Gluten Free is Life

Do you eat Van’s Gluten-Free Waffles? If so,I have a question for you. Have you noticed a difference in the quality lately? 

Let me preface by saying that I eat these waffles once or twice a week,so often enough to have a close relationship with the waffles &notice if things start to change. I noticed a few weeks back that the waffles seemed less stable,though I am not sure that is the right word. They seemed to fall apart much easier. I often spread almond butter or jelly on the waffles &then top with fruit. When I would go to spread my almond butter,they would fall apart. At first I was not overly concerned. I simply pieced them together on my plate &went about my breakfast,as I usually eat them with a fork anyway. 

Fast forward to our beach vacation. I bought a box of the same waffles at Food Lion in North Carolina and they had the same issues. Clearly this wasn’t just an isolated incident at this point. I purchased 2 boxes while in NC and both boxes had “less than perfect” waffles. It seemed that I had to come close to over-toasting the waffles or toasting until they were “well done” in order to keep them from falling apart. Not good. 

I didn’t see any information on the box or the website about a “new &improved” recipe or taste,so I don’t know that a recipe change is to blame. I shot an email off to Van’s yesterday,so I will let you all know what I find out. 

Anyone else notice a difference with their Van’s gluten-free waffles? 

For more, please visit www.glutenfreeislife.com

I received some complimentary mixes courtesy of MyBlogspark recently and decided to get creative yesterday with the cookie mix. Jon had been asking for cookies,so I made sure to get the butter out to soften as soon as I got up. One of the things I love about this mix is how simple it is. You add butter,1 egg and 1 tsp of vanilla. That is it. If you don’t want to keep a supply of gluten-free flours,baking soda,baking powder and xanthan gum around,this is the way to go. Perfect for college students!

Then I considered sandwiching ice cream between 2 cookies,but didn’t want to soften the ice cream,refreeze,etc. I remembered I had some frosting in the pantry! Perfect!

I don’t normally use pre-made frosting,I make my own. However,there is a place for convenience,and this was the place. Best thing about these Betty Crocker frostings is the label – clearly marked “gluten-free”.

I smeared some frosting on the bottom of a cookie.

And then I sandwiched the other cookie on top. 

Jon proclaimed this “awesome”,so it must be a keeper of an idea! 

I only made one cookie like this,just in case Jon didn’t like them. I stuck the remaining frosting in the refrigerator. I plan on making the rest of the cookies into sandwiches later today. I do have a problem,though,there is an odd number of cookies.  Guess that means I’ll have to eat the leftover cookie. I hate when that happens. 

For more, please visit www.glutenfreeislife.com

What a whirlwind we have had the past 10+ days! Just got back from the beach and boy do I have a lot of work to do! I am not sure when or how I will get it all done,but sitting here whining about it isn’t helping,right? Onwards!

The kids are obviously out of school. I know have a sophomore &a 4th grader. I would like to know when my kids grew up and when I got old. Time really does go by way too fast. Since today is Father’s Day,the day was all about Aaron. No extravagant gifts or anything,he isn’t big on gifts. I just made sure that he was able to relax,made his favorite dinner (lasagna) and ran the kids around so he didn’t have to.

I am loving all of the summer fruits at the grocery store! Berries all over,peaches &plums,watermelon! YUM! I went outside to check on my basil today and noticed 2 new plants in the same bed. I have no clue what they are or how they got there. I know that I did not plant them. Either they are volunteer tomatoes,as that is where we usually plant them or someone planted something for us while we were away. 

Anyone know?

Weeds? They really don’t like like weeds and they are evenly spaced. I am plant challenged,if you can’t tell. 

Sunday – Lasagna,broccoli and salad

Monday – Easy quinoa veggie bowl and salad

Tuesday – Taco Tuesday,refried beans,corn &salad

Wednesday – Grilled chicken,baked sweet potato,corn on the cob &salad

Thursday – Breakfast for dinner

Friday – MYOP (make your own pizza) and salad

Saturday – BBQ Pork Sandwiches,grilled zucchini and salad

Hope you all have a great week! I’ll leave you with a beach picture….

Happy Father’s Day!

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When gluten-free restaurant chains have a gluten-free menu,you have to wonder how consistent the process is across the country or their areas of service. Sometimes you find that things are done by the book and don’t really vary from place to place much at all. Other times,even though there is a gluten-free menu in place and that menu is the same at all of the locations,the consistency or quality of the food is not. 

One of the places that I have visited in multiple states that appears to be extremely consistent is Mellow Mushroom. I have now been to locations in Ohio,Georgia &South Carolina. All of the locations use Still Riding Pizza crusts as their base and have a list of ingredients printed up on the menu that are gluten-free. Due to the way their kitchen works,ingredients that aren’t on that list are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. 

