something so good

Where have I been?

2011-01-19T14:35:00.001-05:00

It has been way too long since I last updated! Things have been absolutely bananas! Here's what has been going on.

Well in October, we headed to Arizona for Chris' bffs wedding. It was beautiful. I got to see where Chris went to college, see some cowboys, and meet more of Chris' friends!

Also while I was down there we met up with our friend Lory. I met Lory when we went to Montana this summer. About a month later I was really struggling with gluten free cosmetics. (mostly face wash) so through some research I heard that this company called Arbonne has many face washes and cosmetics that are in fact gluten free.

When I told Chris about it, he was like "oh gosh, Lory is a consultant for Arbonne". So I immediately contacted her. She sent me some samples and it was like a miracle! I loved the products!

I read up on the company, saw what it was all about and instantly knew I wanted it to be part of my future. Arbonne is my opportunity to get what I want out of life! Not only am I shopping for healthy, gluten free*, certified vegan products, I am saving money, sharing this opportunity with everyone!

Check out more about Arbonne at http://heatherann.myarbonne.com

Or email me and ask me anything!

Chris and I also have been cooking lots! Recipes to come soon, it's a new year, new focus, and lots of goodness to come!

Heather

*Most items are gluten free, but not all. Please remember to read ingredients.

Nor'Easter

2010-09-27T16:19:00.000-04:00

This weekend I headed up to Loon Mountain for the long awaited Nor'easter powered by Eastern Mountain Sports.

All week, or actually I think it was all month, I had been stressing about this event. Not because I didn't want to go, but because I was going to CAMP in a TENT for 2 nights with limited control over my food surroundings. No chefs to ask for gluten free something somethings. It was all on me and Chris. I think we made it out OK. I did have a gluten incident, but I made it through alive.

Chris (being the most awesome boyfriend) cooked up gluten free chex mix and 2 different buckles (coffee cakes) for me to snack on. We brought Udi's bread, gluten free cold cuts and burgers. All is good right?? Well sure all is good until I smelled the smoker! Ribs... corn on the cob... everything so good that I wasn't able to have. They were using sauces that I can't have. So as everyone demolished ribs and goodies I munched on my chex mix slightly depressed.

Then the next morning we woke up and Chris made me a breakfast sandwich. Egg, sausage, cheese, hash brown on an Against the Grain roll. All was great until we realized (post eating the hash brown) that the hash brown contained wheat. Both of us forgot to check. Shame on us. #FAIL.

Oh well it wasn't too much of a disaster. But a word of the newly wise to those who are planning camping trips in the future. Only eat the food you bring, and bring more than what you will eat, because it's always nice to share.

Anyway Nor'Easter was awesome! Lots of things going on like the Unified Bouldering Competition, A cyclecross competition, a 5k fun run, and lots and lots of great music! Here are some pics!

I hope you all had a great weekend! Did you attend Nor'Easter fest? Did you have fun!?

Heather

Pesto Lasagna

2010-09-15T11:34:00.002-04:00

So, last week I decided to try to make a pesto lasagna. While it tasted so good, it didn't look very pretty. Here is what happened...

Lasagna is usually made with lasagna noodles... yes? Wellll OF COURSE the store I stinking went to had no rice lasagna... or any other kind of gluten free lasagna noodles. So I decided to alter my plan and make what my family calls "lazy man lasagna" where we use penne or ziti instead, and basically mix everything together.

I tried layering the noodles next? I don't know why I didn't just mix it together. This is where I started to categorize this as a preparation disaster. Oh well, it tasted great!! Here is the recipe which you can alter any way you like!

Ingredients

Brown Rice (or any kind) Lasagna Noodles
15 ounces part-skim ricotta
1/3 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 cup packaged pesto
Shredded part-skim mozzarella

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Set aside.
Combine the ricotta, basil, and pine nuts in a small bowl. Set aside.
Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Spread 1/3 of the pesto into the bottom of the pan. Cover with half the noodles. Spread half the herb-ricotta mixture over the noodles.
Repeat with another 1/3 of the pesto, the remaining noodles, the remaining ricotta-herb mixture, then cover the whole thing with the pesto. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top.
Bake for 30 – 45 minutes or until heated through and bubbling.

It was a big hit. If you like more cheese throw some more on, if you don't feel like you have enough pesto, add some more. It's totally up to your tastes! This is just what I used. It was a big hit flavor wise!! I need to try again so I can get a good picture!

Enjoy! Let me know if you try!

Heather

Katz Gluten Free

2010-09-08T11:28:00.000-04:00

This weekend I received some samples from Katz Gluten Free Bakery. There were dessert items such as cookies, cakes, and rugelech. Chris and I enjoyed the samples as well as my mom, her friend (who is gluten intolerant), and my brother.

Overall, we LOVED everything. The textures were exactly what I wanted them to be with great flavor. The samples included:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Honey Muffins
Chocolate Cup Cakes
Chocolate Strip
Apricot Tart
Marble Cake
Cinnamon Rugelech

My favorite things would have to be the Cinnamon Rugelech and the Chocolate Strip. When you warm those up a little, it's a little taste of heaven. These samples came at the perfect time too, since it was a holiday weekend!

The chocolate chip cookies reminded me of Chips Ahoy cookies. That made me happy! I missed those days.

The honey muffins were to die for. They really had the texture of a muffin. Not too dense. Just right.

The chocolate cup cakes, the marble cake and the chocolate strip were big hits. The biggest hit though, was the cinnamon rugelech. It was the perfect dessert treat. We all loved it.

Want to try these for yourself? Go to Katzglutenfree.com

Also find them here:

facebook.com/katzglutenfreebakery

twitter.com/katzglutenfree

Katz Gluten Free also sells non-dessert baked goods like bread, rolls, bread crumbs, pizza crust etc.

Thanks Katz Gluten Free for making such delicious baked goods and for sharing with us! Can't wait to order some more goodies! :)

Heather

Stuffed Peppers

2010-09-02T11:30:00.001-04:00

This week I decided it would be fun to try making stuffed peppers. I didn't realize when I was planning this all out and buying my ingredients that we were going to have a heat wave and my house would be sweltering with the oven on.

Oh well, it was worth the heat because they came out SO GOOD! They were a hit at my house. They didn't take much effort, one hour after I started pulling my pots out of the cabinets we were sitting down to eat.

So here they are...

Stuffed Peppers
(You can use any color pepper, I went for the yellow, orange, and red since my salad was green!)

Ingredients

6 Peppers (cut off top and bottom and use them)
1 pound turkey meat
1 cup Quinoa (cooked)
½ large onion
1 jar tomato sauce (I used Prego Marinara sauce)
1.5 tsp garlic salt
2.5 tsp Worchester
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp fresh thyme
1/3 cup feta cheese
2 tablespoon toasted pine nuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Cook for 30 minutes Prep Time ~30 minutes

Cook quinoa per directions. Add one cup grain to 2 cups water. Boil, then simmer until water is gone
Crumble turkey meat with wooden spoon over medium heat.
While turkey meat is cooking, chop the tops and bottoms of peppers into pieces and combine with chopped onion, garlic salt and tomato sauce. Saute over medium heat and add remaining ingrediants except the feta and pinenuts
Combine the above with cooked turkey, quinoa, pinenuts and feta cheese (save a small amount of feta to sprinkle on top later on)
Remove the inside of the peppers. Portion the mixture into each of the peppers and place them on a baking sheet. Top with feta cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

Give these gluten free goodies a try! Let me know what you think!

Heather

Mouse of Zen Book review

2010-08-23T11:33:00.000-04:00

Recently, one of my twitter friends (@MouseofZen) released a book called Mouse of Zen. J.B. Conway, a police officer, combined his love for poetry and Disney into 350 haiku Disney poems. As a fellow Disney enthusiast, I was really excited to support him and purchase it. It's available in a pdf version or a paperback. I opted for the paperback because I just love cuddling up and reading a good book. Order it here.

Mouse of Zen is a book of Haiku poetry that I have come to absolutely love. I received the book on Thursday and really took my time to go through each haiku over the weekend. Each haiku brings up a different mental image of Disney. It is really fun to try to figure out what piece of Disney the haiku is related to.

I know I am going to keep this book for a long time on a nightstand or coffee table for whenever I feel the need for some Disney magic. Some of my favorites are:

156.

unwind with her wine

she colors me courageous

on steps of paris

48.

promise of today

melts into our tomorrow

illuminate life

307.

sand between her toes

calm of water paints pictures

of children wishes

Breakfast Buckle

2010-08-23T10:33:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone,

I've been a terrible recipe contributor lately (or always), but i'm taking a moment to share probably one of my favorite GF breakfast treats with you all.

Until about a day before I made this for Heather and I, many weeks ago, I had never heard of a "buckle" in regards to something one eats. Basically, for those that don't know, a buckle is basically a coffee cake style baked good that is loaded with fruit of some sort, usually berries. The large amount of berries added essentially make it "buckle" when baked, hence the name.

Enough of that horse-hockey, here's the recipe:

Blueberry Buckle in the GF format:

Crumble topping:

1/3 cup gf all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 Tbs. chilled butter, cut into small cubes

The batter:

3/4 stick softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs. raw sugar (granulated sugar works fine also)
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1 3/4 cup gf all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 cups plus 1/2 cup fresh blueberries washed and de-stemmed

Making it all happen:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8" square baking pan.

Make the crumble:

Combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the butter cube by cube, with two knives or a pastry blender, until you get chunky crumbs. (If it looks too dry and not crumbly enough, you could add 1 additional Tbs. of chilled butter).

Make the batter:

In a large bowl, be the softened butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in the 1/2 cup of granulated sugar gradually until the mixture becomes soft and fluffy. When soft and fluffy add the egg and vanilla and beat until well incorporated and smooth. Finally blend in the sour cream.
In another bowl stir together the flour, baking soda and pinch of salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to the butter/sugar mixture just to moisten it all. The batter will be lumpy and thick. Next gently fold in the 2 cups of blueberries (make sure they are dry from their washing first) and pour the entire mixture into the greased baking pan.
Crumble the crumble topping over the mixture and then sprinkle the 1 Tbs. of raw or granulated sugar over top.
Bake the buckle for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool for 20 minutes or so before cutting and serving, so it has time to cool and come together.

Hope you try and enjoy it. You can easily substitute strawberries, raspberries, etc. for the blueberries in this recipe.

More recipes to come!

-Chris

Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken - Slow Cooker style

2010-08-17T10:17:00.002-04:00

About once a week for the past month or so I have been cooking gfree dinner for my cousin Caitlin. She comes over and I make something semi crappy because Chris does most of the cooking in our relationship. Last week I decided to step up my game and make something amazing... yet so easy.

