Local resources if you're buying on the cheap

OK, lots of people ask me - doesn't it cost a fortune to eat gf/cf? Well, if you're a person who needs a mix for everything you do, then yes. If you're like me (a good dutch girl from West Michigan), you'll look for ways to reduce your grocery budget. Below are some ways I've greatly reduced mine:

Flour: Katy Grocers on Mason Rd is an excellent place to buy flour. I use a lot of sorghum (called jowar there), brown, and white rice flours. Do NOT buy Bob's at a bazillion dollars a pound, try your local Indo/Pak grocery and get a deal! Also check out Country Life Natural Foods - they are located in Pullman, MI. Even with shipping, prices on things like Almond Meal cannot be beat.

Noodles: You can get excellent gf noodles in the asian section of your local grocery. I like Fiesta the best in Katy. I get all kinds of noodles for a fraction of the cost and my kids think they're eating fettucini or angel hair pasta. Try the rice noodles and the mung bean vermicelli - they are excellent!

Cheese: So, while I can't handle cow milk stuff, I find the sheep or goat milk cheeses are no issue for my body. While, yes, they do contain casein, they are a shorter chain protein and, therefore, do not have the opioid effect on kids with ASD like cow casein does. And, they don't start any digestive and/or asthma problems in my body. Try Phoenicia on Westheimer for all your goat and sheep cheeses - rice and olive oil are good buys there as well. Their prices are sooooo much lower than any other store in this area. I like Haloumi and Pecorino Romano cheeses for my pizzas - and so does everyone else!

Non-Dairy Milk and other organic type stuff: Get thee to a Costco! The cases of Rice Dream are about $18.00 - a much better deal than anywhere else. Also, I buy organic evaporated cane juice, agave nectar, organic juice boxes, organic frozen vegetables, honey, pistachios, raw nuts, organic vanilla, organic peanut butter, uncured hot dogs,Lara Bars, all natural fruit snacks, almond butter, and all kinds of other goodies there. It's worth the drive and more than worth the $50/year for a membership.

Bread: I buy Udi's bread and bagels by the case at a 10% discount at Whole Foods. I buy them once a month and store them in a freezer in the garage. It's a hike to WF so the discount and the bulk buy are worth it.

Amazon.com: Yep, they have a subscription service that not only saves you money, but saves you time ordering. I get cases of Annie's G/F Mac and Cheese, cases of g/f pretzels, cases of Pizza Crust Mix (OK, so that's Bob's but it's saving me time and money so what the heck) and other g/f items that strike my fancy. If you sign up for the subscription service, you not only get more of a discount and free shipping on orders over $25, but also don't have to think about getting more when you're getting low. It just shows up on your doorstep like the fairy grocery godmother was there. I like that.

Ranch Creek Natural Foods (Memorial near Wilcrest): This place deserves an honorable mention. Their items can be pricey (they don't offer case discounts because they're small and can't afford to). However, Ron will work with you to order what you want if you can't find it anywhere else. He also said he can order bulk amounts of Vance's DariFree, which I haven't taken him up on yet but plan to. The man knows his stuff and is passionate about what he does!

Supplements: I get these from Catherine Masha in Katy - she is extremely knowledgeable, kind, and helpful. She only carries the good stuff and even offers consultations. Here's her web site: http://www.catherinescauses.com/