Duke Gardens Farmers Market

Spring is here and what beautiful weather we are enjoying in Durham! I stopped by the farmers market located at Duke Gardens, from 2-4 pm today, Tuesday, and came home with wonderful gluten free goodies. As mentioned in an earlier post Rosie's Plate delivers to Duke Gardens each Tuesday between 2-4, you can place your order ahead of time for delivery. I was negligent in placing my order on time but stopped by anyhow and was happy to snag some cookies and gluten free pita bread. There are about 4 local farmers selling their produce as well. I also loaded my basket with fresh strawberries, asparagus, lettuce and sugar snap peas. Fruits and Vegetables all gluten free, local, and help one attain the recommended 5-9 daily servings for a healthy diet! I love spring!

Chex Cereals

During the last two weeks increasing varieties of gluten free Chex Cereals have been popping up in Durham grocery stores. Two weeks ago I was able to buy the honey nut chex at the Willowdaile Harris Teeter. Sunday I was at the Kroger off of North Pointe by Costco and found Gluten Free Corn Chex. As mentioned on the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog: as General Mills phases in these new varieties there may be both gluten containing and gluten free varieties so look at the label carefully. My daughter and I are both enjoying the expanding variety of Chex Cereals, thank you General Mills!

Kudos to the Gluten Free City Guide

I am just returning to Durham from a lovely spring break trip to West Palm Beach, Florida. I wanted to post a quick note to encourage you all to check out the Gluten Free City Guide that Zach has developed. You can hit the link at the top of the GFD site. Before traveling I spent just a few minutes on the Gluten Free City Guide looking to see what might be listed for the state of Florida. Lucky for my family the city we were traveling to had listed their support group link with the guide. After just a few clicks I was able to come up with a list for gluten free grocery shopping and a list of several restaurants that offered gluten free menus/options. The only disappointing thing is that we had to return home before visiting all the restaurants. We enjoyed some great GF pizza and GF brownies at a chain called Fusion Pizza. None in our area yet, but very good if you find one on your travels. The Gluten Free City Guide is a great asset when planning travels through the United States, maybe Zach will compile a Gluten Free World next for international travels!

Twins Kitchen Update: Local Farmer's Markets

Twins Kitchen/Twin Cakes Bakery recently announced the upcoming 2009 Farmer's Market schedule and which markets they will be participating in. Stop in to any of the markets below in Raleigh, Chapel Hill or Hillsborough to try out their awesome Gluten Free products if you have never tried them. They will be offering a wide range of products at the market this year and of course everything offered is gluten/wheat free and vegan.

Mid-Town Farmer's Market (formally North Hills Farmer's Market)
8 AM - 12 PM every Saturday beginning April 11, 2009
Located by the movie theater at North Hills

Carrboro/Chapel Hill Farmer's Market (a.k.a. Southern Village Farmer's Market)
3:30 PM - 6:30 PM every Thursday beginning May 7, 2009
Located at Southern Village on Market Street

Hillsborough Farmer's Market
4 Pm - 7 PM every Wednesday beginning April 8, 2009
Located in the Home Depot parking lot on NC86 and I-85

If you have any special request or want to make a pre-order to pick up at the market please call the Twins at 919-306-5304.

Also, stay tuned for some more exciting news from Twin Cakes Bakery - they will soon have a brand new Web site up and running which will focus solely on their bakery products. They also will be offering dry mixes for you to take home and bake yourself. Stay tuned!

Restaurant Review: Carrabba's Italian Grill

One of my favorite places to eat is Carrabba's Italian Grill. The quality of their food and service is always great. Although I try to navigate restaurants that do not have a specific gluten free menu sometimes, I would much rather choose my options from a restaurant that offers a designated gluten free menu. Carrabba's is part of the
Gluten Free Restaurant Program sponsored by the Gluten Intolerance Group on North America (GIG). It gives me confidence to know that the restaurant is having some oversight in the menu and in the materials for training employees.

Carrabba's offers a nice variety of chicken, steak and fish dishes. Their garlic mashed potatoes are gluten free and delicious. The gluten free menu offers suggested tips for ordering such as "ask that your salad be made in a clean bowl with no croutons" and "ask for no grill base" when ordering. You can take a look at their gluten free menu here.

The portions at Carrabba's are generous, we often share a meal like their Chicken Bryan with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and order an extra side salad. I have also used their take out to help cater a small dinner party.

5312 New Hope Commons Extension
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 401-5950

Hours:
Sun: 11am-10pm
Mon-Thur: 4-10:00pm
Fri: 4-11:00pm
Sat: 3-11:00pm

Gluten Free Students at UNC Chapel Hill

It is getting closer to the time when I will be sending my daughter off to college to navigate the gluten free world on her own. With August only 4 months away I have begun gathering information to make this transition healthy and smooth. She is excited about her acceptance to UNC, Chapel Hill and I am happy to know it is a straight shot down 15-501! I have talked with the food service department about their menu options for gluten free students. I have also made contact with the dietitan who works in the student health area. Both, have been very supportive, but also very honest in the fact that there is not much in place for gluten free students and that as a UNC student you are not bound to have a meal plan. The cafeteria does have some type of rice bread, but no GF toasters. I am awaiting an email that is suppose to send me menus to review. So my focus and goal as a mom and a dietitian is to work with UNC to educate them, provide resources for others who may be coming to the school and feel confident that my daughter will not have to worry about what she will be eating. More to come on this topic.....

TAGS, Teens Advocating for Gluten Sensitivity

I have recently learned of a new Teen national support group under the umbrella of The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG). It is called TAGS: Teens Advocating for Gluten Sensitivity. This program will formally be debuted at the GIG conference in Seattle at the beginning of June. TAGS national will provide information for local teens to organize events in their own city. The website is in the beginning phases and can be accessed at TAGSatGIG.org
As a mom of an older teen with GF, I think this is a wonderful idea. It is important for children with gluten sensitivity to learn to advocate for themselves. As a teen feeling "part" of a group is a big deal. Thanks to Amy Fantozzi (15), Kelsey LeBard(14) and Sophia Mozena(16), who are the groups founders, under the direction and support from GIG national office.