Saturday, April 30, 2016

Pecan Brittle


Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together egg white, agave, salt and cinnamon
  2. Toss nuts in the egg white mixture to coat
  3. Pour nut mixture onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet
  4. Bake at 300° for 30 minutes, until nuts are browned
  5. Allow nuts to cool for 5 minutes, then break apart and serve
- Elana's Pantry

Gluten Free Gigi


May is Celiac Awareness Month!

Happy last day of April! I'm ready to welcome May for warmer days, Mother's Day, for celebrating my oldest turning 23 (!) and for celebrating and helping to increase awareness about Celiac Awareness all May long. I hope you'll join me. Get your celiac awareness going with this article, which I think it GREAT for sharing with those who might be new to understanding the celiac lifestyle.

I'll be sharing posts that highlight various aspects of celiac disease, working with other bloggers and foundations to spread the facts about this serious autoimmune disease and I'll also be posting a Celiac Fact each day of May on my Facebook page. I try to do this every year, adding new facts and updated info each year, so I hope you'll visit me there and share those with your friends, family and anyone who might benefit from that info. If you aren't sure but think you might have CD, give this article a read: 4 Reasons You May Want to Know if You Have Celiac Disease.

I'm also looking forward to training for the Run10 Feed10 race that's happening this fall and sharing all my tips and ideas on keeping fit post 45 (!!) on the blog occasionally and on Instagram everyday. My commitment as a 2016 Women's Health Magazine Action Hero is to share a candid post each day about what it means to keep fit, fabulous and healthy *at a certain point* in life. :) I hope you'll join me there and peek inside my world of fitness, food and fun - it might surprise you how little it takes to keep a body looking and feeling great!

Thank you for all your emails this week with questions on topics you'd like me to cover on the blog. I appreciate you so much!!

Another great May Celiac Awareness bonus is the May Love with Food Box. Not only is the May box 100% gluten-free as usual, in honor of Celiac Awareness, the May box will also be free of the top 8 food allergens!! I'm SO excited for this one I can hardly wait. Expect lots of Enjoy Life Foods goodies coming your way if you're signed up like I am!

Get 50% off your first Love with Food GF Box today and the May box will be on its way at an amazing savings to you! 

Also, if you're a Kindle Unlimited subscriber like me, you can get my book, The Gluten Free Solution FREE via Amazon. You can also get a paperback here or the Kindle version here.

Don't forget to follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and see my life behind the scenes on Instagram!

Enjoy the weekend,

Gigi

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Pita Bread

519ce8a990e26-grilled-pita-bread-gluten-free chebe
Can use with your choice of Chebe Dry Mix: Garlic-Onion Breadstick Mix, Pizza Crust Mix, Focaccia Mix, All-Purpose Bread Mix, Original Cheese Bread Mix
Ingredients
1 package Chebe mix (7.5 oz or 1 ¾ C)
2 eggs
2 tbsp. Oil
Shredded Parmesan cheese, ½ C (optional)
1/4 cup of Water, milk, or milk substitute add 1 tbsp. at a time as needed
Directions
Light and preheat grill
1. Prepare one package (7.5 oz. or 1 ¾ Cups) of mix according to the package instructions.
2. Divide dough into 4 or 5 equal pieces. With each piece, shape into a ball, then flatten to about 6 – 7 inch rounds (about ¼” thick).
3. Place each round onto the hot grill. Use a spatula to keep the dough from sticking to the grill. Grill for about 3 – 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
4. Remove from grill and cut each round into halves or quarters.
5. Serve with hummus or similar pate.
Makes 4 pita breads
View recipe courtesy of Chebe

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Health Tips

Consume 1 tsp of coconut oil daily- it helps burn energy!
Add 1 tsp of cumin powder to your veggies, it increases metabolic rate.
Get enough sleep, especially between the hours of 11pm and 5am.
Add 1-2 drops of grapefruit or lemon essential oil to your water for appetite suppression.
Drink 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar daily,it helps to lower triglycerides after 12 weeks.
Sip on green tea to curb sugar cravings, green tea balances insulin and sugar.
Drink 2 glasses of water before eating to trick the stomach into thinking it is full.
Replace dinner with a fat-fighting green smoothie: Chop one large apple or pear, two stalks of celery, and one cup of watercress or spinach, and whip in blender with a cup of cold water and juice of half a lemon.
-Amazing Wellness, Spring 2016

