Category Archives: baking

Is Gluten-Free Healthier If I Don’t Have Celiac?

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I’m asked this question regularly. I don’t seem to run into too many people who go gluten-free just for kicks, but they often know someone who’s trying it out. My answer is something along the lines of “sorta…..depending on how you go about doing it.” There are two basic ways to go gluten-free.

1- Eat everything you usually eat, but in the gluten-free version. Gluten-free cupcakes, pancakes, muffins, baked goods, and even most processed goods aren’t much “healthier.” In fact, you’re usually worse off. Gluten is the protein that binds bready things together. To make up for it, especially in processed goods, there’s a LOT more fat. Butter, oil, sour cream, etc.

For example, take these Udi’s Snicker Doodle cookies. Scroll down to the nutrition facts. Serving size: 2 cookies (and they’re by no means big). Fat content: 8 grams. Yep. The way to being constipated and overweight is before you.

Now — don’t get me wrong. Udi’s is something of a pioneer when it comes to pre-packaged food. I understand that people have lives and kids and lots of commitments, and not a lot of time to cook. They’ve painstakingly made some good gluten-free breads and hamburger buns and donuts and tortillas and granola, and the list goes on. They help people — especially newly-diagnosed Celiacs and gluten intolerant folks — feel like they’re normal. That in and of itself is worth the cost.

2- Eat the things that are naturally gluten-free. Vegetables. Fruits. Meat. Cheese. Grains. Fish. If going gluten-free (or “going gluten-free” if you’re not Celiac) means you essentially eliminate as many processed, pre-packaged food products as possible in favor of the above, well, that tends to be pretty good general nutrition advice and is likely to benefit you quite a lot.

That being said, some people who start being gluten-free because it’s “cool” end up feeling somewhat transformed. Like the way Celiacs feel when they finally are diagnosed and go gluten-free. Gluten intolerance is a real thing. However, just eliminating gluten for the “fun” of it isn’t inherently healthier, and it’s a lot harder to get enough fiber. It’s also a LOT more expensive — especially if you go with route #1. Would I be gluten-free if I wasn’t diagnosed with Celiac? I can explain in two words: H*** no.

Identity Crisis, or “Real” Food vs. “Weird” Food

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This last year has been crazy. I couldn’t have predicted this. At all.

February 2012: “My position was eliminated” after 3.5 years of hard work. We went up to Washington State for three weeks to see if being at sea level in a cloudy climate helps my husband’s migraines. Found out that it helps his head about 40%. It’s the largest difference we’ve found so far. We also put our house up on the market.

March 2012: Moved back to Utah to live with family. I thought this would last a few months, but we’re still here.

April 2012: I got a part-time job teaching English online to students (mostly children) in Spanish-speaking countries. I LOVE IT.

November 2012: My husband’s “position was eliminated.” We also got an offer on our house! We’re in the short sale process, so it’s taking a long time. It’s still going on. We’re hoping to close by the end of February 2013. My husband is looking hard for work, but nothing has worked out yet.

As I’m sure you can imagine, having my life turned upside down means that I really have to re-evaluate who I am and what my values are. It’s been a long and arduous process, and it’s not over yet! This blog has undergone some changes, too! It initially started out as a way for my extended family to understand my Celiac and food allergies, became an attempt to have a gluten-free wedding planning business, then to product reviews, then to….jam.

As I’ve been figuring myself out and what I want to do with this blog, I’ve realized that I no longer let my life revolve around gluten. I am still 100% gluten-free. As I was trying to build a business, though, I just became overwhelmed by the hard-core gluten-free and allergy folks.

3 1/2 years after diagnosis, I really don’t spend a lot of brain power on gluten-free. Seriously. After the hours it took to go grocery shopping the first couple of times, I never thought eating gluten-free would be intuitive, and yet — here I am. It’s so intuitive that I occasionally FORGET to tell servers at restaurants that I have to eat gluten-free. Crazy, right?

