All Your Labs are Normal

"All your labs are Normal.  May need to do further evaluation if fatigue continues."





This is a doctor's note from 2003. 

Nine years ago.

It's not the first 'normal' report I got from a doctor... it's just the only note I still have.

I started going to doctors after my son was born in 1997 looking for a reason for my debilitating fatigue.  It was always the same response, "All your labs are Normal." 

Actually, they were usually better than normal; they indicated that I was very, very healthy.

But I didn't feel healthy.  I was tired; tired to my bones. 

The docs always appeared to listen intently; asking questions about my everyday life: 

You have two children under two? 
Both your parents just passed away? 
You're managing their estate and working two part-time jobs?

Well, no wonder you're tired!

I remember telling one doctor, "I'm really in tune with my body.  I know there's something else going on."

Years went by.  Years and years of  'Normal' labs.  Years and years of doctors looking at me as if I had a touch of the hypochondria.  Years and years of pushing myself through my daily life. 

It wasn't uncommon for me to sit in the car with my head on the steering wheel, arms drooped in my lap, before I had the energy to lift them to start the engine and drive.

I came up with a phrase to get me to the end of the day: muscle your way through. 

"Come on, Kim, muscle your way through the grocery store."

"Get up and muscle your way past your aching joints."

"Muscle your way through this spin class.  It will make you feel better... eventually." (It never did but I looked better.)

"Muscle your way through the bedtime story."

Stubbornly I propelled myself through the days.

I didn't exactly ignore the increasing pain and fatigue... I just started believing it was 'Normal'. 

"You have young children" turned into, "Well, you're not getting any younger."

This is where the anger starts.

I missed at least fourteen years of my life!

Perhaps if my body hadn't responded so quickly and positively to going gluten-free I would feel differently.  But my symptoms started to lift two days after removing gluten from my diet!

Fourteen prime years.

I try not to take it out on every doctor I see now.  I do, however, see it as my mission to educate them.

They don't seem to like it much.

I started with my internist, who I happen to like:

"When you have a patient presenting with mysterious, seemingly unrelated symptoms, but their standard labs are normal, why don't you run  a panel for celiac disease?  It's just simple blood tests.  The Italians include it in their yearly physicals." 

She didn't even registered a verbal response.  She glazed over more than a Dunkin' donut and hurried to finish the consultation.

Fourteen early years of my children's life!

I said the same thing to my general practitioner.  He replied, "Oh, when I have patients with gastrointestinal problems, I always tell them to cut out dairy.  If that doesn't help I have them cut out wheat."

I reminded him I never had gastrointestinal symptoms before my diagnosis.  He blinked a few times. 
That was his response, a few blinks and a goodbye.

Fourteen precious years!

So why the rant now? 

A blog by the Gluten Dude rekindled my ire last week and sent me searching for evidence; proof that I do, indeed, know my body better than anyone.  That's when I found this note I had filed away.  Like a time capsule waiting to reaffirm what I used to believe deeply: I know my body better than anyone else.

When it comes to being a know-it-all, this note proves that I AM. 

YOU are too.

Let's take it beyond ourselves.  Let's tell everyone we can about celiac disease.  Let's make it a truly 'normal' consideration for ourselves, our loved ones, our doctors and our society to screen for this disease.  It's not some diet fad but the very real cause of what ails many of us.

FOURTEEN FREAKIN' YEARS.

(Can I point out that the doc used a capital N for 'Normal' but not on the word 'need'?  Maybe I'm reading too much into it- but it's as if he wanted to emphasize that everything was ok.  Yes, I'm bitter;  FOUR-teen years.)

Salmon Salad

Like tuna salad, but with less mercury!  I think the potato helps to mellow the strong flavor of the salmon.

Add all your favorite gluten free tuna and potato salad fixin's to a can of wild caught salmon.   I topped mine with a dash of sriracha sauce.  I may try capers or olives next time!

Serve on baby kale or romaine leaves.

This recipe makes 6-8 servings.

The Beatles, Maureen O'Sullivan and the Gluten Dude

When The Beatles were in India, one of their ashram mates was Prudence Farrow, sister to Mia and daughter of one of my favorite actresses, Maureen O'Sullivan.  Apparently Prudence took the whole 'get-closer-to-God' thing a little more to heart than the Fab Four.  She would spend all day meditating in isolation trying to transcend her earthly reality.  John Lennon wrote the song "Dear Prudence" to encourage her to socialize more with the group.

What in the WORLD does this have to do with being gluten free?

