homemade tortillas

[CSP]

For those of you who do let your children have wheat, I found this to be a very good way to save money.

 

I baught a tortilla press last winter and just pulled it out again, as we have given son back wheat. he really had no change in taking it out. I think it may have made things worse because he had so little to choose from to eat.

 

Anyway I have found that I can use tortillas for so many things and it is cheap. Yes, for tacos, cheese quesadillas, enchiladas,

wraps, make pizza, and bake them for chrispy chips with salsa if your child can not eat corn chips.

 

Tortilla press was less then $25.00 I baught an iron one.

 

Recipe for homemade tortillas,

 

3cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 c oil

1 c warm water

 

mix all into a dough.

 

press dough then heat on a skillet just until brown spots form on tortillas, flip and do the other side.

 

I put them in a covered dish and they became soft and stayed warm for a long time.

 

Just wanted to give some ideas for keeping costs down, I spent a lot on tortillas at whole foods and only get like 6 tortillas, not enough for this family.

 

CP

 

P.S. Caryn if you have a recipe for gluten free maybe you could let us know.

[kallik]

CSP, thanks for the tortilla recipe. Where did you purchase your tortilla press? Thanks

[CSP]

kallik,

 

I googled it and baught it on line, I really think I only paid $15.00. + shipping. I make a bunch and freeze them.

 

CP

[Caryn]

CP,

We buy brown rice tortillas in bulk from our Celiac store and I freeze them. The brand is Food for Life. Marci, the owner of the store gives me a discount for buying a case of twelve. They are the only tortillas that are corn free. We have made chips from them and use them to make quesadillas. They break easily and can't be bent to make a taco.

As you probably know, gluten is the protein found in wheat that acts as a 'glue' (thus the name GLUten). Some folks don't produce enzymes that can break down the gluten properly and so it causes digestive and neurological complications when eaten as a staple food for an extended period of time. The gluten is also what makes the tortilla hold together so well and bendable. Milk also has a protein, casein, that does the same but also can be difficult to digest (30% of Celiacs can't digest milk protein either).

My celiac group moderator posted this link for a thin, pliable gluten free wrap, but it is made with Pamela's mix which has milk in it.

http://glutenfreediscoveries.blogspot.com/...wrap-bread.html

Bread from Anna is a good mix that folks could use to make tortillas (bean mix, no milk or gluten or corn or soy). I have never done it as I haven't bought a tortilla maker.

I agree that a gluten free diet doesn't work for everyone (you really need to know if your family is genetically susceptible), but I have also come to believe that by itself it doesn't work either. I just want to mention this for folks reading this for the first time and unfamiliar with all of this. We do organic, additive free, corn-free, soy-free and dairy reduced, too.

Tigger has a varied diet and does eat minimal dairy now with enzymes (but he never tested intolerant to it). We use a lot of goat kefir and yogurt, but occasionally I let him have a gluten free pizza with cheese. We eat a lot of fresh fruit and veggies. I make a lot of soups, and use nut-based flours a lot.

It makes it easier when you've got a kid who isn't a picky eater and one that gladly eats protein and doesn't crave carbs. Tigger is my best eater at the moment. I am attributing it to full day kindy. He eats a big breakfast, more than half his lunch, and then is starving for dinner. Yesterday he told me he likes all of my dinners, even the ones that don't taste too good.

I know what you mean about varied diet. I did a bit of research a while back because I noticed he began to have a salicylate sensitivity on top of everything else. I learned a few things--- too much B6 over the long haul can cause that. Also, avoiding milk (and not eating turkey, etc...) can cause hyperactivity too due to a lack of dietary tryptophan. Yes, so avoiding certain foods can lead to other problems, even when your intention is to 'cure'. Many of us don't have dietary advice from a nutritionist, so I just want to put this out there as food for thought.

Excuse the very bad pun!!!!

What matters most is finding what works and sticking to it.

Caryn