Cup of Coffee with Katie

The Only Potato Salad Recipe You Will Ever Need…

Posted on July 15, 2014October 26, 2019 by katiebiddle4317

You’re welcome.

I know you may think I’m kidding, but I could not be more serious. Potato salad is one of those summer staples; that dish which just screams SUMMER!, FAMILY BBQ!, and AMERICA!. And yet, for many of us food-allergenic types, potato salad is off the table. Its main ingredient, other than potatoes of course, is egg-filled (and often soybean-laced if it’s a generic brand) mayonnaise. Not to mention the fact that people love to get creative with this side dish and add everything from cheese to breadcrumbs. I blame the influx of cooking shows which seem to have turned everyone into an aspiring Julia Child.

Regardless, potato salad and I parted ways some time ago; even when it was just gluten I was avoiding, I steered clear of this dish at parties. One never knows what a creative chef added to the mix…and even if there were no gluten-containing ingredients, the bowl always ends up sitting in close proximity to the pasta salad bowl and the chance of their spoons having been mixed up is enough to instill fear in the pit of my stomach. It was a rough separation, and it certainly was not without moments of nostalgia and longing for what once was: warm summer nights with a delicious burger and a side of scrumptious potato salad. But considering my health and clear-headedness remain a priority for me, I had accepted my lot in life and bid a fond farewell to one of my favorite summer dishes.

Until a few weeks ago that is…

I was surfing through Pinterest one evening (shocking I know) and stumbled across a pin for vegan potato salad. Well of course I clicked right away, but proceeded with caution as I’ve learned to do as not to be let down when potentially exciting treasures turn out to be more akin to a pyrite find. However, this time I was in luck: I’d struck gold! This recipe was INGENIUS!! Replace the mayo with avocado!! How had I never thought of this before?!?! I set right to work and the following is what ensued. Please keep in mind, I take no credit for this recipe whatsoever…it was all because of a fortuitous Pinterest encounter that led me here.

Step 1: Cut potatoes (I used Yukon gold) into small chunks.
(And yes, I have a new cutting board: the old one was a casualty
of the cockroach invasion…another story for another time)

Step 2: Bring the potatoes to a boil, then lower the heat and let them heat until cooked.

Step 3: While the potatoes are cooking, cut up a ripe avocado.

Step 4: Dice a 1/2 cup of cucumber and 2 tablespoons red onion.

Step 5: Add the cucumber, red onion, and 2 tablespoons dill to the avocado.

Step 6: Add 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard (the key ingredient!!), salt and pepper to taste,
a bit of lemon juice and mix together!

The magic ingredients! And Koops’ is certified gluten-free 🙂

The potatoes will likely be cooked by the time you blend the mix. Drain the potatoes, allow them to cool for about 20 minutes, and then mix it all together. Your life will never be the same.

You may notice I don’t have a picture of the finished product; this is particularly surprising since I’ve now made this potato salad 4 different times…I just get so excited I forget a final photo!

Lastly, I do have one piece of advice. If you’ve ever used avocado, you know the biggest issue: it’s greenness is short-lived. It’s challenging enough to convince your friends to try a gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free dish…but if it has a brownish hue, it will be that much more of a struggle. Hence, this is not a dish to make the night before and bring…if you want anyone else to eat it that is. Additionally, it doesn’t keep well so be cognizant of numbers when preparing it. For example, I made a batch one night and neglected to consider the fact that my solo dinner would not require as much potato salad as a group event. I ate the brownish leftovers the next day too, but trust me, it wasn’t quite the same.

So, despite the numerous Back-to-School promotions which are trying to convince you otherwise, you still have plenty of summer left! Get out there, enjoy it, and bring potato salad back to your summer dinner table 🙂

courtesy of Pinterest

3 Years and Counting…

Posted on July 11, 2014October 26, 2019 by katiebiddle4317

Today marks the anniversary of one of the longest-running relationships I have to my name: Katie and Celiac. Yes, on this date back in 2011, I watched hours of Gilmore Girls in a waiting room with the Saint in a Sundress before they wheeled me in for the procedure that would finally yield an answer to my mystery symptoms. I still remember waking up from my anesthesia-induced nap with a scratchy throat, some high-definition photos of my poor eroded intestines, and a new lease on life. Granted, the official confirmation didn’t come until a few days later when I fielded the phone call from my doctor en route to see the final installment of the Harry Potter series. I’ll be honest, it remains one of the more surreal evenings of my life: seated in a sold-out movie theater, surrounded by kids (and some adults too) dressed in their finest wizarding garb, watching the end of an era in fictional entertainment while my brain tried to process the end of an era in my own life too.

Well, here we are three years later and my life has certainly gone on. And fittingly, we learned this week the same can be said for Harry and the gang. (Those of you who are not diehard Potter fans/Pottermore subscribers like myself, you may have missed this) Harry is going gray and I now have a litany of additional food restrictions but regardless, life goes on.

So why celebrate the anniversary of a not-so-happy occasion?? Well, aside from my obsession with calendars, I truly believe in commemorating such milestones because it’s not so much the actual day which you’re celebrating, but rather all the time and growth that has taken place during the time that has since passed. Consider work, relationship, or even wedding anniversaries: is it really that one day back when it all started that you’re celebrating? I sure hope not. All you did that one day was put on a nice suit or expensive dress, drive somewhere new, and then start a new job/meet a new person/pledge your life to someone/whatever the case may be. Yes it was a day which was slightly out of the ordinary and yes it was one which could forever change the trajectory of your life. However, if the next morning you went back to your old routine and didn’t change a single thing moving forward, well then is that “landmark” day really still worth celebrating?? No, in my mind the point of an anniversary is to acknowledge the journey between a given point and where you are, and that means all the changes, adventures, mountains, and valleys you confronted along the way. Hence in my book, anniversaries, friend-iversaries, Baltimore-iversaries, and yes, even Celiac-iversaries, are worth celebrating.

My 1st Celiac-iversary: Gluten-free cake and cider 🙂

So, on that note, how does one celebrate a Celiac-iversary?? Well, this year for me it means white rice. And lots of it. As luck would have it, some specks of cheese snuck into my otherwise Katie-safe salad yesterday (I won’t call out the establishment because I’ve never had a problem with them before…and it’s my own fault for not inspecting it before I bit in) and though I only had a few bites before noticing, the damage was done and my stomach and I are not on the best of terms. So, white rice it is. Second, I figure why not celebrate with a list of interesting facts about Celiac…some of my own choosing and some in response to the questions which I am most frequently fielding from others.

1) Yes, I was born with Celiac. Well, sort of. I get this question in a variety of forms all the time. (“Wait, this just happened to you one day?”, “Could you ever eat gluten?”, “Have you ever eaten a piece of bread?”) The answer is a confusing one. As far as research has shown, those with Celiac have the gene from birth. For whatever reason, the gene is activated at some point in a person’s lifetime, while it remains dormant for others who have the gene. So, in short, yes I was born with it but I lived in blissful ignorance until 3 years ago…well really 4 because the year leading up to that was not blissful, more like mysterious confusion. And as for the traumatic event which triggered it in my case? I still blame the dogbite incident of 2010. Though I’ll never know for sure, I think the fact that my symptoms started just 2 weeks after that fateful day is too questionable to chalk up to coincidence. And that, my friends, is also why I am not, and most likely never will be, a dog person.

2) Celiac is most common among Caucasian women of European descent. Yep, that’s true.This very pale 100% Irish girl fits the bill entirely. I do still love my heritage though. Nothing like a cup of Barry’s tea, a fiddle tune on the violin, and a new patch of freckles despite the frequent application of SPF 75 sunscreen. And at least it also explains my unnatural obsession with all things potato 🙂

3) I need to move to Italy. Like for real. I was fortunate enough to go to Rome at Christmastime in 2012 (and see Pope Benedict in his final weeks before stepping down!) and let me tell you, it was a dream come true. For many reasons of course, but a major one was that in every restaurant all I had to say was “senza glutine” or “un celiaco” and everyone knew what it meant, what I could eat, and how to keep me safe. And, hold your breath, it gets even better! Every Italian is tested for Celiac before his or her 6th birthday, every Italian over the age of 10 with a Celiac diagnosis receives a stipend each month (worth roughly 140 Euro) to cover the excess cost of their gluten-free food AND they even get additional “sick” time at most jobs to allow for gluten-free food preparation!! I was floored. Don’t believe it, it’s all here.So who is with me?? Italia, here we come 🙂

Amazing gluten-free dish in Vatican City!

