The Food Allergy Coach

Market Basket GF Mixes #2

2010-06-14T10:53:00.006-04:00

I can't believe we are going to have a baby by the end of the week! It seems very surreal. Things continue to go well and we are still hopeful of having a natural birth (aside from being induced). As promised, I wanted to let you know my thoughts about the last two Market Basket brand gluten free baking mixes (to see my review on the other three, click here).

First up - blondies! This was one of the mixes I had purchased for myself prior to being sent all five mixes to try and blog about. My mom helped out again by taking the cookie mix home and coming back the next day with yummy blondies. She followed the recipe on the box, which she said was beyond easy. She added chocolate chips to the top of them. The results? YUM! A cake like blondie with great texture and yummy, sweet tooth satisfying flavor. Definitely work $3.59!

Next...the waffle and coffee cake mix. Waffles are a little too involved for my world of bed rest right now, so we opted for the coffee cake. I was unable to use the suggested blueberries because of the continued fructose malabsorption that I'm experiencing...but I enjoyed the coffee cake non-the-less. It was surprisingly springy! I thought that it would be crumbly, but not at all. The topping, which is made using the same base mix, was crunchy and sweet, just as it should be. Another easy winner!

I'd say Market Basket has done a fine job of bringing 5 exceptionally easy and delicious gluten free mixes to the market, making them rather affordable. I'm hoping this sparks other grocery chains to do the same.

I believe this will be my last post for quite some time as motherhood is calling! Have a wonderful summer and I'll be back in touch soon.

Update & YAY for Market Basket!

2010-06-07T16:56:00.007-04:00

Hi everyone. Long time, no blogging. Let me catch you up. First, my long absences were due to being sick as a dog for the first 4 1/2 months of my pregnancy. Then, it was more because I started consulting away from my home office 4 days per week, which plum wore me out. A couple of weeks ago, I experienced a significant amount of bleeding. After 3 days in a hospital in Boston with a level 1 NICU (in case baby girl decided to come early), they could not determine the cause of the bleeding. I've been on bed rest ever since. Let's just say I've had some time to think about the blog again...though it won't last for long - we are going to be induced early in order to decrease the changes of any further complications.

In the meantime, if you live in MA or NH, I hope you've heard the news! Our local supermarket chain, Market Basket, has introduced gluten and dairy free mixes that are their own brand! "Generic" brand mixes, if you will, which carry a "generic" brand price tag - only $3.59 a pop! But are they any good?

My husband first discovered them by perusing their weekly ad flier. We immediately picked up both the yellow cake mix (which, in my opinion, is very hard to get right) and the cookie/bar mix (I was also curious to see if they are produced in a dedicated facility, which they are!). Soon after, I mixed up the yellow cake mix into cupcakes and topped them with chocolate frosting. The texture was very nice - not grainy at all. They had a good flavor, too. My non-GF husband agreed! Oh, and they couldn't be easier to make. I apologize for not have a picture of them, but I just wasn't thinking at the time.

Then I got a call asking if I would make up each mix, taste test them, and report my honest thoughts to you all via this blog. Sure thing! So, one of each of the 5 mixes showed up at my door. I lost site of my charge for a short while during the baby scare, but then suddenly I've had lots of help around here since I am not supposed to move around much.

First up, my mom made the quick bread mix. There are 3 yummy sounding recipe options on back - pumpkin, zucchini-carrot, and banana. We went for the banana. OH MAN! Yum-ville! Moist, tasty, sweet but not too sweet and a perfect texture. My non-GF mom and non-GF friend, Emily, both agreed. We put some in the freezer for my GF sister to try and she was in heaven, too. Lots of thumbs way up!

Next came the corn bread mix, which we made up into corn muffins. Easy again and so delicious! I got a tummy ache from eating too many at once. This mix isn't sweetened, so if you want a sweeter bread/muffin, you can add what you'd like. I used honey. There is a recipe for dredging chicken in the mix, which I totally intend to try. Oh, and the mix made as many muffins as it said it would, which I find is pretty unusual.

My plan is to do one more post before baby girl arrives - we are being induced late next week. Stay tuned for reports and pictures on the cookie/bar mix and the waffle/coffee cake mix! I fully believe that now that one mainstream supermarket chain has taken this leap, many more will, too!

April 1st Edition of the Gluten Free Lifestyle Blog Carnival

2010-04-01T09:39:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the April 1, 2010 edition of the gluten free lifestyle blog carnival. There are some great posts to check out, including some related to Easter and Passover!

Product Reviews

Stephen presents Sneak Peek: Mac & Cheeza posted at Gluten Freeways, saying, "A new mac & cheese place with great gluten free options in Downtown LA!"

Recipes

Linda Simon presents Great Gluten Free Spaghetti and Marvelous Meatballs Kitchen Therapy posted at Kitchen Therapy, saying, "Tender, moist meatballs that are half meat, half minced mushrooms. Photos of two kinds of gluten-free pasta."

Kate Chan presents Gluten Free Chocolate Chip & Tahini Cookies posted at Gluten Free Gobsmacked, saying, "The tastiest chocolate chip cookie you'll ever have! (And a versatile recipe too!)"

Tamara Duker presents Best. Flourless. Desserts. Ever. posted at What I'm Eating Now, saying, "Just in time for Passover and Easter, here are my picks for the best flourless desserts...ever!"

Joi Abraham presents BBQ Chicken and Waffle Sandwich posted at Just Saying No!!!, saying, "Waffles make the best bread substitute!"

Aubree Cherie presents Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe posted at Living Free.

Amy Green @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free presents Apple & Carrot Gluten Free Breakfast Cake: VitaMixed posted at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, saying, "A delicious, slightly sweet cake made with my beloved VitaMix. Read the comments section for suggestions on how to make this with a food processor."

Linda@NHE presents Gluten Free Lemon Pasta Recipe posted at Natural Health Ezine, saying, "A few weeks ago, we went to my sister’s house for dinner. She learned about a year or two ago that she has a sensitivity to gluten, so she’s been living the gluten-free diet for the past few months. She’s found some really great recipes including this Lemon and Asparagus Pasta which is not only gluten free, but healthy too!"

Heather presents Chocolate Eggs in a Cookie Basket posted at Celiac Family.

Tips

Heather presents Gluten-Free Easter Candy List posted at Celiac Family, saying, "A great resource for GF Easter goodies!"

C. Myers presents Are You Wheat and Gluten Intolerant? Mind Mart posted at Mind Mart, saying, "Information about wheat and gluten allergy, sensitivity, and Celiac Disease."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the gluten free lifestyle blog carnivalm, which will be hosted by http://www.simplysugarandglutenfree.com/, using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page. If you are interested in hosting in the future, let me know!

Happy April! Spring is here!

Technorati tags: the gluten free lifestyle blog carnival, blog carnival.

Update & March 1st edition of the GF Blog Carnival

2010-03-01T11:06:00.002-05:00

Hi all. I continue to be remiss in my posting, which I just need to accept as fact for now. I'm working out of the office 4 days per week and my energy level just isn't what it used to be.

A few things to update you on - we are having a girl! We found out last week at the ultrasound. Also, we started hypnobirthing classes. If you haven't heard about this alternative birthing method, check it out. I can't say enough about how wonderful it is so far. I'm very encouraged the research and look forward to a calm, serene delivery!

Don't forget to visit Ging Recommends today for the March 1st edition of the GF Blog Carnival. I peeked at it and saw lots of interesting recipes, tips, and reviews.

Until next time...take care!

Update & The Feb 1st Edition of the GF Lifestyle Blog Carnival

2010-02-01T08:33:00.003-05:00

Greetings and salutations! Things are going much better on this end, I'm happy to report. Aside from some mild stomach discomfort now and again, removing fructose from my diet has continued to make a huge difference in my ability to function. I'm cooking again - old favorites only. For some reason, experimenting does not appeal to me what-so-ever. Baking is also something I haven't done at all, but I've been thinking about it, so I'm sure I'll want to do it soon.

I have started to switch over to some maternity pants. So much more comfortable! On a tip from a friend at prenatal yoga, I checked out ebay for some deals - they have LOTS of new maternity clothes at great prices. Oh! We have our next ultrasound on February 9th, which is the first opportunity we'll have to find out if it's a boy or a girl! Can't wait!

Looking for some great gluten free recipes, tips, advice, product reviews, and much more? Don't forget to check out the February 1st edition of the Gluten Free Lifestyle Blog Carnival. This month's host is Shirley over at Gluten Free Easily. Stop by and check it out! Want to be a blog carnival host? Just email me at thefoodallergycoach[at]yahoo[dot]com.

Fructose Malabsorption

2010-01-04T15:07:00.004-05:00

After the traditional nausea symptoms of the first trimester of pregnancy began to diminish, I experienced a different kind of stomach upset. Instead of feeling awful prior to eating, I started to feel sick AFTER eating. This lasted for weeks and weeks. Other than discovering that my digestive system is not tolerating lactose, I had been at a loss for what to look at as the culprit next.

Much of what I read about pregnancy and digestion simply normalize feeling like crap. While I'm sure that changes are to be expected, not looking into the effects of diet just didn't sit right with me. So, I did some research. First, I looked into symptoms of producing a low amount of HCL. I had read about this in The Yeast Connection & Women's Health a while ago. Upon revisiting the info, I put it in the "maybe" category - nothing stood out that made me think "THIS IS IT!" ...at least not right now anyway.

The next issue I looked into was fructose malabsorbtion. The inability to properly digest the sugar in fruit is actually quite common, especially among folks with celiac disease. Dr. Tracy discussed this topic at our Going Gluten Free Workshop back in the Fall. I didn't find a ton of correlation between fructose malabsorption and pregnancy, but I could not ignore the symptom list. I tracked my eating habits for a couple of days and noticed that an increase in unpleasant symptoms occurred shortly after consuming fruit. So, I stopped fruit. After about 2 meals, I noticed that I no longer felt horrendous immediately following eating. It's been 4 days, and my symptoms have decreased by about 85%. My energy level has been creeping up as well - I cooked for the first time in months and vacuumed! It's such a feeling of relief! ...though I do hope not being able to eat fruit is only temporary!

For more information about fructose malabsorption, visit the food intolerant consumer website. It provides a helpful overview in an easy-to-read format.

photo courtesy of freefoto.com.

Coming Clean

2009-12-30T09:19:00.003-05:00

It has been way too long, I know. Some of you may have even given up on me. I wouldn't blame you one bit...

In one of my last posts, I mentioned that we had some family stuff going on and that I started working on a project that takes me out of the office 3 days per week. That has only been part of the story...the rest is that I'M PREGNANT! Our due date is July 4th (fun, huh?). We are incredibly excited, but it's taken a lot out of me - some days, I haven't been able to get off the couch. Whoever called it morning sickness was lying I've decided. The nausea has been incredible and it usually lasts all day long. I have found that sea sickness bands help stop the gagging so that I can actually get food down. I can't remember the last time I was hungry.

I haven't cooked anything since early November and have only done the grocery shopping a couple of times. (My poor husband!). I have lost all interest in food. As you can imagine, this makes many parts of my work difficult - blogging, meal planning... Oye. I was able to do about a month of the rotation diet before the symptoms set in. It's been impossible ever since due to a million food aversions that I'm coming across and my inability to do any food prep. I spoke with the Queen of Rotation herself, Nicolette Dumke, and she advised that I just rotate grains. Easy enough, because I don't want any grains anyway. It's fascinating me, actually.

I find that the nausea increases rapidly if I wait too long to eat, but when I do eat, I don't feel well afterwards. They say that your digestive track goes through a multitude of changes. I know that I cannot digest lactose at all, and there have got to be other things...but it feels like it's everything - just like it did before I figured out that I have celiac disease (I became afraid to eat for fear of feeling sick and lost 20+ pounds overnight). It's back to a food diary and symptom tracking for me!

There have been some signs that I will start to come around to my old self - after losing 8 pounds, I haven't lost any weight this week, which means I must be eating more. I also don't need to nap as much as I had been. I can't wait to get back into the swing of things - blogging and publishing away! Thanks for hanging in there with me! I'll be in touch soon!

Dec 1st Edition of the Gluten Free Lifestyle Blog Carnival

2009-11-30T12:38:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the December 1, 2009 edition of the gluten free lifestyle blog carnival...posted one day early b/c I'll be out of the office yet again tomorrow. Sorry for my lengthy absence! I'm coming up for air to publish this wonderful collection of recipes, product reviews and tips.

Product Reviews

Ginger Carter Miller presents They'll Never Know...A GF Cake with an Edge! posted at Ging Recommends!.

Recipes

Kim, The Food Allergy Coach presents Corn Bread: Straight Up & As a Stuffing posted at The Food Allergy Coach, saying "Two great gluten free recipes courtesy of my mom!"

Ginger Carter Miller presents A delicious turkey pot pie recipe from Whole Foods GF Chef Lee Tobin. posted at Ging Recommends!.

Tamara Duker presents Pão de Queijo (and other reasons to meet your Hispanic Roots) posted at What I'm Eating Now, saying, "If you like Mexican food for its gluten-free corn tortillas, you'll love learning about the delicioso GF goodies you can make with Hispanic root vegetables...including this beyond-easy recipe for Brazilian Cheese Buns."

Amy Green @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free presents Homemade Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Taco Seasoning posted at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, saying, "A simple and frugal taco seasoning - tastes so much better than anything out of a packet and you get creative license over the final outcome."

Annette Berlin presents Orange Smoothie posted at Craft Stew, saying, "This recipe came from Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet by Nava Atlas."

Tips

Nancy Lapid presents Tips for eating out gluten free. posted at About.com Celiac Disease.

Linda Simon presents X is for Xanthan posted at Kitchen Therapy, saying, "Where and when to use xanthan to convert wheat bakery to gluten free treats."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the gluten free lifestyle blog carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Email me if you would like to host! We'll be skipping January 1st due to the holiday craze, but please check out the Feb 1st edition, which will be hosted by Shirley at Gluten Free Easily.

Gifts of Good Taste - Holiday Cordials & Vanilla Extract

2009-11-18T14:04:00.007-05:00

This week's Holiday Food Festival theme is Gifts of Good Taste, which is hosted by Phoebe at Cents to Get Debt Free. I love this theme, as I strive to make edible gifts each year. I think it's so fun! I am famous for my homemade fudge in many varieties and peppermint bark. I've also experimented with making candied popcorn. Last year, we made Holiday Cordials, which are always a big hit. I've had the recipe for years - I copied it out of a friend's cookbook, but have no idea which one.

Please forgive the lack of pictures. My husband used the camera and changed the settings, so my pictures are not coming out clear. I can't figure out how to undo it, so the pictures will have to wait until later.

Ingredients (makes about 6 C)

1 lb mixed dried fruit

1 bottle (750 ml or 3.5 C) dry white wine

1 C brandy

2 C sugar

Directions

Place fruit in a glass, ceramic, or stainless steal container. Stir in wine, brandy, and sugar until well blended. Cover tightly and let stand at room temperature for at least 1 week to allow flavors to develop. Stir occasionally for the first few days to dissolve sugar.

