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Ep 161 A Child Diagnosis Story
A Conversation with Lisa Rigney
Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –
We’ve spoken before about some of the differences in the diagnosis of a child as opposed to an adult. On this episode I speak with Lisa Rigney about how her daughter was diagnosed and some of the immediate changes it made to the family dynamic. It’s easy in hindsight to look back and see some symptoms in a child that were clearly missed as the family went about their daily lives. Lisa has recently begun working with the Edmonton Chapter of the CCA and hopes her family’s story will help others on the difficult journey of having a child diagnosed with celiac disease, when neither parent has been diagnosed.
Sue’s Websites and Social Media –
Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com
Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com
Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast
Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA
Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com
Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com
Instagram – @suesgfbaking
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL
Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com
Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com
My Thoughts –
As adults we are very conscious of what is normal and when we need to seek medical assistance. If we’re having more and more urgent bathroom breaks than those around us; if we experience pain from eating that doesn’t seem to effect others; if we get sick more often and don’t get over things like our friends and relatives do – it’s time to seek medical help.
The story is different with children. Many children suffering with the symptoms of celiac disease don’t know any different. They don’t know what it’s like to go through a day without tummy upset. Why would they, they’ve never experienced it.
I remember back to before my diagnosis, and before I knew to have my daughters tested. My oldest was always a whiny child, not fussy, just whiny. She was pleasant in the morning, energetic and enthusiastic. As the day worn on, she became “difficult”, she didn’t want to do anything with the rest of the family, she complained, not about anything in particular, but everything in general. Then, the next morning, she was pleasant and lively again.
I remember she often got ear infections, which required an antibiotic. A couple of the medications didn’t agree with her and caused her to be spending most of her time in the bathroom.
She was also small. Our family is not tall in stature, but she was smaller than any of us.
These are the things I can look back on now, knowing she was diagnosed with celiac disease before her 5th birthday. She was an early talker, and always had lots of words, but she couldn’t tell us that something was wrong, because to her it was normal to feel this way. I, as her parent only thought she was a difficult child, not in the mornings, but as the day went on. I was able to explain away subtle symptoms, that I know now should have raised a bigger red flag.
It wasn’t until I was diagnosed and then had both the girls tested that my oldest came back positive. I didn’t know enough about celiac at the time to put all the pieces together, but now the pieces fit like a puzzle. The celiac diagnosis of a child is rarely straight forward, but it’s a gift. If I hadn’t been diagnosed, I can’t imagine how long she would have gone without having the puzzle pieces connected. I am thankful for my diagnosis, not in small part, because it led to her diagnosis and as time went on, we were both able to get healthy together.
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Ep 259 Gluten Free Baker on Wheels
This is a fun podcast for me. I was introduced to Tanja Blondin by Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com. Tanja and I have much in common, both she and her daughter are celiac and Tanja loves to bake – so much so that after working in restaurants and bakeries for many years, she now has a gluten free baking business. In her vendor trailer, Tanja frequents farmers markets, vendor shows and other outdoor food events to sell her baking. Ellen did a nice piece on her with some great food pictures that you can find here –
You can follow Tanja on Instagram @Bglutenfreevictoria or access her website if you’re local and want to order ahead at https://bglutenfreevictoria.square.site/
Sue’s Websites and Social Media
Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com
Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com
Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com
Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com
Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com
Instagram – @suesgfbaking
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL
Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com
Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com
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Ep 230 August 2022 Roundup
Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –
On this episode I speak with Ellen Bayens about articles, topics and science that has been published over the past month about celiac disease and the gluten free diet. We talk about why a new drug treatment study was abandoned in the Stage 3 phase, as well as research into how science will eventually tackle and treat celiac disease. Artificial intelligence is being prepared to help doctors diagnose celiac disease – with 300 symptoms and normally many years of testing prior to diagnosis, this new tool may change the diagnosis landscape. Mental health is in the news these days, with the stress of covid and the economy, and a recent study has looked at the rates of anxiety, depression and ADHD in the celiac population, particularly in youth. Dr. Diane Mager of the University of Alberta is heading a team researching the specific dietary needs of children newly diagnosed with celiac disease. They are reaching out to the community for participation in two studies, one for children and families and the other to find family friendly recipes to use as part of their resource package. Here are the links to find out more information – https://conquer-studies.weebly.com/ and redcap.link/GFcookbook.
