"Pass the Plate" Vol. 2

On facebook, I saw the most delicious dinner prepared by a friend of mine, Nicole Graham. She's a newcomer into this gluten free lifestyle after fighting it for so long! We should be proud of her for taking a stand and for allowing her body to be the best spokesperson for her health! She shared with me her Pasta Fagioli soup recipe! And man, I can’t wait until I make it! Kudos Nicole! It looks GREAT =)

Pasta

Fagioli:

Ingredients: 

1lb ground beef (I used 92/8 organic, grass fed)

1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)

2 large carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

28oz can crushed tomatoes (I used Muir Organic crushed tomatoes with basil)

15oz can tomato sauce

15oz can beef broth (plus more for heating)

15oz can red kidney beans (with liquid)

15oz can great northern beans (with liquid)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon pepper

8oz dry brown rice pasta (I used small shells)

 Directions:

1.   Brown ground beef in a large soup pot over medium-high heat until no longer pink, lightly season with salt & pepper. Drain then return to the pot.

2.  Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, lightly season with salt & pepper, then saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.   Add the remaining ingredients, except for the pasta, then simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally.

4.   When the soup has 15 minutes left to simmer, cook pasta in salted boiling water until just under al dente. Drain then add to the soup and simmer for 5.

Looks good doesn't. Try out Nicole's recipe and share with me what you thought! And don't forget before you go:

Pass the Plate!

XoXo,

Rebecca

Dunkin Donuts Outrage

It came to my knowledge from an email alert I subscribed to called Gilah CeliAct, that Dunkin has decided to shut down their plans to make their selected gluten free products go nationwide. If you didn't know, last year, Dunkin launched a gluten free cinnamon donut and a blueberry muffin in select stores/ cities. They were going to then launch them to all the Dunkin donuts by the end of 2013 but they've decided to pull the plug for whatever reason. Although I am not a donut eater, this is still an outrage! Just when you think we succeeded down a good path for us, our hopes are let down.

What made them stop? It's a lot of work to make gluten free products, especially when they took precautions to make sure they are free from cross contamination by making them in a different facility. I know it may be costly, but I read they were really thriving in business in the selected cities of choice. Supposedly they are continuing to test other items to the gluten free community in the future. 

So what changed their minds? What do you think? Has this put a damper on your gluten free dreams? 

"Whats the Paleo Diet?"

Since I came in tune with gluten free blogging, I started hearing about Paleo. I had no clue what this was until my older brother shared in on the info. This diet seems like another “new” fad but after doing some research of my own, its not new at all! I always knew that back in the day, like caveman days, or even further back to Adam and Eve days, grains weren’t a huge part of the human race diet like it is today. Over the course of the years, we have become so accustomed to eating anything and EVERYTHING that derives from grains. The world has become a “rush” society that we have it set in our minds that we don’t have time to cook so processed foods have become the norm. The Paleo diet not only shows us the way of how things use to be, but it also teaches us healthy food consumption. 

What exactly is the Paleo Diet? - That’s the burning question that I needed to answer. And BINGO, I found the answer right on google. (You can google anything now-a-days) The diet consist of refraining from things that derive from grains, dairy, processed foods, and sugar. It seems like a lot right? But you’d be surprised to find so many websites dedicated to sharing recipes and meal ideas to still be able to eat what you like. It just takes some studying, extra prep, and substitutions to make this lifestyle work for your life. (a website I browsed with recipes: againstallgrains.com) 

This diet will help in picking foods that occur naturally. And anything that’s natural and doesn’t have all the added garbage that isn’t good for you is a PLUS in my book. It is said to support healthy digestion, aid in weight loss, and give you energy! All wonderful benefits! I am so eager to give this a shot. I am guilty of eating way to much bread and pasta. So if cutting them out will benefit my health and make my gluten free life easier, why not give it a try? Or even give myself a 30 trial period. I thought I’d try it after I give birth so that way I can feel comfortable to lose weight. Meanwhile, I will continue my research and get feedback from those that actually have tried it. 


Have you tried this diet? Share your experiences. Any pros or cons?

What's in my oven?

In honor of Black History Month, my job is putting together a southern dish potluck. I automatically thought of dessert because I have a craving for peach cobbler. You can't get any more southern than that!

I searched around trying to find a good recipe and I think I found it: provided by kingarthurflour.com.

