Gluten-Free Hams & Turkeys

As we were defrosting our turkey for Christmas Eve it reminded me that people new to the gluten-free diet might not know to check if the turkey or ham is gluten-free. The glaze or preservatives can contain gluten. If you are going to someone's house you may be concerned about whether the meat contains gluten. Here are just a couple that can be gluten-free.

We're making a Honeysuckle White turkey. The packaging states that it is free of MSG and gluten and their website confirms that the majority of their products are gluten-free with a few exceptions which they list.

The following Jennie-O Turkeys are gluten free:
Natural Choice Prime Young Turkey, Premium Basted Young Turkey, Fresh Young Turkey

The HoneyBaked Ham Co. has changed their glazes on the signature meats to be gluten-free. You can enjoy the HoneyBaked Ham, Sliced & Glazed Turkey Boneless Ham.
You can search their site for additional nutrition information. The new glaze contains modified food starch which is corn based.

Gluten-Free Chex Mix Recipe

Hopefully you've already heard that Rice Chex is now gluten-free. General Mills changed the barley malt to molasses and that was it! It's nice that there is another cereal choice in the "regular" grocery stores.
Now that Rice Chex is gluten-free I thought I could make a gluten-free Chex Mix. Growing up I remember my mom making homemade Chex Mix during the holidays. I called my mom to get the "family recipe." It turns out the recipe she has been using all along is the same recipe found on the box.
Note that the other Chex cereals are not gluten-free so I modify the recipe to be all Rice Chex.

Ingredients:
9 cups Rice Chex® cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup bite-size pretzels (we use Glutino Gluten-Free Pretzels)
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions:
1. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereals, nuts, and pretzels; set aside. In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on High about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
2. Microwave uncovered on High 5 to 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.

Oven Directions: Heat oven to 250°F. In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, and pretzels; set aside. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

You can find more gluten-free recipes using Rice Chex on their website:
Gluten-free Chex Mix recipes

Mislabeled Wellshire Farms Products

I am so disappointed with Wellshire Farms. I heard children were eating mislabeled foods that contained gluten and having allergic reactions. I assumed we didn't buy those products. As I read an article a little closer I noticed that we do buy the dino chicken nuggets, chicken corn dogs and beef corn dogs as an occasional treat. I have completely lost my trust in their company and will be skeptical of other companies going forward. So many people spend so much time and money to eat gluten-free so the can be healthy and not worry about feeling sick.

You can read more about the history of it here and here.

I still haven't decided how to break the news to Matt that I won't be buying the chicken nuggets or corn dogs anymore.

Arico Cookie Pouches 50% Off Online

Select Arico cookie pouches are 50% through December 23rd. We have only tried the Lemon Ginger cookies so far. The cookies were soft and chewy but had strong ginger flavor that was too much for us. However, I am interested in trying the Almond Cranberry or Peanut Butter cookies. It's not very often you see gluten-free cookies 50% off.

Gluten-Free Beers

Nate never acquired a taste for beer but I know for some people it is one thing they miss or find hard to give up. Many restaurants that offer a gluten-free menu will carry one of these.
Some gluten-free beers:
Bard's - Founders Craig and Kevin were diagnosed with celiac disease.
The Bard's website has a locator at the bottom of the page.
Green's - Green's can be ordered from John's Grocery
New Grist - Click here to locate liquor stores and restaurants/bars that sell New Grist
Redbridge - product of Anheuser-Busch

Da Luciano's Gluten Free Shop & Holiday Special

Da Luciano's is an Italian restaurant in River Grove, IL. Da Luciano's also has a Gluten-Free Shop where you can purchase homemade sauces, pasta, soups and desserts. Four of their seven children have Celiac disease.

From now until Christmas you can receive gluten-free sugar cookies with your order of $50 or more.

Spend $50.00 (excludes shipping and handling) on your next online order and receive a FREE ½ lb. box of gluten free sugar cookies!

