Sure Foods Living - gluten free and allergen free living

Valentine’s Day is about love. And who doesn’t LOVE pizza? Better yet, gluten-free pizza?

Decorating cookies is fun, but decorating a heart-shaped pizza is another great activity to do with kids. Bonus: you have dinner made!

To make heart-shaped gluten-free pizzas, I make the pizza dough using the Chewy Pizza Crust recipe on the bag of  Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix. I add some salt to the dough while mixing because it cuts the sweetness a bit which I like better for a pizza crust. This pizza is also dairy-free, soy-free and egg-free!

You can do the following for any pizza dough recipe:

1. Grease baking sheets or pizza pans or heat a pizza stone.
2. Divide the dough into as many pizzas as you want. You can make the pizzas as thick or thin as you want, or as big or little.
3. Pour some olive oil on a little plate and press your palm into it.
4. Use only your palm to spread the dough. Don’t get your fingers in the dough because they will get sticky! If you get dough stuck on your hands, wipe it off and start again with a clean palm in the olive oil. Kids can try spreading the dough themselves!
5. Shape the dough into a heart and let rise as directed. After dough rises, reshape the heart if needed.
6. Partially bake as directed.
7. Put out different toppings and let the kids decorate their pizza. Sliced olives and salami (not spicy like pepperoni) are a favorite. We make some without cheese since my kids don’t eat dairy. You could go for an all red pizza — sauce, tomatoes, red peppers, pepperoni.



8. Bake as directed. The longer you bake, the crunchier it will get. Also, judge the baking time based on how thick or thin you made the dough.
9. Say “I love you” and/or “I love pizza” as you bite into your delicious  gluten-free Valentine pizza!

Registration begins February 1st for Camp Celiac, a gluten-free camp for kids with celiac disease, ages 9 to 17. The camp will run from July 25-30, 2010. The goal of the camp, located in northern California, is to provide children restricted to a gluten-free diet with an opportunity to relax and have fun with kids their age, without having to worry about social acceptance or what foods they can eat.

My cousin’s son Reed who was 13 years old when he attended the camp last summer, has been gluten-free and dairy-free since age 7. He has been to the camp two times and looks forward to going again. He sat down with me after the camp last summer and told me all about it in an interview:

What were your favorite things about the camp?
The ropes course, the lake and the gluten-free dairy-free grilled cheese sandwiches!

Did you worry about food while you were there?
I worried a little that the food would be gone, but not about the gluten.

Was the food good?
Really good.

What were your favorite foods?
Pizza, breakfast — bacon, eggs, pancakes (they had a different tray for the dairy-free ones), and of course the grilled cheese sandwiches. The desserts were really good. My favorite was ice cream in a chocolate cone.

What about snacks?
There was a snack basket with individually wrapped samples whenever you wanted. There was also a snow cone machine!

Did you know any of the kids?
I got to see my friends from last year.

Do you want to go to the camp again?
I want to go every year and then when I am old enough, be a counselor at the camp.

So there you have it — a big endorsement from Reed!

To find out more about Camp Celiac, view photos from the camp, and register, visit the Camp Celiac website.

Homemade gluten-free pasta — can it be done? I used to help my mom roll wheat pasta dough through a hand-cranked pasta machine and then hang it out to dry on clothes drying racks! Freshly-made pasta has such a wonderful texture and taste. If you eat gluten-free, you rely on packaged dry pasta as your substitute. It’s good, but to experience fresh pasta again would be such a treat. After watching Jacqueline Mallorca make fresh gluten-free pasta, I think I may soon get together with my mom to relive our pasta-making days!

Jacqueline Mallorca is the author of the cookbook “Gluten Free Italian, Over 150 Irresistible Recipes without Wheat — from Crostini to Tiramisu.” She was also the guest speaker at our December 2009 meeting of the Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin. Today she appeared on the View from the Bay to demonstrate how to make gluten-free pasta. Here is the clip from the show:

Get the recipes for the dishes made in the video in the Gluten Free Italian cookbook or on abc.com.

