Homemade Gluten-Free Pasta on My Diverticulitis Journey

Living with diverticulitis this past week has definitely made me rethink the foods I eat. I’ve had to cut out a lot of things I used to enjoy, and at first it felt like all the good stuff was gone, especially pasta. I’m gluten intolerant and also need to stay away from corn now, which makes finding store bought pasta that actually works for me pretty difficult.

The other day, I decided to try making my own noodles at home. I used a simple mix of rice flour, tapioca starch, and a little psyllium husk for binding. The dough came together quickly, but I had to play with the water a bit until it felt right. In the end, it took about ½ cup of water to get the texture I wanted.

I rolled the dough out by hand, cut it into strips, and honestly, I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. But when I cooked the noodles and served them up with sauce, my kids and I were surprised — we actually loved them. The texture was light, and they held together so much better than I expected.

For me, this was more than just about pasta. It was a reminder that even with diverticulitis and food allergies, I don’t have to give up comfort foods completely. Sometimes it just takes a little creativity and a willingness to try something new.

And I’ll say this — there’s something really satisfying about sitting down to a bowl of pasta you made yourself, especially when it’s something your whole family can enjoy together.

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Gluten Free Fusilli with seasoned beef and alfredo sauce

Tonight I wanted to keep it simple and pasta seemed an easy bet. I was at the Grocery Outlet awhile back and they were selling Gluten Free pasta that I decided to try.

They had Explore Asian’s Organic Thai Brown Rice Pasta Fusilli. I couldn’t resist and grabbed a bag to eventually try. Tonight was the night! It is simply made from Organic Thai Brown Rice, Organic Tapioca Flour and water.

It was very tasty to say the least and went well with the seasoned beef and alfredo sauce!

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Udi’s Gluten Free Ziti & Meatballs – Review

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I was very delighted tonight to finally try Udi’s Gluten Free Ziti & Meatballs Frozen entree tonight.  I even got two thumbs up from my husband who is very finicky!!

1943Nevertheless, I bought 3 bags since an 18oz  bag only contains two servings. I tossed all 3 bags into a large glass bowl and placed it into the microwave for 10 minutes. When the buzzer went off I stirred gently as to not to break the ziti and then placed it back into the microwave for another 10 minutes.

The aroma in the kitchen smelled like I had been making sauce all day long! My husband at first was leery and had an “OMG what is for dinner look on his face?”

One bite in he said he LOVED this meal, ate 3 helpings and told me I needed to stock up on more bags!!!So I would say he like it, LOL!!

And of course, I love easy meals like this when I have a busy day due to the kids being in Scouting. And having it ready in 20 minutes is perfect. The price was roughly $8.00 at Walmart the last time I saw it, but I bought these bags at the Grocery Outlet today for $2.49/bag which is a fantastic price especially when you are buying 3 bags to feed a family of 5. AND there was at least one helping leftover for lunch tomorrow!

All in all, Udi’s Gluten Free Ziti & Meatballs  was great tasting, easy to prepare and no one squawked over not wanting to eat. Everyone left happy and satisfied.

I will be going back to the Grocery Outlet tomorrow to see if they have any more on the shelf so I can stock up!!

 

 

Gluten Free Homemade Macaroni Salad

So I use to like L&L’s Hawaiian Barbecue. Ever since I found out I was allergic to chicken and gluten, I haven’t eaten there in years. This Macaroni Salad recipe is a copycat version of their mac salad. It is so tasty that my husband LOVED it and kept raving to people how great it was. Now that made me a happy cook that is for sure!

Anyhow, here is my take on L&L’s Hawaiian Barbecue’s Mac Salad.

Gluten free homemade macaroni salad

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Gluten Free Alfredo Sauce

My family isn’t really into traditional tomato pasta sauce… we love Alfredo Sauce. Tonight I threw together what I had in the fridge and every person at my table raved and my youngest even had 2 helpings of pasta… this is a kid who HATES pasta night. So I will take that as I did really well.

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One-pot Gluten Free Turkey Alfredo

I have not been feeling well the last week. I have head congestion that just won’t seem to go away. But no matter how I feel, I am still at it in the kitchen making dinner for everyone, EVERY.SINGLE.NIGHT.

Last night I decided that I was going to use up the last of the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers and thought a pasta dinner would be the way to go.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE turkey leftovers… but after a week of eating Turkey for dinner — I am kinda done and would like something else regardless of how creative I can get.

Making a dinner that only requires one-pot makes for easy clean up! And not to mention a simple dinner prep.

One-Pot Turkey Alfredo

 

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Gluten Free Beef Stroganoff

Gluten Free Beef Stroganoff | Small Town Living in Nevada


Even though my husband isn’t a huge fan of Beef Stroganoff, I still make it for dinner once or twice a year.

The kids definitely like my Gluten Free Beef Stroganoff, and totally wish I could make it more often.

Nevertheless, Beef Stroganoff is a comfort food that you should try… so give it a try you won’t be disappointed.

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What’s for dinner?

Gluten Free Rice & Potato Gnocchi

What’s for dinner:

Gluten Free Gnocchi with Alfredo sauce accompanied by a GF Caesar Salad is what I made for my family in about 15-20 minutes if that.

I came across Corabella’s rice and potato gnocchi’s that were gluten-free at the grocery outlet yesterday. I bought 3 boxes at $1.99/box. And have to say they were very good and paired well with a gluten free Caesar Salad for dinner!

The down side to the Grocery Outlet is their products don’t stay around for long, so I might have to go back and buy a few more packages to stock up on.

Gluten Free Turkey Alfredo with Veggies

Alfredo Pasta with Turkey and Veggies | Small Town Living in NevadaWhen I make pasta I always need a protein and veggie in it. I can’t handle eating the carbs alone it just feels like something is missing. And I love, love, love Alfredo Sauce and think it is the best pasta sauce out there! Anyhow, here is a fast and easy recipe that you can make in less than 30 minutes tops.

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Gluten Free Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuna Noodle Casserole | Small Town Living in Nevada

I really need to go grocery shopping. I am out of everything. The only thing that was in the cupboard was tuna and I wasn’t even certain the kids would eat that. However, I needed to make something for dinner and the only thing that came to mind was Tuna Noodle Casserole.

There is absolutely nothing fancy about this dinner but everyone said they loved it and my husband and daughter both had seconds! I say that was a win / win for this Mama!

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