With work and the holidays December ended up being an absolutely crazy month and I did not get to blog as much as I had hoped to.  As many of you know my site is a true labor of love and sometime my real world responsibilities take my away from my virtual ones.  I am already getting back into the swing here on GFM.com and have been working away to start 2012 with a host of new reviews.  So I thought why not take a quick look back at some gluten-free highlights of the past year.

Well, 2011 was a year of great joy and sorrow for me.  While GFM.com has truly taken off beyond any of my expectations it was also the year that I lost my father to pancreatic cancer in June.  I want to first thank all of you for all of your kind words and support that you sent throughout my father’s illness — it truly meant more to me and my family than mere words can express.

On the gluten-free front, I had the opportunity to meet so many fantastic gluten-free advocates throughout the world this past year.  Not to mention all of the delicious new gluten-free products that crossed my path.  It is amazing to see the momentum that gluten-free products have seen in the past year with many new start-up companies coming to the scene.  It is certainly a much different landscape than when I was diagnosed more than ten years ago.  I still smile when I find myself off the beaten path and come across gluten-free products and establishments.

2012 will no doubt be full or even more surprises and I look forward to a truly fabulous gluten-free year ahead.  My official partnership with a major U.S. food manufacturer as one of their gluten-free lifestyle experts is now set for an early 2012 launch.  It is a great company that does great things (both gluten-free and non-gluten-free).  I have the utmost respect for this company and loved their products well before they approached me so was happy to official lend my name and content to their new endeavor.

So here’s wishing you and yours a very Happy Gluten-Free New Year.