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The Dynamite Flake Chocolate Cookie Explosion
November 15th, 2009 | admin | Categories: Uncategorized 2 Comments »

So you all probably know that Glutastic typically doesn’t do recipes on here, because as mentioned previously she is not a domestic diva.

Unfortunately, neither am I.

But I do have an uncanny ability to combine foods that shouldn’t be combined into tasty gold. So with my final post of the week I am going to blow your minds with a little something I have deemed The Dynamite Flake Chocolate Cookie Explosion…

To create the Dynamite Flake Chocolate Cookie Explosion you need the following.

At least two Glutenfreeda Foods line of ‘Real Cookies’. Of course you can bake you’re own cookies to make this dessert that much more Dynamite-tastic, but for simplicity sake these pre-made cookie dough goodies make a great base.

The only thing to remember is that you have under bake the cookies. The key is to have soft cookies and not rock hard cookies. A soft cookie will be able to soak up the some of the Ice Cream and Whipping cream while not falling completely apart. Just remember people Soft cookies are the key … Soft Cookies are the key.

Then you need the following three items:

1) Gluten-Free Whipping Cream.

2) Soy Ice Cream (for those who are Lactose intolerant and I know this probably negates the Whipping Cream in item 1).

3) A bar of Cadbury’s Flake Chocolate bar (Preferably imported from Ireland as it’s assured to be Gluten Free).

Then take one of the cookies and flip it upside down, so the base of the cookie is facing up. Then add a think layer of the Soy Ice Cream and a nice decent sized circle of Whip Cream. Follow this up with half a flake chocolate bar crumbled on top.

The results should look something like this.

Then the piece de resistance is to place the second cookie on top. So it essentially makes a glorified Gluten-Free (and slightly Lactose Free) Ice Cream Sandwich. But lets not dwell on the semantics, because look at this beauty.

It’s okay to step away from you computer for a personal moment, because I know you’re mind and your taste buds have been sent to Planet Chocolaty Goodness. A place that neither Capt. Kirk or Han Solo have discovered, but one that you can easily discover by clearing out some items in your freezer.

Enjoy, thanks for letting me entertain you for the week. It truly has been emotional.

Glutastic will be back later this week.

2 Comments »

The Emerald Isle of Celiacs
November 13th, 2009 | admin | Categories: Uncategorized 2 Comments »

Over the past two years, one of the things I’ve noticed is the incredible obstacles Glutastic needs to confront when travelling. Whether it’s a road trip to the coast or a flight to Mexico, traveling is whole new ball game when living a Gluten-Free lifestyle.  It’s all about detailed planning, research and thanking the good lord that back-up rice cakes aren’t a banned substance in airports.

To be quite frank it’s quite impressive and it astounds me how exhausting the whole ordeal really is.

In the upcoming months, one of the places that we are ultimately planning to visit is England & Ireland. If you are unaware, I am a first gen-Canadian with strong tie to Cork City and London. While it’s still in the works, our goal is to go home to Ireland for the test … err to meet my wonderfully lunatic family and to see all the wonders the Emerald Isle has to offer.

Luckily for us, as you may have noticed from one of  Glutastic’s previous posts, Ireland has a strong level of Celiac awareness. It turns out that Ireland has one of the highest concentrations of Celiacs in the Westernized World. Recent studies have shown that 1 in 112 Irishmen have a gluten intolerance. Which ranks the country higher than Italy in Europe and well ahead of estimated numbers for the United States of America. (This is based on a strong estimate of undiagnosed cases in the US). In addition, studies are now being released that are examining the genetic reasoning behind the commonality of Celiac disease in the Irish genealogy. Which in turn would allow us to blame it on the Irish. (I’m kidding)

Since such a high percentage of the population struggles with the disease, Ireland turns out to be one of the most supportive countries when it comes to the Gluten Free lifestyle.

The Irish Coeliac society’s web site has a wealth of information on the latest Gluten-Free Products and Celiac friendly restaurants. It even goes as far as to publish a monthly update on the products in Cadbury’s long line of chocolaty delights that are gluten free. Which is really the most important food list when it all boils down to it. The site even publishes an extensive list of Celiac friendly caterers, products and cook books.

