The Western New York Gluten Free Diet Support Group, Inc. (hence WNYGFDSG) is a member-based, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports individuals and families  living with Celiac Disease (CD), Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) and gluten intolerance.  The WNYGFDSG has been in existence for 24 years and is a growing and dynamic organization, drawing from a very large geographic area in Western New York.  We have over 250 current members. This website lists our monthly meeting schedule, group dinners and social functions, as well as information about the upcoming events important to celiacs and their supporters.   Additionally, you can find information about Celiac Disease, Celiac testing, and Celiac Follow-up care.     If you would like to speak to someone from our group about Celiac disease or other related issues, check the contact names and numbers for more personalized support.Need/wish to write to us? Our address is: WNY Gluten Free Diet Support Group, P.O. BOX 1835, Williamsville, NY 14231     Welcome to the Homepage of the Western NY Gluten-Free Diet Support Group, Inc. Check out the many useful links on our site to help you enjoy living a healthy, Gluten-Free life.     Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best in 2012 Now is a good time to resolve to be more active in the Western NY Gluten Free Diet Support Group.   Do you enjoy surfing the web for GF articles and links? Do you have a little extra time and want to help the group and the GF community here in Western NY? We are in need of some help withour webpage. It would require about 5 - 10 hours a month.  Experience with webpages is helpful but not required. A desire to learn and help make our webpage the best is all that is needed.  Please contact the webmaster: buffaloglutenfree@gmail.com   Upcoming Events - Please  mark your calendars   Sunday, February 12, 2012 Save the date for our 3rd annual Valentine's Dinner at the Brookfield Country Club. Make plans with your sweetheart now. The menu is in your newsletter and also in the dinners section of this webpage.     Saturday, February 18, 2012 General montlhy meeting at Mount Mercy Academy. A pediatrician will speak about celiac disease as it relates to children.       Did you miss the last meeting? Here are the minutes to help keep you informed.

Wegmans Gluten Free Demonstration Class March 13 6pm-730pm $15 per person More details coming soon! Space limit: 24 guests Site: Wegmans, 5275 Sheridan Drive, Williamsville, NY 14221 To make reservations, please contact the Wegmans Sheridan Drive Catering Department at 631-4370         BUFFALO AREA GLUTEN FREE RESTAURANTS MAP You're hungry - You want to eat out. So where are all the great gluten free restaurants in the Buffalo area & how do you get to them? Our group now has a quick and easy way to locate GF friendly restaurants & stores in our area. Try using our google map and let us know what you think. We have many new additions:   La Dolce Vita Restaurant at 1472 Hertel Avenue, in North Buffalo - is our newest restaurant find.  The food there is "outstanding" andthey are very accomodating to our GF needs. Please call ahead for reservations and let them know you will be needing gluten free preparaitons.  phone - 446-5690 Picasso's Pizza provided our group with fabulous samples of gluten free pizza and sub/style sandwiches at our October meeting! Check out their GF offerings at their vairous locations in the Buffalo area. Broadway Deli, Café and Catering -  5430 Broadway, Lancaster, NY 14086 Deli sandwiches and GF soups - mmm! They use Vin- Chet bread and Boar’s Head meats and cheeses.  Soups are all gluten free, too. Joe's Crab Shack    4125 Maple Road, Amherst, NY 14226 716-836-4739. This seafood restaruant chain offers many steamed items. Perfect for the GF diet! Click above to check out their menu.   At La Scala Ristorante - 9210 Transit Road - East Amherst, 14051 - (716) 213-2777  everyday is Celiac Awareness Day! They are now serving gourmet wood fired thin-crust gluten free pizza using a special flavorful dough made from grapeseed & cranberries.    Traveling to Rochester? Try the new chain - Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano, in the Eastview Mall. It offers an extensive gluten-free menu with selections that include classic dishes, such as Pasta Alfredo made with gluten free pasta, and gluten free pizza choices. Now that's Italian!! Pizza Plant on Transit had its grand opening of their new location. They will now have Wheat Free Wednesdays and the Main Street locaiton will offer Wheat Free Sundays. Fabulous!   How about getting a nice, fresh, hot pizza from Vin Chet! They are now baking their pizzas to-go during their regular business hours. Call 716-839-0871 and give them about twenty minutes notice. You cna order the cheese & pepperoni, plain cheese, or the white pizza for $15.95 and for a limited time,  four chocolate chip cookies come with it for free!   FrogHair Grille & Golf 7800 Transit Rd. Williamsville -  Enjoy one of several G-F items while watching play on simulated golf courses. Great outdoor patio for the warmer seasons.   C.J.'s (Club Joey)  1532 Pine Avenue, Niagara Falls, NY -Mostly g-f menu, including beer battered fish fry; Open Thurs, Fri and Saturday at 4 PM; 282-1108   White Linen Teahouse, 6610 Shawnee Rd.Wheatfield, NY14122 Call a day or two ahead to assure reservations and  a wonderful - gluten-free high-tea experience. 731-1685 Our group recently had a dinner here and it was amazing. The Pomegrante, 4125 Transit Rd, Williamsville, NY, a great casual dining restaurant featuring  kabob/pita (Mediterranean) 631-0900 Jojo  Bistro and Wine Bar, 5493 Sheridan Drive, Williamsville, NY, gluten-free meatloaf is great; and a early lunch might get you g-f French fries; 204-8663 The Grapevine, 2545 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst, NY14228, has an extensive g-f menu and view of spectacular aquariums of tropical fish; 691-7799 Thai House, 5246 Transit Road, Depew, NY14043; many, many dishes can be prepared g-f; 601-7865 Check out the locations on the google map & then treat yourself to a wonderful meal. Please note: The map will be updated as the group hears of more restaurants/food stores carrying gluten free options. Please email us if you have an addition for our map or know of a current listing tha needs updating or has closed.  email: buffaloglutenfree@gmail.com

