Disneyland Success

We are back home from our whirlwind trip to Arizona and Disneyland. I am happy to say that Disney does gluten free and does it well!

I had read on countless message boards that Disneyland offers gluten free items. I contacted Disney dining to make reservations at a few restaurants and let them know that my daughter needs to be gluten free. They noted that on our reservation, gave me the name and number of the Chef at that restaurant so that we could have everything in place for the day we got there! It was amazing.

Thought we didn't use it I stopped by Town Hall to pick up their gluten free list. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my daughter could have a hot dog with gluten free bun if she liked!

Anyhow this made my life so much easier! Yeah Disney!


*A side note in case you are planning a trip there. We picked up a great little photo book/ autograph book while we were there. It has a place for each Character to sign and on that same page a place for a photograph. Its a great $10 souvenir because my daughter now has a book with pictures of her and Cinderella, Donald Duck, Goofy etc! She just loves it!

Amazing Coffee Cake

A month or two ago at playgroup a friend of mine made her famous coffee cake. While I was eating it I remembered all the Sundays that my mom would make something similar for us. So I asked for the recipe vowing to create its Gluten free equal.

I have modified Heathers recipe which was modified from her friends (endless modifications) anyhow this is a delicious treat that will fool anyone. Its a perfect recipe for someone new to Celiac disease! This will prove to you that Gluten free can mean delicious too :)

Blue Berry Coffee Cake:
1 Pint Blueberries (I like the small ones the best)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
2 tsp lemon peel
3/4 cup + 2 tbs butter divided
2 cups Pamelas Baking and Pancake Mix divided
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Prehead oven 325

In a large bowl:
Cut 3/4 cups butter in to 1 1/2 cup Pamela's mix
Add egg and sweetened condensed milk and mix well
fold in blueberries
Pour mixture into a 9X9 greased pan

In a small bowl:
Combine 1/2 cup Pamela's mix and brown sugar
Cut in remaining butter (sugar mixture should be crumbly)
Sprinkle on the top

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes checking occasionally to see that topping does not get to dark. (Once the topping has reached desired color place tin foil on the coffee cake and continue baking)

This is a great brunch coffee cake and is also delicious with ice cream served on top. Please experiment with fruits, Huckleberries, cherries, even blackberries would be delicious in this as well.

As another option you can leave off the sugar crumble crust the cake is not as sweet but it still tastes delicious!

I'd love to hear what some of you have done with this recipe... if you tried it and did something different please leave a comment letting me know how it turns out!

Updated Pantry List

I'm addicted! I keep trying anything gluten free to see if its any good. I have had great success with some and not so great with others. Anyhow my pantry list has changed so I thought I would update it:

Here is what I stock in my pantry now: (All of it gluten free)

Flours: Potato starch/flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, Pamela's baking mix, and Tom Sawyer Flour (I have to mail order this)

Fats: 0 Trans fat Shortening, vegetable or corn oil depending on whats on sale when I need it, butter, Smart Balance, and non stick spray-no alcohol! *I don't use margarine at all.

Sugars: white sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, and molasses

Leavening: Baking powder (you do need to read labels on baking powder some have flour added to them), baking soda, yeast

Stabilizers/ Gums: Cream of tartar, xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan (when I can find it) and Karaya gum

Flavorings: Vanilla Flavoring, Lemon Flavoring, and almond flavoring (check with the companies to make sure the alcohol used is gluten free I've never found any that contain gluten)

Nuts and other stuff: cocoa, unsweetened chocolate, coconut, semi sweet chocolate chips, food colorings, peanut butter, cashew butter, and pine nuts.

Spices/herbs: salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, sage, oregano, rosemary, bay leaf, basil, seasoned salt, pepper, red pepper, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, tumeric, cumin, and cardamom (I have a ton of them...too many to list but all of them are whole spices so they are completely gluten free)

Whole Grains: rice, buckwheat (yes this is gluten free despite the name), Quinoa (seriously one of the best products out there) I use both the traditional and the Inca red kinds, and Flax Seed (not sure if its a grain but I don know where else to put this)

Vinegars: white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and Balsamic Vinegar

Wine: I always have a dry white, a desert wine, and a Merlot on hand

Canned stuff: Applesauce, pumpkin, pineapple, jelly/jam, refried beans, Bushes baked beans, chicken broth, canned chicken, evaporate milk, sweetened condensed milk, tomato paste, pasta sauce, black beans and Chickpeas

Baking Mixes: Pamela's brownie mix, gluten free pancake mix, Gluten Free Pantry corn bread mix (the best out there as good as or better than Marie Calanders gluteny kind), occasionally I'll get a cake mix but I typically make mine from scratch now and think they taste better.)

