If you are interested in a CSA and would like to sample a share you can pick up an extra share for $20 until 4pm today. Madison Meadowlark CSA works with a Hutterite Colony and they have a spectacular share this week and are selling pallets (have to take the whole thing) along with honey, eggs, chickens, etc.
This weeks pallet has:
Head Lettuce
Leaf Lettuce
Onions
Carrots
Red Potatoes
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Peas
If you want to give it a try you can find them at Right Now Technologies at 136 Enterprise Blvd in Bozeman. You will see the white truck with a blue canopy just south of the first building.
Showing posts with label Misc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Misc. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Billings GF News
I have a couple new things for the Billings area including another gluten free pizza option. We'll start there since it involves a common love, pizza!
Strawhat Pizza in Billings offers a gluten free crust. I don't have any details on their practices to avoid cross contamination so be sure to check with them if you try their pizza. They are located at 1005 Shiloh Crossing Blvd and can be reached at 406-652-9800.
If you are in Billings, or can be in Billings, on July 16th Dr. Alessio Fasano will be presenting a talk on Celiac Disease. He is the Director of Celiac Research with the University of Maryland. The talk will be from 11:30-2:00 at the Billings Clinic Hospital in the Mary Alice Fortin Conference Center. I have a birthday party for my girl at that time so I won't be able to make it, wish I could!
Strawhat Pizza in Billings offers a gluten free crust. I don't have any details on their practices to avoid cross contamination so be sure to check with them if you try their pizza. They are located at 1005 Shiloh Crossing Blvd and can be reached at 406-652-9800.
If you are in Billings, or can be in Billings, on July 16th Dr. Alessio Fasano will be presenting a talk on Celiac Disease. He is the Director of Celiac Research with the University of Maryland. The talk will be from 11:30-2:00 at the Billings Clinic Hospital in the Mary Alice Fortin Conference Center. I have a birthday party for my girl at that time so I won't be able to make it, wish I could!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Community Supported Agriculture - Naturally Gluten Free!
With spring promising to be close, at least within the next three months, I am starting to dream about my vegetable garden and my CSA. This will be the third year that I'll be a part of the Madison Meadowlark CSA and I always look forward to the weekly pickup. It's like a present that you sort of know what you'll get but there's always a surprise. For instance the kohlrabi that really threw me for a loop. It pushes me to try new food, new recipes, and to use up (or can/freeze) the fresh produce before it goes bad. This was a struggle for me the first year but it's a healthy change and I did much better last year.
Not only is the fresh produce fantastic but I really enjoy supporting local business. If you are interested in finding out more about CSA's and what is available in your area check out LocalHarvest. You'll see we have a few options for CSA's in the Bozeman area including a yarn CSA. They also list farms that you can purchase local meat through. Some require a 1/4 or 1/2 minimum purchase of the beef, buffalo, or pork and some will sell individual cuts.
I'm now going to keep dreaming about fresh local produce, warm weather, and how I want to lay out my garden this year. Anyone else starting some seeds soon?
Not only is the fresh produce fantastic but I really enjoy supporting local business. If you are interested in finding out more about CSA's and what is available in your area check out LocalHarvest. You'll see we have a few options for CSA's in the Bozeman area including a yarn CSA. They also list farms that you can purchase local meat through. Some require a 1/4 or 1/2 minimum purchase of the beef, buffalo, or pork and some will sell individual cuts.
I'm now going to keep dreaming about fresh local produce, warm weather, and how I want to lay out my garden this year. Anyone else starting some seeds soon?
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Green teeth, a good thing?
This is something I was mortified about initially but I'm going to share it because I think it's a good thing in the long run. How the heck can green teeth be a good thing?
A few weeks ago I was brushing my boy's teeth and I noticed green along the base of his bottom teeth. I panicked and brushed that poor kids teeth like mad, he even asked me if his teeth were alright. We did everything we could for a week to try to get rid of the green to no avail. I had to call the dentist to admit my poor parenting because my son had green teeth. I was so ashamed.
The dentist checked his teeth and gave us the good news that it was only a surface stain and since it's green he believed it was a sign of excess iron. The excess comes out in saliva and can stain the teeth green, the Sonicare toothbrush we bought for him took care of the stain and his teeth look normal again.
