Lynxear

For those of you that have eaten at Splitt, do you think that the place is safe?

I suppose I am the thorn here. Carrie...The restaurant is probably fine. My problem occured in their first 2 days of operation. There were several mistakes on my simple breakfast order...I got a bonus of sausages that I did not order, they had problems with the type of rice bread and if I didn't tell them that I had a wheat problem I would have certainly been given the wrong meal (to me given the fact that they serve both wheat tolerant and wheat intolerant patrons it behooves them to find out who their customer is).

Sooooo....with inexperienced staff at the time they may have made a mistake in my order...or it may have been a coincidence that I had mild stomach problems 5 minutes after leaving the restaurant.

However, it seems I am the only one who had problems so the restaurant, so I would say after being in operation for about 6-8 weeks they are probably safe.

Would I go again?....maybe, but then again if you had a similar problem...would you go a second time? For me there are other alternatives in the area. For you....it is up to you to decide.

I'm pretty sure I saw Lynxear there last night - which was funny because I only know his face from the one websearch I did for Splitt a couple of weeks ago that brought me here. He looked happy with things... ;-)

I have a clone in Calgary...some think I look like a paramedic from Stars Air Ambulance.

No, I have not been back to Splitt since that incident. I went there on the second day they were open. Their staff were not very experienced at all then and perhaps they made a mistake or perhaps it was just a coincidence that I had a problem. I don't know.

Either way as you confirmed they are rather expensive and I have no troubles at other restaurants in the area (I usually eat Asian dishes)...so going back has not been high on my list. I wish them luck though.

thanks for the tip. what kind of bread did you use?

It is "kinnickinnick brown rice bread" sandwich loaf. My 1/2 toasting could well be the equivalent of nuking it in a Microwave. I found it to be very warm but soft at the endof the toasting. I think storing it in a sealed plastic container is good since no further moisture is lost. The bread really doesn't toast so much as it dries out...so I don't mind cutting it short as far as toasting goes.

My next experiment is it use "Rice" wrappers instead of corn or of course the forbidden wheat flour tortillas. I have had them in Vietnamese restaurants with shrimp, carrots and bean sprouts. I kind of wonder if other fillings would work. They are very cheap and taste not bad with dipping sauces.

I may be preaching to the converted but I had to post this idea

I LOVE BREAD...I think I told you that before. Well recently I was introduced to kinnickinnick brown rice bread. Now I am not really fond of "raw" non-wheat breads and this is a bit better but not perfect.

What I did do though was toast the bread first before making the sandwich....but I did not toast it to the point of making it crispy. I just left it in the toaster for about 45 secs or so and then cancelled the toasting.

Then I used my Philly creamcheese as a spread plus some lettuce and a slice of ham and put the sandwich along with another in one of those plastic containers with the snap lids. I put it in a small soft "refigerator" carry case along with some trail mix and apples. I then went out on a birdwatching/photography outting (new hobby).

After 4 hours we stopped for lunch....I tested the sandwiches....they were GREAT! Texture/flavour everything. I now can have a sandwich I like....Perhaps it is good the bread is expensive (all of them seem to be {sigh}...this way the sandwiches are an outting treat.

For your upset stomach following the meal... I know of other celiacs that react to the pea flour in some of the kinnickinnick products. Do you get upset stomach form peas / pea flour? Check on the sausages too.

No....the kinnickinnick bread was not the problem. Actually the only +ve experience from this was being introduced to this bread. It must be the pea flour that gives it the nice texture.

As far as the sausage goes I questioned them on this and they say the manufacturer says it is ok. I was a bit disappointed in the manager "Jeff" who I was told was going to contact me...but he never did. I suppose he didn't because I went to their place 2 times afterward to discuss this event. He is supposed to be celiac. Anyway, I won't go there anymore...it is too expensive for me on a regular basis compared to other non-gluten free restaurants nearby where I don't have a problem.

That's disapointing, I was under the impression that there were no gluten products in the restaurant except beverages. I really hope that the rice bread doesn't have gluten in it I don't know if I could trust this place. My doctor has recommended that I don't eat food that I haven't seen being prepared becasue of my bad reactions, which we think are wheat allergy reactions. I thought this place was perfect if there was no gluten in the place. I guess that wish is too good to be true

Thanks for checking the place out. I may go in and scope the place out and ask a lot of questions before I eat there.

