100% gluten free restaurant opening in Louisville, KY.

If you are gluten free and living in the Louisville, Kentucky area, a new 100% gluten free restaurant is coming your way. Silly Axe Cafe will be located at 2216 Dundee Road, where the old DiOrio's Pizza and Pub used to be.

The menu will feature pasta salads, quesadillas, and multiple assortments of sandwiches. ALL will be gluten free. Those of you who are wondering if the place can be trustworthy, I have some good news for you. The owners maintain a gluten free diet due to allergies. The owners are also thinking about adding some GF favorites to the menu (fried chicken and mac & cheese).

Read on to learn more about this gem of a restaurant:
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/money/louisville-city-living/2019/01/25/gluten-free-restaurant-silly-axe-cafe-opening-louisville-highlands/2667223002/

My Two Cents
I wish I were in Louisville. I would practically LIVE in a place like this!
If you live in the Louisville area and you check out this restaurant, let me know how it is!

Republican Ted Cruz vows ban on gluten-free meals to Celiac sufferers in the military.

If elected president, GOP candidate Ted Cruz will not provide gluten-free options to members of the military that suffer from Celiac Disease or wheat/gluten allergies. Cruz made this decision because he feels anything related to gluten-free food propagates political correctness.

Here's what he said:
“That’s why the last thing any commander should need to worry about is the grades he is getting from some plush-bottomed Pentagon bureaucrat for political correctness or social experiments—or providing gluten-free MREs (meal, ready-to-eat).

My Two Cents:

My head is seriously spinning right now. As a Celiac (diagnosed in 2011), I am nothing short of angry and hurt that a human being would deny a Celiac food that is needed for survival. Those of us with Celiac Disease can tell you that this is no fad. We have a legitimate illness, and if we eat ANYTHING containing gluten, we get very sick. Some Celiacs have even died (RIP Joe C.) from Celiac Disease.

Our brothers and sisters with Celiac Disease that are in the military deserve respect. They are fighting for your a**, Mr. Cruz. I hope to God you are never elected President. You are a disgrace. I hope you never have to watch a family member die from this illness.
I've written many times before about this, but, my grandmother (1926-2007) had Celiac Disease. It nearly killed her. She was bedridden because of the disease. It was heartbreaking to watch her suffer during a time when there was no gluten-free food available. She used to be a healthy and vibrant woman. When I was a young kid, we would run in the fields and climb trees. After she got sick, she never left her bed.

If you have any respect for our military, you will respect the dietary needs of not only Celiac sufferers, but those with gluten/wheat allergies, other food allergies, those who require kosher meals, and those who are vegetarian/vegan/lactose intolerant. They are fighting for your life.

I could not find the exact number of Celiacs in the military. As of 2008, there were at least half a dozen. I'm pretty sure that it is scores more now.

I don't like getting political on this specific blog (I save everything for Blurbal Vomit), but, as Celiacs, we cannot back politicians who don't have our backs. We are in an election year, and we need to elect a president that won't cause us, or our fellow Americans, any harm. Please do not vote for Ted Cruz.

Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate is now gluten free!

Many of us in the Celiac community have mixed emotions about the popularity of the gluten free diet to non-Celiacs. The one truth that we cannot deny is that we have a ton of food available to us because of how popular gluten free food has become. However, not all new gluten free food has been easy on our GI tract (*cough* Cheerios *cough*), but we have had some marvelous additions to our pantries.
The latest addition is one that will garner some mixed reviews as well: Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate.
According to Post, they run the product through rigorous testing to ensure that the cereal tests at 10ppm, or lower. Once cereal has been processed, they are sampled and held until test results come in.

Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate (Gluten Free) is available nationwide.

My thoughts:

After last year's Cheerios incident, I do experience mixed emotions whenever a new product comes out and is labeled 'gluten free.' We Celiacs need to be very careful with these products. We do not want to put ourselves in danger of complications (and we all know what those complications are, and how scary they are).
My advice is, don't try anything that isn't backed by the Celiac Disease Foundation.

Those of you who suffer from gluten intolerance or wheat allergies, I don't see this cereal being a problem for you. I do suggest that you exercise some level of caution, just in case you do have an allergic reaction.

Gluten Free Lucky Charms cereal is now available!

Are you the parent of a gluten free kid? Are you a 'kid at heart' and gluten free? Well, I have some news for you: gluten free Lucky Charms are in stores everywhere!

Last year, General Mills released news that they were in the process of making Lucky Charms gluten free. They were going to create the cereal using oat flour, the same kind of oat flour that is being used for gluten free Cheerios*.
Lucky Charms will have the same great taste as regular Lucky Charms, minus the gluten and wheat.