Ellen had the tale of two restaurants, one that had gluten free items on their menu, but they are not actually gluten free and safe for celiacs, and the other restaurant that is going to great lengths to ensure their many gluten free offerings are safe for us.
Selena DeVries is back with her Instagram post about 18 snack bars that are gluten free and safe to eat.
Ellen has highlighted some of my recent podcasts including my chat with Christine Nesbitt as well as the deep dive Nicole Byrom and I took into understanding everything on a food label that wasn’t the ingredients.
• Conquer Celiac Seeking Youth (14+years) for Recipe Ideas Survey
• Phase 3 of Celiac Drug Research Abandoned
• BROWNS SOCIALHOUSE Serves Mixed Message to Celiac Diners
• The Canadian Brewhouse at Uptown Mall OK’d for Celiacs!
• Artificial Intelligence to Help Physicians Diagnose Celiac Disease
• Celiacs Show Higher Rates of Anxiety, Depression and ADHD
• Research Offers Significant Advances in Treatment of Celiac Disease
• Every Day is Celiac Awareness Day on The Celiac Scene!• Label Reading for Celiacs
• Christine Nesbitt Skates Circles Around Celiac Disease
• Celiac Scene News Round UpGLUTEN-FREE WEIGH IN PODCAST with Aaron
• Facing Food as an Addiction
• Bariatric Surgery a Deflating Experience• 18 Gluten-Free Snack Bars
• Tuesdays Instagram Questions & Answers
• Selena’s Symptom Relief Facebook GroupSue’s Websites and Social Media –
Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com
Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com
Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com
Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com
Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com
Instagram – @suesgfbaking
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL
Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com
Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com
My Thoughts –
It felt very strange to chat with Ellen about slowing down my podcasting schedule over the summer. With two podcasts being produced every week, I spend a great deal of time setting up conversations, editing, and writing the show notes. I can arrange my schedule to accommodate most circumstances, but when I’m stressed to pin down a guest whom I have communicated with, then at the last minute, they must change the date, that throws everything in flux. I’m fortunate to have many good friends in the gluten free community with an online presence, who are willing and able to step into the fray at the last minute with interesting thoughts and resources.
Maybe now, that I’m reflecting on my production schedule, I can share some of the behind-the-scenes functioning that surprised me when I began podcasting. A couple stand out. First, the amount of time it takes to edit a podcast. It’s said you should speak from what you know, and I always thought that the most time-consuming part of a podcast would be the research, but because of my familiarity with the subject matter, research comes easily. The real time drain is in the editing. Normally, depending on the guest and the material covered, it takes 5 – 6 times the finish length to edit the audio tracks of the conversation. That means that a 30-minute conversation will take me 2 ½ to 3 hrs, just to take out the umms, and uhhs, and any mis-speaks or talk-overs. I have to say, I enjoy the editing part. It’s something I can do on my own, to my own standard and all I need is my computer and an electrical plug (it’s an old computer). I’ve edited on a plane, on a train, on a cruise, waiting for a plane, in Florida on holiday and of course from my dining room table overlooking the lake just past my dock.
The second thing I didn’t expect was something that has developed over time. As I’m editing, I realize that some of my guests forget that a wider audience will be listening, and I have to carefully carve out any intimations that may be overly personal. Lately, I’ve left some of those in when I chat with Ellen, but I suppose that after so many episodes, maybe you feel like you know her as well as I do. I remember when I was at college a few years ago, and I was preparing for an assignment to interview someone for the school radio station. Our instructor said that we would know when an interview was going well, if it felt like a conversation between two interested parties. I feel fortunate that after the initial nervousness of my first few episodes, I’ve had over two hundred conversations that felt just like conversations, and the bonus is that I get to share them with you.
