Gluten Free Cary

Gluten-free birthday cake

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 03:11:00 +0000

You can still have a cute cake on your special day even if it must be gluten-free.

March is Gluten Free Pizza Month at ZPizza

noreply@blogger.com (Zach) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:53:00 +0000

I just received the following email from the owners of the Triangle zpizzas.

March is gluten-free month at zpizza. To celebrate, come in all month long and enjoy a delicious small gluten-free pizza for half off when you purchase a small pizza at regular price (of equal or greater value). Come in to any of our 3 locations (421 Fayetteville St, Downtown Raleigh. 96 Cornerstone Dr in Cary, or 9630 Falls of the Neuse Rd, North Raleigh).

Thanks for your positive feedback on our food, and to those of you that travel great distances to dine with us. Join us on Facebook and let us know where you are coming from. Someone will win free pizza! Thanks, Steve and Dan, zpizza.

www.zpizzatriangle.com

Whole Foods Cary - Gluten Free Tour - March 14

noreply@blogger.com (Zach) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:56:00 +0000

Wednesday, March 14th

Gluten Free Tour

6:30 pm FREE

Are you or members of your family needing to switch to a gluten-free diet? If you're looking for help navigating the many choices we offer, let our Healthy Eating Educator guide the way. She will show you all kinds of options that will help you on your dietary path. Pre-register at customer service.

http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/cary/store-calendar/#72043

Red Robin. YUMMM!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 03:43:00 +0000

Red Robin in Cary has always been very accommodating to our family's gluten intolerance. They clearly take it seriously, always asking, when we order sandwiches without buns, and fries without seasoning, whether there is a gluten allergy. I love that they will lettuce-wrap a burger, and it always makes me really wish other restaurants would catch onto this simple workaround. And now, making Red Robin highest on my "family date night restaurants" list, they recently began stocking a gluten-free hamburger bun.

The manager came over to our table one night, after noting that our order had an allergy alert on it (most likely checking on how the staff handled it). He informed us of the new bun, and asked if we'd like to try one. I haven't asked who makes it, but the bun is delicious! It is so incredible to go out locally and be able to eat a sandwich on a bun, at long last. Thanks, Red Robin!

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
2260 Walnut St., Cary, NC 27511

Centrum at Crossroads

(919) 854-5415

Tom Yum Thai -- Restaurant Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:26:00 +0000

For over a year I've been meaning to share this hidden gem with Cary celiacs and their families. Located in the Village Square Shopping Center on Cary Towne Blvd., near the mall and Cary High School, Tom Yum Thai has no gluten free menu, but the friendly and attentive owner will recommend dishes and ensure your food is prepared with gluten free soy sauce, if you speak with him directly. The pleasing atmosphere, with dark cherry and jade colored furnishings, soothing East Asian background music and nature sounds, and plenty of room between tables, makes for an enjoyable business lunch or dinner out before movies at the neighboring Galaxy Cinema.

Our family had dined at Tom Yum in pre-diagnosis years, and shortly after my daughter received her celiac diagnosis we brought our own bottle of gluten free soy sauce and cautiously asked the owner if there was anything he could prepare without wheat. As always, we explained that even the smallest amount of cross-contamination would make her sick. Tom Yum, it turned out, had another customer who was also gluten free, and the owner was familiar with the intolerance. He recommended several of the stir-fry dishes (available with a choice of chicken, beef, pork, tofu, vegetables, or shrimp), which he said he could prepare with the gluten free soy sauce. For months, we brought our own gluten free soy sauce with us each time we went to Tom Yum, but now the restaurant keeps gluten free soy sauce in stock especially for their GF clientele.

Our daughter has stuck mostly to two dishes she loves: chicken with fresh ginger shreds prepared with chicken, peppers, baby corn, mushrooms, onions, scallions, carrots, and ginger; and chicken with Thai cashew nuts, made with chicken, scallions, carrots, peppers, nuts, and celery. Non-celiacs would be remiss not to try some of the delicious but non gluten-free curries and authentic Thai soups, but I think it's important to say that we've been to other restaurants that have promised to prepare gluten free food and our daughter has gotten violently ill from hidden gluten or cross-contamination. We've been to Tom Yum once or twice a month for almost two years, and she's never gotten sick afterwards. What's more, we've always enjoyed our meals there.

