Mac ‘N Cheese - Schar and Blue Chip Group

At the conference, Tim brought me some cheese sauce mix from the Blue Chip Group out of Salt Lake City, Utah.  This mix is like the powder from Kraft that comes in the famous blue boxes.  I finally got a chance to open it up today and make Mac ‘N Cheese with some Schar penne pasta.

And we loved it!

Braden thought that the penne was cool - “pasta tubes.”  The sauce got inside the tubes, too.  We really enjoyed the sauce also.  It was just a tiny bit lumpy, because I was tired and forgot Tim’s advice to stick it in my Magic Bullet, but it didn’t bother me.

Tim likes to put the cheese powder on his popcorn, too, something I will have to try soon.

The cheese powder can be purchased in 2 pound bags (for $8.53) or a 4 pound can (for $16.07).  However, I’ve heard their shipping prices are horrendous (though I don’t know if ordering a lot would make a difference).  Blue Chip Group also sells a wide range of gluten-free specialty mixes (like pancake), and food storage items (like beans, and dehydrated veggies).

If you get through Salt Lake, I’d definitely suggest picking something up and giving them a try.  I will be sending my brother to get me some more cheese sauce powder when he is up there at the end of July.  I’m sure he could stuff a couple of bags around the kids’ car seats.   

From the Blue Chip Group’s website:

Cheese powder is blended with nonfat dry milk making this a “Just add water mix”.
Ingredients:
Whey, buttermilk solids, cheese (granular and cheddar {milk, cheese chulture, salt, enzymes}),
whey protein concentrate, salt, sodium phosphate, citric acid, yellow #5, yellow #6, lactic acid,
enzymes, modified-food starch (corn)., nondairy creamer (partially hydrogenated canola oil
and/or soya oil, corn syrup solids, sodium caseinate, dipotassium phosphate, glycol
monostearate, mono diglycerides, silicon dioxide.

Dr. Michelle Pietzak

This was actually the one talk that I was able to listen to during the whole conference (aside from Fasano’s at the banquet). Dr. Pietzak’s talk was entitled “Life Lessons from Celiac Pediatrics” and followed along the lines of the book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.

What was the first word you learned in kindergarten? Look. Look for Celiac Disease in its gastrointestinal forms (symptoms): diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, gas, bloating, constipation, change in appetite; and extra-intestinal forms: short stature, osteoporosis, DH, delayed puberty, infertility (in both males and females), anemia, behavioral changes, seizures. Look for systemic complications like night blindness, low bone density, liver inflammation, skin rashes, kidney disease, infertility, and arthritis and joint pain. Iron deficiency anemia resistant to oral iron is the most common non-gi symptom in adults (according to some studies) and is often the first symptom. So look for the symptoms of iron deficiency anemia. She also said we should look for dental enamel defects, recurrent aphthous ulcers (in the mouth), other skin problems such as hair loss, and neurologic symptoms like ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, psychiatric symptoms (depression, schizophrenia), and seizures and intracranial calcifications.

Flush. Sometimes both kids and adults with Celiac Disease get constipated. Often this is because we get stuck eating mostly starches, and are foods are not enriched. Treatment of constipation can include nuts, seeds, legumes, gf whole grains, fresh fruits (eat the skins!), fresh veggies (raw is better), psyllium seed (like Metamucil). Remember to intake your fiber gradually, as a high fiber diet could cause GI upset. Also, popcorn and crunchy peanut butter are two good ways to get fiber, especially in reluctant children. Exercise and lots and lots of water are also very important to treat (and prevent) constipation.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.  Celiac patients should worry more about osteoporosis than things like cancer.  5% to 34% of celiac patients have low bone mass, and they have 3.5 times greater risk of fracture than people without celiac disease.  Sometimes it can be hard to get enough calcium and vitamin D, especially since 20-40% of celiacs have lactose intolerance, but it is important to substitute and/or supplement to get enough calcium and vitamin D.

