MNBeth

I don't know Toronto - only been there once, and that was pre gluten-free.

Generally, though, higher end restaurants are much better at accommodating special diets than cheaper chain restaurants. Fine restaurants have highly experienced chefs who create their own menus and *know what's in the food.* I'd be surprised if you had trouble with a fine dining experience.

Wish I could help with specifics. The only restaurant name I even remember from our trip is "Fred's Not Here." Besides the memorable name, it was a memorable meal, but both spicy and pasta, and I have zero memory of what other kinds of dishes they serve.

We have one. All five extended family households also have them. I tend to come across a home w/o a dishwasher only rarely.

Sorry...what about packing extra clothes and wipes and sanitary pads...you never know?!?!

...and a few Ziplock bags and hope I won't need any of it!! Thanks.

(This makes me feel waaaay older than 41.)

I am definitely planning on bringing my own food. I'll have access to a P.F.Chang's and a Chik-fil-A a lot of the time, but I'm that's all I'm sure about so far. Still need to call the dinner theater, but I can watch the show w/o eating if they don't seem to get it. Otherwise, I'll be eating pretty weird all week, but I can live with that.

(Yes, I know I can't opt out; just had that "this isn't what I signed up for" feeling.)

So here's the story. My 15 yo daughter has been wanting to go to Olive Garden, just to see what it's like. We don't usually go because my son and I are both celiac, and there aren't really options that would appeal to him. So today it was just my daughter and I, and we were sort of celebrating her birthday, so I took her there for lunch. I just had the garden salad, explained about the need for clean mixing bowls and all, and the server even decided on her own that the since the croutons were kept right next to the dressing container, she'd use dressing from packets for me instead.

Then, about an hour later I was walking into Target and, forgive me, thought I'd discreetly let slip a little gas. But it wasn't gas. I was completely stunned, mortified, and panicked! I hadn't felt the least bit sick, and had no idea that was coming.

Fortunately it wasn't much, I was fairly close to the bathroom, and I was able, then, to get home w/o further disasters and w/o anybody knowing. But YUUUUUUCK!

This doesn't usually happen to me, and even now I'm not entirely sure it's gluten. I still don't feel sick. (Just totally paranoid!) I'm sure I'm not done w/ the D, but I just feel rumbly, not ill.

It's maddening not knowing what's happening, whether it's gluten, or, if it is, how the next glutening is going to manifest itself. I've only been gluten-free about a year, and I feel like my reactions are less predictable than ever. I'm supposed to go on a 5-day school trip with my daughter in a couple of weeks, and I'd like to think I could get through the 12 hour bus ride w/o this kind of thing happening!

Sorry; just needed to say it, and who else am I gonna say that kind of thing to?!

Thanks for listening!

Thanks, Carla; that's helpful. I wish I could count on having a 'fridge in my room, but I have no control over the reservation process, and the odds aren't good.

Hi All,

Later this month I'll be attending the National FFA Convention with my daughter at the Indianapolis Convention Center. We'll be staying at the Clarion Inn nearby, and will not have a car. Does anyone know where I can safely eat around there? I have a feeling I'm going to be hungry a lot. (Of course I'll bring some food, but I don't think I'll have a 'fridge, and one can only eat so many Lara Bars.)

What's the best way to store ginger?

Believe it or not, loose in the crisper drawer in the 'fridge. (This according to Cooks Illustrated trials.)

Ginger can also be stored in the freezer and grated as needed w/o thawing - especially if you have a Microplane. You can peel it, but you don't have to.

Love, love, love this kind of thing! Thanks for the recipe!

Well, I've been eating them, too, and I feel confident that they're all right. The e-mail response I got from TJ's, though, was not encouraging:

"Our Trader Joe's neighborhood stores have a lot more Gluten Free

products then are just on the list. We are unable to place all of our

Gluten Free products on the list do to the amount of products we carry

and we are constantly shifting products when discontinuing and adding

new. If there are no wheat derivatives in the product then it's Gluten

Free. The Trader Joe's Uncrystallized Candied Ginger is Gluten Free."

If they think that no wheat = gluten free, we have a problem. (Not necessarily w/the crystallized ginger, but w/their whole gluten-free identification process.)

I tried to reply, but the "from" address is apparently one that cannot receive incoming e-mail. Not very consumer friendly, if you ask me.

Okay, this is all making my head spin a bit, and I don't have a strong opinion one way or another. But I seem to recall reading lots of testimonies from people who tested negative for celiac at one point, then tested positive later. That's what really makes me wonder...

I was at TJ's today and felt like trying some. It's not on their gluten-free (or "No Gluten Ingredients") list, but they say that list is a sampling - not comprehensive. The only ingredients are ginger and sugar. They're made in Thailand, apparently.

Anyone eaten them before?

I've actually been thinking about this a little. (Not doing anything about it - just thinking.) Seems like rice and dry beans would be good things to stock up on. Cheap, long shelf life, little space, and they make a complete protein together. Now to teach myself how to prepare dry beans and my family to eat them!

I have Banh Trang brand here that I am using... it's about 8" across.

I know I'm well behind the 8-ball, here, but I thought I'd mention - Banh Trang is Vietnamese for rice paper; it's not a brand. I would guess that there would be many brands, therefore, that say that. The ones I picked up this morning say BANH TRANG across the top, and Double Parrot (the brand name, I think) over on the left side. I've been checking archives this morning to make sure they're safe. :-)

Do you mean I really have to give up Starbucks when I go gluten free?? I'm still waiting for the endoscopy, but I know I have gluten sensitivity.

