Betty Crocker ambushed me. I was in the cake aisle looking for other things when, lo and behold, I see BC boxes with the magic words “GLUTEN FREE” scrawled across them.
I just about went into shock. Very, very happy shock.
It’s been a while since these launched, but I was on goodbloghiatus, so here’s what I have to say about them.
The yellow cake is awesome. It bakes up perfectly. When the box says beat for X time, do it. The cake will come out fluffy and lovely. Same for the devils food cake. The chocolate chip cookies are good, too. Slightly cakey, rather than chewy. I can’t speak for the brownies because I’ve got some really weird mental block surrounding brownies (the last 3 batches I made were ruined by my own ineptitude).
They are priced similarly to other GF goods, and come in the same quantities. Can someone explain to me how double the flour mix makes half the finished cake product? (One box of standard cake mix makes 2 cake layers. One box of GF mix makes one layer.) And why I have to pay double for half?
Betty Crocker means GF is going mainstream. It means smaller, less adventurous supermarkets may be more willing to buy these, as they already know and contract with the brand. Hope springs eternal.
This article is also not brand new, but THREE people sent it to me, so I am obligated to say something.
New York Times: The Expense of Eating With Celiac Disease by Lesley Alderman
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/15/health/15patient.html
It turns out that the money you spend on gluten free foods and ingredients is tax deductible! Health insurance may not give a damn, but the government recognizes that you can’t eat certain ’staple’ foods like bread without paying more for it.
Finally, if you itemize your tax return and your total medical expenses for the year exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income, you can write off certain expenses associated with celiac disease. You can deduct the excess cost of a gluten-free product over a comparable gluten-containing product.
Let’s say you spend $6.50 on a loaf of gluten-free bread, and a regular loaf costs $4; you can deduct $2.50. In addition, you can deduct the cost of products necessary to maintain a gluten-free diet, like xanthan gum for baking. If you mail order gluten-free products, the shipping costs may be deductible, too. If you have to travel extra miles to buy gluten-free goods, the mileage is also deductible. You’ll need a doctor’s letter to confirm your diagnosis and your need for a gluten-free diet, and you should save receipts in case of a tax audit.
Eat well and prosper!
I came across this on HuffPo a little while ago.
Why Current Thinking About Autism is Completely Wrong by Mark Hyman MD
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/why-current-thinking-abou_b_275753.html
If you hadn’t heard, a gluten free diet can significantly help people with autism to regain functionality. Hyman took this as a sign that he should approach autism differently. Here, he walks through the treatment of one little boy. He ran a slew of tests and discovered that young Sam had a LOT of things wrong with him… a “leaky gut” (which is apparently common among autistic patients), bad flora growing in his gut instead of the good stuff, vitamin deficiencies, and on and on. Hyman treated those problems, and lo and behold Sam’s autism receded.
What struck me is how similar the descriptions are–autism sounds like celiac. Our bodies can’t handle certain substances. If you insist on putting them in, the body begins to react. It may even shut down. My father becomes incredibly irritable, I become depressed, and some people become autistic. Take those things away, and the body picks itself up (assuming the damage hasn’t gone too far).
Hyman’s methods deserve serious research. It just might help a lot of people–like Sam.
