It has come to this, the final week. As TV shows are pulling all the stops for their final episodes and the children are wrapping up their school years, I am still manning the gluten-free kitchen and trying to accomplish what many must endure all day, every day to keep their bodies healthy and free of a harm-causing protein.

I have been to every store and tried all the gluten-free products I could get my hands on. I'm looking back at the last handful of posts and I notice a few common ingredients. It appears I have become quite fond of 1. bananas 2. sugar and 3. chocolate.

OK, truth be told, I always have had an unhealthy fondness for chocolate. But bananas? And all these sweets? I wonder if this has to do with missing gluten. Is my body craving sugar and fruit heavy in carbohydrates (a banana has 26 grams compared with apples and oranges, which have 8)? I would say, yes sir.

In fact, in an attempt to be a little healthier, I grabbed a bar of dark, organic chocolate off the grocery store shelf last week. My plan was to allow myself just a few squares a day so I could feed my cravings a little without going overboard. But you know how this story ends... By the car ride home, half the bar was gone and I had to bury it in the bottom of my purse and throw it in the back seat. When I got home, I pulled the bar out and decided to put it in the garbage when I realized... I never read the label! Tsk, tsk. I really should know better by now. The bar was produced on "shared equipment as products that contain wheat." I suppose I am allowed one slip in three weeks.
So, I haven't made the best choices in past week or so, but I am back on track this week. I made a slow cooker full of chili made with ground turkey, pinto/black/kidney beans, Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes, onions, celery, garlic, cumin and chili powder. I paired it with a slice of gluten-free bread right out of the bread maker for a healthful dinner. I had a bowl of pineapple chunks (12 grams of carbs per serving) and strawberries (0.6 grams of carbs per serving) for dessert and didn't miss the chocolate bar. Well, not that much.Maybe after my body adjusts to the new diet, or I start introducing tiny bits of gluten, I will not crave so many things.

Until then, I will do the best I can.

Here are some other things I craved during my super-splurging....

I don't know whether I just missed the ease of grabbing a quick bite, or the late-night viewings of "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," but man did I want a Coney Dog. Here in Metro Detroit, our Coneys are basically a loose meat chili on top of a grilled dog with a sprinkle of onions. I thought, I can revamp this and make it gluten-free. And Presto:

Gluten-free Coney Dogs
Chili Sauce:
1 pound ground beef (some "traditional" recipes also call for beef heart, but I skipped that)
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
Salt, pepper to taste
3 tablespoons flour blend (such as Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 cups beef broth
1 can tomato paste
Brown beef in large saute pan until fully cooked.

Scoop 3 tablespoons of fat into a small sauce pan. Drain the rest of the fat. Whisk the flour into the reserved fat and cook over medium heat. Stir frequently until it turns amber (about 10 minutes). This makes a roux. Then whisk in the broth, tomato paste and vinegar. Cook on low for 5 minutes.

Add Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, celery and pepper to meat mixture. Saute for 10 minutes. Add roux and stir. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Take 1/3 of the mixture out of the pan and puree in food processor, then add it back to the pan. Now you have a chili topping for your Detroit Coney Dog! Place hot dog on favorite gf bread or buns (we used a bun from Sugar Kisses Bakery) and top with chili and chopped onions.

One of my favorite side dishes growing up was fried zucchini. I remember my aunts using up their garden zucchini this way. Dipped in egg, breadcrumbs and fried in oil, they are warm and juicy on the inside and crispy and fried on the outside. What's not to love? And there's a vegetable in there somewhere...

Fried Zucchini
3 medium-sized zucchini washed and cut into 1/2 inch disks
2 cups homemade* or store-bought breadcrumbs (look in health section in supermarket). If they aren't flavored, add Italian spices such as oregano, basil and garlic
1 egg
3 tablespoons canola oil

Whisk egg in large, shallow bowl. Place breadcrumbs in second shallow bowl. Heat oil in large frying pan and set up plate lined with paper towels. Dip each piece of zucchini first in egg, then roll in crumbs. Place in heated oil (careful while dropping it in!). Cook each side about 10 minutes. Grab with tongs and place on paper towel. Cool for 15 minutes before eating.

* For homemade breadcrumbs: Place 6 slices of stale bread on baking sheet and bake in 200 F oven for 15-20 minutes or until brown on edges. Pulse in food processor with desired spices. I also heard crumbled up Rice Chex works!