What a change in weather we are having here! The temperature today is in the 50s (no, that is not a typo). It is pouring & we are having wind gusts up to 20 MPH. While I am happy that there is no sub-zero temps right now, I am a little bummed that today’s weather has me heading to the gym in a few to run 10 miles on the treadmill instead of outside. I think I will be breaking that up into 2 – 5 mile segments or maybe even utilize the indoor track, though 1 mile=12 laps & that makes me a little loopy! LOL!

Cheryl, from Gluten-free Goodness, is hosting this week’s gluten-free menu swap. Cheryl chose “seasonal winter foods” as the theme for the week. The one thing I can think of that is a seasonal winter food that we have in our menu plan is squash. I love squash. I like kabocha, acron, butternutt – you name it. I love this recipe for acorn squash stuffed with rice.

Sunday – Rotisserie Chicken, baked sweet potato, asparagus & salad

Monday-Filet Mignon, baked potato, roasted broccoli & salad

Tuesday – Tacos (with GF Petals), refried beans, corn & salad

Wednesday – French Bread Pizza, steamed green beans & salad

Thursday- Turkey burgers, sweet potato french fries, zucchni & salad

Friday- Chicken Fingers, mashed potatoes, peas & salad

Saturday – Leftovers

Baked Goods

Bread

Zucchini Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

Don’t forget to check out Orgjunkie for lots more menu ideas.

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Check out my latest Examiner & Celiac-Disease.com articles.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting up with some great gluten-free friends at Panera Bread. Most of us had met up last year at Z Pizza for a gluten-free pizza party. Amy, of Simply Sugar & Gluten-free, was in town visiting family with her husband, Joe. Jay, from The Gluten-free Post was there, as was Mary, from Gluten-free Mary, & her Mom, Gigi and Alison “Chef Ali”, an amazing Glunten-free Personal Chef here in Columbus.

Jay brought his 2 boys along & I brought Hannah. The 3 of them were instant buddies. They all had their Nintendo DS’s or DSi’s. I have to give a special shout out to Jay, as all I heard about yesterday & this morning was how Hannah’s DS was no longer good enough. She now needs a DSi. Thank you. 😉 I do have to say that I was very impressed that Jay’s oldest son, Zach, shook my hand when he met me! Very nice manners.

Here are some pics of the group:

Mary & Amy – bloggers or what? Cameras in hand!

Meet, Alison “Chef Ali”

The group: From left to right – front row – Amy, Kim, Alison, Mary. Back row – Gigi, Jay

The kids. They had a great time.

It was so much fun to meet up with these guys. I hope that we can have another tweet-up in the near future! Thanks for taking time out of your day to spend some time with us.

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You guys will be so proud of me – I was able to stay out of Trader Joe’s yesterday! This is harder than it seems, as it was literally right next door to this Panera Bread location.

I had the pleasure of sampling some great tasting cookie bars from Squirrel’s Bakery this past week. Alexander, the corporate director, sent me some complimentary samples. I recieved Cinnamon Chocolate Chip & Coconut Chocolate Chip. Squirrel’s Bakery was founded in 2009 and is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. You can find their products in these locations.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Bar

I loved how thick these bars were – they reminded me of a brownie or a blondie. I loved the texture & flavor. I also shared these with Lindsey and she loved this bar.

Cinnamon & Chocolate Chip Bar

Again, this bar was nice & thick & had a great texture. You could really taste the cinnmaon. These were really good, though I think I prefer the Coconut Chocolate Chip.

You can purchase these cookies at the locations listed above or by contacting Squirrel’s Bakery. You can also request that your local store carry these. I am going to mention to my friends at the Raisin Rack next time I go in.

The wonderful people at Shabtai Gourmet sent me some complimentary samples a few weeks back.  They really have quite the product line.  Shabtai Gourment is run by Shabtai!  He learned the art of baking from his father over 30 years ago & has been baking ever since.  All of the ingredients that pass through their doors are Gluten-Free, Casein-Free, Lactose-Free, Soy-Free, and Dairy-Free. They are certified Kosher for Passover and Kosher Parve – otherwise known as Dairy-Free by the OK Kosher Supervision.

We received 7 different products from Shabtai Gourmet & have sampled 5 of them so far.  I will list them below.

Rainbow Cookies

Italian Tricolor Rainbow Squares. Light sponge layers, separated by raspberry jam, and covered in dark chocolate. Gluten-Free, Casein-Free, Lactose-Free, Soy-Free, Dairy-Free, Corn-Free & Peanut-Free! These cookies are my favorite product that Shabtai sent.  Jon agreed, as did Lindsey.  Very original and great texture.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Semi Sweet Chocolate Chip Morsels loaded into these cookies, make your mouth melt when you pop them in. Gluten-Free, Casein-Free, Lactose-Free, Soy-Free, Dairy-Free, Corn-Free & Peanut-Free! I am going to be honest here – I did not care for these cookies at all.  Jon & Lindsey felt the same way.

