Bloggers of Note (Review from GiG Health and Wellness Experience)

The interwebs is of course overrun with blogs, and thankfully, the gluten-free community has a robust presence with recipe blogs, review blogs, regional gluten-free blogs, informational blogs, etc etc etc.   We met a couple of gluten-free bloggers at the GiG Health and Wellness Experience, and I wanted to take a moment to highlight their blogs. 

CC Gluten Freed
I admire CC of CC Gluten Freed.  She's a young person who has taken her Celiac diagnosis by the horns and actively promotes awareness of the gltuen-free lifestyle.  I especially appreciate her information for young people and parents, especially her encouragement to stand up and live proud.  She states, "My goal is ease the paths of my fellow Celiacs and gluten free people by finding ways to safely and gracefully navigate our gluten-filled world."  Amen, sister! Her blog is filled with helpful information, calls to activism, and reviews.

Angela's Kitchen
Angela of Angela's Kitchen was at the GiG Experience running the Attune Foods booth.  After sampling some of their excellent Erewhorn cereal samples we chatted with her about her blog.  Her blog is one of the longest running gf, dairy free blogs on the net and is filled with wonderful recipes.  In addition, she has scads of weekly menu plans.  Seriously, her menu plans are amazing and so helpful!  Here's her plan for the week after the GiG Experience to give you a sample:  Menu Monday:  Nov. 11, 2013.  Yummo!

Oatmeal (Review from the GiG Health and Wellness Experience)

Our family went to our local GiG chapter's Health and Wellness Experience at the beginning of November.  I will be attempting to do a series of reviews and informational posts about what we saw (and tasted!) there.  These are all unsolicited reviews, and we're receiving no compensation for them (beyond some excellent samples from the GiG Experience).  As always, be sure to read the ingredients before trying any product.

Technically, oatmeal is a gluten-free food in that oats do not contain any gluten protein.  The problem with oatmeal is it's often cross-contaminated with wheat, barley and rye at the field or processing level.  Because of this, for many people with gluten issues, it's imperative to find a gf source of oatmeal.  And in our fast paced lives, it's nice to have a variety of oatmeal that won't take ages of slaving over the stove to prepare. We had the opportunity to try to quality, just-add-hot-water oatmeal products from Gluten Free Oats and Glutenfreeda.

Canyon Oats comes from Gluten Free Oats, a family owned company in Wyoming.  This is the only gf oatmeal company that controls their oat production from seed to finished product to ensure quality and the highest levels of gluten-free.  They generously sent our family home with several different varieties of their oatmeal to-go cups.  They were all amazing and so quick and easy to make.  What we liked best about their product was the quality of the oats.  So often with instant brands, the oatmeal is shredded to help it cook faster which can give the oatmeal sort of a funny texture.  Canyon Oats uses whole pieces of thick oatmeal which gives it a perfect oatmeal texture.  In addition the flavor of each variety was delicious with just the right level of sweetness.  My favorite was the cherry cranberry and walnut, youngest liked the maple, and oldest liked the sweet honey cinnamon.  The husband liked them all.


Glutenfreeda is another fantastic Northwest company making stellar gluten-free products.  We've been big fans of their instant oatmeal for years but were really excited to find they've introduced oatmeal in a to-go cup.  Glutenfreeda really puts the effort into making quality products which includes extensive testing and using the best ingredients.  We brought home several samples and found the flavors for their oatmeal cups to be delicious.  About the only strike against them would be the fact they use more of the shredded oats instead of the full oat which makes the texture not quite as good as the Canyon Oats brand.  But beyond that, a yummy product that's easy to make and handy to take with you when you're on the go. 

Bakeries! (Review from the GiG Health & Wellness Experience)

Our family went to our local GiG chapter's Health and Wellness Experience at the beginning of November.  I will be attempting to do a series of reviews and informational posts about what we saw (and tasted!) there.  These are all unsolicited reviews, and we're receiving no compensation for them (beyond some excellent samples at the GiG Experience).  As always, be sure to read the ingredients before trying any product.

Bakeries!  Ah, the smell of fresh baked bread or pastries and the melt-in-your-mouth taste of a really stellar chocolate cake.  I'm especially a sucker for pies or creamy desserts - oh, bliss!  Unfortunately, going gluten-free can seem to spell an end to all that glorious goodness.  Thankfully, with the rise of gluten-free knowledge, there has also been a rise in dedicated gluten-free bakeries.  National sources for gluten-free baked goods include Udi's, Rudi's, Schar and others.  But here in the Pacific Northwest we're especially fortunate to have some beyond amazing local bakeries.  There were several bakeries represented at the GiG Wellness Experience but  I'm going to talk about the three at which we tasted samples.