To give, pack in small jars. On the gift tag, note that the liquor is for sipping; or the cordial is delicious poured over ice cream or pound cake. After about 6 weeks, the fruit should be removed or it may become too soft. The cordial alone keeps indefinitely.

This year, we will be gifting homemade vanilla extract. It's so easy and makes a great gift for the bakers in your life!

Ingredients

5 vanilla beans (look for good quality beans online - you'll get a great price)

1 750 ml bottle of vodka

Directions

Split beans in half.

Pour a small amount of the vodka out of the bottle.

Fit all beans into the bottle.

Shake every couple of weeks. In about 2 months, it's ready for prime time!

I will be pouring the extract into pretty, small bottles decorated with ribbon. I will put 1/2 bean in each bottle and add vodka to make sure each one is full. The tag will say that, as you use the extract, just add more vodka and it will regenerate! Cool, huh?

Happy Holidays!

Tapioca Apple Pudding

2009-11-16T10:49:00.006-05:00

Sorry for my absence over the last week. I've been under the weather, and we had a death in the family. I'm also temporarily working on a new project that takes me away from the office 3 days per week...this likely means that my posts will be fewer over the next couple of months.

This recipe is something I discovered as I continue to search for rotation diet-friendly things to eat. It's warm and comforting and fills the house with a wonderful aroma. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients (makes 2 large servings):

1/2 C quick cooking tapioca cooked according to package instructions
2 T honey or 4 t agave
pinch of salt
1 large egg, beaten
1 C milk (whatever kind you can tolerate)
1/4 t nutmeg
2 apples, cored, peeled, and sliced

Directions

Oil 2 large ramekins and preheat oven to 350.
Mix first 6 ingredients together.
Arrange sliced apples in each ramekin.
Pour tapioca mixture evenly over each.
Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes. The apples will rise to the top!

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays and What Can I Eat That's Gluten Free. Check out these great recipe roundups!

Enjoy!

Interview with Food Allergy Expert, Susan Engle, MOE, RD, LD

2009-11-09T14:16:00.004-05:00

The question I am asked most often is "do you know any medical professionals that actually 'get it' (food allergies, celiac, etc)???" They are a rare find, aren't they? So I asked my colleague, Susan Engle of Nutrition Matters, to answer a few key questions. I've gotten to know Susan quite well. She was a guest speaker at the Going Gluten Free series put on by Food Sensitivity Resources. Susan is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to food allergies, intolerance, and sensitivities and enjoys helping this special population.

1. How did you become interested in the field of nutrition? I was always interested in health promotion and disease prevention. I started my professional career as a dental hygienist and took a nutrition course during my training for that. As soon as I graduated and started working I took another course in human nutrition. Eventually I went back to school to earn my degree in nutritional sciences and become a registered dietitian. I love food and eating and enjoy helping others discover delicious foods that nourish them and keep them healthy. (You can read more about Susan's background here.)

2. What has been your experience treating patients with food allergies, intolerance, sensitivities, and celiac disease? This is one of the most rewarding aspects of my practice as a registered dietitian and nutritionist. Often when I work with these patients and help them discover the foods they are reacting to they come back to me with big smiles and gifts of thanks. They are so thankful to be able to eat without painful consequences. People with food allergies/sensitivities/intolerances need to search for dietitians/nutritionists who specialize in this area so they can get good help. Unfortunately many traditionally trained medical personnel are not specialists in this area and don't know how to help.

3. What services to you offer to help people who have dietary restrictions? It depends on what is going on for them. For people who come to me with a new diagnosis of Celiac disease or single or even multiple food allergies, I can help them with meal planning to ensure a nutritionally adequate diet. I enjoy taking people through their local grocery store and helping them find foods they can eat safely. For people who come to me sure that something they eat is causing them health problems but they can't figure out what food or foods is causing the problem - I can help sleuth this out. If it is just one ingredient in foods, fructose or lectins for example, these are found in multiple foods. Most people are not aware of the foods that contain fructose or lectins. Because I am familiar with this, I can look at a 2 week food and symptom diary and identify the food(s) that are causing the problem. My specialty is food and nutrition so I can help people find tasty foods that meet their food allergy/sensitivity needs. For example, we will talk about how to choose foods when out of the home, either on the run or at a restaurant. We talk about how to choose a variety of foods in order to provide the most nutrition for the diet. I make suggestions for what kind of vitamin and mineral supplements to take. For people who are still experiencing symptoms after a few months on the diet, I can help them problem solve what else might be going on - small bowel bacterial overgrowth? or other food allergies/sensitivities? lactose or fructose intolerance? inadvertent gluten exposure? Some people need help gaining healthy weight back, I can help with this. Reducing cross-contamination in the kitchen if there are other family members who consume gluten. These are a few of the services I can provide to people with food allergies/sensitivities.

4. How do you keep up with the latest research regarding food allergies/intolerance/sensitivities/celiac? I attend national conferences provided by nationally and internationally recognized experts on a regular basis. I teach continuing education courses to health professionals on these topics and so it is essential that I keep up to date with new research.

5. What are your thoughts about the current research going on in this field? It is very exciting. They are working on "curing" anaphylactic allergies, finding ways for people with celiac disease to tolerate small to moderate amounts of gluten, and learning more about food sensitivities and how to diagnose and treat them. I believe they will accomplish these goals and more given time.

6. What is the most useful advice you have for people new to dietary restrictions due to food allergy, intolerance, and/or sensitivities? Find out about the foods you CAN eat safely, search them out and enjoy them. Pay more attention to these foods than to the ones you need to avoid. Eating should be pleasurable even if you need to avoid some foods. Meet with a registered dietitian to ensure you are meeting your nutrient needs whenever you have to cut out a whole food group or a major source of an important nutrient (ex: milk products are our best source of calcium and Vitamin D).

To contact Susan, please click here.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll

2009-11-05T08:27:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago, I sat down with Oonagh Williams, award-winning chef, culinary instructor, and expert in all things gluten and allergen free. Oonagh has a bunch of delicious looking recipes on her website, so I thought I would give one a try. She has a pumpkin roll listed. When I told her that I would be adapting it to gluten free, she sent me the following recipe.

I wanted to pick a dessert from Oonagh's collection in honor of the Holiday Food Festival, which kicks off today. Stop by Hoosier Homemade to check out the dessert edition!

Oonagh's Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll/Layer Cake

Ingredients for cake

2/3 c 100% pumpkin from a can (not pumpkin pie filling). Don’t increase amount of pumpkin, cake won’t work.
3 large or 2 extra large eggs
1 c sugar (I used honey)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder and pinch of salt
½ tsp xanthan gum
1+1/2 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice
¾ c gf flour blend

Ingredients for Filling:

8 oz cream cheese softened -lite is fine but gives a softer texture.
1 c powdered sugar (I used honey + cornstarch)
4 tbsp butter softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp bourbon - if you can tolerate it, otherwise rum or brandy or none
1 tbsp maple syrup
You can also use only ½ c powdered sugar and add 1 cup cool whip.

Directions

Mix filling ingredients together with a beater until smooth.
Toast ¼ c chopped pecans in 350° oven for 10 minutes (optional - for cake topping)
Line 10 x 15” jelly roll pan with parchment paper or foil. Grease foil or paper.
Mix together pumpkin, eggs, vanilla and sugar until well blended.
Add baking powder, xanthan gum, spice and flour and mix well.
Pour onto lined jelly roll pan, gently spread out, it might seem as if you don’t have enough batter. Bake for 15-18 minutes until well risen (but it won’t be very high), springy but still soft to the touch.
Remove cake from oven, sprinkle with sugar, place cooling rack topped with parchment paper on top of sugar sprinkled cake and turn it upside down. Carefully remove paper or foil from base of cake and roll up pumpkin roll with sugar sprinkled parchment paper caught inside. Or cut cake into 2 or 3 sections to create long thin pieces or short fat pieces and leave flat to cool.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Unroll, retain about ¼ c filling, and spread remainder of filling on cake.
Re-roll or stack. Don’t worry if the cake has cracked. When you drizzle remainder of filling on top, it will hide cracks.
Thin ¼ c of filling slightly with cream and drizzle on top of roll. Sprinkle with toasted pecans and refrigerate.

For layer cake, spread flat pieces of cake with cream cheese filling, stack, spread more on top and sprinkle with toasted pecans or chopped spiced pecans.

Different filling:

¾ c heavy or whipping cream
8 oz tub of Mascarpone cheese
¼ c powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp liqueur, rum, brandy to taste

Directions

Whisk cream, sugar, vanilla and alcohol until cream forms soft peaks.
Turn mascarpone into bowl and gently break up with a fork.
Gently fold cream mix into mascarpone until well blended and very creamy. Don’t use electric mixer, the mix will almost curdle. Use as in #9 above.

Corn Bread - Straight Up & As A Stuffing

2009-11-04T11:00:00.004-05:00

I'm 9 days into the rotation diet. Up until today, I was managing ok - pretty good actually, with minimal whining. I've been getting creative - making yogurt out of goat milk, making buckwheat pancakes without eggs, enjoying teff chocolate pudding and amaranth banana bread... I've even been out to eat twice without much planning time and managed just fine, to my surprise. ...and my husband has not felt too inconvenienced, which is a bonus.

But today, I don't feel well. Everything I had planned to eat today is making my stomach turn just at the thought. It's one of those things where I don't want to eat, but I'm feeling so weak that I need to have something. So, I resorted to toast - a kind that is off the rotation plan. I'm thinking that I will get right back on the rotation horse as soon as I can. Right now, I just need some plain calories so that I don't faint or puke (sorry!)...

A good day to answer some requests I've had for a gluten free cornbread recipe. In my family, we grew up eating homemade cornbread every Saturday. When four of us discovered we could not tolerate gluten, my mom adapted her recipe for us! This past Saturday, I asked her if she was making a batch and she said "yes!" I ran right over to take a picture (and grab some for my freezer for when it fits into my rotation schedule).

Mom's Saturday Cornbread
Ingredients

1 egg, beaten
1/4 C oil
1 C milk- whichever you can tolerate
1/4 honey or sugar, or 2 T agave
1 C GF flour mix (preferably a kind without bean flour in it)
1 C yellow cornmeal
1/2 t salt
1 T baking powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9X9 baking sheet.
Mix together first 4 ingredients.
In a separate bowl, mix together last 4 dry ingredients.
Add the wet into the dry and combine, but not too much.
Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes or until it's slightly golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

This goes great with chili! Or make it into a stuffing...

Ingredients

about 2/3 of the above cornbread recipe, cubed
2 C chopped and peeled apples
1 C diced carrots
¾ C diced onions
½ C diced celery
½ C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1/4 C dried cranberries (optional)
½ t ground nutmeg
2 t salt
1 t pepper
½ C butter or oil
1 C GF chicken stock

Directions

Preheat oven to 300.
Spread cornbread cubes on a cookie sheet and bake 10 – 15 min or until dry.
In a skillet, place the butter or oil along with the carrots, onions, and celery. Cook until beginning to turn translucent.
Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Turn off heat.
In a large bowl, combine the bread, veggies, apples and nuts.
Pour mixture into a baking pan and pour chicken stock all over. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.

Sweet Potato Sausage Stew

2009-11-02T08:16:00.006-05:00

Couple of things to tell you about first:

The Nov 1st edition of the Gluten Free Lifestyle Blog Carnival is up at Sustaining Health Holistically. Check it out for some great recipes, product reviews, and more!
A fantastic recipe roundup of pumpkin treats for "Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free" is up at Life Gluten Free.
Today is Monday, so swing by Simply Sugar & Gluten Free for a collection of Slightly Indulgent recipes. You could also win a great give-a-way - new e-cookbooks!

One week of the rotation diet down! It's not so bad, I've decided. The thing that has bothered me the most is the difficulty with being spontaneous. With practice, I think this will get easier. A big plus is that we are both eating healthier (even though Brian is not doing this with me) - a lot more veggies and vegetarian meals in general, though I'm posting a meal-filled recipe today...

Soups and stews are among the most wonderful aspects of the cool weather season. I love to toss some things together and have them meld into a tasty, warm, comforting meal. We had this for a couple of dinners recently.

Ingredients:

1 T oil
1/2 pound sausage, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (1 pound) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 small hot green chile pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups water
1 (16 ounce) can chic peas, rinsed and drained
1 apple - peeled and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Directions:

Heat oil in bottom of soup pot or dutch oven. Add sausage and allow to brown for about 7 min, breaking it up occasionally.
Add onions and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add sweet potatoes and red pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, chili pepper, and water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in chic peas, apple, cilantro, salt, and pepper and allow to simmer for 5 more minutes.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to What Can I Eat That's Gluten Free (Soup Theme)?

Teff Chocolate Pudding - wheat, gluten, egg, soy, dairy, corn, refined sugar, peanut, and tree nut free!

2009-10-29T07:49:00.007-04:00

It's day 4 of my rotation diet, and I'm not losing my mind! I'm definitely learning a lot, and I'm eating much healthier - lots of veggies! I'm making it into a game, sort-of - like "I know I'm going out to eat Saturday, so how do I 'save up' food groups so that I can eat what I want?" I'm also becoming very aware of foods that I was over-relying on, like onions, peppers, tomatoes, turkey...

Today will be the completion of a full rotation. To start out, foods are rotated on a four day schedule, so tomorrow, I go back to the food groups that I ate on Monday. I can tell that, as I get more comfortable doing this, I will be a bit more "free" with my meal planning - right now, I'm planning my meals mostly based on the rotation that is suggested in the book, but soon I will think about meals I want to have, then assign food groups accordingly. That will work out much better!

I ended up feeling a bit hungry on day Monday afternoon (rotation day 2), and started to panic a bit - I didn't plan for that! I checked day 2 food groups and saw that I could have teff. I've always wanted to experiment with teff, but just hadn't yet. I looked at the back of the Bob's Red Mill Teff package for some inspiration and saw a recipe for Teff Pudding. It contained few ingredients, all of which I could incorporate on rotation day 2, so I went for it! I'm glad I did - it was so yummy and comforting...definitely something I will eat even when I'm not on rotation! The cooked teff has a texture that lends itself to pudding - almost as if it contains gelatin, but it doesn't.

Before the recipe, a word about teff: Teff is packed with nutrition. It is higher in protein than wheat and has a high concentration of a wide variety of nutrients, including calcium, thiamine and iron. A cup of cooked teff contains 387 mg of calcium which is 40% of the U.S. recommended daily allowance. Teff has twice as much iron as both wheat and barley; the iron from teff is easily absorbed by the body. Since the grains are so small, the bulk of the grain is germ and bran. It is very high in fiber and is thought to benefit people with diabetes as it helps control blood sugar levels. Teff is available as a grain or as a flour. You can read more about the nutritional benefits of teff here.

