Yellow nutrition

A lot of yellow nutrition











This is a perfectly natural gluten-free snack packed full of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids!

Cantaloupe
Rice crackers (find at Whole Foods)
Flax seeds (find at Trader Joes)
Avocado dip
Acorn squash (steam or bake until soft)

Preparation time = 15-20 minutes

New Jersey

My emotions about having Celiac Disease are clearly tied to memories of my childhood -- food rituals, dining experiences, family. This is perhaps why last week's family reunion was by far my greatest dietary challenge.

The Wilberts love to eat. And my recent trip back to the Jersey Shore -- where I spent my summers as a child -- was a reminder of distinctive personalities and their voracious appetites.

Truly, nothing much but age has changed since our past summer visits together. The same family dynamics, same etiquette, and same dialects still present themselves both at the beach and picnic table, quite literally.

"The cousins," as my immediate family refers to them, are Southern. Kentucky met New Jersey and produced four offspring that now span from Indiana and Tennessee.

Billy, Danny, David, and Brian ("the cousins") are essentially just bigger, older versions of how I remember them as youth. I am still "Julie Poolie," the sister they never had. Jimmy (my older brother), is still just as popularly sought after now as then -- as if he's a movie star.

Aunt Sue continues to make a wonderfully thin-crusted blueberry pie. Dad still sneaks off to bakeries for a newspaper and almond pastry puffs. (Yes, plural). Jimmy still sleeps until noon, while everyone else consumes an entire morning assembling for the beach.

Cousin Billy, the eldest, still drives a minivan littered with empty soda cans and junk food wrappers. His lackadaisical attitude got us lost going to Jenkin's boardwalk amusements just like the olden days. Itching to arrive at the salt-smeared rides, everyone's "I know how to get there!" always trumped the last person's wrong directions. Only this time, Van Halen's, "Why Can't This Be Love" wasn't blaring on the car stereo.

Amidst the chaos, tempers, immature humor, and FOOD, a sense of being enclosed in some sort of Wilbert family cocoon has always engulfed me. It's as if nothing else outside this family exists when we're all together. No one is ever left out or lost and if you wander, they'll want to know where you are, where you were.

They'll come find you because it's always time to play or eat.

***
Thank goodness the salt water taffy was gluten-free because it just about killed me to be in those bakeries or at the picnic table eying Aunt Sue's pies, pretending hard that I didn't care. At least I could chew out my frustrations on that sticky, gummy taffy.

Better yet, I was able to enjoy Jersey peaches, corn, and beets. Dad boiled an entire bag of beets for me that I had later peeled and sliced for the potluck. They didn't go over very well. In fact, cousin David referred to them as "the Devil's nectar."

The cousins' children wanted to know why I couldn't eat certain things and they seemed to like learning this new word, gluten. But for the most part, the adults didn't discuss it unless I brought it up myself.

I came close to cheating on my diet when a lattice-topped strawberry pie (I think dad bought this from the bakery), sat like a centerpiece at my table. I actually asked if I could have a small piece but Troy was there to intercept, knowing full well how awful I'd feel days later.

***
It's been a week since I left new and old memories at the Jersey Shore. I'm home now in my controlled environment, not nearly exciting or chaotic as the Wilbert cocoon.

June

Herb Centerpiece
This is what I've been doing with my time since graduating in May: gardening.

I've taken up landscaping the back yard — with little to no experience in 'greenscaping' at all. When we purchased our house last July, the back yard was just a big block of struggling sod. Troy likes the green space but I see budding potential. And so we've compromised: I develop the borders and he continues to mow a smaller chunk of sod.

I never hired a landscaper because I enjoy doing the work myself. But there have been weekend nights that I can barely climb the stairs after hours of pulling, hoeing, and hauling. I curse every time. Is this what almost 40 feels like?!

In the mix of landscape activities is my usual seasonal cycling activities. I've competed in two mountain bike races -- well one if you subtract the "DNF" (did not finish) at one mud-soaked event -- and some 20+ road rides.

Cycling hasn't been easy this year. Celiac disease and its typical unpredictable surprises have resurfaced.

For several weeks I've suffered extreme fatigue and body aches. I feel arthritic. I've had what feels like a golf ball stuck in my thyroid area for months. But all doctors have been able to detect (so far) is depleted ferritin. Ferritin, from what I understand, is a protein that stores and releases iron. In sum, I'm borderline anemic, which is a common outcome of this disease.

