If you have celiac disease like me, you’re probably aware of the abundance of resource guides available on the market. Many of these have proved to be invaluable to the celiac community, but there remains a segment of the celiac population who haven’t been able to benefit as we have from such books—children. Thanks to Caryn Talty, a former schoolteacher living in Chicago, celiac kids now have not only an informative resource, but a creative and entertaining one at that—Cilie Yack is Under Attack! This fictional book follows the adventures of the Irish boy Cilie Yack, who experiences an array of misadventures before being diagnosed with celiac disease and becoming a young, gluten-free master chef.

This chapter book, written for ages 5 to 11, draws its strength from its charming main character, Cilie Yack, who is funny as well as honest and open about even the most  awkward details of celiac disease (one of the chapters is named “Poop Talk”). By hearing his own story as a celiac kid, including his symptoms, what testing is like, what happens when he breaks the gluten-free diet, and the adjustments his family makes, kids will not only absorb vital information about living with celiac disease, but they’ll never forget it! Uniquely set in County Clare, Ireland, where Cilie lives on a dairy farm, the book is sure to fascinate kids interested in learning about other cultures. Cilie takes care to explain the Irish and Gaelic terms and customs so that children won’t be confused.

Caryn Talty wrote this book from her heart after her oldest child was diagnosed with celiac disease and it was found by food allergy testing that he needed to eliminate 15 foods from his diet. Already feeling overwhelmed and isolated, she grew even more distressed after failing to find a support group for her son that met his needs. Then one momentous night, the character of Cilie Yack was born in Talty’s imagination.

After reading Cilie Yack, you can’t help but want to stay connected to this enchanting character. Lucky for us, Cilie announces his online cooking club, Cilie Yack’s Sous Club (http://www.cilie-yack.org), designed for kids ages 5 to 11 with food allergies or celiac disease, but kids without special dietary needs are welcome to join as well. The club allows members to organize their own local social cooking club with an emphasis on gluten-free cooking with recipes free of the most prevalent eight allergens as well as corn.

Cilie Yack will be sure to inspire your celiac child to become a gluten-free chef himself. Thankfully Talty, the President of Cilie Yack’s Sous Club for Kids, has given kids with food allergies the opportunity to follow in this delightful character’s footsteps.

http://www.cilie-yack.org

Tina Turbin

www.dannythedragon.com

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Dr. Andrew Wakefield, who published a study in 1998 about the possible link between autism and vaccines which was subsequently questioned and discredited by the medical community, has defended his work in an interview on CNN.

Dr. Wakefield’s work has been discredited over the past several years, and ten of the eleven doctors who were involved in the study have removed their names from it. The Sunday Times reports that Dr. Wakefield “changed and misreported results” in his research, according to “confidential” medical documents and interviews with witnesses.

Dr. Wakefield’s study was published in February 1998 in The Lancet medical journal, causing widespread concern among parents that the MMR vaccine—for measles, mumps, and rubella—was linked to autism. According to The Sunday Times, the impact of the article was “extraordinary,” with vaccination rates decreasing from 92% to less than 80%, while “herd immunity” from measles occurs when 95% of the population has been vaccinated.

After a British journalist, Brian Deer, published the results of his investigation calling Wakefield’s study an “elaborate fraud,” Wakefield denied these allegations as false in an interview on CNN with Anderson Cooper. Wakefield continues to stand by his findings, saying that the results have been replicated in studies in five other countries and that Deer has received financial support from a pharmaceutical company. Check out the link below to see the interview yourself.

CNN Video Clip

Tina Turbin

www.DannyTheDragon.com

b.a.

I’m happy to report that Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy, the first book in my Danny the Dragon children’s book series, has been recognized by the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards. The Annual Purple Dragonfly Awards is a contest that seeks to award authors of books that appeal to children in all age groups. On their website, they say that they search for books that “inspire, inform, teach or entertain.” I’m honored that they have found those qualities in the story of Danny the Dragon and Jimmy.

This award comes after a series of awards, for which I am truly honored, in contests including the Mom’s Choice Awards, iParenting Book Awards, and the International Book Awards.  Danny the Dragon has been recognized for imparting messages about family togetherness and kindness, values which I strive to instill in others.  Clearly, people are listening to these messages and appreciating their value.

I actually began writing as a teenager and at a young age developed a lifelong passion for helping others. Having raised three bright and thriving children of my own, I hope to inspire parents and families to ensure their children are healthy, educated, and happy. As busy I am with my writing and book tours, it is important to me to work on behalf of my favorite causes, which include celiac disease, gluten-free living, and children’s literacy. For the gluten-free community, I founded GlutenFreeHelp.info, a non-profit website dedicated to offering information and tips and serving as a place for experts on the topic to share their research and views.

In addition to this, I have also developed a passion for improving children’s literacy with the release of a signed reading of Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy on DVD and as an app for deaf children by iStoryTime, the iPhone App Developer for DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon. I am donating the profits from these products to support children’s literacy and other causes that I cherish.

I’m gratified that Danny the Dragon has resonated so deeply among the young and the young at heart. I am also grateful to have the opportunity to write books for young children as I continue the Danny the Dragon series. With this recognition from the prestigious Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, I can take pride in my work and I’m inspired to continue it.

Tina Turbin

www.DannyTheDragon.com

Below is a little teaser of a recipe from a soon to be released book, Gluten Free Cookies by Luane Kohnke. As many of you know, in addition to my work as a children’s author, I also conduct taste-testing and reviews of gluten-free companies and authors. You will have an opportunity to read the review of many tested recipes we will be doing out of Luane’s book over the next two months. So check back soon at the above mentioned link!

