Posted in Meals/Sides

If There Had Been Hashtags 15 Years Ago…

Posted on by katiebiddle4317

It’s hard to believe it has been a year since I wrote what remains the most shared/commented-on post about the silent hero in my life: my dad. I just re-read that post and I can honestly say there isn’t much more I could add to summarize who he was, how he has shaped the person I’ve become, and how he lives on in my heart 15 years after our final hug. I know he would be a big supporter of the year of fiscal responsibility, as his money-saving skills were far superior to anyone I’ve ever met. I know he would be shaking his head in amusement watching my mom attempt to master her new iPhone (I know, she has one before I do! It’s a crazy world we live in.) And I know he’d be overjoyed right now…because it’s Lent, and what does that mean?? It means seafood is everywhere (among other theological truths of course :-))

Now don’t get me wrong, my dad LOVED meat. And by that I mean beef in particular. He loved a juicy steak, he perfected some of the oddest meatloaf recipes I’ve ever tasted, and the man loved his hamburgers. If I remember the story correctly, he even stopped at Burger King on his wedding day. I mean, clearly the one thing better than marrying the amazing woman who is now my mom is marrying her with a Whopper in your stomach 🙂 However, his true love (in food terms) was seafood, namely lobster. Granted, his penny-pinching self only allowed for lobster about once a year, but there was the occasional homemade popcorn shrimp night for special dinners. So this week as I sat down with my weekly meals dry-erase board (really, does it surprise you that I have such a thing? Seriously, it’s amazing) I knew tomorrow would be the 27th and thus my traditional meal of a once cheeseburger, now sans cheese, and a Diet Pepsi would be on the menu. Of course, then I noticed: 27th = Friday. And it’s Lent. Now what…

Though I briefly considered talking to my pastor about some kind of sanctioned switch to meatless Thursday this week, I realized that would not at all be the best way to honor my dad. The man loved seafood…so what better way to celebrate his memory than with some variety of crustacean on a Lenten Friday? Granted, I have yet to determine exactly what that will be…but I live in Baltimore so I have a feeling crabmeat will have to be involved. Now since I don’t have tomorrow’s dinner exactly figure out yet, I don’t have that recipe to share. However, I do have another one which I’ve been meaning to share but haven’t had time (I’m currently taking not 1, but 2, online courses in addition to my regular teaching load/night class…I’m not sure what I was thinking). And fittingly, this recipe also relates to tomorrow’s celebration of my dad’s life too.

For someone who loved meat so much, it might surprise you to hear that my dad also loved veggie burgers. It’s true. There were times when his medications and treatments had his sleep patterns a bit off kilter, so he would often be up in the middle of the night. He would sit at the kitchen table, working on a crossword puzzle and eating his post-midnight snack: a frozen veggie burger. If you’ve ever heated one up in the microwave, you know they leave a pungent odor which still lingered in the kitchen when I’d stumble in at 6:00 AM. I hated them back then, but in the years since I’ve learned to love them myself. However, for those of us with food allergies, those frozen ones are not an option. Wheat, soy, and corn abound in every variety I’ve found. Fortunately, I’ve become a pro at making my own, with the help of my mini-food processor.


Katie-safe/Lenten-Friday-safe Black Bean burgers
1 can black beans
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1-2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cilantro
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
1/4 cup brown rice crumbs
3 Tbsp. flaxseed + 9 Tbsp. water (egg replacer) *NOTE: if you can eat real eggs, use them! The texture still isn’t quite the same with the flaxseed replacer*
 1. Cook the quinoa as you normally would.

2. While the water/quinoa is boiling, cut up the pepper and onion. Then sautee with the seasonings until the vegetables are tender.

3. Combine everything (cooked quinoa and veggies + remaining ingredients) in the food processor and blend until pureed. 

*NOTE: if your food processor is small, you may have to do this in batches!*
4. Form into patties and pan fry in grapesed oil!

5. Enjoy!!

Clearly, I excelled at Step 5, because I never stopped to take a picture when I made these. Anyway, there you have it: a great you-safe Lenten Friday alternative. Or a 3 AM snack while you crossword…totally your call. 
Lastly, as I sit in my living room surrounded by boxes and crates, I have one final thought. I spent my day sifting through pictures, scrapbooks, and other mementos you only seem to come across when moving; (yep, I’m on the move once again and only have 7 day remaining in this apartment so I’m in the midst of “eat everything in the freezer/how did I manage to accumulate this much stuff in 18 months??” madness at the moment. I’m only moving a few miles away, and given the frigid temperatures lately, my frozen foods can easily make the move with me…I just really hate packing so this week is going to be all kinds of crazy meal concoctions. I’ll be sure to document and eventually write a post on that too!) While I was packing I listened to a news story about how social media has changed the greiving process, how people take to Facebook, Twitter, etc. to share memories of a person which may otherwise remain unshared, to empower others through the story of someone they may have never known. As I watched the profile of a movement inspired by the untimely loss of a young dad, I couldn’t help but think to myself that the world has certainly changed a lot in 15 years. When our dad left this earth behind, there was no such thing as a hashtag, at least not in the terms we know it today. But if there had been such thing back then, I’m sure there would have been some kind of #LiveLikeEd movement (or Eddie, depending on what branch of the familly tree you happened to sprout upon). So tomorrow, and everyday, I’m going to do my best to do just that, without the hastag. I’ll do my best to spark the movement simply by living like my dad: courageously, honorably, faithfully, and joyfully. And savoring the joy of long showers and naps, of course 🙂 
Posted in Life Lessons, Teacher Life

"…To Be in Love with Everything…"

Posted on by katiebiddle4317

I should warn you in advance: this is going to be a long one…but I have an awful lot to say. Consider yourself warned 🙂

As many of you know, my full-time job is teaching. This year, I get to spend 80% of my day teaching Paschal Mystery so my days are filled with Scripture readings, deep questions about life after death, various artistic interpretations of Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, and other activities of the sort. The other 20% of my day, however, is devoted to something very different: 11th and 12th grade Economics. Yes, my dual degrees in Liberal Arts and Business finally make sense… 7 years after I darted between ceremonies performing a quick change of hoods during Villanova Commencement weekend, it finally all makes sense. 20% of my day is devoted to exploring opportunity cost, calculating marginal utility, charting production possibility curves, etc. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love every minute of it.

I always knew there was a reason I wanted both…
I just wasn’t sure what it was. 

One unique opportunity I have as both the Theology and Economics teacher is that I get to encourage the girls to think about the future in a more comprehensive way. Yes, employment matters. Dream big. Write those business plans for your future B&B or cake pop company, and go for it. If your dream is to make partner in “the Big 4” or to be CEO of a Fortune 500 company, make it happen. These are not at all bad dreams; just remember that ultimately your goal is heaven…so as long as you don’t have to do anything along the path toward your dream to knock that goal offtrack, well then, keep on running!

As I prepped for this new semester, I found an essay I wanted my students to read. Sometime in recent months, I had come across a speech entitled  The Opposite of Loneliness, which I read and loved. Within it, I had clicked my way to find an article entitled Even Artichokes Have Doubts. It’s perfect. It has everything I wanted to say to these girls. It talks about how when you survey most freshmen students on a college campus about what they hope to do when that life after college inevitably arrives, very few will offer answers such as financial analyst, broker, or consultant. (Notice: I said few, not zero. I had several classmates who did in fact arrive oncampus with such aspirations in August 2004. Like I said, if that’s your dream, go for it!). Yet, by senior year, nearly 25% of grads end up in such positions. Why? Because it’s easy; because it’s practical; because it makes money and fits the standard American definition of success. I shudder to think of the movies we’ll never see, the books which will remain unwritten, the restaurants which will remain elusive dreams, simply because it’s too impractical to reach for a dream. However, I digress.