4) There is a mouse with Celiac Disease. And what’s worse? They gave it to him. There’s a reason I called this list interesting facts and not fun facts. It feels wrong to describe a mouse inflicted with Celiac as a fun fact. Researchers at the University of Chicago Center for Celiac Research designed a study which involved inflicting a mouse (well, I’m guessing it’s many mice) with Celiac so that testing can be done to develop a treatment. They claim by 2026 it will happen. I’m not holding my breath…

I’d never have pictures
like this if it weren’t
for celiac hahaha

5) I don’t hate Celiac. I know, shocking right? I’ve actually spent more time thinking about this than I care to admit. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t love it either. However, I think there is just a little too much hate in the world to add any more. Plus, would my hatred toward it do anything to change it or eradicate it? Nope. So I say hating it would just let it win. Not to mention, whether I like it or not, it certainly did change the trajectory of my life. It’s made it more challenging to be sure, but it’s also opened my eyes to a world of knowledge, support, and love which I would have never experienced otherwise. It has become such an all-encompassing part of my life that I can’t really imagine my life without it anymore. Sometimes I really do wonder what I could be doing with all that excess brainspace which is now occupied by gluten-related knowledge, recipes, doctor appointment reminders, etc. Or what I could be accomplishing in the hours I spend cooking and baking from scratch, driving between 3 different grocery stores, and researching new establishments and updates on the internet. Maybe I could have cracked the code on the Beale ciphers and be rich by now. Alas, the world will never know…

Yes, I’d say in the 3 years since Celiac and I have been acquainted, we’ve learned to co-exist pretty well. I mean aside from the fact that it occasionally derails my plans (like this weekend for example). It’s been a crazy 3 years for sure and I have no doubt there’s more craziness, tears, and frustration ahead but for today, I choose to focus on how far I’ve come and how I’ve managed to find joy, laughter, and fulfillment in spite of my pesky life companion 🙂

If I had never joined Team Gluten-Free,
my life would be drastically different:

I mean, I never would have discovered Sweet Freedom.

3 years down, forever to go…going strong 🙂

Life Lessons

I CAN Have My Cupcake and Eat It Too!

Posted on July 8, 2014October 26, 2019 by katiebiddle4317

That’s right…today is another red-letter day in my life. Before we get to why, let’s backtrack. When last I left you, I was off on phase 1 of my summer adventures. I traveled as far north as the Poconos and as far south as Alabama. I efficiently packed weeks of Katie-safe meals/snacks to sustain me for the journey and I came to a remarkable realization: it really isn’t that hard anymore! I thought back to my camp experience last year (which you may remember came about 2 weeks after my corn diagnosis) and I laughed to myself thinking about just how far I’ve come in a year. Granted I also think it may have something to do with the fact that the world has also evolved in allergy-friendliness. I mean the Walmart in Alabama had a gluten-free section: I was literally rendered speechless. Then the restaurant I went to with my mom and sister in the Poconos had both gluten-free and vegan menus. Now I am by no means trying to sound elitist here…but seriously if it’s reached the Poconos and rural Alabama you know that’s something! Kudos, world, on becoming more and more safe for people like me 🙂

Now I know you’re probably sitting there thinking, “Of course, Katie, you had the most perfect magical trip and you were SO happy every minute of every day. That’s just not real.” And to that I’d say, yes, you are absolutely correct. I’ll be the first to admit that amongst the countless amazing moments, I of course had my moments of weakness (i.e. jealousy) too. After all, I’m only human. I would be lying if I told you that the question “Why me?” didn’t cross my mind a few times. There was a morning when I watched dozens of people file through the various food lines and devour French toast sticks and then Uncrustables later in the day and I couldn’t help but think “How is it that I’m 1 of only 2 people at this entire camp who had to pack their own food to survive the week??”. And as I watched an entire gymnasium full of people process up to Communion during mass not 1, not 2, but 3 different times, I couldn’t help but think “How is it that every other person can just walk up to receive the Eucharist without a second thought about its effect on their digestive tract/immune system and yet I’m the one who had to remember to add 3 low-gluten hosts to my camp packing list??” And as I sat watching the other wedding guests devour multiple helpings of the most delicious-smelling BBQ, macaroni&cheese, peach cobbler, and of course, wedding cake…well, my plate of fruit and carefully-chosen Katie-safe snack foods just seemed so lonely. Of course don’t think these fleeting moments were enough to dampen the overarching joy of these weeks…I just want to be honest and let you know that you’re not alone if you have some “Why me??” moments of your own.

However, then something remarkable happened yesterday which made me stop and reevaluate the “Why me” scenarios of the past few weeks. I spent yesterday afternoon at Johns Hopkins (the hospital not the school). A former co-teacher of mine has been a patient there for a few weeks now and due to my US travel adventures I haven’t had a chance to pay her a visit. For reasons I cannot understand she is on the one floor in the Children’s Hospital wing that is not actually for children…but in order to reach her, I passed countless children who were patients. Since yesterday was a beautiful one here in Baltimore, many of the kids were given an opportunity to travel outside to a courtyard with their families. There were several adorable kids decked out in face masks, oversized medical booties and grins that even those giant protective masks couldn’t hide as they made their way outside to the courtyard. As I walked out of the hospital after my visit into the glorious summer sun, I was struck by a simlar thought: “Why me?? Why do I get to walk out of this hospital and go enjoy the rest of this beautiful day while these young children and their families are stuck inside this sterile world day in and day out?”

As I sat in mass an hour later I found myself reflecting on “Why Me??” moments in a whole new light. Instead of the ones mentioned above regarding my trip, I found myself pondering other moments. How did I get to be one of only 10 people to lead a USA-themed conga line/dance party with senior citizens in Magnolia, Delaware? How did I get to travel to a small town in Alabama and witness two good friends declare their love as the Saint in the Bow Tie married the Saint in Running Shoes (seriously she’s up to 10 marathons under her belt. 10! She’s incredible!) How was I the one who got to share both laughter and dances under an Alabama sunset with the ACE boys who have become like my brothers?? How did I get to spend a fun-filled 4th of July with family and then 5th of July with friends who have become family under beautiful fireworks…when just 3 years ago I was one of those patients spending the 4th in the hospital with my mom and sister as company?

ACE love 🙂

Yes, I think it’s human nature to have “Why me??” moments…and to be honest I think we’re all entitled to them once in awhile. However I also think our lives are filled with amazing “Why me?” moments that often go unnoticed or at least uncelebrated amidst the craziness of life. So my message today is two-fold: 1) If you find yourself having a bitter “Why me?” moment, whether it’s food-related or not, know that you’re not alone and it’s normal BUT 2) don’t get so focused on those moments that you fail to appreciate the amazing “Why me??” moments which no doubt populate your life too!! So in light of these reflections, which were only further reinforced by my July calendar page, life with all its trials and tribulations, high and lows, roses and thorns etc. is truly worth celebrating.

That Mary Engelbreit knows what she’s doing 🙂

So what did I do tonight?? I finally made one of the treats I’ve been most missing for over a year now: a vanilla “funfetti” cupcake. I’d like to thank Pinterest, the freedom of summer vacation, Mom’s Organic Market, and my lovely students for their generous end-of-year gift card which enabled me to stock up on the necessary supplies. Now don’t get too excited: I’m not posting the recipe quite yet because I need to tweak it a little and make the texture a little more cupcake-y and a little less muffin-y…but stay tuned and I promise it’s coming.

The beautiful finished product: pre-frosting…

…and post-frosting 🙂

In the meantime I’ll be savoring every remaining bite of this little delicacy with a smile plastered on my face. And I’ll be looking out for those beautiful “Why me?” moments which remind me just how truly unique and blessed I am.

