Tuesday, June 30, 2009

General Mills Update

General Mills has had a ton of Gluten Free news over the last couple of months so it's not surprising to see some more. Check it out below.

*GM bought LaraBar earlier this month... click here for the press release. LaraBars are excellent Gluten Free energy bars in 13 varieties of flavors.

*GM has reformulated Kix & Cookie Crisp cereals to remove Gluten ingredients... click here and here for the information from Gluten Free Philly. Note - GM has not decided to label either of these cereals as Gluten Free which might mean they are not produced on a dedicated line like Chex.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Gluten Free Beer: New Grist @ The Busy Bee

The Busy Bee Cafe located in Downtown Raleigh is now featuring Gluten Free beer in Downtown Raleigh. Check out this YouTube video featuring Busy Bee Manager and Bartender Ashley Edwards discussing this new choice.



Thanks Busy Bee for carrying some GF beer!

Information
Busy Bee Cafe
6 am - 2 am (M-F)
7 am - 2 am (Sat/Sunday)

919.424.7817

225 South Wilmington Street
(plenty of FREE Parking nearby)


View Larger Map

Useful Resources: Whole Foods iPhone App

Check out the following page on WholeFoods.com about their brand new iPhone application. You can use the app to find Whole Foods locations and to get Gluten Free recipes while on the go!
Whole Foods Market Recipes on the iPhone
Healthy & convenient recipes in your pocket
Cooking with natural and organic foods? Search Whole Foods Market Recipes for delicious recipes that include everything from dinner entrees to breakfast and beverages.

* Filter by categories such as Budget, Cooking with Kids, and Quick & Easy
* Target special diets, including gluten-free, lowfat, and vegetarian/vegan
* Find recipes that use ingredients you already have with our On-Hand Search feature.

Find your nearest store, fast
You can also use our store locator to find the Whole Foods Market locations near you, or search by ZIP code. Each store page includes links to the store's website and weekly specials.

Click here to download the app from iTunes.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Camp Kanata: My Day at Gluten Free Camp

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of visiting Camp Kanata in Wake Forest, NC. As you may know, this week is a special week for the camp as it offers the chance for Gluten Free kids to attend a summer camp. This camp is one of two in the nation sponsored by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG).

This year's camp featured about 30 GF kids from all around the country. These kids would not normally be able to attend a summer camp due to their dietary restrictions. But thanks to Camp Kanata, the GIG and the great folks involved in running the camp, these kids can have a normal summer camp experience.

The camp does a wonderful job of making the GF kids feel normal. From my observations, they are mixed in with all the other kids (there were 200+ kids this week total), not only at eating time but also living arrangements. I sorta expected all the GF kids to be completely separate, but this just wasn't the case.

I spent the afternoon helping Trevor from Bella Monica Flatbread Company cook a couple dozen of their Gluten Free Margherita pizzas - which Trevor graciously donated. The camp does feature a separate kitchen to avoid cross contamination. After the pizzas were cooked, they were taken to the main dining hall to be served. It was an amazing experience to see the GF kids come up and be able to eat pizza like the non-GF campers! A huge thank you to Trevor for donating his time and pizzas to this great cause. FYI - click here if you'd like to follow Trevor and his Gluten Free Pizza adventures on Twitter.

Another huge thank you must go out to Alanna Conder who is the local GIG volunteer running the Gluten Free portion of the camp. Alanna has been doing this for six years running! It takes a lot of heart, dedication and organizational skills to coordinate something like this. I was told the cost to feed these GF kids runs around $500 per day. Alanna is also lucky to have a dedicated group of volunteers to help her out - there were four of them there during my afternoon visit. Also, a special thanks to Debbie Jongkind who serves as the GF Dietitian during this week of camp. Debbie is also the blogger behind Gluten Free Durham.

