Meeting Reminder

I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday season if you partake of it, and you stay safe over the new year!

Our next meeting will be Monday, January 11th at 7pm at PJ's Coffee House, 2040 Gause Blvd. Hope to see you there!

~~Amy

MUST see blog!

A friend showed this to me months ago and I'd forgotten until I read about it in a mom's magazine! A year's worth of slow cooker recipes and it seems ALL are gluten free!! :)

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

Check it out IMMEDIATELY!
~~AMy

Double Chocolate Pecan Cookies

From the blog: Diary of a Wicked Step Mom

Double Chocolate Pecan Cookies

3 Cups confectioners’ sugar
¾ cup cocoa powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
4 large egg whites, room temperature

Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa and salt. Stir in chocolate and pecans. Add egg whites and stir until incorporated (do not over mix).

Drop dough by spoonful on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until cookie tops are dry and crackled, about 25 minutes.

December Meeting Update!

Hello all! I just wanted to update that we will have our December meeting next Monday, 12/7/09, at 7pm, at PJs Coffee Shop, 2040 Gause Blvd. This is technically not the 2nd Monday of the month, but I thought with the holidays we'd want to push it up a little!

See you there!!
~~Amy

Excuse my absence..

Sorry I haven't updated much! I was out of town from Oct. 2-11th and have been busy reorganizing life since then!
~~~~~~~
Our next meeting will be November 9th, 2009 @ 7pm at PJ's Coffee Shop, 2040 Gause Blvd.

We have a trip to Whole Foods and to get Gluten Free Pizza is tenatively planned for Nov. 15. We will discuss at that meeting a possible date change, I may have a conflict.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now some news I am personally vested in. I JUST read this in the November issue of Parents magazine.

"A child whose mother has celiac disease may have a three-times-greater risk of autism, finds a new study in Pediatrics. People with celiac disease have an abnormal immune response to a protein in wheat and other grains. It may be most dangerous in pregnancy when it's untreated because it blocks absorption of nutrients and can cause premature delivery and low birthweight--known autism risk factors."

This finding is outstanding. Personally, for me, I am intensely relieved it's actually be published. My youngest child is newly diagnosed with autism and my older son is suspected of having Sensory Processing Disorder. I fully suspect undiagnosed Celiac/Gluten Sensitivity in Eli is what has triggered the autism. He showed NO signs until about 4 mos after he started eating gluten. I have wondered for YEARS how many children don't actually have 'true' autism but have some form of "Celiac Induced Autism" (Not a medical term, I've made it up). Why do SO many children with autism benefit from the Gluten Free/Caesin Free Diet if there is NO connection?

What IF, we could get more people diagnosed with Celiac (because there are SO many people who have it and don't know it!)...What IF every pregnant woman was tested for Celiac Disease and if found positive she was able to go Gluten Free and she'd KNOW to keep an eye on her child for autism and start that child on the Gluten Free diet immediately? What IF prior to conception, women were tested for Celiac Disease and went Gluten Free JUST in case? What would it hurt?? NOTHING! There is a connection between gluten and so many people's health....why can't mainstream medicine do something about this? (I"ll not rant politics here, it is not the place....feel free to ask me privately!! LOL)

I am absolutely thrilled this study has been found and will happily help is spread and cannot wait for more research. FINALLY!!! Perhaps if they do find a Celiac/Autism connection BOTH populations can get more research, media coverage, etc. We need to work together!

So if you know anyone who is a family eating gluten free for WHATEVER REASON, please remind them they are welcome to attend our meetings!!! We are all in the same food boat, no matter the reason! :)

See ya'll at the meeting!
~~Amy

September Meeting

Hello all! It's time for our monthly meeting again! Sorry this is so late, life has been CRAZY with the children!

We will meet at PJs Coffee Shop, 2040 Gause Blvd, 7pm, Monday Sept 14th. We may not have an October  meeting, due to my being out of town.

We have a trip to Whole Foods and NakedPizza in the works again for November 15th. This will allow us to get things we may need for Thanksgiving, and well, NakedPizza is ALWAYS good :)

I wrote an article about NakedPizza for Handmadenews.org, if you'd like to check it out here: http://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=3513

I will be calling ahead to make SURE they have the GF crust because I attempted to get a pie last week when I was in New Orleans, and they were OUT!! (Gasp, I know, I cried a little.) So once we settle on a date I will double check that they WILL have the crust.

