Fake Gluten Free Baker Paul Seelig Appeals 2011 Convictions

Remember the infamous fake Gluten Free Baker Paul Seelig?  If not, get caught up here.  This is the guy who started a fake Gluten Free bakery and then sold regular Gluten filled products as Gluten Free to dozens of folks (including Celiacs) throughout the Raleigh-Durham area back in the late 2009/early 2010 time frame.  In April 2011, he was convicted and sentenced to 9-11 years in prison.  He is currently spending his days at the Lumberton Correctional Institution until 5/14/2020.

For several reasons, he's decided to file for an appeal on his convictions (even though in court during his trial he pleaded guilty and stood there and asked for all of his victims to forgive him).  His submitted Brief to the court is here.  Arguments will be presented to the Court of Appeals on Thursday, November 13th, 2012 at 9:30am.  If you have any interest in this case or were a previous victim, please consider attending this hearing.

North Carolina Court of Appeals
Thursday, November 15th at 9:30am
Court of Appeals Building
One West Morgan Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27601

Gluten Free Wine Dinner at Bella Monica - Sat 8/11 730p

Bella Monica Restaurant to Host Gluten-Free Wine Dinner

ONLY A FEW SPOTS REMAINING!!!

Date: Saturday August 11th, 2012
Time: 7:30pm
Location: 3121 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh, NC 27612

Come on out on Saturday August 11th for a night of gluten-free goodness at Bella Monica Restaurant! Hang out with the team from Delight Gluten-Free Magazine and enjoy a 4-course family-style wine tasting menu prepared by Chef Corbett Monica!

Dinner is $75/per person (inclusive of tax and gratuity) and includes assorted gluten-free bruschetta, caprese salad, portobello mushroom lasagne, lobster risotto, veal meatballs with fontina polenta and tiramisu.

Register now by calling 919-881-9778 or by emailing Trevor Chambers at trevor@bellamonica.com.

Bella Monica Restaurant is located at 3121 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh, NC 27612

Raleigh Gluten/Allergen Free Expo - August 12 2:30pm

The Gluten/Allergen Free Expo of Raleigh, N.C. is being held on Sunday August 12, 2012 2:30 pm - 7:30 pm and will feature Expert Speakers in fields of Celiac Disease & Gluten/Allergen Free Living, a Gluten/Allergen Free Food & Services Vendor Hall & a Top Chef Demonstration Stage.

Click here to purchase tickets.  Tickets can also be purchased at the door.  Children 12 and under are free.
Click here for the event web site.

Location

Cobblestone Hall in historic downtown City Market 215 Wolfe Street, Suite 100 Raleigh, NC 27601

Notes
Special Appearance By Mrs. United States 2011, Shannon Ford, columnist for Delight Gluten Free and writer of an excellent blog about her Gluten Free/Paleo Diet & life www.contemporarycavegirl.com.


Bone Suckin Sauce is sponsoring this Grand Prize which is a catered Bar-B-Que for 50 people and valued at $3000! The Grand Prize will be won in the Raffle held on August 12. Must be present to win.

Current Vendor List 
1-2-3 Gluten Free
Against The Grain Gourmet
Akea Life
Allergy Free Foods
Arbonne
Bakery On Main
Bella Monica Flatbread Co.
Bold Organics Pizza
Bone Suckin' Sauce
Camp Weekaneatit
Crunchmaster
Delight Gluten Free Magazine
Earth Family Foods
Earth Fare
Europa Sports
FAAN Walk for Food Allergy of the Triangle
Ginger Lemon Girl
Gluten Free Passport
Glutino
Happy Family Foods
Harmony Farms
Kinnikinnick
Kitchen Table Bakers
Lisanatti Foods
Martin's Curry Rice
Mrs. United States 2011, Shannon Ford
Namaste Foods
New Planet Beer
Omission Beer
Rudi's Gluten Free Bakery
Slatherin' Sauce
Spize Cafe
The Celiac Cakery
Triumph Dining
Udi's Gluten Free Foods
Whole Foods Zpizza

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, May17th at 7pm at Rex Hospital, Private Dining Room located in the rear of the cafeteria.

Jim Eleczko - Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center - will be our guest speaker from 7:45 - 8:45, focusing on the use of acupuncture "to lessen the impact of some of the symptoms resulting from Celiac Disease."