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Ep 216 April 2022 Roundup
Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –
On this episode I speak with Ellen Bayens of The Celiac Scene.com about things that have been of interest in the celiac and gluten free world over the past month. Ellen and I have a discussion about bloating – something that was never really a symptom for me, but as a symptom it should be talked about more. Ellen tells us of the recent product recall from Cavendish Farms, along with details of the new non-gluten status of Earth’s Own oat beverage. The website to sign up for product recalls with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is – https://inspection.canada.ca/english/util/listserv/listsube.shtml. We both get wrapped up in a recent episode of Dr. Phil where he talks to a woman who is so fearful of ingesting gluten that she is changing everything to accommodate her fears. Dr. Phil gives us some valid information on how to evaluate a fear like this. Ellen found the evaluation criteria transposed well to help her in another area of her life.
Ellen gives me her thoughts on a few of my recent podcast conversations including Dr. Melissa Ing, The Allergy Chef and Adam, who is Deanna’s boyfriend. We also talk about how honest Aaron is on my Gluten Free Weigh In podcast after he was recently “glutened”.
We round out our discussion with Selena’s 15 Gluten Free Finds from Costco and my review of a recent online cooking class I participated in with Cinde, the Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet.
• Did You Keep Bloating a Secret? You’re Not Alone!
• Class 1 Food Recall Cavendish Farms Classic Hash Brown Patties & Potato Patties
• Beware: Earth’s Own Products (with gluten) Now Arriving at Coffee Shops
• Celiac Frozen with Fear Meets with Dr. Phil• Interview with Dr. Melissa Ing, Dental Educator – Ep 213
• Interview with The Allergy Chef – Ep 214• Adam – Dating a Celiac – Ep 215
GLUTEN-FREE WEIGH IN PODCAST with Aaron
• Bariatric Surgery Prep Leads to Surprise Diagnosis with Celiac Disease
• Preparing for Bariatric Weight-Loss Surgery• 15 Gluten-Free Finds at Costco
GLUTEN FREE RECIPES & ONLINE CLASSES
• Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet Zoom Class Calendar- $30/kitchen for most classes. Invite friends & family
- March 23 | Beautiful Buttermilk Biscuits
- April 2| Yeast Bread Series – Pizza
- April 9 | Understanding Gluten Free Flour
- April 27: Homemade Pasta
- May 6 – Master Gluten Free Pastry
Sue’s Websites and Social Media –
Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com
Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com
Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com
Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com
Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com
Instagram – @suesgfbaking
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL
Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com
Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com
My Thoughts –
I have to admit, when I saw the program notes for the recent Dr. Phil show, I just had to record it. I also texted Ellen, so she wouldn’t miss it. I’m not sure I knew what to expect. I’ve met lots of people on a broad scale of their fear of ingesting gluten. Some people have more dramatic digestive reactions, so I had always put the level of “fear” down to that.
For me, I suppose I was most fearful at first when I was learning how to read labels and what questions to ask in a restaurant. Over the years, knowledge has alleviated most of my fear, although I can certainly relate to some of the behaviours mentioned on the show, like not trying a new food if I had a demanding social situation coming up in the next day or so.
I thought the comment about OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) from Dr. Phil was a good one, as it often felt to me like I was going through some sort of ritual with my food handling (separating the gluten from the gluten free, having my separate toaster, never re-using a plate or cutlery). The reality is that none of these behaviours are obsessive in my mind. They are just the series of checks that must be done to ensure a food is gluten free and safe.
I have to think that some of the behaviours mentioned involve control. The guest wanted to ensure she was always in control of any food she came into contact with. Some of her methods are a bit extreme and not very rational, but the idea of being in control of your food is definitely something we, as requiring a gluten free diet should strive for. Hopefully, we can all learn something from how these behaviours were presented and allow us to evaluate how rational our own behaviours are.
