Rice, Beans and a Date – It’s all Available at Your Local Food Bank
This guest blog is by Syrah and featuring Al Clad, members of The Food-Sensitive Foodie Team
The scene:
The San Francisco Food Bank annual Penn State SF/Bay Area Chapter Community Service Day. A cool, crisp December morning. Two good-looking Penn State alumni volunteers emptied countless barrels of food collected from local grocery stores and sorted them into food groups – vegetable, fruit, and bread products.
The meet-cute:
Syrah: I volunteer my time for the Penn State Chapter serving as a young alumni chair. That morning I was there greeting alumni from participating Big Ten schools.
Al Clad: Apparently, during that time I was finishing my crepe at the Crepe House before heading to the Food Bank to volunteer…and then some. I had ulterior motives – I had done my Facebook research!
Syrah: His supposed ulterior motives were not clear to me. He showed up an hour late with a girl I presumed to be his girlfriend! Who shows up an hour late to volunteer?
Al Clad: Turns out my late arrival meant I had missed the heavy lifting (and was down some points in the first impression department). Seriously though, I hate being late but yes I did show up an hour late. I couldn’t find the Food Bank! It was all the way across town from where I had breakfast. So, by the time I got there, I was sent straight to bagging rice and beans.
Syrah: We were bagging rice and beans (in hairnets — you’re welcome for the visual) when these two young Penn State alumni come strolling in LATE to help.
Al Clad: It was like a conveyor belt of mixed generations, men and women, all wearing the colors of their alma mater. The girl-who-was-NOT-my-girlfriend and I quickly gravitated to the sea of blue and white.
Syrah: The Late Guy in his Penn State hat quickly took a place one table over from me while his “girlfriend” joined my table. Girlfriend or not, late or not, I’ll admit it, I was curious about this young guy with a huge smile and contagious laugh.
Al Clad: I wish I had joined Syrah’s table. Instead, I filled the open spot next to the two “mature” alumni of the group, but I kept the girl in the purple shoes and ripped jeans in my peripheral vision. You see, I had done my homework before signing up for the Food Bank. Facebook had assured me there would be cute girls participating.
Later that night:
While our volunteer duties at the Food Bank kept us from doing anything but exchanging sideward glances, the alumni mixer following our community service day did give us a chance to chat – free of hairnets, rice and beans. A date was set and a few nights later Al Clad and I went on our first date.
It’s been nearly a year since our food bank outing and first date. We are grateful for the Food Bank for the good they do within our community, and for bringing us together. We’ll be giving to our local Food Bank again this year – and lucky for us, rice and beans are gluten-free so we’re giving gluten-freely! We encourage you to give to your local Food Bank this holiday season or donate your time. Make the holidays memorable for another family in your community. And just maybe score a date!
Inspired to give, and maybe even meet someone new? Check out our list of what you can donate and where you can give…and when you do, make sure you give gluten-freely this holiday season!
By Marisa Voorhees, the FSFoodie and Dee Valdez, Gluten Free Dee
‘Tis the season – the season of lots of good eats. For you. For me. For the family down the street. So, which one of us has to eat gluten free? Certainly your friendly authors are eating gluten free. And you, our dear readers, probably are, too (or at least you’ve tried it). And, if you’ve been eating it, then you already know that a gluten-free diet comes with a much higher price tag than the standard American diet.
Last week, we encouraged you to “Give, and Give Gluten-Freely” to your local food bank. Why? Because, for low income families with at least one member on a special diet, it is a difficult choice. Feed one special diet or feed the whole family. That’s where you and your local food bank can help.
So, where can you take your gluten-free goodies so that they get into the hands and tummies of those who need them? There are over a dozen already established food banks with gluten-free shelves and labeling procedures in place to make the food accessible and easily identifiable for those on special diets. They include:
Loveland, CO - The House of Neighborly Service
565 North Cleveland Avenue, Loveland, CO – phone: 970-667-4939
Pittsburgh, PA – Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Network including:
North Hills Community Outreach – phone: 412-487-6316
East End Cooperative Ministries – phone: 412-361-5549
West Hills Food Pantries – phone: 412-262-4930
Brentwood Presbyterian Church Food Pantry – phone: 412-882-6035
Pierce’s Pantry, a Gluten-Free Food Bank, which accepts monetary donations online.
If time is tight, or a donation box/food bank isn’t easily accessible to you then consider supporting those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance by giving a monetary donation. Your local food bank will gladly accept monetary donations, too, and they have tremendous buying power so your donated dollars will stretch further.