These notes were taken from the GIG handout of Dr. Michelle Pietzak’s talk.

Dr. Megan Tichy

Are any of you confused about the proposed FDA definition of “gluten-free” and what 20 ppm really means?

Megan Tichy, Ph.D., a lecturer from Texas A&M University, and support group leader in Bryan/College Station, was “Making Sense of Science” at the GIG Conference. She has been gracious enough to share her presentation with us. The powerpoint is pretty “sciencey”, but I hope you will come away with some knowledge. If not, we’ll ask Megan.

The important thing to gain from this lesson is that parts per million is a percentage - the quantity of gluten is based on the quantity of the whole product.

Here is a picture of Dr. Tichy, enjoying some peach cobbler at the Saturday night banquet (because, remember, It’s All About Food!).

Thank you, Megan, for sharing this with us!

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This presentation is the property of GIG. It may not be reproduced or distributed by anyone outside of the Gluten Intolerance Group.

gig-talk-tichy

Dental Cleaning

I just wanted to tell you about something I learned this morning during my dental cleaning.  I had been telling the hygienist that I haven’t been able to wear my night guard (that I got about the same time as I got pregnant) because I’ve been sick the whole time.  So when it was time to polish my teeth, instead of using that icky gritty polishing paste (which sometimes may have gluten, but they’ve checked on theirs), she got a paste-free polishing cup, that has the abrasiveness built right in.  (She didn’t want me gagging on her, lol.)

If your dentist can’t find out about gluten status of the polishing paste, or you just think it’s icky, check and see if they have a paste-free polishing cup.

Dr. Cathy Breedon

If you ever get the chance to hear Dr. Breedon speak, do yourself a favor and go listen. Not only is she an excellent speaker and nutritionist, but she is a delightful person and fun to listen to.

“Aunt Cathy” works for MeritCare Medical Center in North Dakota, with a wide variety of nutritional issues. You can access all of her handouts from various workshops and speaking engagements here.

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The handouts she used for the GIG Conference:
My Current Top Five Easy Ways to Improve Your Family’s Nutrition
Thinking About OTHER Nutrition Issues in Celiac Disease

One of the things that Dr. Breedon really stresses is getting enough vitamin D.  Inadequate vitamin D intake can lead to serious consequences like cancer, MS, diabetes, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Please take some time to read those handouts, for your health and the health of your family.

Roben Ryberg - Cheese Crackers

Friday morning, the conference kicked off in full with a large breakfast buffet (I had a breakfast burrito on a teff wrap, and some fresh pineapple). One of the things we decided to do this year was include the vendors in the meals. So after you got your protein and fruit and such, you could wander through the vendors and get all sorts of yummy samples.

One of my favorites was Gluten Free Kneads. At breakfast, they had samples of their pizza crust with some ham and cheese (and maybe something else?) for a breakfast pizza, and had pizza available at lunch (and I know more than a few people who went to this table multiple times for the pizza).

I also made a few trips to see LynnRae Ries at the Gluten-Free Creations table. I may have gotten a little hopped-up on donuts… just a tad.

I made it a point to not try anything I had already had before, because there was lots to try, and lots of good food from the hotel, and I was trying not to upset the baby. Plus, I had very little time with all my duties.

So… You’re waiting to hear more about these cheese crackers that I told you about last week, huh?

Roben spoke on Friday about Demystifying Gluten-Free Baking. She talked about the leavening properties of different flours, and postulated that perhaps we are often using too much flour in our gf baking.

What was I doing during Roben’s talk? Making cheese crackers, of course. (Pictures by Tara!)

