Got food allergies?

Having to be on a gluten-free diet can be tough. If you're like me though, having multiple food allergies can be a daily struggle. When I was first diagnosed and my sisters went through testing, we discovered my older sister has an allergy to eggs as well. In my parents home, that eliminates 4 major food items. Soy is found in 60% of packaged food in the United States. That leaves 40% to be made with gluten, dairy, or soy. It has taken me (and my family) awhile to adopt to not only avoiding gluten but our other allergies.  That's why when I found Allergy Chefs, Inc., I was incredibly excited.
Joel and Mary Schaefer have 40 years of combined experience in the food industry  This website is a great resource for people with multiple allergies. They have mastered the technique of avoiding using the top 8 food allergens in their cooking. Not only are the recipes nutritious and well balanced, they are absolutely delicious as well!

 Check out their sweet potato pancakes. Of course, I substitute the soy milk with almond milk!

Interesting fact about Chef Joel? He specializes in culinary education and product development for food allergies and special diets was the Culinary Development and Special Dietary Needs Manager at Walt Disney World.  In that role, he spearheaded Disney World’s food allergy initiatives, ensuring that all of their restaurants could better accommodate food-allergic guests at the park.  Throughout his career, from Disney to his current position at Allergy Chefs, Chef Joel has made it his mission to educate the food service industry about food allergies.

http://allergychefs.com/

517th Spouses Flight

     I may be a little biased, but I think my husband is the most amazing man in the world. Not only did he stick with me during such a trailing time in my illness but he decided I was worth keep and married me! ;) All kidding aside, I am proud to be his wife. Recently, he directed an event with his squadron that was a way of honoring all the wives.
     Every year the 517th squadron gathers all the wives together and gives them a ride in a C-17 and a really scenic tour of Alaska. This would normally cost thousands of dollars but the men volunteer their time and fill out paperwork that allows us to see a view of Alaska few have ever seen in person. This was my second year to take part in the experience.
     All the wives were asked to wear warm clothing, closed toed shoes, and their husbands green flight jackets. John had the idea to order the wives name tags so they could put them on the jacket and take pictures. It reminded me of being in High school when your wear your boyfriend's letter jacket so everyone knows who you're dating. I loved it! John even get me my own name tag. I must say that being Mrs. Wendler is probably the best title I have earned to date! ;)

The C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases around the world. It can also perform tactical airlift, medical evacuations, and airdrop missions. We all loaded up into the back of the plane and got ready for take off. The most amazing thing about a C-17 is that the back hatch can open in flight. This lends itself to some amazing views!

It gets a little chilly though when the back hatch so when they closed it we had the opportunity to wander around a little. The C-17 is 174 feet (53 m) long and has a wingspan of about 170 feet (52 m). It can airlift cargo fairly close to a battle area. The size and weight of U.S. mechanized firepower and equipment have grown in recent decades from increased air mobility requirements, particularly for large or heavy non-palletized outside cargo.

All the ladies were given the opportunity to visit the cockpit as well. The C-17 is powered by four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines. Each engine is capable of fully reversing. The C-17 is designed to operate from runways as short as 3,500 ft and as narrow as 90 ft (27 m). In addition, the C-17 can operate from unpaved, unimproved runways. The thrust reversers can be used to back the aircraft and reverse direction on narrow taxiways using a three- (or more) point turn.

Overall, it was an amazing experience and one I am sure many of us wives will cherish for a long time. I am so blessed to be married to such and amazing man and I cherish everyday we are together.

October Recipe of the Month

As soon as the first day of fall arrived, my husband practically dove into our basement storage area to pull out the decorations. I have to admit, I like the way they look with our furniture but I still prefer summer if I had to pick a season. He even dragged me to the fall decorations in Target the last time we were there shopping. The picture to the left is a wonderful decoration my husband and I picked up at the Arctic Bazaar.
The next item that my husband always asks for is Pumpkin Muffins. When I made this back in Georgia, my little sister thought they were like manna from heaven. My mother, older sister, and I would be lucky if they last more than two days. I even caught her one time taking a bunch to school to stash them in her locker there! I can't blame her though - in our family, once you find something you like (and you're not allergic too) it goes quickly!

