South Sound's G.F. Joe's is Closing

Sad news for the South Puget Sound gluten-free community - G.F. Joe's Gluten Free Market is closing both it's Olympia and Tacoma locations.  Last day is Saturday, June 14 including a "garage sale" of store fixtures from 10-6.

Hurry in to stock up on those hard to find and specialty gluten-free products.

Thanks, Joe & crew, for offering the gf community a safe haven and for being such a phenomenal resource over the years.  You all will be missed!

May 2014: Celiac Awareness Month

May is Celiac Awareness Month in the United States and is a great time to get lots of information, recipes, coupons, and deals on gluten-free products. 

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness is sponsoring their Heroes within Us campaign during May to highlight "ordinary people doing extraordinary things" in the Celiac and gluten-free communities.  Also keep an eye out for deals being run on Amazon, gluten-free retailers and in your local grocer.  I'll try to highlight especially good deals and information as the month progresses.

Here's to being gluten-free!

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.

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.

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. 

Environmental Working Group's 2013 Dirty Dozen-Clean Fifteen List

OK, it's Tuesday which means I'm totally swamped with carting kids hither and yon.  But I wanted to get this out to you all since in my humble opinion, EWG's Dirty Dozen-Clean Fifteen list for fruits and vegetables is an invaluable tool in the quest for clean eating (and the pdf is free).  You can find the summary of it here, as well as donate to their worthy cause and sign up for their emails.

The Ultimate Gluten-Free Fast Food Guide (FREE!)

With all my talk of chickens and whole foods lately, today's post marks a definite departure from what has become the norm around here.  Not that I'm meaning to shirk discussion of gluten-free eating, but we've really been all about the chicken at our house.  So when I got this email from Gluten-free Saver about this FREE (free is good!) offering of The Ultimate Gluten-Free Fast Food Guide, I felt I needed to pass it along.

Let's face it, real life happens and sometimes your choices for gluten-free sustenance in a hurry may be limited to fast food.  Now granted, we prefer to find the healthier options but when hunger has taken the driver's seat and Scary Clowns hawking golden french fries and double tall burgers are your only option, you want to be sure you're making the best choice for yourself in an effort to avoid minefield of potential gluten exposure.  So CeliAct (nutritional supplement company specializing in vitamins and such for people with Celiac Disease) put together The Ultimate Gluten-Free Fast Food Guide which profiles the 50 most popular fast food chains in America in terms of their gluten-free offerings and safety.  I've downloaded a copy and after a quick perusal was impressed with the information.  You will need to provide your email address to claim your pdf download.




*This is an unsolicited recommendation.  I am receiving no compensation for the opinions expressed here. 

What CAN I eat? Bread edition

Some gluten-free bread made from Pamela's Bread Mix in our bread machine

When talking to someone first embarking on the gluten-free lifestyle, one of the first questions is invariably, "What about bread???!?" Usually the tone of this question contains a certain amount of trepidation and even out-right fear.  Understandably.  Bread is the basis of so much our cultural eating - regardless of where you are in the world.  We "break bread," talk about our livings as our "bread and butter," and refer to cool inventions as the "greatest thing since sliced bread."  Bread seems to be at the very core of our existence, so taking bread out of the diet equation can seem daunting.

When we discovered youngest's gluten sensitivity, bread and other baked goods became one of our primary concerns.  We ate a lot of sandwiches.  And toast.  And bread or homemade biscuits with dinner.  Youngest LOVED all things bread so just eliminating it completely from his diet was asking for some serious mealtime struggles.  At the time we started our gluten free quest, gf baking options, while available, were a little more limited than they are now.  And most of the gluten free breads on the market were small, expensive loaves that made a pretty fair imitation of cardboard.  Seriously, most were Bad with a capital B.  For the first few years, I mostly made bread from scratch and then would dole it out in paper thin slices to make it last longer.  But in the past few years as gluten free foods have taken off as marketable commodities, more and more GOOD options have come available on the market.  Here are our favorites:

Pamela's Amazing Bread Mix:  this is our hands-down favorite in terms of ease, taste and close proximity to "real" bread.  Both flavor and mouth feel is superior to just about any other gf bread or mix out there.  Plus this mix is super easy to make if you have a bread machine (or even if you don't) - just add eggs, oil and water.  I usually buy this by the case using Amazon's Subscribe and Save program.   We also use it for making pizza crusts, rolls, and hamburger buns.

Bob's Red Mill Wonderful Bread Mix:  this mix comes in as a close second to Pamela's.

