Yes, I typed “sunny”.  The sun has now peeked out 2 days in a row!  Unbelievable and much appreciated!  It is amazing what a little natural vitamin D does for the spirit. 

I hope that everyone is safely enjoying their long Memorial Day weekend.  Don’t forget to take this time to remember those that we have lost that have given their lives to serve our country and to thank those that are currently fighting for our country.  They are some of the most selfless people and we should never take that for granted. 

This weekend has been about relaxation for us.  We had a long day on Friday, as we took a road trip to Cleveland for my Uncle Ken’s funeral.  He passed away unexpectedly at the beginning of last week.  Uncle Ken served in the Vietnam war and having the military present and participating in his funeral service at the cemetery is something I will never forget.  You may have seen me mention Uncle Ken here in the past, as I used him as a true test to see if a gluten-free food or baked good passed “the” test.  You see, he was a very picky eater and if Uncle Ken liked it, you knew it was good!  He will be sorely missed.  R.I.P. Uncle Ken. 

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Sunday – Taking Mary (mother-in-law) our for a belated b-day dinner

Monday – Pasta with “orange” sauce, steamed broccoli & salad (I will have a blog post on the sauce later this week)

Tuesday – Burritos (Food for Life Brown Rice Tortillas), black beans, corn & salad

Wednesday – Pulled Pork w/ Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, baked beans, roasted asparagus & salad

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – MYOP (Make your own pizza on Udi’s Gluten-free crusts)

Saturday – Bison burgers, steak fries, roasted carrots & salad

Oh, and I wanted to share my lovely bowl of fruit from my breakfast this AM…..I love fruit!

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Lots to recap from the past week in the Celiac/Gluten-Free world:

Forbes got me all fired up

Another Forbes blogger made up for it

Good article on Foodfacts.com about the gluten-free diet

I reviewed GoPicnic’s Tuna & Crackers

Betty Crocker announces a baking contest – prize is $5,000.

Gluten-free at the dentist

Cheeseburger in Paradise adds gluten-free buns at all locations in June

Book Review: Sweet Vegan by Emily Manquist

Still Riding Pizza crusts – the crust of Mellow Mushroom

Raisin Rack to hold gluten-free lecture

Cameron Mitchell restaurants expand their gluten-free offerings.

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And, while this isn’t really “gluten-free” news, I am and it pertains to me….LOL!  My training for the 32nd Nationwide Columbus Half Marathon has officially started!  YAY!  In fact, I need to get moving and hit that pool!  Time to get in some cross-training.  Swimming has been doing wonders for me lately and I am really glad that I took the time to work on it last summer, grouchy as I was about it at the time. 

The other day I wrote a response to the blog on Forbes.com written by Meghan Casserly.  I wrote the response here on my blog because I was unable to comment on the Forbes site for some reason.  After signing up numerous times, I have never received any confirmation (yes, I checked my spam folder) and can not log in.  Yesterday, Forbes blogger, Colette Martin, wrote this wonderful blog post titled “Setting the Record Straight on Gluten-Free Eating & Celiac Disease: An Entrepreneur Takes on Washington”.

I applaud Colette for setting the record straight and for writing about the event that Jules Shepherd & John Forberger co-organized in Washington to get the attention of the FDA.  This is a great way to close out Celiac Awareness month.   

For what it is worth, I still can’t log into Forbes.  I don’t know what the problem is.  I am not the only one, either.  I have seen numerous tweets on Twitter reporting the same in regards to the post written by Meghan Casserly.  Not only would I like to comment on that post, but the one written by Martin, too.  What seems to be the problem, Forbes?

