Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful...

I guess winter has arrived a bit early.

Enjoy a serene and gluten-free weekend ~

P.S. - Hot tip: I had a client event today and had ordered a Gluten-free veggie baked potato from BJ's Restaurant and Brewery in Reno. They offer a GF menu, so we ordered off of that and my dear client was so sweet to triple-check my order when she picked it up...however, when I opened the potato and found a side of what I believed to be melted butter (per my request) I was shocked to realize that it was not! After taking two or three tastes, I realized that it was more of a fettuccine sauce (with most likely some flour!), not butter. So once again, don't ever 100% trust ordering off of a gluten-free menu.

It obviously always pays to stand next to the chef in the kitchen and watch his or her every move! Well, since that's not really possible just realize that there's always a risk involved.

My two hour "will I get sick" time frame is almost up, and I'm praying that I will not get sick from this mishap. My client asked ALL the right questions - it's strictly the insane lack of knowledge that most all kitchens possess when it comes to truly knowing how to serve a gluten-free customer! I could go on...but I digress.

Just wanted to pass this information along!

More Turkey, please...

I hope that Thanksgiving left your tummies full, but certainly not sick from any sneaky gluten that may have found its way onto you plate. I was very thankful for a lovely, quiet meal with my family that was much simpler this year, safe and delicious. I have to say that my mother has really mastered how to prepare a holiday meal sans gluten in the nine + years since my diagnosis.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving I found myself at the gym running on the treadmill and burning off some of those delicious calories previously consumed on Thursday. While running and sweating, I noticed that the Food Network had a show that was running called "Ask Aida". If you haven't seen it before, it features a young, enthusiastic gal named Aida who cooks up pretty quick and simple recipes, while answering viewer questions. I have to say, she's darn good at chopping. I was a little jealous while watching how fast her technique is.

She was whipping up a bunch of pasta dishes that looked rather tasty and cheesy - yum. The third dish she prepared caught my eye, given the fact that I was still in the mood to eat turkey, having not really overindulged too much this year on the good old bird, and this particular pasta dish requires ground turkey meat. The name that flashed on the screen was the Italian dish, Pasticcio, though Aida's version is definitely not the original four-hour-intense dish; let's say this is a shortcut version.


I memorized the ingredients and directions while huffing and puffing my way through the workout, and enthusiastically pledged to try this dish, making enough to nosh on throughout the week...and that's exactly what I've been doing. It's delicious. If you are looking for a warm and nutritious, lasagna-type meal everyone will love that will leave you with ample leftovers and a smile, try this modified version of Pasticcio ~ Macaroni pasta, ground turkey, tomato sauce, spinach and mozzarella.


Serves 8

- 1 Bag Tinkyata brown rice elbows, gluten-free macaroni pasta (or larger penne if preferred

- 1 Lb. of ground turkey breast

- 1/4 Cup sliced garlic or shallots

- 1/2 Large sweet onion chopped

- 3 Tbsp. Olive oil

- 1 12 Oz. jar of your favorite GF pasta/pomodoro sauce

- 2 Cups freshly shredded mozzarella

- 3 Cups fresh, washed spinach leaves (remove stems)

- 1 Tbsp. GF cinnamon

- Salt and pepper (to taste)

Saute sliced garlic and onions with olive oil until golden brown, then add ground turkey, jar of tomato sauce and cinnamon. Mix all ingredients together then turn heat to medium and simmer for ten minutes. Boil entire bag of pasta and cook until al dente, then strain and set to the side until turkey is cooked. (Tip - I always throw a few drizzles of olive oil in with my strained pasta and stir, to keep from sticking together).

Spray non-stick olive oil on to casserole dish then layer half of the pasta into the dish, just covering the surface. Layer pan of ground turkey mixture onto pasta and evenly smooth over entire surface. Layer fresh spinach over the turkey until it's completely and evenly covered. Spread 1 cup of mozzarella over spinach. Finally, evenly layer the remaining pasta over the spinach and toss on the second cup of mozzarella, e poi...finito!

Your pre-heated oven will be set at 350 degrees - cook the dish for 25 minutes. I would recommend covering the dish for the first 15 minutes to seal in the juices, then uncover to lightly brown the top.

Not only will this simple and quick dish allow you more time for all those Christmas and holiday bargains you are going to be looking for online, but the aromas it creates in your kitchen are intoxicating - you can thank me later.

Try not to eat the entire casserole dish in one sitting. If you do, don't blame me. Just head to the gym. The treadmill is awaiting your arrival.

