I just looked back at my blog post from Memorial Day 2012 and saw that Hannah and I went to the pool and it was 94 degrees that day.  Yesterday we were lucky to make it into the low 60s and today we may hit 70, if we are lucky.  It is a little drizzly outside right now…hoping it clears up so we can grill out later on.

The true meaning of Memorial Day is not about days off of work, firing up the grill for the first big cookout or hitting the neighborhood pool, it is about remembering the courageous men and women who have fought for our freedom.

Weekly Menu

Monday – Burgers on the grill, baked beans and salad

Tuesday – Mexican Pizzas, corn and salad

Wednesday – Italian grilled chicken, baked sweet potatoes, broccoli and salad

Thursday – Brown rice pasta with marinutta sauce or meatballs and salad

Friday – Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Takeout

Weekly Recap

Coffee-Mate Introduces new flavors – think Girl Scouts

Review of Elizabeth Gordon’s new cookbook: Simply Allergy-Free Quick and Tasty Recipes for Every Night of the Week

Review: Lauren’s Kitchen Biscotti

Review: Trader Joe’s Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Omission Brewing Introduces Gluten-Free IPA

Have a great week!

Kim

It was just a little over a year ago that I first sampled Omision’s Lager and Pale Ale.  Omission Brewing was the first brewer in US to use traditional ingredients, such as barley, in their gluten-free beer. 

More about the Gluten-Free IPA:

“Omission IPA is the first authentic gluten-free IPA brewed with malted barley to hit the market,” said Joe Casey, Widmer Brothers Brewmaster. “This IPA is brewed in the traditional Northwest IPA style, yet is specially crafted to be gluten-free. The beer uses a generous amount of Summit and Cascade hops giving it a beautiful citrus flavor and aroma.”

“At Omission, we’re constantly innovating, and exploring new opportunities to share our love of craft beer with anyone of legal drinking age, including those with gluten sensitivities,” said Terry Michaelson, CEO, Craft Brew Alliance, and longtime celiac.  “Part of that is experimenting with different beer styles that meet our rigorous gluten-free standards while staying true to our commitment to high-quality craft brewing. Omission IPA hits the mark, and we can’t wait to get it into the hands of our customers in Oregon this spring.”

Gluten-free Omission IPA:

Omission IPA is a bright, hop forward Northwest Style IPA produced in the spirit of the original IPAs shipped from the UK to India in the late 1800s.  The heavy-handed use of Cascade and Summit hops give it notable pine, citrus, and grapefruit aromas and flavors. The bitterness is what you would expect of a NW IPA but this beer is balanced and smooth due to the perfect level of malt sweetness. The finish is crisp, clean, and refreshing – it’s a true IPA lover’s IPA.

About Omission IPA

Ingredients

Malts: Pale, Carmel 10°L

Hops: Cascade, Summit

Profile

IBU: 65

ABV: 6.7%

Omission IPA has a suggested retail price of $9.99 per six-pack and will be available in six-packs of 12-ounce bottles at the Widmer Brothers Gasthaus Pub in Portland, Ore., and at retailers, restaurants and bars throughout the state.

I had never tried an IPA or India Pale Ale before starting the gluten-free diet, so I didn’t have anything to compare the new Omission IPA to.  The IPA had a great flavor, but was heavier than I like (don’t read this as bad, I like a lighter beer).  The IPA would pair well with a hot, juicy burger straight off of the grill or a meat lover’s gluten-free pizza. 

Each batch of Omission Beer is independently tested using the R5 competitive ELISA test to ensure that it contains less than 20ppm gluten.  The consumer can log onto the Omission website to check the batch results of the bottle they are drinking.  It is pretty cool and very reassuring. 

Do you have a favorite gluten-free beer?  Have you tried any of the Omission beers?

When I was asked to write an endorsement for the brand new Crave Bakery Cookbook, I was flattered and excited!  I fell in love with the products from Crave Bakery back in 2010 and can’t wait to get busy making some of the recipes in the new cookbook!

Crave Bakery Brownie

My endorsement: Following a gluten-free diet can be difficult, but Crave Bakery makes it a little bit easier by creating some childhood favorites that won’t make you feel like you are settling.  Their brownies and cookies are sure to please even the pickiest palates. The brownies are dense and fudgy with no telltale sign of the product being gluten-free. 

More about the cookbook:

What’s in the Book?

This book is a collection of over 60 Recipes all made in Crave Bakery for our line of grocery products or our decadent wedding and party cakes in the Bay Area since opening in 2003. This book includes 50 photos and step-by-step instructions for Cakes, Cupcakes, Frostings, Fillings, Brownies, Cookies, Tarts and Muffins.

A casual baker or a full-fledged bakery can easily reproduce these recipes. Because they were designed for efficient production, many of the recipes are simple enough for beginners. For bakeries that have been wanting to add gluten-free products to their line but don’t have time to devote to all that experimentation- this book has done the work for you. These are recipes ready for production. They’re precise and tested over years in Crave’s own bakery.