Here’s the good news – you don’t just have to find an already established gluten-free food bank. You can turn any food donation box that you see popping up in supermarkets, the mall, schools, and your office building into a gluten-free/special diet donation box.
Eat it: The next time you’re at the market grab an extra can of hearty gluten free soup, chili, canned chicken, or fruit in juice — a very special treat. It is rare for a family to get cooking oil with their food so, if possible, include a bottle with your donation.
If you donate a grain such as quinoa, be sure to also package it with all the things that would turn it into a tasty meal such as a box of chicken stock, and some canned tomatoes. This is often the expensive part. Keep in mind that your entree may be the only food a family of four eats that day.
Drink up: A carton of shelf-stable rice, almond, or coconut milk would be appreciated. Or simply grab an extra bag of your favorite gluten free or special diet treats. Any of these options would make great gluten-free donations and all of them would be welcomed at a food bank near you.
Also, make it easy for those sorting the food and add a “GF” notation in permanent market to the top of the can or clearly identify the donation as gluten free when putting it in the collection box or handing it off to a volunteer at the food bank.
These simple steps will make it an easy process for you making the donation, for the food banks sorting the donation, and for the families who will benefit significantly from your generosity this holiday season. Give, and give gluten-freely!
So – what are you going to be donating to the food bank or food donation box in your neighborhood? What gluten-free treats are you going to encourage your kids/friends/neighbors to donate? Do you know of a gluten-free or special-diet food bank in your area? Tell us! We want to know.
The beautiful part of this season
Is some people finally pause
And examine their lives and loved ones
Rejoice, and give thanks because
They were born in a country with plenty
Running water and lights on a switch
Fresh produce, meats and bread
Abundance and variety in each dish
Our homes are warm and have plumbing
We use without giving a thought
A switch heats our food and our baked goods
In each room TV sets we just bought
We have books, DVDs and CDs
In every nook and cranny in our homes
Our windows have coverings so lovely
Our bathrooms filled with brushes and combs
We breathe clean air and see the mountains
Which we are free to photograph and climb
We laugh with our friends while out dining
And enjoy wine and soda all the time
We hop in our cars to get somewhere
And crank up our favorite tunes
Flip open our laptop and sip latte’
On “outside the office” afternoons
Our cell phones text and search 24/7
And keep us in touch with our tribe
On Facebook and Twitter you’ll find us
On our blog our latest diatribe
Our children have options for learning
Books, libraries and hot lunches
Sports, lessons and music too many
Shoes, clothes and stuff in bunches
We are free to worship a Christ who loves us
Without major persecution in the states
And demonstrate Christ’s love to others
Without them walking into a church with gates
We have people who teach us to be healthy
And develop our minds every day
We have friends and family who love us
There are so many things I could say
But the real message to you this Thanksgiving
Is to cherish the blessings you have
Despite imperfect families or sick bodies
And bank accounts that may need some salve
Our plenty is dreamed of by others
In multiple billions around the globe
We are truly blessed, so on this Thanksgiving
Forgive me, if your heart I did probe
Copyright 2010 Dee Valdez, Gluten Free Consultant
Use with permission if copyright is intact
www.GlutenFreeDee.com
Childhood memories and my Hispanic roots made it easy for me to enter my very first food contest featuring Kerrygold Butter. Easy might not be the correct adjective. Less reluctant is more accurate. I have foodie friends, cook book author friends, famous baker and blogger friends and then there is me, the person who raves about them, admires them and follows their recipes.
This summer I committed to spending more time recognizing, developing and honoring my creativity with food. My recent cooking experiences have been expanded recently and I’m constantly discovering that I’m more creative in the kitchen than I ever realized. Many of my clients and Twitter followers are more like my foodie friends than like me, a latent foodie, so this set of recipes will not be too challenging for them. Regardless of how you categorize yourself, you will be delighted to see this come together. This is a Saturday event when you have time to enjoy the process and get the kids or friends involved in the process.
My experiences with Kerrygold go back to our first meeting at the Grand Opening of a new store of a major natural grocery chain in Lone Tree (Centennial) Colorado in May of 2009. I was doing my first product sampling for a new gluten free bread company and Kerrygold Butter was offering a taste of their over the top delicious cheese and butter.
“I’m eating great gluten free bread for the first time in 17 years,” I gushed, “and I was wondering if I could have you take some butter from the opposite end the cube so I don’t get any crumbs on my butter and I could put it on my untoasted bread?” “I can even do better than that,” the Irishman replied, “I’ll open a new one.”