Happy cooking ~

Top Ten Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Tips~

It's almost Thanksgiving Day - the day of giving thanks for all of our blessings in life and most importantly...overeating delicious, lovingly-prepared dishes that warm the heart and soul.

If you are a Celiac or eat gluten-free, you also know just how challenging this particular holiday can be when it comes to ensuring that NO and I mean NO trace of gluten/wheat flour is allowed to contaminate your food and ruin a day of blessings.

I put together my quick Top-Ten List of Thanksgiving Gluten-Free Tips that will help you through the entire process, from the kitchen to the dining room table. I have learned throughout the past ten years, just how important these tips are in order to ensure a safe and enjoyable meal to be thankful for.

Top-Ten Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Tips:

1. Make sure that your kitchen is sterile and clean, erasing any trace of gluten/flour, keeping a safe cooking environment. This is especially important if you are cooking in tandem at someone else’s home who may not have a gluten-free kitchen.

2. Sterilize ALL cooking utensils and cook ware that you will use to prepare the meal, from start to finish. Again, especially important if you are eating or cooking at someone's home who is not a gluten-free eater. I can't overemphasize how important this is and how easy it is to pick up a spoon that was just dipped in gluten gravy and then use it to stir gluten-free ingredients. Whammo - contamination!

3. Turkey! Though everyone agrees that a good 'ole turkey bird is naturally gluten-free, you would be amazed at what happens to the poor bird by the time it arrives in your grocer's freezer. I have had to search for hours to find a gluten-free bird that has not been injected, basted, seasoned and saturated in gluten. There are so many preservatives used on your average turkey that are filled with gluten. I recommend buying an organic bird from Whole Foods or your local butcher that is guaranteed to be free of all gluten. It may take a little searching, but you will find a turkey that is safe. If all else fails, in the past I have simply purchased a small turkey breast for myself, basted it with butter and herbs and Viola - a safe Thanksgiving turkey.

4. Broth can be another tricky and dangerous area when cooking a Thanksgiving meal. All mainstream chicken, beef or veggie broths are loaded with modified food starch and other gluten products and can really ruin a good meal for a Celiac. Thankfully, there are loads of gluten-free broths now available that are also organic that must be used in your holiday cooking in order to avoid contamination. My favorite broth is Pacific Natural Foods free range chicken broth. Trader Joe's also has a fairly comprehensive list of GF products now and GF broth.

5. Bullion cubes have danger flashing all around them - did you know that? I found this out the hard way in years past. So if you are dining at a family or friends house this Thanksgiving, it is imperative that you make sure they are not utilizing any type of Bullion cube in their seasoning or homemade broth. Do your homework on this one and suggest your gluten-free chicken broth instead!

6. Whipping cream is harmless, right? NOT. Thanks to my sister-in-law, she just recently showed me a container of Knudsen whipping cream that's sold in the dairy section. As she was reading the ingredients, she noticed that this dairy product contained modified food starch, most-likely utilized as a "binder" to help thicken the product as it's whipped. This came as a shock to me and was really concerning. Make sure that if you are using a dollop of fresh whipping cream on anything you did not make yourself, you check with the host to verify that the product they used was gluten-free.

7. Vanilla, salt and spices are all wonderful ingredients for your holiday baking, but be careful to use only gluten-free products. Most people don't realize that even iodized salt can contain gluten. Though it's more expensive, I have been using fresh sea salts for several years now and feeling much better about the product. I really love the course Sel de Mer!

GF Vanilla extract is much easier to find now in even mainstream grocery stores, as well as spices that are safe. The key is to use the products that you have researched and know are safe. If you are eating away from home this holiday, just pack a bag with all of your GF products to bring to the host to use in whatever foods will be prepared and served to you. Anyone who knows and loves you will be more than happy to accommodate and keep you safe.

8. Gravy! - a staple of the Thanksgiving meal, yet as a Celiac, you must make sure to avoid ALL gravies containing roux/flour in the mix. It's actually easy to make a gluten-free gravy that is hearty and delicious - so you won't feel like you are missing out on a thing! Check out my blogger friend, Gluten Free Girl's site for her very easy and delicious GF gravy recipe!

9. The good stuff - Alcohol and Desserts - now what would Thanksgiving be without these tasty staples? Depending upon what you and your guests will be drinking during the holiday, here's a reminder of the "safe alcohol" that Celiacs and those avoiding gluten are able to drink.

Desserts are just a part of the traditional Thanksgiving feast, but for a Celiac, things need to be modified. But don't confuse "modified" with "boring!" There are a million GF dessert recipes on line, in hundreds of GF cookbooks (that actually taste good) and perhaps, in your own repertoire of homemade recipes. I love Pumpkin Pie, and am pretty sure you do too! There are ample sweets and aperitifs to choose from so you won't feel like you have missed out on a thing this Thanksgiving.

