A Personal Celiac Disease Story and Gluten-Free Recipe

Introducing Annette Marie of Best Life Gluten-Free!  Annette will be sharing her gluten-free recipes here on the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) staff blog. Read on to learn more about the cook behind the gluten-free recipes at www.BestLifeGlutenFree.com.

My name is Annette and I live in the “Garden State,” the lovely state of New Jersey! I was actually a New Yorker most of my life, growing up there and learning to cook and bake at the hip of my Italian-American Mom. (I must admit that when I was twelve, I wasn’t too happy to forgo the soda shop after school in order to learn how to make marinara sauce!) But looking back, I’m glad she did it.

Like many others, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease after much suffering, pain and anguish, wondering what could be wrong with me.  As a kid, we visited the doctor so often that when he saw me he’d exclaim, “Well, it’s the belly-ache kid!”  Later in my life I had 3 ulcers and always suffered with stomach issues in one way or another.

For years I was embarrassed, frustrated and down-right mad!  Why couldn’t they fix what was wrong?  However, unlike some people with celiac disease, I wasn’t diagnosed as a child…nor as a teen…nor even as a young woman.  Mine was diagnosed well after 50! Talk about a medical mystery!

It was so severe that I was unable to make a 30 minute drive without plotting the route and discovering if there was a shop with a restroom nearby.

Thank God for the gastroenterologists, who have been caring and supportive, have provided information, guidance and so much more. Yes, it was difficult the first few months, but I took it on as a challenge to be met.

That’s why I’m really hoping to “Pay-it-Forward” by helping anyone who may need some guidance or reassurance. My recipes are both “semi-homemade” and “scratch,” and if I can provide photos along with as much description as I can to help you get cooking gluten-free, then that’s what I’ll do.

My biggest message to people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is, please don’t feel isolated.  More and more, it seems as if gluten intolerance and celiac disease are coming to the forefront. And thank goodness for strides being made in our behalf by organizations like the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

Here is just one of my gluten-free recipes that I’m so excited to share with you!

Cheese-Filled Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 6 oz. cream cheese – room temperature
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp. lemon juice

Dough Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups Gluten-Free Bisquick
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup milk (I used Lactaid 2%, but any is fine)
• ¼ cup butter – softened, room temp is fine)
• 1 tsp. gluten-free pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Crumb Topping Ingredients:

• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup softened butter – room temp
• 1/3 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (Bob’s Red Mill is fine.)
• Small amount of confectioner’s sugar for dusting on top when it’s done.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Generously grease a round 9 in. cake pan.  (I used margarine)
2. Well, you’ve greased the pan liberally, so set it aside.  First, mix the filling in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix the butter, milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar.  Gradually add the flour and mix until well combined.  Spread about a little more than half of the batter in the bottom of the pan.
4. Next put the cream cheese filling on top and try to spread around. (It may be difficult, but using the back of a tablespoon works well.)
5. Lastly, put the remainder of the dough batter on top.
6. In a small bowl, using a pastry blender tool or 2 forks, combine the topping ingredients until it resembles crumbs. Sprinkle over the batter in the pan.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes. Ovens vary so take a peek after 20 minutes. A tooth pick inserted into it should come out clean and dry when done.
8. Cool well before dusting the top with sifted confectioner’s sugar, if you like.  After cooling, be sure to keep covered for freshness.

That’s it!

About Annette Marie

Annette is a native New Yorker, now living in New Jersey.  Since she was diagnosed with celiac disease well after the age of 50, Annette has made it her mission to raise awareness in the hopes that others won’t have to live for years with unexplained symptoms as she did.  Some of Annette’s recipes are inspired by traditional Italian recipes, but she adds other original gluten-free recipes to the mix.  Her “semi-homemade” and from “scratch” recipes are meant for busy families eating gluten-free.  For more of Annette’s gluten-free recipes, visit her blog at www.BestLifeGlutenFree.com.

5 Ways to Get Your Kid Excited About the Gluten-Free Diet

Starting a gluten-free diet can be challenging for anyone, but kids can have an especially tough time when faced with social situations.  It’s hard to tell your little one they can’t have the cake at their friend’s birthday party or that Play-Doh is off limits.  With a little imagination and creativity, though, you can get your child excited about the gluten-free diet.

Set Aside Time to Cook Together

Dedicate a few hours a week to trying new gluten-free recipes with your child.  The recipes don’t have to be complicated or take a long time to make.  Not only will this give you some quality one-on-one time with your little one, but you’ll also teach them how to manage their own gluten-free diet and identify possible gluten sources.

Look for this logo on Kids Central to get started with your gluten-free creations!

Visit NFCA’s Kids Central to get kid-friendly recipe ideas.  Kids Central is also home to the archived webinar, Cooking with Kids, featuring ideas and tips from Jessica Hale of Gluten Freeda.

Get Them Involved

Depending on how old your child is, they might be embarrassed about the gluten-free diet or having special dietary needs.  Get them talking about celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity and help them meet other gluten-free kids.  Social networking sites can help them connect with their peers, and you might even get a few new gluten-free recipe ideas from other parents.  Miranda Jade Turbin shared tips for social networking in NFCA’s September e-newsletter.

Social media offers lots of opportunities for your child to connect with other gluten-free kids.

In-person meet-ups can be beneficial for kids because they give them a chance to meet others on a lifelong gluten-free diet.  Groups like Raising Our Celiac Kids (R.O.C.K.) host meetings and activities across the country.  They’re another great place to get activity ideas.

You can get them talking about the gluten-free diet through NFCA’s Awareness All-Stars fundraiser.  Awareness All-Stars gives kids the opportunity to share their experience with celiac and help raise funds to support NFCA’s free programs and services.  Plus, every All-Star earns prizes for participating and the top 3 fundraisers (we call them MVPs) get an extra special gluten-free prize.

Gluten-Free Show and Tell

Many kids have special show-and-tell days at school.  Why not send them to class with delicious gluten-free cookies or cupcakes to share with their classmates?  This will give them a chance to tell all of their classmates about celiac disease and show them how a gluten-free diet can still be tasty.  Plus, this lets kids become more comfortable with talking about celiac disease and their dietary needs.

You can get the recipe for these ChocoCoconut Cookies from registered dietitian Rachel Begun on Kids Central.

Arts & Crafts

Traditional Play-Doh contains gluten, but that doesn’t mean your gluten-free kid can’t enjoy the fun.  Spend a Saturday afternoon making gluten-free Play-Doh with them.  You’ll be giving them a safe alternative while showing them trying out new things can be fun!  Check out this recipe for gluten-free Play-Doh from Parents Magazine.

Give Them a “Pep Talk”

Look for this logo on Kids Central to find the Pep Talks section or click on the link below.

Kids Central has a section dedicated to Pep Talks, which features tips from gluten-free kids and NFCA’s staff and Athletes for Awareness.  The Pep Talks cover everything from “Being Gluten-Free and Confident” to “Awesome Things Done by Gluten-Free Kids.”  In short 5-tip segments, your kid is bound to get a major confidence boost from Pep Talks!

So how do you help your child maintain a positive attitude about the gluten-free diet?

- Alicia

5 Tips for Baking Gluten-Free From Scratch

[You're ready to bake from scratch, but don't know where to start. Fear not! Shauna James Ahern, better known as Gluten-Free Girl, is here to share her tips and tricks for baking delicious gluten-free goods.]

1. Let go of your expectations.

You’ve probably been baking one way your entire life: by scooping out a cup of flour from the 5-pound bag of all-purpose bleached white. It was simple to bake this way. Even mindless. However, that bag of flour is now like a bag full of poison for you. Don’t go near it.

