It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that 2020 has been nothing shy of the worst. No matter who you are, it feels like waves of negativity relentlessly crash down day after day. In this sea of darkness, there is nothing as important as remembering that no matter where you come from or what you believe in, we are all human. We all put our pants on the same way in the morning. With so much uncertainty happening in our world right now, there is one thing for certain: that the sharing of food connects us all and brings light to even the darkest corners. Everyone has their own struggles this year, and regardless of the year, being kind to each other must become a priority again. You never know what someone is going through in life; furthermore, Mom always taught me to be kind and respect everyone no matter what, and everybody has something they are fighting through. During quarantine my family and I have been baking more than ever before and sharing treats with our neighbors and loved ones as a reminder that even though we are separated by space, we are united by the kindness of shared food. To be real with you all, my 202o took an unexpected sharp turn for the worst last weekend and my sister’s very sweet friend brought me some homemade gluten free cookies. Not only were they delicious, but the sentiment of this sweet gesture reminded me of the power of food. The cookies not only made my day a little better, but also that of my family. Food can bring people together in a beautiful way, and display true human kindness. Food touches the heart and feeds the soul. As we enter in to the second half of 2020 I challenge you all to take advantage of the power of food, create and share your masterpiece with those that you care for. Tap into your human kindness and share love and a smile through food. Let’s get back to putting each other first. Please find joy, be well, and eat well.
All throughout my life I have had dry, sensitive skin, super red cheeks, and little bumps on my arms and chest. Over the years I have come to know them as Keratosis Pilaris (little bumps on my arms/chest) and Keratosis Rubra Faceii (red cheeks). Yesterday I went to the dermatologist for a check up and learned some interesting new things regarding my skin that I wanted to share with you all. I officially went 100% gluten free a little less than a year ago, so when my dermatologist saw that on my chart he said, “Well that explains it.” He elaborated further stating that eating gluten when you have the Celiac genes causes your skin to react leading to skin dryness, sensitivity, and Keratosis covering parts of the body and face. He also stated that the longer that I am gluten free the better my skin will be. As I reflected later I realized how right he was. When I get glutened my face immediately turns bright tomato red, and since being gluten free the Keratosis on my arms has gotten much better. My dermatologist suggested the following products for me to use as my daily skincare routine to help improve my skin health: Cetaphil daily cleanser on my face, CeraVe moisturizing cream on my face and body, and Elta Md spf 47 face and body sunscreen. While these are not the most trendy skincare products out there, it’s better to stick to the basics- your skin will thank you later. These products are readily available at your local pharmacy, Target, or Walmart. Even better, they won’t break the bank on a college girl’s budget. What I have learned from this experience is the importance of listening to your body, you never know what it’s trying to tell you. Please stay well Everyone and comment below with questions.
Until next time,
Brynn
This was my Keratosis Rubra Faceii in 2018, 1 year before going gluten free.
It was my parents’ 24th wedding anniversary this past weekend. To celebrate Dad ordered a gluten free cake to be delivered so that the whole family could be outside enjoying the nice weather. Dad ordered the cake from a company called: “We Take The Cake.” They are based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In addition to their regular cakes they also have 3 gluten free cakes you can order, and they do custom cakes. Here is a link to their website: https://bakery.wetakethecake.com/gluten-free-and-vegan-c77.aspx. The company has been featured on “Good Morning America,” the “Today” show, and many other sources. In a family of chocoholics the clear choice to order was the gluten free four layer chocolate cake. The cake took two days to be delivered and was in great shape when we got it. When I tell you this was the best chocolate cake I have ever had, I am not exaggerating. My mind was blown. It was decadent, rich, and moist. It was delicious and didn’t dry out immediately after being cut in to. The frosting was amazing too. The ingredients are listed inside of the box so you know exactly what you are getting, and the cake was more than worth the price. As much as I love baking cakes, I can’t wait to order from “We Take The Cake” again soon. I would recommend this company to anyone looking for a cake to be delivered, especially now due to Covid-19 shipping a cake to a distant family member would be a great way to let them know you are thinking of them. Please eat well and stay well Everyone.
Happy Father’s day to all of the wonderful dads out there, thank you for all you do. A special thank you to my dad, Dave. He does so much for our family, and takes such good care of his girls. He is non-Celiac, but since the first day of Brooke’s diagnosis eats and cooks 100% gluten free at home. Dad always brings home new gluten free treats for us to try and assists us everyday in living our best gluten free lifestyle. Of course with it being Father’s Day and all Mom and I couldn’t turn down an opportunity to bake something for him, and try something new at that. Today’s creation: Tiramisu Cheesecake. Yeah I shouldn’t have have to say much else, this dessert speaks for itself. It was delicious. I will of course walk you through how we made it, as well as alterations that we made or would make in the future.