I have used the slow cooker many times before, mostly to make pot roast (YUM). But I thought I would try cooking a chicken in there. Why not? I was craving a lemon & herb style chicken so I went online and searched for some recipes. Got some ideas and headed to the store.

Ingredients:

1 - 6-7lb Chicken
1 - small pack of rosemary
some salt & pepper
2 - Lemons
1 - head of garlic

Directions:

Clean the chicken inside and out and then pat dry with paper towels.
Rub the entire chicken with the salt and pepper
Take all the cloves of garlic and stick some inside and the rest all around the chicken.
Slice the lemons and stick some slices inside and the rest all around the chicken.
Place rosemary inside and outside the chicken.
Put chicken in slow cooker. DO NOT ADD WATER
Cook chicken on low for 8-10 hours. (I had a 6.5lb chicken and it was done around the 9hr mark).

This is what mine looked like when I pulled it out of the slow cooker... not the greatest picture, but you get the idea! It was fall off the bone good!! I served it with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies.

This is definitely one of those recipes you can alter to make your own. A lot of people (from what i researched) stick their potatoes and carrots in with the chicken about an hour - 45 mins before it is finished. This gives the veggies some added flavor and even gives some different flavor to the chicken.

Enjoy!!

Heather

Big Sky Country!!

2010-08-10T11:21:00.001-04:00

It's been awhile!! So here is an update!

So, Friday (July 30), I took the day off work. It was my brother Brian's birthday and I wanted to make sure he had a special day. 20 years old. Can't even believe it. Also I needed to pack for one of my greatest adventures.... my first trip west!! (Well way west anyway, the furthest I have been is to Chicago/New Orleans).

We were heading to Montana, Chris' homeland, Big Sky Country. I was pretty nervous! What does one even pack to go to Montana? I am still not sure I packed good enough and I am already home. Well anyway, we went to Burton's Grill so I could enjoy gluten free goodness and Brian could enjoy regular goodness for his birthday. I tried the Steak salad for the first time. HOLY CRAP. I wish I tried this before. SO SO SO good. Honestly. Go. NOW. Try it. I died and went to gluten free heaven. yum yum yum!

So after dinner we went home, I finished packing and we were off to bed. Next morning I woke up around 4am (ouch) and headed to the airport around 5. Hopped on a flight to Montana via Chicago. Finally, 2 time zones later, we arrived in Bozeman, MT.

We were greeted at the airport by lots of loved ones. Ellie (Chris' niece) even made us welcome to Montana signs! :) So cute! Grabbed our luggage and headed to Chris' mama's house. After a busy day of travel and meeting some new peoples Chris and I relaxed and got ready for a new busy day.

The next day we headed over to Chris' dad's house. They sure do have a great view there! And the cutest dog ever... Sadie. She loves the sprinklers and anything involving water.

This is the day I got to meet ALL of Chris' brothers, sisters-in-law, and nieces. What an intense day. Everyone was super friendly and I had a fantastical time! We had a great dinner and just hung out. It was a nice day for everyone. Especially Chris. I know he misses his fam a lot.

Our friend Pete just so happened to be in town this night, so the three of us headed to downtown Bozeman and had some drinks at Bar Nine. Which easily became one of my favorite bars as soon as I saw the 2 for 1 sign outside.

The next morning we got up, dropped Pete at the airport and headed out on a hike. We decided to do a hike near the ''M''. Which is basically a big M painted on the side of a mountain.

I have to admit, I had a little trouble with the elevation here and there. You know considering parts of my home town are technically below sea level (or so I hear). But I loved it. The trails were smooth and easy for me. No rock climbing. Just pretty scenes.

After our hike, I felt good and we headed back to hang out with everyone again. The next day we headed to Yellowstone! The most eventful day of my trip. I was so excited to finally be able to say I have seen Yellowstone. We didn't make it very far. We came in through West Yellowstone and made it down to Old Faithful, but then had to go back. I guess I can count Wyoming as a state I have visited now though? Yes? No? Maybe?

Here are some of my fav Yellowstone shots...

Honestly, Yellowstone (the small piece of it I saw) made me a better person. You just don't feel as connected with nature in New England. It gave me a new appreciation for pretty much everything.

After Yellowstone, we headed back to Chris' moms place. We were going to head to Virginia City the next day, but we were so wiped we decided to save that for another trip. Instead we slept in and then headed to the Museum of the Rockies. Which was awesome, I love dinosaurs. Then we headed downtown for late lunch and to explore. Honestly, they have the coolest bookstore called the Country Bookshelf.

I think I had about 7 books in my hand at one time that I wanted to buy. I can't help it. I have 3 book obsessions... coffee table books, blank hardcover books, and regular hard cover books. Can't resist em! I had a lot of fun in that store, especially with the coffee table books of Montana... I want 10!

Then that night was the Bite of Bozeman. Not exactly the best occasion for me or anyone else with celiac but hey it was fun! I had a turkey leg :) Felt like a caveman the whole time I was eating it. Went to a lot of different bars, and ran into a lot of Chris' high school friends. Good times had all around.

The next day (Thursday in case you lost the plot here) we headed out for another hike with Chris' dad and Chris to Grotto falls in Hyalite. I was so happy to see a waterfall. I loved that day even though I was sad our trip was coming to an end.

The next day was the Sweet Pea festival. OF COURSE it had to rain this day. Oh well, it went along with my 'sad I have to leave soon' mood. We managed to get to Sweet Pea after the rain and then the storm stayed quiet until the end of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Basically Sweet Pea festival is a mix of art, food, and music. And awesomeness. BBVD was the last band to play for the night. Sweet Pea actually went on all weekend but on Saturday, Chris and I had to make our journey back home.

Whew... have I given you more than enough details about my trip? I really did have a great time!! MT was way better than I thought it would be. I loved the weather, most of the people, and of course the prettiness! I also loved being on Mountain time too. Even though I know it is the same 24 hours... I felt like my day was longer and that I could get so much more done. Plus I learned that football starts earlier in the day!! That's what I need.

I also realized that I am SO GLAD I love to hike. It's my new thing that I don't ever want to give up, even though I am still a little wimpy at it. Just being outside and getting exercise while taking in nature makes me feel like a better person.

More updates to come!! We still need to post about our Blueberry Buckle and Chocolate Tarte!! Hope everyone is having a great summer! Have you gone on any vacations to new places? Tell me about them!!

Gourmet Garden

2010-07-19T15:50:00.002-04:00

For about two or three months now, my friend Allie has been begging me to try her favorite Asian food spot Gourmet Garden in Swampscott, MA. Last Tuesday I finally gave in. She had been telling me that there was a lot of sushi options and 2 gluten free dishes. I was really interested in these 2 dishes. Would they be similar to PF Changs? Better? Worse? Would they really be gluten free?

When I met Allie for dinner, we were seated quickly. We got there just in time though, because after there seemed to be a line forming at the door. I had a look through the menu and there were a lot of different options. Especially for sushi!

The two gluten free dishes were a spicy chicken dish and then a ginger chicken dish. Since I don't like spicy I went for the ginger chicken, and also ordered a Philly roll... just in case. Allie ordered a bunch of sushi. The food took a little bit of time to come out... I assume because they were taking time with my meal. The presentation was very nice.

I have to say.. the food was really really good! I was very impressed by all the flavor and the quality of all the food. I also thought the staff was very professional and great with taking care of my meal. If you live in my area I suggest definitely giving it a try... for gluten free or regular food.

In my head I instantly compared the ginger chicken to the ginger chicken dish at PF Changs. WAY BETTER. So much better. I am officially a huge fan of the Gourmet Garden now.

Let me know if you have been there before or have any suggestions of restaurants with gluten free menus to try. I am always up for new things!!

Heather

Independence Day weekend recap

2010-07-06T16:05:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone!! I hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July weekend! I sure did! Started out at the Lady Gaga concert!! Now, I am sure some of you aren't fans, but I do love Lady Gaga. Her music is so good, and though her delivery is quite weird I like what she stands for. Anyways. Before the concert I headed to Nebo restaurant. If you live in the Boston area and have yet to try their gfree menu... or any part of their menu for that fact... hurry up and get on over there!!!

Not only are the servers super friendly, they pretty much have an answer for everything. And the food is really really good. After dinner we headed over to the Garden to see Lady Gaga. I had nosebleed seats, but I still managed to get a couple good pics...

On Friday, I headed up to Keene to see Chris and friends. We made spaghetti and some homemade sauce with sausage. Then headed to our favorite bar, Tony's, for a couple of drinks. A total downer for Friday though, was that I have been waiting for this package to arrive and of course, it arrived as soon as i got to Keene! Ugh so then I had to wait ALL weekend to see it! UPS man has no consideration for my wantyness. But I am really excited about this package because it is my birthday present. Well my birthday isn't until Sept. 12 BUT my mom bought it off the TV and told me about it because she wanted to me to bring it to Montana when I go in 3 weeks. Here it is... a picture of my new picture taker! I have been wanting one like this FOREVER...

Maybe now some of the food I post on here will actually look edible!! :) I am still however waiting for my cruiser bike! This is not a gift, but a purchase from me to me just because. I hope it arrives soon!!

Ok so back to weekend recap. So Saturday we woke up and headed to Spofford Lake. Spofford Lake is pretty small, but it is close to Chris house and has a decent beach area. It was so nice to finally get a chance to lay at a beach! I have been waiting to do that. After catching some rays we headed to a friends house for a bbq. Lots of fun was had until the bugs came and tried to eat us alive. We scared them off with fireworks later though.

For BBQ everyone else had ribs and pulled pork etc etc. I had a burger with cheese and sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. I don't know why but I just love the BBQ sauce on my burgers! And every time I make them like that I call them Sweet Baby Jesus burgers. They are that good. I also had some potato salad and some regular salad.

Sunday we headed back to the lake for some more sunshine. To our dismay it was quite cloudy. So we headed back and just relaxed for the rest of the weekend. It was so good to just hang out and eat good food.

How was your 4th of July weekend!? What did your gfree menu look like!?

Heather

Gobble Burgerage

2010-06-28T19:56:00.004-04:00

So we decided to try a little healthy burger route this past weekend and went with some turkey burgers. Not quite a regular burger, but still good. Check out my attempt at remembering what i did for the burgers, below.

The thing to remember first is that when you use ground chicken or turkey in a burger form they tend to get dry really easy, so it's important to add some moisture in different forms to keep them juicy.

