Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Udi's new items for 2012 announcement

Great new items coming this next year from Udi's.  I am not a big fan of there current cinnamon rolls and they are redoing them this next year :)  Also new will be muffin tops and frozen pizzas! 
http://udisglutenfree.com/blog/social-media-snippets/announcing-our-new-gluten-free-products-v1
Great, more reasons for me to snack at night while watching mindless reality television.....

Oh I also forgot, a shout out to my crazy friend Jennifer, whom I told I would mention in today's blog :)  Everyone should know that she is a Twilight fan and I make fun of her for it almost everyday......She almost made me go to that horrible movie....But I do have to say that she attempted to make me gluten free chocolate chip cookies the other day, so nice of her, not too many people attempt such a feat (I know, she knows how to try to con me into going to that stupid movie.. )

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Leftover turkey...oh so....good?

As I was browsing the internet, I came across a wonderful recipe that would help deplete my 60 day supply of leftover Thanksgiving turkey.  It is for a turkey pot pie, but of course, I converted it to a casserole and instead of putting this mixture in a gf pie crust, I made some GF  Bisquick biscuits and baked them on top of it. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/dads-leftover-turkey-pot-pie/detail.aspx Here is the link to the wonderful recipe....my family loved it.  The only problem is is that the four cups of turkey that the recipe called for barely put a dent in that 60 day supply and just made more leftovers in the fridge.  Easy lunches to reheat I guess :) 

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Bake Me a Cake as Fast as You Can....

So tonight I felt like baking.....so I hauled out one of my favorite cookbooks "The Cake Mix Doctor Baked Gluten Free" by Anne Byrn.  This book is SO, SO wonderful because all of the recipes in her book call for a gf cake mix as the base, then you add ingredients to make different desserts.  I prefer the Betty Crocker GF Yellow Cake Mix.  The cake I made tonight was an applesauce cake with an apple cider glaze.  Wonderful!  I would recommend her book to anyone that is looking for easy cake recipes on a gluten free diet.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Schwans-New Gluten Free Items

Schwans has some new gluten free selections for those of you that have it delivered :)  http://www.schwans.com/products/searchResults.aspx?keyword=gluten+free&searchType=1
Very, very pricey, but it's a great step in the right direction....

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Adventures in Turkey Shopping

Took me awhile this morning to pick out a turkey at Dillons.  The cheapest ones they had were the JennyO turkeys for 79 cents a pound.  Warning-these are not gluten free, says so right on the ingredient list.  JennyO does have gluten free turkeys, just not the ones on sale right now at Dillons. This is what makes it hard to go to other peoples houses to eat dinner, especially during the holidays, not knowing what brand of turkey they bought or what they marinated their turkey with. Please don't take offense if I don't eat anything that you serve.
  I ended up buying Butterball Premium :)  Can't wait to have my GF Thanksgiving dinner, takes a little extra work, but it is all worth it in the end.  (

"So...what do you eat then, if you can't have gluten?"

One of the first things that people ask after they find out I have Celiac Disease is "What do you eat then since you can't have wheat? That is why you are so skinny if you are not eating any carbs!"  Uhhh......not skinny, i am curvy,.... and I get plenty of carbs. Confusion then sets in with whomever I am talking to at that moment..
Here is a great example of an easy gluten free meal that I would make for those of you that still wonder...
The menu included cheddar stuffed turkey burgers, load baked potato casserole, and sauteed squash with Italian seasoning. (I can't forget the wine)  Here is the easy recipe for those turkey burgers.
1lb. ground turkey, 1tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1Tbsp olive oil.  Combine turkey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Divide mixture into four parts and roll into a ball.  Using your thumb, depress a large hole int he middle and fill with about 2Tbsp of cheese.  Then mold the ball around the cheese and depress to form a patty.  Heat oil in non stick skillet and cook for about 9 minutes on one side.  Flip and continue cooking for about 7 to 9 minutes or until the center of patty reaches 165 degrees.  Enjoy....
Yes, this is just one fine example of what I eat (and the loaded baked potato casserole were plenty of carbs for my system for one night).

