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It has been a while since my last post but I have finally been to the doctor's office to determine once and for all whether or not I have celiac disease. To my dismay, and after several food allergy tests, I was told I had none. However, it wasn't totally surprising since I had already read that this was a possibility, given that I had not consumed gluten in some time. The following week I went to see a Gastroenterologist for a more acute diagnosis. We talked and he advised that I undergo an endoscopy procedure - ouch!

Before the oh so exciting procedure, he told me I would need to eat gluten for two weeks. While my mind raced thinking of all the goodies I could reintroduce to my diet....pizza, cookies, flour tortillas....and so on and so forth, I also thought about the painful stomach aches and horrible way I used to feel after meals.

It has now been over a month since I saw the doctor and have yet to schedule my endoscopy. I have talked to Brian about it along with friends and family. Some have recommended I go forth with the whole course of action, while others have advised against it because of how painful it may be. I'm still wavering and have not ultimately decided what to do. One thing is for sure though - no matter what the tests tell me, I'm going to stick to my gluten free diet! I've never felt better, healthier, or more teeming with physical energy.

I want to hear your thoughts. Do you think I should go through the endoscopy? Or should I just keep to the diet that makes me feel so good, without truly knowing if I have celiac disease? Decisions, decisions....

Gluten-free is more than just the latest health kick :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Food

Great article from the Chicago Sun Times:

Gluten-Free is More Than Just the Latest Health Kick
BY PHIL LEMPERT
What’s the deal with “gluten-free”? Read more to find out:

Gluten-free is more than just the latest health kick :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Food

Youtube can be informative!

In May 2009, Emma Buckley came to the Early Show on CBS to talk about gluten free foods and Celiac Disease. Very informative for those who are still looking for a quick recap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO3jCiYrsQ4

Youtube has a lot of different videos with doctors discussing celiac disease, wheat allergies, gluten, and the choices we have with such a life changing diet. Just type gluten free in the search box on the youtube site.

Grilled Peach Salsa Recipe

Nutritional Info (Per serving):
Calories: 76, Saturated Fat: 0g, Sodium: 2mg, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Total Fat: 2g, Carbs: 16g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Protein: 1g
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 15 mins

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds peach(es), (3 to 4 medium), ripe, halved and pitted
1 teaspoon oil, canola
2 tablespoon onion(s), sweet, preferably Vidalia, finely chopped
1 small pepper(s), jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 medium lime(s), zested and juiced
1/4 cup(s) cilantro, fresh, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon mint, fresh, chopped

Preparation
1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Brush cut sides of peaches with oil. Grill the peaches until softened and browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Let cool.
3. Chop the peaches into 1/4-inch pieces and place in a medium bowl. Add onion, jalapeno, lime zest and juice, cilantro and mint.

OMG!!

Red Velvet Cake Cake Ingredients (yes, it's gluten free! I will definitely try to make this weekend....I promise Brian):

1 3/4 c. canola oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten (room temp)
1 c. brown rice flour
3/4 c. sorghum flour
3/4 c. tapioca starch
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp cider vinegar and 1 c. milk substitute)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 oz. red food coloring (this is one of the McCormick’s bottles)
1 Tbsp. cocoa

Frosting Ingredients:

1 box confectioner’s sugar
8 oz. cream cheese (can sub vegan cream cheese)
1 stick butter (room temp)
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla

Cake Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Use a mixer to cream oil and sugar. With the mixer still going, add one egg at a time and beat until the eggs are thoroughly incorporated. (This step creates an emulsion that holds the batter together)
3. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Make sure they are well mixed, either by sifting the flours or whisking them.
4. Add the flour to the oil and sugar mixture in four parts. Alternate the flour with the buttermilk. You should begin and end with dry ingredients and each part should be mixed in completely before you add the next. (If you were to start with the liquids the emulsion would break.)
5. Make a paste of the cocoa, red food coloring, and vanilla and gently stir it into the batter.
6. Pour the batter into two greased and floured round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 25 minutes. (A toothpick stuck into the middle of the cake should come out clean when the cake is done)
7. When the cakes have completely cooled, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Frosting Instructions:

1. Cream the confectioner’s sugar, cream cheese, and butter.
2. Mix in the vanilla and chopped nuts.
3. Spread over cooled cake.

Here's an easy one

Baked Chicken Salsa

INGREDIENTS

1 chicken breast
1/2 cup salsa
3 jalapeno peppers, sliced
6 small black olives

DIRECTIONS

Cut a piece of tin foil large enough to close around the chicken breast.
Place the chicken breast onto the foil and pour salsa over top of the breast.
Place peppers and olives on top.
Wrap the foil around the chicken and fold the ends together tightly and place in an oven dish.

