It's a tough time to be gluten-free.

While we watch the mortgage crisis unfold, gas prices climb and others bellyache over high grocery costs, we have to stomach another financial blow. Gluten-free food is often two or three times the cost of the wheat variety. Preparing gf meals requires more effort, more planning and often more traveling.

I suddenly felt this financial pinch last year. I have been working hard ever since to find ways to cut corners, yet still feed my picky eaters nutritious and delicious meals. Here is what I discovered:

1. Be aware of deals: Find the sales and use coupons. There's a clearance shelf at the back of most Kroger health sections. Other stores usually have clearance items for gluten-free items if you look. Check here for deals and coupons.

2. Keep it simple: Meat, potatoes and vegetables are gluten-free and cheap. Fresh fruit, Jell-O, raisins and tortilla chips are economical and simple snacks that are gluten-free.

3. Get used to cooking: You're going to have to spend lots of time in your kitchen to stay afloat in troubling economic times. Pick one day a week to bake and prepare a few standards. Baking from scratch can save tons. Pre-made baked goods can make quite a dent in your wallet.

4. Limit convenience items: We have a few convenience items I will spring for, such as Glutino breakfast bars and Ian's Fish Sticks. But, I have to suppress the urge to buy pre-made chicken nuggets and pizza. Pick a few that you can't live without, and go without the rest. There's nothing convenient about being broke.

5. Find a good store with all your favorites: Try to limit the number of trips you take by finding a store that has all your favorites. I go to a chain grocery store once a week, and to my favorite health food store once every two weeks. The less trips you take, the less gas you use.

6. Buy "regular" brands when you can: General Mills Rice Chex (make sure it's marked "gluten-free") cereal, Kroger french fries and Ballpark Franks are gluten free. Find out what you can buy in the "regular" aisles of the grocery store, and wait for sales to stock up.

7. Double up: Make a double recipe and freeze half. I freeze the second half in small plastic containers for one-serving standbys and convenient lunches.

8. Get some help: If you can get some financial relief, take it! Click here to find out more about flexible spending accounts for gluten-free food.

9. Don't be wasteful: Use the chicken remains to make broth, use the pretzel crumbs to coat your fish and don't let non-gluten-free glutens stick their hands into the gluten-free cookie jar!

10. Plan ahead: Buy in bulk when you can and plan meals ahead of time so nothing gets spoiled and wasted.

It's too bad the gluten-free eaters of America aren't being bailed out during these tough times, and grocery stores are not yet stocking shelves with affordable and easy-to-fix meals. In the meantime, stay on top of it and pat yourself on the back. Your efforts are making someone feel like a million bucks.

Whenever I am having trouble taking care of my picky eaters and it seems a little too impossible, I think of two women: my grandmothers. Both are women that grew up in the Depression era and raised large families as stay-at-home mothers. They got dinner on the table and fed 12 children in total. When I think of all they accomplished, my feat seems less challenging and I am inspired to bring the best I have to my boys' little plates.

So, in these troubled economic times I take a cue from my grandmothers, who are no longer here. Fortunately, their recipes and memories remain. And two of my all-time favorite recipes from these women just happen to be gluten-free.

All seven of my Grandmother Mary's children enjoyed this recipe:

Mary's Porcupine Meatballs
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup rice
spices to taste
3 cans (15 ounces) tomato sauce

Mix beef and rice in large bowl, using your hands. Season and roll into 1/2 inch balls. Place in slow cooker or stock pot. Add tomato sauce and simmer 1 hour, or slow cook for up to 5 hours. When rice cooks, it will stick out of the meatball and resemble a porcupine.

This recipe was made with onion soup mix, which I am happy to report is gluten free. Lipton, like Kraft, will list any allergens on the package. So far, I haven't seen any gluten-containing ingredients listed. But always make sure to check the ingredients because you never know when a company will change them. Anyway, this is a hit in our family because it is crispy and buttery and delicious:

Elaine's Rice Crispy Chicken
2 chicken breasts (4 pieces)
4 cups gluten free rice crispy cereal (Erewhon, Nature's Path, Enviro Kids -- KELLOGG'S IS NOT GLUTEN FREE)
1 cup butter or buttery spread, melted
1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Place rice crispies and soup mix in large plastic bag and seal. Crush crispies slightly. Dip chicken in butter, then shake coating onto each piece of chicken inside bag. Place in 9x13 pan, lined with foil, and bake at 375 F for 35-40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Sometimes, adults want to eat adult food. And with picky eaters, we don't always get to do this.

