Cuckoo for Corncakes

Making delicious gluten-free cornbread pancakes is easy using cornbread mix!

Before I had to adhere to a gluten-free diet (because of celiac disease), my family occasionally enjoyed corn pancakes—the kind you can whip up using the little blue boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Mix. Those pancakes were one of the things I was unhappy to part with—along with real cinnamon rolls, French bread, most Springfield cashew chicken, cheese enchiladas at Mexican Villa, and those wonderful biscuits they serve at Red Lobster. (Unfortunately, there is a host of other “delicacies” on my “Unhappy to Part With” list as well.)

During the Christmas holidays, however, I had an epiphany. (No, not the religious kind.) As I was checking out the gluten-free staples in my pantry to see if I had ingredients for pancakes, my eyes rested on a box of Krusteaz Gluten Free Honey Cornbread Mix that I had picked up on a whim from Big Lots (which actually carries many gluten-free food items, by the way). Most people probably figure this out much sooner than I (the mix was slightly beyond its expiration date), but—Eureka!—it suddenly occurred to me that I could use this mix to simulate the Jiffy Mix kind.

My poor, patient family indulged me in this experiment Christmas morning. Doug cheerfully took charge of the griddle, while I pulled out every topping I could scrounge up. (Jenna even added the dark chocolate M&Ms she had received in her stocking, which we normally might have frowned upon, but—hey—it was Christmas.) While the result was not exactly a religious experience, the pancakes weren’t half bad, and I’ll be using this recipe again.

Gluten-Free Corn Pancakes

1 15-oz. box GF cornbread mix

1 C. GF Bisquick mix (or other baking mix containing baking powder)

2 eggs

2 C milk

2 T. oil of choice (or leave it out)

• Spray a skillet or griddle with cooking spray (if necessary) and preheat to medium high.
• Whisk together cornbread mix, Bisquick, eggs, milk and oil until smooth.
• Pour approximately ¼ C. batter into skillet and cook pancakes until bubbles form on top and bottom is browned. Flip the pancakes and cook until the other side becomes brown.

This recipe will feed 6 people—or, in our case, 4 people showing no restraint.

Cancer Sucks

“Cancer Sucks!” Throughout the last months of her life, my sister Sherry had the small pin attached to the collar of her sweater. Little did I know when she received the button from GYNCA (Gynecological Cancer Association), a non-profit organization that helps women battling female-related cancers, just how true that little statement was.

Before Sherry’s illness, I had had little experience of what cancer patients go through on a daily basis. Sure, I had seen people who had lost hair because of chemotherapy. I had noticed some with limbs swollen from lymphedema. I had watched from afar as acquaintances lost or gained weight, side-effects of the therapies or medications used to fight the disease.

But walking down the path beside someone you love is something entirely different. I learned first-hand just how incredibly badly cancer sucks. Without going into specifics, I can tell you that her losing battle with the disease was horrible and heart-rending. A cure for cancer can’t come soon enough.

How does this relate to celiac disease? According to an article in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, “the risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and small-intestinal cancers [is] increased significantly” in celiac disease patients (“Incidence of Malignancies in Diagnosed Celiac Patients: A Population-based Estimate”). The risk of cancer, estimated “at about 1.5 times higher” than that of the non-celiac population, is still not even in the ballpark when compared to many other health risks. (Take smoking, for example.)

As small as the cancer risk may be, however, why would anyone with celiac disease tempt fate by choosing to eat gluten, even if you are asymptomatic? The battle to maintain a gluten-free diet isn’t easy for most of us, but I’m here to say that it’s far easier than the battle to overcome cancer.

(Note: If you read Celiyak, you may have noticed that I have taken a break from writing in recent months, because of the precious time I was spending with my sister. Celiac disease definitely takes a back seat to cancer. Moving forward, I plan to record my observations about celiac disease more frequently.)

Pumpkin bread in Paradise

Customers lined up for "gluten-free items" at Tamarindo's Farmers Market.

Each year of the past four, Doug and I have spent our winter vacations with friends in beautiful Costa Rica, the closest approximation to Paradise that I can imagine. Looking for a warm and sunny respite from our cold and icy Missouri winter, we listened to the advice of our son’s friend who had studied there during college. “You must go to Tamarindo,” she urged.

In planning our first trip, we happened upon a description of a beach house on the website VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owners) and decided to take a chance on it. As it turned out, that was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made, and we’ve returned to Casa Doshack on Playa Langosta every year, increasing the length of our stay with each visit.

(Using such websites as VRBO, Airbnb, and House Trip, by the way, is a great way for travelers with celiac disease to leave home without having to worry about what they will eat. It’s easy to find places with kitchens where you can cook your own meals, free from the hassle of searching out restaurants with gluten-free food.)

The gluten-free muffin booth.

By American standards, Costa Rica may seem like a primitive country. You won’t find large houses with tidy yards on paved avenues. And don’t go there if you expect speedy service, air-conditioned shopping malls, abundant public transportation, or clear road signage. (As far as I can tell, Casa Doshack doesn’t even have a real address to give to taxi drivers--or to the delivery guys who bring your lost luggage from the airport. You just sort of give a description of the local landmarks and hope for the best.)

I always wondered about putting my children in the 

checked bags at the airport. Maybe it would have worked!

The muffin woman's "goodies tote" doubles as a baby bed

at the Tamarindo Farmers Market.

But if you’re looking for perfect weather, exotic wildlife, warm, friendly people, beautiful beaches and a slow pace, Costa Rica is where you will find it. And here’s something else you will find in Tamarindo: A lovely, thriving farmers market with local crafts, fresh shrimp, fish and ceviche, fruits and vegetables galore, and--hallelujah!--two dedicated gluten-free booths!

Imagine my delight at finding those booths, one selling mango, cinnamon-apple, and banana-nut gluten-free muffins and the other offering chocolate zucchini peanut-butter bread, pumpkin bread, ginger cookies and snickerdoodles! I tell you, I couldn’t get my Colones out of my wallet fast enough! (Note: You don’t actually even have to exchange your money in Costa Rica; their businesses are happy to take USD.)

If loads of “azúcar” is not your cup of “té,” healthy Costa Rican cuisine is readily available and perfect for celiacs and others avoiding gluten. Most meals consist of grilled fish or chicken, rice, beans, plantains (which I’ll discuss in my next post) salad, and fresh fruit.  Yum!

In the four years since we’ve been coming here, it’s been easier and easier to eat gluten-free in the restaurants and on the street.  (At one popular place, I was pointing and gesturing, saying in my dreadful Spanish, “No trigo (wheat), no harina (flour),” and the waiter said, “Oh, you mean gluten-free!”) The relative ease of eating gluten-free in Tamarindo makes it a true Paradise—even for celiacs!