Baking gluten-free is a challenge and also expensive. The flours can cost 10 times that of AP flour ($5.50 vs 55c per pound) and many recipes call for ground nuts that start at $8 per pound. I do have a great TNT cookie recipe that uses no flour and has no dairy (casein free): Nancedar GFCF Peanut Butter Cookies Makes about 3 dozen 2 large eggs 1 1/4 C sugar 2 t baking soda 1 t pure vanilla extract Beat together using a stand or hand mixer. 1 C creamy peanut butter 1 C crunchy peanut butter Beat into the bowl with the wet ingredients on low. Do not over mix or they will be grainy. Let sit for 1 hour at room temperature. Use a small scoop to form balls, put on parchment paper covered baking sheets, flatten slightly with crisscross of a fork. Bake in preheated 350F oven for 6 minutes, reverse the sheets, and bake for another 4 to 6 minutes. Let sit on the sheets for 5 minutes then remove to cooling racks. Store airtight (doubled plastic bags). I sometimes add 1/2 C to 3/4 C chocolate chips for Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter cookies but you must check the ingredients list to be sure there are no milk solids if you want them to remain dairy/casein free. Toll House does have milk. Nancy

I can't tell by your post if your husband has undergone screening to see if indeed he is a celiac. One doesn't "get there". It's a genetic issue and there is a blood test that will help with the determination of celiac. But, the catch is you have to be eating normally, with all the gluten stuff found in normal diets. I had biopsies but couldn't do the blood test. It was decided I am gluten sensitive because of the lack of blood testing. Whateverm the treatment is the same. Avoidance of the offending food. And it's EVERYWHERE! Originally I gave up gluten in an effort to help my thyroid. Wheat can aggravate autoimmune issues. The quick result was I could move easier and I just felt overall better. More recent results show really positive improvements with my thyroid and autoimmune markers. Yay. Not so yay for lipids but that is a work in progress. I have been GF for 8 years. I mention all this because it's forever and I know I don't look at food the same as before I made the change. Thinking back, I had this problem forever but it presented without any gastro issues. You may need to find a really good Gasteroenterologist and nutritionist. Celiacs and gluten sensitive people can become deficient in certain nutrients, for instance, B Vitamins. All our grains are fortified. If you eliminate them, you probably will need to supplement in a different way. I am an avid cook and baker. I have converted many recipes but it's very tricky because of chemistry. Sometimes, it's just easier to not eat it instead of being dissapointed. I have many web sites that offer gluten free recipes. For instance, chinese food is out of the question because of soy sauce. But Tamari sauce can be the basis for making my own teriaki sauce. So now I have several Asian inspired recipes. Italian, same thing. I buy rice pasta or use Spaghetti squash. I use oatmeal in my meatballs, Grind it in your food processor, blender. Then measure the same way. Just check it's not too wet or dry and adjust accordingly. Cooking takes longer and requires planning. I would suggest 14 main course recipes and rotate them every two weeks. Have a file of things you might like to try and sub them in the rotation for variety. I always keep homemade soup for lunches and one dinner. You can't go wrong with a protein and veggies. America's Test Kitchen " How can it be gluten free cookbook" is a definite winner. They give you a recipe to make your own all purpose flour. Every recipe I have tried has been wonderful, complete with pie crusts and making bread. All recipes website has many GF recipes to choose from. Gluten Free Girl and The Chef just published a book of classics remade to be gluten friendly. I have made many of their recipes with good success. Last year at Thanksgiving we were invited to relatives house. I volunteered to bring sides and desserts ( so I could eat). I even made awesome gravy and green bean casserole. There was one actualy celiac, just recently diagnosed. I think she posted a pic on facebook of this pumpkin cheesecake " slice ", like half the cake. The whole afternoon she kept coming over and asking me if she could eat all this food. She was amazed. It looked just like a normal Thanksgiving table. All it takes is time, Planning, Preparedness and a lot of work. Believe me, I am already thinking about it! Don''t look at this as what your family can't eat but as a way to make really good healthy food choices. Take your grocery store flyer and use it to plan your meals. Double up certain things, like meatballs or meatloaf so you have something in the freezer for those nights when things are crazy. Brown Rice tortillas make a decent base for individual pizzas. Test Kitchen book has a good pizza crust recipe, but it requires planning. Oatmeal: Bob's Redmill GF old fashioned oatmeal. My grocery has it in the special section for GF items. The nut allergy isn't that uncommon but does make things more difficult. You may be able to get a crust with a rice flour mixture, corn flakes or potato chips. Ghee is another option for oil/fat. It's cooked to remove the dairy solids. Many people with dairy issues can tolerate ghee. Gluten free breads are dry by chemistry nature. You won't find a prepared one that is soft and has that nice mouth feel UNLESS you make it. That will get you close but still, it's different. And it will only last that day and then you will need to freeze your bread. I have Udi's in the freezer for those times when I need it. Rudi's is also fine for me. I do find that if I am preparing a sandwich, I very lightly toast it so that it will hold together. Gluten is the glue that holds the bread together. Without it, the bread will sort of fall apart. Gluten free plain bagels make awesome croutons to go on top of GF Clam Chowder or Potato soup. If he is eating out, he can always order sort of al a carte, a protein and veggie or salad. BTW, salad dressing is dangerous. I find the only thing I can tolerate is a vinagerette. Just stick to really clean, plain food. Seasonings can be another landmind area. BTW, if you are out, tell your waiter you have food allergies. Most restaurants now have a menu just for that. I visited friends near Disney world. I only had to ask IF they had a GF menu and the chef came out to personally take my order. Disney really gets this and is so helpful. But, always ask if you are out. Don't assume it will be okay. One of my local restaurants has chili on Saturday. One would think Chili would be okay. NOT! Ask, don't assume. A celiac may or may not have a gastro issue but silently there is damage going on in the gut. For me, I am sick for days, yet no positive test. I guess the best thing is you and your family are not alone. This is more of an issue than most people would think. Start slow with just one recipe. Try to get him involved. He can't be GF just at home. Life is about choices and he needs to know how to make them. And read every label. Just because it was fine the last time you bought it doesn't mean they didn't change the formula. Shop off times, like late at night or early morning so you can read without interruption. Whole foods has a "class" where they take you around the store to show you options. A nutrionist might do the same thing. It's all so overwhelming, I know. I remember when I could eat whatever I wanted. I could go to any restaurant. No more Now I have food anxiety, geesh. It's a really good thing I like to cook otherwise I might starve or be broke from buying GF food which is always so much more expensive than the comparable non GF food. And they say it's just a fad. Wll, that just makes my blood pressure go up. Thank heavens wine is GF. BTW, liquor can be a problem so you want distilled like some Vodkas and it goes without saying normal beer is out of the question but there are some GF beers out there. Then there would be those who would say, why bother??? LOL! Best to you and yours!