The point is I’ve been on an essay kick recently, ever since a friend gave me a collection of essays for Christmas this year. Additionally, I recently learned how to borrow ebooks from the library onto my school iPad, since I have yet to purchase an e-reader. Two weeks ago I borrowed the book of essays written by the dazzling young author who penned the essays mentioned above. For 2 weeks that book has been sitting in my digital library until today when I happened to have a 20-minute window of time between teaching the high schoolers and teaching my night class (remember them, my construction men??). I swiped my way to an essay, started to read, and I was literally stopped in my tracks. I actually had to take a seat, recover my breath, and even reach for a tissue as I read, all the while thinking, “These words could be coming out of my mouth”. In fact, I actually said the last line of the essay word-for-word just the other night when talking to a friend. Before you go any further, please just click and read: Against the Grain

It’s perfect. She understands it all: the separate colander; the supposed trendiness of the lifestyle we certainly didn’t choose, even the tears of concern shed over a theoretical future child who may or may not ever exist…I have found my kindred spirit. I want to pick up the phone and call her to say thank you for making me feel less alone. I want to take a train to New York and visit her office and go out for a gluten-free lunch where we both grill the waiter before ordering a meal. I want to collaborate with her on a book about celiac which will be lighthearted and yet so profoundly honest that we will reach through the haze of confusion which seems to surround our condition and touch people’s hearts. However, I can do none of those things. Marina Keegan, the dazzling author who penned these heartwrenchingly honest and beautiful pieces of prose, died in a car accident in 2012, just days after her graduation from Yale. I knew this about her before I stumbled across this essay today, and it added to the emotional experience of reading it.

Go to Amazon. It’s well worth a read

Now, I want to stop and acknowledge what many of you are probably thinking. Yes, I know this seems cruelly similar to the heartwrenching experience of the Nationwide commercial during Sunday’s Super Bowl; no, that was not my intention. However, today was the second time in under a week when I’ve found myself stricken with grief over the loss of someone I never even knew. Today as I read Marina’s essays, and last week as I watched friends mourn the loss of someone taken far too soon, and far too suddenly, something occurred to me. We try to control so many things. Sometimes it’s by choice, other times it’s by necessity. Particularly in the world of food allergies and/or autoimmune conditions, it feels like we have to control everything and yet other times it feels like despite our best efforts, our body, our immune system, or our life are still spiralling out of control. The reality is that we can only control so much. No one likes to talk about it, and certainly no one wants to admit it…because it’s just too terrifying.

So what can we do about to make that reality less terrifying? That I don’t know. What I do know is that we can control certain aspects of our lives. We can wash dishes with separate sponges and use brand-new toasters. We can scrutinize every label, annoy every chef we encounter, and fill up our phones’ “favorites” list with manufacturers’ hotlines. We can pack ice cream cones, plant appropriate Halloween candy when need be, and swear ourselves to nothing but rice when everything else seems treacherous. We can do everything in our power to ensure that every precious second is beautiful, healthy, and full of life. And we should. But in the end, the one thing which should drive all of our decisions, actions, plans, and dreams is very simple: love. Do what you love, spend time with the people you love, and above all, be the person you love.

Tonight, I toast Marina with an ice-cold Angry Orchard and a Katie-safe chocolate-covered cherry. I say a prayer of thanksgiving for her time here among us, and I offer several others for her parents, siblings, and the dutiful gluten-conscious boyfriend who loved her so deeply. I pray in thanksgiving for the life of a man I never knew who left this world last week, and for the wife and unborn daughter who are left to carry on his legacy. And lastly, I pray for each and every one of you. May you follow your heart, learn to relinquish control, and most of all, may you live everyday to the fullest and as Marina said, “be in love with everything…because everything is so beautiful and so short”.

Courtesy of pinterest
Posted in Uncategorized

It’s Super Bowl Time!

Posted on by katiebiddle4317

Here it is: Super Bowl Sunday! Granted, the match-up this year has me wishing it were possible for neither team to win. From what I’ve heard, I don’t think Bill Belichick or Pete Carroll are the most upstanding of individuals. Though I suppose I should just offer forgiveness and focus on the accomplishment of all the players who have worked so hard for this accomplishment, I’ll admit it’s not easy. So what will I do instead? Focus on the fun! Come 6:30, I’ll be cuddled up on my couch with my Katie-safe foods and my glue gun. My plan is to watch the commercials and then work on my latest craft endeavor during the actual football portion of the evening. Then I’ll probably clip some coupons and plan some lessons….all in all, it’s shaping up to be a great evening. At least in my book. 🙂

Since I feel like last year’s post pretty much summed up my thoughts on Super Bowl Sunday, and amazingly the Katie-safe foods from last year remain the same, you can just click here to take a trip back in time one year and read. Also, one addition to the food list for tonight:  pizza!! It’s so good!!!  Expensive, yes, but it’s Super Bowl Sunday, you’re allowed to splurge…even in the Year of Fiscal Responsibility.

Now get to that grocery store before it gets too crazy. Though it may be too late for that, so in that case just make the best of it and befriend some other last-minute shoppers in line!

Posted in Newly-Diagnosed, Tips and Tricks

2015, Here We Come.

Posted on by katiebiddle4317

Happy New Year!! Yes, I’m 3 weeks delinquent in my wishes, but still 2015 has arrived and so far I’d have to say I give it 2 thumbs up. Now I just know you’ve been sitting around for weeks wondering,” Just what is Katie going to designate for this year? Last year was love, this year has to be something amazing, right?” Right. Well, initially I bet you’ll be let down by this one…but perhaps by the end of the post, you’ll feel differently. So without further adieu, I deem 2015 to be my Year of….Fiscal Responsibility!! (Insert cheers and confetti here)

I have a feeling you’re a bit deflated at the moment. Hey, at least you’re in good company  with the Patriots’ footballs (allegedly). Last year’s theme was so beautiful, so hopeful, so lovely…and now this? Well, trust me, I have my reasons. First of all, whether I care to admit it or not, the calendar pages keep turning and thus it seems I must actually be getting older. And since one day I’d love to reside in a place where I don’t pay rent and frequently co-exist with cockroaches, every penny counts! Second, even if you’re fortunate enough to be in a place you’d call “financially sound”, wouldn’t it be nice to save money where you could and use that money to do something fun? Or, even better, be able to give it away to a worthy cause or organization? Lastly, because I have to break the news that most people are afraid to tell you: life with an autoimmune disease (or any longterm health condition I suppose) is financially draining.

It was about 18 months ago that I went to visit one of my ACE brothers during his own bout with illness, and as we shared our experiences in his hospital room, we kept coming back to the point that people today just seem to think we need to say what people want to hear, rather than what needs to be said. And hence, the “Keeping It Real” campaign was born. It means you tell people what they need to hear, that you say what you need to say. Life is too short for beating around the bush…just hack your way through!

This is a t-shirt to support the “Keeping It Real” campaign. With math equations.
Yes, this exists. Thanks to the Philanthropic Physicist…and my birthday 🙂

 For my part, I’ve done my best to live up to this campaign over the past year and a half, so here is my latest contribution to the campaign, in the form of a letter:

Dear Friend with (insert autoimmune condition here),
       I know you often turn to me for upbeat, positive news about your new life. I’m happy to be that person for you. However, I also know that being a true friend means telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth…even when it’s not an easy thing to do. So here is a less upbeat truth about your new life: though you will soon be feeling better, the same cannot be said for your bank account. 

