A Canadian Celiac Blog

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

I’m back behind the mic again, after taking some time off for a trip and other family matters.  I’m happy to have the opportunity for my monthly conversation with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com.  The week we chat about gluten free alcohol, why also your doctor may have been frustrated by your symptoms, what exactly is a wheat allergy, and how it’s different from celiac disease.  Here are some links to the articles from theceliacscene.com –

Which U.S. Alcoholic Beverages Are Safe For Celiacs?

Did Your Disease Mystify Your GP?

So-Called ‘Gluten Enzymes’ a Bust for Celiacs

Why Gluten-Removed Beers are No Good for Celiacs

My Healthy Gut App Found to Improve Mental Health

Value of Face to Face Support

Study Aims to Combat Wheat Allergies

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 was recently on a cruise with an elderly family member.  Normally, when I cruise, I arrange to be at the same table with the same wait staff every evening for dinner.  This time, we decided, since it was only the two of us, to change it up a bit.  We opted for “anytime dining” which meant that we would be sitting with different guests each night.  I was still given the menu the evening before, so extra care could be taken to provide me with a safe gluten free meal.

One thing I didn’t expect from our multitude of table mates, was to meet two other celiacs.  I didn’t sit with anyone eating gluten free, just because it was a fad, and I was pleasantly surprised to be among others enjoying an abundance of gluten free food.

One thing I did notice was that once I said I needed a gluten free diet, I was from then on referred to as “celiac”.  I quite liked this.  I didn’t have to explain myself, and my diet was taken very seriously.  Often at restaurants back in Canada, when I requested a gluten free menu, I would be asked if I was celiac or not.  My answer was always “yes”, but I’m not comfortable with the question.  Should it matter that I’m celiac if I ask for gluten free food?  More and more, people aren’t eating gluten free as a fad, but because they identify as having a medical condition that benefits from not eating gluten.

I suppose the “celiac” label is the highest level of care for gluten free.  Again, I’m okay with that.  Talking to Ellen about dining meet-ups made me think of my cruise experience.  Casually meeting others who were celiac made me feel a little less different, and in some ways more special. 

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

Ellen Bayens and I have our monthly chat to catch up on all things new in the celiac/gluten free world.  This week, we try and understand some complicated scientific studies, to the best of our limited ability.  As well, we discuss the “quality of life” for newly diagnosed children.  An article by Selena De Vries enlightens us as to the reasons you might feel fatigued on the gluten free diet.  Lots of research and lots of good news!

You can find Ellen at theceliacscene.com

Celiac Disease Research – The Good News Continues
https://theceliacscene.com/celiac-disease-research-good-news/

3 Reasons You May Feel Tired on the Gluten-Free Diet by Selena De Vries, RD
https://theceliacscene.com/tired-on-gluten-free-selena-de-vries-rd/

Kids with Celiac Disease Report Lower Health-Related Quality of Life (reminds me of your interview with your daughter)
https://theceliacscene.com/kids-with-celiac-disease-report-lower-health-related-quality-of-life/

Bacteria May Trick Autoimmune System Into Targeting Gluten
https://theceliacscene.com/bacteria-may-trick-autoimmune-system-into-targeting-gluten/

Researchers Uncover Unique Biomarkers for Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity
https://theceliacscene.com/researchers-discover-biomarkers-for-non-celiac-wheat-sensitivity/

I will be away from my home office for next couple of weeks and will do my best to prepare podcasts, but I fear that there will some down time.  Rest assured, on my arrival back home, I will continue to supply you with interesting interviews about all things celiac and 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 –

The study regarding newly diagnosed children got my brain working.  One of the first things I did when I became involved with my local chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association was to sign up as a peer counsellor.  The information and training program has evolved over the years, but is still a strong branch of available support for the newly diagnosed.

We all remember how scary it was to be told you must not have any gluten ever again.  How could this be, how would I know, how can I live my normal life under such restrictions?  It’s the job of the peer counsellor to calm those fears, educate the uninformed, and be there to answer questions, from simple to complicated.  The peer counsellor is the crutch the newly diagnosed need to become established on the diet and begin their journey to wellness.

