Introducing: Lorna Foreman & Giveaway! (Closed)

I have a very special post today for you all, I hope you will all enjoy it very much! 😀
A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by Lorna Foreman’s publisher, asking me to host this wonderful writer on her virtual blogging tour! 

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You know how big bands tour the world, leaping from city to city? Well, Ms Foreman is leaping from site to site, promoting her new book, Wheat Watchers and guess what, Go Bake Yourself is hosting her today! YAY! 😀

At this point, I hope I am building up some hype for you but the big question is – Who is Ms. Foreman? Do you know? Yes, no, maybe? Well, look who just walked into the studio because it is time to meet her – Enjoy!

Oh, and before I forget, I hope you also enjoy the giveaway as part of this 😉

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About Lorna Foreman:

Writer and artist, Lorna Foreman, has been a journalist for over ten years, writing on the arts.  As well, she is a regular contributor to Fifty-Five Plus magazine, having written her column, The Rest is Best since 1998.  Lorna wrote, produced and hosted 30 half hour programs entitled Welcome to My Studio for the local community television channel.  She is also a contributor to the online newspaper, Cornwall Free News and is currently working on two children’s books.

Wheat Watchers is primarily for Celiacs and Gluten Intolerant people and it is her first cookbook. She has also written When Life Becomes Real, a compilation of 11 years of her columns. Lorna lives in Cornwall, Ontario with her two cats who are not gluten intolerant but like watching her cook just in case she has something for them. She works with a business partner giving workshops that deal with making changes in your life, something people resist and need to understand how to make into an adventure.

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Ok, so writer extraordinaire, lots of experience and above all, a Foodie like the rest of us, which makes her even better! She has overcome her gluten-free intolerance deliciously, not only beaten it but made it a good thing, evident by all the delicious recipes compiled in her newest recipe book, Wheat Watchers!

But what is the hype about this book? Isn’t it just like any other Gluten-Free Cookbook?

Hahahahahaha… No. It is much better because these recipes have been tried and tested, loved and improved upon and put together with easy instructions. Go Lorna!

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About Wheat Watchers:

**A note by Lorna Foreman

On the practical side, “Wheat Watchers” came about when I was told I was possibly a Celiac – or at best – gluten intolerant. That was in 1996 and it was a shock.
I did wonder if I would ever enjoy eating again. Besides the problem with wheat, I am mildly lactose intolerant which presented a double whammy. Little did I know what an adventure I was undertaking – and adventure it was – and still is.

In 1996 trying to stay away from gluten, especially in a small city, was a real challenge. But I am always open to new directions and I set off to assemble a new library of cookbooks. I was dismayed at the dearth of cookbooks dealing with gluten free diets so the obvious thing was to write my own. That is how this cookbook was born.

I spent most of a year translating ordinary recipes into “Lorna Approved” ones. I also invented some of my own. They are a result of much trial and error since it is not always possible to just exchange gluten free flour for wheat flour. Textures had to be taken into consideration as well as what keeps batters together.

My late husband was the cook in our family as I professed to ‘hate cooking’.
He helped considerably with some of the dishes, but the baking was strictly my responsibility. After all it is the desserts that give the Gluten Intolerant and Celiacs the most grief.

After vowing to my mother how I would never bake, she must be dancing and laughing “up there” when she sees me having such a good time in the kitchen. I had a lot of fun over that year and still challenge myself to discover or translate a new recipe.

Wheat-Watchers-Cover

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I am sure you can relate to her experiences which led to writing this book, especially of course, if you yourself have been diagnosed with a Gluten Intolerance. But for anyone out there who suffers from an allergy or intolerance, Lorna is such a wonderful example of someone who not only overcame it but used it to enhance her lifestyle!

That is pretty inspiring to anyone 🙂

And can you believe this lady at one stage was a self-professed cooking-hater – oh how her times have changed! With a lot of effort and strength, Lorna has created a range of recipes which have flavour and cater to her needs! 

And now… drum roll please… I present to you the very lady herself to share an exclusive recipe and incredible story – Ms Lorna Foreman!!!

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I must admit it was somewhat of a shock when my doctor diagnosed me as possibly suffering from Celiac Disease. He wasn’t positive as I did not want to have a biopsy done and in 1996 I had not learned that there was a blood test you could have. I should add that years later I took the blood test and it was determined that I was not a Celiac. Whew! However I was gluten intolerant.

