Sorry that I have been MIA the past few days.  I had plans to get a fun giveaway from Chapstick up on Friday, but we ended up with a surprise new addition to our family:

Meet Pippy!  Long story short – Aaron got an email from the humane society about this adorable Shih Tzu puppy and she is now ours!  Needless to say we have been a little busy, as she is only 3 months old.  Now I need to go back and read those reviews I did on gluten-free pet food! 

The theme of my menu this week is simple.  What can I do to avoid take-out and still prepare some healthy meals?  Plan and prepare as much as I can in advance. 

Sunday – Beef tacos with corn tortillas, chopped ice burg lettuce tomatoes and avocado, refried beans and corn

Monday – Spicy Thai Peanut Salmon, coconut baked brown rice, steamed green beans and salad

Tuesday – Italian grilled chicken with fettucine Alfredo, broccoli and salad

Wednesday – Breakfast for dinner (Belgian waffles) with fruit salad and turkey bacon

Thursday – Burgers, sweet potato puffs, zucchini and salad

Friday – Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Wiener Roast at Aaron’s parents

Week in Review:

Better 4U Foods gluten-free pizza review

The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook

Glutenfreeda adds new products to line-up

Review: Lucy’s Brownie Cakes

Check back tomorrow afternoon for the start of the Chapstick giveaway!

I wanted to make sure that I shared the very easy recipe for the Wordless Wednesday post that went up yesterday.  Sometimes I get busy and forget I shared a yummy looking picture – I promise I don’t mean to leave you hanging on purpose.  This meal was one of the easiest to make and it was so good!  Even Hannah ate it with no complaints, though she did end up dipping her chicken in Ranch dressing. 

Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry

• 1-2 pounds raw, sliced boneless chicken breast or thighs
• San-J Teriyaki Sauce
• Cooked brown rice
• Sugar snap peas or vegetable of choice

1.  Clean and slice chicken.  Marinate in San-J Teriyaki sauce for at least 30 minutes.*

2.  Heat saute or frying pan over medium to medium-high

3.  Cook chicken in marinade until done. I usually cover the pan for the first 5-7 minutes and then finish uncovered to thicken up the sauce a bit.

4. Serve over brown rice and cooked veggies**.

*Try slicing chicken and marinating the night before or morning of to make dinner faster to make.

**Veggies can be cooked in the same pan once the chicken is almost done or in a separate pan.

All of the San-J sauces are certified gluten-free.  The ingredients for the Teriyaki Sauce are:

Ingredients: Tamari Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Salt, Alcohol), Water, Organic Sugar, Honey, Sake (Water, Rice, Salt), Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic Puree, Rice Vinegar, Ginger Puree, Plum Juice Concentrate, Torula Yeast, Canola Oil, Spices, Arrowroot, Xanthan Gum

Are San-J gluten free products certified gluten free?
Yes. All San-J Gluten Free products are made in a plant inspected and certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization. Look for GF symbol on San-J gluten free products. For more information on this group, please visit their website at www.gfco.org.

While some nights I enjoy ordering take-out for convenience, a recipe like this makes it hard to justify. 

The product used in this recipe was sent to me free of charge to use for recipe purposes.  Be on the lookout over the next couple of weeks for more information and recipes with other San-J products.

Welcome to October!  I love fall and everything about it except that winter follows it!  Oh well, I’ll enjoy it while it lasts.  I kicked off this month with a new pumpkin dessert: Chocolate Pumpkin Crunch Cake. 

The dessert looks like a pan of brownies with walnuts on top here, but I promise you, that is just the beginning.  Under that layer of Devil’s Food Cake is a layer of pumpkin, that is much like pumpkin pie.  Check this out…

Pumpkin on the bottom, cake on top.  Feeling a little sassy?  Flip it!

Now the cake that was on top acts like a thick crust on the bottom.  I know, right?

I found the inspiration for this dessert on Pinterest, however it was made with non-gluten-free cake mix and it was yellow cake.  I knew that I wanted to make the dessert, but I only had Devil’s Food mix.  I happen to love the combo of chocolate and pumpkin, so Chocolate Pumpkin Crunch Cake was born. 

