Earlier this summer California Pizza Kitchen debuted gluten-free pizza on their menu.  I was giddy.  I loved CPK pre-gluten-free and couldn’t wait to go back and try their new pizza.  Well, we did, and it was great, but our spirits were quickly dampened by the news that there could be major cross contamination issues going on in the kitchen.

I decided to go back and investigate to see what was going on and whether what I had heard about their procedures was indeed true.  I was saddened by what I found out.  While it had appeared that CPK went to great lengths to add the gluten-free pizza to their menu, they didn’t consider some of the most important issues.  Cross contamination is real and can be very serious.  Sure, some of those with Celiac Disease don’t react right away (or even at all), but some do and it isn’t pretty.  This doesn’t even take into consideration those that have a true allergy (to wheat or gluten) that results in anaphylactic shock. 

Emails and tweets were sent to CPK to try to get them to understand the seriousness of this situation.  If gluten-free pizza is going to be on the menu and more importantly, marketed to those on the gluten-free diet, the procedures needed to be changed or the pizza needed to be removed from the menu. 

Shortly after I tweeted CPK, I received this response:

While I haven’t heard anything from CPK since this tweet, despite my having tweeted them twice in the past week, I did hear some news today.  Gluten Free Philly reported on Facebook the following news:

Gluten Free Philly

California Pizza Kitchen has pulled the gluten-free crust option from its menu at all locations. CPK says that it is reviewing the pizza prep methods with an eye toward bringing it back in the future.

Kudos to CPK for taking the initiative to pull this menu item until they can work out the issues.  While I hope that they can bring the pizza back, I do understand that procedure changes need to be made across the company for this to happen.  Maybe they will take a look at some of the other companies out there who are making it work – Zpizza, Boston’s Gourmet Pizza, Naked Pizza, Mellow Mushroom and Uno Chicago Grill.

Today I am sharing bits & pieces of things I have swirling around in my head.  It really isn’t enough information for one post, so I am making a conglomeration.

First up, gluten-free ravioli or tortellini.  Jon asks me for this all the time, but I have never made pasta from scratch.  Ever.  Not before I went gluten-free and certainly not after.  I had to check out the link that Jules shared on how to make ravioli and tortellini.  She makes is sound so easy!  Could I do this without messing it up?  I really hope so!  I really don’t have an excuse not to try because I have a huge back of Jules Gluten Free flour in my pantry as I speak.  Wish me luck!

Subway began offering gluten-free buns & brownies earlier this year in a small test market in Texas.  They are now expanding this test market to include 100 Portland, Oregon locations!  I would love to see this go nationwide to add another option to the ever-growing list of gluten-free places.  To read more about procedures on how cross-contamination is avoided, click here.

Udi’s has re-designed their website and is giving away an iPad 2!  The new design is very pleasing to the eye and has lots of fantastic looking pictures that are making me drool!  More about the site:

“New Website Brings Community to Udi’s Gluten Free

Udi’s website has a new look. But it’s more than just new pictures and graphics. What’s really changed is how we communicate and interact with you. In today’s hyper-connected digital world, we want to make sure that our community lives up to your expectations. Now you can easily track down the gluten-free information you need, email us with any questions, see what’s trending on Twitter, and more!
Explore Udi’s New Gluten Free Website & Win an iPad 2

Udi’s Gluten Free Foods is celebrating the new look of our website by hosting a scavenger hunt to give new and loyal fans the opportunity to explore our site while searching for the hidden treasure. This hidden treasure could be your key to winning your favorite Udi’s Gluten Free Products and the chance to win the Grand Prize giveaway, an Apple iPad 2 engraved with a personal message from Udi’s.
The hunt begins August 19^th.”

I had my yearly physical last week, which includes blood work.  In the past I have been anemic and had low vitamin D levels, so I was hoping that my increased attention to the food that I have been putting in my body paid off.  I got the results yesterday and all looked great!  Blood count, blood sugar, kidney function, electrolytes, iron studies, ferritin, thyroid tests & vitamin D – normal!  I also had my cholesterol checked:

Total cholesterol: 141 (goal <200)

Triglycerides: 50 (goal <150)

HDL: 75 (goal >40)

LDL: 56 (goal <130)

It was reassuring to see that my iron & ferritin levels were normal, as I quit taking my supplement a while back and have been focusing more on foods that are higher in iron.