And if you read the previous post from Glutastic, you’ll know that Testcos (essentially the UK’s equivalent to Safeway/Wallmart) has an entire line of Gluten-Free/Lactose-Free products. Which for a country with a population base of 4 million (not including the N.Ireland) is quite a feat.

While this might sounds like a plug by the Irish Tourism board, I still find it quite remarkable that this small country is so informed on the disease. It also relaxes me to know that the 10 hour flight over to Ireland might be a bit strenuous for Glutastic, at least the flight home will filled with Caramel Shortcake Slices and Curly Wurls.

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Celebrities with Celiac
November 9th, 2009 | admin | Categories: Uncategorized 3 Comments »

In case your wondering, Fiancée is guest blogging for the week of Nov 9th-16th. If you are looking to see what glutastic has to say, check out ctoverdrive.ca for her stint as guest writer.

Well, Hello readers of glutastic. Let’s just start by saying, I am a Celiac by proxy. I am under no disillusion that I understand a 1/5 of the struggle you guys go through on a daily basis. To be honest, I believe that all the Celiacs out there need an Epic High-Five for your daily struggles.

So HIGH-FIVE.

When we decided to try the old blog switcharoo, I was at a loss on what to write. My skillz in the kitchen are only reserved for Mexican food, home cooked British delights and storing the DVD remote in the fridge; so talking about products and recipes might not be my strong suit. But if there is something that I do know it is POP CULTURE. Because of which I started thinking about the people I’ve started to meet that have Celiac Disease. Which got me to wonder even more – Because surely somebody in the public spotlight must have Celiac Disease? If the stats say 1 in 300 people are diagnosed with Celiac disease, then there has to be someone in Tinseltown that fights the same battle on a daily basis.

So after rigorous research, I have compiled a list of celebrities tied to Celiac disease. (Shout out goes to celiacdisease.com & glutenfreedate.com for most of the info)

• Elisabeth Hasselback -  But all you faithful Glutastic-ites knew that already.
• Heidi Collins -  A popular anchor for CNN.
• Jennifer Esposito – An Actress/Comedian who was in Crash and The Bachelor, but more importantly was in I Know What You Did Last Summer.
• A couple of Professional Football players are tied to Celiac Disease – Rich Gannon’s daughter and Bengals Runningback Cedric Benson.
• Sarah Vowell – A popular author and writer, who surprisingly voiced the teenage girl in the Incredibles.
• Joe C – Kid Rock’s deceased little sidekick.
• Zooey Deschanel – Who is an indie darling and pin-up girl for hundreds and hundreds of Graphic Designers and Hipsters. (And for the record that list doesn’t include myself)
• Dannii Minogue - Younger sister to Kylie and the British version of Paula Abdul on England’s X-Factor … but without the nineteen cups of crazy.
• These celebs deserve a bit of an astrix, but they should be listed as they aren’t necessarily Celiacs but have been publicly tied to the diet: Terence Stamp (Iron Man’s Buddy), Juliette Lewis, Rachael Weisz, Dr. Phil’s wife Robin and best of all good old Posh Spice.
• JFK – This is just speculation, but JFK is suspected to be a Celiac. This in itself is impressive, but the kicker is the reason why people suspect he was a Celiac … Oh yeah because he’s Irish … Alright that and the fact that he struggled with gastro problems all his life.
• And last but not definitely not least to counteract Mrs. Hasselback, is MNBC and Sunday Night Football anchor Keith Olbermann. Which just goes to show that celiac disease has no political preference. It affects both sides of the political spectrum. And since some of you might not know who Keith Olbermann is, please find below a classic little Saturday Night Clip that will tell you all you need to know about Keith. (It also happens to be the best piece of work from Ben Affleck since Phantoms)

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The Other Side
November 6th, 2009 | caitlin | Categories: Uncategorized No Comments »

In the words of Dr. Phil:  ”Even a pancake has two sides”.