Turkey Burgers

1 lb. ground turkey (i went with 85/15 for a little more fat and moisture)
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 bell pepper, diced small
2 scallions, chopped small (you can use on bigger scallion too, instead of 2 smaller ones)
1 tbs. worchestershire sauce
1/4 to 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all of the above ingredients together in a bowl until well incorporated. The burgers may feel like they are kind of loose, with all the veggies in the mix, but just work them together enough to form 3 or 4 patties.

Tips:

before putting on the grill (or pan) put the patties in the fridge for about 5 minutes to firm up.
Also press down the middle of the pattie just a little. When the burger begins to cook the middle will puff out so pressing down the middle just a smidge will help the patty to cook evenly.

We used rolls by Against the Grain Gourmet, which were pretty good.

Not too bad of a meal, from my perspective. I'll let Heather chime in on her thoughts and add any pictures she may have taken.

Enjoy!!!

-Chris

Carrot Cake

2010-06-28T15:55:00.000-04:00

Carrot cake is one of those things that people either love or hate it seems. But I LOVE it. Honestly, Disney has the best carrot cake I have ever experienced. Too bad it is not gluten free. I sort of gave up on the idea of having a good carrot cake ever again.

But! Chris went to this store he recently found in Peterborough, NH near his office that has all kinds of organic foods and gluten free foods that are awesome. He came home with this box of Carrot Cake mix from Simply Organic.

I was so excited to try it!! We went to the regular store (Hannafords) and bought Betty Crocker gluten free Cream Cheese frosting. And then we (and when I say we I mean Chris) baked the cake. Now it didn't rise very much. So it is a smaller, denser cake. It was so good though.

Perfectly moist, and the cream cheese frosting was seriously everything I wanted in life. If your craving some carrot cake I recommend giving it a try!! It tasted JUST AS GOOD as Disney. Which says a lot coming from me.

Enjoy!!

Heather

A new source

2010-06-25T12:05:00.002-04:00

So i found a new source for GF products near my work. The store is a bit on the pricey side, but i did find some new gems we're gonna try. Heather doesn't know everything i got so i'm hoping she reads this post and gets all antsy to find out. Keep an eye out for some recapage from her this weekend. (I think I might actually be more excited than her to try some of the stuff).

I've got a few things up my sleeve, so we'll see what my GF gal thinks!

Party.

- Chris

Lui Lui - Pizza Pasta and Other Good Food

2010-06-17T14:19:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday I met Chris halfway between our houses at this fun Italian Restaurant in Nashua, NH for a nice dinner. Now in case you weren't painfully aware, Chris and I currently (and I put the emphasis on currently) have a long distance relationship. Well maybe a medium distance relationship. We are lucky to have the ability to see each other on weekends, whereas other long distance relationships (like military wives) the couple may not see each other for months at a time.

Well anyway, Chris went to New Mexico last weekend for his friends Bachelor party. Since we couldn't see (or stinking talk/bbm/text/send smoke signals) each other we decided to meet for dinner. ANYWAY! Chris had heard that Lui Lui had a good gluten-free menu. I took a look on their website... and there are only 4 items. So I was a bit of a skeptic going into it.

Once we both arrived at the restaurant we went in and got seated. The gluten-free menu was on the back of a folded piece of paper with the specials on it. (My guess is that this is still in the testing stage?). I was really really hungry so I wanted a salad OR SOMETHING to get me started. but there were no salads listed on my menu. So I asked the nice waitress what she knew about the dressings and told her I was particularly interested in the Greek salad and dressing.

Turns out the only gluten-free dressing was made in house and was a balsamic vinaigrette. Which was definitely so good. Chris and I ordered a large salad to split as our appetizer. (Again I was starving I forgot to take pictures! woops!).

I think by now everyone knows I love trying gluten-free pizza when I can. I have yet to find 2 that are alike. So I ordered the pizza. But turns out they were out of pizza crusts. (which made me feel kind of reassured that a decent amount of people were ordering off this menu.)

So I then opted for the Chicken, Broccoli and Spaghetti (which actually had penne... but whatever details). It had a nice lemon cream sauce. It came in a very large portion and tasted really really good. I honestly, didn't even feel like I was eating something gluten-free. Then I looked at the noodles and saw they were yellow. I suddenly got nervous that I really wasn't eating something gluten-free. I was trying to figure it out. Totally puzzled. Then I remembered corn pasta. (i ALWAYS forget about corn pasta).

I finished up my meal after my mild overreacting panic attack and then we ordered the brownie sundae for dessert. (I gotta try as much as I can!). It was seriously a decent brownie sundae. Now I have to admit. Brownie sundaes are not my favorite dessert. I feel like sometimes restaurant brownies are crumbly... and even more so the gluten-free ones. BUT this brownie held up good and was perfectly chocolatey.

As we were finishing up, the chef stopped by. He was super friendly. I confirmed that I really did eat corn pasta and we chatted about glutens recent rise to fame! Apparently they have to order gluten-free pizza crusts 3 weeks in advance. Hence the reason he was out. They (like I suspected) are just getting into the whole gluten-free business and customers are responding well.

Here is hoping that their menu expands because I really did enjoy my dinner and service. So if you live in the area definitely stop by Lui Lui!! And if you don't live around here but randomly you are in Nashua, NH (why would you ever do that?) stop by Lui Lui!! It was something so good for sure!!

Heather

back to reality!

2010-06-09T13:54:00.001-04:00

aaand we are back!!

Well, we have been back, but we are back to blogging now! We had such a great trip to Disney. This trip was unlike any other because it was our first being Disney Vacation club members. We decided to stay at the Beach Club hotel.

It. Was. AMAZING!

I want to live there. Seriously... sand bottom pool and everything. Chris and I only got to stay for a few days and my mom and Brian stayed for 8 days... lucky ducks! Well anyways, here are a few photos:

I finally got around to posting the reviews of the restaurants we went to, my thoughts on eating gluten-free at the food courts and theme parks, and my 5 biggest Disney tips all on our new "Disney GF Tips & Tricks" page. Check back when you can though, because I guarantee we will be going again and we will have lots more to say!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! I sure have been, between my vacations and BBQs and having a tan. Life is good!

We are currently taking suggestions on any meals you would like to see us make! There must be something you need a new gfree recipe for, right? Shoot us an email or comment right here! Our contact info can be found on our contact page.

Heather

Eating at the Theme Parks

2010-06-09T11:15:00.001-04:00

All the theme parks have restaurants, which will definitely cater to your food allergy. As I have mentioned all the chefs at Disney are amazing with catering to your needs.

But what happens when you don't want to eat at a restaurant, you just want to grab a quick snack? All the stands have pretzels... popcorn.. french fries.. turkey legs.. everything that smells so good but you don't know if you can have or can't have.

Let me just throw out there what we all know:

"when in doubt, go without"

I really suggest bringing a couple snacks with you, like a pack of Glutino crackers or a Kind Bar or Lara Bar. Whatever you fancy. These are easy to pack on the plane and to carry in the park in a small backpack. Also.. when they are gone, you will have more room for Disney souvenirs when you go home! hehe.

Anyway, there are a couple things you can eat in the parks. Those ice cream stands, have really good frozen fruit bars. When I checked they were gluten free. They also have a sugar free option that is gluten free as well. Also, you can get fruit at almost any mini food court throughout the parks. Usually these are reserved for kids as their dessert. But if you are just looking for a quick snack, I suggest grabbing one. Also, if you are in the Animal Kingdom at the BBQ place (A food court where they have BBQ things) there is an entire fruit plate available. It has watermelon, grapes, pineapple, honeydew melon, and everything so good.

So basically there are a couple options you can definitely have. But again, I suggest being prepared with some of your favorite snacks!

Don't forget to look for Hidden Mickey's throughout the parks and hotels!!

Heather

Eating at Disney Food Courts

2010-06-09T10:36:00.001-04:00

So, many rooms at Walt Disney World do not have kitchens. There ARE options to get kitchens, like staying at the Fort Wilderness or where we stayed at the Beach Club there was a kitchen. Talk to your travel agent, or even call Disney and see what they have to offer.

But not all of us can afford to have rooms with kitchens every time we go to Disney. (we got one this time because we finallyyy joined the Vacation club... where the rooms come with kitchens). Anyway, the lower priced hotels like the All Star Resorts or Pop Century have huge food courts! At first I was very intimidated to eat at these food courts with Celiac Disease.

But since I needed to use my quick service meals, I just decided to ask the places what they had that was gluten free. Amazingly, I got really good feedback. No hesitations from the managers and chefs to help me out. At the bigger food courts my experience far exceeded my expectations. One time I ordered a salmon dish and another time I ordered a taco salad. Both times the chef or manager SHOWED me the ingredients to confirm it was gluten free, then gave me a beeper to know when my food was ready so I could pick it up. Super convenient, and the food was great!! For a food court anyway...

However! There is something not so awesome I want to say about the food courts. They aren't all big! Some of them are really tiny, and this happens when a hotel has a restaurant or two in it. Because obviously the plan is to get you to eat at the restaurant. So what happens when you don't want to pay restaurant prices, don't have a kitchen, and have a small food court? You CAN still get gluten free meals. But I can't promise them to be 5 star.

What happens at the smaller food courts is, they ask you what you want to eat, they call the chef... and he makes it! Kind of awesome right? Well... it also takes 30 mins to make something and for it to get to you. Which can be trying on your patience seeing as they don't give you a beeper so you have to stand there. The food is ok. It is at least available and a good alternative when you don't want to spend so much money on more than one meal a day, or use your quick-service meals for the dining plan.

More good news though... every food court now offers gluten free chocolate chip cookies, brownies, yogurt, and rice ice cream!! Did I mention the cookies and brownies were SO GOOD? They are also lactose and peanut free! Bonus :)

An overall good gluten free experience can be had at the Food courts if you are sure to articulate what you need to the cast members!!

Don't forget to get one of those refillable mugs to get endless amounts of that delicious pink lemonade... or whatever else your heart desires!!

Heather

Ideas of the food variety

2010-06-09T09:19:00.004-04:00

So this is probably not the right forum to do this on, but what the heck...

What do you want to eat? I'm kind of at a bit of a standstill in my brain on what to make Heather and I. We're making some standard stuff, which is good, but I guess I'd like to know what any of you GF readers are missing from your meals that you wish you could have.

I mean obviously there are ingredients that are off limits, but GF substitutions can make those meals come back into the fold.

Let me know what you are missing and I'll see if my sweet Heather and I can recreate them in a GF format.

Leave a comment or shoot us an email, we'd love to hear from you!

