Archive for the ‘Resources’ Category

What Better Way to Start May Than With The NFCA?

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

May is Celiac Awareness month and my ever-fabulous friends over at the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) are having a Blogger a Day series the entire month to not only help to raise awareness for Celiac  disease but to also highlight some great resources for those living with Celiac disease to turn to.

I am honored to have been selected as the first in this series to help kick-off what I am sure will be a fantastic series and I know that I am looking forward to learning more about the 30 others that will be featured throughout the month.  I mean can how can you go wrong with a cavalcade of Celiacs?

While this is a great way to help raise awareness and show how divers the Celiac community is, I wanted to also bring to light that every month is Celiac Awareness month at the NFCA.  They are truly a great organization that work tirelessly throughout the year to help make life as a Celiac easier for all of us.

Whether it is educating restaurants, business, and professionals through its Gluten-Free Resource Education and Awareness Training (GREAT) program or throwing one heck of a gluten-free bash in Philadelphia at its annual Appetite for Awareness (read all about my experience at last year’s event Part I and Part II), they are constantly bringing Celiac awareness into the spotlight.  You can read all about what the NCFA has been up to this past year on their Web site not to mention they have quite a few great things on the near horizon.

But this is really just the tip of the iceberg and I encourage you to spend some time on their Web site and peruse all of the great information that they have compiled.  It’s all there from helpful resources and webinars to personal stories on other’s journey with Celiac disease.

I am happy to count the NFCA as friends and thank them for all that they do to help raise awareness every day for Celiacs across the country.

Gluten Free Childrens Book Review

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

I received a review copy of Mommy, What Is Celiac Disease? by Katie Chalmers and have been meaning to post my thoughts and share the book with you.  Now I am sure you are wondering, hmmm, GFM you don’t have any children.  That’s just it.  Had Katie not contacted me I would have likely not come across the book and I can safely say that would have been a major loss on my part.  You see, yes, it is a children’s book that is both wonderfully written and illustrated but while I was reading it I found that it spoke to all Celiacs no matter where they are in their gluten-free journey.

I remember a time, around my diagnosis, where few had even heard of Celiac disease (myself included) and after my diagnosis it was pretty much a learn as you go experience with quite a few missteps along the way.  Alas, that which does not kill us makes us stronger – and now I feel like a gluten-free veteran.  Sure, there are tons of resources available to the newly diagnosed but as I read Katie’s book I kept wondering how great would it have been to have something like this 10 years ago?  I am certain that even today a Celiac diagnosis can be overwhelming and remains a challenge for both adults and children.  I was diagnosed in my twenties and was often perplexed with what being Celiac meant so I can only imagine how difficult it must be for young children to suddenly be told No, you cannot have what everyone else can

What’s great about Katie’s book is that it does not explain Celiac as a singular experience but rather something an entire family must learn to come together and deal with.  The central message of you are not alone is a powerful one that Katie managed to capture beautifully.  Her focus was not on the taking away of foods but rather a learning experience on what (and why) foods could be safely enjoyed and what a Celiac must also look out for.  The mother in the book quickly offers replacements for some favorite treats and approaches Celiac as something that makes the child special (i.e. bringing their very own cupcake to a friends party) rather than alienating the child and making them feel like they are the odd one out.

I can see this book being great to not only educate children and their friends about Celiac disease but also for various family members and friends who still might not get it yet.  I can think of a few people in my life that could benefit from this book :-) .  It is important for all of us to take a page from Katie’s book in that we are not alone and being Celiac is not limiting but actually empowering and uniting.

Head on over to Katie’s Web site to learn more about her and her book and how to get your very own copy.  She also has some great Celiac information and resources on there as well.

We Are All Generation Gluten-Free

Friday, March 11th, 2011

When fellow New Yorker and Celiac Susan Cohen reached out to me recently to take a look at her gluten-free documentary Generation Gluten-Free I was really excited to take a look. The film itself was shot in the summer of 2005 and released the following January. Oh, and she just happened to film it while a student at Barnard College which makes it even more impressive. Now you may be wondering to yourself why you would want to watch something that was made six years ago about a condition that has really only recently made it into the headlines. That’s just the reason. You see, many Celiacs, myself included, remember what a very different world it was for us even five years ago. Let me tell you that when I was diagnosed more than nine years ago I was beside myself and really had few gluten-free replacements to help me maintain a gluten-free lifestyle.  Resources were also few and far between and the Celiac journey at the time was a pretty lonely one where we sort of learned as we went along.