Beyond recipes, this book also includes helpful information such as:

–       Recipes organized by difficulty

–       Clear allergen statements for each recipe

–       Recommended Baking Tools

–       Recommended Gluten Free Ingredients

–       Gluten Free Baking Tips

–       Decorating Tips

For you Kindle people, Kindle version is coming soon!

To read more about the new cookbook and endorsements from many other gluten-free voices, visit the Crave Bakery blog.

In honor of Celiac Awareness Month, Crave Bakery is giving a 40% discount through May 31, 2013. The book will be just $2.99 in iTunes.

Crave Bakery has generously offered to give 5 lucky winners each a free copy of the new cookbook!  How cool is that?  Simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter box below to enter! Continue reading →

Here we are entering the third week of May.  Our weather has changed dramatically over the past week.  Last weekend for Mother’s Day, Saturday was cold and raining, Sunday was windy and not very warm and I wore running tights and gloves for my Tuesday morning run.  After that chilly morning run, it got hot and humid and it’s stayed that way.

This was Wednesday.  When the weather gets hot like this I start thinking of cool drinks…ice cold gluten-free beer, white wine spritzers or frozen margaritas with salt on the rim.

Weekly Menu

Sunday – Grilled turkey and Swiss cheese sandwiches, baked fries and salad

Monday – Easy enchilada bake, corn and salad

Tuesday – Dinner time meetings, so leftovers or take-out

Wednesday – Grilled chicken, potato packets on the grill, steamed green beans and salad

Thursday – Breakfast for dinner and fruit salad

Friday – Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Bourbon chicken, brown rice, snow peas and salad

Weekly Recap

Review: Larabar ALT protein bars

Quite possibly my new favorite bagels…Kinnikinnick’s Soft Bagels in Blueberry, Cinnamon Raisin and Plain

Jason’s Deli offers full size Udi’s Gluten-Free Bread

Celiac Disease Awareness and Pet Peeves

KIND Bars debut two new flavors

Have a great week!

Kim

I want to share some exciting news for all of those who live in the Columbus and surrounding areas.  It was only a few months back when I first sampled the new gluten-free Sonoma Flatbread Pizzas made by Donato’s. 

Today I received an email from a contact at Donato’s with the following information about their Gluten-Free Sonoma Flatbread Pizzas.

I wanted to send you a quick note, we will have coupons for our Sonoma Flatbreads in this Sunday’s paper (The Columbus Dispatch).

On top of the coupons the majority of our retailers have put them on sale to really give a great value to our fans!

The gluten-free line is available at the following retailers:
Carnival stores in both Lancaster and Circleville.
Both Raisin Rack locations (Westerville has a great display!)
Huffman’s market in UA
Both of the Anderson’s General stores in Columbus
Campbell’s IGA’S in Duncan Falls
Ross IGA in Granville
Baltimore IGA
Kroger locations with natures market, as previously communicated.

Thanks again for networking with your Fans!
Yours in Pizza,
Collin Sanders

If you haven’t tried the flatbread pizzas prior to this, now is your chance!  I think the regular price of these pizzas is competitive and fair, seeing as they can feed 4 people (with salads on the side) or 2 without.  Don’t feel like you are missing out any longer…give these a try! 

Have you tried the new Gluten-Free Sonoma Flatbread Pizzas?

A friend pointed me to this article from the Huffington Post earlier this week.  The article is about pet peeves regarding the gluten-free diet and things people say when they hear you are on the diet.  One of my biggest pet peeves is hearing, “Have you heard about that new weight loss diet…the gluten-free diet?", or something along those lines.

If you do have Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance, following the gluten-free diet is not a choice; it is an absolute necessity.  Are there people out there who start the gluten-free diet and find that it makes them feel better, even though they don’t have a diagnosis of Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance?  Yes, and if they are feeling better, they may have an undiagnosed intolerance or even Celiac Disease.  The other possibility is that they are eating less junk (processed foods).  Eating whole, unprocessed foods can do wonders for your body, but many people don’t eliminate processed foods unless they are trying to lose weight or aren’t feeling well, and are looking for a source of their pain or illness.  Once the person loses weight and/or starts to feel better, the assumption then becomes that the problem was what they eliminated from their diets, though in reality it may be that cutting out higher fat, higher calorie, higher sodium foods were the issue and not the gluten (or other allergen). 

I am not saying gluten and food intolerances don’t exist; they are very real.  I just get tired of hearing the gluten-free diet being touted as the newest weight loss plan or fad diet.  What can I do about it? Take action in the form of education.  May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month, which gives me a great platform to spread information, share gluten-free knowledge and samples. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with the gluten-free diet or diagnosis, here are four different resources that offer a plethora of information, including a symptom checklist.:

• Celiac Disease Foundation
• Celiac Sprue Association
• Gluten Intolerance Group of North America
• National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

Do you have a gluten-free pet peeve regarding the reactions of people once you tell them you are on the diet?

