It’s Monday!  Did you guys celebrate big this weekend for St. Patrick’s Day?  If so, today might be a little rough!  I was in bed early last night and up early this morning with clients.  I have a busy day ahead and my little helper is right here to make sure I don’t get off task.

This is Pippy’s new seat of choice.  She started out sitting behind me on the chair and then weaseled her way under my arm.

Monday – Homemade gluten-free meatballs with marinara (Aaron made this on Sunday) & Tinkyada brown rice pasta, salad

Tuesday – Dinner out – Fundraiser for my friend Melissa’s “Run MS” event – don’t forget to donate $5 to enter to win a GF prize package worth over $50!

Wednesday – Italian chicken fingers, sweet potato puffs, broccoli and salad

Thursday – Breakfast for dinner – Sausage, egg & cheese sandwiches and fruit salad

Friday – Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Take-out

For more great menu ideas visit:

The NFCA is running a Spring Recipe Contest!  More about the contest:

You may not have heard of The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.’s Gluten-Free Choices line, but you’re probably familiar with their products. Arrowhead Mills® gluten-free mixes, DeBoles® gluten-free pasta, Dream™ Non Dairy Beverages, Imagine® Soups and Terra® Chips are just some of the favorites you will find at GlutenFreeChoices.com.

Now, we want to hear how you use these gluten-free products.  Submit your original gluten-free recipe in the Spring Gluten-Free Recipe Contest for the chance to win $100 worth of products from the Gluten-Free Choices line.

To give you some inspiration, we’ll highlight products from each brand in the Gluten-Free Choices line throughout March. After the contest is over, we’ll pick some of our favorite recipes (including the winners) and publish them in an e-cookbook that you can download for free.

How to Enter: Submit an original gluten-free recipe through this online form or by e-mail to contest@celiaccentral.org.

All entries must be received by Friday, March 29, 2013

Entries must include:

• Your contact information (Full name and phone number)
• Title of recipe
• Recipe Category (Entrée/Side Dish or Baking)
• Ingredients
• Directions
• Number of servings
• Prep time and cook time preferred, but not required

Prizes

Grand Prize: Gluten-Free Prize Pack

One lucky winner will be chosen from each Recipe Category to receive a gluten-free prize pack from Gluten-Free Choices ($100 value).

e-Cookbook Raffle Winner:

One lucky winner who signs up to receive the e-Cookbook will win a gluten-free goodies from the Gluten-Free Choices brand!

Need some inspiration?

Check out these recipe ideas and products from the Gluten-Free Choices brands!

• Arrowhead Mills®

• DeBoles®

• Dream™

• Gluten-Free Café™

• Hain Pure Foods®

• Imagine®

• Terra® Chips

Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of the new Williams-Sonoma “Weeknight Gluten Free”  cookbook!  What a great way to inspire a spruced up weekly menu plan!

Check out the new Omron Fitness HR500U Heart Rate Monitor I am testing out and a new-to-me Chia Bar review.

2013 Easter Candy Information

Review: Cooked Perfect Meatballs

P.F.Chang’s New Dishes are Gluten-Free

Udi’s Seeded Whole Grain Dinner Rolls are awesome!

Part of this post is sponsored Omron Fitness as a collaboration with Bookieboo Blogging Network and Mamavation – a community dedicated to weight loss for women and obesity prevention for families. I was provided with product and compensation for my time and honest opinions.

Williams-Sonoma is one of my favorite stores to hit when I visit the mall.  I don’t always buy something when I visit, but I love “window shopping”.  I could spend hours flipping through the cookbooks and checking out the nifty kitchen gadgets.  Once Williams-Sonoma began offering gluten-free baking mixes, my visits became a lot more fun.

Williams-Sonoma is getting ready to release a brand new cookbook – Weeknight Gluten-Free, Simple, Healthy Meals for Every Night of the Week.

More about the cookbook:

More and more people are going gluten free—even superstar chef Thomas Keller is customizing his recipes with a nod towards the benefits of cooking without gluten. Bestselling food writer and editor Kristine Kidd and Williams-Sonoma have teamed up to bring you gluten-free recipes that add to your health without sacrificing the flavors you love.

This is not a book full of recipes that simply substitute “other flours” for wheat flour, resulting in a dish that doesn’t quite taste how it’s meant to taste. This is a solution-oriented cookbook filled with the best naturally gluten-free recipes and over 80 meals for any night of the week.