Pastas: Annies Gluten free Mac and Cheese, Gluten free spirals, Gluten free penne, and gluten free spaghetti (occasionally I get Lasagna noodles but not often) The best tasting GF pasta out there is Quinoa pasta! Its blended with corn but I like the taste better than wheat pasta and so does my picky husband!

Cereal: Perky'0, Gorilla Munch, Bobs Red Mill hot GF cereal, Dora Stars, and Crispy Brown Rice (careful they make one with barley malt too so read your lables)

Snack bars: GF breakfast bars, and Lara bars, Smart Monkey bars, Fruitabu roll ups, and Jello Pudding

Here is what I have in my fridge (not including leftovers)

Diary: Milk whole and 1%, butter milk (not all the time I get this 1 time a month) cottage cheese, heavy cream (I'm making our ice cream now), cream cheese, unflavored yogurt, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese

Juice: Lime juice, lemon juice, orange juice (in the freezer for cooking) to drink cranberry or blueberry juice

Eggs (large)

Meats: I buy in bulk so I always have this stuff on hand.... roast beef, ground beef, smoked sausage, Italian sausage, ham, chicken, pork lion, pork chops, steak, flank steak and fish at least once a week

Fresh or frozen fruits and veggies (if in season I get fresh if not I get frozen or if its cheaper to get frozen I do that too): apples, bananas, peaches, raisins, craisins, blue berries, strawberries, orange, cranberries, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots, bell peppers, green beans, peas, broccoli, corn, Otter pops (because its summer), and ice cream (I'm making it instead of purchasing it so we can have things like cookies and cream ice cream... its great!)

Sauces: BBQ Sauce (Rudy's Country BBQ has a gluten free sauce and Austins Own is also gluten free), Wheat free Soy Sauce, salad dressing, ketchup, Mayo, mustard, and tobasco (Because my husband eats gluteny bread at lunch we have 2 of anything that requires putting a knife into... I just makes sure to mark one Gluten free with a sharpie!)

I've found that I can just about make ANYTHING from a regular cookbook using these ingredients... I use the Tom Sawyer Flour only for baking cookies and thickening gravy.

Long time No post

I'm not really sure how many people are actually keeping up with my blog but I know it has been AGES since my latest post.

I am happy to report that Otter pops are indeed gluten free! One more thing to add to my summer time treat list!

Making Progress

I've been meaning to post for a while but have not found the time. Most of you know that I do in home daycare so my days are full to say the least.

For the past couple of weeks my daughter (now 2 years old) has been identifying things that have gluten in them and pointing them out. She told my husband on Saturday that his pancakes at Village Inn "Have Gluten in there." Though she has not quite grasped the concept of what gluten is, she is making progress! Soon enough she will be label reading with me! It was nice to see that she is beginning to understand her dietary restrictions!

For those of you who don't know my husband and I have chosen to have a gluten free home (in regards to our food we do let others bring in gluten products) When we go out to eat my husband and I both order what we like for ourselves. We chose do this for several reasons:

1. We feel that our daughter should be able to pick up a peice of food in our kitchen/pantry and know that it is going to be safe for her to eat because this is about the only place she will be able to have that kind of luxury.

2. We want her to learn to make the appropriate choice when it comes to ordering foods without gluten in them. That means teaching her that some things on menu's are no okay for her to eat.

3. We wanted to teach her early that sharing food is a REALLY bad idea. This is why I allow other children to bring gluten products into my home. Hopefully this will teach her that what other kids have is not okay for her to eat!

I guess I wont know if my theory's work for the next 10-15 years but what parents do. At least we are seeing a little progress now!

Our first gluten free birthday success!

My daughters birthday was a success! Everything was gluten free and it was wonderful! I recommend having a completely gluten free birthday party it allows everyone to enjoy things just a little more! On a personal note I just decided that it was her birthday at her birthday everything there should be something she could eat! Plus then I didn't have to bee the food watchdog!

I planned a circus themed birthday party and though it was much smaller than what I have seen people do with a circus theme party it was still way crazy and I admittedly went a little overboard!

We put streamers up in our dining room to make it look like a Big Top Tent, we had a moonwalk for the kids to play with, pin the nose on the clown, and a fishing game. The kids had a blast.

As far as the food went we ordered Rudy's Country BBQ! It's a Texas thing but everything there is gluten free except for baked goods and their creamed corn! My mom is diabetic so I had a veggie tray for her and some fruit for those of us who didn't want to stuff ourselves with meat all afternoon.

I made the birthday cake a week before and decorated it the day before the party. It was delicious! I swear I am a walking advertisement for Tom Sawyer Gluten Free Flour

It was a very simple way to make a big top cake. I just made a round cake and topped it with a paper tent that I had colored and cut out the night before! Then frosted it all one color! I have to say for not having a clue how to decorate a birthday cake it was not half bad! Better yet everyone loved the cake! You know you have hit the jackpot when people are asking for your recipe and its gluten free! (yes the recipe will follow my rambling)

So a good time was had by all... next year I am going a more simple route! A pick-nick party, at a park with a playground! Should be lots of gluten free fun!