I know you're wondering what this has to do with a gluten free blog so I'll back track 3 years. When my boy was 1 they tested his blood to check his iron levels and they were low. We had him on the liquid iron drops for awhile and then moved him to Flintstone's vitamins when he was older because they had iron in them. With the green teeth it's clear he doesn't need the extra iron anymore and I believe this means he is finally fully healed from the damage gluten caused to his body. It only took 18 months of a gluten free diet for him to get there but it's great news to know he's healed.
This then posed a new issue for me to find vitamins he could have. Be warned that Costco brand children's vitamins contain milk and wheat. It's in small print and I almost missed it. The Lil Critter's vitamins are GF and DF so those are a safe option and you can get them at Costco.
A few weeks ago I was brushing my boy's teeth and I noticed green along the base of his bottom teeth. I panicked and brushed that poor kids teeth like mad, he even asked me if his teeth were alright. We did everything we could for a week to try to get rid of the green to no avail. I had to call the dentist to admit my poor parenting because my son had green teeth. I was so ashamed.
The dentist checked his teeth and gave us the good news that it was only a surface stain and since it's green he believed it was a sign of excess iron. The excess comes out in saliva and can stain the teeth green, the Sonicare toothbrush we bought for him took care of the stain and his teeth look normal again.
I know you're wondering what this has to do with a gluten free blog so I'll back track 3 years. When my boy was 1 they tested his blood to check his iron levels and they were low. We had him on the liquid iron drops for awhile and then moved him to Flintstone's vitamins when he was older because they had iron in them. With the green teeth it's clear he doesn't need the extra iron anymore and I believe this means he is finally fully healed from the damage gluten caused to his body. It only took 18 months of a gluten free diet for him to get there but it's great news to know he's healed.
This then posed a new issue for me to find vitamins he could have. Be warned that Costco brand children's vitamins contain milk and wheat. It's in small print and I almost missed it. The Lil Critter's vitamins are GF and DF so those are a safe option and you can get them at Costco.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Misc Updates
Sorry I haven't posted anything new for awhile. Work has been crazy and my free time has been filled but hopefully things will slow down next week and I can start posting again. In the mean time I do want to post a few new things I've seen around the area.
Town & Country now has Bard's GF beer. I love this store but never make it there. I need to do a more thorough walk through to see what GF options they have because I know they are scattered throughout.
On The Rise Bakery is working on offering gluten free bread and muffins. I'll keep you posted as I hear more on this.
The Farmer's Market in Bozeman on Saturday's has GF goodies. I can't for the life of me remember the name but a woman makes GF oatmeal cookies (certified GF oats), peanut butter, and chocolate chip cookies. The kids loved them but Hubby can't have them because they are not dairy free.
Starky's offers GF options and here the information I received when I e-mailed them. They have a house made GF bread that is available for any sandwich options. It is brown rice and garbanzo flour based. They always carry it and it is available by the loaf with a day's notice. They also carry chocolate macaroons and lemon bars along with a GF dessert every night. For brunch on Sunday's (10-3) they feature a special brunch menu whose French Toast can easily be converted to GF if requested.
They do a lot of standard baking and said there is a risk of cross-contamination however their bakers are well versed in the avoidance of CC and the dangers of gluten allergies. Items are not labelled GF because they want to avoid the unfortunate backlash that sometimes occurs when an individual reads anything healthy as bad tasting, but their staff is fairly well educated on the subject and good enough to ask a manager or baker when they are unsure of an items GF status. They also do not have a separate grill for GF preparation however if you request when ordering they will prepare a meal separate from the other gluten products.
That's it for now, let me know if you try Starky's and how it goes.
Town & Country now has Bard's GF beer. I love this store but never make it there. I need to do a more thorough walk through to see what GF options they have because I know they are scattered throughout.
On The Rise Bakery is working on offering gluten free bread and muffins. I'll keep you posted as I hear more on this.
The Farmer's Market in Bozeman on Saturday's has GF goodies. I can't for the life of me remember the name but a woman makes GF oatmeal cookies (certified GF oats), peanut butter, and chocolate chip cookies. The kids loved them but Hubby can't have them because they are not dairy free.
Starky's offers GF options and here the information I received when I e-mailed them. They have a house made GF bread that is available for any sandwich options. It is brown rice and garbanzo flour based. They always carry it and it is available by the loaf with a day's notice. They also carry chocolate macaroons and lemon bars along with a GF dessert every night. For brunch on Sunday's (10-3) they feature a special brunch menu whose French Toast can easily be converted to GF if requested.
