A tasty challenge

We were presented with the Schar Pizza Challenge and enthusiastically accepted. The challenge required us to come up with a gluten-free pizza recipe. We had so much fun trying things out, we came up with three!

All recipes were made with Schar's frozen pizza shells. The create a generous-size meal for one person, but we shared ours between two people and added side salads. Having made pizza entirely from scratch in the past, I can attest to the fact that these gluten-free shells make things soooo much easier. And they taste good too. 

Photo/GFGardenState

White Garlic Broccoli Pizza

Our resident pizza maker, Warren, was instrumental in this recipe, created with several years of professional experience under his belt. And its delicious!

1 Schar pizza shell

2 tsps. Olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

¾ c. ricotta cheese

1-1 1/4 c. shredded mozzarella

1 c. cooked broccoli florets

Parmesan cheese, to taste

What we ate at Celiac Education Day

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia hosted its annual Celiac Education Day on Sunday. Informational sessions aside, we learned there was a lot to love about gluten-free foods.

It started with breakfast.

I most enjoyed the warm Sweet Note Bakery bagels. Warren and I are big fans of the "ET" (or "everything") bagel, and we slathered ours with cream cheese. Our daughter loved the plain bagel. We all may have gone back for seconds. (Thank you, Brittany!)

The ShopRite Greek Yogurt was another hit with my little party. My daughter LOVED the vanilla, while I preferred the strawberry. Udi's muffins also went over well with Warren and I especially enjoying the blueberry, but the chocolate also was delicious.The muffins were soft and flavorful without falling apart, like so many gluten-free products.

What we learned at Celiac Education Day

There's always something new to learn about Celiac Disease.

Whether you were diagnosed 17 years ago, like me, or are newly diagnosed, a trip to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's annual Celiac Education Day is worth the trip. And there WAS a healthy mix of longtime-Celiacs and newbies, all asking questions and interacting with one another as a united front for facing this condition.

Hosted by CHOP Celiac Center Director Dr. Ritu Verma, the informational lectures were interesting and quick.She started off welcoming the crowd, and mentioned that the children's hospital is partnered with its neighbor Penn Medicine to provide Celiac Disease services to patients of all ages.

And there were plenty of highlights.

Photo/GFGardenState

GFGS Community Calendar: March 2015

As a service to our regular readers and the Celiac community at large, Gluten Free Garden State has started an ongoing list of upcoming events of interest. We will feature local happenings, as well as national events open to the public. The calendar will appear on the second Sunday of each month. Links will be posted to Facebook and Twitter using the hashtages #2ndSundaySked and #savetheceliacdate.

Enjoy!

Featured events

TODAY: 10th Annual Celiac Education Day at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), 8:15 am-2 pm. Free program includes complimentary parking, breakfast and lunch, samples of gluten-free products and a vendor fair. Attendees choose one of three educational sessions. Visit the CHOP website for more information.

Tuesday, March 24: 10th Annual Paul Taylor Dance Company Celiac Disease Center Fundraiser, David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street, New York City. A gluten-free meal is provided at 5:45 p.m., followed by the performance at 7 p.m.  Tickets are $350 or $128, depending on seating. Members of NYC Celiac Meetup enjoy special pricing at $38. Call the box office to RSVP at 646-214-5821.

Events In the Garden State

Sunday, April 5: CSA (Celiac Sprue Association) Southern New Jersey Chapter #9 meeting, 2 p.m. at Hope Church, 700 Cooper Rd., Voorhees. New members welcome. Visit the group's website for more information.

Gone Green

Image/GreenPeaCookie

These cookies are fantastic!

That's the first, and most important, thing you need to know about the Green Pea Cookie.

Yes, they're bright green in color, which is either exciting or a turn-off, depending on how well you enjoy a culinary adventure. As the name suggests, they're made with, well, green peas. Veggies! And they taste nothing like those small, round good-for-the-body pieces that you may have hated as a child (and may still).

They taste much better and, of course, they're available gluten-free.

Girl Scout Cookie Giveaway!

We're celebrating National Girl Scout Week, starting March 8, by giving away a bag of gluten-free Trios every day through Sunday.

The Trios have been sold since January by Girl Scouts troops affiliated with the Central & Southern New Jersey Council. Other councils in the Garden State are selling gluten-free toffee cookies.

To enter, tell us in the comments section which brand/type of gluten-free cookie you most enjoy. Score additional entries by visiting the Gluten Free Garden State Facebook page and following us on Twitter @GFGardenState.

Winners will be notified and will need to provide a mailing address in order to receive their prizes.

Good luck!


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Special event: Celiac Education Day at CHOP

The Center for Celiac Disease at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is hosting its 10th Annual Celiac Education Day on March 15.

The free program gives patients and families an opportunity to learn more about the condition and sample gluten-free foods. (A gluten-free diet is the only way to relieve symptoms.) Breakfast and lunch will be served, and vendors will offer tastings and products for purchase.

Attendees can choose one of three educational sessions: Thriving with Celiac Disease and Diabetes, Celiac Disease and Social Media, and Coping with Celiac Disease.