What an awesome expo!

So, the GF Food Allergy Fest has now come and gone, but I have to say it was AMAZING! It was the first event presented by Living Without's Gluten Free and More magazine, but I'm certain no one could tell. They were so well organized, everyone was just amazing to work with, the variety and quality of businesses represented was top notch and every customer I interacted with seemed to be enjoying themselves. That last bit says so much about the quality of the expo. If this was their first effort, I can't wait to see what happens once they have even more experience.

The Gluten Free Food Allergy Fest will be making its way to Indianappolis in August and to Portland in September. If you possibly can, GO. Find your self at one of these amazing events. If I could, I would be at every one!

Thank you so much to all of you, not just the event organizers, but the other vendors, the volunteers, and especially the wonderful attendees who came out and celebrated with us. It could not have been the brilliant weekend that it was without a single one of you. Thank you so much!

Goodbye, my booth!

GF Food Allergy Fest Ticket Giveaway!

I can't believe how stealthily time is creeping toward the Gluten Free Fest in San Diego. With only 3 1/2 weeks leftI think it's about time I book a hotel room and GIVE AWAY SOME TICKETS! Don't you? So here's the deal.

I have 2 full weekend tickets to Living Without Magazine's Gluten-Free Food Allergy Fest.
To enter, all you have to do is comment here or on my Facebook page. I will draw 2 winners at random on Sunday, April 13th, and announce the winners here and on FB. Winners will have one week to message me with their full names if it's not in their comment, and winners' tickets will be waiting for them at will call at the event.

Also check out:
My FB Page
Fest's FB Page
There's a list of speakers and classes on their FB page that you might want to check out.
Comment to win, cause I want to see you there!!!

GF Fest in San Diego! Hells yeah!

Living Without Magazine is putting on a party and you're all invited! The Gluten-Free Food Allergy Fest will be held the first weekend of May, 2014 in San Diego, and your favorite, crazy cookbook author (that's me, right?) will be there to celebrate all the GF-ness along with you.

There will be tons of vendors, more authors, huge brands and small local companies, many giving samples, selling GF awesomeness and just plain enjoying being there with you.

Save the date! That's Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd & 4th in San Diego. See you there!

For more event info, click here.

Special Expo Priced Book Sale

Quite a few people missed out on the expo prices in Phoenix since I sold out mid-way through Sunday. That hardly seems fair, so I am offering a small stock of books at the expo prices for anyone who missed out. If you still want to get in on the Holy Grail of Gluten Free for only $18 each or 3 copies for $45, now's your chance!

I set up a special square store you can purchase from; buy them here. Every purchase includes free first class mail shipping.

Thanks again to everyone for such a wonderful first expo experience!

 It was so great, I just signed up for my next one. Look forward to the formal announcement this week. 

Where do you think I should I visit next?

Holy Project #3

Back from Phoenix, and right back in the kitchen!

I talked to so many great people at the expo, and the experience was awesome! Thank you all. There was one thing I heard quite frequently though, that got me thinking.

Many individuals seemed to be looking for low carb, diabetic friendly, GF foods. I've read that diabetes is commonly associated with Celiac Disease, so this shouldn't have come as a surprise. Coincidentally, I had just began a low carb diet myself. Between a need to undo some of the damage to my waistline after baking constantly, everyday, to finish the first Holy Grail, and having just read Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes, low carb seemed like the thing to be. So far the diet has been good to me, and true to form, I'd already started experimenting with recipes. So I made a decision.

I'm already working on The Holy Grail of Gluten Free Holidays, so why not pile on a little more work, take a break from the sugar, and jump into writing a low carb book too? Sounds like a plan to me. I've got crepe wraps in the works at about 5 net carbs each, some great sauces and meat recipes, a lovely low carb cheesecake recipe and tonight, I baked up a marvelous failure. These brownies are definitely not perfect yet, but I still like them.

At least working on this project won't necessitate larger pants.

On My Way… Almost

It's absolutely amazing the things that suddenly seem like such great things to do when you have a task in front of you that is somehow comparably worse. Procrastination station, that's where I'm at, and I don't see this train leaving anytime soon. You see how bad it is; I've even decided to blog (relevant previous blog about blogging).

Today is the day I should be packing the car, double checking my supplies, and headed off to Phoenix towards family, cheap produce and the sure to be groovy Gluten & Allergen Free Expo I'll be attending (If you're in the area, be there or be square. Of course I'll be there, and I'm a little square… eh, just come). So what am I doing? That's right, I'm sitting here typing! So very productive...

I really am excited about this whole thing, but somehow my body is mis-wired and excitement always seems to read as crazy freaking stressed. Truly. I'm so excited, I've developed an eye twitch. Truth be told, I'm also pouting about it a little. This baker lady here has just recently decided how important it is to cut carbs for a while to give my poor body a break from the excessive baking and tasting. I think it was a good decision. It feels good. But I also feel like I just barely got started and Oh! The sampling to be done this weekend! I'm clearly ambivalent. I want to try everything! But I still want to feel good too. What to do? What I always do of course! Pretend there is no decision to be made until I am out of time and am forced to play eeny meeny miney mo. If anyone out there has ever wondered what my life was founded upon, there you go. Indecision and children's rhymes for the win.

And now… I may actually have to pack. See you in Phoenix!

Finally, a post, and a GIVEAWAY! Yay!

Well, I've been lazy so far this month! I can't believe this is my first post since January. But I swear there is a good reason, and it's not just that I got my brain wedged in another manga series (honest!). I've actually been really busy getting everything ready for my first big expo! Yes, I know I posted about this last time, but it's still awesome!

Which brings me to my news for today... I have 5 free tickets to said expo to give away. Yay! But you have to go visit me on Facebook to get in on the deal. If you're near the Phoenix area and even remotely free Saturday or Sunday the 22nd & 23rd, then go enter to win! Go on, get over there, shoo! And come see me at the author table!

Enter at www.facebook.com/TheHolyGrailofGlutenFree  May the GF force be with you!

Phoenix GFAF Expo

Details at gfafexpo.com

The Holy Grail is on it's way to it's first expo!

All you Phoenix Area GF'ers, mark your calendars, and come see us. There should be lots of GF sampling to do, classes, great companies for you to discover, and awesome, new things to purchase (like my book, available at the author table)! I'm really excited just to be in a place where everything is safe for me. That will be magical all by itself. In my head, I'm having a total Willy Wonka candy room moment, only without falling in the chocolate. Seriously, there is wow factor in the whole entirely GF setting. I'm so excited!

I'm still working out the details of our trip to PHX, but should have everything ready within the week. I'll pass any scrumptious new details as soon as I get them! Look forward to it. I'll see you there!