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| Miss Roben's, Your Allergy Grocer
Newsletter
Holiday Tips & Menu Ideas |
November 2004 | |
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 Greetings!
Welcome to the Miss Roben's, Your Allergy Grocer newsletter. This monthly to bi- monthly newsletter will offer a variety
of menu ideas, tips, recipes, and management strategies for individuals on restricted diets. As always, we are available to
assist you with any questions that you encounter, either by email at bakingsupport@allergygrocer.com or phone 1-800- 891-0083.
Our technical support person's, Diane & Jay, are well versed in many of the special diets our clients are following including
those with Celiac disease ; food allergies and other food intolerances ; those on the Feingold Diet, GFCF Diet, diets for
Candida, Colitis, Crohns, IRB, Specific Carbohydrate Diet and more. We will spend whatever time it takes by phone or email
to help you and hopefully ease the dietary transition(s). If you would like to share your thoughts on this newsletter or offer
suggestions for topics that you would like to see covered in upcoming editions, you can do so by emailing BakingSupport@AllergyGrocer.com
.
If you have received this email in error, please do not report it as spam. Please scroll to the bottom and un- subscribe
with one click. Thanks!
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 Suggestions For Safely Celebrating The Winter Holidays
Winter & the accompanying holidays are filled with delightful surprise for most children & adults. But, along with
the holiday gift surprise, can come an unexpected encounter with a potentially harmful food for the food allergic or intolerant.
Uncovering hidden hazards will require some investigation and time. In addition to the holiday fare, many holiday decorations
may contain common allergens. Holiday wreaths often contain nuts, gingerbread houses will most likely contain wheat, egg,
dairy, soy and corn., holiday potpourri and pomanders may contain a variety of spices and citrus fruits, etc. Natural Christmas
trees, floral decorations and wreaths are frequently a problem for those with environmental allergens, too. In some instances,
the natural greenery may even be poisonous. The list is endless, and since each child's allergens, degree of sensitivity and
age will vary, so will the risks. It is important to be prepared to intervene promptly and effectively in the unfortunate
event a reaction does occur. Toddlers are typically at the greatest risk, because exploring hands may find their way into
a bowl or a glass that has been left sitting on a table. Crumbs may pose a threat, too, as toddlers have a tendency to pick
things up from the floor and sample them. If visiting someone with a pet, it is important to remember that the pet food bowl
may harbor many common allergens. Even the well-meaning lick from the pet dog may result in a reaction for some highly allergic
individuals.
Holiday festivities at school and church are often centered around foods and food oriented crafts. Contact
the school or church several weeks in advance of holiday activities, so that you can offer safe alternative items that will
allow your child to participate. If your child has a history of skin contact reactions, make arrangements to personally screen
all craft items prior to your child having contact with them. If possible, offer to assist with school or church holiday parties,
so that you can carefully monitor your child and prevent accidents from occurring. If you are hosting family celebratory events,
you may find it easier to provide only safe foods and decorations. But, this does not ensure a reaction will not occur. Guests
may bring a food gift or decoration that contains a hidden allergen. Whether or not you are the host or will be visiting a
friend or relatives, several weeks in advance it is a good idea to review the menu, contact guests and discuss allergy concerns,
review your emergency plans and medicine bag. If traveling by plane, contact the airline and request an allergen free flight
and discuss boarding the plane first to allow adequate time to clean any surfaces that your child may contact. Even if the
airline agrees not serve an allergic item, another passenger may bring a snack on board. Therefore, it is important to have
access to your medical kit at all times. For additional information & tips on travel, our travel newsletter provides a
variety of tips & suggestions to ease the stress of traveling with an allergic individual.
Holiday foods and decorations
are often derived from common allergens. And, many manufacturers produce special holiday fare using different manufacturing
protocol than their normal products. For example, holiday cookies may be produced on lines that are shared with other allergen
containing cookies, etc. It is crucial to call and verify the safety of all holiday food products, even if they appear safe.
