Best deal in the ATL for Chex cereal

*Image courtesy of General Mills

We don't live near a Super Target anymore so I usually shop at a regular "Tarjay" as we call it. Today I stopped into our old Super Target to pick up some holiday stuff like gifts (toys) for nieces and  nephews and Rice and Corn Chex cereals to make Chex party mix. I use extra rice Chex to sub for the wheat Chex and Glutino twist pretzels to make the snack gluten-free.

This particular store always has the Chex cereals for just over $2 a box which is the least expensive price in the area. However, today it was a flat $2 a box! At least, the Corn, Rice and Honey Nut Chex cereals were $2. I believe the sale tag said the price is good through early January.

Also, more than half of the Classico pasta sauces (labeled gluten-free) were on sale for $1.84 a jar, though the regular price there is only $1.99 ea. I picked up a couple of those sauces even though they are a little watery. Cooking them down slowly yields a much tastier sauce than using it as it comes out of the jar.

Super Target's gluten-free product offerings aren't going to blow anyone away, but on some items, their prices can't be beat. And in this bad economy and gas prices rising just in time for holiday travel - anyone can appreciate that!

*For a full list of gluten-free items from General Mills, check out the LiveGlutenFreely website.

  


      

Gluten-free doughnuts anyone?

As I was sitting here thinking about how I must shed some extra pounds when the new year arrives (pretending that I could do it before Christmas and NYE would be delusional), I heard the UPS truck drive up. Even though the delivery guy didn't ring the door bell, he was on the phone so I heard him on the front stoop. I opened the door to find a huge box from a company representing Glutino and Ian's. Inside was a dry ice cooler that contained a bag of gluten-free onion rings from Ian's and four boxes of gluten-free doughnuts from Glutino. I've heard the latter runs rings around KK's version in terms of taste and texture, but I'll be the judge of that after I try them. Look for my review (of the doughnuts) on Celiac-Disease.com next week.

While I'm really excited to try the doughnuts, I'm not scarfing them all down by myself. My husband loves chocolate doughnuts so he can eat all those except for one which I'll have to try to review it. I can share some of the glazed flavor with my gluten-free family members during the holidays as well. When I ate gluten I rarely ate doughnuts, but since I've been gluten-free I've dreamed of finding a gluten-free Krispy Kreme (that is sold in stores). I'll enjoy finding out how close Glutino comes in terms of making that dream come true!

 

Exciting news for the gluten-free set in the ATL!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I really don't enjoy buying frozen bread. I want to buy room temperature bread. For almost five years I've been buying some type of bread item out of the freezer - bagels, waffles, bread, muffins. If you can think of it and there is a gluten-free version sold here, I've bought it out of a freezer. The news that Pure Knead will open soon for retail business (limited days/hours) in Decatur is extremely welcome news to me! The company owner, Michelle is working on some items that will blow your mind. If you're not familiar with the hamburger buns from Pure Knead, check them out at Yeah! Burger or Farm Burger. The gluten-free buns at those places are slightly different from each other. Both are exceptional....well, I should probably say unbelievably exceptional products!        

One of my friends who is also a colleague at Celiac-Disease.com, Anne Steib, reported some exciting news for gluten-free people that shop at Trader Joe's in the ATL and beyond. We can now buy Udi's gluten-free bagels and breads in the bread section. That's right, they are not in the freezer or the fridge! Read Anne's article for details. Now if TJ's would just open a location near me, I'd be totally set!  

Natural Foods Warehouse opens third location!

Natural Foods Warehouse is my favorite place to buy gluten-free foods like Udi's items, Kettle Cuisine soups, snacks and a ton of other fabulous things! Their prices are great and the people who work there are too. We shop at the Duluth store but there is another one in Alpharetta. Actually, as of next Monday,  there will be TWO locations in Alpharetta. The Duluth store is still the closest one to us, but this is great news for the gluten-free set that live up near the Silos at Crabapple!

The newest location of Natural Foods Warehouse is set to open at 10 AM on Monday, the 29th of November. However, you might want to call the store to make sure they are open before heading over.

Natural Foods Warehouse
12315 Crabapple Road
Alpharetta, GA 30004
Phone: 770-772-0113

Special thanks at Thanksgiving

I feel like my middle name is travel lately. However, as busy as I've been running around to various weekend getaways and family functions, I need to take a moment to say thanks. Even though I have many reasons to be thankful this season, I owe a special thank you to all the people who bought something from my table at the Atlanta vendor fair in September. When I signed up to work the event for Triumph Dining, I was working for them. Due to other work opportunities with Celiac-Disease.com, I had to make the tough decision to quit writing on the Triumph Dining blog shortly before the fair here. Even so, the great folks at Triumph Dining allowed me to work the Atlanta event for them. As it happened, I also represented Shelley Case at the event and sold her great books as well as my own t-shirts and hats.

For various reasons, I wasn't quite sure when I showed up to the event that working the show would be worth my time, but guess what? It paid off big time! In fact, I was able to buy my laptop (and new modem for wifi service) with my earnings from the day. So, if any of you great people that bought something from our table at the show are reading this - THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!  Seriously, this is more wonderful than I can possibly convey...no more asking to borrow my husband's laptop....this is something to be very thankful for, no doubt!

During this time of year, I try to remember the many wonderful things I have to be thankful for. As far as my work is concerned - my readers are what I'm most thankful for. Without you guys, I would not  have this fun new career where I strive to help others learn to love the gluten-free lifestyle as much as I do. I owe you all a debt I can never repay. Thank you all for being there and for all your heartfelt notes of thanks. Thanks to my U.S. readers which of late have surpassed those living outside the states. Thanks also to my many international readers. I'm quite humbled that people across the globe are interested in something I have to say. To all of you, I wish a most lovely holiday season filled with good friends and family and LOTS of delicious gluten-free food!
     

Whole Foods gluten-free holiday recipes

The latest Whole Foods Market newsletter was very thoughtful. It includes a plethora of gluten-free holiday recipes. From apps to salads to soups to entrees to sides to desserts to beverages - this list of recipes contains something for everyone! Though neither is something I've had during the holidays before, the crab stuffed deviled eggs and salmon dip both sound amazing!

There are a couple of pie crust recipes on the list and I've not made either of them. However, I can vouch for the basic pie crust recipe on the Pamela's Products website. It's a no-fail crust, but since the Pamela's mix contains dairy, it's not an option for the gluten/dairy-free set. For a great gluten/dairy-free crust, check out the version from Jules Gluten Free.