Hold on tight--my stream of consciousness can be like a whitewater run.

My favorite celiac blogger, the Gluten Dude, had a bad experience at PF Chang's.  He blogged about it and PF's sent him a gift card to, I don't know; make getting glutened more cost effective?  At any rate, the dude went altruistic with the peace offering and is giving the card away.  To be entered in his drawing, all you have to do is write a letter to "Dear Gluten". 

Introspection is a good thing, but the reality of living with Celiac Disease is isolating enough.  In order to transcend the experience, we have to pull together.  Like John Lennon coaxing Prudence from her room, the Gluten Dude asks other celiacs to come out and play. With acerbic wit, candor and a touch of rebellion, he's sharing his journey.  He's enticing the celiac community to do the same. 

Still wondering how The Beatles, Maureen O'Sullivan and the Gluten Dude ended up in the same stream of thought?

Simple.

'Dear Gluten' sounded too much like 'Dear Prudence' in my head.  It just spiraled out of control from there...



Dear Gluten (Sung to the tune of Dear Prudence)

Dear Gluten, won’t you get out my way?

Dear Gluten, out of my life you’ll stay
I’ve wizened up, I’m through with you
Barley, Malt and Rye grains too
Dear Gluten, won’t you get out my way?

Dear Gluten, I finally realized

Dear Gluten, fog lifted from my eyes
My rash is gone, my joints now spring
You muddled up most everything
Dear Gluten, I finally realized

Doctors give run a round

(Round, round, round, round ,round
Round, round, round, round, round)

AhhhhAhhhAhhhAhhh

Dear Gluten, you’re going in the trash pile

Dear Gluten, by you I’m not beguiled
My energy I will regain
So in my house you can’t remain
Dear Gluten, you’re going into the trash pile

Dear Gluten, out of my life you’ll stay

Dear Gluten it’s a brand new way
I’ve wizened up, I’m through with you
Barley, Malt and Rye grains too
Dear Gluten, won’t you get out my way?

Happy Gluten Free Anniversary To Me!

It's been a year. 

June 1st of 2011 was the day of my endoscopy.  It was the day I decided to give up gluten, before I even got my test results. 

It was the start of a new life.

Within days of eliminating gluten from my diet, I started feeling better.  I could not believe how the seemingly unrelated health issues that bothered me for years started to resolve themselves-- just by changing my diet.  By time I went back to see my gastrointerologist, I didn't care what the endoscopy said. 

"I know you just told me I have a life long auto-immune disease, but thank you." I said to my doctor when he confirmed that I did, indeed, have celiac disease. 

He looked me square in the eyes, stared at me for a minute then said, "You're not crazy." 

I almost started to cry.  I had been told nothing was physically wrong with me for so long, that I was starting to believe it was all in my head.   

I started coming out from under a fog a year ago and I never want to go back. 

I never want to go back to:

• Constant fatigue
• Snoring
• Chronic sinus infections
• Sleep apnea
• Unexplained weight gain
• Aching joints
• Endometriosis
• Irrational food cravings
• Feeling hangry (a bad mix of hungry and angry)
• Dry eyes
• Itchy scalp
• Yearly strep infections
• Mouth ulcers
• Puffy face
• Brain fog
• Backne (you know, acne on your back)
• Hair loss
• Chronic rash on my chest
• Bloated stomach

All of these issues cleared up or started improving as soon as my body cycled out the gluten in my system. 

I'm still recovering from being dismissed and discounted for so long. 

I'm not going to get back the fourteen plus years searching for what was wrong with me. 

But I have this year and the years ahead of me.  I have the knowledge of what 'healthy' feels like. 

It feels pretty darn good! 

I've had immeasurable support from my family and friends these past twelve months.  I have seen continued resistance from those trained in Western medicine; doctors refusing to hear that celiac disease doesn't always follow their flow chart to digestive symptoms. 

This has been a year of learning, healing, trials and triumphs. 

It's been a good year.

Do you remember when you first went gluten free?  Please share your journey with me.

Ball in Play

Here's the playing field: Mexican restaurant on a quiet Sunday, large group of people.  The restaurant had a separate gluten free menu.  I explain to our server that I can not tolerate any amount of gluten.  He was very reassuring and attentive.  I asked about the tortilla chips on the table:

"Are the ingredients gluten free?"  Yes.
"Do you fry them here?"  Yes.
"Do you have a dedicated fryer?"  Yes.
"Does anything else go in the fryer with the chips?"  No.  No, we don't fry anything else with them.
"Are you sure?"  Yes.
"Are you positive nothing else goes in the fryer?"  Yes.

