Three Steps to Take to Avoid Gluten When Buying Groceries

How to stay safe while purchasing your food at the grocery store just many be the next $64,000 question. Selecting food that is gluten free is fairly easy, or should be. Let’s face it; most foods are inherently gluten free. The problem is the creativity of food manufacturers to search for and find new and different ways to contaminate perfectly good food that is otherwise free of gluten.

Do you want to know what I think? Frankly, I believe the powers-that-be in the food manufacturing kingdoms really don’t give a freaking, flying hoot in you know where about whether folks get sick. All they care about is the bottom line which is the almighty dollar. Remember what the Bible has to say about the rich man getting into heaven.

Onion and Mushroom Gravy

Longing for some of that comfort food your mom made for you when you were growing up? If you answered yes to this question, you are not along. Okay, let's through nutrition to the wind for just a moment, although there are remarkable amounts of trace nutrients in this simple dish. We all sometimes have a hankering for comfort food that just plain ole' soothes the sole.

This Mushroom and Onion Gravy recipe just happens to be one of those. The first complete meal my sweetie ate being "glutened" from Snyder's of Hanovers Restaurant Style Corn Tortilla Chips was the one you see in the picture above. 

I made a basic hamburger steak with steamed broccoli on the side, per his request, and topped the hamburger steak off with this fab gravy that I promise you cannot tell from the gravy your mom made for you when you were a wee bitty thing.

This dinner hit the spot for him. Rick cleaned his plate which was reward enough for me.

What Food Manufacturing Companies Don’t Tell You Could Make You Sick

My sweet husband innocently bought a bag of 100% tortilla chips made by Snyder’s of Hanover. He carefully read the label; there were no ingredients on the side panel that raised a red flag or sounded a warning alarm.

Most people who are Celiac, gluten sensitive, gluten intolerant or allergic to wheat  pretty much know which ingredients to avoid. For those of us who have been at this for a while, this is a no-brainer.

But, the package did carry an allergen warning: Processed in a plant that also handles peanut butter. His thinking was that since this was the only allergen warning, no other allergens were present.

Two hours later, he is in the bathroom violently ill. His waist expanded 7 inches causing a huge amount of pressure on his diaphragm. This went on for almost 12 hours when I was finally able to get him to our local doctor.

In this short time span, my husband went from a strong, healthy individual looking forward to the activities of the week to a seriously sick man. In this short time span, the gluten created much inflammation in his intestinal tract, causing enormous pain and resulting in diverticulitus and a long regimen of a strong antibiotic.

All of MY husband’s pain and suffering (and my stress) could have been avoided if Snyder’s of Hanover had been truthful on their package labeling. Their customer representative admitted to us that technically their 100% corn tortilla chips were gluten free and the machines on which they were processed were cleaned between runs. This person said that they run their “certified gluten free” products first, then the products with no gluten containing ingredients next and then their products that contain gluten.

The bottom line for this particular company is that they use the same machines for all of their products and rely on the integrity of the workers to properly clean the processing equipment from one run to another. This practice creates the ideal situation for the possibility of cross contamination such as my husband experienced.

Cooking for One: Part 2

Cooking for just one or even two people is not as simple as merely cutting a recipe into halves or fourths or whatever. Food preferences as well as cooking experience and preferred style of cooking all play roles in cooking whether for one or 10.

When I went away to college, I knew very little about cooking even though I was majoring in home economics. Sure, I had taken home economics in high school, but those courses were a far cry from deciding what and how much to buy, which utensil worked best and the list goes on from there. Many find themselves in this boat when leaving home for the first time or moving into their own place.

Sausage and Roasted Fennel over Penne Pasta

Just look at this gorgeous one plate meal--gluten free, too! Lots and lots of wonderful flavors and textures all in one dish. And, just look at the total calorie count--amazingly low filled with lots of good nutrition. Simply add a side salad and dinner is served!

Fun & Funkie Spring 2013 Table Setting

It is that time of year when you want to begin to change up everything in your house. I usually begin in the kitchen and this year was no exception. 

My sweet husband unexpectedly brought home this gorgeous, exotic house plant just for me the other day. Immediately I began to envision a spring table scape that would lift the spirits while dazzle the eye. 

Chocolate and Cranberry,Pear and Walnut Conserves Mascarpone Squares

I converted the recipe for this bar dessert from a regular one with perfect results. The Schar Ladyfingers worked beautifully--thanks Schar. Like all gluten free baking, the crust is better if allowed to sit 10 to 15 minutes prior to popping it into the oven. 

This is a terrific recipe for a large group of people which is exactly why I am planning to serve this as one of the dessert choices for Easter. If you don't have time to make my conserve recipe, pick a jam of choice. The results will still be terrific, I promise.

Easy Fruit Cobbler

This is one of those recipes passed down from mothers to daughters when our moms knew we do not know how to cook and were missing some of our favorites from our childhood. 

My mother wrote down a bunch of recipes when I first went to college. She knew that I knew nothing about cooking. She felt that this one, along about 15 others, would be super easy for a novice cook. She was oh so right. She knew her daughter only as a mother can.

Just add a scoop of your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt, and you have one super easy dessert.

Listen to YOUR Doctor

No one wakes up one day and says “Hey! What can I do today? I think I will become a Celiac.” Either you are born with the gene, or you are not. Period—end of story.

The answer may not be that simple because some folks can have non-Celiac gluten sensitivity/intolerance or a wheat allergy. Each of these are a little different and should be diagnosed by a trained Celiac specialist who can supervise the diet. Other than a uniform, itchy rash known as dermatitis herpetiformis, one of the tell-tell signs of Celiac disease, the symptoms of all three—Celiac, non-Celiac gluten sensitivity/intolerance and wheat allergy—can be very similar.

If someone is experiencing symptoms, the Celiac specialist may do a genetic test to determine if you have the gene. If so, she may want to do further testing to confirm a Celiac diagnosis and the amount of damage to the small intestine BEFORE advising a gluten free diet. At any rate, the method of diagnosis and follow up care should be left to Celiac specialists who work with patients on a one-to-one basis.

The problem I have with good intentioned Samaritans such as those at one particular research center, which shall remain nameless at this point, is that they broadcast general advice that just may not be in the best interest of those affected with the disease. Until such time a drug is developed to curb the symptoms of Celiac disease, the current treatment for Celiac disease is a gluten-free diet. To advise doing a 12 week wheat/gluten stress test to confirm Celiac disease puts patients at risk for increased intestinal damage, not to mention making many extremely sick. Who would want to do that just for a positive confirmation? If someone has been off gluten for any significant length of time, a wheat/gluten stress test can place someone who is extremely gluten intolerant at great risk.

This same group made the statement via Twitter that “ . . . many patients, in particular adults, improve only partially on a gluten-free-diet, and this diet is difficult to follow, costly and inconvenient.”

One Plate Meal for Two

When looking for a complete meal that will fit onto one plate, look no more. Even though the pesto is also good over chicken or pork, it is primarily a source of flavor. This is a really low calorie entree packed with lots of good "stuff". This plate is pretty and is a complete meal for one or two people. Enjoy!