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New and Improved Products!

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I have been crazy busy with Graduation, Picnics, Family Reunions, and summer parties coming it is hard to spend hours of baking from scratch. These products have made my life simple for all these busy days. I use Pancakes for a sandwich wrap and hook it together with a tooth pick. Using pancake for bread reminds me of Oga’s Restaurant Sandwiches. I have always loved a fast spaghetti pasta salad that has noodles that taste good. The best pasta in the world is: 1) De Boles Gluten-Free Multi-Grain Spaghetti Style Pasta- I love this pasta because it taste fantastic and doesn’t get mushy after a couple of days. The key is to make sure you don’t over boil the noodles. It is the only pasta out there that has great nutrition. It is made with Brown Rice Flour, Quinoa & Amaranth. Only has 1.5 grams of total fat, 12% Fiber, 30% Folic Acid, 15% Iron, 40% Thiamin, 30% Niacin, 15% Riboflavin. A quick pasta salad is putting together Olive Oil, Tomatoes, Black Olives (canned sliced), chop a sm

Grand Rapid's Michigan Whitecaps Gluten Free Menu!

I have gone to Whitecaps games and watch my friends and family eat baseball game foods. I always felt left out. I won't be feeling left out any more because the Whitecaps has a gluten free menu!! All you have to do is ask to see the gluten free selections. Now you can cheer and eat just like your family and friends.

Starbucks Has GF Cookies!!

I always go with friends to our local Starbucks and talk. I have always loved going to Starbucks and getting warm milk with french vanilla. My friends always order a cookie or a bagel. They always ask me why I don't like cookies. I have to remind them about me being gluten-free. I wish I could eat Starbucks cookies. I always feel like they think I am weird. But now some locations of Starbucks carry gluten-free cookies. According to the spokesperson, Starbucks will have gluten-free cookies at all corporation locations (freestanding locations). Any Starbucks in malls or stores may or may not carry GF cookies.

Suggestions on Baking Cookies

Gluten-Free cookies can be a pain to make. I had a hard time with regular cookies.  I don't know about you, but my GF cookies come on flat and hard. It spreads all over the pan even when I lessen the butter. I love switching out the butter and putting applesauce in the place. Applesauce is a work of art. You have to play around with it. Here are some suggestions that other gluten- freeers have told me:  -Bake on a Silpat mat placed onto your cookie sheet – this helps keep the dough from spreading too much. - For cookies that are rolled out and cut out, place the dough between two Silpat mats, or between two sheets of plastic wrap. The plastic wrap can also be moistened to help it from slipping around on the counter and also water can help spread out the cookie dough. - Use a small ice-cream scoop with a lever to help release the dough onto your cookie sheet. - Use an offset spatula, moistened, to help smooth the batter after dropping it onto the cookie sheet. - Refrig

Ian's Foods Now Has Animal Cookies

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Animal cookies have come in handy for children on the go, lunches, snacks, picnics, car rides. It has been very hard to find great tasting gluten free animal cookies that kids and parents like. Ian's Animal Cookies taste great. They taste a lot like the non-gluten free animal cookies.  They are sweet and addicting. These animal cookies are not only good for kid, they are great for young adults and adults. They are handy not only for children, but also for adults on the run too.  Ian's Animal Cookies are my favorite. It also has a sealable bag to keep them fresh. This is a must in your pantry!

New Gluten Free Products!

Gluten Free Pantry has a new look and the same wonderful taste. I have always loved their All Purpose Flour and used it in every recipes I make. Gluten Free Pantry’s  has some more wonderful mixes: the Chocolate Chip Cookie mix is simple and tasty. I love this mix. I am a college student and always busy, so this mix comes in handy for quick cookies. The cookie has no grittiness or weird tastes like some gluten free cookies have. I like them because my non-gluten free friends can’t tell the difference. This product is very nice for anyone who has a busy schedule or that doesn’t like to bake. Another product that is simply and very tasty is the Gluten Free Pantry Brownie Mix. I have never been a brownie fan until I tried this mix. I like my brownies soft. I put them in a smaller pan then the box said because I like it soft. If I wanted it hard I would stick it into a larger pan. I also added some chocolate chunk chips because I love the melting chocolate. I liked this product because it

Annual Gluten Free Food Fair in Grand Rapids MI on May 8th

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!

100% Gluten-Free Marketplace in Grand Rapids Michigan!

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

Please Take Time to Do This Survey!

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.

Guido's Premium Pizza's Working on Gluten Free Pizza

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

Decadent Gluten Free Brownies

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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

Gluten Free Baking Tips

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'Charleys Restaurant

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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.

New Facebook Site, but for Celiac

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.

Gorden Food Services

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

Gluten Free Food Fair

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.

ZOUP! The Restaurants

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.

Superbowl Party Menus

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

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

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

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