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.