If you will be eating foods from a party, use caution, as someone may transfer an allergic residues into an otherwise safe
dish.
Advance preparation, and thoroughly investigation of holiday items will help to ensure your family has a safe
and allergen free holiday. |
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 Christmas Breakfast Recipes
Food Allergy Kitchen Cinnamon Rolls Source: Copyright,Diane Hartman, The Food Allergy Kitchen, 2004
Dough:
3
packages SAF instant yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 1/3 cups Tyler's flour mix(see below)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup shortening
2 teaspoons agar powder
Preheat oven 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast, sugars & water.
Add shortening, baking powder & agar, mix well. Blend in flour, starting with 3 cups, adding additional, as needed, until
a soft & smooth knead able dough is formed. Transfer onto lightly floured surface, roll to 1/4 " thickness. Spread with
filling and then roll into a jelly roll style log, slice in one inch increments. Place on oiled or greased baking stone or
cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool & drizzle icing onto top.
Filling:
1/2
cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2-3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 Tbsp shortening
Combine ingredients
to form a crumbly sugar mixture.
Icing:
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
enough water to produce a drizzle icing
Tyler's Gluten Free Flour Mixture
6
cups brown rice flour
2 cups white rice flour
2 cups tapioca starch
2 cups arrowroot starch
2 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp guar gum
Sift ingredients together until well blended.
Breakfast Sausage
1 pound ground pork sausage
2-3
tsp Renaissance Turkey Rub
2 tsp coarse sea salt or Kosher salt
Combine ingredients and form into patties. Fry on both sides until thoroughly
cooked. |
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 Snowman Casserole
Source: Diane Hartman, The Food Allergy Kitchen Cookbook,
All Rights Reserved
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef or turkey
2-3 cups mixed vegetables, frozen or canned
1 1/2 cups beef or
turkey broth
2 tablespoons or so of acceptable thickener(less if using tapioca or potato starch- about 1 1/2 Tbsp should
be adequate)
4-5 medium potatoes, boiled or microwave until soft throughout milk substitute and margarine for mashed potatoes
peppercorns
peas,
or other edible button garnishments
Directions:
In a skillet, brown ground meat and drain. Add mixed veggies to
skillet, if using frozen, and saute until vegetables are warm. If using canned, drain and combine items in a casserole dish,
skipping previous step. Combine cool broth(warm or hot broth will result in lumps) and thickener, blend until smooth. Pour
gravy mixture over veggies and meat.
In a large mixing bowl, mash potatoes, add a small amount of milk substitute
and margarine for a fluffy texture, but not so much that mixture become soft. Use firm mashed potatoes to shape multiple snowmen
characters to place on top of stew. I used about 2-3 tablespoons of mashed pot. for head, and 5 tablespoons for bodies. I
try to squeeze in 4 snowmen on top of stew. Extra potatoes can be refrigerated and served separately.
After placing
potatoes on stew, bake uncovered for 18-20 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove, and then garnish the snow men with small sliver
of carrot for each nose, peppercorns for eyes(be sure to remove, this is a choking hazard), peas, if acceptable for buttons
on the bodies. If ketchup is okay for your child, you can make scarves using ketchup, for the snowmen. |
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 Gingerbread House Glue ~ Egg Free Varieties
Source: Diane Hartman, The Food Allergy Kitchen
1 package dairy free white chocolate chips
2 tsp shortening or ghee
In a double boiler, crockpot or microwave, melt chocolate. Do not overheat or the chocolate will scorch. Pipe warm
melted chocolate on surfaces that you wish to glue, press together and hold for about 45-60 seconds or until set.
Or,
use the recipe below to make homemade white chocolate for gingerbread house glue.
