Mud Pies and Cranberry Tea go Allergen Free

Carrot Cake - gluten, egg and dairy free

2018-01-24T11:36:00.000-05:00

Are you looking for a good cake that actually works, yet has everything(gluten, egg, dairy, etc.) substituted? A carrot cake that doesn't give you a sugar headache just looking at the recipe, let taking a bite of it? Give this one a try.

This cake is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, corn free and can be nut free too(just don't use them). I have a suspicion that it would even work if you used a paleo grain-free flour blend. (I haven't tried that yet, but I suspect it would work).

The icing is naturally sweetened with maple sugar. You could even use stevia, or whatever sweetener you can eat.

This recipe is a keeper for me. It is my new staple, go-to carrot cake recipe. :)

carrot Cake with natural Frosting

Adapted from www.lovingitvegan.com

Ingredients

· For the Carrot Cake:

2 cups (250g) All Purpose Flour Gluten Free

200g Better Batter GF Flour
50g Potato Starch

1 tsp Baking Powder
1 ½ tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp. Ginger
½ tsp Nutmeg
½ tsp Cloves
300g Grated Carrot (~ 4 carrots)
1 and 1/2 cups (300g) Coconut Sugar
2 Flax Eggs (2 Tbs Flaxseed meal and 6 Tbs warm water. Whisk and let sit.)
1/2 cup (120ml) Olive Oil
1 Tbs Vanilla extract
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
(optional) 1 cup Chopped Nuts -I like pecans

· For the Frosting:

2 cans Coconut Cream chilled and whipped
½ cup Maple Sugar
2 Tbs. Unsweetened Coconut Yogurt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit (180 degrees celsius).

2. Grease two 7 inch cake tins and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

3. Sift the flour, coconut sugar baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a mixing bowl.

4. Add the grated carrot and stir.

5. Prepare the flax eggs in a small measuring cup, by mixing 2 Tbsp Flaxseed Meal with 6 Tbsp Water and allowing to sit for a minute.

1. Add the oil, vanilla and apple cider vinegar to the flax eggs.

6. Mix everything together in the mixing bowl and stir until combined. As you stir, the ingredients will combine to form the batter. Don't get concerned if it looks really dry at first, keep stirring. If it ends up needing more liquid, add just a bit of coconut milk (or even water).

7. Lastly add the chopped nuts if you want to add them.

8. Divide the mixture between the two 7 inch cake tins.

9. Place into the oven for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

10. Allow the cakes to cool completely on a cooling rack.

11. While the cakes are cooling, prepare your frosting.

12. Add the powdered sugar, vegan butter, vanilla, apple cider vinegar and 3 Tbsp of lemon juice to an electric mixer bowl.

13. Start mixing on low speed.

14. When ready to ice the cake, prepare frosting

15. Add frosting to the top of one of the layers.

16. Add the other layer on top and complete the frosting of the of the cake.

1. If you want to ice the sides of the cake, you may need to leave out the yogurt so it is stiff enough to not drip down the sides of the cake.

17. Sprinkle crushed nuts, or fresh fruit, on top of the cake.

18. Chill cake until serving.

Thoughts from "one of those annoying people with "food allergies"'

2017-03-13T14:36:00.001-04:00

Oh the things you think.....on free donut day, when you have food allergies.
I wrote this a while back when it was hitting hard how different your life is when you have "food issues". Know someone who does? They likely go through this as well. Everyone has a down day. Fortunately, it's a passing thing and you bounce right back and get back into the grind of living life.
________________________________

Well, we know it's true so go ahead and say it.
Our diet is a pain because there's nothing we can eat at your house.
We know that.
You hate it.
Most days, we do too.
And I would do anything to be able to just eat anything that was in front of me.
I would love to try your secret family recipe of some special dessert.
Don't think that I wouldn't rather be planning fun stuff with my kids, or painting the ugly trim in my house, than constantly thinking about food; cooking food from scratch, researching recipes online, learning about food chemistry for viable substitutions, and growing practices of food stuffs.
I would love to take advantage of Free Donut Day at Dunkin Donuts. But, fortunately I still remember the last time I had one nearly 10 years ago. It wasn't good.
I would love to just "go out to eat" and not have to worry about what is on the menu, and whether I trust the staff to follow through on their GF claims, or even the ability to prepare food without cross contamination.
I would love to just not worry about how I will feel after I eat.
I would love to be invited to someone's house without them feeling like I am a burden.
I would love to just eat whatever is put in front of me.
I can't though.
I have a disease and it will kill be if I eat food that my body sees as poison.
I would love to enjoy all my childhood favorites...Tastycakes, Twizzlers, yeast donuts, bagels. There are substitutes for some of those.
OK, it's still not the same.
Now, if I want something that is anywhere near what I remember, I have to make it myself.
So, the battle sounds something like this.. "Oh, I'd love a tastycake. Hmm, do I have a recipe? Yeah, I do! Do I have flour? No. Oh, but I can't just mix up a batch because since I did that last, I found out that I am actually allergic to one of the ingredients so I have to substitute for that. Ah, but I bought some flour ingredients to sub out so I can mix up some flour. Now, do I have time to mix flour before I have to start preparing the next meal for my family? Nope, guess I will have to wait. I'll have a carrot..."
Many days when I want to just open a package and eat, I feel like the little red hen:

grow the ingredients,
mix the flour
make the food
eat the food.

In reality, opening a package, even a GF package often means compromising on something we are sensitive or allergic too. We have to balance which of the reactions is most severe, and which reactions we are willing to deal with. (This is a non-issue when the reaction is what I call epi-pen level because the risk can't be taken. With an autoimmune disease death is still the end result, but not immediate.)

Interestingly, when you have food allergies/intolerances, you become much more aware of what is in food and how it is grown so it can grow into a food ethics issue. It opens up a whole new can of worms that you likely never gave much thought to beyond calories and perhaps fat content of food. This becomes another factor in food buying decisions. As you start looking at what you are eating, you become much more aware of how each ingredient affects you. I know that gluten makes me very, very ill, in many ways. But other ingredients have their own symptoms.

Funny though, many of the common food allergy/sensitivity symptoms have popular OTC medications available. I wonder, would more people be able to avoid the medications if they simply identified the offending food behind the reaction? Can't mention that to anyone though. They don't want to "catch" your "food issues". Because we all know that denial means you don't have "it".

Fortunately, in the end, we have a God who cares for us. He has provided work-arounds for these problems. We can make amazing pizza and bread (even if they are gluten, dairy, sugar and yeast free). And, he has promised heaven...where none of this will be an issue.

In Heaven, we will all have perfectly balanced gut bacteria and healthy bodies. :)

Now, where's that carrot...

Effect of glyphosate on soil microorganisms...is not good.

2016-05-09T22:32:00.001-04:00

This new study out just a few weeks ago found, "our data indicate that GBH toxic effects on soil filamentous fungi, and thus potential impairment of soil ecosystems, may occur at doses far below recommended agricultural application rate."