Tom Yum Thai

Village Square Shopping Center

685 Cary Towne Blvd.

Cary, NC 27511

919-463-5523

www.tomyumthaicary.com

Hours

Monday-Thursday	11:00AM - 2:30PM 5:00PM - 9:30PM
Friday	11:00AM - 2:30PM 5:00PM - 10:00PM
Saturday	12:00PM - 3:00PM 5:00PM - 10:00PM
Sunday	5:00PM - 9:30PM

Directions

Gluten Free Evening @ Whole Foods

noreply@blogger.com (Zach) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:19:00 +0000

Monday, September 19th

Gluten Free Evening 5-7:30 FREE

Are you gluten free? Dont miss out on your opportunity to taste some of our gluten free products and take a gluten free tour of the store. Tastings start at 5 and the tour is at 6:30. We have made some changes to where our GF products are so this will be a good refresher for some of you regular gluten free shoppers. Sign up at customer service or just stop by.

Cary, NC Bloggers Needed

noreply@blogger.com (Zach) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:26:00 +0000

Live in Cary, NC?

Live the Gluten Free Lifestyle?

Interested in helping others in your city?

If you have any questions or interest writing about Cary, NC please email me.

Gluten Free Tour @ Whole Foods Cary

noreply@blogger.com (Zach) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:40:00 +0000

Thursday, July 14th

Gluten Free Tour

6:30pm FREE

Learn to Shop Gluten Free! Sign up at customer service or just stop by.

http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/cary/store-calendar/

Gluten Free Tasting and Tour at Whole Foods Cary

noreply@blogger.com (Zach) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:38:00 +0000

Tuesday, June 21st
Gluten Free Tasting and Tour Tastings start @ 4 Tour @ 6:30
FREE

Need help shopping Gluten Free? Join us for an evening free of Gluten with tastings and meal ideas from Demo team member Bob, and a store tour by our Health Starts Here Specialist Anna Maria. Sign up for the tour at customer service or just stop by. While you are here enter to win a Gluten Free gift basket courtesy of Smart Treats.

http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/cary/store-calendar#46820

Tribeca Tavern

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 01:44:00 +0000

I recently tried to be festive with a friend and visited Tribeca Tavern in Cary. They were serving green beer and corned beef for the St. Patrick's Day holiday. The place was packed and had a 45 minute wait as the weather was warm and sunny and they offered outdoor seating. I tried to be a trooper and not subject my friend to the same dining establishments, yet again, that offered a separate gluten-free menu. I thought to myself ahead of time, "I can handle this. I can successfully manage to order a gluten-free meal from the menu, enjoy it, and not get sick." Well, my experience did not match my original thoughts. Our waiter had no idea that gluten-free beers existed and told me that past diners had just ordered hamburgers without a bun. If I had just been recently diagnosed, then I might have made the same mistake. But, I have been on the gluten-free diet for over four years now, so I knew better. I asked the waiter if he would check with the chef about the specific ingredients in the menu items - I thought I would tackle the issue of cross-contamination and the grill separately. He assured me that there was no gluten in the chicken salad served on lettuce. I hesitantly opted for that option and proceeded to get sick. I sincerely hope that the restaurant will reach out to someone in the gluten-free community for advice on how to properly service our needs. We represent a rapidly expanding market that is very profitable for those who address our needs carefully.

Cary Whole Foods Market Gluten Free Festival - March 19th & 20th

noreply@blogger.com (Zach) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 02:41:00 +0000

Cary Whole Foods Market will host a Gluten Free Festival - March 19 & 20^th

Where: Cary, NC Whole Foods Market

102 B New Waverly Place

Cary, NC 27511

When: Saturday, March 19^th – Tastings, 11:00am - 3:00pm

Grocery Isle Tours, 12pm & 1:30pm

Sunday, March 20th – Tastings, 12:00pm – 4:00pm

Grocery Isle Tours, 1pm & 2:30pm

Details: There will be product sampling from several gluten free vendors including the WFM Gluten Free Bakehouse. Lee Tobin from our GF Bakehouse will lead GF grocery isle tours. We will discuss strategies for adapting to the GF diet as we walk the store isles highlighting a variety of GF options. Please register for these 1 hour tours at the customer service desk, or call 919-816-8830

Please let me know if you have any questions. Sorry for the short notice on the Cary event. We just finalized the schedule this week.

Thanks,

Lee Tobin

Team Leader

Whole Foods Market Gluten Free Bakehouse

2800 Perimeter Park Dr Suite C Morrisville, NC 27560

919-467-1602

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/gluten-free-bakehouse.php

Super Bowl, Gluten-Free Style

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:41:00 +0000

Family get-togethers and parties of all shapes and sizes are always fun, but can be a veritable torture chamber for anyone struggling with a gluten intolerance, allergy, or Celiac's disease. With it being Super Bowl weekend, I thought I'd share some good recipes and places to get the ingredients for you football loving fans.

