If you are tired of being bound to the kitchen and need a break, there is a new place to dine in the Chicago area. The Balanced Kitchen, a gluten-free vegan restaurant located at 6263 North McCormick Road in Lincolnwood, is now open for business. They feature a state-of-the art dining experience, offering a wide range of main course foods, sides, and appetizers, and they even include a gluten, dairy, and egg-free baked goods case.

The restaurant was the dream-child of New York Culinary Institute graduate and pastry chef, Betty Alper. Shortly after graduation Betty became ill and was subsequently diagnosed with Celiac disease. This spurred her into developing gluten free flour combinations that mimic the fluffy texture of wheat. Over time her dreams and talents became reality and now her dream child, The Balanced Kitchen, is open for lunch, carryout, and weekend brunch by reservation only. (more…)

Jerry Seinfeld’s Bee Movie got a top rating in our house this weekend when it managed to keep my three-year old so enthralled that I could barely get him out of his seat for a potty break while my four-year old just plain wouldn’t go at all. The movie is fast-paced and although the logistics are sometimes sketchy for the fact savvy adult, the story line flows like honey for kids between 36 and 48 inches tall. Parents should be aware that there are some typical Seinfeld-style fast-paced adult innuendos throughout the movie and one violent stinging episode in the courtroom that may upset little people. (more…)

Halloween is slowly approaching, inevitably marking the beginning of the sweet treat season that doesn’t quite end until Valentine’s day. This poses quite the challenge for the allergy sensitive family wanting to indulge a little without suffering major setbacks. Over the next few months I will be devoting some time to holiday baking without wheat or corn. I am working on altering a few favorite family recipes and researching Feingold friendly colors, corn-free extracts, and wheat-free doughs. In the meantime, here is a rundown of our top 5 favorite gluten and corn-free baking mixes. (more…)

This topic idea was born out of necessity in our house. My very precocious 4 year old has run the gamut on dangerous and costly experiments, always conveniently performed in the space of 90 seconds or less. When he finally stopped up my toilet with an entire double roll of toilet paper I decided it was time to stimulate his devious mind with something a bit less destructive than an inch of water splashed across my tile floor and a pipe so stopped up we needed a plumber. I powered up the computer and began to show him the ropes. Within a few weeks he had a basic grasp of dragging, dropping, clicking, and closing. Together with my boys, and with the help of a few other moms, I have compiled a list of the top ten websites for preschoolers and their parents that do more than just entertain, they educate too! (more…)

Wheat and Corn allergy sufferers need to be careful with the rice they buy. Most commercial brands are fortified with vitamins and minerals, also labeled “enriched”, and this is problematic for wheat allergy sufferers, but it is a double whammy for those that need to avoid corn too. For corn sufferers, ascorbic acid, derived from corn byproducts such as dextrose, is used in the vitamin compounds sprayed on the kernels to enrich the final end product. To bind the vitamin compounds corn or wheat starches are generally but not always used. (more…)

A twinkie isn’t just a cream filled cake made from milk, flour and eggs. When Hostess seals the little dessert treat into it’s individual plastic wrap it is a conglomeration of over 39 ingredients with a shelf-life of over 24 days. In Twinkie Deconstructed, Steve Ettlinger writes a road map for understanding the etiology of this familiar favorite Hostess snack. He chronicles his “Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated Into What America Eats.” (more…)

If you are practicing a gluten and maize-free diet (GF-MF) and are still struggling with allergy symptoms it may be due to your condiments. It is a little known fact that condiments often contain hidden corn or gluten components that only the experienced allergy sufferer may be aware exist. Condiments are usually made with vinegar. White vinegar can be made from any fruit, or any material containing sugar, including and especially corn. So if you tend to use a lot of ketchup you may want evaluate whether or not the kind you use is safe from allergens. Ketchup is a favorite condiment for just about any meal, so let’s look at some familiar and harder to find brands…. (more…)

If you haven’t seen Disney’s summer sleeper yet, do make the effort before the school year officially begins. Ratatouille (2007) is a cute movie about a rat named Remy who dreams of becoming a great French chef, despite his family’s constant discouragement. Little Remy, played by Patton Oswalt, takes us on a wild journey from the rooftop of a French cottage in the country all the way to Paris where he struggles to fulfill his culinary dreams while making friends and defying everyone’s wildest expectations. He cooks up a wonderful life for himself and those around him after learning ten simple life lessons. Adults and children will find this story heartwarming and useful in both the kitchen and life in general. (more…)

Snack foods

Nana’s Cookies offers a wide variety of products to choose from. They claim all of their gluten-free products are also corn-free. Their no-wheat cookies are corn-free as well but contain gluten from barley and oats. Nana’s has confirmed via email message that their aluminum-free baking powder ingredients are not made with cornstarch.

Enjoy Life products are made in a dedicated nut- and gluten-free bakery. They are specially formulated and tested (based on product) to ensure that they are free of corn protein. Some of their products do contain xanthan gum, which may cause reactions in some corn-allergic people. Please read the labels before you buy.

LÄRABAR® is a blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices. Made from 100% whole food, each flavor contains no more than 2-6 ingredients. They’re made from non-GMO ingredients, are kosher, vegan, gluten, & corn free. Larabar is currently offering a free gift box to the 1st 100 bloggers that post a comment about their product and link a picture to their site.

Mrs. May’s nut products are vegan, non-GMO, cholesterol free, Dairy-free, Wheat-free, Gluten-free, Corn-Free, and contain no artificial colors or flavors. Some of their products are sweetened with evaporated cane-juice; others are naturally sweetened by their added fruit.

ATTENTION:

Enjoy Life has notified me that their Trail Mix and Chocolate Chips are both made without xantham gum and are completely free of wheat and corn derivatives.

I was just informed by Jonathan at Mrs. May’s that any visitor from our site can receive a 10% discount on their products by using the following coupon code: Nutty10. Please take advantage of the savings!

Book mark this page and check back often for updates and changes to products featured here. I will be updating on a regular basis.

*If you have a product you would like to suggest, please contact me at: caryn at healthy-family.org

*Please note that this list of prepared foods are things that we regularly eat and do not react to. Our list of safe foods will be different from someone else’s due to the varying levels of sensitivity and reactions we all experience.

Check out our list of favorite commercial baking mixes too at: Our Top 5 Favorite Gluten and Corn-free Baking Mixes