Category Archives: GFCF

Making Holidays and Events More Enjoyable with Food Issues

Posted on by
2

October, November and December are all about events. October is about Halloween parties, November has the big (and sometimes ominous) Thanksgiving, and December is about Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and others. Parties galore!

For the last few years around Christmas, I’ve struggled. With Celiac Disease and other food allergies (especially milk and corn!), most holiday goodies are on my “bad” list. Bowls of candy set around the room? Nope. If they don’t have milk, they have corn syrup. (Candy canes, anyone?) Corn chips and salsa? Nope. Most baked goods (that I’m not bringing myself) have gluten in them. I’m having a tough time coming up with things to list here since I’m so used to not having them.

When I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I was self-conscious about letting people cook or bake for me, for two main reasons. 1- It’s very difficult to do gluten-free cooking and baking correctly, without any cross contact and 2- I hate putting people out. Ever since the other food allergies made themselves known, I’ve just assumed that any party I go to won’t be able to accommodate me, so I eat beforehand. It’s habit, now.

The holidays are especially difficult because it seems that all of a sudden, people are very emotionally tied to their food! People usually have at least one dish, without which, it wouldn’t be Christmas or Thanksgiving or what-have-you. It also can’t be just any rendition of the dish, it has to be Grandma’s recipe. (This is true for my family and pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.) It also seems to suddenly be that if a food is eaten, then the maker of the dish understands that you like it, and that you appreciate their efforts. Not eating someone’s dish is just not okay!

To help everyone understand each other a little better, I’ve come up with a few suggestions. The level to which these work is dependent on how well the host and guest know each other, so please adapt accordingly.

* Guest: Please don’t be offended if your host doesn’t accommodate your food issues. If they haven’t had to deal with any, they might be intimidated at the thought of attempting something and then having you get sick anyway. If they’re going to try, and you’re comfortable with their efforts, consider it a gift.

* Host: If the guest says they’ll eat beforehand, please don’t be offended. They’re looking out for their health, not condemning everything you cook or will have at the event. Take it as a BIG compliment that they’re willing to come, even though they won’t be able to eat anything.

* Guest: Don’t try something you know isn’t safe for you just because you’re feeling pressured to do so. Getting sick isn’t worth it. Just politely decline and mention you have food allergies. In my experience, people are pretty understanding.

* Host: If your guest is more comfortable eating beforehand, don’t force the issue. It’s not code for “please try harder.” It usually means that they don’t want to put you out, and would rather make food a non-issue.

* Guest: Understand that your host and the other guests mean well, even if you’re uncomfortable. Most people care very much, but aren’t used to dealing with food issues, and may not be aware if they’re saying something insensitive. It’s also been my experience that most people are seeking to understand something they’re unfamiliar with. If you’re comfortable, be willing to talk about your food issues. We can increase understanding in others if we are willing to talk about food in a calm and positive way.

In this season of holidays, parties and events, may we all be more considerate and deferential to each other. May we find ways to love each other and to appreciate the people who care for us. May we especially be kinder to ourselves.

Dear Caterers and Restaurants:

Posted on by
Reply

As you may know, more and more people are being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, which requires them to eat gluten-free, and food allergies are also becoming more prevalent. Having Celiac Disease and allergies to beef, chicken, eggs, milk, bananas, carrots and corn myself, this is essentially all I think about.

If you want your customers to flip out (in a good way), I can help you with that.

  • Good: Washing all dishes and pans to be used in the dishwasher, thoroughly.
  • Awesome: Having a set of dishes and pans that never touch gluten — that are just for your gluten-free guests.
  • Good: Having your gluten-free menu and/or food allergy accommodations on your website and easy to find.
  • Awesome: On your site, writing about the specific techniques you use to keep cross-contamination/contact to a minimum.
  • Good: Having the server repeat the special order back to the person who ordered it to make sure they got it right.
  • Awesome: Having the manager or head chef speak to the diner when a gluten-free or food-allergy order comes back. (This will earn you serious points.)
  • Good: Thoroughly cleaning part of your grill before cooking gluten-free.
  • Awesome: Having a section on your grill that gluten never touches.
  • Good: Having a separate, dedicated fryer for all gluten-free foods, keeping the oil separate (not mixing it with other glutenous oil at the end of the night).
  • Awesome: Having a separate fryer in a completely different part of the kitchen.
  • Good: One server changing their gloves for the special meal(s).
  • Awesome: All kitchen employees changing their gloves for the special meal(s).
  • Good: Having a system in place so the servers (at an event) know exactly who to deliver the special meal(s) to with little fuss.
  • Awesome: Having the server assigned to that table introduce themselves to the guest with the special meal and letting them know they’ll be taken care of.
  • Good: Giving your servers at least two trainings a year (but monthly would be ideal) on how to handle gluten-free and allergy-free requests.
  • Awesome: Become Gluten-Free Certified.
  • Most important: Listen very closely, and take your time with your guests so they know that you’ll personally take care of them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Salt Lake City Gluten-Free Restaurant Experiment: Review #15 – Blue Lemon