What I did was try the elimination technique. I would eliminate wheat and products containing gluten from my diet for two weeks (symptoms disappeared). Then I reintroduced them and sure enough, the symptoms returned. No matter whether a Celiac or just gluten intolerant, it meant doing away with offending products. Anyone who is a Celiac knows that where I could ‘cheat’ if I were so inclined, a Celiac cannot.

Living with it? Well once I decided that was the route I was going to take, I had to convince my husband, who was the primary cook in our marriage, to be extra careful. He loved cooking and was very good except he also loved to use things like cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup. Definitely no-nos. You see I did not like to cook. At the same time as I was going gluten-free, my husband discovered he was diabetic. He was more than slightly discouraged and he turned all the cooking over to me. So living with it was a little edgy as I needed to learn not only to cook and bake gluten-free but eliminate foods that diabetics could not eat. Always felt it was karma.

I did not have children and my heart goes out to people who have families that protest the changes in their meals. Creating two different meals is not necessarily an option so I can only hope that you with families can convince them to at least try. Some of the meals are no problem….but pizza? Oh where is that wonderful crust that we associate with a good pizza? Gone out the door. Some of the gluten-free substitutes aren’t bad but just aren’t the same. Sigh!

Baking is the hardest area. There are many different cuisines that do not contain wheat products or other items containing gluten; Thai cuisine, Chinese, Korean to name a few.  Different diets were good: Paleo and raw food being some. But at some point we all want to eat muffins or make a birthday cake.

But despite not liking to cook and bake I decided to produce a cookbook. I like adventures and this was certainly a different form of adventure. I promise you – I did have my expert cook friends test every recipe before it went into my book.

Convincing my husband that everything I made would still be delicious (I crossed my fingers there) just taste a little different from what we were used to was an interesting undertaking. Then I went through my cupboards and tossed all offending products into a big box. I list those items in my cookbook. My friends were the lucky recipients of these items. Had to go out and replenish the pantry but at least I didn’t have anything to tempt me.

Any change can be difficult. I convinced myself that cooking was really a wonderful creative endeavour (I am an artist as well so came up with some interesting scenarios) and going gluten free was a wonderful experience. I also convinced myself that my body was lucky because so many of the products that people are becoming intolerant to are often the very ones that are tampered with to increase productivity. Therefore, I would be much healthier. That is the biggest motivation I can think of. It is amazing how we can, with a different perception, change our habitual way of thinking.

For my baking I use rice and soy flours and while I have experimented with almond and coconut flour, I prefer the first two. Kamut and Spelt flours can be tolerated by some of us who are just intolerant but are no-nos for a Celiac.

I use quinoa and millet and have several main course recipes using them. Brown rice I use a lot. And thank goodness I can get brown rice spaghetti. I must have been Italian in a previous life because I love pasta. Fortunately I go to a local Italian restaurant who will cook my own brown rice pasta for me whether it is spaghetti or fettucine. I stay away as much as possible from the ready made gluten-free products. Now that I have learned to like cooking, I prefer knowing exactly what goes into my dishes.

My inspiration comes from two sources – one is to stay healthy and the other is trying to make food that is delicious. At first I used to apologize to friends when they came for dinner…..”sorry,” I would say, “this isn’t the real pasta….” Then I realized you really couldn’t tell and anything else was just a different recipe as far as they were concerned.

If I could wiggle my nose and suddenly be able to eat anything I wanted that contained gluten, would I? Nope. I love the slightly different taste that quinoa and millet adds to recipes. And once I realized that those cakes were just not going to rise up quite as high as the ones made with wheat flour, I just got used to it.

I’d like to share my very, very favourite cake recipe!

IMG_0264 for May 15th article

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

By Lorna Foreman

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 1 cup soy flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 cups grated carrots
  • 1/2 cup drained pineapple bits
  • 1/4 cup raisins

Method:

  1. Sift flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice into a bowl.
  2. Add juice, oil, eggs, carrots, raisins and drained pineapple and mix well.
  3. Pour into greased 9″ x 13″ cake tin. (I actually use an angel food cake pan with the center tube insert which makes an attractive display on a cake dish).
  4. Bake in preheated 350F (180C) oven for approximately 50 minutes until lightly brown and tester comes out clean.
  5. Top it with (homemade or store bought) cream cheese frosting. Yum!

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I made a carrot cake once. It was pretty soft, moist and delicious but there was no way it would cater to a gluten-free person. I had no idea how to change it either. But now, I am thinking, even though I do not have Celiac disease, that I would LOVE to try this cake. It looks so crumby and incredibly delicious. And that cream cheese frosting on top makes it just right. 

