Qwackers

A salty, crunchy "goldfish" alternative for you gluten-free kids' lunchbox!  

You can order online at Qwackers for $30 for 30 - 1oz. bags.  Qwackers are also available at a limited number of retail outlets and their website provides a retail store locator app.

Happy Qwacking!

School Celebrations - Without Food!

We are at the start of our 2nd gluten-free school year for our 2nd grader.  Although he has a 504 Plan in place, the school has informed me that they can only request NOT require that parent's send in gluten-free foods for classroom parties and celebrations - sigh.  I was hoping I had conquered this issue.  So, I prepared a list of Gluten-Free treats & snacks which I supplied to the teacher.

Gluten-Free Party Foods

Jello Cups          Jello Jigglers

Popsicles          Edy's Frozn Fruit          Home-made Ice Pops

Italian Ice Cups          Sorbet

Gluten-Free Brownies          Gluten-Free Cupcakes

Chocolate M&M's          Tootsie Rolls          Skittles

Pirate Booty          Cool Ranch Doritoes          Plentils

Smartfood Popcorn          Lay's Classic Potato Chips

Food Should Taste Good Chips

Enjoy Life Cookies

Fresh Fruit Kabobs          Fruit with Whipped Cream

Watermelon Slices          Watermelon on a popsicle stick

Banana Boppers(un-peeled bananas decorated with stickers)

Better yet, Don't make food the focus

Plan activities such as:

provide chalk and have a sidewalk chalk party

provide bubbles and have a bubble blast

provide music and have a dance party

provide a craft (decorate a seashell, pinecone, soup can...)

each activity can take 10 minutes before/after recess or at the end of the school day and gets kids moving and creating

I hope that families are sensitive and respectful of my little guys dietary restrictions and realize how heartbroken he will be if left out of classroom celebrations.  It's just not the same when your mom brings in a treat that doesn't look like everyone else's.  He's really good about it and never complains, but I know he would be thrilled to be included.  Fingers crossed:)

Gluten-Free Lunch Box Tag

My little guy, who has Celiac Disease, is entering 2nd grade this year.  In an effort to make him some "cool" CD awareness tags, I purchased 3 soccer themed tags for two dollars each at our local Michael's Craft Store.  I simply inserted a Living Without Dining Card that we already had, and sealed the bottom with the Gluten Free labels I ordered from Label Your Stuff several months ago.   Find a fun tag in your child's favorite color, sport or motif.

 I use the green Gluten Free labels to identify pantry and refrigerator items that are g-free.  Our  gf cooking utensils, colanders etc. are all green.  Color coding and labeling reduces cross-contamination risks and makes it easier when my parents are kid sitting or my daughters' teenage friends are over.
I will attach 1 tag to my little guys lunch box, 1 on his backpack and have an extra tag for the inevitable loss or destruction of either of the other tags.

I recognize that non-traditional allergy-aware tags are not a viable option for every family.  However, for our needs and considering my little guys understanding of his disease and dietary requirements, along with the safety pre-cautions we already have in place at his elementary school such as a 504 Plan,  and teacher/staff training in CD, we are comfortable with these tags as an extra reminder.  

For severe and life threatening allergies please visit Label Your Stuff to find a wonderful variety of allergy aware labels.  LYS has waterproof, temporary paper stickers, buttons and bag tags.

University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center

Founded in 2001 by Dr. Stefano Guandalini, the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center aims at raising awareness, education and improving diagnosis rates.  The University of Chicago website is full of information for medical professionals, parents and caregivers, screening information, resource guides and a truly fabulous gluten-free care package program.
I learned of both the Center and the care package program about a month ago.  Upon learning of the program, I registered my little guy for a care package.  He was so surprised to receive such a big box in the mail and was absolutely thrilled to find such amazing gf treats.

Not only was the care package full of fabulous gf treats for him, it was also full of helpful guides for grocery shopping, an allergy free passport, invaluable coupons, a DVD, gluten-free grocery notepad, magazines and a book for my little guy!

The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center provides a wonderful resource for the Celiac community.  Please visit their website and support them with a donation!

A special thanks to all of the gluten-free companies who generously donate their items for these special care packages!

Gluten-Free Elementary School Resource Guide

It is essential at the start of every school year to provide your childs' school with a gluten-free resource guide.  Whether your child is newly diagnosed or his/her diagnosis has been part of their school journey, administrators, cafeteria staff, school nurses, librarians and classroom teachers change often. Listed below are my favorite teacher sites, children's books and resources.  The links are live and are also provided for you to forward or share with your child's teacher.  Have a great school year! 