Here is a quick run down of how to make the dessert and then I promise to get on to the menu plan.

Ingredients

1 box Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Devil’s Food Cake Mix

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup walnuts (chopped)

1 cup butter (melted)

Method

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray 9 x 13 inch glass dish with cooking spray

3. Mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and salt well on low in a mixing bowl, pour into prepared dish

4. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the top of the pumpkin mixture

5. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over the top of the cake mix and drizzle evenly with melted butter.

6. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until cake mix is mostly set in the middle.

*Can be served warm (awesome) or cold (also awesome).  Don’t try to invert the cake while it is warm or it won’t hold together. 

Monday – Teriyaki chicken, brown rice, sugar snap peas and salad

Tuesday – Turkey tacos, black beans, corn and salad

Wednesday – BBQ pulled pork sammies on Udi’s gluten-free buns, cheesy potatoes and salad

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – Make your own pizza with Venice Bakery gluten-free crusts and salad

Saturday – Take-out

Picky Bars.  What a great name for a product, right?  I not only love the name, but the front of the package says “It’s freaking science, dude.”  When I first learned of Picky Bars, I knew they would be a product that I would be interested in.  Not only were they gluten- and dairy-free, but they have the 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein that I am always looking for to refuel with after my runs and workouts. 

More about how Picky Bars came about:

When I set out to make a special gluten and dairy free energy bar for my husband Jesse, I had his health and my nose in mind.  There were specialty bars available that would keep him from starving on his long bike rides, but I couldn’t find a single one that was athletically balanced and tasted good.  If he was going to make it as a Pro-Triathlete, he needed to start getting picky about his diet.  With my nerdy Stanford background in science and athletic performance, I knew what needed to be created, but it wouldn’t be easy.

I wanted a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio, slow releasing carbs for level blood sugar, minimal soy content, and healthy fats making up  25% of the calories.  Oh yeah, and it needed to taste amazing.  No big deal, right?  Good thing my training buddy Stephanie and I were injured and had time on our hands, cuz it was hard work.  Perfecting Picky Bars together became the perfect distraction from the misery of injury, and added the balance we needed in our lives to finally heal.

A years worth of gooey hands and gut-busting laughs results in a product we are exceedingly proud of.  We are picky about the quality of our ingredients, and where they come from.  Everything that goes into the bar has a good reason for being there, and took months of experimenting to earn its place in the recipe.  The finished product is what we trust to fuel us to the highest levels of international sport, to USA Championships and podium finishes.  And now we are thrilled to finally be able to share them with you.

Eat Picky and Prosper,

Lauren Fleshman

2 x USA Champion for 5k, and 5x NCAA Champion

The bars come in four different varieties:

Smooth Caffeinator – 200 Calories = 7g Fat + 28g Carbohydrates + 7g Protein. *Bold Ingredients are organic.  Ingredients: Organic Dates, Hazelnut Butter, Organic Agave Nectar, Rice Protein (Protein from Whole Grain Sprouted Brown Rice), Organic Brown Rice Cereal (Organic Brown Rice, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Sea Salt), Hazelnuts, Organic Apricots (Organic Apricots, Organic Rice Flour), Cranberries (Cranberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Organic Chocolate Chips (Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (non-GMO), Organic Vanilla Extract), Organic Coffee, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Safflower Oil, Natural Vitamin E (to preserve freshness).

All-In Almond – 200 Calories = 7g Fat + 28g Carbohydrates + 7g Protein. *Bold Ingredients are organic. Ingredients: Organic Dates, Organic Almond Butter, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Brown Rice Cereal (Organic Brown Rice, Organic Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Sea Salt), Rice Protein (Protein from Whole Grain Sprouted Brown Rice), Organic Apricots (Organic Apricots, Organic Rice Flour), Organic Almonds, Cranberries (Cranberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Organic Chocolate Chips (Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (non-GMO), Organic Vanilla Extract), Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Safflower Oil, Natural Vitamin E  (to preserve freshness).

