Gluten Free Samples At Holly’s Sweets and Eats!

I met my sister in town this morning and we treated ourselves to tea at Holly’s Sweets and Eats.

Today we had the Caramel Apple squares and I have to tell you, they were incredibly good.  We also sampled the fresh GF bread that was being made – soft and airy with a lovely flavour.

I must admit, though, that the best thing was the lemon square we sampled.  It tasted like my grandma’s lemon pie!!  I think that will be my new favourite thing from Holly’s (until I try another of their scrumptious creations)

You might remember, I purchased our chocolate cake for girls day out from Holly’s as well.  (There is an addiction!)

Holly’s is having a GF sample day on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving!

I am hoping to be there – hope to see you there as well

Here is where you can find Holly’s Sweets and Eats:

12 Commerce Park Drive,
Unit L, Barrie, Ontario

Phone: 705.735.3366
Fax:  705.735.6509

info@hollyssweetsandeats.com

Convenient Hours of Operation
Mon to Thurs: 8am to 6pm
Friday:             8am to 8pm
Saturday:        8am to 4pm

Mucho Burrito – Has Gluten Free Menu Items!

50 Mapleview Drive West  Barrie, ON L4N6L4
(705) 739-6824

Or go to Mucho Burrito

My sister and I went to Mucho Burrito on Mapleview in Barrie for lunch today.  There are several items on the menu that are gluten free.

They offer corn tacos (hard shell as well as soft shell). In addition to that they also offer open burrito bowls and salad bowls
(traditionally served in a baked tortilla bowl), but for their gluten-free menu they prepare the same items (Open Burrito Bowls & Salads) in plastic containers.
In the meat options they offer chicken, steak and Chorizo sausage.

My sister and I shared a burrito bowl, a salad bowl and a chicken taco.  Large portions, with fresh ingredients, at a great price.  I will be back! (Maybe I’ll see you there)

The restaurant is very clean, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable and the atmosphere was very Mexican.

Special thanks goes out to Andy and Priya Gogia for hosting our lunch today.  They are a lovely couple.

 You can find the Allergen chart here

When you visit, be sure to tell the staff that you are gluten free.  Visit soon and tell them Aunt Jayne sent you!

 

Girl’s Day Out! A Gluten Free Success

Girl’s Day Out – April 2012

Sometimes it just seems necessary to get together with a bunch of other women and have a good time.

Yesterday, my girls and I got together.

We met at my mom’s place and from there we went to Pizza Dee’s in Wasaga Beach, Ontario.

My mom and her friend go there quite often and she suggested that would be a good place to have our girl’s day out lunch because they offer a gluten free menu.

Mom was right!

Pizza Dee’s employs the cutest little waitress and I am kicking myself for not getting her name.  This girl went out of her way to make sure we had a great time.

The food was great and there was lots of it.  Price? Absolutely affordable.

My gluten free pizza was yummy. (I am having the left-overs tonight for dinner at work)

The other girls all had the pizza/salad deal and lunch was enjoyed by all.

Our Dessert was a wonderful gluten free chocolate layer cake that I purchased from Holly’s Sweets & Eats on Commerce Drive in Barrie.

 

 

 

 

I can’t get over how absolutely gorgeous the cake was and like all of the other treats I have tried from Holly’s, it was incredibly good.

I think this day did us all a world of good and we will be doing another soon.

Thanks for listening,

Aunt Jayne

The Gluten Free Stir

There has been quite a stir in the gluten free community. Although the focus seems to be on Damian Cardone of Colorado, there have been many other less venomous attacks on those of us who ask for gluten free.
I just finished reading a great post in the Savvy Celiac and my friend Amy brings out some very good points. Click here.

I don’t understand why anyone would purposely make another sick. I certainly don’t understand the animosity toward those of us who have Celiac disease!
Correct me if I am wrong, but in Canada and the USA, restaurant owners can pretty much put anything they want on their menu – and omit what they don’t want to serve.
Why is it then, that there are people in the food industry who choose to include gluten free items, would then feel the need to contaminate the food?
There is a new group on Facebook called Gluten. The tag line says “We love gluten and hate people who can’t eat it” WTH!!!???
So this is another good reason to do everything we can to raise awareness and make people understand our disease. Perhaps, once they realize that this is not a lifesyle choice but a very real disease with nasty consiquences, they will stop hating us.
The other side of this story is that there are a huge number of wonderful restaurants out there that serve SAFE gluten free menu items.
I don’t want all of this hype about the ones to ruin things for the good ones. I also want us all to feel safe eating in restaurants.
One lady commented on Gluten Free Faces that she always asks to see the kitchen when she dines out. Not a bad idea! After all, if they don’t want to show you, what are they hiding? (You probably don’t want to eat there anyway)
I don’t dine out very often, but I can assure you that people like Mr. Cardone are not going to scare me away from my favourite haunts.
Here is your assignment (Should you choose to accept it):
Do at least one thing to help raise awareness about Celiac disease/gluten intolerance. Write a letter, post a blog, make a comment on facebook or twitter – you get the idea.