I remember when I was first diagnosed, I spoke with a nurse who was celiac, I spoke with a knowledgeable dietitian, and I spoke with a fellow young mother.  They all had words of wisdom that I still remember and use to council others.  Anyone can glean information from the internet, from a textbook, or from a brochure, even from a YouTube video, but the one-on-one interaction with a peer counsellor is special.  They each taught me different things that helped me then and still help me now, as I navigate this not so normal life.

Peer counselling identifies problems people have in common and provides real-life solutions.  Thanks, CCA for your ongoing Peer Counsellor program.  If you would like to become a Peer Counsellor, contact the office of the CCA and get involved.  Together we can help the newly diagnosed make it through, and hopefully improve the results in upcoming studies.

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

This is the first in a series of discussions with different celiac organizations around the world.  On this episode I speak with Michelle Laforest, the CEO of Coeliac Australia about their organization, their members, what resources they provide as well as their current challenges and goals.  On their website you can find a great resource is you are travelling to Australia.   

Coeliac Australia website – coeliac.org.au

Travel Fact Sheet link – https://www.coeliac.org.au/uploads/65701/ufiles/Travel/Travelling_to_Australia.pdf

I have many different interviews scheduled for the first couple of months of 2020, and if there is anything you’d like me to cover, please email me at acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.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

     (search Sues Gluten Free Baking)

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

I have always considered myself a brave traveller.  I’m not sure I’m living up to my self-expectations as I’m getting older.  Recently, my husband and I were talking about where we’d like to travel to, maybe later this year.  He came up with some exotic locations, and before I knew it I said “why would I go there, when I can’t speak the language and might get sick”.  To be fair, I was having a trying day, but in reflection this isn’t my normal attitude.

Maybe it’s a function of age, I don’t want to waste any of my precious vacation time trying to navigate a special diet in a foreign language, or worse, spending my vacation looking for the nearest restroom.  

I like to research, and maybe this could be the key for me.  Normally people study up on a location to find out which is the best museum to see, or how the public transit is laid out, or where the best restaurants are.  My research would mostly consist of memorizing the words for gluten, gluten free and wheat.  As well, I know being able to recognize these words, especially “gluten free” in another language will be most helpful, should we decide to go that route.

Recently, my celiac daughter was planning a quick getaway to New York City.  I realized I was following quite a few accounts on Instagram that mentioned New York City and suggested she look them up.  Her search was plentiful.  Not only do you get pictures of great desserts and must-haves, but you also get reviews and comments.  She was excited to walk in the footsteps of these Instagramers and visit the places they recommended.  She was not disappointed.

Nowadays, with apps for our phones showing gluten free locations, and giving us immediate translation, it shouldn’t be scary to travel, but if I remember back to the conclusion of my discussion with my husband, I was able to identify many places I’d like to visit that speak English and wouldn’t require that extra effort (maybe I’m just tired today).  I think I’ll exhaust those countries first, before I start learning a new language.

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

This week I have an in depth discussion with Cinde Little, The Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet about Gluten Free Flours.  Cinde wrote a series of blog posts about her experiences with different flours, starches and binders.  We chat about why there are so many flours and how they effect baked goods.  We also look at flour blends, and give some tips on making your own.  Cinde has provided two tables of her findings, which are on my blog for this episode at www.acanadianceliacblog.com

You can find Cinde online at www.everdayglutenfreegourmet.ca

I have many different interviews scheduled for the first couple of months of 2020, and if there is anything you’d like me to cover, please email me at acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.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

     (search Sues Gluten Free Baking)

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

I love to bake, and I suppose that’s why I operated a gluten free bakery for more than 10 years, and followed that with two seasons of a gluten free baking show on our local cable channel.  What makes gluten free baking different is that it is almost always an experiment.  I call my effort to make up new recipes “experi-baking”, and I usually have to try different forms of a new recipe many times to get it just right.

