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Gluten-Free Tips for Earth Day

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff Leave a Comment

Today is Earth Day and though we try and be “green” whenever possible, it’s nice to make an extra effort to be earth friendly on Earth Day. Not making unnecessary trips in the car is a good idea all the time and something I’ve strived to get better about for a while now. To make sure I get all my errands done in one fell swoop, I make a list of if I’m going to more than three places on one trip. If I don’t, I might end up whipping past the post office without dropping off my outgoing mail.

Excerpt from the Earth Day website:

Earth Day 2010 can be a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs. Earth Day Network is galvanizing millions who make personal commitments to sustainability. Earth Day 2010 is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy. Join the more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action for Earth Day.

When it comes to “green” living, eating locally produced foods is a really good way to be kind to the environment. Local farmer’s markets are popping up in many places these days. To find one in your area, check the Local Harvest website. All fresh fruits and veggies are naturally gluten-free. Clearly, buying tomatoes grown 20 miles from your house is better than buying some flown in from another country. And the locally grown tomatoes should taste better too!

There are ways to cook that are more environmentally friendly as well. Using a crock pot to make dinner instead of the oven will save both energy and money. This is a great way to cook during the hot and humid days many of us are already experiencing or will be experiencing soon. You can even have sandwiches, chips, and salad for a “no cooking required” meal. Udi’s bread is edible with heating or toasting – just open the bag and enjoy great-tasting gluten-free bread!

People on a gluten-free diet tend to have a lot of food in the freezer. The items usually include muffins, bread, pizza crusts, and other various bread items. To keep from going through as many plastic food storage bags as I used to, I wrap items in wax paper and then place them inside the bags. This wrapping and storage method allows the bags to be reused again and again. I much prefer this to have to wash the bags. In our area, the washed bags never seem to get dry – especially in the warm months.

We switched to non-toxic cleaners several years ago. At one time, Seventh Generation products were widely reported online to be gluten-free, but the company does not state that anything in their line is gluten-free. According to their website, the products are made with ingredients that do not contain gluten and also some that might. Everyone should use products that make them comfortable, of course. We absolutely love Seventh Generation products!

Review: Udi’s Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Muffins

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 2 Comments

What do you get when you mix the baking genius of Udi’s with chocolate? You get sinfully delicious Double Chocolate Muffins.

Since being diagnosed with celiac it has been a never-ending quest for the perfect baked goods that are comparable if not better than the gluten-filled items enjoyed in the past.

When I got my hands on these muffins, I was pretty confident they would be delicious. Udi’s has successfully made sandwich bread that can be eaten straight from the package without heating, in white and whole grain. In addition to their fantastic sandwich bread, their impressive gluten-free portfolio of products includes thin restaurant-quality, oven-ready pizza crust, granola, blueberry muffins, lemon streusel muffins, these double chocolate muffins, and their newly introduced bagels, which can also be found at some local Einstein Brothers in Denver.

When these muffins first arrived, I could hardly wait to open them. Before I even put the packaging away, I had a muffin out and on a plate to cut in half and share with my daughter. These are extremely large and would make a filling snack, breakfast, or dessert.  This is a good thing because they are not low in calories at 350 per muffin. But, I guess to taste this good, you don’t expect it to be diet food.  As soon as I took a bite, I knew this was a winner. The texture is nice and fluffy, yet rich and decadent and full of chocolate chips.  These are the perfect muffins to satisfy a chocolate and sweet craving all in one.  My gluten-able husband and daughter agreed, these were too good, because now we have two left sitting on our counter and I am not sure I can enter the kitchen without indulging in one.  I think these would make a great item to have on hand, in the freezer, for guests.  If they can make it to the freezer that is.

In addition to being gluten-free, these muffins are also soy-, dairy- and nut-free.  Udi’s is increasingly becoming available nationwide at Whole Foods and other larger grocery stores and specialty food stores.  To order Udi’s online, visit here.

Review: Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cones

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 2 Comments

Sometimes I dream of owning a summer home – where it’s not hot in the summer. Last year, we had a nice break from scorching temperatures in the Metro Atlanta area. It was nice in so many ways. Not feeling like you stepped into a warm tub when you went outside was nice, but saving $100 a month on the power bill was even nicer! It doesn’t look like we’re going to be that lucky again this year. Summer arrived quite early and it seems like it’s here to stay.

The only time I like ice cream (or any related cold treats) is during hot summer months. For whatever reason, we really didn’t have a spring season this year. We skipped right to summer even though it’s only April. Last year, I went on the search for the best gluten-free ice cream cones. Sadly for me, the only ones I found edible are not sold in a store here. The gluten-free cake style cones from “Let’s do Organic” are is sold at many health food stores here and at Whole Foods. That cone tastes very much like styrofoam to me. However, I never liked cake cones when I ate gluten either and think those taste only slightly better than the gluten-free version.

The only gluten-free cones I’ve had that I like are the waffle cones from Barkat. They are available from the gluten-free Mall. The gluten-free Trading Company sells three different brands of cones, including one I plan to try, Cerrone waffle cones. According to the description of those cones, they are large. Therefore, I hope they are at least normal sized. The delicious waffle cones from Barkat are like a toy cone – resembling something you might serve a doll. My husband who loves ice cream any time of year broke into boisterous laughter when I showed him the size of the Barkat cones last year. He actually felt bad for me. I didn’t mind the size that much, but people who want a normal serving of ice cream might feel ripped off to find the tiny cones inside the package.