For Classroom Teachers

• Shar-Kids - http://www.123milly.com/us  this website offers games for kids about CD, food pyramid games, a food quiz & info on a gf school
• Cilie Yack's Sous Club for Kids! - http://cilie-yack.org/just-for-teachers/136-classroom-food-allergy-safety-lessons.html  this website provides teacher downloads, online games, and printable worksheets      
• Celiac Disease Foundation - http://www.celiac.org
• Gluten Intolerance Group - http://www.gluten.net/default.aspx
• Children/Celiac Sprue Association - http://www.csaceliacs.info/children.jsp  this website offers info for teachers and online games for kids

Books for the Classroom and/or School Library

• Adam's Gluten Free Surprise by Debbie Simpson
• Eating Gluten Free with Emily by Bonnie Kruszka
• Amy Goes Gluten Free:  A Young Person's Guide to C.D. by Hilarie Staton
• The Gluten Free Kid:  A CD Survival Guide by Melissa London
• No More Cupcakes Tummy Aches by Jax Peters Lowell
• Barrett's Unusual Ice Cream Party by Michelle King

For the School Nurse
Children/Celiac Sprue Association - http://www.csaceliacs.info/nurse.jsp
Helping Children Love Living Gluten-Free!

Alternative School Celebrations  

Celebrating Without Food!

The G Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide

Not at all a fan of her political views, I be-grudgingly read, The G Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide by Elisabeth Hasselbeck.  My personal/political feelings aside, I have to give Hasslebeck credit for writing a comprehensive and informative book.
She devotes an entire chapter to understanding Celiac Disease, it's symptoms, possible long term health complications, and getting an accurate diagnosis.  Another chapter briefly explores conditions associated with CD.  The figures that always alarm me the most when reading about CD are the numbers referring to cancer.  The figures always differ somewhat from publication to publication.  Hasselbecks book, written in 2009 states that people with CD are 9-34 times more likely to develop a malignancy than the general population.  Strictly adhering to a g-free diet significantly drops these percentages.  However, it's still frightening.  Cancer is the biggest motivating factor for me, in ensuring to the best of my ability that we carefully avoid all sources of gluten..
Our pediatric gastroenterologist recommends simple blood testing once a year to monitor IgA levels.  When our son was initially diagnosed his IgA level was 164!!!! That number is supposed to be between 0-19!!! After six months of being on a g-free diet, that number was down to a 5!!! Phew!  
A chapter devoted to Gluten provides a lot of helpful information regarding foods, additives and preservatives that may contain gluten.  Vitamins, supplements and medicines are also explored as possible hidden sources of gluten.
If you are a life partner, a spouse or a parent of a child with CD, I highly recommend The G Free Diet.  I think it's critical for those of us who love someone with CD to educate ourselves and to try to understand the challenges they face living g-free so that we can support them as much as possible.

Babycakes: Raspberry Scones

When researching g-free cookbooks at our local library, the selection was minimal - 2 cookbooks.  I like to borrow a book before making a decision about purchasing.  So, I requested Babycakes by Erin McKenna based solely on the book jacket.  I have to admit I thought the title was cute, the cover photo even cuter.  I waited for the book to arrive and headed to the library as soon as I got the call that it had arrived!  Immediately, I scanned the book which has delightful retro-style images.  But, as I scanned the ingredients in multiple recipes, I quickly became discouraged.  Although I'm an "avid" baker, I tend to use boxes and mixes that I happily and confidently modify.  I was scanning ingredients such as spelt flour(which is not gluten-free), coconut oil, fava bean flour, agave nectar, brown rice flour, coconut flour and dry soy milk powder!  At first glance I was overwhelmed, closed the book and thought - forget it.  But it sat on my kitchen counter not due back at the library for another two weeks, with that cute cover beckoning me.  So, I opened to the forward and began reading the author's story.  She acknowledges the somewhat daunting list of ingredients, so, I thought, "Well, ok at least she gets that this could be overwhelming".

Now, to find these unusual ingredients.  I checked with my preferred supermarket(25 miles away) for these ingredients with NO LUCK:(  I checked the "local" (20 miles away) organic supermarket.  I was in luck - they had the coconut oil ($8.79 for a 14oz jar) and the fava flour ($5.59 for 1 1/2 pounds).