Chocolate Cake Recipe: (adapted from Martha Stewart's Chocolate Cake recpie)

Baking Time: 45 to 55 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 55 minutes

1 1/2 Cups unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 Teaspoons salt
3 Heaping Cups Tom Sawyer Gluten Free Flour
1 Tablespoon baking soda
3/4 Cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 Cups buttermilk
3 Cups sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 Teaspoons baking powder
4 large eggs, separated* (See directions), and lightly beaten
1 1/2 Cups hot water

2 8-by-2 inch round cake pans
Parchment paper
Flour sifter
Electric mixer and bowl
Rubber spatula
Long serrated knife


Directions

*Egg separation note: Reserve 2 egg whites from your 4 eggs for use at the end of the mixing process!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees;. Butter cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter paper. Dust the pans with cocoa; tap out extra.
2. Sift cocoa, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar into bowl. Beat in oil, buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, and hot water one at a time, using a mixer set at low. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. In Another bowl beat the remaining egg whites until stiff peaks form.
4. Fold egg whites into batter.
   
5. Pour batter into pans. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean; an adult should rotate the pans halfway through and remove cakes from the oven.
6. Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks, 20 minutes, before inverting to remove.Discard paper. Cool completely on racks, top side up

2 years old today!

It's 7:39 in the morning and I'm the only one awake in the house. 2 years ago today my daughter was born :) 9 lbs 13 oz with a 15 inch head. Yes she was a big baby, and yes she was born via c-section afters hours of not being able to get her head to move down!

Anyhow I've always like chunky babies but these past 8 months have taught me that you get what you need. My daughter needed to be big so that when Celiac Disease hit she would be healthy!

We have now been gluten free for 6 months, I even had a gluten free birthday party for her on Saturday (pictures coming soon). Everyone enjoyed my cake! (I will post the recipe).

I find it strange that today instead of remembering her birth I remember going gluten free, I remember how hard everyone told me it would be, and I remember how afraid I was that my daughter's new diet was going to make her stand out. Funny how 6 months can change that.

My grocery bill has dropped, I've cut my shopping bill in half, and I've even started trying to diet and stay gluten free myself! I hardly think about this anymore... its now just a part of life... as it should be!

Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake

I've been meaning to upload this picture for quite a while, I finally found the time tonight.

I made the most delicious red velvet cake for Valentines Day. A tradition my mom started long ago that I though I would have to break. Nope no way! I made it gluten free and it was GOOD!

I adapted the recipe from a few others and then tried a few new tricks to see if I could add height to my cake. The tricks worked and I am going to keep doing them! I used my most favorite gluten free flour, Tom Sawyer !

Here is the recipe plus my tricks! No secrets here just good cake! I want your cake to be as wonderful as mine. Please let me know if you try this!

3/4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
2 1/2 cups Tom Sawyer flour sifted
1/4 up cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, 2 egg yolks, 2 egg whites (total of 4 eggs see directions. I separated these for a reason)
1 tablespoon vanilla (I always add a bit more GF flours need more flavors)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 bottles of red food coloring
3 tablespoons warm water
1 cup butter milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350

Butter two 8 inch cake pans, line with parchment paper and butter again. Dust pans with cocoa and tap out the excess. Set aside.

In a medium bowl sift together flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 15 minutes. Add 2 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla, salt, food coloring, and water; beat scraping down the sides of the bowl until well combined. Add reserved dry ingredients (except for baking soda) alternating with the buttermilk. beat on low speed until well combined.

In a separate bowl beat egg whit until medium peaks form (room temperature eggs beat best)

In a small bowl swirl baking soda and vinegar together. Add to batter. beat on medium speed for about 5 seconds. Fold in egg white mixture (this helps give your cake height) Divide batter between prepared pans, and bake until a cake tester inserted int other center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool (15 minutes) turn cakes out ont0 rack and let stand until completely cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting for Cake:

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
8oz cream cheese room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
(optional) 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Place butter in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add cream cheese and beat until well combined and fluffy (about 2 minutes) Add sugar and vanilla, and beat until combined, (about 2 minutes) . Fold in walnuts or pecans if using them.

GlutenFreeda Goes Free!!!!

You can now register for a 90 day free trail at GlutenFreeda.com ! Something I have been waiting for!

I'll post more updates as I use their site! Try it out with me!

Delicious Gluten Free Crab Cakes

Last night I made the most delicious gluten free crab cakes! I made them too big and they fell apart when I flipped them but I will make them again they were GREAT.

