headlines, giveaways, and sales this week

What We’re (Not) Eating: A Potential Danger Of Gluten-Free, Forbes

Pasta Prima Introduces First Gluten Free Refrigerated Ravioli on the Market, Press Release


Gluten Free Tennis, Boston Herald

Pizzeria Offers Gluten-Free Option, Messenger Post

Cheeseburger in Paradise Adds Gluten-Free Bun to Menu and Continues to Raise Awareness for Gluten Intolerant Efforts, Press Release

Gluten-Free Labeling and the FDA: We Are Watching (and so is Monty), Celiac.com

Will A Gluten-Free Diet Prevent Childhood Diabetes?, The Stir

From Want Not: Search for gluten-free restaurants near you and use the 80% off code FLAG at Restaurant.com to make them affordable. Read the fine print and restaurant descriptions carefully to make sure they have food that suits you!

The Be Free For Me blog is giving away Rudi's products this week. "Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, I am so thrilled that Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery will be sponsoring the next two week’s Win-it-Wednesday’s on BeFreeForMe.com! A total of FOUR (Yes… 4!) BeFreeForMe members will be selected to win a gift pack of Rudi’s Gluten-Free Breads and Rolls. Two winners will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST, and two more winners will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, June 1st and Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter to win two times!" Check out the blog post here for all the entry details.

Delightfully Gluten-Free is giving away a copy of Living Gluten-Free for Dummies. You have until June 1 to enter.

Bob's Red Mill has several gluten-free products up on the Monthly Specials page, including all-purpose baking flour, pizza crust mix, quick-cooking oats, bread mix, and brownie mix. Please note that not all products on the Monthly Specials page are gluten-free, so read the product descriptions carefully.

It's not too late to take advantage of some yummy Celiac Awareness Month sales at Amazon.com Groceries.

headlines, giveaways, and sales this week

Alice Best Wants to Teach You All About Celiac Disease, Philadelphia Daily News

Gluten-Free Food Fair May 21 at Bellingham Public Market, Bellingham Herald

Kellogg's Rice Krispies Joins the Gluten-Free Brigade as FDA Drags Feet on Definition, BrandChannel.com

Gluten Sensitivity Talk in Edwards Wednesday, Vail Daily

Mouthwatering Gluten-Free Recipes from French Meadow Bakery, Marketwire.com

Gluten-Free Diet Said To Be Behind Djokovic's Success, Times of India

The Diet That Shook Up Tennis? Starch Madness: Novak Djokovic's Domination of the Sport Has Coincided With His Gluten-Free Turn, Wall Street Journal

Gluten-Free Guide Published for Caterers, Eat Out

Gluten Allergy? Park City Pizza to the Rescue, Park Record

THE FAMILY TABLE: Gluten-Free Isn't the End of the World, San Angelo Standard Times

Eating Out Gets Easier for Celiac Patients, New York Times

Delightfully Gluten-Free is giving away a copy of Living Gluten-Free for Dummies. You have until June 1 to enter.

Courtesy of Gluten Freeville, "Sprouts Farmers Market Grocery Stores is offering 25% off more than 2,000 specially signed gluten-free products around the store including Gluten Free grocery and frozen grocery items, plus select items in other departments, between now and May 25." Sprouts stores are located in California, Colorado, Arizona, and Texas. The sale, unfortunately, does not include Henry's and Sun Harvest at this time. Visit the Sprouts website to find a store near you.

Also from Gluten Freeville, a special from Jules Gluten Free, makers of the world's largest gluten-free cake. You'll find the recipe and a sale on the flour used to make the cake. There's also a special on shipping.

Readers of Cool Mom Picks can get free candy from  JJ's Sweets at Foodzie. "The first 100 CMP readers who sign up for the Foodize Tasting Box subscription (which is so awesome if you're a foodie type) will get a free bonus of 4 assorted cocomels from JJ Sweets in your May order. Just sign up through this link." Note that not all Foodzie products are gluten-free, although the JJ's Sweets candies are. Read product descriptions carefully before ordering.