2010 in review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

About 3 million people visit the Taj Mahal every year. This blog was viewed about 33,000 times in 2010. If it were the Taj Mahal, it would take about 4 days for that many people to see it.

In 2010, there were 280 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 553 posts. There were 169 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 93mb. That’s about 3 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was November 28th with 280 views. The most popular post that day was Celiac and Loved Ones.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were cookeatshare.com, glutenfreefaces.com, facebook.com, twitter.com, and weglutenfree.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for flourless pie crust, gluten free baking powder biscuits, gluten free perogies, gluten free scalloped potatoes, and gluten free phyllo dough.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Celiac and Loved Ones November 2010
1 comment

2

My Story in a Nutshell March 2009
48 comments

3

Gluten Free Perogies May 2009
8 comments

4

Gluten Free Phyllo Dough March 2010
2 comments

5

Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes May 2009
2 comments

Restaurant Review – Gabby’s in Newmarket

I went to Gabby’s restaurant for lunch yesterday. I have been wanting to go for quite some time and I must tell you that it was well worth the wait.

The restaurant is clean and cozy. There is music but it is not so loud that you can’t converse. The staff was friendly, efficient and knew all about Celiac disease and which foods are safe and which are made exclusively gluten free.

They even have a gluten free take-out menu!

I had chicken fajitas. The cold ingredients and the container with the corn tortillas came out first, followed by the chicken, onion, and red and green peppers on a sizzling pan. They were cooked to perfection.

I ate about half and was full. The waitress brought me containers to take my leftovers home and guess what I had for dinner!

My boyfriend had the Bison burger and onion rings (off the regular menu) and was well satisfied (he is a big eater)

The coffee was hot and delicious and refills came without asking.

All in all a very pleasant experience.

Want to know what else they have to offer? It is a large menu for both gluten free and regular dining.

Go to 16925 Yonge St. North of Mulock in Newmarket, Ontario or call them at (905) 967-1007

You can also visit them on line at www.gabbysnewmarket.com

I am going again; maybe I will see you there!

Conscious Cuisine Bistro & Catering

About Conscious Cuisine Bistro & Catering:

At Conscious Cuisine Bistro & Catering, you will be welcomed into a warm, comfortable, clean and inviting atmosphere where you can eat in, or drop by and take your order out.

Each day Chef Paula Drew who has appeared on the show “I Do, Let’s Eat!” on The Food Network prepares a selection of fresh daily whole foods and seasonal dishes.

Paula’s dishes are prepared in-house each day using fresh seasonal ingredients that she purchases from our local farmers.

The Bistro features hot and cold options for breakfast, lunch and dinner that range from entrees, soups, salads, wraps and sandwiches, to delicious desserts. From the usual to something diverse, the menu options are always made YOUR way and based on YOUR CHOICE.

We proudly cater to special diets and offer daily gluten free and low carbohydrate choices. We also always have an under 400-calorie option for our customers that count calories, and for our customers that track “points”, we’re able to tell you exactly how many points each of our fresh daily menu choices have.

At CC Bistro, our goal is to consistently provide and be your alternative to unhealthy and over processed food.

All CC Bistro’s menu items are always additive and preservative free.

Hours of Operation:

Monday – closed

Tues – Thurs: – 11:00 am – 7:00 pm

Fri: -11:00 am – 9:00 pm

Sat: -9:00 am – 9:00 pm

Sun: -9:00 am – 2:00 pm

CC Bistro & Catering is located at 610 Huronia Road , Unit 9, Barrie L4N OW5.

For inquires, take out, or catering services call Paula at 705.733.3373 or send an email to info@ccbistroyourchoice.ca.

Visit CC Bistro online at www.CCBistroYourChoice.ca

Triumph Dining – Gluten Free Made Easier

www.triumphdining.com

Life doesn’t stop because you’re gluten free.

Gluten sensitivity and Celiac Disease can make buying groceries and eating in restaurants stressful, anxiety-provoking, and overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. It’s up to us to fight back. We can do this together!