10. Be Thankful~ In these challenging times, no matter what disease we might suffer from, or loss we have experienced...there is ALWAYS something special in each of our lives to remember and give thanks for, to love and honor, and a way for us to share our hearts with the world.

A Very Happy and Safe Thanksgiving to you all ~

GF Pizza Night~ A Photo Tutorial

The food that I've missed the most since going gluten-free in 2000 is....PIZZA!! Not the typical gluten-free pizza in a box, found in the Whole Foods freezer...no no...a real, cheesy, thick or thin crust, hot out of the oven, make-you-salivate kind of pizza that you find in Rome or New York or...good old Pinky's Pizza in Walnut Creek,CA (which sadly,has now closed) where I grew up. That's the kind of wheat-filled pizza I'm talking about, my friends!

Okay, somebody slap me - I've regressed to my previous life. Excuse me.

I still have years of wonderful memories stored in my heart and mind focused around eating at various pizza parlors all over the Bay Area. While growing up, they served as staple meal locations - after soccer games, little league victories, golf tourneys, horse shows and birthday parties. Pizza equaled friends, fun and a night out! So, I hang onto those lovely days past and the aroma of goodness that still fills my senses.

Now, this is not intended to be a sad, walk-down-memory-lane kind of a post - because the good news is, a very delicious and successfully baked gluten-free pizza was created in my very own kitchen last week...almost as good as Pinky's.

I've tried many of the GF frozen crusts that you can buy at certain grocery stores or on line, and as I've blogged before, I've also found two pizza restaurants in San Diego that bake up a mean GF pizza. But baking one from scratch, in your own kitchen, in your own oven, with love and careful preparation, is really quite fun and rewarding...if it works!

I've baked pizzas from scratch with the numerous flours (usually required) during various GF baking classes that I've taken over the years, but putting all the ingredients together and praying it works out in your own oven is a different story -Well, fear be gone! After the first try that turned out quite well, I'm ready to go back in the kitchen this weekend for more.

Follow along with this photo essay/tutorial and then bake your own!


After the dough is mixed, it's important to spread it evenly and as we discovered, not too thick in the middle, in a 13" diameter


Next...use your favorite GF pasta/pizza sauce and spread around on to the dough, adding a bit more sauce in the middle.


Now the fun begins...load up your toppings, layer by layer (this pizza included GF ham slices, artichoke hearts, sliced zucchini, fresh-chopped green onions, spinach and fresh-grated mozzarella)


After baking in the oven at 400 for 30 minutes, Voila! The finished product ~

This delicious and healthy pizza was so easy and contains half the fat grams of the prepared, frozen variety. It's a fun project you could do with children, for a fun night of cooking with friends (don't forget the wine) or anytime you are longing for the food that satisfies and conjures up delicious memories, while making new ones.

The recipe that was chosen for last week's inaugural effort came from Bette Hagman's GF Cookbook, The Gluten-Free Gourmet.

Quick and easy pizza crust -

Serves 6

- 1/2 Cup milk

- 2 Large eggs

- 1/3 Cup of cornstarch

- 2/3 Cup rice flour

- 1/4 Teaspoon of guar gum

- 1 Teaspoon salt

- 1/4 Cup of olive oil

Beat the milk and eggs together. Add the flours, guar gum and salt. Mix in the olive oil.

Spread onto a greased 9" x 13 " pan or pizza stone or (as I did) spread with a spatula in a 12-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick - leave a thicker crust around the edges/outside of the circle to keep the sauce and cheese from running over onto the pan.

Spread sauce evenly over the unbaked crust and top with your favorite toppings.

Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve with a simple salad, tossed in olive oil and vinegar and you have the perfect meal.

Mangia Mangia!!

Healthier Bones for Kids ~

I came across an article today on Celiac.com and thought it was definitely worth sharing, as the diagnosis of Celiac in babies and young children is so very important. I can tell you for a fact that I have Osteopenia, due to the ten years + that I lived through not absorbing much of any nutrients - and that was in my late teens early 20's; some of the side effects as a result of this are challenging to say the least.

The earlier children are diagnosed, the sooner they can be put on a 100% gluten-free diet in order to stop the malbsorption issues that can lead to so many growth-related problems for little ones.

Have a read and be sure to pass this along to your kids, or anyone you know who's children are newly diagnosed or on a gluten-free diet.

