Repost from old blog enjoy!

It is 1030 at night.  My son is still awake because he is so pumped up on steroids and stimulants he can hardly sit still.  His Celiac Disease not only attacks his intestines but it also attacks his lungs.  He gets symptoms similar to bronchitis.  His lungs fill up with fluid and the vessels in his lungs swell, restricting his airway.  When it happens he has to be on inhaled steroids, and albuterol. The side effect of the medication is he is wired.

All of this happened this time because someone somewhere thought it would be a good idea to add wheat to a chicken breast.  Why does there have to be wheat in a plain grilled chicken breast? We went out to a restaurant on Friday and my little buddy ordered grilled chicken on a stick.  Within 30 minutes he was sick.

As a Mom I sit here helpless.  I have no magic wand to make it go away.  As much as I want to, I cannot “bibi-bopi-bo”, as my daughter would say, and make everything gluten free. I cannot get rid of Celiac Disease. There is no cure.  There is no pill or injection or make them better. When they are exposed to gluten they suffer for days, sometimes even weeks.  They suffer by not being able to eat, or they have diarrhea, vomiting, and immense stomach cramping and bloating.   Nothing comforts them.  On top of the stomach symptoms, my buddy boy cannot breath.  He has to watch his friends run around because his lungs cannot handle the exercise.   And that is just the symptoms of my son. I could go on to describe what my daughter and my husband go through, but I will save that for another post.

I research every food that my family comes in contact with.  I read labels until I go cross-eyed and my babies still get sick.  I only can control my own actions.  So my actions will be prayer.   I pray that God continue to use me to raise awareness against this silent, painful disease.  I ask for strength to keep fighting even when I do not want to any more.

If you take nothing else away from my writing, please take away a piece of awareness.  Please know that there are people that are sensitive to gluten.  If you eat gluten, please wash your hands before touching my kids or other people with food sensitivities.  Please vote to have food and medication labels list allergens such as gluten.   This small protein is a huge part of my family’s life and most of the world does not even know what it is.  Thank you for taking the time to become aware.

Again this is a re-post from an old blog, enjoy!

Yesterday, I went out to dinner for a birthday celebration. The restaurant was one that my gluten-free family has never eaten at before. So I called ahead to talk to the restaurant to find out what our gluten-free options were. Right away they informed me that there was gluten-free menu available. That was so great to hear, it is really frustrating when I call and the people on the other end of the phone do not know what gluten is! This manager knew what gluten was and they had a gluten-free version of their menu… bonus.
Next, I asked the manager what options were available for my children. The manager informed me that she would have to ask the chef and call me back. Great, I would rather have an educated answer then no answer. So far I was impressed by the way this restaurant was handing my gluten-free situation.
When the manager called me back she dropped the bomb. She told me that there was nothing on the menu for my children; they would have to order off the adult menu. I told her that it was OK, I would just bring food for them. She told me and I quote, “You are not able to bring any food into the restaurant because it is against the Maryland State Health Code.” I hung up the phone politely but I was beyond mad. You do not mess with Mama Bear. She offered my children raw oysters and told me I could not bring in my own food… It took chocolate and cheesecake to calm me down (Both gluten-free). What do you mean that I can’t bring my own food? As a gluten-free family we bring our own food everywhere. Were we breaking Health Code every time we brought food into a restaurant?
I had to find out. I started researching on the internet with no luck so I called the Maryland Law Library. After they researched my question, they informed me that there was in fact NO law or code stating that a customer can not bring food into a restaurant.
Please pass this on to everyone that you know with allergies. We have the right to bring food into a restaurant. I verified this with the Law Library, The Health Department, The Bureau of Environmental Health and The Food Protection Agency. Do not let restaurants tell you that you can not bring in your own food. It is a necessity when you have someone with food allergies or a special diet. Stand up for your right and if you have any trouble call the Attorney General’s Office their number is 410-528-8662.

This is an repost from another blog.  Enjoy it for the first time or again.

It is moist and flavorful.  The whole family really enjoyed it.

OK, I use real pumpkin because I try really hard to keep it as fresh as possible; in addition I think it is really important to support your local farmers. To make a pumpkin puree is not hard, it just takes a little bit of time.  There are different kinds of pumpkins; some are more watery than others. I used a regular carving pumpkin, because that is what I had.

Wash the pumpkin skin. Slice the pumpkin in half, take out the seeds (Bake the seeds with a little olive oil and Old Bay, it is great). I then slice the pumpkin into pieces that are about 4 inch by 1 inch.  This size makes them easier to handle when they cool and you take the skin off. Now that you have manageable sizes steam the pumpkin pieces until fork tender.  A whole pumpkin could take two batches depending on the size of the pumpkin. Let the pumpkin cool and scoop the “meat” away from the skin.  Put the pumpkin “meat” into a food processor and puree. You might notice some separation and water on the top of the puree after it sits for a while, drain the water off. Now you have yourself the perfect puree, freeze extras if you have any.

When you first read this ingredients list the many different types of flour may make you want to scream.  I really struggled with why in the world a person would need to use so many different types of flour.  Why couldn’t I just use a mix?  Mixes just do not give you the flavor you always want and I do not think they stay very moist.  The different combinations help to make a moister, lighter cake without the gluten.  Please do not get overwhelmed by the different types of flours.  It is doable.  For me, after my husband picked me up off the floor when I realized how much all the flours cost, I found that I saved money and I had more freedom in the kitchen.  I mix and play around with flours now to get when I am looking for in texture and taste. Ok lets get baking!

Now the Pumpkin Spice Cake

2 sticks of butter at room temp
1 cup brown rice flour
½ cup white rice flour
¾ cup almond flour
¼ cup sorghum flour
½ cup tapioca flour
1 ½ tsp xanthan gum
5 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 ½ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup whole milk
¼ cup molasses
1 ¼ cup confectioners sugar
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
Heat oven to 350 F.  Butter and flour Bundt pan. I used tapioca flour to flour my pan.
In a bowl, sift together the flours, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, it take a couple minutes.
Beat in eggs one at a time.
Beat in pumpkin puree, milk and molasses.  The mixture is going to look like it is curdled, trust me it is ok.
Reduce the mixer to low and add the flour mixture. Do not over mix.
Pour into pan and bake until toothpick comes out clean. About 55- 70 minutes depending on your oven. I found that sometimes the gluten free stuff takes longer.
Let it cool for 30 minutes before you invert it and take it out of Bundt.
In another bowl mix together the confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over the cake and serve.

I know this is a really long post, but trust me it is worth it.  This is a really great cake and I look forward to making it again for Thanksgiving.