Browsing All Posts By

twin3

An Ode to the Potato

potato
June 2, 2012 By In featured

We’d like to give a special shout out to the lovely potato. 

There are many varieties, super versatile and 100% Gluten Free!

Smashed, Mashed, Fried, Baked, Twice Baked, to name a few. It’s a vegetable that holds it’s own as a starch and it’s a fact that you can go to just about any other place in the world and find some sort of potato staple (even if may mostly may be simple french fries). Who doesn’t love a potato in one form or another?

They are good for you too!

Sweet potatoes, for example are high in fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, potassium and manganese. They are also known to help stabilize blood sugar, which means they’re a good choice for diabetics. The 95 calories each at worth it for all of the nutritional power they pack. Other variety of potatoes we often see here in American markets include, Russets, Reds, Whites, Yellows, Purple/Blues, and Fingerlings.

We learned that it is a common misconception that all of the potato’s nutrients are found in the skin. While the skin does contain approximately half of the total dietary fiber, a great deal of the nutrients are found within the potato itself. Keep in mind, that like for most vegetables, cooking does impact the nutrients, it is greatest when cooking involves boiling for an extended periods of time, or baking. To maintain the most nutrition in a cooked potato, steaming and microwaving said to be best.

What’s your favorite way to eat a potato?

 

A Conversation

typing
May 12, 2012 By In featured, homepost

Hi, so as you all know we are twin sisters. So needless to say we have a lot of conversations with one another. So in honor of Celiac Awareness Month, we thought the best way to give some insight to living with CD is to get a glimpse into our everyday lives and the stuff we talk about.

 

Julia: So what’s up?

Jill: I went to hot yoga twice this week, one of the guys really smelled in the last class it was like sneaker feet in there, yuck.

Julia: One of the main reasons “hot” yoga scares me – sensory overload!

Jill:  Everything has it’s pros and cons.

Julia: Yeah I think there’s a blog post and books about the pros and cons of Yoga. Clearly, there is a lot to be uncovered there. You make anything good this week?

Jill:  I bet they don’t list, ‘Yoga smells’ as one of the cons on those lists do they? I think I went to the grocery store 8 times in the last few days. I’m starting to develop a close relationship with the check out employees …… made mostly the usuals and variations of – ‘protein with rice and salad thing’ …. ‘giant potato with veggies and cheese thing’ …… you?

Julia: Oh I made possibly one of the best investments of my life – thanks to the very accessible product known as, “Perfect Meatloaf Pan Set”.  I first saw it late night on an infomercial only to discover that there is a website for all of that stuff! http://www.asseenontv.com/

Jill: Classy! Was it indeed the perfect Gluten Free meatloaf?

Julia: It was! Tweaked the”Classic Meatloaf” recipe by using store bought gluten free bread crumbs and less sugar then it suggested.

Jill: SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SPAIN!!

Julia: It’s the only good thing about turning 30, is an excuse to take an overseas trip.

Jill: We’re gonna need to get a couple spanish sentences down for ordering at restaurants.

Julia: Oh yeah! Exciting!!

Jill: How do you say I’m an annoying customer is spanish? lol

Julia: Haha – But what are we gonna eat? How do you say, “I can’t eat Wheat in Spanish”?

Jill: “No puedo comar harina de trigo. means I cannot eat wheat.”

Julia: Perfecto.

Gluten Free goes Pop

mc
April 28, 2012 By In pop culture, Random

Thanks to Miley Cyrus and other celebrities in the news living gluten-free has gone from a little known restrictive diet, to something as trendy as gel nail polish. From celebrity tweets about food allergies to debunk weight loss rumors, to a snide mention in a t.v. commercial, it cannot be denied any longer that pop culture has began to take notice of the gluten-free lifestyle. Like anything that seems exclusive, the gluten-free lifestyle has the perfect ingredients to appeal to impressionable consumers, easy to make fun of, and perfectly fits into the media driven fad diets that are out there. So much so, that the gluten-free hipsters might not like that celebrities and their followers are adopting it, blindly unaware of the real health conditions behind it.

Some may snicker at Miley’s comments and all the media hype that followed it, but we think it’s a good thing! Especially considering so many people are truly unaware of various food intolerance’s, speciality diets, and Celiacs Disease for that matter. So although these jabs in pop culture or celebrity tweets do not do enough to explain the real benefits and reasons behind the diet — it’s a start in the right direction for Gluten Free living to become more in the forefront of mainstream consciousness.

The Simpsons: The Brown Burrito worker is nervously sorting tortillas by corn, flour, no gluten.

Check out Beware My Cheating Bart at around 5 min 55 seconds

Portlandia Allergy Pride Parade

Bread Hurts my Head

Peanut Sauce Recipe!

peanutsauce
April 21, 2012 By In Celiac diet, featured, gluten free, Recipes

Here is a really yummy sauce you can easily whip up in no time.
You can also use ALMOND BUTTER instead if you have an allergy to peanuts.

