This post has nothing to do with Celiac or gluten-free living.  It has to do with helping if you can.  Val over at Chicago Marathon Val posted a wonderful idea on raising money for the people of Haiti.  Please stop by Val’s to check out her “Dress Down” for Haiti” notes.  Another way to help is to donate money right to the Red Cross.  You can do so via their website or by texting “Haiti” to 90999 and $10 will be charged to your cell phone bill.

I am keeping all of those effected by the earthquake in my thoughts & prayers.  I can’t even begin to imagine what it is like in Haiti right now.

Amy’s Kitchen is a great company.  Amy’s makes natural & organic foods and has a large line of gluten-free items.  According to their website, there are 77 gluten-free products in their line now.  I received a few $1 off coupons to try out some of their products last week.  I chose the Rice Macaroni & Cheese (for Jon) and the Teriyaki Bowl. 

First up, Rice Macaroni & Cheese. 

This dish reminds me of the Stouffer’s Macaroni & Cheese that I used to eat as a kid and before I went gluten-free.  Jon loves this.  We don’t do a lot of frozen pre-made meals, but this is great to have on hand for those nights or days when things are super busy.  I would absolutely buy this again.  You can find Amy’s Meals in most grocery stores across the US, which also makes this a good choice if you are traveling – all you need is a microwave, which you can find in most convenience stores and even hotels if you ask the front desk.  I have also made this at home and put in a thermos for Jon to take to school. 

Teriyaki Bowl

Not only is the Teriyaki Bowl gluten-free, but dairy-free as well!  This is also one of very few Amy’s Meals without onions. I can assure you that I would eat most of those Mexican bowls & dishes if they were free of onions – they are right up my alley.  This dish was a fantastic combination of flavors.  I wasn’t expecting it to taste as good as it did.  I did beef it up with about a half cup of garbanzo beans & a salad, because 290 calories for dinner for me is just not enough.  I liked this so much that when I saw they were on sale at Giant Eagle this week (2 for $6), I grabbed another one! 

Amy’s is now offering many of the dishes in a “lower sodium” version to help keep the dishes as healthy as possible.  Make sure to check out Amy’s Soups, too, we love the Chunky Tomato Bisque in our house.  Perfect with a grilled cheese sammie! 

I had been hearing about the So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer for some time on Twitter.  It was like each tweet I read about it was torturing me because I couldn’t find the creamer anywhere.  I have tried other So Delicious products and based on how I felt about those, I was anxious to try the creamer.

While at my meeting at Whole Foods yesterday, I ran through the store to grab a few things.  I spotted the creamer out of the corner of my eye!  They had the original, vanilla & hazelnut flavors.  I chose original.  Not only were they  in stock, but on sale for $1.79 or so!  Score!  I couldn’t wait for breakfast this morning to try it out. 

I am, once again, going to sing the praises of a So Delicious product.  They sure knew what they were doing when they named this brand!  The creamer is awesome!  It adds a nice flavor & creaminess to my coffee without making it overly sweet.  For reference, I normally drink black coffee or coffee with a touch of unsweetened vanilla almond milk in it.  I chose the original this time because I wanted to be able to give a fair review without the added flavors of the vanilla or hazelnut.  However, I do have to drive past Whole Foods today, so I can’t say that I won’t stop to grab the hazelnut flavor to try out! 

Some facts about So Delicious Creamer:

• Dairy Free / Lactose Free
• Soy Free
• Gluten Free
• Rich in Medium Chain Fatty Acids
• Cholesterol Free
• No Trans Fats
• Certified Vegan

Additionally, there is no added HFCS, artificial flavors or mono & diglycerides. 

Over the past week or so I have received a number of gluten-free products to sample & review.  I am so excited about this!  All of these goodies look so good – I can’t wait to dive into each & every one.  All in good time.  Be on the lookout for lots of good stuff!
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Sunday night my mother-in-law, Mary, called & asked to stop by.  Twenty minutes later she showed up with the most incredible gluten-free delicacy you could imagine.  Can you guess what she brought over?  Gluten-free cream-filled chocolate frosted doughnuts. 

