Tag Archive: allergy

OH, FORKS!! A Little Bit of Everything and All That’s Gluten Free Cook Book is HERE!!!

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OH, FORKS!! A Little bit of Everything and All That’s Gluten Free Cook Book Is HERE!!

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I’m so excited to say, it’s here!! After years, and months of planning, fund finding, and correcting issues…I’ve finally gotten my hands on my first prints of the cook book, and they are selling, selling, selling! I even took my books to my first author event at our local library (Allen County Public Library) this past weekend. We were the ONLY gluten free cook book there, and we talked to many, many people about so many things related to gluten and dietary issues.

Many have asked about the formats of the books, and how you can buy them. I had hardbacks printed ONLY for backers, for now. Eventually, hardbacks will be available for anyone to buy, but they will be more than the coil books. The coil copies are available now, and weigh approximately 1.5 pounds each! For a book, that’s heavy! The pages are thick, 100% recycled materials, and are you can wipe them off if they have drips or spills! There are over 105 recipes, and over 200 pages.

To order these books, one would simply need to message either Gluten Free for Me via web page, or Facebook page, Author Skye Falcon via Facebook or web page email, or inbox my personal page, if you’re one of the few who can. (Insert raised eyebrow smiley face here) Coil copies are available for $30 each, plus tax and shipping if it needs shipped. One can pay via PayPal invoice which is emailed to you, Square marketplace (card reader), or by sending check or money order in the mail.

I am currently working on the e-book format of OH, FORKS!! And also a few smaller e-books that will be connected to the OH, FORKS!! Series of books. At this point, I am hopeful to have this done in the beginning of 2015. (I really, REALLY want and need to push a few hundred thousand words out to print, first. My poor, poor brain this past year….now things will settle, and my fingers will resume their typing fury.)

Print books should be available on Amazon soon, too. In the meantime, if you’ve gotten a copy of OH, FORKS!! Please send us your review! Share recipes made from the cook book with the hashtag #OHFORKS. Thank you SO MUCH for supporting me, and helping me out with the OH, FORKS campaign!

 

PS. Look for this blog to be back on track, and posting regularly again soon!!! Thank you for your patience!

Sunflowers & Growing Dreams…and LOTS of Gratitude!!

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Sunflowers & Growing Dreams… and LOTS of Gratitude!

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By now, you’ve probably seen me post things about the KickStarter campaign for publishing funds for the cook book. Oh, Forks!! just needs a bit of help to get the first publications done on the first few hundred copies, and then, will be able to sustain its own sales!! Little did I know that taking the leap to put myself out there would result in 32% completion of my $4,000 goal, with 26 days to go!!

I’ve got to admit… I couldn’t have picked a worse, or more complicated time to release this cook book, and attempt to successfully complete this publication drive. I’m eyeball deep in 6 different things I’ve written to say in court on the 25th to hopefully help the judge understand how detrimental it is for that horrible man that stole my Grandma’s life, and give him the MAXIMUM sentence allowable. And I’m also past the point of worry for my daughter’s looming heart surgery at the end of the month. That said, I also love a good challenge, and this will give me something to work on, instead of pacing the hallways at Riley…

If you’ve already pledged, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you haven’t yet, please consider it. Depending on your pledge, you’ll get copies of my books, swag, signed cook books, or even recognition and a message inside of the cook book itself! The nutrition labels help keep track of those calories, for you counters out there, and the pictures will help you to see what it “should” look like. Each recipe has an “ingredient” section, and many have “simple directions,” to avoid all the extra fluff that sometimes happens with written recipes. There are many options for substitutions in a myriad of the recipes, and there are over 100 of those! The cook book sits now at just over 200 pages!!

So, again, please consider helping me out. This would be such a huge break for my family!! Every little bit helps! Share, Share, Share!! Spread the word!! I’ve already got book signings lined up, and many MANY pre-sales ready to go! I would just love the ability to have a book to hand to my customers for their payment….not take their cash, and do a monthly order! I appreciate every second of consideration you give this!!!