Mock White Chocolate Coating Source:
Copyright, Diane Hartman, The Food Allergy Kitchen Cookbook, all rights reserved
2 cups granulated sugar
1/ 2 cup
liquid dairy substitute(i.e. soy milk, Dari Free, etc)
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup cocoa butter
In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Remove stirring spoon and
allow mixture to boil for five minutes, do not stir. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 2 minutes. Using caution with
hot mixture beat with a stand mixture for approximately 4 minutes or a hand mixture for 5 minutes or until thick and creamy.
Working quickly, dip fruit or pretzels into mixture and transfer onto wax paper. If using as a candy base or fudge, transfer
into well greased shallow glass or metal pan. |
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 Gingerbread House
Source: Patti Hudson, Contest Winner
Two packages Miss Roben's Roll and Cut Gingerbread cookie mix will make a medium size gingerbread house and cookie people, trees and animal decorations. Select Gingerbread House pattern.
Using one mix package at a time, divide prepared dough into three portions, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 6 hours.
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out chilled dough segments directly on chilled and greased cookie sheets. Keep rolling pin lightly
floured using an equal mixture of tapioca starch and white rice flour. Place house patterns directly on dough and carefully
cut around patterns, removing extra dough (re-wrap and refrigerate to re-roll later). Cut around door and window shapes in
unbaked house (do not remove). Bake house pieces 20-30 minutes until lightly brown along the edges and firm in the center
to the touch. While still hot, trim any cooked edges from house pieces and re-cut around door and windows. Remove door and
windows, if desired. Windows pieces cut in half can be used for shutters.
Carefully run a thin spatula under house
pieces to loosen from cookie sheet. Remove house pieces from cookie sheet to cooling racks and let cool. Cut people, trees
and animals from dough rolled out directly on chilled-greased cookie sheets and repeat baking process.
Use Royal icing
from Wilton's Meringue Powder to glue cooked pieces together. Let the four sides of the house "set up" until icing is dry
(1-2 hours) before putting on the roof pieces. To prevent house from collapsing, support house with thin food grade lightweight
Syrofoam or foil covered cardboard. Use food coloring to color the icing for decoration. Use Royal Icing "glue", decorate
house. Betty Crocker Signature Brands Decors, M & M's, cut up fruit leather, Necco Wafers, Jet Puffed Marshmallows and
small pretzels make good GF decorations- (Check with all manufacturer's for GF status before using, since manufacturer's frequently
change ingredients and manufacturing procedures).
For great instructional videos ("The Gingerbread House", "The Joy
of Gingerbread House Making", and Children's video " Gingerbread Land" and book "Gingerbread Ideas"(full of patterns and step
by step instructions), write:
The Gingerbread Lady, 2714 Royal Road, Lancaster, PA 17603 or call 717-394-8220 |
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 Hanukkah Recipes
Hamentaschen
Source: GFCFRecipes, modified from a recipe from Chabad
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1/3
cup shortening
3 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice (adds great flavor)
4 cups gluten free flour
4 tsp baking powder
1-2 tsp xanthan gum
1 egg, beaten
Filling, may be homemade mohn (poppy seed filling) or can use jam or apricot or chocolate chips,
even peanut butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar, oil and shortening. Add eggs and juice and mix well.
Blend all dry ingredients and mix with wet ingredients until well mixed. Form small balls and flatten in palm or on cookie
sheet, put a small dab of desired filling and fold up sides to form the shape of a triangle. Brush each cookie with beaten
egg dough before baking. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. If too crumbly add a bit more gum next time.
Makes approx
4 dozen hamentaschen.
Sweet Potato Latkes
2 medium sweet potatoes, steamed until tender but not mushy &
then chilled
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 to 2 Tbsp potato flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
Oil, for frying Latkes
Remove skin from potatoes, shred into medium sized
bowl. Add egg, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, potato flour and brown sugar. Mix until well blended.
In a medium skillet,
add approximately 2 Tbsp heat stable cooking oil & warm. Shape potato mixture into 2 1/2 " patties and cook until brown
on both sides. Transfer onto paper towels to drain. Add additional oil to skillet, as needed, warming first to cook remaining
latkes.
