Episode 56: DIY Gluten-Free Wedding, Cindy's Snacks vs The Savory Fig, Gluten-Free St. Patrick's Day

On this episode, Erica and Jules discuss having a 100% gluten-free wedding or bridal shower - yes, it's possible! They're also recapping the latest gossip in the gluten-free world including the recent Dunkin' Donuts-passed-as-GF-vegan-Donuts drama with Cindy's Snacks and The Savory Fig. They'll also discuss the recall of gluten-free Stonewall Kitchen donut mix, and the inherent dangers of a company making a gluten-free and gluten-full product together in the same facility in similar packaging. The team will also discuss some easy Gluten-Free St. Patrick's Day recipes.

RESOURCES
Yes, you can have a gluten-free wedding cake!
Celiac and the Beast Instagram post on Cindy's Snacks vs. The Savory Fig
Stonewall Kitchen Recall for Gluten-free Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Mix
gfJules gluten-free Irish soda bread recipe
gfJules gluten-free Irish cream cupcakes
gfJules gluten-free chocolate beer cake recipe (using gluten-free stout)
gfJules easy gluten-free Irish soda bread recipe
gfJules gluten-free Irish brown bread recipe
gfJules dairy-free Irish cream recipe
gfJules treacle tea cake recipe

Contact/Follow Jules & Erica

• Tweet us @THEgfJules & @CeliacBeast
• Find us on IG @CeliacandTheBeast & @gfJules
• Follow us on FB @gfJules & @CeliacandTheBeast
• Email us at support@gfJules.com
• Find more articles, recipes & info at gfJules.com & celiacandthebeast.com

Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe!
**some links may be affiliate links; purchasing through these links will not cost you more, but will help to fund the podcast you ❤️

Transcript

Erica [00:00:13]:
Hey. I'm Erica.

Jules [00:00:14]:
And I'm Jules. Most people have at least one thing that they can't or won't eat.

Erica [00:00:19]:
Now we're definitely like that.

Jules [00:00:21]:
We started this podcast to talk about the gluten free food industry,

Erica [00:00:25]:
Like new products and some of the stories behind your favorite brands.

Jules [00:00:29]:
And living life with especially diet and also some important health care topics.

Erica [00:00:34]:
Since we're basically both broken inside.

Jules [00:00:36]:
You Had Me at Eat.

Erica [00:00:43]:
Hi. Welcome to another episode of you had me at eat. I'm Erica. This is Jules. Was someone screaming in the background?

Jules [00:00:52]:
Oh, wow. You never know what's gonna happen around here. Cool. Yeah. Good timing. Yeah. For sure. For sure.

Jules [00:01:01]:
Hey, Jules. Hey. I just saw you. You did just see me. I was in your time zone. It was quite a good time.

Erica [00:01:09]:
Yeah, man. So Jules flew out even though I told her not to because it's so freaking expensive, but she loves me that much. I do love you. Plus her kids here. So, honestly, she gets the best of both worlds. She gets to see, one hysterical girl and then just go to another one.

Jules [00:01:29]:
Which one was which?

Erica [00:01:31]:
I'm the hysterical one. So Jules helped me with my, non wedding wedding that I had on the 29th February, which is kind of fun. It was a leap year wedding.

Jules [00:01:43]:
It was the most non wedding wedding I've ever been a part of.

Erica [00:01:47]:
We had already been married, so there was no, like, ceremony. So, I think that people were just like, what is this then? And I'm like, I mean, it's just like a thing. I hate parties about me. I like, helping with parties and setting out appetizers and cooking for parties, but I don't like when parties are about me. So I really struggled, but my friends were like, you have to have a party. I physically was not allowed to not have one. So we just gathered some good friends. Jules came.

Erica [00:02:20]:
It was awesome. Our neighbors came, who are really close to us, and we had a great time.

Jules [00:02:26]:
And it was amazing neighbors. They're

Erica [00:02:29]:
so, so kind. They're all so great.

Jules [00:02:30]:
I'm, like, checking Zillow right now for a Please don't live

Erica [00:02:33]:
under my street. Just my street. Nobody else is cool. Just my street.

Jules [00:02:37]:
Just your street.

Erica [00:02:39]:
Yeah. No. It was super cool. It was just, like, the best place you can think of. You know? Like, everyone was chill. There's no drama. There's no gluten. It was great.

Erica [00:02:48]:
It's exactly what I wanted. My friends are so awesome. I've known these people since, like, junior high. So that's terrifying because we all just celebrated our 40th birthdays this past year, and it's been a a whirlwind, but I'm very thankful to have people who are just, like, so kind and so caring and just, like, so supportive of me. So that was really lovely, and I'm so happy you got to meet them. And they were so happy to meet you too.

Jules [00:03:16]:
Yeah. I had reached out to a couple of them on Instagram because I just I needed a little bit of info without you knowing about it. And, so they were helpful. So I had sort of met them that way, but it was great to meet them in person. And, yeah, and I knew you didn't like to be the center of attention, and I knew you didn't wanna be, like, a partier and be, like, posing for pictures everywhere and everything, which is why we came up with that stunt to produce the life-sized version of Erika and Matt and, like, have them under the balloon arch for people to take pictures with, which was super fun.

Erica [00:03:53]:
Yeah. They flew from Baltimore with a life-sized cardboard cut out of us, which, honestly, Matt and I still don't understand how you put it, well, in the airplane.

Jules [00:04:04]:
You don't need to understand anything. I just hope it stays in your house forever.

Erica [00:00:51]:
Yeah. Like Jojo our cat, like, I think finally figured it out that it's, like, Matt because he, like, looked at me. He's like just looking at Matt. I'm just like, it's daddy. And he's like it was wild to see, like, kinda flt daddy. Yeah.

