Yummy yum yam

O. M. Goodness. This is my new favorite quick and easy meal/side-dish.

Throw together some cubed sweet potatoes, canned corn, canned black beans, diced red bell pepper, onion, olive oil, cilantro, cumin and coriander in a skillet and cook on medium high heat. Stir often. Dish is done when potatoes are golden brown.

Or cheat with Alexia brand 'Saute Sweet' from the freezer section.

All natural, gluten free, easy.
Win. Win. Win.

My Prudence Broke

The recession has resulted in serious financial fallout for many. No news there.

Other sources of involuntary fat trimming are divorce and medical illness. All of which are difficult situations to endure in and of themselves. Add in the inability to eat or provide food for little mouths and the stress becomes unbearable, which , then leads to poor (or even worse) eating habits, which is known to cause medical illness, poor stress management and depression, likely exacerbating the situation and initiating the downward spiral toward poverty.

While your average Food Prude is capable of cutting back a little and still maintaining a mostly healthy diet when money is tight, destitute celiacs face more of a challenge.

For example, a struggling single parent with celiac children is not able to utilize the special school lunch program, which offers children a balanced lunch for cents on the dollar, because these programs do not offer gluten free foods.

Nor is it possible for low income celiacs to simply choose generic foods, or sale items in all categories.

Many of you already know these details, but for the sake of the many non celiacs reading this post, let's point out a few of the extrordinary expenses associated with the gluten free diet.

1. Bread: Gluten Free, $6.49 makes 4 sandwiches. A 'regular' loaf costing, on average $3.50 and yielding roughly 11 sandwiches.

2. Pretzels: Gluten Free, $6.99 14.1 oz. bag. Glutinous pretzels, $3.29 for 16 oz bag.

3. Pancake Mix: Gluten Free, $5.69 on average with 10 servings. Bisquick mix $2.75, 28 servings.

So what's a destitute celiac to do? Compromise nutrition seems to be the only solution, hence the broken prudence. While fruits and vegetables are always a good source of naturally gluten free food, it is not enough to round out a diet and supplement those that cannot use knives or cook regularly (the wide and ever growing population of short celiacs)

I am opening up this blog to public comments and asking for tips and suggestions for gluten free diets on the cheap.

Follow along as I divulge the details of our families compromise through tough times.

Grilled Mahi Mahi

I like to try to have some variety of fish at least once a week. Up this week is Mahi Mahi, one of the less fishy tasting varieties. A quick stop at Allrecipes.com led me to this great recipe that I tweaked a bit.

• 5 pounds skinned, deboned mahi mahi, cut into chunks
•  1 tsp rehydrated dried garlic chips
• 1/2 cup butter, diced
• 2 T dried minced onion
• 4 T lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Moscato (white wine)
• 1 1/2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (rotel)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 ounces shredded pepperjack cheese

1. Preheat grill for high heat.
2. Place mahi mahi in an aluminum foil pan, and toss with the garlic to coat. Distribute butter evenly throughout pan. Spread onions over fish. Pour the lemon juice, wine, and diced tomatoes with green chile peppers over the fish. Season with salt and pepper. Tightly cover pan with aluminum foil.
3. Place pan on the grill grate, and cook fish 35 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork. Sprinkle with cheese before serving.

Serve with whole grain rice and green vegetables.  Leftovers make for great lunches!!For the original recipe, visit Allrecipes.com.


Mahi Mahi passes the food prude's standards:

Nutritional Facts

A cooked, three-ounce piece of Mahi Mahi contains 119 calories, 25.5 grams of protein, zero grams of carbohydrates, one gram of total fat and zero grams of fiber, according to MotherNature.com.

Sources of Nutrients

Mahi Mahi is an Excellent course of Selenium (40mcg), Niacin (10mg) and Vitamin B6 (0.88mg), meaning that one cooked, three-ounce piece of Mahi Mahi provides 20 percent or more of the Recommended Daily Value of those nutrients, based on guidelines set by the United States Department of Agriculture, according to MotherNature.com. The same sized serving of Mahi Mahi is also a good source of potassium (484mg), meaning it provides between 10 and 20 percent of the USDA Recommended Daily Value.

Read more: Nutritional Data on Mahi Mahi | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5873152_nutritional-data-mahi-mahi.html#ixzz1FPDF9DZg

Don't Do It

It's New Year's Eve and everyone is ready with their champagne and lists of things they want to change, accomplish or work toward next year. It's exciting thinking about all the great things that the new year will bring. It's a fresh start. Another chance to make things great instead of so-so.

Let's talk about your list. Is it a detailed outline of specific goals, i.e. 'loose 20 lbs.', 'get a promotion', 'pay off your credit card'? Or is it more vague and open ended, like 'spend more time with the kids', 'eat healthier', 'do some soul searching'?  Either way you're setting yourself up for failure, and you know it.

