photo by "whatshername" on Flickr.com

When I first started planning FridgeForagers.com I had intended it to be a blog about batch cooking, once-a-month cooking, quick and easy meals all on a budget with easy to find ingredients.

As a single mom with 2 teenagers who seem to be always hungry and always on the go – combined with the fact that I’m away often for days at a time for work reasons – batch cooking and freezer stockpiling has kept the kids going when I’m not here and kept the budget under control.

We’ve just learned that all three of us must go on a gluten-free diet – no wheat, barley, oats or rye. Considering that pastas are a staple in this household and my kids go through a loaf and a half of bread per day this is going to be a big adjustment.

My 19 year old daughter can’t grab a couple of english muffins or a bagel at the campus coffee shop when she has an early class. My 14 year old son can’t make a mountain of egg salad sandwiches to snack on. I can’t leave a lasagna and a casserole of mac & cheese in the freezer for them when I’m away.

Life just got a little more difficult around here.

The first thing I did after getting rid of everything that contained wheat, barley, oats or rye in my kitchen was head to the grocery store. The store I typically shop at has a special diet & health section, a section I’ve never actually been into, but I figured that was the first place to start.

As I approached the gluten-free aisle I saw a box that said “gluten-free breadsticks” and my heart skipped a beat. Wow. GF breadsticks? Ok, maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as I thought. I was pulled up short by the fact that the box of GF breadsticks (which looked to contain maybe 8 or 10 skinny sticks) was $6.99. *GASP*

Further investigation of the gluten-free aisle found pie crust mixes, cake mixes & pancake mixes. Gluten-free pasta, cookies & bread. Even a box of gluten-free turkey stuffing mix! Oh but the prices! Double, sometimes triple what the ‘oh so yummy full of gluten’ versions were. I might manage to talk myself into buying some of these items for special occasions but I just cannot fathom using them on a regular basis at those prices.

So it’s time to rethink everything about how I cook, how we eat, and how we relate to food.

From today on, as I learn more about living gluten-free, as I experiment with new recipes and new ways of doing things, it’s all going to be here. The good and the bad. Suddenly the name “fridge foragers” has taken on a whole new meaning.

If you have any suggestions for blogs, websites, products that are gluten-free please post them in the comments. If you live in the Toronto/Hamilton area and have any recommendations for restaurants or places to find gluten-free products I’d really appreciate that too.