Well I have determined that it is not the bread....Lakeview Bakery is off the hook.

The bread in fact was Kinnikinnic brown rice bread...not bad I bought a loaf.

So I went back to the restaurant and talked to the food manager. He showed a suitable amount of concern...but I am not sure it goes much further.

Perhaps my stomach upset was not related to the meal...the fact that it occured 5 minutes after leaving the restaurant might have been a coincidence. But I had a similar meal at Phils (they subsitute bread with sliced tomatoes) with no ill effects. I doubt Phils is suitable for serious celiacs but they seem fine for my level of wheat intolerance

Lakeview bakery makes gluten-free bread but I have never liked their rice bread and I did have a problem after I ate their rice bread before. Lakeview bakery also makes normal bread and they think that Spelt and Kamut are gluten-free.

Hi Rusla

Then it was THAT BREAD...I knew it was too good to be true. The texture was too perfect. It is probably a mixture of Spelt and Rice. The brown bread was "chocolate brown"...far browner that I have seen brown rice bread before.

I'm going to Lakeview to check what is in that bread tomorrow. Apparently they never advertised this bread as gluten free according to Jeff at the restaurant but now they do.

Hmmmmm....I know I am not celiac but having been off wheat for 2 months makes me more sensitive to it now it seems.

Well I was right.....it is in that shopping mall on Elbow Drive and 75th Ave SW in the SW cornor...newly renovated.

I went and had lunch there and here are some of my comments:

1. from their menu

"All of our menu items with the exception of beverages are considered to be gluten and lactose free. Bread products are available gluten free upon request, please ask your server for details. We use only the freshest, low fat, health conscious ingredients where possible."

comments: You have to be carefull here. The restaurant caters to a normal eating crowd as well as a celiac/lactose intolerant crowd. BUT the default is the normal crowd. The staff did not ASK me if I was wheat or lactose intolerant ... I had to tell them.

The staff are exceptionally friendly and "Jeff" visited my table and we had a short chat. My impression is that they are very new at this game BUT they are open to suggestion for improving their operation...not being really celiac I could not comment on their setup....most of you could do a much better job of that....I would bet that Jeff would give you a tour of the kitchen.

2. Their rice bread

You pay $2 more for having a rice bread alternative. Either white or brown rice bread. I commented to him that I had not much luck with rice breads. He said that theirs come from Lakeview Bakery...I was not aware that they make a gluten free rice bread of any kind....All I ever had from there was an inedible white rice loaf frozen made by Kingsland(??). So I decided to try this toast.

I was told that they had 2 work stations in the galley....one for gluten...one for non-gluten

3. I had their "All Day Breakfast" consisting of Two eggs, two strips of bacon, hashbrowns & toast normally for $6.00 but add $2 for the toast being rice toast.

What arrived was a rather nice plate with what I would describe as Home fried potatoes (much better than hash browns) I also got a bonus of 2 maple sausages (nice taste...I assume the filling was gluten free) and some fruit garnishes along with my eggs, toast and bacon. Add another $2 for a bottomless cup of coffee (a little weak for my taste) and the whole billl came to $10.00 less tip.

Comments: I enjoyed the meal BUT I had a mild stomach upset about 10 minutes after I left the place. I don't usually have that after a meal....Does Lakeview Bakery make a gluten free bread? The toast was like those small german square loafs of rye bread. It had excellent texture...not at all like any rice/tapioca/corn bread I ever tasted...or maybe the sausage. The upset didn't last long....but it bothered me a bit.

4. The coffee I was served came with Parmalat cream....Lactose free???

5. They have a number of pancakes/waffles/pie crusts...I assume wheat-free but not stated

6. Prices for entries range from $9 - $15 Add $2 for rice bread where applicable

Overall the staff were very pleasant and I think open to suggestion. The meal I had was pretty good.....except for the stomach upset a while later...I have suspicions about that rice bread from Lakeview bakery...I will check that out soon.

