Very new to gluten free diet...

kizzier - Your local library will have many books on the subject. In the Health section there will be at least one books on gluten intolerance and the Cooking section will have at least 4 or 5 books. Why not use your library. That will save buying books until you have tried them first.

Im coeliac, and find fruit, veges, rice, fish, meat all in naturalstate are ok, no additives no sauces, . Evening meals are easy its lunch and snacks that are difficult esp when out.

It's a pity that Melford doesn't post here any more. She has posted some great recipes, and has contributed to this message board in such a positive way.

coeliac society definately the way to go, they have first hand knowledge. No doubt you have managed to learn a heap already kizzier.

Hi buzzy. Definately dont experiment with your friend by giving her small amounts of gluten. The NZ Coeliac Society Website says: "Even Coeliacs have to be very careful: 'A breadcrumb won't hurt someone with coeliac disease'... . MYTH.
Even very small amounts of gluten can be toxic to people with coeliac disease.
Taking sensible steps to avoid cross contamination with gluten is therefore important.
Top tips include:
keep cooking utensils separate during food preparation and cooking, avoid frying food in the same oil that has previously been used to cook gluten containing foods, use a clean grill, separate toaster or toaster bags to make gluten-free toast, use separate breadboards and wash surfaces thoroughly".
Yes, even very small amounts are toxic to Coeliacs.

Unfortunately a lot of it wasnt under the Coeliac Society statement of "Even a small amount of gluten can be toxic to Coeliacs" so put a lot of people at risk.

Hi kizzier,
It will seem like an awful lot to learn at first, and there is so much conflicting info out there, but I found the best thing was to do my own research, find out about my own body as to what I could and couldnt eat and stick to it.
The Shepherds Pie recipe above is a good one but the spices can contain gluten. Check on the back of the packet, it may say something like:made on a production line that also handles gluten. Sometimes gluten may be in a product but they call it by a different name (this is called "hidden gluten").
The red wine could also cause problems due to the additives in it.
Also depending on your reaction to gluten you may need to stop having cows milk and go onto goat or lactose free milk.
I have bumped up a thread called:Gluten Intolerant but not Coeliac for you to look through as it may have some info in it that could help you and I will try to find the other bigger thread titled GF Hints and Tips for you as it has a lot of information and recipes :)

will bump up Melford's thread for kizzier