Mark Etinger asked:


k more people SHOULD be eating natural products, so when it comes to something like Celiac disease, it can sometimes be viewed quite positively… Really, you can maintain and control Celiac disease by eating healthier better products – these are products that are all natural, contain no preservatives, additives, or wheat (gluten) and actually better for anybody! You can have quite a range of gluten snacks, and I know that some of your old favorites might be things you can never have again, but the good list versus the bad list are pretty close in quantity as far as what you can have. I think there are two basic kinds of foods.

There are the ones that are already naturally good for you like veggies, fish, fruits, legumes and nuts. Then, there are also recipes you can either make at home or companies you can find that will make these speciality gluten free foods for you. It doesn’t really matter which way you decide to go with your food, it’s just important that you make sure, really MAKE sure it contains NO gluten or wheat. Essentially, this is why you are sick. It’s like a person that is lactose intolerant drinking a glass of milk, or a person that has Esophagitis eating a plateful of hot and spicy wings. It’s not good for you and it’s definitely not advisable.

Here are some gluten free snacks choices:

- Fish: In general and since fish is a natural product it should not contain ANY gluten. However, this does not include fish that has a breading over it, which will most likely have gluten in it! If you like fish, this is going to be a great option for you considering there are thousands of different edible fish out there!

- Eggs: You actually can have eggs, though it’s important again to remember that you can’t have certain food items with eggs inside them. These include toast, rolls, pancakes, waffles, crepes or cereal. It’s not the eggs, it’s the wheat and gluten in the items!

- Veggies: Every single veggie item available out there that is all-natural, which is about a few thousand, you can eat. You can eat them any way you want them, as long as you don’t bread them! This is the reason that a lot of Celiacs just go for broke and decide to go vegetarian because they end up eating like a vegetarian anyway, so why not go all the way and JUST eat these items.

- Fruits: As with veggies, fruits vary by the thousands and you can have your choice of which ones you eat and how you eat them. You can even mix in some yogurt with blueberries or raspberries if you so choose – just don’t use granola products!

- Desserts: A lot of people with Celiac always seem to miss their desserts, and that’s okay! Now there are several different companies out there that will actually prepare gluten free bakery items for you that contain NO artificial flavors and are all natural. These include gluten free cookies, gluten free crackers, wheat free cookies and a variety of gluten free snack options!

- Meat & Chicken: yes, you can still eat these, but it is recommended that you try stick with the above mentioned foods simply because they are easier to digest and contain less (could be) harmful bacteria and chemicals. Of course, you can also get free range chicken and grass fed (instead of grain fed) meat as well. This scares me a little bit, because you never really know if a meat company really is being honest or not. You are pretty much taking a chance.

While we only have seven main entries here, there are still thousands of dishes you can come up with for the above mentioned ingredients. Find a few things that you really really like and eat those items, or find a new meal every single day, it’s up to you.

Andrea Wyn asked:


untdown to your traditional Thanksgiving dinner is starting, just 5 days away so I wanted to make sure to give you this gluten free dairy free, vegan pumpkin pie custard recipe. It’s quick and easy to make and if you don’t tell anyone the custard is gluten free dairy free, vegan pumpkin pie custard they will never know.

Gluten Free Dairy Free, Vegan Pumpkin Pie Custard
(Note: This recipe makes 8 servings. Also, you can pour the pumpkin custard directly into a 9″ Pyrex baking dish if you prefer a “pudding” style pie.)

1½ cups of soymilk
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1½ cups of solid-pack canned pumpkin or cooked pumpkin
½ cup sugar (preferably raw or Turbinado) or other sweetener
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, whisk together the soymilk and cornstarch until smooth and then stir in the pumpkin, sugar or other sweetener, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. I prefer to adjust the spices to taste. Pour into either 8 large ramekins or a 9″ Pyrex baking dish and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until firm. Ovens vary so start checking at 45 minutes to prevent over baking. You want the filling to be set but the center still trembles slightly.

Cool before cutting.

And what to do with those traditional Thanksgiving dinner leftovers? With the turkey, why not shred the turkey meat, add some BBQ sauce and create a “pulled” turkey dish. If you want, serve coleslaw with a vinaigrette dressing and potato chips on the side to keep it gluten-free and dairy-free. Or, for those not restricted to a gluten-free diet, toast a chiabatta or hamburger bun and create a “pulled” turkey sandwich.

Another quick and easy idea for leftover turkey is to create turkey lettuce wraps or for those not restricted to a gluten-free diet create turkey burritos.

