We plan to have another event sometime in the next few months. If you have any suggestions, please email us at the address below!
raleigh.celkids@gmail.com
Fruit Gems, Gluten Free!
People always reminisce about candy dish their grandparents kept full when they were younger. I remember a plastic tree that each season my grandma would put corresponding colored fruit drops on. Now my folks keep Swedish Fish (yes, gluten free) in a dish for my girls. But my fondest memories are of my Granny’s dish full of the fruit gems. You know the ones, round, gummy, sugar on the outside, each individually wrapped. Recently we discovered them again, at BJs, under the brand Sunkist Fruit Gems. Sure enough, they were the same ones. Of course, buying them at BJs, you buy a two pound bag, but we sure did fly through them. As you can see in the picture, Sunkist labeled them clearly as Gluten Free. Kudos to them!
GF Restaurants.com
We love us some informative websites! We will admit we use a variety of them regularly. I look at gfrestaurants.com at times, as it appears like it receives regular updates.
So when you go to the website, you find a typical blog with new updates. For instance, when I most recently browsed the site, I found a post talking about Wendy’s gluten free menu. In the post, they actually list out all the gluten free products from this list (apparently their Chili is gluten free and their Frostys!). Besides the listing, they also link back to the original Wendy’s released .pdf file. I like this, as too many times we rely on word of mouth from all these sites.
The site also includes links to GF support groups, a forum, and their own store selling books through Amazon’s site. While another great resource, they even put the caveat on their site that you should not take everything they post as gospel. Definitely a great reminder for all sites, even our Raleigh CelKids. Menus change, as do ingredients, so these sites should just be used as a starting place, to follow up with the manufacturer’s site or that of a restaurant. For instance, some of the posts date back years, and often things do change at restaurants. A good resource though, for quickly accessing at home and on a mobile phone.
Lots of Yummy GF Treats At Rosie's
A few years ago, when we could not easily find packaged gluten free items in stores, and absolutely no restaurants, Rosie’s Plate quietly opened in Downtown Raleigh in an old gas station on N. Person Street, right down from Krispy Kreme. At the time, I worked in Downtown, so I could conveniently stop by and pick up some things to take home. I remember that first gluten free meal I took home, chicken nuggets that tasted just like other restaurants and some fantastic cupcakes.
Since then, some other gluten free restaurants have come, some have gone, but Rosie’s continued to support the Celiac community, along with other food allergies (shellfish and peanuts) with an ever changing menu, new locations (Duke’s East and West campuses), and expanding to include food classes.
Tally from Rosie’s Plate recently visited our Cel-Kids event at Earth Fare and brought some new treats. The kids all liked the chocolate star cookies (adults too!), and the adults especially liked the other treats. She shared with us they want to offer cooking classes for kids in the upcoming future. Definitely a great idea, as I know many of the kids in this group would appreciate that!
If you never visited Rosie’s, definitely check out their website and see the huge selection of gluten free meals, cakes, treats, and much more. You can have it delivered (limited delivery area) or pick it up in person. Definitely a pillar in the Raleigh area Celiac scene!
http://www.rosiesplate.com/
Look For the Wooden Shelves at Earth Fare for GF Items
After our tour at the recent Cel-Kids event, and thanks to Maria of Earth Fare, we definitely learned much we would like to share. And we also purchased many new items we will share in upcoming reviews as well! Thanks for the $5 off $25.00 or more coupon, Earth Fare! We definitely used it!
So, as we toured around Earth Fare, Maria brought to our attention the wooden shelves. She did a great job leading us around, and had the kids seek out these shelves scavenger hunt style. As you can see in the picture, the wooded part just covers the edge of the shelf, keeping with a subtle design. And in thinking of that later, I appreciate what they are doing with this. We really try hard to not draw attention to Celiac too much and allow the girls to live normally. By their subtle-ness of this labeling, and the little ‘gluten free’ flags, it helps show us where the products are without a separate ‘gf zone.’ I definitely appreciate that.