  • 2/3 cup crunchy organic peanut butter or almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons of GLUTEN FREE soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoon white sugar or agave eq
  • 2 drops hot pepper sauce (or a couple more if you like a little more heat)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or tsp of minced garlic in a jar!
  • 1/2 cup water gradually pour in after you mix the above ingredients together till it’s a good creamy consistency
  • 2 capfuls of apple cider vinegar last, stir well and viola!

Use on top of grilled chicken or salmon on a bed of brown rice and steamed broccoli with your sauce poured on top!

Hope you enjoy, let me know any variations you might have out there.

Naturally gluten-free – Caprese Salad

caprese salad
April 16, 2012 By In Random

We love rediscovering naturally gluten-free recipes, that we enjoyed long before going Gluten Free.  Converting gluten filled recipes with non-gluten alternatives has been fun to do, but its good to have a few quick and healthy choices in your arsenal; that doesn’t need a life story or medical explanation to go along with it. A Caprese Salad for example, has fresh simple ingredients that are all naturally gluten free.  

 

Ingredients 

  • 3 vine-ripened Tomatoes, sliced
  • 8 oz Fresh Mozzarella Ovolini, drained
  • 1/4 Cup Basil Leaves
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
  • Balsamic Vinegar 
  • Sprinkle of Kosher Salt
  • Fresh Cracked Pepper

Directions

  • Slice tomatoes and mozzarella balls into thick (1/4 inch) even slices. Some people like to stack their Caprese salad, alternating the tomato, mozzarella, and basil leaves. We like to make ours more like an appetizer. A tray of tomatoes topped with sliced mozzarella, and a nice basil leaf for garnish, and flavor. 
  • However you choice to display it, lightly drizzle your creation with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. 
  • Lastly, sprinkle with Kosher Salt and fresh cracked pepper.  
  • Serve immediately or set aside in the refrigerator to allow flavors to blend. (Not too long or it will get mushy) 

Get the Funk Out

laundry
April 10, 2012 By In homepost, Random

Don’t forget that we not only have the power in our own hands to control what we eat, but also what we use to cleanse our environment and our clothes. Just like you can often convert a recipe to be gluten free, if you make it yourself; you can also make your own cleaners and laundry detergents.

Making your own cleaners  has the added benefit of not having any questionable by products, chemicals, or gluten for that matter. When I first went gluten free, I started to freak about all the hidden gluten in everyday products. Laundry detergent and dryer turns out is no exception, so I started to look around for the alternatives. What I learned is that a lot of this stuff can be made on your own. I also found it to be another great outlet for creativity.

Laundry

  • Dryer sheets: So when I first went Gluten Free, I went it to a slight panic mode about everything that could possibly have gluten in it.  What I found is that gluten could indeed be in dryer sheets.  (the record scratches and the music stops) Dryer sheets? WTH? So I went in search for kinder dryer sheets, and found some nice ones, called Method.bod Squeaky Green Dryer Cloths. No gluten at all in these, and you can also re-use a dryer cloth a couple of times before you toss it out.

 

  • Dryer Balls: A dryer ball offers a simple, natural, and toxic free solution to soften fabrics, reduce drying time and creases while saving on the cost of dryer sheets, chemical fabric softeners, and energy. Designed to separate and lift the laundry– this allows air to circulate more efficiently throughout the machine, resulting in quicker drying time. Simply pop a set of laundry dryer balls into the dryer machine with a full-load. On today’s market you will find dryer balls that are made from plastic. Some of them come with scented sticks to insert for fragrance as well.  But there are also Wool made dryer balls that you can purchase, or make yourself.  They are even a popular item that is sold on etsy.com

 

  • Detergent: Here is a simple and quick basic liquid formula to try and make for yourself

2 1/4 cups of liquid Castile soap (Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soaps are available in a wide variety of scents if you want to skip the essential oils part)

1/4 cup white distilled vinegar (distilled vinegar is gluten free)

3/4 cup water

10-15 drops essential oil of your choice

Combined ingredients into plastic container or squirt bottle. Shake once or twice before adding to the wash. Use 1/4 cup of mixture per average load; 1/2 cup for extra large or heavily soiled loads.

 

 


Blog Lovin’

April 9, 2012 By In Random

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apis_mellifera
April 6, 2012 By In homepost, Random, Recipes

So what can’t Apple Cider Vinegar not do?  Why is it so versatile? Apple cider vinegar, like Bragg, is made from pressed apples that are allowed to ferment to become alcohol and then vinegar. It has a mellow flavor that’s great in a number of recipes. Like many types of vinegar, apple cider vinegar contains a substance called acetic acid. Apple cider vinegar also contains some lactic, citric and malic acids.