Weeknight Gluten Free chapters include:

·         Quick tips to help home cooks through busy weeks, including timesavers, ingredient substitutions, and making enough for leftovers

·         A list of favorite gluten-free products and tips for stocking the pantry

·         Gluten-free staples that can be used for many variations; items like egg crepes, cornmeal pizza crust, creamy polenta, fluffy quinoa, and easy mashed potatoes

·         Seasonal recipes that take inspiration from fresh produce throughout the year

·         Sweet and simple desserts that are naturally gluten free

 

  Like other special diets, gluten-free cooking is for people making healthy choices about what they want to eat. However, it does take some planning and education to pull off a gluten-free menu that doesn’t feel like it’s “missing something.” Weeknight Gluten Free solves these common issues for the frustrated reader, taking the guesswork out of cooking gluten-free food that retains all of its original character.

As the food editor of Bon Appétit magazine for over 20 years, Kristine Kidd has a deep sense for what makes a balanced and satisfying dish that’s a snap to whip up. Don’t miss this sequel to bestselling companion Weeknight Fresh & Fast, and get Weeknight Gluten Free for a straightforward approach to gluten-free cooking that you’ve been waiting for.

The new cookbook will be available in April 2013 and will retail for $29.95 on the Williams-Sonoma website.

I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of the cookbook to read and review.  I immediately fell in love with the cookbook!  The cookbook is chock-full of stunningly gorgeous photographs of the recipes, enticing me to make each and every one of them!  Dishes that may not have interested me in the past were begging to be tried.  Some of the recipes I really enjoyed were:

• Black Bean & Feta Quesadillas
• Grilled Eggplant Tomatoes & Goat Cheese
• Polenta Pizza Crust
• Sesame-Ginger Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables
• Chopped Salad with Chicken, Citrus and Avocado
• Chinese-Style Peanut Noodles with Seared Beef

About the Author

As the food editor of Bon Appétit magazine for more than 20 years, Kristine Kidd was responsible for filling its pages with delicious recipes and keeping her devoted readership up to date with evolving food trends. Based in Los Angeles, Kidd has written five cookbooks and is regularly sought out as an expert on home cooking.

About Weldon Owen

Weldon Owen creates visually splendid, mind-expanding books that nurture a wide range of readers’ passions, be they practical, creative, adventurous, or all-out fun. We illustrate great ideas, break down complex skills so anyone can learn them, and entertain and inspire along the way. Most of all, we love to create beautiful books that make you want to pick them up and are tough to put down. Weldon Owen is part of the Bonnier Corporation, the U.S. division of Bonnier AB, a family-owned multichannel media company founded in 1804 and based in Sweden. This makes us the sister company to over 50 leading magazines devoted to connecting people to their passions, including Field & Stream, Parenting, Popular Science, Outdoor Life, Saveur, Popular Photography, and Working Mother (to name just a few).

One lucky Gluten-Free is Life reader will win their very own copy of this gorgeous cookbook!  All you have to do to enter is follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter Box below. Continue reading →

Today is 3-14, also known as Pi Day!  Pi is the Greek symbol used to represent a constant, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, which is approximately 3.14159*.  If you are like me and math isn’t your thing, celebrate Pi Day with gluten-free pie. 

Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie <—Jon & Hannah’s favorite

Katz Blueberry Pie

Or try a new-to-you pie!  I am planning on making a Lemon Sponge Pie today with a new-to-me gluten-free pie crust from Wholly Wholesome.  I’ll make sure to let you guys know what we think! 

How will you celebrate Pi Day? Will you do some math or eat some pie?

*Source

Did you catch my review of Turbana Plantain Chips over on Celiac-Disease.com?  If not, you are missing out!  What a great way to add some flair to boring and routine snacks!

The plantain chips come in six different varieties:

• Lime
• Chile Lime
• Sweet
• Natural
• Garlic
• Chile

I loved each and every one of the varieties!  Would you like to win a variety of Turbana Plantain Chips to sample?  Turbana has offered to send one lucky winner of a box of Turbana Plantain Chips of all 6 flavors, as well as some Turbana swag. The bags are the full size bags 7 oz.  All you have to do to enter is follow the directions below in the Rafflecopter box. Continue reading →

Lots of exciting stuff going on today!  I tried out two new-to-me products: a new gluten-free bar after my run and a new heart rate monitor to monitor my HR, distance, etc,  First, let’s chat about the food.