Bob's Red Mill has several gluten-free products up on the Monthly Specials page, including all-purpose baking flour, pizza crust mix, quick-cooking oats, bread mix, and brownie mix. Please note that not all products on the Monthly Specials page are gluten-free, so read the product descriptions carefully.

It's not too late to take advantage of some yummy Celiac Awareness Month sales at Amazon.com Groceries.

on sale for celiac awareness month

I'm a little late in telling you that May is Celiac Awareness Month, but it's not too late to take advantage of some yummy sales at Amazon.com Groceries. I stocked up on a few things earlier in the month and I'll be going back for round two before the month is over.

Some of my favorites:

It's gross, but Fruity Pebbles one of my favorite cereals from childhood. I'm not quite ready to fill Muffin with so much sugar and artificial color yet, so these will be a special treat for me after she's asleep for the night. Save 15% when you enter code POSTGFO5 at checkout. Plus, save an additional 15% when you combine the instant rebate with your Subscribe and Save order--bringing your total savings to 30%.








KIND bars are my go-to, stuck in the car, didn't get breakfast because the baby didn't nap, snacks. Save 15% when you enter code KINDMAY5 at checkout. Plus, save an additional 15% when you combine the instant rebate with your Subscribe and Save order--bringing your total savings to 30%.










It's too hot to light the oven, but I still want some cookies to snack on every once in a while. I love the Pamela's shortbread. Save 10% when you enter code PAMGFMAY at checkout. Plus, save an additional 15% when you combine the instant rebate with your Subscribe and Save order--bringing your total savings to 25%.









I am an Amazon affiliate. If you purchase from these links or from my store, I will receive a small kickback.

adventures in veggie shopping

Much like going to the farmers' market in San Francisco or Dupont Circle to check out the fresh produce before heading out to the grocery store, here I have to go to a fruit stand and a vegetable stand to find the best produce before I take my chances on the grocery store produce aisle.

Finding the best "Western" produce is a competitive sport. I only just discovered the secret of the produce stand a few weeks ago. I usually send my driver out for groceries or make one stop at the grocery store and settle for what's there. But now that it's a little easier to shop with Muffin in tow, I love our weekly trek to Star Fruit and Tarkari Vegetables. The veggie ladies give Muffin carrots to play with. Star Fruit is a tiny, jam-packed shop and Muffin pokes and grabs at any fruit or customers within range. (And because people love babies so much here, they don't mind a little grabbing hand from the whitest baby they've ever seen.)

The best thing about Tarkari -- they almost always have green leaf lettuce. At most stores you can only get iceberg lettuce, which I detest. But Tarkari has green leaf lettuce and -- get this -- with a little washing it's perfectly safe to eat! We can have salad again! The first day I discovered the lettuce, there was an Australian woman in the shop who told me to take what I wanted because she was going to buy all of it. Competitive lettuce shopping indeed. When I found fresh basil after weeks of not seeing it, I was the one who bought the whole stock (and then I had my housekeeper make about a gallon of pesto). And I'm sorry other expats, but I also cleaned out the thyme and rosemary at qmart a couple weeks ago.

The prices at the grocery store aren't prohibitive for most expats, like they might be for local shoppers. It's certainly more convenient for one-stop shopping. But what I like about the smaller stands is that the fruits and veggies are local. They are fresh. They are ripe. They may have traveled from another state in India, but few things came on a plane from another country.

You do need to wash everything, but that's one of the benefits of having a housekeeper. She washes and cuts everything up, which makes it much more likely that we'll actually eat all the fruits and vegetables that I buy.

Muffin's been enjoying the local watermelon lately.

Cross-posted at Where in the World Am I.

The Best Coffee in the World

Here's a little note to let you know that the best coffee in the world, Peet's Burundi, is back for a limited time, online only. I'm not just saying it's the best because we lived there and I'm happy when Burundi has great economic opportunities. This really is great-tasting coffee.






Image from Peets.com. I was not compensated in any way for this post. Product was purchased by me for personal consumption.

almond meal and other gluten-free monthly specials at bob's red mill

Almond meal is great for baking with. It adds a little something special to muffins, quick breads, and pancakes. I also use it in brownies. I'm not saying brownies are health food, but a little almond meal will give you a boost of healthy fats, vitamins, and fiber.

