Gluten Free and Tasty!

Gluten Free Cuisine: Chinese & Thai

2012-01-30T10:55:00.002-05:00

Teresa and I have been exploring different cultures as we learn more about preparing gluten free meals from scratch. It's often easier for us to avoid gluten by avoiding "American" cuisine altogether.

We've had great success with Indian, and are now working on Asian cuisines. We have some great Thai cookbooks, but no Chinese ones (yet!).

Egg Drop Soup

So far, T has prepared Egg Drop Soup and Thai Fried Rice (it has a kick to it, unlike the fried rice I used to order from any of the Chinese restaurants when I was growing up), both of which are delicious.

Thai Fried Rice

I would love to hear from my readers. What are your favorite Thai and Chinese dishes to prepare at home? How much do you do from scratch? If you use prepackaged ingredients (ex: noodles), what brand do you use? Where do you get them from?

Have you had any definite gluten-reactions from products that say they are safe? If so, which ones?

Do you have any recipe websites and/or books you would recommend?

If you use tofu in your cooking, what kind do you get? How do you prepare it? (I've tried to cook tofu before, with limited success. However, I've had amazing tofu from a Thai restaurant that I used to frequent, so I know it can be done!)

Has anyone mastered a gluten free version of those thin little pancakes that are served with dishes such as Mu-shu pork?

Please do not recommend Chinese restaurants, I am looking for ideas to prepare at home.

How You Can Help Send Children To A Gluten-Free Summer Camp!

2011-12-19T10:49:00.001-05:00

There’s an age-old saying that, in my opinion, has neverbeen more true…

“It’s better to give than to receive.”

And the holiday season is the perfect time for you to giveback to the community.

In the spirit of the giving season, I want to bring yourattention to a fundraiser I’m helping promote this week for a great gluten-freecause.

This week only, giving just $2 of your hard-earned moneywill go toward providing scholarships for children to attend a gluten-freesummer camp hosted by the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) next summer inSouthern California.

But this week, donating $2 doesn’t mean you’re just donating $2…

This week through Sunday, December 25, Gluten-Free Saver has partnered withVan’s Natural Foods to raise money to send children to next summer’sCDF-sponsored summer camp, and Van’s ismatching all donations up to $1,000!

The goal is to raise $2,000 – and when you donate $2, you’rereally contributing $4.

You can read more about the fundraiser here: www.glutenfreesaver.com.

The summer camp will be held in San Bernardino in SouthernCalifornia from July 30 to August 3, 2012, and it’s open to all 7-15 year old glutenintolerant and gluten-sensitive children – not just those diagnosed with celiacdisease.

Sure, receiving gifts this time of year is always fun, butthe feeling of knowing that your generous donation of just $2 can bring atremendous amount of joy to a young child… well, now that’s priceless.

Please help reach the goal of donating $2,000 to the CeliacDisease Foundation this week. Every $2 helps.

YES! I want tohelp send a child to a gluten-free summer camp and donate $2 right now!

P.S. 100% of alldonations will go directly to CDF.

P.P.S. If you’refeeling extra generous this holiday season, you aren’t limited to donating just$2 – you can give as much money as your heart desires!

Kinnikinnick's "Toss Your Toaster Exclusive Preview"

2011-12-17T21:52:00.000-05:00

On December 14, Kinnikinnick Foods announced its “Toss Your Toaster Exclusive Preview.” To enter, simply Like them on Facebook, enter your email and Province/State and click enter. That's it!

If you're already a fan on Facebook, you can click the Exclusive Preview tab to get to the Entry Form.

You can only enter on Facebook once, but you can get a daily bonus entry. More details here.

What's the Prize?

4 of Kinnikinnick’s new products shipped to your door.

No Really What's the Prize?

You'll have to win to find out, but you won't need your toaster :)!

Kinnikinnick Foods Receives Kosher Certification!

2011-12-02T16:11:00.001-05:00

"Kinnikinnick Foods, North America’s leading manufacturer of gluten-free baked goods and snacks, today announces that its company facilities, and an extensive list of products, are certified OU kosher pareve by the Orthodox Union.

Kinnikinnick runs the largest, dedicated gluten free, dairy free and nut free facilities in North America. Both plants have been through the rigorous certification program under the supervision of the Kashruth Division of the Orthodox Union. By making all of its products in house, Kinnikinnick can ensure all of its baked goods and snacks are safe from cross contamination. The OU certification means that those people with special dietary concerns that follow a Kosher diet now have access to a far greater variety of high quality items.

The OU symbol will begin rolling out on Kinnikinnick’s packaging beginning this December."

Product Review: Kinnikinnick Chocolate Cake Mix

2011-11-18T15:36:00.001-05:00

I made these delicious cupcakes for my birthday in early October, but never got a chance to write up a review! The batter was a wonderful, velvety smooth, sweet chocolate. I wanted to share a picture of it too, but Blogger keeps turning it sideways! When I tasted the batter, I thought, WOW! True, luscious chocolate! Mmmm! Sweet! Won't need frosting (although the box shows a decadent slice of frosted chocolate cake).

I was pleasantly surprised, however, to bite into a warm, moist cupcake and discover that somewhere between mixing and baking, most of the sweetness had disappeared! I can't tell you how they would go with frosting, however, because I never tried it. I ended up with nearly 24 cupcakes, and knew that with just the two of us, some would go to waste. So mixing up a huge batch of frosting seemed a waste (especially since I'm the only one who really likes frosting, unless it's of the cream cheese variety!).

What I did try, however, was sprinkling powdered sugar over top of the cupcakes. This was delightful. Very delicious, not to sweet . . . a little messy, but not much! I think that any chocolate lover would be thrilled with this mix. The batter is delicious. The end result is delicious. Just wish I knew more people who I could have shared them with - bad form to waste chocolate, you know. ;-)

The texture was absolutely perfect. I'm pretty sure that if you fed these to a gluten-eater, they wouldn't be able to tell that they were gluten free at all. Kudos to Kinnikinnick! I will definitely keep this product in mind when I need (or want) chocolate cake!

Product Review: Kinnikinnick Pancake & Waffle Mix

2011-11-05T22:10:00.001-04:00

Kinnikinnick Pancakes

As much as I adore Kinnikinnick products, this wouldn't be one I would choose to purchase. But not because there is anything wrong with the mix itself, this is purely a matter of taste.

I grew up loving plain, buttermilk pancakes. Maybe a touch of butter, but no syrup at all (overdid that as a kid! There's a funny story that goes along with that experience too.). The sweetest I ever liked for pancakes was at IHOP, where I would get pancakes with walnuts (or is it pecans? I forget), slices of bananas, and a light dusting of powdered sugar.

T did not like how the mix tasted, but said that since sometimes, the end result doesn't taste anything like the mix, she was still willing to give them a try. (I didn't taste the mix myself.) We both found the pancakes to be too sweet. Butter (Earth Balance) did nothing for them, and maple syrup made the sweetness worse -- and actually, we thought it made the pancakes taste peculiar. However, we tend to buy B grade syrup, which is better for baking. Mos maple syrup you put on pancakes is "A" and is lighter in color and flavor, so that may have been the issue with the syrup.

Taste preferences aside, as you can see, the pancake mix cooks up very nicely. The pancakes were light and fluffy. They looked and felt just like you would expect a pancake to be. The mix is also usable for waffles, but we don't have a waffle press, so we couldn't try that.

So we're still on the hunt for a pancake mix that tastes the way I remember pancakes from childhood, but if you like your pancakes on the sweet side, definitely check this mix out!

Kinnikinnick: Pumpkin Spice Donuts review

2011-10-19T15:23:00.000-04:00

Since Fall & pumpkins go together like donuts & coffee, Kinnikinnick Foods, leading provider of gluten, dairy and nut free baked goods, is bringing back its popular, seasonal donut: Pumpkin Spice!

Available for a limited time until November 30^th for purchase via www.kinnikinnick.com, these donuts are made with real pumpkin & spice and are a perfect way to celebrate the season.

Review:

T and I thought they were a tiny bit dry, but that may have been due to our microwave, and the fact that we warmed two up at the same time. 25 seconds warmed the donuts all the way through, without making them too hot to eat immediately!

We found them sweet, but not too sweet (we had them as part of our breakfast). The pumpkin flavor is there, but it is very subtle. The icing adds a nice touch, without being overpowering.

Don't get these expecting the same strong flavor as you'll find in Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, but for a nice subtle, sweet hint of the holidays to come. In fact, if you have a Starbucks nearby, I think these donuts would be a very nice accompaniment to the Pumpkin Spice Latte!

Mmmmmmmm! Now to have another donut!

Product Review: Magic Straws

2011-09-23T18:29:00.000-04:00

Earlier this summer, I discovered a new (or, new to me at least) product in Johnson City, TN, called Magic Straws!

I am a fan of chocolate (and occasionally, strawberry) milk. But the only one that is safe for me to get is Nesquik. Nesquik tends to be pricey, however, and it's not available for purchase in every store. Sure, I could get some Hershey's syrup and make my own at home, but one of the primary ingredients is High Fructose Corn Syrup, which we're eliminating from our diet.

These Magic Straws looked really good, but while the individual packages said they were gluten free, they didn't say anything about the facility in which they were made. Some of you may remember my post from this summer about Edy's ice cream. Supposed to be gluten free, ran on shared lines, not admitted anywhere. So my willingness to take a chance on shared facility products has been greatly diminished.

I emailed the company, and to my delight, this is the response I received from Deanna Hawke:

I am happy to let you know that our manufacturing facility is 100% gluten free.

She also sent me a list of flavors, where I could find them, and on-line ordering options. Sadly, the closest place that I could purchase them in person was in Johnson City, TN. I let Deanna know that I would pick up a package as soon as I could, and would let her know when I had reviewed them on my blog.

She very kindly offered to send me a sample package for free. When I received them, I wrote her back and let her know that I would review them after I had sampled them all. I have now tried all 4 flavors, and here are my thoughts!

Chocolate: This was, by far, my favorite. A slightly sweet, subtle taste of chocolate. So much more real tasting than drink syrups, which have begun to taste more and more like plastic over the years.

If you grew up in the '70s and '80s, I'm sure you'll remember dolls like "Strawberry Shortcake". These dolls varied from soft to hard plastic, and came with a (usually light) fruity scent, which, no matter how hard the company tried, still had an underlying scent of plastic to it. This is how flavored drinks have tasted to me for years. Even if I got Hershey's syrup in a can, it still tasted like plastic, which is quite a change from my remembered childhood tastes of it!

If you've been missing a true chocolate milk experience, you'll want to give these a try.

Strawberry: Tastes like the best strawberry ice cream I ever had, and, like the chocolate, not too sweet.

Vanilla Milkshake: Before I began boycotting Chick-fil-a, I used to love getting a cup of their "Ice Dream" ice cream. A wonderful, pure, old-fashioned vanilla flavor. Just sweet enough. Reminded me of when my Mom used to make "Junket" for me when I was a kid. Mmmmmmmmm!

Orange Cream: This is the only one I didn't really care for. I had hopes that it would be like the Creamsicle or "Push-Pop" of my childhood days, and in a sense, it was. Once the milk was in the straw, I was able to suck a few of the 'flavor beads' out of it and try them on their own. In tasting them that way, I did get that wonderful remembered flavor on my tongue. But with a full straw of milk, I'm afraid the milk came across as a tad sour-tasting to me.

This is how Magic Straws work. The ends of each straw are "pinched". This allows milk through, but keeps the 'flavor beads' in the center. Put the straw in your glass of milk. As the milk flows through the straw, it draws the flavor in the straw with it!

I am taking my remaining Strawberry and Vanilla straws with me for our trip to NY next month. I know I can always get plain milk at just about any convenience store we stop at, and this gives me a way to have flavored milk which is completely safe for me! Hooray! No mess, either, so if you're travelling with kids who are old enough to use straws, this may be a great new option for you. Be sure to check out the Magic Straws nutrition information to see how they compare to fruit juice, syrups/powders, sodas, etc!

This product is also DAIRY and NUT free, so you if you are intolerant/allergic to either of those, you could still enjoy the Magic Straws in another beverage. They are also safe for people with Corn and Soy Allergies

Other flavors include: Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Wild Berry, Banana, Strawberry Banana, and Chocolate Candy Cane (which I'm told will be coming out for the winter holidays).

Check them out here!

If you get to try some of the other flavors, please comment and let me know what you thought!

Thai, Indian, Mexican. . . ethnic cuisine!

2011-09-22T00:20:00.000-04:00

I'm curious to know how many of my readers, followers, etc., enjoy cooking cuisines specific to certain cultures (either your own or another)?

My heritage is Irish/German and English. I'm still working out how to prepare a number of dishes from those countries safely. Two of my favorites though are not part of my heritage: Thai and Indian. Teresa has made several delightful Indian dishes, and the other night, prepared a Thai dish for the first time, which was absolutely amazing!

Only two items we had to ensure were gluten free: The soy sauce (used San-J's low sodium Tamari sauce) and the Red Curry Paste (Thai Kitchen's is gluten free). Originally, the dish was "Gingered Chicken Kabobs" but we didn't bother with the "kabob" part, so it ended up Gingered Chicken with Veggies, served over Basmati Rice. See the photo below! (The red spots on the chicken are red chili pepper.)

I love Mexican. A friend and I used to go out to the El Rodeo in my hometown all the time. Unfortunately, they (or at least that location) was not gluten-free friendly/aware at all, so I had to stop going. Outside of tacos, we haven't done any Mexican dishes, but I hope to change that in the future.

What dishes do you really love to prepare? Did you have to modify it to be gluten free? If so, how? Is it a cuisine that is from your heritage, or another one whose food you've fallen in love with? Let me know!

Product Review: Organic Bistro Savory Turkey

2011-09-14T21:50:00.000-04:00

Several months ago I received coupons to try Organic Bistro frozen entrées. They closest place we can get them is Tennessee, so we couldn't easily run out and get some, but we finally got down there before the coupons expired at the end of June, and picked up two to try!

We don't eat a lot of pre-packaged frozen foods, as Teresa prepares meals from scratch which can last us several days, therefore cutting down on the costs of our meals. But when I was still working nights, we liked to keep a handful of frozen dinners on hand, just in case there wasn't something homemade available.

Usually I do not prefer to eat turkey before going out to do something -- especially work! -- because it makes me a little sleepy, but I have to tell you, the photograph on this box is extremely appealing, so I gave in.

The entry is called Savory Turkey: Turkey breast in Rosemary Mushroom Sauce with Green Beans & Lentil-Quinoa Pilaf. Oh, my!!!! This meal was just delicious! It survived a power failure of the fridge/freezer, had picked up a little frost, and was still amazing! Yes, some of the turkey bits were a little dry, and some of the mushroom pieces ... not the tastiest, but this could have been attributed to the meal living through a power failure, or just the simple case that sometimes there are parts of meals that aren't as good as the rest. It didn't spoil the meal for me, I simply put them to the side of my plate.

The green beans tasted like they had just come out of the garden, the gravy on the turkey was smooth, and the lentil-quinoa pilaf? I could have eaten an entire plate of just that and been satisfied! It had a wonderfully rich, nutty flavor, soft, a bit chewy, and very filling.

It's a little high in sodium (480mg), but otherwise is pretty decent for a pre-packaged meal. We cut out as much sodium as possible, so having one of these meals as a treat now and then is fine for us. I believe this was also one of the lower sodium options available from this product line.

The veggies and the grins are organic and the packaging is made from recycled materials! Allergens: contains walnuts and milk.

Nothing on the packaging says the meal is certified gluten free (it just says gluten free), but I did not have any problems after eating it. This is what their website has to say about it:

Are you really gluten free?
Yes, our meals are made with simple ingredients that you can find in a natural foods store. Because we know what is in each and every ingredient in our meals, we can confidently say that all Organic Bistro meals are really gluten-free.

You can find more information here, and they have a handy store locator tab so you can find out if any stores near you carry their products.

