Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies (Grain//Egg/Dairy Free)

Now I know what you're thinking: You already have my chocolate chip cookie recipe.... and yea, it is pretty much the same as my original chocolate chip cookie recipe, but as the old adage says, "there's always room for improvement", and this one was just BEGGING to be done. So I've given my beloved cookies the ultimate upgrade: BACON!

For the unenlightened, the argument could be

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Book Review: The Essential Gluten-Free Baking Guide, Part 2

Title: The Essential Gluten-Free Baking Guide, Part 2
Authors: Iris Higgins and Brittany Angell
Publisher: Triumph Dining, Inc.,
Copyright: 2012

Earlier this year a dear friend of mine, Iris Higgins the author of the website "The Daily Dietribe" asked me if I would like to try a few recipes from one of her new books, "The Essential Gluten-Free Baking Guide, Part 2." I was delighted. Iris is a registered hypnotherapist with a master's degree in psychology and is working on her second master's in nutrition.

Iris is also a passionate writer with a love of living holistically. Adding to her list of accomplishments, Iris also has a private wellness coaching practice in which she helps women to have a healthy relationship with food, with their bodies, and with their emotional, physical, and spiritual health.

And on top of ALL of that? Iris somehow finds the time to create recipes of all sorts! Iris' new cookbooks are published by Triumph Dining. They are entitled, "The Essential Gluten-Free Baking Guides Part 1 and Part 2." Iris along with her co-writer and co-recipe developer Brittany Angell (author of Real Sustenance) studied and experimented with 12 different gluten-free flours to learn about their properties and how they worked best. Then they both worked tirelessly to develop a number of recipes for each gluten-free flour.

One of the recipes I have tried so far are her basic Brownies. The brownies are very simple and are made with a new gluten-free flour called cassava flour. Cassava flour is made from the same plant as tapioca starch.  I made the brownies in a round glass pie pan for dessert one night last week. WE LOVED them! My inlaws had no idea they were gluten-free! They were gooey and rich and super crispy on the outside. The brownies were perfect with coconut milk ice-cream! 

The next recipe I tried from Iris' book was her Yeast-Free, Vegan Sandwich Bread.

This bread is simply amazing. I truly don't know how else to describe it. I have tried for YEARS to create a yeast-free bread that tastes like a normal sandwich bread. A yeast-free bread that doesn't crumble when it's cut, that is sturdy, yet pliable. That just tastes like good sandwich bread...and Iris' recipe nails it, plain and simple.

I have several friends who cannot tolerate yeast and I love baking egg-free (mostly because it's cheaper) so personally to me, this recipe alone is worth the cost of the book!!

This recipe uses sorghum flour, teff flour, and potato starch. It is a super light, fluffy bread and it contains a secret ingredient to give it structure and a texture that is incredibly similar to yeast bread.

It's seriously easy to make and I think this bread is my new weekly sandwich bread. I love that it doesn't use eggs and it's a high fiber, "normal" sized loaf of bread.

The cookbook is not only chock full of great recipes, but also handy baking tips, interviews with gluten-free baking experts, research on gluten-free flours, etc...

Basically this book along with the first, are both THE ESSENTIAL books you need to learn about the most useful gluten-free flours and the best ways to incorporate them into your everyday baking. There aren't many books that I would recommend to people who are learning how to bake gluten-free... but these books? Get them. Use them. And have a whole lot more fun baking gluten-free!

Iris...you're a genius girl. Simply genius! And those pastry tarts... I'm so making those next!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Quiche and Tell: Crab Quiche

I love quiche, so I made this old one from my

 recipe file over the weekend. Crab Quiche.

This yummy quiche has a few unusual ingredients.

If you have a piecrust ready, the rest of the 

ingredients are quickly mixed together. 

Shredded cheddar cheese, eggs,
sour cream, a can of French fried onions, 

a can of crabmeat, and seasonings. 

 Mix that all together.

 Pour into an unbaked pie shell.

 Bake for 35 minutes.

 A green salad or tomato salad would be a 

nice side. We had tea, but wine would be nice

too for company. A chocolate chip bundt

cake for dessert, company or not!

 Brunch or lunch.

Leftovers for the next day...a bonus! 

Ok, here's the recipe, because I quiche and tell!