They are new....need to get experience for their staff who should ask questions before they take an order IMHO. Would I go again? I think so but it is not so cheap that you could go daily.

here is a newspaper article on the restaurant

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Actually I think it is within 15 min walking distance for me. There was a pub that was under renovation until a few days ago....if I am correct it is on the southwest cornor of a small shopping mall at 75th ave SW and Elbow drive.

Hmmmmm....I am getting hungry....it is noon....I will head that way... I'll check it out and see if their prices are reasonable or if they charge the earth....

If anyone goes to the restaurant let me know how everything went! Oh and if anyone has an address that would be great too!

I don't know the address...but it occured to me that it might be a nice place to get to meet eachother.

I was watching Canada AM and apparently a gluten/lactose free restaurant, Splitt Restaurant, has opened in Calgary. They have been open for 3 days now and already they are taking reservations because they are so busy. They decided to not advertise themselves as being gluten/lactose free for marketing reasons.

The two owners were on the program...each has one or both of gluten/lactose problems. Interesting...I don't know the address yet.

hmmmmm....I have been wheat-free for 2 months now and have had an annoying 10lb weight gain since then.

I attribute the weight gain to the gluten-free breads I have tried.

A small loaf of this stuff weighs about 900gms (2 lbs)...an equivalent sized wheat flour loaf would have weighed less than 450gms(1 lb).

I have two slices/day either with eggs (I love eggs on toast) or just with peanut butter. I did this in the past with wheat bread too.

I figure each slice of gluten-free bread is at LEAST the equivalent of 2 slices of whole wheat bread...probably more.

ALSO....the gluten free breads are full of tapioca starch, cornstarch, rice flour and potato starch....the first two are certainly thickeners....my observation is that my stools are certainly solid and while I am not constipated....bowel movements are certainly fewer....

I will lay dollars to donuts that the tapioca and corn starchs are the reason for this and are a major reason for my weight gain....I will prove it to myself by cutting down on gluten-free breads (as I said earlier....I am a bread-aholic, so this is a challenge)

I had Whooping cough when I was about 5 years old. I barely can remember having it but I do know at that time I received no medication but was quarinteened for a couple of weeks until the problem cleared itself up.

I have been looking for a good rice/beans recipe for a long time. Most that I have tried combined the rice and beans, alright but they were tasteless. This dish is soooooooo tasty you will want to make it again, again and again!!!

Here is the basic recipe (I modified it ....later on that)

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West Indian Rice and Beans

2 1/2 cups (about) canned vegetable broth

1 15- to 16-ounce can kidney beans, drained

1 cup canned unsweetened regular or light coconut milk

1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeño chili

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

3/4 cup medium-grain white rice

1 cup thinly sliced green onions

Combine 2 cups vegetable broth, kidney beans, coconut milk, minced jalapeño chili, thyme and allspice in heavy large saucepan. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat. Stir in rice. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer mixture uncovered until most of liquid is absorbed and rice is almost tender, stirring often, about 20 minutes.

Mix 3/4 cup green onions into rice. Continue to simmer until rice is very tender and mixture is creamy, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture seems dry, about 5 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup green onions and serve.

Serves 2.

Bon Appétit

March 1997

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Serves 2!!! I have a big appetite and there is enough for 3 people easily as a main dish....serves 4 as a companion dish for say baked chicken.

My changes

1. Substituted chicken broth for vegetable broth

2. Chili Garlic sauce from Huy Fong Foods Inc. (one tablespoon)...it is one of those deadly red chili sauces made of Chili, distilled vinegar, garlic, salt, potassium sorbate, and sodium bisulfite instead of the seeded jalapeno chili.

3. used 1/4 tsp of ground cumin instead of allspice

4. Thawed 15 frozen cooked shrimp and added to the pot along with the green oinion.

5. I added all of the broth at once rather than a little at a time....I don't like trying to mix it in a little at a time later and it stayed moist. After the cooking time....I covered the pot and let is cool down before eating....

6. add lots of pepper and a little salt before eating.....yummmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!

Hope you like this as much as I did.

I hope the project went well! I hope your son didn't get sick and managed to have a good time too! You sound like a great mom (like mine!) who would do anything to keep her child safe and healthy!

