I remember my first experience with gluten-free bread.

I paid nearly $6 for a loaf at the grocery store. It was about one-third the size of a standard loaf of whole wheat bread. I picked the one that felt softest to the touch and looked closest to what we were used to eating.

I got home, took a slice out of the bag and bit down. Then, I immediately spit it out. The texture was dry and crumbly. It tasted like freeze-dried vinegar. It was unacceptable.

Becoming Suddenly Gluten Free has had its challenges, and I have worked hard to find all kinds of replacements. I have replaced pasta, flours and most other standards. But bread is an important menu item for families and sandwich-lovers like us. And it has been the most challenging.

Here are some things we discovered after months tracking down an acceptable bread alternative:

We had to change our thinking
Although there are much better-tasting breads out there than the loaf I first bought at the grocery store, none of them taste like gluten-based bread. A good, soft piece of gluten-free bread still has a different taste. But that doesn't make it bad. Once you adapt to the different texture and taste, you will find it is actually quite delicious.

Baking bread is key
I went online and ordered an array of bread mixes. I also tried a few recipes from scratch via Carol Fenster's "Gluten-free Quick & Easy." The one we liked the best was Gluten-free Pantry's Favorite Sandwich Bread Mix. We got the mix at Meijer, but you can also get it here. Many of the mixes were good when they were made fresh. The loaves are bigger and softer and taste delicious. They do get moldy faster, however, so freeze half the loaf and cut as needed. Do not pre-slice.

Not all pre-made bread is bad
We found a few brands that tasted OK if we needed to get a loaf in a pinch. Check out Whole Food's Gluten Free Bakery bread, located within the store near the other baked goods. They run an entire line of gluten-free bakery items. Warning, though: Nearly all of them have dairy products in them, so those on the gluten-free casein-free diet must beware. Another brand we like is Kinnikinnick. They offer plenty of casein-free and yeast-free varieties. Our favorite is the Tapioca Bread.

Invest in a bread maker if you can
We lucked out and got one for the holidays. The 2-pound Convection Breadmaker from Cuisinart has been invaluable. It has a gluten-free setting for different rising times and temperatures. We simply throw in a bag of mix, a few wet ingredients and poof -- an hour later we have fresh bread. It is an investment that is beyond worth it. I wish we would have thought of it ourselves!

Have fun and be creative
There are actually some recipes that taste better with gluten-free bread. The more crumbly texture makes it a good fit for meatloaves or anything that asks for breadcrumbs. Just grind in food processor with a few of your favorite spices and voila! Breadcrumbs. Also, we like using gluten-free bread for french toast. Its porous surface soaks in a lot of egg and makes a dense, rich version of the breakfast classic.

Baked French Toast
6 slices of gluten-free bread, cut thick
8 eggs
2-3 cups milk or milk substitue
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pam cooking spray (do not use Pam for Baking)
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups brown sugar

Spray a 9x13 dish. Arrange slice of bread. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk and spices. Pour over bread, cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, prehead oven to 350F. Melt butter and brown sugar together in saucepan and pour over bread and egg mixture. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Serve with fresh fruit or syrup and enjoy!