So, I ate the chips with measured glee.  The green salsa was divine--tasted like it could have had pineapple in it.  And then out of left field I see our server heading for me like a baseball player diving for a line drive.

"Stop eating the chips!  Don't eat any more chips!"   He said breathlessly.  Apparently the chip fryer was a shared fryer.

How'd the ball get dropped?  I don't know.  Sometimes they just get past you.  But you still have to pick it up and try not to let it mess with your head. 

"Do you think you got glutened?" asked my friend. 

All I could think was, "I don't know.  I don't want to be.  I'm not going to be.  If I am, I'm going to muscle my way through it like I have for the past fourteen years before I knew I had celiac disease.  And the last thing I'm going to do is talk about it at a dinner table full of guests."  I smiled through and maybe I laughed a little too loud at jokes but I didn't enjoy the rest of my meal.  I just couldn't.

That was five days ago.

I did pretty well.  I almost faked myself out.  I blamed my irrational thoughts and irritablity on my hormones.  I blamed my fatigue on the fact that our a/c had gone out.  I blamed my itchy skin on the pool water.  And I tried really, really hard to ignore the nagging pain that was getting worse under my right rib. 

I dropped the ball.  I let myself be glutened.  So I took a little dirt-nap?   I'm brushing myself off and getting back in the game. 

I'll go back to the play book and see if I can make some different calls next time.

Countertop Strawberry Ice "Cream"

Strawberry "Ice Cream" in the Vitamix and on the counter.

Looking through all the beautiful food blogs and gluten free recipe sites reminds me of the time my friend, who was a professional photographer, spoke to a group of mothers about how to take great photos.  One mom said, "I have to take hundreds of pictures before I get a great shot."  My friend told her, "Me too, but I'm a professional.  Do you know what that means?  That means I only have to show you the good pictures I've taken.  I don't show the bad pictures to you.  That's what makes me a professional." 

Well, I guess I'm not a pro at blogging yet, because I'd like you to see the reality of cooking.  Gluten free or not, cooking can be messy and outcomes imperfect. 

It made a decent pizza crust.



What was supposed to be a gluten free french baguette!?!

 "If you're not going to be ready to fail, you're not going to learn how to cook." said Julia Child. 

 

It's time to try that gluten free recipe that looks delicious.

What's the worst that is going to happen?  Maybe you'll have to throw out something made from expensive gluten free flour; but I'll bet it's still cheaper than a tenuous meal at any restaurant.

Go fearlessly into your kitchens and let me know who comes out alive!

Countertop Strawberry 'Ice Cream'

6-8 large strawberries (frozen may actually work best)

1 frozen banana, cut in pieces

1/2 can coconut milk

1-2 cups of ice as necessary to make thick

Place berries, banana and about 1 cup of ice in a blender.  Add 1/4 cup of coconut milk and beging blending.  Add ice and/or coconut milk until mixture is blended and becomes too thick to pour.  Transfer to a container (this is where the mess happened) and place in freezer to harden.

Serve with fresh mint, sliced strawberries, chocolate syrup or any other topping you like!

 

 

Eating Gluten Free at a Restaurant Doesn't Have to Be a Crêpeshoot

There are reports that a biker gang has been on the roll to the local crêperie on Sunday mornings.  Be on the look out for them.  Among them are:

 Texadians throwing gang signs.

They are riding dirty with big fat tires and are looking for a java fix. 

It's been substantiated that there is a Celiac among them and she's packin'.  Eyewitnesses confirm that she's carrying her own gluten free crêpes and she's not afraid to take them out in public. 

I've been wanting to ride to our local shopping village for quite some time.  A group of us decided to head up one Sunday for breakfast and coffee. 

I wasn't going to miss out on the first group bike ride even if the destination was a crêpe shop.  I didn't think they'd have any gluten free offerings.  And I was pretty sure if they did, I still wouldn't eat them because it is a small, flour filled environment. 

None the less, I went and had a great time.  I had a cup of coffee and a bag of chips. 

There's somthing about eating outside that makes all food taste better.  The company, the weather and the setting made that one of the best bag of chips I've ever eaten.


This week, we decided to roll again. 


When I was trying to talk myself into getting out of bed, the idea came to bring my own gluten free crêpes.  It was awesome! 

Crêpes, fresh strawberries, whipped coconut 'cream', scrambled eggs, Sriracha sauce and the magic combination that made those the best crêpes I've ever eaten!