Friday, November 18, 2011

Granite City-Gluten Free

Thanks to my wonderful friend Jennifer, I now know that Granite City has a gluten free menu :)  http://www.gcfb.net/menu1_lighterfare.aspx
Whoo..hoooo!  There are about 5 dished on there lighter side and gluten free menu that state that they can be altered to a gluten free diet.  I will have to add that one to the list, would be nice to go and grab a glass of wine and some dinner, hint, hint, hubby :)

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Pizza Night

I always love pizza nights at the house.  I have to share that my favorite GF pizza crust mix is Bob's Red Mill. Very easy to make it the mix only costs about 3.85 for a bag.  This mix makes 2 pizzas, so be prepared for a lot of leftovers ( I am not complaining since this pizza is great reheated). You mix the ingredients, let cover and let rise for a bit.  Then you spread the dough on pizza pans and bake for a few minutes.  After that is done, you then top with your favorite toppings and bake a bit more.  Viola!  Wonderful and easy GF pizza without leaving the house :)  Mine had sausage, mushrooms, and black olives, my favorite.


A Relaxing Evening with My Friend "Chocolate Brownie"

A follow up to my November 10th post when I talked about how wonderful that microwavable brownie was...well, here it is! I was in desperate need of some chocolate attention...so I put together Pamelas's mix and my craving was instantly satisfied.  (I also added about 200 extra calories by topping it off with Death by Chocolate ice cream).

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Chick-fil-A--Gluten Free? A Big Fat Yes!

As soon as I heard that there was a Chick-fil-A coming to the NW side of Wichita, I was wondering if this would give me another option for lunch on that side of town.  I like their website, as it simply has a gluten free info link that guides you to their gluten free menu :)  http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Food/Gluten
Their charbroiled chicken is gluten free (which is rare in fast food since the broth that most places inject in their chicken has wheat flour in it, for example, McDonalds). Just remember to order it without the bun. The big one that I am excited about it that their waffle fries are GLUTEN FREE!  I am the biggest addict when it comes to french fries and was horribly scarred for life when I found out that most restaurants have gluten filled fries.  Dear Chick-fil-A team, can you open, say, next week please?

Thursday, November 10, 2011

The Way to a Women's Heart.....

On my trip to Dallas a few months ago, I picked up some free samples of Pamela's Brownie Mix.  Now I have had this mix before, but it was a 16oz. package to make a pan of brownies.  This pack pictured here is actually a single serve packet that you add with oil and water and put it in the microwave for 60 seconds.....What a wonderful concept, for the years that I have been gluten free, the one concept that I have greatly missed is the concept of "instant" when it comes to food preparation.  I was curious on where I could buy more of these single serve brownie mixes, and I found that you can  order them from their website :http://www.pamelasproducts.com/product/Pamelas_Chocolate_Brownie_Mix/13194.aspx
You can buy a pack of 12 for $18.28 (which I know is pricey, but are you really surprised?)  Some days I would pay four times that amount for a little sliver of GF chocolate heaven.  By the way, this is best served right out of the microwave with some vanilla bean ice cream on top :)  But I am not talking from experience or anything....

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Longhorn Steakhouse=NW Wichita

I drove by the soon to be Longhorn Steakhouse on Maize Road today and it looks like completion is VERY close, which means west-siders will have one more option to eat in the jam-packed area of 21st and Maize Rd. They have a gluten free menu, thumbs up to you guys!
http://www.longhornsteakhouse.com/pdf/LH_Gluten_Free_Menu.pdf
Here it is!  Anyone up for a lunch date soon?

Gluten Free and the Athlete


Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints Quarterback, follows a strict gluten free diet as well as the whole Garmin cycling team. Many athletes are turning to this diet in a way to perform better.
According to the website http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/The-Gluten-Free-Athlete.htm?page=2 "Following a gluten-free diet does show some advantages in athletic performance:
1. With gluten removed, the body's immune system can rest and absorption can be restored. The body can then function at optimal levels and repair muscles more efficiently.
2. The hypoglycemic effect that results from intense exercise is minimized.
3. A gluten-free diet helps to maintain a stable blood sugar level during exercise, which is optimal for an increase in muscle strength and stamina.
Just an idea for my "coach friends" out there......you can thank me later for your championship trophy...

