Sprouts has Gluten-Free guide

A friend brought me a cop of Sprouts Farmers Market's Gluten-Free & Wheat-Free Guide today. This cool pamphlet has a quick primer for first-time GFers in the front and then goes on to list what is GF in the store by category.  What a cool idea and a great resource! 

I like going to Sprouts because they have a different variety of GF products than I find at my other usual haunts.  Also, it seems that their prices are more reasonable on many items.  Also, they carry a wide variety of Lucky Layla yogurt, a great GF drinkable yogurt.

Grilled gluten-free peppers

This weekend, I experimented with a new pepper griller I got from Amazon.com . It did not come with its corer as promised, however.  Be warned!

I had a bunch of cored, seeded jalapeno peppers and also some sweet italian peppers that fit in the holes as well.  I chopped up equal parts cilantro, parsley and dill and used a pastry cutter to mash it all into some mild plain goat cheese.  Then, I stuffed the herbed cheese into the peppers and put them in the rack to roast.

This was the first time I'd done it myself - they were quite delicious and even the gluten-eaters were eager to divvy up the last of them.

Gluten-Free cupcakes at Central Market

After everyone had reported back on the cupcakes at Central Market, I had to see and taste for myself!  Indeed, there are vanilla and chocolate cupcakes by French Meadow Bakery for sale in the frozen dessert section of Central Market in Fort Worth - and probably in the other stores as well.  I haven't checked.

They also have single slices of cake as well as an entire cake for sale.  You might want to call ahead, they had sold out of the whole cake tonight. 

The cupcakes come in a package of four and sell for $5.99.  The taste was above average and the convenience factor beyond compare.  I have to confess that I ate two tonight.  One frozen and one defrosted.  The other two are in my freezer.  The defrosting is definitely worth the wait.

Emergency gluten-free rations - Valley Fresh chicken

I have been looking for gluten-free chicken in a pouch.  I have a friend who always has tuna or salmon in a pouch, but I just don't like eating anything that ever lived under water.  I recognized that that is very odd, but it is also true.

Anyway, I have been wishing for something similarly portable, gluten-free and versatile.  Valley Fresh's chicken actually says gluten free on it.  Several other brands contain modified food starch.

So, I plan to take this on road trips where I might have to dine at unexpected places.  I can always throw half a pouch on a salad with oil and vinegar and call it dinner.  If I have a cooler, I can save the rest for later.  Or do what my friend does and eat it along with fresh veggies and fruit that I bring with me.

Pamela's new cornbread mix is a hit!

Pamela's, which has long been one of my favorite companies because of their consistently good products, has done it again with a brilliant cornbread mix.  At first, I was worried because the mix looked very soupy, but it baked up into a marvelous cake-like cornbread.  I used their basic recipe and substituted agave syrup for sugar.

I served it to gluten-eaters and they liked it too.  In fact, we ended up using it as cake under some panna cotta that my friend had made with a strawberry syrup.  If you want a more savory version, there are suggestions on the package for adding jalapenos or cheese.  

This is another must-have for the pantry. I can't wait until it's available in stores.

Don't forget - Moving feet without wheat this weekend

COME JOIN NTGIG’S FAMILY FUN DAY!!

“Moving Feet Without Wheat”

Celiac Disease Awareness Walk

Saturday, May 16, 2009, 10:00AM



Our awareness walk is in TWO DAYS! Please join us at Legacy Park in Arlington to celebrate May as Celiac Awareness Month and to attend our walk. Here’s your chance to raise some money for a great cause, have a fun-filled day at a great park, and eat as much gluten free food as you want! Bring your friends and relatives for this family-friendly day at the park. Registration will start at 10AM. Volunteers will be there around 8AM so come early and beat the crowd. If you would like to come early and help set up, we won’t turn you away!



River Legacy Park is located at 701 NW Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington, TX 76006. http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Arlington&state=TX&address=701+Nw+Green+Oaks+Blvd. Directions from north, east, south and west are attached also, so no matter where you live, you have specific directions.



We have put together 156 baskets full of Gluten Free food, coupons, kitchen utensils and more for the auction which will be held at the park. We also have other items for the auction besides the baskets of food such as two American Airlines tickets, a free night's stay at two different B&B’s in Texas who cater to the GF diet, free dinners at various restaurants, free admission to places like tickets to the Fort Worth and Dallas Zoos, Ranger Baseball tickets, NRH20, two professional portrait sessions, spa treatments and Avon gift baskets for you ladies, gift cards to area grocery stores, and much, much more! You will also have a chance to bid on a diet/nutrition session with one of two of the very best dieticians in the DFW area.



We’ll have a picnic lunch at the park after the walk. NTGIG is providing the meat for the sandwiches and will be providing the bread also. We need YOU to bring side dishes and desserts for your family and to share with others, buffet style. Make sure everything is gluten free. NTGIG is providing the condiments, paper goods, water and ice. Bring your own soft drinks if you want something other than water. We will have water. PLEASE email Shelly Carpenter at shellymcarpenter@msn.com and let her know what your side dishes will be. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. Shelly needs to know as soon as possible what you’re bringing. I’ve cc’d Shelly, who is coordinating the picnic foods, in this email so you can save her email address. We want to make sure we don’t have 200 potato salads and nothing else! Besides potato salad, some suggestions might be baked beans (we will have electrical outlets but bring an extension cord), fruit salad, pasta salads, veggie tray, deviled eggs, cheese tray w/GF crackers or pretzels, chips/dips, vegetable dish (either hot or cold), etc. And don’t forget a dessert if you’re comfortable baking GF.