This month at Bob's Red Mill almond meal, rice bran, hemp seeds, chia seeds, raw shelled sunflower seeds, and brown flaxseeds are on sale. They are all part of a fiber-rich, heart-healthy diet and they are all 20% off this month.

Note that not all products on the specials page are gluten-free and not all products are processed in Bob's strictly gluten-free facility. Read product descriptions carefully for making informed decisions.

*I was not compensated in any way for this post. Products are purchased by me for personal consumption.

roland quinoa and other grains on sale at amazon.com

I love quinoa. It's the supergrain that the Aztecs warriors ate. It's packed with protein and for the pregnant ladies it's a good source of folic acid. Roland quinoa, along with polenta and rice, is on sale from Amazon.com. Throughout the month of March, select Roland products are 15% off with the coupon code ROLAN655. You'll save an additional 15% if you sign up for Subscribe & Save.

Note that not every product on this page is gluten-free, so read descriptions carefully.



*I am an Amazon affiliate. If you purchase from these links or from my store, I will receive a small kickback.

udi's gluten-free granola on sale at amazon.com

Granola is not always gluten-free. You have to make sure it's made from oats that haven't been contaminated and make sure the dried fruit hasn't been dusted with wheat flour. Here comes Udi's to the rescue. It's great with milk or yogurt or baked into muffins. Throughout the month of March, Amazon.com Groceries has select Udi's granola on sale for 15% off when you use the code UDISO3II at checkout. You can save an additional 15% with subscribe & save.

Note that not every Udi's product is gluten-free, so read the descriptions carefully.

*I am an Amazon affiliate. If you purchase from these links or from my store, I will receive a small kickback.

new year new you sale at amazon.com

A couple more Amazon.com sales that I'm excited about...

Select Kind bars are 5% off with the coupon code KINDNYNY through January 31 and if you subscribe you'll get an additional 15% off. I'm a big fan of the Kind Plus bars with calcium, since I don't drink as much milk here in India as I probably should.











Select Bob's Red Mill products are 15% off with the code BOBSNYNY through January 31 and if you subscribe you'll get an additional 15%. Note that not every product on the page is gluten-free, so read the item descriptions carefully.











*I am an Amazon affiliate. If you purchase from these links or from my store, I will receive a small kickback.

year-end deals at amazon.com

It's been a little quiet around here as we adjust to our new life in India. Come the new year, I have plenty of product reviews and local food stories to share. Until then, enjoy some gluten-free end-of-year savings from Amazon.

The GoPicnic Energy Boost Care Package includes hummus, multi-seed crackers, popchips, organic energy chews, and other high-energy, gluten-free treats. It's usually $29.99 and is on sale for $9.00. Stock up for your favorite college student who will be returning to late-night study sessions soon.











A case of Pamela's Chocolate Chunk cookie mix is down to $25.20. I love all of Pamela's mixes and packaged cookies and biscotti.













Bob's Red Mill products on this page are 15% percent off when you use the code BOBS2010 at checkout. Note that not every product on that page is gluten-free so read the descriptions carefully.












That's enough commercialization for now. Cheers to a happy, healthy 2011. Happy New Year!

*I am an Amazon affiliate. If you purchase from these links or from my store, I will receive a small kickback.

easiyo yogurt maker

Quite simply, I love my Easiyo yogurt maker. A friend recommended it as one of the best kitchen gadgets you can buy for moving overseas. She'd had problems with infections and was told to eat more yogurt, but she didn't trust what she could buy in Nigeria. And making your own can be difficult, messy, and time-consuming. Then she discovered Easiyo and told all the rest of us living in Africa to give it a try.

The local yogurt and milk here is great when it's good, but really bad when it's bad. I question the amount of refrigeration it receives -- we have city power and a generator and still can't manage to keep our fridge running continuously; I can't imagine what it's like for anyone with less reliable electricity, which is most homes and businesses in the country. So when a nurse here told me to start eating more yogurt to fend off infections, I looked into the Easiyo.