Spend $100.00 (excludes shipping and handling) on your next online order and receive a FREE 1 lb. box of gluten free sugar cookies!

Dinner at King & I Thai with Family

I have been obsessed with Thai food lately and have been wanting to try the King & I Thai but haven't gotten around to it. Kristy picked the King & I Thai for dinner after the Holidazzle Parade so I was super excited. We heard they would accommodate for a gluten-free diet but we weren't sure exactly what would be available gluten-free. Our serve brought us a menu with items highlight that could be made gluten-free basically the make the items without soy sauce. They serve family style so we ordered a variety of dishes to share. We ordered the yellow curry, green curry, beef & broccoli and fried rice. The yellow curry was definitely my favorite, not too spicy but just enough kick. Those who don't like spicy food as much as the rest of us really enjoyed the beef & broccoli with rice noodles. The fried rice was good although Nate said it's not as good as mine. Maybe he's just saying that so I'll make it more often....

Great choice Kristy! I am ready to go to King & I Thai again.

Land O'Lakes Gluten-Free Baking Recipes

Land O'Lakes has a section of their website dedicated to Gluten-Free Baking Recipes. I expected to find 3-5 recipes but was pleasantly surprised. The selection includes cookies, bars, brownies, cakes, truffles and more. The recipes include those that are flour based as well as some that are naturally gluten-free. The Land O'Lakes website also has a recommended Gluten-Free Flour Blend that their Test Kitchens developed. Don't forget to read their Gluten-Free Baking Tips section for helpful tips with your holiday baking.

Let me know if you've tried any of these recipes.

Gluten-Free Dining in Chicago

Pizza: I figure I better blog about our gluten-free experiences in Chicago before I forget. After our visit with Gary and Jonelle we stayed in Chicago for a couple of days. We wanted to try some pizza and I've heard that Lou Malnati's Pizzerias offer a pizza that is gluten-free. The Crustless Sausage Pizza is not really your typical pizza. They use ground sausage pressed into a deep dish pan for the crust. I would recommend ordering lots of veggies on it with all of the sausage and cheese. :) It was definitely worth the 40-45 minute wait.

Chinese: The next night we decided to try Ben Pao Chinese Restaurant. When we arrived we asked the hostess for a Gluten-Free Menu. As we were seated our waitress quickly acknowledged that we had a Gluten-Free Menu and informed us that they serve family style. Nate and I decided to split the Sesame Chicken and the Chicken Fried Rice. I enjoyed how light and fresh the fried rice was. Unfortunately we were too full for dessert because I thought their Mango Creme Brulee sounded really good, maybe next time.

Cupcakes: On our way out of Chicago we stopped at Swirlz Cupcakes. They specialize in cupcakes. Swirlz offers "regular", gluten-free and reduced sugar cupcakes. We brought a few of each to Thanksgiving and in the excitement of sampling them I forgot to get a picture which was unfortunate with all of the cute frosting designs. It was definitely a fun treat and I was impressed with all the flavor options. Nate had to take over and decide because I was a little overwhelmed.

Panera Bread's Gluten-Free Items

Marcie also shared a partial list of gluten-free items at Panera Bread that she received from corporate. I must admit I was surprised with all of the soup options since wheat is often used. It is also nice to know which salad dressings are safe. Please note that menus can vary by location and menu items can change.

To find ingredients for a specific item: Click on Menu and Nutrition, choose the Bakery or Cafe menu, select a product category from the links at the top of the page, then click on the individual menu item to display a page with that item's ingredients and nutritional content.

