Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Z Pizza Opening Downtown Raleigh Location

Z Pizza fans rejoice! A third Triangle area location is opening this summer in Downtown Raleigh.  If you have not read about Z Pizza's Gluten Free options, click here.  I have confirmed with the franchise owner that the new location will open in the July/August time frame and will feature outdoor seating for 100, a bar and indoor seating for 60.  The location is at 421 Fayetteville Street, right on the new City Plaza by the Bank of America Building.  Great location!  Z Pizza also currently has a store in Cary and in North Raleigh.

On a side note, from now until June 30th, 2010, order a Gluten Free pizza from Z Pizza and they will donate 30% of the sale to Autism Speaks.

In addition to that, our local franchisee was just awarded the "Franchisee of the Year" award at the corporate Z Pizza conference.  Their efforts in providing Gluten Free products in a safe way no doubt contributed to the award.  They are also looking into expanding their Gluten Free offerings by carrying GF wings and RedBridge.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Rosie's Plate Two Year Anniversary Sale

The last two years have definitely been interesting for me to say the least.  The time has certainly gone by really fast as the Gluten Free Lifestyle (and this blog) dominated my life.  The further you get from your Celiac diagnosis, the easier it becomes and the less dominating it becomes - but your life is truly never the same.  Many of you have heard me say in the past that I have a special connection to Rosie's Plate.  The day my doctor called to give me my Celiac diagnosis, I read an article in the News & Observer about the very opening of Rosie's Plate.  Reading that article gave me a sense of hope that I could find safe places to eat Gluten Free.  Now, two years later as I type my 600th post to this blog, Rosie's Plate is still going strong and always improving.

Rosie's Plate is currently celebrating their two year anniversary!  Not sure exactly how many times I've been to Rosie's Plate over the last two years, but I know I'll be stopping in this week to pick up some great GF food and say a big THANK YOU.  I encourage you all to do the same thing as well!  As an added bonus, for this week only, stop into Rosie's Plate and receive 15% off all in-store purchases (5/24 thru 5/29).  And be sure to pick up a free "thanks for being our customer" cupcake as well!

Thanks Rosie's Plate, Rose Waring and the excellent staff for all you do for the GF community. 
Happy Anniversary!  The Triangle Gluten Free community is extremely lucky to have you!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Gluten Free Luau @ Raleigh Trader Joe's

Be sure to stop into the Raleigh Trader Joe's store this Wednesday (5/26) from 7pm until 9pm for a Gluten Free Luau!  Store representatives let me know that the event will include some of the store's employees discussing the Gluten Free Diet, Gluten Free products for sale at Trader Joe's as well as a product sampling.  No word on if there will be hula dancers, but sounds like fun.

The Raleigh Trader Joe's is located at 3000 Wake Forest Road near I-440.  You can check out their extensive "No Gluten" list here.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Gluten Free Food Drive Update

During the month of May, several events have been taking place in honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month.  One of these events was a Gluten Free Food Drive benefiting the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

I'm happy to report that the physical food drive held here in Raleigh on Saturday, May 8th collected 193 pounds of GF food that went to helping those less fortunate folks who need access to Gluten Free food.  That translates to around 162 meals or $690.  I'd like to say a big thank you to the locations that participated - Bella Monica, Rosie's Plate, Earth Fare, Whole Foods, Harmony Farms, Cafe Harmony, Mellow Mushroom and ZPizza (Raleigh and Cary locations).  The nearly 200 pounds of food collected will go to help serve the estimated 5,000 folks daily who are fed by the food bank that may require a Gluten Free diet (1% of the 500,000 folks they feed daily in 34 NC counties).  Obviously this is nowhere near the demand there but it's a start.  Thanks to all who donated!

If you did not get a chance to partcipate in the physical food drive, there is a month long virtual GF food drive going on as well.  All proceeds from this virtual drive will go towards purchasing Gluten Free food for the food bank.  We've collected $110 so far towards our goal of $500.  Please visit this link or click the picture at the top of this blog to make your donation.  All donations are done securely via the food bank's web site and are tax deductible.  Take a moment to make a donation and have an impact on someone's life who is struggling to get access to Gluten Free foods.  Is $5 (one meal) too much to part with to help someone else need?

