Well holy cow. I’m at a loss. I’m literally sitting here thinking where do I begin. I’m punting my post until tomorrow because today, I just want to say thank you. Really and truly, thank you is not enough. In the 13ish years of blogging I’ve done, I don’t recall a time when I was as taken aback as I was on Friday (and this weekend too). Overwhelmed is really the only word that I can use to describe the love, encouragement and support you gave us when we shared that Kensington has Celiac disease. I tried responding to every single email, message and DM, but I just don’t think that’s going to be possible BUT I did start a folder in my inbox and have saved each and every one because they’re so rich with information. I also read every single comment on my blog and took copious notes from all of your suggestions and recommendations. I truly wish I could squeeze each of your necks and thank you myself in person. It was so much information that it was actually overwhelming (in a positive way!!).
On Saturday, I was talking to my sweet, sweet friend Meagan who has been by my side since the very beginning, and we were both like WOW. Her family has been living g-free for over 10 years, and she has been instrumental in this process. She and I run the Mix and Match Adoption Facebook group together (which for years has been blessing me!), and it was her suggestion that we also launch one for my g-free friends too! So, quickly this weekend, we put it together. If you are currently living a gluten-free life (due to Celiac, allergies, or just as a health decision) or just interested in connecting with and learning more about gluten-free living, please feel free to join, share and do life with us online. It’s always so encouraging to me to have this community and I’ve learned through the adoption page how vital it is to have a more open platform for this kind of support. Mix and Match Mama Gluten-Free Living group is now up and we’d love for you to join. Instead of all of you just sharing your great ideas with me, now, we can all share them with each other.
Also, many of you have asked about my recipes. I will continue to post recipes every day. Some are new, some are old, some are g-free, some are not, all are easy 🙂 . My goal is to just make fantastic recipes to share with you…that happen to be gluten-free. That’s all I want to do…make easy, delicious, family-friendly recipes minus gluten.
Seriously, I have a whole post for today, but I’m going to just save that for tomorrow. In the meantime, happy Monday. I hope someone blesses you as much today as you all blessed me over the weekend. xo
Dana says
I learned a lot, too! And you inspired me to do a gluten-free trial to see if it helps the acne I’ve dealt with for nearly 30 years. I’m hoping to finally have an answer for why I can’t get it to go away!
Sarah Mitchell says
I am gluten free and have made A LOT of your recipes into gluten free :)! You will be happy to know they still taste amazing! Thank goodness for Gluten free Bisquick, because I don’t think I could live without your Maple sausage Balls! I have made them so many time with the gluten free bisquick and everyone loves them!!! Praying for your family and all fo the life changes that Celiac is bringing! <3
Mix and Match Mama says
I made them JUST YESTERDAY!!!!! xo
Brenna Johnson says
Yum! Must try!
Meagan Ruse says
I am so excited about this new journey with you!!!! Love you so much!
Jessica says
Good morning! Someone else likely already recommended her, but check out Janae at @cleanmondaymeals. She also has Celiac and shares her meal prep. Take care. ❤️
Rebecca says
We thought about you, Kensington, and your family all weekend. Praying for sweet Kensington! You are one awesome mama, and she is blessed to have you. I know you will create the best G-free meals ever for your family!!!
Sheaffer Sims says
This is wonderful. You helped a lot of people, and a lot of people helped you!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
You are so blessed, Shay! Hope you had a great weekend – looking forward to your post tomorrow! ❤️✨
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Tisha says
I am so glad that they figured out what was causing your precious K her problems. I will be praying for all of you as you continue to navigate this new life change.
Debbie K. says
As I was grocery shopping yesterday, I just happened to turn my head and there was the gluten free section. Right then, I said a prayer for sweet Kensington. You have an army behind you, Shay, because of the way you make us feel with your blog. It’s like we are all family and you need us right now to share with you. I don’t have any good advice as this is not something I’ve had to deal with. But, you’ve got my prayers! Happy Monday!
Pat says
It is a blessing to read your daily post–it makes me smile! I pray for your family and am so glad that you kindness and love for family and friends are expressed so well that it touches our hearts. God Bless You?
Erika Slaughter says
Such a sweet sweet post about this family you’ve created!
Laci says
Shay, your community is the best of the best! So thankful so many people are experienced in this and can help one another out!
Debbie says
Praying for your family!
Lorie O'Brien says
My friend had the same exact sypmtoms as your daughter and went through numerous doctors like your daughter. Her journey is almost the same. When food is cross containamanted she will get some hives but luckily for her it doens’t happen very often. Wishin your daughter all the best. She isn’t alone.
Jennifer says
You’ve had me thinking since your original post. First off, bless your sweet Kensington. She’s so brave to be willing to share her story & the picture of her rash. I’m glad you were able to figure out what was wrong so quickly, though I know it didn’t feel fast in the moment. I have 4 kids & they all have weird issues that could be traced to gluten. One of my daughters struggles so much with anxiety, i noticed when googling symptoms that there could be a link between mental health & gluten. And my husband has stomach issues. I’m going to try GF to see if we notice any differences. I’m totally intimidated. But very thankful you & Kensington were willing to share your story because it’s prompted me to seek a different route with my own family’s health. And I’m really happy you are starting this FB page with Meagan. Thank you!
