Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding (Gluten Free, Dairy Free–If You Wish)

March 12, 2010 · Filed Under Friday Foodie Fix, bread, breakfast, dessert, easy, gluten free, recipe, treats ·  

Along with pound cake, bread pudding is a dessert I grew up eating. One of my grandmothers made great bread pudding. It was one of the few things she was still making “from scratch” when I was growing up. My mom’s bread pudding was very similar to that made by my dad’s mother—both in taste and quality. Of course, I learned from both of them and made bread pudding the same way—using stale bread and saved ends of bread and throwing it all together with a few eggs, spices, and milk. There was never a recipe. You sort of eyeballed how much bread you had once you crumbled it in a bowl, covered it with milk, added some eggs, and went on from there. This method actually worked pretty well, but you were never 100% sure your bread pudding would be a success until you had your first bite. Then one day a good friend of mine, Denise, brought her bread pudding into work for a luncheon. It was wonderful! It had a rich custard flavor, but wasn’t heavy in any way, and the cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla made both the smell and taste lovely. Best of all, Denise had an actual recipe … with measurements. What a concept! LOL With her recipe, one could re-create delicious bread pudding over and over—with no moments of uncertainty. I passed the recipe on to my mom and she’s been enjoying using it for many years now. Denise’s recipe guarantees success every time.  Incidentally, Denise also made a scumptious pound cake. That recipe she would not share. Instead, she made pound cakes for everyone during the holidays. As you can imagine, nobody complained about the lack of the actual recipe.

Of course, going gluten free made me push the bread pudding recipe card to the back of the box. But, when I had some leftover gluten-free challah bread from a vendor’s donation to our support group, I thought it was time to pull out the recipe again. I’m happy to report that it worked beautifully! So start saving your stale bread and look forward to a delightful dessert. It makes a very nice breakfast, too. Bread pudding is often served with distinctive sauces like lemon, vanilla, caramel, and even whiskey, but I grew up enjoying it with a little milk poured over it. (We actually did that for any type of pudding.) This time, I enjoyed it with a drizzle of honey mixed with some vanilla.

Oh, Mr. GFE is not a big fan of bread pudding … unless I add some raisins, then he’ll enjoy a bowl or two. I added a small amount of raisins to part of the bread pudding mix left in the bowl to allow one section of the pan just for him. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos that really show the raisins. But, if you love raisins, be sure to head over to Diane’s Friday Foodie Fix at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang where you’ll find lots of recipes that feature raisins.

 

Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding (Gluten Free, Dairy Free–If You Wish)
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

6 eggs
1 ¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp nutmeg
1 tbsp vanilla extract
12-ounce can evaporated milk (see coconut milk substitution in notes below)
½ can (¾ cup) of water
1 cup raisins, optional
4 cups of gluten-free bread, crumbled (I like chunky pieces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease 9 x 11 baking pan.

In large bowl, mix eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract.

Add bread and raisins (if used) to mixture.

Pour milk into saucepan. Fill milk can halfway with water; add to saucepan with water. Heat milk and water over medium heat until warm, not hot.

Add milk and water mix to other ingredients in bowl. Let sit 5 minutes.

Pour into baking pan and bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold, topped with milk or any sauce of your choice.

Shirley’s Notes: Any leftover bread, muffins, waffles, and such, should work. Even the results of failed recipes for such “bread” products could potentially be used. If you only have a small amount at any given time, just stockpile them in a container in the freezer until you have 4 cups worth. If using coconut milk, you can use the full can, which is generally 14 ounces, but be sure to use only ½ cup of water in that case.

Adapted from my friend, Denise

 

The bowl in the photos is from my grandmother’s china. Even with cracks and chips, it gives me such joy to use it. Spooning my bread pudding out of this bowl, I can almost imagine myself back at Grandma’s table.

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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Top 20 Things You Should Know About the Impact of Gluten (from Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.)

March 8, 2010 · Filed Under diagnosis, discussion, gluten free ·  

 Today I have the distinct pleasure of sharing a guest post from Ron Hoggan. Ron was the guest speaker at my support group’s annual open house back in November. He currently lives on Vancouver Island (and previously many years in Calgary) and my group is in Virginia, but we “Skyped” him in. I have the utmost respect for everything Ron Hoggan has done for awareness regarding celiac and all gluten issues. Everyone in attendance at the open house was both impressed by and grateful for his presentation, The Many Faces of Gluten-Induced Illness. They were especially appreciative of the very informative question & answer session afterwards.

Here’s some additional information on Ron Hoggan. He has a doctorate in education. His ongoing research explores the impact of gluten consumption on school readiness, behavioral function, cognitive function, and learning disabilities. A retired high school teacher, Ron continues to pursue peer-reviewed research and publication. He is the editor of the Journal of Gluten Sensitivity and the author of the books, Dangerous Grains and The Iron Edge. Ron has also written many articles for the popular media about dietary interventions. He will soon begin teaching continuing education classes at the college-level:  one class will be on the psychological/psychiatric impact of gluten consumption, and the other is about reversing Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. 

I’ve been a fan of Ron Hoggan’s since I was first diagnosed as gluten intolerant in 2003. Among my homework assignments from my doctor was one to read Ron’s first book, Dangerous Grains. I read it immediately. For someone like myself who has suffered from various symptoms and conditions as far back as I could remember, this book read like a suspense novel—a page turner that inspired feelings of surprise, validation, excitement, and anxiety (among others). I have suggested this book to many since.