They do a lot of standard baking and said there is a risk of cross-contamination however their bakers are well versed in the avoidance of CC and the dangers of gluten allergies. Items are not labelled GF because they want to avoid the unfortunate backlash that sometimes occurs when an individual reads anything healthy as bad tasting, but their staff is fairly well educated on the subject and good enough to ask a manager or baker when they are unsure of an items GF status. They also do not have a separate grill for GF preparation however if you request when ordering they will prepare a meal separate from the other gluten products.
That's it for now, let me know if you try Starky's and how it goes.
Monday, July 19, 2010
More Gluten Free Play-Dough Alternatives
I have recently seen a couple more options for gluten free play-dough alternatives and wanted to spread the word. I know we can make our own but it's so much easier to buy it. ;)
Soy-Yer Dough is a scented play dough that is free of egg, gluten, peanut & tree nuts, borax, latex, dairy, and kerosene. The original dough does contain soybean but you can choose a soy-free version of the dough during checkout. All of the dough does contain rice. It looks fantastic so I ordered some and it is shipping today. Is it possible I'm more excited than the kids?
Moon Dough is a hypo-allergenic, gluten free/wheat free molding dough. It never dries out and claims to be very easy to clean up. Basically you can use a big piece of the moon dough to dab up any dough on the counters and the carpet. I did order some of this also, my boy was beyond excited when he saw the commercial and I said it was gluten free, so I'll post a report of what I think once we get it.
Soy-Yer Dough is a scented play dough that is free of egg, gluten, peanut & tree nuts, borax, latex, dairy, and kerosene. The original dough does contain soybean but you can choose a soy-free version of the dough during checkout. All of the dough does contain rice. It looks fantastic so I ordered some and it is shipping today. Is it possible I'm more excited than the kids?
Moon Dough is a hypo-allergenic, gluten free/wheat free molding dough. It never dries out and claims to be very easy to clean up. Basically you can use a big piece of the moon dough to dab up any dough on the counters and the carpet. I did order some of this also, my boy was beyond excited when he saw the commercial and I said it was gluten free, so I'll post a report of what I think once we get it.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Gluten Frustration
Hubby had a saliva test done to see if he has any issues with soy, egg, dairy, or gliadin. It didn't click in my head that gliadin was gluten antibodies because I was so worried I'd have to cut out eggs or dairy, like it's the end of the world or something. He got his test results back and he has a small reaction to dairy that shouldn't cause us too many problems, I want him to eliminate it from his diet for a couple weeks and then we can bring it back to see how much he can handle. But the result that made me feel like an utter failure and just punched me in the gut was his high SIgA level (anti-gliadin antibodies) stating he is reacting to gluten. We of course knew he had issues with gluten but these levels are saying he is getting gluten in his diet, I think. So where and how?
Our house is 100% gluten free and I felt like I had this under control, until now. I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out where he's getting it and purchased some EZ Gluten kits to test some questionable items in our house. My main worry is projected at the Trix Swirls and my boy is not happy about this stating that he's been fine when he eats them. I also want to test the items that are GF but made in a facility that also processes wheat, it may be a small amount but enough to affect Hubby. These tests aren't cheap and since I thought the shipping was expensive (especially when topped with a handling fee) I wasn't willing to pay for quick shipping so it will be about a week before we get them.
I did a little bit of searching online and found a forum where people that were GF stated they had been GF for 10+ months and still showed high levels of IgA. Hubby did eat gluten for his blood test the end of last summer so that put me on another internet search. I looked up more info and found this chart showing the correlation of a GF diet and Anti-gliadin antibody (AGA) levels. The longer an individual was on a GF diet the lower the AGA levels went. So it could take months to years for these levels to drop even with a GF diet. I could be way off base on this but I'm hoping his levels just haven't had enough time to drop but will over time. This would be a relief because then I can feel confident that our house is GF.
Anyone have experience with this?
Our house is 100% gluten free and I felt like I had this under control, until now. I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out where he's getting it and purchased some EZ Gluten kits to test some questionable items in our house. My main worry is projected at the Trix Swirls and my boy is not happy about this stating that he's been fine when he eats them. I also want to test the items that are GF but made in a facility that also processes wheat, it may be a small amount but enough to affect Hubby. These tests aren't cheap and since I thought the shipping was expensive (especially when topped with a handling fee) I wasn't willing to pay for quick shipping so it will be about a week before we get them.
