Gluten-Free Fun Giving Thanks

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and as I reflect on the past year, I am extremely thankful. I have a wonderful family, great friends, and I am an advocate for a part of a very dynamic celiac community. My health, while not perfect, is better than it has been and I have a good job with excellent health benefits that allow me to follow-up with specialists when I am sick.

Being 2013, I thought I would list thirteen things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.

1. I am thankful for a family that fully supports my Celiac Disease and for a sister that has it too! Our Thanksgiving table will have 5 out of 8 people eating gluten-free; 5 out of 8 people (not the same people) who are dairy-free; and three gluten-eating folks that support us and love us no matter if there are Silly Yaks at the table! Read about my Celiac sister here. 
   
   
2. I am thankful for my friends who don't think me asking to eat at gluten-free friendly restaurants is weird anymore. They usually let me choose where we eat and make sure if they choose, there is something safe for me to eat wherever we go. I am especially thankful for my #GFF (gluten-free friend) Kristen who has crossed over from Meetup member to a great friend who invites me to free trips to Atlantic City and goes to the Pink concert with me (2 more weeks). WOOHOO! Read about my #GFF Kristen here.
   
   
3. I am thankful that I have the means and guts to travel the world. This year, I went to Portland (Oregon) four times for work, went to Wales and Scotland with my mom for ten days, and took a solo trip to Thailand right before my 35th birthday. I rode elephants, pet tigers, and met some amazing people from around the globe. I pushed myself beyond my comfort zone, left my comfortable surroundings in NYC for two weeks, and seriously had the adventure of a lifetime. Here are pictures from my Thailand adventure.
   
   
4. I am thankful I was diagnosed with Celiac almost 33 years ago. I am thankful for my early diagnosis and a really progressive (and young) resident who recognized all the way back in 1981 that I had Celiac disease which could be controlled by a gluten-free diet. Read my Celiac story here.
   
   
5. I am thankful for the amazing community I lead here in the big apple, NYC Celiac Meetup group. I have been part of this group for more than 8 years and this group officially turned 10 years old in October. The group has grown to more than 1700 members and I feel lucky to be the lead organizer of such a dynamic group of gluten-free people. Click here to join the NYC Celiac Meetup group. Membership is free!
   
   
6. I am thankful for social media. It is through Twitter and Facebook and commenters on this blog that I have met some amazing people. I am always so flattered when a fellow blogger wants to meet in person. It's like a gluten-free blind date when I meet up with these people, but we never fall short of things to talk about. I feel honored they want to connect with little ol' me. Recently, I got coffee with Heart of Queens and had an amazing dinner with Winning Without Gluten. Check out their blogs!
   
   
7. I am thankful that I have been a part of some great fundraising efforts for the Celiac community. Every year for the past few years, I have been a part of the Paul Taylor Dance Company fundraiser for the Celiac Disease Center for Columbia University. This is a beautiful, cultural event with a gluten-free pre-party now being held at Lincoln Center in NYC. Buy your tickets now for the 9th Annual Paul Taylor Dance Company event in March 2014!
   
   
8. I am thankful to be nominated for the 4th Annual Gluten-Free Awards at GFreek.com in two categories this year. I am also thankful I got to meet the founder of the awards, Josh, and his entire family after he ran the NYC Marathon this November. Go vote today. Vote for me and I will be extra thankful!
   
   
9. I am thankful for all of the amazing research that is being done on Celiac Disease by experts from around the globe. We are getting closer to understanding celiac, but we still have a long way to go. Read up on research here. 
   
   
10. I am thankful for the FDA finally passing some gluten-free labeling regulations that will help keep me and my fellow celiacs safe! By giving definition to gluten-free, this will force companies to start adhering to these regulations or take the words gluten-free off their labels. Read more about the FDA gluten-free rulings here. 
    