According to Wikipedia, Risosphere is described as, "The rhizosphere is the narrow region of soil that is directly influenced by root secretions and associated soil microorganisms. So, this study looked at the effect of glyphosate based herbicides on microbes that were in the areas away from the roots, by looking at a fungus. Their data showed that the glyphosate based herbicide used in their test actually stimulated the mitochondrial activity. This mode of action is different that anyone has ever recorded/reported, and at much lower application rates.

______________________________________________________________________________

First online: 11 April 2016

Multiple effects of a commercial Roundup® formulation on the soil filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans at low doses: evidence of an unexpected impact on energetic metabolism

Valérie NicolasAffiliated withUMS-IPSIT, US31 Inserm-UMS3679 CNRS, Plateforme d’Imagerie Cellulaire, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Faculté de Pharmacie
, Nathalie OestreicherAffiliated withLaboratoire VEAC, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Faculté des SciencesPôle Risques MRSH-CNRS, Université de Caen, Esplanade de la Paix
, Christian VélotAffiliated withLaboratoire VEAC, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Faculté des SciencesPôle Risques MRSH-CNRS, Université de Caen, Esplanade de la PaixCRIIGEN Email author

Abstract

Soil microorganisms are highly exposed to glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH), especially to Roundup® which is widely used worldwide. However, studies on the effects of GBH formulations on specific non-rhizosphere soil microbial species are scarce. We evaluated the toxicity of a commercial formulation of Roundup® (R450), containing 450 g/L of glyphosate (GLY), on the soil filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, an experimental model microorganism. The median lethal dose (LD₅₀) on solid media was between 90 and 112 mg/L GLY (among adjuvants, which are also included in the Roundup® formulation), which corresponds to a dilution percentage about 100 times lower than that used in agriculture. The LOAEL and NOAEL (lowest- and no-observed-adverse-effect levels) associated to morphology and growth were 33.75 and 31.5 mg/L GLY among adjuvants, respectively. The formulation R450 proved to be much more active than technical GLY. At the LD₅₀ and lower concentrations, R450 impaired growth, cellular polarity, endocytosis, and mitochondria (average number, total volume and metabolism). In contrast with the depletion of mitochondrial activities reported in animal studies, R450 caused a stimulation of mitochondrial enzyme activities, thus revealing a different mode of action of Roundup® on energetic metabolism. These mitochondrial disruptions were also evident at a low dose corresponding to the NOAEL for macroscopic parameters, indicating that these mitochondrial biomarkers are more sensitive than those for growth and morphological ones. Altogether, our data indicate that GBH toxic effects on soil filamentous fungi, and thus potential impairment of soil ecosystems, may occur at doses far below recommended agricultural application rate.

New study on Zonulin

2016-04-24T22:07:00.002-04:00

New study out this month about Zonulin and NCGS (Non-celiac gluten sensitivity). Here is the news report on the study. The study was presented at a conference as an oral presentation. The notes from the presentation are below.

I'll comment later. For now I just wanted to save this link.
___________________________________________________________________________

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4669990/

OP269 THE ROLE OF ZONULIN IN NON-CELIAC GLUTEN SENSITIVITY AND IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

M. R. Barbaro¹, C. Cremon¹, G. Caio¹, L. Bellacosa¹, R. De Giorgio¹, U. Volta¹, V. Stanghellini¹, G. Barbara¹

¹Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Contact E-mail Address: ti.obinu@2orabrab.airam

Introduction: Zonulin, the human homolog of the zonula occludens toxin secreted by Vibrio cholera, is the only known endogenous modulator of epithelial tight junctions (TJs) and intestinal permeability. Intestinal bacterial infections and gluten evoke zonulin release in the intestinal milieu and in the bloodstream. A role for zonulin has been demonstrated in different diseases such as celiac disease (CD). Increased intestinal permeability has been reported in Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) although the mechanisms involved are not clear. Zonulin serum levels and its diagnostic value in NCGS and IBS remain undetermined

Aims & Methods: In the present study, we aimed at characterizing zonulin serum levels in patients with NCGS (n=27) and IBS-D (n=15) compared with CD (n=15; positive control) and healthy controls (n=15; HC, negative control). ELISA assay was used to evaluate zonulin serum levels; qPCR was used to evaluate zonulin gene expression in the colonic mucosa. Clinical data, abdominal symptoms and bowel habit were recorded and analysis of HLA alleles was performed. Zonulin serum levels were evaluated in a subgroup of NCGS patients during gluten containing diet (GCD) and gluten free diet (GFD).

Results: CD patients showed significantly higher zonulin serum levels compared to HC (0.033± 0.004 vs 0.007 ± 0.001 ng/mg total proteins, p < 0.0001) and to IBS-D patients (0.012 ± 0.002 ng/mg total proteins, p < 0.001). NCGS showed significantly higher zonulin serum levels compared to HC (0.030 ± 0.006 vs 0.007 ± 0.001, p < 0.05) and IBS-D (p < 0.05). IBS-D patients showed higher zonulin serum levels and colonic mRNA expression compared to HC. Zonulin levels were positively correlated with the titer of anti-TTG antibodies (r:0.6; p < 0.05) and anti-DGP antibodies (r:0.6; p < 0.05). A decrease in zonulin serum levels was observed during GFD compared to GCD (p=0.06) and a comparable decrease was observed for AGA IgG levels (p=0.06). Only HLA-DQ2-positive patients showed a significant decrease in zonulin serum levels during GFD compared to GCD (p < 0.05). A significant difference was observed in zonulin serum levels during GFD between HLA-DQ2-positive patients and HLA-DQ2/DQ8 negative ones (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Zonulin serum levels are increased in IBS-D and NCGS, in addition to CD. A positive and significant correlation was found between zonulin serum levels and both anti-DGP and anti-TTG antibody titers. A comparable decrease of AGA IgG and zonulin serum levels was observed during GFD. Interestingly, only HLA-DQ2-positive patients showed a significant decrease of zonulin serum levels during GFD compared to GCD. Our data suggest that a zonulin-dependent TJ dysfunction may play a role in the pathophysiology of IBS and NCGS, particularly in a subset of patients.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared

Glyphosate leaches through soil...

2015-09-13T00:09:00.002-04:00

Interesting study I ran across published in early September 2015 that looked at biochar as a way to "reduce the leaching of glyphosate in agricultural soils". The first thing that struck me is that the very first sentence stated that glyphosate leaches through soil layers into water supplies. It has been stated by the manufacturers all along that glyphosate doesn't move in the soil. They say that it stays where it is sprayed, where it degrades. Monsanto themselves claim in a referred to reference that "field and laboratory studies show it does not leach appreciably" Unfortunately, that has been found to be false and this study shows that the problem exists to a level that agriculturalist are actively seeking out ways to mediate the glyphosate. In this study, they did find that the biochar has potential to help reduce glyphosate leaching in soils.

Folks, glyphosate in the environment is a real issue. Farmers know this, researchers know this, and the public knows this, yet agribusiness still denies this. The problem is that when you have known chemicals showing up in water samples from surface water, underground wells and sea waters, the problem is widespread. Glyphosate does indeed accumulate in the environment.

Another study showing glyphosate effect on bees.