We have one more entrée to try -- Wild Alaskan Salmon. I don't know as much about how fish should and shouldn't taste (I mostly have bad childhood memories about fish, with the exception of tuna salad and plain crab legs), so Teresa will be the primary taster on that one! We shall provide a review of it as soon as possible.

Product Review: Aleia's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-09-14T21:28:00.001-04:00

The last time Teresa and I were in Roanoke, I discovered a very delicious gluten free cookie over at The Fresh Market.

Aleia's "A World Without Gluten" are very expensive (I haven't seen them for less than $7.99 anywhere), but they are very good! Not only did the cookies smell delicious upon opening the bag, they tasted amazing, were nice and crunchy (although soft chocolate chip cookies certainly have their yummy place!), and very chocolatey!

They reminded both of us of "Chips Ahoy!", only tastier, and with better ingredients.

They do contain eggs, milk ingredients, and soy, and are manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and tree nuts.

I would love to try her other flavors (especially the Peanut Butter ones!), but, sadly, they are simply too cost prohibitive at this time.

Have you tried any of Aleia's products? If so, which ones and what did you think?

Senate Designates Sept. 13, 2011 as "National Celiac Disease Awareness Day"

2011-09-13T11:42:00.001-04:00

For those who don't know, today is National Celiac Disease Awareness Day!

Click here to learn all about it!

And here are thirteen ideas for celebrating or marking this day.

Our local grocery store mentioned on Facebook that today was National Peanut and National Chocolate Day, which are both delicious snacks. My response was letting them know it was also National Celiac Disease Awareness Day, and asking if the store(s) would be doing anything for it.

What will you be doing to spread the word? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Product Review: SeanSnax & Cheeky Monkey

2011-09-10T14:15:00.001-04:00

Near the end of August, I picked up two small gluten free snacks to try. The store I found them in actually had small sizes of each product, and amazingly, it only cost about $2.00 to buy both of them! But, as they say, you get what you pay for . . .

SeaSnax is gluten free, vegan, trans fat free, cholesterol free, MSG free, and sugar free. Ingredients? Seaweed, olive oil, sea salt. "Lightly roasted and seasoned seaweed."

Now, I've had seaweed before, both in a Life Science class in college and in faux-sushi in my pre-GF days. Opening up the package provided me with the expected smell. The taste, however, left something to be desired. It was very fishy. No one who sampled it (Teresa, myself, and our friend V.) enjoyed it. Our cats, however, are a different story! I can't see this product becoming a big hit.

Cheeky Monkey was the other small snack. They are Peanut Butter Puffs which are organic (certified), gluten free (certified), kosher (certified), cholesterol free, trans fat free, sugar free, dairy free, casein free, vegan, not fried, full of protein. Produced in a gluten free dedicated facility.

The package also says they are "unbelievably delicious". Delicious isn't the word I would use, I'm afraid. Disgusting, however . . .

They are nice and crunchy (like Cheetos), and they smell okay, but ... I just couldn't get into the taste. Despite that they use organic peanut butter, to me, they tasted more like they'd used some cheap, slightly greasy PB alternative; perhaps one you'd find in some inexpensive PB candy. I offered one to Teresa, who didn't realize they were supposed to be PB flavored, so hers was a blind taste test. She said it tasted like, "a moldy Cheeto".

So try these products at your own risk, but if you don't like them, don't say I didn't warn you! :-)

Coming up . . . much tastier GF snacks!

Cleaning out the kitchen: Part 1

2011-09-05T21:40:00.002-04:00

When I went gluten free 3 years, 1 month, and 4 days ago, all I was concerned about was eliminating gluten, and a small handful of other ingredients I knew I needed to avoid (artificial sweeteners, MSG, onions, garlic, and items with excessive grease or hot spices). While that seems like a lot of things to call a "small handful," I know many people who are allergic to, quite literally, almost everything. I was also particularly lucky -- many of the things I thought I had developed late-in-life allergies too (garlic, onions, but not artificial sweeteners or MSG) turned out not to be allergies. Once my insides healed on my GF diet, I could eat many foods I'd had to give up.

During the course of the past year, Teresa and I decided that once we had our kitchen set-up to easily handle a variety of gluten free meals, snacks, and desserts, now we would work on eliminating ingredients which were unhealthy for both of us.

We started with the two easiest: salt and High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). I'll be covering HFCS in my next Kitchen entry.

I researched sodium to find out exactly how much the average person shouldn't exceed per day, and then researched how much salt was in 1 teaspoon, so that we would have a visual to go by. This is what I've discovered (keeping in mind that numbers tend to vary from website to website).

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (released January 2011) state that Americans should not consume more than 2,300mg per day, and if you are African American, have hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and/or are 51 years or older, you shouldn't consume more than 1,500mg per day.

Interestingly, I ran across several different UK websites which recommended no more than 6grams of sodium per day. If you're wondering, the 2,300mg mark for Americans converts to 2.3 grams, and 1,500mg is 1.5 grams. So is food served in the United States saltier than what is served in the U.K.? I do not have research available to verify this idea one way or the other, but having eaten restaurant meals throughout the U.S. and meals in England and Scotland, I would say that I personally find U.S. meals (restaurants) to be far saltier.

And what about that teaspoon visual? According to the Mayo Clinic, you'll be getting 2,325mg of sodium in just one teaspoon! 25mg more than the highest recommended daily allowance.

Should you give up salt altogether? Definitely not! Your body needs sodium -- but not in excess. Among other things, sodium helps your body keep the right balance of fluids. But you can reduce the sodium you take in each day.

We have become a culture of hurry, hurry, hurry, which often leaves us little time for healthy, sit down meals. Before finding out I was gluten intolerant, I frequently ate out with friends and family, and I consumed a great deal of pre-packaged foods. Limiting how much you eat out and how much pre-packaged foods you eat will help your sodium reduction effort right away.

Instead of adding salt to food, try other spices. You may still need to cook some meals with a pinch or two of salt, but if you use other flavors (garlic and onion powder for example, but not garlic and onion salts!), and have the self-control to not reach for the salt shaker at every meal, you will see a good reduction here as well.

Yes, at first your food may seem bland in comparison to what you've been used to eating, but over time, if you really hold yourself to your low-sodium plan, you'll find that you simply do not miss it.

"Why do I need to give up so much sodium?" you may ask. "I don't have high blood pressure!" Neither did I. But if I consumed excess salt, especially (but not limited to) at night, my mouth would burn, my lips would feel swollen, and my heart would race. I would feel more anxious and jittery than if I'd had a cup of coffee before bed! Also, if you take in so much sodium that your kidneys are unable to excrete it all, it will begin to build up in your blood, and this can lead to all sorts of problems. (Check out that link to the Mayo Clinic I posted earlier!)

One of the other things you can do is pay more attention to what you already have in your kitchen, and what you purchase at the store. We have started an inventory (in Excel) of our kitchen. This includes such things as name of product, date opened (if applicable), expiration date, where it is in the kitchen, and undesirable ingredients. This can be high sodium, HFCS, food additives (I'll cover them in another post), or carbs, calories, and fats.

Remember that just because your kitchen is stocked with gluten free items, doesn't mean it is stocked with healthy items. Some are, some aren't.

More Cleaning out the Kitchen posts to come, along with (finally!) some more product reviews!!

When "FDA Compliance" is not enough.

2011-07-29T17:01:00.001-04:00

A little over two weeks ago I purchased two "fun size" ice creams. Edy's Lite Slow Churned Mint Chocolate Chip. I'd never had the Slow Churned or the Lite - the only reason I got them is because my preferred choice, Edy's Grand Mint Chocolate Chip was too large to currently fit in our freezer. Edy's website states that these small ones are also Gluten Free, and Edy's had never made me sick before.

Within an hour of eating the first one, however, I was violently ill. Unfortunately, I took it as a fluke, perhaps something else, maybe I was catching something . . . Edy's never made me sick, it couldn't be the ice cream!

So the next day, I ate the other one. Exact same reaction within the hour. And now? Still sick, though not as violently or as often, but dairy is a definite "NO!" right now, and the delightful skin reaction which crops up after consuming gluten? Yeah, I've got that too, up and down my fingers and in between, which is my usual reaction spot. My hands were so nicely healed too, so that is highly disappointing, perhaps even more than the stomach/intestinal pains from my accidental gluten poisoning.

I e-mailed Edy's and asked if there was any chance of cross contamination, maybe the batch needed to be recalled? I received an apology and a note that to best serve me, I needed to call them, which I really didn't want to do. If nothing else, I like to have all my gluten/gluten free research done in e-mail or regular mail so that I have a paper trail of everything!

Due to my work schedule, it was several days before I could call. I got a very nice lady who was very patient and thorough with her questions, although many were annoyingly redundant and some totally pointless or impossible.

End result? I'm getting $20 in the mail, which way over compensates for the price of the 2 ice creams, doesn't compensate at all for the pains or having to go to work in a fog, unknowing when the next burst of sick will happen, making my anxiety levels, which as anyone who has gone through this knows, through the roof.

My options were: A check in the mail, coupons for ice cream, or to file a claim, which quite honestly, I didn't have the energy for, and I'm in no way interested in consuming Edy's in the near future, if ever.

And why the subject of my post, you may ask? Because I learned this interesting little tid bit: Edy's is PRODUCED ON SHARED LINES, and you better believe they have ice creams with gluten in them!

The woman on the phone said they clean the lines in between, but we all know this isn't foolproof. I suggested it would be nice if they could include that sort of information on their labels (you know, made in a facility shared with wheat, etc, etc). Her response? "We are in compliance with the FDA. We feel that putting that sort of extra information on a product is over-labelling." Really, lady? Seriously?

And despite the shared lines info? She told me there was absolutely no way that there could be gluten in the product. I beg to differ.

I informed her that for those of us who are extra sensitive, it's extremely important to know about shared lines up front, and that it would be unlikely if I ever bought their ice cream again, which makes me sad - they make some of the best mint chocolate chip ice cream there is, and it was a treat I thought I didn't need to give up, but clearly, that's not the case. Goodbye, Edy's.

FDA rules for gluten / gluten free have got to change - for the better.

Please note that I only called in about the ice cream. I did not ask if their fruit bar popsicles are also made on these same and/or shared lines with other products. I highly advise finding this out, before you consume any, but I think I'll be making my own at home.

Chocolate-filled cookie goodness!

2011-07-14T14:50:00.000-04:00

I have collected a number of GF products to review from various trips around the region. First up is a cook from Jovial Foods! These delightful little (and I do mean little!) cookies are a crunchy chocolate mound with a delightfully soft, creamy chocolate filling. MMmmmm!! They remind me of a hard version of some gluten-filled cookie I used to enjoy before I knew better, but I cannot think of what it was! In any case, I am very pleased by these cookies and would definitely get them again.

The box says, "Gluten Free, Flavor Full!" and boy are they ever! The box comes with 6 sealed packages, two cookies each. Here is the allergen warning in case you have other food issues: Contains eggs, tree nuts, and soy. May contain traces of milk.

They are certified gluten free!

Here is their website so you can check them out: http://www.jovialfoods.com/

Kellogg's & Post do GF cereal right!

2011-06-27T13:29:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, I discovered that Food City carries Kellogg's Gluten Free Rice Krispies! After the General Mills "gluten free" fiasco, I was understandably concerned as to whether or not this cereal would actually be safe . . . along with wondering if it would taste good at all. I'd been so far under-impressed with brown rice cereals. I bought a box (for only $2.99!), and took it home.

Before I ate it, however, I did some reading on a wonderful site called Gluten Freeville. I highly recommend liking them on Facebook too. You can read more about the cereal at this post. It provides very good info, and most important to me, contained this sentence from Kellogg's, "Our gluten-free option is produced in a separate facility, and each batch will be tested to ensure its gluten-free status." Hooray! Kellogg's knows what they're doing!

Onto the tasting. I used to love eating Rice Krispies straight out of the box. That's something I will not be doing with the gluten free version. Unlike many of GF rice cereals I've tried in the past, they don't taste like cardboard, but they also don't taste like much of anything while dry. Hoping for the best, I poured a bowl, sprinkled some sugar over them, added the milk and .............ooh! They make noise!! (I'd never found a GF rice cereal that made the fun snap! crackle! pop! of Kellogg's.) And with sugar and milk? They taste THE SAME as their gluteny-counterpart.

Please note that Kellogg's is still producing their regular, gluteny Rice Krispies. Please do not buy the wrong one, especially if you're making RK treats for a friend who will never see the box the cereal came from. The new cereal is in a light yellow box.

What made the original cereal unsafe, you ask? MALT flavoring (from Barley). I think this is also why the new cereal is fairly tasteless when dry. The change to brown rice shouldn't make too much of a taste difference, so the only thing really missing is the sweetener, malt. Given that once the cereal was in a bowl with milk and sugar, I'm going to assume that if you turned this cereal into Rice Krispies treats, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. All the boxes I've had so far have included a recipe for those treats, but you can also find it on the post I linked above to Gluten Freeville's write-up on the cereal.

Once you give the cereal a try, you can go here: New from Kellogg's and let them know what you think!

I'm hoping they will follow up with some fun cereals (and that they won't try to make them healthy in the process): Frosted Flakes and Cocoa Krispies.

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For the last several months, I have run across people writing about how Post (Fruity, Cocoa) Pebbles cereals were gluten free, because the ingredients didn't list anything bad. Anyone who is sensitive enough to be glutened fast by cross contamination (ex: shared lines) learns quickly not to trust something that just looks safe. I had never eaten these cereals either, so I wasn't planning to find out if they were safe for me.

But then last week at the store, I saw a box of Cocoa Pebbles sporting a huge banner on the box that read GLUTEN FREE. I took a box home. Since cereal will last nearly indefinitely unopened, I set it on the counter and sent off an e-mail to Post asking about ingredients and any cross contamination risk. When I woke up this morning, I had a wonderful reply waiting for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your inquiry regarding gluten-free Post Cereals.

Post does not utilize wheat, oats, barley or rye in the formulation of Post Cocoa, Fruity and Cupcake Pebbles. We are happy to finally announce that these select products are gluten-free and are produced on a dedicated line; containing no other gluten products. These products are produced in a building that does not contain any gluten.

Since Celiac Disease is a growing concern among consumers, we have evaluated our process to ensure there is no cross-contact with products that contain gluten. We now have strict supplier verifications and a finished product testing protocol in place to ensure that our products meet or exceed the FDA’s “gluten free” standards.

Leslie Spaes
Consumer Response Representative

Of course, the FDA doesn't have any particularly strict standards. Labels vary from company to company, and many companies won't state "gluten free" on a label if they're not certified, but Post clearly seems to know what they are doing all the same. I'll try this cereal as soon as I can, and let you know what I think. I'm particularly curious to get a box of the aforementioned Cupcake Pebbles and see if they really do taste like cupcakes!

Organic Bistro - Free coupon!

2011-05-24T16:45:00.000-04:00

Are you a fan of Organic Bistro? Or are they a product you've been eying in your grocer's freezer section?

Here's your chance to try one of their delicious-looking frozen meals! I've got a coupon to give away with a maximum value of $6.99!! Given how expensive prepared GF meals can be, this is quite an offer!

Unlike the last coupon I offered (regrettably, no takers), these products are not limited to one store. The only place I can easily get them at is Earth Fare, but depending on where you live, you may have a much longer list of options!

Go here to use their store locater, and discover what store(s) in your area carry these products!

This coupon expires June 30, 2011, and is only good in the United States at this time.

How to win it?

First person to leave a real, well-thought out comment on any blog entry I have made since I began this blog, will get the coupon!

1. Go through the archives and find a post you think is interesting, useful, helpful, etcetera.
2. Write a response to it. Maybe you've had a similar experience with a company and want to share? Maybe you've tried a recipe I've posted and want to tell me how it went? Have you tried a product from a company I've reviewed and want to tell me about it? Tips to share on starting a gluten free diet? Great! I'd love to hear from you!
3. After you've done step two, leave a comment on this post. Tell me what entry you responded to (be sure to be clear). Be sure I'll be able to contact you privately via e-mail too!

