There's a world of information out there, and I love it. Show me a special dieter, and I'll show you a person who thrives on information. We need to know where to find buns, pizza, vegan cheese, nut-free desserts, baked goods and flour. We need to know the deals and we need to know we're not alone. Whether it's from a local support group, a Facebook page or on an email string, staying connected is the name of the game. Support is all around us, and I've been finding it in my inboxes, on Facebook pages and across the digital and non-digital community. For example,I recently discovered …

I have a confession to make: I am not a morning person. In college, I wouldn't schedule classes before 10 a.m. I took a job at the school paper and was shocked at how easy it was to work into the night. That continued after graduation, as I worked the afternoon copy desk shift and put many a paper to bed at midnight and beyond. For more than 10 years, my days really didn't start until after lunch, and I liked it that way. My most productive hours have always seemed to be between the hours of 5 p.m. and 1 a.m. Then I had kids. At first, my night-owlness got worse. I found staying up all night …

Whether or not the first day of school is almost here, we have a family tradition to uphold: Our yearly camping trip. So, we are taking our very last opportunity to pack up and set up camp in the final week before the school bell rings. Around the fire, we can roast our allergen-free marshmallows, sing songs and be silly. Kids can be kids and adults can sit back in a folding chair as they do so. It's a special treat to be in the great outdoors and doing so on a special diet takes some preparation. After all, there's no running to the grocery store when we're under the canopy of trees miles …

Back-to-school time usually generates a mix of excitement and anxiety in my home. I am happy to get the kids prepared for another year of learning and structure. I am also nervous about a lot, and each new year brings new challenges. Among them is my son's special diet, and making sure he can participate in school activities and not ingest anything that is harmful to him. In his case that is gluten. Special diets can mean special preparation. And as I'm stocking up on pencils, glue sticks and folders, I am putting together a special diet plan of action. The key to making sure your child is …

I don't mean to be glum, but preparing food for someone on a special diet isn't always a gluten-free piece of cake. It can be daunting, exhausting, and above all, expensive. As the government struggles to get its financial house in order, I find myself looking into my own budget. Not surprisingly, it turns out, I spend a lot of dough on food. Specifically, gluten-free food. It's not that I don't try, believe me. But even if a gluten-free item is half off, it's still likely to be just shy of what it would be if it were not gluten-free. Take bread, for example. A loaf of gluten-free bread could…

Special dieters rejoice – it's a good season for some really good food and some cool, refreshing drinks. Peaches are starting to ripen in Michigan and markets are brimming with freshly grown produce. My garden is starting to produce tomatoes and broccoli, and basil and lettuce are large bunches of leafy goodness right now. It's time to get outdoors, enjoy our bounties and all that nature has to offer. This time of year, there are plenty of options. Even at a summer get-together, a gluten-free burger can be thrown on the grill, a garden salad can be tossed and plenty of vegan/gluten-free/…

It's difficult for me not to make assumptions. For example, I assume most people like high-fives and hate traffic. I assume when someone says “no offense” he or she is about to offend me. I assume I will squint when I leave a matinee. And I assume that an art market is no place to find a treat on a special diet. But you know what they say about assumptions. I was proven wrong first at the Berkley Art Bash and then at The Rust Belt Market in Ferndale. At the Berkley art fair, I was happily surprised to see Treat Dreams owner Scott Moloney scooping up some of his decadent offerings at a booth …

At the end of a busy day, my family often enjoys sharing a big bowl of popcorn and curling up on the couch with a good movie, book or cartoon. It is the perfect snack that appeals to everyone.For a long time, I was a microwave popcorn junkie. Then, our family went gluten-free and I couldn't make heads or tails of the ingredients on the back of the greasy bag. Sure, there are organic brands out there, but my interest was drawn to the large bag of kernels on the bottom shelf at the grocery store. Both for the pureness of it and the cost, I gave it a whirl. Lo and behold, it was incredibly easy …

The sun is out and so are the kids. And just as we're enjoying another summertime evening running through the sprinkler, I hear a sound that makes me cringe -- the ice cream truck. Those with special diets should not be afraid. There are plenty of novelties that may cool you down and not make you sick or compromise your diet. Gluten-free ice cream diners have plenty of options. Enjoy a Slurpee at 7-11 or soft serve at Dairy Queen in Berkley to cool down or stop by Treat Dreams in Ferndale for a variety of ice creams. You may have to advocate for yourself because there may be cross-…