The lab results offer at least some explanation as to why I'm unable to maintain my cycling cadence for more than a mile or two.

As of now, I'm awaiting another tTG antibody test result. If my levels are up (1 to 3 is normal), I'm exposing myself to gluten again. And if that's the case, I'll be cursing at this high-maintenance diet more than my backbreaking landscape activities!

***
On a different note, I'm growing dwarf curry for the first time (see silver plant in photo). I've never cooked with curry but love the herb in moderate doses. Once I learn how to cultivate it, our chicken and rice dishes can be more flavorful.

That's all for now even though there's so much more to show and tell ...

Come back soon all ye celiacs!

Glutened

I had to force myself to run this evening -- to somehow climb my way out of a gluten coma through fitness.

Jogging was unbearable. Every sneaker stamp on the concrete sidewalk increased the pressure of what felt like a water balloon in my gut.

At every new corner I would accelerate my step, imagining the balloon popping and slowly letting out its watery contents. A sigh of relief would follow.

I don't know which is worse when "glutened" -- the fatigue or the gastric pain and bloating. I'd have to pick the former as the most debilitating to me because I thrive on being active, alert, and attentive.

How did I get glutened? It's been so long since this has actually happened to me.

Troy and I spent this past weekend up in Cable, WI for a mountain bike race. Cable is a sleepy northern Wisconsin town with few restaurants and grocery stores. Downtown Cable has a couple of charming country-like cafes that can easily satisfy a non-celiac bike racer. But for someone like me, you can only hope for a cup of coffee after a race...and that just doesn't cut it.

A bookstore/cafe led me to the best tasting pizza I think I have had since being gluten-free...and "they" said the crust was gluten-free. In fact, it was the only pre-made gluten free crust they had left. I was weak, tired, and hungry after a day of biking over rocky single track trails. My gluten-free guard was down.

"I'll take it!"

The pizza was unbelievably good.

But something kept telling me that it was in fact, too good to be gluten-free-true. The cooked pizza dough had formed into perfect peaks and the smell and taste reminded me of the "olden days" -- meaning my entire previous life.

It wasn't until after the first few bites did I realize that the pizza pie had a near perfect dusting of flour on its underbelly.

My husband's Greek cranberry bread had the same dusting of flour.

I tried to convince myself that maybe it had been dusted with potato flour. Or rice flour. Or tapioca flour.

I don't think so, Julie. It was too good. Too good.

Reality:

It emerges once again. Celiacs take a chance every time they eat out and employees in the restaurant business just don't get this disease. It's not necessarily their fault. They haven't been educated about food allergies and serious autoimmune-related food conditions.

That person preparing my "gluten-free" pizza probably didn't make the connection about the flour dusting. It was routine for them to prepare it this way. And my guess is that the flour was probably all over the counter tops and oven.

This whole incident is still emotional for me. I nearly cried when I took my first bite of that pizza slice. It was everything that I can't have anymore.

It was a reminder of how challenging gluten-free life can really be.

Monday Macaroons

Monday night was the first in weeks that I spent in my kitchen after being on Celiac files 'hiatus.'

It felt good to reconnect to gluten-free cooking.

I realized once again how important this activity (cooking) is towards sustainability of the diet. It seems that the more one wanders away from the kitchen, the more disconnected one could become from the relationship to the GFD. The cognizant intentions and efforts can decline rather quickly...

Coconut macaroons were produced with little foresight (only a quick peak at another one of those outdated cooking magazines found in my workplace lounge). Though I found the macaroons to be a sticky menace to my mixing bowls and baking sheets, they turned out quite delightful and were a huge hit at work the following day.

I've decided that I'll definitely make these again for my upcoming graduation party. Maybe the guests will want to stay?!

How to prepare:

1 14 ounce package of sweetened coconut flakes

3 1/4 cups of sweetened condensed milk

1 egg white

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (and/or dried craisins or nuts)

*Beat egg white and salt until stiff peaks form
*Mix beaten egg white with other ingredients, stirring together

*Form into small balls (or regular cookie shapes)

*Align onto parched baking sheet (or lightly greased baking sheet)

*Bake for 25 minutes at 300 degrees

*Cool and store for up to 1 week

Blogger Hiatus

The Celiac files blogger is back!

I've been on blogging hiatus since early March while wrapping up my graduate work followed by a vacation to celebrate my degree completion.

