A Canadian Celiac Blog

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

This week’s episode is a comprehensive guide to reading alcohol labels. This may not be something you’ve thought much about, or maybe it’s something that has caused you much confusion.  My guest, Registered Dietitian Selena Devries, breaks it all down for us.  She explains what needs to be on the labelling of each different category of alcoholic beverage, and how to determine if it’s gluten free or not.  You can find Selena online at –

www.healthbean.ca

Instagram -@celiac_dietitian

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 –

Alcohol, it’s a big subject.  I’ll let you in on a little secret.  After my weight loss surgery 6 years ago, I was instructed to give up alcohol, at least for the first 6 months or a year.  That was just fine for me, I didn’t miss it at all, so I never went back to it.  My husband, grown children and friends all drink alcohol and it doesn’t even both me to be around them.  Maybe that’s from my gluten free training; being able to watch others enjoy something I wasn’t going to have.

In any case, I find the labelling information Selena passed on to us was very interesting.  I hadn’t known alcohol was classified as “standardized” or “unstandardized”.  The more I thought about it the more sense it made.

In this day and age, when sports drinks, power drinks and exotic smoothies are all the rage, we still have to pull back and check the ingredients.  We tend to think if we stick with familiar flavours like fruit, we should be fine.  It’s not quite that simple.  Which makes what I learned from Selena all that more surprising.  Deciphering labels on alcohol for gluten content is really quite easy, in Canada anyway. 

I’m not expecting to travel out of the country any time soon, but when I next do, I’ll be curious to read how alcohol labelling is done in other countries.  I’m sure I’ll look odd reading liquor bottle and cooler drink labels only to put them all back on the shelf and leave empty handed.  That’s the price I’ll pay for my curiosity. 

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

It’s sometimes hard to admit you’re in a rut, but I am currently in a food rut, or to be more specific in a creative meal rut.  Over these past few months of stay at home, I’ve been cooking the same old thing.  It’s hard to get inspired when you’re only out at the grocery once a week.  Cathy of cathysglutenfree.com is my guest on this episode of the podcast and is coming to my rescue.  We discuss new options for breakfast, lunch and dinner along with a great idea for a watermelon drink!  I’m challenging myself to add at least one new item to my menus each week from Cathy’s extensive website.  I hope you feel inspired to do the same.  You can find Cathy online at –

www.cathysglutenfree.com

Twitter – cathyglutenfree

Instagram -@cathysglutenfree

S’mores Pie, Carrot Cake Baked Overnight Oatmeal, Breakfast Baked Potato

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 –

We do it to ourselves.  We rotate the same recipes in our daily meals over, and over again.  Of late, I have been practicing an intermittent fasting lifestyle during which I limit my eating time each day to a certain number of hours.  I find it’s a great way to discipline myself to not over-eat.  There are many other health benefits as well, but let’s not get into that here.  The result of my lifestyle choice is that I’m eating less and fewer meals, but the advantage of intermittent fasting is that I don’t count calories or anything, I simply reduce the time during the day when I’m in eating mode. 

One side effect that I’ve felt from my new lifestyle is that some foods don’t seem to have as much flavour, and my body is craving, high quality, flavourful foods.  I know it sounds crazy, and before I started this journey, I would have been sceptical.  In any case, I’m finding myself searching for ways to add more flavour and variety to my same old, same old.

Having Cathy on the podcast was a bit of a selfish act for me.  I wanted her advice, I wanted her to be able to add a spark to my regular, now boring menus.  As I write this, I’m excited to begin my challenge to add a new food from her website to my weekly meal rotation each week this summer.  Who knows, maybe some weeks, I’ll add more than one.  Although my husband and I aren’t doing much entertaining this summer (all for the public good), we will be getting together with our very small social group and close family.  I’m excited to blend up a refreshing watermelon drink for them on a hot day at the lake.  As well, the overnight carrot cake oats can be a simple make ahead, toss in the oven dessert after a summer meal of fresh corn on the cob.

