GF Newbies notes 12/10/12

Greetings,

Here are the notes from last week's GF Newbies meeting:

--With regards to the upcoming holidays: Eat first before attending the holiday event; plan ahead and talk with host/hostess before to find out what will be served.

--tip when baking: add 1 tsp. of xanthum gum to the GF flour mix to produce better results!

--Quick meals: Progresso and Wolfgang Puck have some GF canned soups(be sure to check the label); Trader Joe's haschicken Taquitos in the frozen section--make sure it's chicken, NOT the other kind of taquito-(beef?); Applegate Farms GF chicken nuggets and fingers

--Kinni-Kwik (Kinnikinnick) has a bread and bun mix (just add water) (dairy free and nut free)

--some downtown restaurants that have either a GF menu or are GF accommodating:  Dos Rios; Americana; Court Avenue; Djanga; Centro; Smokey D's.

--Next time when you are at Chick-fil-a ask about the fries being gluten free.  There seems to be mixed messages on this menu item.

--New York Pizza (by Walmart in WDM--George Mills) has GF pizza; so does Nick & Willy's in WDM--on Jordan Creek Pkwy across from the mall.  Also, Gusto's Pizza has GF pizza (not sure on location, sorry)

--some good products to try: Chebe pizza crust and bread mix; also Schaar products

I will post these notes on the website: www.iowaglutenfree.blogspot.com where you can find additional info and recipes.

Thanks everyone and have a Merry Christmas,

Marci

Here are some additional notes: 

--Gluten Ease was briefly discussed.  Here is Barb Huyette's response to the product:

GlutenEase, an enzyme supplement, has been out for some time.  People are always looking for something they can take so they can still eat gluten.  There is no truth to the claim that one can take this supplement and it will block the damage of gluten on the small bowel.  There have been claims that it may help decrease symptoms if someone is exposed to inadvertent gluten, for examples in a restaurant.  There are some medications and vaccines that are being researched at this time, and hopefully in the next 5 years or so we may see a product coming that can help block the damage to the small bowel from gluten.  But GlutenEase is not it.

 

The following information is off the GlutenEase website (they actually claim that it aids in better digesting and utilizing gluten containing foods!):

 

"Enzymedica GlutenEase™; supports people suffering with gluten or casein intolerance. GlutenEase is not formulated to prevent celiac symptoms. GlutenEase contains a modified Protease Thera-blend with an enzyme activity called DPP-IV. Proteases high in DPP-IV activity assist in normalizing inflammatory response to the gluten peptide, thus better digesting and utilizing gluten containing foods. This proactively supports the gut, allowing proteins to be properly broken down and absorbed in their digested state; broadening the potential food groups a person may eat. GlutenEase may also be used by those who wish to remain on the GFCF diet to ensure complete breakdown of proteins safe and effectively.". 

 

I personally would never use this supplement.  You really never know what you are getting when there are no controls over supplements, and people have to remember that you cannot take anything at this time that will prevent gluten from damaging the small bowel of a person with celiac disease.

The following is from Meredith (thank you!)

I read about DM area cooking classes in Wednesday DM Register. The class called, "Going totally nuts: Introduction to nut flours," caught my attention. I sent an email to the owner/chef and asked if this would be a good fit for someone who follows a gluten free food plan and she responded: "That is precisely the nature of this class. I, like many others am reducing my grain/gluten intake. Nut flours have been the saving grace!"

This particular class is offered Jan. 29, 30, and 31 at 6pm and also at 11am on Wednesday, Jan. 30. I have registered for the Wednesday morning class. I have continued to bake with almond flour and am very interested in getting new ideas and recipes. Hope someone will want to do this with me!  ~Meredith

For more information, you can check out her website. She says the class fills up quickly. Additional information below:

Deb Cazavilan, Chef/Instructor
Wooden Spoons Workshops and Cooking Classes
303 SW School St. Ankeny, Ia 50023
515-577-9937
www.canyoubakeacherrypie.com

GF Notes 11/12/12

Here are the notes from the recent GF Newbies meeting:

Thanksgiving & holiday thoughts:

--do your homework: find out ahead of time from your host what kind of turkey/main meat will be served.  Most turkeys are gluten free; however it's the gravy packet that comes with it that's not OK. Find a turkey that doesn't have a gravy packet; call the company to confirm that the turkey gluten free if it doesn't already say so on the label

--plan ahead; offer to bring a dish to share that you know you can eat

--be the first to go through the line so you don't have to worry about cross-contamination.