It's so simple. You add cold water and the powdered yogurt mix to a plastic chamber. Then you add hot water to the outer capsule, put the chamber in the capsule, seal it up, and let it sit overnight. In the morning, remove the chamber and put it in the fridge, and in a couple hours you have cool, fresh yogurt. There are recipes for making sour cream and cream cheese, but I haven't tried those yet. I've been happy with adding yogurt to my smoothies and fruit salad every day.

There's one drawback. You have to keep buying the Easiyo powdered yogurt mix packets and they don't seem cheap to me. In all honesty, I've been away from the U.S. for so long that I don't know how the cost of a packet that supplies 5 to 6 servings of organic, probiotic yogurt compares to the same number of servings and same level of quality, ready-made in the grocery store dairy case. I'd been buying my Easiyo packets from Amazon.com, but they recently raised the price. Currently the cheapest price I can find is from the Easiyo U.S. website. Easiyo is from New Zealand and doesn't ship to every country, but they have a U.S. distributor. I'll definitely keep shopping around for the best prices, at least while I'm living overseas.

There are several different varieties of yogurt, from "plain," to probiotic, to a luscious, thick, Greek-style yogurt. The different varieties are available in low-fat versions. And there are fruit flavors as well. I haven't tried the fruit flavors because I generally find flavored yogurt too sweet for my taste. But occasionally I'll add a bit of honey to the yogurt powder and water mix to make the probiotic variety a tad less tart. So far, every item I've looked at on the site states that's it's gluten-free, but you should check the ingredients and nutrition information on individual items before you purchase them.

Image from Easiyo.com. I was not compensated for this post in any way. Items were purchased by me for personal use.

bob's red mill gluten-free specials

There are more yummy treats on sale from one of my favorite gluten-free vendors!

Monthly Specials at Bob's Red Mill:

Brownie Mix

Chocolate Cake Mix

Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Shortbread Cookie Mix

Vanilla Cake Mix

Rolled Oats

Note that not everything on the Monthly Specials page is gluten-free. Read the product information carefully.

Enjoy!

I was not compensated for this post in any way. I'm just a fan of Bob. Image from BobsRedMill.com.

mariposa, oakland, ca

The Mariposa Baking Company in Oakland, California, was a baked-good dream come true. It's an entirely gluten-free bakery and many of their treats are so good you'd never even know they were gluten-free. While on a recent visit to the Bay Area I popped into the shop and bought cinnamon toast biscotti, cheese ravioli, a coconut cupcake and a red velvet cupcake (I'm usually a chocolate fiend for but for some reason I wasn't feeling chocolate that day), multi-grain bread, and sesame seed bagels. I was on the go, so didn't stop to eat and get coffee in the cafe area. You can get many of their baked goods fresh on the spot, with a cup of coffee or tea to complete your snack.

The biscotti, ravioli, and cupcakes were totally awesome. The ravioli was one of those items that, to me, tasted exactly like the "real" thing. The cupcakes were moist and cakey and my non-gf husband liked them a lot too. The package of biscotti lasted me for several days' worth of afternoon tea times.

The bread and bagels weren't bad, but were noticeably gluten-free. Part of the quality issues were admittedly my own doing, because I left them in the refrigerator for several days, then they lived in the back of the car and in a hotel room for several days before I got around to eating them. Not exactly ideal conditions. But they toasted well and were a good vehicle for jams and cream cheese.

At the cafe in Oakland, they serve pizza by the slice daily from noon to 3:00 pm. They have a shop in the San Francisco Ferry Building (I don't believe it's a cafe, but I don't know for sure) and some of their products are available at nationwide retailers such as Whole Foods. You can also order their products online (and they're having a special right now -- a free brownie with the online purchase of a gift set -- I don't know how long this offer lasts, but a certain gf blogger has a birthday coming up next week...). :) They also supply pizza crusts for several restaurants in the Bay Area. Check their website for more information on locations, distribution, and special offers. I unfortunately did not have a chance to try the pizza, so someone else will have to try it and report back to me.

Mariposa is a must-visit for anyone living in or traveling through the Bay Area. In the Oakland location there's ample parking and the San Francisco location is easily reachable by BART.