Brownie Bites

These Bite Sized Brownies are perfect to pop in your mouth when your on the go. Warm them up and serve them with peanut butter or whip creme! Gluten-Free, Casein-Free, Lactose-Free, Soy-Free, Dairy-Free, Corn-Free & Peanut-Free! May be frozen upon delivery. Another hit here!  These were really good & what a unique way to package a brownie.  Looks like a mini-cupcake, but taste & texture of a brownie.  Thumbs up!

Meltaways Cookies

These square cookies remind me a lot of Pecan Sandies, both in taste & texture.  I liked these much better than the Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Ladyfingers

A light thin and crispy cookie. Perfect for making your own sandwich cookies, using your favorite jams or chocolates! Also great for making a Gluten-Free Tiramisu dessert – an Italian Favorite! Gluten-Free, Casein-Free, Lactose-Free, Soy-Free, Dairy-Free, Corn-Free & Peanut-Free!  Jon, Lindesy & I all liked these cookies.  I had never had one before going gluten-free, so I have nothing to compare it to.  I love the lightness!

Raspberry Roll

Thin sponge layers rolled up in raspberry jam, and sprinkled with coconut. Perfect for all year round and during the holidays too! Gluten-Free, Casein-Free, Lactose-Free, Soy-Free, Dairy-Free, Corn-Free & Peanut-Free! May be frozen upon delivery.  I have yet to try this – I put it in my freezer where it is calling my name!  LOL!

Brownies

This Super Moist Gluten-Free Brownie is loaded with fudge and lots of love. Gluten-Free, Casein-Free, Lactose-Free, Soy-Free Dairy-Free, Corn-Free & Peanut-Free! May be frozen upon delivery for storage!  These babies are in the freezer keeping the Raspberry Roll company.  Can’t wait to try them!

Shabtai offers 8 other products that I haven’t listed here, including what seems to be something very close to a Ding Dong or Ho Ho.  Remember those?  You can see if Shabtai Gourmet Products are sold near you by going here.  If not, no worries, Shabtai offers free shipping on all orders shipped in the continental US.

Lots of interesting bits & pieces floating around the net in the past few days, so I thought I would write up a summary.

Amazon is running a special on all kinds of gluten-free foods.  Make sure to check them out!

If you haven’t read this article, you must.  It talks about a company that was selling bread as “gluten-free” when it really wasn’t.  There is now a lawsuit against the company.  Scary stuff.  I remember reading about this a month or so ago when a little boy got sick.

There is a new tool on the web to make checking products for gluten-free status that I discovered this week.  My Gluten Facts is a free service and seems to be a very helpful tool.  You can read more about My Gluten Free Facts here.

While I was shopping at Trader Joe’s yesterday, yes, I know, I have a problem.  😉  I met a nice woman named Nolly (hope I am spelling that right).  Nolly’s son is allergic to wheat, so she was stocking up on gluten-free bread & waffles.  We chatted for a bit about the gluten-free diet.  I love to meet people when I am out & about shopping like this!  Nolly, if you are reading, it was great to meet you!

Are you missing Cream of Mushroom Soup in your recipes?  Heidi has come up with a simple GF way to make it yourself!  Make sure to check out her post!

Check out Shirley’s giveaway over at Gluten-free Easily.  She is giving away a copy of Stephanie O’Dea’s cookbook.  You know who Stephanie O’Dea is, right?

Amy has an awesome looking Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash recipe on her blog.  I love butternut squash!  This is a great winter meal to have.  Perhaps next week!

I hope you all have a great Friday!  Off to get some chores done.

A week or so back, I was sent some complimentary products from Everybody Eats.    Everybody Eats is located in Brooklyn, NY and is run by Pedro Arroba & Bruce Bassman.  Pedro was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in his twenties.  Bruce has a catering background, so together, he & Pedro set out to make delicious gluten-free food.  Everybody Eats makes their products in a 100% dedicated gluten-free facility & a 100% dedicated ground & tree nut facility.  They also offer several dairy-free and corn-free products, with more on the way in the future.