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Gluten Free Hollywood Hills

The hills are alive with the sound of gluten free foods, that is the Hollywood Hills.  I have noticed that more and more celebrities are speaking about their allergy to gluten or Celiac Disease in general and how they live with it on a daily basis.  Must be rough having enough money to hire a personal chef to prepare your GF meals everyday....hmm.....I will ask my husband permission before I hire mine :)  One of the most well know Celiac is Elisabeth Hasselbeck.  Cohost of the view and the wife of an NFL player, she stays busy being a mom as well as writing books regarding her gluten free diet restrictions.  When I attended a Gluten Free Expo and Convention in Dallas last month, I learned that she also has her name on a few new gluten free food items out there in the market.  Other celebrities that also have Celiac Disease are Emmy Rossum and Keith Olbermann.  Now there are a stars that do not have Celiac, but have a gluten allergy (there is a difference you know...I will explain that in a later blog).  Such celebrities such as Zooey Deschanel, Rachel Weisz, and Chelsea Clinton all have these allergies.  I was excited that when Chelsea got married, that People magazine actually featured her GF wedding cake and an quick overview on her allergy.  High five to People magazine!  Other stars that eat gluten free are Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jenny McCarty.  Victoria Beckham-now don't get me started on her, she looks so unheatlhy that it looks like a strong wind would knock her over flat onto the ground.  I do have to say though that her husband is quite the looker (wink, wink).  What does he see in her anyways...Ok wait, I am getting off subject, see what happens when I starting thinking about her soccer stud husband.  :)  Jenny McCarty sticks to a gluten free diet for her son that was diagnosed with Autism at a very early age.  This type of diet has shown to work wonders with the performance of children with this diagnosis. 
I love how Celiac Disease will get a little attention here and there in the news....even locally here in Wichita I will see a small clip on the news regarding Celiac.  Now I just need to find out how to talk my husband into hiring that personal celebrity chef...

Monday, November 7, 2011

Noodles, Noodles, Noodles

I just found out that Noodles & Co. has GF pasta!  I know that there are two on the east side, but does anyone know of any plans for the west side?  Could be a good addition to the New Market Square area?  I have never been there nor heard of anyone that has, so any suggestions or experiences would be helpful...Pasta anyone?
http://www.noodles.com/

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Eating Disorder? Please Don't Assume....

So I have to say that weddings are one of the worst places that I feel out of place at being restricted to a gluten free diet.  I have had several experiences at wedding dinners that would either make a person want to hide under a table or say screw you to people that give you a weird look for not eating simply because you cannot eat anything that is being served.  Let me tell you about one of the most memorable experiences I have had at feeling like a complete loser at a wedding.  I was sitting at a table with my friends and family and dinner was served.  I graciously gave my plate to my husband (whom I knew would chow down an extra serving.)  I was sipping on my wonderful glass of wine when the girls at the table next to us took a glance at me and said to each other "Wow how rude!  She is not eating what they are serving at the wedding." The other girl then stated "She probably has an eating disorder, she obviously needs some help".   Hello, look at me!  Does it look like I have an eating disorder. Maybe you should take a look at yourself and your size zero! I took me all my might to stop myself from getting up and shoving my gluten filled plate of food down her throat.  I felt so out of place and let me tell you to this day there are always going to be times that I feel this way.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, work luncheons, parties, baby showers....the list goes on and on.  You somewhat get used to this feeling, but it never TRULY goes away.  And the hardest thing is when you want to socialize and go to, for example, a work party, and you don't eat, people will  always ask "Why aren't you eating?" .  And then you have to go into the long memorized info speech on Celiac Disease and what it means followed by the answer "No, its not an allergy and there is nothing I can take for it".  Luckily, most people that I am around on a daily basis know my story by now, which is fabulous.  A lot easier for me.....until that next wedding when I either have to smuggle some GF food into the wedding or drink my wine on an empty stomach....hmmm...let me think about that one....