School starts today – YAY!!  Who else is excited?  Well, last, but not least, I had to pick a new winner for the GF Bisquick contest because I never heard back from the winner that was chosen.  The new winner is:

Diane Bramos – CONGRATS Diane!!!  Please email me at kim@glutenfreeislife.com with your contact information.

One of my favorite pre-gluten-free snacks was bagel chips.  I loved the crunch.  Nothing like a salty, spicy, crunch snack to wake you up in the middle of an afternoon slump.  I have missed that and haven’t really found anything to quite take the place of those bagel chips.  Until now.  Enter: El’s Gluten-Free snacks.  Not only does El’s Kitchen make bagel snaps, but a snack medley that contains some amazing textures & flavors.  Read my complete review of El’s gluten-free snacks over on Celiac-Disease.com.

Gluten-free Snacks from El's Kitchen

Want a chance to win some El’s Gluten-Free snacks?  Good, because I have partnered with El’s to host a giveaway for one of my lucky readers to win 2 bags of El’s Gluten-Free Snacks (one bag of each).  Follow the instructions below to enter.

Continue reading →

Welcome to the end of August.  The end of another summer and the beginning of another school year.  The kids start back to school later this week, so they are enjoying their last few moments of summer freedom to the fullest.  Aside from Hannah breaking her arm, we have had a great summer!  We started out with a nice beach vacation in June, spent lots of time reading for the Summer Reading Program (I even took part in this) and finished off with lots of time at the pool once Hannah got the okay from her surgeon. 

The menu for the week:

Sunday – Chipotle

Monday – Rotisserie chicken, sauteed sesame green beans, coconut brown rice and salad

Tuesday – Soft turkey tacos, black beans, local corn on the cob and salad

Wednesday – Spaghetti with marinutta sauce and roasted vegetables and salad

Thursday -  Herbed Pork Tenderloin, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli & salad

Friday – MYOP – Udi’s gluten-free pizza crust with choice of toppings and salad

Saturday – Burgers on the grill, foil potato packets (sweet & white potatoes), roasted zucchini and salad

Baked Goods

Chocolate cake

Banana bread

Have kids in your city started back to school yet?  If not, when? 

The market is full of gluten-free cereals these days.  This is a blessing for those of us having to follow a gluten-free diet.  I remember the days when there were very few options.  While some of those options were tasty, they got tiring.  It is nice to change things up every once in a while. 

(source)

Erewhon (now part of Attune) has a nice variety of gluten-free cereals that appeal to both kids & adults. 

• Crispy Brown Rice
• Crispy Brown Rice with Berries
• Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice
• Rice Twice
• Corn Flakes
• Strawberry Crisp

All of the Erewhon gluten-free cereals are certified gluten-free.  I was able to sample the Crispy Brown Rice, Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice and Crispy Brown Rice with Berries recently.  They are all very good, but I think that the Crispy Brown Rice with Berries is my favorite.  I added it to a bowl with Chobani Black Cherry Greek yogurt.  The cereal added a great texture to the yogurt and rounded the bowl out for a filling breakfast.  They even made a crackling sound when combined with the yogurt!  The Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice are a nice treat sprinkled on top of yogurt or used to make Rice Krispies treats.  The plain Crispy Brown Rice can be used for breading chicken or fish to make chicken nuggets or fish sticks.  Just crush them and treat as bread crumbs. 

Erewhon cereals can be purchased in many mainstream grocery stores across the US or online.  In addition to the Erewhon cereal, Attune also offers gluten-free chocolate probiotic bars.  Please note that Erewhon also makes cereal that is not gluten-free, so please make sure the product you are purchasing says “gluten-free” on the box. 

Have you tried any of the Erewhon cereals?  What did you think?  Do you have a favorite?

***The products reviewed in this post were provided to me free of charge.  The opinions stated here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

Just wanted to take this moment to welcome my brand new nephew, Garrett James!  Born 8/16/2011 at 8:35 PM weighing in at 5 pounds 2 ounces.  Congrats to my sister and BIL, Kelly and Greg, and big brother, Noah! 

Aunt Kiki can’t wait to meet you!!

Well, if that doesn’t make me want a baby…..

We have a really cool state liquor store right up the street.  I like to go in there and browse the wine selection and will occasionally pick up beer for Aaron there.  A couple of years back they were just starting to carry Redbridge.  Things have sure come a long way – now they are carrying Green’s and Estrella Damm Daura.  I found Green’s Tripel Blonde Ale the last time I was in and couldn’t wait to try it. 

