A Canadian Celiac Blog

I made it to my final destination of Comox British Columbia where my daughter was joining her boyfriend who had been stationed there earlier this year. A very long trip but they organized for an apartment and everything went very smoothly.

While staying in a hotel before they got their keys, we went out for breakfast to Smitty’s (the GF dedicated restaurant in town was too busy to take us which is great for them!) I spoke to the server at Smitty’s about gluten free and she was very knowledgeable. I try to order relatively simply when they don’t say anything on the menu, but have the knowledge. I had eggs over easy, bacon and potato shreds which were all done on the flattop away from any pancakes. I had a very satisfying and filling breakfast!

We were finally able to grocery shop and cook for ourselves which made meals easier in the apartment, but there were still restaurants I wanted to try. We had dinner at a dedicated gluten free restaurant called Off the Hook. Crab cakes are something delicate that I love, but usually can’t have, but at this restaurant I could have them and they were terrific! I also had the fish and chips, which were some of the best. I’m so spoiled!

My daughter saw a gluten free bakery just outside of Comox on the highway, which she thought I’d be interested in. It was not what I expected – from a storefront perspective – but the food I bought was amazing. They had and extensive line of bread and cookies and tarts and buns all gluten free and also with keto and dairy free in mind. I need to discuss this bakery more with Ellen.

My last restaurant stop was at Taco Bandido in Courtney. Most things on the menu could be made gluten free and I was happy when the server said the chef would clean off a portion of the cook top to ensure no gluten came into contact with my tacos. I had the Beef Birria tacos once again to compare them the ones I had in Thunder Bay. Both were great, but these ones were so rich (yummy) that I could only eat half of the order and brought the rest back to the apartment with me.

I’m flying home tomorrow but will be recapping my trip with Ellen on a podcast in the next couple of weeks. If you have any questions for me please email them to acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

We spent the next night in Kamloops, and I was lucky enough to have pizza left from lunch, so that filled the spot for dinner. In the morning, we headed towards the ferry terminal south of Vancouver for the ferry to Victoria at 3pm. I wanted to get to the ferry early, which was a good thing as we met so much traffic leaving for the mountains for the long holiday weekend. I decided to get another taco salad from Wendy’s and enjoyed eating it while in the line for the ferry.

We arrived on Vancouver Island and drove to our hotel in downtown Victoria. I decided on an Indian restaurant a few blocks away called Sizzling Tandoor reported to have lots of gluten free options. They did, and I thoroughly enjoyed butter chicken, rice and poppadums which are thin chips usually made from lentil flour that are a great substitute for bread if they are made gluten free.

I have been looking forward to the next morning for so long. It was my opportunity to finally meet Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com whom I have been friends with for years but never met. Ellen made reservations for us to have brunch at one of her favourite restaurants – Six Mile Pub. We sat in the cozy gazebo on the patio, met with the chef and had the best gluten free meal I can remember. We asked the chef for three different dishes, and we were treated to creative steak & eggs, poached eggs and pancakes. Although they sound simple, these dishes were works of art and I savoured every bite. There’s nothing better than sharing an amazing meal with a good friend. Ellen and I could have talked for hours, but Trish and I had to be on our way heading for our final destination of Comox.

Ellen suggested we stop at the town of Ladysmith along the way to visit The Wild Poppy, a gluten free bakery. What a treat – I bought a massive blueberry scone, date square and butter tart. I’m so spoiled.

After arriving in Comox, Trish’s boyfriend met us, and we decided to try a burger place Ellen has raved about. The Big Wheel is worth the hype – no flax in the GF hamburger bun and a separate fryer – Perfect!

We’ve settled in here for a few days until I fly back to Ontario. Now I can try the gluten free options in Comox – more treats to come!

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Blog Post for Ep #333 Part 4 Gluten Free Road Trip

We left Regina on a nice sunny day and headed west. We stopped at Wendy’s (again) for lunch, but this time I had the taco salad – without the corn chips as apparently, they aren’t safe. You get a nice salad, a good portion of chili and some salsa. I poured the chili on the salad and thoroughly enjoyed my lunch in the car.

Cinde Little, the Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet was very kind to invite us for dinner at her home in Calgary that evening. She made a menu card especially for us. All the recipes came from her blog everydayglutenfreegourmet and they were delicious! Cinde even served edible flowers from her garden with the dessert and sent me home with a goodie bag!

Here’s the menu links –

Adobo Chicken
Southwestern Quinoa Salad
with Chipotle Mayo
Steamed Green Beans

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream with edible flowers
Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

We were actually staying in Airdrie, north of Calgary. We left from there to travel west through the mountains on our way to Kamloops for our next hotel stay. We looked ahead to find a restaurant that might suit as we are travelling with our small dog. We decided on The Turning Point in Golden BC. What a great find – they even had a doggie patio! They had two kinds of gluten free pizza – one had flax, so I was thankful there was another choice of a cauliflower crust pizza. Their pepperoni wasn’t gluten free so I opted for a ham and pineapple with onions and green peppers – Wow, it was amazing and I had enough to bring along with us to heat up later for dinner. Tomorrow we take the ferry to Victoria.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

We arrived in Winnipeg in plenty of time to settle into our hotel and go to Montanas for dinner. I’ve eaten at Montanas a number of times and always get the ribs with Texas bold sauce and a baked potato with butter – very yummy!

I had my last sandwich on the road which worked out well as there aren’t many places for me to have a hot lunch on the Trans Canada Highway between Winnipeg and Regina. Once in Regina I was excited to go out for fish and chips at a very busy sports bar/restaurant called 4 Seasons. The owner’s wife is celiac and they have an extensive gluten free menu. My fish was wonderful and I was offered gf gravy to go with my chips which was a real treat.

