Gluten Free Halloween Candy

I thought I could do a round up, but soon realized I was in over my head.  There are just too many kinds of candy.  The traditional forms of Snickers, M&Ms,  Reese's, and Butterfinger and Peeps all seem to be safe and most of the pure sugar types of candies.  As well as most of the marshmallow creme types of confections (candy corn.) Here is a link to the most thorough list I could find online.

Gluten-Free Living Magazine has a great blog

I was looking online and found this awesome blog.  It has topics ranging from what food to pack if you're evacuating for a hurricane and how to cope with expensive GF luxury goods in the current economy.  Definitely worth a look!

GF pastry chef and cookbook author Rebecca Reilly is coming to DFW

The woman who gave me hope for my baklava and puff-pastry future is coming to town to address the North Texas Gluten Intolerance Group.  She'll be at their Nov. 1, 2008 meeting in North Richland Hills.  She lives in Maine, so this is a seriously great opportunity.  Put it on your calendars!  You can check our her book Gluten-Free Baking at Amazon.

Riceworks - Whole Grain, Gluten Free and very snackable

Riceworks' Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps are delicious, filling and semi-healthy.  I say semi because a standard snack-size bag contains an alleged 2 servings at 140 calories each.  However, the Parmesan & Sundried Tomato flavored chips were quite munchable.  They even say Gluten Free and Wheat Free on the bag and claim to be "Celiac friendly."  In a world where Celiac snack choices are limited, these are definitely worth a nibble.  I picked a bag up at Jamba Juice in downtown Fort Worth, but the riceworks website can point you to a location near you.

Eating cheap and Gluten Free at Cantina Laredo

Cantina Laredo in downtown Fort Worth is a good bargain and can be safe for the Gluten intolerant.

I've found that I can have the chips and salsa that are brought to the table as well as an a-la-carte single, chicken enchilada (with the verde sauce and no sour cream) for $2.75!  I don't know about you guys, but I'm always looking for something safe, tasty and at a relatively low cost.  Of course, I always tip like I ordered a real meal.  The rice and beans (not the borracho beans) that come with the full-price enchilada plate are Gluten Free, too, but I'm always too full to eat them.

Eating Gluten Free at Bailey's Barbeque in Fort Worth

Bailey's Barbeque in the heart of Fort Worth at 826 Taylor St (817) 335-7469 has a variety of low-cost Gluten Free meals.  For about $6, you can get any of their sandwiches - minus the bun of course - chips and a drink.  Their standard sauce is safe. One warning, bring cash, they don't take credit cards!

Eating at Pasand - a lot of Indian cuisine is Gluten Free

Eating at Pasand in Irving 2600 N. Beltline Road Irving, Texas 75062
972-594-0693 is like taking a Gluten-Free taste vacation.  Most of the sauces and entrees are naturally gluten free including their scrumptious south-Indian delicacy the dosa (pictured here.)  Dosas are made from rice and a type of lentil called dal.  In the center is a flavorful potato-based filling.  The gluten intolerant can also enjoy most papadam - sort of like tortilla chips made out of lentils.  However, make sure they are not fried in oil where breaded items are fried as well.  Most of the dipping sauces, curries and many dishes are gluten-free-friendly as well.  I have not had problems with getting sick from cross-contamination at Pasand's weekend buffet - which includes dosas!

Hail Merry products are delicious, healthy and Gluten Free

A friend at work brought me a sample of Merry's Miracle Tart - Chocolate.  The Hail Merry products seem to be a fabulous blend of tastiness and nutrition - I haven't tried all of them, yet.  They are raw, gluten free, have no refined sugar and "No processed anything" according to the packaging.  The tart was decadent and fairly reasonable calorie-wise.  Half the tart was listed as a single serving and came in at 180 calories.  It was very rich and filling and I think most people would be content with half.

Give these guys a try - here's a link to where you can get them locally!

Van's Gluten-Free Waffles are not bad

From time to time, convenience wins out and I buy frozen GF treats vs. making my own.  The other day, I found Van's Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Flax waffles in the freezer aisle at my neighborhood Kroger in Bedford at Central and Harwood.  The waffles themselves are actually pretty healthy for you.  Alas, I added some butter and cinnamon sugar.  Although they are a little crumbly and dry, even with the butter, they taste pretty good and are a lot faster than making your own from scratch!

Gluten-Free Cosmetics Blog

I was looking online to see if my favorite Burt's Bees products were Gluten Free (they are) and came across this nifty blog called "Gluten Free Cosmetic Counter."  It's written by a woman whose husband is Celiac and they have a GF home.  It's definitely worth checking out!

Cypress Midnight Moon - Naturally Gluten-Free Cheese

OK, you might ask, what cheese isn't gluten free?  Well, there's the whole debate on Blue Cheese, which I hope to get to the bottom of.  The point is, this isn't just any cheese, it's my favorite cheese and it happens to be made from goat's milk - although it doesn't have any unpleasant tanginess - sorry, if I offend the goat-milk-cheese fans. 

In the Gluten Free diet it can be a challenge to find something tasty and not horrible for you.  Goat cheese is reportedly better for you than cow cheese.  No matter the health pros or cons, Cypress Grove's Midnight Moon is a cheese worth checking out.  I also like their cheddar.