I know some other folks from the Raleigh area were also involved in donating their GF products and services including Twin Cakes Bakery, Rosie's Plate and The Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse. I know there are others out there - thanks very much for your support of this week of summer camp. Also, a huge thanks for those of you involved in the Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser held this past June 13th, which raised $915 for this camp.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Gluten Free Fayetteville Update

Allow me to introduce Terri who will be a guest blogger adding content for Gluten Free Fayetteville. Terri was diagnosed with Celiac Disease about 2 years ago and has lived in the Fayetteville area since 2000. Check out her intro post here. And she has already put up a grocery store review as well. Terri also writes for another Gluten Free blog called Faking It Gluten Free Style which is about gluten free cooking and living, recipes and ideas on how to stay gluten free in today's busy world.

Welcome Terri and thanks so much for helping expand the Gluten Free North Carolina concept to Fayetteville.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Global Gluten Free Diet?

Anyone ever heard of Ug99 - the latest and worst wheat stem rust strain? Me either, but we should probably pay some attention. Ug99 is a fungal disease that affects cereal grains like wheat and barley - the poisonous gluten to those of us with Celiac Disease. This latest strain was discovered in Uganda in 1999, thus the Ug99 name. Bottom line, it has the potential to destroy the WORLD's wheat crop (as well as other cereal grains). So why should we care if we are already not eating these grains? I'd imagine that if everyone moved to eating rice, corn, etc... that would drive up the price no? I'm sure this would have a serious global economic and social impact as well. A global Gluten Free Diet?

As of now, the disease has spread from Uganda and has now jumped the Red Sea, from east Africa to Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, and is perfectly positioned to move on to Egypt, the Middle East, and Asia. The Middle East and Asia’s 160-plus million acres of fields, which account for a quarter of the word’s annual wheat harvest, are in the direct path of the disease’s advance. And the spores of this fungal disease of plants could reach our continent sooner or later.

The race is on for scientists to genetically modify wheat seeds that are more resistant to Ug99.

Check out the US Department of Agriculture's Ug99 Web site.

Here are a couple interesting articles about this threat.
Article 1
Article 2

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Uh-Oh: Elisabeth Hasselbeck Sued over GFree Diet Book

Is all publicity for Celiac Disease good publicity?

View Co-host and recent Celiac author, Elisabeth Hasselbeck was sued for copyright infringement over her book "The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide".

Click here for more information.

GIG Survey - Gluten Free Diet & Your Weight

The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) is assisting a research group interested in learning more about weight issues for persons with gluten intolerances. The survey does not collect identifiable personal information.

Click here to take survey to take this survey. It should take less than 5 minutes of your time. Thank you for participating in this valuable research survey.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Special Event: Jules Shepard Gluten Free Cooking Demo - July 12

~ ANNOUNCING A SPECIAL GLUTEN FREE RALEIGH EVENT ~

EVENT SOLD OUT


This past February, I was lucky enough to talk famous Celiac Disease expert & author Jules Shepard into doing a Gluten Free cooking demo/class at Earth Fare. The event was a huge success with 40 attendees and $400 raised and donated to the NFCA and University of Maryland Celiac Center.

It has been in the works over the last few weeks to get another class with Jules in the Raleigh area and things have pretty much been finalized. I'm excited to have Jules back again and to have the opportunity for Raleigh residents to spend time with such a knowledgeable Celiac/GF resource. So in case you missed the last class or wanted to see some more good stuff from Jules, here is your chance.

Event Details - Event Sold Out
When - Sunday, July 12th, 2009
Registration Deadline - Friday, July 10th, 2009
Time - GF Vendor Fair 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM Jules GF Cooking Demo 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Location - Earth Fare - Brier Creek location. (click for map)
Class Limit - 40 people
Cost - $35 per person*
*Class fee includes the following: 2 1/2 hour cooking demonstration, free CD-Rom of Jules' new ebook, "Jules' Top 10 Recipes" ($10 value) and a $5 donation to the University of Maryland Celiac Disease Research Center.
Jules Shepard Gluten Free Cooking Demonstration (1 PM - 3:30 PM)- Jules Shepard will be on site conducting a cooking demonstration/class for participants featuring baked good items utilizing her own GF flour mix - a product line called Jules Gluten Free All Purpose flour and baking mixes. This portion of the event will feature an interactive opportunity to learn Gluten Free cooking tips and tricks from an expert in the field.