When people begin to bake gluten-free, they expect that the process will be exactly the same, but with different flours. (And more expensive flours, too.) Guess what? As is true of everything in life, those expectations are going to hurt you.

As soon as you can clean the gluten out of your kitchen, sweep away the notion that anything will be like it was. And why would you want it to be, when the old way made you sick?

2. You have to combine flours.

Here’s where people also get stuck. Because AP gluten flour works for a multitude of baked goods — and it’s the only flour most people in this culture know — it’s easy to long for that one magic flour when baking gluten-free.

There are a few places where you can use a single flour. I adore these brownies made with teff flour, much more than gluten brownies. And you can make great buckwheat crêpes, with only buckwheat flour. There are a few other examples. (Make socca your friend.)

However, for the most part, you have to combine 2 or 3 flours together to make a flour mix that will work for gluten-free baking.

It’s not hard. Take a bag of sorghum flour, a bag of millet, a bag of sweet rice flour, and a bag of potato starch. (We use Bob’s Red Mill flours and all their bags contain about the same amount of flour.) Pour them in a big container. Put on the lid and shake. Shake that flour until it is all one color.

What do you have? Flour. Use that flour for baking cookies, muffins, quick breads, pancakes, waffles, and biscuits. You’re done.

3. Learn to bake by weight.

Americans are VERY tied to their cups. We believe that all baking has to happen in 1/2 cup measurements. Ounces? Grams? That seems like math.

Believe me, if you want to become a confident gluten-free baker, able to make adaptations to all your favorite recipes, substituting one flour for another when you’ve run out of your favorites?

Buy a kitchen scale.

This will tell you why.

4. Play.

You’re going to make mistakes. This is a funny business. Eventually, it will feel like rote, and you’ll wonder why you ever worried.

But this space? This place of jarring differences and new experiences? This is where we learn.

Open yourself to it.

What’s the worst that could happen? A few bad baked goods? Eh, there are worse fates.

5. Psst! Here’s a secret. Most baked goods are actually better without gluten.

You read that right. Better without gluten.

Think about your favorite cake recipe. What’s the last instruction before you put that cake in the oven? “Mix until just combined. Don’t over-stir.”

You know why? Because that lovely recipe writer was trying to protect you from activating the gluten. Gluten in a cake can make your birthday celebration treat tough.

But without any gluten? You don’t have to worry. Let that stand mixer spin. Leave the room and play with your kids. You’re not going to hurt anything.

Gluten-free cakes can be far fluffier and more wonderful than the gluten ones.

Trust me. It’s worth the initial, shocking investment in flours to learn how to do this.

You don’t want to go the rest of your life without making chocolate chip cookies.

- Shauna James Ahern

I Took the Alternative Appetites Cooking Challenge. Will You?

How many times have you watched a cooking video and didn’t try the recipe? Guilty. I’ve been known to watch my share of The Food Network, “Lidia’s Italy” and YouTube cooking shows only to admire, sigh, and move on to the next episode.
Time to change that.

When we premiered the latest videos in our Alternative Appetites series, I was determined to make one of the gluten-free recipes at home. I’ve made several recipes from the show before (Eggplant Casserole, anyone?). This time, the Amaranth and Black Bean Salad, a recipe sponsored by The Hain Celestial Group, Inc., caught my eye.

Ingredients gathered. Ready to cook!

Let me start off by saying, this recipe makes a big batch. So big that is nearly overflowed my largest mixing bowl. If you’re sharing with a friend, it’s a good amount to last you a few days. If you’re single, I’d recommend halving the recipe.

The trick to this recipe was cooking the amaranth properly. Like many of you, I’ve just discovered the grain, so I’m still finding that point where it goes from undercooked to just right. Once the amaranth was done, I popped it into the fridge for a quick chill.

This looks like a small amount, but it goes a long way.

While the amaranth was cooling, I prepped the vegetables. It took some time, but shortcuts like using canned black beans and corn helped. I also took the lazy route and used a jar of roasted red peppers, but I highly recommend roasting your own (I learned a snappy way to do it from this Alternative Appetites video).