Quick Gluten Free Crêpes

1 large egg

1/4 cup of Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix

Water

Heat a no-stick fry pan that is the size of the crêpe you want to make.  Add a slice of butter to the pan and melt.

  Mix the egg and pancake mix until it makes a paste.  Slowly add water in tablespoon increments and mix.  Keep adding water until the batter is very thin (almost the consistency of whole milk). 

Pour batter into hot fry pan until there is a thin layer in the middle.  Swirl the pan to make the batter run from the middle of the pan out to the edges.  Cook on medium heat until the top of the crêpe  looks mostly dry.  Flip and cook until done.

Remove from pan and fill with your favorite gluten free ingredients:

Strawberries

Bananas

Nutella

Peaches

Peanut Butter

Raspberries

Honey

Whipped Cream

Eggs

Ham

Sauteed Mushrooms

Carmalized Onions

Spinach

Brie

Feta Cheese

Pesto

Chicken
Goats Cheese
Orange Marmalade

THEN GO EAT IT OUTSIDE!

Oh, Oh Domino's! Not Your Gluten Free Best

Domino's has announced they now offer a gluten free pizza crust. 

To their credit, they are being very honest about the fact that their kitchens are not gluten free and that there is no special prep areas for their structurally gluten free pizza. 

But it only takes twelve seconds of this video to turn me gluten freeky!

Where has that ladle been?!?!?  Do all the pizzas go on the same pans?!?!?!  Look at that ungloved hand reaching into the mushrooms!!!  That pizza slicer looks like a wheel of death to me...

Some studies have shown that up to 100 mg of gluten a day may be tolerated by Celiacs but as little as 10 mg can set off an auto immune response.   This picture shows you an approximation of what 100 mg of gluten would look like.  That's a Ritz Cracker**, folks...

Even the smallest amount of gluten will attack the immune system of a celiac, no matter how 'mild' you think you have it.

I know that I should not eat Domino's new gluten free pizza. What worries me is that others with celiac disease might not know that they shouldn't eat it either; or that they might be enticed by the allure of this easy pie.

My concern is that the gluten free fad is rolling so far out of control, that those of us who should never have gluten are going to get run down by bandwagoneers waving flags of gluten free products over our smushed little immune systems.
 
It's not enough to call something 'gluten free'.  It must be prepared in a separate, safe area that is free from cross contact.

Don't want to discuss it
I think it's time for a change
You may get disgusted
And start thinkin' that I'm actin' strange
In that case I'll go underground
Get some heavy rest
Never have to worry
About what is worst and what is best


Oh, oh, Domino's.


**No Celiacs were harmed in the taking of this picture. (I wore gloves and took it in our 'gluten' corner.)

Gluten Free Fireman Sauza®-Ritas

The ladies on the street have been waiting all week for a chance to discuss leggings and jeggings versus pant peggings after finding this compelling margarita recipe from Sauza Tequila:

I think you'll agree it appears to be a near perfect instructional video... except for the gluten laden light beer.  But never fear!  My dear, dear sister/neighbor/friend took my suggestion and made them with hard cider instead!  The only thing that would make them better would be a kitten.  Kittens make everything better!

Ingredients:

1 can Sauza® Blue Silver 100% Agave Tequila*

1 bottle favorite hard cider (apple or pear)

1 can frozen limeade

1 can water

*If Sauza® Blue Silver isn’t available, try Sauza® Silver

To Make:
Pour limeade and cider into a pitcher with ice. Fill limeade can ⅔ with Sauza® Blue Silver and pour into pitcher. Finally, add a can of water, stir and enjoy.

Weekend Cindi and Gluten Freeky Kim



What Would You Do-oo-ooh for a Klondike Bar?

I eat ice cream from time to time, but I don't usually crave it or get excited about it. But today, the last Klondike single was calling my name from the freezer.

There's nothing on the single that tells you what's in the bar so I got online to find out the gluten free status of the Klondike original bar. There was nothing concrete on the celiac pages or the Klondike site. I did see mention of the company that makes the product: Unilever.

I decided to call Unilever directly. A very helpful lady told me on their end that all 'allergen' ingredients are plainly listed on all their products. Gluten ingredients (wheat, barley, rye, malt, oats, etc) would be clearly labeled...except I didn't have the box. I was just holding the last, lone bar in my hand.

She dug a little deeper and read, not only the entire ingredient list, but also the processing information. The conclusion? The bar is gluten free (for now).

That's what I did for a Klondike bar.

Aww, Bi+ch! I'm Hit! I'm Hit!