Maria also shared with us many new products. They always stocked a bulk section, but they shared with us some gluten free flours with us. After talking with the employee who works in that section, they did confirm that only the same flour is used in each container, so they do not put in a gluten free flour, then a wheat flour. She showed us quinoa, for example, and let the kids touch it and feel its texture. Maria gave us a variety of ways to prepare it, and later in the tour showed it to us prepared in the deli section. While interesting, I still think we will buy our flours in packaged bags and boxes. Just too scared of possible cross-contamination. She shared some new pasta sauces, crackers, and Earth Fare’s new line of gluten free cookies. Of course that excited all our children! The new cookies included a vanilla sandwich that we bought, so look for a review soon. They had a yummy, fresh, soft vanilla filling! They also now carry bags of chocolate chip cookies, ginger snaps, and some additional gf flavors. The big hit though, was the box of mini chocolate and regular BUNNY COOKIES! They girls loved them, as did the parents! Exciting to see another staple for lunches!
As we rounded the corner through the bakery, Maria shared gluten free brownie bites and some additional cookies. In the cooler cases she stopped in front of individual slices of chocolate cakes. Surely, I thought these could not be gluten free. Maria, though shared that they call them wheat free, but not gluten free. Apparently Earth Fare has a policy that because gluten is in the air, once things are open, they cannot rightly call them gluten free, so they call them wheat free. What does that all mean? Just covering themselves, but I do not think we would refrain from purchasing slices of wheat free cake in the future.
Again, a very informative trip to Earth Fare. We thank them and Maria for hosting us and letting us sample so many goodies. It definitely does show how we all need additional information once in awhile, as we found many new gf products.
A Nice Greeting From Earth Fare for Our Event!
What a great event and great turnout! We somehow fit 30+ people into the Community Room at the Brier Creek Earth Fare. Thanks to Maria at Earth Fare for hosting us and for the very very very informative tour! We also met with Tally from Rosie’s Plate who shared some great treats, information, and upcoming classes with us. More on that in a future post as well. And finally, we met up with Joannie and her daughter, who run the Gluten Free Cary blog, available at http://glutenfreecary.blogspot.com/. We discussed her blog and her plans for developing a comprehensive travel blog for the world. Awesome, and we look forward to that!
So we will cover each of these in detail in the upcoming days. Lots of great information on new products, how to identify gluten free things at Earth Fare, and much more! Thanks to Earth Fare, the Cel Kids Board for putting this event together, and for all our members for attending! Great to see the community pull together to help our children!
Anyone pick up on that quote? Famous from Disney’s version of Alice in Wonderland. So now we will take a look at mustard. I could save you some time and say, don’t eat any of it, but that’s not fair. I just do not care for it. I do know many like it on a hamburger or hotdog, and there seem to be many different varieties. From your ‘Pardon me, do you have any Gray Poupon,’ to your Spicy Yellow. So let’s see what we can find…
Classic Yellow--Yes, Gluten Free!
French’s Mustard–probably the most popular around picnic tables for summer picnics. We will just review their ‘Classic Yellow’ flavor. Mustard contains a variety of ingredients and spices, from the mustard seeds to distilled vinegar. Even with the vinegar, French’s does consider their Classic Yellow to be gluten free: http://www.frenchs.com/faqs/YellowMustard.php
Gray Poupon–Yes, we all know the commercials…they drive on buy and ask for the Gray Poupon. Once, a European owned entity, now owned by Kraft Foods. Another mustard with distilled vinegar, but according to Kraft, still gluten free as:
Vinegar listed in the ingredient statement of Kraft products means distilled vinegar is used. Per our ingredient suppliers, the distilled vinegar we use does not contain gluten. –http://www.kraftrecipes.com/healthy-living-ideas/articles/food-allergies/glutenfreefoods.aspx
Hellman’s Dijonnaise–We know Hellman’s for their mayo, but their Dijonnaise is another popular mustard. In viewing their site (http://www.hellmanns.com/faqs.aspx) they also share their gluten free status.
Now, if mustard only tasted good…
Bring Out the Hellmans' and Bring Out the Gluten Free...
When we say pass the mayo, we usually mean just one brand–Hellmanns. While other brands exist, Hellmans is mayo. Everything else is secondary, or Miracle Whip! We’ll review both, but first, let’s share that all Hellmann’s Mayonnaise products are gluten free: http://www.hellmanns.com/faqs.aspx. Ok, ok…I know other mayos are out there. Being in the South, I better take a quick look at Duke’s–a tomato sandwich on marshmellow bread is not a sandwich without Duke’s.
So, in looking at Duke’s, they state that while the ingredients do not contain gluten, they make Duke’s mayo in a facility where cross-contamination is possible. So avoid that one. (http://www.dukesmayo.com/ask.asp).
