Earlier this month, I mentioned in my review of Mi-Del cookies that I give my kids’ teachers a small care package of gluten-free snacks at the beginning of the year for them to store in the classroom for my kids. These are not meant to be the snacks that my kids get to eat everyday. (I send my kids to school each day with gluten-free snacks and lunch.) The snacks in this care package are there for backup reasons because sometimes snacks and treats are offered in the classroom that aren’t gluten-free. And having these in the classroom makes sure that my kids are not left out of any last-minute activities involving gluten. For example:

• Probably the most common situation: A classmate brings in cupcakes, cookies, or treats to share with the class for their birthday. My son chooses a package of cookies out of his gluten-free package.
• The class earns a reward (popcorn) for good behavior or reaching a class goal, but the teacher isn’t sure if it’s gluten-free. My son gets a bag of popcorn or chips out of the gluten-free package.
• The teacher creates a project that involves building something with pretzels or crackers, but forgets to tell us in advance. My daughter gets out her gluten-free pretzels or crackers to use instead.
• My daughter’s snack or lunch didn’t make it to school and the cafeteria doesn’t offer anything gluten-free. My daughter can eat from her GF care package if I’m unable to bring it to school.
• It is perhaps unlikely, but should an emergency situation arise and the school is on lock-down, I know my kids will have something they can eat without getting sick.

What’s in a Gluten-Free Care Package? I like to choose self-contained, single-serve, small packages of gluten-free items that won’t spoil in the teacher’s cabinet or desk. I also try to present it to the teacher in a small container that is easy for them to store. A large zip-style bag, or medium size plastic container clearly labeled Gluten-Free for my son or daughter seems to work well. Here are some items that we have used for this purpose:

Sweet Treats:

• Midel, S’mores cookies
• Pamela’s 2-Count Cookie Packs: Chocolate Chunk Pecan Shortbread and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
• Pebbles Treats Fruity Pebbles variety and Cocoa Pebbles variety
• Schar Chocolate Hazelnut Bars
• Schar Sandwich Creme Cookies (2 cookies in each package) Vanilla Creme variety and Chocolate Creme variety
• Surf Sweets Gummy Bear Snack Packs

Salty Snacks:

• Ener-G Foods Pretzel Rings
• FoodShouldTasteGood  Multigrain Tortilla Chips
• Glutino Pretzel Twists Snack Packs
• Pirate’s Booty
• Schar Gluten Free Snack Crackers These come in a box of 6 individual packs. Each pack contains 8 crackers.
• Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn (Be careful! We have not experienced any problems with this product, however it is not guaranteed gluten-free. According to Frito-Lay, there are no gluten ingredients in this product. Unfortunately, they do no currently test these for traces of gluten.)

Fruit Snacks:

• Annie’s Homegrown Bunny Fruit Snacks
• Ocean Spray Craisins 100-calorie Packs
• Simply Fruit Fruit Rollups

Rice, Granola, or Energy Bars:

• Bakery On Main Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
• Can Do Kid Bars
• EnviroKidz Peanut Choco Drizzle Crispy Rice Bars

Communicate with the teacher! It’s been my experience that most teachers are familiar and comfortable with this arrangement. However, I  strongly suggest that you discuss it with the teacher before sending a small care package of food to school. This may not work in all classrooms or for all teachers. Along with the package of food that I provide to the teacher, I like to attach a brief note to remind the teacher what it is for, and to please let me know if at any time during the year it needs to be replenished.

Make it easy on yourself. Our family is fortunate to live in an area with gluten-free snack items available at our grocery stores. If this isn’t the case for you, you can order some items online. A single box of the Schar sandwich cookies with your student’s name clearly written on it would do the trick. Or, perhaps a small bag of your child’s favorite candy would work for you.

More occasions to use a gluten-free care package. All of these items would also be great gluten-free additions for a gluten-free lunch, a gift to send to college students, and for a travel pack.

Do you do something similar? Please feel free to add any other ideas in the comments.

Congratulations to

Thanks for entering the giveaway. Your MI-DEL cookie coupon is in the mail!

We have a little more than three weeks before my kids head back to school this year. So, thoughts of packing snacks and lunches for my kids is on my mind. I’d like to tell you that I only make homemade gluten-free cookies and snacks for my kids. But the truth is I also purchase gluten-free snack products at the stores. Sometimes we just need something quick and easy.

Mi-Del sent me some coupons to review their gluten-free cookies. Mi-Del gluten-free cookies are not new to my family. In fact, Mi-Del’s Arrowroot Animal Cookies were the first gluten-free cookies I purchased when my son, a toddler at the time, was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. With no gluten-free goldfish or graham crackers to eat, we used these arrowroot cookies for snacks on a regular basis. Then, after moving to a new state, we couldn’t find them in the stores near our house, and so we adjusted to other cookies and brands.

Last year, we found something new from Mi-Del: We found this cute little box of individual packs of S’mores Cookies. We love these! The box contains five individual 90-calorie packages of little bite-size cookies. They are chocolatey and crunchy with a little marshmallow flavor baked in, too. It’s really nice to have some snacks that you can just grab and go, but it’s even better for having shelf-stable treats that the kids’ teachers can store in their classrooms for unexpected needs. (Unexpected classmate birthday celebrations and class food projects that aren’t gluten-free do come up during the year.)

Since Mi-Del sent us some coupons, the kids and I went looking for some different Mi-Del cookies to try. We wanted to try the Chocolate Caramel and the Chocolate Sandwich cookie varieties listed on the Mi-Del website, but never found them in our local stores. We did, however, find the Pecan Flavored Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Ginger Snaps. And the kids were happy to be the taste testers.

My son’s favorite was the Pecan flavored cookies. This was my first time trying Mi-Del’s Pecan flavored cookies, and my first thought about them was that they reminded me of vanilla wafers. They certainly aren’t the same as Nilla® Wafers (which aren’t gluten-free), but if you are looking for a gluten-free substitute, I suggest you give these a try. They are about the same size, but perhaps not as crisp, and a little darker in color with a mild taste of pecans and molasses.  They make great cookie sandwiches. Just add some peanut butter, frosting, or ice cream between two of them.

I knew that my daughter’s favorite would be the Chocolate Chip Cookies. Like me, she is a lover of all that is chocolate. Honestly, these are not my favorite chocolate chip cookies, but we do buy them on occasion. I prefer to make my own chewy chocolate chip cookies.

And what about the Ginger Snaps? Well, Mi-Del makes really good ginger snaps. My nieces and sister-in-law (who don’t follow a gluten-free diet) love them. I think the flavor is a little too strong for my two cookie eaters’ sensitive taste buds. I personally think these, as well as their Cinnamon Snaps, are great for making crusts for pies, tarts, and cheesecakes. Just crush them up and use them in your favorite recipes.

Allergens and Ingredients. Mi-Del states that their “Gluten-Free products are routinely tested using the ELISA method to ensure gluten-free status as determined by the World Health Organization.” I know many Celiac Family readers are also sensitive to other grains and allergens, so you may be interested to know that the gluten-free flour used for these cookies is a mixture of corn flour, soy flour, potato flour, rice flour, corn starch, potato starch and xanthan gum. The Chocolate Chip and Pecan Flavored cookies also contain egg and milk. The Ginger Snaps contain egg, but have no dairy ingredients listed.

My final thoughts on the cookies. These small cookies are perfect for snacks. They aren’t chewy nor too crispy, but somewhere in between with a tender crumb. They don’t break too easily, so you can pack them in lunches without getting a lot of broken pieces. And the price is reasonable for purchasing gluten-free cookies in the stores. The S’mores bite-size cookies are a little more pricey because of the extra packaging. If you are not familiar with Mi-Del cookies, please be aware that Mi-Del does make cookies that are not gluten free. So, make sure you are purchasing the cookies that are clearly marked “Gluten-Free” on the packaging!

This giveaway is now closed.

FREE Cookies Giveaway. So, now that I’ve told you what my family thinks of them, what do you you think? Do you want to try them yourself? Mi-Del gave me some coupons to offer to Celiac Family readers. Each coupon is good for one FREE Mi-Del product. Mi-Del’s website also has a product locator that can tell you where to find their products near you.

• To enter, simply leave a comment below saying which product you would purchase with the coupon. Check out Mi-Del’s gluten-free products on their website to see all the varieties they make gluten free.
• You can receive bonus entries for letting your friends know about the giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog. Just be sure to come back and leave an additional comment below letting us know where you mentioned it.
• Make sure when you’re leaving a comment, that you put your email address in the appropriate box so that I can contact you if you win.

Three Winners will be chosen using a random generator. Each winner will receive one coupon to redeem at your local store for any Mi-Del product up to $4.00. All comments/entries must be received no later than 11:59 pm EDT, Friday Aug. 19. The winner should respond within 48 hours after being contacted by email. If I’m unable to contact a winner, another winner will be chosen. Good Luck!

Have you seen them yet?

I received a couple complimentary boxes of the new Rice Krispies Gluten Free to try this spring. I was excited to try it (partially because it’s always nice to get free gluten-free food in the mail), but I didn’t really think eating it would give me too much thrill. I mean it’s just a plain cereal, right? Well, I have to tell you when I heard the familiar “snap, crackle, and pop,” I did get a little excited. Maybe I was just being nostalgic, but it really did take me back to when I used to eat them as a child. You know…before the kids’ cereals all got added sweeteners, artificial colors, and a prize in the box. These were just how I remembered them. Including the fact that you have to eat them quickly or they will get mushy and soggy! So, I am enjoying them again — quickly, with almond milk and a little fruit.

Nutrition. My kids liked it, but weren’t as excited about it as I was. They probably thought it needed a little more sugar. I like the fact that it’s not so high in sugar! (Sugar is listed as less than 1 gram per 1-Cup serving.) More good news on the cereal box: simple ingredients and added vitamins and minerals. I’m not a dietitian or nutritionist, but look at the ingredients: “whole grain brown rice, sugar, contains 2% or less of salt, BHT for freshness.” And remember when the big cereal companies started using flours enriched with all kinds of vitamins and minerals? Well, they added those vitamins and minerals to this cereal, too. Check out the Nutrition Facts label on the Rice Krispies web page for the details. I was also happy to see that it says right on the box that it is produced in a gluten-free facility, so I didn’t have to worry about cross-contamination. (That was on the sample boxes I received. It did not have that statement on the box I purchased in the grocery store. A mistake by Kellogg’s, if you ask me.)

