wheat free, life, crunchy moms, children, allergies, wheat, eating, food, recipes, crunchy, natural foods, grocery, health, diet, Cherrybrook Kitchen, Tinkyada, Namaste, Gillians, gluten-free

“You can’t eat pizza?  What about cookies?  Grilled cheese?  Crackers?  Brownies?  Spaghetti?”

Whenever a child hears about my allergies, particularly the one to wheat, they ask about an exhaustive list of foods.  Its true, I grew up eating none of these foods that many American kids eat weekly, if not daily!  My mother altered some recipes with what was available to her, but natural food sections in the regular grocery store didn’t become popular until I was in college.

As an adult, the following products have allowed me to eat a more “normal” American diet.

  1. Cherrybrook Kitchen baking mixes.  I have an unrelenting love for this company.  The first product we bought was chocolate cake for our wedding.  Thanks to their product, I participated in the tradition of sharing the first piece of wedding cake with my husband.  Turns out, I don’t really like chocolate cake … but I do like sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies and yellow cake cupcakes are pretty good, too.
  2. Tinkyada rice pasta.  My father worked in Boston and would go to the Chinatown section to buy rice noodles for me. I enjoyed them as a child, but when I tried to cook them myself, I was frustrated.  They made a mess when you broke them apart and were hard to cook to the right consistence.  But then I discovered Tinkyada.  They have a more subtle flavor and are super easy to cook.
  3. Namaste pizza crust mix.  I finally got to try pizza!
  4. Annie’s Gluten-free Mac and Cheese.  I don’t love melted cheese, but my family does.  So, this find allowed me to eat mac and cheese with my family.  Furthermore, when cooking pasta, particles of the wheat get in the air and give me a lot of trouble breathing (I have the same problem with flour in the air, too).  With this brand, I can cook a whole box of mac and cheese for my family, rather than waiting for my husband or microwaving.
  5. Ian’s chicken nuggets and fish sticks.  I love both of these!  Its so wonderful to have them as a meal option.
  6. Gillian’s bread crumbs.  We can now make real meatloaf and meatballs and breaded chicken recipes.