Here is the recipe: I combined everything in a food processor then made the cakes.

1/2 lb crab meat (I used imitation crab)
1/2 cup GF sourdough bread crumbs (I make GF the crumbs from the heels of my baked bread)
2 tablespoons mayo
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon mustard (from a bottle)
2 green onions minced
1 tablespoon green pepper minced
a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 egg beaten
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of oil for frying


Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Form in to cakes (I should have made about 8 small instead of 4 big) Heat oil in a large skillet. FRy the cakes on medium heat until golden brown (about 3 minutes each side)

I served them over rice with tarter sauce it was delicious!

FDA's Proposed Gluten Free Guidlines

In one of my various Celiac newsletters I came across the FDA's proposed Gluten free Guidelines and Questions and Answers.

I myself am a bit shocked that oats were not included on the "forbidden grain" list because so many of them have been cross contaminated and the jury is still out on if their protein is close enough to gluten to cause damage.

Upon further reading I am unsure if they are referring to all oats or just gluten free oats. Something that in my opinion needs to be clarified.

I was sadly disappointed that this proposal mentions nothing about labeling gluten in drugs. As stated in a previous post I had to get my daughters antibiotics compounded because the Name Brand and Generic both had gluten in them. (I know I know it was labeled) But there have been a number of other times that I have taken an OTC drug to the pharmacist to ask if it was gluten free and received the answer "Unless it says wheat, barley, rye, or gluten" in the active or inactive ingredients we have no way of knowing.

It pains me to say but if someone had a toddler who was just diagnosed with Celiac disease and needed a decongestant on a Sunday morning. The would know what we as moms go through. Especially when we find out the one medicine we know is gluten free is being reformulated and isn't on shelves anymore. Then the battle how bad is the medicine needed.. bad enough to possibly gluten her or not. Until one of them has actually sat on the floor of a drugstore crying because it shouldn't be this hard to keep your child healthy, I don't think we'll ever have a great system for gluten free labeling.

To make comments on the FDA's proposal you must submit them in writing by APRIL 23,2007 to:

Division of Dockets Management
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fischers Lane Room 1061 (HFA-305)
Rockville, MD 20852

Penny-wise and Gluten Free too

Before you read any further you must know that it really irks me when people claim they CAN'T do something. Lately my annoyance has been with other families who have a gluten free child at home.

Their children are constantly being accidentally 'glutened' because the entire house is not gluten free. I find that unacceptable because gluten (in my mind) is a slow poison and could eventually kill a person with Celiac Disease! There is no excuse for blatant cross contamination in the home (This means things like using the same butter, peanut butter, or even the same toaster!) I know even those of us make mistakes, assuming one product is gluten free and it has changed... that happens and those kind of mistakes are just a part of life... I'm talking about the mistakes that could have and should have been avoided!

There are basically 2 reasons why an entire household as not gone gluten free:
1. Someone or the rest of the family doesn't like the taste of gluten free foods.
2. It's too expensive for my entire family to be gluten free.

I say BAH to both! Lets take the first excuse:

Who cares if the rest of the family doesn't like it right away?? I didn't like diet coke for a long time either but now I'm used to it and prefer it over regular. When my husband and I found out my daughter had Celiac disease we knew instantly we'd have to all be gluten free (inside the home). She's a toddler and like to eat what I eat... and I simply am not going to be making 2 different breakfasts, 2 different lunches, and 2 different dinners for the rest of my life. My time is more valuable than that. To those people who won't go gluten free even after their child has been 'glutened' multiple times in their own home I say You are a parent now... do what right for your child! End of story!

The second excuse is the most popular and I am not as annoyed with people who use it. And some people have a valid argument especially if their child has other food allergies/intolerances.. that can make it hard. For the rest of us who are just gluten free (no other food allergies/intolerances) I'm here to tell you that you can be gluten free without breaking the bank! I know I've done it! It took some time and organization on my part but its been a $$ saver and a time saver at the grocery store.

Here is how to do it:

1. Make a list of all of your favorite foods (entire family) gluten free or not. I did breakfast and dinner because we usually eat leftovers for lunch. (You need about 27 dinners)
   
2. Highlight all the meals that are already gluten free
3. Put a question mark next to the ones that could be gluten free but you are not sure about
4. Leave all that are full of gluten blank
5. Look up your "?" and find out if they have gluten in them... change on your list accordingly
6. Look up all that are full of gluten and see if you can find a GF recipe for that meal (I found gf recipes for all my meals that had gluten in them)
7. Print out a monthly calender and start writing down meals on each day. On the back make 4 columns labeled (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4)
8. Write out all the ingredients you need for each week in the column
9. Now you have a basic shopping list for a month! (for me its my basic shopping list each month because I rotate these meals.
   