Gluten free baking isn’t like conventional wheat baking.   Things don’t puff up as much, hold in as much moisture, and spring back when you touch them.  In my experience, I could make the same recipe three days in a row and have three different results.  That made setting up a gluten free bakery an even greater challenge.  The products had to be consistent, not only in their taste and texture, but in size and colour. 

In the world of commercial baking, I had many failures, but everything was edible, and I learned as I ate my mistakes.  It took me a few years to settle down with a plan for a new recipe.  We stocked ten different flours in the bakery, so we had lots of choice, maybe too much choice.

Whenever, my baker and I were formulating a new recipe, we looked to see how different we wanted it to be from what we already made – a different flavour of muffin, a different type of cookie, or maybe it was something completely different.  We usually started with a basic wheat recipe and substituted my flour blend (2 parts white rice flour, 2/3 part tapioca starch, 1/3 part potato starch).  We would also alter a few other things to make the recipe more suitable for gluten free (adding extra egg, or gum, or liquid etc.).  Another trick we used was to make a basic recipe then split it in 2 or 3 equal portions to make revisions (a different amount of egg, different leaveners, different fats, different flavours etc.).

This process seems cumbersome, but it worked and we learned a great deal in the process.  I have to say, recipe development is something I still love to do.  My drawback now is that I’m the only one at home to eat the mistakes, and that’s not very compatible with watching my weight.  I have been fortunate to work with a couple of gluten free companies to help with recipe development for them.  I can’t say much now, but I’m excited to be able to share once products go to market.  I do believe the old saying – “do what you love, and it will never feel like work”.

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –
I’m speaking this week with a very knowledgeable author who helps others who benefit from a gluten free diet, Susan Neal. We take on the topic of converting a conventional kitchen to a gluten free kitchen, or at least a part of the kitchen to be gluten free.
We look at the fridge, the pantry, cupboards, small appliances and family habits. We also look at some of the must haves in your gluten free kitchen.
You can find Susan online at –
http://susanuneal.com/
The blog post on setting up a gluten free kitchen can be found at –
http://susanuneal.com/how-to-transition-to-a-gluten-free-kitchen
This is the link to her closed Facebook group, 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar, Carbs, and Gluten, where she answers questions and provides support can be found at –
https://www.facebook.com/groups/184355458927013/

I have many different interviews scheduled for the first couple of months of 2020, and if there is anything you’d like me to cover, please email me at acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.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

     (search Sues Gluten Free Baking)

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

I’ve worked with many newly diagnosed celiacs and one thing they all have in common is that choosing food in a grocery store is hard.

It’s difficult to bring a new concept up to the top of your criteria for buying food, but that is exactly what must be done.  Before a diagnosis, I, like many others were mostly concerned about fat and salt content, calories and protein.  On a gluten free diet, we must read labels to exclude gluten first.  Once we identify a food as gluten free, then we should look at the overall nutrition it provides.  I must admit, this was not always my focus prior to my diagnosis.  Now, once I scrutinize the ingredients for gluten; fibre, sugar, protein and vitamin content are the key elements I look for on a nutrition label.

Reading a nutrition label doesn’t sound like much of a skill, but when I operated my bakery, I had to formulate the labels.  There are software programs that help, but at the time, many of our gluten free ingredients didn’t exist in the databases.  My math skills were tested to the max to determine minute amounts of different nutrients. 

To most of us, once we’ve determined something is gluten free, one label looks like the next, but for me, I obsessed over my calculations of 2.1g or 2.3g of protein, and 4% or 6% of fibre.  I gained an in depth knowledge of how the numbers work on the label and in our daily diets. 

You don’t have to know this stuff, but you should be looking past the ingredients and the GF labelling to ensure you are bringing food with some value into your newly minted safe gluten free kitchen.

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

This week I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Melissa Ing D.M.D.  Melissa is Canadian, now working as an educator at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston.  Recently, her focus has been on educating dental professionals about the relationship between celiac disease and oral health.  Melissa’s research of late has involved the materials and substances used in dental procedures and how suitable they are for someone on a strict gluten free diet.

