A Canadian Celiac Blog

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

The Canadian Celiac Association has once again produced a Holiday Guide with great recipes and tips to help us cope with our festive holidays in a Gluten Free safe way.  Nicole Byrom RD, from the CCA goes through the different articles in the guide and I’m able to tease out a little information from each section.  If you are not already on the CCA mailing list, you can download a copy of the guide at – celiac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021-CCA-Holiday-Guide.pdf

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 –

This is now our second December and Holiday Season living under the dark veil of the Covid-19 pandemic.  If you’re anything like me, you’ve said to yourself at least a few times – “I already have celiac disease, and now this!”  I cope well with the gluten free diet, but there are times when it feels like a burden.  For most, those feelings lessen as they get more established with the diet.

Then come the Holidays when family and friends get together, to share good times and familiar foods.  The good times, I’m fine with, but the familiar foods take a great deal of work to ensure safety.  In my family, I’m not the only celiac, and for the most part everyone is on board with our needs.  There will always be times when I feel like an island, all alone in my diagnosis, asking far too many questions about food.

As I said, I’m a well-adjusted celiac, but some situations are isolating.  That brings me back to the pandemic (everything seems to these days).  At the start of the pandemic we were all just learning about transmission and testing and masks and positivity rate, but there was a sense that we were all in this together.  Politicians and health care leaders took up this slogan and tried to impress on everyone to do their part. 

A newly diagnosed celiac can learn from great resources like the Canadian Celiac Association.  It’s a steep learning curve, but slowly, we all climb the hill of knowledge.  The more difficult sentiment to instill is the “we’re all in this together” belief.  You may have other family members who are celiac and you can literally stick together to support one another, or you may not know other celiacs, or just have them as acquaintances.  The CCA has, for many years, taken on the task of trying to unite celiacs around common issues, and one great way to do that is the Holiday Guide.  The CCA has been sending out a holiday guide for as long as I can remember.  There was always valuable information in the guide, but more importantly, it made me realize I was not going through these difficult social situations alone.  If nothing else, the annual Holiday Guide lets us take comfort in the fact that “we’re all in this together”.

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.

NEWS FROM THE CELIAC SCENE

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!

SELENA’S CORNER

• Join Selena for Instagram Questions & Answer Sessions every Tuesday
• Join Selena’s Symptom Relief Facebook Group

GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES

• 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.

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

It’s finally here – Episode 200 of the Podcast.  As promised, I have handed over the podcast to Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com to ask me questions, which I didn’t know in advance.  This is by far the longest episode of the A Canadian Celiac Podcast.  Ellen went out of her way to contact many interesting guests from past episodes to solicit questions and comments.  I am humbled by their input and Ellen’s efforts. Thank You to all who participated.

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 –

At over two hours, I’m all talked out – you have all my thoughts.  The only other thing I want to say is THANK YOU to my listeners.  A podcast isn’t worth the effort if you’re not listening.  Thank you for making my efforts worthwhile.

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

On this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Taleen Benson blogger and cookbook author.  Taleen started her blog after her husband was diagnosed with a condition that required a gluten free, egg free diet.  Taleen has a loyal following for her blog called “Just As Tasty”, and she was encouraged to write a cookbook of gluten free, egg free recipes.  The book, called “Just as Tasty, Gluten-free and Eggless Baking Through the Seasons” is available for purchase on Amazon.  Taleen explained the process of writing her own cookbook as well as having it available with Amazon print on demand.  She was kind enough to send along her recipe for Molasses Cookies

Makes about 18 cookies

1 ¾ cups (259g) gluten-free flour blend

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature

⅔ cup (133g) light brown sugar, packed

⅓ cup (113g) unsulphured molasses

1 tablespoon Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer, mixed with 2 tbsp water

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, for rolling

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt together. Set aside. 
3. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the brown sugar until smooth. Add the molasses, prepared egg replacer, and vanilla extract and beat to incorporate. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. 
4. Roll balls of cookie dough, measuring about 1 tablespoon per cookie, then roll in the granulated sugar. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Use your hand to press down on each one to flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for at least 10 minutes before removing. 

Notes:  Once mixed with water, the egg replacer must sit for 1 minute to thicken. If you are not looking to replace eggs, you should be able to use 1 egg instead of the egg replacer.

