Victory Junction Family Weekend

One of the nice things about living in SC is being close enough to attend Victory Junction!

Kayla has attend camp the past few summers and Lucas attended once for the sibling session. (Unfortunately for Lucas that was the last year they had sibling camps - he really liked it there!) The past couple of years while Kayla has been at camp, Lucas and I have stayed in NC for our own little vacation together exploring museums, the zoo, and geocaching.

They also have Family Weekends in the Spring and Fall for the whole family to attend. We've been fortunate to have attended a few of those as well!

We just went last month, and a bonus was that friends from our area were also selected to attend that same weekend. It was fun for the kids to be able to hang out.

One of the things I like about this camp is their ability to accommodate special diets; ie gluten free since Kayla has Celiac Disease. It's so nice not to have to worry about packing gluten-free food for her since it's all provided.

We had a fun family weekend getaway with activities like bowling, fishing, boating, horseback riding, archery, dance parties, and the ever-popular Stage Night.

I think the highlight of this trip was the archery experience. We all got a bull's eye by popping the balloon ... that was pretty exciting! Speaking of archery - Kayla is on the archery club at school this year; I'm happy for her and can't wait to see how she does.

The theme was An Evening In Paris; wear something black and white with a splash of pink!

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Find Me Gluten Free

When we are out of town and need to find somewhere to eat, a handy app I use to look for restaurants is called Find Me Gluten Free.

 You have the option to include chain restaurants and to include restaurants that don't have a dedicated gluten-free menu.

The results will show a 5-star rating (from user input, not from the app), price, type of food, kid-friendly, gluten-free menu, allergen list etc. When you click on a restaurant for more information you can also read reviews, click on a link to the website, click on the phone number to call the restaurant.

Over the summer we went to Hilton Head and I used the app to see what restaurants to check out for lunch. We decided to try Munchies because of the high rating, numerous positive reviews, and a variety of menu items...specifically grilled cheese.

Side note: One of Kayla's favorite places to eat is Jason's Deli and getting a grilled cheese sandwich. Jason's Deli uses Udi's bread and we've found Udi's to be the best gluten-free bread; especially for making grilled cheese. We haven't had much success with other brands of bread for making a grilled cheese.

Munchies also uses Udi's so that was a win. Now for the grilled cheese. Not just any grilled cheese, but gourmet grilled cheese. We ordered a Build Your Own grilled cheese with Havarti, Bacon, and Avocado. To say this was delicious is an understatement. It was probably the best grilled cheese I've ever had. I never thought to put avocado in my grilled cheese, but now, if we have avocado in the house when I make grilled cheese, I add it.

On to dessert. They have gluten-free ice cream cones. Kayla could finally have ice cream in a cone! Except she's been eating it out of a bowl for so long I actually had to convince her to ask for the cone. The server even asked if I wanted her to use a new ice cream scoop and open a new tub of ice cream because of the chance of cross contamination with dipping the scoop in one of the tubs that have a gluten ingredient and then using it in a gluten-free flavor. I was impressed!

If you need to eat gluten-free I recommend this app to help you with finding information out about restaurants in the area.

 

He'll Buy Her A Gluten-Free Dessert

On Friday night of the annual NDSC convention there is a welcoming reception (light desserts/cash bar) and a dance.

There were several types of chocolatey gooey desserts.

There was one gluten-free dessert: chocolate covered-strawberries.

Unfortunately for Kayla when we arrived at the reception all of those strawberries were gone. The server told me they must not have ordered very many because they weren't bringing any more out.

These gluten-free desserts were right on the table with all the other desserts. If they had a separate table for gluten-free desserts and it was something like GF brownies, or cookies, I have a feeling they wouldn't have been all gone. But being placed on the table with the rest of the desserts, and being chocolate-covered strawberries (doesn't just about everyone like chocolate-covered strawberries?) they were all snatched up fairly quickly. I was frustrated for Kayla because the plates of brownies that kept coming out had strawberries on the brownies and around the plate ... couldn't they have put some of those strawberries in some chocolate and replaced the platter of "gluten-free" desserts? The next offering was a cup of fresh fruit. Kayla really wanted some chocolate-covered strawberries. Strike out number 1.

For lunch on Saturday we were at the food trucks. One of the food trucks was a cupcake-selling truck. The lines were long at all of the trucks with the amount of attendees at the conference. Kayla kept asking for a cupcake. Being that she didn't get dessert the night before Joe went to ask if they had GF - they did. They had GF cupcakes, but they were all sold out. Strike out number 2.

Saturday night at the banquet: Kayla had a GF meal ticket. We get to our table and like all tables the dessert is already out. It's a bit of cheesecake in a cup. The server took Kayla's away once I showed her the GF ticket. The substitute GF dessert? Fresh fruit in a cup. Strike out number 3.

I don't have anything against fresh fruit. I encourage my kids to eat fruit whenever possible. I just felt bad for Kayla that she couldn't have a dessert that most everyone else was eating - again. I thought with having a GF meal and with this population, (increased chance of having Celiac disease) that there would have been a different option/substitution for dessert.

Lucas overhead Joe and I talking about the lack of gluten-free desserts and feeling bad that Kayla didn't get to have anything. I know this seems trivial, complaining about dessert, but I did feel bad for her.

Lucas came over to whisper in my ear because he said he didn't want Kayla to hear.

This was my conversation with him:

"I know what I can do with the $5 I got from the tooth fairy. Tomorrow I'm going to buy Kayla a gluten-free cupcake from that truck. And I'll get $1 back since it cost $4."

Tears in my eyes. Tears over how sweet and thoughtful and unselfish he can be.

I told him how very nice that was of him.

He said, "Well first I was thinking I could get her a bracelet (from one of the vendors in the exhibit area), but then I thought she doesn't really wear bracelets. So then I thought about getting something for myself. But then she didn't get to have anything last night or tonight and I did, so next I thought about buying her a cupcake."

May he always be this concerned and caring and have such a big heart.

 

Gluten-Free Goodness

May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month. What better way to kick that off then to attend a gluten-free expo! I told Kayla we were going somewhere that would have a lot of food and she wouldn't hear me tell her, not even one time, "No Kayla you can't have that, it has wheat." I told her she can try every.single.thing. that she wanted to eat there. She got very excited, said 'thank you!' and gave me a big hug and kiss.

I was right, I didn't tell her that she couldn't have something because it had wheat... but I did have to tell her to slow down and stop stuffing her face! I had to tell her not to have another sample of this or that because we were only 1/4 of the way around the room and there were still so many other tables to get samples from! I think she was so excited that she was allowed to eat whatever she wanted there.

It was a great expo as we found out about some companies I hadn't heard of before.

Against the Grain was the first vendor we sampled from. The pesto pizza was delicious. One of the best gluten-free pizzas I've ever tasted. We tried the nut-free pesto and the kids had a couple slices each. There was also garlic bread made from their baguettes. Kayla must have missed having that style bread. She probably had 6 or 7 samples! Even after we made our way around to the other side of the room she ran back a few times to that table! All of their products are free of gluten, grain, corn, soy, yeast, tree nut and peanut and no added sugar. All natural ingredients.

1-2-3 Gluten Free had so many yummy samples to try. Joe and my favorite was the Pan Bars; Kayla and Lucas really enjoyed the brownies. These products are also made in a facility free from gluten, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, and soy.

Whole Foods has their own dedicated Gluten Free Bakehouse and had several products to sample from ... this was about the time I was trying to slow Kayla down on seconds and thirds! The pies and cheddar cheese biscuits were really good. The ladies were so nice - they gave us a whole pie, packages of muffins, scones, and cheese biscuits to take home! So thankful!

No Gii was started by Elisabeth Hasselbeck. The vendor was very generous with the samples and we've got plenty of the Kids Bars (which will come in handy when traveling!)

Taste of Gluten Free had a huge selection of samples from their products. I was glad that the samples were in the little cups with lids so we could take them home to try them. Otherwise we probably wouldn't have made it through sampling all of the products they had! We also tried their pizza and it was also a big thumbs up. So tasty that we bought a bag of the pizza mix (it makes 3 10-inch pizzas) for only $5. Five dollars! For 3 gluten-free pizzas. Can't beat that price. All of their bagged mixes are only $5. We also bought the banana cake. Oh yummy goodness! Very similar to banana bread but moister.

Joe usually makes breakfast on Sunday mornings. One of the dishes he used to make was sausage and biscuits with gravy. Kayla enjoyed it too. Since she was diagnosed I don't think he's made it. We sampled a sausage gravy from For Full Flavor and promptly picked up two packages of the Cream Soup which can be used for several different recipes. They have gravies and sauces too.

Rudi's Gluten Free had a new product out to try - plain and spinach tortillas. I think these will taste great baked up in the oven for tortilla strips. Vendor was also generous to us and sent us home with a package of each!

Glutino's had out their pretzels (which Kayla already eats and loves!) and a new product (at least I think it is new, I only recently saw them at the Commissary) - bagel chips. The cinnamon and sugar flavor were really good.

We're already a fan of Udi's Gluten Free (it was the first GF bread I could make Kayla a grilled-cheese sandwich with! And Jason's Deli uses this brand for GF sandwiches, so I know it's a place Kayla can eat.) Another generous vendor who sent us home with some extra goodies!

I'm so thankful that Kayla was diagnosed with Celiac disease at a time when so much more is known about it, when so many other companies are making an effort to produce gluten-free products, and when restaurants are starting to be more accommodating by adding gluten-free items to their menus.

 

Gluten-Free Saver Deal

Today's deal from Gluten Free Saver: $9 for $17 from Katz Gluten Free.

The voucher is good until Apr 29th and can be used immediately at Katz Gluten Free. They have bread, pies, cookies, cakes etc. I think I need to stock up on pizza crust for Kayla; it seems there is always pizza at some event or another that she needs to bring her own GF pizza!

I don't recall that we've tried any of the Katz products yet, so I was excited to see they offer a sample pack of items that you can get for free by using code SAMPLE and just pay shipping!

Pamela's Products

One of the better brands I've found on this gluten-free journey is Pamela's Products. The first thing we tried was the Baking and Pancake Mix. This made for some yummy gluten-free pancakes (and there are plenty of other recipes on the site for this mix as well.)

Another of their yummy doesn't-taste-like-gluten-free products is the Chocolate Brownie Mix. What's even better is this can be ordered in a single-serving pack. It's microwaveable and done in about a minute. This is great for a quick and easy brownie mix for on the go. All you need is a little bit of oil and water and a microwaveable bowl or cup. I love these! I took a single-serving pouch when we went to Chicago. During the awards banquet dinner I handed our server this little bag of brownie mix and asked if he could ask the chef, or whoever in the kitchen, to make this up for Kayla (it only takes about 60 seconds) so she could have her dessert with the rest of us (which wasn't gluten-free.) It worked out wonderfully!

I ordered a box from Amazon which is a few dollars cheaper when signing up for the Subscribe & Save (which can always be cancelled at any time).

These little pouches come in handy when Kayla is invited to a birthday party. I can just make up a mix before we leave the house to take with us ... so much easier than having to make up a whole cake, or tin of muffins, for one birthday party. Then what am I supposed to do with the rest of the cake/muffins? I usually freeze them, but that only lasts so long; they just don't taste as good once they've been frozen.

The pouches say they are single-serve, but they actually make up a pretty good size brownie. I cut it in half for Kayla and get two servings out of it.

I just found out the Baking & Pancake Mix also comes in the single serve pouch as well. Looks like I need to stock up on those too! Definitely makes traveling easier!

Gluten-Free Saver

I frequently use sites like Groupon, and Living Social for local and national daily deals. They have deals for movie tickets, local attractions, restaurants, personal services like hair salons, spas etc. We've taken advantage of several restaurant deals to try out knew restaurants in our area. It's also been a fun way to see different attractions too - like when we did the Dolphin Tour on Edisto Island.

So I was very excited when someone on FB that there is one for gluten-free items - Gluten-Free Saver.! It is hard to find coupons, sales, and good deals on gluten-free foods, so can't wait to see the deals that come up for this one! The current deal being offered is to save 57% off the new Jules' Cupboard Trial Pack from Jules' Gluten Free. I definitely had to sign up for that offer.

Crunchmaster Crackers (GF!) Review & Giveaway

Congrats to Cindy for winning the case of Crunchmaster crackers!

When Kayla was first diagnosed with Celiac disease I wondered what snacks she would be able to eat. I knew all her (then) current favorites would be out.

My first experience in going shopping for her at the local grocery store didn't turn out too well. There wasn't much of a selection and what there was didn't sound too appealing. Nevertheless I picked out some crackers that seemed like they would work; at least according to the very deceptive description on the packaging. Let's just say the whole package ended up in the trash. My mom and I both made a face at the first bite of the cracker which seemed like dry, seasoned cardboard. I still offered it to Kayla because, hey, her taste buds are different and she might like it! No such luck. She didn't care for them either.

Since then we have found a few brands of crackers that we rotate out but it isn't much of a selection ... and the ones we have been using don't seem to have any flavor variety.

A while ago I signed up with Moms Meet. Its an "...online resource that empowers moms to come together in an informal setting and talk about the latest on raising healthy families and living green." One of their opportunities is for Mom Ambassadors to sample the latest healthy, and/or green, products.

It was through this opportunity that I received Crunchmaster Multi-Grain crackers to review. These first thing about these crackers is they are certified gluten-free, all natural, saturated fat free, cholesterol free, and the Sea Salt is also vegan/dairy free.

I had seen them in the store but hadn't yet tried them; so this was a perfect opportunity to try them out and see if Kayla approved - then we could add them to our cracker selection.


We sampled the White Cheddar, Sea Salt, and Roasted Vegetable. The verdict? A big hit! These will now be among the rotating boxes of crackers we keep on hand for Kayla (and I imagine the rest of the family will be sharing in these as well!)



All of the crackers are sturdy, not crumbly (like a brand of crackers that Kayla likes, but is always broken up in the bag), and hold up well with dips. They also have just the right amount of flavor and variety to the crackers.

Kayla's favorite seemed to be the Sea Salt and White Cheddar. She didn't care too much for the Roasted Vegetable. I didn't care as much for the Sea Salt by itself, but really liked it with a dip such as salsa, hummus, or cheese. White Cheddar was my favorite. Joe's favorite was Roasted Vegetable. Lucas's favorite seemed to be the White Cheddar as well.

Crunchmaster has other products in their line as well including, but not limited to, Multi-Seed Crackers (in 4 varieties), Multi-Grain Crisps, and 7 Ancient Grains crackers.

You can follow them on Facebook and also save $1 on your purchase.

I have a case, yes a CASE, (12 full-size bags) of Crunchmaster Multi-Grain White Cheddar Crackers to give away (limited to US addresses only). Just leave a comment on this post (making sure I can contact you if you're the winner!) letting me know if you've ever tried Crunchmaster before, and what variety you like, or think you'd like.

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.