Crab Quiche

3 XL eggs slightly beaten

1 can French fried onions, crushed

1 can crabmeat, drained 
1 C sour cream

1 C shredded cheddar cheese, 4-oz

garlic or seasoned salt, pepper, Old Bay

(season as desired)

Mix all ingredients and pour into an

unbaked pie shell. Bake @350 for 35 minutes.

Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!

Link: Between Naps On The Porch,
Rattlebridge Farm, My Romantic Home,
Funky Junk,

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The only Pinterest idea I've used so far...

I love Pinterest and can spend hours looking at awesome ideas which I would absolutely never use (due to time, cost of materials, or because I'd rather be reading a book or cooking... lol)

But when I was cooking on Sunday evening... I remembered this little Pinterest tip...

Just use an old clothing (usually a skirt or pants) hanger with clamps to hold a magazine or cookbook (or as I have here, a print-out of a soon-to-be published cookbook) at eye level while prepping food and recipes in the kitchen... just awesome!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

This Week's Menu - Slow Cooking on Sundays

I just started a new series on the blog entitled, "How to be gluten-free on a TIGHT budget" on my first post, I shared a recent shopping trip. We spent $42.77. 

Here's what we got: 

I know, the english muffins are NOT gf... those are hubs -- he has breakfast
"McMuffin" sandwiches every day during the week.
Those waffles though definitely ARE GF and after the BOGO sale + a coupon
they were .89 a box! :-) 

The grocery items were what I needed to make the recipes on our meal plan for this week. I've gotten into the habit of cooking on Sunday nights or Monday nights (whichever is easiest) and I cook for the entire week: breakfasts, lunches, dinners, (and what I hope to incorporate this month) afternoon snacks. 

One of the keys to cooking everything one night a week is using my slow cookers. Newer slow cookers cook hotter and faster than older ones (especially on high heat), so I can cook as many meals as I have slow cookers and in 3-4 hours they are all cooked and ready for the week ahead. 

Most of the meals I made this week are from my upcoming slow cooker cookbook! 

This Week's Menu: 

Dinner & Leftovers for lunch each day: 

• Saturday (We had a family cookout!) -- grassfed burgers, french fries, broccoli salad, cooked apples, AWESOME GF brownies (from The Essential Gluten-Free Baking Guide, Pt. 2) and ice-cream
• Sunday -- Leftovers
• Monday -- Slow cooker swedish meatballs with gravy (pg. 71 from "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook) & gluten-free toast served with a caesar salad
• Tuesday -- Skillet meal of sauteed yellow squash, onions, carrots, and sausage
• Wednesday -- Slow cooker barbecue chicken & white beans (pg. 245 from "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook) served with green beans and sweet potatoes
• Thursday -- Slow cooker meal of sausage & spinach quinoa (pg. 253 from "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook) served with a green salad
• Friday, Saturday, Sunday -- weekend cooking with friends! Happy Labor Day! 

Breakfasts:

• For Carrie -- soaked oatmeal (I'll post about this soon!) with dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds + 1 fried egg and 1 slice bacon (made enough for each morning at work this week.) 
• For Michael -- a homemade "McMuffin" each morning -- made from one english muffin with a fried egg, 1 slice of turkey bacon, and 1 slice of cheese. He's hooked on these, but says he has a much better day when eating these than Poptarts... go figure.. lol

Check out hundreds of more menus at Org Junkie.
For specifically gluten-free menus, check out the roundup at Angela's Kitchen today!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

What "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook" is all about

My new cookbook, "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook" will hit the bookstore shelves and your favorite online stores like Amazon, Books-A-Million, and Barnes & Nobles in less than two months (on October 18th, 2012.) I'm SO SO SO very excited about this and I would love for this book to be shared with every gluten-free family on the planet! (Okay, that might be a little extreme, but I can dream right? lol) The book will be available initially as a paperback, but e-book formats will be available as well (soon after publication, if not immediately after!)

"Hot Chicken Buffalo Bites" from "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook"
This photo is from Sarah of Celiac in the City, she tested many recipes for me
including this one! 