Jumi says
You are such an amazing person and I love reading about your family and learn so much from you. Wishing and praying for you all as you navigate these changes. You have gone through so much and I thank you for continuing to share
Alissa says
Praying for you and your family, Shay! So appreciative of your willingness to share with us all that is going on so we can walk through this with you!
Kristen says
I’m so sorry about Kensington’s unfortunate circumstance but I am thrilled to hear you will now be sharing some gluten free recipes! I’ve been a follow of yours for years but haven’t used many of your recipes because my family is gluten free and pretty much sticks to a paleo diet. I think you’ll find it is a blessing in disguise and your whole family will experience the health benefits of being gluten free!
Lorie says
Prayers for Kenington and all your family as you face this challenge. So happy, but not at all surprised, to see that you are already turning it into an opportunity to help so many others. I rarely comment, but your blog is an important part of my life now and has truly changed it in so many positive ways. Thanks for always sharing with us…the good and not-so-good.
Mix and Match Mama says
Well, thank you so much, Lorie! That really means a lot. xx
Nicole says
Would love to see a new post on what you eat in a day now!! Have you replaced your everyday brownie?!
Mix and Match Mama says
You know, we really haven’t been doing that since about mid-October. When it looked like K was going to officially be on a g-free diet, I started playing around with some g-free brownie recipes and the texture was just not for me (a bit grainy), so I moved on to other things and we haven’t revisited it.
Katie M says
Betty Crocker has the very best gluten free brownie mix and you can get it at Kroger, Market Street, Walmart, etc! My family has been g-free for years and after a lot of duds, we love love love this one! Also so much at Trader Joe’s and Sprouts is gf and Costco is pretty great too. It’s a huge adjustment but once you get into a groove it becomes second nature. Dominos is great for gluten free pizza delivery and there are so many awesome gluten free restaurants in DFW. I hope you can find food you love to replace all the foods you love that are glutenous. I feel like I’m not missing out now that I have so many alternatives I love.
Kim says
The immaculate brownie mix is amazing!!! You can often even find it at Target. Close to a real brownie that I have found!
Denise says
If you have access to Aldi I urge you to try their LifeGFree chocolate baking mix. The brownies are FABULOUS!
Am looking for a great stuffing mix to use for Thanksgiving. The one sold at Aldi isn’t to our liking – actually, I make a traditional from scratch and this would be for my husband.
Thanks!
Diane says
There are sooooo many good people in this world for sure! Hugs and prayers from this speech pathologist/Grandma down the road in Waco!
Sara says
Hey Shay- I didn’t get to comment on your Friday post but I wanted to let you know my sister in law and mother in law have celiac disease. The gluten free options have really come a long way in the last ten years. I absolutely love Bob’s red Mill 1 to 1 flour. You literally can substitute it for any baked good recipe that calls for regular flour. Also Bisquick makes a good gluten free mix. Also I believe all Chex cereals are gluten free too. Also cornstarch is your friend Gravy, cream soups, this is gluten free and will thicken up things for you without flour. I actually have made cream gf soups from scratch to accommodate creamy casseroles before. Praying for you guys and this transition. I have full confidence you will make amazing gluten free recipes soon! ♥️
Tina says
You always inspire me with the way you take on life! I’ve wanted to try gluten free for a while now, in hopes of helping my husband and kids with some symptoms. While I do cook a lot of our dinners, we also eat out often. Have you found eating out to be difficult now?
Mix and Match Mama says
I have found it to be challenging. That being said, I have also been so amazed by how understanding/helpful/considerate/amazing people in the restaurant industry are when it comes to food allergies (and things like Celiac). This was my first experience with something like this, and they have really wowed me.
Melanie says
I am glad that you are on the receiving end of blessings because you always bless others with your writing talent and your encouraging spirit. I am praying for your whole family as you make this transition.
Heidi T says
Hi Shay! I have been reading your blog for years and love following along with your sweet family! I am sorry for all the health things you all have been dealing with lately. Someone may have already given you this blog, but Kristin is one of my favorite food bloggers that found out she had Celiac after pregnancy. She has made her blog all gluten-free now and has also written an ebook to help people at the beginning of their gluten-free journey. I just wanted to share!
https://iowagirleats.com/gluten-free-for-beginners/
God bless you and many prayers for the days ahead!
Andrea Lloyd says
I was going to recommend IGE too!!! Gluten free &family friendly!!!
Pam says
It’s wonderful you created a gluten free living group page!
However, I am not on facebook, & therefore, cannot access any of the information 🙁
I have also done quite a bit of research into the flours used for substituting when cooking gluten free. Many of the flours contain rice flour. Rice is high in arsenic and I have had problems with companies not responding to my inquiries regarding the level of arsenic in their flours.
If you ever dig deep into this problem with gluten free flours & can get answers from companies about what levels of arsenic are in the rice flours they produce, I would be forever grateful. As of now, I will not use or eat any product that uses rice flour or rice bran, etc.