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Ep 204 January 2022 Roundup
Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –
It’s not only the beginning of a new month, it’s the beginning of a new year. What better way to start the year than an engaging conversation with Ellen Bayens of www.theceliacscene.com. Ellen and I discussed two recent studies –
Celiacs Infected with COVID-19 at No Greater Risk of Complications
Are Celiac Disease & Inflammatory Bowel Disease Linked?
Ellen posed a question regarding the holidays to her Facebook group –
We talked about Stella’s Perogies being available at Walmart in Canada – bit.ly/StellasGFPerogies
For more information on the restaurant we spoke about that was wrongly claiming to be endorsed by Ellen and The Celiac Scene, please see the Facebook post at – https://www.facebook.com/theceliacscene/posts/10161448068918012
You can listen to Aaron’s recent episode 169 of Gluten Free Weigh In on any podcast app or on the podcast website – glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com
I spoke about the new blue adult wristbands soon to be available on the website www.celiackidstuff.com.
Sue’s Websites and Social Media –
Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com
Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com
Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com
Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com
Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com
Instagram – @suesgfbaking
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL
Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com
Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com
My Thoughts –
I’m not sure there is much more to say about the recent holidays, except that I’m glad it’s over. This may sound negative and harsh, but for those of us on a gluten free diet, it is a complicated time.
In my household, there’s no question that everything for the holidays and family consumption is gluten free and for the most part made from scratch. I suppose I have it easy. Some would say, I set myself up with too much work preparing everything gluten free for everyone, but it doesn’t even occur to me to have two separate dishes/cookies/snacks – one gluten free and one with gluten.
I’ve been making my gluten free pastry for more than 20 years. I’ve been making tourtiere pies for even longer. It doesn’t even occur to me to make my pie filling and put it in “gluten” crusts for my wheat eating friends. My recent delivery of mincemeat pies to my father (not celiac) were gluten free. It didn’t dawn on me that they were “special” until he told me about sharing one with a woman who is celiac living in the same residence.
Holidays, of any sort, normally have special foods and often require baking of family favourites. I can’t think of any family favourites that I haven’t successfully converted to gluten free. The old gluten recipes are, I’m sure, still in my Mom’s stacks of recipes held together with rubber bands. I suppose I’ll see that my gluten eating daughter, or my nieces get those recipes. For my family, I’ve made new traditions and they are all gluten free. Just like you might remember the special taste of your family favourites, it would be odd for any of us to have gluten in our special holiday meals again. Let’s just say, Family and Friends are welcome at our holiday table, but gluten is not invited.
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Ep 201 December 2021 Roundup
Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –
It’s the beginning of the month, and that means I get to talk with my friend Ellen Bayens about the topics, studies and interesting articles regarding celiac disease and the gluten free diet featured on her website. For more information visit theceliacscene.com and sign up for Ellen’s monthly newsletter.
1900 Gluten-Free Families Care & Share in Private Group – Ask to Join
Migraines More Common Amongst Celiacs
New Research Identifies Who Should be Offered Testing for Celiac Disease
Gluten-Free Hazelnut Torte Taking Costco Shoppers by Storm!• Join Selena for Instagram Questions & Answer Sessions every Tuesday
• Join Selena’s Symptom Relief Facebook Group• Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet Virtual Class Calendar
• Purchase a Gift Certificate for a Gluten-Free Cooking Class!GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS & SERVICES • Order Your Basket of Beautiful Wise Bites’ Baking
• Cocoabeans Gourmet Gluten-Free Mixes – Now Available Online!Sue’s Websites and Social Media –
Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com
Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com
Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com
Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com
Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com
Instagram – @suesgfbaking
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL
Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com
Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com
My Thoughts –
Those of us living in Ontario have something to celebrate. The CCA has worked hard for many years to educate the powers that be in the Ontario government regarding the coverage of celiac screening tests. Ontario is the only province in Canada that does not cover the costs of the accepted blood testing for celiac disease. There have always been exceptions to this rule, and they mostly included testing done from a hospital emergency department and some other hospital services.
