It's a Schar Thing

Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Tomato, Onion with Homemade Ranch on Schar Baguette

As someone who loves to cook, I am amazed at my lack of imagination when it comes to making gluten free food that travels; default setting goes straight to sandwiches.

Nothing satisfies like a sandwich.  It's the stuff of which childhood lunch memories are made.  A sandwich is quick, transportable and self-contained. 

For someone with celiac disease, a sandwich is a thing of longing.  It was one of the first and one of the few things I miss.  Not the first; beer being the first.  I can barely type the word 'beer' with out pangs of angst.  Beer first and then, sometimes sandwiches.  See, it takes over.  This blog entry is not about beer.   

I don't miss any particular type of sandwich, it's the comfort, the shape, the familiarity, the ease of making a meal.

Sure I make lettuce wraps now.  Sure I've gotten better at packing left-overs for on the road meals but every now and again I want long for a sandwich.

Many of the sliced gluten free breads leave me cold (and gritty).  I do love Gluten Free Houston's Millet Sour Dough but some sandwiches call for heft like this one:

That picture was taken in La Ferté-Bernard, pre-gluten free me and that is the type of sandwich that comes to me in my dreams.  I thought it was gone from my life forever...

...until my friend found gluten free Schar bread hiding in our local HEB.  She picked up some of their classic white rolls for me to try.  They are wonderful and so I went to buy more.  That's when I found this:

Baguettes!  Gluten free baguettes!  They look and act just like a baguette should!  I've used this bread toasted and slightly warmed.  I've even bitten off a hunk of it right out of the bag.  I may even try to make french toast with it soon.  It's good.  It feels right.  It satisfies my longing.

 

I'm still looking for whole food, grain free options for my dietary mainstays.  But sometimes nothing can beat a Schar thing. 

Cra-zay for Caprese

 

 



Firm ripe tomatoes, marintated mozzarella balls cut in half, fresh basil.  Stick a toothpick through them.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar reduction.

That is all.

For real, that's all there is to it.

Gluten Free BLT

Have I told you lately how much I love the Sourdough Millet Bread from Gluten Free Houston? 

Just look at it toasted for this bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich!  It got the ultimate compliment from my teenaged daughter, "This tastes like a REAL blt!?!" 

 

Dreamy Cilantro Sauce

Cilantro.  Coriander.  Chinese Parsley.  Call it what you want, I call it divine!  Full of flavor and nutrients, cilantro can brighten any dish. 

Mix it with your favorite creamy (gluten free) substance, mayonnaise, yogurt, cream cheese or ranch dip and you have a dipping sauce that is great on chips, tacos, salmon patties... you name it!

7/21/12 Revision: I forgot to mention the lime juice that makes this sauce so bright.  Roll the lime against the counter top a few times to release the juice.

Wild and (Gluten) Free Salmon Patties

Before going gluten free, a weeknight family go-to meal was baked salmon patties.  I would mix the salmon with bread slices and mayo then coat in panko bread crumbs before baking.  Surprisingly, everyone in the family loved them! 

I have not been able to reproduce them gluten free and still make them tasty... until now! 

I have fallen love with Gluten Free Houston's Sourdough Millet bread.  It toasts up nicely and has such a great texture.  I've been saving the ends of the loaf in my freezer, not wanting to waste a crumb.  I now realize what I was saving them for!

If you do not have access to Gluten Free Houston's products, use your favorite gluten free bread that tastes good toasted.

Wild and Free Salmon Patties

6 cans wild caught salmon (I buy at Costco)
2 medium baked potatoes
1 cup mayonnaise
2-3 tbs dill
1 cup gluten free bread crumbs
1 cup unsweetened coconut
garlic powder and/or italian seasoning to taste
butter

1.  Bake then cut potatoes into small cubes, 1/2 inch or smaller, including the skins.  This is easier to do if the potatoes are cooled or chilled.