      As you probably figured out after about 30 seconds in a grocery store, your food bills are going to skyrocket. That’s an inevitable truth, but one we’ll address this year as I share all kinds of money-saving tips I’ve acquired over the past 3 years that will make that jump slightly less astronomical…more like aeronautical. However, one thing I cannot fix for you are the inevitable non-food expenses your new life is bound to bring with it. For example, I started a new job (and therefore new insurance) 5 months ago. In just that timespan, I have accrued over $5,000 in medical expenses. That’s an average of $1,000 per month…and this was a relatively good period healthwise. (There was that one ER visit and an MRI that put it over the top, but still nothing too severe, comparatively.) Now, I thank God and all good things on this planet that I’m fortunate enough to have health insurance, so thankfully my share of that amount is less than 20% of that number. But still. That’s money I would much rather spend somewhere other than bloodwork, scans, and physician payments. However, this is the reality which is my life. And now yours too. Depending on what your specific condition entails, there will be some variety of bloodwork, follow-up visits, periodic testing, prescriptions, etc. Add that onto your elevated grocery bills, and well, I think you see where I’m going here.

      Yes, my dear friend, I wish I could tell you that I have a magic panacea waiting for you in this letter. I don’t. I wish I could tell you that bloodwork you have to get will be reasonably priced, and that the follow-up testing when something is off on that bloodwork will fall under the same co-pay. It won’t. I wish I could tell you that you won’t end up needing an additional job (or 2) just to keep your head above water. You might. I can promise you that one day someone will ask you why you don’t just quit one of those extra jobs, and that when you simply respond with a shrug, that person will not understand that when you say “I can’t”, you mean you actually can’t. I wish I could promise you won’t spend a few sleepless hours wondering whether you should abandon what you consider to be your vocation in favor of a job which delivers a heftier paycheck. There’s a good chance you will ponder such a move. But please don’t, at least until you’ve tried all the tips in the Year of Fiscal Responsibility 🙂 

         I can promise you though that your life will be a full and rich one, regardless of what your bank statement may reflect. You will amass a wealth of knowledge, a rich array of cooking skills, an abundance of tenacity, and a profound appreciation for medical science and the human body which you cannot even begin to imagine at this moment. Yes, I promise, you will be rich…just in a very different way. I’m sorry if I’ve left you a little shell-shocked, but trust me, it’s better to know what you’re getting into. 

Love,
Your “Keeping It Real” Friend with Celiac

Now, onto the optimistic part. This is the reality, what are we going to do about it? So many things. In fact, it’s going to take a year to cover them all. However, since we’re already 3 weeks in, here are some quick tips to start off your year of Fiscal Responsibility.

1) Find a ShopRite. Immediately. Well, in the next 8 days. January is the infamous “can can” sale. Some of my earliest memories as a child are wandering around the aisles during the semi-annual sale. There are can towers everywhere!To a kid, it looks like some kind of grocery theme park castle and navigating the corners with the shopping cart was like a video game in real life. As an adult, it means LOW PRICES. So low in fact, you may just want to stock up on your beans for the year. At less than 50 cents a can and a quantity limit of 24 cans per variety, well you can see where I’m going here. I’ve already gone twice and I’m heading back one more time tonight. Chickpeas for less than 50 cents. Homemade hummus, here I come. (Don’t worry that post is coming).

When you use beans in cooking as often as I do, the “can-can” sale is essential.
My pantry was filled for $10.

2) Start a spreadsheet. I know, it sounds like that’s just the accountant in me resurfacing. No, no. Trust me, a spreadsheet will change your life. Create categories. Enter every amount you spend. Yes, every. Even those impulse buys where you only spend $3. You’ll be amazed at a) how much you hesitate to get something that’s more of a want than a need when you know you have to add it to your spreadsheet and b) seeing a breakdown of where your money goes, though often sobering, can also be highly informative. If you’re a visual person, Excel can make your data into a pie chart. Even more sobering. However, this can help you make money-saving decisions. Plus, if you really want this to be effective, I recommend making it on Google spreadsheet. Then, thanks to the wonder of Google Drive, you can update it from anywhere (iPad, iPhone, home computer, etc.). Full disclosure: there are also apps which can do this for you…but Excel has my heart, now and always. And if you’re sitting there thinking to yourself, “But Katie, all those boxes. Excel intimidates me.”, then let me know. I’ll help the two of you get acquainted. 🙂

3) Do some generic food research. Now, I can relate to your hesitancy with generic foods. I tend to err on the side of caution too, AKA the package with the GLUTEN-FREE label stamped on the side. However, there are many generic brands which are still “you-safe”. And to be honest, most of them are much friendlier to talk to on the phone, because they’re not a huge multi-million dollar company. If you have a grocery store you tend to stick to, contact the manager, Ask for contact information for their products. And if you are lucky enough to have an Aldi near you, get out of your seat and jump up and down right now. Not only are the prices AMAZING, but the company is based in Germany, where labeling is SO much better than the U.S. so everything has gluten-free or lactose-free on the side. Well, everything that is those things of course. You have to put in a quarter deposit to use a shopping cart and you have to bring your own bags or pay to buy some, but those savings show up on the shelf prices for sure. Google map it. If you don’t have one, come visit me. We can walk to one from my apartment.

All of this cost $12. Yes, that’s gluten-free pasta AND chicken broth!

All right, I could keep going on money-saving tips all day (literally) but you’ve read enough, and I have a stack of midterm essays waiting to be read. So, I wish you a happy start to the Year of Fiscal Responsibility!! And in all seriousness, get excited. Won’t it be much nicer to have money to spend on fun purchases, to finally donate to that charity you’ve been wanting to support, or to finally give the kind of financial support to your church or your alma mater that you wish you could provide? Or most wonderful of all, to finally pay off whatever loans may be hanging over your head?? Don’t worry, you’re not alone in your food journey and you’re not alone in this either. 2015 is our year.
Posted in New Year, Product Recommendations, Tips and Tricks

We’ll Take A Cup of Kindess Yet, For Auld Lang Syne…

Posted on by katiebiddle4317
In just 2 days, I will pull the 2014 calendar off my wall and 2015 will quietly sneak its way in. In the 48 hours before 2014 makes its quiet escape, however, I’d like to pause and reflect on the year that was. Turn on any news station these days and you’re bound to run into some form of year-in-review. If you watch those reviews, it will seem 2014 was a dark year- one in which planes mysteriously fell from the sky, ebola ravaged a nation and claimed far too many lives, and celebrities and commonfolk alike left us wondering what has happened to the moral compass of our society. Despite my proclamation to the contrary, this year left many of us shaking our heads and echoing the eternal question of Fergie and the Black-Eyed Peas: Where is the love?? Well, I can personally assure you it was there. It may have been overshadowed, as it often tends to be, by the more disheartening news stories…but I guarantee if you stop and take a look at your own year in review (and I don’t mean the one so graciously provided by Facebook), you’ll realize that even if this was not one of the better calendar years in your history, I have no doubt that you also had moments of love. If not, it’s still 2014 and I love each and every one of you: so there you have it 🙂
For me, 2014 will go into my history book as a successful one. I left a job that I loved to try a new job that I’ve also come to love. I gained a whole new set of colleagues and students whom I have grown to love, but I have maintained relationships with the colleagues and students I left behind as well. I DIDN’T MOVE! That’s right: for the first time since 2009 my mailing address has remained unchanged for more than 12 months. (Unbeknownst to many of you, I came very close to moving to New York in 2014…but that’s another story for another time 🙂) I became a godmother to the most adorable little boy I’ve ever seen (granted, I’m a little biased).  I watched the first of my “ACE brothers” marry the love of his life. I watched as my only non-ACE brother proposed to the love of HIS life. I became an official blogger AND GOT PAID TO WRITE!!  I ran my 2nd half-marathon. I spent time in nearly 20% of the states in this great nation (Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Ohio, Alabama, West Virginia, and Michigan- in a few hours anyway). I found love in so many places, and I’m hoping I spread love in even more. Sure, the year had its share of struggles too. I fell short in my quest to make it through a year without my body attacking another food (farewell, oats…it’s been real) and my car and I have a bit of a love-hate relationship going on…but all in all, it was a year of joy, laughter, blessings, and love.
2014: A great year in my book 🙂