Erica [00:04:26]:
Flat daddy. So, yeah, it's currently in our living room, and everyone's like, what are you gonna do with it? And I'm like, I'm not really sure. It's staying, but I just don't know. Matt's like, can we cut out our faces and then, like, have it be a, like, a photo state a photo booth for all of our upcoming events? I'm like, no. But okay. You can

Jules [00:04:48]:
put hats on.

Erica [00:04:48]:
Yeah. You can, like,

Jules [00:04:50]:
put mustaches, and you can totally decorate it up. All the all of the holidays and seasons, it'll be great.

Erica [00:04:56]:
Yeah. So it was just, like, the most chill again, like, I have been watching Love is Blind. Do you know any of that? It's just it's such bull it's so gross TV. It's like the grossest t it's like the McDonald's of, like, food Perfect. Which is love is blind to TV. So it's just junk food of the mind, But the concept of Love is Blind is that you have a bunch of singles in one city, and you put them behind walls, and then they, like, talk to each other without actually seeing who they are or having any physical description of their bodies or anything. So it's it's a good concept for understanding, like, is love truly blind?

Jules [00:05:39]:
Isn't that, like, the dating game back in the day?

Erica [00:05:41]:
Yeah. Totally. Isn't that Yes. But it's like Right. But the concept of this is it's you have these people who are ready to get married. So, like, literally, they meet each other, and within a week, they have to decide if they wanna propose. And then within, like, 4 weeks after they meet and see each other, they decide if they wanna get married. But the whole time, I'm just like, these women are so desperate to just be married.

Erica [00:06:05]:
It doesn't even matter if it's, like, true love that they were just like, I don't care. I just want a wedding. I want a dress. I wanna look beautiful. I want this. And it is

Jules [00:06:13]:
just They don't wanna be married. They wanna have a wedding.

Erica [00:06:16]:
And it's opposite of me where I'm just like, I just, this I mean, this it's lovely for the government. I hate the idea of a of a of a marriage that you're like, this is the only way to, like, be truly in love is to get married, and I'm like, this is such that's such bullshit. I mean, especially with today, like, you know, before, before queer people are allowed to marry you, I'm just like, this is I never wanna get married until everyone has the right to be married. And then when our friends had the right to be married and they had a wedding, I'm like, okay. Maybe I just don't really want this at all. Like, maybe I wasn't, like, protesting on behalf of this. Maybe I just, like, don't want this. And we just realized after 13 years, I'm like, I don't want this.

Erica [00:06:59]:
I don't want this at all. But then I'm like, dude, there's so many, like, legal aspects to getting married. I'm like, it's so gross that I have to sign a piece of paper, and you have to apply, and it's just, like, gross. It's weird. I don't like it, but we did it. So whatever. So I'd, like, didn't want any of that kind of stuff. And, like, thankfully, our friend owned a venue.

Erica [00:07:19]:
We have beautiful photos. My aunt's a wedding photographer. We have gorgeous photos. Most people wanna wear a dress and look pretty, and I've already done that. Like, I didn't need to do that in front of other people. Twice, actually. Yeah. We have 2 sets of wedding photos.

Erica [00:07:31]:
So, yeah, it's just so weird. I just, like I'm watching Love is Blind, and they're just, like, rushing down the aisle, and I'm like, I still feel like 13 years isn't long enough. I'm just like, man.

Jules [00:07:43]:
The people like that are what skews the divorce rate in this country, I suppose. Because what is it? So it's 50 or 60% now. Like, people get divorce rates.

Erica [00:07:52]:
Like yeah, man. This is this is weird. So one couple ended up getting married from the season, and the others were just like, no. And I'm like, good. Because Yeah. Maybe 4 weeks of not knowing someone is not long enough. Yeah. So, yeah, it's just like it's so weird.

Erica [00:08:08]:
I watch those shows, and I'm just like, oh, oh, why would you wanna do this? And, what's so funny is the day after I got married, I got a message from the casting agent because I have some casting agents that have contacted me before to, like, apply for game shows and stuff. And I had been in, I had been in works with a game show casting. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.

Jules [00:08:30]:
Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Back it up. You've never told me this before. This is so cool. Tell me tell me tell me what game shows.

Erica [00:08:39]:
So when Matt and I were first together, we so I had oh my god. I think it was because I worked at this I think the story was I worked at the zoo, and there was I was helping this casting company that came, doing, like, some sort of, like, zoological, do you wanna work as a vet casting. I don't really remember. This is so, so long ago, Jules. Mhmm. And I had this person, and I was, like, following them, and they had put me on their email list of just people who'd been casted. I had gone through in college casting for a reality TV show. I told you about this.

Erica [00:09:16]:
Remember in the hot tub, I told you about? I distinctly remember.

Jules [00:09:21]:
Yes. Yes. That part, but not the game show part.

Erica [00:09:24]:
So this was, like, anyway, so I would I have been on this email casting list because I connected with a casting agent who I had, like, worked with at the zoo or whatever years ago. So every now and then, I get pitched for, hey. Apply for this, whatever. So I had gone through casting for pressure lock. So I've gone through casting, and they're like, hey. Do you want to do you know pressure lock? I I remember pressure Luck from the eighties or seventies. Yeah. It's an old game show now.

Erica [00:09:57]:
It's back. Anyway, whatever. So I went through casting, and I didn't make the casting call this time, but I'm now on this casting list of, like, hey, this is what you're interested in. Would you want to apply for it? So I cut a casting notification, like an email list. It's like, hey. We're casting for Bridezillas in your area. And I'm like, you just missed me. You just missed me.