    
11. On a related note, thank you to all of the restaurants that provide me with safe, gluten-free meals. I love to dine out and I am so thankful for the restaurants that keep me safe. I have gotten to know some really wonderful chefs over the past few years. These chefs who not only try to cater to the gluten-free customer, but do it deliciously are my celebrities!  Enjoy some of my favorite restaurant reviews here.
    
    
12. I am thankful for this blog and my travel blog, Gluten-Free Globetrotter. Being able to write these blogs, share my opinions openly with the world, and connect with readers has been amazing. This blog is fun at times, a hassle at times, and therapeutic at times. This January, my blog will be seven years old. This is ancient in terms of gluten-free blogs. I am also thankful for all of the amazing bloggers that are out there. There are too many favorite bloggers to mention but you can read about a recent gluten-free bloggers dinner in NYC here.
    
    
13. Most importantly, I am so thankful for you all. My dear readers, you have kept me writing this blog for almost seven years. Your comments, your emails, your Tweets and Facebook comments, and your support mean the world to me. THANK YOU ALL!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up

Some of my favorite bloggers have been putting together a list of their best gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes. I am drooling looking at their photos and recipes. While my gluten-free family menu is already set, these recipes provide some really great inspiration.

• 15 Classic Thanksgiving Recipes Made Gluten-Free by Elizabeth Barbone at GlutenFreeBaking.com
• 14 Easy Gluten Free Thanksgiving Recipes! by Taylor Miller at Gluten Away
• Gluten Free Thanksgiving Side Dishes by Nicole Hunn at Gluten-Free on a Shoestring
• Over 100 Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes, Plus GFE Thanks and “Wisdom” by Shirley Braden at Gluten Free Easily 
• Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes and Tips by Gluten-Free Goddess
• Traditional Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Menu by Jane Anderson at About.com Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity
• A Gluten Free Thanksgiving || Part 2 : Favorite Recipes by Kristen at Winning Without Gluten
• Thanksgiving 2013 Recipe Roundup by Peter Bronski at No Gluten, No Problem

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Options in New York City

I am excited to share two gluten-free options for your Thanksgiving meal in New York City this year. I've had dinner at both restaurants and can assure you that you are in great hands for your turkey day meal. Even though I never ate out at a restaurant on Thanksgiving, I know this option is quite popular for New Yorkers who do not want to cook. This is also a great option for people coming to New York City for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade who want a traditional gluten-free Thanksgiving dinner. Don't delay, make your reservations today!

Pappardella 

316 Columbus Avenue at 75th Street

212-362-3200

http://www.pappardella.com/

Gluten-free Thanksgiving Menu

Primi First Course, choose one

• wild mushroom soup truffled mascarpone
• prosciutto di parma, warm lentil salad & parsley vinaigrette
• butternut squash ravioli brown butter, fresh sage & parmegiano

~~Chardonnay 446, Noble Wines, Monterey, California 2010~~
446 single vineyard  celebrates the most coveted burgundy vine stock. Complex & silky with fresh citrus & tropical pineapple notes

Secondo Main Course

• roasted free range turkey 
• sweet sausage & glutenfree bread stuffing, sautéed brussel sprouts with hazelnuts, sweet potato & parmegian puree & orange cranberry sauce

~~Cabernet Sauvignon, Black Stallion, Calfornia, 2009~~
Tucked away in the Silverado trail, this cab exposes dark cherry, plum & baking spices in the nose, followed by berry jam & dark chocolate on the palate. Lingering finish

Dolce Dessert

• chocolate pecan pie vanilla gelato

~~Moscato d’Asti, Marco Negri, Veneto Italy 2009~~
fresh nose, herbaceous, caramel & melon flavors

$45 per person plus tax & gratuity for 3 course prix fix
$65 per person for 3 course prix fix & wine pairing

For reservations please call  212-362-3200 or log on to http://www.pappardella.com/

Casa Pomona

507 Columbus Ave btwn 84th & 85th St 

212-362-3200

http://www.casapomonanyc.com

Gluten-free Thanksgiving Menu

Appetizer, choose one

• Butternut Squash puree, crispy capers, GF truffle crouton
• Tuscan Kale salad, jamon Serrano chips, golden raisins, blood orange

