Need Help with Thrifty GF Diet

[aaiya]

Your mention of "generic bisquick" reminded me that I have this recipe. We're not even GF around here (but I dabble in it some, just to mix things up). These might be good for snacking (IIRC, they freeze ok) or to fill up your husband, who, it sounds like really still needs something filling and carby. (Not sure how they'd work as pancakes...but it would probably be worth a try).

GF/DF Waffles

1/2 cup GF flour mix (see mix recipe below)
3/4 cup Masa Harina (corn flour)
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

2 Eggs
1 3/4 cups Almond milk or dairy substitute
1/2 cup Oil (try 1/4 cup melted coconut oil & 1/4 cup slightly melted Blue Bonnet Light)

Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl (or just mix them all together in one bowl). Add wet to dry and mix well. Use 1/3-1/2 cup of batter per waffle. Cook on a waffle iron until golden brown. Makes 6 (using a 1/3 cup scoop) waffles.

Variations:
Add mini m&m's or chocolate chips. You can also leave out the sugar & cinnamon for a saltier version.

GF flour mix: from a random internet search....
2 c. rice flour
2/3 c potato starch
1/3 c. tapioca flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum

Mix & store in an airtight container.

[B's Mommy]

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[slimy72]

You've gotten some good advice so far. I'd like to just add, that remember beans, rice, and potatoes are your friend. They are cheap and filling, and GF/DF. Corn tortillas are another cheap food. Mexican and asian food can be made GF/DF very easily. Also lots of soups and stews are naturally GF.

[kanga1622]

My Walmart has quinoa in a turquoise box right in the rice section. Ours is on the top shelf in the corner of that section but is great. It has a lot of protein and I honestly love it with just about everything. It is great on top of a salad to help give it a little texture.

Sent from my iPod touch using DS Forum

[moonlightblonde]

THANK YOU for posting this - I keep putting off trying it like my dr wants because gluten is my favourite food (lol).

[mrseum]

Originally Posted by kanga1622 My Walmart has quinoa in a turquoise box right in the rice section. Ours is on the top shelf in the corner of that section but is great. It has a lot of protein and I honestly love it with just about everything. It is great on top of a salad to help give it a little texture. Sent from my iPod touch using DS Forum

You can get a 5 lb bag of quinoa from Costco for $10 when those little boxes are almost $4 for under a lb too!

[debcita429]

I buy quinoa in bulk from amazon (but I will be getting it from a co-op in the future; do internet searches to see if there is a bulk natural foods co-op that stops in your town). I got a bushel of organic apples from said co-op for less than $1 a pound which helps a lot, since properly stored, they can last until mid Spring. I've also bought bulk organic brown rice through Lundberg farms that is much yummier and more cost-efficient than at the store (I don't like the long grain brown rice that most stores carry). Thankfully I have very good storage options here so that I can do that. Consider getting a rice cooker to dip into throughout the day since there is more than one of you (as a single I don't have one). Although I am dairy free myself, consider adding some onion powder, salt, and spices to yogurt and stirring it into a bowl of rice now and then for a touch of protein and flavor. If you have a rice cooker keeping your rice hot, you could easily thaw a little bit of frozen veggie into the rice mixture too so that you are not totally upending your veggie diet. Ditto for humus with the rice (and you can make your own humus from canned or powdered garbanzo without the need to cook beans in your hard water). Alternately, add some cinnamon, stevia or honey, and milk or yogurt for a sweet treat. For cooking, consider lentils. They are faster and easier than most legumes.

Like an earlier commenter said, I occasionally get gluten free items in bulk on amazon using their subscribe and save (e.g., once every six months). But I always price check against vitacost b/c a lot of stuff is cheaper there.

Gluten free bread is spendy, and some of it doesn't taste very good. Although this bread is really only made for the toaster and is small and light, using vitacost's set and save (10% off) has been worth it for this: http://www.vitacost.com/ener-g-tapio...ch-pack-of-3-1 I think it is by far the best tasting of the ener-g loaves, and they are cheaper than most GF brands. Ener-g also has cost effective pretzels on vitacost that taste like the real thing:http://www.vitacost.com/ener-g-wylde...ls-gluten-free

Getting some longer-lasting produce like carrots and celery to snack on when you are done with your spinach et. al. can help you stretch out the frequency of store visits.

[B's Mommy]

So what's a good (online) price for different GF flours? I only have some rice flour that I picked up at the Amish discount store.

[slimy72]

I had meant to also say on my post above but forgot, one reason your beans may not soften is if you add salt at the beginning. If you think it's hard water you can also add a bit of baking soda to your water as they cook. I also prefer to soak my beans overnight before cooking. I like to use my crockpot to cook beans. But put them on in the AM and forget about them until dinner. Good luck, it is do-able. I have pretty hard water and I am able to get them soft. Also lentils cook quick and easy with no fuss.
As for other bulk purchasing options, I use the flour mixes on the life tastes good again blog the most. I buy my flours in 25lb sacks from Bob's red mill but have heard their shipping i s $$ but my SIL buys hers from Honeyville grain and she said they ship for $5 for any size order. So that might be an option for you.
We also make our own granola bars so they are GF and they really fill you up.

[jaelynsmommy61607]

I dont soak beans just put them in the crock pot.