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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 –

Most people have never contemplated writing a cookbook.  Getting a publisher, signing a contract, committing to deadlines, working with editors to choose the photos and layout of the content – it all seems like so much work.  Yes, money can be made by the author and publisher, depending on the popularity of sales, which depends on many variables and a great deal of effort on everyone’s part. 

There has always been an option to self-publish a cookbook.  Many of us are familiar with community cookbooks from church or charity organizations or maybe even CCA Chapters.  These have always been go-to’s for me as they represented tried and tested family favourite recipes.

The idea that, just like writing a blog and being responsible for content, photography and branding, someone can write a cookbook, and only have it printed as it’s purchased, is revolutionary.   In years past, self-publishing meant receiving, storing and selling cases of books from your garage or basement. 

Although the technology has made the publish on demand scenario possible, it doesn’t diminish the herculean effort required to bring all the creative aspects together to make a book.  There are options to do everything yourself, or employ other creative individuals such as photographers, editors and graphic artists to help with the heavy load.  Taleen set an ambitious timeline of publishing in eight months.  I can’t imagine how all that work was done in her free time, how all the recipes were tested and re-tested, how all the photos were taken and chosen.  Then comes the job of promotion – having something for sale and selling it are two very different things.

Taleen reached out to me as part of her marketing plan for the book.  I found her collection of recipes, being both gluten and egg free were unique.  The more I found out about her self-publishing journey the more interest I had in speaking with her.  Looking back on our conversation, I realize that self-publishing for the on-demand market is something within reach for many, but only a few will actually have the combination of skills to make it successful.    

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

On this episode I chat with Howard Selig who is not only a Registered Dietitian, but a trained chef.  After recognizing the nutritional benefits of adding flax in the preparation of some foods for residents of a care home, Howard branched out filling the needs of other care homes by grinding flax seeds for them.  Providing flax in different forms to others soon became a business.  Howard explains the many nutritional advantages of flax and how it can be a benefit to the gluten free diet.  With his baking skills, Howard decided to formulate a flour mix, gluten free of course, along with baking mixes (the one for bread just needs you to add water!).  Salene Pyke works with Howard and she explained what products they sell and how to get free shipping.  You can find out more on their website at www.flaxflour.com .

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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 –

When it comes to food, and especially gluten free food, I often over-think things.  I remember, years ago, I was alone preparing something or other in my bakery when I started to wonder if I could only have one grain in its many forms (nothing gluten containing) what would I choose.

For me, it wouldn’t be rice.  I do like rice and often use rice flour, rice noodles and spring roll wraps, but rice just didn’t do enough.  We have some pretty amazing flours at our disposal when baking gluten free, which made my pondering harder.

After much thought, I settled on corn.  You may be one of those people who avoids corn for different reasons, but the more I thought about it, the more forms of corn I enjoyed in my diet.  Fresh corn in the summer is almost a season on its own.  Frozen kernel corn is so easy to use, and retains it’s freshness and flavour.  Then I began to think what I enjoy made from corn.  Every trip I used to take to shop in the US, always included gluten free Corn Chex – everyone has their favourite flavour, mine, hands down is the corn.

When it comes to baking, corn comes in different forms and varieties – corn flour, corn starch, corn meal, white corn flour.  Whenever I am running low on a starch for a recipe, I use corn starch to substitute, it’s available at every grocery store and isn’t expensive.

I remembered my single ingredient obsession while I was talking with Howard Selig of Valley Flax.  He was able to explain the many uses of flax, and how it can work with other gluten free ingredients to make a very healthy addition to almost any recipe.  With my flax allergy, I have to stroke it off my list, but I can clearly see how flax might be your can’t live without gluten free ingredient.  Flax has many nutritional benefits, and best of all, just a small amount added to your diet, gets big results.

Maybe flax will be your over-thinking single ingredient – it would be a great choice.  For me, I’ll stick with corn.  Now I’m thinking about popcorn – oh no, over-thinking again!

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 200^th 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 13^th and 14^th.  The 13^th (Saturday) is aimed towards those who have been diagnosed less than two years, whereas the program on the 14^th (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.

Canadian Celiac Association Virtual Conference November 13 & 14. The Celiac Scene will be there! Sign up for FREE!

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’mores

Along 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.

