A Very Merry Gluten Free holiday season

So its that time of year again and we all know that many of our favourite treats can become our worst nightmare if care hasn't been taken to make sure they are gluten free. Everything from the turkey to the cheese and crackers tray must be made gluten free.... if you think like I do most of the time, this task would seem a tedious one, not to mention a burden on the party host. Picture yourself asking to feed yourself first in order to not risk cross contamination, or even worse ask that no one eat gluten around you.

This blog is going to be dedicated to my gluten free Christmas tips and tricks. Many years ago, when I was first diagnosed, I could always trust that my mother would bring along my favourite gluten free dish to any family or friend gathering (this would ensure that I was a happy kid as well as didn't get sick). The easiest way to control what goes into your mouth is to make sure you made it! This may seem like a simple trick but it does help, especially if you are able to help make a few things beforehand with the host. This way the topic of gluten free will almost always come up in conversation and you will be able to make sure that other dishes can be made gluten free as well. People really are quite happy to make gluten free treats, as long as they are tasty and require next to no extra effort.

Secondly, the turkey.... well not if you're vegetarian but then you know you can eat lots of potatoes and yummy sides. Here is an IMPORTANT fact: Turkey with stuffing that isn't gluten free, will most definitely make you sick. Please make sure you either make your own turkey or protein, or ask the host not to stuff their turkey. Gravy is also an important one because most people use flour to thicken the sauce, but luckily there are great alternatives for thickeners: guar gum, cornstarch, rice flour, or xanthan gum. Here is a quick gluten free gravy thickener recipe:

1 tbsp or xanthan gum (or alternative as listed above)

a bit of water

Mix both ingredients together to form a milky liquid. Add gradually to meat drippings that have been boiling in a pan. Its basically the same technique as regular gravy but using gluten free ingredients.

Lastly, the desserts, cookies, candies and other wonderful treats. I'm not going to lie and say that everything can be made gluten free and taste the same as those cookies your grandma has been making for a century. BUT, I will say this... over the years, my family has been experimenting with many gluten free options and for the most part we have been able to recreate some family favourites such as meat pie, sugar cookies, homemade bread.... you name it, we have probably tried to make it. Nowadays we are pretty lucky living this gluten free life. I am going to list a few links for companies who make great gluten free mixes that will aid you this Christmas season:

1. Sugar cookies (that people without celiac gobbled up and didn't know were gluten free. These are also very easy to make with the kids. I would suggest adding a bit more water than the package says, but only a few drops more)

link: http://www.bobsredmill.com/gf-shortbread-cookie-mix.html

** Most of Bob Redmill's products are really fantastic alternatives for you. They have cake mix, bread mix, and even oats, and are sold at most grocery stores**

2. Gluten free bread crumbs and pretty much anything you could possibly need gluten free in Vancouver: http://www.choicesmarket.com/pdfs/RiceBakeryBrochure2009-1.pdf

**This is the brochure for the choices rice bakery. They not only have mixes but also make lots of breads, cakes and other treats. Give them a call for all your gluten free needs**

3. Seeing how I am spending Christmas back on the east coast, I will also add a few links to places on the east coast. Two come to mind, Rosie's Gluten Free Gourmet, which you can get at most grocery stores but the Scoop and Save in Fredericton carries a large quantity of her products and will also make special orders for you. Here is her information:

Rosie's Gluten Free Gourmet

620 Coverdale Road
Riverview, NB
E1B 3K6
Tel: 506-855-5988

There is also a couple at the Saturday morning market in Fredericton that sell gluten free treats. The market is probably my favourite place because I can also get free range organic meats, cheese, fish and of course fresh squeezed orange juice.

Well that's all for today. I love your feedback and welcome any other suggestions you might have for a very happy holiday season with no visits to the hospital :)

Until next time,

Your gluten free friend xo

Its Friday and what better way to spend a winter day... warm drinks and skating :)

Hello readers,

Today I have a special treat for you, yes thats right, a warm, yummy treat that you can make for your hike, skating, skiing, or any outdoor activity! Keep in mind however, that this treat is for adults only! Have you ever wanted that Bailey's and coffee or some sort of yummy winter drink, but wonder if the drink contains gluten? Well this blog post if dedicated to a few recipes for those cold winter nights. I am off to skate later today and figured what better way to stay warm than to make homemade hot chocolate (and seeing how its Friday afternoon, I should probably make the drink extra special).

Most alcoholic drinks, Bailey's for example, do contain gluten as the alcohol is distilled with grain. Some companies claim that the distillation process cleans out the gluten, but I know first hand that this is not the case (Grey Goose vodka is distilled with wheat and will make you sick!!!!!!)

So lets start by listing some common alcohols that are inherently gluten free:

1. Cider (double check on the companies website, but all the ones I have had so far are great)

2. Rum, as it is made with sugar

3. Vodka (as long as its potato based). Absolut, Sky, Smirnoff are 3 that are ok to drink

4. All wine, red and white

5. Coolers..... be weary of these as they can have additives, but most are just filled with sugar and should be fine.

Another thing to be careful when thinking about making drinks is the mix itself. We all know the list of do's and don'ts for gluten free ingredients, but one main one : citric acid, if it comes from outside of North America can contain gluten (so be aware of this when choosing products from abroad!)

Now on to the fun part! I looked up a few recipes but decided on a hot chocolate recipe. I am going to give you 3 options though, one for a buttered rum drink, a cider and rum drink and finally my hot chocolate concoction.

Hot Buttered Rum

- 1 small slice of butter (to make this vegan you can add vegan butter)

- 1 tsp brown sugar (or agave syrup)

- 1/2 tsp of vanilla extra (add more or less depending on your taste)

- 2 oz dark rum

- hot water

- spices to taste (optional): cinnamon, nutmeg and/or allspice

The trick to this drink is to mix it well. Put the butter in the bottom of a large mug, add spices mix really well, add rum and boiling water! Enjoy

Spiked Rum Apple Cider

- dark rum of spiced rum (about 2 oz)

- Your favourite apple cider (non alcoholic, preferably homemade with only apples and spices)

- Spices if you want an extra kick: cinnamon and/or nutmeg

- Cinnamon stick to garnish

Warm cider on the stove in a large pot, mix in spices and pour into mugs, add 2 oz of rum to each much and garnish with cinnamon stick! Enjoy :)

Finally, here is my choice for today:

Creamy hot chocolate

- Milk, use 1% or you can substitute with almond milk or lactose free milk ( I find almond milk better than rice or hemp milk for this drink)

- cocoa powder

- sugar or agave syrup

- Frangelico (hazelnut liquor)

Warm the milk in a pot or the microwave (if you are in a rush), add cocoa powder until it is as chocolatey as you like it, then add the sugar in small increments. I like a rich tasting hot chocolate and therefore put a lot of cocoa powder and very little sugar. Add Frangelico (to taste) and garnish with chocolate shavings or whip cream if you want to make it extra special!

I really can't think of a better way to end the workweek!!

I hope you enjoy these gluten free drinks!

Until next time,

Your gluten free friend xo

Apps (as in applications) to make travelling GF a lot more fun

Good morning,

As I was playing with my new iPhone the other day I stumbled across an app for gluten free restaurants!!!! It was such an amazing find, and honestly justified the purchase of the phone! I was so pleasantly surprised that I decided I needed to share it with you. This app is called CeliacFeed for the iPhone but there are also great websites (if you don't have an iPhone, android or smartphone yet). I also found other apps but this one seems to be the best at reviewing my location and suggesting restaurants for me. I also like the fact that I can read reviews and also write reviews about products and restaurants!

If you don't have an iPhone yet, check out this site: Gluten Free Registry

The gluten free registry does have an app but I didn't find it to be as good as the website. So next time you need to head off on an adventure, make sure to check out these apps and websites to help you make the trip that much more fun! I know when I started travelling I would rely on smoothies and trail mix, but those snacks won't ever fill you quite like a yummy gluten free pasta meal! :)

I don't really eat fastfood but I was able to find a few good apps that allow you to see the allergen list to all products at fastfood restaurants. A really helpful tool, especially for travelling with kids who have allergies, here is the link, but I suggest just going on itunes and searching for it: Allergy Free Passport

I have also posted some links to my favourite restaurants throughout my blog posts, as well as linking other sites with great information on travelling with Celiac.

Moving on to something a little more exciting... The snow season has started here in Vancouver and I was lucky enough to head up to Whistler for opening day!!!! This has got me thinking about gluten free, healthy lunches that can fit in my little pack or pocket. Although I will be purchasing some lunches on the mountain it does become expensive (fyi. the Roundhouse offers gluten free stir fry, in the cafeteria, if you ask the cooks nicely!) Here are some really great and easy options:

1. Gluten free bread or wrap with peanut butter and a banana (its so cold that the banana kind of freezes to the peanut butter and stays pretty well ripe-looking and not brown.