The Need for Seed –  200 Calories = 7g FAT + 28g CARB + 7g PROTEIN.  *Bold Ingredients are organic. Ingredients: Organic Dates, Organic Sunflower Seed Butter, Organic Honey, Organic Brown Rice Cereal (Organic Brown Rice, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Sea Salt), Rice Protein (Protein from Whole Grain Sprouted Brown Rice), Organic Apricots (Organic Apricots, Organic Rice Flour), Cranberries (Cranberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Organic Chocolate Chips (Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (non-GMO), Organic Vanilla Extract), Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Safflower Oil, Natural Vitamin E (to preserve freshness).

Lauren’s Mega Nuts – 200 Calories = 7g Fat + 28g Carbohydrates + 7g Protein. *Bold Ingredients are organic. Ingredients: Organic Dates, Organic Peanut Butter, Organic Honey, Organic Brown Rice Cereal (Organic Brown Rice, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Sea Salt), Rice Protein (Protein from Whole Grain Sprouted Brown Rice), Organic Apricots (Organic Apricots, Organic Rice Flour), Cranberries (Cranberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Organic Chocolate Chips (Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (non-GMO), Organic Vanilla Extract), Organic Almonds, Organic Cashews, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Walnuts, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Safflower Oil, Natural Vitamin E  (to preserve freshness).

The obvious question is how do they taste, right?  One word: Phenomenal!  I loved the flavor and texture of the bars.  Similar to some of the other fruit and nut bars on the market, but a little more dense and not as dry.  These are a wonderful way to refuel on the way home for the gym or a run.  By refueling within 30 minutes after a workout, I afford myself the time to hop in the shower and stretch before sitting down to breakfast or lunch. 

Picky Bars can be purchased online or in select stores across the US.  The bars are a little pricey online (3 for $9; 8 for $21; 15 for $37), but shipping is free and you can’t beat that! 

*I received these bars free of charge for review purposes.  The thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything. 

Oh, and on the topic of how many boxes of gluten-free waffles I purchased when they were on sale: 15. 

Okay, kind of wordless – these are on sale at Meijer this week for $1.50 (half off – 8 waffles in a box).  How many boxes did I buy?

I’ll share the answer tomorrow. 

The Summer Olympics shed a new light on gluten-free athletes.  Over the past year or two there have been several athletes in the news touting the gluten-free lifestyle, though not always due to Celiac Disease. I love to hear about these athletes, not only because I am a runner, but because it always fascinates me to hear about the effects of removing gluten from an individual’s diet.  Of course I always recommend seeing a doctor before starting the gluten-free diet, as testing for Celiac Disease must be completed before removing gluten from the diet in order for the results to be accurate.

“The Gluten-Free Edge” is the newest book from Peter Bronski, Coauthor of Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking, and Melissa McLean Jory, MNT.  This book is a wealth of information about gluten, why it makes people sick, “The Gluten Intolerance Spectrum” – from Celiac Disease to Wheat Allergy to Gluten Sensitivity to Everybody Else.  The book goes on to share why athletes should care about gluten, even if they are otherwise relatively healthy individuals.  There are stories from many athletes, including one from yours truly:

I was so flattered to be asked to share my story for this book!  I am having a blast reading about these fantastic athletes and their stories.   I have to admit that it is kind of cool to open up a book that one can find on the shelves of Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com and see your very own picture staring back at you!  The end of the book has numerous recipes, including my current favorite: Apple-Pecan Crumble – it just screams fall!

I am going to give one lucky reader a free copy of this book courtesy of little old me!  I appreciate each and every one of you more than you could ever know!  Without readers, my blog wouldn’t be a blog – it would be a diary.  To enter to win, please follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter box below. Continue reading →

It is the last week of September!  Can you believe it?  The first day of fall was this past Saturday and the temperatures have sure seemed to follow the calendar.  Frosty, chilly mornings here!  It was so cold yesterday morning that Jon came in the house looking for an ice scraper for his car! 