Dining Cards »
Order gluten free in any restaurant Restaurant Guide »
Find gluten free restaurants across the U.S. Grocery Guide »
Find gluten free foods in any store nationwide

Since 2005, Triumph Dining has helped over 40,000 people with Celiac Disease and gluten sensitivity enjoy delicious gluten free foods. Whether you’re staying local or traveling, our guides and cards will help you eat at home, go out, or do both!

PRESS RELEASE Mandy’s Pizza Offers ONLY Allergen-Free Pizza!

Mandy’s Pizza Now Offers the Areas ONLY Allergen-Free Pizza

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Pittsburgh – May 06, 2010: Mandy’s Pizza, with locations in both the Northside and West View, is excited to announce that they now manufacture and sell the areas ONLY allergen-free pizza…not just the crust, the whole pizza.

While enjoying great success with their gluten-free pizza crust, Mandy’s Pizza has taken careful time in researching and testing all of the cheese alternative so that they could truly say that they offer the areas ONLY allergen-free pizza.

“Though the request for a cheese alternative has not been overwhelming, we had a goal and it was simply to allow everyone to enjoy pizza again”, states Steven Negri, President of the Mandy’s Pizza Group.  “We simply knew the only way to allow everyone to enjoy pizza was to test all possible cheese replacement options out there, and with the help of Amy Soergel of Soergel Orchards/Gluten-Free store, we have found a solution.”

As there are so many alternative cheese options, there are far more preferences on taste.  Moreover, larger problem was to find a product that was not soy based, which also is a major food allergen.  Mandy’s tested countless options and over and over the same problems presented themselves – horrible taste and an unappealing texture.  The product that Mandy’s was presented and is now offering to their customers as an alternative to 100% dairy cheese is free of soy, casein, lactose, gluten, egg, wheat, barley, whey, rice, and nuts.  Though it seems too good to be true, even Mandy’s own employees asked for more!  This product is creamy, full of taste and is the closest solution to dairy.

“When I told my husband that he needed to move forward on making his great allergen-free crust available at his pizzeria, he thought I was nuts and never believed that it would be as successful as it is now.  We are even more excited now that no matter what your allergy, you CAN eat pizza”, states Veronica Negri.  If you are allergic to dairy, but not tomatoes they do keep a version of our homemade sauce free of any cheese.  For those customers who are allergic to tomatoes, you can choose a garlic infused olive oil base that only enhances the taste of the allergen-free crust.

Mandy’s Pizza makes sure to make these pizzas for our allergy customers with tools and stones that are washed, sanitized and stored in a sealed container in an effort to prevent cross-contamination.

Mandy’s Pizza recommends that anyone interested in learning more about the pizzas to email us from the Contact Us link located at mandyspizza.com.

Keeping up with tradition by only serving “fresh-dough” pizza in sizes from 10” to their famous 30” Monster topped with the finest cheese and meats, they also offer a full-line of over-stuffed hot hoagies, signature flatbread sandwiches, and the largest wings in town.  Now to top it off, Mandy’s is now the only pizzeria in the Pittsburgh area that can offer people who suffer from food allergies AND Celiac Disease the ability to enjoy pizza delivered hot to their door, or to a table in our dining room.  Mandy’s also invites people who suffer from Gluten Intolerance or Food Allergies to bring in their families so that they can ALL enjoy great food together.

Founded in 1979 and Mandy’s Pizza was an innovator in the Pittsburgh area by being one of the first to offer home-delivery.  They have also won award for being Best Pizza in the North, and well as a top-ranking at the annual Pizza Pizzazz Competition sponsored by NAPICS, the North American Pizza and Ice Cream Expo, located in Columbus, Ohio.

NOTE:  The Gluten-Free/Allergen-Free products are ONLY offered at the Westview location.

Contact: Steven Negri Mandy’s Pizza & More of West View 512, Perry Hwy. / Pgh. PA  15229 (c) 412.670.1327 Order line:  412.931.1120

Mandy’s Pizza & More of Perrysville 3906 Perrysville Ave / Pgh. PA  15214 (c) 412.670.1327 Order line:  412.322.1102

How To Find Gluten Free Restaurants

We became aware of the problems Celiacs face when our daughter was diagnosed with Celiac disease.  As if it isn’t bad enough to have to deal with the problem at home, the much larger problem of eating when you are away from home, is somewhat daunting.

We decided to do something about it.  We have developed a guide so people can find restaurants that can serve them gluten free food wherever they may be.

It’s available free for everyone’s use, have a look! http://www.celiacrestaurantguide.com/

Aunt Jayne thinks this site is BRILLIANT!!