2. Cup of soup, gluten free mixes. These can be bought at health food stores, and usually only require the use of a bowl and some hot water (this is perfect for those really cold days)

3. Vega smoothie packets.... although these aren't overly satisfying in the way of a stew or soup, they will give you all the nutrition you need. Add them to juice for an extra kick! Vega Smoothies

Good luck with your gluten free adventures and post your tips and tricks! I'm always looking for more snack ideas while out on the road (or on the hill)!

Til next time,

xo

Toothpaste and Slow Cookers... An unlikely pair but two important topics!

Hello!

This will be a quick post, but an important one!! Have you ever wondered if your toothpaste, shampoo and other products contain gluten? I thought I was always really careful about this, but just this morning as I was brushing my teeth I got an allergic reaction... not the normal gluten reaction (which for me is throwing up until you feed me Gravol), but a weird reaction to toothpaste, a sort of rash on my face. Now this got me thinking, how many of our products are packed full of allergens, which led me to some good websites for gluten and allergy free products. I just did a quick google search and this site, although dated came up with a list of products that had gluten in them: http://www.withoutthewheat.com/Dental_Products.html

My advice here is to contact the company that you use and see if they have gluten free products. The more "natural" the product is, is usually the better option but even those products can contain gluten. A safe bet for toothpaste is Tom's of Main: (http://www.tomsofmaine.com/home).

As for other products, is is very important to read the labels. I have come across a lot of conditioners with gluten. All of the Aveda conditioners contain some wheat protein, so be careful! Even though you aren't necessarily ingesting the whole product, you can have a reaction to small amounts getting in your eyes, mouth, or on your skin. I found this fun site with a long list of products that are gluten free: http://www.naturallydahling.com/Natural_Make-up.html

That being said, you don't need to spend a fortune on products. There are good, cheap alternatives out there for gluten free, natural products. The best thing to do is head to your local pharmacy or health food store and ask the customer service people if they know what products are gluten free. In Vancouver, Whole Foods and Choices Markets are a good start.... but we are also spoiled here and have many options for healthy alternatives to just about everything! I would suggest looking in the organic section of your supermarket as well. Most companies that make gluten free products will list it on their products. Check out my link to Green Beaver products, they are Canadian and Gluten Free!

Now on to the slow cooker part of the equation! I just bought a new slow cooker yesterday and thought I would share the easiest recipe I've ever made!!

Vegetarian Ratatouille

- 1 long eggplant (cubed)

- 1 can of tomatoes

- 4-5 carrots (diced or cubed)

- 1 onion

- 4 cloves of garlic

- 1 can of white beans

Saute onions for 3 minutes, until sort of clear. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Put mixture in slow cooker with setting for 6 hours on low. Add remaining ingredients, stir and put on the lid! Seriously its that easy!

Now go to work or do what you need to do, come back after 6 hours, cook up some brown rice or quinoa, and serve!

Its so yummy and comforting!!

Enjoy :)

Until next time,

Your celiac friend xo

Smoothies Smoothies and more Smoothies

Hello!

So as you know from my previous post I have been dealing with strep throat/a sore throat for about a week.... well let me tell you, smoothies are a girls best friend! Which is why I am going to focus this blog on smoothie recipes and talk a bit about why the store bought smoothies are in fact bad for you (to a certain extent!)

I have started making smoothies jam packed with greens and yummy healthy hemp protein powder and flax seeds. Here is one of my favourite recipes. It cures my sweet craving and is really filling so its great in the am! I also add salad greens or spinach to the smoothie.... please trust me on this one, you really can't taste the spinach (green mixes can have a bitter taste, but look for simple spinach or lettuce mixes, they are better). The greens are essentially like eating a salad but in a smoothie. You get all the benefits from green leafy veggies, but in a tasty smoothie. This particular blend is also full of soluble fibre and hemp protein!

Green Monster smoothie (the greens make it look monster-like in my opinion!)

- large handful of spinach leaves

- 1 tbsp of peanut butter or almond butter

- 1 banana

- 1 tsp to 1 tbsp of honey (pure unpasteurized honey is the best)

- 1 cup of Milk of your choice (almond, hemp, or normal milk... you can also substitute with chilled green tea to reduce calories or a juice of your choice)

- 2 scoops of hemp protein powder (can be found at any health food or drug store)

Blend well!!! and enjoy :)

** You can also substitute the peanut butter for berries instead and make a banana berry smoothie, and add flax seed**

The trick with smoothies is to mix the ingredients that you like to make a wonderful, healthy treat. You can even add some finely chopped dark chocolate, or cocoa powder to a smoothie to make it that much more divine!

