It takes a lot to impress me when I dine out with my family. We are constantly on the hunt for new and exciting places that offer a range of choices for gluten free diners. Although we don't need haute cuisine, it's nice to have some variety and excitement even at "family" restaurants. I'll confess we do get a bit tired of restaurants that offer the same ol' options (steaks, burgers without buns, grilled chicken, salads), without much thought to making a gluten free diner's experience as close as possible to that of other diners. That's why we were thrilled some time ago to discover Travinia Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, an Italian restaurant with a very cool vibe and an out-of-this-world Gluten Free Menu. If you're lucky enough to live in Virginia (like us), North Carolina, South Carolina, or Florida, you'll likely find a location near you. If you plan to visit any of the towns where they have locations, be sure to reserve a night to dine at Travinia. Your only frustration will be that you can't sample everything on the Gluten Free Menu! On our first visit to Travinia -- with our kids -- I ordered the... Read more →
August 2013
Have you ever heard of Lovely Lady skin care and hair care products? Neither had I -- until recently -- when the company sent me some products samples to try. I have to say...I was intrigued. As with many innovations, this was a product line born out of necessity. The Founder of the company suffered for many years from skin and hair problems that were later attributed to Celiac Disease, so she was determined to develop a line of effective gluten free products. In addition to being gluten free, Lovely Lady hair care and skin care products contain NO water. What's so great about that, you wonder? I, too, found myself thinking...isn't water good for our skin? Well, yes and no. The problem is, many products on the market today are diluted with too much water (sometimes up to 70% of the formula). Not only are you not getting less of the beneficial ingredients, but you're paying for a "weaker" and less effective product! What's more, when a product contains water, a preservative needs to be added to prevent mold. The core ingredients in Lovely Lady skin and hair care products are natural, plant-based ingredients you may have heard about... Read more →
Julie Bourne, our regular Thriving Gluten Free in College columnist and publisher of her own Campus Celiac Blog, checks in this month with an update from her summer in Seattle, where she is employed full-time in an office setting and getting a taste of what life (and meal management!) will be like after college. Summer is in full swing and while school may be out, college students are keeping busy at their various work and internship opportunities. On top of gaining some “real world” experience for future career pursuits, full-time opportunities in particular can provide some insight into a work-focused schedule as opposed to the more static class-focused schedule we are used to. Personally, I’m spending my summer interning full time at a Seattle-based technology agency. My work days usually run from 10 am to 6 pm, meaning there are some necessary preparations that I must take to ensure that I am able to stay fed, energized, and gluten free (of course) throughout the day. My previous work was in floral design assistance where I was on my feet for an entire day, with little to no time to stop for a meal. As a celiac, I found that environment... Read more →