Story goes that a group of guys made their way up to the country for a boys' weekend.  After some beers and bonfire building, someone got the great idea to throw a box of unspent ammunition into the flames.  Some of the cartridges cooked off and went flying.  One grazed the head merry-maker in the leg.  He started hopping around yelling, "Aww, bitch!  I'm hit!  I'm hit!" 

I love that story.  I love that phrase.  And now I own it.

There's no doubt that I've been hit.  I've been glutened and I'm not sure where it came from.  Maybe from dinner at PF Changs'?  Maybe from some random crumbs of garlic bread I served my guests?  I don't know for sure, but I know I'm hit.

I woke up the other morning feeling tired and unrested.  Everything on me ached.  I had spent the day before dancing and being animated in a morphsuit, so I initially thought I was sore from that.  As I stirred, I realized my left arm was totally numb and my hand was twisted into an arthritic Lady Gaga claw.  I knew I had been glutened just by how I felt. 

Bloated?  Hit.
Frequent trips to the bathroom?  Hit.
Acne around my mouth?  Hit.
Brain fog?  Hit.
Itchy scalp?  Hit.
Sore throat?  Hit.
Bone numbing fatigue?  Hit.
Night sweats?  Hit
Red, burning eyes?  Hit.
Low grade fever?  Hit.
Chest congestion? Hit.

The final blow that sunk my battleship: a sharp pain in my lower lung every time I try to take a breath. 

I accidentally glutened myself in December.  I was making gravy for a big extended family dinner.  Out of habit I licked the spoon before putting it in the sink.  The same symptoms I have right now started rolling in.  When I got the sharp pain in my lungs, I was sure the congestion had turned to pneumonia.  Chest x-rays said it wasn't and it slowly went away after a week.  I went back to feeling like the new gluten free me.

Then in March it happened again.  I couldn't pin point the gluten source that time but the waves of symptoms slowly hit in the same order as December: numbness, claw hand, bloating... you get the picture.  But that month the pain in my right lung got increasingly worse.  It got so bad that it woke me up one night.  I have to insert a side note here:  I have a really high tolerance for pain.  It's not bravado, just fact.  The pain and the inability to fill my lungs with a full breath had me panicked. 

I went back to the doctor that day and got clear lung x-rays, clear ultrasound of my abdomen, clear CT scan of my gallbladder and surrounding bits.  Again, the pain went away after a week. 

I asked for copies of the results only to find that my past two lung x-rays said I had emphysema?!?  Needless to say, I went to a pulmonologist for a second opinion.  I know now, for sure, that my lungs are fine.  Actually, they're better than fine, they're in phenomenal condition.  So why the pain in my lower right lung?  My PA, my gastro guy and the lung doc all shrugged their shoulders; maybe it's the gluten?

So here I'm back at the celiac bonfire.  Some ammunition has been thrown into the flames.  My body has spent the last three days cooking off the cartridges.  The bullet has flown.  My lower right rib cage hurts each time I take a breath.  Third time is a charm.  I know for sure where the pain is coming from and I'm left with the voice in my head saying,

"Aww, bitch!  I'm hit!  I'm HIT!"

When the Red, Red Robin Comes Gluten Free Bobbin' Along

My daughter and I stopped at Red Robin today for our yearly post-doctor lunch.  We live in Houston and went to the Westchase location at Richmond and the Tollway.

The waitress brought me their allergen list and told me the manager would be over talk to me about my choices and to take my order.  The manager did so promptly and this is what he explained to me: 

They have gluten free buns that are individually wrapped in their own tray.  The buns stay in the tray for toasting and the sandwich is built in the same tray. He assured me they would switch gloves for assembling.

Their fries are gluten free and this location has a dedicated fryer.  The oil is filtered separately and never rotated through other fryers.

Eating out is always risky, but what more reassurance can you ask for?

I ordered a Guacamole Burger and Fries.  This is what the manager brought me:

 

He apologized for bringing my hamburger before my daughter's.  The reason it came early?  Because the manager walked the order through the kitchen and oversaw it's preparation personally, during a busy lunch hour no less!

I still squeal when I look at it. 

It was good; not the kind of good where you have to convince yourself it tastes good because it is your only option.  It was REALLY good; the kind of good that you could feed it to your gluten-free critics and they would never know the difference.

So, to the Westchase Red Robin in Houston: THANK YOU!  You let this gluten freeky girl eat at ease!