My Two Cents:

I was very excited about this cereal when I heard about it going gluten free. *However, when I found out that General Mills is using the same oat flour as the gluten free version of Cheerios, I became a little apprehensive. Last year, this Celiac became ill from eating the gf Cheerios. Now I worry it might happen again with the Lucky Charms.
Celiac friends, unless this cereal gets the Celiac Disease Foundation seal of approval on it, I wouldn't trust it.
If you suffer from an intolerance, or are gluten free for other reasons, I will recommend this cereal to you.

Celiac friends: Will you be trying this cereal? Have you already tried it? Any reactions?

Photo credit: General Mills

Can dogs suffer from gluten intolerance?

For the past couple of years, the topic of gluten has come up quite a bit in this country. With the increased understanding of Celiac Disease, more people are being diagnosed now than ever before. Gluten Intolerance has also increased in this country.
With all this talk about humans with Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance, is it possible for our pets to have Gluten Intolerance or Celiac Disease?

While Celiac Disease has not been found to affect dogs, a very tiny percentage of dogs may exhibit symptoms of Gluten Intolerance.

For the most part, dogs can tolerate food containing gluten. For dogs that cannot, they may develop inflammation in their small intestine whenever they eat food containing gluten. 
Symptoms to look out for:

Persistent diarrhea

Weight loss

Poor hair coat

Lack of body conditioning

Failure to thrive

When dogs have this condition, they may have a delayed reaction tot he ingested gluten. Like in humans, dogs who have an issue with gluten intolerance have a body that constantly attacks itself. The immune system attacks the gastrointestinal tract whenever gluten enters the body. Gluten destroyed the villi in the small bowel, causing the dog to be malnourished.

Gluten Intolerance can affect any breed, but it is well-documented to affect Samoyeds, Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers, and Irish Setters. The onset of symptoms can occur at 6 months of age.

How is Gluten Intolerance in dogs diagnosed?
Veterinarians will assess the dog's history of diarrhea, weight loss, and illness before running blood and urine tests. In some cases, your vet may order a fecal examination to look for parasites.
To be absolutely sure, your vet may recommend putting your dog on a grain-free diet for 2 to 4 weeks. If there is marked improvement, the vet will conclude that your dog has a gluten intolerance.

Just like in humans, the condition is completely treatable. Dogs must stay on a grain-free diet for the rest of its life.

If you suspect that your dog may have a gluten intolerance, contact your veterinarian so they can assess the situation.

Food Review: Are Gratify Pretzels worth the buy?

photo credit: Vitacost

Earlier today, while I was at Ocean State Job Lot with my boyfriend, I came across the Gratify brand. They had 3 different pretzel snacks that you could choose from. I picked up the pretzel sticks and brought them home to try.

For a cool $2, these were a great buy. The pretzels taste like non-GF pretzels and are allergen free of the following:

• Wheat
• Gluten
• Milk
• Casein
• Egg
• Lactose
• Non-GMO ingredients

If you have an Ocean State Job Lot in your area, I highly recommend this snack. This product DOES contain Soy, however.

Happy eating, fellow Celiacs! :-)

Gluten Free pizza is NOW AVAILABLE at Pizza Hut

photo credit: metronews

Good evening, Celiac Warriors!

The day has arrived. Pizza Hut now offers GF pepperoni and cheese pizza at many locations nationwide!

To see the list, click here.

If you will be trying the pizza this week, let me know what you think. My neck of the woods will be buried under 2 to 3 feet of snow for a while, so I won't be able to test this pizza out just yet.
Anyways, I just wanted to let you all know about this, and provide the link to the locations offering the gluten free pizzas.

Have a great evening everyone!

For all of my New Englanders, be safe during this Blizzard!

Quick Turkey Chili and Cornbread (Gluten Free)

Good day, Celiac Warriors!

This is a recipe that I found years ago that is super easy and yummy! Here is the cut-out from my local newspaper. The recipe is from Stop & Shop:

This recipe is naturally gluten free. However, I still advise that you check your labels, just in case. Even if I know an item is naturally gluten free, I still check. It's a habit after being gluten free for so many years, LOL!

As for the cornbread, I used the Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free cornbread mix. It was really good (and filling!). I put the cornbread mix into muffin tins so it would cook quicker.

Enjoy!!

Food Review: Eggo's Gluten Free Waffles

photo credit: Kelloggs

Good afternoon, my Celiac Warriors!

So, I recently wrote about Eggos offering a gluten free option for us Celiacs. I promised to write a review of the eggos once I found them.
It is now several weeks later, and I FINALLY found them in my area. YAY!
I picked these bad boys up and had some the next morning.
I popped 2 waffles into the toaster and prayed to the Celiac gods that they wouldn't suck.