My sisters and I a few years ago in Georgia.

So, for October, the recipe I love is from Elana Amsterdam of Elana's Pantry www.elanaspantry.com. I roast a small pumpkin to make this recipe and I just love the pumpkin smell! It reminds me of taking my sisters to the pumpkin patch to pick out our gourds for carving! Canned pumpkin works just as well though.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Muffins

1 ½ cups blanched almond flour (not Bob's Red Mill)
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
½ cup agave nectar
2 large eggs
1 cup fresh baked pumpkin (or winter squash), well packed 

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves
2. In a mixer puree oil, agave, eggs and pumpkin until smooth
3. Stir wet ingredients into dry
4. Place paper liners in muffin pan
5. Scoop batter into paper liners
6. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes
7. Cool for 2-3 hours
8. Serve - Makes 8 muffins

Gluten-free Oats offer

Can you tolerate gluten-free oats? It’s estimated that 4-8% of gluten-free consumers cannot tolerate gluten-free oats.
My friend, Debbie Wheaton of the Not Even a Crumb™ Foundation, found a company in Montana (Montana Gluten-Free Processors) that grows, harvests, mills and packages a different species of GF oats that are very low on the allergen scale (and consistently test out at 1 ppm). She started eating them a month ago - with NO issues. The company is getting similar testimonials from around the country. They, (Montana Gluten-Free Processors) have asked Debbie to facilitate a nationwide focus group to determine if this is truly the Holy Grail of gluten-free oats.

If you or anyone in your group has had issues with gluten-free oats, I would love them to be a part of this focus group. The Processors will send free product and specific protocols for the group and they’ll also do a huge giveaway at the end. Check out their site to see their entire line of amazing GF mixes http://www.montanaglutenfree.com/

CDF Anchorage Gluten-free Support Group Meeting

The Anchorage Gluten-free Support group meets Thursday night 9/15/2011! 

Please join us from 6-8pm at Natural Pantry on Old Seward Highway in the University Center.

For more information please feel free to e-mail me at mrsalaska2011@gmail.com. I look forward to seeing you there!

Celebrate National Celiac Awareness Day

The following post was stolen from a brillant Celiac with her own blog, Erin Smith. For the original copy and more of her amazing insight, visit: http://glutenfreefun.blogspot.com/2011/09/celebrate-celiac-awareness-day.html
Tomorrow is Celiac Awareness Day. In 2010, a resolution was passed in the U. S. Senate, making September 13 National Celiac Disease Awareness Day. 
How are you going to celebrate Celiac Awareness day?
Here is a list of ways to celebrate from the NFCA:

1. Share the Celiac Symptoms Checklist. Send the checklist to 10 friends. Odds are, at least one of them will have an “Aha!” moment and recognize the symptoms in a family member, neighbor or friend.

2. Play a role in research. The Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is looking for relatives of celiacs to test a new self-administered blood test. It’s your chance to finally convince your mother, brother, or another family member to take the test once and for all. (Update: Study has been filled. Thank you to all who signed up!)

3. Go for a run. Restoring health isn’t just about making the dietary switch to gluten-free; it’s also about embracing your new lease on life. I’ll be here when you get back.

4. Or, support a fellow Celiac while he runs. On September 24, Athlete for Awareness Peter Bronski will run 50 miles and scale 10,000 feet for the 2nd year in a row – all to raise money for NFCA. Donate to help him reach his goal.

5. Tell your doctor “Sorry” isn’t good enough. How many doctor appointments did you waste complaining of symptoms before you finally got diagnosed? End the cycle of misdiagnosis once and for all: Print the Celiac CME postcard from our website and urge your doctor to take NFCA’s free course on celiac disease.