When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along
There'll be no more gluten when he starts a servin' his old sweet bun
Eat up, Eat up you gluten head
Get up, get up and go get fed,
Cheer up, it's gfree bread 
Live, love, laugh and be happy!
 

There's Gluten in WHAT?!?!

I went to dinner the other night at Ninfa's.  I placed my safest gluten free mexican bet on guacamole with lettuce and salsa.

By time I got home, I realized my scalp was slowly starting to itch more than it had earlier in the day.  Next thing I knew, my back was covered in pin prickling pain.  I started running around the room like Baloo trying to find a jungle tree. 

My husband kept asking, "Do you think you got glutened at dinner?" in between trying to scratch my back as I ran around the room crazy.  "No!  No, I don't think so.  I mean, I hope not!  They told me they used fresh avocados.  I guess it's possible." 

I reached up to scratch my head and realized I had little itchy bumps that were starting to bleed on my scalp...and then a horrible realization of how I could have gotten glutened came to me.

After frantically digging through the trash and reading a miniscule ingredient list, there it was. "Wheat Amino Acids". 

Are you ready to hear what glutened me? 





MY REVLON HAIR COLOR!

I had colored my hair that afternoon with the same $4 box of color I have always used... but this time my skin went into a Celiac spiral.

Many doctors will tell you that you can't get 'glutened' through your skin.  I beg to differ. 

When I was first diagnosed, I had been living with a perpetual rash on my chest and backne (you know, acne on your back) that showering made worse.  Most of my health issues started improving immediately when I began eating gluten free.  But the small red bumps on my chest and back persisted. 

I asked my doc about gluten and skin products.  He told me my best resource for getting an answer would be a support group. 

Reading through several CD posts, I kept seeing people going gfree with their soap, makeup, and basically everything their body came in contact with. 

It was a silly, 'doh' moment when I stood in the shower straining to read the tiny, shiny ingredient list on my shampoo to get to the 'wheat' ingredient only to turn it over and see this:

Guess what?  As soon as I switched to gluten free shampoo and soap, my rash and backne cleared up.  Poof!  Like that.

So, at least for me, gluten on the skin definitely causes a reaction.

Why the new reaction to hair color?

This is the hair product I have always used.  I have never had a problem with it before.  I have noticed that the 'cleaner' I get, the more sever my reaction to getting accidently glutened.  I say accidently because I can't ever see myself purposefully ingesting gluten...again. (I still can't write the post about that fish filet sandwich.)  Also, I spent so many years struggling with a general and all over malaise that I couldn't pin point my discomfort.  I just ached.  I just itched.  I just felt tired.  Pretty much all the things I felt again after using the hair color. 

Why didn't I read the box before I used it?  No excuse here: I'm obviously still in denial about the insidious permeation of gluten into almost every aspect of main stream commercial America. 

I'm going to have to question and examine everything that goes into or onto my body.  But really, shouldn't we all?

I'm Coconuts Over You

Not too long ago I came across a recipe for a coconut pie crust filled with ganache.  The recipe only had four ingredients and was naturally gluten free!  I made it the very next day and my whole family went crazy for it. 

I wanted to make it again for a gathering but I have seen my gluten free foods get cross contaminated at parties (even when I set them apart or put a sticker on them). 

 

I just couldn't bear the thought of being separated from this pie, so I decided to make the recipe into bite sized treats.  No gluteny knives or forks would be necessary to serve! 

Whether it's full or bite sized, I think you will fall in love with this recipe!

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 11 ounces (about 6 cups) sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 61% cacao), finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Put 4 tablespoons of  butter in a food processor. 

Mix it with one-third of the coconut until mixture forms a ball.  This takes 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the remaining two-thirds coconut to the mixture and mix with your fingers.  Spray a mini-muffin pan with no-stick spray.

Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, place a ball of dough in each space.

I have a pastry press that I used to make the shells.  If you do not have one of these tools, simply shape the mini shells with your fingers. 

Be sure to leave the coconut at the top slightly loose.

After making the shells, I noticed what was on my bowl.  Is it wrong to make gluten free goodies in a bowl decorated with wheat shafts?  I'll struggle with my conscience later.

Place the shells in the oven and bake until they begin to brown (10 to 15 minutes). Cover with foil if the edges start to brown.  Cook another 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer crust to a wire rack to cool completely.

Be sure to place a cookie sheet under the shells.  The crust is very buttery and may drip over the sides.

To make the the filling, chop 8 oz of chocolate very fine.  My preference is 60% cacao. 

