Happy Celiac Awareness Month-NFCA webinar

May is National Celiac Awareness Month.  NFCA the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness is hosting a free webinar tomorrow, May 3, 2012 at 2:00pm which will provide up to date information from the leading experts in Celiac Disease and Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity:

NFCA will kick off Celiac Awareness Month with a live hour-long broadcast featuring gluten-free experts Alessio Fasano, MD, Stefano Guandalini, MD, and Cynthia Kupper, RD, CD. Moderated by Alice Bast, NFCA Founder and President, the panelists will provide a “State of the Union” on celiac disease and the new kid on the block, non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

This is a great opportunity to stay current on the latest scientific and practical information for those following a gluten free diet. For more information and to register, go to the NFCA registration link.

Gluten Free Durham Reader Shares Cookie Recipe

I recently received this tip from Minerva, a Gluten Free Durham Reader who was  experimentng with baking treats for a 4 year old celiac. See her recipe and comments befow:

I adapted this from a ginger cookie recipe in an old book out of need to provide cookies to a 4 year old celiac, using whatever ingredients I had available at the time. They came out great! I call them "Sofias". I am not much of a decorator, so I'm sure others can improve on this recipe.

1- Prepare enough gluten-free cookie flour (I call it "cookie flour because have not tested if will work well in other recipes):

   a. Equal parts of:

      Brown Rice Flour

      Tapioca Flour (aka Tapioca Starch)

      Very fine milled Corn Meal (I find it at the hispanic supermarket;

         NOT the same as masa)

   b. Add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum per cup of flour/starch/meal

2- Mix and sift together the dry ingredients

   2 1/4 cups gluten-free cookie flour (above)

   1/2 teaspoon baking powder

   1/8 teaspoon salt

3- Soften 1/2 cup butter and mix in the following

   1/2 cup brown sugar (loose, not packed)

   1/2 cup maple syrup (original recipe asked for molasses, had none)

   1 egg, beaten

4- Mix together dry ingredients and butter mix.

5- Put into one of those confectioners squeezable bags with a tip (sorry don't know what they are called) and make fun shapes (see pictures). Alternatively can mix and "massage" for a while into a dough that can be rolled down and cut. We also put some sprinkles before putting in the oven.

 6- Bake in 350 degrees preheated oven, 10-15 minutes depending on the tickles and shape of cookies.

Enjoy!

Are all Gluten Free Menus created equal?

Increasingly restaurants are catering to the increased demand for gluten free items on their menus. To find restaurants with gluten free offerings in most areas you can simply enter the "zip code gluten free" example for Durham: 27705 gluten free. This yields a list of 381,000 listings related to gluten free in this zip code and several of them are restaurants with gluten free options. But are all gluten free menus created equal? Who provides the over site of gluten free food procurement, preparation and training of all restaurant staff?

Within the Celiac/Gluten Free Community there are two well-respected Gluten-Free Restaurant Training Programs that partner with Restaurants to provide training. They include:

Gluten-Free Awareness Restaurant Program http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.org/

GREAT Gluten Fee Kitchens Program http://www.celiaccentral.org/kitchens/

By accessing either of the above sites you can find listings of independent restaurants and chains that have taken the steps to provide proper training to the kitchen staff and adhere to some quality standards for gluten free menu items. In addition if you own a restaurant or work in the food service industry you may want to explore the resources available to you as you plan your gluten free menu offerings.

Gluten Free in NC

I was in Asheville recently where I attended an education event for dietitians with featured speaker Shelley Case ,RD,  who is one of the leaders in the area of Gluten Disorders.  I figured if Shelley could come to us all the way from her home in Canada I could drive a few hours from Durham.   Check out Shelley's website it is an invaluable resource!  The seminar was followed the next day with a Gluten Free Expo in downtown Asheville.  Lots of goodies to taste, vendors to meet and an expert panel of health professionals and support group leaders.  While at the expo I met Jeff SanGeorge who is heading up the website Gluten Free in NC.  Jeff and his family have a passion for food and creating awareness about the gluten free diet.  He lives in Greensboro, NC.  Check out his site as it covers topics and tips throughout the state of NC .

Speaking of Gluten Free Expos, I have heard that Raleigh will be hosting their very own in August 2012.  Details to follow....

