Archives for May 2012

The Amazing Benefits of Coconut Milk

Are you Dairy free?

Many of us who are Celiac or gluten intolerant are also allergic to Dairy.

Lucky for us, there are a number of dairy-free alternatives on the market for our morning cereal, including almond or rice milk, soy or even hemp milk.

But when I want something rich and creamy to replace the cream in a recipe, nothing satisfies quite like coconut milk.

I’ve been craving some of this amazing Avocado Pudding recently.

The other day, as I grabbed an avocado from the fridge, I spotted a jar of leftover Coconut Cream – and suddenly had an epiphany.

What if I added some coconut cream to the original recipe?

I imagined something even more decadent, rich and creamy, a sort of chocolate mousse with a twist.

Coconut cream, by the way, refers to the thick layer of solids you find at the top of a can of coconut milk.

For this particular recipe, the full fat variety is best – especially since it yields a generous amount of coconut cream.

In other words, when you open a can of Lite Coconut Milk, there will be some cream on top, but not nearly as much.

Of course, once you’ve scooped out the cream, the remaining liquid in the can will be thinned out and less flavorful – but still perfect for smoothies.

Coconut milk is also ideal for cream-based soups.

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Welcome To National Celiac Awareness Month

Here we are halfway into May and I have yet to mention that it is National Celiac Awareness Month.

So today, I’m making a point of spreading the word.

The fact that it is National Celiac Awareness Month is a big deal for anyone in the Celiac and gluten-free community.

The reason why is simple – the intense focus helps to bring awareness to a good Cause.

The folks at the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness have come up with theme for this years’ campaign:  Keep It Simple and Safe – or K.I.S.S.

Hence their slogan “Whether you fear the kitchen or avoid dining out, prepare to KISS those concerns good-bye”.

I love that!

For the entire month of May, a total of 16 bloggers are offering advice on living gluten-free – with the goal of helping others on the journey.

Whether you are new to the Gluten-free lifestyle or an acknowledged veteran, there is something here for everyone.

In other news, Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bread has a “Spread the Bread” awareness campaign.

By clicking on this link, you can receive a $1 coupon, good toward a loaf of gluten-free bread. All they ask in return is that you support other partners in the gluten free community.

That’s a win-win solution!

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How To Get The Support You Need

Last weekend, I attended a cooking class titled “Eating Around the Top 8 Allergens”.

In case you’re not familiar, the usual list typically includes the following:

Wheat                                      Dairy

Eggs                                        Peanuts

Soy                                          Tree Nuts

Fish                                         Shellfish

Sometimes – depending on the source – you will see foods like Corn on the list, as well.

Notice how every single one of these foods – with the exception perhaps of Fish & Shellfish – is pervasive in our diets.

We’re not always aware of this, until the day we are told to no longer eat Gluten or Dairy.

Then we find out that ingredient is seemingly in everything!

So, the goal of this class – according to the description – was to “demystify food allergies and introduce us to a world  of delicious, non-allergenic foods.”

It didn’t matter whether you were recently diagnosed, or living with allergies for awhile.

I fell into the latter category, of course, and was struck by two things during the two and a half hours I spent in the classroom.

 

There are Always Fabulous New Ideas and Solutions.

Yes, even when you’re feeling down in the dumps, and possibly deprived as a result of your food restrictions – there are always new possibilities just around the corner.

As long as you are open-minded, you will not only glean new ideas, but most likely discover new foods that you may or may not have know existed.

You might even find that certain foods you disdained in the past can be quite delicious when properly prepared.

All this is to say:

 

There Is Strength in the Classroom

Misery loves company, as the saying goes.

But when you surround yourself with people who are in the same boat you are, you will be a lot less miserable.

That is why I encourage you to seek out local support groups, and even attend a class or two that is focused on dealing with food allergies.

Our local co-op even holds store tours for those on the Gluten-Free diet – so you never know what resources might be available to you in your area.

Personally, I love the synergy from being among a like-minded group of people who have similar needs.

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Dreams vs. Reality

For the Celiac and food allergic among us, a luscious buffet such as the one pictured at left, is enough to give us a panic attack.

We are suddenly on high alert, as we try to determine what harmful ingredients might be hiding in any given dish.

Is an item breaded?

If so, what kind of flour was used for the breading?

What is in the sauce? Are those rice crackers or something else?

Is anything seasoned with soy sauce?

Was the food prepared with butter or eggs?

The accidental ingestion of a forbidden food is one of our worst nightmares.

Who would have thought that everything could look so tempting, yet be off-limits at the same time?

And so it came to pass that I allowed myself to dream lately.

A few weeks ago, I subjected myself to another food allergy test.

The reason was in part experimental – really just to see if my body was in fact healing, due to some of the mindful practices I’ve engaged in over the past six months.

It took about three weeks for the test results to come back, and during that time I allowed myself to dream.

“What if?” I asked myself.

What if I could eat eggs again, and a few other foods I’d been craving? At first, I envisioned things like fluffy omelets, and soufflés.

Then I allowed myself to dream of baking with the addition of eggs, and suddenly it was like a whole new world opened up to me.

Visions of healthy breads and muffins, and light-as-air meringue literally made my mouth water.

So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when the test results came back and clearly showed absolutely no reaction to eggs, whatsoever.

I saw the same amazing results with dairy and some other allergens, as well.

Did this mean I was cured?!

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