Reaped Rewards at 2012 Nourished Food Bloggers Conference and GFAF Expo

… Samples Galore and So Much to Share!

Last Friday and Saturday, I attended the Nourished Food Bloggers Conference (a first of its kind) and the Gluten & Allergen Free (GFAF) Expo in Lombard, IL (in the suburbs of Chicago). This was a fantastic experience for me. And one I am excited to share with you. 

Attending the conference Friday made my brain full and tired, but also made me extremely exhilarated. I LOVE learning new things – especially in the gluten-free world! Learning was definitely happening. The guest speakers shared their knowledge and advice to over 100 attendees. Great turnout for the first conference, I’d say. And may I interject a huge “Thank You!” to each of the presenters right now. 

Some of the wonderful seminars I was able to attend included:

Mary Fran Wiley of FrannyCakes, who explained strategies on how to bring my best to YOU – my followers (already implementing some of these tips). 

Karen Morgan of Blackbird Bakery, who shared her secret to better baking through the use of guar gum instead of xanthan gum (and so many other great tips on recipe creation and writing that I can’t wait to get baking).

Melissa Jennings of StockPiling Moms, who expanded my knowledge of social media practices, so it will be even easier to let you know what’s happening (and to make sure you know about coupons for gluten-free goodies.) 

Other presenters shared their expertise on baking, food photography, and how to collaborate on the business-end of blogging. I truly gleaned much information from Nourished! So many seminars at the conference … so little time. I can’t wait to put into practice all I’ve learned, and I’m already looking forward to attending the conference next year, to be held in Dallas (more info will be on my Events Calendar when available). 

Saturday was my day to experience and explore the GFAF Expo. Wow, was that fun! I sampled great new gluten-free products, and some that I already knew I love … many I’ve shared with you … and to talk to so many wonderful people in the gluten-free community. Boy do these vendors have enthusiasm for their products and the vision of what they want to offer the gluten-free community in the future. This expo was open to the public and everyone seemed to really be enjoying themselves. What excited me perhaps most of all was to see so many kids who attended the expo. As I walked the aisles, I continuously heard children asking their parents, “Can I eat this?” Seeing the pure delight on these young faces when they were answered with a “Yes, you can!” brought me close to tears more than once. It was a very fulfilling day. 

Did you see the photo at the top of this post? Yes, those are some of the products I brought back from the expo that I’ll be reviewing for you. My way of saying, “Yes, you can eat that!” to you. 

Be sure to watch for these upcoming product reviews, and more recipes, and to "Like" us on Facebook to get regular updates on our website posts.       

Safe food is a journey … Thrive!