2015-09-12T23:48:00.002-04:00

What does glyphosate do to bees? Look here at a new Sept 2015 study.

Basically, at low doses(where it has previously been stated to do no harm), it interferes with the ability of honeybees to navigate. It impairs their cognitive abilities. They have a hard time finding food and returning to their hive.

Why is this important?

First, low doses to affect bees. It has been a "fundamental fact" within the industry that glyphosate is harmless. Like the executive stated, you can drink it like you would a glass of water. It is obviously not as harmless as water. More evidence that the license for glyphosate should be revoked. It is not as they stated in their paperwork for approval. Real consequences are being observed. Secondly, it impairs bees cognitive abilities. With the concern in the increase in cognitive diseases (alzheimers, autism, depression,...) finding causes behind these could be life changing for so many people. Any information that could lead to a cause, could help prevent many from disabling conditions. These are two very important pieces of information.

_____________________________________________________________________

Effects of sublethal doses of glyphosate on honeybee navigation.

J Exp Biol. 2015 Sep;218(Pt 17):2799-805. doi: 10.1242/jeb.117291.

Abstract

Glyphosate (GLY) is a herbicide that is widely used in agriculture for weed control. Although reports about the impact of GLY in snails, crustaceans and amphibians exist, few studies have investigated its sublethal effects in non-target organisms such as the honeybee Apis mellifera, the main pollen vector in commercial crops. Here, we tested whether exposure to three sublethal concentrations of GLY (2.5, 5 and 10 mg l(-1): corresponding to 0.125, 0.250 and 0.500 μg per animal) affects the homeward flight path of honeybees in an open field. We performed an experiment in which forager honeybees were trained to an artificial feeder, and then captured, fed with sugar solution containing traces of GLY and released from a novel site either once or twice. Their homeward trajectories were tracked using harmonic radar technology. We found that honeybees that had been fed with solution containing 10 mg l(-1) GLY spent more time performing homeward flights than control bees or bees treated with lower concentrations. They also performed more indirect homing flights. Moreover, the proportion of direct homeward flights performed after a second release from the same site increased in control bees but not in treated bees. These results suggest that, in honeybees, exposure to levels of GLY commonly found in agricultural settings impairs the cognitive capacities needed to retrieve and integrate spatial information for a successful return to the hive. Therefore, honeybee navigation is affected by ingesting traces of the most widely used herbicide worldwide, with potential long-term negative consequences for colony foraging success.

Glyphosate and Endocrine Disruption (adrenal)

2015-08-22T09:06:00.002-04:00

A new study came out at the beginning of the month (Aug 2015) that looked at endocrine disruption effect of Roundup in adrenal gland of male rats. Here are two articles( an article and another article) on the study that includes good analysis.

It's an interesting study, and one that may be evidence for someone with adrenal fatigue (or perhaps everyone!) to be certain they are eating only organic food. The study found that the "chronic low dose of Roundup had effects similar to 'adrenal insufficiency in humans'." Even a dose of 10mg/kg bodyweight per day reduced levels of corticosterone (produced in the adrenal glands). Interestingly, no other effects on the rats were seen at this level, of the things they were observing. Why is this number important? The NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level) for chronic toxicity in multiple generation studies was 30mg/kg for adults and 10 mg/kg for offspring.....the level which was found to cause adrenal effects. But get this, the government doesn't include multiple generation studies for endocrine disruption in their regulations.

"Implications of the study

The recent information regarding Roundup^® and its metabolites detection in food, water and in human urine [1] signifies the relevance of toxicological studies as one presented. The findings that Roundup^® treatment down regulates endogenous ACTH, is similar to the condition known as adrenal insufficiency in humans. This condition manifests as fatigue, anorexia, sweating, anxiety, shaking, nausea, heart palpitations and weight loss. Chronic adrenal insufficiency could be fatal, if untreated. A progressive increase in its prevalence has been observed in humans [8], while a very few studies relating to xenobiotic exposure and adrenal insufficiency development have been reported. The present study describes one of the possible mechanisms of adrenal insufficiency due to Roundup^® and suggests more systematic studies, to investigate the area further."

Thinking about how these multi generational studies are set up, what does this say about children of adults who have been eating food with Roundup residue? Would they be more sensitive to the current Roundup in the food supply? What about infants who are drinking soy formula? These are real issues. As more research comes out, the regulatory review boards need to be willing to accept that perhaps these chemicals aren't all they were sold to be. Perhaps, there are very real consequences to health across the board. This study is further evidence that the glyphosate residue in our food supply could indeed be causing underlying conditions in a great many people, even though they appear to be "otherwise healthy".

Interesting study on preterm birth and gut bacteria

2015-08-18T08:49:00.002-04:00

Interesting article on a research study that came out today.

Bacterial community in pregnant women linked to preterm birth, study finds

Interesting, because they noted that a lower level of Lactobacillus was linked to preterm birth. Glyphosate has been shown to decrease the levels of lactobacillus. If your food has glyphosate residue (which all GMO soy does, and many other crops harvested dry do..) could you say that glyphosate residue in food may contribute to preterm labor? Sounds like the next area of study; test the mothers for glyphosate l...evels and correlate that with the bacteria and term birth.

Interestingly, glyphosate has been shown to have a negative effect on placental cells. Could it be that there are several factors at play here, and the lower lactobacillus is just an indicator? Perhaps the glyphosate residue is decreasing healthy gut bacteria, while harming the pre-birth environment for the baby, thus resulting in pre-term birth??? It is feasible when you actually look at the research of each component.

Based on the research I have found, I would be willing to bet that if this theory holds, those women who delivered preterm (that had low levels of lactobacillus) also had trouble breastfeeding their babies (PSU study) due to zinc issues and early cell death of mammory tissue.

The characteristics are consistent between all of these.

GM crops aren't safer...report says

2015-07-25T17:05:00.000-04:00

This has been my thought all along. The "absence of evidence" is not evidence of safety. Of course they aren't going to do those studies when they want to sell their product as "safe". There is enough research showing harm, but less that ties it directly to disease or illness. I have research article after research article that show a tie between celiac and glyphosate. But, no direct studies have been done, yet. So, yes, there is "absence of evidence of harm" for very specific situations, but no "evidence of safety" and certainly no studies disputing the ties I have found.

_________________________________

The lead researcher in a report commissioned by the Norwegian Environment Agency and released by the Genok Centre for Biosafety at the Arctic University of Norway says,
"Statements of the safety of GM crops rely principally on the absence of evidence of harm in specific research tests, rather than actual evidence of safety", said Catacora-Vargas. "Absence of evidence of harm is a too low standard for adequate protection of human and environmental health ..."

Here is an article written about the report: GMO study finds 'indications of harmful and adverse effects'

Here is their report: http://genok.no/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/010615_GENOK-HTIntactaBrazil-FINAL_web.pdf

Preparing allergen free meals for others

2015-03-29T00:21:00.003-04:00

For someone with food allergies, having a crisis arise is pretty stressful. It means that the time and effort they would normally put into staying healthy by avoiding food allergens is just not possible. The potential to get sick or react to foods that you are unable to prepare yourself is a pretty scary thing.