tishtoshmn - LUCKY you finding PAN on clearance!!!! I thought about trying to make my own PAN, but I don't need another "make work" project just now (LOL). I make arepas about 2 or 3 times a year and freeze them. Hubby really likes them. I'll only eat them open-faced, not a top AND bottom. I thought about dehydrating canned hominy and milling it; and even have some dry white corn posole from Rancho Gordo I thought might work. I mill my own cornmeal so may need to explore the "how-to" a little more, but I thought milling the dried hominy or posole would be the least amount of work. I also have to limit my corn intake. When I make a wrap using one from Aldi (usually for an in-car travel lunch) - I cut the rolled wrap 2/3 and 1/3 and I eat the 1/3-portion and hubby eats the 2/3 portion. The longer I'm away from bread the better it is to live without it - rather than try to replace it. The wrap is just a "holder" for the contents, and I'm just as happy with a lettuce wrap. We ate at a Red Robin once and I ordered my hamburger without a bun, commenting how I'm gluten-sensitive, not gluten-intolerant, so not to worry about cross-contamination, and they served it with a bun, assuring me it was gluten-free. I took one bite and removed the burger off the bun. I just couldn't hack that much bread anymore!!! GAG ME! I'm better with a small slice of yeasted seedy-bread I make and use for toast, or paleo bread made into French Toast. Don't miss the sandwich. You, or someone else, mentioned galette some time ago. I know I have a recipe in my ever-growing to-do stack. I even sprouted buckwheat, dehydrated it, to use for making the buckwheat flour.... Need to look it up again. -Grainlady

I am doing pumpkin pie this weekend. Here is a great recipe for pastry: http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2008/10/gluten-free-pastry.html I change it to full lard (can't have dairy) and used more tapioca in place of corn starch and more rice flour in place of potato starch. My MIL makes it as is and really likes it. Sorry I have no say for original recipe because I have to improvise but still love it. I improvise another recipe (Company's Coming Almond Torte) to this : 1/2 cup butter (I use coconut oil but give butter to those not bothered by dairy) 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup ground almonds 3 egg yolks 2 tsp vanilla Mix all these and fold in 3 egg whites I will lay out fruit (canned peaches usually) on the bottom of a parchment lined 8x8 pan and pour batter on top. Bake at 350 for 35 min or so. Top with whipped cream. I use this one a lot. It is kind of like a sponge, I think.