Some people call this time of year barbecue season. I call it berry season. I already see the deals popping up at grocery stores for strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. And whether you are cooking a gluten-free blueberry buckle or topping a stack of pancakes, nothing quite says summer to me like a bowl of fresh berries. In Michigan, we are blessed with strawberries and blackberries in June, cherries later in June and July, and raspberries and blueberries in July and August. Mother Nature sure knows how to keep a variety of the sweet, juicy treats coming just in time for summer salads…

I like to keep things local. My husband and I both work in Berkley, I like to shop at stores within a few miles from where I live and I like to know where my food comes from. Fortunately, I can do all this because everything I need is within an arm's reach. Once again, our region has provided me with what I need to feed my family and keep them healthy. When I think of the term “locavore,” I picture someone visiting the farmers market, buying Michigan products at Westborn Market and digging carrots out of his or her back yard garden. While these are all good ways to stay local, and things I …

Last year, I received a wonderful surprise for Mother's Day. I woke to the sounds of a hammer and nails and poked my head outside to find my husband building a large wooden box with an open top below my kitchen window. It was the perfect gift, as I have always wanted to try my hand at growing my own vegetables but didn't have a place outside the reach of my digging and curious Labrador. Soon, we were seeking organic soil to fill it with. We found it at the Green Thumb Garden Center in Ferndale. We also filled bins with compost from the Department of Public Works and mixed it with the soil mix…

How is May always such a busy month? School is almost wrapping up, but it seems activities and all the spring hoopla are unwinding at an oddly fast pace. There's not a day this month I'm not going to a party, field trip, family event or planned activity. Maybe I just felt cooped up and planned things this way so I can again be out in the world. Or maybe, coincidentally, everything just happens to fall into the short time frame between Mother's Day and Memorial Day. And, just to spice it up, we Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo, too. Did you know the holiday isn't even widely celebrated in …

Earth Day was Friday, but many of us preparers of special diets are one step ahead when it comes to trying to reduce our carbon footprints. Rounding out the weekend is Easter, which usually provides more than a basketful of egg leftovers. Whether you are planting a garden, or becoming more conscious of where those eggs came from, chances are you are already on the road to greener pastures. For starters, those cooking for someone on a special diet often naturally do what author Michael Pollan suggests: Stick to the outside aisles of the grocery store. That is, we shop in the produce, meat and …

I love when customs and events correlate with my food-dissecting journey. When people who do not have to follow special diets are put in the position of removing an ingredient from their own tables, I can just feel the level of understanding rise. At sunset Monday, many Jewish followers will participate in a Passover Seder. The most significant observance of Passover is the removal of leavened food, or chametz. The Passover ban on leavened foods stems from the experiences of Hebrew slaves in Egypt who fled that country in such haste that their bread did not have time to rise. How can one …

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting a group of ladies who come from all corners of Oakland County. The common thread is that we all have to feed families, or ourselves, gluten-free foods to stay healthy. Some are just beginning, and some are pros. All are upbeat and supportive. And there's good reason for that. The Dinner Divas know some things I wish I knew four years ago when my son was diagnosed with celiac disease: It's not hopeless. Things get easier. We are all in this together. The same can be said for any special diet. A new diagnosis is scary. I have experienced it twice. …

I have bragged about our special diet resources and with good reason. We really are in a good place to be going without things in our diets – be it meat, dairy, gluten, casein, artificial ingredients, allergens, etc. But that doesn't mean it isn't tough. Those with food allergies or intolerance or who pursue healthy lifestyle choices have to stay on their toes. For our family, celiac and dairy intolerance usually mean not going out. It just becomes cumbersome. Here is my general order of operations before taking my son out to eat: Call ahead and ask if there are gluten-free options. Good …

I have a confession to make: I am not so great at baking. I have a short attention span, I fumble the math on measurements and, finally, if I get it in the oven, I forget to set the timer. Most of my baking attempts end in disaster. I choose to buy gluten-free boxes of cake mix (such as King Arthur or Betty Crocker), brownies (such as Bob’s Red Mill), cookies, etc. That way, there is less chance that I will forget an ingredient or become distracted. I have attempted, many times, to bake gluten-free, dairy-free treats my son can enjoy. Rice pudding, crescent rolls, graham crackers and homemade…