Bake at 400 degrees for 60 minutes.
Number of Servings: 1

Thanks Mella!

Evening at the Biltmore

Last night I attended the USC Mexican American Alumni Association annual scholarship dinner at the Biltmore Hotel in Downtown LA. It's an event I always look forward to and thoroughly enjoy. The food was delicious and completely gluten free, except for the dessert. Started with a delicious salad (I skipped the ranch dressing and bread) then came the main course - steak with risotto and vegetables (yum). Then the long awaited dessert, which I unfortunately could not have - a small fruit tart that looked absolutely delicious. I didn't want to be the only one left out at the table not enjoying a final course. I kindly asked the waiter if he could prepare me a fruit salad. He came back with a plate full of fresh strawberries, oranges, grapes, pineapple and watermelon. I couldn't have been more grateful!

Remember when in doubt at a social setting, always talk to the waiters and staff about how the food is prepared. They may not know, but will certainly ask the chef or their supervisor. If you tell them you have a food allergy of any kind, they always take this information very seriously. You can also try asking for other items that you know are safe for you, but may not be part of the event's menu. Always be pleasant when asking...it'll hard for them to say no.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Old-Fashioned Irish Soda Bread

I have obviously not tried making this, but it sounds delicious and just in time for St. Patty's Day!

MAKES ONE 8-INCH ROUND LOAF

1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup gluten-free oats
1 egg or flax gel*
1 cup buttermilk or milk of choice (rice, hemp, soy, almond)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly dust a cookie sheet with gluten-free flour.
2. Mix flour blend, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt and oats in a bowl.
3. Add egg (or flax gel) and buttermilk and mix to form a soft, sticky dough.
4. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead three times.
5. Shape dough into a 6-inch flat round. Place it on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle it with gluten-free flour and score a large X in the top.
6. Bake in preheated oven until top is golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Serves 8. Each serving contains 189 calories, 2g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 28mg cholesterol, 494mg sodium, 37g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 5g protein.

*TIP To make flax gel, combine 1 tablespoon flax meal with 3 tablespoons hot water. Let sit until thickened, about ten minutes.

Recipe also available at livingwithout.com

Recipe - Chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Enjoy this delicious recipe:
Tropical Traditions - Recipe - Chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe of the Day

When I decided to go gluten-free, I knew there were many foods I was going to have to give up. However, I've come across many recipes and alternatives to enjoying every delicious options without hurting later. Here's one - enjoy!

Gluten Free Banana Bread

Ingredients
1 cup Arrowhead Mills White Rice Flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon Hain Pure Foods Featherweight Gluten Free Baking Powder
1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup honey or brown sugar
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 1 standard loaf pan.

Blend bananas with sugar and oil. Stir in dry ingredients. Blend well until all ingredients are moist. Transfer batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes or until test skewer comes out clean. Cool on rack before slicing.

Helping a Great Cause

As some of you may know, my sister Brenda works for a non-profit organization called At the Crossroads (ATC) in San Francisco. ATC reaches out to homeless youth and young adults.

They are currenly in the midst of their fundraising campaign, and I am a part of it! Log onto my ATC fundraising page and please donate to this very worthy organization: https://atthec.sslcert35.com/campaign/campaign.php?id=252

Every little bit counts....thanks for your consideration!

Gluten-Free: 3 Months Later...

It's been approximately 3 months since I've been on my gluten-free diet and I have never felt better! I used to have upset stomachs, feel extremely tired, and never felt full... and this was every day. Because I know that even small amount of gluten can cause damage to my body, I've been following a rigorous gluten-free diet. So what foods and ingredients are allowed and which do I eat? Here's a sample menu:

Breakfast
Cereal
Banana

Lunch
Chicken or turkey sandwich on buckwheat bread
Salad
Fruit or veggies

Snack
Pirate's Booty Smart Puff (like Cheetos)

Dinner
Chicken
Quinoa
Green Beans

Dessert
Ice Cream

Remember that all the foods above are gluten-free and made with any number of or all the following: corn, rice, flax, quinoa, buckwheat or amaranth. Most importantly, it's not only gluten-free, it's healthy!

PF Chang's has a gluten-free menu!

Went to PF Chang's today and was pleasantly surprised to see a Gluten Free Menu. Try the Ginger Chicken with Broccoli - yum!