I hope to provide you with some practical help as you seek to live out Christ's command in Galatians 6:2 to care for others by bearing "one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ," in doing something as simple as providing a meal in their time of need. If you would like some encouragement in this, check out this blog post where Lindsey Deitz at the Traditional Cooking School writes about Food as Ministry.
_____________________________

When you need to make a meal for someone who has food allergies, where do you start?

First, pray for direction in planning and preparing the meal.

Then, be sure you know exactly what they cannot eat. This is absolutely critical! There are substitutions for every allergy, but if you do not know what to avoid, it is impossible to make a safe meal.

There are three ways to go from there.

1. Think about what you would usually make for a meal. Are there any substitutions you could make to your recipes (based on the person’s allergy requirements) that would make it a ‘safe’ meal for them?

2. Alternately, if you do not have a go-to meal, decide which meal option you are going to go with:

· Meat/vegetable/starch

· Soup/side or bread

· Casserole style

· Breakfast style

And,

· Will you add a dessert

3. There are times when a restaurant meal will work within the allergen constraints. If you are unable to prepare a meal yourself, ask about this option. This could include picking up a rotisserie chicken and sides at the grocery store.

Then, look at the ingredients for those meals, making allergen-free substitutions where necessary. Keep the meals simple….rely on basic fresh/frozen vegetables and fruit, and fresh herbs for seasonings.

There are now many easy substitutions available at the supermarket for traditional ingredients:

Gluten Free pasta for regular wheat pasta. (Wegmans brand gluten-free pasta is very good and only $1.29/lb)
Coconut (or almond, or soy) milk for dairy milk. (I have found that SoDelicious unsweetened coconut milk works best in recipes and does not add a coconut flavor to dishes)
Cornstarch as a thickener instead of wheat flour for gravies/sauces.

Another very important thing to keep in mind is avoiding cross contamination during meal prep. The easiest way to do this is to start with a clean counter (which you should do anyway, right?) and clean cookware (ex. don't reuse a pasta strainer if you have just made wheat pasta, and the person has a gluten sensitivity). A reasonable effort put into keeping allergen ingredients away from meal prep will go a long way in keeping their meal safe.

When providing a meal for someone with food allergies, it is essential to include a list of ingredients for each item you prepare. For help with this, click here to download a printable template. This will serve as a reference for them to double check ingredients to see that you have only included ingredients that are ok for them to eat. This is crucial, and so appreciated! Using this template, you can provide ingredients and heating/serving instructions for each dish you have provided. The form can be filled out by either opening the form in Adobe and typing your information right onto the form, or by printing the form and filling it out with a pencil or pen. You can also add special notes to the person /family to whom you will be delivering the meal.

Remember that your meal is a blessing. Those with food allergies know that their diets are a pain for others to work with, and many bear these burdens alone during a crisis because of that. The effort you put into a ‘safe’ meal is a blessing beyond measure to the person you are helping. Pray for the family you a providing a meal to. Their time of need has unique stresses that someone who does not have allergies simply will not have. By providing a meal for them, you are providing much more than just a meal.

May God bless you beyond measure for providing a 'safe' meal.

Glyphosate and soils....the connection

2015-03-21T22:23:00.002-04:00

So, another new study out just a few days ago showed a connection between phosphorus application and glyphosate in runoff. In graduate school, my research was looking at phosphorus and runoff.

This was published early electronically. I am excited to read the full article.

2015 Mar 16. [Epub ahead of print]

Glyphosate Loss by Runoff and Its Relationship with Phosphorus Fertilization.

Sasal MC¹, Demonte L, Cislaghi A, Gabioud EA, Oszust JD, Wilson MG, Michlig N, Beldoménico HR, Repetti MR.

Author information

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between glyphosate and phosphate fertilizer application and their contribution to surface water runoff contamination. The study was performed in Aquic Argiudoll soil (Tezanos Pinto series). Four treatments were assessed on three dates of rainfall simulation after fertilizer and herbicide application. The soluble phosphorus in runoff water was determined by a colorimetric method. For the determination of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), a method based on fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (FMOC) group derivatization, solid phase extraction (SPE) purification, and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was employed. The application of phosphorus fertilizer resulted in an increased loss of glyphosate by runoff after 1 day of application. These results suggest the need for further study to understand the interactions and to determine appropriate application timing with the goal of reducing the pollution risk by runoff.

"Transgenic material" in milk...more research

2015-03-21T22:18:00.001-04:00

Published research is now showing transgenic material in the milk of goats. This is a significant scientific finding as it is one of the first to show a transfer of this genetic material through the digestive tract, and resulting in changes in nursing young.

Some points of interest from the article (their analysis of the published research):
"The horizontal transfer of transgenic DNA into the genome of those eating GM foods, or the microbes living inside those consuming GM foods poses an additional and under-recognized hazard of GM crops."
"This is yet another finding that goes against the purported claims that nucleotides are broken down by the digestive tract, preventing any toxicity of transgenic DNA to those consuming it. "

Here is a summary of the research:
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/Goats_Fed_GM_Soybean_Produce_Abnormal_Milk.php

The research article itself.
http://www.smallruminantresearch.com/article/S0921-4488(15)00052-8/abstract

Abstract

The in vivo and post mortem performance and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration in kids born from goats fed conventional (group C) or genetically modified (group T) soybean meal were evaluated. The goat colostrum quality, in terms of chemical composition, as well as immunoglobulin concentration, and the presence of feed DNA fragments were also investigated. Kid birth weights were similar, while significantly (P < 0.05) higher in those born from goats in group C at day 30 and at slaughtering. In addition, kids from mothers fed conventional soybean recorded significant (P < 0.05) higher height at the withers and chest width. Concerning the post mortem measurements, only carcass weights were significantly affected by the treatment resulting in lighter T kids (P < 0.05). Colostrum from the treated groups recorded a significantly (P < 0.01) lower percentage of protein and fat. Similarly, both chemical parameters significantly differed in milk collected 15 days after kidding, although these differences disappeared in the successive samplings. Both colostrum and kids serum IgG concentration were significantly (P < 0.01) lower in the treated groups. Transgenic target DNA sequences (35S and CP4 EPSPS) were not detected in colostrum from goats that received a diet containing conventional soybean meal. By contrast, transgenic DNA fragments were amplified (P < 0.05) in samples from goats that received the transgenic soybean.

Glyphosate a "possible carcinogen" says U.N.’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

2015-03-21T22:02:00.002-04:00

Biggest news this weekend is that the U.N.’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has listed Glyphosate as a "possible carcinogen". That basically means that there is enough evidence to show that it may cause cancer. This is based on their survey of research available. This is an important statement because they are admitting that this research does exist. They also noted that glyphosate has "the highest production volumes of all herbicides. It is used in more than 750 different products for agriculture, forestry, urban, and home applications." Keep in mind that there is a study linking glyphosate to breast cancer.
Glyphosate is showing up everywhere, and the regulators need to understand that it is not only agricultural workers that are being exposed. When residue is in our food supply, the exposures will come every time someone consumes food. The problems linked to glyphosate span the spectrum from human to animal.

