Do you have an auto-immune disease such as celiac disease or diabetes? Kate DesRosiers, who has Type 1 diabetes and operates Rainforest Rose Creations at the Sitka Farmers Market, will teach a Rainforest Recipes class on how to make AIP (Auto-Immune Protocol) pizza at the Sitka Kitch this month.

Kate will offer this class twice at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen (located at the Sitka Lutheran Church kitchen, 224 Lincoln Street, enter back door through alley off of Harbor Drive). Her first offering will be from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12, and the second offering from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. Depending on student registration, she may end up teaching the class once or at both times.

Over the past 29 years of living with Type 1 diabetes, Kate has experimented with and tested out hundreds of lower carbohydrate food and recipes. She focuses on gut balance and foods that work best for her body for optimal health and feeling good in her own experiences with auto-immune chronic illness. In addition to operating Rainforest Rose Creations, Kate also instructs weekly Zumba classes and is a skin care consultant with Rodan + Fields.

The auto-immune protocol (AIP) diet is a food-based approach to eliminating unwanted inflammation in a person’s body.  Kate DesRosiers offers this class for those interested in learning more about the AIP diet and recipes, as well as for those simply interested in a healthier, gluten- and dairy-free, delicious alternative to pizza. Students will make a pizza “crust” and add assorted toppings that are gut-friendly.

The registration deadline is 11:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, for the Dec. 12 class, and at 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12, for the Dec. 14 class. Space is limited, so register early to secure your place in the class. We need at least eight students to register and pre-pay to make this class happen. The class costs $40, which is part of our new all-inclusive fee system (you no longer have to pay a class fee to register, then a separate food/supply fee). You can register and pre-pay using credit/debit cards or PayPal on our EventSmart page, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com (click on class title). For those wanting to pre-pay with cash or check, please call Chandler O’Connell or Clarice Johnson at Sitka Conservation Society (747-7509) to arrange a payment.

For more information about the class, contact Jasmine Shaw at 747-9440. We do offer one potential scholarship spot per class for people with limited incomes, so long as we have enough students registered to make the class happen. Contact Chandler at SCS for more details about the scholarship. This class is a fundraiser for the Sitka Kitch.

Students should enter the Sitka Lutheran Church through the back entrance (through the alley off Harbor Drive by the old Bev’s Flowers and Gifts location). The door on the right should be open for students to enter. Please do not park in the church’s back parking lot. Please use the public parking lots off Harbor Drive.

The Sitka Kitch also has a new class cancelation policy. If you register for a class, then find out you can’t attend, please email us at sitkakitch@sitkawild.org and we may be able to help fill your slot through our waiting list. If you cancel from the class at least five days in advance (eg, by Wednesday the week before for a Monday class), you are eligible for a partial refund of your class fee, minus $5 for processing (in this case, $35). If you need to cancel with less than five days advance notice, there is no refund.