Teff Pudding (serves 2 - 3) - wheat, gluten, egg, soy, dairy, corn, refined sugar, peanut, and tree nut free!

Ingredients:

2 C water
1/2 C teff grain
3 T cocoa powder
2 T maple syrup or honey, or 1 T agave
2 t vanilla extract
pinch of salt (my addition, since it brings out the sweetness!)

Directions

In a small pot, bring water and teff grain to a boil, then cover and simmer over very low heat for 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Let cool to room temperature.
In a blender or food processor, blend cooked teff and remaining ingredients until smooth and light. Add additional water if it's too thick.
Pour into serving bowl, chill, and serve.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays.

Allergen Free Baking: Baked treats for all occasions

2009-10-27T11:38:00.005-04:00

I was recently sent a copy of the book Allergen Free Baking: Baked treats for all occasions by Jill Robbins to review. I liked it, so I thought I would pass it on to you.

As I was giving it a once over, I noticed a quote on the back cover from the Seacoast Food Allergy Group, which I have become involved with. Upon further investigation, I realized that this book is published in my home state - New Hampshire - and it was written by the same woman who developed Gaks Snacks, now called Home Free Treats (Jill and her treats were recently featured on Fox News Boston). The headquarters is right in Windham, NH, which is only about 40 minutes from me - I have an aunt and good friends that live there. Ok, ok, enough with my hometown pride...

Allergen Free Baking is geared towards parents. It is organized into sections to make life raising food allergic kids easier. As you peruse the cookbook, it is obvious that a mother who has been in your shoes is talking to you. There are recipe ideas for something to bring to morning play group, play dates, school snacks, birthday parties, various holidays, and athletic events. From the introduction: "Most of the recipes in this book use fruit and/or fruit juice, many use at least some whole grain, and none contain peanuts, tree nuts, egg, wheat, dairy, cholesterol, or trans fat. Soy lecithin is the only soy ingredient."

Robbins also includes a helpful key of grains, gluten, and sugar. For example "GF" indicates that the recipe can be prepared gluten free (suggestions are made), "Co" indicates that the recipe contains corn, and "Oa" denotes oats.

Although there are no pictures in the cookbook (except for the adorable drawings done by a young child), the pages are filled with delicious, tempting treats. Robbins shares ideas for breakfast, quick breads, bars/brownies, cookies, cakes, pies, frostings, and more. When it fits in my rotation diet schedule, the first recipe I'll be trying is the Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread. My mouth is watering already!

Rotation Diet Day 1 & Some Things of Note

2009-10-26T08:38:00.006-04:00

I debated about whether or not to shout from the roof-tops that I'm starting the Rotation Diet today. Truthfully, I'm wondering how well I'll be able to stick to it... Perhaps blogging about it will help to keep me on track. That's my hope anyway!

For those of you not familiar with rotation, it's a system of controlling food allergies/sensitivities by eating biologically related foods on the same day, then not eating them again for four days because they contain similar antigens. Some believe that any food, if eaten repetitively, can end up causing problems. People with food allergies, intolerance, and sensitivities are often told to just avoid the problematic food, but they are not told that they could be susceptible to developing issues with more foods over time.

The idea is that this way of eating can help to heal a leaky gut (which I've made progress on but am not convinced that I'm done, hence trying something new!), which may prevent developing problems with more foods. Rotating your diet can also can help discover foods that you are currently sensitive to that you are unaware of. In addition, it may allow you to eat foods that you have a "borderline" sensitivity to (for me that would be peanuts, tree nuts, rice, and cherries), though potentially on a longer rotation schedule, like 7 or 10 days. [This does NOT mean that I will be able to eat gluten - I have celiac disease, which rotation won't change. Sugar is something I am highly sensitive to, so I'm not even going to try rotating it in anytime soon - no need!].

I became interested in rotation when a client of mine asked for help and support with creating and sticking to a rotation diet. My first step was purchasing Nicolette Dumke's book The Ultimate Food Allergy Cookbook and Survival Guide and read it cover to cover. I had some questions, so I emailed Nicolette, which began our e-friendship (see part one and part two of my interview with Nicolette).

I saw myself in the pages of the book, so I let the idea of doing rotation percolate for a couple of months. I experimented by eating some tree nuts after a long, long time of going without - I just had a minimal amount - and found that I did not experience symptoms. When I ate them again the next day, I did have symptoms. It made me think that there is something to this rotation stuff - and I would LOVE to be able to have tree nuts and peanuts again!!!! To bake with almond flour is something I have been dreaming about...

Experimenting with different foods, alternative grains, etc. and making many of Nicolette's recipes has given me the hope that, with some planning and preparation, I can do this.

...and so begins my rotation journey. I've set my first goal at sticking to rotation for one month. This felt right to me. Truth be told, my hope is to go longer than that - in fact, Brian and I are planning to start a family. I would like to stick to a rotation diet for the duration of pregnancy and breast feeding. Although there isn't a ton of hard evidence out there about what a mother should/should not eat to lessen her child's risk of food allergies/intolerance/sensitivities, rotation seems to be a way to reduce those chances. I plan to chronicle my journey here, so please stay tuned!

Some other things of note:
Today is Slightly Indulgent Monday at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free. Be sure to check it out for delicious recipe ideas! This week, Amy is also giving away two subscriptions to her favorite magazine, Eating Well.

I got an email that Amazon.com is offering an extra 15% off of Hain Gluten Free products including Arrowhead Mills, Imagine, De Boles, and more. If you use subscribe and save, you get an additional 15% on top. Might be worth checking out.

Honey-Buckwheat Pancakes

2009-10-22T10:10:00.005-04:00

Haven't discovered buckwheat yet? I have to say that it was only recently that I have begun to appreciate all buckwheat it has to offer. I loved Nicolette's buckwheat brownies, so I thought I'd see what else it would be good in. Buckwheat pancakes seemed like a natural next move, since I love a good pancake (see coconut flour pancakes and flourless pancakes)! They turned out delicious, if I do say so myself... Buckwheat lends a nuttiness that I think perfectly pairs with honey - it's like they were made for each other.

Ingredients (makes about 5-6 pancakes):

1/2 C GF buckwheat flour
1 t baking powder (if you cannot tolerate corn, click here for a corn free baking powder recipe)
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 T honey
1 egg
2 T oil
1 t vanilla extract
about 1/2 C whichever milk you can tolerate (yogurt would be nice, too)

Directions:

Mix together the first 3 ingredients.
In a separate bowl, mix the honey, egg, oil, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir a little.
Start adding in your milk a bit at a time until the desired consistency is met.
Cook batter on a preheated pan or griddle that has been greased.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Monday.

Chili with Roasted Peppers

2009-10-21T08:10:00.007-04:00

Chili is a cool-weather staple around here. It's one of those great meals that can be adapted many different ways to suit tastes and dietary restrictions. It can also give you a hand cleaning out your pantry! This version is made with roasted hot peppers (not too hot for me - I make extra peppers for my husband to sprinkle on top b/c he likes his mouth to be on fire...). Roasting the peppers takes their flavor to a different depth in such a wonderful way and tempers the heat a bit.

Ingredients:

2-3 hot peppers (jalapenos are fine; use more or less depending on your taste)
1 large onion, diced
1 lb. ground meat (I use turkey)
1 C juicer pulp (optional - it's a good way to use it up!)
2 T chili powder
2 T cumin
dash red pepper flakes
1 T salt
2 t pepper
1/4 C ground flax seeds (optional)
2 bell peppers, diced
1 can black beans (or whatever you have on hand - I used kidney this time)
1 can corn (optional)
4 tomatoes, diced or 2 C canned tomatoes

Directions:

Place whole hot peppers on a baking sheet covered in foil. Roast at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until they get char spots on them and blister, like in the picture above. Once cool, split a part and remove the stem and seeds (unless you like more heat). Dice and set aside.
While the peppers are roasting, place heat olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven. Add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add ground meat to the pot. Allow it to begin to brown, using your stirring spoon to separate it. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. If you are using juicer pulp, add it in.
Add chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, ground flax seed, salt and pepper to the meat and mix around.
Add the bell peppers and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add the beans, corn, and tomatoes and stir to combine.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow all the flavors to meld. Adjust salt and pepper if needed.

Notes:

I like to top mine with yogurt - whichever kind I've got. My favorite is Greek or coconut.

I Took the Kale Chip Challenge!

2009-10-20T07:53:00.007-04:00

On October 13th, Celiac Chicks issued a throw-down - a Kale Chip Throw-down. I have been reading about these things for a while and just letting the idea of them stew. When I saw this challenge, I had to accept, especially because they expressed their initial hesitancy, thinking "how could these be any good?" ...and that's where I've been at!

I followed their recipe and used the oven this time rather than the dehydrator, which I plan to try in the future. I made just one batch at first because why waste perfectly good kale if I didn't like these chips? But...I loved them! They are light and crispy! My first batch was olive oil and salt, which just pairs nicely with the flavor of the kale. For my 2nd batch, I added cumin...YUM! The pictures show before and after - they are a bit like shrinky-dinks! I actually could see these squashing a chip craving.

In other news...Go Dairy Free reported today that one of my favorite cereals, Perky's Nutty Flax (which actually does not contain nuts), is now being branded as Enjoy Life Crunchy Flax. Click here to read about that transition. The flavor, crunch, and low sugar grams better stay the same, is all I can say!

This post is linked to What Can I Eat That's Gluten Free over at the Gluten Free Homemaker.

Product Review: Edward & Sons Exotic Rice Toast

2009-10-19T09:00:00.004-04:00

Don't forget to check out today's Slightly Indulgent recipes at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free. You could win a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com! Who couldn't use that?

While checking out our local wine and cheese shop for the first time the other day (for some reason, we always go to one that is further away), I happily noticed a few gluten free products among all of the wonderful-looking gifts and cheese accompaniments. Among them were Edward & Sons Exotic Rice Toasts. I hadn't seen them before, so naturally I scooped them up to try with our yummy cheese purchases. I loved them, so I wanted to share my thoughts with you. I also loved the Edward & Sons website, which has an easy-to-us allergen chart!!! Check out my review on The Examiner.

PS - I purchased these for my own individual use. No compensation of any kind was received in exchange for this review.

Happy Monday!

Home Free Cookies on Fox Boston News

2009-10-16T13:35:00.004-04:00

Jill Robbins, founder of Home Free Treats, was featured on Fox News Boston. I'm not generally a fan of Fox myself, but I've got to give them kudos for giving food allergies center stage...and not just for a couple of seconds - it was for several minutes. Check out the clip:

Buckwheat Brownies

2009-10-16T08:38:00.005-04:00

In my 2nd interview with Nicolette Dumke, she named a couple of her favorite recipes, one of which is her Buckwheat Brownies. I got to thinking that if an author of multiple wonderful, allergy-friendly cookbooks says that something is her favorite, it must be worth a try. ...and I always love to satisfy a chocolate craving!

These brownies are wheat, gluten, soy, dairy, refined sugar, and corn-free. I substituted a mix of honey and maple syrup for the maple sugar, which resulted in a more cake-like brownie. Brian and I both gobbled them up! They are sooooooo good! Next time, I might try a few adjustments for a more fudge-like texture, but then again, why play with a good thing?

You can find the recipe at the end of my interview with Nicolette. ...and if you are interested in learning more about the nutritional value of buckwheat, click here. Enjoy!

Ode to Some Wonderful Bloggers

2009-10-14T09:53:00.006-04:00

We had company last night - a few folks that I used to work with. They have all been amazingly supportive of me, so of course I would want to throw them a nice dinner party. We tend to get together about once every 6 weeks or so. We rotate houses and do it potluck style. Last night, I needed to create a main dish, side dish, and an appetizer. Three bloggers were the inspiration:

For the appetizer, I made Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks. For these, I used Shirley's Flourless Pizza Crust recipe posted at Gluten Free Easily. I added garlic powder to the mixture and instead of making it into pizza, I cut it into long rectangles and served them with marinara sauce. They were a big hit!

Knowing that I'd be busy with work and running around all day, I wanted a fairly no-fuss main and side dish. Diane at The Whole Gang pointed me to Ali and Tom's recipe for Balsamic Roasted Chicken with Figs and Onions posted at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen. I brined the chicken first to ensure that it would turn out moist, using water, salt, maple syrup, onion, and fresh rosemary. I used onions and figs, but also added turnips, carrots, potatoes, and parsnips from our farmer's market. For my guests, I actually used split chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken so that I didn't have to carve it. The picture shown here is actually the same recipe with whole chicken that I made just for us last week.

We also had a lovely salad to go with it all. My friends rounded out the meal with stuffed grape leaves and roasted artichokes for the appetizers and various sweet treats for dessert. We had a fun evening and they left feeling full and satisfied. Did I mention that they don't have any dietary restrictions??? That's always a great test for "special" recipes.

Thanks again, fellow bloggers!

One more thing - Amazon sent me an email stating that they are running a special - Enjoy Life Foods 15% off.

Millet Banana Bread

2009-10-13T10:35:00.005-04:00

Yep, you guessed it! Another recipe from Nicolette Dumke's latest cookbook. I can't help myself. I'm enjoying experimenting...and the results! My husband and I both loved this one...I have to confess, I haven't shared much of it with him. It's just too good!

Millet Banana Bread (free of the top 8 allergens, gluten, corn, and refined sugar)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C millet flour
1 C tapioca starch
1/2 t salt
2 t baking soda + 1/2 t unbuffered vitamin C powder (or 2 1/2 t baking powder)
1 t cinnamon or 1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 c chopped nuts (optional)
1 3/4 C mashed ripe bananas (about 3 1/2 bananas)
1/4 C oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Oil and flour a loaf pan.
Stir together flours, salt, baking soda + vitamin C powder (or baking powder), spice, and nuts (if using) in a large bowl.
Combine the mashed bananas and oil and stir them into the dry ingredients until they are completely mixed in, but be careful not to over mix (the batter will be stiff). Put the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until the bread is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan to cool completely. Makes one loaf.

Notes:

I did not have millet flour on hand so I ground my own. Nicolette offers a caution about this - if you are grinding your own, you'll want to adjust the liquid. I added more banana and a bit more oil, but next time I might add a couple T of milk, too. Nicolette also says that she has found that even different brands of the same product can yield different results, so she provides where to find the brands that she uses.
The cookbook also provides recipes for banana bread using spelt, barley, or amaranth.
I was sent a free copy of this cookbook by Nicolette to review.

Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies - free from the top 8 allergens, corn, refined sugar, and gluten!

2009-10-08T10:25:00.006-04:00

If you haven't read my interview with allergy author, Nicolette Dumke, you might want to (click here for part 1 and here for part 2). Nicolette is an incredible person who is brilliantly coping with multiple food allergies, and has graciously chronicled all she has learned in her series of books. She sent me a copy of her latest book I Love Dessert but NOT Sugar, Wheat, Milk, Gluten, Corn, Soy, Unhealthy Fat... to review. I have been baking my way through it to see how her allergy-friendly versions of yummy deserts match up. Click here to see Traditional Apple Cobbler with Amaranth Topping.