If you know me, you know that I was overjoyed and my passion was spilling out of the corners of my eyes at this generous offer. The thought of eating a moist slice of bread from the grocery store topped with deeply yellow, rich, creamy butter still brings tears to my eyes. In the previous 17 years, I honestly didn’t think there would ever be such a day.
Since I was being bold, I told my new best friend that I’ve dreamed of butter thick as frosting on a soft piece of bread for 17 years, so “if you’d be so kind….” The bite of Kerrygold butter reminded me of the butter I lovingly churned in Mrs. Davis’ kindergarten class at Goldrick Elementary School in 60’s. Of course, I share that story with my new Irish friend while tears streamed down my cheeks. What a life!
Fast Forward to October 2011. My friends at Kerrygold invited me to be part of a group of 50 bloggers who would receive their newest products, Kerrygold Naturally Softer Pure Irish Butter for easy spreading and Kerrygold Reduced Fat Irish Butter with 25 percent less fat and 50 percent less sodium. A spreadable Kerrygold sounded great to me!
After several conversations with friends, a handful of inspiring dining experiences and some fun experimentation, I opted to go the savory route. Everything in the fiesta for 6 is gluten free. I present to you:
Kerrygold Mantequilla a Latina con Amigos
Marinated Buffalo Tenderloins con Mantequilla Pablano
Mantequilla Polenta con Mozzerella
Grilled Hearts de Ensenada Romaine
Mise en Place
This cool French word means everything in its place. I did not grow up with any concept of this in the kitchen or anywhere in the house. It was a delightful idea when I read about it in one of my favorite cookbooks. Wow! That makes everything so much easier. If you are blessed with the gift of ADHD like I am, you have learned to manage pretty well with chaos but let me tell you, cooking is so much more fun without it!
Here is the suggested order to simplify your life:
- Make the marinade the day before the fiesta con amigos and get the meat soaking (day before)
- Roast the Pablano peppers or green bell peppers and remove their skin (day before) – you may want to add some heat with your favorite chili – next time I’ll add a Jalapeno to the Pablano
- If you want to substitute the Onion Trio or Chili Seasoning Mix, create your product a month, week or day before you need it. I had the seasoning on hand so I used it. (day before)
- Finely chop 2 roasted Pablano peppers (using a great knife makes this SOOO much simpler!)(day before)
- Make the Mantequilla Pablano so the flavors meld with the butter (day before)
- Wash the outside of the Honey Dew and ball the fruit (day before)
- Chop yellow onion & cover it so it doesn’t absorb all the germs in the room
- Slice Elephant Garlic Bulb
- Slice Mushrooms
- Wash fresh Tarragon, Yellow Pear Tomatoes, Cilantro Leaves, Romaine lettuce
- Cube fresh Mozzerella
Roasted Pablano
Grill or broil chili on a cookie sheet or directly on the grill until each side is bubbly. Remove and put in zip lock baggie or paper bag so it steams the skin off. Once it is cooled, scrape the charred skin off with a sharp knife. Dice finely.
Mantequilla Pablano
8 oz Kerrygold Naturally Softer Pure Irish Butter
1 large roasted and diced Pablano (add other roasted chili to taste)
Mix together in medium bowl. Use to top grilled steak and polenta.
Marinated Buffalo Tenderloins con Mantequilla Pablano
Buffalo is a lean meat that is rich and decadent tasting. 4 – 24 hours before grilling time mix marinade and completely immerse buffalo steaks. Once the steaks are out of the marinade, we’ll reduce the sauce by cooking it over medium heat. No need to add anything to it to thicken it up. This keeps the flavor intact and leaves it naturally gluten free! This sauce was so delicious I’d double it next time so I could have more on each plate or just have some left over.
1 ½ Cup Beef Broth
1 ½ Tbsp Soy Sauce
¼ Cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Onion Trio (substitute dehydrated green, white and yellow onion)
2 tsp Chili Seasoning
2 cloves freshly minced garlic
2 lbs Buffalo Tenderloins
Remove your steak from the marinade and put on plate or cutting board. Grill your steaks at 300 degrees. Start the grill at 350. The heat will drop when you add the cold meat. Cook medium rare for easiest digestion as the meat is still enzymaticaly active. Serve on top of Marinade Reduction leaving room for the Polenta. Top with Mantequilla Pablano and watch it magically drip down the side of your steak. OMG Delish! The visual is almost as good as the taste, but not quite!