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And, while all of that happens, my nervously excited-self took to the garden today, diving in with my husband, as I’ll not be seeing him much this week while he’s trapped at work. Thankful for his help on the weeds and such. Now to transition to preparing for the big Darling’s second week of camp…

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!!! PLEDGE! PLEDGE! PLEDGE!

Oh, How the Garden Grows…

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Oh, How the Garden Grows…

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I love the growing, blooming, and blossoming parts of summer. I love that in May I can plant loads of seeds, and spend the next 4 months cultivating, nurturing, and growing the biggest bad-ass fruits and vegetables around! I love that I can lose myself for what seems like hours pulling weeds, staking plants up, and pruning. I love even more that I can then create recipes to that use these wonderful, organically grown foods, to share with you!

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It’s not easy venture having a ginormous garden every year. This looks to be my last garden at our current residence, and honestly, I think that’s the ONLY part of this house I’ll truly miss!!! Ok, ok…the garden AND the view…. I know I’ll have lots of room to garden at the Compound, too, but still. I’m extremely proud of the garden this year, especially considering e v e r y t h i n g that has been going on. And everything that’s still coming this summer.

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I’ve got big plans for gardens at the Compound, some that may include winter gardening. Oh, what? I’m rambling? And you’re wondering about the cook book, aren’t you? *Insert devious smile here* It’s getting SO close! In fact, right this moment, that’s what I SHOULD be working on!! HA!! I’m currently editing recipes, pulling pics and nutrition labels into the layouts. While this part isn’t terribly difficult, it’s EXTREMELY time consuming. It’s very close to ISBN time, and making this gluten free cook book official!!

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Please spread the word about this cook book with your friends, family, whoever! Still going ahead with a certain amount of proceeds from this book benefitting the Scleroderma Foundation, as well! Will know how much once all the costs are determined for publishing and what not. Oh, the details! PLEASE REMEMBER to LIKE, COMMENT, FOLLOW, SHARE, RETWEET, REBLOG, BRAG ON, and even STALK US on Facebook! Twitter! Pinterest! EVERYWHERE!!!

PS. The cook book is called OH, Forks!! A Little Bit of Everything and All That’s Gluten Free!!

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GF4M: Nutrition Label Hell

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GF4M: Nutrition Label Hell

Now that I’m officially on fire with this new nutrition label program, the perfectionism has stepped in. I think I’ve said before that novel writing is MUCH easier than cook book design! I’m still averaging about an hour per recipe in BOTH programs! Doing the math, that’s only equaled one recipe per night! DISLIKE! Because there HAS to be a better way, I’ve spent the last few days testing out new methods, new ways of creating the most output, with the least input? Bah. I’m losing my mind in calorie counts, and potassium percentages…

I love cooking. I love making super healthy, fresh ingredient food things. I also like to write books, and the stress of the cook book is making me get side-tracked on the novel!! No matter how hard I try to focus on one major project at a time, it never works out that way! I do better with more stress, and pressure, I think. As you can tell, this morning, I’m full of rambling words, well, anything to avoid doing nutrition labels this early in the morning! 🙂

As with my years of learning the gluten free eating style, of course, I’m nowhere near perfect. Sometimes it’s just….inevitable. And like in this YouTube movie….the pressures at times are just too great! Check out this short video, One More Grain by Michael Bihovsky, and get a good morning laugh!

Thanks again for your patience! It won’t be too much longer now!!! Skye Falcon’s Gluten Free for Me #1 will be completed soon! Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for lots of new recipes, pictures, and more!