--if unsure of what will be served, eat a little bit before you go so you don't go hungry

--now's the time of year that it seems creamed soups are in more recipes. Progresso, Pacific and Health Valley are all name brands with GF cream of mushroom soup.....with Health Valley creamed soup it's a bit runny, so don't add milk or water to the recipe if it calls for it; it's also a little bland, so spice it up with your own spices!  

--A good substitute for french fried onions on top of casseroles is: use corn chex with some butter; or Funyons

--Wolfgang Puck has some GF soups

--be sure to check chicken broth to see if it's GF.  Progresso and Pacific say on the box GF; Herb Ox states on the box as well that it's GF.

Other thoughts:

--True Roots tri-colored Quinoa at 86th St. HyVee in Urbandale is good

--when traveling to hotels, take some packets of honey/PB/Jelly from the continental breakfasts at the hotel; they come in handy when traveling

--Fareway in Waukee (& also maybe Clive?) has Udi's breads cheaper than HyVee....Trader Joe's Udi's breads are cheaper as well

--Thanks Amber for bringing some yummy cake to share!

--check out this recent interesting article from Triumph Dining:

http://www.triumphdining.com/blog/2012/11/08/is-modern-wheat-killing-us-all/#more-10495

Happy Thanksgiving!

Safe GF Halloween Candy Link

http://www.celiac.com/articles/22704/1/Gluten-free-and-Gluten-safe-Halloween-Candy-2011/Page1.html

GF Newbies Notes from 10/8/12

--Breads to try: Whole Foods has a gluten free bread in their gluten free freezer/bakery section; French Meadows Bakery; Udi's

--Good brands to try in general: Enjoy Life; Pamela's GF baking mixes

--Bread machine mixes: GF Pantry Bread Mix & Schar's Classic White

--Trader Joe's also carries Udi's breads on their shelves.  Whether you buy the prepackaged bread off the shelf or from the freezer, it is highly recommended to toast it first for a better taste.

Baking tips:

--don't overmix your dough

--Bread Machines: play around with settings to find what works for your machine

--too much liquid causes the center to sink

--Trader Joe's chocolate chips are good

--Look for gluten free Halloween candy lists at: celiaccentral.org and celiacfamily.com; they should be updated soon--make sure the list says 2012.

--GF Bakeries in town: Sweet Rewards Bakery in Waukee (http://www.sweetrewardsbakery.com) and Cache Bakery in Clive (which needs 3 day advance notice to prepare a gluten free treat)

--At Walmart there are a gluten free crackers, Crunchmaster is the name brand.

--Craving the "regular" mac and cheese? Buy a regular box of Kraft mac and cheese; dump out the gluten pasta and keep the powdered cheese packet; add the powdered cheese packet to your box of gluten free mac and cheese.....thanks for the tip Karla! :)

Gluten free newbies notes from 9/10/12

--the app "Find me gluten free" is helpful

--Some of our group members have found success after meeting with the dietician, Heather, at the new HyVee on Douglas in Urbandale.  There's a program called the Leap program that takes results from bloodwork and puts it into an individualized program to help figure out food elimination.  Might be helpful if you are still struggling with different food issues/sensitivities.

--Sweet Rewards is a new gluten free bakery in Waukee

--The bakery Cache in Clive has some gluten free items.  Their address is 2233 NW 111th. They need a 3 day notice for preparing a gluten free item.

--LeAnn shared this link about gluten and coffee:

I included a video on coffee in case you want to share it with others in the group.  I am unable to drink coffee as well.  This article helps explain why. 

http://drclark.typepad.com/dr_david_clark/dyslexia_learning_disabilities/

--our next meeting will be Monday Oct. 8.