And next week, you will be able to read what the other side of this gluten free pancake thinks. That’s right people, Fiance is going to guest blog next week.

Why?

For a couple reasons. 1) We both need to snap out of our blogging routines. Between the two of us we have 3.5 jobs, 3 blogs, a wedding that is quickly approaching, 2 sports and a myriad of other things. It’s getting a bit routine and I think that you, my friends, are suffering from my lack of imagination.  2) we know each others readers really well, but you know nothing about the other half of this dynamic duo – now you get to! 3) because we can.

So on Monday the 9th, I will be taking over the good old ctoverdrive, and ctoverdrive will be taking over Glutastic. Don’t worry – it’s only for a week!

Disclaimer: Fiance is not a celiac. But he is Irish and we all love Irish people, so if you don’t learn anything new, at least you’ll be entertained!

And, please feel free to leave comments, he is in charge of the comments too, and he doesn’t scare easily!

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More Butter Less Tart
November 4th, 2009 | caitlin | Categories: The Dish, Uncategorized 4 Comments »

Butter Tarts Rule.

My mother’s butter tarts kick your mothers butter tarts in the butt. So much so, that I have friends that request my mom make them butter tarts and mail them across the country. Oh yes, they are that good.

You can only imagine my delight when I came across these little wonders. Yup total excitement.

I found these at Co-Op and could barely contain it. Not only is Lakeview Bakery a local company, but they understand the importance of the butter tart.

So what did I think?

Ha, like you didn’t know I was about to tell you.

Well…let me begin with spreading some love. Lakeview Bakery is great.  As one of the early adopters of gluten free baking in Calgary, I have nothing but love for their efforts. I would also like to spread some love for the filling. Very, very tasty. Just sugary enough that your teeth hurt (as they should with a butter tart) and just enough raisins that you feel like you’ve made the healthy choice without feeling like you need to go hug a tree and call it organic.

Okay, so, now for the less than love part of this post. I can’t hide it. The tart was not good. I found it dry, thick and it left an odd after taste in my mouth. I tried heating it up, I tried adding soy milk, I tried my best to love it. But I couldn’t. If they could perfect the tart shell, I would worship at the butter tart alter.

I’m going to digress here:

You know what would be FANTASTIC…if someone could create gluten free tart shells that I could fill myself then pass off as homemade. That would be FANTASTIC.

4 Comments »

Wheat or Treat
October 28th, 2009 | caitlin | Categories: Uncategorized 4 Comments »

Halloween is something I fondly look back on.

As children my mom would make all of our costumes – big enough to fit over a snow suit. My dad would grab his mug of coffee and and take us out to terrorize the neighbourhood until we simply couldn’t carry anymore candy. Once the bags were full and our legs were jelly from the trip, we’d head back to the house to admire our haul.

You see, in our house there was a rule: Mom and Dad got to pick through the candy first. Yes, this was in part to look for any imperfections in the candy, and in part to steal all the KitKats and Coffee Crisps. It was just the way it was, and we obliged because Mom and Dad are boss. (always will be!)

As I sit here and think about what Halloween would be like as a kid with Celiac, I find myself wondering: how long would it take to separate out all the gluten free treats from the rest? And really, at the end of the day, how much would be left for the kids and how much would be left for the parent – I’m thinking it would be a lot more than just a few Coffee Crisps and KitKats missing.

As I contemplate all this, I also wonder – how does any parent know exactly what is in those tiny packages? Not every package is going to be labeled. Isn’t this a little like a game of Russian Roulette – but with wheat instead of bullets?

My Gluten Free Facts may be able to help with this game. Call it your pocket aces. They have a list of gluten free treats, 780 gluten free products to be exact. This list is brilliant. It takes all the guess work out of it. In fact, if I was a parent I would transfer this data into a spreadsheet with graphs and there would be a system of sorting and maybe even some colour codded bins for ease – oh it would be surgical!

(And that right there is why I am a better Aunt than mother – I like order and systems and efficiency and that’s not what children do!)