A sample of their report:

"Glyphosate has been detected in

the blood and urine of agricultural

workers, indicating absorption.

Soil microbes degrade glyphosate

to aminomethylphosphoric acid

(AMPA). Blood AMPA detection

after poisonings suggests intestinal

micro bial metabolism in humans.

Glyphosate and glyphosate formulations

induced DNA and chromosomal

damage in mammals, and in human

and animal cells in vitro. One study

reported increases in blood markers of

chromosomal damage (micronuclei) in

residents of several communities after

spraying of glyphosate formulations.16

Bacterial mutagenesis tests were

negative. Glyphosate, glyphosate

formulations, and AMPA induced

oxidative stress in rodents and in

vitro. The Working Group classifi ed

glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic

to humans” (Group 2A).

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045%2815%2970134-8/abstract
The full article is available here (you may have to register to see it. http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lanonc/PIIS1470-2045(15)70134-8.pdf

Glyphosate residue in food. Really? Really.

2015-03-09T23:10:00.002-04:00

More studies showing glyphosate residue in food we all eat. Moral of the story...the only way to avoid glyphosate in your food is to eat certified organic. Honey, on the other hand, is a little bit harder.

Sustainable Pulse reported on a recently released study.

"Researchers from Abraxis LLC and Boston University have further confirmed that the world’s most used herbicide – glyphosate – is widespread in food products around the globe. The researchers tested honey, pancake and corn syrup, soy sauce, soy milk and tofu purchased in the Philadelphia, US metropolitan area.

Samples of honey (sixty nine), pancake and corn syrup (twenty six), soy sauce (twenty eight), soy milk (eleven), and tofu (twenty) purchased in the Philadelphia, US metropolitan area in 2014 were analyzed for glyphosate residue using ELISA testing.
The minimum limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method were determined for honey, pancake syrup, and corn syrup to be 15 ppb; soy sauce, soy milk, and tofu 75 ppb. This means that even if the results were negative for some products they could have also contained glyphosate at levels under the minimum limit

Of the sixty-nine honey samples analyzed, forty-one samples, or fifty-nine percent (59%), had glyphosate concentrations above the method LOQ (15 ppb), with a concentration range between 17 and 163 ppb and a mean of 64 ppb.
Even more surprisingly five of the eleven organic honey samples, or forty-five percent (45%), contained glyphosate concentrations above the method LOQ, with a range of 26 to 93 ppb and a mean of 50 ppb.
Of the fifty-eight non-organic honey samples, thirty-six samples, or sixty-two percent (62%), contained glyphosate concentrations above the method LOQ, with a range of 17 to 163 ppb and a mean of 66 ppb."

To see the complete research report: http://omicsonline.org/open-access/survey-of-glyphosate-residues-in-honey-corn-and-soy-products-2161-0525.1000249.php?aid=36354

Gut Microbiome.....what a mouthful.

2015-03-09T23:00:00.000-04:00

Maybe you've heard the buzz about the "gut microbiome". It seems that many researchers are now finding that the health and balance of the good bacteria in your digestive system is critical to maintaining health.

Ironically, this is what many in the natural foods areas have been saying for quite some time. More recently, the group Moms Across America has been highlighting (to put it lightly) the connections between an unhealthy gut microbiome, and glyphosate residue in our food supply.

Here's a quote from one article reporting on the Nature study (Italicized text is my emphasis.).

“What we’ve been attempting to understand for the past several years is the increase in metabolic syndrome and inflammatory bowel diseases” that affect digestion, explains Andrew Gewirtz, Georgia State University professor of biology and lead study author. Metabolic syndrome includes obesity, increased risk for Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes. All these conditions, Gewirtz explains, “are associated with changes in gut bacteria.” The recent, dramatic increase in metabolic-related diseases cannot be attributed solely to genetics, says Gewirtz. Human genetics haven’t changed in recent decades. So he and his colleagues set out to investigate environmental factors that might be responsible, including “modern additions to the food supply.” - See more at: http://civileats.com/2015/02/25/how-emulsifiers-are-messing-with-our-guts-and-making-us-fat/#sthash.4xaQW26v.dpuf

More studies highlighting the importance of gut microbiota on health.

"The intestinal tract is inhabited by a large and diverse community of microbes collectively referred to as the gut microbiota. While the gut microbiota provides important benefits to its host, especially in metabolism and immune development, disturbance of the microbiota–host relationship is associated with numerous chronic inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease and the group of obesity-associated diseases collectively referred to as metabolic syndrome. A primary means by which the intestine is protected from its microbiota is via multi-layered mucus structures that cover the intestinal surface, thereby allowing the vast majority of gut bacteria to be kept at a safe distance from epithelial cells that line the intestine¹. Thus, agents that disrupt mucus–bacterial interactions might have the potential to promote diseases associated with gut inflammation." http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v519/n7541/full/nature14232.html

Dr. Mercola weighs in on the topic.

"Feeding health-promoting gut bacteria with a healthy diet, avoiding hospitals (which are hotbeds for drug-resistant bacteria), and boycotting processed foods and animal foods raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs)—both of which tend to have an adverse effect on your microbiome—may be keystone strategies for longevity."
"While antibiotics are certainly overprescribed in medicine, the primary driver of deadly “superbugs” is actually factory farming. Animals raised in CAFOs are routinely given low doses of antibiotics to promote growth and prevent diseases resulting from the crowded and unsanitary conditions of these facilities. Eighty percent of all antibiotics sold in the US are fed to livestock, so eating CAFO-raised foods is likely to be the greatest source of antibiotics for many people. Not only may this low-dose ingestion of antibiotics have an adverse effect on the composition of your microbiome, thereby affecting your health, about half of all meats sold in American grocery stores have also been found to harbor drug-resistant bacteria that can cause severe food-borne illness."

Perhaps this whole mess shouldn't be blamed on the "overuse of antibiotics by the farmers" (while that may be the case in some instances). They're missing the bigger picture. In every instance of a confined animal operation, GMO's and grain/feed containing glyphosate residue are fed. Studies have shown that glyphosate residue in the feed will effectively do the same thing to beneficial gut bacteria as an antibiotic. The good bacteria in the manure is dead, while harmful bacteria like e.coli and salmonella thrive (because it is doing the same thing inside the animal....). This continues on to the consumer because the glyphosate residue is also in the grains/food crops we eat, and the effect of it lingers in meat (see news stories about all the salmonella in meat, etc). Glyphosate is registered as an antibiotic, so this should surprise no one. In fact, the first part of creating these GMO's is to insert an antibiotic resistant gene. That sounds like a complete recipe for disaster of a food system to me. No surprise no one has a healthy gut biome. Not only are the fields being sprayed, but the effects of that linger in the environment through the water, air, soil and crops, in addition to the GMO seed used. Definitely not sustainable for anyone, not even the major agribusinesses in the long run.

Just my 2 cents.