If you are interested in getting together for a specially arranged gluten-free Italian dinner in San Francisco with Jacqueline Mallorca and members of GIG of Marin, email us at glutenfreemarin@yahoo.com for details.

I wonder if she got to see Harrison Ford who was also on the show today!

“Gluten-Free” was named one of the top five food trends of the Winter Fancy Food Show 2010 in San Francisco! For those of us who live gluten-free, we know it is not a trend, but a diagnosis and a way of life that is fortunately becoming more common and better understood.

I had the privilege of spending all three days at the show, working in the Pamela’s Products booth. It’s very exciting for me to be able to help a company whose products I love and whose dedication and generosity to the gluten-free community I applaud. I will be working at several events for Pamela’s in the future, so be sure to say hi if you see me!

I didn’t get much time to walk around and sample the other products at the show, but I did find a few new things worth mentioning…

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CAKES & COOKIES

Pamela’s Gluten-Free Cheesecake and Coffee Cake

Okay, well, I can’t go without first mentioning Pamela’s Gluten-Free Cheesecakes and Coffee Cake since I was serving them all day and might have snuck a few (or many) in my mouth (a girl’s gotta eat). I actually tried them last year when I visited their booth, but this year they are actually in stores — check your Whole Foods. It was fun watching people’s expressions when they took bites of the New York Agave Sweetened or the White Chocolate Raspberry cheesecakes… and then found out they were gluten-free. I can confirm that they are amazing!

Minnie Beasley’s Handmade Almond Lace

Minnie Beasley’s Gluten-Free Handmade Almond Lace tastes like buttah – maybe ’cause that’s the first ingredient! If you like toffee, you will love these. Ingredients: butter, almonds, sugar, heavy cream, milk, rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, salt, xanthan gum. Allergen information: Minnie Beasley’s Cookie Co. uses good manufacturing practices to segregate ingredients in a facility that also processes wheat and may contain peanuts.

Something Good’s Allergen-Free Mixes

This was the first time I had seen Something Good products from Australia. It’s nice to have another option for mixes that are free of wheat, gluten, dairy, nuts, egg and soy. The Chocolate Mud Cake Mix and the Cupcake Mix do require eggs in the recipe, however. It looks like the Classic Bread Mix and the SuperGrain Bread Mix do not. Cute packaging.

Mary’s Gone Cookies - Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free

Known for crackers, Mary’s Gone Crackers now has “love Cookies!” Certified organic and gluten-free, they are also free of eggs and dairy. Packed with interesting ingredients, they are formulated to be a healthy cookie if there is such a thing! I love that I have another cookie option for my gluten-free dairy-free egg-allergic daughter. Thanks Mary!

The No Bake Cookie Company’s Gluten Free All Natural No Bake Cookies

A no-bake cookie is a cookie made by heating ingredients like butter, sugar, chocolate, oats, and peanut butter on the stove until melted and then dropping by spoonfuls onto waxed paper until they harden. I don’t know the exact method or ingredients used by The No Bake Cookie Company, but I do know that they use certified gluten-free oats from Bob’s Red Mill. And that’s pretty much all you need to know because they… are… sooo… good.

WOW Baking Company’s Gluten Free Cookies

I tried WOW Baking Company’s gluten-free cookies last year and got to try them again this time. They are like a giant homemade cookie  and they are delicious! I really like the Peanut Butter and Snickerdoodle flavors. They use gluten-free oats in their Oregon Oatmeal flavor. They also make cookie dough — I bet it’s good too!

CANDY & TREATS & OTHER SWEETS

Happy Goat Caramel

There are sweet treats everywhere you turn at this show — candy, chocolate, licorice, lolly pops, taffy, caramel corn, chocolate and more chocolate. You almost become numb to it, unless something stands out. For me, it was Happy Goat Caramel. I have become a fan of goat milk products in recent years and for many people, it is easier to digest than cow’s milk. I am also a fan of caramel. Put it together and I am one happy human! (The name Happy Goat comes from the fact that the milk comes from free-range goats raised on small California farms with no pesticides, who eat a healthy diet, are free to roam and aren’t separated from their mothers at birth!)

