Cross Contamination- Celiac's and "Wheaties" Can Live in Harmony

When my daughter was diagnosed as a Celiac, my initial instinct was to feed the whole family gluten free food. That way of course there was no possible way for her to get dosed with gluten. However, that was somewhat an idealist idea once I saw the cost of eating gluten free. I was astounded how much groceries were costing for just my daughter- and then just multiply that cost by four people...Gulp!
So the next decision was to revamp the kitchen, and the etiquette there within. Sounds simple enough- and alot of it is easy, it just takes practice and training of all family members. Even for the Celiac herself! (My daughter once used the wrong margarine tub...I felt awful for her, but hers was clearly marked with her name. Everyone in the family takes time in adjusting, celiac's included.)
             1)  A place of their own. Set aside part of your pantry for gluten free items. Having a gluten free shelf does a number of things. Firstly, the chances of a non gf product being mistaken for gf is lessened. Secondly, it also establishes boundaries for the Celiac- "this is my food, and unless you ask me I am not going to share". After all the Celiac has limited choices, and if the rest of the family has eaten their gf food what is a Celiac to do? Anxiety and loss of control I found are greatly lessened just by giving my daughter space for her food. I give my daughter her own space in the freezer too.
            2) Double up on appliances. Don't be alarmed- this doesn't need to get expensive!- and it's still cheaper than feeding a family of four completely gf. Start with a second toaster. There are many price ranges and models available that wont break the bank. I did splurge a little however, but it was worth the extra cash. My daughter's toaster came with a rack that can be used to warm breads. Very handy, since most gf breads taste better warm or room temp. (Also, I keep the gf toaster away from the non gf toaster.) Later on, we bought a small waffle iron. This was at a cost of less than $20cdn. And if you want to be more savvy, employ the toaster and waffle iron to work together. Make gf waffles, freeze them, and then pop them in the toaster when ready to use them! And you're saving money by making your own waffles!!
            3) Label!! Grab your sharpie marker or label maker, and ready-set-go! Write the name of the Celiac family member on things that must coexist, or that you need two of  and are identical (like peanut butter). The fridge is a prime place for this. Label the margarine tub, jams, etc. that will be used only by the Celiac or used to make gf family meals. This can also serve as a reminder for family to not taint jam for example by using a spoon and avoiding the poisonous non gf crumbs. It's up to the Celiac to let others use these items that are labelled for them-otherwise, double up. Margarine is one I have always doubled up on, since the risk I find is too great. Butter that I use for cooking though, is always kept gf in our house, as is mayo and mustard- you must figure out what works for you. Which leads into...
            4) Rules. Rules are perhaps the most important tool you will need to utilize in the kitchen. It may take a bit of time for everyone in the household to adjust, but with patience and gentle reminders everyone will pitch in to keep the Celiac's food gf. An example of a simple rule, is to use separate spoons for each pot cooking on the stove when not all items are gf. Or, clean the counter surface prior to preparing a meal that a Celiac will be partaking in. Little changes such as this will keep gluten in it's rightful place.
            5) Wiping surfaces that look suspicious- from counters tops to standing mixers. Don't panic, I'm not suggesting that you disinfect your entire kitchen- I for one don't have that kind of energy, and neither do you I doubt. Just take it as the situation comes. Wipe a counter that looks like it may be dusted in flour or have crumbs before meal preparation. Wipe the standing mixer off prior to using it for mixing gf baking. All this contributes to a healthy kitchen for the Celiac.
            6) Cutting Boards and Spoon Rests. I have on hand 3 plastic cutting boards in my kitchen. Two would be sufficient however. Cutting boards add an extra barrier against cross contamination. Having more than one means you can quickly grab another if needed to prepare non gf items- great for meat vs veggies too. And plastic means that you can throw the cutting board straight into the dishwasher! As for spoon rests, this again helps keep things gf by keeping cooking utensils off the counter. It also serves as a reminder to those in the kitchen to not mix up spoons or spatulas when cooking gf vs non gf. A small plate works just fine too.
            7) Wash your hands. Basic and obvious, but effective. If you made a sandwich that is non gf, and are about to make a gf sandwich...wash your hands. Or make the gf sandwich first.
I hope that these suggestions help guide you on your way to a harmonious "mixed" kitchen. Bon Appetit and To Your Health! More to come on Cross Contamination for my next posting. Until then, please share what you do in the kitchen that keeps cross contamination at bay.