BTW, the only way to be truly gluten-free in the Florida Keys is to make your own food (you're just not going to find gluten-free restaurants or bakeries down there). :+O

Most exciting is that you can now tour this Web site to find videos and audio clips from world famous experts on celiac disease as well as patient stories. Not all of my 15 interviews over the last year are captured here but what I thought were the most compelling and informative pieces, are.

I would love to hear your feedback!

www.celiacfiles.com

I haven't been posting as much lately because I'm nearing the final stages of my graduate school capstone, which I'm scheduled to present in less than two weeks. The capstone project is www.celiacfiles.com and much is still needed to make this Web site complete!

Visit again for regular postings after March 23 (the big day).

Coming attractions will include two outstanding audio clips with world-famous celiac researchers -- Dr. Joseph Murray from the Mayo Clinic and Dr. Alessio Fasano from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Interestingly, both doctors left their celiac research in Europe initially assuming that prevalence of the disease would be far less here in the United States. How could rates be any higher than in Ireland or Italy?! Well, they're really not...and they'll tell you why in these interviews.

Also enjoy hearing from three celiacs I was honored to have interviewed in 2009. Wallace, Deborah, and Michael shared similar disease symptoms after years of misdiagnoses. All three maintain a fairly strict gluten-free diet.

And still, more to come are videos!

Have a good gluten-free week,
Julie

Endoscopy Results

I’m growing tired of my usual pancake production every weekend. In the mood for potato pancakes or just something with more texture. This morning I tried making cornmeal pancakes -- something with a little grit.

I followed my usual recipe (see “Aunt Betty’s Cottage Cheese Pancakes” post) but instead of using ½ cup gluten-free flour, I used ¼ cup Bob’s Red Mill corn polenta (uncooked) and ¼ cup Bob’s Red mill gluten-free all-purpose flour.

The verdict? GRITTY AND FLAVORLESS AS ALL HECK.

I added some flavor with frozen blueberries (peaches would be good too). I also made a non-alcoholic Mimosa blending sparkling mineral water and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Now, getting to the better result…

My upper endoscopy results came in the mail Friday and I suppose with any result arriving in the mail (and no phone call) errs more on the side of good news. Well, the results weren’t only good, but sounds like my small intestine is finally normal:

“Julie, your small bowel biopsies are PERFECTLY NORMAL! They would not be able to tell from these biopsies that you have celiac sprue. Congratulations! Keep up the good work,” my doctor wrote.

I’ve felt relief all weekend and a tinge of emotion. It’s sort of like working really hard to get an A in class and then seeing your final grade, the A, overwhelms you with happiness, a sense of accomplishment, and relief.

That’s exactly how I feel about this recovery process.

Who Says You Can't Have Pizza...

Buffalo chicken pizza and Canadian bacon & pepperoni pizza

Some secrets to a better Bob's Red Mill gluten-free pizza crust...
#1 Follow the directions -- exactly.
#2 Grease your pizza pans extremely well otherwise, the crust will stick while baking.
#3 When spreading the dough on the pizza pan, keep your hands wet, otherwise the dough will stick to your fingers. Spread the dough as much as possible to the edges of the pan, keeping it flat.
#4 Precook the crust for about 10 minutes before adding your ingredients.
#5 Be certain your ingredients are gluten-free. Check your tomato sauce/paste especially.

One bag of Bob's Red Mill pizza crust mix makes two large pizzas.

Where to find: Most grocers (in the gluten-free aisle)
Cost: $5.99 (average price)

The Upper Endoscopy

Jimmy's carrots, Julie's rice muffins
Yesterday was my third and last upper GI endoscopy -- I hope.

If you’ve ever had or heard of a colonoscopy, the procedure is similar, except the scope goes in the opposite end -- your mouth.

The procedure is guided by an endoscope -- a flexible tube equipped with a lighted video camera. The scope enters through the mouth traveling down the esophagus, and stomach to its final destination, the duodenum -- the upper area of the small intestine.

Images of the interior surface appear on a screen, which are captured and printed for doctor and patient.

My first endoscopy (April, 2008) revealed an extremely inflamed, atrophied surface. The intestine looked like pink, puffy bubble gum. Eight months later, after a strict gluten-free diet, I had a much improved endoscopy. The inflammation had significantly decreased and smooth visible spirals had resumed.

Yesterday’s image is by far the healthiest looking, though I won’t know biopsy results for a week.