We made this cake by using a “AllRecipes” recipe and then altered it along the way to make it gluten free. Here’s the link to the original recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/7757/tiramisu-cheesecake/. This time we kept the baking times and measurements the same, but we did alter ingredients. Mom and I agreed; however, that next time we would start with 8 oz of ladyfingers instead of the 12 oz in the recipe, while keeping the butter measurements the same and adding more ladyfingers if needed. This was largely because there was not enough moisture to pull the gluten free ladyfinger crumbs into a nice crust; thus, making the crust crumbly. In my opinion the best gluten free ladyfingers to use are from Schär, they are delicate and sweet, a spectacular recreation of the traditional gluten filled biscuit. In addition to using fewer ladyfingers next time Mom and I think it would be best to double the “coffee liqueur” in the recipe for both the crust and the filling. I say that in quotes because I have yet to find a gluten free coffee liqueur, every brand that Mom and I found contained caramel coloring. Caramel coloring is a big no-go, it contains malt. Therefore, if you ingest some, be prepared for a one way ticket to glutened town. It is for this reason Mom and I made our own. To make the equivalent of 2 tablespoons of coffee liqueur we whisked together 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon espresso, and 1 cup of warm water. For the filling we only made two alterations: we used our “coffee liqueur” substitute and gluten free flour. Everything else in the recipe we kept the same. To top off the cake we shaved gluten free semisweet chocolate over the top and decorated with some leftover ladyfingers. As far as cheesecakes go, this one was very easy to make. The flavors came through beautifully and produced a deliciously decadent dessert that I know will be made again. Please reach out with questions regarding the alterations or recipe. Thank you again to all of the spectacular dads out there, Happy Father’s Day!
As many of you know from your own gluten free journeys it can be difficult to be gluten free. When you’re on your own, in the comfort of your own kitchen it’s much easier. The difficulty for most begins when you try to go out, or partake in basically any social event. After countless times of hearing the following, going out is more frustrating than fun: “Oh I am sorry, I forgot! We don’t have anything for you.” Or the: “Oh this place has a great “gluten free menu” complete with tons of salads for you.” We can’t forget the: ” Can’t you eat around the bread or just take it off?” And my personal favorite: ” Gluten free? That’s like vegan right? We have tons of vegan options.” After many failed restaurant visits or “friendly” dinner parties it is easy to develop anxieties and distrust regarding food. Frustrations increase when you inform the server or host of the event of your allergy and are treated as though you have just disclosed to them the most inconvenient situation on the planet. To deal with your so called “inconvenience” they shower you with disrespect. This is unexceptable, and one of my biggest pet peeves. It is not your fault by any circumstances, you are not an inconvenience, and you are not a trend. You are a person. A person who deserves respect and peace of mind regarding your meals. It is so disheartening to have to think about every single one of your meals. Food anxiety is very real in this gluten filled world that we live in.
The question becomes: how do you cope? To start out it can be helpful to keep a food diary, go to restaurants that have earned your trust, and be vocal to friends/coworkers about your inability to eat gluten. When you’re going out to eat suggest the restaurant, if it’s someplace new look at the menu ahead of time and plan, you can also use apps like “Find Me Gluten Free” to find the safest options, and finally when you get to the restaurant and are feeling nervous about the plate in front of you try your best to stay present and mindful. Focus instead on the conversation, the style of the restaurant, and the flavor of each bite. By focusing on just the food’s flavors you can enjoy your meal and avoid unwanted stress. As my sister Brooke says, “Don’t think, just savor it.” If you’re going to an event where a meal will be served perhaps offer to bring a dish, remind the host of your allergy, and if all else fails eat before to leaving and always keep a snack in your bag. It’s important to not fear gluten, you are stronger than your fear- don’t let it control your life. You are so much more than Celiac.
