We had a wonderful turnout for our February Meeting Tuesday night! 63 people attended, and it was loud! We sampled Katz Gluten Free cookies (2 flavors) and rugelech (2 flavors), Jungle Grub snack bars (3 flavors), 123 Gluten Free brownies and Apple Pan Bars, and the NEW Gluten Free and Fabulous pizza (3 flavors). Children had opportunities to make a craft, decorate brownies and color a picture of the Jungle Grub monkey. Many of the children received a temporary tattoo of the Jungle Grub logo.
Remember March 23rd is the next Older Kids (4th grade and up) Baking Day - we will be focusing on pastries. We plan to make some "pot pie"-type things as well as dessert items. This is a great opportunity for your older child who loves to cook to spend time in the kitchen. Experienced adults will teach as we make pastries together. Of course, we will end the evening sampling what we have made. Remember that parents of younger children are also welcome to attend, but there will be no provisions for younger children.
UPDATES:
Camp Westminster on Higgins Lake is having gluten free camp again. The date is June 20-26. There will be two age level groups at the camp-- 7-11 years and 12-15 years. Check the website for information--www.campwestminster.com. If these dates do not fit with your schedule, they are now offering gluten free at any camping session. Discounts for early payment.
Gluten Free Camp at YMCA Manitou-Lin from August 15-20 for children ages 7-12. They are also adding a section for teens ages 13-17 with extended activities and planning. The cost will be $450. If funds are an issue, they suggest your child or teen contact the Celiac Disease Foundation immediately. There are also a limited amount of scholarship funds available. A $75 deposit unless the camper is receiving a full scholarship from the Celiac Disease Foundation. Their address is:
Celiac Disease Foundation
13251 Ventura Blvd #1
Studio CA 91604
Meijer brand now has a gluten free cereal - Rice Squares, the box labeled gluten free. These are like Rice Chex.
Quaker Rice Cakes, the large size, gluten free packages say "Gluten Free" above the nutrition facts box.
Progresso Soups - There seems to be some miscommunication about Progresso soups. The General Mills website http://www.liveglutenfreely.com is a great resource, and lists gluten free soups. However, not all of the gluten free soups are listed. Check the can label to see if your favorite soup is gluten free - it will be above the barcode on the back of the can. Ex: Progresso Creamy mushroom soup is gluten free, even though it is not listed on the website, if the can is labeled gluten free.
You can find products from French Meadow Bakery http://www.frenchmeadow.com at Plumb's and D&W stores! These are very tasty.
Do you cook using a Crock Pot? Do you have a Crock Pot that you need to use? Check out this blog for great gluten free Crock Pot recipes! http://crockpot365.blogspot.com
COMING SOON!
March 1st on NBC, there is a show called Eight West from 11 am to noon. This show will have a gluten free cooking demonstration. You won't want to miss this episode!! So, set your DVR or TiVo or VCR to record, or set your timer to watch it... but if you miss it, you will be able to go online to http://www.woodtv.com/subindex/eightwest to see the show.
March 6th, the Grandville D&W and Rockford D&W stores will have a gluten free event.
-At the Rockford store, you will be able to sample gluten free products.
-There will be a cooking demonstration at the Grandville store. (Nancy will be helping Heather Leets, the Spartan Stores dietician, with this cooking demonstration.)
May 8, 2010 - The Fourth Annual Gluten Free Food Fair!
We need volunteers! Some vendors and companies are unable to attend, but are sending samples and handouts. We need people to sit-in for them. We also need some volunteers to represent the Celiac Kids group at a table. A Parent-Celiac Kid team is great for this! More opportunities are available, contact foodfair@glutenfreegr.com to volunteer or to get more information.
