Today, a lot of people have an intolerance for gluten and wheat.   If you are one of those people, then you know how hard it can be to find something to eat unless all you are eating is meats, fruits and veggies which really is the best way to go!   Let’s be honest, we want cake and goodies now and then right?!

Nowadays, there’s a lot of gluten-free mixes out there, but they aren’t cheap. Sometimes they are double or even triple the price of normal baking mixes! But it’s not the end… we are here to help! And with a cheaper solution than boxed mixes.

Introducing: The Gluten-Free Conversion Chart

You can make all of the things that you love: bread, cookies, cakes, etc. All that you have to do is replace the wheat flour in your recipe with the following ingredients: rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch and xantham gum and I also use Bob Red Mills All Purpose Gluten Flour and some of the others listed below in a lot of my recipes.   I never use corn starch or corn syrup.  I use Arrowroot for thickening sauces and if I'm making something that calls for corn syrup which is rarely, I use Brown Rice Syrup from Whole Foods (this is what I use in my Pecan Bars).

Follow the chart above to figure out how much of each of the above ingredients are needed for your recipe. 

Things You Should Know:

• -If the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda, use 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• -If the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking powder, use 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder.
• -If the recipe calls for 1 egg, use 2 eggs and decrease liquid in the recipe by 2 tablespoons.
• -If the recipe calls for 2 eggs, use 3 eggs and decrease the liquid in the recipe by 2 tablespoons.
  (Decrease the liquid called for in the recipe by 2 tablespoons per egg added)

Helpful Hints:

• -Gluten-free baking is not as complicated as it seems. You can make your own flour mix by combining the rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch and sifting it together well. Don’t add the xantham gum to this mix. Once you have done that, add this combination as if it is wheat flour. If your recipe calls for 3 cups of wheat flour, add 3 cups of your gluten-free combination. Then add the appropriate amount of xantham gum. (see the chart above). Store the gluten-free mix just like you do flour.
• -Gluten-free baked goods do not last as long as goods baked with wheat flour. If you are not going to use up everything you just baked within the next day or two, the best way to keep it fresh is to freeze it. Most baked goods freeze well.

Some of the gluten free flour mixes I've used and experimenting with are:

Bob Red Mills All Purpose Gluten Free flour (made with sorghum) - this one can tend to have a slight bitter taste and smell when used in some recipes.  I'm used to it now after five years.   I've used it for baking, frying chicken, beer battered shrimp, onion rings, etc., and thickening sauces (now I usually use Arrowroot for thickening).  I buy it at HEB or Whole Foods. 

Recently I tried this new Bob Red Mills 1 to 1 Baking Flour made with white rice flour and it's good too.  It's a bit lighter and doesn't have the bitter smell/taste like the regular All Purpose Flour made with Sorghum does.  I believe they have it at both HEB and Whole Foods.

I've also made pancakes and biscuts with Bisquick Gluten Free mix from HEB.  It's one of the best ones I've found for the occasional pancake fix!  Sometimes I make with fresh blueberries.   We use pure Maple Syrup on them.  Moderation with the pancakes.  There are also recipes for Paleo pancakes (no grain) so no worries! 

Carols All Purpose Gluten Free Flour (this one has rice flour in it and it's a little lighter than the Bob Red Mills).  I order it at - https://simplygluten-free.com/carols-all-purpose-gluten-free-flour

Better Batter All Purpose Gluten Free Flour - Just recently came across this one in November 2014 and really like it a lot for texture, taste and cost.    I've used it making their Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe on the box and they were awesome! Also used for my Pecan Bars which were really good with this flaxy pastry flour! The rolls weren't that bad.  My yeast didn't rise too well, still experimenting.   Haven't tried pie dough that you roll out or pizza yet.    I order it in 5 lb box at - http://www.betterbatter.org

They have some pizza recipes on their blog too that I plan to try out with this flour.  Pizza has been a real challenge to make gluten free so I've just been buying IDI's Ready Made Pizza crust at HEB or Whole Foods when I get a hankering for pizza!  Again I've learned over the last six years to live in moderation!  Well except during the holidays! Hey I'm human!  And let's just say I pay the consequences!    LOL! 

PS - Recently (December 2014) though some of the Functional Medicine doctors I've been following have developed probiotic/prebiotic gut healing and protecting products that have really helped my digestive system tolerate when I do over eat grains, get contamination, etc.  I've also been taking supplements from Dr. Tom O'Bryan for 2 1/2 years that are for healing the gut and I can really tell the difference in how I'm feeling.    Contact me for details. 

Almond Flour - this one is probably the most expensive of all the flours and it's for anyone who's interested in a grain free diet such as Paleo.  It works great for baking, just cost more.   I've got some recipes here using it.

Coconut Flour - I've used this a few times.  It's not good at all when adding liquid!  Bloats up!  Tried it once for Beer Batter! BIG mistake!

There's a lot of recipes in the Paleo cookbook using Almond and Coconut Flours.

I also use Ian's Gluten Free Panko for breading chops, veggies, meat loaf, etc.

I've been using Powdered Stevia by Sugar In The Raw when a recipe calls for sweetener or use honey, maple syrup or Dates can also be used as a sweetener in some recipes.

Note:  I try and limit the amount of packaged foods I'm eating because of the sugar, corn and tend to look for and use flours and pastas made with brown rice vs corn since corn is basically sugar!   Most of the packaged gluten free foods contain sugar and/or corn and rice.  And some of them are even been known to be contaminated with gluten so I recommend caution with packaged foods and encourage eating whole real foods like grass fed meats, fish, no antibotic clean poultry and pork, vegtables, eggs, butter, olive oil, avacado.

Gluten Free Lady