Celiac Disease and Easter Baskets

It’s hard to believe that Easter is only a little over 5 weeks away.  Here in Southwestern Pennsylvania we are preparing for another major snow storm that is already hammering the eastern part of the state and due to hit us later this afternoon and evening.  But with Easter this close I thought I would give parents of children with celiac disease some ideas for Easter Baskets.

First let me just say that all Jelly Belly jelly beans are gluten free.  YAY!  I love jelly beans. 

• All Just Born Brand candies are gluten free.  That includes their Peep brand marshmellow candies, (all varieties), Mike & Ike, Teenie Beanie Jelly Beans and more.
• M & M’s, all brands except the krispy kind
• Skittles
• Tootsie Roll Industries, posts that all their candies are gluten free
• as does Ferrara Pan Candy Company
• Laffy Taffy
• Heath Milk Chocolate English Toffee small size bars
• Swedish Fish
• Snickers Bars fun size and minis
• Wonka Giant Pixy Stix
• Starburst Fruit Chews
• and Double Bubble Bubble Gum
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Bunny
• Hershey’s milk chocolate eggs
• Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate eggs
• Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bunnies

If you just don’t feel like going through the whole list of gluten free candy, my friend Karon Thackston has done all the work for you by coming up with Gluten Free Easter Baskets .  Be sure to check them out.

If you don’t want to give your kids too much candy, there is always crayons, or other school supplies.

• Crayola Brand Crayons are gluten free this includes their markers, washable markers, 3D markers, chalk, oil pastels, model magic, colored pencils, glue paint and Silly Putty.  However, Crayola Dough is not gluten free.
• All Palmer Paints are gluten free
• All Ross products except the finger paints.

I hope that I have given you some ideas for your childs Easter Basket and that you have a very Happy Easter.

Celiac Disease and Weight Loss

When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I thought the last thing I would ever need worry about was losing weight.  Well that was 22 years ago and over those years I have put on a few pounds.  A few “extra” pounds I should say.  So since this is the beginning of a new year and I hope a healthier me, I am starting an exercise program.

My friend Scott Tousignant of Fat Loss Quickie , has a program that he says will get me in shape and feeling stronger in just 30 days and the kicker is:  Just 10 minutes a day.

I am not a full time, stay at home entrepreneur, yet.  I work a full day at my husbands business and then come home to work on my fledgling business.  I barely have time to sleep let alone go to a gym to work out.

So I’m giving Scott the next 30 days to help me get back into shape and feeling more energetic.  And I’ll keep you all posted on how it is going.

Celiac Disease Testing

I thought I should let you all know why I have been  missing in action this week.

After 22 years of a gluten free diet and never having any follow-ups, my daughter thought that I should have a check up. 

I’ve been having some indigestion type discomfort for the past several months.  My daughter is a Cardiovascular Technologist in the cath lab of one of the major hospitals in Pittsburgh, so naturally we went down the road of ruling out heart disease.  I had a walking stress test which was fine, in fact the cardiologist told me that my “heart was as healthy as a horse”.  Thank you, I think. 

So next off to the Gastroenterologist.  She read my diagnosis from 22 years ago, asked me my age and said, “I want you to have an Endoscopy and a Colonoscopy.  Yeah

So this week I’ve been preparing for my tests that I had done yesterday.  Monday night was my last real meal.  Tuesday was a day of all liquids.  That was fun, especially being at work. 

Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm I got to start my magic elixer.  It wasn’t a glass of fine wine, but it didn’t taste as bad as everyone kept telling me it would.  I’ll spare you the details of what happened over the next 3 hours, but bright and early Wednesday morning I was off to the hospital for my tests.

The testing went smoothly and a lot faster than I anticipated.  I got most of the results back right away.  Everything was normal and the doctor said that there was some rippling typical of celiac disease but not abnormal.  In fact if he wouldn’t have known I had Celiac Disease he would not have attributed the rippling to that.   So my vigilance of a gluten free diet has been successful. 

Proof positive that if you are careful, watch your diet and stay on a gluten free diet.  You can stay healthy, even without follow up medical attention.