Marinade Reduction
When the steaks are on the grill, cook the marinade on medium heat until it reduces into a thick sauce. Stir constantly. The Tenderloin and Polenta will be served over marinade reduction spread in a half moon across the plate. The salad will be on the other half of the plate.
Mantequilla Polenta con Mozzerella
This is a simple and quick dish that is “show-off-y” in its presentation. Once cooked, the polenta forms nicely in a metal measuring cup and look pretty spectacular once it is browned under the broiler. For Valentine’s Day, I’d cut the polenta with a heart shaped cookie cutter to add a loving thought to the same dish! You can use a cookie cutter in the shape of a letter for someone’s birthday. Play with it. It’s pretty hearty. Just move quickly to a shape once the polenta has thickened in the skillet and cooled.
2 Cups polenta
2 Cups beef broth (I prefer the flavor of Savory Choice Broth Concentrate)
1 Cup water
¼ Cups Kerrygold Reduced Fat Irish Butter
1 tbs fine sea salt
½ tbs cracked pepper (more to taste or for color)
1 roasted Pablano pepper, finely chopped
2 Cups cubed fresh Mozzerella (small cubes to melt)
Over medium heat, add polenta, beef broth, water salt and pepper. Stir until thickened over med heat. Just as it begins to thicken, add the Pablano pepper. Once thickened, add the Kerrygold Reduced Fat Irish Butter and continue to stir. Remove from heat. Let it cool 5 minutes. Shape in ½ cup measuring cup. Drop onto cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Cover with plastic so they don’t dry out.
(You can test one under the broiler to see how long it takes to brown the first time. Once completed, add the fresh Mozzerella and brown some more to gauge the time need to sync time with steaks on the grill)
Brown under broiler on each side. This adds a nice crunch to the soft center. Remove from broiler. Top with mozzarella. Return to broiler until the cheese begins to brown and gets bubbly. To serve, cut in half. Place on the plate on top of the Marinade Reduction with the top half off set and lifted by the first in an L. See the picture. Top with Mantequilla Pablano while hot so it melts into the polenta. Yum!
Grilled Hearts de Ensalada Romaine
½ tub Kerrygold Reduced Fat Irish Butter
¼ Cup chopped yellow onion
6 medium Mushrooms (everyday mushrooms)
1 large elephant garlic bulb
Add butter to sauté pan over medium heat. Melt butter then add the onion. Sauté about 3 minutes or until the onion begins to caramelize. Add the mushrooms, stir a few times then add the garlic. Stir for 1 minute then remove from heat. There will be extra butter to drizzle on the salad.
3 large Hearts of Romaine
Fresh Tarragon
Yellow Pear Tomatoes
Honey Dew Melon Balled
Cilantro Leaves
Grill cleaned Hearts of Romaine about 20 seconds in grill at 450 degrees. The grilling brings out the naturally sweet flavor of the lettuce! It also makes it more interesting on the plate. Put one large and one small piece of grilled lettuce on each plate. Spoon sautéed mix over lettuce. Add Honey Dew, Yellow Pear Tomatoes, a few sprigs of Tarragon and a Cilantro sprig on top of the sautéed mix and lettuce. Drizzle with remaining butter from sauté pan. This will be tastier than you expect!
This is a great collection of dishes for friends or family to prepare together. This will also ensure that everything is hot when served. Kerrygold butters are truly magic in these dishes. Remember that butter is a vital fat and that the French eat more than we do and they don’t have weight issues. Enjoy the process and when it comes to eating your creations, the taste will be enhanced.
Thanks for this opportunity Kerrygold! I’ve created new memories and tied my Hispanic roots to butter in all kinds of unexpected ways! I would have never done it without your invitation to enter this contest. I’m thankful for the experience. It was the most delicious experiment of my life!
Disclaimer: I did not get paid to write this blog and I received the products free of charge from Kerrygold USA. I am one of 50 bloggers invited to participate in this recipe contest.
By Marisa Voorhees, the FSFoodie and Dee Valdez, Gluten Free Dee
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, followed by numerous end-of-the-year celebrations. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Festivus, or something (or nothing) else there is one tradition that we all share at the end of the year. Food, and lots of it.
If you’re on a special diet – such as gluten-free, dairy-free, GFCF, nut-free, egg-free, diabetic, etc. – you’ve probably been thinking about your holiday menu for a few weeks now and also thinking about the effect this special diet is going to have on your food budget. Ouch. Did you know a gluten-free diet can cost up to 400% more than a standard American diet? Sure, those gluten-free goodies are pricey but the extra cost is worth it to know you can enjoy a holiday without stomach pains, allergic reactions, and misery.
