Happy 2009 to all my gfcf recipes friends!

I just wanted to take a minute and say how much I enjoyed sharing with all of you in 2008 and how great it was to meet -- electronically -- so many people. This blog started as a simple way to share recipes with people who most likely were in the same boat as us. As many of you know, I have two daughters diagnosed with PDD and we embraced a gluten and casein free diet to help. 

And, it has helped. This blog has grown tremendously -- way beyond what I ever imagined. It's not really a source of income for us. I've not made a dime from it yet. But, that never was the point. The point was to try and help, just as so many people have helped us. 

I'd like to share a few facts about how many people this blog has reached in 2008: 

• 13,682 visitors, or roughly 38 visitors every day. 
• Those visiting the blog live in 84 countries. The countries with the most visitors were 1) U.S., 2) Canada, 3) Australia, 4) Philippines and 5) the U.K. 
• Some other countries that might surprise you: Malaysia, Iceland, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Panama, Portugal, Brazil, Pakistan, Israel, Norway, Turkey, China, Qatar, Estonia, Venezuela, Bahamas, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Anguilla, Iraq, Kenya, Faroe Islands, Malta, Chile, Iran and Latvia. 
• The city with the most visits in 2008 was Burnsville, Minnesota. 
• This blog holds the top Google ranking under the "gfcf recipes" search and the fifth spot under the "gluten casein free recipes" search. 

So, thanks to all of you for making this such a wonderful experience. I hope you've taken something worthwhile from this site and I hope to meet more of you in 2009. 

jim

Gluten free "Rice Krispies" treats - Glennys product review

I came across this treat in the store the other day. It's expensive -- I think about $5 a box. But, it was a nice surprise for my kids and will be an every-so-often treat for them. I'm going to try and replicate this recipe. If I do, I'll post it here.

 

The treat -- a gluten free marshmallow treat similar to Rice Krispies Treats -- is made by "glenny's." And, it's gluten-free and casein-free. 

Note that the box says there's the possibility of trace amounts of tree nuts.

These are very good and really provide a nice option to give kids their own gluten free rice krispies treat. And, the kids love the colorful wrappers.

I've noted the Glenny's website is not very thorough or up to date and the Facebook page is dated as well.

Allergy book for kids

As if there aren't enough challenges finding and making foods for your children on a gluten-free, casein-free diet. Toss in a few added food allergies or intolerances and life can be difficult, at the least. And then, there's trying to explain to your child why he or she cannot eat the same foods that most of the other kids enjoy. Pizza. Ice cream. Grilled cheese. Oreos. Etc. I'm trying to explain this to my young daughters now. Through a friend, I've found a great book that helps young children understand and accept the food issues they face. It's called "One of the Gang" and it's authored by Gina Clowes. You can find this on Amazon by clicking here. If you're having difficulty explaining this to your kids or find they are having a difficult time accepting their issues, this book might help.