I was attracted to this recipe for Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies because I know that quinoa is considered somewhat of a super food, especially for those of us on the gluten free diet. Quinoa brings many essential nutrients to the party that might otherwise be lacking in the traditional gluten free diet. Also, I wanted to further experiment with the use of apple juice concentrate as a sweetener in baking.

My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised these cookies. They have a wonderful texture, and the use of concentrated apple juice helps to mask the flavor of the quinoa in a way that really works! The chocolate chips bring it all together. I'm not saying that they taste just like regular chocolate chip cookies - they definitely taste healthier, but in a wonderful way. Otherwise, my husband would not have finished them all on me!

Ingredients (recipe is being reprinted with author's permission)

3 C quinoa flour
1 C tapioca starch
1 1/2 t baking soda + 3/8 t unbuffered vitamin C powder (or just use baking powder)
2 C apple juice concentrate
1/2 C oil
1 1/4 C chocolate or carob chips (optional)

Directions

Boil the apple juice down to 1 3/8 C in volume and allow it to coll to room temperature or cooler. If you are in a hurry, put it in the refrigerator to cool.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa flour, tapioca starch, baking soda + vitamin C (or baking powder). In a separate bowl or cup, stir together the juice and oil. Immediately stir them into the dry ingredients until they are just mixed in. Fold in the chocolate or carob chips. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten them to about 1/4 inch thickness with your fingers held together. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly browned. Makes about 5 dozen.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays along with lots of other delicious guilt-free recipes. This week, Amy is giving away Le Creuset mini gratin dishes!

Curried Pumpkin-Apple Soup

2009-10-07T10:34:00.007-04:00

My husband is an excellent cook...I'm very lucky! Last weekend, he bought two sugar pumpkins because they were on sale. He excitedly told me that he planned to roast them and make soup out of them. The weekend came and went and all he was able to get to was the roasting part...the poor guys works full time, is in grad school, and is doing all the construction on our home, so I wasn't upset that I had all this pumpkin and no idea what to do with it. Time to get creative!

After reading about how to prepare fresh pumpkin, I came up with a game plan: make a pumpkin soup and add flavors that *hopefully* go well with it. The end result was a fabulous, comforting soup that we both couldn't get enough of! Good thing, because I made a double batch and still had left over pumpkin, so I made Amy's Pumpkin Ice Cream recipe...yum! (If you use fresh pumpkin for this, strain it over two nights).

Oh yeah - at the New England Celiac Conference this past Saturday, pumpkin made a short list of "super foods" that the two nutritionists talked about being sure to add to your diet if you are gluten free. Nice! Pumpkins dishes are also the theme for this month's Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free recipe round up which will be hosted by Heather at Life, Gluten Free. Not sure yet if this will be my entry...
Ingredients:

4 T butter (or oil)
1/2 onion, diced
2 C pumpkin (canned would work, too)
1 apple, diced
1 T salt
1 T honey (or 2 t agave)
1/4 t nutmeg
1 T curry powder (make sure it is gluten free!)
1/2 t ground pepper
3 C chicken broth
1/2 C milk (any kind that you can tolerate)

Directions

Heat the butter or oil in your soup pot or dutch oven.
Add the onions and cook until they are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the pumpkin, apple, salt, honey, nutmeg, and pepper and stir.
Add the chicken broth 1 C at a time and stir well in between additions.
Use an immersion or stick blender to make the soup real creamy and smooth.
Add milk and stir to incorporate.

Traditional Apple Cobbler w/ Amaranth Topping

2009-10-05T10:42:00.006-04:00

This is the first recipe I tried out of Nicolette Dumke's newest book I Love Dessert but NOT Sugar, Wheat, Milk, Gluten, Corn, Soy, Unhealthy Fat... In this book, Nicolette presents many different allergy-friendly, kitchen-tested options for each recipe so that you can pick the ingredients that suit your dietary needs.

I was drawn to the amaranth topping for this recipe because it is not a grain, and I tend to feel better when I'm not eating grains. I chose apples for the filling because we have an abundance of amazing, locally-grown apples now - so many, in fact, that I'm going to have to start getting real creative... I was also drawn to the sweetener used in this filling - apple juice concentrate, which I have not experimented with yet.

My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised! We loved how thick and gooey the filling got, and how cake-like and tasty the topping was! The intense sweetness of the filling was perfectly complimented by the topping. Yep, I did take a scoop before taking a picture...sorry! This is a real winner and will probably make a weekly appearance in our house throughout the Fall months.

* This post is liked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free.

Nicolette Dumke's Apple Cobbler with Amaranth Topping
reprinted with the author's permission
Ingredients for the filling:

4 to 5 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced to make 3 1/2 to 4 C of slices (or 1 20-ounce can of sliced apples canned in water such as Mussleman's brand, drained)
1/2 C apple juice concentrate, thawed
5 t arrowroot or tapioca starch or 2 T quick-cooking (minute) tapioca
1/2 t cinnamon

For the topping:

3/4 C amaranth flour
1/4 C arrowroot
for a corn-free version, use 3/4 t baking soda + 1/8 t unbuffered vitamin C powder (I used baking powder instead)
3/8 C apple or pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
1/8 C oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Drain the canned apples if you are using them, or peel, core and slice fresh apples.
In a saucepan, stir together the apple juice concentrate, starch or tapioca, and cinnamon. If you are using tapioca, allow it to stand in the liquid for at least 5 minutes.
Add the apples to the pan and stir.
Heat the mixture over medium heat until it thickens and comes to a boil. You do not need to stir it constantly while it is coming to a boil and can begin preparing the topping during this time.
As it begins to steam and nears the boiling point, stir it constantly. When it comes to a boil, boil it for 1 minute.
Put the fruit into a 2 1/2 - 3 qt casserole dish.
Prepare the topping: Combine the amaranth, arrowroot, and baking soda/vitamin C powder or baking powder. Stir together the juice and oil in a cup. Add the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until they are just mixed.
Drop by spoonfuls onto the fruit in the casserole dish.
Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the topping begins to brown. Makes 4-6 servings.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free on Shark Tank & the GF Blog Carnival

2009-10-01T08:47:00.002-04:00

This past Tuesday, ABC's Shark Tank featured Sawyer Sparks, a college student from Indiana and creator of Soy-Yer Dough (gluten free modeling clay). Read all about it in my article for The Examiner.

Today is October 1st (can you believe it?), which means that the next edition of the Gluten Free Lifestyle Blog Carnival is up at the Gluten Free Gidget. Be sure to stop by for some tips, recipes, product reviews and more!

Interview with Allergy Author, Nicolette Dumke, Part 2

2009-09-30T13:35:00.002-04:00

I just receive a copy of Nicolette's latest book, I Love Dessert but NOT Sugar, Wheat, Milk, Gluten, Corn, Soy, Unhealthy Fat... and I am so excited to try out some of the recipes! Over the next couple of weeks, I will be trying recipes out of this book and posting about them, so stay tuned! To wet your appetite, Nicolette agreed to share 3 of her favorite recipes from the book during part 2 of our interview - please click here to read it.

If you missed Part 1, click here.

Two other things of note:
1. Be sure to check out gluten free recipe ideas at "What Can I Eat That's Gluten Free" over at the Gluten Free Homemaker today.

2. Katrina at Gluten Free Gidget has posted this month's edition of Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free. The theme is Dinner with Disney and it is definitely worth checking out!

Interview with Allergy Author, Nicolette Dumke, Part 1

2009-09-29T10:25:00.006-04:00

While doing some research about the rotation diet for a client, I came across the work of Nicolette Dumke and quickly learned that she is an amazing source of information. I simply emailed her a question, and she promptly responded and provide help, which began our ongoing email correspondence.

Through many years of experience coping with her own food allergies, as well as those of her family, Nicolette has produced multiple books on the subject. I hope you enjoy part one of my interview with her (part 2 will be up tomorrow). Also, keep an eye out for my review of her latest book I Love Dessert but NOT Sugar, Wheat, Milk, Gluten, Corn, Soy, Unhealthy Fat...

Preventing Gluten Cross Contamination Away from Home

2009-09-28T08:37:00.003-04:00

This is the second article that Shelley Case, author of Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide, collaborated with me to write. If you missed it, the first one is about Preventing Gluten Cross Contamination at Home.

In this article, we address Preventing Gluten Cross Contamination While Away from Home.

Shelley is a registered dietitian and an absolute wealth of knowledge. Check it out!

Also, today is Monday, so be sure to check out delicious slightly indulgent recipes over at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free.

Preventing Gluten Cross Contamination at Home

2009-09-25T12:25:00.000-04:00

Shelley Case, author of Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide collaborated with me on this article about Preventing Gluten Cross Contamination at Home for The Examiner. Shelley is a registered dietitian and an absolute wealth of knowledge. Check it out!

Ming Tsai on The Today Show

2009-09-24T10:40:00.005-04:00

Ming Tsai was on The Today Show this morning spreading his message that having food allergies doesn't mean that you have to eat plain, bland food. He demonstrated a kid and allergy-friendly recipe for Potstickers and then adapted it for people that are allergic to wheat creating Chicken Patties in Lettuce Cups. He then presented a way to make a healthier Fried Rice that is egg and soy free.

During the segment, Ming said he loves non-dairy Tempt Hemp Seed Ice Cream (which is also soy, and gluten free with 3 flavors that are tree nut free). The hosts tasted it and agreed! With it, he presented his recipe for Lime-Coconut Gluten Free Sugar Cookies.

Ming proudly reported that his son is now only allergic to nuts, and has tried peanut butter with success over the last few weeks.

You can download his recipes here.

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

2009-09-23T09:36:00.006-04:00

I don't usually make much from Rachel Ray - not sure why b/c I do like the whole quick-and-easy thing. This recipe is hers and it's one that we revisit about twice a month during the cooler weather. It is incredibly flavorful - better than real stuffed cabbage in my opinion! I whipped it up this AM - the first batch of Fall! Brian will be very happy. It makes a ton, so it's good if you've got a crowd coming, or if you want to graze out of it for days and days, which is what we do. Leftovers freeze very well, too.

As a side note, Lisa from Lisa Cooks Allergen Free met Rachel Ray recently and took the opportunity to ask her to feature allergy-friendly recipes. I think she got Rachel thinking - maybe there will be a whole new set of books and shows dedicated to great-tasting meals free from the top 8 common food allergens!

Stuffed Cabbage Soup (from Rachel Ray w/ just a few changes by me)

Ingredients

1 C uncooked rice (optional)
2 T olive oil
1.5 lb. of ground meet (we like a combo of turkey or beef with pork)
1 T salt
2 t pepper
1 T coriander
1 T smoked paprika
2 t allspice
1 bay leaf
2 medium onions, chopped
3 large carrots made into ribbons using a peeler
4 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
1 large head of cabbage, shredded
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
1 qt of chicken broth
1 -15 oz can of tomato sauce
Fresh parsley for garnish

Directions

If using the rice, cook it according to package directions. I like to first heat a bit of olive oil in the pan and add the uncooked rice to it to toast it a bit, then add some salt and cook away!
In a soup pot or dutch oven, heat 2 T olive oil. When it's hot, add the ground meat to brown it.
Once the meat has a bit of color, season it with the salt, pepper, bay leaf, coriander, allspice, and smoked paprika.
After a couple of minutes, add the onions, garlic, and carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the cabbage an allow it to wilt a bit.
Add the stock, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Cover and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
If using the rice, add it to the pot once it's cooked (or you can leave it out of the soup and just put a scoop into a bowl and pour the soup over it).
Adjust the salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parsley.

Enjoy!

Better Bread Company Vegetable Pizza

2009-09-21T08:27:00.005-04:00

If you are a follower of this blog, you probably know that I love pizza. A couple of weeks ago, I spied a different pizza box in the freezer section at Hannafords from the Better Bread Company. It said "gluten free" and also "hand crafted," which got my interest peeked. It was $7.99, so I decided to give it a try, though I haven't been real satisfied with frozen GF pizzas in the past.

At lunchtime, I baked up the veggie pizza - right on the rack of my oven. It was hard to wait until it cooled! The crust was fairly thin, but no too thin. It crisped really well, which I think is key. When I cut it, it didn't fall apart...you could hold it and eat it like real pizza. The cheese, sauce, and veggie toppings were all very tasty. Absolutely YUMMY!

Then I went to the Better Bread Co's website and discovered that they were founded by a fellow celiac and that they are located right in Windham, Maine, which is not too far from me. The site says that they hand roll each pizza crust, so no two look the same. I like their philosophy and the fact that they are pretty local, so when Hannafords said that I could pick out some of their GF products to distribute as samples at the Going Gluten Free workshop, this is one of the products I chose!

Most stores in the Northeast carry Better Bread Company's products, and they are also available online through amazon.com.

Don't forget to stop by and see Amy at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free today for a round up of delicious "slightly indulgent" recipes!

Living With Food Allergies Blog Carnival #52

2009-09-17T08:09:00.006-04:00

Welcome to the September 17, 2009 edition of the living with food allergies carnival. Let me begin with an apology - if you submitted an entry and it is not included below, that's because there was some sort of glitch with the blog carnival website. Jennifer B noticed it because her entry - which was submitted before the deadline - did not automatically appear in this edition...and only one of mine showed up at first. If you are not a spammer and would like your article added, I'm happy to do it - just send me an email!

Ok, on the the carnival...

RECIPES!
Kim, The Food Allergy Coach presents Flourless Pancakes! posted at The Food Allergy Coach saying, "These are wheat, gluten, peanut, and tree nut free, and can easily be made without dairy."

LIFE WITH FOOD ALLERGIES...

Ruth Smith presents Another School Year Begins posted at Best Allergy Sites.

Libby presents The Allergic Kid: Here We Go Again posted at The Allergic Kid.

RESEARCH

Kim, The Food Allergy Coach presents Allergic Reactions to Peanuts and Tree Nuts on Commercial Airlines posted at The Food Allergy Coach.

MISC

Jennifer B presents Food Allergy Buzz Exclusive with New Owner of Allergy Grocer & Miss Roben's posted at Food Allergy Buzz.

Libby presents A Tour of Enjoy Life Foods posted at The Allergic Kid.

That concludes this edition. Please submit your blog article to the next edition of the living with food allergies carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Indian Pudding

2009-09-16T10:34:00.008-04:00

This month's edition of Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free is being hosted by Katrina at Gluten Free Gidget. She came up with such a creative theme: Dinner with Disney! Be sure to check out her blog at the end of the month for a recipe round up of gluten free treats inspired by Disney movies. My entry is Indian Pudding, inspired by the movie Pocahontas, the story of the meeting of the English settlers in Jamestown with the local tribe of Powhatan Indians. Pocahontas wasn't always sure which direction her life should take, though she ended up finding her path. She also had a deep appreciation and respect for the world around her. These two themes have been very present in my life lately.