I don't want to take the wind out of your sails, but don't do it. I'm not being pessimistic, we all know I am a Freakin' Eureakan by nature. But the fact is, most people are not actually able to accomplish the resolutions they undertake, putting themselves into a 'victim of circumstance' position, which is nothing less than depressing.

So I'm telling you to stop making lists of things to change. That's going to be your 'newness' for each year. That's what you are going to do for 2011. You are going to NOT make a list of things to change about yourself, your life, your situation.

Instead, make this commitment: Live in a way that doesn't make you want to change a thing. Complex, I know. But try it. For 2011 live in a way that won't make you want to change something for 2012. Still worried about that 20 lbs.? Live in a way that doesn't make that an issue for 2012. Change the way you LIVE and all those things fall into place.

If you were to consciously make the choice to love the way you live everyday - every hour - you would be content. Contentment leads to joy. Joy eases the discomfort of discipline which, in turn, leads to an instinctive ability to make good decisions that nourish the joy.

Stop being a victim of circumstance and choose to change. You say you want to lose 20 lbs? Choose salmon instead of a burger every now and then. It won't kill you - it's just a choice. You want to spend more time with the kids? Turn off the TV. The computer. The phone. Play tag, ride bikes, dance. Want to pay off the credit card? Take it out of your wallet. Make the choice to take control of the situation. Want to eat healthier? Don't buy junk. It's a decision you make every time you go to the store. Not just on New Year's.

After changing the way you choose to live, there's a good chance you'll actually accomplish all those unresolved goals. Playing with the kids more and paring down the grocery bill by cutting out the junk will make you loose 20 lbs. AND charge less on the credit card. Who knows, enjoying life might even land you that promotion. Happy employees are more productive after all......

Cheers!

The Food Frenzy: Part 2 Survival

Going to a party, holiday or otherwise, that is not providing 'safe' foods for a food sensitive person is challenging, but do-able. Navigating the holidays with food allergies requires only forethought for survival.

Prior to the event, ask the host(ess) what will be served and what time eating is to commence. Many events start with food which allows you to eat beforehand and be purposely late to avoid watching everyone else eat. 

Based on the menu, decide if you want to bring your own foods or eat before you go. Offer to bring something to share so you know you'll be able to eat at least one thing at the event. If you opt not to create a complete separate meal for yourself to eat, bring handy inconspicuous snacks like nuts, that can be consumed while mingling instead of sitting at a dinner table.

Food issues or not, it's always a good idea to eat something healthy and high in protein at home before joining a food laden party. Having a full stomach will lead you to eat less of the junky fattening indulgences typically served at holiday gatherings.

Once you've planned accordingly, you will be able to relax and enjoy the season.

The Food Frenzy: Part 1 Safety

I'll be honest, I have ALWAYS loved the holidays. The weather, the family time, the shopping, and of course the food. However, when celiac disease became a part of my life, I began to dread it all. It became a nightmare. All that food became a risk and the daunting task of trying to make a replica of everything in a gluten free version was overwhelming and exhausting.

Even the shopping was no longer enjoyable because it meant frantically running to several different stores trying to piece together enough gluten free items to make a mock [insert occasion here] meal. This frustration fed the dread.

But each year things have gotten a little easier. Each year I've learned new ways to stay safe and tricks to make food replication easier and quicker.

When I started this post I set out to share my Thanksgiving recipes tempted to skip the details on the safety concerns, because they are stressful. But it's important for all gluten sensitive people to know what to be aware of during the food frenzy. The following principles can be applied to all food sensitivities, and all food centered events.

1. If someone offers to make you something gluten free, make sure they are not using any colanders or wooden cutting boards that have previously been used with wheat. These two surfaces retain gluten residue and will contaminate even the best of intentions.

2.  As annoying as it is, you have to request that any utensils, cookware or serving ware to be used during the making and serving of the gluten free dish(es) are first washed (even if they were already 'clean'), with a brand new sponge that has not been exposed to wheat. A sponge is another porous surface that will spread gluten to seemingly clean dishes.

3. This brand new sponge, or a freshly laundered dish rag, should also be used to wipe down preparation and eating surfaces.

4. Double check the ingredients to be used. I know this seems tedious, especially if the generous person seems to have a handle on what gluten free means. Take for example, rice krispies treats. It is a common fallacy that this convenient little treat is gluten free if it's homemade, it is made with RICE krispies after all. However, Rice Krispies cereal (Kellog's brand) contains MALT FLAVORING, which is typically made from barley, which is GLUTEN.

5. Should this be a large gathering, remind the host beforehand that it is very important that the serving utensils not be interchanged between safe and unsafe foods by guests. The safe foods may be marked for clarification or placed in a separate location to reduce this risk. 

6. If the foods are setup buffet style, or even family style, ask your host to clarify which foods are gluten free (or have them marked ahead of time so you don't have to bother him/her during festivities).
 
