Praying for a Christmas miracle

Sorry I haven't been very prolific this week. I flew to Georgia for the holidays, and I just found out that my dad is in ICU and has taken a turn for the worse. I fly out in the wee hours tomorrow morning, and any prayers sure would be appreciated. Have a happy holiday. Eat safe.

When celebrating Christmas means eating gluten-free - Independent Newspapers: Arts And Living

When celebrating Christmas means eating gluten-free - Independent Newspapers: Arts And Living

Check out these gluten-free Christmas ideas.

Deadline for holiday orders from A&J and EvaRuths

The deadline for placing holiday orders from EvaRuth's in Middletown is Dec. 20. Here's the link to their order form: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0ByxePbK9bdxnQ3Q5QXpEa3pjWGs.

The deadline for placing in-store orders at A&J Bakery in Cranston is December 20, and the cut-off for online orders is December 17. Anything ordered online after the 17th cannot be guaranteed that it will arrive by Christmas.Visit the store, or go to www.aandjbakery.net.

A&J is having its First Annual Gingerbread House Decorating contest! It will run through December 30, 2012. All you have to do is submit photos of your fully decorated Allergen Friendly Gingerbread House to A&J Bakery to be considered for an award of Best House and/or Most Unique use of provided decorations. The top two winners in each category and within the three age brackets (Ages 4-7, 8-12 and 13-18) will receive their name placed on a plaque that will be kept in the store in addition to a $30 gift card. E-mail all pictures of your completed house to ajbakery1@gmail.com with the A&J Bakery House Box in the background, along with the person's name, address and age. Be sure to let them know which category you want to be entered into.

So here's my big secret...

DOH! I typed the date wrong. It's the DEC. 20 issue, just in time for Christmas. Now I know I haven't gotten enough sleep lately!

Keep your eyes peeled for the DEC. 20 "Last Minute Gift Guide" in the South County Independent and the North○East Independent newspapers. Yours truly has been allowed to write an article with my gift picks for the Twelve Days of Christmas, celiac-style.

I've had a lot of fun interviewing several local businesses, putting together a list of gifts that I believe would be good choices for someone with celiac disease. I hope you get a chance to check it out and leave me some feedback. You can comment here on this page, or you can post a comment to either my CeliacGirlRI FaceBook page, or to either of the Independent newspapers FaceBook pages (search for South County Independent or North○East Independent). You can even leave a comment on the IndependentRI.com website if you wish.

If you enjoy the article, let the papers know, so hopefully we'll get the chance to publish more GF information.

So that's why I haven't posted that much the past week or so. I've been busy in the community, talking to people for my article. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

A few quick notes...

Amazon has another freebie cookbook for Kindle:

Coconut Flour! 47+ Irresistible Recipes for Baking with Coconut Flour: Perfect for Gluten Free, Celiac and Paleo Diets [2013 Edition]

by Donatella Giordano

Don't stress if you don't have a Kindle, you can download a free app for Mac or PC, and read it on your computer!

HOW TO KNOW WHICH ITEMS IN THE PREPARED FOOD DELI SECTION AT WHOLE FOODS ARE GLUTEN-FREE...

I was at Whole Foods Market in Cranston this week to get my calcium-magnesium citrate (a staple for all celiacs), and I saw that they had quinoa-cranberry-sweet potato patties. Since I'm a paranoid son-of-a-gun, I asked the deli guy if there were GF. He shared a sweet trick with me: if it has a purple label on the item, and it says Healthy Starts Here, it's GF! How cool is that! No more feeling like a pain in the butt when you ask them to check ingredients for you.

 

I've got a secret...

I'll share it with you soon. I've been talking to some really great GF sources in the community, and I have some info to share. So stay tuned, and I'll spill it as soon as I can.

Eat safe, K

 

Update on Sugarbird Bakery status...

Just saw this post from Sugarbird Bakery on FaceBook:

Sugarbird Bakery- Rhode Island (Gluten Free!)

Happy Holidays to you our dearest friends!! We have been taking meetings with venture capitalists, landlords, restaurant owners, entrepreneurs, franchise moguls, and even a supermarket chain...all with the intent of bringing Sugarbird back. We promise that we are still doing our best and hope you know how much we miss you. Keep your fingers crossed...next week could lead to GOOD things. LOVE to you all XOXO

Let's hope they get their funding and find a new location. We miss you, Jill and Sugarbird!