Melissa, would like all dental professionals to have the knowledge about the oral signs of celiac disease, so they can refer patients for CD testing, even before it may come to the attention of their GP.  Melissa has participated in educational videos, online webinars and sponsored presentations to raise awareness of CD among dental professionals.

I have many different interviews scheduled for the first couple of months of 2020, and if there is anything you’d like me to cover, please email me at acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.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

     (search Sues Gluten Free Baking)

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

Dr. Ing and I spoke at length, both before I recorded the interview, and after the recording button was switched off.  I was interested to learn that she had been diagnosed with celiac disease many years ago, only to find out later it was an allergy.  The irony is both conditions required a strict gluten free diet. 

Over many years, I have spoken with people who have odd, sometimes confusing and often sad stories of their diagnosis.  It is not uncommon to be mis-diagnosed, but I’ve been surprised to hear of cases of proper diagnosis, but mis-communication.  This has come to my attention a few times, where patients were tested for CD, but somehow, the positive results were never communicated to them.  One particularly sad situation involved a woman who was tested for CD when she became ill and was subsequently diagnosed with cancer.  For some reason, the doctor thought to only pursue the cancer treatment and disregarded the CD diagnosis.  In another case, a patient was only told of his positive CD test results when he changed doctors. 

We can always question the how’s and why’s of situations like these, but it boils down to human error or mis-judgement.  That’s why I’m excited about the education Dr. Ing is involved in.  We often think of our health being in the sole care of a physician, and forget about the other health care professionals we come into contact with.  The complexity of a CD diagnosis should fall on our family of health care providers, including chiropractors, physiotherapists and of course dental professionals.  If they receive the proper training, they can raise red flags when they see symptoms that may indicate an autoimmune condition, and pass this information on to the GP.

Kudos to Melissa for taking on the mammoth task of educating a generation of dental professionals, and re-educating those who have been in practice for years.  She’s getting funding for research, and sponsorship for presentations, and it’s all about putting a spotlight on celiac disease.

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

This week I chat with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com for a roundup of news and views to begin January 2020.  We talk about the current and upcoming food trends in the gluten free marketplace, as well as a recently published study on the connection between celiac disease and psoriasis.  We cover the subject of body image from a male perspective and identify that females often find the diagnosis and GF diet isolating.  Bard’s Beer is different because of the malting process, which in this case is gluten free, and the My Healthy Gut App is offering a 7-day free trial.  Here’s some links from Ellen you might want to look up –

Are You Gluten Free? Here’s What’s Happening in 2020!

2020 Vancouver Island Safe Fries List (+ onion rings, calamari, chicken strips, S’mores & more!)

Study Shows Significant Association Between Psoriasis and Celiac Disease

Celiac Disease – Is it affecting Your Body Image?

Is the Gluten-Free Diet Making You Feel Lonely?

Facebook Response: https://www.facebook.com/theceliacscene/posts/10159158832503012

15 Things We Wish People Knew About Celiac Disease

Bard’s Beer Trademarks Truly Gluten-Free Beer Logo

Symptom Tracking & Report Creation by MyHealthyGut i-Phone App

I have many different interviews scheduled for the first couple of months of 2020, and if there is anything you’d like me to cover, please email me at acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.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

     (search Sues Gluten Free Baking)

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

While I was discussing food trends in the gluten free marketplace with Ellen, I identified some past trends that got us where we are today.

For a long time many foods that were “naturally” gluten free were not identified as such.  I’m thinking of foods like potato chips, popcorn, most yogurts, drink mixes.  In most cases these foods would not contain gluten, unless it was hidden in flavourings, but gluten was not an integral part of the food as it might be for a cake mix.  As celiacs we learned to read labels, and to trust them as much as we could.  We also learned to contact food manufacturers if we had questions.

Gluten Free Certification changed food shopping for the better.  We were able to look for a symbol, making label reading take a back seat on many products.  Gluten Free was what we needed and what we looked for.

As I mentioned in the podcast, my bakery customers, who needed everything to be gluten free began to request other exclusions from my recipes.  Milk free, egg free and nut free were common, and in some cases, I was able to accommodate these specific requests.  I was able to adjust a couple of my recipes to be “free from” something or other, while still maintaining the integrity of taste and texture.