Salads:
(including the salad dressing) (source of modified food starch is corn)
Greek Salad
Fandango Salad
Caesar Salad (without croutons)
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (without croutons)
Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (without Won Ton noodles)
Classic Cafe Salad
Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken
Fuji Apple Chicken Salad
California Mission Chicken Salad
Orchard Harvest Chicken Salad

Soups:
Low Fat Vegetarian Black Bean
Cuban Black Bean and Lentil
Vegetarian Roasted Red Pepper & Lentil
Vegetarian Butternut Squash
Creamy Tomato (without croutons)
Low-Fat Vegetarian Southwest Tomato & Roasted Corn
Turkey Chickpea Chili
Summer Corn Chowder

Salad Dressings:
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Caesar
Greek
Poppyseed
Raspberry Vinaigrette
Asian Sesame Vinaigrette
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Roasted Garlic & Meyer’s Lemon Vinaigrette

Beverages:
Coffee
Juice, both apple and orange
Lemonade
Milk
Soda, fountain and bottled
Tea, regular and Chai Tea
All lattes & Frozen beverages
Strawberry Smoothie

Jimmy John's JJ Unwich is Gluten-Free

The previous post made me think of Jimmy John's since the restaurants have the same fast-paced feel. Jimmy John's focus is on sandwiches so one would automatically assume that it could not be gluten-free. However, they offer a gluten-free option on their menu. The JJ Unwich is a sandwich wrapped in lettuce instead of bread. Feel free to ask them to change their gloves if they do not automatically change them. All employees are supposed to be trained on allergies and using new gloves and separate cutting boards. They also prepare the unwich on the paper it will be wrapped in. Be cautious of the condiments/spreads, they put most of them on with a spatula. Any of their sandwiches can be made into an unwich and prices are the same.

Bacon, Ham, Capicola, Salami, and Turkey are gluten-free.

Beef and Cheese are not gluten-free.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Recently we went to visit Gary and Jonelle in Indiana. Before we left I wanted to see if there were any gluten-free restaurants. I found my new friend Marcie through the Celiac Sprue Association and I really lucked out. Marcie emailed me an extensive list of restaurants in the area. Nate and I were seriously overwhelmed with all of the suggestions.
When Gary was done with work the four of us decided to grab a bite to eat at Five Guys. Their menu is pretty simple - burgers, dogs and fries. The fun part is you pick your burger, a regular one is 2 patties a little one is 1 patty and then you get to choose from their 15 toppings with no upcharge. To keep the meal gluten-free order without the bun, but with all of the topping choices I don't think you'll mind. You could also ask them if they could wrap it in lettuce instead. The french fries are made from fresh cut potatoes and are made in dedicated fryers. We were all very pleased with the quality and quantity of the meal. Unfortunately the closest location to us is in St. Cloud or we could always visit Gary and Jonelle again.

Specials on Amazon.com

Just in time for the holidays certain Bob's Red Mill products are 10% off on Amazon. Enter the code REDMIL25 when you check out. You can also save an additional 15% by signing up for their Subscribe & Save program. This program lets you choose a regular delivery schedule for products you use frequently.
The Gluten-Free Pantry products are also 10% off at Amazon when you enter the code PANTRYG4. Both specials end November 30th.

Update: This offer has expired however you can still save 15% by using the Subscribe & Save program.

Thanksgiving Dinner at Cafe Agri

I was pretty shocked to see the words gluten-free stuffing as I scanned my City Pages Dining Newsletter. If you are looking for a gluten-free Thanksgiving meal in the Twin Cities you are in luck. Cafe Agri has a special Thanksgiving menu. It includes a tofu-dish shaped like a turkey, gluten-free stuffing, cranberry sauce and corn. Just because someone is gluten-free does not mean they like to cook.
Now my husband wouldn't be too thrilled about the turkey shaped tofu but it is nice to see that there are options, even on a holiday.

Make sure to make reservations by Wednesday, November 26th.
Cafe Agri
612-822-3101

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken

This is a Betty Crocker recipe that we really like at our house. It is easy to put together before I leave for work and takes minimal effort when we get home.