Erica [00:10:22]:
And that show is, like Oh my god. The worst show on the planet. It is. Because he's It is. Disgusting. It's so

Jules [00:10:30]:
gross. For all of the listeners out there, I kept it, like, absolutely pushing Erica's buttons before her non wedding wedding party because I kept saying things like, well, what does the bride want for her party? And what's your choice? Because it's up to the bride as bride's choice. And so she would be like, what? What? Yeah. You were like the anti bridezilla, but, yeah. That's pretty funny. So I'm just like

Erica [00:10:59]:
I'm just like, man, you were, like, a month late. I'm so sorry. I couldn't be there for you. They're like, are you getting married in April? I'm like, sorry. It was February. Could have been a bridezilla. Could you imagine if the cast in Asia would be like, wait. Hold on.

Erica [00:11:13]:
You should be more upset about things. I'm like, I could be more upset about so many things. What do you need me to be upset about? But not the dress. But not what I'm wearing, not what I'm serving.

Jules [00:11:25]:
No. And and and speaking of which, what you chose to have at the party, I thought was just fantastic. It was low key, chill, easy. Everybody was happy. It was basically finger food, all gluten free, dairy free. Nobody was complaining. It was easy to, you know, like I said, finger food, like, carry around. It it was very doable for, you know, the 2 or 3 of us to basically pull it together.

Jules [00:11:55]:
It didn't, you know, cost, like, a ridiculous amount of money to have to hire a caterer. Yeah. And it was a beautiful spread, and it was lovely in your outside backyard. I mean, the whole thing just came together so well. And so kudos to you for your planning on it, all of that. And, I just I think it it it was just it was great. It was really chill, just like you and Matt are chill. And for all of people out there who are considering, like, how do you pull off a party of some kind? It doesn't have to be a wedding party, but, like, a party.

Jules [00:12:27]:
And you're considering, you know, how do you make people happy and then dietary restrictions and, you know, what do I have to do? Blah blah blah. There are so many ways to do it without Mhmm. Becoming a zilla of some kind, freaking out about

Erica [00:12:40]:
everything. And even in the invitations, it literally says, like, no gluten, no drama. And, like, I think everyone assumed that, but I think that there was, like, there was no really, like, alternative. Like, I'm pretty sure they would just assume that everything would be gluten free, but they're like, is everything gluten free? Like, it is. So I can have it just in case you dip something in the wrong thing, like, no one's gonna get sick. And, actually, there was gluten because a small child came, and bless her. So she, has a medical condition, which she has to be keto for a medical condition. Yeah.

Erica [00:13:15]:
And I met her. She was so sweet. The sweetest, nicest neighbors ever. And they're like, we brought our own keto pizza. And I'm like, okay. And it was, like, in a little plastic thing. I'm like, cool, man. That's cool.

Erica [00:13:25]:
But they're so considerate of it because we you know, I exchange keto products with her all the time when I find new stuff, and they're the kindest, sweetest people ever, but it's not like they're like, I brought them the little Caesar pizza. It's like, no. This kid has, like, a medical restriction, and I'm just like, she was able to eat. The other kids were able to eat cookies. I mean, everyone was so happy. Jules made her amazing cupcakes and amazing sugar cookies. And, like, all night, people were like, this is so good. And, like, dude, for real, it's all her.

Erica [00:13:56]:
It's all her. Like, just it's it's wild. So it's, everyone was so thankful because we made a ton of cupcakes and a ton of sugar cookies, and I had to go boxes. So everyone got to take home That was true. Cookies and cupcakes, and it's just like, we don't wanna do, like, party favors, you know, where people are, like, little kiss it. I mean, I've spent so much time on Pinterest being like, what's the chillest party favors? And it's like I was like, put Hershey's Kisses in ball jars. I'm like, that sounds horrible. No.

Erica [00:14:31]:
Thank you.

Jules [00:14:32]:
No. That was so smart. And we even took some of the cupcakes and some cookies too, to my daughter's roommate who has celiac disease. And she was, like, over the moon. I I hope she got some because her other roommates and suite mates, whatever, they all dove into, and they were like, like, oh, you know? Yeah.

Erica [00:14:52]:
I ended up having 1 cupcake. We made how many? Like, 50?

Jules [00:14:56]:
Oh, 60 cupcakes. Yeah.

Erica [00:14:57]:
Oh my god. And I had 1.

Jules [00:14:59]:
How many hundreds of cookies

Erica [00:15:00]:
And I had 4 cookies. Mhmm. Yep. Checks out. That adds up exactly. And I swear to God, I ate, like, 2 zucchini the whole night. I was eating so much zucchini.

Jules [00:15:12]:
I ate so much zucchini. Like, when by 2 zucchini, you mean whole zucchini. Right? Because I I ate the

Erica [00:15:17]:
other 2 whole zucchini. Well, I did have a lot of zucchini, and there's a pic there's a picture of me eating, and I'm like, what am I eating? I'm like, oh, they're just like it's a giant stick of zucchini.

Jules [00:15:27]:
Yeah. Pretty much. Pretty much. Cool.

Erica [00:15:29]:
Yeah. That was yeah. It was really good, though. Yeah. So the biggest thing in my life right now, I have devoted, like, some sort of true crime aficionado. I swear to god, I'm gonna quit all my jobs and just devote my time to just figure out, like, let's make a documentary on how this happened and, like, just I watch a lot of true crime. I watch a lot of, like, how did this happen. There was, like, a a Hulu documentary called bad vegans or something where it talked about, like it wasn't about, like, people who are not actually vegan, but they were, like, vegans, and they were, like, breaking the law.

Erica [00:16:10]:
But I'm obsessed with this kind of stuff. So this kind of stuff that I'm talking about is there was news by someone, I believe it was Erin from gluten free globetrotter, there was some chatter amongst local New York people. And what had happened is there was a vegan store, and it's like a like a neighborhood market or like a like a like a dedicated vegan grocery store, but they also have, like, farmer's market y kind of things, like fresh baked items from vendors. So this place is called Cindy's Snacks, and she was purchasing gluten free vegan donuts, and it was supposed to be, like, allergen friendly gluten free. Like like, not just like, hey. They happen to be gluten free, you know, whatever. Like, these were, like, people who have celiac disease can eat these. Right? So gluten free vegan donut from a company called the Savory Fig.

