Happy Tummy Baking Company Expansion

Just wanted to post a quick update about Raleigh based Happy Tummy Baking Company. I was recently informed by owner Maria Hopper that the company's Gluten Free, allergen free frozen pizza crusts are now available at the Brier Creek Earth Fare in Raleigh.

NHL All Star Weekend - Gluten Free Raleigh Style

As you may know, this weekend Raleigh will host the NHL showcase event All Star Weekend.  If you are from out of town visiting Raleigh, see some tips below to help you have an excellent Gluten Free weekend, Raleigh style.

Jules Shepard - Gluten Free Thanksgiving Class 10-29-10 @ Raleigh Earth Fare (and more...)

Want to host a perfect Gluten Free Thanksgiving?

Just wanted to let you all know about an upcoming wonderful opportunity - Jules Shepard will return to Raleigh on Friday, October 29th, 2010 from 6pm to 8pm for another Gluten Free cooking class.

much more after the jump...

Rosie's Plate Gluten Free Food Now Available @ Earth Fare

Two local Gluten Free providers have teamed up!

Rosie's Plate is now stocking their Gluten Free food in the frozen food section @ Earth Fare.  Check out the http://www.earthfare.com/OurStores/Raleigh.aspx where you'll find items like Blueberry Buttermilk Scones, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cinnamon Rolls, Pita Bread and Sugar Cookies!

Also, be sure to stop by the store this Saturday, July 10th from 9am to 1pm to sample some of these items.

North Carolina Governor Declares May Celiac Disease Awareness Month

Media Release

North Carolina Governor Declares May Celiac Disease Awareness Month

• Triangle residents can participate in a gluten-free food drive at various locations or make a monetary donation to help stock the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina
• Bella Monica Italian Restaurant is hosting a six-course gluten-free dinner prepared by Vanessa Maltin, food and lifestyle editor for Delight Gluten-free Magazine
• A top food allergens poster is available for restaurants to download to educate their staff about these items, including gluten

Raleigh, N.C., USA, April 30, 2010 – The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog has announced Governor Beverly Perdue has declared May 2010 “Celiac Disease Awareness Month” in North Carolina. The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog and Pat Berger, leader of the North Raleigh Celiac Sprue Association (CSA) Support Group brought the petition to the Governor’s office regarding the awareness month.

Celiac Disease is a genetic autoimmune disease that affects one in 133 people in the United States. It interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food and can cause gastrointestinal and neurological issues, infertility, skin rashes and cancer. The only treatment for Celiac Disease is lifelong, strict adherence to a gluten-free diet.

“The Governor’s proclamation paves the way to further educate the community on Celiac Disease and helps to create a positive impact on the quality of life for people living with this condition,” said Zach Becker, creator of the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog. “It’s my goal to help raise awareness so those living with this disease can safely eat out at restaurants and have easier access to gluten-free food.”

In an effort to educate, raise awareness and give back to the community, there are a number of gluten-free events scheduled during the month of May.

• A gluten-free food drive will be held on Saturday, May 8 to benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Special discounts at the drop off locations may be available in exchange for your donation. Bins are set up in each of these locations to accept the packaged gluten-free non-perishable food items:
o Rosie’s Plate – N. Person St., Raleigh
o Bella Monica Italian Restaurant – Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh
o ZPizza – Falls of Neuse Rd., Raleigh and Cornerstone Dr., Cary
o Mellow Mushroom – W. Peace St., Raleigh
o Whole Foods Market, Raleigh – Wade Ave., Raleigh
o Earth Fare – Moncreiffe Rd., Raleigh
o Harmony Farms/Café Harmony – Creedmoor Rd., Raleigh

• A virtual Gluten Free food drive will be held all month to benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina with gluten-free food. The link to donate can be located at the top of the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog.

