Monthly Archives: December 2010

Silly me, I thought Post was doing something special when they announced that they would be officially certifying their Pebbles cereal as gluten-free (and cutting the sugar, to boot).

Turns out they aren’t the only ones ringing in the new year with a healthy, gluten-free leaf.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Frito-Lay will be eliminating the artificial flavors, artificial preservatives or MSG from about half of their products. The change will result in a significantly lower sodium content for many of the products, as well.

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Looking for something classy (and maybe with a bit of a lushful kick) to serve on New Years Eve? Some food and alcohol pairings can be tricky for those on a gluten-free diet (pizza and beer come to mind). The classic  duo of wine and cheese, however, can be easily done gluten-free with just a tiny bit of extra research.

There are exceptions, but all pure wines should be gluten-free. In addition, hard, aged cheeses such as cheddar and parmesan should be gluten-free; softer cheeses such as havarti or brie should be studied carefully, but if they are unprocessed, they are usually gluten-free. Many unprocessed blue cheeses, though, are unsafe for those on a gluten-free diet, so be careful with those. And cheese spreads often have additives or seasonings that contain gluten. But aside from some label checking, you should be able to emerge from any grocery store with a variety of gluten-free cheeses and wines…sans gluten.

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I just moved to a new apartment. We’ve got plastic on the windows, but it’s still chilly. Accordingly, I’ve been roasting a lot of vegetables.

Huh? What? Well, I get to keep the oven on for a long time – a little extra heat, and the added benefit of tasty dinner!

The beauty of roasted vegetables is manifold. No specialty equipment needed – a cookie tray, a Pyrex dish, whatever you’ve got around works just fine. No expensive ingredients – unless you want to get fancy, in which case the sky’s the limit. And an infinite variety of naturally gluten-free flavors and textures, to keep things interesting all winter long.

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Chocolaty, chewy protein-rich bars.

Every proper athlete/gym aficionado worth his or her salt knows that it takes more than 30 minutes of daily cardio to properly supplement an active lifestyle.  Replenishing necessary nutrients after a workout has been great simplified with the production of nutrition bars – most of which are not safe for those on gluten-free diets.  Primarily made of soy, oats, or wheat byproducts, protein and nutrition bars generally contain any number of irritating ingredients.

Gluten-free fitness and health buffs can find protein-rich on-the-go goodness from a slightly different source, however.  Fullbar®, a company that primarily manufactures weight-loss products, makes chocolaty snacks they’ve dubbed “Truffulls.”

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Everyone have a nice Christmas weekend, I hope?

Here’s some sweet news just in time for 2011:

Post® Pebbles — of the Cocoa and Fruity varieties, at least — have long been considered a safe food for celiacs. They’re rice-based, and contain no gluten-containing ingredients, plus they’re produced on a dedicated line (though not in a dedicated facility). You can check out this thread on gluten-free Cocoa Pebbles on celiac.com for additional verification.

These Bedrock Boulders can be made gluten-free

The good news is that as of 2011, Post is doing two things to make both Cocoa and Fruity Pebbles a more enticing cereal choice.

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I’m not sure if Santa has celiac disease or not – statistically speaking, he might. What torture! To visit millions of homes and be confronted with billions of cookies he can’t have.

These gluten-free crinkle cookies from the Baking Beauties remind me of the first cookies I baked myself...

If you’re counting on a visit from the ol’ Saint Nick tonight, you might want earn some brownie points (pun intended) and offer him some gluten-free cookies just in case. Otherwise, he’s stuck eating the carrot sticks – and then what’s left for the reindeer?

Here are some gluten-free Christmas cookies bound to make Mrs. Claus red with envy:

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Holidays are hectic, yes. But they’re also expensive – which is why today’s post is dedicated to free things.

Hooray!

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Courtesy of The Gluten-Free Homemaker (see recipe below).

And if you do need an excuse, what’s better than Christmas morning (or Christmas evening, or Christmas week…or whatever)?

As with almost every other type of herb, spice, fruit, or non-animal edible substance, cinnamon has hundreds of fan websites. Some of them certainly seem legitimate. BUT…then there are the others.

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Ah, eating season. Whether it’s Christmas at the in-laws, your office’s annual party, your children’s school fundraiser…there are plenty of excuses to chow down. However, there’s also a lot of hidden gluten lurking in some Christmas favorites, which can catch even the most seasoned celiac off guard.

Here are a few things to watch out for, and some recipes for festive gluten-free alternatives. You can find safe, gluten-free foods in our gluten-free grocery guide as well – perfect for helping your hosts serve a gluten-free holiday meal.

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The other day I realized that I don’t know anyone who celebrates Kwanzaa. Or, at least, I don’t know that anyone I know celebrates Kwanzaa. Given that I know people who celebrate National Talk Like a Pirate Day, this is pretty lame on my part.

It also means that I didn’t know what foods one eats to celebrate – and this was a problem. Foods I don’t know about? A problem.

Internet to the rescue, and I was happy to learn that most typical Kwanzaa dishes are either naturally gluten-free or very easy to alter. I was even happier when I pictured myself eating them on a winter night: although these recipes have roots in Africa, they sound perfect for colder climes.

Here are some great-looking recipes, naturally gluten-free, that I plan to make sometime soon:

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