Wordless Wednesday

Look what I found growing in my garden!  I didn't think I'd actually get any eggplants.  YAY!

Happy National Celiac Awareness Day!

September 13th has been dedicated Celiac Awareness Day in the United States.    

Why?  Especially when May is Celiac Awareness month? 

Dr. Samuel Gee. 

Who? 

I'm glad you asked. 

He's the doctor who is credited with being a pioneer in celiac research.  Specifically, he made the link between celiac disease and diet.

And today is his birthday.

Thanks in large part to this man, those suffering from this illness were provided with a means of taking greater control of their health and well-being through the observance of a strict gluten free diet. 

Three cheers for Dr. Gee!

So, let's not let this opportunity go to waste.  Take a few minutes today to educate someone about celiac disease and gluten intolerance.  In North America, it takes on average 10 years for someone to receive an accurate diagnosis.  Let's increase awareness and help lower that number. 

Send out a tweet, post it on facebook, or mention it on your blog. 

And enjoy a yummy gluten free treat while you're at it! 

Most Crayola and Elmer's Products Gluten Free

Looking for arts and crafts products for my son to use at his new daycare has been a bit of an ordeal, especially since most non-food products do not contain an ingredient list.  Mot simply indicate whether or not they are non-toxic, and leave it at that. 

So I took to the internet, and checked out the manufacturer websites.  I was frustrated at first at the lack of information available on most sites, but Crayola and Elmer's both had statements regarding the presence of wheat and gluten in their products.

For Crayola's statement, click HERE.  Crayola's products are free from most of the top allergens, including dairy, nuts and eggs.  As for gluten, the site specifically states that Crayola Dough contains wheat and is therefore not gluten free.  However, it does state that other products are gluten free, including the Modeling Clay.  It does not specifically state that ALL other products are safe.  My son's daycare makes their own dough using flour, so now I can bring along an alternative for my son without worry.  We also picked up some of their finger paints. 

Elmer's was also a company with a statement on their FAQ page.  Click HERE to see the page.  Specifically, it states that ALL of Elmer's products are gluten free, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF their finger paints.  So I picked up some school glue as a replacement to the flour based glue at the daycare.

The stress of not only being concerned about what goes in my son's mouth but also what touch es his skin can be tough sometimes.  Not being able to make an informed decision about what I purchase for my child due to a lack of information is frustrating.  I don't expect every brand to be gluten free, but I would at least like to know if the product I want to buy is safe for my child or not. 

Simply by providing me with that information on their websites, Crayola and Elmer's have gained a new, loyal customer.  Wasn't that easy?

Weekly Gluten Free Menu Plan

Well, this week I took a chance and tried to make gluten free fish and chips.  After researching more recipes than I care to admit, I realized that most of them contained much the same ingredients that a biscuit or pancake mix might have.  Since my goal is to cook as quickly and simply as possible, I broke out the bag of gluten free biscuit mix I had sitting in my cupboard, and used it to help create the batter.  No fiddling with xanthan gum, baking powder, etc.  And I'm quite happy with the results.  See for yourself!

 Monday: Gluten Free Fish & Chips 

Tuesday: Chicken Souvlaki with Rice & Steamed Vegetables 

Wednesday: Pizza with Mushrooms, Olives, Artichoke Hearts & Crumbled Goat's Cheese 






Thursday: Shepherd's Pie (This is already made and frozen.  I just need to take it out the night before and let it defrost.) 

Friday: Minestrone Soup, Romaine Salad and Shepherd's Pie leftovers






Happy Eating!  Don't forget to check out the Menu Plan tab at the top of the page to see my Gluten Free Menu Plans for previous weeks.

Goodbye Summer...

This weekend is shaping up to be beautiful, with warm temperatures and clear, sunny skies.  Having a date night scheduled with my husband is like the icing on the (gluten free) cake!  How have we spent our day? 

 Preparing for fall. 

We finished painting the garage door, bought some fall mums to replace the dying fall blooms and prepared the flower garden in the front for a fresh covering of mulch.

We also went shopping.  I got a great pair of cords that will be perfect when the temperature dips later this week (the forecast calls for lower than normal temperatures by Thursday.  Ugh.)  I also bought a gorgeous grey Kenneth Cole jacket at Winners.  Maybe I won't mind the cooler temperatures so much after all...

Anyway, as I enjoy a great weekend of warm weather, I can't resist posting a few late summer photos as I look forward to all that fall has to offer.  The return of football.  Halloween.  Thanksgiving.  Pumpkins.  Brightly coloured leaves.  Warm sweaters and soft fabrics. 

So as I anticipate the arrival of fall, here are a few of my memories of the summer of 2011.

Taking a break from the challenge of finishing that popsicle

Who needs a chair when there's a beach?

The many, many boxes of tomatoes we canned for sauce

Just chillin' at the cottage with his cousin.  The drink holders in their chairs kill me.

Friday Five List: First Week Back At Work Edition

This was my first proper week back at work, after being away for two and a half years.  Much has stayed the same, but a few things have changed!