It seems tactless to ask all of this of your host and I typically decline even the most generous offers because the effort that gluten free prep in an otherwise glutinous home demands seems just as faux pas. However some golden heart-ed people are relentlessly willing to jump through every possible hoop to prepare food that you can enjoy freely. Those people, my friends, are Angels; cherish them and reciprocate their great and diligent effort, for serving an Angel is blessing.

For tips and trick on joining a party where gluten free food is NOT being served, check out The Food Frenzy: Part 2.

Taco Well

Tonight, I planned on making tacos, and coincidentally so did Stephanie Barone of Mommy Doesn't Cook On Friday. Now, call me sheltered, but I had never heard of wrapping a hard taco with a soft tortilla, but I was anxious to try Stephanie's suggestion.

Many people like Stephanie "try to limit [taco nights] to once a month because it's not the healthiest meal but it really makes everyone happy." So, I thought I'd share my prudent spin on taco's. Don't give up taco night, just taco well.

1. Use organic ground beef/turkey or shredded beef/chicken.

2. Make your own seasoning. It requires little effort and allows you to skip all the preservatives and other chemicals in the pre-packaged taco kits.
For 1lb of meet use:
1 T chili pwdr
2 tsp. onion (powder or dry minced)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt

3. Use organic, whole grain corn tortillas and/or hard shells.

4. Warm organic re-fried black beans, spread on the tortilla and wrap around hard shell taco.

5. Load taco with seasoned meat, cheese, fresh spinach leaves, diced tomato and fresh cilantro.

6. Devour.

7. Repeat.

8. Poor leftover meat on pasta and sprinkle with cheese in thermos for to-go lunch or over broken tortilla chips with black beans, corn, fresh spinach leaves, and tomato for a quick taco salad.

Booty Prude

Happy Halloween! This can be quite a frightening time of year for food prudes, parents and those with food allergies and/or intolerances.

How do you do Halloween healthy? Here's my two cents:

1. Most obvious, don't eat or allow your children to eat anything before examining it at home under good lighting.

2. Set up a buy back program for your kids. I give $.10/piece and my kids love it. They usually sell more than half their candy to me, which I then donate or trash.

3. Donate, donate, donate. There are several places that offer to buy your candy for $1/lb, like doctors' and dentists' offices. You can also look for places to donate it, like nursing homes, homeless shelters etc.

4. Check these references to find out which candies are gluten free:  Gluten Free Candy List from Celiac Central, Gluten Free Candy list from Alison of Sure Foods Living.

5. Establish a rule for the kids (and you!) defining how much candy consumption per day is acceptable and pick a date that the candy will 'expire', and stick to it. For example, I allow my kids to have 2 pieces of their unsold candy per day for two weeks. Exactly two weeks after Halloween, all the candy goes in the trash.

6. Grab your pillow cases and go get some booty!

Black Bean 'n Pico Quesadilla

I love to make quesadillas with corn tortillas, they are quick, versatile and gluten free, and I've posted a couple of those recipes in the past. At the risk of looking like a one trick pony, I have to share my most recent creation. This ones a bit spicy, not for the sensitive foodie.

Mix following ingredients in bowl to create filler:
1 Can black beans drained and rinsed
1 Can corn drained
1/4 c pico de gallo salsa (or any salsa will work)

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Layer on preheated griddle:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
corn tortilla
1/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup Black Bean 'n Pico filler
Fresh spinach leaves
1/4 shredded pepper jack cheese
corn tortilla

Cook for 5-7 minutes on med. to high heat then carefully flip. Cook other side for 5 minutes, move to plate, and let cool for a 2 minutes. Cut with pizza cutter and serve with sour cream.

Enjoy!

Beef Asparagus Casserole

You look at your calendar and you see it coming. You dread the thought, but there it is. A busy weeknight. School functions, sporting events, after hours meetings. We've all been there. So what are you going to do for dinner? You know you have to plan in advance. Your committed to steering clear of the local drive through on such occasions. The crock pot comes to mind. You give it a good once over, incapable of remembering one single good slow cooker meal that you haven't overused, or that sounds remotely appealing. You fret. Maybe you should just pack sandwiches, it won't hurt if everyone eats lunch twice in one day. Or.....maybe you will have to hit a fast food joint, they all offer salad bowls and fruit cups and those are healthy......

OK, so maybe that's just me. I feel like I've cooked every good crock pot meal one too many times and I'm just burnt out on it. Too many busy weeknights I guess. So here is my solution for this weeks craziness called life. 

I'll be honest, this is not as quick and easy as some of my recipes. But it is convenient when prepared in advance (say the night before, or in the morning), kept in the fridge, and put in the oven close to supper time. It also makes great leftovers, so you could make it on a slow night, and reheat on the crazy one.

Formerly known as Hamburger pie, and made with tomato soup and canned green beans, I've changed this recipe up a bit to make it healthier.

