News & Notes: September 14, 2012

Appetite for Awareness is just one week from Sunday. The first 20 readers to place ticket orders today will get 20 percent off with code 20OFF, and all orders today are eligible to win one of five special Appetite for Awareness T-shirts. The randomly selected winners will be notified by email prior to the event and the shirts can be picked up at the event. All proceeds from the event benefit the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness's education and advocacy efforts. Whether you're there or not, follow all of the action on Twitter that day with hashtag #A4A12. I'll also have an open thread on my Facebook page for readers to post their own finds while at the event.

NFCA founder Alice Bast is a semi-finalist in this week's round of Philadelphia magazine's Be Well Philly Health Hero Challenge. You can vote for her once a day through Monday by liking the Be Well Philly Facebook page and then clicking on the Health Hero Challenge logo. The four weekly semi-final winners will move on to the finals in October. For every vote, United Healthcare will donate $1 to the American Heart Association (up to $5,000).

Muse, an New American bistro in Oxford (306 Market St., 610-998-1308), is gluten-free-friendly. (Thanks Bethann S.)

Bridget Foy's on South Street (200 South St., 215-922-1813) has added a gluten-free menu.

David Boyle, the executive chef at Center City Italian steakhouse Davio's (117 S. 17th St., 215-563-4810), has created a seasonal gluten-free pumpkin gnocchi made with rice flour and a spicy pumpkin puree.

Rittenhouse Square's Caffeination (2100 Chestnut St., 215-568-8006) carries baked goods from The Little Bakery. The all-gluten-free bake shop in Blue Bell is the reigning Philadelphia magazine "Best of Philly" winner for gluten-free sweets.

The write-up of the first part of my family's California vacation last month was posted Tuesday, covering La Jolla. I'll share our Anaheim and Santa Monica/Los Angeles adventures in future posts.

Butterfly Bakery, which will be exhibiting at Appetite for Awareness, has a new gluten-free line called Baby Butterfly. The mini cupcakes and muffins should be at Wegmans markets next month. The bakery is offering a $2 mail-in rebate on the purchase of any two products.

Udi's new products include a unique Everything Inside Bagel and quinoa Mighty Bagel, French baguettes and dinner rolls, and two new muffin varieties. The baguettes and rolls will hit stores in October, while the other products will debut in January.

The next CHOP Children's Support Group meeting is set for September 30 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Voorhees Specialty Care Center (1012 Laurel Oak Rd.). The topic is "Surviving School and Siblings," and pizza and ice cream will be provided. Kids can bring their favorite snacks to share. RSVP by September 27 via email or call 215-590-2985.

There's also a children's support group meeting Wednesday at St. Christopher's Hospital in Philadelphia (3601 A St.) starting at 5 p.m. RSVP today by calling 215-427-6538.

Have a great weekend!

- Michael