I wish I had thought of this earlier.

THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE IDEAL SOLUTION

Have the whole class make their project using corn flour!!!!

here is a recipe for the glue using corn flour.

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If everyone used corn flour then your son would be able to participate with no fears or feeling left out or requiring speacial needs.

Try going to sleep with a pillow between your knees. Works for me.

Lynxear--

I agree on the self-esteem, it is frustrating! But you look like a handsome man in your picture!! Glad the accutane helped. I had a few friends go on it for severe acne. So you notice a link with your blood sugar then?

Thanks for the compliment but even in that picture you can see evidence of rosacea. I live in Alberta, Canada. That picture was taken in late fall. I am not a person who is a sun worshipper. You will note that I appear to be well tanned in this picture. Well that is in fact due to rosacea. Luckily it looks a bit like a tan but the redness is permanent and due to the rosacea.

Yes I do note a blood sugar link. Since I have brought my BS to near normal, I rarely get a large pimple now. But there are little annoying ones. Being relatively wheat free (I say relatively since I avoid bulk wheat....not tiny amounts in sauces) now I don't have much problem with my sugar ( a new med seems to help too), also my blood fats are falling (totally due to reduced wheat)..

Heat is a problem...but it is the sweat from being overheated not the the heat itself. I wear short sleeves all the time but got no pimples there while in Thailand. I didn't get an increase in pimples on my face either. But you sweat alot in Thailand....it was on the front of my thighs that I developed this "prickly heat" pimples. Lots of sweat....rubbing of material on the skin, all had its effect. Anti-bacterial soap and showering with it 3 times/day helped a little but it was embarrassing. I never went swimming while there, though some people said salt water was good for this kind of thing.

Well, I am a long term sufferer of rosecea. In my case it is genetic. My father who died at 78 had pimples to the end of his days. He never squeezed his pimples which personally I thought was a mistake. As a result there was one year in his forties where his nose grew to twice its size and he had it surgically pared back. All of the children of our family check out the size of their noses regularly.

The loss of self-esteem is the greatest problem in my opinion. As a youth I didn't like to go swimming since I always had big zits on my back...it hurt my social life too since I never had a girlfriend until my mid twenties because of it. I would wear sweaters since the zits on my back would burst leaving blood stains like I was shot.

In my late thirties I had had enough of this nonsense and decided to take Accutain (vitamin A). This was about 20 years ago. This was not the beginning of the use of this drug where they had no clue as to the dosage but then again they were not perfect.

As I have said before I suffer from extermely high blood fats (triglicerides). It was a 90 day treatement as I recall and after 3 weeks my roscea disappeared!!!! I was really happy....cloud 9 stuff. But your skin dries up and your lips start to crack and bleed....but it knocked down ...it was working. After 6 weeks my blood was flowing like treacle from any cut. My doctor was quite concerned and wanted me to stop it because of possible kidney damage....but I resisted for one more week as I wanted to get rid of the problem.

After 8 weeks I reluctantly stopped the treatment. The rosacea came back on my face a little but at least the pimples on my back stopped. I don't regret having taken this treatment since I look 90% better. I look at my siblings and they are far worse that me still.

I hated my mother in early life since she blamed the pimples on

1. Not cleaning my skin properly - FACT: you can be squeaky clean and it comes in as bad as ever.

2. Eating fatty foods and chocolate - FACT: for me anyway I could eat chocolate and peanut butter or not it made no difference before or after treatment.

Actually in looking back on it...my social insecurity in my teens and twenties can be directly traced to my mother ranting on me for not being clean enough......PLEASE DON'T DO THAT TO YOUR CHILDREN.

Today my rosecea is 90% undercontrol. I still get a monster zit on my nose once/month...usually if my blood sugar is out of whack. Through trial and error I found out using Bactroban Cream (2% mupirocin) (I think it is under prescription now) rubbed into my zit kills it overnight. But I only use it on my nose and it does work....doesn't take much more than a light smear rubbed in.

When I lived in Thailand it is soooooo hot (low for the night is +25c). I developed "prickly heat" on my thighs. You shower in that country at least 3 times per day. I used an anti-bacterial (green soap) when I showered and it helped a little.

