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Gluten Free Options at Burger Night? Yes please!

posted on

March 28, 2021

Hey Everyone, Kasey Here!

I have some GREAT news for anyone out there like myself who has Celiac Disease, is gluten intolerant or has a gluten sensitivity etc; you can eat virtually everything at Burger Night!!!! Gluten free burgers, buns, fries, cheese curds AND beer all available at Burger Night!

I'll repeat that for you: Gluten Free Options at Burger Night!

I'm going to come back to the cheese curds and other gluten free goodies at Burger Night, I promise! But first I want to give you a little background into this gluten-free world some of us unlucky humans (and some animals!) are forced to live in because the fact that Together Farms is offering these items is a very big deal. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in November, 2016 at the bright age of 21. Celiac Disease is a "serious autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine." - Celiac.org.

How I finally got diagnosed...

I've had stomach problems my entire life and because every doctor I had told me I was the picture of health and that there was absolutely nothing wrong with me I chalked these problems up to a sensitive/nervous stomach. Eventually I thought I was crazy because any test the doctor would (reluctantly) run would come back with "perfectly healthy" results.. So I gave up for a long time and just decided my symptoms were "normal." This worked until my symptoms (severe nausea, lightheadedness and dizziness 24/7 along with spending 5+ hours in the bathroom each day) became too much right around my 21st birthday. So I sternly asked my new doctor [who told me I might have Irritable Bowel Syndrome but that my symptoms were at every point of that spectrum so probably not], to refer me to a Gastroenterologist. (Okay, fine my Dad made me ask because my symptoms were WAY out of hand, but also by sternly I mean very nicely and timidly)*Note that I'm VERY terrified of needles, blood and pretty much hospitals in general so even asking to see a new doctor who was definitely going to run blood work on me was a very big step*Once my gastroenterologist took a LOT of blood and ran some tests, EVERY test came back "perfectly healthy" except for one test where my levels were elevated just slightly, but enough where they wanted me to have an Upper Endoscopy because they suspected I might have a problem with gluten. When the results came in from my Upper Endoscopy my doctor called me and said that I did indeed have Celiac Disease... this was the FIRST time a doctor gave me a legitimate name/reason for why I had been feeling the way I had for my entire life. I basically cheered on the phone and she was a little shocked because, in her words "normally happiness is not what I hear when I give patients this diagnosis... I'm actually not really sure how to react here." This doctor was giving me a diagnosis of an autoimmune disease that is very serious and I basically hugged her via the phone. Even when I went to the follow up appointment with my parents where my doctor was expecting tears while she told us all of the serious issues I could develop at any time (lord help me if I ever develop diabetes 1 and have to give myself insulin shots), but I wasn't sad at all, just curious and so happy she wasn't telling me "you're totally healthy and all of your tests came back perfect." She had an actual diagnosis AND a plan to get my body back on track to being healthy again!!!! It's still shocking to me that it takes an average of 6-10 years for someone to be diagnosed with Celiac Disease even though it took me 21 years to be diagnosed.. But to be fair there are over 300 symptoms of celiac disease and each person experiences those symptoms differently so doctors are trying their best.

Where/What Can I Eat?!

Now that I had the diagnosis and met with a nutritionist (and other doctors to make sure everything that can go wrong with an autoimmune disease wasn't going wrong with me) I had to start making serious changes to my diet! Now that I'm over 2 years out from my diagnosis, I pretty much have this whole no gluten thing down! Trying to eat out with a gluten sensitivity is basically impossible, seriously here are the steps you have to go through. Not only do you have to do background research on the restaurant but it actually seriously hard to find gluten free options at restaurants and it takes a pretty bold person to ask restaurant staff to make special accommodations for you if they don't have any gluten free options already available. This is not my strong suit because I also have a fear of being the center of attention even in small groups (unless I'm telling a story or purposely put myself in the center of attention). But hey, if you are comfortable with only ordering a salad with no croutons & know the ingredients of the salad dressing options (because watch out, there's even gluten in those!), are a bold person who isn't afraid of making the wait staff's job just a teensy bit harder or you just never go out to eat then you're totally fine! Geez Kasey, aren't you being a little dramatic?

NO, I am not being dramatic in the least! Remember how I was 21 when I was diagnosed, so I know exactly what I'm missing out on now that I can't even have a trace of gluten in my diet? I don't know how many of you reading this have a gluten sensitivity/allergy but if you do then I highly doubt you've had a deep fried cheese curd since you were diagnosed. I'm from Wisconsin, and I am a full on cheese head (even though I grew up right across the border in Minnesota) so I seriously almost started happy crying when Stephanie told me about the gluten free cheese curds via text yesterday.If you still think I'm being dramatic then imagine cutting out all products that contain wheat, barley or rye from your diet (and many other grains depending on your sensitivity because sometimes your body reacts to those negatively too) for the rest of your life. This means no bread, beer, pizza, pasta, Pringles, malt drinks, cheese curds, chicken nuggets, Chinese food, cereal (huge improvements in this area lately), chips, seasonings and more. (Seriously, when you get diagnosed you get a very large packet of information after meeting with a nutritionist who tells you everything you can't eat anymore and what will happen to your body if you don't cut those things out). Yes that list was mainly the things I miss most about gluten, but you get the idea. While gluten free alternatives to many of these products exist the few good ones are hard to find which is why it's so great that Together Farms is offering so many gluten free options!