As soon as I get a response, I'll contact you via e-mail (so be sure that

Again, I apologize for not updating in such a long time. Changes at work, getting really sick, and an unexpected death in the family kept me from doing much on-line.

Kinnikinnick: Blueberry Donuts review

2011-05-24T16:01:00.001-04:00

"To celebrate spring’s arrival, Kinnikinnick, North America’s largest manufacturer of gluten-free baked goods and snacks, is introducing a new seasonal donut flavor - Blueberry!

Filled with loads of jumbo blueberries and an all-natural blueberry glaze (no artificial colors or flavors in this donut!), Kinnikinnick’s seasonal blueberry donuts [became] available April 1^st exclusively on their website or by calling toll free 1-877-503-4466."

I was offered a free box of blueberry donuts to sample, but childhood memories make blueberry donuts something I just cannot stomach. For the most part, if it's not fresh berries, I won't eat them. However, it was confirmed that it would alright for my partner to try them out instead. As many of you know, she doesn't have to eat gluten free, but does so for my benefit.

"The donuts have a nice taste of blueberry without being too fruity. I microwaved one for twenty seconds, and it came out very moist. Despite being covered in a sugar-glaze, the donut was not sticky at all!"

So for you blueberry donut lovers out there? Definitely a product worth getting!

Apologies for taking so long to update this blog. Changes at work, the two of us getting really sick, and a death in the family kept me from writing.

Kinnikinnick: Cinnamon Apple Donuts review

2011-02-27T02:10:00.000-05:00

Last week while visiting my parents, we all tried the Cinnamon Apple (with pink icing) donuts. They were a big hit. The texture is the same as the Cinnamon Sugar donuts. They are a little stickier (presumably because of the icing), but not terribly messy. The icing was tasty without taking away from the flavor of the donuts.

I particularly enjoyed the apple bits inside the donuts. It reminded me of the fried apples you can get at Cracker Barrel, or the apple bits in the Quaker Instant Oatmeal (whichever one had apples in it) which I used to enjoy pre-gluten-free days.

We just drank water with these, so I can't say how they would go with tea, but we definitely all enjoyed them. No one would have known they were gluten free if they hadn't been told.

Another great job from Kinnikinnick!

One more donut to go: Vanilla Glazed. I hope to try it out later this week!

Tenley Molzahn at Expo West / GF Advice

2011-02-15T12:13:00.000-05:00

TV Personality and America’s sweetheart, Tenley Molzahn, will be at Expo West in Anaheim, the world’s largest natural, organic and healthy products trade show, on March 11^th from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

A former dancer who maintains a healthy and active life, Tenley turned to eating a gluten-free diet after years of dealing with health issues:

“After years of being sick, in and out of doctor’s offices, and all kinds of tests and misdiagnoses, I found out the problem was gluten. Gluten had been poisoning my body for years. Today there is a lot more knowledge and research out there, but because of my own rough journey trying to discover what was wrong with me, I care to bring awareness to others about the choice of living a gluten free lifestyle, hoping to help others put an end to their discomfort as well,” Tenley commented.

She will be at Kinnikinnick’s booth (#2482) fulfilling her passion to create awareness for the gluten-free lifestyle and sharing gluten-free eating tips and advice.

WIN a coupon!! (FOOD!)

2011-02-14T03:46:00.000-05:00

I recently received a coupon for "The Original Brat Hans" Original Bratwurst. They look delicious, but they are exclusively sold at Whole Foods, and the closest store to us is about 100 miles (one way!), so we won't be heading down to it any time soon!

The coupon says:

No antibiotics, No added hormones, no preservatives...EVER! Always vegetarian fed. No nitrates, Nitrites, MSG, or fillers.

From further research, I've determined that they've said MOST of their products are gluten free. You'd have to check out the individual packages to be sure you were getting a gluten free product (looks like they have several flavors, so there may be some things they sell which are not GF).

The coupon is good for a free trial on any one package of The Original Brat Hans Sausages, up to a $7.50 value. The coupon comes with a recipe for sausage kebab using the bratwurst.

IMPORTANT: Coupon expires on 3/31/2011!

This is how it works:

Leave a comment on this post with an idea, recipe, product, company, restaurant, etcetera, which you would like me to research and write up on my blog.

The reader who leaves the best do-able idea will win the coupon. Make sure you are signed-in to blogger/google, or connected in some manner, or leave an e-mail address at the very least, for me to contact you if I should choose your idea. I will drop the coupon in the mail immediately after confirming the address of the winner, but cannot be held accountable for any delays in mail delivery, or if you leave off part of your address (yes, I've run into that before).

The recipient of the coupon will need to use the coupon before it expires, try out the product, and e-mail me (not comment) your opinion of the product, preferably more than just a few sentences. I will share your review on this blog, attributed to you, of course!

I will accept comments until March 18, 2011, to ensure enough time to contact the winner and get the coupon mailed to you.

Kinnikinnick: Cinnamon Sugar Donuts review

2011-02-11T01:49:00.000-05:00

When I got home from work on Wednesday night, I was delighted to find that my sample package from Kinnikinnick Foods had arrived! The box was stamped with the note that baked goods needed to be frozen immediately upon arrival. The box came while we were at work -- but since it had snowed during the day, I figured the box had probably stayed cold enough!

As soon as I put my work bag down, I ripped the box open to discover a treasure trove of donuts!

I received three flavors: Cinnamon Sugar, Vanilla Glazed, and Cinnamon-Apple with pink frosting (the Valentine's Day treat). Tonight/this morning, after my partner got home from work, we pulled a box randomly out of the freezer to try out.

Tonight's choice: Cinnamon Sugar.

These are not the size of regular donuts, but they're a perfectly good snack size! If the only kind of donut you hanker for is that of the Krispy Kreme texture, you'll probably be disappointed, but if you grew up on Dunkin Dounts (or the like), as I did, you're in for a pleasant treat! These little donuts are cake-like, but nowhere near as dense as you'd imagine a gluten free donut to be.

There is just the right amount of cinnamon sugar coating these donuts. Delicious taste without being too sweet. We were able to enjoy the donuts with a cup of Red Rose tea (with milk and sugar) and not have our taste buds overwhelmed. They are not at all sticky, but you will want napkins handy as the cinnamon-sugar is rather crumbly and will come off on your hands!

My partner (who went gluten-free for me) and I both likened the texture to donut holes. They are very filling. We heated up 2 (one at a time), and split them. The first one was gone quickly, and we immediately went back for the second. We both enjoyed this donut very, very much.

As soon as we finish this box (4 more to go), we will try out and review another flavor.

Stay Tuned!

Jelly Belly: Update 1

2011-02-02T02:09:00.000-05:00

I received a response back from Jelly Belly several days ago, but did not post an update because I felt that it contradicted what I was first told.

Basically: Yes, all the candy, including the ones you specifically mentioned, is made on shared lines. Follow-up email: No, wait, the ones you bought are not made on shared lines! ..........................

Today I received an email suggesting I post another blog entry since they sent an email to clarify about the gluten issue. Since I didn't feel it clarified anything, and there is still the issue that I got a gluten reaction to eating their products.

They did say they would forward on the suggestion (to someone) that they get certified by GFCO.

I wrote them back a few minutes ago and explained why I had not posted a blog entry in response to their last email and will see what I get back. I will post an update as soon as I can after they reply. Dealing with a non-glutening situation.

NEWS: Gluten-Free Cinnamon & Apple Donuts for the Valentine's Day Season

2011-01-29T12:45:00.000-05:00

What says I ♥ You like a gluten-free Cinnamon & Apple Donut?

Special for the Valentine’s Day season, Kinnikinnick Foods, leading provider of gluten, dairy and nut free baked goods, is launching a super moist donut with apple puree and cinnamon, topped with a cinnamon glaze and hot pink cinnamon icing.

These are available until February 28^th only on the Kinnikinnick website or by calling toll free 1-877-503-4466. Get some for the one you love (and some for you too!).

Make the Switch!

2011-01-29T00:56:00.000-05:00

To Switch carbonated juice, that is.

Switch's catch phrase is "100% of what you want, 0% of what you don't".

100% of what you want includes:
100% juice
100% RDA Vitamin C
All natural
Carbonated
Great taste and refreshment

0% of what you don't includes:
No sugar added
No corn syrup
No preservatives
No artificial colors
Gluten Free

All the bottles list the above information, so you don't have to wonder with each package if you're consuming something safe or not. Kudos to Switch for making sure this information (especially the Gluten Free bit) is easily readable / accessible to their customers!

The beverages come in several different flavors. I have tried Black Cherry, Orange Tangerine, and Apricot Peach. They also have Watermelon Strawberry, Grape, Fruit Punch, Kiwi Berry, Very Berry, and Lemon Lime.

Of the 3 I've tried, Black Cherry is my favorite, followed by Apricot Peach. Black Cherry reminds me a bit of Dr Pepper, while Apricot Peach reminds me of the Fuzzy Navel wine cooler, but without the alcohol. The Orange Tangerine is good, it just isn't a flavor I'd choose to drink a lot.

I gave these beverages a try a couple months ago, after spotting them in a co-op while visiting my parents. I can't have regular soda (and really, why would you want to drink it? Soda is terrible for you!). Specifically the phosphoric acid in sodas makes the itching that often accompanies Celiac Disease, much, much worse. No soda = less itching. I love plain water, but sometimes, I want a nice flavorful drink. This lets me have the fun of a tasty drink without getting anything bad for me.

I have never had a bad reaction to Switch.

For readers in southwest Virginia and the Tri-Cities area, the Roanoke Co-Op carries these drinks, as well as the Natural Foods Market in Johnson City, TN.

They are a little pricey, and you only get four drinks a box, but if you view them as an occasional fun drink (as they should be), and not as something to have at every meal, it's definitely worth it!

(Also, if you collect enough bottle tops, you can trade them in for Switch gear!)

Contest News: Gluten-Free Chocolate Goodies Giveaway

2011-01-26T01:36:00.000-05:00

Since February is synonymous with chocolate, Kinnikinnick,  North America’s leading provider of gluten-free baked goods and snacks,  is hosting a Valentine’s Day Box o’ Chocolate Contest. And the prize is  not a typical box of  chocolates; it’s a box of everything they make with chocolate in it – a  $50 value. There will be two winners! 

The contest begins on January 24,  2010 and will end on February 8, 2010 at 9 pm. Details of how to  participate can be found at the link below. Mandatory entry is leaving a  comment on their blog, but there are extra ways to enter as well.  

http://blog.kinnikinnick.com/2011/01/valentines-box-o-chocolate-contest.html

Jelly Belly: Made on shared lines, but packages not labeled!

2011-01-19T17:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday while at work, I went looking for something extra to eat with my lunch. I discovered several Jelly Belly products were listed "gluten free". In looking over the ingredients, I couldn't find anything that looked dangerous, so I bought a few items:

Sunkist Fruit Gems: A Fat Free, Gluten Free Food
JB Fruit Snacks (Made with 7 Real Fruit Juices): Naturally Gluten Free
(NEW!) Jelly Bean Chocolate Dips (Very Cherry): A Gluten Free Food

The Sunkist package is the only one that carried an additional allergen warning. "Manufactured in a plant that processes peanuts." Given that, I figured they were safe. Clearly, they were labeling for other allergens.

Well, they're not.

This morning I woke up feeling very lethargic/groggy and my stomach hurt (both of these went on for hours. The stomach pains have eased off - for now - but the extreme lethargy continues, even after coffee).

Last night, before these "fun" feelings hit, I pursued their website to find out if anything else was gluten free. The only statement on their site refers to the JB beans (no other JB candy):

All flavors of Jelly Belly beans are free of gluten. We do not use any wheat, rye, barley, or oats in the basic recipe for Jelly Belly jelly beans. The modified food starch listed on the package is cornstarch.

So, I dropped them an e-mail to find out if other things (namely the Chocolate Mints and Mint Cremes) were safe, but then added in: Do any of your products have gluten?

Reply 1:

Almost all items we manufacture are Gluten free. The only items that contain gluten are the items that contain real licorice pieces or our malt balls. Please see the attached document for the items we make the contain gluten.

Thank you for writing.

Sweet Regards,
Erin
Consumer Affairs Representative

My response:

Erin,

Thank you very much for your reply and for the attachment. One more question? Are the gluten-containing items made on their own lines, or is it shared equipment?

Thank you.

Reply 2:

Yes, the candy is produced on the same line as our other products at one point or another in the process. While we do clean and chemically wash all machinery between products, we cannot 100% guarantee that cross contamination would not not occur, although it is unlikely. We make over 100 different types of confections and only those listed contain gluten.

Hope this helps.

Have a nice day.

Sweet Regards,
Erin
Consumer Affairs Representative

My response:

Erin,

Thank you for your reply. I just threw away the Jelly Belly products I bought yesterday, and definitely won't be buying it again. Now I know why my stomach hurt so much this morning and why I've been feeling so lethargic. Labeling products gluten free but NOT telling consumers (unless they ask) that you used SHARED lines is a dangerous move on JB's part.

I'll also be sharing this on my gluten free blog. Even if you clean the lines, it is just too risky for those of us who are very, very sensitive (which is a LOT of people with Celiac Disease).

Considering how many things you make, and how many places JB products are sold, would JB ever consider opening up new, dedicated gluten free facilities and getting certified by GFCO? (http://www.gfco.org/) (It would HAVE to be new facilities -- washing the old ones and moving the small batch of gluten-containing products somewhere else would NOT cut it.)

Sincerely.

Reply 3:

As of this posting, I have not yet received a response from anyone at Jelly Belly. If I do, I will post a follow-up entry.

Here are the Jelly Belly products which specifically contain gluten:

Item# Item Description Gluten Source

6030 Chocolate Malt Balls Wheat and Barley

6032 Christmas Chocolate Malt Balls Wheat and Barley

1415 Christmas Deluxe Mix Wheat and Barley

64909 Classic Candies Gift Box Wheat

64913 Classic Licorice Box Wheat

1715 Deluxe Easter Mix Wheat and Barley

1295 Deluxe Halloween Mix Barley

88857 Hodgepodge Wheat and Barley

1075 Licorice Bridge Mix Wheat

3015 Licorice Pastels Wheat

4750 Speckled Chocolate Malted Eggs Wheat and Barley

Responses from Manufacturers: 2010 Round-Up

2011-01-02T19:13:00.000-05:00

Due to various reasons, I was unable to update this blog during the fall/winter of 2010. This post will provide you with all the responses I received from product manufacturers, but did not yet post. As before, I will include the contact date to provide you with a point of reference. Should you contact them yourselves, and receive a different response (now they are safe, or now they aren't safe, please write and let me know!).

Anastasia Confections: December 13, 2010

All of our coconut patties (all flavors – original/classic, key lime, orange, almond, pina colada, and mango) are 100% gluten free.

Customer Service

Anastasia Confections

customerservice@anastasiaconfections.com

Toll Free: 1-800-329-7100

Brewmaster: November 21, 2010

Unfortunately, we don't sell any ingredients for making gluten free beer with our kit. Beer is made from cereal grains, of course, and gluten free beer is specially made with other ingredients, like sorghum. That being said, it's generally pretty hard to find gluten free beer itself, never mind the ingredients, so I wouldn't even be sure where to direct you. However, we do have other types of kits that are gluten free: our hard cider kit and hard cider standard refills and fruit refills makes a fermented apple cider that is delicious, and is gluten free. (Some of the advanced cider recipes actually call for a UME, and those are the only exception.) We also sell root beer kits that are completely gluten free as well. I'd be happy to help you place an order if you like, or to answer any further questions. Just let me know!