For variety I added a 'left over' day to each week, a eat out day 1 time a month, and a "special" day once a month where we can pick any random thing to eat (at the beginning of the week)

How does this list save me $$ ??

With the list I am able to purchase most of my meat at Costco (same type of store as Sam's club) Other items I get there... frozen veggies, cheeses, canned foods, pasta sauce, rice, and spices.
We go once a month and each month I have to buy less and less because the meat is in bulk so it can feed us for 2-3 months.

Then my weekly list is cut down by a lot... I typically buy fruits, veggies, milk, and the occasional meat that I couldn't find at Costco.

Anyhow my costco bill now is anywhere between $100-$250 a month (depending on if we need dog food or some other random thing my husband thinks of) and my weekly grocery bill is anywhere from $55-80 a week.

If you do the math: I range from $320 a month for groceries to $570 (This is really high because I don't ever spend $80 all 4 weeks in one month)

For those of you who want the weekly range: its $80 - $142.50 (Again I think the only time it would be this high is if we had company or it was a holiday)

So taking the averages: We are looking at a little over $100 a week for a family of 3 (one big eater) and a dog. All of whom are gluten free except for the dog (His food is in a room not accessible by my daughter.

So for all of you who are struggling with the cost of gluten free food my top 10 tips for being frugal are:

1. By name brand companies that label their products well... like Kraft and Hershey's
   
2. Make at leas a weekly menu (monthly is better because you can rotate it)
3. Call companies for their list of gluten free foods (They send you coupons with the list)
4. Veggies, Meat, rice, and fruit always gluten free!
   
5. Compare products that say gluten free to regular brands (Call if you have to) my only 'special' products are cereal, pasta, flower, and cake mixes.
6. Find a friend for mail order. Buying in bulk is cheaper but who needs all that food? split the cost of the food and shipping if you can!
7. Stock up your pantry with gluten free essentials.
8. Make a list to go shopping and don't stray from it (this eliminates impulse purchases)
9. Find and take a gluten free cooking class or baking class (it helps to make you a more confidant shopper as well as chef)
10. Check out stores other than health food stores. I am able to do 99.9% of my shopping at a regular chain grocery store. I rarely have to journey to Whole foods anymore.

I know I was harsh at the beginning of the post. But to all the "can't doers" out there STOP IT!! You can do it you just have to take the time to try!

MRSA strikes again

I woke up this morning and was blessed with "polka-dots" much like my daughters. We had planned on visiting the Austin Children's Museum but instead spent that time waiting at the Dr. after hours clinic. I too have contracted the staff infection, thank god for antibiotics! I only have about 11 spots but they are sore when touched.

While we were out we decided to stop by Wild Wood Art Cafe and grab lunch. I've been there before because nearly everything on their menu is gluten free. My husband had a hot pastrami sandwich, and my daughter and I split a pork enchilada. We were all happy with our lunch choices but today I decided to take advantage of their baked goods section. My daughter had a gluten free ding-dong and loved it! My husband had the richest chocolate cake (also gluten free), and I tried the Italian creme cake! They were just amazing I really have no words for them. I'm hoping that someday they will offer gluten free baking classes I would love to get a few tips from them!

On a side note:
Play Dough has been my biggest issue lately. I really would like my daughter to start playing with it. I've made it myself but I'm lazy and really just want something that comes out of a tub like the real thing. I've found it! Like most gluten free products it is a bit more expensive but to me its worth the extra price Colorations Gluten Free Dough. If you are interested in the GF homemade recipe here is the one I've had the best luck with: (From the Celiac Sprue Association's Website)

½ cup rice flour
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon cooking oil
Food coloring, if desired

Directions:

Mix ingredients. Cook and stir on low heat for 3 minutes or until it forms a ball. Cool completely before storing in a sealable plastic bag.

Compounding Pharmacies my new best friend

My daughter has had some strange looking bumps develop and spread over the past few days. I really thought they were the chicken pox (even though she's had the vaccine) Today we headed to the Pediatrician to check them out. We were immediately put into a quarantined room because at first glance they too thought "Chicken Pox" However after further examination it has been determined that she has MRSA (staff infection). Controlled by antibiotics.

I reminded her pediatrician that occasionally medications did contain gluten so she added to the prescription that it needed to be gluten free. I tried Wallgreens first and reminded the pharmacist that she needed to call to confirm that the medication was gluten free. It turns out that it had quite a lot of gluten in it. She looked through several other medications that could be used and they all had gluten in them as well. She let me know (actually reminded me because I have used them before) that here in Austin we have several compounding pharmacies and suggested I try the nearest one.