Fermenting fruits to create vinegar dates back to 5000 B.C.E. in Babylonian. Hippocrates was said to have used  and promoted it as a health tonic. Later it was made popular by the book Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor’s Guide to Good Health, written by D.C. Jarvis, M.D., was published in 1958.  It’s got an interesting history and has a wide variety of uses – making it one the most versatile (and neat) products out there.

Cooking

Use apple cider vinegar into a marinade for meats or vegetables, or substitute it for white vinegar or wine vinegar in any recipe for some taste variations.

1) As a substitute for egg: One tablespoon for every egg you would have added.

2) As a substitute for lemon: If you’re out of lemon juice, and are using a recipe where the lemon is used for acidity, you can use apple cider vinegar instead.

3) To preserve ginger:  Peel the ginger, then slice it and place it in a jar with a layer of Apple cider vinegar on top will help to preserve it longer. Refrigerate for best results.

4) To preserve cheese: Wrapping the cheese in a cloth soaked in apple cider vinegar helps to keep the cheese fresh.

5) To preserve cut fruit:  Mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with water, then leave your fruits to soak in the mixture until you’re ready to serve.

6) To tenderize meats: The acidity of Apple cider vinegar helps to break down cellulose tissue, so rubbing a tablespoon on your meats before you marinate them will help tenderize the meat. You could always go the extra step and add the apple cider vinegar into your marinade, to taste.

You can also make many healthy and flavorful salad dressings with apple cider vinegar. The Braggs’ website includes several recipes you can experiment with.

Such as this one: combine 2/3 cup olive oil, 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar and a pinch of a French herb mix. Then add 2/3 cup honey and mix vigorously.

Medical

Unfiltered apple cider vinegar is known to have many medicinal properties as well.

1) Bee stings:  I actually got stung by a Bee last weekend and used it to relieve the sting and redness. It worked!  Clearly the motivation for this post.

2) Dandruff: apply a 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar to the scalp, leaving it to dry.

3) Overall health:  Said to help lower blood pressure, stabilize blood glucose, lower cholesterol. Most references state it should be taken a teaspoon at a time diluted in a glass of water per day.  But You’re probably better off benefiting from it through your diet

Do you know of any random uses for Apple Cider Vinegar? Comment below.

References

 

Help I’ve been glutened

ivebeenglutened
April 4, 2012 By In homepost

And what do I do now???????????? ……… I’ll start with a lot of water and maybe a gf pain reliever  ….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

post in progress.

Gluten Free Cosmetics

9262834-makeup-powder-in-three-colors-on-white-background
April 3, 2012 By In featured

Having Celiac disease, you have to be on a constant lookout for gluten in foods. Food labels are always doubled checked for any variety of wheat, barely, and rye containing ingredients. Check out our post about label reading here. So besides food, one should also be aware of the gluten lurking in stuff we put in and around our bodies. Such as cosmetics and toiletries were these ingredients are often NOT as obvious or noted on the label like they are for foods.

For example, most vitamin E ingredients listed in products are in fact derived from wheat gluten and therefore NOT gluten free. Even though the label just lists “vitamin E”! It’s also important to note that Gluten can NOT be absorbed through the skin, but people may accidentally ingest a small amount from lotions on their hands or lip gloss on their lips etc. I know when I apply make-up in a rush, I have for sure gotten some extra foundation on my lips. If that’s not enough to convince you, just think how often you touch your face everyday. Besides that, who the hell wants any gluten around after all the badness it caused before?

A handful of companies do make gluten-free cosmetics. Consumers can also contact manufacturers directly to find out if a product does in fact contain any form or derivative of gluten. Luckily, most companies have been very responsive about answering any questions through email.

Here are my favorite gluten-free cosmetics:

Hourglass: It’s Expensive. VERY expensive, but man it’s the best makeup I’ve EVER used on my face so I make it work in my budget. This make up proves that sometimes quality is worth the investment. My face always looks clear, fresh and blemish free AND I don’t have to worry about getting any gluten in the process. LOVE IT! As always, double check labels of each of their individual products that they are indeed gluten free. I usually pick it up at Sephora. The VEIL primer, and the tinted moisturizer are magical and gluten free.

website: hourglasscosmetics.com/

 

Burts Bee: 

Now while everything they offer is not gluten free a lot of it is see below for a list that contains most of their gf products!