We can also discuss plans to go out to eat somewhere like Bonefish Grill for the holidays? Maybe an evening dinner?

I also tried something called "Udi's Bread" from Whole Foods that does NOT need to be refrigerated. It did go bad faster than if you'd kept it cold, but it was the first GF peanut butter and jelly sandwich I'd enjoyed in a LOOOOONG time. They also have several snacks, rolls, etc. available and Whole Foods.

So I'll see everyone Monday night at 7pm! :)

~~Amy

Monthly Meeting--August 10th 7pm

Hello gang! Time for our monthly meeting!

Monday, August 10th, 7pm, PJ's Coffee Shop, 2040 Gause Blvd.

The last shipment of Gluten Free food from Angel Food Ministries is in and I'll bring it. If you'd like any, its 5.00 per pound.

Bring any new gluten free tips, foods, recipes you've tried lately!

See you Monday!

Happy Gluten Free Living!!
Amy

Next Meeting--TIME CHANGE

Hello SillyYaks! Our next meeting will be Monday, July 13th, at 7pm. That is slightly later than previous times, because due to our location change to 2040 Gause Blvd, PJs Coffee Shop, I need a little later time to get to the meeting. If anyone in Slidell needs a ride to PJ's please give me a call or email me at louisianaceliac@yahoo.com.

Unfortunately our last Angel Food Ministries buy did not go through because they didn't put the Allergen Free box on the truck! But we will definitely try again this month!

Naked Pizza was a HUGE success and I'm pretty sure we'll be doing it again as soon as possible!

I have gotten "The G Free Diet" by Elisabeth Hasselback in from the library and we shall see how it goes. It was not reviewed well by Gluten Free Living Magazine, so I will give it a look and review it when I'm finished!

I hope everyone is having a happy, healthy, gluten free summer! Remember if you need ANYTHING do not hesitate to call me or email me!!

See you Monday at 7pm, at PJs, 2040 Gause Blvd.
~Amy

Field Trip and Review!

Excuse my lack of blogging..been a WEE bit busy lately!!

Our CSA Chapter took a field trip as we say, to Whole Foods in New Orleans and more importantly, to NAKED PIZZA in NOLA. We were super excited when we found out they had a gluten free pizza...we discovered because they very smartly put up a giant sign about their twitter!

So we planned our trip, left the kids with my mother in law (God bless her!) and headed off to NOLA. We may be a small group but we're strong! Well, we got there, ordered our pizza and headed off to Audubon Park to enjoy it with some awesome sodas with actual sugar! (NO chemicals and crap in this pizza joint!)

To sit down, pick up a piece of pizza, take a big bite and not vomit or choke it down was, well, damn heavenly. When you are used to planning your pizza eating around what crust you have frozen, or how much flour you have, to walk in, order a GF pizza and ENJOY IT was AMAZING.

No, it didn't taste like Pizza Hut pizza...and that was good! You could taste the REAL ingredients, no HFCS, no junk, no crap! Just real ingredients, a yummy gluten free rice flour and deliciousness in a pizza pie!

The staff were amazingly nice, (although I kept missing my twitter buddy!) and were very sweet and helpful! I cannot wait for an excuse to go across the lake and I'm pretty sure every Whole Foods field trip will now involve a stop at Naked Pizza! I even snagged a Take-N-Bake pie for on the way home!! Pick it up, put it in the oven and VIOLA. yummy GF pizza at home too! And the BEST part---REASONABLY PRICED!!! You'd expect a pizza with high quality ingredients to be off the wall expensive but it wasn't!

The girls loved it, we can't wait to go back and our Gluten Free Hats off to Naked Pizza!

Eat on Folks!












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Now on a less happy note....I tried the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mix, the yellow one. Um, Yeah. Betty..you better step it up. Long gone are the days where we gluten free eaters just lap up any dry, crumbly combination that we can find. No more. After great products from Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill and more, if you're going to launch a GF Cake Mix...it better be awesome.

Now...in Betty's defense, I have somehow lost my mixer beaters..so I had to mix the cake mix by hand. I know in some GF recipes an electric mixer is a must have because the eggs act in a way that fluffs up the mix. So I may cut it some slack and see if I can't find my beaters before I attempt the chocolate cake mix. But let's just say...if I had to choose between Betty Crocker mix and Pamela's...I'm going home with my trusty Pamela's, even if it does mean paying an extra 2-3 bucks. If I want cake..I want it yummy!!

So we'll see how the cookie and brownie mixes go for ol' Betty!

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Side note for members:
The GF box from Angel Food Ministries was not put on the truck this month, so we don't have one to sort out and share! :( Hopefully next month!

Our next meeting will be Monday, July 13th at PJ's Coffee House, 2040 Gause Blvd. THERE IS A TIME CHANGE! I am always rushing, so we discussed having the meeting at 7 pm now! Let me know if this is a problem! Thanks and happy Gluten Free Living!!