I decided to start with the Raspberry Scone Recipe.  Unfortunately, it's not a g-free recipe so I had to substitute Bobs Red Mill All Purpose Flour for the Spelt Flour.  This was my first foray using coconut oil and using Agave Nectar as anything other than pancake syrup.

The recipe was painless - actually it was fun!  The baking scones smelled delicious, looked beautiful and tasted (in the words of my 9 year old) "Scrumptious"!

Yum!

De-Mystifying the Gluten Free Diet

A special thanks to both Gurneys Inn Resort Spa & Conference Center, Montauk, NY for hosting a FREE seminar entitled "De-Mystifying the Gluten Free Diet" and facilitated by Stefanie Sacks, MS CNS.  Stefanie presented a wonderful overview of the difference between gluten intolerance and Celiac Disease held a Q&A and offered terrific information regarding nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle.  Gurneys Inn provided a complimentary and delicious tasting of several gluten-free items from their menu.  Gurneys Inn has an amazing view and is a beautiful place to dine.
For more information on Stefanie including her blog, television show and upcoming workshops, please visit her website!

Celiac Momma on Facebook

I am now on facebook! 

Please visit my page for links to resources for parents,  fun sites for kids, upcoming events, links to product information

 and more!

find me on facebook!

Nana's Cookie Bars

Nana's Curious George Goodies are a fun g-free snack for your toddler or pre-schooler!  They are certified gluten-free, all natural, and fruit-juice sweetened.
They can be hard to find - I have only found them at an organic supermarket, on-line and believe it or not - at TJ Maxx!
The Cookie Bars come in fun flavors such as Berry Vanilla, Nana Banana and         .
On the side of each box are free give-aways such as The Curious George DVD or Matching Memory Game.  All it takes is 3-6 UPC codes!
The only drawback is that they are EXTREMELY crumbly.  Not great for a quick snack in the car or you'll have a seat full of crumbs.  But fun at a picnic or at the beach where crumbs don't matter!

Gluten-Free Granola Recipe

Gluten Free Granola

Ingredients

6 cups        Certified Gluten-Free Oats
1 cup          shredded coconut
1 cup          brown sugar
1 cup          sliced almonds
1/2 cup       flax seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup       safflower oil
1 cup          dried cranberries and/or 1/2 cup diced dried apricots


Preheat your oven to 325 degrees
Spray a large roasting pan with g-free cooking spray

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, except for cranberries and/or apricots

Pour into prepared roasting pan

Bake for 20 minutes
Stir and bake for another 20 minutes
Stir in cranberries and/or apricots

Cool
Enjoy as cereal, over yogurt, sprinkled on ice cream...
Store in an airtight container

School Birthday Parties

Ugh:(  I got a call today while I was at work, teaching yoga for 3 hours to pre-school camp kids, from my sons' teacher, that a parent sent in cupcakes today for a summer birthday celebration.  Here it is, the last week of school and parent's still don't get it.  Or, they don't care, I'm not sure which.  Luckily, my teenage daughter was home and I called to ask her if she could bring him something.  She suggested Italian ice!  So, she made a special delivery to the Elementary School.  I'm so thankful for her and so is he:)  

I just wish more parents could be more considerate - he's just a little boy and he just wants to be like everyone else.  He is usually a champ - not complaining at all.  But last week there were lollipops that he couldn't have and he was really disappointed.  He said to his g-free Dad, "Dad, don't you wish we didn't be have to be gluten free.  Don't you wish we could just take a pill so we could eat whatever we want?"  My heart broke for him then, and it certainly ached today when I received that call.  
I really hope that through education and awareness more families will do their best to be inclusive of all children.  At the very least, notify us in advance that we can send something special in for him.

Enjoy Life Foods offer a fabulous line of gluten-free nut free foods!

Pamela's Cornbread and Muffin Mix

The best cornbread I've ever had is my home baked Pamela's Cornbread and Muffin Mix.  Not only is Pamela's Cornbread and Muffin Mix gluten-free, it's also Made in the USA making it a *best buy.  
Be careful purchasing any cornbread mix that isn't specifically labeled as gluten free.  If the corn used to make the mix was grown in proximity to a wheat field, or manufactured in a facility that also manufactures wheat/gluten products, then the cornbread mix isn't gluten free.
We were told by our pediatric gastro-enterologist to specifically stay away from the Quaker brand products as they rotate their corn/oat/wheat crops on the same fields.
Pamela's cornbread is my "go-to-staple" with grilled chicken, a nice salad or soup.  I substitute 1 cup of fresh buttermilk to replace the regular milk for a more complex flavor.  
Everyone LOVES it - even my most picky eater!