Posted on by
Reply

I went to dinner with The Franchise and some friends, and was looking for someplace new, since I’m sure they were getting tired of just the same restaurants every time. (I’m lucky enough to have kind friends who let me pick the restaurant so I can eat safely.)

Then it occurred to me: Blue Lemon! I’d heard from my doctor (who also has Celiac) that this place was good, and the catering manager of Blue Lemon came to my office to give a pitch, and we talked about the rest of my food allergies. It was the perfect opportunity.
Blue Lemon has two locations. We went to the one in downtown Salt Lake, and it was great! They have a gluten-free menu if you ask for it. The format is similar to Noodles & Co. or Rumbi. You walk up to the counter and order, and they bring the food to you. I happily had the Grilled Salmon al Fresco sandwich on lettuce, which was delicious. The Franchise had the Chipotle Pineapple BBQ sandwich and an order of sweet potato fries. He loved it. 
Great atmosphere. We sat outside, and enjoyed the fountains. The weather was perfect, and the company was great. We eventually moved our conversation inside when it got a little chilly, and the inside set up is cool, too, with the HUGE! bonus of having great lighting that doesn’t exacerbate The Franchise’s headache.  
I had three issues. The first is that the young staff member we ordered with didn’t particularly inspire my confidence that he knew what he was talking about regarding my food issues. I asked what was in a soup, and he wasn’t sure, so he started listing ingredients off at random. That really irritates me, and makes me want to leave. If you don’t know, find someone who does. I want information. Not guesses. This affects my health for days at a time. Maybe he was new, or maybe Blue Lemon needs to train their staff better. I’m not sure. Celiac is a real thing, not something that I’m doing as a fad diet, so I don’t appreciate feeling like I’m not being taken seriously. 
The second is that the sweet potato fries aren’t gluten-free! That was a big disappointment. The Franchise ordered them for “us,” since I love them, thinking they’d be fine. Before they were brought out, though, I went back and checked the gf menu just to make sure. They were not listed, and this staff member didn’t really know where the gluten was, either, but speculated that it must be in the spice, since they bake the fries instead of frying them. Do they really need that particular spice? I can eat the fries at Smashburger. It’s just too bad that there’s not a lot else there that I can eat.) 
The third is that you can’t find their gluten-free menu online! There are so many people who need to eat gluten-free these days that I’m sure they’re losing customers who don’t know they have gluten-free options. 
After saying all this, though, I really did enjoy my “sandwich.” I will be going back, and will probably do so soon. Thanks, Blue Lemon, for being another place that I’m (relatively) sure I can eat safely.

Countdown: 32 Days Til the Gluten-Free Expo!

Posted on by
Reply

32 days until the National Gluten-Free Expo!

I’ve been very, very busy lately getting ready for the Expo, thus the blog silence, as it were. I got a copy of Salt Lake/Park City Bride & Groom, and started e-mailing the vendors. I’ve gotten a lot of responses, which is fantastic. I had no idea that so many businesses are gluten-free and allergy-free friendly! People have been really nice, and very helpful. I have an appointment this week to speak with the head chef of one of the local resorts, and I have several more businesses I will be calling this week.

I’ve been working with a friend of mine who does graphic design, and I now have a logo. I will be updating my blog soon. That may involve moving to WordPress, but I haven’t decided yet. I’ll be printing business cards, and getting a vinyl sign made. I’m so excited!!! This is just right around the corner, and it’s all starting to come together!

Any ideas I should keep in mind, preparing for an Expo?

Gastroparesis and social issues

Posted on by
Reply

Life, for better or for worse, is about food.

We have to feed our bodies for them to keep going. We have to eat every day, usually multiple times a day. Food plays an integral part in religions and cultures, and that’s what I want to discuss in this post.

