Blueberry Muffins

Kinnikinnick makes AMAZING donuts (as I wrote in my Donuts!! Oh Yeah!! post) and has a wide variety of other great GF products. The products I have tried thus far have all been frozen, and you must microwave them before eating - which is supposed to also help the full flavor of the product come to life... (so I hear)...

In this case, I purchased the blueberry muffins above. I LOVED muffins (before Celiac disease) and really missed them, and my advise is this... If you know life as a gluten eater, frozen muffins just wont cut it. They can't, its just not possible. There are barely enough blueberries, they're small muffins, they just wont be as moist when frozen. It stinks. It's disappointing, just don't do it! I was so excited when Betty Crocker came up with a mix for brownies - they are awesome -- I hope muffin mixes that rock are next. If you know of some, let me know, please!!!!

It's an eh, thumbs sideways... When a muffin craving comes along, I'll pull one out and zinc it in the micro, it'll be months before I get through my 6 pack (oh wait... it already has been)... I'll stick to the donuts!

Chocolate Wafers - Sans Gluten!

I'm a HUGE Glutino fan. It's a chocolate, GF and kosher treat, right up my alley. Glutino's delicious wafer cookies really taste just like their non GF counterparts.
Glutino has a vast array of products (more than 80!!), from breads to snacks to frozen dinners (I recently tried the Penne Alfredo - and for a quick frozen dinner, it was GREAT!) to pretzels (I love the chocolate covered pretzels!).
The lemon wafers are also incredible (and for those of you that keep kosher, it's wonderful that they are pareve too!).
The actual size of the wafer is close to what's showed on the package. I've compared the actual wafer to the box picture below -- see how close it is?!?
I'm glad Glutino is all over my local supermarket, huge THUMBS UP to Glutino, keep up all of the amazing GF products!

Pei Wei - P.F. Changs Younger GF Child!

Pei Wei, owned by P.F. Changs, is fast casual, and has a very homey feel. I personally love the fast and casual part. You can see the kitchen as you order from the cashier (all food is made to order!), and from any seat in the restaurant. When ready, the fresh food is brought to your table. Pei Wei's cuisine is influenced by China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Thailand.

There are many similar items on the menu that are also on P.F. Changs menu - (mongolian beef being one of my favorites, unfortunately, it is not yet GF at Pei Wei). Pei Wei offers smaller portions and less expensive prices than P.F. Changs. Thankfully, like P.F. Changs, Pei Wei also has a dedicated GF Menu (with 9 total options)!

I am still waiting for the Pei Wei Rewards Card to make its way to Florida!

On my last Pei Wei visit, I had the "Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken." I always think I'm cheating on my strict GF diet when eating the Sweet & Sour chicken, it just tastes too good! The slight breading on the full piece of chicken, drenched in a sweet, but also tangy sauce is mouthwatering. I like brown rice to accompany my dish.
The Sweet & Sour chicken is made with pinnapples, red and green peppers, and onions. It's as flavorful as it is colorful.

I continuously say, busy professionals need GF restuarants they can stop by on the way home from work. You can definitely add Pei Wei to that list if you're GF!

HUGE THUMBS UP!

Looking for GF in Islamorada??

Looking for GF food while traveling can stink. I was in Islamorada for the weekend, and really hoped places would be accommodating. Thankfully, my hotel had a full kitchen. So, if all else failed, Publix and my stove could save the day. I was so pleased when I came across Bentley's, and forgot all about the hotel's kitchen.

Of course, like most places in the keys, its a seafood restaurant. And, also of course, I really dislike, and don't eat seafood. I heard their drunken sweet potatoes were legendary, so I was hopeful they'd have other menu items I could choose from. I'm glad we went. It was great. Our server was knowledgeable and happy to inquire on my behalf for GF option, and readily told me the fries weren't for me, but, the items below that I had we're perfect. Here's the menu to check out.

I started with delicious corn on the cob ($2). Although most corn on the cob is good, great corn on the cob makes me very happy. This is great corn on the cob, so much so, that I ordered a second. The butter is dripping, it rocks.



