There's The Quick, And The Hungry

Hello everybody! Sorry I have been MIA as of late! School has been beyond busy for me this month. I've still been looking for new and fun gluten free goodies though!

On that note, I would like to talk about something that used to be a huge inconvenience in my life. Running around like a madman trying to get things done is stressful for anybody. It can be more stressful if you are gluten free, and can't pick up fast food at any old restaurant while you are running errands. So what do you do? Power Snack. I like to keep a stash of power snacks in my locker on campus. Here's a list of some of the things I like to keep in my stash:

1. Nut Clusters
While grocery shopping last month, I discovered True North Cashew Crunch. They are clusters of cashews and rice crisps that are lightly sweetened and salted. These things are addicting. I go through about 2 bags of them a week in my power snacking. True North makes other combinations of nut clusters, but I am quite partial myself to the cashew ones. From the display I saw, they are all gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and free of trans-fats, preservatives, artificial colors, and cholesterol. Be careful of these if you have fillings in your teeth! The sweet coating is quite sticky!

2. Microwave Popcorn
If you have access to a microwave where you are, this stuff is fantastic. I love sitting the the library during a study session on a cold day with a pipping hot bag of popcorn! Just make sure that you bring some napkins with you, especially if you are eating the buttered kind.

3. Apples and Oranges
Always an easy and healthy snack. I love apples, especially this time of the year. They stay fresh for a decent amount of time (unlike a banana) but you still want to make sure that you keep an eye on them if you are storing them somewhere. You don't want to find an old moldy apple in your stash! Yuck!

4. Water and/or Other Drinks
Keeping your fluids going down on a busy day is vital. When you are running around everywhere you don't always realize how thirsty you are, or how long it has been since you have had something to drink. I like to keep a few bottles of water in my stash, and a few cans of ginger ale, in case I find my stomach isn't feeling too well, or I want to replace some electrolytes.

Now these are just the items I keep in my stash. There are tons of options, depending on your taste and dietary needs. Just make sure that you keep an eye on expiration dates if things are sitting in there for a long time.

Here's hoping that November will be slightly less busy!!! If I don't post before then, I hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween!!!

Celiacs Awareness Month 2013

I know it seems like it's a world away, but National Celiacs Month is about 200 days away, and I am hoping to get together a program for the blog. I wanted to plant this int he back of your minds now because
1) The holiday season is going to fly by soon, and that will take a big chunk of planning time away
2) Some of the project I am putting together requires some planning, and I am hoping for some feedback from my readers.
3) I hope with enough advanced notice, all of you will be able to participate in my project.

For the month of May in 2013, I am planning on the following activities:
1) Gluten Free Prizes. I would really like to put together some kind of prizes for my readers to win, wither it be in a raffle form, or in some kind of competition. I think we could have a lot of fun with it.
2) Celiacs Information. I would like to fill this blog with information about what Celiacs Disease is, what the symptoms are, how to get tested, and what to do when one is diagnosed.
3) Finally, I would like to issue a Gluten Free Challenge. For one week (Probably May 5-11th) I would ask that people who wish to support their friends and family with Celiacs attempt to live a gluten free life for an entire week. There are a lot of national groups that challenge the entire month, but I feel like that is a huge commitment  and a week is a more reasonable time frame.

If you have any suggestions, any piece of information to share, or would like to help out with running this event with me, please let me know! I would love to hear from you!!

Happy October!!!

Hello everybody!!! It's finally October, which means it's time for my favorite holiday of the year!

I LOVE HALLOWEEN! I love the costumes, I love the spirit of going out and causing mischief, and most of all, I LOVE THE CANDY!!!  For those of you with gluten free children, or who are looking for some gluten free candy yourself, I would like to refer you to my post from earlier this year: The Candy Man Can. There you will find a complete list of safe candy, candy to be cautious about, and candy to stay away from. I am quite a fan of this list, and I often refer to it myself when I am shopping for candy at the store. One thing I really like to do is offer an allergy friendly bucket of candy, not only that's gluten free, but one that is peanut free. I even let the kids who have allergies exchange some of the candy they are allergic to for candy they can eat. The parents love it because they don't have to take away as much candy when they get home, and the kids love it because, well, it's candy!

This month I am going to try and post a few spooky treats that are fun, tasty, and of course, gluten free. If you are looking for something specific, like a treat that is geared towards kids, (or even one that's for adults!) please let me know! I would be more than happy to try and help inspire some spooky celebrations in your life!