Coke ad insults the gluten-free community

Remember back in January of this year, when Party City ran an incredibly offensive ad regarding gluten-free food - and the people who eat it?  Well, it looks like Coke missed that one and their current ad commenting on the topic is just as bad to me - if not worse.

It's not legal for me to tape the ad on my TV and post it here, and I'm not able to find it online.  I found a long version of it, but the point is missed if you only watch that one.  The one that is unacceptable is a short version which goes something like this.  Various customers are talking about how they like/want their pizza and one woman says "it has to be gluten-free" and joe shmoe behind the counter says "that's not pizza" very gruffly.  Again, the long version of the commercial doesn't take a swipe at gluten-free consumers - but the short version most definitely does.  This is an epic fail for Coke and they should NOT be playing the short version...ever....period.

Gluten-free in 2018

It's hard to believe that it's been 12 years since I started following the gluten-free diet due to my celiac diagnosis.  Within that first year (2006), three in my family, including me, were gluten-free so at least holidays with them have been a breeze.  Back then we didn't have all the wonderful things now available at your local grocery store - or at Whole Foods, Sprouts and Earthfare. My first pizza crust, pasta, cookies and cake mix experiments had me thinking I would not be enjoying any of those things ever again!  Talk about gross....no wonder people generally think all gluten-free food is horrid.  For many years, much of it was exactly that.

I remember reading a grocery report that stated by the end of 2010, gluten-free items would disappear from store shelves and the gluten-free craze would be over.  Isn't that a hoot?  That particular paper was partially funded by the wheat industry, by the way.  Almost a decade later, the gluten-free label has been slapped on the most ridiculous things like canned pineapple, coconut milk and sea salt.  And there are more cookies, crackers, cake mixes and pasta brands than the gluten-free market should be able to support.  Yet, almost weekly I come across something new...it's a bit overwhelming even to me.

From talking to people who are gluten-free for various health reasons, which are not related to a celiac or gluten intolerance diagnosis, it seems that the gluten-free market is going to continue to thrive much longer than anyone anticipated.  All indications are that there will likely be people that continue to order gluten-free buns, etc. just for the heck of it - who would not know if they ate food containing gluten.  That's really not a problem unless you can't get a bun because one of those people took the last one.

The biggest concern I have (the same one as hoards of gluten-free folks) is that eventually many trend diet followers will fall off the gluten-free bandwagon, so to speak. When that happens, some of the larger food companies will discontinue some items on their gluten-free roster.  Business is business and if they didn't do that, it would not make sense.  What we'll be left with in terms of product selection, quality ingredients and of course, wonderful taste are the unknowns in that scenario.  Let's hope there are enough great tasting, quality replacement foods left after the gluten-free frenzy dust settles down.  

Gluten-free means never not having to question everything

Remember the movie Love Story?  In it, there's a somewhat ridiculous line, though it's sweet in the film, "love means never having to say you're sorry".  I told you it was ridiculous.... Anyway, I was thinking recently about what gluten-free really means.  Of course, it means different things to different people.  There are some, or rather, many of us that are gluten-free because we have celiac, a gluten intolerance issue or worse, a wheat allergy (gluten-free is wheat free, but wheat free doesn't mean gluten-free, BTW).  Then there are hoards of other people that couldn't explain what gluten-free actually means for a million bucks.

I think we've all been guilty of being glad that so many people have jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon in the last several years. It's hard not to get excited when you can find a gluten-free version of apple fritters, battered fish and even "fried onions" at your local supermarket.  Today in fact, there are more gluten-free versions of things I can have than I can't.  Over a decade ago, I never thought I'd be able to say that.

Recently, I attended a charity event (which I didn't buy tickets for, but went as a guest) and beforehand I checked to see if any of the "finger food" served at the venue would be gluten-free. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly based on the town I was in, I found out I could eat something from the saute station and nothing else.  I didn't realize until we arrived that some cheese grits with spinach dish was the ONLY thing at the saute station.  Oh well, that's why I had cheese crackers, almonds and yogurt pretzels in my bag...lol!

We were going out to dinner after the event so I just needed something to nibble on while tasting many delicious wines. But my husband, who gets way more annoyed about me not finding safe food at such events than I do, was determined to find something else for me to enjoy. In checking out the mostly gluten-filled buffet station options, he noticed individual servings of what looked like a berries and cream dessert. Surely, he thought, this must be gluten-free. He excitedly told me about what he'd found and decided we should find out if I could enjoy this lovely treat.

