Got Gluten-Free Questions? We've Got Answers!

Ever wondered how to make a gluten-free gingerbread house? Which laundry soap to use on a celiac’s sensitive skin? How to make gluten-free sausage rolls? Whether a certain restaurant is celiac-friendly? Please proceed directly to the Visitor Post on the left hand side of The Celiac Scene’s Facebook Page. If we cannot answer your question, our faithful gluten-free followers surely will. We have a treasure trove of knowledge right under our noses – see examples below. While we have you, do you have an answer for, “Looking for a good salt dough recipe for making Christmas ornaments?” :)

Need ideas! My celiac daughter is coming home from university, and I’m making “make ahead meals” for her to take back to her apt. I’m thinking chicken and veggies, in packs, but anyone have good idea for me?

Jennifer: Shepherd’s pie, spaghetti sauce, lentil soup, black bean soup, and chili are some of my freezer go-tos.
Shelley: Pizza, fried rice, crustless mini quiches, pad Thai (all without the noodles). Those are easy to do later.
Lindsay: Soups freeze and reheat well. Eggplant lasagna, shredding chicken that she can add to salad or make tacos out of.
Jody: Rolled pizza lasagna. She can just take a frozen roll out put some sauce on, bake it.
Kathleen: My mom did this for me one year. It was a huge help. I was living in residence but couldn’t eat in the meal hall, so I microwaved all of her meals. She made african peanut soup a lot, sweet and sour meatballs, roast beef thinly sliced and stored in freezer.
Thank you all….roast and chicken in oven now…cooking all day tomorrow! Thanks for some ideas…meatballs and rice, roast and veggies and garlic mashed, chicken veggies and sweet potatoes, jamaican jerk pork, veggies and sweet potatoes. All getting ready to go back to University with my Celiac Daughter!! Feeling helpful!

Does anybody know of anybody on the mainland/Fraser Valley (I’m in Port Moody) who might produce kits for GF gingerbread houses? My daughter’s school decorates them every year, and this will be her first Christmas since diagnosis, so keen for her to feel as normal as possible. Thanks in advance!

Tracy: they do gingerbread or the graham cracker ones? My kids’ school does the graham cracker ones and you can get gf grahams. The only issue is they are more rectangle than square but you can still get a decent looking house out of them. The crackers are called smorables.
Julie: someone in another group suggested Cloud 9 or Pikanik so I’ll have a look at their websites
Renee: Last year we did a gf graham cracker campground lol the long thin gluten free graham crackers worked better that way. Then we smoke and mirror with lots of great candy and everyone is happy lol.
Linda: Sweet Tooth Cakery in North Van has the decorated gf gingerbread houses, or the kits if you want to put them together yourself.

Does anyone in Victoria have dining experience at The Blue Poppy restaurant at Butchart Gardens?

Jennifer: I actually spent considerable time talking to the manager when we were looking at hosting my daughter’s birthday here. He had extensive talks with his chef and staff and did not feel comfortable guaranteeing a gluten free experience for someone with celiac disease. This was last spring. Please let me know if you learn something different.

Can anyone tell me if the Utility Turkeys sold at Walmart are Gluten free?? I can’t seam to find an answer online.

Lisa: I just checked them out online and it says “ingredients: Turkey” under the Specifications
Angie: Where did you find that?? Gosh I couldn’t find anything. Thanks for letting me know.
Lisa: https://www.walmart.ca/…/grade-a-or…/6000195404038

My daughter received a Purdy’s advent calendar. Any insight would be helpful?

Cheryl: I found Tori-Ann a Jelly Belly one this year smile emoticon She was super excited to see it this morning!!
Corry: I made an advent tree – little cloth bags with the numbers on them and put their treat or surprise in their (also added little erasers, fun things). That was a huge hit.
Candace: I got tired of finding GF candy ones so this year they got hot wheels advent calendars!
Rachel: Where did you find them?
Candace: My MIL ordered them online. They come with 8 cars, stickers, and accessories for the cars. They’ve been amazing and I’m sure they’ll be our new annual calendars.

Hi all, does anyone know of a good gf playdough recipe?