Fast forward to today where gluten-free is the new buzz word and more and more mainstream manufacturers are jumping on-board to provide us with gluten-free options of some of our longtime favorites. Even major manufacturers aside, the niche gluten-free market has also exploded with a range of great products available in the click of a mouse and from quite literally around the world. While I am certainly happy that we have come such a long way in raising awareness of Celiac disease there is still a long road in front of us and I can’t think of a better way to continue to move forward than by looking back at some of the trailblazers in the community that helped Celiacs like myself start to live a more normal life. The film is also a fantastic commentary on our general gluten-free world just a few short years ago and I actually find it refreshing to see how far we have come as a community.

The film includes (in alphabetical order) interviews with:

George Chookazian, Owner and Founder of Foods by George – probably the first good gluten-free pizza and English Muffins I had when first diagnosed.
Sue Goldstein, the founder of the Westchester County, New York, Celiac Sprue Support Group
Dr. Peter Green, Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University
Beth Hillson, Founder of The Gluten-Free Pantry
Pat MacGregor, Founder of the Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program
Joseph Pace, Owner of Risotteria restaurant in NYC – a New York City gluten-free stand-by.
Peter Zakakis, Owner of Peters Restaurant in NYC – one of my personal favorites here in the City that makes a mean gluten-free Monte Cristo.

I found it so interesting to put faces with many of the names that have become synonymous with the Celiac community and hear their first-hand takes on their motivation for becoming involved in the Celiac world. It is also interesting to note that many of their primary motivating factors are the same reason many of us do (to whatever degree) what we do to help raise awareness for the disease and make the gluten-free journey easier for the newly diagnosed than it was for many of us.

Kudos to Susan for making this film well before gluten-free was “cool” or really “in vogue” to immortalize the beginnings of what would fast become the gluten-free movement before us today.  I for one and proud to count my self among Generation Gluten-Free.

Susan has also graciously given me a copy of her film to give away to one of my readers. So why not head-on over to her Web site and view the trailer and learn more about the film or purchase your very own copy. To enter to win your own copy, just leave a comment here Enter by March 18, 2011). That’s all it takes and thanks again to Susan for helping document the Celiac experience.

Time Again for The Weekly Update

Friday, February 4th, 2011

Yet, another week has come and gone.  I simply cannot believe that we are already into February.  Here’s hoping for a swift end to winter and an accelerated coming of spring.  One good thing that has come out of all this nasty winter weather is a host of product reviews as I basically stuff my face when the weather prohibits my movements. 

So what’s new this week you ask?  Well, let’s take a look…

 

 

New Product Reviews:

Okay, so this week’s two new product reviews can actually be found by just scrolling down a bit as I featured them both in my blog.  Eventually they will also live in my Product Review section but sometimes I like to call special attention to products that not only taste great but have interesting stories as to how and why they got started and involved with the Celiac world.  So I tip my hat to this week’s featured products.  Also, direct links always make life easier.

The Crab Ladies Gluten-Free Crab Cakes

You are probably wondering how on earth I managed to pull off a shellfish-based review.  Easy…I had my very own GFM Mom take this one on.  She’s a tough critic but see what she had to say about these gluten-free treats from the sea.  Oh, and for the record Mom is not Celiac nor does she follow a gluten-free diet — which really speaks to how good the guten-free version from The Crab Ladies are.  A special thanks to my Mom for taking this on.

Heavenly Hummus

This was a real standout.  All hummus are most definitely not created equally.  I don’t know how they get these two hummus varieties to taste like someone was in your kitching whipping up a batch but that heaven (pun intended) they figured it out.

 

Connect with GFM:

Please take a moment to head on over to the GFM.com Facebook page and “Like” it. This will make communicating and sharing information much more streamlined. For those of you on Twitter, be sure follow my there for real-time updates when I am out and about.  If Foursquare is your thing than track my comments and check-ins.  Of course you are still more than welcome to friend my personal Facebook account or connect professionally with me on LinkedIn.

The Weekly Update

Friday, January 28th, 2011

Another busy week on both professional and personal fronts.  Yet another snowstorm hit New York City which is always fun and quite frankly I am ready for Spring.  The one good thing about being snowed in was I pretty much ate myself senseless so have been working my way through a bunch of new gluten-free products to share with you. 

I am officially naming next week the Week of the Reviews and will have several new and exciting product reviews to share.  There’s pretty much something for everyone in the next round of reviews – from Australian cereals to gluten-free Maryland Crab Cakes (which I actually brought in my very own Mom to guest review given my shellfish allergy).

 

As for this week’s updates…

New Product Reviews:

The Gluten Free Bar
Another throw and go favorite which you can simply toss into your bag and hit the road. 

