Food Philosophy: Recipes and ramblings from a gluten-free naturopath

Christmas, for me, is all about the traditions, the family, and, you guessed it, the food!  I think all of those things are intricately intertwined and, when brought all together with a ton of love, are the best things in the whole world!! I especially think that traditions are important for children.  Traditions provide a sense of security and stability that children desperately need in this crazy world we live in.  I tried to have traditions all year round when our girls were growing up, and Christmas traditions were always a favorite!   One of our most cherished traditions was our family advent calendar.  When I was about 12, my Mom and I made this advent calendar together and when I had children, she gave it to me to carry on the tradition. Over the years, I had to make a few updates, but it was always there for my girls to enjoy.  Each ornament is a little pouch and every morning, "the elves" would put some kind of treat inside and then, when the girls took out

If you're anything like me, you love to try a new recipe!!  I love to take it even one step further than that...I read a bunch of recipes that are similar and then, I decide what I think would be even better than all of them, and I just let my imagination run wild and go crazy "inventing!"  This recipe was one such.  I was hosting an early Thanksgiving meal for our local church missionaries and I wanted a special, ooey-gooey dessert.  After reading tons of recipes, and consulting old ones of mine, and thinking and stewing and thinking some more, I decided to go in a totally new direction and this was the result!! Behold...German Chocolate Meringue Pie!! It was actually quite easy and turned out even better than I imagined!  There was not even a tiny speck left over, although 1 person did have to take the rest of her piece home because it was too rich for her to finish in 1 sitting....but, there was no chance that she was leaving it behind!! Here's the recipe:

I'm always excited about a new cooking challenge and will take any opportunity to create something new and wonderful!!  It's even better when that challenge is over-the-top, unbelievable kind of stuff... A couple of weeks ago, I was attending a business conference with my husband in Washington, DC.  We were staying in a hotel room that was equipped with a small fridge and a tiny, half-speed kind of microwave and nothing else that could even remotely be considered "kitchen-like." The 3rd night of the conference was scheduled to be a "working dinner" in the conference room where Chinese food was going to be brought in for everyone to eat while working (of course, this didn't include me since most Chinese is not GF).  The challenge was presented to have a fabulous, gourmet-type dessert to conclude the evening. I readily accepted and began thinking and plotting and planning. How could I prepare a gluten-free (because I wanted to eat it, too!), gourmet

Cooking involves a lot of emotion for me...its not just about following a recipe or putting a nice meal on a table.  Every recipe has a history, both in how it was created or first used, and in how it affects me when I cook it; this is especially true for recipes that I use over and over again. Chocolate Zucchini Cake is one such recipe!  I remember when I first found this recipe in an old magazine and knew that I just HAD to try it!  I remember converting it to "my" recipe by making, what I believed to be, "necessary" changes.  I remember taking it to dozens of potlucks, picnics, church socials, birthday parties...and it being a hit every single time! (You know you're a hit when your plate is the first one empty :)  I remember struggling to convert it over to GF after I got diagnosed and how happy I was when I finally got it right! Me, at age 8, with my Grandma I also think about my Grandmother, Velma Burkhart Leakey Whiting, whenever I make this cake b

I absolutely adore lemonade!!  And, I've become, I'm embarrassed to say, quite a lemonade snob in the process.  Nothing infuriates me more than reading "freshly squeezed" on a menu, only to discover that it came out of a Minute Maid can!  Really, people!! I enjoy all the different takes on lemonade out there...cherry, strawberry, vanilla...lots of flavors and slushies and such...but I really enjoy most just the straight, old-fashioned, sweet/tart, FRESHLY SQUEEZED lemonade!  And, if I'm completely honest, I am generally disappointed when I order it out somewhere, so I just make it myself and enjoy it in the privacy of my own home! Now, as with all things, I love to make it and take it to events.  And, it never fails, every time I take my fresh lemonade somewhere, someone (or many someone's) will tell me, "That's the best lemonade I ever had!"  And, every single time, I'm shocked!  It's not rocket science to make good lemonade...alt

Back in the days BC (before celiac), I never even gave it a second thought if someone invited me over for lunch or dinner or out to a restaurant!  I would whip something fun up to take with me and I would enjoy munching on whatever everyone else had brought or I could order anything off of any menu at any restaurant and never worry about the consequences. But, then everything changed AD (after diagnosis)!  Suddenly, everything was a threat and I was terrified to eat anything that I hadn't personally cooked.  My world became very small and isolated and more depressed as I contemplated a lifetime of solitude in order to avoid nasty celiac symptoms.  I understood all too well that every small bite of gluten was dangerous and the damage done by that one bite was permanent!! This is a fact that most people do not understand:  if you are gluten intolerant, you will suffer for a few hours if you ingest gluten, but then, you'll feel fine again.  However, if you have celiac disease,

If you have celiac disease, or are gluten-intolerant, then rice is probably one of your "go-to" grains!  Thankfully, rice is plentiful and mercifully inexpensive, especially when compared with other gluten-free grains.  I have always been a rice lover--brown, basmati, jasmine, arborio...the list goes on and I love them all!! When my husband was in the Air Force, there was a little Asian lady who worked at one of the dining facilities that he ate at frequently.  When the men would walk up to the counter, she would look up and yell, "Rice, honey?"  But, with her accent, it actually came out sounding like, "Lice, honey??"  This has been a joke in our family for many years and never fails to get a good laugh when someone yells it out.   I'm not going to tell you that the only rice you should eat is brown rice--although, it is definitely the healthiest because it still contains all of the bran coating where the nutrients and fiber reside.  Many p

According to the groundhog, and to the calendar, we have about another month of winter and cold weather....I know!! It's no fun to think about spending that much longer in the deep freeze, but don't shoot the messenger.   I've got 3 fantastic hot drink recipes for you today that will warm your tummy and your soul during this last cold blast from Jack Frost! Let's begin with just the basics...Hot Cocoa!  I know that you can grab a packet to mix with water, or buzz down the road to Starbucks (unless you live in the middle of nowhere like I do and the closest one is 20 miles!), but nothing tastes as wonderful as a cup of homemade cocoa!  It's so rich and creamy and satisfying that it will(almost) make you wish that every day was a cold, snowy wintry day... Hot Cocoa Recipe: 1/3 cup cocoa 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 3 1/2 cups milk (use at least 2%, whole is the best!) 1/2 tsp. vanilla (optional) Combine sugar and cocoa in a medium saucepa

I don't think there's ever a time that popcorn isn't the right choice for a snack!!  I love popcorn in every form...plain, with butter, Italian style, cheesy, caramel, spicy, hot from the popper or cold the next morning....you name it and I love it!! January 19th was National Popcorn Day (if anyone's interested).  I personally don't need a special day to entice me to make a batch of fluffy kernels and chow down.  But, since it was a special holiday set aside to celebrate this most wonderful of treats, I decided that I absolutely couldn't be left out of the celebration! I make a Caramel Corn that is so addictive....well, you think of the most addictive thing you've ever come across and then, multiply it by 1,000 and you'll come up with this yummy snack!  In fact, it's so sweet and so addictive that I've started only using 1/2 of the amount of caramel topping that I used to use because it was just too much!! So, here's the recipe in