The trip runs May 27-June 2, 2012 in beautiful Lucca, Italy. Here’s what’s included:

• 7 days, 6 nights accommodation in an 18th century Tuscan villa
• Welcome dinner with our local pasta artisans
• Daily breakfast, with special attention to food intolerances
• 3 hands-on cooking classes with Shauna and Danny Ahern
• Outdoor Swimming Pool
• Hiking Trails
• Laundry Facilities

There are currently eight room options available at the Italian villa, ranging from $2,250 for two twin beds and an ensuite bathroom, to $3,000 for a suite with two bedrooms and an ensuite bathroom. Yes, it’s a splurge, but having studied abroad in Italy (albeit in less glamorous accommodations), I can tell you – this is a one-in-a-lifetime trip.

To sweeten the deal, Jovial Foods will donate 25% of the proceeds to NFCA, so you’ll be helping others with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity while you’re fawning over a homemade, authentic Italian gluten-free meal.

To book a room or read more information: Jovial’s Tuscan Dream Vacation.

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When looking through gluten-free cookbooks and other helpful guides, I want to see information that will help those with celiac disease rather than cater to the gluten-free ‘fad.’ Celiac Disease: A Guide to Living with Gluten Intolerance does just that.

The book offers an array of topics that assist everyone from newly diagnosed individuals to parents of children with celiac disease. Advice includes how to handle the emotional side of getting diagnosed with celiac, how to eat out properly, baking gluten-free, gluten in medications, and gluten-free recipes.

Authors Sylvia Llewelyn Bower, RN, Mary Kay Sharrett, MS, RD, LD, CNSD, and Steve Plogsted, PharmD, have put great effort into this book, and it shows. The contents of the book prove to be valuable, and many of their insights come from real-life experience. Both Sylvia and Mary are a part of or have participated in the Gluten-Free Gang Support Group, and Sylvia lives with celiac disease.

As you read the book, you’ll notice a number of gray information or story boxes standing out on the pages. Offering prayer, personal stories, or just handy information to live by (or eat by), these boxes add a little something extra to the book.

Celiac Disease: A Guide to Living with Gluten Intolerance retails for $16.95 and can be purchased online at www.demoshealth.com.

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Sylvia Llewelyn Bower, RN, lives with celiac disease and has been practicing nursing for 45 years.  She is registered as an RN in Ohio, Missouri, Texas, Arizona, Tennessee, and Florida.  Not only does her knowledge of nursing emerge in the book, What Nurses Know… Gluten-Free Lifestyle, but her background as an active participant in the Gluten-Free Gang also plays a role.

The cover of the book says, “The answers you need from the people you trust,” and it is truly that. Without knowing much about celiac disease, I was able to skim the pages of this book and understand each concept about each topic. The book explains the differences between celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and gluten allergy. I also found helpful tips for setting up a gluten-free kitchen, what to be aware of in medications, and how to safely dine out and travel without worry. The book even includes a “One Week Simple Healing Meal Plan” to introduce how to eat gluten-free while still being healthy.

Throughout the book there are “What Nurses Know” tips and comments.  Some are light-hearted; for example, “Gluten-containing lipstick and shampoo are OK to use unless you plan to eat or drink them. Ugh!” Other small comments provide prayer, unknown facts, or just good things to be aware of.

Overall, I believe this book is a great choice for anyone who struggles with celiac disease and especially for someone who has just been diagnosed. The U.S. price is only $16.95, which I find to be very reasonable for all the advice it provides. As a bonus, use the code SSBOWER30 to get a discount when you purchase the book from Demos Health.

For additional tips, pick up Sylvia’s first book, Celiac Disease: A Guide to Living with Gluten Intolerance.

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I managed to snag two samples of products that will be featured in today’s broadcast: Simply…Gluten-free Desserts, a cookbook by Carol Kicinski of Simply…Gluten-Free, and Shane’s Original BBQ Sauce, a gluten-free bottle of the sauce made famous at Shane’s Rib Shack. Here’s the lowdown:

Simply…Gluten-free Desserts

Holy cannoli. Actually, I think cannolis are the only dessert not included in this ode to sweet endings, but with 150 recipes to choose from, there are plenty of cream puffs, tarts and cookies to keep you busy.

Simply…Gluten-free Desserts is laid out in chapters: Cakes and Cupcakes; Puddings and Custards; even one just for Frostings. Within each chapter, there is page after page of sweet and sinful recipes (brace yourself – your savory side’s about to get jealous). Each recipe includes a little intro from Carol, with some tips or a pleasant story behind the treat, then a list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions. There’s even a call out section in the sidebar to note things like “Grain-free” or “Makes 24 cookies.”

Now, they say you first feast with your eyes, and this book certainly takes care of that. The pages are framed with a delicate orange icon and a dash of scrolls along the border. Similarly, the ingredients are highlighted in a pale orange box, which makes them stand out without being distracting.

There’s also eye-poppingly good food photography. My only complaint is that there aren’t more photos speckled throughout the book, because when you come across the snapshot of the Mascarpone Berry Pie or the Mexican Chocolate Cake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream, all you want is more.

As for content, Simply…Gluten-free Desserts ranges from the classic – Red Velvet Whoopie Pies – to the refined – Apricot Dacquoise – to the downright clever – “Chips and Salsa” (dessert). My favorite entry had to be Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Sandwiches. It takes two of my favorite foods: ice cream and PB & J sandwiches, and turns it into a gluten-free dessert fit for all ages.