Prep Time: 15 min.
Start to Finish: 9hr. 15 min.
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs, skin removed (2 pounds)
3/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Note: La Choy soy sauce is GF or you can use San-J Organic Wheat Free Tamari)
1 teaspoon grated gingerroot
1/4 chopped peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. Place chicken in 3 1/2-to 6-quart slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients except peanuts and cilantro; pour over chicken.
2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Remove chicken from slow cooker, using slotted spoon; place on serving platter.
3. Remove sauce from slow cooker; skim fat from sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.

Serve with rice that has been cooked with canned coconut milk. The sweet rice is a really nice compliment if you use a spicy salsa.

Ice Cream Cones Update

We bought the last 2 boxes of ice cream cones at Fresh and Natural Foods today. I was a little bummed to see that the price went up a bit but they are still definitely worth it. The Let's Do...Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones are distributed by Edward & Sons Trading Co. On their website you can enter your zip code to find stores near you that carry them.

Pizza on Wednesdays too!

As I checked my email tonight I found a nice little surprise. Pizza Luce will now be offering their Gluten-free menu on Wednesday nights in addition to Tuesday nights! I knew it wouldn't be long before they saw that the demand was there. While at the same time I really respect that they are slowly expanding it to eliminate cross-contamination as much as possible.
Please note the Gluten-free menu is only available at their St. Paul location on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Go support their new menu and enjoy some Gluten-free pizza.

Chiang Mai Thai Review

After running some errands this weekend we decided to treat ourselves to lunch at Chiang Mai Thai. I've been wanting to go there for awhile and since they have a Gluten-Free menu we thought it was the perfect excuse. We asked the host if there was a separate Gluten-Free menu and he handed us a 3 page menu. We started with the Chicken Satay appetizer. Nate was a little hesitant of the peanut curry sauce since he isn't a big fan of either of those. I convinced him to try it and he was very surprised that he actually liked it. I orderd the Penang Curry with chicken. The chicken was simmered in a coconut milk and was amazing. Nate ordered the Chili Sauce Stir Fry with beef. Both meals were served with steamed jasmine rice and were a little spicy which is expected with Thai food. Their menu has a "Heat Scale" for those who like something a little less or more spicy. Our leftovers made for a great lunch the next day. The service was great and I'm already trying to find an excuse to go back soon.

For Beer Drinkers: They also carry Redbridge and Strongbow Dry Cider.

We love love love Namaste mixes!

Nate loves the blondies from Cooqi so when I saw a gluten-free blondie mix at the health food store I thought we'd try it. We love the Namaste Foods blondie mix. My dad preferred the gluten-free blondies over the wheat ones. We decided to try the brownie mix and loved that as well. Everything turns out very moist and you can barely tell it's gluten-free. The cashier told me it was her favorite brownie mix and since I've been back they've been sold out of the blondie mix. These mixes are so convenient and easy to make. We buy them at Fresh & Natural Foods. I've also seen some at Rainbow and they are available online.

Gluten-Free Banana Bread Recipe

This recipe is the reason that Matt no longer eats bananas. He assumes that if he lets the bananas ripen I will make banana bread. He's usually right about this.
I started using this recipe about a year ago and don't remember where I found it. It has been modified slightly along the way. One of the things I love about this recipe is that you don't need to have a bunch of different flours on hand. We usually use white rice flour but brown rice flour or a prepared GF baking mix will work as well.

Ingredients:
1 stick softened butter
1 c sugar
3 bananas
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 c rice flour
2 tsp baking powder

Directions:
Mix butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs, bananas and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix flour and baking powder. Combine dry ingredients until moist. Put batter in a loaf pan (5x9 inch)
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Wildfire Review

We celebrated Nate's birthday at Wildfire in Eden Prairie. Last time we were there they automatically brought out gluten-free bread along with the regular bread. Today we had to ask for the gluten-free bread. They bring out a warm Kinnikinnick Foods English Muffin with butter. Their gluten-free menu has quite a few options. While it may not sound very exciting to the average person, Nate choose the Black Angus Burger. Their burgers and sandwiches are served on a gluten-free bun, which is the english muffin again. This is the only restaurant that I've seen Nate eat a burger with the bun. You also get your choice of potato or broccoli. The white cheddar au gratin potatoes are very good. Since it was Nate's birthday the waitress brought out a flourless chocolate cake. We all enjoyed helping him finish it since he was kind of full by then.
Another nice perk about Wildfire is since I called ahead they put us in a separate private room. I have been very impressed with them so far, even during busy times they are very helpful. Be sure to ask for the GF menu and remind the staff that you are ordering gluten-free.
Most Wildfire locations are in Illinois however, they also have locations in Georgia, Minnesota and Virginia.

