gluten free

Trader Joe’s and Gluten Free….For Me?

I made my first pilgrimage to Trader Joe’s.  Been wanting to go for years.  I was on vacation in the Boston, MA area, and went to one in Brookline near my sister’s condo.  Saturday morning, crazy busy parking lot; we were thrilled to find a space! I was not so thrilled with what I found inside.  No separate gluten free area.  IT was all mixed in all over the place.  Like a treasure hunt but unfortunately I found cross contamination issues with their products and had to put lots of the treasures back on the shelf.  I also was not happy to have gf stuff right next to all purpose wheat flour based products.

tj cookies

Missed these……next time.

I couldn’t accept foods that were “processed on equipment that may also process wheat, etc.”  Nope.  Been there, tried that and got pretty sick: total waste of money to purchase, waste of time to bake with it and not be able to enjoy and so not good for my digestive system.  Yes, the possibility of a small contamination due to shared equipment for processing food is definitely enough to cause a celiac to not buy a food product. Happens all the time to me when I shop; I read the label and then regretfully put the product back on the shelf.

espresso beans

Now, I hear Trader Joe’s has a reputation for gluten free products and after the fact I discovered that you can get a list of gf foods from the service desk and their staff will help you find it.  Frankly I saw no staff around the store but I can say that they were very friendly at the check out and gave me a free TJ’s bag for it being my first ever TJ experience.  Sweet of them.  Would have been sweeter if I had been able to buy some salad dressing and chocolate covered nuts.  Neither of which was safe consider the cross contamination issue, here-to-for referred to as cc.

tj bag

Today I did find a blog posting giving me some direction on what was great at TJ’s; gonna use it next time, check it out: http://dragonflyglutenfree.blogspot.com/2014/05/trader-joes-gluten-free-love.html

Something else bothered me; the shelving of gluten free products.  Two reasons for my dismay; first: when they are blended together it is frighteningly easy to mistake something and take it home and as you are munching on it you realize it was not gf, just looked a lot like the gf product next to it! Secondly, I hate seeing gf products next to or on a lower shelf than regular products that have loose flour in them; bags of wheat flour for instance.  Before you jump to conclusions of me baking with wheat flour by accident; the problem is those wheat flour boxes and bags do leak at times or even burst.  Then a shower of wheat based product sifts down or over onto the gf boxes/bags.  I might touch that gf bag or box to read the ingredients.  I don’t even have to buy it to get sick.  If I get a small amount of flour which contains gluten on my fingers and then touch my face/lips it is shockingly easy for me to get quite sick.  That brief touch of flour is all it takes to make someone with celiac very ill.  tf english muffins

Smart managers of some grocery stores have a dedicated gf baking area for products so they are not next to wheat based mixes: Wegmans does that.  They have the best gf department in general and the don’t spread their gf stuff all over the store.

wegmans gf

Wegman’s GF aisle

Other stores, at least, put the gf stuff on the top shelf so if the flour leaks; it doesn’t get on the gf stuff which is above it.  Giant does this which I applaud.  Sadly, Whole Foods doesn’t nor do most heath food stores. I have told mangers about this issue but unless they know a celiac well enough to realize how easily products get contaminated, they just don’t get it and can’t be bothered to move the arrangement of products around to make it safer for us celiac sufferers.  I would be curious to know what other grocery store chains do in how they shelve gf products.

coconut oil

I did buy a jar of this!

My friend Josh who is a total TJ addict didn’t understand what I meant by cc and suggested I share some of this in my blog so you understand it when your gf family member freaks out about such stuff.

It may seem minor but when your life depends on you eating consistently safely, then you look at all the little stuff.  I hate getting ill from gluten and if I suffer several bouts in a short period of time I feel so terrible I can barely function and spend weeks feeling nauseated all day long as a result of the multiple glutenings.  So I look at all the ways I can get glutened and avoid food with any possibility of cross contamination as well as outside the package contamination.

fig butter

Finally, I also belong to several celiac support groups and have heard serious rumblings about the authenticity of Trader Joe’s gluten free designations on their products.  I take that gf label very seriously and if they are found to be slapping it on unsafe products you will Never find my personage in a Trader Joe’s again. I hope it is not so, I really do.  Meanwhile I am going to go open my fig butter and indulge in a little fig jam party!

Blueberry Pancakes, GF AND Yet Fat and Sassy!

Who know it would be so difficult to find a really tasty gf pancake recipe?  Tried a few and found some too dry and some too bland.  It took me just about 2.5 years to find ones I really liked.  Fat, tender and flavorful.  I don’t miss my old wheat based pancakes anymore.  Plus these are super easy to make; dump and stir.  Sorry, no ready made box mix used here but I am considering making a dry mix version of this recipe so I can blend them together in a hurry.  Soon, when I can find the time to figure out the way to do it best, then I will be ready to make almost instant pancakes from scratch!They are from Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s cookbook.  I am generally not a fan of celebrity cookbooks but this recipe is worth sharing.