Brunch down the Road in Chapel Hill, Weathervane-Restaurant Review

This weekend some friends  and  I traveled the short distance down 15-501 to Chapel Hill for brunch at Weathervane Restaurant which is located in A Southern Season Store.  It had been several years since I had eaten at Weathervane and was happy to see that their brunch menu denoted items that were gluten free with the GF symbol. They also note dairy free DF, Vegetarian V and Vegan V+ options. .

My gluten free options  for the Saturday brunch menu were limited to the salads and soups available on the menu.  I selected the combo salad platter for 12.99 and chose the almond chicken salad, the black bean-corn salad and the Asian glass noodle salad.  BUT please note after further conversation with my server I learned that the Asian Glass noodle salad actually has regular soy sauce as one of it's ingredients and thus is REALLY NOT GLUTEN FREE.  Instead I chose a gluten free tomato soup option.  This was just another reminder that those of us who need to follow a strict gluten free diet, must still ask those necessary questions even when something is labeled gluten free. My meal was great and I would recommend eating at Weathervane; I think perhaps they just had their menus printed too quickly and then realized that "aha most soy sauces actually contain wheat" and they have not updated their brunch menu to reflect this.  A look at the lunch and dinner menus also offer a variety of other gluten free options available for patrons. 

 A Southern Season is a well known specialty store that carries gourmet food items, wine, housewares, as well as some gluten free goodies.  A quick walk through the store and you spot: gluten free pasta, gluten free cookies and various baking mixes .  A  Southern Season also offers various cooking schools, and may offer some opportunities for gluten free cooking or baking classes. 

Store Information:

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
8am - 9pm / Monday - Thursday
8am - 10pm / Friday

Brunch & Dinner
8am - 10pm / Saturday
10am - 9pm / Sunday

University Mall
201 S. Estes Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
919.929.9466

Support for Following a Gluten Free Diet

It has been awhile since I have completed a blog post.  I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease six years ago and have been blogging about living GF in Durham for the last three years.  Since my diagnosis there has been an information explosion in print, internet and other media related to gluten free living. The frequency of my blog posts have slowed as I have hit many highlights about gluten free options in Durham.  GF living for me has become second nature.  I stopped to ask myself am I running out of things to say?  Are these posts helpful to others?  Well I recently received an email from a reader, who reminded me how important support and accurate information is when trying to navigate a gluten free diet.

 Following is part of this email:

 I just wanted to quickly say how amazing this blog is. I just started dating a girl couple months ago who is both gluten and dairy intolerant, and other than cooking for her, I had no clue what kind of restaurants would be able to cater to her enjoyably. I just took a shot in the dark and typed in gluten free restaurants in durham and your blog came up. It has been more than helpful and informative, and I plan on taking her to curryblossom tonight. Thank you again! You are a life-saver.(used with permission)

What a reminder this was to me about my original search for information six years ago.  I looked everywhere and read everything and even talked to strangers on the phone that would share tips with me about how they lived with their Celiac Disease.    I work as a certified health and wellness coach and one thing I always ask my clients who are getting ready to make a change is "who or what is going to support you in the process?"  Support is key to a successful lifestyle change and is much needed in managing a chronic condition like Celiac Disease or navigating a strict gluten free diet due to gluten intolerance. It gives me great satisfaction that my blog posts have offered support to others and I thank a reader for taking the time to send me this email.  It has given me the inspiration to continue to post knowing that this could be a form of support for others.  I would also like to direct readers to other forms of support that are available in our area:

Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group-Meets Rex Hospital Dining Room

Website: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/WakeCeliacSupport/

Email :  Lpberger@bellsouth.net   Pat Berger contact

Raleigh Cel-Kids Support Group-Helping Children cope with Celiac Disease

Website: http://www.raleighcelkids.com/

Email: Raleigh.celkids@gmail.com

NC Faces Support Group (Food Allergic Children Excelling Safely)

Website: http://www.ncfaces.org/

Email: info@ncfaces.org

Other Resources:

Find Me Gluten Free-free application for smart phones; locates gf restaurants

Website: http://www.findmeglutenfree.com/

Gluten-Free in the Triangle Meet Up Group

Website: http://www.meetup.com/Gluten-free-in-the-Triangle/

Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata

Overnight YMCA camp in Wake Forest, North Carolina scheduled for August 2012

Contact:  http://gluten.net/     http://www.campkanata.org/

Triangle Raw Foodists

I was recently contacted by Jane Howard Crutchfield and Matthew Daniels who are the owners of Triangle Raw Foodists.  Finally an option in the food truck world that works for someone on a gluten free diet!  They wanted to inform readers of gluten free Durham of this raw food option where all ingredients are gluten free. The following is their description:

Triangle Raw Foodists make raw food meals, that are also totally gluten-free, dairy-free, and meat-free.  We have a delivery service, where we deliver 3-4 days worth of prepared foods to people's homes each Monday.  We also have a food truck that can be found every Wednesday from 12-3pm at Ad Spice on Broad St in Durham.  We also have it at other random locations for events (you can see the current schedule on our website. 

For further details, menu items and contact information, you can access the website here.
Any gluten free, raw foods readers out there who have sampled some of the menu items?  Please leave a review of your experience.

Writing Contest for FREE GLUTEN FREE PRUDUCTS

I was recently contacted by the folks at French Meadow Bakery concerning an essay contest they are sponsoring via their facebook page.  To celebrate the bountiful fall harvest, and the delicious dishes created from it, French Meadow Bakery is offering one lucky winner the chance to receive a one-year supply of organic, Gluten-Free goodies including breads, tortillas, cookie dough and brownies.

French Meadow Bakery is internationally recognized as a leading provider of naturally delicious and nutritious bakery products that suit a variety of dietary needs. Whether a person has specific dietary restrictions or is trying to develop healthy eating habits, individuals can take comfort in the assortment of Gluten-Free products. The Gluten-Free product line-up fits into a wide variety of recipes and dishes, and, in a culture where food is a cornerstone, French Meadow Bakery provides hearty and delicious favorites.




To enter the contest, simply visit French Meadow Bakery’s Facebook page and share your Gluten-Free story. In 250 words or less, we would love to hear your experience with living Gluten-Free and how French Meadow Bakery makes life more delicious.



The contest will run until midnight on Monday, November 14. The top 10 story submissions will be selected by a panel of French Meadow Bakery experts and then the public will be invited to select the winner between November 18 through November 24.

More Gluten Free Options at the Rice Diet Store

I first wrote about the gluten free products available at the Rice Diet Store in March of 2010.  I was recently contacted by one of their dietitians, Anna, who asked me to update readers to new products and information regarding the Rice Diet Store.  The store has a new manager:  Jeanette Gulledge. Updated store hours are M-W-F  9:00-2:00. 

Anna listed some of the gluten free-favorites:

Brown rice crackers


Quinoa and rice pastas (Notta Pasta)

7 Mr. Spice Organic, No Salt Added Sauces—from Thai Peanut to Honey BBQ

Curry powder mix and mango chutney from Kerala Curry, a local company in Pittsboro, NC

Several varieties of Eden Organic no salt added canned beans

Desert Pepper White Bean Dip

A number of salsas—from traditional to Mango Gingersnap, Pineapple Mojito and Southwest Sunset

The Ginger People’s Sweet Ginger Chili Sauce—a favorite and bestseller among Ricers. It’s great on spring rolls, drizzled over a stir-fry or as a glaze on fish or meat. We have the spring roll wrappers too!

The 2010 dietary guidelines encourage individuals to watch their sodium levels.  Recommended ranges are from 1500mg-2300mg daily.  The Rice Diet Program focuses on a low sodium diet, so the above products will be gluten free and low in sodium!

The Rice Diet Store
1644 Cole Mill Road
Durham,NC 27705
http://www.ricedietstore.com/
919-383-7276 ext 2

Options for a Gluten Free Diet-Community Lecture

Duke's community education center, Teer House, will be offering a free lecture entitled "Options for a Gluten Free Diet".  The speaker is Lesley Stanford, MS,RD,CSP who is a dietitan that has worked with families and the gluten free diet for years through her position with Duke's pediatric gastroenterology clinic.  I have heard Lesley speak several times, and she offers sound, practical advice to help navigate the gluten free diet.

The program objective is listed as: Learn what's new with the gluten free diet and how to tailor your needs.

The class is scheduled for Tuesday, September 27, 2011 6:30-8:00 and registration is required.  You can access more information and register  here.   http://www.durhamregional.org/events/20110225112221289?event_location=20050825140000044

Teer House
4019 North Roxboro Rd
Durham, NC 27704
919-477-2644