Chili's

We planned on going to Ronnally's for pizza with Tim, Katie and Emma. We were disappointed to discover they were closed for no apparent reason, instead we decided to go to Chili's. Chili's has a menu of suggested options for gluten allergies. Some restaurants have the allergen sheet/menu on hand but you can also find it on their website. Most of the items are pretty obvious for someone who is used to the gluten-free diet. I think the menu is helpful since it shows which sauces and salad dressings are safe. Nate usually avoids BBQ sauce at restaurants since it can contain wheat or modified food starch. Both the BBQ sauce and Honey BBQ sauce at Chili's are gluten-free. Nate's favorite part of their menu is the Baked Potato soup. It is very rich but not something you can typically find gluten-free in a restaurant.

Gluten-Free Halloween Candy

Last Halloween I passed out a couple of different kinds of candy including some with wheat. My theory was if I bought some with wheat I wouldn't have to worry as much about people in the house eating it before Halloween. I felt bad when Halloween came around and I grabbed a piece of wheat candy and a little girl explained that she couldn't have it becaue she was allergic to wheat. Luckily I had other options for her. Because I heard that some siblings would trade 1 piece of GF candy for multiple pieces of wheat candy. Pretty sneaky... :)

Remember to check labels regularly. Candy manufacturers can change ingredients or ingredient vendors and are also known to change facilities. Also check the ingredients on different sizes and versions of candies. A candy in a fun size may not always have the same ingredients as the full size version.

Are you looking for natural, vegan, gluten-free, casein free, organic lollipops? Yummy Earth has lollipops that are allergen free and also free of high fructose corn syrup.

If you like Tootsie roll products and are wondering if certain candies are gluten-free click here to go to their website. Under "Product Nutrition" select the appropriate candy and it will tell you the allergen information for that product.

Just Born products:

Are your candies gluten-free?
The modified food starch that we use in our candies in corn starch. We are in the process of updating our package labels to reflect products that are gluten free. Our gluten free brands are: MIKE AND IKE® Brand Candies, HOT TAMALES® Brand Candies, PEEPS® Marshmallow Candies, PEANUT CHEW® Brand candies, TEENEE BEANEE® Jelly Beans and JUST BORN® Jelly Bean. This information pertains to all Just Born candies that we make and package at our two manufacturing locations (Bethlethem, PA and Philadelphia, PA) and are in their orginal packaging. Please be aware that we do sell some of our products in bulk to other manufacturers who may be repackaging them in another facility. We encourage consumers to read the labels carefully for any gluten information on products that might be packaged elsewhere. For further questions, we recommend consumers call our Consumer Relations Team toll-free at 1-888-645-3453.

Gluten-Free Bread

Anyone who has tried gluten-free bread knows that it can be difficult to find a decent one. Some people compare the breads to cardboard however, I've never tasted cardboard. For convenient sandwich bread we buy the Ener-G Foods bread. Nate preferred the tapioca loaf and it was pretty easy to find at Fresh and Natural Foods or Rainbow. Now there was a trick to using this bread, he would wrap the bread in a damp paper towel and put it in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds.

One day we noticed the Ener-G Light Tapioca Loaf and decided to give it a try since it was cheaper and lighter than our usual version. It is one of their lightest breads and has less fat and calories than the regular tapioca loaf. When we went to the health food store to purchase more we noticed they were selling out of it and we'd have to special order it.

