Category: News

Pamela’s Products

pamelasproducts.com

Post by Mariann:

Last week I decided to clean out my pantry – getting excited about and contemplating the upcoming baking season it was time for an inventory.  There wasn’t much in there to contemplate except for a couple of packages of things I never used last holiday season – things like corn syrup, raisins and some holiday sprinkles.

What I did have was a bag of Pamela’s Pancake and Baking Mix left from my daughter’s last visit home in June, a variety of chocolate chips – white, dark and milk, dark brown sugar and some flaked coconut left from a recent catering gig.  I also knew that I had some walnuts in the freezer from said same gig so it seemed pretty clear I should mix up some chocolate chip cookies!  Having never used the Pamela’s Baking Mix for such an endeavor and not feeling in the mood to experiment I jumped on-line to the Pamela’s site (above) to see what the options might be for pulling off a batch of cookies.  The recipe was listed under the Baking and Pancake Mix option and the cookies that came from this recipe were one of the best chocolate chip cookies we have ever made.  Full disclosure on our cookie preferences – we are crispy cookie family and these were crispy good!

I love that there are a vast number of recipes at the webpage allowing for searches by product, meals, ingredients, dietary needs, Holiday etc.  As well there are tips for baking, how-to’s, and informative videos!!   A treasure trove of options.

In the past I have used and been a fan of the All-Purpose Artisan Flour Blend and I have found it to be a great product.  My children, who enjoy pancakes and waffles love the Baking and Pancake Mix for the obvious use but also for making scones, muffins, dumplings, and biscuits.  A favorite in our house is our ‘Tailgate Biscuit’ that includes browned and crumbled Italian sausage and Fontina cheese.

There are lots of products on the market.  Many claim a one-for- one use.  I have never found one that I can use in such a fashion so unless you are interested in running test kitchen on your ingredients (which we do lots of in our kitchen but I’m a Chef so test kitchen is my daily hobby) this site is a great place to get the basic recipe and then you can modify to suit your family’s tastes. With the costs of g-f ingredients what they are this is a super helpful way to avoid waste and failed options.

 

Study of Allergen Advisory Statements

Gluten Free Watchdog, with the coauthorship of our own Dietitian Advisor Trisha Lyons RD. LD., has recently published the study “Allergen Advisory Statements for Wheat: NOT a Useful Predictor of Gluten Content”.

Gluten Free Watchdog statement.

You can read the full text of the article.

In the US, allergen advisory statements (“Made in a facility that also processes wheat” and similar) are voluntary and are not currently defined by any federal regulation.

What this study found is that products that have warning statements such as “May contain wheat” or “Made in a facility with wheat” might be without gluten and just fine to eat. On the other hand, the lack of a statement did not mean that a product was free of gluten.

Target Halloween Allergen Guide 2016

Found a display in the Halloween candy area of Target with a tear off sheet titled: 2016 Halloween Allergen Guide. Click the link to see the guide at the Target website.

The Guide states: “The allergens listed for the 2016 candy items below have been confirmed by our manufacturers, and listed in their ingredient statement.”

The items are separated into 3 categories: those free of listed allergens (milk, soy, egg, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, gluten), those which contain milk and/or soy (but no gluten), and those free of gluten (with no designation of other allergens).

Shopping for (and enjoying) Halloween candy will definitely be easier this year.

Thanks, Target!!!!!!!!

Ask the Dietitian: Eating Gluten-Free While in Hospital

Question: I have to stay at [a local hospital overnight and they are not very helpful with gluten free options. I was told I have to pick food off the regular menu. I can’t believe a hospital does not have gf food. Suggestions? Thanks.

Answer: Thank you for writing with this excellent question. Patients who require a gluten-free diet should certainly be able to eat safely & nutritiously while in the hospital, of all places! Here are some suggestions:

1) Contact an inpatient clinical dietitian or food service supervisor at the hospital to discuss your medical dietary needs (Is it safe to assume you have celiac disease?) Please explain that your diet is not a choice but rather the sole treatment for your autoimmune disease.
2) While the hospital may not offer specialized GF items such as bread or pasta, they do serve numerous foods which happen to be naturally gluten-free. If they have not done so already, they should identify those foods and provide a detailed list from which you and future patients can select.
3) If your inpatient stay will last longer than a few days (during which time you should expect to receive variety and balanced, nutritious meals), the dietary department may wish to consider providing frozen GF entrees for increased variety as a simple, short-term solution.
4) Please ask how the hospital handles allergies (e.g. allergy wrist band?) While you technically do not have an allergy, this type of flag will raise awareness when hospital staff is providing food and medication.
5) Speaking of meds, please notify the nursing staff and pharmacy of your gluten restriction.
6) If something does not “look” or seem right, please inquire. Humans make mistakes. If a staff member quickly dismisses your concern, ask to speak with a supervisor or chef.
7) Lastly, you may be able or even encouraged to bring in your own food. While you may choose this option, it should certainly not be a necessity.

All hospitals should be able to meet the medical dietary needs of their patients. Best wishes to you.

Trisha B. Lyons, RDN