You may notice that my pictures shows a full pound of chocolate.  I doubled the ingredients for the filling so we would have some left over.  Yes, I did!  (We spread it on gluten free french toast the next day like a ganachy chocolate jam.)

Put the cream in a heavy sauce pan and bring just to a boil.  

Pour over chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.

Let sit 10 minutes, then stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is combined.

I put the chocolate in a plastic baggie.  Snip off the end and used it to fill the pie shells.

When pouring from a baggie, just tilt the end of the bag down to fill and then lift up when you're reaching the top of the pie shell.

 

Refrigerate until filling is set.  The original recipe says for 1 hour or 1 day. 

 

If you can wait past an hour, more power to you.  I am so coconuts over this dessert I can barely make it that long. 

 

Enjoy!

We Have a Gluten Free List...Buffalo Wild Wings

My kid's relay team just set their second National Record!  We're doing all the things an accomplishment like that warrants: hugging and parading and picture taking and...

...a big celebration dinner with the team.

Out.

At a restaurant.

At a restaurant that is appealing to 14 year old boys: Buffalo Wild Wings.

I ate there not too long ago. I was told they had a gluten free list. But I couldn't bend my fingers comfortably for three days after that meal.  I'm feeling sick long before I ever take the first bite of faith. It's the 'fuss' that starts the queasy feeling; you know, the fuss of trying to explain how careful I need them to be with my food.

Luckily, I have some advance notice and could call ahead to Buffalo Wild Wings. It went like this:

Me: Hi, I'm coming to your restaurant tonight with a large group. I have a terrible, horrible allergy (I know Celiacs is NOT an allergy, but it seems to be the only word that gets a me a gleam of understanding). May I speak with your manager about gluten free options?

Boy on the Phone: Yes! We have a gluten free list. You can look at that.

Me: Do you have a dedicated fryer?

Boy on the Phone: Uh...let me get the manager.

The manager was so lovely.  He gave me a firm and confident statement, "We DO have a gluten free list."

Great! Do you also have a dedicated fryer?

Silence. 

"I don't know.  When you come in, ask for the evening manager.  But you probably shouldn't eat anything here."

It's nice to have a list but the list alone doesn't do anything for me.  Should I go buy some trusted Pei Wei and bring it to the party? Should I stock up on snickers and M&Ms from concessions?  I have an apple in the car. 

What would you do? 

I'd Rather Be Gluten Free Than Iron a Shirt

I have some wonderfully supportive friends and family* who are helping me, at least tolerating me, in these first early months of living with Celiac Disease. 

 

They seem to accept my random gluten facts and rants as another phase of my penchant for information gluttony.  They've taken my Anthony Bourdain watching, orchid growing, homeschooling, bread baking, P.J. O'Rourke reading obsessions in their stride. 

 

But gluten?  Gluten may be here to stay. 

 

And there is one friend who is strapped in next to me on this crazy ride.

We call her the good witch of the North; since she's from Canada, eh?  This magical woman has bought gluten free cook books, made me gluten free goodies, experimented with the elusive gluten free baguette and more. 

 

Just today she brought me a recipe for some crazy easy, crazy delish flax muffins (I promise to share them in a blog).  With the muffins she brought her special brand of wisdom:

 We make our choices and most of us do exactly what we want to do... if not, I would iron more often.

Karen said so perfectly how I feel about facing the challenges of an autoimmune disease. 

I am the maker of my choices.  I am not, nor ever will be, a victim of circumstance.  I may not have chosen this challenge but I can definitely choose my attitude about it:

I am embracing my gluten free life in some very wrinkled clothing!


*To all my fabulous and jealous friends, you know who you are, I will blog about you too.

HEB Makes Gluten Free Better

If you remember, I made red beans and rice with HEB's Central Market Organics.  All the ingredients appeared to be gluten free, but I'm learning that some things that appear to be 'safe' are not.  I tried to find this product on HEB's gluten free product list but had no luck.  So I put a call into HEB's customer service.

The service rep told me she knew the beans to be gluten free but asked if she could call me back.  She wanted to verify the information with the factory.  I got the call back today. 

Not only are the beans gluten free but they are manufactured in a factory that is also gluten free! 

I'm starting to buy their slogan:

Here Everything is Better...and a lot of it is gluten free.

What Does a Gluten Free Birthday Look Like?

It looks like this:

I'm learning to be a wine drinker.  My friend, Heather, is helping.

This amazing artist makes sculptures from dead or fallen trees. 
He is creating a piece in our neighborhood park.  We had to go meet him!