One of the most difficult parts of an endoscopy is that I have little memory of anything following the procedure. That’s because they use hurricane spray and Fentanyl and Midazolam IV’s for sedation.

I groggily awoke to see my brother -- my ride home -- sitting in a corner chair, but don’t remember any of the discussion with him or my doctor. I only remember seeing my brother's face.

On the way home, we stopped at Coastal Seafoods for walleye and wild shrimp and then my brother put his skills to work in my kitchen. All that was missing was a white hat, apron, and his set of culinary knives from chef school.

I attempted rice flour muffins, but under my medicated haze accidentally added 1 tablespoon of baking soda instead of ½ teaspoon. (Gag.)

My second batch were probably some of the softest gluten-free muffins I’ve made yet. You can find the recipe on Bob's Red Mill Web site: www.bobsredmill.com/recipes_detail.php?rid=441

I give these muffins a 9 out of 10 for taste and 10 out of 10 for softness and texture.

My brother’s carrots…amazing. Believe it, they took an hour to make!

Tax Deductions, Celiac Disease

Still Life of 2009 Receipts

Monday is tax day with our very quirky-fun accountant whose looks resemble Fargo’s William Macy. This means that I’ll spend a couple of hours this weekend sifting through hundreds of accumulated grocery receipts that I’ve stashed in a copper bucket all year.

Even if there’s only one gluten-free item on a receipt, it will be accounted for.

Many celiacs don’t know that YOU CAN DEDUCT the additional expense on store-bought gluten-free foods. But only the difference between the gluten-free item and non-gluten-free item can be claimed. If there is no difference between the cost of let’s say a gluten-free package of Oreo cookies and non-gluten-free, you cannot claim it.

In 2008 I spent more than $2,000 on gluten-free foods, which included everything from specialty breads, baked goods, flours, pastas, and cereals to name a few. I anticipate an even higher amount for 2009 considering the availability of new gluten-free foods compared to 2008. The market for gluten-free foods is growing fast.

Note that this tax benefit does not apply to those with gluten-intolerance -- you must be medically diagnosed as having celiac sprue.

Scott Adams, writer for Celiac.com provides the following advice...

The following guidelines were received from the Oct. 1993 CSA/USA National Conference in Buffalo, NY:

1) You can claim only the EXTRA COST of the gluten-free product over what you would pay for the similar item at a grocery store. For example, if wheat flour costs $0.89 per 5 lbs. and rice flour is $3.25 per 5 lbs., the DIFFERENCE of $2.36 is tax deductible. You may also claim mileage expense for the extra trip to the health food store and postal costs on gluten-free products ordered by mail.

2) The cost of xanthan gum (methylcellulose, etc.) used in gluten-free home baked goods is completely different than anything used in an ordinary recipe, so in the opinion of the IRS, the total cost of this item can be claimed.

3) Save all cash register tapes, receipts, and canceled checks to substantiate your gluten-free purchases. You will need to prepare a list of grocery store prices to arrive at the differences in costs. You need not submit it with your return, but do retain it.

4) Attach a letter from your doctor to your tax return. This letter should state that you have Celiac Sprue disease and must adhere to a total gluten-free diet for life.

5) Under MEDICAL DEDUCTIONS list as Extra cost of a gluten-free diet the total amount of your extra expenses. You do not need to itemize these expenses.

For more information, go to:

http://www.celiac.com/articles/279/1/Tax-Deduction-for-Gluten-Free-Foods-as-a-Medical-Expense-for-Diagnosed-Celiacs-Only/Page1.html

Poor Little Cream Puffs

"Still Life of Spilling Cream Puffs"
The difference between the Gluten-free Girl and me is that she knows how to cook …and write.

Okay, so these are two major differences considering we both run a gluten-free food blog.

You’ve probably visited her blog or read her book by now (Gluten-Free Girl: How I Found the Food That Loves Me Back...And How You Can Too). Perhaps you have experimented with her exquisite recipes. She is the real deal so if you have the time and gusto for gluten-free cooking from scratch, I highly recommend following her recipe blog. (Ahem, of course only if you don’t desert mine!)

I’ve tried twice now to make her version of gluten-free cream puffs with Meyer lemon ricotta filling. This recipe was a magnet to the mock Italian in me. But I’ve tried twice now and to no avail have they formed into the puffy pastries they should be.

My best friend and I have a joke that anytime I try to make baked dough in the form of biscuits or rolls, they turn out like “door stoppers,” she says.