Moved on to these delicious "Bentley's drunken sweet potatoes" ($4.25). These sweet potatoes are unreal. We asked what was in them -- they contain rum, brown sugar, butter, ginger, and cinnamon. They are a must try.

Lastly, I really wanted chicken, so I was pleased when our server confirmed they would bake chicken wings special for me (10 for $7.95). So nice, right??

This was a delicious meal. Always nice to know there are GF options when traveling - when in Islamorada, Bentley's is a must try.

HUGE THUMBS UP!

Melting Pot - GF All the Way!

The Melting Pot is, in my opinion, an amazing delicious chain restaurant. All courses (except the salad) are fondue style. You choose your broth for the cheese and meat entrees and your chocolate for the dessert! Best of all they have a dedicated GF menu! You must know that your entire party has to be ok with the GF menu, since you share the fondue pot. When you join the Melting Pot's Club Fondue you can keep up with food/wine tastings, special events, and discounts from the Melting Pot.

I had an amazing meal and have to share.

Since I love chocolate, I start with dessert first! We tried milk chocolate and amaretto, delicious!!! The GF selection is missing the pound cake and brownies.. But, it comes with strawberries, marshmallows and bananas. YUM!

Next course, cheese! I didn't think I would be as happy with the cheese entree without the bread, but.. OH MY, it was amazing! As you can see, it comes with apples and vegetables. The cheese dip we tried was "Spinach Artichoke." It was perfect, thick and oh so cheesy.

Here's an up close and personal shot of my favorite course of the night - look at how amazing this cheese looks!

I had the ceasar salad next, and must say, this was the first time I didn't miss the croutons! Thankfully it had "parmesan encrusted pine nuts." Delicious!!

For the last course, the main entree, we used a simple vegetable broth for our meats (we had a combo of chicken, ny strip, filet and duck. A variety of sauces accompany the main course as well as veges.

Be prepared to spend hours cooking, laughing and having a great time. To find a Melting Pot near you, type in your zip code here and Enjoy!!

HUGE THUMBS UP!!!!

Inidivudally Packaged GF Fudge Brownies

French Meadow makes great individually packed fudge brownies. They are 6 to a pack and are meant to be kept frozen. They are so convenient. You take out one from its individual packaging and zap it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and you have yourself a warm delicious brownie snack.

I checked out French Meadow's website, and although I know they make perfect snack size GF brownies, I was not able to locate other products they make -- if you know of more GF products you'd recommend, please, let us know!!

I also checked out French Meadow's facebook page, they have a great following of over 1,200 people. All seem to praise the company for its wonderful products.

Here's what the indiviudally packed brownie looks like.



Good GF chocolate will always get a THUMBS UP from me! Can't wait to see what else you make!

Sushi Samba - GF Sides!

Sushi Samba, a restaurant in South Beach, NYC, Las Vegas, and Chicago boasts a blend of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisine. I hear their sushi is fresh and delicious, you just need to order a whole lot of it to be full. The portions are small, meant to be tapas style. It is undoubtedly expensive, but, there are items on the menu that a GF Celiac like me loves, and I wanted to share them with you.

What's nice is Sushi Samba staff has always been accommodating when I discuss not being able to eat gluten, they know what I am talking about - and lead me to the parts of the menu that I can eat.

I go to Sushi Samba for the "aperitivos" - aka, the appetizers and sides. The edamame ($6) is great, the only unique difference, is the addition of lime, which is sheer perfection. It's a great combo.


I actually crave the "Peruvian Corn" ($6). They are huge kernels, and delicious butter surrounds the kernels - this is by far the best corn I've ever had.

The "Purple Potato Mash" ($5) is unique and fun, they are mashed potatoes, and taste just like the real thing.

This is the side I least liked, the "Coconut Rice" ($5). There was too much coconut flavor, and not enough rice flavor for me. The coconut overpowered the rice to such a big extent, I had no desire to finish it.

What was really nice about this meal, was that I was actually full by the end of it. The edamame was filling, and the Peruvian Corn and Purple Mash were great accompaniments.

As you can see, it is easy to spend $22 on sides, but, it is SO nice to be able to go Lincoln Road and eat at a restaurant with friends.

All in all, THUMBS UP for Sushi Samba.