No one is going to accuse me of being an exceptional cook or baker, but I do pretty well for someone who didn't do much in the kitchen except buy pretty things for it until after she was forty and diagnosed with celiac disease...lol! Below are the dishes (not recipes) we've always made in my family for Thanksgiving.

• Roasted Turkey (Butterball brand is gluten-free and as of 2009, so is the gravy packet!)

• Cornbread dressing (I make the cornbread from the Pamela's website using the pancake mix, not the cornbread mix from that line)

• Green Bean Casserole (I prefer homemade fried onions made with Jules Gluten Free flour and am excited to use the new condensed Cream of Mushroom soup from Pacific Natural Foods for the first time this year)

• Candied Yams *this dish is naturally gluten-free

• Cranberry Sauce (both the jellied and whole berry versions from Ocean Spray are gluten-free)

• Pecan Pie (I use the Pamela's mix for the pie crust as noted above)   

For a complete list of wonderful gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes, visit Teri's page at About.com! Also, we have many Thanksgiving and Fall recipes over at Celiac-Disease.com.


Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!  

Gluten-free awareness still lacking in U.S. hospitality industry

Anyone who reads my work knows I love to travel. For short or long trips....just let me pack some gluten-free food and I'm ready to go! Well, I should note that I love to travel as long as I get to choose where we're going. As anyone who's married knows, there are times when family functions are planned without your input because the events are not about you. When that happens, sometimes you luck out and other times you don't. The latter happened to me recently. We got stuck in a bad hotel with the most uninformed hotel manager I've ever encountered since going gluten-free. If I had been in public when speaking with him, I would have thought we were on Candid Camera.

It's understandable that in a small town in a non touristy part of Florida, a hotel manager might not know what gluten is. However, when you explain you can't eat wheat and therefore, can't have the waffles the guy is telling you about and he says "we also have muffins, bagels and cereal" - that is just not OK. Seriously - this person is in charge of a hotel that serves customers breakfast every day of the year. The place is not nice at all, but still, to think the manager didn't know that wheat is in all the carb items in their free breakfast line-up is incomprehensible to me.

The regional hotel also serves eggs and sausage at the location we stayed at. The meat appeared to be gluten-free, but since it contained MSG I could not have it. The eggs come in a bag with an ingredient list as long as my arm so whether or not they were gluten-free was irrelevant. We prefer real eggs. I did appreciate the manager cutting the ingredient lists off the food boxes so I could read them when we checked in. For that, he deserves credit for having good customer service skills.

For the two night trip (thank goodness it was short!), I took my own sausage, an Udi's muffin and bagel for breakfast. The only part of the free breakfast I could have was the fruit. One day I ate in the room (the manager gave us a microwave and the room had a mini-fridge) and one day I used my Toast-It bags to heat my bagel in the toaster in the lobby. Admittedly, this hotel was a budget (very cheap) hotel. Even so, how much a place costs should not indicate whether or not the manager knows what wheat is.
   
The name of this hotel will remain nameless to protect the guilty. Just remember that no matter where you're staying, don't assume that eggs and meat are always gluten-free. And presently, we should not  assume that all managers in the hospitality industry have any idea what gluten-free means. For now at least, they most certainly do not.

Fox Atlanta to feature gluten-free diet November 19th!

Carolyn O'Neil, a dietitian in the Atlanta area, will be speaking about the gluten-free diet on Good Day Atlanta this Friday (11-19) morning. The show starts at 4:30 AM and if the segment airs before 7, I'll definitely miss it. Please check your cable line up for the Fox network channel. Hopefully, I'll be able to post the video after the fact.

 

Jules Gluten Free cookie swap

You know how people have cookie swaps during the holidays but unless yours is with a gluten-free group of friends, you can't eat any of the cookies that people swap? Well, Jules of Jules Gluten Free decided we too deserve a cookie swap. Therefore, she's created a virtual cookie swap of sorts for our community!

Please visit the Jules Gluten Free Facebook page for details on how you can get in on the fun, get some great recipes, share your own and possibly win some neat prizes from Jules Gluten Free! For more details please click here.

Are Gluten-free Restaurant Goofs Growing?

Recently, I was told about some very odd mistakes that restaurant staffers made at places with printed gluten-free menus. While nothing happened to make anyone sick, the mistakes are so strange that I’m compelled to share them. Most people know that just because someone hands you a gluten-free menu doesn’t mean they understand what gluten is. It’s up to gluten-free diners to ask the right questions and determine what the staff does or doesn’t know. The exception is when you’re a regular customer and the staff writes gluten-free on your ticket before you can ask them to.  

The first goof was at a national chain that has American cuisine and a gluten-free menu that includes a killer brownie dessert. At a location in Kentucky, a gluten-free diner was told by the server that everything on the menu was gluten-free. The customer knew that was not the case and asked the server to go ask someone for help. The server came back and nicely apologized that he was mistaken – the hamburger buns, pasta and other various things were not gluten-free.

The next week, the same customer was in Atlanta at another national chain that has a gluten-free menu. The place specializes in burgers and has gluten-free French fries. The server at that place said the fries were not gluten-free even though they are clearly listed on the gluten-free menu. The customer was a regular and had enjoyed fries there for over two years. After an awkward conversation, the server left the table to find out about the safety of the fries. They returned to the table to report that the fries were gluten-free, but only as of that day. Unlike the server in Kentucky, this server was not particularly friendly and didn’t want to admit they had made a mistake.

In both of the above cases, there was no harm done, but that is because the customer knew more about the gluten-free options at the restaurants they were visiting than the servers assigned to their table. At both places, the managers and/or the people making the food knew the fries were gluten-free at the burger place and that not everything on the menu was gluten-free at the other establishment. That is really what mattered – or is it?

Let’s say that someone new to the gluten-free diet goes to either place and has the same experience. Seasoned gluten-free diners would know that incorrect information was being shared with them, but newbies would not necessarily be so informed. At the place where everything here is gluten-free” (except that it’s not), the customer might just get excited and order a whole lot of gluten dishes and pay the consequences later. I’ve been to a gluten-free restaurant and overheard people at tables next to us ask the servers if everything is really gluten-free. People who are not expecting to hear that news are shocked, to say the least.