Cheers~

Brianna C. Customer Service
MR.BEER®
800-852-4263
www.mrbeer.com

President Cheese: October 14, 2010

Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding the presence of gluten in our products. Many of the products we manufacture are from ingredients considered to be gluten free, but we cannot make such a claim at this time for our finished products.
The grain and starches currently used in our products are allowed for people with gluten intolerance concerns (for more information, please visit the website for the Gluten Intolerance Group, www.gluten.net) but changes may occur that could affect a gluten-free claim.
We are aware of the special needs of some of our consumers and if the ability to monitor ingredients to ensure a gluten-free product becomes available, we would consider a gluten free claim at that time.

Sincerely,

Joyce LaRoche
Quality Assurance Specialist
joyce.laroche@lactalis.us

Premier Foods: October 6, 2010

Thank for your recent email regarding Sarson's Malt Vinegar.

Because of the process vinegar goes through, it can be classed as suitable for coeliacs as there is less than 20 parts per million.

We do hope that this information is of use to you and thank you once again for taking the time and trouble to contact us.

Regards

Jan,
Consumer Relations Advisor
Premier Foods
Consumer Careline: 0800 032 7111

Please respond to Jan.Lister@premierfoods.co.uk

I responded to Jan and asked for clarification, as on the website it says naturally gluten free. But it's naturally made FROM gluten, which contradicts that claim. Jan did NOT write me back.

If anyone who is Celiac and in the UK is following this blog, have you tried this product? Did you react to it? Let me know!

Kaukauna Cheese: October 4, 2010

Thank you for your e-mail and interest in our Kaukauna Cheese products.

Because we bring the cheese in from outside suppliers to make our products and do not require that they be gluten free, we cannot say for sure if they are, in fact, gluten free.

Again, thank you for contacting us giving us the opportunity to respond.

Sincerely,

Customer Service
bel brands USA

Sabra Products: October 4, 2010

Thank you for contacting us with your concern about gluten.

All the ingredients in Sabra dips and spreads are gluten free.

Thank you again for your interest in Sabra. You are a valued consumer and we hope you will continue to enjoy our many varieties of hummus.

Best regards,

Jennifer
Sabra Consumer Affairs
011206193A

Sara Lee (in regards to their Kahn's braunshweiger): September 7, 2010

Here at Sara Lee, we have a 'truth in labeling policy'. Anytime there is a gluten-containing ingredient in one of our products, the ingredient will be listed on the ingredient label. As we do not print a gluten-free list, we recommend checking the label every time for any ingredients your physician has told you to stay away from. We never hide gluten-containing ingredients in general listings such as flavorings or spices.

Again, thank you for your interest in our company. We appreciate your patronage. Should you have any comments or questions in the future, please contact us via our website at www.saralee.com or by calling our toll-free number, 1-800-925-3326. Our representatives are available Monday-Friday between the hours of 7am and 6pm CST.

Sincerely,

Julie
Sara Lee Consumer Affairs Representative

I have eaten this product after receiving this reply. No problems to report.

Grosik (Polish): September 6, 2010

http://www.agrosik.pl/

All our pickled vegetables are gluten free and there is no MSG and any glutamic acid .We are producing our vegetable preserves from fresh vegetables using only natural simple ingredients as beet sugar, salt, spirit vinegar and spices as black pepper, bay leaf, allspice,dill horseradish,garlic. In some products we have mustard seeds as spice but everythink is on the label

We invite you to buy and you high qualoty of our products made according to the old good recipies

Irena Majcherczyk
A-Grosik PSH Jacek Wolkowicz
Piwna 51/53 lokal 7
00-265 WARSZAWA
NIP 123 028 03 57

Kahlua: August 3, 2010

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We always enjoy hearing from loyal customers.
Yes, Kahlua is gluten free. The processes of distillation should eliminate cereal proteins from distilled spirits drinks and therefore distilled drinks are generally accepted for a gluten-free diet. Please note however, that we cannot offer specific advice, and recommend that the individual should discuss these matters with their medical or dietetic advisors.

We appreciate your continued patronage of Kahlua and hope you continue to enjoy our products.

Best regards,
Pernod Ricard USA
Kahlua Consumer Relations

Chocovine: June 1, 2010

Chocovine is Gluten free.

Ba-Tampte Pickle Products, Inc.: February 19, 2010

How are you? Thank you for your Interest in our products in response to your question all of our products are gluten free, and we use absolutely no preservatives.

Customer Relations
Ba-Tampte Pickle Products, Inc.
77 Brooklyn Terminal Market
Brooklyn, NY 11236

718-251-2100
718-531-9212 Fax

Pamela's (Gluten Free products): Why NOT to purchase from them

2011-01-02T17:32:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I am anti-Autism Speaks, due to their intolerable behaviour towards autistic people.

Near the end of last year, I learned that the company "Pamela's" supports autism research. I wrote to them to discover what sort of autism research they supported.

This is the response I received:

Thank you for your interest in Pamela's Products. We work with a number of autism support groups across the country and nationwide. Most commonly we support CAN (Cure Autism Now), Autism Speaks (which I believe may now be the umbrella group for CAN and others) as well as local chapters of the Autism Society. Typically, we work with groups that follow the DAN protocol or other biomedical interventions in their treatment and therapy programs as these are the groups looking for gluten-free food.

I hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to let me know if I can of further assistance.

Warmest regards,
Stephanie Robbins
Director of Marketing

phone 707-462-6605 xt.106
fax 650-359-1891

I replied to Stephanie (in November of 2010) to let her know why I would not be purchasing anything from Pamela's again, and that I would be blogging about it and alerting others about their support of these hate groups. To this day, I have not received any response.

Please consider standing with me against Pamela's, and letting them know why you won't be purchasing from them again.

General Mills / Betty Crocker not so gluten free after all

2010-12-20T15:02:00.003-05:00

It turns out that many General Mills products (ex: Betty Crocker (includes Bisquick), Chex cereals, etc) are NOT gluten free after all. I have returned all mine to my local Food City for a refund, stating specifically this reason as why I brought them back, and stating that this reason needed to be put on the refund slip. I've also posted a shorter version of this post to the Food City Facebook page, so that more people will be aware, customers and FC folks.

Here's how I found out (besides the fact that I started showing symptoms of being glutened after eating more of the products):

http://glutenfreeeasily.com/my-trip-to-general-mills-a-k-a-betty-crocker-central/

My Chex cereals were already open, so I let friends eat them. I also returned the BC frosting and the Bisquick mix, neither of which had been opened. I was looking forward to pancakes that tasted like regular pancakes, but not with that kind of risk!

Just how out-of-touch is General Mills?

Here is an excerpt from the blog I have linked above, in case you don't have time to read the entire entry right now (but you really should take the time to go read it all!):

Those of us who eat gluten free did not indulge in the baked goods offered in the closing baking event. The rolling pins, wooden spoons, and spatulas had previously been used to make gluten-full items. One General Mills spokesperson told us that the products had been cleaned and heated to 200 degrees. When she was told that heating didn’t remove gluten, she looked at us like were looney tunes. That was yet another educational piece of the gluten-free pie for General Mills. It was an unsettling moment for sure because if that information is not known or understood, to me it raises doubts about the status of their gluten-free products.

My reaction to this? If baking removed/killed gluten, I could eat baked goods! Maybe that's why the Betty Crocker "gluten free" desserts tasted like the "real thing" . . . there really was gluten in there. *sigh*

I, along with others in the GF community, are hoping that General Mills will take the points made very seriously, clean up their act, and get themselves certified by GFCO. Right now, word is being spread NOT to buy these products.

Special Fall donuts from Kinnikinnick Foods!!

2010-10-05T22:34:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share a special Fall item with you all! I received this notice a few days ago in e-mail, and wanted to share this special treat with all of you. If you haven't tried Kinnikinnick Donuts yet, you are missing out. In my experience, they tend to be heavier and denser than donuts you might pick up from Dunkin Donuts, but they are still quite delicious! Kinnikinnick was the first gluten free brand of donuts I ever tried after going gluten free, and I enjoy trying their products.

These Pumpkin Spice Donuts look particularly delicious, and I know I can't wait to try them!

If any of my readers try them, please post your reactions in comments to this entry.

Since Fall & pumpkins go together like donuts & coffee, Kinnikinnick Foods, leading provider of gluten, dairy and nut free baked goods, is launching: Pumpkin Spice Donuts!

Available for a limited time until November 30^th for purchase via www.kinnikinnick.com, these donuts are made with real pumpkin & spice and are a perfect way to celebrate the season.

And the icing on top: they’re specially priced at 20% off until October 8^th.

NE PA (Poconos, Scranton, Carbondale, etc)

2010-09-15T17:43:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I'm on vacation (never an easy experience when you have eating intolerances or allergies), but I am having a GREAT time!

We're up in the Poconos at Lake Wallenpaupack. Before I left, I asked about shops and restaurants which would be safe to shop/eat at, and got some feedback but fairly limited. No restaurants in the area at all, but I'd find a wonderful Wegman's in Scranton with everything I could possibly ask for.

Since we weren't sure what we would find, we packed up a lot of our non-perishables (and some perishables in our cooler), just to be safe. We also took the cookware along, to ensure that I didn't get glutened by accident, by using unsafe pots and pans at the vacation house.

Turns out, we can leave a lot of stuff at home next time.

Wegmans does indeed have just about everything (and more) a gluten-free heart can desire. I've all sorts of new treats to taste and review for your reading (and drooling) pleasure.

We also discovered that there is a safe restaurant: Uno's! I've only eaten in one so far -- up in Utica, NY, and had a good experience. No glutening at all (thank goodness, since we ate there and *then* got on the road for a long drive home!). I stopped by the one in Scranton and asked if they had the gluten free menu. They did indeed, and even made me a color copy to take with me! I asked how long they had been in business and was surprised to hear they'd been there 5 or 6 years...considering they are practically across the street from the Wegmans.

We haven't been out to eat yet, but if we go, I'll definitely do a review. The menu looks tantalizing!

Note: On the way up, we stopped at The Healthy Grocer in the Camp Hill, PA area, and picked up some great items too: some we'd seen before, some we hadn't. It was hard to find, as the exit we needed was closed and the detour wasn't marked that clearly, but it was definitely worth a stop. Then we headed to Cracker Barrel (Mechanicsburg) for lunch and got a copy of what is safe there for Celiacs (CB is my one safe road stop for just about any city, but we didn't know until the other day that they had several safe options). Then, on the recommendation of our waitress, we went to Giant (grocery store) and picked up a few more GF treasures.

Mock or Fake Malt Vinegar?

2010-09-04T20:38:00.000-04:00

I know, I know... the thought of anything but real Malt Vinegar seems appalling to fans of the product. The problem? It's chock full of gluten. Totally unsafe . . . and seemingly irreplaceable.

Sometime this year, I hope to try my hand at making gluten free fish & chips. The one thing I can't figure out how to mock is the malt vinegar that fish n' chips fans often sprinkle on their meal.

In searching for substitutes, I came up empty. I found plenty of sites which suggested substitutes for vinegar in general, but it didn't cover the issue at hand: Mocking the TASTE of Malt Vinegar. I'm not using the vinegar to keep something from becoming discolored or anything like that. I need something that tastes just like (or as close as possible), to the beloved gluteny Malt Vinegar.

So, dear readers, any suggestions? What have you tried that didn't work at all? What has come close? Do you use an actual solo product or do you make a blend from an assortment?

I know I have a number of followers through Facebook, Blogger, or Twitter (or a combination thereof) so please chime in and suggest away! I look forward to hearing about your successes (or failures - or both) any any ideas you may have!

Two things I know are not feasible:

1 - Buying 1 of every safe sort of vinegar and tasting them all (I don't have that kind of money).
2 - Bragg's Amino Acids (three of them I cannot ingest without bad side effects)

Garlic/Ginger Stir Fry

2010-07-20T00:39:00.000-04:00

Garlic/Ginger Stir Fry

What you'll need:

1 egg white

6 tsp gluten free Tamari Soy Sauce (I recommend San-J)

4 tsp corn starch

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 c cold water

1/2 lb boneless beef sirloin, cut into strips or small squares

16 oz mixed stir fry veggies (We get the store brand. Just make sure there is nothing but veggies in your bag! Some companies add flavor and/or gluten.)

1 Tbsp Canola oil (may substitute unflavored another oil of choice)

cooked Basmati rice (* Do not get any kind of rice which has been "enriched". I've yet to find enriched rice which is still gluten free, thanks to the gluing of vitamins and minerals to the rice grains.)

In a bowl, combine egg white, ground ginger, garlic powder, 2 tsp of the Tamari sauce, and 1 tsp of the cornstach. Add the beef and stir to coat it evenly. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

After the 30 minutes has passed, in a small bowl, combine the water with 4 tsp Tarmari sauce and 3 tsp of cornstarch.

Heat 2 tbs of oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the beef mixture and brown. Then, add veggies and water mixture. Continue heating on medium, stirring often. May add a dash or two of garlic powder and ground ginger for extra flavor.

When sauce thickens, remove from heat and serve with rice.

Notes: This dish will keep for several days if properly covered and stored in the refrigerator. On following days, I put several scoops of rice and several scoops of the stir fry together in a bowl and microwave for approximately two minutes. Depending on the size of the bowl you serve, and the strength of your microwave, you may need to adjust the reheat time.

Recipe and photos may not be reposted/republished without our written permission.

GF Diet Guide: Part 3 - Basic Tips # 8

2010-07-13T15:38:00.000-04:00

8. Make sure everyone in your household understands what is going on.

I cannot stress enough how important this one is. Many gluten free folks have been victims of the stubborn idea that we are just picky eaters, and/or, what we don't know, won't hurt us. Some gluten free folks are knowingly victims, eating what they know they shouldn't so as not to offend the person who made the meal.

If I have to go out to eat, I tell the wait-staff (or take a dining card with me) that explains that I will have a life-threatening reaction / become violently ill if I consume gluten. We may not have immediate type of life-threatening reaction as someone who eats peanuts and goes into anaphylactic shock, but eating gluten does to incredible damage to our insides. If you're consuming gluten at all, you're not living 100% gluten free, and if you recall from an earlier post, untreated CD can lead to some bad to brutal problems.

Unfortunately, there are just too many people out there who will not take you seriously unless they view your eating request as an extremely serious situation. Otherwise, they will just view you as a picky, annoying customer.

You may have to present your situation to your household in a similar manner. If they care about you and your health, they should be willing to take you seriously.

Yes, there are people out there who you will not be able to convince. They may get their feelings hurt if you show up to a holiday (or such) meal with your own food and refuse to try theirs. They may have even tried making you something gluten free and will be upset if you don't try it. Unfortunately, many well-meaning people just don't know enough to cook safely for you. I've run into plenty of people who don't seem to know that most flours come from wheat, and even your standard cornmeal bags these days are also supplemented by wheat. They won't know the ingredients gluten can hide in, or they'll use the same pots, pans, utensils, etc. to make your foods.

But weigh the consequences carefully. Would you rather deal with hurt feelings or deal with being really sick for the next several hours, days, weeks, or months?

Does it stink having to skip out on free foods, potlucks, gatherings? You bet. I used to love potlucks at a former job. Loved getting to try what my team-mates made. Never knew why I'd get so sick that night.

If the people you live with are aware of how sick you get from eating all the time, they should also be aware when you stop getting sick when you give up gluten. This may be the only thing that helps some people realize you're not just being a picky eater.

It may not be as much fun to bring your own private dish, or to have to cook separate meals from your family/room-mates, but your body will thank you in the long run.

And if your family is willing to all go gluten free with you? Take them up on it! It will make your life so much easier! (I speak from experience!)

GF Diet Guide: Part 3 - Basic Tips # 7

2010-07-12T15:36:00.000-04:00

7. Make room in your fridge for gluten free food OR get a second fridge/freezer to keep gluten free in.

Again, straightforward, but bears mentioning. Unlike acquiring a separate cupboard for your cookware/utensils and non-perishables, acquiring your own fridge/freezer may not be as easy (or as affordable).