No More Cupcakes Tummy Aches

From the best-selling author of The Gluten-Free Bible and Against the Grain, comes a sweet tale of a petite young girl who believes cupcakes will help her grow taller. No More Cupcakes Tummy Aches by Jax Peters Lowell, is a well written story, with appealing fancy font and fantastic illustrations.  
This story really touched me as my 2 youngest children were both diagnosed with failure to thrive as infants and with short stature when they were toddlers.  My daughter was born almost a month early and weighed a mere 4lbs 12 oz when we brought her home from the hospital.  She was followed closely for the first 3 years of her life and never broke the 3rd percentile for height/weight.  She also has an insatiable sweet tooth and eats as many cupcakes as she can.  She remains quite petite at 9 1/2 years old wearing a toddler sized 11 shoe and sized 6x clothing.  However, she is "brilliant", happy and loves to dance.  She continues to be followed by both a pediatric endocrinologist and gastro-enterologist.  So far, she has tested negative for CD.  My son was born a healthy 6lbs 15 oz and was in the 78th percentile for height.  However, at 5 weeks old he was diagnosed with iso-immune hemolytic anemia and was hospitalized with an enlarged liver and spleen and required immediate blood transfusions.  his height/weight percentile declined rapidly and by age 3 was down to the <3 percentile.  He also has a diagnosis of short stature.  No More Cupcakes Tummy Aches brought tears to my eyes thinking about my son and any other child living with the heartbreak of being "different".

  

We are avid readers in our house and I love to share lots of different types of stories with my children.  It's important for them to realize they are not alone in their feelings and for my son to understand that there are other kids just like him.  I highly recommend this book for children with Celiac between the ages of 5-10.  I read this book with both of my younger kids and asked for their review.  My son said it was "super, super, super good!"  Super seems to be his favorite word lately.  My daughter thought it was "great" and said it would be "good for all kids with Celiac to read."

Bagels, Buddy and Me

Bagels, Buddy and Me by Melanie Krumry is a story for children written by the mom of 2 children with gluten intolerance and she also lives with gluten intolerance.  After reading the book I remain uncertain whether she or her children have Celiac Disease as 1 child had high IgG levels but an upper endoscopy was negative and it seems that neither mom or the sibling underwent an upper endoscopy.  Nevertheless, the story is told from the point of view of a child about his physical symptoms along with detailed descriptions of the diagnostic process.  I have my Masters Degree in Elementary Education and was a pre-school educator for 10 years.  After previewing the book, I chose not to read it to my almost-7 year old son.  Bagels, Buddy and Me is a lengthy picture book, which I believe is intended for children ages 6-10.  It might be appropriate for newly diagnosed 8-10 year olds.  It's worth a trip to your library to pick up a copy.  However, I would recommend a parental review before sitting down to read it with your child.

Gluten-Free Bisquick

We like to make pancakes on the occasional Sunday morning, fresh strawberry shortcake in the spring, and biscuits to complement a hearty winter soup or stew.  Betty Crocker's Gluten-Free Bisquick is an absolutely delicious mix for making these yummy foods.  We have tried a few other g-free pancake mixes, but the versatility and availability of the g-free Bisquick, makes it a winner.  I also love that Betty Crocker supports the Celiac Sprue Association, the Celiac Disease Foundation and Box Tops for Education!  The only downside of this product, is of course, the price.  With a 40oz box of "regular" Bisquick retailing for around $4, a 16oz box of the g-free version retails for about $5!  But, it's worth the price as we can all safely enjoy our pancakes together.  In fact, we all prefer the g-free Bisquick pancakes over the regular ones!

Incredible Edible Gluten Free Food for Kids

Incredible Edible Gluten-Free Food for Kids by Sheri L. Sanderson is the ONLY book for kids about living with Celiac Disease at my local library!  Incredible Edible is a resource guide for families with Celiac Disease.  It was written by a mom of a child with CD, OCD and Autism.  An easy to read format covers basic information about g-free goods, organizing your kitchen and food preparation.  An entire chapter is dedicated to understanding CD, it's history and symptoms.  The recipes are organized by category such as Appetizers and Snacks, Soups and Stews, and Sweet Treats. Each recipe is also marked as EZ, Finger Food, or Less Than 30 Minutes; which is helpful when browsing through the 150 recipes.  Included are 10 yeast bread and 5 bread machine recipes.  