6. Expand your dining options. If you know a restaurant that needs gluten-free training, now’s the time to act. Print the GREAT Kitchens information sheet from our website and bring it to the restaurant. As an incentive, tell the manager how many friends and support group members are just waiting to find a new gluten-free hot spot.

7. Be a part of something big. Sign 1in133.org's Letter to the FDA regarding the proposed gluten-free labeling rule. It’s one way to tell the FDA to keep moving and stop stalling when it comes to gluten-free safety.

8. Have a party. Bake some gluten-free cupcakes. Put out a bowl for donations. Voila! Instant Cupcake Party Fundraiser. (It’s really that easy.)

9. Head to class. Ask your child’s teacher if you can have a special Celiac Awareness Day at school. Read a celiac disease children’s book, then take questions from the kids. If your child’s school allows it, bring in gluten-free snacks for everyone to try. While you’re there, encourage the cafeteria staff to get gluten-free training through NFCA’s GREAT Schools program.

10. Sharpen your cooking skills. You never stop learning, so take advantage of NFCA’s library of free gluten-free cooking videos. The videos not only have step-by-step instructions, but also give you helpful tips, like how to sneak veggies into a dessert.

11. Make a new friend. If you’re not on Facebook or Twitter yet, get moving! The staff and I have met tons of new people through social media, and there’s sure to be a lot of exciting chats and activities for Celiac Awareness Day.

12. Try something GREAT. NFCA’s GREAT Business Association members are huge supporters of the celiac and gluten-free community. Encourage their continued involvement by picking up one of their products. (Make sure to tweet about it!)

13. Prepare future advocates. We’ve made incredible progress, but it’s up to our kids to keep that going. Teach them the joy of volunteering and advocacy by helping them contribute to Kids Central. They can sign up for the Letter Writing Fundraiser, share a gluten-free recipe, or submit a product review for kids.

September Recipe of the month

The end of August and the beginning of September marks the start of the Alaska State Fair. My husband and I attended last year and it was very rainy so we stayed inside and didn't stay very long. However, this year we were blessed with a very sunny day and had a wonderful experience. I ate some cotton candy and John had a green apple covered with caramel. I really w anted a corn dog because it is my favorite fair food. However, most of the vendors couldn't tell me what was in their mix so, to be safe, I refrained from eating fair food. However, I do have a handy recipe to make gluten-free corn dogs so, I thought I would share it!

Gluten-free Corn dogs

Serves 8

1 cup yellow corn meal
2/3 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (I've used Bobs Red Mill with success!)
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. sugar
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk (I use ricemilk or almond milk - add a little at a time until good consistency reached)
1 package of good quality hot dogs (such as Sabrett Skinless Beef Franks)
2 quarts of vegetable oil (for frying)
8 wooden popsicle sticks or skewers

Directions

1. Line a rimmed sheet tray or large plate with paper towels. Remove hot dogs from their package and dry completely with paper towels. Place a wooden stick into the length of each hot dog, leaving enough length at the end to use as a handle. Heat oil in a 10"-12" heavy pot over medium heat until temperature reaches 350°. You can also use a deep fryer if you have one.

2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and make a well in the center. Whisk together egg and milk in the well and combine with dry ingredients, mixing until smooth.  Pour batter into a pint glass or other tall, skinny container, leaving a 1-inch space between the top of the batter and the rim of the glass.

3. Dip prepared hot dogs into batter, coating completely, and fry for 2–3 minutes, turning halfway through fry time, until deep golden brown on all sides. Drain corn dogs on prepared tray (either let the paper towels absorb the oil or put a wire rack over the paper towels). Repeat with remaining hot dogs.

Note: You can use up any leftover corndog mixture by frying up some corn fritters. Just drop tablespoons of remaining batter into the oil and fry 2-3 minutes, turning halfway, until puffed and golden. For an added kick, add 1 tbsp. chopped jalapeño plus 3 tbsp. grated cheddar to the leftover batter before frying.