Should you be like me and require some guidance in the kitchen, Carol’s book also devotes an early chapter to “Gluten-free Cooking and Baking,” which includes tips on ingredients, equipment and techniques. For example, “Add Flour in Batches.” (Guilty.) And “Please, please use freshly squeezed citrus juice and freshly grated citrus zest.” (Also guilty.)

With all these helpful tips, the two things I did miss were estimated prep/bake times and a list of equipment needed for each recipe. Those two additions would make it easier to plan for whatever dessert is on my agenda. Then again, it’s simple enough to figure both of those out by reading through the recipe, which is recommended before any baking attempt. (Guilty.)

You can purchase Simply…Gluten-free Desserts by watching the QVC broadcast or visiting simplygluten-free.com/cookbooks

Shane’s Original BBQ Sauce

When you’re gluten-free, backyard barbecues come with questions. Have any buns touched the grill? Wasn’t that serving fork just in the pasta salad? Did someone really have to use the same knife to cut the tomatoes AND the rolls?

Fortunately, Shane’s Original BBQ Sauce is a gluten-free option that everyone can enjoy.  It’s sweet and tangy, with a bit of a kick for those who like a little heat. The sauce is thick, so it will literally stick to your ribs, but it also pours out smoothly instead of glopping onto your plate.

Should your barbecue be rained out, there are other creative ways to use the sauce. I made a pizza. It was mostly out of necessity: I was fresh out of meat, but I did have a gluten-free pizza crust in my freezer (review of that item coming soon). Determined to put the sauce to good use, I took a cue from ATX Gluten-Free, and topped the crust with Shane’s Original BBQ Sauce, sprinkled on mozzarella and corn, and tossed it in the oven.

The result. Delicious! In fact, my roommate wandered in from work and immediately noted the tasty aroma wafting from the kitchen.

As for the nutrition profile, Shane’s Original BBQ Sauce is pretty standard. The sweet flavor packs on 9g of sugar per serving, and when loaded onto a rack of ribs, that number can add up. Let’s be honest, BBQ sauce isn’t meant to be “lite and healthy,” but at 50 calories per serving, it could actually be a better choice than dousing a plate of greens with gluten-free salad dressing. Everything in moderation!

To find a Shane’s Rib Shack near you, visit www.shanesribshack.com (Check out their gluten-free menu, while you’re at it), and watch for a special deal on Shane’s ribs and BBQ sauce today on QVC!

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Feel Good Foods is brand new, but there’s already been buzz about its line of frozen Gluten-Free Handmade Asian-Style Dumplings. Much of that may have to do with the brains behind Feel Good Foods: Vanessa Phillips and Tryg Siverson, the husband and wife duo from Friedman’s Lunch in New York City. (You also may have read their Gluten-Free Thanksgiving tips on CNN.) Diners flock to Friedman’s for its gluten-free options, and now they can savor the flavor at home.

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness got our hands on a few packages of the new Gluten-Free Asian-Style Dumplings, and we merrily toted some home to test them out. Kristin sampled the Vegetable Dumplings, while I tried the Shrimp Dumplings. Here are the verdicts:

Kristin: When the package from Feel Good Foods arrived last week, I reacted like a 5-year-old on Christmas morning. What can I say? I was excited to try out the new line of gluten-free dumplings, complete with their own packet of gluten-free soy sauce.

I had only dined on dumplings while eating out, so I was curious to see how easy the cooking process would be. The instructions called for 10-12 minutes of steaming and then offered the option to stir-fry until golden brown. My typical weeknight routine involves hitting the gym after work so I prefer quick and simple dinners. This seemed like something I could manage!

The vegetable dumplings were fantastic! Some dumplings tend to be gummy, but not these. They were easy to break apart with just a fork and the vegetables remained completely intact! I stir-fried them as instructed until golden brown and even added in some chopped up kale, garlic and red chili pepper flakes. Served over wild rice and topped off with Feel Good Foods’ own gluten-free soy sauce, I was left full but not stuffed. You can be sure that these vegetable dumplings will become a staple for my weeknight dinners!

Cheryl: I was just as excited as Kristin to break open the box. The first thing to note: Frozen dinner does not equal microwaveable dinner.  While that meant I would have to wait until I got home to try the dumplings instead of heating them up at the office, I was more than willing to invest about 10 minutes of stovetop steaming for a delicious meal.

As the instructions warn, the dough does tend to stick while cooking, so a certain level of attention is required. But with the quick addition of some frozen vegetables, I was steaming my way to satisfying a Chinese food fix.

When I cut into the dumplings, I was surprised to find they each contained a whole piece of shrimp, not the mashed up shrimp bits I’ve encountered in traditional take-out. The dumplings were doughy, but not too much so, and a dab of the dipping sauce was all I needed to add the right amount of salt.

While I’m still hoping for some microwave instructions so I can enjoy these away from my kitchen, I’m giving the dumplings a whole-hearted, full-bellied thumbs up.

So why the need for a computer? Feel Good Foods Gluten-Free Dumplings can now be ordered from glutenfreemall.com. They’ll be making their way into Whole Foods Markets in the coming months, according to tweets, but we have a feeling you’ll want to try these ASAP.

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Review by Emily Freedner, NFCA’s Editorial Director.

Read more reviews just like this every month, along with the latest news, and great gluten free recipes in the NFCA’s monthly newsletter. Visit the NFCA at www.celiaccentral.org and Subscribe today.

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