Chris

Disney Restaurant Review: Teppan Edo

2010-05-28T11:24:00.002-04:00

I am a huge fan of Japanese Hibachi. It is definitely one of the food situations I miss the most. I am afraid to go (and this is going to sound terrible) because the best places have chefs that are hard to communicate effectively with because of language barriers.

But anyway, Teppan Edo is the hibachi restaurant in Japan at EPCOT's World Showcase. I first ate gluten free there back in October. I remember being so nervous because hibachi uses a lot of soy sauce and everything is cooked on the same surface. When I made the reservation, they noted my food allergy and said I would be fine. I was really curious as to how it was going to work.

Since the chef comes to your table and cooks in front of you, the chef doesn't come to you in advance to discuss your allergy, the manager does. The managers seem to be very aware of the importance of keeping my food safe etc. I ordered the steak and shrimp (this time and the time in October). I just love shrimp on the hibachi!

Well, they said they were going to cook my food separate, which was confusing. I need a separate surface from all the other foods. Well what happened exceeded my expectations.
They cooked my food first! On the freshly cleaned surface! So basically our table got an extended show. They used no soy sauce etc, just salt, pepper and sesame seeds. The flavors of the veggies and the steak and shrimp were so savory. I loved every bite. AND best of all, didn't get sick either time.

Now Teppan Edo admittedly is not the best hibachi I have ever had, but I will take it! You just don't get as much with your meal it seems. They skip out on the soup and salad that you normally get. And not just for me, but everyone.

As for dessert the green tea pudding is gluten free. They also have a ginger cake which is NOT gluten free.

So overall, happy times at Teppan Edo. Our chef put on a great show. The people at our table were fun. And my meal was taken extra special care of right in front of me. Satisfied customer.

Heather (via bberry)

Disney Restaurant Review: 1900 Park Fare

2010-05-28T09:53:00.003-04:00

Where do I even begin? 1900 Park Fare is a buffet. I know I know, what was I thinking going to a buffet?
WELL! My family looooves buffets, and I figured, since I am testing the Dis on their gluten free capabilities, why not try everything including the risky things. Plus when we were making reservations, they said that the chef would be making me a separate meal.

Well anyways, 1900 Park Fare is located at the Grand Floridian hotel. This was my first time at this particular buffet. It had all the characters from Cinderella which I really liked. So when I got there they told me as they do in all the Disney restaurants, that the chef would be right out to discuss my dinner with me.

To my surprise it took quite a bit of time for this particular chef to come out.... And then he didn't speak clearly so I had a hard time understanding him. And I was even more thrown off when he asked me to head to the buffet with him so he could show me what I could eat. In my head I was so confused but I agreed to go up with him.

Then he literally just started going through the whole buffet saying yes or no to whether I could eat the item. "Broccoli yes, pasta no, tomato sauce yes"

I. Was. Mortified.

Literally he left me speechless and then all of a sudden he was gone. It was the complete opposite of the experience I had at every other restaurant I have gone to while gluten free.

I was starving so I decided to give it a try against every instinct that I had. I went for all the items that were just put out, like the fresh batch of mashed potatoes, and the roast beef. Surprisingly the food was pretty good, and even more surprising...... I didn't get sick! I have no idea how I didn't but I am happy about that.

However, in my opinion, unless someone in your family puts up a "I want to eat buffet" hissy fit, I would say avoid the buffets even though they claim you can get your own meal. With all the commotion, the chef didn't seem to care about my needs or even my feelings. I bet the Crystal Palace buffet would be better, but I recommend regular sit down restaurants for food allergies.

I did get lots of pictures, but since I am blogging from my blackberry I will have to update this post with them later!
Heather (via bberry)

Disney Restaurant Review: Hoop Dee Do Musical Revue

2010-05-24T11:06:00.001-04:00

One of my all time favorite dinner shows at Walt Disney World is the Hoop Dee Do Revue. Everything about it is so good, from the ferry ride over to the endless mason jars of sangria... OH and don't forget the hysterical happenings of the actual SHOW!

So here is how it works. This dinner show is worth TWO Disney dining plan points. So be prepared for it the mess with your dining plan a little depending on which dining plan you purchased. Although... I HIGHLY recommend it! This dinner has a preplanned menu... which made me veryyy nervous the first time I came here gluten free. The preplanned menu includes:

A salad with vinaigrette dressing
Cornbread (endless amounts!)
A bucket filled with BBQ Ribs
A bucket filled with Fried Chicken
Mashed Potatoes
Cowboy Beans
For dessert: Strawberry Shortcake

Basically everything you could ever want in a country meal! So the first time I came to the Hoopty (as I so lovingly call it) I was nervous. How could country cooking possibly fit in with my gluten free diet when I am not the one cooking it? Well it does!! There are only 3 things out of this preplanned menu that I could not have:

the Cornbread (I shed a tear)
The fried chicken... (another tear)
The cake portion of the strawberry short cake.

On the bright side! I can have ribs and potatoes and beans.. and oh yeah, that delicious salad.. that comes with no croutons.. in a bucket! So as we sat down to our dinner last night our waiter... good ol Wayne told me the chef would be right over to discuss my meal with me. And he was right... just a few seconds later the chef came over and asked who had the food allergy.

I quickly raised my hand and said ME! I told him I couldn't have gluten, and he fired right back and said "is that because of Celiac?". I love when they know that. I said yes. He told me the 3 things I cannot have. So since I couldn't eat the fried chicken.. he made me grilled chicken. And since I couldn't have the cornbread... he made me those dry rice rolls. And since I couldn't have the strawberry shortcake... he made me a heaping bowl of strawberries and whipped cream! Let's just say I was realllly full.

And just like every other Disney restaurant... the chef is the one who made my meal and took extra special care of it all. I was very pleased with my experience.... until this happened:

Oh yes. In October, I went for my friends bachelorette party, and we convinced the waiter to have them pull her on stage. Well I am not sure how it happened but I blamed Wayne... I ended up on stage playing the part of the can can dancer! I was a mess, the weird headband they gave me fell off halfway through!! Oh well, at least I got my line right. It was all so "em-BEAR-essing". I got a cool certificate and a terrible picture. It was all in good fun. Oh and this was all after my endless mason jars of Sangria!!

So I recommend going to Hoopty even if you do have a food allergy. The chef (who I have actually had 2 times now) really cares about the food and made me a really great meal!

Have a magical day!!
Heather

Disney Restaurant Review: Le Cellier

2010-05-24T10:35:00.002-04:00

Le Cellier is located in the World Showcase at EPCOT in the country of Canada. This restaurant is best known for its steak and also for its cool S'mores dessert. While I couldn't eat the S'mores dessert, I could take advantage of their steak specialties!!

Here is what happened during my gluten free visit to Canada:

Since we had reservations, we were seated fairly quickly. They immediately asked who at the table had the food allergy. I quickly shot my hand up and said ME! (You see when making the reservation, they put a note that there was a food allergy...much easier to write then gluten intolerant etc etc). So, the waiter took our drink order and let us know that they chef would be out to discuss what I would have for dinner that night. Maybe 3 minutes later the lovely chef came to our table:

He basically asked me about my gluten allergy, basically making sure I was actually Celiac (which was nice that he even knew what Celiac meant!). Then he said "Well, what are you trying to have?" I was tempted to say "something so good" but instead I said "of course I want steak". He suggested the Filet. Then for a side he said I could have their cream cheese mashed potatoes. YUM! They were so good! (They picture did not come out well.. I will spare you). He also brought me out not one but TWO gluten free rolls with butter. And For dessert I had my choice between Creme Brulee or Raspberry Sorbet. It's hot here in Florida so I went with the refreshing sorbet.

Anyway, my food came out relatively on time which was fantastic!! The rolls were ok (they are the same rice rolls they serve throughout Disney.. very dry). But the steak was melt in your mouth delicious and the potatoes were super flavorful!

The best part... my meal was completely made by the chef. Anytime there is a food allergy, the chef specifically cooks your meal himself. Which is awesome in my book. I would say if you are planning to travel to Disney food allergy or no food allergy.. make sure you have Le Cellier on your list (and also be sure to make reservations in advance! It is very popular!).

Have a magical day!!

Heather

One year gluten-free! Yay me!

2010-05-18T10:29:00.000-04:00

So I realized yesterday as I was daydreaming about my lunch (Boars head honey turkey, cheese, bread & butter pickles on GF toast)... That it marked my one year since I was diagnosed. Holy cow, time does fly! And as I went home and munched on my lunch I thought about how good food is now. I used to literally be able to eat anything and everything. Just ask my friends, I have even challenged people in eating contests.. and won. But now I can just eat one sandwich and be completely satisfied!!

I love that! I hardly ever overeat anymore. So much healthier. :) So yay happy one year to me! I told my brother (B) and he said.. "I would say like Happy Anniversary or something but it is kind of depressing." And for a second I agreed with him... but no. Let's get serious. I eat 1/4 the amount of food I used to. I am eating so much better. I am much healthier. I am not looking back anymore.

Conveniently timed is my trip to Disney! We leave this Friday! YAY! Stay tuned as I blog my way through my trip eating gluten-free. I will share tips and tricks and as usual, an insane amount of pictures!

Heather

Stick to ribs

2010-05-17T20:32:00.004-04:00

Not for nothin, but the alfredo was just the beginning of last weekend culinary shenanigans. I capped it all off on Saturday with slow cooker ribs on the grill.

Here we go:

The Rub:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ginger powder

The Rest:

3 to 3 1/2 lbs. pork loin back ribs
3 Tbs. Worcestershire (Lee & Perrins if you please)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup cola
1 1/2 cups bbq sauce (Sweet Baby Rays is a solid choice)

Spray inside of 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.

Mix brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder and ginger powder; rub mixture into ribs. Cut ribs into 4-inch pieces. Layers ribs and onion in slow cooker.

Mix cola and Worcesty sauce together. Pour cola mixture over ribs.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until tender. Remove ribs from slow cooker. Drain and discard liquid.

Pour barbecue sauce into shallow bowl. Dip ribs into sauce. If ribs are falling apart easily then you can throw them on a hot grill really quick or simply eat them.

Ribs should fall easily off the bone.

If the ribs don't feel tender enough, place ribs in slow cooker. Pour any remaining sauce over ribs. Cover and cook on low heat setting up to an 1 hour.

Total time can vary with appliance and setting. This works better with slow cookers with heating elements on the sides and bottom; though any slow cooker will work.

The best part is the eating, as one might expect. I also made up some Bob's Red Mill corn bread with cheese added and some family, secret potater salad (that recipe will come in due time).