Mind you, we're in a hotel ballroom so there aren't servers and employees running around just anywhere. We had to wait for a while until we finally found someone to ask.  The guy dressed in kitchen garb, including a "chef's jacket", that I decided to ask about the dessert seemed put off by being disturbed. That's fine by me - I just had a quick question that he could answer easily with a "yes, no or I don't know". His answer didn't bring much confidence that the dessert was gluten-free.  In the end, he determined that it was.  And if I was new to the gluten-free game, I would have made myself very sick away from home - not cool.

Trusting my instinct instead of the questionable (and somewhat questionable) answer from the restaurant staffer, I asked my husband to eat the dessert first.  If he determined that it tasted like berries and cream (all that was supposedly in it), then I would have gladly tried it myself. But guess what?  There were TINY pieces of cake in the dessert!  That's right - cake - and it was NOT gluten-free cake, obviously. How ridiculous is that?  I honestly had a hard time believing it happened!

I felt really badly that I let this incident pretty much ruin the rest of my night.  Not because I ate something that made me sick - I was vigilant enough to keep that from happening.  Not because I wanted the dessert either.  It just infuriates me that so MANY people in the U.S. still DO NOT get what food allergies are or - or know what gluten-free means.  Honestly, only third world countries are behind us on this issue.  It's completely embarrassing how misinformed (or totally uninformed) the majority of food service workers are in this country.   

#SICKOFGLUTENFREEIGNORANCE!    


       

When being gluten-free gets old

It's now been well over a decade (11 3/4 years, but who's counting?) since I was diagnosed with celiac.  Of course, it was hard to learn what gluten was, where it was hidden in foods, how to eat out, and most importantly, how to travel while following a strict gluten-free diet.  However, in time it came to be second nature for me, as it does for most of us.  And, with two other family members going off gluten within my first year, I had a pretty easy transition overall.

But there are days when being gluten-free simply isn't fun.  Sometimes it's just annoying and other times it's super stressful.  I'd be hard pressed to believe anyone who didn't experience gluten-free fatigue as I prefer to call it.  I mean, let's get real...there are scores of people with celiac disease (confirmed) who are consuming as much gluten as ever - all the while downing Pepto Bismol (or a similar otc medication) in order to keep their symptoms manageable.  For those of us who take having celiac (which can and absolutely does cause certain cancers) seriously, and would not touch gluten on purpose with a 10-foot pole, it can get weary to remain vigilant 24/7.

There's always a wedding (or worse, a funeral), a family reunion, a work event, a holiday party...well, you get the gist.  There is almost always some event coming up which requires you to do something extra to prepare to attend it.  You need to find out who's supplying the food and what, if anything is safe for you to eat.  If not, can you take your own food in without causing a ruckus with the host or establishment.  Or do you need to sneak any and everything you plan to eat in your purse and possibly your husband's pockets?  Once there, you might need to find a place to quickly nibble on whatever you've smuggled in (yes, it feels like you're smuggling) so that no one takes notice and makes a big deal about it.

I'm convinced that people don't mean to be rude and inappropriate when they inquire about what happens when you consume gluten by mistake.  They are just ignorant....give them a break.  Had I not been the one diagnosed, I might be as ignorant as the next guy.  In years past, I would usually change the subject so as not to make anyone uncomfortable.  But that is probably part of the problem. We don't like talking about things that make others squirm. If we did, MANY more people would understand what celiac disease is by now.  These days, I simply reply that I might throw up for anywhere from an hour to three, depending on how much gluten I've ingested unknowingly.  Sometimes, if I'm feeling generous, I'll add something like "it's like a kid who ate way too much junk at the fair...everything comes up the way it went down"...and I add a little chuckle.

Yes, being gluten-free does gets old from time to time, but I try to look as the positive side of it. At least I'm not out there making myself sick, causing myself serious and possibly irreparable harm, like so many countless others are doing this very minute.  When I remember that, I count my blessings to be sure ;)

 





  

Gluten-free find in Palm Harbor, FL!

When visiting in-laws in the Clearwater, FL area, we needed to find a place for a birthday celebration dinner.  Besides having a safe meal, I wanted to enjoy the food as well....just like any other diner would.  Thankfully, the options my in-laws gave us to look into turned out to be extremely gluten-free friendly!  For reference, I classify "gluten-free friendly" places to be great for foodies looking for a safe gf meal.  Places that might have a gluten-free menu and even understand what gluten-free service entails, but that don't have anything special to offer gf patrons are what I call "gluten-free knowledgeable" places.

So, in checking out the menus for EE Steakout and Mystic Fish (both in the Clearwater, FL area), we decided to have dinner at Mystic Fish. The ambiance was simply charming and while the place was hopping early on Saturday night, we could converse at the table without speaking loudly which is always a plus!

When it came to the menu options, so many dishes naturally gluten-free, or can be prepared as such, that is was hard to make a decision.  I finally settled on fish chowder (yes, gluten-free chowder!) and two small plates for dinner.  Those included artichoke bottoms with crab meat topping, and seared scallops with strawberries and goat cheese over fresh salad greens. Each dish was artfully presented (particularly for this price point restaurant) and better yet - both dishes were seriously delicious!

Even though a starter soup and two small plates was plenty for dinner, I had to try one of the many gluten-free desserts, of course!  The desserts are quite small, and priced accordingly so it's common for people to order more than one.  However, the key lime panna cotta was the perfect size to finish off my amazing meal at Mystic Fish!  And the flourless chocolate torte was delish as well...lol!

In addition to the lovely meal we all enjoyed, it so nice to feel well taken care of by the chef, owners and even the educated server. It's wonderful to go to a new place and leave without wishing you lived in Europe where they take food allergies much more seriously than here at home.

Hopefully, we'll get to check out EE Steakout during our next visit to the area!

          

Take away from Whole 30 (Part 3 of 3)

While I'm glad I did the Whole 30 challenge, I am back to only avoiding gluten now.  I decided to take some good habits from the 30 days into the future.  I try to get a lot of protein (and less carbs) in at breakfast though I've been doing that for a while.  Muffins and pancakes and yummy things like that tend to be weekend treats instead of weekday staples.  It's true what they say "eating a healthy breakfast leads to healthy eating the rest of the day".

Since I'd already started the practice of not eating several hours before bedtime, that wasn't a new change after the challenge, but I'm being more strict about that one now.  Eating within a few hours of bedtime can impede a good night's sleep.

When I read labels in the past, I paid attention to soy and if a soy-free option was available for an item, I'd buy it even if it costs more than the version with soy in it.  The exception is that I love soy sauce and I still enjoy it in moderation.  My fave brand of gluten-free soy sauce is San-J.

The fact that I did not find adhering to the Whole 30 plan very difficult and didn't hit all the suggested bumps - or phases - suggested on the Whole 30 timeline leads me to conclude that I must have been on a pretty good track to start with.  We spend a lot of money on our food aside from the cost of replacement items like bread, buns and crackers.  Grass fed beef and good quality chicken and seafood are very expensive, but we feel the cost is well worth it.

Due to a trip two days after my Whole 30 was finished, I pretty much delved back into eating both sugar, dairy and legumes right away.  I'm using much less sugar in my coffee and am off agave now.  I'm paying attention to both gluten and sugar on labels and if there is a sugar free option for a product, I will choose it over the one with sugar in it.  Why is there sugar in frozen cauliflower steamers anyway?!!!

Even thought it's not meant to be a weight lost diet, I dropped some lb's on the Whole 30 and I would have been shocked if I hadn't.  Not eating crackers or bagels or donuts or popcorn or drinking any alcohol meant many less empty calories for a full 30 days.  I'm all about the carbs and while I'm not giving them up, I'm paying much more attention to the snacks I choose and the sides I make for dinner.

I don't think I'd do the Whole 30 again, but I might do a modified version of it - one that includes legumes and healthy grains like buckwheat and quinoa.  And maybe a glass or wine or two...lol!

       

30 lessons from Whole 30 challenge (Part 2 of 3)

The list below includes observations and lessons I learned from my personal Whole 30 journey.  It is not meant as a guideline for anyone else's journey.  Please consult a doctor before embarking on such a restrictive diet. 
  