…like gluten, dairy, soy, and corn 😉
courtesy of: http://www.storypeople.com/storypeople/Home.do

Baltimore Recommendations, Tips and Tricks

Summer Adventures, Part 1

Posted on June 22, 2014October 26, 2019 by katiebiddle4317

I know I tend to go off the grid somewhat frequently with these posts and I leave you wondering if I’ve abandoned you in your food allergy/intolerance quest. However, it is summer and thus you would think the posts should be coming more frequently again. Unfortunately for you, that won’t be the case for a few weeks. I’m off on some more adventures! I’m headed to a weeklong service camp with my parish youth group and then I’m headed straight for the airport to reunite with my ACE DC family to celebrate the first of the roommate weddings!! Then it’s off to the Poconos for a few days for some quality time with my mom and sister. So in short, there won’t be much time for writing until around the 4th of July.

So excited to reunite with these guys in 6 days!!
(Side note…how was this 6 years ago??)

…and to celebrate our favorite science-loving roommate 🙂

So in the meantime, I want to leave you with 2 amazing tips to make your allergy-free summer just a little bit better.

1) Keep cool/Avoid the Stove!: I know last summer when I first learned about my newest intolerances, I was using the stove everyday…or sometimes multiple times a day. Believe it or not, there are many things you CAN still eat that won’t require much stove usage. No, take-out is not as much an option as it used to be but there are cooler/”Why turn on the stove when it’s already 90-degrees+” choices.

Salads are your best friend. Stock up on veggies, buy some olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette, and get creative!
Buy pre-cooked chicken. Now this is a tricky option because many pre-cooked chicken options have soy or corn in them. However, Applegate Farms makes great gluten-free, casein-free grilled chicken and certain stores (Fresh Market for one) sells those great rotisserie chickens that are safe…but BE CAREFUL. Most traditional chains’ (Weis and Giant I know for sure) rotisserie chickens contain unsafe additives, namely soy and wheat.
Use the microwave. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods both have great gluten-free, casein-free chicken sausage options that are pre-cooked and thus need a little warming in the microwave. Now I know there is a raging debate about the safety of microwave radiation…but this isn’t the time or place for that debate. If you can find bacon or sausage that just needs a little microwave energy, it can make your summer much more manageable.

A little lettuce, bacon, red pepper, and avocado can go a long way…

2) Eat Snow Domes!!: Now I apologize in advance to those of you who don’t reside in the greater Baltimore area because this is kind of a tease; but when I’m this excited about something, I just have to share. When I was younger, I knew what snow cones were. They were offered at most church carnivals and school field days. That delicious array of syrups squirted onto ice in various combinations. Then they had the gross version in a plastic wrapper on the ice cream truck that frequented our pool. (The real question is why I kept getting them, thinking each time that somehow it would magically be better than the time before) Well, here in Baltimore, I’ve learned two things: 1) they’re not snow cones, they’re sno-balls (or snowballs…it seems the crowd is split) and 2) every other snow cone in your life will pale in comparison to these delicacies. Seriously, there’s a map and everything: Baltimore LOVES Snoballs. I was fortunate enough to enjoy a few during my second summer in Baltimore thanks to the kids I babysat for, but for all its perks, those icy cups of deliciousness contain a million crazy ingredients, corn being a major one. Thus last summer I had reluctantly accepted that my days of refreshing icy treats were behind me. And then one magical night, everything changed…

I found Fresh Bites Snow Domes. I was enjoying a Thursday night concert/picnic dinner at a local vineyard with some dear friends when one of them returned from the farmers’ market stands with the news that she found a woman selling snoballs that were made with all-natural, homemade syrups. I don’t think I’ve moved so fast toward a vendor in my life. After a brief conversation, I learned that the woman (whom I now affectionately refer to as “my snowcone lady”…I know, I know a little selfish; I’m well aware that she actually cares equally about all her customers) started working on these syrups when her son was young because she didn’t like the idea of feeding him all the artificial ingredients in a sno-ball. Now he’s grown and she’s taken her syrups on the road. Literally. She operates out of a little truck. Her flavors are unique and I can personally attest I have yet to try one I didn’t like. And if you are allowed dairy, say yes to her offer of sweet cream, whipped cream, and/or caramel on top. Especially if you get the apple pie one 🙂

My cherry-lime delicacy 🙂

Baltimore friends, she’s at the Kenilworth Farmers’ market every Tuesday throughout the summer and she also visits various events. She’ll be at the Towson 4th of July parade! (as if you needed another reason to attend) Also, here is her website so you can stay updated on her travels.

Non-Baltimore friends, add this to your “Reasons I Really Need to Go Visit Katie in Baltimore” list.

All right, now it’s time to pack up the car and begin leg 1 of Katie’s Summer Adventures! Until next time: stay cool, stay relaxed, and most importantly, have fun!!

And on a serious note, those of you who are in the early stages of dealing with your food issues and aren’t feeling so great these days, don’t despair. I was there too, watching/listening in envy to pictures and stories of your friends’ summer adventures while you feel resigned to the couch. I promise, keep up the diligent work, be patient, and you’ll get there too 🙂

All my food for the week in 2 bags…I’m getting better at this 🙂

Bread/Muffins, Life Lessons, Teacher Life, Uncategorized

"The Times, They Are A-Changin…"

Posted on June 18, 2014October 26, 2019 by katiebiddle4317

(Full disclosure: I recently found Season 1 of American Dreams during a visit to the local Goodwill. I’ve rediscovered my obsession and thus I have songs from the 60s as the soundtrack of my life right now. Hence the nod to Bob Dylan in this title.)

Change. It seems to be a word that keeps popping up in my life lately. I suppose that’s inevitable in teaching where the end of an academic year is always accompanied by an array of changes…but it’s been more than that too. In the past week, not 1, not 2, but 3 of my favorite priests have offered reflections on the subject. (Yes, go ahead, I know you’re all thinking it: Of course, Katie, you would have a list of favorite priests…it’s fine, I own it :-)) Our associate pastor closed out the school year with a great homily (complete with the visual aids the kids have come to LOVE when he speaks) on how change is good, even though many of us don’t really like it. Then Fr. Jim Martin posted a reflection a few days later on change; he commented on how change is perhaps the hardest thing in the world and that the bravest are those who are willing to change…and how God works through change if only we allow such conversion to take place. Finally, the fabulous chaplain of the ACE program tweeted a message yesterday (that’s right, he’s on Twitter :-)) about change. Granted his message was motivated by the fact that Notre Dame “went Google” yesterday but he offered a reflection on the fact that change doesn’t have to be scary if we aren’t afraid to ask for help. Yes, change is certainly one of those inevitable aspects of life; sometimes it’s good, sometimes not so much, but regardless it’s a reality that keeps us moving forward and makes us who we are.

Yesterday marked 1 year since my life changed in a drastic way. As my doctor so eloquently stated, yesterday was my 1-year “corn”-iversary. (And before you get too excited about being the first one to make a pun about how “corn”-y that is, sorry, the Charismatic Mass Coordinator already beat you to it!) I sat in the waiting room at 7 AM yesterday morning for my 1-year follow-up thinking about just how much life has changed in a year. Some of the changes are great (i.e. I was sitting in a waiting room feeling awake, alert, and alive…not adjectives I could have used to describe my visit a year ago), some not so much (i.e. some days I still miss popcorn and tortilla chips so much that it hurts…sounds crazy, but it’s true). A year ago today I was cleaning out my cabinets and boxing up package after package of no-longer-safe foods; I was discarding yet another set of pots and pans in favor of brand-new “contaminant-free” ones; I was beginning to lose heart and thus I sat down on my front porch with a cup of iced coffee and a word document…and thus this blog began. In the year since, change and I have been frequent friends. I adapted to my new lifestyle, I moved to a new apartment for the 4th time in 4 years, I moved to a new classroom for the 4th time in 4 years, I moved to a new grade level for the 4th time in 4 years…as you can see, change and I are well-acquainted. I can once again eat trace amount of corn: i.e. I don’t need special toothpaste and if cornstarch is a minor ingredient, I’m safe…woohoo!! Sadly they tell me such a thing will never happen with gluten or casein; I say a girl can dream. But just as the three wise priests above articulated: it hasn’t been a easy year. However, I truly do believe I’m better for it. I am happier, healthier, stronger, a bit wiser, much more well-versed in food additives and ingredients…and of course I have you lovely friends who keep coming back to read my blog. It still boggles my mind when I get emails and messages from some of you. So thank you.

