Stephanie Life of Determination

Fourth Annual Gluten Free Fair is on Saturday May 8th 10:00-3:00.Free. Fun.Door Prizes every half hour.  This is a not to miss event. You will gather lots of information. This is a wonderful opportunity to sample products so you don't have to waste your hard earn money. Please preregister if you can, at registration@ glutenfreegr .com. If you would like to volunteer at the Food Fair, that address is foodfair @ glutenfreegr .com . Some of the Attending Businesses Include: Boston's Gourmet Pizza Gluten Free Sensations Breads From Anna Against the Grain Celiac Specialties Full Flavor Foods Midge's Muffins Meijer , Inc. Food Tek Spartan Stores Harvest Health French Meadow Pamela's Products Life Beyond Wheat Qdoba's Mexican Grill Making Thyme Kitchen Dreams Specialty Bakery Saffron's GF Marketplace And Much More!

Grand opening of the new gluten-free store, Saffrons Gluten Free Marketplace is onSaturday, May 1 at 12 noon. Saffrons- A Gluten-Free Marketplace 4196 Plainfield NE-SuiteA Grand Rapids, Michigan 49525 Website: saffronsglutenfree.com 616-447-9902

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking adults diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten-intolerance or caregivers to such individuals to participate in a research study on their grocery shopping habits. Participants will be asked to take an Internet survey, which will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. The survey is available at www.synovate.net/forgluten Please contact Katherine Kosa at kkosa@rti.org or 1-800-334-8571, extension 23901, if you have any questions about the study. To request a paper copy of the survey, please call 1-877-4GLUTN1.

The owner, Steven Pollard, from Guido's Premuim Pizza are working on making the best gluten-free pizza in all of Michigan. He owns the franchise location in Okemos/Haslett, MI.  He has a personal connection to this cause. Steven is very passionate and committed to provideing safe and exceptional dining experience for people with Celiac Disease, gluten intolerence, and food allergies. He wants to make sure that the gluten-free community can have wonderful tasty pizzas.            “I started my gluten free business by making a gluten-free pizza for my mom. After a year of failed        attempts and hundreds of hours of research, I finally created the best gluten-free pizza that I sell to the public.” Guido’s Pizza of Okemos/Haslett, MI a gluten-free menu that features pizzas, pastas, salads, and even gluten-free garlic breadsticks! Guido’s Pizza also completed NFCA’s GREAT training in an effort to safeguard their gluten-free options by adopting safe serving practices. By the man

http://www.glutenfreeda.com/ Ingredients 3 sticks butter, sliced 24 ounces semisweet gf chocolate 6 eggs 2-1/4 cups sugar 1 Tablespoon gf vanilla 3/4 cup gf flour 3 cups walnuts, roasted & chopped Powdered sugar as needed Directions: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Bring a large pan of water to boil and reduce heat to low. Place butter in a large bowl. Put the bowl over the hot water but do not allow it to touch the water. Add the chocolate chips to the butter. Heat the chocolate until it begins to look glossy. Work the mixture with a rubber spatula. Remove the bowl from the hot water when the mixture is about half-way melted. Continue to work the chocolate while off the heat until smooth and glossy. In the large bowl, beat the eggs at high speed until slightly thickened. Gradually add the sugar to the eggs and beat until mixture is pale and thick, about 5 minutes. On medium speed, add the cooled chocolate and vanilla to the eggs. Reduce mixture speed to low and g

Baking with gluten-free flours is another matter – a bit more complicated. There are some good basic gluten-free flour mixes on the market (Bob’s Red Mill, Hodson Mills,). In order to substitute gluten-free flours for the wheat flour, you will need to have a good mix or variety of flours, such as Bette Hagman’s flour mix or any premixed Gluten Free All Purpose Mixes. This would be a mix consisting of perhaps rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch flour as a basic mix. Then you can expand on that depending on what type of item you are making. Millet flour: can make breads lighter, sorghum flour: can add a bit of sweetness, amaranth: holds moisture – which is good for quick breads like date bread. Bean flours: add protein. You can purchase Rice flour at your local Oriental Food Market. Orenital Flour is much finer, which makes it better for recipes. It is also a lot cheaper. When you bake (cookies, breads, cakes, etc...) you will always need to put Xanthan Gum. For bak

O’Charley’s now has a gluten-free menu also, and you can check out their website at www.ocharleys.com. They do show their allergen information on their website. O’Charley’s is located at 1600 E. Beltline, N.E. Hungry? Good Food and Good Times. Whether you live in, or are just passing through, one of the twenty states with O'Charley's fun restaurants, your fantastic dining adventure awaits. The steaks that we grill to perfection, seafood, chicken, salads, desserts and more. And on Sundays, O'Charley's is the brunch restaurant that starts your day full of flavor and lets you linger as long as you please. In a hurry? Enjoy brunch, lunch or dinner to-go. Don’t pass by without stopping in, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

This is a new fun site that is like Facebook, but for people who are suffering from Celiac Disease, Gluten Allergy or have just decided to stay away from gluten. Sign up, start your profile on http://www.glutenfreefaces.com/ Join and have fun. I love it.