These puppies tasted better than I remember Krispy Kreme’s tasting.  Jon has counted them so that no one steals his beloved treats.  I hope to get the recipe from Mary & share it with you guys in the next few days. 

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I was able to make my own, personalized chocolate bar at Chocomize the other day!  What fun I had creating that!   I chose to make my bar out of dark chocolate with dried blueberries & cashews.  I have yet to dig in, but I promise to report back when I do.  Here is a teaser picture for you:

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I was very fortunate today to meet with a very special woman named Shelley at Whole Foods.  Shelley started a company called Moondance Heavenly Desserts after finding out that she was both wheat & gluten intolerant.  In Shelley’s quest to find gluten-free desserts she enjoyed, she perfected several gluten-free recipes & opened her own business.  I will expand much more on Shelley & Moondance Heavenly Desserts in my review of the products.  For now, I leave you with a picture of the treats that were graciously given to us to sample & review:

I am especially looking forward to the Pumpkin Cheesecake.  Those of you who have been reading Gluten-free is Life for a while know about my love for pumpkin – it is right up there with chocolate.  Make sure to check back soon for our review of Shelley’s treats. 

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One last quick note – Starbuck’s is now carrying gluten-free treats again.  You can read more about it here in my latest Examiner article. 

Today marks the 4th anniversary of my embarking on the gluten-free diet.  I received a call from my doctor on January 9, 2006 (my 33rd birthday) that my blood test for Celiac disease came back positive and the rest is history.  I can’t believe how much the gluten-free food market has changed over these past 4 years.  GF specialty food was close to impossible to find in the mainstream grocery stores.  Naturally gluten-free food was still as easy to find, but some of the questionable items that are now marked gluten-free weren’t as easy to identify.  Things have come a long way in just 4 years.  More & more companies are labeling their products “gluten-free” (Progresso Soups, Yoplait Yogurt, General Mills Cereal – just to name a few).  Many GF specialty foods have really exploded onto the market in the past 4 years.

So, today I celebrate being gluten-free.  I am thrilled that I am now following a diet that helps me feel better & is helping to make me the healthiest person I can be.  I celebrate that the “cure” is a diet change and not medication or surgery.  Things could really be much worse.  I have tried foods that I had never tried before & they have become new favorites.  So, if you are newly diagnosed & struggling, please take a moment to stop & think about it.  Mourn the beloved foods you are no longer able to eat & then move forward with an open mind.  You will discover a whole new world (try to think of that song from Aladdin – “a new fantastic point of view“).  Keeping a positive attitude will make your outlook seem much brighter.  🙂

This week I am hosting the weekly gluten-free menu swap and I chose gluten-free pizza as the theme of the week.  I love pizza and love trying new combinations & crusts, so I hope to see some great ideas this week.  Over the past year I have tried some new crusts.  I have a new favorite, Bob’s Red Mill pizza crust mix.  I also use Pamela’s Bread mix for pizza crust or Carol Fenster’s recipe. As far as toppings go, Jon prefers the traditional marinara sauce, mozzarella & pepperoni, occasionally.  I like to mix things up.  I like Buffalo Chicken pizza, veggie style pizza and my newest favorite is a pizza that I top with Trader Joe’s Tomato Chutney, smashed chickpeas, feta or goat cheese & spinach.  It is so good.  What are your favorite crusts & toppings?

Buffalo Chicken & half cheese pizza

Veggie & half cheese pizza

Onto my menu for the week:

Sunday – Rotisserie Chicken, sweet potato steak fries, green beans & salad

Monday – Birthday dinner with my Dad, Step Mom & little sister

Tuesday- Taco salad

Wednesday- Salmon, brown rice couscous, asparagus & salad

Thursday -Chicken/Eggplant Parmesan, broccoli & salad

Friday – Pizza night!

Saturday -Hannah & I will have a girls night 🙂  Her choice

Baked Items

Bread

Sweet Potato Brownies (didn’t get to them last week)

Blueberry Muffins

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Please visit Food for Good Thought, Inc as they are holding a silent auction on January 23rd to raise money for autism.  They train& employ individuals with autism.  They make a great variety of gluten-free foods.  If you live in the Columbus area you can attend the silent auction.  If not and you want to donate, you can do so by visiting Food for Good Thought’s site.