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

On this episode I speak with a man who identified a void in the gluten free marketplace – that of a healthy, good tasting hamburger bun.  Gus Klemos tells us his why, and more importantly his how he came up with a completely newly formulated gluten free bread that he named UnBun.  Gus is from Toronto and in a few short years from very humble beginnings, with a great deal of work, UnBun is now selling across both Canada and the US.  Gus discusses what makes his bread products different, and it makes us think about what benefits we are all looking for from our bread.  You can likely find UnBun products in not only your supermarket, but as staples in your fast food outlets.

Find out more at https://unbunfoods.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 –

As I was talking to Gus, memories of hours spent developing recipes in my bakery came flooding back.  This is a topic I plan to discuss with some of my food blogger friends in the future, but for now he’s how I approach coming up with a new recipe.

Except for what Gus did at UnBun, there are generally two ways to develop a new gluten free recipe –

• Start with a similar recipe already written for gluten free and alter it, make an apple and raisin muffin, from a plain oatmeal muffin recipe.  For this method, I look at each of the ingredients and decide if I want to replace them, or change the amounts.  For the example of altering a plain oatmeal muffin, I might decrease the sugar since I’m adding raisins, and decide what form of apples I want to use, applesauce (sweetened or not) or apple chunks.  I look at any spices that might be added for flavour and adjust those.  In this case, I might want to add a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg.  Then I look back at the original recipe – how does the amount of liquid compare to the original – might I need to take some other liquid away, or maybe add more flour ingredients.  Should the leavening be the same – if the batter is heavier, maybe I need more leavening or maybe an extra egg white.  Lastly, approach this process as an experiment, and make notes of the alterations you make.
• The second type of recipe development is one most of us have fallen into out of necessity.  We want to replicate our Grandmother’s jam cookie recipe, but don’t know where to start.  Here’s my approach to that – First, decide on a flour blend that will, for the most part replace the wheat flour.  I recommend you reference the chart prepared by Cinde Little, The Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet https://everydayglutenfreegourmet.ca/2020/05/29/11-gluten-free-flour-recipes/ showing many different blends.  Cinde also has a video series that talks about the different flours and their best uses.  Both Cinde and I approach a recipe conversion the same way by using a simple 2 or 3 ingredient flour blend for our first attempt.  You may choose to use your favourite store-bought blend to begin with.  The procedure is pretty simple, at first just substitute the flour 1 to 1 and be aware of the difference in the dough – try and resist adding extra flour to get the same consistency as the original wheat recipe, but if you find the dough getting too thick, add some form of liquid or moisture.  You may have to handle the dough differently, or it might surprise you and be very similar.  Baking may take more or less time, so watch the oven carefully.  After your first attempt, decide if there’s anything that you can improve on.  From my years of gluten free baking, I know that we have to be aware of the protein content in our recipes (gluten is a protein, so we have to make up for that), so you may want to add an extra egg white, or some Greek yogurt, or a small amount of gelatin, or milk powder.  If the dough is thinner than what you want, try a small amount of guar or xanthan gum, but just make small adjustments.  Don’t forget as per our first approach, this is an experiment, so good note taking will allow you to replicate or better the outcome next time.

Before gluten free, it wouldn’t have occurred to me to formulate a new recipe.  I thought that was done in labs, by professionals.  You may also have other allergies or sensitivities that lead you to recipe alteration.  Nowadays, with the variety of gluten free flours and some new methods for working with dough unique to gluten free, anyone can come up with a new successful recipe to take pride in.

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

It’s great for me to have returning guests on the podcast.  Nicole Byrom RD, works with the Canadian Celiac Association as the Health Promotions Manager.  When I contacted her about coming back on the podcast, she had a list of things she wanted to inform listeners about.  The topic of arsenic in our food comes up often.  Nicole tells us why this is important to the celiac population and some ways to reduce arsenic exposure.  Nicole is involved in an upcoming webinar about Type I Diabetes and its relation to celiac disease.  There is a link below for more information on the webinar.

Since this is October, the topic of Halloween candy came up.  We both discussed how our celiac daughters were able to make the best of what could be a difficult situation.  Below is a link to the list of safe Halloween candy from the CCA.  Nicole filled us in on the growing practice of setting out “teal pumpkins” to signify that the house has non-food or allergen friendly treats to give away.

Nicole told us of the upcoming publications from the CCA as well she reminded us of the CCA Virtual Conference to be held on November 13^th and 14^th.  Below are links to sign up for the virtual conference, as well as to be on the email list for CCA publications.  It’s not too late donate to the teams from the CCA across the country running in the Scotiabank Run, as per the link below.  Nicole suggests you donate to her team BC CCA, as there is a bit of a competition going on.