Using rice flour, soy flour? Not only is it creative but I bet the different flavour it adds would be ridiculously delicious! And now, I am sure we can use these substitutes in other cakes and experiment for ourselves, just like Lorna! Thank you so much! I know that I speak not only for myself, but for everyone introduced to you today that we have learnt a lot from you!

To Find Out More:

  • Follow Lorna on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LornaForemanAuthor?fref=ts
  • Visit her website to keep up to date: http://lornaforeman.com/about-lornas-books/

But the fun is not over yet, not at all!

Giveaway Time!

Lorna generously sent me a copy of her incredible gluten-free cookbook and guess what everyone, I am going to be giving it away to one lucky reader (internationally!!!) Whether you are gluten-free or are intrigued to try a new diet type, or if you just want to eat delicious food, here are some ways to win her wonderful cookbook:

  1. Comment on this post
  2. Like Lorna’s Facebook Page and leave an additional comment
  3. Like Go Bake Yourself’s Facebook Page and leave an additional comment

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If you win, you could potentially be enjoying recipes like:

  • Pineapple Upside Down Cake
  • Decadent Fudge Dessert
  • Cream of Carrot Soup
  • Vegetable Noodle Salad

and many more! 😀

This giveaway closes on the 25th of May, and on the weekend, whatever the post, I shall be announcing the winner! So be sure to get in your chance!

But WAIT, there is even more! If you want another additional chance at winning the cookbook, I am not the only one holding this contest! First, second and third winners will win an autographed copy of Lorna’s cookbook! Just press this link and hold onto that hope!

Lorna Foreman – Author – Giveaway

And now, it really is all that there is 😉
Hope you all enjoyed this incredible post and thank you again Lorna, for stopping by! And I hope you have a hugely successful blog tour!

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110 Comments

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  5. applec says:

    I have such a collection of cookbooks but not many Gluten Free. I’d love to begin adding quality GF recipes to my collection. Pick me 😉

    Like

  6. I know that cake and other gluten-free products will taste delicious. Although I have no problems with gluten-intolerance or celiac disease, I do appreciate the cooking. My favorite recipe for brownies (gluten-free or not) is a gluten-free version by the Gluten-Free Goddess. My feeling on any new food is “Try it, you’ll probably like it!”

    Like

  7. Kim Bultman says:

    Uru, you sure know how to throw a book launch party — loved your fireworks graphic! 🙂 Lorna, I agree that “altered” products are causing detrimental effects on the body — mine has begun to rebel at wheat & dairy, too. Thanks for an informative, timely post and best wishes on your cookbook!

    Like

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  9. This carrot cake looks fantastic! I can’t believe I have never tried carrot cake before. I have also never tried gluten free recipes, but I would definitely be interested to try some!

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi Jenn and Seth
      Thanks for the comment and do try it. It is very easy and tastes great – mind you I created it so I have to say that. LOL
      Lorna

      Like

  10. Having a dear friend and a niece with celiac disease I can appreciate the challenge of trying to find good, tasty recipes without gluten. It’s always a little scary at restaurants when the waiter isn’t quite sure of what is in a meal although more are becoming very careful of people with various allergies. I always wonder if people are just being diagnosed more or if things such as genetically modified food plays into this.

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi Diane
      I understand about the restaurant scene. Gluten is hidden in so many dishes. I have a few trusty ones around where I live but I much prefer cooking my own. I am sure (although I am not an expert) that it is all the tampering with our food that is contributing to the rise.
      Lorna

      Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi Maureen….love your site name. Thank you for the comment and I hope you enjoy the cake. It is easy to make and I think delicious – but then I should, right?
      Lorna

      Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi Deepti

      Yes, I might be slightly biased but the carrot cake is delicious. It is my most popular one.,
      Thanks for comments.
      Lorna

      Like

  11. Hello Lorna and nice to meet you! I have a several gluten intolerant friends and some friends who have gluten intolerant child. It takes some time and effort to change diets but having a cookbook like this around is very helpful for a starter. The carrot cake looks wonderful. Thanks for making the giveaway internationally!

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi
      It is amazing that it is so international. Here I am in Canada and I have gotten comments from so many different places. It is definitely a gluten-free revolution.
      Lorna

      Like

  12. Good to get to know Ms Foreman and her story about gluten. Sounds like a fun book to have. I have a few friends who are on gluten free diets and this would be wonderful to have when they come over for gatherings so I know what to prepare.