One of the very few complaints that I have about the hotel was that they put my cracker dough in the freezer truck for GIG stuff instead of the refrigerator (noble - they didn’t want it to get lost). Unfortunately, that means I had to work very hard to get the dough rolled out. See that white toaster oven - that was my other problem. Roben had picked it up on her way down. While my red toaster oven (an Oster, in case you want to know) was cranking out the crackers in 9 minutes, Roben’s was barely cooking them in 20 (they never did crisp up). I think it was okay in the end, though. I heard lots of compliments about the crackers. (See the color of the dough? If you use a finely shredded cheese, “fancy”, then your dough will be more even colored. If you use a larger shred, “feather”, the you will have spots of cheese like in this picture.)

I also had the cutest helper, Kat, a nine year-old. She’s on the right in this picture.

Roben gave me permission to post the cheese cracker recipe. I hope you all enjoy it!!

From You Won’t Believe It’s Gluten-Free! by Roben Ryberg

Crackers, Cheese

- corn -

These poofy little crackers are rolled and cut. Miniature cookie cutters are available in cooking supply stores if you wish to mimic the tiny crackers loved by children.

Ingredients:

4 ounces cheddar cheese shredded

¼ cup softened butter

¾ cup cornstarch, 95 grams

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon milk

¼ teaspoon xanthan gum

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

Topping:

salt or other dried herbs or spices as desired (I love garlic salt on these!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine all ingredients, except milk, in mixing bowl. Mix until mixture resembles a fine crumb. Add milk and beat well.

On lightly greased surface, pat or roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into ¾ inch squares or other small shape that you like. You can also cut into larger round or square cracker shapes if desired (just extend baking time). (You can use a pizza cutter to cut these out fast!)

Prick tops of crackers with fork and sprinkle lightly with salt or other dried herbs or spices as desired.

Bake until golden brown and crisp, approximately 10 minutes. Crackers will be light and crispy, although barely browning at the edges. The bottom of the cracker will have a bit more color.

Makes approximately 5 dozen small crackers.

Arbonne GF Products

One of the exhibitors this year (at the GIG conference) was a very nice young lady with Arbonne International (skin care, makeup, etc.). Catherine sent me a list of their gluten-free products last night. If you are interested in purchasing some of these products and do not know an Arbonne distributor, feel free to email me (delightfullyglutenfree AT gmail DOT com) and I will send you Catherine’s information (or click on her name to go to her website).

ARBONNE INTERNATIONAL GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS ( 6/12/08 )

About Face Blusher
About Face Brow Wax
About Face Cream Concealer
About Face Eye Pencil
About Face Eye Shadow
About Face Line Defiance Liquid Foundation SPF 15
About Face Lip Pencil
About Face Mineral Foundation SPF 15
About Face Sheer Shine
About Face Translucent Pressed Powder
About Face Wipe Out
Arbonne Baby Care Body Oil
Arbonne Baby Care Herbal Diaper Rash Cream
Arbonne Clear Advantage Acne Lotion
Arbonne Clear Advantage Acne Wash
Arbonne Clear Advantage Refining Toner
Arbonne Intelligence Body Lotion
Arbonne Intelligence Cleansing Gel
Arbonne Intelligence Daily Balancer
Arbonne Intelligence Daily Eye Cream
Arbonne Intelligence Daily Moisturizing Cream, Day & Night
Arbonne Intelligence Hand Cream
Arbonne Intelligence Skin Conditioning Oil
ASN HYBRIDS - Daily Nutritional Chews for Teens
ASN HYBRIDS - Daily Powder Punch for Kids
Awaken Sea Salt Scrub 16 oz.
Bio-Nutria® Herbal Colon Cleanse
Bio-Nutria® Herbal Muscle Massage Gel
Bio-Nutria® Joint Formula
BodyBetter™ Body Cream
EyeQ™ Cream Eye Shadow
f.y.i. Arbonne™ Secret Crush Color Palette
Figure 8 Vanish™ Pre-Shower Cellulite Scrub
Figure 8 Vanish™ Water Relief Treatment Serum
Figure 8® Daily Detox Tea
Get Well Soon Dietary Supplement
GetEven™ Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15
Go Easy! Protein Shake with INNER G-PLEX - Chocolate
Go Easy! Protein Shake with INNER G-PLEX - Vanilla
Go Easy! Protein Shake with INNER G-PLEX® — Chai Latte
Going, Going, Gone! Dietary Supplement
Heart Formula
Herbal Lip Ointment
Herbal Vapor Rub
Herbal Vapor Soak
ItShines™ Lip Gloss
Leg Vein Formula
Lip Saver, SPF 30
Lip Service Dietary Supplement
No Sun Intended, Bronzing Powder
NRGGO3 Fizzing Beverage Tablet
NutriMenC™ RE9 REsurface Shave Gel
NutriMinC® RE9® REgain Illuminating Enzyme Peel
NutriMinC® RE9® REtaliate Wrinkle Filler
On the Go Weight Loss Chews, Peanut Butter
On the Go! Weight Loss Chews - Berry Burst
On The Go! Weight Loss Chews - Chocolate
On The Go! Weight Loss Chews, Creamy Caramel
PersonalSpace™ Spray Fragrance
SeaSource Detox Spa™ 5-in-1 Essential Massage Oil
SeaSource Detox Spa™ 7-Day Body Cleanse
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Detoxifying Rescue Wash
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Foaming Sea Salt Scrub
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Fortifying Hair Mask
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Purifying Sea Soak
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Re-Mineralizing Body Lotion 24H
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Renewing Body Gelée
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Sea Mud Face & Body Mask
SugarSlush Body Scrub
Translucent Loose Powder
Unwind Bath Salts
Unwind Massage Oil
Virtual Illusion™ Dual Volume Mascara
Virtual Illusion™ Eye Definer
Virtual Illusion™ Lash Enhancer
Virtual Illusion™ Lip Definer
Virtual Illusion™ Makeup Primer

