Gluten free, from me to you!

Welcome!
My name is Laura Hill, I was diagnosed with celiac disease ten years ago. Like many others, it was like pulling teeth to get a diagnosis! When my doctor had performed numerous tests and prescribed a vareity of medication with no cure, I requested he test me for celiac disease by the recommendation of a friend and he refused. He told me I could not live the rest of my life without gluten. He also suggested I was making myself sick. I finally decided to seek a second opinion. The next doctor performed the blood work and the results came back confirmed celiac disease. Starting the gluten free diet totally changed my life. The condition I was in before the diagnosis was scary, without the gluten free diet I am not sure I would be here today! From my experience with celiac disease over the years, I have a desire to help others with the condition.

It can be daunting starting the diet and changing over to the gluten free lifestyle. This inspired me to become a dietitian, in order to help those make dietary changes. I just graduated with a B.S. in Nutrition and I am currently a dietetic intern. I enjoy researching celiac disease, recipes, and the correlation between diet and disease. In this blog I want to share recipes and general information to help you navigate the gluten free diet, in the gluten filled world.


Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Jason's Deli

My blog should just be designated to UDI's.. I was doing some research yesterday and it was brought to my attention that Jason's Deli is now using UDI's gluten free bread in their delis. They tested out the market in a few different locations and as of July 5th all Jason's Deli locations have gluten free sandwiches as an option.

One thing they did say was there is a chance, just like with any resturant of cross containmination. But I called our local Jason's Deli this morning and they told me to ask for a manager when you order and they will make sure to change their gloves and use aluminum foil to protect the gluten free sandwich from wheat crumbs.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Gluten Free Chicago

My cousin, aunt, mom, and I have been planning a trip for years, and finally got the chance to take a girls trip to Chicago.  We had a great time and I am already wanting to go back. Chicago has so much to see and is just such a neat city!

I did some research before we left, and found it was going to be simple eating gluten free in Chicago. They have so many restaurants that either offer a gluten free menu or the chefs are aware of the condition. Thanks to my cousin's blackberry we were able to pull up gluten free restaurants according to what area we were in.. Here is a little review of the restaurants we choose while in Chicago.

Bistro 110 did not have an actual gluten free menu but the chef was very aware of the precautions to take when preparing food for someone with a food allergy or intolerance. Many of their menu items were naturally gluten free without having to make many adaptations. I ordered a chicken sandwich with mozzarella cheese and roasted vegetables.. minus the bread. The chicken was served with a salad.

Guido's Pizza is a famous pizza place in Chicago that is famous for the supper thick Chicago pizza. We found ourselves stuck in a bad storm the first night and took cover in a Walgreen's.. where we bought wine and snacks. We hailed a cab back to our hotel and it became evident that we would not be leaving the hotel due to the weather.. We decided to order a pizza and found that Guido's offers a gluten free pizza.. The pizza was a thin crust pizza and it was luke warm when delivered but it was a pretty nice treat to have a gluten free pizza delivered.

Cafe Ba Ba Reeba is a tapas (appetizers) restaurant that has a great gluten free menu! My brother had eaten at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba on a previous trip to Chicago and highly recommended it. It was not convenient to our hotel but it was worth the short cab drive. We started out ordering sangria, and the waiter brought the regular bread to the table. He noticed I had a gluten free menu, and said do you want me to get you some bread started... I thought he was confused. But he explained to me they have gluten free bread!! He brought it out to me and I thought he had made a mistake, it was that good!!! They order the bread from a local bakery called Rose's. Check out their website to order the bread and baked goods online!! It is amazing bread. Next, we ordered Tapas to split.. short ribs with mashed potatoes, grilled chickpea and chicken, and chicken artichoke paella (Spanish rice dish). It was all so so so good!! I have to learn to make paella it is amazing! We also split two small desserts, a butterscotch custard and a chocolate torte. Both were really rich so a bite was all you needed of either. To top it all off our sweet waiter brought me extra bread to take with me.. I hope to go back to Chicago and eat at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba again!


