Gluten-Free Pizza

Let's face it, it's a heck of a lot easier to find gluten-free restaurants than it used to be. However, it's often not safe enough for anyone who is Celiac.

Let's take pizza places for example, some do gluten-free pizza now, but still process wheat in the same kitchen. It's fine for us, and we love it, but I feel the distinction should be clarified. So far we've tried Romios and Pizza Works.

Romios is just off of 85th in Greenwood. They have very yummy gluten-free bread sticks that come with tomato sauce. The pizza is also very good. The waitstaff proved to be quite accommodating and were happy to check with the kitchen regarding ingredients. I was able to request no sauce, to avoid garlic. They don't do gf-child portions so my daughter had to order off the main menu - which was more than enough food.

Pizza Works is near Bastyr University in Juanita, and they do gluten-fee and yeast-free pizza. They have soy cheese, which worked for my daughter and they let me bring my own non-cheese for my son. I was able to get my pizza without sauce here as well. The staff are very cheerful and helpful. It is also worth mentioning that the kitchen has a dedicated gluten-free area.

Pizza Works get their crusts from Sunny Valley Wheat Free - which is a 100% dedicated facility in Maple Valley. Bob at Pizza Works also told me about Haley's Corner Bakery, which is 100% dedicated gluten-free bakery in Kent.

You can still have a pizza experience!

Crazy Cake

A new friend was looking for an eggless cake to celebrate her birthday. My family has a very old recipe that was typically used, not for food sensitivities, but for lack of eggs! Maybe depression era recipes are an untapped resource for living without! Who would have thought? My food sensitive subs are in parenthesis.

3 c flour (3 c gf-flour+2 tbs baking powder)
2c sugar (2 c agave nectar)
2tsp soda
1/2 c cocoa
1tsp salt
1tsp vanilla
2 tsp vinegar (balsamic tastes really good with chocolate, but you can use any)
3/4 c cooking oil
2 c water

Sift first 5 ingredients directly into 9X13 inch pan. Make 3 holes in dry ingredients, put vanilla into 1 hole, vinegar in another, cooking oil in the third. Pour cold water over entire mixture. Blend with fork. Do not beat. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes in the pan you mixed it in.

Pumpkin Seed Butter Cookies

1/2 c pumpkin seed butter
1/4 c ground flax
1/4 c 100% pure maple syrup (or less)
2tsp vanilla
1/2 c brown rice flour
1/4 tsp sea salt

Mix wet then dry ingerdients. Tsp sized drops pressed with palm on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 mins at 350.

These cookies are safe for just about anyone. Ideally all sugar should be avoided if you have food sensitivities, but maple syrup is used here - it's at least better than cane sugar. These yummy cookies are also nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, corn-free, egg-free and kid-friendly.

Kaolin Clay and Food Sensitivities

I recendly read the book "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration"by Dr. Westin A. Price. This book is full of incredible scientific information regarding natural nutrition and health, all collected via untouched cultures around the world circa 1938.

In chapters 15 and 21 he discusses how the Quetchus Indians of South America dipped their food in kaolin clay water to prevent sour stomachs. Modern medicine discovered that kaolin was a protective agent for GI mucosa and could cure bacteria infections of the gut. It was included in such drugs as Kaopectate.

Another researcher, Dr. Code also discovered in 1938 that over abundant histamine, the actual product responsible for an allergic reaction, can be controlled by kaolin and it can be helpful for the prevention of allergies. Modern western natural medicine knows that allergies are the result of digestive dysfunction. Yet modern western medicine (that's not natural) seems to totally ignore this fact.

Luckily a new herb shop opened near my house called Herban Wellness and it stocks kaolin clay. I've been taking 1 tsp every day and have found it to lessen the effects of my allergic reaction! I almost don't believe it. I'm going to continue to take it - unless it stops working.