The result of not covering the costs of celiac testing in Ontario was that doctors legitimately saw the celiac bloodwork as something out of the ordinary, and even if they suspected celiac in an initial consultation with a patient, more likely than not, the physician would send the patient for a series of other tests covered by OHIP, before going outside of that bubble with uncovered bloodwork. To add to this, was the discussion the doctor would have with the patient about the cost of the test. Maybe to some it wouldn’t be a problem, maybe some had private insurance that covered it, but there would always be some patients who would turn down the test, because they simply couldn’t afford it. Clearly this put the physician in a difficult situation, and creates a difficult path to diagnosis.
Currently, there is a six-month pilot program underway in Ontario to cover the cost of celiac testing. Our job, as those in the know about celiac testing, is to encourage anyone in Ontario who may require celiac bloodwork, or someone in a family who opts for periodic testing because of a higher risk.
To this point, with me and my oldest daughter diagnosed, my younger daughter is tested periodically. She was due for a re-test. A recent doctor visit highlighted the difficulty the government has in getting their message out. My daughter went armed with both the CCA website description of the new Ontario testing policy, along with the bulletin link provided on the CCA webpage. The doctor did take the time to read the information and was able to write the test requisition – phew! The blood test appointment has been made, so we’ll wait and see – oh yes, and she will be eating lots of gluten prior to the test, as I always inform others to do.
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Ep 197 November 2021 Roundup
Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –
It’s the beginning of the month, which means I have the pleasure of chatting with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com. Here’s some of the topics we covered –
There has been very positive feedback on the stickers and wristbands available through www.celiackidstuff.com.
The 200th episode of the podcast is coming up, and we’re turning the tables, so Ellen is asking me questions. You can send your questions, or videos (we’ll only use the audio) to ellen@theceliacscene.com.
We shine a light on a gluten free bakery in Winnipeg calls Cocoabeans. They have recently released four mixes that you can easily make at home – there’s even videos for any of you who might be baking novices. Introducing Cocoabeans Gourmet Gluten-Free Mixes
The Canadian Celiac Association is hosting another great virtual conference this year on November 13th and 14th. The 13th (Saturday) is aimed towards those who have been diagnosed less than two years, whereas the program on the 14th (Sunday) is more indepth for those who have been gluten free for more than two years (anyone can sign up for either). The conference is free of charge, but you are asked to give a contribution towards costs if you can.
If you are new to gluten free, or need a refresher, Cinde Little, the Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet has a new course called Healthy Me focusing on managing a healthy gluten free lifestyle. Find out more at New to Gluten Free?
Ellen talks about a food labelling study looking at accuracy regarding allergens Accuracy in Food Labelling a Concern for the Allergic and a study that looks at issues celiacs encounter while dating Celiacs Who Date Report Anxiety and Admit to Taking Risks When Dining Out
I mention a little bit about my new co-host on my other podcast Gluten Free Weigh In . In early December I will be introducing a male co-host who has just been diagnosed with celiac disease and is involved in a program awaiting bariatric surgery. His story will be so interesting.
As well, Ellen and I talk about restaurants – some on her list are –
• Suggestions Pour in for Celiac-Safe Sushi Restaurants in Victoria • More Sushi!
• Bare Bones Fish & Chips Taking Bookings for Christmas
• Art of Slow Food Opens 100% Cafe & Bakery
• El Faro Fusion for Dining, Shopping and Special Orders
• Join Six Mile Pub for a Gluten-Free Christmas
• Vancouver Island Safe Fries UPDATE: Onion Rings, Fish & Chips & Deep-Fried S’moresAlong with upcoming baking classes and events –
• Candied Sweet & Sour Pumpkin Seeds
• Real Food Corn Thins November Recipe Ideas• Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet Virtual Class Calendar • Priced per household – invite your friends & family!