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi
      So many people are going gluten-free even if they don’t have to. I think it is the wave of the future. I loved creating the book (and the recipes) and hope that people enjoy making them and eating them.
      Lorna

      Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Well Ashley I sure hope you get all those gluten-free recipes. More and moe people are going gluten-free and, naturally, I like that idea.
      Lorna

      Like

  13. Gina says:

    HI Lorna, I think many of us have found that one item that just doesn’t love us the same anymore. My tormenter is dairy these days. I’ve played with alternative flours and oils, keep up the good work I think baking is truly starting to open up with all these alternatives. Have you ever tried whole flaxseeds in your cakes, so good. Will have to keep this recipe in mind for my gluten-free friends.
    -Gina-

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi Gina
      No I haven’t tried flaxseeds – yet! Always ready for new approaches. I, too, am slightly lactose intolerant. Most of my recipes don’t have any dairy. Thank goodness for almond milk, rice milk and juices.
      Lorna

      Like

  14. Liz says:

    Wow, what a daunting situation…having to start cookie without gluten as well as cater to a diabetic! Way to rise to the occasion…your carrot cake looks divine!

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi Liz
      I do like challenges. Of course my diabetic husband could not eat all that I baked. I used to give it away to friends and neighbours just to get it out of his line of temptation.
      Lorna

      Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Thanks Shirley
      It is probably one of my favourite recipes. Yes, I agree “thanks to Uru” – this has been a fantastic experience being on her site.
      Lorna

      Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi Lorraine
      I made sure most recipes are easy to make. Evolving from a “hate to bake” to a
      love to bake” needed a gentle transition.
      Lorna

      Like

  15. It’s lovely to be offered recipes for gluten intolerant friends. I have experimented but not always successfully. It would be brilliant to have a book of tested and tasty recipes! I’ll be trying this one. Sally:)

    Like

  16. mjskit says:

    Great post! thanks for introducing us to Lorna Foreman and her book. I have some friends that would greatly benefit from this book!

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi
      I love using fruit juice (orange is the best – grapefruit too tart) in recipes. I am slightly lactose intolerant which is why I use it a lot.
      Lorna

      Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi
      You know there is always room for new recipes. I am working on another cookbook – not just another edition but a brand new approach. Won’t be ready for a while though.
      Lorna

      Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi
      I don’t know where you live but I live in a very small city (large town really) and we have it. A health food store in a large centre will definitely have it.
      Lorna

      Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi
      Well the rest of the cake was for a friend’s birthday. Fortunately they understood that some of it was for photographic purposes (as well as a sample slice for myself).
      Lorna

      Like

  17. Suzie says:

    Nice to meet you Lorna, it sounds like you had to overcome a lot but, that you did it and enjoy it now is even better! The cake sounds amazing 🙂

    Like

  18. Lorna Foreman says:

    I want to thank all the readers who responded to this most exciting, zestful site. It has made my day brighter.

    Lorna

    Like

  19. Tisa says:

    Thank you for this post and the introduction to Lorna. I’ve been wanting to try a gluten free recipe, and may possibly be in denial of my increasing wheatbelly and gluten intolerance. Who can give up pizza, right? Thank you Lorna.

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi Tisa
      Even though I worked on this cookbook years ago, I too, was inspired by Wheat Belly. I still cry when I see friends having pizza

      Like

  20. viveka says:

    Fantastic give away … so happy that I can eat my bread and cakes without any problems so fare in life. Uru, a great post … because it’s a massive problem for so many people. Do you know what the most common allergy there is? Apples, and so many of has it … but we don’t know about it .. because the only problem it cause is that it may tickle in our throat. Excellent post.

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi….apples? Wow I didn’t know that. I often wonder if it is because we are more tuned in to the symptoms or whether or not the wheat products are tampered with to increase yield.
      Lorna

      Like

      • viveka says:

        Lorna, as executive chef … I had to know about all the allergies we have to think about in catering for the public.
        Than apples is top of the list … but as you said we don’t connect the little tickle in our throat with allergy.
        I get terrible blisters inside my month in the summer … and it can be down to all the nectarines and peaches I eat. We can’t become seriously ill from apples, as we can with celery, if we have high blood presure. We should never eat celery after that we have excised.
        It was very interesting … to learn.
        Wivi

        Like

  21. lulu says:

    Gluten free is a new way of thinking and cooking at our house. I still don’t have it all down as so many things that I’m accustomed to using have gluten. Initially, I thought it was just wheat products that were a problem but it’s ever so much more than that. I’ll give your carrot cake a try as baking is where I most miss gluten.