Then I thought about what I could do with this blog that those hard-core folks out there can’t provide. They are recipe-creating masters! They have every bit of advice that a newly-diagnosed Celiac or gluten intolerant person could ever dream of needing. They’re activists, always fighting the good fight against gluten and allergy ignorance. They’re writers. I felt like there wasn’t anything I could contribute. I don’t have kids that need dinner 5 minutes ago. I’m not even working full-time. I don’t eat organic, well, pretty much anything.

Then I realized: I can promote real food. For me, real food is peace. It’s love. It’s life. It’s intertwined with life. It’s part of a balance. It doesn’t define me, just like I’m not defined by any single aspect of my life. It’s a big part of my identity, sure, but it’s not everything.

So — real food. Tonight, I made an almond bundt cake.

Almond bundt cake

Almond bundt cake

It consists of almond flour, brown rice flour, baking soda, salt, olive oil, water, agave nectar and (pure) maple syrup. That’s it. That’s all. Just this week, I’ve made turkey piccata, twice-baked sweet potatoes, pad thai, a “south american” pork dish involving quinoa, coconut milk, turmeric, ginger, cloves, and a tomato-apricot chutney. (I’m missing a few ingredients because I’m listing them off the top of my head, but they’re all real ingredients, too.) Tonight was turkey chili with rice. Pumpkin cookies. Chocolate chip cookies. Ginger wheels (softer than snaps). A pear spice cake made with teff (and to DIE for. I would have made that tonight instead of the almond bundt cake, but I didn’t have any fresh, ripe pears).

For me, real food is worth it. I don’t spend the extra money on organic stuff (unless that’s the only way it comes, like some of the flours). I just make real food with real ingredients. I haven’t been to cooking school, and I’m definitely not a photographer. I just like to cook, and document what I cook, and work it into my life. Even though I never could have anticipated that we’d be living with my parents at this point in life, I LOVE cooking for all of us.

I am grateful for having been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Yes. I AM GRATEFUL. Without the diagnosis, I never would have discovered quinoa. Or almond flour. Or coconut kefir. Or teff. Or how much FUN it is to make JAM! Or the best pumpkin cookies on earth that also happen to be gluten-free and vegan. Or that pancakes and waffles are not the only uses for maple syrup! Or agave nectar. Or tamari. YUM.

Are almond, teff, brown rice, sorghum, tapioca, garbanzo, rice, amaranth, etc. etc. etc. “weird” flours compared to just boring old flour? Yes. Are they nutritious? Most of them. :)  Are they healthy? Yes! Are they real? Absolutely. Run a Google search on teff flour. Run a Google search on quinoa. Try making a stir-fry, but instead of serving it with rice, serve it with quinoa. IT’S SO GOOD. Run a Google search on tamari. It has a darker, richer flavor than soy sauce, and I LOVE IT. Even if I could, I would never go back to regular ol’ soy sauce.

Thanks for reading, thanks for sticking with me, and if you need any help, please let me know! I’m only an e-mail away. I’m happy to help with shopping or cookbook recommendations or anything at all. cinderellaspear (at) gmail.com. If you’d like to join me on Facebook or Instagram, send me an e-mail. I’m not-so-inclined to add people I don’t know when anybody can read my blog.

Also, if there’s anything you’d like me to cover on the blog, let me know!

Thanks for reading,

Cristina

Enjoy Life Chocolate — Part 2 of 2: Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks

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I consider myself to be very lucky in that I’m not allergic or intolerant to soy. Many people are, though, so chocolate is a problem. Go look on almost any package of chocolate you have nearby, and you’ll see the ingredient “soy lecithin.” Yes, even that small trace amount can negatively affect people who can’t tolerate soy.

That’s what I consider to be the GREAT news about Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks.* They’re soy-free! (I take for granted that they’re gluten-free and dairy-free, or else I wouldn’t be eating them. Anything else is gravy for me.)

I just had to bake them into chocolate chip cookies.

 

The cookies turned out really well, and I really like the mega chocolate chunks. They’re about twice as big as a regular chocolate chip.

I asked my dad (who, to my knowledge, doesn’t have any food issues) if he could taste a difference between these and the popular brand of semi-sweet chocolate chips he keeps in the freezer. He said he couldn’t, which I took to be a good thing.