Bring on the veggies.

Then it was on to the vinaigrette, which was done in a matter of seconds. I forgot to pick up mint (it’s always something), so I threw in a bit of tarragon and chives just to freshen it up.

Finally, it was time to assemble – all of which I completed within the length of a commercial break. Then, the first bite.

All done!

You ever get that feeling when you eat something that’s filling, yet light and refreshing at the same time? Well, that’s what I got when I ate this. I consider it my mouth’s way of patting me on the back for doing my body good. The beans, tomatoes, walnuts and grains offer different textures, while the peppers and onions lend strong flavors. In fact, if you’re not a fan of red onion, I’d suggest using only ¼ of an onion. The vinaigrette and corn layer in sweetness, though I could have done with a little less dressing.

What's a food post without a close-up?

The best thing about this recipe is how versatile it is. You could easily add crumbled feta cheese or swap in sliced almonds for the walnuts. I added sliced beets when I scooped some out for work the next day.

So, now that you’ve read my experience, I want you to share yours. Try one of the recipes from the videos posted at www.celiaccentral.org/cookingvideos, then make sure to click through the video and leave a comment on the video on YouTube.

If you have a blog, share your experience just like I did and we’ll enter you in the Alternative Appetites Cooking Challenge. Just email cmcevoy@celiaccentral.org with the link to your post. (Cooking wins and fails welcome!)

- Cheryl

Related Content:

• Alternative Appetites Gluten-Free Cooking Series
• Alternative Appetites: Amaranth and Black Bean Salad
• Alternative Appetites Cooking Challenge

A Gluten-Free Holiday Treat, No Baking Required

I’m always prepared to bring an appetizer, salad or main dish to social gatherings and holiday functions. Like many with celiac disease, I quickly learned that if I wanted to eat a safe gluten-free meal, it was up to me to tote along at least one item I knew I could eat.

But dessert? Despite my sweet tooth, more often than not I have opted to forgo dessert simply because baking and I are not friends. So fruit has served as my go-to pick, and the nutritional benefits are always a plus. Alas, sometimes a fruit salad, no matter how fresh the ingredients, just won’t cut it. This Christmas, I wanted to join my family at the dessert table with something more substantial than pineapple and berries, even if topped with whipped cream.

Enter these no-bake coconut balls.

Gluten-Free No Bake Coconut Balls

I’m sure you can guess that a recipe with minimal ingredients and without an actual “baking” process were both requirements. Fortunately, I stumbled across this simple recipe while performing the perfunctory Google search: No Bake Coconut Balls

The recipe called for nut butter plus chocolate chips or nuts of your choosing, but I opted for a combination of the two. My secret ingredient? Justin’s Nut Butter. This brand has been a pantry staple of mine for the past 2 years so I knew that their Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor was delicious. (If you are not already familiar with their line of nut butters, please head to your local grocery store immediately).

All you need for a delicious gluten-free dessert.

Not only did they fulfill my sweet tooth, but my family was impressed too. Who said you need flour to “bake” Christmas cookies?

- Kristin

Related Content:

• Gluten-Free Recipes
• Gluten-Free Cooking Videos
• Gluten-Free Holiday Central

Gluten-Free Tailgating (Plus a Giveaway!)

Congratulations Ashley Pelley and Schmidty! You are the winners of our Thai Kitchen gluten-free giveaway. Please email cmcevoy@celiaccentral.org with your mailing address to claim your prize.

When I think of tailgating food, most of it is, well, gluteny. For a morning game, it’s donuts and bagels. In the afternoon, the list consists of burger & buns, hoagies, and soft pretzels. Then there’s the beer, the cups that always seem to get mixed up, and the one friend who insists on touching everything while taking bites of his sandwich. It certainly doesn’t make it easy if you need to be gluten-free.