Folks, Eggos has done me proud! These eggos are crispy, tasty and they have that Eggos signature sweet taste to them.
I had no reaction to these waffles, so I highly recommend these to all my fellow Celiacs.

Allergy Warning: These Eggos do contain Egg, Soy, and Milk ingredients.

You can find these in your supermarket. Look in the gluten free frozen food section, or in the frozen breakfast section.

Thank you, Eggos! :-D

To see my original post: http://writersworld82.blogspot.com/2014/12/leggo-my-eggo-kelloggs-eggos-go-gluten.html

Joy Behar throws serious shade at those of us with Celiac Disease.

photo credit: askmissa

Recently, Joy Behar opened her ignorant yap and insulted the Celiac community (not just the gluten free community), the actual Celiac community.

She randomly blurted out: "How annoying is Gluten Free?"
One of the men mentioned Celiac Disease, and Behar asked, "How many people actually have Celiac Disease?" She continued with her ignorant rant, saying that Celiac Disease is a bunch of baloney. She said: If you have a disease that celebrities can pinch, you will find a cure for the disease. So Celiac is the new disease (Celiac has been around for a very long time).

Here's more of her rant:
"If celebrities don't have the disease, they will never find a cure."
*She's basically saying that celebrities(and those of us with the disease) fake having the disese because it's a fad or trendy. *
I'm wondering if she would ever call out people with cancer, diabetes, HS, MS, and say that their illness is "baloney" or "trendy."

Listen, I understand that people like her are ignorant and don't give two sh*ts about our community. If this woman had half a brain and half a heart, she would do her research. This woman co-hosted The View with Elizabeth Hasslebeck, who we all know has Celiac. Is she calling her former co-worker's illness trendy?
This is why education is so important. People like her need to realize that what we suffer is REAL. Trust me, a good portion of us (myself included) would love nothing more than to eat regular food. Unfortunately, we can't. We have this for the rest of our lives.

Ms. Behar,
I understand that you feel that you're "above it all." I understand that you believe that you know everything about everything. Unfortunately, you hit way below the belt. Celiac Disease is a very real and devastating illness, one that I suffer serious complications from. My grandmother was diagnosed with it in the 1980s and I watched the disease slowly kill her (I inherited the disease from her). Joe C., Kid Rock's best friend, died from the disease. Look it up!
I don't think that this disease is trendy. How can you call ANY disease trendy, especially one that KILLS PEOPLE? Lady, I don't know who you are, but you must be a very miserable person to spew so much hatred. It must be so easy for you to insult the Celiac community, while you lay up in your mansion, wiping your nasty butt with $100 bills. All the money in the world couldn't fix your stupidity and ignorance.

Normally I wouldn't go off like this, especially when celebrities call out the gluten free community. However, when someone calls out a community that suffers a DISEASE, I will call them out on it.

I apologize for my rant, but I felt like something needed to be said. If you want to hear more of what this evil spawn of Satan said, you can watch it below.

PS-I promise my next post will be more positive, LOL!

BREAKING: Pizza Hut to offer gluten free pizza (hurrah!)

photo credit: Pizza Hut

Sound the trumpets! Pizza Hut will be offering gluten free pizza to the masses!

It is being reported that popular pizza chain Pizza Hut will be releasing a gluten free option to about 1/3 of its chain stores. That means, 2,400 out of the 6,300 stores nationwide will have the option available to those of us who suffer from Celiac Disease. This is also good news to those who suffer from a gluten allergy/intolerance or wheat allergy/intolerance.

Pizza Hut will start selling a gluten free pepperoni and cheese pizza, starting on January 26. Pizza Hut tested this pizza in Australia and received enough feedback to bring it to the states.

Even though Domino's Pizza has been selling a gluten free option since 2012, Pizza Hut will be the first pizza chain to offer a CERTIFIED gluten free pizza (which is excellent news for our community).
Pizza Hut global CEO David Gibbs issued the following statement:
"We partnered with the most-respected names in the gluten free community to develop a best-in-class pizza for those looking to limit gluten in their diet. Our gluten free pizza has all the flavor America has come to expect from a Pizza Hut Pizza, which is why we are thrilled to add this pizza to our lineup."

Pizza Hut has partnered up with Udi's gluten free foods and the Gluten Intolerance Group to help create this new item.
Pizza Hut says that they will keep the gluten free pizza ingredients in designated gluten-free kits. Employees will wear gloves while preparing the pizza, and will bake the pizzas on parchment paper. They will also use a designated pizza cutter for gluten free use only.