Leadership Day - Thursday

Thursday was the leadership portion of the conference. We started out the day in a very yummy way.

Our breakfast menu:
GF breakfast breads (The Craving Place and Gluten Evolutions)
Assorted Juices and Fresh Fruit
Yogurts
Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Strawberry Sauce (Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix)
Scrambled Eggs (no fillers or milk)
Bacon
Starbucks Coffee/Decaf & Republic of Tea hot teas
Soy Milk (Zensoy)

What a great way to start off your morning, huh?

After that, I learned way more than I ever wanted to know about taxes for a 501(c)(3). Thank goodness I’m not the treasurer, lol.

And lunch, you ask?

We started out with a beautifully arranged fruit platter. I’ve decided star fruit is nice to look at, but not to eat.

Then we had a Chairman’s Platter (tossed greens, cucumber, tomatoes, grilled chicken breast, roast tenderloin, & Chardonnay poached shrimp finished with thyme-raspberry dressing). Just prior to lunch, someone from the kitchen came out and showed us some bottles of Walden Farms salad dressing that they had in the kitchen, so we also had some ranch and Caesar dressing. That roll is from Rich’s/French Meadow, and it was wonderful (too bad they are only sold to institutions - I think we need to send them tons of emails).

Betty will probably kill me for this picture, but it is too funny to not post. We had a lot of swapping going on at our table - shrimp, beef, chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers - they moved around. Well David, Linda, and Holly all gave Betty their shrimp. Enough’s enough, right?

The hotel made a wonderful rice pudding for us.

I also got to try some Zensoy pudding. I thought it was pretty good. I really liked that it was not super-sweet, as some puddings tend to be.

One of the great things about the leadership day is we get updated on the GIG programs, like the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) and the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP). Did you know that there are over 1300 restaurants that are now part of GFRAP? How cool is that?

My favorite part of the leadership day meetings is sharing with the other branch leaders what we do in our branches that is successful, and helping out the branches who fell less-successful in a certain area. Unfortunately, this meant I had to stand in front of everyone and talk for a little while (something I hate doing). I was a little frustrated that Bob (GIG Board President) was in the back making fun of me the whole time. But I know he loves me, lol.