From: http://gluten-free-diet-guide.com/burts-bees-gluten-free/

For Lips

Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmers
Beeswax Lip Balm Tube
Beeswax Lip Balm Tin
Tinted Lip Balm
Nourishing Lip Balm With Mango Butter
Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil
Honey Lip Balm
Lifeguard’s Choice Lip Balm
Res-Q Lip Balm SPF15
Rejuvenating Lip Balm with Acai Berry
Sun Protecting Lip Balm SPF 8
Medicated Lip Balm
Super Glossy Lip Shine

Facial Cleansers

Radiance Facial Cleanser (my favorite!)
Soap Bark, and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream,
Garden Carrot Complexion Soap,
Natural Acne Solutions, Purifying Gel Cleanser,
Garden Tomato Complexion Soap

cleansers that have avena sativa (oat) kernel oil and flour in it should be avoided!!

website: burtsbees.com/

Mineral Fusion

You can pick this up at most whole foods, it’s great product – and best of all it’s gluten free!! I’ve been using the Sheer tint neutral this past week, and like that its easy to apply with my clean fingers.  I have fair skin so the color at first is a little dark until I rub it in properly.  It does not cover like a true foundation, or like the Hourglass tinted moisturizer described above. Although, its half the price and works well with my on-the-go beauty regimen.

website: mineralfusion.com/

 

Shampoo & Conditioner

RUSK

 

 

 

 

 

RUSK Sensory wellness products are indeed gluten free – says so on the bottle. It’s more pricey at $20 a 13.5 oz bottle.  I’ve been using the products for the past few weeks and have to say I’m don’t hate it but I don’t love it either.  While it does have a nice smell and the texture of it is very thick and chalking.  If you are like me and have thick semi dry hair you will need a good amount of the conditioner to get your hair under control.

HEAD Organics

 

 

 

 

 

This stuff is actually getting harder to find.  I’ve had to order online through amazon after purchasing the leave-in-conditioner at whole foods awhile back and really liking it.  Bummer! It’s responsibly priced, does the job well, and its totally gluten free.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HUGO Naturals 

Saved the best for last.  HUGO Naturals products can be easily picked up at stores like whole foods, without breaking the bank.  It has a great variety to choose from for different hair types, and they also clearly label their ingredients.  All of which are gluten free! For sure worth trying out for yourself.

 

Hair Spray!

Taking a cue from Celiac Diva’s list here. I decided to pick up a couple at Walgreens, and test them out. I know it’s a tough job but someone has to do it! So presenting Tresmee #3 and Ganier.

Website: Tresemme

Extra Firm Control, non-aerosol Extra Firm Control, Mega Firm Control and #3,4,5, Natural Finishing non-aerosol spray and the Smooth Frizz Shield are all gluten free.

Website: Garneir Fructis

All the Garneir Fructis hairsprays are gluten free.

this post is a work in progress!!

 

Gluten Free Funny

desertisland-cartoon-1
March 30, 2012 By In homepost

“I really hope coconuts are gluten free”

Gluten Free Pizza Chébé (Um..not sure how to say that)

photo-3
March 27, 2012 By In homepost

I made gluten-free pizza guys! With the help of Chébé pizza crust mix.  The taste and texture was great. I was actually surprised how fluffy the crust was and chewy even – like “regular” pizza.

Here are the ingredients you need and what I used this time. You can customize this of course per your needs, tastes, and preferences. Like vegan cheese, diff veggies, etc.

 

Pre Heat your oven 450 degrees!

For the Dough:

Follow the directions on the box!!!

2 large eggs

Olive oil (2 tablespoons)

Sharp Cheddar cheese (or other sharp cheese) (1 cup)

Milk (1/4)

*optional corn meal (put below crust once you got it pounded out

Pizza Sauce:

Use a high quality garlic mariana red sauce

Toppings (that I think rule at least):

Sliced mushrooms (of any variety)

Applegate Sliced Pepperoni

You could also consider slicing tomatoes or onions and/or adding basil or ricotta cheese or even goat cheese

Directions:

Mix the dough as instructed and push out onto your non stick pan pound and flip and press that ball of dough into a pizza shape

(Make it as thin yet sturdy as possible.)

*Before last flip you can sprinkle corn meal. Don’t use too much just a light sprinkle will do.

Add a few spoonfuls of the sauce onto of the dough, and spread use your best judgement. Not so much it’s spilling over the side leave a little for the crust, but enough so that it’s not too dry either.  A good even coating should do it in other words.

A few handfuls of Mozzarella shredded cheese, sprinkled around the pie.

Then add your toppings as you like them.

The Applegate pepps are a little large so they cover the pizza area well.

Sprinkle on the mushrooms, and than slide that pan in the oven.

Give it about 15 mins or till the crust is nice and brown.

And viola!!

Other Tips:
To cook more individual sized pizza’s cut the dough in half.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life re-mixed

garden flowers
March 26, 2012 By In featured

So its been about a year now that Jill and I were first diagnosed with Celiacs Disease. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about this past year and how different I feel (and even look).  There are noticeable changes that have been mostly positive and have (mostly) trump the daily hassles of living Gluten Free.  Not even just Gluten Free — having Celiacs takes it a step further — cross contamination creates all sorts of road blocks in my diet and social life for that matter. But don’t want to get all negative on you. That is way too easy!

