Posts Tagged coeliac

Our Gluten Free Nation’s Capital!

Aug 3

Posted by Maureen in Let's Eat Out | 2 Comments

We recently took an overnight family trip to Washington DC.  Between planning tours and sightseeing excursions that would entertain my five and eight year old (and successfully hold my very short nonexistent attention span), I realized I HAD to do some research on where to safely dine gluten free while in DC.  To hit that need home even further, I accidentally glutened myself two days before we left for our trip.  Grrrreat (insert sarcasm here).  I was terrified that I would re-gluten myself and end up puking or pooping my guts out on the 500th floor of the Washington Monument.  I’m happy to report that I successfully maneuvered through Washington DC sans gluten and wanted to share my insider tips with you.  I even noshed on (gluten free) Astronaut Ice Cream at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum!  While in Washington, we dined at Bertucci’s and Jaleo — both restaurants provided me with a large gluten free menu.  Be sure to have a map of the city (or use your iPhone) so you can plan out where the restaurants/bakeries are located.  You can totally thank me by sending a Black Velvet GF Cupcake from Red Velvet (just a humble suggestion!).

Restaurants in Washington DC that offer a gluten free menu or accommodate gluten free dining:

Be sure to save room for a decadent gluten free dessert:

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Live Gluten Freely Product Box

Apr 26

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews | 3 Comments

Diamonds are so overrated! Why not give the gift of (full-sized) delicious gluten free products from General Mills? The wondrous folks at General Mills recently sent me a Live Gluten Freely product box to “taste test”.  These boxes are perfect for saying thank you, congratulations or I’m thinking of you!

I must give HUGE props to General Mills for addressing the need for gluten free mainstream products.  I practically live on Chex cereal (my favorite is Honey Nut) and have been known to sneak spoonfuls of Betty Crocker chocolate frosting for a “snack”.   In addition to the generous assortment of gluten free products (see listing below), General Mills provides a helpful fact sheet on healthful gluten free eating, reading labels, and foods that may contain gluten.   I especially love that General Mills clearly identifies their products “Gluten Free”.

Be sure to check out the Live Gluten Freely site as well as their Facebook page.  I’m thrilled to announce that starting next month, I will join Kim Bouldin of Gluten Free is Life and Vanessa Maltin of Celiac Princess as a Featured Blogger on Live Gluten Freely!

The Live Gluten Freely product box includes:

• Betty Crocker® Gluten-Free Brownie Mix
• Betty Crocker® Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix
• Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy Chocolate Frosting
• Honey Nut Chex® Cereal
• Betty Crocker® Create-A-Bug® Fruit Flavored Snacks
• Betty Crocker® Fruit Flavored Snacks Variety Pack – Fruit Roll-Ups®, Fruit Gushers®, Fruit by the Foot®
• Peanut Butter Cookie Lärabar® Snack Bar
• Betty Crocker® Potato Buds® Mashed Potatoes
• Betty Crocker® Red Serving Spoon
• Coupons and More!

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Sweet Freedom: Philadelphia’s Gluten Free & Vegan Bakery Review

Mar 16

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews, Let's Eat Out | 3 Comments

At the 2009 NFCA Appetite for Awareness event, I had the pleasure of meeting Allison Lubert & Heather Esposito also known as the dynamos behind Sweet Freedom Bakery.  After a wondrous sample of their gluten free cupcakes, I anxiously counted the days till their mid-January 2010 opening in Philadelphia, PA.  Sweet Freedom’s baked goods are not only gluten-free (score!), but vegan (dairy-free, casein-free, egg-free) and without corn, peanuts, and soy.  It was overwhelmingly amazing to walk into a bakery and be able to eat every single item on the menu!  Note to self: restraint is key when visiting Sweet Freedom.

Our venture into Philly started off as any typical day in early 2010…with snow.   Undaunted by the forecast of (sigh, yet another) two feet, we loaded Thing 1 and Thing 2 into the car and headed towards the City of  Brotherly Love.  Once on South Street, we easily found metered parking right in front of the bakery (probably due to the impending blizzard barreling our way).  Having obsessively studied the bakery menu, I was prepared to order.  That was until I stood witness to the rows of muffins, cupcakes, and cobblers calling my name.  Our first selection was a Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich.  I’m not sure what excited the children more, the fact that they were eating a “sandwich” that was actually a cookie or the fact that their Mommy Dearest was (willingly) sharing her gluten free goodies with them.  Yes, I admit, I have a tad bit of difficulty sharing.  Keep in mind that my hubby and kiddos can eat gluten, so I feel totally justified in threatening to administer a karate chop if they venture near my gluten free stash.  But I digress…The Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich ($3.50 single/$38.50 dozen) was utterly fabulous!    

We then moved on to the Magic Bars ($2.75 single/$30.75 dozen).  Oooh, these were good. We barely left room for one chocolate and one vanilla cupcake ($3.50 single/$38.50 dozen) iced to perfection.  Unfortunately, Thing 1 and Thing 2 gobbled the cupcakes up in record time, so the photo opportunity was missed.