When Thai Kitchen contacted us about doing a fall campaign, it was the perfect opportunity to create a Gluten-Free Tailgating Guide to help everyone make going to a game less stress and more fun.

Tailgating on a very cold day.

I’ll be honest, Whitney and I racked our brains for a few days while creating this guide. Sure, there were the usual food safety tips, like keeping meats and dairy in a cooler. But avoiding cross-contamination? That required some crafty thinking.

Our Gluten-Free Tailgating Guide

The guide is now posted in the Thai Kitchen Gluten-Free Recipe Box on our website. It even has a recipe for Curry Turkey Burgers with Pineapple Salsa, because if you volunteer to make the burgers (Warning: some people put breadcrumbs in their burger mix), you might as well impress the crowd.

Gluten-Free Giveaway!

We had such an overwhelming response to last week’s Thai Kitchen Gluten-Free Giveaway that I was thrilled to host another round. This week, we’re giving away the Thai Kitchen products needed to make Curry Turkey Burgers with Pineapple Salsa and Chicken Satay Skewers – another gluten-free recipe that’s great for the game. Here’s what you can win:

• Coconut Milk (for Chicken Satay Skewers)
• Fish Sauce (for Chicken Satay Skewers)
• Red Curry Paste (for Chicken Satay Skewers and Curry Turkey Burgers with Pineapple Salsa)
• Peanut Satay Sauce (for Chicken Satay Skewers)
• Sweet Red Chili Sauce (for Curry Turkey Burgers with Pineapple Salsa)
• 2 Thai Kitchen chip clips
• 2 Thai Kitchen pot holders
• Thai Kitchen coupons
• Tailgating Recipes

To enter, leave a comment sharing your best gluten-free tailgating tip. (We know how resourceful you all are!) We’ll randomly select 2 winners and announce them right here on Friday afternoon.

There is No Place Like Home (Plate)

[As you know, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness staff members are big Phillies fans. So when one of our newest volunteers, Nadina Fraimow, told us she shared the same passion for sports, wellness and all things Phillies, we had to get her on board. Nadina will be sharing her gluten-free experience throughout the 2011 Phillies season.]

There is No Place Like Home (Plate)

A Phightin’ to Be Gluten-Free Blog

Cliff Lee homers to right field, runs through home plate and enters the dugout with a look of sheer excitement, also shared by his teammates.  There is no place like home (plate).  Just as Lee successfully commands his pitches, he’s also proven to successfully command his swing and make exceptional contact with the ball this season. Read below for details and other recent Lee highlights.
 
August 4: Phillies 3-0 win against the San Francisco Giants
Pitching Highlight: Lee’s un-Be-LEE-vable command of the ball leads him to a seven-hitter shutout with 8 strikeouts and 0 walks. Also Lee’s fifth shutout of the season.

Run Highlight:  Great run support with Hunter Pence and John Mayberry’s back-to-back home runs in the second inning.

August 9: Phillies 2-1 win against the LA Dodgers
Pitching Highlight: In it to win it, Lee pitched eight scoreless innings with 4 hits and 10 strikeouts.

Run Highlight: With the Phillies ahead by just one run at the top of the seventh, Lee increased the lead with a home run to right field.

This week, my sister begins her own journey.  There is no place like home (plate) resonates, as we get ready to move my sister into her freshman dorm at college. Similar to Lee’s teammates in the dugout, our family team is Phightin’ strong and cheerin’ loud, hoping she experiences Lee’s sheer excitement as she encounters her own successful endeavors.

Family Team at the beach!

Feeling inspired by home, I put on my chef’s hat and share one of my recipes cooked in the comfort of my kitchen.  Below is my recipe for an oven cooked Whole Branzino stuffed with Mediterranean herbs and flavors.