I found these bars in my local Earth Fare store last week and I loved that the were a smaller version (roughly half the size of a normal bar) of a protein bar, making them perfect for shorter workouts. The Chia Bar I bought was the Chocolate Peanut Butter variety, but they also make an Acai Berry and Coconut version.

Look at all that chia goodness!  This bar was the perfect way to refuel after my running form class and 4 mile run.  I knew that I would be eating breakfast within the next hour and a half, so I didn’t want to eat a full-size protein bar.  The Chia Bar packs 100 calories, 4 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber and 1000 mg of Omega-3.  The taste and texture of the bar were great and it held me over until I was able to drop Hannah off at school and make breakfast.  In addition to being gluten-free, the bars are also dairy-free, soy-free and vegan.  Ingredients:

Chia seeds, brown rice syrup, gluten-free rolled oats, organic peanut butter, organic agave syrup, organic brown rice crisps (organic brown rice, organic brown rice syrup, sea salt), peanut flour, organic cocoa powder, arabic gum, natural peanut extract, vanilla extract, sea salt, mixed tocopherols (vitamin E).

Chia Bars can be purchased online or in your local health food stores across the US.

*This bar was purchased by me for personal use.

I was selected last week as one of the 25 bloggers to take part in the #iHeartOmron Running Challenge!  How cool is that?  I received new Omron Fitness Strapless Heart Rate Monitor on Friday and used it for the first time yesterday during my recovery run.  The challenge runs from March 11th-30th and the Virtual 5K takes place on March 30th.  

I love the light on the front of the monitor – it lights up according to HR zone!  If you want to follow me and the other 24 fantastic bloggers during this 3 week make sure to search “#iHeartOmron” and “#Mamavation” on Twitter.

**This post is sponsored Omron Fitness as a collaboration with Bookieboo Blogging Network and Mamavation – a community dedicated to weight loss for women and obesity prevention for families. I was provided with product and compensation for my time and honest opinions.

Did it warm up where you live this weekend?  It did here in Ohio – thank God!  While I know the 60 degree temps may not be around for good yet, it was nice to get a reprieve from the frozen toes and fingers on my Saturday run. Saturday was one of those days where I wish I had more than 5 miles on my training plan.  This coming week looks like it will be up and down with the temperature, which is better than freezing cold.

Yay for warm runs with friends!  Look, no snow on the ground!

Did you remember to Spring Forward last night?  I depended on my iPhone and cable box for the move – good thing they both played along nicely!  Busy week ahead for us.  Lots going on during the dinner hour makes it tough to get everyone fed.  I have found the best way to solve this is to prepare foods that can be easily reheated and served as each person needs to eat.

Monday – Easy Enchilada Bake (never ended up making this last week), corn and salad

Tuesday – Baked Ziti, steamed green beans and salad

Wednesday – Leftovers

Thursday – BBQ pulled pork sandwiches or salad, sweet potato puffs and salad

Friday – Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Breakfast for dinner and fruit salad

Celiac Disease, Eating Disorders and a Book Review

organicgirl good clean greens review

Daiya is introducing new products – cream cheese, cheese slices and pizza!

Only one more day to enter to win a Gluten-Free Conscious box!

Miss granola bars? Nature’s Path has introduced some amazing chewy granola bars! 

Last, but not least, don’t forget to head over to read about what I am doing to help fight the battle against MS.  Making a donation of just $5 will enter you into the drawing to win a gluten-free gift package worth over $50!

My friend, Amy Jones, MD, RD, LD wrote an article posted on the NFCA website about celiac disease and eating disorders.  I have to admit that I have always wondered if my eating disorder had anything to do with my having celiac disease or vice versa.  It’s a lot like the chicken or the egg…which came first? I am not sure if we will ever know or if it even matters.  What matters is my health and adherence to the gluten-free diet. 

My therapist suggested I read the book “Life Without Ed” by Jenni Schaefer, as it really helps show the eating disorder as a relationship, as opposed to a condition.  For years and years I struggled and fought with what I thought was "me", or what I called "My Brain" inside my head.  That voice would say things like, "Your stomach is getting flabby.", "French fries are bad for you.", "You aren’t thin enough.", "If you aren’t thin, what are you?" and "Your thighs have cellulite on them – perhaps skipping dessert is the way to go?".  It wasn’t until I read "Life without Ed" that I fully understood that this voice wasn’t truly me, it was my eating disorder, or as Shaefer calls it – “Ed”. 

I have had a hard time understanding that this voice wasn’t me.  I knew right from wrong in the scheme of my eating disorder, yet I couldn’t stop myself from that train of thought and acting on the impulses to measure my food, to mentally keep a running tally in my head of the calories I was ingesting daily, or to step on the scale and then let that number dictate how my day was going to go. 

After reading “Life Without Ed”, I began to realize that I had choices.  I didn’t have to obey “My Brain”. I could acknowledge what it was saying, but then choose to do as “I” wanted – eat what I wanted to eat, not what “My Brain” thought I should eat.  There are still many days that I struggle with this, but when I find myself arguing with “My Brain”, I stop to see if I can figure out what is going on.  Am I anxious, nervous or upset?  Chances are that I am, and the familiar, comforting routine is to control the variables – measure food, weigh myself – so that I will be somewhat soothed.  Choosing to disobey “My Brain” means there will be uneasy feelings in the beginning, as this is uncharted territory, but I have found that those feelings soon give way to a feeling of empowerment.  “I” can make decisions regarding food and I will be just fine. 

If you have been reading my blog for any period of time, you know I love my salads. I eat small spinach salads with lunch and then a larger salad with dinner or sometimes as my dinner.  My dinner salads are more than just lettuce and a few extra veggies tossed in – I love to add in all kinds of mix-ins for new flavor combinations. 

organicgirl good clean greens offers a wide variety of fresh, crisp salad or cooking greens. 

Ah, salad. Crisp, fresh, green, wholesome, tasty – when it’s done right. At organicgirl®, that means no synthetic pesticides, and it means growing and selecting only the very best quality produce.

We always wash our salad greens three times before we put them in a package. That’s what "washed³" means on our label.

And speed to your store is one of our special obsessions. We’re fanatics about freshness, and we want you to enjoy a fresh salad the day you buy one of our salads, and we want it to still be fresh the next day.

At organicgirl®, we offer a full line of baby greens in our earth-friendly 100% recycled plastic clamshells. We also offer mature romaine-based salads, which are crisp and delicious. So enjoy a great salad!

Look how delicate and tender these salad greens are…

Three of organicgirl products will be featured with organicgirl founder Margaret Scattini on Lifetime’s "All Mixed Up," on the following dates: March 15th, March 22nd & March 29th – re-airing in April.  Those three products are:

SuperGreens! – baby red chard, baby tat soi, baby spinach, baby green swiss chard, baby arugula

i heart baby kale – baby kale, tango, baby spinach, baby green chard, green romaine, baby green oakleaf lettuce. ingredients may vary by season.

baby spinach – organic baby spinach leaves

I loved each and every one of the organicgirl products I was sent to sample.  I believe I have a new favorite – i heart baby kale!  WOW!  I have never had kale that was so tender and light!  If you haven’t tried organicgirl good clean greens, check to see where you can find the products near you, but don’t forget to get a $1.00 off coupon here first. 

If you are looking for some inspiration on what to do with organicgirl good clean greens, check out their impressive Pinterest page.  I can open the clamshell container and eat the greens by the handful, but I should exercise some restraint and make one of the recipes like these Yummy quinoa and kale patties.  *Not all recipes on this page are gluten-free, so make sure to check the ingredients thoroughly.

Also, a little inside-scoop – organicgirl will be hosting an "All Mixed Up" Trivia game on its Facebook Page beginning April 1st.

*The products mentioned in this post were sent to me free of charge for review purposes.  All thoughts and opinions shared here are my own.

Did you know not all soy sauce is gluten-free?  It is one of those things that we don’t think of right off the bat as possibly containing gluten.  If you have been following the gluten-free diet for any period of time, you are aware that some varieties are brewed with wheat, but there are a few safe choices out there.  Have you heard about Little Soya Soy Sauce?

More about Little Soya:

We take our soy sauce very seriously.  Little Soya uses only the freshest, hand-picked ingredients we can find.  Executive chefs from across the country have refined the taste, helping create Little Soya’s unique, smooth yet slightly sweet flavor.  You won’t notice any uncomfortably salty aftertaste that so many traditional soy sauces bombard you with.

Little Soya meets all FDA standards for labeling as a gluten-free product.  Each batch of soy sauce we produce is tested twice by separate labs to ensure our results are accurate.  Currently, Little Soya tests at less than 10ppm gluten, far below the 20ppm FDA standard.

Little Soya also contains 45% less sodium than then leading brand on the market.   Our lower sodium content makes us great to use as a salt substitute in many of your favorite recipes.  You may even be surprised what new flavors you experience in some of your most worn out dishes.