You’ve figured out how to cover the expenses to serve your family a good meal, but have you stopped to think about those families who are dependent on food banks? They don’t get to shop the same way we do, and they certainly don’t have the extra cash needed to afford a special diet. The good news is that, with food bank donation boxes popping up everywhere, you can quickly and easily play an important role in solving this holiday challenge.
Gluten Free Dee and I became fast friends earlier this year thanks to Twitter and our shared passion of gluten-free food banks. While I had only had the idea, Gluten Free Dee had already put her dreams into action. Back in 2009, she founded the National Gluten Free Food Bank Movement and partnered with the House of Neighborly Service in Loveland, Colorado to establish the very first gluten-free food bank.
She’s been on a mission ever since to spread the Movement nationwide and increase awareness among individuals and encourage companies, large and small, to donate foods for those on special needs diets. She’s continued to partner with food banks in Pittsburgh (where 6 gluten free food banks have been established) and those in more than a dozen other cities with a gluten free section somewhere in process.
In Dee’s world, the more the merrier. She recently shared her story in the Oct/Nov issue of Living Without and offered tips on how others can partner with the food banks in their city to provide more gluten-free and special diet foods on the shelves.
We’re both so passionate about giving to food banks but we imagine we’re not the only ones who have something to say about this topic. So, we’re excited to announce that as the holidays kick-off, we’re hosting a blogging series to raise awareness and encourage thoughtful (read: special diet) giving to food banks.
We want to invite our blogging friends to participate, too. Do you have a topic on food bank donations, a recipe you can make with food bank donation items, or a story about a past food bank experience that you want to share? Then we want to hear (and post) it! Leave us a note in the comments section so that we can connect with you.
REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.
REMINDER….. all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.
…. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS
To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222.
It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked.You cannot call from a different phone number.
HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON .. It takes about 20 seconds.
https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx
Please notify to family and friends.
As you unload your Halloween loot, be sure to check the following lists to see what is safe for the kiddos and yourself if you are following a gluten free diet. Feeding your gluten free coworker or a being a gluten free family means you have to be careful but as you’ll see, there are still lots for us to indulge in this Halloween!
These lists are only a guide, since ingredients and formulas can change at any time. In some cases, a product made at one location may be listed as gluten-free, while the same product made at a different location may not be gluten-free.
If you are not sure a product is gluten-free, contact the manufacturer’s customer service personnel directly at the list numbers listed.
Nestle USA
Nestle USA considers “gluten-free” to mean “no gluten ingredients are in the product, whether directly added, or potentially present due to cross-contact. If a product label has an allergen advisory statement such as ‘made on equipment’ or ‘facility that also processes wheat etc.,” we do not consider that product to be gluten-free. It is important to always read product labels/packaging for the most accurate information.” Nestle will label potential gluten cross contamination, a customer service representative says.
According to Nestle, the following candies are gluten-free:
- Baby Ruth
- Bit-O-Honey
- Butterfinger Bar (original flavor only, NOT giant bar)
- Milk Chocolate
- Goobers
- Nips (including both regular and sugar-free)
- Oh Henry!
- Raisinets (including Cherry, Cranberry and Dark Chocolate flavors)
- Sno-Caps
- Wonka Pixy Stix
- Laffy Taffy (including Laffy Taffy Rope and Fruitarts Chews)
- Wonka Lik-M-Aid Fun Dip
The following Nestle candy products are NOT gluten-free:
- Butterfinger Crisp Bar
- Butterfinger Giant Bar
- Butterfinger Snackerz
- Butterfinger Medallions
- Butterfinger Jingles
- Butterfinger Hearts
- Butterfinger Pumpkins
- Wonka Nerds
- Sweetarts
- Wonka Bar (all flavors)
- Chewy Spree
- Wonka Gummies
- Wonka Kazoozles
- Everlasting Gobstopper
- 100 Grand Bar
In some of these products, the ingredients themselves are gluten-free, but the candies are processed in a facility that also processes gluten.
Contact Nestle USA at 800-225-2270
Mars Chocolate
Mars Chocolate makes M&M’s, Dove, Snickers and other products. The company urges gluten-free consumers to check labels, even if a product normally is gluten-free; in busy times of year (such as Halloween), Mars uses alternative facilities to make its candy, and some of those may introduce cross-contamination risks. The company says it will label any gluten ingredients or cross-contamination.