Hooray, Burger Night to the Rescue! Tell me about the GF options!

Now do you understand why it's so amazing for Burger Night to have so many gluten free options!? Like I said above, I almost cried happy tears after Stephanie told me all of the gluten-free options that she is offering at Burger Night. The two gluten free beers are Copperhead (Copper Ale) and the Kickback (Kolsch) from the amazing gluten-free Alt Brewery in Madison, WI. The Copperhead Copper Ale is a Great American Beer Festival Silver Medal Winner! I didn't get too much time after turning 21 to know what kind of beer I like, but these are definitely beers I'm looking forward to trying. Plus we are the only ones to be serving Alt Brewery products on this side of Wisconsin, so it's kind of a big deal!At Burger Night we have a completely separate fryer for gluten free items in the works, and we are found the perfect gluten free bun from Green Bakery to top these amazing 100% grassfed and finished burgers (and other yummy things being announced soon). The fries are already gluten free and our Together Farms Chef will be making the breading for the cheese curds himself with gluten free ingredients! We use lard to fry everything in, which means we know exactly what is in our food and exactly what we fry that food in. If you're a member of the gluten free community, then you probably know how shocking it is for a small farm who happens to also serve burgers, fries and more on their land to have not only one gluten free option, but multiple!! Honestly when Stephanie said that along with the TF Chef she was planning the gluten free items I expected what restaurants usually offer up; a big piece of lettuce wrapped around the burger with some bland fries on the side. I've seen the start of the menu (stay tuned!), and with these gluten free options that Stephanie and the TF Chef created I can basically eat any one of the burgers I want!!!Are you as excited about these amazing gluten free options as I am?! Let us know in the comments if you've even heard of Celiac Disease/Gluten Intolerance etc before, or if you're in the GF community along with me! :) p.s. less than 2 weeks until Burger Night!!!

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Last Official Burger Night Weekend

Good morning from Together Farms!Well, the end is here. Seems a bit surreal this year.Perhaps because it's basically still summer-like outside? Maybe it's because it's finally stopped raining (although we have now swung a little too far in the other direction πŸ™„)? Perhaps because we had such a fun team this year that we do not want the end to come? They got you. Maybe we just don't want to stop seeing your smiling faces? Maybe it's because we have no more trees left to fall on anything? πŸ˜‚Hard to say for sure. All I know is that it's time and we are going to eek out every last bit of the 2024 season that we can!! As we have done every year, this week's BOTW is Dealer's Choice.  Burger of the Week: Dealer's Choice You've trusted the kitchen this long. (I mean, look at those faces.....how could you not trust them??)You will have the option to say spicy or not spicy. You can tell us if there are things you loathe but otherwise, you have to sit back and wait for the results.  A surprise burger! πŸ₯³ Farm Store Sales πŸ” Don't worry!! We are NOT going to leave you hanging all winter! In the farm store everything you need for an EPIC Burger Night at HOME is on sale!!  Ground beefBaconCheeseBacon-onion jamBreadGluten-free bunsSaltPepperButter The only real question is what kind of burgers are YOU going to make???  Thursday, October 3 Open 4pm - 8:30ish pmDealer's Choice BOTW is 20% off!! Friday, October 4 LIVE MUSIC with Ethan Todd, 5-8pmAn acoustic mix of country, country rock, and heartland rock. Ethan is a 22-year-old singer/songwriter proudly from MN. His music incorporates artists from styles ranging from country, bluegrass, blues, rock, and folk. Some of the covers you could expect to hear….Tyler ChildersRandy TravisMerle HaggardBuck OwensEaglesBuddy HollyJohnny CashTom PettyJohn MellencampBruce SpringsteenJohn PrineJim CroceTurnpike TroubadoursHank Williams/Hank Jr. etc, etc, etc! Live music has been added to Friday night!! Weather is looking perfect!  Saturday, October 5 LIVE MUSIC from Jeff White, 5-8pm Jeff began honing his songwriting skills working the red-eye shift as a taxi driver. Railroad conductors, heartbroken men & women after bar close and wild out-of-towners were all frequent riders who freely opened up about their personal lives. Their late night conversations were all inspirations to the genesis of his upcoming career as a songwriter and entertainer.Jeff has toured the lower 48 from coast to coast as well as England, Scotland and Wales, singing about the realities, illusions and the wide emotional spirit of love and life in America. Much in the vein of Johnny Cash, Jeff writes and sings his own songs but also performs unique interpretations of other songs he admires. He has 6 albums under his belt and one is with Charlie Parr & international folk music legend, Greg Brown. Americana/Alt-country from the hills of Western Wisconsin. Blending warm tones, reverbs, delays & vibrato with outlaw grit, Jeff White sings of love, loss & lust with an Americana vibe.We are so excited to have Jeff back on our stage!! Sunday, October 6 Family Day! Buy one get one FREE kids meals all day! UPDATES & REMINDERS Sunday, October 6th is our official last Burger Night of 2024. We may do pop-ups if the unpredictable weather cooperates but since we have no idea what tomorrow might bring, much less 2025, we'd recommend that you plan accordingly!! Bring a flannel! It's getting chillier now and even if it's nice while the sun is out, once it goes behind our hills it cools down fast.If you are coming after 8pm, call or text to make sure the kitchen will be ready for you!The bar and fire keep going until everyone's had enough though. So no hurry there. :)The farm store is open all winter! We just don't know our hours yet, we'll announce them as soon as we have a solid plan.Thanks for doing life with us! Hope to see you on the farm for some fall fun!!  Your farmer & friend,  Stephanie Schneider Burger Night is open, rain or shineThursday & Friday 4pm-8:30ish pmSaturday noon-8:30ish pmSunday noon-7pmMonday & Tuesday farm store only open: 10-6pm

