You Better Not Pout I'm Telling You Why

Christmas is only 29 days away!

Do you know what that means?

You better be good for goodness sake,

Because Santa Claus is coming to town!

But until he gets here...

Go to http://www.northpole.com/ which has everything like:

write to Santa and he'll write back,

games,

Mrs. Klaus' recipe section (not all gluten free but can be adapted)

make your own story,

coloring pages & ,

e-cards for family,

and lots more fun!

Let Them Eat Gluten Free Cookies & Cake!

R.O.C.K. Charlotte recognizes local businesses by adding them to our R.O.C.K. All Star Product List Guide.

If you know of a business you'd like to recommend, or a new gluten free product you'd like to see listed, then please email us and we will add it to our website.

If you aren't a baker and need some gluten free items, try The Thoughtful Baker.

Barbara D'Ambrosio has made her baking business into a custom to order bakery offering many allergen free foods including gluten free, peanut free, soy free, and dairy free products.

Not only does she take her customer service a step further by keeping your specific needs on file for future orders, but her bakery is inspected by the state and meets the qualifications of a commercial baking facility. Her family oriented cooking classes at Earthfare Ballantyne are widely known as being informative and helpful.

The menu includes cakes, muffins, cookies, breads, and ready to bake pizza crusts among many items available for purchase.

R.O.C.K. Charlotte has a menu on pdf file which we can send anyone interested in making an order or just contact Barbara at thethoughtfulbaker@earthlink.net

From Our Family To Yours

Click the pumpkin pie slice below for a sweet little treat...

Gobbling Gluten Free Turkey In Only One Week!!

Sometimes we find gluten in the strangest places.

This can be frustrating to the children and parents who deal with a gluten free lifestyle.

Unfortunately, Thanksgiving is no exception to the rule.

Did you know?

Butterball turkeys have gluten in them. They now have a gluten free line of products and turkeys.

But as always - read the label!
Of course, we favor no antibiotic, nor hormones and pasture raised if not wild turkeys.
However, we all know those aren't as easy to come by.
Look online for farmers locally who can provide you with them if interested in eating more naturally.

There is so much help to be had online in the information super highway - better known as the internet.

To all of those who are making our gluten free lives easier with blogs, email groups and research get

a BIG THANKS

from R.O.C.K. Charlotte area!!!

Triumph Dining Blog is a wonderful resource and has posted another excellent Thanksgiving guide on shopping gluten free and recipes to boot.

Take a look and see what you think.

R.O.C.K.in' Round The Christmas Tree Party

You Better Watch Out!

It's the best holiday party of the season because it is

~*GLUTEN FREE!*~

*You Tube Video of White Christmas Cartoon, sung by Bill Pinkney & The Original Drifters*

 

What: The 2009 R.O.C.K.in' Round The Christmas Tree Party

When: Saturday, December 5th, 2009

What Time: 2:00 p.m. and ending at 4:00 p.m.

Where: 13703 Shiella Caruth Dr.

Huntersville, N.C. 28078

Phone: 704-804-4090

This will be a pot luck party. Along with your favorite gluten free holiday food item, we ask that you bring an index card with your gluten free recipe printed on it to share with the other party attendees. The dress and format will be casual to allow for a relaxed atmosphere for socializing.

Our R.O.C.K. stars will have a safe and fun activity to do as usual. We have a play room for them to enjoy complete with Holiday movies and games to give us parents time to socialize.

There will be Christmas party favors for them to take home too!

Please R.S.V.P. by November 28th, 2009 to haircolorexpertise@hotmail.com or call Nikki at 704-804-4090.

Counting Our Blessings For Celiac Disease

While talking about Thanksgiving, we decided that there were some things about having Celiac Disease and living gluten free that had been blessings in disguise all along.

Out of any struggle, we can look back after facing a challenge and see that we have grown from it.
When anyone finds out they have Celiac Disease, the thought of not being able to have the freedom to choose whatever you want to eat can be a real downer.

Maybe you are able to see there are some blessings that happen...



We asked other R.O.C.K. members to submit their comments as to what they are thankful for even though sometimes it is hard to see.

Here's what they said:

Grace (7 years old) is thankful for Celiac because "Celiac makes me more healthy. Eating gluten free makes me feel better, my tummy doesn't hurt anymore.
And I get the most attention!!!!"



Savanna (age 7) said she is thankful for gluten free diets because, "It made me do better in school. For real, it really did!"



Sierra (age 8) said gluten free was a blessing because "It helped me to feel better and make better choices to be the bigger person. Oh yeah, and ever since I went gluten free, no itchies!"



Erin (age 8) said she was thankful for Celiac because now she "ate healthy and home made" and that now she was healthier than she had ever been.



We also received an email from Janet who founded the Charlotte Celiac Connection group.


Janet said: I am thankful for you, all our members, local support groups everywhere, national organizations and our medical experts who continue to advocate for our cause and to do so tirelessly. Collectively, we are making a huge difference and helping to get the diagnosis rate up as well as making our daily lives much easier. Happy Thanksgivings Day to all!



Thanks for doing such a fabulous job!


Warm Regards,
Janet Kline

President & Founder
Charlotte Celiac Connection




Well,  we are thankful to Janet and all our gluten free community educators, support groups and medical personnel who are making the Celiac community a better place!

We are also thankful for Erin E.'s grandparents - Without their help, we could never have had such successful meetings every month!

Being Thankful for Beauty

Have you ever seen the Northern Lights?

If you remember the movie Brother Bear, they went to where the light touched the sky...

We haven't been there, but in our email box was the newest pictures circulating about them and the natural phenomena in Idaho.

Here is the Northern Lights or Aurora.

Auroras are natural light displays in the sky, usually observed at night, particularly in the polar regions.

In northern latitudes, the effect is known as the aurora borealis, named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for north wind, Boreas.

The aurora borealis most often occurs near the equinoxes; from September to October and from March to April. The northern lights have had a number of names throughout history but the Cree people call this phenomenon the "Dance of the Spirits."

On the Idaho/ Washington state border, a Fire Rainbow was captured in the sky on film.

Clouds have to be cirrus, at least 20.000 feet in the air, with just the right amount of ice crystals and the sun has to hit the clouds at precisely 58 degrees.

We are thankful for all the amazing things created that enable us to see such beauty.

Thanksgiving Gluten Free Style

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!

Thanksgiving is on the way and we have some helpful hints on making your traditional meal items gluten free.

Just head to the R.O.C.K. Diner and take a peek at some delicious Turkey Day recipes.

Erin E.'s Nana has cooked them all and they were eaten with a BIG smile.

We will be announcing our Holiday R.O.C.K. Party soon...so stay tuned!

Ideas For Sharing The Load

The Halloween festivities are over and everyone has a whole bunch of candy.

What do you do with the candy that isn't gluten free?

We heard some real good ideas at the last meeting and thought we'd post them on our site.

1. You can put the candy into gift bags and give it to school friends or teachers.

2. Give it to a community center, orphanage, or shelter for the homeless.

Covenant House the homeless youth shelter

Charlotte Rescue Mission

Church of God Children's Home Concord, N.C.

Barium Springs Home for Children in Troutman, N.C.

3. Send it to work with your Mom or Dad to share with their co-workers.

We liked the idea to donate to someone needy the best of all. It's hard to imagine not having all the great things that kids usually get but there are plenty who don't have that luxury.

Hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween!