Mistakes happen, even to people who live gluten free. We all need a plan for dealing with the discomfort that comes when we accidentally ingest gluten. I recently wrote an article on this subject and received a large number of responses. I thought you might like to read all these responses at once and so I launched a page titled “Glutened…First Aid for Celiacs“. Click on the bar at the top of the page or click here if you would like to read this page.
Gluten Free Survey by FDA
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is distributing a survey on “Gluten-Free Claims on Food Labels”. You may have already been contacted about this project, but I am relaying their message so that all of us can get involved. We certainly have a stake in the results. Despite what it says in the message, I suggest that you allow at least half an hour to complete the survey.
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Seeking Participants
for a Research Study on
Gluten-Free Claims on Food Labels
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking adults diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten-intolerance or caregivers to such individuals to participate in a research study on their grocery shopping habits. Participants will be asked to take an Internet survey, which will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
The survey is available at www.synovate.net/forgluten.
Please contact Katherine Kosa at kkosa@rti.org or , extension 23901, if you have any questions about the study. To request a paper copy of the survey, please call 1-877-4GLUTN1.
Dealing with Celiac Mistakes…Part 3
Earlier this month, I wrote about the problems we have all faced after ingesting gluten. My article was based on a question e-mailed to this site. Your response was immediate and filled with great ideas. The next day I published three of your responses. Here are three more:
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So far, I’ve only used Gluten Ease and lots and lots and lots of water. If you read the label on the Gluten Ease, it says that you can take it after you realize that you’ve ingested gluten and are feeling effects. I have done it that way and it does help. I also take it when I feel less than confident about a meal at a restaurant. Of course, I assiduously avoid gluten at all costs, but stuff does happen.
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My daughter is an extremely sensitive Celiac and very careful of what and where she eats. She always carries a bottle of Gluten Ease with her and when she eats out she always takes one with the first bite of food and if it’s a restaurant she doesn’t trust 100%, she’ll take another one half way through the meal. It works for her. But this is just insurance, she never intentionally eats anything with gluten in it.
When the dreaded cross contamination does happen, she drinks an herbal tea made by steeping 1 teaspoon of white oak bark in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes (add a little honey and it really tastes good). This will eliminate the cramping and the diarrhea. Repeat every 30-60 minutes if necessary but don’t overdo it because it can clog you up.
White oak bark is not easy to find. I get all my herbs from MountainRoseHerbs.com. It’s worth looking for it and keeping it on hand.
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My daughter is an extremely sensitive Celiac and very careful of what and where she eats. She always carries a bottle of Gluten Ease with her and when she eats out she always takes one with the first bite of food and if it’s a restaurant she doesn’t trust 100%, she’ll take another one half way through the meal. It works for her. But this is just insurance, she never intentionally eats anything with gluten in it. When the dreaded cross contamination does happen, she drinks an herbal tea made by steeping 1 teaspoon of white oak bark in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes (add a little honey and it really tastes good). This will eliminate the cramping and the diarrhea. Repeat every 30-60 minutes if necessary but don’t overdo it because it can clog you up. White oak bark is not easy to find. I get all my herbs from MountainRoseHerbs.com. It’s worth looking for it and keeping it on hand.
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Before researching these articles, I had never heard of the product GlutenEase. I went to the manufacturer’s website and learned that the product had not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and that its only purpose is to control symptoms — the manufacturer does not consider it a cure for celiac disease or even a treatment in the usual sense of the word.
I also read one blogger’s statement that she feels that GlutenEase makes her feel better but is so skeptical about it that she does not give it to her celiac children when they are glutened.
I would appreciate from anyone in America’s gluten free community who has had personal experience with this product and would be honored to publish your responses. Leave a comment at the end of this or any article or e-mail me at gfceliac@gmail.com.
Gluten Free, Living Gluten Free
More About Celiac Pain
Yesterday, I published an article on the pain caused by the accidental ingestion of gluten. Your response was amazing — at least three responses in the first ten hours after the article was posted. There may be more and I will publish everything I get without attempting any editing. Keep in mind when you read these letters that are not professional medical advice. They are individual celiac’s attempting to help others.
Please keep the comments coming, either by submitting a comment at the end of this article or by e-mailing me at gfceliac@gmail.com. We can all say thank you to the person who submitted the original letter. She has assisted all of us. What is on your mind? How can we help each other.
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Hi,
When I have ingested gluten and begin to feel the gastro effects, I take the following and it helps tremendously:
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 cup very warm water
Heat the water, add honey and cider vinegar, stir until honey is disolved, and sip. Don’t drink it down, sip it.
The first sip may make your cheeks pucker (like when you eat a really good dill pickle), but after that it is actually good. I don’t mind the taste at all.
Good luck! I hope this helps others as it has me.
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I, too, would be interested in the responses to this question. I asked my doctor the same thing recently and he didn’t have any suggestions for me. He gave me a bottle of Gluten Ease, but from my understanding, that’s missing the point since that is supposed to be taken with a meal you know has gluten in it. I need help for the times I am unknowingly glutened afterwards. I don’t “cheat”; I avoid gluten at all costs. However, with having a shared kitchen, things happen! There are times where I could’ve come to work if it weren’t for the pain, and my boss gets really, really upset when I call in sick. If there were anything I could do to lessen the pain enough to come to work, I’d sure love to know about it!
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I am a celiac. I had a gluten allergic reaction where my throat swelled up and I was having trouble breathing. I grabbed a glass of high potency vitamin C drink (at least 10 grams of Vitamin C) and downed it before my throat had a chance to fully close. It really saved my life and my doctor told me that the Vitamin C was the best home antidote I could have used.
If one is having intestinal impact from having ingested gluten, Dr. Schulze has several products which do help. He recently added a “bowel detox shot” which is herbs in a liquid form. It one downs the entire “shot” they will have immediate relief. There are also some other products on his website which also help clean out the intestine of any gluten residues.
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Gluten Free Brownie Mix from Arrowhead Mills
These gluten free brownies are great. The taste and texture was excellent and I was very pleased that they remained moist for three days and would have lasted longer if I had not eaten all of them with the help of friends who do not live gluten free. I’m glad Arrowhead suggested using apple sauce instead of cooking oil to produce a low fat version. My granddaughter was overjoyed to find out that they were also dairy free.
Reviewing gluten free food is not easy. I’m biased by the fact that virtually all gluten free food tastes better than the cardboard-like junk that I paid outrageous prices for shortly after I was diagnosed ten years ago. I can’t say that this is the best gluten free brownie mix in the world because I have tried only a small percentage of them. Many gluten free products are not available nation-wide and I obviously prefer things that are available to me.
