Gluten Free Goodies Prepped for Thanksgiving

Gluten free caramel rolls, pies and cookies

Well it’s time…if you haven’t at least started your Thanksgiving cooking by now, you might get a little behind. Maybe you don’t have to cook at all…but for many of us we at least need to make a little something even if we’re not cooking dinner ourselves.

Well my “little something” ended up being an all-day baking extravaganza on Wednesday! What started out as piles of gluten free ingredients, ended up being 2 pumpkin pies, an apple pie, pumpkin bars, cinnamon rolls, bread, and cookies—all gluten free.

As I began baking I logged the moment with some video…and after I had it finished and all packed up I did a follow up video (no mid-baking videos for me—nobody wants to see that chaos). I posted both videos through TOUT.com. It is a social media service that helps you shoot and upload 15 second videos. You can send them to Facebook and Twitter as well.

On Tout.com’s website you can have your own page and you get followers just like other social media (here’s the link to mine). After two videos I actually have one follower. I was surprised to see that just by searching gluten free or celiac that there appeared to be no one in the celiac community on this website. I am inviting you to come join me!

In the meantime, share your pictures on The Savvy Celiac Facebook page(or share a 15 second video on Tout) of the gluten free foods you prepared for Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tags: baking, celiac, cooking, gluten-free, holidays, Thanksgiving

Many of us who have children with celiac disease may wonder if there is something they could have done to prevent the trigger or onset.  I often think about how my Emma got it so quickly (15 mos.) and our younger daughter has been tested three times in her 9 years and doesn’t show any signs.

Three current studies are looking into what happens during that first year that could trigger celiac.

Researching the Cause of Celiac Disease

A report in the November Issue of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy News discusses research that is asking the question “can celiac disease be prevented…”?  Specifically the research believes there are three components here that are involved in getting or triggering celiac disease:

1. The Gene:  People with HLA-DQ8 and HLA-DQ2. The article says “those HLA molecules display gluten fragments to T-cells, which then direct an attack on the intestinal lining.”  the article quotes Frits Koning, PhD at Leiden University Medical Center and CEO of the Celiac Disease Consortium as saying, “…you will almost never develop celiac when you are HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 negative.”
2. The Environment:  Researchers believe environment plays a significant role.  Dr. Peter Green of the Columbia University Celiac Center agrees that “enhanced amounts of gluten in our diets and, especially, the excess exposure to heavily processed forms of gluten may contribute to the increasing rates of celiac disease.”
3. The Immune Response:  Leaky gut syndrome may also contribute.  This is a more complicated explanation…Dr. Alessio Fasano of the University of Maryland’s Center for Celiac Research says, “…the enhanced intestinal permeability in celiac disease patients that allows gluten…to seep out of the gut and to interact freely with genetically-sensitized elements of the immune system”.

Current Research Could Find Ways to Ward Off Future Cases of Celiac

The report lists three specific studies involving children — beginning when they’re first born.

The first study in Europe asks whether by giving small amounts of gluten early on–could prevent onset of celiac later in life.  The study is looking at 1,000 children from families who have celiac disease.  Children are enrolled in the study at birth and then breastfed.  Starting at four months, some will be given 100 mgs of gluten, and others will be given a placebo.  These children will be followed for 3 years.  Dr. Koning said “The theory is that if small amounts of a substance are administered gradually, the immune system will learn not to respond to to this substance.”

The second study going on now from the Celiac Disease Infant Nutrition Cosortium wonders if the HLA-DQ2 and DQ8 genes actually create an environment more likely to trigger celiac.  In this research newborns are immediately tested for the genes.  If they have them, they will be “randomized at 6 months to receive either a gluten free diet or a gluten containing diet of 3-5 grams until 1 year old.  Then all children will go on a regular gluten-containing diet and studied for another year.  Children can be formula or breast fed during that first year.