Don't forget that Hope Artiste Village Farmers' Market is open tomorrow

I went to the Farmers' Market at Hope Artiste Village a couple of weekends ago, and it was spectacular. Talk about shades of Asheville, N.C.! (For those of you who are not familiar with Asheville, think hippies mixed with yuppies and quite a few vegan / gluten-free restaurants)

ecoRI has a great newsletter

Great family event

Farmacy herbs

Schartner Farm's table was busy

This vendor had GF pork and boar sausage

Fresh veggies from the farm

Farmstead artisanal cheese

Langwater Farm veg stand

The girls from EvaRuth's

Lots of samples to try at EvaRuth's table

Jens Retlev of Jens & Marie

Jens Retlev making veggies burgers

Register for the email list

Food trucks are right outside on the street

I went at the invitation of Jens and Marie's, a local company based out of Hope Artiste Village at 1005 Main St. in Pawtucket. Jens and Marie's produces veggie burgers, and they were offering samples of their newest product, a gluten-free vegan burger made with black bean and sweet potato.

I've never had a veggie burger before, so I didn't know what to expect. Obviously, it doesn't taste like meat. The burger patty is a generous 3.75 ounces, and it is cooked from frozen. Just heat it through for a few minutes on each side. The black bean taste is bold, sweetened slightly with the sweet potato. Two patties cost $5. The folks there are really friendly, and seemed to enjoy talking shop with the customers.

The market has a wealth of amazing produce, as well fresh fish, organic beef and poultry, herbs, handmade soap, artisan cheese and so much more! One vendor had pork and boar sausage that was organic, GF and nitrate-free. EvaRuth's had a table of GF goodies with samples to try.

If you have a chance, you should visit. It's open on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and on Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. They accept SNAP/EBT, Fresh Bucks, cash, WIC fruit & veggie coupons, and credit cards. They even have a place where you can drop off your veggie scraps to be composted!

Two free GF cookbooks on Amazon, and one surprise

Amazon has two GF coobooks. Now, when things are free on Amazon, it may last only a day, so move your tail feathers and download your copy of the e-book now. If you don't own a Kindle, no worries. You can download Kindle for PC or Kindle for Mac, and read it on your computer.

Here are the links and cover art:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006X37X1C?tag=kiq-free-e-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006V7F9NO?tag=kiq-free-e-20

 

 

 

 

 

Not for free, but for $4.99, an interesting and timely surprise:

http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Taste-Turkey-ebook/dp/B00A01CR7S

 Enjoy your holidays.

Jens and Marie will be at Hope Artist Farmers Market with samples of their GF veggie burgers

Jens and Marie contacted me last night to let me know that they will be at Hope Artiste Village Farmers Market on Saturday to share samples of their newest GF product, the Southwest Black Bean and Sweet Potato Veggie Burger. The new veggie burger is all natural, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. They are selling the 3.75-ounce burgers in a two-pack for $5. They say that they are great "cooked from frozen."

Jens and Marie have office space in Hope Artist Village, 1005 Main St., Pawtucket, site of the Farmers Market. For more information, call 475-9991, or visit www.jensandmarie.com.

Here's a link to their sales sheet, with ingredients and nutritional info. I asked about the maltodextrin in the burgers, and its source is corn, not wheat.
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0ByxePbK9bdxnazg0dWlKSzhLZ3M

Hope to see you at the Farmers Market tomorrow.

Hold the phone...there's a delay in the opening of the new Johnston location of EvaRuth's Bakery

Just got an email from EvaRuth's Bakery, saying that they would have to delay the opening of the Johnston store. I'm at their Middletown location at least twice a week, so I'll keep you posted as to when they will open at their new location on Hartford Avenue in Johnston, at the site of the former Sugarbird Bakery.

EvaRuth's is opening another location!

And I've got the scoop!

Friday, Nov. 16th is the "Soft Opening" of the new location at 2842 Hartford Ave., Johnston - the same location as the former Sugarbird Gluten-Free Bakery. They will be open Thanksgiving week, Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., then they are taking a few well-deserved days off. Regular hours will be Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The phone number of the new location is 864-1287.

Come on out and check out the new digs, and don't forget to stock up on supplies for Thanksgiving before they go on their short break!

Check out the Providence Journal's "Food" section today...

The Providence Journal "Food" section has a half-page filled with an article on a local GF cookbook author, as well as a couple of her holiday recipes. Flip the page over, and there is a half-page of advertisements for GF stores.