Jules will be cooking up some awesome treats during this class including pizza, graham crackers, strawberry shortcake and Pop Tarts. She will also have copies of her books and her Gluten Free flour available for purchase.

Event Sign up & Payment - Event Sold Out

About Jules Shepard
See my previous post about Jules here.

About Earth Fare
See my previous post about Earth Fare here.


Thursday, June 18, 2009

One Year Anniversary - Celiac Disease Diagnosis

The last 365+ days have been extremely interesting for me as I'm sure it is for any newly diagnosed person with Celiac Disease. The shock of diagnosis and life altering Gluten Free diet have sort of faded into the past believe it or not. At first you wonder why something like this would happen to you, especially something so rarely heard of. But as time passes, you realize that eating healthily and paying attention to what you feed your body is all that is needed to feel good. After learning to eat again and developing all new brand loyalties, the GF Diet becomes more second nature. Don't get me wrong, there are ups and downs and very taxing moments still, but for the most part, I don't spend every waking moment thinking about Gluten Free like I used to.

I created Gluten Free Raleigh and posted my first ever blog post on August 22, 2008. I figured that if I was living this life and discovering how to do it successfully, I might as well share with others in the hopes that it could help someone. That first post said a few things that I still try to bide by at this point... Things like "I would like to use this blog to highlight people and businesses who cater to Gluten Free consumers, to drum up exposure for them and hopefully draw others into the game." I also wrote "This blog will focus on letting the Celiacs of Raleigh know where they can find GF products and my personal experiences with restaurants around town. My goal is to provide a service of sorts so that other GF folks can have a little easier life." I hope that I have accomplished this for the readers of this blog. I certainly intend on continuing in this quest. Life for the Gluten Free person can and will get better in this city and throughout North Carolina.

Since August 22, 2008, I have posted 380 blog entries on Gluten Free Raleigh. I always intended to do at least one per day on weekdays but that actually averages out to 1.27 posts per day including weekends. I might be addicted actually - haha. Also during the past year, I have worked to expand the Gluten Free Raleigh concept to the surrounding cities of Raleigh including Cary, Durham and Chapel Hill. These 3 additional blogs, with the wonderful help of guest bloggers Sarah, Debbie and Lauren have added another 81 posts since they were created on Jan 1, 2008.

In addition to the Triangle, I have created 9 more blogs centered around all the other major cities in North Carolina - Winston-Salem, Asheville, Charlotte, Wilmington, Greensboro, Greenville, Fayetteville, High Point & Rocky Mount. Some of these are more recent and are just getting started but I have high hopes for their future. The goal is obviously to create a Gluten Free North Carolina so that citizens of NC can easily travel anywhere in the state without worries. Why not?

Some other accomplishments include the following...
1 - Creation of the Gluten Free Raleigh Health Network which includes GI Doctors, Dietitians and Dermatologists familiar with Celiac Disease in the Raleigh area. There are professionals that are ready and willing to help us.

2 - 25 Restaurant Reviews

3 - 11 Grocery Store Reviews

4 - Creation of an online petition which will eventually be presented to the City Council of Raleigh asking them to create a Food Allergy Education Poster which will be required to be posted in all city restaurants. The petition has been signed by nearly 230 people so far.

5 - I have become a certified GREAT Guide by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. I am officially trained to show restaurants how to safely prepare GF meals for patrons. I anticipate getting my first Raleigh restaurant through GREAT very soon - with many more to follow.

6 - 65 Useful Resource posts about successfully living with Celiac Disease or being Gluten Free.