Erica [00:17:08]:
So this has gone on for, I don't know how long, but at least over 3 major holidays, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and now because there are some receipts. What happened was she came with some doughnuts to sell to this as a vendor to the store so Cindy snacks could sell the donuts. And what and what appeared to look like a standard puffy fried Dunkin' Donuts. And why I say Dunkin' Donuts is because it was strawberry frosted, which is, like, their signature go to donut, but it has little d's in the Dunkin' Donuts colors as sprinkles. The sprinkles, yeah, were d's. So you're looking at a picture, and I'm like, oh, that's clearly a Dunkin' Donut. It has a signature pink frosting and orange and pink d's, the letter d sprinkles, and, apparently, this was what the save refig had given to Cindy Snacks saying, like, this is a gluten free, vegan doughnut.

Jules [00:18:14]:
That that I made.

Erica [00:18:15]:
That I that I have made for you to resell. Right. And so Cindy Snacks posted something, and it was like, here's a picture of the doughnut. I just want to be very transparent. We don't have more information. I feel very uncomfortable selling this. Just so you know, we have pulled these items, but I just wanted to let you know we're in talks with our supplier, the Savory Fig. We don't really know what's going on, but as a warning.

Erica [00:18:41]:
So as you scroll through these Instagram photos from Cindy Snacks, you see that basically the person who's working there going like, hey. Can I just, like, verify that this is indeed a doughnut that you made, and it's and it's vegan? And she's like, yes. Of course. I made this. She was okay, because it looks a lot like the Dunkin' Donuts with the pink frosting and the d's. And she goes, oh, I had extra donuts I had made for someone's birthday. And he's like, okay. And she goes, well, can I see the sprinkles that you ordered? Because, like, I don't see sprinkles like this on Amazon that are

Jules [00:19:20]:
Yeah. Available to consumer.

Erica [00:19:22]:
That are vegan. I mean

Jules [00:19:24]:
You can't buy Dunkin' Donuts, the sprinkles. So she shares a picture.

Erica [00:19:29]:
So this woman's doubling down, like, yeah. Here's here's the sprinkles, and she shares a picture of an Amazon picture, and she goes, okay. But can you show me the like, can you show me the sprinkles in the donut that you made? She goes, yeah. Hold on. I'm not home. And then, like, hours later posted a picture of, like, a container sprinkles that has letters in it, and you're kinda like, these don't really look like the the d's that you'd see on the nugging downer, but, like, okay. And she's like, okay. Well, can you can you just verify? Because it it doesn't seem like those d's are the same d's in there, and, like, honestly, that product doesn't look vegan either, so I'm just making sure.

Erica [00:20:05]:
So it goes on and on, but basically, they've gotten to the point where they don't trust this woman making Dunkin' Donuts and at this or making gluten free, dairy free, vegan friendly donuts for this company. Like, we don't we have no faith in this person, but we still feel like they're Dunkin' Donuts, and there's no, like, this is me making them, and here's me piping them. Here's me whatever. Like, there's no receipts like that that she can show. So it goes deeper because apparently, v like, vegans of Long Island or whatever picked it up on Reddit, and this is where I actually got very interested in it. Because if you go on the Reddit, this is where I went down the rabbit hole. You actually see people is AKA for rabbit hole Yeah. Anyway.

Erica [00:20:51]:
So you see people talking about, like, hey. Her donuts didn't used to be like this, and it's really only been there for the last few months that, like, these things have come up. But she they're like, here's a side by side picture of her holiday donuts and her her, Valentine's Day donuts that are gluten free and vegan. Mhmm. And they are the exact same as the Dunkin' Donut versions of them. So there's a picture of what the savory fig hand delivered to resell at Cindy Snacks, and then there's a picture of, like, this is what the Dunkin' Donuts looks like in Dunkin' Donuts. And it's not just like, wow. Those those sprinkles are similar, so maybe she's going to Dunkin' Donuts being like, I wanna recreate that.

Erica [00:21:36]:
Let me see if I can because we've all been there. It's like Mhmm. That is a that is a mirror image, and we know Dunkin' Donut donuts are hard to replicate.

Jules [00:21:47]:
Mhmm.

Erica [00:21:48]:
Even if you're frying donuts, you can get very close because, Jules, you've made donuts, and they're great.

Jules [00:21:55]:
But, like Yeah. But it's making donuts on industrial scale, making them in a donut machine processing. Like, that's very different than a home baker making them for sale Yeah. A farmer's market situation like this.

Erica [00:22:09]:
And, like, donut balls same machinery. Yeah. Donut balls, like, I get gluten free vegan ones at my farmer's market. Mhmm. And I'm like, I know that they're gluten free and vegan. Yeah. I can taste them. They're delicious.

Erica [00:22:23]:
Matt's like, these are really good, but he, at no point, was like, holy shit. They're, like, a nothing donut because that would be worrisome to me. I would definitely go back and be like, what flour are you using? Whatever. Right. And in this this Reddit of Long Island, people are just like, I've been having it for months, and I go, I cannot believe they they are vegan because they taste just like a Dunkin' Donut. And everyone's like, that is their number one comment. And I'm like, listen. If it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, it's a fucking duck.

Erica [00:22:49]:
So everyone's like, these are Dunkin' Donuts. Like, you cannot mistake them, and there's no receipts that say differently. So what this person did is shut down. All of her social media is no longer replying to anything. And the day that this happened, she was at a a Long Island Farmers Market, a vegan Farmers Market. So people were warning the vegan of Long Island like, hey, man. I don't know what's going on, but, like, don't eat her shit. Right? Everyone's defending, like, I've had her stuff.

