I will, and have survived!

Thanksgiving.  It was tough, looking at the stuffing and contaminated jellied cranberries sitting on my mother in law's gluten overloaded counters.  I got up this morning, okay a bit later than i wanted, and prepared my jr boneless ham.  Poured in some pineapple juice on the bottom and a few sliced pineapple too.  Set the ham on those and then baked it for 20 mins.  Then i took it out, put some pineapple slices on the ham with toothpicks and basted the ham with some pineapple and brown sugar.  then baked it another 10 mins.  I made some GF rolls, which really weren't that good, cuz i'm not a parmesean cheese fan. But i ate them anyway, and then grabbed some ready to serve brown and wild rice.  It was good, I didn't have time this morning to make any stuffing so skipped out on it.  So I survived without any mishap.  My next challenge comes this weekend when I take my first trip with Celiac.  I already called the hotel to find out if there is a microwave available at all times (since i am a midnight muncher) and made sure there was a fridge in the room.  I bought a hot pot, small strainer, and lots of GF foods.  Where I am going is really small and don't know what their little mom and pop grocery store carries, though I think i will venture in and just see what my options are when we are there.  I think I will be okay, since every day that goes by it gets a bit easier.  Though there are times where it is still hard and have to catch myself.  Like when making food for my family, and if i get some food on my fingers i usually just lick it off, and have to stop myself now.  But it's okay, i am not ashamed of my disease, i am grateful for it.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Turkey Day is almost here!!!

And I have finally found a great stuffing recipe thanks to a lady on the CSA Facebook Page.  Here it is:

• G-F loaf of bread, cut up
• 2 T oil
• 3 cups chopped celery
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 tsp. salt
• fresh sage, cut up (not too much)
• 1 chopped red pepper
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 cups G-F chicken stock

Directions: saute red pepper and onions in 2 T oil in lg. frying pan over med. heat until soft. Add spices. Pour in chicken stock. Stir in bread until fully saturated. Place in oven-safe baking dish in 400 degree oven for 40-50 minutes, covered with foil, until done. 

Okay, so, when I made it, I used ground sage, no celery *forgot to buy it at the store, and too dang cold to go outside again* and only made a half recipe since it will only be for me.  I also added some tones Garlic and Herb seasoning, poultry seasoning, and some ranch seasoning.  OMG it is sooo yummy!!!  I highly recommend it.

I also made some BBQ Chicken Bake tonight.  Got it off recipe.com.  It called for Original Bisquick but substituted my GF Bisquick.  It was really good, though i messed up the recipe because the recipe never says what measurements they are using, and for some dumb reason I thought it meant 2c. Water....well it should have been two T water. so the breading wasn't all that great.  So here is that recipe:

• 2/3c GF Bisquick
• 2T water
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2c cheddar cheese *i used pizza cheese*
• 2T oil *i used EVOO*
• 3 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4c BBQ sauce *I used GV Honey BBQ*

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 9-inch pie pan or 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.  In small bowl, stir together Bisquick mix, water, and egg. Spread in bottom and 1/2 inch up side of pan; sprinkle with 1 1/4c cheese.  *I also sprinkled some Garlic and Herb seasoning on the cheese*.
2. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken in oil, stirring occasionally, until white on the outside; drain.  Stir in barbecue sauce; heat just until hot.  Spoon over batter in pan to within 1/2 inch of edge.
3. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until edge is dark golden brown.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/4c cheese.  Bake 1 to 3 minutes longer or until cheese melts; loosen from side of pan.

My son even ate it, and he doesn't really like BBQ or breading, so it was a hit in our house *other than a few complaints about the breading which i'm not surprised since i didn't do it right. 