Now once again, times are about to change. Last week marked not only the last day of the school year but also my last day at the school I’ve called home for the past 4 years. Yes, since the day I arrived in Baltimore, my home address has changed four times and I’ve gradually added food group after food group to the contraband list and yet one thing remained the same: every morning at around 7 AM, my car traveled to the same destination. I was greeted by the same smiling faces and supportive hugs that carried me through what otherwise would have been an impossibly challenging 4 years. And yet on Friday (well, really Monday) I packed everything from my classroom into Little Blue and handed in my keys.

Saying farewell to my home away from home…

Yes, this August I’m off on a new adventure. I’m moving to a school just a few miles down the road where I’ll teach slightly older students (i,e. 9th and 10th graders) and for the first time in my teaching career, math will not be one of my subjects. I’ll be teaching in the Theology department and working as an assistant Campus Minister planning retreats, masses, service projects, etc. I’m very excited about this change…but as I told the kids as they handed me heartbreaking notes begging me to reconsider, it’s also tempered by some sadness and of course, a little anxiety. As I told them, there comes a time when you know without a doubt that God is calling you to something…and even when it’s a little scary, you have to trust that God wouldn’t be leading you astray and that in the end, whether it’s a week, a month, or a year later, you’ll see how God was at work in your life during that period of change. I told them the story of how that fear of change almost prevented me from even coming to this same school which I’ve called home for the past 4 years. Back in the spring of 2010, the thought of teaching my model lessson to 7th graders and not the 2nd graders I had left behind that morning in DC induced enough fear that I turned around not once, but twice, and walked back to my car before finally mustering the courage to go ring the doorbell for my interview. Talk about the opportunities I would have missed if I had let fear of change win that day!

Picked up my textbooks for next year…just a little light summer reading 🙂

So, as I sit here a year after one of the larger changes in my life and on the brink of yet another one, I can say with certainty that I agree wholeheartedly with the comments of my 3 favorite priests above. Change is hard; change can be scary; but change is also the only way to grow and to discover who you are and who you’re meant to be. So whatever change you might be facing today, embrace it …even if that’s difficult to do. Clean out your cabinets of the food that’s making you sick; accept a job that intimidates you; pack up your car and move somewhere new; end that relationship you know should have ended awhile ago; pick up the phone and make the call you’ve been afraid to make…whatever it is, take a moment today to appreciate change.

Courtesy of http://www.frenchbydesignblog.com/

And since I firmly believe that sweet treats and baked goods can cushion the blow of challenges or hardship, this entry would be incomplete without a recipe. I know just what you need today: a cupcake. That’s right, they’re not a thing of the past…though I can guarantee if you told me that a year ago today, I never would have believed you. I adapted this from a recipe found over on another blog. They’re deliciously satisfying…though admittedly a bit more challenging than the Duncan Hines mix would be 🙂

“Embracing Change Can Be Hard” Chocolate Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

2 bananas (freezing them first works best)

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder

2 Tbsp. coconut flour

2 Tbsp. arrowroot starch

2 Tbsp. coconut sugar (or some other sweetener)

1/2 Tbsp. flaxseed

2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2/3 tsp. baking soda

1/3 tsp. cream of tartar

1/4 tsp. white vinegar

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 Tbsp. coconut milk

a dash of salt

water (until desired consistency)

1. Mix all the ingredients together. I had them all in a bowl and then ended up using my Magic Bullet since the frozen bananas posed a challenge.

2. Keep adding water in small spoonfuls until your batter has a cupcake-batter consistency. I would also recommend tasting it after it reaches the desired consistency to make sure it’s still sweet enough!

3. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes…but keep checking with a toothpick since you’re oven may be faster!

Frosting:

1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil

1/2 Tbsp. olive oil (or grapeseed)

1 Tbsp. coconut sugar

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

2/3 tsp. cream of tartar

1/3 tsp. baking soda

5 Tbsp. coconut milk

1/3 tsp. vanilla

1. Melt the coconut oil and olive oil on the stovetop. Remove when melted and pour into a bowl.

2) Add the coconut sugar, maple syrup, cream of tartar, and baking soda and mix until dissolved.

3) Stir in the vanilla and coconut milk until dissolved into the mixture as well.

4) Chill the mixture for 20-30 minutes before trying to frost the cupcakes

Yes, the only picture I have is when I made them for the HIMYM finale.
So of course I added chips to make them my “Suit Up” cupcakes…

Bread/Muffins, Newly-Diagnosed, Tips and Tricks

A Summer of Cookouts

Posted on June 16, 2014October 26, 2019 by katiebiddle4317

Summer has unofficially arrived. The pools are open, the sno-ball stands are back in operation, farmer’s markets are back in full swing, and of course the sweet aroma of BBQ is back in the air. That’s right…it’s BBQ season. From Memorial Day on, the invitations are in full swing. Cookouts become a regular part of the weekend routine. They’re great little gatherings where friends, family, co-workers, etc. share in laughs, fellowship, and delicious food. Of course you’re nervous: doesn’t your entry into the world of food allergies make these laid-back, joyous gatherings a source of great stress and anxiety?? Isn’t the simple joy of a summer BBQ a thing of the past for you?? Don’t worry, the answer is absolutely not. It just takes a little bit of planning and you’ll be ready to go!

Here’s a tip: grill ahead. Yes, you can bring your own meat and foil and spatula and barbecue along with the resident grillmaster. However, I personally would still be a bit nervous about that. Your burger will be in awfully close proximity to bread-crumb-filled burgers, swiftly melting cheddar cheese…not to mention those toasted burger buns. In my mind, it’s just a recipe for disaster. In the end, it’s your call but I personally prefer the “grill ahead and pack a lunchbox” option 🙂

Katie’s 5 Simple Steps to a Summer of Fantastic “You-Safe” BBQs:

A few hours prior to BBQ time, cook something delicious. However, I would suggest you always pose the following question to yourself, “Self, how will this taste reheated later??” If it won’t reheat well, choose a different entrée. I don’t actually have a grill at the moment, apartment living only allows for so much. However, I did recently discover the joy that is a broiler. That’s right, in the 28 years I’ve lived on this earth, I never used a broiler until a few weeks ago. (in my defense, our house growing up had an electric oven and thus no broiler)…and I can tell you my life will never be the same. Burgers, roasts, chicken: I’ve found a multitude of ways to put my newfound toy to good use. 🙂

Make a side dish: Take it from me, there’s nothing like getting to a cookout and seeing a vast picnic table full of side dish options for the other guests while you sit with just your lonely (albeit delicious ) entrée of choice. Yes, potato chips can suffice in a pinch…but really try to treat yourself. It will make the whole afternoon far more enjoyable.

These are amazing and SO simple! Just chop up small red potatoes, mix them in a bowl with olive oil, rosemary, garlic, sea salt, and pepper, then bake at 450 until browning 🙂

Learn to to love lettuce! Yes those delectably satisfying hamburger rolls are a thing of the past…but take it from me, a decent lettuce wrap really can be an acceptable substitute. Just choose your lettuce carefully (I always go for the romaine) and DON”T skimp. You have to use a lot to give it an effective bun-like quality. And seriously, it’s lettuce; whether it’s money or calories you’re counting, it won’t put much of a dent in either category.

Pickles. They’re amazing, they’re delicious, they’re cheap. Always have a jar in the fridge. That’s all I have to say about that.

