SIGN THE PETITION

I interrupt my Friday evening guilty pleasure "What Not to Wear" marathon to bring you news I alluded to in my last post.

Starbucks has indeed discontinued the delicious GF Valenicia Orange Cake that I blogged so gushingly about in May. Its reasons are sketchy at best -- complaints of stringy orange peel? Complaints that the calorie count is too high, and it's too much of a treat? Complaints it can't be eaten all day?

WTF?

THIS, from a company that sells a coffee drink worth 1,000 calories of sin in a glass. THIS from a company that provides several dozen gluten-filled, butter rich pastries available 24-7. THIS from the company that encouraged us to comment, that lured us to believe it cared about us.

Right.

Well, like Peter Finch's character in Network, we in the GF Community are "As Mad as Hell and We're Not Going to Take This Anymore ." (If you've never seen Network, watch the clip.)

The wonderful Annette Robertson at Triumph Dining wrote me today and asked me to spread the word.

There is a petition to bring back the cake. As Annette wrote me, "Our goal is to collect 5,000 signatures and to present the petition to Starbucks corporate headquarters. Please join us in our quest to get more options for gluten-free people around the country."

SIGN THE PETITION HERE AND PASS THE WORD. Yes, I know I'm shouting. And when you're done, go to the mystarbucksidea.com website and add your comment and protest. Trust me, there are plenty there already -- you can just add an "amen" or "ditto," but let your voice be heard.

And if you're NOT GF, but you love someone who is (like ME!) do it for that diner.

And finally, if you're as riled up about this as I am, write the president of the company!

Howard D. Schultz, CEO
Starbucks Corporation
Mailstop R-CR1
2401 Utah Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98124

We in the gluten-free community deserve better treatment. And it's my hope we won't keep quiet about it.

Much love, and pass the word!
Ging

P.S. Suddenly I feel like Joan Crawford (played by Faye Dunaway) in Mommie Dearest! (Warning: profanity in clip.)