Erica [00:23:20]:
Are you sure are you sure it wasn't a mistake? And everyone's like, it's not a mistake if you buy a doughnut at Dunkin' Donut and then resell it for, like, $7 a doughnut or something insane. Like, her markup on this was wild because people on Reddit were trying to figure out, like, how much markup is she getting on a donut that you would have to endanger someone's life for? Because that's basically what you're doing at this point in time. So I posted about it because I'm like, I cannot wait for information on this. I can't wait to just, like, find out why she what's going on, why she did this, like, anything from her side, but there's nothing because she was like she was defending it. She's like, yeah. I made these for someone's birthday. I'm like, yeah. I'm like, no.

Erica [00:24:06]:
You didn't. Like, this is a Dunkin' Donut. So Yeah. There were no backup. She was not like, I'm here to defend myself. This is actually how I bake, like, whatever. Mhmm. Also, totally forgot this part.

Erica [00:24:17]:
They tested the donuts using easy gluten waiting for you to on a lateral flow device, and they contained high high levels of gluten. So again I guess

Jules [00:24:26]:
they were made with gluten. Because it's

Erica [00:24:28]:
a Dunkin' Donut donut. Because it's a Dunkin' Donut. So so it was like, hey. Hey. This isn't just like a we use the same fryer. I'm so sorry. I didn't understand. This is like, we just don't care, and we're gonna try to pass this off for as many months as we can.

Erica [00:24:45]:
Like, you're a horrible person for doing that. So, anyway, so I posted, I posted the reel, and it got a ton of traction. And based on that reel, allergic living posted about something linked back to my post, got even more traction. And then someone that I know through the natural products expo, Natalie, who's like a very, very who used to be super big in the vegan world actually went on her TikTok and was like, I gotta share this. And I don't know if she saw it online, but chances are she saw it literally everywhere because so many people are talking about it on the same day. It was wild. I'm just like, hey. If you don't know about this, you have to because I want you to also go down the rabbit hole with me because I'm, like, obsessed with this.

Erica [00:25:29]:
So she posted about it, and then it went wild. It's been posted by Eater. It's been posted by like, literally, everyone is just sending me nonstop links, and I'm like, good. I'm glad that this is getting where it is. Because now, like, people have contacted the health department. People have contacted a bunch of different venues to try to figure out what's been going on, how how she's doing this, how she has gotten away with it for so long, and, like, what are the ramifications, right, of all of this? So we don't know anything yet other than, like, obviously, everyone was tagged that has ever done business with her and told not to use her as a supplier. And then No. She shut down.

Erica [00:26:12]:
Right? Yeah. She shut down everything. Right. So, I think it's a lesson. One, Reddit is the people's journalism, and it's incredible. And if you're not very in Reddit, please do because it's great. But the beauty of social media is when something like this happens, everyone gets the information immediately, makes their own judgment, and can share about it. It's good and bad.

Erica [00:26:40]:
Right? Say the donuts have not tested positive, and she's like, actually, like, my whole goal is to make Dunkin' Donuts friendly for everyone, and I actually research the sprinkle suppliers and do this and this and this. I'm like, what if? And then she showed videos of her making it, and they looked exactly like look. What if she had done that? Okay. Cool. She didn't, obviously. And, clearly, it was tested

Jules [00:27:01]:
Right.

Erica [00:27:02]:
To be full of gluten.

Jules [00:27:03]:
But Well, but she's not the first one. And that that's that's really before. Right? There was a guy in North Carolina years ago who was selling bread, like regular bread. And and he doubled down too and was like, no, it's fine. It's gluten free bread. Like, you are making people sick right and left. You're endangering people's lives. And there was like that what is it? A better better than good baking company that was selling flour.

Erica [00:27:30]:
It was the

Jules [00:27:31]:
same thing. Yeah. I mean, that was nasty too. That was, like, testing it. I was just looking up the numbers, and they were still, again, at farmers' markets.

Erica [00:27:39]:
Yeah. Thousands of parts per million.

Jules [00:27:40]:
It was a 177,000 parts per million of gluten. Lot. Gluten free flour. Right? Sure. Thanks a lot. And then, of course, there was that salsa salsa Texan.

Erica [00:27:51]:
Salsa Texan with the coconut tortillas that were actually made with wheat.

Jules [00:27:57]:
Yeah. Cool. And and, you know, it's just it's so it's such a shame because, you know, this is, I think, still fallout from the fad dietism Mhmm. Where there's so many people who are like, hey, it doesn't matter. People just are trying to cut back on the gluten or they're just vegan. It doesn't mean that they need to have no eggs in their diet or whatever. It's wild. It's it's none of your fucking business why we eat the way we eat.

Jules [00:28:25]:
If if somebody says that they need something, then you have to honor that. It's you don't need to know why, but you need to treat that as severely as a food allergy or as celiac disease. Because people's lives are on the line when they're eating your food. And it's it's not okay. It's absolutely not okay. And it's really it's very upsetting when this happens.

Erica [00:28:51]:
Yeah. It's, it's it's it's and I think what is so horrible, like, on, Cindy snacks or whatever, you know, there are some people who are like, I shop there because I'm dairy free. Like, I'm I'm dairy free, and that's why I shop here, not because I'm vegan. And there are so many times where I go to vegan food that's vegan and gluten free because

Jules [00:29:19]:
For sure.

Erica [00:29:20]:
It's dairy free too. And it's not like I'm gonna go I'm not gonna go into anaphylaxis if I have dairy. Very different. But the idea is, like, there are these words that connote something to someone. And for vegan, it typically means dairy free. Now for allergies, obviously, you'd have check to make sure if it's made in the shared facility or if you feel comfortable with the manufacturing. Clearly, you shouldn't because this person was not. I mean, it's just it's it's it's disheartening, and it's a bummer because I feel like so many more people are gonna hear this story and not hear about all the good gluten free things that are going on and just be like, oh, man.