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Have a great week!!  Thanks to Cheryl at Gluten-free Goodness who is currently coordinating the GF Menu Swap.  If you are interested in hosting, please contact Cheryl.

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Manda from Asparagus Thin is making pizzas from around the world this week.  I am especially interested in the deep dish polenta pizza..YUM!  I also love the song she posted at the top of her post – it will be in my head all day now. 🙂

In my Box is making a series of one-pot meals this week.  Again, polenta has caught my eye!  A mention of a Mexican pizza made on Udi’s crust also caught my eye – I love to sing the praises of Udi’s!

Heather from Celiac Family has a great menu planned!  She goes through her favorite pizzas (frozen, crusts & restaurant).  I hope she can find a ZPizza soon, they are one of the best restaurant gluten-free pizzas around!

Cheryl from Gluten-free Goodness is making Coconut Curried Lentils and I just might have to invite myself over for dinner!  YUM!!  She also tried out a yeast & grain free pizza a while back that looks really good.  I just may give that a try in the near future.

Esther from Lilac Kitchen is talking about making a pizza with a sweet apple base.  That sounds awesome to me, so I do hope she shares if she does!

For more great menu ideas, please visit Orgjunkie.

I don’t know about you guys, but my skin is very dry this time of year.  Not only the skin on my legs & arms, but my hands are so dry they are cracking!  I wash my hands 40,000 times a day, so that has a lot to do with it.  Okay, maybe it isn’t that much, but it is a lot. Between changing diapers, making gluten-filled foods for Hannah and just staying germ free, I feel like I am constantly at the sink.  I have tried many hand lotions in the past.  Last year I talked about using Curel Target Hand Cream.  I found a new product that I am now loving last week.  I was shopping at one of my favorite stores, Trader Joe’s, when I spotted this lotion:

Trader Joe’s A Midsummer Night’s Cream – Extra Dry Formula.  I am surprised it didn’t say “For Kim” on the front.  This 16 oz. bottle (complete with handy dandy hand pump) was under $4.  I keep this puppy right next to my kitchen sink so that after I soap up & dry, I can immediately apply the cream.  So far, so good.  Jon has also been using it and it helped his dry hands, too.  This product is gluten-free and cruelty-free (produced with no animal by-products and without any animal testing. 

Seems there are a few other January Capricorns running around out there.  Not only is my birthday on Saturday, but so is my Mom’s and Erin’s of Gluten-free Fitness!  Happy birthday Erin & Mom!  I hope you both have great days!  My Mom will be coming to town in a few weeks so we can celebrate our special day.  Aaron & I are going out to dinner with friends tonight to enjoy some adult conversation.

Here you go Erin & Mom:

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Over the past few days I have been mostly trying to stay warm, but when I had to venture out, I found an amazing discovery at Raisin Rack – you can read more about it here.

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Burger King is now offering gluten-free menu choices.

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Did you hear about The Washington Post’s article about Celiac Disease being “in” in 2010?    While I am overjoyed that more press=more awareness=more people getting much-needed diagnoses, I am also concerned that this will lead to the gluten-free diet being labeled as a fad diet & not being taken seriously by places serving gluten-free foods to those that really do need them.

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Word on the street is that Mellow Mushroom is currently working on a gluten-free pizza crust.  This is what they “tweeted” to me the other day:

@kbouldin Mellow Mushroom is currently working on a gf pizza crust but its not ready just yet….Its Coming Soon!

YAY!!!  There is a Mellow Mushroom right up the street from me!

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Did you catch my review of Glow Gluten-free Cookies?  Amazing!

Hope you all have a nice weekend.  🙂

Back in December I was contacted by NXT Nutritionals about a healthy alternative to table sugar & artificial sweeteners.  Carlee sent me out a complimentary sample of Susta to sample & review for the blog.  Susta comes packaged in a box of 50 little packets, much like sugar or Splenda packets. 

