thyroid awareness month

Over at Beyond Rice and Tofu - a blog for gluten free and vegetarian cooking - there's a great post that brought it to my attention that it is Thyroid Awareness Month.  The post A (Not-So) Grave Diagnosis is personal, well-written, and excellently timed.  I really recommend checking it out.

On January 19, Dr. Oz presented an episode featuring Elisabeth Hasselbeck that was dedicated to the gluten free diet.  (The episode is available in 5 parts here.)  I didn't see it that day myself, but the gluten free community on Twitter was not so thrilled.  Increasing awareness is fantastic and should be definitely applauded, but getting tested was somewhat skimmed over.  (She was also on ABC's The Chew on Friday to promote her new cookbook.)

If one feels s/he may have a gluten intolerance, s/he should get tested first.  Please!!  If s/he gets tested for Celiac after going gluten free, the results may not be accurate.  There is a blood test, but internal biopsies (conducted with an endoscope) are more conclusive.  The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders (part of the National Institutes of Health) each have information on the diagnosis.

Thursday evening, as I read people's comments on the twittersphere about the need for testing, I kept thinking about thyroid disorders.  Your thyroid can be right on point, underactive, or overactive.  So many symptoms caused by Celiac disease also overlap with hypothyroidism.  Thyroid issues can also run hand-in-hand with Celiac or gluten intolerance.  These are Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves disease.  Like Celiac, they're each an autoimmune condition.

The American College of Endocrinology (ACE) and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) have excellent information on the thyroid and why you might consider getting your Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) level checked.  The American Thyroid Association is also a terrific resource.  My thyroid is underactive, and my dad's was fried during chemotherapy treatments.  We each take a replacement hormone and probably will for the rest of our lives.  It's a small price to pay to avoid the symptoms of hypothyroidism. 

If you do think you might be gluten intolerant and/or have a thyroid issue, please get yourself tested.  Not many folks enjoy getting poked with a needle, but it's a lot better than the complications that could occur if you have it & don't know.

Some numbers for you:

• An estimated 30 million Americans have a thyroid disorder, according to AACE.
• 1 in 133 have Celiac, according to a 2003 study conducted by the Center for Celiac Research.
• 18 million Americans have a gluten intolerance, also from the Center for Celiac Research.

A bonus: the AACE store has an awesome blue paisley lapel pin and other goodies to increase thyroid awareness. 

Okay, it's about time for to attend this webinar on "Food as Medicine for Celiac Disease: Nutrition Beyond the Gluten-Free Diet".  If you're interested in participating in a future webinar with the NFCA, here's the schedule!

Happy eating :)

gluten free mini corndogs

I really like corndogs.  A cornbread-covered hot dog can't possibly be good for you, but sometimes you just have to give in and indulge yourself.  There was only one brand I'd been able to find, and I would tear off the yummy cornbread and throw away the hot dog.  It was a waste of the hot dog and money.  So when I came across this recipe a couple weeks ago on Gluten Freely, I had to try it!

The original recipe says it is enough batter for a package of hot dogs, but it was only enough for half package for me. 

My ingredients:

• Oil for deep-frying 
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup Bisquick Gluten Free 
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 of my parents' pullet eggs (1 large egg would be fine!), beaten
• 2/3 cup milk (You can use soy, almond, etc.)
• 1/2 package Oscar Mayer hot dogs

Heat about 3 inches of oil in a heavy saucepan to 375 degrees.  I used an electronic thermometer.  If using an electric stovetop, keep an eye on the temperature.  It can change rapidly, and you don't want burnt oil.

As the oil heats, mix the dry ingredients - cornmeal, Bisquick, and sugar - in a medium bowl. 

Use a whisk to add the egg and milk.  It should be the consistency of pancake batter.  If it's too thin, add more Bisquick.  

I cut the hot dogs in thirds to have bite-size pieces.  I found them to be the perfect size.  You can use small sticks, but I found them more of a hindrance than a benefit.  Roll the hot dogs in the batter to cover.

Fry in hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown.  Keep an eye on that temperature!  If it's too low, they'll soak up too much oil as they cook.

Drain on a paper towel. 

They were delicious, Scott-approved, and didn't last long at all!  My trials with Pizza Hut style breadsticks (I'd modified this one) and a new crab cake recipe haven't been quite as successful.  As soon as they are, they'll be up here!  I was down with a migraine since Thursday but have lots of yummy things in mind for this week :)

Happy eating!

a life in service & a meeting announcement

Hello, Gluten Free World!

