GF Biscuits

This recipe is one I developed when I had only half the amount of GF Bisquick left and wanted/needed/desired some cheddar biscuits, and needed to supplement. I also wanted to develop my own because the GF Bisquick is too sweet for some applications and too expensive.

You can use this recipe to make any kind of biscuit you want. I've even used this recipe for dumplings. I hope you enjoy!

Biscuit/Dumpling Recipe

2 cups GF flour blend (3 c white rice flour, 2/3 c potato starch, 1/3 c tapioca starch) 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum 4 teaspoons baking powder a few dashes salt and pepper half stick of butter 2 eggs Milk

1. Mix dry ingredients, until well blended.

2. Add partially melted or softened butter, until forms large crumbs.

3. Add eggs and blend well.

3. Add milk, a little at a time until a biscuit-like patty can be formed. It looks dry, still when it gets to this stage, but it glistens in smooth spots.

For dumplings: I dropped by 1/8 cupfuls, but think smaller may be better, perhaps 1 T sized balls. Next time I make these, I think I will add another 1/2 or whole teaspoon of baking powder or baking soda, and mix very thoroughly. Also, I think mine needed a little more salt and pepper to overcome the rice flavor. I intend to keep experimenting, though. Good luck! :)

Copycat Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte

Microwave version...

Yeah, I didn't feel like slaving over a stove, so I threw together some ingredients that I got from another page I cannot find, put them in the microwave, and had a delicious hot drink when I got done! It wasn't the perfection of a $5 Cinnamon Dolce Latte from Starbucks, which I had made with soy milk, but it was close enough that it satisfied my craving and pleased my daughter, too.

You'll need:

Cinnamon Dolce Latte syrup
Steamed milk (I used regular cow's milk, not the soy variety and don't know how this would work in the microwave)
Hot coffee (I don't like to have too much caffeine, so I used decaf)
Whipped cream and cinnamon sugar, for topping, if desired

I put 1 c water for the coffee in for 1.5 minutes, but it was the last thing I made. To retain its heat, you may want to make it after the syrup and put it in for 2 minutes.

Make the steamed milk last, and put 1 c milk in for 1.5 to 2 minutes, or until frothy.

For the syrup, I stirred together:

1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c water
1 t cinnamon (the recipe I used for reference used a cinnamon stick, but I don't know quantities)
1 thin slice of butter

I mixed it and put it all in the microwave for about 1.5 minutes.

After everything was heated, I put it all together in the same cup. It was very, very hot, so I drank it, carefully. lol

I hope you enjoy!

Abdominal Pain

What is it?

Well, I think that's fairly obvious, but maybe you want to know if it's a CD flare or something else.

There is a two-pronged set of possibilities, as it regards CD/NCGS.

1. It's gut-related pain.

If this is what you're experiencing, it might be self-explanatory. As GI distress is the hallmark of CD/NCGS, it is expected that pain coming from the belly might happen.

It may put you in mind of food poisoning. Well, technically, it is, as gluten is toxic to our systems.

2. It's flu-like.

A tell-tale sign of some autoimmune disorders is feeling like you've got the flu...all...the...friggin'...time. You might feel like you've been pummeled in the stomach/hit by a Mack truck/been beaten with a stick while you slept. You'll likely feel it in your back, too. Yes, just like the flu.

What else may it indicate?

As usual, other autoimmune disorders may have a component where you feel like you have the flu. Or, you may actually have the flu.

Other intestinal issues cause lower and mid-abdominal pains. It's good to let your doctor know if it's new pain or if it seems like the other times of being glutened before, if you're on a gluten-free diet, keep a watch and see if it passes. If not, it might be a good idea to see the doc or go to the ER, to make sure it's not something else or more serious than it seems.

It's easy to say, "Oh, I've been glutened; this too shall pass." But really, we need to be on guard. Being hypervigilent isn't great, either, but if there are changes, make sure to let your medical support team know.

How can I treat it at home?

There are several methods, which are not necessarily "doctor approved," but you will want to discuss with your doctor to make sure they are, at the very least, safe. Effective is nice, too.

1. Hydrate.

Universally, everyone, everyone says: Drink LOTS AND LOTS of water. This helps to flush the system, and keep things moving, and in the case of diarrhea, keeps you hydrated.

You can overdo the water, so occasionally, you'll want to drink something else. When I need to switch drinks, I can tell, because I get "slosh," in my stomach and small intestines. The small intestines contain liquid digest material, so when you hear the weird noises with diarrhea, high in the gut, that's your small intestines.

You can also drink warm water, warm lemon water, cold lemon water, green tea, white tea, and if caffeine gives you issues, get the decaf variety. If you have diarrhea or Restless-Leg Syndrome, steer clear of the caffeine.

2. Enzymes.

Papaya enzyme (papain)
Pineapple enzyme (bromelain)
Gluten Cutter, Gluten Aid or another brand ---These are NOT recommended for celiacs. The only valid reason to use them at all is to help lessen the effects of an accidental glutening. They are not appropriate to use to in order to indulge in gluten-containing foods. No, not even for holidays, birthdays or going out to your favorite pizza place.

There is no guarantee these would work, but they might help augment the effects a little.

3. Activated charcoal.

Again, this comes with a caution, to use ONLY on rare occasions, where you mistakenly bought a brand of spaghetti sauce that you forgot to check for gluten ingredients. Frequent use or bad timing can interfere with nutrient or drug absorption. You'll want to make sure to take it separately from eating times and plan around when you normally take your medications.

So far, activated charcoal is showing to be generally safe when used occasionally. Still, it's best to let your healthcare team know that it's one of the methods you've chosen to treat yourself. In children, speak to a medical professional, before administering.

4. NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs)

From what I've read, so far, Ibuprofen is the safest of the NSAIDs, regarding gastro-intestinal bleeding. If you have had any bleeding at all, speak to your general practitioner or GI doctor, to make sure dosing is safe.

At lower doses, NSAIDs are mostly useful for pain, not inflammation. Inflammation is the major thing with autoimmune disorders, and it is likely what causes the rapid stop to the GI tract after a glutening. If your mode is generally diarrhea, you won't have the rapid stop, but you'll likely have inflammation.

If you need or want to treat inflammation, speak with your doctor about a medication, and see if ibuprofen or another regimen would work for you.

5. Pedialyte, Gatorade, Powerade, SmartWater, coconut water, homemade sports beverage....

This is part of the hydration regimen. But, as stated before, you will want to alternate or, at least, inject something besides water, on occasion, particularly if you have diarrhea. You need to replace your electrolytes.

Coconut water is supposed to be a great way to replenish electrolytes. I hate coconut, so I'll leave you to decide.

If you want to control the amount of sodium or other electrolytes, check out this article, and make your own:

http://dailyburn.com/life/recipes/homemade-sports-drink-recipes/

If you have edema with all of this pain and stuff, having foods high in potassium can help to reduce it.

6. Juicing

If you have little or no appetite, or food is just sitting like a rock in your midsection, try juicing. A very friendly drink, which you want to sip slowly and "chew," is:

2 large, 3 medium carrots
1" piece of fresh ginger
1-2 stalks celery (good for potassium)
1 apple

Ninja or Juicer it. If you don't have a proper juicer, you can use a coffee filter and funnel to strain the pulp out of the juice.

Get well, soon!

RG

Abdominal Distention

What is it?

It's when the abdomen becomes larger than normal, due to swelling or other causes, such as swallowing too much air, eating too much, having too much salt in the diet, edema (water in the tissues) or disease.

Distention can have serious implications for health, especially if it is not related to the benign situations, above.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003122.htm

What does it feel like? 

You may feel your pants tightening or your skin feeling as if it is being pulled taut, heavy, belly is in the way, nausea or pain. If your heart or lungs are being crowded, you may have shortness of breath and associated dizziness.

What else may it indicate?

There are many, many illnesses and conditions that result in abdominal distention, some being relatively minor and some indicating a serious disease process.

If it gets worse, the pain is severe, or you are having real trouble breathing or doing normal tasks, you'll need to see a doctor and/or go to the ER.

What about in Celiac Disease or Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity?

This is a sign of the disease process. It can also be used to identify having been "glutened." It's as sign of systemic inflammation, or specific inflammation in the gut. If you have CD or NCGS, you'll want to keep an eye on certain factors, associated with abdominal distention. Shortness of breath, rapid heart-rate, blood pressure changes, dizziness, pitting edema (where you can press on a body part and an indentation stays for any period of time), and fatigue can all be alarming, and rightly so. Make sure that if this occurs, you let your doctor know, so that proper care can be taken to ensure your well-being.

It can also serve as a way to develop your treatment plan for dealing with those times when you are glutened, and hopefully circumvent the nastiest part of the situation and get you well, rapidly.

RG

GF Tortillas

This is my first attempt at tortillas, ever, but GF always brings an extra level of challenge.

I am giving this recipe, just as I made it, but next time, I will either reduce the flaxseed meal or leave it out, completely. It gives it a distinct flavor. We liked them broken into chips and want to try them with hummus.

The pizza version was better, in my opinion, than the regular tacos. I did forget to buy refried beans and sour cream, though! >_<  Also, my camera got smeared, at some point. heh. Sorry.

Here's the recipe:

2 c GF all-purpose flour blend (3 c white rice flour, 2/3 c potato starch, 1/3 c tapioca starch)
1/2 c flaxseed meal
1/2 c sorghum flour
3/4 t xanthan gum
1 t salt (would like to reduce this, in the future)
2 t baking powder
1 + 1/4 c warm water
1/3 c shortening
1 egg
Cornstarch for "flouring" the surface

Heat the water. Warm to hot is ideal.

Blend sorghum and flaxseed meal. Add 1/2 c. of hot water, and set aside.

Mix together the  GF all-purpose flour, xanthan gum, salt, and baking powder, until well-blended.

Add the sorghum/flaxseed meal mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until large crumbs form.

Add the shortening to 1/2 c of the water, and allow to melt. Add to the crumb mixture and mix well, until dough ball begins to form. Mine needed more liquids at this point.

Add the 1/4 cup of water to the same container used for melting the shortening so that any residual shortening is mixed with the water. Add a little of the water to the dough, about half.

Add egg white to the dough, and mix with hand. If you're using a mixer, use the dough hook for all. I ended up adding the whole egg. It was VERY sticky.

Allow to rest for a couple of minutes. By the time you wash your hands, it should be ready to form into balls. I used a 1/8 cup measure for consistent results. This makes a small tortilla. A 1/3 cup measure would make a large tortilla, but the large ones I made were unmeasured.

Lightly dust the rolling surface with cornstarch, and roll out, very thin. Shape the edges, but gently pressing them back

If the dough dries out, use the remaining water to dampen fingers and knead the dough. If you get it too wet, let the dough ball rest, and it will absorb the water. If the dough breaks, you can also dampen your fingers to touch up the area.

Place in skillet, on medium heat, and cook until top is bubbly, and bottom is lightly browned.

Alternate: If you leave out the flaxseed meal, your dough may be less "thirsty." Add 1/4 cup of water, as needed, AFTER the egg, or leave out the egg.

Makes 16.