Have you spotted the new Gluten Free Brown Rice Rice Krispies from Kellogg's?  They're here - Try a box of the new Kellogg's Rice Krispies and let us know what you think? (and while you are at it, try those rice krispie treats recipes!)   General Mills Commitment to Gluten Free   General Mills has launched a special webpage, liveglutenfreely.com, to provide consumers with information on gluten-free products and gluten-free recipes. The site lists General Mills products labeled gluten-free and features kitchen-tested recipes for preparing an array of gluten-free foods. They have a newsletter & a blog. Check it out. Have you tried the new GF Bisquick or any of the other Betty Crocker GF baking mixes? They are found in our area stores in the REGULAR baking aisle.  General Mills has really stepped up to the plate to formulate many of their mainstream products free of gluten. They currently list over 300 products on their website. Check out the list, and then get cooking!   General Mills GF Product List   And while we are on the subject of cereals, one of the gluten free blogs, (gluten fre appetite) has posted that Kelloggs is working on formulating a couple of their products to be gluten free (one being Rice Krispies). There is NO official word from the company but keep your eye out in the next 6 months & let us know, too!     Want to get the latest newsletter online? WNYGFDSG is going green! We are looking for members to sign up and get the newsletter sent electronically instead of printed and sent through the mail. You can save a tree, save our group money that can be spent on celiac awareness in our community, and you can stay informed! To switch to the electronic version (which you can print out if you prefer a hard copy), just send an email to buffaloglutenfree@gmail.com. and put newsletter in your subject. Once your membership in the group has been confirmed, you will be sent all newsletters to your email in a PDF format. The news will even get to you BEFORE we mail it out to the general membership! Give it a try, today. Here is our Fall Newsletter for you to look at in the "online" format. Please give this document time to load. Enjoy!

