Over thirty years ago, Mr. Ritt opened a bakery in Philadelphia that would later become a gluten-free establishment and gain a dedicated fan base among the gluten-free community. It’s no surprise that after closing his bakery’s doors, Mr. Ritt was met with the demands of his enthusiastic customers who couldn’t do without his tasty creations. Lucky for us, in response to their feedback, he developed a variety of mixes, which can now be conveniently ordered online. We had the opportunity to test some of these mixes, and we were quite satisfied.

Mr. Ritt makes a wide assortment of gluten-free mixes, allowing the gluten-free community to make all sorts of baked goods, from cookies and cakes to baguettes, pizza crust, and hamburger buns. The mixes are excellent, with great flavor, versatility, and quality ingredients.

The All-Purpose Buckwheat Flour Blend is a high-fiber and high-protein mix. This one is ideal for baked goods with a flavor that’s stronger than chocolate chip cookies, according to Mr. Ritt’s website. Pizza and Italian lovers can use the Multipurpose Italian Bread and Pizza Crust Mix, which is not only gluten-free but also egg- and dairy-free.  This mix is good for hamburger and hotdog buns as well as pizza crust.

Waffle-lovers, rejoice! Mr. Ritt’s Buttermilk Waffle Mix can be used for not only waffles, which were the mainstay of Mr. Ritt’s bakery for years, but also pancakes and even a tempura mix.

If you’re a fan of soft pretzels, as I am, you’ll love the Quinoa Bread and Pretzel Mix, a delicious mix that’s not only free of gluten, egg, and dairy, but made with quinoa flour, rich in protein and fiber. As far as I know, it’s the only soft pretzel mix celiacs can make at home!

Mr. Ritt has used his impressive experience to enable us to reproduce his cherished goods in our kitchen with versatile, nutritious, and delicious mixes. What’s more, Mr. Ritt says more are coming. I highly recommend his products for your gluten-free baking needs!

Miranda Jade

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

Now that you’re gluten-free, you don’t have to say goodbye to your favorite recipes. If you have tons of family recipes that have been handed down to you, this can be very good news!

The conversion process is simple: just use gluten-free flour blend (which you can make yourself using my gluten-free flour blend recipe—or buy it prepackaged) one-for-one. This applies to cookies, pancakes, and muffins.

Does your recipe require cake flour? You can make your own by combining 1 ¼ cups of your gluten-free flour blend with ¼ cup of tapioca starch or flour or ¼ cup of corn starch.

The one-for-one substitution doesn’t apply to all recipes, though, such as with Danish sweet rolls and yeast breads.

Miranda Jade
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

b.a.

The symptoms of celiac disease cover a wide range and are variable from person to person, but according to the Canadian Celiac Association, there are some symptoms that seem to be particularly common among celiac children.

These are: vomiting, irritability, behavioral changes, delayed growth or puberty, short stature, and dental enamel abnormalities.

According to Celiacs, Inc., the symptoms of celiac disease usually manifest in children after three to five months after they first ingest gluten, but this period of time may be shorter (“as short as one month”).  Their website lists additional celiac symptoms commonly found in children, such as a large abdomen, abnormal stools (large, pale, or floating), flattened buttocks, and acute diarrhea and dehydration.  Older children will experience “more subtle” symptoms such as: poor appetite, poor growth, and anemia.

Miranda Jade
http://www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
b.a.

Celaic disease, which has a wide variety of symptoms in itself, often is attended by other health conditions. According to the Canadian Celiac Association, for this reason, it’s recommended that people with celiac disease symptoms or a family history of celiac disease get tested for the following associated conditions:

-Osteoporosis
-Type 1 diabetes mellitus
-Other autoimmune disease (such as autoimmune hepatitis or autoimmune thyroid disease)
-Down syndrome
-Turner syndrome
-Lymphoma

Miranda Jade
http://www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

b.a.

You can order a copy of the Winter print edition of the Journal of Gluten Sensitivity to read my article, “U.S. Has Yet to Define ‘Gluten-Free’ for Food Labels,” in which I take up the critical subject of the FDA’s gluten-free labeling regulations.

The Journal of Gluten Sensitivity is a print and online quarterly newsletter co-edited by the founder of Celiac.com, Scott Adams. It publishes articles geared toward those on the gluten-free diet for reasons of celiac disease, gluten intolerance, as well as wheat allergies, keeping readers up-to-date on the latest scientific research and developments in the gluten-free arena. I am honored to have my article included in its Winter publication.

Check out the link below to subscribe to the newsletter:

http://www.glutenfreemall.com/catalog/journal-gluten-sensitivity-celiaccom-paper-edition-online-edition-year-subscriptionissues-celiac-disease-newsletters-p-469.html

Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

b.a.

