SGFA Weekly Roundup!

Events, restaurants news, product finds, and resources!

Upcoming Events

SGFA May Meeting: Join us on Saturday, May 16, 2009, at 10 am - please note change in time - at the Westbrook Library. Linda Lawton, owner "Olivia's Garden", Master Gardener, will be giving a talk on "Getting started, What You Need to Know about Organic Gardening". And...Mary Lawrence, owner of "WellonWheels", Chef & Nutritionist will demonstrate "Cooking Organically for Healthier Living". RSVP via email - shoreglutenfree@sbcglobal.net. Hope you can join us!

SGFA on Channel 8: Tune in to Channel 8 on Sunday, May 31st at 7:40am to see some of Board members and members talking about Celiac Awareness Month and helping schools better support children who are gluten intolerant!

Restaurant Suggestions & News

• GF Pizza at Uno's Pizzeria! Can you believe it? I had to check out the menu to believe it -- hard to tell if it is available at every Uno's so I would suggest call ahead to the restaurant location you are interested in. If you have a chance to try it - let us know how it is!! (We've heard it's fantastic!!) Here is a coupon for $1 off! As an additional bonus as May is Celiac Awareness Month, print this coupon and 20% off your order will be donated to the American Celiac Disease Alliance - go and bring friends!

• Mangetout Organic Cafe on State Street in New London is suggested by one of our members. The owner and her son are usually there. It is open for breakfast and lunch only. The menu changes daily. Items on the menu can easily be adjusted to be GF (for example, a wrap with GF components can be changed into a salad version with no wrap). They are very accomodating for ALL allergies. Their food supply is very locally-based and have simple, organic ingredients. There is a Chocolate Peanut Butter Crisp Bar that is divine!!! They also do GF birthday cakes with buttercream frosting and flowers! Sybil also say, "The coffee is superb!"
• Hankering for a vegetarian gluten-free dinner? Check out Shoreline Diner in Guilford.
• Enjoy waterfront dining? Aqua in Clinton (34 Riverside Dr, Clinton, CT 06413) has excellent food, beautiful view from the outside terrace-- well-informed chef. Don't eat the french fries but just about everything else is available for the gf diner... call ahead, please.

Product Finds

• Liz Lovely Cookies: Sybil says they are divine and you can get a taste if you are able to attend the May SGFA meeting!!
  

• Kim, one of our members, reported, "I served Sherrie's Streusel Topped Blueberry pie hot with vanilla ice cream and everyone raved! Also made French toast from Le Garden Bakery's Challah Bread with raisins. Yum. Both from It's Only Natural, Middletown, pricey but worth it."
• Nature's Grocer in Vernon(http://www.naturesgrocer.com)is making brilliant GF everything bagels. They also have a huge selection- the store is about the size of FW but it's ALL gf!!! For lactose intolerant celiacs, they will soon be carrying a goat milk cream cheese guaranteed to taste like the real thing, goat milk ice cream, and they already carry lactose-free ice cream. Worth the drive!
• Aleai's will be coming out with a real gluten-free French bread on or about June 1st - watch for it in stores and restaurants...
• Betty Crocker will reveal GF brownie and cake mixes in stores on or about June 1st as well, if you don't see them, ASK. Watch out also for General Mills GF cereals at about the same time.
  
  

Resources

• GIG Resources: A great link to all of the informational publications from GIG, includes "Getting Started", "GF Diet", "Medical Awareness", and "Eating Out" - very helpful!
  
• Navigating Restaurants: - This link comes from William Beverly entitled "How to tell if a G-F menue is truly G-F" -- chock full of good questions for your favorite local restaurant manager. It is at: http://www.gluten-freesimplicity.com/?p=18
• The Impact of NonDiagnosis: Recently, a team of Mayo Clinic researchers conducted an assessment of the long-term outcome of undiagnosed celiac disease, and whether the prevalence of undiagnosed celiac disease has changed during the past 50 years. The research team found that data from the 45 year of follow-up of subjects showed that people with undiagnosed celiac disease have a 400% higher risk of death than seronegative subjects ("non-celiacs"). They also concluded that rates of undiagnosed celiac disease seem have increased dramatically in the United States over the last 50 years.Read more here.
• From Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University: A recently published set of recommendations of the National Commission on Digestive Diseases titled "Opportunities and Challenges in Digestive Diseases Research". This report reflects the scope and challenges provided by digestive diseases in the United States. It is encouraging to see celiac disease receive equal attention as other serious GI problems. Check it out!

As always, thank you for your submissions, suggestions, and research finds - continue to send them on - or post them as comments here! The information we are able to share is only as good as the information we are able to put our hands on - thank you for your help in making this blog a helpful resource to our members.

Off to track down some of that Uno's GF pizza.... :-)