Having said all that, the fact remains that sharing opinions about gluten free food is important, and so I am going to try an experiment. Click here to answer a few questions about this and other gluten free brownie mixes. The combination of my opinions plus the survey results (which will feature your comments) will be useful.
More About The Gluten Free Kitchen
Last week, I summarized the results of our survey on “The Gluten Free Kitchen” and the efforts that people who live gluten free make to keep all food safe. I listed fifteen common recommendations and gave people the opportunity to tell whether or not they follow those precautions. Many excellent comments were included with the survey and — in addition to the statistical summary — I wanted to give you the opportunity to read the comments. Here they are unedited:
1. My counter is on one side of the kitchen and my husband’s is on the other side. I label the margerine tubs since we use the same brand. But mainly, I do not prepare glutenous foods anymore. My husband eats wheat bread and I have to toast it in his toaster and then wash my hands well. I use paper plates to cut up vegetables on.
2. The only baking done in our kitchen is gluten free. The basic cooking is gluten free. which explains why there aren’t 2 sets of cooking supplies, except for the toasters and cutting boards. Cooking whole foods, not processed has eliminated the need for seperate everything.
3. separate tubs of butter, peanut butter
4. the only gluten based foods I buy are crackers and bread (for my husband). I don’t believe (unless you are very sensitive) that there is a problem with cooking equipment if washed well after use.
If we need to make breakfast or lunch at the same time and are not eating the same food, I sometimes use paper plates. Mostly my husband eats gluten free to save frustration.
5. Most meals are made gluten-free and eaten by the one with celiac as well as the one with a wheat allergy, as well as the ones who can tolerate gluten.
Simplify! All eat the same way.
6. My husband, who eats gluten foods is careful not to re-dip his knife into the mustard or mayo after spreading on bread.
8. We have separate colanders for g/f and non g/f items. We do not put knives, spoons etc back into any container (butter, creme cheese, peanut butter, etc) to prevent any crumbs from getting in. In other words, we take out a big enough scoop to do the whole job. While we do not have full sets of separate pots and pans, we do have a baking dish, pot and pan used only for gf items.
9. My hubby, who doesn’t have to eat GF, makes sure that, when he’s making a sandwich, he washes his hands immediately after handling his bread. That way he doesn’t cross contaminate the bag of lunch meat when he sticks his hand in it.
10. Very few gluten containing items in our kitchen. Never consumed while the gluten free person is there, and strictly cleaned after
11. Any utensil or pan used with a gluten containing item is washed in the dishwasher before used again.
12. We prepare gluten foods on only one specific area of the kitchen and wash all utensils in the dishwasher. Then clean and sanitize the area and wash hands before preparing any gluten free foods.
13. I have my own separate prep area.
14. One counter only is used for non gluten items. I mostly cook only GF foods, but my daughter does take nonGF foods to school.
15. We have a dedicated “Gluten Toxic Foods” zone in our kitchen….a counter where the regular bread can be used to prepare sandwiches with separate condiments from the gluten free ones. We have totally eliminated wheat flours in our home but still purchase some premade gluten foods but not for me!
16. When camping with gluten foods, we keep pans and utensils separate, store foods in separate bags, and wash gluten dishes last.
17. My husband uses “regular bread” and has his own toaster. He also has his own gluten containing cereal kept on a separate shelve. Otherwise we usually prepare only gluten free items. Occasionaly he does like beer brats and is very careful to not cross contaminate my GF brats.
18. We check everything in the supermarket before buying and have nothing in the house that has gluten. Even the family members who are not gluten-free are happily living with the healthier diet. (Only 1 out of the 4 in our family is celiac)
19. All foods are prepared on a clean plate or paper towel, never on the counter top
20. We do not serve gluten foods at our dining table, and we do not prepare gluten baked goods. We do not have a dishwasher so we have two different kinds of containers for taking lunches. When we wash and re-use plastic bags the gluten ones go in their own spot. We have visually different sponges for cleaning the gluten and the non-gluten dishes. The gluten people have their own re-usable water bottles and the gf people do not use them. Ditto thermoses. However if you have a dishwasher, you might not have to be so stringent. We have a separate colander for the gluten pastas that are sometimes made.
21. I only cook gluten free in my house. Once in a while my husband will bring home a bagel or pizza for him to eat.
22. Although we use separate toasters at home, our small RV has room for only one toaster. So the right slot is ALWAYS gluten free, and the left slot is for gluten items. Not ideal, but the best we could do.
Gluten Free Bakeries
Today I launched my list of gluten free bakeries. There are only nine items on the list now, but hopefully this will grow rapidly in the next few months. Click here to read the list or click on the tab at the top of the page.
I will be publishing many lists like this during the next few months. My next project is a list of “Restaurants Serving Gluten Free Pizza”.
The Gluten Free Kitchen
According to our survey, only 15% of us have the good fortune to work in a totally gluten free kitchen. 25% of us have a “mixed” kitchen but never use wheat, rye, or barley flour. 60% work out of a kitchen that serves both gluten free and gluten toxic meals. What do we do to insure that our gluten free meals do not experience cross contamination?
I tried to answer this question by listing fifteen frequently-heard recommendations and asked for a yes/no answer as to whether the real celiacs who completed this survey actually observed these precautions. 74% of you told me that you use “dedicated containers for margarine, peanut butter, etc”.
In second place, with 69% compliance, was “we use fresh cooking oil whenever we prepare gluten free products”. Unfortunately, this statistic may be useless because of my careless writing. The important thing is not that the cooking oil be fresh but that it has not been used to cook gluten toxic food.
“When cooking meals involving both gluten free and gluten-containing foods, the gluten free items are prepared first” rounds out with winners list, with 68% reporting that they follow this practice.
53% of you said that “we use two toasters, one reserved for gluten free toast” and/or “we use condiments in squeeze bottles whenever possible”. (Both responses scored equally well.)
39% of you reported that you had “a dedicated bread machine” and or “two sets of cutting boards” (Here again, there was a tie.)
It is probably significant that none of the listed precautions was ignored. These included “we have two sets of spatulas and serving spoons”(36%), “we use color coded stickers to identify food or utensils must be kept gluten free”(21%), “we have a dedicated mixer for use with gluten free foods”(21%), “we have two sets of frying pans”(19%), “we have two sets of baking dishes”(16%), we have two sets of frying pans”(13%), and “we have two sets of spoon rests”(13%).
The comments submitted along with the survey provide many interesting ideas and recommendations. I will write about this in a few days.