I’m pleased to say that my popular Gluten-Free “No Pudge” Brownies in a Cup recipe has made it into the latest Vancouver Chapter Canadian Celiac Association’s Newsletter! My “No Pudge” brownies are one of my favorite quick gluten-free desserts. These babies are low-fat and don’t even taste gluten-free. The best part? They take just a minute to make in the microwave!

The CCA is a fantastic organization—what an honor to have my recipe featured by them.

Hungry for some delicious brownies? Check out my “No Pudge” Brownies in a Cup recipe here:

http://glutenfreehelp.info/20-minute-recipes/no-pudge-brownies-in-a-cup-2-points-weight-watchers/

Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

One of my lovely readers purchased Cajun Choices Shrimp, Crab and Crawfish Boil and put her own spin on it. Take a look at what she has to say and check out the Cajun Choice review.

“I love to use my “Crab Boil” for other things besides a base for soups. I actually put it into a salt shaker and sprinkle it on top of chicken, fish, vegetables, etc.  I also like to add it to my gluten free flour when i’m breading my chicken to make chicken tenders. I like to use it in replace of salt because of the added spices, which increases the flavor to any dish.”

Miranda Jade

www.glutenfreehelp.info

Namaste Foods, L.L.C. prides itself on the concept and purpose of nourishing the body with good food, which in turn nourishes the mind and spirit. I think celiac and gluten-sensitive individuals can agree that this statement is true.

With my testers in Florida and L.A. licking their lips in satisfaction over their Namaste Chocolate Cake Mix outcomes, we had to try another adaptation, the black bottom cupcakes. Our adapted gluten-free black bottom cupcakes are filled with a delicious cream cheese middle, which blends into the entire cupcake through the baking process, making a truly decadent and moist cupcake overflowing on the top. For those of you who enjoy “muffin tops,” you’ll be pleased to know that you get both a whopping top and the cupcake in these desserts. We opted to use honey instead of the sugar called for in the Namaste recipe, and our topping was slightly altered as well. Just perfect!

The Chocolate Cake Mix really tastes exactly like the old gluten-laden chocolate cake mix we’ve all long forgotten and is a perfect mix for any of your cake or cupcake needs. Any frosting just adds to the delight, as you would expect.

We also tested the Taco Pasta, which comes with a premade mix of noodles. We followed the directions precisely yet added chopped tomatoes, chili pepper, and chicken breast as well as cilantro, fresh lemon juice, and a topping of cheddar cheese. It was delicious. It was a good, easy family meal that took less than 15 minutes to prepare.

Namaste offers 18 varieties of pasta and baking mixes, 8 of which are sugar-free and kosher. The owner, Daphne Taylor, has gone the extra step to ensure they are made in a facility that is gluten-, wheat-, potato-, soy-, corn-, dairy-, nut-, peanut- and cashew-free. She also ensures all ingredients are not genetically modified.

Namaste can sit on family tables that serve kids with multiple food allergies. We were pleased to know so many families are supporting Namaste with the results of happy, pain-free, symptom-free children.

Namaste products can be found in many health food stores and are easy to order online at www.NamasteFoods.com. Their site offers many additional recipes, as their mixes are really quite versatile.

With a single mom’s dream and vision, the help of support groups, recognition by health food stores, and word of mouth, Namaste is now run by 14 women from their own homes to its continued growth and success.

We really like their vision, their purpose, and their delicious mixes!

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

Two years later, Michael secured a gluten-free facility for Bakery on Main and all the gluten-free sources he needed to package up his own dairy-free and gluten-free granolas and bars.

Their granola immediately stands out for its superior taste. I could barely stop eating it (straight from the bag) long enough to top my bowl of yogurt with it.  I’ve had their granolas tested by 12 people, some not celiac, and it is unanimous—all six flavors are exceptional. The granola flavors are not only delicious, but unique too, coming in creative combinations, such as Cranberry Orange Cashew Granola (I bet you’ve never had that before) and Rainforest Granola, a tropical flavor with dried bananas, coconut, and roasted Brazil nut slices. My favorite is the Extreme Fruit & Nut Granola, which contains almonds, pecans, walnuts, Brazil nuts, coconut, cranberries, and raisins. That’s a whole lot of nuts, and they complement each other perfectly!

The granola bars come in six flavors as well. Just as with Bakery on Main’s granolas, the bars come in flavors you’ve likely never come across, such as the ultimate kids snack, Peanut Butter & Jelly Soft & Chewy Bars, and the Extreme Trail Mix Granola Bars. I know that any adult or child who liked the old (gluten-containing) commercial granola bars is in for a treat with these delectable substitutes.

Tina Turbin
www.glutenfreehelp.info