~Vina Esmeralda, Moscatel Blend, Torres, 2012, Penedes, Spain~

Main Course

• Oven Roasted Free Range Turkey, smoky chorizo stuffing, smashed sweet potato, roasted brussel sprouts, cranberry confit

Vegetarian Option

• Roasted Winter Vegetable, sherry–pomegranate molasses vinaigrette

~ Rioja Reserva, Marques de Riscal 2007, Rioja, Spain ~

Dessert

GF Chocolate Pecan Pie, olive oil ice cream

~Rich Old Oloroso,’Royal Corregidor’, Sandeman, 20 year, Jerez, Spain~

$35 per person

$20 Wine & Sherry Pairing 

For reservations please call 212-362-3200 or log on to http://casapomonanyc.com

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Planning

Thanksgiving giving is four weeks from today. It's never too early to start planning for your gluten-free meals. At our Thanksgiving table this year, five out of the eight of us are gluten-free. While there might be some gluten on the table, such as gravy, there are very few items that contain gluten and all of the main dishes are totally gluten-free.

It seems that I have been tasked with the gluten-free carbs this year. I plan on making side dishes and desserts. Let's call it a semi-homemade effort on my part. Here is what I am cooking in my gluten-free kitchen.

Cornbread by Bob's Red Mill
Herb-Seasoned Stuffing by Three Bakers
Holiday Pumpkin Cake by The Cake Mix Doctor, Anne Byrn
Gluten-Free Fun Apple Crisp

I also won a raffle a few weeks ago for a two-layer cake from Pip's Place: The Gluten-Free Cakery here in NYC. I am excited to pick up a gluten-free and dairy-free cake for my family to enjoy.

What's on your gluten-free Thanksgiving menu?

Happy Thanksgiving from Gluten-Free Fun

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I have so much to be thankful today and always. It has been a challenging year but I have realized that I have a strong support system that keeps me going. As I sit here watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, I am reflecting on a few things that I am thankful for today.

• Family. My mom, sister, nieces, and nephew all mean the world to me. It is their unconditional love, support, phone calls, and hugs that gets me through my toughest days.
• Friends. My friend group has changed dramatically in the past year anad a half. I realize in my 30s that it isn't the quantity of people on my FB page or in my phone, it is the quality of those who are really there for me. My best friends have been there for me this year in a way that I will forever be thankful for. I don't think they even know how much they mean to me and how their texts and phone calls helped me so much this year. Thank you Laura, Kristen, Doria, Mike, and Jamie for being you! 
• Health insurance. It's been another rough year of too many doctor's appointments and not too many answers. I honestly cannot imagine what my bills would be without the great coverage I have thanks to my company. I have a rough month of testing ahead of me, but I am working towards a new year's resolution for no doctors in 2013. 
• Travel. Traveling around the country and the world is a passion of mine. I have always enjoyed traveling and think too many people with Celiac Disease are scared to be so far away from home. I understand that feeling but hope that through my travel stories on my Gluten-Free Globetrotter website will encourage at least one person living a gluten-free life to hop on a plane and explore our amazing world. 
• Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease has been a part of my life since my diagnosis in 1981. It has shaped so much of who I am that i cannot imagine if I didn't have it. While there have been so many challenges over the years, I am thankful that I got a diagnosis more than three decades ago.
• Gluten-free food.  The gluten-free food of 2012 is soooooo much better than it has ever been. I see so many people complaining online about crappy gluten-free food, but you don't know crappy until you eat rice cakes as bread every day of your life for the first five years post-diagnosis. Don't believe me, ask my mom! There was nothing to eat in the 1980s. Yes, much of the gluten-free food tasting is trial and error but there are so many great gluten-free foods on the market today and for that I am thankful.
• Guten-free and Celiac social media/YOU! I am beyond thankful that I can write this blog, engage with my Facebook fans, and Tweet to my followers each and every day. I have met some really amazing people through gluten-free social media. It still amazes me that some of the people I am the closest with and email the most about my health are people online that I have never met. You are all an amazing support system and for that I am thankful. 