As we all know, the term "gluten free" seems to make the masses' skin crawl. Many people are sick of hearing the term. I did some research as to what various people think about Pizza Hut going gluten free, and the following are comments that most people are in agreement with. I took these comments off of a Yahoo forum.
"The entire GF deal amazes me. I have a friend who has suffered with Celiac Disease for years. She's extremely careful about what she eats, cross contamination and how it is all prepared. During many 'get-togethers,' over the years, mutual friends and her have talked about her issue and have since decided (no testing, no trip to the dr, no nothing other than THEY decided they are allergic) that the must be GF to survive. My better half is in this group. It's hilarious to watch this group of self diagnosed friends when we get together for meals at each others home or go out to eat. They all 'pick and choose" when it needs to be GF!!!!!!! LOL. Recently one made the comment 'mine has been feeling so good laately thaat I just HAVE TO HAVE a try of those cakes'. Not a teeny 'try'. FULL BLOWN SERVINGS OF SEVERAL!!! It's really disgusting and aggravating to have them saying 'oh we can't cook that because it has wheat in it and I can't eat that' and to turn right around and say 'oooohh, I'm going to try all of these cakes' (not made with GF products.
I feel for those with REAL DIAGNOSED issues but am tired of the rest....
It's a pain in the #$%$ to deal with when they're off and on as to what they 'can' eat!" -Walter

"We have been eating gluten filled products for thousands of years but in the last ten all of a sudden its the worst allergy ever. Total marketing scam. To the ones who do have a serious allergy you have my sympathy but this is just another corporate money maker." -tom A

"I LAUGH every time I read Gluten Free, because the only reason you need to avoid gluten is if you have a gluten allergery or Celiac Disease. While it is beneficial to 1%, the other 99% have absolutely no reason to avoid gluten!"- Tom B

"What a stupid fad. Only about 1% of the population have a legitimate need to avoid gluten. The rest that avoid gluten are posers jumping on a fad diet." -Phukyahu

"So glad I live in New England where we have real pizza and I don't have to eat that #$%$ from Pizza Hut or Domino's. FYI less than 1% of American's have Celiac disease, why are we alwas conforming to meet the few?" -G

"This gluten free junk drives me nuts. no offence to the 1/2 of one percent of the population that actually haas celiac disease. but the rest of you band wagon jumpers should try jumping off a cliff instead." -Jack and Cyn

My Two Cents:
I am happy that Pizza Hut is unveiling a gluten free pizza. It's great news for those who want to be able to go out for pizza with their friends and/or family. Celiac kids especially will be pleased as punch, as they can now attend gatherings with their friends.

I want to address the comments I read this morning before I go on.
"Walter" brought up a lot of great points in his post. I've seen a lot of this go on. If you have a Celiac friend and see how better they feel on a gluten free diet, many people wonder if they too have Celiac Disease. They self-diagnose themselves and go on a gluten free diet too. While it's great to have the support of your friends, diagnosing yourself as Celiac is kind of stupid. If you have a legitimate concern, you need to see a doctor (especially if you're like me and have/had a Celiac family member). Unlike Walter's friends who can "pick and choose" when to be gluten free, we Celiacs do not have that luxury. We can't have that piece of cake, or that bottle of beer. We have to be ON-POINT, every second of every day, for the rest of our lives. There is no wiggle room.
I know a woman who is gluten free to lose weight (plus she thinks she may have an allergy), and she says she feels so much better when she eats gluten free foods. However, she would go back on her word and get a slice of regular pizza a second later. It sucks to witness it, but people are going to make their own choices in life, and if she has an allergy, she will pay for it later (in the bathroom).

"Tom A" brought up a point that I have seen numerous times: "We have been eating gluten filled products for thousands of years but in the last decade.... it's the worst allergy ever." Yes, we have been eating gluten filled foods for thousands of years. Also, people have had Celiac Disease for thousands of years. It just hasn't been accurately diagnosed, due to not knowing exactly what Celiac Disease is. Also, Celiac Disease was very rare back then. When my grandmother was diagnosed with it 30 some-odd years ago, not much was known about the illness. There weren't special stores in every town that offered food that was safe for her. There weren't designated aisles in popular supermarkets where she could purchase gluten free foods. Celiac and GF was unheard of. My grandfather had to travel out of state to buy grains and flours. He grounded the grains himself and made her baked goods from scratch. He sacrificed his retirement years (and health) in order to care for her (she was deathly ill, bedridden and needed total assistance for her activities of daily living because of having Celiac Disease). I've grown up around Celiac Disease my whole life (and was diagnosed via blood test and biopsy in 2011). Within the past few years, gluten free has become this huge empire and so many people are jumping on the bandwagon. Of course "Tom A" would find the craze to be a corporate money maker. In a way, it is. Companies are using a serious disease in order to make money off of it. People are pointing out how bad gluten and wheat are, and completely eliminating it from their diet. By the way, gluten and wheat are not bad (unless you're Celiac). There are so many health advantages to having gluten and wheat in your diet. Wheat is very heart healthy. Unfortunately, there are some folks (like myself) that were born with a bad gut. Some of us inherited it from family members, others are the first in their family to get it.

