Gluten Free Mom

Gluten Free Buckwheat Pancakes

We love having breakfast for dinner.  It is one of our favorite nights of the week.  A family favorite is buckwheat pancakes and sausage.  Yum!  Perfect breakfast - make that dinner - on a cold night.

Recipe for Gluten Free Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup buckwheat flour (see Note below)
• ¼ cup tapioca flour
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp flax seed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups (or less) milk (use almond, soy or hemp for dairy free)
• 2 Tbsp melted butter (use Earth Balance for dairy free)
• 1 egg

Directions:

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.  Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Click Here for a Printable Version of this Recipe

 Note on Buckwheat Flour:  We do not take Gluten Free lightly at our house so we go for the safest gluten free foods we can find. 

For Buckwheat Flour we use Bouchard Family Farms buckwheat flour.  It is grown in Aroostook county Maine and "cross contamination is highly improbable because there is no rye, wheat, or barely grown on the farm. Our mill is used strictly to mill our own buckwheat." You can order it on line by clicking here.

While I am a big fan of Bob's Red Mill and grateful for their production of gluten free products, you should know that Bob's Red Mill Organic Buckwheat Flour is  not labeled gluten free and has the warning that it is manufactured in a facility that uses wheat.  I would not consider it safe for someone on the GF diet.  Always look for the gluten free label on Bob's Red Mill products! 

 

 

Related articles

Gluten Free Cut Out Christmas Cookies

Do you Dine Out Gluten Free?

Do you travel gluten free?

 Are you traveling somewhere for Christmas?

When we first went gluten free I mourned the fact that we would no longer be able to travel. We actually went camping about one week post diagnosis, and not knowing enough at the time, we starved by only eating grilled hamburger without the bun and yogurt and fruit.

At that point in time, I could not comprehend how we would ever fly anywhere again with our restricted diet.

Over time and with confidence, we realized we could travel again.  Initially we limited our travel to places with condominiums or apartments so we still had the option of cooking, but we will travel now and stay at hotels and dine out for our meals. 

Our greatest gluten free trip was to Ireland.  According to the Ireland Coeliac (how they spell celiac) society, Ireland has one of the highest prevalence of celiac disease in the world, which makes it a very friendly place to travel gluten free. 

 

Cooke's Restaurant Galway Ireland

 

New York City and Paris both have great offerings.   It is worth a trip to New York just to have a bread stick at Risotteri. 

 

 

Breadsticks at Risotteria NYC

Laduree Paris for Macaroons

 

The hardest place we have traveled to was Germany.  Germany is a beautiful country to visit and I hope to go back sometime but  I am not that crazy about German food in general - it is a lot of sausage and beer, and our standard fallback of a salad when there is nothing else available ending up being cabbage.  Plus the German's were overly concerned about our restrictions to the extent that they would just say "no" to everything.  We wondered around Garmisch for hours one night asking every restaurant we passed if they could serve us.  Finally,  the last restaurant in town thought they could find something gluten free.  It ended up being a great night but it was a stressful few hours looking for some place to eat.

 Whether you are traveling far or just to Grandma's for Christmas, you will have the best  gluten free experience if you spend  some time planning before you go.  

Before you Go:

First we plan our itinerary - what we want to see and where we want to stay.   Call the hotel to see if they can accommodate your diet.  Consult Gluten Free Hotels Guide for  a list of hotels that cater to your diet.   Gluten Free Travel Site also has user submitted reviews and tips.

Then plan where you will be driving or flying and approximately where you will be around mealtime.  You do not want to have to zig zag across New York to grab lunch.

Finally, search the Internet for restaurants with gluten free options. Find Me Gluten Free is a great free app for your phone that helps you locate restaurants that can accommodate your diet.

 

Triumph Dining has been researching were to eat gluten free since 2005.

If you are traveling somewhere we have been, we have already done the work for you.  Check out our tips on travel to

• Kauai
• London
• Los Cabos Mexico
• Paris
• New York City
• Seattle
• Ireland
• Germany
• Spain

 

Call or email the restaurants to see what they offer, when they are open, and make reservations if necessary.   If the area is unfamiliar, you can chart your driving route and map the restaurants on websites such as Google maps.

 Print a Gluten Free Dining card to hand out at restaurants or to give to friends if you are staying at someones house. 

Taking these steps ahead of time will greatly cut down on the stress level once you arrive.

What to Pack:

We always travel with a suitcase of our favorite gluten free pastas, bagels, muffins etc. 

