Blog Entries

The Road with my kids who have Autism and Celiac

niccib@gfcfdoneeasy.com — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0100

I went hiking today with my fiance, Scott and our dog Payton. At the end of our hike, I told Scottie about a conversation Jesse Cooper and I had the day before. Jesse and I were disagreeing about something that happened on one of the Disney shows(that he's really too young to watch.) Finally, he realized I wasn't going to agree with him and he sauntered up to me with a smug look on his face and said to me, "Mommy. I've seen this twice already today and this is just your first time." Jesse t [...]

Tailgating never tasted so good!

pmdassistant@gmail.com — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:18:49 +0100

It's football season! And you can't cheer on your favorite team on an empty stomach!

Whether you're preparing for a tailgating party or you want to make Sunday Night Football with the family a little more special, GFCFDoneEasy.com is helping you put together a menu fitting for the next excitement-filled game!

Join us Wednesday, October 13 at Whole Foods Market's Arroyo location for a cooking class you won't want to miss. We'll be making a gluten-free sandwich, party d [...]

Back-to-School Tips: How to Stick to GFCF at School

pmdassistant@gmail.com — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:09:37 +0100

One of the primary challenges GFCF families face when it's time to head back to school is planning gluten-free lunches and snacks.

Here are a few tips to help make sticking to GFCF at school a little easier for you and your kids:

Formally notify your school of your child's dietary restrictions.
Attain a copy of the school's lunch menu and determine what can be made GFCF and duplicated in a sack lunch.
Purchase a thermos to keep food warm.
Udi's sandwich bread is g [...]

Every Step Counts

pmdassistant@gmail.com — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 08:00:00 +0100

This Spring and Summer, thousands of people are joining the fight against Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis by participating in CCFA's Take Steps Walk. These diseases affect millions of people and CCFA is working hard to raise money and awareness and find cures.

This year on June 13, GFCFDoneEasy.com participated in the Take Steps walk in Los Angeles. We made corn dogs and cupcakes, and had a great time meeting everyone that came out to support this important cause.

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Family Wellness Month

pmdassistant@gmail.com — Thu, 13 May 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Did you know that May is Family Wellness Month?

While we all strive to keep our families in the best physical, emotional and mental shape on a daily basis, it doesn't hurt to take some time to reflect on how we can do more to ensure that our families are healthy and happy.

Looking for some ideas you can implement this spring and summer? Here are a few simple tips:

- Plan an adventure, big or small. Healthy families are active families, so whether yo [...]

Gluten Free Olive Garden

niccib@gfcfdoneeasy.com — Mon, 03 May 2010 08:00:00 +0100

It's always exciting to add a restaurant to the list of places to go with the family. While working the other night, a co-worker excitedly told me there was a gluten free page in the menu. So of course, we went the following evening. It wasn't an extensive menu, but covered pretty much everything from pasta, chicken, steak and fish. What more could one ask for? Oh yeah, dessert!!! Seems we always get jipped in the gfcf dessert department, but our day will come. Until then, I don't mind ma [...]

COOKING CLASS: Gluten Free & Vegan Desserts!

pmdassistant@gmail.com — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Looking for a way to satisfy your sweet tooth? Join us this Saturday, March 27 at 10am at Whole Foods Fairfax!

By popular demand, GFCFDoneEasy.com and Whole Foods are excited to bring to you a cooking class that delves into the deliciously sweet world of gluten-free and vegan cooking.

Cooking Tonight

pmdassistant@gmail.com — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

The topic tonight: CHEESE! Did you think you had to give up that cheesey flavor? No way! With the help of Daiya Cheese and Nicci's culinary cleverness, you won't miss the cheese. Daiya cheese melts like the real thing, and tastes better!

The class is $10 and will take place at 6:30 p.m. Can't wait to see you there!

Our classes take place at Whole Foods Market Arroyo. The store is located at 465 South Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena, CA91105.

Happy New Year

pmdassistant@gmail.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0100

I hope your New Year is off to a healthy start! My family enjoyed a wonderful holiday season filled with lots of delicious gluten-free and casein-free recipes, and we're excited about everything that's in store for us in 2010.

I'd like to express my heartfelt thanks for all of your support in 2009 and for being a vital part of the launch of our site. This year, we remain committed to you and your family's health and to helping make the gluten-free/casein-free journey a simple one.

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GFCF Christmas Cookies

niccib@gfcfdoneeasy.com — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:00:00 +0100

It is the most wonderful time of the year...usually. Last year I had intended to attempt recreating all of my Christmas Cookie recipes into Gluten Free/Casein Free wonders. Well, before I knew it, Christmas had come and gone with no cookies to speak of. This year, that was not the case.

