Connecticut mom making waves with her gluten-free macaroons.

If you are gluten free and from CT (like I am), you will be delighted by this story.
A mom in Enfield looked for a way to work and be a stay-at-home mom, and a booming macaroon business was born. Stephanie Thomacos from Enfield, CT is a self-taught baker who operates her macaroon business from home.

She initially started baking with her grandfather on a farm, making box cakes. As she experimented with various foods, she became inspired to make macaroons.
"I used to buy them from a bakery in New Jersey. They were really expensive and I never thought I could make them, but I just decided one day to try. I loved it and decided to make a thing of it. Other people loved them and nobody else around here does it (it's true. No one does!). It's an unsaturated market for macaroons so I decided to jump in on it. -Journal Inquirer

Thomacos baked up a ton of macaroons and showcased them at a recent Farmers Market in Ellington. She sold out of her macaroons not even halfway through the day. The macaroons are made with sugar and almond flour, which means they are naturally gluten free! Thomacos offers 10-14 flavors of macaroons at every farmers market she goes to. She even makes them into shapes of various characters (pandas, corgis, etc).

So when does this mom find time to bake her creations?
According Thomacos, she starts baking between Wednesday and Friday, making 600-900 macaroons.
She charges $2 each, $3 for characters. If you want to stock up, a half dozen costs $11 and a dozen cost $20.

Where can you find these macaroons?
Stephanie Thomacos will be at the Ellington Farmers Market Saturdays through August 24, and at the Coventry Farmers Market every Sunday through October 22. She will also be appearing at the South Windsor market in September.
If you cannot make these appearances, she takes custom orders for baby showers and parties. She is planning to do holiday boxes as well.

Thomacos is becoming a rising star with her macaroons, selling out at nearly every farmer's market she attends.

Since I live in proximity of all these Farmer's Markets, I will be making a point to attend, and try these macaroons. Look for an upcoming post and maybe a meet and greet with Thomacos herself? Stephanie Thomacos, you are making a fellow CT citizen, and a gluten free (Celiac) proud! Can't wait to get over and meet you!

Photo- I do not own the photo. Photo is from Mama's Macs Facebook profile. 

 

Recall Alert: Purely Elizabeth recalling GF granola due to possible glass, plastic, or rock contamination.

If you have a bag of Purely Elizabeth GF granola that contain cashews, and have best-by dates beginning in November and going through the end of this year, you may want to toss them.

Bags that were sold at Whole Foods, Costco, Publix, Purely Elizabeth's website, Thrive Market, and Amazon are a part of the recall. If you purchased granola from Walmart or Target, you are NOT a part of the recall. Granola BARS are also not a part of the recall.

Purely Elizabeth put out a statement last week regarding the recall. They are working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the matter. As of right now, there is no recall on the website.

This story is developing.

Support Celiac Disease Awareness by enjoying a night of comedy in NYC.

If any of you are in the NYC area on May 19, you have to check out a comedy show being sponsored by the Celiac Disease Foundation. Tickets are $25 each and all proceeds go to the Celiac Disease Foundation.

For more information, and to buy tickets, click here.

Great news! NIH will be submitting a plan for Celiac Disease Research!

On Thursday, the US House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies released a report under the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) regarding funding for Celiac Disease research. It included a letter from the Chief Executive Officer of the Celiac Disease Foundation, which you can read here.

Basically, Marilyn Geller, the CEO of CDF, shared her testimony last month and it led to Celiac Disease research being included in these federal documents.

The inclusion of Celiac Disease in such a report has never happened before (history-making, guys!), and if Celiac Disease research gets the funding, it can help researchers learn more about the disease, and it could help them find a cure.

Before you throw the confetti, nothing has been signed into law just yet. The documents have to go through the Congressional appropriations process and be signed by the White House.
Geller is confident that it will be signed. Overall, this is a great time for those of us living with Celiac. We are moving closer than ever to being taken seriously, and hopefully we will have a cure in our lifetime. Pray, meditate, send positive energy that Celiac Disease research gets the funding it deserves!

If my Celiac grandmother were alive today, she would be so proud. As a Celiac sufferer myself, I'm very excited about all of this.

Why we need more awareness about Celiac Disease.

Celiac Disease awareness is near and dear to my heart, and it is important that we continue to raise awareness in hopes it helps the rest of the world to take us seriously.

This morning, I came across a heartbreaking story of a woman who died from complications of celiac disease. She had ignored her symptoms and didn't adhere to a GF diet.

She, like all of us, ate wheat products for a portion of her life. Her body loved wheat. I mean, wheat products were yummy!
When she was diagnosed with Celiac, not only was it during a time when gluten free food was very sparse, she had difficulty giving up what she loved: foods with wheat ingredients.
She suffered the consequences of not adhering to a GF diet, as her liver gave out on her. She also had an enlarged stomach and had gained 30 pounds. She succumbed to her complications, and her daughter has spoken about her mother's health issues.

