Monday, June 30, 2008

Gluten Friendly Products

I was so excited to find this site AllergyFriendlyProducts
They have a few Gluten Friendly Products , perfect for Abbi or others with Gluten intolerance

Bread

Why not make soft and tasty sandwich bread, as you need it

A slice or two at a time?

Simply mix the powder with water, pour equal amounts into the bread-shaped mold trays, and microwave each slice for 45-50 seconds.
This product does not contain any gluten, wheat, egg, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, or tree nuts, and is also trans fat-free.

Gluten Free Pizza Crust



Convenient - Just add water and bake in your Microwave for about 1 minute!




Saturday, June 28, 2008

Muddy Buddies

Prep Time:15 min
Start to Finish:15 min
Makes:18 servings (1/2 cup each)
Ingredients:
9cups Rice Chex® cereal (gluten free)
1cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2cup peanut butter
1/4cup butter or margarine
1teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2cups powdered sugar

Preparation Directions:

1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.

2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3.Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Sources Of Hidden Gluten

With Abbi's recent test results we had to look at the bigger picture. Hidden Gluten. Let’s examine the house first. Do you toast your gluten-free bread in the same toaster that is used for wheat-based bread? Do you use a wood cutting boards, gluten may become embedded in them—use a marble cutting board instead. Beware of knives. At breakfast, do the gluten-consuming members of your family spread peanut butter on their toast, and then double-dip to get a little more peanut butter out of the jar? When they double-dip, some of their wheat crumbs may be getting into the jar and will eventually contaminate the dollop you retrieve from the jar If so, get a peanut butter jar just for the gluten free members of your family. Let's look at Non-food items, that pose gluten challenges. The glue used on lickable envelopes and stamps often contains gluten. Self-stick labels and stickers may contain gluten. Do you use latex or rubber gloves to wash dishes? These are often dusted with wheat or oat flour. You should also check with your doctor, dentist, request that they use unpowdered gloves. Gluten also hides in art supplies, such as paints, clay, play dough, and glue. It is also present in many personal items such as lipstick, lip balm, sunscreen, shampoos, soaps, cosmetics, skin lotions, toothpaste, and mouthwash. Household products such as cleaning solutions, detergents, even bars of soap may contain gluten. Check medications, frequently they contain gluten. Pills may be dusted with flour during manufacturing and capsules may have the gluten present in the oil inside. Reading labels takes practice. Always read labels, even if its something you purchased in the past, manufactures could change the ingredients.

Play Doh

We also have to watch for hidden sources of gluten Did you know Play Doh, the popular children's modeling compound, contains gluten, which makes it unsafe for children with celiac disease/ gluten intolerance. Here is a recipe for gluten-free play dough, courtesy of the Celiac Sprue Association.

If you'd rather buy ready-made gluten-free play dough, two popular brands are Aroma Dough and Colorations. Colorations is sold by Discount School Supply.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup rice flour
  • 1/2 cup corn starch
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 2 tsp cream of tarter
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp cooking oil
  • Food coloring, if desired

PREPARATION:

Mix ingredients. Cook and stir on low heat for 3 minutes or until mixture forms a ball. Cool completely before storing in a sealable plastic bag.