Udi's Sandwich Bread:  for a premade, sliced bread, Udi's makes a pretty good product (no cardboard here).  For me personally, I'm not as big a fan for straight up sandwiches, but youngest and oldest like it just fine (and since I don't eat bread my vote doesn't really count).  It makes great toast and also works well in French toast.

There are several other purveyors of gluten free bread products such as Namaste, King Arthur, and Gluten Free Pantry but before trying a case of any product, I would recommend getting just one package and giving it a test run.  In the world of gluten free bread, there are definitely champs vs. a whole bunch of pretenders.

If you would like to make your own gluten free bread from scratch my favorite recipes come from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  They have several gluten free recipes (all of which are good) as well as recipes for other gf baked goods such as cinnamon rolls.  You can also see some of their recipes on their website.




*We received no compensation for the unsolicited recommendations in this blog post.  Some of the links are affiliate links.

And now a word from our sponsor...

Actually, I don't have any sponsors (at least not yet *hint, hint*).  I just thought that was a catchy little title to introduce a couple of products relating to the gluten-free or paleo/primal communities.  I am in no way affiliated with any of these companies nor do I receive any kind of compensation for making an "endorsement" on my lowly little blog.  I'm just a fan passing the news.

If you haven't seen Delight Gluten Free Magazine, it's worth a look.  In addition to a lovely print journal, they also offer an online copy you can access through your tablet or iPhone; the iPad edition is loaded with fabulous pictures & recipes, nice layout and easy to navigate copy.  If you'd like to give some of their recipes a trial run for free, I would recommend signing up for their free weekly e-newsletter.  I've been getting this for several months and have found the recipes to be appealing and fairly easy to recreate.  In edition, they don't spam your mailbox with lots of offers, just a tasteful (pun intended) once a week email.

Okay, a traditional bread company recommendation?  I know, I know, this one seems a little "out there" for a gluten free leaning blog especially since Panera has historically not identified themselves as gf.   Though happy to accomodate gf eaters, it's not been a driving goal of theirs (understandably - I mean come on, they're a BREAD bakery).  That said, it's recently come to my attention that Panera Bread has a secret, and if you eat paleo, primal or gluten-free, it's a very good secret.  Earlier this year, Panera rolled out their Hidden Menu full of whole food, low carb eats for both breakfast and lunch/dinner.  Honestly, Panera is one of my guilty pleasures, and when my mom & I are out and about I happily break my steadfast commitment to primal eating and chow down on a sandwich.  But this Hidden Menu, makes me so very, very happy as the food presented, in my humble opinion, outshines their regular options.  I mean who wouldn't want a Power Mediterranean Roasted Turkey Salad for lunch or a Power Breakfast Egg Bowl with Steak for breakfast?  Seriously nourishing eats!  Now you won't see these menu options posted in their bakery-cafes (thus why it's "hidden") but all you have to do is let them know you're ordering from the hidden menu and you're good to go.  For more information about Panera's Hidden Menu see this article or check out their pictorial display.

Chuck E. Cheese GF Offerings Go Live!

As I mentioned in a previous blog post last spring, Chuck E. Cheese has been test marketing two gluten-free offerings in select midwest locations.  Well, it seems that the test is over and Chuck E. Cheese has announced their gluten-free cheese personal pizza and chocolate fudge cupcake will now be available nationwide.  See their information page for all the details.  Good news for those with kids wanting in on the whole Chuck E. Cheese experience.

High Value Enjoy Life Coupon

Mambo Sprouts currently has a $1.50 off any 2 Enjoy Life (gluten-free) products (click the coupon link at the top of the page).  We like Mambo Sprouts for their more natural and often gluten-free coupons and the wealth of information they provide.  They also preview new products and producers on a regular basis.

A Couple of Ways to Save When Eating Gluten-Free

I got an interesting email in my in-box today and after looking it over, felt it was worthy of sharing. 

I subscribe to BeFreeForMe, a gluten-free and food allergy conscious website that shares coupons and deals with the food allergy community.  They also maintain a blog which discusses gluten-free foods and tips, post articles and maintain a recipe database; in addition, they don't clog your inbox with lots of email so when I get something from them, I know it's worth a look.  Anyway, today's email was about a gluten-free "groupon" style website called Gluten-Free Saver.  Being a big Groupon and Amazon Local fan, I admit I was all over this, and after an initial review of the site, I decided to sign up.  Many of the deals have potential, so if you're interested head on over and check them out. 



* We get no compensation or benefit from recommending these sites or the products they offer. As always, sign up and use at your own risk.

Free Gluten Free emagizine subscription!

I wanted  to pass along this excellent gluten freebie!  Easy Eats e-magazine is dedicated to fresh, interesting, and affordable gluten-free eating and recipes and is currently offering three subscription levels including the free bronze level.  More information on this offer can be found on the Easy Eats blog or to sign up right now go to the Easy Eats subscription page.  This is an e-magazine so there is no hard copy sent to your home every 2 months; you can view it on your computer or tablet.  I hooked it up through the iPad Newstand app (after subscribing, search Easy Eats on the app store; you will need to sign into your account on the Easy Eats webpage first) and have to say the pictures are vibrant and the information helpful. 

If you sign up, we'd love to hear your impressions.

Homemade Gluten-free Bread from the Crockpot

Bread, oh glorious bread!  It's a staple of life, one of those things we take for granted yet can't seem to live without.  I mean, where would peanut butter and jelly be without bread?  When you start the gluten-free life, conventional bread is the first thing that goes, often with much mourning (at least it was that way in our house). 

If you're suffering from bread withdrawals, may we suggest you look into Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois's book fantastic recipe book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day?  Most of the book covers wheat breads of various kinds and incarnations, but there is a very well done section on gluten-free breads using the five minute a day strategy for bread baking.  We've tried several of their gluten-free recipes and have been pleased with all of them, plus, as a bonus, this way for making bread is so freaking easy (score!).  Their blog, Bread in 5, is also a good resource for gluten-free recipes and suggestions for using the five minute a day bread method.  In a recent post Zoe shared how to make gluten-free bread in a the crockpot which looks like a quick and easy way to have some really delicious bread without a lot of fuss or time investment.

So, what CAN I eat???

Oh, gentle reader, rejoice, eating gluten-free is not a hopeless endeavor!  So many more foods are gluten-free than gluten-full that your choices are legion.  In addition, more and more gluten-free substitutions exist now than in previous years so your desire to eat a bag of salty pretzels or have an amazing birthday cake will not be in vain.

Probably the best advice we can give those embarking on the gluten-free adventure is to start with whole foods.  Veggies, fruits, meats, seafood, and many grains are naturally gluten-free.   Many dairy products are also gluten-free (though watch for fillers and thickeners).  By filling the majority of you diet from these basic choices you'll find that eating gluten-free is easier ~ as well as healthier ~ then you previously realized.

Once you've identified the huge number of options available to you from a whole foods diet, next consider those things which you cannot live without.  Is it breads and rolls?  A favorite morning cereal?  Crackers?  Birthday cake?  Once you've found those things, see if you can find a gluten-free substitute.  A good place to start looking is the grocery section of Amazon.com by simply searching the item you're searching for and adding the tag "gluten-free." Another good place to start is in the natural foods section of your local grocer; for those of you in the NW, Fred Meyer has a well put together gluten-free section and has also labelled many other gluten-free products throughout their stores.  Natural food stores and specialty markets may also care gluten-free products - it's worth a look or a call to see what might be available to you.

In the coming weeks, we'll be sharing some of our favorite gluten-free choices and other options for common gluten-full products starting with the obvious first choice, bread.   We'll also make suggestions on where to find these products.  Keep an eye out for more installments in our "What CAN I eat" series.

Chuck E. Cheese to have gluten-free offerings!

Chuck E. Cheese started test marketing a gluten-free pizza and chocolate cupcake option in a few select locations in the midwest.

copyright, Chuck E. Cheese

Hallelujah!  In my book, if you have a child under 10, this potentially qualifies as a reason to rejoice!  Just since the new year we've been to two Chuck E. Cheese birthday parties, which were a whole lot of fun, but because of the gluten issue meant that youngest was not able to partake in the pizza and birthday cake.  Thankfully, he's a good sport and understands that eating there is just not an option so doesn't feel like he's missing out on anything (well, at least not missing out on too much).  After the first party, he was pining for a Chuck E. Cheese party of his own; thankfully, we were able to dissuade him from the notion with a way cool Angry Birds birthday party at home (see my Angry Birds pinterest).  Even though it would be hard to top Angry Birds, he's still hoping for that Chuck E. Cheese party on his next birthday.  And now, with this announcement from the grand mouse himself, it just might be a possibility. 

In my opinion there are several things Chuck E. Cheese is doing right in how they're handling their gluten-free products.  They provide both pre-made pizza and cupcake in a sealed pouch which can be used for heating and serving.  The pouch is not opened until it is served at the table so this completely takes care of any issues with cross-contamination from cooking utensils, kitchen surfaces or from those preparing the food.  Brilliant! 

Here's hoping their test goes well and gluten-free kids can soon enjoy ALL that Chuck E. Cheese has too offer.