Vin-Chet Pastry Shop 2178 KensingtonAmherst, NY 14226 839-0871     Come to a meeting and purchase baked goods or visit their Amherst retail location. Now you can even order products online! Check out their website - Gluten Free Baked Goods Call in your order by Friday at noon for pick-up on Saturday (between 2-4 PM). Vin-Chet's offers many great tasting, gluten-free products:   Vin-Chet products are also now at Dash Markets and on Fridays & Saturdays can be purchased FRESH not frozen! They are also located (frozen) at the Lexington Food Co-op and some area Tops and Feel-Rite markets. Their pizzas are now found in many area pizzerias. Check their website for the latest locations.   Check out the newest Gluten Free bakery in our area: Bon Bon Gluten Free Bakery 1298 Orchard Park Road West Seneca, New York 14224 716-704-5993 Bon Bon's Bakery is a new baked good store that is 100%  gluten free, without the sacrifice of taste. They are open Tuesday - Friday 9 - 5 & Saturday 9 - 3   Traveling to the Rochester, NY area? Check out a great Gluten Free/Vegan baked goods. Eco Bella Bakery 697 South Ave, Rochester, NY 14620 (585) 503-2488 Located in the Southwedge area of Rochester, this bakery has been exclusively gf & vegan for almost two years. Check out their menu by clicking here: Eco Bella Bakery

CELIAC NEWS - LOCAL AND AROUND THE WORLD   Did you hear the NPR article on Morning Edition recently (October 17, 2011)? Here is the link to Look Who's Going Gluten-Free? Check out the  Youtube video to see/hear more and then check out the Articles section of the webpage where some of the latest news featuring the GF lyfestyle can be found.   Here is a link to a great segment on the CBS Early Show, featuring GF recipes for biscuits, onion rings and pizza. The chef is the author of a wonderful cookbook, Gluten Free Every Day. Here is a link to information on the Food Labeling Act. Click here for a link to the National Celiac Spru Association - It lists U.S. government links regarding GF labeling anf food allergies in general.     Check out our Facebook Page! Our group now has a Facebook group page.This is a place to share and discuss everything about gluten free living in the Buffalo area. You can start discussion threads, ask questions, and share your gluten free ideas. Click here for the Facebook page.   Our very own WNYGFDSG member, Katie   Chalmers is the author of a new children's book about celiac disease! Check the link for more information about Katie's new book, Mommy, What Is Celiac Disease

Triumph Dining Cards and products - since 2005 Since 2005, Triumph Dining has helped over 40,000 people with Celiac Disease and gluten sensitivity enjoy delicious gluten-free foods. Whether you're staying local or traveling, their guides and cards will help you eat at home, go out, or do both! What's available?   Dining Cards: Order restaurant meals safely in 10 languages Restaurant Guide: Find gluten-free restaurants across the U.S. Grocery Guide: Shop gluten-free in any store nationwide       Check out the launch of GlutenFreeTravelSite.com Visitors to the site will be able to quickly and easily access travel reviews organized by geographic region and read about others’ personal experiences traveling and dining out in any part of the world. The site is user-based and you are encouraged to submit a review sharing your experience from a hotel, resort, cruise, or favorite restaurant. Pass the word along to your friends & family. So...let's put Buffalo, New York on the map as a celiac friendly community by posting reviews to our restaurants.

Do you like to cook and bake? Our group has a number of copies of  Pleasing the Gluten-Free Palate, a wonderful resource for Gluten-Free cooking, ready for you to purchase. Also, our library has a number of wonderful Gluten-Free cookbooks for you to borrow (when you become a member) and create to your heart's (and stomach's) content. Also, check out this website's list of GF recipes. Do you have a favorite recipe that you could share with us? Let the webmaster know! We LOVE to share!

Information on Oats    *Please be advised that a small percentage of people with celiac disease may not tolerate even the purest of oats. If you are unsure whether oats are suitable for your diet, please check first with your health advisor before eating them.  Newly diagnosed should NOT add oats to their initial diet.   The mission of each of the following companies is to provide the purest oats available for people with celiac disease and wheat allergies. Inspected by celiacs from planting to packaging, these companies understand the importance of avoiding cross-contamination from wheat, rye or barley.   Bob's Red Mill  The oats are packaged in their new, 100% gluten free facility and tested for gluten before packaging to ensure their purity. They have old fashioned rolled, steel cut, and quick cooking oats. Cream Hill Estates in Quebec, Canada. They have an order form on the website for purchasing rolled oats (called oat flakes) and oat flour.  (The oats have been ELISA tested at below 3 ppm*). This company's products can be found at most Feel Rite stores in our area. Gluten Free Oats® (This IS the name of the company), based in Wyoming has an order form on their website for rolled oats in a 2 pound 9 oz. size. (These oats have tested at below 3 ppm*)