7 - Holding 2 special events and fundraisers. The first involved hosting famous Celiac Author/Speaker and creator of Jules Gluten Free, Jules Shepard in a GF cooking demo held at Earth Fare for 40 attendees. The event raised $500 which was donated to the NFCA and University of Maryland Celiac Research Center. The second event (held this past weekend) was a run/walk fundraiser which raised $915 donated yesterday to the Gluten Intolerance Group to help fund Gluten Free week at Camp Kanata (kids camp located in Wake Forest, NC).

8 - Worked with the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team to get Gluten Free beer and foods available at the RBC Center for games during this past season. More than 100 Redbridge were sold during the season.

All of the above has been great for me and personally rewarding but honestly the best part has been the numerous people who I have meet or spoken with during the past year. People like Trevor Chambers and Corbett Monica from Bella Monica, Rose Waring from Rosie's Plate, Lori & Michelle Corso from Twin Cakes Bakery, Lee Tobin from the Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse, Jules Shepard from Jules Gluten Free & Nearly Normal Cooking, Steve Drotts - ZPizza Cary & Raleigh franchise owner, Scott Mandell - CEO of Enjoy Life Foods, Dr. Colm O'Loughlin from Digestive Healthcare, Alice Bast - founder of the NFCA, the great folks behind Bard's Beer like Tasha Kardaris, Pat Berger - Raleigh Celiac Support Group founder, the great folks behind Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata (Debbie and Alanna), Cynthia Kupper - director of GIG, the marketing folks at Earth Fare and Whole Foods, the owners and operators of Harmony Farms, Susanna Wilde from Gourmet Frais and all the local Raleigh area Gluten Free bloggers. I know there is more but I wanted to at least list some of the great people I have meet so far. These are dedicated people who care about you and want to serve you.

Lastly, I'd like to thank all of the readers (there's now about 6,000 of you every month) out there who email me with ideas and thanks. Keep the ideas coming in, I do read every email I receive. A huge thank you to my family, especially my wife, for being so supportive of me, for eating tons of crappy tasting food during the last year while we figured out the Gluten Free diet, and for listening to the noise of my keyboard late at night.

Stay tuned!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Jules Gluten Free Special Offer

I've written many times before about Jules Shepard and her wonderful Gluten Free cup-for-cup flour replacement. I've also written about her Gluten Free Cookbook as well. Check out these new special offers below which includes both of these in one package.
For a limited time, get my Jules' Top-Ten "Must Have" Gluten-Free Recipes for free (a $9.95 value) when you buy a 5 pound bag of my all purpose flour! With recipes for those "must have" every day baked goods, this electronic cookbook is a "must have" for any gluten-free eating household. It comes in a convenient electronic format, which you can download directly to your computer, for easy navigation and easy printing of individual recipes. The recipes in this cookbook include: bread sticks, pizza, banana bread, blueberry muffins, chocolate chip cookies, pancakes, buttermilk biscuits, birthday cake & frosting, brownies, and white bread.
Click here for more information.

Also, check out this other great offer...
An amazing value! Buy 2 five-pound bags of All Purpose Flour for $39.90 plus S&H and get the “Nearly Normal Cooking for Gluten Free Eating” e-Cookbook (145 delicious gluten-free recipes) for FREE, an $18.95 value!
Click here for more information.

Interested in starting small, click here for a free weekly recipe and here for a 3/4 cup sample of Jules' Gluten Free flour.

Useful Resources: Town of Cary GF Classes

Check out the following 2 classes centered around the Gluten Free Diet being offered this summer by the Town of Cary.

1) Allergy-Free Cooking click here to register
Description:
Here’s help for those of you who are allergic to common foods such as peanuts, soybeans and corn. Or it could be foods containing gluten, which you or a family member must completely avoid to treat celiac disease. Maybe you suspect it’s just a wheat intolerance, so your energy level is higher when you don’t have bread or cereal for breakfast. Or you just feel better if you don’t eat any wheat or dairy products. Perhaps you are trying to help your family kick the sugar habit to ward off obesity and diabetes type II. Mealtimes are especially challenging for individuals facing allergies to any, and sometimes all, of these foods. Learn how to prepare allergy-free alternatives in this hands-on cooking class, and make meal times happy times again!