Here's what you need:

1 lb. Ground Beef (or Turkey)
Portabello Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce
1 Clove Garlic
1 Bunch Fresh Asparagus
4 Potatoes
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Rice milk
1 C Sour Cream
1/2 tsp Dried Dill Weed
2 1/2 Cups Shredded Italian Blend Cheese

Prep:
Pre-heat oven to 350*
Brown beef, drain, rinse, drain, add spaghetti sauce, and garlic, stir, set aside.
Wash, peel, quarter potatoes, boil until tender. Add egg, sour cream, rice milk and Dill, blend with mixer.
Wash and cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces, leaving out the dried ends (about 1/2 inch of bottom of stalk).

Pour Beef sauce into deep casserole dish.
Line Asparagus on top of beef sauce.
Cover with 1/2-1 cup of cheese.
Add Potatoes to casserole and top with rest of cheese.
Bake at 350* for 1 hour.

Tomorrow, warm thermoses and fill with leftover beef asparagus casserole for lunches. Two birds, one stone.

Top 50 Gluten Free Blogs

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Food Prude is listed in the Top 50 Blogs in: Gluten Free on Networked Blogs.  I want to say a big "THANK YOU" to all my fellow Food Prudes out there for reading, commenting on, and sharing my posts.  I am inspired by all the great feedback and interest in gluten free and healthy living, and I vow to continue to try to post valuable information and delicious recipes.

Please join me and other Food Prude's on my Facebook Fan Page for open discussions, and share your stories and recipes!



Blessings,
The Food Prude

Asian Glazed Chicken - G Free

Break out your chopsticks. This recipe is better than your local take out and completely gluten free....

Today, I was super excited to log on and discover that one of my friends has started her own recipe and meal planning blog. She too is a busy working mom and has lots of creative quick and easy weeknight meal ideas. Tonight, I dove headfirst into her first recipe, converting it as I went along, and the result was a delicious Asian inspired gluten free meal.

I must clarify that her recipe called for Salmon, which I'm sure tastes even better with this sauce, but  I needed to cook the fresh organic chicken in my fridge, so I am presenting Asian Chicken to you.

For reference, here is Mommy Doesn't Cook On Friday's blog site with the original recipe.

Here is how I made it suitable for my gluten free family:

Prep:
Preheat grill
Steam Basmati or Wild rice

Rinse and pat dry 4 boneless skinless organic chicken breasts

zest & juice two organic oranges - put half aside for rice

Sauce:
To the remaining zest/juice add:
2 TB dark brown sugar
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp grapeseed oil
1 TB Tamari (wheat free soy sauce)

Create aluminum foil 'boat' for chicken breasts and pour sauce over them, turn and make sure chicken is well covered. Grill, turning once, until done.

Steam Basmati or Wild rice. Add saved orange juice and zest and teaspoon of sesame or olive oil, stir and set aside for about 5 min.

Create second aluminum foil 'boat'. Pour 2 TB olive oil on and crush 2 cloves of garlic onto the oil. Add 4 c
ups fresh organic spinach and toss, coating spinach with oil and garlic. Place on grill over burner on low and grill until JUST wilted. (this can also be done in pan on stove, I just used the grill because the weather was nice)

This meal is not only delicous, it's full of vital nutrients and makes great leftovers too! Enjoy it, and make sure you follow Mommy Doesn't Cook On Friday for the full weeks menu!

Precious Pretzels

Eating 'gluten free' foods can be very intimidating. There's always the chance that the food in question isn't safe and illness will insue, or the more likely chance that it is completely gluten free and your taste buds will shrivel in despair.

Despite aforementioned anxiety, I was fortunate to have a great first experience with pre-packaged gluten free food, which fostered high expectations and led to several disappointments over the course of my gluten free years.

The first designated gluten free product I bought was Glutino's pretzels, which surprisingly, are better tasting than 'real' pretzels. Unfortunately, as with most processed gluten free foods, they are expensive and poorly packaged causing quick, and disheartening spoiling if not consumed quickly.

Because we so enjoy Glutino's pretzels, but must maintain a tight grocery budget, my children and I began looking for creative ways to use up stale and/or broken pretzel leftovers.

Recently, we used our pretzel crumbs in a dish my 9 year old was concocting, called Gooey Greatness, where she mixed crushed cashews with almond butter and honey. The pretzels made a nice addition, but we were still looking for more ideas.

Much to my delight, I found this little blip about pretzels in Family Circle magazine and I can't wait to convert these recipes into delectable gluten free dishes.

1. Brush each side of 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with 1 tsp spicy brown mustard. Roll in finely crushed pretzels; bake at 400* for about 15 minutes.
2. For pie crust, mix 2 cups finely crushed pretzels, 6 tbsp melted butter and 3 tbsp sugar. Press into a pie plate and bake at 350* for 10 minutes.
3.  Make a simple sweet dessert by melting 12 ounces semisweet chocolate baking chips, then stir in 1 cup coarsely crushed pretzels and 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Spread out onto a waked paper lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 1 hour and break into pieces.