Gluten Free Newbies Notes from 5/14/12

Here are the notes from the last gluten free newbies meeting (5/14/12)

The topic was holidays and parties

--when going to holiday parties: plan ahead.  If you are unsure of the menu, prepare and bring a dish to share that you know you could eat.  When you get there, if possible, help in the kitchen and ask questions about what's in the different dishes.  Also, eat before you go, just in case.  Another tip is to help plan the meal if possible. 

--when going to events such as wedding receptions/other parties: If possible, contact the caterer to ask questions and find out what is being served and if it's possible to create a gluten free plate for you.  If this is not an option, it's always a good idea to eat before you go. 

--At George Mills HyVee in West Des Moines there is 10% off Wednesdays AND Saturdays in the Health Market!

--Check out: http://www.celiaccess.com/android.aspx

Gluten-free Scanner

Curious if your favorite snack is gluten-free? Use your camera to scan the barcode and find out. Looking for a gluten-free restaurant? Search here to find one nearby. Search through thousands of products from our constantly updated community-edited database. Currently only supports Android phones. 

Notes from GF Newbies Meeting 4/9/12

Notes from Gluten Free Newbies Group 4/9/12

·      Some good basic gf flours to use are:  Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix (great recipes on the back!); Jewel’s (check their website for recipes), and Domata’s Living Flour. All of these can be found in the Health Market at HyVee; and I do believe SuperTarget carries Pamela’s.  Some people have had success using almond flour, Bob’s Red Mill gf flour, and Trader Joe’s gf flour for when baking items such as cookies and muffins.

·      A side note on adding baking soda into Pamela's products:  Normally, I follow the recipes on the back of the bag, however when I am replacing the baking mix for another flour in a recipe, I add a little extra baking soda if need be.  Something to play around with. (thanks Tammy!)

·      Baking tip: bake in a glass dish, not metal, for a more even baking experience!

·      Baking tip: Bake in smaller containers and your end result won’t be as gooey in the middle….more evenly cooked!

·      Pamela’s Bread mix makes a great pizza crust.

·      Try using egg beaters instead of eggs.

·      Shake the bag of gf flour before using.

·      Bread’s by Anna is good.

·      Start simple when starting out gf.  Eat more naturally gf foods.

·      Think of yourself as a scientist in the kitchen…experimenting with different foods!

·      Re-create your old favorite meals.

·      Go to Allrecipes.com and type in gluten free to check out some new recipes.

·      Some soy sauces that are gf: (As of 4/9/12!) Kikkoman, Tamari, HyVee, LaChoy

·      Archer Farms (SuperTarget) has rice and corn gf pasta

·      The restaurant Boston’s closed 

·      Sam & Louie’s: Join their birthday club….and get a discount on your meal.  They use separate ingredients to put on their gf pizzas.

·      Bravo has 2 gf items.

·      El Maharishi Restaurant in Johnston-authentic Mexican food….several people have eaten gf there.

·      Triumph Dining Restaurant cards and guide are very helpful when eating at authentic restaurants….they come in several languages to help you communicate your dietary  needs to the servers.

Marci's Top 10

A quick and brief look back on the past 5 years and what I've learned.....

What I've learned from being gluten free:
1.  Attitude. Attitude. Attitude.  It really does make a huge difference!  I've been given the gift of health!
2.  Prepare. Organize. Plan.
3.  How to read a label.  I mean, really read a label!
4.  I don't always need a gluten free cookbook.  Modifying recipes often works just as well.
5.  Be my own best advocate.  Listen to my body and make my best choices. Speak up.
6.  Trying new recipes can be a fun adventure!
7.  Getting outside of my comfort zone in the kitchen.  This has been a good thing!
8.  Eating healthier.  The fewer processed foods the better.
9.  New vocabulary words:  quinoa, sorghum flour, xanthun flour, tapioca flour....who knew all these things existed?!
10.  Leftover gluten-free pasta is NOT the same as "regular" leftover pasta!