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While I have your attention, there was an email that was sent out the other day on the Celiac Listserve regarding gluten-free food for those affected by the tornadoes in Joplin, MO.  Please read the following information:

Hi Everyone,
I am sure that by now you have heard about the tornado that hit Joplin.  It took out a major portion of the town
including the two major grocery stores where celiacs there were able to access GF foods.   Much of the town is
without electricity and due to contamination issues, their water is also contaminated.   Those that still have a home
and access to water are under a boil order.
Many of these folks have also lost their jobs because of the businesses that have been destroyed in the storm.
It is a difficult situation for people without food issues, let alone someone with celiac disease.
I have been in contact with the leader of the new support group there and she is one of the lucky ones who still
has a home and power.  She and her husband have offered to be a contact point to hand out GF supplies to celiacs
in their community.
If anyone, individual or company, would be willing to provide GF items to them for distribution, please let me know and I will
provide their contact information.  She mentioned that there would be a particular need for shelf stable items that folks can
keep without refrigeration/freezing and also require minimal preparation like GF bars, crackers, etc.
Some folks that have been relocated to friends or relatives homes might be able to use mixes, but not have access to
safe cookware.  Maybe disposable foil pans would be a good idea if you send mixes.
Thank you so much for your willingness to read this message and perhaps help out fellow celiacs in need.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.
Barbara Hicks
Tri Lakes Celiac Support Group
Kimberling City, MO

Barbara’s Email: honedu@centurytel.net

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Now, off to enjoy a glass of cabernet & grill some bison burgers!  Please safely enjoy your gluten-free Memorial Day weekend. 

I found out in the past week that the new Mike’s Lite Hard Lemonade was gluten-free!  How exciting is this?  I knew that Aaron was stopping at the store on the way home, so I called him to see if he could pick me up some.  He was able to find it right away and it even says “Gluten-Free” right on the front! 

I was curious as to what the ingredients were since previously Mike’s had been a “malt beverage”, which I have always been told is not gluten-free.  This is the info I found on their website:

mike’s lite hard lemonade® is new and on the loose. It has a crisp, light and refreshing taste— and it’s bursting with invigorating, all-natural flavors and sweeteners, but with even fewer calories than the leading light beer*. And it’s gluten-free. This stuff’s not your regular run-of-the-mill lemonade. So crowd your fridge with flavor by stocking up on some mike’s lite hard lemonade® and mike’s lite hard cranberry lemonade®.

Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co. products available in the US are made with a premium malt base (fermented barley and hops like traditional beer) that is then further processed using a highly specialized, multi-stage filtration process. Highly sensitive tests from an independent lab analysis indicate that mike’s® products do not contain any traces of gluten protein (including hordein).

I was still confused, so I sent an email off toe Mike’s and I got this response

Hi Kim,

Thank you so much for writing in and our sincere apologies for the delay in getting back to you.  Our ingredient list is proprietary information but we have updated the gluten section of the website if you have questions about the gluten free testing.  Check out the"talk to us" section of www.mikeshard.com and if you have questions that it doesn’t answer for you please let us know.  Thanks!

Cheers,

Mike’s Consumer Relations

That didn’t really help all that much, but Tiffany Janes from Celiac-Disease.com, placed a call to Mike’s and got a little more information.  You can read all about it here. 

Here is the most important part from Tiffany’s post:

To my surprise, I found out the barley malt the company is using to make their malt beverages has been gluten-free since 2005.

Interesting.  So, it seems as if all of their beverages are gluten-free, but they have only started to label the Lite Hard varieties, which come in Lemonade & Cranberry Lemonade.

I bet you want to know what I thought of the Mike’s Lite Hard Lemonade, right?  While it was a little sweet, it was very light & refreshing and only has 109 calories per bottle.  I am used to drinking dryer wines, so that may be why I found the drink so sweet.  I had no ill effects after drinking the Lite Hard Lemonade and look forward to trying the cranberry lemonade. 

Have you tried Mike’s Lite Hard Lemonade?  If so, what did you think?  Would you try the other varieties that are “gluten-free”, but aren’t labeled as such?

Rudi’s Gluten-Free has been on the gluten-free bandwagon for a little more than a year now.  We have been enjoying their bread, especially the cinnamon raisin, and are thrilled about their new buns.  In addition to the buns, Rudi’s Gluten-Free is also making gluten-free pizza crust now!  I don’t know about you, but I am loving all of the options on the market these days!  It is one thing to have more than 1 choice, but to have multiple choices, is unprecedented in the gluten-free market.  The market has literally exploded over the past year or so and this girl is not complaining!  The more options there are, means the more competition and lower prices.  Will gluten-free bread and baked goods ever be the same price as glutenFUL equivalents?  Who knows.  What I can tell you is that the consumer is the one who is benefitting from this explosion.