Oh and the diagnosis for my digestive discomfort?  Acid Reflux.  So I take an acid controller twice a day.  Well at least I know I’m still healthy.

5 Gluten Free New Years Eve Appetizers-Menu Monday

I can’t believe that Christmas is over and we are winding down the last few days of 2009.  New Year’s Eve will be here before you know it.  So for todays Menu Monday I thought I would give you some gluten free appetizer recipes that you can use for your New Year’s Eve Party or to take with you to a party that you’ve been invited to. 

If you are going to a party instead of hosting your own you may want to check out last weeks Menu Monday, 10 Tips to a Gluten Free Holiday, if you haven’t already.

                                               Bruschetta Bites

• 1  (32 ounce) can whole tomatoes drained
• 1 Cup fresh Basil leaves, and a few more for garnish
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic peeled
• 2 large French-Syle Gluten Free Baguettes, sliced 1-inch thick (you can get these in the freezer section at Whole Foods or other specialty stores that carry gluten free breads)
• 1 1/2 pounds shreded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a food processor bowl add tomatoes, basil leaves, olive oil, 4 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper.  Pulse until smooth, but still chunky. 

On a baking sheet , place gluten free baguette slices.  Toast in the oven until light golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle grated cheese on hot bread and put back in oven for about 45 seconds, to melt the cheese.  Remove from oven and put about 1 tablespoon of the tomatoe mixture on each piece.  Chiffonade (slice thinly) the extra basil leaves and place on top to garnish.

                                               Broccoli Cheese Party Quiches

• 1 can evaporated milk
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2 Tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 Cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 Cups chopped frozen broccoli, thawed and drained
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and lightly flour 12 mini muffin cups.  Whisk evaporated milk, eggs, flour salt and pepper in a medium bowl until blended.  Spoon 1/4 cup of mixture into muffin cups, filling almost to the top.  Stir mixture frequently to keep ingredients evenly mixed.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are lightly brown.  Cool in pans for about 15 minutes.  To remove from pans, run a knife around the inside edges of the muffin cups.  Remove quiches carefully.

                                               Spinich Dip

• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 container gluten free sour cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
• 1 package Knorr Vegetable recipe mix
• 1 small onion finely diced

Combine all ingredients well and refridgerate at least 2 hours.  Serve with your favorite raw vegetables or gluten free crackers or chips.

                                               Polenta Bites

• 1 Cup cornmeal
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 Tablespoon Oil
• 1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tablespoon Tabasco sauce

Grease a jelly roll pan and set aside.  In a 2 quart saucepan over high heat bring 2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of butter, and salt to a boil.

Meanwhile, combine cornmeal and 1 cup cold water and stir.  Add cornmeal mixture to boiling water mixture, bring back up to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Continue to cook until mixture thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and add cheese and tabasco sauce.

Spread cooked cornmeal mixture into prepared jelly roll pan evenly to about 1/2 inch thick.  Refrigerate, uncovered for at least 30 minutes.

After the polenta is cool, cut in to bitesized shapes, about 2 1/2 inch in diameter.  In a large skillet over medium heat, heat remaining butter and oil.  Add polenta shapes and cook 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.  Serve with Spicy Salsa.  (Recipe follows)

                                              Spicy Salsa

• 1 Cup Fresh ripe tomatoes diced
• 3 tablespoons minced onions
• 1 Tablespoon cilantro
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours to blend the flavors.  (Makes about 1 Cup)

                                             Cheese Ball

• 1 (16 ounce) tub Philadelphia cream cheese, (not the bricks of cheese)
• 2 (8 ounce) tubs Kaukauna extra sharp cheddar cheese  (check the ingredient list, besides Kraft Cracker Barrel in the tub which has become next to impossible to find this is the only brand I know of that is all cheese)

Set these out to soften for about 2 hours.  In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and the extra sharp cheddar cheese with an electric mixer.  Refrigerate until firm, place on a platter or cheese plate and form into a ball.  Sprinkle with parsley flakes and serve with your favorite gluten free crackers.