Autism and Thyroid Function

2015-02-14T11:44:00.000-05:00

Just read an article on autism prevalence and thyroid function. In it, they referenced a study completed in Denmark, that found:

"Children born to mothers diagnosed and treated for the first time for thyroid dysfunction after their birth may have been exposed to abnormal levels of maternal thyroid hormone already present during the pregnancy, and this untreated condition could increase the risk of specific neurodevelopmental disorders in the child."(doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.12681)

Why is this important, and how does it tie into the other articles previously reviewed?

Mothers with hypothyroid are 4 times more likely to have a child with autism. This is a significant piece of information, given that...

Gluten is tied to thyroid antibody production that leads to hypothyroid (Here is a good discussion on the connection between the two with references to scientific studies).
One's sensitivity to gluten can be affected by glyphosate exposure (Dr. Seneff's article)
Glyphosate residue is found in the environment and in foods, especially grains/dried food crops, and GMO foods.

Anyone see a problem? I recently heard an investigator talking about his work. He said that as an investigator you look for patterns. When patterns appear they are clues. We are seeing more and more patterns here.

Vitamin D and TB

2015-01-13T14:04:00.001-05:00

Ran across this today and found it very interesting. This website talked about more benefits to using Vitamin D to treat and prevent illnesses.

"This, of course, is exactly what natural health and integrative medical practitioners have been advocating from the start. Moreover, two studies have now linked vitamin D to the successful prevention and treatment of TB. In the first study, white blood cells converted vitamin D to an active form of the vitamin which helps make a protein that kills the TB bacterium. In the second study, Indonesian scientists compared vitamin D to a placebo, testing them on seventy patients for nine months. The patients who received 10,000 IU of vitamin D (rather than the 400 IU recommended by conventional medicine) led to an astounding 100% cure rate.

Even more exciting, a study published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that high doses of vitamin D, administered together with antibiotic treatment, appear to help patients with TB recover more quickly. The vitamin D dampens the body’s inflammatory response to infection, which leads to faster recovery and less damage to lungs."

Referenced journal articles are linked within the quote above. This one below, the second study above) I found particularly fascinating.

2006 Jan-Mar;38(1):3-5. The effect of vitamin D as supplementary treatment in patients with moderately advanced pulmonary tuberculous lesion.

Listen to the bees...

2014-11-07T11:54:00.002-05:00

If more evidence was needed....bees tell a lot. Check out this Yahoo.com article. Think about this in relation to the health of your own body and the food you eat. If bees are able to be healthier in the midst of toxins when they eat natural foods, might we consider that our bodies respond the same way. Choose organic! The evidence is mounting. The soy-based diet fed these bees, was most likely GMO soy (designed to be Glyphosate resistant and containing the Bt toxin).

"In a study published Oct. 31 in The Journal of Insect Physiology, Grozinger and her colleagues gave test bees a soy-based diet, a no-protein diet, or a natural, varied diet of pollen. At the same time, the bees were given a lethal dose of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, an insecticide frequently used on agricultural crops. After 16 days, they counted which bees survived the longest.
What did they find? Nature does it best.
Bees who ate the natural diet of varied pollen sources survived longer—an average of four days longer—than the bees on artificial diets. While that may not sound like much, Grozinger said it’s actually significant.
“When you think of a whole colony of 50,000 bees, during those four extra days they can contribute to the good of the colony,” she said."

Here's the direct link to the published research article. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022191014001978

When "the truth"....isn't

2014-08-14T21:47:00.002-04:00

Went to Ag Progress Days this week and picked up a brochure by the Soybean Farmers Checkoff group titled "Everything you want to know about GMO's...including the truth". Like other brochures I have seen promoting GMO's, I found an error I ...would like to point out. With issues involving GMO's and GMO food, you absolutely have to be current in your research as a consumer. When you see a statement that says there are "no effects on human health have been shown as a result of the consumption of biotech foods" look for the source. They cited World Health Organization, and simply that, no specific source. This is 2014! The point of this is that just today there is a report from China that Chinese students fed GMO rice (with the Bt toxin...which is in our sweet corn and soy!), had a rate of leukemia 3x that of the average population. This is consistent with findings of a 2013 study evaluating the Bt toxin as a genetic modification, showed a detrimental effect on blood. This is certainly evidence consumers should keep in mind when listening to people say how safe GMO's are. They aren't! This is unacceptable and unethical reporting!

Keep this in mind when purchasing foods at the grocery store. When buying sweet corn, buy organic, or if shopping at a farmer's market ask the farmer specific questions about their seed. Any farmer worth his beans will know off the top of their head the name of the seed he used and whether it has insect or herbicide resistant traits. Ask the questions. Be an educated consumer. Educated consumers drive the market.

A long time coming...

2013-04-02T10:12:00.001-04:00

...the post sharing the writing project I completed last fall. And, why my findings convinced me that we should completely avoid consuming non-organic corn and soybean products, and will never be spraying Round-up on our lawn (ever!).

After originally turning to a gluten free diet over six years ago to resolve digestive issues in my nursing infant son, it seemed that there was more going on than a simple isolated food sensitivity. It also seemed that many, many other mothers I talked with shared stories of their children having similar intestinal issues, or “reflux”. With my Agriculture/Soils education and research background in agriculture, it made sense to start looking from the ground up (no pun intended) for clues. Was there something going on at the soil/agronomic level that was influencing the foods we were eating (or having to avoid at this point)? For over five years, I conducted literature searches looking for current research, information or clues to an environmental trigger.

This past December was finally the right time to write up all the research I had gathered. New research was coming out every month it seemed, and none of it contradicted what I had been finding. I knew in my gut that there was something going on and the pieces hadn't yet been put together. Celiac rates have been increasing at an alarming rate, and just last month (March 2013) in a Fox News story Dr. Fassano, director of the Center for Celiac Research at MassGeneral Hospital for Children in Boston, noted again that "something in the environment seems to be triggering the various genetic and biological factors that drive celiac disease." The environmental factors behind the increase in celiac have remained elusive thus far.

Developments in agricultural within the past 25 years have resulted in a majority of crops utilizing new biotechnology; including glyphosate, genetically modified corn containing Baccilus Thuringensis (Bt) and Roundup Ready (RR) genes, and Roundup Ready (RR) Soybeans. Residues from these biotechnologies in the crops have been detected in humans and may provide a clue to the environmental factor. The potential role of this residue on the increase in celiac and gluten intolerance is what I investigated. A recent study (2011) showed that the retinoic acid cycle could be disrupted in mice, causing celiac. Interestingly, Glyphosate (commonly known as Round-Up, a weed killer), has been shown to disrupt this very retinoic acid cycle. The result of the literature searches conducted, led me to the thesis that glyphosate and genetic modifications may be a contributing environmental factor in the development of celiac. More details and cited research of what I found are included in the paper. It is my hope that the information gathered contains clues to the future direction of celiac research, diagnosis, treatment, and potentially prevention.

The paper is titled, Glyphosate and Bt genetic modifications may be a contributing environmental factor in the development of celiac. The clickable link will take you to a .pdf file of the paper that includes all references and citations.

Gluten Free Graham Crackers

2012-11-30T08:28:00.001-05:00

Gluten Free S'mores!