KIND Snacks is introducing two new bars to their Nut & Spices line just in time for Celiac Disease Awareness Month.  I have been a fan of KIND Bars for almost as long as I have been on the gluten-free diet. The Nuts & Spices line bars are “each seemingly indulgent recipe provides all natural protein, fiber and only 5g of sugar (or less). And nothing artificial.”

The two new flavors…

Dark Chocolate Chili Almond – 200 calories, 6 grams protein, 7 grams fiber (contains dairy)

Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt – 210 calories, 6 grams protein, 7 grams fiber

I am absolutely loving these new flavor combinations!  Sweet and spicy!  Sweet and salty!  YUM!  I received several samples of each variety and shared the KIND Bar love with some local gluten-free friends and some non-gluten-free friends to help spread Celiac Disease Awareness.  Everyone raved about the bars!  Gluten-free doesn’t have to be taste or flavor-free!

All of the Kind Snacks are gluten-free and “are tested for gluten and meet FDA’s proposed requirement of 20ppm (0.002%) of gluten. Our manufacturing plant is dedicated gluten free and has a strict allergen control program.”

KIND Bars can be purchased in the KIND Store online, on Amazon.com and in local stores across the US. The newest flavors may not hit retail shelves until June, so try to be patient.

Do you have a favorite KIND bar?  Which of the new bars is most appealing to you?

*These bars were sent to me free of charge for review purposes.  The thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything. 

Hope you all had a nice weekend!  We had family over on Saturday to celebrate Mother’s Day and Sunday was spent with my mom and daughter shopping and having lunch.  While I am on the topic of lunch, make sure to read this post about my latest visit to Jason’s Deli.  What a wonderful experience that included purchasing the large slice version of Udi’s Gluten-Free Whole Grain bread.

What’s for dinner?

Monday – Leftover Yohan Pizza from Mother’s Day

Tuesday – Rotisserie chicken stir-fry with coconut baked brown rice, sugar snap peas and salad

Wednesday – Spaghetti with marinutta sauce and salad

Thursday – Breakfast for dinner and fruit salad

Friday – Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Take-out

Weekly Recap

Don’t forget to enter to win the new UP from Jawbone in my Health & Fitness Motivation Giveaway.

Recipe: Nutella Nut Butter Muffins

Review: Tate’s Bakeshop Cookies & Brownies

Review: Pamela’s Oatmeal Cookie Mix

Schwan’s gluten-free options and recipes

Pillsbury goes gluten-free

Review: Nature’s Path Trail Mixer Bars

Review: Glutino Muffin Mix

Have a great week!

Kim

What is the toughest part for you about sticking to a health & fitness routine?  Is it motivation? Is it finding time? Do you wonder how others have time to fit exercise and healthy eating into their hectic schedules?  I am not going to lie to you and tell you that it will be easy to do, it won’t be.  But, like the quote (from I don’t know who) says, “It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it!”

If you schedule your workouts like you do any other appointment, you are much more likely to stick to them.  Get up 30 minutes early, walk during your lunch hour or after work with your dog, split your workout up into 10 minute segments during the day…it all counts!  Struggling with what kind of exercise to do?  Use your smartphone!  My Droid Razr HD has a plethora of apps to choose from – some are free and others cost a minimal amount of money.  There are many run/walk, yoga, Pilates and strength training apps; there is something for everyone.  One of my currents favorites is Jefit.

Containing over 1300+ exercises, the JEFIT Exercise Database provides animations and detailed information about each exercise. Learn how to perform each exercise correctly to attain the results desired when working out.

If you are new to exercising, consider hiring a personal trainer or taking a few fitness classes to help demonstrate proper form.  Start simple and build from there.  Exercise doesn’t have to be difficult to be effective.  Just move!  One way to motivate yourself to move is to track your movement and activity with a pedometer or similar device.  I have been trying out the FitBit One for the past month and love how easy it is to see where I stand for the day in regards to movement.

I am thrilled to share that as part of the Verizon Health & Fitness Voices program, one of my lucky readers will win a really cool device to help motivate them to move more.  The UP by Jawbone sounds very similar to the FitBit One.

Check out the description below from Verizon:

UP is small, flexible and strong to accommodate an active lifestyle and help people reach their goals for a healthy lifestyle. Some of the features of device include:

• Designed to be worn 24/7; up to 10 days of battery life
• Tracks sleep and activity using advanced sensor technology
• Log what you eat and drink, and track nutritional info
• Get personalized insights that help you set and achieve your goals
• Set a Smart alarm to help you wake up feeling refreshed
• Set Idle Alerts to remind you to move and stay active

All you have to do to enter to win the new Up by Jawbone is follow the directions in the Rafflecopter box below.  The device retails for $129.99, but will be free to the winner of my giveaway!  *Open to US residents only. Continue reading →