Knock out bars from Mary's Gluten Free



And THIS!  Green's Beer, caprese salad, guacamole and chips. 
Thank you to my Texadian friends!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Doucet. Boudreaux. Both 'good' French names; both brought to south Louisiana by the first displaced Acadians.  These are the names of my ancestors.  Never mind that I was adopted into this culture.  Forget that I was born and raised in Houston; South Louisiana is home.   

Louisiana is where we went to celebrate weddings and funerals; yes, celebrate.  You can barely tell the difference between the two events. There is music and dancing, laughing and crying, lots of hugging, big kisses and... FOOD.  When I was four years old I asked my Papa if we were at a wedding or a funeral. He smiled at me and said, "Well, if there's a man all dressed up and he's not breathing or moving... you can be sure it's a wedding!" 

Perhaps it's because the Cajuns endured so many hardships that they developed what we call 'cajun enh-juh-new-uh-tee". They also have the ability to make the good times so much sweeter.  All of life is to be loved, people are to be cherished, feet are for dancing and food is for sharin'!

New to living with Celiac Disease, I've already made my choice:   I'm clinging to my culture.  Since almost every Cajun recipe starts with, "first you make a roux", my food has had to face some Cajun ingenuity.  More than the flavor, I think the stubborn determination to make something delicious with what little was available is what gives Cajun food it's depth.  So with Feufollet singing "Prends Courage", I'm dancing my way into a gluten free Mardi Gras.

Gluten Free King Cake

Beautiful, isn't it?  Would you like the recipe?  Well, you can't have it.  This cake turned out more like short bread.  Tasty, but not very cake like.  It's probably not the recipe's fault; I made some on the fly changes to the ingredients.   But let's face it, how often are you going to make King Cake?  Once a year... maybe.  So instead, I would love to share the other gluten free food we had for Mardi Gras.  This is something you can make every Monday like the Cajuns do!

Red Beans and Rice

15 links of Aidelle's Chicken and Apple Sausage

1/2 Tbs. oil of choice

3 medium white onions, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

5 stalks celery, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

5 cans Central Market Organic Low Sodium Dark Red Kidney Beans

2-3 bay leaves

ground black pepper to taste

Brown or white rice (follow directions for the number of servings you want)

We love Aidell's Chicken and Apple sausage, but you can use any gluten free sausage of choice.  Slice sausage links on a diagonal about 1/4 of an inch thick.  Place them in the bottom of a large stock pot with oil on medium high heat.  Stir at first to coat all the sausage with oil, then allow to cook undisturbed so that the sausage can brown. 

This is what you want your sausage to look like on at least one side.  It will look slightly blistered but not black.  It will stick to the bottom a bit.  Don't be scared.  This dark sticky stuff is what will make your bean juice thick and will give it a deep flavor-- like you've made them with roux.  It's a delicate balance to getting the sausage to brown without burning.  If you see a lot of build up on the bottom of the pot, use tongs to scrap the bottom as you begin stir the sausages again.

I like to do my chopping before I brown the sausage.  Once the sausage is cooked, add in chopped onions and stir until almost wilted.  Then throw in the celery, bell pepper and garlic.  Stir a little bit more until all the veggies look tender.  Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any brown bits from the sausage. 

Onions

Bell Pepper (I wonder if thoses sticker are gluten free?)

Celery

Garlic

After the vegetables have softened, add in your kidney beans (do not drain).  I use the low sodium canned beans because I work for a dialysis clinic and we encourage everyone to watch their sodium intake.  I love HEB's Central Market Organics.  All the ingredients appear to be gluten free: organic kidney beans, water, sea salt.  I had no reaction to them but still placed a call into HEB for the definite answer.  I'll let you know what I hear.   

Once the beans are in the pot, add two or three bay leaves, grind black pepper until it's visible on the top of the beans. I made about ten turns on my grinder.  When the liquid begins to bubble, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for at least an hour, longer if you have it.  Periodically stir the beans and mash a few to the sides of the pot.  Then stir them back into the 'bean juice'.  This will also help to thicken the gravy. 

Cook your favorite rice to serve with the beans. 

The most import thing about Cajun food is that it is for sharing.  I don't add alot of spice to my food because I like to feed a crowd.  Make sure to have your favorite gluten free Cajun hot sauce near the pot of beans for people to doctor their bowl to their liking.  This fed about 14 people and one pregnant lady.    

Let the gluten free good times roll!

*If you want to make this in a slow cooker, be sure to crack the lid slightly so that some of the steam releases so the liquid will thicken as the beans cook.