a little personal... Kreter Makes Strides in Run for Crohn's and Colitis

When Lauren Kreter graduated from Wilton High School in 1999, she thought her running days were done. "I was pretty much burned out," she says of her four-year, three-season career for the Warriors.

Little did she know she would be lured back onto the roads, this time over distances far longer than the 2.5 miles she ran in high school and for a much greater cause than medals or team points.

"In 2008, I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and later colitis," says Kreter, who also discovered she had celiac disease, meaning she can't eat any food containing gluten. "My older sister had organized a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in New York City, so I figured I would do something similar out here for Crohn's Colitis Foundation."

In December, Kreter tackled a half-marathon in Las Vegas, getting people to pledge money for her miles. To boost her efforts, she put on a fundraiser at B.J. Ryan's in Norwalk the month before. "All told, we got 40 people to attend and raised $5,000."

Kreter has another half-marathon scheduled for June in Kona, Hawaii, and figured she'd repeat the fundraiser at Ryan's. It's set for Sunday at 3 p.m., and she hopes the second time will be even better than the first. "We have a lot of local businesses who have donated things to be raffled off, and Ryan's has been great, donating food and drinks."

After graduating from Villanova with a degree in communications, Kreter worked in the hedge fund world "but didn't find my calling." She now heads the catering service of the Schoolhouse Restaurant in Wilton. "They do everything farm to fork, so I know what we're serving, if it's not gluten-free, is locally grown and organic."

And she'll continue running and fundraising for the Crohn's Colitis Foundation, which has become her personal cause. "When I ran in Las Vegas I found a tremendous support system I didn't even know I had," she says. "They've been absolutely tremendous."

http://www.thedailynorwalk.com/neighbors/kreter-makes-strides-runs-crohns-colitis 

No Match for Match!

"The Burgers Back In Town..." sung to the boys are back in town... :) it's early! Alright here is the scoop, the skinny, the 411. CT Bites has covered it, Matt Storch has facebooked it- JFood helped out with it... There is a new burger in town. I am not talking about Shake Shack Westport, I am talking about Match Restaurant, in South Norwalk.

The deal is every Thursday there is a Match burger... "Start with a patty of locally raised (Roxbury, CT) grass-fed beef. Throw in some bacon-cheddar sauce and sweet and sour onion jam. House it all on a caramelized onion brioche bun. And don't forget those fries. " (JFOOD) I know what you are thinking- that burger has a bun, well we have all tackled this problem before- either bring your own (and if you do remember the rules... do it yourself, don't give it to your server!) or eat it with a fork a knife! Matt has personally said that he is not going to mind a gluten free order coming to his kitchen for this burger. I am going to be honest- my mouth is watering as I write this post- what time does Match open?

For more details on the making of the Match Burger, check out JFood's writeup on CT Bites- he doesn't leave out a detail! It's great!!! http://www.ctbites.com/home/2011/7/24/the-making-of-the-match-restaurant-burger.html Kuddo's for all the work with the research and trials! I am so glad to see you are working with local farmers too!

Dreaming of Dessert...

Admit it- So are you! I am not alone when I make this statement. How many of us have been at a dinner party, or just out to dinner and you can make anything out of a meal- or we bring our own. Then comes dessert. For me, it's just not worth bringing dessert to someone elses house, and I don't REALLY miss it if I can't find something on a dessert menu- remember, it's my problem not theirs! But when I can have dessert, it's fork down, hands deep into whatever is in front of me!!! I kid you not!
While at the Farmers Market in New Cannan this summer I notice, sampled and bought these wonderful dessert bars. Keep them in your fridge if you can make them last your car ride home- they will keep for quite a bit!  Dream Bars were dreamed up by Westover Magnet Elementary Teacher Brian Hayes, and quiet a dream it was! Taking a family dessert and making it gluten free is probably a dream of anyone who shares in GF community. " Dream Desserts currently offers four flavors: peanut butter chocolate; pecan clasique; banana nuvo; and luscious lemon, the one that started everything. They're all made using all-natural ingredients" Personally my favorite is banana nuvo... honestly I didn't even put the icing on it- it's been that long since I had GREAT banana bread, or any at all for that matter :). I know I am a pain in the butt when it comes to quality of my GF desserts- I would rather not eat them if they are not up to par with what everyone else is enjoying- one less mile to run to burn it off... but these bars- simply are a dream come true! 

And now they are in the news: http://www.courant.com/community/stamford/hc-ap-ct-fea-gluten-freebujul28,0,4796052.story  Celiac diagnosis leads to business for Conn couple.  What a great local business to support and a great way to have dessert!  So next time you are out looking for something to do on a Saturday- head over to New Cannan's farmers market, grab a bar, and sit back, relax and dream! If you live to far away, or would rather place an order, follow this link: http://dreamdessertbars.com/

Dreams are extremely important. You can't do it unless you imagine it. -george lucas

GF Paintings

Now, I am not really sure I was looking for a painting that was Gluten Free, but I did stumble across this and found it funny. Then I also found myself thinking about how cute it might look in my kitchen- am I crazy? I guess Gluten has really left my building! 

All jokes aside, this is a really creative idea, and growing on me by the minute! I found the painting- and there are more!- at http://www.etsy.com/shop/eringopaint?section_id=6706612. There are 8 different paintings. All $25. Some quoting "no gluten needed", some stating "gluten free", but all having a charming little catch phrase for us glutards to respond too!