Posts Tagged celiac sprue

Our Gluten Free Nation’s Capital!

Aug 3

Posted by Maureen in Let's Eat Out | 2 Comments

We recently took an overnight family trip to Washington DC.  Between planning tours and sightseeing excursions that would entertain my five and eight year old (and successfully hold my very short nonexistent attention span), I realized I HAD to do some research on where to safely dine gluten free while in DC.  To hit that need home even further, I accidentally glutened myself two days before we left for our trip.  Grrrreat (insert sarcasm here).  I was terrified that I would re-gluten myself and end up puking or pooping my guts out on the 500th floor of the Washington Monument.  I’m happy to report that I successfully maneuvered through Washington DC sans gluten and wanted to share my insider tips with you.  I even noshed on (gluten free) Astronaut Ice Cream at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum!  While in Washington, we dined at Bertucci’s and Jaleo — both restaurants provided me with a large gluten free menu.  Be sure to have a map of the city (or use your iPhone) so you can plan out where the restaurants/bakeries are located.  You can totally thank me by sending a Black Velvet GF Cupcake from Red Velvet (just a humble suggestion!).

Restaurants in Washington DC that offer a gluten free menu or accommodate gluten free dining:

Be sure to save room for a decadent gluten free dessert:

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Gluten Free (and Worry Free!) Travel

Jul 10

Posted by Maureen in Let's Eat Out | 2 Comments

I used to be a spur of the moment kind of girl. Weekends on a whim; day trips decided by the flip of a coin (or a suspenseful game of eeny meeny miny moe). Then in 2005, my free spirit promptly crashed and burned. Insert resounding KABLAM here. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and suddenly had to plan even the smallest of details. After spending hours in the grocery store reading ingredient labels, I couldn’t even fathom an impromptu jaunt into this gluten filled world. Dining out in my hometown and eating a Cheese Salad (yes, this is an actual menu item) was daring enough for me. Gluten-free travel? Thanks, but no thanks. “Homebody” sounded just fine and a heck of a lot safer on my healing gut.

My husband Chuck and I recently found out that we will be traveling to Orlando, Florida this summer. Typically Orlando is a “no brainer” as we vacation in Walt Disney World. In my humble opinion, Disney is the most forward-thinking vacation destination in the US for people with special dietary needs. I could recite in my sleep where we safely dine while in Disney. However, this time we will be traveling (gasp) sans children and have decided (in part due to an immense amount of guilt); we cannot set foot within the Magic Kingdom without our kids in tow. So we are branching out and exploring what else the Sunshine State has to offer.

Immediately after booking our trip, my food anxiety began to set in. Where would I eat? What would I eat? What if there was nowhere to (safely) eat? What if I had to eat cardboard-flavored food all week? After soothing myself with some chocolate and bad reality TV, I decided to take action. I logged onto my trusty computer and sent my S.O.S. out to the masses, “social media style”. What is social media, you ask? Social media is a trendy new past-time and all the kids are doing it. Got an Internet connection? You’re in with social media (now wasn’t that easy?!). At first, I was a bit hesitant to jump into this online experience. Truth be told, I need cliff notes to use my remote control and tend to get into arguments with my GPS system. Technical savviness isn’t one of my strong points. However, I tested the waters and found that I could navigate just fine in this virtual gluten-free world, and I came away with a ton of first-hand information on my travel destination. Intrigued? Check out these resources:

Twitter: www.twitter.com Where else can you find up to the minute gluten-free information, tips, and news in 140 characters or less? Do a keyword search for “gluten free” or “gfree” on Twitter and you’ll find a bevy of gluten-free people sharing information.

Facebook: www.facebook.com Have you become a friend of Hold The Gluten? Search for gluten-free fan pages and groups and jump right into the communities.

Gluten-free Blogs: Gluten-free blogs offer an awesome first person perspective that allows you to glimpse a gluten free day in the life. Google “gluten free blogs” to check out the diverse group of bloggers that include teenagers, foodies, eco-friendly, and athletes.

iPhone Applications: www.itunes.com I must admit, I still think lovingly about my red Nokia cell phone from 1992. I have not crossed over into the iPhone realm, but luckily my techie husband possesses one. For those with iPhones, there are several gluten-free applications available.

Now that you’ve amassed some gluten-free travel tips from the above resources, I highly suggest creating a vacation cheat sheet. Pack one printout in your luggage and another in your carry-on. This way when you’re famished and desperately looking for a restaurant to accommodate your gluten-free needs, you can quickly reference your notes. Be sure to detail the restaurant names, addresses, phone numbers and chef/manager information.