Newly stocked Hanukkah items:
Dark Chocolate Hanukkah Miniatures
Milk Chocolate Hanukkah Miniatures
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 Dairy Free Egg Nog
Source: GFCF Recipes, Yahoo Groups
Ingredients:
6 large eggs, beaten 2 cups acceptable milk substitute, i.e. Dari Free 1/3 cup sugar or equivalent
1 tsp vanilla ground nutmeg
Instructions:
1. In a large heavy saucepan combine eggs, milk, and 1/3 cup sugar.
2. Over medium heat, cook until mixture coats a metal spoon.
3. Remove from heat.
4. While stirring, cool quickly
by placing pan in a sink or bowl of ice water.
5. Stir in vanilla.
6. Chill 4-24 hours. |
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 Kid's Corner
Cookie Cutter Christmas Clay Dough - Non~Edible
Source: Diane Hartman
1/2 cup ground cinnamon
1/3 cup
applesauce
1 Tbsp gluten free white glue
In a small mixing bowl, combine ingredients & knead until smooth.
Dust a clean dry surface with cinnamon & roll dough to desired thickness. Use a cookie cutter & cut dough into desired
shapes. *Insert a hole for hanging into the top of ornament using a toothpick or paper clip. Lift dough with a metal spatula
onto a wire cookie rack & allow to air harden for several days, carefully flipping every 24 hours to promote even dryness.
Or, dry in 250 degree oven for several hours or until dough is hardened.
*An adult should closely supervise this step
to prevent the child(ren) from becoming injured with a sharp object.
br> Apple Santa
Source: Cynthia Ballard, Theme
Stream Contributor
What you will need to share in the creativity:
1 apple for each Santa designer
One bag large
marshmallows
One bag miniature marshmallows
One bag small gumdrops
One bag large gumdrops
One jar cloves
One
bag cotton balls
One box toothpicks
Suggestions for making an Apple Santa -
Select apple for Santa body, insert
toothpicks into sides of apple for arms and bottom of apple, extending forward for legs. Use miniature marshmallows for white
cuffs on Santa's arms and small gumdrops for hands. Use large marshmallows for Santa's white-topped boots and large gumdrops
for legs.
Play around - these are your works of edible art! Insert toothpick directly into stem area of apple. This is
the base for the head. Slide a large marshmallow on the pick for the face and a large gumdrop for the hat. Tuck a separated
cotton ball under the "chin" of the marshmallow head for beard. Place cloves on marshmallow face for eyes and nose. Place
cloves down center of apple body for buttons. |
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 Kwanza Recipes
Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup gluten free flour mixture
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch strips
1 egg, lightly
beaten or 1/4 cup unsweetened milk substitute
1/3 cup margarine, melted
salt & pepper, to taste
Preheat oven
to 400 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine coconut, flour, and spices. Dip chicken strips into egg or milk substitute,
then coat with coconut mixture. Place in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake 25 minutes or until chicken
is browned and cooked through, turning once. Serve with Apricot Dipping Sauce, if desired. Makes about 2 dozen.
Apricot
Dipping Sauce: Try our Wax Orchards Apricot Chutney for a simple festive dipping sauce. |
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| Sweet "Chex Like"
Mix
1 1/2 cups Rice Crunch Em's
1 1/2 cups Corn Crunch Em's
1 cup pretz els
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup chocolate candies, of choice
1/3 cup margarine
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/8 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
In a large mixing
bowl, combine Rice & Corn Crunch Em's & pretzels. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine margarine, honey &
brown sugar. Over medium heat, stirring frequently, bring to boil. Remove spoon & allow to gently boil for 4-5 minutes,
do not stir. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla & pour over cereal mixture. Gently mix until cereal is evenly coated with
syrup. Transfer mixture onto lightly oiled cooking tray & bake in 250 degree preheated oven for 45 minutes to one hour.
Stir every ten minutes to promote even doneness. Cool & store unused portion in airtight container. | |
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