Guest Post: An Eyewitness Account and Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Hello, there. I’m Paul, father to this blog’s Gluten Free Jesus Freak. I have no gluten sensitivity myself, but as father and husband to two women with gluten intolerance, Courtney asked me to provide my unique perspective. Welcome to my guest post! (But first Courtney wants me to mention that the above photo is a few years old, and she now knows that her haircut is not one she should ever get again). And now onto the post!

I have been an eyewitness to the positive difference a gluten free diet can make to people with severe gluten sensitivities.  For years I watched in frustration as my daughter struggled with vague symptoms of “feeling lousy” and having an upset stomach all the time.  My concern increased as I saw her losing weight, losing her rosy glow, and suffering from fatigue.  All of this was pretty well disguised by her cheerful spirit and strong work ethic, but I wondered what could be done to help her feel better. 

While in graduate school, she visited multiple doctors, all of whom quickly misdiagnosed her, and one of whom encouraged her to eat lots of bran cereal.  In retrospect, I wonder about the part of the Hippocratic Oath that instructs physicians to “First, do no harm.”  The diagnoses and treatments were as effective as pouring water on a drowning man. 

In the providence of God, Courtney’s husband temporarily lived with a married couple in Nashville who ate a gluten free diet.  Courtney ate gluten free for the first time during her visits to see him and felt much, much better. It finally dawned on her that she might have a strong sensitivity to gluten.  In the past 18 months, by completely eliminating gluten from her diet, Courtney is 100% better.

The effects of how detrimental gluten can be became abundantly clear to me earlier this year.  My wife Barb (Courtney’s mom) and I visited Courtney, and we celebrated her graduation by taking her out for dinner.  We chose Outback Steakhouse because they have a gluten free menu.  Courtney and I ordered the exact same dinner except hers was supposed to be gluten free. 

When the waiter brought the meals, we asked how he knew which one was gluten free.  He pulled out his order pad, shrugged, and said, “I am pretty sure that hers is gluten free.”  That should have been enough for us to send it all back, but we took his word for it. 

Within minutes of leaving the restaurant, Courtney was very ill, and she spent the next two days laying on her living room sofa. This was the very first time that it really clicked for me how incredibly debilitating this condition is.  From that point forward, I have been fully on board with keeping the gluten far away from her at our family gatherings.

In the midst of all of this, my wife began warming up to the idea of trying a gluten free diet herself.  She had been suffering for several years from a similar set of symptoms. As Barb began eliminating gluten, she began to feel better.  The turning point came when we went to the Minnesota State Fair in August.  She decided to enjoy the usual fair food, and got so ill that we had to rent an extra night at our hotel so she could recover enough for us to drive home. 

Since then, as empty nesters, Barb and I have transitioned to a gluten free diet.  I can still eat everything, but out of consideration for her gluten sensitivity,  I make quite a few different food choices for myself.

It is a bit more of a challenge when we travel.  Instead of eating a bag of Doritos and stopping at McDonalds, I now pack mutually edible snacks such as carrots, green pepper slices, grapes, nuts, apples, and bananas.  I also try to pack a chicken sandwich for Barb on gluten free bread, along with one for myself on regular bread.   We both benefit from these healthier food choices. 

The bottom line is that going gluten free as a mixed marriage couple (one gluten sensitive and one not) has been a very smooth and manageable transition.  I do not feel deprived at all.  Along the way I have found joy in finding new ways to serve my wife’s dietary needs.

For decades, my pride and joy has been my chocolate chip cookies (made with maximum gluten content).  After a couple of failed attempts, I modified an online recipe to the point where I actually prefer it to my old recipe.  I am posting it below for your enjoyment. Let me know what you think!

One of my granddaughters likes to help!


Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Ingredients:
¾ cup butter, softened
1 ¼ cups packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 ¼ cups Pamela’s Baking & Pancake mix (or other gf flour blend containing xanthan gum)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup gluten free oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli’s 60% bittersweet chips)

DIRECTIONS:
1.    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Prepare a greased baking sheet.
2.    In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Gradually add egg and vanilla while mixing.  Sift together gluten free flour mix, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Stir into the butter mixture until blended.   While mixing, add oats, then walnuts, then chocolate chips.
3.    Using a teaspoon or a small ice cream scoop, drop cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.   (Do not forget to grease the baking sheet!!)  Bake in preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until light brown.   Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
4.    ENJOY!!