• Udi’s muffin tops and bread travel very well. The bread is good enough that you do not need to toast it.  If we are in a crunch, we will top it with some Justin's Almond Butter. 
•  Purefit bars are perfect when you are stuck without any gluten free options and starving.
•  Dried fruit from Trader Joes is a favorite.
•  Glutino Vanilla Creme Cookies when there are no gluten free desserts available.  
• Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta is also good to have on hand.  We were at a restaurant, in Germany again, which did not have any gluten free offerings but did make pasta with a basic red sauce.  It took a little extra time, but they were happy to cook our GF pasta (in clean water) and we had a great meal.
• Check out Minimus - a website that sells travel-sized food items.  Their gluten free list includes items labeled GF by the food manufacturers.  I would always double check on the gluten free status before I ordered the items but they have GF hummus, Justin's Almond Butter, individual salad dressings. 

After you eat all of the food, you will have extra room to bring back souvenirs. 

 

Flying with Gluten Free:

Several airlines now provide gluten free options.  Request your special meal when you make your airline reservation.  You usually need to request a special meal at least 24 hours in advance. Even though the airline may offer a meal,  I would never count on an airline to feed my family.  Twice we have found wheat ingredients clearly listed on an item in a GF airline meal and once they just did not have the meal on the airplane.  We always travel with a carry-on full of GF food. I love these soft lunch bags by BUILT Gourmet Getaway Lunch Tote  

The Transportation Security Administration will let you bring food on the airplane as long as it complies with rule 3-1-1 for liquids in carry-on bags.  Snack items such as  "pretzels, potato chips, dried fruit or other dry goods" are fine as long as they will fit in your carry-on.  

However, snack items that are "liquids or gels, like pudding, jello or yogurt, etc.," fall under the 3-1-1 rules for liquids for carry-on bags. Which  means you can bring yogurt or jello in your carry-on 

"only if they are in containers 3.4 ounces or less; packed in a 1 quart/liter zip-top bag; and 1 zip-top bag per person. Larger amounts of non-medicinal liquids, gels, and aerosols must be placed in checked baggage."

Of course, you can always  purchase beverages, liquids or gel-based snacks (aka yogurt) after the security checkpoint and take them on the plane, as they have been previously screened.

Finally, "even if an item is generally permitted, it may be subject to additional screening or not allowed through the checkpoint if it triggers an alarm during the screening process, appears to have been tampered with, or poses other security concerns. The final decision rests with TSA on whether to allow any items on the plane."

Lastly, there is an exception to this rule, as "medically required liquids, such as baby formula and food, breast milk and medications are allowed in excess of 3.4 ounces in reasonable quantities for the flight."  However,  "you must tell the Transportation Security Officer that you have medically necessary liquids at the beginning of the screening checkpoint process" and you will subjected to additional security screenings. 

So if you really want to bring that yogurt that is more than 3.4 ounces and you have a letter from your doctor saying it is medically necessary and you are willing to go through extra security, you and your yogurt may make it through.  Personally, I do not think it would be worth the extra hassle.

Share what you learn when you get home!

Lastly, share what you learn when you get home.  If you found a great gluten free restaurant in Shenandoah, Iowa then do not keep the place a secret.  Share it with the rest of us so we can all learn and enjoy from your experience.  I actually started this blog after our first trip to New York City.  I spent so much time researching where to eat before our trip that it seemed a waste to keep it all a secret.  Send me an email and I will be happy to share your experience or post a review on one of the interactive websites. 

What do you do when you are glutenized?

Everyone reacts to gluten differently  and sensitivity varies - Alex is  very, very sensitive and usually reacts with a bad stomach ache, brain fog, general tiredness and grumpiness. 

Here is Dr. Guandalini from the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center:

 

When the occasional attacks occurs, we go for the Pepto Bismol.  It seems to calm the stomach ache.  I also go for a hard work out.  No scientific proof about this, but I swear it seems to push everything through faster.  Again, I am not a doctor and there is no proof behind this, but I also take borage oil.  I came upon this solution when looking for natural solutions for my daughter's chronic back pain.  The borage oil is hard to swallow (like swallowing any kind of oil) but I really think it tends to calm down my body when it gets inflamed.

Have I said it enough - this is NOT medical advice and I am not a doctor, naturopath or nutritionist!

What do you do when you get glutenized?

 

 

 

Looking for a gluten free bread machine? We recommend:

 

Gluten Free Cut Out Christmas Cookies

After we decorated our tree last weekend we watched a video of our first Christmas together.  It was 1992, we were both lawyers in Chicago, and I had never cooked anything in my life. 

Our meals consisted mostly of carry out Chinese and salads.  I have said before that I did not cook before going gluten free - watch this video if you don't believe me. 

 

  

I have to apologize for the gray spots (this was pre-digital age as well), but if you watch closely you will see that I did not know how to soften butter, what a teaspoon was, we didn't have a mixer (my mom gave us money for one that year), the cookie sheets are hideous and if you watch to the end you will see how the cookies turned out.

We have come a long way!  Even gluten free, we churn out around 100 cut out Christmas cookies each year.  It has become a tradition to invite friends over and decorate them Christmas Eve.

Here is the recipe we have used for the last seven years.  Yes, the basic flour in it is Gluten-Free Pantry French Bread and Pizza Mix.  This one has performed so consistently that I have not seen the reason to come up with something else.