"G's" comment is one I really want to discuss. He/she brought up the question of why the 99% of people who don't have Celiac Disease have to conform to our way of life. Again I want to go back to Companies jumping on the bandwagon. The gluten free empire is now worth billions of dollars. Corporations have seen their stocks skyrocket and more companies are wanting that same success. Now these popular food chains are unveiling these options and people are stuck seeing "gluten free" on their menus. Of course, seeing these options everywhere can be quite annoying, but it is great for those of us who have Celiac. To those who think like "G," you don't have to buy the gluten free option. I know you're sick of seeing GF everywhere, and by no means are we wanting to make the masses conform to our lifestyle. We just want to eat out like everyone else. We don't want to be cut out of gatherings because we can't eat what you eat. We want to enjoy fellowship with our loved ones without falling deathly ill. That is all.

While the gluten free "fad" is somewhat annoying, it has been great for our community. We have an abundance of options that we have never had. If my grandmother were alive today, she would be so excited. She loved food. She would savor every flavor.

As for my opinion on Pizza Hut offering gluten free pizza, I've never really cared for Pizza Hut (I ate from there once or twice in my pre-diagnosed days), but if I wanted to order a late night pizza, I'm glad I have a place that I can call. Otherwise, I'm happy spending my money at local restaurants that offer gluten free pizza (i.e. "Mario's" in Watertown, Connecticut).

Fellow Celiac Warriors: What do you think about Pizza Hut offering a gluten free pizza? Will you be trying it?

"Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce" gets gluten free wrong in latest episode

photo credit: Shauna Silva via Bravo

"Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce" is my favorite new show of the year. It's hilarious and has some of the best women actresses that Hollywood has to offer. Last night's episode, however, left me a tad disappointed.

In the episode, "Lyla" was being visited by a woman from social services. They sat down to dinner with "Lyla's" mother and children to eat sushi. "Lyla" passed the woman from social services a couple of sushi rolls and the woman declined, stating that she's Celiac and cannot have gluten. She also says that rice has gluten in it. "Lyla's" mother comments on how hard her lifestyle must be.
In another scene, "Lyla" offers the lady from social services some Sake. She declines, stating that there is gluten in that as well.

Folks, there is no gluten in rice or Sake. These items are gluten free and fine for Celiacs. The only time rice is not okay for Celiacs is when wheat-based soy sauce, or any gluten containing items, are added to the dish.

I'm not writing this to b*tch and moan about another "jab" at our community. I'm writing to comment on the misinformation this episode provided. I know that the scene didn't mean any harm. However, I get asked a lot if certain items are gluten free.
Below, I have provided a list of items that are NATURALLY gluten free:

Many Celiac bloggers do comment whenever TV shows and/or movies mention Celiac Disease and/or gluten free, most of these comments are negative. I hope that my blog post isn't perceived as negative. It is merely a correction and a re-education of what is and isn't gluten free.
Yes, a lot of things have gluten in it, but the above list of foods are naturally gluten free, including rice and Sake.

So load up on rice and enjoy some Sake!

PS- Please don't let this discourage you from watching this show. It's amazing!

Leggo my eggo! Kellogg's eggos go Gluten Free!

photo credit: Kellogg's

BIG news for my Celiac Warriors!

Kellogg's has unveiled their gluten free Eggo waffle line. The item has begun showing up in stores around the country, much to the gluten free community's excitement.

There is not much written about eggos going gluten free, but I wanted to share the news with you anyway.

I happen to have grown up eating eggo waffles (in my pre-Celiac diagnosis days). Seeing my childhood breakfast staple go gluten free is just amazing. I can't be the only one excited about this! LOL!

Here are the ingredients found in this new product:
Water, Rice Flour, Whole Oat Flour, Eggs, Sugar, Soybean And Palm Oil, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Contains 2% Or Less of Artificial Flavor, Xanthan Gum, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Whey. Vitamin And Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Reduced Iron, Niacinamide, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B1 (Thiamin Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B12.

I have not tried this product, due to the fact that I have not seen it in the stores in my area. I will write a review once I have tested this item.

*PS- I did notice the whole oat flour ingredient. If you're a highly sensitive Celiac, proceed with caution.*

RECALL ALERT: Ian’s Panko Breadcrumbs from Stop & Shop

photo credit: emaxhealth

Those of you with Celiac Disease or a wheat/gluten allergy will want to pay attention to this post.

Stop & Shop is recalling Ian's All-Natural Italian Style Panko Bread Crumbs due to labeling issues that could lead to a 'glutened' reaction.