Meets:
Th 08-06-2009 7:00PM - 9:00PM Kitchen-Herbert C. Young Community Center
Th 08-13-2009 7:00PM - 9:00PM Kitchen-Herbert C. Young Community Center

Fees: resident $56.00 | non-resident $73.00

2) Let's Do Lunch--Beyond the Sandwich - click here to register
Description:
Here's fresh ideas for packing lunch for those of you who would rather not eat bread. Whether you're celiac, wheat/gluten intolerant, watching your weight, or just plain tired of the same old sandwich routine, you'll discover healthful and budget-friendly lunch-to-go options for you and your family.

Meets: Th 8-27-2009 7:00PM - 9:00PM Kitchen-Herbert C. Young Community Center

Fees: resident $28.00 | non-resident $36.00

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Useful Resources: People's Pharmacy Discussion on Celiac Disease

In case you missed it, The People's Pharmacy radio program ran a show on June 12 called "Celiac Disease Update". The People's Pharmacy is broadcast locally on WUNC Public Radio on 91.5 FM out of Chapel Hill. The program normally runs each Saturday at 7am and each Sunday at 6pm. They have run several programs over the last few years on Celiac Disease.

The latest program from this past weekend featured Dr. Peter Green from the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.

If you are interested in listening to the show, click here for the audio available on iTunes, MyYahoo and MP3/4.

Thanks to John & Lee for the heads up.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Recap: Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser

A huge, huge THANK YOU to everyone that participated, helped or donated funds to the 1st ever Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser held this past Saturday, 6/13.

I am proud to announce that the fundraiser collected $915 and that 100% of that is being donated to the Gluten Intolerance Group to fund Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata in Wake Forest, NC. This year's camp runs from June 21 - 27. I have received word that the following local companies are helping out with the camp in addition to the money raised by Gluten Free Raleigh - thanks to you guys for your support.
  • Bella Monica Flatbread Company will be donating Gluten Free Pizzas - thanks Trevor
  • Rosie's Plate will be donating Gluten Free cookies - thanks Rose
  • Twin Cakes Bakery will be donating various Gluten Free baked goods - thanks Michelle and Lori
  • Jules Shepard of Jules Gluten Free will be donating Gluten Free graham cracker mixes so the kids can enjoy s'mores - thanks Jules.
  • Gluten Free Raleigh will also be donating Gluten Free wristbands (like Live Strong) and plans on coming up to camp to meet the kids and volunteers.
See below for pictures from the event.


Friday, June 12, 2009

Local Blogger Spotlight: Gluten Free Mommy

It's been a little while since I've done a Local Blogger Spotlight... So today I'd like to feature Raleigh's own Gluten Free Mommy.

Gluten Free Mommy was actually the very first GF blog I found after I was diagnosed with Celiac (I googled Gluten Free Raleigh, NC) and it came up in the list. The blog is run by Raleigh resident Natalie Naramor and features hundreds of Gluten Free recipes and cooking tips developed by Natalie over the last several years.

Natalie recently took a little blogger maternity leave for the birth of her son but she has recently returned to the blogosphere with her continuation of amazing recipes. Natalie's blog features beautiful pictures and precise directions for making her excellent GF meals. Her site also boasts nearly 3,000 RSS subscribers which is an impressive number and speaks to the following she has garnered.

So, if you haven't found Gluten Free Mommy yet, click here to check it out!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Raleigh Trader Joe's Update

I've written about the much delayed Raleigh Trader Joe's grocery store before back in December, it now appears that the store will indeed have a 2009 opening - sometime this fall.