Goody Good Stuff Candy

This candy isn’t available yet, but when it is, I will be buying Goody Good Stuff for my daughters (when candy is called for). Made by the company that makes Haribo, these gummy candies are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free, kosher, vegan, and all natural. I tested them on my children and they passed (not that hard to get them to eat candy, but still). They come in fun shapes and flavors, like Cola Breeze, Summer Peaches, Sour Pretzels, and Gummy Koala Bears.

Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows

Big fluffy marshmallow squares… Plush Puffs! Plain old store-bought marshmallows are usually gluten-free, but these hand-made ones with natural ingredients are sooo much better. Plus, you get to choose from Vanilla Bean, Caramel Swirl, Chocolate Chipetta, Luscious Lemony Meringue, Peppi-Mint and seasonal specials. I even tasted Maple & Bacon flavor at the show! Yes, it had real bits of bacon in it! Not sure I will ever see that one again, but it definitely caught my attention! Every flavor except one (Simply S’mores) is gluten-free, and every flavor except one (Caramel Swirl) is free of corn syrup.

Sunny Seed Drops

Say you really need a candy-coated chocolate something. Well, in 2010 it’s all about the seeds, so why not treat yourself to some Sunny Seed Drops? The little tiny drops of sunshine come in many cheerful colors with cute packaging. There is even an All Natural version with no artificial colors.

Smooze Fruit Ice

My kids already eat Smooze Fruit Ice frozen dairy-free treats, but I am excited to announce that they have a new flavor — strawberry! Made from coconut milk and fruit juice, you buy them in liquid form in their triangular containers and put them in your freezer. Kids squeeze them up as they eat them.

CHIPS & SNACKS & CRUNCHY THINGS

Wai Lana Yogi Chips

If you need another chip in your life, you might like Yogi Chips. Made by the same company that makes Yoga videos, the chips are gluten-free, soy-free, and several flavors are dairy-free. Made from cassava (yucca) and tapioca flour, they are light and crunchy. The Whole Grain Yogi Chips  also contain corn, brown rice and mung bean.

Taste Waves 3-6-9 Tortilla Chips

I probably wouldn’t have noticed these chips if they weren’t in the booth right next to us, but everyone shares food with their neighbors at the show and a bag of Taste Wave Tortilla Chips came my way. I love tortilla chips and regularly snack on them. These chips have chia seeds added to them, and though you can’t taste them, apparently they are packed with nutrition. I very much enjoyed them!

Falafel Chips

I used to be a regular at Holy Land Restaurant in Oakland where I always ordered the falafel on pita bread. It was a meal full of gluten, and one I had to give up when I started eating gluten-free. Falafel Chips, however, contain no gluten. Made of organic corn and organic beans (chickpeas, fava beans and/or black beans), and lots of spices, Falafel Chips are an interesting spin on the old chip. They come in Original or Spicy.

R.W. Garcia Gluten Free 5-Seed Crackers

R.W. Garcia is know for their tortilla chips, which are all made from non-genetically modified corn. Now they are making Gluten Free 5-Seed Crackers in three flavors: Rosemary & Garlic, Onion & Chive, and Tellicherry Cracked Pepper (Tellicherry is an Indian peppercorn). The base of the crackers is still corn, so it’s still more like a tortilla chip than a cracker, but at least it’s another option for munching and adding spreads.

Harvest Roast Pumpkin Seeds

In case you haven’t been paying attention, SEEDS are IN! I happen to love pumpkin seeds and so I was happy to find a company that makes only pumpkin seeds. This matters to me because I have a nut-allergic daughter and I never know if pumpkin seeds are processed with nuts. The Harvest Roast pumpkin seeds come in many flavors, such as garlic herb, honey sesame and chili lime. Delicious and nutritious!

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There were literally thousands more products being introduced at the show. Something I found surprising (and discouraging) was that despite the growing incidence of peanut and tree nut allergies, there were SO MANY nut products! I guess nuts are fancy. At least gluten-free is now considered fancy too!