I digress.

I hope you find it as useful as I think it could be. I would also recommend signing up as a member. The information they provide is endless. As a side note, also make sure that you are checking the Canadian lists. We’re not all created equal and I’d hate for anyone to operate under false information.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

4 Comments »

Thanks for Leaving
October 26th, 2009 | caitlin | Categories: Uncategorized 1 Comment »

You know what’s the best part about someone leaving?

They come back with presents.

And it seems that the further they go, the better the presents get!

Recently someone I know went to the land of Celiacs – Ireland. The stats are showing that Celiac disease effects 1 in 122 people in Ireland. That’s an outstanding number. And because of this, they have really kicked it into gear. Not only do the Irish have the best drinking songs, great landscape, and cute accents, they also have great GF foods.

Let me begin with the chocolate fair:

Item #1: TruFree Bourbon Buscuits.

Inside this box were bite size chocolate cookies individually wrapped in packages of two. I was excited, how could I not be! As I bit down on my first one, I had a sudden “I’ve been here before” feeling. It took me a little while to figure it out, but these are just like the Glutino cookies we find on store shelves. They were good, not great. I appreciated that the didn’t have the chalky texture and taste that a lot of pre-packaged GF cookies have. The were definitely worthy of dunking in my coffee. And trust me people, I do not take dunking lightly. Coffee is sacred and shall not be ruined by anything. So really, dunkability is a true test of how I feel about things!

Item#2 & #3: Humdinger Dairy Free Rice Crackle and Buttons.

Rice Crackle. What can I say, it’s gluten free, dairy free, Cholesterol Free and not too shabby. In perspective of what it’s missing, this was a nice chocolate bar. Is it as good as a coffee crisp? No. Would I eat it again? Absolutely. Good lactose free, gluten free chocolate bars are about as common as dogs on skateboards – it happens, but not all that common!

Buttons. Okay so Fiance LOVES buttons. Something about some fond childhood memory makes him swoon over buttons like they are responsible for world peace. That being said, when he gets his hands on them, he doesn’t share. I don’t blame him. If he ever thought about touching my Cocoa Pebbles, there would be a war. Fair is fair. So imagine my joy when a package of lactose free, gluten free buttons showed up on my door step! I couldn’t wait to see what all the fuss was about so I dug in – total fat kid and a Smartie moment. Needless to say I was unimpressed, underwhelmed and now making fun of Fiance’s obsessions like it was my only way to breath! In the midst of the ridicule, Fiance decided to taste it for himself so that he could be the judge. Unfortunately he had to agree with me – they were not very good, and the after taste was even worse. Now, he did inform me that they tasted nothing like the original Buttons, and since I can’t try that theory for myself, I am going to choose to believe him. Therefore, if you know what the originals taste like, and are looking for a suitable substitute…this is not it. Sorry.

Now let’s move to the cookie fair:

Item #4: Tesco Free From, Caramel Shortcake Slice.

Move over Cocoa Pebbles, there’s a new Sheriff in town! Pure, euphoric delight. There simply is no other way to say it – I would move to Ireland for these. They have a smooth shortcake base that is NOT dry, NOT crumbly, topped with caramel and milk chocolate. The caramel is fabulous, the chocolate is fantastic. Seriously people, I would serve these to the Queen with a cup of tea and consider myself Royalty. If you ever come across these, EVER, you are under direct orders to tell me where. This is not a request this is a demand. Obey my orders.

Item #5: Free to Enjoy, Mini Jaffa Cakes

Okay, I’m just going to be honest: These are like having Napalm on cereal in the morning. NOT OKAY. And to prove how I really feel about this, I researched Napalm. In short, in case you don’t know, Napalm is what you get when a thickener is used to coagulate gasoline into a gelatin. Yup, this confirms my evaluation, GF Jaffa Cakes taste like Napalm on cereal.