The Raleigh Trader Joe's store has officially broken ground and is currently under construction at the corner of Six Forks and Wake Forest in Raleigh. According to this article from the News & Observer's Sue Stock, the store will open in the October time frame.

FYI - The average Trader Joe's carries hundreds of Gluten Free products which will provide another grocery option which is never a bad thing.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Cary, NC Bloggers Needed

Live in Cary, NC?

Live the Gluten Free Lifestyle?

Interested in helping others in your city?

If you have any questions or interest writing about Cary, NC please email me.


Enjoy Life Cookbook Now Available

I mentioned this briefly in the Interview with Enjoy Life CEO post... Enjoy Life, makers of numerous excellent Gluten Free (and totally allergen-free) products has released a brand new cookbook called Cookies For Everyone.
Grab your apron and get ready to bake! Enjoy Life's "Cookies for Everyone!" Cookbook is loaded with over 150 delicious gluten-free and allergy-friendly recipes that are safe for most everyone with food allergies, intolerances or sensitivities. You can rest assured each recipe contains NO: gluten, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, dairy or soy!

Choose from allergy-friendly versions of family favorites or new treats that will quickly earn top-of-the-cookie-jar status, including Especially Expresso Brownies, Bananas & Cream Tartlets, Lemon-licious Shortbread and People's Choice Chocolate Chip Cookies. Everyone is bound to enjoy!
The book is now available at Amazon.com, Borders and Barnes & Noble for $15-$20.

You can also enter a sweepstakes to win a day of baking with the author of this book (and Enjoy Life's Director of Research & Development) Betsy Lasskso, receive a personalized tour of Enjoy Life's bakery or a free copy of the cookbook. Click here to enter.

Enjoy Life will also be releasing a second cookbook called Cupcakes & Sweet Treats in January 2010. Stay tuned.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

June 13th Run/Walk Fundraiser Update

Race day is fast approaching... so here are a few updates...

The Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser to benefit Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata (GIG sponsored kids camp in Wake Forest, NC) will take place this Saturday, June 13th during the Susan Komen NC Triangle Race for the Cure. The race begins at 9am and our team will be meeting at 830am. Parking and shuttle information from the RBC Center can be found here. A map of the race course can be found here.

A team was created and 15 participants have joined the team (Zach, Jen, Bruce, Chari, Dave, Jayn, Britne, Joey, Tim, Dylan, Rita, Shelley, Liz, Emily, Mark & John). Three others were kind enough to pick the fundraising only option (Michele, Stacey and the CSA Support Group leader - Pat Berger). At this time, we have raised $385 for Camp Kanata! We have also raised $615 for the Komen Race for the Cure - 2 excellent causes! Congrats Team.

We will be meeting at 830am in the parking lot of the Burger King located on 3701 Hillsborough Street. This location is very close to the start/finish line for the Komen Race located near Meredith College. Let's all get together and walk in a group with our red Gluten Free T-shirts and help raise awareness for Celiac Disease and the Gluten Free Diet.

I'll be in the BK parking lot at 830a with the following items...
  1. Komen T-shirt
  2. Komen Race Plackard w/ Race #
  3. Gluten Free Raleigh T-shirt
If you need your items before the race, please email me and I'll try to make arrangements to get them to you - I did not ship these items to you in an attempt to maximize the donation to GIG & Camp Kanata.

I will also have a few extra Gluten Free T-shirts available for those who did not sign up for the team or have found this information after the deadline to sign up. The T-shirts can be purchased for a $20 donation to GIG (cash only). You must register for the Komen Race separately (can do this on Race day) and I will not have your Komen items (you must pick them up yourselves).

I have not made any arrangements to have any special Gluten Free food items available after the race but I know in years past there have been plenty of GF items out there including Yoplait yogurt and fruit. Also, last year, the Whole Foods tent had GF energy bars (LaraBar I believe) in several varieties. FYI - I'm not the biggest Burger King fan, but here is their allergen menu - looks like you can get fries (supposed to be in a dedicated fryer - please double check) and the Tendergrill chicken salad.

