It's been one year since my celiac disease diagnosis. A quick reflection and the recipe that gave hope.
It's been one year. One year with celiac disease (officially). One year gluten-free. It's my gluten antiversary.... if you will. (Click here to read about my celiac diagnosis.)
In many ways, this year was easier than I thought it would be...
In some ways it was harder.
The Easy Part
The gluten-free diet was easy to accept. I went gluten-free and never looked back. The concrete nature of the diagnosis gave me instant resolve.
I don't crave anything with gluten. I don't even want to be near it, really. If I have to touch it, I feel... germy. The thought of cheating makes me shudder. I'm thankful for that because I know it's much harder for some people. To me, gluten is like poison ivy.
The Hard Parts
One of the hardest parts has been social situations. I get nervous about the food. Even if something might be safe, even if I know in my brain it probably is, I just won't eat if I feel unsure. That means I end up hungry if I don't plan ahead.
Eating out is pretty much gone. I'm an introvert and I don't really like being a bother. The thought of going to a restaurant, explaining my dietary restrictions, and still not really knowing if the food was handled safely is honestly enough to keep me at home. It's just easier and safe. If the carefree nature of eating out is gone, why bother? Why have the stress of the unknown?
I'm not proud of these things. Those are areas to work on for sure. I know I can't live in a bubble forever.
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The weirdest side effect has been nightmares. I dream constantly that I am eating gluten. In my dreams, I don't want to be eating gluten but I do it anyway. It's weird and I always wake up a little creeped out! It's been a year and I'm still getting these nightmares... hopefully they go away eventually!
A Year of Healing
I feel stronger. Healthier. A year of healing can do a lot. I think I'm so comfortable in my bubble because I know that I feel good. I know that just one bloated stomach means I've undone some healing. That's just not worth it for food.
Even though my body feels stronger and healthier, I also learned it was much weaker than I even realized.
A bone density scan revealed osteoporosis/low bone mass. While the specialist I saw seemed optimistic about recovery, it made me realize just how damaging this disease is. How it wreaked havoc. It made me wonder... what else? What if?
What else is deficient? What other parts of my body are hurting? What if I had fallen and broken a bone or a hip? I say that last one somewhat sarcastically, but also in complete seriousness. What if I had never been diagnosed? How much longer could my body have sustained itself?
Thankfully I was diagnosed. Thankfully I know. Thankfully I'm strong enough in mind to say no. Thankfully, I'm healing.
I'm thankful I found a doctor that knows celiac disease. I'm thankful to have a supportive husband who stands unwaveringly by my side. I'm thankful for a supportive family that tries, that babysits for appointments, that listens. I'm thankful for my cute kids who always ask when they see me eating something good, "is that gluten-free?!"
Recipe
Pamela's Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Batter
- ⅔ cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix
- 1 cup sour cream
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 10-cup Bundt pan.
- Combine filling ingredients and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Mix in sour cream then baking mix.
- Spoon half of the batter into pan. Then half of the filling. Repeat with the rest of batter and filling. Use a butter knife to swirl the filling with the batter in the pan.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.
Glaze
- Mix together glaze ingredients. Drizzle the glaze over cooled cake.
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should be used as an estimate only. See the nutrition policy for more information.
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Margo Almeida says
Yes I did. I made it gluten free with cup 4 cup gluten free flour mix. It is so delicious. I made it twice already in one week and I’m making again in a few minutes. It doesn’t last 24 hours. And it’s just me and my brother eating it. So delicious I can even give a piece to my wheaten terriers. They love it! I notice Pamela’s flour mix has removed this lovely recipe from the back of their new packaging. So thank you for posting it.
Deanna says
Can I freeze the coffee cake?
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside says
Yes, there should be no problem with that.
Janett says
Please note, you have a big mistake stating that 2 cups of flour is equal to 350 grams. It should be 280 grams as 2 cups according to Pamela’s original recipe for this coffee cake.
Katie Olesen says
Ok so I thought this was weird, because it was literally their recipe so I went back in wayback machine to see if I've had it wrong this whole time. They did in fact have it listed as 350g as recently as 2023. (I published this in 2019.) They must have updated the recipe since then. For what it's worth, according to the package, 1/4 dry mix is 40g which would equate to 320g for 2 cups. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Kathy McCue-O'Leary says
Hello Katie,
I truly enjoyed reading your story. I too can relate, since I was diagnosed in 2002 with Celiac Disease. It certainly is not a prison sentence as there is worse illnesses that we could have. I feel this is a very healthy lifestyle, way to eat and gluten is a source of inflammation for many people. My husband and son, basically eat gluten free and have learned a great deal about the foods we eat. Restaurants have come a long way since I was diagnosed. I don't hesitate to eat dinner out and there are many restaurants that are very good at creating alternatives and offer gluten free options as well. I am so excited I have found your website and looking forward to making many of your recipes. My goal is to cook and bake with very little salt, create recipes that don't used sugars and eat a low carb and low sugar diet. It's not easy since I am truly a chocoholic. Welcome to our Gluten Free World! Thank you for sharing your story and all of your wonderful recipes! 🙂
Katie Olesen says
Thank you for your kind words, Kathy! I'm excited you have found my blog as well and I can't wait for you to try some recipes! Everyday I'm thankful for my diagnosis, even with it's challenges, at least I'm happy and healthy! Have a great day!
schatzi says
I've been making this for years (and using monkfruit sweetener as we're gluten and sugar free) and I'm going to attempt making this without the sugars and nuts as a Torta Rustica with meats, cheeses, and spinach for Easter.
Kathy says
This one brought me to tears, because of your struggles and your strength. What a year! You’ve come through a victoriously! Well done.
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside says
❤️❤️❤️