Monday, April 25, 2016

Healthy Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk of choice OR canned coconut milk
  • heaping 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup Dutch cocoa powder
  • pinch uncut stevia OR 1/4 cup sugar, pure maple syrup, or honey
  • 1/2 cup milk of choice + 3 tbsp cornstarch (such as Rapunzel non-GMO) - Readers reported success with arrowroot, although I have not tried it
  • optional 3.5 oz chocolate chips or broken-up bar
  • 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Yield: 3 Servings
image: http://www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com/wp-content/uploads/Basic-Chocolate-Pudding_A625/chocolate-pudding_3.jpg?b725db

Instructions

Healthy Chocolate Pudding Recipe: Heat the 2 cups milk of choice in a saucepan with the salt, cocoa powder, and sweetener. Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch and 1/2 cup milk in a small bowl until dissolved. When the 2 cups milk are warm, add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir constantly for 2 minutes. Lower to a simmer for an additional minute, then turn off the heat. Once the heat is off, stir in the vanilla and broken-up chocolate pieces until the chocolate melts. Transfer the pudding to the refrigerator to thicken. It gets thicker the longer it sits and will be ready to consume after a few hours or overnight.  *Note: I’ve only tried this recipe with Dutch cocoa powder so can’t vouch for the taste if regular unsweetened cocoa powder is used in its place. But you are always free to experiment!

Read more at http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2015/06/25/healthy-chocolate-pudding-recipe/#3EFP42Soer2mi5B8.99

Chocolate Quinoa Bites

You’ll Need
– ⅓ cup quinoa, rinsed in cold water
– ⅔ cup water
– 16 whole (pitted) dates
– ½ cup raw skin-on almonds
– ⅓ cup smooth almond butter (or, if preferred, peanut butter)
– ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
– Pinch of salt
– Additional crushed almonds for coating the quinoa bites
How To
  1. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil. Cover and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
  2. Process the ½ cup of almonds in a food processor until finely chopped.
  3. Add the dates to the food processor. Pulse until they are also finely chopped and the mixture starts to ball together.
  4. Add the hot cooked quinoa, salt, almond butter, and the chocolate chips. Pulse until the mixture balls up around the blade and the chocolate has melted.
  5. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the dough and roll into 1-inch balls.
  6. Roll each ball in the crushed almonds to coat.
  7. Refrigerate the balls for about 1 hour, until firm. -Tip Hero

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Starbucks Tea

A nice cold iced tea sounds really good right now, but did you know that none of the tea at Starbucks is organic? Which means they steep the chemicals and pesticides right out of their tea and into the drinks that go into our bodies!! Doesn't that sound crazy?? Shouldn't we contact the company and demand products that are non-GMO and organic? We do deserve better so let's do something about it!!
http://www.starbucks.com/

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Girl Scout Cookies

Hello there! My daughter's Girl Scout Troop has about 200 boxes of Gluten Free Toffee Tastic Cookies that they are unable to return. If you are interested in the cookies and would like to help a great group of girls, please call me asap and I will have my daughter contact you directly. We thank you for your support in helping these girls.
- Marty Thibert 360-518-6984

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Watch Out For Obesogens

Obesogens: another reason to eat an organic and whole foods diet. Avoid chemicals that encourage your body to gain weight.

Obesogens are exogenous (coming from outside our body) chemicals that act as endocrine (hormone system) disruptors.

These are plastics (designer handbag, wallpaper, vinyl blinds, tile, and vacuum cleaner dust, phthalates, plasticizers), chemical pesticides in food and water, like atrazine and DDE (dichlorodiphenyl- dichloroethylene—a DDT breakdown product), the diabetes drug Avandia®, MSG (monosodium glutamate), PFOA (a surfactant used for reduction of friction, and in nonstick cookware, Gore-Tex™ waterproof clothing, Scotchgard™ stain repellent on carpeting, mattresses, and microwavable food items), ..... and the list goes on.

The less chemicals you allow in your home and your body, the healthier you will be.

- Dr. Lisa Shaver, Portland

Cheese Crackers

3 Ingredient Gluten-Free Cheese Crackers
This recipe is free from gluten, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg. It can be made dairy-free, please seen introductory information preceding the recipe.

Makes approximately 44 crackers.

Ingredients

1 stick butter, softened (or sub dairy-free butter substitute)

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese (or sub dairy-free Daiya shreds)

1 cup Gigi’s Everyday Gluten-Free Flour Blend (or use King Arthur Multipurpose Gluten-Free flour or any other gum-free flour blend)

1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using Parmesan cheese in place of the cheddar)

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional


Method

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line cookie tray with parchment paper.

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. You may want to use your hands to mix, as the mixture is very stiff. It will take several minutes to get the mixture combined.

Scoop mixture into small (1-inch) balls and place on cookie sheet, flatten slightly.

Bake 10 minutes, then remove from oven and cool for 2 minutes on pan before transferring to wire racks to cool completely (crackers will crisp as they cool).