Webinar with Diabetes Canada – https://www.celiac.ca/news-events/events/

Halloween Candy – https://www.celiac.ca/gluten-free-halloween-candy-list/

To Register for the CCA Virtual Conference – https://www.celiac.ca/news-events/national-conference/

To Receive CCA Publications – https://www.celiac.ca/get-involved/signup/

Scotiabank Run –  https://www.celiac.ca/news-events/national-conference/https://raceroster.com/events/2021/48139/2021-scotiabank-toronto-waterfront-marathon/pledge/team/325

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 –

Its difficult for me to imagine living with celiac disease and navigating the gluten free diet alone.  Unfortunately, there are many people who are doing just that.  I have lots of friends in the celiac/gluten free community that share my interest in new products, baking, upcoming research and regulations.  I can’t imagine how someone can cope well if they are celiac, or eating a gluten free diet for other health reasons and don’t have a supportive community around them.

Facebook and other social media is a good start, at least you don’t feel like you’re the only one who is going through the day to day struggles.  As we all know, the internet is peppered with misinformation when it comes to the gluten free diet, and we’ve all heard the term – you don’t know what you don’t know.  A trusted community can give us trusted information, or be prepared to help you find the correct answers.  That’s where the CCA comes in. 

I know, from having worked as a volunteer with the CCA for many years that everything on their website is vetted by professionals who know the facts.  The Professional Advisory Council (Nicole referred to the PAC) is made up of highly qualified and respected individuals with a particular interest in celiac disease and the gluten free diet.  Sometimes it can seem to take so long to produce a statement or educational pamphlet, but that’s because it goes back and forth among the members of the Council, until everyone is ready to sign off.  The internet certainly doesn’t work that way.

The CCA has always produced newsletters, but lately the information is being better organized to be more topical – just what you need to know when you need to know it.  I’ve been on the CCA email list for so long, I admit I take for granted the information I get in my inbox.  Much of it is updates on information I was aware of, new recipes, events or research.  I’ve never felt alone as a celiac.  Receiving timely information on topics I need to know about assures me I’m part of a generous community who is going through the same things I’m going through.  If you do not already receive the email updates and publications from the CCA, I encourage you to signup.  I bet you’ll learn something!

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

Everyone has a diagnosis story, and I enjoy listening to and sharing many or them.  This episode of the podcast is a conversation with Beau Bristow of Nashville TN.  Beau was diagnosed as an adult and had a long list of symptoms, which to him were unrelated.  Of particular note, was the brain fog, which by reason of the name, you don’t realize at the time, and only once the fog has lifted do you understand what you were missing.  Finding suitable restaurants is a pain point for most of us, but in Beau’s case, he was determined to help solve this problem, not only for those of us on a gluten free diet, but for people suffering from other allergies. 

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The approach of the website https://picknic.app/ is to help someone requiring a special diet to find a restaurant that understands and follows suitable procedures for you to eat safely.  You can signup on the website to receive new information.  The website will soon be an app, to be downloaded, but at the moment it is focusing mostly in the Nashville area to get it right – how to onboard restaurants and the rate them as a “pick” for your special diet or not.  Beau has also asked for feedback from those on a gluten free diet and you can reach him at info@picknic.app.  You can also find Picknic on Facebook and Instagram @gopicknic.

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 knew a few years ago, when I started using the “Find Me Gluten Free” app on my phone, of its shortcomings.  I distinctly remember going out of our way on a vacation to find a small restaurant that had changed owners since the review was written.  On the same trip, I tracked down a restaurant that appealed to me because I could get something or other, but it wasn’t a place the others in the car wanted to eat.  This is the main problem with crowd-sourced information – it changes.  The reviewer at the specific time is trying to give a faithful review of the restaurant and the meal, but as we know, we all see things differently, and have different standards.  The only standard I mostly look for is the understanding of gluten free.

I find the different approaches to solving the restaurant problem very interesting.  As I said in the podcast, I can easily see my daughter (who is 30) looking for a specific meal at a restaurant, then looking to see if there is something that would please the others who will be with her.  If you listened to Ep 191, you’ll realize that we approach the gluten free diet very differently.  My approach to finding a safe, appetizing meal is to first find a restaurant that I think understands the diet, then once I’m there, I ask specific questions on something that is either on their gluten free menu, or that appears that it can be made gluten free.  I am a question asker – on the other hand, my daughter is not.

