gluten free paradise

There is a spectacle to be seen when I am getting ready to leave my house for an extended period of time. I am usually running late, which is a story in of itself as I never used to be the “late girl”. I blame this on the culmination of the Husband rubbing off on me and from blogging. I have a million thoughts running through my mind, mostly about anxiety and worrying about if I will be able to eat anything while I’m out. Sometimes, I will grab a snack to stick in my purse on a whim just in case I am caught in a situation where I am without food. Most often, I forget, and I end up a starving mess — and let’s face it, no one wants to witness that.

Imagine my surprise when this weekend, I did not have to worry about a thing when I left my house. In fact, thanks to Wellsphere — I was going to a place where I could eat just about everything that was being served. Talk about a thrill! And no, you are not allowed to snicker at my being very excited about that. This weekend, I attended the Gluten Free Allergen Free Expo in Lisle, Illinois.

This is the fourth year this expo has been coming to Chicago, run by Jen Cafferty, who founded the expo in 2007. Her entire family is gluten free and provides resources, such as cooking classes, to people who go gluten free.

The expo was set up in two parts: the vendor fair and cooking classes.

The vendor fair was open Friday-Sunday and was $15 at the door for admission. Believe you me, $15 is well worth it for the amount of gluten free goodies which awaited in the ballroom.  I estimate the vendor fair had over fifty companies, all gluten free, with samples and employees to answer any questions. Not only were the samples delicious, but the ballroom was set up in a very organized fashion. People were able to go from table to table without any long “hold ups” from other attendees, which in my opinion, is a big part of a successful event. Don’t even tell me you have never gotten annoyed with the lady at Costco with her big cart who won’t get out of you way at the sample table — it’s happened to us all.

 
Many of my favorite companies were in attendance at the vendor fair, including Sunbutter and Crunchmaster. I’m pretty sure the Crunchmaster lady was afraid of me when I professed my love of the company to her for about five minutes. I’m sure she was thinking, “Just nod and smile.. nod and smile.”

There were also a lot of companies I had never heard of before! It was so neat to try a variety of different products, including Foods Alive. These crackers are really great — organic, raw, vegan, and gluten free! I couldn’t decide which ones I liked the best, but the mustard flavor was delicious — it reminded me of mustard flavored pretzels, which I adore!

As well as some fermented apple cider — since my mom doesn’t drink, I was forced to try each and every one. It was tough.

A winner of the day, however, was Rudi’s Organic Bakery. They, hands down, have the very best pre-packaged gluten free sandwich bread. My mom is a faithful buyer of Rudi’s, and I actually just tried it for the first time yesterday. The thing I really love about the bread is that it does not crumble, which makes for great sandwiches. Thanks to Maggie, below, who gave us the tip they are coming out with hamburger and hot dog buns soon!

However, more important than the food I ate were the people I met. I say again and again just how much I love the food/blog community because of the relationships that are built, and this weekend that statement was nothing less than true.

I had the opportunity to spend some time with an editor of the amazing magazine, Living Without. Alicia Woodward and I bought went to an event on Friday evening, and we immediately clicked. She is so down to earth and genuine. We had some great discussions including the gluten free lifestyle, factory farming, and blogging. She was a delight to meet!

Another familiar face I saw at the vendor fair was Kasey, who I had spent time with on Friday night when I had the opportunity to visit the Enjoy Life bakery. That was an experience in itself — more to come later!

When my mom and I left the vendor fair, we could not believe just how much food we consumed (especially since we went out to lunch before hand). It was an amazing experience to get to hear the stories behind companies.

Today, Sunday, I went back to the conference to attend a variety of cooking classes. I sat in on classes led by Stephanie O’Dea, Mary Capone, and the ladies from the Welcoming Kitchen.

Kim Lutz and Megan Hart, both Chicago natives, have a cookbook coming out on June 7 — and I have already pre-ordered my copy after today. Kim’s boys have multiple food allergies, so all of their recipes are gluten free AND vegan (my dream!), and are free of the top eight allergens. Kim and Megan are dedicated to making good food and are determined to make dishes which everyone can enjoy. Kim shared she never wants anyone to have to “bring their own food” to her house when invited over. I definitely identify with that, as for every family party I am invited too, I bring along my cooler of food.

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These down to earth ladies showed us a few of their recipes, including their signature biscuits which are basically fool proof. We also got to sample everything they showed us, which made my experience even better. We sampled biscuits and a French toast with blueberry syrup.

 
I can’t wait for their cookbook to be delivered to my doorstep. I know I complain that I always forget to use my cookbooks, but I can guarantee this cookbook will be used when it arrives!

The one thing Kim said that I really held onto was this: “Don’t waste your time trying to replicate the exact foods you used to be able to eat. You’ll never be able to do it.” She’s right! While I can make similar recipes, the taste and texture is never the same — but that’s okay! By focusing on what we can eat, our lives are much easier!

I would highly recommend this conference to anyone, not just someone who is gluten free. As someone who has family who are skeptical of a tasty gluten free diet, the samples and taste tests alone would be able to sway their thoughts in an instant.

And for once in my life, I came home with more snacks than I left with. Now that — that, is a miracle.

Question: Have you ever attended a conference before? What was your experience like?

Tagged as: best gluten free food, conference, expo, gluten free, gluten free companies, gluten free expo, jen cafferty, living without magazine, welcoming kitchen cookbook