The official event began on Saturday, May 4th. It was great to meet up with my fellow Official Bloggers, which included (l to r) Sarah Stolp from Can I Eat Here, Chrissy from Glam Without Gluten,  Brian from East Bay Celiac, Kim from Gluten Free in Arizona and Advisor to Stuffed Pepper, Erica Dermer from Celiac and the Beast, Alison from A Girl Defloured, and that’s me all the way to the right. Missing from the photo was fellow Health Coach from Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Kim Rice, from Thriving GF. We really had a great group!

At the conference, we heard updates and information about Celiac Disease from experts such as Dr. Peter Green and Dr. Joseph Murray. Andrea Levario, Executive Director of the American Celiac Disease Alliance (ACDA), also gave an update on the GF Food Labeling with the FDA. Later on in the day we heard information from a Nutrition Panel, which included information from my friend Anne Lee with Schar. I was also overly excited to run into Alice Bast, Founder and President of the NFCA. So glad to finally meet her after talking to her for over 2 years (and darn, forgot to get a pic of us!!)  and cannot say enough about how much the NFCA does to spread awareness, educate and train about Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance!

Highlights from the Conference (some taken from power point presentations):

- 1 in 100 get diagnosed with Celiac Disease each year.

- 95% of people with Celiac Disease remain undiagnosed. Approximately 2.8 million people have Celiac Disease.

- People with Type 1 Diabetes should be screened for Celiac Disease

-Missed Opportunities to diagnose Celiac Disease include: Diminished Infertility Pre-Diagnosis, Long Years of Unexplained Symptoms, Long Delay in Diagnosis, Having Osteoperosis, which is common and one may never regain bone mass and will have a risk of fractures after diagnosis of Celiac Disease. Health care savings as seeing doctors  over time until diagnosis has been given can add up.

Facial features are different with someone who has Celiac Disease, here is an example, they usually present with a larger forehead:

Women are diagnosed more than men but men are sicker than women when they present themselves to the doctor.

Questions often asked  by doctors Post Diagnosis: Is the diagnosis correct? Were the right tests done? (stool, saliva, gene tests, IgG food sensitivity tests) What blood tests? Biopsy? If unsure, your doctor should get another opinion.

Here is the timeline on the FDA Labeling, fingers crossed we are near a final ruling soon! For the latest update, please click here.

I was also glad to hear that the ACDA is working on labeling for our medications as well as there are certain medications that may contain gluten and the pharmacies usually aren’t aware, it is up to you to do the legwork to check with the manufacturer.  It was kind of cut off in this picture, but the ACDA urges you to take action at www.americanceliac.org.

The information from the Nutrition Panel was very interesting.

Anne Lee from Schar stressed the importance of companies addressing other allergens in their products.

It was also mentioned by the panel that gluten-free foods have come a long way but we still need to get the word out and be an advocate.It is important that we are heard!

Just because foods are gluten-free, doesn’t mean they are healthy, a gluten-free cookie is still a cookie! Many gluten-free breads, pastas and cereals are neither whole grain nor enriched/fortified with iron and B vitamins.

Studies have found the gluten-free diet to be high in fat, low in carbohydrates, fiber, iron, folate, niacin, calcium, B12, phosphorus and zinc.

Here are some slides with important information:

Foods NOT labeled gluten-free:

Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA):

Choosing Healthy Gluten-Free Grain Foods:

Schar’s corporate commitment to quality and nutritional directives:

Highlights from the Gluten-Free Expo:

It was such an honor to meet Dr. Lucy Gibney from Lucy’s! As an ER doctor, Dr. Lucy knows the consequences of not getting diagnosed, and she is encouraging anyone with Celiac to get their family members tested. Untreated, Celiac can lead to a host of related complications.Get the full story about Celiac symptoms and related diseases at:http://news.drlucys.com/news.php?include=144442  (with videos) Dr. Lucy’s cookies are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility and are made without eggs, milk, peanuts or tree nuts and are certified kosher and vegan too! They are very scrumptious!

Heavenly Organics makes Heavenly raw organic honey and their chocolate and honey patties are to die for (they have 4 delicious flavors)!  They are 100% organic, sustainable and 100% yummy!! Tried their patties in Chicago at the GFAF Expo and was glad to see them again. They ROCK!

Cook Simple has great meals you can whip up in 30 minutes or less with all-natural ingredients so they are healthy too!  NO highly refined sugars and grains, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, trans fats or artificial preservatives.

Was great to meet to meet Michael Prior and see my friend and awesome Consultant, Heather Collins at the Flamous booth! Flamous makes a falafel chip in 2 delicious flavors and multi-grain Zatar chip with non-gmo, organic ingredients that are super high in antioxidants (more than green tea or vegetable juice) and a good source of fiber and protein! Their chips also have no nuts, dairy, lactose, trans fat, cholesterol, MSG, hydrogenated oil, preservatives, artificial colors or flavors. They are great for dipping in hummus or with pico de gallo! 