One of my recently-found Gastroparesis friends, Crystal, did a video blog post on Friday about accepting Gastroparesis. She addressed one of the harder aspects of any illness, and that is psychologically/mentally accepting that this is, in fact, (my) life. (It’s really good. You should go watch it. Seriously.)

On her Facebook post, I mentioned that even though I’ve had some practice with acceptance since being diagnosed with Celiac over two years ago, Gastroparesis has been the hardest of my three (including food allergies) to accept, and that I’m not sure why.

To divert from the Gastroparesis path for a moment, I realized on Sunday that I have not accepted all aspects of having Celiac Disease! You see, I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As such, I take the Sacrament. The first (and most relevant to this post) part of the Sacrament is that pieces of bread, after being blessed, are passed through the Congregation. (This is similar to the Communion rite in Catholicism.) Bread + Celiac Disease = big problem. The short(er) version of the story is that I bring my own piece of bread or cracker in a sandwich bag, let the priests know where I’ll be sitting, and let them figure out which tray it should go on so that it can be passed to me. (This picture will give you a more visual idea of what I’m talking about. There are enough of these trays to have close to the right amount for the congregation. The deacons then pass them throughout the congregation.) I put it in the plastic bag to avoid cross-contamination from the trays.

This is incredibly awkward for me. Imagine this nice little tray with a big ol’ sandwich baggie with a piece of bread that looks completely different and is probably a lot bigger than the rest of the pieces. (This last Sunday, I took some biscuit coffeecake I made. Yes, it was awesome.) It stands out. Then you have moms and dads trying to keep their little kids from taking the ‘cookie’ or ‘cracker’ because it looks tastier than just the bread. If I don’t get there in time to give the priests the bread, or if someone does take my bread, or if the poor deacons get confused, then I just skip the bread and take the water. Would I rather just pretend that I don’t have Celiac? Yes. Even though what I bring is tastier, would I rather just eat the bread everyone else does? Yes. Will I still get sick if I eat just that one piece of bread? Yes. I realized that I need to accept that I will have Celiac Disease the rest of my life, and this is how it’s going to be.

Now, back to Gastroparesis. Part of the reason it’s a bigger deal than the other two is that it’s harder to manage. Cut out gluten and food allergies, and voila! I’m supposed to feel better. Gastroparesis is an every day, every meal, always-trying-to-be-aware-of-how-I-feel kind of thing. One day I can eat something, and the next day I can’t. If I eat one type of thing too often, my stomach is unhappy, and my nutrients suffer. It’s really easy to eat too much fiber, too much fat, too much food at a time, or just eat too late.

The other part is that it’s what people, generally, are the least familiar with. Food allergies have been around and pretty well-known for quite some time. Celiac, just in the couple of years since my diagnosis, has had an information explosion. LOTS of people have heard about Celiac that hadn’t before, and I run into more and more people who don’t need me to explain it to them. If people haven’t heard of Celiac, they almost certainly have seen gluten-free items at their grocery store and recognize that phrase.

This is where social situations really get sticky. It’s relatively easy now to list off the foods I can’t eat without harming myself. Well-meaning people who care about me will go to great lengths to try to eat something that “I can have.” What I often don’t feel like explaining is how I may still not be able to eat it even if it’s gluten & allergy free. If I do have a few bites to be polite and/or taste it, some people get offended that I took such a small amount, since so much of our collective American self-esteem seems to be tied up in food. A lot of people are far too polite to actually bring it up and ask, so it just ends up being awkward all around.

I’ve felt bad about this and wished and wished that I could just “go back to normal,” but life moves in one direction: forward. I’ve felt embarrassed about going to restaurants and ordering a bowl of soup while everyone else eats like the normal people they are. I’ve gotten defensive when people think that I’m just eating this way to “lose weight.”

Then recently, something clicked in my brain — that generally, I feel pretty good. My energy is nowhere near what it used to be, but it’s a whole lot better than it was on May 12, 2009 when I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. My energy’s better now than it’s been probably in the entire last two years. I still don’t get much better than an 8 on a good day, but hey — that’s pretty good. Along with feeling good is that I’ve lost quite a bit of weight. I’m about where I was before my health tanked. In the last 10 months or so, I’ve lost about 20 pounds. Not because I was trying to, but because I’ve finally figured out (to some degree) what my body needs to be able function the most effectively. When people want to know “my secret,” I smile and tell them that hey — big surprise — when I don’t eat the stuff my body deems harmful, and when I’m taking care of my Gastroparesis (also known as not eating that much), my body remembers how to work!

