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Gluten-Free Mother’s Day

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

Mother’s Day is tomorrow – have you purchased your cards or made plans yet? While it may be too late to make reservations for brunch, it isn’t too late to plan out a day that Mom won’t forget. Last year I shared some restaurant and meal ideas for Mother’s Day. This year I want to focus more on simple brunch ideas and even some non-food ways to “WOW!” Mom. MP910220988

Brunch doesn’t have to be complicated.  It can be simple to throw a few naturally gluten-free dishes together. One of the easiest ways to make brunch gluten-free is to focus on what you can make with minimal substitutions. Shirley from gluten-free Easily does this well with her Crustless Quiche Lorraine. There is no complicated crust to make, just a bit of gluten-free flour is added to the egg mixture. Fruit is a super-simple, yet impressive side dish that pairs well with egg dishes. It doesn’t take long to cut up a melon and toss in some cut strawberries, blackberries and maybe some pineapple or grapes. Feeling fancy?  Serve mimosas – all you need is orange juice and champagne.

If you plan on leaving the cooking to someone else, that is fine too. There are plenty of things you can do for Mom that don’t involve food.

  • Plan a hike
  • Plant flowers in her garden or pots
  • Purchase a gift card for a pedicure or massage
  • Take over her chores/duties for the day

Try to steer the focus away from food. I know that most of our family functions revolve around food when they should revolve around spending time with the ones we love. Most importantly, take the time to really stop and smell the roses.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful Mothers out there!

Gluten-Free Easter Candy

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

Another holiday is quickly approaching and we all know that means a round of candy that is shaped specifically for the season.  While these varieties sure are cute & enticing, they may not be safe like their “normal shaped” counterparts.  Just when you think you have it all figured out, what is safe to eat & what is not, things change.  I know how frustrating this can be.  Sometimes it feels like all of the hard work I put into deciphering labels & making phone calls is for nothing.

Celiac.org does all of the work for you. They have one of the best Easter candy lists around.  Not only does this list seem to include every piece of candy that I looked up, but it is current.  There are many lists floating around cyberspace and while I appreciate the hard work that went into these lists, especially having compiled one myself, the list is only as good as the date the information was gathered.  Even candy that was verified last year or season needs to be checked on again.

Why?  Why is it that we have to constantly update these lists?  Manufacturers change their procedures; they look to improve their product, and inadvertently end up adding an ingredient that contains gluten; they change suppliers to get a lower-cost product and make a bigger profit. There can be any number of reasons. The bottom line is – always read the label, look it up or make a phone call – just like it was your first time checking the gluten-free status.

MP900314158Here is a prime example of the confusion that surrounds the reason for this post:

Are all Cadbury Mini Creme Eggs safe for a GF diet?

NO!

Even if they all look identical, they are not all made at the same place or under the same conditions. Before eating any of these Easter treats, you must determine what package they originally came from. Here is why:

154g & 381g bag of mini creme eggs – NOT SAFE
“May contain peanuts, tree nuts and/or wheat.”

154g & 381g bag of assorted mini eggs (caramilk, dairy milk, creme eggs) – NOT SAFE
“May contain peanuts, tree nuts and/or wheat.”

80g tube of mini creme eggs – SAFE!
“May contain peanut, tree nuts.”

Happy and Safe Easter!

If you have questions about a specific candy and are unable to find the status on their website, please email them with the following information & they will do their best to find out for you:

brand name
product name
size
upc
If you have children that are gluten-free and friends and family are purchasing candy for them, make sure to share this list.  Nothing is worse than telling your child that he/she can’t eat something because it is unsafe, especially when others around them are able to enjoy said candy.  Even better, keep a stash on hand for quick swap-outs to help avoid any potential disasters & meltdowns.

Mother’s Day the Gluten-Free Way!

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

Mother’s Day is this Sunday already! That means this year is almost half over already. I really do not know where the time goes. Do you prepare a meal for Mother’s Day or do you go out?  There are many places that are doing special meals or hours for Mother’s Day. Some of those places include:

  • Bonefish Grill – They don’t typically open until 4:00 PM, but will be opening for lunch at 11:00 AM on Mother’s Day.  They have a nice variety of gluten-free items on their menu.
  • Mimi’s Café – Open for breakfast through dinner and they are accepting reservations now.
  • First Watch – Breakfast – lunch.   They don’t accept reservations, but have a nice gluten-free menu & a knowledgeable staff.
  • Pei Wei – Great for gluten-free take-out if you don’t feel like going out or cooking
  • BJ’s Brewhouse – Not only do they have gluten-free pizza, but you also can enter to win a $1,000 shopping spree at Nordstrom for Mom!
  • Carraba’s – Nice gluten-free menu that is a little more upscale than some of the other places listed.
  • P.F. Chang’s – Always a good choice – open for lunch  – dinner with many gluten-free options.  Don’t forget the incredible Chocolate Dome!