Last but not least here is the lovely Alex Backus from Schar, love Schar so much they really deserve their own post. Anne Lee and Alex hosted a great dinner at The Melting Pot on Friday, May 3rd and some of the bloggers attended. Was awesome dipping some of their delicious breads and cookies into sauces and chocolate! Really love Schar! Please read what they are doing in Chicago with their Bonta D’Italia restaurant training program too! Click here to read my post on Examiner.com. Their trainer and chef and my great friend, Denise San Filippo, has been doing an awesome job training restaurants around Chicago!

On that note, the Bloggers all went to dinner Saturday night and some (including myself) had a rather unpleasant dining experience at P.F. Chang’s, which was quite disappointing as that is one of my favorite places to eat gluten-free.  I cannot stress enough the importance of having a restaurant staff trained as far as dealing with gluten-free foods and cross contamination. Not only does Schar know how to do it right but the NFCA also has their GREAT restaurant training program as well. To read a more detailed recap of our experience by Sarah Stolp, click here.

Bought some great books too:

Kristine Kidd just introduced her book, Weeknight Gluten Free (Williams-Sonoma): Simple, healthy meals for every night of the week. Can’t wait to try some of the recipes, they look delightful and super easy to make!

April Peveteaux wrote a hilarious book that has the same title as her blog, Gluten is My Bitch, that provided me with hours of entertainment on my flight back to Chicago and also has some awesome looking recipes I hope to try soon. April will be appearing at the Printers Row Literary Festival in Chicago on June 9th. April, can I please have one of your F*ck Flour buttons now?!?!?!

This is probably one of my longest posts EVER, thanks for reading if you made it this far. There was so much more to cover but hope to bring you more product and cookbook reviews real soon. I do have one more cookbook that I will mention soon in a giveaway so please keep watching for it.

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Here is my giveaway!

In honor of Celiac Awareness Month, Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery is holding a contest and giving away 10 scholarships to a gluten-free summer camp and I am hosting a giveaway of a Summer BBQ Picnic set in honor of this contest as well (details at end of this post)!

Parents with eligible children, ages 8-17, can enter the contest by ‘liking’ Rudi’s Gluten-Free on Facebook and submitting a 200 word essay from their child explaining what going to a gluten-free summer camp would mean to them. As an additional incentive to enter in early May, Rudi’s Gluten-Free has promised to give the first 250 eligible fans that enter an official Rudi’s Gluten-Free Happy Camper water bottle. The 10 winners will be selected by Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery and announced on Facebook on June 10, 2013, giving parents and campers time to plan and pack up for a summertime camp adventure.

“Enthusiastically giving back to our communities has long been an important part of our business, and this is the third year we’ve made a commitment to the gluten-free community during Celiac Awareness Month,” said Doug Radi, senior vice president of marketing and sales for Rudi’s Organic Bakery. “Summer camp is all about making memories that last, and a child’s dietary restrictions shouldn’t prevent them from having the experience of a lifetime. We’re thrilled that the Rudi’s Gluten-Free Happy Camper program will provide 10 deserving kids with a gluten-free camp experience.”

“Having a special dietary need like celiac disease can make the simple act of going to camp far more challenging,” said Alice Bast, founder and president, National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA). “Fortunately, there are more options today than ever before, whether it’s a dedicated gluten-free summer camp or a ‘mainstream’ camp that has been properly trained to serve gluten-free campers. Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery has done an excellent job supporting the gluten-free community, and we are glad to see them continuing that work with their camp scholarship program.”

In the spirit of summer camps, National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) also offers a gluten-free training program called GREAT Schools, Colleges and Camps. The online course will prepare camp directors and kitchen staff to safely accommodate your child’s gluten-free dietary needs. Learn more at CeliacCentral.org/GREAT/schools.

Rudi’s Gluten-Free strives to create partnerships and programs that give back to the gluten-free community in a way that drives toward a better, brighter future. Offering gluten-free summer camp scholarships provides the perfect opportunity for kids to be kids without worrying about dietary restrictions. Parents can rest assured knowing that many camps are either entirely free of gluten or cater to gluten-free diets.

In addition to connecting with gluten-free fans for summer camp fun, Rudi’s Gluten-Free recently reintroduced its line of Sandwich Breads with a new Soft & Fluffy recipe. With a yummy taste, longer shelf life, double the fiber content with 2g per serving and the Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO) recognizable seal, these breads are the perfect base to a delicious sandwich while camping or hiking this summer. Rudi’s Gluten-Free Sandwich Breads come in Original, Multigrain, and Cinnamon Raisin varieties.

