My 30 year-old Wife was just recently diagnosed with Celiac's. She has done an amazing job of making the house gluten free, and is doing her best medical student impersintaion with Celiac/gluten-free research, etc...

My Son and I are trying to be as supportive as possible, but with Mother's Day AND her birthday a few weeks away I would really like to get her a special gift. Does anyone have any ideas or recommendations of something that has helped one of your loved ones get through the initial shock or deal with this disease?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

I would make her a gift basket filled with great gluten free goodies, Tinkyada pasta, Pamela's Cookies, Gluten Free Pantry baking mixes.

You can also get her a session at a local spa. This will help her feel real relaxed and nice.

I was totally thinking the same thing as Amanda. A basket filled with gluten free goodies is always a good idea, especially since she's new to the diet. There are places online to buy premade baskets OR you could make your own. I suggest making your own, it's much more personal.

Here's a list of a few items to include:

Kinnikinnick K-toos
Glutino crackers
Glutino pretzels
Gluten Free Pantry favorite sandwich bread mix
Tinkyada pasta
Lara Bars (whichever flavor you think she'd enjoy, they're all good)
Gluten Free Pantry quick mix (Bisquick substitute)
Robert's Gourmet Tings, Pirates Booty, and Chaos
A gluten free cookbook - i recommend anything by Bette Hagman
Gluten Free for Dummies

My other suggestions are a nice bottle of wine, most are gluten free, just double check w/ the manufacturer. A subscribtion to Living Without magazine. It's a great magazine. She will also need a new toaster dedicated to gluten free foods, new cutting boards, new collanders. You will also want to inspect her nonstick cookware and replace anything that's scratched. If you're not comfortable picking those things out, perhaps a gift certificate to the store she would normally purchase these things at. Also, she will most likely need to replace some of her hair/skin care products as well as makeup. Perhaps you could get her sample sized bottles of some new shampoos, lotions, etc. to try. Unilever products will clearly list gluten as wheat, barley, rye, or oats on the label so you can trust their products (suave, dove, etc).

Also, I highly suggest trying to bake her something gluten free whether it be a cake, banana bread, breakfast muffins, cookies, etc. This, to me anyway, would be an amazing gift. I use Kinnikinnick flours because I think they're the best and don't have any funny aftertaste at all. Here's a recipe for a really awesome gluten free cake: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Gluten-Free-Y...ake/Detail.aspx
Don't let the mayo turn you off. It's a great recipe and it turns out nice and moist and almost identical to wheat cakes.

Perhaps if you and your son haven't gone gluten free yet, you could go gluten free for mothers day and her birthday. That would be special to her.

I hope these ideas help some. If you need recipes, just let me know.

Blueeyedmanda / Angie:

Thank you so much for your thoughtful ideas. I was on track with a couple of your ideas, but you have also given me several other great ones! I have to get busy making this an extra-special period of her life!

Again, thank you very much, and if any other good ideas cross your mind, please don't hesitate to post.


Ryan

Chocolate?

(*reference my sig below* )
but cookbooks are good, or a collection of printouts from online recipe sources, or other things that will make her life in the kitchen easier (like a cuisinart, if she doesn't have one).

Dear Ryan,
I have a list that should really help. This is overwhelming. I went through this with myself six months ago. You spend most of your day cooking and cleaning obsessively. The rest you are on the phone with reps from companies trying to find out what is safe. I decided to save you the trouble!
1. There are a number of things in the regular grocery that are safe. Some things are labeled already. Wal-Mart's Great Value brand has numerous things you can eat.
2. For the love of God use Coupons on items you are allowed to eat. People can get them and print them out online even. Call some of the local stores and ask if they accept online coupons.
3. Check the ads online and in the newspaper. You would be surprised how many people do not do this.
4. Some items like rice flour and rice noodles are safe to buy at the Chinese or oriental market. The merchants are more than happy to help you if you cannot read the label.
Now, here is my list of great things to get you started:
Condiments:
Smart Balance Margerine
Crisco Shortening
Crisco Oil
Pompeiian Olive Oil
Great Value soy sauce
Heinz Ketchup
Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce (all Lea & Perrins Products are safe)
Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce
Kraft French Fat-Free Salad Dressing
Kraft Thousand Island Fat-Free Salad Dressing
Pace Picante Sauce
Ortega Salsa
All Classico Red and *White sauces
All Jif Peanut Butters including Smooth Sensations
Welch's Grape Jelly
Cool Whip*
Philadelphia Cream Cheese*
Miracle Whip
Daisy Sour Cream (fat-free, low-fat, regular)*
Snack Foods:
Utz Potato Chips (Found at Sam’s Club)
Lay's Stax Potato Chips (Do not get any other kinds, these are the only ones made on dedicated lines)
Act II Microwave Popcorn
3 Musketeers candy bars *
Butterfinger candy bars*
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups*
Meat and Protein :
Eggs
Great Value Frozen Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Extra Lean ground beef
Carl Buddig lunchmeats all are safe
Kraft Cheese Shredded or sliced (Kraft is a great company, they never hide gluten in their labels. If it does not say wheat, barley, oats or rye, then it is not in there!)*
Cereals:
Cocoa Pebbles
Fruity Pebbles
Dora The Explorer Cinnamon Stars
Seasonings:
Durkee Cinnamon-ground
Durkee Ginger-ground
Durkee Chili powder
Durkee Vanilla Extract (in fact, all of their liquid flavorings, food colorings, and extracts are g.f.)
Emeril's Essence - Asian, Italian
Ortega Taco Seasoning (In fact, since they are under a very strict labeling policy, all of their products are gluten free at this time)
Miscellaneous:
Ortega Taco Shells
Starkist or Great Value Tuna
Butter Buds
Great Value Soy Milk
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Apples
Pears
Carrots
Great Value Canned Fruits and Vegetables
Del Monte Canned Fruits and Vegetables
Ore Ida Tater Tots
Ore Ida French Fries
Hormel Chili
Hormel Spam
Hormel Turkey Spam (Oven Roasted and Smoked)
Dinty Moore Beef Stew
Jimmy Dean Fresh Taste Fast Sausage (links, rolls, and patties)
Plumrose Bacon
PAM Non-Stick Cooking Spray (all except for PAM for baking; it has flour)
Beverages:
Coca-Cola (Diet, Regular, Vanilla, Caffeine Free)
Diet Rite
Folgers Coffees (all including Cappuccinos)
Luzianne Tea (We get decaf)
Arizona Teas
Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice
Some Household Items that are safe include:
Cascade Dishwashing Detergent
All Laundry Detergent
Wisk Laundry Detergent
Dawn Dish Soap (all including the Power Disolver)
SoftSoap Hand Soaps
Murphy's Oil Soap
Hygiene, Cosmetics, and Beauty Items:
Dove Soaps, Shampoos, Conditioners, Lotions, and Styling Aids (Will clearly label gluten if present)
Crest Whitening Expressions Toothpastes
Colgate Toothpastes
Suave Soaps, Shampoos, Conditioners, Lotions, and Styling Aids (Will clearly label gluten if present)
Maybelline (Gluten is clearly labeled when present)
CoverGirl (Gluten is clearly labeled when present)
Wet'n Wild (All except for one of the mascaras)
Olay Quench Body Lotion
Crest WhiteStrips
Colgate Simply White

* Includes dairy
This list will make things a little easier! Also, I would recommend going to www.choclat.com where you can get gluten-free, casein-free candies, cake mixes, and chocolate. They do gift baskets and kosher foods also. I hope this helps! I know this can be exhaustive!

Sincerely,
NoGluGirl