A Few Highlights:

• The book contains (of course) 300+ gluten-free recipes and nearly EVERY recipe can be adapted to be casein/dairy-free as well if it's not already listed as dairy-free! All, but a very few were tested using dairy-free ingredients such as almond milk and daiya cheese (even if it's not listed as such!) so rest assured this book super helpful for those with multiple food allergies and intolerances!
• The book contains about 40% "whole foods" recipes -- meaning over 125+ recipes in the book are for naturally gluten-free foods like fresh vegetables, meat, chicken, eggs, rice, potatoes, etc... all things are generally frugal options in the grocery store and make very healthy meals!! 
• There are also gluten-free "quick food" options using helpful and easy-to-find convenience ingredients such as gluten-free pasta, canned vegetables and fruits, etc... 
• There are GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE BAKED GOODS included in this book! YES! You can make homemade gluten-free BREAD AND CAKE in your slow cooker!
• The book contains chapters for kid-friendly foods AND recipes that use 5 Ingredients or Less (not including salt/pepper)... super easy, kid-approved meals for every day of the week! 

Once I get 3000 "likes" on my GingerlemonGirl.com facebook page, I will be giving away 2 copies of "The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook" along with a brand new 4 quart slow cooker (my favorite size!)

My Favorite little red 4 quart slow cooker! You'll get a chance to win this soon!
I just need 3000 likes on my facebook page! Can you help me share the link? 

A Handful of Recipes From the Cookbook: 

• Gluten-Free Cornbread
• Blueberry French Toast Casserole
• Swedish Meatballs with Gravy
• Fingerling Potatoes with Herb Vinaigrette
• Comforting Chicken and Rice Soup
• Lone Star State Chili
• Easy Italian Spaghetti
• Tamale Pie
• Chicken and Gluten-Free Dumplings
• Rotisserie-Style Chicken
• Meatloaf-Stuffed Green Peppers
• Spiced Apple Cider Turkey
• Simple Tomato Soup
• Cheesy Toast Casserole
• Slow Cooker Yeast/Sandwich Bread
• Creamy Hot Fudge Sauce
• Maple Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Intrigued? You can PRE-ORDER the book now at the lowest price on Amazon! It's currently less than half the retail price!! Please share with your friends and family!! 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

A New Chicken Parmesan

This Chicken Parmesan recipe is from
The Palm  restaurant.

It has a secret ingredient.

Start the sauce first so that it simmers while
you make the chicken.

Saute the garlic and basil leaves in olive oil.
This infuses the oil with flavor.

Add the canned tomatoes, wine, and

seasonings.

 I used a potato masher to mash the tomatoes.
Let simmer. This makes enough sauce to freeze
some. You can also cut the recipe in half, but I
 like to have sauce in the freezer for fast dinners.

 Flatten the boneless chicken breasts

 between plastic wrap with a rolling pin.

 Prepare 3 plates for the coating.
1. beaten eggs, 2. flour, 3. Italian breadcrumbs.

 Coat first with flour

 then coat with eggs

and last into the breadcrumbs.
Score with a knife.

 I cut each breasts in half. Let rest 10 minutes
 or you can cover and refrigerate at this point
and  finish the dish later.

Saute the chicken in hot oil for about

2-3 minutes on each side.

Pour a little sauce onto an ovenproof platter.
Place the chicken breasts on top. Spoon a little
sauce on the each piece of chicken and
sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese.

 Here's the secret ingredient.

Muenster Cheese 

 Lay a slice of muenster cheese on top of
each piece of chicken.

 Place under the broiler and watch carefully.

 When the cheese is melted and bubbly
remove from the oven and

Plate with pasta. I hope you like it.
The Muenster cheese gives it a
wonderful rich flavor. Once the sauce is
done the rest comes together pretty quickly.
Enjoy with a nice Pinot Noir.
Cheers!

Chicken Parmesan

Marinara Sauce

1/4 C olive oil

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 C fresh basil leaves, loosely packed

2  28-oz cans crushed tomatoes

1/2 C white wine

salt & pepper to taste

2 t sugar

1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on 

medium high heat. Add the garlic cloves and stir

and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the 

fresh basil and cook 1-2 minutes. Add the canned 

tomatoes and crush a bit with a potato masher. 

Add the wine, salt, and sugar. Simmer for 20-30

  minutes then add the crushed red papper flakes 

and about 10 turns of freshly ground pepper. 

Let simmer on low until needed.

You can cut this recipe in half, or put extra 

sauce in the freezer for another meal.

Chicken

2 boneless chicken breasts

1 C flour

1 C Italian breadcrumbs

2 eggs

2-3 T canola oil

Pound the chicken  flat between plastic wrap.

Put the flour on one plate. Whisk the egg on 

another plate and the breadcrumbs on a 

third plate. Take a flattened chicken breast and

 coat it first in flour, then in the egg, then in the

breadcrumbs. Make sure it is thoroughly coated,

then score with a knife. Cut each cutlet in half.