For more information on the Happy Camper contest and Rudi’s Gluten-Free, visit rudisglutenfree.com.

To enter my giveaway for a Summer BBQ Picnic Set (see picture above), please “like” my Rockin’ Gluten- Free Facebook page and enter there or subscribe to my blog and comment on here, “I love gluten-free summer camp and Rudi’s!”.  Winner will be chosen at random by Monday, May 11th at Noon CST. Good luck!

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…..there was a LOT to check out and a LOT of people!

Happy Celiac Awareness Month! I would like to start it off by giving you a recap (in 2 parts) of the always awesome Gluten and Allergen Free Expo that took place in Chicago last month on the 20th and 21st. Thousands attended and there were over 150 vendors. SO much to report about that I’m doing it in 2 parts!

Here I am with Cindy from Vegetarian Mamma!

Betsy from Gluten Free Betsy and Alissa from Breaking up with Captain Crunch!

Pam from I’m a Celiac and Erica from Celiac and the Beast!

Glutonazon was in da house! (aka Melissa)

Connie from Daily Forage

Blogger Love:

It was great hanging out with fellow bloggers (when I wasn’t busy checking out all the products!). We had an area where we all congregated and some even had some great items to sell like Erica from Celiac and the Beast. Her t-shirts and hoodies are very popular, you should check them out! Besides seeing my local GF pals, Betsy from Gluten Free Betsy and Melissa, Ms. Geekily GF aka Glutonazon (see above pic), I loved seeing Cindy from Vegetarian Mamma again and meeting Amy Leger, The Savvy Celiac, for the first time. We have known each other online for a while now. Was great meeting some other bloggers for the first time too, such as Alissa from Breaking up with Captain Crunch, Claudine from Gluten Free Green Bean, Melanie from Hope’s Kitchen, Rebecca from Pretty Little Celiac, Pam from I’m a Celiac, Connie from Daily Forage and last but not least, I had a great time hanging with Lizz from A Little Bit of This and That. We had a blast sampling products together! Hope I’m not forgetting to mention anyone, we really had a great group! Thanks again to our sponsor, Holy Crap Cereal!

Think I’d make a good spokesperson??

My favorite GF product discovery of the Expo was: 

Love this chocolate!! Here is the owner of PASCHA, Simon Lester.

PASCHA Organic Allergy-Free Dark Chocolate! –  I think their President and CEO, Simon, could tell I was a wee bit excited to come across this delightful discovery. My friends know how geeked I get over chocolate, this sent me over the top! Cacao is a superfood and their bars range from 55% cacao to 80% cacao. The higher the number usually means a more bitter taste but not with their bars! What I loved too was the smooth taste. What is so awesome, is that their chocolate is completely allergy free too! As someone whose food allergy list keeps growing and growing, it was so refreshing to see that their chocolate is completely free of all the allergens. Allergy free and healthier chocolate, gotta love it!!

Here are some other awesome new discoveries:

Smart Flour Foods - Sampled some most yummy pizza made with their flour blend, which is made from ancient grains, teff, amaranth and sorghum. Couldn’t get enough of it!! Their breads rock too and I can’t believe I forgot to snap a pic of their yummies, most likely because their booth was very popular every time I walked by!!

Laura and Taste Guru ROCK!

Taste Guru - Absolutely love this company! They try out the products first then ship the best of the best right to your door. One of the most frustrating things about having to change to a gluten-free lifestyle is the money you have to spend sampling products until you find the ones you like best and/or have the best ingredients. Taste Guru does the job for you! I really enjoyed meeting Laura Hanley, their Marketing Guru as well. She’s a lot of fun and is aka G-Free Laura.

Loved the way their cheese melted!

Yummy Vegan Cheese! Great for Nachos!

Chicago Vegan Foods - Did you know that most marshmallows are not vegan because they are made with egg or gelatin, which is usually not vegetarian-friendly? Their marshmallows are vegan and are called Dandies Vegan Marshmallows. They are delicious and I like that they are made with non-GMO ingredients.  What I was most excited about was their vegan cheese. I’m mostly dairy-free, am able to eat hard cheese but I prefer to mostly not eat cheese at all because I worry about the after effects. Their cheese melts very evenly and is delicious! Loved trying their Nacho Vegan Sauce, now I can have guilt-free nachos! If you want a good vegan cheese, I highly suggest checking their product line here. Their products are sold at Whole Foods around Chicago and if you are outside the Chicago area, can also buy them online.

Great for a Bake Sale or Pot Luck!

Great labels!