So, as we round out another year, what do I wish to share with you? Well, as I’m sure you can predict, there will be words of advice and encouragement for a new year…but today is not the time for that. Today all I encourage you to do is to end the year on a positive note and dive into 2015 on an even more positive one! Take some time between now and Wednesday night to think back over your 2014, maybe identify a few things you’re going to leave behind with the calendar year when the clock strikes midnight, and then celebrate a hard-earned end of 2014 and fresh start to a beautiful 2015. The best way to do that? With you-safe foods of course! So here are some suggestions for your last-minute NYE feast preparations:
1)   Celestial Seasonings holiday teas: As the year winds down on Wednesday, I can think of no better way to sit and reflect on the year gone by than with a cup of tea in your hand. Celestial Seasonings outdid themselves this year with their holiday tea line. Cranberry Vanilla and Gingerbread Spice have been my personal favorites, but there are so many other kinds. Just be careful to read the label: some have barley in them (AKA NOT GLUTEN-FREE) but those fantastic people label it rather bluntly. Plus, there are caffeinated and caffeine-free options…in case you need that extra boost to make it to midnight!


2)  Pork and Sauerkraut!: I only learned last year that this is even a tradition, but it’s true. Thanks to my New Year’s Date last year with my favorite octogenarian couple from central Pennsylvania, I learned about this tradition. It supposedly brings luck to eat pork on New Year’s, as a pig roots forward, so you will do the same all year if it happens to be your first meal. The best part is IF you double check the pork tenderloin you purchase, this is an easy Katie-safe (and hopefully you-safe) meal! Here are some great recipes. Adjust as you see fit!

Last year’s pork and sauerkraut dinner!
3)  Shrimp cocktail: Nothing says festive and fancy like shrimp cocktail. At least that’s how I feel. I have a feeling it’s because when I was growing up, the shrimp ring only made appearances at birthdays, Christmas, First Communions, graduation parties, etc. The only time I remember having one in our house when it wasn’t accompanied by dozens of invited guests? New Year’s Eve. A whole shrimp ring to share with no one but my dad…since the rest of the family weren’t shrimp lovers. Now the shrimp part is still easy; the cocktail sauce not so much. Thanks to my frugal/clever ACE roommates, I learned an easy recipe for cocktail sauce during my time in D.C.:
½ cup ketchup (careful! Most have corn syrup!)
2 Tbsp. horseradish
Lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce  (Lea and Perrins is gluten-free, dairy-free one)
(Note: if you have corn issues, Lea and Perrins can’t confirm that the natural flavors don’t contain corn…so this link is for you.
 Yes, it’s a little more complicated than buying that little plastic tub in the middle of the shrimp ring…but better to ring in 2015 with a smile, rather than curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor.

30% off shrimp rings!! Get out there!!


4) Sparking Cider!!: If you’re like most people, ringing in a New Year involves a festive beverage of some kind. While champagne toasts at midnight can certainly be a worthwhile tradition, I prefer my own tradition: sparkling cider. Now I suppose I could come up with a list of reasons why, but the honest truth is that I am cheap. And so is sparkling cider 🙂  It does also stem from another longstanding childhood tradition which involved drinking sparkling cider on Thanksgiving, sometimes at Christmas Eve dinner, and always on New Year’s Eve. And lucky for me, there are still some Katie-safe varieties out there. I recommend Martinelli’s. So many choices, all gluten-free/corn-syrup-free! Granted, if your heart is set on champagne, those are almost all gluten-free too…but really, is it worth the extra $20?? I leave that for you to decide.

Bubbly, delicious, and gluten-free!
And I’m sure they’re on sale somewhere 🙂
Of course you can get creative but hopefully that gives you some ideas, or at least gets you started on thinking about your plans for Wednesday night. Thank you for a great year of writing/reading…your messages really do make my day. And for those of you who read this to the end primarily because you were hoping to find the answer to one of the more frequently asked questions recently: Could it be that one of those examples of love I found this year during the self-proclaimed “Year of Love” was of the boyfriend variety?? Well, to that I say the same thing I’ve told my students for years: You won’t get any information out of me until the day I’m engaged. Until that day, all the characters in the story of my life remain saints and friends. If/When one of those people is elevated to co-pilot status, I promise you’ll know 🙂

Now, soak up the last 36 hours of 2014 (or plow through them if this wasn’t the best of years for you), get excited for a new year of possibility, and I’ll see you in 2015!

Farewell, 2014!


Posted in Bread/Muffins, Christmas, Cookies, Meals/Sides, Product Recommendations

Have Yourself a Merry "You-Safe" Christmas…

Posted on by katiebiddle4317

Here we are, December 22nd, and Christmas is nearly upon us. Now I could claim my lack of Christmas advice/aid in your allergen-free Christmas quest was intentional. I am a Theology teacher after all…hence in my classroom, there has been no sign of Christmas. Because I’m Scrooge? No, because liturgically this is still Advent. The Christmas season hasn’t even begun yet. We had nothing more than a Jesse tree which we added to each day as we read the associated Scripture passage. And I finally wished the students a Merry Christmas as they walked out the door on the last day…only because I won’t see them when the Christmas season officially begins…and I can assure you our classroom will be decked out in Christmas festivity when they return in January until our Epiphany celebration. Ah yes, the life of a Theology teacher.

Of course, anyone who knows me is aware that outside school I don’t live by these same rules of Christmas conduct. I try to find a happy blend of both. My Advent wreath is central in my dining room and I wake each morning to light the candles and share Advent prayer over the phone with yet another Saint in my life. I open the Busted Halo Advent calendar each day to share with my students, and I try to emulate the suggested action too. However, I also decked the halls the day after Thanksgiving with my little tree, my stocking, a wreath, peppermint candles, etc. In other words, my lack of Christmas posts, advice, recipes, etc. has been nothing more than an unintentional byproduct of a busy holiday season.

Alas, fear not. We have 3 days left until Christmas and I’m here with some advice. Whether you’ve been stumbling your way through your first holiday of food restrictions or sailing your way through yet another you-safe holiday that you mastered long ago, here are some wonderful holiday tips I came across this year. (As you may remember, last year I was more in the stumbling through the season phase…not this year!)

1) Gingerbread coffee: I’ve been starting my day with this nearly every morning since Thanksgiving. You can find it at Trader Joes for a few more days. It tastes amazing and the smell? Well, let’s just say, it’s like the scent of Christmas fills my kitchen every morning at 6:00 AM. And the only ingredients: coffee, dried ginger root, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. Katie-safe!! Yay!!

Christmas deliciousness in a cup 🙂

2) Gingerbread pancakes: Saying good-bye to November is hard for me because it means bidding farewell to pumpkin pancakes. So what did I do? Figure out how to make gingerbread pancakes of course! Try this recipe. It’s easy and delicious!

 2 cups Pancake mix (I love Namaste brand!)
2 Tbsp. flaxseed/6 Tbsp. water (egg substitute)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup almond milk
3 Tbsp. molasses (more or less depending on your taste)
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3) Gingerbread cookies: Making cookies has always been synonymous with Christmas…and last year, I never really made any. Well, this year I was determined to change that. So on December 1st (why waste any time??) I pulled up Pinterest, stumbled upon this amazing recipe on MinimalistBaker. I whipped up a batch and with just one bite, I knew it was back. Christmas. It may be free from gluten, dairy, soy, and corn these days…but it’s Christmas for me.