Dinner Rolls/Buns

I have now tried these several different times.  I have had them with my favorite veggie burger, Sunshine Burger, and I have also had them with turkey burgers.  I toast them lightly & then top with my burger.  They have a great texture!  These remind me of the kaiser rolls that I used to eat as a child.  My Mom would get them from some deli when we lived in New Jersey & then top with pastrami & cheddar cheese, wrap in foil & cook in the oven.  That, my friends, was some yummy goodness.  These rolls brought me back there.  🙂

Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I took my first bite of these cookies, I was a little disappointed.  I guess I was expecting a softer cookie.  However, the more I ate of this cookie, the more I liked it and then loved it!  I just happen to prefer a softer cookie, but I think I could be persuaded to re-evaluate that after a few more of these.  Jon loved these cookies as well.

Cinnamon Sticky Buns

Not too long ago I saw someone reference these & they compared them to TJ Cinnamon’s or Cinnabon.  After hearing that, I thought no way could they be that good.  Well, I was wrong.  Jon used his favorite word, A.M.A.Z.I.N.G, to describe them.  He had darn close to 1/4 of the 8 x 8 pan of them in one sitting!  I had mentioned in my email to Pedro & Bruce that Jon loved cinnamon rolls – they assured me that he would love them and they weren’t wrong!  I see these in my future for carb loading, perhaps.  😉

We have yet to try the Baguette – I am thinking French bread pizza or sub sandwiches – I can’t decide.  I will make sure to update you guys once I do.

If you are lucky enough to live in Brooklyn or close by, you can pick up your orders from Everybody Eats.  If not, you can order online and they will ship to you.  The  products may also be found in retail health food stores in New York City, Long Island, New York State, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Florida & now Ohio!  It was just recently that Raisin Rack started to carry Everybody Eats.  You can read more about that here.

I have to say that those who live in NYC have so many options available to them.  I am making a list of all of the great places that I have to visit should I ever get to NYC again.  Heck, I might just plan a road trip to hit up some of these great places – Everybody Eats, Risoterria, and Babycakes.

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I have a new article up on the Examiner and Celiac-Disease.com.  Please check them out if you have a minute.  Make sure to check back for a giveaway come Monday!  This one will be a good one.  🙂

Back in December, Grain Free JK Gourmet sent me some complimentary products to sample.  They sent me 2 different kinds of granola, biscotti & some almond flour.  JK Gourmet is located in Canada and was started by Jodi Bager.  After Jodi was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, she started to look for a drug free way to treat her condition.  It was this journey that inspired her to co-author 2 cookbooks with Jenny Lass and develop Grain Free JK Gourmet’s products.

Some information about Grain Free JK Gourmet:

We guarantee that all of our products are:
• Made from whole, natural foods
• Grain-free (that’s no wheat, bran, oats, rice, spelt, barley, rye or corn)
• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free and lactose-free
• Soy-free
• Trans fat–free
• Sweetened only with honey
• Legal for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet
• A source of fibre and calcium
• Labeled accurately and include all ingredients
• Able to help lower LDL cholesterol
• Part of a healthy eating plan

Nuts & Raisins Granola:

Ingredients:
Sunflower seeds, raisins, unsweetened coconut, walnuts, almonds, honey, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds.

Nutritional Information:

Cranberry Cashew Granola:

Ingredients:
Cranberries infused with unsweetened apple juice concentrate, sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, unsweetened coconut, honey, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds.

Nutritional Information:

Orange Cranberry Biscotti:

Ingredients:
Ground blanched almonds, honey, whole eggs, unsweetened cranberries, whole orange juice and zest, baking soda, salt.

Nutritional Information:

I shared the granola with Lindsey – she works with Aaron & has helped me out with sampling other items too.  Lindsey preferred the Cranberry Cashew over the Nuts & Raisins and ended up mixing them together for a nice treat!  I have to say that cashews & cranberries are favorites with me, so that is what I am going with as well.  The Nuts & Raisins granola is good, but when comparing, the Cranberry Cashew wins.

The biscotti were awesome!  I have only had biscotti one other time since going gluten-free 4 years ago and these were much better.  I liked the crunch & the almond flavor throughout the biscotti.  While these do seem high in fat, that fat is from almonds – good fat.  Check out the protein content on those puppies!  If I am going to eat “cookies”, I want to get as much bang for my nutritional buck as I can.

Grain Free JK Gourmet products can be purchased via the website or in come Canadian stores.

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Make sure to check out my first post over on Celiac-Disease.com.  🙂

Make these doughnuts to quiet your craving for those Krispy Kremes that you can’t have. 