Dessert first, because really, if you're going to have a party you should go all out. Betty Crocker makes some really great baking mixes including the yellow cake mix and the brownie mixes. Wal-Mart, Super Target, Harris Teeter and Whole Foods all carry these, which is fantastic. The brownies can be a bit dry, so I always add some Reeses peanut butter chips, which add moisture and a great surprise to them. The yellow cake mix is okay on its own, but it has amazing potential. If you follow this recipe (ignore the cupcake bits, and don't put in the sugar) with the cake mix and bake it for 27 minutes then let it sit in the fridge for 1-12 hours you can make the world's richest most delicious gluten-free red velvet cake (and your gluten eating friends will love it to, I promise).

But, what's the Super Bowl without snacks, appetizers, and junk food, right? But just because you can't go out and buy the average frozen meatballs and wings doesn't mean you can't have delicious snacking food. Ian's make really great chicken nuggets, fries and pizza for kids and kids-at-heart. Nachos is an easy choice, seeing as most Tostidos are gluten-free. Kiddie friendly with just shredded cheese or add meat, olives, lettuce and you can have a taco salad that's quick, easy, and your gluten-eating friends will love, too! One of the best things to do when you're on a GF diet is to think outside the box. Don't discount recipes with gluten in them before figuring out how to do it yourself with your GF ingredients.

Also, when traveling to friends' house for a party you can bring your own things, surely, but don't feel bad telling them your concerns! They won't mind, especially because if they know you, they know you're GF and they'll be lost if you don't give them a few tips on what to do. Think about how confused you were when you started!

Finally, for you guys who just want to hit a sports bar or restaurant for the game, here are some great places in Cary and the surrounding areas:

Cafe Capistrano isn't really a sports place, but it is delicious and with corn tacos that are to die for and the flam that's sinful you can't go wrong, plus the owner there is very willing to change things around to make more things on the menu GF.

Chili's has a great GF menu, so friends looking to just "chill" come game time can all gather there.

Rosie's Plate is a dedicated GF and other allergy free kitchen, so you'll know you're in good hands. You can order these things and they'll be ready the following day at 3:00- this makes parties and dinner easy as GF pie!

Have a great Super Bowl everyone!

Keep eating!

Gluten-free for less

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:35:00 +0000

It is becoming increasingly easier to find gluten-free items. The good news is that our food is now available in more locations with varying price points. One of the new alternatives is the grocery aisle at the Target in Cary on Walnut Street. I was completely amazed when I visited recently and found lots of gluten-free bakery items, pancake mixes, cereal, frozen Kinnikinnick products, and lots more! Many of the items cost considerably less than you would find at Whole Foods or even Kroger. I encourage you to check it out and add it to your list of weekly grocery shopping destinations.

Carolina Hurricanes: 2010-2011 Gluten Free Update

noreply@blogger.com (Zach) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 01:57:00 +0000

I have previously written about Gluten Free options at the RBC Center during Carolina Hurricanes games over the last couple seasons. See below for the 2010-2011 season update.

A few weeks ago, I checked in with the food & beverage department again to gather updates on the GF options available this season. One big complaint I heard often was the people had difficulty finding RedBridge. It appears that they are working on some signage this year which should help folks in that area.

I'm happy to report continued support of Gluten Free options for the upcoming 2010-2011 season which kicks off this Wednesday, October 27th, 2010. The Food & Beverage Department at the RBC Center has done a great job accommodating those on a Gluten Free Diet. I'd like to send a huge thanks to Chris Diamond and all the folks responsible for these GF options.

If you are interested in tickets, check out the following page. Also a reminder that this years NHL All Star Game will be held at the RBC Center the weekend of January 28-30th. Any visitors to the RBC Center that are looking for Gluten Free options should be pretty pleased.

2010-2011 Carolina Hurricanes Gluten Free options @ RBC Center

1) RedBridge beer will be carried at the following locations. It will be carried on all 3 levels of the arena (hopefully signage coming soon).

The bar @ Section 124
Lower Level - Bud Light Deck
Club Level (2nd Deck) - All private Suites, Arena Club Restaurant, Ledge Lounge bar and Champions Club
Upper Deck - Section 312 - Pub 300

2) The following Gluten Free food options are available.