Oven Cooked Mediterranean Branzino

Ingredients:

• Whole branzino (request fish de-boned for stuffing)
• Lemon
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Olive Oil
• Pepper
• Garlic cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Score whole branzino, 3 times on each side.
3. Stuff inside of fish with 3 lemon slices, thyme, rosemary and 3 peeled garlic cloves.
4. Massage olive oil and pepper into fish skin.
5. Wrap aluminum foil loosely around fish. Place in oven.
6. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and cook for 30 minutes.
7. Remove stuffing from inside fish and serve.

Recommendation: Branzino pairs nicely with brown rice or white jasmine rice.

My Home Run: Oven Cooked Mediterranean Branzino

Tune in tonight and cheer for Cliff Lee and the Phillies at 7:05 p.m. as they play the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park.  It’s time to Be-LEE-ve!

- Nadina

For more gluten-free recipes, see NFCA’s Gluten-Free Recipe of the Week.

About Nadina:
Nadina Fraimow began volunteering with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) in April 2011, and will be happy to answer messages sent to the info@celiaccentral.org email account. Nadina learned that she has gluten sensitivity in February 2011, and is grateful for having been diagnosed promptly and correctly by a knowledgeable gastroenterologist. She enjoys running, shopping for gluten-free sweets and creating recipes that are both tasty and healthy. Nadina is a Marketing and Communications professional living and working in Philadelphia. Nadina is also a proud Penn State alumna and an avid fan of the Phillies.

Adventures In Gluten-Free Cooking

Whitney Conquers The Kitchen Thanks To Zatarain’s Gluten-Free Rice Mixes

When I volunteered to create my very own original gluten-free recipe using one of Zatarain’s fabulous gluten-free rice mixes, there were a few raised eyebrows among the NFCA staff.

For one thing, I don’t eat gluten-free – at least not at home (the office is a different story). Secondly, I am not a cook. A great eater? For sure. But completely inept when it comes to anything related to the kitchen!

While I only recently learned that many of their products were gluten-free, I have been using Zatarain’s products for years. So with experience in my back pocket, I confidently accepted the challenge!

Ingredients gathered. I'm ready to cook!

What I’ve always loved about Zatarain’s is that their products are incredibly versatile, and fit seamlessly into a variety of cuisines and dishes. For my foree into gluten-free cooking, I chose to stick to a New Orleans theme because I love spicy food – specifically Cajun chicken.

What’s also great about Zatarain’s is that you can get creative with their products. For instance, I chose Zatarain’s Gluten-Free Dirty Rice Mix, which calls for beef in the preparation instructions. But instead of beef, I added black beans – it worked like a charm and was just as delicious!

Whitney’s Cajun Chicken Tenders with Zatarain’s Dirty Rice

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Tenders (12 tenders in a pack)
• 1 box Zatarain’s Gluten-Free Dirty Rice Mix
• Black Beans (1 can, strained)
• Onion (2, chopped)
• Green Pepper (2, chopped)
• Gluten-free Cajun or Creole Seasoning Mix
• Olive Oil

Directions:

To make chicken:

1. Empty Gluten-Free Cajun/Creole Seasoning Mix onto a small plate.

2. Brush tenders (both sides) lightly with olive oil, then coat in seasoning mix and place onto non stick or sprayed sauté pan.

3. Cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked all the way through and seasoning appears charred or blackened.

4. Place a paper towel onto a separate ‘finished’ place. Once tenders are cooked, place them onto the ‘finished’ plate and set aside.

Gluten-free Cajun chicken

To make rice:

1. Follow Zatarain’s Gluten-Free Dirty Rice Mix instructions for preparation, located on the back of the box. However, neglect instructions that call for ground meat – prepare without.

2. When rice is completely reduced and prepared, add beans.

Black beans - an inexpensive way to jazz up gluten-free Dirty Rice.

Bringing it all together:

1. After chicken tenders are removed/set aside, add olive oil to the pan and sauté peppers and onions until tender (you can also use a separate, clean pan for this step).

2. Plate rice, chicken and veggies and voila – a healthy, spicy, New Orleans inspired dinner in under 45 minutes!

The money shot!