Having a boring menu, doesn’t have as much to do with a restrictive gluten free diet, as it does my restricted imagination.  I’m breaking free and I have Cathy to thank.  I’ll keep you posted as to how I do.  You can follow my attempts at Cathy’s recipes on Instagram.  You’ll find me at @suesgfbaking.  I’m excited!

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

It’s the end of June and the beginning of July – time for Ellen Bayens of thceliacscene.com to join me to discuss the current celiac and gluten free diet news.  With the Corona Virus stay at home gradually easing off in Canada, new studies and findings regarding celiac disease are few and far between.  As well, it’s not a good time for food companies to be introducing a new gluten free product into the marketplace.  Ellen does however, have a couple of timely articles which we discuss regarding recent changes in food service labelling regarding foods labelled for the US, and an article written by Mia Kennedy about getting back out into social groups for pot lucks, barbeques and picnics, from the point of view of a 20-something celiac.

Here are the links to the articles and the contest from Grimm’s –

Hidden Barley! Heath Canada Relaxes Ingredient Labeling for US Products

Musings by Mia – Summer Fun for Twenty-Something Celiacs

https://grimmscontest.com/ with inspiring meal ideas almost daily on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GrimmsFineFoods

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 –

I have two daughters in their late twenties, one who is celiac, so I thought I was in touch with many of the current social norms for that age group.  Whenever I read Mia’s articles, or speak with her, I realize how thoughtful and observant she is of her surroundings.  As a Mom, I was mostly in protective mode for my celiac daughter, but to see things from their perspective is quite eye-opening.

Much of the advice Mia gives is very adaptable and suitable for anyone with a food allergy.  I remember years ago, when invited to an eating event, it was always a decision we had to make – do we mention our celiac disease and gluten restriction, or do we just take lots of precautions and “wing it”?  Either of these scenarios was fraught with difficulty.  How much explaining do we want to do? How much monitoring of the food table is appropriate?  Should we eat first? Should we just bring everything we need and sequester somewhere off to the side?

It seems that nowadays, things are different.  Celiac and gluten free don’t require much explanation.  I always appreciate getting the question “Oh, are you celiac?” Once I answer yes, there is invariably a connection made with someone’s friend, or co-worker, or brother’s fiancé.  I like the recognition our celiac disease is afforded these days. As a celiac, I never identified as someone with an allergy, because it’s not, but on the other hand, I appreciate the “respect” an allergy commands, especially a food allergy.  I won’t identify as having an allergy, but there is some benefit to having others recognise it in the same way.  From reading Mia’s approach to social events, it just takes following a few simple rules to be able to enjoy an event and not get hung up on food restrictions.  I think I should try to approach life in such a positive manner, and think like a twenty-something.  Who knows, maybe I’ll start to feel younger as well.

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

James King was a past recipient of the James A. Campbell Memorial Research Award from the Canadian Celiac Association. His research involved a study of the many previous studies that have been done world-wide on the incidence of celiac disease.  James discussed with me the method of his study along with some of the results.  He mentioned an interactive map that is available online, so both the public and researchers can check on many of the studies used in their research.  If you have feedback for James you can email him at jamking@ucalgary.ca and find him on twitter at @jamesa_king. You can access the map, along with James’ presentation from the Canadian Celiac Association virtual conference in May at the following link – https://ucalgary.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=126de8e4d8794c7a998d035d1a7583d3

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 –

My celiac diagnosis happened late in 1995.  At the time, I came to believe that celiac disease was not of much interest to researchers and the pharmaceutical community.  There weren’t any medications on the horizon to combat the condition or even the symptoms.  We were only about 1% of the population, so it didn’t feel like we had much clout with the doctors, let alone the scientists involved in research.

After attending a few Canadian Celiac Association conferences, I saw that the CCA was awarding grants to scientists for research.  As I continued over the years to attend the CCA conferences, I sat in on the presentations of much of the funded research.  As a member, I was proud to know that this research was made possible by an organization I was supporting. 

