Dr. Fasano of the UMD Center for Celiac Research to speak on Long Island- Hosted by The Suffolk County Celiacs

Dr. Alessio Fasano, the Medical Director of The University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research will be giving a presentation on Celiac Disease on

Sunday November 6, 2011
at

The Sheraton Hotel (Venderbilt Room)
110 Vanderbilt Motor Parkway
Hauppauge, NY

631-231-1100

12:30- Vendor Access
2:00- Dr. Fasano
3:00- Q & A
4:00 Vendor Access
5:00 Event Ending

Price $10 per ticket

Seating is very limited and available by advance purchase only.

Gluten free lunch available for purchase

Please make your check/money order to Suffolk County Celiacs and mail to:

Barbara Pepitone
113 Narraganset Villas Drive
Lindenhurst, NY 11757


Please include your name, address and a phone number
(may be needed for clarification) so they can send your ticket(s).
___________________________________________________________

This will be a great event that you won't want to miss!! I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Fasano speak a year or so ago, and it was so nice to hear all the new research he is doing and stuff that is coming down the pike on Celiac Disease Research. Don't pass up the opportunity to hear him speak right here on Long Island!

Hope to see you there!
:)
-Sue

Cedar Creek American Bar & Grill in Glen Cove has Gluten-Free menu

It was my 6 year anniversary with my husband Keith the fist week in August, and to celebrate we wanted to try something new. I had heard a few months ago that Cedar Creek Restaurant in Glen Cove offered a gluten-free menu, and I went onto their website http://www.cedarcreekli.com/ to join their mailing list. To my surprise, I received a $10 off coupon for my anniversary, and that solidified my decision to give it a try.
Upon giving my keys to the valet (something I don’t normally like doing because my car is a mess, but necessary for their small lot) we walked up to this cozy and gorgeous restaurant. Inside is very nice and has multiple rooms to be seated in. There is live music on certain nights (we were first there on a Saturday, and then again on a Tuesday, and there was live music on the Tuesday) in the main area, but we sat in the back area for more quiet time to talk. I told the hostess that I required the gluten-free menu, and she said that the manager would come by with it. This was awesome. By having the manager come over with the menu it allowed the hostess to alert the manager that there was a GF diner there, and he was promptly there to go over the menu, discuss any questions I had about the items, and discuss how they prepare the food, and how they insure all the ingredients were in fact GF. When I questioned an item on the regular menu if it was GF or not, (ice cream) he said that because they got that item from a local ice cream maker, there was no ingredient label on it, so that he could not allow me to have it because he could not verify if it was GF (it was after 8pm so no way to call her), but he did say he would follow up and give them a call for the future. Having the manager there quickly eased my nerves of eating somewhere new for the first time. When our server came over, it was quickly evident that she was just as knowledgeable as the manager was in the GF menu- she was a fellow celiac (and said one of the managers is as well)- it was nice to know that she “got-it” and I didn’t have to explain about cross-contamination etc.

Now for the good part! For my meal, I was SO excited to see they had French Onion Soup (sans bread) on the GF menu. I miss this so much- so I ordered that to start , and it didn’t disappoint. It was very good, and I didn’t even miss not having the croton in it! The melted cheese on top and the delicious soup was rich in flavor and a perfect combination together. (I will order this every time I go- lol).

For my main meal, I got the roasted chicken with vegetables and mashed potatoes. This was very good as well. The chicken had a nice seasoning to it, not too much, not too little- just right. And the vegetables and mashed potatoes were also perfect.

For dessert- they had wild berries and crème (which our server said “they’re not boring berries, they do not disappoint”) or a crème Brule. Ummm Crème Brule please! It was really good and I was so excited to be able to have a dessert that wasn’t just “fresh fruit” (no offense wild berries).

We enjoyed our anniversary meal so much that the following week, we went back on a Tuesday for their “blue plate specials” so that my husband, a non-celiac, could eat the “tremendous” chicken parmesan dinner! For my second meal there, I had, yes, the French Onion Soup- I told you, every time! And a Crème Brule for dessert, but for main meal I got the Pasta Bolognese, which was GF spiral corn pasta, which was done to perfection (even as leftovers the next day!)

You have to give this place a try! It’s not hard to get to- It’s right off of Glen Cove Road when it forks onto Cedar Swamp Road- easily accessible from the Northern State, or LIE, to Glen Cove Road exit, then go North. (put it in your GPS or “google map” it!) you will not be sorry.


I also asked our server about if they rent out rooms for parties- “French Onion Soup Party” anyone? – and she said yes, all of the rooms can be rented for parties (I think the back one (see pics) would be a perfect place to host an event there! There is even seating out front for diners as well. They have a bar in the main room so you can enjoy a cocktail before or after dinner or while you’re waiting for a seat- but they also take reservations on Open Seating.com, so go to their website to reserve your table beforehand if you think it will be a busy night! You can also see and download the Gluten-Free and regular menu on their website as well- http://www.cedarcreekli.com/.