• On Sunday, May 16, beginning at 5 p.m., Bella Monica Italian Restaurant will host a six-course gluten-free dinner prepared by Vanessa Maltin, food and lifestyle editor for Delight Gluten-free Magazine and Corbett Monica, head chef at Bella Monica Italian Restaurant. They will be preparing dishes from Maltin’s gluten-free cookbook entitled The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook: Spicing Up Life with Italian, Asian and Mexican Recipes. Copies of the cookbook will also be included. Tickets are required for this dining event and can be purchased by calling Bella Monica Italian Restaurant at 919-881-9778.

• The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog worked with Sofia Noble of the design firm This Is Beautiful to create a poster featuring all of the top food allergens, including gluten. This poster is now available for download in English and Spanish at the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog. Wake County restaurant owners may use it to educate their staffs about these foods.

“Research indicates there are approximately three million people living with Celiac Disease in the United States and of those, only about 120,000 have been diagnosed,” said Alice Bast, founder and president of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA). “It’s great to see North Carolina working to raise awareness about this disease so perhaps others can be accurately diagnosed by their doctors. Zach Becker and the entire North Carolina Celiac Disease community should be commended for their leadership and successful advocacy efforts.”


About Gluten Free Raleigh Blog
Zach Becker was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in May 2008. He founded the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog in August 2008 and has created similar blogs across the state. He has recruited writers for these blogs so gluten-free information in those communities can be shared. The blogs contain restaurant and grocery store reviews, summaries of national news as well as highlight local companies that cater to the gluten-free community. Becker is an advocate for those living with Celiac Disease in the Triangle and donates his time to educate the newly diagnosed, local restaurants and government leaders on this condition.

Rosie's Plate - Big News Update

I've written pretty extensively on this blog about Rosie's Plate.  You can read all the previous posts here.  Obviously, I hold them in pretty high regard, and it's because they keep evolving and growing to meet our Gluten Free needs.  See below for two more great announcements about expanding services from Rosie's Plate.

1. Rosie's Plate Gluten Free food will soon be available at Rex Hospital here in Raleigh.  Not only will Rex's cafeteria carry some Rosie's Plate food, but safe, Gluten Free food service will also be available to folks staying at the near-700 bed hospital who require a GF diet.  This is simply amazing news and an absolute no-brainer if you are Rex.  In an environment where they have a non-dedicated GF kitchen, why not outsource to a local, trusted, dedicated facility to meet your patients GF needs?  All I can say is kudos to Rose Waring (owner of Rosie's Plate) and her staff for ever-expanding their products/services to more Raleigh area GF consumers.  She is a pillar in the Raleigh Gluten Free community and we are lucky to have this company!  Also a big thanks to the folks at Rex, specifically Jim McGrody, the Director of Food and Nutrition Services @ Rex.


2. Rosie's Plate Gluten Free food will also soon be available in Raleigh's Brier Creek location of Earth Fare.  Beginning on Thursday, April 8, 2010, many Gluten Free items from Rosie's Plate will be available.  There will be a kickoff weekend event (4/10 - 4/11) that will include tastings and more.

Stay tuned for more from Rosie's Plate!

GF Cooking Guru Jules Shepard Returns to Earth Fare on 3/20/2010

In continuing her frequent visits to North Carolina, Jules Shepard has announced her first 2010 cooking class in Raleigh.  The class will be held on Saturday, March 20th, 2010 from 2pm - 430p at the Brier Creek Earth Fare.  Baltimore resident (NC native), Jules Shepard has been written about extensively on this blog and is one of my favorite people I've met.  Jules is truly and expert when it comes to baking, Celiac Disease and living Gluten Free.  She is extremely knowledgeable and well known in the national Gluten Free scene.  Did I mention that she has developed an awesome GF flour product as well!  I've said before that we are extremely lucky to have her visit Raleigh and put on her cooking classes.  If you have not had the chance to attend a class, now is the time.  If you have been to one, you can still learn some more from Jules.

Class information
Saturday, 3/20/2010
2pm - 430pm
Earth Fare Brier Creek
919-433-1390

Menu/Class topics
-General Celiac Disease information/questions
-Gluten Free baking information/questions
-Jules will be preparing the following mouth watering options; sandwich bread, southern biscuits, snickerdoodle cookies and birthday cake.  YUM.

