GF/DF is not a scary place to be...

So often I think we can complicate our lives when it does not need to be that way. Yes I am GF and DF, but it does not mean that I spend hours slaving in the kitchen nor does it mean that I live off everything labeled GF in that special overpriced isle in the grocery store.

Truthfully, I survive mostly off whatever I can make fast (grill/fry fish) or whatever my slow cooker can give me. It gives me the freedom to have a homemade meal without the time devotion.

On a usual night, I come home from work, unplug the cooker/put rice on, get changed, go for a run. When I come home I put on water to steam the vegetable of choice and stretch in the meanwhile. When all is said and done, I've run, stretched and eaten, cleaned up and showered before 8. Then it is off to bed. And to top it all I have leftovers for lunch for at least one day if not two

So what do I use in my slow cooker inquired my new roommate today:

I often use bottled sauces - I dump them and the protein of choice in the night before with a little water (1/4 to 1/3 cup) and sometimes onions etc. In the morning I throw the crock from the fridge in the "pot" plug it in and I'm off. You might say this is lazy - true it is - it is called a "short cut" and it is how people who use their kitchens regularly cook day in and day out. They have figured how to save themselves time - there are endless tricks - I have my spice mixes for the meals I make regularly, I have stock frozen in small portions etc.

Today I used Devya's Butter Chicken sauce. I have used their Channa Masala sauce and it is very good. It is organic, gluten free, vegan and trans fat free - which means to all my vegan friends you can use it with your Gardien or tofu - just nix the slow cooker. I added goat milk yogurt - which I realize is not "dairy" free, but my body accepts it in small doses. Coconut milk would work or a soy or coconut non-dairy creamer would work just as well. Of course you don't need to use a slow cooker - you can use a tender cut of meat like chicken breast.

For myself I think it is important to find ways to make homemade meals work for you, especially when you have allergies, living out of can and frozen entrees as a GF person may seem practical, but it is really not.