Many people prefer to make their own gluten-free bread, buns and baked goods at home.  I wish I was one of those people.  While I enjoy baking, I don’t always have the time to do it.  At any given time, I have multiple plates spinning on tiny sticks above my head.  Enter premade gluten-free baked goods from companies like Rudi’s Gluten-Free.

(source)

These pizza crusts were super simple to prepare.  So easy that I didn’t even have to lift a finger!  That’s right, Jon made them himself!  He had a slight issue with the first one due to user error (baking too long and not watching in the oven), however he perfected the second crust.  He enjoyed the crust & said he would like to have them again!  I was not surprised, as Rudi’s Gluten-Free makes great gluten-free products.  Sadly I did not get to sample the crusts as I was not home.

Rudi’s products can be purchased in stores across the US and online.  I just found Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bread in my local Whole Foods today for the first time!  ***The new items may not be available online or in all stores yet.  Please be patient.  Feel free to ask your local store to get the new products in stock for you.  Click here for a $1.00 off coupon on any Rudi’s Gluten-Free Product. 

Don’t forget to cast your vote in Rudi’s Gluten-Free Recipe Contest before June 6th. 

What is your favorite Rudi’s Gluten-Free product?

***The pizza crust reviewed in this post was provided to us free of charge.  The opinions in this post are those of my son and have not been influenced in any way. 

I am a calm person for the most part.  It takes a lot to get me worked up, but when I get worked up, look out. 

As I was checking out Twitter this afternoon, my pal, Jules of Jules Gluten Free, shared an article that was on Forbes.com.  The article is titled “What We’re (Not) Eating: A Potential Danger of Gluten-Free”.  I was a little perturbed before I even read the article, and then even more so after I finished reading.  I saw that Jules had left a comment and I went to add my 2 cents.  As usual, I had to log in or sign up to leave a comment.  What should be an easy task, is/was no easy feat on Forbes.com.  I am still waiting for access and am growing more & more impatient, so perhaps I’ll just post my comment here. 

Dear Megan Casserly (Blogger on Forbes.com):

After running into major roadblocks while trying to access Forbes.com to comment on the article you wrote “What We’re (Not) Eating: A Potential Danger of Gluten-Free”, I decided I would just write my comment here.  Just because select people have chosen to use Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity to mask their eating disorder does not lessen the fact that there are millions of Americans who must follow this diet for legitimate health reasons.  One actually has nothing to do with the other.  You are comparing apples to oranges.  Anorexia Nervosa is a disease that can manifest itself in many ways.  Having suffered from Anorexia as a teen and again as an adult, I am here to tell you that I would do whatever I had to do not to eat.  I would tell people I had already eaten, I would say I had plans to eat later, etc.  However, eating gluten-free (having Celiac Disease) has/had absolutely nothing to do with my eating disorder; they are two separate conditions.  

Eating gluten-free is NOT a fad diet.  People with Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity get sick when they eat gluten.  It may not happen immediately, but believe me, we pay for it. 

May is Celiac Disease awareness month, so maybe we should thank you for bringing even more awareness to Celiac Disease and the gluten-free diet.  Earlier this month, 1in133.org and its creators held the Gluten-free Labeling Summit in Washington, DC to get the attention of the FDA.

“In 2007, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) tasked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to finalize standards for gluten-free labeling. Four years later, the FDA has failed to fulfill that mandate. To the millions of Americans who eat gluten-free food, this inaction is a big deal.” 

Just check out what a BIG deal this is to so many people:

(source)

An excerpt from an email Jules sent to me:

Hi Kim –

Don’t know if you saw the TIME Mag article this week or not, but this goes along with that Forbes piece as really bad for the cause. It amazes me how there is REAL news (what could be bigger than a 1 ton cake?!) on GF and the FDA in DC and they’re not covering it, in favor of anything about stars or fads instead.

Time Magazine contacted me for an interview about 1in133, our event and the motivations for it, etc. I spent over an hour with the Time journalist (taking precious time from building the cake!) that day, and corresponded with her via email thereafter, offering her high res photos of the massive cake, or even of the Congresswomen or FDA Commissioner speaking at our event (what I considered to be the news-worthy illustrations for such an article). They declined, in favor of a cartoon drawing of a cracker box, labeled "Fad’s Gluten-Free Crackers."