Talk things over with the other people in your household. Explain your situation, and ask that you can keep a shelf or two (depending on how many perishables you think you'll need space for) to be dedicated gluten free. It's very important that you LABEL all your food containers if you're putting them in a shared unit. Permanent marker works really well, but it can rub off in some circumstances. There are Sharpies out there that can withstand extreme temperatures. I bought one for a couple dollars at a Staples office supply store.

Even a product already says "Gluten Free" on the label, mark a great big GF or GLUTEN FREE on it anyhow. This will be MUCH more noticeable, especially if someone is just reaching into the fridge quickly. They won't take time to read a little manufacturer-printed label that reads Gluten Free, but a big notice added on in permanent market should catch their attention.

You may find that some containers are hard to write on, or that you can't find an ink colour that shows up on the container. In these cases, I got bright coloured round stickers (again from Staples), like the type you'll see on items at a garage sale. I wrote GF on them, and stuck them to the lid of the container.

Would love to hear ideas from my readers. What have you done to deter the non-gluten-free people in your household from inadvertently eating (or worse, contaminating) your food?

GF Diet Guide: Part 3 - Basic Tips # 6

2010-07-12T04:14:00.000-04:00

6. If you're not going to have a 100% gluten free house-hold, invest in a cupboard you can keep your new cookware, utensils, and non-perishable food in.

This tip doesn't really need much explanation. Very straightforward. But why do it? If you're living with someone(s) who are not eating gluten free, no matter how hard they try, there is always a chance someone will forget, will drip something, or, will decide to sample your food because they're curious or didn't have time to go grocery shopping, or ... various other reasons.

When I lived with my parents, I had a sturdy white cupboard (had formerly been used for office supplies) to store my pots, pans, utensils, pot/dish scrubbers - so they won't be used to wash gluten dishes, cutting boards, etcetera. I did actually have a couple shelves in the pantry for my GF items, and it worked out fine for me. I have seen plenty of stories about people living with family members and/or room-mates that found having a place to store all their non-perishables, separate from everyone else's food, really worked out for the best.

I strongly recommend putting a sign on the cupboard which reads "Gluten Free Items Only!".

Evaluate your living situation, and make a plan which works best for you/your household.

GF Diet Guide: Part 3 - Basic Tips # 5

2010-07-10T04:06:00.000-04:00

5. You're going to have to get rid of some of your food.

Anytime you're beginning a new diet, new lifestyle, etcetera, is a good time to take stock of what you have been eating, and make some changes. Clean out your fridge, your pantry, and start fresh.

Now, if you were just going on a diet to lose/gain weight, what you kept/tossed would be a little easier. But for the gluten free lifestyle, you're really going to have to learn how to read labels, what to look up on-line, and what to ask companies when you call to verify mysterious ingredeints such as "modified food startch". As Buffy ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer" once said), "Can you vague that up for me?"

The FDA does not have GREAT rules in place for us gluten-free folks, but they are getting better, and companies are becoming more conscientious and aware. If a company would rather maintain "secret" ingredients rather than caring whether or not they kill a consumer, DON'T EAT THEIR PRODUCTS!

There are a number of good websites out there, and I'm going to list a few of them for you. I recommend printing them out and putting them in a 3-ring binder like I have done. If you get one with a flexible cover, it's easy to take with you anywhere.

Safe Ingrdients
Unsafe Ingredients
Ingredients, Safe & Unsafe - The value of this list is it tells you what everything listed is!
Using Alternative Flours - by Allrecipes Staff
Labeling
On Your Plate - Great list of questions/answers. Download the PDFs which are particularly interesting to you, because the site notes that the question list changes as new ones are received!

I'd like to cover just a few foods/ingredients here. I'm not going to go over a lot, because the lists above are really comphrensive, but this will give you a brief idea of what you'll be learning.

Are oats gluten free? Usually. What this means is oats are *naturally* gluten free, but may have been cross contaminated in the field and/or in processing by gluten (often wheat). There are companies which sell certified gluten free oats.

Quaker Oatmeal is out, sorry. Even their plain oatmeal because there is no guarantee it is safe. Just within the last year or so, gluten fre instant oatmeal has shown up on the market. I've seen others come up in search results now, but EcoPlanet is the one I am familiar with; although, I have only tried their Maple & Brown Sugar flavor (and we add a little MORE brown sugar to it!). Unlike Quaker, however, you'll find additional ingredients in it, such as flax seeds. The extra ingredients add to the flavor! However, they also add to the FIBER, which, may help nature take its course a little faster than you're used to with oatmeal which is *just* oatmeal. For me, this dish is a treat for days I'm just planning to hang out at home. I want to stress that this type of reaction (for me) is due to the fiber content, and is NOT a gluten-like reaction.

*Note, there are people who simply cannot handle oats, even if they are 100% gluten free. For those of you who are going to be able to eat GF oats: Trying them too early after going gluten free may also give you a false negative. Your insides have been damaged by gluten and they need to heal. Testing oats out is something you should probably put off for a year or so from going gluten free.

What about milk? This seems like it should be obvious, right? And yes, milk is generally gluten free -- be careful with flavored milks of course. But people do wonder because many gluten intolerant people are also dairy intolerant. Some people simply ARE lactose intolerant and it's not something that going gluten free is going to help. Some people can have goat milk products (different enzymes) but not cow milk products. Some can't have any.

However, some of you may find that after a year or so of being gluten free (if you've eaten gluten for a long, long time, it may take your insides longer to heal), you'll be able to have milk again. (I advise testing this when you are home and not needing to go anywhere.) Why does healing from gluten allow milk? As I told you in a much earlier post, gluten destroys the villi in your intestines. The tips of the villi are what your body digests the dairy with. If the tips are gone, clearly you cannot process dairy. I used to have on/off problems with dairy, but once I gave up gluten and healed, suddenly dairy is fine all the time!

Please note, that everyone is different, and I am not suggesting everyone who can't process dairy go gluten free and then try dairy again. You may just be intolerant of dairy like you are of gluten. You may have a milk allergy.

Vinegar? From my research, all vinegars, except MALT vinegar, are safe. I have two big jugs in my kitchen right now - one white vinegar, the other apple cider vinegar. Both are from Wal-Mart. BOTH say "gluten free" on them. I actually use them for cleaning, but you're obviously going to find vinegar in a lot of foods (pickles and olives, for example).

Some labels will also say "distilled" vinegar. You'll read in many places that even if a product comes from a gluten grain, the distilling process removes the gluten. This is where you have to decide what is / is not safe for you.

Alcohol is a good example. There is gluten free beer. It's usually made from sorghum. Redbridge is pretty tasty - even for me (not a beer fan). My family tasted it and no one could tell it was gluten free. But it's NOT made from gluten-grains.

But a lot of alcohols are. Bailey's Irish Cream used to be one of my favouites for many things (not just drinks), but their website offers the disclaimer that they can't guarantee any of their products are gluten free -- even for anything distilled. I've discovered alcohol companies are extremely difficult to find on the web, and thus, research. Yes, calling is always an option, but I like to have things like this in writing.

If you're a fan of Irish Cream, look for Saint Brendan's Irish Liquour. I haven't tasted the bottle we have yet, so I can't tell you how it compares, but their website DOES state they are gluten free.

Talking with your physician is always a good move. Or, if you're doing an elimination diet on your own, trust what your body tells you! If you're trying a product that appears safe, but you can't confirm if it is/isn't 100% gluten free, do yourself a favor: only try one of these items at any given time, or you'll have no idea what made you sick and what didn't!

Also, right now, a product only needs to have less than 20ppm (parts per million) gluten to be considered gluten free. Think about this though; let's say that you eat something that contains somewhere between 1 and 19ppm gluten. It doesn't bother you because the amount of gluten is trivial, but you're only eating it every now and then. Now, let's take that same product and have you consume it every day, or several times a day. That 1-19ppm is going to build up in your body, and it is no longer a trivial amount. This is something I've seen discussed a lot in Celiac communities. A product was fine and it suddenly made them sick. It wasn't a change of ingredients -- it was a build up of a tiny amount of gluten. This is another area you need to be careful.

One way you can do that is to limit the number of items you eat which are processed on gluten-lines and/or on different lines but in the same facility as gluten-containing-products. Food labels will frequently (although not always) include a disclaimer about this.

Additionally, in your first year or so starting your gluten free diet, try not to eat out unless you absolutely have no choice. This will really help you control what you're putting into your body, while you're trying to heal.

One last note before I move onto tip #6. Does this mean you're going to have a fridge and pantry that looks like a bachelor pad/college student/stereotypical bare larder? It doesn't have to! I am happy to say that while this was my initial experience, the more I've learned, the more food options I've found -- and not all of them are pre-packaged. We must remember that there are many natural foods which are perfectly safe - and should be part of our diet (fruits and veggies, anyone?). Both my fridge and cupboards are *packed* full these days.

I'll try to get some pictures together to share with you soon.

As always, comments and questions are most welcome!

GF Diet Guide: Part 3 - Basic Tips # 4

2010-07-07T00:06:00.000-04:00

4. Clean out your silverware drawer and silverware tray.

Yup, we're still cleaning!

Luckily, your silveware is probably a keeper. If it's horribly scratched, dinged, dented, gouged ... it probably should be replaced even if you weren't going gluten free! But otherwise, just wash it well.

The silveware drawer is notorious for having bread crumbs and all sorts of other bits of food dropped into it.

Here is what I advise:

Take everything out and wash it really well. If your silverware tray is scratched up, buy a new one. They're cheap. If not, wash it out really well and let it dry.

Now wash down the drawer. Be careful since it's probably wood (or pretending to be wood). You don't want to soak it, but get it clean. Soap and water, not chemicals, and dry it thoroughly. Use a hair dryer (on low) if need be.

Now get drawer liners (grocery stores tend to sell them). Measure out how much you need, cut it off, and peel the backing off. Lay it down VERY carefully!

Now you have a nice clean drawer with a new liner which is much easier to wipe clean.

Put all your silverware back.

If your household is not 100% gluten free, have a talk with your fellow housemates on keeping gluten out of the drawer!

You may want to clean and line your other cupboards this way too. I only did the silverware drawer this time, but I have done others in the past (more for ease-of-cleaning than gluten free reasons).

GF Diet Guide: Part 3 - Basic Tips # 3

2010-07-06T23:55:00.000-04:00

3. Get ready to replace some small appliances.

I pretty much covered this in tip #2 about replacing cookware, but since I've read so many posts on-line about this, I figure it is worth repeating.

It is unlikely that you will get all the nooks and crannies of small appliances totally clean. I remember how I used to clean out the toaster at my parents' house, and no matter how much I shook that toaster, bread crumbs still remained. GLUTEN! Get yourself a new toaster! They're pretty cheap.

A bread machine should go without saying, but don't get a refurbished (used) one. Save up, buy a new one. Is a few dollars of savings worth getting sick?

The microwave is probably cleanable. If you can't get it 100% clean, buy a new one. They're not that expensive, and it's better than getting sick. The turntable is usually glass, so unless it is all scratched up, you really should be able to get it clean. Make sure there's no food on the walls/ceiling of the appliance. One way to help get things clean is to put a glass measuring cup in the microwave, equal parts vinegar and water (1/2 cup each worked for me), and heat to a rolling boil. The vinegar/water mix will help loosen food, making it easy to wipe down. Don't worry about the vinegar smell, it will fade very quickly.

Toaster oven, like the toaster, is something I would advise replacing.

Big things, like the oven, you can probably clean thoroughly enough, especially if it has self-cleaning modes. Make sure nothing has exploded in the oven and is left hanging on, where it could fall into your food. Scrub down your fridge too, to make sure that there's no crumbs of gluten in there that might contaminate your new gluten-free foods. Dishwasher should be fine to keep using. You can check for left behind food and get everything scrubbed clean to be safe.

I am currently in an apartment, and of course, we had no idea what kinds of foods had been in the apartment prior to us moving into it. We cleaned all the big appliances thoroughly before putting any of our own foods away, and haven't had any problems.

Would love to hear experiences and suggestions from my readers.

Cooking became more fun when . . .

2010-07-05T15:49:00.000-04:00

I follow the Gluten Free Girl on Facebook, and on July 1, she made this post:

Write a blog post by Monday night, filling in this blank: "Cooking became easier, and more fun, when I learned [...]. If you want to include a recipe, great. If not, that's okay too. I'll do a giant round-up post on Monday night with everyone's stuff.

Cooking became easier when I was no longer in a divided household (i.e. two gluten eaters and 1 gluten-free eater). My current household is two gluten-free eaters, even though I'm the only one that needs to be gluten free!

This makes everything loads easier, because we don't have to worry about cross-contaminating anything. If your household is willing to do this for your health and safety, I strongly recommend you take them up on it! It has lead to both of us eating healthier as well. Not only are we gluten-free, but we're now working on cutting out things like High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and other unhealthy things.

We recently got our own ice cream machine (no rock salt needed!), and can't wait to try it out! We want to save up for the CuisinArt Soft Serve machine too!

Since there's only one place around here which is safe for me to eat out at (Cracker Barrel, believe it or not!), we've learned to make a lot more from scratch (and sometimes, gluten free box mixes).

Cooking became more fun when I had someone to cook with, who was willing to experiment and come up with recipes that were gluten free but still delicious. I don't have any recipes to share right now, but we are working on getting ours written up, with accompanying photos, to share on this blog. Eventually, we hope to put a cookbook together for sale as well.

The Gluten Free Insider: You're Celiac or have Food Allergies. Are you prepared for a natural disaster?

2010-06-30T12:25:00.000-04:00

Kinnikinnick blogged about being prepared for natural disasters when you're Celiac or have food allergies. They've included some great tips/suggestions. I think it is well worth a read, especially by anyone living in areas which are prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes.

The Gluten Free Insider: You're Celiac or have Food Allergies. Are you prepared for a natural disaster?

GF Diet Guide: Part 3 - Basic Tips Expanded & Explained: #2

2010-06-30T00:51:00.000-04:00

2. Buy new cookware. Unless you've been using stainless steel pots, pans, utensils and they are unscratched, you'll never get what you have clean enough. You may end up replacing some stainless steel items all the same, however.

This one is pretty simple. It all comes down to cross contamination. Think about it a moment. Let's take an onion for example. It's not gluten, but it does leave behind strong smells, tastes, and peelings, so it's a good visual example.

You're making stew, so you cut up several onions with your knife and drop the onions in the pot. That was the last of the stew preparation, and now it's time to wash and cut the fruit. Would you use that same knife without washing it? Only if onion-flavoured fruit is your cup of tea!

But most of us would wash it thoroughly to make sure all the onion residue was gone.

But what if the knife has a few scratches in it, and you can't quite get all the onion off the blade. Do you still use it for cutting the fruit? Most of us would probably get out another knife, just to be safe. Not too many people are going to want onion-flavored bananas!

Now imagine that all those little cracks in your silverware, your cutting board, your pots and pans, etcetera, are filled with gluten instead of onion. Now instead of a funny taste, you're going to get really sick to your stomach (or make someone really sick if you're preparing gluten free foods for kids, your spouse, etcetera).

Do you want to do that? Hopefully your answer is NO!

Here is a list of what you should absolutely replace:

non-stick cookware *especially if it's scratched, no matter how small the scratch is!
items with tight corners/curves (difficult to be sure you got it 100% clean)
colanders/strainers
toaster
toaster oven
bread machine
fryer/deep fryer
tupperware/rubbermaid/similar
plastic or wooden spatulas/ladles/tongs
cutting boards
Teflon anything
old cookie sheets/pie pans/etc
oven mitts
anything wooden/bamboo/etc
plastics
rubber
sponges

Remember that you don't have to replace all at once! You didn't buy all your kitchen-ware at one time, did you? As you first learn to cook gluten free, you're probably not going to be making a wide variety of dishes, so your basic sets of kitchen stuff will be enough.

Did you find a good gluten free bread? Replace the toaster. I got a white plastic one and wrote GLUTEN FREE all over it. At the time, I was living with my parents, and I was the only one eating gluten free. I kept it in the box a lot of the time, just to be sure no crumbs fell into it!