Kemnitz Family Kitchen - Gluten Free Labels - Loved seeing these labels. This makes it so easy, whether you are bringing food to a pot luck or bake sale or have a restaurant and need to designate a GF meal, this eliminates the need to find pen and paper and risk losing it somewhere and makes it easy to tell what has been prepared GF. Was such a delight meeting owner,Susan Nelson too! Please check out their product line here. I will be doing a giveaway soon so please keep a lookout for it soon!

Their breads really are Outrageous!

Outrageous Baking - Absolutely loved sampling their breads! My favorite was their Chocolate Zucchini Bread. It was very moist and delicious and love that their breads are all gluten and dairy-free! Please check them out here.

Really tasty and SO healthy!

Powbab - This really geeked me out. Being that I’m a Health Coach, I love anything that has to do with the superfoods and this one was really interesting. Their chews are made from Baobab, which comes from a tree in Africa, Pomegranate and Acai Berry. They are really tasty and help boost your immunity and are high in antioxidants. They give you 100% of the daily dose of vitamins C and E and are a good source of vitamin A.

Part 2 coming real soon – Updates of my favorite products/people I’ve loved to blog about…

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Wow, what a fun filled gluten-free weekend I had last weekend at the Chicago Gluten and Allergen Free Expo. Cannot wait to fill you in on all the yummy gluten-free goodies I sampled and exciting new businesses that have launched recently. Next week I get to do it again in Pasadena, CA, for the annual Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) National Conference and Gluten-Free Expo at the Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green St.

This will be my first time attending it and I am very honored to be one of their “Official Bloggers” this year. This is also the first year that the CDF will be having a 2-day event, with a stand-alone Gluten-Free Expo open to the public on the second day, Sunday, May 5th from 10am-3pm.  In years past, the Expo was offered on the same day as the conference and only available to conference attendees. “We realized that the current demand for Gluten-Free products expands far beyond the scope of our celiac community. We have over 100 exhibitors that are eager to provide samples of their GF goodies to the masses.”, explains CDF’s Development Director, Deborah Ceizler. Ms. Ceizler reminds us “for celiacs, a gluten-free diet is not an option, but there are millions of people who choose a gluten-free diet for a multitude of reasons. This EXPO is a great way for anyone interested in, or even just curious about, gluten-free foods to try them, get credible information and network.”

For those of you who don’t know what Celiac Disease is, it is a chronic, autoimmune disease affecting approximately 1 in 133 children and adults, with roughly 95% remaining undiagnosed. When people with Celiac Disease eat foods containing gluten (the protein found in wheat, barley and rye) an autoimmune response is triggered that causes damage to the villi, the tiny hair-like projections in the small intestine. As a result, food is not properly absorbed. Even small amounts of gluten can affect those with Celiac Disease and cause health problems. Damage can occur to the small bowel, even with no symptoms present. Left untreated, damage can become chronic and life threatening. Click here to view a list of symptoms of Celiac Disease.

Here is a great “Quick Start Guide” that explains common sources of gluten and overlooked sources as well. It also addresses labeling and cross contamination in food preparation. Please click here to view this helpful guide.

About the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF): CDF was founded in 1990 and is a globally recognized national non-profit organization. CDF strives to promote awareness and build a supportive community for patients, families and health care professionals. CDF is actively involved in advocating for patient concerns and networking with other national and international organizations.

CDF’s Annual National Educational Conference takes place the day before the EXPO on Saturday, May 4th from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference provides an in-depth educational experience for physicians, nurses, researchers, advocates, volunteers, celiac disease sufferers and their support systems. Experts from the medical and nutritional communities will provide specialized information and the latest research on celiac disease and non-celiac gluten insensitivity: all geared toward facilitating a successful, practical and enjoyable gluten-free lifestyle. Keynote speakers will be Joseph A. Murray, MD, Gastroenterologist and Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, MN and Peter H.R. Green, MD, Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, Professor of Clinical Medicine at College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University. Drs. Murray and Green will make the case to support scientific and clinical research by addressing your most compelling questions, such as: Why has the prevalence of Celiac Disease increased? How can we prevent the development of Celiac Disease? and more… Biopharmaceutical leaders will also provide an insider’s look at the latest therapies and discoveries in the treatment of Celiac Disease. Moderated by Tricia Thompson, MS, RD, “The Gluten-Free Dietitian” and Andrea Levario, Executive Director of the Celiac Disease Alliance, a panel of registered dietitians from top gluten-free companies will also address the impact of the FDA ruling on gluten-free foods.

Tickets for the Gluten-Free Expo are $15 online and $20 at the door. For more information and tickets to the EXPO and/or the conference, please visit www.celiac.org/conference.html or call Deborah Ceizler at (818) 716-1513 Ext. 103. For a list of the participating vendors and fabulous presenters at the Expo, please click here.  This is definitely a must attend event if you live in the Southern California area or in the surrounding states. Did I mention the gluten-free beer garden?

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This is really GF!