The journalist made it clear from the beginning of our interview that her editor wanted a piece on why GF is a fad diet, and was particularly interested in getting quotes from those of us at the event about whether and why we are mad at people who eat GF when they don’t have to do so for medical reasons. Clearly, they weren’t able to get such quotes, but I nonetheless was unable to convince her that her story angle is already overdone and misses the point entirely.

I gave it a valiant try, but apparently she didn’t want to hear anything I had to say for over an hour (and she recorded my interview, as well) about the need for gluten-free standards at the federal level, the number of new companies entering the GF market just trying to get a piece of the $2.6 billion pie without care for cross-contamination, the fact that with any diet there are people who are on it for the wrong reasons but that doesn’t mean that we should ignore the millions of us who must be on the diet or for whom changing our diet works, the fact that eating GF can be as healthy as you make it (just like any other meal plan) … etc . Mainstream media (for the most part) write the story angle they want the public to hear. Period.

One positive note in all this though, is Kim O’Donnel, who took the time to write as substantively as she could (in the 500 words she was given by USA Today) about the true need for safe GF foods. You can find the piece here.

So, please, don’t label the gluten-free diet a danger, a fad diet, etc.  Respect it.  Thank your lucky stars that you don’t have to follow it and that you are fortunate enough to not have to scrutinize everything that goes into your mouth. 

Anorexia and other eating disorders are a real danger and are not to be taken lightly, but don’t blame the gluten-free diet.  An anorexic could just as easily claim that he or she is vegan/vegetarian, allergic to peanuts, shellfish, etc.  Those aren’t the causes of eating disorder; they are simply the excuse of the day.

Sincerely,

Kim Bouldin

Fired up Celiac and former anorexic

Before starting the gluten-free diet, I was a huge fan of Cheese Its.  I liked many different varieties  – Original, White Cheddar Hot & Spicy.  I haven’t found much in the way of a close gluten-free substitute, though The Grainless Baker makes a cheese cracker that comes pretty darn close.  Then I found Mrs. Crimbles Cheese Bites at Whole Foods.

(Source)

Mrs. Crimbles makes a variety of gluten-free products:

• Loaf Cake
• Cookies
• Macaroons
• Cake Slices
• Double Choc Brownies
• Flavoured Rice Cakes
• Corn Cakes
• Rice Cakes
• Cheese Bites
• Crackers
• Mini Crackers
• Muffins

A little more about Mrs. Crimbles:

How we started

Mrs Crimble’s was set up over 25 years ago. Long before the days of celebrity chefs having their own product range, our ‘Home Recipe Biscuits’ were endorsed by Fanny Craddock – then known as the ‘First Lady of Food’ – who said, ‘they’re the very best’. In those days we sold our biscuits and cakes from the back of a small fleet of vans. The products were displayed on racks and re-stocked every few weeks by a visiting salesman. These days it’s all down to Howard, who has the tricky task of making sure that if there’s a hole on the shelf where our products should be – it isn’t our fault!

What we make

Today, Mrs Crimble’s is still known for its yummy treats and we now make equally delicious savoury snacks, like our delicious Cheese Bites and Cheese Crackers as well as a whole range of mixes for everything from stuffing to pastry. For a full list of our products see our range.

While Mrs. Crimbles products are mainly found in the UK, they can be found in the US at glutenfree.com, The Gluten-Free Mall and Navan Foods.  I found my cheese bites at Whole Foods, but I am not sure if all of their locations will be carrying the products. 

Now, the best part, how they tasted!  These crackers reminded me a lot of the taste of Cheese Its!  They were slightly puffed, so the texture was different, but still very good.  There are only 2 servings per small bag and Jon ate most of them.  He clearly hated them!    He said the same thing that I did – they taste a lot like the Cheese Its.  I am now interested in finding & trying some of their other products.  The Chocolate Macaroons look very similar to the Girl Scout Samoas!