Dessert is easy! AS I’ve said time and time again, don’t sell yourself short and decide to skip dessert. It may seem like a great idea when you’re tired and don’t feel like cooking yet another thing for yourself in advance…but trust me, you’ll feel much differently when dessert time arrives and you’re sitting with an empty plate. Additionally, in summer, dessert is even easier! Fruit salad is always a perfect default option. Buy some grapes, watermelon, strawberries, and blueberries, cut them up and toss them in a bowl! You’ve got and allergy-safe (and somewhat patriotic) dessert that you can share with the group! Just make sure you dig in first before those contaminated spoons have a chance to do so. Heck, bring some whipped cream for other guests to add to their fruit serving and you may be the new hero of the BBQ. It’s that simple!!

And for those gatherings where you’re feeling slightly more ambitious, you’ve got to try this recipe. I think I’m still on Cloud-9 from eating these and it was over 3 weeks ago! (Remember: end of year craziness = no time to share great recipes)

Perfect Summer-Time Lemon Bars

(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)

Squeeze 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice.

Mix with agar flakes (3 Tbsp. flakes with 3 Tbsp. water)
(unless you’re fortunate enough to eat egg whites…then I’d say stick with those!)

Mix lemon juice, agar paste, 1/4 cup grapeseed oil, 1/4 cup agave.
Seriously, mini food processor = best kitchen device ever.

Meanwhile bake crust at 350 for 15 minutes:
(1.5 cups almond meal, 2 Tbsp. grapseed oil, 1Tbsp. agave, 1 Tbsp. vanilla, salt to taste)

Pour topping over the baking crust. Continue baking for 15 minutes then remove.
Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator.

And they were so good that I forgot to take an “After” picture before they were all gone! Trust me, they’re delicious!! Or just invite me to a summer cookout and I’ll bring you a batch myself 🙂

Here’s to a fun, safe, and relaxing summer! May your cookouts be filled with laughter, friendship, and delicious/you-safe foods. Anxiety, stress, and ants just don’t deserve a place at the table 🙂

This is what a summer BBQ is all about: friendship, laughter, and joy:-)

Product Recommendations, Teacher Life

Love Shoutout #3: The Children

Posted on June 4, 2014October 26, 2019 by katiebiddle4317

I know, generic right? Yes, but it also couldn’t be more true. Now I think you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who will deny that they love children; however, I have to say that this week I’ve been slightly more aware of just how much love I have for them. And though I’m speaking specifically about the 78 students I have on my rosters each day, this feeling also encompasses the hundreds of other students I pass in the halls on a regular basis, some of whom I’ve taught, others who simply remain excited to wave to me and ask me a series of “Do you know my sister/brother/2nd cousin once removed??” questions.

This week has been a long one (though I feel like that goes without saying when you’re a teacher in May/June) and I’ve had an endless stream of thoughts running through my mind. I’ve felt a bit out of sorts and more than a bit off kilter. But guess who isn’t?? That’s right…the children. Like clockwork, every morning at 7:45 they walk in. The familiar refrain of the “Is it B-day?”/”What was the Spanish homework?”/”Miss Burke, I have a new video to show you” chorus begins. And we’re off…

Courtesy of 4Moms

The other day one of those astute scholars surprised even me when he remarked (in a sing-song voice I can only wish to replicate), “Miss Burke, you’re tired today. Did you eat gluten??” (He also stresses the 2nd syllable in the word which is just precious.) His question threw me on so many levels; first, because I hadn’t realized that my tiredness was that apparent; second, because he knew that gluten would cause such an effect in my persona, and third because in the midst of the craziness that is a middle schooler’s brain during exam week, he took the time to notice his teacher and express concern about something that seemed slightly off. Now fortunately he was incorrect- I hadn’t eaten gluten. Just a few too many late nights followed by early mornings coupled with end-of-year craziness between the hours of 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM. However, his observation struck a chord. It was almost like walking around in my own version of It’s A Wonderful Life…only in reverse. I watched as 8th graders for a brief, and I mean BRIEF, moment became nostalgic and emotional about their finals days in grade school. I watched as kindergartners, whom I had met as the tiny 2 and 3-year-old siblings of my 3rd graders, waved excitedly across the courtyard in their tiny caps and gowns. And of course, my current class, whom I met as fresh-faced 5th graders 20 months ago, have grown (some exponentially) into soon-to-be 7th graders. I couldn’t help but pause and think: what would my life be without these children who populate a majority of the hours in my week?

Yes, I’d probably more alert and well-rested…but I also know I’d laugh a lot less. I wouldn’t smile as a one student pleads, “Please give me homework…30 problems! I’ll even do 60! I just need one more grade before report cards!” I wouldn’t chuckle as another responds to a short answer question on his exam with, “Miss Burke, I’ll be honest…I have no idea how to solve this problem. But I do know that Jesus is the answer to all problems in life so I’m going to write that and hope you have mercy on my soul. Like Jesus does.” I wouldn’t shake my head as the following conversation ensued between 3 others at recess before I even had a chance to get a word in edgewise: “Seriously, don’t you know this by now?? Miss Burke won’t answer questions about her personal life until she gets engaged! She says it’s because she wouldn’t want us to know about someone unless they’re going to be around forever…I keep telling her we won’t get attached. Plus we’re the ones she can count on if it doesn’t work! I’ll bring in the ice cream, an Adele CD, we’ll have a good cry, and it will all be fine. Oh! And we can watch a movie. Sleepless in Seattle. Heartbreak fixed.”

If only this were a Religion test, not Math…

Yep, and that was all in the past 2 days. Laughter, jokes, and eye rolls aside, I also would never feel as loved as I do. Whether it’s my students or my friends’ children, there is nothing that makes you feel quite as loved as a hug, a smile, or a laugh from a child. Now I know you’re probably thinking to yourself, yes Katie, but where is the allergy help in all this? Well, I’m getting to that. Actually, the connection is twofold. First, every person in this world finds joy and love in different places. Whereas I am fortunate enough to find it in the young people I get to work with every single day, for others it is found elsewhere: in patients, in customers, in conquering a seemingly impossible design project, lab experiment, or computer code. There are so many places to find joy…and when your world has been turned upside down, whether by food allergy or something else, those are the places and the people you need to turn to, rely on, and embrace until you get your feet back on the ground and restore the balance in your world. Second, I think there are a lot of adjectives that get thrown around to describe young people in today’s world. You hear them called lazy, self-centered, technology-obsessed, etc. However, no one seems to focus on the fact that these kids are growing up in a world which hands them challenges unlike anything I ever knew as a pre-teen. Yes, I had to remember my locker combinations, the books I needed, when my tests were, where my homework was, and how to make it to class in those 3 precious minutes of passing time I was granted. But I never had to practice intruder drills, remember where the safe zones were in every classroom to which I traveled, or factor in time to ring a doorbell between wings in my own school building during that 3-minute sprint between classes.

And yet somehow, on top of all that, these kids also manage to say things like, “Miss Burke, can I wash my hands? I ate peanut butter at lunch and I don’t want to get any on this desk where _______ sits next period?” or “Are you going to be OK if I eat my sandwich? I don’t want you to breathe in my bread?” (during lunchtime tutoring), and my personal favorite (after a student offered me the pizza coupons he found in his textbook) “OH wait, that’s gluten and dairy! Guys, I just offered Miss Burke death. I am so sorry!” Yes, if nothing else, allergy-aware ought to be added to that list of adjectives describing today’s young people. Or perhaps vigilant would be more appropriate. The ones living with their own allergies quietly turn and read wrappers or turn to their teacher for verification before diving into a treat, the ones living with allergy-ridden siblings are quiet caretakers, not only for their siblings but for anyone they know is dealing with the same, and all of them subconsciously spend their days worrying about/caring for the allergy-ridden individuals in their lives, including me. I’m not sure how they do it exactly, but the way they do it in such a laidback, “this is just the way it is” manner inspires me to do the same.