Well, I wouldn't think plain coffee would be a problem, but blender drinks would be hard to trust, as the blenders get used for gluten ingredients. As far as steamed or frothed drinks, I'd think they'd be okay, too, unless you have soy or dairy issues.

And, yes, I can hardly hold my head up when I've been glutened.

We've been to the Red Robin in Shoreview, MN, 3-4 times, now. Every time before this, the manager has checked and assured us that nothing but fries has been in the relevant fryer. This time, the manager present also said that, but added that the fryer was right next to the other fryers, and that they couldn't guarantee that crumbs from the other fryer baskets might not drop into the fries fryer. I totally appreciated her very thorough honesty - it's the first time anyone's mentioned that. But what a bummer! Even though we haven't gotten sick there before, I don't feel safe eating their fries any more. :-( It had been our go-to place for a fries fix, so I'm sorry to lose the option.

Never thought I'd be looking at buying a deep fryer, but I think I'm headed in that direction.

(I don't get the seasoning thing, either. Looks gluten-free, but we've steered clear to be safe.)

Paternal grandmother - probably undiagnosed DH

Father - biopsy diagnosed celiac

Cousin (paternal) - DH/celiac

Cousin (paternal) - self diagnosed GI

Cousin (paternal) - Juvenile diabetic

(That's all my paternal cousins!)

Sister, sister's daughter, self and son GI via Enterolab

Other 4 siblings and our 26 other respective children not yet tested...

Raising Our Celiac Kids. R.O.C.K.

They're local support groups. If you're interested, just Google it to see if you have a group in your area.

I read on another post of the R.O.C.K.S group? What/who exactly is it? being very new to this, I want all the info I can get my paws on.

Thanks

Amanda

Just ordered Deep Tan foundation in original glo (hope it's not too dark for me), Everyday Bronzer, Start to Finish Sunlight, Lavender concealer, and the new foundation brush...We'll see what happens!!!!

I think they're using "tan" to refer to far too broad a range of colors. I ordered Deep Tan for my biracial daughter to wear as a concealer, and it's way too dark for her. So then I ordered Intensive Tan Concealer, and it's so light I can almost wear it, and I'm pretty fair; things like Fair Medium and MultiTasking work for me. It's not very helpful to have two such wildly different tones both called "Tan." Tacking the word "Deep" onto one of them doesn't suggest the vast degree of difference there between the two colors.

Fig girl, I also love the Wildflowers eye shadow. I don't wear a lot of eye makeup, but have been using it wet as a liner and really like it. Haven't tried Bundled Up, though.

Sounds great, Amy, but my search on Cooking Light didn't find anything. Help?

First of all - good for you for coming here and asking questions! This business of keeping gluten free can be complicated, and there is little that can be taken for granted. There's a lot to learn.

That said, I would also point out that Day 2 is very, very early in the recovery process. Many people do not begin to feel better right away. I felt worse for a few weeks - then began to feel better. It may be too early in the process for you to be able to nail down what's bothering you very easily.

I would recommend keeping your diet as simple and natural as you are able in these first days and weeks. Try to keep away from things like Quaker and Frito Lay products (Stax excepted), which some say they eat w/o problems and others say they react to due to cross contamination during processing. Stick with things that are more broadly acknowleged to be safe. Get yourself stable first, and then when you try new things, one at a time, it will be far easier to pinpoint trigger foods.

And definitely get your food supply and kitchenware sorted out, so you can be sure you're not getting contamination from your previous gluteny life.

And try to be patient with the process, which is the hardest part for many of us!

... My favorite restaurant by far is Mamma's fish house. It is on the expensive side but the food is awesome and they are so wonderful at acommodating gluten free!

It's been a year and a half since I was at Mama's for dinner, and I'm still sighing with pleasure at the memory. My, that was an amazing meal! That was pre gluten-free for me, but everything they made was wonderful, and I'm sure they come up with very memorable meals either way. It is pricey, though. We almost never eat in expensive restaurants, and we were treated by DH's boss on this occasion, but I'd pay to eat there if I had the chance again.

They have a website: www:mamasfishhouse.com

I think that peanut kiss story turned out to be wrong (unless there were multiple cases). I found this story online:

Open Original Shared Link

Boy, thanks for sharing that!! I never heard the follow up. But I especially appreciated this part:

"A recent study shows at the end of an hour, there is no allergen left in the saliva."

Good news!!

Seems to me there was a story last year about a college girl w/a peanut allergy who died when her boyfriend, who had eaten a peanut butter cup or something earlier, kissed her. (Poor kids!!)

My husband still eats gluten, usually away from home, and I must admit I'm wondering whether the toothbrushing/rinsing/facewashing is enough to keep me safe.

I completely agree that a person wouldn't get a gluten reaction from touching flour.

On the other hand, I don't feel the detractors have sufficiently negated the argument that a person can be glutened by ingesting airborne flour. That is a separate argument, separate also from "smelling wheaty things."

I was a bread baker before I had to go gluten free, and was always cleaning flour off everything in my kitchen. I am not talking about things I touched with floured hands, but EVERYTHING in the kitchen. It got on everything because some of it always became airborne and travelled throughout the room. It seems to me, then, not at all unreasonable to think that those airborne particles could as easily enter my mouth while I'm breathing or talking as they could get onto everything else.

After I went gluten-free, I cleaned up my flour mill to give to a friend. I was hyper cautious about handling it, and washed my hands very thoroughly afterward - brushing out fingernails, the whole works. I was still sick for a week afterward. Of course I can't prove that cleaning the mill did it, but neither have I heard an argument that convinces me that airborne flour cannot have been the culprit.