*I was not compensated in any way for this post. All items were purchased by me for personal consumption.

whole grains from bob's red mill

For anyone who's vowed to eat healthier this year, Bob's Red Mill has some of its popular whole grains on sale for 20% off this month, including some that are gluten-free. When I started the gluten-free diet, finding a source of whole grains seemed like a huge problem. Everywhere you look in the grocery stores, "whole grain" means wheat. But thanks to Bob's Red Mill's quinoa, I've found a tasty, healthy, protein-packed grain to love.

On the Monthly Specials page, the quinoa, millet, and kasha are all gluten-free. Note that the popcorn and rice are not necessarily processed in a wheat-free facility. Read labels carefully and ask questions if you have them before ordering. 

Don't know what to do with these grains? Check out the Recipes page. I love using the quinoa in place of wheat in tabouleh. 

*I am a regular consumer of Bob's Red Mill products. I have not received any compensation for this post.

bob's red mill holiday baking sale

Two sales announcements in one morning! Bob's Red Mill is having a sale on holiday baking essentials, including gluten-free flours, baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar, xanthan gum, and gluten-free oats. There's no promotion code, just visit the Monthly Specials page to see the discounted prices. Note that not every product on the specials page is gluten-free, so read product information carefully before ordering. Most products can be ordered in bulk.

Disclaimer: I'm just a fan so spreading the word to others. As of yet, I'm not accepting free samples from Bob, but Bob, if you're reading, I wouldn't say "No."

glutenfree.com sale

This morning I received an email saying that for the month of November glutenfree.com is offering 10% off orders of $75.00 or more. Enter the code "november" at checkout for the discount. Unfortunately I cannot find a definite end date for this promotion, and the email I received says "DISCLAIMER: Please verify this information before applying it to your situation." I don't know if they're referring to the promotion or the presence of non-gluten allergens in the food, quite honestly. So, if it's near the end of the month, shoot them an email or call them first to confirm the sale is still going on. It's a bit of work, but you get a discount that pretty much covers the cost of shipping. Sometimes every little bit helps, right?

Glutenfree.com has a huge selection of products, including the brands Glutino and Gluten-Free Pantry.

A disclaimer of my own: I'm not getting anything from glutenfree.com; I'm just a fan who shops there often.

netrition.com, lara bars, and choices

My running hasn't been particularly stellar lately. A series of busy late nights and poor food choices drained my energy this week. I'm getting back on track today, starting with a nice breakfast of yogurt, fruit, and nuts. I'll drink a lot of water and maybe treat myself to my cook's gluten-free vegetarian mini-pizzas for dinner.

Earlier this week I received my first Netrition.com order. It included a huge supply of Lara Bars. I generally try to save them for an occasional snack, and no more than one a day for a regular work day (i.e., a day I'm not hiking or traveling). But several times this week I gorged on two or three at a time as meal replacements for quick breakfasts or lunches on the go. Busy. Poor food choices. Too much of a good thing. Cue the sugar crash. I love all the dried fruit packed into each bar, but too much of it makes me burn out. And while they are a decent source of fiber, they can also be high in fat (especially the ridiculously yummy coconut cream bar).

A friend turned me on to Netrition.com as a cheaper supplier of Lara Bars than Amazon.com. Netrition.com sells the Lara Bars at one flat rate, unlike Amazon, which sells different flavors at different prices. They have a huge selection of flavors and they're all included in the flat-rate shipping (unlike Amazon, which gets different varieties from different sources, and thus has various shipping rates). So until an even better deal comes along, Netrition.com is my new source for Lara Bars.

They have a small selection of other gluten-free goodies as well. I'm not big into the supplements and weight-gain or weight-loss scene. I don't need or want low-carbs. So a lot of their gluten-free items are useless to me. However, I did find some gluten-free vitamins, which I often take with my post-workout snacks. I also tried a new brand of corn chips (new to me at least). 

Like many gluten-free searches, they only include products that advertise themselves as gluten-free. If you know of a specific brand that's gluten-free, but doesn't necessarily scream it at you from the label, you may still be able to find it by searching for that specific brand. The brand of chips I was looking at are all gluten-free, but only one variety of them popped up in the gluten-free search. Overall, though, since they had my main shopping need, I was satisfied with using the site.

