Jax Peters Lowell, author.

The 2008 Gluten Free Expo in Oak Brook, Illinois hosted a Celiac kids’ Cup Cake Club party and book reading with author Jax Peters Lowell. The event took place on Saturday afternoon and included more than 30 eager participants, young and old.

I took my three boys. We arrived early, so my eldest, recently diagnosed with Celiac, hunkered down immediately with his newly autographed copy and began reading it on his own  while we waited for the party to start. He was riveted. He identified so clearly with little Izzie O’Brien and her struggle to find her way from chronic tummy aches to a return to good health, her struggles to belong and feel normal at school and at home were his own. (more…)

Choosing a new pancake mix is the first and easiest transition in the kitchen when going gluten free. When I first went gluten free I thought I would have a hard time retiring my favorite homemade pancake mix, but what I soon learned was that there are a multitude of gluten-free pancake mixes on the market these days. Choosing a good mix can be a costly venture if you have to sample six varieties before settling on one with a taste and texture that meets your criteria. (more…)

If you are worried about the over-use of chemicals in your home then you should check out Green Home Experts, located at 823 S. Oak Park Avenue in Oak Park, Illinois. Owned by Maria Onesto Moran, this store is part of a new breed of hardware stores. They offer building supplies and home products that are environmentally friendly. So the next time you decide to do a little remodeling or home improvement check out some of their eco-friendly flooring, paints, insulation, water fixtures, counter tops, cabinets, mattresses, and more. Those that are just looking for small ticket items will happily find fluorescent light bulbs, non-toxic cleaning products, organic fabrics, and eco-friendly garden supplies. Open Tuesday through Sunday, Green Home Experts offer consultation services for architects, designers, decorators and contractors. Just contact the store for more details. (more…)

Our boys received a wonderful gift this year for the holidays- a beautiful hardcover copy of Zoolidays, Written by Bruce Glassman and illustrated by up and coming artist Rolandas Kiaulevicius, and if that wasn’t enough they also got tickets to a wonderful show about that book and more called GIRO.

This book is a wonderful read, and the show is a fabulous must see for any emergent reader and budding artist. My boys absolutely loved the book from cover to cover, and the show really delighted their imaginations in a way that the book alone couldn’t do. (more…)

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…)

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…)

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…)