Gordon Foods has come out with a list of their foods that are gluten free (brownies, pizza crust). If you shop at Gordon Foods, you can ask the manager about it, or go online to (and this is a long address!): mpappsrvp.mps.gfs.com:8022/productInquuiry/app/search/productSearch.do

It time for Grand Rapids Gluten Free Food Fair. Saturday May 8, 2010 10:00am-3:00pm Location: Kuyper College 3333 East Beltline NE Grand Rapids, MI More information will be posted. Anchor Baptist Church sponsors the fourth annual Gluten Free Food Fair for people with Celiac Disease and those following a gluten free diet.

Most Zoup restaurants have training they go through to handle all types of dietary issues, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut allergies, preventing cross-contamination, etc.. They use designated areas, knives, cutting boards, new gloves etc.. They make hundreds of soups, usually twelve a day. They have several that are gluten-free. They can also make gluten-free salad, and the Ranch dressing and Caesar dressing are both gluten-free. They are other soups that are gluten-free, you can go to their website to see other soups they have that are gluten-free. Some locations in Grand Rapids Michigan are Byron Center in Wyoming,, Casacade Road in GR, MI. to one of their locations to try them! They have two locations at the present timA new one will be opening up in Holland Michigan. Couple GF soups are A Fire-Roasted Tomato Bisque, and a Seven Bean. Website : www.zoup.com.

I am not a Superbowl fan. I only like to beer commercials. But I know that there is my readers that like to throw Superbowl parties. I want to give you ideas to make your 2010 Superbowl gluten-free. Here is some recipes that is so good that your guest won't even relize that it is gluten free. What a Superbowl without Bufflo Wing : - 2 ibs chicken wings (about 12 wings)- make sure that the wings don't have any seasoning so check the labels. - 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (if you don't have unslated regular works too) -4 Tablespoons Gluten Free bottled hot pepper sauce Some gf hot peppers that are GF are Franks Original Red Hot Sauce, TABASCO brand pepper sauce. Soland chili sauce, 365 organic hot sauce, Edward and Sons brand The Wizard's Organic Hot Sauce ( Please read labels and call company if you have questions) - 1 Tablespoon of paprika - 1/2 teaspoon salt -1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper -1/4 teaspoon black pepper Direction: 1.Cut the drummet portion of the chi

Cream of Mushroom can sometimes be hard to find Gluten-Free. Progresso's Cream of Muschroom is Gluten-Free,but check the label to make sure they have not changed it. But Progresso can be expensive if not on sale. This recipe gives you a natural perservative free cream of mushroom. You can make a batch up and freeze it in an airtight container. Here is a recipe that is quick and easy: BASE: -1 cup of mushrooms, sliced. - 2 tablespoons onion, chopped - 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter -2 Tablespoons of a Gluten Free glour mix (All purpose Gluten Free mix such as Kinnikinnick mix which is my favorite. Another GF all purpose mix is BOB MILL, Arrowhead Mills) - 2 cups of Gluten Free beef stock. I like to use Swason chicken broth because it is a better taste. - Salt and freshly ground pepper. Add when going to eat: -1/2 cup of cream (Can use fat free milk, 2% milk, whole milk) - can add a teaspon of nutmeg. Direction: 1. Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan 2. add mushrooms, o

This recipe was from www.livingwithout.com Makes 24 2-Inch Cookies Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies 1¼ cups Gluten-Free Cookie Flour Blend ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ teaspoon xanthan gum ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cream of tartar ¼ teaspoon salt ⅓ cup canola oil ⅓ cup plain-flavored rice milk 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract ⅔ cup sugar ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Combine flour mix, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Mix thoroughly, being sure to work out any lumps of cocoa powder. Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, thoroughly combine canola oil and rice milk. Add vanilla extract and sugar. Mix well. Add the dry ingredients to wet and mix on low speed, scraping sides of bowl. Scoop out dough by heaping teaspoonfuls and place on prepared cookie sheets, 12 per sheet. Wet hands with a little water and roll dough into balls. Bake in preheated oven on center

Chex has been a great company for changing their cereals to gluten free. The Chocolate Chex, Honey Nut Chex,Cinniamon Chex, Rice Chex, Corn Chex, Strawberry Chex are gluten free.It is so exciting that food companies are starting to think about people who can't have wheat/gluten. You can go to chex.com for cool snack recipes. When you get a chance email Chex to thank them for gluten free.