Call in advance (at least 4pm on game days) 919-861-5479 and request a GF meal from Executive Chef Flood. This special menu option includes a plate of grilled chicken, steamed broccoli and carrots and will run in the $15 range. You can coordinate the details on picking up the GF dinner when you call.
Carvery Cart Meat Option with Salad - Sections 104 & 124
Philly Steak Cart, order without bun - Sections 123 & 324
Sausage Stop Cart, order without bun - Sections 105, 120 & 306
Many concession stands throughout the arena serve candy options like Skittles, M&Ms and Snickers as well as popcorn - all Gluten Free.
Soft serve ice cream from the Twisted Waffle Ice Cream Company is Gluten Free, Lactose Free and Cholesterol Free (no cone) - Section 116 & 322
Dippin’ Dots (I checked their Web site and they are gluten free - does not include Birthday Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or Cookies n Cream) - Sections 105,110,120, 308, 316, 324
Sunset Slush (I checked their Web site and they are gluten free) - Sections 127

In addition to all these awesome options, each concession stand will also have a Food Allergy Ingredient Listing document which details the ingredients of each concession item. If something is in question, please ask the concession worker for this document and you can review all the ingredients yourself to be 100% sure. The listing should include ingredient warnings for the following; wheat & gluten, milk, eggs, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts as well as MSG. I've shown an example below - the red letters will indicate the allergen.

Butter - Partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, soybean lecithin, natural and artificial butter flavor, TBHQ, and Citric acid, vitamin A, and palmitate. Colored with beta cartone. S

Cheddar Cheese - Maltodextrin (corn), whey powder, cheddar cheese, salt, sugar, sodium, phosphate, lactic acid, yellow #5 (E102), citric acid, yellow #6 (E110), partially hydrogentrated soybean oil, silicon dioxide, FD&C Yellow #6 (E110), disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate. M S

Whole Foods Gluten Free Tour - 10/14/2010

noreply@blogger.com (Zach) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:59:00 +0000

Check out the Cary Whole Foods for an upcoming Gluten Free Tour!

Thursday, October 14th
Gluten Free Tour

6:30 p.m. free pre-register

If you suffer from gluten sensitivity or Celiac Disease, or you just want to know about our gluten-free products, then this tour is for you! We will show you where to find our various gluten-free options, as well as direct you to other resources. Along the way we will stop in our different departments to sample some yummy and satisfying gluten-free nibbles. Everyone who takes the tour will be sent home with a goody bag of our gluten-free products. Space is limited so we ask that you pre-register at our customer service desk.

Store Information
102B New Waverly Place
Cary, NC 27518 USA
Phone 919.816.8830
Store hours:
7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. seven days a week.

Hurricane Prep, Gluten-Free Style

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:25:00 +0000

With Hurricane Earl closing in on the East Coast and evacuations underway in parts of the Outer Banks, here in Cary it's time to mad rush the grocery stores. All forecasts predict we'll be far from Earl's wrath, but we're properly trained in better-safe-than-sorry and won't be caught off guard without the essentials: water, flashlight, batteries, blanket, radio, bread??? Hmmmm. How different should our emergency kit look now that we have a daughter with Celiac disease?

My husband and I have talked about this at length since V was diagnosed this past January, although we've never come to any real conclusion. If we had to evacuate, not necessarily due to a hurricane, but for whatever reason, the chances that we would find gluten-free food "along the way" would be next to nil. So what portable GF foods should we pack and how much do we need in the emergency kit?

I always keep a spare case of Kind Bars in the house. Resembling granola bars at first glance, they come in a variety of fruit and nut combos with or without yogurt; they're high in protein, low on the glycemic index, and of course gluten-free (not to mention tasty). But are twelve energy bars enough food to get a child with Celiac through a real evacuation? Have your thoughts about emergency preparedness changed since Celiac entered your life? What's in your gluten-free emergency kit?

Stay safe and dry...

Whole Foods Cary - Gluten Free Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Zach) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:17:00 +0000

Thursday, July 22nd

Gluten Free Tour
6:30 p.m. Free, pre-register

If you suffer from gluten sensitivity or Celiac Disease, or you just want to know about our gluten-free products, then this tour is for you! We will show you where to find our various gluten-free options, as well as direct you to other resources. Along the way we will stop in our different departments to sample some yummy and satisfying gluten-free nibbles. Everyone who takes the tour will be sent home with a goody bag of our gluten-free products. Space is limited so we ask that you pre-register at our customer service desk.