In more recent years, the pharmaceutical companies have joined the game with prospective innovative medications that just might allow our body to not go into battle with itself when gluten enters the picture.  I have been privileged to have interviewed some of the scientists involved in this endeavour for the podcast. 

I had always thought that celiac disease could never be a money maker for the big drug companies, so if there was no profit, we’d be left out in the cold.  I suppose, in a cynical way, this is actually true, but I’m also realizing there is much research that can be done to improve both detection and quality of life without actually having a medication for celiac disease.  This, I think is where the promise lies currently.  The understanding of celiac disease from a scientific perspective can only be a positive thing for us and our community.

It’s in our best interest to have celiac specific research done, and that’s where the CCA and the James A. Campbell Memorial Research Fund comes in.  Over the years our member chapter has contributed to this valuable fund, but I should remind you that if this is something you’d like to support, you can make a donation, large or small to the CCA and direct the money specifically to this fund.  The work that James King has done will benefit our community, and just think, there are other future researchers out there with an interest, or a plan, or a theory, that are just waiting to contribute knowledge to the scientific database to help us all.

Thanks again CCA!

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

Mia Kennedy is now a contributor to theceliacscene.com.  Mia is a university student who was diagnosed with celiac disease in here early teens.  Mia will be writing articles for theceliacscene.com talking about her experiences of being a teen, then young adult with celiac disease.  I couldn’t resist digging deeper into her article with a series of questions.  My daughter is a similar age to Mia, and is also in a relationship.  I asked her to read Mia’s article and she was happy to share her thoughts and perspective with me as well.  Here’s the link to Mia’s article for Ellen and The Celiac Scene.

https://theceliacscene.com/musings-mia-dating-celiac-disease/

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 –

Talking to Mia got me thinking about how I would have handled a diagnosis of celiac disease, had I been diagnosed years before my thirty-fifth birthday.

I knew there was something wrong in my late teens.  I regularly had stomach troubles, but after a mild back injury, that caused me to spend more time off my feet, I was never quite the same.  My symptoms weren’t consistent; they came and went.  My inquires with doctors reflected the on and off symptoms.  To me, that explained why I tested negative for everything the doctors thought might have been causing my pain and discomfort.  I learned to live with it.

Had I actually been diagnosed as a teenager, it’s hard to say how I would have dealt with becoming and staying gluten free.  Back then, gluten free was much harder to find, but I suppose, I’m more concerned with what my attitude would have been.  Thinking through day to day life, I can confidently say I wouldn’t have been as well-adjusted as either Mia or Deanna were as teenagers and are now young adults.

Thinking of the hypothetical lets me reflect on the impact the Canadian Celiac Association has had on my adult life.  As a resource for medical and lifestyle information, the CCA is my go-to.  I don’t think my attitude, confidence and clarity for and about the diet would come close to what it is today, without the CCA.  It’s impossible to know how my gluten free life would have worked out if I’d been diagnosed 25 or 30 years earlier.  What I can say is that both Mia and Deanna had the benefit of all the CCA had to offer, not only in resources, but in establishing knowledge about celiac disease with the medical community, as well as the community at large.  They were diagnosed in a world that was curious and somewhat accepting of the gluten free diet; they just had to take the lead for their personal health.  I’m proud of both of them, they are the kind of twenty-something celiacs I don’t know whether I ever could have been.

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

On this episode I caught up with an old friend who had a gluten free bakery about 20 minutes out of town from my bakery, and we often chatted and supported each other.  My bakery has been closed for a number of years now, and initially Rita closed hers as well.  For quite some time, Rita has had a stall at our local farmer’s market here in Kingston on Sundays selling her baked goods.  Over the stay at home Covid-19 times, the market has adapted in simple, but effective ways to allow Rita to continue to bake for her customers.  I thought this was a good chance to talk to a respected commercial/home baker about baking bread.  Seems everyone is dabbling in baking bread while they are off work.  Gluten free bread is a completely different challenge.  Rita and I talk about the different kinds of bread, some of the baking tips we have and give encouragement for those thinking about taking the plunge, to jump right in.  The link for the Kingston Memorial Centre Farmers’ Market is –

http://www.memorialcentrefarmersmarket.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 –

I love making bread, the ingredient that most people fear is the temperamental yeast, but I think that’s the part I love.  The way it froths up, the smell, the magic of it.  For me, making bread is as pleasurable as eating it.  My favourite breads to make are baguettes and bagels.

