Hi! New to GF life, but not to this BB :)

Hello! I'm a newbie to the GF group, but not to this bb. I've been posting on here for over 6 years.

After a few years of suspecting my ds #3 had some allergies, I have decided to go GF/CF for him to see if it helps him. I also have an appointment with his dr to talk it all over.  

This whole thing is extremely overwhelming to me, I admit. We have such a big family (6 boys) and having to change my way of cooking is stressing me out to the max! I just don't know how I'll have the time to pull this off. I have been spending hours in the kitchen and I'm only on day 2! I'm reading every box, can and package I have in the pantry. This is going to be a challenge.

Can anyone suggest to best bread maker to get? Dh is looking to buy me one, and I've read it should be one with a good strong motor to handle the dough.

And we are heading out for a vacation this weekend! How DO I handle restaurants?? HELP!

Frazzled mommy Hab

I do gluten free a little different than some  in that we have chosen to go in a more whole foods direction.  That cuts way down on the label reading since I buy very little packaged food.  We focus on fresh fruits and veggies, with some meat and "alternative" grains such as quinoa and amaranth.  I also haven't gotten into a lot of the gluten free "replacement foods" such as breads, crackers, etc.  but I do indulge in a store brand frozen pizza crust occasionally from Whole Foods Market.  That has been the easiest way for me to approach the whole thing, but you have to find what best works for you.  I keep a list of what we can eat on the fridge door.  It helps if you can focus on what you can have as opposed to everything you can't. I do some gluten free baking.  I have been slowly converting some of my favorite dessert recipes to gluten free, but it takes some time and trial and error.  Some are easy like apple crisp -- I use quinoa flakes and gluten free baking flour for the topping.  Some take a little experimenting.  As for bread machines, I really don't know.  I have an older one but haven't tried gf yet.  We have pretty much given up bread instead of looking for gluten free alternatives.  I did find this article that explains the bread machine requirements. 

http://www.breadmachines.com/bread-machines/glutenfreearticle.cfm

We always carry our own snacks.  Not having gluten free snacks is where we tend to get in trouble.  For eating out we prefer salad bars and buffets, but some celiacs don't because of fear of cross contamination.  We have also found good choices at grocery store deli's if all else fails.  There are restaurants that have a list of gluten free menu items.  Check restaurant websites or ask at the restaurant when you arrive, but don't count on your server to have this information.  Here are a couple of websites that might help.  Do a search on "gluten free restaurant menus" and you will find more.

http://www.glutenfreepassport.com/index.htm

http://www.alamoceliac.org/acddfastfood.html

Hopefully someone will jump in here who knows more about bread machines and help you out.  The most important thing is not to panic -- this is all doable.

I prefer packaged foods with a short list of ingredients. It's easier to read labels that way. Wheat can appear where you least expect it like flavored potato chips, so yes, you do have to read the labels. Find a health food store in your area that also carries GF foods. I use Paradise Health because they sell a lot of GF crackers, cookies, and other snacks. You can request GF items from Outback Steakhouse and some other places. I prefer buffets so I can what I'm eating in advance. Stay away from fried foods because of cross contamination from breaded fish.