You can order it online or buy it locally at Central Market in Fort Worth and Southlake or Market Street in Colleyville.  It might be available elsewhere, but these are places I've found it.

Halloween Peeps are Gluten Free

I've decided to challenge myself to verify the current gluten-freeness of a variety of popular Halloween candies.  I call this my holiday cramming.  Even if I don't choose to eat them, I like to know what's available.  Some of my favorite GF goodies are Peeps. 

They have a variety of holiday offerings.  Here is a link to what's Gluten Free all year and here is a link to the Just Born website. 

Cake-style, Gluten Free ice cream cones

I had high hopes for the new Let’s Do . . . Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones, and they did not disappoint. I served several friends fresh peach ice cream in the cake-style cones, and everyone agreed that their light, flaky texture was indistinguishable from that of traditional cones. This is a product that will be welcome in my pantry anytime.
The cones, which are gluten-free, vegan and kosher, weigh in at 10 calories each. Even though the packaging of the cones says they may contain trace amounts of soy, no soy products are listed, and a friend who is allergic to soy had no problem eating them.
The cones are available online from Gluten Free Trading Company, LLC and locally at Sprouts Farmers Market in Southlake, Whole Foods in Arlington and the Sunflower Shoppe in Fort Worth; $3.99 for a package of 12.

Eating Gluten Free at Sunflower Organic Dining in Boulder, CO

This past weekend, I was visiting Boulder and Estes Park in Colorado.  It was like a Celiac food vacation.  Most servers at restaurants were familiar with Gluten Intolerance.  When I told my breakfast server I couldn't have flour, he asked if I were a "Silly-Yak?"

The best meal by far was at Sunflower Organic Dining on Pearl Street in Boulder.  I know there are lots of other Gluten-friendly establishments, but this was a fine-dining experience where the staff was knowledgeable and I didn't feel weird asking for anything special.  My server knew what I could and couldn't have and steered me towards a delicious meal.

They didn't seem to have any special GF items like breads or cakes, but I felt 100% certain that what I was served was safe.  

Thai Jasmine - Flavorful and Gluten Free

Thai Jasmine at 3104 Harwood Road is within walking distance of my house, but that's not the only thing I like about it.  Most of their dishes are flavored with gluten-free-friendly fish sauce instead of soy sauce.  Of course, you should always check yourself every time, but generally, the fresh rolls and all of their curries are safe, including their peanut sauce for dipping.  However, the pad thai has soy sauce in it as well as any of their stir fry dishes. 

On the first Sunday of the month, they have a vegetarian all-you-can-eat buffet with plenty of Gluten-Free options.

If you're curious about exploring naturally Gluten-Free cuisines like Thai and Indian, try getting a few cookbooks and looking at traditional recipes.  That will give you a good idea what is most likely safe before you go to the restaurant.

Wild Wood Art Café: Worth the drive

Location: 3663 Bee Caves Road, #4A  Austin, Texas 78746

Café Hours: Café hours:  Monday - Saturday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm CST  Sundays – closed

1-800-420-4207 or 1-512-327-9660

Walking into Wild Wood Art Café was like entering a gluten-free dream. There were reasonably-priced, gluten free delectable chocolate cupcakes with buttercream icing, sugar cookies in the shape of Texas, personal-sized bundt cakes in a variety of flavors and loaves of fresh-baked bread.

Better yet, I was able to order a turkey sandwich with basil mayonnaise and it tasted every bit as good as I’d hoped. The bread tasted great and had the mouth-feel of “normal” bread. It was so tasty, that I bought an extra one for the next day and saved it in a cooler I’d brought.

Although I didn’t eat breakfast there, I did notice that they offer gluten free pancakes and waffles until 1:00 PM. They also have a full coffee and tea bar including lattes ranging from the traditional vanilla to the more unusual pumpkin.

The friendly staff was happy to help distinguish between which of their dishes were vegan and which were gluten free.

North Texas Gluten Free Intolerance Group meeting in North Richland Hills

Sept. 6 - North Texas Gluten Intolerance Group meets for a Celiac 101 class at 9 a.m., with the regular support group at 10 a.m. Both end at noon in North Richland Hills Church of Christ, 6300 N.E. Loop 820. Nutrition coordinator Melinda Dennis is guest speaker. For information, call 817-967-2804 or visit www.northtexasgig.com.

I've been wanting to make it to one of these for a long time.  Unfortunately, I'll be out of town this weekend, but I have high hopes for next month!

Sublime bakery has released it's Gluten-Free fall menu

I mentioned Sublime bakery before and their promise of gluten-free cupcakes.  They've upped the ante with offerings of scones, muffins, truffles and a very decadent-sounding cheesecake "Lollipop."  All are Gluten Free.  

In the menu, it says they keep cross-contamination to a minimum by making the Gluten-Free offerings first thing in the morning when there isn't any wheat-flour dust in the air and the machines are clean.  Then, they don't make any more Gluten-Free goodies for the rest of the day.  Which is why it's important to call ahead to make sure they'll have what you're looking for.