STUFFING Stuffing has been a tradition in many families. My family always have stuffing. Here is the easiest gluten-free stuffing: 1. Take your favorite gluten free bread and chop it into cubes. 2. Put in other ingrediants such as: rasins, cranberrys,celery is what I usually put in it. But experiment and put other GF foods such as figs, corn, etc. 3. pour chicken broth (Swanson). pour just enough to help keep it moist. 3. put it in the oven at 350 degrees or until it is golden brown PUMPKIN PIE A quick and easy pumpkin pie: 1. Find GF cookies that you didn't really like or GF cookies you love and crumble them. 2. pour a little bit of melted butter to help spread the GF cookie crumbs 3. Open a can of pumpkin filling. Most pumpkin filling is GF, but make sure to read labels and/or call the company. Put the filling in a bowl and pour a small amount of milk until it is easy to spread out on the GF Cookies. You may not even need to use the milk. 4. Put in the oven at 350 degrees unti

It is time for Thanksgiving and time to pick the turkey. 1. Butterball turkeys are always on the top of the Gluten Free list.Pretty much all Butterball turkeys are Gluten Free unless they have seasoning on it. They will tell you if it contains wheat. You can call 1-800-butterball for information. 2. Don't use the seasoning package that it may come with. And avoid turkeys with seasoning already on it. 3. Most local stores have gluten free turkeys. Spartan Brand turkeys (Family Fare, D&w) should say if it contains wheat, but again it may say wheat on it, but it could be from the seasoning package so read labels slowly. 4. Costco and Sams Club turkeys should be ok, but again please read the labels slowly and ask the meat department if you are questioning it. Most meat department people don't know what is gluten free so ask for a number to call. 5. Also some turkeys come with a gravy package. The gravy Package is NOT gluten free!! The turkey should be ok, unless the gravy is on

Their gluten-free pizza crust arrives at the restaurant in sealed aluminum pans. Separate utensils are used in the preparation, knives, cutting boards, etc. Also separate food products are also used – so there is no “double dipping” of sauces, etc., from gluten free pizzas and gluten pizzas. The pizzas are 10” size, about 8 slices. You can go to their parent website, www.frenchmeadow.com, you can print a coupon for $1.00 off, which is good on any of their gluten-free pizzas. If you enjoyed their pizza, and if you stop in to their restaurant, be sure to mention how much you appreciate having gluten-free pizza available! They are also considering adding more gluten-free menu items in the future. Boston’s is located at 2024 Celebration Avenue, Grand Rapids. Actually, it is located just off the East Beltline in the Celebration Cinema plaza. Their phone number is 616-363-4948 and website www.bostons.com.

The Grand Rapids restaurant is now serving gluten free pizza and other menu items. Go to there website and click locations. Pick Grand Rapids. http://www.bostonsgourmet.com Come join us at Boston’s for the best food specials in Grand Rapids! In addition to our signature gourmet pizza and pasta, try our outstanding wings, ribs, salads, sandwiches, lunch specials and the best kids menu around. Want to catch the game? Check out our sports bar featuring great daily drink specials, flat screen TV’s and local team memorabilia. Like dining outside? Enjoy our large wrap-around patio that can accommodate groups of any size. Or if you want to enjoy Boston’s in the comfort of your home, check out our Good To Go! Take Out Menu. Just call ahead, drive up, and we’ll meet you at the curb! 2024 Celebration Avenue NE Grand Rapids, MI 49525 PHONE: (616) 363-4948 FAX: (616) 363-4815

My life has been crazy with a diagnoses of Reflex Sympathetic Dystropy which is a neurological condition that causes severe disabilitating pain in my legs and can even be in my whole entire body. The pain of this disease is said to be worse then cancer pain. I can believe it. I have had ten major painful surgery, but they were nothing compare to RSD pain. I could spend my day screaming in pain. The pain can last 24 hours seven days a week. Strong pain meds don't even touch it. Diludid shots don't even touch it. The pain is a shrap shooting pain with burning that feels like I am on fire. I have been getting nerve blocks every week for six or more weeks. Thoses injections have been a blessing. Everyone with this disease has different things that work for them. Some people take neurotin and that helps them. Broken legs, surgeries, car crashes, and many other issues can cause RSD. My was caused by a hospital error. This is what I have been dealing with all fall.