Doughnuts

3/4 cup milk, scalded

1/4 cup of water – for yeast

1 large egg

1 tsp baking powder

3 tsp xanthan gum

1 stick of butter, melted

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup potato starch

1/2 cup rice flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 pkg rapid rise yeast

1.  Scald milk. 

2.  Mix flour, xanthan gum, yeast & baking powder together.

3.  Add milk, sugar, egg, butter (melted & slightly cooled) and 1 cup of flour mix to mixer.  Beat on low, scraping sides constantly for 30 seconds.  Gradually add the remainder of the flour mixture.  Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally for 2 minutes. 

4.  Let dough rest for 20 minutes, then knead.  Cover & let rise in a warm place for 20 – 30 minutes. 

5.  Turn onto a floured surface and roll dough to about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter.  Place on parchment lined baking sheets.  Cover with a warm, moist towel & let rise for 20 or so minutes. 

6.  Heat oil in fryer or Dutch oven to 350 – 365.  Slide doughnuts into hot oil.  Turn as they turn golden brown, about 1 minute on each side.  Remove carefully from oil and drain (do not prick surfaces).

7.  When cool, make a small hole to insert the filling.  Take a sharp knife & carefully make a large cavity inside of the doughnut to hold the filling.  Fill doughnuts generously & top with powdered sugar or frost.  **It may be easier to just slice the doughnuts & half & fill – this is what my MIL ended up doing.

Filling

3 TBSP shortening

6 TBSP butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 TBSP Milk

1.  Cream butter & shortening, gradually add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. 

2.  Add milk & vanilla, beat until light & fluffy. 

3.  Fill doughnuts.  (Will keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Frosting

My MIL used Pillsbury Chocolate Frosting, but you could easily make your own.  Below is a recipe for a Chocolate Doughnut Glaze from Alton Brown.

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 TBSP whole milk

1 1/2 tsp light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1.  Combine butter, milk, corn syrup and vanilla in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted.

2.  Decrease the heat to low, add the chocolate and whisk until melted. 

3.  Turn off heat, add the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. 

4.  Place the mixture over a bowl of warm water & dip the doughnuts immediately. 

5.  Allow glaze to set 30 minutes before serving. 

These doughnuts did not last long in our house.  I think I got a couple bites.  Seriously.  Hannah had 1, I sent 1 into a friend that works with Aaron & Jon ate the rest. 

The 2010 Super Bowl will be on February 7th.  Am I excited about it?  Not so much, but I am excited for the snacks and the commercials!  Super Bowl Sunday = fun snacks!  I have a handful that I love to make, including Buffalo Chicken Dip, Fruit Skewers with Dip, Shrimp Cocktail & Nachos.  After writing my Organicville review the other day, Lisa contacted me with some recipes for Lentil Chile & Salsa Dip.  I can’t wait to share these with you!  The Lentil Chile would be good over the nachos in place of the chili I normally use.   The following recipes both use Organicville Salsa.  Here are some quick facts about the salsa:

Organicville Salsa Quick Facts:

· USDA certified organic

· Fat Free

· Gluten Free

· Contains no sugars

· Only 15 calories per serving!

Sweet and Spicy Lentil Chile:

Ingredients:

· 1 tablespoon olive oil

· 1 large onion, chopped

· 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

· 2 garlic cloves, minced

· 2 tablespoons chili powder

· 1 1/2 cups lentils

· 15 oz can crushed tomatoes

· 12 oz jar of Organicville Salsa (Mild, Medium or Pineapple)

· 1/2 teaspoon allspice

· cayenne pepper to taste

· salt and pepper

· 2 cups water

· 1 cup apple juice

Directions:

· Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.

· Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook until softened.

· Stir in chili powder and cook 30 seconds longer.

· Transfer mix to 4 qt slow cooker.

· Add lentils, tomatoes, Organicville Salsa, allspice, season with cayenne, salt and pepper.

· Stir in water and juice.

· Cover and cook on low 8 hours.

· Add more water if chili gets too thick.

Servings: 12

Organicville Salsa Dip:

Ingredients:

· 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

· 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

· 1 jar Organicville Medium salsa

· 1 Tsp. balsamic vinegar

Directions:

· Mix ingredients together in a medium sized bowl

· Chill in refrigerator before serving

· Serve with veggies, pita wedges, and tortilla chips

In addition to the great- tasting salsa,  Organicville is the maker of a line of organic ketchup, barbeque and teriyaki sauces and vinaigrettes that are available for purchase in supermarket chains, natural food stores nationwide and online at Amazon.   Additional product and availability information can be found at Organicville Foods.

Just saw this come across Twitter and figured it would be a good way to test out the new site.

390 tons of US Ground Beef was recalled.

“The beef was produced by Huntington Meat Packing Inc of Montebello, California, and shipped mainly to California outlets, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food safety arm said”

You can read the rest of the details here.