Tonight’s batch weren’t quite that bad but they definitely wouldn’t sell if they were behind a baker’s glass case, especially in New York City’s Little Italy where cream puffs are beyond delicious. They don’t taste bad -- it’s more the texture of the shells that’s lacking. They’re just not “puffs” the way they should be. I’ll try them again soon and maybe even drop the Gluten-free Girl an e-mail to see where I went wrong.

Follow this link to the recipe and be sure to let me know if you succeed!
http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2006/11/when-chez-panisse-calls.html

A Snack that will Stick to Your Ribs

It didn’t take long for one Mississippi Market cashier to notice that I’m gluten-free.

Everything I emptied onto the checkout counter was celiac-friendly when I stopped by the market a few days ago -- fresh fruits and vegetables, coconut-based yogurts, and gluten-free pasta and grains.

The cashier was either really excited or a great saleswoman. She all but practically grabbed me by the arm to show me some of her favorite gluten-free products. Minutes later, my grocery bill nearly doubled -- but in a good way.

One of her favorite snacks is Food for Life brown rice tortillas, with almond butter. She eats these almost daily. I hadn’t thought of eating tortillas this way so I decided to take her word for it. I bought a six-pack of the tortillas and some almond butter and am now forever grateful for her arm-twisting.

I give this snack a 9 -- a 10 if you add sliced apples laced with cinnamon and nutmeg on the side. This snack provided enough protein fuel to last me a solid hour of skate skiing today.

*The tortillas contain 2 grams of protein; almond butter contains 8 grams (per serving).

Roll it up before your next indoor or outdoor work out!

Food for Life, brown rice tortillas

Where to find: Mississippi Market (and probably other co-ops)

Cost: $3.49

Eastwind almond butter

Where to find: Most grocers

Cost: $10.79

Cheesecake Coma

Tuesday afternoon I sunk into a cheesecake coma after eating a rather large piece of vanilla bean cheesecake that I had begged husband to fetch the night before. I hadn’t eaten a thing from Café Latte in almost a year but the craving for cheesecake from heavens gate at Victoria and Grand, finally arrived.

What a mistake.

I noticed a coma-like trance that began about 30 minutes after ingestion, which didn’t lift until about 8 p.m. that night.

Even though I didn’t eat the crust, the meat of the cheesecake was probably a bit contaminated. Then there was the heavy cream cheese. The dense yet smooth dairy stuck to my tongue a bit -- and later to my intestines.

I think what prompted the craving was my birthday. Celebratory events really put celiacs to the test. There’s just more foods in your face around these times. Foods you equate with memories, foods you remember to crave.

***

On Wednesday, my mother reminded me that she went into labor at noon 39 years ago. A reluctant little Julie popped out at 3 p.m. Doctors had to break her water because I didn’t want to come out.

Lot’s of birthday wishes and cheer on Wednesday followed by dinner at Brasa on Grand Avenue. Brasa now has a gluten-free menu as the result of my personally lobbying the owner. “All you have to do is create a separate piece of paper for gluten-free customers!”

My favorite items are the (unsweetened) green plantains. They’re big and crunchy and fried with a little garlic salt. And their butterscotch pudding, which has temporarily been replaced by banana pudding, is a well-known top ten.

So here I am Saturday morning, eating rolled gluten-free oats and drinking Starbuck’s coffee. It’s been a long and hard food week.

Got Goat’s Milk?

"Still Life with Goat's Milk"

I’m trying to better understand the problem that many celiacs have with milk and this is what I’ve found so far:

Lactose Intolerance?

Many of us can’t tolerate lactose due to years of destruction to the “brush border” (absorptive surface containing villi) of the small intestines. When lactose isn’t properly absorbed, bacteria, instead of lactase enzymes, break down milk sugars in the colon, which can result in bloating, gas, and diarrhea. This condition is called secondary lactose intolerance.

Primary lactose intolerance, on the other hand, is a genetic lack of lactase (affects about 25% of the population). Basically, you need the lactase enzyme in the brush border of your small intestine to digest the milk carbohydrate we call lactose.

*Information from Dr. Peter Green’s Celiac Disease (2006)

Casein Intolerance?

S1 casein is a key protein in cow’s milk and is believed to be harder to digest than human and goat milk due to its larger fat globule size. The smaller and softer the casein curd, the easier on digestion. About 1 in 10 people have an allergy to casein and experience symptoms very similar to lactose intolerance and even asthma.