- November 3 – Gluten Free Biscuits
- November 6 – Master Gluten Free Pastry
- November 24 – Shortbread & Gingerbread Cookies
- Coming soon! December 8 – KIDS CLASS – Cookie Decorating Party
- Purchase a Gift Certificate for a Gluten-Free Cooking Class!
Sue’s Websites and Social Media –
Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com
Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com
Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com
Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com
Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com
Instagram – @suesgfbaking
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL
Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com
Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com
My Thoughts –
I’m a baker, Ellen is clearly not a baker. Let me make the distinction between a baker and a cook. A cook prepares meals, all sorts of meals using proteins, vegetables, herbs and spices. A baker prepares breads and desserts and only limited cross-over meals, like pizza. I do not consider myself a very good cook. I can get by and feed my family a variety of nutritious meals, but nothing that requires much skill.
One major difference between cooking and baking is with cooking you can vary recipes to your tastes, make little changes and come out with something unique for yourself and your family. With baking, you pretty much have to stick to a recipe – especially with gluten free! Baking is a chemical equation, and depends on the relative amounts of different ingredients to give a desired texture, look and mouthfeel, regardless of the taste profile. In other words, you must stick closely to a formula in baking.
When I looked at the recipe videos for Cocoabeans Gourmet Gluten Free Mixes out of Winnipeg that utilize tried and true formulations from their bakery, I was drawn back a few years.
I suspect Cocoabeans and I were in similar situations. When I started my bakery, I initially took my home kitchen recipes and expanded them to make much larger volumes. Sometimes expanding a recipe leads to tweeks in the actual recipe to take advantage of scale (if you need 2 tbsp less than one lb of butter, maybe it’s easier to make the other ingredients up, so you use the whole pound). For me and my staff in the bakery, we had a great efficient system with our recipes and mostly used weights in grams instead of volume measurements.
Once the bakery closed, I put the recipes aside for about a year, until I came to an agreement with our local cable channel to produce a gluten free baking show. What an amazing experience. The most difficult challenge was scaling my recipes down to home kitchen size again after making large quantities for many years. It’s a good think I like math, because there’s lots involved in scaling recipes, both up and down. You also need a good knowledge of baking measurements i.e. 1 tsp = 5 ml, there are 4 tbsp in ¼ cup etc. My challenge was to not only scale back the recipes, but test them – this part was fun!
Recently, in some consulting work I do on gluten free recipe development, I was asked to take recipe that I’d developed, using the client’s ingredient and scale it to a sample size mix. Sounds easy, but when you get right down to it, it’s hard to use 2/3 of an egg.
I’m not sure if it’s a flaw, or maybe a happy quirk, but scaling recipes for me is fun! I can only imagine the work, testing and frustration that went into developing the Cocoabeans mixes. The videos are proof that all the work is worth it! You can find out more about my recipes and baking shows at www.suesglutenfreebaking.com.
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Ep 184 August 2021 Roundup
A Conversation with Ellen Bayens
Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –
I look forward to chatting with Ellen Bayens of www.theceliacscene.com at the beginning of every month to get caught up on celiac and gluten free news that has come to light over the past few weeks. On this episode, Ellen and I speak about a press release from the UK regarding the price increase of rice flour and how it might affect gluten free food producers. Ellen also tells us a diagnosis story from a family with a young daughter which highlights many of the frustrations felt by families with a sick child. Both Ellen and I are excited to talk about a new venture we’ve started to support celiac kids and their families. Our website www.celiackidstuff.com has begun selling stickers and wristbands that let kids tell everyone around them that they are special, they are celiac, and they need to eat a gluten free diet. The stickers and wristbands are aimed at kids from ages 4-12, as well as special stickers for caregivers to use when sending food to school or get togethers. On a similar, but different note, Ellen and I speak about restaurants in her area. There seems to be abundance of places to get gluten free fish and chips, or maybe I noticed this because its such a treat for me, and hopefully, other celiacs as well. Ellen mentions a very clean brand of jerky that is well labelled gluten free and free from other additives. Also, if you are in the Victoria area, we identify a discount you can get, just for mentioning www.theceliacscene.com.