The event will cost $40 per person or $70 per couple if you are in the same family.  As always, a portion of the class fee is donated to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research.  Jules will also do a raffle for a Gluten Free goodie gift basket - this is always a crowd favorite.  She will also have her world famous cup-for-cup replacement GF flour (a certified Gluten Free product) for sale as well as her books.

To register, please visit or call Earth Fare @ Brier Creek 919-433-1390 or go to JulesGlutenFree.com to register online for the event.  The direct link is here. There are normally about 30-40 seats available for this class and it is always full with some standing room only.  I'd suggest you hurry up and register now before the class is full.  As always, a huge thanks to Earth Fare for putting on this class and for donating the ingredients used during the class.  If you have not been to Earth Fare before, they have over 1,000 Gluten Free products for sale!

Click here for the class flyer.

Raleigh Cel-Kids Support Group Meeting - Feb 27th

Just wanted to let those of you out there with Celiac children know about the upcoming Raleigh Cel-Kids Support Group meeting on Saturday, February 27th, 2009 from 2pm - 4pm.  The event will be held at the Raleigh Earth Fare (Brier Creek) and will feature a cookie taste test.  If you have not see the groups blog, click here - lots of good information for parents.

Bring the family and please join our Raleigh Cel-Kids group at Earth Fare on February 27th from 4-6pm. Earth Fare is providing gluten-free cookies for tasting! Earth Fare is located on Moncreiffe Road, off of Brier Creek Parkway.
Please let us know if you can attend this event and how many individuals to expect by email at raleigh.celkids@gmail.com.  Also, continue to check out our website (raleighcelkids.com) for up-to-date information.

Reminder: Jules Shepard GF Thanksgiving Class This Weekend

Just a quick reminder that the Gluten Free Thanksgiving cooking class being taught by Jules Shepard is fast approaching! The class will be held this weekend (Sunday 11/15/09) at Earth Fare in Brier Creek from 2pm - 4:30pm. There will also be some other Gluten Free activities going on at Earth Fare during this time. See my previous post for more details. Be sure to sign up soon as spots are sure to fill up quickly with only a few days remaining to register. This class will help you have an excellent GF holiday!

You can sign up by calling Earth Fare or visiting Jules' Web site.

Gluten Free In The Triangle Meetup Group

A few days ago I was contacted by Triangle resident Beth Reeves. Beth has started up a brand new Meetup group called Gluten Free In The Triangle. If you are not aware, there is a great social networking Web site out there called Meetup.com. It's a great tool to organize people into groups of like interest (like Celiac Disease or Gluten Free Diet) and then to set up "Meetups".

This new group already has about 20 members and is growing each day. They've schedule a few events already. The first event will be held this Wednesday, 11-4-09 at the Raleigh Earth Fare location (community room).

Click here to join the Meetup group and see what events they have scheduled. Thanks for getting this group together Beth!

Jules Shepard Gluten Free Thanksgiving Cooking Class @ Earth Fare

I've written numerous times about Celiac expert and Gluten Free cooking guru Jules Shepard before on this blog. Jules currently resides in Baltimore but has North Carolina ties and stops in for a visit every few months. Each time she stops in we are very lucky! I have had the pleasure of organizing 2 previous cooking classes with Jules (February & July) and she stopped by for another one in August. I have great news to report, Jules will again be back in Raleigh, this time for a timely Gluten Free Thanksgiving themed cooking demonstration. Thanksgiving can be like navigating a Gluten minefield, this class will be the perfect way to have a great GF feast.

See below for more information. I encourage you to sign up soon as space is limited and Jules' classes are in very high demand. As always, portion of the proceeds will go toward Celiac Disease research.

GF Thanksgiving With Jules Shepard
Earth Fare Raleigh
Sunday Nov. 15, 2-4:30pm

Jules Shepard returns to Earth Fare Raleigh to get us all ready for a delicious gluten-free Thanksgiving! Come experience firsthand how knowledgeable, entertaining and encouraging North Carolina native and gluten-free cooking expert Jules Shepard can be, at this in-person demonstration with the focus on Thanksgiving! Learn how simple it can be to prepare amazing gluten-free meals everyone in your family will enjoy this holiday season.