This past Saturday, a few wonderful friends joined us to be the first taste-testers and it was a great treat indeed! The recipes will all be on the site by End of Day tomorrow. The favorites were as follo [...]

Zales joins the cause!

niccib@gfcfdoneeasy.com — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

The other night my husband and I were watching tv and for some reason we were watching commercials which is unusual because everything we watch is usually dvr'd and we get to skip the commercials. Well, a Zales commercial came on and I was only half paying attention when my husband excitedly pointed at the familiar blue puzzle piece that represents Autism Speaks on the screen. I am a committee member for Autism Speaks Walk in Los Angeles and was absolutely thrilled.

So, here's the lowdown. [...]

Secrets to Kid-Friendly Gluten-Free and Casein-Free Cooking

pmdassistant@gmail.com — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:00:00 +0100

We had the pleasure of interviewing Pam Compart and Dana Laake, co-authors of "The Kid-Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to the Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet." Check out Part I of our interview for great tips on transitioning to a gluten-free/ casein-free lifestyle and more!

Q: What was the primary inspiration for The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook?

A: We wanted to reach as many families as possible with this information. While it is ideal [...]

It's On With Zack!

pmdassistant@gmail.com — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:00:00 +0100

We're always excited to connect with people across the U.S. and the world who are making a difference and going the extra mile to generate awareness about autism. We recently had the enormous pleasure of meeting Zack Gonzalez, author of the soon-to-be released book, "Saving Deets!: A Family's Journey with Autism" and host of "It's On with Zack", an online radio show about autism.

Zack is a passionate activist with so many accomplishments under his belt. He is currently a Committee M [...]

Gluten Free Chex!!!

niccib@gfcfdoneeasy.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:00:00 +0100

We all probably knew that General Mills began making their Rice Chex gluten free, but today I found out they have 5 new flavors that are Gluten Free!!!!!!!! It is so far beyond exciting to have them expand this line to carry a total of 6 flavors of Chex. No longer will we have to see a snack section and look longingly at the blue and white bag of Chex mix (that might have been just me.)

I can remember 8th grade Home Ec class, the first thing we made was Chex mix [...]

Time for Tea

niccib@gfcfdoneeasy.com — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Well after two months of planning, searching, shopping, and google-ing, the Garden Tea Bridal Shower is now over. I thought I would be completely relieved, but I'm not quite sure what to change my focus to.

We had a fabulous time, hats and all! Best of all, I served all gfcf food at the tea party and everyone was raving about the food! Several people asked me where everything came from, and everytime I answered, "I made it!" It was great to see so [...]

Cooking with Silicone

pmdassistant@gmail.com — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:00:00 +0100

A great new tip for gluten-free cooks who love to bake!

Transitioning to a gluten-free lifestyle if you love to bake can be quite a bit of an adjustment. Have you had trouble:

- Finding gluten-free flour?

- Learning to cook with xanthum gum to help certain dishes maintain their shape and consistency?

- Choosing the right bakeware, since some gluten-free recipes don't turn out the same in all pans?

All of these factors can be a bit overwhelmi [...]

The Sensitive Baker

pmdassistant@gmail.com — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:00:00 +0100

The Sensitive Baker is giving away a FREE, full-size (1.25lb.) tub of their famous gluten-free / casein-free chocolate-chip cookie dough to patrons who ask their local retailers to carry The Sensitive Baker's products. Participation in this promotion is quick, easy and rewarding!

Click here for a brief letter that you can cut and paste along with a list of stores (and their email addresses). When you send your letter, don't forget to CC: or forward your email to gfpromo@gmail.com to r [...]

The Doctors

niccib@gfcfdoneeasy.com — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:00:00 +0100

So, I talked to my mom yesterday and she said there was a boy on the television show called The Doctors and they had a boy who had been recovered from Autism. Did anyone see the show? Please share any details or a link to see the episode.

What is "normal"?

niccib@gfcfdoneeasy.com — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 08:00:00 +0100

The idea of normal in and of itself is completely absurd. Last week I was frustrated and for a second wished we could just live a "normal" life. Then I realized that completely goes against my belief system that normal does not exist. If normal existed that would indicate we have a bar or a standard to which we compare. Which we do, but whose bar is normal. Are there not so many different bars that we would have to choose which one we perceive as [...]

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, All Natural Easter

niccib@gfcfdoneeasy.com — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:00:00 +0100

So of course I have waited to the last minute to figure out how to get candy in the Easter Basket. The focus is usually some small toys, but what's Easter without a chocolate bunny and some jelly beans. This year, I will again make the bunnies because I can't justify spending $11 on a vegan bunny online or waiting for a vegan bunny to come in the mail. Michael's or your local cake supply store will have several Easter molds so that's no big deal. Apparently, Jelly [...]