Making the decision to switch our kitchen to gluten free was not a decision we made on a whim.  We really had no choice at all.
Logan, our 3rd kiddo, was just not thriving. From the age of 2 to 3, he gained no weight or height...and struggled with severe diarrhea. (the kind that left his poor little bum raw and sore most days)  All our other boys would sit down to eat and it was a struggle to keep the food flowing fast enough to their plates, but not Logan.  We would beg and bribe to get him to please just take 1 more bite.  He was SO scrawny.  Later we would also discover that he was functionally deaf, and that it was likely linked to all of his digestive troubles...but that's a different post!  When he was 3 we had blood work done and it showed an almost guarantee of Celiacs. The only way to confirm 100% is with an intestinal biopsy and our Dr was confident enough in the blood results that we didn't need to confirm any further. We IMMEDIATELY switched to a gluten free diet for him....and within days he was eating everything that wasn't nailed down!!  It's worth noting here that he NEVER complained about his stomach hurting, or feeling sick....just wouldn't eat....now we assume it must have just not felt good.  The diarrhea stopped, his hiney healed, and he started to grow....within just a matter of months.  It wasn't even a year later we had issues with our oldest, Lane, and were told that where there is 1, there will likely be others.  2 kids with Celiacs....okey dokey!  Lane presented in a totally different way...he grew, he ate, he seemed to be doing well....but every so often would have an accident, and was far too old for it to be "normal".  We began to watch and noticed a pattern....a meal heavy on gluten (bread, pasta, fried, etc) led to him having trouble.
Fast forward all these years later (Logan is 11 now and Lane is 15!) and we have learned so much!  Celiacs is an autoimmune disorder not an allergy or food intolerance. When Logan, or Lane, ingest gluten from wheat, barley, or rye, their immune systems see it as a threat and attack. Unfortunately, it attacks their healthy intestinal tissue.  This results in inflammation and an inability to absorb essential nutrients and digestive upset (I could list symptoms, but I'll spare you....I am sure you get the idea!).  Once this damage has been caused, it can take up to 6 months for the inflammation to go down and proper absorption to resume.  Even if they have no immediate symptoms (upset stomach, pain, etc) they could still be suffering from a recent "glutening".  For this reason we are very careful in our kitchen and when we eat out.

Going from a regular kitchen to a gluten free kitchen took some work.  "Cross Contamination" became a phrase that made my blood pressure rise!  Any wooden cutting boards or cooking utensils had to be gotten rid of...they can't be totally sterilized and bits of gluten can hide in the crevices and lead to cross contamination (think micro dust particles). My Kitchen Aide mixer had to be taken apart and cleaned...remember that micro dust? it can get up in the gears and sprinkle out while you are mixing, causing the potential for cross contamination! All regular flour items were removed and kept in a different closet...I was so worried I would grab one out of habit.  I had to purchase a separate "gluten free" toaster...you guessed it, cross contamination! We had to get good at using separate pots and spoons while cooking if we were making a "split" meal (1/2 gluten 1/2 gf) I eventually gave up making dinners that were 1/2 and 1/2....the risk of cross contamination was just too great. (do you hate those 2 words now too?!?!) For many years we would take food with us when we went to graduations, weddings, or parties of any kind. Poor 3 year old Logan had to wear a sticker that said DON'T FEED ME!! just to keep well meaning relatives and friends from handing the cute kid a cookie!

We have relaxed some now, especially since the boys are so good at self policing!  If they cheat, they know what happens and how they feel....they choose to live this way at this point. We have gotten really good at finding alternatives to buns and pasta in restaurants, although we still travel with cupcakes to parties! Now, almost 8 years down this path, I can say confidently that I am a MUCH better cook for my family because of the need to make this switch.  Prepackaged, quick, boxed meal items were no longer an option...so if we wanted broccoli cheese rice (Rice-a-Roni favorite), I had better learn to make it from scratch! So I did. I adjusted...learned the science behind the ingredients so that I could make fluffier, softer, tastier baked things....played with spices so that the flavors were fantastic....and learned to spend the little extra time it takes to use raw ingredients.  It was a struggle for sure...and believe me, I cried...they cried...we all cried! But now here we are...my boys are learning how to cook...REALLY cook...and it makes my momma heart soar!!