The bottle is rather large, so if you don’t have someone to split it with, make sure you are ready to drink 16.9 oz of beer.  Aside from the fact that I loved the taste of this beer, I love that we have so many choices now.  I don’t feel limited at all on the gluten-free diet now.  When I first began the diet in 2006, I felt very limited and even bitter at times.  Not only do we have options now, but we have good options.   Not just a product to make us feel like we are not missing out, but a product that we are happy and proud to choose!  More about Green’s:

Green’s Beers have been brewed in Lochristi, Belgium at the highly-respected DeProef Brewery since 2004. Inspired by strong European beers and developed to a closely guarded secret recipe, these specialty beers are brewed with a full body, crisp taste and a refreshing flavor, losing none of the taste but all of the allergens. Green’s Beers are suitable for both Vegetarian and Vegan diets. They have a full five-year shelf life due to bottle-conditioning with an authentic Belgian yeast.

Green’s Beers DO NOT contain any of the following allergens or products thereof: Gluten, Crustaceans, Eggs, Fish, Peanuts, Soybeans, Milk, Lactose, Nuts, Celery, Mustard, Sesame seeds, Sulfur dioxide nor Sulfites.

If your local store isn’t carrying Green’s, consider asking them to carry it.  The worst that can happen is they say “no”.  To find out if Green’s is sold near you, click here. 

This post brings me to a very important message: Don’t ever be afraid to ask for what you want.  This goes for everything in life, not just in following the gluten-free diet.  If you sit around waiting for things to happen or fall into your lap, sure, you might get lucky and have said thing happen.  But, you might not.  I used to be afraid to ask for what I want – afraid to make things happen for me – not anymore.  You have to be speak up, be vocal, be heard.  Be courteous & respectful and you are much more likely to get what you are asking for.   You still may not get what you what, but you can’t say that you didn’t try. 

Ten days.  Do you know what happens in 10 days?  The kidlets go back to school.  This week will be filled with orthodontist appointments, schedule pick-ups, teacher assignments & such.  It also means that sleep schedules need to get back on track.  Pssst….Jon, this means you!  School supplies have already been purchased for Hannah.  The PTO at her school offers a package deal for $25 – you send a check in before school ends the previous year & the supplies are delivered to the classroom – ready & waiting!  Best. Investment.Ever.  I just wish they did this for high school.  I don’t look forward to the days ahead that will included running from store to store looking for the right color & width dry erase markers.  

Jon has taken a liking to Jell-O Pudding.  He loves to make it himself (YES!) and it isn’t nearly as unhealthy as the chips that he wants to eat all of the time.  Now, if we can just get him to make the rest of his meals.  Baby steps, right?  Oh, he also did his own laundry this week!  Progress!

Goal this week: Not eating more than 1 meal out.  Lately my meal plan has been in the toilet and I have been grabbing dinner out.  This needs to stop.  Not only is it expensive, but I have food at home, I have just been too lazy to cook it.  I think the key is prep.  If I prep what I can on Sunday & Monday, the rest of the week should be easier when I am tired. 

Sunday – Rotisserie chicken, baked sweet potato, steamed broccoli & salad

Monday -  Spaghetti with marinara sauce, steamed green beans & salad

Tuesday – Turkey tacos, corn, refried black beans & salad

Wednesday – Bourbon Chicken, brown rice, broccoli & salad

Thursday – Leftovers or breakfast for dinner

Friday – MYOP and salad

Saturday- Take-out

The winner is….

• 34 Cybele Owen "Like"Gluten-Free-Is-Life on Facebook

Congrats Cybele! Please email me at Kim@glutenfreeislife.com

Have a great week!

Kim

After I sampled & reviewed Glutino’s new Genius bread in July, I received another loaf & letter from the company asking me to give it another try.  The sample they sent this time came from an ‘improved’ batch of bread.  Okay, I am game.  The bread was shipped frozen and had thawed by the time I had received it.  The letter that came along with the package recommended eating within one week for ‘optimal sampling’.

I left the bread on the counter (we run the A/C) overnight and made a sandwich to take the to pool that day.  I did not toast the bread for this sandwich, I just added deli turkey, cheese, mixed greens and spicy mustard.  The bread seemed more substantial than the previous loaf did, so I had high hopes.  The sandwich survived the cooler & trip to the pool.