I used Arrowhead Mills all purpose flour instead of King Arthur flour and I also used frozen peaches. I waited to thaw them out and then drained the excess liquid.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Melt 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter in the bottom of an 8″ square or 9″ round baking pan. I conveniently threw mine into the preheating oven!
• To make the batter, combine 1 cup King Arthur All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Mix with 1/2 cup sugar.
• Add 3/4 cup milk and 1 large egg.(The mixture will have the consistency of thin pancake batter.)

To prepare the peaches, toss them with the following:1/2 cup sugar

·          

·         1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

·         1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

·         a pinch of salt

• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, followed by the peaches
• Distribute the fruit uniformly over the batter.

Bake the cobbler for about 40 to 45 minutes……or until the top is lightly browned and the fruit is bubbling.

Allow the cobbler to cool at least 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Just as the recipe says, it is very easy and fast! I had to keep it in the oven longer than 40 minutes though. And it kind of burnt on the edges but overall it was soooo DELICIOUS. 

Oh and by the way, I made this one for me and my hubby at home. This is why I dug in and made me a plate! I have one for my job that isn't gluten free in a separate dish. Hopefully that one is good because I can't taste it. 

XoXo,

Rebecca

Rant of the Day

 I've been noticing lately, the prices for some gluten free items in my local grocery store has begun to skyrocket out of control! I was at Publix doing some grocery shopping for my family. I wanted to stop and get some oatmeal for me to eat for breakfast. I stopped to see the quick pack instant oatmeal and my mouth dropped to the floor when I seen the ridiculous jump from it's usual price around $3.50-4.00 to it's now ridiculous price of $5 and some change. ( can't remember the change, I was in too much shock of seeing the number 5!) I think to myself, hey maybe it's just because it's the quick packs. So I walk further down to grab a bag of the rolled oats by Bobs Red Mill and I nearly almost fainted! Are you ready for this?  It was marked down for a whopping $7.49! Ahhhh!  I tried a health food store, Whole Foods, same thing! 

Publix.... Whole foods... what are you doing? I understand gluten free stuff may be a little more costly and takes more work to make, but seriously? Are you trying to make us gluten free people suffer. It's not like we're eating like this just because it is fun but because our health depends on it. All I want is to enjoy some lovely oats in the morning and not have to pay almost $8 for it. Times are hard, and that's just unacceptable. Get it together! 

Have you experienced the skyrocket prices lately? Share your thoughts. 

XoXo,

Rebecca

Secret Bandit!

I think the greatest thing about being gluten free is the fact that you HAVE TO be mindful of what you eat by reading your food labels. Since there is so many different foods out there that contain gluten, its important to keep your eyes open for those simple words: WHEAT and all its sources, Barley, rye, spelt, malt, vegetable protein, bran, and many others. But did you know there are hidden sources of gluten that may not stand out to the naked eye? One big ingredient that the food industry is starting to use A LOT of is Monosodium glutamate also known as MSG.  This is a food additive that is used to “enhance flavor.” There are tons of reasons why this is bad even for those that are not on a gluten free diet. (To learn more on these reasons, stay tuned for an article on my health blog @  healthcoach01.blogspot.com.)

MSG may derive from wheat! So it’s best to stay away from any and all processed foods containing this nasty bandit! And to all my Chinese food lovers, unfortunately, Chinese foods are saturated in MSG so it’s best to try to find a gluten free Chinese food option such as Pei Wei Asian Diner. 

XoXo,

Rebecca

Gluten Intolerance Vs. Celiac Disease

What's the difference? The treatment is the same....NO GLUTEN.  So it has to be the same thing. Right? WRONG!

Celiac Disease has been around for quite some time. Its an autoimmune disorder that causes a reaction to ingested gluten. With this ingested gluten, it signals your own body to start attacking the lining of your small intestines. This damage, if not stopped, can lead you to many complications.

Gluten Intolerance also known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity is when your body initiates a direct attack to gluten. Just like I mentioned in my article "How it all started,"  once it enters into the bloodstream,  invader cells attack the foreign object. There isn't a direct attack to the intestines as those with Celiac Disease.

However the symptoms remain the same: bloating, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and nausea. Other symptoms may include: joint pain, numbness in extremities, fatigue, skin rashes, and brain fog.

To be absolutely sure, check with your doctor to rule out Celiac Disease. So far, I do not believe they have created a test just for gluten intolerance. Many doctors even think that gluten intolerance is a myth. They think that it doesn't exist and that there is only Celiac Disease. My question for them would be, why would it be so hard to believe that a person's body can become allergic to gluten? A human body can reject just about anything. Especially when contaminated like most of our foods are.

To make sure you are intolerant, try the process of elimination for a short time frame and see how your body reacts. Your body will thank you!

XoXo,

Rebecca