Have an idea for pretzel leftovers? Share them on Food Prude's facebook fan page.

Hot Cocoa You Can Feel Good About

It's officially fall, and that means it's time to re-vamp your hot cocoa and make it something you're proud to share.

Here's my recipe:

1. Warm milk of choice (cow's, goat's, rice, soy, or almond, always organic)
2. 2 Tbsp. Powdered chocolate / cocoa (Ghiradelli Sweet Chocolate is our favorite)
3. 1-2 drops Agave Nectar (low glycemic sweetener - a staple in a Food Prude's pantry- found near honey at almost all grocery stores)
4. Dash of Cinnamon

Food Prude Facts:

Drinking pure cocoa, rather than eating processed forms of it (i.e. chocolate candy), is the best way to reap the many benefits, like high antioxidants without the saturated fat. Cocoa also has a positive effect on blood pressure due to the flavanols that allow vascular tissue to relax. Further, cocoa aids in glucose metabolism, and reduces your risk of stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes by 10%.

Agave Nectar is the most beneficial and lowest glycemic sweetener on the market. Low glycemic means it won't cause a sharp rise and fall of blood sugar levels when consumed. Agave has anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties as well as antibacterial properties. It can be effective in weight loss, reducing appetite, lowering cholesterol, reducing the risk of certain cancers, and increasing absorption of vital nutrients such as isoflavones, calcium and magnesium. Agave Nectar is a very flexible sweetener and can replace sugar in most recipes.

Cinnamon is rich in phytonutrients which act like insulin and may help regulate blood sugar levels - especially good for people with diabetes. It also lowers bad cholesterol, and can remedy medication resistant yeast infections. It's a great source of maganese, fiber, iron, and calcium, which the agave will help you absorb in this recipe!

It has also been shown that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory - a perfect start to a busy school or work day. So next time you want a warm cup of hot cocoa, make it an advantageous cup, and have two!

Gluten Freedom....

For one day at least. Paruse, eat, enjoy......without asking a gazillion questions.....it's ALL GLUTEN FREE!  Today from 4-8 at The Glass Cactus on Grapevine Lake.

Come one, come all. Sample great foods, learn about gluten free diets and health benefits and have fun. If I survive the Jailbreak run, I'll see you there!

Finding Celiac

Because recognizing and diagnosing Celiac disease can be much like the wild and seemingly endless quest to Finding Nemo, this post is titled after the very popular Pixar film. Similarly, the beginning scenes of this post are a little unsettling, leading into a dangerous but comical adventure with beautiful and fulfilling results.

Inspired by questioning, I will share our family diagnosis story here. For privacy reasons, I will not be using my family's real names.

Our story begins with Lane, our first daughter, who was a 'text book' baby, meaning that she had a perfectly normal and uneventful fetal experience and delivery, and was developing right on track.  Until 18 months of age when she began vomiting every time she ate wheat. That seemed simple enough, she must be just like me, allergic to wheat. So I took her off wheat (not gluten). While she stopped vomiting, the problems moved south. By age 3 she was having severe, uncontrollable diarrhea (she was potty trained but began having explosive accidents). As sad as it was to see her tummy ache, the blood in her stool was my biggest concern. Still, my first instinct was food allergies so I took her to a pediatric allergist in Dallas, who, after listening to her symptoms, very precisely and arrogantly refused to test her for food allergies and referred me to a pediatric GI down the hall.  Being young and new to mothering in general, as well as sleep deprived (because I also had a 6 month old at the time) I didn't question his blatancy and just followed his recommendation.

I took Lane to the Pediatric GI who insisted on a colonoscopy before speculation as to what could be causing this inexplicable diarrhea.  After a very traumatic procedure (which details will remain untold) the doctor diagnosed her with ulcerative colitis, prescribed an arm load of steroids and other drugs, told me that she would have colon cancer by age 25, and dismissed us. Refusing to put her on all those drugs I took her to my holistic nutritionist who had helped me with all my food allergies. She informed me that colitis just means inflammation of the colon and that I needed to figure out what was causing the inflammation, and that no matter what, Lane would benefit from a gluten free diet because gluten is hard the gut. Immediately, Lane was put on a gluten free diet and her symptoms improved to a tolerable amount of infrequent tummy aches. Unfortunately, her symptoms worsened again when she was 5 years old. After keeping a detailed food diary for her, I was sure it was food allergies and I proceeded to take her to a local (Flower Mound) allergist to have her tested. The results were conclusive, she was allergic to corn. Of all things,  CORN! I poured over the Internet, researching everything corn tainted and wearily wrote down the handful of things that did NOT have the allergen in them because it was simpler than trying to compile a list of the thousands of products that DID have corn.  Lane was now gluten free and corn free and eating a lot of rice and salad, and still having the occasional bout with diarrhea. 