At the place where the uninformed server insisted that that fries were not gluten-free, someone would just go without fries that in fact, were safe to consume. This would not cause anyone to get sick which is a good thing. But if the person went there because someone told them the fries were gluten-free and they didn’t get to order them in the end, they might not ever go back to the place. How is that good for business?

It’s exciting to have more gluten-free dining options than we can possibly even try, but it can be exhausting to play twenty questions with a server at a place that promotes their gluten-free menu. I feel like it’s my responsibility to know what gluten-free means and it’s the restaurant’s responsibility to know what is gluten-free at their establishment. At least someone there needs to be informed and it would be nice if the servers had some knowledge about the gluten-free menu where they work. If that isn’t the case, the place should not state that they can accommodate gluten-free diners, period.

  

Udi's coming to Kroger & Publix in FL can sell Bard's Tale beer

Udi's gluten-free products are supposed to be rolling into all Kroger stores now, but some people have not been able to find them. I'm going to stop into a Kroger the next time I'm near one and see if they have the products yet. The items are supposed to be in the regular bakery section, like they are in Earthfare stores. Kroger is said to be carrying the entire Udi's line, not just bagels and bread as is the case at our Publix.

Also, folks in FL can now ask for Bard's Tale gluten-free beer at Publix (only in that state). The company has clearance to sell it, but consumers might have to jump start the process by asking for this exceptional gluten-free beer at their FL Publix stores. Bard's Tale is the best domestic gluten-free beer I've tried and the only place I've found it near us is Whole Foods. Of course, I'm not a beer lover in the first place and I only have it in super hot weather or in beer chili or beer  battered shrimp. It seems that people that really love Redbridge don't like Bard's Tale and vice-versa.

Udi's bagels on sale at Publix!

Sorry if the sale is already over but I was out of town over the weekend. I picked up the last pack of Udi's gluten-free bagels at the Publix we shop at last Thursday and was shocked that they were marked $4.59 (or something like that) and then rang up at $3.99 as they were on sale. I don't think I've even bought them for that little at Natural Foods Warehouse. I think Publix figured out that they can't sell something for $1.50 - $2.00 more than the health foods stores do and keep the stock moving. The Udi's bread also came down in price about $1.00 per loaf there.

Also, our Publix location brought in Glenny's Oatmeal Raisin cookies and they were on sale for $3.99 too. I usually pay around $3.50 for those at NFW, but since we were heading out of town and needed snack foods for the trip, I spent the $4 and surprised my husband with them. He is addicted to those cookies which is why I rarely buy them. He'll eat the whole box at once and he can eat gluten. They are that fabulous!        

Gluten-free deal of the week - November 1st, 2010

We rarely shop at Whole Foods for various reasons (mostly due to their high prices on gluten-free items), but we do have to stop in there every so often. This past weekend, we had to pick up some samples from Ice Supreme (which I'll be reviewing next week on Celiac-Disease.com) and I decided to check for the new Pacific Foods condensed soups while there. I was shocked to find the price was pretty much the same as at our fave store here, Natural Foods Warehouse, so I bought five boxes of it. However, that was not the find of the week.

Imagine Chicken Broth was on sale for $2.50 each, or 2 for $5. When I picked up two boxes to put them in the cart, I noticed that there was a coupon on the front of the box. It was for $3 off for $10 worth of products from several lines owned by Hain Celestial. I didn't need anything else from the company except for the broth so I bought four boxes of broth to get to the $10 total. Then I used the coupon at check out (don't try this in the self check out line) and paid only $7 - or $1.75 per large box of gluten-free chicken broth. That is all I need to get me through December - what an amazing deal! The regular price for the broth at Whole Foods (here) is $3.49 so even if it's not on sale, the coupon for $3 off is a good value. I still have three such coupons left to use before some date in the Spring.
   

Frozen dessert tasting event at Whole Foods in Duluth

The owner of Almond-licious Ice Supreme contacted me last week about his tasting event at the Duluth Whole Foods tomorrow (Oct. 30th). The event runs from 1-4 pm. The company makes a non-dairy dessert that is gluten, dairy, rice and soy free. It's also vegan and raw. The product contains nuts and the company is local so if you're at the Duluth Whole Foods tomorrow afternoon, be sure to give Ice Supreme a try. I have not tried it yet so I can't comment on how it tastes, but here are some comments from very satisfied customers of the nut based frozen treat.



   

Katz Gluten Free arrives at Ingles!

Katz Gluten Free is a company that someone from Chattanooga told me about via a comment about gluten-free bread on Celiac-Disease.com.

Eventually, the company ended up sending me a goodie box of many different things to try, but the only thing I needed from the line were the Challah rolls. It turns out that they work great as a whole wheat type hamburger bun!

The mini Challah - or dinner rolls - in the line are as delicious as the larger size. They are the same thing of course, just smaller. The smaller rolls work great for sliders if you're into eating small burgers. Anyway, for whatever reason, Katz Gluten Free items have been missing at Atlanta stores - until now. Leah, the Ingles dietitian, tweeted about the dinner rolls being on the way to Ingles stores here a while back. I went into the location nearest us to look for them but they'd not arrived at that time.

Finally, last week I found out the Katz rolls were at the Ingles near us so we headed there that evening. There were only four packs and I didn't want them to sell out before I arrived since I only had one Challah roll in the freezer (not one bag - one roll!). The Katz dinner rolls are in the freezer next to Udi's bread (which is only $3.98 with your Ingles card or $4.39 without it!) and I bought three of the four packs left. The small rolls are a perfect dinner roll, but they also make a mean pb&j sandwich. Yes, it's a weird combination but trust me - it's really delicious!

Ingles is the only mainstream grocery store in this area that acts swiftly to satisfy their gluten-free customers requests. The smaller a company, the faster change can come about and that is very evident when looking at Ingles. In fact, it's surprising how fast they can change with the times. On the other hand, when I asked Publix to bring in the gluten-free cookie dough from Immaculate Baking (which Publix already orders from), they brought in four other cookie dough flavors in the line, but not the gluten-free option. Special thanks to Ingles - a company that truly understands how profitable the gluten-free market can be. It's a win-win situation for them and us!  

Reformulated Betty Crocker gluten-free cake mix at Publix

Ever since I found out about the reformulation of the Devil's Food gluten-free cake mix from Betty Crocker, I've been on the lookout for it. I finally found it over the weekend at Publix, but was surprised that the soy flour is listed last in the ingredients. I doubt that change could have improved the cake a lot, but when I need to make a chocolate cake, I'll give it a try and find out. There don't seem to be any other changes except the addition of soy flour.