When I worked at the Journal, I had the opportunity to introduce the Local Classified staff to the wonderful world of Gluten-Free. When I landed in the sales department after a layoff and reorganization, Sales Manager Charles Mathis took a chance on me, and on an idea of mine: gluten-free themed pages for his block advertising. After two or three successful pages had run, my luck ran out and I was laid off in June 2011. But apparently, the legacy lives on, since the ProJo is still occasionally doing GF-themed ad pages, and Food Editor Gail Ciampa is still including content for celiacs. Thanks to Chuck Mathis, for taking a chance on me, and to Gail Ciampa, for continuing to include content for people with food allergies.

Here's the link: htmlhttp://blogs.providencejournal.com/arts-entertainment/lifestyles/food-dining/2012/11/enjoy-it-all-without-gluten.html

Do you have any special GF recipes you like to make for the holidays? How do you handle visiting relatives? Are they understanding and cooperative, or do they make you feel like you are overreacting? What do you do to protect yourself when you are eating out at a restaurant for the holidays? Share your experiences with us.

That's all for now. Eat safe...

Just a few quick thoughts...

ANOTHER RESTAURANT WITH GF OPTIONS

One of the photographers at the Newport Daily News told me that he went to Dan's in Exeter for lunch the other day, and the waiter told him that they had a gluten-free menu. I checked online, and they do have some GF options, though I didn't see a specifically GF menu. If any of you out there have tried Dan's, let us know what you thought about it. 

TESTING GF BEER

I've been trying some GF beer lately, and last week one of the NDN staff left me a surprise - a 12 oz. bottle of Green's Dubl Dark Ale was on my desk when I came in. After I asked who the beer fairy was - he wasn't impressed by my remark - he said that he found it in a liquor store in Newport. Since he writes a beer column for the Newport Daily News, I guess he was doing research...yeah, research, that's what I'll call it! Anyway, my thanks to Gary. I've recently tried New Planet 3R Raspberry ale, Dogfish Head Tweason'ale, Green's Dubl Dark Ale and New Grist beer. The hands-down winner, for my taste buds, was the New Grist. I've tried Redbridge before, but it's not my cuppa. Everyone has different tastes, and I'm no gourmet when it comes to beer. I haven't had it much. So try a few GF options, see which you like, and share it with us.

DEADLINE TO PLACE HOLIDAY ORDERS WITH A&J, EVA RUTH'S

The deadline to place holiday orders for pies, cookie trays, loaf cakes, muffins and biscotti for the holidays from A&J Bakery  and EvaRuth's is Saturday, November 17, 2012. Email me if you are interested, and I'll forward you a coupon for $1 off a pie or $3 off a cheesecake.

Pumpkin Streusel Muffin from EvaRuth's

Hoping to get more time this week to post. Feel free to email me with any questions or comments. I'd love to hear how you handle Gf for the holidays. And don't forget: send me your Christmas wish lists for Santa. I'm still collecting ideas for a GF Christmas gift list

Eat Safe...

If Hurricane Sandy wiped out your GF food supply...there's help available...

The Westbay CAP Marketplace gluten-free program is up and running

The Westbay Community Action Program launched a gluten-free food pantry for people with celiac disease this year, serving the Warwick, West Warwick and East Greenwich communities.

If you have lost all you GF food due to a power outage, you should apply to the West Bay Cap GF Food Pantry. They provide emergency food assistance on a one-time basis, and you can apply to the program to see if you qualify for food assistance on an ongoing basis.

In order to participate in the regular, ongoing gluten-free program, you will need to bring a doctor’s note or a note from a registered dietitian to the Program Service Office, certifying that you have celiac disease or a gluten allergy . Once you are enrolled in the program, you can come to the Marketplace once a month and receive a choice of foods labeled gluten-free, as well as meat, pre-made salads, etc. that the Marketplace may have available.  For more information, call 732-4660, Ext. 140, or visit 211 Buttonwoods Ave., Warwick.

Celiacs - I need your input!

I work for two local weekly newspapers, and I'm pitching an idea to my editor for a couple of articles in the Holiday Gift Guide of the newspaper for December. 

One is: gift ideas for celiacs
The other is: Gluten-free Holiday Dining challenges

LEND ME YOUR BRAINS. 

What would you think would be a great holiday gift for a celiac?

I've already thought of the following, but I would love you to add your own suggestions. Here's mine so far:

Gift certificates to GF restaurants
Gift certificates to natural/whole food stores
A subscription to one of the GF magazines
A GF cookbook or book on celiac
A visit to a nutritionist/dietitian
A GF gift basket from a bakery or online source
The Triumph Dining Guide
A food processor or mixer (a new one that's not contaminated with gluten)
GF beer or wine
GF cosmetics such as Red Apple Lipstick
A GF T-shirt
A GF "app" to find places to eat or shop

What would you like to get for Christmas that's celiac-related?