Last but not least, share your findings! Did you come across a restaurant in Poughkeepsie dishing up drool-worthy flourless gluten-free cake? Or maybe you uncovered a diner in Fayetteville serving a killer grilled cheese on gluten-free toast (with a side of expertise in cross contamination)? For the good of gluten intolerant people everywhere, shout your experiences from the rooftop! Word of mouth is huge within our gluten-free community. Sharing is caring people!

I am counting the days until my plane touches down in sunny Florida. With confidence, I will feast gluten freely and I will not let my food intolerance rule my days. Yes, a little pre-trip planning was necessary, but thanks in part to our amazing gluten-free community, I have overcome my fear of traveling outside a ten-mile radius from my home. And I pinky swear to share the location if I find my holy grail, aka a gluten-free pizza that doesn’t taste gluten-free.

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Live Gluten Freely Product Box

Apr 26

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews | 3 Comments

Diamonds are so overrated! Why not give the gift of (full-sized) delicious gluten free products from General Mills? The wondrous folks at General Mills recently sent me a Live Gluten Freely product box to “taste test”.  These boxes are perfect for saying thank you, congratulations or I’m thinking of you!

I must give HUGE props to General Mills for addressing the need for gluten free mainstream products.  I practically live on Chex cereal (my favorite is Honey Nut) and have been known to sneak spoonfuls of Betty Crocker chocolate frosting for a “snack”.   In addition to the generous assortment of gluten free products (see listing below), General Mills provides a helpful fact sheet on healthful gluten free eating, reading labels, and foods that may contain gluten.   I especially love that General Mills clearly identifies their products “Gluten Free”.

Be sure to check out the Live Gluten Freely site as well as their Facebook page.  I’m thrilled to announce that starting next month, I will join Kim Bouldin of Gluten Free is Life and Vanessa Maltin of Celiac Princess as a Featured Blogger on Live Gluten Freely!

The Live Gluten Freely product box includes:

• Betty Crocker® Gluten-Free Brownie Mix
• Betty Crocker® Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix
• Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy Chocolate Frosting
• Honey Nut Chex® Cereal
• Betty Crocker® Create-A-Bug® Fruit Flavored Snacks
• Betty Crocker® Fruit Flavored Snacks Variety Pack – Fruit Roll-Ups®, Fruit Gushers®, Fruit by the Foot®
• Peanut Butter Cookie Lärabar® Snack Bar
• Betty Crocker® Potato Buds® Mashed Potatoes
• Betty Crocker® Red Serving Spoon
• Coupons and More!

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Sweet Freedom: Philadelphia’s Gluten Free & Vegan Bakery Review

Mar 16

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews, Let's Eat Out | 3 Comments

At the 2009 NFCA Appetite for Awareness event, I had the pleasure of meeting Allison Lubert & Heather Esposito also known as the dynamos behind Sweet Freedom Bakery.  After a wondrous sample of their gluten free cupcakes, I anxiously counted the days till their mid-January 2010 opening in Philadelphia, PA.  Sweet Freedom’s baked goods are not only gluten-free (score!), but vegan (dairy-free, casein-free, egg-free) and without corn, peanuts, and soy.  It was overwhelmingly amazing to walk into a bakery and be able to eat every single item on the menu!  Note to self: restraint is key when visiting Sweet Freedom.

Our venture into Philly started off as any typical day in early 2010…with snow.   Undaunted by the forecast of (sigh, yet another) two feet, we loaded Thing 1 and Thing 2 into the car and headed towards the City of  Brotherly Love.  Once on South Street, we easily found metered parking right in front of the bakery (probably due to the impending blizzard barreling our way).  Having obsessively studied the bakery menu, I was prepared to order.  That was until I stood witness to the rows of muffins, cupcakes, and cobblers calling my name.  Our first selection was a Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich.  I’m not sure what excited the children more, the fact that they were eating a “sandwich” that was actually a cookie or the fact that their Mommy Dearest was (willingly) sharing her gluten free goodies with them.  Yes, I admit, I have a tad bit of difficulty sharing.  Keep in mind that my hubby and kiddos can eat gluten, so I feel totally justified in threatening to administer a karate chop if they venture near my gluten free stash.  But I digress…The Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich ($3.50 single/$38.50 dozen) was utterly fabulous!    

