Gluten Free Dinner Clubs - what's with the 'add on' dishes?

I thought the whole point of a Dinner Group was go to a restaurant with gluten-free options and eat a safe meal off of their current menu. Lately it seems that the restaurants are offering more and more 'add on' main dishes and appetizers that are only available for that particular meal. While this is a nice concept, I find it annoying. I usually find myself liking that 'add on' dish and I am frustrated that I will never be able to get it again.

Wouldn't it be more beneficial to get diners to use their current menu options? I would encourage the organizers of these groups to dissuade restaurant owners from 'add on' dishes (unless it is dessert) and encourage them to create a 'set' gluten-free menu(if they don't have one). Having a set menu not only makes it easier for diners to order on a daily basis, but it promotes a sense of confidence in the gluten-free diner that these 'set' dishes can be prepared safely.

I applaud the efforts of the volunteers who organize these groups all over the United States. I myself am the volunteer board member for the Atlanta Metro Celiacs, so I don't mean to complain, rather offer advice from the perspective of the gluten-free diner.

Keep up the good work and keep it simple!

The art of blogging

I recently read an article by a Twitter friend who stresses the importance of blogging weekly. I have to admit that I have gotten away from blogging because I am lazy. Using my Twitter account is a great way to share information on a local/global platform with little effort. It is also a great way to 'drive' people to your blog, website, etc. and relieves you from taking/adding photos, adding a personal point of view or alliteration. It is basically a 'sloppy' way for those of us busy people to get the word out.

I have become pretty obsessed with my Twitter account and now spend more time looking for people to follow, checking to see who is following me, checking for Direct Messages and reading what everyone else is writing. This is leaving me with little time to actually 'tweet', which is why I am coming back to my blog.

Even though I don't have a lot of followers, I feel the people who take the time to read my blog share an interest and can actually, possibly learn something from me.

So, I am committed to writing a post a week. I hope those of you who have a blog will consider investing more time in your blog than your Twitter account.

Yeah for Social Media!