<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Newsletter Roundup ------------------ Compiled by Jim Lyles This section contains articles and excerpts from newsletters produced by other celiac groups. ............................................ : : : Excerpts from _CSSG Newsletter_ : : ------------------------------- : : Nov. 1999 Barbara J. Wieland, editor : : 5903 S. Tecumseh Rd. : : Springfield, OH 45502 : :..........................................: Kroger GF List: Evelyn Mefford contacted Kroger by phone, and as of June 1999 these Kroger label items are gluten-free: cream cheese hard cheese yogurt without cookies ice cream without cookies sherbet without cookies whipped topping mayonnaise, regular and lite all gelatins all puddings all peanut butter milk chocolate baking chips peanut butter baking chips butterscotch baking chips all oils and cooking sprays plain potato chips crunchy cheese snacks (like Cheetos(tm)) salmon ranch-style chip dip garden mixed vegetable chip dip fiesta chip dip salad dressings: Lite French, Lite Italian, Lite Ranch, Lite 1000 Island, Caesar, Ranch, Buttermilk, Creamy Cucumber, Italian, Zesty Italian, Red French, Red Wine Vinegar and Oil ........................................................... : : : Excerpts from the Greater Philadelphia CS Support Group : : ------------------------------------------------------- : : newsletter: Oct. 1999 Phyllis J. Brogden : : 6318 Farmar Lane : : Flourtown, PA 19031 : :.........................................................: Touring France and the Channel Islands, by Marilyn Dommel -------------------------------------- After spending two weeks in the Channel islands and northern France this summer, I wanted to pass along some gluten-free (GF) travel tips that worked for me. A warning: what I prefer to eat--mostly fruits and vegetables, GF breads, and skim milk--won't satisfy every celiac. Our tour moved fast, sometimes sleeping in a hotel only one night, which meant I had little or no advance time to confer with chefs. (A quick lunch stop in a French sidewalk bistro with a harried waitress....who doesn't speak English? C'mon!!) Instead of mammoth cookie cutter, American-style hotels, we stayed at charming small inns. FIRST--Since the tour included breakfast and dinner at our hotel each day, the tour director faxed copies of my GF diet ahead to each hotel where we were to stay....months ahead of time. Extremely helpful!! This way, even when I had no advance time with the hotel chef, they'd see my smiling GF face and say, "Ahh, you're the one." Together we'd quickly talk over the menu and they were prepared to offer me correct food. SECOND--Don't believe that rumor, "everyone speaks English these days." I found plenty of foreign shopkeepers and waiters who didn't. If you're travelling in a foreign country and you are not fluent in the language--refer to the back of Jax Peter Lowell's book, Against the Grain. She's kindly printed brief foreign language explanations of our diet restrictions. Find the language you require, make about ten or twelve copies, and take these with you on your trip. Keep these copies handy for quick hand-outs, not buried in the back vaults of your locked suitcase. More on these copies later. THIRD--Assemble, well before travel time, essential GF foods you require to keep you alive. Don't wait till the last minute! Your health food store might be out of your favorites. My husband thought I was crazy, packing a small box of GF food to take along. Even the tour director assured me that France had wonderful grocers everywhere. But that still small voice inside (panic!!) told me to pack some GF food. Sure enough, I NEVER saw one health food store in two weeks of travel, and only one pack of GF cookies....and that was on my very last day. Here's a list of the food I took along. Again, this probably won't work for everyone, but it was perfect for me. Food Packed for Two Weeks Foreign Travel * 2 rolls rice cakes * 2 one-gallon size zip-lock bags of my GF cereal mix (flakes, Arrowhead Mills puffed corn, and puffed rice) * 10-12 individually wrapped granola bars (I used G-Foods bars) * rice bran--travel can be constipating * 1 loaf Ener-G vacuum-sealed bread (great to open after about 4-5 days, when my own muffins had gotten moldy) * 10-12 muffins (I bake my own) * a bag of bags: 1 one-gallon size zip-lock plastic bag filled with 6 quart-sized zip-lock bags, plus 1 or 2 additional one-gallon size zip lock bags. The smaller bags are great for carrying cereal to the breakfast table, or muffins/bread/rice cakes around in a fanny pack during day travel. FOURTH--Be certain the airline knows you require a GF diet....either by phoning them yourself, or having your tour director make this request for you. British Airways gave me a marvelous food tray on my flights to and from London. But, celiacs should carry GF food with them on board anyway, in case their airline fails to process the request. On the actual trip, I carried a small zip-lock bag of GF cereal to breakfast each morning. Hotel milk and fresh fruit made the cereal taste great. Fruit juice and/or hot tea completed the meal. I ran out of cereal the last day or two, so for breakfast I spread several rice cakes liberally with hotel jelly which filled me comfortably. When touring during the day, I always tucked these items into my fanny pack: a granola bar or small bag of two rice cakes, a piece of fresh fruit purchased at local produce stands, and a 12-ounce water bottle. I continually refilled the water bottle throughout each day. The above is a great mid-morning or emergency snack. I also carried two muffins for lunch. Most times I ordered some form of salad--actually vegetable--but some salads had sliced meat, cheese, or hard-boiled eggs in them. The beverage was usually milk or tea. This form of lunch is fairly quick and easy to order, even when you don't speak the language....and the waiter doesn't speak yours. For dinner, if possible, scan the menu in advance at each locale--sometimes as soon as you check in to your hotel--to avoid last-minute fluster. Speak with the chef, if possible, to discuss menu ingredients. Remember those Xerox copies of GF diet restrictions from Against the Grain? Write your name and hotel room number on a copy and relay this slip to the hotel chef via the front desk. Very helpful, for the chef and for you. Now....a plug for the marvelous hotel whose chef surprised me immediately upon check-in with an exciting GF menu. (Regrettably I've forgotten the man's name). GF pasta (pasta!! I was thrilled!), a loaf of Ener-G GF bread, a special chocolate mousse made just for me, and wonderful entrees. I was the envy of my co-travelers. This gorgeous hotel, located right on the English Channel on the island of Jersey, is called The Water's Edge Hotel. You can fax them at 01534- 863545, or e-mail them at <[log in to unmask]>.