Gluten-Free Tip: G-F BAKERIES!

For the past few years, a handful of gluten-free items have been available here and there at some US bakeries, but now dedicated Glee! bakeries are starting to pop up across the country! In St. Paul, MN, everyone knows about Cooqi www.cooqiglutenfree.com -- famous for their gluten-free cupcakes, brownies, donuts, breads, pizza, and much more. Their mission is "To spread health and joy, one delectable gluten-free bite at a time!" So spread the word....

Gluten-Free Tip: HOLIDAY FEASTS

Going to other people's homes during the holidays can be tricky for the gluten-free eater. On the one hand you don't want to make the host uncomfortable insisting on Glee! food, but on the other hand you want to enjoy a meal with all the other guests. We always tell the host how much we're looking forward to seeing everyone, then let them know we'll be bringing a couple of gluten-free dishes to share. This almost always prompts the host to ask what s/he can make. I inform them that anything freshly made (such as vegetables, mashed potatoes, plain meat) without wheat, barley or rye is fine...as long as we can just double-check the ingredients when we arrive. And our one request is that croutons and salad dressing are left off the salad and served on the side. Finally, we always insist that they not worry about dessert -- we either bring a g-f treat to share or skip it and just have decaf.

Gluten-Free Tip: HEALTH FOOD STORE Recommendations

When you visit another city, state, or country, always stop by a local health food store. The staff should be familiar with various nutritional needs (such as a gluten-free diet) and be able to recommend restaurants accordingly. For example, my daughter and I traveled to Ireland a couple summers ago and stayed in Galway. The local health food stores had tons of gluten-free suggestions regarding those restaurants, bakeries, and pubs familiar with g-f!

Gluten-Free Tip: The Best BAGELS

Our family has tried just about every gluten-free bagel out there and by far our favorite line is Against the Grain bagels (www.againstthegraingourmet.com) from Vermont. Even though our daughter is the only one with CD, all of us eat ATG bagels and breads. They taste a little like delicious popovers and have the calories to match so you can’t slather on too much butter!

Gluten-Free Tip: LIPSTICK

Did you know that lipsticks are one of the most common non-food gluten offenders? If you are following a strict gluten-free diet but still suffer gluten attacks, it could be your lipstick or the lipstick of the person you're kissing!