The absolute best part of the leadership day is the dinner, when we all kick back, relax, and have a lot of fun getting to know each other better. This year, the dinner was hosted by Claudia Pillow at her lovely home. Claudia and her sister, Annalise Roberts, spent days preparing the feast - I can’t even tell you all the food we had (I loved the beef tenderloin the best!). I didn’t get my camera out fast enough for dinner, but I managed to snag some great dessert photos. And since this conference was “All About Food”, I decided I needed pictures of people enjoying the food. (I think the dessert recipes are all in Annalise’s cookbook, Gluten-Free Baking Classics.)

Claudia Pillow

Her sister, Annalise Roberts

Chocolate cupcakes

Madelyn, branch leader from Virginia, with chocolate cupcake - mmmm

Coconut cupcakes

Chocolate chip cookies

Lemon cupcakes

Lemon cupcake texture (yes, that is my half-eaten cupcake)

Madelyn with a lemon cupcake

Holly, NTXGIG’s kids’ leader, with a whole plateful of cupcakes

Tara and I goofing off for the camera

Nancy (GIG Office Manager) and Carol (branch leader from Georgia)

Chocolate drizzled strawberries

Our fearless leader, Cynthia Kupper, with icing on her nose (she is hilarious!)

The Sangria Guy and Steve Rice of Authentic Foods

Cheers!

Cupcake shots!

After all that fun, I bet you all want to run out and start a GIG branch. Maybe I’ll see you in Seattle next year!

What A Support Group Is Really About

Meetings and food tastings are pretty important to many Celiacs. But yesterday, I found something far more important.

In our area, a 2 year old was very recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Her mother would have come to the conference, except the little girl was having her 6th surgery on Friday. CD is not her first major diagnosis, it’s her 6th. Already, you can see this is a harder situation than most of us have been in.

To complicate matters even more for this mother, she is single, with 5 kids (4 of them ages 1, 2, 3, and 4), and on food stamps because she can’t work and her ex-husband has nothing to do with them.

Enter the support group.

At the end of the conference, I make it my business to get productd and samples from the vendors, for the sole purpose of taking them to my support group, and using them in tastings and raffles. But yesterday, I was able to take 2 crates of food to this woman (along with a cookbook). I don’t think I can fully understand how grateful she was.

Thank you to Gifts of Nature, Glutino, Food Tek, and Schär Products for helping this woman and her family out in their time of need.

Volunteers Galore

Have you ever read the children’s book Pigs A Plenty, Pigs Galore? There were a lot of pigs in that book.

For this conference, we had volunteers a plenty, volunteers galore. That’s one of the main reasons that we were able to pull it off so smoothly, and have such a wonderful conference.

Wednesday afternoon, we had a room full of volunteers, packing the attendee’s bags, preparing the silent auction items, and doing hundreds of other things. Registration badges and meal tickets had to be prepared, along with getting ready for the leadership day on Thursday. We had a few glitches, but it all worked out in the end.

After working hard, a large group of us went to dinner at Rio Mambo. Rio Mambo has 3 locations in Texas, and has worked to prepare a gluten-free menu. Best of all - they even have a dedicated fryer for their tortilla chips!  I must admit, I ate 2 whole bowls of salsa (with chips!), I was so excited. I also had the best chicken I’ve had in a long time, with a chipotle sauce and Monterey jack cheese. Oh, so good. I can guarantee I will be taking my family there soon.

From my heart, and on behalf of North Texas GIG, GIG National, and probably everyone who attended the conference, I would like to send out an enormous THANK YOU to all who volunteered at the conference, the locals and those who just chose to jump in and help.  We couldn’t have done it without you.

I would also like to send a big THANKS! to Cynthia Kupper (national director) and Nancy Kloberdanz (volunteer extraordinaire who manages the GIG office), for all the time and effort they put into supporting those of us with Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance, and helping us become better educated on our health and diet.  We all live better for the work that you do.