In October, I interviewed Mary Blackburn, from EasyGlutenFreeLiving.com and the author of Gluten Free Get Togethers, on what it means to be gluten free, and specifically to be gluten free with kids.

If you missed the podcast interview or have been waiting for the transcript, Good news!

It’s now available – for free.

During the interview, Mary gave us basically a beginner’s guide to living gluten free, including some of her recommendations for pre-packaged gluten free foods you can just grab at the grocery store.

Overall, the interview and 32-page transcript covers:

• What it means to be “Gluten Free”
• What Gluten is, and what foods it is found in
• What the difference is between being gluten intolerant and having Celiac Disease
• The symptoms and indicators of gluten intolerance and Celiac Disease
• What you should do if you suspect you or your child is gluten intolerant (and what you shouldn’t do!)
• What grains are gluten free and what you can eat on a gluten free diet
• The foods you wouldn’t think of that have gluten hidden in them
• How to read labels to ensure the foods you are buying are gluten free
• How to eat out when you are gluten free and ensure that you won’t get sick. 
• Her little trick that helps restrauant staff understand what is safe and what is not.
• When to get screening for Celiac Disease, and who in your family should be tested.
• What misinformation is out there about Gluten Free Living
• How to help family members and friends understand what is safe and what is not on a gluten free diet
• And so much more

To download your free copy, click the image above or the link below:

Living Gluten Free: A Beginner’s Guide to Gluten Free Living  (266 KB – opens in a new window)

Enjoy!

…Shannon

P.S. If you are looking for some tried and true gluten free recipes for upcoming gatherings or just a family dinner, be sure to also check out Mary’s new e-cookbook: Gluten Free Get Togethers, a compilation of her favorite gluten free recipes compiled over 20+ years of gluten free living.

I hate to fail. When I’m working on a project, my motto is usually “failure is NOT an option”. And that works well for me.  Most of the time.

But it also means that I’ve had to learn – the hard way- that somethings are just not going to get done and let go, and accept it as a learning experience and not a failure.

Well, in the last six weeks, I’ve fallen on my face  – big time. It feels like smacking hard into the floor or a wall.  And I’m not happy with it, and definitely not happy the fact that I might of let others down. (I hate that almost as much as failing.)

But, in another way, it’s a good thing, especially the timing. December has always been a time of reflection and planning for me, a time to look at where I am, what I’ve accomplished in the last year, and where I want to go.

Because of my big fat SPLAT, I forced myself to set aside my normal planning and goal setting until I could recover, make things right with those that I needed to, and move forward again.

Now that I’ve done that, I find myself looking at this as a lesson and reminder that I am not perfect and never will be, but God’s timing and plan is.

The world didn’t end because I went SPLAT! Instead I realize that I need to do a better job at recognizing who I am, what my priorities are, and scheduling work and life in such a way that embraces that. Just because I can do something, doesn’t mean I should.

It is these lessons that come from falling down, that make them successes not failures. Because if I can learn from my mistakes, then that makes me better able to serve my family and others.

Sometimes we have to fall down to look from a new perspective at the opportunities before us.  As long as we don’t let those falls keep us down, and we learn from them and pick our selves up and move forward, we’re succeeding. We’re growing, and we’re better able to serve those around us.

If I’ve let you down in the last few weeks, I’m sorry. Please forgive me.

…Shannon