Hope you all enjoy it too! =)

Everything I've Learned, I've Learned in a Month

And everything that I have learned is nowhere near enough!  There is so much to learn when eating GF, and you realize that you really don't know anything.  Though yest I have learned a lot in the month that I have been GF, it seems that I have learned more this month than I did the entire time in school, I still have more to learn.  I'm sure it gets easier, and you feel like an expert as the days, months, and years go by, but this is what I have learned in this past month.

1) GF is not cardboard as I previously had thought.  There are so many different options available, you just need to go by trial and error to find what you do or don't like.  Ask stores about guarantee's and return policies.  Whole foods has a great if you don't like it you get your money back guarantee. And to save money only get one of what you haven't tried.  Just in case you don't like it.

2) GF is hard work, but the work pays off.  Its a struggle making sure that you are eating completely GF.  Down to cooking, counters, and washing your hands frequently when making non GF food for others in the family.  Even down to mentally reminding yourself constantly to not take a bite of the kids' cereal, or not to place your GF spoon where there has been gluten contamination.  And all the things you need to remember while out and about and cross contamination, which brings me to...

3) Eating out while being GF is possible.  Though not as cost effective, which GF never is, it turns into a hidden blessing.  Dining out at places that already have a GF menu is great.  Check their website for the most current list, as places change ingredients and menu items often.  Call ahead and speak to a manager and inform them of your needs.  Invest in a Dining Out Card ( I got mine at Cecilias Marketplace) to give the waiter to give the cook.  Try to avoid the rush periods, those times are much harder for the staff to ensure your food is cooked properly.  Also, TIP WELL!  Having Celiac and dining out makes it like you are a VIP in the place you are eating.  You can almost guarantee that your food is getting more attention than everyone else there.


4) Don't get discouraged if you are still having symptoms.  Depending on how long you have had it before being diagnosed with CD, it may take your body time to heal.  Also, there are so many ingredients that you need to avoid you may not realize that what you are eating is a hidden gluten.  Call companies and invest in the GF shopping guide that is also found at Cecilias marketplace.  Plan ahead for your meals for the week or a few days and shop accordingly, also carry snacks with you in case you are somewhere where cross contamination is likely or there are no snacks that are GF as an option.

5) Seek a local support group, like the Celiac Sprue Association or any local group at your foodmarket.  Support is a must with a GF diet to keep you on track or to vent or get answers if needed.  Find the CSA on Facebook or any other GF message board.  Inform people of CD without preaching about it, get the awareness out.

6) Learn to be creative.  Making meals and substitution will always occur without a GF cookbook.  If you don't like the way a recipe tastes, try modifying the starches and flours used.

These are the things I have learned in the past month, and there is still more to learn.  It is a blessing that I don't have to take any more meds, in fact I take less insulin for my diabetes, with lower blood sugars than ever before since being GF.  Along with less pain from my fibromyalgia, and less time spent worrying where a restroom was.  I have gained play time with my children, time out with my boyfriend, and overall happier and healthier.

Is Gluten-Free Healthy?

I am outraged by this report!!! OMG I don't even know where to start!!! Honestly, I get more fiber eating GF than I ever had before. I eat more fruits, and vegetables, and the flours and starches used have fiber in them as well as wheat does. Of course The View host would feel better and have more energy after starting a GF diet, SHE HAS CELIAC...DUH!! It's like a girl who writes a blog about GF, C.C. (Celiac Cake) posted about a while back, it's turning into a fad diet with Celebs and it does nothing more than piss me off! It makes it so that people don't think of the real reasons those of us with CD have to eat GF, to save our lives and feel like normal people. If it continues, there are chances that eating out may not be possible, because restaurants would not be thinking of the severity of the condition with those of us with CD, because people without CD, have NO IDEA about cross contamination, and having to call manufactures about their products, and that we have to use separate strainers, utensils, and pans than our family members without CD.

Thanksgiving...