Website: http://www.pfchangs.com/menu/

Dummies.com Part 2: The Essentials of Eating Gluten-Free

The Essentials of Eating Gluten-Free
Eating gluten-free involves more than just avoiding wheat. Other grains — rye, barley, and triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye) — contain gluten, and because of the way oats are processed, they’re a food to be avoided as well. To be gluten-free, you need to take anything made with gluten-containing ingredients, such as malt (made from barley), out of your diet.

Common Foods that Contain Gluten
Things with flour in them (white or wheat) are the most common culprits when you’re avoiding gluten. The following foods are among the more obvious edibles and beverages that are gluten packed: [more…]

Gluten in Foods You Wouldn't Suspect
Gluten lurks in foods that you may guess are gluten free. You know to avoid pastries, but you may not think about looking for gluten in candy. However, you have to look long and hard to find gluten-free [more…]

Safe Foods for Gluten-Free Diets
If you're on a gluten-free diet, you need to know what foods are safe to eat. Gluten-free foods are not hard to find — if you know what to include on your shopping list. [more…]

Foods to Avoid on a Gluten-Free Diet
The key to a gluten-free diet is knowing what to avoid — whether you're dining out or making meals at home. Luckily, the list of forbidden foods for a gluten-free diet is a lot shorter than the list of [more…]

Foods to Question about Gluten Content
To be safe, you need to question everything for gluten. (You may not think to question the ingredients in tea, but at least one brand contains barley malt.) Some ingredients aren’t so clear, because sometimes [more…]

“Gluten-Free” May Not Mean 100 Percent
A product that's labeled gluten-free isn’t necessarily 100 percent gluten-free. A food may actually have minute traces of gluten, but as long as those traces are truly small, the product may sometimes [more…]

Wheat-Free Doesn’t Mean Gluten-Free
You may see lots of labels proudly declaring a product to be wheat-free (some of which, like spelt and kamut, aren’t really wheat-free at all). That doesn’t mean the food’s gluten free. [more…]

Gluten-Free Flours Provide Healthy Alternatives
A variety of alternative flours are available these days — a very good thing if you’re avoiding gluten in your diet. Health food stores, Asian markets, and even many mainstream groceries offer a large [more…]

How to Pick Acceptable Grains for Gluten-Free Diets
The list of grains forbidden to you if you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance is a lot shorter than the list of grains you can eat. That's the good news. [more…]

How to Eat Out on a Gluten-Free Diet
Dining out on a gluten-free diet can be scary; you don’t know for sure if your foods are cross-contaminated or what ingredients actually go into them. However, you can ensure that your restaurant experience [more…]

How to Snack Gluten-Free
Your gluten-free diet can satisfy your appetite for snacks — whether you're looking for guilty indulgences or healthy nibbles between meals. Although you still need to check ingredients carefully, gluten-free [more…]

Read more: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-essentials-of-eating-glutenfree.html#ixzz0fwiIYlB3

Dummies.com Part 1: The Essentials of Gluten Sensitivity

I came across some great information on www.dummies.com for gluten that I thought was very helpful in understanding the essentials of gluten sensitivity. You can fall anywhere within a wide range of sensitivity to gluten, with celiac disease the extreme end of the spectrum. Being sensitive to gluten can affect you in many ways — from a mild headache when you eat foods with gluten to depression to life-threatening illness when you continue to include gluten in your diet.

What Is Gluten, Anyway?
You have to know what gluten is so you can avoid it if you’re sensitive to it or have celiac disease. The only problem is that the definition is pretty convoluted. Gluten is a group of proteins that technically [more…]

Gluten Sensitivity: A Range of Forms and Affects
Gluten sensitivity is a physical sensitivity to gluten. The condition is not easy to define, because these sensitivities come in a variety of forms. Think of gluten sensitivities as falling somewhere on [more…]

How Gluten Affects Behavior
Gluten is sometimes behind the scenes wreaking havoc on behavior and moods. Behaviors including “fuzzy brain” or an inability to concentrate — including attention deficit disorder [more…]

Symptoms of Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease
Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity share some of the same symptoms. Although the actual damage occurs in the gastrointestinal tract, specifically in the small intestine, the symptoms manifest in many [more…]

Health Issues Associated with Celiac Disease
Opting out of a gluten-free diet can increase your risk for larger health problems if you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Certain conditions are associated with celiac disease and if you don’t [more…]

How Gluten Attacks the Intestine in Celiacs
When someone with celiac disease eats the gluten found in wheat, rye, or barley, everything goes along just fine until the gluten reaches the small intestine. [more…]

Celiac Disease and Other Autoimmune Conditions
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease itself and is associated other autoimmune diseases, which means that if you have one of the following conditions, you may want to be tested for a sensitivity to [more…]

Read more: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-essentials-of-gluten-sensitivity.html