Again when I got to the compounding pharmacy (Peoples) we found that all the medicines they had to treat the bacterial infection also included gluten :( Fortunately they could make a few phone calls and get the 'recipe' for a gluten free formula for this antibiotic! MY out of pocked expense will be about $50 but I will be reimbursed by my insurance company! I am VERY thankful that these pharmacies are still around!

As soon as I got home I called my insurance company (We've switched since my daughters original diagnosis) and asked them what happens when I have to go to a compounding pharmacy to get a medication that needs to be MADE gluten free. They were shockingly helpful! They sent me to their website and walked me through the steps for finding, filling out, and submitting the reimbursement form! He also is sending me several forms so that I "don't always have to print them out on my home computer!"

Being a mom I started to think about the possibilities of being on a family vacation and having to find a Compounding Pharmacy because kids like to get sick at the most inconvenient time! For all you out there an Accredited Compounding Pharmacy list at the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board.

2007 30th Annual CSA Conference- Tuson, Arizona

I was fiddling around on the computer today and found out that the Celiac Sprue Association is having their annual conference in Tucson, Arizona! I can't wait to go! My daughter can play with her grandparents and I can learn a lot about Celiac Disease! Registration will begin sometime this summer!

I've also been thinking a lot about having my ducks in a row for for when my daughter begins school (I know its a long time away). After teaching for 4 years I am convinced that any child with Celiac disease should be on a 504 plan to help insure that they will remain gluten free out of the home. I guess there is some controversy about this because people don't want their kid to be "labeled" but I know a legal document makes teachers and schools think 2 or 3 times before they give things to kids and thats what I want... and insurance policy! Especially since I live in a great but backward school district. I can see a teacher thinking that I am just a paranoid mom and giving my daughter a cupcake because all the other kids got one too! His/her heart might be in the right place but not his/her brain!

I've found a Parents guide to Section 504. I'm glad I looked into it so early because I have identified several problems with get tining the school to go along with a 504 plan. At least now I have time to do some research to counter what they have to say!

Amazing Gluten Free Breadsticks and they are easy too!

I guess the cold weather has motivated me to bake a little more lately. Its a nice way to warm up the house and it smells so good, especially when you come in from the icy cold weather! Anyhow last night I had a taste for bread sticks with our spaghetti but it was already 4pm when I decided this and we usually eat at 6 so I needed to find something that was gluten free, simple, and fast!

I searched through my cookbooks and found a recipe that I modified (I was missing an ingredient) Anyhow here is what I did.... my husband loved them and said "Is this gluten free??" in shock because they were so good!

Recipe:
1/4 cup shortening
3 Tablespoons honey
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of yeast (thats 1 packet if you dont have the jar kind of yeast)
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup potato starch (not flour)
1 1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients and mix well to remove all lumps (I used a hand held mixer on high)

Place the really moist sticky dough in a plastic bag with a corner cut out (or a pastry bag if you have one) and pipe dough onto a greased baking sheet (about 5-8 inches long). Sprinkle with a topping of your desire or bake as is (I used garlic and other herbs but sesame seeds or cheese would have been wonderful too) Bake till golden brown (about 10 minutes in my oven).

I'm going to try this recipe again this weekend only piping the sticks into hot oil to see if I can create a "fry bread" or funnel cake type of thing! I'll post how it works on Sunday!

Allergy/Gluten free Baking on Martha today

I'm a big fan of Martha Stewart and today our local tv station decided that the hard freeze here in Austin was old news and actually aired real tv instead of boring video of the dumb people driving too fast on the ice.


The owner of Babycakes in NYC was on today talking about allergy/ gluten free baking! (And they deliver) Everyone in the audience seemed to like the brownies and the Cinnamon Toasties are something I will surely try soon.

It was nice to see a mainstream show air information about gluten free baking!

The biggest tip I learned is to use hot water or coffee to help lift the batter of the cakes! I've never tried this but I can't wait to try it! Though gluten free cakes taste good they can be very flat and torte like!

Guess I should start baking again!

Crazy Peanut Butter Cookies

We have been trapped in the house for nearly 3 days now because of our Winter storm. Any how its always nice to bake when its cold out.

I found a simple but CRAZY gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe and it was delicious!

1 large egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter (any kind will work)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350
Put all ingredients in to a food processor and pulse till mixed (Or combine by hand if you like)
Roll into balls (makes about 30) and place on a lined cookie sheet (I used parchment paper)
Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes or just until the cookies start to flatten out and crack


Super easy! Their texture is a bit different they are very light and crunchy but they taste great! I added chocolate chips to mine and used creamy peanut butter. I do think that next time I will try chunky to see what it does to the texture!

Camping- It can be done!

I should have posted this several days ago because our camping trip was in October but I had questions about it before I went so I'm sure others do as well!

I was really new to the gluten free thing when my family decided to go camping but being a good sport (and with the help of my mom) we did it without my daughter being glutened!