At this time, General Mills reports that no other ingredient changes are in the works for the gluten-free Betty Crocker line. However, when I called to confirm the change in the Devil's Food cake mix, the rep. I spoke to was surprised that any change had taken place. After putting me on hold for quite a while, she returned to confirm the change re: the soy flour in the gluten-free Devil's Food cake mix.

The Devil's Food cake mix was fine at it was - it just wasn't spectacular. The new cake mix from King Arthur Flour and the one from Pamela's Products are both exceptional chocolate cake mixes.

Download Thanksgiving e-book from Jules Gluten Free!

Before I met Jules Shepard at her recent cooking class in Atlanta, I knew what a genuinely nice person she was. The fact that she can bake a gluten/dairy free cake that you'd be proud the serve the most obnoxious gluten-free food avoider you know is just...well, icing on the gluten-free cake!

My fourth gluten-free holiday season was last year and even I was able to learn something of value from Jules' Gluten-Free Thanksgiving e-book. More than recipes, there are tips that will make your holiday smoother overall. Who wants to insult Aunt Sally who is famous for her gluten pumpkin pie? Food can be a tricky subject in some families and learning how not to step on the feelings of others is a key component to enjoying the holidays yourself.

Since I'm always working ahead with my online writing, I didn't have time to post the special deal from Jules when other gluten-free bloggers did. Kim Bouldin over at Celiac-Disease.com explains what the book covers here. Jules sent me a code for the free download that expires on October 21st. If you haven't already downloaded the great e-book from Jules Gluten Free, I recommend you do it now. Click here and enter the code thanks10CD (case sensitive) at checkout. Enjoy!  

Gluten-free find of the week! 10-12-10

This may not be a new product, but it is new to me. While picking up turkey pepperoni to use for pizza at home recently, I flipped over a bag of turkey mini sausages and saw the term gluten-free on the package. Unlike the the product that was demoed at the recent vendor fair by Johnsonville (which my husband loved!), the Turkey Snack Bites from Old Wisconsin are free of MSG!

For those of you that are newbies, MSG is gluten-free in the U.S. Once I went gluten-free, I found out that the additive MSG (not in it's natural form) bloats me up like a balloon so I have to avoid it. In fact, I can't even stand up straight if I inadvertently get into it when dining out. I'll try the sausages soon with some gourmet mustard sent to me from a company out in Cali and write up a proper review for both items. That will post on www.Celiac-Disease.com late next week.  

These Snack Bites were at Publix and most every item I checked from Old Wisconsin was labeled gluten-free. I just love it when I can buy something new at the regular grocery store and lately, there have been too many new things for me to purchase and try. Yes, it really is a great time to be gluten-free!

Pamela's gluten-free baking contest in GA next week

Don't forget - the gluten-free baking contest for Pamela's Products at the GA National Fair is October 16th. This is a great idea and I hope everyone in and around the area will participate. You can gain free entry to the event with your gluten-free dish. Take the Pamela's bag to show you used a Pamela's baking mix in your recipe. Find other pertinent details about the event here.

Whether or not you can attend this fun event, be sure to join the Middle Georgia GIG support group if you are in that area of the state. Carol Hinton runs the group and she does a great job spreading gluten-free awareness in that community. If you do enter the contest - GOOD LUCK!

Wonderful gluten-free doughnuts

OK - I know that most people seem to really like the gluten-free doughnuts from Kinnikinnick. I can't say that I like those at all...not even the chocolate one that someone told me was like great chocolate cake if you warmed it up. I think KK's waffles are fab as are their K-Toos cookies, but I can't tolerate the taste or texture of their doughnuts.

For some reason, I've recently encountered several people that share my opinion about KK's gluten-free doughnuts. They all want to know where they can find really good (or possibly great) gluten-free doughnuts. I have two answers for them - Island GF Bakery in Sarasota (sorry they can't ship doughnuts as they are fried and only good the day they're made) and Celiac Specialties. The latter bakery makes killer powdered doughnut and doughnut holes, in addition to other types. The powdered variety tastes as good (or better than) the kind stocked on an end cap at the grocery store. The difference is that the gluten kind is full of fake ingredients.

Shipping powdered doughnuts in warm weather isn't advisable, but now that the weather has finally cooled, it's time for me to take orders from my friends (that also love the offerings from CS) and get our order in. When you order together, you save a lot on shipping and even though most of the food that is shipped to me is free, I just don't like paying to ship food in if I can avoid it.


   

Yes - I worked the ATL gluten-free vendor fair

The recent gluten-free vendor fair was definitely the best event we've ever had in Atlanta. Because I worked the show, the only speaker I got to see was Cynthia Kupper from GIG. She spoke before the show started and was amazing. We were so lucky to have her attend the event this year!

To those of you who looked for my table and never found it, I apologize that my table location was out in the hall. Some vendors even asked me after the show why I didn't work the show since they could not find my table in the main ballroom. One of the exit doors dumped out right in front of our space, but some people went in and out the other door and never got down to our side of the hall. I sincerely apologize to anyone who thought I didn't show up. Wild horses could not keep me away from the wonderful event!

Regardless of our table location, we ended up selling almost all our t-shirts and ran out of three sizes of them at the show.  Many kids wanted a shirt but we didn't have anything but adult sizes. All sizes are in stock at my Cafe Press Store, Make Mine Gluten Free. The new edition of the Triumph Dining Restaurant Guide has over 6500 restaurants listed and many people were excited to find out such a book exists. I would never have survived my first gluten-free year without the dining cards and restaurant guide from the line. Thanks to all who helped make it worth our while to work the show this year!

I must admit that I'm looking forward to next year when I won't be working the show. There is just too much going on for me to be stuck behind the table for most of the event. Some of the local vendors I didn't get to see asked me to come to their businesses to get samples of things to review. The products I picked up at the show will be reviewed on Celiac-Disease.com starting next week.

Natural Foods Warehouse is expanding!

My absolute favorite place to buy gluten-free products in the ATL is expanding soon! News about locations will be posted on the company's website soon. When I found out this news, I was quite surprised. In the last month, our Lowe's and my favorite fabric store closed down. Things are bad all around, and yet, this wonderful store is able to open new locations in this rocky economy....stay tuned!

