Fitness.Food.Fabulousness

Gluten Free in the Medical Community

Alyssa — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:17:14 +0000

Today, I had the opportunity to attend a food service staff in-service at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins. One of my classmates from college happens to work in the nutrition department at the hospital (where I work in the community health department) and thoughtfully invited me to a training she held this afternoon for her kitchen staff. Very recently, PVHS has taken the plunge into the gluten free world – and from what I saw today, I am very impressed.

I got to see first hand what the staff is being taught about gluten free. They were given an introduction on Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance. The big items that were stressed were the risk that cross-contamination causes as well as the importance of strict adherence to a gluten free diet. They also stressed that many people are in the hospital because of Celiac symptoms, and if they are not receiving food that is 100% gluten free…it will prolong or prevent their healing.

Currently, steps are being made for both in-patient meals and options for staff and hospital guests in the cafeteria. As of right now, there is a full gluten free menu available to patients staying in the hospital that includes several breakfast cereals, gluten free french toast and pancakes, omelets and salads, sandwiches, pasta, meat dishes as well as brownies, puddings and popsicles for dessert. As for in the cafeteria, there is a new section with a big orange “GLUTEN FREE ITEMS” sign above it with grab and go snacks and treats.

Here are a few of the steps that the nutrition staff has taken that really impressed me:

All gluten free ingredients are stored on the top shelf with clear labels on the outside.
In each area of the kitchen (freezer, prepared foods, baking) there is a separate book shelf or cabinet designated gluten free and is clearly labeled.
There is a work station dedicated gluten free where one of the staff members (a Celiac herself!) does gluten free baking once a week.
The staff aims to prepare gluten free meals first thing in the morning as to not be exposed to gluten particles in the air throughout the day. However they do make in-patient meals to order so this is not always an option.
All employees have been trained to wash their hands and change their gloves before preparing a gluten free meal.
In the kitchen there is dedicated equipment for gluten free such as mixers, bowls, pans, toasters, knives, etc.
If there is any chance of cross-contamination in the food prep process, employees have been trained not to think twice, but to just start over.
From product manufactures to food preparation, all the right steps are being taken to ensure the safety of the Celiac community.
All pre-made gluten items and meals are sealed and stored in a gluten free area to prevent cross-contamination.

I am so excited to see Poudre Valley Health System take these steps to ensure safety for patients as well as provide options for their staff and guests. They are planning in the very near future to feature one soup and sandwich each day that is made gluten free. I know that this is just the beginning for them and can’t wait to see how far they will be able to take this. I feel that this health system should be an example to others – in all aspects of their service. I’m proud to work there and will be even happier when I can enjoy a gluten free soup and sandwich on my lunch break!!

I ♥ Celiacs!!

Alyssa — Thu, 12 May 2011 18:45:46 +0000

May is Celiac Awareness month – so I thought this would be a great time to share some of my favorite resources and events for gluten free living. Did you know that 1 in 133 people have Celiac Disease? Check out the 1 in 133 campaign to learn how you can help spread awareness.

Here are some great national organizations and their upcoming conferences – an awesome way to learn a TON about celiac, gluten intolerance and living gluten free!!!

CDF – Celiac Disease Foundation

May 14th, 2011 Annual Education Conference & Food Faire –Los Angeles,CA

Keep up with my friend Brooke at Brooke’s Gluten Free Bites for updates on this conference!!!

GIG – Gluten Intolerance Group

GIG is celebrating celiac awareness month with the Chef to Plate Campaign. Check out participating restaurants in your area on the website!

GIG Annual Conference 6/30/11 in Orlando,FL – This conference will be in Denver in 2012! I can’t wait!!

My friend DeAnna at IamGF is attending the GIG conference this year – watch her website for updates!!