Enjoy and Happy Valentines Day, Tina

Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch
2 1/2 tablespoons tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond flour
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg

Makes 48 to 60 cookies

I developed this recipe for my friend Gail.  She was diagnosed with celiac disease late in life, and really missed her sweets. She told me that these cookies reminded her of the sugar cookies her grandmother made.

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, sift together brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking soda,  cream of tartar, and salt. Whisk in almond flour. Set aside.

2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar. Set mixer speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and egg. Beat until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Divide dough into quarters, and wrap each quarter in plastic wrap or wax paper. Chill for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment.

4. Roll dough, one quarter at a time, between sheets of wax paper, to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with heart-shaped cookie cutter, dipping cookie cutter in brown rice flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour to aid cutting.

5. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. If dough becomes too soft to reroll easily, return it to the refrigerator or place it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, until it is firm enough to reroll. Sprinkle cookies with granulated sugar, demerara sugar, or gluten-free sanding sugar.

6. Bake until edges are pale golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes.

7. Transfer cookies, still on parchment, to wire racks to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Recipe taken from Gluten-Free Cookies by Luane Kohnke
(978-1-4162-0623-1; $18.95; Pub date: March 2011; Sellers Publishing; 50+ full-color photos, Hardcover)

Author Bio:

Luane Kohnke has been an accomplished gourmet cookie baker for more than 20 years. Her love for cookie baking began when she was nine years old, living on her family’s farm in Wisconsin, and she developed an interest in gluten-free baking about 15 years ago. Luane lives in New York City. For more information, visit www.luanekohnke.com.

Tina Turbin
www.TinaTurbin.com

In addition to my work as a children’s author, I am dedicated to bringing awareness to celiac disease, which is caused by an autoimmune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, leading to damage to the small intestine and a variety of serious physical and mental symptoms.

I had the honor and pleasure of delivering a teleseminar on celiac disease with Anne Holmes, the “Boomer-in-Chief” of the NABBW, National Association of Baby Boomer Women.

Follow the link below to have a listen or download the teleseminar as an MP3:

http://attendthisevent.com/?eventid=14823489

Enjoy!

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

    One of the essentials every parent needs to know is how to provide your celiac child with delicious gluten-free pizza.

     There are many ways to enjoy gluten-free pizza. You can buy it pre-made, make it from scratch at home, or order it in a restaurant. You can find recipes for pizza dough and various combinations of toppings in gluten-free cookbooks and gluten-free websites. American restaurants such as Uno Chicago Grill, with 200 locations, serve gluten-free pizza. You can look up restaurants that accommodate gluten-free patrons with gluten-free pizza online through gluten-free restaurant websites.

     An easy way to make gluten-free pizza is by buying already-prepared gluten-free pizza crusts which your child can top with his favorite toppings. Whole Foods Gluten Free Pizza Crusts come two to a package. They are thick, almost like a deep-dish crust, chewy, and tasty. You can also make your own pizza crust from pre-made mixes or by making your own mix from gluten-free pizza dough recipes. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix makes two 12-inch gluten-free pizza pie crusts. It tastes delicious, and you can even fold the crust over easily. If necessary, you can make the crust egg-free. Some pizza crust recipes, which you can find online or in gluten-free cookbooks, can be rolled out, just like traditional wheat dough, and can be made thin (new York style) or thick (Chicago style), versatility that your celiac child will enjoy. Then you and your child just need to load it with his favorite toppings and stick it in the oven.

Tina Turbin

     Recent research is now indicating that there may be a link between Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other developmental and child psychiatric disorders and an allergy or sensitivity to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in barley, rye, and wheat, and it is estimated that millions of Americans have a sensitivity or allergy to it. Gluten intolerance can affect the entire body, leading to a variety of troubling physical as well as mental symptoms.

     Upon a change in diet, various developmental disorders have been documented to lessen in some cases. Some of the disorders the symptoms for which were relieved are autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), non-verbal learning disorder (NLD), and pervasive development disorder (PDD).

     These studies which link gluten intolerance to autism and other child mental disorders have noted that gluten-sensitive children will also display physical symptoms such as bloating, frequent gas, constipation, diarrhea, dark shadows under the eyes, excessive sweating, and pale skin. These physical problems can clue parents into whether their autistic or ADHD child may have a gluten allergy.

     So what can you do if you suspect that your child has a gluten allergy? Thankfully, a gluten allergy can be confirmed with a simple blood test. Also, gluten can also be eliminated from the diet and then the child observed for improvement. It is important to check with your doctor before significantly changing the child’s diet.

Tina Turbin

     If you suspect that you may have celiac disease or an intolerance to gluten, it’s important to take action now. Studies show that the longer the length of time before a celiac diagnosis, the greater the chance of developing serious health risks.

     Untreated celiac disease can actually be life-threatening. Celiac people are more likely to be afflicted with problems relating to malabsorption, including osteoporosis, tooth enamel defects, central and peripheral nervous system disease, pancreatic disease, internal hemorrhaging, organ disorders (gall bladder, liver, and spleen), and gynecological disorders. Untreated celiac disease has also been linked to an increased risk of certain types of cancer, especially intestinal lymphoma.

     If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms regularly, even if you think you know why, you should schedule an appointment with your physician right away to get tested for celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

Tina Turbin