Cary Food Lion stocks Gluten Free products

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 21 May 2010 21:47:00 +0000

The Cary Food Lion at the corner of Kildaire Farm Road and Maynard recently added an end display, four or five shelves, devoted entirely to Gluten Free Products. Among the products are Glutino pretzels, a staple in our house, Glutino Lemon and Glutino Chocolate wafer cookies, Gluten Free pastas, and Gluten Free baking ingredients. Some are priced lower than elsewhere.

The manager told me these products are slow movers, so if you are in the neighborhood, please consider picking up a few items so they continue to stock gluten free groceries.

The gluten-free religion

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:45:00 +0000

It was lunch time and we were hungry. The mall wasn't crowded, so I spoke with a kebab vendor, we'll call him kebab vendor #1, who assured us that the skewered chicken and rice could be prepared gluten-free.

I could see that he was just throwing pita slices over the kebabs as they cooked on the grill, so I asked him to cook ours separately, which he did by setting the skewers on the unused, low heat side of the grill. They took longer to cook because the heat was not as high. Just before the kebabs were done, another employee, kebab vendor #2, innocently grabbed the skewer and stuck the chicken on high heat, right where the pita had been seconds before.

I think I probably cried, "Nooooooooooooo!" Winces all around. My freakout factor related to food preparation would have been unimaginable six months ago. Blood tests at the three month mark indicated that our celiac daughter was still getting exposure to gluten from somewhere, exposure that even in minute quantities damages her small intestines, makes her sick, and puts her at greater risk for malignancies and osteoporosis.

After I explained that my daughter can't have any contact with wheat, kebab vendors #1 and #2 jointly put a fresh kebab on the 'clean,' low-heat side of the grill. It took ages to cook. In fact, my husband finished eating before ours was ready. While we were waiting, the woman came over and asked if she could ask a personal question.

Did my daughter not eat wheat, kebab vendor #2 wanted to know, because of our religion?

I am still trying to imagine the religion that would forbid the eating of wheat.

Raleigh Cel-kids event May 15

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:13:00 +0000

Attention families, this is going to be a great picnic event!

Join the Raleigh Cel-kids group at Baileywick Park on Saturday, May 15 for Gluten Free pizza(!) from Mellow Mushroom and dessert (!) from the Moonlight Bakery.

The event is from 4-6pm.

Be sure to RSVP by May 10 to raleigh.celkids@gmail.com, and check the Cel-kids website for more information and directions.

Road trip - South Beach Grill, Wrightsville Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 02 May 2010 22:34:00 +0000

With the hot weather, thoughts turn east to the beach, but if you're like us, you may have heard about a supposed dearth of gluten-free choices in the Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach area.

We've only been gluten-free since January when our daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease, so even a short trip to the coast induces a mild panic about how to handle meals. Which is why I am so excited to tell you about South Beach Grill on Wrightsville Beach. It's right next door to Wings.

We ate at South Beach Grill a number of times during our pre-GF days (those halcyon days of yore) and always loved the combination of great cuisine and casual atmosphere, so on Saturday afternoon I stopped in and spoke with Chef James "Firetruck" Rivenbark to see if he would be able to accommodate us that evening. With assurances that the Grill made it a priority to safely serve people with food intolerances, we were able to enjoy the afternoon without worrying about dinner.

South Beach Grill does not have a specific gluten-free menu (yet), but many offerings can be prepared gluten-free upon request. Chef Rivenbark recommended the sage chicken for our daughter, which was delicious. It's a boneless breast prepared with boursin cheese, mushroom, sundried tomatoes, and basil stuffing. The chicken is ordinarily dipped in flour before pan searing, so it's imperative that you speak with your server and specify gluten-free.

If you are interested in learning more about South Beach Grill, check out their website or Fish N Pickles a blog written by the Grill's general manager, Chris Kronenwetter.

South Beach Grill
100 South Lumina Avenue
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480
(910) 256-4646
Open for lunch and dinner starting at 11:00 am

North Carolina Governor Declares May Celiac Disease Awareness Month

noreply@blogger.com (Zach) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:10:00 +0000

Media Release

North Carolina Governor Declares May Celiac Disease Awareness Month

• Triangle residents can participate in a gluten-free food drive at various locations or make a monetary donation to help stock the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina
• Bella Monica Italian Restaurant is hosting a six-course gluten-free dinner prepared by Vanessa Maltin, food and lifestyle editor for Delight Gluten-free Magazine
• A top food allergens poster is available for restaurants to download to educate their staff about these items, including gluten

Raleigh, N.C., USA, April 30, 2010 – The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog has announced Governor Beverly Perdue has declared May 2010 “Celiac Disease Awareness Month” in North Carolina. The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog and Pat Berger, leader of the North Raleigh Celiac Sprue Association (CSA) Support Group brought the petition to the Governor’s office regarding the awareness month.