According to Mars Chocolate, the following candies are gluten-free:
- M&M’s (all EXCEPT for pretzel-flavored M&M’s
- 3 Musketeers Bars (all flavors)
- Milky Way Midnight Bar
- Milky Way Caramel Bar
- Dove Chocolate products (all flavors)
- Snickers Bars (all flavors)
- Munch Nut Bar
The following Mars Chocolate products are NOT gluten-free:
- Milky Way Bar (original)
- Mars Bar
Contact Mars Chocolate at 800-627-7852
Hershey’s
Hershey’s does not publish a gluten-free candy list because “the ingredients can change at any time,” according to one of the company’s customer service representatives.
As of October 2011, the following (short) list of Hershey’s products are gluten-free:
- Hershey’s Plain Milk Chocolate Kisses
- Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar, only in the 1.55 oz. size
- Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almonds Bar, only in the 1.45 oz. size
The following Hershey’s products are NOT gluten-free:
- Hershey’s Special Dark Bar
- Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’ Creme Bar
- Hershey’s Air Delight
- Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Drops
- Hershey’s Miniatures
- Hershey’s Nuggets
- Mr. Goodbar
- Symphony Bar
- Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate
- Mounds
- Almond Joy
Hershey’s says it will list any ingredients containing wheat, barley, rye, oats and malt on the label, and also will disclose shared equipment or shared facilities on the label.
Contact Hershey’s at 800-468-1714
Jelly Belly
Jelly Belly makes jelly beans in an ever-expanding array of colors and flavors. According to the company, “all Jelly Belly beans are gluten-free, dairy-free, gelatin-free, vegetarian and OU Kosher.” This includes licorice-flavored gluten-free Jelly Belly jelly beans (in most cases, licorice candy contains wheat).
However, other Jelly Belly candies, including Chocolate Malt Balls, Chocolate Bridge Mix, Licorice Bridge Mix, Black Licorice Buttons and Licorice Pastels, are NOT gluten-free.
Contact Jelly Belly at 800-522-3267
Necco probably is best known for its small sugar Valentine heart candies – the pastel-colored ones that say “Be Mine” and “True Love” – but my daughter’s candy stash often turns up a few Necco products every Halloween.
According to Necco, the following products do not contain gluten from wheat, rye, oats or barley:
- Necco Wafers
- Mary Janes
- Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses
- Sweethearts Conversation Hearts (available for Valentine’s Day only)
- Canada Mint & Wintergreen Lozenges
- Haviland Thin Mints
- Candy Stix
- Clark Bars
- Skybars
- Haviland Peppermint & Wintergreen Patties
- Necco Candy Eggs (available at Easter only)
- Talking Pumpkins (available at Halloween only)
- Squirrel Nut Caramels
- Squirrel Nut Zippers
- Banana Split
- Mint Julep Chews
- ULTRAMINTS
Contact Necco at 781-485-4800
Peeps marshmallow treats, made by Just Born, used to appear only at Easter, but in recent years we’ve seen Halloween Peeps shaped like pumpkins and ghosts.
According to Just Born, as of October 2011 all the company’s marshmallow candies that are safe from cross-contamination will state “gluten-free” on the package by the ingredients listing. The company also makes Mike and Ike Candies.
According to Just Born, the following candies are gluten-free:
- Mike and Ike Berry Blast
- Mike and Ike Italian Ice
- Mike and Ike Jolly Joes
- Mike and Ike Lemonade Blends
- Mike and Ike Original Fruits
- Mike and Ike Redrageous
- Mike and Ike Tangy Twister
- Mike and Ike Tropical Typhoon
- Mike and Ike Zours
- Mike and Ike Jelly Beans
- Mike and Ike Hot Tamales
- Goldenberg’s Vintage Peanut Chews
Contact Just Born at 888-645-3453
The taping of the pilot about eating out with allergies scheduled today, June 20, 2011, has been postponed because it will either be raining or pouring all day in Denver. Rain and expensive audio and video equipment and outside shots capturing restaurant exteriors with pretty hair and makeup do not mix!
Ironically, the launch of the National Gluten Free Food Bank Movement was postponed because of a branch breaking blizzard. Originally, 23 people we scheduled to attend. There were 63 people at the rescheduled event. The media who attended the rescheduled event generated more than 100 stories about the Movement! So, I’m not concerned about a little rain!
Stay tuned for details about the rescheduled events. They are likely to occur this week! Now back to bed for me!