Thanks to all who have supported this effort. I greatly appreciate it and I know the campers at Gluten Free week will also!

Allergen Free Pizza Crusts?

I know all of you are interested in Gluten Free pizza... fortunately for us, we've got some great options in the Raleigh area (Bella Monica, Z Pizza & Uno Chicago Grill just to name a few). While having a GF crust choice is a great thing over what we had a few years ago, I often get asked if the GF crusts I write about are free of other allergens like dairy or soy, etc...

I was contacted at the end of May by Raleigh resident Maria who expressed her interest in developing a completely allergen-free crust and a company to sell it. It would also be Gluten Free and yeast free as well. Eliminating the other major allergens would make pizza available for all folks out there with food issues. Maria is of course interested in feedback from consumers like the ones who read this blog, so she developed a little online survey.

Let's all help out Maria (and ourselves) by taking this short ten question survey and providing her with feedback about this potential product.

Survey

Monday, June 8, 2009

Useful Resources: Angel Food Ministries

Check out this great post over at Gluten Free Durham about an excellent resource called Angel Food Ministries. Great work Debbie! Angel Food Ministries is now offering Allergen-free food.
Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. The program began in 1994 with 34 families in Monroe, Georgia (between Atlanta and Athens), and has grown to serve hundreds of thousands of families every month across 35 states. Angel Food Ministries crosses denominational lines and has spread the good news of the gospel of Christ through salvation tracts that are placed in each food order.
By buying food from first rate suppliers at substantial volume discounts, Angel Food Ministries is able to provide families with approximately $65 worth of quality nutritious food for $30. Angel Food Ministries does not use out-of-date food or inferior products. Check out the How it Works page here.

Angel Food Ministries has 11 Triangle locations including 3 in Raleigh; Hillyer Memorial Christian Church - 919-832-7112, New Hope Baptist Church - 919-876-5250 x3175 and South Central Church of Christ - 919-231-2174.

Check out the June Allergen Free Menu here.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

General Mills Gluten Free Update

We've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of several brand new Gluten Free products from food giant General Mills... the wait is over... Available now (in addition to the already available Rice Chex) is...

- Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
- Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake Mix
- Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk Brownies
- Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
- Corn Chex cereal
- Strawberry Chex cereal
- Honey Nut Chex cereal
- Chocolate Chex cereal
- Cinnamon Chex cereal

I purchases the new varieties of Chex today (at Kroger and Walmart) as well as the new Betty Crocker mixes! Leave a comment with your thoughts!

Riceworks Snacks

You may or may not have already tried these extremely tasty Gluten Free treats called Riceworks. If you have, you are probably addicted... if you have not, then check out the flavors offered here. My favorite is Sweet Chili.

Riceworks chips can be found at the following grocery locations in the Raleigh area... Kroger, Walmart, Lowes Foods, Costco, Super Target and Harris Teeter. Don't see a flavor you like or want to suggest a new one, click here. For more information about hosting a Girls Night Riceworks themed party, click here. They've got recipes, games, invitations and fun facts already set up for your party.

Click here for a $1 off coupon!

Rosie's Plate June Menu Now Available

The brand new June 2009 menu from Rosie's Plate is now available.

Some of the new choices include:
  • Grilled Chicken over Crisp Romaine
    Lettuce dressed w/ fresh Sesame & Lime.
  • Black Eyed Pea Salad...a summertime favorite.
  • Tangy Marinated Cucumber Salad .
  • Green Bean Salad...light & bursting with flavor .
  • Organic Chicken Salad...a must have
  • Rosie's protein packed Tabouli.
Rosie's Plate now also has some great snack choices like Crunchy Raw Veggies with Creamy Herb Dip ~ Rosie's Energy Bar...Spinach Dip...smooth & healthy, great with our Multi-seeded Crackers ~ Chocolate Coconut Bites...You can't eat just one! Rosie's Pita Bread...one of a kind...Wow!