Soaring Cost of Gluten-Free Ingredients Could Trigger Price Hikes
Another Cautionary Tale of a Child’s Delayed Celiac Disease Diagnosis
Celiac Kid Stuff – stickers and wristbands www.celiackidstuff.com
Introducing 100% Gluten-Free Bare Bones Fish & Chips in Port Alberni
900 Degrees Wood-Fired Pizza Flips to Gluten Free!
Pirate Chips Every Day – All You Can Eat
Rock Cod Cafe Now Almost 100% Gluten Free!
NEW! Introducing Country Prime Meat Snacks
Sue’s Websites and Social Media –
Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com
Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com
Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast
Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA
Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com
Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com
Instagram – @suesgfbaking
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL
Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com
Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com
My Thoughts –
Okay, I can’t help myself but to be excited about launching our new website www.celiackidstuff.com, in an effort to equip kids and their parents with the tools they need for the kids to go out into the world and back to school.
I remember years ago, when I hosted a week of summer sleep away camp for celiac kids here in Ontario, we spent some time talking about what it was like to be a kid with celiac disease. One thing that keep coming up was something even adults find draining – having to explain that you can’t eat gluten, what it is and why.
Most kids learn quickly that their foods can be different from their friends, and over time, they are able to articulate that. For the most part, young children, don’t realize that all adults who offer them food don’t actually understand their special needs.
The camp kids said social situations were the worst. Having to single yourself out when all you want to do is fit in. As adults this can be difficult, but for a child it can be devastating.
We made the stickers and bracelets cool, so that kids would be proud to use and wear them. Each child has a unique identity, and the stickers and bracelets help children feel more confident about their differences.
We decided to make the bracelets in green and purple. I was thinking one of those colours would likely appeal to any child. I was surprised to see that kids want both, and even want to wear them at the same time! I think that’s great!
If you have a celiac child, or know a family with a celiac child, please tell them about this new resource. Thanks!
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Ep 140 Expand Your Horizons II Virtual Conference
Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –
On this episode I’m thrilled to bring you information on Part II of the Canadian Celiac Association Conference – Expand Your Horizons II. Mark Johnson and I go over the conference schedule to highlight both the speakers and the topics. The conference is live on November 15th starting at 12 noon eastern time. Registration is limited to 1,000 participants. There is no charge, but if you can, you are asked to make a donation to cover some of the costs. You can find out more and link to register at www.ccaconference.ca.
Sue’s Websites and Social Media –
Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com
Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com
Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast
Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA
Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com
Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com
Instagram – @suesgfbaking
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL
Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com
Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com
My Thoughts –
Recently, I heard someone comment on how much has changed with regard to our access to information. She was talking about how to look up and reference medical studies. She mentioned that as little as 25 years ago, scientific and medical information was kept in universities world-wide and not available to the general public.
Nowadays, medical journals, studies and comprehensive information on all sorts of medical conditions can be found online. I recently brought my elderly uncle to our local non-urgent care hospital, which routinely hosts student doctors from Queen’s University. After the student doctor met with my uncle to start the diagnosis, she left to prepare her presentation to the attending physician. I went into the hallway to make a phone call and noticed the student doctor looking up pictures similar to his condition online. Seems like everyone is relying on our new-found wealth of easily accessible medical information.
Likewise, a virtual conference including 1,000 participants listening live to presentations from international experts was unheard of even 15 years ago.
We are fortunate to live in a time when technology can deliver trusted medical information to us, information we can research ourselves, and information we can use to improve our lives. I encourage you to register for the conference in November. You’ll be part of something big.