Pros

  • Delectable vegan baked goods free from gluten, corn, peanuts, and soy.
  • Dedicated gluten-free facility.
  • Fresh baked daily.

Cons

  • Pricing.  While I completely understand that the price point for gluten free baking is higher, I felt that $38.50 for a dozen cupcakes seemed excessive.
  • Unless you are lucky enough to find a metered spot, parking in the adjacent lot was pricey ($10.00).

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Gluten Free Blarney Stone Creamy Potato Soup Review

Feb 10

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews | 1 Comment

Over this past weekend Snowmageddon occurred.  Here in New Jersey, it snowed a whopping 28.5 inches.  That kind of winter weather calls for three things:  hot chocolate, comfy p.j.’s and a big pot of soup simmering on the stove.  After my diagnosis with celiac disease, I found it hard to find soup mixes or premade varieties without wheat.  No longer could I take a quick trip down the soup aisle in my grocery store and pick up a few cans of Campbell’s soup.  About a year ago, I discovered Fantastic World Foods Simmer Soups.  Their Blarney Stone Creamy Potato soup is “a creamy blend of diced potatoes seasoned with onions and leeks.”  Simply add in milk to their mix and simmer on the stove for 10 minutes.  Inspired by their Baked Potato soup suggestion on the back of the package, we added a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon.

Pros:

  • Overall a tasty and hearty gluten-free soup!
  • Reasonably priced at $3.65 for a 7.5 package of soup mix (approximately 6 servings).

Cons:

  • Do your pricing research!  In doing a search on-line for Simmer Soups, I found that the price point varied greatly by retailer.  For example, if you ordered a 6-pack of Simmer Soups directly from Fantastic World Foods the price is $30.72.  In comparison, if you order the same quantity via Amazon.com, the price is $21.94.

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Gluten Free Ginger Peach Muffins with Agave Nectar

Feb 6

Posted by Maureen in Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | No Comments

“Movin to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches.”
- The Presidents of the United States of America

I apologize in advance.  This song will get stuck in your head for days. Possibly weeks.  Who knew a little ditty about peaches would be so #&$%^ catchy?!  That said, my latest recipe creation was actually not inspired by the evil peaches song but by a Ginger Peach White Tea we picked up from The Republic of Tea. I loved the blend of this tea and thought this combination would be perfect in a muffin!

The melding of ginger and peach flavors provide just the right contrast of spicy and sweet.  The muffins are moist and freeze/reheat perfectly (which is good because the recipe makes three dozen!).

Gluten Free Ginger Peach Muffins with Agave Nectar

3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 container (6 ounces) peach yogurt
1 can (15 ounces) peaches drained & diced
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients and mix well.  Then add in all dry ingredients – finish by folding in the fresh grated ginger and chopped pecans.  Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray. Using a spring loaded ice cream scoop (this is so much easier than trying to pour directly into the muffin tin!), evenly distribute the batter into muffin tins. Bake 30 minutes (or until wooden tester comes out clean). Makes three dozen muffins.

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Trader Joe’s (BIG!) Brown Rice Tortillas

Jan 27

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews | 17 Comments

trader joes gluten free rice tortillas

Becoming gluten free prompted many changes in my life.  While it may seem trivial, I was unfairly forced to ingest itty bitty tortillas.  Gone were the days when my dinner description included the words “quesadilla the size of your head”.   Now I know you are asking yourself the (totally valid) question: “Um, hello Maureen, traditional gluten free corn tortillas are six inches in diameter.  That’s not itty bitty, that’s portion control!”  And to answer your question: Sometimes I want a quesadilla the size of Sputnik!  Then  I discovered (BIG!) Brown Rice Tortillas in my local Trader Joe’s refrigerated section.  Before I share with you my humble opinion, I must admit to missing the lilliputian-sized corn tortillas so much that I have returned them to my refrigerator.  Sometimes bigger isn’t always better.  Well, unless we’re speaking about quantities of bacon or chocolate, but that’s another post entirely.

Pros:

  • BIG BIG BIG tortillas!
  • Works well for quesadillas.
  • Reasonably priced at $2.49 for six 10-inch tortillas (vs $1.50 for ten 6-inch corn tortillas).
  • Do not come frozen (therefore avoiding severing a digit or two while trying to separate a solidified tortilla mass).

Cons:

  • Very chewy texture.  Borderline rubbery.
  • Not your best option for a wrap-type sandwich (easily broke when folded).

trader joes gluten free tortillas

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Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake Review

Jan 22

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews | 4 Comments

“Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake.”

forkfull of gluten free cake

This past Sunday was my birthday.  Not to be all Negative Nancy, but turning 37 was NOT that thrilling in the grand scheme of things.  To make matters worse, a full-on “raging hormone” war was taking place in my SAGGY, FLABBY body.  Can I get a waaaah?  What I wanted – strike that – needed was chocolate.  Lots of chocolate.  My darling husband of ten years knew it was vital that he take action quickly:  provide his long in the tooth wife with some chocolaty confection or get punched in the throat.  Just for the record, I wouldn’t really punch my devoted spouse in the throat.  I abhor physical violence.  A kick in the shin might be warranted though as I take my chocolate very seriously.

