Gluten Free Fayetteville

Nominate your favorite gluten-free restaurant in Fayetteville

2012-02-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

Gluten-free fans,

2012's Greatest Around Fayetteville Contest which recognizes people, places and businesses in Fayetteville, has a Best Gluten Free Menu category.

This is our chance to recognize restaurants in Fayetteville that cater to gluten-free customers. The website is www.greatestaroundfayetteville.com and nominees must get at least 25 nominations in order to make it to the voting phase. Each category needs at least 5 nominees to make it into the voting phase.

Thanks!

Also, check out this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/garbanzo-bean-chocolate-cake-gluten-free/detail.aspx

Make your own gluten-free pizza ... sort of

2011-12-30T17:37:00.000-08:00

I will admit to everyone I am not a great cook. I can microwave and open cans very well so I have been able to survive so far.

A friend of my mother's gave me a gluten-free pizza kit made by Gallo Lea. The package touted "make a pizza in 30 minutes." Obviously they didn't mean me.

The directions were simple enough, however my technique with dough was abysmal.

After trying to spread quicksand-consistency dough on oily parchment paper for thirty minutes, I finally made a very lopsided pie on the parchment. The dough stuck more to my fingers than onto the parchment. A spoon will help make the edges thicker.

I baked it for 5 minutes, took it out of the oven and precariously peeled it off the parchment. Spatulas are very good for this type of technique.

My pizza now needed sauce and toppings. I thought I'd make it pretty simple and add some mozzarella cheese. (It comes with a pretty good sauce.)

After more baking (5-8 minutes), it sure didn't look pretty but it was rather tasty. My partner Chris thought the dough tasted a bit like refried beans but agreed it wasn't half bad.

I don't think you can get this in Fayetteville but they have a website: http://www.gallolea.com/

May you have better luck than I.

Until then, Bon Appetit!

taste of home, healthy cooking

2011-12-16T15:18:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have the experience where you never noticed something ever in your life. Then a friend mentions it, and it is practically jumping out at you? Before I was told I had celibacy, the word gluten was rarely in my word, now all the sudden I find people all around me me being diagnosed. The good news was all the research I had done was being put to use, the bad news was people were being diagnosed with celiac. I knew the challenges they would face, it could be worse, but, it is complicated. Anyway, I was looking through my last issue of Taste of Home and found two recipes gluten free. One is sugarplums, how awesome is that? The other is for almond cookies. Yum. Neither had a million ingredients or complicated directions. If you are interested, it is the December January issue. I plan on trying these out for my holiday baking. Its so hard trying to do gluten free and also be in other kitchens, our church women are getting together to bake together for fun, and I don't know how this will work. We shall see.

Gluten-free beer at Food Lion? Maybe...

2011-11-28T16:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, there is gluten-free beer and it is pretty good!

I asked the manager at Food Lion on Skibo Road if they could carry Redbridge Beer. It's made by Anheuser Busch. Same folks that make Budweiser, Michelob, Becks, etc. I'm hoping it's not too hard to get it at Food Lion because that would be awesome!!!

Harris Teeter does carry it in a six-pack for about $8 to $9.

Other brands to look for (not in Fayetteville, just yet...) are New Grist and Bard's. Wholefoods in Raleigh carries it.

By the way, if you like beer with your pizza, you can get a gluten-free pizza with any gluten-free topping at Mellow Mushroom on McPherson Church Road ... with a cold Redbridge. It does take a bit longer for the pizza to be made so be prepared to wait a bit. Also, the crust is a little better than the average gluten-free frozen pizza. I wish for the day pizza makers could make a deep dish gluten-free crust. I'm not a big fan of cracker crust BUT it's Pizza!!! with Beer!!! In Fayetteville!!!

Let's hope this blog isn't all about my crazy ramblings. Do you have a favorite place to shop in Fayetteville (or even out of the area) for gluten-free goodies? Please share!

Until next time...

I'm baaaaaaaaack!

2011-11-17T15:22:00.000-08:00

Debbie,

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and posting! It's so nice to see another gluten-free person from the Cumberland County area.
I must apologize. I have been a very bad blogger and hope to contribute more to this blog in the future. So, here goes...
Food Lion has significantly increased its gluten-free offerings, at least in the stores I've been to at at Skibo Road, Fayetteville and Westwood Shopping Center.
I can now find gluten-free cereal, pizza, soy sauce, frozen dinners, doughnuts, soups, cookies, cake mixes and more for a reasonable price. Still holding out for some gluten-free beer. Harris Teeter carries Redbridge (a nice dark brew) for about $8 a six-pack. Harris Teeter also carries more gluten-free items as well as Wal-mart.
By the way, I almost cried when I found the gluten-free soy and teriyaki sauce!
I am not much of a cook but I have discovered crock pot cooking. Throwing vegetables and meats together with some gluten free spices and sauces is rather easy and so tasty, my glutened partner will eat it too!
A Year of Slow Cooking at http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ has tons of recipes with gluten-free substitutes.
I too would love to join a group in the Cumberland County area just so we can talk about all the different challenges we go through living with Celiac Disease or gluten-intolerance. Thanks for letting me post!