In case you missed the post with my menu plan last week, I shared my favorite pumpkin recipes.  This week I was browsing the web for an updated gluten-free candy list.  I found one that was just updated September 22, 2012!  Of course it isn’t all inclusive, but it has a nice wide variety of candy listed.  I can’t seem to get enough of these:

I kind of wish someone would hide them from me.  I know I have the option of not buying them, but you know…

Tuesday – Mexican pizzas, refried beans, corn and salad

Wednesday – Baked Ziti, broccoli and salad

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Perfect pork tenderloin, garlic mashed potatoes, zucchini and salad

Weekly Recap:

NFCA Webinar – “Eating for Two – How-To Tips on Managing Celiac Disease and Diabetes”

Arsenic in rice – Should Celiacs be Concerned?

Williams-Sonoma adds new baking mixes for the Holidays!

Columbus, Ohio Arena District gluten-free options

Saturday, September 15, 2012 was my 9th half marathon. My goal for 2012 was to run 5 half marathons this year and that was #4 for 2012. My last (#5 for the year and #10 total) is on October 21, 2012 here in Columbus.

The Air Force Half Marathon was held in Dayton, Ohio. It began and ended on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The full marathon began a full hour before the half marathon with a B-2 flyover. Talk about cool! We were still hanging out in the van at that point to stay warm, but were fortunately still able to see it. The morning was chilly – 49 degrees! I couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather.

My initial plan had been to run this as a training run, but after speaking with my MIT pace coach and sports doctor, I decided to try for a PR. In order to PR I would have to run 8:43/mile (to get under 1:53:52.) To get under 1:50, another fall goal, I would have to run an 8:23 pace. I like to have multiple goals going into a race – the pipe dream, the PR and finishing. Going into a race with that mindset leaves no room for disappointment.

We were off at 8:30 AM! The first few miles flew by. I kept the1:50 pacer in sight, but didn’t want to force anything. I had to keep in the back of my head that I still have another half to run in 5 weeks. I fell comfortably into a pace that was around 8:35/mile.

By the time we were at mile 6, I noticed that the course was getting a little more crowded. I had headphones on, so I didn’t hear much at this point. All of a sudden the 1:45 pacer was right in front of me. I knew there was no way I had caught up to him based on my current pace. I took my headphones off and discovered that some of the course volunteers/workers had directed many of the runners the wrong way. The confusion continued as we made our way down several other side streets. I was really upset at first because I was on pace to set a PR and running over 13.1 miles was not in the cards. I had no desire to run any farther. At one point I was hearing that we would end up running 15 miles. Ugh.

I made a choice right then and there. I would continue along my current pace and stop my watch at 13.1. I could then slow down to cool down or even walk, if need be. My pace slowed a little over the next couple of miles and I knew at that point that 1:50 was not in the cards. I quickly did the math in my head and knew that I could slow down a bit and still PR. No need to push it when I was already past the point of running sub-1:50.

I held my pace, even sped up a little and settled in for the ride. Some of the best music was on my playlist as I turned back onto the base and ran along the finishing stretch. Pink Floyd’s “Learning to Fly” seemed like the perfect song at that point in time – I picked up my pace and headed for the final stretch. I stopped my watch at 13.1 and 1:52:18 – a PR! I continued to run for roughly another half a mile or so to cross the finish line.

Turns out I was one of the “lucky” ones – some of the half runners ended up running close to 16 miles! Ouch!

I headed over to the massage tent for a calf/foot massage. I think this was key to my plantar fasciitis not acting up, as I had just started to feel it in mile 12-13 of the half.

This past week has been all about recovery. I may have been a little ambitious last Sunday by doing a 3 mile recovery run and then an intense core class. I took Monday off, ran 3 on Tuesday that ended up being a little more painful than I would have liked, took Wednesday off from running and went to yoga instead. Easy is the name of the game. I have 4 weeks until the Columbus half. I would love to run it under 1:50, but again, that is the pipe dream. I have to be thrilled with my accomplishments over the past 12 months with PRs in 3 of the 5 half marathons that I have run. If I am not in “racing shape” on October 21, 2012, I will just enjoy the ride.