I recently started a nanny job, that has brought on the normal stressors that come from looking after three kids. The last thing I want to be worrying about is getting glutened. I know that my employer doesn’t know much about gluten, but he tries his best. In order for me to have a comfortable food environment I bring my own lunches and snacks. I also try to promote naturally gluten free snacks for the kids like fruits and veggies. There are lots of instances during my day when I cannot escape gluten, and that’s okay. I make a majority of the children’s meals and that involves cooking with regular bread, pasta, etc. This can be stressful. As someone with a gluten allergy, I have learned that what helps me cope is to work with all kinds of food. I know that washing my hands, keeping surfaces clean, and washing dishes will keep me safe. A very sweet example of this came this past Friday. The youngest little munchkin turned eight. She LOVES unicorns. To celebrate the Birthday Girl’s special day I taught her older sister how to make a unicorn cake completely from scratch. Living in a gluten free household I said goodbye to store-bought cakes about 11 years ago, so it was an amazing experience to share and teach a child the joy of homemade cooking/baking. It was a gluten cake, but it still turned out really cute and the kids seemingly loved it! Along the way the oldest asked me what could be done to make it gluten free and I told her the only thing we would have to do is use gluten free flour. She said, ” Oh that’s a lot easier than I thought it would be. Next time can we try that?” I beamed from ear to ear. Educating others about Celiac and what it means to be gluten free is the best way to cope with food anxiety. The more people know about it, the more they can help keep you safe from getting glutened. Don’t be afraid to speak your truth about your gluten allergy; you are your best advocate. Remember, more than anything, living with Celiac doesn’t have to be complicated. When it comes to eating gluten free plan, adapt, and enjoy. Stay well and eat well.
Brooke turned 15 yesterday! She is such an incredible person and she is filled with so much light. Brooke was the first member of our family to be diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Ever since being diagnosed she has lead the way for our family to live our best life gluten free. She is an inspiration to everyone in our family. As her sister I have learned so much from her, and I feel so blessed to have Brooke as a role model while I continue my gluten free journey.
I wanted to make Brooke’s birthday as special as possible. She has helped me so much the past year, as I have fully switched to a completely gluten free diet. Brooke recently has had a sparked interest for vinyl music and asked for a record player for her birthday. Her favorite band right now is “Surfaces”. I thought it would be fun to make one of their album covers into a cake. I made a lemon flavored cake, topped with a lemon buttercream frosting. These flavors were inspired by her favorite drink, which is lemonade. For her cake I used an altered version of a Lemon Sheet Cake With Buttercream Frosting by Yossy Arefi that I found in the cooking section of the New York Times. Here is a link to the recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019261-lemon-sheet-cake-with-buttercream-frosting?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-9G_-77V6QIV0MDACh1BKwHfEAAYASAAEgLHbPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds. The cake was easy to make and tasted really good. We converted the recipe to gluten free simply by using a gluten free flour blend. The lemon buttercream came out white. In order to color it, in attempt to recreate the album cover, I mixed in minimal drops of gluten free food dye. Truthfully I have never attempted to decorate with frosting, but it was a fun first attempt. Below are images of the process. If anyone has any questions feel free to reach out. Eat well and stay well Everyone.
Our first few days on Instagram have been a success. I recently received a comment inquiring about the benefits of a gluten free diet for someone who does not have Celiac Disease or requires a gluten free diet. I love getting questions and post suggestions, so please keep ’em coming. I will begin by noting that it is estimated that there are two and one-half million cases of undiagnosed individuals carrying the genes for Celiac Disease. That said there may be many individuals who are not on a gluten free diet but are experiencing many of the underlying symptoms.
Symptoms of Celiac can vary from person to person and the list can be quite extensive. Below you will find a detailed image displaying Celiac Disease symptoms. If you think that you may require a gluten free diet or have Celiac, contact your healthcare provider to be tested. Source: “Celiac Disease Symptoms (from Those Living with the Disease): An Infographic.” Gluten Dude, 8 Mar. 2015, glutendude.com/celiac/celiac-disease-symptoms/.
Now that I have further discussed Celiac and the symptoms, I will write about the diet itself. A gluten free diet means cutting out wheat, barely, rye, malt, and sometimes oats because it cannot be digested. This diet is the life and blood of members of the Celiac community. However, a typical misconception by the general public is that going gluten free means “cutting out all carbs,” and that is is some kind of magical weight loss diet. This is only true if one actually does cut out all carbs, and doesn’t allow for “cheat days.” Cutting out all of your carbs has many health benefits, but that is not what the gluten free diet is. I have said many times, I believe that anything can be made gluten free. My family and I do this through the substitution of gluten products with ones that are gluten free, and altering recipes. Living a gluten free lifestyle for the purpose of thriving with Celiac Disease does not include using the conceived idea of a gluten free diet assigned by the public. Therefore, the gluten free diet is not healthy for individuals without celiac disease or medical reasons requiring a gluten free diet. This is because gluten free foods are low in fiber and are enriched with fat, calories, and artificial sugars. In order to combat these added calories and fat, my family and I focus on providing nourishing and balanced meals, eating the proper portion sizes, and getting our daily exercise. These simple things will keep people healthy in both mind and body regardless of what they can and can’t eat. Source: Strawbridge, Holly. “Going Gluten-Free Just Because? Here’s What You Need to Know.” Harvard Health Blog, 30 Jan. 2020, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/going-gluten-free-just-because-heres-what-you-need-to-know-201302205916.