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So try these and you will find them to be fat and utterly yummy.  I put blueberries in mine but they are good plain and would taste fantastic with chocolate chips added on top! My three year old grandson loved them the other week.  We sprinkled a little cinnamon in our batter too.

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I think someone already took a bite out of one of these beauties!

Elizabeth’s GF Pancakes

1 cup sweet sorgum flour

½ cup sweet rice flour

¼ cup tapioca flour

2 tbsp. sugar

2 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. guar gum

¼ tsp. salt

———

1 2/3 cup 2% milk

2 eggs

½ tsp. vanilla

4 tbsp. butter; melted plus more for griddle frying

Topping: ¼ cup fresh blueberries, sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions: Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix the next three ingredients in a small bowl, whisk well, mix in the melted butter, whisk.  Pour into the dry ingredients, mix with whisk just until no dry shows.  If the batter looks too thick add 1-2 more tablespoons milk and stir up. I heat the griddle while I do the mixing so it is all ready when the batter is mixed; it doesn’t keep well; to get the fattest puffiest pancakes the secret is mix briefly and you have to bake them right away.

Heat griddle until hot, add some butter, I like to use a big kitchen spoon to measure and I do 3 or 4 pancakes on my cast iron griddle at a time. Sprinkle 3-5 berries on top of each pancake and add a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Let them cook until the edges look set; about 2-3 minutes.  Turn with flat spatula turner.  Let cook 1-2 more minutes.  Do not flip again.  Serve with maple or blueberry syrup.

Hot Day -Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken Revolution!

Hot days of late, too hot to roast a fricken chicken.  No gluten free rotisserie chickens around here that I know of.  What to do if we crave roast chicken and don’t want to heat the house too?  It’s Super Slow Cooker to the rescue!  This is so easy, an eight year old could do it! You make a dry rub of spices, sprinkle all over the bird and stick some under the skin.  Plop it in the pot and let er rip for 4 plus hours.  How did it turn out? Great! Mildly spicy, flavorful, moist and tasty.  Best of all: no hot kitchen.  I ate it that night with some leftover potato salad and some veggies.  I think you could add more garlic, more spices or whatever you like to make different versions. Note to self; try a new version every time I make this bird and share my findings with you later this summer!

The next night I created a big salad of many veggie things with my homemade rotisserie chicken breast as the star ingredient.  Two nights later another salad with different veggies and more of the fabulous chicken topping it.  Then a day later I made a simple stir fry with pad Thai noodles, broccoli florets, fresh ginger in thin strips, zuke half moons, fresh pea pods from the garden, onion and a diagonally sliced carrot.  Oh and I used the rest of the chicken breast for the protein in it. The rest of the stir fry: I enjoyed a nummy good cold Thai salad for lunch the next day: I just added a bit of sesame oil and it was ready! Awesome!  No oven needed. Or wanted!

It is from my much thumbed through slow cooker cookbook by Carla Forbes. I know you will be pleased with how cool your kitchen stays and that it is safe for us gluten intolerant types.  For some reason most stores that sell rotisserie chicken add some gluten in the process.  I am guessing it is in the spice blend as is often the case with such flavor blends.  In any case, your homemade rotisserie chicken will be safe and succulent! And for anyone who doesn’t worry on gluten; well, this is a tasty dish you will love to have in your arsenal of hot weather entree choices.  I used a fat Wegman’s chicken and it sure has great flavor and texture for a decent price.

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rotisserie chicken and orchid 010

Ready to eat and full of rotisserie flavor!

The bird is in the slow cooker and ready – has its olive oil drizzle! Here are some chunks of breast meat ready to be chopped up for the big supper salad.

Hot Summer Rotisserie Chicken

1 four pound whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry

2 tbsp. olive oil

————–

Spice blend: mix in a small dish

1 ½ tsp sat

2 tsp. paprika

½ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. white pepper

½ tsp. cayenne pepper or hot chili powder

½ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. garlic powder

Directions: Remove any giblets and dispose of them how ever you like.  Just not gonna use them in this recipe! Or any I provide.  Ick!  Rinse the bird and pat dry with a couple paper towels.  Rub the spice mix all over the bird, pull back some breast skin and sprinkle the mix in there.  Sprinkle any extra inside the bird.  Place bird breast up in your six quart oval (not so good in round one!) slow cooker.  Drizzle the olive oil on top of your bird; all over it.  Cover and cook 4-5 hours on low or 3.5 on high.  I did 4 on low and turned it up to high for 45 minutes at the end. My bird was close to 5 pounds so I felt it needed a bit more cooking.

