Camp Kanata

What a week we had at Camp Kanata, serving our gluten free campers this past week. GIG's East Coast Camp hosted campers from Colorado, Florida, Virginia, South Carolina, Washington DC, Kansas, Washington, and North Carolina! We served 17 gluten free meals and lots of yummy snacks to campers and volunteers. A special thanks goes to several vendors and volunteers under the direction of GIG Camp Director, Alanna Conder. Serving as Camp Nutritionist for the week is easy when working with such great volunteers and the wonderful kitchen staff at Camp Kanata. We appreciate all those that walked and donated to the GF team at the recent Susan G Komen race which provided $915 to help with the expense of camp and to Zach for his efforts and donations of the green "gluten free" bracelets that all our campers and volunteers wore during our week at camp.

I had the opportunity to ask kids what they liked best about their week at camp; comments included:
"I love the food"
"I love the fact that I don't have to pack all my own food!"
"I am glad I don't have to go to a special allergy camp, but have the opportunity to go to a normal camp and not worry about my food."

Highlights of the week:
-Pineapple upside down cake made by a grandma of one of our GF campers
-Watching the smiling faces of the GF kids come through our serving line each meal.
-Zach and Trevor cooking and serving pizza to the kids for lunch
-Twins Cake Bakery "Camp Kanata" Chocolate Cake
-Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones on a hot summer afternoon
-Rosie's Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies
-Making homemade ice cream with the campers under the direction of Karen, from the Whole Foods Bake House.
-Working along side our teen volunteers to fill bags with samples of products and information for our campers to take home with them.

Plan to be a part of camp next year. Remember there will be one week designated as gluten free week and our spots fill up quickly. Although dates have not been determined yet; dates and registration information will be posted on the GIG website and Camp Kanata website as they become available.

Gluten Free Raleigh Special Event: GF Cooking Demo w/ Jules Shepard

Click here for more information about an upcoming Gluten Free cooking demonstration with famous Celiac author Jules Shepard. The event will be held at the Earth Fare in Raleigh on July 12, 2009 @ 10am. Please sign up soon as only 40 spaces are available.

prep4md.com: Celiac Disease - A Podcast,useful resource

Check out this podcast on Celiac Disease featuring Dr. Alessio Fasano, MD,
from the University of Maryland. It is about 10 minutes long and features some good concise information.


prep4md.com: Celiac Disease - A Podcast

Angel Food Ministries-Allergen Free Box

I have recently learned of a program that helps individuals by reducing their foods costs and offers assistance for those with food allergies including gluten intolerance. The following is an explanation of the program from the Angel Food Ministries website:

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. The program began in 1994 with 34 families in Monroe, Georgia (between Atlanta and Athens), and has grown to serve hundreds of thousands of families every month across 35 states. Angel Food Ministries crosses denominational lines and has spread the good news of the gospel of Christ through salvation tracts that are placed in each food order.
Blessings by the box

Angel Food is available in a quantity that can fit into a medium-sized box at $30 per unit. Each month's menu is different than the previous month and consists of both fresh and frozen items with an average retail value of approximately $60. Comparison shopping has been done across the country in various communities using a wide range of retail grocery stores and has resulted in the same food items costing from between $42 and $78.

Generally, one unit of food assists in feeding a family of four for about one week or a single senior citizen for almost a month. The food is all the same high quality one could purchase at a grocery store. There are no second-hand items, no damaged or out-dated goods, no dented cans without labels, no day-old breads and no produce that is almost too ripe.

Also offered are specialty boxes such as steaks, chicken and pork. Many participants in this bonus program appreciate the expanded choices. Additionally, there is no limit to the number of units or bonus foods an individual can receive, and there are no applications to complete or qualifications to which participants must adhere. Angel Food Ministries also participates in the U.S. Food Stamp program, using the Off-Line Food Stamp Voucher system.
It's both a Bargain and a Blessing!

The Allergen Free Box for the month of June includes:
ALLERGEN-FREE BOX

Processed to eliminate the eight top serious allergens: Peanuts, Soybeans, Milk, Eggs, Fish, Crustacea, Tree Nuts and Gluten (wheat, rye and barley). Great for children and adults.

1 lb. Breaded Chicken Tenders


1 lb. Breaded Chicken Breast Chunk
(Boneless Wing)


1 lb. Breaded Chicken Nuggets


1 lb. Breaded Chicken Patties


1 lb. Breaded Steak Fingers

Battered with water, white rice, brown rice, modified tapioca starch, flax seed, sugar, salt, spices, dehydrated garlic, spice extractives and oleoresin paprika.
Breaded with white rice, brown rice, modified tapioca starch, flax seed, sugar, dextrose, salt, spices, dehydrated garlic, spice extractives and oleoresin paprika.
Breading is pre-browned in Canola oil.

$25.00

You can see the entire menu for June by clicking here
According to the website Durham has five different churches that serve as host sites. Once on the Angel Food Ministry website you enter your zip code and you will then be directed to locations near you.
In today's economy and with the increased cost of gluten free products this seems like an awesome ministry.

Gluten Free Cafe' frozen meals

I am always on the lookout for new products to make living the gluten free lifestyle easier. I have recently found a line of frozen dinners in the freezer section of Whole Foods and the dedicated freezer section for foods in the Natures Market section at Kroger. *Note the Kroger Store had the widest variety. The Gluten Free Cafe offers four different entrees. The company mission statement reads: "Gluten Free Cafe is dedicated to improving the quality of life for gluten-sensitive consumers by providing delicious certified gluten free foods that meet their dietary needs by being rich in taste and nutrition." Follow the link to their website for coupons. Some of their selections are both gluten and dairy free. I like to keep a few of these "emergency meals" on hand so that when we are short on time there is something quick to grab.