If I’m ever in a bad mood, or a little down because I’m bored, I bake bread.  It lifts me up.  My problem with bread these days is eating it.  It tastes great, but you’ll know if you listen to my other podcast, that I’m on a weight loss journey and homemade bread is something I have a hard time saying “no” to.  My solution is to bake for others.  I know three senior ladies who I often bake for, and they love receiving bread, so does my adult celiac daughter who lives fairly close to me.  Before evening pulling the recipe to start, I have a plan to give most of it away.  So far this is working for me.

Over years, I have had many conversations with a wide range of celiacs about baking bread.  It’s never just about wanting the bread, and wanting to create something from your own kitchen.  Some of the feelings revolve around gluten free bread being harder, with more ingredients, and a higher probability that it won’t turn out as you might expect.  When this happens, and it happens to all of us, not only are we annoyed that our creation doesn’t meet our expectations, but we’re frustrated that our bread is different, and that we are different. 

As in most endeavours, attitude has a great deal to do with outcome.  If you can research different recipes, use the correct equipment and ingredients, you’re half-way there.  Often, for a new recipe, the other half is out of our hands.  Gluten free baking can be fickle.  The temperature of the room, the humidity, how the flours were stored, the age of some of the ingredients, the pans we use, if we used a powerful enough mixer, or let the dough rest.  All of these can contribute to a less than spectacular outcome.

My best advice – don’t start with sourdough – but do start with a recipe recommended from a friend or trusted cookbook or website.  I publish some of my recipes at www.suesglutenfreebaking.com.  Decide you may have to make a recipe a couple of times to make it work best for you.  The first time, prepare the recipe exactly as printed, remember, baking is chemistry.  Next time, you can add a spice, seed, raisins or nuts to customize the taste and texture.  The important thing is to try.  The smell and taste of your bread will be worth it – maybe not on your first attempt, but it won’t take long to truly enjoy your own homemade breads.

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

Once again this month, I have the pleasure of speaking with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com to discuss some of the information and articles she brought to our attention lately.  She presented a few research studies looking at links between celiac disease and Type I Diabetes, Inflamatory Bowel Disease, as well as the role some environmental chemicals might play in the incidence of CD in children.  We discuss the difficult daily decisions faced by asymptomatic celiacs, who don’t suffer stomach issues when they ingest gluten, and how that adds another level to the disease.  The topic of food scarcity for those with allergies or on special diets is highlighted by a US article, and we discuss its relevance for us in Canada, as well as strategies Ellen and I use on our not so frequent grocery outings.  As well, Ellen introduces us to Mia Kennedy who will be a twenty-something contributor to both theceliacscene.com and the podcast.

Here are the links to Ellen’s Articles –

• Never OK to Cheat on the Gluten-Free Diet
• Pre-screening for Celiac Disease Suggested for Asymptomatic Diabetics
• Toxic Chemicals Correlated with Celiac Disease Diagnosis in Children
• Introducing Musings by Mia – Youth Contributor to The Celiac Scene
• Linked? Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Celiac Disease?
• How Food Shortages Can Affect the Gluten Free

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 –

During this episode of the podcast, Ellen and I talked about people who had asymptomatic celiac disease.  The more I think about it, the more I realize how difficult it would be coping with celiac disease when you can’t even tell you’re affected.  Most of us have spent years with debilitating symptoms; symptoms that have dictated how we live our lives, how we travel, often stopped us from sharing time with friends or family, often left us fatigued, concerned and in pain.  The idea of not having to endure those symptoms seems very appealing, but there’s another side to that coin.