Dishes like gluten-free and dairy-free homemade casseroles, pie crusts, pumpkin pie, dinner rolls and stuffing! Sample a wide variety of goodies, ask questions and have Jules sign one of her two books at this limited-space class. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis.

As a special bonus, registrants in this Thanksgiving class will each get Jules' brand new 34 page Thanksgiving E-book full of recipes and tips for a great holiday (a $12.95 value)! See you there!

Class Fee is $40 (a portion of this registration fee will be donated to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research)

To register, visit JulesGlutenFree.com or call (433-1390)/visit Earth Fare.

In Case You Missed It: Another Jules Shepard Gluten Free Cooking Class

FYI - In case you missed the Gluten Free cooking demo with Jules Shepard on July 12 at Earth Fare, here is your chance for another class. Jules will be back in Raleigh on Saturday, August 1st, 2009 at Earth Fare in Brier Creek. The 2 1/2 hour cooking class will begin at 11am and will be followed by a guided tour of Earth Fare's 1,000+ GF items. See below for more details.

Stop by Saturday, August 1st from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for Gluten Free Day at Earth Fare.

The demonstration will feature 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.

The class will be $35 per person and will include the following:
*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.

Registration is due Tues, July 28 . You can register by visiting Earth Fare to pick up your tickets or by visiting http://www.JulesGlutenFree.com.

Unfortunately, due to an extremely busy schedule, the Gluten Free Raleigh blog will not be able to participate or organize this event. Jules and Kristi from Earth Fare are getting this one done without me this time. A special thanks to them for making this class happen again for those who wanted to attend but could not during the July class. This is the third class with Jules at Earth Fare this year - we are so lucky to have Jules visit so often and provide this service.

Click here for more information. You must register at Earth Fare (not this blog) by July 28th!

Check out some comments below from participants of the July 12th class

Excellent!! Valid gluten free information from Jules and the best tasting GF food I've tasted since my diagnosis 10 years ago. Thank you.

I don't think anything else could have been better. I learned so much. If I did not attend I never would have known about Jules' cook book (I bought two) or her wonderful flour. Thank you.

This was my first time to attend anything gluten free, and luckily it was with Jules!

I felt it was very informative. Jules seemed so interested and helpful.

Jules is great. Our first event for anything GF - our son was just diagnosed. Jules was knowledgeable and approachable. Just great!

Extremely satisfied. Thrilled. I was just sorry they ran out of Jules GF flour to purchase.

I thought it was perfect as it was. I think my daughter would have loved if all of us could bake at the same time.

Grocery Store Review: Earth Fare

I've previously written about the grocery store Earth Fare numerous times. I've teamed with Kristi Kanzig (Earth Fare's marketing genius - check out her events here) on two occasions to host Gluten Free cooking classes with Celiac expert and author; Jules Shepard. I've also written before about some other Gluten Free classes conducted in Earth Fare's community room. Below is my full Grocery review for this awesome Gluten Free resource.

About Earth Fare
Earth Fare is a healthy foods supermarket which began in Asheville, North Carolina in 1975. An expansion, which began in the late 1990's, has brought the grocery store to Greenville and Columbia, South Carolina, Greensboro, Boone, Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, Athens and Augusta, Georgia, and Knoxville and Johnson City, Tennessee. Earth Fare states on it's Web site the following about the products it chooses to carry -

We sell foods as close to the ground as it gets. Products with these ingredients/processes WILL NOT BE SOLD at Earth Fare :

• NO hydrogenated or partially- hydrogenated oils added trans-fats
• NO high fructose corn syrup
• NO artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners & preservatives
• NO antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones or animal by-products in the feed (fresh meats & milk)
• NO bleached or bromated flour
• NO irradiated single source spices, produce or meat
• NO animal by-products in pet foods
• NO inhumane treatment of the animals providing us with dairy, meat and eggs
  

