My mother-in-law just emailed me a link to an interesting article in the Sunday Times. It states that a certain subset of Autism is being caused by inflammatory immune disorders. At least one-third of Autism (and “very likely more”) is caused by diseases such as Celiac, which is what I have, that start while in the mother’s womb. The more active a mother’s immune system is, the more likely a child is to be born with autism. And Celiac Disease can send an immune system into overdrive, causing severe inflammation. So I found this article especially interesting for several personal reasons. First, I have to follow a Gluten Free and Casein Free (GFCF) diet – which is often called the “Autism Diet”. My Celiac disease means I must avoid gluten (GF) and my casein allergy forces me to avoid all dairy (CF). So I’ve done a lot of research on a GFCF diet. Many parents of autistic children have found that strictly avoiding gluten and casein can to help lessen the symptoms their children experience. From a personal, “normal” adult perspective (“normal” meaning not on the autistic spectrum), I can completely see how being GFCF could help alleviate symptoms of Autism. When I have the tiniest bit of gluten, within an hour I feel what must be a chemical reaction taking place in my brain. First I become super-anxious (Chicken Little has nothing on me! Not only is the sky falling, but everyone’s going to get hurt or die – it’s a terrible, out of control feeling that no matter how many times I tell myself “it’s just a gluten reaction,” it still feels...
Sunday is the Oscars, the “Superbowl” for film fans everywhere. I’m going to have some fellow film geeks over for a viewing party so I was trying to think of some yummy GFCF appetizers that would satisfy my non-GFCF friends. And since this worked so well for the Superbowl (which I also ADORE watching!), I figured it would be a great Oscar watching party app. This recipe is easy, warms your whole house up with delectable smells. It tastes so buttery and awesome that everyone will love it and no one will believe it’s dairy-free! (Yum! This is making me hungry and it’s 7:30AM!) Noi’s Pulled Buffalo Chicken (CrockPot) 6 tablespoons oil (2 of olive oil, 4 of sunflower oil) + additional olive oil if browning chicken 1/2 cup Frank’s Original Hot Sauce 2 teaspoons tomato paste 4 teaspoons chile powder 3 teaspoons brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup chicken broth (approx. 1 small 14 oz. package of Pacific Brand broth) 2 pounds chicken (either 4 breasts, 8 cutlets or 2 packages of tenders – I get whatever’s on sale) Corn starch Turn Crockpot on High Combine first three ingredients in small mixing bowl and stir until fully mixed. Whisk in the spices. Whisk in chicken broth Transfer to crockpot with heat on high Brown chicken in additional olive oil (med heat: 6). Just brown it though- Don’t completely cook or it gets tough (I’ve done cutlets and tenders raw and they cook in about 3 hours without browning, no problem) Place browned...
—————<<<UPDATE>>> GFMeals.com closed down. Booo hoo! But I honestly didn’t order from them too much anyway… too overpriced for what you got. There are so many other ways to get GFCF foods now, they really didn’t have much of a chance. Too bad though. It was a good idea – if only there was a way to do it locally and fresh, not frozen…. ——————- When I heard about this GFCF delivery service from gfMeals.com, I thought it was too good to be true. But a delivery service that can truly keep me safe from both gluten and dairy AND keep me out of the kitchen was too good to pass up. The selections seems a bit limited and easy, but totally kid friendly, which is great for us. So I just ordered a Turkey Meatloaf, Meatballs, Mac-n-Chz and Chicken Tenders. The shipping was a bit hefty ($21+!!) but their site says all orders have to be shipped in special refrigerated packaging. I placed the order tonight with regular shipping (over $100 for expedited!!! Yikes!!)…. I will post back to let you know how it...