Celiac Disease is a genetic autoimmune disease that affects one in 133 people in the United States. It interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food and can cause gastrointestinal and neurological issues, infertility, skin rashes and cancer. The only treatment for Celiac Disease is lifelong, strict adherence to a gluten-free diet.

“The Governor’s proclamation paves the way to further educate the community on Celiac Disease and helps to create a positive impact on the quality of life for people living with this condition,” said Zach Becker, creator of the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog. “It’s my goal to help raise awareness so those living with this disease can safely eat out at restaurants and have easier access to gluten-free food.”

In an effort to educate, raise awareness and give back to the community, there are a number of gluten-free events scheduled during the month of May.

• A gluten-free food drive will be held on Saturday, May 8 to benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Special discounts at the drop off locations may be available in exchange for your donation. Bins are set up in each of these locations to accept the packaged gluten-free non-perishable food items:
o Rosie’s Plate – N. Person St., Raleigh
o Bella Monica Italian Restaurant – Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh
o ZPizza – Falls of Neuse Rd., Raleigh and Cornerstone Dr., Cary
o Mellow Mushroom – W. Peace St., Raleigh
o Whole Foods Market, Raleigh – Wade Ave., Raleigh
o Earth Fare – Moncreiffe Rd., Raleigh
o Harmony Farms/Café Harmony – Creedmoor Rd., Raleigh

• A virtual food drive will be held all month to benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina with gluten-free food. The link to donate can be located on the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog.

• On Sunday, May 16, beginning at 5 p.m., Bella Monica Italian Restaurant will host a six-course gluten-free dinner prepared by Vanessa Maltin, food and lifestyle editor for Delight Gluten-free Magazine and Corbett Monica, head chef at Bella Monica Italian Restaurant. They will be preparing dishes from Maltin’s gluten-free cookbook entitled The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook: Spicing Up Life with Italian, Asian and Mexican Recipes. Copies of the cookbook will also be included. Tickets are required for this dining event and can be purchased by calling Bella Monica Italian Restaurant at 919-881-9778.

• The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog worked with Sofia Noble of the design firm This Is Beautiful to create a poster featuring all of the top food allergens, including gluten. This poster is now available for download in English and Spanish at the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog. Wake County restaurant owners may use it to educate their staffs about these foods.

“Research indicates there are approximately three million people living with Celiac Disease in the United States and of those, only about 120,000 have been diagnosed,” said Alice Bast, founder and president of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA). “It’s great to see North Carolina working to raise awareness about this disease so perhaps others can be accurately diagnosed by their doctors. Zach Becker and the entire North Carolina Celiac Disease community should be commended for their leadership and successful advocacy efforts.”

About Gluten Free Raleigh Blog
Zach Becker was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in May 2008. He founded the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog in August 2008 and has created similar blogs across the state. He has recruited writers for these blogs so gluten-free information in those communities can be shared. The blogs contain restaurant and grocery store reviews, summaries of national news as well as highlight local companies that cater to the gluten-free community. Becker is an advocate for those living with Celiac Disease in the Triangle and donates his time to educate the newly diagnosed, local restaurants and government leaders on this condition.

FDA recall of Gluten-Free pancake and baking mixes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:53:00 +0000

Due to traces of Salmonella and the potential for Salmonella contamination, Gluten-Free Naturals Foods has recalled its Pancake Mix, Light and Moist Yellow Cake Mix, and Cookie Blend Flour. The FDA recall press release, which includes the Lot numbers of recalled products, can be found here.

Gluten-free wheat under development

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:14:00 +0000

In February, the biosciences company Arcadia received an $855,500 grant to enter the second phase of developing wheat varieties with reduced celiac disease-causing proteins. The grant, from NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), is in collaboration with Washington State University, and will last for two-years. According to the press release, Phase I of the research successfully identified"wheat plants with low levels of proteins that are most toxic to individuals with celiac disease." Phase II is expected to last through mid-2011.

All indications are that gluten-free wheat will be available to our kids sometime in the not so distant future.

Kids with allergies article

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:21:00 +0000

Joyce Clark Hicks has a short, but interesting article about the challenges of raising kids with allergies in the current Independent Weekly. Looks like it may become a regular column!