GIG of Colorado has some great meet-ups going on this month to celebrate Celiac Awareness Month – check out the events at www.meetup.com/GIGColorado

CSA – Celiac Sprue Association

34^th Annual CSA Conference – September 15-18 inSan Diego,CA

My favorite blogs and gluten free websites

www.glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

www.iamgf.com

www.glutenfreeonashoestring.com

Need some GF food? Time to stock up at Sprouts! This week (starting May 11) select gluten free foods are 25% off for the Gluten Free Jubilee!!

Thanks for checking out these great websites and supporting Celiac Awareness. Whether you have Celiac, are gluten intolerant, or love someone who can’t eat gluten, you know how important awareness and education is! Show your support by going to your favorite gluten free-friendly restaurant or signing up for an awesome conference!

Happy Celiac Awareness Month!

Lemon Bars – a delicious Easter dessert!

Alyssa — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:01:29 +0000

I survived my first egg-less Easter. It was actually easier than I thought , although passing on my favorite Easter treat (DEVILED EGGS!) broke my heart slightly. I was soon recovered though, remembering what I had made for dessert.

Lemon bars make everything a WHOLE LOT better. I figured lemon bars would be a perfect springtime sweet, so I experimented with a brand new recipe. I was really impressed with how these turned out, and they were extremely well-received by my gluten-eating family. I started with a recipe out of one of my favorite cookbooks “The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook” (find it on Amazon here), and made a few changes (no lime in my version) added my own twist with a homemade raspberry sauce topping instead of powdered sugar. I wish I could share a picture, but it was a crazy weekend and before I knew it, the pan was empty! I will have to share a real picture next time I make them, because they really are beautiful.

Enjoy!

Lemon Bars with Raspberry Topping (Allergy Free!)

Crust:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose GF flour mix (I used Pamela’s Bread Mix – so I didn’t add the xanthan gum. Check your mix to see if you need it)

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

5 tbsp shortening (go for dairy-free/soy-free if needed)

Lemon Layer

4 1/2 tsp egg replacer mixed with 6 tbsp rice milk

3/4 cup granulated sugar

Juice of 2 large juicy lemons (or 1/2 cup freshly squeezed juice – you may need more than 2 lemons)

Zest from 2 lemons

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking powder (remember to check corn content if you avoid corn)

1/8 tsp salt

3 tbsp all-purpose GF flour mix

Raspberry Drizzle Topping

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp tapioca starch

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 inch baking pan.

2. To make the crust, combine the sugar, flour and xanthan gum in a mixer. Add the shortening and mix on medium speed until crumbly.

3. Press the crust into the pan with your fingertips. Flatten with the palm of your hand.

4. Bake for 15 minutes

5. Meanwhile, to make the lemon layer, whist the egg replacer until foamy. Add the sugar, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, baking powder, salt, and flour mix. Mix well.

6. Pour over the crust and bake for 25 minutes, or until set.

7. While your bars are baking, make your raspberry drizzle topping. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer until thick and the sauce is smooth. You may need to smash the berries while they cook. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

8. Let the lemon bars cool completely, as well as the raspberry drizzle. Cover the bars with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Drizzle the raspberry topping before serving.

Weekends are for Waffles

Alyssa — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 02:01:40 +0000

What a treat! Waffles evoke a lot of memories for me…of being a little kid helping my dad make waffles on a Saturday morning, and filling each toasty little square with loads of butter and syrup. Unfortunately, it’s been years since I’ve had a real, fresh, homemade Belgium waffle. Sure, I have a box of GF toaster waffles in the freezer, but they are no comparison. Several years ago when I was still pretty new to g-free baking, I tried making a batch of gluten free waffles with my mom, resulting in a messy, sticky failure. Well, recently my mind has been in waffle world – and I have been dying to try again. Finally…the weekend was it – Waffle Weekend! I borrowed my parents waffle iron (yes, the same one that made my favorite childhood breakfast treats 20+ years ago) and gave it a major cleaning. I needed to make sure any remenants of gluten-filled waffles were gone. Then I realized I didn’t have a recipe! I did a quick internet search and found a decent looking recipe on a vegan waffle website. The original post is here at WaffleParty.com. I made a few changes, splitting the cup of buckwheat flour into 1/2 cup buckwheat and 1/2 cup sorghum. I substituted Agave Nectar for the molasses, because I simply don’t really like molasses!! Finally, I used rice milk instead of soy – and I’m sure whatever kind of milk you prefer would work fine. I made sure to give my waffle iron a good spray of canola oil before each waffle – and they really did come out perfectly clean! I couldn’t believe how great they worked out, even from the first try! I topped the waffles with soy-free Earth Balance, and an easy fresh blackberry sauce (see recipe below).