Bottom line is that if it is genetic like in my case, you just have to live with it. WC Fields had to pretend he was a drunk most of his life to cover up the fact that his nose was red and swollen from rosacea...being drunk was more socially acceptable back then

I hear you about liking crusty chewy bread. {sigh} those days seem to be gone.

I liked the kind of old world rye bread that you almost had to soak it in water a bit to be able to chew it...I also liked that Italian bread shaped like an oversized discus...you needed a saw to cut throught the crust but the inside was soooo good.

I think I should stop torturing myself now

If you like the taste of coconut milk AND you like stir fries of chicken...you might consider using it in your cooking. Thai dishes often use coconut milk. I find this gives the dish a nice velvety texture.

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Here is a website with many many recipes. You will note that very few if any have any gluten ingredients (maybe soy sauce but there are gluten-free versions of this)

As I have said before I have been on a quest to find a suitable bread to eat. Rice breads are inedible in their "raw" state and literally melted in my toaster. I have tried and liked a Tapioca flour/flaxseed meal/potato flour bread by Glutino...it actually toasts well and when toasted to has a nice texture/taste. The disadvantage though is that you have to keep it frozen til used.

I found a Quinoa bread in the health food store yesterday made by Earth's Oven (earthsoven.com) a bakery in Calgary that I have never heard of before.

The label reads: Contains no wheat, gluten or Egg

It is a raisin bread and its ingredients are as follows:

Organic quinoa flour, raisins, tapioca flour, cornstarch, organic unrefined cane sugar, apple, lemon, corn syrup, organic flaxseed, soy flour, potato flour, sunflower oil, yeast, guar gum and rice flour.

It has a not-bad taste "raw" and toasts extremely well. It doesn't need to be frozen but I keep it in the refrigerator to stay cool. IT IS A SOLID BREAD. the small loaf of about 15 slices weighs 900gms (about 2 lbs for our American friends). It does not fall apart with normal rough handling.

It is a tad more expensive than other non-wheat breads ($6.99/loaf) but I have tried it and like it.

Two thumbs up from here...

Holly, you don't have to be Celiac to benefit from a wheat-free diet.

I am not celiac...I can eat a piece of bread and not become instantly sick as many on this site. I don't HAVE to beware of cross contamination as others do on this site.

BUT I seem to have a weird body chemistry and suffer from High Blood Pressure, Type II diabetes and blood fats so high that I have only been able to measure my HDL/LDL ratio once in 20 years (my blood has in the past been described as 10W30 motor oil).

I am also borderline narcoleptic. I have always felt there was an underlying cause for these multiple problems as diet in retrospect seems so obvious now.

I have been wheat-free for about 30 days now. Since that time my blood fats dropped by 1/3 into just higher than than high normal....I am taking no medication for this, in fact when they put me on "statins" my triglycerides got worse and I went arthritic!!! Just eliminating major sources of wheat from my diet has this POSITIVE RESULT.

I do take a new drug for diabetes now and perhaps that is helping that stabalize my blood sugar. But I take it in addition to glucophage which was my previos medication. Against my doctor's wishes I cut my dose of glucophage in half to see what would happen to my blood sugar levels and I am able to maintain an excellent blood sugar with almost 1/2 the meds

My high blood pressure (was at one time 140/100 with a pulse rate of 45-55 beats/min) is now on the low side (110/73 with a pulse rate of 70 beats per min) Actually this has become my newest problem since it makes me dizzy at this level. I take a deuretic plus Macardis for BP. I cut the dose of the deuretic in half with no change to my low bp...soon I will see what eliminating it all together will do.

I guess what I am saying here is that though I am NOT celiac. I am definately on the right path to solving my multiple health problems by eliminating wheat from my diet....and the effects of this diet change are noticable in a very short time period of 30 days. Also the longer I stay on this diet the easier it seems to become....AND THIS IS AN EXCELLENT WEBSITE for information about staying wheat-free.

Wow....5 years old and a type I diabetic...that poor little girl will have to grow up pretty quickly (mentally that is).