2.  Process bread in a food processor or Vitamix until it makes a fine bread crumb.

2.  Drain salmon and place in large mixing bowl with potatoes, dill, and mayonnaise.

3. Mix bread crumbs, coconut and seasoning on wax paper.

4.  Scoop the salmon mixture and shape into a patty.  I like to use a large ice cream scoop with a release lever.

5.  Press into the bread crumb and coconut mixture.  Be sure to coat the sides of the patty with crumbs also.

6.  As you shape the patties, melt about 1 tbs of butter in a large skillet at medium heat.  Add patties and cook at medium heat.  Do not flip the patties until the first side is well browned and crunchy.  Once brown, flip and continue to cook the second side.


Serve with Dreamy Cilantro Sauce!

This recipe will make about eight hamburger sized patties.  They save nicely for left overs too!

Ready to Thai One On

Since wheat is not traditionally grown in Thailand, most Thai dishes are naturally gluten free.  This has made Thai food my new comfort food. 

Although all the ingredients in this salad are not classic Thai, this salad is my new summer time favorite!

Dressing: 12 ozs coconut milk (a little less than a can) 1 tbsp fish sauce 1/4 cup lime juice 1 lime zest 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tsp pepper 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar 1/2 tsp salt Salad Fixin's: Chopped Romaine Lettuce Sliced strawberries Grilled chicken (sliced thin) Avocado Chopped Cilantro Fresh Parmesean Cheese

Getting My Gluten FreeK on at the Mellow Mushroom

Headed to Austin.  Meeting friends at a pizza joint. 

I was feeling pretty anxious about food arrangements so I called ahead to The Mellow Mushroom to verify that there would be nothing there that I could eat.

"Is there any chance y'all have gluten free items?  Yes?!?  You have a menu of six pizzas and I can custom order one if I want?  Can you tell me how you prepare the gluten free pizzas so I can determine if I would be able to eat it?" 

The guy on the other end sound very excited to be able to tell me about the special measures they take to assure the gluten free pizzas are guarded from cross contamination:

• The cook removes their apron, washes hands, puts on new gloves and a new apron.
• The pizza is assembled in the 'cooler' with fresh ingredients.  The other pizzas are made up front
• A screen is placed on the stone so that the crust never touches it.

He sounded so confident and reassuring that I felt confident and reassured...

...but I still asked my server the same questions when I got there.  She told me all the same steps they would take to keep my pizza gluten free and dare I say, she almost looked excited about my special requests!  No blank stare, no huff, only reassurance!  Then she brought me an extensive gluten free menu that reiterated their cross contamination precautions. 

I ordered the Kosmic Karma and mellowed out until the pizza came. 

That's when I freaked out!  It was beautiful: fresh basil, fresh tomatos, fresh pesto and feta cheese!  The crust was gluten-free-good: not gritty, not gooey (I still miss the chew of glutenous crust).  The toppings placed it over the top.  I ate half of it right then and there!!

Best part about that pizza?  I didn't wake up with Lady Gaga claw hands this morning! 

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.

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!

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



Happiness is a Warm (Gluten Free) Pancake

Look what I came home to after a day of perpetual driving: a plate full of pancakes made with Pamela's gluten free baking and pancake mix!

The Christmas before I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, my neighbor (who owns her own bakery) gifted us a small bag of Pamela's. My whole family loved it better than any other pancake mix we had eaten--gluten included.  It became our pancake of choice, even before I knew I had to eat gluten free. 

Coming home to a dinner I didn't have to cook or plan made it feel like Christmas all over again!

Just follow the directions on the package!

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.

Not a Lotsky is Gluten Free at Schlotzsky's

Sleep a few more minutes or make a lunch?  I chose sleep.

It was a really, really bad choice because I was going to be out of the house all day for a water polo tournament.  We were riding with another family, so I would have no way to go in search of gluten free options in the small town where we were spending the day. 

WHAT was I thinking? 

Lunch time came and we loaded up to go to Subway.  I get really gluten freaky in Subway.  I hear they're working on gluten free options.  I just can't imagine a way to make that place safe from cross contamination.  The line was so long at Subway that we decided to go to Scholtzsky's instead.

