Welcome to 2010!

Hey Everyone!

Happy New Year! Ms. Celiac Says is proud to announce that we've passed the 1 year mark! On January 1st, 2009, Ms. Celiac Says launched and since then we have produced over 250 articles featuring an array of gluten free products, restaurants, bakeries, etc. for all of you to enjoy! And we have much more exciting news in store for you all in 2010! So, you'll have to stay tuned!

2009 was a great year for those on a gluten free diet. Many new products were launched and gluten free products became increasingly available at mainstream supermarkets. To be exact, the gluten free market grew 28% from 2004 and it is predicted to be a 2.6 billion dollar industry by 2012! Companies such as General Mills have caught onto this trend and have taken the initiative to label all of their products that are gluten free alleviating much stress for gluten free shoppers. They have even introduced a line of gluten free baking mixes through their Betty Crocker label!

Starbucks also debuted this year a gluten free Orange Valencia Cake making them the only mainstream coffee shop in the United States to sell a gluten free pastry. Unfortunately, they also pulled this product from the market after only a short period of time. Hopefully, they will take the advice that gluten free consumers have given them and introduce a more mainstream gluten free product into their stores (such as a brownie or cookie) in 2010. Note to Starbucks: We are waiting and NO those nut bars although tasty do not replace a pastry product!

2010 will be an even bigger and better year for those of us on a gluten free diet with even more product launches, bakery openings, and restaurants debuting gluten free menus.

I would like to thank all of my loyal followers for your continued support. Ms. Celiac Says would not be what it is without you. I would also like to thank all of the gluten free companies that have sent me samples of their products to feature on this site! Please keep them coming as Ms. Celiac Says will always have time for the latest and greatest new items! For those of you that want up-to-the-minute updates please follow MsCeliacSays on Twitter! Just visit, www.twitter.com/msceliacsays to start following me.

Ok, well I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and now it is back to work!

~Paige

P.S.

I also wanted to share with you the recipe for some delicious gluten free holiday icing cookies I made (photographed above). You just need Cherrybrook Kitchen's Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Mix, Betty Crocker Frosting and Nestle Toll House Semisweet Chocolate Chips. After mixing the dough, you can shape them with holiday-themed cookie cutters and then after they bake and cool from the oven, it's time to decorate them with icing and chocolate chips! They are very simple to make and taste quite good! And you can make them for any holiday - you just may want to choose different themed cookie cutters!