I did a little bit of searching online and found a forum where people that were GF stated they had been GF for 10+ months and still showed high levels of IgA. Hubby did eat gluten for his blood test the end of last summer so that put me on another internet search. I looked up more info and found this chart showing the correlation of a GF diet and Anti-gliadin antibody (AGA) levels. The longer an individual was on a GF diet the lower the AGA levels went. So it could take months to years for these levels to drop even with a GF diet. I could be way off base on this but I'm hoping his levels just haven't had enough time to drop but will over time. This would be a relief because then I can feel confident that our house is GF.
Anyone have experience with this?
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Gluten Fun
The past few days have been filled with gluten, purposefully and not. My boy was accidentally glutened at a friend’s house after she tried so hard to have safe options for him. She had bought him Barbara’s wheat free Snackimals thinking they were safe because they said wheat free not realizing that they are not gluten free. This just brings up an annoyance I have when things are wheat free but not gluten free, the confusion is frustrating! My boy didn’t have the effects until the next afternoon when his tummy was hurting him and he spent some time on the toilet. I don’t know if giving him Pepto helps or not but I always do, it may just be a placebo effect because he thinks it makes him better.
Hubby went to an allergist yesterday and has decided to do the gluten challenge so he can be tested for Celiac disease. We had to actually brain storm to figure how he could get gluten into his system, how sad is that? He has his own cereal, bread, cookies, crackers, and beer. He’s excited to have things that he hasn’t been able to enjoy but he claims no matter what the results are he’s going to stick with a GF diet. His plan is to eat gluten for 4-6 weeks and then take the test. If he keeps ingesting as much as he did yesterday I think 4 weeks will be plenty. He had a hard time finding cookies and crackers that didn’t have HFCS in them so he still had to read labels, hehe!
I have a work conference this week and I’ve stated I need GF meals so we’ll see how it goes. I am bringing snacks just in case but I’m hopeful I won’t need them. We are then heading to Missoula for the weekend and I’ve found a gluten free pizza place in town. Biga Pizza has a rice crust that is gluten free. They cook it on an oiled pizza pan so it doesn’t come into contact with the deck and it is also sliced with a different pizza wheel. I hope to give them a try and was told to call ahead and reserve one in advance as they tend to sell out quickly. They also have salads just say no toast points or that you have a gluten allergy.
Hubby went to an allergist yesterday and has decided to do the gluten challenge so he can be tested for Celiac disease. We had to actually brain storm to figure how he could get gluten into his system, how sad is that? He has his own cereal, bread, cookies, crackers, and beer. He’s excited to have things that he hasn’t been able to enjoy but he claims no matter what the results are he’s going to stick with a GF diet. His plan is to eat gluten for 4-6 weeks and then take the test. If he keeps ingesting as much as he did yesterday I think 4 weeks will be plenty. He had a hard time finding cookies and crackers that didn’t have HFCS in them so he still had to read labels, hehe!
I have a work conference this week and I’ve stated I need GF meals so we’ll see how it goes. I am bringing snacks just in case but I’m hopeful I won’t need them. We are then heading to Missoula for the weekend and I’ve found a gluten free pizza place in town. Biga Pizza has a rice crust that is gluten free. They cook it on an oiled pizza pan so it doesn’t come into contact with the deck and it is also sliced with a different pizza wheel. I hope to give them a try and was told to call ahead and reserve one in advance as they tend to sell out quickly. They also have salads just say no toast points or that you have a gluten allergy.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Gluten Free Betty Crocker Mixes
They're here! I ran to Albertsons during my lunch break, I get a little excited for new GF treats if you can't tell, and happily found all four mixes. They are located below the candles. I grabbed all but the yellow cake mix, I'm more of a chocolate girl. I plan to use the chocolate cake mix to make my boys birthday cake next weekend, I'll review it at that time. The cost was $4.29 a box.
They only have the Rice and Corn Chex GF, I'm optimistic we'll see the rest of them soon.
They only have the Rice and Corn Chex GF, I'm optimistic we'll see the rest of them soon.
GF Chex & Betty Crocker mixes in Billings
I just wanted to share some exciting news for people in Billings. Albertsons has the gluten free Chex cereals and Betty Crocker mixes now available, thanks Stacey for sharing this information! I am going to stop by Albertsons here to see if they are on the shelves yet and I will share my findings.
I have some baking planned for the weekend with some new things I haven't tried yet so I will update next week with my recipes or fails if that's what happens. We have a picnic tomorrow evening so I am going to try a new white bread recipe. My mom made it yesterday and she said it's my dad's favorite so far, that sounds promising. For Father's Day I'm making rhubarb cinnamon rolls and a rhubarb strawberry pie for the hubby. I'll also post our Parmesan Steak recipe, it's delicious.