So, when I saw a recipe in this month's Healthy Cooking magazine that not only looked like the grown-up fare we used to enjoy, but also was gluten-free, I decided to give it a shot.
I made the simple recipe for Pork Chops with Ginger Maple Sauce, added a few touches of my own and looked forward to the interesting flavor combination of maple, ginger, cinnamon and chili powder. When all was said and done, my husband and I were pleased, but our kids were less so. And even though they merely nibbled on the pork, I am proud that they tried it.

From time to time, it's important to try new things, even on picky eaters, because you never now what they will enjoy. And I find exposing new flavors to those little taste buds can only be helpful down the road.

But just in case, I always make a side dish I know they will enjoy. This recipe calls for rice, so I just added some green beans and had some leftover grilled chicken on standby. In the end, it was a delicious meal for all.


















Adult Swim Pork Chops
1/2 an onion, chopped
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 pork chops (about 6 ounces each)
1/2 cup chicken broth (Pacific Naturals, Kitchen Basics)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/2 a pear sliced into 6-8 wedges
2 cups cooked rice

Saute onions in two teaspoons oil over medium-low heat, until they are golden brown and very tender. Add ginger powder or minced ginger root and cook a few minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Combine next four dry ingredients and rub on pork chops. Heat other two teaspoons of oil in large skillet. Brown pork chops (about 3 minutes on each side). Add broth, syrup and onion mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 8-10 minutes. Remove chops and place on cooked rice. Bring sauce in pan to a boil and reduce until liquid is thick. Place pear wedges in sauce and warm both sides (about 2 minutes each side). Pour sauce and pears over chops. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Tip: If you want to be more kid-friendly, use less ginger and chili powder. If you want to be less kid-friendly, deglaze pan with 1/4 cup white wine after browning chops.

I try to stay on top our meal plan, but sometimes I can fall behind. The other day, I was amazed at how easy it was to get breakfast, lunch and a few snacks into my picky eaters when I looked up at the clock and realized it was 5 p.m. and I had not even thought about what to prepare for dinner. I didn't pull any meat out of the freezer, my fridge was looking pretty bare and my little guys were getting hungry. I could tell because they were asking for candy, chips and other junk foods I knew would spoil their dinner --- whatever that would be.

That's when I spied the carton of eggs and hatched a plan for a quick and easy dinner. I did a quick scramble around the kitchen and came up with a can of mushrooms, half an onion, a few strips of bacon and a few crowns of broccoli. Within a half hour (and one episode of "Dora the Explorer"), I had a frittata, steamed broccoli and a salad on the table. A frittata is like an omelette, but instead of cooked on the stovetop and folded in half, it is first partially cooked on a stovetop but then finished in the oven and served open-faced like a quiche.

The kids loved it. The husband loved it. I loved it. I was pretty proud of myself. Now, what will I cook tomorrow night?

Empty the Fridge Frittata
A dozen eggs
1/2 chopped onion
4-5 strips bacon (Kraft and Applegate Farms are gluten free)
1 can mushrooms diced or at least one cup diced veggies of choice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Penzy's Mural of Flavor (shallots, onion, garlic, lemon peel, chives, orange peel) or generous amount of your favorite dried seasoning
2 teaspoons ground pepper

Cut bacon strips with scissors into confetti-sized pieces. Heat oil in oven-safe frying pan and saute bacon until cooked. Add onion, mushrooms (or veggies of choice) and spices. Saute for 3-5 minutes. While that is cooking, crack and whisk eggs. Preheat oven to 375 F. Add eggs to pan and cook at medium heat for 5-7 minutes, or until it looks about halfway cooked. Place pan in oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until it's fully cooked and the top looks cakey. If you wish, add a handfull of cheese. Slice like a pie and serve with fresh veggies and salad --- or whatever is in your fridge!

Tip: You can use turkey bacon or cubed lean meat for a lighter frittata, just add a little more olive oil so the eggs don't stick to the bottom.