A couple of weeks back I began a series on the Gluten Free Lunch Box.  Today the spotlight is on Do More Bars.  These bars are a healthier gourmet version of the traditional crispy rice treats that you make at home, or the pre-packaged variety that aren’t gluten-free. 

More about Do More Bars:

• Packed with Fruit & Nuts
• Made with Whole Grain Organic Crispy Brown Rice
• No Artificial Colors or Flavors
• No Preservatives or Sulfites
• No Hydrogenated Oils
• No Marshmallow Creme
• No Corn Syrup
• Over 50% Organic and All Natural!

There are five varieties of Do More Bars:

Date Pecan – Ingredients: Gluten free organic crispy brown rice (organic brown rice, organic brown rice syrup, salt), organic brown rice syrup, dates, pecans, light brown sugar (sugar, molasses), butter (cream, salt), hormone free non-fat dry milk (non-fat dry milk, whey solids), dark brown sugar (sugar, molasses), vanilla extract (vanilla bean extractives in water & alcohol), sodium bicarbonate, salt. Contains a trace of soy and sunflower.

Pineapple Coconut -Ingredients: Gluten free organic crispy brown rice (organic brown rice, organic brown rice syrup, salt), organic brown rice syrup, dried pineapple (pineapple, refined cane sugar), light brown sugar (sugar, molasses), butter (pasteurized cream, salt), organic coconut, hormone free non-fat dry milk (non-fat dry milk, whey solids), dark brown sugar (sugar, molasses) vanilla extract (extractives of vanilla beans in water & alcohol), natural pineapple flavor from plant extracts in water & alcohol, sodium bicarbonate, salt. Contains a trace of soy and sunflower.

Raisin Peanut – Ingredients: Gluten free organic crispy brown rice (organic brown rice, organic brown rice syrup, salt), organic brown rice syrup, raisins, roasted peanuts, light brown sugar (sugar, molasses), butter (cream, salt), hormone free non-fat dry milk (non-fat dry milk, whey solids), dark brown sugar (sugar, molasses), vanilla extract (extractives of vanilla beans in water & alcohol), sodium bicarbonate, salt, peanut oil. Contains a trace of soy and sunflower.

Orange Cranberry Pecan – Ingredients:  Gluten free organic crispy brown rice (organic brown rice, organic brown rice syrup, salt), organic brown rice syrup, orange juice concentrate, light brown sugar (sugar, molasses),  butter (cream, salt), dried cranberries (cranberries, sugar), pecans, hormone free non-fat dry milk (non-fat dry milk, whey solids), dark brown sugar (sugar, molasses), orange peel, orange extract (alcohol, vegetable glycerine, natural orange oil), sodium bicarbonate, salt. Contains a trace of soy and sunflower.

Cherry Almond – Ingredients: Gluten free organic crispy brown rice (organic brown rice, organic brown rice syrup, salt), organic brown rice syrup, cherries (cherries, sugar, sunflower oil), almonds, light brown sugar (sugar, molasses), butter (cream, salt), hormone free non-fat dry milk (non-fat dry milk, whey solids), dark brown sugar (sugar, molasses), almond extract (water, alcohol, oil of bitter almond), vanilla extract (vanilla bean extractives in water & alcohol), sodium bicarbonate, salt. Contains a trace of soy and sunflower.

The bars are made in a facility that uses peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, corn and wheat products. 

The utmost care and best practices are used to prevent cross-contamination.  Bars have been gluten tested with results less than 10 ppm gluten.

These bars were great!  What a unique twist on an old favorite!  I loved the flavor combinations of all of the bars, and while they do have a “grown-up” twist, they aren’t “too gourmet” for kids to enjoy.  I think my favorite of all five bars has to be the Cherry Almond.  Each bar is priced at $1.59 or $8.94 for a box of 6.  The bars can be purchased right from the website.  They can also be found in select locations across the US.  These bars make the perfect addition to the school lunch box or snack.  If you are an adult, no worries!  Toss these bars into your purse, gym bag or store a couple in your desk to help power you through that afternoon slump.

*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.