With school back in session for most kids, I am sure the stress level in your house has picked up, just as mine has.  While we did keep busy during the summer, we didn’t seem to be on as tight of a schedule.  I figure that is because the kids didn’t have to be in bed at any certain time, and they could sleep in the following day.

Now that our schedule is crazy, it is really important that I not only plan out our meals, but stick to that plan.  I admit to being a really bad menu follower over the summer.  It was hot.  I was tired.  I have a plethora of excuses.  That is in the past and I am now looking towards the future and doing my darnedest to stay organized, so as to eliminate some of my stress.

I have never used a meal planning service, but came across one the other day.  I subscribe to Mamasource by Mamapedia (they send out deals like Groupon) and they sent out a deal the other day for a discounted meal planning service.  I was intrigued, so I went to the site to see about special diets.

The website is called The Six O’Clock Scramble.  Their mission:

Our mission is to improve the world one family dinner at a time.

THE SCRAMBLE CARES ABOUT:

• Encouraging family mealtime – We believe family dinners nourish bodies, minds and relationships.
• Promoting healthy meals for children – We believe every child needs and deserves nutritious foods.
• Supporting local farmers – We promote seasonal fruits and vegetables and support local farms and businesses.
• Reducing our environmental footprint – We believe in doing our part for Mother Earth and her inhabitants by promoting less waste, eating less meat, reducing pesticides by eating more organic foods, and  favoring sustainable fish.
• Our Community – We believe in giving back to our communities and the families who entrust us with their dinner night after night.

The service typically costs less than $7/month, but the special coupon that is being offered right now makes it $18 for a 6 month subscription.  After investigating the site, I found that they do indeed offer meal planning for special diets:

• Weight loss
• Vegetarian
• Food allergies
• Gluten-free
• Kosher
• Dairy-free
• Low sodium

You not only get the menu plan, but grocery lists & healthy eating tips, too.

I haven’t used this service, but know that I have heard more than once how people struggle with menu planning.  While a service may not be the route for everyone or even a permanent solution, it could be a real help in getting you off on the right foot, especially with the discounted price.

As always, please double check recommended ingredients & groceries to ensure that they are indeed gluten-free.

This review is overdue and I apologize for not getting it up earlier.  Sometimes life gets busy &  gets away from me.  I take shortcuts where I can and that has been in cooking lately.  When I was putting away groceries earlier in the week, I noticed that I had a pork tenderloin in the freezer, so I put it into the refrigerator to make later in the week, planning on using the Five Star Marinade for it.

A little more about Five Star Marinade:

• No MSG
• No sugar
• No oils or fats
• No preservatives

While growing up,  holidays were special for many reasons. Getting together with family, good food and lots of laughter. Most meals were potluck,  making it easier on those hosting the event. We always had the traditional turkey or ham as a main course, but my Grandmother would provide another meat with her marinade. Everyone loved the flavor so much that often the family dinners would break tradition serving only her meat dish.  Little did Grandma know that her marinade was a healthy substitute for sugar or molasses based barbeque sauce.

Grandma is gone now but I have taken the recipe and bottled this great taste for everyone wishing great flavor without the worry of calories, preservatives or fat. The marinade is easy to use and is excellent for barbeque, broiling or baking making it enjoyable all year no matter the weather.

My marinade is just the thing for those on restricted diets such as those on low sodium, sugar free, gluten free or Diabetics.

When Wednesday rolled around, I marinated the pork in the marinade after breakfast and let it sit in the refrigerator all day like that.  I had planned on grilling the pork after getting home from gymnastics that evening.  I ended up cooking the pork in the oven instead and it turned out great!  I loved the flavor of the marinade &  it kept the meat nice & moist.  This first night I simply sliced the pork and topped my large salad with it.   The following night I made Jon BBQ pork quesadillas and Hannah a pulled pork sandwich.  Both kids were unsure at first, as they aren’t keen on trying new things, but they both really liked it!

The ingredients are:

Vinegar, salt, spices, paprika, and garlic.

Simple.  Nutritional stats per tsp.: Calories – 0, Fat – 0g, Sodium-100 mg, Carbohydrates – 0g.

While Aaron and the kids chose to add BBQ sauce to the meat after cooking, I did not.  I thought the marinade added a nice flavor to the meat without adding anything extra.

Five Star Marinade can be purchased on their website for $10.50/bottle.  Shipping is free on all orders.

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Remember to enter the Rudi’s gluten-free giveawaybefore Monday night!

 

 

**The product reviewed in this blog was sent to me free of charge for review purposes.  The opinions stated here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything. 

As I was jogging along on the treadmill this morning, peacefully reading my new Runner’s World magazine and drooling over the pretty new running shoes, I caught a glimpse of a story coming on the news about the gluten-free diet.  The premise was “The New Diet Trend”.  I wish I could have heard the piece because it infuriates me when people call the gluten-free diet a “trend” and bill it as the new greatest weight lost plan.  I’ll get back to that in a minute, but first, I need to rant about the Kellogg’s Corn Flakes recommendation.  While I didn’t hear the story, I did read it on closed captioning and they were talking about safe foods….fruits, salads, corn, etc.