Let's get to that $500 goal - click here for the Virtual Gluten Free Food Drive - going on until May 31st.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Happy Tummy Baking Company Expansion

Just a quick update to let you know that Happy Tummy Baking Company pizza crusts can now be found at the Cary, Durham and Chapel Hills Whole Foods Markets as well as Harmony Farms.  The allergen free pizza crusts made their official launch/debut in the Raleigh Whole Foods Market location only one month ago.  Good to see this expansion.  If you've tried a crust (thanks for supporting a local Gluten Free company), feel free to leave a comment.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Reminder - Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group Meeting

Just a friendly reminder about this month's Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting. The meeting is Thursday, May 20th at 7pm at Rex Hospital. On this month's agenda, members Eileen and Marcel Pusey will share information about and have a tasting of a g-f meal replacement.

If anyone has borrowed one of the group's shopping guides or the small "...Ultimate Guide to Gluten-Free Living," from the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, please return it on the 20th, or, if you have a book but are unable to attend on Thursday, please email Pat. (There are two Columbia University books out.) Pat has set up a "check-out" system so she can more easily track borrowed books. Thank you for your help with this.

Looking ahead - our June meeting will focus on "basics" for the newly diagnosed. Come "armed" with questions/concerns. We will cover as much ground as possible.

FYI: While July and August are our vacation months, Pat is working with Nancy Long (Harmony Farms) to hold a weekday, late afternoon information session/meeting at Cafe Harmony, for those newly diagnosed, whom may or may not be members of our group. (It is not unusual for the newly diagnosed to be hesitant to take that first step to join a group.) As seating will be limited, she will post a sign-up sheet a few weeks prior to our scheduled meeting. Anyone wanting to attend from our group will need to sign up or contact Nancy to add your name to the list. We have not yet set a date and still need to work out some details. Pat will keep you posted.

Please email Pat Berger to request more information about the group or if you are interested in attending this month's meeting.

You can also check out the Support Group's Yahoo Web page here.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Gluten Free Wine Dinner @ Bella Monica This Sunday

Here is a quick reminder from an earlier post about the upcoming Gluten Free Wine Dinner @ Bella Monica this Sunday (May 16th).  I was informed that there are only a few spots remaining and that tickets for the event have been very popular.  If you have been procrastinating for some reason, I'd suggest you call Bella Monica now to get one of those last few tickets.

Click here for more details or call Bella Monica @ 919-881-9778

Udi's Gluten Free Bread Now Available @ Harmony Farms

I've had numerous emails about Gluten Free products from Udi's - especially their bread products (white sandwich bread and whole grain bread).  Up to this point, no one that I know of has carried them in the Raleigh area.  Some people have gotten together to do a big order from an internet site to split the shipping costs.  Good news - Harmony Farms (Creedmoor & Millbrook Rds) is now carrying both of the bread products.  They got in 8 loaves each and they are retailing for around $7 per loaf.  Get 'em while they last.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Raleigh Cel-Kids Support Group Meeting - May 15th

Just wanted to let those of you out there with Celiac children know about the upcoming Raleigh Cel-Kids Support Group meeting on Saturday, May 15th, 2010 from 4pm - 6pm.  The event will be held at Baileywick Park and will feature Mellow Mushroom Gluten Free Pizza and desserts from Moonlight Bakery.  If you have not see the groups blog, click here - lots of good information for parents.

It is getting close to our Raleigh Cel-Kids event on Saturday, May 15, at Baileywick Park from 4-6pm, please let us know if your family will be attending by emailing us @ raleigh.celkids@gmail.com. We are planning on gluten-free pizza donated from Mellow Mushroom and gluten-free desserts donated from Moonlight Bakery. Please RSVP by Monday, May 10th, so we can plan for the amount of food! Thanks! We will be in the shelter area with picnic tables directly by the restrooms and parking area. There is a large playground, fields, and walking trails. Hope you can join us!

Directions can be found here.

Kerr Drug’s Chapel Hill Health Fair - Tuesday

I was notified of the following event taking place tomorrow at the Kerr Drug in Chapel Hill.  There will be someone present to talk about Gluten Free foods offered in the Naturally Kerr section of the store.

Kerr Drug Holds First Community Health Fair in New Chapel Hill Store
Wide range of clinics, screenings being offered highlight advantage of delivering health care at community pharmacy level.

Raleigh. NC- May, 2010- Kerr Drug’s vision of the pharmacy of the future will be on display Tuesday, May 11th when the innovative provider of pharmacy and other health care related services holds its first Health Fair at its new Chapel Hill store. The new store, in the East 54 Plaza, includes a full service pharmacy and complete health care center along with a natural, gluten free and organic food store.