The Celiac Site on Facebook
Hopefully this links to my facebook page. I took the plunge two weeks ago today and I really don’t know what I’m doing. But I fascinated by the idea and convinced that Facebook is a great way for America’s gluten free community to exchange ideas and information. After I get Facebook under control, I’ll try Twitter.
In the meantime, please follow this link to my gluten free facebook page. Currently, it has no fans and doesn’t really deserve any. Hopefully, we can improve this situation soon.
Gluten Free Baked Goods On-Line
Here’s information about three bakeries that will ship their products anyone in the continental United States without charging for shipping:
→ Shabtai Gourmet Bakery in New York City is my personal favorite — I love their food and order it regularly. There is no shipping charge. Click here to read my review.
→ The Grindstone Bakery in northern California specializes in gluten free whole-grain bread.
→ The Little Aussie Bakery in San Antonio, Texas, ships free-of-charge with orders of at least $65.
Gluten Free Updates…March 27, 2010
Here are six new listings for gluten free restaurants and bakeries. I’m using a new format that I think — once we out the bugs — will enable me to post more information and enable you to process it more effectively. I’ll talk about the new format after you have had the chance to see these examples:
→ IDAHO / Boise / Jake’s Gluten Free Store /208-322-5935 / a grocer who also sells celiac-friendly items on-line.
→ MICHIGAN / Detroit (nine locations) /Buddy’s Pizza / each restaurant has own phone number / features gluten free pizza
→ MISSOURI / Chesterfield / Caito’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzaria /636-530-9222 /
→ MISSOURI / Kansas City (Lee’s Summit) / Kneaded Specialties /no phone listed/ sells baked products through local stores
→ NEW JERSEY / Medford / Tesori’s Gluten Free Bakery Treats /no phone listed / gluten free products include ready-to-bake dough / sells through retail stores in the area
→ WISCONSIN / DePere / Grass Roots Grocery (and Bakery) / no phone listed /
To keep things simple, all listings will be done in this format:
♦ The state in bold print and capital letters — making it easier for you to scan the list
♦ The city — to assist you in narrowing down your scan
♦ The name of the establishment — if the name does not identify the type of project, more info will be added in parentheses / the name will also be a link to information about the establishment.
♦ The phone number — so that a copy of the list will be useful even if a computer is not available
♦ Comments — descriptive information including additional links if needed / usually, an establishment’s gluten free options are spelled out on the site — comments will be added if this is not the case.
Let me know what you think of the new format. E-Mail at gfceliac@gmail.com or add a comment at the end of this or any article. Obviously, this list will become very long very quickly. How should it be broken up into manageable chunks?
Why is Gluten Free Food so Expensive?
“Why is gluten free food so expensive? I feel like I’m being punished for a food allergy.” We’ve all been there and had that feeling. Things were a lot worse ten years ago when we were paying exorbitant prices for food hat tasted like cardboard and was extremely hard to find. All that is small comfort to someone (like the person who wrote this comment) who has just been diagnosed.
One thing we can do is sometimes called an “attitude adjustment”. The cost of gluten free food becomes less alarming when we realize that celiac disease is an incurable disease and our food is also our medication —we spend relatively little money on pills, hospital stays, or visits to our doctor. The cost drops when we focus on naturally gluten free foods like fruits and vegetables and unprocessed meat. Most of us should be doing that anyway. There is still a problem, of course, especially for people who have just been diagnosed and have not yet had time to learn the shortcuts.
Published 3/25/10 Updated 9/14/10
Gluten Free Athletes
Can our diet be both gluten free and appropriate for athletes competing in a rigorous and demanding sport? These tri-athletes have said “yes” and given suggestions for how to accomplish this diet-wise. Read these blogs by Desiree Ficker, Stephanie Diamond, and John Martin. They will provide reassurance that celiacs can achieve anything they truly desire and specifics about the diet that enabled them to succeed in the sports world.
While we are on the subject of successful celiac athletes, read about Kelly Baker. She’s an award winning body builder who also deals with celiac disease, and intolerance to soy, eggs, and nuts.
REMINDER: My current survey attempts to provide information about what celiacs due to insure that every meal that comes out of their kitchen is free of cross-contamination and therefore truly gluten free. The survey lists fifteen recommendations and asks for a yes/no answer about whether or not you observe those precautions. Voting ends this Saturday so there is still opportunity to vote if you have not yet done so. Click here to complete the survey.
Gluten Free Wraps
♦Americans love wraps as sandwich-substitutes, snacks, and breakfasts. People living gluten free are fully able to join this national passion.
# Make your wraps using your favorite gluten free flour:
♦ Try this recipe for wraps made with millet flour and buckwheat flour. (from: The Gluten Free Goddess)
♦ Here’s a recipe using chickpea flour. (from: Pioneer Woman)
♦ Last but not least, here is a recipe for brown-rice wraps (from: Gluten Free Gobsmacked)
# If you prefer to purchase your wraps ready to fill and enjoy, I suggest these wraps available from The Gluten Free Pantry.
# Here are a few ideas for filling your wraps:
♦ Try this recipe for pesto-bacon-lettuce wraps featured on the blog appropriately called The Gluten Free Goddess
♦ Here are more suggestions from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen.
♦ These fillings are referred to as “P.F. Chang’s wannabe’s” but could certainly be used as either lettuce wraps or grain-based wraps.
REMINDER: Our current survey lists fifteen precautions that experts suggests for kitchens that produce both gluten free and wheat-based products. You are invited to tell us which of these precautions are actually practiced by “real celiacs”. If you have not already done so, please click here to complete the survey. Results will be announced next Monday, March 29.
Gluten Free in the Kitchen
Relatively few of us have the privilege of preparing our meals in kitchens that are totally gluten free. Most of us must take specific steps to make sure that our gluten free food is not cross-contaminated by wheat-based foods that are being prepared and served in our kitchen.
Yesterday, I launched a survey in my newsletter listing fifteen recommended precautions and asked people to tell me which ones they actually practice. What do “real celiacs” do? If you have not already done so, please click to complete the survey.It should take no more than 5-1 minutes. Note that the survey has been programmed to accept only one response from a specific computer.
A Gluten Free Picnic
Spring is here, and many of us will be celebrating with a gluten free (or least celiac friendly) picnic.
When I was researching this article, I googled the term “gluten free picnic” and found roughly the same number of articles about equal numbers of articles about gluten free recipes and articles on the theme “gluten free living is no picnic”. This article deals with both of these options.