Take your leftover turkey meat, pull it apart or shred it. Then sauté onions and peppers in a pan with some olive oil. Once the onions and peppers are soft, about five minutes, add the turkey and heat. Once warm, remove from heat and serve on a large Romaine or Iceberg lettuce leaf and wrap.

Again, if you are not restricted to a gluten-free diet, warm a tortilla and spread the mixture onto the tortilla and wrap.

I hope you found these tips helpful and that you enjoy your traditional Thanksgiving dinner and the gluten-free dairy-free, vegan pumpkin pie. Until next time, remember the Budget Bash mantra: make it simple, delicious, stylish, fun & economical to all!

Anne-Marie RONSEN asked:


Once you find out your child is Autistic you will then want to begin some type of treatment plan.

The Gluten-Casein Free Diet consists of removing any foods from your Autistic child’s diet that contain Gluten and Casein. This can seem hard at first because so many foods do have Gluten in them. Gluten is found in most prepared foods. Foods containing wheat, barley ,oats, or rye need to be eliminated from the diet. Gluten can also be found in some vinegars and sauces. Artificial flavorings often contain Gluten. Casein is a protein found in dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and some hotdogs.

When using The Gluten-Casein Free Diet you have to be careful and read all labels on foods. Gluten can be in foods you would not think of, like spices. The theory behind removing Gluten and Casein from an Autistic child’s diet is that when the child eats a food with Gluten and Casein it causes their body to react differently than a child without Autism.

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The Gluten-Casein Free Diet can be expensive to follow. Most Gluten-Casein free products are sold in specialty, or health stores. These stores usually charge a much higher price. Some major grocery stores are now carrying Gluten-Casein free products. You can find Gluten free flour, pancake mix, waffles, cookies, snacks, and many other foods. Most parents find out it is cheaper to make their own Gluten free food. Recipes can be found on the internet, or in Gluten free cookbooks. Some parents go together with another family following The Gluten-Casein Free Diet and buy in bulk. Then they share the foods. This can help lower the costs of the Gluten-Casein free items.

Autistic children following a Gluten-Casein free diet can eat meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nut, eggs, and products made with gluten free ingredients. It can be hard to keep a child from eating their favorite snacks, and treats. Some of these can be made by using Gluten-Casein free products. Muffins and cookies can be made from Gluten free flour. It just takes some getting used to the new way of eating.

Often people following a Gluten-Casein free diet will remove all dairy (Casein) products from their diet as well. You can find out if your Autistic child has an allergy to a certain food by having allergy testing done. The doctor can arrange for this testing.

If you are going to try The Gluten-Casein Free Diet with your child you have to be prepared to follow it for several months to tell if it is going to make any difference. Gluten remains in the body for a long time. Most people do not give the diet a long enough chance to work. Trying it for a week or two will not give the body enough time to remove any remaining Gluten from its system. Some people do however see improvements right away in their Autistic child.

If you choose to try a Casein (dairy) free diet with your Autistic child remember to allow enough time to see if the diet is helping. It can be helpful to keep a journal while trying the diet. Keep a record of behaviors your Autistic child has. Then you can see if the number of behaviors is dropping.

If you want to find more information about Gluten free dieting there are several books available. Visit your local library, or book store to find one. To find Gluten free recipes try searching online using your favorite search engine. The Gluten-Casein Free Diet will not work with every autistic child. The majority of the children that show improvement had a sensitivity to the gluten to begin with.

A Gluten-Casein Free Diet might be helpful in treating your child’s Autism. It is not a cure for Autism though. It will only help treat some of the symptoms.

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Copyright © Anne-Marie Ronsen

You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author bylines are included.

Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.

Lillea Woodlyns asked:


creasing awareness about wheat and gluten intolerance has led manufacturers and bakeries to create more gluten and wheat free foods.

The biggest sellers are usually cookies, breads and other traditional baked goods. But do these new wheat free and gluten free alternatives taste as good as the products they are trying to mimic?

Not long ago, commercial wheat free baked goods were often tough, gritty and over-priced.

The new generation of wheat free and gluten free baked goods can be quite affordable, with a much better texture. When real foods are used as ingredients, not simply a hodge-podge of gums and other questionable fillers, the taste can actually rival or even surpass the wheat foods they are substituting.

But there are still many icky products on the market, unfortunately. When you buy from a good company or bakery, the product still might not taste very good.

So how do you find the tasty wheat free baked goods, the ones that might even fool a die-hard wheat lover?