The latest recipe challenge came in the form of a campfire for the boys at church. They were going to be roasting marshmallows and making smores. This sounds like a lovely chocolaty, sticky fun time for a hoard of boys. To this mom it brought nervousness, and a challenge. I could take the easy route and buy the store bought "graham crackers" that frankly taste nothing like real graham crackers and are thick as a fig newton (gluten filled one of course), or I could 'whip up' a homemade graham cracker the boys could take with them. Easy as pie.....er, or not.

Because of the rice-free requirement, I have to tweak even gluten free recipes so I keep a binder to chronicle my recipe 'tweaks'. I had a failed graham cracker recipe in my binder and knew I at least had a jumping off point. I decided against a trip to the store, because I had all the ingredients on hand to give it a try (all the while being thankful that there was a back-up option if this recipe tweak was an epic fail).

Fortunately, this recipe 'tweak' turned out really well! It brought back memories of eating those wonderful rectangle shaped cracker cookies out of the plastic wrappers. The taste and smell were there! After letting the boys try them, it hit me again that they didn't know what "real" graham crackers taste like. (moments like that bring pangs of sadness at what they are missing out on by not eating traditional "gluten" foods, quickly replaced by relief that they don't have to eat something that makes them sick.)

In the end, with the graham crackers from this recipe, my boys were able to join in the fun of marshmallow melted goodness on graham crackers with their friends...burned marshmallow torches and all. :)

aka. stacks of memories

Graham Crackers

3/4 cup My Flour Mix (Rice free and Gluten free)

1/4 cup Potato Starch

1 tsp Cinnamon

3 Tbs Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

2 1/2 Tbs Butter (or non-dairy butter substitute like Earth Balance)

1- 1 1/2 Tbs Milk (I used SoDelicious Vanilla Coconut Milk)

2 Tbs Honey

Blend dry ingredients and grate butter into dry ingredients. Add milk and honey and stir until combined. Form ball, flatten slightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Place dough into freezer for 1 hr, until chilled. After 1 hr, roll dough to about 1/8" thick. (thin is best and most authentic, so remember they will get thicker as they bake.)

*Tip: Line baking sheet with parchment paper, and cover dough with saran wrap for easy rolling.

Don't they look "real"!

After dough is rolled out, bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes. The pan may need to be rotated for even browning. Bake until just lightly browned. After removing from oven use a chopping knife to square off the edges, and cut the lines for the rectangle shapes. Use a bread knife to score the lines on the crackers dividing each larger rectangle into four smaller rectangles (with this, just rest the knife down where you want it but don't cut all the way through...think about what the "real" ones look like). Use a thick cake tester or toothpick to poke two holes in each smaller rectangle (if you want them to look authentic!). :) When completely cool, gently break along lines resulting in traditional rectangle crackers. This makes one cookie sheet of crackers, number of crackers depend on size (pictures show one batch).

Other notes:
-Any gluten free flour blend would probably work for this recipe, but I have not tested that.
-Xanthan gum has already been added to my flour mix, so no additional xanthan gum is needed.

No-Rise Pizza Crust- Recipe Review from Elizabeth Barbone's newest cookbook

2012-03-14T15:09:00.000-04:00

Imagine this, it has been a busy day and you don't know what to make for dinner. You ask your kids what they would like and they respond in unison, "Pizza!" Um yeah. There are two problems with that, OK three but the third is easily worked out. The first problem, you eat gluten-free and everyone knows that good GF pizza is rare. The second problem, it's close to dinner and there is no time to let a crust rise. The third problem, you can't have cheese (but that is easily solved thanks to Diaya's Mozz 'cheese'). Imagine this...melt downs all around. I've seen it, you've seen it...

In comes Elizabeth Barbone's newest superhero cookbook, How to Cook Gluten-Free: Over 150 Recipes That Really Work. :)

(like the drama?!) :) Today's recipe review is for her No-Rise Pizza Crust. Now, I'm usually a fan of a nice yeasty raised crust pizza, but that's just not practical on some days. Having a recipe like this that works, reliably, is great. And, this one does. I made it with traditional pizza ingredients; sauce, cheese (Diaya Mozzerella) and pepperoni. I substituted my Rice Free GF Flour blend for the rice flour, but still added the tapioca starch. I wanted to make sure it had enough 'give'. The boys also gave this one a two thumbs up! :) That's two for two (or two cubed..two thumbs up, for two recipes, out of two tried) from this cookbook. My view is that even one staple recipe from a book makes the purchase worthwhile. This book is definitely one to have. Oh, this pizza crust is even good reheated the next day for lunch. Can't beat that!

No-Rise Pizza Crust

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups white rice flour

3/4 cup tapioca starch

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup water

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1)In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, mix together the wet ingredients with a fork or small whisk until combined. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine until a dough forms. The dough will be on the dry side. This is normal.

2)Generously sprinkle your counter with white rice flour. Turn the dough out onto the counter. Knead the dough until it is smooth. If, after kneading for a minute, the dough is still dry and doesn't hold together, add a tablespoon more water.

3)Center the dough on a 16 1/2 by 12 1/2 inch piece of parchment paper. Dust the dough generously with white rice flour. Roll out the dough until it covers the parchment paper.

4)Set a rimmed baking sheet very close to the rolled-out crust. Grab the corners of one of the long sides of the parchment paper and slide the crust into the pan. Do this quickly.

5)Top and bake as directed in the recipe.

Makes one pizza crust.

*I substituted my Rice Free GF Flour blend for the rice flour, but still added the tapioca starch. I wanted to make sure it had enough 'give'. I also did not use the xanthan gum since my flour blend already has it added.

Once again Elizabeth Barbone has not disappointed with this new cookbook; recipes that work, for people who by default see food as something they can't have is priceless. She is making food dreams come true for those avoiding gluten. For more great recipes like this pizza crust, and the powdered sugar donut muffins recipe I reviewed yesterday, check out her cookbook!

"Powdered Sugar Doughnut" Muffins - From Elizabeth Barbone's Newest Cookbook!

2012-03-14T06:38:00.005-04:00

I had the amazing opportunity to preview a few recipes from the newest cookbook by Elizabeth Barbone, How to Cook Gluten Free: Over 150 Recipes That Really Work. She is one of my favorite cookbook authors, and Easy Gluten Free Baking was one of my first gluten free cookbooks. She really puts thought into each and every recipe, and that thought goes into her cookbooks too. I mean, how many gluten free cookbooks are spiral bound so they lay flat on the counter?! And, the pictures look so yummy! I love cookbooks that have pictures. The recipes are 'normal' food that taste like Betty Crocker. This cookbook has breakfast, dinner, dessert, and other special recipes. So, I was excited to try some recipes from her newest cookbook!

I decided to try the Powdered Sugar Doughnut Muffins recipe first. Mainly, because I love powdered sugar donuts. Yum! Frying just two or three at a time can be time consuming though. When I saw this recipe, I just had to try it. I substituted my flour mix for the flour components (because I avoid rice) and they turned out really, really well. The boys gave them two thumbs up. When I gave one to my husband(who doesn't avoid gluten) to try, he ate it and then said, "I could eat all of them!" LOL! :) So, if you walk by those sugar donut holes at the grocery store, this recipe will be one you want to try....like now! See my notes at the end of the recipe for my variations from the cookbook recipe. And for a special treat, scroll all the way down to the bottom.