Why store bought smoothies can be bad for you:

I was shopping the other day and had a sugar crash... decided I needed a boost and figured a smoothie was a healthier option than the GF cookies at the store. Turns out, upon reading the label, that the smoothie in question had loads of sugar in it, and some even had gluten!! Now I'm talking about these "fresh fruit" smoothies that you buy in convenient little plastic containers. I love these when I travel because I can add protein powder, and voila a meal replacement but word to the wise: ALWAYS read the labels to make sure they are GF, never assume that a smoothie should be gluten free. And always read the label for sugar content.... even if it is natural sugars, its important to be aware that a sugar spike is not good for your body... it will only make you crash even harder. Lastly, always look at the serving size, many of these smoothies list the nutritional information based on a serving which is usually half of what is actually in the bottle (which means if you drink it all at once you are getting twice as much as whats on the label!)

Anyway, I am off to enjoy the sunny day! The winter season is so close I can taste it and I will be purchasing a slow cooker in the next few weeks so stay tuned for yummy soup, stews and other winter recipes coming soon!

Until next time!

Your celiac friend :)

A little off topic, but still exciting stuff: e marketing for nonprofits!

Good afternoon my fellow Celiacs,

I have decided (thanks to an e-marketing course) to divert slightly today and give you some tools for social media and nonprofits. I know that some of you either work with nonprofits or own small businesses with very little money to advertise your brand, so I feel as though this blog post may be helpful to you! Even though the main reason for the post is to satisfy my course requirements, I have found in doing the research that it is actually quite interesting stuff.

And don’t worry… for all of you who check this for recipes, I will make sure to give you a new recipe very soon. I have been home dealing with strep throat and/or mono for a few days so my recipes haven’t been all that exciting…. Unless you think oatmeal and soup are exciting!? Either way, stay tuned… a yummy treat will greet your inbox in the next few days.

Now on to the academic slide deck review: (please keep reading!)

FYI… a slide deck is exactly that, a deck of slides that are now available to you online. This one is from a presentation done in 2008 by a consulting organization called Idealware.

I came across this “Communication on a Shoestring” article the other day while searching for information on online marketing for nonprofits. (I guess you could say this is a new “passion” of mine.) Although it is a few years old (published in 2008) I wanted to browse through it and comment on its content as well as compare it to the resources and tools that are available now, as we near 2011.

The slide deck and presentation were put together by Idealware (http://www.idealware.org/) An organization that helps nonprofits with their IT needs. I was interested in this particular slide deck because it claimed to be able to give tips on how to use social media and other tools on a tight budget.

One of the largest issues faced by nonprofits is the lack of funds available, followed by a close second: lack of time and manpower. Larger corporations have IT departments and marketing departments, but many nonprofits don’t have those resources. They have the passion but not the expertise to help move their cause forward to the masses.

Communication on a shoestring is an informative document that gives nonprofits some helpful links and tools to get started in the world of e marketing. They focus on tools for email, outreach and websites; three very important tools for nonprofits to get their message to the masses. The slide deck shares tips and tricks on how to create informative and captivating websites; how to use email to create awareness for your campaign and finally how to reach a wide audience by using social media.

I personally like how the slide deck also helps an organization decide how to prioritize what to do with a minimal budget and also gives examples of alternatives to websites, such as a blog or facebook page for organizations lacking in expertise and money. There is also a list of website links with a breakdown of what the host can provide… this helps remove the guess work for organizations who don’t quite understand the inner workings of servers, hosts, etc…. I thought it was helpful seeing how I am a person who doesn’t quite understand all the tools available to me on the Internet.

The information about emailing is also fairly helpful and provides nonprofits with a semi step-by-step guide on how to create an effective awareness email campaign. There is nothing worse than getting tons of spam from an organization you have never heard of!!!

Searching through this slide deck and making notes of the websites listed “way back” in 2008 made me curious to see what was available to a nonprofit nowadays. Lets say you are a new nonprofit with a few employees and no money to spend on advertising…. What do you do?! I’ve decided to put together a list below outlining my opinion about new tools and resources available to the organization with a shoestring budget. Although the slide deck that I reviewed was helpful, it is also dated (I find it surprising that 2 years is considered dated information), so here is some new information to get your organization moving.

Socialize your Cause: http://www.socializeyourcause.org/

Such a cool site with many resources for nonprofits in the area of social media!! It was created by IT and marketing people who wanted to help nonprofits. You can submit your cause for it to be showcased on their site or use their consulting service to help your organization understand how to use social media. It is an up-to-date site with links, tools and resources. One I would recommend checking out!