Here are 5 tips to get you started:

1. Read reviews online. There are many online stores that sell quality wheat free and gluten free products. The better web stores usually have a place for customer reviews.

2. Contact your local Celiac group and ask for a list of recommendations. Often they will have a list of local bakeries, restaurants and several online sources for good wheat free and gluten free baked goods.

3. If you like to bake, visit Amazon.com and read reviews of wheat free and gluten free cookbooks. Or search for blogs that offer recipes that readers have reviewed.

4. Call local bakeries to find out if they offer wheat and gluten free options (rice flour products are the most common). If they do, visit and ask for free samples.

5. Make sure that the ingredients in the product are foods and flavors that you (or the person you are buying for) like the taste of.

‘Wheat free’ does not guarentee that it’s also gluten free. Gluten grains also include spelt, kamut, rye, triticale and barley. Oats are often contaminated with wheat, so they are out for most gluten and wheat intolerant folks as well.

Wheat free and gluten foods can be tasty and easy to find if you know where to look. As the awareness of wheat and gluten intolerance grows, the demand for quality wheat free and gluten free products and recipes will grow too.

Heather Bettendorf asked:


o region, comprising the islands of Venice, and a vast, dry land territory covering Padova, Verona, and Vicenza was largely an agricultural area dedicated to farming of fruits and vegetables, soft wheat, and corn during the pre-industrial age. Because money was scarce, families survived largely on the fruits of their labor: A diet designed around organic grains like corn, that were in abundance, and fish from the Venetian lagoon. Meats were considered a luxury. In fact, cured meats and salamis were a solution to the lack of refrigeration and provided a hearty alternative to the otherwise “poor” diet.

Thus, the organic baking traditions reflected not only the antique traditions, but also the organic ingredients most readily available. Converting corn into polenta for a sweet cookie or for the dinner table represented the marriage of necessity to nutrition. In fact, most of the traditional Venetian organic cookies are dry, rather than moist, given the scarcity of organic ingredients, the difficulty in conserving them, and the palette preferences of the Venetians for a drier organic cookie. Many of the desert and organic cookie recipes were secret, passed down through the maternal side, and often nicknamed “biscotti della nonna” or “grandmother’s cookies” to represent their homemade origins. The organic cookies were jealously conserved in lovely tin or wood boxes, next to the crystal bottles of rose oil, walnut liqueur, or citron liqueur.

Wheat and corn were organic grains that, at the time, were produced according to what we consider today as organic farming. Today, these same recipes are replicated as organic cookies, a healthy alternative to conventional practices, which respect the environment and do not employ the use of pesticides. These sweet organic treats have been made for centuries, although never too sweet, as it was the homemaker’s intention to let the organic ingredients speak for themselves, whereas sugar was an expensive indulgence.

This traditional, organic cookie recipe is easy to prepare: Zaeti

Zaeti in Venetian Dialect translates to “gialetti” in Italian, or “small yellow cookies”, a nickname given for the fact that they are made of yellow corn flour, an element common to every family kitchen in the region, and therefore a sign of their rusticity. To make them more “genteel”, tradition called for the addition of wheat flour, sugar and raisins.

Organic Food Ingredients: 1 1/3 cup of finely ground corn flour, 7/8 cup of flour, a half cup of sugar, a half cup of unsalted butter,2 eggs, &frac14 cup of raisins, one half ounce of yeast, 1 grated lemon, ½ of a small glass of grappa, a dash of salt, 2 tablespoons of flour for the workspace, 4 tablespoons of lightly sifted confectioner’s sugar.

Place the raisins in tepid water for 10 minutes to soften them. Drain the water and gently wring them with your hands to remove the excess water. Put them in a bowl and add the grappa to “bathe” them for approx 20 minutes. Then drain the grappa and dry them with a very clean kitchen towel.

Sift the wheat and corn flour together with the yeast and salt and place in a bowl. Add the beaten eggs, and the melted butter. Mix with a fork and add the raisins. (Follow this procedure before adding the raisins to make sure they don’t fall to the bottom: lightly dust them with 2 tablespoons of flour). Add the sugar and the grated lemon peel.

Mix until the dough becomes homogenous. Lay the dough out on a lightly floured workspace, and roll it out to a thickness of just less than ½ an inch. Using the rolling pin to help you, and using a knife, cut out long ovals about 2 inches in length.

Place them on a baking sheet, not too close together, and bake in a 350 ° oven for 20 minutes. Once cooled, dust them with the confectioner’s sugar and serve together with your favorite liqueur.