The title of this post is no joke, my friends! I recently heard from a friend of mine that there was a pizza place in Chicago, Chicago’s Pizza,  now offering gluten-free deep dish pizza, as well as thin crust and stuffed pizza.  They also offer baked calzoni that is gluten-free as well! Since being diagnosed with Gluten Intolerance back in 2010, I have missed deep dish probably more than anything. Lots of restaurants now offer gluten-free thin crust pizza but until now, I had not discovered anyone that has perfected deep dish like I remember and loved so very much.

On a recent visit with my mom, I discovered that Chicago’s Pizza had a location not too far from her. We decided to go check it out. My son wanted gluten-free thin crust as he has not found one he has been super fond of since being diagnosed back in August of 2011. We were all excited and anxiously awaited our pizzas. While we were waiting, they brought us some gluten-free foccaccia bread and olive oil to dip it in. I find it was easier to dip the “glutenous” foccaccia in the olive oil in the past, this was more like a flatbread, but still good to have something while we were waiting, nonetheless and was quite tasty.

Great dipped in olive oil!

Our pizzas came out and we all loved them! My deep dish was the “Chicago Special”, with green pepper, onion, mushrooms and sausage. The sauce is very tasty as was the crust, which was their own special recipe and tasted SO much like I remember deep dish tasting like. I think I actually prefer to have it gluten-free now, it doesn’t seem to form a big lump in my tummy like it did before.

As incredible as it looks!

My son ordered the gluten-free thin crust in just cheese. He couldn’t believe how awesome it was and keeps telling everyone “you would never know it was gluten-free!” As you can see as witnessed in this photo, I couldn’t shoot it fast enough as my son dove into it as fast as he could. 

I am also in pure amazement that this awesome pizza exists. Well worth the hour plus drive to pick some up on occasion. Whenever I drive into the city now, my son reminds me not to come home unless I pick up some of their pizza for him. So far, I have only been making the drive for his favorite cupcakes from Swirlz Cupcakes….ahhh Swirlz…., their cupcakes are so good that they deserve their own post!

I posted pics of my deep dish pizza on Facebook and as you can imagine, got an overwhelming response. Since a lot of us who are gluten-free have a lot of food sensitivities, some were wondering what ingredients that Chicago’s Pizza uses in their crusts, corn being the biggest one questioned. I reached out to them and Chef Bryan Garcia, nicely responded as follows:

So, if you are in Chicago or traveling to Chicago, you MUST try Chicago’s Pizza! They have 3 locations, all in Chicago – Old Irving area – 4520 W. Irving Park Rd.  Ravenswood area – 1919 W. Montrose    Lakeview/Lincoln Park – 3114 N. Lincoln You can also order ahead online at www.chicagos-pizza.com

If you live out of state, guess what? They SHIP!! Click here for more information. Since I happen to live about an hour away from their closest location, this was Bryan’s other suggestion if I wanted to pick up a couple pizzas to have handy:

“Also, keep in mind that for people like yourself that live just outside of our delivery area, but too close to justify UPS shipping with our Slice of Chicago service, we can prepare any pizza to your liking, par-bake it and freeze it for you to pick up at no extra cost. This way you can take a few pizzas home and bake them as you need them; just give us a call 24 hours before your planned pick up time.”

We just went back there again to celebrate my son’s birthday, special shout out to Caroline at the Montrose Ave. location who provided excellent service! What’s awesome is if you have others in your group that don’t want pizza (I know, hard to believe, right?!) they have lots of other gluten-free options on their menu. Appetizers such as grilled calamari, baked calzoni, salads, paninis, sandwiches (hot and cold),  pastas, and gluten-free desserts such as their new Nutella Chocolate Layer Torte (not dairy-free).  Even better when you wash it down with a great gluten-free beer too!  A great find indeed!

Stay tuned for my upcoming post on an awesome gluten-free/dairy-free frozen pizza discovery…..another great find!

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Hello everyone! It’s good to be back blogging again! I’ve been mostly hanging out on my Facebook and Twitter pages and it’s about time I started writing again, as there is SO much information to be shared with you all! Let’s start with one of my favorite events of the year coming up soon….The Gluten & Allergen Free Expo is returning to Chicago, April 20-21, 2013. This year it will be held at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL. Always a fun gluten-free extravaganza, this year the GFAF Expo plans on having over 150 vendors sampling and selling products! The Expo will meet the needs of the Celiac community, those with gluten sensitivities, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and those with Autism.

I remember when I was first diagnosed with Gluten Intolerance back in 2010 and attended my first Expo, I was like a kid in a candy store (well except this time, a kid in a gluten-free candy store!). “The GFAF Expo is like a big shopping mall for people with food allergies. One of the biggest complaints is that many of the restricted diet products don’t taste good or that they are so expensive.The GFAF Expo allows everyone to taste the products before they make a purchase”, says GFAF Expo Founder and CEO, Jen Cafferty. 