Have you had a chance to try anything that Mrs. Crimbles makes?  What is your favorite gluten-free cheese cracker? 

Thanks to all who entered the Danna Korn giveaway last week!  The winner of the “Living Gluten-Free for Dummies” book is:

Colleen· 3 days ago

I have been gluten free for 20 months and I have never felt better! Took years for a correct diagnosis!

Congrats Colleen!  Please email me at kim@glutenfreeislife.com with your contact information so I can get the book in the mail to you. 

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Normally I sit down to write this post on Sundays, but I am doing it on Saturday this week.  The weather this morning was absolutely glorious for our first summer session run of MIT.  I wish I had more than 4 miles on my schedule today.  I can only hope that the Pastor who predicted the world would end today (in 15 minutes actually) was incorrect so I can hopefully get in a longer glorious run next Saturday.    While I don’t typically buy into predictions like this, it certainly does remind us that our time is limited and to live each day to the fullest, not taking anything for granted. 

Onto brighter topics.  I am currently reading “Fly Away Home” by Jennifer Weiner and really enjoying it!  Funny that it is about a politician who has an extramarital affair (ahem…..Arnold S).  Not funny about the affair, but the timing of my starting this book. I love having time to read – another benefit of not training for a full marathon! 

Speaking of training, I have been swimming as cross training and actually enjoying it!  I was in the pool twice this week and only managed to swallow a smidgen of water as opposed to many gallons last summer.  Patience is key.

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Dinner for the week is as follows:

Sunday – Rotisserie chicken or Pei Wei

Monday – Grilled shrimp & pasta, roasted broccoli & salad

Tuesday – Can you guess?  Taco Tuesday, black beans, corn & salad

Wednesday – BBQ chicken breasts, baked potato, green beans & salad

Thursday – Happy b-day to Mary (my mother-in-law) – hoping to take her out!

Friday – Pizza & salad

Saturday – Burgers on the grill, sweet potato steak fries, corn on the cob & salad

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Week in Review:

Mike’s Lite Hard Lemonade is gluten-free – review to come soon!

Gluten-free Passport Review

Gluten-free Potato Love

Review: Rudi’s Gluten-free Buns

Review: Cherribundi Tart Cherry

Arbonne Gluten-Free Products

Raisin Rack to hold gluten-free lecture on June 4, 2011

Cameron Mitchell’s gluten-free options

 

Hope you all have a great week! 

Have you have the pleasure of trying Garden of Eatin’s blue corn tortilla chips?  If not, you are missing out.  These chips are some of my favorite for making nachos, dipping in guacamole or just eating alongside a taco salad.  They hold their crisp and don’t become soggy; they have just the right amount of salt and they are non-GMO and have no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. 

The Summer of 2011 brings several new products to the Garden of Eatin’ line.  Those products include a blue tortilla chip with a sprouted grains combination of brown rice, lentils & quinoa and sweet potato tortilla chips.  Both of those new varieties sound intriguing to me! 

More about Garden of Eatin’:

How could something that tastes so good…be so…natural?

Garden of Eatin’® was founded almost 35 years ago by Al Jacobson, a visionary who was always several steps ahead of his contemporaries. He first toyed with the idea of becoming a vegetarian in the early 1900s when as a toddler living on a farm in Pennsylvania, he discovered the family ate his favorite playmate, the chicken! Fast forward to the 1940s when he dabbled in yoga, metaphysics and became a traveling product demonstrator for Hain Pure Foods, an organic company on the West Coast.

In the early 1970s, Al let his spiritual side guide him to start his own health food company – Garden of Eatin’® with the launch of Bible Bread, organic whole wheat pita. Then in 1986, after he followed his natural health instincts and purchased tons of organic blue corn, Al decided to produce Blue Corn Chips. In keeping with his unorthodox approach, the chips were launched at a major fancy foods show and they took off! Since then, Garden of Eatin’® has introduced over 20 varieties of all natural tortilla chips, each of them true to Al’s inspiring outlook on life and healthy snacks.

In 1998, Garden of Eatin’® became a part of The Hain Celestial Group, Inc., a natural and organic foods company that’s been providing A Healthy Way of Life™ since 1993.