I spent a few hours combing through the comments on Friday as well & discovered some new websites I had not known about before. So, thank you for sharing Kensington’s story with us! She is a beautiful girl with a beautiful caring family.
Take care
Sandy Blitch says
I have been gluten intolerant since 2006. It is SO much easier now than it was then! Just a heads up, along with my GF diet, I have lactose intolerance and corn intolerance, as well as soy! I just want you to be aware that intolerances/allergies in these other food groups can accompany celiac/gluten intolerance! I pray that Kensington will not face this, she is so young! But, your attitude and adaptation to her new lifestyle will help her so much! Prayers for her and you as her Momma!
Janette says
Has Andrew been checked for Crohn”s disease? It took six different doctors to get the right diagnosis for my daughter/blog partner. She was 15 when she was diagnosed and is now 40. It takes on different forms in different people. Very sneaky. She vowed it would not rule her life, and it hasn’t. She rode her bicycle across the country three times in college, has two children (adopted from Thailand) is a world traveler, active volunteer, wonderful daughter and much more.
Mix and Match Mama says
He has but that pops up from time to time to when talking to different specialists.
Kirsten says
If she hasn’t already been recommended, Kristin of Iowa Girl Eats is an amazing gluten-free food blogger!!
Megan says
Thinking of Kensington so much! I just saw this article in the Washington Post from last Monday about gluten-free baking and thought I would share it just in case it might help.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2020/01/20/__trashed-14/
Nicole Wilder says
Hi Shay! I tried your red beans and rice last night and I will NEVER go back to the way I used to make it! It was SO good and my family loved it. Thanks for posting so many awesome recipes-I was in a rut for a while with dinner ideas but you have helped so much!
Kristen says
This is not an ad for Aldi because I dont know much about the store and I have only ever been one time and it was this past weekend after reading your article but I was surprised how many gluten free products they had. Might be worth checking out.
Jodi from Ohio says
Oh wow…Poor Kensington. I was diagnosed with Celiac in 2013 which I believe was due to a virus and although it can be trying at times it definitely can be controlled with diet. I no longer have Villous Atrophy. Praise God! I worry about my son who is 11 because he does carry the gene so it can be triggered at anytime. If you do not have the gene you cannot get CD.
Rice is my go to amd most McCormick spices are GF as well as Badia (certified GF). I order Badia online. Great prices. Dump cakes will become a fave when you need a little sweet treat. 1 GF cake mix
1 can pie filling or cranberry sauce
Yummm
Can’t wait for your GF recipes.
Many prayers for ALL of you…..Let Go and Let GOD ❤️
Sherry Kenney says
For when you travel….a great follow on IG is @glutenfree.newyork. Friedman’s is great in NYC and mostly g-free. Also, Noglu in Paris is great and they also now have a NYC location. Follow @nogluparis and @noglunyc. Wishing you the very best of luck! You’ve got this!
Amy Stone says
One of my friends from college is a talented and educated nutrition coach and has a company called Simply Real Health. You can visit her website here: https://simplyrealhealth.com/ She has tons of amazing easy recipes that do not include gluten and she provides tons of tips and tricks on eating clean and where she finds great products that are gluten free. I’m sure you’ve received tons of resources but her website and blog are great and include so much helpful information. So glad that you figured this out for K! How stressful all of that must have been especially all within one week. My two year old knocked out teeth on Christmas day and I’ve been a basket case about that so I can’t imagine getting all of that news so close together. My heart goes out to you and your sweet family Shay!
Susie LaBelle says
Hi, I’m so glad you got a diagnosis and could act on it right away <3 What a huge change for your family! Just curious, will you be adjusting the recipes each Monday? Or how exactly will you be showing the GF version of all your yumminess??? 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
Not at this time. I still love all of my recipes (and I have so many of them!), that as of right now, I won’t be. That being said, I’ve had dozens of people email/message me this week that they’ve been easily making my meals g-free for years now, so that was super encouraging.
Valerie Bothell says
I am confident that you make the gluten free change in your life a success! You may want to also watch out for the gluten that is in shampoo, lotions and other cosmetics. It took me a while to figure it out until I realized why I still had a rash on my head and face occasionally.
Tiff says
Just tried a gluten-free granola bar and they’re so delish that I wanted to share! The brand is Autumn’s Gold and they have Grain Free Granola Bars. I tried the Cinnamon Almond one from church and would recommend (has almonds, pecans, maple syrup, honey, coconut, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, sea salt, vanilla).
Meaghan says
Hi Shay,
I just read your post about going gluten free. My daughter was diagnosed with Celiac disease 8 years ago and we have been gluten free ever since. I also love to bake and have found some amazing bloggers out there in the internet world who create AMAZING gluten free recipes. You may have already discovered them, but here are a few I use all the time. Whenever I bake from these sites all my non-gluten free friends and families rave about the recipes. Once you get comfortable with the flours and how to mix them and use them successfully you will probably be creating your own gluten free treats in no time!
Good luck!!
https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/
https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/
https://www.realfoodwithjessica.com/
https://www.texanerin.com/