1. Regular butter is better than ghee.
2. Peanut butter is better than almond butter....but if you eat enough almond butter, you might learn to like it.
3. BBQ sauce needs some form of sugar added to make it taste great.
4. Guacamole is terrific with many things, but not as the filler in deviled eggs.
5. Cilantro is a very undervalued herb - it makes almost anything better!
6. Real mashed potatoes are better than mashed cauliflower, though mashed cauli-taters (50% potatoes, 50% cauliflower) are decent with coconut milk.  They’re actually tasty when you add butter and sour cream to them.
7. Sweet potatoes are plenty sweet without adornment when you’re off added sugar.
8. Finding interesting, compliant meals (that are worth eating) is next to impossible when dining out.
9. I don’t like unsweetened coffee (even with coconut milk).
10. Date paste is not as good as sugar or honey.
11. Sugar is added to way too many processed foods.
12. Soy is added to way too many processed foods.
13. Bacon tastes better when cured with sugar.
14. Aidell’s chicken apple sausage is delicious!
15. Movies are better with popcorn!
16. Not snacking (with healthy foods) is not a reasonable way to eat.
17. Coconut milk works well as a replacement for dairy in some recipes that I would not have thought to use it in previously.
18. Kiwi, pineapple and strawberries taste very much like candy when you’re on a no-added-sugar diet.  
19. Eating enough vegetables is not as easy as you think it would be considering you’re avoiding normal starchy carbs like bread, rice, pasta, etc.
20. Eating extremely clean definitely helps keep energy level swings in check.
21. No matter how much you love eggs, if you consume enough of them, you can fall out of love with them.
22. There are some great ways to flavor veggies and meats that I had not considered when on a “normal” diet.  
23. Cheese is a food group in and of itself.
24. Dairy adds a lot of great taste and texture to one’s diet.
25. Buttery tasting macadamia nuts are great, but not nearly as great as popcorn.
26. Shredded coconut chips (unsweetened) can be used as a filler ingredient in crab cakes, veggie fritters, meatloaf, etc.  
27. Coconut Aminos is a great replacement for soy sauce!
28. If you don’t eat starchy carbs during meals, you have to eat a LOT of veggies in order to get full enough to keep from snacking in between meals.
29. I LOVE CHEESE!
30. Avoiding gluten is A WALK IN THE PARK compared to avoiding gluten, dairy, soy, added sugar, legumes, alcohol, grains and pseudo grains (like buckwheat and quinoa).      

My post-challenge thoughts will be in the third installment on this topic.  Look for that in the next few weeks.

Gluten-free Whole 30 challenge (Part 1 of 3)

When I first heard of the Whole 30 diet in 2012, I wasn't that interested in learning about it.  After all, being gluten-free takes a lot of time and energy (and money if you're inclined to stock up on gluten-free replacement foods). Who wants to avoid a ton of other things besides gluten?  Not me, that was how I felt then anyway.  

Two years later, my tune has changed...at least a little bit.  I have no need to avoid anything except gluten, but according to the Whole 30 program creators, their plan can help you reset your metabolism.  Being someone who's always game to try new gluten-free products, I definitely needed such a change.  There is simply not a legit reason to have 6 types of crackers in your pantry.  Period. 

So, after reading and re-reading the Whole 30 plan, ingredients and rules online, I decided to take the plunge.  During my experience, I dubbed the plan the "paleo-on-crack" diet and the "free-of-everything-worth-eating" diet.  But the truth is, I wasn't really ever hungry and most of my meals were interesting, satisfying and tasty.  Some were exceptionally delicious, in fact. 

Even though I was prepared for a plethora of negative side effects, including the likes of severe mood swings and abdomen swelling making one's pants too tight, I only experienced two of the many suggested "phases" noted in the Whole 30 timeline.  The first one was the sugar withdrawal headache on day 3.  Taking a couple of Advil got rid of it, but it took a couple of hours as it was a really bad headache.  The other phase I hit was the EPS (empty plate syndrome) when you're not hungry for anything you can eat.  I felt that way for part of the last week, but it passed quickly and I made it to the end without giving in and noshing on crackers and cheese or my favorite snack - popcorn. 