Without feeling like you were sick, would you ever have sought treatment?  Would you ever have undergone the myriad of tests to rule out other conditions?  Would you ever take your supposed diagnosis of celiac disease seriously?

I can’t answer any of these questions.  My diagnosis came as a blessing to me – finally I had an answer.  It’s difficult to know what I would have done, had I never asked the question, never sought an answer. 

When I had my bakery, and knowing a couple of asymptomatic celiacs, I always said, they were the hardest people to keep on the diet, because they didn’t suffer if they ate gluten.  Now, I realize it’s a deeper issue.  It appears on the surface that they can treat their diagnosis as “take it or leave it”, but the reality is that by not taking it seriously, they are setting themselves up for big risks.

I suppose I’m glad my body is able to tell me I’ve done something wrong, I’ve eaten something wrong.  It’s a heavy price to pay, but I think for me anyway, it’s better than being asymptomatic.

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –
This week I interview someone I met on Instragram. I know that sounds a little suspect, but my guest is a celiac who is also a Holistic Nutritionist. She specializes in counselling celiacs who are having a difficult time feeling well on the gluten free diet. She approaches issues from the perspective of four pillars of wellness – nutrition, sleep, stress and mindset. We speak about each of these and how a well-rounded approach to wellness is often helpful to many with celiac for them to feel better again, or maybe for the first time.

You can find Ashley on Instagram at www.instagram.com/ashleyschmidt.celiac

Her website is www.ashleyschmidt.ca

The book she recommended is – The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday

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 –

When I interview or chat with my guests, I always make notes.  These aren’t notes in sentence form, they are often scribbles of phases or topics we covered.  Sometimes, I write down words that inspire me for my next question or observation.  My scribbles wouldn’t mean anything to anyone else, but they do bring back what was going through my head during our conversation.

After I finished editing my interview with Ashley, one phase I wrote down stood out to me.  My note said “label reading as an opportunity, gift”.  As I read these few words, I was reminded there was a time when I never read labels on food, not ingredients or nutritional information.  That seems hard for me to believe now.

I read labels on everything.  This obviously started out of a need when I began to eat gluten free, but it was also fed by requirements to produce labels for my foods at the bakery.  As a regular person, one doesn’t often reflect on the amount of time and energy that goes into preparing a label for a food product.  There are a multitude of regulations, from the size of the type-set to the order of ingredients.  Thankfully, as consumers we don’t have to know any of that.

As gluten free consumers, what we do need to know, we are forced to learn quite quickly.  Read the ingredients, look for key words, look for hidden sources of gluten, look for food certifications.  Label reading is not instinctive, but it is vitally important for our health.  Once mastered (and it can take years to master), it’s like a magic trick.  A super-power to be able to decipher sources of gluten from a list of uncommon ingredients. I often take this skill for granted, until I see a posting on facebook where someone has taken a picture of the ingredient list on a package only to ask for advice on whether it contains gluten.  Clearly there are many of us out there with the same super-power, because the answers come in fast and furious.  I quite like having this super-power.  I use it often, but only for good.  And Ashley is correct – label reading is an opportunity and a gift, and one I clearly would not have without my celiac diagnosis.

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

May is Celiac Awareness Month and this year it has proven to be a unique time, for the Canadian Celiac Association to both celebrate and pivot to provide support, information and leadership to the celiac/gluten free community in Canada.  I speak with Jaya Mootoo who is the National Manager of Philanthropy for the CCA.  She brings me up to date on the wide variety of efforts by the CCA to meet the needs of our community at this difficult time.  We talked about the online conference held earlier in the month, which is now available to be viewed on facebook.  Here’s a link to the facebook video –

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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 –

Where I live, Celiac Awareness Month has normally been marked by some sort of outreach from the members of our chapter to our greater community.  When we showed up for events we each made sure to wear our small piece of green ribbon as an international symbol.

In larger centres, chapters were, and still are, able to have prominent buildings or landmarks lit up in green.  In my small city, that’s just not practical. 