Between my inability to eat gluten, dairy and corn, that cuts out the vast majority of processed and pre-packaged goods. When I see a product that only has three ingredients (Evaporated Cane Juice, Natural Chocolate Liquor (Non-Alcoholic), Non-Dairy Cocoa Butter), I’m thrilled. In my book, the fewer ingredients, the better.

The cookies (and just the chunks themselves!) disappeared so quickly that I’ve already made a second batch of cookies with them (and had to supplement with regular chocolate chips)! They’re delicious…in or out of cookies.

If you’re local to Utah County, you can find them at Good Earth. You can also find them at Enjoy Life Foods Where To Buy.

 

* In the interest of full disclosure, Enjoy Life contacted me and asked me to review these two products. They are not paying me, and I’m writing what I actually think.

 

Lucy’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon Thins

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My dad is a HUGE fan of snickerdoodle-type cookies, and always has been. He has very specific requirements. He likes them to be crunchy, and there needs to be the right cookie-to-cinnamon ratio. (Most commercial snickerdoodles don’t have enough cinnamon for him.)

That being said, he LOVES these cookies, and so does my husband.

If they didn’t know they were gluten-free, they wouldn’t know they were gluten-free, which really is the ultimate compliment in baked goods.

They’re also dairy-free. (Go to their site here: Dr. Lucy’s) 

My personal cookie preferences differ a little than this particular recipe. I prefer chewier cookies, and I don’t particularly care for any bean flour in my baked goods, but there’s only a little, and trust me — I ate several. My dad and husband didn’t even notice the bean flour and ate plenty themselves.

If you’re a crunchy cookie person who likes a few extra nutrients to go along with it, this cookie is for you! Enjoy!

Caprese Pizza – my favorite

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Once upon a time, my dad served an LDS mission to Spain. While he was there, he discovered several “new” ingredients — mostly fresh ones, like prosciutto ham and garlic, as two examples.

Then, many years later, he discovered two Italian importing companies/delis in Utah: Granato’s and Caputo’s. He discovered that you could get really good prosciutto ham, fresh mozzarella cheese, kalamata olives, balsamic vinegar and fresh baguettes there.

He would buy these ingredients, bring them home, acquire fresh basil and fresh Roma tomatoes, and we would have sandwiches! I have loved these all my life.

To make a long story short, my diagnoses of Celiac Disease and other food allergies (especially dairy) have made it so I can no longer order caprese salads and sandwiches. That hasn’t stopped me from trying to find an acceptable substitute, though.

Another thing I had to give up when I found out about my food allergies was the classic pizza. There are many companies that make a decent gluten-free pizza crust mix. There are even pizzerias that are starting to figure out how to serve gluten-free pizzas in their restaurants (despite them being VERY expensive, in most cases), but CHEESE as a main ingredient makes it moot.

I had one such mix floating around in my pantry from before my food allergy diagnoses.

I decided to use it instead of just watching it stare at me, mocking me for the gooey cheese that I can no longer eat without getting sick. It would not defeat me.

I’ve never cared much for marinara sauce, and usually substituted it with some kind of alfredo sauce. That doesn’t work anymore, so I decided to try pesto. Many restaurants put pesto on pizza. Why not me? (I used the pesto recipe in The Gluten-Free Vegan, but you can use any pesto recipe that you love.)

So far, so good. Then I added fresh Roma tomatoes…

…and baked it. For this crust, you add toppings before you bake, and it results in a very bread-y pizza. After the main baking was done, I added…

…fresh prosciutto ham (which I acquired at Costco). It’s a very, very delicate meat, so I only put it back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes.

Those who can eat dairy and wanted to, added a bit of fresh mozzarella cheese (also obtained at Costco).

That pizza is really, really, really, really good in and of itself, but if you want that extra touch, you add some of this liquid goodness: Balsamic vinegar.

When I drizzled it over the pizza, it sort of bounced off the prosciutto ham, went onto the plate, and soaked into the bottom of the crust, which was the perfect touch.