We're giving away Carol Fenster's new cookbook on Celiac-Disease.com on October 12th. Leave a comment for your chance to win - starting October 5th! Next week, our give-away will be for a gluten-free magazine subscription....I'm sure you can guess which one...lol! Last but not least, later this month we'll be giving away the gluten-free Bisquick prize pack. Hey - no one can say I won't promote something I don't like. I'm pickier than most and so far, I seem to be in the minority regarding the new Bisquick. To each his own, as they say. Maybe the scones I'm trying next with the mix will come out better than the lousy pancakes.
 
Gluten-free find of the week - Green's Blonde gluten-free beer at Package 29 in Lilburn. Also, Progresso soups are still on sale 2 for 1 at Publix this week!

Remember to ALWAYS get copies of your lab work!

This post is to remind everyone that it is imperative to ask for all your lab results for every medical test you have. You'll have to sign a waiver in order for the doctor to release the paperwork (the actual copies from the lab) to you. Do that and then tell the office (and doctor) to note on your chart that you want every lab test result sheet sent to you after each visit. What most doctors do is send patients a sheet with a summary of the test results which is great unless they forget to list something important.

I had my annual exam in January of this year and at a recent appointment, I asked for my results sheets that the office said they sent in February that never arrived. Unfortunately, after reading my lab work at the doctor's office, I realized that my doctor had not noted something she should have on her appointment  follow up sheet back in January. Thankfully, it wasn't anything super important, but what if it had been? Before I was diagnosed with celiac, I had no idea how important it was to get copies of my lab results. The one time in almost five years that I didn't get them (and didn't follow up on it) was the one time that my doctor goofed. If you are not getting your lab paperwork from your doctor (or doctors), you are taking risks with your health - seriously.

While it might be a bit confusing when you don't understand something meant for a doctors eyes, it's better to get the paperwork and ask questions if you need to. Something noted on my sheet actually read quite oddly and after my doctor explained what it meant, it was actually good news instead of something that read rather negatively. It's like a sixth grader came up with some of the working for the results sheets. Anyway, please people - get your lab work - all of it - ALWAYS.

It will be a while before I write up my recap of the recent Atlanta GF Vendor fair, but just know it was by far the best event the group has ever put on. In fact, prior shows kind of look pale by comparison and last year's event was pretty terrific. Due to me having to work the event, I actually have appointments with some local vendors that I missed out on spending time with or trying their wares. Thanks to those of you who stopped by our table to buy something or just say hello. It was great to meet quite a few of my readers and the positive feedback you shared with me really warmed my heart. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so very much!        

Fall has finally arrived in the ATL so I'm going out to enjoy the beautiful day. Wishing all of you a lovely -  and tasty  - gluten-free weekend!
 
 
 



 




 

 

Tomorrow is a big day in the ATL!

Don't forget - THE gluten-free event of the year (in the South) is tomorrow in Norcross. If you're in the Atlanta area and are living gluten-free for any reason, there is no place else to be except this amazing show! Stop by my table (in the front hall) and say hello if you attend. And remember to come VERY hungry!

In addition to selling all the Triumph Dining items and Shelley Case's must-have book, I'll also have some cute t-shirts and hats at my table. The $10 shirts are Hanes Beefy-T's and I have just a few of each (adult) size S-XXL. The $5 hats are embroidered with the slogan "Just say NO to gluten!". If you buy both the price is only $12 - what a deal! *cash and check only for all items.  

For more info on the local vendors that will be exhibiting, check out this post.

Whole Foods improves gluten-free tag system

Since we buy most of our gluten-free items at Natural Foods Warehouse, we rarely go to Whole Foods anymore. However, there are a few things that I have to buy at Whole Foods. Most of them are available at Return to Eden, but that store is not on my beaten path anymore. 

Below are a few things I noticed during our last visit to Whole Foods:

• The gluten-free labeled kettle corn I found up in TN is now sold at Whole Foods. Since I had auxiliary stock of the snack at home, I didn't catch the price.
• The only FRESH gluten-free pasta I've ever found in the ATL is a life changing product. It's stocked at the Duluth store near the shredded cheese - kind of behind the olive bar. Read the label carefully as only two of the pastas from RP's Pasta are gluten-free.
• Both the regular and spicy versions of Peachtree Pimento spreads from Agra-Frutti are sold at WF and both are fabulous! (and I don't even like spicy food)   
• The gluten-free pretzel's from Snyder's are giving Glutino a run for their money. I like to use the braided type of pretzels for my Chex mix so I'll stick with Glutino for that. However, for a pretzel stick with a buttery flavor, Snyder's offering can't be beat. Here is a review of the snack that debuted back in May. 

Whole Foods has greatly improved their gluten-free shelf tag system. It's by no means perfect, but they are trying to do better. In the past I've been able to locate tons of gluten-free labeled items that did not sport the gluten-free shelf tag. On our last visit there, only a few things were not tagged. We were not in the store long so I didn't inspect every section, but I noticed how many more gluten-free tags they had up in the areas I looked around at. In most cases, the tags were not put up not because the items were new to the store. Kudos to Whole Foods for trying to improve the shopping experience of those that like shopping there and need gluten-free wares. Now if they could only do something about those high prices....

While it's true that no shelf tag system is perfect (customers might knock tags off the shelf when reaching for something even in the best tagged stores), Whole Foods has definitely been the worst in the area about not tagging their gluten-free items for quite a while. In fact, the first batch of tags they ordered didn't work so they had to scrap those and start over, making the stores in this area the last to have such tags. I've not changed my mind about Whole Foods and still think they are "too big for their britches" and don't think anyone at their headquarters understands what the term "customer service" means, but I do want to give them their due when they try and improve something that matters to people in our market. Anyone who enjoys shopping at the store should have an easier time of it. At least, they should in the Atlanta area.

     
         

Gluten-free find of the week / 10-20-10

Over the past couple of years, I've been able to try a couple - possibly three - gluten-free beef jerkys. Most mainstream brands of these items contain regular soy sauce which contains wheat. I forgot to write down the brands I tried in the past, but do know I didn't care for any of them enough to buy twice. Shelton's makes some gluten-free jerky but I've not tried any from that line before.

It helps me avoid making the same mistake twice if I write down items I like - and don't - so I can keep track of it all. Nothing is more aggravating that coming home with something I forgot I already tried and didn't like. When I taste it again, the previous taste test comes back to me clearly. Ugh...I don't want to think about how much money I've wasted doing that.