Not all of the products made by Garden of Eatin’ are gluten-free, so take care to read the package information.  Here is the information I found in the FAQ regarding gluten:

Many Garden of Eatin’ products are made without gluten or gluten-based ingredients, and are not tested for gluten. We suggest reviewing the product ingredient list to make sure that a specific product is right for you. Our company, The Hain Celestial Group, does make a variety of products under other brand names that are tested to be gluten free. For a complete list visit www.glutenfreechoices.com.

Garden of Eatin’ products can be purchased at stores across the US or online.  Click here for a store near you and here for a $1.00 off coupon. 

***The chips I reviewed in this post were provided to me free of charge for this review.  The thoughts & opinions stated here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

Lots of mention of gluten-free and/or Celiac Disease around the airwaves recently.  It started the other day when Hannah was watching “Suite Life on Deck”.  The boys were playing a game of poker and anted up a “gluten-free cookie”!  Hannah came running into the kitchen in giggles to make sure that I had heard.  It was really cute.

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Then I had The Rachael Ray Show on in the background as I was playing with the little boy I watch and Rachael made sure to mention that the pasta in the recipe she was making could easily be subbed out for brown rice pasta to make it gluten-free.  Kudos to RR for adding that part in!  Check this out:

 

Penne with Grilled Summer Squash and Sweet Corn

Ingredients

• 1 lb. penne pasta
• 4 yellow summer squash (about 1 1/2 lbs.) – halved crosswise and each half cut lengthwise into 3 thick slabs (Make Ahead! Grill the summer squash up to 2 days ahead of using.)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears of corn), or use frozen
• 1 container (15 oz.) whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 2 tsp. chopped thyme (FINISH IT UP!)

Click here for the instructions to cook.

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The View follows The Rachael Ray Show here in Columbus.  I normally don’t spend mornings in front of the TV, but with all of the rain lately, it makes getting out miserable.  The ladies carried on their usual chatter and I was only half paying attention until I hear “Elisabeth’s Gluten-Free Recipes”.  My ears perked up in a hurry!  Anytime I hear “gluten-free” or “Celiac” on TV, I pay attention.  The more those words are out there, the better for us.  Awareness is key.  Cat Cora, Ming Tsai & Marcus Samuelson were all in the studio sharing how to make easy gluten-free dishes.  I can only imagine how good it must have smelled in there!  The recipes that really caught my eye were the Red Grits & Grillades and the Cocoa Chili Hazelnut Ganache Tartlets.  Click here for the recipes.

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Then, as if those 3 mentions in the mainstream media, I open my Cooking Light email to find “The Best Gluten-Free Foods” as chosen by Cooking Light and Karen Amsel, MS, RD.  There wasn’t one of their choices that I would disagree with.  It was nice to see some of my favorites get a nod – Udi’s Bagels, Glow Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookies (heaven on earth), Bob’s Red Mill and Amy’s Kitchen.

Again, just seeing this out there where the world can see it, not just those that are specifically looking for “gluten-free” or “celiac” is huge!  Let’s keep this ball rolling!

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Don’t forget to enter for a chance to win Danna Korn’s “Living Gluten-Free for Dummies”!  Click here to enter.

 

Thanks to all who entered the Nature’s Path giveaway!  I am pleased to announce the winner of the Nature’s Path giveaway is……..

Deanna

May 12, 2011 at 8:11 am · Reply · Edit

Oooo – my kiddo loves Mesa Sunrise. I had no idea they made waffles. I’m sure he’d want to try those. I want to try the Vanilla Sunrise.

Congrats Deanna!!!  Please email me at Kim@glutenfreeislife.com  with your contact information. 

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I haven’t heard from the winner of the Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free giveaway, so I have chosen another winner.  That person is….

Tracy

May 8, 2011 at 2:22 pm · Reply · Edit

Splenda Brown sugar blend is my favorite substitute and Honey!

Please email me at kim@glutenfreeislife.com with your contact information!

Congrats! 

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Don’t fret, if you didn’t win these giveaways, I am giving away a copy of Danna Korn’s “Living Gluten-Free for Dummies”.  Click here to enter.  It runs until Friday and only 8 people have enter so far!!!

Good luck!