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi Lulu
      Yes – baking is the hardest – I happen to also love pasta but fortunately there is rice pasta. Thanks for commenting.
      Lorna

      Like

  22. Eva Taylor says:

    How exciting is that! And a fellow Canadian! My best friend is gluten intolerant and she spent years doubled over in pain after gluten laden meals so this cookbook would be a great gift to her.

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi Eva – thanks for the comments. It is interesting to see that the internet has brought so many people from so many places together. Hope your friend likes the book.
      Lorna

      Like

  23. What a lovely lady Lorna is and how kind of her to share her fabulous carrot cake recipe too. I know we get rice flour here but not so sure about soy flour – I need to investigate asap!
    Have a happy day CCU.
    🙂 Mandy xo

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi Mandy
      Don’t know where you are writing from but you could try almond flour. Like soy flour it is a little heavy which is why it is used in conjunction with rice flour. Hope you can find it. There are mail order places to order gluten free products but I don’t know where you live.
      Lorna

      Like

  24. Barbara says:

    Nice post! Lovely to meet Lorna and her book. Luckily, I am not wheat intolerant, but I have a nephew who’s had celiac disease for 16 years. So I always send gluten free recipes over to his mom.

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi
      Thanks for the comments. Even people who are tolerate gluten enjoy my recipes…I just don’t tell them. They usually never know.
      Lorna

      Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Thanks for the comment. I would not go back to wheat flour even if I could. It is actually quite easy to convert recipes. My flour substitute is 1/2 soy flour and 1/2 rice flour. Only thing I do is add an extra egg.

      Enjoy

      Lorna

      Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi
      I am overwhelmed at the response to this blog. So many people are choosing to go GF even if they don’t have to. A new world revolution. Yeah!
      Lorna

      Like

  25. Lorna is the kind of woman I enjoy knowing. I can see that she has lived the things she speaks to others about. Mentioning her “late husband” and taking on the role of being responsible for her own health in changing her diet so creatively, she is resilient and I would love to hear one of her talks about “change” and personal growth. I’m so glad you introduced me to her and this cookbook. I have a few gluten intolerant friends I will share with! And the carrot cake sounds really good to me, too! 🙂

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Wow – what a comment. I try to look at my life as an adventure in every area. I have spoken about change and personal growth – perhaps my whole life was lived that way but changing my diet was the big turning point.
      Lorna

      Like

  26. Nice to meet Lorna and to hear her story. It’s so unfortunate that so many people suffer from food intolerance. I too need to stay away from gluten because of my auto immune condition, but it’s so hard for me with the family. I can never stay GF for long.
    This book is a great resource, especially if its filled with great recipes like the carrot cake.

    Nazneen

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi Nazneen – changing one’s diet with a family must be the most difficult thing. I did not have children – I found pizza was the hardest thing to create GF. I can only say – persevere because the improvement in your health is so very worthwhile.

      Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi
      Wow – the response so far is awesome. I just woke up here in Canada and what a way to start my day. It IS moist and delish….and is my most popular cake.
      Lorna

      Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi
      Thanks – The hardest part of the cookbook was coming up with a title I liked….of course I needed recipes too. Friends helped me with both areas.
      Lorna

      Like

  27. Hello Uru, Many thanks for hosting Lorna on Go Bake Yourself. She is excited to be here and to share her recipe for Gluten-Free Carrot Cake with your readers. If anyone has any questions, comments or other tips they would like to share with Lorna, please leave them in the comment box. Lorna will be by later in the day to respond to any questions and/or comments you or your readers may have.

    Please follow Lorna on her virtual book blog tour for Wheat Watchers. On Thursday, May 16th, she will be hosted by Lacy and Meg, http://www.lacyandmeg.com.

    To all readers, please take a moment to enter the giveaway to win an autographed copy of Wheat Watchers, A Recipe Book for Gluten Intolerant Appetites.

    Have a great day!

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi
      Thanks for the response. Carrot cake was always my favourite and it was one of the first to be experimented with. It is even good without the cream cheese icing but you could you a lemon glaze.
      Lorna

      Like

  28. mmmarzipan says:

    Fabulous post and great giveaway! Even for those who don’t win, that recipe is a huge bonus and one I would definitely like to try out for my gluten-intolerant friends! You can just tell it’s amazing! Thanks Lorna and CCU! xx

    Like

    • Lorna Foreman says:

      Hi
      Thanks for the response. Hope you win – if you’ve entered, that is. Try the recipe, it really is my favourite.
      Lorna

      Like

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