They’re never short on creativity.
Unfortunately including Miss Burke’s corn syrup issue doesn’t earn any points on the rubric…

So in short, two lessons from this week. 1) Find what it is that brings you joy, love, and laughter and rely on it until you get your bearings straight and 2) Believe in the promise of the future. I mean think about it, in how many Fortune 500 companies do you have employees wiping down their table after they finish eating with a non-bleach, all-natural Clorox wipe to protect the employee after them from an unforeseen allergen contamination? And yet, in elementary schools across the country kids are doing that each and every single day. So in my opinion, 20 years from now, the world will be a much more allergy-friendly place…not because there are less allergies, but because there are more people who are aware and caring.

Now I promise, my next post will have a recipe…but until then, I’ll give a quick plug for an amazing pick-me-up/carry-me-through-the-last-weeks-of-school treat. Califia Farms Cold-Brew coffee. Dairy-free, gluten-free, caffeine-filled!…and oh-so-delicious.

Until then, I’ll be laughing and smiling and enjoying time with my kids for 8 more days before I send them off for the summer. And of course, I’ll be drinking LOTS of coffee 🙂

Flashback to 2008:
One of my favorite pictures with some of my first-year class…so much love. And craziness
…but then again, isn’t love crazy anyway?? 🙂

Celiac "Fun" Facts

Oh Sugar, Sugar…

Posted on May 20, 2014October 26, 2019 by katiebiddle4317

(Click here if you want the background music)

So Celiac Awareness Month is now 2/3 finished and I have yet to do much in the way of awareness. If only there could just be a few more hours in the day. Regardless, there is an important reality of celiac I’ve been meaning to address for awhile now…so I suppose today is as good a day as any. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder. Yes, you probably already knew that. However, what you may not know is that if you have an autoimmune condition and it remains untreated, they often act like dominos…and before you know it you have plenty of them. I mean it makes sense when you think about it: if my immune system is going haywire, why would it just isolate itself to one body system?? Clearly my body learned the “sharing is caring” lesson a little too well when I was a kid.

So rewind 3 years: it’s spring of 2011. I was in the heart of my “we don’t know what’s wrong with you” dark days. I had been to every doctor under the sun, or so it seemed. I had a primary care doctor, a cardiologist, an endocrinologist, a neurologist, and a nutritionist; and yet between them all, no one could figure out what was going on. It was like a fast-paced game of “Hot Potato”…and I was the spud. A sickly, limp one at that. Finally, it was discovered that my frequent dizziness and pale, clammy skin was related to when I was eating and what seemed like an impossible amount of bloodwork finally provided a clue: insulin. My body was making WAY too much. 3 times too much to be exact. So any time I ate sugar, even natural sugar like an apple, my blood sugar was crashing, not necessarily too low but just too quickly for my poor body to catch up. Each doctor posed a different theory about what might be responsible for this (though honestly, they just seemed way too excited for my liking about finding something amiss). Next thing I knew, I was heading in for ultrasounds and the word “insulinoma” was bouncing around.

Now, I know many current/future doctors; my one plea to you: please, please, please don’t just toss around words like that to your patients because their symptoms fit the bill. I know, you’ve spent way too many hours in a lab or buried in a book reading about conditions such as these, and you’re beyond excited to see it in real life…but then there are poor, frightened girls like me who end up huddled under a blanket on their apartment building rooftop googling “insulinoma” and looking out over the Baltimore skyline through tear-filled eyes. (And for those of you thinking the worst, my apartment had a rooftop deck…I was safely seated in my bucket chair, I just loved going up there at night to find peace and wait for Natty Boh to wink at me a few dozen times before bed.)

Photo Courtesy of http://www.baltimorefotos.com/

Fortunately, as you can probably guess, an insulin-producing tumor was not the cause of my maladies. However, the endoscopy to rule out this culprit was the reason they inadvertently found my intestinal lesions (typical of celiac disease) so really it was a blessing in disguise. So what was it then? Am I telling you that celiac also means avoiding sugar?? No, of course not. My untreated autoimmune condition had triggered another. My immune system was attacking my own insulin; hence my body kept thinking it had to make more…and before my poor cells knew what hit them, it was hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. AKA, I was passing out/scavenging for the nearest quick-sugar-fix. Bad news. The good news was that once they realized it was all autoimmune-related, I was told the insulin issues would fix themselves once I stopped ingesting gluten and my immune system had calmed down. Fortunately that proved true…but not before I was the reluctant recipient of a blood sugar monitor, a valuable lesson from the Allergy Angel who taught next door (who also happens to be a Glucometer Guru), and several subsequent months of 5-times-a-day-finger-prick testing. Diabetics of the world, my utmost respect to you. I admire you more than you know.

In time, my blood sugar levels stabilized and life got back to a new normal. However, as you’ve probably realized by now, gluten was not the last of my triggers. So with each new food issue came a resurgence of my blood sugar problems (not as severe as that first time, thank goodness) and each time they resolved themselves when the trigger was eliminated. That is, until recently. Last fall I returned for my annual 3-hour Glucose Tolerance Test (yes that one with the orange sugary drink that every pregnant woman I know dreads/complains about for weeks afterward). I get to have one every single year. And each year for the past 3 years, my levels would gradually get higher…and I think the great casein, soy, corn debacle of 2013 proved to be too much for my poor cells. So now, aside from avoiding gluten, dairy, soy, and corn, I also have to try to eat foods with a low glycemic index. (I know…just when you think it can’t get crazier, right??) And because of my most recent bloodwork, I now get to add a daily insulin-sensitizing medication to my bedtime routine. I’m just grateful I don’t have to do the finger pricking much anymore. That and the childhood summer I spent countless hours downing M&M minis with water in my determined attempt to learn how to swallow pills (a skill I don’t think I mastered until around the time I learned to drive).

My low-glycemic-index team 🙂

So why am I telling you this story?? To say sugar is the enemy?? Of course not. It’s because this is Celiac Awareness Month and whether we want to admit it, Celiac is not a harmless condition. It’s quite harmful. And that doesn’t even begin to address the subsequent issues which can come your way if you choose to ignore it. (Though I simply cannot wrap my head around how someone could manage that.) If you know something is wrong with you and your army of doctors keeps passing you off to a comrade insisting nothing is wrong (at least within their specialty), don’t give up and don’t surrender. It may take much longer than you, or anyone, would like…but getting to the root of your symptoms is imperative. And just because insulin was my issue doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone else. For many it’s thyroid or some other endocrine-related gland.

So Celiac Awareness Lesson of the Week: it is so much more than a stomachache. For some reason, people assume gluten consumption = stomach pain, maybe throwing up, and that’s it. Nope, in fact part of me wishes that were the case. The effects are lingering and can be devastating. So keep supporting the Celiac friends in your life in their quest to stay healthy. And if that Celiac friend is you? Well, stay strong in the battle my friend. It may be frustrating, frightening, and exhausting at times; but take it from the 2011 version of me fighting back tears on a Baltimore rooftop: healthy is a much happier place to be, no matter how long it takes to get there 🙂

Mr. Boh and I…much happier than in 2011 🙂

Breakfast!, Tips and Tricks

It’s a Strawberry World in the Springtime….

Posted on May 11, 2014October 26, 2019 by katiebiddle4317

Spring has finally (and I mean FINALLY) sprung here in Baltimore. This means many things: ant colony invasion in the kitchen, pollen covering the car each morning, birds chirping, sun shining…and strawberries will soon be in full bloom. Granted, in other places throughout the country I think they already are because the prices have returned to a reasonable amount over the past two weeks. Plus during my near-weekly visit to the Baltimore Farmers’ Market, I’ve noticed that there are 2 vendors selling a small amount of freshly-picked berries, so even here on the cold east coast, some of the strawberries must be staying strong.

