Alek Komarnitsky is a parent on a mission. His two boys have Celiac Disease and for the past 7 years he has been doing something spectacular to help raise awareness for the condition. He decorates his house to the extreme for Halloween. It really deserves to be on an HGTV Halloween special. It gets better too....We can control the lights! Alek's website offers us the opportunity to view the decorations on 3 live webcams. You can even inflate/deflate Homer Simpson, the Incredible Hulk as well as other awesome characters. Alek's Controllable Halloween Decorations for Celiac Disease is probably the most innovative and interactive way to raise money for Celiac Disease yet.
If you enjoy the decorations (and hard work) please consider donating to the over $60,000 raised for the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research. Don't forget to send an instant message over the webcam. You can also watch the fun and excitement on Halloween night.
To help celebrate my husband's birthday this year, I made him a cake. Gluten free for obvious reasons. I used a GF Golden Cake Mix (more on that later) and whipped cream cheese frosting both care of Betty Crocker . To make the Batman design and other decorations, I used Wilton Sparkle Gel. Very easy to use.
Back to the Betty Crocker cake mix. Although it tasted alright and was easy to make, I doubt I will buy it again. Unless there is a substantial price decrease that is. It is simply not worth the cost. The mix made half the amount of cake that other GF cake mixes make for the same price or less. I really layered the icing both inside and on the cake as well. This helped the height slightly. I did find this cake to be quite crumbly. Re
An interesting discovery (although I'm not surprised) is that there is quite a bit less cake mix in the GF Betty Crocker version compared to the wheat indulged Betty Crocker counterpart. Plus the four dollar or so difference, in price.
I opted not to make a cake for my son's 3rd birthday this year as he LOVES "Cars" and I seriously lack the skill to tackle a cake of the nature below. I purchased it at Walmart for $20.00. In all honesty, the gluten eaters did not really like it. Most people commented that it (fondant) was too sweet and opted for my GF cake instead.
I sent an email to CBS this morning regarding the show 2 Broke Girls.
I missed Monday night's episode but I would like to thank my friend Jax of Gluten Free Ontario for making me aware of this poor attempt at humour. Please view the clip below and then read on to see my email.
Good morning.
I am writing you today not only out of serious concern, but out of disappointment. On Monday nites episode of 2 Broke Girls, there was a joke about the Gluten Free diet. I find it to be in very poor taste!
Celiac Disease is a SERIOUS medical condition. I have Celiac Disease and I need to be conscious EVERYTHING I consume. I am not doing so to "mask an eating disorder" as the show implied. A tiny speck of wheat/gluten can make me severely ill.
1 in 133 people in the United States have Celiac Disease. It is a hereditary (My mother has the Disease as well) autoimmune disease, which left untreated can lead to life threatening disorders. There is no cure for Celiac Disease. The only way I can keep my body from attacking itself is by maintaining a strict Gluten Free diet. Yes, this means I have to ask every server at every restaurant about Gluten Free options available. This also means I have to double check to make sure that everyone preparing my meal understands that I can become seriously ill if they do not prepare my meal 100% Gluten Free.
Your most recent airing of 2 Broke Girls puts my life and the lives of other Celiac's in danger. This "joke" of sorts is the reason I fear going to a restaurant. I do not deserve to be made fun of, belittled or have my health taken lightly. Would you suggest that someone with a peanut allergy is just trying to lose weight? Or claiming that they can't eat something for attention? No, you wouldn't! Just because I will not drop on the floor dead the moment I ingest Gluten, does not mean that my body is not reacting negatively! I won't go into details, but feel free to visit the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness website for the not so lovely particulars.
"Untreated celiac disease can be life threatening. Celiacs are more likely to be afflicted with problems relating to malabsorption, including osteoporosis, tooth enamel defects, central and peripheral nervous system disease, pancreatic disease, internal hemorrhaging, organ disorders (gall bladder, liver, and spleen), and gynecological disorders. Untreated celiac disease has also been linked an increased risk of certain types of cancer, especially intestinal lymphoma." This quote is direct from the University of Maryland Centre for Celiac Research.
And just so you are aware, I would NOT be on a Gluten Free diet if I did not have to be!!! It is extremely expensive. Would you pay $8.00 for a loaf of bread better suited as a brick if you had a choice? Decent tasting and nutritious food can be difficult to come by and best of all, I get to deal with people not taking my health seriously! It is not my intention to make a server's job difficult. I have to look out for myself as it is clear that real life will unfortunately be mimicking your show.
I would like an apology for myself and other people who have Celiac Disease.
Sincerely,
Sandra Lajoie
***If you would like to make a complaint about this epsiode please visit the CBSFeedback Form***
Has your child been diagnosed with Celiac Disease? Want a stress free, entertaining way of explaining the condition to your little one? Check out the video below! It's produced by Kumquats (named so because the original puppet was orange like the fruit).
Being a square is pretty awesome thanks to Kinnikinnick's Gluten Free Pizza Crust. This is by far the best GF pizza crust I have ever eaten. Well worth the price in my opinion.
Why Do I love Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Pizza Crust?
4 individual size crusts per box
Bakes in about 17 minutes via my toaster oven
Once created, these pizza's freeze beautifully.
The crust is tender with the right amount of crunch and feels light in your mouth. Not dense or cracker-like.
My non-GF hubby will eat this...happily!
Cost's about $8.99 per box
The holes in the top of the crust are not an imperfection. They are there to help the pizza rise by creating air flow. The bottom of the pizza crust is dusted with cornmeal to prevent sticking to pan.
My favourite GF pizza sauce to use is Primo Pizza Squeeze. Just the right amount of tang and sweetness. I prefer the squeeze bottle to the canned sauces for convenience.
Kinnikinnick is one of the largest gluten-free / nut free manufacturing facilities in the world. Please visit their website for a complete product listing or to shop online.
Some exciting news in the world of pasta - Barilla is introducing a line of Gluten Free pasta! It's made with non GMO corn and rice...
Disclosure
This policy is valid from 23 February 2013
This is a personal blog written and edited by me. All opinions are that of my own. I am not a healthcare professional or an expert. All information presented in this blog is purely that of my own experience and or opinion. Please consult a medical professional before making any changes to your diet.
I write this blog as a hobby that I am passionate about. From time to time, I may receive monetary compensation for a sponsored post. I only work with brands that I trust and would use in my own home.
This blog accepts complimentary products for review. The opinions I have of a product will never be swayed by a company sending me an item(s) for free. I take into consideration the opinion of family members who are gluten-free due to Celiac Disease and I also value the opinions of non-gluten free family members. Taste is a matter of personal opinion so please use your own discretion and don't take my opinion as a gold standard.
Any ingredient or gluten-free claims should be verified with the restaurant/manufacturer as things can and do change.
For questions about this blog, please contact: sandra@glutenfreedoll.com