Mellow Mushroom Myrtle Beach,SC

Mellow Mushroom always has the most unique designs and I have yet to see 2 alike! 

The menu:

Because we were not going straight home and there is no way I can eat the pizza by myself,I opted for a salad. The staff was very knowledgeable and even informed me that they didn’t guarantee the greens were gluten-free due to how the salads were prepared. They went above &beyond (as all MM locations have) and opened new packages for me and made my salad in a separate area. 

They certainly didn’t skimp on ingredients….there was plenty of chicken (3-4 oz),tomatoes,mushrooms,banana peppers,avocado and I asked for the feta on the side because I knew they would bring a lot – it was a huge bowl! I had oil &vinegar on the side,which our server informed me she also got from a brand new container. A++ on the experience,as always! I love how they offer the opportunity to “Build Your Own Salad”. Mine ended up costing under $12,which is standard for a large,dinner salad in most restaurants. Additionally,this kept me full all afternoon,which isn’t a small feat. 

Do you have a restaurant that consistently provides a great experience? If so,what is it?

For more, please visit www.glutenfreeislife.com

As you all know,eating gluten-free while traveling can pose certain challenges. In these days,it is not hard to find something to eat that is gluten-free,but it is hard to find the things you want to eat that are gluten-free. Any convenient store has Fritos (only has corn,oil and salt) or Snicker’s bars,also gluten-free,but we all know that while those may be good occasional treats,they aren’t meals. 

If you have a lot of space when you travel – such as taking your own car with plenty of room – packing gluten-free necessities isn’t a big deal. However,if you are flying or are limited on space,bringing a lot of your gluten-free “staples” may not be possible. Thankfully most mainstream grocery stores have some sort of gluten-free pasta,cereal,bread,etc – they just may not be the brands you prefer. 

We recently ran across this in North Carolina while vacationing. Other than Ener-G bread,we weren’t able to locate any bread. No Udi’s,no Kinnikinnick,nothing. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on some Van’s Gluten-Free Blueberry Waffles at the second grocery store that I hit,so we used those for sandwiches in addition to Food for Life Brown Rice Tortillas. I thought that we would be able to find Gluten-Free Bisquick,but struck out there as well. 

Obviously we had access to plenty of produce,rice,protein,dairy &such – it was just the extras and specialty items that we were missing. It really goes to show you how spoiled we are here in Columbus,Ohio with the selections of gluten-free food we have. 

We ate most of our meals at the beach house,so dining out wasn’t a big issue.  We did visit Margaritaville and got ice cream out from a couple of different places. Margaritaville does have a nice gluten-free menu,including buns for their burgers. However,after the introduction of Udi’s,Rudi’s and Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free buns,these were horrible. I hate to say that,but they had no flavor,bad texture &crumbled easily. I ended up taking the bun off of my sandwich and focusing on the amazing french fries and stealing bites of Jon’s gluten-free brownie sundae. 

Volcano Nachos

A lot of the little shops in North Carolina carry Blue Bell ice cream. I was concerned that I hadn’t contacted them previously,but was able to find this list on Gluten-Free Appetite:

Blue Bell Products Suitable for Those Avoiding Gluten

Standard Ice Cream Flavors:

• Banana Split
• Buttered Pecan
• Butter Crunch
• Candy Jar
• Caramel Turtle Fudge
• Century Sundae
• Cherry Vanilla
• Chocolate Chip
• French Vanilla
• Homemade Vanilla
• Mint Chocolate Chip
• Mocha Almond Fudge
• Mocha Madness
• Moo-llennium Crunch
• Natural Vanilla Bean
• Peaches &Homemade Vanilla
• Pecan Pralines ‘n Cream
• Peppermint
• Snickerdoodle
• Southern Hospitality
• Strawberry
• Strawberries &Homemade Vanilla
• Tin Roof
• White Chocolate Almond
• Standard Ice Cream Flavors
• Banana Split Buttered Pecan
• Butter Crunch Candy Jar
• Caramel Turtle Fudge Century Sundae
• Cherry Vanilla Chocolate Chip
• French Vanilla Homemade Vanilla
• Mint Chocolate Chip Mocha Almond Fudge
• Mocha Madness Moo-llennium Crunch
• Natural Vanilla Bean Peaches &Homemade Vanilla
• Pecan Pralines ‘n Cream Peppermint
• Snickerdoodle Southern Hospitality
• Strawberry Strawberries &Homemade Vanilla
• Strawberry Cheesecake Tin Roof
• White Chocolate Almond

Regional Ice Cream Flavors and No Sugar Added:

• Banana Nut
• Banana Split (No Sugar Added*)
• Black Walnut
• Buttered Pecan (No Sugar Added*)
• Coffee
• Country Vanilla (No Sugar Added*)
• Lemon
• Dutch Chocolate (No Sugar Added*)
• Pineapples &Homemade Vanilla
• The Great Divide (No Sugar Added*)
• Pistachio Almond
• Banana Nut Banana Split
• Black Walnut Buttered Pecan
• Coffee Country Vanilla
• Lemon Dutch Chocolate
• Pineapples &Homemade Vanilla The Great Divide
• Pistachio Almond

Light Ice Cream Flavors and Market Specific Ice Cream Flavors:

• Homemade Vanilla
• Café con Leche
• Southern Hospitality
• Mango
• The Great Divide
• Mardi Gras
• Tropical Paradise
• Yogurt Flavors
• Banana Split Nonfat
• Sherbet Quarts
• Country Vanilla Low Fat
• Lime
• Strawberry Nonfat
• Orange
• The Great Divide Low Fat
• Pineapple
• Rainbow
• Homemade Vanilla Café con Leche
• Southern Hospitality Mango
• The Great Divide Mardi Gras
• Tropical Paradise
• Yogurt Flavors
• Banana Split Nonfat Sherbet Quarts
• Country Vanilla Low Fat Lime
• Strawberry Nonfat Orange
• The Great Divide Low Fat Pineapple
• Rainbow

  *The No Sugar Added uses Aspartame.

I had the Peaches with Homemade Vanilla and fell in love. The peaches were nice,big chunks and the vanilla was one of the best I have ever tasted. Perfect end to a long day on the beach!

For mroe posts, please visit www.glutenfreeislife.com

When I was training for my marathon/half marathon this spring,I got into the habit of eating the same thing every Friday night. This is the night before my long run,so the idea is to get into a routine so that I can see if my body agrees or disagrees with the food that I am fueling with. It is a delicate balance.

When I found a sale on Udi’s gluten-free pizza crusts,I pick up several packages. Each package contains 2 crusts,so that would last me a while. Here are some of the recent creations I have come up with:

Chickpea,spinach,roasted grape tomatoes &provolone

Eggplant parmesan pizza

Unpictured ideas:

Mexican – refried beans,cheddar,tomatoes,jalapeno,lettuce &avocado on pizza crust

Super Veggie – adding shredded zucchini,carrots,mushrooms,black olive,banana pepper and mozzarella

BBQ chicken – bbq sauce,rotisserie chicken,thinly sliced potato &a sprinkling of cheddar

I pair all of my pizzas with a salad. I can usually polish off a large salad and an Udi’s size crust. 

This is a wonderful way to get creative with your food – the pizza crust is a blank canvas – create until your heart is content!! The beauty of the Udi’s crusts is that they can go right from the freezer to the oven and can be ready in under 15 minutes. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. 

Do you have a favorite pizza that you make at home? My kids go for marinara (we usually use Three Cheese Prego) and mozzarella and if they are feeling adventurous,pepperoni. 

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When Baked Classics asked if I wanted to sample their chips,I jumped at the chance! Is the sky blue? Well,is it blue in most places? LOL! They quickly sent me all three varieties of their chips to sample. 

Do you see the middle bag? Vanilla Frosting chips? Of course I busted open that bag as soon as I saw it. What an amazing treat!! The other varieties were equally as good. The Sea Salt &Cracked Pepper was a little spicy,but has a great flavor. The BBQ is spot on without being overly seasoned. Well done! 

More about Baked Classics:

"SAVORY SNACKS WITHOUT AN OUNCE OF GUILT. Baked Classics® popped potato and multigrain crisps are packed with flavor,not fat. These oh-so-satisfying crisps are made with all natural potatoes,whole grains and seasonings,then popped. The result? A snack that’s just what you’ve been craving and a healthy alternative that won’t leave your palate feeling the least bit deprived.

More taste. Less waist. Baked Classics have always been and will always be all natural:

• No cholesterol
• No trans fat
• no saturated fat
• no preservatives
• No MSG
• No high fructose corn syrup
• Kosher certified
• Gluten free
• Practical and satisfying portion sizes

With three mouth-watering flavors,the scale is definitely tipped in your favor.

BAKED CLASSICS® POTATO CRISPS

Sea Salt &Cracked Pepper: A spin on the well-known potato chip,this 110 calorie snack is the perfect marriage of salt and pepper.

Mesquite BBQ: Now,with 10% less sodium than the original barbecue and only 110 calories,this traditional flavor is sure to spark memories of your annual family cookout.

BAKED CLASSICS® MULTIGRAIN CRISPS

Vanilla Frosting: Creamy vanilla frosting with just the right amount of sweetness. Feel free to indulge without fear."

I have been eating the Vanilla Frosting chips for dessert! They remind me a little bit of cereal without being too sweet. 

The chips can be purchased on Amazon.com for $18 for 24 1oz bags. 