Salads make great picnic food and most of them are gluten free if the preparer is reasonably careful. For suggestions for picnic salads, consult these two articles. Here is the other link.
For picnic-planning ideas, try this article called ““Think a Gluten and Allergy Free Picnic is ‘no picnic’? Think Again”. I also recommend Make Your Summer a Picnic: Gluten Free Options for Carefree Options“.
Gluten Free Updates March 17, 2010
This week, I added one gluten free restaurant and two stores that feature gluten free baked products. As usual, I have included details in my article on the appropriate state. This keeps all relevant information in one place.
♦ Sinless Confections in Wilton, Connecticut, which works with the Caogula Cafe to provide gluten free products.
♦ Donatelli’s, an Italian restaurant and pizzeria in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
♦ Andrea’s Gluten Free, a gluten free and nut free bakery in Chesterfield, Missouri, which sells gluten free products (its own and those manufactured elsewhere.)
Celiacs Reaching Out
I’d like to< salute two programs that assist needy families that desperately need gluten free food. I've already written about the program sponsored by the Celiac Disease Foundation of Southern Florida. A $25 monthly voucher is given to families that have been carefully screened for financial need as well as for the presence of at least one diagnosed-celiac in the family.
The House of Neighborly Service in Loveland, Colorado, operates a food bank that includes special baskets for families that need gluten free food. Gluten free blogger Dee Valdez created this program and hopes to expand it to food banks across the country.
Gluten Free, Gluten Free Food, Gluten Free Restaurants
Gluten Free Updates March 11, 2010
This week I was able to add three new items to this list:
♦ Pastini’s Pastaria with nine locations in and around Portland, Oregon. Since I live near Portland, I’ve also added Pastini’s to my personal list of favorite places to eat.
♦ Sansone’s Bistro in Greenwood Village, Colorado.
♦ Big Ring Bakery in Flagstaff, Arizona.
In the interest of keeping all relevant information in the same place, I have included the details in my article about each state.
More About Gluten Free Food Lists
Yesterday I began reporting the results of our survey. Here are the answers to the last two questions as well as ideas from the wonderfully-useful comments that you submitted. If you want to read the information about the first two questions before continuing, please click here.
Question 3. What do you do when you see the word “oats” in an ingredients label? 6% of you would ignore this “warning”. 49% might purchase the product if they could verify that the oats in question were “certified”. 46% would not purchase the product. Perhaps my article on “gluten free oats” will help you make a decision here.
Question 4. What do you do when you see the words “no gluten ingredients” on an ingredients label. 20% of you say that this means the same thing as “gluten free” and that the food is safe. 69% of you prefer the term “gluten free” but would consider buying this item. 11% would not consider this item acceptable.
Your comments fell into three categories:
→ questions about “gluten free” jargon. For example, “malt flavoring” is code for “contains barley”.
→ concerns about phrases that mean little or nothing such as “may contain wheat”.
→ issues about well-designed packages whose ingredients lists written in ways that require a bright light and a magnifying glass to read. There are many other examples of thing that suggest deliberate deception.
I will write articles on these three subjects beginning in two or three weeks. For now, I think it best temporarily move on to other subject.
Deciphering Gluten Free Ingredients Lists
“Read every ingredients label every time” is our best defense against consuming unsafe food, but it is far from perfect. Our recent survey confirmed the apprehension we all share when reading those lists. More importantly, the survey gave us insight into what other people living gluten free do in these touchy situations.
Question 1. Caramel coloring may may or may not be gluten free depending on how it is prepared, but 34% of you stated that you would not purchase a product containing caramel food coloring even if it was labeled gluten free. 37% of you felt that the product is safe — the gluten free label trumps the caramel food coloring listing. For 29% of you, it would be a toss-up, depending on the reputation of the company that posted the gluten free label. For more ideas on this subject, I suggest that you read my article about caramel food coloring.
Question 2. How do you react when you learn that a product was made in a “facility that processes wheat”? 57% said that they preferred items produced in wheat free facilities but would not rule out purchasing the item. 37% said “no”. 2% said that they would ignore the “warning” and purchase the item.
There are two more survey questions plus dozens of meaningful comments submitted by the people who took the survey. I will deal with these items tomorrow.
Restaurants for People Living Gluten Free
What restaurants are safe for people who live gluten free? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this. It depends on each persons individual answers to these questions:
♦ Are you willing to eat in a restaurant that serves some foods that are not gluten free? Cross contamination is always possible in such a situation.
♦ Are you willing to eat in a restaurant in a restaurant that has a written “gluten free” menu or food list posted in the restaurant and/or on-line?
♦ Do you talk with waiters, chef, or managers before making a decision about a particular restaurant?
♦ Do you accept the recommendations of your gluten free friends and/or comments that celiacs have posted on-line?
My policy on this site is to list every restaurant that advertises gluten free options on-line, makes a gluten free menu available to its patrons. or has informed me in writing that it provides gluten free options.
As I stated on the front page of this site: “My mission is to provide information, not to give advice. All decision are left with you.” In keeping with that statement, I present all the possible options to you, thus enabling you to make the choices that are best for you.
Gluten Free Updates March 1, 2010
This week I was able to add “New Seasons” and “Fresh and Easy” supermarkets to my article “Supermarkets with Gluten Free Lists” There are now eighteen supermarkets on this list and in each case there is a link that will enable you to find a convenient store location as well as a list of gluten free products.
I also added the Coquette Creperie in Manitou Springs, Colorado and Tully’s Gluten Free Bakery in New York City. For details, please see my articles on Colorado and New York City.
Gluten Free on St. Patrick’s Day
The St. Patrick’s Day celebration has two essential components: beer and food! Fortunately, people living gluten free are welcome at the festivities.
♦ Redbridge Beer is the most widely available gluten free brew since it is made and distributed by Anheuser Busch. Other brands include Ramapo Valley Beer, Bard’s Tale, and New Grist. There is a good possibility that at least one or two of these beverages are available at your local Whole Foods Market.
Keep in mind that there are lots of wheat free beers available. The “bad guy” here is barley. Until recently, bottlers were not allowed to use the word “beer” to refer to a beverage that was not brewed from barley.
♦ RecipeZaar.com indexes 3455 recipes under the terms “gluten free” “St. Patrick’s Day”. Hopefully, that should be enough for your St. Patrick’s Day feast.
REMINDER: We are currently conducting a survey to see what “real people who live gluten free” actually do when they attempt to read an ingredients label that causes more problems than it solves. Voting ends this Saturday, February 27. If you have not yet voted, please click here to complete the survey.