My favorite local “pick-your-own” farm hasn’t reopened so I guess they’re not in full bloom yet…but the time is so close I can taste it. Seriously, if you’ve never picked your own strawberries, you need to do it at least once. Not only do they taste completely different than store berries, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon in the sun, chatting with friends/family while also feeling like you’re earning your treat. Did I mention the sun?? (WEAR SUNSCREEN. I forgot once and I swear I was the same shade as the berries in my box.) Baltimore friends, you have no excuse, I will gladly accompany you any time 🙂

Regardless of where the strawberries come from, my greatest frustration has always been the same: the berries turning mushy and moldy before I get to enjoy each decadent one. Until last month that is…

On one of those rainy days that seemed to consume the month of April, I was “Pinterest”-ing and among other things decided to search for a solution to my strawberry problem. I’ve heard a variety of debates regarding how to prolong the fridge life of strawberries (wash them right away/don’t wash them until you use them; keep them in the ventilated store container/place them in Ziploc with paper towel) but I’d never asked Pinterest. So I did and lo and behold, apparently there is an answer: vinegar. Now maybe this is one of those tricks that everyone else in the world already knows and is simply news to me, but I was floored. Vinegar? That horrible-smelling stuff I just used to clean the coffeemaker? But I had come home from the store with a 2-lb. box of strawberries that morning ($3.99 for 2 lbs…I just can’t turn down a bargain like that!) So I figured it was worth a shot. Here is what ensued:

1) I poured the berries into a large bowl and kept adding water cup-by-cup until the berries were submerged. Then I added about 1/2 cup of vinegar, mixed the bowl around, and left it in the sink.

2) After about 5 minutes, I came back and poured out the water/vinegar mixture. Then I rinsed the strawberries in a colander. Yes, mine is strawberry-shaped. It’s not because I love them so much I have a separate strainer…that just happens to be the one I strain everything in. (Clearly I cook in small portions.)

3) I hand-dried each berry with a paper towel before placing them in a Ziploc bag between 2 other paper towels.

It was a miracle. No joke, these berries last me 13 days and not a single one went bad! I was speechless. Maybe this is common knowledge that the rest of the world has been keeping from me (like the Bed Bath and Beyond coupon secret…you can use multiple coupons in one purchase! And that includes expired ones!! How did I not know??) but I was blown away. I’ve done it twice now since this inaugural exercise and each time, it’s worked like a charm. Granted, I did just buy my latest batch on Friday but still my hopes are high.

Now onto the next question: But Katie, what will I do with 2 lbs. of strawberries? I’m just one person! Well, don’t you worry, I already thought of that. First, you could chop some up each morning to add to your cereal. You have to get those fruit and veggie servings in somehow! Second, you could add them to ice cream or mix them with yogurt to blend a smoothie (if you’re fortunate enough to have a stomach which can handle either of those.) Third, you can dip them in melted chocolate for a delicious dessert treat! (Even I got to do that with my dairy-free, soy-free Enjoy Life chips!) And of course, you can bake with them. There are a hundred different muffins, tarts, pies, etc. you could probably make using strawberries but I have to share this most recent creation of mine which has left me drooling. Well, almost 🙂

Strawberry-Vanilla Pancakes. Yep, you read that right. Why didn’t I ever think of this before??

It all started when I used a Living Social deal to order this delicious pancake mix:

But I learned long ago that gluten-free pancakes need a little something extra to make them delicious. Something about the consistency is lacking without that pesky gluten. My go-to is usually blueberries or chocolate chips. However, on this particular morning I had strawberries on the brain. So I got to chopping…

And then I got to mixing. And as I mixed, I thought hmmm…you know what goes well with strawberries??

VANILLA! So before I knew it, I had all these ingredients in front of me. (The yellow bowl has my flaxseed egg substitute. Unfortunately, my “only tolerates eggs when baked in things” stomach is not fooled into thinking things such as pancakes or battered chicken/fish are baked enough. So no eggs for me 😦

Onto the griddle they went. Now I’ll admit at this point, I was skeptical. They didn’t look so stellar…

Fortunately, I was wrong. They were AMAZING!!! Here is the finished product with some delicious maple syrup and some Katie-safe breakfast sausages (Jones Dairy Farm…I know, misleading because it sounds like it would contain dairy. They don’t!). And coffee of course. I mean, come on now… I think you know me well enough so that should go without saying at this point.

And I even had enough to freeze for multiple weekday breakfasts. Springtime success!

And in case you’d prefer not to do the “taste test the batter” method I used, here is what worked for me. Though I personally would recommend the taste test. It’s more fun 🙂

Strawberry Vanilla Pancakes

1 cup “1-2-3 Gluten Free” pancake mix

1 egg substitute (AKA 3 tsp. flaxseed + 1tsp. water) or just 1 egg

almost 1/2 cup almond milk (I poured 1/4 cup and then kept adding until the texture seemed right)

3/4 cup chopped strawberries

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract (adjust based on how much you love vanilla!)

Drizzle the batter with agave syrup (if I had to guess 1 tsp.? Maybe 1.5?)

1 Tbsp. olive oil (again depends on the batter texture you’re looking for)

Put on the griddle at 375 and you’re good to go!!

Now let’s hope the sun keeps shining and I’ll see you soon at the strawberry patch! Or the Farmer’s Market…they each hold a special place in my heart 🙂

Celiac "Fun" Facts, Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free Life, Life Lessons, Newly-Diagnosed

10 Things I Wish People Knew About Life Without Gluten

Posted on May 1, 2014October 26, 2019 by katiebiddle4317

A few hours ago, we said good-bye to April and hello to May, which is important for a variety of reasons. First, it means the relentless rain should cease and bring us those promised “May flowers”…and in light of just how many April “showers” we’ve had, it better be an abundance of blooming spring flowers. Second, in the world of teaching, May means the light is at the end of the tunnel. Summer is just a calendar page away…which of course brings with it immeasurable excitement alongside downright panic at the sheer amount of material left to cover/work to do before that page flips; however, today I choose to focus on the good. And third, it means Celiac Awareness Month is upon us. Now I know these days it seems like every cause under the sun has its own day, week, month, or even year and thus it’s easy to disregard such a distinction. And yes, it means very little change in my day-to-day life so it can easily slip right past. However, given the impact such a condition has had on my life, I choose to acknowledge it, celebrate it (if such a thing can be considered celebrating), and raise a little awareness of my own. So here it goes…

Now, I can’t promise you that I’ll post more often during the month of May. It’s my fervent hope and established goal that such a dream will come to fruition; but as I mentioned above, May in the teaching world is just one giant chaotic whirlwind of concerts, sacraments, end-of-year showcases, exams, field trips, graduations…and did I mention grading?? So I’ll see what I can do but please don’t hold me to it 🙂

So what better way to begin Celiac Awareness than a simple list? It’s one I’ve been subconsciously acquiring for 3 years now without even realizing it. I call it “10 Things I Wish People Knew About Living Without Gluten (forget all my other issues)”

1) I am not trendy.

For anyone who knows me, this is an obvious one. Trendy would probably be among the last on the list of possible adjectives to describe me. In fact, it’s pretty close to the top of the “couldn’t be more opposite than Katie” list. And I mean that. After all, the Goodwill is my clothing store of choice at the moment, enough said. One of my kids said it best today when she exclaimed, “Miss Burke, I think I’m an old person trapped in a young person’s body”. I laughed and told her I’ve been saying that for over a decade now (about myself, not her). And yet, there have been some articles popping up recently which deem celiac disease to be “The Trendy Disease for Rich White People”. Now, I’m sorry but the only adjective in that phrase which addresses me is white. I could not be further from rich or trendy…but I will completely own my freakishly pale, only-sunburns-and-never-once-tanned skin. And I would just love for the authors/”scientists” (I use that term loosely)/whomever is behind such articles to explain to me what exactly is trendy about barely living as you’re slowly destroying your intestines, spending innumerable hours in various medical offices/labs, and then living life as a borderline social pariah who obsesses over every piece of food, beverage, lip balm, and oral hygiene product that enters your body. Yes, sounds like the definition of trendy to me. I think someone needs a little gift from Merriam-Webster 🙂

2) I am not fragile.

Yes, as mentioned above, I do obsess a bit about everything I consume. That doesn’t mean I’m fragile or weak. Vigilant, yes. Resourceful at times, absolutely. Fragile? No. I am not going to break if you touch me. You will not magically become intolerant to life too because I run up to you and give you one of my overenthusiastic hugs. I will not self-implode because I walk into a room that has bread in it. Yes, I sincerely appreciate your caution. I love when people don’t cross-contaminate my dish with their spoon or my hummus with their cracker. I am grateful when people wash their hands after handling cookie dough because I’m around. However, I don’t need to be treated like “bubble girl”. I live with my reality every day. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Most of those hours are spent around children under 13. Trust me, I can handle quite a bit 🙂

3) Yes, I know what I’m missing.