Enter the wondrous Betty Crocker.  As you all know, Betty Crocker offers gluten free cake, cookie and brownie mixes.  What could be better to perk up a disheartening 37th birthday than with chocolate cake?  I had yet to try Betty’s gluten free version of their Devil’s Food cake.  However, a few months ago I had taste tested the gluten free vanilla cake mix with good results.  Chuck (a.k.a. husband in reaction/avoidance mode) began mixing the cake ingredients.  Just as I had doctored the Betty Crocker vanilla cake mix, Chuck added two ingredients to the gluten free devil’s food cake mix.  One cup of sour cream and one packet of chocolate pudding mix went into the batter.  The result?  A moist, dense, chocolaty hunk of heaven.  This cake was so darn good that Chuck and my two kiddos were permitted ONE slice each.  I ate the rest of the cake forkful by fabulous forkful.  By the time I got around to taking a picture to post (priorities People, cake before photography!), all that remained was one tiny bite.

My birthday turned out to be quite fabulous and amazingly tasty.  I can’t wait to turn (gasp) 38!  Yeah, that’s totally a lie, but the cake…I’ll take any day!

headerGlutenLanding

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Gluten Free 2010!

Jan 9

Posted by Maureen in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

The latest episode of my Hold The Gluten Podcast is now live!

Episode 31 “Gluten Free 2010!” Features:

  • Listener Amanda, a high school student with celiac disease, shares her story.
  • Is there a connection with celiac disease and our immune system going into hyper-drive when faced with other illness (i.e.  common cold)?
  • Gluten free cookie crisis — Hershey’s recipe revamp gone terribly wrong.
  • Burger King shares their gluten free food options!
  • Listener Joe Z. found Joe Corbi’s Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough to be tasty.
  • Listener Julia LOVED Udi’s White Sandwich Bread — even untoasted!
  • Gluten free food ideas:  Peanut butter sandwich ala Trader Joe’s GF pancakes & some peanut butter.   Waffle Panini made with apples, cheese, and (mmm) bacon in between two GF waffles.
  • What do YOU think of this HTG Podcast? Leave your feedback wherever you download this podcast!

Read the blog. Listen to the podcast. Educate yourself.

Rock on Celiacs!

Click the player below to listen to the show! Subscribe to the podcast using iTunes (or whatever media player you use) at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/htgpodcast

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At Least You Can Eat Cheese

Nov 26

Posted by Maureen in Hold The Gluten Podcast | 10 Comments

The latest episode of my Hold The Gluten Podcast is now live!

Episode 30 “October aka Celiac Awareness Month” Features:

betty.crocker.gluten.free.snacksGluten Free Giveaway! The fantabulous folks at Betty Crocker sent me a their gluten free fruit-flavored snacks to sample.  They’d also like to share the gluten free goodness with one lucky Hold The Gluten listener!  Leave a comment for a chance to receive a Betty Crocker “Simple Joys” prize pack that includes 2 boxes of Betty Crocker Fruit-Flavored Snacks, a retro Pick ‘em Up Sticks game, a light-up yo-yo and a classic Frisbee.  Betty Crocker Fruit-Flavored Snacks is a snack you can feel good about as they are made with real fruit and each serving is less than 100 calories! Now kids – and kids at heart – can enjoy the simple joy of a fun, great tasting gluten free snack.    Deadline to enter is 12/14/2009.

Read the blog. Listen to the podcast. Educate yourself.

Rock on Celiacs!

Click the player below to listen to the show! Subscribe to the podcast using iTunes (or whatever media player you use) at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/htgpodcast

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Hold The Gluten Hiatus No More

Oct 6

Posted by Maureen in Hold The Gluten Podcast, Up Close & Personal | 5 Comments

The latest episode of my Hold The Gluten Podcast is now live!

Episode 28 “Hold The Gluten Hiatus No More” Features:

  • Hold The Gluten is back!  Where I’ve been and what the heck I’ve been up to.
  • Recap of NFCA Appetite for Awareness Event on September 30, 2009 in Philadelphia, PA.
  • Upcoming Gluten Free Giveaway from Shabtai Gourmet.  Drawing will be held next podcast.
  • What do YOU think of this HTG Podcast? Leave your feedback wherever you download this podcast!

Read the blog. Listen to the podcast. Educate yourself.

Rock on Celiacs!

Click the player below to listen to the show! Subscribe to the podcast using iTunes (or whatever media player you use) at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/htgpodcast

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Click for direct download

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