I’ll end with a few things that I wish everyone knew:

* These are my personal food issues, and I cook and eat this way to take care of my body. This is not the “next great diet.” It kinds of hurts when people think it is, despite how great they think I look (which is flattering).
* If I’m at an event someone’s hosting or attending, chances are good that I just wanted to be there. That, in and of itself, is a compliment. Please don’t base how I feel about anyone in the room on what and/or how much of the food I eat. Not related. At all.
* I do not delight in being “that person” at restaurants. (Think Meg Ryan’s character in When Harry Met Sally.) It’s not because I have control issues (even though I do). These are medically diagnosed issues, not me wanting to just be high-maintenance. In fact, I hate being “that person.”
* Gastroparesis does affect my energy a great deal. I wish I could be all things to all people and attend every event, but I just can’t. (As I type, my husband is driving home from a Dominion event, and I would have liked to join him.) It doesn’t mean I don’t like whoever it is; I can only do what I can do. (Does this make me feel really old? You bet it does.)

I went on a walk tonight and realized that my life is pretty darn great in spite of all this. Realize that yours is, too, and look for the stuff that makes you happy. Life is short, ya know?

The Whys Behind GFAF Events by Cinderella’s Pear

Posted on by
Reply

I’ve been trying to decide what to write next about wanting to consult for events, and decided that I want to clarify who I am and what I’m about.

I know people who love weddings. I have many friends who started “planning” their weddings at age 12. Dresses, shoes, jewelry, candles, flower arrangements, portraits, tuxedos, receptions, champagne, dancing, bridesmaids, rehearsal dinners, luncheons, bridal showers, rings, buffets, decorations, music, gifts, lingerie, linens, silverware, and the list essentially goes on forever. People love it! They keep up with the latest trends. They’re fun, yes, but…

I don’t love weddings in this way. I love weddings because they’re important milestones in our lives. I love weddings because they have a tendency (though not always) to bring people together in celebration (usually). (Yes, I am aware of some of the angst, anger, and ridiculousness that go along with weddings. I used to work at a prominent wedding venue in Salt Lake. I have plenty of stories.) Weddings are personal expressions. Weddings are the work of love.

I’ll tell you something else: I like people. A lot. I like it when people are happy. I like working with people, and working toward something that they care about and that makes or will make them happy.

I anticipate finding a lot of joy in GFAF Events by Cinderella’s Pear. Eating gluten-free and allergy-free can be difficult and very time-consuming. It can be difficult and time-consuming even on a normal day, so why would it be any easier on your own wedding day or the wedding day of someone you care about? (The answer is: It’s not!) Wedding days are big and stressful. To be honest, I barely remember any of my wedding day. There are SO many things going on and SO many people to worry about that people shouldn’t have to be worrying about their own Celiac Disease or food allergies, or that of their guests.

I want to take care of it! I want to help people enjoy the day, since I actually have Celiac Disease and several food allergies, and I know how to take care of them. I know how to deal with cross-contamination/cross-contact. I can be the one to interface with those preparing the food so they know what to do. Making sure that people can eat safely is important to me, whether it’s a bridal shower, a bachelor party, a rehearsal dinner, a wedding breakfast or luncheon, a reception, or a wedding cake!

If anyone you know needs my help, please let me know!! E-mail me at cinderellaspear (at) gmail (dot) com!

Finding (some) gluten-free, dairy-free ingredients in the Northern Utah area

Posted on by
Reply

Sometimes finding ingredients can be tricky — especially the ingredients in the Babycakes cookbook.

Let’s take the ingredients from the chocolate frosting/chocolate sauce recipe:

Unsweetened soy milk
Dry soy milk powder
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Coconut flour
Agave nectar
Pure vanilla extract
Coconut oil
Fresh lemon juice

I tend to organize my lists by proximity: closest to furthest. Closest tends to be the easiest to get, and so on.

(Almost) any grocery store:
Unsweetened soy milk – I like Silk brand. They make an unsweetened version — different than vanilla!
Unsweetened cocoa powder – Unless you’re wanting a more expensive brand)
Pure vanilla extract
Fresh lemons, for squeezing.