I became much more of a fan of Ron’s after he responded to a query of mine on the Celiac Listserv. As I was thanking him for his reply, I got the idea to ask him about speaking at our group’s fifth anniversary open house. Keep in mind that Ron and I had never met or even spoken before this email exchange, but he readily agreed to speak to my group. Soon we were talking via email, testing Skype, and running dry runs of his presentation to test out the equipment at the facility where the open house was being held. There were a few glitches here and there, for sure, but Ron was unflappable. I’m convinced his friendly and adaptable nature is helping him be an effective messenger for  awareness of celiac and other gluten-related illnesses, as much as the validity of the content he shares. And, after working with Ron on our open house, I’m even more of a fan of his.  

I am also a subscriber of the Journal of Gluten Sensitivity, which Ron edits. (Some of you may recognize that publication better when I tell you that it’s the publication associated with celiac.com.) It’s really an excellent publication. The articles, many of which are written by Ron himself, are always well-researched, diverse in their subject matter, and compelling. They are usually written by well-known spokespeople in the gluten-free community. (For example, my good friend and fellow blogger, Melissa McLean Jory, the author of Gluten Free for Good, has written nutritional articles for the Journal of Gluten Sensitivity.)

Rather than try to summarize Ron’s work, I asked him to share 20 things we should know about gluten’s effects. I was so appreciative when he emailed his listing in less than 24 hours. Courtesy of Ron Hoggan, here is the Top 20 list for my gfe readers. (Note that definitions for bolded terms are shown at the end of the listing.)

Top 20 Things You Should Know About the Impact of Gluten (in no specific order)

1. Gluten can be undermining your health without any symptoms.

2. Gluten often underlies autoimmunity through inciting excessive zonulin production – 80% of the human population produces zonulin which develops into haptaglobin 2.

3. Replacing gluten with other highly glycemic, highly processed “replacement” foods is not the path to optimal nutrition.

4. Gluten can have a dramatic impact on psychological wellness and may be at the root of many cases of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

5. Gluten can interfere with children’s academic performance and school readiness.

6. The stricter the GF diet, the greater the potential benefit.

7. Gluten is highly addictive through the opioid peptides it contains and the excessive zonulin production it incites. Zonulin allows these opioids access to the bloodstream and the brain.

8. Grains are highly glycemic and aren’t a healthy food for anyone.

9. Gluten-induced illness can take many forms, including more than 200 diseases, syndromes, and conditions.

10 Gluten can contribute to the onset and development of a variety of cancers.

11. It is not a sacrifice to give up gluten. It is a gift to understand the need to give it up.

12. Osteoporosis can be reversed when it is caused by gluten.

13. Neurological disease is often caused or exacerbated by gluten.

14. Dementia, when driven by gluten, can be reversed with a gluten-free diet.

15. Wheat germ agglutinin can bypass tight epithelial junctions even in the absence of gluten sensitivity or celiac disease.

16. A variety of human tissues are damaged just from direct exposure to gluten in a Petri dish.

17. Our digestive tracts lack the length, enzymes, and other features that would signal human adaptation to eating grains.

18. Skeletal remains of people who adopted grain agriculture show that they are shorter in stature and have abnormal bone structures suggesting nutrient deficiencies.

19. Depression is the most common symptom of celiac disease.

20. Avoiding gluten just makes good sense for anyone who isn’t starving.

21. A brief trial of a gluten-free diet can’t hurt, and the harder it is to follow the diet, the more likely you need to avoid gluten.

–Zonulin is a protein that participates in tight junctions between cells of the wall of the digestive tract. Initially discovered in 2000 as the target of zonula occludens toxin, secreted by cholera pathogen Vibrio cholerae, it has been implicated in the pathogenesis of coeliac disease and diabetes mellitus type 1. (Wikipedia)

–”Haptoglobin is a molecule that has been known to scientists for many years. It was identified as a marker of inflammation in the body. Haptoglobin 1 is the original form of the haptoglobin molecule, and scientists believe it evolved 800 million years ago. Haptoglobin 2 is a permutation found only in humans.” Science Daily Sept 7, 2009. Dr. Alessio Fasano has stated that only about 80% of humans have haptoglobin 2. The other 20% are therefore safe from developing autoimmune diseases, just as other primates are.

–An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

The analgesic effects of opioids are due to decreased perception of pain and decreased reaction to pain, as well as increased pain tolerance. The side effects of opioids include sedation, respiratory depression, and constipation. Opioids can cause cough suppression, which can be both an indication for opioid administration or an unintended side effect. Physical dependence can develop with ongoing administration of opioids, leading to a withdrawal syndrome with abrupt discontinuation. Opioids can produce a feeling of euphoria, and this effect, coupled with physical dependence, can lead to recreational use of opioids by many individuals.

Although the term opiate is often used as a synonym for opioid, the term is more properly limited to the natural alkaloids found in the resin of the opium poppy and, more loosely, the semi-synthetic opioids derived from them. (Wikipedia)

–Agglutinin is “a substance that will cause a clumping of particles such as bacteria or erythrocytes. Of major importance are the specific or immune agglutinins, which are antibodies that will agglutinate bacteria containing the corresponding antigens on their surfaces.” (Sci-Tech Encyclopedia)

–Epithelial – In biology and medicine, an epithelium is a tissue composed of cells that line the cavities and surfaces of structures throughout the body. (wikipedia) The epithelial cells that line the intestines form a single layer that acts as a barrier between the gut and the bloodstream. The barrier function of the tight junctions between these cells is critical to our protection from the “outside” world, from which we selectively absorb valuable nutrients while blocking the absorption of larger molecules that can be very harmful.

Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

I hope you will consider this top 20 listing from Ron in reference to your own health and share this listing with others as well. If you’d like to learn more, I’m hosting a giveaway of several of Ron’s books and videos. Just click over to my Out and About page to enter.

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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