Let’s move on to Kraft. Yes, I will concede many people buy Kraft mayo as well. Grudgingly… Anyway, Kraft does put together a helpful website for Celiacs. They state that if the product contains a gluten ingredient, it will be labeled. Kraft’s Mayo does not list anything, so we can assume it is gluten free.
Finally, rounding out the products, let’s take a look at Miracle Whip, the cousin of mayonnaise. Kraft also makes Miracle Whip, so the above procedure applies. If a gluten ingredient exists, they will list it. None of the gluten ingredients are listed, so Miracle Whip can be added to your Celiac’s sandwich!
While maybe not the most exciting topic to cover, definitely a necessary one, as much uncertainty exists. You would think one ketchup being gluten free, then they all would. But then we introduce Catsup, different flavors of mustard, and light and regular mayonnaise. Lots of room for confusion! We will spend a few posts with this topic, though, as we began exploring, the choices are wide. We will focus on the ‘well known’ products, but many of the store brands also may be gluten free. Check those labels carefully. We focus on the well knowns, as those can usually be purchased anyhere. So let’s start with the basics.
Ketchup/Catsup:
Heinz--A Good Labeler of GF Foods!
I have Pittsburgh in my blood, so ketchup of course, means one thing: Heinz. So, of course, a lot rides on the fact whether their ketchup is gluten free. Thankfully, yes, Heinz ketchup does clearly state ‘gluten free’ on the label. Heinz actually lists many things, some surprising, that they consider gluten free. Read carefully though, as some products are in the UK, Canada, or other countries. Good to see so many products, though!
Is It Catsup or Ketchup?
I believe Hunt’s Ketchup used to be Catsup. Regardless, it does not quite stack up to Heinz in this humble reporter’s opinion. ConAgra, Hunt’s parent company does contain some information regarding gluten-free products. For instance, they discuss a gf flour they are working on here: http://conagrafoodscompany.com/corporate/aboutus/innovationStory.jsp?id=2. Unfortunately on their website, I could not find a product listing. I already knew, due to the distilled vinegar in Hunt’s, they were NOT gluten free, but I would like to see their website confirm it instead of using a non-product website: http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/index.php?showtopic=33295
Ok, so it looks like Heinz wins the ketchup/catsup battle. Mustard and mayo coming up next!
Sheetz Yogurt--Gluten Free!
How did we not yet review Sheetz? Growing up in Pennsylvania, you could find a Sheetz convenience store on every corner. Besides cheap gas, they also prepared MTOs, or made to order sandwiches. Anything from hot dogs, to subs, to salads. You just punched in what you wanted on the computer screen (or pad and paper in the old days), and they would prepare it. Over time, Sheetz begin to migrate South, first into Virginia, which helped on the long trips back to Pennsylvania. Between the gas and food, they provided a nice pit stop. Then finally a few years back, into North Carolina. And then they began to expand! They went from just a drive-in and go store to a ‘restaurant,’ providing chairs and tables to eat in, if you wished. Recently, they also developed a grab and go case with prepared sandwiches and other foods.
So, what does Sheetz offer to the typical Celiac? Well, hopefully something, as we stop quite frequently, especially travelling. I recently discovered their yogurt cups (see picture) as clearly marked gluten free. This definitely helps when travelling, cutting down on the need for a large cooler. In these cases they have other things, such as cheeses, snack packs (watch out for the pretzels), eggs, and other sliced fruits. Obviously, their sandwiches are not gluten-free due to the bread. They do not currently carry any gluten-free breads. For all their made-to-order foods, they provide an allergy statement:
ALLERGEN WARNING: All foods, bakery items, and specialty beverages in our store are prepared in a shared environment which could cause exposure of any product to known food allergens. These would include, but are not limited to: peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, egg, fish, and milk.
So for now, anyway, they cannot guarantee anything for their made-to-order foods. However, the foods I mentioned, plus the fact this is a convenience store (think 7-11), you can find many types of chips, candy, and other gluten-free items. Not a large selection, but you won’t starve! I also hope, with them putting ‘gluten free’ on some things, like their yogurt, more will continue. When travelling, we definitely look for Celiac friendly pit stops!
Just a reminder that the Brier Creek Earth Fare will host our next family event. Among the activities:
Please RSVP as soon as possible with the total number to attend at raleigh.celkids@gmail.com. We need an exact count so Rosie’s and Earth Fare can plan accordingly.