Ener-G Food's breads come in vacuum sealed packaging that gives it a long shelf life up to a year. It never lasts that long in our house even with buying it by the case at.
The light tapioca is a lot lighter and does not need to be wrapped in a paper towel. It is better in the microwave for about 30 seconds or toasted.

Look for the neon green bag of light tapioca loaf, that is if they are not sold out!

Pepper Beef Stir Fry

I found this recipe on La Choy's website. The guys thought it sounded weird when they saw the ketchup but once they tried it they loved it.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Pure Wesson® Vegetable Oil, divided
1 large red bell pepper, chopped into large chunks
1 medium onion, chopped into large chunks
1 pound boneless beef sirloin, cut across grain into 2 x 1/2-inch strips
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (8 oz each) La Choy® Bamboo Shoots, drained
1/3 cup La Choy® Soy Sauce (Note: La Choy soy sauce is GF or you can use San-J Organic Wheat Free Tamari)
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons Hunt's® Ketchup
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
Chow Mein Noodles, optional (Note: Nate uses Grandma Ferdon's Brown Rice Chow Mein Noodles)

Directions:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large skillet or wok over high heat. Cook and stir red bell pepper and onion about 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from skillet; set aside.
2. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon oil into skillet. Cook and stir beef and garlic about 2 minutes until browned. Add bamboo shoots and cooked vegetables back to skillet.
3. Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar and ketchup in small bowl. Add to skillet. Stir together cornstarch and water until smooth; add to skillet. Cook until heated through and sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute. Serve with chow mein noodles, if desired.
Serves 4

Gluten Free Menu Planner

Enjoy cooking but hate planning meals? For only $10 a month you can skip the menu planning and just worry about cooking. GFree cuisine takes care of the menu planning and grocery list. You pick your weekly recipes and they create the grocery list for you. They worked with Carol Fenster to create these recipes. You can view sample options on their website.
This sounds like a great idea for our house where everyone has the same attitude, "I'll cook if you tell me what to make."

Let's Do...Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones

The other day we had a problem when Nate realized the only ice cream we had in the house was plain vanilla. He was upset because it wasn't exciting enough for his ice cream cones. These are very reasonably priced at about $2.50 for a box of 12 and they come packaged nicely so they're not all broken. They look and taste just like the "regular" cake cones. I think these would be great for kids since they look just like the original cones. It wouldn't look like they had to eat a different version than their siblings or friends.

Glutenfreeda's Real Cookies Frozen Dough

Nate cheated last night. When I got home from work the house smelled like cinnamon and sugar. I knew he wasn't making dinner yet so I was a bit confused. He decided to make Glutenfreeda's Snicker Poodles, their version of a snickerdoodle. Now he even admits that he "cheated" since this isn't really baking. These are super easy to make though when you want a fresh warm cookie. The dough comes frozen and the cookies are already formed so all you need to do is put them on a baking sheet and place them in the oven. The bake into the perfect size cookie and are very soft. Now these aren't necessarily cheap but I think they're worth if for the occasional treat and the convenience. The containers are resealable so you can make just a couple or mix and match for a variety. We recommend the Snicker Poodles but Nate might have to try the other flavors to see if they are worth it as well.

Frito-Lay Allergen Lists

Frito-Lay has recently updated their list of products for those with special dietary needs. They have a list of products not containing gluten as well as those not containing corn. Unfortunately depending on your sensitivities or how strict you are you need to look at a couple of their lists and it quickly limits the items. For example, some people now say MSG is "safe" although we prefer to avoid it.

They are obviously aware of the need. Their first nutrition question is:
Do Frito-Lay products contain gluten? Some of our snacks contain gluten.
For a list of products not containing gluten click here.

Park Tavern Review

After visiting baby Layla we decided to stop for lunch. The hospital happens to be right by Park Tavern where they offer GF pizza. They use pizza crust from Cooqi. Here's a picture of our pizza. As you can see they really load on the toppings. They mentioned they are working on adding personal size pizzas to the menu too. FYI - Nate likes having the leftovers cold the next day while watching football.