My recipe said you could make gravy: remove the bird and add 1/3 cup brown rice mixture flour and stir well to blend it into the pan juices and naturally created chicken broth.  Add salt and pepper to taste; cook on high for 10-15 minutes. I didn’t do that; next time!

I ate some slices of hot breast meat with potato salad that night (so so tender and moist!) and put the rest of it into a big batter bowl that has a lid.  Once it was cooled somewhat the bird went into the refrigerator to keep fresh and flavorful.  The broth soaks in and adds even more flavor as it rests in the cold fridge.

I have no picture of the done bird whole and uncut.  I was so hungry the first night I dug in and totally forgot to take one; next time I made it I will snap a few and upload to this post.  It looks like your regular rotisserie chicken if not as dry or dark skinned.

Living the Gluten Free Way…Worth the Effort!

Let me update you on my gluten free life style. I have been gluten free almost two and a half years. I initially bought every freaking flour under the sun.  Some I still use, some I have abandoned for specific reasons: generally they make things taste odd; like someone from another universe baked it!  I no longer use many bean flours, just occasionally; too weird tasting.  Ditto for quinoa flour.  I like quinoa as a starch/side and use it occasionally but that flour…rarely. Same goes for teff flour…odd tasting. I make a few flour blends and two mixes; for cobblers and for buttermilk biscuits.  The mixes are really handy for quick baking.

My diet centers around eating healthy; lots of veggies, fruits, proteins and a few oils like olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil and canola oil.  I try to eat seasonally when it comes to produce – get the best tasting stuff when it is local and fresh.

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I make a fair amount of muffins for snacks and a lot of my desserts are fruit based.  I found a pie crust or two that work great, same goes for muffins and brownies.  I love my cobbler recipe; it gets a lot of usage. Pasta does have a place but not as much or as often as when it was wheat based pasta.  I am a fan of Barilla gf pastas and long for them to bring out a linguine.

fennel italian bread 012lentil stew, turkey meatballs 006I have figured out gravy, chicken and dumplings, meat pie, quiche and white sauce.   I have a few great bread recipes I made upon occasion.

The cookbook I (still after 2 years) cannot live without is Annalise Roberts, Gluten Free Baking Classics; Second Edition: where the basic recipes for my muffins, brownies, pie crust, angel food cake and cupcakes come from.  Her flour blend is the same as King Arthur all purpose gf flour.  There are lots of great baked goods recipes to be tried out.  She has a new cookbook with the focus on heritage baked goods. I can’t wait to make some of those recipes!  I have a bunch of cookbooks but that Baking Classics is full of stuff I crave and enjoy. I find that I can modify her muffins to fit what I have available and create more variety in my baking.

My focus in this blog is on encouraging healthy cooking that is gluten free, easy to do and tasty.  I avoid as much processed food as possible and that includes snacks, cakes and other already baked goods.  I do eat some crackers and confess to a shameful love of gf cheese curls! I like to increase the amounts of veggies in dishes I make and I add beans whenever it works.    I don’t eat fast food except rarely.  And eating out is now a treat; too chancy and my geographic area doesn’t have that many safe gf restaurant choices.  So I reserve dinner out for once in a while meals. Cheaper too!

I still get glutened occasionally, recently by a bite of bbq at a friend’s house. She didn’t realize her bbq sauce was not actually safe for me.  I also ate a big chunk of chocolate bar with almonds that was cross contaminated.  Not a fun day; yes; both on the same day.

Once in a while, I long for wheat baked goods.  It is hard to be around them knowing that even one bite will make me terribly ill.  I have had dreams about bread…kinda nightmares actually.  For me, a lot of days at school are like being constantly exposed to poison that I am craving desperately. You have to have a good amount of will power to be eating lunch next to a big tray of wheat bagels and a plate of cookies And a pie! No other empty seats in the lunchroom.  Suck it up and try not to think about the treats right there under my nose.  Such is the life of a celiac.  You gotta be strong every single day.  And I am.  I have the will power and so do you!

apple pie 001

apple crumb pie

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homemade sandwich bread

I find that I can make great tasting treats far cheaper than the stuff at the store in the gf aisle.  Yummier than that stuff too.  Healthier since it has less chemicals and preservatives in it.  You can do that too.  There are lots of easy to make gf stuff on my blog; muffins, cookies, brownies and pies/tarts.  Main dishes too that are easy and nutritious. Sure there is some sugar in those muffins but far less than most of the store gf snack bars!  Bake up a batch and you will be thrilled with having more than a dozen snacks – freeze some so they keep for a few weeks.  I find that my wheat eating family enjoys my gf desserts, very much so. citrus chicken, blueberry muffins 009

Being healthy and feeling good are worth the effort to eat safely.  Life is much better gluten free and I know I am making the right choice to be very careful about what I eat and what I use on my skin, hair, and the rest of me!  It is doable and being gf gets better as you practice it and as you live the gf lifestyle week after week, month after month and year after year.  I promise you will be very glad as your tummy heals and all the rest of you feels better.  That’s part of why I write this blog; to help others be successful at living a gluten free lifestyle. The other reason is I just love to write.  Happy gluten free cooking and eating!

