Thornhill Farms - Review

I'm a snacker. Everyone knows it. Having to bring a "just in case there are no safe options" snack with me when I'm out, most likely plays a roll in it.

So when Thornhill Farms sent me some of their products for review, I was up for the challenge.

Rice Bites flavors 
Sea Salt

                                              Black Pepper

Sea Salt & Vinegar

Applewood Smokey BBQ Flavor

 Snack Cracker Thins flavors 

Sea Salt

Cheddar Cheese

Sour Cream & Onion

Lime & Black Pepper Flavour

I appreciate that both the Rice Bites and Cracker Thins are baked instead of fried. They are also certified Gluten Free, which lets face it, is AWESOME!

Thornhill Farms gets the flavours right, without overdoing it. I don't feel like I'm overindulging with these products. They are very light to eat and don't leave you feeling weighed down like other snacks do.

Overall these are great snacks. Bonus points for being able to munch on them in the car sans mess. If you have been on a long car ride with munchkins, you know exactly what I mean.

My personal favourite is the Apple Smokey BBQ Flavour Rice Bites! I could honestly down a whole bag myself. But I didn't. I shared with my lovely family who really enjoyed our little snack! This flavour in particular, would be great with a BBQ meal or picnic.


You can find Thornhill Farms Rice Bites and Snack Cracker Thins across Canada. They retail for a reasonable $3.49  and can be found at the locations below.

Quebec :  Tao
Maritimes : Sobeys

Ontario :  Bulk Barn and natural food stores

Western Canada: London Drugs and natural food stores

You can also order by the case, through Thornhill Farms directly (Canadian orders) or Better Batter (US orders)  here .

Happy Snacking!

10 Tips For A Magical Quick Service Experience

Walt Disney World handles special dietary needs such as gluten-free, allergens and kosher, etc. with extreme care. Navigating meal times can be overwhelming so it is important to have a plan of action before you head to the world.

Check out the tips below, to ensure that you have a magical quick service experience.

10 Tips For A Magical Quick Service Experience

1) Be Prepared 

• Contact Disney's Special Diets team to get a reference list of what gluten-free and other dietary items are available and where to find them in the world. 

• Plan your meals in advance.

• Visit Disney's dining page to become familiar with dining options such as price point, theme and cuisine type.

2) Time It Wisely

• Dining at non-traditional times will help you avoid the mealtime rush. Try having lunch before 11:30 am and dinner somewhere around 4:00 pm or 7:00 pm.

• Special dietary meals can take an extra 10-15 minutes to prepare, so order these first.

3) Try Something New

• Epcot is a great place to be adventurous. With eleven different countries providing Quick Service fare, you can pretty much eat your way around the World here.

• Want a French-inspired meal, with a Table Service feel? Try Be Our Guest in the Magic Kingdom. This Beauty and the Beast themed restaurant offers Quick Service dining at lunchtime. It also commands long lines, so try to get a Fast Pass, if you can.

4) Variety, The Key To Happiness

• Look for locations which offer a wide range of food choices. My personal favourites include Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe (Magic Kingdom) and Landscape of Flavors (Art of Animation).

• Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe has various order "bays", with each offering varying food selection. Be sure to check out the menu board so you know which bay to order from. This place is huge! With lot's of seating, both indoors and out finding a table should be easy peasy. 

• Landscape of Flavors has several stations which provide both international and American style food. I love how fresh everything is here! You actually get to see your meal being made, fresh. Another plus to this Quick Service location, is the personal customization available for many dishes.

5) Sit Back And Relax

• Take time to slow down. Enjoy your meal, along with the beautiful Disney atmosphere. Not only will you feel refreshed, you will have a new found appreciation for the detail which surrounds you. Your feet will thank you for the extra downtime as well.

6) Know Before You Go

• Familiarize yourself with the open and close times Quick Service locations. Operating times vary throughout the parks and resorts.This is especially important during the offseason.

• Pepper Market in the Coronado Springs hotel automatically adds a 10% gratuity, even though it is a Quick Service location. You can avoid this extra charge by ordering your meal to go.

7) Save Money

• Quick Service items can be ordered a la carte. If you don't want something that is part of a combo, skip it and save the difference in cost. 

• Ghirardelli in Down Town Disney to enjoy some offers free chocolate samples.

• Club Cool in Epcot provides a free sampling of 8 different soft drinks from around the world.

• Not sure about a certain menu item? Ask for a sample. Many Quick Service locations will happily provide a tasting size sample, free of charge.

• All Quick Service locations can provide you with a free cup of ice water

8) Snack Wisely

• If you opt for the dining plan, avoid using snack credits for drinks. Instead, use your refillable mug at the resort. No dining plan? Consider purchasing a Rapid Fill Refillable Mug.