Gluten Free Products
You can tell that Earth Fare takes a lot of pride in the products they carry by reading the above statement. In addition to that, Earth Fare also makes it easy for gluten intolerant customers to find foods they can stomach – pun intended. With thousands of gluten-free items to choose from and clearly marked “gluten-free sets” within the store, shoppers don’t have to guess about where to find gluten-free products anymore. These clearly marked "gluten free sets" are basically wood faced shelves. Earth Fare does mix in Gluten Free items with their Gluten full items throughout the store. If you are looking for GF cereal, head to the normal cereal isle and look for the wood shelves and well marked Gluten Free signage. They also have a very extensive frozen food section as well. Stop in to the customer service desk upon your arrival and ask for a "Living Gluten Free" brochure. It provides some more detail as to the brands they carry which are GF. Way too many to list here. I couldn't find this brochure on their Web site, so I scanned a copy I picked up the other day. Check with the store for the latest version.

To sum up - Pretty much any Gluten Free item you have seen or tried before (along with many you have not) is available at Earth Fare. Each time I visit, I'm pleasantly surprised to see new items. The folks at Earth Fare are great to work with and care about you as a Gluten Free consumer. Did I mention the thousands of Gluten Free items they carry?

Information
Earth Fare - Brierdale Shopping Center
10341 Moncreiffe Rd.
Raleigh, NC 27617

Phone: (919) 433-1390
Email
Web site

Store Hours:
Monday - Sunday 9am to 9pm


View Larger Map

Jules Shepard Gluten Free Event Update

EVENT SOLD OUT!!!

Just wanted to let you all know of some updates for the upcoming Jules Shepard Gluten Free Cooking Class at Earth Fare. The event is still being held this Sunday, July 12, 2009. Some timings have been updated for the event as noted below. I have attempted to contact everyone who has registered and most are okay with the changes.

The event will still begin at 10am on Sunday 7/12 but will feature a Gluten Free Vendor Fair at the Earth Fare store. The GF Vendor Fair will feature several GF food vendors with samples available for your tasting pleasure. Some of the vendors will include local gluten-free products, including Escazu Chocolates, Pepper Dog salsa and Bella Monica's frozen gluten-free pizza. Other vendors like Nature's Path, Namaste and Blue Diamond will also be included. Some of the details are still being worked out, but the idea is for you to have the opportunity to taste some of these GF products before you buy. We all know how expensive they are!

The Gluten Free Cooking Class with Jules Shepard will begin around 1pm instead of the original time of 10am. Jules will be teaching, cooking and providing samples of delicious Gluten Free foods like pizza, graham crackers, strawberry shortcake and Pop Tarts! She will also have copies available of both her cookbook Nearly Normal Cooking for Gluten Free Eating and her latest book The First Year: Celiac Disease and Living Gluten Free. You may also purchase her cup-for-cup replacement Gluten Free Flour at the event and save on shipping costs.

Also, check out today's News & Observer article by columnist Andrea Weigl.

Click here to register for the event.
The deadline to sign-up online is Friday July 10th.

Reminder: Jules Shepard Gluten Free Cooking Class @ Earth Fare July 12

Just a quick reminder that the Jules Shepard Gluten Free cooking class is fast approaching. The class will be held Sunday July 12, 2009 at the Brier Creek Earth Fare grocery store.

There are currently 9 folks registered which means there are 31 slots still available. Please sign up now if you are interested. The deadline to register is Friday July 10th.

Click here for more information.

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.

Earth Fare Live Free Series - Dairy Free Diet Seminar

I wrote about a month ago about a new educational series being conducted at the Brier Creek Earth Fare called Live Free. The first seminar in the series held in early May was taught by a Dietary Educator named Marianne Crafts-Brandner and it focused on Gluten Free.

The second Live Free series event will focus on Dairy Free - an issue than many Celiacs have as well. The event is also taught by Marianne who is Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Sugar Free. See below for more information.

This seminar will be held on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 from 7pm - 8pm at Earth Fare Brier Creek here in Raleigh. See below for more details. You can also check out Earth Fare's events page for more info.

Join us for our Live Free Series, which will highlight tips and recipes to help you cope with any special diet restrictions you may have.