We will not be meeting in October, due to a Rex Hospital scheduling conflict.

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.

Domino's to Offer Gluten Free Pizza (Celiacs Let Out Collective Groan)

Great news for Kim Kardashian (but not for anyone with actual Celiac).

Domino's is now offering a gluten-free pizza crust.
Click here for the Domino's GF crust FAQ (Caution - this pizza is not for people with Celiac Disease).

Press release below...welcome to the fad part of the GF diet Domino's.  You are not the first and won't be the last.  FYI, I'll still be a Celiac who needs a real (ingredients and cross contact) GF diet when you are gone.  On a side note, I'm disappointed in the NFCA.  Gluten Free should be really Gluten Free - it's confusing enough already.  This is a joke.

Perhaps the single biggest if not most frustrating void for folks stuck on gluten-free diets is about to be finally filled: home-delivered pizza. Monday, Domino's, the world's largest delivery pizza chain, will announce plans to sell a pizza made with a gluten-free crust. It comes as some of the biggest foodmakers and food sellers — including Frito-Lay, Subway, Anheuser-Busch and P.F. Chang's — are jumping into the $6.2 billion market for people unable to consume products made with wheat, barley and rye.

"We are the first national pizza delivery chain to offer this," boasts Domino's CMO Russell Weiner, who notes that while the crust is certified gluten-free, the pizza is still prepared in ovens with pizzas that aren't gluten-free, so folks who are extra-sensitive need to be aware. The gluten-free pizza costs about $3 more. Most gluten-free products typically do cost more to make.

Until recently, gluten-free was mostly listed on the back of the package, but now, with 6% to 8% of the U.S. population on some some kind of gluten-free diet, it's increasingly listed on the front, and even called out in bold type. "It's become a selling point," says Alice Bast, president at the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, a group that raises awareness of Celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Bast says, "The number one request we get from the gluten-free consumer is for gluten-free pizza — and beer."

Article from USAToday.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer Talks Celiac Disease

CNN's Wolf Blitzer helps raise awareness of celiac disease in this very important video on celiac disease and the gluten-free diet! The segment features Dr. John Snyder of the Celiac Disease Program at Children's National Medical Center, Vanessa Weisbrod, Executive Editor of Delight Gluten-Free Magazine and Sarah Marx, a patient living with celiac disease. A huge thank you to the entire CNN team that helped make this video possible.

Hershey's New Gluten Free List

Check this out!

HERSHEY'S | Hershey's Brands Special Nutrition

Gluten Free Expo Comes to Raleigh on August 12, 2012

August 12th, 2012 ~ Raleigh, N.C. ~ The Cobblestone Hall ~ 2:30-6:30 pm

SAVE THE DATE!

Echo Event Solutions, in collaboration with National Support Groups, is proud to present a series of Gluten/Allergen Free Expos and Educational Events across several states. The Director of Coordination, Nikki Everett, has successfully managed the Charlotte Gluten/Allergen Free Expo and brought many Local and National vendors into the spotlight of the Charlotte, N.C. market.  Building on that success, Nikki is taking the show on the road and Raleigh was picked as a expansion site for a 2012 event.

Vendor/Sponsor List so far...

PARTICIPANT SPONSOR ~ GFreeK.com GF Awards

Vendor ~ Bone Suckin' Sauce

Vendor ~ Udi's Gluten Free Foods

Vendor ~ Rudi's Gluten Free Bakery

Vendor ~ 1-2-3 Gluten Free

Vendor ~ Europa Sports (Nogii and NOW Bars)

Vendor ~ Bakery On Main

Vendor ~ Triumph Dining

Vendor ~ Glutino

Vendor ~ Kinnikinnick

For more information see -> gfvendorinfo.blogspot.com

Also, see the letter below.

Kettle Cuisine's "Get One Give One" Facebook Promotion

Received the following email from the folks at Kettle Cuisine and thought I'd pass along to y'all.

As you know, here at Kettle Cuisine we are passionate about feeding people and ending hunger. This is why, during the month of March (which is National Nutrition Month and National Frozen Food Month), every fan who LIKES our Facebook page will GET a valuable coupon and we will GIVE a serving of soup to a person in need. Neat huh?  Our lofty goal is to donate 10,000 cups of soup to people in need so any assistance you can provide is greatly appreciated!