There are more than 15 million Americans on a gluten-free diet. Wow! That’s a staggering number. Many are still searching for the right products to eat and it’s big expos like the GFAF Expo that help make it a lot easier. In addition to food and beverage vendors (think gluten-free beer, my friends), the GFAF Expo will also be showcasing personal care products, vitamins and supplements and green household cleaning alternatives. If you bring the kids, as always, there will be a peanut/nut-free area and fun activities as well. Allergen savvy medical practicioners will also be on hand to answer questions. There will be some awesome free lectures to attend, local area restaurants sampling their GF specialties, associated non-profits and more.

A great lineup is in store for the lectures on both days. On Saturday, April 20th, Kim Koeller of Gluten Free Passport, will be lecturing about how to safely eat out and travel gluten-free.
Author and President of Enzymedica, Tom Bohager, will be discussing using enzymes for gluten intolerance. Dr. Mayer Eisenstein will be discussing the importance of taking Vitamin D and Donielle Baker will be discussing infertility and how to eat a nourishing fertility diet that is GFAF. There will also be Power Up Talks every 10 minutes, given by Deepa Desmukh, Dietitian and Health Consultant and by Dr. Jeff Rebarcak on the secrets to getting your energy back!

On Sunday, Carlyn Berghoff, CEO of Berghoff Catering and Restaurant, will be showing you how to cook for your GF family and teens. Dr. Alexander R. Shikhman, will be discussing Supplements to aid in healing your body. Amy Hull Brown, Founder and Owner of Well Amy,  will be discussing healing a child with Autism, ADHD, or other neurological issues. Jennifer Pohlman, Owner of Sip Organic Juice Bar,  will be showing you how juicing is great for your health and last but not least, Marla Brodsky, RD, LD, CNSD, will be showing everyone how to eat away inflammation.

The GFAF Expo will run from 10am-4pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at www.gfafexpo.com or at the door for $20. If you want to beat the crowds, they will be offering an early bird price of $35 to enter at 9am on both days. For children ages 3-12, tickets are only $5.

Yours truly is one of the official GFAF Expo Bloggers and will be there all weekend. Please stop by and see me at the area for the Authors and Bloggers and say hi, LOVE meeting my readers!!

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Hello!! I’m baaaack!

Hello everyone!!

My apologies for my blog going on hiatus…a long hiatus!

Besides being faced with some life challenges, I have been in school, studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, located in NYC. IIN, we all call it, is the world’s largest nutrition school. I have been studying to become a Certified Health Coach and am now taking on clients! My focus is helping people with gluten issues (of course!) and helping women in their 20s-40s with weight loss as well as helping children focus on healthy eating.

My new website, if you would like to check it out, is rockinthehealthylife.com

I promise to give you some exciting content in the near future and if you would like me to give you a free consultation please email me either through my Rockin’ The Healthy Life website or at rockinglutenfree@gmail.com.

Glad to be back!

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I was so excited to hear that Guy Fieri had introduced a new line of barbeque sauces and salsas. Three out of the four barbeque sauces are gluten-free and all the salsas are gluten-free. Here is some info direct from the press release.

(BOARDMAN, OHIO) June 1, 2011 - Chef Guy Fieri, star of Food Network shows “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and “Guy’s Big Bite” has introduced his first ever line of three gluten-free barbeque sauces, along with a line of gluten-free salsas.  The chef, restauratuer and bestselling author is bringing his rockin’ flavors to supermarkets across America, as well as serving them up in his restaurants, Johnny Garlic’s California Pasta Grill and Tex Wasabi’s Rock-n-Roll Sushi BBQ.

The three gluten-free Guy Fieri barbeque sauces contain no fat, cholesterol or high fructose corn syrup. “I’ve eaten barbeque all over the country, so when I developed these sauces, I drew inspiration from coast to coast,” says Fieri, the barbeque enthusiast and author of the new book, New York Times best-seller Guy Fieri Food. “These sauces add big, off da hook flavor, whether you’re craving a smoky, sweet, or tangy twist.”

I immediately thought of my cousin, Blythe Chavarria, who is a BIG fan of Guy Fieri.  We live 100 miles apart but decided to meet about halfway at her sister’s house, my cousin Tracy. I showed up to the house and Blythe anxiously greeted me with her Guy Fieri t-shirt on. She and her husband had recently seen him in Crown Point, IN.  Blythe could not wait to get her hands on his sauces and salsas! My cousin Tracy had some pulled pork leftover so the timing was perfect for us to try the barbeque sauces on it.

