Celiac Support ~

It's August already! How can this be? Seriously? It was just June, then suddenly July 4th arrived and now it seems that everywhere we turn in our society we see all the signs of promoting "Back to School"...and to be honest, I'm feeling pretty slided. Due to my last bought of gluten poisoning that happened on July 2nd, these past six weeks have literally been a blur of coming out of the Celiac brain fog, trying to feel human and eat again, while slowly getting back into some sort of a normal life and routine. And from the abundance of comments, feedback and helpful tips I've received from so many of you, it helps me to know that I've been supported by so many, in so many ways and that I'm certainly not alone.

Some great comments and VERY helpful tips came my way via the blog that I also write for on the Celiac.com website, as well as what's been posted here. I must say that each and every time I read one of your comments, I am moved by what so many of you are going through, each and every day. I have to say that in 2008, it is quite astounding to me that soooooooo many adults and children are suffering needlessly by still not being diagnosed properly and left to suffer, search, and anguish on their own while trying to find a diagnosis. Something has to be done to expedite this process. It literally breaks my heart to read some of the comments I've received and to know that this disease deserves MUCH, much more attention by medical professionals across our nation.

I'll politely step down from my soap box right now, but the fact of the matter is...if you live in the United States and are an undiagnosed Celiac, your quality of life is going to suffer for quite a while (tremendously so, in some cases) and all the boxed, gluten-free goodies from here to China (okay, it's the Olympic spirit) will not make things better. However, in many western European countries children are automatically tested for Celiac by the age of six. That's pretty astounding and amazing, in my opinion.


In the spirit of summer-time breakfasts on the patio and in the warm August sunlight, I thought I would post a yummy waffle recipe that I have been enjoying! I found it in my new favorite magazine, Living Without:

Best Morning Waffles
Serves 4
To save time in the morning, mix batter the night before, cover and store in the refrigerator overnight. Stir the batter in the morning while your griddle heats up. If batter is too thick, add more milk. Using an egg substitute isn’t recommended for these waffles.

4 eggs
5 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter or vegetable oil
1 cup milk of choice (plain-flavored rice, soy or almond)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups brown rice flour*
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Beat eggs and sugar together in mixer bowl until light and frothy. Add oil, milk and vanilla and mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt. Add to egg mixture and beat on low speed until well combined. Batter should be thick.
Pour a small portion of batter into a well-oiled waffle iron and cook until done. Repeat until all batter is used.
*TIP For lighter waffles, use 11/2 cups brown rice flour and 1/2 cup sorghum flour.

TIP For banana-nut waffles, add 1/2 ripe mashed banana to liquid ingredients; add 1 tablespoon ground almonds or pecans to the dry mixture. For blueberry waffles, add 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries to liquid ingredients. (If your family prefers waffles with consistent texture, puree blueberries in the blender before adding them to the batter.) If batter is too thin, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time.

For special occasions, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chips—a special treat your kids will love. (Your waffle iron will need special clean up after this batch!)

Finally, I thought it would be beneficial to post an upcoming calendar of Nation wide Celiac events coming up now through fall 2008. There are some great opportunities to mingle with hundreds of other Celiacs, try new products, and learn learn learn about what's going on with medical research and what might hopefully be on the horizon that could aid in faster and proper diagnosis of those with Celiac Disease.

Be well and enjoy the wonderful summer days, gluten-free, of course!


Here's to abundance and support. Thank you all for your goodness.