Both of my granddaughters love this cheese so much they eat it on everything.

I hope you enjoy these recipes.  Please let me know how you and your guests liked them. 

Have a safe and Happy New Year and may your 2010 bring you all that you hope for.

Mary Blackburn

Living Gluten Free

Dinner in a Hurry?

If you have Celiac Disease, you know that the days of dinner in a hurry pretty much came crashing to a halt with your diagnosis.  Gone were the days of coming home and slapping a frozen pizza in the oven or calling the pizza delivery man or if you had half an hour, Hamburger Helper.

However, last week I found a product that has changed all that.  I was in a grocery store that I don’t usually frequent and came across an end-cap that had all Gluten Free products on it.  There was a chocolate cake mix, brownie mix, pasta, cookies and crackers.  All products that I’ve seen before. 

As I looked over the products to see if there was anything new, I came across Hamburger Helper look alike boxes.  Mrs. Leeper’s Gluten Free Dinners. 

Since I don’t have the luxury of being a full time work at home woman, “yet”, I was extremely interested in trying these.  However, since my husband is not a celiac, and not completely gluten free, I asked him if he wanted to try them.

My husband has been so supportive throughout my whole celiac ordeal, so of course he said yes.

We took home the Beef Stroganoff, and the Creamy Tuna (the tuna was my husband’s choice).  We tried the beef stroganoff that night.  It was very good for a boxed dinner.  I’ve become very spoiled in that I really like to cook and bake, so I’m very critical of boxed foods, but these were good. 

We tried the Creamy Tuna a few days later.  I was not too excited to try this because I didn’t think a boxed tuna dinner could taste very good.   But since we didn’t get home from work until late, this would be a quick dinner.

I was pleasantly surprised.  It was very creamy and flavorful.  Since my husband has high cholesterol, we used ground turkey breast instead of ground beef for the stroganoff and tuna packed in water instead of oil for a more healthful meal.  I will definately buy these again and try all the other flavors.

Mrs Leeper’s makes 6 different varieties of dinners:    

• Beef Stroganoff
• Creamy Tuna
• Cheeseburger Mac
• Chicken Alfredo
• Beef Lasagna
• Mac & Cheese       

There are also topping suggestions on the side of the box, that are appropriate for the dinner being made.                    

I would suggest you try these.

Mary Blackburn

Living Gluten Free

How Ready are you for the Holidays?

I’m sitting here at my computer, listening to Christmas music, and looking at all the snow we got yesterday, a little over 7 inches.  I know, a small amount compared to what some of the further eastern areas received. 

My labrador retriever, Charlie, loves this weather.  He just wants to go outside and play in the snow.  Charlie isn’t 2 years old yet, so if you know anything about labs, you know that they don’t reach maturity until after the age of 2.

My husband is wrapping presents for me, since I am so far behind.  I have had a cold for about 2 weeks now and I think it has developed into a sinus infection.  I’ve had a temperature ranging between 99.2 and 103.4 for the past 3 days, along with a screaming sinus headache.  So I haven’t gotten anything done as far as my baking, or present wrapping done that I was planning on doing yesterday.

So I was just wondering how ready the rest of you are for the holidays?  Is it just me or did they seem to come earlier this year?  Thankfully, this is my off year.  You see, we celebrate Christmas with my side of the family on Christmas Day and my husband, Jim’s side of the family on New Years. 

Every other year the celebrations are at our house.  So this is our off year, we will be travelling to Westmoreland County to my sister’s house Christmas day and then off to the eastern part of Pennsylvania to Gettysburg to my sister-in-law’s farm New Years Day, (weather permitting).

How do you celebrate the holidays at your house?  Tomorrow I’ll be back with some idea’s and tips on traveling and making sure you have some gluten free foods to eat at someone else’s house.

Mary Blackburn

Living Gluten Free

The Virtual Cookie Exchange

My friend, Susanne Myers, The Hillbilly Housewife, is hosting a virtual cookie exchange.  The following cookie recipe is my contribution.  I hope that you enjoy them.