14 Things We HATE About being Gluten Free

10 Things 14 Things We Hate About being Gluten Free

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I’m at that point in my gluten free living, where if I hear ONE MORE TIME that I’m doing this as part of a trend, I just may throat punch the person who said it. It’s just going to be one of my new involuntary body actions that happens when confronted with ignorant and stupid. On the flip side of things, while I haven’t indulged in some of my favorite foods for YEARS….the mere sight of them has brought me to tears more times than I would like to admit in the last months. So, here’s my silly little list. (Some of you will truly understand, and agree with many!!) If YOU are gluten free, and have anything to add to my list, please comment with your addition!!

#1- No “fast” snacks are available ANYWHERE while you’re out and about. I know, I know…I could pack my snacks. And I do. But seriously, how freaking easy is it to run into the Marathon station and grab a protein bar and a smoothie? Or a bag of chips? Or cookies? You see where I’m going here. Thankfully, the Meijer gas stations have fruit for these quick snack runs. (But still, where is the excitement in an apple?!)

#2- “Mandatory” dinners with no choice, or gluten free options. Whether it’s a business luncheon, event, or family gathering….it always seems to be an issue. Even if we just quietly sit back, and avoid the foods we can’t eat. Never fails that someone feels that they need to point it out, and push the issue. It’s one thing at business meetings, but a whole other when it’s a family gathering. Shouldn’t family know, ask, or at least pretend to care? Especially when it’s a medical situation, not a diet fad?

#3- Grocery shopping with label reading. I read people complain about taking their kids to the grocery store ALL THE TIME. I laugh at you, people. Try taking your kids, toddler ages even, to the store where you have to pick up EVERY product to check it’s label. In every isle. For EVERY ITEM on your list. Every hour long trip suddenly turns into a three hour tour. That’s how it goes for the new diagnosed Celiac sufferers for the first 6-8 months of the solid diet. Until we’ve managed to memorize the labels. So, have patience with your kids, and be happy you don’t have to label read.

#4- Dinner’s are no longer “quick.” For this one, I’m not really unhappy about. I LOVE COOKING. But, I do have a few gluten free friends who really dislike that they have to make everything from scratch. There are many gluten free products out there, folks…. But have you seen how unhealthy some of those foods are for you, when they leave the gluten out? Pay close attention to that…

#5- Driving can trigger the worst memories! Especially when passing places like McD’s, DQ, Subway, or even the Coney Stand. I cry passing Olive Garden, Casa’s, and Lee’s. Taco Bell and I had a hard divorce, but I’m happy to say I’ve been TB clean for almost one whole year.

#6- The pain of being accidentally “glutened.” It’s often done accidentally. Most of the time by a friend or family member who tried really hard to make something for you, but didn’t realize that even spices can have gluten in them. Those times, it’s okay. We understand, and are thankful that you try for us. However, when someone labels things “gluten free” purposely knowing that there are gluten ingredients in them, and boldly LIES about it…. They are essentially trying to kill us, and we tend to go batshitcrazy for those instances. Some people still think that being gluten free is a simple fad. Many don’t understand that in some people, severe Celiac cases, gluten can lead to the body attacking itself to death. Just saying.

#7- “Oh wow! You really CAN’T eat much, can you?!” “Eating that causes all of THAT to happen to you?” “Are you sure?” Yes, we’re sure. Do you really think we’d go to the extremes going gluten free causes? DO you know that my daughter uses gluten free shampoo and conditioner to avoid body rashes? Even the slightest bits of gluten cause issue in the severe sufferers. This is not true for all individuals. And yes, our diets may be limited, but I promises we don’t need that much attention paid to how much we can’t eat. That only reminds us, and makes us not feel so happy.

#8- Pretending you’re not hungry anyway. This is what happens at those lunches, dinners, meetings, and parties where there just isn’t food. Happens at family gatherings, park play dates- everywhere. Most of the time this is no issue, until hunger strikes. Then, hopefully you’ve brought your snacks, or your family understands the gravity of finding you food you can eat, and fast. No one has time for blood sugar swings!

#9- “Yeah, she’s avoiding the food again, bet she’s anorexic.” THANKS, FAMILY! Yes, I recently heard this at a family event, while I then watched the person who said it “quietly” down a WHOLE GLASS of wine without thought. (Couldn’t help but chuckle at that one….ohh, the irony…) No, jerk…I don’t have an eating disorder, but for the fabulous hereditary autoimmune diseases unwillingly passed to me before my birth that I had no control over. Thanks for making me feel special, though.

#10- No kissin’! Did you know that make out sessions can causes gluten sufferers to flare? That’s right. If our partners eat something riddled with gluten, and we’re too quick to lock lips after, we can be prepared for mouth rashes, and possible stomach upset by the time it all sinks in. SUCK.

#11- Hangry. I love food. I’ve always loved food. When I was younger, I ate 3 or 4 dinners. As a skinny swimmer, I burned it off quickly. Nowadays, my food choices and calorie intake can be tricky. Making sure I get enough calories can often be a problem, actually. So, often, after eating lunch….an hour later I’m starving, and have the angry-hangry’s. This happens to many people in my “Gluten groups,” too…so I thought I’d add it in.

#12- Nightmares of bread. Not gonna lie, I miss bread. I miss slathering on butter, and eating it at every meal. Okay, not EVERY meal…. Some of my worst nightmares, I’ve woken up covering my mouth, hoping to Jesus that I didn’t just eat the 3 feet of subs like I had just dreamt. Or eating the bag of cookies in a sleepy stupor at midnight. Ugh.

#13- The Fakers! Yes, to you, those diet fad-er. The ones who don’t even know what gluten is, or what it does in the body…..but that swear by their “gluten free” diet during the day. Then post pictures of their beer binges over the weekend, in cans that WE all know are clearly not gluten free. We’re on to you, but because we’re too busy label reading, we’ll just ignore your insanity, and move on.

#14- Inevitably cheating, and immediately regretting it. This happens in stressful times. This happens on Mondays. Tuesdays. Wednesdays. Thurs- I Think you get it. It happens more when you’re first starting on being gluten free, and those times it can be more “accidental.” But, like me, years in to eating this way….I absolutely know if I’m doing the wrong thing, and I absolutely know what’s going to be coming sometimes only an hour or so after my indiscretion.

Thanks for reading! Needed a little break from cook book designing!! 😉

 

 

Gluten Free for Me Cook Book Updates April 2014

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Gluten Free for Me Cook Book Updates April 2014

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It’s hard to believe that April is almost half over, but we’re so thankful that the weather has finally taken a warm turn!! With the publication of Skye Falcon’s Phoenix on Fire going live, the focus has now shifted back to this fabulous cook book! Hopefully, with no major hang ups….we’ll have the “birth” of this new baby this summer!!!

As I sat today watching my kiddos at swim practice, I began rifling through the pages, and pages, and pages of recipes we have made from all these new recipe creations. I quickly came to the conclusion that we needed more than one cook book. Trouble is, we’ve got a whole book worth of recipes that we swear by for canning. And then a whole other pile of “one pot” recipes, too. So, you’ll see “Gluten Free for Me: Can It.” and “Gluten Free for Me: One Dish Wonders” appear in cook book format soon, too. (Maybe they’ll all hit at the same time??) Realizing this was sort of overwhelming…. as we’re quickly remembering the work done on a cook book is about twenty eight million times harder than that of a novel!!

Overall, we’re very happy with where the cook book is progress wise, and where it’s headed in marketing and sales. This gluten free cook book will have basic recipes, all the way up to the insanely complicated–but insanely, ridiculously tasty. Some of these recipes are our old family recipes that I’ve tweaked to be healthy, and GF. And the others are straight from my head, and tested on my poor, helpless family members. (Just kidding…they have no complaints, as of yet.) Some of these recipes will have dairy free, or vegan options, for cooking, too.