Udi's at Whole Foods!!!!

Finally after many requests the Whole Foods in Green Hills and Cool Springs have finally realized UDI's is the best gluten free bread, and the other stuff they sale is like a brick.. so you will be happy to know both locations are now selling both whole grain and white bread varieties. The one in Cool Springs has the pizza crust, and the one in Green Hills has the blueberry and lemon muffins. UDI's donated products for our local celiac support group and everyone loved the baked goods. I know the support group members will all be excited to purchase them locally.

FiddleCakes

A co-worker of mine was just diagnosed with celiac disease (is it bad that makes me happy to have a partner in crime?!) We decided to have lunch to celebrate and to share some tips with her on the diet. FiddleCakes is a fairly new cafe'/ bakery in Nashville that offers gluten free sandwiches, salads, soups, baked goods, and whole loafs of bread (special order). This seemed like the perfect place for a lunch date!

FiddleCakes makes their own gluten free baked goods in house, and is very aware of cross contamination. I ordered a gluten free turkey sandwich, and my friend ordered a gluten free chicken salad sandwich. We both were very impressed with the sandwiches, and what a treat to have a normal sandwich in a restaurant!

The sandwiches were too filling to try out the vast array of gluten free desserts FiddleCakes was offering that day. Although, I am sure planning to go back to try a gluten free cookie, scone, or muffin. FiddleCakes is a dream come true for those with celiac disease!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Gluten Free Sun Dried Tomato, Feta Turkey Meatloaf

Giada De Laurentiis was making this unique meat loaf the other day as I was watching Food Network (which I could watch all day). The flavors seemed like they would go well together and I love to make meat loaf with ground turkey, to make it a lighter more healthy meal. I served this with a great broccoli artichoke casserole and mashed potatoes. But try this recipe for a new twist on meat loaf. I made a few tweaks from the original recipe. Obviously replacing the bread crumbs with gluten free bread. Here is the original recipe.

Turkey Meatloaf with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

Ingredients

1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs ( I used Udi's gluten free bread)
1/2 cup thawed frozen spinach
1/4 cup marinated sun dried tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 eggs lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup feta cheese ( you can add more if you love it)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 pound ground turkey

1. Preheat oven 375
2. Grease 9x5 inch loaf pan
3. In a large bowl combine bread crumbs, spinach, tomatoes, garlic, eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper.
4. Add the ground turkey and work mixture until blended but do not over mix.
5. Put turkey mixture into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 45 minutes at 375, let rest for 5 minutes out of the oven.
7. Slice and serve

Friday, April 23, 2010

Give a person a fish, and you feed them for a day. Teach a person how to fish, and you feed them for a lifetime.

This post is not going to be related to a gluten free lifestyle, but I wanted to do my part to spread the word about this amazing ministry that was presented to me the other day. Proverbs 31:8 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves".

I went to eat lunch with my sister-in-law and she had a really cute shirt on that said 147 million orphans. I was asking her about the 147 million orphan ministry and as we were talking about it at Chick-Fil-A right behind us came one of the founders of the program and her beautiful kids. I felt like this was God's way of opening up my eyes to the conditions in Uganda, and the number of orphans in the world. 147 million orphans raises money for families who want to adopt, it supports feeding programs, and each purchase goes towards feeding a child in the poverty stricken countries like Uganda. They offer shirts, hats, and necklaces. Visit here to find out more 147 Million Orphans


Katie is a young 21 year old girl that decided to go to Uganda, and ended up staying and adopting 14 Ugandan girls. Katie has started a school, and a feeding program feeding 1200 people in Uganda.
After reading Katie's blog, I am moved to tears after seeing how much she has given up, and steped out of her comfort zone to answer Gods calling. She has not only taken in 14 young girls to raise and love, she has taught the women of the village how to make necklaces with beads out of magazine paper. The necklaces are then sold here in America at many locations in Nashville and the money is sent back to the ladies. She is not only feeding these people but teaching them a trade to provide income for their families. You might not be able to adopt a child, or spend time in Uganda but support the cause by purchasing items or donating to support this God centered ministry.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Traveling Gluten Free