While the bread crumbs are labeled 'gluten free,' wheat is listed in the ingredients.

If you purchased a 9oz bag of this item, it is recommended that you ask for a refund and dispose of the product.
The UPC code that is being recalled is: 74951277220.
There are several expiration dates that are included in this recall:
31May15
11Oct15
17Oct15

As we all know, any Celiac that accidentally ingests wheat will rapidly develop 'glutened' symptoms.
Of course, if you begin to suffer these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately.
The company has recommended that you throw away the recalled package and ask for a refund.

This is the reason why we Celiacs need to read our labels. We need to pay attention to the ingredients. Not all gluten free items are completely gluten free (even though they, by law, need to test below 20ppm in order to have the label 'gluten free.'
Even though Ian's is a popular gluten free brand, it isn't a 100% gluten free brand. They do make products that contain wheat/gluten.

Folks, PLEASE READ YOUR LABELS AND INGREDIENTS (even if it is labeled gluten free).

Food Review: Freschetta GF Four Cheese Medley Pizza

photo credit: Celiac Warrior (Me!)

Hey Celiac Warriors!

A few weeks ago, I saw a commercial for Freschetta pizza. I was laying on my couch and playing a game on my phone while the commercial aired. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw "Gluten Free" on one of the pizzas advertised. I decided to make a note of the new item and look for it when I go food shopping.
During my grocery shopping trip, I saw the gluten free Freschetta pizza. They had two kinds of pizza: Four Cheese Medley and Pepperoni. I picked up the Four Cheese Medley and finished up my shopping trip.

Tonight, I decided to try out this pizza.
For a gluten free frozen pizza, it was pretty good! It was crispy, cheesy, and the sauce was very good.

Usually, frozen pizzas end up tasting rather tasteless, but this one had really nice flavors. You could taste (and smell) all the various cheeses that were on the pizza.

The pizza is a small/medium size. It has four servings and it's less than 400 calories a serving. You have to cook it in the oven at 450 degrees. It only takes 12-16 minutes to cook.
If you like crispy pizza crust, I highly recommend you bake your pizza on a pizza/bread stone.

For those of you worried about whether or not it is safe for us Celiacs, let me put your worries to rest: it is perfectly safe for us. The Celiac Sprue Association gives this new gem its seal of approval...and so do I.

If you're looking to have a pizza night, and you want something new, you HAVE to grab the new GF Freschetta pizza. The price isn't bad. You can find this frozen pizza at most grocery stores. It will be with all the non-GF pizzas, but you will be able to find it pretty easily. It says 'Gluten Free' in big bold letters.

Allergy Warning: This pizza does contain dairy. If you're a Celiac who is sensitive to dairy, I highly recommend taking a lactaid before enjoying this pizza.

Anyways, thank you Freschetta for making a gluten free option for us Celiacs! We appreciate it! Much love!

Jennifer Lawrence calls the gluten free diet, "The cool new eating disorder."

photo credit: boxyblogs

Actress Jennifer Lawrence has come under fire for calling the gluten free diet the "cool new eating disorder." She made this statement in the November issue of Vanity Fair.

The gluten free community is now speaking out against the actress. Cynthia Kupper,the executive director for the Gluten Intolerance group, made a statement to FOX411:

"When I think of an eating disorder, I think anorexia, bulimia or strange eating patterns. Jennifer’s comments make me angry."

Kupper has Celiac Disease and also stated that there are 2 digestive disorders that cause gluten intolerance: Celiac Disease and Dermatitis Herpetiformis. She stated that these are "well-acknowledged and documented medical conditions."

People on social media have been fuming at the actress's comment about the gluten free diet. People have told her to stick to acting because she doesn't know anything about eating healthy. Major fans of the actress are disappointed in her nonsense.

My opinion:
Since I cannot cuss on this specific blog, I'm going to try and word my opinion carefully.
I was among the millions of people who liked Jennifer Lawrence movies. My favorite one is "Silver Linings Playbook." She was amazing in that.
However, as a Celiac, I am deeply offended by her comments. The gluten free diet is NOT an eating disorder. It is our only treatment. It is our prescription that we need to take for the rest of our lives. We have no choice. We eat gluten free foods in order to stay alive. I watched my grandmother deteriorate from having Celiac disease during a time when there was no gluten free food available in the area. When the only store within a 200 mile radius closed, she was SOL. She went back to eating food containing gluten. She was skin and bones. When she died in 2007, she weighed 60 pounds! She shrunk half a foot during the 1980s and 1990s. I was one of her caregivers in the 1990s, and I was only a teenager! It killed me to watch my grandmother go through hell because of this disease.
I inherited this disease from her. Since my diagnosis, her being gone has been exponentially rough on me. We share this unfortunate bond, and she is the only one in my family that could have understood how hard it can be to be gluten free for life.