1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend (I love Pamela’s!)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cashew butter
3 Tbsp. molasses
1/4 cup Earth balance butter
3/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. flaxseed/3 Tbsp. water (egg substitute)

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

4) Sugar cookies: Another staple of my childhood Christmases was sugar cookies. We would make HUGE batches of dough, roll it out, and go to town with the array of Christmas cookie cutters. I have fond memories of those days in the kitchen: cookies baking, Christmas music playing (WSBG- Stroudsburg’s hometown radio station), usually some snow falling. And most ironically, I just remember everything being covered in flour. If you’ve ever used a roller, a cookie mat, and cookie cutters, you know flour is essential for the non-stick factor. Ah yes, the days when I could be up to my elbows in wheat flour without a moment’s hesitation. Sigh. Well, don’t worry…these are almost the same as those gluten-filled cookies of days gone by.

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup soft coconut oil
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups gluten-free flour
2 Tbsp. tapioca starch
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.
(Adapted from YummyMummy)
*If you have you-safe sprinkles, do it!!*

 5) Puppy Chow!!: Some people call it Puppy Chow, others call it Muddy Buddy mix. I call it delectable deliciousness in a bowl. I finally made it Katie-safe…and I’m never looking back!

7 cups Rice Chex
1 cup Enjoy Life dairy-free chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter (be careful, most popular brands contain soybean oil!!)
1/4 cup Earth Balance dairy-free, soy-free spread
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar (be careful! Most contain cornstarch!!)

1) Melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and “butter” in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
2) Stir the vanilla into the melted chocolate mixture.
3) Pour over the cereal and mix.
4) Pour into a Ziploc bag, pour in the powdered sugar, and shake until coated.

*The best part of this is you can make it festive. Add peppermints, M&Ms, whatever is you-safe and add it to the mix! It makes a great gift!!*

5) Bacon-wrapped shrimp: The holidays inevitably bring all kind of food-related invites. I think this is the hardest adjustment to the season. You waltz through parties without eating a bite…which if you also indulge in you-safe beverages could be a dangerous combination. Lately, I’ve discovered my new go-to appetizer for such events. It’s quick, easy, AND cost-effective if you buy in bulk and keep shrimp and bacon in the freezer. It’s so simple!

You-safe bacon (a lot have gluten and casein…be careful!!)
cooked shrimp
maple syrup
brown sugar

1) Wrap each shrimp in a slice of bacon.
2) Sprinkle maple syrup on top.
3) Add a pinch of brown sugar to each.
4) Bake at 375 for 8 minutes on each side.

Now that you’re armed with sweet treats, appetizers, and a holiday coffee, you are all set for Christmas week to commence. Just remember, if you’ve gained a new food restriction (or maybe even some other life change) this year, then yes, the holiday season is going to look different for you this year. There may be moments of sadness and nostalgia for the treats and traditions of Christmases past. I speak from personal experience: it happens. However, please take it from me: you’re not alone in feeling that way. Life continues to change at a dizzying pace and everyone, whether food-related or not, at some point faces a holiday season that looks a little different than the ones we’ve been used to. Spend some time sitting in a dark room lit only by the lights of a tree, listen to some children sing Christmas carols, or curl up with a good Christmas story (The Nativity story in the Bible of course is a good one, or The Worst Best Christmas Pageant Ever,or one of the many versions of A Christmas Carol), and remember that all the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the Christmas season, though magical in themselves, simply serve as a reminder of the true celebration: that love came into the world in a real and present way 2000 years ago; a love that transformed the world and lives on in each of our hearts. Though this love exists all year, this is the time when we pause to celebrate it. So this holiday season, whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you can or cannot eat, remember this: love is real; YOU are loved; and the world needs the love you have to give. 
So, from me to you, I wish you the happiest of holiday seasons and an amazing final week of 2014 (my self-designated Year of Love). Now go have yourself a Merry “You-Safe” Christmas 🙂
A Katie-safe holiday spread 🙂
Merry Christmas from my little apartment!!
Posted in Product Recommendations, Thanksgiving

There’s So Much to Be Thankful For

Posted on by katiebiddle4317
Yes, I made all of my classes listen to Josh Groban’s classic tune “Thankful” on Tuesday as part of our reflection before prayer. And let me tell you, the reactions from “Who is this guy?” to “Oh, my grandma LOVES him” made me realize just how old I’m getting (compared to high school students that is!)
Today is Thanksgiving. When I begin to tell you about my week, you may become a bit skeptical about the title of this post; however, you’ll learn, as I have today, that it could not be more true. My week began with a jam-packed Sunday, driving back from a conference in Ocean City with 6 of my students. Also, we were a little extra tired on the ride back since a 1:30 AM leak in the hotel rooms above ours resulted in a middle of the night wake-up call/relocation. I made it through my final two days of classes prior to break, including Grandparents’ Day, before the ER decided it had been too long since we’d been acquainted with one another. So Tuesday afternoon I paid it a visit. Thankfully, it was a quick and rather painless trip (except those IVs…I’m just not a fan), and by nightfall I was home for a day of convalescing. As luck would have it, Mother Nature sent a snowstorm which gave me no alternative but to spend the day on my couch catching up on Hulu, Netflix, and napping…so all in all, things could have been much worse. Then this morning, I dragged myself out of bed before dawn, donned my Burke Family Cider Dash shirt and headed off in the dark of pre-sunrise morning for the Poconos. Well, I was almost halfway there when this happened:


AAA man looked as crestfallen as I did when he broke the news. There was no way this could be fixed without a repair shop and even the one that stayed open for Thanksgiving couldn’t do this job without parts ordered. There was the option of towing all the way to the Poconos for a small fee- but also no guarantee the car could be fixed in time for me to get back for work next week; hence, it was decided by my mom, myself, and my new AAA friend that the best route was to be towed home to Maryland. So here I sit, alone in my apartment, with a plate of Katie-safe stuffing (what would have been my contribution to the family meal).
Now before you start feeling sorry for me, please don’t. First of all, my mom is driving down tomorrow with all the leftovers and spending the night here so all is not lost. Second, upon reflection, this has certainly been the most unique Thanksgiving I’ve ever celebrated, but also I have to say quite a meaningful one in its own way. No, I didn’t make it home to celebrate the way I usually do. And yet, somehow I feel  more in touch with the sentiment of the holiday than I ever have before. Think about it: on the first Thanksgiving, yes, there were families present. But it was also about bringing together all different people from different tribes, families, etc. and sharing what they had, offering what they could, even though some would never cross paths again, at least not intentionally.

Well, today as I sat in the Redner’s QuickStop parking lot with a sad looking vehicle, 3 different people approached me and offered to help. One, completely dressed in his Thanksgiving finest, offered to jack my car for me, suit and all, before realizing that it was more than just a flat tire situation. Another offered to get me a warm beverage while still another occupied my time with questions about this cider dash (I was still wearing my t-shirt). As we drove the almost 90 miles back to Towson together, I celebrated a portion of the day with the tow truck driver. Though I profusely apologized for ruining his Thanksgiving by needing a tow, he assured me that he was spending the day alone at home with his 2 dogs in between calls so that I really was good company. He also has family in Harrisburg so he was thinking of swinging by on the way back north. We shared stories, discussed the recent snow, the worst times of year for car batteries, the frustration of unreliable colleagues, etc. and then we parted ways, never to cross paths again. However, for 90 minutes of one Thanksgiving, I trusted him to provide me with the one thing I needed: transportation, and he trusted me to provide him with something too: entertainment. Well, and a commission 🙂

Yes, I have to say that although I’ve missed my family dearly, a day of solitude also provides an opportunity to really reflect on the concept of gratitude and the multitude of people and things I have to be grateful for today. So in no particular order, here is what I’m thankful for on this most unique of Thanksgivings:


1) AAA: I hesitate each year when I go to write my renewal check; yet somehow every year, I find it paying for itself. Today’s 90-mile tow: free! Broke even this year 🙂


2) Guardian Angels: If you could see the front axle and tires right now, it’s just not pretty. Considering I was on Interstate 78 going about 65 miles an hour at the time, it’s a wonder all I had to do was pull over. Therefore, today I’m grateful to God and whatever guardian angels were with me today keeping me safe, and also the ones last weekend who ensured this didn’t happen while I was driving 3 students back from Ocean City with me.

