The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) is running a Gluten-Free Spring Recipe Contest (deadline: March 29, 2013)

Submit your original gluten-free recipe in the Spring Gluten-Free Recipe Contest for the chance to win $100 worth of products from the Gluten-Free Choices line.

To give you some inspiration, the NFCA will highlight products from each brand in the Gluten-Free Choices line throughout March. After the contest is over, they will pick some of their favorite recipes (including the winners) and publish them in an e-cookbook that you can download for free.

How to Enter

Submit an original gluten-free recipe through this online form or by e-mail to contest@celiaccentral.org.

All entries must be received by Friday, March 29, 2013

Entries must include:

►Your contact information (Full name and phone number)

►Title of recipe

►Recipe Category (Entrée/Side Dish or Baking)

►Ingredients

►Directions

►Number of servings

►Prep time and cook time preferred, but not required

Prizes

Grand Prize: Gluten-Free Prize Pack

One lucky winner will be chosen from each Recipe Category to receive a gluten-free prize pack from Gluten-Free Choices ($100 value).

e-Cookbook Raffle Winner

One lucky winner who signs up to receive the e-Cookbook will win a gluten-free goodies from the Gluten-Free Choices brand!

© 2013 National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. All rights reserved.

Allergy-Free Caramel Popcorn

This recipe is free of common food allergens and contains no dairy, soy, nuts, or peanuts. It is simple to make if you have a candy thermometer.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 6 1-cup servings

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of popcorn (popped)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Pour popcorn into a large mixing bowl.

Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Heat on medium, stirring to mix.

When the mixture comes to a boil, stop stirring. Gently wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals that have formed.

Continue to boil until mixture reaches 320 degrees, the caramel stage. Use an instant-read candy thermometer.

Remove from heat and pour over popcorn, stirring with a large spoon. Allow to cool slightly, then dump out popcorn onto waxed paper to continue cooling.

To make popcorn balls: Work quickly before popcorn has cooled. Use greased hands (ouch) or a mold to shape popcorn into balls. Press popcorn together tightly, and set on waxed paper to cool.

From Jeanette Bradley, former About.com Guide

You can purchase any of our designs (above) by logging on to our website: www.SensitiviTees.com

Who is SensitiviTees?

SensitiviTees grew out of our experiences dealing with our son’s food allergies, and our concerns about how to deal with this issue as he entered school. When he started school we were very nervous about a teacher or teacher’s aide not remembering about our son’s allergies—after all, even our own family members forget! As moms we certainly care about our own son’s welfare; and we understand from our own first-hand experience how hard it can be sometimes for parents to get the word out and hope that everyone around your children understands as well. 

We decided there must be a solution to this dilemma—we knew we were not alone in this! Many concerned parents face this problem every day. We put our heads together and in July 2010 SensitiviTees was born.

As moms who care deeply about helping other people become more sensitive to our son’s allergies, we wanted to do everything possible to help him. With SensitiviTees we can also make sure that other people are sensitive to your child’s needs—with a little bit of lighthearted fun mixed in. 

After developing our line of allergy-related sensitivity messages, we soon realized that the "be sensitive" message was applicable to other areas of life, such as adoption and same-sex parenting, so we’ve added those designs to our SensitiviTee brand. 

We're excited and growing!  

We’d love to hear about your great ideas for our shirts, dresses, and infant clothing and accessories so contact us at sensitivitees@gmail.com with your suggestions. We are always looking for topics to help others be sensitive to anyone who has something special about them to share.

Enjoying Holiday Parties When You Have Food Allergies

Originally Posted on Tue, 12/11/2012 - 1:54pm

There’s nothing like walking into an office party, holiday dinner, or visiting friends during the December holidays and being unable to eat a lot of what’s being served. If you suffer from an allergy to dairy, nuts, eggs, or wheat, these can surely be trying times.

However, it’s not impossible to enjoy the holiday festivities and foods when you suffer from a food allergy. Some targeted questions and careful planning can help you avoid undue disasters and enjoy the season without too much fuss.

Choose vegan. 
Any true vegan recipe will not contain dairy, eggs, or honey – anything that comes from an animal is omitted. Many vegan recipes are quite satisfying and are based on nuts or legumes, great sources of protein, to provide texture and substance. (If you have a nut allergy, ask about ingredients ahead of time). Vegan dishes also imply vegetables and fruits so a vegan diet is a great way to make sure you eat plenty of these important parts of the food pyramid.

Go for the crudité and salads. 
Fresh vegetables are highly nutritious and avoid common food allergens. For people who need a gluten-free diet, try salads and side dishes—especially fruit, vegetable, and grain salads. You can enjoy dishes made with quinoa, oats, millet, buckwheat, rice, or corn; potato salads (depending on its ingredients and your restrictions) and vegetable dishes. Sweet potatoes, yams, and winter squashes make excellent, versatile bases for delicious cold-weather casseroles and soups everyone can enjoy with a little forethought.

Tree nuts or peanuts? 
Tree nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, and cashews grow on trees in shells; peanuts are actually legumes that grow in the ground on vines, just as beans do. However, both are common allergens (although people who are allergic to one type are not necessarily allergic to the other). If your nut allergy is severe, don’t hesitate to reveal this to your host or the restaurant and ask about menu ingredients to determine what is safe for you to eat. Bear in mind that many international foods are prepared with peanuts or other nuts in the sauces or as ingredients. Ask to read the labels of packaged foods as protection. Depending on what’s being served, you might want to eat at home first and then show up for worry-free fun with friends and family.

Avoid the egg nog. 
Egg nog contains eggs (obvious) and dairy. Drink water, juice, soft drinks, sparkling cider if eggs and dairy are allergens for you. Or ask about or bring a dairy-free variety made with soy or nut milk (if you can eat the eggs).

Whether you eat at home ahead of time, bring an all-in-one dish to the potluck, or call ahead to ask about what’s being served, the SensitiviTees family wishes you an enjoyable (and filling) holiday season!