Enjoy these organic, Venetian sweets and please your family and friends with them by bringing antique traditions to your table, just as the Venetians have done for centuries.

Patrick Attlee asked:


t any real estate material promoting an area to live in and they will invariably use phrases like “enjoy the cosmopolitan cafe lifestyle just outside your front door”.This gentrification of districts has led to a huge increase in the number of coffee shops, as vendors from the likes of Starbucks to the small mom and pop coffee shops, all compete for your coffee dollar.

Such coffee houses will offer enticingly named libations such as Dark Caramel Latte or Vanilla Gingerbread Cappucino. These coffees are flavored using coffee syrups. Syrups are available in many different flavors from vanilla to caramel, amaretto to raspberry. To me, nothing beats a strong espresso, but if I am going to be sitting for a while watching the world go by, a longer coffee, flavored with a premium syrup is a regular choice.

Coffee syrups are made from differing quality ingredients which obviously affects the flavor. The best brands are made from the finest nuts and fruits and distilled down into the syrup used in coffee. Top brands to look out for in your local coffee shop include Da Vinci, Monin and Dolce. You should look for syrups with a higher concentration of the ingredient compared to the syrup itself. If you intend to use the syrups at home, it is worth spending the extra for the best quality brands because they will be cheaper in the long run and you will have a much better taste experience per cup.

Another thing to keep in mind when selecting a coffee syrup is that some makes will curdle your hot milk. Cheaper brands may also separate if heated too highly. Again, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for.

You might think that putting syrup into your coffee would not be the best idea of people who are watching their weight. However The top brands are typically fat and cholesterol-free. In addition, sugar-free coffee syrups are readily available without compromising on flavor. They are great for people on low-carbohydrate diets too.

Coffee syrups have lots of other uses apart from being used to flavor coffee. They can be used in other drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. For example you can make delicious iced frappes. They are also great simply added to soda water. They are great for making kid’s drinks because many exciting flavor combinations can be created that appeal to kid’s picky tastes. The added benefit of course is that these drinks will be far lower in sugar than normal soft drinks.

Hopefully this article has provided an insight into the wonderful world of flavored coffee syrups.

Patrick Carpen asked:


u tired of sneaking bites of sweets only to be left feeling guilty? You should know that you can still enjoy a nice treat without having to experience any guilt, and to prove it, you will find four low-fat recipes in this article that are big on flavour and won’t cause your waistline to grow! In fact, your family won’t even guess that these recipes are low in fat, which means that everyone can enjoy these tasty desserts.

Apple and Fig Compote

6 large (baking) apples
6 dried figs
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Rind of 1 lemon

In a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, and lemon rind. Once this has thickened to a syrup, remove from heat and set aside. Core and slice the apples and place them in a baking dish. Add the figs, placing them around and between the slices of apple. Pour the syrup mixture over the apples and figs, then bake at 350 degrees F until the apples are tender. Serve warm.

Trifle Twist

1 angel cake
1 package low-fat strawberry jell-o
1 can peaches
3 sliced bananas
1 package vanilla pudding (instant)
8 oz. low-fat whipped cream (frozen, then thawed)
1 can of drained crushed pineapple

Break apart the angel cake into bite-sized pieces and place in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Dissolve the jell-o in a cup of boiling water, then pour over the angel cake pieces. Place in the refrigerator until the jell-o has set. Place the sliced bananas, peaches, and pineapple on top of the jell-o. Prepare the pudding according to the directions on the box, the spread over the fruit. Top with whipped cream and chill for 2 hours.

Chocolate Pudding Cake

1 angel cake
8 oz. low-fat whipped cream (frozen, then thawed)
1 package chocolate pudding mix
1 bar milk chocolate

Break apart the angel cake into small pieces and place in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Make the chocolate pudding as according to the directions on the package. Spread on top of the cake pieces. Top with whipped cream, although make sure it doesn’t mix with the pudding. Grate the chocolate on top and chill until ready to serve.

Toffee Cake

1 angel cake
10 oz low-fat whipped cream (froze, then thawed)
6 bars chocolate-coated English toffee (crushed)

Slice the angel cake in half (horizontal). Mix the whipped cream and English toffee bits. Frost the cake with the whipped cream mixture and refrigerate.

These are just a few great recipes that, while not entirely fat free, are better than other desserts that are sure to pile the pounds on! These recipes are simple yet tasty enough to satisfy the whole family’s sweet tooth. So say goodbye to “guilty pleasures” and hello to innocent treats!