Smith’s:
Coconut oil. This may surprise you, but it’s true. I don’t buy coconut oil anywhere else, really. It may not be the best of the best, or whatever, but it’s actually a reasonable price! It looks like this:

This is in the ballpark of 6-8 dollars for 31.5 oz. Coconut oil that I see everywhere else (Whole Foods, Good Earth, Sunflower Market) is twice as expensive for half as much. I haven’t tried the more expensive stuff, but this suits my needs just fine! It’s next to the Crisco. Honestly, I’ve only seen it at Smith’s, or maybe the Harmon’s in Draper. Not sure why other stores haven’t picked it up yet. 
Coconut oil is cool stuff. It’s great. When it’s cold, it’s hard as a rock. When it’s hot, it’s completely liquid. In our first apartment that didn’t have central air, I remember taking it out of the cupboard, opening the jar, and finding it completely liquefied. So…when you initially make a sauce or frosting with it, it will be runny. It has to be in the fridge for a while to set up. Just keep that in mind.
Costco:
Pure vanilla extract  - It’s better for me to buy this in “bulk,” because I use plenty of it. It’s marked gluten-free on the bottle, and I don’t see any corn ingredients listed. At any rate, it doesn’t seem to bother me.
Agave nectar – Each Costco is a little different from every other one, but I can consistently find agave nectar at Costcos in Utah. It’s Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Blue Agave. It’s two bottles together, 23.5 oz each. I love the flavor of it. It’s my favorite brand thus far. I’ll even mix it with oatmeal on occasion. I like it a lot.
Whole Foods/Good Earth/Sunflower Market:
Coconut flour & Dry soy milk powder – these are tougher to find, and they can be quite expensive. It’s worth comparing prices between these three stores, because sometimes they’re 2-3 dollars different, and who you think would have the lowest prices isn’t always intuitive. Brand also plays a big part in that. The bag I bought was huge. I still have most of it, because I usually only need a tablespoon or so. I don’t bake or cook much with coconut flour at this point. Some distributors are cluing in to this and are selling it in smaller amounts. I want to say that I got my bag for $20ish dollars or so. I don’t remember, and I don’t remember how big the bag was. I bought it shortly after I was diagnosed with Celiac, and it hasn’t gone rancid yet.
Dry soy milk powder is around $16 for a canister that’s probably around 20 oz. Again, it can be found at any of these stores, for different prices. It lasted me for two years, too, because I only use it for these recipes. :) I just ran out, though, and need to get some more before I can make more delicious trifle.
Hope this helps! Good hunting.

Kale Chips

Posted on by
5

I found out this weekend that I have family who read my blog!! It was so much fun to find that out. Thanks to Dietmar and Tammy, I have signed up for my first Bountiful Basket.

Sorry for such big gaps between my posts lately. I’ve been trying to figure out who I am and what I want out of life and this blog. Thanks for hanging in with me! I think I have found a direction, and now just need to go.


So…kale chips! My cousin Dietmar and I were talking about the awesomeness that is kale chips, and Tammy wanted to know what we were talking about. They sound hard, but they’re really easy, and really delicious. (Also, really good for you.)

Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Get some kale. Wash it thoroughly, pat it dry, and rip it into smallish pieces. Lay it out on a baking sheet. I put mine on top of parchment paper, just so it doesn’t stick to the pan. Drizzle a little olive oil, sprinkle a little salt, and put it in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until it’s crisp. Here’s the trick: You don’t want to use too much oil or salt. Too much oil, and the kale leaves will be soggy instead of crisp. Too much salt is, well, too much salt. I used too much salt the first time, and will never do that again. I have a sea salt grinder from Costco. Just a few quick grinds of salt while moving it over the kale will do nicely. Voila! Lovely kale chips. Delicious.

(If you take them to work, it’s a good idea to have a toothbrush or floss with you, because these get stuck in your teeth very easily.)

Announcing! Gluten-Free/Allergy-Free Events by Cinderella’s Pear

Posted on by
Reply

One of the most difficult things about my food issues is dealing with work events. I attend several meetings per month that are accompanied by some kind of meal that I usually end up not eating. When I was diagnosed with my food allergies, I started having my co-worker do the food ordering, because I’d open the menu binder and just get angry. I usually eat before these meetings instead of trying to order for myself. Very few are willing to make me my own meal when I’m only ordering for 20 people, and I know that the group I regularly order for would not appreciate eating like I do. As a result, I’ve learned which local companies are better about gluten-free/allergy-free options, and those companies are typically (though not always) caterers.