                                        Gluten Free Mock Thin Mints

1 Cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Unsweetened cocoa powder + some extra for dusting
1/4 teaspoon Rumsford Baking Powder
6 Tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Large Egg
1/2 teaspoon gluten free Vanilla extract

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.  In a separate bowl, cream the butter & sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer.  While still mixing add in the egg and vanilla.  Set mixer on low speed and slowly add flour mixture,  so as not to have it pouf out at you.  Mix on medium high speed until all ingredients are incorporated.

Dough will be very soft so cover bowl with plastic wrap and refriderate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  With a teaspoon,  scoop up a teaspoon size piece of dough and roll in your hands to form a ball.  Place on the cookie sheets 2 inches apart.   

Dip the bottom of a glass into the extra cocoa powder and flatten dough balls into 1 1/2″ rounds (about 1/4″ thick).

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until slightly firm to the touch, rotating cookie sheets half way through baking time.

Transfer cookies immediately to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Replace parchment paper on cookie sheets.

                                  Chocolate Coating for Cookies

One – 12 ounce bag semi sweet morsels
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 Tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a double boiler or a heat proof bowl,  set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, combine the chocolate morsels, peppermint extract, salt, and the sweetened condensed milk .  Heat,  stirring occasionally until smooth.

When cookies are completely cool, hold each cookie with a finger and thumb and frost with chocolate mixture.  I use the tines of a fork instead of a knife, so as not to get too much chocolate on each cookie.  Coat both top and bottom.  Place frosted cookie on parchment covered cookie sheet and repeat until all cookies are coated.

Place in refrigerator until chocolate has hardened, at least 1 hour.

Cookies can be refrigerated up to 5 days in an air tight container between layers of parchment paper.I hope you enjoy these cookies and all the others that you will find at the Virtual Cookie Exchange.

Mary Blackburn

Living Gluten Free

More Gluten Free Halloween Treats

Today I have another recipe to make your gluten-free Halloween delicious.  I also have some more candy that I’ve found to be gluten-free.

• All Just Born Brand candies are gluten free.  That includes their Peep brand marshmellow candies, (all varieties), Mike & Ike, Teenie Beanie Jelly Beans and more.
• M & M’s, all brands except the krispy kind
• Skittles
• Tootsie Roll Industries, posts that all their candies are gluten free
• as does Ferrara Pan Candy Company
• Laffy Taffy
• Betty Crocker Halloween Fruit Flavored snacks
• Heath Milk Chocolate English Toffee small size bars
• Swedish Fish
• Snickers Bars fun size and minis
• Wonka Giant Pixy Stix
• Starburst Fruit Chews
• and Double Bubble Bubble Gum

As I come across more I’ll let you know here.

Here is another homemade treat for your tricksters.

                                            Wickedly Good Popcorn Balls

1. 4 quarts popcorn, popped
2. 2 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate
3. 2 cups granulated sugar
4. 1/2 cup light corn syrup
5. 1 cup of water

Preset the oven to 200 degrees.  Place popcorn into a large heat proof bowl and place it in the oven to keep it warm.  Put the chocolate into a heavy saucepan over low heat.  Stir constantly, and heat the chocolate for 5 minutes or until completely melted.  Stir in the sugar and corn syrup until well blended.  Add the water and stir to blend in.

Adjust the heat to medium and stir continuously until it comes to a steady boil.  Continue cooking until a candy thermometer reaches 250 degrees or hard ball stage.

Remove the popcorn from the oven and pour the chocolate mixture over the popcorn stirring to evenly coat popcorn.  When the mixture cools enough to be handled, form it into 3 inch balls.  Place popcorn balls on a wire rack to cool.

These popcorn balls are a good change from the regular popcorn balls we all grew up with.  When forming these balls, dip your hand into cold water to keep the popcorn from sticking to your hands.  Wrap the popcorn balls in plastic wrap or for a fancier look, pretty orange and black cellophane paper found at most craft stores, and tie the ends with a halloween ribbon.

We’ll be searching the aisles at the grocery store for more gluten free candy all this week, so check back often.