Rice Krispies® Gluten Free Treats®. Since they sent me two boxes, I decided to make Rice Krispies Treats, too. I used Kellogg’s classic recipe with a couple modifications. I’ve made crispy rice treats in the past with other brands of gluten-free crisped rice, but my kids never liked them. This time, they devoured them. I, personally, didn’t notice a big change in taste or texture, but my husband and the kids said they were crispier and better. If you are new to making Rice Krispies Treats, I offer a few tips:

• Always use fresh marshmallows. Old ones take longer to melt, and over-cooked marshmallows get really tough and difficult to stir.
• I prefer to use the mini marshmallows because they melt faster and are easier to work with.
• Instead of buttering or spraying the 9×13 pan, use parchment paper to line the pan.
• If you are adding chocolate chips, freeze them for a couple hours first. They will be less likely to melt while you’re adding them in. Work quickly! I find it easiest to just press the chips on top of the treats after pressing them into the pan.
• You can make these dairy-free. The recipe says not to use any butter substitutes, but I did it anyway using Earth Balance Buttery Vegan Sticks. It worked great. I also used the Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips which are dairy-free.

Where Can You Buy Rice Krispies Gluten Free? There is a product locator on the Kellogg’s website, but it didn’t work for me. I kept checking to see where I could buy the gluten-free Rice Krispies, but it still says it isn’t in my area. However, I did indeed find it at our local Wegman’s. I suspect it’s available at other grocery stores in my area as well. So, check it out at your local grocery store in the regular cereal aisle. And let me know what you think. You can also buy a case of 4 boxes on Amazon, if you can’t find it locally.

I’ve updated the Valentine Candy List. I made some changes to the list, as I did to the Halloween Candy list last October.

How I created my list. First of all, you should know that the category I put the candy in is determined by me, a concerned parent, based on reading the ingredients, allergy statements, and cross-contamination warnings on candy packages I find in the stores in our area. I also review websites for product information and contact companies if necessary. If you see a date after the product, then that is the last date I actually read the label. If there is no date, then I reviewed and/or updated the information last month. If you see any statements in quotation marks, that means I have taken the wording directly from the packaging. If, while I’m shopping, I read allergy statements that refer to other allergens, I may include them in my list for people avoiding them. But, since I am concerned solely with gluten, I don’t always list all of the allergens. It’s always best if you can check the ingredients of the candy yourself because it can vary if they were packaged or manufactured in different facilities or on different dates. But let’s face it, there is a lot of different candy out there. So, I hope this helps some of you.

I’ve reorganized the Valentine Candy List like the Halloween Candy List. The first, green section is candy that I believe to be safe for people avoiding gluten. I didn’t find any questionable ingredients on the labels, nor did I find cross-contamination warnings. Or, I was able to confirm with the company through their website or emails that the candy is safe. The second section I created is for questionable candies. These are candies that appear to have no gluten in the ingredients. However, I feel uncertain about its gluten status, or the candy packaging may include a statement that warns of possible cross-contamination with gluten. Whatever the case, I have listed the reason for being in this section so you can determine what you are comfortable eating. I personally do not eat any candy unless it is in the safe, green section. The last, red section is for the Unsafe Candy. This is the candy that I would tell anyone on a gluten-free diet to avoid. The packaging labels clearly state that the candy has gluten in the ingredients.

Now, my disclosure statement: I’m not a doctor, nor an expert about candy or gluten. I’m simply someone who has been trying to keep gluten out of my family’s diet for 5+ years. I hope that the information I’ve provided helps other families, too. If you find additions or corrections to make to the list, please put them in the comments so that others may benefit from the information. Thanks. Enjoy your Valentine’s Day Candy!

Gluten-Free (Safe) Candy and Treats

• 3 Musketeers cherry with dark chocolate mini’s
• Andes creme de menthe Valentine Sweet Heart Assortment
• Albert’s Luv Pops, Sweet Swirl Suckers, and Heart Blossoms
• Almond Joy snack size
  
• Animal Planet fruit-flavored lollipops (Jan. 2010)
• Baby Ruth
• Betty Crocker Valentine Fruit by the Foot – “Gluten Free” (Jan. 2010)
• Bottle Caps (Wonka)
• Butterfinger hearts – contains peanuts. “Made on equipment that also processes nuts.”
• Cella’s Cherries, milk chocolate covered cherries
  
• Charms Blow Pops and Valentine Pops
  
• Charms Zip-a-dee mini pops
  
• DeMets Turtles – “Contains pecan, milk and soy ingredients. Made on equipment that also processes other nuts and peanuts.”
  
• Disney Lollipop Rings -Flix Candy (Jan. 2010)
• Disney lollipops packaged with Valentine cards (including Tinkerbell, Cars, and Toy Story characters) The ones I found this year did not have any warning of gluten. Last year’s packages had the following statement: “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, milk, wheat and egg products.”
• Dots (including Valentine Dots)
  
• Dove Heart Promises, including milk chocolate, dark chocolate, dark chocolate and cherry swirl, and caramel candy
• Dum-Dums lollipops “Gluten Free”
• Everlasting Gobstopper Heartbreakers (Wonka)
  