I’m here to tell you how I recovered. And went from have more bad days than good — too “omg I didn’t know a person could feel this vibrant!”  So I am embracing my disease and all its horribleness and glory.  Because without that diagnoses I would not be what I have become today — which is someone I really like!

Here are some simple changes that really helped:

Create a morning routine

Every morning, I have a glass of water with Lemon. Instead of coffee to help go to the bathroom in the morning, another option is to have a glass of water (hot or cold) with half of a lemon squeezed into it. This will alkalize your body, re-hydrate you, and it helps with elimination.  It also helps the liver to get rid of toxins, so this is a great way to start the day. When I first went GF I would harsh foods/drinks like coffee, were too overwhelming to my already overwhelmed system.

Move around, get creative, and embrace your spirit!

So for my last birthday, I had been Gluten Free for about 4 months and was still feeling miserable most days.  An old Ayurvedic friend of mine who also has a GI disorder (Ulcerative Colitis) had come back into my life. (No I don’t believe in accidents or coincidence). Told me to really feel better you need to open you heart up to spirituality, creativity, and more importantly exercise!!!

So I started to do Yoga again.  I started off with a local donation class to get me back into the rhythm of the practice, and now I can’t go a couple of days without it. It truly feeds my heart, body, mind and soul. You don’t have to be a Yogi to feed those areas of yourself.  Find what gets you moving, excited and thinking outside of physical self. Like creating a small garden to tend too — nature in itself is filled with spiritual essence.

Re-mix your life to become the harmonious, and a divine being you were originally designed to be!

 

GF tip #1: Be Prepared!

tumblr_l6676jpadG1qznyovo1_500
March 21, 2012 By In homepost

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not a girl scout. But I can def adhere to the sentiment of being prepared, so you aren’t left hungry with no safe gluten free options to eat in a pinch.

Here is how I prepare:

  • I buy things in bulk that have a long shelf life – there are many healthy GF options out there for this luckily!
  • I cook my lunches for work the night before, and store in safe GF only Tupperware.
  • I ALWAYS carry snacks in my purse, as women it’s easy to get away with toting around food without others really knowing, dudes can use  laptop bags if they aren’t into using a “murse”.

Everyday items. Here are top things I usually tote around with me:

  • Carrot sticks: you can buy carrot sticks in small individual pouches at most grocery stores and even walgreens or buy in bulk and divide up a days worth portion in a zip lock baggie! You could also do this with apple slices and hell just having an orange or banana ALWAYS good and easy to carry around as they have a natural cover!
  • Walnuts: Or any other nut you might like or aren’t allergic too (sorry if you are allergic to nuts *I’m just rubbing it in aren’t I?) I love walnuts personally and find them earthy and hearty. I also like buying planters nut snack packs in bulk and throwing those in my purse on any given day.
  • Lucy’s cookies: Another thing I like to buy in bulk are Lucy brand cookies … individual and snack sized!! Cause sometimes I just need a cookie.
  • Amy’s fruit snacks: Again individually packed, don’t need to refrigerate so that’s a bonus!
  • Dried Cranberries: Tart, sweet, and easy to snack on the go.
After hours:
Now after a long day at work, I sometimes hate the idea of having to cook.  By the time I get home from a work day, I’m starving. It’s good to have some backbone in your kitchen arsenal especially with this whole gluten free thang. I have on deck most of the time:
  • Rice
  • Instant mashed potatoes
  • Frozen potatoes
  • Frozen Veggies
  • GF Pizza dough mix
  • GF bread

You can imagine I can do a number of things with these ingredients in a pinch. And I can instead go to the store everyday for fresh veggies and such to make compliment these on deck, mostly easy to store items.

 

 

 

 

Raining Day Comfort Recipe

soup
March 15, 2012 By In homepost, Random

So this is a really simple recipe I like to do on raining days, and when I don’t feel like cooking all that much. It’s also a great recipes that you can switch up per your taste. It’s the very simple idea of taking a good can or cardboard box of soup, and pouring it over a really soft yellow potato. It’s basically the poor man’s upside down shepherds pie, haha. You can easily add any sort of protein or toppings (sour cream, cheese, onions, etc.) if  your appetite calls for it.

So take a good big organic (preferably round yellow potato) and microwave in a bowl with a little water and cover for about 6 mins.

Meanwhile open up a good can or rip open a cardboard box of soup and heat it up.

Make sure the potato is soft then break it open down the middle and add a little butter and smash!

Take the soup you warmed up and pour over it’s that simple

I am really into Pacific soups check them out here … gluten free and tasty I like the chicken soup w. rice variety.