Mary Blackburn

Living Gluten Free

Celiac Disease-Symptoms in Children

Are gluten intollerance symptoms different in children than they are in adults?  Well yes and no.

Children, like adults, can have any number of the symptoms in yesterdays post, and more.

Although celiac disease is a serious condition in adults, undiagnosed CD in children is a very real and serious health crisis.  With possibly as many as one in 80 children worldwide affected by celiac disease, it is being ranked as one of the most chronic childhood diseases affecting  children today.

Symptoms of a child with celiac disease can show up as early as three to five months after consuming gluten containing food for the first time, although for some children it can be as short as one month.  Some experts on feeding infants are recommending that solid foods not be introduced into the babys diet until almost five months old and should not be introduced to gluten containing food/cereal until after six month of age.

A celiac baby that is by all other standards ”normal”, will thrive until gluten is introduced into his diet, then he may refuse to eat and fail to gain weight.

Symptoms can and do vary from one child to another, just as they do in adults.  Some children become very sick with severe diarrhea and dehydration.  Stools may become abnormal, they may be pale in color, float because of all the air and fat in them and smell horribly.  Your celiac child may become listless, irritable, have difficulty concentrating, be cranky and if a puberty age girl, have a delayed puberty.

If you suspect your child may have celiac disease, see a gastroenterologist and have them tested.  A simple blood test, IgA antihuman tissue transglutaminase (IgA TTG) and IGA endomysial antibody immunofluoresence (IgA EMA), can give you the answers that you are looking for.  If the blood tests are inconclusive, you may need to have an endoscopy of the small intestine done.  This is a minor proceedure that can give you an absolute answer. 

However, DO NOT remove gluten from your childs diet before you have them tested.  Gluten must be present in the diet for the tests to be accurate.

Just know that celiac disease is a life long condition, but can be treated and controlled 100% by a gluten free diet.

With Halloween fast approaching, I will be talking about celebrating for the celiac child, with recipe substitutions and suggestions for trick or treating.

Mary Blackburn

Living Gluten Free

Celiac Disease-The Symptoms

Celiac disease is a very common, yet very under diagnosed, incurable, hereditary, autoimmune disease.  Recent studies show that one  in 133 people , in the United States alone,  are affected by celiac disease.  The reason that it is so under diagnosed or misdiagnosed is because the symptoms can be so varied.

With most diseases there are a set of symptoms that are basically typical to that particular disease.  However, celiac disease has a broad spectrum of symptoms, none of which are “typical.”  Symptoms are triggered by the ingestion of gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and sometimes oats. 

Symptoms of CD can be any one of or several of the following:  fatigue, anemia, unexplained weight loss or weight gain, skin blisters or other skin disorders, mood swings, depression, anxiety,  miscarriages, osteoporosis, irritable bowel, headaches, a bloated feeling, flatulence (gas), profuse diarrhea, severe stomach aches, joint pain, and possibly others that just haven’t been linked to CD yet.  As your body becomes more intollerant to the gluten in your diet, you may experience numbness or tingling in your face and hands.

With that wide of a variety of  symptoms, you can see why self diagnosing is so difficult.  If you experience or are experiencing any of these symptoms, check with your doctor to see if you may have CD.  You will want to ask for the following blood tests:  IgA antihuman tissue transglutaminase (IgA TTG) and IGA endomysial antibody immunofluoresence (IgA EMA).  That is a mouthful,  I know, however, these tests are currently recommended by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as being the most accurate.

Then if your blood tests positive for gluten antibodies, you will need to have a biopsy of your small intestine, to check your intestinal villi.  This is done as an outpatient procedure.

After that you go on a Gluten Free diet and feel better.

Just keep in mind, if you suspect you might have Celiac Disease, and you want an actual medical diagnosis, DO NOT start a gluten free diet before your blood test and intestinal biopsy.  You need to be eating gluten for the blood tests and biopsy to be accurate.

Tomarrow I’ll talk about different symptoms for children with celiac disease.

Mary Blackburn

Living Gluten Free