Let rest for 10  minutes or cover and 

refrigerate until ready to cook.

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet. 

Add the chicken and cook about two minutes

 on each side until browned.

Topping

Marinara sauce-about 4 C

8 T grated Parmesan cheese

4 slices Muenster cheese

Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Spread some of the sauce on the bottom 

of an ovenproof platter. Place the chicken

on top and add a spoonful of sauce and  about 

2 T grated parmesan on each piece.

Cover with a slice of Muenster.

Place under the broiler and watch carefully.

When all the cheese is melted and bubbling

remove from the oven and serve with pasta.

Garnish with basil leaves.

Enjoy!

Links: Stone Gable,
Savvy Southern Style,
Between Naps On The Porch,
Rattlebridge Farm, My Romantic Home

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Raspberries and Cream Breakfast Cake: A Guest Post At Paleo Parents

I am super excited to be guest posting another recipe over at Paleo Parents! This family is absolutely awesome, but chances are you already know that! If you haven't had the pleasure of virtually meeting these guys....you're about to be amazed.



So come on over to Paleo Parents with me, get this great recipe and take a look around while you're there. Not only will you pickup some

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Tandoori Chicken Recipe – Oven Roasted

Tandoori chicken is arguably the most popular chicken recipes in Indian cuisine not only in India but also all over the world. Tender pieces of chicken (mostly drumsticks and leg pieces) are marinated in yogurt and spice mixture and roasted in a Tandoor. Hence the name Tandoori Chicken.

A 'Tandoor' is a giant cylindrical oven made out of clay, set into the earth and fired using wood or charcoal. They were originally used to make naan bread until Tandoori chicken came into the picture. I have used a conventional oven with broiler to replace the tandoor which obviously is not available at homes. Even with the oven I have managed to get the same taste as restaurant style Tandoori Chicken.

The secret to making juicy succulent tandoori chicken lies in the marinade and also the type of the chicken. Try to use a chicken that is small, young in age and that is not more than 1 Kilogram (2.2 lb) in total weight to get the best results.

Ingredients for Tandoori Chicken Recipe

• Chicken drumsticks – 6 medium sized pieces
  or
  Chicken Thighs or other pieces of your choice with skin removed – 1 kg (2.2lb)
  NOTE: If you have whole leg cut it into 2 at the joint to get a drumstick piece and a thigh piece.
  
• Thick Yogurt/ Curd – 6 tbsp
  TIP: If the curd or yogurt that you have is watery the marinade will become too thin and will not stick on to the chicken very well. So to remove the water take a muslin cloth sieve or use any finely netted sieve and put it on a container. Then pour the watery curd on to the sieve so that the excess water strains down into the container leaving the thick curd on the sieve. After straining you need to have 6 tbsp of this thick curd to be used for the marinade.
  
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
• Garam masala – 1 tsp
• Cumin powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder –1 tsp
• Red Chilly powder – 1 tbsp (Preferably use Kashmiri Red Chilly powder if you can get it)
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Chat masala – 1 tsp
• Pepper powder – 1 tsp
• Black salt (optional) – 1/2 tsp
• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
• Red food color (optional) – 1/4 tsp
• Kasoori Methi – 1 tsp (crushed dry leaves)
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Prep time: 10 minutes

Marination time: 4 hours

Cook time: 30 minutes

 

 

Tandoori Chicken Marinade:

1. Remove the skin on the chicken, rinse them gently under water and pat dry them.
2. Using a knife make slightly 3 or 4 deep diagonal slits on the chicken pieces. If you are using large pieces like the whole chicken leg you need to make more slits that are deeper.
3. In a large bowl, mix lemon juice ,salt, chilly powder and just apply the paste on the chicken pieces. Set the chicken pieces aside for for 20-30 minutes.
4. In another large bowl, mix yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, black salt, chat masala, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, food color and salt.
5. Now taste this mixture and adjust the salt or other spices to your taste needs.
6. Add the chicken pieces into the bowl and mix well such that all the chicken pieces are evenly coated with the yogurt marinade. Ensure to rub in the marinade well into the slits that you made on the chicken pieces.
7. Now add oil and mix gently.
8. Store the marinated chicken in a refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours.