Michelle

Greetings from the newest Fayetteville Blogger

2011-09-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

I am really excited to be added to the Gluten Free Fayetteville Blog. I wanted to tell you a bit about myself, aside from what my profile already says.
I have lived in the Fayetteville area for over 20 years. I am a nurse and I do patient education. I am also a huge foodie and love to bake and cook. I was given a confusing diagnosis last November, that i have the gene for Celiac and would benefit from a gluten free diet. It was felt that inflammatory response to gluten may be the source of widespread pain in my joints. So I began to immerse myself into the world of Celiac and gluten free. The people around me, who love and care about me, have been really amazing. My church ordered gluten free wafers for Communion and I have been supported a hundred percent through my work.
I am working towards getting a support group of celiac and gluten free folk here in the area, so if you are interested, drop me a line. It is still very in the ground works, but the number is growing. We just need to get better organized.
I find my gluten free foods at my favorite grocery store, Harris Teeter and also at a grocery store in Hope Mills, Food Lion. That particular Food Lion, while not a large store, has a great variety of items and pretty decent prices.
I bought a ton of recipe books and flours and have been trying my hand at different recipes to see what works and what doesn't work.
If you are embarking on the new world of gluten free, i have a piece of advice for you. Look in your pantry and learn what you eat now that has gluten in it. Replace each item as you use it up with gluten free items, such as Rice Chex for Cheerios, quinoa pasta for regular pasta. Then start looking really closely at hidden sources of gluten and replace it out as you go. Speak up at restaurants and ask for pasta to be kept off your plate and replaced with steamed veggies etc. It can be hard, but with perseverence it can happen!
I would love to hear from other people in the Cumberland county area that are going or are gluten free. Drop me a line!
Take care, Debbie

Fayetteville, NC Bloggers Needed

2010-10-07T07:53:00.000-07:00

Live in Fayetteville, NC?

Live the Gluten Free Lifestyle?

Interested in helping others in your city?

If you have any questions or interest writing about Fayetteville please email me.

Your new Fayetteville host!

2010-06-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I'm Michelle Butzgy and I've been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. That means I have to eliminate wheat and gluten from my diet ... no easy feat in Fayetteville, N.C. I'd like to network with others who stay gluten free and report about where you can find gluten free food without breaking your piggy bank.
I was just diagnosed in March 2010 and have done a lot of reading and researching online. There is hope in Fayetteville. One of my goals is to start a support group in this city. I know there are people who follow the gluten-free diet in town, we just have to meet up and compare notes.
Also, the larger number we become, the more buying power we can show to stores around Fayetteville. I am grateful for what local store Apple Crate has to offer for the community but after traveling to Raleigh and Charlotte, I want more! I want beer! I want soup! I want doughnuts!
Join me on my journey to a healthier lifestyle (mandatory for some) and maybe we'll all learn something.

More to come!
Michelle

North Carolina Governor Declares May Celiac Disease Awareness Month

2010-04-30T05:12:00.001-07:00

Media Release

North Carolina Governor Declares May Celiac Disease Awareness Month

• Triangle residents can participate in a gluten-free food drive at various locations or make a monetary donation to help stock the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina
• Bella Monica Italian Restaurant is hosting a six-course gluten-free dinner prepared by Vanessa Maltin, food and lifestyle editor for Delight Gluten-free Magazine
• A top food allergens poster is available for restaurants to download to educate their staff about these items, including gluten

Raleigh, N.C., USA, April 30, 2010 – The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog has announced Governor Beverly Perdue has declared May 2010 “Celiac Disease Awareness Month” in North Carolina. The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog and Pat Berger, leader of the North Raleigh Celiac Sprue Association (CSA) Support Group brought the petition to the Governor’s office regarding the awareness month.

Celiac Disease is a genetic autoimmune disease that affects one in 133 people in the United States. It interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food and can cause gastrointestinal and neurological issues, infertility, skin rashes and cancer. The only treatment for Celiac Disease is lifelong, strict adherence to a gluten-free diet.

