My Day with the Seashore Celiacs

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You know how you sometimes go to a cook out and everything is gluten free, from the gluten free hamburger buns, to the gluten free hot dog buns, to the gluten free pizzas on the grill, and even every single item every single other guest brought is gluten free?  No? That doesn't happen to you?  Then apparently you weren't at the Seashore Celiacs 11th Annual Picnic yesterday!

There were even plenty of options for those of us who are both gluten and dairy free.  There were Udi's, Ener-G, and Kinnikinnick gf hot dog and gf hamburger buns and about 1/3 of all of the items brought for the potluck were dairy free too.

Gluten Free Samples from the Seashore Celiacs'
11th Annual Picnic (Warning: not all are dairy free)

Upon arrival each guest is given a wrist band and directed to pick up their bag of samples.  This year's bag was packed to the top with samples, coupons, and literature donated by various gluten free companies.  I dumped the bag out on my bed when I got home like a kid after a long night of trick-or-treating!  (That's the photo at the right.)  I'd say about 90% of these samples are dairy free as well.

Each picnic-goer is also asked to bring along a dish to share.  I brought my Black Bean and Quinoa Salad.  Each dish is labeled with the ingredients making life easier for those with multiple food issues.  At the back of the pavilion are a couple of grills turning out hot dogs and hamburgers on your choice of gluten free buns donated this year by Udi's, Kinnikinnick and/or Ener-G.  There were even pizzas going on one of the grills (the shells were donated by Still Riding Pizza).  [The ones cooking when I went up the first time had dairy cheese and I was too stuffed to go back for seconds and see if there was DF cheese at any point.]  There were also two tables of pot-luck (about 2/3rds hot) some made with donated products (like Caesar's Pasta Specialties, Conte's Pasta, Goldbaum's pasta, Lotus Foods Forbidden Black Rice, amongst others).

After lunch (ok, some of us snuck under the wraps early) they opened up an additional two full tables of desserts.  Most where homemade (again some with donated mixes from Wegmans, Namaste, Breads by Anna, and GF Oats)  While still others were samples by Foods by George, Udi's,  Schar, Ener-G, Amy's, Pamela's, and Sunstart).

The picnic finished with a raffle of dozens of prizes again donated by various GF vendors, stores and restaurants.  The volunteers running the raffle, even pause towards the end to make sure everyone who bought a ticket wins at least one prize!

All in all it was an amazing day.  The weather was great, I met some new friends and reconnected with some old friends.  The volunteers that make this happen are truly amazing people, they are super friendly and put in not only a long day pulling this picnic off but what I am sure were long hours planning and organizing it as well.  Thank you all!!!