If you were at the show, and found something you’d like to mention, feel free to comment.

I love roasted vegetables. Pretty much any vegetable tastes great when roasted in the oven, so when thinking about something to contribute to this month’s Gluten-Free Progressive Dinner Party, I thought I’d try turning some yummy roasted winter veggies into a soup.

Cauliflower is one of the cruciferous vegetables, along with broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale and others, that is known for cancer-fighting properties. Cauliflower is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C, and folate, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, manganese and omega-3 fatty acids. (For more nutritional information about cauliflower, including its cancer-reducing ability, visit The World’s Healthiest Foods.)

Cauliflower is a winter vegetable, which means it is as its best during the winter months. Look for a cauliflower that is white with no spots on it and stay away from bags of pre-cut cauliflower! Cauliflower is low in fat and a great soup ingredient in place of the starchy potato.

The bottom line is… it’s good for you! And I think you’ll like the taste too…

Use the soup recipe below as is, or add in any of your own favorite spices (cumin, curry, cayenne) or garnishes (a swirl of creme fraiche, chopped fresh parsley).

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Gluten-Free Croutons

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into chunks (green stem and leaves discarded)
• 3 carrots, cut into chunks (peeled or not — doesn’t matter!)
• 1 medium to large red onion, cut into chunks (definitely peel this one!)
• olive oil
• salt
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or more if you like a thinner soup (see which chicken broth is gluten-free)
• 2-3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, or other vinegar, or lemon juice
• gluten-free croutons, or 3 slices of any gluten-free bread

DIRECTIONS

1. Throw chunks of cauliflower, carrots and onion in a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet with sides.
2. Drizzle olive oil over all of the veggies and sprinkle with a little salt. (I use a salt grinder and do a quick grind over everything. Less is better, because you can always add salt to the soup later.) Mix the veggies around a little to evenly distribute the olive oil and salt.
3. Cook veggies in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.
4. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a pot on the stove and add the broth.
5. Bring pot to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes. Carrots should be soft when pierced with a fork — if not, simmer until they are.
6. Puree* the vegetables and broth to desired texture. Add more broth if a thinner consistency is desired.
7. Taste and adjust seasonings. Does it need more salt? Add pepper and other spices as you wish, or leave it with just salt. Add in the vinegar or lemon juice to give it a little extra flavor.
8. Garnish with croutons**, chopped herbs, a swirl of creme fraiche — whatever you like!

*To puree soup:
I prefer to use an immersion hand blender. Frankly, I probably wouldn’t even make soup if I didn’t own one of these! You stick it into the pot, push the button and it magically turns anything into soup. (I also use it to foam milk for cafe au laits in the morning!)
If you don’t have one, let the contents of the pot cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a blender or food processor and puree in batches. Be careful you don’t splatter yourself with hot soup! Transfer the pureed soup back into the pot.

**To make gluten-free croutons:
This is so easy, but sometimes I forget that croutons are a nice addition to a soup or salad. To make croutons, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then,

1. Cut the slices of gluten-free bread into cubes.
2. Coat with olive oil.
   You can do this many ways:

• lay bread cubes on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and toss them around
• use a pastry brush and brush the oil on while they are in the pan
• spray the cubes with oil
• put cubes in a bowl and toss with olive oil

1. Season with salt and pepper. Other seasoning options are garlic salt, fresh or dried herbs such as basil, rosemary or thyme.
2. Bake in oven on a baking pan until crunchy, about 10-15 minutes. Toss the croutons with a spatula part way through for even browning.
3. Or you could totally cheat, like I did in the picture, and just toast the cubes in your toaster oven! As long as they’re crunchy, they qualify as croutons in my opinion!

This recipe is the first stop of the Gluten Free “Light Winter Warmers” Progressive Dinner Party!

