Mi-Del Premade chocolate Cookie Crust, product review.

Overall, decent texture, a little grainy. Not very chocolaty.

I think its too dry to fill with anything other then a pudding or cream based pie.



Here

 

We got these at the local grocery store, and thought I would gave them a try.
I got two.
The first I made a Turtle pie, chocolate pudding, with caramel and pecans on top. I let my toddler help me prepare the pie. It was a special treat, for after dinner, because Grandpa was visiting. He spent ALL afternoon asking if it was time for the chocolate pie yet, and when I said it was, he rushed to the fridge, thru open the door, and pulled out the pie, one handed. Well, it being a flimsy, foil, pie pan, the whole thing ended up all over him and the floor. We both cried.

But eh second time around, I used the "cheese cake" flavored Jell-O, and toped it with Strawberries.

This one made it to the table.

Blood test: Advances and undermines?

When I was diagnosed, in 2001. They called what I had "gluten-sensitive enteropathy; coeliac disease".
Why the long name? Because the term "Celiac disease" was the name of a category of  "autoimmune digestive disorders"
From the Latin  "koiliakos," which meant "suffering in the bowels."

Under this umbrella were things like "Hirschprung disease" or "Granuloma"  or "Churg-Strauss". Crohn's Disease is part of this group too.
 But somewhere in the last few years it went from being one of the " top 10 most misdiagnosed diseased" (readers digest *2002*) to being "one of the most commonly occurring genetic diseases in the world" (everyday Health Media 2014)
And so since this " immunologically mediated attack of the intestinal lining which occurs in certain people with a genetic predisposition to have their immune systems identify gliadin as a 'foreign' molecule." Is being commonly called "Celiac disease"
Personally I wish we had gone with " Gee's disease" after ; Samuel Gee MD, the first to recognize a change in diet as the main part of treatment.

So some doctors hand out orders for the blood test like candy.
Some doctors refer to the category as a whole as "diseases of the Coeli"
And They might both be right.

But the down side to this readily available blood test is so clear:

"I went to the doctor yesterday to find out why I can't digest a lot of food. He thinks that I might have celiac disease and did the blood work. I can eat gluten without any problems though and told him that. He still thinks that I have it. I think that he is wrong .... "

Or

"My doctor did a blood test and said I have Celiac disease. But I feel fine when I eat gluten so I'm not going to stop"

 

So, back in 2000, I would NEVER have thought it was bread that was making me sick. If anything I thought the sateen crackers, or plain toast helped me feel better. Something like 80% of the people with gluten issues don't see a direct correlations between what they eat, and their gastrointestinal symptoms. It's because of that Immune system getting involved, that it was so imposable to diagnose for like 100 years. But that blood test is super accurate. I would believe what it says, even if you don't want to.
And Just food for thought: People who smoke feel fine most of the time too, that does not mean they are not damaging their lungs with each cigarette...Just saying

UP-cycling leftover Pasta. #4 Penne4 your thoughts

This is a "fancy" sort of "Italian" baked pasta

4 cups left over pasta (this time it was 360 brand)
1/2 LB cooked ground beef
1 cup prepared Tomato based pasta sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan, romaine blend
8oz mozzarella cheese

Oil a 9x13 pan
Mix the meat, sauce and cheese
Pore in a single layer of the noodles. Spoon on half of the mixture. Top with rest of noodles, and rest of mix.
Cover with foil, bake 30 min at 225.

Gluten free Potato Casserole

Potato Casserole (similar to scalloped potatoes)

lb Ground beef, browned

5 Potatoes, medium baking

2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cup Monterey jack, shredded

8 oz Velveta cheese

1 packet GF brown gravy

1 c water

1/4 cup milk

 

PREP

- Mix the Gravy packet with the water, and microwave for 30 sec, whisk, then 30 sec, then whisk. Repeating for about 2 minutes, or until gravy begins to thicken. Then add the milk.

-In-between whisking the gravy, use your hand and a knife to brake the brick of velvets into small pieces.

-Potato should be slices about 1/4 of an inch thick.

 

Assemble

-Spoon a few scoops of the gravy. onto the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Then place potato slices in a single layer. Then a few spoons of gravy, then a second layer of potatoes.

-Next layer about half of each kind of cheese.

-Then a layer of potato. Then gravy. Then potato. Then rest of gravy, rest of cheese. 

-Cover with foil.

 

Bake

350 for 45 to 55 minutes. 

 

 

Variations 

I have used a packaged cheddar Jack blend.

I have used sliced Pepper Jack for the middle layer of cheese, giving the potatoes a texMex flair.
I have used leftover Han instead of beef as well.