Nonprofit technology Network: http://www.nten.org/about

A network for nonprofits… there are some good resources on this site, but it’s also pretty cool that there is now a network for technology and nonprofits.

Nonprofit Marketing Guide: http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/resources/articles/

This site is essentially a blog, but offers many links to other articles and tips for nonprofits, such as fundraising, media relations, etc. Scroll through the list provided by this link and see for yourself!!

Finally… I don’t want to bombard you with too much information seeing how this is already too much about nonprofits and you’re probably thinking… come on where is my recipe or gluten free tip already!!!! But I did need to showcase this fun tool that YouTube offers to nonprofits:

http://www.youtube.com/nonprofits?info_lang=ca

YouTube allows nonprofits to apply to become partners and share in some of the revenue that YouTube makes off of videos. This tool may only work for larger nonprofits with ad-worthy campaigns, but I still think it’s a pretty cool resources. And I like to see companies like YouTube helping with nonprofit causes!

Well that is all folks! I hope you found this post to be helpful and maybe informative for your next dinner conversation or something you can take back to your office or boardroom and discuss with your team! Either way, it was fun doing the research and I hope many nonprofits start using these tools to create more awareness about their cause!

Recipes to come… but until then, check out this company in Vancouver, Gluten Free Epicurean…. I love her J The treats are so yummy, and she makes Nanaimo bars, and many other non-healthy, delicious goods! http://www.glutenfreeepicurean.ca/

Lots of love,

Your gluten free friend xo

Kombucha and Digestion

Good afternoon!

I thought I would start off my new posts by talking about a product that I started to drink recently on a cleanse... the magically and oddly tasty drink called Kombucha. This drink can be bought at health food stores or made at home (here is an online link to a class being help in a few weeks in Vancouver at Radha Yoga and Eatery: http://www.radhavancouver.org/cooking-classes/).

I haven't made this drink yet but have been buying it in abundance from a company called "Kombucha Wonder Drink" (http://www.wonderdrink.com/). It is essentially a fermented tea drink which can have added natural flavours if you buy the flavoured kind. Simple ingredients such as water, oolong tea, kombucha, yeast and bacteria make up the short list of ingredients in this miracle drink. I'm always a firm believer in less is best which is why I gave this one a try.

The tea helps with digestion... an all too common problem for us celiacs as well as detoxifies your system, energizes your body, helps strengthen your immune system and regulates sugar levels and appetite. Sounds like the miracle drink wouldn't you think!!?? To be honest I haven't found that it gives me an energy boost or anything like that, but it most definitely helps in regulating appetite and digestion.

The drink can be pricey at $3-5 for a bottle with 2 servings ,but it is a nice treat to try if you are feeling sluggish and overall uncomfortable after eating food. I will warn you though, it does taste a little tart and vinegar-like if you get the original flavour of Kombucha.

So I suggest you go ahead and try some kombucha or take the class next month and start making your own yummy fermented tea drink. You might just be surprised at how much you like it.

And as usual I will leave you with my favourite recipe of the week.... a perfect little apres-dinner treat!

Raw coconut bliss balls (the bliss is what you will feel after indulging in these things!!)

3 cups of raw unsweetened coconut

2 cups of cocoa powder (you can alter this amount based on how chocolatey you want your balls to be)

1 cup of agave syrup (a sweetener that will not spike your blood sugar... and its so sweet you only need a small amount to taste it)

1/2 cup - 3/4 cup of coconut oil. (coconut oil is actually hard and is great to cook with as it heat up to higher heat levels than our usual olive or canola oil.... that being said, in this recipe its just yummy tasting and is packed full of healthy fats)

What you need to do (so simple really):

1. Blend the coconut and cocoa (you could add cocoa nibs if you wanted to make it extra yummy)

2. add agave and coconut oil, mix well and form into balls

3. Freeze.... you can then keep these in the freezer until ready to serve or try and dehydrate them after they have frozen into a ball shape. I just kept them in the freezer and took one out after dinner when I needed a treat!

Until next time :)

Lots of love!

Your fellow celiac friend xo

Its been a while but I thinks its time we rekindle our friendship...... :)

Hello all!

So I am now leaning on year two of my masters but feel as though its the right time to get back to you with my advice on a gluten free diet. I am also going to stat adding restaurant reviews, links and advice on Vancouver, seeing how that is my current city! I will also provide you with useful information about green and healthier alternatives for fashion, make-up and other items that may or may not affect your life!!

Stay tuned for more recipes, gluten free banter and fun times! :)

Sincerely,

your gluten free friend :) xo