We’re currently running some surveys, and questionnaires about the general public’s thoughts on cook books in general, and people’s general likes on layouts. WHY are we doing this? Simple. We want you to use this cook book, all the time. We want it to be easy, and have the information in it that YOU want, and/or need, to successfully remake these recipes. As planned now, our cook book will have pictures, nutrition labels with serving size, ingredient list separate from directions, step by step directions, and cooking/prep time. The type-face of all the sections are quite different, so the title and ingredient list will stand out to you, with the picture. The feedback we’re getting tells us we’re dead on with the layout, so far.

Many of you know I’ve been dealing with massive illness, that keeps raring it’s ugly head at the worst times. It’s been WEEKS since I’ve made any real progress on things (except for the Phoenix on Fire!) in the kitchen, and I’ve been so happy to get back to it! Tonight I managed to get some samples of our GF Banana Pear bread ready to go. I’m in love with the cute little loaves the new pan made!!

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While making those fancy little loaves, I decided to do a new creation, based off of the fad I’ve seen go across Pinterest, and Facebook! Stuffed French Toast! Of course, ours is GF, and can be made dairy free, too! We went with a strawberry vanilla cream filling, with a spiced bread. The kids moaned through dinner, and I ate mine in mere bites… So, safe to say it’s freaking delicious!! If you’re in to the stuffed French toast craze, rest assured this will satisfy your gluten free desires!!

As always, If you’re reading this, we THANK YOU. Your support does not go unnoticed, and is ALWAYS appreciated!

 

Gluten Free for Me 2014 Cook Book Updates!!

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Gluten Free for Me 2014 Cook Book Updates

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Our inboxes have been bombarded with questions, and we wanted to address some of them in a more public forum, like our blog. We’re so thankful for those who have stuck by us on this ride, and those that are being patient. We’ll try to answer the most asked questions below. If you have any other questions, please feel free to message us, or inbox us on Facebook!

When will the cook book be available? The cook book will be published in the summer or fall of 2014. We first said that it could be done by spring, and parts of it will be. But, we don’t want to rush it, as perfection cannot be pushed!

Where will the cook book be available? The cook book will be available from Amazon, as an e-book, and also print copies will be available in some local stores around Fort Wayne, Indiana.

How much will the book cost? I cannot tell you that, at this point. We are aiming for 100 recipes, hopefully most all with pictures, and nutrition labels. It should be comparable to other cook books of it’s size already for sale.

Where do your recipes come from? Many of my recipes are old family recipes that I’ve manipulated, changed, and managed to get gluten free. Over half of the recipes in the cook book originated in my brain. We like to help people with their gluten free ventures, by using normal ingredients that one may already have, and sticking with ingredients that won’t cost you a fortune.

Will every recipe be gluten free in the cook book? Yes, every recipe will be gluten free, or have options to make it dairy free, or vegan. Each will be marked as such. We also have plans for an “Everything Else” category in the cook book, that will have a page of safe gluten free substitutions, and even gluten free pet treats!

I’ve heard you’ve done taste tests. How can I get involved with those? To be a taste tester, you must be reasonably close to Fort Wayne. We arrange drop offs of our treats to your at your home, or work place. We ask that those who sample, fill out a comment card in return. When taste tests are coming, they will be posted on the Facebook page. Feel free to LIKE our page!!

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Thank you, again, for the support! We cannot wait to share this with you!!

 

DIY Laundry Detergent~ Sensitive Skin

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DIY Laundry Detergent~ Sensitive Skin

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Many times, those who suffer from gluten allergies, or intolerance, often forget about the “Extra” things that we put on our bodies. Some of these extra things like laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and other things still touch our skin, and many name brands do use products that contain gluten! Chemicals, coloring, preservatives, and additives are just some of the sneaky ways that companies get it in their products. Making your own, high quality products like this is cheaper than you think, and easier than you know! Not to mention you won’t be dealing with all of the extra chemicals and colorants added in!