BN 21: Spotted Cow BOTW + Free beer x2 🍺🍺 MadLee live music Sat 🀩

Hello from TF! Feels like we just talked and yet, there's more I need to tell you. Never a dull moment here....still waiting on that Norden Road reality show.Although I will say, we are getting one tiny step closer with all the reels and photos we've been sharing! If you haven't stalked our facebook, instagram or tiktok for a little while, go check 'em out!  Burger of the Week: The Spotted Cow πŸ„ Spotted Cow beer cheese sauceOnion tanglersApplewood smoked bacon100% grassfed beef pattytoasted pretzel (or brioche) bun Another fan favorite BOTW! Also we forgot to advertise beer mugs until a few weeks ago so we have a LOT of frozen mugs for you! Goes [chefs kiss] with this BOTW. πŸ˜˜ Plus you get FREE BEER every time! Farm Store Sales πŸΊπŸ§€ All our beer & cheese products (so a lot!) on sale in the farm store and online this week!!All cheese is Buy 3, Get 1 FREE!(or for those of you with a cheese drawer instead of a veggie drawer, Buy 6, get 2 Free!) Thursday, September 19 We are so thankful for this rain! It's been awhile & our sandy soils were very dry so hopefully we get some late fall grass growth and can keep the cows off hay for as long as possible!  However! It does suck when it rains on a Burger Night day and it says it might rain tonight (from 6-8. seriously?). But you should know by now that: Wisconsin weather is the most unpredictable thing in the world (right next to the timing of my emails πŸ˜„)andyour skin is 100% waterproofandno matter the weather on Thursdays it's always worth it to save 20% on the Spotted Cow Burger of the Week!! πŸ˜‹ Friday, September 20 Reminder that after Labor Day Friday live music is not scheduled until we can know if the weather is going to be perfect. So, no live music because rain is kinda predicted....looks iffy. Let's just hang out!!Enjoy some ASMR in-person. Watch the birds. (download the Merlin app!)Slow down and really notice the flowers and bees and water lilies and dragonflies and butterflies. Maybe sample each beer...... 🍻 Currently on tap: Spotted Cow (of course)Cowbell Cream Ale (Bloomer Brewing)Blackberry and once that's gone, Cranberry Lemonade Beer (Sand Creek)Downtown Brown (Pearl Street)Fluffhead (Zymurgy)Gunpowder (The Brewing Projekt)Honeycrisp Hard Cider (Maiden Rock Cidery)Minnesconsin (Hop & Barrel)Mudpuppy Porter (Central Waters)Oktoberfest (Lazy Monk)Warped Speed (Lake Louie)Bonus: if you get rain in your beer, you just got MORE FREE BEER!!! Saturday, September 21 LIVE MUSIC from MadLee Band, 5-8pm Voted #2 Best New Band in the Chippewa Valley! A new duo comprised of Maddex Larson & Paige Lee (top 10 finalist for best female vocalist in Wisconsin!) is hitting the TF stage for the first time ever. They play a variety of music, singing old and new favorites you can’t help but sing along to. We've been waiting for these two for awhile now! The accolades from all the locals are crazy, people LOVE them! πŸ€© Can't wait to host them on the TF band stage! Come support your local musicians! Same weather comments as the ones above for tonight....show will go on, rain or shine! Sunday, September 22 Family Day! Buy one get one FREE kids meals all day!  UPDATES & REMINDERS Family Fun Day is Sat, Sept 28th. Sunday, October 6th is our official last Burger Night of 2024. We may do pop-ups if the unpredictable weather cooperates and we have no idea what 2025 might bring so plan accordingly!! Closing Earlier??The "ish"s are back on Friday and Saturday night closing times since it gets dark early and can get very cold early. We may close at 8:30 if the weather and darkness lead us to believe no one else is coming, so if you are coming after 8pm, call or text to make sure the kitchen will be ready for you!The bar and fire keep going until everyone's had enough though. So no hurry there. Just one more. :) Hope to see you on the farm soon!  Steph & the TF family 

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