It is true, there is no wheat in Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.  There is, however, malt flavoring, which comes from barley, which is gluten.  I have tried to find the video online to share, but was unable to locate it.

Kellogg’s Corn Flakes^® cereal

Ingredients

MILLED CORN, SUGAR, MALT FLAVORING, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SALT, IRON, NIACINAMIDE, SODIUM ASCORBATE AND ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), VITAMIN A PALMITATE, FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN B12 AND VITAMIN D. TO MAINTAIN QUALITY, BHT IS ADDED TO PACKAGING.

This reinforces, more than ever, the need to always read labels.  It doesn’t matter if you have eaten the product for years.  It doesn’t matter if it says “gluten-free” on the front, as I have seen that claim on the front and the ingredient list on the back has listed wheat.  Only you are responsible for you. 

Now, back to the diet trend.  As I have said repeatedly on my blog – a diet is what you make it.  You can make it healthy, or you can make it unhealthy.  Can you lose weigh on the gluten-free diet?  Sure, just as you can lose weight on just about any diet out there.  There was even a guy who lost weight on “The Twinkie Diet”.

Okay, rant over.  Now I can get on with my Friday.

Are you ready for another fun giveaway here on Gluten-Free is Life?  This time there will be 2 winners!  Yep, that is right, 2!!  Rudi’s Gluten-Free has graciously offered to give 2 of my readers a gift package that includes a free loaf of Rudi’s Gluten-Free bread and a sandwich box.  I have one of the sandwich boxes & use it all of the time!

Additionally, in celebration of the upcoming Labor Day holiday, I would like to share 2 recipes from Rudi’s using their products – gluten-free hamburger buns & gluten-free pizza crust.

Rudi’s Greek Turkey Burger

Ingredients:
* 1 pound ground turkey
* 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
* 1/2 cup sliced olives (kalamata preferred)
* 2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 2 teaspoons cumin
* Ground black pepper to taste
* Handful of spinach for topping

Directions:

* Preheat the grill for medium high heat.
* In a large bowl, combine turkey, feta cheese, olives, oregano,
cumin, and pepper. Mix together, and form into patties.
* Cook the patties on the grill until cooked thoroughly.
* Toast Rudi’s Gluten-Free buns on the grills for a minute or
two.
* Layer burger and spinach

Rudi’s BBQ Gluten-Free Pizza

* Heat up your grill till it’s nice and toasty.
* Top your Rudi’s Gluten Free Pizza Crust with olive oil
and your favorite sauce.
* Sprinkle cheese and lots of veggies or
your choice of meat.
* Place your pizza on your grill for about
ten minutes.
* Ready, set, EAT!

Follow the directions below to enter the giveaway! Good luck!!

Continue reading →

Good afternoon, friends!  Hope you are all enjoying the day – the weather here is glorious once again, though I do believe the ragweed has arrived.  My itchy, red eyes wouldn’t lie.  The winner of the El’s giveaway is…

Renee (Beyone Rice & Tofu)

Congrats, Renee!! 

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Don’t fret, if you didn’t win this giveaway, try your luck by entering the Peeled Snacks giveaway.  Good luck!! 

For the First Pumpkin Sighting!  The date is August 29, 2011 and there has been a pumpkin sighting.  Pumpkin ranks right up there with chocolate & wine for me, so I always have my feelers out looking for pumpkin goods.  One of my favorite companies came through. 

(source)

Kinnikinnick first launched their Pumpkin Spice Donuts last fall.  I couldn’t get my hands on them fast enough, and for good reason!  They are phenomenal!  Well, they are back, but only for a limited time, just like last year.  The donuts can be ordered from the Kinnikinnick website or they can be purchased in their Edmonton retail store.  The donuts are $6.59 for 6 donuts.  The shipping rate is a $10 flat rate fee.  Consider stocking up if you have an extra freezer to take advantage of the flat rate fee and to have these around for a long time. 

The donuts will only be available through November 30, 2011, so act fast!! 

Who likes dried fruit?  I do!  I can’t keep my hands out of it!  Last week I reviewed Peeled Snacks on Celiac-Disease.com.   Peeled Snacks are great for on-the-go snacks for school, gym or travel.  I love that they come in small, single-serve packs for easy portability and less waste.

(source)

I loved the apricots, but then again, they are my favorite dried fruit.  All of the fruit that Peeled sent me to review was very fresh.  In addition to eating dried fruit right out of the package, I also enjoy it cut up on my salads.

Would you like to win some Peeled Snacks? Follow the instructions below. Only the first one is mandatory, but complete one or more of the additional tasks for more chances to win!  This giveaway ends on Friday, September 2, 2011 at midnight!