During my 30 days, I had a couple of minor hiccups, but in looking at some of the odd rules of the diet, they were not of concern to me.  When I went shopping for complaint ingredients like coconut chips, almond butter, no-sugar-added bacon and nuts, I forgot to take the 'names of sugar' list and I ended up thinking coconut nectar was allowed.  After I had a tsp. in my coffee the first day, I realized it's on the 'not allowed' sugars list (which was in the wrong folder in my office).  I had no way to make date paste yet (which I didn't find at the store) so I used a 1/2 tsp. on days 2 and 3.  I finally switched over to homemade date paste (made with the new mini-Cuisinart that finally arrived!) on day 4.  Another incident involved using factory farmed no-added-sugar bacon (from Gwaltney's) because I could not spend almost $100 to order compliant bacon (recommended on Whole 30's website) online.

The last mess up was ending up with a salad with plain chicken on it that also had a few traces of bacon in it when dining out.  I'm sure the bacon was cured with sugar as bacon should be....  I'd made such a huge deal about making sure they didn't put cheese on the salad that I overlooked the bacon.  As usual, the gluten-free menu had no descriptions of the items (what a ridiculous way to print menus!) and from my earlier online review of the options, I only remembered needing to have cheese left off the salad.  

All in all, I found the challenge shockingly easy to stick to and the only plausible explanation for that is that being gluten-free gave me a huge step up during this experience.  Eight + years of reading labels has made me an expert at it. Knowing what ingredients are used in restaurants led me to greatly limit my dining out.  I could not come up with a good reason to go out and pay for a plain, uninteresting meal when I could make something better for a fraction of the cost at home.  The only reason I went out the few times I did was to break the monotony of making ALL my own meals for 30 days.

    
Part 2 of 3 my Whole 30 experience will post later this week.    
           

Don't miss Dr. Rudert in Atlanta!

Dr. Rudert's office recently contacted me to let me know that Dr. Cynthia Rudert is speaking in Atlanta at the GIG meeting on September 15.  If you haven't seen this entertaining celiac specialist speak before, I highly recommend you take advantage of this FREE opportunity to do so!

Please visit gigofatlanta.com for details.

HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND!


        

Gluten-free Not a Fad Diet

This interesting article speaks to the fact that the gluten-free diet is not a fad which most of us already know. But the author shares some interesting ideas on why so many people need to avoid gluten these days compared to yesteryear. Additionally, she mentions how much gluten can damage various part of the body. That's something I don't think everyone understands - but everyone should. Eating gluten can cause such a host of issues and while the gut can heal on the gluten-free diet, many other conditions eating gluten can cause don't go away when someone starts the diet. Unfortunately, those conditions are for life.       

Blue Moon Pizza open in Buckhead!

Yes - it's true! The newest location of Blue Moon Pizza is now open in the heart of Buckhead.  And believe me, it was worth the wait!  Be sure to check out the delicious gluten-free pizza being served up at three metro Atlanta locations. The fourth location in the Sandy Springs area is slated to open in October 2011.

If you check out the Buckhead store, please note the parking is directly across the street from the front door in an unmarked lot.  Alternatively, there is a Blue Moon parking lot (look for sign) down at the adjacent corner of the building the restaurant is in. Free parking is offered at both lots.

Since I was at the new location of Blue Moon for lunch, I didn't think to ask about the gluten-free beer selection, but the other locations typically stock both Redbridge and Green's.  There is a gluten-free menu that explains the company's cross contamination procedures. The staff works very hard to keep their gluten-free pizza truly safe.  And in the over two years I've been enjoyed meals there, my pizzas have always been gluten-free indeed!      

Finally - delicious gluten-free pizza is available in Buckhead!!!!!!

Follow a gluten-free traveler through wheat country!

If you enjoy interesting gluten-free blogs, you must check out Not Even A Crumb!  In just a short time, the author of this wonderfully upbeat and informative blog has shared some amazing things about living gluten-free. And she's done amazing things like putting this PSA together in partnership with the Celiac Disease Foundation.  Can you imagine how amazing it would have been to be at a San Francisco Giant MLB game when the PSA aired during a game?!!!  Yes, Not Even A Crumb is definitely a blog to watch!

Hope everyone has a fabulously delicious gluten-free weekend and stays cool in this blistering heat! Atlanta definitely lived up to its nickname - Hotlanta - this week! 

Whole Foods event in Atlanta - May 21st

The above event is at the Buckhead (Atlanta) location of Whole Foods Market on May 21st. Tom Flynn from Atlanta Metro Celiacs will be there giving a    Gluten-Free 101 class in the cafe at 2 pm.  