Store in airtight container up to 1 week.



- Gluten Free Gigi

Friday, April 8, 2016

Camp Blue Spruce Night

Hawthorne Fish House is hosting a “dine to support” Camp Blue Spruce night April 20th between 5 and 9 PM! A portion of the evening's proceeds will go to support Camp Blue Spruce, an overnight camp for kids with food allergies and Celiac. Camp Blue Spruce volunteers will be there to answer questions about camp.
Generation GF Portland, a new gluten-free family support group, will also be there. Join us to support Camp Blue Spruce, meet other allergy and gluten-free families, and learn more about upcoming events for kids and families with food restrictions.
Check out the menu at: http://www.corbettfishhouse.com/hawthorne-fish-house/ to see if it meets your family’s diet restrictions. Call Hawthorne Fish House if you have additional questions about whether they can accommodate your specific dietary needs 503-548-4434. They are at 4343 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR.
Our heartfelt thanks to Hawthorne Fish House for hosting and supporting Camp Blue Spruce!

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Never Throw Away an Avocado Seed

Avocado fruit is tasty that is a no-brainer, but did you know that it’s seed while not as tasty as the fruit itself is extremely beneficial to your health?
The avocado seed is rich in amino acids and is believed to possess more fibre content than most foods rich in fibre.
The wonderful benefits of Avocado seeds
1. Avocado seeds have anti-inflammatory properties and are very effective in fighting arthritis.
2. The anti-inflammatory properties of avocado seeds also help in relieving gastrointestinal tract inflammation. It will help fight against diarrhea and other intestinal and stomach conditions.
3. Avocado seeds also have anti-aging properties that help to combat wrinkles, age spots and also gives you a firmer skin.
4. Your immune system will be boosted by the avocado seeds, thereby increasing your body’s ability to ward-off infection.
5. Avocado seeds are useful in burning fat.
6. The amino acids in avocado seeds give you instant energy.
7. You can consume the avocado seeds by mixing it in your salads or tea.
8. The avocado seed has a compound known as flavonol which has been known to help fight tumors.
9. The Avocado seeds as well as its skin have very higher amounts of antioxidants like catechins and procyandins. These two antioxidants will increase blood circulation and boost the health of your heart. They will also provide anti-inflammatory response to your body such as helping to relieve stiffness, reduce pain, swelling and a loss of your joint mobility.
10. The avocado seeds offer more than 70% of the fruits antioxidant properties.
11. The avocado seeds have fungicidal, anti-microbial and insecticidal properties as well.

- Natural Solutions Magazine

Dr. Lisa Shaver

Earthquake readiness or head in the sand? Where do you stand??!!
"At rest, the Mayo Clinic estimates men need about 3 liters of water a day, and women need 2.2 liters. But if you are exercising in the mountains, that may increase by 50%, to over 4 liters for men, and more than 3 liters for women."
At LEAST have a water filter handy!!

Dr. Rodney Ford

"Gluten: Worth The Risk? Solving the Puzzle."
Dr Rodney Ford, MD, pediatric gastroenterologist and allergist, published this book today - it is available for free.
It is the material on which he based his TEDx talk. He hopes that this book will help a few more people understand the complexity of gluten-health issues, globally. Happy Reading!!

Gluten Free RN

The Big Earthquake is predicted any time in the Pac NW. Most shelters serve GLUTEN sandwiches, pasta, crackers. DON'T BE SCARED - BE PREPARED! Get your act together and get your ducks in a row (even if you're a Beaver's fan!) Join us for what we all need to hear and let's collectively take our fingers out of our ears (lalalala!). Every little step towards being prepared will help us and our families!!
"Emergency Preparedness with Nutrient Dense Gluten-Free Foods" by Nadine Grzeskowiak, RN, ER nurse, national lecturer, the Gluten Free RN and author.
Here's what she'll cover:
1. Basic Emergency Preparedness Information for people with food intolerances / celiac disease
2. Learn the shelf stable foods that will help you survive a disaster
3. Identify Nutrient Dense Foods
4. Identify Multi-Purpose Products and how to use them effectively
Come hear Nadine Grzeskowiak, former ER & critical care nurse, now the Gluten Free RN and author, at our GIG of Portland April mtg. April 9, 10am - noon at Providence Portland Medical Center, main flooor (room HCC 8).
Free parking in parking structure off of NE Glisan & 48th. Park on the West end of the 2nd story of the garage and walk over the skybridge to the HOSPITAL (not the Professional Plaza walkway bridge over the road). It's in a classroom right there when you exit the skybridge. Free. Always gluten-free samples, too.