Gluten-free gossip.

According to ecorazzi.com, there will be gluten-free menu options at Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky's epic wedding this weekend. Apparently Ms. Clinton is allergic to gluten and the wedding cake will be GF and vegan. I wish them all the non-gluteny best!

Why, Trader Joe? Why?

While stopping in to grab a quick bite from Trader Joe's today, I was informed that their fantastic Middle Eastern Lentil and Brown Rice Salad has been DISCONTINUED! Noooooooooo! Apparently it wasn't a big seller and they wanted to make room for new products. It's hard enough to find a GF ready-to-eat meal, so I'm dismayed that they've narrowed the field. (I do also like their Curried Chicken Salad, but still.)

In theory, this dish, consisting simply of lentils, rice, onions, olive oil, and sea salt, would be easy to recreate. It's mujaddara, recipes for which abound online. I have tried several times, though, and haven't been able to make my own version that tastes as good and has the same texture as Trader Joe's - not to mention the convenience factor. Lentils hate my guts, however, despite what my mouth thinks, so being forced to go cold turkey is probably a blessing in disguise.

In case you couldn't tell, today is one of the (few) days where I feel really frustrated about my food restrictions and the fact that so often I still don't feel good, despite being carefully gluten-free. In general I'm surprisingly positive and zen about it but every so often, especially when I'm stressed out, low blood-sugary, and cranky to begin with, self-pity does set in. On one hand, I'm really glad that I can never again succumb to the grossness of fast food, but on the other hand, it's such a pain when you just want to grab a sandwich, or a cup of soup and a slice of fresh bread at Panera, or a quick spaghetti dinner. Yet on the third and largest hand, I'm grateful and lucky that celiac disease is what it is -- an inconvenience, not a tragedy. It could be a whole lot worse.

New GF bakery on the Main Line.

My helpful elves have informed me that a new GF bakery is opening soon (well, TODAY according to their website) in lovely Wynnewood, PA! The bakery is located right at the train station, accessible by the R5 line or the 105 bus. A dedicated GF facility, Main Line Bakery will offer cupcakes, cakes, bread, and other tempting baked goods. Check out their Facebook page for more information. Can't wait to try them out! It's an exciting time to be gluten-free, that's for sure - new products, bakeries, and shops just keep popping up all over the place.

In more personal news, you may have noticed I haven't been posting much recently. There are some pretty huge things going on in my life (all good, but still!) that have been consuming my time and energy - and will continue to do so. I hope that I will have time to keep this blog active, but please bear with me as posts and updates will be even more sporadic.