Erica [00:30:04]:
Like, what a what a train wreck gluten free is right now. You know? Meanwhile, there's so many people that go through service rotation

Jules [00:30:12]:
and, like That's my net net, and that's where I, you know, people come to me and they they say, how can I trust anything? And I'm so frustrated. I'm so upset. Whatever. I'm like, you can trust the best way to do it is to buy something that's certified.

Erica [00:30:27]:
Mhmm.

Jules [00:30:27]:
You know? Literally, that is that is what we can do at this point, is to buy from companies that have gluten free certifications. And, you know, for example, there's this is something else we see all the time as well is right now, there's another recall. It's Stonewall Kitchen

Erica [00:30:49]:
Oh, yeah.

Jules [00:30:49]:
Because they mispackaged their, I guess, their wheat donuts in a gluten free box. We see that all the time. And when you have a company that makes gluten products and gluten free products, they often make mistakes. And, and now that is very different situation than these people intentionally going out and trying to pawn something off as being gluten free that they know is not gluten free. So I would never say that Stonewall Kitchen, you know, is a bad actor here. Stonewall Kitchen made a mistake and it's very unfortunate, But it's more it's more likely to make a mistake when you have 2 products that are the same that are going in similar boxes. Mhmm. Because then you have human error.

Jules [00:31:34]:
Right? Yeah. And so, you know, if you wanna be safe, if you really are afraid, you buy from certified products, from an independent certifier, not companies that say, we're gluten free, but they don't have certification. And maybe you decide you're staying away from companies that make both. You know, they have identical products and they put them in similar boxes. That happens a lot. And we see these really

Erica [00:32:01]:
But that happens with Vans waffles.

Jules [00:32:03]:
Vans waffles has happened multiple times. Yeah. The chicken nuggets situation comes up periodically. That makes sense. This one, there's there's lots of things that happen. And then even even the things that aren't recalled, it's it's frustrating to me when companies put products that look very, very similar,

Erica [00:32:23]:
you

Jules [00:32:23]:
know, in in their packaging. I may have a whole post on it on my website. Like, don't do that. Like, make it really hard to buy the wrong product. Yeah.

Erica [00:32:31]:
Or, like, Oreos have gluten free stamped on them. Yeah. Literally on the sandwich cookie. Like Yeah.

Jules [00:32:39]:
Who would have thought Oreo that's not possible

Erica [00:32:41]:
for everything, but Oreo's literally the hero in this situation. It's just like this

Jules [00:32:47]:
is Except they put oats in it, but, yes, that's another story.

Erica [00:32:50]:
That's a whole another story. Thanks, Mondelez. But, you know and I think what's what's frustrating for me as someone who has a very vibrant farmer's market community Yeah. And people who are gluten free and dairy free in my farmer's market, especially gluten free and vegan. There are some that I trust. There's the wild chickpea, pea, who you know, what he makes in his fryer is dedicated gluten free. But, you know, at home, when he makes things, he makes it known that it's a shared kitchen. And I've had celiac friends also eat there, and I feel comfortable eating out of his farmer's market stand.

Erica [00:33:30]:
There are a lot of other ones that I do not and that I've seen people eating at, and I'm like, I don't think I trust that.

Jules [00:33:37]:
So many questions.

Erica [00:33:38]:
Yeah. Yeah. And I'm just like, I don't mostly have time for that, like, but and there are thankfully a lot of dedicated gluten free places too, but it's just like, man, it's so frustrating because the first time I was gluten free and I went to a farmer's market, there was, like, this company, and they had a gluten free bread. And I'm just like,

Jules [00:33:58]:
I don't know how

Erica [00:34:00]:
you can make this. She goes, well, we produce them on a separate day. And I'm like, but you have 85 other different types of loaves that contain gluten? Like, how are you? And so that was, like, my first time I've ever seen anything in farmer's market. I'm like, okay. Maybe this is not for

Jules [00:34:16]:
me. Mhmm.

Erica [00:34:17]:
Like, maybe not everyone has the same level of strictness that I believe that we should all have.

Jules [00:34:22]:
Right. Right. Right.

Erica [00:34:22]:
And, thankfully, I mean, they were making it with gluten free flour, and they weren't just getting a loaf of, It's a good start. Yeah. Yeah. Dave's killer brad and saying that it was, like, in in big house. So it's just the whole story

Jules [00:34:36]:
is I just it's very it's saddening, because it does point out, like, a big flaw in, you know, humanity, that they can you know, people can exploit. Some people can do that. But I don't think the takeaway is that, you know, we can't trust our food at all. And, you know, our lives are terrible and no gluten free food is safe. And whatever. I I don't think we need to go down that depressing hole. I do think there are ways to trust our food, but, you know, you can't just blindly trust anything that says it's gluten free. And and we haven't ever been able to do that.

Jules [00:35:16]:
That's never been a thing. And the sad thing is that there are a lot of people, who are either new to gluten free diet or who just want to believe. Mhmm. They're just tired. They're lazy. They're whatever, and they just want it to be so. And so they don't ask the questions or they just are like, you know, I don't care. I wanna eat it anyway or whatever.

Jules [00:35:37]:
Mhmm. And and you're you're taking a risk at that point. Yeah. And you just have to know that. And and when talking about something like these issues, it's not just celiac disease. Like, you might you might be taking a risk if you have other food allergies because, you know, not everybody understands food labeling. Even though it's incumbent upon manufacturers to understand food labeling, that does not mean that they do.

Erica [00:35:58]:
I just feel like you're a cottage baker. You have a cottage baker license. You have to understand this, but so many people don't.