Also, what is the greatest challenge you face for holiday dining, whether it is cooking it yourself, eating at a relatives, or dining out?
Do you have well-meaning relatives who just don't get it, and get insulted or offended is you don't try their efforts? Do you have a recipe you'd like to share?

What is the most difficult thing you face about the holidays in general?
Food? Gifts? Visiting? Dining out? I'd love to hear your comments, and hopefully I can sell my boss lady on the idea for the articles. I'd love to have some recipes to go with the articles, to have some photos of GF items you couldn't imagine living without.  

HELP ME OUT HERE...

Back to Basics' 30th Anniversary Gala, Oct. 13, 2012

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Back to Basics' 30th anniversary Gala at their store, 500 Main St., East Greenwich. Bob and Mary Ann Hartman had a great turnout, and there were many vendors with samples. I've got to tell you – it feels good to go to an event and be able to sample products without worrying about having a reaction.
I'm posting a ton of pictures, since I want you to see as many products as you can. The vendors were diverse, including a handmade soap, crackers, Omega-3, supplements, food, and more. When you left the store, you received a "bag o' swag" as well, which contained product information brochures, as well as samples to try at home. (I apologize for the haphazard layout of the photos, but the program I am using for this website has its limitations.)

The North￮East Independent did an interview with the Hartmans in their Oct. 18 issue. Check it out. The photo is by yours truly, taken at the event, when the Hartmans graciously took a minute to pose for me. Katy Hartman, their daughter, is a registered and licensed dietitian and nutritionist.

BACK TO BASICS 30TH ANNIVERSARY GALA 

Owners Bob and Mary Ann Hartman

Daughter Katy Hartman, a dietitian

Bag of samples that we were given to take home!

This just in...

I work for a newspaper, and I love saying "This just in!" like the old-time newspapers. (I'm a sucker for "Hold the presses" as well.)

Anyway, I found a few minutes, and I've got some scoop. It's official...the gluten-free food pantry at the West Bay Community Action Program in operation! I just received an email from Joshua-Michael, the manager of the program, with the details.

The Westbay CAP Marketplace gluten-free program is up and running

This year, the Marketplace started a ‘Special Diets’ program for people with specific dietary needs. They have launched a gluten-free food pantry for people with celiac disease, and they are planning to expand to include a program for people with diabetes in 2013.

In order to participate in the Special Diets gluten-free program, you will need to bring a doctor’s note or a note from a registered dietitian to the Program Service Office, certifying that you have celiac disease or a gluten allergy . Once you are enrolled in the program, you can come to the Marketplace once a month and receive a choice of foods labeled gluten-free, as well as meat, pre-made salads, etc. that the Marketplace may have available.  Unlike the two other Marketplace programs, i.e., commodities and emergency food, all the Special Diets program client-families will be families numbering no more than one. The Marketplace served the communities of Warwick, West Warwick and East Greenwich. For more information, call 732-4660, Ext. 140, or visit 211 Buttonwoods Ave., Warwick.

Gluten-free Baking Class

The Alternative Food Co-op, 357 Main St., Wakefield, will hold a Gluten-Free Baking class on Oct. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. Cost is $19 for Wakefield residents, and $25 for non-residents. The class description reads as follows:

"Gluten free does not have to mean no bread, muffins, breakfast sandwiches, cookies or cakes. We will explore and learn how to bake basic foods that help you manage food allergies and gluten free diets without losing taste. This is a hands-on class with lots of samples! Please wear closed toe shoes and bring your favorite cutting board and knife. Instructor: Suzi Belanger." 

For more information, call 789-2240, or visit www.alternativefoodcoop.com.

Stephen Marra Foundation 5K Road Race

The Stephen Marra Foundation and The Grille on Main will hold a 5K road race on Oct. 21, 2012. They hope to raise $50,000 for the Foundation, which was formed in 2012 to continue the work of Stephen P. Marra, one of the founders of the Pinelli-Marra group of restaurants, which have gluten-free menu options. The foundation's aim is to help the homeless, the sick and aging, and the disadvantaged – both animal and human. For more information, visit www.stephenmarrafoundation.org.