-Whitney

*Ready to try your hand at a New Orleans-style meal? Enter NFCA’s “Jazz Up Your Day Gluten-Free Giveaway” by answering the daily question on NFCA’s Facebook page. Each day, a winner will be selected to receive a prize pack of Zatarain’s gluten-free rice mixes. Runs through Friday, July 15.

A Blogger A Day: Gluten-Free on a Shoestring

Name: Nicole Hunn

Blogs at: www.glutenfreeonashoestring.com
Tweets at: www.twitter.com/GFShoestring
Like her at: www.facebook.com/gfshoestring
On the bookshelf: Gluten-Free on a Shoestring: 125 Easy Recipes for Eating Well on the Cheap. Available wherever books are sold.

Why we’re fans: We like saving money (Who doesn’t?). We also like witty writing that’s easy-going even when xanthan gum is part of the mix. With Nicole’s blog, we get both. Her posts like “The Promise of Pita” are as entertaining as they are delicious, and the special page marked “Shoestring Savings” has oodles of links to coupons from some of your favorite gluten-free food manufacturers. Earlier this month, Nicole was featured in a news segment on ABC 7 in New York to promote her cookbook and put Celiac Awareness Month in the spotlight.

Nicole Hunn

Nicole’s Story: My son Jonathan, who is now 7 years old, has celiac disease. We keep a gluten-free house, which includes me, my husband, and all of our 3 children eating gluten-free at home.

According to Nicole: The most unexpected part of going gluten-free was having it take me in the direction of cookbook author and food blogger, instead of practicing lawyer!

A taste of Gluten-Free on a Shoestring:

• Time to Make the Doughnuts
• Strawberry Shortcakes
• Chicken Fingers

For more of NFCA’s Celiac Awareness Month celebration, visit www.CeliacCentral.org/awarenessmonth.

A Blogger A Day: Jules Speaks Gluten Free

Name: Jules Shepard
Lives in: Baltimore, MD area

Blogs at: Blog.JulesGlutenFree.com
Tweets at: www.twitter.com/JulesGlutenFree
Like her at: www.facebook.com/JulesGlutenFree
On the bookshelf: Free for All Cooking: 150 Easy Gluten-Free, Allergy-Friendly Recipes the Whole Family Can Enjoy (Da Capo Press 2010), The First Year: Celiac Disease and Living Gluten Free (Da Capo Press 2008), Nearly Normal Cooking for Gluten-Free Eating (Booksurge, 2006)

Why we’re fans: If you’re at a loss for what to make this Memorial Day, Jules probably has some suggestions for you. Her blog lists recipe after recipe, from appetizers to desserts, while her popular holiday e-book proved that she has more than a few entertaining tips up her sleeves. Jules will even give you something to talk about: As co-founder of 1in133.org, she’s determined to make gluten-free food labeling part of everyday discussion.

Jules Shepard

Jules’ Story: I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1999 after being sick for 10 years, and being misdiagnosed with IBS.

According to Jules: The most unexpected part of going gluten-free was that I ended up leaving my job as a prosecuting attorney, and began writing books on living and baking gluten-free, traveling the country lecturing and teaching gluten-free baking classes, regularly appearing on TV and radio as a “guest chef,” and working as a blogger, consumer/gluten-free advocate, industry consultant and gluten-free food manufacturer! No way would I ever have expected my life would take those twists and turns! The best part though, is that I’ve met so many amazing people in my travels and my work as an author and gluten-free baking expert. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to help them in some way. Our 1in133 event was another wonderful way of helping in our community – I look forward to continuing that work and to my next gluten-free adventure!

A taste of Jules Speaks Gluten Free:

• How We Built the World’s Tallest Gluten-Free Cake … and Why
• Disney/Universal on the Fly
• Round ‘Em Up! Girl Scout Cookies on Parade!

For more of NFCA’s Celiac Awareness Month celebration, visit www.CeliacCentral.org/awarenessmonth.