Success! Caprese is back in my life, minus the mozzarella. Though I really miss fresh mozzarella, it was heavenly even without it.

I had enough ingredients left over from making it the first time around that all I had to do was buy another crust (this time from the Namaste brand), and we had another caprese pizza. It was amazing.

We ended up liking the Namaste brand crust better, anyway.  It has some Italian seasoning in it, and it’s much less bread-y. It’s baked before any toppings are put on, so it’s more crunchy and resembles a “normal” pizza crust. The second time, we didn’t bake the prosciutto at all, and I liked it even more.

While the ingredients are definitely more expensive than regular pizza ingredients, even when purchased from Costco, the pizza was amazing, and worth every penny. My dad has purchased fresh basil plants, and I’m sure that when they get bigger, we’ll be having this pizza again. Can’t wait!

Making Holidays and Events More Enjoyable with Food Issues

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October, November and December are all about events. October is about Halloween parties, November has the big (and sometimes ominous) Thanksgiving, and December is about Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and others. Parties galore!

For the last few years around Christmas, I’ve struggled. With Celiac Disease and other food allergies (especially milk and corn!), most holiday goodies are on my “bad” list. Bowls of candy set around the room? Nope. If they don’t have milk, they have corn syrup. (Candy canes, anyone?) Corn chips and salsa? Nope. Most baked goods (that I’m not bringing myself) have gluten in them. I’m having a tough time coming up with things to list here since I’m so used to not having them.

When I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I was self-conscious about letting people cook or bake for me, for two main reasons. 1- It’s very difficult to do gluten-free cooking and baking correctly, without any cross contact and 2- I hate putting people out. Ever since the other food allergies made themselves known, I’ve just assumed that any party I go to won’t be able to accommodate me, so I eat beforehand. It’s habit, now.

The holidays are especially difficult because it seems that all of a sudden, people are very emotionally tied to their food! People usually have at least one dish, without which, it wouldn’t be Christmas or Thanksgiving or what-have-you. It also can’t be just any rendition of the dish, it has to be Grandma’s recipe. (This is true for my family and pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.) It also seems to suddenly be that if a food is eaten, then the maker of the dish understands that you like it, and that you appreciate their efforts. Not eating someone’s dish is just not okay!

To help everyone understand each other a little better, I’ve come up with a few suggestions. The level to which these work is dependent on how well the host and guest know each other, so please adapt accordingly.

* Guest: Please don’t be offended if your host doesn’t accommodate your food issues. If they haven’t had to deal with any, they might be intimidated at the thought of attempting something and then having you get sick anyway. If they’re going to try, and you’re comfortable with their efforts, consider it a gift.

* Host: If the guest says they’ll eat beforehand, please don’t be offended. They’re looking out for their health, not condemning everything you cook or will have at the event. Take it as a BIG compliment that they’re willing to come, even though they won’t be able to eat anything.

* Guest: Don’t try something you know isn’t safe for you just because you’re feeling pressured to do so. Getting sick isn’t worth it. Just politely decline and mention you have food allergies. In my experience, people are pretty understanding.

* Host: If your guest is more comfortable eating beforehand, don’t force the issue. It’s not code for “please try harder.” It usually means that they don’t want to put you out, and would rather make food a non-issue.

* Guest: Understand that your host and the other guests mean well, even if you’re uncomfortable. Most people care very much, but aren’t used to dealing with food issues, and may not be aware if they’re saying something insensitive. It’s also been my experience that most people are seeking to understand something they’re unfamiliar with. If you’re comfortable, be willing to talk about your food issues. We can increase understanding in others if we are willing to talk about food in a calm and positive way.

In this season of holidays, parties and events, may we all be more considerate and deferential to each other. May we find ways to love each other and to appreciate the people who care for us. May we especially be kinder to ourselves.

Manifest Vegan’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I *love* pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. It’s one of the things I missed the most going gluten-free. Nobody really made them gluten-free at the time, so I got mad and sad seeing them at the store — especially in the fall. No pumpkin cookies. No pumpkin bread. I was bummed.

