Terri Reed: Gluten-Free At Christmas

Hi, Terri Reed here hoping your Christmas was merry and joyful. Mine was filled with laughter, chaos and food. Lots of food. Most of the food was gluten-free.

Gluten sensitivity runs in my husband’s family so we have made adjustments over the years to the foods we eat.  But it was not always this way. We had never heard of gluten or celiac disease until my daughter was born in 1993. She was a healthy baby and so full of joy. However, issues soon cropped up.  The pediatrician kept prescribing antibiotics but the medicine wasn’t helping.  A friend suggested a naturopath.  We’d never heard of a naturopath but at this point we were growing desperate to help our little girl.

Through a battery of test, the naturopath found that she had sensitivity to wheat products and dairy products.  So began a journey of living wheat free and diary free. This was in 1995 and the term gluten-free wasn’t a mainstream word yet. There were few wheat free products available.  It was easier to cut out dairy.  I remember how many people thought we were weird for thinking wheat and dairy was causing our daughter harm. Over the years others in the family have been diagnosed with gluten sensitivity, but we all are aware that careful monitoring is required as there is no guarantee that gluten sensitivity won’t turn into celiac disease. Now nearly twenty years later you can go to any grocery store and find gluten-free products from major companies, small start up companies and everything in between.  

Here are a couple of interesting articles on the subject.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/magazine/Should-We-All-Go-Gluten-Free.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

https://www.womentowomen.com/digestive-health/the-gluten-spectrum-from-sensitivities-to-celiac-disease/

My daughter loves to bake and has creatively modified recipes to make them gluten-free. Here’s one of her recipes.

Peanut butter chocolate kiss cookies

You will need:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1.5 sticks of butter

1 egg

1 XO Baking Co. all natural Gluten Free all purpose gourmet flour blend

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Additional granulated sugar

About 36 Hershey's® Kisses® Brand milk chocolates, unwrapped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended.

Stir in flour, baking soda and baking powder until dough forms. Chill for an hour.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in additional granulated sugar.

On ungreased cookie sheets, place about 2 inches apart.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Immediately press 1 milk chocolate candy in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.

Enjoy.

 

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