Ok, I’m coming out of the closet. I have a gluten allergy. I spent several years in denial, stuffing myself with bread, and having recurrent health problems, before I finally got a blood panel done that confirmed the diagnosis. I spent the interim, waiting on the results, thinking that I had an autoimmune disease like lupus. If you’ve ever known someone who had lupus, or even googled it, you’ll know why that was a terrifying proposition! When I finally learned what was causing my illness, my reaction was “That’s IT?! That’s so easy to fix!” Although I was that person who could (and would) eat bread for my entire dinner, it’s all about perspective. Even now, every time I’m tempted to reach for that dinner roll, I remember all over again that my health could very well could be out of my power. And when I remember that…well… that dinner roll doesn’t seem quite so tasty anymore, and I sure don’t bother feeling sorry for myself.

So. I’ve dived head-first onto the gluten-free bandwagon, out of necessity, and it occurred to me that there are others like me that might benefit from my favorite brands and/or recipes. My absolute favorite food was (and still is) pizza. I’ve tried every single packaged, carry-out and pizza crust mix out there, and the one I keep coming back to is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix. It comes in a little bag like this one (below) at my local grocers. It’s not the cheapest, but I promise it’s the best.

You simply mix it with water, oil and eggs, let it rise for a few minutes, and bake it for about 7 minutes before you put the toppings on. I have traditionally made homeade pizza a few nights a month for my family, and I would use my bread machine to mix up the dough. This really isn’t any harder than that was, and I have discovered the absolute BEST bonus..the rest of my family even likes it! 😉

Happiness and Hoofbeats,

The Gate Girl