She, like all of us, are hoping for more awareness to be raised. We as Celiacs need more support. All of the men and women who have died from Celiac Disease will have died in vain if things don't change now.

The whole world knows what gluten free is. Unfortunately, not everyone knows about Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease may seem harmless to the uneducated eye, and you may think the woman I spoke about could have prevented her own death if she adhered to a gluten free diet. Guys, it is not that easy.

First off, Celiac Disease is not harmless. People can die from the illness. Even if you get diagnosed late in life, the damage could already be done. Or, you could be diagnosed early and have a really severe case. Regardless of the situation, people can and have died from the disease.
Secondly, I understand the woman in the story, because my grandmother had a similar situation. She was diagnosed during a time when gluten free food was not really available unless you made EVERYTHING from scratch (including grinding up your own grains, and driving 4 hours to another state to get those special grains. My grandfather did that every week). There was no support, and you also wanted to avoid looking like you were nuts in front of ignorant people, so you didn't tell anyone. Also, back then you didn't know ANYONE who had the disease. It was considered extremely rare, and in the medical world, it was also considered to be a childhood disease. When the store that my grandfather bought grains from closed, my grandmother had no choice but to go back to regular food. She did it in order to survive, but what she was eating was slowly killing her. I watched all the hard work she did on rebuilding her health completely go away. She dropped a lot of weight, she shrunk in height, she developed a large hump on her back, and she lost the ability to do most of her activities of daily living (washing, toileting, dressing, walking, etc).

Without proper education, support, awareness, and food, new Celiacs return to their former ways of eating. It's survival mode, despite the fact that the gluten foods are slowly killing them.
Also, people become embarrassed when they are diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I remember how hard it was for me. Grocery shopping sucked and having a social life sucked. We need to tell the world that this is a real condition, and it should be taken as seriously as the other diseases out there.

I think about the people who have yet to be diagnosed. When they find out, they will find themselves in a world that doesn't care that you have Celiac disease. The world will see you as a "whining, entitled, trendy, crybaby." This is a problem that needs to stop now.
It starts with those of us who talk regularly about Celiac Disease. I'm not afraid of talking about it because I want to help others. I want to be the person I wish I had around when I was diagnosed.

To find out more about the woman in the story, click here

Syracuse's 3 Bears Gluten-Free Bakery and Cafe recognized for business excellence.

If you have Celiac Disease and you are in the Syracuse area, you have to stop by 3 Bears Gluten-Free Bakery and Cafe. The dining establishment has been going strong for 5 years and is exclusively gluten free.

The business was recently honored for it's top-level customer service. Jennifer Stowe, the manager of 3 Bears has worked to build her restaurant's reputation. Due to her establishment being exclusively GF, doctors have recommended the bakery to their gluten free patients, both Celiacs and those with an allergy/intolerance.

Stowe is hoping her business will continue its upward momentum. She plans on adding new niches, and she is even working on getting a liquor license for her bakery and cafe.
She is also hoping to expand her menu to include those with other food allergies and dietary restrictions.

3 Bears offers a wide selection of foods, including sweet treat baked goods, sandwiches, pizza, wings, dinners, and many more.

My Two Cents

If I am ever in the Syracuse, NY area, I'm checking this place out. As a Celiac, I have high respect for restaurant owners who make their restaurants exclusively GF. It makes it easier on us to dine out and not worry about getting 'glutened.'

Celebrities who have Celiac Disease

 Getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease can be pretty tough (believe me, I remember how hard it was for me). You may be the first among your family and/or friends that has been diagnosed as Celiac. It can be lonely (even though my grandmother had it, and I was partially raised by her, she had been gone for a few years when I was diagnosed. I had no one).

What gave me some comfort was that I was not alone. Some of the celebrities I look up to were also Celiac Disease sufferers. People like Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Emmy Rossum had been living with the disease for years before I was diagnosed. I researched both and learned a lot from them. Also, learning that my first celeb crush has 2 Celiacs in his family really helped me feel less alone.

Here is a list of celebs who have diagnosed Celiac Disease:

• Elizabeth Hasselbeck (public figure)
• Emmy Rossum (actress)
• Wil Wheaton's mom and sister
• Meg Cabot (author)
• Sarah Joy Brown (actress)
• Joe C (rapper who frequently performed with Kid Rock in the early 2000s. He died from complications associated with Celiac Disease)
• Adrianne Palicki (actress)
• Deborah Ann Woll

Many more have also been diagnosed. I know that last year, Mandy Moore (singer/actress) was tested for Celiac, but she never confirmed having Celiac Disease.

We are not alone in this world. We have each other. Together, we need to raise awareness so that the world takes our illness seriously. Never be afraid to speak up.