Spring Into Eating Safely…Let Me Rant a Little First!

Okay, call this my spring bitch rant.  Need to freak safely and this blog is my vent place! First, let me say that I am great being gluten free.  But, I am tired of justifying to people I barely know as to why I can’t eat gluten.  I am very tired of friends and even family saying words that clearly imply that I might sometimes choose to eat things that contain gluten, say a slice of birthday cake or a tasty looking donut.  That just makes me nearly crazy.  Because that idea is nuts to someone with celiac; that you can just eat a slice of regular cake because you want it.  That is nuts.  If you have celiac it is a serious, life threatening allergy, not some diet choice.  Eating gluten can give any combination of up to 200 symptoms. None of them are fun or worth having just for a few bites of dessert.

My reactions include burning pain in the area of my small intestine.  I get extremely tired, to the point of being unable to function. My head aches and I can do nothing but lie down for a long time, generally several hours. It is sort of like a stomach flu and generally is unmistakably from accidental consumption of gluten. Other people with celiac may have different symptoms than me, some terrible and some rather mild.  There is a wide range of how severe the symptoms are of someone with celiac.  But even without any noticeable symptoms anyone with celiac who eats gluten (wheat, rye or barley) is damaging their small intestine in a serious and lasting way.  That exposure to gluten can lead to malnutrition, leaky gut, cancer and a few other diseases.  Celiac is serious business, not to be ignored or made light of.  It totally pisses me off when someone makes light of my disease.

It used to annoy me when I went to a function and couldn’t eat anything.  Two years ago I was at a church gathering with a 40 foot long table of desserts and not one single one that I could eat safely.  I had a glass of water.  That was all that was okay for me.  These days there is often something safe I can eat.  Sometimes people serve a vegetable tray or some cubed cheese.  I always hope they will keep the crackers on a separate plate and get a dip that is marked gluten free.  I was at a pastoral installation last week and there were two kinds of gluten free cake and gluten free rolls for sandwiches as well as a ton of fresh fruit and trays of raw veggies that I could enjoy.  What a difference! I asked and discovered that someone in the congregation was celiac so they knew to serve some safe foods for those of us who cannot consume gluten.

It should be known that I really am glad to be eating safe for me.  I feel so much better.  I was amazed at how great my tummy felt about two weeks after I was totally gluten free in my diet.  And that continues to this day.  It’s wonderful to feel healthy.  It was very difficult to be happy with a constantly painful gut.  Now, 2 ¼ years later I have found many good recipes, many tasty ways to eat safely.  There is not huge sacrifice in always eating gluten free.  Getting that gf baking thing down these days feels fantastic. My brownies are crazy good.  I bake muffins far better than my old gluten filled ones.  The fennel and golden raisin bread I recently made was amazing, my sister is still raving about the flavor and aroma.  She eats wheat but she loves my Christmas cookies, said so the other day; that they were the best this past holiday season. fennel italian bread 012turkey meatballs, cranberry blue muffins 004shortbread cookie 001xmas cookies 006

So please, do not pity me. I don’t want or need it.  Quite the opposite: you can envy my perfect brownies or my lovely lemon almond cake or my best ever chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. Or all the entrees and sides I now make safely with a variety of starches or flours that don’t include gluten.  I am totally fine.  I don’t have to take any medicines to make me well.  I just need to keep all the gluten away from my body, not in my food, my medicine, my shampoo or my moisturizer.  Not even a pinch of it- anything from 20 parts per million is contamination. 

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Please don’t be offended if I don’t eat food I am not sure is totally gluten free.  I have lost friends that way; they were actually offended that I got sick at their house. If you bake, don’t make me a cake in your pan that baked wheat flour cakes, use a disposable aluminum pan.  And read the freaking labels if you cook for someone with celiac.  It is appalling how many foods have wheat contamination issues due to the equipment a lot of food is processed in/on or by. Don’t trust promises by caterers. I wrote a post on that once.

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I am good these days.  I really am. No pity…maybe you can have some dessert envy as I’m still a great baker! Gluten free is no death sentence. For those of us with celiac it is more a release from pain, undiagnosed suffering and a way to live healthier and happier. I blog so you can eat safely too, or cook safely for someone you love. Be happy, enjoy good food and live with joy.  I know I do!