Check out my recent creation .. it tastes much better then it looks hah!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gluten Free Cupcake Fun

Green Cupcake
March 12, 2012 By In featured, Random, Recipes

Using online resources like glutenfreely.com and even amazon.com to purchase Gluten Free products, have been a great way to experiment with what’s out there. Now we know eating chocolate cupcakes with double chocolate frosting and orange chicken are not the healthiest options. But… sometimes a sister needs a little break from all the  ”no’s” we have when it comes to food options in our daily lives.

So a little indulgence, can be for us… a sanity check.  So let’s get happy together.  Thank you Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake mix and Chocolate Chip frosting we made these really great cupcakes.  We found that making cupcakes with these mixes helps to distract from the heavier texture that Gluten Free cake mixes seem to have.  No biggie — they are still devil-ishly delicious and worth the guilt. Use your favorite gluten free topping or frosting to make it your own.  Enjoy in moderation, or not.  No judgement here  ;)

 

For your own pleasure and delight:

http://www.glutenfreely.com/ourstore/top-sellers/140428

http://www.glutenfreely.com/ourstore/bettycrockerfrosting/140719

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gluten Free Orange Chicken

GF Orange Chicken
March 8, 2012 By In Celiac diet, homepost, Recipes

Who’s says you can’t have all the foods you did before?  Just make it yourself!  You can do an awful lot with eggs and gluten free flours! Here is a example of something you make after you walked through the mall and were intoxicated by the Panda Express Orange Chicken smell.

All is not lost!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Ingredients:

Marinade:

  • 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup sesame oil
  • 1 1/4 cup orange juicezest of one orange
  • 3 cup rice vinegar
  • 3 cup tamari (gluten free) soy sauce
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1.5 tbsp. ginger, grated
  • 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

For the Chicken:

  • 1 kg. chicken tenders
  • 2 tbsp. cornstarch (or other starch of your choice)
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups cornstarch
  • 2 cups gluten free breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper and/or chilli flakes
  • 1 1/2 cups olive oil
  • orange segments, sesame seeds and chopped scallions for garnish

 

Directions:

 

  • Add all of the marinade ingredients to a medium saucepan and stir with a whisk together.  Transfer 1.5 cups of the marinade to a large sealable plastic bag and add the chicken wings to the marinade in the bag.  Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for about an hour.

 

  • Meanwhile, heat up the rest of the unused marinade (which should be still in the saucepan) on the stove and bring to a simmer.  This will become the sauce. Blend 2 tbsp. cornstarch and cold water together to form a very loose paste, and add this to the sauce.  Keep at a simmer for at least one full minute until the starch dissolves and becomes clear.  Then remove from heat.

 

  • In a large shallow bowl whisk the eggs.  In a second large shallow bowl combine 2 cups cornstarch and cayenne seasoning.  Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and discard the marinade.  Dredge the chicken tenders in the egg mix, and then the cornstarch, and Gluten Free breadcrumbs (optional) and set aside on a separate plate.

 

  • In a large pot heat the oil until 350F.  Fry the egged and breaded chicken pieces a few at a time about 3 minutes and then flip over and fry about 3 minutes more.  Keep in mind that crowding the pot may cause the temperature of the oil to drop which will affect how long you need to fry so that the chicken is fully cooked.  Once cooked, lift out of the oil and drain on a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

 

  • Serve your crispy chicken nuggets with your favorite steamed rice and drizzle sweet orange sauce on top.

 

GFT TIP: When frying GF chicken, flip chicken carefully. Don’t move the chicken around too much as the coating will come off more easily then traditional gluten filled flours. Be patient and let the chicken cook on each side until it is thoroughly cooked. Gently move to serving plate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Body is a Garden of Flowers

Hollywood Farmersmarket
February 20, 2012 By In homepost

Do not go to the garden of flowers!
O friend! go not there;
In your body is the garden of flowers.
Take your seat on the thousand petals of the lotus, and there gaze on the infinite beauty.

Kabir – 15th century Indian mystic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that you have pin pointed the source of your problems (gluten, other allergies, bad relationships, etc.) you are able to weed out the bad, and start to grow a new area where that crap used to live. Creating conscious choices in our food, surroundings, people, we are cultivate a life we want.  Being Gluten Free has become beyond just how and what we eat, it has also opened us up to a whole new perspective on how we live in general.

We now like to think of our lives and my bodies as a garden.  To start off, you should begin within yourself.  Start with that garden of flowers within your body. Wherever you water and care for in certain areas of your body (and life), you are rewarded with a metaphorical flower.  If you think of your body as a garden, the conscious choices of health and wellness go beyond the Gluten Free label into all areas of your life.

