4. Check your Ebates account for your credit. Ebates pays quarterly, and those little percentages add up each time you shop online. Then you’ll get a “big fat check” (I get mine through Paypal) each quarter, bringing in extra money for your family budget.
Filed Under: Uncategorized

Last Day to Enter the All You Grocery Challenge

June 16, 2010 By

Today is the last day to enter the All You Grocery Challenge. Are you ready to tackle your grocery budget and eat healthy for four weeks?

I am! I’ve printed out four of Erin’s Weekly Meal Planning Sheets from $5 Dinners. Each week, I’m going to look through my store ads (they come in the Wednesday newspaper) and decide which store I’ll shop at. I usually plan my meals around the loss leaders at each store. Here’s my Meal Planning Video if you’d like to learn how I do that. My budget for the challenge is $125 per week (there are five of us). The Challenge period starts this Sunday, June 18th, and runs for four weeks. Be sure to save your receipts, and remember that eating out counts towards your total.

If you’d still like to join me and over 35 of my readers, we’re doing this challenge together! Read some of the ways they’re saving money on groceries, and enter to win a 1-year subscription to All You Magazine. I’m choosing the winner tonight!

Filed Under: Uncategorized
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