Gluten Free Restaurant Pizza
Gluten free pizza is now available in restaurants nationwide. There are at least four restaurant chains that serve celiac-friendly pizza and two firms that provide gluten free crusts that enable local restaurants to serve gluten free pizzas.
I recently updated my article on gluten free restaurant pizza. Here is the article in its entirety:
Garlic Jim’s, whose pizzas have been certified “safe” by The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG). The locations page gives you the option of limiting your search to places that serve gluten free pizza. Click here to read the gluten free menu.
Uno Chicago Grill offers three types of gluten free pizza at each of its locations nation-wide.Click here for nutrition information and then click on the button in the middle of the second column.
Pizza Fusion provides gluten free pizza at all its outlets. Click on the restaurant name for locations and/or click here for information about their gluten free offerings.
Z Pizza. Click to find a location and then click on that location and hope to find “Gluten Free Crust Available” in the box at the upper-right corner of the page. Keep in mind that the term “gluten free crust” may or may not mean that the entire pizza is gluten free and has not exposed to cross contamination. Defensive dining is definitely required when you are eating here.
Still Riding Pizza. This is not actually a restaurant chain but a company that sells gluten free pizza crusts to restaurants. They also provide guidance to those restaurants but can’t guarantee anything other than a gluten free crust. Click on the name to read their list of 100+ restaurants that they supply.
Gluten Free Bistro. This company provides gluten free pizza crusts to restaurants in Colorado. Here again, be aware that a pizza is not gluten free simply because it has a gluten free crust.
Gluten Free Diet: Problem or Solution?
U.S. News and World Report characterizes the gluten free diet as “a cure for some, a fad for most”. Calling it a “fad for most” seems a bit severe, but many experts agree that many (if not most) of the people living gluten free are fad dieters. Here is a quote from Cynthia Kupper, director of The Gluten Intolerance Group: “surveys show that about 15 to 25% of customers report looking for gluten-free products, apparently far eclipsing the number put on the diet by their doctors….While there’s no firm evidence that the diet is helping them, most nutritionists say there’s nothing known to be risky about it either.” I disagree slightly with that quote. The gluten free diet is inconvenient and expensive. People should think very carefully before they attempt it, particularly if they are doing so with the sort of a physician.
I certainly agree with this part of the article: “For those who have a clear medical need for gluten free products, the surge in options is a boon,…Now…gluten free options abound…. the plethora of new products makes adhering to doctor’s orders easier.” Amen!!!
USA Today recently published an article with the same point-of-view but placing more emphasis on the the down-side of the gluten free diet. In my opinion, this is must-reading for anyone who is considering going gluten free without competent medical supervision.
Finally, I recommend this article published by Celiac.com. It continues the words “With every new trend comes controversy, but ultimately, the growth in interest in a gluten free diet will mean more research, more diagnoses, and more food options.”
What does this mean for us? There are certainly thousands of people who are using the gluten free diet for the wrong reasons. How we deal with them is a matter of personal ethics so I will not deal with that. The increased interest in the gluten free diet certainly benefits us but it also requires us to shop and dine more defensively. For example: many restaurant managers have discovered that advertising gluten free pizza crusts is good for their bottom line. These people may or may not understand that preparing a gluten free pizza involves much more than providing a gluten free crust. Be careful my friends!
P.S. added March 2: This article has generated lots of interest. Be sure to read the comments at the bottom of this article. They shed light on this rather complicated subject.
DISCLOSURE: The comments that appear in blue are my personal opinions based on ten year’s living gluten free and eight years writing on the subject. I have no credentials as a physician or dietitian.
REMINDER: Our current survey has to do with the hassles that occur when we are reading ingredient lists. If you have not already completed the survey, please click here. Voting ends this Saturday.
Gluten Free, Gluten Free Food, Gluten Free Shopping
Supermarkets With Gluten Free Lists
These sixteen supermarkets feature gluten free products in their stores and list those products on their websites. Type the name of the supermarket chain in the search box below. Clicking on the search box will probably produce several different options, but the first one — the supermarket’s home page — is the one that concerns you. This page will provide a general introduction to the store and also give you links to addresses of individual stores and links to the supermarkets list of gluten free options. Here is your list:
Hannaford | Hy-Vee | Meijer | New Seasons Markets
| Nob Hill |Publix | Trader Joe’s | Raley’s | ShopRite | Stop and Shop |
Walmart | Wegmans | Whole Foods Markets |
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If you feel like you have seen this information before, you are quite correct. I am attempting to accomplish two things in one article. The computers at google and the other search engines don’t do well under those circumstances and unless the machines are satisfied, you will not find the information you need. Here are my goals:
♦ I am trying to provide a useful list of supermarkets and the gluten free products lists that make our shopping more pleasant and more effective. I titled this article “Supermarkets with Gluten Free Lists”
♦ I am experimenting with a new approach to list-making. Whenever we read a printed list, we go to the internet to make sure that the information is still up-to-date. We can avoid that step by using lists that send us directly to the appropriate website. That step not only saves time for you, but it streamlines the otherwise tedious task of researching the information and entering the data into the computer. Thus, these lists can be expanded indefinitely, updated regularly, and offered at minimal cost.
I wrote two articles in order achieve two goals in a way that the computers can comprehend. Next week, I will write about restaurant chains that provide gluten free meals.
REMINDER: Our current survey deals with the problems we confront when dealing with ingredients lists. We know that we must read every ingredients list every time. The survey describes four “problems” that might arise when we are reading ingredients lists and ask everyone to indicate how they would react to that situation. There are no right or wrong answers, but it is helpful for each of us to know how other celiacs deal with these “problems”Click here if you have not already completed the survey.
Gluten Free, Gluten Free Food, Gluten Free Shopping
Reading Ingredient Labels
Read every ingredients label every time. I wish I had a gluten free cupcake for every time I have heard that statement or written those words. As you probably know, it is important but not as easy as it sounds. Our current survey addresses that problem. It sets up four problem situations and asks how the person taking the survey would respond. There are no correct or incorrect answers. Knowing what other people living gluten free would do in this situation. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to click here and share your opinions. There is also a space for you to share “label problems” that you have had. I’ll use your ideas in future versions of the survey.
Survey Results Part 3
What do you need to live a successful, happy, and effective gluten free life? 215 people answered that key question on our survey. I discussed some of your answers on Thursday and others on Friday, and will complete that process today. If you have not read the first two articles, I suggest that you do so now and then use the arrow in the upper left corner of the page to return here.