Non-celiacs advice: if you like ribs and you don't try these you will be sad because you didn't eat ribs.

Enjoy!

Chris

Alfredo Parmesano

2010-05-17T20:26:00.006-04:00

One great recipe from this past weekend. I really liked this one and it tasted like a usual glutenous meal might taste (aka. you non-celiacs would nary be able to tell the difference, give it a try).

Alfredo with Peas

4 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose GF flour

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 cup

1 cup+ peas (thawed if frozen)

Italian parsley for garnish

1 package of GF pasta

For sauce, heat the butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant but not brown. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the cream and milk and whisk until mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Remove from heat and add the chives, 1 cup Parmesan, peas and stir gently.

Pour sauce over said GF noodles and sprinkle with parmesan and parsley.

Good eats! (to quote my pal Alton Brown)

Chris

Mother's Day weekend recap

2010-05-10T11:49:00.000-04:00

How was everyone's Mother's Day weekend? All the plans I made, completely fell apart. But I guess that goes along with the saying "We make plans and God laughs". I had planned to have a wonderful BBQ Saturday, but of course it rained. So we ended up at the Dandelion Green restaurant. Which was good, but after eating my steak I got some stabbing stomach pains. I think we all can assume what happened there.

Also on Saturday Chris and I went to IKEA. Let me tell you, IKEA is so fun!! I love it. I can't wait to go back and buy more things to decorate Chris' house... (my future house hehe). Well anyways, after IKEA we went home got ready, then headed out to dinner with Mom, my grandmother, my aunt and uncle and B. The food was good, minus the after eating tummy pains. Then we went home and watched a terrible movie... Nine. Did anyone see it? It was that terrible musical. Musicals are my favorite genre... so that was depressing.

Sunday was a beautiful day. But I woke up and remembered I completely forgot to make the dessert I promised. This weekend totally worked out to be disasterous. My mom really wanted to hang out for the day so we had BBQ on Sunday instead. We went out to put the delicious foods on the grille... and another disaster hits... the grille did not want to get hot. For some reason it was staying on low even when we put it on high? Anyone know how to fix this problem.. please tell me!!

Well once we finally got the food cooked... seemed like hours later... I bit into my gluten-free burger cooked specially for me.. and my burger wasn't cooked. Everyone else got nice cooked burgers and mine was mediumish. Which I just don't like. sigh.. so I ate around the edges and then had tater tots and corn on the cobb for dinner. Even though there were some bad things that happened, my mom still had a great weekend and I suppose that's all that matters. Next time I just need to plan better I think!!

I also apologize for saying I was going to blog about my BBQ recipes and my dessert! But clearly the BBQ was a disaster and I forgot the dessert. I don't like blogging without pictures so... we will work on that.

Anyways!! Happy Mother's Day (i guess belated) to all the mommy's out there!! :)

Heather

[me and my mommy and Mickey Mouseee]

something so good updates!

2010-05-05T15:32:00.002-04:00

Hmm so it has been a few days, and a lot had been going on. So I am just going to quickly update you on some happenings!!

1. Chris and I went on a hike Saturday!! Well Chris called it a hike, I call it rock climbing. We hiked Pack Manadnock. It is about 2 miles. But it was intense for little beginner hiker me. I could walk for days on regular trails, but when I hike up mountains my body hates me. I need to get into better shape!! I also finally had my first Kind bar!! It was so good! Fruit and nut flavor.. tastes just like PB&J.

[see.. rock climbing...]

[checking out the sweet view from half-way up]

[We made it to the top!! I was trying to look as profesh as Chris, It didn't work.]

[My first Kind bar!]

2. Operation Dairy Elimination: I guess I owe everyone an update here. I am still terrible at cutting things out cold turkey. I am back to eating dairy, but on a much smaller scale. I replaced milk with Silk. But I am keeping my I can't believe it's not butter. I tried dairy free butter and felt so sick after (which makes me wonder?!?!).

I have been feeling better just cutting back! So where I can avoid it for now, I am going to. I think that giving myself a two week experiment was a nice challenge, but not exactly good for my personality and situation. I will still update on my progress of me vs dairy.

3. It is Mother's Day this upcoming weekend!! What are your plans? Are you baking mom something gluten-free!? I plan to make my mom one of our favorite desserts! Don't worry I will share the recipe! It is chocolatey goodness! We are also thinking of either making reservations at Nebo in Boston for Saturday (Sheryl doesn't like to go out on Sundays) OR having a BBQ. Either way, look for a restaurant review or some more BBQ recipe ideas!.

4. I got a sample of Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions to review!! This is the first time I have been sent a product to review. Look for that in the next week as well. Does anyone use coconut oil to cook? What do you make with it?

5. Happy Celiac Disease Awareness Month!! How lucky am I to have been diagnosed May 17, 2009, during Celiac Disease Awareness Month. That seriously makes me so happy! It was meant to be :)

Check out this post with all kinds of resources for the newly diagnosed. These sites helped me out tremendously!

Also Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Heather

operation dairy elimination update!

2010-04-28T11:22:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone!

It has been a whopping 2 days of being dairy free. Except both days I ate dairy by accident. Sigh. I have come to the conclusion that I am terrible at completely eliminating foods from my diet in the beginning. Maybe I am stubborn, or maybe it just really is hard.

I find myself going through similar thought patterns as I did when I started eliminating gluten. First it was "yes i am going to do this, can't be that bad, I am awesome". Then comes the "oh crap I can't do this, it's in everything, people can't possibly do this". Then comes the "oh maybe i don't need to totally cut it out, just need to cut it back". I assume I can't be the only one who has this pattern of thoughts.

Right now I am still at the thought pattern of maybe I just need to cut back. Because to my dismay, I am feeling better now that I have been completely dairy free for 2 meals a day. I love cheese, why is mean to me!? I am going to continue on my journey to eliminate dairy. But I am sure I will have a few more slip ups during these 2 weeks.

Does anyone just avoid dairy when they can? Not completely eliminate it? I am trying to figure out if I should be as strict with dairy in the long run (you know after my two weeks) as I am with gluten. Cheese and butter will be my biggest long term challenges as I love them both <3. We will see how it goes I guess.

until next time! keep it gfree :)

Heather

Cinco De Mayo

2010-04-28T08:28:00.005-04:00

This is a great slow-cooker(crock pot) chicken tortilla soup recipe. You can easily adjust the heat up or down depending on how you like it. I'll leave some tips at the end for that. This goes great with Mexican style cocktails or even a sangria if you are so inclined.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast halves
2 - 15 oz. cans of black beans undrained. (you can use pinto beans too, but black beans have the best flavor)
2 - 15 oz. cans of Mexican stewed tomatoes or 3 - 10 oz. cans of Rotel tomatoes
1 cup of salsa (mild, medium or hot depending on how spicy you like it)
1 - 4 oz. can of chopped green chiles
1 - 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
tortilla chips
grated cheese
sour cream

Combine all the ingredients except for the chips, cheese and sour cream in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Before you dish everyone up, you'll need to shred or cut the chicken breasts up into small pieces. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred/cut away. Stir the chicken back into the soup when done.
Serve it up! Many ways to do it: some like to crush up chips and put them in the bowl then put soup over the chips, then cheese and sour cream (optional). I crush my chips over the soup, but I'll leave it up to you all.

Heat tips:

You can eliminate the green chiles all together if you are sensitive to heat. You can also just use regular canned tomatoes in place of the Mexican stewed or Rotels.
If you like it spicy you can use the recipe above and add another 4 oz. can of chopped green chilies and/or some cut up pickled jalapenos.
You can always add hot sauce at the end too.

Hope you all enjoy this recipe. It's really easy to start when you leave for work and then have it ready and waiting when you come home.

Caliente!

Chris

struggles

2010-04-26T15:09:00.001-04:00

Hmm so today is the first day of my dairy elimination experiment. I am so overwhelmed and I have only had 2 meals! I guess I didn't realize how much dairy was in. It is just as sneaky as gluten. As I said in my last post I am doing this because in all honesty I am not 100% feeling good with just being strictly gluten-free. I do feel 90% better with my gfree diet but I still want to be at my best. So, I am just trying dairy free life for 2 weeks, and secretly hoping it doesn't work.

Beginning my gluten-free diet a year ago was a huge struggle. Giving up eating the way I knew was so hard. But now it is so easy (well as easy as it could ever be). It seems like second nature to walk over to the health section and grab my brown rice pasta etc. Maybe if dairy free works it will be that way with other products too. But for now I feel doomed.

More updates on my progress to come this week!

Are you living gluten-free/dairy-free? Maybe GFCF? Any advice or stories you may have would be great!

Heather

Life Changes!

2010-04-23T10:11:00.001-04:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about life. [thanks mostly to my journey to healthy post and my diagnosis story post]. Sooo much has happened in the last year since I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Not only have I completely changed my diet, I have somewhat changed my lifestyle. Sure, before I was diagnosed I was a self-proclaimed ''foodie'' and made it my mission to try every restaurant that is so good. Now I am still the same, just on a mission to find the best gluten-free menus and venues.

I have also found myself obsessing over food now. And so many people say it too. All I can talk/tweet about is being gluten-free. But as anyone with Celiac Disease can tell you, it is pretty much impossible not to become obsessed! Your whole lifestyle changes when you get that diagnosis. You become a detective of the sneaky villain named gluten. But you also remain a student. I learn something new every single day about my diet. I find a new generic product that has gone gluten-free or find new restaurants that have invested in a separate kitchen. How can I not be obsessed when the hype around my new lifestyle is so huge right now?

As some of you know, last fall I started a blog that failed because I got busy and couldn't keep up with it. I also found myself complaining on a continuous basis about how difficult my diet can be. I didn't like that. My diet can be hard sometimes when I don't feel like cooking and my brother goes and gets food from my favorite sandwich shop. But I love being gluten-free. I eat so much healthier than I did before. In this past year I have gone from completely dreading going gluten-free and cheating and not following directions, to becoming strictly gluten-free and loving it. What a big change! The biggest this past year really. Now I have this new blog where I share recipes, advice and happy times, which is... so good! :) But there have been other changes this year too!

I have really gotten into hiking! I am not really into the hiking meets rock climbing style yet, but long, mildly rough terrain hikes I am totally into. I love being outdoors, in the woods and the fresh air. It is so pretty. I used to like it when I was younger, but then I turned into a little diva and never wanted to do anything outdoorsy. Now I am really back into it. Expect to see several posts about our hikes this summer!