We then moved on to the Magic Bars ($2.75 single/$30.75 dozen).  Oooh, these were good. We barely left room for one chocolate and one vanilla cupcake ($3.50 single/$38.50 dozen) iced to perfection.  Unfortunately, Thing 1 and Thing 2 gobbled the cupcakes up in record time, so the photo opportunity was missed.

Pros

  • Delectable vegan baked goods free from gluten, corn, peanuts, and soy.
  • Dedicated gluten-free facility.
  • Fresh baked daily.

Cons

  • Pricing.  While I completely understand that the price point for gluten free baking is higher, I felt that $38.50 for a dozen cupcakes seemed excessive.
  • Unless you are lucky enough to find a metered spot, parking in the adjacent lot was pricey ($10.00).

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Gluten Free Blarney Stone Creamy Potato Soup Review

Feb 10

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews | 1 Comment

Over this past weekend Snowmageddon occurred.  Here in New Jersey, it snowed a whopping 28.5 inches.  That kind of winter weather calls for three things:  hot chocolate, comfy p.j.’s and a big pot of soup simmering on the stove.  After my diagnosis with celiac disease, I found it hard to find soup mixes or premade varieties without wheat.  No longer could I take a quick trip down the soup aisle in my grocery store and pick up a few cans of Campbell’s soup.  About a year ago, I discovered Fantastic World Foods Simmer Soups.  Their Blarney Stone Creamy Potato soup is “a creamy blend of diced potatoes seasoned with onions and leeks.”  Simply add in milk to their mix and simmer on the stove for 10 minutes.  Inspired by their Baked Potato soup suggestion on the back of the package, we added a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon.

Pros:

  • Overall a tasty and hearty gluten-free soup!
  • Reasonably priced at $3.65 for a 7.5 package of soup mix (approximately 6 servings).

Cons:

  • Do your pricing research!  In doing a search on-line for Simmer Soups, I found that the price point varied greatly by retailer.  For example, if you ordered a 6-pack of Simmer Soups directly from Fantastic World Foods the price is $30.72.  In comparison, if you order the same quantity via Amazon.com, the price is $21.94.

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Gluten Free Ginger Peach Muffins with Agave Nectar

Feb 6

Posted by Maureen in Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | No Comments

“Movin to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches.”
- The Presidents of the United States of America

I apologize in advance.  This song will get stuck in your head for days. Possibly weeks.  Who knew a little ditty about peaches would be so #&$%^ catchy?!  That said, my latest recipe creation was actually not inspired by the evil peaches song but by a Ginger Peach White Tea we picked up from The Republic of Tea. I loved the blend of this tea and thought this combination would be perfect in a muffin!

The melding of ginger and peach flavors provide just the right contrast of spicy and sweet.  The muffins are moist and freeze/reheat perfectly (which is good because the recipe makes three dozen!).

Gluten Free Ginger Peach Muffins with Agave Nectar

3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 container (6 ounces) peach yogurt
1 can (15 ounces) peaches drained & diced
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients and mix well.  Then add in all dry ingredients – finish by folding in the fresh grated ginger and chopped pecans.  Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray. Using a spring loaded ice cream scoop (this is so much easier than trying to pour directly into the muffin tin!), evenly distribute the batter into muffin tins. Bake 30 minutes (or until wooden tester comes out clean). Makes three dozen muffins.

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Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake Review

Jan 22

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews | 4 Comments

“Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake.”

forkfull of gluten free cake

This past Sunday was my birthday.  Not to be all Negative Nancy, but turning 37 was NOT that thrilling in the grand scheme of things.  To make matters worse, a full-on “raging hormone” war was taking place in my SAGGY, FLABBY body.  Can I get a waaaah?  What I wanted – strike that – needed was chocolate.  Lots of chocolate.  My darling husband of ten years knew it was vital that he take action quickly:  provide his long in the tooth wife with some chocolaty confection or get punched in the throat.  Just for the record, I wouldn’t really punch my devoted spouse in the throat.  I abhor physical violence.  A kick in the shin might be warranted though as I take my chocolate very seriously.