~~Amy

Loss of Great Gluten Free Chef

It is with a heavy heart that I report that my dear friend Cherie, aka, Glutenada/She Loves Cake, is no longer able to stay in business. Yes, she is alive and kicking and cooking, but thanks to the recession she cannot remain in business any longer. This upsets me as both a gluten free foodie and an American citizen that we have failed yet ANOTHER small business. Our economy is in such shambles that even a business as fantastic as Glutenada cannot stay open? I am scared at this prospect.

Cherie is a FABULOUS cook, baker and friend. She stood up for TASTE in gluten free foods and I am extremely sad that she can no longer share her fantastic food with the world. I discovered Cherie on Etsy.com and have been a fan ever since.

This is a tremendous blow for GF life, food and business in America. I have to keep my mouth shut on what I think about that since this is a blog for a non-profit organization, but if you want to know, just drop me a line or follow me on www.twitter.com/fleurdeink

Cherie, your yummy concotions will be EXTREMELY missed and I eagerly await a time when you can re-open because I am sure you can one day!

You can still stay in touch with Cherie at Beyond the Wheat

Thanks America....stole my 1 lb cupcake.

~~Amy

Meeting, Monday June 8th 6:30pm

Hello all! We'll have our monthly meeting at PJ's Coffee House, 2040 Gause Blvd at 6:30 pm..I may be a few minutes late, and we may adjust these meetings to 7 pm! I hope everyone is having a lovely gluten free week and I'll see you Monday.

Be there or be square, I have some gluten free yummies for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~~Amy

Elisabeth Hasselbeck's Book on Gluten Free and Celiac Disease

Say what you will about her, I love her for standing up for Celiacs and giving us a voice!

She was on Mike Huckabee, and as soon as I get the video I will upload it. Meantime you can find her book "The G-Free Diet" on various websites and as well as in your library.

I'll be picking it up as soon as possible!! :)







*~*~*~**~*~*~*

I will be placing the order for the GF box at Angel Food Ministries tomorrow. Another of our members will be picking it up and then we will share. Its 5 lbs of breaded foods for 25.00. All allergen free! To find out what is in this month's box you can CLICK HERE
Those that want to partake of this box will need to contribute their portion of the money. We will divide it up as need be and everyone can pick up when available.

Email me if you have any questions about this or anything else!

Gluten Free Pizza at Naked Pizza!

I have seen this pizza joint the many times I've gone to the Audobon Zoo and had a suspicion that it may be worth my while to check it out...I have not been able to go in yet, but their giant sign instructing me to follow them on twitter lured me in... www.twitter.com/nakedpizza if you are so inclined!

You can also check out their website at http://www.nakedpizza.biz/gluten_free.htm

So I have not yet been able to partake of the pizza, but I am getting more details and I very much sense a group road trip to Naked Pizza when we make our next Whole Foods trip!! :)

YES!

~~Amy

**Don't forget the meeting Monday, May 11th at 6:30 pm!

Monthly Meeting--Monday May 11th

At PJ's Coffee House in Slidell, 2040 Gause Blvd. 6:30 pm. Hope to see you there!!

So an Angel called me...

and told me that there was a Gluten Free Bakery IN Slidell. (Thank you Angel!)

It is true!! While there is no storefront right now, you can check out www.healthnutbakery.com for more details and also give her a call at 985-641-9222. Kerri Lawless is the owner and baker and I am very excited to get to know her as well as taste some of her yummies! I haven't been able to taste any yet, but I will most certainly report back when I can!! :)

We have spoken and I hope to have some of her goodies for you to sample soon, possibly at our next meeting. In the meantime, you can find her baked goods at Ruby's Natural Foods on Hwy 190 in Slidell and the Good Earth in Mandeville (across from the library off Hwy 190/Florida).

This is fantastic news for our community both as someone who lives gluten free AND supports the handmade lifestyle :)

So check her out, drop her a line and tell her the LNS/CSA sent you!

*~*~*~*~*
Also, don't forget that Angel Food Ministries has a Gluten Free Box available for purchase and there are SPECIFIC days you must do this. I plan on trying to order mine this month so I can try it out and I will let everyone know the results!!

*~*~*~
Our next meeting is Monday, May 11th at 6:30pm at PJ's Coffee Shop, 2040 Gause Blvd.

~Amy

New Celiac Book

I've not read this, just sharing the info!

New book by Julianne Karow makes the journey of having celiac disease a little easier.