It's also getting to be Fall - small hints, like the cool nights we've been experiencing, are noticeable. I start thinking about Thanksgiving, my second favorite holiday (Christmas is #1 in my book). It's a great time to take the chill out of the house by making something low and slow. The aroma of cinnamon and ginger will fill the air!

Authentic recipes for Indian Pudding are gluten free which I didn't realize until not too long ago. My version does not contain any refined sugar or molasses, resulting in a lighter colored pudding that is still sweet, delicious, and comforting!

Ingredients:

3 cups milk
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup maple syrup (or dark molasses)
1/4 cup honey (or white sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Butter a 1 quart baking dish.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook milk until bubbles form at edges. Slowly stir cornmeal and maple syrup into milk. Continue to cook and stir until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in honey, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Pour into prepared dish.
Bake in preheated oven about 2 hours or until set. Serve hot or cold.

It's Wednesday, so don't forget to check out great GF recipe ideas at The Gluten Free Homemaker. Enjoy!

glutenScan from Zeer is now available!

2009-09-15T10:01:00.003-04:00

Today, Zeer announced that their new iPhone application, glutenScan, is now available. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of talking with Mark Sutton of Zeer - he gave me a virtual tour of the new application, and swore me to secrecy about it's release until today! He let me know that they are working on adding safety status keys for all of the top 8 allergens! Click here to read all about it.

Sausage & Apple Cabbage

2009-09-14T08:51:00.005-04:00

Today is Monday, which means that Amy at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free is collecting a round up of Slightly Indulgent recipes and ideas. Definitely worth checking out!

We hit the farmer's market on Saturday mornings religiously each weekend it's open from May to October. We come home with an abundance of local, organic foods...eggplant, sweet peppers, potatoes, onions, corn, carrots, cabbage, eggs, pork, chicken, sausage, apples are starting to appear - this list goes on and on. Here is one of our favorite market inspired easy dinners (this is a picture of the leftovers packed up for Brian's lunch!):

Sausage & Apple Cabbage

Ingredients (serves 4)

about 1 1/4 lb of sausage (we like hot Italian to balance the sweetness of the apple and honey) cut into 1 inch bites
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/4 C white wine (you can also use stock or water)
1 T olive oil
1 T honey (or maple syrup or 2 t agave)
2 carrots, grated *
1 large head of cabbage, grated *
1 large apple cut into bite size pieces
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Heat a deep pot or dutch oven over med-high heat. Put sausage in pot and brown on all sides for about 5-7 minutes.
Add onions to the pot. Cook until they get some color. Both the sausage and onions may stick to the pot at this point but that's ok - all that browned stuff on the bottom is flavor!
When the onions are nicely golden browned, add 1/4 C wine to deglaze the pan, scraping all the browned bits off the bottom.
Add 1 T olive oil, 1 T honey, the carrots and cabbage. Stir and cook until the veggies begin to wilt.
Add the apple, salt and pepper. I like to just heat the apple through, but you might want to cook it longer so that it "melts" into the dish.
Check to make sure your sausage is cooked thoroughly. If it's not and the cooking liquid has been absorbed, add 2 T of water and keep it over the heat until the sausage is done.

* You can purchase the veggies already grated for you, or use a food processor to make it fast and easy.

Enjoy!

Little Bay Baking Co.'s Doughuts

2009-09-11T07:32:00.006-04:00

When Helen Sanders, owner of the dedicated gluten free Little Bay Baking Co. in Dover, NH told me that her Waffle & Donut Hole mix is sugar free, in addition to gluten, wheat, soy, casein, and dairy free, I knew I had to try it. The day finally came...I took out my mix, decided to make the donut hole recipe, and got ready for what I thought was going to be quite a production. Frying always is, in my opinion. But I was wrong! The directions were so easy - I made the doughnuts in less than 15 minutes!

I followed the directions on the back of the mix, save one little change for my sugar issue: "Mix together 1 C of the mix, 1 egg, 2 T oil, 3 T sugar (here's my change - I used honey), 1/4 C milk (whichever you can tolerate), and 1/4 t nutmeg (optional - I used cinnamon) until blended. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 3-4 inches of oil pre-heated to 375 degrees. Cook until golden brown..."

The result? They were AMAZING! So delicious! A bit crispy on the outside and nice and fluffy on the inside. It was so fun to eat a munchkin - after all, it has been over 9 years since I've had one! The temptation is to make them bigger than you really need to - I found that they puffed up a bit once in the frying oil. Next time, I will remember to drop them by smaller spoonfuls! Oh right - keep in mind that I did not roll mine in cinnamon & sugar or powdered sugar as suggested - I bet they would look and taste even better with a yummy coating!

Helen's goal is to make treats that "taste like you remember" and she certainly hit the nail on the head with this one! You can use the store locator to find Little Bay products near you, or order from the website.

Restaurant.com Deal

2009-09-10T15:07:00.004-04:00

For those of you who like to go out to eat and save some cash while you are doing it, Restaurant.com is running a 90% off sale. Beginning at midnight on 9/9/09, enter the code NINETY at checkout and receive 90% off of your purchase. The sale is going on for 99 hours.

I went on there and ordered some gift certificates to some favorite spots - I got four $10 gift certificates and one $25 gift certificate for $2.60! Just be sure to read the restrictions, as some restaurants will not accept the certificates on weekends, or they might be valid only at dinner time, etc. The certificates are available immediately - you just print them out.

Happy dining out!

Watermelon Gazpacho

2009-09-09T07:51:00.009-04:00

I cannot believe that it is September already and the whole summer went by without me making Watermelon Gazpacho! This is a recipe that I cannot take credit for - it is from The Food Network's cutest chef, Tyler Florence. My husband and I are big Food Network fans (we are very excited for Amy from Simply Gluten and Sugar Free to be a part of the Build A Better Burger Contest!). I have my favorite chef eye candy (Tyler) and he has his (Giada - who can blame him?).

I have made Tyler's Gazpacho for company to rave reviews. It is very easy, totally raw if you omit the optional feta cheese, and delicious! It hits all the right notes - slightly spicy, a little sweet, a bit salty, totally refreshing with a slight crunch from all the veggies, but smooth at the same time. I made a double batch today to make up for missing out the whole summer...

Tyler's Watermelon Gazpacho (with just a few changes of my own)

Ingredients

1 large tomato, cut into chunks
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and cut into quarters
2 cups cubed fresh watermelon
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1/2 cucumber, seeded and cut into 1 inch slices
2 tablespoons fresh herbs (basil, sage, or dill work well)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Directions

In a blender, puree the tomatoes, jalapeno, and the watermelon.
Pour in the red wine vinegar and olive oil and pulse.
Add the onion, cucumber and dill and season with salt and pepper. Puree until mostly smooth.
Pour into chilled bowls and sprinkle with feta, if desired.

It's Wednesday, so if you are in need of some meal ideas, be sure to check out What Can I Eat That is Gluten Free? over at the Gluten Free Homemaker. Even if you are not gluten free, there are some delicious recipes being shared!

Enjoy!

The Power of Our Questions

2009-09-08T19:58:00.006-04:00

Part of the coaching work I do is to help people with the emotional and cognitive obstacles to making positive changes. This usually begins with a focus on adapting to dietary restrictions, but often it morphs into examining other areas of life that might be out of balance.

Often our perception of a situation (be it dealing with a celiac disease diagnosis, anxiety over food allergies, our personal relationships, career goals...) is actually not helping us to reach our goals. One tool that I find helpful in beginning to understand perceptions about a situation is "Question Thinking." This has helped me and several of my clients to more fully understand the connection between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors...and ultimately to make changes in our thoughts leading to more productive behaviors.

If you would like to explore question thinking and how it may be helpful to you, join me on September 22nd & 29th from 6:30 - 8:30PM for a two-part workshop called "The Power of Our Questions" at the Women Supporting Women Center in Exeter. Click on the flyer image for full details.

Allergic Reactions to Peanuts and Tree Nuts on Commercial Airlines

2009-09-04T15:17:00.004-04:00

The September issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology just came out. One article in particular caught my eye - a letter to the editor entitled "Self-reported allergic reactions to peanut and tree nuts occurring on commercial airlines" (click to read the full article).

There were many interesting data points, namely that, "in 63.8% of the cases, respondents provided advance notification of allergy to the airline and requested special accommodations, but only 38.6% who made such a request actually received an accommodation. Reported routes of exposure included ingestion, 15.7%; inhalation, 48.6%; skin contact, 27.9%; and unknown, 7.8%."

Rates of use of epinephrine, use of an antihistamine, and percentage of people who alerted the flight crew were all a bit surprising, suggesting to the authors the need for more education in order to protect individuals with food allergy flying commercially.

As with most studies, there are some limitations to the data, which are described at the end of the article.

Click here for tips for traveling with food allergies.

Lentil Salad

2009-09-03T09:31:00.004-04:00

In my quest to try to take more of my dietary cues from the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, I've been using less chic peas, quinoa, millet, and rice (it gives me a headache anyway)...which brought me to discovering the varied uses for lentils. I've been reading up on them to discover that lentils

are a member of the legume family
are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. Not only do lentils help lower cholesterol, they are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal.
provide good to excellent amounts of six important minerals, two B-vitamins, and protein-all with virtually no fat.
have just 230 calories per 1 cup of cooked lentils
cook quicker than other legumes
are cheap - I paid $1.39 for a pound
are versatile and can take the place of rice in many dishes. They are especially yummy when added to soups or as a salad...

Lentil Salad (serves a crowd)

Ingredients

1 lb lentils prepared according the the package instructions
2 C of chopped veggies (I used sweet onion, red onion, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, tomato, and yellow pepper)
3/4 - 1 C of your favorite salad dressing (Italian works well) or mix together 1/2 olive oil, 1/4 vinegar (or lemon juice), salt, and pepper to taste

Directions

Combine lentils and veggies.
Pour dressing all over and combine.
Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash with Peas & Bacon (and Tidbits Below)

2009-09-01T10:20:00.014-04:00

With today being the first day of September, I start "psyching myself up" for Fall. It's not that I don't like Fall, it's just that I LOVE Summer. I'm feeling a bit robbed this year, as our summer in the northeast was cut short by days and days of rain all throughout June and early July. The kind of rain where people everywhere were talking about building arcs...it got depressing!

Thankfully, we've still got some summer fun left to have with a beautiful Labor Day Weekend in the forecast and the famous Seafood Festival happening the following weekend. But, as a mini-step towards being ok with Fall - embracing it even - we made one of our favorites: Spaghetti Squash with Peas & Bacon. Brian first made this for me when we were dating (he was always so good about being creative in the kitchen around my special dietary needs), and I have requested it many times since!
Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash
2 t olive oil
3-4 strips of bacon (always read the label for potential hidden allergens)
1 onion, diced
1 C frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut squash in half lengthwise. Drizzle olive oil on the flesh. Place on baking sheet (I like to cover it with foil) with the rind side up. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a knife easily goes through the flesh. Allow to cool so that you can touch it.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
Leave some of the bacon fat in the pan and add the onions. Cook until soft.
Add the peas and cook for 3-4 minutes.
With a fork, scrape out the squash from the rind. Add it to the skillet.
Break the bacon into bits and add it back in. Toss everything around (tongs work well).
Salt & pepper to taste.

We eat this as a side dish or sometimes as the main event.

Enjoy!

Couple of other tidbits:
1. A recent small study has shown promising signs that some children with a history of severe milk allergy can safely drink milk and consume other dairy products every day under certain conditions. The research was led by the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and published in the Aug. 10 online edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

2. The 2nd edition of the Gluten Free Lifestyle Blog Carnival will be posted later today by Stephen at Gluten Freeways. Check out the recipes, tips, advice, product reviews, and research.

3. Kids With Food Allergies is reporting a voluntary recall of Chef Pierre® Gourmet Lemon Meringue Pie due to undeclared milk.

Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten Free: CHILL OUT!

2009-08-31T08:24:00.026-04:00

Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free was started in 2008 by Naomi Devlin at Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried. There have been a bunch of amazing recipes submitted by incredible bloggers. Check out all the previous editions at Naomi's blog (scroll down and look to the right) for great ideas! If you missed last month, the theme was "Make Me a Happy Camper" hosted by Shirley at Gluten Free Easily. Being fairly new to this particular round up, I decided to take my cues from the creative Shirley and create a story around all the recipes. I hope you are as entertained as I was writing it!

So, today is the big day! All the contributors to this month’s Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free recipe round up came by to spend the day at the beach! I was so excited…I cleaned all morning – well, as much as you can clean a total construction zone. They all promised that they would use their imaginations as they look around the 100 year old home we bought less than 2 years ago. It’s been neglected, so we’ve been putting our blood, sweat, and tears into it, and we have a TON more to do. The best part is – we are about 1.5 miles from the beach!

You didn’t know that New Hampshire has a coastline? Most people don’t because it’s small. We’ve got about 18 miles of beautiful beaches. On the south end, there’s the famed Hampton Beach with its old Shell Stage, the Casino of shops, fried dough stands, ice cream, arcades, and more. It's gotten a bit run down over the years, but there are big plans to give it a much-needed facelift! Keep heading north on route 1A and there are huge mansions home to former governors, foreign dignitaries, and possibly Farrah Fawcett during the 70’s – that’s the rumor anyway.

For our soiree today, we will land somewhere in the middle. It’s going to be low tide by the time we head down, so North Beach will be the perfect setting for some summer fun. It’s going to be fairly warm and muggy today, so our “Chill Out” theme will be just perfect! The guys and gals all know that we’ve got a strict no oven rule when the temp reaches over 80 and the humidity is just as high...

The only bummer is that August is a popular vacation time – lots of folks that wanted to join in on the fun [including the GAH creator, Naomi Devlin] were headed out of town for some much deserved R&R. They will be with us in spirit, though!

Just after I got my bathing suit on, I heard a knock at the door! The first to arrive was Shirley from Gluten Free Easily. I could hardly believe my eyes! She was carrying a beautiful fruit arrangement she calls “Glorious Fruit Easily.” It’s incredibly creative! She got the idea when she saw that the secret ingredient is cantaloupe at Diane’s Friday Foodie Fix over at her blog, The Whole Gang, coupled with wanting to find a fun way to help her parents celebrate their anniversary. It is reminiscent of the wonderful creations that Edible Arrangements are famous for…all the brightly colored fruits that could pass for flowers…some dipped in luscious chocolate. Oh man! We decided to put it out on the counter so we could all nibble at it before heading to the ocean.

As I was stuffing my face with strawberries and grapes from Shirley’s bouquet, in walked Linda from Kitchen Therapy. She was all ready for the beach – sun screen, towel, chair, hat! She saw Shirley’s creation and politely asked if she could try some. “No need to be polite here!” we replied, “Dive in!” Linda said she had something fun for us to try – Monkey Tails! Shirley and I exchanged sideways glances, then Linda explained that they are frozen bananas and peanut butter dipped in chocolate. Her clients’ kids gave them the fun name, and we could see why! She graciously made some with alternative butters (almond, sunflower, cashew…) in case any beach partiers could not do peanuts. (Picture courtesy of chimothy72 at Flickr).

