Gluten Free on “The Dish” – link to my interview on CBC Radio-West!

I had a great on air chat about the life gluten free, with the new-to-Kelowna Rebecca Zandbergen of CBC Radio-West. She’s a lovely lady and fantastic interviewer , and as she predicted, 6 or 7 minutes on air felt like a mere minute. There’s a lot of great tips I completely forgot to add during the interview, so I’ll have to post them here on the blog!

And soon to come… gluten free shopping tips-it doesn’t have to cost you every penny in your possession. Also, awhile back I promised to send Vernon girl Kerry K Taylor of Squawk Fox, some of the things I do to live as a money-conscious Celiac! Although she’s probably already in the know. (They’re coming Kerry!) If you haven’t visited Kerry’s frugal living blog – Squawk Fox – where frugal living is sexy, delicious, and fun – you must!

And here is the interview…click on the image to listen in on CBC Radio’s website!

Tags: cbc radio, celiac, celiac tips, diagnosed celiac, gfree, gluten free, gluten free blog, gluten free kelowna, gluten free tips, just diagnosed celiac, kelowna celiac, kelowna gluten free, okanagan, radio west

Repost: Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Loaf

This is a repost of an old favourite of mine – Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Loaf! I’m going to be sampling it today during at radio interview at CBC Kelowna, so I wanted to make it easy to find. 

Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Loaf

You probably know the feeling of  “ick” I’m referring to – you’re trying to keep up with all the fruits and veggies you should be eating and then you see them sitting there on your counter. Once beautiful and firm with shades of yellow and green, they are now browning and wasting away like a grape in the sun. Some call them overripe. I call them rotten. That’s the ick I’m referring to!

Since I really only enjoy eating bananas when they’re more green than yellow, I’ve decided to not let them waste away anymore. Banana chocolate chip muffins it is!

Oh wait – I have no gluten free chocolate chips – I had to throw out a huge bag of them that were maybe once gluten free but spent way too many afternoons hanging around the Evil Mr. Flour in my pre-diagnosis days.

So searching for a tasty alternative to banana chocolate chip muffins, I came across this Food and Wine recipe for Cinnamon Banana Bread.

I amended a few things – took out the Xatham Gum (which is already in most all-purpose mixes), amped up the cinnamon and vanilla factor and added cocoa among other things and I have to say… it turned out great and much better than I expected for a first time go at it!

The loaf, although of the ‘dense’ consistency of many gluten free ‘breads’, was moist and flavourful and it may just become a staple in my house! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients

• 1 cup gluten free, all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
  

  Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Loaf - a new favourite!

• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp gluten free cocoa (I used Hersheys)
• Dash of salt
• 3 overripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1/3 cup milk (any milk of your choice – dairy, soy, almond, etc)
• 2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly oil a loaf pan and line with parchment paper.

Mix all the dry ingredients into one bowl. In another bowl, mash the bananas and then add in the oil, agave nectar, milk and vanilla. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before slicing. (Or, nibble on it straight out of the pan like I did!)

*Optional: Mix a half teaspoon of each: cocoa, sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle onto banana loaf after 10 minutes of baking – this will give you the crackle effect seen in the photo. Tastes pretty good too!

Happy New Year!! Your Favourite 2011 Recipes (preceded by a red wine coloured rant)

Happy New Year everyone! Wow, 2012, sounds so futuristic, doesn’t it?!

So people have been asking me over and over, “when are you going to start blogging more”? No matter that these people are all of my real life friends who are asking me because they’ve referred recently diagnosed friends. But they have a point. Having a stale blog makes me feel icky, I mean, I work in marketing! How often do I huff at blogs that I really want to read but have gone months without a new post. And that’s what I’ve become?

Note to readers here: this is just my personal “forgive me, I have blinned” (blog sinned, made that one up) rant. Skip down for the hottest in recipes from 2011 ladies and lads.

I have to say though, that nagging feeling I get when I’m blazy (blog lazy, ha!) is when I talk to people who feel like getting diagnosed Celiac is going to ruin their life and cooking is going to be impossible. And I tell them, “No sister, it ain’t gonna ruin you, you just gotta learn the secrets.. I can tell you.. And you can find them on my web log!!” Okay, I totally don’t talk like this.

But I do tell people to not let a diagnosis get you down, that things are going to get easier. Because you quickly learn what you can and cannot eat. And you learn that you don’t have to follow complicated gluten free recipes to be able to eat. (Just learn how to substitute ingredients like a seasoned Celiac!) And let’s not forget that not only is gluten free knowledge on the uptake in society because people think it’s a weight loss tool (idiots), but because more and more people are being diagnosed with it. Restaurants and grocery stores are finally starting to get it. Some more slowly than others. (And yes, some will possibly be forever oblivious.)

But these secrets, and developments, are what I wish someone had told me when I was first diagnosed with Celiac. I thought my life was ruined! And it was not. I’ve learned to live with it, and make tasty food in a jiffy, and you can too.

So expect to see more of my rants and raves throughout 2012!

Now, for the top recipes of 2011? Here they are!

1. Oven Baked Risotto. Apparently this was popular with the new-to-risotto crowd. So if you’re reticent of making your first batch of risotto, start with this one. And then try some of my other risotto recipes and see what you’ve been missing all these years! Risotto – gluten free food of the gods. And perfect for a creamy, savoury treat if you have to refrain from dairy as well!
2. Cranberry Banana Walnut Loaf. Shave off 10 minutes to make muffins, or add in chocolate chips for a real anytime treat. Yummzers!
3. Celery Leek Soup. I’m glad you liked it as much as I did! Because simply, it’s to die for. Put it on your list for a winter-warm-up fast!!

Enough from me for today. I wish you all the best in 2012 and look forward to continuing our gluten free journey together!

Tags: celiac, diagnosed celiac, gluten free blog, gluten free kelowna, gluten free recipes, happy new year, just diagnosed celiac

Gluten Free in Kelowna: Raudz Regional Table

Braised grass-fed beef with regional veg & fork mashed potatoes

Grilled vegetables with walnut oil and morel mushrooms

Mixologist extraordinaire, Gerry Jobe, with 2010 Distraction Frizzante from The View Winery

Friends! With fresh Okanagan fruit martinis-amazing.

Happy Hallows Eve!!

This is my pumpkin. It is dedicated to everyone who is an 80′s baby like me. I like to call it “ET iPhoneHome”. My boyfriend said that kids trick or treating at our house wouldn’t get it. And I say? It doesn’t matter. Their parents will get it, and I think it’s freaking genius!! In my head at least. Happy Halloween everyone!!