The three flavors I tried were : Bourbon Brown Sugar Barbeque Sauce: Sweet and Sticky, Carolina #6 Barbeque Sauce and Marinade:  Mop and Slop and Kansas City Barbeque Sauce: Smoky & Sweet.

My hands-down favorite of the three (as was Blythe’s) was the Bourbon Brown Sugar Barbeque Sauce: Sweet and Sticky. I liked the thicker consistency of this sauce and the bourbon, black pepper and garlic really gave it a kick. It also has pineapple juice and orange juice, which give it a nice sweet flavor.  Out of the kindness of my heart, I gave Blythe the bottle to take home. She was in Heaven.

Next we tried the Kansas City Barbeque Sauce: Smoky & Sweet. Blythe and I decided that we definitely liked the Bourbon Brown Sugar on the pulled pork much better but I really loved the smoky flavor of this sauce. It also has apple cider vinegar and a little black pepper. This really is a sauce that you could use on just about everything.

I later tried The Carolina #6: Mop and Slop at home. This sauce is better as a marinade because it doesn’t have the thicker consistency as the Bourbon Brown Sugar. I did use it to marinate some chicken and liked the flavor but not quite as much as the Bourbon Brown Sugar.  The apple cider vinegar and little bit of cayenne pepper gave it a more tangy flavor. I would definitely recommend as a marinade for chicken.

There are four salsas as well: 7 Pepper Salsa: Burn Baby Burn, Chipotle Salsa: Da $pice is Right, Original Salsa: Old Skool, Salsa Verde: Green & Mean.  I brought the Original Salsa and the Salsa Verde to my cousin’s for all to try. I really like my salsa hot so although the Original Salsa is tasty, I was hoping for more kick. I’m not much into Salsa Verde but my cousin Blythe’s hubby Vic loved it so I let them take it home to enjoy.

The Salsa Verde is a mild salsa made with poblano and green peppers with zesty lime and a pinch of cumin. The Original Salsa is a medium salsa, made with red bell pepper, yellow pepper, jalapeno pepper, cilantro and lime juice.

Later at home I tried the 7 Pepper Salsa and the Chipotle Salsa.  First up, I couldn’t wait to try the 7 Pepper Salsa. Ok, now we’re talking! This is a HOT salsa made with habanero and red bell peppers with tomato, lime, garlic and cilantro. Has just the kick I love and I can honestly say is one of the best if not THE best hot salsa I have ever tried. Way to go, Guy!

The Chipotle Salsa is a medium salsa but I really loved the smoky flavor. That is really what hit me first. It is also made with tomato, garlic and lime and jalapeno peppers. Outstanding!

I would definitely go to The Food Network store and order up some today and watch for Guy Fieri’s barbeque sauces and salsas in a supermarket near you. We are still in the midst of summer, plenty of great grilling time left! Enjoy!Tweet

Hello everyone! I’m getting this out pretty late so my apologies. You still have time to enter through June 30, 2011. Please take a look.

Through June 30, 2011, gluten free bakers can enter online at www.glutenfreely.com/bakerschallenge for the chance to win the grand prize of $5,000. Using any BettyCrocker Gluten Free dessert mix or Bisquick Gluten Free, entrants will be challenged to create an original gluten free holiday-themed appetizer, bread, or dessert recipe, and will be judged on five key categories including:

• ·         Taste
• ·         Creativity
• ·         Ease of preparation
• ·         Consumer appeal
• ·         Appearance

Here is information from the official press release I received from Betty Crocker.
On or about September 20, 2011, Betty Crocker will announce the 10 selected finalists, who will each receive a Betty Crocker Gluten Free Baking gift basket filled with baking items and Betty Crocker Gluten Free mixes (estimated retail value of $119). The finalists’ recipes will be voted on by the public on www.glutenfreely.com/bakerschallenge<http://bit.ly/bcgfcontest>, and the finalist whose recipe receives the most votes will be announced as the winner on or around November 1, 2011.

“We’re excited to offer this opportunity to the gluten free community,” said Allison Miller, Marketing Manager, Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Mixes. “The Betty Crocker Baker’s Challenge Gluten Free Recipe Contest is a great way for gluten free bakers to share their innovative creations and show the world how delicious living gluten freely can be.”

For gluten-free recipe inspiration and more information about the Betty Crocker Baker’s Challenge Gluten Free Recipe Contest, visit www.glutenfreely.com<http://bit.ly/glutenfreely> today. In addition, through the end of June, save 20% on the purchase of any of the five of the Betty Crocker Gluten Free mixes atwww.glutenfreely.com/ourstore<http://www.glutenfreely.com/ourstore>.

Contest Abbreviated Rules

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to legal residents of the United States, 18 years of age or older. Submit your entry online. Entries must be received by June 30, 2011, Void where prohibited. See Official Rules for details. Sponsored by General Mills Sales, Inc., One General Mills Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55426.

