The Drs. Sullivan Speak....Again!

Celiac Awareness Bill

Several medical organizations have called on Congress to pass National Celiac Disease Awareness legislation that is otherwise knowns as H Con Res 70. In order for this resolution to pass, American Celiac Disease Alliance has set up a web page that makes contacting one's Representatives very easy.

Organic Valley Coupons

Jane forwarded us an online coupon for a variety of Organic Valley coupons including Organic Valley Lactose Free Milk. To redeem visit their site.

MIA - Phone Number of Newly Dxd

I've lost the name and number of a man who was shown to our meeting space but opted to not come in because we were already 'in session.' hehe If it was you, please know the only reason I didn't call you back is because I misplaced your phone number. Please post a comment below and we'll be in touch!

Ravioli and Pierogies...Oh My!

If you weren't at Saturday's meeting you very well may have missed the best food we've ever sampled at a meeting--Conte's Pasta ravioli and pierogies. It seemed as if participants had a difficult time eating and chatting as the room was eerily quiet while everyone was eating. Many thanks to Conte's Pasta for the very generous donation of their gluten-free products!

We've put a call into Conte's Pasta to find out where their products may be purchased locally. We'll update this post once we receive the information. In the meantime, the ravioli and pierogies as well as gnocchi may be ordered online.

In order to keep the ravioli and pierogies for a while, Mary par boiled the ravioli, tossed it with a bit of butter to prevent sticking, placed it in a crockpot and added marinara sauce. The pierogies were also par boiled, tossed with butter and then fried in an electric skillet just before serving.

We had so much product that we placed two bags of Conte's Pasta in one of the raffles which the Amy L. won! Pat generously offered 'to keep the pasta safe' until the May meeting due.

Thanks to Miss Roben's for providing us with samples of their delicious chocolate and yellow cake mixes for us to try on Saturday. Below are the recipes Mary used when baking the cakes. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Cake
1 package Miss Roben’s chocolate cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs (beaten)

Grease and flour (rice) a 13 x 9 pan, combine all ingredients in large bowl, mix by hand, stir until well blended. Pour into greased pan, bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Frosting
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine in a small sauce pan: butter, sugar, and milk. Bring to a boil, (stir constantly). Boil one minute. Remove from heat stir in chocolate chips, continue stirring until smooth and thick.
Frost cool cake.

Yellow Cake
1 package Miss Roben’s yellow cake mix
1⁄2 cup sugar
4 extra large eggs (room temperature)
1⁄2 cup canola oil
3⁄4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven 350 degrees, grease and flour (rice) a 13 x 9 pan. Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients and beat on high speed for two minutes. Pour into 13 x 9 pan, bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1⁄4 cup milk

Combine half of the sugar with the butter and beat on low speed. Add the wet ingredients and beat. Slowly add the rest of the sugar while mixing until combined. Beat on medium-high for at least two minutes until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Frost cool cake.

There's a New GF Grocer in Town

Gluten-Free Grocery will open later this month at 1922 S. Mannheim Road in Westchester.

Surprised or Not?

Those of you who were not at the meeting might be interested or surprised to learn that using the Elisa EZ Gluten test all of the following products tested NEGATIVE at the 10 PPM level for gluten. Some of the products are made on shared lines so it's possible at some point gluten exposure could occur.

Products tested:
1. Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Oats*
2. Fruity Pebbles*
3. McDonald's French Fries
4. Amy's Frozen Macaroni and Cheese
5. Trader Joe's Savory Crackers
6. Tostito Scoops
7. Van's Waffles

Canned Soup Replacement

Basic White Sauce [Canned Soup Replacement]
More-with-Less Cookbook, Doris Janzen Longracre

Medium-thick compares to undiluted condensed soups and makes approximately the same amount contained in one 10 ounce can.

For a Thin Sauce
Melt 1 T butter in a heavy saucepan. Blend in 1 T sweet rice flour and 1/4 t. salt cooking and stirring until bubbly. Using wire whisk to prevent lumps, stir in 1 cup of milk, stock or combination of both. Cook just until smooth and thickened. Makes slightly over 1 cup.