Most of the time being gluten-free doesn’t bother me. It can be inconveniencing at times, of course. I’m a planner and that trait comes in super handy when you have to follow a special diet. But when I drive by the Brewter’s ice cream shop around the corner from our house and see a line of people waiting to order an ice cream cone, it reminds me that we really can’t do everything others can do. Something as simple as ordering ice cream – even without a cone isn’t that easy either. Most ice cream parlors don’t claim that any of their products are gluten-free due to cross contamination issues. I’ve had good luck sticking to frozen yogurt in a cup at Brewster’s, but the company does not claim anything they serve is gluten-free. Also, I’ve not had issues with soft serve vanilla ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce at Dairy Queen.

As an adult who doesn’t really love ice cream in the first place, my life isn’t affected by not being able to order an ice cream cone at a parlor. However, when I think of the children with celiac or food allergies who can’t do what other kids can, I realize why so many parents avoid having their kids tested for celiac. They want their kids to be normal and don’t think that’s possible if they are on any type of restricted diet. Wouldn’t it be nice if at least one major chain offered a gluten-free ice cream cone and a certified gluten-free ice cream? Even if they offer something that tastes like styrofoam to some of us, most kids would absolutely love them. Kids just want to be kids, after all.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Cheesy Stuffed Shells

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 10 Comments

Stuffed shells were one of my favorite dishes growing up. My mom usually made some type of pasta on Friday nights and this was a meal we had often. Once I went gluten-free, it was one of the dishes that I really missed.

One day I found out that Tinkyada made “Grand Shells”, which are the large shells used for stuffed shells. I bought a couple of boxes & came up with a plan.

Gluten-Free Cheesy Stuffed Shells

  • 1 box Tinkyada Large/Jumbo Shells (box is about 8 oz and has roughly 28+ or – shells)
  • 30 oz. Ricotta Cheese (I used low-fat Meijer brand)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used part-skim)
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (split in half)
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • pinch of black pepper
  • 1 tsp basil, dried
  • 1 tsp oregano, dried
  • 1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I used Prego Three Cheese, but I like Classico Four Cheese, too)
  • Fresh Basil, chopped, to sprinkle on top when done baking

Directions:

  1. Cook pasta according to box directions. Note: Tinkyada suggests cutting cooking time by 2 min if you plan on baking.
  2. Combine ricotta cheese, eggs, dried spices, 1/4 cup of parmesan, and 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Mix well and set aside.
  3. Heat sauce in a pan on the stove.
  4. Assembly….Pour sauce into a 9 x 13 Pyrex dish sprayed with Pam; spoon a thin layer of sauce across the bottom. Scoop 1-2 TBSP of cheese mixture into each shell and place in the dish. Repeat until finished. Pour the remaining sauce over top and top with remaining parmesan & mozzarella.
  5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, covered. Remove covers and back for another 5-10 minutes.
  6. Top with freshly cut basil and serve!

**Variations….stuff with ground turkey seasoned with Italian seasonings (garlic, basil, oregano); stuff with spinach & cheese.

Tinkyada pasta can be found in most major grocery stores and on Amazon.

Delicious Gluten-Free Gelato and Sorbet

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff Leave a Comment

Last year, I reviewed a coconut gelato by Talenti, a Texas based company that makes gelato reminiscent of what you’ll find in Italy. The only place I’ve seen the product line is Publix. The products I’ve tried so far are exceptional and also frightfully expensive. One pint is $4.99 at Publix and more than that online. In my opinion, you definitely get what you pay for when it comes to sorbet and gelato. The gelatos from Talenti are the only versions I’ve found in the U.S. that taste like they came from Italy. I’ve not tried all brands of gelato sold here,  of course.

Talenti products are not made with high fructose corn syrup and don’t contain artificial ingredients. The gelatos are blended with hormone free milk. The chocolate flavors are made with chocolate from Belgium – not chocolate flavored syrup. When I first started reading labels, I was shocked to see how much fake food was in many well known ice cream brands. Finally, I found a couple of options that only contained cream, sugar and vanilla bean but those are still few and far between today.

Talenti products are made with quality ingredients from around the world. The taste is simply incredible and the flavors are very intense. The Caribbean Coconut gelato is excellent, but Lisbon Lemon is my new favorite sorbet. It’s also the best lemon version I’ve had to date. The next time I feel like treating myself, I’ll pick up the Roman Raspberry sorbet – or rather sorbetto.

From the Talenti website –

We are dedicated to the strict principle of authenticity by committing ourselves to the 500 year old tradition of handcrafted gelato e sorbetto created with unparalleled artisanship.  We make everything from scratch using the finest ingredients available regardless of cost.  We combine these ingredients by hand in small batches using classical Italian gelato making equipment.  To this we add our innovative spirit and passion in order to offer our customers a myriad of flavors from which to choose.  This wonderful gelato e sorbetto selection is available either by the pint or by the scoop.  The end result is an amazingly tasty treat to be enjoyed as one of life’s greatest “simple pleasures”.

Products made with pure, real ingredients really do taste best – no matter what the food is. If there is an upside to having to constantly read food labels, it’s the fact that those of us that do it are much more educated about what we’re eating than the average consumer is. Talenti uses a symbol system to indicate what items are gluten-free. The website still does not seem to have a list of the gluten-free varieties, but the containers generally have several symbols on the back. The symbols indicate if the item is gluten-free, dairy-free, fat free, etc.  Most of the products are in fact, gluten-free except for the obvious flavors with “cookie” or “crunch” in the name.

It’s already air conditioner season in much of the South. We usually get a month long break when the heat or a/c isn’t need to make the house comfortable.  This year that break never came. It went from being quite chilly to flat out hot in a flash. With what is expected to be an unseasonably warm summer in “Hotlanta” on the way, Talenti gelatos and sorbets are the perfect gluten-free treat to cool things down!