Just after adjusting to our new corn free diet, we began having problems with our middle daughter, Drew, who was 3, and another 'text book' baby.  Drew suddenly began breaking out in hives every time she ate....anything. I promptly called up our friendly local allergist and took her in, only to discover that she has no food allergies. None. What was I to do now? I fed her Benedryl with every meal. Let me note here that I am not paranoid, there were two factors that led me to use small amounts of benedryl with Drew, 1) I myself have had anaphylactic reactions from allergies and they are very serious, 2) I am well versed in the quick progression of food allergies, and know that what starts out as a rash upon one encounter can turn to blocked airways upon the third. I vowed to be cautious until I got answers, which was in the very near future fortunately.

Dumbfounded, I took her to our family doctor who is a nice cross between a homeopath and a mainstream medical physician. She was open minded enough to do a blood test to look for IgA antibodies to gluten on Drew. Sure enough, she had them. That was the first indication of celiac in our family, aside from Lane's undiagnosed aversion to all things wheat. I had read about Celiac, and the diagnosis process, and I was leery of what was to come next. Typically, the Celiac diagnosis process follows this standard: blood work, colonoscopy, gluten free diet, follow up colonoscopy, diagnosis. I was not interested in traumatizing another one of my children and fortunately, neither was our family doctor.  She recommended we put Drew on a GF diet and follow up with her in a month. In the mean time, she suggested that we all get tested for IgA because celiac is genetic and everyone in our family is at risk. 

Lane had been GF for too long for the blood test to be accurate, so we tried putting her back on gluten before the blood test, but it made her so incredibly sick to her stomach after one encounter that we couldn't go through with it. Lane still does not have a firm diagnosis, all we know is that she cannot, in any way, tolerate gluten.

The rest of us were all regular wheat eaters and got blood tested. Much to my surprise, I was not the carrier. I have several food allergies, including wheat which led me to believe I would be the one with Celiac disease, but much to our surprise, it was my husband, Alan.

I'll digress here and tell you a little about his history. Alan's problems started when he was about 3 also. His mother, an enlightened RN at the time, took him to the doctor for stomach problems and diarrhea and demanded he be tested for celiac (imagine back then, they probably didn't even know what it was!) Alan's test, if they even did it correctly, was negative. So they went the dairy free - it must be lactose - direction and he grew up with continued bowel problems, thinking he was lactose intolerant. **SIDE NOTE- damage caused by undiagnosed celiac disease often causes lactose intolerance.** When I met him, he was 23 and very thin, like the malnourished product of a third world country, with the distended belly and all. He was also a picky eater. Alan never ate pasta, pizza, or anything with bread on it. He would order a sandwich and then take the bread off and just eat the meat. I thought it was very strange, he always said he just didn't like breads and things of that nature. As in many cases, his instincts were protecting him. He went gluten free when he found out he had celiac and has never felt better. He has since filled out and doesn't have the stomach problems that he has always had in the past.

My third daughter Avery, also tested positive for gluten antibodies. Meaning she did have or was going to have full blown celiac. At the time of her diagnosis, she was 16 months old and we thought she was asymptomatic, she didn't seem to have any food related issues.  So we thought. After her test results, she too went gluten free, and the Angels descended from the Heavens and blessed us with peace. Avery slept through the night. Something she had never done until now, at 16 months of age.  She was a colicky baby and never slept more than an hour at a time, even at night, but I never attributed that to GLUTEN. Until she became a 'normal' baby almost overnight after she went gluten free. Needless to say, she, too, will be GF forever.


As I learned more and more about the gluten free diet and glutinous foods, I discovered that I had inadvertently be feeding Lane a few things that I shouldn't have. Like Oats. There is a huge learning curve with the celiac disease, the gluten free diet is very complex and hard to implement. Prepare yourself for this and be patient. 

What should you do if you suspect gluten is an issue?


1) Start by keeping a food diary. Write down what you eat, when you eat it, and how you feel later. After a few weeks you should be able to go back and see a pattern.

2) Try a GF diet for a month and see if your problems go away. There are flaws with this option, of course. First, a gf diet is tricky and it would be hard for you to make sure you are completely GF. Second, once you've been gf for a while (long enough to notice improvement) you cannot be tested for celiac unless you ingest gluten regularly for about a month or so. Which sounds easy, but you must know that the longer you've been off of gluten, the sicker you'll get when/if you go back on it.

3) See a holistic doctor, a nutritionist, or a GI that specializes in Celiac, and ask for the IgA blood test for celiac. That is the first in a series of steps to getting (or ruling out) a diagnosis. Note, that if you go to a GI, they are going to require a colonoscopy for diagnosis.

4) Get allergy tested, even if you've been tested before, food allergies can develop at any time just like seasonal allergies.

