Just wanted to pass this along.   It looks like there is an upcoming program for Celiac Disease in Bradenton, Florida here shortly.

If anyone lives in that area and is interested, here is the information you’ll need:

Leigh M. O’Rourke, LCSW, MSW, will speak on “The Emotional Impact of Celiac Disease” at the Celiac Support Group of Sarasota-Manatee’s meeting 1:30-3:30 p.m. Dec. 20 at Waldemere Medical Plaza Papaya Room, 1921 Waldemere St., Sarasota. The program is free and open to the public.

Information: 922-1205 or www.sarasotamanateeceliacs.com.

Just noticed this press release and got permission to pass it along to our readers:

Shabtai Gourmet Gluten Free Bakery wins Best New Dessert at Kosherfest 2008 in the Meadowlands, NJ. This Allergen Free bakery bakes desserts that are gluten free, casein free, lactose free, soy free, dairy free, corn free, and certified Kosher Parve. Their sweets are available at fine health food stores, and they are currently offering free shipping on their website www.shabtai-gourmet.com

Shabtai Gourmet has once again won first prize at this year’s KosherFest 2008, convened at the Meadowlands Convention Center, on November 11-12, for the best new product introduced to the kosher marketplace. Brownie Bites are super moist brownies, baked in mini cupcake size portions. This item is Gluten Free, as well as Kosher for Passover. These bite size treats, have no hydrogenated oils, and have Zero Trans Fat, and are absolutely delicious.

This is, stunningly, the fourth time, in the last 7 years that a Shabtai product has captured this coveted prize. This is consistent with Shabtai’s nonstop drive to gauge market demand, and be the first to bring new products to the market. Just last year Shabtai won the prize for their Marzipan Sushi., a confectionary dessert that is a stunning replica of the finest sushi now sold all over the world as a result of the latest culinary craze, spreading around the United States. Judges at the testing event were afraid to taste the product, at first, because it was not sitting on a bed of ice, and were concerned that the sushi was already spoiled. They were absolutely fooled into believing that it was real sushi. Marzipan, a sweet combination of almonds and sugar, was not invented by Cinderella Sweets, the bakers of the Shabtai Gourmet brand of Passover cakes & cookies, but has made something beautiful with it that no food company has had the vision to do yet.

In previous years, Shabtai Gourmet has won first prize at KosherFest for it’s Ring Tings in 2001, a Passover version of the famous all American snack cake, and again in 2006, for it’s Bell Ring Layer Cake, a chocolate iced devils food ring cake with mounds of vanilla crème filling and topping. This company is right on target, for knowing what the consumer wants, and bringing it to the marketplace.

Cinderella Sweets owner, Cindy Fern Itzkowitz, has brought a fresh and exciting new approach to Passover cake production, and marketing. Cindy says that,” All bakers and food manufacturers use similar ingredients, but very few bakers have the creativity, patience, and talent to turn an ordinary pound of ingredients into an exquisitely crafted pound of cake, or cookies.”

Consumer response to the Shabtai Gourmet Passover brand for the last 7 years has been so positive, that store managers find that Shabtai products fly off valuable shelf space as soon as they are put on display, while the competitions products languish on the shelves long after the Passover has come and gone. Cinderella Sweets services the retail trade, institutional food services, and fine Passover resort hotels, worldwide.

Shabtai Gourmet is certified kosher for Passover by the worldwide leader in kosher food supervision, the OK Laboratories, and bears its trademarked CIRCLE K symbol.

Cindy and her son Andrew can be reached at (516) 652-5671. They can ship their gluten free and Passover desserts all across the United States and around the World. Visit them online @ www.shabtai-gourmet.com

For Celiacs, sometimes Thanksgiving can be frustrating or stressful.  Whether you are the cook or plan to travel for the holiday, finding and managing everything is difficult for someone without a food allergy.   For those with Celiac Disease, it can be especially difficult!

If you live in or near the Jamestown (North Dakota) area, you may be interested in knowing that their is an upcoming Thanksgiving Seminar scheduled at 1p.m. this Sunday (November 9th, 2008) at the Buffalo Mall.   The seminar will be led by Sandy Kohler and Stephanie Engel of the Red River Celiac Support Group in Fargo and is open to the public.  Included are a lecture, discussion, and of course free gluten free food samples! 

From my understanding, it sounds like they will be helping train Celiacs how to get through this holiday without to much stress, which sounds very useful.   If you live in the area, check it out!

Here in the United States, we are in the process of holding an election that will elect a new President of the United States.   The question is, who will it be?   John McCain (R) or Barack Obama (D)?

Whether you are vocal about your politics or not, Democrat, Repbulican, or Independent, everyone has political opinions and issues that are important to them.    For people with Celiac Disease, health insurance is probably something that you covet (such as defining pre-existing conditions).  

In the opinion of the author of  Gluten Free Blog, people with Celiac Disease should be voting for Barack Obama:

Where does that leave me with regards to Senators Obama and McCain? Clearly I have to favor Obama’s call for guaranteed health-insurance coverage for pre-existing condiditons. I do not EVER want to find myself in a situation where I think I am “covered” or othewise “insurable”, only to find out that instead I have been denied insurance or retroactively denied payment for services rendered, leaving me stuck with tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills.

Of course, this has become one of those divisive issues in America, though I do not understand why. We are the only major industrialized country to not offer national health care, and we are not even talking about that… we are just talking of mandating that insurance companies must take *anyone*, and such talk in the USA is enough to set off all sorts of argument in this country. Well, regardless, I would like to know I can always get coverage.

As an American with Celiac Disease, what issues are most important to you?   Sound off in the comments below (Optional: Include who you plan to vote for).

According to a recent post over at the Journal Inquirer, it looks like a gluten free pot luck will be held at 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 2nd in Manchester, Connecticut.  If you live in that area, here are the details you’ll need:

Gluten-free pot luck. A gluten-free pot luck dinner will be held at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2, at Community Baptist Church, 585 E. Center St. (Routes 6 and 44). Bring a gluten-free dish to share and your recipe, and a place setting. RSVP by Oct. 25 to Ginny Kuhn, 860-649-9818. Sponsor is Celiac Support Group of Central and Eastern CT. All are welcome.

For most of the United States, beggar’s night will take place tonight (October 31st), which is when kids are able to safely trick-or-treat.   For parents who have children with Celiac Disease, however, beggar’s night can instead often be a very difficult time.  

There is of course nothing stopping your child from trick-or-treating with their friends, but they will often not be able to eat much of their haul.   If you find yourself in this situation, remember that there are a bunch of gluten free Halloween candy that your child can have, which we have written about previously.   If you have people in your house that are not gluten free, you can switch out the gluten filled candy for gluten free stuff.    Parents may also want to purchase extra gluten free candy ahead of time and switch it out with the gluten candies.    This way your child can enjoy their Halloween experience and feel like a normal child!

Oh, and if you’d like to read something inspiring, check out this post about a Rib Mountain neighborhood offering an allergy friendly trick-or-treat event.