Gluten Free Oats
Certified gluten-free and super versatile these oats helped fill a void that I have missed for some time – maple flavored oatmeal for breakfast.

 

New GFM.com Facebook Page:

Just a gentle reminder…

Please take a moment to head on over to the GFM.com Facebook page and “Like” it. This will make communicating and sharing information much more streamlined. For those of you on Twitter, be sure follow my there for real-time updates when I am out and about.  Of course you can still friend me on my individual page as well.

 

GFM on the Move in SoMe:

I am even more fun in real-time.  If you are not already following me on Twitter or Foursquare, please take a  moment to do so.  This way you’ll be able to keep track of some of my favorite places so that you can give them a go yourself.

Welcome Aboard.

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

Thanks to the recent MSNBC.com Travel article I have had the opportunity to hear from a great number of new friends with either Celiac or other dietary restrictions.  Hey, I even “met” a fellow Celiac with the same shellfish allergy as me – small world indeed.  I welcome any opportunity to help raise awareness of Celiac disease and as my personal mantra is Living Well, Gluten-Free, No Apologies – I don’t let Celiac limit where life takes me.  Anyway, I realize that many of you are likely first timers here on my site so I wanted to take a moment to say “hello” and thanks for stopping by.  I also hope that you’ll become a regular reader as I am constantly on the go and adding new content to the site.

Here’s a quick lay of the land…

On the homepage you will always find a product and restaurant featured.  The do change frequently but I like to call attention to new products or places that I come across.

You can learn more about what makes me tick and my personal journey in the About Me section.  As you’ll see I am a Research Director by day and, well, as I like to put it a gluten-free superhero by night – which basically translates to I am a bit of a lush

As you move your mouse to the right you’ll run across (literally) the Product Review section neatly broken down by the major food groups Desserts, Entrées, Munchies, and Sides.  Each section is updated frequently – as fast as I can stuff the gluten-free goodies in my gob – so please check back often. 

Moving further along you will notice the Dining Out section that has Gluten-friendly and everyday restaurants along with my Quintessentially New York Gluten-Free feature – let’s just call it QNYGF – where I eat gluten-free in some of the most iconic restaurants throughout the City.  Moving along is the Recipe section featuring some of my favorites from my kitchen and those of some great gluten-free friends around the globe.  And yes, even my Mom makes an appearance from time to time – she’s one heck of a good cook by the way and pretty darn cool – we have dodged shady alleys in Mong Kok and navigated the souks of Dubai together – to name just a couple of our adventures.

Continuing our little trip we cross into the Resources & Links section featuring everything from relevant organizations to some other very cool Celiac-related blogs.  Which is the perfect segue into my very own blog full of everything gluten-free from what and where I am eating to my travels.  It too gets updated pretty regularly.

As the proverbial train pulls into the station is the Contact section and please don’t be shy.  I love mail and feedback.  So that’s me in a nutshell.  Welcome and I hope to see much more of you.

Gluten Free and Luxury Now Officially Synonymous, Told You So.

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

I am absolutely tickled to have been featured on MSNBC.com’s Travel section yesterday in Jane L. Levere’s article Luxury Hotel Chain Caters to Guests With Special Diets.  I truly believe that what Fairmont is doing with the launch of its Lifestyle Cuisine Plus program is at the forefront of meeting the needs of luxury travelers with dietary restrictions – in my case Celiac disease.

Many of you know that my mantra is Living Well, Gluten-Free, No Apologies.   At its core is my unwavering self-commitment to go where I want, when I want, and not to let my food allergies define or limit who I am.  Can the initial Celiac diagnosis be daunting – absolutely – but Fairmont helps us to realize that major companies are listening and recognizing the need to better accommodate food restricted guests.

I have long been a fan of Fairmont and Raffles hotels and I am absolutely over the moon that my next stay with them will be made easier because should I choose to dine in one of the hotel’s restaurants, I know I will be greeted with a menu featuring local ingredients that has been specially put together for guests like me.  I will of course report back with my firsthand experience in sampling the Lifestyle Cuisine Plus menu.

Thanks to Fairmont, gluten-free and luxury are now officially synonymous.

My GF Homage To 2010

Friday, December 31st, 2010

Okay, so I know it is somewhat cliché to do a year-end round up of top picks for the previous 12 months.  So rather than doing a Favorite Things post, I thought I would just revisit some of the gluten-free places, organizations, and products that made an impact on me in 2010.  I chose ten – I am a bit OCD and it seemed like a good solid number – things that made my gluten-free journey a bit more delicious.  They are listed in no particular order and if a product is not on the list it does not mean I am still not a fan.  This list is comprised of some new items that came across my path in 2010 that I would like to re-visit with you in my last post of 2010.  So here we go…



De Rosa’s Natural Fine Foods: This Staten Island, New York company has perfected the heat-and-eat gluten-free Italian meal.  From Stromboli to calzones to chicken marsala – De Rosa’s has it all and they are all fabulous.

