Friday, July 24, 2009

July SGFA Round-Up

Happy Summer!

Restaurant Updates
  • Grand Apizza Shoreline: Located at 9 East Main Street in Clinton, Grand Apizza is now offering Still Riding GF pizza and GF beer. Call 860-669-1204 for more information - Thanks to Sue for passing this on!
  • Wendy's Update and Report: One of our members recently went to Wendy's and had this story to share: "We ordered fries. At the bottom of my fries was a breaded chicken piece. So much for gluten free! Eric went to the Wendy's website to send off an e-mail to Customer Service. That's when we found out about their fries and their new disclaimer as of June, 2009." You can view the new GF list for Wendy's here. Thanks to Eric and Claudia for letting us know!
  • PF Changs Bistro: Have you checked this out yet? I had a great GF meal at the PF Changs in Stamford on our way to New Jersey this past week. The menu is full of tasty options! I had the lettuce wraps (messy but tasty), the fried rice (good, needed a little more GF soy sauce (which they gave me!!)), and the spicy chicken (which was the closest thing the General Tsao's chicken that I have had in years!).... overall, a great GF experience! If you've tried it out, let us know how it was for you!
  • Are you traveling to Boston? Check out Nebo and report back! The owners wrote to Sybil and I and shared their story: "Nebo is a traditional Italian restaurant offering dishes based on recipes that were passed down from our mother and grandmother. After being open for about a year, two of our closest friends were told they had Celiac disease. We then realized just how many people this disease has affected and the need for an alternative for their dining restrictions. Determined to serve our friends their favorites, we set upon making our menu available in a gluten free form. We are thrilled to say that we have now produced 90% of our menu with the same great taste as our regular menu. We don't think there has been an accomplishment that has brought us more pleasure." They offer GF pasta and pizza....but we haven't tried it yet! Have you?
Product Updates and News

  • Grandma's Goodies: These tasty delights are now available at Foodworks in Old Saybrook. From italian bread to banana bread to muffins to cookie, it all looks good! (The banana bread is fantastic!) One member shared, "It is the first Gluten Free product a non-GF person could like. I was really impressed." Check it out!
  • Missing Oreos?: According to Beth Hilson, these are the closest product to actually Oreos - I haven't tried them yet! Have you? Let us know how they are...
  • It's Summer...nothing like a cold beer!: Lea passed on this article on GF beers...CHEERS!
  • Betty Crocker GF Baking Mixes: Now available on Amazon!
New & Interesting Information
  • ABC News Story on Celiac: Passed on by one of our members, the article talks about one woman's struggle with Celiac. It also includes a good string of articles and a great new magazine (Delight Magazine) referenced within the article which has a nice website! Looks interesting...
  • Tax Deduction for Gluten-Free Foods as a Medical Expense: This is from one of our members, Laura, thanks for letting us know! You may deduct the cost of gluten-free products that are in excess of the cost of the gluten containing product that you are replacing. Special items are completely tax deductible. An example would be xantham gum, a product used in gluten free baking recipes. Xanthum gum is completely different than any ingredient used in an ordinary recipe. And as we all know, xanthum gum ain’t cheap! If you make a special trip to a specialty store to purchase gluten free foods, the actual cost of the trip to and from the store is deductible. If you are using your vehicle for the trip, you may deduct a certain amount per mile each way you travel. To find out the most up to date rates for mileage deductions, visit The Celiac Disease Foundation. Their resource page on tax deductions outlines very clearly the process you need to follow if you plan to claim deductions as a medical expensive. They even provide a spreadsheet template to get you started with recording your expenses.
  • Celiac on NPR: NPR has done a nice article on celiac, complete with recipes.
  • From the Celiac Disease Center: The Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University hosted a Thought Leader’s Program in June which included the following presentations:
    Introduction to the Center and recent new information on celiac disease, Evaluation of poorly responsive patients, Why see an expert nutritionist for evaluation of celiac disease, and Nutrient and vitamin replacement. These presentations are available on You Tube and can be accessed at http://www.youtube.com/CeliacDiseaseCenter. Enjoy!
Make Your Voice Heard!
  • Orange Valencia Cake at Starbucks: Sadly, Starbucks has decided to discontinue its GF Orange Valencia Cake. It really was quite a tasty treat! If you are as bugged as I am, sign this petition and make your voice heard! [Here is a little more background on what they have replaced it with...]
As always, thank you for your submissions and links! Enjoy the sunshine!

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