Today we talk about the fifth and eighth ranked items on the survey “controlling weight while living gluten free” and “information to help make decisions about foods, restaurants, etc.” The concerns we have discussed so far can be addressed using factual and scientific information. But there are some gray areas where we must make decisions for ourselves. It helps to know what other members of our gluten free community do in similar circumstances. Our site’s power to conduct surveys will be helpful here. You may expect many surveys during the next few months. No survey will take more than five minutes to complete.
This survey deals with the problem of reading ingredient labels. It describes four dilemmas that might arise when we are dealing with these labels. These labels are carefully written to make them acceptable to both a company’s dietitians and its legal department. What do the labels really mean? Click here to share your insights by completing this survey. It shouldn’t take more than five minutes.
Gluten Free Dating
Here, just in time for Valentine’s Day, are strategies for people living gluten free of who have no intention of letting gluten intolerance interfere with their dating.
♦ E-how.com has posted these suggestions. I particularly appreciated their advice “don’t discuss the really yucky parts” until the relation has blossomed. As always, e-how.com is very practical and easy to read.
♦ This article talks about how to manage a dinner invitation from someone who is not aware of your gluten free diet.
♦ Here is a link to an on-line dating service for people living gluten free. Since I have been married since before the internet came into being, I won’t try to discuss this site. But I will supply the link for anyone who may need it.
More Survey Results
Yesterday, I announced of our survey in which 215 people who live gluten free answered the question “What do you need to simplify your gluten free life…” and talked about the most popular response. If you have not already read that article, I suggest that you click here to read the article and then click on the arrow in the top right of the page to return here to read this article.
I was a bit surprised your second and fourth choices “specific lists of restaurants offering gluten free choices” and “specific lists of gluten free foods”. After all, lists abound on the internet. Why do we need more? But then I realized that most of those lists are incomplete, some are out-of-date, and maybe inaccurate for any number of reasons.
On the other hand, list-making is one of the most time-consuming and tedious task a webmaster can attempt. Keeping the lists updated is even harder. I’m experimenting with an idea that may make things better for you and more feasible for people like me. I’ll announce details as soon as I can work the bugs out of my system.
I’ve already started working on your third ranking concern “living gluten free on a budget”. I’ve written several articles on the subject and summarized them on a “power page” called GLUTEN FREE ON A BUDGET. Click on the tab at the top of the page to see what I have written.
The experts all seem to agree with the common sense idea that in order to save money we must all do more home cooking. I’m experimenting with an idea that may be helpful here. I certainly agree with the basic idea: food cooked from scratch tastes better than anything that comes out of a box or can.
I’ll complete my analysis of the survey results tomorrow. Specific actions will be announced on Monday. I have republished the survey results below. We need to have them on hand when we are dealing with these topics.
column 1 / ORANGE / “healthy eating regimens that include all aspects of diet and nutrition and are appropriate for people living gluten free / 31 responses / 14.4%
column 2 / LIGHT BLUE / “specific lists of restaurants offering gluten free choices” / 28 responses / 13.0%
column 3 / PURPLE / “living gluten free on a budget” / 26 responses / 12.1%
column 4 / DARK ORANGE/ “specific lists of gluten free foods” /22 responses / 10.2 %
column 5 / GREEN / “information about ‘best buys’ am competing brands of gluten free food” / 19 responses / 8.8%
column 6 / BROWN / “controlling weight while living gluten free” / 18 responses / 8.4%
column 7 / DARK BLUE / “cooking and baking gluten free food” / 17 responses / 7.9%
column 8 / RED/ “information to help make decisions about foods, restaurants, etc. / 15 responses / 7.0%
Gluten Free, Living Gluten Free
OUR SURVEY RESULTS
“What do you need to simplify your gluten free lifestyle and/or to make it more effective and productive?” 215 people answered that question on our recent survey. I’ve summarized the responses at the bottom of this article. (Unfortunately, reading the chart requires a better computer and/or sharper eyes than I have, so I repeated the information in the space after the chart.)
I WILL ADDRESS YOUR EIGHT MAJOR CONCERNS. I am not totally sure how to do so, but I am excited about the opportunity to find out. I’ll talk in general terms about a few concerns today and write about others in the next few days. Specific solutions will come as soon as possible.
Your primary concern was finding “healthy eating regimens that include all aspects of diet and nutrition.” That’s my main concern too. I kind find gluten free substitutes for any just about any gluten toxic item in my diet — I am no longer malnourished because of undiagnosed celiac disease — but what about the big picture? Is my diet healthy in all respects?
The ability to control our weight is an important feature of what I am calling “The Total Diet that is Gluten Free”. Weight control emerged as the sixth major concern on our survey.
I’ll write more general comments tomorrow and announce specific initiatives as soon as possible.
column 1 / ORANGE / “healthy eating regimens that include all aspects of diet and nutrition and are appropriate for people living gluten free / 31 responses / 14.4%
column 2 / LIGHT BLUE / “specific lists of restaurants offering gluten free choices” / 28 responses / 13.0%
column 3 / PURPLE / “living gluten free on a budget” / 26 responses / 12.1%
column 4 / DARK ORANGE/ “specific lists of gluten free foods” /22 responses / 10.2 %
column 5 / GREEN / “information about ‘best buys’ am competing brands of gluten free food” / 19 responses / 8.8%
column 6 / BROWN / “controlling weight while living gluten free” / 18 responses / 8.4%
column 7 / DARK BLUE / “cooking and baking gluten free food” / 17 responses / 7.9%
column 8 / RED/ “information to help make decisions about foods, restaurants, etc. / 15 responses / 7.0%
Results of our Survey
The results of our survey will be announced on Thursday. Over two hundred celiacs and others living gluten free have responded to the question “What do you need…” I’m excited about the answers. They have the “ring of truth”. They are needs that I have the power to address those needs. I can’t do everything at once, of course, but I can be of help!
This seems to be a good time to remind everyone that I am not a doctor or a dietician and have no academic credentials in these areas. But, I’ve lived gluten free for a decade and now feel better than I did prior to my diagnosis. The internet has been my tool for living and thriving gluten free.
This is version three of the website that was born in 2002. I’ve set this guide-line for myself:
I relay information. I state personal opinions. I do not give advice. As I’m sure you realize, everything that appears on the internet is not “gospel truth”. I point you to information. It is up to evaluate that information.
A Healthy Diet for Celiacs
People living gluten free want more that a diet free of wheat, barley, rye, and oats. However, when we google the term “gluten free diet” we are inundated with suggestions for eliminating gluten but no advice about how to eat a healthy diet.