Cedar Creek
American Bar & Grill
75 Cedar Swamp Road
Glen Cove, NY 11542
516-656-5656

ENJOY
-Sue

Betty Crocker GF Mixes Giveaway and Baker's Challenge

Reminder: Beginning today, through June 30, 2011, all you gluten free bakers out there can enter online for your chance to win the grand prize of $5,000 in the Betty Crocker Baker’s Challenge! Enter Here: www.glutenfreely.com/bakerschallenge

See my blog post about from last week- http://www.glutenfreeli.com/2011/05/betty-crocker-announces-bakers.html

GIVEAWAY:
In addition- I have a great give-away to give out that was provided to me by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark: A box of gluten free mixes from Betty Crocker!!! In your prize pack you will get a sampling of: GF Cake Mix, GF Cookie Mix, GF Bisquick, and GF Brownie mix! All you need to do is leave a comment below and tell me which mix you love, why you love it/what you love to make with it, or which one you are looking forward to trying, and what you want to make with it! A winner will be selected out of all comments on Wednesday June 8th. After leaving your comment, email me at GlutenFreeLI –at- gmail. com with your comment/email address so I can contact you should you be the winner!

This weekend, I used the Gluten-Free Yellow Cake mix I received from BlogSpark and 2 “overly ripe” bananas that I had to make the most delicious GF Banana Bread! I got the recipe from the GlutenFreely website- http://www.glutenfreely.com/recipes/sides/bf852cb9-734b-4f49-b748-0d16f9ba0c6a
It was REALLY good!! I put chopped walnuts on the top, and covered it with foil (as suggested) to prevent excessive browning and it came out perfect! This was a great quick and easy way to make delicious gluten-free banana bread! Give it a try!

Newsday Story of Mom vying for GF Girl Scout Cookies spurs heated online debate

There was a story in Newsday yesterday (5/30/11) “Mom urges gluten-free Girl Scout cookie” reporting that Dix Hills Mom Stacy Malinow is helping her 7 year old daughter petition the Girl Scouts of America to start making a gluten-free cookie. While this story in and of itself would make my blog- originating right here on Long Island, what really caught my eye was the 64 (as of current) comments posted online below the article which has created quite a stir online in the comments section.

The overwhelming majority of the comments are harsh, negative and down right mean towards the subjects of the story, the celiac community and those on a gluten-free diet. Some outright bash this poor Mom and her SEVEN-year-old daughter! There are a few positive ones, some trying to help educate others who are not familiar with Celiac Disease (noting that it is actually a “disease”) and calling people out on their rude comments. But it really shocked me that people would have such a strong reaction to a story like this. I understand if people do not think that it would be important for the GSA to offer a gluten-free cookie, although, I would be one to buy them, but if I didn’t I do not think that I would go to such measures to attack someone else trying to get something to help a child.

Some of the comments did speak to helping the child celebrate for the things she can have (with the advancement in the gluten-free world, there are plenty of options, local and national so that it is becoming much more commonplace), but c’mon people- take this article for what it’s worth… no need to get up in arms about it. I am truly saddened by this attack on this family for just trying to do something that they felt would benefit their child and other children with Celiac Disease. Mrs. Malinow, I along with the rest of the gluten-free community I’m sure, think you did a great thing!


You can view article online at: http://www.newsday.com/news/health/mom-urges-gluten-free-girl-scout-cookies-1.2914127

-Sue

Betty Crocker® Announces the Baker’s Challenge Gluten Free Recipe Contest

I am a huge fan of the Gluten Free Betty Crocker mixes!! I love the chocolate chip mix, and I don’t know what I did prior to having gluten free Bisquick available!!! I love it! My favorite recipe from the GlutenFreely.com website is the “Impossibly Easy French Apple Pie”- (http://www.glutenfreely.com/recipes/desserts/a934433a-bbb8-4a3a-8eac-28d6678993a5 ) it really is so easy to make, even someone who has never made anything, let alone an apple pie from “scratch” (like me) can do it! (try it, trust me you’ll be surprised how “impossibly easy” and good it is!). So I was really excited to hear that the first ever Betty Crocker Baker’s Challenge Gluten Free Recipe Contest was just announced!

From June 1st 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.

All you have to do is using any Betty Crocker Gluten Free dessert mix or Bisquick Gluten Free, - 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

Since I am not a chef or baker by nature- and really, eat out most of my days (thanks mom) I do not have any recipes to enter, but I am sure many of you do!!! If you enter, and are selected as one of the 10 finalists (besides winning an awesome prize pack from Betty Crocker), post your link in the comments section of my blog so we can all go vote for you this fall!!