As more folks began to arrive, I started scooping out my Curry Crab and Mango Salad. I love to serve it up in martini glasses lined with lettuce from our garden – it just looks so elegant! …and we don’t get a lot of use out of our pretty martini glasses. I told everyone that this is an appetizer we had on our mini-honeymoon to Bar Harbor last June. We loved it and had to make our own version as soon as we returned.

Nicely full and ready for some fun, we jumped in a few cars and headed down to the beach at the end of our street. It was quite busy as always, but we found parking (and we didn’t even have to pay the ridiculous $1.75/hour at the meters!). We set up our towels and chairs, while Linda and Stephanie tackled the umbrellas. The smell of the ocean was intoxicating! Amy and Ginger decided to take a walk over to the rocks to see if they could find crabs and interesting shells, while the rest of us people-watched. Thankfully, there was a little breeze, so it was a bit cooler than inland had been. What a relief!

After a rousing game of beach paddle ball (Ali and Christine have quite an arm!), we had worked up an appetite! Stephanie from Gluten Free By Nature said she had the perfect snack – Raw Zucchini Salad with Creamy Lemon Chive Dressing. This is a great idea for those of us whose gardens are full of zucchini…when it’s that fresh, all it needs is a simple preparation. This was a perfect way to cool down!

Katrina, the Gluten Free Gidget, served up her favorite raw meal, Spicy Kale Salad. This was heaven on such a warm, sticky day! The kick of the cayenne mixed with the acidity of the lemon juice was perfectly mellowed by the agave nectar. We all enjoyed the flavorful crunch of her creation.

Next, we took a dip in the ocean. I’m not usually one to swim, but it was so darn hot out – I just had to! The tide was coming in, so we had some waves to ride. Cheryl and Christina both had fun on the boogie boards. We enjoyed floating in the refreshingly cool water, letting the waves take us as they wished.

Soon, we got hungry for more cool treats. Ginger from Gluten Free in Georgia (and Florida) brought out her Fresh Pear Salad made from the pears that she grows right in her own yard! She said that it’s something she often whips up for dinner especially on those nights when she is just getting into the swing of being back to school. The flavor of the pears melded perfectly with the crunch of the almonds and creaminess of the cheese. A real summer winner! Unfortunately, we ate it all so quickly that there was no time to get a picture…very selfish of us. Sorry readers!

Penny from The Elysium Eatery had us cracking up as she passed around her Coronation Chicken! She was telling us how it got its name because it was created for the Queen on Coronation Day. Penny is not a fan of the royals – and she had a few funny tales as to why – but she loves this recipe…perfect for followers of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I was a little worried about her with the heat – she said that in Scotland, 75 degrees with 50% cloud cover is considered a heat wave! We kept her well-hydrated and full of yummy cool stuff, so she was a-ok!

Christina brought out her Mostly Raw Veggie Wraps. She is known for her delicious gluten free and vegetarian creations. Some of us had not yet tried Food For Life Brown Rice Tortillas, and fell in love with them! The hummus worked really well with the crispy crunch of all the fresh veggies. Delicious, light, and healthy!

After laying around a bit more, we decided to join a beach volleyball game. Our team rocked! We all seemed to have our talents – some are good at serving, others at blocking and spiking. It was so much fun! After the game, we decided that we had had enough of the sun and sand, and headed back to the house.

We cleaned up – got all the sand and salt off of us - and gathered around the kitchen for what we knew was coming next – ICE CREAM! For what is a summer time beach gathering without ice cream I ask you????

Some of us were salivating (I’m not going to name names, but you know who you are!), so Friedl from Kitchen Fun started scooping up her White Chocolate Ice Cream…so creamy and tasty! We all loved the flavor of the white chocolate with a hint of almond. Mmmm – perfect after a day in the sun!

Next, we sampled Ali’s Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen. She didn’t reveal that it is free of dairy and refined sugar until after we raved about it – you couldn’t even tell! Most of us went back for seconds of both flavors, since they mixed so well in the same bowl. Hey! Don’t judge… ; )

Cheryl from My Realistic Life in Derby Kansas had a great idea – she said, “Let’s ditch our spoons and use my Oatmeal Banana Nut Cookies as scoopers instead!” So, we did! We shed our spoons (some people even threw them…ahem…) in favor of her hearty, healthy, flavorful cookies. She makes them dairy and refined sugar free for her daughter, which many of us appreciated!

We needed to walk off the first round of dessert (yep, I did say first round) and give Amy time to “sit out” her ice cream – she explained that it’s a ritual that she and her husband, Joe, have every night after dinner so that

the ice cream reaches the right softness. I decided to show everyone the garden we put in this year. It was a labor of love, seeing as how the land was overgrown with probably 50 years worth of brush. The roots we pulled out were like ropes! Totally worth it, though, as we now have tomatoes, zucchini, hot peppers, eggplant, lettuce, potatoes, and onions! Oh, and lots of pretty flowers. We sat in the patio furniture for a while (there’s no patio yet, but soon!).

Hints of evening were starting to show – the sun always sets noticeably earlier in August. Knowing that some folks had to get on the road, we decided to move on to the next dessert course. Amy from Simply Gluten & Sugar Free ran in to get her Lemon Meringue Frozen (Greek) Yogurt. We all loved her presentation – she scooped it out into little white nut and candy cups. So cute! She told us that her flavor inspiration was from her 95 year-old Grandma Ruth’s Lemon Meringue Pie. We also learned a lot about using Greek yogurt to make frozen treats. Amy is always full of great info!

Christine from Without Adornment whipped up her beautiful gluten and dairy free Fruity Parfaits. Using fresh berries, raw cashews, ice cream, and sorbet, she made us a fancy-looking cool treat! It’s a great way to dress up store bought ice cream or sorbet for a quick, no fuss dessert. We took our pretty parfaits out to the newly built porch and sat in rocking chairs, happily in bliss!

We could hear Shirley yelling from inside, “Save room!” Out she came with her Snickerdoodle Ice Cream for us all to try. It’s a dairy free version of Cathy's recipe at Noble Pig. The thought of those wonderful cinnamon cookies in a cool, creamy ice cream was almost too much for us to bear, so we practically pounced on Shirley to get a taste! Don’t worry – we didn’t hurt her. We did not miss the dairy at all! Coconut milk makes such a perfectly smooth base for ice cream.

Successfully cooled off from the heat of the day and with a very full tummy, I sadly bit farewell to my guests. I told them they could come back anytime – it was so fun to enjoy the sand and surf with them (and their delicious “chill out” contributions to our party)!

There is plenty of hot summer days left to try these wonderful recipes! Next month, we are all headed out to Katrina Morales’ place to celebrate Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free with the theme “Dinner with Disney.” Can’t wait, but for now, I am wiped out from all the fun, food, and sun! Nap time!

Product Review: Giovanni Hair Care

2009-08-27T08:03:00.006-04:00

I have started experiencing itchy red bumps along my hairline, particularly a few days after I go to my salon. Not sure what I'm reacting to, but figured I should switch to something that is all natural hair (no chemicals) and gluten free. Is it possible that I was reacting to gluten in my hair care products? I don't know - most of the health care professionals that I have spoken to believe that gluten is not absorbed through the skin. Even dermatitis herpetiformis is believed to be a result of ingested gluten only. Since the ingredient lists on the products are a mile long with lots of words I can't pronounce, it could be anything!

A key component to my search for organic hair care products was not breaking the bank! I happened upon products from the Giovanni Cosmetics line. From their website: "Giovanni Cosmetics uses formulas that incorporate vitamins, herbs, minerals, proteins, nutrients and the purest of essential oils. The patented Giovanni PureOrganic Technology™ represents an exquisite blend of exotic organic oils, ripe-harvested from renewable plants at the peak of their freshness. The oils are cold pressed and refrigerated immediately to ensure maximum purity."

I was skeptical, since they are cheaper than other products they are next to on the shelf...by far actually. But, I gave them a try:

1. Tea Tree Triple Threat Shampoo ($5.99 at Whole Foods, about $4 on Amazon*): I'm loving it! It's light and invigorating without weighing my hair down - I tend to have normal to dry hair. So far, so good!

2. Tea Tree Triple Threat Conditioner ($5.99 at Whole Foods, about $4 on Amazon*): Loving this one as well! I don't need conditioner every day, but when I do, it does the trick without being too heavy. A definite winner!

3. Natural Mousse Air-Turbo Charged Hair Styling Foam($7.99 at Whole Foods, about $6 at Amazon*): Fantastic! It looks like water in the clear bottle, but it dispenses as foam. I need about 4 or 5 pumps for my hair, but that's ok...it's cheap enough! It provides hold, though perhaps not as well as it's chemical counterparts. It's doing the trick during this humidity! Has a nice smell, too. I brought it to my last hair appointment for my stylist to check out and use on me (my salon doesn't carry GF products). She was amazed at how it did for the price! She said she will be recommending it to other gluten free clients.

4. LA Hold Hair Styling Spritz ($7.99 at Whole Foods, about $6 at Amazon*): Pretty darn good! Again, I need to use a few more squirts than I'm used to, but I'm ok with that. I also brought this to my last hair appointment and my stylist like it as well.

No itchy red bumps since I've made the switch! YAY!

* There are a few different sellers of these products on Amazon. Check around for the best deal on the cost of the product plus shipping.

Curry Mango Crab Salad

2009-08-25T15:04:00.004-04:00

This month, I have the honor of hosting Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free - a round up of gluten free recipes. The theme is "Chill Out" - treats that are not cooked and/or served cold. Join us on Monday, August 31st as we eat well and beat the summer heat at the beach!

My entry is Curry Mango Crab Salad, which my husband and I ate for the first time in Bar Harbor, Maine on our mini honeymoon:

Ingredients (serves 4):

3 T mayo
1 T curry powder
12 oz of fresh crab meat (I mix lump and claw meat together to save some $$$)
1 mango, peeled and cubed
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Mix together mayo and curry powder.
Add crab and mix gently - you don't want to break it up too much
Gently fold in cubed mango.
Add salt & pepper to taste.

My favorite way to serve this is in a martini glass with lettuce on the bottom and 2 or 3 corn tortilla triangles sticking up out of the glass. A great presentation!

Enjoy!

Flourless Pancakes!

2009-08-24T08:10:00.007-04:00

I've been feeling uninspired in the kitchen lately. Perhaps it's been due to 95 degree weather with high humidity and no AC in our kitchen? Yep, bet that's it! Last Thursday, we got a break from the heatwave. For a late breakfast, I wanted my coconut berry pancakes. While reaching for the ingredients in my fridge, I spotted my sunflower seed butter and wanted some of that. I got the idea to try to adapt the tried and true flourless peanut butter cookie recipe (1 C peanut butter + 1 C sugar + 1 egg. Mix all together. Drop onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8 minutes) into a pancake recipe. After a few tries, I think I got it right!

Flourless Pancakes (makes about 5-6 pancakes)

Ingredients

1 egg
1/4 C sunflower seed butter (unsalted, unsweetened)
2 t agave
1 T milk (whichever milk you can tolerate)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t baking powder

Directions

Whisk the egg.
Add the seed butter (room temp works best), agave, and milk and whisk to combine.
Add the salt and baking powder and whisk until smooth.
If the consistency is too thick for pancakes, add a bit more milk - a little goes a long way. If it's too runny, add a little more seed butter.
Make them as you would any other pancakes.

Please note that if you are using a seed or nut butter that contains salt, you will probably want to omit the salt. Same goes if it's sweetened - you'll likely want to decrease or omit the agave. Honey would also work well.
Light, fluffy, and so tasty! I find that sunflower seed butter, when cooked/heated tastes very peanuty...

Enjoy!

This post is linked to What Can I Eat That's Gluten Free posted at The Gluten Free Homemaker.

Ask the Coach: Teleconference Workshops?

2009-08-21T09:05:00.003-04:00

I've started to let people know about the four-part series, "Going Gluten Free," that I am putting on along with my colleagues, Susan Engle and Dr. Amanda Tracy. The question that I've been getting asked subsequently is...

Q: What about coming to my area? We need workshops about food allergies, celiac disease, etc. in ___________ [fill in the blank with name of town, state]!

A: I would love to travel to all corners of the world, but something tells me this isn't going to happen in the immediate future, so something that has been on my mind is to offer workshops on a variety of topics via teleconference. This means that, where ever you are, you would be provided with a phone number to call in to and an access code. We could all chat live! I have many colleagues in the medical field in addition to parents and other folks who have lived with dietary restrictions for a long time. The teleconferences would bring formal and informal experts on the topic together with people who need information. Perhaps your specific questions can be submitted beforehand upon registering?

I could see doing these both as individual workshops and as a part of an ongoing "coaching" group that meets regularly.

So, what do you think? Interested? What kinds of topics?

Food Allergy Blog Carnival & Amazon August Specials

2009-08-20T07:52:00.005-04:00

Don't forget to head over to see Rational Jenn today for the latest edition of the Living with Food Allergies Blog Carnival for lots of helpful recipes, tips, information, and stories about life with food allergies.

Also, for those of you that are fans of Nature's Path Products, Amazon is offering an extra 20% of most Nature's Path Products during the month of August. If you use subscribe and save, then you save an additional 15% on top of that.

Don't know about subscribe and save yet? Check out my post about it. Buying local is always best, but sometimes you just gotta save a little cash on some items...know what I mean?

"Going Gluten Free" Workshop!

2009-08-19T11:33:00.005-04:00

Food Sensitivity Resources is pleased to announce a 4-part workshop series for individuals and families adjusting to being wheat and/or gluten free. Guest speakers will include registered dietitian, Susan Engle, of Nutrition Matters and Dr. Amanda Tracy of Advanced Health & Wellness.

Sponsored by our friends at CK Cookies, bakers of delicious gluten free cookies delivered right to your door!

In partnership with the Partridge House and Genesis Healthcare.

Click on the flier to see a larger picture for all the details!
Join us at the first session for FREE!
Registration is required, as space is limited.

Interview with Dr. Amanda Tracy, of Advanced Health & Wellness

2009-08-18T12:37:00.003-04:00

Recently, I had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Amanda Tracy of Advanced Health & Wellness in Andover, MA. Dr. Tracy has had a tremendous amount of experience helping patients with food allergies, intolerance, and sensitivities.

1. How did you become interested in the field of naturopathic medicine?

Growing up as a dancer, I was always interested in nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. I first became interested in science as a career path in 9^th grade while researching a project on Genetics, I enjoyed the investigation work and problem-solving that science involves. As a Biochemistry major at BC and preparing for a career in medicine, I became more intrigued by the process of health rather than disease. Conventional medical thought has such an emphasis on disease that I was temporarily disinterested in medicine until I found Naturopathic Medicine: a field that combines scientific medical diagnosis with natural treatments to achieve optimal health.