Learn how to utilize the countless diary free alternatives and how to prepare them. Take home tips and recipes for dairy free alternatives to use for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. You'll be amazed at the broad range of dairy free products Earth Fare has to offer!

Marianne Crafts-Brandner is a former special education teacher now pursuing a second career in the field of holistic nutrition. This past summer, Marianne relocated from Arizona to the Raleigh area and was pleased to discover Earthfare, with its sincere dedication to offering truly healthy food for the community. As a Holistic Nutrition Educator, Marianne especially enjoys helping others with their special diets; whether it's gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free (or, as in Marianne's case, all of the above!)

Click here for the Earth Fare Raleigh Web site.

Earth Fare Live Free Series - Gluten Free Diet Seminar

I was recently contacted by Earth Fare about a new series of seminars they will be offering called Live Free Series. Earth Fare will be working with a Dietary Educator named Marianne Crafts-Brandner on a series of classes focusing on coping with dietary restrictions like Gluten Free, Sugar Free or Dairy Free.

The first seminar will be held on Tuesday, May 5, 2009 from 7pm - 8pm at Earth Fare Brier Creek here in Raleigh. See below for more details. You can also check out Earth Fare's events page for more info.

Topic: GLUTEN-FREE – With one of the largest Gluten-Free selection in the Triangle, Earth Fare is a great resource for coping with special diet restrictions whether its due to Celiac's disease or a sensitivity to gluten or perhaps just wheat. Join us for our Live Free Series, which will highlight tips and recipes to help you cope with any special diet restrictions you may have. Learn which grains are gluten-free and how to prepare them. Take home tips and recipes for gluten-free alternatives to use for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. You'll be amazed at the broad range of gluten-free products Earth Fare has to offer! Marianne Crafts-Brandner is a former special education teacher now pursuing a second career in the field of holistic nutrition. This past summer, Marianne relocated from Arizona to the Raleigh area and was pleased to discover Earth Fare, with its sincere dedication to offering truly healthy food for the community. As a Holistic Nutrition Educator, Marianne especially enjoys helping others with their special diets; whether it's gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free (or, as in Marianne's case, all of the above!)

Click here for the Earth Fare Raleigh Web site.

Jules Shepard / Earth Fare Event Summary

I'd like to thank everyone that came or helped put on the first Gluten Free Raleigh Blog Special Event last Saturday (Feb 28th)! If you don't know, we hosted Celiac author and Gluten Free cooking expert - Jules Shepard - at the Earth Fare at Brier Creek. Jules also did a book signing and Earth Fare had a special guided tour of the store and it's 1000+ GF items. Trevor from Bella Monica Flatbread Company was also on site for a tasting of their brand new GF pizzas. I originally thought that maybe about 20 people would register for the event but we actually ended up with a completely sold out event and even had some walk-ups the day of the event. We had a standing room only crowd of about 40 people when it was all said and done.

The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog will be making 2 donations to Celiac organizations as a result of the proceeds from the event. The first will be a $300 donation to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA). I have written about them frequently on this blog and I really can identify with their primary focus of raising awareness. Another $100 donation will be made to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research on behalf of the event and Jules Shepard. This research center is lead by one of the prominent leaders of the Celiac community - Dr. Alessio Fasano. More to come about this organization in the future.

Thanks again for every one's attendance and hard work. Again - a very special thank you to Jules Shepard for making the trip from Baltimore and for doing such a wonderful job. Also - to Kristi from Earth Fare for doing a wonderful job making sure everything went smoothly.

See below for some pictures from the event...

Jules Shepard / Earth Fare Event SOLD OUT!

Good news (unless you didn't get a ticket to the event) - the Jules Shepard / Earth Fare Gluten Free Event has now sold out!

There was room for 30 participants and all 30 places have been taken.

Early estimates indicate that this event will raise over $300 (after expenses) for a donation to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA)!

Thanks for all that have purchased tickets and I look forward to seeing you this Saturday at Earth Fare.

Stay tuned for more Gluten Free Raleigh Special Events in the near future!