We need a simple and straight-forward “total” diet plan; simply living gluten free is complicated. We want to do more than that. The best tool I’ve found for that is the Department of Agriculture’s food pyramid.
Keep in mind that there is new version (introduced in 2005) and an older version. References to both systems appear on-line, The best way to tell the difference is that the graphic for the old system (the one we learned about in elementary school) has horizontal bands while the newer version has vertical bands and is referred to as “My Pyramid”.
I suggest that you browse through this site. FYI, you will not find any recommendation (or even suggestion) that you eat gluten toxic grains. You’ll be pleased to note that the pyramid now states all measurements as “cups” or “ounces” rather than the elusive and vague term “servings”. Keep in mind that I have no academic or medical credentials. I relay information and occasionally state personal opinions. I do not give advice.
Gluten Free Updates
This week I was able to add one gluten free restaurant, a gluten free bakery, and a celiac friendly market. As always, I am mentioning the new “discoveries” here and giving details in the article about the state where the “find” is located. That helps keep all relevant information in the same place. Items indexed this week include:
♦ Seva Vegetarian Restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
♦ Mermaid’s Bakery in Denver, Colorado which specializes in “gluten free cakes and cupcakes”.
♦ White Birch Gluten Free Market in Hillsborough, New Hampshire.
Losing Weight Gluten Free
Do gluten free diets take off pounds?” Not automatically, it depends on the choices that the dieter makes. Celiac friendly food does not cause weight gain or loss simply because it is gluten free. Both gluten free and wheat based diets can be equally effective. That is a very brief summary of an article posted recently at eating.health.com. This article is great! Be sure to read the whole thing.
A gluten free blogger wrote about “The Top Five Reasons I Look Great on a Gluten Free Diet“. I’m guessing that the words “great” and “slim” mean roughly the same thing to her. Her ideas are simple and practical. For example: she notes that almost all junk food is gluten toxic, so celiacs have at least two reasons for avoiding it.
Many of our food issues are related to what The Savvy Celiac (a blog) has called “gluten entitlement“. We sometimes kid ourselves into believing that gluten free food is good for us IN ANY QUANTITY. Click on either of the links in this paragraph to learn more about this harmful myth.
My Power Page “The Gluten Free Weight Loss Diet” summarizes all the information I have about losing weight while maintaining a gluten free diet. You can also get information by scrolling down to the bottom of this page (past the advertisements) and click on the red tag that says lose weight gluten free. Clicking on that tag will take you to a page giving brief excerpts from my articles on this subject. Click to read the entire article.
I Welcome Your Comments
This gluten free website needs your comments. This morning I read the comment that Bob’s Red Mill’s Creamy Buckwheat Cereal is no longer gluten free. I double-checked this at the Bob’s Red Mill site which states in bold letters that the cereal is no longer safe for us. I also discovered that Amazon is still selling it as a gluten free cereal. I advised Bob’s Red Mill of the problem.
This story has two points:
♦ No website is perfect, not even Amazon. We must always be diligent, read every ingredients label everytime, and dine and shop defensively. (It was interesting to note that my little site has something in common with Amazon).
♦ I need your comments so that I can do my best to be accurate and helpful. My e-mail address is gfceliac@gmail.com. You can also leave a comment at the end of this or any other article. (There are some article where comments are not possible for technical reasons.)
People Living Gluten Free on a Budget
♦ Here’s a report from a blogger who vowed to (for a short period of time) feed a family of three gluten free on a budget of $18 per day. This is the amount available to a family of three living on food stamps in her area.
♦ I’d like to call to your attention to this blog article called “A Frugal, Healthy, Grocery Budget“.
Read the blogs “Gluten Free Frugal” and “Gluten Free on a Shoestring” for ideas and encouragement.
We are all facing the challenge of living gluten free on a budget and I have written several articles on this subject. Much of what I have learned is summarized on my “Power Page” called (appropriately enough) “Gluten Free on a Budget“.
Updated 9/15/10
Celiacs Who Care
I salute the Celiac Disease Foundation of South Florida which supports celiacs living at the poverty level by providing a $25 voucher month to diagnosed celiacs and their families. Gluten free living is expensive under the best of circumstances. This carefully monitored program fills a crucial need and encourages all members of the organization by reminding them how lucky they are to reasonably well off in these difficult times.
I urge you to read this article called “Soup Kitchens, Food Pantries, and Restricted Diets“, written by a person who became concerned about celiacs who rely on these organizations. This issue is important on so many different levels. How can a celiac make a good impression at a job interview while battling the effects of a gluten-toxic diet? How can we turn our backs on people who need the gluten free diet but lack the resources to help themselves.
Whole Grain Breakfast Cereals
Yesterday I wrote about gluten free whole grain foods and gave a list of recommended cold cereals as a way to get the day off to a good start. I also talked about why whole grains are important. Here’s my list of suggestions for hot cereals:
♦ Alti Plano Gold High Fiber Instant Quinoa Cereal
♦ Arrowhead Mills Organic Hot Cereal, Rice and Shine
♦ Bob’s Red Mill Organic Brown Rice Farina Creamy Hot Cereal
♦ Nu World Foods Delicious Puffed Amarnth Hot Cereal
♦ Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes
The first four items can be purchased at Amazon.com. The prices quoted are for a case (4-12 boxes) of the product.
Whole Grains and the Gluten Free Diet
American’s (celiacs and others) are advised to eat 6-11 servings daily from the “bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group” and to “choose a variety of grains daily, making at least half of those grains whole grains”. It’s sound advice, even though it might seem to exclude us from the USDA’s “food pyramid”, the official word on what constitutes a balanced and healthy diet.
We’re used to challenges. Celiac’s are problem solvers and heaven knows we have plenty of them. Anyway, here is a place to start. These breakfast cereals are both gluten free and made, at least in part, from whole grains:
♦ from General Mills: Rice Chex, Corn Chex, Honey Nut Chex, Chocolate Chex, Cinnamon Checks, Strawberry Chex (reminder: there are some types of Chex cereals that are not gluten free.)
♦ from Nature’s Path: Whole O’s, Crunchy Maple Sunrise, Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise, Corn Puffs, Leaping Lemurs, Panda Puffs
♦ from Arrowhead Mills: Puffed Corn Cereal, Puffed Millet Cereal, Puffed Rice Cereal
♦ from Erewhon Cereals: Gluten Free Krispy Brown Rice Cereal
♦ from Enjoy Life Foods: Perky’s Crunchy Flax Cereal
I’ll write about gluten free whole-grain hot cereals tomorrow. In the meantime, I’m sure there are cereals that could be added to this list. Leave a comment at the end of this article or e-mail me at gfceliac@gmail.com.