I hope you and your families have a wonderful, safe, and loving Thanksgiving day!

Gluten-Free Fun is Thankful

This has been a really crazy year for me. I was very sick at the beginning of the year and had no clue what was going on. I traveled to Eastern Europe alone, something I never imagined I could or would do less than 5 years ago. I met countless gluten-free fans and friends in New York City and beyond. I am sure I can make a list of a thousands things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, but here is a list of 5 things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Gluten-Free Fun Thanks

1. Family. My mom and my sister are my best friends. The laugh with me, cry with me, vent to me and let me vent in return. They are truly my biggest fans and I am beyond thankful to have them in my life. My sister also has Celiac disease so after almost 30 years of being the lone Celiac in the family, I now have someone to commiserate and celebrate Celiac with! I am also thankful for my dear Aunt who had been secretly following my blog and Tweets for months without me knowing. I now know you are reading and appreciate and love you for that! Thank you for your support and encouragement.

2. Friends, Near and Far. I have grown closer to a friend over the past year by sharing some pretty awful experiences. It is amazing how the worst can bring out the best! I had friends offer up their homes and couches during my mold epidemic. I've had some friends that stood by me while others turned into middle schoolers. Also, I connected with some really amazing people over the internet who I am happy to call my friends. (See #5) I feel blessed for the friends in my life.

3. Persistence. In the beginning of the year, I was sick. I was achy. I was having nose bleeds every day. I couldn't breathe. I dropped my gym membership and stopped riding my bike which I love to do. I had migraines... the list goes on and on. I was put on 14 different medications.  I had 27 medical insurance claims in a 2 1/2month period of time, yet I still had no answers. I could not accept that there was nothing wrong with me. I know my body and I know myself and I knew I was sick! With my persistence, I was finally diagnosed with mold poisoning. It was awful and I had to move. I am still not 100% but I needed to know what was wrong with me and I didn't give up until I got a diagnosis.

4. Gluten-Free Travel. I try to go on a minimum of three vacations a year. This year, I went to Las Vegas in February for a friend's debaucherous bachelorette party. I went to the Czech Republic in April for my birthday and to get out of NYC which I thought was making me sick (it was!). Finally, I went to Port Stanley, Canada with my family in August. Too many people are scared to travel once they are diagnosed with Celiac and change to a gluten-free diet. I understand their fear, but this actually makes me really sad. I love to travel and I have been traveling and eating gluten-free my entire life. There was never a question of not going on vacation because I have Celiac. If I let Celiac stop me, I would not have had the pleasure of drinking my first gluten-free beer ON TAP in the heart of Prague or eating a muffin and sipping iced coffee bridge-side in Port Stanley, Ontario. I also would have also not launched my Gluten-Free Globetrotter website in April from the Czech Republic which promises some really exciting things in 2012!

5. Gluten-Free Community. The power of community on the Internet is truly amazing. In the past year, I have met some really amazing gluten-free people that I admire and felt like I already knew from reading their blogs, Tweets, and more. I met gluten-free celebrities and brand new gluten-free bloggers both online and in person. Putting a face to a name is invaluable. Also, as leader of the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup group I have become friends with many of my members and now socialize with them outside of our regular events. This gluten-free community is so supportive and I realize that even while being gluten-free for more than 30 years, I still need a supportive group of Celiacs in my life each and every day. I am so thankful to have all of these amazing gluten-free people in my life, both in-person and online, including (but totally not limited to) Andrea S., Candice C., Chris C., Craig P., Gabrielle S., Janelle P., Jill B., Kathleen D., Katie S., Kristen S., Lauren-Lucille V., Lindsay F., Selina T., Sloane M., Sue M... and so many more!

Happy Thanksgiving to all
of my Gluten-Free Fun readers and friends! 

