Here are some Celiac related news and blog posts from around the internet:

• Press-Telegram talks about making dough from special diets.
• Celiac Maniac explains how to setup a gluten free kitchen.
• A gluten free guide talks about Rice Chex Going Gluten Free.
• What to feed your kids warns that Rice Dream is Not Gluten Free, despite showing gluten free on the box.

How does gluten free applesauce pancakes sound?  Here is the recipe courtesy of CSA Celiacs:

Gluten Free Applesauce Pancakes Ingredients

1 1/2 c rice flour
3 T cornstarch
2 T potato starch flour
1 1/2 t GF baking powder
1 c milk
1/2 t salt
2 eggs
3 T margarine, melted
1 c applesauce
1 t lemon juice (optional)

Directions

Mix together flours, starches, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Combine both bowls. Stir to remove the lumps and cook on a griddle as usual.

Have you ever heard of someone mentioning they were on a gluten free diet, but it didn’t look like they needed to lose weight?   Or maybe you know someone who rarely eats in public?   Even if neither of these apply to you, each day the odds improve that you will come across the term Gluten Free Diet.

So, what exactly does it mean to be on a gluten free diet?  Typically this diet is associated with treating people that have Celiac (Coeliac) disease.   Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder of the small bowel that occurs in genetically predisposed people of all ages from middle infancy.  While difficult to diagnose, each day doctors are correctly diagnosing more people with the disease based on their Celiac symptoms.  Treatment of the disease typically involves being on a gluten free diet.

What foods contain gluten?

A gluten free diet is a diet completely free of ingredients derived from gluten-containing foods: wheat (including Kamut and spelt), barley, rye, oats and triticale, as well as the use of gluten as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stablizing or thickening agent. Although most patients can tolerate oat products, there is a controversy about including them in a gluten free diet: some medical practitioners say they may be permitted, but the Celiac Society advises against them.

What foods are gluten free?

Several grains and starch sources are considered acceptable for a gluten-free diet. The most frequently used are maize (corn), potatoes, rice, and tapioca (derived from cassava). Other grains and starch sources generally considered suitable for gluten-free diets include amaranth, arrowroot, millet, montina, lupine, quinoa, sorghum (jowar), sweet potato, taro, teff, and yam. Various types of bean, soybean, and nut flours are sometimes used in gluten-free products to add protein and dietary fiber. In spite of its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat; pure buckwheat is considered acceptable for a gluten-free diet, although many commercial buckwheat products are actually mixtures of wheat and buckwheat flours, and thus not acceptable. Gram flour, derived from chickpeas, is also gluten free.

Gluten is also used in foods in some unexpected ways, for example as a stabilizing agent or thickener in products like ice cream and ketchup

People wishing to follow a completely gluten free diet must also take into consideration the ingredients of any over-the-counter or prescription medications and vitamins. Also, cosmetics such as lipstick, lip balms, and lip chap may contain gluten and need to be investigated before use.

Living on a Gluten Free Diet

People diagnosed with Celiac Disease will often become anti-social, prefering the comfort of their own cooking over the hassle of trying to find gluten free foods out in the world.   This also reduces the risk of cross-contamination, which is always something people on the diet need to be wary of. 

As more people are either diagnosed with Celiac Disease or know someone how is, things have steadily been improving for people who want to become more social. 

If you would like to find tasty and affordable gluten free products online, Gluten Free Resource recommends the products available at Gluten Free dot com, Gluten Free Mall, or Gluten Free Online.   I’ve purchased from all three and really enjoy the foods and products they offer.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and one of my favorite meals is crepes! One recipe that recently caught my eye was this recipe over at Simply…gluten free:

Ricotta Crepes with Blueberry Sauce

For Crepes:
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon water
Pinch salt

For filling:
1 1/3 cup ricotta cheese – part skim or full fat
2 tablespoons sour cream
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch salt

Mix ricotta cheese, sour cream, lemon zest and salt together until well blended.

For Sauce:
1 ½ cups blueberries – frozen or fresh
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons Aqave Syrup (or you can use sugar – may need less)
Juice of ½ a lemon
Pinch salt

Heat blueberries with water, lemon juice, Agave syrup and salt until hot and syrupy.

Assembly:

Place 1/6th of the filling in each crepe, roll like a cigar and top with blueberry syrup.