I have some baking planned for the weekend with some new things I haven't tried yet so I will update next week with my recipes or fails if that's what happens. We have a picnic tomorrow evening so I am going to try a new white bread recipe. My mom made it yesterday and she said it's my dad's favorite so far, that sounds promising. For Father's Day I'm making rhubarb cinnamon rolls and a rhubarb strawberry pie for the hubby. I'll also post our Parmesan Steak recipe, it's delicious.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The Beginning
I am Cindy and live gluten free in Montana. My family has a history of Celiac Disease so I enjoyed fresh gluten filled bread as much as possible while I could, knowing that there was always a chance I would need to follow a GF diet. I still miss rolls from places like Golden Corral and Lambert's Cafe in Missouri (they aren't called The Home of the Throwed Rolls for nothing) but I'll eventually get over it. My husband has gluten intolerance on his side of the family which we found out at Thanksgiving and after talking about common symptoms he said he may be having issues with gluten himself. We moved to a gluten free diet January 1st and have also cut out MSG, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Nitrates, and Nitrites. Four full grocery bags later my pantry was officially free of gluten, MSG, and HFCS. Both of us have seen improvements in our health since going GF. I am now growing fingernails and that hasn't happened, other than during pregnancy, since High School and my heals which have always been cracked (and I mean disgustingly cracked) are becoming smoother. My husband's skin has cleared up on his arms and he can now breath through both nostrils at the same time. Who knew gluten could cause that? I won't go into details on the improvements with our bowels but I will say that we are both more regular and I no longer feel bloated by 11:00 am every day.
This brings me to my children. I have a 2.5 year old son (B) and a 9 month old daughter (L). Last summer B started having bowel movements that were very sandy. We honestly thought he was eating sand and kept telling him to stop. Summer passed and the sandy bowel movements stuck around so we knew at this point he was not eating sand. It just didn't sit right with me so I did a search for sandy poops and found a post at celiac dot com discussing this being a symptom for little ones with gluten issues. B started his GF diet mid March and even though we still see a sandy BM now and then they are mostly gone. The little bumps on his arms and back have also cleared up to the point where his back is smooth and his arms are almost completely smooth.
I have found a lot of great information and recipes from other GF bloggers and it has prompted me to start my own blog. My main reason is to share gluten free information in Montana with other Montanans and people visiting the area. I'm frustrated with the lack of resources regarding GF restaurants when I know for a fact that there are several. Why on earth is it so hard to find GF options in Montana online? I will also do GF product reviews and share recipes that are worthy of being shared. Things like the ugliest chocolate chip cookies and my brick loaf of bread will be talked about for everyone's amusement but I won't share the recipes. It is afterall essential to have some humor in your life when GF baking is involved. Too bad I don't still have those pictures around.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist and am only providing this information to help people. I'm on a constant search for the best tasting GF products out there and my opinions are just that, no one is paying me to say a product is delicious. If anything I post is incorrect please let me know.
This brings me to my children. I have a 2.5 year old son (B) and a 9 month old daughter (L). Last summer B started having bowel movements that were very sandy. We honestly thought he was eating sand and kept telling him to stop. Summer passed and the sandy bowel movements stuck around so we knew at this point he was not eating sand. It just didn't sit right with me so I did a search for sandy poops and found a post at celiac dot com discussing this being a symptom for little ones with gluten issues. B started his GF diet mid March and even though we still see a sandy BM now and then they are mostly gone. The little bumps on his arms and back have also cleared up to the point where his back is smooth and his arms are almost completely smooth.
I have found a lot of great information and recipes from other GF bloggers and it has prompted me to start my own blog. My main reason is to share gluten free information in Montana with other Montanans and people visiting the area. I'm frustrated with the lack of resources regarding GF restaurants when I know for a fact that there are several. Why on earth is it so hard to find GF options in Montana online? I will also do GF product reviews and share recipes that are worthy of being shared. Things like the ugliest chocolate chip cookies and my brick loaf of bread will be talked about for everyone's amusement but I won't share the recipes. It is afterall essential to have some humor in your life when GF baking is involved. Too bad I don't still have those pictures around.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist and am only providing this information to help people. I'm on a constant search for the best tasting GF products out there and my opinions are just that, no one is paying me to say a product is delicious. If anything I post is incorrect please let me know.
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