• Florida’s Natural Au’some Sour String, Nuggets, and Stiks
• Fun Dips (Wonka)
• Galerie Candy Jewelry Making Kit (Jan. 2010)
• Galerie Diamond Ring with candy treats (Jan. 2010)
• Galerie Marshmallow Cupcake lollipops
• Ghirardelli chocolate squares, including milk chocolate, dark chocolate, caramel and dark chocolate with raspberry
• Hershey Bliss chocolates including dark chocolate, milk chocolate, milk chocolate with meltaway centers, and milk chocolate with raspberry meltaway centers “Manufactured on the same equipment that processes peanuts and tree nuts.”
• Hershey Kisses (includes milk chocolate, filled with caramel, cherry cordial creme, with almonds, Hugs, Hugs raspberry, and Valentine Card Kits) – These appear to be gluten-free, and my family has never noticed a reaction to eating them. However, I have gotten emails and comments from several people who say they have had reactions from eating them.
• Hot Tamales – “Gluten Free”
• Hershey’s Pot of Gold, including Premium Chocolates, Pecan Caramel Clusters, and Truffles
• Hubba Bubba Max bubble gum, and bubble tape (Jan. 2010)
• iCarly Valentine Candy Card Kit (cards and lollipops)
• Jelly Belly conversation beans
• Jolly Rancher candy (including heart-shaped lollipops)
• Juicee Gummee Baby Bears (Feb. 2009)
• Junior Mints Heart-Shaped
• Laffy Taffy, small and long sticks (Wonka)
• Life Savers hard candy and lollipops, including Candy and Card Valentine Pack
• Life Savers gummy candy (including Gummies, Big Ring Gummies, Candy and Card Valentine Pack)
• The Madelaine Chocolate Company milk chocolate hearts
  
• Market Pantry’s Valentine Fruit Snacks (distributed by Target)
• Marvel lollipops (as found Feb. 2009)
• M&Ms – fun size and mini’s packages, including milk chocolate, dark chocolate, peanuts and peanut butter. (Do not eat the M&M Pretzel variety.)
• Mounds snack size
  
• Palmer foil-wrapped chocolate hearts
• Peeps marshmallow shapes, hearts and I?U, including Vanilla Crème, Raspberry, Dark or Milk Chocolate Covered, and Sugar-Free – “Gluten Free”
• PEZ
• Pixy Stix (Wonka)
• Pop Rocks popping candy (Jan. 2010)
• Reese’s peanut butter cups, snack-size treats, miniatures, and peanut butter hearts (but not the individually, foil-wrapped small hearts)
• Reese’s Pieces
• Skittles, including Candy ‘n Stickers Valentine Exchange Packs – “Gluten Free”
• Smarties Valentine Love Hearts candy rolls “Contains none of the following: gluten (from wheat, barley, oats and rye), milk, egg, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts or soybeans.”
• Snickers fun-size and mini’s
• Starburst, including Fave Reds and Gummibursts – “Gluten-Free”
• Sunny Seed Drops candy chocolate covered sunflower seeds – “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts/nuts.”
• Surf Sweets Gummy candy – “Gluten Free”
  
• Sweetheart Conversation Hearts including chocolate flavored hearts, large hearts, Dazzled Tarts, Twilight Saga New Moon Forbidden Fruits heart packages, and heart bracelet packages (Necco) [The large packages I found looked fine. However, I found some small boxes of these that had cross-contamination warnings.]
• Toblerone
• Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops (including snack bars, and vanilla and cherry fruit rolls)
• Warheads Extreme Sour candy
• York Peppermint Pattie Hearts

Use Caution with the following treats. (May contain traces of gluten.)

• Air Heads “Manufactured in a facility that processes wheat flour.”
• All Brach’s candy I found, including conversation hearts, state “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and/or soy protein.”
• Bubblicious Bites “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, milk, wheat and eggs.”
• Choxie chocolate candy “May contain tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and egg.” (Jan. 2010)
• Disney lollipops packaged with Valentine cards (including Tinkerbell, Cars, and Toy Story characters) The ones I found this year did not have any warning of gluten. Last year’s packages had the following statement: “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, milk, wheat and egg products.”
• Dove milk chocolate Rose on a stick – no gluten listed in ingredients; however, it does state “Allergy Information: May contain peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat.”
• Dove dark chocolate raspberry Truffle Hearts – no gluten listed in ingredients; however, it does state “Allergy Information: May contain peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, and eggs.”
• Godiva chocolates including the Gems – All Godiva packaged products I have found, as well as the chocolates displayed in their stores, have a warning: “May contain tree nuts, peanuts and wheat.”
• Guylian chocolates – “May contain traces of nuts and gluten.”
• Hershey’s Hearts Assortment, including milk chocolate, special dark, and extra creamy milk chocolate seem to be gluten-free. However, the Reese’s peanut butter hearts that may be in the same package with these, are NOT gluten-free.
• Hershey Kisses (includes milk chocolate, filled with caramel, cherry cordial creme, with almonds, Hugs, Hugs raspberry, and Valentine Card Kits) – These appear to be gluten-free, and my family has never noticed a reaction to eating them. However, I have gotten emails and comments from several people who say they have had reactions from eating them.
• Hollow Milk Chocolate Bear (http://www.barry-callebaut.com/) “Contains milk and soy. Made in a facility which also processes wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs.”
• Jube Jel Cherry Hearts (Brach’s cinnamon jelly hearts) – “Allergen Information: “Milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and soy may be present in the manufacturing or packaging area.”
• Littlest Pet Shop lollipops “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, milk, wheat (Jan. 2010)
• Love Duck with conversation heart candy (found at Target) “May contain milk, soy, peanut, tree nuts, wheat and egg.” (Jan. 2010)
• Nerds, boxes and ropes (Wonka) “Made in a facility that also processes wheat and egg.”
• Russel Stover chocolates – Every package I found had a cross contamination warning, whether it had gluten or not in the ingredients. “Products have been produced on shared equipment with peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and wheat.”
• Sassy Hearts treat packs (Brach’s) – “Allergen Information: Milk, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, soy and fish may be present in the manufacturing or packaging area.”
• Spongebob Squarepants Heart Shaped Gummy Krabby Patties – “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, wheat and eggs.”
• Spongebob Squarepants lollipops “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, milk, wheat and egg products.” (Jan. 2010)
• Sweetheart Conversation Hearts including chocolate flavored hearts, large hearts, Dazzled Tarts, Twilight Saga New Moon Forbidden Fruits heart packages, and heart bracelet packages (Necco) [The large packages I found looked fine. However, I found some small boxes of these that had cross-contamination warnings.]
• SweeTart Hearts (Wonka) “Made in a facility that also processes egg and wheat.”
• Treat Street Google Critters – “Processed in a facility which also processes milk, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, soy protein, eggs.”
• Whitman’s Chocolates – “Products have been produced on shared equipment with tree nuts, eggs, and wheat.”
• Wonka Valentine Mix Ups – Bottle Caps and Laffy Taffy seem to be gluten-free, however the Nerds in these packages have a cross-contamination statement that states “Made in a facility that also processes wheat and egg.”
• Wild About You Chocolate Decorative Hearts – “Made in a facility which also processes wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and egg.”

Unsafe Candy and Treats (Do not eat the following treats if you cannot tolerate gluten in your diet.)

• Any chocolate candy with crisps is likely to have wheat flour or barley malt, so check carefully.
• Crunch (Nestle) snack-size and hearts contains “barley malt“; “Made on equipment that also processes peanuts, nuts and wheat.”
• Disney Princesses Crispy Chocolaty Hearts contains “malt extract“; “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and wheat.” (Jan. 2010)
• Dora and Diego Crispy Chocolaty Hearts contains “malt extract“; “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and wheat.” (Jan. 2010)
• Ferrero Rocher contains “wheat flour.”
• Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Premium Assorted Chocolates in a heart box – contains “barley malt”
• Harry London assorted chocolates – Contains “wheat flour, gluten”
• Hershey’s Miniatures “Contains malt.”
• Hershey’s Cookies ‘n Crème snack size treats – contains “wheat flour”
• Kit Kat contains “wheat flour“
• Lindt chocolate candy contains “barley malt powder“
• Reese’s peanut butter filled chocolate hearts (this refers only to the small, individually foil-wrapped hearts) Contains “wheat flour.”
• M&M’s pretzel candies contain “wheat flour, malt”
• Spongebob Squarepants Crispy Chocolaty Hearts contains “malt extract“; “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and wheat.”
• SweeTart Hearts Gummies contains “wheat“
• Transformer Crispy Chocolaty Hearts contains “malt extract“; “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and wheat.” (Jan. 2010)
• Twix contains “wheat flour“
• Twizzlers cherry pull ‘n peel candy – contains “wheat flour”
• Whoppers contain “barley malt and wheat flour” and egg products.”

Didn’t find a candy on the list? I can’t possibly be prepared to know the gluten content for every candy my kids might get. When something new comes home with no ingredient label, I go to the Internet and try to look up the manufacturer online. Many will list the ingredients of their products online. But if you can’t find the list of ingredients, be sure to check out their FAQ’s (frequently asked questions) page. I often find that companies will address the gluten-free question there. And, if you’re lucky enough to have a phone number for the company, give them a call. If they can’t answer your question, then don’t eat it. Better safe than sorry, don’t you think?

Try my lists for Halloween Candy or Easter Candy.

We have a winner!

Ten winners were chosen for the giveaway, one at each of the hosting websites. Hannah and the other winners will each receive the wonderful new book “Mommy, What is Celiac Disease?” and the fabulous box of gluten-free goodies. If you didn’t win, you can still purchase a copy of the book today and get it in time for Christmas. 

What Helped You the Most When You Started the Gluten-Free Diet?

Thank you to all the readers who participated in the giveaway. In order to enter the giveaway, I asked readers to tell me about what helped them the most when they first started on the gluten-free diet. Hannah said for her, it was Trader Joe’s gluten free brownies. “With my first bite I said ok I think I can do this. Just knowing I could have that simple treat made it all worth it!”

There were so many good answers that deserved repeating and linking. So, here’s what CeliacFamily readers said helped them the most when getting started on the gluten-free diet. Maybe you’ll find them helpful for you too.

Food Products

• Annie’s Mac ‘n Cheese
• EnviroKidz cereals
• Food for Life’s English Muffins and Brown Rice Tortillas
• Mary’s Gone Crackers
• Quaker Rice Cakes (Check the lables! Not all are considered gluten-free)
• Schar Gluten Free Prodcuts (pasta, cookies, bread, rolls
• Tinkyada Pasta
• UDI’S Bread and Bagels

Gluten-Free Flours and Baking Mixes

• Better Batter Gluten Free Flour – a gluten-free all-purpose flour
• Bisquick Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix
• Betty Crocker Gluten Free Dessert Mixes
• Bob’s Red Mill flours
• Chebe pizza crust and other mixes
• Domata Living Flour
• Gluten Free Pantry Mixes
• Jules Flour Mixes
• Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour
• Pamela’s Baking Mixes and cookies

Gluten-Free Frozen Foods

• Amy’s gluten-free, vegetarian meals
• Cedar Lane meals

Grocery Stores

• Publix
• Trader Joe’s
• Wal-Mart
• Wegmans
• Whole Foods

Online Resources

• Amazon.com for purchasing gluten-free food products online
  
• glutenfree.com for purchasing gluten-free food products online
• General Mills Live Gluten Freely online site
• Gluten-free recipes posted online from various bloggers (Gluten-Free Girl, Gluten-Free Goddess, etc.)
• Savingdinner.com for menu planning

People Support

• Doctors
• Friends and Family
• Local support groups

Books: The G-Free Diet

Explaining Celiac Disease to a child (and even adults!) can be difficult. So, when I was recently introduced to a new children’s book that explains Celiac Disease, I was anxious to read it and see how the author approached this subject with her own child. My son was so young (18 mos) when he was diagnosed, that I didn’t need to tell him a lot about it in the beginning. His knowledge about Celiac Disease has grown gradually, as he got older and was better able to understand it. It gave me time to understand it myself, and think about how to approach the subject with him. By the time my daughter was born, a few months later, we had already switched our household to being completely gluten free.

As my kids got older, we did have conversations (and still do) about Celiac Disease, gluten, and how to deal with school, friends, restaurants, and other outings dealing with food. For us, the acceptance and understanding of being gluten free was a natural process because we dealt with it as new situations were presented to us. My children don’t know any different. We don’t lament over it, we just deal with it as a natural result of our intolerance to gluten. They are not embarrassed or uncomfortable about it. And I’m happy to say that they feel confident enough to tell friends about it and to ask about the gluten content in food before eating it. So, I don’t think that part of being diagnosed has been difficult for us.

I have, however, known other families who were diagnosed when the kids were older. They had already developed favorite foods – favorite gluten foods. Before the diagnosis, they were able to eat any snacks, lunches and treats at any party, event or restaurant without having to question the ingredients. For these kids and their families, I think the transition is more difficult. The parents are often overwhelmed by the experience. They are immediately forced to face it all: explaining it to family members, teachers, friends, cafeteria, restaurants, etc. This new book may be the first step to helping families accept the diagnosis and treatment, and see it as a happy alternative to an otherwise unhealthy life.

“Mommy, What Is Celiac Disease?” by Katie Chalmers is a children’s book that is beautifully illustrated and written as a dialogue between a mother and daughter. And to be honest, at first I was a little uneasy with the dialogue format. I read so many books to my children, that I guess I was expecting a story book. But, instead, I found this book to be a thoughtfully written suggestion of how to introduce and explain Celiac Disease to a child. Perhaps it will help you and your family members better understand Celiac Disease. It includes questions and answers about what Celiac Disease is, what gluten is, what it does to the body, and what that means for the family. As I read the book, I was drawn in by how the mother creatively explains Celiac Disease to her daughter in a language and terminology that a young child can easily understand. I was surprised by the detail that was put into describing the physical effects on the body. But, it is not a medical book. It was all explained in language that is appropriate for young children. And best of all, it is written with a very positive, loving voice that embraces the diagnosis and sees it as an opportunity to thrive.

My final thoughts? I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to explain Celiac Disease to a child 3-10 years. I think it’s probably too detailed for a younger child to understand. However, even if you have younger children, it would be a good book for parents to read. It certainly gives you ideas about how you can continue to explain the disease to them as they get older. Older children may also be interested to read it as a first step to understanding the disease. I feel like it is written for younger children, with analogies to nature and playground equipment. So, older children may not find the references to playground equipment very exciting, but they will be able to relate and easily understand the comparisons.

Buy the book. If you have children, grandchildren, or other young people who are curious about Celiac Disease, you can buy the book at Katie Chalmers’ website. Buy one for yourself, for friends, and maybe one to donate to your school’s library and the public library. It would be an easy way to introduce friends and classmates to Celiac Disease, and hopefully, help them gain a good understanding of what gluten free means. Perhaps it will even impress upon the teachers how important it is for children with Celiac Disease to remain gluten free. It isn’t just a diet of choice. For Celiacs, it is a necessary diet for a healthy life. [I do not get a commission for these sales. I simply think it is a worthy investment for increasing awareness about Celiac Disease.]

Gluten Free Holiday Giveaway x10! Not ready to buy the book? Or, maybe you like the idea of having multiple copies to give to other family members. The author of the book, Katie Chalmers, has put together a fabulous giveaway with fabulous gluten free products. Celiac Family and 9 other blogs will be hosting the same giveaway over the next two weeks. One winner will be chosen from each blog. You may enter the giveaway on each of the blogs to increase your chances of winning, but you can only win once. Several companies that make gluten-free products have donated items for the giveaways. Just take a look at all the good stuff in the giveaway.