A natural progression of this trend was for companies to produce foods that were “free from” the common allergens.  While this can be very beneficial to many consumers, it may not serve the gluten free community well.  Some ingredients make a real difference in gluten free recipes and removing those produces an inferior product.  Eggs are a good example, they add structure and protein to a gluten free recipe.

Of late, the “free from” trend has become the vegan, vegetarian, paleo and keto friendly.  If a company can produce a “special” food that meets all the requirements of the common diet restrictions it has to be a winner, right?  Wrong.  I don’t need my food to be vegan, dairy free and egg free, I just need it to taste good and feel good in my mouth.

Let’s talk eggs again.  For a food to be vegan, it can’t contain eggs, to be keto friendly, eggs are welcome.  The common vegan substitute for eggs is a flax meal concoction.  I know it’s personal, but I have a severe allergy to flax seed, so these vegan, gluten free products are off limits for me. 

When I operated my bakery, I stuck with my plan to make the best gluten free foods I could, with common grocery store ingredients.  Maybe one day we’ll get back to that, maybe not, but for me, and my family, I will likely need to keep baking my own food to my specifications, regardless of current and future food trends. That suits me just fine.  You can find many of my recipes on my website at https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

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

This week is another solo episode where I reflect on the top six things I’ve learned from my two years of producing the podcast.  I briefly look at my motivation for starting the podcast and I try and sum up many of the positive and sometimes challenging experiences I’ve had.  Celiac disease and the gluten free diet can be complex and effect different people in different ways.  I’ve tried to understand this over my two years, and I’ve been able to identify some things that were truly new to me.

I have many different interviews scheduled for the first couple of months of 2020, and if there is anything you’d like me to cover, please email me at acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.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

     (search Sues Gluten Free Baking)

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge.  Maybe a physical challenge – running a race, or hiking a hill, but not a “project” challenge.  I suppose setting up and operating a gluten free bakery was such a challenge, and so was producing the baking show on YourTV. 

For both these challenges, I had to learn how to operate a commercial bakery, and later, how to bake in front of a camera.  The learning curves were steep, but I enjoyed both the learning and the execution.

I suppose, it was then a natural evolution to want to go back to school and learn more about media.  I attended Loyalist College for 18 months and received two certificates which gave me more confidence in my skills with this so-called new media.  A podcast was the logical next challenge.

I positioned myself where I could seek help from some very knowledgeable people, and I took advantage of it.  The idea of a podcast, leveraging my new-found education along with my life experience and bundling that into something where I could talk to interesting people, and share with others, seemed the right challenge to take on.

Since starting the podcast, I have been privileged to work with the Canadian Celiac Association to help them get their message out, I’ve spoken with many well-respected health care professionals, been invited to numerous gluten free events, and most interestingly of all, met so many people with unique stories. 

I have enjoyed every episode of the podcast and look forward to the continuing challenge of sharing what I learn with my listeners.  Thanks for listening, it wouldn’t be a podcast without you.

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

This week I go solo with a show that takes a deep dive into Christmas baking.  When I operated a gluten free bakery, this was our busiest time of the year.  We had procedures in place to make a large amount of a variety of foods.  Once the bakery closed and I went on to produce two seasons of my gluten free baking show on our local cable channel, I first had to shrink the recipes down to home kitchen size.  You can find the recipes on my website at www.suesglutenfreebaking.com.  Most of the recipes are in shows 5 www.suesglutenfreebaking.com/christmas-5 and 6 www.suesglutenfreebaking.com/christmas-6, which all have youtube video links to the show segments.

I talk about kitchen tips to get and stay organized as well as recipes for cakes, cookies, squares and breads.  I also add in a favourite Christmas morning recipe.