When a celiac’s small intestine finally heals adhering to a gluten-free diet, lactose may be properly absorbed and symptoms subside. The flip side is that even with a healing or healed intestine resulting from celiac disease, the casein protein can still cause problems.

Additive Intolerance?

The milk dilemma has a third dimension -- that is, what’s actually added to some milk products. According to food science writer, Michael Pollan, low-fat and skim milk has to be significantly modified in order to reduce its original fat make-up. The fat is removed and food additives such as powdered milk are added in order to preserve a creamy texture. The dilemma is that powered milk contains oxidized cholesterol, which Pollan says scientists believe to be worse than ordinary cholesterol. Removing the fat also makes it difficult to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, which ultimately defeats the purpose of drinking milk in the first place, he says.

*In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan (2008)

There’s even a fourth dimension to milk -- force-fed bovine growth hormones that end up in cow’s milk. And we, the people who drink it, get a dose of those hormones. That problem deserves an entire blog post!

I’ve come to find that goat’s milk is far less problematic for me than cow’s milk. At least with goat’s milk, I can eliminate three of the four possible milk problems I mentioned above. So far, the only goat’s milk brand that I seem to tolerate well is Meyenberg, available at Trader Joes’.

For more information on goat’s milk, go to:

http://www.chiroweb.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=38646

Low Glycemic Apple/Peach Pie

“Still Life of Topless Pie”
I made my first apple pie this weekend…sort of. It was more like a peach pie.

Whatever you want to call it, it was as easy as pie to make.

Husband would not try it after I confided that it was made without sugar. (He doesn’t know what he’s missing!)

This recipe is really my father’s, minus the gluten-free piecrust. His pies contain no added refined sugars.

I love the image of a huckleberry pie…blackberry pie…lemon pie. I go back in time and imagine what pies must have smelled and tasted like in the 1800’s. Imagine child thieves wearing wool caps, stealing cooling berry pies from window ledges. How often were pies actually stolen this way, one has to wonder.

I bet those pies weren’t as sweet as today’s.

Digging around on the Internet, I found that the first English apple pie recipe dates back to 1381. It was made with apple, figs, raisins, and pears. Early pie recipes did not contain sugar because it was expensive and not as available in England’s market place.

An American cookbook in the 1800s featured 8 sweet pie recipes and by 1947, there were 65. Today, there are over 150 recipes -- just for apple pie alone. Many of these recipes contain more than refined white sugars. Corn syrup sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup are some of the strange chemically engineered ingredients added to today’s fast food pies.

McDonald’s Baked Apple Pie:
Apples (citric acid, ascorbic acid, salt), enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, shortening [palm oil, soy lecithin, artificial flavor, beta carotene (color)], food starch-modified, contains 2% or less of the following: sorbitol, sugar, palm oil, palm kernel oil, dextrose, brown sugar, apple powder (dehydrated apples, citric acid), sodium alginate, dicalcium phosphate, sodium citrate, salt, spices, yeast, L-cysteine, natural (plant source) and artificial flavors, annatto and turmeric (color), caramel color.

Oh lawdy, can you imagine your great, great grandmother eating this kind of pie?

On average, most apple pies call for at least one cup of white sugar. My recipe calls for ½ cup of canned peach juice. Peach juice in place of white sugar will actually add more flavor to an otherwise bland apple pie. Pear juice probably works just as well.

How to prepare:

• 3-4 large Granny Smith apples (precook apples in boiling water until tender)
• 1 can of sliced peaches (without high fructose corn syrup)
  
• 1/2 cup of juice from canned peaches
• Add a touch of lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg to juice
• Stir gently and pour into pie shell
• Bake in oven at 350 for 45 minutes or when piecrust is cooked
  

Piecrust:
Husband makes homemade piecrust with Bob’s Red Mill Biscuit and Baking Mix. He adds ¼ cup of sugar to the recipe -- otherwise, the crust is bitter. Recipe on back of package: http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes_detail.php?rid=1450

I have less patience for making homemade piecrust and would rather depend on Madwoman’s gluten-free piecrust -- a perfect 10!

Skinny Crisps

Once upon a time there was a sweet and beautiful Princess with a very Sour Tummy. When the King’s physician told her that she could no longer eat anything made with gluten, she broke down and cried.