Flying Apron Bakery

Counter at Fremont Location

We were first introduced to the Flying Apron Bakery in the funky Fremont neighborhood of Seattle many, many, many years ago when we were training for an overseas teaching assignment.  Now they have two locations - Fremont and Redmond.  Flying Apron is a dedicated gluten-free and vegan bakery cranking out some of the most delectable treats, breads and baked goods around.  Seriously, even if you don't eat gluten-free or vegan, Flying Apron is worth frequenting because they are that good.  At the Experience we sampled brownies, chocolate chip cookies and an amazing pumpkin pie - all were fantastic!  The brownie was ultra-moist, chocolatey and perfectly sweet.  Youngest tried the chocolate chip cookie (it's the only thing he tried at each bakery booth) and reported that he loved it (which is high praise from my son of few words).  The oldest, husband and I all tried the pumpkin pie and found it fab.  I'm wishing I'd bought one to take home with me.  In addition to their two Seattle-area locations, Flying Apron products can be found at several other establishments around the North Sound/Seattle area.

Example of a Julie's Cake

Julie's Gluten-Free Bakery
Located in Puyallup Meridan neighborhood, Julie's Gluten-Free Bakery offers a wide range of wonderful baked products including breads, cupcakes, cakes, cookies and seasonal baked goods as well as a menu that changes daily.  They were offering samples of their amazing pink champagne cake with a luscious butter cream frosting at the Experience, as well as displaying some sample cakes which were artistically amazing (think Cake Boss).  The pink champagne cake samples were light and delicious and the frosting was perfect (this coming from a non-frosting fan). 






Chuckanut Bay Foods

GF Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Chuckanut Bay Foods, located in Ferndale, WA, offers amazing cheesecakes including some lovely gluten-free versions.  I sampled the pumpkin version and ended up buying one to bring home (sorry, no pictures, it was eaten before I took any snaps).  While not a dedicated gluten-free facility, they offer several versions of their traditional cheesecakes in gluten-free versions including the aforementioned pumpkin, plus New York, chocolate truffle, strawberry and tuxedo.   There wonderful cheesecakes can be found at many retailers in the US and Canada and are especially prevalent in the Northwest.

Mob 4 - The End

Here are the down and dirty numbers for Mob 4.

• 40 Cornish Cross chicks ordered, 42 shipped, 30 made it to the freezer
• 7 chicks died in the first 2 weeks which is the highest mortality rate we've had during this time period.  On the plus side, we would rather have them die early vs. passing at the end after we've fed them copious amounts of expensive feed.
• Only 1 other chicken died prior to butchering (mortality rate of 19%).
• 4 chickens needed to be discarded after butchering due to fluid filled body cavities.
• Average weight was just over 4 pounds per bird.
• Total cost for feed, shavings, processing rental, etc. was $222.94.
• Final approximate cost was $7.43 per bird or $1.86/pound.

Not bad for free-range-ish chickens raised using organic practices.

Recap of the GiG Health and Wellness Experience

Gluten Intolerance Group (GiG) put on an excellent and well-attended Health and Wellness Experience this past weekend.  Our family took part and loved it!  Highlights included 60ish exhibitors handing out samples and coupons galore, GF food prep classes, informational sessions and a bounce house for the kids.  On entering the room we were presented with a goodie bag sponsored by PCC Natural Markets containing some fun samples and when we left our bags were bulging with a variety of tasty treats.  We loved how family oriented the experience was and how friendly the exhibitors were.  Each of us had our favorites and I'll give a quick list here and then over the next few weeks try to review a few of the products we tried since many were new to us.

The Husband:
Gorge Delights Just Fruit Bars
Erewhon Cereal
Fosse Farms Dressings & Marinades

The Oldest:
Stark Raving Pizza
Brazi Bites
Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery

The Youngest:
Dough Buddies
Glutino
La Fortaleza Chips

Me:
Flying Apron Bakery
Chuckanut Bay (cheese cake)
Harverster Brewery

There were many, many, many more excellent gf food choices and gf products, many of which we'll try to mention in the next few weeks.  One of the most exciting aspects of the Experience was the number of locally made products standing shoulder to shoulder with the national companies.  Seriously cool to see how many quality gf products are coming out of the Pacific NW.  In addition, I'd like to give a shout out to GF Joe's Gluten Free Market since they carry many of the products exhibited at the Experience in addition to being just an all around exceptional place to get GF products in the Tacoma & Olympia areas.

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

Primal Blueprint 21 Day Challenge Fall, 2013

Today marks the kick-off for the fall, 2013 Primal Blueprint 21 Day Challenge!  If you're not a following Mark's Daily Apple (and if you're living primally, why ever not?) then check out this blog post that details instructions (it's easy!) and even has a contest.  Seriously, this is a great excuse to give it a try and get lots of support as you go for it!  For myself, I'm going to commit to more movement and more lifting of heavy things as I've been slacking in that department (as in it's been non-existent).  I'm also cutting out all the little cheats in my diet that have been sneaking back in there.

So let's challenge together for the next 21 days!

The state of the flock, almost 3 weeks old

Mob 4 turns 3 weeks old tomorrow and are growing quickly.  They've been a spunky bunch with much digging of holes in the litter; in fact one of the little beggars likes to "litter-ally" bury himself under the wood shavings.  We've reached the adolescent stage of scraggly feathers and territorial disputes, but overall they're an easy-going bunch.

As we've learned with the previous mobs, each group possesses its own personality and this group is no exception.  While they seem fairly smart (especially when compared to Mob 3) they haven't been as hearty a group.  We started with 42 chicks and had 7 die in the second week, mostly it would seem from heart failure.  We've gone several days now without a baby going feet up so I'm hoping the weaker individuals have been weeded out.  I have to admit, I really dislike losing chickens - when they're chicks it makes me sad, when they're adults it just ticks me off since we've put so much time and money into each bird. 

The weather is supposed to be good this week so there is a chance we may move them outside by the weekend.  We've had unseasonable amounts of rain in the last few weeks, so this group will have the benefit of fresh green grass and overflow from the garden to supplement their diet.

Stay tuned!

Interesting opinion article on gluten-free living

Mark's Daily Apple posted a fantastic piece today titled "Is Gluten-Free a Fad Diet?"  All I can say is amen, brother. 

Essay: What I Did This Summer

As you may have noticed, I've been missing in action for the last several months.  Summer happened, and it was a busy one.  Here's a fast and dirty update on all we've been up to these past few months.

Me at the White House

I spent several days in our nation's capital touring and attending a conference on public school choice.  I've never been to Washington, D.C., and I love soaking in the history and seeing all the sites.  It was fantastic, and I can hardly wait to go again and take the boys.  The PSO Boot Camp was also excellent.

The youngest's two Cuckoo Maran hens ended up being roos so we traded them in for egg laying models.  The farmer we originally bought the girls from had a trade back policy so that was easy-peasy.  As far as the flock was concerned, it took several uneasy days to get the pecking order reestablished.  The two roosters were the acknowledged flock leaders so in addition to adding two new birds, the rest of the original flock needed to work out who would be in charge.  They eventually got it all figured out and we're back to happy days.  Currently, they've started mottling season.  No eggs yet but a couple are displaying beginning egg laying behavior as well as getting the darker red color around their combs and wattles. 

Coop with new window

Speaking of the girls, the husband installed a window in their coop to allow for more light as we enter the fall and winter months.  Buff Orpintons are known for their consistent egg laying through the darker time of year but having access to more daylight should help in that endeavor.  We didn't want to install a light in the coop - even though having a constant light source keeps egg production up, there is some evidence that it's hard on the hens and may even lead to shorter lifespans and/or shorter egg producing careers. 

One day old

And finally, introducing Mob 4!  42 new Cornish Rock Cross chicks arrived last Wednesday.  We originally were hoping to try another breed, but they were already sold out for the year.  So we went with the good ol' CRX.  I have to admit when it came time to order I was not quite feeling ready to get back into the chicken raising business, as I was still feeling a bit weary from our (mis)adventures with Mob 3.  But once those cute golden fluff balls arrived and started their chicken-y antics, I was back on board.  That and there are only 10 chickens left in the freezer so we needed to get cracking.

One week old

Funny story about their arrival.  We're big believers in short transit times for chick health (buy local(ish)!) and are always happy when the chicks get to us in 24 hours or less.  So our good friends at Jenks Hatchery sent our newest mob off on Tuesday evening, and at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning we got a call from our local post office.  I don't know about you, but whenever the phone rings at that time of day I'm not assuming it's good news.  Anyway, at too early in the morning our local P.O. called to inform us that our chicks were here and that we could come pick them up at 8 a.m. when the post office opened.  Really?  You're calling us at 6 to let us know we can come at 8???  They did allow that if we really wanted we could come knock on their back door and get the babies before 8.  Well since we were already up, you bet we really wanted. 

So that's the recap of our summer.  School starts next week and in other adventures, I'm starting a new online math tutoring business for elementary through high school students.  If your student is needing extra support in math, please feel free to contact me at mathgeniustutoring@gmail.com or at my Math Genius Tutoring website.