I hope that Jennifer Lawrence educates herself on what Celiac disease, DH, etc are all about. Many folks are prescribed the gluten free diet because it alleviates many uncomfortable (and life-threatening) symptoms.
If it weren't for the gluten free diet being so popular right now, we wouldn't have much at our disposal. Granted, most of the baked goods are chock full of carbs, sugar, and fat, but at least we have that option for a sweet treat. Gluten free food from the 1990s, 1980s, and before then: that food was God awful! I remember trying one of my grandmother's muffins, made completely from scratch. I thought I was eating cardboard. It was horrendous. But, I knew that those muffins were keeping her alive (and helping her put on weight. She was doctor-ordered to put on weight. She never could. She did get up to near 100 while being gluten free. She was still skin and bones then. You can imagine what she looked like before she died).

Celiac disease, DH, and other illnesses are nothing to joke about. They mean business. I still suffer symptoms every once in a while. I have some complications from the disease. Gluten free food has alleviated most of my symptoms. I remember the months leading up to my diagnosis. I was very very sick.

Just like there is no cure for cancer, there is no cure for Celiac disease. The gluten free diet is our lifesaver. It is NOT an eating disorder!!

Scientist creating "gluten-friendly wheat;" says it will be revolutionary.

photo credit: pri (dot) org

A scientist in Italy is creating gluten-friendly wheat by lowering the amount of gluten protein in pasta and bread.
Carmen Lamacchia wets the wheat grains with water, puts the grains in the microwave, which lowers the amount of ppm in wheat. After years of research, she has been able to lower the amount of gluten to 80ppm, which is 10 times less than normal wheat. (Us Celiacs can only tolerate 20ppm or lower)

We all know the drill about gluten. It is that protein that creates the soft and chewy texture of bread and other kinds of dough.
In recent years, we've been hearing how unhealthy gluten in, and Lamacchia is stating that the news is false.

Lamacchia does have a concern about us Celiacs. She understands how bad gluten is for our intestines and immune system, but her discoveries will change all of that.
She states that the toxic part of gluten will be hidden. The enzyme in our intestine won't recognize the gluten protein and will not cause us harm. She has patented her discovery as "gluten friendly."

A Celiac researcher in MA is impressed with the findings, but he is not convinced that the 80ppm will fly with Celiacs.

"They want zero. I mean, zero is something not attainable in biology. We had to really fight and fight hard with the celiac community here in the United States — and it took nine years of debates — to convince the celiac community in the United States that 20 parts per million, it’s OK, because the immune system doesn’t see it.”

Lamacchia stands behind her research. She said that the immune system in Celiacs will not recognize the gluten protein. She states that 20 or 80ppms will not matter if the quality of gluten has changed, and she believes it has:

“We did [an] experiment on t-cells [white cells from the immune system] coming from the intestine of celiac patients. And on those cells, we tested extract from the modified flour. These cells didn’t produce the inflammatory cytokine."

In layman's terms: the immune system did not respond to the gluten.

My opinion:
While her research is impressive in theory, I find it to be an oxymoron. Gluten-friendly wheat? I mean, wheat is our kryptonite. You can't make it safe, no matter how hard you try. Also, any experiment has its risks. If she has successfully modified the gluten, what are the drawbacks? What will happen to our system when we consume the modified gluten? Will it increase our chances for cancer, or auto-immune diseases connected to Celiac Disease?

I do appreciate Lamacchia's hard work. However, I worry about potential risks. I would definitely like to know more about her research. As someone who has Celiac Disease, I don't trust anything unless I do research and have hard evidence that it is safe. I'm like that in every aspect of my life. I need concrete evidence that something works or doesn't work.

I agree with Lamacchia's stance of gluten not being unhealthy. It isn't unhealthy, unless you have Celiac Disease or a gluten/wheat allergy/intolerance.
Gluten is perfectly fine and healthy for the general population.

Celiacs: What do you think about this revolutionary research? If she has been able to modify the amount of gluten in wheat, would you try it?

Event Alert: Celiac Blood Screening in Chicago. Pre-Register NOW!

photo credit: Examiner via The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center

Greetings again, folks! I just wanted to let everyone know that the University of Chicago is holding a FREE Celiac Disease blood screening. You can pre-register now by going to the University of Chicago's Celiac Disease Center. Pre-registration ends this coming Monday 10/6/2014.

The FREE screening will be held on 10/11/2014 from 9am to 1pm. There will be a Q&A with experts at 10:30am. The screening is FREE, but you MUST pre-register in order to take advantage of this event.

Celiac Disease affects 1 in 100 people here in the United States. Testing for it early can save you years of hell. If someone in your family has Celiac Disease, please get tested for the gene. This disease has been known to be deadly if left undetected. There are also some scary complications to not getting diagnosed early: Osteoporosis, infertility, and many different types of cancers.