Jules [00:36:05]:
It's not even just that. I mean, food manufacturers are on a much higher level. We see errors like that all the time. So, you know, it's the FDA does not have enough minions to run around and police this. So back to your earlier point, social media does have a place there, but we all have to do our own due diligence. We all have to read all the labels. We have have to ask all the questions. But the best place to start is if given the choice, buy something that is certified by an independent certifier.

Jules [00:36:38]:
Yeah. And we'll post a link here, to my post that has all of the independent certifiers so you can recognize our labels because a lot of companies post their own gluten free symbol that kinda looks like a certification, but it's not an independent certification. And you need to know the difference. And then, like I said, maybe you decide that you're gonna stay away from companies that make 2 versions of the same thing because there is, you know, always the possibility that they're gonna make a mix up there. And I don't want people to take away from this. Like you said, that, like, you should be so diligent that you Vigilant.

Erica [00:37:18]:
I don't want people super bummed. You can't even think of the right words. Don't want people to take away from this that you had to be so vigilant that you is that right? Yes. Yeah. Yes. I was emphasizing it. I don't want people to take away from this. You have to be so vigilant that you are literally having the worst life ever.

Erica [00:37:49]:
We know that the more vigilant you are, the lower your quality of life is. We've seen papers on this. There can be an appropriate level of anxiety and nervousness around your food and having to do research on is this truly safe for me or not.

Jules [00:38:07]:
Right.

Erica [00:38:07]:
But at the same time, to not be so down the rabbit hole where you're like, well, I don't trust any food now that isn't cooked by me. Right. But, also, if it looks like a Dunkin' Donut, don't eat it. Are you kidding me? I would lose my shit. So, Matt, she's like, you really got into this, and I'm like, I did. And I think I'm I think I'm just I I need I need I need to know. I need to I need to have a reason why this person did it other than just for money.

Jules [00:38:38]:
Oh, you're not gonna find a reason. I used to prosecute people for a living, and the criminal mind is not something that noncriminals can often understand.

Erica [00:38:48]:
I want this to be an episode of Law and Order where there's, like, a really good wrap up, and you're like, oh, that's why we know well, she's a terrible person, but that's why she did it. You know? That's right. I don't know.

Jules [00:38:57]:
Isn't it enough just to know that

Erica [00:38:59]:
some people are bad people? No. I really do. I'm really obsessed with this. So I am staying tuned to this. I just posted about it again on Instagram, and people like, what's the follow-up? And I'm like, listen. I'll know when you know. You know? So all I know is that the department and all those people who are, you know, a part of the whole Long Island scene there are involved, and, hopefully, we have more details. But this is just a wild story.

Erica [00:39:23]:
And more people are even posting about it today, man. So, like, you're gonna hear a lot about it, and I,

Jules [00:39:28]:
yeah,

Erica [00:39:30]:
I just it may I have never wanted Dunkin' Donuts so bad in my life because now I've just been obsessed at looking at Dunkin' Donuts for, like, days now. I'm just like, oh, man. Oh, I miss I miss Dunkin' Donuts. That was it. It's a moral story.

Jules [00:39:45]:
And that's the moral of the story.

Erica [00:39:47]:
I missed Dunkin' Donuts, man. I don't know.

Jules [00:39:55]:
I I don't we don't have another episode before Saint Patrick's Day, do we?

Erica [00:40:00]:
When the hell is Saint Patrick's Day? It's next weekend. Oh my god. I'm gonna be in Anaheim for Saint Patrick's Day?

Jules [00:40:08]:
No. I think you're coming home because I'm gonna be in Chicago. I cannot wait to see them turn the river green.

Erica [00:40:13]:
Oh, it's so much fun. Oh my gosh. I I think it'd been now only 1 year for the green green.

Jules [00:40:20]:
On Saint Patrick's Day.

Erica [00:40:22]:
Because we're always there around the same time in March. Mhmm. And I think I've missed it, but I've seen it, I think, probably twice now because it's the houseware show, but also DDW sometimes is, like, early. So regardless, I I think it's so fun, and I hate Saint Patrick's Day because my love it. No. My mom is very Irish, so she's, like, trained me since a little girl, like, lost Saint Patrick's Day because I'm also Irish. And I I hate it because, like, everyone just drinks beer and pukes, and I'm just like, this doesn't sound exciting to me, and especially because I wasn't a beer drinker. I don't know.

Erica [00:40:59]:
I had so much corned beef and hash growing up. I'm just like, little

Jules [00:41:02]:
Yeah.

Erica [00:41:03]:
So that's why I don't like semi hydro state. Anyways, so I went to Chicago. It was great. The river's green. It's so much fun.

Jules [00:41:08]:
I think it's really cute. I'll take a picture for you this year. Yeah. But I'll be I'll be there because I'll be there. Like, that'll be the first day of housewares. Yes. Sunday. Sunday.

Jules [00:41:22]:
Mhmm. Yes. Yeah.

Erica [00:41:23]:
You know what I spent last Saint Patrick's Day doing? Actually, that was the most fun I've ever had on the Saint Patrick's Day.

Jules [00:41:30]:
Did last Saint

Erica [00:41:30]:
Patrick's Day. For breakfast yesterday. And near did I. I just now realized last Saint Patrick's Day, I was in Golden, Colorado at Holidaily because they Saint Patrick's Day.

Jules [00:41:40]:
That's right. Green. Now you're here

Erica [00:41:43]:
with sprinkles and, like, a, glitter inside of it.

Jules [00:41:47]:
I was gonna say not to

Erica [00:41:47]:
Dunkin' Donuts sprinkles. In the beer. They had, edible glitter inside of it. So it was green beer with, like, edible gold glitter. It was amazing. I didn't get to have it because they ran out on, like, the first keg. And, no, wait, I did have a little bit, but it was the only, like, whatever was left at the very bottom, so it had all the glitter in it at the very bottom. So I was I was drinking mostly edible at that point.

