The Brown Rice Spaghetti Kid

One of the products on the Fresh And Easy "Gluten Aware" grocery list is brown rice spaghetti.  Being new at this gluten free stuff I was actually pretty happy to see something on the list that would replace something that Wade enjoys so much, as his "bestest dinner evah" is spaghetti.  In fact it was one of the meals we gave him when we thought he was all better.  And naturally, he threw it up part way through the meal because it had wheat in it. 

Anyway, we grabbed some of these brown rice noodles, also noticed that they sell brown rice rotini, and a jar of Puro spaghetti sauce.  We noticed on the label of the spaghetti sauce that it said it was processed in the same facility that processes wheat, etc, but that it went on to say that these products are separated in order to prevent contamination.  Plus it was like a buck a jar, and since the noodles were almost $3 on their own, I figured I could skate by with some cheap sauce. 

The whole pot was to be made just for Wade.  With less options for meals I am all about making him his own dinners that he can eat, because frankly, I won't lie, the whole house is not going gluten free.  We have three very gluten addicted adults and a gluten loving 7 year old who would only give it up if it were absolutely necessary to Wade's health. 

Now because we do have wheat in our home, we are technically a facility that processes wheat.  But, at home I feel like we can control it more, where as in a factory you can only hope. 

I know some people are troopers to the extreme and they banish everything wheat and they don't pig out on pizza and toast in front of the little gluten free kid but we're not that well off and we can't just go and toss out a bunch of perfectly good food that the adults and Ty (Wade's brother) can eat. 

And who can argue with ramen?  It sucks that Wade can't eat it, but if I can have lunch for 17 cents I'm going to have lunch for 17 cents.  That way I can still buy Wade his special $4 pretzels and pancake mix. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm actually pretty lucky to have Fresh And Easy around.  I've been told that Gluten Free Foods are expensive, or at places like Trader Joes "affordable."  I don't generally shop at Trader Joe's because it's over in Redlands and I no longer drive, but from what I've seen the few times I've been there it's more pricey than Fresh And Easy on a lot of things.  Actually, Fresh And Easy tends to run a bit less expensive than Stater's (a Southern California grocery chain) and I always seem to get more food for the money I spend there.  Plus they print that nice $3 off $30 coupon every week. 

Of course we have to wait for David to go there because it's in Calimesa (next town over) so it's not a bike ride thing...though it could be doable as long as we don't get anything that will perish on the way home.  Yes we do have a thermal bag from Dollar Tree but I'm not sure how long it will work for, and we're talking an hour + ride. 

Anyway, so this brown rice spaghetti business.  Willie, who cooked the noodles, reported to me that the noodles cook weird.  He said there was kind of a goop on top of the water, they looked really--not like noodles, he said.  But then when he dumped them out they were fine.  They mixed with the sauce just fine, the texture was fine, and they were indeed noodle shaped.  Most importantly Wade was very pleased.  We gave him a couple chicken legs on the side to go with it (chicken legs are like $3 a dozen raw, we just bake or boil them and give them to him with eggs or with veggies at dinner.)  He's got a whole big container of leftovers all for himself in the fridge, too.  Because frankly?  I'm sorry but I'm not turned on by alternative ingredients. 

Remember that I am lactose intolerant so I've been dealing with soy crap for years now.  I just in the last year discovered almond milk, but all this Veggie Shreds and Tofu Rella has got me sick from the tit to the bone. 

As for what is going on at school, well, they need a doctor's note to give him special meals.  Yes I did send snacks like popcorn, Skittles, and a container of plain Rice Chex (without peanut butter and Nutella on them like I do them at home because we have to be sensitive to the five peanut free friends in the classroom this year) but Wade gets to eat breakfast at school too since he's AM kindergarten. 

The child nutrition services director called me and said that there are far less options for breakfast than there are for lunch, but even without the note (which we can't get until he sees the allergist which he can't see until he sees his doctor and yes that's two co-payments and that's pissing me off) she said she couldn't do anything--but she is.  They're importing hard boiled eggs from the high school and checking the warehouse for Kix and Rice Chex.  He said he's been eating hard boiled eggs and oranges for a week, but the lady told me it would take a while before she could get the sausage and egg patties over to his school.  Which is fine.  He does eat here before he leaves, it's just really hard to go to school and see all of your friends eating and YOU CAN'T HAVE ANY. 

I'm grateful that the school district is accommodating him anyway. 

Next up, Quaker Oats:  Friend Or Foe?