Traveling gluten free can be  intimidating. It is always a good idea to pack lots of gluten free snacks in the car, just in case you find yourself in a place with no GF offerings. Apples, trail mix, gluten free rice cakes, peanut butter, and Larabars are always road trip staples. Chick-Fil-A is usually a stop we make on the road that has a few gluten free options like a grilled chicken and fruit salad. Oh and an added bonus their waffle fries are gluten free:) Zoe's Kitchen is a more leisurely stop we took this time and they have many locations offering healthy gluten free items.

While in Florida I have been very successful at eating out without getting glutened. Most restaurants offer a grilled or pan seared fish, and steamed vegetables. Just make sure to talk to a cook in the kitchen to make sure they understand how cross contamination works. I usually compare it to an allergy that way they understand. I was so shocked when one of our favorite restaurants at the beach, handed me a gluten free menu. So if you are in Pensacola you should definitely eat at Hemingways, I had mahi-mahi, spaghetti squash and asparagus. The kitchen staff is very aware of the gluten free diet and the best part is I did not get sick. One night we did a major shopping trip and decided to go to Chili's, who also have a gluten free menu.

So before leaving home, it is smart to see what dining options are in the neighborhood, and call to talk to a few places to see if they can accommodate you if they do not have a gluten free menu.

Breads from Anna

I recently conducted a cooking demonstration on how to make gluten free bread. The generous people at Breads from Anna donated a few bread mixes for me to demonstrate in my Cusinart bread machine. These mixes taste great, and as an added bonus are also nutritious! Breads from Anna uses a nutritious gluten free flour blend that includes chick pea flour, pinto bean flour, navy bean flour, and montina flour. This is a pleasant change compared to many gluten free products that are made of starches and white rice flour. All 50 people in the cooking class were blown away by the flavor of this whole grain bread. Breads from Anna mixes are available on line for purchase and at some health food stores. Click the link above to visit their website to order yours today!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Peanut Butter Banana Bread


One of my favorite things to eat is a banana with peanut butter, or let’s face it anything with peanut butter! It is most definitely a problem. I have at least switched to the natural kind.. that makes it healthy right? So when I saw this recipe for gluten free peanut butter banana bread on a blog called Gluten Free With a Purpose, I had to try it. I did make a few substitutions.I used this recipe as a demonstration this past weekend at the Nashville Celiac Support Group because it is quick and easy. Here is the recipe I used:




1 3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used Smuckers Natural)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup mashed bananas (3 ripe bananas)
2 eggs



Preheat oven to 350. Grease loaf or muffin pans.
Combine the Bob's Red Mill mix with the sugar. Cut in peanut butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until just blended. Spread evenly in pan or muffin tins.
Bake muffins 25 minutes or 1 hour for the loaf.

Hello Angel...

I am extremely behind on my blogging.. I have been super busy with cooking demonstrations, interviews, and life! Hang in there with me, I have lots of recipes and information to share but I will eventually get it all done:).
 I finally have time to sit down and write today because the weather is biterly cold at the beach. This post is inspired by the angel food cake that is served at the hospital I work. Most patients love it! It is one of a few options sutible for those with diabetes or heart disease and they are often the ones to complain. Those poor patients would cut their right arm off for chocolate silk pie or hot cobbler. I have had patients cry because they can't eat chocolate pie.. Come on really?? Thats how they got in the shape they are in!
Angel food cake is always a healthy option for those who need to watch their fat content.. But I thought a gluten free angel food cake would be the perfect way to end a light dinner. We topped ours with  fresh strawberries and whipped cream. This is a recipe from Betty Hagman's Gluten Free Gourmet. Which I will post soon but until now here is a picture.