Ingredients

4-6 LARGE containers for your made detergent. We use old, giant drink bottles, old detergent bottles, and old milk jugs.

1.5 cups borax

1.5 cups washing soda

1 bar soap; real soap. I use Ivory Simply Pure. (While I really enjoy Caress, I’d never use it in my laundry detergent. Fels Naptha is also a go-to for those who can use “regular” detergent.) *You can also add in a few drops of scented oil or fabric softeners to scent your detergent a bit more, or differently from the bar of soap you choose.

4 Gallons water, total

HUGE pot, long handled plastic spoon, strainer spoon, funnel, grater (or a hammer and a few Ziploc baggies) I have one pot, utensils, and equipment dedicated for this process. Saves on the clean-up, as I can just throw it all back in the pot, and shelf it.

Directions

First, grate bar of soap into small pieces, or put the soap into the Ziploc baggie, and smash with hammer on safe surface. In large pot, combine one gallon of water and grated bar of soap. Bring to a low, slow boil, until all of the pieces of the bar of soap have melted, or dissolved. (If some pieces of the soap remain, it’s okay for now.)

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Next, pour in the borax and washing soda. Stir those in until dissolved, remove from heat, and continue stirring for a few moments. Add in one gallon of cold water, and stir for five more minutes. (The more you stir, the faster it will cool.) At this time, if there are any chunks of soap that did not melt, strain them out.

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While you’re waiting for the detergent to cool, prep your storage bottles by pouring in 3 cups of water to each bottle you plan to fill with detergent. This is the trouble that many face when they make detergent….it ends up coagulating too much, and turns too thick to deal with normally during laundry time. By adding in extra water, this helps keep the detergent from coagulating while it’s being stored.

Finally, using your funnel, fill each bottle you have with detergent leaving 2-3 inches of headspace. After all bottles are filled, add one 1/2 cup of water more. Let them cool, and then put the lids on. Store in a dry place, away from heat.

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This recipe make us enough detergent to last about 6 months, and costs about $3.45 to make 5-7 giant bottles per batch. We do laundry 6-8 times a week.

Gluten Free for Me’s 2014 GF Cook Book Updates!

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GF4M’s 2014 GF Cook Book Updates!

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We’re constantly being asked about this cook book, and we are SOO appreciative for everyone for the support! Progress is coming along nicely, and we’re solidifying recipes, and cleaning them up to be as healthy as possible. We think that each recipe should have a nutrition label, so that we can help you in your health adventures and dieting. That process is taking us longer than we anticipated! No worries, it’s not slowing us too much!

We have reached a point in our plan where we’ve begun offering samples of some of the recipes! The reviews are coming back fabulous, and we are very happy with the response! Over the next few months, we’ll be offering more and more samples!!!

We’ve decided to add pages on substitutions, as well as multiple options for each recipe. Some will be gluten free, dairy free, or vegan; or have the option to make it “normal,” as well. Keep in mind that these recipes are meant to be easy, with ingredients and things that you would normally be using. Not too many crazy or specialty ingredients keep costs, and recipe ease pretty simple.

From the new gluten free pasta recipes, to the gluten free candy bars… Or to the dairy free casseroles and stews…. the appetizers, dinners, drinks, and desserts…. we’re excited to share it with you!! Thank you for being patient!!

Gluten Free “Royals” Music Video!!

Gluten Free “Royals” Music Video

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This hilarious take on Lordes’ current hit song Royals, done by a gluten intolerant friend, is worth your few minutes!! I couldn’t help but stop, take a minute to watch (and re-watch), and share it with my friends! Most everything we deal with in our lives with avoiding gluten and allergens is serious, and sometimes stressful. Although the words of his remake are very true, it spins a fun light around this…excuse me… “shitty” topic.

You can watch this awesome short remake by clicking the link below! Don’t worry, it only takes you to youtube.com 🙂

YouTube Link to GF Royals Video