As I said above, if you feel as though you are affected by the symptoms of Celiac disease please get in contact with your healthcare professional to be tested. There will be health benefits to those experiencing symptoms, in that they will begin to feel better over the course of 1-2 months being gluten free. This is hugely important in order to thrive while living life gluten free. You are the foundation of your being, if you are not well in mind, body, or spirit you can not give your best to all the rides on your shoulders. That’s why it’s of the utmost importance to listen to your body and be present in a non-judgmental manner. It is okay not to feel well, but the key is acknowledging it quickly, getting assistance, and getting back to feeling good. If I learned anything from athletics, and trust me I learned a lot, it’s about how fast you get back up. Going gluten free can seem scary at first. A year ago I questioned if my symptoms were really that bad. The answer for anyone thinking the same thing is always yes. Ask anyone within our gluten free community and you will find that we will all say basically the same thing: Once you transition and begin to feel better you won’t believe you didn’t start sooner. That’s not to say that the transition is easy. There will be challenges, but you will overcome them, you will crave old favorites, but then you will remember that anything can made gluten free, and then you will thrive.
I hope this post is heard by those needing to hear it, and that it clears up questions regarding the gluten free diet. As always, if you have further inquiries please reach out and I will do my best to assist.
Today we will be branching out onto social media to help spread awareness about our blog. By doing so we are hoping to expand the outreach of our page to inspire, assist, and connect with as many gluten free foodies as possible. Our presence on these platforms will be to alert followers of updates about the blog. Please look for our new accounts on Instagram and Facebook.
Gluten is becoming labeled better on most food items, but sometimes it can hide in various products. It’s important to not only check the label for wheat, but also barley and rye. Gluten can also hide in the form of cross-contamination. Most often fried foods are fried in the same oil as products that contain gluten. If you have Celiac this amount of gluten will likely make you sick. There are plenty of gluten free substitutes for the items listed, but to avoid getting “glutened” it’s best to always check the label. Below you will find a list of products that gluten can hide in.
Carmel coloring ( most often found in soy sauce and root beer)
Dressings, sauces, gravy, and condiments.
Canned soup
Meat substitutes
Beer
Brewer’s yeast
Play dough
Medication
Lip balm
Cereal
Oatmeal
Malt
Chocolate (Lindt and Ghirardelli both contain gluten)
No matter how diligent you are about avoiding gluten sometimes getting “glutened” just happens. Firstly, identify if you have experienced a major glutening (sourced from eating large quantities of gluten) or a minor glutening (sourced from cross-contamination or very small amounts of gluten). Second, listen to your body. Symptoms of getting “glutened” vary from person to person, and the quantity of gluten consumed. Symptoms can include, but are not limited too: diarrhea, constipation, reflux, bloating, stomach cramping, headache and fatigue. Your symptoms can come in any combination. Look for patterns within your symptoms upon occurrence to help identify if you’re feeling ill due to gluten. Source:Anderson, Jane. “What Does It Feel Like When You Get Glutened?” Edited by Emmy Ludwig, Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 12 Nov. 2019, www.verywellhealth.com/what-does-it-feel-like-when-you-get-glutened-562469.
How to feel better:
So after getting “glutened” and identifying your symptoms, the next question is how to feel better? As I said above, symptoms can and will vary. My go-to method of feeling better involves getting as comfortable as possible. If I have time, I will take a relaxing bath in some eucalyptus epsom salts or hot shower. I then change into my favorite sweatshirt and sweatpants combination; I never want to wear anything tight. Once i’m dressed I make myself a mug of of peppermint tea. Peppermint tea will soothe the stomach and allow for some relief. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water. From here, just rest. Getting “glutened” puts the body under an immense amount of stress. There is no shame in taking time to yourself to rest and allowing yourself to recover mentally and physically. In your recovery time you could consider taking a nap, watching your favorite show, or participating in a short mindful meditation. This will allow you to focus inward, and relax. Some of my favorite guided meditations can be found in the app called “Headspace.” The guides are very positive and create a relaxing environment. The focus of the meditation is to be present within yourself, in a non-judgmental manner. I find this relaxing and non-judgmental environment helpful after getting “glutened” as it puts me in a more positive frame of mind, and allows me to recovery fully in mind and then body. It should be noted that don’t have endorsement contracts with any of the apps, restaurants, brands, etc. that I list. I just want to be as honest as possible with what works for me and my family, so I can help and inspire my fellow gluten free foodies.