Shabtai Gourmet Review

To celebrate Nate's new promotion I ordered him some items from Shabtai Gourmet. I decided we would try the Raspberry Roll and the Devils Food 7 Layer Cake. The Raspberry Roll had a little more coconut than Nate prefers but he still enjoyed it. The raspberry filling is very sweet. He really liked the 7 Layer cake as well. Their products are also corn free and dairy free for those with multiple allergies. Nate says we will definitely be ordering from them again, we were both impressed with the size of these items. They offer some slightly different options than the bakeries by us too. I placed my order on Monday and they were delivered by Friday, packed with an ice pack. We love that they have free shipping too. FYI - They also go by the name Cinderella Sweets.

Godfather's GF Pilot Program

Godfather's is currently testing GF pizza at their corporate location in Omaha, Nebraska. It is only offered at this location so they can focus on eliminating any cross conatimination issues. They will look for other locations to agree to their strict guidelines and offer a GF pizza crust. The hope to have this available sometime in 2009.

I really enjoyed the fact that we weren't one of those families that ate pizza every week. With all of these GF pizza options I might not be able to say that much longer. My grandma will like to hear this though. She's a big fan of getting Godfather's for family get togethers when she's in town so we don't have to cook. Maybe Nate will be able to eat more than just a salad.

Tuesdays = Pizza

While we won't go every week I'm thinking Tuesdays will frequently be pizza night. If you subscribe to the Pizza Luce newsletter you saw that their gluten-free menu is available on Tuesdays starting today. When we previewed the menu I was upset that I forgot to bring a camera. Well, they had a photographer there who wanted to take a picture of our pizzas and they used the photo in the newsletter. See Nate's arm in there?

Heinz

Heinz has recently added a world-wide list of gluten-free products to their website. Check it out for easier planning/shopping.

Bed and Breakfasts

Are you looking for a Bed and Breakfast that offers gluten free meals? The InnSeekers website lets you search for Bed and Breakfasts by state and then on the lefthand side you can filter your search by those that offer gluten free meals.

Original Pancake House

After a day of picking some apples and enough pumpkins for a Day Care, literally; there was only one way to refuel Nate. We decided to have lunch at the Original Pancake House, one of Nate's favorite restaurants. From our experience they can make the majority of the pancakes GF. Nate ordered cinnamon raisin pancakes which I must say were amazing. We also like the strawberry pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, apple crepes, fresh strawberry crepes, as you can see we haven't been dissapointed yet. Nate has tried pancakes at both the Edina and Maple Grove locations. While he says the Edina location is good the pancakes at the Maple Grove location are better. We both have their phone number saved in our phone to make last minute reservations.

Not all OPH locations offer GF pancakes and crepes so be sure to call ahead.

October - Celiac Awareness Month

October is Celiac Awareness Month. To help promoting getting the word out I have created a list of GF restaurants outside of Minnesota so those traveling or who live out of state can support these businesses. These restaurants realize there is a growing demand for GF options and want all of their customers to have a great experience.
Please note some of these restaurants have a separate GF menu while others accommodate special dietary requests. For example, at Maggiano's they will bring the chef out to discuss what you would like. While Nate likes that the chef comes out and will make whatever he requests some people do not like the special attention and being singled out. Some restaurants do not offer much of a selection but post their allergen list online to make things a little easier. If you have any questions it is always a good idea to call ahead first.
Let me know if you discover any other restaurants we can add to the lists.