1- I am no longer one of the "young ones".  Marriage moved me to the edge of that category, but having a baby solidified it.  Younger teachers are now coming to me for advice, rather than the other way around.  This is both exciting and terrifying!

2- Before I went on leave, a few teachers would bring their own laptops to work.  When I arrived this week, almost everyone had one out in the workroom.

3- I can no longer wear heels of any height all day, every day.  I now have "sensible shoes" that probably add another 10 years to my age, but I don't care because they're comfortable.

4- I also can no longer survive on coffee and air if I forget my lunch at home.  I actually drove home one day this week to pick up my forgotten lunch.

5- I look forward to the weekends for different reasons now.  Gone are the the Friday and Saturday nights at the club.  They've been replaced by sidewalk chalk on the driveway and a walk to the park. 

Have a great weekend.  I'll be posting tomorrow and putting up the Menu Plan on Sunday!

Daycare Transition: Day 3

Not to jinx things, but so far, so good.  My son's been really brave in the mornings, with only a quivering lower lip to indicate he's unhappy about my leaving for work and  dropping him off at the daycare for the day. 

By the time I arrive to pick him up in the afternoon, everything is great.  Today he didn't even want to leave. 
"Come mommy, come play with me" he said over his shoulder as he trotted back to the carpet to continue what he was doing before I arrived.  I got him to leave by promising that we could return to the daycare tomorrow! 

As for the food, he's enjoyed chicken, rice and vegetables, and even some gluten free bread as part of his daily delivered lunch.  We're still providing his snacks from home.  Fingers crossed that this continues to work.

The only thing we need to do now is provide separate paint, modeling clay, and glue.  The centre makes their own clay and glue using flour, and the paint also includes wheat ingredients.  Since I want him to participate in all the activities, I'll be buying some alternatives this weekend and bringing them in for Monday. 

This has really made my transition to work much less stressful than I had anticipated.  I only hope that this isn't the calm before the storm...

Wordless Wednesday

A boy and his truck.  Note the rain boots, as he sits in the puddle of water from the hose!

Back to Reality!

Sometimes, even after a long absence, you return to a place to find that it's almost as though you'd never left.  Today was one of those days.  A lot has changed at my place of work in the few years that I've been on leave, but many of the core people are still there, and I found it oddly simple to slip back into the swing of things. 

But my feet hurt.  And I have a feeling I'll be tired tomorrow morning.

And as I watched the kids pick up their burgers at the back to school BBQ, I got to thinking about how difficult it would be for those who are gluten free to always be left out of participating in those types of events.

Sigh.

Thankfully for my son, today's gluten free meal at the daycare went over well.  The daycare provider was surprised at his appetite.  I was pleased to hear that he enjoyed the gluten free meal that was provided. 

Let's hope tomorrow's meal goes over just as well.

Recipe: Cock-a-Leekie Soup (Chicken & Leek Soup)

The traditional version of this soup is Scottish in origin, with many regional variations in preparation.  Some versions feature barley, but to make it gluten free, rice could be added instead.  I actually prefer mine without the rice, so the recipe below doesn't list it as an ingredient.  If you want to add rice to your soup, add 1/4- 1/3 cup of it during Step #3, and cook until rice is cooked through or add already cooked rice at the end.

Ingredients
1 chicken, rinsed and cut into 8 pieces (leave skin and bones, they'll be removed later)
1 onion, quartered                                                   2 carrots, quartered
2 stalks celery, quartered + celery leaves                 1 bay leaf
2 whole cloves garlic, peeled & lightly crushed         10 peppercorns
1/4 tsp. dried thyme                                                Pinch nutmeg
6 cups chicken stock or broth                                  1 lb. potatoes (about 4) peeled & diced
2 leeks, white parts sliced + green parts separate      Juice from 1/4 lemon
salt & pepper                                                          1/2 cup dairy free cream or milk (optional)

Directions: 
1- Wash and prepare chicken and vegetables.  In a large soup pot, place chicken pieces, onion, carrot, celery stalks & leaves, garlic cloves, bay leaf, peppercorns, green parts of leeks, thyme & marjoram, and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil & cover.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until chicken juices run clear when pierced with a fork (approx. 40-50 min.).  If any foam rises to the surface, skim off and discard.

2- When cooked through, remove chicken pieces and set aide to cool.  Strain the stock into a large bowl.  Discard the vegetables and return the stock to the pot. 

3- Add the sliced white parts of leeks and potatoes.  Simmer until potatoes are soft.  Using an immersion blender, blend soup leaving some chunky pieces of potato. 

4- By this point, the chicken would be cool enough to handle.  Remove skin and discard.  Pull meat from bones, shredding into bite sized pieces.  Discard bones.  Return shredded chicken to pot.

5- If using cream or dairy free substitute, add now and stir to blend.  Add lemon juice & nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with some chopped parsley if desired.  Some grated Parmesan cheese is also nice on top if you're not dairy free.