This book is a personal resource guide for those with celiac disease who struggle to solve everyday challenges. In addition to information that will help those newly diagnosed, it will provide references to many websites where you can further educate yourself on this journey. The Celiac Resource Guide includes suggestions for a gluten-free pantry, where to find gluten-free food products, gluten-free medications, how to travel on a gluten-free diet, and much more. Coupons, product discounts, free sample offers or free shipping donated from several gluten-free food manufacturers will be available to those who purchase the book. For every book sold, $1.00 will be donated to The Center for Celiac Research.

‘‘We truly believe that with this friendly, easy-to-use book, Julianne has provided a wonderful resource to help people diagnosed with celiac disease. We applaud her efforts to help others navigate the web for useful and reliable information on celiac disease.’’

Alessio Fasano, M.D. & Pam Cureton, RD, LDN

Center for Celiac Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine

You may purchase a copy of

Celiac Resource Guide – Helping to Navigate Life’s Detour at

www.CeliacResourceGuide.webs.com or www.amazon.com

Gluten Free Review:

I, my friends, am a chocoholic..among my many other 'holics'. So, you know I am MORE than willing to try anything Gluten Free Chocolate for the sake of it..right? I mean, it's part of my job, right? (shhh, just pretend it is....)

So, I have three reviews for you guys!

First, one of my FAVORITE things EVER, are the 1lb cupcake from She Loves Cake. Now, I will not divulge just HOW fast I ate my cupcakes, but, um, suffice to say they are GONE PECAN. They are moist, yummy, and eco friendly because they come in nifty little containers and with spoons that are completely biodegradable! How cool is that? She also has some YUMMMMY mixes that I've tried before, the spice cake mix is the ONLY one I've found that tastes like the old spice cake mix my mom used to use! Find more of her yummylicousness at Glutenada. And be sure you keep in touch with Blockhead Radio, because SheLovesCake/Glutenada will be a guest soon on a new foodie show coming up on BHR called "Chocolate Covered Bacon"!

Secondly, I featured Emmy's Organics in a spotlight I made on byhand.me, and she graciously sent me a goody box of yummy treats!! They are quite tasty and not only gluten free, but organic and vegan also!! The truffles were really good and just plain pretty to look at!! Be sure to pay her a visit!! I don't know much about the vegan lifestyle but I can imagine trying to find yummy things that are both GF and vegan must be difficult, so there you go...a place for both needs!

Last but not least, my lovely friend James (soon to be host of aforementioned Chocolate Covered Bacon Radio show) told me about Miles of Chocolate. While at first distracted by thoughts of a mile long piece of chocolate, I got it together enough to look them up. Indeed they are sold at Whole Foods, so when I visited today I snagged three small brownie samples (.75 each, not bad!) and one large brownie. Um, yeah, the sample sizes are gone. Long gone. I'm holding off on the large piece...til maybe...tonight? It was heavenly.

So there you are my friends, be sure to pay these lovely shops a visit and get your yumminess on!!

~~Amy

Gluten Free Goodies from Foodzie!

Gluten Free goodies from Foodzie!

Monthly Meeting, Mon, April 13th

Join us for our monthly meeting, Monday, April 13th at 6:30 pm at the NEW PJ's Coffee Shop in Slidell.

We'll chat about Gluten Free foods, news, and group goals! Big news is out from General Mills (see previous posts) and we'll definately be talking about!!

Comment here if you have any questions!

or find my contact info at:

www.csaceliacs.org
Local Support, Louisiana North Shore Group

General Mills..GLUTEN FREE! HUGE NEWS!

General Mills Announcement
3/31/09

"Thank you for contacting General Mills regarding gluten in Corn Chex cereal.
General Mills is reformulating the following Big G Cereals to gluten free
status:

· Corn Chex
· Honey Nut Chex
· Strawberry Chex
· Chocolate Chex
· Cinnamon Chex

As was the case with Gluten Free Rice Chex, the barley malt ingredient was
removed and replaced with another ingredient. Production has begun, so you may
start seeing the gluten free formulas on store shelves now. All 5 products
should be widely available across the U.S. by June 1, 2009. As with all
reformulated products, both products may be on store shelves at the same time so
please read labels/packaging carefully, examining the product packaging to
ensure that the cereal inside the box is in fact the new, gluten free product.
Look for "NOW GLUTEN FREE" or "GLUTEN FREE" on the front/side/back panels.

In addition, the following Betty Crocker Gluten Free mixes will be available at
approximately the same time:

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix
Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devils Food Cake Mix
Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix

It is our goal to help our consumers determine whether or not they can include
our products in their diet when they are not labeled Gluten Free. To accurately
accomplish this, we believe it is best to refer to the specific ingredients
listed on each product package; and for this reason, we do not offer a