Enter the wondrous Betty Crocker.  As you all know, Betty Crocker offers gluten free cake, cookie and brownie mixes.  What could be better to perk up a disheartening 37th birthday than with chocolate cake?  I had yet to try Betty’s gluten free version of their Devil’s Food cake.  However, a few months ago I had taste tested the gluten free vanilla cake mix with good results.  Chuck (a.k.a. husband in reaction/avoidance mode) began mixing the cake ingredients.  Just as I had doctored the Betty Crocker vanilla cake mix, Chuck added two ingredients to the gluten free devil’s food cake mix.  One cup of sour cream and one packet of chocolate pudding mix went into the batter.  The result?  A moist, dense, chocolaty hunk of heaven.  This cake was so darn good that Chuck and my two kiddos were permitted ONE slice each.  I ate the rest of the cake forkful by fabulous forkful.  By the time I got around to taking a picture to post (priorities People, cake before photography!), all that remained was one tiny bite.

My birthday turned out to be quite fabulous and amazingly tasty.  I can’t wait to turn (gasp) 38!  Yeah, that’s totally a lie, but the cake…I’ll take any day!

headerGlutenLanding

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Gluten Free 2010!

Jan 9

Posted by Maureen in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

The latest episode of my Hold The Gluten Podcast is now live!

Episode 31 “Gluten Free 2010!” Features:

  • Listener Amanda, a high school student with celiac disease, shares her story.
  • Is there a connection with celiac disease and our immune system going into hyper-drive when faced with other illness (i.e.  common cold)?
  • Gluten free cookie crisis — Hershey’s recipe revamp gone terribly wrong.
  • Burger King shares their gluten free food options!
  • Listener Joe Z. found Joe Corbi’s Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough to be tasty.
  • Listener Julia LOVED Udi’s White Sandwich Bread — even untoasted!
  • Gluten free food ideas:  Peanut butter sandwich ala Trader Joe’s GF pancakes & some peanut butter.   Waffle Panini made with apples, cheese, and (mmm) bacon in between two GF waffles.
  • What do YOU think of this HTG Podcast? Leave your feedback wherever you download this podcast!

Read the blog. Listen to the podcast. Educate yourself.

Rock on Celiacs!

Click the player below to listen to the show! Subscribe to the podcast using iTunes (or whatever media player you use) at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/htgpodcast

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At Least You Can Eat Cheese

Nov 26

Posted by Maureen in Hold The Gluten Podcast | 10 Comments

The latest episode of my Hold The Gluten Podcast is now live!

Episode 30 “October aka Celiac Awareness Month” Features:

betty.crocker.gluten.free.snacksGluten Free Giveaway! The fantabulous folks at Betty Crocker sent me a their gluten free fruit-flavored snacks to sample.  They’d also like to share the gluten free goodness with one lucky Hold The Gluten listener!  Leave a comment for a chance to receive a Betty Crocker “Simple Joys” prize pack that includes 2 boxes of Betty Crocker Fruit-Flavored Snacks, a retro Pick ‘em Up Sticks game, a light-up yo-yo and a classic Frisbee.  Betty Crocker Fruit-Flavored Snacks is a snack you can feel good about as they are made with real fruit and each serving is less than 100 calories! Now kids – and kids at heart – can enjoy the simple joy of a fun, great tasting gluten free snack.    Deadline to enter is 12/14/2009.

Read the blog. Listen to the podcast. Educate yourself.

Rock on Celiacs!

Click the player below to listen to the show! Subscribe to the podcast using iTunes (or whatever media player you use) at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/htgpodcast

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

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Gluten Free Pumpkin Cornbread

Oct 31

Posted by Maureen in Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 7 Comments

Trick or Treat
Smell my feet
Give me something good to eat!

Happy Halloween everyone!

gluten free pumpkin corn bread

I was recently perusing the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens and noticed a naturally gluten-free recipe within their “Thanks for Thanksgiving” article. Score one for the gluten intolerant! I loved the idea of Pumpkin Cornbread and had to give it whirl. As you know, I am very fond of cornbread — it’s so delicious and easy to make. I slightly tweaked some of the ingredients and added a sugar base. This recipe is fantastic! The family enjoyed it warm topped with melted butter. A drizzle of real maple syrup would be tasty as well.

Gluten Free Skillet Pumpkin Cornbread

6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons masa harina
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup buttermilk
8 ounces sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
demerara sugar for bottom of pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom of cast iron skillet with melted butter, set aside remaining melted butter. In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, sugar, masa harina, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. In a separate bowl combine remaining butter, buttermilk, sour cream, egg, and pumpkin. Whisk into cornmeal mixture. Sprinkle demerara sugar into bottom of cast iron pan (enough to coat) before pouring batter. Bake 25 minutes (or until wooden tester comes out clean).

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