I have also really been getting into traveling to places I have yet to go. As I am sure most of my readers are aware, I have been to Disney almost 30 times now. I think this one next month will be 29 or 30? I am going with 29 to be safe. I love love love Disney, but I also want to explore the rest of the world and other cultures. This was really reinforced when I went to Greece two summers ago. I LOVED IT. I can honestly say it was one of the best trips of my life. Learning about a different culture, seeing their lifestyle was amazing to me. This year I am headed to Arizona and Montana. Maybe not totally different cultures, but they are parts of the country I have never been to, and to be honest, feel completely foreign to me. I am so excited to see other pieces of the world. And you can bet your bottom dollar I will be blogging about those too!

And now this next year is going to have lots of changes too. If you follow me on twitter, you may have gathered that I am going to attempt eliminating dairy from my diet for 2 weeks. I have been having some minor issues lately unsolved by fiber, so I am testing dairy. So mayhaps this will turn into a gluten-free/dairy-free blog! Who knows! Life is full of unexpected changes! I certainly hope dairy is not an issue though. I love my cheese!!

What are some changes you have made this past year or since you have been diagnosed? Are you dairy free with some potential advice for me [please!?]? Leave a comment and share your stories!

Heather

PF Changs

2010-04-22T10:58:00.004-04:00

PF Changs, a very popular china bistro restaurant, has a very extensive gluten-free menu. They even go so far to include it on the back of their regular menu. This is so nice. I love the idea of getting a regular menu like everyone else and being part of the normal.

The menu now offers 28 gluten-free items [i think that's the right number?]. Anyway, I have been there several times since being gluten-free. I have had a lot of good experiences too. The lettuce wraps are delicious, the fried rice is everything you could ask for, and the ginger chicken is so good. Now they added a bunch of awesome beef dishes.

I have however, recently had some tough times there. I don't really like giving bad reviews, but these mistakes are bad, and you should be aware of them so that you can speak to your waiter if you ever go and make sure they don't happen to you.

About 2 months ago, I headed to PF Changs with my friend Danielle. We ordered all of the good stuff and I made sure to tell the waitress my whole 'take good care of my food' speech. Well as soon as we were finished with dinner the waitress asked me "So are you on the gluten-free diet to lose weight, because I was thinking of doing it, my friend told me it totally works!?" Are you kidding me? I think that is my biggest pet peeve. People who go gluten-free to lose weight. I would be happier if they said they wanted to eat healthier etc etc. But not to lose weight. Ugh it bugs me so much.

Anyway off to story number 2. After that incident I went back again with my brother Brian [aka B]. We ordered my normal order and I gave my speech. This time my waitress knew what was going on. Phew. But then one of the ''runners'' who brings the food to the table... put my lettuce wraps on the same tray as fried green beans. No big deal except that green beans were hanging over the side of their plate and harassing my lettuce wraps. HELLO CROSS CONTAMINATION! Luckily it was only the lettuce that touched. I made them bring me new ones.

Last night we headed over there again. My mom and I that is. Now don't get me wrong. PF Changs food is really really good. But here comes bad experience number 3. Last night we ordered all this delicious food.. and it took 30 mins to come out. 30 MINUTES! When I got home, I really started to feel sick. Glutenized.

Overall I think PF Changs is really good. I like that they have great choices but they really need to work on training their employees on knowing the importance of keeping the meal completely gluten-free.

[the lighting was terrible in there so these pictures make the food look less appetizing. plus i started eating before i remembered to take pictures! oops!]

[gluten-free chicken lettuce wraps]

[gluten-free mongolian beef and gluten-free chicken fried rice]

Click here for the gluten-free menu: http://www.pfchangs.com/menu/

Click here to find a location near you: http://www.pfchangs.com/locations/

Click here for nutriontional information: http://www.pfchangs.com/menu/NutritionalInfo.aspx

I would say to give this restaurant a try sometime if you are looking for a chinese food fix, but be sure to talk to the manager and make it very clear to the waiter how they should be treating your food.

Let us know your PF Changs experience!

Heather

Mango heat

2010-04-21T09:33:00.005-04:00

Hey all,

So below is the Mango Chutney Chicken Curry recipe that Heather referred to in her last post. It really is one of my favorites and it's incredibly easy to do. It is uses the slow cooker, which makes it even easier, especially for those of us that are really busy during the week and don't feel like cooking dinner when we get home.

Enough of my blabbering here is the recipe:

Mango Chutney Chicken Curry

Ingredients

4 uncooked, skinless bone in chicken thighs (you can use chicken breasts instead, but i think the flavor of the thighs is better).
1 - 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
1 small onion thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup water
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1 Tbs. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 - 9 oz. jar of mango chutney
1 cup fresh snap peas, strings removed
1 cup uncooked rice

Directions

1. Give your 3 -4 quart slow cooker a quick spray with some GF cooking spray. In the cooker layer the chicken, beans, onion and bell pepper.

2. In a small bowl whisk the water (cold works best), cornstarch, curry powder, salt, pepper and chutney together. Be sure everything is well incorporated together. Pour the mixture over the items in the slow cooker.

3. Put the lid on the cooker; set the cooker on Low heat for 6 to 7 hours.

4. After the 6 - 7 hours on low, switch the cooker to High. Stir in the snap peas. Put the lid back on and cook on High for 20 - 30 minutes or until the snap peas are crisp-tender. (keep an eye on it after 20 minutes because leaving the snap peas cooking too long can turn them mushy).

5. Meanwhile cook the rice per the directions on the package. (Again most Uncle Ben's rices are great GF options; always be sure to check the box though).

6. Pour the delicious chicken awesomeness over the rice and enjoy.

Note: this serves 2 really well, with left over and 4 people can have a decent sized portion. If you are cooking for a lot or just want left over, double up the recipe. This is really good as leftovers. Also it is not impolite to have seconds of this one.

Alright everyone go out there and get some chutney into your life.

Enjoy and let us know what you think of this and any other recipes.

Chris

Friends, Family and Food

2010-04-19T15:25:00.005-04:00

So this past weekend, Chris and I made the long journey down to New Jersey to see his Oma and help her out with some chores around the house. So, in order to beat some of that traffic we both took half days at work. Chris worked from my house and I came into the office. When I came home, he made one of the rice mixes I have been meaning to try. It is by Thai Kitchen, and it was the Roasted Garlic and Chili flavor. Omgosh it was so delicious. I probably could have eaten the whole box myself.

For more info: http://www.thaikitchen.com/

Once we finished our rice, we hit the road. Things went pretty smooth until CT (as usual). We sang some songs, played some driving games, and I tweeted. hehe. Finally 5 hours later we made it to Oma's house. She was already preparing dinner... gluten-free of course. She was making one of Chris' favorite dishes "Mango Chutney Chicken Curry". Here is a not so flattering picture.. and recipe to be posted later...

UPDATE: click here for the recipe

Once we finished dinner we got to chatting about all things gluten-free, as it seems to be a hot topic whenever food and me get together. I guess Oma went to the store to buy the materials to make the dish. She asked the man at the store about gluten-free rice that she could buy me. And not only did he help her out with that, he started telling her about all things gluten-free. He even gave her the awesome pamphlets from Boar's Head at the deli. AND he even told her that they actually wash the machines before they slice the meats for someone with a gluten-allergy. I know these are things they are supposed to do at every store, but it's refreshing to see that someone took the time out to help her AND gave her such good materials and information.

Then it started getting late and we all went to bed. Woke up in the morning and Chris made me cheese eggs.. yum my fav. Then I had to get ready because I was meeting my two good friends Sarah and Caity for lunch!! I was so excited to see them because I haven't since DECEMBER! Sigh... long distance friendships. Anyway, we headed over to the Chimney Rock Inn over in Bridgewater.

I got there and they were waiting for me at the bar! weee! I was so happy to see them. Then we sat down for lunch, and I of course tried their gluten-free pizza. Let me just say... it was so good. It didn't crumble, it held it's own even being pretty thin. I was really excited, but after eating all those cheese eggs, I got full really fast. Also, it was exciting when the manager came over and talked to me about Gluten-free Tuesdays. They have an extended gluten-free menu (which looked reallllly good) on Tuesday nights. And I signed up for a newsletter. I would like to go back there sometime for sure.

For more info: http://www.chimneyrockinn.com/

After 2 hours of catching up, my friends headed home and I headed back to Oma's.. where Chris was already starting to cook dinner! I was still full from lunch! But he made pasta with his homemade sauce (gluten-free of course). And it was very good.

The next day we made the long journey home! This time was less fun because we were both so tired. And when I finally did get home... I got a surprise! TJ got his hair cut! He looks like he lost 5 lbs.

How was your weekend?

Heather

Uno's

2010-04-19T14:43:00.001-04:00

Oh Uno's. A staple for anyone, even the non celiacs. I have been quite a few times since being diagnosed last year. I haven't tried the whole menu though, because I always want the pizza!

Everytime I go there, they seem to know their stuff. So I headed over there Thursday night to meet up with my friend Allie since she lives nearby. We played catch up on our life stories and both got pizzas. While the general experience is always good when I go to Uno's, I can't say their pizza is my favorite. I always get it, just because making pizza is not easy and I leave that to Chris usually. Their pizza tastes pretty good, but I suggest eating it with a fork and knife. It is very cumbly. Doesn't hold it's own.

Sometimes when I go, I have the baked stuffed chicken, which is also very good. Overall I really like Uno's as a quick place to eat, but I wouldn't say it is my favorite.

Click here for the gluten-free menu: http://www.unos.com/kiosk/nutritionUnos.html

Click here to find a location near you: http://uno.know-where.com/pizzeria/

Give it a try and let us know your experience in the comments.

Heather

Not Your Average Joe's

2010-04-14T10:52:00.003-04:00

One of the more popular restaurants in my area is Not Your Average Joe's. I have had the pleasure of eating gluten-free there 3 times now. I feel that is a sufficient number of visits to give a good review.

Last night I got a pleasant surprise as I walked into the restaurant. The manager remembered me! Now only having been there 3 times, that was kind of awesome... especially since this place is very busy. So we chatted for a minute and then he sat us and gave me my tiny gluten-free menu. Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of options... but the menu was the size of a brochure that only had one side. The part of the menu that makes me the happiest is where it says:

Joe thinks gluten intolerance shouldn’t stand between you and a great meal. That’s why we suggest these gluten free items:

Anyway, this time [and the other times] the waiter came to the table and gave us all the specials, and told us what their favorite meals were. [Just an FYI, the employees there can try any meal on the menu once for free so they are able to recommend]. Well I decided to order the Grilled chicken. Every other time I have gone, I have gotten the Cobb salad, which I highly recommend.