My apologies for the little hiatus.  I had so many ideas in mind for posts for Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, but I was glutened on Friday at lunch.  Ugh.  It threw everything off - sick that night, Saturday, and still recovering on Sunday, meaning today was my day to cram in the weekend's intended endeavors. Most of the weekend, I sat on the futon and delved into family history on Ancestry.com.  Food was the last thing I wanted to focus on - a rarity for me.

Many folks posted quotes on Facebook & Twitter from Dr. King in his honor today.  I admire the succinctness and simple eloquence of this, one of my favorites:

Life's most persistent and urgent question is: "What are you doing for others?"

Like this quote, my family's (and my ancestors') long record of service to others - through being teachers, first responders, nurses, farmers, and servicemembers - continually refuels my inspiration in times of hardship and self-doubt.  My aim is for this blog to be of service to others. 

This post was supposed  to simply be an announcement of the next meeting of the Cincinnati Celiac Support Group.  Without further ado:

7 pm on Tuesday, January 17

Symmes Township Public Library

11850 Enyart Road

Loveland, Ohio 45140

Click on the address for a Google map.  The topic will be gluten free summer camps for kids.  There will be free fun, food, and fellowship :)

I'm coming up with a list of crave-foods I plan to cook by the month's end:

• Crab cakes - I lost the recipe I used in September!
• Breadsticks (like Pizza Hut makes)
• Mozzarella cheese sticks
• Fried chicken (not unlike KFC)

I still can't make or find pizza quite like the greasy but oh-so-yummy stuff.  There's one I love in Waverly, but 2 hours (4 roundtrip) is a haul for a pizza.  If you have any you're missing (or you would miss for my non-gluten sensitive readers), let me know!  I love to play around in my kitchen laboratory.

Happy eating to all of you!

gluten in medications survey

In case you hadn't heard, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) received a grant in November from the FDA to conduct a study on gluten in medications.  Until now, no such research has existed.  In a partnership with St. John's University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, the NFCA is doing a two-part study.  The first - a survey of the celiac and gluten-sensitive population - was announced on January 4 and is going on now until February 28.  

If you (or someone you love) follows a gluten-free diet, participate!  Your input is needed!  The survey states that it takes between 4 and 15 minutes.  (I believe it depends on whether you've experienced a reaction to medication.  I haven't, and it only took 3.)  Questions revolve around your own gluten-sensitivity/celiac disease/dermatitis herpetiformis diagnosis and your experiences taking medicines - both over-the-counter and prescription.  

According to the NFCA:

This critically needed preliminary research aims to validate or nullify the anecdotal adverse experiences associated with gluten in medications that have been reported by people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.  It is a first step to determine if more investigation is needed, which may lead to additional research, labeling, and the FDA's Safe Use Initiative.

In the second phase, the NFCA researchers will test some of the medicines identified in the survey to see if they contain gluten.

To participate in the this survey, please go here.  This is a chance to make a real difference for the gluten-free community.

mini banana cupcakes with browned butter frosting

How yummy does that look?!  This banana cupcake with browned butter recipe is from Betty Crocker's Gluten Free recipe page and used the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix.  The recipe with my additions yielded 52 mini cupcakes:

Banana Cupcake

• 1 box (15 oz.) Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 1/2 bananas)
• 1/3 cup melted butter (this is 5 1/3 tablespoons if you use the handy lines on quartered butter)
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 beaten Speckled Sussex pullet eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (2 teaspoons wouldn't be overpowering)

Frosting

• 1/3 cup butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons milk (I added a 4th to get a creamier texture.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place paper baking cups in your cupcake pan, either 17 regular or several mini (and do multiple batches).
In a large bowl, stir cupcake ingredients just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Spoon batter evenly into cups.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from pan to a cooling rack and allow to rest for about 30 minutes.
As the cupcakes cool, heat 1/3 cup butter over medium heat until it is lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Watch it closely, as butter can burn quickly.
Remove from heat and cool about 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make the batter smooth and spreadable.  I added a 4th tablespoon of milk but wouldn't recommend starting with 4.
Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes.

 

These were good enough to receive a raised eyebrow and head-nod from my boyfriend's dad :)

You stay classy, Gluten Free World!