As always, I hope that this information helps you. Please share it with others who may be suffering from undiagnosed celiac disease. The wide range of symptoms is too long to list here, but is available at Celiac.com and several other places. 1 in 90 people have Celiac disease today, and if ignored, it can lead to severe and irreversible health problems.

If you remember the opening to this post, you are probably wondering where the beauty and fulfillment is in all of this. Let me tell you. The fulfillment is in the answers. Knowing there is something wrong, but not knowing what can be frightening, even for the strongest faith.  The beauty is in the divine complexity of our bodies. We have been empowered with the responsibility of maintaining these intricate 'machines,' and this story reminds us to listen to them.

S'mores And Smushes Please

Labor Day weekend is highly anticipated in my home, as it brings many reasons to celebrate and reminisce. My first child was born on Labor Day weekend 2001. She, in particular, cherishes this time of year because she is the center of attention, which is hard to accomplish in a bustling household of five. Labor Day also marks the unofficial end of summer and demands one last hurrah, which gives me two good excuses to make sure this holiday weekend is special every year.

As if those reasons were not enough, I also take advantage of this family time to remember the events of  9/11/01, as dreadful as it sounds, to be mindful of those who die, and serve for our freedom, re-iterate those freedoms to my children, and to model a sincere gratitude for such liberty. In my opinion, this historical September date is as significant as Independence day and deserves reflection.

This trifecta calls for a special menu, regardless of the location of our celebration, and when treat requests are opened up to the panel, otherwise known as the three short people in my home, the results are unanimous, "S'mores and Smooshes please!"

As with everything else, gluten free s'mores present a challenge, but where there is a will, there is a way.

Because we were gluten free when gluten free wasn't cool, our first hankering for s'mores called for graham crackers made from scratch. If you've paid attention, you know that 5 years ago, I was knee deep in a 'new' diet, had three kids ages 4 and under, ran a business with a workaholic husband, and would never risk my last shred of sanity attempting to make homemade gf graham crackers. I would have to get creative.

I remembered that I was quite the pro at making gluten free chocolate chip cookies from scratch, or so my little taste testers led me to believe, and while I whipped up a batch I convinced myself that I was being resourceful instead of lazy, and once cooled, we happily proceeded to smush roasted marshmallows between them. They went over without a hitch and were deemed 'Smushes' by my girls. Unbeknownst to me, this little treat was already created by the Pennsylvanian Amish in 1917, and are still known as Whoopie Pies to Mainers. These cute little treats are not s'mores, but just as fun and somewhat more appealing to the one who cleans the faces of the consumers.

Fortunately, times have changed, and the geniuses behind Kinnikinnick Foods created gluten free graham crackers. All we have to do is pick them up at the store! (I'm easily amused, I know.) These cherished crackers are called S'moreables and are also dairy free and nut free to boot. Because they are made with whole grain flours and natural sugars like honey and molasses, they have become a summertime staple in our prudent home. Find stores that carry this brand at Kinnikinnick.com.

If you'd like to make your own, here is a GF Graham Cracker Recipe  from Living Without. Martha Stewart also has a whole wheat recipe on her site and claims they are easy to make.

So this Labor Day, in the thick of the tall Texas Pines, we will be fireside with our Hershey's bars, GF Graham Crackers, Marshmallows, and chocolate chip cookies, delighting in s'mores AND smushes just for kicks.

Please share your favorite Gluten Free Labor Day tradition with us!

Quinoa Meatloaf

I am not a red meat lover, but my husband is, so I occasionally make some juicy dish that he can sink his teeth into, simply to satisfy this deep seeded and somewhat barbaric need.

Last night I pulled organic ground beef from the fridge, (it's not as random as it sounds, I bought it so I could make sure we had red meat at least once during the week), and stared at it for a few moments waiting for it to tell me exactly what it wanted to be made into. Nothing came of it so I decided to let the grill decide.

Sadly, our grill is only 3 years old and has had the starters replaced twice. Two of them have gone out again, requiring the use of a flame thrower to obtain desired flamage, leaving me to risk the safety of the skin on my right arm to make use of this pertinent cooking appliance. After a few moments of fearfully forcing my hand down into the grill, with no success, I decided the grill didn't want to cook, and I would go back and ask the beef again.

This time, the beef had an answer, it was meatloaf. Sigh. Three quarters of the way through an ever increasing exhausting day comes a challenge requiring thought.

Gluten free, mouth worthy meatloaf can be difficult. Most recipes call for bread crumbs (wheat!), or oats (gluten!), and while these two key ingredients can be purchased in 'certified gluten free' form, they are both expensive and don't always provide the desired taste or consistency that their glutinous predecessors do. (And I don't have either of them and I'm not going to the store at this point in the day).

So I stood in the pantry doorway and physically assaulted every remotely grain-like food product available, trying to determine it's meatloaf potential. While crushed Kix cereal would have worked, Quinoa was given a rose....I mean chosen. (Yes, that was a reference to The Bachelorette, I couldn't resist).

