In Johnna's Kitchen

10/20/2026

Yesterday I attended this event and took supplies to make 12 gluten-free snack packs. The work the folks at this food pantry are doing always amazes me, but in short conversations yesterday, I was reminded of the impact we can each have.

If I still remembered how to fire up the ol’ blog, I’d tell you about the exact expense of buying gluten-free snacks versus regular, but you likely know this already. I was able to buy regular equivalents for 25% of the price on some items.

I couldn’t find anything like spaghettios in a gluten-free version, so it was canned soup instead. For a month, I watched sales and snagged mac & cheese cups priced the same as regular ones, likely an oversight by the grocery store. I fretted about which snacks would make a kiddo feel most like their friends who can eat gluten. I truly don’t know how busy parents juggling all that is life are managing this on a tight budget with rising food costs. I don’t know how they have the bandwidth to price compare constantly, to try to source most things at one store, to have foods handy for kiddos when you can’t always be there to feed them because you’re working two jobs to afford food. 😭

I’m going to keep showing up to help how I can and hope you’ll join me. I don’t have the answers to any of this but know that we can fill hungry bellies while we sort it out. ❤️

10/12/2026

“Stop talking about politics. Stick with FOOD. I came here to learn about gluten-free food.”

Well, politics is a big part of that. Want safe labeling? Want recalls to happen when that doesn’t work? Want funding for celiac disease research? That’s all politics. Plus the tax dollars you pay on the outrageous prices for gluten-free food pay politicians’ salaries so we might as well insist they do some work for us. 😉

89 million Americans, didn't vote in the 2024 general election.

That's approximately 33% of the US populatio. (U.S. News and World Report)

I know so many of us feel disenfranchised. Tired of ads and governmental nonsense.
We may think our voices don't count. But they do.

I think this analogy from Sharon McMahon is something people with Celiac Disease can identify with.

"If you don't vote, you are allowing complete strangers to choose for you. You’re saying, “It’s fine if Random Man Bob and Random Lady Pam choose who represents my district in the House. I’m sure their judgment is the same as mine.”

If you wouldn’t let Random Bob make your medical decisions, you shouldn’t let Random Bob make your voting decisions either."

I'm not telling you who to vote for.
And I'm not telling you how to cast a ballot.

I'm just asking, please, to be part of this democratic process.

Our country is a group project.
If we want to ace it, we need everyone to be involved.

If you'd like to read all of Sharon's article, I will drop the link in the comments. Each day she is answering questions submitted by followers. While one can subscribe to her newsletter, this series is free.

10/07/2026

Have you watched the season finale of Ted Lasso yet? Hurry up so we can talk about it! Here’s my recipe for gluten-free Biscuits with the Boss if you wanted to make a little snack for your watch party.

https://injohnnaskitchen.com/2023/05/official-ted-lasso-biscuits-gluten-free/

09/21/2026

First, you need this recipe in your life.

Second, I want to tell you about the post I am sharing. It's from my friend Shirley of gfe--gluten free easily, easily my biggest cheerleader when it comes to my gluten-free work. She is sharing my recipe. The photos are from my delightful friend Sarah of Celiac in the City. I'm telling you this because behind the recipes, behind the FB accounts, there are very real people working hard to create recipes and share reliable information for those who eat gluten-free. Many of us have known each other for years. In today's world where our attention span is ten seconds or less and flashy videos of AI generated recipes dominate our feed, I want to encourage you to seek out the people like Shirley and Sarah. And there are others like us worth following. I should make a list of the real deal folks! The work we do matters and it's such a bummer to see it lost in the shuffle of pure drivel, recipes that don't work and cost you $$ in lost ingredients, very misleading posts that aren't factual, accounts that only promote products and at the end of the day aren't building a community where helping you eat well is our very purpose.

Look for the good folks even when it isn't the easy path.

08/28/2026

Your input needed! If you have experience feeding gluten-free kiddos, I’d love you help.

I am working on a project with the food pantry where I volunteer to create gallon-sized bags filled with foods that are perfect for kids who need a snack or a meal simple enough to heat on their own. Here are the items that are included in the gluten-full bags:

Macaroni cups
Canned meals like raviolis, SpaghettiOs, things with the EASY OPEN POP TOP
Pop tarts
Granola bars
Fruit bars
Individual bags of crackers such as Goldfish and Cheez-Its
Peanut butter or cheese sandwiches or crackers

Do you have gluten-free recommendations for similar items?

08/25/2026

Fellow leguminati and Rancho Gordo Bean Club members, here’s a much-needed giggle. 😂

In celebration of Rancho Gordo's 20th Anniversary, we made a music ...

08/24/2026

Gluten-free friends, humor me: which way do you carry your handbag? I am all about the backpack and yes, I’ve got snacks. 😂

08/24/2026

Happy National Waffle Day! On this day in 1869, Cornelius Swartwout received the first U.S. patent for a stovetop waffle iron. To celebrate, I’m sharing my Lazy Morning Belgian Waffle recipe, find it in the comments!

08/22/2026

Stop asking if I’ve checked the app! Maybe you feel this way, too…

When I am looking for dining out recommendations in city-specific FB groups or in celiac travel groups, I didn’t come there to be told to check a crowd-sourced app. I came to a group with real people, often in that city, who can tell me about their favorite places. Maybe we can even have a conversation, I can ask questions and they will reply. Others will chime in, there’s a whole community thing going on…

So while the apps have their place, when we ask in city-specific and travel groups, stop telling us to check an app. Let’s not forget about the community we have and forget we can actually converse and help each other eat well.

08/19/2026

Last night for dinner I made the One Pan Baked Gnocchi and Meatballs from . I used Impossible meatballs and Good Graces gluten-free gnocchi from HyVee. So nice to toss everything together in one pan and heavy a really hearty dinner with minimal time spent preparing it!

Recipe link in comments.