Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Years Eve! Get in the Spirit with G- free Spirits!

Times of celebration can be especially hard for Celiacs. What can you drink? Vodka was iffy for awhile, it is made from grains but the distillation process actually kills the gluten protein. The same is true for other distilled alcohols such as: Rum, Tequila, Scotch Whiskey, Brandy. Where you can run into trouble is when flavors are added to the alcohol. Some of these flavor additives can contain gluten. There are a few things you can do: You can tell the bartender about your allergy and ask to read the bottle to see if it contains gluten (it may not even say if it does, so beware!) or you can stick to the unflavored stuff and create some tried and true favs. Wines is another to add to the list of G- Free drink but was also iffy at a point. Apparently in Europe, fine wines are made in barrels with a gluten paste, the gluten is killed during fermentation but that wine DOES come in contact with gluten. However, most domestic wines are made in tanks and never see that yucky gluten. To be on the safe side.. stick to U.S. made wines (support your local wineries when you can!). Here is a drink recipe for my " I Can't Believe It's Winter White Sangria"  to add to your G-Free party list.
Enjoy, drink responsibly and most of all.. Stay Fab!

G-FreeJ

I Can't Believe It's Winter White Sangria


Ingredients:
  • 1 Bottle of white wine (sauvignon blanc or pinot grigo work great!)
  • 1/3 cup of a zero calorie sugar substitute
  • slices of orange, lemon, lime ( as little or as much as you like!)
  • 2 oz.of rum, or brandy (optional!)
  • 1/2 liter of diet  ginger ale or club soda
  • You can use any fruit you would like in here! Apples work great for crunch, strawberries, cherries. Experiment!

Preparation:

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the orange,lemon and lime into the wine, add optional alcohol. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving. Serve with lots of ice to keep it cold.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Welcome to Easily and Happily Gluten Free!

My name is Jessica, a.k.a. G-free J. I have been living with Celiac for years. My journey to getting diagnosed was similar to other Celiac's: I was misdiagnosed for years with everything from Lactose Intolerance to Irritable Bowel Syndrome ( I'll save all the gory details!!). For me, getting diagnosed was a blessing, I finally had an answer for my health problems. It was also scarey, I remember thinking, "What the hell can I eat?" I grew up on pasta Sundays and I love food! I decided I wasn't going to let Celiac get the best of me so I headed to the kitchen and began researching easy, delicious foods and habits that I enjoy and will not break the bank. Through alot of trial and error , I have complied a TON of useful info on Celiac. I would like to share these recipes, tips and facts on Celiac with you! I am constantly learning new things about being G-free and new ways to make old favs enjoyable again!

Stay Fab!- G-free J