Don’t let the Celiac News Pass Me By

Wow things have been crazy-busy here!  Besides organizing the Twin Cities Walk-Run for Celiac Disease, which benefits the University of Maryland Baltimore’s Center for Celiac Research, I also work as the communications director for a non-profit that organizes amateur running and multi-sport events.

So my organization put on the Minneapolis Marathon, Sunday June 6th — yes, three weeks and one day after the celiac walk.  Several gray hairs, tension headaches, smiles, tears, hugs, and food permits later– both events are done, WHEW! I have been trying hard to keep up on the news while I was “away”..so what did I miss?

Gluten Intolerance Group comes to Minnesota

YUP….it had to be on the same weekend as the marathon and I couldn’t go to the conference that was literally 35 minutes away from my house.    Just bad luck.  I’m not complaining, but it really would have been wonderful to go.  I would have gone “whole hog” and purchased the two day conference, but alas I could not.   However they did do a food expo and the public could attend and a much-reduced rate.  That’s what my brother did.  He was nice enough to drop off some samples and information packets for me.

Of the information he gave me, there is a wave of companies looking to take the gluten-free shopping/cooking burden off of us: Glutenfree.com; and Gourmet Gluten-Free Cuisine were there.  Glutenfree.com appears to be a place to shop for gluten-free foods.  Gourmet Gluten-Free Cuisine has freeze dried/dehydrated gluten free soups, potatoes, entrees and breakfast items.  While I’m not sure how they taste (I am hoping to change that and see if I can do a review with some samples), at first glance it sure seems handy for going to summer camp, or even camping out, or anything where cross contamination is an issue.  Just add boiling water and serve.  Its nice to have the option.

I also saw a flyer for Bready the “Automatic Gluten-Free Baking System”.  Instead of calling it a bread machine it’s called a “Robot”.  And it sounds like you have to use their mixes which are in a bag.  The website touts it makes bread “…without mixing, mess, or a scavenger hunt for hard-to-find ingredients….Just pop in a mix bag, add liquid and yeast, and press start; Bready does the rest.”  Now that’s commitment — not only do you buy the machine, but it seems as though you’re a lifer on mixes too.  Interesting concept maybe for someone who doesn’t have a gluten-free house but occasionally hosts gluten-free people at their house.

A new company, Rudi’s Gluten Free Bakery, is launching soon.  I don’t know much about them, but I did see they were at the big National Restaurant Association conference/Expo last month.  It will be interesting to see what they offer.

Sorry I wasn’t there to report on the big conference, I hope this information is helpful.  Thanks to my big bro and sister-in-law for driving out of their way to drop off the information on their way out of town!

Oh No He Didn’t!

As if it weren’t bad enough that Paul Seelig allegedly purchased regular bread and rebranded and labeled it gluten-free — for which he faces criminal charges, now he has apparently implicated an innocent man in a high-profile murder case.

According to the News Observer,  prosecutors brought the revelations to the judge  at the most recent court appearance.

“‘He implicated a completely innocent person in a crime of homicide?’ Wake Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens asked a prosecutor Monday. Yes, said Jason Waller, an assistant district attorney. DNA in the Taft case, Waller said, proved ‘the information Mr. Seelig provided was completely false.'”

Prosecutors say he wanted his charges reduced or the case dropped all together in exchange for the information.

How weird can this case get?  I’ll tell you I never expected to be discussing a murder case on my celiac and gluten-free friendly website!!

Now that I’m back… keep watching for some more frequent postings!

Tags: celiac, conference, expo, food, gluten-free, Paul Seelig