While shopping at my fave store Natural Foods Warehouse (Duluth) recently, I was already checking out when I turned around and noticed a display of jerky. Just for the heck of it, I went over to read the ingredients and was tickled to find the words "gluten free" right on the front of the bag. Luckily, the check out person  had not completed ringing my stuff up yet so I threw a bag of jerky on the counter. I don't always like having to count on something like tuna or peanut butter for protein when I get caught in a jam when traveling. A good tasting gluten-free jerky would give me another option for such times.

The Golden Valley Natural website has two different types of gluten-free beef jerky listed and each is available in several flavors. There doesn't seem to be a gluten-free product list anywhere on the site, but I could be missing it. In the photo above, the text on the left top says gluten-free, though you can't make it out to well from this website shot. At the store, I bought the Organic Teriyaki Beef and I think it was around $6.50 (the receipt has gone missing). This jerky is hands down the best gluten-free jerky I've tried to date. This will be a staple in my travel foods section in the pantry - no doubt!

Since it's not a liquid, the jerky should get a pass for carry-ons bags at airline security, though I won't get to test that theory until some time next year. In addition to being gluten-free, the jerky is free of a few other things I like to avoid as well:  (I don't even know what erythorbate is, but it sounds like something I should avoid!)  


Certified ORGANIC Beef Jerky /Beef Raised Without Added Hormones or Antibiotics / Gluten-Free / No Preservatives No Added MSG / NO Nitrite / NO Erythorbate / NO Artificial Ingredients / Only Minimally Processed (excerpt from the Golden Natural Valley website)


My husband was running low on lunch stuff last week and took some of my jerky to supplement his meal. He returned home and reported that he really liked it. In fact, I let him finish off the bag over the weekend because he liked it so much!

p.s. My other find of the week was at Publix yesterday. All Progresso soups were 4 for $5 or $1.25 each. That's over a $1 off per can so I bought 10 cans of my favorites including, Chicken and Corn Chowder, Manhattan Clam Chowder, Chicken with Vegetables, Lentil, and Chicken & Cheese Enchilada. For a complete list of the gluten-free options in the line, check out the Live Gluten Freely website. This sale will end soon (if it hasn't already).

 

      
  

Review: glutenfree.com shopping experience

Recently, I was given the opportunity to use the online shopping service at glutenfree.com. I received a $25 gift certificate from the site in exchange for a review of the service. There are many online gluten-free shopping sites - some are easy to navigate and some are not. glutenfree.com is very easy to order from. You can shop by categories such as pasta, crackers, bread, etc. Within minutes of browsing the site, I selected what I wanted to order and checked out. Easy breezy for sure!

I rarely order food online and when I do, I like to avoid paying shipping charges if I can. There is no free shipping at glutenfree.com - or on most gluten-free food websites for that matter. That is the only negative about the site  that would keep me from shopping there regularly. If you have a lot of space to store extra food, using the service from glutenfree.com might be beneficial. As with any such service, the more you order, the lower the shipping charge per item. So, the more you order, the more money you save.

Right after my order was placed, I got a confirmation e-mail regarding my order, another when the order shipped and the order arrived just a couple of days later. I'm not certain where the distribution center is, but that was one of the fastest turn-arounds I've had for online shopping. Exceptions would be when companies overnight frozen food for me to review. 

The items I ordered arrived in perfect condition and I'll be reviewing them on Celiac-Disease.com in the next few weeks. I chose the pricey BiAglut Lasagne (gluten-free egg noodles) because I've not had gluten-free egg noodles before. The other item I ordered was the Graham Style Crumbs from Kinnikinnick. With shipping added in, that was all I could afford to get with my gift certificate. Like I mentioned before, the more you order, the less you'll pay for shipping per item. 

A really nice option at glutenfree.com is the gift certificate feature. Shoppers can send this to a gluten-free person in their life for a birthday, Mother's Day or even holiday gift. Know someone that struggles to buy you something you actually want? Think about sending them this link. Hey - sometimes it helps to be direct. What would you rather get - a sweater you'll have to return or exchange or a gift certificate for gluten-free food? I'll always choose free or discounted gluten-free food over a trip to the mall...lol!

If you want to check out this online shopping service, you can use the code below to save 15% at checkout. This offer is good through 9-30-10. Enjoy! 

glutenfree.com discount code - GFCTJ9

*Special thanks to glutenfree.com for my gift certificate.   

 

  

 

       

Lemon muffins from Udi's are fabulous with or without butter!

Our fave gluten-free muffins from Udi's are the Lemon Streusel ones. There is nothing wrong with the Blueberry muffins in the line, but we much prefer the Lemon version. In fact, at our house, we think the Lemon muffins are some of the best we've had in life, including all gluten versions! After not being able to find the muffins at Natural Foods Warehouse where I shop for most of my gluten-free items for many weeks, I finally found out the Duluth store had dropped the Lemon because there were not moving fast enough. I met the delightful owner of the store on the day I found out about this change. He was nice enough to have someone pick up two packs of Lemon muffins from his Alpharetta store for me.

The reason I needed the muffins was due to a last minute road trip - and because I'd not had any in almost two months. We packed some muffins in a cooler and hit the highway. I left the muffins on the counter overnight as usual. The next morning I heated up the muffins and then found out that there was no butter in the house we were at. This is a house that always has butter and where I feel comfortable opening a new stick just for me, due to cross contamination issues. The owner of the house did not buy the fake butter in the fridge - which was not Earth Balance (I've heard that was the best brand). Whatever the oddly colored spread was, it was nothing like real food so we ate our beloved muffins plain. I'm happy to report that the Udi's Lemon Streusel muffins were exquisite even without butter!

Since quitting my job last year, it's hard for me to get to R2E (where the whole Udi's line is sold) and I surely can't get to the NFW location in Alpharetta for my beloved muffins. I still have six of them left so I am set for a while. I find it odd that the Lemon muffins outsell the Blueberry - at least they do at the store we shop at. I think we must have somewhat peculiar tastes and that is certainly a hindrance at times.
 
           

   

Shaun's Restaurant hosts monthly "celiac dinners"

Most people who are gluten-free in the ATL know about the gluten-free weekends at Shaun's Restaurant. Located in the Inman Park area of Atlanta, Shaun's offers a casual atmosphere with a touch of sophistication thrown in for good measure. I've heard the French fries there are the best in the ATL, but as they are not fried in a gluten-fryer, I've not been able to sample them myself. The fries are cooked in duck fat so I'm thinking they are probably live up to their reputation. Shaun's serves the excellent gluten-free beers from Belgium made by Green's and has an impressive wine list.  