Bring the kids and their friends! We’ll have a calk walk, pillow-case races, spoon/egg races, face painting and LOTS OF PRIZES for all the kids. Load up the car and bring the whole neighborhood!





Betty Barfield

President, North Texas Gluten Intolerance Group

Www.northtexasgig.com

817-929-9227

Cupcake Confirmation - and a good GF outing

This is from the comments on the last cupcake post:

Lauren Melissari said...
French Meadow GF Yellow and Chocolate Cupcakes are sold at Central Market for $5.99!

I'll have to try one!

Also, I got this awesome post from blog reader Diane Shaw about a Gluten-Free Mother's day that went well.  I'm really impressed by their resourcefulness of calling ahead and warning the pizza place that they were bringing their own food.  I have shown up at restaurants with part or all of a meal, ordered a soda and a salad and tipped as if I have eaten a full meal and no one has ever been rude, but this sounds really nice.

My husband wanted to take us all out for Mother's Day, but we have the challenges of me being
a Celiac, 2 gluten intolerant daughters, one gluten intolerant grandchild and the rest can eat whatever they want. 

The other problem was everyone wanted to go to Grimaldis' Pizza at Watter's Creek in Allen for the atmosphere and the delectable pizza. 

We did the unthinkable and called and asked if our party of 10 came for dinner could we bring our homemade GF pizza for those who cannot eat their pizza. After a few minutes on hold
they said "Sure." 

We arrived 30 minutes later, they had our table ready and they were so gracious and kind to us. I think it is rare for a restaurant to allow you to bring food in and to be so kind about it. We will visit there again for sure.

Also, Cru wine bar at Watter's Creek was very aware of gluten issues as was PF Chang's. 

Unconfirmed rumor of Gluten-Free Cupcakes

There is a rumor that Central Market has been carrying fresh gluten-free cupcakes in their bakery section.  If anyone finds out if this is the case, let me know!

California GF girls are lucky - awesome GF/Vegan Cake decorator

A friend just sent me this link about Bewitching Elegance Wedding Cakes by a woman in Burlingame, California.  They specialize in gluten-free and vegan cakes.  Dy's cakes look like unique works of art.

Raw food pie crust is gluten free

Most raw food recipes end up being gluten free.  I asked a friend for a reliable pie crust recipe and he sent me the following:

1 1/2 cups Raw Almonds
2 cups pitted dates

- Blend almonds until powder.
- Blend dates until buttery consistency.
- Combine dates and almonds in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Press evenly in to a parchment-paper lined pie plate.

*It helps after preparing the recipe and whatever filling you are going to use if you refrigerate the pie for a few hours or freezer for about 45 minutes.*

I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds really good. I'll update when I've given it a go!  Let me know if any of you guys try it and tell me how it goes.

Last Restaurant Standing used Gluten-Free as a challenge

A friend told me that BBC America's Last Restaurant Standing used gluten-free customers to challenge their chefs in episode #13. This is very exciting to me because it raises awareness and gets it into the public eye.  Similarly, there was a House episode, with a tricky diagnosis that turned out to be Celiac disease - my mom reports.

This is definitely the way we will slowly infiltrate the subconscious mind of everyday America!  It can only lead to more options and better information for all of us.

Starbucks has Gluten-Free Valencia Orange Cake

A wonderful co-worker brought me one of Starbucks' new gluten-free Valencia Orange Cakes to sample today.  It is a light-tasting spongy cake with a definite citrus taste and slivered almonds sprinkled across the top.

At 290 calories for a treat the diameter of a tennis ball, I won't be getting it all the time.  But it's a fabulous option to have.  I had half of it today and will save the rest for later in the week.  Now we can feel like "normal" people and have *breakfast at Starbucks with our friends.

*A side note - I routinely bring gluten-free cereal to Starbucks when I meet my friends there for a meal and they have no problem selling me a cup of milk and a banana to eat with it.

TGI Fridays in downtown Austin - very accommodating for gluten-free eating

Saturday night I was eating with friends at the TGI Fridays in downtown Austin.  I tried to pick something off of the menu and told the waiter I had Celiac disease.  Minutes later, a manager appeared and let me know that if I wanted to be really careful, I probably shouldn't eat there since they use the same oil for breaded and non-breaded items and have no segregation of grilling surfaces, etc.  

I told her I would risk eating something off of the grill and she suggested a plain burger with a side of steamed broccoli and fruit.  I thought that sounded fabulous and was amazed and pleased that she had immediately warned me about possible contamination issues.  Also, she admitted that they had no idea what ingredients were in their salad dressing.

Of course, it wasn't my favorite meal ever, but I was full and felt fine for the rest of the night.  The fact that the manager was so well-informed made me feel comfortable enough to eat there.

More scrumptiousness at Wildwood Art Cafe in Austin

Wildwood Art Cafe in Austin lived up to its reputation again this afternoon.  I brought a gluten-eating friend with me and she loved it, too.  I had one of their ding-dongs, which was quite tasty and I plan to eat a cream puff tomorrow.  I had my fav, the turkey and provolone sandwich and it was just as good as I remembered.  I sampled my friend's order of herbed focaccia and it was worth the nibble.  I'll order it next time!