So with Thanksgiving fast approaching my biggest challenge is about to be right in front of my face.  I used to be a stuffing addict, literally I would eat stove top chicken stuffing more than once a day.  I know I could easily do it in my own kitchen, however, thanksgiving is going to be at my mother in laws, where it is on HIGH gluten alert!  I doubt a single counter or spot in the kitchen is GF.  I told her that yes we will be there however I will be bringing my own dinner.  She kind of gave me a look and i told her, I can't risk cooking with my own pans even in her home.  My plan is to order a GF turkey dinner from Whole Foods and pick it up thanksgiving day.  I just hope that i can resist the stuffing this year.  If I can do that, I know I can do anything.

Quaker Grits

So I love grits!  However I am really picky about the brand and taste.  Great Value is fairly good, though they say there is a possibility of cross contamination in the facility.  ok Out they go.  Quaker says they wont guarentee the gluten content or lack thereof because of the possibility of cross contamination during the shipping of the product to their facility before being cooked/processed, basically to cover their rear.  So, out they go.  Has anyone tried any confirmed GF grits?  I really want some grits right now, it's a huge craving but I don't want to take the chance.  I have rarely been in the bathroom the past couple of days and would like to keep it that way.  This GF thing is really starting to get frustrating with all the ingredients you have to know and entrusting my body with companies.  It makes me feel like I should buy a farm and process everything i would ever eat on my own to ensure there is no gluten.

Much needed Date night turned Great Night!!

My man and I have needed a well deserved date night for a while now.  With the added GF diet it has put a bit of a strain on things around the house and when going out and about.  He is trying to learn and understand what it is that i need of him and what is going on with me.  While I am still trying to understand and learn everything I can having CD it is harder for someone without it to understand as well.  So this morning i made a plan to take him out for the evening.  My mom agreed to watch the kids for us.  I decided to go to Applebee's after finding a Wheat Allergy Information sheet on their website with dishes that do not contain wheat.  Though it is not a GF list I figured that ordering some grilled chicken without a marinade or sauce would work, along with some almond rice pilaf and some broccoli would do fine.  We got to the restaraunt and as soon as my server came to our table I handed her my allergy card.  It also helped that I knew the server from my son's cub scouts pack, which was an added plus that i knew i would be well taken care of.  She took it directly to the manager before even taking our order to let them know of the situation.  She came back with the same list that i had printed off, though there's was out of date and took our order taking note of every detail i had requested down to the use of utensils and cleaning of the grill.  She turned the otder in and returned to inform me that the manager cleaned the grill and got everything ready herself and was standing in the kitchen observing the only cook allowed to cook my meal and not letting the other cooks in the area my food was being prepared.  I was very grateful knowing this.  After receiving our dinner, the managers stopped by many times to make sure everything was okay.  Again this proves that CD is a hidden blessing because i am sure that no one else in the restraunt was getting this much attention to detail with their order *i'm not saying that theirs was being pushed aside but the managers weren't standing back there on a busy friday night watching the cooks do everyone's orders*  Once we were done with our meal I asked to speak with the managers personally to thank them for their attention to our order.  They asked a few questions about CD and I was more than happy to answer them.  I also told them I would be writing a letter to Applebee's on their above and beyond service and that I will return knowing that i will be taken care of with the utmost respect.  When we left I took him to see Paranormal Activity 2...wow that was a great movie and I highly recommend it to the horror movie lover.  I am glad that the night turned out great, better than I had ever hoped.

Many small voices = One loud roar

I wrote this letter to the FDA this evening and am sending it in the mail tomorrow.


November 4, 2010


Food and Drug Administration
10903 New Hampshire Ave
Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002




To Whom it May Concern,

My name is Jennifer B, and I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  Celiac Disease is defined as an inherited, autoimmune disease in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats. It has been studied that 1 out of 133 people have gluten sensitivity, yet many of them are unaware of it.  If everyone that has Celiac Disease knew about it, the disease would outnumber Type 1 diabetes (which I also have had for nearly 20 years).