• Having a muffin or a bowl of fruit for breakfast will allow you to save money and time in the morning.

• Some snacks are even big enough to share...if you want to, that is.

9) Enjoy A Meal Off The Beaten Path

• Consider a ride on the monorail, to one of resort hotels for lunch or dinner. It's a great opportunity to get away from the parks, during peak hours. These Quick Service locations are also much quieter, which is a bonus.

• If you are renting a car, head over to BoardWalk or Downtown Disney for a meal. Both destinations offer outside seating, with beautiful views of the water.

10) Thanks For The Magic

• Disney is light years ahead of the curve when it comes to accommodating dietary restrictions. Make a cast member’s day magical by saying thanks! 

• Stop by Guest Relations at the parks and let them know how thankful you are for all of their hard work. Be sure to bring up anyone who has given your vacation an extra sprinkling of pixie dust!

• You can also email wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com  to voice your appreciation.

Special Notes To Remember

• Bring Disney's dietary reference list with you to the parks
• Gluten Free meals are made to order so allow an extra 10-15 minute wait
• When in doubt, ask questions
• Consider sharing a meal. Disney portions are quite big

If you will be in the Orlando area in November, drop by the Food Allergy and Celiac Convention at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. This is a ticketed event and takes place on Saturday, November 22nd, 2014.

You can stay up to date with this celebration of awareness by connecting with the event on social media.

Food Allergy And Celiac Convention

Looking for a Celiac safe, vacation destination? Want variety and amazing flavour at every meal? Walt Disney World is where its at. I mean it. When it comes to safe Gluten Free dining, Disney does it best. I can say so from personal experience!

This November brings us the Food Allergy and Celiac Convention at Disney. I am happy to share that I am a member of the blogger street team for this great event. Being part of the team means that I will be sharing information related to both the event itself and all things Disney gluten free.

The event will be hosted on Disney property at the Coronado Springs Resort on November 22nd 2014. 

Event Details

• Expo Area (featuring vendors, sponsors & non-profit organizations)
• Welcome Breakfast (ticketed event for guests)
• Non-dairy Ice Cream Buffet (ticketed event for guests)
• Kids Corner
• Speakers, panels, & workshops focusing on all aspects of celiac disease & food allergies
• Culinary demonstrations, featuring Disney chefs
• 15 Minutes of Fame Stage where vendors & sponsors can highlight their unique brands & products
• Raffle baskets & giveaways (before & during the event weekend)
• Pre-event recipe booklets where vendors & sponsors can highlight their unique brands and products with recipes
• And more!

Tickets

You can purchase tickets here

Adult tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door*

Kids' tickets are $5 in advance as well as at the door*

*Door tickets will only be available, if there are any left for purchase

Follow event updates via Facebook and Twitter: @celebrateaware 


The proceeds from ticket sales will go to food allergy & non-profit organizations.

***This event is not affiliated with the Walt Disney company***

Celebrating Gluten Free Life In Canada

What it's like to be Gluten Free in Canada

 The Canadian Celiac Association provides advice and support nation wide.

We enjoy the hard work provided by the Gluten Free Certification Program. When  the below symbol is on a package, we can be sure it has met high standards and is safe for consumption.

Some Canadian Celiac Facts

1 in 133 people in Canada are estimated to have Celiac Disease.

Thunder Bay MPP Bill Mauro  has our backs as currently Ontario is the only Province in which the Celiac blood test is not covered.

Just introduced a bill for ohip funding of blood testing for celiac disease. Too many people affected and too many undiagnosed #onpoli #tbay
— Bill Mauro (@BillMauroMPP) May 28, 2013

Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario are working on a therapy to treat Celiac Disease.

Our Laws

It is illegal to label oats gluten free in Canada. They may only carry wheat free on the label.

The Canadian Government offers support information online.

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA )is responsible for enforcing Canada's strict food labelling laws. If something is mislabelled Gluten Free or is leading people to believe it's safe, when in fact it is not, we can report the offending product here.

They are  also responsible for our Food Recall Warnings program. This program provides alerts via email sign up, Twitter, Facebook, RSS Feeds and mobile application.

Notable Canadian Celiac's

Max Domi is a Minnesota Wild 2014 draft prospect , and son of retired Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Tie Domi.

Christine Nesbitt  is an Olympic gold medal speed skater 



Tom Kostopoulos  ia a former Calgary Flames Right Wing  and current member of the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins farm team)

Happy Canada Day !!!

Happy Canada Day !!!

To celebrate I made a patriotic Strawberry Shortcake to enjoy with the family