The next "celiac dinner" weekend starts this Friday, September 17th and runs through Sunday, the 19th. Please note that you can always order a gluten-free meal at Shaun's. When possible, dishes will be modified to be gluten-free. The last time we went to Shaun's, my husband and I fought over the Vidalia onion soup we intended to share. The amazing soup is not always available, but it made our top 5 (restaurant) soup list - including soups with and without gluten. Yes, it's that fabulous!

The event details below were sent to me via Shaun's PR contact. If we didn't already have a busy weekend planned, I might have to go down just for the gluten-free focaccia. I think I know who makes the bread and if I'm right, it will be outstanding and good enough to fool any glutenoid!  

   gluten free menu weekend of september 17, 18, & 19

1^st course

white gazpacho, scuppernongs

2^nd course

prosciutto san danielle with gluten free focaccia, wilted radicchio,

burst tomato vinaigrette

Entrée

steen’s cane syrup marinated duck, ginger, sweet potato, endive

Dessert

vanilla panna cotta, fresh cherry sorbet

$45 food only

*If you haven't been to Shaun's newest place, YEAH! BURGER, you might want to give it a try. Read this post to find out why. 

Atlanta's GF Vendor Fair is just around the corner!

Remember everyone - the most amazing gluten-free event of the year (in the entire Southeast) is just two weeks away. The AMC Gluten-Free Vendor Fair is September 26th in Norcross, GA. There is a $5 charge to attend (payable in cash only) and unlike previous events here, there are amazing speakers and even a cooking class by Jules of Jules Gluten Free!*. If someone wanted to try everything sampled at the event and had to buy it all themselves, the cost would be in the hundreds of dollars so it's an incredible value, to say the least!

I'll be selling the line of fabulous products from Triumph Dining, Shelley Case's amazing must have book and some cute t-shirts and hats. More details about that coming next week. For now, please read all about the wonderful event here.

*Cooking class not included in admission and is a pre-paid event requiring online registration. You can find details about the class here. 

 

New Udi's products on the horizon!

Anyone who hasn't tried Udi's gluten-free bread yet is seriously missing out. I still have to pinch myself when I enjoy a gluten-free sandwich (on Udi's bread) at Jason's Deli....it's simply a dream come true! 
The team at Udi's gluten-free is working hard on some new products. While my vote is for the buns to roll out first, it doesn't look like that's going to happen as other things are being introduced first. Either way, the buns will arrive eventually and that will be a wonderful day - whenever it comes! 


Here are the items on the horizon for Udi's Gluten-Free:

• Cinnamon Raisin and Whole Grain Bagels
• New Muffins including a Bran Muffin
• Hamburger Buns & Hot Dog Buns
• Dinner rolls
• A new bread

Check out this video for more information. Remember, the Udi's breads and plain bagels are at most Publix stores now. Thanks to the gang at Udi's for making all our lives more beaudiful! (their word - not mine...lol!) Thanks to Jillian at Udi's for this exciting news! 

Taste gluten-free cinnamon buns at Whole Foods this week!

The owner of Sweet Odelle's bakery contacted me to let me know she will be sampling her tasty gluten-free cinnamon buns at the Buckhead location of Whole Foods this Thursday, August 2nd. It's kind of a try before your buy demo so if you want to try the tasty sweet treat for free, be sure to get to Whole Foods between 10 am and 12 noon. The tasting time might run long, based on traffic that day. You can find my review of the hand rolled cinnamon buns here. Be sure to look for Sweet Odelle's table at the upcoming Atlanta gluten-free vendor fair as well!    

UPDATE: This event has been moved back to Saturday, Sept. 4th. It will run  from 2 pm to approximately 5 pm. Hopefully more people can stop by on the weekend anyway!

Sugar Shack in ATL has gluten-free cupcakes

I'm on Metrotainment's mailing list and they sent out a note about their new Brookhaven establishment, Sugar Shack, yesterday. I called the place and found out they have chocolate cupcakes daily (until they sell out). I've not been or tried the cupcakes, nor do I know what their cross contamination prevention procedures are. I just wanted people to know about the gluten-free offerings. Just because Sugar Shack primarily bakes gluten items doesn't mean they can't safely produce something that is gluten-free. It does mean that it takes a lot of work on their part to do so.

Some bakeries that are now offering gluten-free items are catering to the trendy gf-ers. Those are people who typically would not know if they ate something than contained gluten. Many bakeries know what the deal is and how sick people can get if they unknowingly consume gluten by a so-called gluten-free bakery treat. As always, ask questions before ordering or buying gluten-free baked goods that are not made in a dedicated gluten-free facility.
           

Mellow Mushroom near Colonial 18 Theatres has gluten-free pizza

My husband's co-worker went to the location on Highway 120 in Lawrenceville for lunch and noticed they had gluten-free pizza. He was thoughtful to tell my husband about it....it's so nice when that happens. Unfortunately for me, they are serving a brand of crust I don't care for at all. It's the one used at Pizza Fusion so if you liked the gluten-free pizza there, you'll likely enjoy it at MM. It's too bad that that the deal for the chain to use a crust from Domata fell through. That pizza crust runs circles around the one MM ended up going with - in my opinion, anyway.

We drove all the way to Conyers to try the gluten-free pizza at Mellow Mushroom months ago. I almost cried thinking of the time and money wasted for a pizza that wasn't as half as good as one I could make at home. Maybe MM should consider using the crust from Udi's. I found a way to make that crust taste like a pizzeria pizza pie...my post about that will hit next week on Celiac-Disease.com. It will be nice when Blue Moon Pizza finally opens up in Gwinnett!

Hopefully, people that like the gluten-free pizza at Mellow Mushroom will go out and support the effort of the chain to cater to our market. I'm super picky - most people seem to like the crust fine.


 

Gluten-free find of the week!

Onion & Chive seeded corn crackers under Trader Joe's label. I found the crackers in the Buckhead store for only $1.29 a box. I'm fairly certain that the same item retails for over $3 under another brand name. Score! In addition to the "no gluten ingredients" symbol, the low sodium logo is also on the box. Spread some Peachtree Pimento on the crackers and you are living the good life - no doubt!  