After I ordered, the manager came over to the table to ensure me that they would take special care of my food, and that all ingredients were gluten-free. Then my meal came.

I have to say that my past visits, I have much rather enjoyed the Cobb salad. The grilled chicken, was just like any other grilled chicken, and was lacking some flavor. Disappointing when the restaurant is so good with the gluten-free stuff.

No big deal though! Because I got dessert! And so did Nick [he met me for dinner so I could give him my free ICA tickets!]. I ordered the Raspberry Sorbet, which had real raspberries and strawberries underneath. And he ordered the Butterscotch pudding which was also gluten-free. Both were delicioussss!

Find the NYAJ Gluten-free Menu here: http://www.notyouraveragejoes.com/menu_gf/index.php

So give it a try sometime! [Again, I am all about the Cobb Salad!] Let me know your experience in the comments section!

Heather

Marinade on it

2010-04-13T14:17:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share a really great marinade recipe that my family has passed down for a couple generations now. I'm sure it's probably one of those recipes that really isn't a family secret, it was just taken off the label of some product and as it has been rewritten on different scraps of paper it becomes a treasure that brings many a family member back to the halcyon days of their youth. Rambling ends.

California Marinade (no idea why it's called this)

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh is always preferred)
1 Tbs. paprika
2 Tbs. worchestershire sauce (Lee & Perrin's is gluten free according to my interweb research)
2 - 3 dashes of Tobasco (more if you want more heat)
2 Tbs. red wine or balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
2 - 3 cloves garlic

Just mix all the ingredients together and pour over your desired meat.

This is best on beef. I would say that ideally make this in the morning and let marinade meat for 6-8 hours. Then toss on the grill and cook to desired doneness.

For pork and chicken i would say this is pretty good but i would only suggest marinading for 4 hours or so.

Play with it though and see what you like best. All told i would say at least 1 hour no matter what. Discard used/leftover marinade.

Hope you try and like it.

Happy grill time!

Chris

Git ya'self some...

2010-04-12T14:03:00.007-04:00

So this weekend, we took a culinary journey down South...

We cooked up some good 'ol jambalaya. It was good (a little spicy for Heather) and is always an easy one pot meal.

Ingredients:

1 small onion diced
2 ribs celery diced
1 small bell pepper diced (any color; green is traditionally used)
2 tbs. vegetable oil
2 1/2 cup chicken or beef stock
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 - 1 lb fully cooked chicken or other GF sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 lb medium, fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/4 cup rice (i used Uncle Ben's)

Spice Mix:

3 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (vary this or omit based on how spicy you want it)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf

Directions
In a Dutch oven saute onions, celery and bell pepper in the vegetable oil, about 5 minutes over medium heat. Remove sauted veggies from pot and set aside. Put cut up sausage in the dutch oven and heat through, about 3 minutes. Add sauted veggies back in and add the Spice Mix. Give the pot a quick stir. Combine stock, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and rice. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high head. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until shrimp are pink.
Serve immediately.
All the ingredients can be found gluten free, so you can eat it worry free.
Enjoy!
Chris

Popcorn Cake

2010-04-08T11:07:00.001-04:00

Back in December, I was really looking for some kind of amazing dessert type thing that would be easy for me to make since I am still a novice chef/baker. I was at Chris's house and we were watching an older episode of Emeril. He was making his mom's Popcorn Cake recipe. And looking at the ingredients it reminded me of a rice kripie treat but awesomer. So I went online found the recipe and went out and bought all the gluten-free ingredients.

As I was making the recipe I discovered I had way too much popcorn. And as I was eating it, I wanted more candies. So this is really a recipe you have to play with and make your own! You can basically mix anything you want into this treat.

Here is the recipe...

Miss Hilda's Popcorn Cake

Ingredients

2 teaspoons plus 1/4 cup vegetable oil
12 cups popped popcorn (plain, unsalted and unbuttered)
2 cups M & M candies
1 cup lightly salted cocktail peanuts
1 stick unsalted butter
1 pound marshmallows

Directions

Grease a large tube or bundt cake pan with 2 teaspoons of the oil, and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the popped corn with the M & M candies and the peanuts.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter, remaining 1/4 cup of oil, and marshmallows over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. When melted, pour over the popcorn mixture, and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared cake pan, pressing down to fit. Cover with aluminum foil to keep moist and let rest until firm, 3 to 4 hours.
To serve, invert the cake pan onto a large cake plate or platter. Shake gently to release. Serve at room temperature.

When I made this it actually made enough for two cakes! Here are some photos:

[from left: GF Macaroons, GF Chocolate Trifle, GF Popcorn Cake]

Try making this for your next get-together or if you have kids! It is certainly a crowd pleaser!

Heather

Grill season!

2010-04-08T09:56:00.003-04:00

I've been terrible at my contribution, as my lovely counterpart would confirm. That being said I'm back now. Now that grill season is here, it's time to get after the food outdoors.

Non-celiacs advice of the day: If you have a grill, that is not new, scrub the hell out of the grate(s) before you use it to cook for you and your GF friends/loved ones. Contrary to what my friend Peter thinks, fire doesn't make gluten disappear. :) Soak it and give it a good scrub. Kind of normal protocol when getting the grill fired up for the season anyway, but definintely important in the GF realm too.

I wouldn't consider myself a grill master but I think I can hold my own. Heather and I will be starting to work on some grill recipes soon so stay tuned for that.

There is a ton you can do on the grill that keeps thing GF but still really delicious.

Think grilling and I'll be back with some kick ass recipes.

Chris

My Journey to Healthy

2010-04-06T10:02:00.001-04:00

So, yesterday I was a little bored and decided to look at old pics on Facebook. I did not realize the difference in myself from one year ago. I suppose it is hard to see a gradual change in yourself. I have been on the Gluten-free diet for about 11 months now, and I am going to share pictures here of my physical changes over time. It is amazing how much healthier I am today, and how much happier I am.

March 2009 [as you can see I look very bloated and fatigued]

May 2009 [5 days after being diagnosed with Celiac, and already feeling better]

July 2009

September 2009

December 2009

February 2010

March 2010

If you are new to your gluten-free diet, it will be hard at first but in the end you will feel so much better and be so much better. I started out weak. I was very skeptical on how eating better foods than whole wheat etc would make me feel better. I cheated a few times to see if it was real. As I researched this diet and read books etc, I realized that feeling bad for myself and sneaking gluten here and there was not going to help me. Once I got serious about my health, I started to feel so much better, and happier.

So I guess my point to all this is, if I (a girl who was addicted to everything with wheat in it) can do it, you can too!

What is your journey to healthy story?

Heather

Easter Weekend recap

2010-04-05T11:57:00.002-04:00

I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter weekend! The weather here in the Boston area was... amazing!

Chris came to my house for the weekend and on Saturday we headed into Boston for a day in the sun! First we headed over to the ICA where we saw all kinds of contemporary art that I pretended to get, but I totally didn't. I am all about the arts, but an exhibit of pictures of your daughter sitting on a chair for every year of her life.. isn't art to me? But there were some great things there! I enjoyed myself :)

Then we decided to take a nice walk along the Harbor. The weather was so amazing.

We walked all the way over to Quincy Market and ate at Wagamama [http://www.wagamama.us/] . I had a delicious gluten-free meal, which the name escapes me at this moment. But anyways, they make all their food fresh to order, seem pretty knowledgeable, and have lots of options. I liked it. We sat outside too, and there was A LOT of good people watching fun to be had.

Then we headed back home and started preparing gluten-free Easter. You see, we weren't hosting Easter and I wanted ham, so we made our own. Which was amazingly delicious! Plus now I have so many left-overs for the week! We also made lemon bars using a recipe I found here: [http://twosillyyaks.blogspot.com/]. They are so good! I highly recommend the recipe.

Then Sunday rolled around. The weather, still amazing, Chris and I sat ouside all morning and hung out with TJ. Then we packed up my Easter dinner and dessert and headed over to my Aunt's house. It was good to be with family. I love holidays! Then post-dinner we headed home and made martinis. These martinis we tried in Miami the other week at Sushi Samba [http://www.sushisamba.com/]. They are so good!! Can't get enough.

And now we are back to Monday!! I hope everyone has an amazing week in the sunshine!!

Heather

Outback

2010-04-02T10:20:00.002-04:00

I think it is pretty well known that the Outback has a very good gluten-free menu. There are lots of options, even beyond steak, which is really nice. This is one of my staple places. Hungry? Don't feel like going to the store to buy ingredients to cook? Go to the Outback.

While it is still a situation I need to be careful, I feel very at ease there knowing that the staff is up to speed on gluten situations. (at least they are at my local Outback). My personality doesn't necessarily match with how my personality needs to be when eating out. I feel bad harassing the staff sometimes. I know overtime I will get used to it but, it isn't my favorite thing.

Well last night my brother [B] and I headed over to the Outback. I was super excited when I heard a mom ask for a gluten-free menu for her daughter. It is nice to not feel so alone on this diet sometimes. Sure it is great to have all these people you follow on Twitter, but seeing someone is a little different.

Anyways, the waitress we had was great. She knew everything about being gluten-free! But it seems everytime I go there the staff knows everything I tell them. Maybe it is because of all the gluten-free hype right now, but I think it is awesome.

Find a location near you: http://outback.com/locations/index.aspx
Gluten-Free Menu: http://outback.com/foodandmenus/pdf/glutenfree.pdf

Last night I got the ribs and Alice springs chicken perfect combo with a baked potato. It was awesome.
Sometimes I just go for a steak, but it is nice to get something other than plain chicken and steak when you go out to eat.

[this picture didn't come out that awesome, but trust me it was delicious!]

Have you tried eating gluten-free at the Outback? What has been your experience?

Heather

Get organized

2010-03-31T21:03:00.003-04:00

When going gluten-free, you develop a new appreciation for eating at home. It isn't east to go out to restaurants like you may have done before. Although many restaurants are now offering gluten-free menus, they are still behind on the cross contamination factor. Some people just aren't grasping the importance of it.

So where am I going with this? Over time, a lot of recipes are going to come your way as you learn to cook gluten-free. It has only been 1 year and Chris and I already have tons of them. To make your life a little easier, keep yourself organized with a recipe book, or for those of you who love to use devices, a digital recipe reader like this one:

[click here to learn more about it]

If you choose to make your own recipe book, try keeping a list of the best ways to work with certain ingredients, what ingredients you like to work with, etc. Then you will have all your gluten-free cooking needs in one place.

Going gluten-free can be intimidating, but it doesn't have to be hard. Keep track of what you like and what you don't like and don't be afraid to give recipes your own spin.