Things I learned:
1. Bring lots of fresh fruit everyone (even those who eat gluten) enjoy this as a fresh snack.
2. You do not have to buy specialty hot dogs as Whole Foods would make you think! Hebrew National Franks are gluten free as well as Johnsonville Bratwurst (with the exception of the Beer kind)
3. Do not attempt eating a gluten free hot dog bun or a gluten free hamburger bun unless its been warmed first! Way too hard!
4. Bring lots of alum. foil or your own grilling rack to reduce the risk of cross contamination
5. Yes S'mores are possible!!! All the graham cracker adds is a crunch the taste is in the marshmallow and chocolate!

Recipe for Gluten Free S'mores:
These are not as big as the traditional graham kind but they were just as tasty!

1. Jett Puffed Marshmallows
2. Envirokids gluten free vanilla animal cookies or gluten free gingersnaps
3. Hearshy's Chocolate bars
4. A designated gluten free marshmallow cooking stick to avoid cross contamination

The rest is easy!


Gluten free camping meals:
Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and orange juice
Gluten free pancakes, fresh fruit, and syrup
Breakfast taco on a corn tortilla with eggs, sausage, potatoes, cheese and salsa

Lunch:
Hot dogs, Baked beans (We used Bushes), and applesauce
Lettuce wrap sandwich with all the fixings, and celery with peanut butter and raisins
Amy's gluten free Macaroni and cheese with Frito's and chili

Snacks:
Gluten Free Trail mix (I made my own with GF cereals, M&M's, mixed nuts, coconut...etc)
Fresh Fruit
Dried fruit raisins/ craisins
applesauce
Jello Pudding
Jello
Potato chips
Tortilla Chips and salsa

Dinner:
Hamburgers, Baked beans, fruit salad
Chili, with cheese, onions, and Frito's on the side
Beef stew brought from home and reheated (The rue was made with cornstarch)

Bread Success

Almost immediately after finding out my daughter had Celiac Disease my husband and I went out and bought a bread machine. We ended up getting the Cuisinart one that had a gluten free setting. Until yesterday I had just been making gluten free bread from store bought mixes (all I can say is YUCK!) Though beautiful looking breads they just tasted horrible.

For Christmas I received The Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread by Bette Hagmen. I decided to try her recipe for Seattle Sourdough!

My Game plan:
3 days before bread making day I started a gluten free sourdough started: Basically just some warm water, yeast, a bit of sugar, and some rice flour. And I let it sit and ferment

On day 4 I cooked a small loaf of bread! It was a success! Both my daughter and husband at it with out pitching a fit! It's still not the same as full of gluten bread but it did not have the nasty aftertaste that the mixes had!

I can't wait to try again!

What does a gluten free pantry look like?

In three months my pantry, fridge, and freezer have quickly taken on a major over haul. It would have been very helpful for me to see just what a gluten free kitchen/pantry looks like but I learned the hard and expensive way. (Nearly $30 extra a week at the beginning) Anyhow I have put together a list of what I keep around the house in case any of you are wondering where to start.

Here is what I stock in my pantry now: (All of it gluten free)

Flours: Potato starch/flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, Pamela's baking mix, and Tom Sawyer Flour (I have to mail order this)

Fats: 0 Trans fat Shortening, vegetable or corn oil depending on whats on sale when I need it, butter, Smart Balance, and non stick spray-no alcohol! *I don't use margarine at all.

Sugars: white sugar, powdered sugar, corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, and molasses

Leavening: Baking powder (you do need to read labels on baking powder some have flour added to them), baking soda, yeast

Stabilizers/ Gums: Cream of tartar, xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan (when I can find it) and Karaya gum

Flavorings: Vanilla Flavoring, Lemon Flavoring, and almond flavoring (check with the companies to make sure the alcohol used is gluten free I've never found any that contain gluten)

Nuts and other stuff: cocoa, unsweetened chocolate, coconut, semi sweet chocolate chips, food colorings, peanut butter

Spices/herbs: salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, sage, oregano, rosemary, bay leaf, basil, seasoned salt, pepper, red peppr, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, tumeric, cumin, and cardamom (most of mine are McCormicks)

Whole Grains: rice, and Flax Seed (not sure if its a grain but I don know where else to put this)

Vinegars: white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and Balsamic Vinegar (the good stuff its expensive)

Wine: I always have a dry white, a desert wine, and a Merlot on hand

Canned stuff: Applesauce, pumpkin, pineapple, jelly/jam, refried beans, baked beans, chicken broth, canned chicken, evaporate milk, sweetened condensed milk, tomato paste, pasta sauce, black beans

Baking Mixes: Pamela's brownie mix, Pamela's chocolate cake mix, Gluten free Panntry bread mixes, gluten free pancake mix, unflavored gelatin