Patti: I made this Aug 28th and it’s still like new. I’ll track down the recipe & share.
Patti: From Celiacfamily.com Easiest Gluten-Free Play Dough Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Cup White Rice Flour
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
1/2 Cup Salt
1 Tbsp Cream of Tartar
1-1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1 Cup Water, hot but not boiling
Food Coloring, as desired
Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium pot.
Add the vegetable oil, then the water, and continue to mix until thoroughly combined.
Heat the pot on the stove over low heat for about 3 minutes. I like to stir frequently with a silicone spatula.
When the dough starts to pull away from the sides easily, turn out the dough onto parchment paper. Let it cool briefly until you can work it with your hands.
Knead food coloring into the dough until you get the color you desire.
Additional Notes:
Don’t overcook the dough. It shouldn’t need more than five minutes.
To add food coloring, I use the method I’ve used since I was a kid: Using your thumbs, make a well in the middle of the ball of dough and drop the food coloring into the well. Close up the well with the outside dough, keeping the food coloring in the middle of the ball. Then, carefully begin kneading it until the color is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
You don’t have to use the parchment paper. The dough shouldn’t be sticky. I use the parchment paper to simply keep residue and food coloring off my counter top. Wax paper or a plate would work just as well.
If needed, adjust the texture with small amounts of water (for dry, crumbly dough) or cornstarch (for sticky dough).
Makes about 2 cups of play dough, or about 2 baseball-size balls of dough.
Store in tightly sealed plastic bags or containers.

Does anyone know of GF laundry detergent brands? My daughter has developed a terrible skin rash within the last week. Her paediatrician is unsure what it is and is referring us onwards. I have also sent a note to her GI team but I have zero experience with the skin symptoms of celiac. My celiac husband has an identical rash which makes me think it must be related to celiac (none of the other 3 kids nor myself have it). Anyway, I have tried to ensure personal care products are GF but haven’t given much thought to laundry detergents etc. Should I? Advice or feedback please.

Lindsay: We switched to seventh generation or homemade when I had time to make a batch. My son got a rash from tide and gain.
Jennie: We are a very strict GF household and she is young so very limited chance for exposure but I guess the classroom is not GF…
Lindsay: Also watch craft supplies. My son was clawing up his face for month before we figure out playdoh in the church nursery was the culprit.
Morgan: My daughter had a terrible reaction to Arm &Hammer laundry soap. There was no gluten in it that I could see but she still had a gluten reaction.
Missee: Seventh Generation! We should all be using it anyway. Better for the rivers and ocean the soap ends up in.

Where can I buy raw dough for sausage rolls?

Ellen: Try Bake My Day. You can call co-owner Dale and ask where her ‘Ready to Roll Dough is sold.
Paula: Awesome I will do that!
Paula: The owner emailed me sevaral times making sure to give me extra details on how to handle the dough and she made sure the Red Barn closest to me ordered some in for me. What an effort!! Amazing service .
Paula: Ok here they are!! This pastry was super easy to work with and turned out fantastically!

Does anyone have recommendations for safe and kid friendly places to eat in Vancouver and Coquitlam area

Ellen: You can check out https://www.vancouverceliac.ca/resouces.html but it is the same spreadsheet that I sent to them when I downsized The Celiac Scene from a national to a Vancouver Island resource.
Audra: Thanks Ellen, I do remember your site having some mainland info on it. Thanks for this. Wish you could get more volunteers. your work is invaluable!
Morgan: My daughter Loves Mom’s Grilled Cheese food truck. They have separate spot and frying pan for gluten free.
Ellen: Silly me – I should mention the listing of Fast Food Chains that make an online commitment to gluten free at https://theceliacscene.com/gluten-free-fast-food-canada/ • https://theceliacscene.com/gluten-free-fast-food-united…. • https://theceliacscene.com/gluten-free-fast-food-vancouver-island/
Corry: We have had huge success at Milestones – when heading to the horseshoe bay ferry I call and order a kids meal to go (an actual kids portion, kids price)
Ellen: I love the information that exists within our little community!
Audra: Thanks so much everyone. This really helps. Dad and son are going on a boys weekend to Van. So trying to get two safe dinners figured out so I can stop stressing out!! Lol!