Here are some items that you can modify or potentially get clean enough. Please note, however, that some of us are more sensitive than others. I am SUPER sensitive to gluten, so my list of "maybe it doesn't need to be replaced" is extremely small. However, I've read some of these suggestions from blogs over the past few years, and am just putting them out there for your consideration. You need to do what is right for you, while keeping in mind that even if you don't react to small amounts of gluten, it can still do damage to your insides that you don't feel.

Sponges (dish cloths, etc). You need to keep sponges/dish cloths, etcetera that are as gluten free as the rest of your items. If you wash your pan out with a sponge that was just used to wash off a gluten-covered pot, you'll probably be heading out the next day to replace your pot. While living with my parents, I kept my sponge and scubber in the GF cupboard with my pots and pans.

crock pot
cast iron

About the crock pots: I'd used mine only a few times, but I know I made gluteny dishes in it. The pot did not have any chips or cracks, and is ceramic and smooth. However, just to be safe, after giving it a thorough scrubbing before the first gluten free use, I put a crock pot liner in it! This does not interfere with the flavor (and believe me, I'd notice if it did!) and prevents the food from touching the pot. Makes for a much easier clean-up, too!

Cast iron: Luckily, the cast iron I used prior to my diagnosis was not mine, so getting new items was the only option. However, some folks suggest doing this: Put it in the oven on the self-cleaning cycle, scrub it well, re-season it, and dedicate it to gluten free cooking. The oven cycle is supposed to get hot enoughh to turn any food particles to ash, which you can then brush away. Personally, I'd rather just save up and get a new pan -- or put it on your wish list. Did you know that Amazon has a feature now that allows you to add ANY item from ANY store to your Amazon wish list?

Now, if you're living on your own, or if your entire household is gluten free, this won't be an issue. But for those of you with non-GF roommates, family, etctera, you're going to have to find a safe place to keep your new gluten-free kitchenware so it won't become contaminated!

My parents had a white cupboard that had only been used for office supplies. They didn't need it any more, so I cleaned it out, and now it's for gluten free items only. I do use their silverware and dishes, since they're not chipped and can be thoroughly cleaned. But, I only use my pots, pans, spatulas, etcetera, when I'm up visiting. My current household is gluten free, even though I'm the only one that needs to be gluten free.

Despite some stereotypes, there really are a lot of tasty gluten free items out there, and a lot of natural foods (fruit, veggies, unadulterated meats) are gluten free to begin to start! It's also much harder to impulse buy in the grocery store, because you have to read all the labels. It also helps your non-GF household members (if they're willing) to give up a lot of the pre-packaged, processed "foods" that no one should really be eating in the first place!

Wondering if there's anything you DON'T have to replace? Yup! Uncoated, unscratched stainless steel!

Would love to get some feedback from my readers (I know you're out there!) on what you've done to protect your gluten free items in a non-gluten free household! Did anyone discover new kitchen items that now you can't live without?

Anyone have any questions?

GF Diet Guide: Part 3 - Basic Tips Expanded & Explained: #1

2010-06-27T14:59:00.000-04:00

I apologize for taking so long to post the next part of my "Starting a GF Diet" entries. In May I got really sick (strep) and wasn't able to do much on the computer (or anything else that involved sitting up!). It set me back a ways on getting things done!

1. Accept that you can't eat the foods you used to eat.

A gluten free diet isn't something you're going to lose weight or gain weight, or to feel a little better, that you can then give up when you achieve that. You're going on this diet for life. Maybe it will help if you think of it as a "lifestyle" instead of a diet. Diets tend to be short term. Gluten Free, yeah, that's for life, and you don't want life to be short term, do you?

Is it really that serious?

YES. Yes, it is. If you had a severe food allergy, you'd take it seriously, wouldn't you? Why is an auto-immune disorder/food intolerancy any different?

I read somewhere recently (apologies, I forget where) that quite a high percentage of people who know they have Celiac's, cheat and eat gluten.

You *can't* do this. Not for a celebration, not for your birthday, not because it's easier when you're out with friends, not at church (they make gluten free hosts - and don't go drinking out of a communal goblet that gluteny folks drank out of either - cross contamination), not anywhere.

Will you get glutened by mistake? Yes, probably. Even those of us who are experienced on the diet can get glutened - often by well meaning friends and family, or by friends and family who don't take you seriously and think you're just being picky.

I've seen people post in communities about how they didn't want to hurt someone's feelings, so they ate a dish they *knew* wasn't going to sit well ... and then suffered the consequences. Stand-up for yourself, for your body. If you know it's bad for you, don't eat it. You're the one that's going to suffer for it.

Is it going to be hard? Yup, you bet. Unless you started a gluten free diet as a really young kid, you've probably got some favourites you don't want to give up. I know I did. Stuff that was totally bad for me, gluten or not, but I sure didn't want to give it up. My most missed treat? Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes. You know the ones? With the cream filling and the chocolate icing on top with the squiggly white icing? Yeah, I really missed those for awhile. (I'm determined to find a way to make a gluten free version to have as a special treat.)

Then I got glutened accidentally at a restaurant and was unbelievably sick. I thought to myself, "How did I put up with this for so many years?" I felt like I was going to die. It all came back, the stomach and intestinal cramps - and all which follows that. The feeling like I may vomit. The nausea, the dizziness, the chills, the anxiety, and the brain fog. Brain fog is bad enough at any time. I was working on my Masters at the time I went gluten free!

But you say to yourself, "Self, I've been sick before, I can handle it. It's better than making (insert name) feel bad when they went to so much trouble."

But is a night / a few nights / a few weeks really all you're going to get?

Let's look at what can happen to untreated Celiac's (untreated in a Celiac's case being not following the life-long gluten free diet).

What can you experience, if you don't go gluten free? Declining dental health, failure to thrive (and yes, this can happen in adults, not just infants/children), malnutrition, osteoporosis, increased risk of cancer (especially gastrointestinal cancer), neurological conditions, miscarriage, etcetera. Now, wouldn't you rather go gluten free?

Food City Update!

2010-05-18T01:52:00.000-04:00

From Food City on FaceBook:

"Around the end of May we are targeting having gluten free identifiers on tags for around 350 items in the stores. These will be on items that the packaging specifically states the product is gluten free. We think this will help shoppers identify the items they are looking for more easily and is a great step in continuing to add and identify gluten free products in the stores."

This is really great news for those of us who shop at Food City!

For readers not familiar with Food City, it is part of K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. The acronym comes from the states the stores are located: Kentucy, Virginia, Tennessee.

GF Diet Guide: Part 2 - Basic Tips

2010-04-28T00:04:00.000-04:00

This post is going to be just a list of tips. I will expand on items in the list in another post.

1. Accept that you can't eat the foods you used to eat.
2. Buy new cookware. Unless you've been using stainless steel pots, pans, utensils and they are unscratched, you'll never get what you have clean enough. You may end up replacing some stainless steel items all the same, however.
3. Get ready to replace some small appliances.
4. Clean out your silverware drawer and silverware tray.
5. You're going to have to get rid of some of your food.
6. If you're not going to have a 100% gluten free house-hold, invest in a cupboard you can keep your new cookware, utensils, and non-perishable food in.
7. Make room in your fridge for gluten free food OR get a second fridge/freezer to keep gluten free in.
8. Make sure everyone in your household understands what is going on.
9. If you have kids who will be hanging out with friends, eating meals at school ... make sure your children understand the seriousness of cheating on this diet.
10. Don't put your kids in the "fun carts" at the grocery store. Trust me, they're not cleaned thoroughly enough to make them safe for people with Celiac.
11. Expect to have longer shopping trips; reading labels is a must, not an option.
12. Don't plan to eat out for awhile. Preferably until your insides heal.

Yes, this is not going to be easy, but as my Dad would say, it's about managing expectations. Do you want to lead a healthy life or do you want to put yourself at risk for the dangers that come from not treating (never eating gluten again) your Celiac's Disease?

Starting a Gluten Free Diet: Part 1

2010-04-27T19:55:00.000-04:00

If you go back to October 2009, you'll find my posts about why I started this blog, and what Celiac Disease is and how it's different from your everyday food allergy. (Mind you, you can be allergic to wheat and *not* be Celiac or, you can be allergic to wheat and be Celiac on top of that allergy.)

I've talked to a few people in the area - most recently a very nice lady who had recently moved to the area, and was looking for gluten free information. She knew one family member was definitely Celiac, but suspected the same for other family members. It can be really hard starting out on the GF diet, knowing you have to give up a lot -- particularly difficult for people who are diagnosed later in life and will be aware of the long-loved foods that they will have to give up. Plus, gluten hides in a variety of places - many times in foods you would never suspect, making elimination MUCH harder.

I told her that I would put up a new entry on how to start a gluten free diet, to help her -- and anyone else who is reading! I also hope for my entry(ies) on starting a diet to be helpful to people who may have been on the diet for awhile, but are having trouble knowing what is and isn't safe.

To keep the entries from being excessively long and overwhelming, I am going to break this up into parts. You will find the Table of Contents for this guide in the left-hand column of my blog layout.

For my readers: Is there something you're wondering about as you start your diet? Did you already start but you're not sure you're on the right parth? Leave me comment(s) with your questions, and I'll see if I can work the answers to your questions in on one (or more) of my entries.

Local Interest: Finding Gluten Free products in the Tri-Cities area (VA/TN)

2010-04-27T15:59:00.000-04:00

This is for people living in and/or visiting the Tri-Cities area of Virginia and Tennessee. The Shouting Sprout, in Bristol, TN, unfortunately closed at the end of 2009. They did have some good items, but since there wasn't a huge health food market in the area, many times the products would be out of date.

Luckily, there are two great shops in Johnson City, TN, which, round trip from Abingdon, VA, is, give or take, about 2 hours. We've found the prices to be fairly reasonable too - as gluten free goes.

Here is where we go in Johnson City:

Earth Fare

1735 West State of Franklin Road
Johnson City, TN 37604-6573
(423) 232-1011
Get directions

This is a supermarket for the health conscious - but without terribly ridiculous prices. We are on a tight budget, and being gluten free doesn't help, but we believe the prices here are fair. Take a look at their WONDERFUL food philosophy!!

So you can find a number of gluten free foods, sauces, almond butters (Justin's is the brand I suggest because they are labeled GF - I believe they do peanut butter as well. Smart Balance PB is also safe), candy bars, gum (Glee Gum), etcetera.

But guess what? gluten frequently hides in DELI MEATS! Yup, it's a filler (and/or binding agent)! So, take your cooler along and stock up on some tasty deli meats and other deli items that are safe! Plus, they are MSG free as well. This is a good thing for many reasons. Primarily, MSG is NOT good for you. Two, from my own experience and from reading Celiac blogs, folks with Celiac's Disease and/or gluten intolerance frequently respond badly to MSG.

When you go to the deli section, look specifically for this brand: Applegate Farms. They are organic and anti-biotic free, and delicious! We've tried (and love) the Organic Genoa Salami, the Honey & Maple Turkey Breast, and the Uncured Honey Ham. Next time we'll take the cooler and maybe try some more! If you don't plan to use it right away, these meats are WELL sealed and have a use OR FREEZE BY date!

Now, this note of caution applies to EVERY deli (not just Earth Fare):

Also, do NOT try any samples that have been put out - even cheeses. You have no idea if the knife used to cut the cheese was used to cut something unsafe right before hand. Want sliced meats but only one large ham (or similiar) is available? Buy your meats, get a meat slicer (I've seen them for reasonable prices) and slice your meats at home to avid cross contamination. You don't know what was cut on it before and you won't always get an understanding clerk who is willing to wash down (and do it properly) the entire slicer for your order. I've watched the deli clerks where I work wash down the slicer and it's not a fast process.

Earth Fare is also where I was able to find my (Desert Organics) gluten free shampoo. Check out my post about gluten free hair care as to why I went on the hunt for a non-edible GF product, and why you may want to consider switching out your personal care products too!

Natural Foods Market
nfmonline.com
3211 Peoples Street
Johnson City, TN 37604-4109
(423) 610-1000
Get directions

We get our bread here. It is a brand called Schar, and it is imported from Germany. They carry White Sandwich Bread, Multi-grain, and Hamburger rolls. There may be a fourth item, but I'm not certain. I have not tried the rolls. Of the breads, I prefer the white bread. Although the multi-grain bread IS good on its own, the white bread tastes better with your average sandwich (PB&J, Grilled Cheese, with deli meats, etc).

They have a wide selection of other gluten free products - even "bread"crumbs which are yummy!

The staff here is wonderful and very friendly!

****Be sure you take your own bags to Earth Fare! Starting Earth Day of 2010, they cut plastic bags!

Gluten Free: Personal Care continued (Non-Food Items)

2010-04-16T21:38:00.000-04:00

From their websites:

Does Aquafresh® contain any gluten?
Aquafresh® toothpaste does not contain gluten.

Do any Crest products contain gluten?
No current Crest products contain gluten. (Based on this, I plan to switch to Crest mouthwash. I use Colgate toothpaste, but their answer is too toothpaste-oriented for my preference.)

Does Colgate toothpaste contain gluten?
Gluten is not present in any of our toothpastes or raw materials.

Head & Shoulders
We know Celiac is a serious disease, so we want to give you clear information regarding the use of Head & Shoulders. All of our products are gluten free. (This is good to know, but I am still glad I switched to a shampoo that is also free of . But if those types of things don't bother you, and you're simply looking for an easy to find GF Shampoo/Conditioner, H&S may be a good choice for you!)

Bounce Fabric Softeners
No Fabric Softners products contain gluten. (Confirmed in e-mail this morning.)

Arm & Hammer
ARM & HAMMER® UltraMax® Deodorant Anti-Perspirant and ARM & HAMMER® Super Scoop Fragrance Free Cat Litter** do not contain gluten. We do not knowingly include gluten in our formulation for ARM & HAMMER® Liquid Laundry Detergent. However, we can not verify whether gluten may be present below reportable limits in the proprietary materials we obtain from our suppliers.

If you have any questions or concerns in the future, please feel free to contact our Consumer Relations Department at 1-800-248-8820 between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm ET or visit our corporate web site at: www.churchdwight.com. (Confirmed in email this morning.)

** I asked about their kitty litter for 2 reasons: 1, I don't want to touch it if there is gluten in it. 2, Our cat is also gluten intolerant! Soon, I'll cover some gluten free cat foods. I don't have a dog, but if this is something you'd like me to look into for YOUR dog, please drop me a line and I'll check it out and blog about it! :-)

Topcare (Topco Associates LLC
Allergy Chlorpheniramine Maleate Antihistamine
NDC 36800-463-62
4-Hour Relief
Relieves:
Runny Nose
Sneezing
Itchy, Watery Eyes
Itchy Throat

24 Tablets

Active ingredient in each tablet:
Chlorpheniramine Maleate, 4mg (Antihistamine)

Inactive ingredients: corn starch, D&C yellow no. 10, lactose, magnesium stearate

I called TopCo at 1-888-423-0139 two-three days ago to find out if it was gluten free. I was pretty sure it was safe, but wanted to verify it. They called back this morning to say there is NO GLUTEN in it! I am particularly happy about this because this is the only anti-histamine that works well for me, but until now, I've only been able to find it in Children's Chewable Triaminic ... where it has been sweetened by ASPARTAME! So, I've been dealing with having to take less anti-histamine then I would have liked due to my poor reaction to aspartame - for years now. I am so relieved to find this medication all by itself. I can't swallow pills, but I far prefer a bitter, unsweetened medication over aspartame, sucralose (splenda), etcetera. (Even better, we bought about 8 packs, on sale for $1.00 each!).

The anti-histamine not only helps my seasonal allergies, but also relieves the itching I get on my hands (and sometimes legs) when I come in physical, non-digestive contact with gluten.

* Please remember to check ingredients and company websites as ingredient/supplier information could change at any time.