“The Governor’s proclamation paves the way to further educate the community on Celiac Disease and helps to create a positive impact on the quality of life for people living with this condition,” said Zach Becker, creator of the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog. “It’s my goal to help raise awareness so those living with this disease can safely eat out at restaurants and have easier access to gluten-free food.”

In an effort to educate, raise awareness and give back to the community, there are a number of gluten-free events scheduled during the month of May.

• A gluten-free food drive will be held on Saturday, May 8 to benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Special discounts at the drop off locations may be available in exchange for your donation. Bins are set up in each of these locations to accept the packaged gluten-free non-perishable food items:
o Rosie’s Plate – N. Person St., Raleigh
o Bella Monica Italian Restaurant – Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh
o ZPizza – Falls of Neuse Rd., Raleigh and Cornerstone Dr., Cary
o Mellow Mushroom – W. Peace St., Raleigh
o Whole Foods Market, Raleigh – Wade Ave., Raleigh
o Earth Fare – Moncreiffe Rd., Raleigh
o Harmony Farms/Café Harmony – Creedmoor Rd., Raleigh

• A virtual food drive will be held all month to benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina with gluten-free food. The link to donate can be located on the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog.

• On Sunday, May 16, beginning at 5 p.m., Bella Monica Italian Restaurant will host a six-course gluten-free dinner prepared by Vanessa Maltin, food and lifestyle editor for Delight Gluten-free Magazine and Corbett Monica, head chef at Bella Monica Italian Restaurant. They will be preparing dishes from Maltin’s gluten-free cookbook entitled The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook: Spicing Up Life with Italian, Asian and Mexican Recipes. Copies of the cookbook will also be included. Tickets are required for this dining event and can be purchased by calling Bella Monica Italian Restaurant at 919-881-9778.

• The Gluten Free Raleigh Blog worked with Sofia Noble of the design firm This Is Beautiful to create a poster featuring all of the top food allergens, including gluten. This poster is now available for download in English and Spanish at the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog. Wake County restaurant owners may use it to educate their staffs about these foods.

“Research indicates there are approximately three million people living with Celiac Disease in the United States and of those, only about 120,000 have been diagnosed,” said Alice Bast, founder and president of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA). “It’s great to see North Carolina working to raise awareness about this disease so perhaps others can be accurately diagnosed by their doctors. Zach Becker and the entire North Carolina Celiac Disease community should be commended for their leadership and successful advocacy efforts.”

About Gluten Free Raleigh Blog
Zach Becker was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in May 2008. He founded the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog in August 2008 and has created similar blogs across the state. He has recruited writers for these blogs so gluten-free information in those communities can be shared. The blogs contain restaurant and grocery store reviews, summaries of national news as well as highlight local companies that cater to the gluten-free community. Becker is an advocate for those living with Celiac Disease in the Triangle and donates his time to educate the newly diagnosed, local restaurants and government leaders on this condition.

Grocery Store Review: Apple Crate Market

2009-06-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

Well I need a break from laying tiles so my junior photographer and I decided to head to town. We decided to check out Apple Crate

We went to the Camden Rd location first. It was a small store on the outside so we were very surprised to find so many products inside. There where shelves of gluten free products as well as supplements teas and frozen products.

There were some of my favorite products and some I had not tried before. Also the staff was very friendly and helpful.

My next stop was over to their Raeford Rd location which Camden Rd. store except the also carried some fresh produce. I bought my son a huge apple that he devoured

I have to say the staff at both stores were super friendly and the selection was amazing as were their prices. I highly recommend The Apple Crate

Just wanted to introduce myself

2009-06-23T05:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome, my name is Terri and I have just recently signed up to be a contributor to this fabulous blog in the making. I have lived in the Fayetteville area since 2000 except for the last 2 years where I lived in Italy. I was diagnosed shortly after I got there and was amazed at what they had to offer. Now that I am back I am in search of gluten free friendly places and stores in Fayetteville and the surrounding areas. I know that there is a serious lack of info out there about places other then big chain restaurants.

Well this next few weeks will be busy with travel so I don't know if I will have time to post here but I have lots going on over at Faking it GF Style right now if you are looking for recipes.

Gluten Free Raleigh Special Event: GF Cooking Demo w/ Jules Shepard

2009-06-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

Click here for more information about an upcoming Gluten Free cooking demonstration with famous Celiac author Jules Shepard. The event will be held at the Earth Fare in Raleigh on July 12, 2009 @ 10am. Please sign up soon as only 40 spaces are available.