We ended up staying longer in Regina than expected to get a small thing fixed on the car. We went to the science museum and ended up at The Lobby restaurant for a chicken Caesar salad for lunch – one of the best I’ve had!

We finished the night with chili and a baked potato from Wendy’s – always good and filling.

We’re leaving in the morning to get to Calgary where I’ve been invited for a very special dinner with a friend of the podcast – so looking forward to it.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

We left Sault Ste. Marie in an intense thunderstorm, and rain and wind stayed with us on and off for the next couple of days. Our drive to Thunder Bay was very scenic, but so many trees and so much wilderness. Not many places to stop – I was glad I had my cold cuts and buns with me for lunch.

Once we arrived in Thunder Bay the restaurant I had picked out was a short walk from our hotel. It was a Mexican restaurant called Nortenos Taqueria. I got the Beef Birria – it was so yummy I started to eat it before I took the photo (there were originally 3 tacos). This restaurant has a gluten free fryer!

We stopped and took a photo with The Big Goose near Wawa (it was very windy).

We also drove by the longitudinal Centre of Canada – I never thought this was a thing, but it’s cool to think I was there.

Our next stop was in Winnipeg.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

We left the Kingston area with a very full car for our trip to Vancouver Island to relocate my daughter. Our first night stop was in North Bay. We got takeout from Boston Pizza, which I always enjoy. Then after a good night’s sleep our next stop was the Big Nickel in Sudbury – very cool!

A friend recommended a gluten free bakery to me that was in Lively, west of Sudbury called Gluten Free Galore, but also goes by the name Amici. I bought white bread, two cupcakes, date squares, and sandwich buns which we put to good use for a picnic along our route. Our dinner was at a restaurant called La Anh (formerly Sunset Noodle House) – Yum.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

I’m going on a road trip with my daughter from Eastern Ontario to Vancouver Island. I thought I’d bring you along in a series of short episodes to let you know where I chose to eat, as well as other things I learned about being gluten free and travelling by car for days with my daughter and a dog in our vast beautiful country.

Here’s a picture of the car all loaded up ready to go!

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

It’s the beginning of June and again my opportunity to speak with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com to discuss interesting articles she has brought to our attention during May. Ellen and I start off talking about May being Celiac Awareness Month and the Light Up events held in her city of Victoria. We also mention a popular event of Gluten Free Food Drives that happen across the country during May.

We also talk about my recent podcast regarding the Gluten Free Expo in Vancouver on June 7^th and 8^th. We are then led into discussing gluten free sourdough bread and I express some of my observances around the commitment involved to make this amazing bread.

Ellen and I also discuss some of the posts Selena DeVries RD on her Instagram celiac_made_simple including a great hack to ensure you can get a gluten free blizzard at Dairy Queen.

Lastly, I talk about my plans with Ellen to drive across the country to Vancouver Island with my daughter who is relocating there. I’m thrilled that we will be able to finally meet in person and Ellen has some great plans for us and brunch!

CELIAC SCENE NEWS

#shinealightonceliac – A Victoria Success!
Vancouver Gluten-Free Expo – June 7 & 8 – TICKETS
Interview with Gerrit Janssen, Organizer, Vancouver Gluten Free Expo
Gluten-Free Podcast! Fast! Fun! Informative!

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SELENA RD, INSTAGRAM CORNER

• How to Order a Celiac-Safe Dairy Queen Blizzard
• Gluten-Free Meals Ready in Minutes
• Gluten-Free Fast Food
• How to Avoid the 3pm Energy Crash
• Celiac Disease is More Than Eating Gluten Free 

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

On this podcast I speak with Gerrit Janssen a Red Seal Chef who has turned his hand to working with the Gluten Free community including food producers to present Gluten Free Expos in western Canada. His next show is in Vancouver on June 7^th and 8^th. At a Gluten Free Expo you will be treated to a wide variety of local and bigger brands of gluten free food producers as well as an impressive line-up of speakers, some of whom I’ve spoken with on the podcast.

You can follow Gluten Free Expo on Facebook and Instagram at thegfexpo and on his website www.gfexpo.ca. These exciting events inevitably sell out, so best to get your tickets in advance.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Celiac Awareness Month always brings with the hope of spring and the renewal of the plants and flowers in our communities. If you live in a rural area or on a farm, spring brings many more wonders. I’m hoping that it also brings a renewal of your involvement in the celiac community, in person or maybe online. This month Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene and I speak about Celiac Awareness Month, in particular about the mascot for the campaign and some of the activities and promotion related to it. On celiac.ca you’ll find a graphic of “It Be” that’s ready for colouring.

If you’re able to promote celiac awareness month, or share other posts on social media, please be sure to use the hashtags –

#CeliacAwarenessMonth

#CeliacIsAChameleon

#GlutenFree

#CeliacCanada

Also, here is the link to the symptom checker – https:www.celiac.ca/celiac-disease-symptom-checklist

We also spoke about the new course that Selena DeVries RD is starting called The Confident Celiac. You can find Selena online at selenard.com and on Instagram at celiac_made_simple.

Ellen also gave me lots to think about with an article about using rice papers to make croissants. Sounds pretty crazy, but I’ll try over this month and report back.

Here are links from Ellen.

How to tell if a restaurant can do gluten free
Restaurant cross contact anxiety
How to dine out safely – anywhere!

Recipe Worth Trying? Gluten-Free Croissants made with Rice Paper?

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com