Work in itself has been stressful lately, so I’ve been daydreaming about being my own boss (which is something that I inherited from my dad). One of the jobs I had in college that I enjoyed a lot was working for Temple Square Hospitality Company in downtown Salt Lake City. Specifically, I was a banquet server at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. It was great fun! Most of the events I served were wedding-related (ceremonies, receptions, wedding breakfasts/luncheons/dinners), with a few company parties (usually around the holidays) thrown in. It was a lot of fun getting to help people with their special day, and the rhythm of the event was invigorating. I also got a free meal with each shift that I worked, so I got to taste a lot of different JSMB dishes. Let me tell you — they have some good ones.
While I don’t have the physical strength or stamina to be a banquet server anymore, I’ve played with the idea of becoming a wedding planner/coordinator. Unfortunately, there are LOTS of people who want to be wedding planners/coordinators in Utah, and I didn’t think I had anything unique to offer to attract clients… until now.
I’m officially announcing Gluten-free/Allergy-free events by Cinderella’s Pear, and I’m really, really excited about this!*
I’m glad I didn’t know about my food issues when I got married, because that would have been unbelievably stressful. My aunt Charlene, who’s one of the sweetest ladies I know, needed a meal without any salt at all for an illness she was struggling with at the time. It was very important to me to make sure that she got the right meal, and that was stressful enough. Now that I do know about my Celiac, food allergies and gastroparesis, it’s stressful just going out to dinner during the week. Forget about making sure I could eat safely on the one day that’s supposed to be perfect! Who wants to spend their wedding day stressing about gluten, cross-contamination, or other food allergies (whether it’s for someone in your party or for you)? No-one. Do you want to spend your time speaking with the wait staff and/or cooks to make sure they’re not cross-contaminating your food, when you could be listening to the toasts and making sure that Aunt Bertha isn’t telling any embarrassing stories about your daughter in front of her new in-laws?  No!
I’ll do it for you! I can help you find a gorgeous and delicious gluten-free/allergy-free cake.I can be the one to call the catering companies and talk to them about their gluten-free/allergy-free options based on what you need. I can be the one in the kitchen making sure that things are being prepared safely for you. I can be the one monitoring the wait staff to make sure the gluten-free/allergy-free meals are delivered to the right people, so you can just enjoy your guests and your day. I can be “that person” that you hate being when you eat out.
(On a slightly different (though related) note: If this is your first Thanksgiving gluten-free and want some help (or someone to do it for you)? Let me know. I have lots of tips and ideas, and would love to help you. The prices below don’t apply to this, as I would rather work that out with you based on your needs.)
If all you need is an hour or two of consulting because you’d like to do it yourself and just want to make sure you know what you’re doing? I can do that. (See prices below.**) Need me to call the catering companies and/or bakers for you to compare options and prices? Piece of cake. Maybe after a couple of hours of consulting, you’d like me to be there for the luncheon? I can do that. Maybe you’d just like me to be around all day to make sure the food parts go smoothly? I can be there. Want me to plan the food piece so you don’t have to worry? Happy to. Think I’m freaking awesome and want me to plan your wedding with you?? Well, you have good taste. Having a company party and aren’t sure how best to meet the varied food needs of your employees? I can make sure that your employees know how much you care about them.
I want to help you have a great time, and I want you and your guests to be able to eat great food safely without having to worry. I want you to know that you’re in capable hands.
Send me an e-mail at cinderellaspear (at) gmail (dot) com with your name phone number and what your particular food issues are, and I’ll call you right back. This is going to be great fun!
* I’m going to be getting a logo and probably doing a blog re-design, but I’ve been so excited about this idea that I couldn’t wait to announce it! Look for the changes — they’ll be coming soon.
** What?! I’m actually posting my prices online?! Yes. Eating gluten-free and allergy-free is all about knowing what’s in the food you’re eating. I figure that you should be knowing what you’re getting into if you hire me. For the first hour, I’m asking for $40 at that meeting. Should we proceed beyond that, I will draw up a contract that you will sign so you know what to expect from me, and I will sign so I know you’ll pay me. :)  
First hour: $40. $30 per hour after that. $200 for an eight-hour day, $300 for a twelve-hour day. If you would like me to have more involvement than that, we can negotiate a price together. I’m excited to make this day wonderful for you!