The breakfast was absolutely delicious and very satisfying! I’m so grateful to have waffles back in my life – and I can’t wait to experiment with more allergy-free waffle recipes!

Easy Blackberry Sauce (perfect for topping waffles or pancakes)

1 cup fresh blackberries

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp tapioca starch

Stir frequently while bringing to a boil. Occasionally mash the blackberries as they start cooking. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer and thicken. I like keeping it kind of chunky, but you could puree it before serving as well.

1/2 Marathon – CHECK!!

Alyssa — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:36:23 +0000

We did it!

After a few months of training and eating right (most of the time) my husband and I both were FINISHERS in our first 1/2 Marathon – the Platte River Half! It was such a rewarding and exhausting experience. We ran about 8 1/2 miles of the race separately, with my husbands long legs taking him strides ahead of me, but slow and steady wins the race and I caught up to him, and ended up finished a whopping 1 SECOND ahead of him! Not that we were racing or anything… I’m feeling the after-shock today, my knees feel like they were run over by a truck. Besides the knee pain, I’m actually feeling pretty good! Maybe it was the delicious post race GF meal (sweet potatoes and steak) at Outback Steakhouse, or the post race margarita (I was thinking about margaritas for approximately 4 miles of the race!). Either way, I’m feeling good and ready to take on the gym again!

I am so excited to complete one of my new year’s resolutions so early in the year, and I am eager to keep my running mileage up and work more on speed in the upcoming months. I’m also pretty stoked to get out on my new road bike, now that it might actually be springtime in CO.

I also want to give a plug for the Platte River Half Marathon – it was very well organized, very affordable and provided great support throughout the 13.1 miles. The Platte River Trail is a great place to run, and I highly recommend checking it out! Good job race organizers!

Here we are before the race!

Running Update – 150 miles down – 1.5 weeks to go!

Alyssa — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:35:01 +0000

Well – we’ve almost made it! My best pal/running buddy/husband and I have been training for 2 months, and have a week and half to go until our first half marathon. This week we hit 150 miles of training logged! I am struggling with the fact that I don’t feel as mentally prepared as I would like to be, but I know that physically we are totally ready to take this race on. I have hit so many milestones while training for this run, which has made the mileage much more bearable. Before February, I had never run more than 7 miles. Each long run we did hit a new “furthest ever” milestone which was very rewarding. I also have finally jumped the “speed hurdle”. Now, I’m definitely no speed-demon, but my body has FINALLY figured out how to go a little bit faster! For the past 2 years I feel I would run, I would add distance, I would do some intervals, but I NEVER GOT FASTER. I don’t know if it was the pure mileage in this program, the integrated tempo and interval runs or the fact that my running partner is a foot taller than me – but I don’t really care – I’m running faster! My stride is becoming more efficient and I feel like I can give myself a “kick” when I need it.

I am also really excited about how my body has been dealing with running. I have always had terrible stomach issues with running, and extreme side/all over stomach cramps were a constant issue. Through training and finding a few special foods my tummy can handle – I finished a 12 mile run last weekend without so much as a stitch! Whew! It feels good to not be so worried about keeling over in stomach pain. We have also both been blessed with relatively low pain during training. We’ve had some sore knees, but <> no serious pain issues.

Another great thing that has come out of this training is how fun it was to do it with my husband. We have never worked out together before, and it’s still probably not our favorite thing to do together, but those long Sunday runs together really made it easier! It was also great to have someone to be accountable with for our mid-week “alone workouts”.

