As a new National Celiac Association (NCA) Resource Person, I was delighted to contribute the below article to the NCA Winter 2020 magazine! See our presentation on how to evaluate GF dining programs and set yourself up for success on campus. COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH FOOD ALLERGIES OR CELIAC DISEASE-- YOUR FEEDBACK IS NEEDED! There is a desperate need for candid student feedback, especially for families evaluating colleges. Although required under the ADA, the ability to safely feed these students varies greatly and students don't always know the truth until they are there. By increasing awareness among college leadership and empowering students and prospective families, our hope is that more colleges will rise to the challenge. Buttons to take the survey or see anonymous responses are in the header. Thanks for making a difference! Sheryl

See our presentation on how to evaluate GF dining programs and set yourself up for success on campus. Gluten Free Friends joins FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), NCA (National Celiac Association) and AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability) in this joint letter to colleges across the country. U.S. Department of Justice Reaches Agreement with Rider University In February of 2019, the United States Department of Justice determined that Rider University violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to accommodate students with disabilities as a result of food allergies. In light of the settlement, Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) and the National Celiac Association (NCA) encourage all colleges and universities to carefully assess how well they are meeting the needs of students with celiac disease, food allergies and other food-related disabilities to ensure compliance with the ADA. “The ADA defines ‘disability’ to include any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as eating, or a major bodily function, including the digestive system” according to the settlement. The US determined that Rider violated Title III of the ADA in several ways, including that it “did not provide adequate information on its website for students seeking to obtain reasonable modification...; has improperly delegated responsibility for accommodating students with [food-related] disabilities to a food service provider; and in certain instances Rider does not readily offer exemptions from its meal plans for students seeking exemption due to a food allergy or food-related disability.” The terms of the Rider University settlement are consistent with those reached in the 2012 Leslie University settlement. Students with food-related disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations from their college. Please read some of the important actions Rider is now required to take to comply with the settlement agreement. Even among schools that use the same food service vendors, there is tremendous inconsistency in how well colleges manage dietary needs. Most college food services, whether they are contract-managed or self-operated, can meet these challenges when given the proper resources and support. The most successful programs have taken steps similar to those required in this settlement, and some have gone even further. By undertaking an honest assessment of current offerings and learning from successful programs, schools can take incremental steps forward and ensure they are in compliance with ADA. Schools may find different ways of tackling the challenges of celiac disease and food allergies, but they must find a way to meet this need. FARE and NCA are here to support your efforts, and summer is a great time to implement changes in your dining halls. Read here for first steps. Being proactive and implementing solutions now will not only help colleges and universities avoid legal trouble, it is an enormous marketing advantage. There are 35 million Americans with food allergies and/or celiac disease, and this number is only increasing. Between 1995 and 2011, the CDC found a 50 percent increase in food allergies among children. These children are growing up and attending college in record numbers. Going beyond accommodating to genuinely serving their needs can only help colleges recruit students in a competitive market. Please visit www.foodallergy.org/collegeresources or email collegeprogram@foodallergy.org if you have questions about meeting this challenge. Lisa Gable, CEO Food Allergy Research and Education Lee Graham, CEO National Celiac Association Sheryl Harpel, Founder Gluten Free Friends Kristie Orr, President Association on Higher Education & Disability After our Rider University post, I reached out to NCA and FARE to ask if we could work together to educate colleges on the case and its implications. I was delighted to find such enthusiastic partners in Carla Carter, NCA, and Kristi Grim, FARE. When Kristi then included AHEAD, the perfect team was created to spread our message. Working together, we can make a larger impact on behalf of college students with food-related disabilities. NCA's college website page now includes a link to our College Student Survey. Kristi, who heads up FARE’s college program, has been very helpful in getting our College Student Survey Results to the attention of the appropriate food service vendors. Please keep those College Student Surveys coming! Distributing this letter is challenging. It has already been sent to 500 colleges, but you can help by sharing this post on your college parent and student facebook pages, in support groups, and anywhere you think it could help. Go here to learn more about our GFF strategy for improving the college experience for students with celiac and food allergies. Thank you! And special thanks to Carla and Kristi! --Sheryl

You can make delicious fresh gf bread in under 5 minutes! Well, it takes about 3 ½ hours to be ready, but your work is done. I have lost count of how many in our group bake this as their daily bread after a quick demo in my kitchen. Your friends eating store bought glutinous bread will be envious. They will ask you to bring it hot to their dinner parties. When the kids were still packing lunches for school, we baked bread every 1-2 days. Our 10+ year old machine has held up great, but I did replace the pan a few times over the years when it started to stick from overuse. Resist the temptation to eat it all when it first comes out hot or you will not have any left for school lunches! I sometimes had to time it to be done when the kids weren’t home so I could keep up. This bread mix can also be made in the oven, which is what I do when I want it shaped like a challah. I have a recurring subscription order on Amazon so bread mix magically appears before I run out. The individual bags make one loaf and include the yeast packet. Yeast packets are sold separately if you opt for the larger bag. This bread can be sliced and kept in the freezer for toasting. Remember not to share toasters with your glutenous friends, and to protect yourself by lining the rack with aluminum foil if you are sharing a toaster oven. I give you two variations here, but you can be creative and try more. The Mix: Pamela’s gf bread mix (6 pack on amazon) Everyday Bread Ingredients Wet ingredients mixed in a 2 cup measuring cup added in this order: ⅓ cup canola oil 2 eggs Warm water from tap to just over the 2 cup line (not too hot) Dry ingredient: Pamela's gf bread mix (includes yeast packet) Optional add-in: Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend Cinnamon Raisin Challah Ingredients Wet ingredients mixed in a 2 cup measuring cup: 3 eggs 1/4 cup melted margarine (or butter) 3/4 cup warm water 1/2 cup plain almond milk (or soy milk or milk) Dry ingredients: Pamela's gf bread mix (includes yeast packet) 1/4 cup sugar (I shake up with bread mix in the bag a bit after removing yeast packet) Optional sprinkle: Cinnamon Delayed addition: 1 cup raisins Baking Both Variations in the Breadmaker Check that pan is snapped in properly and that the spinning pieces are in position Pour wet ingredients into pan Remove yeast packet and dump the dry ingredients on top of the liquid Use edge of the packet to spread out the bread mix trying to keep packet dry, and make a little dry trench in the middle. Add the yeast into the trench Add optional sprinkle ingredient across top Plug in machine and choose your crust control. I usually push it to the dark setting as we prefer crusty bread. Hit Start! Delayed addition ingredients are added when machine gives loud beeps after 35-40 minutes Cool finished bread on rack right side up. Can be frozen whole or sliced. Baking Challah Variation in the Oven with Challah Shape For a beautifully shaped challah, use a challah mold pan. Shout out to Gluten Free Friend, Daena, for first sharing this challah shaped version with our group in 2015. Spray pan with pam Mix all the ingredients including yeast in mixer for 3 solid minutes (I usually blend the wet ingredients first and then add the rest but not sure it matters) Put batter into the prepared pan Cover with warm damp paper towel and let sit for at least 3 hours to rise. Longer is even better. Bake for 45 minutes in preheated oven at 350 (Don't put rack too close to the bottom of your oven or could burn the tops of the bread.) Remove from oven and flip over onto parchment lined baking sheet Brush top with a beaten egg Bake another 15 minutes at 350 Slide onto cooling rack Cool before slicing. Can be frozen whole or sliced. ENJOY! Sheryl