In any other year, our small chapter could plan a table at our shopping mall to answer questions from the public, or more ambitiously plan a public information event (which included food of course).  This year is different in so many ways. 

The one thing I will remember from Celiac Awareness 2020 will be the virtual conference.  I’ve been to many CCA conferences in locations across Canada, and enjoyed every one of them.  I was disappointed to not be travelling to Regina to meet up with old friends, make new ones and enjoy some local hospitality.  But I was thrilled to still be able to attend so many informative sessions presented by trusted professionals.  It was a long time to sit in front of my computer, but there were some perks.  I was able to get up and make a cup of tea whenever I wanted without having to wait for a tea break.  I was able to check my email and have a text conversation with a friend without seeming to be rude.  I was able to let the dog out and put my feet up on a footstool.  In other words, it was quite comfortable participating in a national conference from the comfort of my home.  I didn’t get to see the sunset over the prairies, but there was no guarantee that was happening with such a busy schedule at a conference.  I also did miss the food. 

If you were to ask almost anyone who has been to a CCA conference what they looked forward to the most, and what didn’t disappoint, likely the answer would be “the food”.  Clearly some conference goers are there primarily for the food – and that’s not a bad thing.  If I think back to some conferences I’ve attended, I remember different speakers, but often forget which conference they spoke at.  The food, and the local entertainment, I can usually remember that clearly. 

What I’ll remember from Celiac Awareness Month 2020 is a conference I could attend from home and having to make my own gluten free meals for the day.  Come to think of it, I do have much more time on my hands these days, so maybe having to make my own meals was all just part of the experience – Two Thumbs Up for the CCA Virtual Conference 2020.

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

Baking Classes – this one is right in my wheelhouse.  This week I chat with Teresa Anderson of Gluten Free KOB from Beaumont, Alberta.  Teresa had previously taught some in person baking classes before stay-at-home orders.  One the orders were given, she decided to take her classes virtual, online.  I attended two classes and was thrilled to talk to her about this versatile resource for anyone wanting to learn to bake gluten free.  You can find out more about the classes at www.glutenfreeKOB.com

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 –

Operating a bakery, gluten free or wheat is so much work.  Seems the smaller the bakery, the more work, or at least for the owner/operator.  It was a pleasure to have a work environment that was safe, completely free of gluten, where I could work with my head baker and develop new recipes, source new ingredients and prepare seasonal favourites for our customers.

One of my great memories was when I invited members from our local CCA chapter to come on a Saturday and make perogies.  I did the pre-preparation of the ingredients, so when they arrived, we split up into job stations – measuring the dough, rolling and cutting, filling, pinching and boiling.  Once we were done, we all shared a snack of perogies, then everyone left with perogies for their freezers (if they made it that far). 

My perogi afternoon, gave me a real sense of how much people enjoy making for themselves, if only they knew how and had the ingredients.  I always made it a point in my bakery to develop recipes that used common ingredients, simple flours and other ingredients one could mostly pick up in any grocery store.  This was an advantage on the odd occasion when our supply line was interrupted.  The ingredients were simple and accessible, the recipes weren’t difficult, but it was the method that became most important.

When formulating the plan for my cable gluten free baking show, it was the method that had to shine.  The success or failure of gluten free baking can be determined by a great many almost random things – how long you mix a batter or dough and at what speed, resting time, freezing and temperature – each of these, if utilized correctly can have a profound effect on the finished product.  Most of us have had the experience of baking something gluten free a few times, and having it turn out differently each time.  In a bakery, we had to eliminate the variables and incorporate some different methods.

A baking show on tv, with many of the videos now online was my solution.  It’s great to see Teresa come up with another solution – virtual baking classes.  Either way, here’s hoping that more and more of us who need to eat gluten free will gain skills and become more self-sufficient.  If recent events have taught us anything, it’s to be more resourceful, make do with what you’ve got, but make it well.  Happy Baking (gluten free of course)!