Justin D Reed asked:


days most people are looking to get the most out of the day by keeping their minds and bodies energized all day long. As a result, it is not uncommon in this day and age to find those little eight ounce cans in supermarkets, gas stations, video stores, sporting events, and virtually anywhere that sells to consumers. Of course we are talking about energy drinks because a majority of people feel the need for an energy boost at least once or more throughout the day. The only issue with traditional energy drinks is that they are typically filled to the brim with sugar and other things that aren’t exactly considered healthy. The solution is the sugar free energy drink because it doesn’t contain the extra empty calories that other beverages contain, but first some history on this unique type of beverage.

The oldest sugar free energy drink could actually be considered coffee and would pre date any of the modern energy drinks on the market. Luckily today we are not limited to coffee; however the problems with coffee are obvious. One of the biggest issues is keeping it hot for long periods of time, especially when you have to put it down as you work on something else. Unfortunately, it isn’t an option to buy a twelve pack of liquid coffee cans that are ready to open to immediately consume, so convenience is also an issue. And the obvious point here is that for coffee to be considered a true sugar free energy drink there cannot be anything extra added to it like sugar or cream. Unfortunately coffee often ends up bitter. Fortunately there is a better solution out there!

With all the technological advances in the food and beverage industry, we are fortunate to have great tasting alternatives when you want all the energy, but none of the sugar. Today, the most popular sugar free energy drink has close to zero calories, is packed with essential vitamins and minerals, plus tastes great! Typically people wonder where the energy comes from if there isn’t any sugar in the beverage and a minimal amount of actual caffeine. The secret is this new sugar free energy drink is packed with enough B vitamins to be a quarter of a prescription B12 shot, which is what we need to naturally energize the body. The tiny amount of caffeine is not for energy, but instead allows the vitamins to more quickly be absorbed into the blood vessels. Lastly, since the vitamins are a natural source of energy, you crashing is not a problem after consuming this kind of drink. More companies are picking up on this trend all the time and the winners are consumers everywhere!

Kirsty Cussens asked:


Going away from home at Christmas can be stressful enough at the best of time, but when you have a celiac child who needs a completely gluten free diet at christmas, the complexity levels sky rocket!

The main aim is to somehow work out the Christmas celebrations so that your celiac child does not feel too ‘different’, but also so that your hosts do not take on loads of extra stress in catering for the gluten free diet at Christmas. You have probably got your kitchen pretty much gluten free by now, or at least know which areas are gluten free and which are not (and so does your child) But in someone else’s kitchen – no matter how supportive they are, it isn’t so easy, and you have an interesting balancing act of respcting their space and kitchen and ways of doing thing… and protecting your child’s  health.

The main key is communication.  It is worth having a long conversation with your host/hostess a few weeks or a month before you are due to go.  I tend to send some stuff by e-mail for them to look at and think about because too often friends are  very nice on the phone and tell me not to worry, but when we get there it is apparent that they haven’t a clue what a gluten free diet really means.

He/she really needs to understand what the diet entails, while at the same time not feeling overwhelmed by it and wondering if she will have anything left to cook! 

Suggest specific things, like the sort of breakfast cereal your child eats (as long as it is not an expensive specialist one) and having in rice cakes and everyday foods which are naturally gluten free.

Find out the menu and itinery for your visit well in advance and spot any potential problem areas:-



 Will the turkey stuffing (which usually contains gluten) be inside the turkey?  Does it have to be?  Is there a gluten free alternative you could offer to make?

It is easy enough to use cornflour as a gravy thickener – would your hostess be happy to do that?

Can you take an alternative gluten free Christmas pudding/cake for your child?

Will you be going out anywhere else while you are staying away that you need to ring ahead to?



Obviously you will want to take some of your own gluten free supplies; cakes, cookies (make enough to share so your child isn’t always having something different to everyone else) so you always have something on hand, should you need it. I often buy a small tub of margarine and a pot of chocolate spread soon after we get there specifically for my son to use, so it won’t be contaminated by knives that are covered in crumbs.

If you have space in your luggage (I realise that is extremely unlikely but…) you could also take your own gluten free cooking utensils, bread board and so on.  I try to take a spare bag of gluten free flour and baking powder and my own cake tins so if we are running short of gluten free goodies, I can throw together a cake.  I can’t imagine anything worse than everyone else tucking in to Christmas goodies while my celiac child has nothing special to eat!

With a bit of careful planning ahead, however, that should never happen.  If you are going away or Christmas with your celiac child, ring your hosts today!  Have the gluten free Christmas conversation and then go and enjoy the holidays!