Giveaway Goodies. Contents may vary slightly, but each winner can expect to receive the following:

• Signed copy of “Mommy, What is Celiac Disease?”
• Schar 123 Milly PlayMais- dice game & biodegradable natural toy activity brick set
• Schar products: Cheese Bites, Chocolate -or- Vanilla Sandwich Creme Cookies, Hazelnut Wafers
• Pamela’s Products: Single Serve Pancake Mix, Single Serve Brownie Mix, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Cookie two-pack,  Tablespoon/teaspoon measuring spoon, kids sized t-shirt- color will vary
• Nature’s Path: Peanut Butter Panda Puffs & crispy rice bars- flavors will vary, $1 off coupons
• Mary’s Gone Crackers: one of the following: box of cookies -or- crackers -or- Sticks & Twigs
• Snyder’s of Hanover: bag of gluten-free pretzel sticks
• Chebe: pizza crust mix -or- all purpose bread mix
• Bob’s Sweet Stripes: one bag of soft peppermint candy sticks
• Stuffed teddy bear: colors may vary
• Holiday pencils, eraser, holiday notepad & plastic snowman cereal bowl
• Large holiday gift bag & small holiday gift bag & tissue paper- will need to be assembled to give as gift

Where to Enter. Be sure to visit each website below for another chance to win the fabulous prize pack! (But remember, you can only win once.)

Accustomed Chaos – hosted by Devan

Adventures of a GF Mom – hosted by Heidi

Be Free For Me – hosted by Kathleen

Celiac Family – enter below in the comments

Gluten Free Betsy – hosted by Betsy

Gluten Free Easily (gfe) – hosted by Shirley

Gluten Free is Life – hosted by Kim

Gluten Free Philly – hosted by Michael

Gluten Free Taste of Home – hosted by Cinde

Simply Sugar & Gluten Free –  hosted by Amy

Finally – How to Enter the Giveaway!

1. Simply leave a comment on this post telling me about the gluten free product that helped you the most when you first started on the gluten-free diet. (It can be a food, a cookbook, book about Celiac Disease, or maybe even a friend.) Or, if you aren’t on the diet yet, just tell me which of the prizes interests you most.
2. You can receive bonus entries for letting your friends know about the giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog. Just be sure to come back and leave additional comments below letting us know where you mentioned it.
3. Make sure when you’re leaving a comment, that you put your email address in the appropriate box so that I can contact you if you win.
4. The giveaway will run from now until Dec. 15, 2010; 10 pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org. The winner should respond within 24 hours after being contacted by email. If I’m unable to contact the winner, another winner will be chosen. We’d love for the winner to receive the prize before Christmas, so that you can enjoy the goodies during the holiday.
5. Good Luck!

Additional Rules for the Gluten Free Holiday Giveaway Galore x10!

• All 10 of these contests are open to residents of the USA. Only the Accustomed Chaos and Gluten Free Easily contests are also open to Canadian residents.
• All 10 contests begin on Wed. Dec. 1, 2010 and will end on Wed. Dec. 15, 2010 at 10pm EST.
• Entry requirements will vary between bloggers. Please follow their directions to enter.
• Entrants can only win once total within all 10 giveaways. If anyone is chosen more than once as a winner, another winner will be chosen so everyone only wins once.
• One winner per household.
• Winners with valid entries will be selected at random. The winners will be announced and notified via email and must reply within 24 hours to claim. Otherwise, another eligible entry will be chosen, in order that all prizes will arrive before Christmas. So please remember to check your email on Dec.16th.
• If any of the 10 prizes do not arrive before Christmas because of any unforeseen holiday mail rush problems, the USPS, Katie Chalmers and hosting bloggers will not be held accountable.

I don’t usually use these types of drinks. I really would rather eat a nutritious meal. But, I have to admit that this time of year is so busy, I will often go for the quick and easy meals or snacks just so I can fit more activities (like shopping) into my day. For me, this is great for lunches. I can eat breakfast with the kids and dinner with the whole family. But for lunch I’m often on my own, so it’s a perfect time to get things done. Grabbing one of these Orgain drinks and heading out the door is very convenient. It’s much better than grabbing a sugar-filled soda, and more filling than a bottle of water. Since it’s high in protein (16 grams) and low in sugar (13 grams), I know it’s going to keep me going longer, so that after shopping I still have the energy to come home, help the kids with homework, and get a nutritious, home-cooked dinner on the table.

What are these drinks? The Orgain website describes it best as an “organic, ready-to-drink nutritional shake.” They have 255 calories (60 fat calories) and are full of vitamins and minerals. It is comprised of a protein blend, complex carbohydrate blend, vitamin blend, vegetable blend, fruit blend, and an antioxidant blend. The protein blend relies heavily on whey and milk proteins, so this is not for those who have trouble with milk products. It uses brown rice components for the carbohydrate blend. And just look at all the fruits and vegetables that were combined for these drinks: blueberry, banana, acai, apple, raspberry, kale, beet, spinach, carrot, tomato. Pomegranate and green tea extracts were added for antioxidant benefits. I’m impressed by all the organic nutritious ingredients used in these drinks because it just tasted like a thick chocolate milk to me.

How did they taste? They were good. The Creamy Chocolate Fudge was my favorite (no surprise there). It has a nice smooth chocolate taste, with just a slight grainy texture at the end. (I guess I didn’t shake it up good enough.) The Sweet Vanilla Bean was even smoother, but my husband and I both agreed the flavor of the chocolate was better. (Oops! We drank up the Creamy Chocolate Fudge before I got a chance to take a picture.) They really were very filling. I have trouble finishing an 8 oz. glass of water in one sitting, so an 11 oz. energy shake was more than sufficient to fill me up.