Gluten Free Corn and Spinach Pasta
This gluten free pasta has a unique taste and texture. Some pieces are green (suggesting spinach) and others are yellow (suggesting corn). The blend is fantastic. The texture is chewy and substantial. The pasta is never sticky or “clumpy”. This pasta is “different”; there is no words to describe this pasta. By the way, I mean “different” in the finest sense of that word. This pasta provides variety — most gluten free pasta is very similar in taste. The pasta comes with impressive credentials: it is gluten free, egg free, dairy free, soy free, and yeast free. It is kosher and vegan with no gmo’s or artificial flavors or colors. It is produced in a totally gluten free environment by one of the world’s best known producers of gluten free food.
Click on the graphic to purchase this pasta from The Gluten Free Mall:
More Gluten Free Restaurant Chains
I recently added three gluten free restaurant chains to my “Gluten Free Restaurant Meals” list. I’ve put the links on that page so please go there if you are interested in any of these chains.
I define a restaurant chain as any organization that operates restaurants in three or more states. There is no significant difference in the quality of the food or the service. The major benefit of patronizing chain restaurants is that they many locations which are usually described in detail at the chain’s website. Another advantage is the restaurant chains have legal department responsible for making sure that none of their restaurants make false claims about serving gluten free food.
Celiacs and Emergency Situations
The crisis in Haiti highlights our need to live gluten free even in an emergency. Realistically, there is little hope that a celiac can remain gluten free in a catastrophe like that, but in most cases we can be ready. Consider these articles that suggest ways to be prepared.
♦ The best article I’ve seen on this subject was written just prior to Y2K. Remember the gloom and doom that was predicted ten years ago when we weren’t sure that our computer system would survive?! I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this article is still on-line. Some of the links are dead, the examples of gluten free food exists may be out-of-date and there is certainly much more gluten free food available. However, the basic idea is still sound. We must be prepared to “go it alone” for a period of time after every natural disaster.
♦ This article describes a more common situation. It was written by a young celiac who wound up in a Red Cross shelter as a result of a severe storm. Her article is called “How to Prepare a Gluten Free Emergency Disaster Kit”.
♦ This article describes a much more common type of emergency. It was written by a woman whose husband was critically ill and she was unable to leave the hospital for several days. She needed gluten food and this added to the difficulty of her situation.
Gluten Free School Supplies
Gluten free and/or casein free playdough and other school supplies would not be needed IF we lived in a perfect world where children never put their fingers in their mouths. Since that is not realistic, try these tips:
♦ Try this recipe for gluten/free casein free playdough.
♦ Try this recipe for “safe” finger paint.
♦ Follow this link if you wish to purchase you “safe” supplies on-line.
Gluten Free Podcasts
Gluten free topics are regularly featured on podcasts. A podcast is a high-tech term for a radio program broadcast on-line and celiac friendly information is an important part of some of them.
♦ Hold the Gluten.com publishes gluten free podcasts. The speaker shares her experiences living gluten free providing important information as well as talking about her experiences as a celiac.
♦ The broadcasts on The Gluten Free Mall’s website are more formal and technical, but there is much valuable information to be obtained.
♦ As far as I know, these are the only sites that specialize in celiac-related concepts, but many other sites have information that is potentially important. For example, National Public Radio recently posted a podcast about the experience of a thirteen year old boy who was beginning the gluten free diet. The link I’ve given you will allow you to listen to the podcast, read a transcript of it, and read an article about the family’s experience.
Please let me know if you discover other podcasts. Our gluten free community needs to know about them. Leave a comment at the bottom of this article or e-mail me at gfceliac@gmail.com.
Gluten Free Restaurant Meals
My “gluten free restaurant meals” list is finally up-to-date. Judging from your responses, it is the most important portion of this site. Click on the top of the page to read a list of 34 (and that number will surely grow) chains that promise gluten free meals at each of their restaurants.
A restaurant chain, by the way, is merely a company that operates restaurants in more than one state. Some chains are very simple, others are definitely up-scale. These chains have legal departments whose responsibilities include making sure that no one makes false promises about a restaurant’s ability to accomodate our needs. Another advantage to eating in chain restaurants is that they are located virtually anywhere and the company’s wsebsite gives easy-to-follow directions for finding them.
Gluten Free Valentines Day for Children
My last article focused on gluten free festivities for adults. In this article, I will focus on children. The issue here is to do everything possible to make sure that the child participates fully and successfully in all the holiday festivities while remaining faithful to the gluten free diet.
School parties are a challenge on any holiday. This article deals with Christmas parties, but the issues are exactly the same. Here is an article that deals with the more general problem of helping a child feel O.K. at school. There are two videos attached to this article; the second one is most important.
The best way to insure your child’s success at a neighborhood party is to host the party yourself You may wish to follow this article on valentine games and/or this complete plan for a Valentine’s party. Obviously, you will need to make changes in the refreshments being served.
Gluten Free Valentines Day
Make a delicious gluten free dinner at home. A recent article called “Recession Romance” highlighted this idea for me. By happy coincidence, the chicken piccata recipe given in the article is gluten free if you are careful about using “safe” chicken broth. If you prefer something else, watch the video at the end of this article (preferably with your partner for the evening) and feast on crab ravioli. Isn’t it wonderful to find a way to simultaneously fight the recession and spend a quiet romantic home alone with the person you love?!
If the last paragraph did not give you enough ideas, click on RecipeZaar.com and peruse the 2665 recipes they have indexed as “gluten free” and “valentine”. Or, you may wish to try this recipe for gluten free chocolate mousse.
Gift baskets are popular Valentine’s gifts. Select what you need from the carousel below and let Amason.com serve you.
Valentine’s Day is a great holiday for adults and children. I’ll focus on the kids in tomorrow’s article.
Gluten Free Updates 01.07.10
This week I updated this gluten free site by adding a restaurant, a gluten free bakery, and a excellent article on celiac-friendly travel in New York City. As always, I mention these items in my weekly update but place the details in my article about the appropriate state. That way, all relevant information stays together.
♦ Mia Regazza is an Italian restaurant in Arlington, Massachusetts that states on its menu that “gluten free pasta is available”.
♦ The A and J Bakery in Cranston, Rhode Island, is a dedicated gluten free facility that is also nut free.
♦ Click here to read an excellent article on a celiac family’s visit to New York City. I added a link to my post on New York City to this article.
My e-mail address is gfceliac@gmail.com. Let me know about any information that belongs in these updates.
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