Sheffa Foods Snack Mixes: Completely new to me and a very pleasant surprise.  These crispy treats are a unique mix of nuts and seeds paired with sweet or savory goodies – perfect for cocktail time.  Their salad topper is also out of this world.

The Melting Pot Restaurants of Metro New York: Who knew that  a franchise could do gluten-free so well?  These locations in Darien (CT), Westwood (NJ), and White Plains (NY) offer unique (and delicious) gluten-free options for every course.  There is even gluten-free cheesecake and brownies to dip in molten chocolate for dessert.  I mean, how can you go wrong?

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness:  I was able to take part in their fabulous Appetite for Awareness 2010 in Philadelphia which set the bar for gluten-free events.  Not only does this organization do great things to help further the recognition and understanding of Celiac disease they provide great opportunities for Celiacs to learn, mix, and mingle throughout the year.

Gluten-Free Bisquick:  Thanks to my friends at General Mills for making a gluten-free version of an old kitchen staple that is every bit as good as the original – just sans gluten.  Fresh pancakes once again became a staple in my weekend breakfasts.

Ellie’s Country Delights Stews: Based on the far East End of Long Island, New York (my childhood home) Ellie makes quite possibly the best thing you will ever pour out of a jar.  These are wholesome stews that are so versatile across a range of recipe uses.

Schär: I have been a long-time fan of all their products but their gluten-free par-baked baguettes were a true stand out this past year for me.  Just heat and eat.  Fresh, crisp, hot gluten-free bread straight from the oven. 

Happy Belly Bags: What’s not to love about gluten-free goodie bags that address not only gluten-free but a range of food allergies.  These are perfect to ship for a variety of occasions and the variety of gluten-free items available was amazing.

Rudi’s Gluten-Free Breads: Three varieties of great bread that really caught my attention this year.  Their Cinnamon Raisin bread is simply out of this world – proving that great ingredients make great products.  They also have a great cause effort going at the moment with the NFCA.

Pizzeria Uno’s Chicago Grill: I have never been a fan of chain restaurants but have to say that Uno’s gluten-free menu was an astounding surprise that I came across this past summer.  It is so nice to be able to pop-in, grab a gluten-free beer, and pizza.  Oh, and the gluten-free pizza is actually really good.

Here’s wishing everyone a healthy and fabulous gluten-free 2011.

Somebody Stop Me. Another Great Giveaway!

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

If it is December it must be time for more super gluten-free giveaways – hey ‘tis the season.  This time my ever fabulous friends at General Mills have given me one of their fantastic Live Gluten Freely product boxes to give away to one lucky reader.  General Mills has truly been a leader in helping to bring gluten-free products mainstream and best of all their products taste great. Head on over to their dedicated gluten-free site which is full of information from recipes to resources to product information (they have over 300 of them, ranging quite literally from soup to nuts).  Better yet, they have a comprehensive gluten-free product list available online and in a handy pocket-sized version

I personally am a huge fan of their Betty Crocker mixes and I can honestly say there is always a box of Chex in my pantry (I had a bowl for breakfast this morning).  Their Betty Crocker Potato Buds make for quick and easy mashed potatoes and I cannot say enough about gluten-free Bisquick.  I must have made pancakes every weekend since it came on the market.  You’ll also always find a Lärabar, okay Lärabars plural, tucked away in my briefcase in case I am on the go and need a gluten-free snack.

So what is in the Live Gluten Freely product box? Well, I am glad you asked. The winner will receive the following:

Betty Crocker® Gluten-Free Brownie Mix
Betty Crocker® Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix
Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy Chocolate Frosting
Honey Nut Chex® Cereal
Bisquick® Gluten Free Original Pancake and Baking Mix
Betty Crocker® Fruit Flavored Snacks Variety Pack – Fruit Roll-Ups®, Fruit Gushers®, Fruit by the Foot®
Peanut Butter Cookie Lärabar® Snack Bar
Betty Crocker® Potato Buds® Mashed Potatoes
Betty Crocker® Red Serving Spoon

There is truly something for everyone in this package.  If you just cannot wait to get your hands on this package you can actually order one right from General Mills and have one shipped directly to yourself or your favorite Celiac.