For a Medium Sauce
Melt 2 T butter in a heavy saucepan. Blend in 2 T sweet rice flour and 1/4 t. salt cooking and stirring until bubbly. Using wire whisk to prevent lumps, stir in 1 cup of milk, stock or combination of both. Cook just until smooth and thickened. Makes slightly over 1 cup.

For a Medium-thick Sauce - Substitute for Canned Condensed Soup
Melt 3 T butter in a heavy saucepan. Blend in 3 T sweet rice flour and 1/4 t. salt cooking and stirring until bubbly. Using wire whisk to prevent lumps, stir in 1 cup of milk, stock or combination of both. Cook just until smooth and thickened. Makes slightly over 1 cup.

For a Thick Sauce
Melt 4 T butter in a heavy saucepan. Blend in 4 T sweet rice flour and 1/4 t. salt cooking and stirring until bubbly. Using wire whisk to prevent lumps, stir in 1 cup of milk, stock or combination of both. Cook just until smooth and thickened. Makes slightly over 1 cup.

Options:
Cheese Sauce: Add 1/2 cup grated 'nippy' cheese and 1/4 t. dry mustard.

Mushroom Sauce: Saute 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms nad 1 T finely chopped onion in butter before adding flour.

Celery Sauce: Saute 1/2 cup chopped celery and 1 T finely chopped onion in butter before adding flour.

Chicken Sauce: Use chicken broth or bouillon as half the liquid. Add 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning or sage, and diced cooked chicken if available.

Mainstream GF Products Mentioned at the Meeting...

Here's the list of products mentioned at the meeting and are gluten free. If we've omited anything, please email us so we can add it. Thanks!

• Rice Chex is now labeled gluten free!

• Bear Creek Country Kitchen Cheddar Broccoli Soup, Creamy Potato Soup, Chili and Creamy Wild Rice Soup are all gluten free.

• LaChoy Teryaki and Garlic Ginger Sauce are both made by Con Agra. The label should clearly list any gluten containing ingredients.

• Bakery on Main Gourmet Naturals Granola meets Codex* gluten-free standards.

• Some Cliff Bars are gluten free but they aren't made in a dedicated facility.

• Trader Joe's Frozen GF Peanut Butter Cookies

• All Woodchuck Draft Cider flavors are gluten free.

• Strongbow is a hard cider that according to the Green Mountain Beverage marketing director has been Elisa tested to determine its GF status.
  

• The Bonne Bell Company has a long list of GF products for up to date information email the company. Alisa has provided us with a list that was dated 2007. Feel free to email us if you would like us to check to see if a product is listed.
  

Twix-y Bars...Mmmm!

Twix-y Bars
The Kid Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook, Leslie Hammand and Lynne Marie Rominger

1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar Dough (recipe below)
10 teaspoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 14 oz. can condensed milk
1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips

1. In a 9 inch square cake pan, press dough in evenly and prick with a fork.
2. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove and cool in pan.
3. To make carmel, place the butter, sugar, and condensed milk in a nonstick saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook 4-5 minutes until the caramel is pale golden and thick and is coming away from the sides of the pan. Pour the topping over the shortbread base and let cool.
4. In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate according to the package directions. When the carmel topping is firm, place it into the refrigerator to cool completely. Remove and cut the cookies into long rectangles. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and pour chocolate over each cookie until all all are completely covered with chocolate. Put back into refrigerator to cool. Serve or wrap in parchment and freeze in a zipper-lock bag. They taste great frozen too!

Brown Sugar Dough - makes about 3 cups
3/4 cup butter
2 1/4 cups rice flour
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 teaspoons milk
2 egg yolks

1. In a food processor, combine butter, half of the flour, and the sugar. Pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and process until dough forms a ball and comes together. If needed, carefully pull dough apart and place in processor to blend again until you get smooth dough.
3. Remove dough from processor and divide in half. Wrap in wax paper and chill until ready to use.