For those of you who are like me and love just following the directions on back- now through the end of June, save 20% on the purchase of any of the five of the Betty Crocker Gluten Free mixes at www.glutenfreely.com/ourstore . It’s also a good time to stock up using the discount for those of you who are entering the contest- you’ll need them for your test recipes!

By the way, I’m available as a “test eater” ;)

GOOD LUCK!
-Sue

See the press release about the contest below:


Betty Crocker® Announces the Baker’s Challenge Gluten Free Recipe Contest
Minneapolis, MN – May 24, 2011 – Hold the gluten, grab your aprons, and start your ovens! The Baker’s Challenge Gluten Free Recipe Contest, Betty Crocker’s first-ever gluten-free recipe contest, is now open for entries. Now through June 30, 2011, gluten-free bakers from across the country can enter online at www.glutenfreely.com/bakerschallenge for the chance to win a Grand Prize of $5,000 and the chance to be featured on a Betty Crocker® Gluten Free dessert mix or Bisquick® Gluten Free baking mix package and/or be featured in a Betty Crocker publication. Entrants will be challenged to create an original gluten free holiday-themed appetizer, bread or dessert recipe, using any Betty Crocker Gluten Free dessert mix or Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix.

Submitted recipes must be entirely gluten free and will be judged on five key categories: taste, creativity, ease of preparation, consumer appeal and appearance. 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 , 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 http://www.glutenfreely.com/ 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 at 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.

NFCA's Blogger a Day: GlutenFreeLI on Saturday!

May is Celiac Awareness Month and The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) is running a Blogger a Day feature on their website! Saturday, my blog GlutenFreeLI will be featured!! I attended the NFCA’s Appetite for Awareness in Philadelphia back in October 2010 and it was outstanding! The size of the fair they put on was very impressive, and they had tons of stuff to do there, and I don’t think I’ve ever eaten that much gluten-free food in my life! It was one of the best gluten-free events I have attended.

I am very excited to be featured as one of their “bloggers for a day” and you can check out the Blogger a Day under the Celiac Central Bits and Bites page here: http://celiaccentral.wordpress.com/ (mine won’t be up until Saturday, but on Saturday, I will post the new link!)

You can check out more on NFCA’s Celiac Awareness Month by visiting their site: http://www.celiaccentral.org/awarenessmonth/

NFCA also sponsors a wonderful program called GREAT (Gluten-Free Resource Education and Awareness Training) Business Association, which helped put more gluten-free products in stores and online this past year. GREAT Business Association members agree to use good manufacturing practices to investigate ingredients, test products and label properly to keep gluten-free consumers safe and satisfied. This is something that is so important for businesses and restaurants to understand the needs of safe gluten-free food preparation.
Find more about GREAT here:
http://www.celiaccentral.org/Education/GREAT-Foodservice/GREAT-Business-Association/203/

Connect with NFCA here:
Their facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/NFCeliacAwareness
Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/celiacawareness
Website- http://www.celiaccentral.org/

-Sue

Kicking 4 Celiac Foundation Celebratory Dinner- June 20th!

The Kicking 4 Celiac Foundation and Churrasqueira Bairrada Restaurant would like to formally invite you to our celebratory dinner, officially announcing the formation of the Kicking 4 Celiac Foundation.

-Enjoy an evening of delicious Portuguese Wood Charcoal Barbeque food with your family and friends. Most meals here are naturally gluten-free!

-Dinner will include Appetizers, a main course of Rodizio, and sides that include rice, salad, beans, potatoes (cut fries or baked chips), and greens.

-Proceeds from the evening will benefit the Kicking 4 Celiac Foundation and its scholarship fund.

Monday, June 20, 2011 from 7pm-10pm
$40 per person (includes all mentioned above)

Churrasqueira Bairrada Restaurant
144 Jericho Turnpike
Mineola, NY 11501

Please RSVP to info@kicking4celiac.org by June 15, 2011, as seating is limited to this event.
Checks payable prior to the event or cash / checks day of the event.

Please make checks payable to: Kicking 4 Celiac Foundation
Kicking 4 Celiac Foundation is a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Ticket purchase minus $20 will be tax deductible.

Please contact info@kicking4celiac.org with any questions regarding this event.

Kicking 4 Celiac Board of Directors
Cori Bayardelle – Matthew Bizzaro – Harlan Friedman – Daniel Kohler –
Gary Leuis – Gabriel Marques - Sue Moller – Mikki Nigro – Alyssa Pinto –
Craig Pinto – Lindsey Schnitt – Jill Schnitt – Jaclyn Tane