Something I’ve learned, speaking with different app developers is that although it appears we all want the same thing, there are different ways to get there.  It’s those differences that suit different people.  Many of the apps I’ve looked into are still in development.  They are shying away from being crowd-sourced (yeah!), but the downside of that is likely there will be a subscription of some form to gain access to the curated information.  I’m fine with that, as long as the app can give me what I’m looking for.  Maybe that’s where we will all get confused.  What are we looking for – besides a safe meal – is it finding a suitable place to eat, having all our questions answered, finding a restaurant that will accommodate different issues and our other guests?  I suppose we’ll know it when we find it.  It’s exciting that smart people are spending so much time on finding solutions to eat out – maybe I’ll try them all! (the apps, not the restaurants).

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

For many people September and October are not as much about Autumn as they are about pumpkin spice everything.  Being a baker, this has always interested me, but I have to say, except for pumpkin pie, I had pretty much stayed away.  Cinde Little, of the Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet was the best person to get me up to speed on pumpkin spice – is it gluten free? what do we have to look out for? where should we expect to find it? and can we use it at home in baking or drinks?

Cinde sent along a photo of her favourite Pumpkin Date Cake, which looks very yummy and you can find the recipe on her blog.  As well, she had a work in progress for a pumpkin spice syrup to use at home.  I’ve played with what she had, and have given a recipe below, so you can make your own special café drinks at home.  After recording with Cinde, I did go out and buy a couple of pie pumpkins.  You can see photos and read what I did with them on Episode #193 of my blog www.acanadianceliacblog.com.  You can find Cinde at www.everydayglutenfreegourmet.ca.

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup for Café Drinks

1 ½ cups water

1 ½ cups sugar

Spices – 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground ginger, 2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/3 – ½ cup pumpkin puree

½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Place water and sugar in a saucepan on medium heat.  As the mixture heats, add the spices and stir well.  Add pumpkin puree depending on your preference – the 1/3 cup will be a mild flavour and the ½ cup will be more pronounced.  Heat liquid to simmering.  Continue simmer for 5-10 minutes, watching it doesn’t boil over.  Remove from heat.  Add vanilla extract (optional), which will give a somewhat richer taste.  Let mixture cool for 5 minutes.  If your pumpkin puree is still a bit lumpy you can use an immersion blender to smooth out the liquid.  Pour syrup through a sieve to remove any larger bits of the spice blend or pumpkin.  Store in a squirt container or bottle in refrigerator. 

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 –

Not my thoughts as much as adventure with two pie pumpkins.  Pie pumpkins are smaller and have more flavour than the ones you carve for Halloween.

Step 1 – Wash the outside of the pumpkin and cut the stem down close.  Using a large knife, cut the pumpkin in half from top to bottom (easier than I expected it to be).

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Step 2 – Scrape out the seeds and fibres.  The flesh comes out remarkably clean.  Place pumpkins on a baking tray, poke each a few times with a fork and drizzle with a small amount of oil.  Place in 375° oven for 40-50 minutes, until flesh is easy to pierce with a fork.

Step 3 – If you want to also roast the seeds – In a large bowl place the seeds and fibres.  Run water into the bowl and agitate by hand.  Most of the seeds will loosen and float to the top.  Skim off seeds.  You will need to remove some seeds from the fibres, but they come away easily.  Fill a saucepan 2/3 full of water and bring to a boil.  Add seeds and a pinch of salt.  Boil seeds for 5-10 minutes.  This will clean up the seeds and ready them for roasting.  Place seeds on a baking pan in the oven on a shelf above the pumpkin and roast for 10-15 minutes.  You can season the seeds with lots of different flavours – I want mine for granola, so left them plain.

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Step 4 – Remove the roasted pumpkin shells and seeds from the oven.  Let cool for about 10 minutes, then scrape the flesh from the skins (if there are any brown bits, don’t use those, it may give your pumpkin a burnt taste). You can mash the pumpkin or use a food processor as I did.  Place in containers and refrigerate.  I also plan to freeze it in ½ cup portions so I can easily add it to muffins and cake or the syrup recipe.

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I enjoyed making my pumpkin puree and will probably do a couple more while they are still in season.  It appears I got about 2 ½ cups of puree from each of the small pumpkins.