May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month!

 

Gluten-free Scallop Scampi -- find my recipe in the Winter/Holiday 2012 back issue of Delight Gluten-free Magazine.

May is Celiac Disease awareness month! After being gluten-free for 5 years now, my life and health have completely changed for the better. I went 20 years before getting a diagnosis of gluten intolerance or Celiac. Since doctors started me on an elimination diet rather than testing me with a biopsy first, (you need to be actively eating gluten in order to have a positive result) it means now that I'm needing to be gluten-free, there is no way I am painfully consuming gluten again in order to get a positive biopsy. They noted my symptoms were so extreme they were sure it was classic Celiac disease. One day, I will get a genetic test to be absolutely sure. 

According to Celiac facts from the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, the average diagnosis time right now is 6 -10 years. That is 6 - 10 years too long so spreading awareness to cut down average time is important. 1 in 133 suffer from Celiac and it is estimated that 83% of Americans who have Celiac disease are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions. Please share this to spread awareness this month if you can, or at least hug a Celiac near you. Just make sure there's no crumbs on you first! 

The only treatment for Celiac disease right now is a strict lifelong gluten-free diet. No wheat, barley, rye, or cross contaminated oats might seem restrictive to some, but for me it means a bountiful and healthful life again. It's not bad at all, even with my many other food allergies. A positive attitude really helps heal anything. For more information about Celiac disease, gluten intolerance, gluten sensitivity and managing food allergies, check out my resources page.

12 delicious ways to eat Quinoa

"It's a kween-o!" Thank you, Bud-light commercial for your hilarious take on quinoa.

But sorry, you're wrong. It doesn't taste like a loofah or a dirty tree branch. It tastes amazing!!

And so my love affair with quinoa continues. And I want everyone to know what to do with this crazy little gluten-free grain so all can love it just as much. Pronounced keen-wah, not kween-o, the taste is not nearly as weird as the sound. It's downright yummy and surprisingly, super versatile. Not to mention it ranks as the king of protein among all the grains in the land (even though it's technically a seed....) Quinoa has a distinct nutty flavor and a texture that caters to picking up any sweetness or spice that is added to it; a perfect canvas for the kitchen beginner to the expert chef. Here are some great recipes from around the web, plus one of my own--Spanish Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash-- to help you get acquainted with the grain, or seed, of all grain/seeds.

1. Make it -- from The Kitchn, How to cook fluffy, tasty quinoa.
2. Bake it -- from The Healthy Apple, Quinoa Spinach Bake
3. Health it -- from Gluten-free Goddess, Quinoa Taco Salad
4. Cake it -- from Making Thyme for Health, "Best-ever chocolate quinoa cake"
5. Crunch it -- from Giada de Laurentiis, Quinoa and herb crusted lamb
6. Shake it -- from YumUniverse, Gluten-free Quinoa shake
7. Stuff it -- see my Spanish Quinoa stuffed Acorn Squash recipe below.
8. Mix it -- from Bon appetit, Cumin scented quinoa and black rice
9. Sweet it -- from Coffee & Quinoa, Vanilla cardamom quinoa pudding
10. Spice it -- from Family Fresh Cooking, Spicy sriracha chicken and quinoa bowl
11. Wrap it -- from Queen of Quinoa, Veggie wraps with quinoa
12. Roll it -- from Wholesome Cook, Quinoa sushi rolls

Spanish Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

 Spanish Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash
Yields: 2 large servings, (plus leftover Spanish quinoa).

• 2 cups dry quinoa
• 1 and 1/2 cup water
• 1 can diced tomatoes, in juice
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped spinach
• 1 uncooked acorn squash, cut in half
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• goat cheese for topping
• optional: dash of cayenne pepper for added spice

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the two halves of cleaned (seeds removed) acorn squash upside down in a large baking dish and add about 1/2 inch of hot water to make a water bath. This helps it to cook evenly.
3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and roast the squash in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until insides are soft to the prick of a fork. Remove from oven and let rest.
4. In the meantime, add dry quinoa, water, diced tomatoes and juice from the can, all spices and salt/pepper to a saucepan. 
5. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until quinoa is fluffy and all liquid has been absorbed. (this is the Spanish quinoa). Add the black beans and red onion and mix well.
6. Add the Spanish quinoa by the spoonful into the cooked acorn squash "bowl" for a yummy presentation. Top with chopped spinach and goat cheese to taste. Enjoy warm!