Now, that being said, I also think that chocolate mixed with orange or mint could be used as a torture devise. I’d rather chew rusty coat hangers than eat an After Eight Mint. So to keep things as balanced as possible, here is Fiance’s opinion of Jaffa Cakes. For some reason he doesn’t think they are that bad:

Over the past 25 odd years I’ve lived in Canada, I’ve come to understand that the ‘Orange and Chocolate’ combination is a bit a foreign concept to most of Canada. Orange Smarties taste like normal smarties and most people purchase Terry’s Chocolate for it’s stress relief benefits, rather that the sweet orangey chocolate delight inside. So with that out of the way, these Gluten Free Jaffa Cakes from Testcos are as close to the real thing as possible. Delicious dunked in a cup of milky tea and fantastic as a late night snack while your significant other sleeps. Although Glutastic would rather snuggle a wet cat then smell a plate of Jaffa Cakes, I have to say these are definitely worth picking-up… or having a relative pick them up for you.

1 Comment »

Going Local.
October 23rd, 2009 | caitlin | Categories: Uncategorized 1 Comment »

I was recently contacted by a local company that has dedicated their business to allergy friendly pre-made meals. They are called Copper Pot Creations. I heart local companies. Local companies are what make a city unique. Big hug to local business!

After reading the site I can say that they have a great story, a great handle on allergy friendly cooking and a definitive passion for making life a little easier for us. I champion those that allow me a little extra lazy in my life! They even offer free delivery so it’s cheap lazyness too!

I haven’t tried their products so I’m not going to hazard a guess as to how they taste. The pictures look pretty so that’s a good first step!

I will tell you, that I had a bit of a moment when I was perusing the site. Two things caught my attention immediately:

1. It seems that there is a trend amongst gluten free pre-made meals – they’re all the same. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate how hard it is to make allergy friendly meals. But that doesn’t mean that I want to eat Sheppard’s Pie and Pasta all day everyday. What I miss is pizza and Chinese food, and I would give my first born child for a fresh, off the spit donair. Fish and Chips with tartar sauce may just make my head spin off this planet. I want what I can’t have.

2. Where is the dessert? Allergy friendly dessert is like finding a diamond in the rough. Trust me. When push comes to shove I can sustain on rice cake sandwiches and coffee. But I can and will get owly with out an infusion of dessert goodness. In my wonderland in the sky, every meal would be delivered with dessert – and chocolate/orange cake does not count. (this comment will make sense in a few days!)

So all in all, I think the Copper Pot is really on to something here. Give it a try and let me know what you think. And please remember that my comments at the end are more of a reflection of life and the industry as much as they are about the Copper Pot specifically.

1 Comment »

Cardiac Unit
October 19th, 2009 | caitlin | Categories: Uncategorized 1 Comment »

One of the bonus’ of being a Celiac is the ability to over indulge.

Yes I said it, we get to indulge.

We get to indulge without feeling guilty about anything. Most of ours meals consist of some sort of salad and meat. Watching calories and counting portions rarely matters to us. So when it comes time to “giver diesel” we can giver with gusto.

Case in point – tonight’s dinner.

Your eyes do not deceive you people. That is a mountain of all that is wrong.

1. Garlic fried potatoes.

2. Scrambled eggs.

3. Bacon.

4. Cheese.

5. Sour Cream

6. Ketchup.

7. Awesomeness.

Denny’s grub has nothing on this breakfast skillet of death. I think I may have to patent this as a hangover cure too.

Happy over indulgence people. Tomorrow is going to be a day of salad and chicken, so I say GIVER DIESEL!

1 Comment »

Just In Time
October 2nd, 2009 | caitlin | Categories: Uncategorized 2 Comments »

And because I’ve been an inconsistent blogger these days. I now give you two posts in one day!

I think I may be the only one who just said: WOOT WOOT.

Thanksgiving is around the corner. Many of us are either going to hide inside and wait for all the turkey and stuffing talk to go away, or we’re going to make a stand against the turkey lovin and make our own stuffing and love it.

If you are at a loss for what to-do, here is a great stuffing recipe from The Celiac Husband. It’s so idiot proof that even I can do it!

Thank you Celiac Husband.

2 Comments »