Good luck!!

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I heard about Jill Motew and her company Zema’s Madhouse Foods from my good friend, Roh Doylida. I heard about how great her recipes and gluten-free flours are from Roh so I decided to check them out. I came across this picture and couldn’t believe my eyes!

Oh, how I’ve missed Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza! Hailing from the Chicago area, it is something that I am proud we have an abundance of. The only current gluten-free deep dish pizza that I am aware of being offered in the Chicago area is crustless. The crust is the best part!  What I love about this recipe too is that is healthy and dairy-free. Even better for someone like me who is becoming a health nut and is trying to stay as dairy-free as possible to avoid inflammation.

Jill developed gluten-free flours that use clean ingredients and ancient grains. Jill wanted ingredients that are clean, organic  and minimally processed so they could be as healthy as possible for her and her family and at the same time offer vitamins, minerals and nutrients that we all need.

Jill now sells the flours under the name Zema’s Madhouse Foods. Jill came up with the name Zema’s using the initials of her children. Her flours are great for those who eat gluten-free, athletes, allergen-free and those who just love eating healthy. Zema’s mixes commit to being free of dairy, soy, rice, sesame, yeast, tree nuts, peanuts, sulfites, additives, trans fats, preservatives and sugar. The mixes are organic and contain natural superfood ingredients like teff, quinoa, amaranth, chia, flax and hemp seeds. In addition to the Seeded Multigrain flour used in the deep dish pizza recipe, Zema’s also has other flours available: GF Dedicated Cinnamon-Oatmeal, Rosemary-Millet, Vanilla-Cocoa Teff and Peruvian Sweet Potato-Pumpkin.  Jill can be contacted at jill@zemasfoods.com or you can order through her Facebook page, click here. Her website zemasfoods.com is currently under construction.
As my grand finale for my A-Z countdown, I now bring you the recipe for this wonderful deep dish pizza, courtesy of Jill Motew from Zema’s Madhouse Foods.  Enjoy!

Zema’s GF/DF Seeded Multigrain

Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Spinach & Mushroom Pizza

Serves 6-8

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  You will need a 9 ½ inch non-stick tart pan, with removable bottom.

Crust

1 pkg. Zema’s GF Seeded Multigrain mix

½  t. sea salt

¼ t. black pepper

½ t. garlic powder

8 T. cold DF butter substitute(Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)

1 large organic egg

2 T. organic apple cider vinegar

3-4 T. ice-cold water

Sauce

2-15 oz. cans of organic diced tomatoes

2 t. dried oregano

1-2 T. olive oil

½ t. sea salt

¼ t. ground pepper

Filling

1 pkg. Daiya dairy free shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)

2 T. olive oil

3 cups organic spinach

1-2 cloves organic garlic chopped

1 cup organic mushrooms, sliced

Crust

In food processor, pulse together Zema’s mix, salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Add in the butter and pulse until mixture is coarse, and there are pea-sized pieces of butter throughout(about 35 pulses).  Add in the egg and vinegar and pulse until further combined (10 pulses).  Slowly add 3 T. of cold water and pulse 10 times.  Touch the dough to see if it holds together.  If it does, do not add any more water, if not, add the last tablespoon and check again.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and flatten into a disc shape, let firm up in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

Spray two pieces of parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray.  Once the dough is firm roll out between the two pieces of parchment paper, the dough should be in-between the sprayed sides.  The dough may be slightly sticky, if so, use your hand to press into a circle shape.  Gently lay it into the tart pan and pat into the pan (using slightly wet fingertips) and up against the sides, using a knife to get rid of any excess dough.  Cover the tart pan with a sheet of parchment paper then use beans, or pie weights to weigh down the dough for baking (blind baking).  Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and uncover and bake for another 4 minutes.  Set aside and prepare pizza sauce.

Sauce

Put all the ingredients into a blender, and puree.  Set aside.

Filling

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and sauté the spinach, garlic and mushrooms over medium-high heat, until spinach is wilted and mushrooms are tender.

Assembly

Spoon the spinach and mushrooms into the crust, spreading them out.  Next, cover the vegetables with the dairy free mozzarella cheese, making sure it is spread evenly.  Finally, ladle on the pizza sauce.  Put into preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until DF cheese is completely melted.  Let cool a bit and cut into 8 pieces.  Enjoy, and marvel at the fact  that, YES, this is gluten and dairy free.  You can finally enjoy a piece of deep dish Chicago-style pizza!

Daiya dairy-free cheeses can be found at Whole Foods.  For those of you who do not have a dairy intolerance or are not on an anti-inflammatory diet, knock yourself out and substitute with real cheese!

Note: You may also use Zema’s GF Rosemary-Millet baking mix in this recipe the same way.

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