gluten-free product list.

However, we do understand that ingredients can be confusing. We want you to be
assured that if the ingredient label does not list wheat, barley, rye, oats or
gluten containing ingredients sourced from these grains, then the product would
be gluten-free. Sources of gluten are listed on the label even if the source of
gluten is part of another ingredient (such as flavoring or spice). Because
ingredients may vary from one package to another due to product reformulation,
you should use the products ingredient label to provide you with current and
accurate information."

Amy Peters, Consumer Services

We're in trouble....

I've found a nifty new site for food...and YUP, 114 searches for Gluten Free.

I'm in love...

http://foodzie.com/search?search=gluten+free

ENJOY!

Strange Gluten Free Sighting...

Okay, this perhaps isn't the most informative post, but gluten free life is not just seriousness!! Maybe I was seeing things, and I googled all I could think to google, but as I half-watched ABC's "Private Practice" last week, I SWEAR I saw Violet (the pregnant woman), eating a bag of Ener-G Gluten Free Pretzels...you know the ones, the white and orange mini bag!! Maybe I"m losing my mind....but I swear I saw that!!

Anyone else? :)
~~Amy

A Blog to Live Up to....

You really must check out the blog for Gluten Free Raleigh. This has got to be one of the most well written, well condensed resources for gluten free life I've ever read!! I simply bow down to the greatness of the blog, and hope that Zach, the blog author, doesn't mind if I borrow some of his resources for our blog!! :)

So check it out, give him some comment love, and learn!!

~~amy

Use GoodSearch and Support the CSA!!

Did you know you can surf the net and help support the CSA at the same time? Simply go to http://www.csaceliacs.org/GoodSearch.php and learn all about how you can use GoodSearch to support the CSA!!

Angel Food Ministries has a GLUTEN FREE Box!!

Times are tough for everyone, and Angel Food Ministries' is available to help you out when it comes to providing healthy food. They've had a long tradition of helping put food in the mouths of those who need it most. Now, AFM has an ALLERGEN FREE box!! Yes, you read that right. They have a GLUTEN FREE box of food available for purchase!! Click these links for more info on how to get yours. I will be ordering on ASAP and will let you all know how it tastes! Gluten free food is so expensive, this is a blessing for those of us on the GF diet indeed!

Angel Food Ministries Site..CLICK HERE
Monthly Menu CLICK HERE.
Find a Host Site Here You CLICK HERE

Happy GF Eating!

~~Amy

Information on Ad Space

Are you interested in advertising on Louisiana North Shore Celiac Sprue Association? Here is what you need to know:

• All ads are 125x125. You must supply the ad. It may be jpeg or an animated gif file.
• NO PORN! All ads must be rated PG-13. Blog author has ALL RIGHTS to terminate or reject ad at any time. Ads pertaining to Celiac Disease and GF living will have first priority.
• ALL FUNDS from ads are deposited into Louisiana North Shore CSA's Chapter treasury fund. This income/account is reported to the National CSA chapter at the end of each year. Blog authors make NO profit off this blog from your ad space purchase. All funds go to supporting our chapter's local efforts to support the GF/Celiac Disease lifestyle.
• Ad spaces are PER MONTH. One 125x125 ad costs 5.00 per month and will run for 30 days from the date of start time. Ads may be terminated at any time if advertiser breaks their contract or at the discretion of blog author.

If you are interested in advertising on this blog, email Amy at louisianaceliac@yahoo.com
Or, simply use the paypal buttons in the sidebar to purchase your space.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me!!

~Amy

Welcome!!!

Welcome to Louisiana North Shore Celiac Sprue Association Chapter 125's Blog!! This is your one stop for information on our Celiac Disease support group, LNS/CSA/125!

At this point we meet the 2nd Monday at 6:30 pm at CC's Coffee House in Slidell, LA for chat, coffee and updates on gluten free life!

Perhaps you stumbled upon this site and need more info on Celiac Disease? We're here for that too!

You can find out WHAT IS CELIAC DISEASE by Clicking HERE.

You can find out basically anything you want to know about Celiac Disease at www.csaceliacs.org, which we are a local chapter of. Everything we report to you comes from reputable sources...most of the time from the CSA, or sources commonly known to be accurate and reputable!

Do you need a physician or info for testing? We can help with that too! You can find all our chapter information HERE. We are Chapter 125.

Our hope of this blog is to provide you with information, recipes, websites and more that you may find helpful in your gluten free journey. Do not hesitate to ask ANY questions!! You can find my contact information HERE. Feel free to contact me with any Celiac/Gluten Free questions!

Look for changes on this blog as I continually work to improve it!!

Thanks and happy gluten free living!
~~Amy