Sushi at Home

Sushi is one-hundred percent addictive in my book. So when I found out I was allergic to soy, fond times with friends and family at various sushi hot spots in town came to a screeching halt. Anyone allergic to soy will probably feel the same. Sushi and Chinese foods ordered out are a major risk. However, that doesn't mean they can't be recreated in the safety of home. Sushi rice and sushi nori (seaweed wrap) is easy to come by in most grocery stores today. 

What really puts a soy-free sushi party over the top is coconut aminos, which is similar to soy sauce and is made from the rich sap of coconut and mineral rich sea salt. And adding sriracha or chili garlic sauces for dipping add just the right amount of kick. I prefer my sushi with smoked salmon, but other types of sushi grade fish can be used instead. However, if you have Celiac disease or gluten intolerance like me, steer clear of the imitation wasabi by all means! It usually contains wheat as a filler. Rejoice for safe sushi at home!

Easy Smoked Salmon and Veggie Sushi

What you'll need:

• 1 package sushi nori (seaweed sheets)
• 1 and 1/2 cups of prepared sushi rice (boil 1.5 cups of sushi rice with 2 cups water, reduce to simmer for 20 minutes, remove from heat). 
• thinly sliced cucumber
• cubed avocado
• sliced asparagus
• 1 package smoked salmon
• Other optional fillings: diced mango, cream cheese, orange bell pepper or whichever fresh veggies are on hand. 
• coconut aminos for dipping

1. Add enough warm sushi rice to form a thin, even layer onto one sushi nori (seaweed sheet).
2. Assemble smoked salmon, cucumber slices, avocado, and optional cream cheese into the very middle of the sheet that is to be rolled up. 
3. Carefully roll the assembled sheet starting at one end, either by hand or using a bamboo sushi roller.
4. Make sure the sushi roll is tight, but not too tight that it breaks the seaweed wrap. 
5. Slice the roll into bite sized pieces, dip into a favorite sauce and enjoy right away! 

Welcome friends

Welcome to all new and old friends!

The blog formerly known as Sprinkles & Allergies is now the brand spanking new Gluten-free Home. I'm excited to make the debut on blogspot and ready for a fresh start! For those who are new readers, it's nice to meet you! This site is all about everyday living free of gluten and multiple food allergies such as soy, peanuts, and some legumes. I'm a severely food allergic and gluten intolerant girl you see. I'm a freelance magazine writer, student of nutrition, obsessive foodie, (very) amateur wine and zombie enthusiast, and self-proclaimed science nerd. And for old and good friends, I hope you enjoy the new look and feel of the site. 

There's a new URL which is www.gfreehome.blogspot.com, be sure to bookmark it or use the subscribe button on the right panel. The old site at www.sprinklesandallergies.com will be expiring in two short weeks. My new email contact is glutenfreehome1@gmail.com and please feel free to use that liberally! I love hearing from each and every reader or person that has randomly stumbled on me here. So without further ado, goodbye old, hello new.

Yoga Renewal

As of today, I've made the decision the get back into daily yoga. Since I practiced gymnastics for most of my childhood, I took an interest in yoga to increase my flexibility even further.  But I quickly found that it has far more benefits than just learning how to become a human pretzel.  Aside from fixing my posture (I have a bad and lasting back injury from gymnastics), I feel much more grounded, present and calm after a session which helps immensely with occasional food allergy anxiety.  While recovering from severe reactions, I used root myself in a downward dog pose to calm myself. That moment when you're slowly sinking into the mat and you can almost feel the earth move as it ticks around the sun...indescribable healing.  I am more than ready to return to it.

-my morning meditation in child's pose-

Here are a few good links for beginners to yoga:

1. 5 types of Yoga to try now


2. 3 Yoga Poses to Help Anxiety


3. 5 Common Yoga Mistakes Beginners Make


4. 8 Yoga Poses for Better Digestion

What kind of yoga do you practice?

What are your favorite poses, tips and yoga tricks?