Food Quote for the day

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has  never been found.

Calvin Trillin

Notes from Newbies Meeting: 3-12-12

Since St. Patrick's Day is coming up we talked about gluten free alcohol.
Some info that was included in the hand-out:

• Gluten Free Beers:
• RedBridge Beer, New Grist, Bard's Beer, New Planet Beer, Green's (imported), Hambleton GFA (USA aka Toleration ale), O'Brians (Australian GF Brewer), Ramapo Valley Brewery, Sprecher Brewing Company (microbrewery in Glendale, Wisconsin)
• Wine is Gluten free.
• Mike's  Hard Lemonade: It's questionable.  It contains malt which is not GF but they say their processing gets rid of the gluten.  There are people on both sides of the fence with this one.
• Hard Liquors: whiskeys, scotches, bourbons, tequilas, gins, and vodkas.  Any alcohol that is distilled is gluten free.
• Web resources: Bottoms Up! Better taste, selection, availability.  Three cheers for gluten free beer! www.livingwithout.com/issues/4_8/gluten_free_beer-2030-1.html
• Gluten free alcohol: www.triumphdining.com/blog/gluten-free-alcohol/

It was shared that HyVee on Mills Civic has cold gluten free beer....the rest of the HyVees (at least most of them) the gluten free beer can be found on the shelf (usually in the Health Market)

Some places in the area that have gluten free beer: Boston's, Godfather's, Felix & Oscar's, PF Chang's, El Bait Shop....

We shared some info on family/emotional/social feelings and gluten free:

• At social events, be the first one to go through the line before there is a chance of items being cross-contaminated.
• Ask the host/hostess questions ahead of time; don't be afraid to speak up and ask questions!
• Eat before the social event if necessary
• When going to a social event with food, offer to bring food and take something that is filling (a main dish and a veggie or fruit)
• Plan ahead
• It is different socially for men than it is women. Socially for kids it can take time.

Random thoughts and notes that were shared:

• King Arthur mix brownies are delicious!  
• Chebe bread mixes are tasty too: focaccia, pizza crust mix, other breads, etc.
• Kinnikinnick english muffins are good; so are the k'too's (?) gluten free cookies (chocolate chip, and gf version of the oreo)
• Gluten free is a lifestyle change for your health
• Eating out: Boston's and Biaggi's have the best pizzas
• Always be cautious when eating out, ask questions and be assertive. Ask how items are prepared, if utensils are shared, etc.
• Trader Joe's has dark chocolate covered almonds and peanut butter cups that are gf.
• Mixed reviews on Red Robin's.  Still some confusion on the seasoning of the fries...on whether or not the seasoning is gluten free....(the fries are gf)....they have gluten free buns....it costs $1, but it's worth it! :)
• Ore-Ida has good fast food fries--found in the frozen section at your local grocery store.

Food Quote for the day!

A fun little quote about food that I found: Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good.

Alice May Brock

Newbies Notes (2-13-2012)

Notes from Gluten Free Newbies Meeting (2-13-2012)

*  Storybook Chocolate was contacted and asked if any of their products are gluten free.  Here is the response received:  “Not officially.  We have dark chocolate blocks that have no actual gluten but may have shared equipment during processing that contains gluten.”

Also, Chocolaterie Stam was contacted and asked about their products being gluten free, but no answer was received. 

*There was a hand-out on gluten free valentine candies....the link is: celiacfamily.com/gluten-free-valentine-candy....this was written on Feb. 2, 2011....just keep that in mind that some things might have changed in the past year....

Resources:

*We talked about good websites, iTunes apps and magazines for gluten free info.  All the info that was on the hand-out is already located on this website.  

Deli Meat:

*We discussed deli meat....Most of us buy it pre-packaged, often times it's labeled on the package, or you can check your Cecelia's Marketplace or Triumph Dining Grocery Guides to see what is gluten-free.  

