Gluten-Free Halloween

Halloween is creeping up on us and as we approach the time of ghouls, ghosts and gobs of candy, it's good for parents to be aware of what treats are and are not gluten-free.  One surprising fact to keep in mind is what you think you know about gf candy may not apply during Halloween.  Many sweets manufacturers change ingredients during the major candy-related holidays to make accommodations for color or design, and as a result, this can change the ingredients and/or the plant where the candy is produced.  Which can change a usually gluten-free candy to not so gluten-free. You're best bet is to ALWAYS read the ingredients and to watch for anything wheat-derived.  Specifically look out for barley malt, caramel coloring (depending on where it's made this can be an issue) and wheat-derived glucose syrup.  And of course, check the allergens list on the wrappers for wheat.

Here are a few helpful lists for Halloween 2013:
Celiac Disease Foundation 2013 Candy List (pdf)
Celiac.com Candy List - includes both a list of safe and unsafe treats
Sure Foods Living Quick List of GF Candy (more detailed list here)
About.com Celiac 2013 Halloween List

Happy, safe and gluten-free trick-or-treating!

Gluten-Free Health & Wellness Experience (WA)

The Gluten-Free Intolerance Group (GIG) is sponsoring the Gluten-Free Health & Wellness Experience at the Tacoma, WA Convention Center.  It will be held on Saturday, November 9 from 10:00 - 5:30.  This looks to be a really good local GF event jam packed with exhibitors (think yummy free samples and TONS of useful information) and some informational presentations and food demos.  Shauna James Ahern, the Gluten-Free Girl and local GF celebrity, will be demoing sandwich bread for Thanksgiving stuffing as well as demos from the Flying Apron Bakery and Haley's Corner Bakery.  Cost is $5 for adults, $3 for teens and free for children 12 and under.

Mob 4: Countdown to the End

Dog overseeing breakfast

Mob 4 has arrived in their last week with butchering scheduled for this weekend.  They reached the ripe old age of 8 weeks this past Tuesday, and while they've been healthy adult chickens, they're starting to show their age.  We're seeing a lot less movement, more sitting and more waddling their fat butts when moving from food to water.  They're still a perky, chatty bunch and make a production about either the people or the dog coming anywhere near The Fortress.

Stats for this mob thus far:

• 42 chicks shipped
• 7 chicks died in the first 2-ish weeks
• 1 hen died at almost 7 weeks
• current flock is 34 chickens strong
• total cost so far ~ $170 (need to add in some additional food cost)
• looks like we'll have about 3 bags of feed left

While our chick loss for this mob was the highest we've seen so far in our chicken adventures, it seemed to cull out the weaker birds early, and we've had an exceptionally low mortality rate with the adult birds.  As much as I loathe babies dying, I much rather have them die young instead of filling them up with a bunch of expensive food and then have them kick the bucket in the last week (which is what Mob 3 was like).  Having an almost harvest-able chicken die makes me a little bitter.  Having a chick die just makes me sad.  I can live with sad.

It's looking like we're going to have a great weather for butcher day - stay tuned!

Eggs!

First eggs - green Ameraucana & light brown buff

After just over 5 months, we'd like to announce the laying of the first eggs! Mary (Ameraucana hen) and one of the Buff Orpington hens, probably Julie, laid their first eggs this past Friday and have been keeping up steady production ever since.  Woohoo!  We had suspected Mary was "thinking egg laying thoughts" (as youngest puts it) the day before, since she had hollowed out a nest sized hole in their dust bath area and was refusing to leave it to frolic with the rest of the flock or eat.  And sure enough, she laid her first light green gem the next day.

Making the big discovery

Thinking laying egg thoughts

The girlfriends with the Cornish Cross tractor in the background