Thankful...

It's been some time since I last penned a blog entry. The truth is this...our family has had one hell of a year due to our parents' near-fatal car accident a number of months ago. It's changed everything in ways that none of us could have possibly imagined, and has caused me to grow in ways that I didn't realize were possible.

The gift of course, is that our parents are alive and moving forward. We are immensely blessed because without the miracle they received, truly, they wouldn't be with us this Thanksgiving or at all. We're still shaking our heads as to how they did survive, but trust me, we're not going to ask too many questions but rather, love the heck out of our parents even more now, and with all of our hearts.

What's astonishing to me is that when trauma hits, we all (as humans) react and respond so differently, don't we? Everyone steps up or is forced to push themselves beyond what they dreamed was possible when the Universe asks us to. I'll say this...through the long dark days of fear and then recovery, I'd never felt such a state of calm and the knowing that something much greater than I was feeding me energy and substance. It's hard to put into words, but it was real. As real as sitting here writing these words.

As time has moved on, our family has found great comfort in remembering and using the gift of humor we all seem to have been given. Even in the toughest moments, we leaned in and laughed with one another. I imagine that as the years pass and our family reflects back on the accident and it's meaning or significance to each of us, what we'll remember the most is the profound love we have for one another and our gift of humor.

Now, even the fall light looks different to me this year...I continue snapping photos of precious moments when the suns' rays reflect abundantly upon vibrant red tree leaves. I'm stopped in my tracks during long runs through my neighborhood and can't help but try to capture the beauty before it's gone.

In spite of the accident, life's abundance has continued to arrive and I've had some terrific experiences related to my work as a freelance food writer, along with the joys that come from an expanded network of celiac advocacy work...which I'll be writing about this month and beyond. Life truly does "bloom" where you're planted if you recognize it and say "yes" to all that shows up.

When we sit down at the table this coming week for Thanksgiving, our focus will be on the tremendous thanks we share as a family that is still intact, and mostly for the monumental blessing of our parents' lives.

What they say in song is really true, in the end, it really does all come down to love.

Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving!

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 ~

Pie in the Sky ~ Lemons in Hand

'Tis the ole season for pies, cakes, cookies, candy - you name it! This lovely pumpkin pie is mine all mine and I would love to claim that I baked it, however I did not. Last week, in my haste to get out of town for our family vacation over the Thanksgiving week, I managed to find a perfect gluten-free pie crust at Whole Foods and then convinced a local (Reno, NV) Austrian baker (Franz's Backstube Austrian Cafe) to whip up a safe pie for me to take with us to Palm Desert.

Very exciting. Very delicious!

There's still half a pie in my fridge. I've noticed as the years pass I truly crave less and less sweets and really a piece or two is all I need to feel sated. A far cry from my years before being diagnosed when my body had an insatiable craving for sugar. I've heard from other Celiacs that they too have experienced similar shifts, major shifts in their eating habits. It's a good thing, I believe! If you really listen, our bodies always tell us what they really need to be healthy and happy...well, almost always.

Digressing a bit to Thanksgiving, I hope it was a great one for you all. I have come to enjoy this holiday a little more each year since my diagnosis. I remember the first couple of years were much more daunting for my poor mother who was in charge of the Thanksgiving kitchen - and we both made plenty of mistakes along the way but have learned that it's quite simple to create a wholesome, delicious Thanksgiving meal that's gluten-free and the best part...it's a FAR less filling menu than the traditional gluten-laden meal that leaves you in a coma for a few hours...and you thought it was the turkey!

One tip that I readily give out to newbie Celiacs is this - do yourself a BIG favor and don't eat from a turkey that was baked with stuffing - no matter if the meat did not touch the gluten stuffing. Don't eat it. People don't realize that there's a huge cross-contamination risk with eating a bird that's been cooking for hours stuffed with gluten.

A much simpler and safer idea is to simply purchase a small turkey breast, baste it with yummy butter and herbs and voila....your own Thanksgiving turkey that's perfectly gluten-free. You might even catch envious glances from across the table as you carve into your lean bird that's sans giblets!

Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't once again, mention the wonderful Cliffhouse Restaurant in La Quinta, CA where we dined for Thanksgiving this year. I have eaten there several times since I became a Celiac and the chefs and staff completely understand gluten-free food preparation. My Thanksgiving dinner was absolutely perfect all the way down to the special sauce they used on my salmon dish - yes...I ate a divine plate of salmon vs. turkey this year. The sweet potatoes were heavenly and they even brought me a special desert that was double-checked by the chef...but honestly, I only ate a few bites because I had my pumpkin pie at home waiting for me. If you are ever in the Palm Springs area, I highly recommend this restaurant, and their manager Chris is terrific and so interested in making your meal perfect.

Since returning the other day from the Desert, I've been obsessed with lemons. I mean I'm squeezing lemon juice onto and into everything I'm eating and drinking and guess why...because I picked a bag full of little yellow beauties from one of the lemon trees outside of our townhouse - they are abundant in the Coachella Valley, as our the grapefruit trees.

You know that old saying, "when life gives you lemons...make lemonade." I was thinking about just how apropos that bit of advice is for Celiacs and how fitting it is for us all. I mean, we could come up with our own bit of advice..."when life gives you Celiac, enjoy the gluten-free flours"...or how about the lifestyle, the healthy eating, the kinship and support and life-changing lessons we learn. The abundance.

See what little lemons can help conjure up!

Continuing on the topic of lemons...did you know that as a world-class seasoning ingredient, the lemon is second only to salt and pepper?! I find that to be fascinating. The lemon also originated in India and may actually be a citron and lime hybrid - who knew? But this is my favorite part...as a medicinal agent, the lemon is remarkable. Here are just a few highlights about the lovely little lemon:

- It has a cooking effect and is good for fevers

- It aids digestion and eases the work of the good old liver

- It can act as a laxative and a diuretic and has antiseptic and antimicrobial properties

- and it treats high blood pressure, cleanses the blood...oh, and can relieve sore throats AND hiccups...and many more things.

It's like a little powerball and the best part - it's naturally gluten-free!

And after allll of that Thanksgiving eating, here's a simple and easy way to cleanse your body and drink this every morning as your elixir - energy booster:

Morning Elixir

- 1 cup of boiling water

- 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

- Honey to taste

Simply stir the ingredients together, and sip away.

All this talk of lemons and pie has now inspired me to go make my own cup of tea with lemon juice and honey and a nice big slice of my remaining pumpkin pie.

Before I go, I would love to hear how some of you use lemons and what your favorite gluten-free recipe(s) might that calls for them.

Enjoy the goodness that the good 'ole earth provides us, and while you are at it, go pick a lemon or two ~