3) Angels on Earth: There has been quite an uproar on social media lately about stores opening on Thanksgiving night and employees having to work. Now, I do not disagree with this sentiment one bit; stores should under no circumstances be open until tomorrow morning. However, what about the countless people who work every Thanksgiving? I mean the nurses, doctors, police officers, firefighters, EMTs, tow truck drivers, flight attendants, pilots, bus drivers, train conductors, soldiers, etc. of the world who work each and every Thanksgiving, keeping us safe and making sure we get where we need to go. There’s no uproar to keep them home…because we need them. Still, I don’t think they often get the credit they deserve. So to those angels on Earth, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

4) Katie–safe stuffing: My one contribution to tonight’s Burke family dinner table has instead become my Thanksgiving feast. Thank goodness stuffing was always my favorite dish at the meal anyway 🙂



5) Technology: Using my school iPad, I was able to Facetime into the Burke Family Thanksgiving festivities twice and make the rounds, so in many ways I feel like I was there. I even ate some of my stuffing as I chatted so I don’t feel like I ate Thanksgiving dinner alone.
The wonders of technology…
still made my way around the Burke family living room

6) Friends: I am very grateful to have amazing friends both near and far. Friends to whom I can vent in texts, emails, and even Facebook group messages. Friends that I can call on Thanksgiving morning for a rescue ride from the repair shop. Friends who I know would welcome me with open arms at their Thanksgiving dinner tables tonight, even though I probably couldn’t eat a blessed thing on their table. Friends who lift me up in prayer when they know there’s nothing else they can offer. If I do nothing else right in my life, I still consider myself successful when I look around at the amazing people I’m fortunate enough to call friends.

7) Family: As I’ve probably mentioned before, I have the best family one could ask for. Granted, I know everyone says that, but I think it’s true. Every person does have the best family FOR THEM. My family graciously passed my face around the room and shared stories of the day, asked how I was doing, understood completely that I couldn’t be with them today. And now my mom is making the 4-hour trek to Baltimore tomorrow with all the leftovers, and specially-ordered Katie-safe dessert, in tow.  Again, I don’t know what I did to deserve such a blessing, but I thank God for it today.

8) Love: Back in January, I deemed 2014 to be the Year of Love. I had no idea how true that would become. Whether it’s because I was intent on noticing it more or that it simply became a self-fulfilling prophecy, I am simply amazed by the love which surrounds me each day. I left a school where I was enveloped in love each and every day and joined a new one where I have found more of the same. I work with teachers who meet for morning prayer with me each week. I have students who question, ponder, and get excited about faith, Christ, and Catholicism. I have colleagues who drop everything to drive me to the ER and someone in my life who cares enough to also drop everything, leave work, and drive an hour to sit by my side in the ever-entertaining cubicle of an ER room. Yes, as the soon-to-be-viewed Christmas classic, says “If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.”

And who says High Schoolers aren’t adorable??

So tonight, I’ll say good night to my first Thanksgiving away from home. And though I won’t go as far as to say I’m OK with not having made it there, I will say that given the situation at hand, today turned out far better than I expected it to when I first heard the clunk and felt the shaking steering wheel. After some deep breaths and a few whispers of the Serenity Prayer, the day turned out all right.
Serenity Prayer
(courtesy of youthworkerstoolbox.com)
 
So wherever you are and however you’re celebrating tonight, Happy Thanksgiving! If it’s your first with food allergies, I’ve been there…but I promise, it’s not as bad as you think. You’re healthy, you’re happy, and you’re surrounded in love. Enjoy the dwindling hours of this special day, and know that I am lastly thankful for each and everyone of you who reads this. I truly love writing and sharing my story, and when I get messages from you that a) people actually read what I write and b) that sometimes it really helps someone, well it means the world to me. So on this Thanksgiving in a special way, I say thank YOU for being you. And please keep reading 🙂

From my table to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!!
Posted in Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free Life, Meals/Sides, Newly-Diagnosed, Product Recommendations, Teacher Life

If I Could Save Time in a Bottle…

Posted on by katiebiddle4317
Yes, this beautiful song was written to address your true love; you know, “the one you want to go through time with”.  However, I think if I were to compose a love song right now, it might be directed toward that ever-elusive companion of time. There just doesn’t seem to be enough it. I hung this quote on my mirror to remind myself to stop complaining about my “lack” of time, and I’ve taken to scheduling out my days quite extensively in my planner. 


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Yet, despite my most faithful and fervent efforts, time just slips through my grasp. I seem to wake up each morning with a yet-unfinished to-do list from the day before, and an overwhelming desire to roll back over and steal just a few more minutes of precious sleep. Of course I think this is the case for most people in our world these days, and I know it’s the case for the teachers of America right now. These dwindling days before Thanksgiving are quite possibly the longest of the year. 5 more days…but who’s counting??

However, I will say that I have bad news for those of you with food issues. As much as it pains me to say it, your pesky food allergy/intolerance is bound to steal a little bit more of your precious time…at least for a little while. As I stood in my kitchen at 5:15 AM today, fully dressed and carefully tying my apron to protect my school clothes,  I couldn’t help but think back nostalgically on the days when just stopping for a lunch I could bring to school was an option; OR even better, I imagined being able to breeze through the lunch line with my pre-paid lunch card teachers are lucky enough to have at my school this year and just be able to fill my plate with delicious items. Unfortunately, the reality of my world, and many of yours too, is that there is no such thing as eating on the run. Hence, this morning I stood in the darkness of the pre-6 AM morning with my George Foreman, some chicken breasts, and a package of ground turkey. My late-night tutoring/teaching math to construction men/attempting to maintain some semblance of a social life schedule leaves me with little time for meal preparation. Hence, the early morning hours and I have become well-acquainted. 

And this is only one of my calendars…

As I grilled my chicken for the week’s lunches and browned my turkey for a crockpot chili and a baked ziti, it hit me: these are the quick, time-saving recipes I’ve adopted and I would have LOVED someone to recommend back in my cabinet-emptying days when I truly believed that all (food-related anyway) was lost. I think our gut instinct (get it, gut? Food issues?? I may be slightly delirious at this point!) is to make life complicated for ourselves. No, we can no longer grab one of those shiny pre-made meal-in-a-box options at the store. But we can help ourselves by whipping up one of these not-too-time-consuming meals which will sustain us for days and days. So here are some tried and true recipes, directly from my kitchen to yours.

All you need is a package of ground turkey, some brown rice pasta, diced tomatoes, and then all the spices you already have waiting for you in the cabinet!

1. BAKED ZITI IS BACK!: That’s right, this delicious childhood treat is back in your life. And no, I’m not delusional…I found cheese! That I can eat!! Take a moment, I know, catch your breath. And we’re back 🙂 I browned my ground turkey (or sometimes I use beef, depends on the food budget for the week!) 


1/2 package of ground beef/turkey
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
garlic powder
cilantro
oregano
parsley
whatever other Italian spices strike your fancy



1. Brown the ground beef. Add in onion and garlic, if desired.
2. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste mixed with half a can of water.
3. Add your spices to taste.
4. Meanwhile, you should be cooking your brown rice pasta (or whatever is you-safe)
5. In a glass dish, combine the stovetop mixture with the cooked pasta.
6. Mix together, add some magical Daiya cheese, and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes!


Mmmm….delicious!
2. “But I Still Have Ground Turkey And a Cabinet Full of Beans” Chili!: As most of you know, I am someone who likes plans, structure, and order. I like recipes and I precisely measure each ingredient. And yet, with this one, even I just let the creativity (or necessity based on what I had in my cabinets) take over. So here is what I used, but feel free to go rogue. If I can do it, I have no doubt you can too!

ground turkey, browned
can of diced tomatoes
can of pinto beans
can of garbanzo beans
chopped red peppers and onion
minced garlic
water or you-safe broth
whatever spices strike your fancy!

Put all the ingredients in your crockpot and heat on low for 6-8 hours (I left mine for 11 and it was fine!) and be prepared to come home to a delicious, warm, time-saving meal!

3. “It’s OK to Take a Shortcut” Holiday Treats: I learned earlier this week that the infamous Starbucks red cups are back. It means the start of a nostalgic few weeks where I dream of my December mornings sipping on gingerbread lattes and peppermint mochas. Now, as I mentioned above, my mornings are jam-packed already. SO yesterday when I came across this delicious peppermint mocha coconut milk at MOM’s Organic Market, I allowed myself to splurge. Now when I brew my coffee in the morning and I find myself craving the peppermint mochas of Decembers past, I’ll just heat up some of this, mix it in with my coffee, and I’ll be on my way with December deliciousness in a cup! The shortcuts available to us are rare, so when you find one…take advantage!

Thank you, SoDelicious!



Now I know those are only three suggestions, but at least it’s a start! The truth of the matter is that among the many challenges you’ll face in adjusting to your food issues,  I can guarantee one of the more frustrating aspects will be time management. You have a wedding to attend this weekend? Well, yes you need a dress and time to shower, fix your hair, apply makeup, etc. but you also need to save time to cook a meal and consume said meal before you leave for the ceremony…unless you’re packing it in Pyrex. You have a sports tournament or Baltimore Youth Catholic Conference (yay!) to attend this weekend?? You need to leave for school on Friday with your bags packed, a sleeping bag, and of course your 3-day supply of safe foods…which you need to find time to prepare between now and Friday morning. There are very few off days and there will almost never be a day where you get to take home leftovers from a work function or a friend’s BBQ which sustain you for a few days. Those days, my friends, are over. 

I know, I know, you’re thinking, “OK, Katie. Time for the positive pick-me-up message here!” And you’re right, it is. Yes, the time management is a challenge. Yes, some of your time is added to the list of casualties brought on by your new reality. However, think about the time you’re buying by taking care of yourself with the proper foods. Take me for example. Yes, I’m up before the sun some days when I would much rather be fast asleep under the warm covers for another 45 minutes or so. However, the food I’m preparing is safe and thus enables me to live every other minute of the day to the fullest. Could I sleep in for those 45 minutes and take my chances in the school cafeteria? Sure, I could. But I can guarantee it would result in hours spent on the couch, tired and listless as my poor body tries to sort out what is worth attacking and what isn’t.

As the quote I mentioned above reminds us, each of us is given the same amount of time. We each get 1,440 minutes in a day. I don’t know about you, but I want to be living each and every one of them to the fullest. So if that means sacrificing some of those minutes in order to make safe foods which will make the other minutes more worthwhile, that’s an opportunity cost I’m willing to pay.  As Jim Croce says, “There never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do once you find them”. And there won’t be. So be thoughtful in choosing those things; spend your time on the ones that matter most to you…even if it means befriending a darkened kitchen before the sun is even awake. You may even find what you want to go through time with there in the quiet early morning hours. I know I did…it’s called coffee 🙂

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Posted in Product Recommendations, Pumpkin season!

"I’m So Glad I Live in a World Where There Are Octobers"

Posted on by katiebiddle4317

I know, I know. It’s been WAY too long. I couldn’t agree more. However, October is my favorite month of the year…and between the craziness of starting a new job/taking on a few (perhaps too many) side jobs, I decided that what time I had left in October should be devoted to soaking up every minute of my favorite month rather than writing about it. That’s not to say I didn’t miss writing because I did; perhaps if there were just a few extra hours in each day, I could manage both. Until then, I chose to dive wholeheartedly into living life…and now that daylight savings is upon us, I’ll do my best to document all those life-filled moments. Trust me, my brain and my camera memory card are packed with pictures, memories, and products just waiting to be shared. And so it begins…

Anyone who knows me well has heard (probably about a dozen times) my profession of love for all things autumnal. I love Fall. I love everything about it: the crisp morning air, the fiery orange and red leaves which dot the skyline, the sound of said leaves crunching underfoot, the first crisp bite of a freshly-picked apple…and of course, all things pumpkin! Yes, though Fall and I got off to a rocky start (I was plagued by severe fall allergies during high school field hockey season), we have grown accustomed to one another over time and have formed a most meaningful relationship. My body has chosen not to attack the various forms of autumnal allergens and in return, Fall provides an abundance of joy…not to mention Katie-safe foods 🙂

So where to begin?? Well, that’s easy:

1) Cider: It comes in a variety of forms these days: hard, soft, frozen, hot…but one thing remains the same: it is pure autumnal deliciousness in a cup. You can find it in almost any grocery store from now through Thanksgiving. However, I would recommend a farmers’ market or orchard if you’re lucky enough to have one nearby. The difference is just impeccable. AND there are just so many options: hard cider, “soft” cider (for lack of a better term), flavored cider, cold cider, hot cider…the possibilities are endless! Well, actually they’re finite…but still, there’s a lot of them. I was fortunate enough to travel up to Philadelphia a few weeks ago for the 2nd annual “Pour the Core” Cider Festival
.

It’s “Cider-Day”!!

Just imagine the scene: a field filled with tents that all offer Katie-safe beverages (well, almost all) AND vendors serving gluten-free food (AKA CHEESE!!!) for my casein-friendly comrades. The sun was shining, I sampled various new ciders…and best of all? I was able to share the day with the Philanthropic Physicist and another former classmate of ours, whom we’ll call the Passionate Pedagogue, whose body has also decided to add gluten to the enemy list since our time in ACE together. The three of us had a chance to catch up and share laughter between sips of various cider. Though I could probably go on for pages just about cider, I won’t. October was full of too many other delicious things. However, I will give  a brief rundown. If you’d like more, well then we’ll just have to get together over a glass of cider 🙂

ACE 15 Love 🙂
  • Plain Apple Cider: Fall deliciousness in a cup! Just make sure you read the label…so many are sweetened with corn syrup IF you buy it at a commercial grocery store. (Especially if it’s noticeably cheaper than other options on the shelf) 
  • Angry Orchard Cider: This is my favorite brand by far (well, for original cider that is) because it has the perfect amount of sweetness for me. Though I should point out that I love sweetness…hence, for some people Angry Orchard is just too much. The best news? Many places serve it on tap now! So you can try it out without the commitment of an entire case purchase.
  • Woodchuck Cider: This brand is a close runner-up to Angry Orchard. They have a wide variety of flavor options…and I will say their specialty flavors put them over the top in certain categories. I tried their pumpkin cider (that’s right PUMPKIN CIDER!!) at the Cider Festival and it was a transformative life moment. Of course, I struggled to find it on shelves for the rest of the season…so take it from me: next year, if you find a box, buy 2 🙂
  •  Spire Mountain: This was a cider brand I discovered at the festival. The original apple flavor was fine, but nothing that blew me away. Then I took a sip of the Holiday Spiced Apple flavor. My life will never be the same! It really was like Christmas captured in a cup. I’m already excited for December to arrive so I can hunt it down and enjoy some by the glistening lights of the Christmas tree.
  • NEW, UNIQUE FLAVORS!!: This happened. Chocolate Raspberry cider. This needs no further explanation.
You can even get cider in a slushie form!! Another reason to visit Baltimore 🙂

2) Perfect Running Weather: Each October, the Baltimore Running Festival descends upon the Inner Harbor. I’ve run 3 times now: once as a member of a relay team and now twice as a half-marathon runner. This year was the first time I’d be running since the dairy, soy, and corn restrictions were added to my list- but here are some great tidbits of knowledge I learned :

