Now, that's Italian!

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Joan's Gluten-Free Greatbakes Sicilian Pizza

If you're Italian, the concept of one of your relatives cooking in a kitchen housed in the basement is probably not lost on you. My great-aunt's family room and kitchen were located on the lower level of her two-family home so I spent a lot of time hanging out there as a kid. She made homemade pizza that we would liken to traditional Sicilian pizza today. I hadn't tasted anything like it--especially a gluten-free version--until I tried Joan's Sicilian Pizza from Joan's Gluten-Free Great Bakes. This Bellmore, New York-based company offers a plethora of yummy, gluten-free options for the Italian in all of us: Pre-made pizza and crusts, bagels, Italian bread, etc. Check them out at www.gfbakes.com.

Afterschool Snack

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Growing up, cookies and milk were staples in our household, especially as an afterschool snack. Of course, this was long before I knew that I was lactose intolerant and had any sensitivity to gluten. No matter today as Glenny’s (www.Glennys.com), who touts itself as offering “America’s First Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies,” is here. Their moist, chewy Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are also dairy-free and taste homemade. Make sure you have a tall glass of milk (lactose-free or other!) ready to wash them down.  Enjoy!

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Glennys_Oatmeal Cookies_5-20-11

Sweet Treat

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Tired of grainy-tasting baked goods? Look no further! Better Batter’s Chocolate Cake Mix is easy to make and produces a moist chocolate cake that would rival its gluten-containing counterparts any day. Our family recently enjoyed this cake for my daughter’s 20th birthday. For years, I was making “from-scratch” gluten-free chocolate cakes and while they were okay, the recipes were sometimes difficult to work with and I just knew there had to be something better out there. Better Batter—whose tag line is “Eat Freely, Give Freely”--produces a complete line of gluten-free items. Check them out at www.betterbatter.org. Their customer service department is exceptional. When the company felt that I’d waited too long for an out-of-stock item, they compensated by sending along a free mix. Personal replies seem to be the norm for this company.   In terms of frosting, if you’re feeling a bit creative, try my recipe for gluten-free vanilla buttercream icing below. If you’re pressed for time, skip ahead to my recommendations for gluten-free canned frostings.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

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1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3 TBS milk*

At least 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and milk on medium speed until blended. Add sugar a half-cup at a time and mix until smooth. If icing is still not “sugar-y” enough, add more confectioners’ sugar a ¼ cup at a time to your taste.

Frost your cake or cupcakes using a metal spreader (I like the ones from Pampered Chef.) If you’re frosting a chocolate cake, make sure you “dirty ice” the layers first so the cake doesn’t show through.

(This recipe can be doubled.)

For Chocolate Buttercream Icing, melt 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels (in microwave, 1-1/2 minutes on HIGH, in 20-second intervals, stirring after each interval) and add to butter mixture. Continue with recipe as indicated.

*Since I am also lactose-intolerant I use LACTAID® milk and it does not affect the recipe.

Gluten-Free Canned Frostings

Hey, there’s no shame in using one of these at bake sale time (or any other time). My daughter would eat a whole can if I let her!

Betty Crocker’s ®website (www.bettycrocker.com) states, “All flavors of Betty Crocker Ready-to-Spread Frosting will be labeled ‘gluten free’ this fall.”

Duncan Hines’® website (www.duncanhines.com) states that their Classic Vanilla Frosting is “naturally gluten free.”  

Pillsbury’s® (www.pillsbury.com) representative, “Maria” told me by phone this morning that all frostings—including  Easy Frost™ No Fuss-Frosting (the one that looks like a can of mousse) are gluten-free except for their Coconut Pecan flavor. 

Essential Gluten-Free Resource

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As a magazine editor, a large number of publications get delivered to my mailbox each month. One of my absolute favorites for gluten-free information is Living Without (www.livingwithout.com); I’ve been a subscriber for as long as I can remember. Whether you’ve been diagnosed recently with celiac disease, food allergies or food sensitivities—or if you’ve been facing the challenges that accompany these conditions for quite some time— I highly recommend adding this publication to your reading list. It was a godsend when my daughter was younger and continues to be as we try new recipes and products together. The tone is informative and friendly, the articles well-written and researched. You’ll find real-life stories, recipes and diet guides, information on new products and book reviews, among other gems. Whether you start your reading with Alicia Woodward’s “Editor’s Note” or the “Food for Thought” back page, I am sure you will be delighted. Happy reading!

Perfect Pancakes!

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Good Morning!

If you thought the days of enjoying great-tasting pancakes were over, take heart! The King Arthur Flour Company’s Gluten-Free Pancake Mix is the answer to your (breakfast) prayers! By using this simple mix, you can enjoy the taste of delicious, fluffy pancakes while sticking to your gluten-free diet. Even non-celiacs are sure to love them. Enjoy them with some powdered sugar and your favorite gluten-free pancake syrup. www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/gluten-free-pancake-mix.

Welcome to Celiac Savvy!

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Hello readers, After raising a daughter with celiac disease and recently discovering gluten sensitivities of my own, I thought it was time to share the love—the gluten-free love, that is—with those of you in the blogosphere.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself: I’m a writer and editor whose daughter was diagnosed at age 15 months with celiac disease. This was in the early ‘90s, way before the Internet was our primary means of seeking out information and support. “Back in the day,” I was calling manufacturers by phone and sending typewritten letters requesting ingredients listings. I was in a support group for parents of children with celiac disease and on a personal mission to educate nearly everyone with whom I came into contact about this condition.  (Not everyone appreciated that, as you might suspect.) I was also spending a great deal of time baking from scratch with little guidance and even fewer workable recipes. I was throwing out failed baking experiments faster than you could say potato starch.

Thankfully, for those with celiac disease and gluten sensitivities, much has changed for the better over the past 20 years. Though my daughter is all grown up, I’m always looking for new ways to make the gluten-free lifestyle an enjoyable one for her and our family. My path to being what I call “celiac savvy” wasn’t an easy one but with the help of this blog, yours can be.

I designed this blog with several goals in mind:

  • To assist both newly diagnosed celiacs and lifelong celiacs in their quest for good-tasting gluten free foods
  • To offer advice about how to handle the gluten-free diet outside the home, in various situations
  • To inform you of gluten-free products that I think are just great
  • To share yummy gluten-free recipes
  • To review books related to celiac disease and the gluten-free diet
  • To provide a discussion forum for those with celiac disease and gluten sensitivities
  • To discover new things from you, my readers!

So sit back, relax and get ready to be savvy—Celiac Savvy!

Disclaimer: This blog is not meant as medical advice nor is it designed to take the place of a physician.