So, I’m talking about our training as if it is over. NOT SO FAST! We are spending this next week and half tapering a little bit, doing lots of stretching and being extra conscious of our eating. My goal is to really eliminate a lot of the extra sugar that I consume (aka gluten free muffins!) and increase my WHOLE FOOD CONSUMPTION. My big step this week? I made homemade hummus (recipe to follow) and have been bringing carrots and snap peas to work each day as my snack. I feel like a vegetable eating machine! I hope to continue these healthy eating changes even after the race is complete.

I can’t wait to post an update on how the race went – we’re getting really excited for it! I’m extra excited because I just got a new pair of running shoes that I will get to use AFTER I finish the race.

GOTTA KEEP ON RUNNING!!!

Easy-Peasy Hummus Recipe (sesame free)

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) – reserve the liquid

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp fresh chopped basil

1 tbsp minced garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Blend the ingredients in a food processor (or a blender if your food processor sucks like mine). If the paste is too thick – add the liquid reserved from the beans, or water until it reaches a good texture.

Dip fresh veggies or chips (Beanitos –yeah baby!) or use as a spread on sandwiches or wraps

I can’t wait to try adding roasted red peppers to this recipe for a special twist!!

Guess What I Ate Tonight?!

Alyssa — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:33:13 +0000

NACHOS! Now, you may ask – “How can YOU eat nachos?! Cheese? Corn? All things you can’t have!!” That’s what I have thought for the past 6 months – and a great crunchy snack has been something I truly have been missing. That was all until this afternoon when I found my new favorite GF treat – Beanitos! I have to say I’m not a big fan of the name. I feel like it should be some kind of gas medication…but if you can get past the name this is a fabulous product for us corn-free foodies. These salty snackers are non-GMO, corn, gluten, potato and soy free, have 4 grams of complete protein and are high in fiber! I would still consider these a treat – but if I ate the whole bag I wouldn’t feel TOO GUILTY…

The Beanitos Website shows 4 different chips – but my local King Soopers only had 2 today. I bought the Black Bean Chips and the Pinto Bean and Flax chips. My favorite was the black bean, but they were both yummy. They are just airy enough to be light and crunchy and have that salty kick that you just don’t get on anything but chips. These will be a great alternative to tortilla chips since I have to avoid corn. After sampling the chips on their own, I couldn’t resist the urge to make a little batch of nachos. I used Daiya Cheese (Cheddar Style) and popped the pan in my toaster oven. A few minutes later I was dunking the delicious crispy, cheesy chips in my favorite salsa. What a treat!

I am so thankful for a company who thinks outside the box and not only can create a great tasting food – but one that has some nutritional qualities to it as well! I would recommend these chips to anyone – even if you can eat corn! Corn is consumed too much anyways, right? Check out their website to find out where to buy – and there is a dollar off coupon to get you started too!

EAT YOUR BEANS!!!

Gluten Free Product Review!! Simply Shari’s

Alyssa — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 00:09:17 +0000

I recently received a box of goodies from “Simply Shari’s” (formerly “Gluten Free and Fabulous”) to sample and review. I love it when I get surprises like that! There were bags of cookies, both fudge brownie bites and almond shortbread. She also sent a few of her pasta products, the Mac and Cheese and Quinoa & Marinara.

Here is the review I sent to Shari:

Shari – I wanted to thank you so much for sending me samples of your delicious products! I absolutely love the simple packaging that is so easy to use and store! The fudge brownies and almond shortbread cookies are a great way to satisfy a gluten free sweet tooth! Even my non-GF husband loved them! The Quinoa & Marinara was my favorite product of yours. So easy to make, and the noodles were some of the best I’ve had! I love that the meal is low-calorie and a great source of protein and fiber (good ol’ quinoa!). Thanks for making an easy meal for a busy gluten free lifestyle!

My only things I wanted to suggest you improve on are the fact the marinara mix powder had some big chunks and it took a while in the liquid for them to break apart. Also – the advice I give everyone…experiment with allergen-free recipes! I would love it if your cookies were egg and soy free, as I have food intolerances to both of those as well!

Thanks for a great product – I wish I could get my hands on it in CO! I also love your website – the teen blog is great!

If you want to check out Shari’s company – check out her website at www.simplysharis.com There is info on all of her GF products as well as 2 great blogs, one for adults and one for celiac teens! It’s so great to see another great company starting up to meet our g-free needs!

1/2 Marathon Training Update

Alyssa — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 02:54:40 +0000

We are 5 weeks into our 10 week half-marathon training plan. Whoa – that’s halfway! (just realized that!). So far it’s been going really well. I based our plan off of the half marathon plan in the book “Running Made Easy” – and added in a mix of cross-training and interval/tempo runs. We run 4 days a week, with 1 long weekend run that my husband and I do together. Besides that, we run on our own, as our schedules rarely match up. We’ve been forced to the treadmills a few more times that I would have liked due to below zero temperatures and lots of snow, but all-in-all we have been pretty lucky when it comes to weather. I have been able to do several early morning runs outside and every single one of our weekend runs has greeted us with sunshine! Our longest run so far has been 8 miles, with a big 10-miler coming up this weekend. This kind of program is definitely more mileage than either of us has done before, so it’s taking a toll on our bodies – we are tired! It feels great though, to accomplish a new distance every week that we’ve never reached before, and it is so helpful having a running partner on those long runs. We’ve both had our good days and our bad, but it helps having the other one right there next to you pushing you along!

Because of having tired sore bodies more often, I have really been trying to increase how often I do yoga or pilates. I notice it really helps relax me, and helps my muscles recover for the next run. I love doing Body Flow at the gym, and when I can’t get to that I have been liking Self’s Ultimate De-Stress Yoga. It is a little more fitness based and is more like a great 40 minute stretch session than a yoga practice. I highly recommend it.

Training nutrition has also been a hot-topic in our house lately, as we experiment with different foods pre-run and post-run. I have a very picky “Runner’s Stomach” that can’t handle much of anything prior to a run, so I have to really focus on getting some good food and lots of water the night before a run. We have really noticed a difference in how we feel on long runs depending on what we ate the day before. For example – Q’Doba and coffee at 8pm before a 7am run – not our finest moment. Any gluten free runners out there? What are your favorite pre-run meals? How about post-run? My favorite is protein pancakes with a fruit smoothie!

38 days to go…cheer us on!!

Cookie Dough Love

Alyssa — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:46:22 +0000

“Uh Oh…” Those were the first words out of my mouth as I licked a large chunk of Chocolate Chip Blondie Cookie dough off of my flour-y finger. When a gluten free dough tastes THAT good raw – there is no hope of seeing the steamy hot cookie-bars last any longer than one or two days. I was in heaven. This dough was unlike any I’ve had in years. Not grainy, no weird bean-flour taste, no funky after taste. Pure Perfection. The resulting bars did not disappoint.

As you know by now, baking is my passion. Baking is my pastime, it is my stress relief, it is a way of me sharing something with the ones Iove. And most of all, pulling a hot pan of yummy treats out of the oven just plain MAKES ME SMILE!! I feel like I have gotten pretty good at looking at a recipe and judging if it will be any good. This recipe was no exception. In a new cookbook of mine (Thanks to my cookie loving husband!) nearly every recipe seems to pass the “Looks Good!” test. I have tried a few with much success, and the Chocolate Chunk Blondie recipe proves my point once again. I’m in love with this cookbook. I highly recommend checking it out, it’s called “The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook” by Cybele Pascal. The recipes are simple, there are beautiful pictures (we all know pictures make a recipe look 10x better) and so far, everything I’ve tried has turned out deliciously. All gluten free bakers know how valuable a good set of recipes is, so if you’re looking for some – please find this book!