Will I buy Orgain? Yes, on occasion. However, milk is not always my friend, so I would not drink these on a regular basis. My husband, on the other hand, enjoyed taking these to work. Perhaps the real drawback is the cost. You can buy a case of 12 of these online at Orgain for $42 or at Amazon for $45. I guess $3.50 isn’t too much to pay for a meal, but still seems like a lot to add to the grocery bill. I will buy ours at Wegmans, where I can get them for $2.89 each. If you’re interested, you may want to check Orgain’s website for other local retailers, so you don’t have to worry about shipping.

• Several different varieties of pancakes were mentioned – apple, banana, blueberry, chocolate chip, peanut butter, pumpkin
• Cheese Balls – Sausage Cheese and Cheese Garlic varieties
• Chicken and Dumplings
• Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake
• Hearty Chicken Pot Pie
• Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie
• and so many more….

The winner of the Bisquick Pancake Prize Pack, who was chosen by Random.org, is Gretchen (comment #116). I love that Gretchen was thinking about making gluten-free Russian Tea Cakes for her mother-in-law. Bisquick Gluten-Free is a great product for people who want to bake gluten free for friends and family. But, as a precaution, please be careful to avoid any cross-contamination if you are baking in a kitchen that also uses any gluten-containing ingredients. I would recommend using parchment paper for lining baking sheets and pans. For mixing, I would also recommend using metal spoons and glass bowls that have been thoroughly scrubbed of any possible traces of gluten.

Other Giveaways. I wish I could send samples to everyone who entered, but of course I can’t. You can however, enter another contest. But enter quick as these two are expiring soon!

• Linda at The Gluten-Free Homemaker is hosting a giveaway of General Mills gluten-free products through Nov. 14, 2010. Be sure to check out her post for all the details.
• Jenny at Gluten Free Birmingham is also hosting a giveaway of General Mills gluten-free products through Nov. 14, 2010.

Happy Halloween!

I had seen the new Bisquick Gluten Free Pancake and Baking Mix at the grocery stores, but didn’t buy a box. I checked the price ($4.49 at my grocery store), the size of the box (16 oz.), and decided to wait until I needed a gluten-free baking mix. (I usually keep my pantry stocked with Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix.) Then, I received an email offering me a free sample of the Gluten-Free Bisquick mailed to me with a fun prize pack from Bisquick. I was happy to try the baking mix, but was impressed with the prize pack that came with it, too.The cast iron Swedish pancake pan looked interesting, but I haven’t actually tried it yet.

Instead we had fun making a variety of fun shapes with the Tovolo Pancake Pen. This is a great kitchen gadget for letting the kids join in on the fun. It really makes it so easy to create any shape you want. Since it was close to Halloween, we decided to make fun jack-o-lanterns. We used chocolate chips on some and cut bacon pieces for others. It was an instant hit! My husband got in on the act, too, and made ghosts, spiders, letters, etc. I can’t tell you how many pancakes it made because they were all so oddly sized and shaped. I made a double batch using 2 cups of the mix, and it was enough to feed my family of four.

The Bisquick is certainly different from the usual mix we use, as you would expect just by looking at the ingredients [Rice Flour, Sugar, Leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate), Modified Potato Starch, Salt, Xanthan Gum. May Contain Soy Ingredients.]. The Bisquick is sweeter and has a finer texture. My kids were so excited about the shapes, they didn’t even seem to notice a difference in taste. The one drawback of the Bisquick pancakes is that it didn’t seem to brown very easily. We increased the temperature on our electric skillet to 400° F and it still took a while for it to turn golden brown. My husband did find that using butter to grease the skillet helped with the taste and browning.

Would I buy the product? Probably on occasion. Bisquick is easy to use and tastes good. My only hesitation is the price. I might overlook the price if I felt that it had better nutritional quality or better taste than other options. No matter what, it’s nice to know there are numerous options for gluten-free baking mixes. I’ll probably buy some more so I can try some of the recipes they have on the Bisquick Gluten Free website. I found a couple that would be nice for the holidays: Mushroom-Pecan appetizers and Russian Tea Cakes for dessert.

Giveaway. So how about you? Have you tried the new Bisquick Gluten Free? Would you like to try it? Bisquick has offered to give away the same sample prize pack I received to one eligible CeliacFamily.com reader (legal residents of the US who are 18 years or older). The prize pack includes a 16 oz. box of Bisquick Gluten Free, a Pancake Pen, a cast iron Swedish pancake pan, and a silicone spatula.

How to Enter.

• Leave a comment letting me know what you’d like to try making with the gluten-free Bisquick. Check out the recipes on their website, if you need ideas.
• You can receive bonus entries for letting your friends know about the giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog. Just be sure to come back and leave an additional comment below letting us know where you mentioned it.
• Make sure when you’re leaving a comment, that you put your email address in the appropriate box so that I can contact you if you win.

The giveaway will run from now until Nov. 10, 2010; 10 pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org. The winner should respond within 48 hours after being contacted by email. If I’m unable to contact the winner, another winner will be chosen. We’d love for the winner to receive the prize before Thanksgiving, so it can be used to make breakfast for guests, appetizers, or biscuits for Thanksgiving dinner.

Find more product reviews of Bisquick Gluten Free online:

• Linda at The Gluten-Free Homemaker tried out the pancakes on the cast iron skillet.
• Kim at Gluten Free Is Life made delicious-looking Blueberry Scones with the Bisquick, yogurt and blueberries.
• Heidi at Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom modified the mix by adding shortening and made a variety of exciting recipes, including Strawberry Shortcake, Coffee Cake, and Chicken Nuggets.