Our fun, fish-shaped containers are re-sealable and recyclable!

Be on the lookout for our hot sauce, Little Saucy, set to launch in late 2012.

Little Soya [Gluten Free Less Sodium] INGREDIENTS:

INGREDIENTS: SOY SAUCE (WATER, SALT, DEFATTED SOYBEANS), WATER, SUGAR, CITRIC ACID, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, DISODIUM INOSINATE AND DISODIUM GUANYLATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVES).

CONTAINS – SOY

* SODIUM CONTENT HAS BEEN REDUCED FROM 920MG TO 510MG PER 15ML COMPARED TO THE LEADING BRAND.

I have been using Little Soya on a wide variety of foods since I first received the samples.  I love the flavor and the lower sodium levels.  Did you see the cute little fish-shape containers the sauce comes in?  They are re-sealable, making them easy to take along with you when dining out. Little Soya Soy Sauce can be purchased on Amazon.com.  Little Soy Soy Sauce has been nominated for the best gluten free soy sauce – so please head over and vote!

Little Soya has graciously offered to give 3 lucky readers each 1 package of Little Soya packets!  What fun!  All you have to do to enter is follow the directions in the Rafflecopter box below. Continue reading →

It is just about a month now until my first of six half marathons in 2013.  I have settled into a good training routine and have tweaked some numbers pertaining to my heart rate zones to help ensure I am recovering properly between my workouts.  There are a couple of key components to my recovery routine: proper fuel and Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves.

I have been using the Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves for several years and just recently became a Zensah Ambassador to help spread the word about their awesome products and the benefits of compression attire. My most recent Zensah obsession is the Ultra Compression Leg Sleeves.

Aside from the sleeves being my favorite color, these puppies have really helped loosen up my calves over the past few weeks.  Once my long run mileage exceeds 8 or 9 miles, I put the sleeves on immediately following my run and leave them on all day and overnight as a preventative measure.  If I can’t wear them all day, I make sure to put them on before I go to bed.  If there is a time when I am experiencing an acute issue, I will wear the sleeves during my runs.  Tight calves, at least for me, seem to lead to my plantar fasciitis acting up, among other things.  Since I have started to attend Good Form & Running clinics on Tuesdays, my calves have been a little tighter and more sore.  I am sure this is due to an additional focus of landing mid-foot and a lot less heel striking and in concentrated doses on numerous running drills that never cease to make me look like a fool.

The benefits of Zensah Ultra Compression Sleeves:

• High level of compression for maximum blood flow
• Shin and calf support
• Muscle stabilization to help prevent injuries
• Increased muscle response and performance
• Decreased muscle recovery time
• Moisture wicking and anti-microbial

About the Product

Zensah’s Ultra Compression Leg Sleeves were created to give athletes a higher level of compression. Whether for runners, cyclists, or basketball players, the Zensah Ultra Compression Leg Sleeves provide athletes with increased performance and decreased recovery time.
Made in Italy of innovative Zensah fabric (a blend of Polyamide and Elastine), the Zensah Ultra Compression Leg Sleeves are designed to last.
Using the Ultra Compression Leg Sleeves for running helps to prevent the micro-tears of the muscle. Athletes are also able to use the Ultra Compression Leg Sleeves for cycling, as the footless design ensures they fit perfect with the today’s most popular cycling shoes.

Do you wear compression sleeves?  Do you suffer from tight calves or shin splints?

The other recovery key for me is proper recovery fuel.  This my my latest protein bar obsession:

Yes, it is as good as it sounds.  I have tried only one other version of MarcoBar and really enjoyed it, so when I found this Sunflower + Chocolate Protein Purity bar, I figured I would fall in love. The bar is…USDA Organic, Gluten Free Certified, Non-GMO Verified, Dairy Free, Soy Free and Nut Free. Nutritional Stats:

Calories: 260

Fat: 9 grams

Protein: 10 grams

Fiber: 1 gram

Iron: 25% <—Another very important factor for me having suffered periods of anemia and/or low iron stores (ferritin)

Have you tried any of the MacroBar varieties?  What is your go-to protein bar or recovery fuel?

Don’t forget to head over to read more about why I am running the Cap City Half Marathon this year.  While you are there, donate at least $5 and be entered to win a gluten-free box with over $50 worth of goodies inside!

*I am proud to be a part of the Zensah ambassador program. The Zensah products mentioned in this blog post 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.