Gluten Free: Hair Care

2010-04-16T01:20:00.000-04:00

As I have learned recently, some of us on the gluten-free diet must also abstain from touching gluten! Whole new ballgame now.

So over the last week, I set off to learn what I could about gluten in personal care products, and find out which were safe for me to use.

I had already determined that my shampoo made my hands burn, and they'd hurt more afterwards, but I had always thought - well, it's just because they are broken out/apart, and left it at that. Now I realize it was a gluten reaction - without even having to digest it (trace amounts swallowed when soapy water runs down your face not withstanding).

If you've ever read a shampoo bottle, you know how difficult it is to determine what exactly is in there to begin with; many names are listed by their chemical make-up, which tells the average consumer absolutely nothing.

Yesterday, we took a trip to Earth Fare, in Johnson City, TN, for a gluten free shopping trip. We only had food items on the list, but since it is a grocery store, I decided to check out their personal care items.

We came home with shampoo and conditioner from Desert Organics* which are labeled 100% wheat and gluten free! (Also free of many other things as well.) I got Lemon Tea Tree - which actually turned out to smell a bit like Pledge! I am pleased to report, however, that after the shower, as my hair dries, it has merely retained a "nice fruity smell".

Neither the shampoo nor conditioner made my hands hurt at all during use. Usually, the shampoo/conditioner makes my hands burn badly within seconds. As I rinsed the conditioner out of my hair, I loved the silky, smooth feeling my hair had -- and is retaining even as it (air) dries!

I opted not to put anything on my hands or take any medications that I usually do post-shower. I haven't needed them. It's an AMAZING difference!

* Please not that one of their shampoos we looked at (Coconut, I believe) was NOT Gluten Free - I believe it had wheat in it. I don't think the Coconut Lotion did though, so be sure you read your labels carefully!

Food City Helps the Gluten Free Community!

2010-04-10T15:25:00.000-04:00

Starting in January of this year, I started discussing Gluten Free with the person/people who manage Food City's FaceBook page. Originally they were looking into seeing if a list of GF items could be released. That did not come to fruition, but what they are going to do is going to be infinitely more helpful.

From Food City:

"Our advertising team is working on creating in-store tags to post at our Gluten-Free products. I will let you know when they are going up in stores so you can keep an eye out for them! I hope that this will be helpful in the future for your shopping trips at Food City."

If you're familiar with shopping for GF items at Kroger, you already have an idea of what Food City is working on. I don't know what the tags will look like yet, nor do I have a time frame of when this will happen, but I will definitely be keeping you posted.

Note: There is always a chance of a tag being placed under a wrong item, or an item being restocked into an incorrect place and ending up above a GF shelf tag when the two don't match, so please always remember to read the ingredients before taking anything home! I ran into this just once with a Kroger store in Roanoke, VA. It took asking/explaining twice (to the night crew and then the morning crew the next day), but by that afternoon, the problem had been resolved.

Gluten isn't just in food!

2010-03-25T01:57:00.000-04:00

Okay, so the other day, we received our weekly (or so) mailing from Proctor & Gamble. Usually, these are just coupons - some we can use, some we can't. But this most recent mailing was a product sample for a shampoo and conditioner called Fekkai. Apparently this is a "high class" hair product.

We already have a brand or two that we like, and more importantly, can afford, but hey, free shampoo is free shampoo, so I set it aside as I went through the rest of the mail.

A few days later, I peel the sample packets out of the mailer they came in and flip them over to take a look at the ingredients. Have you ever noticed that many low-end and high-end shampoos contain, more less, the same ingredients? And of course, most shampoo ingredients are chemicals that the average person cannot decipher sources for.

But this product has a lot of natural things - like grape seed extract, so I'm able to recognize what many things are....

And then I come to, HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN!

Great, just what I wanted in my gluten-free house! And hydrolyzed to boot (hydrolyzed, lipolyzed, autolyzed, etcetera, brings MSG into the picture on top of the already bad gluten).

Why, you may ask, do I care if gluten is in shampoo? Surely, you're not going to EAT the shampoo?

Well, no, of course I'm not going to eat it -- but just about everyone's had the experience of having soap dribble down your face and into your mouth. You'll spit it out, of course, but there's a chance you'll ingest some of it. And there goes all my careful diet planning, ruined by SHAMPOO.

Also, there are some people who have ALLERGIES to gluten, not just an intolerance, and will react to a topical gluten without ingesting anything.

Unfortunately, as a non-edible product, there is no "Allergen warning" on shampoo packages. At least, I've yet to see one.

Buy my own Gluten Free t-shirt design and support this blog!

2010-03-12T10:37:00.001-05:00

Gluten Free by Marriage by mysticsong1978
Make custom t-shirts at zazzle.com

Responses from Manufacturers: January 2009

2010-02-01T16:25:00.000-05:00

General Mills: Website copyright is for 2009

http://www.liveglutenfreely.com/products/default.aspx

Nature Made Vitamins: January 6, 2009
We recently received your e-mail regarding Nature Made Chewable Vitamin C 500MG.

We appreciate your question concerning the gluten content of this product.

We are unhappy to inform you that this product is not gluten free, barley is the gluten source.

We thank you for contacting us and hope that you will continue to use and enjoy Nature Made products with
complete confidence.

Note: Their ending line about continuing to use the product with complete confidence, when it was clear that I wouldn’t be able to use the product, inspired me to find another vitamin company altogether! Their label, last I checked still does NOT mention barley on the label.

Burt’s Bees: January 23, 2009

This company sent me an e-mail with a link to their website where I could research on my own. Of course, my method is to research first and then contact when I cannot find any useful information, so this was aggravating.

The link they sent was not helpful either, as the FAQ doesn’t mention gluten at all. I have noticed some grocery stores (ex: Kroger) putting gluten free stickers in front of some Burt’s Bees products, but I don’t know how they are sure they are safe, unless the labels have since been updated to specify they are gluten free.

I did try one of their lip balms that had been marked with a gluten free sticker, and it made my lips burn for hours – something I’ve never had happen from gluten. I was never able to figure out what ingredient would have caused such a reaction, but I’ve never tried their lip balm again!

I do use one of their apricot scrubs (GF status unknown), but since I don’t put it any where near my face, the chance of ingesting any is pretty slim!

ShiKai: January 26, 2009

Hello Amanda,

Thank you for your interest in ShiKai Products. Most of our products are gluten free. The products that may be of some concern to you is our hand & body lotions, our liquid hand soaps, and our shower gels. Our shower gels contain collodial oatmeal in them. Our liquid hand soaps and our new hand & body lotions both have wheatgerm in them. All other products are gluten free. Thank you and have a good day.

Karina

Follow-up, same-day, clarification:
All other products are gluten free that includes all of our borage products including the foot cream. The Vitamin E in our foot cream is derived from soy.

Karina
http://shikai.com/

Seventh Generation: January 26, 2009

Hi Amanda,

Thanks for writing to us.

I am sorry this was not clear when looking at the FAQ's.

None of our products are derived or contain gluten. They should be a good match for you.

I hope this helps you find the right products for your home. Please contact me if I can do anything further to assist you.

Sefton Hirsch

Consumer Insights

Seventh Generation

Neutrogena: January 27, 2009
Dear Amanda:

Thank you for contacting Neutrogena®. It is always important to
hear from our consumers, and we appreciate the time you have taken
to contact us.

A full list of ingredients is included in the ingredient
statements on our products’ labels. If you would like to discuss
a specific product’s ingredients in detail, please contact us at
1-800-582-4048 Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 AM
to 8 PM, Eastern Time. Any of our specialists would be happy to
assist you with your inquiry.

Thank you for your interest in our products.

Should you have any comments or questions in the future, please
feel free to contact us via our website, www.neutrogena.com, or by
calling our toll-free number, 1-800-582-4048. Our specialists are
available Monday through Friday between 8 AM and 8 PM EST and
will be happy to assist you.

Note: I am never impressed by this type of response. Body product ingredient lists are notoriously difficult to read, and I don’t fancy sitting in the Health-Beauty (HBC) aisle at the grocery store calling the company and have them define one chemical after another for me. This type of response generally turns me off of a company.

Estee Lauder: January 30, 2009, and February 9, 2009

Again, not impressed. I specified the products I was concerned about in my initial e-mail.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us and for your interest in Estée Lauder.

In response to your inquiry, as you may know, our product line is quite extensive. Therefore, in order to respond to your inquiry regarding gluten, we need to know the exact name and shade (if applicable) of the product(s) which you use or would be interested in using. We will then consult our laboratories and share our findings with you.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Sincerely,

Noemi Miranda
Response Representative
Global Consumer Communications

Their follow-up:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us and for your interest in Estée Lauder.

A vast number of raw materials from many different suppliers and sources are used in the manufacture of Estee Lauder Companies' products. It is therefore not possible for us to fully guarantee that our products are completely free of ingredients that may elicit an allergic response in highly sensitive individuals who react to gluten. For example, it is possible that small amounts of a wheat sourced ingredient may remain on shared manufacturing equipment even after a thorough cleaning. We therefore recommend that you discuss this with your physician, because consumer safety is of utmost concern to us.

In response to your inquiry, the Beautiful fragrance may contain ingredient derived from wheat.

Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns.

Sincerely,

Keimone Downer
Response Representative
Global Consumer Communications

Ragu: January 30, 2009
Hello Amanda,

Thanks for writing!

Common ingredients that may contain gluten are rye, wheat, oats
and barley, and noodles and pasta prepared with any of the
previously mentioned grains. HVP, TVP, flavorings, are likely to
contribute gluten as well, however, if they contain any gluten,
the source would always be listed in the ingredient statements.

Since product formulations change from time to time, we do not
have a printed list of products that identifies those products
that contain specific allergens or gluten. The best advice we can
give you is to check the ingredient list on the label.
Ingredients allergens as defined by FDA: peanuts, tree nuts, soy,
fish, seafood, wheat, eggs, and milk or dairy, as well as any
ingredient that may contain gluten are always listed on the label.

Therefore, WE SUGGEST READING ALL INGREDIENT LABELS CAREFULLY.

We hope this information is helpful!

Kind regards,
Your friends at Ragu

Note: I have never had a problem with the Ragu sauce I use for my made-from-scratch pizza. However, I always check the label to ensure nothing has changed since they indicate they will specifically list any gluten-containing ingredient on their label.

Responses from Manufacturers: August, October, December 2008

2010-02-01T15:50:00.000-05:00

Nestle: August 1, 2008

The Gerber® Single Grain Rice Cereal does not contain gluten. However, due to occasional ingredient changes, the labels of all containers should be checked for ingredients and accepted as the actual content.

Gerber has extensive quality control practices to clean up production facilities to prevent cross contamination of food allergens from one product to another. In addition to very stringent cleanup procedures that must be applied between production of different products, employees receive "allergen training". Gerber has also had FDA inspections which included evaluations of our allergen control processes and the FDA did not find any faults with our control practices.

If you have additional questions or concerns, please call 1-800-4-GERBER and refer to File No. 030309202A. Our representatives are available any time day or night to assist you.

Best wishes from your friends @ gerber.com.

Nestle: August 26, 2008

Thank you for taking the time to contact Nestlé® regarding whether or not there is gluten in our Nesquik and Hot Cocoa. We welcome questions and comments from loyal consumers such as yourself and appreciate this opportunity to assist you.

Our gluten allergen statement is for gluten from any source, not just wheat. All Nesquik Powder flavors, including the No Sugar Added, are made on equipment that also processes wheat. There is no direct addition of gluten, but there is cross-contact potential. For this reason, no flavor is considered gluten free. Our Hot Cocoa Mixes are also processed on equipment that processes soy and wheat.

There are eight major food allergens, including milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts and almonds), soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. Regulations on food labels require that all ingredients be listed on the label’s ingredient statement. Nestlé USA ensures that when any of these eight allergens are present in our products - no matter how much is included or whether a supplier may have added it - we note it on the label. We see it as our responsibility to ensure that these ingredients are properly labeled by their common name in the ingredient statement.

For your convenience we have also attached a list of gluten free products manufactured by Nestlé® USA. [Link: http://nestle-consumerservices.casupport.com/eglutenfree.pdf]

At Nestlé, we are dedicated to you and your family throughout every phase of your lives. Your feedback is valuable to us, as it helps us to improve our products and services.

We appreciate your interest in our products and hope you will visit our website often for the latest information on our products and promotions.

Sincerely,
Beverly Watson
Consumer Response Representative

Walkers Crisps: October 29, 2008

Thank you for your email inquiry. I have included the information from the Walkers Smokey Bacon crisps below for your convenience. I am unsure if they are Gluten free, however from the information provided you may be able to determine this.

Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for coeliacs
No artificial colors

Aunt Jemima Pancake Syrups: December 11, 2008

We appreciate you contacting us with your question about Aunt Jemima Original syrup. There is no gluten added to our Aunt Jemima syrup varieties.

However, we follow FDA labeling guidelines, and until they come out with specific guidelines for declaring products "gluten free", we cannot make any claims about our products. We expect those guidelines to be coming out soon.

We hope our response is helpful, Amanda. Thanks for your interest in our products.

Michael
Quaker Consumer Relations

Hormel: December 26, 2008

Response to an ingredient question: Dextrose - comes from corn
 and only corn

Also: http://hormel.com/products/GlutenFreeProducts/default.aspx

Responses from Manufacturers: July 2008

2010-02-01T15:43:00.000-05:00

Kraft Foods: July 30, 2008

Thank you for visiting http://www.kraftfoods.com/.

We understand how important it is for people who have been medically diagnosed with gluten sensitivity to have accurate information about foods to help plan their meals and diets. Therefore, it has been a long standing policy for all Kraft and Nabisco products to list ingredients that contain gluten on the ingredient statement. These items will be listed using commonly known terms such as Wheat, Barley, Oats or Rye. For other ingredients that contain gluten, the grain source will be declared in parenthesis after the ingredient name. For example, if the ingredient "natural flavor" contains a gluten source, the label would read: natural flavor (contains rye). Other ingredients that contain gluten are: Triticale, Spelt, Kamut, Mir or Farina (also known as Far or Farro).

For Kraft-branded products that contain vinegar, information from our vinegar suppliers assures us that the vinegar we use in our products is gluten free. All vinegar is distilled and through the distilling process protein gluten is removed.

I hope this assists you in making food choices that are appropriate for your personal needs. If you have additional questions about your personal dietary needs, please consult your doctor or a registered dietician.

Lastly, here's a link for more information on Choosing Gluten Free Foods.

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/HealthyLiving/Articles/FoodAllergiesSensitivities/GlutenFreeFoods.htm

Thank you for contacting us and please add our site to your favorites and visit us again soon!

Kim McMiller
Associate Director, Consumer Relations

Jameson: July 30, 2008

Jameson Irish Whiskey is indeed gluten free.

Gluten is a class of proteins found in certain cereals, particularly wheat, rye, barley and oats. However, during distillation gluten would remain as part of the spent grains and not in the distillate or finished product. The bottom line is that by the time the product has undergone distillation, maturation and blending, there is no gluten present in Jameson Irish Whiskey.

As this relates to a medical condition, may we suggest that you consult your own physician concerning the consumption of alcohol beverage products?.

We hope this answers your question and that you will contact us further with any more
questions.

Regards,
Earline
Jameson Irish Whiskey
Consumer Relations

Responses from Manufacturers: Intro

2010-02-01T15:31:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the far too long delay in updating this blog. The last couple of months have been hard. I have problems with my hands due to taking Prevacid for just a few months back in 2006. The rare side effects, regrettably, never went away. I have, however, been collecting a number of responses from manufacturers on whether their products are safe or not, for the gluten free community.

Due to the length of some of the responses, I will break up the posts so as to not overwhelm you all with the amount to read!

I will also tag each post with the companies included, to make them easier to search for in the future.

2008 and 2009 will each be split apart as I have a number for each year. As 2010 is just beginning, I don't have much for them yet, but hope to be adding more soon, as I am working with a grocery store right now to find out which of their products are safe.