Pizza Luce Gluten Free Menu Preview

Yesterday we previewed the GF menu at Pizza Luce. They handed us their new GF menu that included chicken wings, artichoke dip w/rolls, pizza, pasta and beer. I told Nate to choose 2 pizzas so he could try 2 different kinds. He decided on "The Bear" and "Baked Potato Pizza." I didn't know it was possible for someone to smile the whole way through dinner but he managed to. Out of the GF pizza crust that I've tried at restaurants this pizza tasted the most like "regular" pizza.
Laura, co-owner of the St Paul location stopped at our table to talk with us. Laura is a vegetarian so she is familar with a restricted diet. However, since it is a choice and not for medical reasons she decided to go GF for 2 weeks to understand the GF diet more. The training Laura and her staff went through is amazing. They really want to do this right.
Since the pizza is made with crust from Cooqi they had samples of brownies and pumpkin bars. Even people who are not GF were raving about the brownies.

It looks like we'll be spending a lot of Tuesday nights in St Paul.

Shabtai Gourmet

Shabtai Gourmet is a GF Bakery that offers GF 7 layer cakes, swiss chocolate rolls, breadcrumbs, etc. They have free shipping in the Continental U.S. We have not tried them yet but they look amazing from the pictures. Nate is anxious to try the Raspberry Roll. Has anyone tried their products yet? Let us know what you recommend.

Cooqi

Right now our favorite bakery is Cooqi in St Paul. Even though I am not gluten-free I cannot walk in there without getting a brownie for myself. Nate's favorites are the doughnuts, mini doughnuts, blondies, brownies, pumpkin bars, cookies. Ok, all of it is really good. Check out their website for specials. They also list the ingredients on their website. If you find yourself in St. Paul definitely stop for a treat.

Cooqi Gluten-Free Delights
2186 Marshall Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104
Hours:Tuesday through Saturday 9 am – 6 pm
Sunday 10 am – 4 pm
Phone (651) 645-4433

Chebe Cheese Rolls

The other night we tried the Chebe Bread mix for the first time. I planned on making half of it and freezing the other half of dough. Nate didn't like that idea so we made all of it. I added some cheddar cheese and then Nate added another handful of cheese and we rolled them into small rolls. Nate used them as bread for Italian Dunkers and ate the rest for lunch the next two days. Since I had my own bread I only snuck one but they were very good, next time I might take more. I would like to try making bread sticks or sandwich buns with it.

Pizza Luce

Pizza Luce will begin offering a Gluten-Free menu starting Tuesdays in mid-October at their St. Paul location. They will offer a GF pizza crust from Cooqi Bakery. Almost all of their pizzas will be available GF except for a couple of toppings including mock duck and fake meat products like phony-pepperoni. They have worked on procedures and training to eliminate issues with cross contamination. As they gain more experience they will look to expand the menu as well as to more of their locations. They are planning on adding a GF stuffed shells pasta dish as well as GF beer!

Other menu items that are currently GF include BBQ and Buffalo Wings and the Artichoke Dip. When they start "GF Tuesdays" at the St. Paul location they will have GF rolls from French Meadow Bakery.

If you go to their website http://www.pizzaluce.com/ you can sign up for their e-newsletter. They will place an announcement when they roll out the GF menu.

Why Blog Gluten-Free?

Nate and I are obsessed with finding restaurants that offer a gluten-free menu or will accommodate a gluten-free diet. We enjoy trying new places but don't want to worry if we'll regret it the next day. Many people who have celiac disease are scared to go out to eat or feel very limited in their options. I was tired of seeing Nate order a salad, plain steak or chicken or a burger without the bun. While I stared at the menu overwhelmed by the options he choose by process of elimination. Just a few years ago we never went out for Italian, now there are many places he can have pizza or pasta. We find out about most of these restaurants from the Northland Celiacs website.

We're always trying to share this information with family and friends so they are aware of these new options. Nate suggested I blog as a way to share and track our latest discoveries. I think he sees at as an excuse to try more pizza but that's ok too.

As many of you know gluten-free (GF) food specialty foods can be very expense so you don't want to spend a lot of money on something you won't like. We thought this would also be a good place to post GF product reviews. Feel free to post suggestions to help with my attempt to keep Nate from getting bored.