Examiner.com pages interrupted

Some of you might know that my gluten-free career began when I started writing on Examiner.com. That site offered me a great platform to get my writing feet wet and I'll always appreciate the opportunity afforded me by the website. When I left the site, I went onto better and much more fulfilling positions and I've just taken on an exciting new position that I can't actually talk about yet. Anyone and everyone that has ever followed my work is in part responsible for my success and I can't thank you all enough for making my dream of helping others living gluten-free come true!

Recently, someone contacted me asking why I had taken their website link down from my Examiner.com page. Well, since I don't go on the site anymore - and can't access the pub tool - I was totally taken aback by this question. Sure enough, almost all the link boxes (that took many hours to post) were missing from my Atlanta and Travel pages on the site. At last check, there was a B&B link box still up on the travel page so I'm not sure what's up there. In any case, I assumed that someone (likely an editor) changed the pages because I don't write there anymore. Then I decided to check the page of a current writer on the site and sure enough - all their links were also gone. In the case of that person, all the links went to the Examiner's own work on the site so it made no sense that those links were down. Finally, through people I know from the site (not gluten-free people by the way), I found out that there are some technical difficulties going on with the website.

The issues should be resolved soon (with improvement to the site), but if my links don't reappear on the pages I used to maintain on Examiner.com, I won't be able to put them back up. You need access to the pub tool in order to do that and truthfully, I can't spare the hours it would take to re-do the links if I could get into the site. So, I apologize for this situation which is annoying to say the least. As I have time, I'll be creating some new link lists on this site. I'm sorry for any inconvenience to companies, bloggers, bakeries, authors, restaurants and the like - and thanks for understanding.  

 

     

Download Back-to-School ebook from Jules Gluten-Free!

The deadline to download this FREE ebook is tomorrow so take advantage of the offer from Jules Shepard of Jules Gluten Free flour!

Even if you're not sending a gluten-free child to school - or going to school yourself - you can still benefit by downloading this great guide! Deadline for free download is August 17th, 2010. Enter coupon code b2s (case sensitive).

Excerpt from the Jules Gluten Free website about what you can learn from the ebook:

How and when to talk to teachers and school administrators How to handle birthdays (your child's and others') What responsibilities your school has for accommodating special diets Creative lunchbox ideas for mains, desserts, and snacks The Top Ten college tips, like talking to roommates, talking to dining hall staff, creating short explanations about gluten free eating styles, and meeting gluten free friends.

Win a celiac disease DVD!

Read my review of a touching DVD about celiac disease here. Everyone who enters a comment (by 8-19) is eligible to win one of two DVD's we're giving away. You can also find out how you can help get the film's creator/director on Good Morning America. Even if you don't win, I hope you'll consider supporting this great effort by director Susan Cohen to help spread awareness about celiac disease in the U.S. It's definitely $4.95 very well spent!
    

Fabulous new gluten-free English muffins!

The Celiac Maniac recently sent me some products to review. They sent me both their plain and cinnamon raisin English muffins. None of their products are sold in this area yet. The reason I'm posting my review here is that Kim beat me to it on Celiac-Disease.com. Not surprisingly, she and I agree about how great these things are. You can read her review here.

The English muffins from The Celiac Maniac are exceptional tasting and it's hard to determine which type I like best! To get the best results, I wrapped the fork split muffin in foil and heated until soft. Then I unwrapped the foil to toast it. This is definitely a product line to watch. I hope they get national distribution soon so I can try their cookie doughs and quick breads too!

These English muffins are shipped frozen and need to be re-frozen and kept that way before toasting them. They are good enough to serve picky gluten eaters and they are better than many gluten English muffins I ate in the past. I think McDonald's should use the plain version of The Celiac Maniac English muffin to make gluten-free Egg McMuffins. Yes - they are that fabulous! 

*Special thanks to The Celiac Maniac for my review samples. You really have something special and I hope you are aptly rewarded for your efforts!  

Delight gluten-free magazine on sale now

OK - I'll admit this is a shameless plug for the gluten-free magazine I write for. To be honest, I don't care what magazine people in the gluten-free community read - as long as they read one of them. It is so sad that so people contact me about the most outdated info regarding the same ingredients over and over and over again. We have to avoid enough already - why make it  harder than it has to be? If someone was told to follow the gluten-free diet ten years ago, and they have not kept up to date on the most current news available, they are likely eating cardboard tasting bread and drinking potato vodka (assuming they like vodka). In the Fall issue of Delight gluten-free, Shelley Case addresses some of the most commonly confused gluten-free ingredients. Look for the "Ask the Expert" article in the next issue.

In the current (Summer) issue of Delight gluten-free, you'll find so many gluten-free recipes your head will be spinning. There is a recipe guide so that you can look for recipes that suit your own needs - gluten, dairy, corn and egg free - for example. I'm actually quite surprised by how many egg free recipes are in the new issue of the magazine. Several are even in the dessert section. There are budget friendly recipes and many cool summer salads and treats for those scorching summer days. I'm planning on making the Key Lime Shooters soon!

If you live in the ATL, you might find my article about gluten-free dining options in the area worth checking out. From high end to mid priced places to gluten-free BBQ to unique dining concepts - it's all covered. I'm so sorry that Blue Moon Pizza wasn't listed correctly in the article. Their name was bolded like the other options on my end and somehow the magazine's editing tool changed it (and a word - misspelling it). Gotta love technology...not...lol! My other article in the magazine is all about Asheville. If you live anywhere near there or even in Atlanta - it's worth taking a trip to Asheville to explore the great gluten-free offerings there.

There is now a Quick Guide for the Gluten-Free and Casein-Free Diet in every issue of the magazine. That's what our readers asked for so that's what they got! Hard Ciders are reviewed - so freshing on hot summer days! Custom Choice Cereal is featured as a great new gluten-free cereal option. Have you heard about it? It is an ingenious idea. Visit the Custom Choice Cereal website to find out how you can order your own customized gluten-free cereal! The company can not attend the upcoming Atlanta vendor fair due to a previous engagement, but I'm hoping to be able to hand out brochures for them at my table. I'll also be selling Shelley Case's book, all the Triumph Dinning products and my own t-shirts and hats. Stop by and say hello if you attend the gluten-free event of the year in the ATL!  

Delight gluten-free magazine is sold at Whole Foods, Barnes & Nobles and Borders book stores. It tends to sell out fairly quickly even though most of the stores increase their quantity orders with each issue. As with any magazine, it's more economical to subscribe to the magazine.