Pastas: Gluten free Mac and Cheese, Gluten free spirals, Gluten free penne, and gluten free spaghetti (occasionally I get Lasagna noodles but not often)

Cereal: Perky'0, Gorilla Munch, Bobs Red Mill hot GF cereal

Snack bars: GF breakfast bars, and Lara bars, Jello Pudding

Here is what I have in my fridge (not including leftovers)

Diary: Milk whole and 1%, butter milk (not all the time I get this 1 time a month) cottage cheese, cream cheese, unflavored yogurt, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese

Juice: Lime juice, lemon juice, orange juice (in the freezer for cooking) to drink cranberry or blueberry juice

Eggs (large)

Meats: I buy in bulk so I always have this stuff on hand.... roast beef, ground beef, smoked sausage, Italian sausage, ham, chicken, pork lion, pork chops, steak, flank steak

Fresh or frozen fruits and veggies (if in season I get fresh if not I get frozen or if its cheaper to get frozen I do that too): apples, bananas, peaches, raisins, craisins, blue berries, strawberries, orange, cranberries, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots, bell peppers, green beans, peas, broccoli, corn]

I've found that I can just about make ANYTHING from a regular cookbook using these ingredients... I use the Tom Sawyer Flour only for baking cookies and thickening gravy.

What is Celiac Disease Anyhow??

Okay so my daughter has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease and I've been told that it is an autoimmune disorder caused by the gluten protein in some grains but what the heck does that mean? Let me tell you its hard to find but I finally have a technical answer about what happens in her body when she eats gluten!

Here is the technical mumbo-jumbo:

When anyone (even people without Celiac disease) eats gluten containing products it causes our bodies to produce an excess amount of zonulin. (A protein found in our small intestine that basically works as a doorman allowing the nutrients of our food to pass into the bloodstream) You heard me right.. EVERY person on earth produces too much zonulin when they eat gluten! Having too much zonulin opens so many ..doors.. that toxins (gluten fragments) get into our blood stream that normally wouldn't have been allowed in.

This is where my daughter's body acts differently than ours does. Her body sees these gluten fragments as invaders and it launches and attack against them.. the problem is her body also attacks itself (the autoimmune part of this Celiac) She produces antibodies ant react against normal, healthy tissue rather than the bad stuff.

Her body attacks the villi (the little finger things on our intestines that help absorb nutrients) on the lining of the small intestine causing them to flatten (really they are chopped down like a tree). If they have been chopped they are no longer able to absorb nutrients from her food. The damage always happens at the top of the intestine first.

Remember that her small intestine is about 3.5 times longer than she is (so about 10+ feet) So by the time she was showing symptoms and losing weight, her entire intestine had been damaged.

Anyhow the villi do repair themselves once you have switched to a gluten free diet. It takes 1-12 months for adults and with kids it..s a much faster recovery.

Now you all know what Celiac disease is!

*special thanks to the book Gluten Free Living for Dummies it has been a GREAT resource.

My Daughters Story

My daughter was born a hefty 9lbs 13oz and has always been a "big" girl! The only form of nutrition she received for the first 6 months of her life was breast milk and after that I made her baby food and nursed her until 13 months old. She was a happy and healthy baby showing no signs of food allergies or intolerances from day one. (I've put this information in here to dispel the thoughts that 1. Not feeding a baby gluten before the age of 4-6 months will prevent Celiac Disease, and 2. Nursing a baby for 1 year will help to prevent Celiac Disease...in my case the proof is in the pudding)

I clearly remember a day in October when I heard her cough in the middle of the night. I went to check on her and found that she had vomited. I cleaned her up, took her temperature only to find that it was normal and brushed the incident off, I thought she was just too hot.

What started off as 1 night of vomit quickly progressed to an everyday ordeal of projectile undigested food, many phone calls to the pediatrician, and finally a referral to a Pediatric Gasteroenterologist. We were in the GI's office 1.5 weeks after my daughter started showing symptoms.

After going through a complete family medical history, we drew blood and waited for the results. I received a phone call that went something like this 3 days later:

Hello

This is the nurse practitioner at the GI's office, we have R's test results. She has an Autoimmune disorder called Celiac Disease and would like to schedule a biopsy to confirm diagnosis.

What is that?

It means she has a gluten intolerance and this can be controlled completely by her diet.

So are you not sure that she has this?

No, Her test are clearly showing positive for Celiac

Then why do we need to do a biopsy?

To confirm Diagnosis, can we schedule it now?

No, I need to speak with her regular pediatrician first.

To make a long story short we did the biopsy and her diagnosis was confirmed.

My daughters initial TTG's were 73

I fed my daughter 1 saltine cracker a day until her biopsy and she has been gluten free ever since (almost 4 months now)