Each day this week you’ll find new gluten free dishes being “served” by other bloggers. This month’s offerings will warm you up during these winter months. On the lighter side, these should work with your New Year’s resolutions! Follow the schedule as you would a map through a neighborhood. Stop by, leave a comment, pass on the information to your friends and have a wonderful time!

Here is the schedule (I will fill in with links to the posts each day so please check back):

Monday January 18th:
Me at Sure Foods Living
“Creamy” Potato Leek Soup from Karen at Cook4Seasons

Tuesday January 19th:
Winter Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup w/ Prosciutto topping from Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang.

Wednesday January 20th:
Mexican Seafood Soup from Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang
Vegan Un-Chicken Roasted Vegetable Soup from SeaMaiden at Book of Yum

Thursday January 21st:
Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash & Swiss Chard from Amy at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
Wassail (hot spiced punch) from Shirley at gluten free easily

Friday January 22nd:
Moroccan Chickpea and Potato Soup from Ali at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

I was shopping recently with my 3 year old in a mall when lunchtime rolled around. Looking for a quick and tasty lunch when you must eat gluten-free can be challenging at best. And if you’ve got small children you know that you don’t let them go hungry for too long or you’re really asking for it!

We stepped into a new-to-my-area Mexican food place called Chipotle. I started with my usual questions about tortillas and fryers and marinades, blah blah blah (it’s get so tiring sometimes — I wish I could just order like un-allergic people), when to my surprise, the worker handed me an allergen card for all the items on the menu!

The allergen card lists which items contain Eggs, Fish, Gluten, Milk, Peanuts, Shellfish, Soy, Tree Nuts and Wheat. It is great that a restaurant chain has the awareness to do this, but the really great news is that the only thing on the menu that contains gluten is the flour tortilla, which is only used for burritos and soft tacos. Fryers are used only for corn tortilla chips and the deliciously crispy corn taco shells. Or you can skip the tortillas all together and order a rice bowl or have them make you a salad. Everything is yummy!

For those with kids, you can order just 1 taco! You choose what you want them to put on it as you go down the line. Also, quesadillas are not on the menu but can be made by request.

For those with food allergies, there is no eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts or tree nuts used at all. If you can’t have soybean oil you are out of luck, as this is the oil that is used for everything, including in the fryer (I wished they used another kind of oil).

Be aware that there is a note/disclaimer on the allergen card that reads: “Variations may occur due to differences in suppliers, ingredient substitutions, recipe revisions, and/or food preparation at the restaurant. *Soybean oil, the only soy-based ingredient that we use, is not indicated as an allergen. If you have any concerns pertaining to consumption of soybean oil, please consult your doctor. For general information on food allergens, visit the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network Web site at http://www.foodallergy.org.”

Reading about the company on their website, I have become impressed with their awareness and commitment to serving natural and organic food, and their mission of “Food With Integrity.” When someone told me that they were owned by McDonald’s, I just couldn’t believe it (food with integrity??) and checked up on that fact myself. Whew. They are not owned by McDonald’s. Chipotle became a subsidiary of McDonald’s in 1999, but Mcdonald’s divested completely from Chipotle and no longer has anything to do with it.

So, I am officially a Chipotle Fan! I find myself going back there again and again for a quick, easy, inexpensive, tasty, kid-friendly, stress-free and gluten-free meal.

NOTE: For those who are extremely sensitive to gluten, be aware that because they do use flour tortillas to make burritos, there is a chance of cross-contamination from the touching of the tortilla with hands and utensils (thanks to my readers for reminding me of this).

Our next meeting of the Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin will take place on Monday, February 8. We will discuss medical and food topics, and as always, there will be raffle prizes!

Whether you have Celiac Disease, are gluten-sensitive, or are learning more about gluten free living for yourself, family or friends, we look forward to seeing you at the February 8th meeting of the Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin! New members are welcome.

To be added to our group email list and/or to RSVP to this event, email us at: glutenfreemarin@yahoo.com.

The Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin will meet:

• Monday, February 8
  
• 7:00 to 9:00pm
  
• Community Room at Corte Madera Town Center (upstairs at PF Chang’s end) 770 Tamalpais Dr. Suite 201, Corte Madera, CA, 94925

We look forward to seeing you,
Sheila and Alison

Meet the Co-Founders of the Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin:
Sheila Wagner, PT, CN has been an Orthopedic Physical Therapist for 29 years. Discovering her Non Celiac Gluten Intolerance 12 years ago prompted Sheila to become a Certified Nutritionist and integrate that service with her Physical Therapy private practice. Sheila is known as an expert in evaluating and treating orthopedic conditions and discovering their connections to food incompatibilities and metabolic dysfunctions. www.sheilawagner.com.
Alison St. Sure was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2002 and is the mother of a daughter with multiple food allergies. Alison was inspired to create SureFoodsLiving.com to provide information to others who are living with Celiac Disease, Gluten Sensitivity andor other food allergies. Alison’s website and consulting services are known as an exceptional source of information and assistance.

There is controversy about whether or not a gluten-free and casein-free diet can “cure” autism. My personal opinion is that anyone who has a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder should try the diet. I am not saying it will be easy — but what if your child’s condition could be improved, or yes, even “cured” by changing what he eats? As someone who experienced radical changes in my health, both physical and mental, by eliminating gluten, I can’t help but believe that many autistic children would also benefit from dietary intervention.

If you want to know about how autism could really be undiagnosed celiac disease, click on the link to an article in the Journal of Child Neurology. The article, “Celiac disease presenting as autism,” discusses the case of a 5 year-old severely autistic boy who actually had underlying celiac disease. It was the nutritional deficiencies caused by celiac disease that led to his neurological problems. The authors of the article explain how nutritional deficiencies can cause certain behaviors.

In one paragraph, they state: “The brain is a biological organ that requires complex interaction of numerous biochemical nutrients to carry out physiological processes. Emerging evidence confirms that deficiency of assorted nutrients such as folate, vitamin D, or essential fatty acids may impair various biological processes required for normal metabolic and neurological functioning. Just like digestion and respiration, moods and thoughts have biochemical substrates; deficiency of nutrients required to carry out biological functions in the brain may result in neuropsychiatric syndromes like autism, characterized by disordered moods, thoughts, and behaviors.”

It makes sense!

This particular article references only one boy, but you can find many personal stories about the successes of the gfcf diet in treating autism in the Success Stories on gfcfdiet.com.

Another important thing to remember is that many people who test negative on the blood tests for celiac disease may still have a gluten sensitivity. I don’t believe that anyone should rule out a gluten-free diet just because of a negative blood test. That goes for everyone with symptoms or health issues, not just autistic children.

Related reading:
Autism and diet - what’s the connection?
Is the Media Fueling the Gluten Free, Casein Free Autism Controversy?
Gluten-Free Guide
Casein-Free Guide

Q. I just had a blood test to test for genetic predisposition to celiac because my mother is a celiac and I have a lot of the same symptoms. It came back negative and I am just wondering if it is possible to still have it. My doctor has completely ruled it out based on the test. Have you any idea what percentage of celiacs have no genetic markers?

A. The genetic tests for HLA DQ2 and HLA DQ8 account for 95% of celiacs. Celiac disease itself by the classical definition (positive anti tTG and EMA antibodies and a Marsh III biopsy) only accounts for half of all patients who are sensitive to gluten. There are a number of genes that are not currently tested for in clinical practice that have been associated with gluten sensitivity.  We currently are ignorant of their precise actions. You probably would benefit from a gluten-free diet.

Health and happiness,
Dr. Aron

Have a question for the doc?

This December marked my 7th anniversary of being gluten-free. I was diagnosed with celiac disease in December of 2002 and I celebrate it as a life-changing and positive event in my life. Obviously I would prefer to not have celiac disease, but I choose to celebrate the date of my diagnosis because I feel lucky to have found the answer to my ill health.

I know many of you out there have had similar stories, and I wish you a wonderful GF new year: Great Friends, Great Family, Great Fun and Great Food (gf of course)!

Happy New Year!
Alison