Then I was introduced to Life Tastes Good Again (eatingglutenfree.com), and I tried the pumpkin roll. It’s a lot easier than it sounds, and it’s so good. My gluten-eating father has told me many times that I need to stop making it, because he likes it too much. My youngest brother “borrows” it from my parents’ house and takes it to his apartment. My sister-in-law (who did the very lovely design of this blog) has to fight with herself not to take some home with her so she can “be good.”

But I digress. I’ve been on the hunt ever since going gluten-free to find a really good gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookie. It’s Manifest Vegan’s Super Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie (with a slight adjustment — add one tsp. each of cinnamon and ginger, and a 1/2 tsp. of ground cloves). Voila! The gluten-free and vegan version of what I’ve been missing. I love it so much that I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made it. Tonight I made a double batch. My husband LOVES them. He snarfs them as quickly as I do, and apologizes if he feels like he’s “ahead.” The ultimate compliment: the texture is so great that you probably wouldn’t know they were gluten-free if you didn’t know.

Make these. I promise you won’t be sorry. (Just a note: Make a lot, because they definitely won’t last long.)

The flours and spices
Creamed margarine, sugar and pumpkin
They smell delicious right out of the oven.

NaBloPoMo: Biggest Gluten Lie….Ever.

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The prompt was to tell 3 truths and 1 lie, and see if people can pick out the lie. Instead, I’m going to tell you about THE most egregious lie about gluten that I have ever heard.

My mom is a diabetes educator, and they recently had a big conference. The person in charge of the food, who does not have Celiac or any gluten issues, ordered “gluten-free” eclairs from Kneaders.

***
I’m breaking from the story here to talk about bakeries — especially bakery chains. As a general rule, I don’t trust them. I would never order gluten-free anything from Kneaders, Paradise Bakery or any other place that:

1- Is primarily a bakery,
2- makes most (if not all) of their baked goods from scratch, and
3- doesn’t have at least half of a kitchen that’s dedicated gluten-free.

This may sound really harsh. However, when flour’s in the air, it hangs out for a while before it settles. Thinking about someone making regular bread out of scratch and then making gluten-free anything just makes me squidgy. All that glutenous dust will be settling into whatever you’re making, causing a cross-contamination nightmare. It wouldn’t matter HOW clean your kitchen/oven/dishes/tools/countertops were. Just…no. I feel uncomfortable just walking INTO these places because of how much flour dust must be flying around….crumbs everywhere….sandwiches being made…I just can’t do it.

Back to the story.

***
So, this person goes to Kneaders to pick up the eclairs, and asks, “These are gluten-free, right?” “Yep!” “You’re sure? We have people with Celiac who will get very sick if they eat gluten.” “Well, they’re mostly gluten-free.” “MOSTLY gluten-free?” “Yeah — well, the gluten bakes out.”

THE GLUTEN BAKES OUT?!?!

The diabetes conference person was smart and said, “No, that is not going to work for us,” and left.

When my mom told me this story, I about had a conniption fit. What an egregious lie to tell, putting all those people at risk, just to make a sale. I was LIVID.

I want to give Kneaders the benefit of the doubt, but I just can’t. Gluten-free information and products, especially in Utah, are getting more and more common. It isn’t hard to find information online about making gluten-free baked goods.

Dear world: This is not a fad diet for those of us who have Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance, or other food allergies. This isn’t a joke. You’re going to land people in the hospital if you think “it’s not that big of a deal.” It IS a big deal to people like me.

I am all for businesses “figuring it out” and adjusting their business to the trouble of making more gluten-free products available, but should Kneaders decide to go that path, I will not be supporting them. I’ll stick to the wonderful Eleanor’s Bake Shop where I know I can eat delicious food safely. If you haven’t been there, GO. Support them. Buy their products. Let’s keep them in business and let the ignorant businesses be.

National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo), and Health

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(For privacy reasons, I’m letting individuals know privately if they won The Gluten Free Consumer subscriptions. If you have any questions about it, send me an e-mail at cinderellaspear at gmail dot com.)