I am not Celiac....but I do have a problem with wheat and wheat-based products. I am also Type II diabetic and have been so for about 10 years now. I have also an extreme problem with blood fats...I have been as much as 10x high risk. As well I have high Blood pressure.

I have long felt that diet was a common problem in my health problem. The riot act was read to me regarding my blood fats about a month ago. The normal drugs to fight this are "statins" ... 10% of those that take these drugs get arthritis in their joints...typically hands....you guessed it! I am in that group...also these drugs made my blood fats worse for me, go figure!

I took glucophage (metfromin) for my diabetes and it was ok for 8 years but slowly its ability to control my sugar diminished and I had to add a glycazide(sp?) drug.

This was a month ago...at that time I went off wheat 100% since there was anecdotal evidence that this helped me when I traveled in Thailand and ate basically a rice diet.

After the last month of being wheat free, I just got my blood fats results and my triglycerides are 2/3 of what they were 30 days ago!! No drugs...just no wheat.

Also my Blood sugars are in the normal range now...is it the extra drug? perhaps but being on a wheat free diet has certainly helped.

PERSONALLY I think that a wheat free diet is a PLUS when it comes to maintaining your blood sugar.

Wheat flour is converted to sugar very easily and by eliminating it I have eliminated a whole host of problem foods for me. Cakes, donuts, pasteries, breads, pastas...all of these rocketed my blood sugar.

As a diabetic you still have to be careful about rice and potatoes...but not so much as wheat flour.

Normal rice like basmati is fine when cooked....but processed rice products like rice cakes/chips are not!!

Normal baked, boiled or mashed potatoes are fine...but potato chips? in moderation.

Normal corn (niblets) or on the cob is fine....but popcorn? again only a little...not a tub at the movie theatre.

It seems that all "processed" foods are suspect.

I don't think I am limited at all since I am not really celiac and I can stand a small amount of wheat in sauces like soy sauce.

I think a Celiac diet is very compatible with diabetes. Add bean dishes and get alternative pasta made with brown rice. I eat more vegetables too.

The problems she is having with her sugars are due to not dosing her properly with insulin. That is tricky when you are an adult....never mind as a five year old who wants candy and soda pop and chips and junk. Also she (the mother) will have to be careful of too much insulin...I hope she checks her levels. A friend of mine who is type I, carries around a can of Coke Classic which is loaded with sugar....if he mis-guesses his insulin he has to raise his sugar levels up quickly and a can of Coke is very good at doing that.

As I said earlier....she will have to be a very disciplined, young lady soon. It can be done...my niece had juvenile diabetes at 12 years old and actually the discipline on her diet changed her from being a cranky, overweight little girl into a very nice beautiful woman in a short period of time

Good luck...I feel sorry for the girl's situation but as far as a diet goes I think a Celiac diet is excellent for controlling diabetes as well.

Well since we are continuing on the subject of computer safety here is another excellent program that is free

Open Original Shared Link

This is called CrapCleaner. This is an amazing program that really cleans out garbage from your computer system. Somehow it knows the good stuff from the bad and deletes it. I also run Spybot and Adware to kill spyware but 99.9% of the bad stuff is removed by CrapCleaner...plus it removes history logs that are stored and not removed by those other programs. It is also very fast, taking only a few seconds to do its work

I also use Mozilla Firefox for my browser instead of MS Internet Explorer. It is very good for blocking cookies from being installed on your machine...this is also free

I don't know about you....but I am paranoid about giving credit card information over the Internet.

Personally...if there is a 1-800 number to place the order, I will use it rather than type my credit card number in a box on a computer form. This is the best way to avoid "Key Loggers" from grabbing my keystrokes as I enter the number.

However I have heard of another method of foiling "keyloggers" and it sounds good to me.

This is done by adding extra numbers to the credit card number as you type it in

Let us say your credit card number is this

2308324456325

Add 7 numbers (highlighted here but not in reality)

72370783274457673275

The numbers can be different as long as you know where they are

Now after typing them in (which could be captured by a key logging software)...take your mouse and highlight/delete the wrong numbers (key logging software cannot tell which numbers are being deleted!!)

To me this is a great idea...to protect your personal information of any kind.