Delight gluten-free Magazine Press Release

407 W. 51st Street, Suite 1B New York, NY 10019 Phone (800) 305-6964 info@delightglutenfree.com

PRESS RELEASE

Delight Gluten-Free Magazine Announces new publisher, 

Executive Editor, and Expanded distribution plan

New York, MARCH 30, 2011—Delight Gluten-Free Magazine is pleased to announce its purchase by SideWalk Media, a move that will help the dynamic magazine expand its reach into new mainstream markets.

Jordan Gary—the magazine’s new Publisher—plans to significantly expand distribution over the next year into more mainstream retailers, as well as enhance the presence of the magazine nationally and internationally. With the new ownership, the magazine has also refined its entire concept to target the global gluten-free community including people living with Celiac Disease, Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis and Autism, as well as all-around foodies.

With the purchase, Vanessa Maltin Weisbrod has been promoted to Executive Editor of the magazine. Vanessa has been with the magazine since its beginning in 2008 and has been a driving force behind its success. She has a longstanding background in the journalism, culinary and gluten-free worlds, has published two gluten-free cookbooks and is a leading authority in the Celiac Disease community. In her new role, Vanessa will oversee all things editorial in the magazine, as well as shape the vision for it moving forward.

Julie Luse—the former publisher of the magazine—has decided to take a small step back to spend more time with her blossoming family, however she will continue on at the magazine as the Founding Editor and as Creative Director where she will be responsible for maintaining the beautiful look and feel of Delight Gluten-Free Magazine.

Additionally, Tiffany Janes has been promoted to Director of Advertising & Community Outreach. Tiffany has been a contributor to the magazine for the last two years and is a household name in the gluten-free community. She writes for several gluten-free blogs and has led the charge in Atlanta for getting restaurants to adopt gluten-free menus.

Future issues of the magazine will include:

·  Interviews with celebrities maintaining a gluten-free diet. The Spring 2011 issue features an up close and personal interview with Tenley Molzhan, best known as America’s Sweetheart who appeared on ABC’s The Bachelor.

·  Dozens of fully illustrated recipes that have all been tested and approved in-house by magazine test kitchen staff.

·  Enlightening articles that will help readers maintain a special diet.

·  A gluten-free lifestyle guide that includes safe and unsafe foods, as well as tips for understanding food additives and reading labels. Expanded recipes and substitutions for gluten-free, dairy (casein-free), nut- free, egg-free, soy-free, rice-free, corn-free and many vegetarian options.

·  Comprehensive travel articles that will help readers plan gluten-free, allergen-free trips around the world.

·  And, much, much more!

Delight Gluten-Free Magazine is published quarterly and is currently available by annual subscription, at Amazon.com, nationally in Whole Foods Market, Barnes & Noble, and Borders, as well as hundreds of local and organic markets. The magazine can also be found in nearly 1,000 doctors’ offices and hospital centers. An annual subscription is $18 and includes four issues of the magazine.

####

Delight Gluten-Free Magazine is national and international food & lifestyle publication for people with food allergies and sensitivities. Filled with fully illustrated recipes and glossy hi-resolution food photos, Delight has been put in categories with other popular food magazines on today’s newsstands. For more information, please visit www.DelightGlutenFree.com.

                                             ---------------------------------------------

Note from Tiffany:

Save $1 on your subscription for Delight gluten-free Magazine! Enter coupon code Spring when you check out.  If you want your savings to be donated to a children's celiac charity, enter the coupon code celiackids. Offer good through 4-8-11. Click HERE to place your order. Happy gluten-free reading!

Blue Moon Pizza opening in Buckhead in May 2011

The last time I was at Blue Moon Pizza in Vinings, the manager told me that the local chain is opening a location in Buckhead in May. The next location opening will be in the Sandy Springs area in August (or September) in 2011. Unfortunately, there are no plans to move into Gwinnett yet, but at least I can enjoy great pizza at the Buckhead location when in town.

Also, the manager stressed that if anyone EVER gets sick from gluten-free offerings while eating at any location of Blue Moon Pizza, the owner wants to know about it immediately. Their goal is to offer safe meals to the gluten-free community 100% of the time. The staff (front and back of the house) is updated on cross contamination issues regularly in an effort to make this happen.

No matter how far you have to drive to get to any Blue Moon Pizza - it's definitely well worth the trip!!!

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!
     

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.