If you haven't tried Kettle Cuisine's products, now is a great opportunity to help yourself (by getting a free coupon) and others in need!  It's pretty simple, just hit the like button.

Raleigh Celiac Support Group Meeting - March 15th @ 7pm

North Raleigh Celiac Sprue Association Support Group

Support group meeting reminder, this Thursday, March 15th, Rex Hospital (Raleigh), Private Dining Room located in the rear of the cafeteria, 7:00PM - 9:00PM.  On our agenda is Dave Gardner, Baker/Owner, Imagine That G-F, Inc., Morrisville, who will introduce us to his bakery and offer a "tasting." 

Please contact Pat Berger for more information.

March is Gluten Free Pizza Month at ZPizza

I just received the following email from the owners of the Triangle zpizzas.

March is gluten-free month at zpizza. To celebrate, come in all month long and enjoy a delicious small gluten-free pizza for half off when you purchase a small pizza at regular price (of equal or greater value). Come in to any of our 3 locations (421 Fayetteville St, Downtown Raleigh. 96 Cornerstone Dr in Cary, or 9630 Falls of the Neuse Rd, North Raleigh).

Thanks for your positive feedback on our food, and to those of you that travel great distances to dine with us. Join us on Facebook and let us know where you are coming from. Someone will win free pizza!  Thanks, Steve and Dan, zpizza.

 www.zpizzatriangle.com

Whole Foods Bakehouse Focus Group

Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse in Morrisville, NC is seeking approximately 20 individuals to participate in a focus group as product tasters. Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse will supply free samples to the participants and in return, we ask for your feedback on our products.

Participants will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement and answer a few screening questions to qualify. If this sounds like something you are interested in, please contact us at: Glutenfree.bakehouse@wholefoods.com.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Chick-fil-A Introduces New Gluten Free Kid's Meal Today (& Giveaway)

Chick-fil-A Debuts One of America’s Most Nutritious Kid’s Meals (and it's Gluten Free)!

Keep reading for a giveaway from Chick-fil-a.

Chick-fil-A is one of the very few fast food restaurants that my family visits.  I have safely had the grilled chicken salad and fries (be sure your restaurant has a dedicated fryer) without issue for several years.  The problem though has been when I take my kids and they want chicken nuggets (not GF).  It's pretty difficult to keep my salad GF while helping the kids with their breaded nuggets.  We'll, seems like that problem is now solved.
Below is from the press release.

Starting today, Chick-fil-A is taking another step in continuing to address the issue of childhood obesity by debuting one of the nation's most nutritious kid's meals. In recent months, many fast food chains have updated their side options in an attempt to offer healthier children's menu items. Chick-fil-A instead is concentrating on making the entrée healthier by adding Grilled Chicken Nuggets as an alternative for children. The move marks the first time a national fast food chain has offered a grilled entrée as part of a children's menu. The chain also is enhancing its side choices, adding Buddy Fruits® Pure Blended Fruit To Go applesauce as a complement to the Fruit Cup option Chick-fil-A added to its menu in 2004. And, the chain is removing drinks with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from its children’s beverage line and promoting one-percent milk, 100-percent apple juice, its signature freshly squeezed lemonade and water as drink choices.

Additional information on Chick-fil-A's new Kid's Meal offerings: Introduction of Grilled Nuggets:

• These gluten-free Grilled Nuggets are made from a boneless, skinless breast of chicken tumbled in a salt and pepper spice blend and then grilled to perfection. The four count is only 80 calories and 1 gram of fat, while the six count contains 110 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. 

• Addition of Buddy Fruits® Pure Blended Fruit To Go: Apple Cinnamon: Each squeezable fruit pouch is gluten free, all natural and contains 100 percent pure fruit. It is 60 calories, 0 grams of fat and equals one serving of fruit. Improved beverage options: 

• Drinks with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are being removed from the Kid’s Meal beverage choices. Children's drink choices now include one-percent milk, 100 percent apple juice and freshly squeezed lemonade (30 percent DV vitamin C). 

Please leave a comment below about your favorite Gluten Free thing in Raleigh (can be a grocery store, restaurant, bakery, mostly inactive informational blog, support group, etc...).  I'll pick 5 random winners so please leave your email address (or email me).

Click here for more information.