But what they’ve already found is interesting and it appears to involve bacteria in the gut.  There is a difference between HLA-DQ2 and DQ8 babies and those who are negative of those genes.  “Members of the Bacteriodetes phylum are lacking or absent  from the GI microbiota in children with HLA-DQ2 and DQ8 up to 24 months [old].”  But the bacteria are predominant in children without the genes.  Dr. Stefano Guandalini, of the University of Chicago says, “We speculate that perhaps manipulations of the microflora could be useful in genetically predisposed infants as a potential method of preventing celiac.”

And the third study going on now in Italy studies the effects of exposing children to gluten between the ages of 4 and 6 months versus being gluten-free for the first year.  Early research shows about 10% of EACH group developed biopsy-proven celiac by age 5.  This report didn’t mention if doing either one delayed onset of celiac.

I am happy to hear about all of the research going on in the area of celiac disease and prevention.  I can’t wait to hear more.

Tags: celiac, celiac symptoms, gluten-free, research

I have to say I love it when a new gluten free cooking adventure/experiment goes right!  I have had many failures (which is why my website isn’t as much about actually cooking gluten free foods  but more around the lifestyle of cooking gluten free foods).   Those failures have (at times) been very defeating for me.  But this latest success has me boosted up and ready for the next big challenge at Thanksgiving!

Modified a gluteny recipe to make these gluten free pumpkin bars!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

First off let me ask…is EVERYTHING better with cream cheese frosting?  I swear I love that stuff.  I love pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, but I honestly have never made them before in my life.  So I wasn’t too sure how difficult it would be to make..turns out, it was pretty easy!

I didn’t have a recipe or anything.  So I searched online and found the recipe on bettycrocker.com.  But it wasn’t gluten free.  So I decided to free this recipe from gluten and make it!

I halved the recipe because I was low on eggs.  My flour was Bette Hagman’s mix:  In a big container I have 6 cups white rice flour, 2 cups potato starch, 1 cup tapioca starch.  But I also like some of the other whole grain flours like sorghum and brown rice flour…so I actually winged it a little.  I did 2/3 cup of the mix and then with the final 1/3 cup I used the rest of my (3 TBSP ) brown rice in the 1/3 measuring cup and then filled the rest of it with sorghum flour.  I also added about 3/4 tsp. of xanthan gum.  Otherwise I used all of the other ingredients besides the nuts and optional raisins.

You will want to make sure your other ingredients like vanilla, cream cheese and baking powder are all confirmed gluten free as well (I used McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract, Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Clabbergirl Baking Powder).

Anyway, the finished product was so tasty my non-gluten free husband was bragging about it on Facebook!  Nice!!

Gearing up for a Gluten Free Thanksgiving

Gluten free pumpkin pie

Now I need to start thinking about what I’m in charge of for my family’s gluten free Thanksgiving.  It always happens at my parents’ house and we have three gluten free eaters on that side of the family.  So there will be no gluten involved.

I am always in charge of pie, because the crust comes out so good!  Check out the pie crust recipe and some other essentials in another Thanksgiving post “Last-minute, Gotta-Get It Gluten Free Thanksgiving Supply Guide”.  I will be making pumpkin and an apple pie this year!  And maybe bring out the bars for good measure.

But now my mom has a new request of me.  Bread.

I have a great bread machine and make it fairly often, but my dad hates it.  It’s too….eggy…I guess.  So I need to search for a more “normal” gluten free bread recipe.  Do you think a mix is the way to go?  My preference is to make something fresh rather than purchase bread.  Thoughts?  This is where I now get nervous again about experimentation because I think bread is the single hardest thing to make that is gluten free.  And not only that, there is a very high disappointment ratio don’t you think??

So hear I go–8 days before Thanksgiving and back to experimenting with gluten free cooking and baking!  Do the experiments ever end??

For some more great tips on creating a gluten free Thanksgiving check out these articles from The Savvy Celiac:

Cooking Gluten Free for a Celiac Family Member, Please Read This First

Gluten Free Stuffing Contest Winner

Being Grateful at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving’s Near, Are You Gluten Free Ready?

Tags: baking, celiac, cooking, gluten-free, recipe, substitutions, Thanksgiving