Entering could not be easier.  Just click here to send me an e-mail (with Live Gluten Freely in the subject line) and you are done.  How’s that for easy?

Now for the fine print…
Contest is open to legal residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older and by entering you are agreeing that you meet these eligibility requirements.  Contest ends 11:59 p.m. Pacific time, Sunday, December 12, 2010.

Happy Belly Bags Giveaway

Monday, November 15th, 2010

 

  

I love it when new companies reach out to me, particularly those who are doing something unique when it comes to Celiac disease and food allergies in general. One of those companies that I am so pleased to have sponsor this giveaway, is Happy Belly Bags

Happy Belly Bags created a super-fabulous custom Gluten Free Mike bag full of exciting products for me to give away to one of my lucky readers. Believe me, this is one jam packed bag full of many unique gluten-free products that were new to me. To enter, just click here. Easy Peasy!  

I had the opportunity to virtually interview Happy Belly Bags founder Sarah Rothrock to find out what made her decide to start a food allergy-specific company.  

When did you launch the company?   

The company launched officially in September of 2010. It was about a year and a half in the making, we had to choose products, design the site, create a logo etc… So finally we are here and available to the public.  

What made you decide to start an allergy-friendly business — particularly one that caters to a wide-range of allergies and conditions?   

The main reason I decided to start Happy Belly Bags was due to the fact that I myself had a very unhappy belly from about the time I was 12. After visits to many doctors, several procedures and minor surgeries and no answers I started doing some research on my own. I decided that I would try eliminating things from my diet to see if that would help and sure enough I started seeing immediate results. I have just finished removing gluten from my diet and I have never felt better. So I decided that I wanted to make other people’s bellies happy too!   

I know I was so frustrated when I first started on my restricted diet when I would get gourmet food gifts from people and was never able to enjoy any of the goodies, I also had a difficult time picking out which foods to start with. I thought it would be great to have a Starter Kit as well as offer gifts available that had the same quality and taste that I was used to. So Happy Belly Bags was born! I wanted to build the business around what I believed in as far as keeping it “green” as well as having healthy and organic choices for people with all types of food aversions, allergies and intolerances. Everyone deserves a Happy Belly!  

Which of your bags is the most popular?   

Currently our most popular bag in the Gluten-Free Starter Kit, the Organic Snacker Belly and the Collegiate Belly Bags are also very popular. We have been getting request for Children’s Bags and plan to launch those in the near future!  

What food allergy do you get the most requests for?   

We get the most requests for gluten-free foods, dairy-free and nut-free foods are also very popular.  

How do you choose items that you will include in your bags?   

This is the most difficult part of the business. We are always looking for new foods and tasting items that have just entered the market. We used up taste panels as well as taste the products ourselves; we also read reviews and articles about products to determine their popularity. We want to have high quality items that are healthy but also taste good. Sometimes it is difficult to narrow it down but we always go with our gut (literally)! We are always looking for great products so any suggestions would be welcome!  

So what is in your custom GFM Happy Belly Bag? It is more like what’s not in the bag…  

Betty Lou’s Gluten Free Fruit Bars x2 (Strawberry and Blueberry)
Betty Lou’s Just Great Stuff Organic Cacao Açaí Bar
Brothers-All-Natural Fuji Apple Crisps x2
Dr. Mc Dougall’s Vegan Spring Onion Noodle Soup
Give Energy Pear Apple Cherry Drink
Give Love natural Spring Water
Gladcorn Corn Snacks (x2) (Original and Bar-B-Q)
Glow Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies
Healthy Snacks Bare Fruit Organic Baked Dried Cherries
Kettle Brand Organic Lightly Salted Chip (5 oz.bag)
Namaste GF Bread Mix
Natural Nectar GF Cracklebred (Original)
Nature’s Path Organic Crunchy Maple Sunrise Cereal
Nu Go Free Dark Chocolate Crunch Bar
Pastariso Organic Brown Rice Pasta
Peelu Dental Chewing Gum
Pure Organic Cherry Cashew Bar
Sunfood Organic Amazonian Jungle Peanuts
Surf Sweets Sour Berry Bears
Sweet Riot 100% Dark Cacao Dipped in 65% Dark Chocolate Nips
Vermints Natural Mints (Peppermint)  


Click image for larger view

  

To enter, just click here.

The Fine Print: All you need to submit is your name and e-mail address which will not be used for anything other than choosing a winner. Please note this contest is open to residents of the United States only. The contest will run from 11/15/10 through 11/30/10 (11:59 Pacific Time). The winner will be chosen at random and announced 12/1/10 here at GFM.com.

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