Missing foods?

I don't know about you but there are some days I just really want a ding dong! Being GF can be frustrating at times especially when cravings hit. I have found a few things that have helped me along the way.

• In social settings I bring a treat along with me.

I have found I feel the most frustrated when in social settings. It seems like food is always at the center of things and I am on the outskirts saying no thanks. When I know food will be a part of a social gathering I try to find out what's on the menu and then I bring my own. This can be a hassle but it keeps me from just staying at home.

• When treats pop up and I can't eat them, I smell them instead.

Some of my friends think I am only torturing myself when I do this but I promise, it is no such thing. I love to cook and most treats I can modify to make them GF, so when a surprise treat is brought into work I simply tell myself that I can make it when I get home and then I ask if I can smell it. Usually food smells better than it tastes, I get my fix without the calories and without becoming ill. If later I still want it, I will make it at home.

• I modify recipes so I can have that ding dong if i really want it.

My sister has a fabulous web page called Eating Gluten Free. She and her friend started the business because even though they don't eat GF their kids do and they don't want to make two meals. They've modified recipes to make them GF and they taste just like they would unmodified! The Chocolate Cake Mix is one of my favorites. One day I really wanted ding dongs so I made the cake and put it into muffin tins. I made a filling I found on recipezaar.com for Twinkies and then covered the filled cupcakes with chocolate, used on fruit, that hardens quickly. They were delicious and a hit with my friends who aren't GF. That is when you know a recipe is a keeper!