Continue reading →

Today is a very exciting day for a friend of mine.  Beth, featured here as a gluten-free marathon runner, is competing today in her first Ironman in Louisville, KY.  I can’t even begin to tell you all how excited I am for Beth.  I have know Beth since high school and we reconnected a couple of years back.  In case you aren’t familiar with the Ironman, here is what the event entails:

• 2.4 mile swim
• 112 mile bike
• 26.2 mile run

Yes, that is right, a marathon after the other 2 events.  As if the first 2 aren’t taxing enough, right?  I bow down to those that complete the Ironman.  Perhaps I can see if Beth would like to do a follow-up to share how she fueled before, during & after this event.  GO BETH!

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I have been working on my disaster in my loft, so I haven’t done much else this weekend.  This is also taper time for my half marathon that is a week from today, so not as much activity scheduled for the week so I have time to get antsy & run like heck next week. 

Meal plan

Sunday – Chipotle – So, I might be addicted.  Rice has lots of carbs, right? 

Monday – Bourbon chicken, steamed broccoli & brown rice

Tuesday – Enchilada Bake, corn & salad

Wednesday – Baked Ziti, steamed green beans and salad

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – Breakfast for dinner – pancakes, turkey bacon and fruit salad

Saturday – MYOP (moved this week so I can have the same meal before my race)

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Make sure to enter the giveaway for El’s snacks – only one day left!! 

Spelt is not gluten-free.  Why am I writing this post?  Education.  Spelt is not safe for those with Celiac Disease to consume. Spelt is a species of wheat.  Wheat is gluten.  2 + 2 = 4.  More on spelt from Wikipedia:

Spelt (Triticum spelta) is a hexaploid species of wheat. Spelt was an important staple in parts of Europe from the Bronze Age to medieval times; it now survives as a relict crop in Central Europe and northern Spain and has found a new market as a health food. Spelt is sometimes considered a subspecies of the closely related species common wheat (T. aestivum), in which case its botanical name is considered to be Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta.

I have heard may people tell me that I should try spelt pretzels or spelt bread.  No, it isn’t gluten-free.  I have read about people following the gluten-free diet eating spelt & promoting it as gluten-free.  No, it isn’t gluten-free.  I overheard some people talking about spelt being gluten-free the other day and wasn’t in a position to chime in.  This type of situation can be sticky, as I don’t want to come off as preachy, but I would hate for someone to unnecessarily get sick or feel bad because they were not aware. 

Nothing anybody says is going to make spelt safe to eat for those who have Celiac Disease.  If you happen to be following the gluten-free diet for some other reason (gluten intolerance, autism, allergy, etc) and choose to eat spelt, that is your own prerogative, but it still isn’t gluten-free.  LOL….I think I have made my point! 

Starting the gluten-free diet can be very intimidating.  You are getting information from all different directions and trying to figure out what is what.  For this reason, it is important to make sure that the information you are getting is correct.  Consulting a website like The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness helps to ensure the information is right. 

There are so many wonderful gluten-free flours out there that once you get acclimated to the diet and know what is what, things will be much easier.  There are really many more things out there that we can have, than can’t. 

Okay, it is really “Keeping Them Honest”, but there is no them here, just me.  Unfortunately Anderson Cooper wasn’t available to help with this project, he probably has more important things to do. 

At the risk of looking like a hoarder, I am about to share a picture with you.  I am sharing this picture to motivate myself to make a change.  It is no secret that I struggle with organization.  I have purchased (and put together) many different methods and have failed at most (okay, really, all of them, as I am still looking).  I ordered Stephanie O’Dea’s Totally Together Journal (will review it soon) and got it in the mail the other day.  I am getting ready to dive in and thought what better way to document this process than to share with you all.  Plus, it will hold me accountable (or should). 

This picture is my loft/office.  My whole house does not look like this.  My desk is a catch-all for paperwork that needs to be dealt with filed.  I work at keeping the rest of the house picked up for the most part, so this area gets neglected.  Part of the problem is that I share this area with Aaron, which really isn’t fair to him. 

His desk…

As you can see, he has every reason to be irritated with my disaster zone.  Every 3-6 months I will clean and file and make a promise to myself that I won’t let this happen again and it does.  LOL!  I think part of the problem is that I don’t go in the loft/office on a regular basis, so I forget about the mess.  I will often send Hannah or Jon up with papers & such that need to be filed and have them place them on my desk.  I think step 1 needs to be that I need to do it myself so I can see the mess every time I add to it.  It certainly can’t hurt, right?

I think I am afraid that I am going to throw something out that I need.  I know deep down that is very unlikely if it has sat on my desk for as long as it has.  I hate to part with school papers, but am getting better at choosing which ones to toss.  Hannah’s sad face as I am tossing doesn’t make it any easier. 

So, this weekend after my run, I will be getting down to business.  Wish me luck! 

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In the meantime, be sure to enter to win samples of El’s Gluten-Free snacks!