New from EvaRuth's Bakery

It's fall, and EvaRuth's has some new items to share...like maple corn muffins, pumpkin donuts, Bananas Foster whoopie pies, caramel apple cupcakes (save one for me!), pancake mix, Caesar-seasoned croutons, Russian bread and spicy artisan bread. Thanksgiving will be here sooner than you think, and EvaRuth's is ready with and extensive menu, including pies and stuffing. For more information, visit www.evaruths.com.

Enjoy all the season has to offer, and remember...eat safe!

Friday Information Round-Up

Howdy, boys and girls. It's Friday, at least it was when I started this update. I'll apologize in advance for typos, 'cause I'm beyond tired and have taken allergy meds. (The freakin' ragweed is killing me!)

First, Sugarbird Bakery in Johnston will be open tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and she mentioned on FaceBook that she's going to have Caramel Autumn Spice Krispy Rice Treats, Toasted Coconut Cookies with Milk Chocolate, and White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies. Oh, and did I mention she's going to have my personal favorite -- French Toast cupcakes -- this weekend! Save one for me, Jill!

By the way, congratulations are in order. Sugarbird has received more recognition in the media. Check out the article on pages 28 and 30 of the Boston Phoenix. Here's the link.

The most recent sales flyer from Dave's Marketplace has some GF items on sale this week. They include: Enjoy LIfe GF Crunchy Cookies, Enjoy Life GF Breakfast Bars, A Taste of Thas GF Microwave Quick Meal Kits, A Taste of Thai GF Sauce Mixes and Natural Nectars GF Cracklebread Snack Crackers. Thanks again to Dave's for mentioning the CeliacGirlRI website as a resource. They've helped a lot of people discover the site.

Back to Basics in East Greenwich will hold a 30-year Anniversary Celebration, entitled "Nutritional Solutions" on Saturday, Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Food tastings, samples, gift bags, beauty products, supplement sapling, raffles, music and health professionals will be on hand. For more information, call 885-2679 or visit www.backtobasicsnaturalfoods.com.

ImmusanT, a privately-held biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Mass., has begun trials of a vaccine, Nexvax2, in the U.S., New Zealand and Australia.

Nexvax2 is designed to allow a person with celiac disease to return to a normal diet by re-establishing a patients’ tolerance to gluten. In order to participate in the study, patients must have a confirmed diagnosis of celiac disease, and carry the immune-recognition gene HLA-DQ2. Up to 90 per cent of people with celiac disease carry this gene. The company will also administer a blood test to measure gluten-reactive T-cells, which act as a potential marker for immune modulation with the vaccine.

The first study will be implemented in Australia and New Zealand, and is designed to evaluate the dosage needed for effectiveness, and to use this information in future studies.

The second study, being conducted in the U.S., is designed to evaluate the safety and viability of the vaccine in patients who are controlling their symptoms by maintaining a gluten-free diet. ImmusanT plans to enroll 30 adult subjects at approximately four trial sites.

According to ImmusanT, "Nexvax2 is a therapeutic vaccine that combines three proprietary peptides that elicit an immune response in patients with celiac disease who carry the immune recognition gene HLA-DQ2." The vaccines will be administered by an intradermal injection. Similar to the way in which people are treated for cat and dust allergies, the vaccine is designed to re-program specific T-cells, which are triggered by the patient's immune system in response to gluten.

The company's goal is to restore a celiac patients’ immune system to tolerate gluten, reduce inflammation in the nutrient-absorbing villi of the small intestine so that it may heal, , and allow patients to eat a diet which includes gluten. To read the full text of the asbtract, visit http://pharmabiz.com/PrintArticle.aspx?aid=71017&sid=2 (Information courtesy of from PharmaBiz.com)

The Triumph Dining website recently posted a recipe for GF Play-Doh. Check out their website for the recipe. Here's the link: http://www.triumphdining.com/blog/2012/09/19/keeping-play-dough-gluten-free.

According to online news source, Boston Business Journal, Bay State Milling, a Quincy, Mass., company which supplies specialty flours to bakeries and cafe chains, has purchased T.J. Harkins Basic Commodity Brokers Inc., an Illinois firm that imports grains such as amaranth, millet, buckwheat and quinoa. Bay State Milling's customers use its flours to make bread, pasta, tortillas and nutrition bars.

Healthy Haven in Tiverton recently held a five-year anniversary celebration. They also have a commercial running on Cox Cable television. Here are some pics. I'm going to try to post the commercial tomorrow when I can think straight!

That's it for now! I have to crash. Have a great week, and eat safe!

PS: feel free to comment on posts, email me with questions or comments. I love to hear from you. It lets me know I'm not just talking to myself here!