Happy November! I honestly can’t believe it’s here. I love November, because I love Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is absolutely my favorite holiday. Thus far, I have a relatively un-crazy family, and it’s just nice to get together and enjoy each other’s company and some really good food. There’s not hype like there is with Halloween and Christmas, and there’s still a chance for some decent weather.

Now, as to the title of this post. You may or may not be aware of NaBloPoMo, or National Blog Post Month. I’ve never done it before, but I’m giving it a try this year with a slight twist: National Health Blog Post Month. Dealing with Celiac Disease, food allergies and gastroparesis, food and health are of great interest to me. (In fact, I’m not sure that those two words — food and health — are really as separate as we think they are.)

The prompt for today is about coming up with titles for a potential book I would write. Coming up with titles is not a forte of mine (though I suspect using Twitter is helping me practice that skill). If I were to write a book, the accurate (though not necessarily best-selling) title is “Finding Myself and Opening Up Through Celiac Disease.”

My Celiac diagnosis in May of 2009 changed my life, for good or bad….or both. It opened up a world of new foods, new friends, a love of cooking, a love of canning, and I have started on the road to being patient with myself. I have always struggled with being nice to and patient with myself, and the struggle continues to this day.  I’m teaching my tastebuds and my stomach to get along better. I’m trying to listen to my body and what it needs before I just assume that I already know. I’ve let go of pre-conceived notions about when and what I must eat. Learning about myself has been an amazing journey, and even if I were told tomorrow that I could go back to eating as much gluten as I wanted, I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.

I’m on a new road. Even though it’s not always easy, and even though I can’t always see where I’m going, I know I’m going in the right direction. I’m making progress. For now, that’s what I need.

Plum Cardamom Jam

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Recently, the east coast was hit with an earthquake, and Hurricane Irene. Here in Utah, we’re due for a huge earthquake, any time. The earthquake and hurricane really made me think about how if I’m not prepared food-wise, I’m in serious trouble. Very few emergency preparedness pre-packaged foods are gluten-free. They’re almost definitely not allergy-free. Though my gastroparesis plays into this, it’s not my main concern (though having gp-friendly foods is a bonus). I’ve read that while freezing things is great, it creates problems when the power goes out (as my relatives in Connecticut can attest). I’ve really been wanting to turn to canning, but it felt intimidating and insurmountable. My friend Holly turned me in the direction of the book I’m about to tell you about, and I’m so glad she did. I finally gathered the stuff, and went to it!

My new favorite cookbook: Canning For A New Generation. I love it.

The first actual canning I tried was the Plum Cardamom Jam recipe in this book. It made two pints, and yes — that’s it in the picture.
The longest part was just chopping up the plums. I used a few pluots from the Bountiful Basket, and bought some plums at the store to supplement. 
This was a great recipe for my first try. It was easy, and went smoothly. The main problem I had is that my pan is 1/2 the size it needs to be, so I needed to do it in two batches. That will be remedied soon. 
That second photo? That’s basically the best smell — ever. My house smelled amazing. You know those plum spice candles? That’s the smell they’re trying to emulate. There is nothing like the original, though. The real plum spice, as it turns out, doesn’t bother my allergies at all! Who’d have thought?? (I’m being sarcastic here, for those who don’t actually know me.) It’s also cooked fruit, which makes it easier on the gastroparesis.
I never knew that I would think canning is fun, but it is. I have finally come to terms with this being my “thing.” I don’t scrapbook. I don’t do house stuff. I’m not into gardening just yet. I’m not an exercise maniac. I don’t sew. I don’t do pottery. I don’t write (other than my blog, of course). I don’t really play my flute anymore. I don’t knit or crochet. Food is my thing. I love to cook. I love to can. I love feeling the textures of foods as I chop them. When I’m chopping food, I go to my happy place. I can just withdraw and think about things. It’s great. (Maybe that’s part of why I prefer cooking to baking. There’s not much chopping in baking.)
You may be thinking, “Well, duh,” but accepting this took me a long time. It’s a relatively new concept to me, but I’m very glad to have figured it out. I would never have guessed that being diagnosed with Celiac and all my other food issues would have led me here, but I am glad it did. Blessings in disguise.