Have you ever been to Schlotzsky's?  They have the most wonderful bread and their sandwiches are almost like a mufaletta.  Their bread is definitely glutenous but I was hoping their salads might be an option.

I started with my standard litmus question, "Do you have a gluten free menu?"  I can almost always tell by the server's reaction what type of luck I am going to have.  The blank stare that I got told me this was going to be a challenge.  The kid went digging under the counter and brought up their nutritional information; informative but it had no allergen info.  I asked if I could speak with the manager. 

An even younger looking kid (he was the manager) came over and stared at me with an even blanker face when I asked he knew if there were any gluten free foods to be had. 

Gluuuuu-ten?  Wheeee-at?  I spoke directly into his ear spacers hoping it would help him hear, and possibly understand me better.  I smiled too.  Your salads?  Are they made in a separate area from the sandwiches?  I didn't even get an oral response.  He just kept staring and shaking his head slowly. 

I gave up.  I bought my daughter's sandwich and sat down.  But then I started shaking; I realized my blood sugar was dropping.  I decided to go back to the counter.

"I see from the pictures on the menu that your salads have avocado?  Yes?  Do you have any whole avocados?  Yes?"  (I got excited thinking I was getting somewhere.)  "May I buy a whole, unsliced avocado?"

You could have heard an ear spacer drop.  He couldn't even manage to shake his head no.  He said he had no way to know what to charge me.  I told him to charge me anything he wanted; ring it up as a whole salad.  I was getting what we call crazy hungry around my house which can quickly turn to hangry-a bad combination of hungry and angry.  I was still smiling but it was turning into a Gary Busey grin.

And then it happened, the sides of the box that constrained his cognitive abilities bulged a little.  "I will get you a whole avocado.  I'll give it to you for free.  I will go get it for you myself.  I haven't been around the bread." 

He brought out the biggest, most perfectly ripe avocado I have ever seen.  I almost leaped over the counter to hug him.  He even came out from behind the counter to show me where the plastic knives were kept.  I told him thank you more than once but decided hugging his neck was too much. 

That avocado mixed with hot sauce and pepper was the best meal I have ever had at Schlotzskys! Thank you again young manager kid. 

P.S.  I read that Schlotzsky's is working on a gluten free bread.  I'm just not sure how anything could be better than that avocado was that day.

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 the Kale?

I love kale.  Right before I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I started craving it and eating an entire bunch in one sitting.  Now I know it was my body trying to replace the nutrients I was missing.  And kale is a power house when it comes to nutrients!  Full of vitamins A, C and K, a good source of calcium and iron, kale plays more nutrional roles than Meryl Streep has accents. 

Invited to an Oscar/Going away party for my friend moving to Venezuela, this kale and grapefruit salad seemed like the perfect pick to play both parts.

Kale and Grapefruit Salad

1 bunch kale

1 tbs. olive oil

1 tsp garlic wine vinegar

2 grapefruits

1/4 purple onion, sliced

dash sea salt

Additional gluten free toppings as you prefer: raspberries, sunflower seeds, feta cheese

Rinse and pat the kale dry.  Remove the leaves from the stem.  I usually tear the leaves into bite sized pieces with my hands.

Mix the olive oil and vinegar together.

Drizzle the oil and vinegar over the kale.  Sprinkle sea salt on top.  Now massage the kale with your hands.  This is what it will look like before the massage:

This is what the kale looks like after the massage.  Doesn't it look more relaxed and loose?

Peel the grapefruits and section them.  Be careful not to get any of the pith (pith, not Pitt like Brad Pitt; although he looked pretty yummy tonight) in the salad.  Toss the greens and the grapefruit together.  The longer you let the kale soak in the oil/vinegar/juice, the more tender it will become.

I had raspberries and green onions on hand tonight.  I like to keep the toppings to two or three because, like Meryl's acceptance speech, it's the simplicity of this salad that makes it so refreshing!