One day the Princess visited her Fairy Godmother, who was a fanciful baker. The Princess confided that she yearned for a Yummy Snack that would agree with her tummy.

The Fairy Godmother comforted the Princess saying “Despair not my fair Princess, for I will create for you a magically delicious cracker, low in carbohydrates, high in fiber, free of gluten, baked to perfection and sturdy for long journeys.”

Very soon the Fairy Godmother returned with an assortment of crackers for the Princess to try.

Upon tasting just one, the Princess rejoiced and proclaimed, “These morsels are tasty indeed! We shall call them Skinny Crisps. We must hurry and provide these crunchy, tummy-friendly snacks to all the people of the kingdom!”

So they did and they lived happily ever after.

I have to admit that I shed a little tear while reading this fairytale on the Skinny Crisp label (yes, I’m one of those Hallmark card cry-babies). But how clever, especially for celiac children!

Madwoman has started carrying this snack product, which comes out of Boulder, Colorado. It contains only FOUR ingredients (if you don’t count the cinnamon, sea salt, and turbinado, aka raw sugar):

Chickpea flour, golden flax seeds, psylium husk, olive oil.

I bought the cinnamon crisps (note there are several other flavors). They remind me of a healthier version of Taco Bell’s Cinnamon Twists.

I recommend adding the crisps to a bowl of vanilla ice cream (or vanilla rice dream) to mimic fried ice cream.

Where to find: Madwoman Gluten Free Bakeshop (www.madwomanfoods.com)

Cost: $6.52

Lunch, Asparagus Salad

This recipe is dedicated to a dear girlfriend of mine who recently had Lap-band surgery. She’s looking for food ideas too.

After having the gastric banding -- essentially surgically shrinking her stomach -- she’s on a restricted diet, which in many ways replicates the celiac diet. Seems that we have some things in common -- eliminating refined wheat is one of them.

The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of protein intake for women is 45 grams and 56 for men. It’s 25-30 protein grams following Lap-band surgery.

The following asparagus salad recipe, which I found in a Midwest Living magazine (April 2008), might be a healthy way to bank some protein and general nutrition. And the different colors in this dish say, “Ooh, you belong in my pouch!”

1 medium egg (7 grams of protein)
1-2 cups asparagus & radishes (about 4-8 grams of protein)
Sprinkle with goat or feta cheese (protein varies)
Add ½ cup of walnuts (7 grams of protein)
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of balsamic dressing or just plan olive oil
Add crushed black pepper *You can add fish, meat, or yogurt for an additional 6 to 7 grams of protein

Celiac Has Never Felt So Good

“Woman and Hoagie, 2007”

Ahhh…just look at that gigantic “glutenous” hoagie…

This scene was nearly three years ago, set in some tourist-trap restaurant on the wharf in San Francisco. It was our first trip to California as a couple. Look at that happiness!

Food.

My husband believes I think about food the way most men supposedly think about sex: 97% of any given day. If asked, my friends would probably say the same.

I thought about food a lot before my celiac diagnosis and I think about it just as much now. That’s why I laugh about this photograph: It’s just me in absolute glee over what I’m about to eat, with the love of my life.

Of course, my love affair with food wasn’t always a honeymoon. The first year following my celiac diagnosis was the worst.

I was paranoid about gluten and was still highly symptomatic, and thus limited myself to chicken breasts, white rice, and green vegetables. It seemed that anything other than these three foods only fed my paranoia.

I remember my father’s annual visit that year. He was saddened to see me without a “Wilbert appetite.” A good appetite was an indicator of good Wilbert health. It was hard for him to enjoy the homemade Birthday cake I ordered for him without me, for a first. Our ritual of enjoying and ‘rating’ food together was just no longer the same.

Essentially, I had to start all over. I had to unlearn and relearn how to feed myself and that was difficult. I was also frustrated that I couldn’t eat like ‘normal’ people -- especially being the food lover I am.

I remember telling my gastroenterologist that I’d rather have some other disease -- that celiac disease was far too inconvenient. She told me I was lucky. This was one of the only diseases that could be cured without medical intervention -- no pills, no insulin, no physical therapy, no surgery, no chemo.

“If you’re going to have something, this is the best thing to have,” she said.

She was right, I believe (so far, so good). I’ve managed to stop the destruction to my intestines and completely turn my health around.

I’ve also relearned how to love and cook food again. I’ve moved beyond unseasoned chicken breasts and white rice and dared to use spices again.