Have you flossed lately? Do you have an exercise routine you can commit to? Have you let go and forgiven yourself for the past?  All of these are areas of your garden are within your body, whose care should be your number one priority.  It is a garden of unique flowers that all need love and light.  Is that idea a little overwhelming? Start small – like making sure you floss everyday.  Once you got that area down, move on to the next. In the end you might end up with a beautiful garden of flowers that you can share with the world.

 

Welcome to Get Free Twins!

bigstock_birth_of_butterflies_from_coco_19188077
February 10, 2012 By In homepost

Hi! out there.. I believe an introduction is necessary here.  We are Jill (who lives in Berkeley), and Julia (who lives in Los Angeles) and we both have Celiacs Disease. Yay! This blog was made to bring together our love for art, design, health, and information sciences to one place. Get Free Twins is our forum to share our experiences living with Celiacs Disease, and all the fun stuff that goes along with it. You’d be surprised its a lot more than avoiding gluten.

Although we are twins, we have had very different paths to finding our correct diagnosis and our quest for health. One of us had a head start, while the other lived in complete denial for years. Both of us have had misdiagnosis like many other Celiacs including, irritable bowel syndrome, alopecia, anemia, anxiety, and depression. Sexy!

When you are young like us (well late twenties) and everyone you know is full of energy; its hard to admit to others that you are tired and you don’t really feel well, “sorry can’t make it to the party, I feel like I have an anchor attached to my body” doesn’t sound too cool or fun to be around. So you try to keep up then there is the ultimate big crash and you begin to neglect areas of you life, like friendships or your creativity. Celiac Disease and all the badness that goes with it, seems to not only take away the obvious – it also it seems – by the time you realize what is wrong, leaves you in utter shambles.  Again not too cool of a thing. The worst part for us, was how to explain to our friends and family all we’d been through before our diagnosis, and what we will continue go through as you transition to a gluten-free lifestyle.

So we are here to make Celiac Disease cool! We want you all to know that no one really changes, they grow.  So if you just got diagnosed, hold on to your hat you’re in for a lot of growth. Life will never be the same, in a good way. After being diagnosed with anything, your paradigm shifts and all the bullshit you’ve been holding onto just seems so silly.  We are here to say forget the nonsense, stop holding on to the past and forget gluten.

Get Free!

Label Reading for GFers

label_large
February 7, 2012 By In homepost

Staying Gluten Free is going to be priority number and shopping is gonna be your one way to control what you put in and around your body. So the number one advice to take plenty of time, and not to rush. Therefore its a good idea to go to the store during off peak hours. Also make sure you create a list beforehand to help save some time.

Here are a list of items to get familiar with and read when picking up ANY packaged or canned food, regardless if you have purchased it before! 

Other text on labels to look for:
‘manufactured in a facility that also… and ALWAYS AVOID ’made on the same lines as wheat, barley (etc)…’

But most importantly look for the following:

Abyssinian Hard (Wheat triticum durum)
Amp-Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Atta Flour
Barley Grass (can contain seeds)
Barley Hordeum vulgare
Barley Malt
Beer (most contain barley or wheat)
Bleached Flour
Bran
Flour
Brewer’s Yeast
Brown Flour
Bulgur (Bulgar Wheat/Nuts)
Bulgur Wheat
Cereal Binding
Chilton
Club Wheat (Triticum aestivum subspecies compactum)
Common Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Crumbs
Cookie Dough
Cookie Dough Pieces
Couscous
Criped Rice
Dinkle (Spelt)
Disodium Wheatgermamido Peg-2 Sulfosuccinate
Durum wheat (Triticum durum)
Edible Coatings
Edible Films
Edible Starch
Einkorn (Triticum monococcum)
Emmer (Triticum dicoccon)
Enriched Bleached Flour
Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour
Enriched Flour
Farina
Farina Graham
Farro
Filler
Flour (normally this is wheat)
Fu (dried wheat gluten)
Germ
Graham Flour
Granary Flour
Groats (barley, wheat)
Hard Wheat
Heeng
Hing
Hordeum Vulgare Extract
Hydrolyzed Wheat Gluten
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Kamut wheat)
Kecap Manis
Soy Sauce
Ketjap Manis (Soy Sauce)
Kluski Pasta
Maida (Indian wheat flour)
Malt
Malted Barley Flour
Malted Milk
Malt Extract
Malt Syrup
Malt Flavoring
Malt Vinegar
Macha Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Matza
Matzah
Matzo
Matzo Semolina
Meringue
Meripro 711
Mir
Nishasta
Oriental Wheat (Triticum turanicum)
Orzo Pasta
Pasta
Pearl Barley
Persian Wheat (Triticum carthlicum)
Perungayam
Poulard Wheat (Triticum turgidum)
Polish Wheat (Triticum polonicum)
Rice Malt (if barley or Koji are used)
Roux
Rusk
Rye
Seitan
Semolina
Semolina Triticum
Shot Wheat (Triticum aestivum) 
Small Spelt
Spirits (Specific Types)
Spelt (Triticum spelta)
Sprouted Wheat or Barley
Stearyldimoniumhydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Strong Flour
Suet in Packets
Tabbouleh
Tabouli
Teriyaki Sauce
Timopheevi Wheat (Triticum timopheevii)
Triticale X triticosecale
Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids
Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Extract
Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil
Udon (wheat noodles Unbleached Flour
Vavilovi Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Vital Wheat Gluten
Wheat, Abyssinian Hard triticum durum
Wheat amino acids
Wheat Bran Extract
Wheat, Bulgur
Wheat Durum Triticum
Wheat Germ Extract
Wheat Germ Glycerides
Wheat Germ Oil
Wheat Germamidopropyldimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Wheat Grass (can contain seeds)
Wheat Nuts
Wheat Protein
Wheat Triticum aestivum
Wheat Triticum Monococcum
Wheat (Triticum Vulgare) Bran Extract
Whole- Flour
Wild Einkorn (Triticum boeotictim)
Wild Emmer (Triticum dicoccoides)