The holiday spirit seized me in the grocery store a few days ago. As I reached for my usual Almond Milk I noticed two Seasonal Flavors of Silk Soy Milk: Pumpkin Spice and Chocolate Mint. I’d tried the Egg Nog for Thanksgiving (and it seemed okay…), so I thought, hey! This could be a way to get some Christmas Cheer in a glass. So for breakfast this morning I had a decadent GFCF breakfast of Chocolate Mint Silk and Chocolate Chip Muffins ( Kinnikinnick). Yum! But then about 10 minutes after eating, I noticed I was starting to get stuffy… Then my eyes were itching. And then my throat was scratchy. And pretty soon I was wearing my “Allergy Mask:” a hot, red, itchy face that I only get when I’ve eaten casein. What?! But all Kinnikinnick products are manufactured in a dedicated gluten and dairy free facility! It can’t be the yummy muffins (yes.. I had two 😛 ) that caused my allergy reaction. So it must’ve been the Silk. Actually, come to think of it, I had a similar (yet not as severe) reaction yesterday when I had I had a glass of Pumpkin Spice Silk. By a meeting at 11am my face was bright red and itchy. Allergic reaction for sure. But I was so busy I didn’t take the time to track it down and try to figure out why. But today, well, today I took a look at Silk’s website. And I’m very surprised to see that Silk products can not be certified Kosher Parve! All of their soy milks are heated on the...
Here’s a yummy gluten free, casein free and egg free pumpkin bread that will enthrall even your pickiest little bread connoisseurs. Our 6 year old asked for not only seconds, but thirds!! He didn’t notice what was missing, just that it was super tasty. INGREDIENTS 4 teaspoons Orgran’s No Egg Natural Egg Replacer 4 tablespoons of water 1.5 cups Bob’s Red Mill potato starch 1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill “sweet white” sorghum flour 1 cup raw sugar 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon xantham gum 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg 1 can pureed pure pumpkin (1.5 cups) (NOT pie mix) 2 teaspoons white, distilled vinegar 1/2 cup coconut oil DIRECTIONS • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. • Grease two 9×4 loaf pans (using any oil of choice or Earth Balance). • To make “fake eggs,” in a small bowl combine 4 teaspoons of egg replacer with 4 tablespoons of water. Mix vigorously until all lumps are gone and set aside. • Sift all dry ingredients into medium mixing bowl. Stir until well combined. • Add the “fake eggs,” pumpkin, vinegar and oil to the dry ingredients. Mix well, until thickened (about 3-4 minutes with a mixer on medium-low). • Divide batter and pour into prepared pans. • Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a tester toothpick inserted into the middle comes out cleanly. • Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. • To serve, dust top with powdered sugar. Fun Holiday Idea: I used a mini loaf Train Pan from Williams- Sonoma to make a GFCF Pumpkin Bread Train. The kids LOVE...
I hate to admit this, but before going GFCF I rarely, if ever, looked at ingredients. I mean, sure, I’d casually glance at them and perhaps tisk-tisk when I saw the well-known offenders (like… MSG or… high fructose corn syrup). But I had NO idea what I was ingesting. No idea that wheat and dairy were so prevalent. But I guess that’s what got me into this food allergy/sensitivity problem in the first place. But since going GFCF more than 7 months ago I’ve read more labels, done more online searches and read more non-fiction books (cookbooks, alternative health books, allergy & intolerance books) than I’ve done in my entire life. Times two. And now I’m shocked at what I was ingesting. Shocked! By not only the chemicals but the strange combinations of “natural” ingredients that go into creating mass-produced, seemingly simple foods. Like French Fries. If you had asked me 7 months ago what could POSSIBLY go into creating french fries, there’s no way milk would’ve ever made it on my list. But there are SOOO many brands, both restaurant and grocery store, that contain dairy. And I love french fries. I mean, LOVE them! I remember in high school I discovered that one of the diners on main street four blocks from the school would give me a HUGE plate of fries and a Coke for the same price as my school lunch wouldda cost. I ate there every day Sophmore year. Through rain or snow I would trudge those four blocks for my fix (what I wouldn’t give for THAT metabolism now!!). So when I found...