I cannot tell you how many times I get asked, “But don’t you miss pizza??/How do you live without bagels??/What about Oreos??” Of course, I do. They’re delicious delicacies that much of the population enjoys without a second thought, except perhaps to consider its potential impact on their waistline, and they’re off-limits to me. I recently described it to a friend as living in a kind of perpetual Lent. There’s no Easter joy of “I can finally eat (insert Lenten sacrifice here) again!!” Though as an astute priest pointed out in his homily last weekend, if we’re doing Lent right, that shouldn’t be the case anyway. Regardless, you get the idea. Yes I know how many amazing foods are no longer on my radar. I also know how horrible the aftermath of such foods would be to my poor body so it’s pretty much a no-brainer. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have my moments…like Tuesday night when I was at the mall and caught a whiff of that distinctive Auntie Anne’s scent. I swear there must be something addictive in those things. In short, yes, I do know what I’m missing and what I’ve lost…but I also know what I’ve gained since my ill, not-quite-a-real-person-anymore days.

4) I hate being introduced as “the girl who is allergic to everything”

You know what they say about first impressions? How you don’t get a 2nd chance to make one? Well, imagine that’s your most frequent introduction. It’s simply human nature for fascinating facts to stick in our minds and so suddenly I’m remembered as the girl who can’t eat anything. I can’t refute: it is fascinating. It boggles my mind sometimes when I think about it. However, there is so much more to my life that I would argue is just as fascinating. And no one would ever introduce me as “the Spelling Bee girl”, “the girl who decided to pursue two different degrees in college” or “the girl who has taught 6 different grade levels in 6 years of teaching”…so why should my first impression be defined by a food issue that is beyond my control? Yes, it will come up eventually…but it doesn’t define who I am.

5) I miss when grocery shopping was simple.

I LOVE grocery shopping. I always have. However, sometimes as I steer my cart around the perimeter of the grocery store, I miss the days when I could explore the aisles in the middle. I miss when I could notice a new product and grab it off the shelf to try. I miss when I could just choose a sale item and place it in my cart without having to scrutinize the label. I miss having a place I could call my grocery store. Growing up in PA, ours was ShopRite. It was the one store we went to and we only went once a week. You knew once the cookies were gone or your favorite flavor of Pringles was devoured, you were going without until the next week. These days I have about 4 different grocery stores I have to frequent because a “regular” grocery store doesn’t have everything I need. And then even the natural/organic stores all carry different products that I use…so grocery shopping is no longer routine, logical, or methodical. As I drove between stores last Sunday, I reminisced about the days when grocery shopping was a less-than-an-hour event. (Last week took 2.5 with travel time included). It’s not all bad though…I do get to compare 4 different “grocery store radio mixes” of songs from my middle school years. If that doesn’t make your Sunday complete, nothing will.

6) I miss when eating on the run was simple (or even possible).

Some of my favorite memories from childhood involve the nights when one of us had a major life event on a weeknight: Confirmations, Distinguished Award banquets, a championship basketball game, Opening Night of the school music, etc. They were my favorites for many reasons but one major perk was that it usually involved stopping for pizza, Boston Market, or some other quick dinner that we normally didn’t get to enjoy, especially on a weeknight. I still have crazy nights like these as an adult, only now it’s usually because I’m running to such events for my students…but on more than one occasion I’ve longed for the days when I could just run to the Chick-Fila drive-thu or participate in my school’s “place your order for a sub and have your dinner taken care of” plan. Unfortunately, life without gluten means always planning ahead. Like tonight when I have to be at school until 9 to celebrate a year of STEM-related accomplishments, I can’t just grab a quick bite and run back. I have to plan, cook ahead of time, and leave in the morning with not one meal in my lunchbox, but two. Again, on the plus side, it probably means my heart is healthier these days since I can’t eat fast food…but still, some days I really miss it.

7) Life is expensive. And I mean absurdly so.

I’ve referred to this in other posts so I won’t dwell on it. But life without gluten is expensive. No 10 for $10 pasta for us. No 99 cent loaves of Wonder Bread. And moreso than that: almost no generic brands of ANYTHING (save for Wegman’s…God bless Wegman’s :-)) On top of that, there really is no such thing as a free meal. I often think about that when I’m at a conference where lunch is provided or a celebratory event which involves appetizers and dinner. For many people, those are gifts: a night of no cooking and cost-free delicacies they’d never make for themselves. For me, it just means another night to cook, eat ahead of time, and repeatedly decline offers of food people insist is safe for me. I’ve learned such social gatherings are not the place to explain the whole shared cutting board, shared pots and pans situation. If I do, #4 becomes a reality. So in short, there is no way around it: Life is expensive. Even for a frugal, coupon-clipping girl like me.

8) Being “gluten sick” is miserable. Being real sick is downright scary.

There are no words to describe how miserable I feel if I eat gluten. And by that I mean something contaminated by gluten…because I can’t even imagine how bad it would be if I actually ate a bagel or piece of bread. I won’t go into explicit detail because I did in a post awhile back…but all I will say is the phrase “power through” cannot be applied to being “gluten sick”. I am not someone who let sinus infections or headaches stop me in my tracks. But gluten? Well, I literally cannot get off the couch. And I mean that in all sincerity. Also, I’m not a nice person if it happens. Consider yourself warned 🙂 And “normal” sickness (i.e. sinus infections, ear infections, etc.)? They’re not just annoying, they’re frightening. Partially because trying to find safe medication has the challenge of an Olympic event but also because there is always the fear of the treatment making you feel worse and your poor, confused, already-in-overdrive immune system attacking the wrong thing.

9) Going to the dentist is stressful. (And I LOVED going to the dentist.)

I am rare in that I love the dentist. I love seeing my 6-month cleaning on my calendar. Well, I should say loved. Past tense. There are two reasons for this. First, celiac is associated with dental issues. Granted this is only the case when you’re consuming gluten…but once the damage is done, it’s not like the absence of gluten in your system magically refills the cavities or replaces the enamel you lost during the years when you didn’t know what was wrong. So me, the girl who prided herself on a lack of cavities, now has lost track of how many fillings I have. Somehow every time I go, they find something new that needs to be fixed. And that brings me to reason 2 to be stressed. Everything about dental work involves your mouth. So even though you don’t want to think about how much of that stuff makes it’s way into your intestinal tract, I can tell you it does. (Remember, not just during the procedure but when you eat or drink immediately after). I had a procedure done early in my gluten-free days and didn’t think to tell my dentist. Since most adhesives (even Elmer’s glue) contain gluten ingredients, so do many pastes used in dental work. I was confined to the couch for two days, sick as could be while also dealing with a throbbing mouth. It was enough to counteract 24 years of positive dental experiences. I now dread the dentist.

10) Life without gluten is a full and beautiful one.

I know the first 9 items on this list seem like downers, and that was not at all my intent. I just figure Celiac Awareness Month means people should be made aware of some harsh realities of a world without gluten. However, that being said, no one should feel sorry for us. Everyone in this life has certain burdens and crosses they have to bear. Yes, gluten is one of mine but in the grand scheme of life, that’s a small one. I am happy and I am healthy. It’s a treatable condition. It’s not a condition that involves a long, painful treatment regimen. No, it will never go away…but if I can be healthy just by altering my diet, then I am far luckier than many people in this world. And on top of that, I’ve been introduced to a wonderful community. The gluten-free community (and I mean the real one, not the bandwagon GF friends) is one of the most positive, helpful ones I’ve encountered. People who don’t even know you just want to help. I’ve had fascinating discussions with so many people I never would have known otherwise. We’re happy, we’re loving life, and we’re the farthest thing from sad or pathetic.

So there you have it…Day 1 of raising awareness. Have a great May 1st and be on the lookout for more awareness over the next 31 days 🙂