Source of awesome food can labels you can print out for yourself:

http://blastr.com/pics/BruceCampbellsSoupLabels-scifiwire.pdf

 

Here is an example of other fun print outs you can get on the web to help with food label conundrums:

http://cdn.glutenfreely.com/pdf/Gluten_Free_Products.pdf

 

The only time I’ll ever think Bread is Cute again

424618_571433261601_60000773_31653566_358854979_n
February 2, 2012 By In homepost

Hot new MEME cat time!!!! Cat Breading!! There is even a facebook page

I DO love cats, however I don’t like bread (well gluten riddled bread at least) BUT in this case I think I could maybe make an exception….. Below are my sad FAILED attempts at breading Sofia, but I WILL be trying again until I get it semi on her face and snap a photo without her clawing my eyes out

Check out Gawker’s article on it: Click Here!

Ideal Placing Example Below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My attempts (first and only so far) with Sofia and Gluten-free Bread:

Buffy is Gluten Free too!!

BUFFY3
February 2, 2012 By In homepost

This is Buffy she’s my (Julia) dog. After becoming gluten-free I decided to make everything around me too. From my hair products to my dog Buffy’s food. She doesn’t seem to mind, (yes it is more expensive, but she is worth it!). It’s also one less thing I put my hands on that may contain the stuff! There are a ton of new grain free dog foods that are out there.  Check out your local pet store and see what approved pet foods they have out there for doggies these days!

 

Brown Cow yogurt made by angels?

Brown-Cow-Yogurt
February 1, 2012 By In homepost

Possibly? No, I mean it really is, there is no other reason why it tastes so good. Not only is the stuff CERTIFIED gluten-free it’s also some of the tastiest yogurt I have ever had. If you want to bring a smile to my face, a little cup of their cream top cherry-vanilla will do the trick.

Get Free

bigstock_Gluten_Free_Text_23019818
January 31, 2012 By In homepost

Gluten sucks in the way it sounds and the way it makes you feel if you have celiacs disease. It’s important to know that living with it doesn’t make you strange or weird and it’s in fact quiet common. Many choose to ignore they have it and continue to live burdened by gluten. By making a choice to be gluten free you are GETTING FREE.

WTF is Celiacs

bigstock_Celiac_Word_In_Letterpress_Typ_23234225
January 31, 2012 By In Random

So what is all this about gluten free this and that anyway??

Have you been seeing Gluten Free menus at more and more places around you?

Even celebrities are getting in on it. This is a GOOD positive sign that the world is getting to know and understand their bodies more and what it means to feed it right.

Celiac disease is an digestive autoimmune disorder. There are several types of autoimmune disorders, but essentially it means the body attacks itself.  Unlike an allergy to a food or substance where the allergic reaction is where the body is attacking the foreign substance. A person has to have the genes to develop Celiacs, and it is possible to be a carrier of the gene and never develop the disease during their lifetime.

The one (and only) cool thing about Celiacs is that it is the only autoimmune disorder with the known cause, gluten. If a person has celiacs disease the autoimmune reaction is trigger if/when they consume gluten.  This “trigger” causes the body to attack the small intestines’ villi – the finger like thingys that absorb nutrients from foods. Overtime the villi become damaged and are unable to properly absorb much nutrients at all, no matter how much they eat. Making Celiacs in danger of becoming malnourished and experiencing other complications along the way.  The only way to treat Celiacs is to maintain a life long Gluten Free diet.

Screening for Celiacs can be done through an antibody, genetic tests, or Endoscopic biopsy (which is the gold standard for establishing the diagnoses).  If you are going to be tested for celiacs through a blood test or endoscopy make sure you maintain your normal diet until you get tested, so you do not get a false negative in your test results.

Also visit Pubmed Health for more information here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001280/