Book Review: Bagels, Buddy, and Me

On Twitter, my mom found out about Bagels, Buddy, and Me: A story about gluten intolerance and celiac disease. She emailed the author, Melanie Krumrey, to see if she could send me a free copy to review. The book is based on the true story of the Krumrey family, and the story is told by a boy named Cooper, who is 8-years-old like me.

Bagels, Buddy, and Me is a great book! I especially like that it was also about gluten intolerance and that somehow Melanie Krumrey made the pictures in the book look like crayon drawings. It looks like she drew it in black and then colored it in.

The book is funny, and it is hard to believe that it is based on a true story. I think that kids in elementary school would love the story. You can buy the book at the Bagels, Buddy, and Me website and learn more about the Krumrey family on their blog called Gluten-Free Krums. If are looking for a book with more facts about celiac disease and eating gluten-free, read my review of The GF Kid. If you are looking for a funny story about finding out you need to eat gluten-free, then Bagels, Buddy, and Me is the book for you!

Review: Lucy’s Cookies

Lucy’s gluten-free cookies are now sold at Starbucks in snack size sealed bags of four cookies for $1.50. I found a display of the cinnamon thin cookies and then an employee found the chocolate chip cookies behind the counter. Lucy’s also makes sugar cookies and oatmeal cookies.

Lucy’s cookies are certified gluten-free and vegan and made in a dedicated bakery. They are also Kosher and free of peanuts, tree nuts, milk, and eggs. They are made from certified gluten-free oats and a blend of many flours. Here is the nutritional information for the chocolate chip cookies:

Serving size: 3 cookies (note there are four in the pack)
Calories: 130
Fat: 5 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Sugars: 12 grams
Contains: soy, oat, and fava

The cookies were surprisingly good! I enjoyed both flavors. They have a nice crunch and great texture. I am not a coffee drinker, but they seem like the type of cookies that would go well with coffee. I would certainly buy both again and probably the boxes sold at Giant.

New Gluten-Free Beef Dishes at PF Chang's

P.F. Chang's has been tweeting about new additions to their gluten-free menu available on March 8. While P.F. Chang's hasn't formally announced the dishes, they are already available at P.F. Chang's in Arizona, and an email was sent to customers in Arizona. Here is the new gluten-free menu with five new beef dishes, thanks to @GFPhilly, who saw a link to it on the Celiac.com forum and shared it on Twitter.

Also, many will be happy to know that Dali Chicken is back on the gluten-free menu. There may also be a new gluten-free appetizer coming soon, although it is not on this new menu. I look forward to trying the Gluten-Free Beef a la Sichuan!

Are Blistex Products Gluten-Free?

Here is the email reply I received today from Blistex. Happily, all Blistex lip care products are gluten-free.

"Thank you for your interest in Blistex products and wanting to know if they are gluten free. We are pleased to inform you that all of our Blistex lip care products are gluten free meaning that they are free from wheat, rye, barley, and oats.

Please visit the Blistex website at http://www.blistex.com/ for a full listing of our products and stores that carry them in your area.

If we can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me direct.


Best regards,

Ed Mahay/S.K.
Supervisor, Consumer Affairs
Phone: 888-784-2472 x3218
Fax: 888-784-2473
Email: emahay@blistex.com"

Update: November 3, 2010 -  The new Blistex Five Star Lip Protection is not gluten-free and contains wheat germ oil, so the above statement is no longer accurate.

Gluten-Free Dining at College: USA Today Article Describes Accommodations

In the USA Today article, “Colleges accommodate more students with food allergies”, some colleges offering gluten-free meals are mentioned. The article also mentions a great new resource, the College Network, from The Food and Allergy Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN).

The College Network is a growing searchable database of over 40 colleges that provide accommodations. In addition to mentioning gluten-free meals at the University of New Hampshire, the article describes allergy-free kitchens at Brown University, the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., and Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.