Tandoori Chicken Cooking method:

1. Since the chicken needs to be cooked in a high temperature make sure the oven is first preheated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (~230 degrees Celsius) or just set the oven to 'Broiler' mode. In Broiler mode wait for around 5 minutes before putting in the chicken.
2. While the oven is heating up lineup the marinated chicken pieces into the broiler pan/rack.
3. Once the oven is preheated put the pan in the oven preferably at the top, close to the heating coil/element.
4. After around 5 minutes check to see how the chicken is cooking in the oven. If it cooking very quickly or if it is turning brown too quickly then you will need to move the pan to the middle of the oven so that it is not too close to the heating element. Please be extremely careful when taking out or putting in items into the oven that is very hot at this point.
5. Allow the Chicken to roast for another 10 minutes. Then flip the chicken pieces and put it back into the oven.
6. Roast for another 15 minutes. At this stage you need to check if the chicken is fully cooked.
   You can do it 2 ways:
   - The first and the easiest method is to use a instant meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer up to an inch or so into the thickest meatier part of the chicken piece and wait for a few seconds. If the final temperature is around 165 to 170 degree Fahrenheit then the chicken if fully cooked. If not allow the chicken to roast for a few more minutes.
   - The 2nd method is to just insert a fork into the chicken. It should go in with ease all the way to the bone and if you move the fork sideways the meat on the chicken piece should start easily separating.
7. Take the chicken out of the oven and allow it to settle for a few minutes. Garnish with sliced onions, lemon wedges and serve hot.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Review: Zema's Madhouse Gluten-Free Foods

A few months ago Jill Motew, founder of Zema's madhouse foods contacted me and asked if I'd like to try some her products. I told her I'd love to try the pizza crust. So Jill sent me a super cute package of Zema's Gluten-Free Rosemary-Millet Focaccia & Pizza Crust Mix.

Then life went a little haywire for me and I didn't get to try Jill's mix until a few weeks ago.  We tried it one afternoon when I got home from work late and I didn't have anything planned for dinner.

Jill's mix is super healthy and contains lots of whole grains and healthy seeds like millet & chia. She doesn't use any gums in her mix, so it was very wet dough (compared to other gluten-free pizza doughs I've tried.) One thing I really liked about Jill's mix was that it contains enough mix to make a LARGE pan of pizza or focaccia. We used a 9x13 pan and the batter made a really thick dough.

Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the dough, but it made a very thick crusted pizza. Over the past 5 years of being gluten-free my taste buds have changed and I now prefer a thin (almost cracker-like) crusted pizza, so for me personally, I think I would have enjoyed this mix more as a thick, chewy bread stick or garlic bread as opposed to a pizza crust. But if you're a fan of a very thick-crust pizza, Jill's mix is for you!! The pizza made a very filling dinner and we had plenty of leftovers to stick in the freezer to take for lunches at work!

I love Jill's simple packaging and her food philosophy. The company strives to use healthy whole grains, no refined sugars, and they are free of most food allergens! Go Zema! If you want to support a family owned business that believes in super healthy gluten-free living, please check out Jill's great company!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Raleigh, NC Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo 2012

On Sunday August 12th I attended the first Raleigh, NC Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo. There were over 30 vendors (myself, included), cooking demonstrations, door prizes, an appearance by Mrs. Shannon Ford, the winner of Mrs. USA 2011, and around 750 attendees. It was a fantastic event organized and headed by Mrs. Nikki Everett, owner of ECHO Event Solutions and founder of the Charlotte ROCK Gluten-Free Support Group.

Gluten-Free Expo Director Nikki Everett with
Pam King from the Maryland Center for Celiac Research
at the Charlotte GF/AF Expo earlier this year.
Photo courtesy of Jeff SanGeorge/Gluten-Free in NC

Nikki became aware of the needs of the gluten-free and celiac population when her daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2008. Nikki immediately started a local gluten-free support group and in the same year organized and began the first Charlotte, NC Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo. The expo was an instant success and Nikki immediately started planning for more events. Eventually more and more people asked her for events closer to where they lived in other parts of the country. Nikki eventually quit her job as a hair stylist and began a company called "ECHO Event Solutions" and started planning additional gluten-free & allergen-free expos around the country in places like Omaha, Nebraska and New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Raleigh Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo took place from 2:30pm - 7:30pm on Sunday August 12th at Cobblestone Hall in downtown Raleigh. The facility was a beautiful old building surrounded by the cobblestone streets of the quaint downtown. Around 750 attended the event and had the opportunity to try many different gluten-free foods and beverages from companies all around the US.