Have you tried the Baked Classics Chips?

**I received the chips in this review free of charge. The opinions expressed here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything. 

For more, please visit www.glutenfreeislife.com

Summer is here and so is the humidity. No complaints from me – I was tired of wearing gloves,coats,etc. 

Any fun summer plans going on? The kids get out of school this week. It seems that they went much later this year than they have in years past. It also seems that every other school around us is out already. My little sister goes to school in a neighboring town and they were out on May 27th. 

Looking forward to running some shorter distance races this summer. I signed up for my first ever 5K in July! Seems odd that I have run so many other race distances but have never run a 5K. I have run a 10K,3 half marathons and a full marathon previously. I will also be running a quarter marathon in September before my half marathon in October. Hoping to set some new goals &PRs for myself. I will also be focusing on stretching my legs better to hopefully avoid injury. A running friend on Facebook shared this link on stretching for runners. 

Being that it is the first week of summer vacation,meals will have to be quick,as there is much going on with us wrapping up the school year.

Sunday – Baseball game

Monday – Rotisserie chicken,brown rice,sesame green beans &salad

Tuesday – Chimichangas,black beans,corn &salad

Wednesday – Garlic shrimp over brown rice pasta,roasted asparagus &salad

Thursday- Bison burgers,sweet potato puffs,corn on the cob &salad

Friday – Sweet Thai Chile Salmon,quinoa,sugar snap peas &salad

Saturday –BBQ chicken breasts,baked potato,fresh green beans &salad

Don’t forget to enter the Betty Crocker giveaway to win one of each of their gluten-free mixes! The giveaway ends Tuesday night at midnight!

1-2-3 Gluten Free introduces first fortified flour mix

Chebe gets a facelift

Review:Woodchuck Amber Cider

Simple Gluten-Free Eats

Review:Marcella’s Gluten-Free Pizza

I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

For more posts, please visit www.glutenfreeislife.com

Go get this stuff. Now. It is freakin’ amazing! Ciao Bella Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet = heaven on earth. I know I usually profess my love for all things chocolate here on my blog,but I will make exceptions for items that contain wine. When shopping at Whole Paycheck Foods last week,I noticed that the pints of Ciao Bella were on sale 2 for $6. Yeah,not a huge sale,but good enough for me! I picked up the Blood Orange,which I reviewed here and the Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet. 

(Source)

The ingredients are simple:

BLACKBERRIES,ORGANIC EVAPORATED CANE JUICE,
CABERNET,WATER,LEMON JUICE,PECTIN.

The most important ingredient is in bold face and is the 3rd ingredient listed. My likey. I honestly didn’t expect to like this as much as I do. I expected to like it,for it to be a refreshing treat on a sticky hot day,but not to wake up thinking about it and planning trips across town to Whole Foods to get more. 

Cian Bella offers a wide variety of flavors,but not all of them are gluten-free. Take care when purchasing and read the label,as it will be clearly marked “gluten-free”. More ingredient and flavor information can be seen here. 

Have you tried any of the Ciao Bella products? If so,what did you try? Do you have a favorite?

For more posts, please visit www.glutenfreeislife.com

Have you heard the news about the Food Pyramid? Say “Good-bye” to the old pyramid.

Say “Hello” to the new version and recommendations:

(source)

The new recommendations place a larger emphasis on fresh fruits &vegetables and less on grains,protein &dairy.    There is more specific information on tips here and food groups here.  More recommendations that are listed on the site:

"Balancing Calories

●Enjoy your food,but eat less.

●Avoid oversized portions.

Foods to Increase

●Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.

●Make at least half your grains whole grains.

●Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Foods to Reduce

●Compare sodium in foods like soup,bread,and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers.

●Drink water instead of sugary drinks."

What does this mean for those of us that are gluten-free?  Nothing really.  My plate is typically made up of the following:

3-4 oz protein (lean meats,beans or Sunshine burger)

Large salad – 3-4 cups worth

1 cup of veggies,either roasted or steamed

Small potato (baked or sweet);quinoa,brown rice,etc

I usually eat my fruit for breakfast,snacks or dessert.  I do add fruit to my salad – either dried or cut up pears or berries.  I also add avocado and a nut/seed of sorts.

The new recommendations won’t change the way I eat.  I consider myself a pretty healthy eater.  Sure,I like my treats,but I eat way above my quota of veggies/fruits,get plenty of protein and eat a sufficient amount of grains.  I don’t eat a lot of dairy,but that has more to do with the fact that I am lactose intolerant and can’t tolerate large amounts.  So,the changes that have been made by the USDA won’t change what I do here.

Have you paid much attention in the past to the Food Pyramid?  Will this new design make any impact on the way you eat?  If so,how will it change the way you eat?

For more posts, please visit www.glutenfreeislife.com