"Powdered Sugar Doughnut" Muffins

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Wet Ingredients
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg

1 package (1 pound) Powdered Sugar

1)Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350`F. Lightly grease the cavities of a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray (I used olive oil)

2)In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. The batter will be thin.
3)Fill the muffin cavities about half full, Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown.
4)While the muffins are baking, fill an 8-inch square baking dish with the powdered sugar.
5)Remove the muffins from the oven and working in batches, place them directly into the powdered sugar. Gently roll the muffins in the sugar to cover them. The stream from the hot muffins will make the sugar stick to the muffins. Remove the muffins from the sugar and tap off any excess. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Makes 24 mini muffins.

My recipe changes/comments:
*I sprayed the muffin pan with olive oil instead of cooking spray. Worked fine.
*I subbed my Rice Free GF Flour blend for the white rice, cornstarch and sweet rice flour. Total 1 1/2 cups my flour blend.
*For the milk I subbed SoDelicious Coconut Milk.
*It actually made more than 24 mini muffins...which was great! I made 24 mini muffins, and 6 regular muffins.
*For a super duper easy way to coat the muffins with sugar, dump about 2 cups of powdered sugar into a lunchbag sized paper bag. Then put about 6 muffins at a time in the bag, hold the top closed and shake the bag gently to coat all the muffins in sugar. Repeat proccess with remaining muffins.

*For extra special donuts, after coating in sugar, fill with raspberry jam. These are the leftover batter made in the regular size muffin pan. My husband LOVED these. LOL!

Go buy the cookbook for more great recipes like this! :)

Waffles - Gluten and Dairy Free style

2012-02-18T22:37:00.000-05:00

Using a belgian waffle maker this recipe makes 12 full size waffles. Enough for dinner, um I mean breakfast, with just a few to freeze. The recipe can easily be halved. I have never actually made this recipe with real buttermilk. I always use the Coconut milk with vinegar. These waffles easily pass as "real" waffles.
A tip: be sure to use Olive Oil to avoid waffles sticking to the waffle iron.

Waffles

6 eggs
3 1/2 cups Buttermilk (or ~2 tsp vinegar in measuring cup and fill to 3 1/2 cups with SoDelicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk)
3/4 cup Light Olive Oil

3 1/2 cups My GF Flour Blend (rice based, or no rice based)
4 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp salt

Heat waffle irons, and cook until desired cripness. Makes 12 waffles.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Mock Tastycake Peanut Butter KandyKakes!!!

2012-01-21T22:38:00.002-05:00

Yep, you know them. Those lovely peanut butter over yellow cake, chocolate covered goodies, packaged in twos, like little delicious hockey pucks. If you are on a gluten and dairy free diet, these lovable little treats have been off limits. No more! The process is (can be) involved if you are looking for a replicate of the real deal. But, the result is amazing, if I do say so myself. These aren’t like “homemade gluten free” food. You all know what I mean. These are good! :) and, they are gluten and dairy free. They could even be peanut free if you used Sunbutter.

To summarize the directions...make cake, bake cake, melt peanut butter over hot cake, freeze peanut butter covered cake, cut out circle shapes and freeze, dip bottoms in chocolate and cool, cover entire cake in chocolate and chill again. Then, admire the copy! :)

I used the Perfect Pound Cake recipe from Glutenfreeeasily.com with some modifications as the base for the cake part of the KandyKakes.

Gluten and Dairy free KandyKake cake recipe:

2 ¼ cup My GF Rice Free Flour mix (if you use another GF flour mix, be sure it has xanthan gum added. Add 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum to the recipe if your flour mix does not contain xanthan gum)
1 ¼ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

¾ cup olive oil

1 ½ cups sugar
1 Tbs vanilla extract

3 large eggs
¾ cup SoDelicious Coconut Milk

½ cup Peanut Butter (or more!)
1 ½ bags Enjoy Life Mini Chips
1 tsp Spectrum Organic All Vegetable Shortening

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together Olive oil, sugar, sugar and vanilla extract. Add eggs one at a time mixing after each. Add milk and mix for 2 minutes, then gradually add dry ingredients. Pour batter into 12”x9” jelly roll pan (or any pan you can bake the cake in a thin layer). I actually had enough batter for the jelly roll pan and a mini-pound cake.

Bake at 350º for 35 minutes, testing with a toothpick.

While cake is still hot from the oven, carefully remove from pan onto parchment paper, and spread peanut butter over entire cake. The heat from the cake will make the peanut butter soft and very easy to spread. Once the peanut butter is spread evenly, freeze until the peanut butter is hard.

***This is where the magic happens. You have two options; make bar cookies, or make Kandy Kakes. I prefer to make the real thing, so I pulled out a small glass 2” diameter to use as a cutter to make the Kandy Kake shape. ***

Cut the circle shapes out and lay them out on a parchment covered cookie sheet. (just be sure you have space in your refrigerator or freezer for the pan!).

Use a double boiler or microwave to melt the chocolate chips and shortening until smooth. When the cake cutouts are cool and the chocolate is melted and smooth, bring the cake cutouts back out to put the first layer of chocolate on. Spread a thin layer of melted chocolate on the bottom of each cake layer (not the peanut butter side!). You can go ahead and put it peanut butter side down. When all the cutouts have their bottom side covered in chocolate, return the sheet to the refrigerator or freezer to cool the chocolate. The chocolate will change from shiny to matte when it is completely cool. When the chocolate cake cutouts are cool, bring them back out to do the final chocolate covering. There are several ways to do this. What I found worked best was to use the corner of a wire cooling rack. One at a time I set a cake cutout peanut butter side up and poured a little chocolate on top. Then, I shook the rack to completely cover the cutout. This will smooth out the chocolate and make it look real! When it is covered, place it back onto a parchment covered cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet into the freezer for the final cooling of the chocolate.

What you have when you are done is a pretty good copy of the real thing, a Tastykake Peanut Butter Kandy Kake. If you ask me, it is definitely worth the effort to make the round shape. It is time consuming, but half of replicating the true Kandy Kake experience, is biting into it and seeing the layers covered in chocolate…which you just don’t get if you layer everything in a pan.

Were these a success? Definitely! My boys were raving over these! I have never seen them so excited and express so much appreciation for anything I have made before. That makes it worth every minute, and a success in my book. :)

Extra Thoughts:
* Using the EnjoyLife chocolate chips give it a dark chocolate flavor. Look for a DF milk chocolate for the milk chocolate taste.
* To get a more authentic peanut butter taste, I would use a more processed peanut butter product instead of natural peanut butter. Natural may be healthier, but really, are we going for healthy here? Honestly?
* You will have extra cake/peanut butter pieces after cutting out the circles. One idea to use this extra cake material to make cakepops! Crumble it all up, mix in vanilla icing, form balls, freeze and dip in chocolate. Sounds like a sugar headache waiting to happen. :)