2. What has been your experience treating patients with food allergies, intolerance, and sensitivities?

In my experience, there is a strong connection between adverse food reactions and the development of many chronic illnesses such as MSG with migraines, synthetic food dyes with ADHD, cow’s dairy with sinus infections, sulfites with asthma and gluten with depression and anxiety. My naturopathic approach for many chronic illnesses includes identifying and treating adverse food reactions.

I have also found that many individuals have been tested for adverse food reactions in the past and even though they have been avoiding those foods, are still experiencing some digestive symptoms. Often, to really heal the damage done by these foods in the digestive tract and elsewhere in the body, a treatment regimen including nutritional supplements and herbal medicines is needed in addition to avoiding the offending foods. Avoiding food allergens does prevent new damage from being done but in most cases does not repair the damage done in the past. This is why it is important to approach your food allergies with a qualified medical professional.

3. What special training do you have regarding the role of nutrition and our health?

All licensed Naturopathic Doctors have an undergraduate degree in pre-med and graduated from a four -year naturopathic medical school which includes over 3,000 hours of coursework and 1,000 hours clinical training and passed national licensing exams called the NPLEX. As part of the naturopathic medical school curriculum, we have over 180 hours of training specifically in nutrition versus conventional medical school where nutrition training may be only one course or an elective.

Our food is our medicine and nature has provided for us well. The farther we stray from nature, the more likely we are to develop a chronic health issue. Naturopathic Doctors learn not only what vitamins are essential for life, but how to optimize the function of the body and prevent disease with non-toxic foods, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals.

4. I notice that you have a page on your website dedicated to educating people about candida. What is important for people to know about candida? Who should be concerned with this? Do you use tests to make the candida diagnosis?

With the increasing presence of refined flour and sugars in our food supply, chronic stress depleting our immune systems and the over-prescription of antibiotics and oral contraceptives (birth control pills), more and more people are susceptible to developing chronic Candidiasis. Candida is often implicated in many common health conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, food allergies, constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Autism. Candida can also contribute to the development of acne, skin rashes, PMS, memory problems, and frequent urinary tract infections.

If I suspect Candida may be a problem for a patient, I often start with a “Candida Questionnaire” to discuss their symptoms and other health conditions. The presence of the yeast Candida albicans and others can be cultured for in stool and in a throat or vaginal swab. Anti-bodies to Candida can also be tested for in blood to identify and past or current overgrowth. While testing for Candida is not absolutely necessary, it is extremely helpful for me to track a patient’s progress and helping me decide on a treatment regimen.

5.How do you keep up with the latest research?

To keep up on the latest research I subscribe to medical journals such as Alternative Medicine Review, complete continuing medical education exercises in the New England Journal of Medicine, and attend conferences such as the Integrative Medicine Conference. I am an avid reader and I try to read at least six scholarly books in the alternative medicine field per year in addition to any research I may do for workshops or classes that I teach.

6. What are your thoughts on some of the most recent studies being conducted concerning food allergies, intolerance, and sensitivities?

I am particularly interested in the field of Psycho-neuro-endocrine-immunology (PNEI) which looks at the communications between our brains, hormones, gut and immune system and how our bodies perceive the outside world (i.e. food). Dairy and wheat in particular create compounds called caseomorphins and gliadomorphins that can later brain function. I am interested to learn further how these compounds are implicated in conditions like anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s, dementia, Autism and ADHD to help me approach my patients with these health issues.

7. What is the most useful advice you have for people new to dietary restrictions due to food allergy, intolerance, and/or sensitivities?

My advice for those facing new food restrictions is to view it as an opportunity to heal and experience a level of wellness you may have never felt before, as well as try new foods. For practicality, it’s best to have some “old standby” recipes for dishes you can bring to social events and holiday gatherings so that you can enjoy each occasion. Also become really familiar with your local restaurants that offer gluten-free, vegan, and other special menu items.

Dr. Tracy will be one of the guest speakers at the workshop series "Going Gluten Free" beginning on September 21, 2009 presented by Food Sensitivity Resources.

Frittata!

2009-08-17T11:41:00.005-04:00

We had my parents, my sister, her husband, and their three adorable kids over for brunch yesterday. I love not being the only one with dietary restrictions - like me, my sister and nephew both have celiac disease, in addition to multiple food sensitivities. We had a lovely meal with two kinds of sausage, a beautiful bowl of fresh fruit, my coconut flour pancakes, waffles courtesy of The Cravings Place (they are unsweetened!), and this yummy frittata:

Ingredients (serves 8):

5 strips of bacon
2 C of veggies (in this one, we used onion, eggplant, zucchini, and yellow peppers)
3/4 C diced cooked potato
Salt & pepper
12 eggs, beaten
1 C sharp cheddar cheese shredded or cubed (optional)

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook bacon over med-high heat. Remove bacon and drain off most of the fat.
Saute veggies until somewhat soft (I always do onions first, then peppers, then softer veggies).
Add cooked potato and add crumbled bacon back in.
Season with salt and pepper.
Pour beaten eggs all over.
Sprinkle cheese on top.
When eggs begin to set around the edges, transfer to 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese has melted.

As always, a few notes:

Frittatas are very versatile - you can substitute any veggies, take the bacon out, and/or omit the cheese. Spinach goes very well!
It was hot yesterday, so we did the whole thing on our grill and just covered the top with foil to get the eggs to set in step 7.
Add some fresh herbs on top in step 6.
This is a great, cheap dinner alternative! We have them a few times per month for dinner, and just do 4 or 5 eggs, less filling, and use a small omelet pan.

Enjoy!

Ask the Coach: What exactly is personal coaching?

2009-08-14T08:13:00.002-04:00

Being that I am a personal coach, I get this one a lot...in emails, when I meet people, at speaking engagements:

Q: What exactly is a personal coach?

A: Coaching is a powerful, ongoing relationship which focuses on clients making important changes in their lives. Coaching uses a process of inquiry and personal discovery to build a client’s level of awareness and responsibility, and provides the client with structure, support, and feedback. The coaching process helps clients to both define and achieve personal and professional goals faster and with more ease than would be possible otherwise. In coaching, the focus is on designing the future, not getting over the past.

The field of coaching is booming and there are many coaching niche areas. Business coaching for executives and teams has become quite popular. Coaching children and teens to help them excel with academics is on the rise, as is parenting coaching. Many small business owners higher coaches to help them increase revenue.

Coaching usually occurs in the context of a long-term relationship, where the client’s goals, dreams, and vision drive the action. The belief is that there are multiple paths to reach a goal, and that the client knows the way (though they might not realize it at the time). The coach assists the client to become a “change master.” To this end, coaching and adjustment to dietary changes go hand-in-hand.

How does coaching work?

Generally, most coaches have a structure that includes three to four sessions each month, with quick check-ins by phone and email in between. Coaching sessions can be either one-on-one, in small groups, or a combination of both. They can be in-person, via phone, or a combination of both throughout the month, which allows for financial and logistical flexibility. In-person sessions can include shopping, practice with advocating, and cooking.

A coach will encourage clients to set goals that they truly want, ask them to do more than they have done on their own, help them focus in order to produce results more quickly, and provide the tools, information, support, and structure to help them accomplish more. It’s like having a personal trainer to assist you with making adjustments to improve your life.

Who should consider hiring a personal coach that specializes in dietary restrictions?

Since coaching is all about helping others to make big life changes, it marries well with the niche of food allergies, intolerance, and sensitivities. You may want to consider hiring a coach if:

If you are feeling unsure as to how to adjust your lifestyle around your food challenges
If you are feeling limited by food allergies/intolerance/sensitivities
If you are not sure where to go for information or are overwhelmed by all the information you are finding
If you are restricting yourself from enjoying going out to restaurants, parties, etc.
If you are having difficulty sticking to your intolerance- or sensitivity-specific diet
If you are having difficulty getting your child's school to "get it"

It’s important to find someone that you “click” with. Most coaches offer a free initial session to help get to know them, and to answer any questions you might have about the coaching process.

The River House

2009-08-13T13:34:00.005-04:00

On a beautiful sunny day last week, my husband I decided to go for late lunch "on the decks" in Portsmouth. If you are not familiar with the area, the decks are a row of restaurants with river front seating on the Piscataqua and amazing views. It's a very popular spot - Locals know you need to go off hours in order not to wait forever to be seated.

We settled on the deck of The River House, a new restaurant that opened in the old Stockpot space. It gave me a chance to explore this new spot and see if they are able to accommodate my dietary restrictions.

There was a particular asian salad that caught my eye, so I asked our waitress, Suzanne, if it would be safe for me, given that I cannot have gluten. She said, "We just talked about gluten issues in our staff meeting today!" She proceeded to fill me in on which dressings would not be safe. Turns out, the one recommended for the asian salad contained gluten, so I switched to the caprese salad with grilled chicken. Suzanne let me know that they have a corn based coating with which to create "fried" chicken (done in a clean saute pan) if I wanted. I actually did order it that way, but, due to a miscommunication, I got the grilled kind. It was safe, so no harm. Next time!

Also, Suzanne knew that the fries were done in the same oil as wheat coated foods. Bummer that I can't have the fries, but great that she knew!

The food was fabulous! My husband also enjoyed his - he got the fried clam roll. They have a large drink menu, too. ...and the view...you just cannot compete with the view!

This is a spot we will definitely come back to!

The River House
59 Bow Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
431-2600

* photo courtesy of Philip Cohen, www.thedailyportsmouth.com

'Slaw Recipe - from simple to dressed up

2009-08-12T11:55:00.005-04:00

I've been making tons of different cole slaw lately - I've been inspired by the beautiful-looking cabbage, carrots, and onions at my local farmer's market. I just love it because it's crunchy, flavorful, and you don't have to heat up your kitchen to make it! First, let's start with my basic cole slaw recipe, then I'll offer some ideas for dressing it up...and feel free to chime in with your ideas!

Basic 'Slaw

Ingredients (to feed a small crowd):

1 head of cabbage, grated
3-4 carrots, grated
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 C mayo
1/4 C Dijon mustard
1 T agave or honey
dash of salt
1 t pepper

Directions:

Grate the cabbage using a mandolin or your food processor...or buy it already grated! For the carrots, I use either a grater or my food processor, but you can find those pre-grated, too.
Put all the cabbage, carrots, and onions in a large bowl.
Mix together the remaining ingredients.
Pour all over the veggies. I find the best way to mix it up is with my hands.

Dress it up:

Use some red cabbage and some green for a color variation.
Use red onion for a different bite and color.
Decrease the mustard to 1 T and add 1-2 finely diced chipotle in adobo + 1 T of the adobo sauce to add a kick!
Toss in some combination of caraway, sesame, and/or flax seeds. Toast them first for extra flavor.
Add 1 T of ground cumin for a southwest flavor. Smoked paprika would also work well.
Omit the honey or agave and add in a handful of raisins or dried cranberries that you have soaked to plump ahead of time.
Replace the mayo with a good quality olive oil. Use the mustard with the oil or substitute for your favorite vinegar. Or, add 1/4 C fresh squeezed orange, lemon, or lime juice along with some zest for a citrus note.

I could go on and on...Enjoy!

The Best French Fries on Earth!

2009-08-11T12:49:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, my husband came home from having lunch with his friend at Wing-itz in Portsmouth, NH. He was fired up about how great the food was, how many sauces they offer, and, in particular, that they have the best french fries on earth. He excitedly told me all of this ending with, "you've gotta try these fries!" I frowned. He knew why. I was thinking there is no way that this rather new, small wing joint has a dedicated fryer for their french fries. It's just not happening.

Some time passed and my husband requested that we stop by Wing-itz for a snack (it's a BYOB place, which is kinda nice). I relented, knowing that I would be upset that I could not have the fries. I figured I'd have a salad and that would be that.

We walk in. The place is a bit bare bones, and they were in the middle of some construction projects to add in a take-out window. The guy behind the counter was quite young. Even though I would have bet against him having any clue about gluten and cross contamination, I decided to ask anyway..."Is there any chance that you don't fry anything else in the same oil that you do your fries in?" I said sheepishly. He said something like, "Oh, gluten, right. Some of my customers can't have that. I have a fryer that is clean. I can fire it up for you and do the fries in there." Turns out, he's the owner, Derek Fisher.

I almost fell over. He was so nice about it! And accommodating! I asked him a few other questions - he was able to tell me which of his impressive collection of 20+ sauces would be safe bets for me. I decided to go with the homemade chicken salad on a garden salad (I'm honestly not a huge wing fan) with a big heaping side of FRIES! My husband was right (as I knew he would be, he's an incredible cook) - these fries are the best fries I've ever had! They are hand-cut and incredibly crispy without being coated with anything bad. Derek told us that he has worked for 3 years perfecting them...and it tastes that way!

We've already been back a couple of times since. I've been waited on by other guys who also nicely accommodate my clean fryer request. It is heaven...

I'm not sure how they do with other aspects of food allergy, as I didn't ask more detailed questions about cross-contamination risks. I have sent Derek information about consultation with Food Sensitivity Resources in case he is interested in becoming an expert at serving people with dietary restrictions. If you go, make sure you ask your own questions.

So, if you are a french fry gourmand, try Wing-itz. Oh, I'm sure the wings are good, too!

2100 Lafayette Road
Portsmouth, NH 03801
603-436-9464

Pizza Bases - A Journey

2009-08-10T11:08:00.018-04:00

My thinking about food and health has evolved quite a bit from when I was first diagnosed with celiac disease about 9 years ago...and I keep learning each and every day. I'm a pizza-lover, so one of my main searches during this time has been for yummy pizza bases and crusts. My journey to find a pizza crust based on current thinking about health and what I needed to avoid for a period of time has lead me to have a variety of ideas on the subject. I thought it would be fun to share my favorites with you...

Post Diagnosis Desperation, 2002:Bette Hagman's Seasoned Pizza Crust.
I stumbled upon this recipe in my blind search for all things GF that taste like the original. By far, this is the tastiest homemade pizza crust I have ever had. It produces a thicker crust that crisps on the outside but remains soft on the inside. The flavor and texture are incredible! Non-GFers in my circle have enjoyed this immensely. The downside: it takes a good amount of time, a lot of ingredients, and it contains yeast and rice flour - two things I'm trying not to have too much of these days...which explains why I haven't made it in, oh, probably 2 years. Looking over the recipe now makes me yearn for it, though - it is sooooo yummy!

Wanting a Quick Version, 2003: Foods By George English Muffins.
Not often having time to devote to making Bette's recipe, I reached for a quick version. Foods By George makes a wonderful english muffin. It is light, tasty, and has a nice pillowy texture. I would toast them up, then top them with my favorite stuff, and broil until the cheese melted. A quick, satisfying pizza fix!