“We designed the Chapel Hill store to provide a broad range of health services because pharmacists are the face and future of neighborhood health care,” says Anthony “Tony” Civello, president and CEO of Kerr Drug. “In addition to dispensing medications, a community pharmacy must deliver services to patients that will provide them with better health outcomes and help them save money.”

Kerr Drug’s Chapel Hill Health Fair
When: Tuesday, May 11 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Where: Kerr Drug, The New East 54 Plaza
1106 Environ Way, Chapel Hill

Health Fair Schedule Includes:
Acupuncture Consultations 11a-3p
Medical Leg Evaluations 10a-2p
Chiropractic/Posture Evaluations 10-2p
Breast Feeding Information 3p-6p
Bone Density/Osteoporosis Scans 10a-2p
Blood Pressure/Blood Sugar/Cholesterol screenings 10a-6p
Hearing Tests 10a-6p
Natural Foods/Vitamins/Supplements Sampling 11a-3p
Medication Reviews/Vaccines/Medication Disposal Station 10a-6p
Medicare/Medicare Part D/Health Insurance Reform Information 11a-3p

Kerr Drug’s Chapel Hill store and the Health Fair continue the company’s history of innovative health care.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Gluten Free Food Drive This Weekend

The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is in need of Gluten Free food.

The food bank currently serves more than 500,000 people each day across 34 counties in central and eastern North Carolina. It is the ninth largest food bank in the USA and the largest in North Carolina. Using established research that estimates the number of Americans with Celiac Disease means that up to 5,000 (or 1%) of those folks should be consuming Gluten Free food. There are many more Americans that suffer from Gluten Intolerance as well.

There is definitely a need for Gluten Free food – will you help?

The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog need your help to fill the gap.

Gluten Free Food Drive
On Saturday, May 8th, 2010, as part of Celiac Disease Awareness Month, Gluten Free Raleigh will partner with several valued Gluten Free businesses in the Raleigh, North Carolina area to conduct a physical food drive. Multiple, convenient locations throughout the Triangle will serve as drop-off locations for Gluten Free food donations. Please bring your new, packaged, non-perishable Gluten Free food donation to any of the locations below. See below for information on special discounts being offered at these drop-off locations to folks who make a donation.

The following locations will serve as drop-off locations for Gluten Free food items.

1.Rosie’s Plate
– Special Discount off your order when donating GF items.
701 North Person Street
Raleigh, NC 27604-1215
(919) 833-0505
Open Saturday from 10am - 4pm
rosiesplate.com

2.Bella Monica Italian Restaurant
– Special Discount off your Gluten Free Order when donating GF items.
3121 Edwards Mill Road
Raleigh, NC 27612-5369
(919) 881-9778
Open Saturday from 11am - 11pm
bellamonica.com

3.Mellow Mushroom
– Special Discount off your Gluten Free Pizza Order
601 West Peace Street
Raleigh, NC 27605-1519
(919) 832-3499
Open Saturday from 11am - 1130pm
mellowmushroom.com

4.ZPizza Raleigh
– Special Discount off your Gluten Free Order
9630 Falls of the Neuse Road #103
Raleigh NC, 27615
(919) 844-0065
Open Saturday from 11am - 10pm
www.zpizzatriangle.com/

5.ZPizza Cary
– Special Discount off your Gluten Free Order
96 Cornerstone Drive
Cary NC, 27519
(919)465-9009
Open Saturday from 11am - 10pm
zpizzatriangle.com/

6.Whole Foods Raleigh
3540 Wade Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27607-4048
(919) 828-5805
Open Saturday from 8am - 9pm
wholefoodsmarket.com

7.Earth Fare Raleigh
10341 Moncreiffe Road
Raleigh, NC 27617
(919) 433-1390
Open Saturday from 9am - 9pm
earthfare.com

8.Harmony Farms
– Special Discount off your Gluten Free Food Purchase
5653 Creedmoor Road
Raleigh, NC 27612-6316
(919) 782-0064
Open Saturday from 10am - 7pm
harmony-farms.net

9.Café Harmony
5645 Creedmoor Road
Raleigh, NC 27612
(919) 510-6910
Open Saturday from 8am - 3pm
cafeharmony.net/

Thanks in advance for your assistance during this Gluten Free food drive to help those who are less fortunate.  If you cannot participate this Saturday, please help by donating to the Virtual Gluten Free food drive which is going on during the entire month of May.  Click here to donate.