I was impressed with the difference in this sandwich.  The bread held up much better and wasn’t nearly as dry.  The crusts were still dry and I ended up not eating part of them.  The bread was a little crumbly, but not nearly as bad as the first loaf.  The taste is really good, so it made for a nice sandwich paired with turkey & cheese.

Next up, toast.  I toasted the bread in my toaster oven & spread Earth Balance’s new coconut spread on top and was in heaven.  The bread held up very well, tasted great and is my preferred way to eat this bread.

All in all, this product was better than the first loaf that I received.  I went ahead & put the loaf in the refrigerator for storage so that it would last longer.

Genius bread can be purchased right now on glutenfree.com for $3.99/loaf!

I have been trying to incorporate more cross training into my half marathon training to help keep old (and new) injuries at bay.  One of my new loves is yoga.  Yes, I have done yoga at home, but never in a class setting before last week.  I am loving it!!  So, when I was asked if I would be interested in reviewing Bethenny’s Skinnygirl workout, I agreed because I knew that her previous workout (Body By Bethenny) was mainly yoga with some strength training mixed in.  I had done that workout a few times on Exercise TV and really liked it. If you’d like to start yoga too and need some gear, you can use this FootLocker promotional code to help you save!

Bethenny’s new DVD will debut on September 12, 2011 exclusively at Target and Target.com (SRP: $16.99).

More about the new DVD:

Three easy-to-follow yoga workouts, plus recipes from the Skinnygirl Dish and bonus stretch

 

SILVER SPRING, Md – Following the success of Body by Bethenny, celebrated author and reality TV star Bethenny Frankel returns with Bethenny’s Skinnygirl Workout,debuting on DVD from Acacia on Monday, September 12, 2011 exclusively at Target and on Target.com (SRP: $16.99). Bethenny is the star of Bethenny Getting Married? (the most-watched series premiere in Bravo’s history), and New York Times bestselling author of Naturally Thin, The Skinnygirl Dish, and A Place of Yes. Since people always ask Bethenny how she stays in shape, she created Body by Bethenny last year, and this creative-based follow-up features three yoga workouts (two 15-minute, one 20-minute) with instructor Mike McArdle.

 

As Bethenny says, “Life gets hectic—some days I have 30 minutes to work out, other days I have 45, and sometimes I only have 15. That’s why I designed the Skinnygirl Workout with three quick yoga segments that tone the entire body. You can squeeze in a segment every day, or do a couple several times a week—the most important thing is that you enjoy it.

 

I don’t believe in expensive trainers. I don’t believe in people yelling at you. I believe in realistic, sustainable fitness plans. This practice will leave you feeling relaxed, refreshed, and toned. Whether you’re a first timer or an experienced yogi, this is your workout—for every day or any day.

 

Welcome to the Skinnygirl Workout. Make it your own, be consistent, and have fun!”

 

Special Features: Bonus stretching segment (12 min.) and a recipe booklet from Bethenny’s Skinnygirl Dish.

 

Popular New York City instructor Mike McArdle has been teaching yoga for more than a dozen years. He is certified in Bikram yoga and Pilates and has also trained in vinyasa and power yoga. Bethenny has known Mike for several years, and he’s one of her favorite teachers because of his creative style and fun, flowing classes.

The other night I decided to give the yoga DVD a try .  I got out my purple yoga mat & instructed the kids to leave me in peace for 30 minutes (we all know that didn’t happen – it was like a free pass to come bug mom).  The workout started much like many yoga classes do, by warming up.  I was following along nicely and then all of a sudden things got complicated.  LOL!  I guess I didn’t appreciate that Mike wasn’t giving a lot of instruction on the poses in the beginning because I knew how to do them.  Once we entered territory that was unfamiliar to me, I got lost.  Not only lost, but upside-down down dog?!?  While I realize that this may not be an issue for those who have been practicing for years, it was for me.  LOL!  I modified and did what I could do and caught back up and completed the workout.

While I think that this is a good workout, I believe there needs to be some mention that this isn’t necessarily for beginners.  That, or possibly a section on the DVD with a more in-depth explanation of the advanced poses.  I realize that these are shorter workouts aimed at those with limited time, so that is why the ‘bonus’ section with step-by-step instructions would be a great idea.

Have you tried Body by Bethenny?  Is this new workout something that would appeal to you?  I would love to get to the point with my yoga where I could flawlessly move from pose-to-pose without cursing the instructor.    Perhaps my continued participation in classes at my gym can help me progress to that point.

**I received this DVD free of charge for review purposes.  The opinions stated on this blog are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.