Heather

Pancakes!

2010-03-30T16:22:00.001-04:00

Chris and I love pancakes on the weekends. When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease, this was one of the first things we tried to perfect. In the morning when we just want pancakes, it is easier to use the premade mixes rather than trying to find the best recipe from scratch out there. So overtime we have tried all of the brands below:

Pamela's Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix
Namaste Waffle and Pancake Mix
Bob's Red Mill Pancake Mix
Cherrybrook Kitchen GF Dreams
Arrowhead pancake mix
Maple grove farms Pancake Mix

After many taste tests and many many blueberry or banana pancakes, our favorite brand is a tie between Bob's Red Mill and Cherrybrook Kitchen GF Dreams!!

Both mixes are easy to work with and have the best flavor, plain or with add-ins.

What is your favorite pancake mix brand or recipe? Do you like any special kind of pancake (like blueberry or chocolate chip)??

Heather

Spaghetti a la Philly

2010-03-29T20:08:00.003-04:00

I have been seeing so many ads for Philly cream cheese in unexpected recipes. One that really caught my eye was Spaghetti a la Philly. It sounds weird but at the same time kind of good! So I finally decided to give it a try! Unfortunatley, the recipe doesn't look all that good through my blackberry camera so no pics for this. But trust me, it is so good!

Spaghetti a la Philly
Ingredients:
1/2lb. spaghetti (replace with your favorite gluten-free pasta)
1lb. ground beef (try substituting with ground turkey for a healthier option!)
1jar spaghetti sauce
4oz. Cream Cheese
2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Cook spaghetti as directed on package.

Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet. Stir in sauce and cream cheese; cook on low heat 3 to 5 min. or until sauce is well blended and heated through, stirring frequently.

Drain spaghetti. Add to sauce; mix lightly. Place on platter; top with Parmesan.

Yield: 4 servings

[click here for the source]

Have you tried this recipe? What did you think?

Heather

Burtons Grill

2010-03-28T21:59:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite gluten-free restaurants that we have discovered in my area is Burtons Grill. They offer an extensive gluten-free menu, their staff is extremely helpful, and they even give you gluten-free rolls! Although it is a little bit pricey, it is worth every penny! I highly recommend to any person looking for a restaurant with gfree options, other than steak and salad. I personally recommend getting the Grilled Zucchini appetizer and a delicious Burtons Burger.

Click here for Burtons Grill locations: http://www.burtonsgrill.com/locations.html
Click here to check out the gluten-free menu (they even list the products they use!): http://www.burtonsgrill.com/menu-downloads.html

[above: gluten-free roll with butter, and gluten-free Risotto Fritters]

[above: gluten-free Burtons Burger, hold the mushrooms]

Go check it out and enjoy!!

Heather

Asiago stuffed dates wrapped in bacon!

2010-03-26T12:23:00.002-04:00

Looking for a good gluten-free appetizer to serve at your next BBQ or pretty much any occasion? Try these!

I have to say, I was a bit skeptical when I was at our friends house and they were making this gluten-free delight! In my head I was thinking... yuck dates, people actually choose to eat those things?! To my pleasant surprise this appetizer was exceptional, and I am pretty sure I ate half the first batch by myself!

Asiago stuffed dates wrapped in bacon
Ingredients

12 Pitted dates
12 1 1/2x1/4x1/4-inch pieces Asiago, Manchego, or pecorino cheese
4 slices bacon, each cut crosswise into 3 pieces
Smoked paprika

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F. Insert 1 piece of cheese into each date. Brush bacon slices generously on 1 side with smoked paprika. Wrap each date with 1 piece of bacon, with paprika side against date. Secure bacon with toothpick. Arrange dates on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until bacon is browned on bottom, about 6 minutes. Turn dates; roast until bacon is cooked, about 6 minutes longer. Transfer to plate; cool slightly. Remove toothpicks.

Enjoy!!
Heather

Open-minded Calzone

2010-03-25T16:45:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone,

Non-celiacs advice of the day: Don't be afraid to try as many g-free items with your g-free sweetie as you can. It's going to take patience and an open mind on your part, but it's totally worth it and a lot of the stuff isn't half bad.

So now i'd like to share a great g-free calzone recipe. For those of you that are familiar with g-free dough, this dough comes the closest to a regular flour pizza dough. Highly recommended pairing would be any of the Newman's Own pasta sauces. All are g-free and the proceeds go to a great cause.

Gluten Free Calzone Recipe
Calzone Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees)
2 T sugar
1 pack active yeast
1 1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
2 cups tapioca flour
1 t xanthan gum
1 t guar gum (if you only have xanthan gum then just use 2 t of it)
2 T rice bran
2 t salt, plus additional sea salt for sprinkling on top
3 T olive oil (plus additional olive oil for sprinkling on top)
Calzone Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
First you want to proof your yeast – The most important part is getting the water to the right temperature. After experimenting, it appears that 55 seconds gets the perfect temperature of 110 degrees F. Once you figure this out, you never have to worry about checking the water temp again.
Warm up the water, add in the sugar and yeast. Give it a quick stir and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. If it is working properly, you will get a tannish foam on top of the water.
While your yeast is proofing, mix together all of the dry ingredients. The idea is to get all of the different gluten free flours to mix together in such a way that they become one flour. Adding all of the dry ingredients to a gallon size zipper bag works well or you can add all of the dry ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk them together well.
Once the dry ingredients are well mixed, add to bowl on your stand mixer. Add the proofed water-yeast mixture and olive oil. Then mix until a firm dough ball is formed. If the dough is not holding together add more olive oil as needed.
You are probably thinking, now we let it rise. This recipe is actually adapted from one I got from Tiffany Pollard, and you do not let it rise. The yeast adds a more bread-like flavor and texture, but you do not need to let it rise before you proceed.
Next roll out the dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick.
Cut out the calzones – the easiest way to do this is with a medium round mixing bowl. Simply use it like a cookie cutter.
Fill the lower third of the circle with your choice of fillings.
Once the toppings have been added, simply fold the calzone in half bringing the exposed edges together. Press to seal and move to a cookie sheet.
Give them a brush of good olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt and bake for 20 – 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

[Many thanks to Gluten Free Mom for this recipe.]

Chris

Can't keep track of what is gluten-free?

2010-03-25T11:46:00.002-04:00

There are so many rules and exceptions to being gluten-free and sometimes this can get overwhelming. To help you out, we suggest getting mini notebooks like the ones in the picture below and writing things down! You could keep your notebook in your handbag, or in your car, just so you will always have all your information close by, in one place.

Things you could write in your notebook:

A list of foods to avoid
A list of your favorite gluten-free brands
A list of restaurants that have gluten-free menus
A list of foods that are sometimes gluten-free and sometimes not depending on the brand or restaurant
Anything else you feel you need to know!!

You can find these exact Moleskine notebooks on the Moleskine website, or at Borders.
http://www.moleskineus.com/volant-extra-small-ruled.html

Strawberry Spinach Salad

2010-03-24T11:37:00.003-04:00

Spring has officially arrived! Since the warmer weather is creeping up on us, I only see it fitting to share my favorite summer salad recipe with you.. gluten-free of course!

Last year, I was diagnosed with Celiac and I had no clue what I was doing. I went to a BBQ at my aunt's house and pretty much the only things I could eat were a burger no bun... and this delicious salad! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. And of course you can always add and subtract things and make this salad your own style.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

Dressing:
1 lemon
2 tblspns white wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tspn poppy seeds

Salad:
¼ cup sliced natural almonds, toasted
8 ounces (1 ½ cups) strawberries, hulled and quartered
½ medium cucumber, sliced and cut in half
¼ cup small red onion, sliced into thin wedges (1/4 cup)
1 package (6 ounces) baby spinach

Directions:
1. For dressing, zest lemon using Lemon Zester/Scorer to measure ½ teaspoon zest. Juice lemon using juicer to measure 2 tablespoons juice. Combine zest, juice, vinegar, sugar, oil and poppy seeds in small batter bowl. Whisk until well blended using mini-whipper. Cover; refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For salad, spread almonds in single layer over bottom of small bar pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven; cool almonds in bar pan.

3. Meanwhile, hull strawberries and then cut strawberries into quarters.

4. Score cucumber lengthwise using lemon zester/scorer; remove seeds using the corer. Then slice cucumber and onion. Whisk dressing; pour over salad, gently tossing to coat using bamboo salad tongs. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve immediately.

Yield: 10 servings

Enjoy!
Heather

The Non-Celiac Half

2010-03-23T20:47:00.003-04:00

Hi world,

I'm the other half of the kickass blog. I'm the half that doesn't have celiac disease. I guess you could say that i'll be providing the perspective of someone who is sans celiac and is all about someone/living with someone that has celiac.

I won't take anything away from those of you that are diagnosed with celiac disease, as it certainly is a really big change in lifestyle for many. That being said, being with someone with celiac, when you don't have celiac is also a change in lifestyle. I can honestly say though that it has benefited my health too. A good change.

So hope you come back soon and mayhaps we'll have some great recipes and advice posted next time.

Chris

Just diagnosed with Celiac Disease?

2010-03-23T13:28:00.001-04:00

Getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease can be a very confusing, emotional [good and bad], and challenging time. First and foremost you have to find out what it is, figure out what you can and can't eat, and learn about how sneaky gluten can be.

Here are some sites that really helped me familiarize myself with my new gluten-free diet.

The Celiac Disease Foundation - http://www.celiac.org/ - CDF is a highly-regarded national organization recognized throughout the world. CDF strives to promote awareness and build a supportive community for patients, families and health care professionals. CDF is actively involved in advocating for patient concerns and networking with other national and international organizations.
Celiac.com - http://www.celiac.com/ - Celiac Disease and Gluten-free Diet Information Since 1995
National Foundation for Celiac Awareness - http://www.celiaccentral.org/ - NFCA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funding for celiac disease that will advance research, education and screening amongst medical professionals, children, and adults on a gluten free diet.
Gluten-Free Faces - http://www.glutenfreefaces.com/ - A global gluten-free online community for social networking.
Gluten-Free Living - http://www.glutenfreeliving.com/ - Gluten-Free Living is the only national, full-color magazine completely devoted to helping you lead a happy, healthy gluten-free life.

Heather

New Blog!

2010-03-22T20:20:00.001-04:00

Hi There!!

Welcome to my new blog. I used to blog here but life got busy and I stopped posting. I want to be a little more serious this time and have my blog be a place where I keep and share recipes, share interesting articles and also share my story of my gluten-free journeys! Hopefully you like it and maybe it will even be helpful!

Heather