                                                   

My favorite chapter is:  Just for Fun Craft Recipes.  If you have a g-free toddler,this chapter provides great recipes for g-free play dough(an essential item for any g-free kid under the age of 5), finger paint and slime recipes.  These recipes would be great to copy and supply along with the ingredients, to your childs' pre-school teacher.  There is also a great resource guide for "diagnosing" what when wrong with your g-free baking so you can correct the error in the future.  

Grab your toddler and go create with g-free play dough - better yet - make a mess with some home-made slime!

Peace, Love & G-Free Tie Dye Cupcakes

Recently, my 2 youngest children were invited to a groovy Peace, Love & Yoga birthday party, which party I would be facilitating as a yoga instructor through my yoga business Peaceful Planet Yoga.  The birthday momma is a close friend and although she doesn't have CD is also gluten free.  Our local bakery was creating groovy, tie dyed, peace themed cupcakes.  Unfortunately, they don't have the facilities required to bake gluten free.  So I set out to bake my own tie dye, g-free cupcakes.  I purchased a box of Better Batter Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix.  I had read several rave reviews about this batter and have tried several times in the past to purchase it online in bulk quantities directly from the manufacturer.  However, it has always been sold out.  Then I came across a box in a discount store.  The box, in a discount store, was $5.99 - but what's a celiac momma to do.  I followed the basic directions on the box, but also added 2/3 of a cup of granny smith applesauce to the mix.  After filling each cupcake 1/3 of the way full, I added some food coloring and gave it a swirl.
My 16 year old thought they were "a bit sweet".  The first ingredient listed is sugar:(  My 9 year old declared them "very tasty".  My son exclaimed them to be "super, super, super good"!  I thought they were delicious!

Better Baker Cake Mix is available directly through their website for $7.50 a box. You can also purchase all purpose flour in bulk for $19.95 for 5lbs or $60 for 20lb

Peace, Love and Happy Cupcake Baking!

Kids with Celiac Disease: Book Review

As I began my journey as a celiac momma the book, Kids with Celiac Disease:  A Family Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy, Gluten-Free Children by Donna Korn, really helped me understand and accept my own emotions and provided guidance for helping me to make the right decisions for our family. The chapter entitled, "Panic, Anger, Grief, Denial & other emotions you can look forward to", really resonated with me.  Here was someone else describing my very own thoughts and reactions.  It was somehow oddly comforting to know that someone else had suffered the same grief stricken emotions.  But, as she endured, triumphed and accepted the diagnosis - so have I.
This book offers the perspective of her son, age 11 who has lived with a CD diagnosis almost his entire life.  It provides a nice insight into a childs' state of mind living with CD.  Sometimes, I find myself feeling sorry for my son.  But I quickly remind myself that he doesn't feel any self-pity.  Celiac Disease is just a part of who he is and my pity quickly turns to pride.
Kids with Celiac Disease also addresses the decision of whether or not the entire family should be g-free.  While we initially decided to be g-free as a family, the challenges and costs associated with that decision were soon felt.  One year after the  diagnosis, I would say, that as a family we are close(98%) to being completely g-free.
Kids with Celiac Disease is an easy to read valuable resource for families addressing the emotional aspects of CD, dietary needs and restrictions, menus, eating out, special occasions, and a very important chapter on knowing your legal rights and benefits.

Our 1st G-FREE Summer

We were off to a good start!  School ended about a week after our diagnosis, our kitchen was almost complete and we were embracing a new healthier lifestyle.  My son's 2 older sisters, ages 8 and 15 at the time, made the chance to g-free living with enthusiasm and without complaint.  Summer arrived and our kitchen was stocked with Chex cereal, yogurt, ice pops, plenty of fresh fruit and joy for days spent at the ocean and nights by our campfire.  Smores are a favorite summertime treat for our kids.  So, the search began for gluten free graham crackers.  I found some - in Canada!  I ordered a few boxes of Kinnikinick S'moreables Graham Style Crackers.  They were a huge hit with everyone preferring them over the traditional graham style cracker.


So, if you're heading to a campsite, a bar-b-que at the beach, or enjoying a fire pit in your own back yard - be sure to bring some S'moreables!
                                                                                  And don't forget the marshallows and chocolate:0)