Please leave comments if you have any thoughts, questions, or if there are companies you would like me to research. I cannot promise any one will get back to me, but I'm always willing to try, providing I can e-mail them. Phone is a very, very, very last option for me.

Restaurants - Company Responses

2009-11-21T00:58:00.000-05:00

This entry will showcase responses I have received from eating establishments - restaurants, cafes, etcetera. Other types of companies (ex: candy manufacturers) will be covered in a separate entry. I will also try to include contact information for each place. Remember that ingredients can and do change. Sometimes this is due to the supplier and the company may have no control over it.

Companies listed: Starbucks, Olive Garden, Logan's Roadhouse, Panera Bread, The Judge's Chambers*, Pomegranate Restaurant*, Cracker Barrel, Red Robin, McAlister's Deli, McDonald's, T.G.I. Friday's, Chic-fil-A, Jonathan's at SML*

* indicates a restaurant which is not a national chain.

Starbucks - August 2008 and September 2009

http://www.starbucks.com/customer/

Calling the customer service number provided on the above page worked best for me both times. I tried emailing Starbucks and never received a response. Do Sbux drinks contain gluten? YES, some do. I was told to avoid drink toppings (i.e. in addition to the whipped cream - the whipped cream may or may not be safe, it's not something I can have for non-gf reasons) and all blended drinks. Some of the drinks, such as the java chip and vanilla bean have gluten in their mixes! Other blended drinks may be safe but due to cross contamination (we've all seen, I'm sure, how the blenders get washed - read, rinsed - between drinks?). Too risky. As much as I loved that Strawberry drink, I decided it wasn't worth it.

What is safe? Most of the hot drinks, but you should call to check on your favourites. I checked on the mochas (including the Peppermint one) and the Pumpkin Spice Latte, as these are my favourites. I am very sensitive to very little gluten, and none of these drink have made me sick.

Olive Garden - October 2008

Thank you for your inquiry regarding menu items for Gluten Intolerant guests.  We can recommend the following items with some adjustments.  Let your server know you are interested in menu items especially for Gluten Intolerance. Your server will be happy to accommodate your request.

Salads
Garden Salad - Order without croutons
Caesar Salad  - Order without croutons

Entrees
Steak Toscano brushed with Italian herbs and served with grilled vegetables
Pork Filettino marinated in extra-virgin olive oil and rosemary and served with broccoli and red bell peppers
Herb-Grilled Salmon brushed with Italian herbs and extra-virgin olive oil accompanied by broccoli and grilled vegetables
Mixed Grill - Skewers of grilled steak and chicken marinated in Italian herbs and extra-virgin olive oil and served with broccoli and grilled vegetables
Mixed Grill with Chicken only- Skewers of chicken marinated in Italian herbs and extra-virgin olive oil and served with broccoli and grilled vegetables
Children's Grilled Chicken - Grilled chicken breast served with broccoli and grilled vegetables.

 While Olive Garden has made an effort to provide complete and current gluten content information, changes in recipes, and the hand crafted nature of our menu items, mean that variations in the ingredient profile of a particular menu item may occur from time to time. Therefore, we make no guarantees regarding the gluten content of any of these items.  Guests with gluten intolerance or other special food sensitivities or dietary needs should not rely solely on this information as the basis for deciding whether to consume a particular menu item, and are individually responsible for ensuring that any such menu item meets their individual dietary requirements.  Olive Garden assumes no liability for your use of this information.  Any medical concerns regarding the consumption of these items should be directed to your physician or other health care provider.  If you would like to speak with an Olive Garden representative, please call us at 800-331-2729.

I've made additional inquires in 2009 regarding their practice in avoiding cross contamination with proper cleaning of cookware, educating employees, so forth. The did a superb job of completely avoiding all those types of questions, so eat at your own risk. Remember, this is an Italian restaurant. Lots of gluten in the air - and a bag of flour opened can let flour drift and contaminate for hours!

Logan's Roadhouse - October 2008

The seasoning on their steak (and potentially other meats) has FLOUR in it. Thus, so does the grill. If you eat here, tell the server you need your meal cooked in a clean stainless steel skillet that has not been floured and that the mean canNOT be seasoned. Failing the skillet, a clean and non-scratched microwave safe plate will do. I got glutened here before I knew about the seasoning. After I asked them not to do that, I never had another problem.

Panera Bread - October 2008

Thank you for contacting Panera Bread. I have included below a list of our gluten-free menu items. Not all of these items are currently on our menu and some new menu items have not yet been evaluated for the purposes of this list. However, you can find complete ingredients listings for current menu items on our website. Click on Menu and Nutrition, choose the Bakery or Cafe menu, select a product category from the links at the top of the page, then click on the individual menu item to display a page with that item's ingredients and nutritional content.

Please note that nutritional information on our website is updated periodically. New products may be available in our bakery-cafes before a periodic update of this site. In addition, some menu items may be available only on a regional, test or seasonal basis. Nutritional information about these menu items is available at
the participating bakery-cafes. Tests of new recipes of existing products may be conducted from time to time in certain markets. These new recipes may contain different/additional ingredients, including allergens, as compared to the original version. Nutritional information about these menu items is available at the participating bakery-cafes. For the most update-to-date information, please call or visit your nearest bakery-cafe to speak with a manager. 
 
Thank you again for contacting us. We appreciate your business and value your comments.

Sincerely,

Chris
Customer Comment Coordinator

GLUTEN FREE LIST - Panera Bread **

**Although
we do our very best to meet your special requirements, we cannot rule out the possibility of cross contact between these items and gluten-containing foods in our bakery-café.

Salads:    (including the salad dressing)
(source of modified food starch is corn) 
Greek Salad 
Fandango Salad 
Caesar Salad (without croutons) 
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (without croutons) 
Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (without Won Ton noodles) 
Classic Cafe Salad 
Strawberry Poppyseed Salad 
Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken 
Fuji Apple Chicken Salad 
California Mission Chicken Salad 
Orchard Harvest Chicken Salad

Soups:
Low Fat Vegetarian Black Bean
Cuban Black Bean and Lentil
Vegetarian Roasted Red Pepper & Lentil
Vegetarian Butternut Squash
Creamy Tomato (without croutons)
Low-Fat Vegetarian Southwest Tomato & Roasted Corn 
Turkey Chickpea Chili
Summer Corn Chowder

Salad Dressings:
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Caesar
Greek
Poppyseed
Raspberry Vinaigrette
Asian Sesame Vinaigrette
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Roasted Garlic & Meyer's Lemon Vinaigrette

Beverages:
Coffee
Juice, both apple and orange
Lemonade
Milk
Soda, fountain and bottled
Tea, regular and Chai Tea
All lattes & Frozen beverages
Strawberry Smoothie

I ate at a Panera's before knowing I needed to be gluten free, but aware of other food problems. The staff was very considerate and helpful. They cross referenced a notebook that listed all the ingredients of their products to make sure what I ordered was safe.

The Judge's Chambers - 2008, 2009

Roanoke, Virginia

This restaurant opened at the end of 2008, and is located on 1st Street, in downtown Roanoke.

The owner is very understanding about being gluten free and has told me I can bring in a toaster and gluten free bread which he will keep separately, should I ever want a sandwich there. So far, I've stuck with his chicken salad which is out of this world! They have a page on Facebook, and I'm working on a website.

Meals are healthy, tasty, and inexpensive!

Pomegranate Restuarant - January 2009

106 Stoney Battery Road
Troutville, VA 24175
540-966-6052

I spoke with our chef regarding your question. Yes we can accommodate people who are gluten intolerant. He was familiar with Celiac's Disease. We ask that you mention this when making your reservations.

Thank you and we look forward to having you visit us.

Roxie Henderson

Office Manager

Cracker Barrel - Continuous

While I have never specifically asked what is/is not gluten free at large, I can provide some information based on my experience. CB is helpfully the same no matter which location you eat at. Factors like that help us GF folks out tremendously!

Eggs, bacon, fried apples, and grits are all safe. They are cooked in their own equipment. Eggs and bacon are done on a separate grill from the pancakes, biscuits, etcetera. Waitresses have provided me with the ingredients and prep methods of the apples and grits. I have never gotten sick from any of these foods at any CB, and I've eaten at a number of them up and down the east coast, and in Arizona.

You do, however, need to tell your server that you are gluten intolerant, have Celiac's Disease, etcetera, and that it is VERY important that nothing with flour in it of any kind comes in contact with your plate.

You may have to tell them it's an allergy to make some of them understand. I had one waitress once who was also a nurse and she was fabulous, but most people didn't know what I was talking about unless I called it an allergy.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. - February 2009
6312 S. Fiddlers Green Cir., #200N
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
(303) 846-6000
http://www.redrobin.com

Red Robin has a gluten free menu, and you should contact Red Robin and ask for a copy which you then print out and take with you to the restaurant. Be sure to inform your server so that they are aware! Red Robin sent me a PDF menu, but warned me that it could change from month to month, so I won't include the attachment.

McAlister's Deli

http://www.mcalistersdeli.com/talktous/

(I used: "I have a comment about a specific McAlister's restaurant." to start my contact request.)

They will provide an up-to-date file on gluten free items if asked. It will come as a PDF, and may list other allergens as well. (When I asked, I also checked on items containing MSG, which I cannot have either).

McDonald's

There is a lot of back and forth discussion on GF sites as to whether or not the fries are safe. They are NOT. They may be cooked in their own oil but.... FULL of gluten - including the seasoning (and also MSG if you are on the alert for that nasty little ingredient). I've yet to run across an employee who knew this and they didn't make it easy to verify this information on their website. An employee told me point-blank that the fries were safe. They made me sick. I did researched, contacted McDonald's .... nothing ever came of it. I received a very polite, very vague - and completely useless e-mail. I didn't bother to pursue the matter further.

T.G.I. Friday's - Sept - Nov 2009

An unknown and a risk I am not taking. I researched their website and came to the conclusion that you have to take your chances. They indicate that emails asking about nutrition information will be referred back to the website which .... doesn't provide the kind of information we're looking for!

Additionally, I had questions about one of their drink mixers ... they ran me around in circles saying the American Beverage Corp would contact me. Never happened. Complained. Told I'd have to contact the ABC. Completely unclear why TGIF is unable to state yes or no on allergens in their products.

At this point (several months have gone by now), I wrote them back and said that if TGIF was unable to admit if there were allergens in their foods/drinks, I was going to assume that they were not safe, and would post as such to my GF blog.

Should I hear differently in response to that e-mail, I will share what I learn. After all the run-around though, I'm not sure I'd trust them.

Chick-Fil-A - continuous

http://www.chick-fil-a.com/

Again, I have never specifically contacted this establishment. They do, however, provide GF information on their website. Their fries are safe, as is their carrot raisin salad. The ice cream (their original ice cream, not the new shakes) should be safe as long as you don't get a cone! Have not checked on the shakes.

Their website will provide up-to-date information.

Once I knew what was safe, I've never had a problem.

Jonathan's at SML - October 2009

Moneta, VA

http://www.jonathansatsml.com/contact_us.html

Yes, we can prepare Gluten Free items for you. Please ask for me or my chef
(Chris) and we can accommodate your needs.

Our servers are trained as well and we be very careful with you needs.

Jim Cavanaugh
Director of Operations
50 First Watch Dr.
Moneta, VA 24121
Ph: 540-719-1212
Fax: 540-719-3336
jim@jonathansatsml.com

---------

Always play it safe, no matter how gluten-free friendly places say they are. Do your homework. Bring chef cards. Be prepared to explain about cross contamination. Ask to speak with the chef if you don't think the waiter understands. If you don't think anyone understands, go somewhere else!

Celiac's Disease, Food Allergies, Food Reactions

2009-10-11T16:48:00.000-04:00

Despite the growing prevalence in Celiac's Disease in children and adults, there are still a lot of people out there who have no idea what it is, nor any idea what gluten is.

Celiac's Disease IS a life long disease.
Celiac's Disease DOES affect children AND adults.
Celiac's Disease is NOT a food allergy.
Celiac's Disease canNOT be cured.
Celiac's Disease CAN be handled with a LIFELONG commitment to a GLUTEN FREE diet.

What happens when a person with CD eats gluten? This is an autoimmune disorder that affects the small intestine; Celiac suffers have a reaction to gliadin, a gluten protein found in wheat and similar proteins* (such as, but not limited to, barley and rye).

Unlike food allergies (including wheat allergies), you cannot grow out of an autoimmune disorder.

This reaction causes damage to the small intestine which prevents food / nutrients from being absorbed properly. Even very small amounts can cause problems for people with CD -- and, it is very important to note that damage is being done even when there are no obvious symptoms!

* These are found in ALL forms of wheat (including spelt, kamut, einkorn, faro, durum, semolina, and spelt), related grains rye, barley (malt!), and triticale. Anyone with CD must eliminate these from their diet.

* Buckwheat is NOT a form of wheat, and when 100% pure is safe to consume. Be careful, however, as wheat is commonly mixed in with buckwheat (ex prepackaged buckwheat pancake mixes frequently have gluten in them).

* 1 in 133 people in the US have Celiac's Disease.
* If a family member has it, it is very likely that others will as well.
* If you have an autoimmune disease, there is a 25% higher chance you will have CD.

Food Allergies and Food Reactions

It is possible to have allergies in addition to Celiac's Diseases, so you want to be very careful when determining what you are allergic to and what your body simply will never be able to process.

It is also possible to develop reactions to foods which are not allergies. This will vary from person to person, but in my experience, my "food reactions" were caused by the damage that had been done to my small intestine by eating gluten before I knew that I shouldn't.

When a person with CD removes gluten from their diet, their small intestine will begin to heal, and they will find that their overall health will improve. How long this takes logically depends on how much damage there is to heal. It could take a few months, a few years, or more.

People who have suddenly found themselves unable to eat foods they have eaten for years without a problem, and who aren't having typical allergic reaction symptoms, may find that after they allow their small intestine (and perhaps stomach) to heal after gluten elimination, that they are able to eat those foods again. For me, it was garlic, onions (still working on onions), and highly acidic fruits and vegetables.

You will want to work these back into your diet slowly, and one at a time so you can judge the process. For me, I can have garlic again! But, it must be thoroughly cooked. Raw garlic still gives me nausea and heartburn, but far less than it did before I eliminated gluten. A little onion here or there is okay, but too much and I get an upset stomach. Fruits and veggies that began to bother me a few years ago include items such as pineapples and peppers (green, red, yellow, orange, and of course the hot peppers). Once the garlic and onion are fully a success, I will slowly bring the fruits and veggies back. Right now, I'm sticking to tame items such as apples, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and the like. I seem to be okay having OJ again, without having to purchase the low acid variety, which is wonderful.

About me - and why I created this blog

2009-10-11T16:30:00.000-04:00

In brief:

For as long as I can remember, I have had trouble with food. I never knew what I was eating that made me sick. Two entirely different meals could have the same result. I tried eliminating various foods without resolution.

In 2005, it started getting worse. I ended up eliminating soft drinks from my diet, and, to my disappointment, garlic, onions, peppers, and other acidic foods. This helped a lot, but not completely.

In 2007, my doctor suggested I try going gluten free, and suggested I try some other things as well, such as cod liver oil for my skin problems. This was right before a long trip with a friend though, and I just couldn't do it.

The following summer, I learned that a relative probably had Celiac's Disease, and when I researched the symptoms, I thought it sounded a lot like me. On August 1, 2008, I officially gave up gluten.

I had a few set backs, getting glutened by accident when I wasn't able to prepare my own foods. The sickness and pain from those experiences completely eliminated any temptation I might have had for gluteny treats.

Was I ever officially diagnosed? No. Why? Several reasons, which I will discuss in a separate post. The most important thing as far as I am concerned is giving up gluten changed my health for the better.

As of setting-up this blog, I have been gluten free for nearly a full year and feel so much better. I have learned a lot, and have set-up this blog so that I may share my knowledge with others.