Going Raw, Summer '06: Alissa Cohen
Starting to realize that just substituting GF foods for our old non-GF favorites isn't exactly the healthiest thing to do, my sister got trained as a raw foods teacher by Alissa Cohen, so she got me to try it out. I'll never forget it - it was the summer that my condo got taken over by mold following what we New Englanders call "The Mother's Day Storm." I had to move in with my parents for several weeks. It was unsettling, and I decided to try out raw foods in an effort to give me something to focus on and to eat more simply. I still take a lot of my diet cues from the raw foods revolution - you can't ignore the benefit of eating foods in their natural state with maximum potential enzymes for absorption. Alissa has three versions of raw pizza bases (all dairy, egg, soy, and nut free) - gourmet, easy, and easier. The gourmet version calls for sprouted barley (I substituted buckwheat) and spouted wild rice. The easy one uses buckwheat and flax seeds, and the easiest uses mostly flax seeds. To make them truly raw, a dehydrator is recommended. All of these are very yummy and very good for you!

Learning to Incorporate More Veggies, 2007: Portobello Mushrooms.
So I wasn't going to drag out the dehydrator on a weekly basis (hey, I said I love pizza!). My solution to incorporating more veggies was to use a grilled portobello mushroom cap as a pizza base. Top with your favorite things. You can also cut eggplant into 1 inch thick pieces and grill on both sides for another pizza base option.

Trying Out Improved Store-Bought Options, 2008: Against the Grain.
Having opted out of the GF substitution game for quite some time, I hadn't tried any store bought options. Against the Grain's pizza crust was recommended to me, so I picked one up. It's made in a dedicated GF facility by some folks in Vermont that have celiac disease and want to make some convenient options that taste like their non-GF counterparts. The products also do not contain yeast, corn, soy, rice, or sugar, but they do contain dairy and eggs. I have to say, the crust was quite tasty, though it is a thinner type, which tends not to be my favorite. I really enjoyed it.

Today, Reducing Grains: Shirley's Flourless Pizza.
After embarking on another elimination diet for the past several months and discovering that I can tolerate some dairy (cheese and yogurt), but overall feel much better when I stay away from rice, potatoes, and other starches on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet's no-no list, I had basically resigned myself to the fact that it would be only mushroom or eggplant pizza bases for me...that is, until I became acquainted with Shirley at Gluten Free Easily through the "Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free" recipe roundup. While perusing her blog, I happened upon her flourless pizza crust recipe. I promptly ran out and got what I needed to give it a try...and oh my goodness! I loved it! Very satisfying and very close to the real thing! You've got to try it for yourself!

Pizza is back, baby!

Recipe: Curry Chicken Salad

2009-08-05T13:01:00.005-04:00

Simple, light, and refreshing...that's how I describe out dinner for tonight -

Curry Chicken Salad
Ingredients (serves 2 - 3):

about 1.5 lbs chicken breast
1/4 C mayo
1 - 2 T curry powder
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 C halved grapes or dried cranberries (optional)

Directions:

Bake the chicken (it's hot today, so I did it my toaster oven) on 350 for about 20 min or until cooked through. Allow to cool then, using 2 forks, shred it. You can also buy rotisserie chicken already cooked from your market - just be sure to ask what seasonings they use to make sure it's safe!
Mix together the mayo, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Start with 1 T of curry powder and taste it - I like curry, so I use more like 2 T or even a bit more.
Pour all over chicken and mix to combine.
Serve on a bed of lettuce (we are enjoying ours from our garden!) and sprinkle grapes or dried cranberries on top if you would like.

Enjoy!

Thai Kitchen

2009-08-04T10:10:00.006-04:00

I'm always searching online and calling companies about allergy information for different products. As you know, some manufacturers are real clear about ingredients and common allergens and some, well, just aren't - to put it mildly.

Recently, I came across the Thai Kitchen website - I use some of their sauces in my cooking along with their coconut milk. For some of my recipes, see Triple Crusted Coconut Chicken, Coconut Chocolate Ice Cream, and Coconut Yogurt.

Usually, I have to hunt around for allergy info - maybe it's in a frequently asked question? Maybe it's on the ingredients page? Who knows? On the Thai Kitchen website, they have a page dedicated to allergy information...and you can access it right from the HOME page! Imagine that!

Thai Kitchen's allergy page consists of a chart with their products listed down the left-hand side and the following labels across the top:

Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Vegan
Organic
Eggs
Fish
Shellfish
Tree nuts
Peanuts
Wheat
Soybeans
Milk

In the case of fish, shellfish, and tree nuts, they not only say "yes," they indicate which it is specifically. They recognize that some people cannot tolerate coconut and list it under tree nuts.

I called the customer service number to ask about cross contamination. I had a very nice conversation with the representative, who seemed to know her stuff when it comes to allergy information. I was told that Thai Kitchen is a small manufacturer, so they do not have separate, dedicated production facilities. Their products that contain common allergens are produced on the same lines as those that don't, however, their equipment is cleaned and washed in between runs. The rep said they take all the precautions, but cannot guarantee that no contamination has occurred.

Thai Kitchen is a sponsor for the Celiac Disease Foundation. They do test their products for the presence of gluten and consistently test at less than 10 parts per million. They also have a page dedicated to gluten free recipes.

I'm impressed with the clarity of information, the transparency with which it's presented, and the knowledge of the customer service rep. I feel as though Thai Kitchen provides us folks with food allergies, intolerance, and sensitivities with the necessary information to make the choice about whether or not to consume their products.

Bravo, Thai Kitchen!

Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free: CHILL OUT!

2009-08-03T08:19:00.007-04:00

Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free is a blogging event that rounds up GF recipes from all corners of the globe. It started in February 2008 and has been going strong ever since! A different blogger hosts each month. You don't have to be gluten free to participate - just make sure your entry is! You also don't have to be a blogger - GF recipes are welcomed from anyone and everyone!

The creator of Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free, Naomi Devlin - of Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried, has just announced the hosts for the coming year. I'm proud to say that August's edition will be hosted right here at The Food Allergy Coach! Let's all beat the summer heat together with the theme "Chill Out!" I don't know about you, but here in the Northeast, putting the oven on is the last thing I'm about to do when it's in the 90's with 90% humidity! Join me as we head to the beach down the street from my house in search of some refreshment! It's so close by that we can pop back here for some snacks if we want to. Oh! - I've got extra towels and chairs...

You don't have to be a gluten free blogger to submit your recipes for no-cook dishes and/or dishes served cold...just email me your recipes along with a picture at thefoodallergycoach@yahoo.com. If you are a blogger, just email me the link to your recipe along with a photo. It would be great if I could have all submissions by Friday, August 28th so I can post them by Monday, August 31st. Thanks!

I only recently got hooked up with this crew of unbelievably creative cooks by participating in June's theme of "Manly Food" hosted at Simply Gluten Free and July's theme of "Make Me a Happy Camper" at Gluten Free Easily. Check out these incredible recipes as they are woven into an entertaining tail with grace and humor! Some of my other favorite past themes are "Food From Your Childhood" (November 2008) at For the Love of Food and "One Pot Meals" (June 2008) at Ginger Lemon Girl. Scroll down the homepage of Naomi's blog to see all the fun themes on the right - you'll never be without culinary inspiration!

So join us for this incredible feast that will cool us down from the inside - out! Looking forward to it!

The Gluten Free Lifestyle Blog Carnival, 1st Edition

2009-08-01T12:58:00.005-04:00

Welcome to the August 1, 2009 edition of the gluten free lifestyle blog carnival! We hope you enjoy this compilation of product & restaurant reviews, tips, recipes, and support/advice!

PRODUCT & RESTAURANT REVIEWS

Michelle Ouellette presents FINALLY...GF, DF, SF Yogurt!! posted at Celiac and Us

Ginger Carter Miller presents Oh my, Cod! posted at Gluten Free in Georgia (and Florida).

Paul Wright presents A Free From Food Update posted at Free From Food.Check out various product reviews for gluten free goodies.

Stephen presents Fresh Brothers Gluten Free Pizza posted at Gluten Freeways, saying, "Fresh Brothers offers awesome gluten free pizza in the South Bay and is opening up a Marina Del Rey location in October."

Shannon Sweetser presents 5 Ice Cream Bars & Pops that Could Save Your Gluten Free Summer posted at Zeer Blog, saying, "It's tough when you have Celiac Disease and you miss out on the things that we used to look forward to in childhood, like a visit from the Ice Cream man. I tried to create a fun post to offer great alternatives so you don't fill like you're missing out when living gluten free."

RECIPES

Kim, The Food Allergy Coach presents Coconut-Berry Muffins posted at The Food Allergy Coach, saying, "coconut flour is becoming my favorite flour to bake with - you don't need to mix it with other flours, and recipes usually call for very little of it because it soaks up liquids like champ. It's also high in protein and fiber."

Amelia - Another Gluten Free Casualty presents Thanksgiving At G-ma's: Definitely Gluten-Free posted at No Such Thing As a Gluten Freebie.

Michele presents Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting (GF/CF/Low Cal) posted at Blue-Eyed Binty [blu-aId bInti], saying, "great for that chocolate craving but not too guilty"

Joi Abraham presents Traveller's Instant Chocolate Cake posted at Just Saying No!!!, saying, "This 5 minute dessert is gluten and sugar free and vegan!"

Tamara Duker presents Teff: 78 Million Ethiopians Can't Be Wrong posted at What I'm Eating Now, saying, "Teff is the incredibly nutritious staple grain in Ethiopia. And it's gluten free. So why aren't more of us eating it? Learn about the nutritional benefits of teff, where to buy it and some ideas for using it."

Dr. Jean McFadden Layton presents Poof! Done! Dinner! posted at Gluten-Free Organics and More!for those busy nights...

Katrina Morales presents I Am So Proud of Myself... posted at Gluten Free Gidget, saying, "There is no limit to what a little creativity can accomplish!" Check out her recipe for gluten free hamburger buns!

Cinde presents Andies Mint Cheesecake - Gluten Free posted at Gluten Free Taste of Home, Here's a delicious gluten free, vegetarian, comfort food recipe from her country kitchen. ..mint cheesecake - YUM!

Christine presents Gluten, Dairy, Egg and Soy Free Happy Day Cake posted at Without Adornment, saying, "This is a recipe for a gluten, dairy, egg and soy cake that tastes great and has a great texture!"

SUPPORT & ADVICE

Nancy Lapid presents Why People With Celiac Disease Should Have Bone Density Tests posted at About.com Celiac Disease

Kim, The Food Allergy Coach presents Allergy Friendly Products on a Budget - Is it Possible? posted at The Food Allergy Coach, saying, "here's one resource for saving money on gluten free goodies!"

TIPS

Manda presents [ Asparagus Thin ] Lean Form, Full Health: Allergen Free & Healthy Cooking Tips posted at [ Asparagus Thin ] Lean Form, Full Health, saying, "There's always a start for everyone. Not everything is instantly successful in substituting for something that's not there. With practice and simple tips from someone whom has been there, achieving flawless products comes naturally."

Kate Chan presents Breading things, Gluten-Free « Gluten Free Gobsmacked posted at Gluten Free Gobsmacked, saying, "Gluten free breading tips for all kinds of foods!"

Nellbe presents Nellbe's Scribblings: Gluten Free Party Food Ideas posted at Nellbe's Scribblings...because, who doesn't love a good party?

That concludes this edition. We hope you enjoyed it! Tune in the first of each month for a new edition. On September 1st, Gluten Freeways will be hosting.

If you are a gluten free blogger, submit your blog article to the next edition of the gluten free lifestyle blog carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page. If you would like to host this carnival, please email thefoodallergycoach@yahoo.com.

Ask the Coach: What is a blog carnival?

2009-07-31T12:19:00.004-04:00

This question came from some fellow bloggers as well as a few readers:

Q: What is a blog carnival?

A: A blog carnival is like a virtual magazine, where several different authors contribute to the same issue. Issues have an overall topic, and some editions of the issue will be of a certain theme. Issues are generally posted weekly, biweekly, monthly, or quarterly. Often, the same series will be "hosted" by different bloggers each time it is published. This helps to introduce readers to various blog sites, opinions, etc.

Check out the blog carnival websit e to find topics you are interested in. There are blog carnivals for almost everything! One carnival I participate in on occasion is Living With Food Allergies, currently being hosted at Rational Jenn. Check it out!

I noticed that there wasn't a carnival specific to the gluten free lifestyle, so I'm starting one. The first edition will be posted tomorrow, August 1st, right here at the The Food Allergy Coach. We'll be publishing monthly on the first of each month. If you are a blogger that would like to contribute an article to the next issue, click here. Be sure to check back tomorrow for some great tips, product reviews, advice/support, and, of course, recipes!!!! ...and FYI, the September 1st issue will be hosted at Gluten Freeways.

Also, I contribute to Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free - this is not so much a carnival but more of a recipe roundup around a certain theme. The current theme (which will be published later today) is Make Me a Happy Camper! Check it out at Gluten Free Easily.

Hope that's helpful!

Recipe: Anytime Veggie Fritters

2009-07-29T13:22:00.007-04:00

In my quest to get my eating habits more in line with The Specific Carbohydrate Diet, I discovered a recipe for latkes on the SCD recipe website. With some minor changes, I gave them a try and my husband and I both liked them a lot! They involve a few steps, but it's worth it! We decided that they are going to become one of our staples. Here's the basic recipe with some ideas for different variations - they are pretty versatile, hence the name:

Anytime Veggie Fritters

Ingredients:
1 medium cauliflower
3 large zucchinis, grated
2 small onions, diced
Oil
3 cloves of garlic
2 eggs, beaten
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Chop up the cauliflower and steam it until tender.
While the cauliflower is cooking, grate the zucchini either by hand or using the grating blade on your food processor. Put it in a bowl, add salt and set aside for 10 minutes to get the water out.
Now dice the onions and brown them in a bit of oil.
When the cauliflower is done, mash it up using a potato masher. Salt it and set aside for 10 minutes to get the water out.
Put the zucchini into a tea towel and squeeze all the water out. Add it to a mixing bowl.
Do the same with the cauliflower.
Heat a skillet with enough oil to cover the bottom.
Add the cooked onions, beaten eggs, salt, and pepper into the mixing bowl with the zuc and cauli and thoroughly combine (your hands will work best).
Drop by spoonfuls into the hot oil and lightly pat them with the back of the spoon.
Cook for about 5 min on the first side - they will be golden and hold together. Flip and cook for another 3 min or so. (Ours got a bit dark b/c we did them outside on our grill burner - it was too hot last night to cook inside!).

Suggestions:

Top with apple sauce
Serve with bacon or sausage at breakfast time!
Add some spices to the mixture (maybe some curry and turmeric for an Indian flavor, or basil and oregano for Italian)
Top with thinly sliced chicken, pork, or beef
Put a dollop of chutney or salsa on them
Substitute some grated carrot for some of the zucchini
Use as a side dish at dinner (we had ours with grilled rib eye steak and grilled veggies)

This recipe is linked to What can I eat that's gluten free? at the Gluten Free Homemaker.

Enjoy!