You Know You're a Celiac If....

• you've ever had to give a doctor a crash course in Celiac 101
• a 7 course meal is a 1 course meal for you. Lettuce.
• you've glared at friends in envy while they dig fork first into a birthday cake, while lying about "being ok with it"
• you've disowned loved ones because they put their gluten-y knife in your peanut butter jar
• you pack an extra suitcase filled with food when you go on trips
• your friends think you're crazy for not trying the amazing cupcakes at the dining hall. Surely a little taste couldn't hurt?
• you become very good a labeling everything as "gluten free ONLY"
• you've had dreams about Wonder Bread
• you've had nightmares in which you give into temptation and eat an entire baguette. 
• you get extremely heated anytime something like a chicken dish has unnecessary gluten in it. Like, really? Why do people feel the need to put gluten in everything??!
• you read the ingredients in literally everything. Including single ingredient items like honey and green tea. Just in case.
• it bugs you when people say they "understand what you are going through" when they are vegetarian or on a "real food" diet.
• you've refused things as simple as gum and candies because it would take too much effort to figure out if it's gluten free.
• people insist on cooking/baking you something gluten free but you plead them not to, knowing that the risk of cross contamination of too high for you to eat it comfortably. 
• you circulate to the same five restaurants because you know that you can eat there safely, and it is too much research to try and find a new restaurant. 
• you've mastered the art of lying when people ask if you are hungry
• you look at other peoples' fridges and pantries just to see what normal people eat, and you try to remember the last time you ate those foods.
• you eat before you go out to eat with friends
• you compare all your food to "normal people food" 
• you can locate the words "gluten free" within 5 seconds of looking at a food item
• you watch in wonder as someone eats a big plate of spaghetti. Oh, the things that would happen if you were doing that. 
• you put on gloves when you are forced to make non gluten free food for a party
• you are probably the only college student who regularly shops at Whole Foods just because you know that no matter what, you will be accepted there.
• you feel awkward trying to order pizza with friends because they will have to pay like $5 extra each so that you can get the gluten free pizza. Which is half the size of the normal pizzas.
• you've ordered just a side of rice and vegetables at a restaurant before.
• you'll hug people with a cough and a runny nose but you won't let a person with a cookie touch you. 
• you buy the overpriced gluten free pumpkin loaf at your local coffeehouse just because they have it and you want to express your appreciation. 

What "You Know You're a Celiac When..."s have you come upon?

Recipe: Quinoa Chocolate Cake

Photo Courtesy of Babble.com

I owe this recipe to a dandy little site I came upon via Stumbleupon.com, Babble. Well, technically I owe 

it to the authors of a book called Quinoa 365: the Everyday Superfood, Patricia Green and Carolyn 

Hemming.  Before reading about quinoa on Babble's food blog, I only thought I knew two two things 

about quinoa... 1. I went around pronouncing it QUIN-oh-a. I soon realized that it is pronounced KEEN-

wah. Good thing a lot of non-Celiac people I talk with don't know what quinoa is, let alone how to 

properly pronounce it.   2. I thought it could only be used as a side dish, in the way that rice or beans 

usually are . I was very wrong about this. Who woulda thunk you could use little seed as a replacement

for flour?? Well my friends, not only is this possible, it is easy peasy and delicious! 

Ok, so this picture is not my best but I promise you, the cake is amazing! 

I made this cake myself and LOVED IT. The cake was much more moist than any other gluten free cake 

I've had, the quinoa added an added crunch texture element (whether that was intended or not, it tastes 

good!), and the flavor is rich and super chocolate-y! I don't even own any flour besides Bob's Red Mill 

Gluten Free Flour so I loved being able to bake a cake without needing to purchase and sort 2893748 

different types of flours. Win! 

Photo Courtesy of Babble.com

Photo Courtesy of Babble.com

Flour-Free Quinoa Chocolate Cake (courtesy of Babble.com/Quinoa 365)

2/3 cup white or golden quinoa
1 1/3 cup water
1/3 cup milk
4 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for another 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow the quinoa to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8-inch round or square cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.

Combine the milk, eggs and vanilla in a blender or food processor. Add 2 cups cooked quinoa and the butter and continue to blend until smooth.

Whisk together the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add the contents of the blender and mix well. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans and bake on the center oven rack for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely in the pan before serving. Frost if desired. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.