I am thankful that you have implemented the requirement for food manufactures to list the common food allergies on their product labels.  It saves a lot of time to see that a product contains wheat before reading the entire ingredient list.  However, wheat is not the only enemy to a person with Celiac Disease as stated in the definition.  Gluten in rye and barley are just as harmful.

Tonight, I made a gluten-free dinner with added ingredients not listed on the recipe.  I did read the ingredient list of the product.  Not seeing an ingredient where gluten was present, I added it to my meal.  Afterwards, I wanted to see what other products may be gluten free from this company, and while doing this research found that the product did in fact contain gluten.

I am a mom of two very rambunctious boys and will soon be a full time student in college.  Time is something that I don’t have a lot of to read and research ingredients in products I would like to eat.  It would be much more effective and helpful to those of us suffering from Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance if a product label stated Contains: Gluten, Rye, or Barley, as well as wheat.  There are nearly 150 different ingredients where gluten is present either naturally or as an additive.  I know I may be only one voice, but I am confident that many people would feel more assured that they are eating the correct products and not damaging their bodies, if more than just wheat was listed due to the immense number of these harmful ingredients.

I would like to thank you for your time and attention on this matter.


Sincerely,

Jennifer B

What's for Dinner?

So, this time it is about food I have/are trying.  Yesterday while grocery shopping I found a McCormicks deal with premeasured seasoning and a recipe card with it...hmmm...that looks good.  So last night I tried the Garlic Lime Chicken Fajita's.  OMG it was sooooooo good.  I just substituted the flour tortillas with corn tortillas for me while my mom and wes had their flour tortillas. (kids had subway pizza while we were shopping since it was late in the afternoon)  So that is a definate going to make again meal.  Right now as I am writing I'm having some foster farm chicken breast grilled strips with garlic and herb seasoning from Tone's (you will find i use garlic on EVERYTHING! =) ) with some brown/wild rice and Great Value Honey BBQ sauce.  While we are on the topic of Foster Farms, I made a huge stride today.  I am not good at calling places to ask questions, don't know why I'm just not.  But I called them today to make sure that the chicken broth used with the grilled strips is indeed GF and it is, along with asking if there is possibility for contamination.  They said there is always a possiility however they sanitize the lines after each product so it is a minimal chance.  SWEET! =)  Anyway, so my ol man is a bit tired of chicken over the past few days so I am going to make Mrs. Leepers cheeseburger mac tonight for supper for all of us.  Hopefully that goes over well because I could in no way eat a box on my own and H.H. to me is not good as leftovers.  So we will see.  I think tonight also that I am going to bake more Alton Brown Chewy GF cookies, without the white chocolate chips and instead do half semi-sweet, and half PB chip morsels.  Should taste good and the kids will enjoy making them with me =)

In my kitchen I spy...

Spices!  Spices, spices, spices as far as the eye can see...or at least as much as my spice rack can hold and then some =)  I have found most GF food to be bland, there are great tastes but just bland at the same time.  Even before GF i had a love for garlic and onion.  Garlic is a natural antibiotic and well with my compromised immune system garlic helped.  It didn't matter what I was browning hamburger for I put garlic powder (not salt, NEVER garlic salt), onion powder, and black pepper while browning.  All pastas had a seasoning mix with some butter, chives for potatoes, parsley for tomato soup.  I now have even more spices lining up my racks, with more to get.  Gee this GF thing is going to make a cook out of me yet =)  At least my old man thinks so anyway ;)  He is very happy with the fact that I am nearly forced to cook on the stove and oven rather than dig in the freezer for some frozen pizza or TV dinners.  I now have baking powder, which was a rarity in my home, along with the necessary starches and flours to try and experiment with my own GF flour mix.  The more I read my book, the better understanding i have about food, and to be honest, a better respect for organic and what foods are entering my system.  Who knew that a disease would change my outlook on food?  It goes to show that Celiac is yet again a hidden blessing, for both me, and my man ;)