Before you begin!    If it is hot in the house and the cookie dough is warm, they will spread like butter on the cookie sheet.  Always let the dough chill in the refrigerator and make sure your kitchen is not an oven the day you roll out and cut out the cookies.

 

Recipe for Gluten Free Cut Out Christmas Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter (or Earth Balance for CF) at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 4 large egg yolks at room temperature
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest or lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups Gluten-Free Pantry French Bread and Pizza Mix
• 1.2 tsp xanthan gum

Directions:

In your electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and salt until creamy (about 5 minutes).
Beat in egg yolks, lemon and vanilla.  Mix together the flour and xanthan gum.
On slow speed, beat in the flour one cup at a time until just combined.

Divide dough into three equal parts, flatten into disc, wrap separately in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 45 minutes.  It is very important that the dough be cool when you roll it out or your cookies will flatten when you bake them.  

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Flour the work surface and your rolling pin with rice flour and roll out one disk at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. The dough will break up a little bit on the first roll, but then becomes very easy to work with.  On the other end, the dough will be hard to work with after it warms up too much, so keep extras in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.

Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.
With a metal spatula, transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Depending on the size, makes around 40 cookies.

Bake 10 – 12 minutes, until lightly golden.  Cool on parchment.

Click here for a Printable Version of this recipe. 

Once they are cool, frost them:

Recipe for Cookie Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 pound box of powdered sugar
• ¼ cup milk (or almond milk for CF)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 stick butter (or Earth Balance for CF)

Directions:

Beat with an electric mixer until creamy, scraping the bowl often.

Separate into individual cups and add desired food colors.

Frost the cookies as desired and top with sprinkles before the frosting sets.  Sprinkles unfortunately can contain wheat starch, so check the labels.

 

Related articles

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

Gluten Free Brownies (easily adaptable for casein free)

Our Favorite Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies

Any tips for a gluten free college student? And a chance for a scholarship!

I am asking for your advice this time.  I received an email from Sara who is a freshman at college and was just diagnosed with celiac:

 

I am a freshman in college and was diagnosed with celiac a few days ago. To make things even more difficult, I have been a vegetarian from 4 years now and going back to eating meat is definitely not an option. Because I am in college, I do not have regular access to a kitchen, except for the one all the way across campus in my sorority house, which even then does not have a stove. In my room I do have a refrigerator and freezer and a microwave. Most of my meals used to be eaten in the cafeteria, but being a smaller school, there were already very few options for vegetarians, much less for those of us that are gluten free. Do you have any tips for dealing with my current, very difficult situation? No one in my family has ever been gluten free and we are at a complete loss as to how to deal with this, especially with my family many hours away. I am open to any advice you have both on the side of getting actual food I can eat and dealing with watching others eat things I cannot (you would think I would be used to this as a vegetarian but I really have never had an issue until now because I feel so limited).

 

I have a section on my website on Getting Started Gluten Free and but have not addressed how you handle this at college. 

At least she has a refrigerator and a microwave, but what are your tips for quick and easy vegetarian meals that  you can eat raw or cook with a microwave?

• My first thought was hummus - because we eat a ton of it and it is a souce of protein.  
• Amys has several frozen meal options. We like the Martar Tofu.
• Salads and sandwiches are obvious options. 
• Gluten Free Cafe makes pretty good canned soups.
• Thai Kitchen noodles when all else fails (although I have never gotten a good response from them on how they avoid cross-contamination).
• Certified gluten free oatmeal for breakfast.

 

Any other ideas? My oldest is a Junior in High School, so this something we are just starting to think about.  Being able to eat won't define where she goes to college, but it will certainly be a factor. 

While searching for some information for Sara, I ran across Erin Smith's Gluten Free Fun blog that announced a Celiac College Scholarship.  I think this is so cool, I had to share it.

 From Erin Smith:

The Kicking 4 Celiac Foundation now offers a one of a kind scholarship opportunity that will help students with Celiac Disease off-set the costs of gluten-free living when entering college. This scholarship award helps students subsidize their meal costs that are dictated by living with Celiac Disease.

We are pleased to award these scholarships to students that are graduating high school and entering into a four-year undergraduate college program, and are doing so with Celiac Disease. As the daily struggles of living with Celiac Disease can sometimes be debilitating, each of the students applying should be students who exemplify perseverance, hard work, and dedication, all traits the foundation prides itself on.

Other criteria must be met during the application process, but we naturally want to honor those hard at work that live with Celiac Disease, and continually open new doors for themselves through their hard work!

The Foundation is excited to award $10,000 in scholarships to the graduating High School class of 2013!

The application for the graduating High School class of 2013 is now available, so e-mail info@kicking4celiac.org to receive yours! Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter for up to date scholarship information, as well as all of the new and exciting things the Kicking 4 Celiac Foundation has to offer!