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Tonight’s meeting is canceled and we are starting our summer break early. See you all in September!

1 c. oil
3 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. GF All purpose flour mix
1 3/4 tsp. xanthum gum
2/3 c. water
2 c. pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda

2 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. softened butter
4-6 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

• Do not make too thin or most of the glaze will end up on the cake plate.

Let cake cool for about 30 – 45 minutes before removing from pan then drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Thanks, Rachelle, for sharing this family favorite!

If you missed the April meeting, you missed a real treat!  Bridget brought in some homemade Morning Glory Muffins that were absolutely AMAZING!  She’s been nice enough to share the recipe with us!  Enjoy!

Thanks Bridget!

Look at what I found at Meijer today!  –>

I was so excited, I could hardly stand it!  According to Sure Foods Living…

I spoke with General Mills customer service today to confirm that Corn Chex, Cinnamon Chex, Strawberry Chex, and Honey Nut Chex have also been re-formulated to be gluten-free. The General Mills representative said that if any of their cereals are gluten-free it will be clearly marked on the front and side of the box and that some cereals may be rolled out in only some parts of the country at first. UPDATE: Gluten-free versions of Chex will officially be available on June 1st. Thanks to The Gluten-Free Homemaker for this detail!

I’m really excited to try the other GF flavors when they hit the stores!  I think when I went GF 2 1/2 years ago, there was just Rice, Corn, and Wheat Chex.  They also had a Frosted Mini Chex, which was really good…but, alas…I degress.

Also, according to Gluten Free Philly…

Other General Mills cereals that are GF-friendly include Honey Kix and Chocolate Lucky Charms.

I’ve been eating Trix on occasion, but I didn’t know about these others.  Way to Go, General Mills!  The Gluten-free Community applauds you!

Another big announcement that I just found out about from Starbucks…

Starting May 5 we will be launching the Gluten-free Orange Valencia Cake with Almonds….This product was inspired by the passionate responses we heard from you on My Starbucks Idea.  [I voted in this!]

The Orange Valencia Cake is a delicious moist citrus cake bursting with Valencia oranges and topped with crunchy almonds.  Not only is it gluten-free, it is also prepared with 7 simple ingredients: Whole Eggs, Valencia Orange Pulp, Almonds, Sugar, Orange Peel, Gluten Free Baking Powder, and Orange Oil.  Plus it delivers 30% of your daily value of vitamin C.

Keep on the look out for it in the pastry case with a sign that says “gluten-free.”  A single cake will be displayed unwrapped so you can see it clearly, but don’t worry.   They all come individually packaged to prevent cross contamination.

Way to Go Starbucks for listening to your customers and being sensitive to the needs of your gluten-free fans!

Forest Hills Foods will be holding another Gluten-free tasting event on May 1.  Marion with Pamela’s gluten free bakery will be here baking gluten free cornbread and gluten free brownies! Time: 4-5 pm.

The following products are being reformulated to be gluten-free and will be widely available June 1st.

* Corn Chex
* Honey Nut Chex
* Chocolate Chex
* Strawberry Chex
* Cinnamon Chex

The boxes that have been seen in the stores already are probably part of a test market. When the gluten-free cereals are available, they will be clearly labeled gluten-free.

UPDATE!  Renee just found the Gluten-free Corn Chex in the Grand Rapids area!  Woo-hoo!

If you look in the left-hand sidebar, you will notice a new feature!  There is a custom Google searchbox that will guide you right to gluten-free versions of your search terms.  Try it!  Type in Cookies and see for yourself!  Very cool!

The Switch to Gluten Free blog is offering GF Awareness Wristbands for only $2.50 each. Spreading the word is a great way to raise awareness and help get new products on the market and in the marketplace. While wearing one, people may ask you about it and you’ll be able to tell your story.

Purchase details available on Switch to Gluten Free.

From Tim Vine:

I was at Lake Ann Camp this weekend and one of their Chef’s has been diagnosed with Celiac. I was pleasantly surprised that all the food I had brought was not needed because he was providing alternatives for every meal that matched the campers schedule. They even had the most amazing gluten free cinnamon rolls Saturday morning.

Anyway, I found out that last summer they had at least one gluten free camper each week for the entire summer. So this summer since their cook has to prepare gluten free food for himself, he will do it for any campers they might have to eat gluten-free.

So, you actually could have a summer camp that will be preparing truly gluten-free non-contaminated food for your camper. They are even willing to work with individuals that have other food allergies as well–all at no extra cost.

Well, after a nice break for the summer, we will start meeing regularly on the 3rd Monday of each month, starting tonight, September 15.  We meet at 7:00 pm in the Willis Recreation Center (upstairs) of the First Baptist Church of Middleville.  If Thornapple Kellogg Schools are closed due to bad weather on the day of our meeting, our group will also be canceled for that month.

Tonight, our guest will be Robin Green from Midge’s Muffins (www.midgesmuffins.com).  If you’ve never tasted Robin’s treats, you’re in for a sweet surprise!  They are AMAZING!  She will be bringing samples, as well as product that will be available for purchase.

We will also be talking about take-along foods…foods that are easy to take along for lunches or to school.  So, bring your ideas to share and packaging, if you have any, so we can look at other potential allergens.