If you are in the Chicago area, PLEASE pre-register for this event. It could save you years of hell and it could even save your life.

You can pre-register HERE.

San Francisco restaurant closes early, states that they "don't give a **** about gluten free..."

 

 photo credit: sfeater

Recently, a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, California closed their doors early after the owner became disgruntled with patrons' questions about what is in the food. The owner was so livid, that he made a sign in front of the restaurant that reads the following:

"We are closed because of you (customers).
So... yes, we use MSG!
So... we don't believe in organic food
And... we don't give a s**t about gluten free."   

James Cho (the restaurant owner) had had a pretty stressful day on Thursday. He had one group of people refuse to pay for their food because it was "too spicy." After taking so many dietary requests, he snapped and decided to throw down.
According to the restaurant's Facebook fan page, many people across the country are in support of the restaurant. They applaud the owner for taking a stand against "trendy dieters."

We Celiacs know that people are rather tired of the whole gluten free "thing." It's everywhere, it's on everything, and there are commercials about gluten free chex every 5 seconds. What people fail to realize is, 1% of the population is MEDICALLY REQUIRED to be gluten free, and that is the Celiac Disease community.
Sure, any restaurant should be able to serve what ever they want. We all know that not all restaurants cater to the gluten free community. Chinese restaurants are not exactly known for having a gluten free option. At that point, you pretty much have to use common sense and either get a steamed chicken and veggie meal, or go elsewhere.

I have a problem with the way Mr. Cho approached the issue. It was childish and unprofessional. Maybe the gluten free customers that were in his restaurant were a part of the trendy dieters association. Maybe they were being too pushy. What ever the case may be, there is no need to be rude.

Fellow Celiacs, if you are new at this gluten free living thing, I urge you to do research on ingredients and food...research everything! If you want to dine out, use common sense. Keep in mind that not all restaurants offer gluten free options. It's best to just call ahead or look up the restaurant's menu online.

As far as Mr. Cho is concerned, I understand where he is coming from, but he needs to learn how to vent his frustrations in a more professional way. Yes, he is entitled to his opinion, but people like him need to understand that some of us aren't being "trendy." We are dragged, kicking and screaming through the gluten free world. None of us like being gluten free, but we have to deal. We don't mean any harm. We just want to eat food and have a good dinner out.

If you click here, you will see the news story about the whole ordeal. The news reporters DO laugh at the gluten free thing, which kind of made me low-brow them. However, they DID bring up a good point: "Chinese food usually has soy sauce in it (soy sauce contains wheat/gluten). If you are allergic to gluten/wheat, or have Celiac Disease, you may want to dine elsewhere, or order something bland like steamed chicken and veggies."

Yes, my friends. It is a sad and unfortunate world that we live in, but we need to 'roll with the punches,' as they say. If you want Chinese food from your neighborhood take out place, order from the dietary section where they offer steamed meals. Stick with steamed chicken and veggies. That is what I always get. Yeah, it's boring. But it's safe and healthy. As for my boneless spare rub, lo mein, and eggroll cravings, I still have yet to make these items at home. Trust me, it's on my to-do list. I promise, my Chinese food will be gluten free and it won't contain MSG ;-)

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If YOU'RE looking to skip the Chinese restaurants and make Chinese food at home, you have to check out these amazing gluten free Asian cookbooks!

Food Review: Wow Baking Company's Snickerdoodle Cookies

photo credit: Me (Shauna)

Top of the afternoon Celiac Warriors! I have a sweet and tasty review for you!

Last weekend, I was in a local Target and I came across a new product: Wow Snickerdoodles, by Wow Baking Company. I am a big fan of snickerdoodles, so I figured I would give this product a try.

The name of the company definitely describes the thought that went through my mind after taking my first bite. Wow! The cookie was moist, chewy, sweet, and tasty. I've tried snickerdoodle cookies from a handful of gluten free companies, this cookie trumps them all! So delicious! I've had to put the cookies on a higher shelf in the kitchen because I could eat the whole bag!

The cookies are small, and there are only four servings per bag. The cookies are all natural, no trans fat, and is certified gluten free.

Here are the nutritional facts:

• Calories 260
• Fat 12g
• Cholesterol 50mg
• Sodium 220mg
• Carbs 36g
• Sugar 14g

They are made in a dedicated gluten free facility here in the USA.

Allergy Warnings: This product contains eggs and milk. Item may contain traces of nuts.

I highly recommend this product! These cookies are perfect with a glass of milk, and they definitely satisfy any sweet tooth!
Give this product a try! You can find this product at Target, some local grocery stores, and on Amazon!