How exactly do I make quinoa meatloaf? I digress.

I start by keeping an Internet ready computer in my kitchen, and, as I do on many too-tired-to-be-creative-nights, I go to Allrecipes.com and type in Quinoa Meatloaf. Poof, there's a recipe for me to tweak....I mean try.

Quinoa Meatloaf (this one calls for turkey, I used beef but either will work. I skipped the hot pepper sauce, and used onion and garlic powder to simplify. Typically I like a ketchupy sauce on top, but thought I'd give this one a shot, and it wasn't revolting!)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon water

Directions

1. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.
4. Stir the turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, tomato paste, hot sauce, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet. Combine the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Rub the paste over the top of the meatloaf.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serve with something organic and green (like peas, spinach, broccoli) and a starch like a baked sweet potato, and ENJOY!

Keep the Peppermints

The Food Prude cleaned out her purse a few days ago, and among all the important, nameless things, I found these random indicators of my daily story:

A Christmas pencil, Biofreeze, 5 screws, a dozen coffee beans, 3 sea shells, 4 marbles, 15 pens, an over sized key that unlocks nothing, 7 pony tail holders, the stick to a candy formerly known as "Dum Dum," 2 crayons, a quarter, a penny, a peso, a Lowe's gift card, a children's consignment shop club card, a miniature Sharpie, bobby pins, red sequins, 2 Hannah Montana stickers, a paper clip, two peppermints, a game token, a melted Hershey kiss, expired Justice coupons, a pink hair bow, 2 silly bandz, movie ticket stubs, inedible gum, and a Mercedes Benz key chain....just in case.

Of course, I did not put these things back into my purse. However, I will likely replenish with a similar collection of insignificant items, as I do have 3 young daughters after all.

What is the point of all this? The peppermints. As a hypoglycemic mock celiac often caught in situations where low blood sugar is inevitable but food options are limited or completely unavailable, (like 2 hour parent orientations, rush hour traffic, back to back soccer games, etc.), I rely heavily on my stash of instant sugar, otherwise known as peppermints, to keep my sugar level steady until I can get a good source of protein.

Why peppermints specifically? Aside from the quick sugar fix when I can feel myself fading, I like the taste and while I don't believe that eating candy is really going to make a contribution to my health, there are several desirable characteristics of peppermint that, if the sugar content doesn't over power the oil, can be beneficial.

Foremost, peppermint soothes the human digestive tract which in turn limits indigestion. Peppermint also helps alleviate stomach conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and has been found useful in treating stomach cancer and gallbladder disease. Peppermint has also been shown to stunt the growth of many different types of bacteria and fungi. This in turn has been found to help relieve symptoms of allergies and asthma. Finally, while many of you are probably not going to go around rubbing candy all over yourselves, peppermint oil has been found to help relieve tension headaches. And the mere smell of peppermint has been known to relieve stress.

Because I don't like the corn syrup and artificial colors in store bought mints, I am going to make this recipe for my mint stash:

1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. powdered sugar
4 Tbsp. water
a drop or two of peppermint oil (more concentrated than extract, but extract can be used)

Combine granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Add flavoring, and powdered sugar. Drop on wax paper quickly. (The first mints will be round, but as the mixture cools, the mints become lumpier.)


What's in your purse?

Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Grilled Sirloin

On a recent trip to my favorite grocery store, one of those well positioned end cap sales caught my eye. You know, the ones that self proclaimed savvy shoppers typically tune out. It was a nice display of assorted sauces,  which is one of those products, much to my dismay, that usually contains gluten. I decided to stop and check it out, hoping to find a surprise on the off chance that this manufacturer had wised up to the demand for minimally processed and gluten free products.

It just so happens that the items on display were part of 'Bronco Bob's' All Natural Sauce Collection, and not only were they discounted, but they were GLUTEN FREE! With home made looking packaging, and a wide range of colors, several of the delectable flavors tickled my fancy; Smoked Bacon Chipotle, Tangy Apricot Chipotle, Orange Ginger Grilling Sauce....it was hard to choose. Without a particular recipe in mind, I had a hard time figuring out what I was going to do with this sauce when I got home.

I decided on the Roasted Raspberry Chipotle because I was sure that no matter what I put it on, it was going to sound, and taste, delicious. Sure enough, I scored and marinated a Tri Tip Sirloin steak in the sauce. I proceeded to grill the steak and am happy to report that the enticing name didn't disappoint. This is now one of my favorite marinades, and it's extremely simple!

Of course, you can make a similar sauce, or rub, yourself, which I also have done, but some nights call for something a little less time consuming.

While this isn't really a recipe, per se, it is encouragement to experiment with your cooking. It's not hard at all. Pay attention to the end cap sales, and if it's a healthy item that's being promoted, grab one. Then get creative and find a way to use it.

Next time you're at the store or farmer's market, buy something different, (with food prude standards in mind of course), and get creative!