Those that know us, also likely know that we are a gluten free family. Not because it seemed like a cool trend, and not because I was bored and looking for a fun new culinary adventure, but because, at 3 years old, our 3rd boys was diagnosed with Celiacs Disease.  Shortly after that we discovered that our oldest also struggled with Celiacs. (I'll post that journey some other day!)
This left a little problem in my kitchen.  I was raised by a Mom and a Grandma that baked...maybe not bread...but muffins, and brownies, and cookies, and pies...oh my! And then there's me....with 4 little boys and an OVERWHELMING desire to have the house smell like fresh cookies when they come home from school...and stupid gluten free flour that does everything regular flour doesn't, and messes EVERYTHING up!!  I cried...for a few weeks....it felt like mourning...mourning the mom I wanted to be. I heard everyone saying "be gentle with yourself...you'll get it...it just takes time."....and I genuinely understood that...I PROMISE I did...but in that little dark cloud, I was faced with healing my child by depriving him of the childhood that I had envisioned. It sucked.
Flash forward to now....
I'm going to take a moment to brag on myself a little....we are KILLING IT over here with the whole gluten free thing...most days! (I earned that gold star sticker!)  So now...let me pass on my learning and hopefully pull you out of your dark cloud a little faster!
Gluten Free doesn't have to be....tasteless, gritty, dry, dense, crumbly, gloppy, difficult, expensive!!  It can and will be all the wonderful things you know and love about "regular" food!!  You just have to stretch your kitchen wings a little! You are going to learn how to make ingredients WORK for you instead of just being there and you not really knowing why! You are going to embrace spices and your flavors are going to soar! You are going to find the magic in using whole ingredients....expensive, unhealthy, prepackaged stuff is out...raw, whole, and wholesome is IN!  You are going to find creative and fun alternatives to those things that just really can't make the GF switch (hamburger buns when you eat out! My nemesis!)  And all of that is going to make you a better cook!!
Give yourself grace, and some time in the kitchen....if I can do it, so can you!  I'll even get you started! 

This is a recipe from my Grandma...her kitchen always made us happy.  Obviously when this was written, GF was not even a glimmer on our horizon....so...let's tweak it and make it work!!  Bob's Red Mill Cup for Cup flour is AMAZING...so is King Arthur GF replacement flour!  I have used both for this and it works great!  One major thing to keep in mind with GF baking, the grains used for the flour will absorb more moisture than wheat....so when switching over a regular recipe it would not be uncommon to add more moisture.  For this one, I used 8Tbsp of butter (in place of 6Tbsp shortening) and likely had to use a little extra milk when making the dough soft.  Then, another key thing to note, the GF dough is always stickier than regular...so to pat it out flat; grab some parchment paper and use butter or oil all over then dust with a bit of GF flour....pat out the dough onto the paper and use it to help you roll. Works like a charm! Everything else stayed the same!

Here's where the creative fun comes back into your kitchen....instead of using raspberries, spread pumpkin pie filling on the dough and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and a few chocolate chips or raisins (or both!).  Put some melted butter and brown sugar in the bottom of the baking pan (instead of the raspberry mix) and add the cut dough/pumpkin rolls. Bake the same or just a touch longer. We topped it with raspberry jelly (because why not!) and a drizzle of powder sugar glaze. FALL in a pan!! I'd invite you over to try some...but the boys got there first!!

They've told me to write a book. (.....) this is the sound of all the thoughts leaving my brain at the exact same moment.  I write Facebook posts. I write emails. I write love notes to my tiny humans. But a book?! That seems like a big deal.  So, let's start small. How about I write a blog! Surely that will be something more bite-sized!! (right?!)
We have lived on this farm for 4.5 years now....and this blog/website is something that has been on my "to do" list that whole time. 2024 is the year I make it happen!
My hope for this is it can become a place I can share our adventures on the farm, in our gluten free kitchen, and navigating life with 4 growing boys.  Stay tuned for all kinds of fun and crazy...it's our life and we LOVE it!