Glugle Gluten-Free did a fantastic write up about a fellow blogger and I am not even going to attempt to compare to it.  What I will do is share the awesomeness and put this crust-less pie on the tops of my To Do list for this week.  If it turns out even half of what it sounds like…  it might end up being Kryptonite!

So, This weeks Menu Round up from the Menu Plan Monday Swap is hosted by the Celiac Family .  Being American and their Thanksgiving coming up, the ‘secret’ ingredient to inspire is Cranberry.  I think it is long enough since our Thanksgiving and far enough to Christmas to be able to use this ingredient liberally without the family rolling their eyes and grabbing car keys to eat elsewhere!

Monday - Maple Cranberry Chicken Breasts with Rice and Broccoli

Tuesday - Cranberry Pepper Pork Loin Roast, spinach salad.

Wednesday – Pasta and Cheese!

Thursday – Broiled White fish with green salad and cranberry salad dressing

Friday – Spaghetti and Meat sauce, green salad

Snacks and Baking:

Lemon Cranberry muffins, dark chocolate brownies and Crispy Rice Squares

PS.  The brownies are to celebrate our first snow fall this week!  Didn’t stick around but it was there!

Just call me Flour-less Girl. (Wheat flour, that is.)

I made my first-ever trip to the National Restaurant Association Show today at McCormick Place where I experienced another first:

I tried gluten-free foods. Lots of them.  This is the first year the mammoth NRA show has been home to a gluten-free pavilion, packed with 33 purveyors of gluten-free breads, crackers, baked goods, pastas and even beer (made from sorghum — and it’s surprisingly tasty.)

I loved reading the commentaries and descriptives of the new products she tried.  I look forward to following along as she explores her bakings!

Gluten allergies are becoming more common, but it is one of the easiest ingredients to stay away from without affecting your overall health or diet. In fact, you are likely to improve your diet, because most foods with gluten are processed.

What exactly is gluten? A mixture of two proteins, present in cereal, grains and wheat, gluten is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. Some people are unable to digest it, hence a gluten allergy (or celiac disease). Luckily, numerous store bought foods now come gluten free. When you have  gluten allergy, the main things to stay away from are wheat, rye and barley, though gluten is often unassumingly present in numerous foods. (If you suspect you might have an intolerance, you can ask for a complete gluten intolerance test at the doctor – or simply eliminate foods with gluten to see if you feel better.)

Foods safe to eat in the “grain” variety are corn, potato, rice, soybeans, arrowroot, carob, buckwheat, millet, and quinoa. Always look at the package label to determine the ingredients. This is a chance to comprise your diet full of whole, natural foods with lots of fresh veggies, proteins, healthy grains and fruits.

However, if you do have this allergy and you occasionally want to bake something sweet, there are many wonderful options (entire shops and blogs are now dedicated to gluten free lifestyles). Below is a delicious, gluten free recipe to make on those days when you want something sweet but healthy!

Then tops off the article with a great sounding recipe!  I am adding it to my ” to try” list.  If you try it … let me know!

Pumpkin Quinoa Cookies

“I had heard that wheat was used in charcoal as a filler, but I didn’t really know much about it, so I researched it. According to the Texas Wheat Producers Board And Association, and The Kansas Wheat Commission, wheat starch is used as a binder in most commercial charcoal briquettes. On another site, I found the Kingsford charcoal ingredients listed as follows: Wood Charcoal, Lignite Charcoal, Anthracite Coal, Limestone, Starch, Borax, Sawdust and Sodium Nitrate. This list does not specify where the starch comes from, but at an allergy site, more information about Kingsford Briquets was provided: “Both corn and wheat starches are used in this product, but they predominantly use cornstarch. They do not make any food products that do not contain gluten. This was confirmed by the company.” There is a positive note to all this. While reading about charcoal in general, I learned that if you allow your coals to burn to a complete ashy surface before you start cooking, any glues and additives will burn off before you start cooking. Hope this helps. ”

~CONNIE SARROS - Clan Thompson’s Celiac Site

Glutenfree.com‘s Forums post:  “Kingston, though, has  changed the 80 year old recipe in the fall of 2006 and  looks to be GF now ( Posted fall 2007). “

Reference Number: 4811332
Dear Mr. AZcarnivore

Thank you for contacting us about Kingsford Regular Charcoal Sure Fire Grooves. We always appreciate hearing from our consumers.

Our new formula does not contain gluten or wheat. If you notice any other packaging changes, feel free to check back with us on this information.

Again, thank you for contacting us.

Sincerely,

Hal Frankford
Consumer Response Representative
Consumer Services

and again in 2010;

Dear Mr. AKLAP,

Thank you for contacting us about Kingsford Regular Charcoal. We always appreciate hearing from our consumers.

All of charcoal is gluten free. We use a corn starch binder in producing our briquets.

Again, thank you for contacting us.

SO, still wanting to be on the safe side? Options?

Natural, mesquite & other real wood charcoal!  These are easily found in hardware stores and department stores like Home Depot, Walmart and Canadian Tire.

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