Happy Thanksgiving from Gluten-Free Fun

I want to wish all of my faithful readers a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for all of your comments, emails, questions, and Tweets over the past 4 years. It is all of you that keep me going.

This Thanksgiving, I am doing a lot of cooking. Last week, I posted our gluten-free menu and I have spent the past few days making hummus, Brussels sprouts, gluten-free stuffing, and Trader Joe's gluten-free and vegan brownies.

One of my favorites on the menu this year is a gluten-free, vegan apple crisp inspired by the Gluten-Free Goddess. There are four of us at the table who will be gluten-free. My sister and my nieces are also dairy-free and egg-free so I was looking for a gluten-free and vegan recipe for this holiday. I already gave the dessert a test run so I know it is delicious. When I made it last time, my niece Anna and I were devouring the topping before we even added it to the crisp. The next morning, my other niece Emma and I ate apple crisp for breakfast. These two simple moments with my beloved nieces are perfect examples of how thankful I am to have them in my life.

Gluten-Free Fun Apple Crisp
inspired by Gluten-Free Goddess

Fruit Filling
10 apples, cored, peeled, and sliced thin
7 tablespoons of apple cider
2 tablespoons of raw agave nectar
1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Crisp Topping
1 1/4 cups of light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups of Gluten-Free Bisquick
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
6 tablespoons of Best Life Buttery Spread or Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Grease a 9X12 inch glass baking dish with some of the Buttery Spread.
3. Mix together the apples, apple cider, agave, and 1 1/2 tsps of cinnamon.

4. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the light brown sugar, gluten-free Bisquick, and 2 tsps of cinnamon.
5. Add the 6 tablespoons of the Best Life Buttery Spread on tablespoon at a time.
6. Stir together with a whisk and then use hands if necessary.

7. Layer the glass baking dish with crisp topping, fruit filling, and top off with the rest of the crisp topping.
8. Bake 40 minutes, until topping is crispy and filling is near boiling. Apples should be soft when pierced with a fork.

Serves 8

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving & A Dinner Invitation in NYC

Four out of the 8 of us who will be at my family and friends Thanksgiving table this year are gluten-free. Add my sister and nieces dairy-free, soy-free, and sometimes egg-free needs and it could make for a somewhat challenging meal to others... Not us! Being gluten-free is just a part of my family. No one thinks it is weird, no one questions separate plates being passed around. We do not do a 100% gluten-free Thanksgiving, but it is about 80% gluten-free.

Here is our gluten-free menu for Thanksgiving 2010:

Appetizers:
Homemade hummus
Crudités
Trader Joe's Onion and Chive Corn Crackers

Main meal:
Turkey (naked, no seasoning, stuffing, etc.)
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Apple and Sweet Potato Bake
Corn
Broccoli
Gluten-Free Stuffing made with Rudi's Gluten Free Original Bread
Brussel Sprout Hash

Dessert:
Gluten-free and Vegan Apple Crisp
Trader Joe's Gluten-Free Brownies (prepared vegan, too)

Wine

LOVE!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

---

The New York City Celiac Disease Meetup group is very excited to provide a gluten-free Thanksgiving to its members and guests. One of the group members is graciously opening her home in Sunset Park, Brooklyn to anyone who is interested in eating a 100% gluten-free Thanksgiving dinner.

On the menu...

Acorn/butternut squash soup (with caramelized onions, beans, lemon, thyme, and sage)
Stuffing (sundried tomato/garlic bread - super traditional tasting)
Turkey
Mashed potatos (optionally topped with truffle oil)
Roasted/saute'd veggies (kale, sweet potatoes, something green)
Corn
Biscuits (possibly spicy cornbread and/or chedder)
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Vanilla Ice Cream

This gluten-free Thanksgiving dinner will be held on Thanksgiving Day at 4pm. All are welcome, as long as you RSVP through the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup group website. Membership is free, so join today and RSVP. Space is very limited!

http://www.meetup.com/Celiac/calendar/15472127/