Erica [00:42:11]:
It was so much fun. I think that that was probably the best Saint Patrick's Day I've ever had because I traditionally do not like the holiday, do not like to do anything, but this was, like, fried food, gluten free, dedicated fryer, and green gluten free beer. Like, that is, like, the best to top that. Version of Saint Patrick's Day.

Jules [00:42:31]:
Yeah. That sounds amazing. I don't know how we'll top that. I would like to see the river turn green, but I have no idea what I'm gonna eat in Chicago.

Erica [00:42:40]:
Yeah. Big bowl. Interesting. Oh my god. Big bowl. I know that it's not Irish. Irish.

Jules [00:42:47]:
Normally, I'm home and I can make myself, like I love Irish soda bread. I make gluten free Irish soda bread. I love colcannon, so I'll make that. I don't eat the corned beef and hash

Erica [00:42:58]:
or whatever. Obviously.

Jules [00:43:01]:
So oh, I like to make fried fish. Like, you know Oh, yeah. Mhmm. You know, I'll do that with the colcannon and, and then I make the Irish soda bread. Oh, I do I do like making chocolate beer cake though with Stout? Green stout or or, Gutenberg has one now. I think now too. Or no. It's,

Erica [00:43:26]:
Greens?

Jules [00:43:28]:
Ghostfish. Ghostfish. Greens has it, but Ghostfish also has one that's

Erica [00:43:33]:
so good. The watch watchstander stout?

Jules [00:43:36]:
I can never remember the name of the fish. So good. Ghostfish is amazing. It's a guy in a trench coat. That's their stout. Yeah. That sounds right. Right.

Jules [00:43:44]:
Right. I didn't remember the name. But yeah. So if I was home, that's what I would be making. We can drop recipes. So for all of you

Erica [00:43:50]:
guys who are home, you can make those. Maybe I should so I come home that morning, and I think the girls and I are gonna try to do karaoke. But now that I know that it's

Jules [00:44:03]:
now that an odd karaoke.

Erica [00:44:05]:
I don't that sounds like a weird time to do karaoke. Well, maybe I'll just make stout bread instead. That sounds great.

Jules [00:44:16]:
Oh, it's it's gluten free chocolate, like, beer cake.

Erica [00:44:23]:
Yes. Yes. Sorry. Yes. Chocolate beer cake. Yes. Yes. I've made that before.

Jules [00:44:27]:
So light and fluffy, and it's not, like, over the your head like chocolate, so you can eat tons of it without being sick.

Erica [00:44:33]:
Yeah. I made it before with I've made it, for Super Bowl last year. Oh. Mhmm. But I made it in the cake pops that were footballs.

Jules [00:44:46]:
Oh, fun.

Erica [00:44:47]:
And I ate a lot of and I ate a lot of them. I did. Because I wanna make it with them with, soap because it's, like, fun. You know?

Jules [00:44:55]:
Yeah. Mhmm. Yeah. Beer and chocolate cake balls. Yeah. That works.

Erica [00:45:01]:
Oh, now I'm like, why you always gotta throw these food holidays at me?

Jules [00:45:05]:
I feel like because I live and breathe food holidays. You know I do.

Erica [00:45:09]:
I know. But I just feel like

Jules [00:45:10]:
there's structure my world around that.

Erica [00:45:12]:
Of them, and I'm like are, but this is

Jules [00:45:14]:
a big one. I didn't make this one up. No. I know.

Erica [00:45:20]:
Trust me. I'm gonna you know what? You know what's gonna happen? It's gonna be the Sunday after Expo West. I'm gonna fly home and be like, I'm gonna get takeout. Yep. I'm gonna have Thai food. Yep. I'm here to honor my Irish heritage by getting Thai food takeout. Not even have potatoes, maybe.

Erica [00:45:37]:
I don't know.

Jules [00:45:37]:
That sounds like what I would do if I was home. Yeah. I won't be home.

Erica [00:45:41]:
We used to we used to always go to an Irish bar for Saint Patrick's Day because I used to live on a a major street that had, like, one of the largest Irish bars in Arizona, and it shut down.

Jules [00:45:54]:
I because you moved, probably.

Erica [00:45:56]:
That's probably because you moved. Yeah. Mhmm. That night, I can't really drink anything there anymore. So

Jules [00:46:00]:
Yeah. That's a bummer. That's a bummer. Oh, well. Okay. Well, you're gonna make the cake. You're gonna send me a picture, and I'm gonna eat the cake vicariously through you. Yeah.

Jules [00:46:09]:
And I'm gonna go to the river and take a picture next to the river. Yes. I'm so excited. Enjoyed that vicariously through me.

Erica [00:46:16]:
Oh, I love it.

Jules [00:46:17]:
It's gonna be a beautiful thing.

Erica [00:46:18]:
Oh, good. Happy Saint Patrick's Day, Jules.

Jules [00:46:21]:
Thank you. And when next we speak with our dear listeners, we'll be recapping Expo's Guide to the Wazoo.

Erica [00:46:29]:
Oh my god. This week is gonna be nuts.

Jules [00:46:31]:
Yes. It will be.

Erica [00:46:33]:
Pray for us.

Jules [00:46:34]:
Please do pray for us, because we'll be at Expo West finding all the latest and greatest gluten free foods, and then I'll be headed to housewares directly after that to find all of the latest things that you're gonna need in your kitchen to make all of these great gluten free foods.

Erica [00:46:50]:
If you think I'm busy, just follow Jules.

Jules [00:46:53]:
Yeah.

Erica [00:46:54]:
I don't wanna be sleeping, and Jules is gonna be working for the both of us. It's gonna be great.

Jules [00:46:59]:
Yeah. Good luck, Jules. Down by the Green River will be. Thanks for tuning in to You Had Me At Eat, the number one voted gluten free podcast in the country. Remember to like and subscribe, tell all your friends, and we'll talk to you next time.