When purchasing deli meat from behind the deli counter there are risks involved that need to be considered:  the gluten free deli meat might be on display next to/touching the deli meat containing gluten; and also the slicer is a concern for cross contamination from other meats or items....however someone thought some Hy-Vee's had dedicated slicers for dedicated gluten-free DiLusso deli meats....if I find out more info on this, I will post it, otherwise, you can always ask at your local HyVee....but until then, pre-packaged is your safest bet.

Regular Meat:

*Be cautious on regular meat from behind the meat counter.  Oftentimes the meat itself is gluten free (assuming it's plain and not seasoned, marinated or breaded)--however be aware of the other meat items that are next to it in the display case....if the regular pork chops are right next to the breaded ones, it's safest not to purchase them because of the risk of cross-contamination.  I know a few people ask for fresh meat from the back instead of the meat counter, and almost always, the employees are more than accommodating and helpful.  

When Eating at a Restaurant with no gluten-free menu:
*It is helpful to have dining cards that you can get from triumphdining.com or ceceliasmarketplace.com. These explain in greater detail what it is you can and cannot have and is helpful to give to your server/manager/chef.
*It is a good idea when eating at a restaurant that does not have a gluten free menu to ask for the manager to discuss your dietary needs.  Make sure they understand "No cross-contamination" --that knives/utensils/plates/food prep area is free from gluten when preparing your plate.
*If ordering a salad, make sure there are no croutons on it, and also remember to inquire about the salad dressings.
*And remember, if you don't feel comfortable eating there or don't feel that the manager or chef understands your needs, it's OK to leave and find somewhere else to eat!

We shared some of our favorite restaurants to eat at: (These either have gluten free menus or are accommodating for gluten free; always be sure to discuss your dietary needs with the wait staff)
*Red Bistro
*Cool Basil: some favorites off the menu include Pad Thai and Drunken Noodle
*Biaggi's
*Red Robin

Some Misc. notes that were discussed:
*grilled chicken nuggets (I believe they are on the kid's menu) at Chick-Fil-A are gluten free
*Champ's Restaurant: Someone had gone there and they had a gluten free menu, but upon further questioning, it was learned that their "gluten free fries" are cooked in the same oil/baskets as their other items.....making it not officially "gluten free".  It sounded like overall the restaurant was not aware of cross contamination issues and a bit confused on what it meant to be "gluten free".....so needless to say our friends did not eat there....A good reminder to always ask questions and/or call ahead to talk with a manager or chef if possible.
*Jethro's: All sauces are gluten free
*Palmer's: Accommodating for gluten free
*Sam & Louie's: They have separate bins for their pizza ingredients when making a gluten free pizza. :)
*Dahl's and Fareway have gluten free listings of their name brand products on their websites.
*HyVee's website: you can sign up to get updates on their gluten-free product list, in case a product changes.


Pasta:
*Don't overcook; gluten free pasta tends to cook faster
*Re-heating is questionable....only make as much as you plan to eat for the one meal!
* Try different brands if you have a bad experience with one brand...Some good ones to try are: Tinkyada, Schar's, and DeBole's corn pasta.

Our next meeting will be Monday, March 12 at Lutheran Church of Hope at 7:00pm. Hope to see you then!

Some Random Tips and Thoughts

When eating gluten free it's important to keep a good attitude as well as a good perspective.  When I started eating gluten free 5 years ago it was so easy to think about all the things I could no longer have and feel sorry for myself, but as time went on, I realized a few things....

A.) Eating gluten free is expensive, but so is imodium, doctor visits, colonoscopies and other tests at the doctor's office....in general, feeling yucky can be expensive and I'd rather spend my money on eating healthy and feeling good.

B.) Although celiac is called a "disease"(really?! Why a disease?!) there are many people in this community/nation/world with other diseases that would love to have a disease that they could fix by simply eliminating certain foods.  I will take eating gluten free any day over what some people have to go through!

C.) The first few months/first year is the hardest.  Grocery shopping does get easier!  The hardest parts for me that I still struggle with are eating out and traveling....and going to events where I know there will be nothing I can eat...for example weddings and graduations.

D.)  Eating gluten free is an investment of my time and it's an investment in my health.  I eat gluten free because I want to be healthy!