We can't always make the best food choices. Other parts of life get in the way. But we have to be able to recognize those choices and allow ourselves to make the bad ones when they're unavoidable, then reset ourselves when time does allow us to make those better choices. Lara Bars are yummy, but they are not a meal. This last week proved that I cannot survive on them alone.

gluten-free pantry favorite sandwich bread

Lately my favorite post-run snack has been toast with peanut butter. On a work day I eat one slice right away and bring another with me to snack on later in the morning. On other days I lounge about, eating my peanut butter toast at a leisurely pace whilst blogging and watching CNN.

I really like the Bob's Red Mill Wonderful Sandwich Bread mix but I'd been eating it for over a year with no other bread variety. I was sick of it. A few weeks ago I found a long-forgotten box of Gluten-Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread Mix in my cupboard. Someone had sent it to me in a care package and since it was never really my favorite bread, I let it sit. But I was desperate for bread so I decided to give it another try.

And of course it was great, this second time around. The Bob's Red Mill bread mix is heavy and beany while the GF Pantry mix is lighter. I'm not a huge fan of white bread in general, but when I don't have other options, I'd like as light a bread as possible. 

In theory, making bread is easy. Add ingredients to bread machine and turn on. In practice, it actually takes me a little effort and one of the reasons I avoid it is my irrational resentment toward not being able to run out to the store and buy a loaf of bread like a normal person. Since my bread machine is for a 1.5-pound loaf but the GF Pantry mix is for a 2-pound loaf, I must halve the recipe. I also have to pray that the electricity stays on for the three consecutive hours necessary to run the machine nonstop. 

One adjustment that I make that I find not to be a chore, because it makes a difference in the quality of the bread, is the yeast preparation. I've found the yeast that's included in the mix is often flat, or else it's not even there. I learned a trick to yeast prepping that's been working quite well in my bread machine. Measure out the required amount of water and make sure it's warm. Then add the required amount of yeast with a small amount of honey. Do this before you start assembling the other ingredients. Just before you turn on the bread machine, add the yeast mixture. It should be foamy and smell deliciously yeasty. I've found that starting the yeast reaction early makes for a more successful loaf. (Maybe it's just my machine, but if your machine makes bread that hasn't risen enough, try this method.)

This morning I went running for the first time in about a week. I really need to get back on the road, but I couldn't make my bread. Which meant that I couldn't have my favorite snack. Which really affected me psychologically. I'm still trying to figure out combining the runner's diet with the celiac's diet.

Gluten-Free Pantry mixes are available online at GlutenFree.com and Amazon.com Groceries. They can often be found at Whole Foods and even mainstream grocery stores such as Safeway.

hain gluten-free products

Now through the end of October, select Hain gluten-free products are on sale at Amazon.com Groceries. Hain products include Arrowhead Mills cereals and baking mixes, Imagine soups, Rice Dreams and Soy Dreams milk, and DeBoles rice and corn pastas. 

The DeBoles rice pasta elbows with cheese is one of my favorite macaroni and cheese mixes. It's a white cheddar cheese mix and it's a neutral base that you can add seasonings and fresh shredded cheddar to mimic a baked macaroni and cheese.

Enter code HAINGF25 at checkout for 15 percent off, through 31 October. 

Image from Amazon.com

amazon.com groceries goodies on sale

My favorite mail-order supplier of gluten-free goodies is having a sale on some of my favorite brands.

Lesser Evil potato chip and kettle corn snacks: Save 20% when you enter code SNKEVL35 at checkout. Offer good through 30 August.

Enviro Kidz and Nature's Path cereals and breakfast snacks: Save 20% when you enter code NATPAT67 at checkout. Offer good through 30 August.

Arico cookies and chips: Save 25% when you buy any eligible Arico Foods products sold by Amazon.com. Use the following promotional code when you check out: ARICOFDS. Offer good through 30 August.

Funky Monkey fruit snacks: Save 10% when you enter code FMONKY55 at checkout. Offer good through 30 August.

These products also have free shipping when a minimum amount is purchased.

Note that not every product that's on sale from these companies are gluten-free. Always check the ingredients list before eating.

Image from theimaginaryworld.com.