  • You can still carbo-load! (Sort of): I downed a whole platter of Pad Thai the night before my race. Rice noodles…that counts as a carb, right??
  • You can still power yourself on Larabars! Just be careful: not all varieties are dairy-free. And if you have nut allergies, well, use common sense. AKA don’t buy the pecan pie flavor 🙂
  • Gatorade is corn syrup-free!!! Mostly. I noticed on a bottle this summer at a camp with some students that corn syrup no longer appeared on the label. After some research, I learned that Gatorade decided to switch from corn syrup to a sucrose-dextrose mix effective in 2012 after some consumer testing/surveys. Now, I say mostly because a) you never know how long some of those Gatorade packets have been floating around. 2012 seems like a lifetime ago, but it really wasn’t and b) corn hides in all kinds of places so I’m sure there may be traces in some of the natural flavors, etc. So if you’re anaphylactic allergic to corn, I’d say do some more of your own research before diving in.
13.1 miles…I drank so much Gatorade 🙂

 3) All things pumpkin!!:Pumpkin is gluten-free and dairy-free! Plus, you can add it to almost any recipe. Pumpkin seeds can be roasted for a delicious you-safe snack. There are just so many options for this well-rounded gourd 🙂

  • Add it into pancake batter…and then sprinkle some chocolate chips in there for good measure!
  • Pumpkin muffins! (I wrote about them last year…please see here for a refresher!)
  • Warm some (almond or coconut) milk on the stove, add in a little pumpkin, some cinnamon and nutmeg, and add it to your coffee!! (for the official recipe, see here)
  • Make a good decision: if you have food allergies, avoid the array of “pumpkin”-flavored items filling the shelves these days (pumpkin spice M&Ms? Really??). They almost always contain artificial flavorings that could be dangerous to you…and more often than not, they don’t actually contain a single trace of pumpkin. Yes, false advertising…I don’t get how it’s OK either.
Pumpkin Pancakes!

4) The world turns even more beautiful for just a short time!: The trees could not be more beautiful…and the brief window of time before these leaves are swept away by a Fall gust are a stark reminder that life, and even beauty, are fleeting. I’ve recently decided that the adage “Time flies when you’re having fun” ought to be revised to just be “Time flies.” It doesn’t seem to matter how the time is spent, it just keeps flying by.

So, that being said: you have 6.5 weeks of Fall before the Winter Solstice arrives! Get out there and soak up every single second you have left. Enjoy apples, pumpkin, cinnamon, long walks through crunching leaves, whatever it is. Soak it in, savor it, and never forget the immortal words of Anne of Green Gables (via L.M. Montgomery): “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers”. Amen.

Posted in Life Lessons, Newly-Diagnosed, Uncategorized

Dear Body, Today I Choose Love…

Posted on by katiebiddle4317
I know I left you on not the highest of notes last time I wrote. However, as promised, my anger only lasted a day and then I decided to pick myself up, dust myself off, and move on. As they say, things always seem darkest before the dawn, right? Come Wednesday morning, I found light. My lingering chest congestion symptoms had faded away and for the first time in a week, my head seemed clear and I no longer viewed the world through a hazy veil. I energetically taught my classes and enjoyed each one, rather than viewing each one as a mile on the marathon of my day as I had the week before, when exhaustion had won over. And then this weekend arrived and I realized just how beautiful life is when you and your body are on the same team, rather than opposing forces.
Two Fridays ago, I was sitting in the doctor’s office yet again. This past Friday, I was sitting in the late afternoon sun cheering on some of my students at their field hockey game. Two Saturdays ago, I slept most of the morning away and then assumed the position of a lifeless blob on the couch for the remainder of the day. This past Saturday, I was at a cider mill before 9 AM enjoying an apple cider slushie (and purchasing apple cider donuts to share with friends whose immune systems have embraced gluten as a gift rather than an enemy). Two Saturdays ago, I had to cancel a trip to visit friends from grad school. This past Saturday, I got to (very briefly) visit with Baltimore friends before heading up 95 to Philadelphia. I was able to visit with friends from grad school and college, PLUS meet some brand new friends.

Cider Festival! And ND/ACE 15 reunion 🙂

Two Saturdays ago, the extent of my cultural entertainment was episodes of Gilmore Girls on my laptop since I didn’t even have the energy to get up and navigate the TV. This past Saturday, I enjoyed an afternoon Cider Festival (trust me, a post on that is forthcoming too!) and then joined hundreds of Philly residents on the lawn outside Independence Hall for a viewing of “The Barber of Seville”….quite an experience I must say.

Opera on the Mall! And Villanova reunion 🙂
Two Sundays ago, I managed to become somewhat mobile again and ventured outdoors onto my patio. This past Sunday, I was out the door before 9 AM for a visit to my favorite Philly coffee shop. Two Sundays ago, I dragged myself to morning mass at the hospital chapel, figuring the crowds of my parish, and the inevitable hugs and conversations with people I know there, would prove too much exertion. This Sunday, I was able to return to the church in Philly where I had one of my favorite retreats (and breakfast with Fr. James Martin!) for mass.

What better way to start a Sunday??

Two Sundays ago, I ate soup and lots of it. This past Sunday, I got to visit one of my happy places: Sweet Freedom. And now they’ve opened a branch down the road from my alma mater, Villanova. SO I got to see that too!!

A Katie-safe cupcake AND a pumpkin spice latte I didn’t have to make!!
I LOVE Sweet Freedom!

All in all, it was an amazing weekend filled with laughter, joy, love, and delicious treats. It was pretty much the polar opposite of last weekend. And as I sat in my living room last night pondering all these things, I really did feel love and gratitude for my body and its poor, confused immune system. Yes, it can certainly be a pain and make me angry sometimes when plans get ruined. However, by simply eliminating the foods that seem to confuse it, my body does a pretty fantastic job of getting itself back together. And for that, I am truly grateful…and utterly amazed.

So yes, I’ve lost oats. And that still makes me sad when I realize it’s in something else I’ve been eating. However, when I look at all that I gained in just one weekend by giving up oats (well, and gluten, dairy, soy, and corn (sort of)), I’d say it’s a worthwhile sacrifice. There’s still an accountant deep down inside of me and the tradeoff seems quite clear here.

So what I’m saying is some days you’re going to be angry. And that’s OK. Let yourself be angry. Let yourself be sad. Let yourself cry or wallow or hibernate away from people for a day or two. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. And some days you’re going to be happy, amazed, and gratified. And you have to appreciate those days. Let yourself feel pure joy. Let happiness consume you. Let yourself laugh and hug and talk to one of your best friends until 12:30 in the morning when you know both of you should probably have gone to sleep hours earlier. Let yourself appreciate all the love that surrounds you, regardless of how your body decides to lash out sometimes.
So in conclusion, today I am choosing love. AND to top it all off: guess what today is?? NATIONAL COFFEE DAY!!!!! That’s right. It’s real. Granted, I am well aware that this is just another construct of corporate America, a clever marketing ploy to draw countless bargain-loving customers who wouldn’t typically cross the threshold of a Dunkin Donuts on a Monday morning…hoping of course that the sight and scent of donuts will overwhelm these patrons and motivate them to spend some money anyway. Yes, I know how these things work. But what I also know is that I love both coffee and bargains; thus anything which allows me to combine the 2, especially on a Monday morning after a weekend away is golden in my book.

That’s right…it’s here!!

 Now I’ve been promising an informational post regarding coffee and other coffee-based beverages…and I do promise one of those is coming. Until then, go get your free coffee, go have a great Monday, and today, or one of these days if today isn’t the one for you, let yourself choose love; because there is so much beauty to appreciate in this life.