Don’t feel like going out or are hosting family?  Here are some of our favorite things to make to share with family:

  • Pumpkin Raisin Scones
  • Lemon Bundt Cake
  • Catholic Potatoes
  • Glazed Ham
  • Buffalo Chicken Dip
  • Veggie Tray
  • Perfect Herbed Pork Tenderloin
  • Fruit salad or skewers

Of course a celebration can include any food that you like – as much or as little as you like.  Adjusting to holidays can be tough when you are new to the gluten-free diet (or any diet).  Can’t find a recipe to make an old favorite that is not gluten-free?  Try something new and create new traditions!  Never let the absence of a certain food dampen your spirit.  Open your mind and celebrate the occasion.  Appreciate the ones you love and the ones who love you.  Life is too short to mourn food.  Remember there is much more out there that you can eat than what you can’t.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Gluten-Free Mexican Rice for Cinco de Mayo

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

Today is the fifth of May, also known as “Cinco de Mayo”.  Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over the French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.  While celebration is primarily limited to the state of Puebla, many in the US celebrate by dining on Mexican fare & margaritas.

Dining out in a Mexican restaurant while following the gluten-free diet is fairly easy.  Many of the traditional dishes are naturally gluten-free.  Corn tortillas are more commonly used than flour tortillas; salsa,  guacamole, beans and rice are all usually safe choices.  Of course speaking with the manager and/or chef is the safest way to dine out.  Ask how the sauces are made, whether there is gluten in the marinades used for the meat and if the corn tortilla chips are fried in a dedicated fryer.  As in any restaurant, cross contamination can be a risk, so make sure to ask how they keep the gluten-free food safe.

If you prefer to make your own Mexican feast, the sky is the limit!  Some of our favorites include:

  • Tacos – fish, ground beef, chicken or turkey
  • Mexican pizza
  • Burritos
  • Chimchangas
  • Taco salad
  • Enchilada bake
  • Mexican rice
  • Fajitas
  • Horchata (this brand is gluten-free)

My son requests Mexican once a week, so we eat a lot of tacos in our house.  He prefers them on warmed, soft corn tortillas; I prefer a tostada shell or hard taco shell.  You can find many of our recipes in this post.  Here is our favorite recipe for Mexican Rice that my mom made for us when I was growing up.  I will never tire of this rice:

Mexican Rice

  • 1 cup brown basmati or jasmine rice
  • 2-3 tsp EVOO
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 onion (I omit this b/c I can’t eat them)
  • 1 large tomato
  • chicken broth (verify that it is gluten-free)
  • cumin
  • chili powder
  • red hot
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions:

  1. Drop tomato into boiling water for 60 seconds. Remove tomato from water and then remove the skin. Careful not to burn yourself as I have done too many times when I am in a hurry.
  2. Chop tomato, peel garlic, chop onion and place all ingredients in a food processor/blender. Puree until everything is liquid. Add cumin (about 1 tsp), chili powder (1/2 – 1 tsp), red hot (I like a lot, but use your own judgement), S & P. Blend.
  3. Place EVOO and rice in a 2 qt. sauce pan and warm over med to med-high heat. Brown rice, but don’t burn it.
  4. Dump tomato mixture into a glass measuring cup and then add chicken broth to equal 2 cups of liquid. Dump your 2 cups of liquid into the rice; stir and bring to a boil.
  5. Stir and reduce heat to simmer for 40-50 minutes, depending on what kind of rice you are using.
  6. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork & serve.

Here is a picture of the rice served alongside Mexican pizzas.

Tacos & Mexican pizzas are great for busy nights and letting kids “create their own masterpiece”.

Gluten-Free Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 3 Comments

St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow and for many people, the holiday includes the ritual of making certain dishes. After doing some checking on various websites, I came up with some traditional gluten holiday recipes that others have converted to be gluten-free.

First up is the sugar cookie recipe from Jules gluten-free. The recipe instructions gives substitutions so that they cookies can be made without soy, dairy and even eggs, for those with multiple allergens. Jules also has a recipe for Irish soda bread. Her version of that is also very allergen-free friendly.

  • Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
  • Irish Soda Beer Bread

There is a whole list of interesting St. Patty’s Day recipes over at About.com on the gluten-free cooking page. From glazed corned beef and cabbage to traditional Irish stew, Teri’s got you covered. This video explains how the dish corned beef and cabbage came to be. I might even try making Irish fadge which is apparently a potato flavored roll. For a bread item, it looks fairly simple to make.

During holidays like St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day and all the others that are to come this year, it’s important to keep the traditions you’ve always enjoyed alive and well regardless of any diet restrictions. It’s easy to think that once you’re on the gluten-free diet, you have to stop eating all your favorite foods. That is true to the extent that you might not be able to eat some of them exactly as you always have, but there is hardly anything you can’t either buy or make an excellent gluten-free version of.

For over two years after my celiac diagnosis, I didn’t get a subscription to Southern Living magazine. I felt that it would be too depressing to look at all the recipes that I would not be able to make because they contained gluten. Eventually, I learned how to convert most recipes to be gluten-free and I once again ordered Southern Living. Every so often there will be a recipe that looks too difficult to convert, but they are far and few between these days.

If you need some gluten-free beer for the holiday, I recommend trying Bard’s Tale, Green’s (pun intended) or Daura by Estrella Damm. All are fairly different from each other and are excellent in their own way. If you want to enjoy some green-colored beer, make sure to get gluten-free food coloring. At last check, McCormmick’s was safe, but double check the ingredients.

Making the extra effort to enjoy the things you used to do on holidays will eventually become second nature. And then one day you’re realize that no extra effort is required. Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!