Most “experienced” celiacs become expert label readers. I never paid attention to labels in the past but am now proficient in the complex language of “Ingredients” (I will say that it’s much harder than Latin). Celiac disease has helped me understand toxicity of certain ingredients as well -- even those suggested as safe for celiacs (corn syrups, artificial sweeteners, food dyes, etc).

Enough about me…what about YOU? Our journeys will be different but if you’re somewhat new to the gluten-free diet and/or struggling, soak in the following tips:

Join a celiac support group. You’ll learn much about the gluten-free diet and you won’t feel so alone in your journey.

Start cooking, even if you never did before. Cooking will improve your health and guarantee that what you’ve eaten really is gluten-free. Cooking can also be therapeutic so try not to think of it as burdensome.

Keep a food journal. Write about what you’ve eaten, what you plan to eat, and what you’d LIKE to eat. Reflect on your food diary -- what’s working well for you, what might be missing from your diet, and how might you make your favorite foods, gluten-free.

Be physically active. Chances are that your immune system has been taxed from years of eating gluten unknowingly. You’ll feel better gaining some muscle and cardiovascular strength. Strive for a minimal of 60 minutes of moderate to rigorous physical activity per day (the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control’s recommendation). *I’ll be blogging more about physical activity this spring so stay tuned.

Avoid restaurant food. One thing that frustrates me about the ‘celiac movement’ is the word-of-mouth restaurant ‘recommendationing’ (I know, it’s not a word) that is popular right now. Lot’s of us are yelping, “Hey, did you know that such and such is serving gluten-free?” The fact is there is no such thing as a gluten-free restaurant unless everything served is gluten-free OR there is a kitchen equipped to prepare gluten-free foods separately such as at Pizza Luce in the Twin Cities, for example.

You’re safest avoiding restaurant food altogether unless again, the restaurant is gluten-free all the way and/or prepares in a gluten-free kitchen. Otherwise, expect that you will eat cross-contaminated foods.

If you have suggestions that you think might be helpful for readers, contact me and I’ll post them.

Happy journey to you!

Amen for Fried Okra

One of my biggest food secrets I’m now sharing is my fondness for fried okra, served at the K&W chain in North Carolina. I lived in Winston-Salem for some three years after graduating from college -- and ate a lot of okra while there.

You haven’t lived in the Carolinas until a K&W cafeteria experience. They’re a little like Old Country Buffet -- only MORE popular. K&W is quite a place -- especially on Sundays after southern Baptist church. It was essentially church after the worship, with Winston-Salem’s rich and poor lining up for more than 45 minutes out the door just for a seat. The diversity of people in that line is unlike what you’ll see anywhere else. That was my favorite part (well, besides the okra).

The place is so old school that even just two years ago -- the last time I was there -- they still had a smoking section. Little had I known then that I’d be having my last bowl of fried okra at the K&W on Healy Drive.

Okra seems hard to locate in grocery stores up north. It’s one of those hidden vegetables that gets buried behind more popular vegetables such as broccoli or spinach. It’s on that top tier shelf where you can barely see what’s behind the soggy leaves sprayed by a 60-second interval of mist.

When I have found okra, I never know what to do with it. How do you cook fried okra?!

Well tonight I soaked the sliced okras in a batter of egg and all-purpose gluten-free flour. Then I fried it in olive oil for about 20 minutes until golden brown. This was a far cry from K&W’s fried okra so if anyone knows of a better recipe, please e-mail me!

How to prepare:
You tell me for a change

Banana Bread

"Still Life with Curious George"

My photo doesn’t look as good as this banana bread truly is but George really wanted to be in the photo shoot.

I found the recipe on the Bob’s Red Mill Web site, which hosts a decent number of recipes using their grains.

What I really like about this recipe is that is calls for minimal dairy ingredients -- a relief for celiacs who have to avoid it.

I’ll warn you that it isn’t fluffy or dense like some banana breads. It’s somewhere in between.

Curious George gave this a thumbs-up.

How to prepare:

1/3 cup canola oil

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon imitation vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon (I thought this called for too much cinnamon)

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Grease 9x5-inch non-stick loaf pan. For smaller loaves, use three 5x3 inch loaf pans.
• Cream together oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl.
• Add flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder and cinnamon to egg mixture, alternating with bananas.
• Beat until smooth.
• Stir in nuts.
• Bake 9x5" loaf for 1 hour, 5x3" loaves for 45 minutes.