From the NXT Nutritionals website:

SUSTA Natural Sweetener is a proprietary blend of non-caloric ingredients that can put the “brakes” on higher glycemic foods or beverages from adversely effecting your blood sugar. Products using SUSTATM Natural Sweetener are high fiber, with nutrients and minerals, no or low fats and have no added trans or hydrogenated fats. SUSTATM is great energy and nutrition for your heart, bones, and immune system.

There are many benefits to Susta Natural Sweetener:

• Contains Probiotics
• Supports Digestive & Immune Health
• Low Glycemic Index Food
• Gluten-free
• Only 5 calories

You can see the comparison of Susta & several other sweeteners below:

I have been using Susta to sweeten my coffee and as a treat on my Oikos & fruit.  Susta provides just enough sweetness without over doing it.  It also didn’t upset my stomach like some of the low calorie artificial sweeteners on the market do.  This is a great option for those who are looking for a low calorie, natural sweetener to add to their coffee, tea or foods.  You can purchase Susta here for $6.99/box.  Also, NXT Nutritionals will be making a baking version of Susta that can be preordered on their website now.  Susta & NXT Nutritionals are proud supporters of the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). 

I was the very lucky recipient of a package containing 4 complimentary boxes of gluten-free cookies from Glow Gluten-free the other day.  First I have to say that Jill from Glow Gluten-free is so sweet.  She is great to follow on Twitter and we have had some good laughs over the past few days.  Some of these giggles came from Heidi at Adventures of a Gluten-free Mom finding out that I had received & tasted a Double Chocolate cookie from Glow Gluten-free.  I had tweeted that I loved the cookie & Heidi caught wind of that & then began the tweets back that I must try the Snickerdoodles immediately!  Take about peer pressure!  😉  LOL!  Of course I had to oblige.  I couldn’t not try them at this point.  By the end of the night I had eaten 1 whole cookie & multiple bites of the other cookies to taste them all.  Jon was the lucky recipient of the remaining cookie parts – a job he did not complain about.  Good thing I am training for a marathon!  Talk about carb loading.  Maybe I will have to stock up on these cookies closer to the race. 😉 

Now, down to the details.  Not only are Glow Gluten-free cookies gluten-free, but they are casein-free, trans fat free and preservative free.  Each cookie contains 100 calories and is between 5 – 6 grams of fat.  They also contain 2 grams a fiber – bonus!  I love that the ingredient list for the cookies is easy to read & the flours used are garbanzo bean & fava bean.  Healthier than using a white rice, tapioca or potato starch (though they do have their place).  Also, notice the adorable packing – how cute is that?  Very eye catching & clever. 

Chocolate Chip – These remind me of Chips Ahoy, which I loved to eat as a child.  Jon adored these cookies!  I needed a glass of milk to dip these in! 

Snickerdoodle – The cookie that Heidi made me eat.  😉  These rock!  They have an amazing cinnamon flavor & as Heidi suggested this morning, I should crumble them up as cereal because they taste like Apple Jacks!  I see these as a topping to my oatmeal in the very near future. 

Double Chocolate– I want to say enough said, but that wouldn’t be doing these cookies justice.  They are so chocolately, crunchy & exciting!  They wake up your taste buds & would be awesome paired with a glass of merlot. 

Gingersnap – Classic gingersnap cookie.  I have always loved gingersnaps and these did not disappoint.  I would say that they would be great as a pie crust, but I don’t think that I am willing to sacrifice them for that!  LOL! 

I think I am going to take the plunge & say that these now rank up there as one of the best gluten-free packaged cookies that I have tasted.  Both Jill and her daughter have Celiac Disease.  I love that Jill says in her brochure that she was trying to recreate their old favorites (Mrs. Field’s, Chips Ahoy, Famous Amos), not create a packaged gluten-free cookie to resemble something you make at home.  I think that Jill & Glow Gluten-free hit that recreation spot on.  Job well done. 

Had to share one more picture – can you see that sugar on top of the gingersnap?  Mmmmmm!

Thanks Jill & Glow Gluten-free for sending us these samples to review.  We thoroughly enjoyed them.  You can find Glow-Gluten-free cookies at these locations.