Green Gables - Allergy Friendly!

Green Gables Cafe, in Coral Gables is dedicated to providing organic foods, that is vegan/vegetarian and GF friendly. What is wonderful about Green Gables Cafe is they are VERY aware of Celiac disease, and are accommodating. They have daily vegan/GF soups and many other choices, and even have GF bread for their sandwiches.

Here is a sample menu.

I personally order off of the Sides and Snacks portion of the menu. Below is what I ate during my last visit.

I like the Garden of Eatin(R) Organic blue corn tortilla chips ($2.50) and the Organic carrot sticks with roasted garlic aioli dip ($2).

I tried the Chicken Curry Salad (mayo-less) ($6.) as well.

I typically pick out a protein and have it with either the brown rice or carrots and corn tortilla chips. I love that Green Gables provides GF options.

The GF soups are my personal favorite, one week I ordered 3 days in a row.

The dice roasted chicken or pulled turkey is good. All of the food is healthy, which to me means salt and pepper must be added for flavor.

I'm thrilled to have an Green Gables Cafe nearby. It's always wonderful to have an organic GF accommodating restaurant in our backyard. Let's support them!

THUMBS UP!

Breadsticks - Are you Sure you Are GF??

Schar gluten free breadsticks are incredible! I was thrilled to find them. Personally, bread is what I miss most, and these breadsticks taste like the real deal. I've had non Celiac/non GF family members/friends try this product, all agree and enjoy them.

I found numerous other Schar products at the grocery store today, and picked up a lot of them, which I can't wait to try. Here is a list of all of Shar's products. From GF flours to bread to piczza crust and cookies, Schar has many choices. I was separately impressed with Schar's website, it is an amazing Celiac resource. It has a Celiac Disease and Nutrition web page that lists many wonderful Celiac/GF resources from travel tips for Celiacs to Associations in the U.S. and support groups. Schar also has a gluten-free life link, listing restaurant and travel tips, to shopping tips and more.

The breadsticks come in 2 packages, above is one. Yum!



I'm delighted to have found Schar and look forward to trying ALL of their products. Visit their online store or your local grocery store to check out Schar products. Huge THUMBS UP to Schar!

The Good Cookie!

The Good Cookies is a company that produces 3 different types of GF, lactose free and flourless cookies. They also use 100% recyclable packaging. They were kind enough to send me a package of cookies to review.

When I received a package from The Good Cookies, it was like opening a birthday present. I had to show you the pictures - the packaging is beautiful and so much fun to open. I order products from all over the U.S. - and never feel like I'm receiving a special present, but, with The Good Cookies, this is a different story. I loved learning the packaging was 100% recyclable.

First, you have a white box with the pink sticker from The Good Cookies.

Then, the cookies are wrapped in pink wrapping paper with the pink sticker from The Good Cookies. Adorable, right??

Upon opening the wrapping paper, I had 2 packages of cookies, it contained all 3 types of cookies.

Here's what the individual cookies look like.

This is The Good Cookie! Yes, it is the cookie the company is named after! It's a chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal cookie combo. I would have loved to see just a chocolate chip version, minus the peanut butter and oatmeal - as I know how hard it is to have a great GF chocolate chip cookie. The oatmeal consistency in the cookie makes it more dense, but, its still a great cookie.

Pure and Innocent is my favorite! It is a white chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal combo. The white chocolate chips are such a great addition, to me, this cookie brings all of the ingredients together best. The peanut butter and white chocolate are a great pair.

The last is the Choc-o-holic, which is a chocolate chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal combo. I originally thought this would have been my favorite, being a huge chocoholic. Instead, it's my 2nd favorite. The oatmeal, as you can see, has flakes throughout the cookie. I personally, am not an oatmeal lover, and find the consistency with the white chocolate as being the taste that works for me best. The cookies are great GF cookies period, if you like oatmeal, all the better. I'd love to see them expand into different types of cookies, like a peanut butter chocolate chip - minus the oatmeal.

All in all, wonderful packaging plus great tasting GF cookies makes for a fabulous treat. You can order online, or shop that contains their cookies in Manhattan Beach.

THUMBS UP FOR THE GOOD COOKIE!!