Wilson Gluten Free R.O.C.K. (raising our celiac kids)

Last Saturday (May 12, 2012) our support group had our first "R.O.C.K. Party." If you aren't familiar with  R.O.C.K , it's a coalition of celiac/gluten free support groups that was started in 1991 by Danna Korn after her son Tyler was diagnosed with celiac disease. Our group became a member of  R.O.C.K. this May.

I'm thrilled that our local support group is now a part of this national coalition of groups! The three main reasons I chose for us to be affiliated with  R.O.C.K  are:

1. Keeping a positive attitude! The primary principal behind R.O.C.K. is keeping a positive attitude for kids and adults alike! Being gluten free is hard! It's even harder if we have a negative attitude about changing our diet and our lifestyles... instead let's celebrate how much better we feel and how awesome life can be gluten free!
2. Gluten Free FUN for all ages! While R.O.C.K. is geared towards parents and kids, this group is really a support group for ALL ages. R.O.C.K. can remind us how we really need to have fun, despite the challenges of being gluten free. Kids just want to have fun and enjoy life and we need to do that too! As adults we can really forget how fun life can be! Our bi-monthly ROCK parties, will help remind you! 
3. A FREE Support Group! Cost shouldn't stop you from being a part of a support group. While we may ask you to bring supplies in, make a homemade snack, purchase drinks or paper plates... you will never have to pay a yearly or monthly fee to be a part of our group! We want you to come, enjoy yourselves, and have no worries while you learn all about being gluten free! 

If you'd like to read some resources that share about the principles behind what ROCK stands for, please check out Danna Korn's books: 

Gluten Free Kids: 

Raising Happy, Healthy Children with Celiac Disease, Autism, and other Conditions

Kids with Celiac Disease: 

A Family Guide to Raising Happy Healthy Gluten Free Children

Wheat-Free, Worry-Free:

The Art of Happy, Healthy, Gluten Free Living

Living Gluten Free For Dummies

A Gluten Free Holiday Potluck - Saturday November 20th

Our November Meetup Group meeting will be a Gluten Free Holiday Potluck!! 

Now is the time to start signing up for the item you would like to bring! 

WHAT: 

Wilson Gluten Free/Celiac Support Group Holiday Potluck

WHEN: 

Saturday November 20th from 3-5pm

WHERE: 

Winstead United Methodist Church (Fellowship Hall), Wilson NC

CONTACT: 

Carrie Forbes (gingerlemongirl (at) gmail (dot) com for more information to sign up for the potluck -or- to learn more about our Wilson NC Gluten Free/Celiac Support Group

Gluten Free Flours and how to use them

photo courtesy of goodygirlred

Here are a few great resources on gluten free flours and how to use them. I think you'll find that everybody has their own opinion on what works best for them and what flours are their favorites.

We'll definitely have a program in the future on what flours to use in your gluten free baking, but for a really quick intro... here's a basic, easy mix that I love:

1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup sorghum or millet flour (either is fine)
1/3 cup arrowroot starch
+ 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

I use this basic mix for just about everything I bake. It just works well.

You need the xanthan gum in most flour mixes because it helps create the texture that you're used to with gluten-based breads, cakes, muffins, etc... It's a bit expensive... but a little goes a very long way.

I buy all of my flours (except almond flour), xanthan gum, and active dry yeast from Bob's Red Mill online. I've found they have some of the best shipping available and I trust that their flours are gluten free. (You really have to be careful with some companies!) This works for me because I usually buy in bulk once or twice a year and I'm done. However, if you're not a bulk buyer or don't want to buy online:

• Wilson: Harris Teeter carries brown rice flour, tapioca starch & cornstarch (which you can use in place of the arrowroot). Walmart may also carry some of these ingredients, but I'm not super familiar with their small selection near the spices.
• Raleigh: Harmony Farms & Whole Foods carries all of these ingredients and tons more. EarthFare also carries a wide variety of gluten free items.
• Greenville: Kroger's, Lowe's Foods, The Fresh Market, and Harris Teeter are all good sources, and I think you could get everything you need from them. There is a health food store called Oakmont Health Food... the customer service is awful and honestly I don't shop there, but they do carry Udi's bread in stock if you're not up to driving to Raleigh.
• Goldsboro: HealthHabit on Spence Avenue has a great selection of gluten free pantry items (you could probably buy all of your baking supplies there), and they also carry Rudi's gluten free bread in their freezer section. Carlie C's IGA on Wayne Memorial Drive has a LOT of gluten free items, both baking items and other things like gluten free pasta. This is the first place I found gluten free bisquick. The items are not in a separate section, you just have to look for them in every "normal" section of the grocery store.

Here are several posts that explain the differences in flours and why each is important:

Gluten Free Flours 101 (I focus on low glycemic baking):
http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/2010/07/gf-baking-101-gluten-free-flours.html

Simply Sugar & Gluten Free's Series on Gluten Free Flours:
Part 1: http://www.simplysugarandglutenfree.com/understanding-choosing-gluten-free-flours-part-1-density/
Part 2: http://www.simplysugarandglutenfree.com/understanding-choosing-gluten-free-flours-part-2-mixing-flours/
Part 3: http://www.simplysugarandglutenfree.com/understanding-choosing-gluten-free-flours-part-3-the-flavors/
Part 4: http://www.simplysugarandglutenfree.com/understanding-choosing-gluten-free-flours-part-4/

Gluten Free Mommy's GF Flours Introduction (One of my favorite overviews of gf flours):
http://glutenfreemommy.com/gluten-free-grains-101-the-best-flour-blend/

I hope this info is helpful to people who are new to the diet! :-)

Generation Gluten Free

Exciting News!

At our next Wilson Gluten Free Support Group meeting I'll be showing this short documentary called Generation Gluten Free!

From the website for the video:

"About the Film

Generation Gluten-Free takes viewers inside the Celiac Disease community providing them with a first hand look at how it evolved from a grassroots movement in the early 1990s to the strong, blossoming community that it is today. 

The 42 minute documentary, which was filmed over a two week period during the summer of 2005, focuses on a special group of people who have changed the face of Celiac Disease in the United States. Through their hard work and dedication, the individuals in this film created the resources that have revolutionized day to day life for Americans with Celiac Disease. 

Whether it was founding a support group, developing gluten-free products, transforming gluten-free dining in restaurants, or raising awareness by sharing their Celiac story, this special group helped put Celiac Disease on the map.  

Generation Gluten-Free features members of the Celiac Disease community including:

*Dr. Peter Green, Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University 

*George and Ceil Chookazian, Owners of Foods by George

*Beth Hillson, Founder of the Gluten-Free Pantry

*The Founders and Members of the Westchester Celiac Sprue Support Group

*Joseph Pace, Chef/Owner of Risotteria in New York City"

We will have a discussion following the film and talk about how celiac disease has impacted our families & how our journey's have compared to those on the video.

Please mark your calendars for Saturday Sept. 11th, 2010 from 3-5pm at the Wilson County Public Library!