Gluten-free Diet Means Healthier Bones for Kids with Celiac Disease
Celiac.com 11/05/2009 - It's well known that people with celiac disease often show reduced bone mineral density, and that metabolic bone disease is a significant and common complication of celiac disease...

TGIF - and next week check back for a fun and easy homemade gluten-free pizza recipe you and your family are sure to love!!

As the Light Changes...

As I have touted before on this blog, I LOVE the season of Fall! The colors change, the light shifts to a golden hue in the sky, subtly reflecting off each gorgeous leaf that's on its way out...and...the J.Crew catalog is loaded with amazing goodies every fall season - this one is NO exception, my friends.

I used to love Halloween as a child. I remember fondly that our mom would always hand make my brother and my costumes each year. She was really talented and creative, and somewhere out there, there's a smashing photo of the two of us impersonating "Donny and Marie Osmond" to a tee, with our flowing lavender/purple costumes - microphones in hand. If you are of a certain age, then you know what I'm talking about! However, back in those days I did not have to worry about every morsel of food that I put into my mouth in fear of it containing gluten. The biggest concern that we faced at the end of every Halloween night was HOW much candy we were able to collect on our journey through the neighborhood, and our parents making sure there were no items that were suspiciously "unwrapped"...oh, and no homemade Carmel apples. ohhhhh

How I long sometimes for those "good old days."

Every Halloween, I try to imagine what it must be like to be a child with Celiac Disease and what a positive and creative parent one must be in order to still create a sense of "magic" and excitement for their child, without creating a huge amount of fear around all the "do's and dont's" of eating gluten-free.

In some of my research, I came across a blog with a fairly comprehensive list of "safe" Halloween candy. But as always, it's a good idea to double-check every ingredient in the event that the manufacturer has changed anything since the last time you checked!


And since October is Celiac Disease Awareness Month, I thought it important to share this Reuters story, updating us all on General Mills and their five Chex cereals which are now completely gluten-free.

I know that on Saturday night as I'm handing out gluten-free candy to all of the little ghosts, goblins, and Miley Cyrus's at my door...I'll be wishing all the Celiac kids out there a safe, fun and enjoyable Halloween eve...and wishing I could still dress up as Marie Osmond!

Happy Fall ~

Vintage Restaurant ~

View of famous Mt. Baldy in Sun Valley, ID

While visiting one of my favorite spots on the map over the weekend, (Sun Valley & Ketchum, Idaho), a delicious gluten-free dinner was had at the darling, cozy and rustic Vintage Restaurant. Vintage is located in a tiny cabin in downtown Ketchum on Leadville Street, just across from the famous Kneadery Restaurant.


I had wanted to try Vintage for the past couple of years, having heard great things about the food and the chef/owner Jeff Keys, who is also a cookbook author and has published a book titled "Vintage" - highlighting all the wonderful dishes that are served at the restaurant and then some - the good news...many of them are gluten-free or can easily be modified as such!

Our dining experience at Vintage was wonderful, though I have to be honest, my first conversation with our very friendly and a bit frazzled server left me a bit leery of how safe I was actually going to be eating there - so I decided to keep my demeanor light and friendly but was adamant that she had to speak with the chef about every single food item I was considering, in order to ENSURE that everything could be properly prepared gluten-free. I have to say anymore, eating out is not nearly as fun or carefree and I have to work hard to keep my composure and not let the stress of getting poisoned completely ruin every dining experience. However, in this case, and after several long discussions with the server and chef, I felt I was in good hands and I surrendered to trust.

My food was fantastic, I have to say. I started with their famous Shrimp Tamale - wow, it's incredible and I almost bought the cookbook then and there so that I could recreate this dish and serve it to my friends and family! My main entree was semi-custom created - pan seared Sea Bass with herbs, served with field greens, feta cheese, mandarin orange wedges in a simple vinaigrette - along with a side dish of fresh made Polenta...just for me! The dish was wonderful and completely safe and gluten-free. I highly recommend ordering that exact combination of dishes. Dessert was a bowl of homemade, fresh strawberry sorbet - no wheat there! For you chocolate lovers, Jeff also makes a flour less chocolate cake that's also featured in his cookbook. (I was waaaay too stuffed to try it)


If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant and find yourself in Ketchum standing in front of Vintage and reading their delicious menu, don't hesitate to eat there, just make sure you alert the staff of your diet restrictions when making a reservation.

It's such a special dining experience and as one gentlemen told us on his way out the door, "this is the best restaurant in the Valley"...spoken from a true local!

(Presently, Vintage is on holiday for five weeks, re-opening the week of Thanksgiving 2009)

Vintage Restaurant
231 Leadville Avenue North
Ketchum, ID 83340
208-726-9595