I love that we are wearing similar patterns! We're that much alike! haha!

One of my favorite parts of the Expo was FINALLY meeting my friend Debbie, author of the lovely (and locally NC) blog "The Gluten-Free Dish." Debbie is so inspiring. She cooks and bakes the way I want too (and am learning too) -- grain-free, low glycemic, low inflammation, with limited natural sugars (and no white sugar). I love her for her honesty, for her incredibly kind & loving heart, and her genuine faith. She's an amazing person and I'm so grateful we finally got to meet in person and give each other a big hug.

I was also thrilled to finally meet Jenni, the author of another local and absolutely adorable gluten-free food blog called "A Spoonful at a Time." (I so want those measuring spoons Jenni!!! lol) Jenni was actually at the Expo representing Triumph Dining, an awesome company which helps folks figure out which foods are gluten free at restaurants and grocery stores by offering print shopping guides, restaurant translation cards, and even a new shopping app for your smart phone. She had a very busy day selling Triumph's new gluten-free baking guides, written by Iris Higgins and Brittany Angell (more fellow gluten-free bloggers of awesomeness!) The baking guides SOLD OUT and Jenni did a fantastic job representing Triumph!

Another highlight of the day was spending some time speaking with Mrs. USA 2011, Shannon Ford. Shannon is a new representative of Nerium, International. Nerium is a gluten-free, anti-aging facial cream that has produced absolutely stunning results on wrinkles and fine lines and has truly shown to be a unique and effective product in the evolution of skincare. Shannon was very excited about being a new representative of the product and has some very exciting offers if you sign up to be a preferred customer through her Nerium website. I am hoping to try this product soon, as I'm not a big fan of make-up, but I am a true believer in taking good care of your skin. And I have to say Shannon was so incredibly nice, down-to-earth, and easy to talk too! I was thrilled to talk about our paleo lifestyles and now if only I could take up her exercise habits!

Visit Jeff's website: GlutenFree in NC 

I also had fun speaking with Jeff SanGeorge, a genius of social media marketing, fellow gluten-free blogger, and owner of a fantastic and comprehensive gluten-free resource for all North Carolinians: Gluten Free in NC! Jeff's website highlights gluten-free resources in every region of North Carolina from the mountains to the coast. If you are new to the area or trying to find resources for a trip or for gluten-free friends and family, please check out Jeff's incredible site. Jeff also is also the leader of a local gluten-free support/meetup group in Greensboro, NC. I think I'm going to have to crash one of their meet-ups sometime soon since the Greensboro Earthfare (and all the gluten-free goodies they sell) is/are absolutely AWESOME!

Next to our booth, Caper a local volunteer with NC FACES shared tons of information about food allergies and how to bring awareness to friends, family, schools, and restaurants. Caper was an absolute joy to speak with throughout the day. Both of her children have severe food allergies, so she knows first hand how important it is to spread awareness. NC FACES has an annual walk to raise funds and awareness for food allergies in children. This year the walk will be held at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, NC. For more information on how you can participate in this year's walk, please visit the NC FACES website: http://www.ncfaces.org/faanwalk. I am planning on being there and joining in. Food allergies in children is no laughing matter and the more ways we can bring about awareness the better!

My sweet friend Nancy, a member of our local
Gluten-Free Support Group made the awesome
pumpkin bread I was able to share with attendees!
Thanks Nancy!! Here's her recipe! 

I wish I could remember share about all the amazing people I met and all the incredible vendors who attended this year's first Raleigh GF/AF Expo! For more information on the event (and I certainly hope you will join us next year if you're in the area!) and a complete list of the vendors and their websites please read more at Nikki Everett's event page & blog.

This cracks me up.. yep.. that's me! Cindy Blye certainly
captured an interesting expression on my face as I'm leaning over
my vendor table... thanks Cindy! lol
But the hottie to the right there, hubs of course helping me out! 

Lastly, here's a great write-up of this year's Raleigh GF/AF Expo on The Examiner.com -- written by journalist Cindy Blye, Raleigh's Healthy Food Examiner.

Did you attend this year's event? What are your thoughts? What was your favorite vendor? What would you like to see at next year's event? Please share your thoughts below and I'll make sure to send them along to Nikki!

more fun pics from Cindy! lol!!
That was good beer though! We had the raspberry flavor!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad