Gluten-Free Books & Booze in San Diego!

Okay, so I started before we left LA. Still! You guys, it’s Memorial Day Weekend and you know what that means! That’s right, it’s time to break out my favorite summer cocktail that is naturally gluten-free: The Raspberry Bourbon Lemonade Refresher. Or as I call it, sunshine over ice. So maybe I just now called it that. Good, right?

Still, I am headed down to San Diego this weekend and I hope all of you people in the area stop by my book thing because it’s at this amazing space called Organic Hammer. These people do much more important and interesting things than I do, so if you’re in the SD area, specifically Encintas, and you’re all, “It’s time I went sustainable all up in my house and lawn,” you should stop by. (Among other things, they do that shizzle.) But on Sunday, they’ve invited me to say “Helooooo, San Diego!” and do a little talking about Gluten Is My Bitch: Rants, Recipes & Ridiculousness for the Gluten-Free, a little signing, and a lot of grinning because I’m so close to the beach and awesomeness. Be there at 1pm and maybe—just maybe—I’ll also have some BUTTONS!!!!

While I doubt I’ll have access to my Sunshine Over Ice beverage on Sunday, I will tell you how to make it right NOW.

Raspberry Bourbon Lemonade Refresher

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces bourbon
4-5 fresh raspberries
3 ounces raspberry lemonade/lemonade
1 lemon round
Ice

1. Place raspberries in the bottom of your glass and muddle.

2. Put ice in glass and pour bourbon, followed by lemonade. Give it a nice stir.

3. Garnish with lemon round, and enjoy!

Makes: 1 glass of sunshine

See you in SD!

Help for Food Allergy Families in Moore, Oklahoma

Reblogged from FARE Blog:

Our hearts go out to all of the victims of the May 20, 2013 tornado, which has devastated the city of Moore, Oklahoma. In the aftermath of this disaster, families managing food allergies are in need of your help. Many in the food allergy community have mobilized to help send food donations for those with food allergies and special dietary needs.

Read more… 302 more words

To help those in OK that need allergen-free food.

Gluten Bullying? What the What?

Kick Some Ass, Kiddo

So this is apparently a thing. Bullying kids who have food allergies. I got this note from the lovely people at Food Allergy Research & Education where they filled me in on the sad fact that about a third of kids with food allergies say they’ve been bullied, specifically because of said food allergies. Then I watched this PSA they sent me, and I cried a little.

Good News for the GF Kid + Amazing Secret Recipe

Well, lots of good news. First, my the GF kid does not have to be gf anymore! Unless, of course, she’s eating in my house. Do you see how happy she is? It’s almost like she was at Disneyland. (Ed note: She was totally at Disneyland)

So here’s the thing. Back when I was all, holy f&*k my kid is a celiac, it turns out that blood test was a false positive. The endoscopy shows all clear, and the biopsy the same. This is great news. It does not mean that I won’t always be looking over her shoulder for gluten (and the same goes for her tiny brother), but for now I’m going to try really, really, hard to act like she’s 100%. I wonder if you have this problem too.

Even with the blood test and the endoscopy, I’m scared for my girl. It does not help that she looks like me, she does—on occasion—talk like me, and tears through chapter books like me. Wait. I mean, when I was a kid. I can totally read more than chapter books now, you guys. So I’m trying to be only excited, and not excited + worried. I’d love to just put this all behind me. Which is why we’re going to go ahead and do that genetic test. Until then, I reserve the right to worry about my kids. I mean, duh.

But there’s more good news! I’m going to teach you guys how to make a Wendy’s Frosty in your own damn home. You know why? Going to Wendy’s is going to make you very sad if you can’t eat a cheeseburger. Also, YOU CAN MAKE FROSTYS IN YOUR OWN HOME. Like this one, right here.

Even though I just touted this as an “amazing secret recipe” everyone on Pinterest has been all, “Here’s how to make a Frosty!” and “Hey dummy, it’s super easy to make a Frosty.” And you know what, I have always wondered what was in a Frosty. It’s like chocolate, but not quite. But it is. Is it a mix? Why so creamy?

The mystery is solved. Hey! Here’s how you make a gluten-free Frosty because you do NOT want to go to Wendy’s.

P.S. Frosty’s are already gluten-free. Anyhoo.

3 Awesome Gluten-Free Things Are Going Down This Weekend

One . . .

Two . . .

Me!

Say you live in LA. Say you live in LA, and you like gluten-free cupcake tops. Say you live in LA, like gluten-free cupcake tops, and free buttons with curse words on them. Now. You live in LA, you like gluten-free cupcake tops, free dirty buttons, and want to know if I have one of those high squeaky voices, or pack-a-day tenors. THIS WEEKEND IS YOUR LUCKY WEEKEND.

Gluten-Free Santa Barbara: Tupelo Junction

Hey, you mothers. I hope you had a fabulous day celebrating your mom-ness. I certainly did as my husband and kids kind of rocked it.  A lot. We also got out of town for some family bizness, and I got to explore Santa Barbara again and its fare for those of us special types. While my mother-in-law always grabs an amazoid gluten-free pie or quiche from Simply Pies, the husband and I enjoy a night out or three when we’re also in the company of a grandma babysitter. So out we went.

It’s always a risk to dig into Southern (American) food when you’re in Southern California. Add that whole gluten thing to the list of requirements, and it’s downright dangerous. Hell, I have a whole cookbook filled with gluten-free Southern food because it’s incredibly difficult to find. Incredibly.

When my husband made a reservation at Tupelo Junction in Santa Barbara I was suspicious. After all, I’d enjoyed some lovely fried chicken there years ago when were visiting from New York and first dating, and long before I was no longer allowed to shove gluten in my fried chicken hole. But guess what? That SoCal gluten-free friendly thing came in very handy as the menu was marked with items that could be made gluten-free! Like that lovely Red Beans and Rice with roasted corn, tomatoes, greens and shallots and Tupelo Honey Vinaigrette Salad w/roasted sunflower seeds pictured above. GF, baby. Also gf?

Gluten Is My Bitch Button is Back & It’s a GIVEAWAY

Yep. I got more of these bad boys. My publisher and I thought it was especially necessary since oh, about a zillion of you fine people FREAKED OUT at the Celiac Disease Foundation conference this weekend and demanded more “F*ck Flour” buttons. I believe I heard a chant near the Glutino booth at one point.

Now, I don’t know exactly how many I’m getting but they are on their way. So here’s what you do to get your own.