Rosie's Plate Information
701 N. Person Street
Raleigh, NC 27604
919.833.0505
Web site
Monday - Friday 10 am - 7 pm
Saturday 10 am- 5pm
Delivery in Raleigh Every Weekday 3-7 pm
Delivery in Durham Every Tuesday Duke Gardens 3:30-6 pm

Update: GFree - Gluten Free Menu Planning

Not sure how many of you actually tried out GFree, the Gluten Free Menu Planning service I wrote about last November. If you are interested in Gluten Free menu planning, the service runs $10/month and are available in three-month subscriptions ($30), six-months ($49), and 12-months ($79).

I received notification that if you sign up now for this service (until August 31st), you'll receive a free Bob's Red Mill product. See here for more details.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Gluten Free Winston-Salem Blog Update

The Gluten Free North Carolina Blog network has once again expanded! Please allow me to introduce Sarah Bradley who will be contributing to the brand new Gluten Free Winston-Salem Blog.

Sarah beat me to an introduction, so I'll just point you to her first blog post which explains everything about her and what she intends to contribute to the W-S blog.

Welcome aboard Sarah and thanks in advance for helping the Celiac/Gluten Free community in Winston-Salem, NC (the 4th largest city in NC)!

FYI - Stay tuned for some upcoming information over the next few days about more additions to the Gluten Free NC network with cities like Greenville, Rocky Mount and Fayetteville being added! I am still on the hunt for somebody in Greensboro (3rd largest NC city) or High Point (8th largest NC city) - please email me if you are interested.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Restaurant Review: Gluten Free Pizza at UNO Chicago Grill

Well, it took me a little while to get there but finally I had some Gluten Free Pizza from Uno Chicago Grill last week. I have not been to an Uno previously and was a little surprised that it is actually a really nice sit-down family restaurant. I guess I just figured it was like any other pizza place.

Regardless, we got to our seats and noticed some Gluten Free items listed on the regular menu including RedBridge and three varieties of Gluten Free pizza. The regular menu noted they have an additional Gluten Free menu (ask your server) but the above choices were all I needed to see. We ordered one of each of the pizza choices; pepperoni, cheese & tomato and the new veggie.

After ordering, I asked to speak with the manager and then had the pleasure to speak with Charlie Wheeler. Charlie was excited to speak with a Gluten Free consumer and had lots to say about the new pizza. He recently did the roll out in the Charlotte Uno store and was then moved up to Raleigh. He indicated that they did a monthly Celiac Pizza Party Night at the Charlotte store and would love to organize something like this here in Raleigh. He also indicated the response at the Raleigh store has been very good so far and that he was always looking for feedback about the Gluten Free choices. Any interest in a monthly Pizza Party?

I think at this point I have tried pretty much every GF pizza out there... Uno's GF pizza stacks up pretty well. The crust is the thickest I've tried (other than Rosie's Plate thick crust). A non-cracker like crust is what reminds me the most of normal pizza. The taste was pretty good also, not overly buttery but also not really much taste at all - I guess the toppings, sauce and cheese does all the talking for this GF pie. I'd recommend you ask the server to cook your GF pizza for longer than what Uno recommends. Our cheese pizza seemed to be the most underdone which resulted in crumbly crust. The pepperoni was by far the best tasting and best cooked of the three. The cheese pizza tasted much better during warm-up leftover consumption the following day.

From my discussions with the manager, the pizza is actually shipped to each Uno in it's own pan. It is then unwrapped at the store in a dedicated section, topped with dedicated GF toppings and then placed back in the original packing material and placed in the freezer until ordered. Since it comes on it's own cooking pan, the risk for cross-contamination in the oven is lowered. After having this pizza twice, I have so far suffered no ill effects.

Bottom line - it was really great to walk into a restaurant, see Gluten Free on a normal menu and order pizza and beer with my family with relatively low worry level.