Stuffed French Toast

8-10 sturdy slices of gluten free bread, cubed

1 ½ – 2  8 oz pkgs of cream cheese, cubed

Beat together –

12 eggs, 2 cups milk & 1/3 cup of maple syrup

Place ½ of the bread cubes in an ungreased 9” x 13” baking pan, add the cubes of cream cheese, then top with the remaining bread.  Pour the liquid over the bread mixture, cover and refrigerate over night.  In the morning, bake at 375°for 45 minutes.  You can also add cinnamon nutmeg or raisins to the mix.

This recipe was always a hit in our home on Christmas morning.  If you have questions regarding your Christmas baking, I’ll do my best to answer.  You can email me at acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.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

     (search Sues Gluten Free Baking)

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

On the rare occasions when I do a solo show, it’s more difficult to write about my thoughts, as I have usually said everything I wanted to say in the podcast.  One thing did come to mind as I was writing the show notes for this podcast.  When I decided to produce a baking show for our local YourTV cable channel, I first had to re-develop the recipes to fit a home kitchen.

Writing this brought back many happy and frustrating memories.  It should be simple, I’m good with math, why should shrinking a recipe from making 200 cookies to making just 24 be so difficult.  Well it was. 

Originally, the recipes I used to start my bakery, came from my home kitchen.  Once I “expanded” the quantities, I also refined the ingredients and amounts, so it wasn’t easy to go backwards.  Also, in a commercial bakery many ingredients are measured by weight, but in our home kitchens, we use cups and tablespoons.  To this end, I have a weight equivalency table on my website in the recipe section.  In other parts of the world, weighing dry ingredients is the norm, but not in North America.  This was my biggest hurdle.

One other hurdle was eggs.  In the bakery, we often used packaged liquid egg whites, along with whole eggs.  Using one dozen eggs in a commercial recipe and having to divide by 4 for a home quanity is easy, but using one dozen eggs and having to divide by 5.3 is much more difficult. 

Each of the recipes had to be tested and re-tested.  The only one that sometimes still causes an issue is the shortbread recipes.  There are dry ingredients and butter.  I can often be heavy handed in my cup measuring of flours, which, for these cookies requires extra butter to be added.  It’s easy for me, because I know how the dough should look and feel, but it’s more difficult for the novice baker.

Converting recipes, both from wheat to gluten free and from commercial size to home kitchen size is a trip down mathematics lane.  Good thing I enjoy math, and baking.

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

This week I have my monthly catch-up with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com.  Here’s the list of articles we chatted about.

The first is an article Ellen wrote for the CCA with a straight shooting approach to the holidays and owning the diet.

How to Handle the Holidays

Next is a Facebook share that triggered a huge response and 100 ‘shares’ and counting.

11 Things People With Celiac Disease Do That Seem ‘High Maintenance,’ but Actually Aren’t

 We also looked at the following studies –

Study Suggests Gluten-Free Diet Does Not Help Autistic Children
Atopic Dermatitis and Celiac Disease – Are They Connected? I also mentioned about my plans for next week’s podcast episode to focus on the holiday recipes from my television baking show.  You can find those recipes on the show website at www.suesglutenfreebaking.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

     (search Sues Gluten Free Baking)

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

I often stay on a call after I finish recording an interview and this always happens when I record with Ellen.  We can talk endlessly about celiac disease, our involvement in the celiac community and the people we have met through that community.  While we were talking this past week, I couldn’t help but think about something I learned a couple of years ago while studying communications – “The Curse of Knowledge”.  I was compelled to ask Ellen if she was familiar with the term, as it is something I find often effects the content in our podcasts.

“The Curse of Knowledge” is loosely defined as the inability to put yourself in the situation of someone who does not know information that you find common, simple or primary to a subject.  In our case, it can be difficult to speak about celiac disease and the gluten free diet from the point of view of someone newly diagnosed, or someone who is finding their way with a variety of resources. 

As an example, in this week’s podcast we talked about wiping down a counter.  It may not occur to someone new to the diet that this is important.  Yes, it’s important to keep a clean kitchen, but why is it so important for us as a part of staying healthy on our diet.  It can be difficult to speak to an audience with a spectrum of knowledge.  Our topic, a medical condition and a complicated diet, fall under that spectrum.  Here’s to our continuing efforts to thwart “the curse”.